Singapore dinner and dance.

Hey guys, I just got up. Not much to update actually. But I think I will just fill in a bit on a recent event. Maybe quite driven by the thought that the headache and vomit-like feeling that I had earlier are now all gone - I'm having viral infection. Yeah, and so I am back to one happy person once more today!

Well, some of you might already know that I was at a Dinner and Dance recently. Yeah, I was, and here���s a bit about the event. But before I tell you much about it, I guess I have better explain on the concept of D&D (Dinner and Dance) just in case you might not know what it is.

I know for a second you may be wondering why I need to explain on this for D&D may sound rather universal to you. But my experience at a D&D last year have indeed told me that not everyone knows what D&D is. So sit back and read on if you feel like it...

Briefly, what happened at last year's D&D was, I was approached by one of Kenji���s senior Japanese colleagues at the end of the event. The colleague approached me for a conversation as I was about to re-enter the event hall to collect my bag and say goodbye to some people.

Oddly, the conversation started with what-seemed-to-me-as-very-genuine apologies. Kenji's Japanese colleague then was apologizing to me on behalf of the company for the D&D event, which she described as ���I don���t know this Chinese thing���.

I was quite taken aback by her speech and actions initially. Of course. I mean, why would anyone apologize for such a happy event, right? Plus, what was it about speaking of the event as a "Chinese thing"??

Although it may be that she was just trying to be polite (knowing Japanese people), but I thought nothing bad had occurred in any way all through the time. Furthermore I was only the spouse of a staff there, hence it was not like I was some important person at the event for any act of contrition.

So, not only was I thinking it was rather odd for the Japanese colleague to apologize to me but also I just ruled out the idea that she understood much about the event or even the culture of Singapore, much less have had much exposure to events like the Dinner and Dance.

So from that experience on (and just to be on a safe side), I take it that 'not everyone knows everything'. So I thought it is just wise of me to explain a bit about the event here in my blog since I will be writing about it anyway.

So, just in case you are like Kenji's Japanese colleague who probably would think of a D&D event as a "Chinese thing", let me tell you. D&D is actually an abbreviation for Dinner and Dance. Dinner and Dance is a formal social gathering that includes a dinner followed by dancing. Usually held only once a year, it is more often than not conducted in the months nearing the end of the year.

A Dinner and Dance is quite universal actually. In Singapore a Dinner and Dance usually comes in as a sort of night of recognition for most companies but it could also be a charitable event for some organizations. To simply it further, most D&Ds are like a ball.

In Singapore too, Dinner and Dance can be comparable to that of high school students��� Prom Night. The only difference is that Dinner & Dance is an adult version. Common features of the event include a theme, games, Best Dressed Awards and Lucky Draw Contest.

So the other night I was at a Dinner & Dance party, just as the one described above. It was not my first D&D though. And I bet it was not the first either for most of the Singaporeans there. The Dinner and Dance was held at Le Meridien in Orchard. And because it was organized by the company Kenji is working for, as a spouse of a staff to the company, I was invited to attend.

D&D that night seemed like a rousing good time to me. I thought all who attended was in high spirits. Most of the female attendees took advantage of the ���Retro Night��� theme and were dressed in full costume.

I was dressed in my red-color 2007 hari raya clothing; a kind of kebaya that has see-thru lace sleeving and delicate floral pattern lace on its skirt, which looked rather retro like that of the late 60s and early 70s fashion but which also fits in well as a Malay traditional costume. Of course I wasn't 'that' outstanding to win the Best Dressed award. And I didn't win either. After all I am in Singapore and many people are used to seeing a Muslim woman dressed in her hari raya clothes.

Anyway, comparing last year's D&D to this year's, I found this year's D&D somewhat similar to that of the previous year���s though. But with a few new staff, it did add to the difference. Also, we had better Muslim meal this time. Yet, in some aspects, last year���s Dinner and Dance was more enjoyable to me than this year's actually. Perhaps because I did not have much to expect from it other than the main features of a D&D I have always known.

What else was similar this time was the prize Kenji won from the Lucky Draw Contest. Kenji won himself another $500 voucher. But this time he got them from 2 shopping malls: $50 from Takashimaya and $450 from Tangs :(

I was actually hoping Kenji would win a trip to Korea (they seem to have this prize every year). And Kenji was hoping for a 3D2N stay at a villa in Bali (we know of this prize because the owner of the villa told us about making it the company���s D&D lucky draw prize). But we got the $500 voucher instead and it was right before the Bali prize was announced :(

Anyway, the vouchers have already been used. Kenji bought some work shirts and trousers, plus a pair of new shoes the other day. He managed to make use of all the $500 he won. So that was good.

As for me, I don't mind not getting anything out of the voucher as I got my hands on last year���s voucher already anyway. Early this year, I bought a SLR camera using the 2006 D&D Takashimaya voucher that Kenji won before we left for Japan. So I thought this time Kenji should use the vouchers for his own good instead! Besides, I have got nothing much to buy right now and not especially from Tangs.

So, having mentioned about almost everything about the recent D&D, I guess I have better finish off this post somewhere. Umm, I feel like sending dad a text message now in fact. I thought of asking him the time he is fetching Nunun at the airport. So yeah, I better go. So I guess this is all I've got for you for now. Will try to keep you posted. Take care.

-----------------------------------------The Pictures-------------------------------------

Some of Kenji's colleagues and their spouse at the company's Dinner and Dance at Le Meridien. They were also our 'table mate' for the night. Left to right: Nelson, (can't remember her name - sorry!), Etan, Firhan and Sarah. Great company!


