Saturday, January 30, 2010

Peace Be Upon You!

Assalamualaikum
'Peace be upon you'

It was just then while I was jogging uphill (xde connection ape2) that the thought occurred to me. Coolnye greeting ni.

Contemporary greets include:

Hi
Hey
How are you?
Oi
Wei
Yo
How you doin?
Sup
Waddup
Dude
Dude!
Eya.........

But when you utter assalamualaikum to a brother or a sister, you're sorta saying

I hope you're at peace (with whatever).
I hope you are well.
I hope things go well for you.
I hope you're doing okay.

Even if the person is not at peace, you're wishing peace for him.

In other words, you are making doa for him/her.

What is a better greeting than that? Than wishing someone the best?

And what is a better respond than Waalaikumsalam? Same meaning only you put an 'and'. Its only courteous for the other person to wish the same for the other person.

Masyallah how the Muslim way of life wishes the best for their brothers and sisters.

So what's stopping us from making this a daily natural greet?

Is it too long to say? Too cumbersome? Too uncool? Too sqema? Too Islamic? Or not too up-to-date?

Or we just don't want peace with the other dude?


And Waalaikumsalam.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Resolutions

Weekly things to build me up

One step at a time

1. Eat when hungry, stop before being full.
2. Be there on time, be out on time.
3. Take notes, review notes.
4. Control desire.
5. See mentor once a week.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Travel

I've only finished the second chapter of Muhammad Asad's Road to Mecca when I felt this inspiration to see the world. The late Mr Asad, raised ina Jewish family (granddad wasa Jewish tho I dont remember what they called it) converted to Islam and traveled to the sandy desert East where Islam originated, in the heart of the land where nothing is the only thing that should be available.

Lemme tell you I dont usually read autobiographies. I always had this preconception that autobios were boring except fictions that are made up into autobios (tho I think a lot of the celebrity autobios are mostly made up them fakers [then again ima faker too]).

But reading Asad's journey from his lavish upbringing in Poland to hardship in Germany in attempting to become a top journalist and then ending up as a Muslim and braving desert storm while almost dying as a result made me feel like Im in his shoes. Like Im there. Traveling. And Mr Asad never forgets to comment on his thoughts during his adventure, and of his prevailing society and culture at the time.

He is a lucky man to have not only seen alot but to be inspired by it, to have thought as he traveled.

It's only when u get out of ur comfort zone then you realize how much more there is beyond. Mr Asad made me regret that during my travels in the last (how old am I?) I did not observe, learn, ponder as much as I should as I go (went).

"If water stands motionless in a pool it grows stale and muddy, but when it moves and flows it becomes clearer..."

This was one of the quotes I obtain from his book. It does ring a certain wisdom init. Tho in my case im still stale and muddy even as I move. I did not see what should be clear, that eveything is everywhere! If only I opened my eyes...

I, like Asad, am relatively lucky as well to be able to travel.

Some of the places ive been to (not in any particular order):
  • Malaysia: All states except Perlis
  • Singapore
  • Indonesia: Jakarta, Yogjakarta
  • Australia: Melbourne, Sydney, Gold Coast
  • USA: New York, Florida, Washington DC, St Louis
  • Saudi Arabia: Jeddah, Madinah, Mecca
  • Japan (ni x kira mase kicik)
Not many places but still relatively lucky compared to others who's never even been out of the state (ok that MIGHT be an exaggeration).

Despite having been to alot of places, I regret that I did not assimilate enough from each of these places (tho perhaps I did), did not learn languages culture history people (perhaps I did tho very little), did not ponder (perhaps I did, after years Ive came back).

Pfft, I dont need to go that far to learn I suppose. There's still alot in KL that I have yet to venture, still more in Bukit Damansara that I have not yet seen, and alot more in my own garden...

Have I not noticed how beautiful the flowers growing in the garden are? Red, determined. The papaya and pine trees that used to be in front is not there anymore? The shrub that I used to jump over when I just learned to jump is not there anymore? Garden replaced by unused pipes and taps for...???

And then there are books like those of Asad's where you can travel by not traveling. Like virtual reality in your own mind, imagining words read come to life or at least as close to it as possible. If all that's considered traveling, then Ive been to Libya, Turkey, USA so many times, Afghanistan, Germany, UK, Coruscant, Correlia, the Outer Rim, Tatooine, Dominaria, Middle Earth and mane2 ta.. And there's the Internet.

Many places Ive been (INI PON KO KATE BANYAK?).

Yet infinitely soooooooooo many more to see.

I gotta get out more. I gotta SEE more.

Really SEE.

FEEL.

GROW.

Anybody wanna grow feel see with me? Help Wanted.

......

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Lazy Writing

You always have thoughts of what you'd like to write on a blog:

Your day today,

That experienced you had watching an IVDU patient going into hypovolumic shock after an MVA and the lack of hope for saving him,

What you thought about as you read a book, and how it relates to you, the world and how true or bullshit what the author writes,

What comes to your mind about how purposeless New Year Resolutions are and why it's better to stay indoors,

Review on a movie (watch Avatar in 3D, man...),

Commentaries on Muslims today and how to fix it, and how hypocritic you actually are after making these commentaries,

What a fucked-up day you had (nuff said),

Poetry,

That memory you had when you were still an infant and saw how small the world actually is,

What you bought at the shopping mall today (or what you wasted your money on),

How lucky you are (so far) that you are disease free, while you realize that no one is ever actually free from disease,

How pretty the sky looked tonight,

How pretty you look tonight,

A list of things to do when you return (home and Kuantan or wherever you wish to go),

How love works in a funny way (though most times not very funny, more of depressing),

and many many many many many more thoughts.


So why don't you (I) write it? Bcuz you lazy. and no mood one..
So why do you (I) write it? Not lazy and inspired...

Why do people blog? Explore, and see for yourself.