Monday, June 27, 2016

Tolerance

We have become such an intolerant Muslim society in Malaysia.

The whole issue back home about Muslims not tolerating people who openly eat infront of them.

Err last time I checked Ramadhan was supposed to do that to you?? I thought the point of berpuasa is so that you grow patient in the face of hardship and that you understand the lives of unfortunate people?

It's 2016 and we still don't seem to understand the concept of Ramadhan, huh? 

I can't wrap my head around how I've been reading really rude Malay Muslims going off on other people who are eating in front of them? It doesn't matter if the person is Muslim or not! They have their reasons and who are you to be so angry??

I just don't like the recent trend of how Malaysian Muslims think the world is centred around them. I'm calling it a trend because it is! It's only been in recent days people are getting so sensitive, what in the world has gotten into everyone these days. We have gotten so intolerant and so pathetic. Is our faith so fragile, so weak that we're shaken by this? It shouldn't be. We have to remember that we're not just fasting from food and drink, we also have to refrain from saying bad things so to hear that some people are telling others off and calling rude names is just very contradictory. Get your head around the concept of berpuasa first before preaching here and there.

Islam is meant to be a very simple religion but people these days are making it so strict, so narrow, so difficult, so suffocating that it's giving the wrong vibe completely to people of other religions. Who do you think wants to peluk Islam if what they see these days is Muslims blowing their top at the sight of orang tak berpuasa. Why do we think *they* have to alter themselves for *us*? This world is not yours. God made it such that there are going to be people of other races and of other religions because He wants us to learn to harmonise with other people and to understand one another and to accept one another regardless of who they pray to and what their culture is. Why have we gotten so backwards? Why are we getting so hot and bothered? Have we forgotten that Islam is a religion of peace? 

Be tolerant. Nabi Muhammad had far worst off days during Ramadhan and he never got angry, what more to harass other people????? I don't know why Malays these days think they're all high and mighty to do just that. We've become so narrow minded and everyday I see something so stupid on Twitter and/or Facebook about what we shouldn't do. Ni tak boleh, itu tak boleh. Apa je yang boleh??? Don't get me started on the "Tak boleh sambut Mothers Day". YO. It's your mother! If your niat is to show some affection for your mum how the heck is that prohibited and haram???? I feel like the "Don't Do or Go To Hell" list has exponentially grown and man, we're just missing the point here.  To hear people say, "But she shouldn't do that, it's not respectful to us

I read this somewhere the other day and thought it was something that I should put on a sticker or a post-it note and pass to everyone as a reminder :

"The Prophet SAW, said "Nothing is heavier upon the scale of the believer on the Day of Resurrection than his good character" [At-Tirmidhi].

So be nice - not to just fellow Muslims - but to everyone around you. We can't be selfish, we cannot expect that just because it is Ramadhan, the world stops to respect you. No one owes you that. You don't demand respect, it just comes with good character. And if you can't be tolerant of other people's culture what makes you think they will be of yours?

Of course I don't generalise the whole Malay race in Malaysia - I'm pretty sure it's a tiny few but it's this tiny few that spoils it for the rest of us. It upsets me because I have plenty of non-Malay friends so I feel really ashamed when these stories go viral and it just tarnishes the good name of Islam and of Ramadhan. That said, I also have plenty of Malay friends who have the heart of gold and who have spoken of this matter also and I have always wanted to voice out my frustration on this issue but Twitter didn't feel like the right platform for me to do so because as you can probably see, I gots a lots to says. 

Just relax ok, it's just FOOD and WATER and it's only for a MONTH. You will berbuka at 7:30 later kan so take a breather and chill, people. Zen. 

xx

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Three years worth

So I have about a week half til I leave this house. Don't worry I'll Instagram a photo of my bed aka my sanctuary for the past three years. 

I'm listening to Adele and of course as you do, I'm getting so emotional! My last post was about me wanting to leave the UK now but I've just sent away two whole sacks of winter clothes and I've about only a week and a half left til I vacate this room I've gotten so familiar with since the September of 2013 and so I'm back to being sad that I'm leaving this place.

I need to get myself sorted. 