Kenji walking along Orchard Road with two Tangs shopping bags in his hand. Kenji's just gone shopping with the vouchers he won at the Dinner and Dance Lucky Draw contest. So on that day he got himself a couple of work shirts, trousers and a pair of shoes.

Singapore 2007 Christmas Light-up

Below are some pictures of this year's outdoor Christmas light displays along Orchard Road, Singapore. Pictures are mostly blurry though - sorry about that, can't seem to take better images of them. But still, do check them out alright.

Few Eid Piccies.

Hi all. These are a few Eid piccies that I have collected over the past 10 days. Unfortunately, I could only show 10 of them because Photobucket limits the number of photos on one slideshow. So these are all I have for you for now - the first few hours of the 1st day of Syawal, that is. I hope you like it.

*Second pic was taken by Asyraf*

Ramadhan with Kenji in Singapore.

Hey everyone, it has been 2 weeks since Ramadhan started. I have been in Singapore eversince, observing the most prominent event of the month ever, fasting that is. Fasting in Singapore has so far been good, always and forever will, I'm pretty sure. Perhaps, except for my quite messed up sleeping timetable at the moment and my lack of ability to wake up at an earlier time for sahur in the past weeks, which at times really gets on my nerves, :) fasting in the country has been enjoyable nevertheless and I am really glad for that.

Fasting, for those who do not know it yet, is a mandatory affair of Ramadhan for the Muslims. Quoting Wikipedia, Muslims worldwide fast during the daylight hours of Ramadhan, waking up before dawn to eat and breaking their fast once the sun sets each day all through the month. In case you're wondering, Ramadhan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, also a sacred month in Islam as it commemorates the time when prophet Mohammed is said to have received the revelations that form the basis of the Quran. During this month however, Muslims do not just fast but are also encouraged to carry out the additions to fasting such as reciting the entire Quran as well as performing the extra night prayers called the Tarawih.

Observing Ramadhan with the above-said practices have apparently been a yearly affair for me since I was 6 (quite a common age to start fasting though not so much of the additions practiced at that time). So I guess I can roughly say that Ramadhan is by now quite a familiar period of time to me and has in fact been the same for me throughout. Perhaps, except at times when I had to fast outside Singapore, those were maybe the only times I would consider fasting all challenging and scary and different. The only time less of a routine when fasting in Singapore that I could think of would have to be the time when I was 14 and preparing for SEA Games. Then, I had to practically endure intense heat and scorched grounds as I fast during the practices. But I survived it altogether, and as I think of it now, I thought it wasn't too bad after all. :) Other than having to fast during preparation for the Games, Ramadhan in Singapore has by far been the same for me throughout.

Last year, Ramadhan in the country was slightly unusual to me though. For the very first time last year, I observed the practices of the month as a wife. And for the very first time too, I observed it with the company of my husband, Kenji, who was (and is still) new to Islam. It was a moment of mixed feelings I remember. Not only was I excited for Kenji who was doing his first Ramadhan ever, but also I was worried if fasting would be too difficult a feat for him to fulfill. But despite Kenji's lack of experience in fasting, I thought he did really well on it. And up till today, I couldn't be prouder of him. So this Ramadhan, I thought I shall just wait and see how he goes as he aspires to complete another round of Ramadhan, perhaps just like how he did a year ago. And on my part, I pray that God be with him throughout his practices.

Speaking of last Ramadhan and Kenji's first, however, reminds me of the day Kenji and I fasted on our trip in Phuket. Our short trip in the resort island had apparently ended on the very day Ramadhan started. So we practically started our Ramadhan last year on our last day in Phuket despite the possibility to defer fasting for the reason that we were on a journey (Quran, V.2:184). Fasting on that day however had also meant that Kenji's first ever Ramadhan was carried out on a trip, which apparently was quite an un-favorable manner for a beginner like him to have it commenced. But anyway nothing much can be noted on fasting in Phuket, really (mainly because we did not get to see how the Muslim community in Phuket commemorates Ramadhan - despite dropping by a mosque earlier that day - as nothing significant seemed to have been going on). More inopportune to us however was to be on our way to the airport at sunset as it further denied us the chance to be with the Muslims during the breaking of fast.

So unlike last year, I was glad that Kenji started this Ramadhan in quite an 'orthodox' way, fasting NOT on a journey as Ramadhan started, that is. For the past 2 weeks of this Ramadhan, I thought Kenji seemed to have been doing well, fasting for about 13.5 hours a day, just as the other Muslims in Singapore did. For the past 2 weeks too, he seemed to have had heaps of fun with the various features Ramadhan in Singapore has to offer, and I am no different than that. On my part, however, I just thought Ramadhan this year could simply not be better. I mean, having experienced fasting in 3 different countries by now (though not very fair to include that of in Phuket), I thought nothing beats fasting in my own motherland thus far. Not only are the islandwide festivals and bazaars really exciting, but also the entire atmosphere, which includes the presence of my immediate family members and the active muslim community here, are definitely very stirring.

So as of now, our plans (Kenji's and mine) for the rest of Ramadhan is to stay put in Singapore as we continue observing the practices of the month till it ends. Hopefully our plans to remain in the country works our way and if it does, this will make a full Ramadhan in Singapore the first for me in 5 years! :)

All right, I guess I better go. Need to catch up on some sleep before another pre-dawn of sleeplessness. But before I do, (I know it's a little bit too late but) let me wish all Muslims "Ramadhan-Eid Mubarak". And to my non-Muslim readers, have a great October.

Below are some pictures of this year's first fortnight of Ramadhan in Singapore for you to see. Enjoy!



Read more on Ramadhan in this blog:
Odd Questions, Grating Comments
Looking Back - Phuket
Ill + On For More Eid BUT Kenji���s Tired of It
Talking Things Local
PostCards From Thailand
Eid in Hobart
Ramadhan 2005
A Reason To Smile


Reference:

Wikipedia, Ramadan, Available [Online]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan, 26/09/2007.

Married For A Year

Today is our wedding anniversary. Today, we turn a year old as a married couple. Life being married has so far been great. Of course there were times when we argue. But overall, we truly enjoy life as "man and wife". Right now, home is still occupied with just the two of us. We are not planning to have babies yet as we are thinking of moving out of Singapore to a place where surf is great for Kenji and nature is abundant for me. So until then, it would be just the two of us.

As I start to type this out however, I truly wonder if I was going to write about it each time 15th of July comes. If so, I guess I will probably end up repeating some aspects of my marriage, which makes blogging my wedding anniversary each year rather pointless. My blog has bore enough readers and so I guess I should just avoid it.

But on the other hand, I reckon it is not too bad an idea because I get to keep track of the progress I have made in my marriage year-by-year, at the very least. But I don't know yet. While it is particularly wicked to leave anniversaries un-blogged (or blogged, for some), anniversaries in spite of everything make THE dates in our lives and the stories in our blog. As for me, I guess I should be explicated for this one because this is only my 1st wedding anniversary...

So here I shall reminisce about my wedding and write about what living for a year as a married person has been like. With that, I shall put aside the contemplation on wanting to blog or not about my future wedding anniversaries till later.

Our wedding last year was quite typical of the Malay weddings in Singapore. There was the solemnization on Saturday and wedding lunch on Sunday. Additional features to our wedding include city tour for our foreign guests, tea ceremony on Saturday, and Japanese dinner on Sunday night. The Japanese dinner was also to wrap up the entire wedding celebration.

On this very day last year, Kenji and I were surrounded by people we truly love. Be it family or friends, both local and overseas, they have traveled all the way just to be with us to see us wed. I reckon 'that' was perhaps the best thing ever to happen to us.

The other 'best thing' about our wedding to me will have to be the settling of all wedding-related bills before leaving for our honeymoon on the following Monday. I know many people worldwide have trouble settling their wedding debts. Many newly-weds bring wedding debts into their post-wedding life inadvertently. But I guess I was just lucky to have Kenji who worked so hard just to avoid all those. Thanks to him, we have been happily married since the 15th of July last year and enjoying every single day not having to work as hard just to pay off debts.

But as much as there are things to be happy and proud about, there are also things I have regretted over our wedding. One thing for sure, I regret not spending a bit more money on the tea ceremony. If I had, I would have had more local friends coming to enjoy the event with me. Well, what can I say, if only I had the money then...

A year has passed now and many things have changed. Cik Zul, the man who contributed so much to my wedding, has passed away. Ghee Wei, Marliza and Sarah (Halim) are now married. And I am Kenji's housewife, happier than before and misses the husband each time he is at work!

Last night, Kenji and I sat in the lounge to watch the video photo montage of our wedding. Well, we haven't seen the video for a while and so decided to see it partly because it was the eve of our wedding anniversary. While watching the video, Kenji and I got a bit tearful at one stage however, as we saw some pictures of our beloved family and friends who were around on both our wedding days. We missed them and missed the great times we had with all of them. The tears in our eyes just made us realized how wedding could make us so emotional!

The wedding photos also naturally brought us back to the wedding-week a year ago. On the pre-wedding days, Kenji and I were both busy not only for the wedding but also accommodating to friends who have just flown in from overseas. I remember being on leave from work about a week before the wedding just to be with Kenji's parents because Kenji was busy with work. I remember 'collecting' Masato at the airport on Thursday night and brought him to Kenji's place after that. I remember having Kotaro, Izumi, Lisa, Masato, Tempei, Nomura, Teruhisa-san, Keiko-san, Nurul and Nunun's friend, Selene, at my place helping the family out with some wedding stuff on the eve of the solemnization day. I remember Izumi putting henna on my fingers and Yati (Murni and Nunun's friend) doing the toes for me at night prior to the wedding! I could recall almost everything, and it felt like they have all just happened yesterday!

Seeing the video, too, made me feel like I was going through the wedding once again. I realized every single thing was fresh on my mind. I could also feel the ambiance so real. On top of that, Kenji and I were greatly reminded of the hard work we put in for the wedding as well as the hardship we went through in the entire 6 months prior to the wedding. Those difficult times we experienced such as settling down following our return to Singapore from Hobart seemed now relieved. The wedding photos touched our heart, really, and right now I just don't want 15th of July to end!

So it has been a year now since we got married. Marriage has been great for me. For a year now I have been Kenji's wife, and soon I will be celebrating my 1st year anniversary as Kenji's housewife. Being a full-time housewife though has made me realized how hard the job is, I never knew. In fact, I think it is the toughest job ever to exist in this world - just name any occupation from A-Z, and you get them in a housewife. Despite all that however, I am happier now. Though the happiness may be of small scale, I am nevertheless getting "a boost in life satisfaction from marriage" (quoting Lucas, R. E. & Diener E. in 'Are Married People Happier Than Unmarried People?'). Other than that, I am getting lots of privacy living with just Kenji in our Singapore flat.

Whilst some things have been good, there have also been those that are not exactly what I had expected out of marriage. In marriage, I have gained as much freedom as I have lost it. I may be free in many ways such as the way I discipline myself, or just do whatever I want to now that I am not quite bounded by my parents' unwritten constitution anymore. But now, too, for whatever I do, the consequences of my actions and behavior will affect not only me but also Kenji and the entire marriage.