As I was decluttering, there were a lot of

"Oooooh so this was where it was..."

and

"What... was... I... thinking..."

and dust. My sinus acted up after spring cleaning my room yesterday from all the dust. 

I also got rid of all my hand-outs and notes from university and now I just have to deal with all the books. I just have to lug it all the way to the bookstore in university to sell it off. I hope they take it especially because they are all in PRISTINE condition. Hahahaha I just really really much preferred everything online ok!

I love my clothes and I am very fond of each and every piece I have. Just because even if it looks way out of trend or just really questionable, at one point in my life I must've really loved it so much that I bought it. 

And when I was deciding what to throw out (85% of my closet) and what to keep, it was quite weird to have to pack them and put it in the plastic sack. It's not that I was sad to throw them out, in fact I was more relieved! It's just that my winter clothes signified the three winters I was here and well, in the UK, winter pretty much ran 3/4 of the year so it was everything I wore day in and day out. Served a lot of sweet memories! 

For example, there was that light purple wrap-around cardigan that I wore to Nice with my friends and the boys made fun of me because of the bow at the back. Still probably one of my favourite holidays ever. 

And the first thing I bought from my first shopping trip with friends to Primark when I first got here : a checkered blazer. I haven't worn it at all hahaha at the time I was probably a lot more blinded by how cheap it was. 

And the skirt that I bought for one of my birthday dinners but ditched it at the last minute because it was too cold to wear out! It was 50% off and also very tight hahaha 

And my brown cable knit sweater that I wore to DEATH. Man, that was probably the most versatile thing I had in my closet and I wore it all the time. I had to wear an inner underneath because not was it too cold, it was also made of really itchy fabric. Again, why did I buy...

And then there were my scarves. Sigh. What would winter have been if not for my scarves? My saviours. They make an incredible difference. The thicker the material, the more comfortable. I couldn't leave the house without one, it was as essential to me as wearing underwear. Really! I even wore them all around the house because clearly my PJs weren't cutting it. I had so many kinds also but I kept my favourite one for 'just in case' I ever decide to travel abroad again during winter. Likeliness of that happening in the near future... not lookin' so good hahah

And just so many more. I even remember where I wore it and when. I just have such an affinity for clothes in general so you can imagine how much I love my own collection. Might not be the biggest collection but still very personal to me. So I hope that whoever gets it puts it to good use! 

I still have some left over that I was undecided whether I should keep or throw so I might have to deal with that soon. 

My lovely grandparents called me yesterday to check on me and my grandmother was telling me how quick time has gone and now I'm already packing to leave the UK for good. She was laughing about how I couldn't wait to come home but she was also saying how proud she was that I was doing well there. Ugh have I mentioned ever how huge the portion of my heart is for my grandparents?!?!?! They made this whole journey possible in the first place so I'm incredibly indebted to them. This looks like a huge tangent from my clothes sob story hahaha but I just had to mention it here. 

Time is so quick, masyaAllah. I loved so much of it all. 

xx

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Missing home

I'm going to be really frank in this post.

I am bored. SO bored. Bored out of my mind in the UK. 

And I really don't want to come across as someone unappreciative and spoilt. I am very grateful and I realise myself that I am indeed a very blessed girl to be able to study in the UK for the past three years - an opportunity not many people have. But man, I just wanna go home.

It could largely be because I'm not really liking the 'adult' aspect of being a student abroad. Having to pay bills on time, having to worry about money in the first place, having to figure out what to eat for tomorrow and having to remember and buy toothpaste and a damn bulb because the one in your room blew weeks ago. And yes, I also know that this sounds incredibly bratty of me and I eventually have to do all of this anyway back home. I'm just saying, AS OF THIS MOMENT, I'm really kinda just bored and hate doing all the grocery shopping and dealing with paying rent and cooking. I'd very very much rather be doing all of that at home. All the worrying at home just feels a lot soothing and a lot better. Adding to all of this, is having to spend Ramadhan alone. Berbuka alone and all that. It is so lonely!! And I hardly ever get lonely! I like being by myself but after being so used to berbuka so meriah at home (or in college which was basically like home anyway) all my life, having to berbuka by myself... is something I'm not used to and don't want to get used to. 