Health is perhaps one good example for this. Being healthy keeps the marriage alive. But what is restricting is, to be healthy CONSTANTLY. And to constantly be healthy requires a lot of consistent work, discipline and self-motivation. So in other words, I may be free to do whatever I want to in life and to myself but I am still bounded by life conditions. And I have to think twice before making any decision and am fully responsible over my deeds and the effects they may cause to my marriage. Get me?

For the record, my married life has not been very different to my life back at uni. I have lived life as an independant person since 2002. I was far away from home and family then, and had to survive day-by-day on my own with the company of only dad's finances. So some things that I am doing now such as having full responsibility over home and household chores, having my own place and being responsible for myself, are not anything foreign to me.

Things that are different now would have to be making decisions with the company and cooperation of a husband. Looking for a flat, when dealing with rental stuff, moving homes and settling bills are all now the 'combined forces' of Kenji and I. Meanwhile household chores like cooking, cleaning, laundry and groceries are only different in terms of quantity. I am now cooking and cleaning not only for myself but also for the husband. As for money-wise, I will have to say, it does not come as easy as when I was depending on dad's finances. Other than that, what else have been different would have to be this: marriage has turned me into a somewhat dependant and independant person at the same time. I am now financially and 'companion-wise' dependant on Kenji, but I am also independant in some other ways I was not when I was single.

For the past one year too, Kenji has been a great husband to me. Thanks to his upbringing and 'un-Asian' lifestyle, he believes in no gender roles so he does household chores, too, such as cook meals on his off days, wash dishes and do laundry whenever I don't do them. I find Kenji quite a real person. He is honest, fun-loving, patient and not emotional. I like him a lot because he doesn't play games, and so we don't have cold wars. Other than that, Kenji's patience has helped the marriage heaps as I am not an easy person to live and be with. With his open-minded nature, it has been really easy to keep an honest relationship with him.

Having said that however, I thought I should add that the idea of marriage initially freaked me out a bit. I remember weeks before the wedding, I kept thinking it was the last time ever I was living my life as a single-status woman. The next time I turn single would be the time when I become a widow or a divorcee, which of course really scared me. Also, at the end of the solemnization ceremony, when everyone else around me were really happy for us and flashes of light kept coming from their cameras, I was still up on stage then, battling with some crazy thoughts and uncertainties about making the right decision over spending the rest of my life with Kenji. But I knew no one knew what was going through my mind at that time!

Despite being happily married now, I find the 1st few months into marriage quite daunting. I felt somewhat trapped then. I wanted to be single and free (I have always wanted to, so it is nothing new coming from me). But I knew such thoughts I had were merely 'psychological'. But things did become worse. At one stage of the marriage, the thoughts of requesting for a divorce surfaced and it did not cease to occur on my mind. I remember not being able to keep hold of the word "divorce" and so many times I mentioned it to Kenji each time I find marriage troubling me. But I thank God Kenji was patient and sensible.

Right now though, as I am typing this, everything is good, just as how life has been the past few months. Marriage is bliss. Apart from the happiness we are having now, we are not really trying for babies (like I have mentioned above) as there have been plans on moving out of the country, and we are just being sensible about it. Then again, "if it happens, it happens".

With regards to our one-year wedding anniversary, well, I thank God for giving me such great opportunity to enjoy a year of wonderful marriage. With that, I pray for continuous good health, lots of wealth, long-long longevity and long-long-long longevity to, as well as lots-lots-lots of happiness in the marriage. May God answer my prayer. Amen.

At Vivo for Father's Day.

Didn't know Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide. Only found out about it in 2002 when shops like Target and Priceline in Hobart started selling Father's Day wrapped gifts in the months of August and September.

At that time, of course, I had always thought I have mistaken Father's Day as celebrated in June. Father's Day (and Mother's Day, for that matter) is not quite celebrated by my family. And only until recently we do and that is probably the day when we realised parents prefer such days celebrated. So until then, I never did make any effort to remember the dates (not like I do now!).

So, year after year in Hobart, and after a couple of yearly Father's Day calls from mum at home in Singapore, I finally put in some effort to find out, and eventually understood that Father's Day (and Mother's Day) is celebrated on different dates in different countries (check out the list below). But I still have no idea as to why such disparity occurs...

Father's Day yesterday was celebrated at Singapore's VivoCity with lots of fun and laughter. Attendance was full; Nunun is back from Perth, Hasan was not in camp, Murni has been in Singapore and I didn't go anywhere outside the island. VivoCity was chosen to be the destination because mum and dad had never been there since it opens in October last year and Earle Swensen's was dad's choice of western food and ice-cream dessert for Father's Day lunch.

So we spent about 3 hours dining and chatting at Earle Swensen's yesterday, plus an hour of checking out Singapore's latest "largest retail and lifestyle destination" VivoCity before retreating back home. As always, I had fun spending time with my family.

Despite it being Father's Day yesterday, the 'limelight' went pretty much to Nunun who found a huge, dead dragonfly in her salad as well as had ice chocolate spilled all over her by a waiter new to the job (waiter also happened to be Murni's former student). We were all then compensated with a large bowl of ice-cream called Earthquake (scroll up for picture) from a variety of flavour from Nunun's selection at the end of all our meals.


It was an enjoyable day regardless, and I believe everyone had a great time. But having said all these however, I do wonder if dad felt special on Father's Day yesterday. Anyhow to dad - I know he's not reading all these but nevertheless - Happy Father's Day. Thank you for being a great dad, the only sole bread winner in the house and the most inspiring person I have ever met in the whole of my life.

And thank you too for having trust in me when you sent me to Tassie to pursue my now seemingly futile degree (heh!), for all the money I have spent carelessly and for allowing me to be married to Kenji. Thank you, dad. In return, I could only pray for your success, longevity and good health (and et cetera) and pray to forever be a good daughter to you.

Below is a list of the officially recognised date of Father's Day worldwide. Copied off Wikipedia, the list shows some significant examples of the dates which vary from country to country.

• Third Sunday of June: Argentina, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, France, Greece, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Zimbabwe.

• June 23: Nicaragua, Poland, Uganda

• July 30: Vietnam

• Third Sunday of July: Uruguay

• Last Sunday of July: Dominican Republic

• 23: Mordad, Iran

• Second Sunday of August: Brazil

• August 8: Taiwan

• First Sunday of September: Australia, New Zealand

• Second Sunday of November: Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden

• December 5: Thailand

• February 23: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus

• March 19: Bolivia, Honduras, Italy, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland

• May 5: Romania

• May 8: South Korea (Parents' Day), Ascension Day, Germany

• First Sunday of June: Lithuania

• June 5: (Constitution Day) Denmark

• Second Sunday of June: Austria, Belgium, Ecuador

• June 17: El Salvador, Guatemala

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**Top picture: 'Earthquake' ice-cream in compensation of the spilled ice chocolate drink on Nunun's clothes (plus a bit on Murni's and my bags). And maybe for the dead dragonfly with dispatched wings in the salad, too.

**2nd picture: Modified family photo without Murni, who's behind the camera, at Earle Swensen's, VivoCity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

A few pictures from Nana's wedding.

It is about 10-ish on a seemingly usual Sunday morning. Kenji is at work and I just got up, facing my lap-top, wondering what to do next. I have with me a few pictures taken at Nana's wedding last night and I thought I should put them up on blog since they make up part of my living journey in Singapore. The pictures aren't as many as I would have taken if not for the low battery. Gee, I must have kept utilizing my new camera the past few days such that at the end of the 'few days', when rare occasions finally exist, the batteries just went surprisingly low, and the camera, not quite working! Anyhow below are 3 of the few pictures taken at Nana's wedding.

Oh, by the way, just in case you're wondering, Nana was my classmate and a fellow student councillor in school last time. We haven't seen each other since the day we graduated from school (I think), so that actually make last night the 1st in 6-7 years when I finally saw her again. It was really good to see Nana in her wedding dress, with her new husband and looking all happy. I feel happy for her.

Nana, if you're reading this, thanks once again for inviting us (though I knew I forced you with the invitation thing. Ha ha). The food, music, crowd (and oh, what's with all the Malay celebrities at your wedding?? are you guys related in any way?) were enjoyable. Kenji and I wish you and Sanusi a blissful marriage. Congrats to you guys once again.

----------------------------------The pictures----------------------------------


The glorious food.


Nana and hubby, Sanusi, seated on the (what's that called?). Nana was smiling away as her make-up artiste did a bit of touch-up on her before the next few photo shoots.


And the next photo shoot included us!

2006 to 2007

Perhaps a little too late, and perhaps not quite wise of me to call back the events and memories of 2006 now that 2 days since the start of 2007 are over and gone. But memories are memories whatever it is. Be it a little too late or unwise to bring to mind around the start of a brand new year, memories are life history and I think sooner or later, no matter what or when, I will still look back at my life history from time to time because they are THE story of my life; I created them and they stay with me wherever I go, no? What's more, with the creation of cameras and the kindness of those who didn't forget to mail me 'my' pictures and for a few others like Kenji and previously my dad, who have been providing me with wealth to purchase rolls of films and to pay for all the printing done (I’m still using the analogue), I managed to keep a collection of, and capture some parts of my 2006 life story in photographs - thanks heaps guys. So anyway, here are some of the pictures for you to see. Enjoy.

Last quarter of 2006 in pictures:

Above is a picture of me at the airport. I was making my way to the ‘gate’ for my flight to Phuket.

This is a picture of me with Haziq, my cousin's son, taken on one of the days of Eid ul Fitr.

Below are some pictures taken at some weddings. Most weddings I attended in 2006 though weren’t captured on photographs cuz I didn’t have my camera with me then. Zannen desu ne.

At Ghee Wei’s

Lisna’s
Erlin’s

Below is, however, a picture NOT at someone's wedding. It is a picture of my IKOMA mates and me taken at our recent meet-up at Sun with Moon. Picture by Khoon Lay.


2006 my favorite shots:

2006 to 2007:

2006 ended in a rather odd manner for me. It was Eid ul Adha and I was down with a pretty high "durian fever" that day. So I didn't really get to go anywhere except to Yamato-san's on his advanced request for 3 platters of sushi/sashimi to be delivered at noon. I left his place after about 2 hours of hanging out at his party, sick and throwing up. On the Islamic celebration however, I got a bit disappointed with 'things' because I didn't get to celebrate the day with my family and relatives given the fact that I was in Singapore. I mean, I was in Suzhou during Eid ul Adha 2005, and in Hobart when the day was celebrated again in early 2006, so I kind of looked forward to celebrating it with my family and relatives this time, but couldn't and didn't get to eventually. The day came and went pretty slowly for sick Marinah, but soon after, I recovered from my durian fever. So for now, no more durians for me, and I guess this has led me to think of durians as I make my wish for the year 2007. Of course I wish for better health and heaps of durian opportunities this year so that I can consume lots more when the season is back. On a 'more proper' wish however, I wish for better health, more wealth, lots of happiness, and long, long longevity to all whom I love, including myself! And to all of you reading this, have a happy new year! May your 2007 be filled with great stuff and wonderful people always, just like mine :) Take care.

Greetings & Eid2006

I was about to start on another post regarding Eid when I realized it makes more sense to go on with this one than to have two separate Eid-subjected posts in my Friendster blog. Besides leaving this one with just a photo of Kenji and I as ���our greeting card��� seems too generous of space. So I had better stick to this post and make full use of the space here.