I'm a creature of habit - I like going to the places I know I'll like, I like doing the things that I know I'll like doing, I like knowing where everything is, I like knowing what to do and how to do. Being adventurous thus is not my forte. Which could largely explain why the UK still feels very foreign. I mean, it's not to say I've been here an incredibly long time but I just miss Malaysia's Malaysianness. Being comfortable - not just with money, but with people and the culture. I feel in the UK I have always had to mould myself according to them. I had to see what other people were doing first and then I'd have to follow. It is incredibly uncomfortable for a person like me. 

I'm a very homey person, I love home and I can stay home for long periods of time. So to leave home was already something very unfamiliar. Already something I wasn't comfortable doing. Not that I didn't want to, I did! I did want to study in the UK and leaving home was something I happily wanted to do. But now that I'm here doing ok and all, I just feel stuck. 

I sound contradictory. 

I love the UK, I love everything that I've seen and observed and I thank a lot of people and to God that I get to do all this here. Heck, I'd probably be a lot more unhappy if I wasn't given such an opportunity to study abroad. But it's just about time y'know. Time to just balik rumah. And people might read this saying what an ungrateful girl I am but I hope that doesn't come across in this post at all. I am very thankful - my mum is a teacher now at a school where she teaches a lot of underprivileged kids and she always tells me their stories and their backgrounds and it really does snap me out of it and their stories always serve as a reminder to be grounded and to just be thankful with what I have. I am!!! But I just miss home. Where things were just a lot more me.

xx

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Berpuasa di Perantauan

Selamat Berpuasa, everyone! 

Today is my first official day of fasting as I had to forego yesterday due to being a woman. But 19 hours not too bad I think. I mean that's if you're staying home all day and not doing much! Some of my friends are out and about traveling here and there and so that must've been a lot more challenging so I'm kinda glad I decided to stay put during Ramadhan. 

As I'm typing, I'm still feeling quite full from berbuka but I only have an hour to go to bersahur and drink as much water as I can to last the day! How!!!!

Times like this when you have to berbuka alone makes you wish you were home. Honestly, I don't mind staying here for the puasa month because I don't mind trying it out but also I wish I was home to berbuka with family and/or friends. The feeling is totally different and it's just so much more lively when you have everyone eating together. When I was in college, even when I was not with family, at least I had friends to enjoy berbuka with. Breaking fast alone... not so much fun. 

2013

2014
Mama's not in the photo because she's the one taking the pictures. Miss my mum!

I was planning to be a bit more healthy this Ramadhan, seeing how we only have a few hours between berbuka and sahur. I put on so much weight in my second year of uni because I would skip both breakfast and lunch and have a really heavy dinner so I'm a bit worried that that'll happen again. So I'm trying to plan out my meals and be more y'know healthy.

Like detox like that. 

I need to pack on more vegetables and fruits in my diet. Also, Googling more recipes on what is both healthy and sedap but man... tough. They all look... so... green. 

Nevertheless, I'm going to atleast try and have a healthier approach to my Ramadhan. Does that mean I don't miss eating my usual bazaar Ramadhan food?? NO??? Man, what I'd do for roti john and Mama's cucur udang...

But anyway! I hope that this Ramadhan will be a lovely one for everyone celebrating it. If you're home with family, I hope you spend it well and appreciate it! 

Selamat berpuasa, fast well, pray well, and be good with anyone and everyone! And let's all try to be a better daughter, son, grandchild, sister, brother, friend and Muslim in hopes that it'll carry with us even after this Ramadhan. 

xx

Friday, June 3, 2016

We Built This City

Yesterday, I made a daytrip to London to see Diy whom I haven't seen in so, so long! She had just finished her exams so thought I'd go to London to spend some time with her. 

Went for Korean food just nearby Carnaby Street ('Arang') and it was so good! The eel and tteokbukki especially so sedap! I felt like I was in Korea for a bit there because all the waitresses were Korean and so orders were flying everywhere in Korean. Felt like Seoul for a second there. Ahhhhh miss!!!





And then we walked here and there to see and shop. For me, more 'see' than 'shop'. Diy on the other hand............

But, I didn't come home empty handed. I bought 4 lipsticks but when I came home, I realised they were basically of the same shade. 

(L-R) Mac's Patentpolish Lip Pencil in Sultana, NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick in Soft Spoken, NYX Butter Lipstick in Root Beer Float, and MAC's lipstick in Whirl

I was in Selfridges to kill time before lunch and ugh I love that place!! So much to look at and they have so much to offer!! Even their tax refund lounge is so lush. Whenever I go, I usually just go to my usual make-up places but yesterday I walked everywhere since I had some free time. I went to basically all the departments and it's the kinda store you can almost spend the whole day looking at all kind of things. They basically have everything underneath the sun. The place I'd happily spend if I had to choose one shop to be locked in all night. Curious to know how much sales they get per day...

After lunch, we walked around Carnaby and I feel like everytime I'm in London, I'm always in Carnaby!! 

Diy trying out a bright red lip - something I don't think I can ever pull off. 

MAC's cool wall. Perfect OOTD place but the shop was packed so it'd been a bit embarrassing to pose in front of them hahaha

We then went in to this shop, have absolutely forgotten the name of this place but it basically sells your London souvenirs except they're not as cliché and typical. Rather than souvenirs, they're kinda like collectibles. I saw a framed artwork that I'm thinking of getting one to hang in my KL bedroom. It's really fun and really quirky. It's opposite (or nearby, more like) Benefit's flagship store in Carnaby.


 

Then Diy went on with her shopping and I was just trying on clothes whilst waiting. This was a shop called Dahlia, just opposite Brandy Melville. 


Diy bought like 3 shades. Three. 



They had another framed quote, "Nothing haunts you like that thing you didn't buy" which I thought was pretty accurate!!!! 


This was at COS. Whist waiting for Diy, other than trying out clothes I was figuring what is making COS so popular. It's super basic stuff, but super expensive also. That place is always packed. And I think it's the aesthetic that COS exudes. It's architecturally very pleasing. It's simple but very cool and very versatile. I think COS understands that not everyone will love the same pattern in the next 5 years but they will appreciate a crisp white shirt whenever and wherever. COS seems like the kind of company that understands long-term investment. People will question the price but then they will also evaluate how much wear they'll get out from wearing a white blouse (like the one above) so their prices are justified. Which is how I look at it also. COS is cool, calm and collected and I appreciate that. I used to question why Marissa loved it so much (sors, Mars) but now I get it. They forego short term trends and look instead at long term wear. That's where they get the money from. No one's doing the price justification for them, they're leaving it to their customers to do that on their own which is a pretty smart strategy. 

And if that itself is not going to convince me to get my umpteenth white top, then maybe the fitting room will. I have a soft spot for carpeted surfaces (Nadia fun fact #12). If I have to book accommodation for a holiday, a big determining factor is whether the room is carpeted. I just can't stand plain floors which is why I always tiptoe when I'm barefoot in the kitchen! But back to the fitting room, it's so cool. It's a small space but it's comfortable - a place to sit, a place to put your bags and 2 mirrors to which one can be pulled out so you can see the back view of your outfit without having to twist and turn your body and head. So considerate, COS, luv u. 

After that we went back to Selfridges to supposedly have tea at the Forest Restaurant and Bar. 
It. Is. So. Beautiful! 
I can't wait to bring my parents there. We were a tad late for their afternoon tea and we were still full from lunch so we just went to go see their outside terrace and took a photo and left. Hahahaha



With partner in crime. 

The entrance leading to the restaurant. So cool. 

Whenever I have Facetime calls with my dad, he's always saying,
"Nadia I think you should go out, breathe in fresh air, get some sun, go jumpa your kawan kawan!" 
so I took this photo and sent it to the family Whatsapp chat as evidence.

But phew a day out with an early morning start was enough to knock me right out once I got home.

Regardless, it was fun and always always entertaining to go out with Diy.
So sayang.

xx

Song I'm Listening to now : Bone + Tissue by Gallant