Just in case you might want to know how Kenji and I celebrated the first day of Eid, check out our schedule below:

• 6:20am ��� woke up/had shower/had breakfast/ironed Kenji���s clothes
• 7:30am ��� Kenji left for a mosque in the city for Eid prayer/I cleaned our home
• 9:30am ��� Kenji came back/We watched some Eid-related program on TV
• 12:00pm ��� Left home for my parents��� place
• 12:30pm ��� At my parents' place, Kenji and I had lunch (typical Eid cuisine). Then we gave out some amounts of money, wrapped in a specially prepared envelope for the celebration, to each of my family members (similar to giving presents on a Christmas day)
• 1:00pm ��� Left parents��� place for my grandparents��� home for more Eid cuisine ��� grandparents��� home every year a meeting point before the next few house visits. Kenji and I distributed some more money to some little cousins + nephews/nieces + grandma + grandpa before all relatives journeyed on together to other homes

Well that���s it, basically. We continued doing the same things such as dining and meeting people, as well as giving out money to the elderly and the young, and ended up visiting 6 relatives��� homes that day. Not as many as how we used to though when my cousins and I were much younger, yet the joy we had on that day never ceased to measure up to the joy and happiness we have always had on every "1st day" of Eid.

One Wedding Photo

From left: Aunty Normala's husband, Aunty Normala, me, Kenji and Kenji's mum

More photos on the way...wait till i get my computer fixed.
Anyhow thanks to Aunty Normala for this pic she mailed me.

The week my family was here (Part 2)...

15 Dec, Thursday���Mum, dad and I drove to the airport at 5:30am to return the rented car. Came back with Kenji who sent his mum off at the Hobart Airport for the 6am flight to Sydney. Back in Sandy Bay, shopped for milk and bread at Mykonos. Bought The Mercury too - yay! my name is in the newspaper! Went to pick up the 8-seater rented vehicle at 12noon. Later that day we went up Mt Wellington again, but this time with the entire family. Then we headed for a 1.5hr drive one-way down Huon to Tahune Airwalk.

16 Dec, Friday���Woke everybody up for a trip to a rubbish tip. Not everyone was pleased with this idea. Nunun thought it was like bringing her on a Geography Field trip. At noon, drove dad, Hasan and Asyraf to the mosque for Friday prayer, then we, girls + Kenji, went to the city to check out accommodation availability at Bruny. Later that day, Kenji and I paid Joel a visit because we could not attend his birthday BBQ that will take place tomorrow evening because we'll be at Bruny by then - very sorry Joel.

17 Dec, Saturday���everyone went to Salamanca Market in the morning. We came back home at noon, had brunch and quickly put the things we wanted to bring to our one-night stay at Bruny, into the van. Bad weather that afternoon but we continued with our plan to Bruny. At Bruny, Kenji had some surf, and at sunset, we drove to the Neck to see penguins. Everyone had fun that night, but i reckon none of my family members would forget the palm-sized, rubbery-like spider that got into the van via one of the windows that was winded down...

18 Dec, Sunday���i woke up to a cold morning but my head warmed by the headscarf i put on throughout the night. It started raining at Adventure Bay (our location) as soon as i got out of bed and didn't end soon so we all spent our Sunday morning watching some tv programs in our cabins instead of exploring the site. How unlucky! We checked out on time that morning and left for the Neck Game Reserve (again!) for everyone to see what it actually looked like cuz it was dark by the time we arrived there last night. We arrived in Hobart at 1-ish later during the day, rested, unpacked things and did some laundry. Mum, dad and Asyraf did some packing afterwards.

19 Dec, Monday���I was very sad that morning because some people were leaving. At 9, we all made our way to the airport to bid mum, dad and Asyraf goodbye. On the way, i noticed dad looking very distressed, mum looked OK though. And i didn't get to see the expression on Asyraf's face. As soon as the plane they were on took off, we left the airport for South Arms to see some beaches. We climbed onto some cliffs where we get to see more coastal landforms, and before we left South Arms for the city, my siblings went to collect some pretty seashells for themselves. Later that evening, we all had dinner at Orizuru. It was a good dinner (with heaps of discounts - thanks Shige san!)���

20 Dec, Tuesday���this is the day i bid farewell to the rest of my siblings...we left home at 9 in the morning for the airport (again!), watched them board the plane, and waited till the plane took off before returning to Hobart. I spent the rest of this day indoors, feeling very down, missing my family.

*All pics in this post are downloaded from my bro's file

The week my family was here (Part 1)...

10 Dec, Saturday…I was feeling very nervous. Mum, dad and Asyraf were due to arrive at 9:35am. I left for the Airport at 9, arrived 20 mins later; had ample time prior to their arrival...They arrived. Good to see them. Asyraf has grown taller...We then rented a car and drove to my place where they will be staying for the next 9 days. At my place, i provided them a brief orientation of my home before Kenji and Joel came knocking on my door as requested, and we all left for Uncle Sabri’s. We came back, rested and my parents and Asyraf familiarized themselves to my home environment. They thought Hobart was really cold even though it was summer. Dad started wearing some of my winter hats and mufflers…



11 Dec, Sunday…We drove down Churchill Ave, walked by the wharf and then had lunch at Mures. Dad liked the food there very much; he wanted to go there again before he leaves. We then went to Mako Seafood, a floating seafood market, where mum and dad bought some fish for tonight’s dinner. We drove back home but went back out soon after that and drove to Mt Nelson, then around Bellerive coasts before heading for Coles supermarket in Sandy Bay. Dad shopped a lot!




12 Dec, Monday…Kenji’s graduation, I had to leave home early. At 11, mum, dad and Asyraf joined Kenji, his mum, Miho san and me at uni. We took photos, and then came back home to rest. Sun was strong that afternoon, i got a bit headache-y. But as soon as everything was fine, we went back out again but at 7pm to Mt Wellington. It was very windy up on the mountain. Mum and dad got really scared, so we had to leave the top of the mountain very soon after that. At night, we had dinner at Diana’s. Dinner was great – thank you very much, Diana!! That night was also a reunion for Nurul and me …sweet...




13 Dec, Tuesday…the four of us (mum, dad, Asyraf and i) left home early for the city. I led them to MYER where mum bought a king-sized, microfibre quilt. Then we headed for a souvenir shop at Elizabeth Mall before heading for a car rental shop in North Hobart. We came back for lunch, had enough time to prepare sandwiches to be brought to our trip down Tasman Peninsula. We drove 1.5 hours one-way, with Kenji, his mum and Miho san in another car, leading the way. Along the way, we stopped by many scenic views and saw the ever pretty coastal features and landforms.




14 Dec, Wednesday…my graduation day! Quite a confusing morning with my 3 other siblings arriving in Hobart that morning itself, but things went quite well. After a long day, we then came back home, created some space for the extra 3 to occupy the place, and after that everyone had a nap. In the evening, we all had dinner at Mures with Kenji’s family and Phil before we say goodbye to Kenji’s mum and Miho san who will be leaving the next morning.

Eid in Hobart

Some Australian cities like Perth and Gold Coast celebrated Eid on the 4th of Nov this year. Muslims in Hobart celebrated on the 3rd instead. This difference, though unsure, is highly possibly the result of the variation of sightings of the new crescent on the previous evening that determines the end of Ramadhan that results in such disparity. It is therefore not quite by choice or an indication of some sort of disunity amongst Muslim Muftis in Australia that this day is celebrated on different days in different places.




Eid, or more appropriately, Eid ul Fitr, marks the start of Syawal, one of the twelve months in the Islamic calendar. Eid, commonly referred to as Hari Raya in Singapore, is celebrated after a month of Ramadhan by all Muslims worldwide.

Eid celebration in Hobart wasn’t my first this year though it felt like the first for everything. My first was about 3 years ago; when I and another Muslim girl, Azreen, were the only Muslim students we knew who were celebrating 1st Syawal in Hobart at that time.

Eid at that time was celebrated in the most un-commemorative manner ever. I remember having to attend school on the first day of Eid for exams, and later during the day went to see ‘The Ghost Ship’ at the Hobart Cineplex with a couple of friends to celebrate, but the end of exams.

Although Eid is literally celebrated for a month each year, with no transport means, Azreen and I could not really get anywhere outside Hobart at any time. So Eid was very meaningless given our inaccessibility to the re-located mosque, the tiny Muslim population in our circle, the absence of delicacies and the lack of capacity to pay other Muslims a visit even though there was plenty of time to do so.

But this year, things were slightly different. I celebrated Eid with my boyfriend and some other uni Muslim students who were practically stuck in Hobart because of exams.



On the morning of Eid, my boyfriend and I joined some other Muslims at the Hobart Mosque for Eid prayer. The prayer, followed by a sermon, was carried out at 8 in the morning, both led by a young Malaysian Imam whose performance was something I found quite admirable: confidently presented, concise English sermon, and a few superb recitations of some chapters of the Quran. Well done!



For the first time ever, I felt very proud of the young Imam for I thought he did a very good job considering the presence of other muslimin and muslimah who were mostly a lot older than him, and had come from all sorts of ethnic background: the more prominent ones being the Africas, Arabs, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malay, and Pakistan.

At the end of everything at the mosque, we had a brief photography session, sadly amongst just us, the few Malay uni students present at the mosque. Then some friends and I drove over to Hera's place for breakfast.

Hera is this Muslim girl from Bangladesh/Pakistan whom I met a couple of years ago and shared a few ‘on and off’ units together in our first year at university. Hera has her family in Hobart, one of the few migrant families I knew and one whom I grew quite close to, over these years.



At Hera’s place, we were invited to self-serve from a table full of dishes. The dishes were a huge variety, very colorful, of different texture, taste and smell and were made of a wide variety of cooking methods. The dishes represented a complete set of traditional Pakistan breakfast apparently something commonly consumed during Ramadhan by the people of Pakistan.

Altogether food at Hera’s place was awesome though most were very spicy.

Hera’s family was as per normal, very warm and friendly. My friends and I spent some time at their place chatting and eating before we left for home, that is, as a retreat before our next visit.

Visits and feasts do not just end there. They will continue for the next few days, at least (for a place like Hobart) with the mosque gathering on the 20th of Nov, possibly the last of all feasts, something I look forward to attending.

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The celebration of Eid has so far dawned on me as having similar attributes as that of a party yet something a lot more meaningful and more soulful than the typical local parties I have attended over these years. In the typical parties here, guests could usually be found scattered all over a place doing their own things like drinking, dancing, drugging, and shagging, and most would end up not quite remember anything when they return the next morning.

Huge contrast with the momentous Eid celebration I have just experienced, I do to a large extent feel very cultured no doubt.

With that I thank God for giving me the opportunity to see the different ways in which people live, socialize and enjoy their lives. As for me, I probably find socializing my normal way a lot more meaningful and enjoyable than the other ways that I have seen.

May we all get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it.

To all Muslims, Eid Mubarak.

Ramadhan 2005

Like past years, I decided to play safe again by starting my Ramadhan as Singapore starts its. Finding details of Ramadhan is simply as much a hassle as finding out just about any other information one might need when one is in Hobart. This is because this part of the world is simply too isolated for just about anything. Yes, indeed. The geographic location of Hobart has long led to a lowly populated and un-growing community. And until today it contributes to a far less supply for many a thing, yet a place still liveable nevertheless, and one whose people are easily forgiving, simply understanding and plainly tolerant towards this entire ‘remote’ situation. So like the unavailability of many things in this place, the lack of access to information source on Islamic events is only reasonable, considering it far less important than those sources of information ever fancied by the mainstream community.

Hah! The above is plainly an exaggeration of things! Well, it’s not that bad actually. There are at least two ways I can find out about Ramadhan and confirm details of other Islamic events here. The former Imam Uncle Sabri, and some fellow Muslim uni students are only a call away. And then there is also the Internet available at all times at uni (7 mins walk from home), though sometimes I lost trust in the information the Internet provides. You and I know that inaccuracy of details occur in just about any WebPages. And the Islamic Finder, although well established and well consulted is one such instance for it can sometimes confuse me with the variation of Daylight Savings. The local newspaper can be considered a source to Islamic info too but it is limited to just Islamic prayer times and nothing more than that. And even sometimes details of prayer times provided can be a bit of a mismatch to the time of the day. So I got quite sceptical of that. It’s all a big mess. Hence resorting to Singapore to confirm details of any Islamic stuff, particularly the start and end of Ramadhan, seems to be the best option given my laziness and can’t-be-stuffed attitude to ask around even if it means via the mobile phone.

Ramadhan as you probably would already know is an Islamic obligation in which submitters fast during the daylight hours. As its simplified English version, Ramadhan is more commonly referred to as the 'fasting month' amongst Singaporeans though 'fasting month' does not fully correspond to the meaning of Ramadhan. I personally prefer to refer to this special month as Ramadhan instead. Also particularly because I discover that its original term is more commonly referred to and is better understood internationally (even amongst non-Muslims) than the vague 'fasting month' that may also be referring to a ritual practise carried out by extreme Buddhist monks in Japan.

I started my Ramadhan at the end of Tuesday of uni Week 12 though my personal count begins Wednesday. Ramadhan in Singapore started on Tuesday night too. On that night I did some prayers, read some short chapters of the Quran, and stayed up all night – a method I so desire to carry out so as not to miss the 3am ‘feeding time’ given the lack of option to rely on anyone else (as people around me are basically non-Muslim). Besides it wouldn’t make much sense to ask these people to ensure that I get up at odd hours just to eat ‘breakfast’. Those hours are after all the time when the rest of Hobartians are fast asleep (of course except those who’re still out drinking!).

Ramadhan in Tas as I have experienced for the past 3 years is to a certain extent harder than Ramadhan in Singapore. Ramadhan here is accompanied with many different challenges, one in particular considering a lack of motivation that submitters in Singapore get readily from the society: the surrounding and even the media. In Singapore not only the breaking of fast with family and friends and the night prayers at mosques make Ramadhan enjoyable, but also the decorations, fairgrounds, and, feasting that are carried out almost everywhere in the country throughout the month help create a motivating atmosphere for all submitters.

The atmosphere in Tas is very different. There is no similar spirit shared by everyone else living around the Muslims and thus there is no motivation other than to create one amongst the submitters (or by a submitter individually) in order to help them ‘keep going’. Sometimes what could even be killing is to know that at the end of the month submitters like me, a Muslim overseas student, just don't get to celebrate the end of Ramadhan in a celebratory manner that I have always been used to. Having said that, my exams ends on the 31st Oct and that means I still have time to go back and celebrate Aidilfitri :)

Another significant effort needed when carrying out Ramadhan here is, apart from having to wake up early ALONE just to cook ALONE, eat ALONE and clean ALONE, I am also my sole dependence in preparing of food for the break. I usually start preparing food an hour before Maghrib (sunset) but that is also the time when I’m usually half-dead. Unlike in Singapore mum has to be (or rather is expected to be!) the strongest person because all preparation for the breaking of fast is relied primarily on her. The rest of us usually contribute only a small part of it, resting around on sofas most of the other times. But today I am my mum. Similar to the duties she would carry out on Ramadhan, I ensure that I cook something slightly different too; something more exquisite or more delicious, even if it means having to think hard for ideas and cooking for only myself. And because of the desire for a variety of dishes, particularly those different from ordinary daily meals, I tend to spend more money on groceries in Ramadhan when I should actually be saving more.

Though Ramadhan in Hobart seems to take up a lot of effort on myself, by myself, it is nevertheless an average amount of effort required on the other ordinary days. I am in spite of everything living independently overseas – a situation hard to describe and one only clearly understood and greatly felt amongst fellow overseas students. But this experience is good though as it is to a great deal constructive especially with regards to my future self. It tries me out on real situations where I can roughly gauge where I stand as an adult and the extent to which I could carry out duties submissively, without having to rely on others - basically an early assessment on my current inner strength. Hopefully this will help determine the amount of effort I need to put in before others can start to count on me. In the end it is not only for myself but also for the rest of the people who will fall under my responsibility in future.

Believing that I am after all on the safe side of the Islamic calendar, I shall continue fasting till the end of Ramadhan according to the estimation for Singapore. Ramadhan will not get any easy as daylight hours will continue to extend extensively as Summer approaches. This also means that sunshine can be scorching hot, and the surrounding climate in Hobart can be very dry. Yet I know that this is not the worst times of the year for a person to be fasting as I have experienced a worse one before *Fasting in Hobart in December can last over 15 hours a day* But that experience will only remain as a driving force to keep me going. May Ramadhan 2005 be a time for me to gain more internal strength and increase my devotion to God.

Ramadhan Mubarak


Reference:
Map reference, CIA - The World Factbook, Available [Online]: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos