Time is Golden

Friday, October 7, 2011

Message in the Bottle

Have u ever missed someone?  Thanks to the I.T. world, people hardly miss anything / anybody...  You get to learn a lot of things from the Internet - good or bad.  You get to Skype, Facebook or Tweet your love ones... You may be million miles apart and yet, you are able to see each other everyday - It's just a 'click' away and voila!  Communication takes place. Nowadays,  'Miss' or 'longing' for the love ones is such an alien thing... No more 'public telephones', postcards, love letters, telegrams or anything of that sort - No more snail mails.  However, my entry is to share my wish to write a 'message in the bottle' to my late father...This year marks the 3rd year of his depart...We lost him on a heart attack...Sudden death to be exact.  I wasn't with him...none of us was with him - ONLY MY MOM.  I miss him terribly!!! I know this sounds crazy but I wish I can still talk to him or at least, write messages to him, roll the letter, put it in a bottle and let it sail onto the sea to reach him...

Here's a letter to Ayah (father):
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Assalamualaikum 

Ayah,

HUGS AND KISSES! 
HUGS AGAIN AND AGAIN...
It's been years since we last talked...
Ever since you left, I've read a lot of books on 'what happens to the dead after their death' written by our Islamic scholars and I'm glad that you were one of those who were very close to the Al-Quran...I guess you are well taken care of over there...
I miss you very much...
The kids miss you very much - Rayyan remembers the date he last ate your nasi lemak...  Razin often ask me why I am not as 'cool' as you...you don't get angry at all!  And Rizqin remembers how you used to hold his face and tell him how handsome he is...
Rizal told me all the many things he used to discuss with you...
To make it short, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND!  And that Raymond is YOU!
Rayyan, Razin & Rizqin (but Rizqin  got his hair cut already)
I don't want to give you any bad news... but I must tell you that mak (mother) misses you a whole lot.  She speaks of you everyday - I guess she misses all those quarrel she used to have with you...she's grown weaker than ever... She's losing her eyesight - The doctors say it's due to diabetes.  I don't believe that...she's had diabetes since she's 35 but she was always strong... I think she's been crying.  I can tell that she misses u...  She lives alone now.  We decided to take her in but she insists on staying at that house you built for her... On the day you left, mak didn't cry... that puzzled me at first but now I understand... I assume she was numb at first... and then, when the visitors came to pay their last respect, she managed to put on a smile on her face but it was until everybody left that she started mourning...she must have cried all by herself.  O I don't know...I might be wrong, but I strongly believe that she's losing her eyesight because she cries a lot - especially when she's alone... I must say that your love story is something that's rare and true... it's hard to find nowadays!

What am I up to?  O nothing much.  Life has been a lot busier than before.  Rizal, the kids and mak.  I'm proud to tell you that now mak acknowledges my cooking.  She says that my cooking is a lot better than others' LOL!  I just wish you could sample a few of my cooking.  It may not be a big thing to others but it's a huge accomplishment to me.  In fact, I wanted to impress you with my cooking on the day of our last meeting (3 days before you passed away) - I cooked masak lemak ikan masin with nenas.  I cooked a lot than I usually did because you were on your way home with mak from KL.  Unfortunately, you refused to stay for dinner that day...Otherwise, I'm sure you would have said that the dish is nicer than usual :)

The truth is - I don't know what else to say... Sorrow is not a good thing to share with you.  It's just that I wish I can see you in my dreams every night I go to sleep.  Of course, you do come and visit me once in a blue moon, thank you!  BUT ... can you please respond to what I say??? Don't just stand there and smile!!! I miss you... I hope all my good deeds - my prayers...and reciting Al-Quran has helped you over there... I just want you to know that I'm trying my very best to stay strong especially for mak.  She talks about you every day and there were times when she would cry thinking of you... and I played strong each time she did that...

Ok Ayah... It's pretty late now, I have to go to bed but before that, I just want you to know that I love you very much - ALL OF US DO!  I want to apologize for all the things I've done wrong ... and I mean everything ... those were my green days...It was really stupid of me to think that you didn't love me as much as you loved the rest.  I was totally wrong... I'm sorry... I didn't know... One more thing, a month after you passed away, Raafiee found my photos in your brief case... only my photos... and he was pretty jealous LOL!  Here's something else that I'd like to say - Thank you for everything ayah...thank you for everything that you've done for us... You and mak have made me what I am... Alhamdulillah... 

Lastly, I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH... I will write again some day... Assalamualaikum!

                                                                                                                   Love, 
                                                                                                                   Lina, your daughter :)
 Roszalina Abdul Rahim

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OK, it's crazy isn't it??? Tell me something PEOPLE!  Do you really think that this letter will reach my dead father?  No one can tell for sure... The point here is -- ALWAYS TELL YOUR FAMILY HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU'LL SEE THEM...You might be as unfortunate as me...I lost my dad on a sudden death.  He had a heart attack, and I'm left with so many regret...so much guilt and so many things left unsaid and I must say, THAT is the hardest part about losing people that you love...

Here's a song for you, readers (if there's any):



And here's a song for my beloved Ayah (father):  LOVE YOU!!! Muah muah muah!  





AL - FATIHAH

(1937 - 2008)

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Remember Me...

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This song goes to those who think I'm worth to be remembered ...

I'll stay or leave as I wish...
NOT because I don't have anywhere else to go...

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Education (and the hereafter)...

Assalamualaikum and a very good morning to you dear readers...


I'm on leave today and it feels great to be at home after a round of hectic first quarter of the year (more or less).  How time fly?  It's already May and we have so many things on our plate! While cleaning my living room, I thot of this title to write in my blog - Education.  I'm not gonna write on Experience (as the best teacher) but I'm gonna write on reasons people around me pursue formal education (high school / tertiary level).  They pursue education for three main reasons - to get a job promotion or raise (career enhancement), to switch to a new field of work (career progression or development) or simply for KNOWLEDGE. 


All my life I've experienced working in various field of work from school teacher, sales assistant at a supermarket, secretary to language lecturer.  You name it, I've done it except for Math field, I failed my math LOL! If I may say...I am such a dynamic person (indecisive at first tho).  Since Malaysia is an exam-oriented country, the nation has a stigma that non-straight-A students do not get a place in the community.  That's pretty sad isn't it?  This drives parents to push their children to study like robots - no-pain-no-gain! Or rather no-play-just-study! And I think that's crazy!  Me for one, is one of those who didn't have much motivation to study when I was a teenager.  I played a whole lot, I had the time of my life and all at the same time I just love to go to school!  Not to pursue education, but to meet my friends! LOL!  We did a lot of things together.  Being in a convent, I'm sure u can imagine the rebels within our hearts BUT! I repeat...BUT we read a lot...The indoctrination at convents are among the best in all the public schools in the country.  Discipline:  First Class, no one spoke Malay and I just LOVE THE LIBRARY!!! I LOVE BOOKS and I hate numbers!!! Therefore, when I further my study - I've decided to pursue a Degree in Education, majoring TESL.  This has brought me to the current magnificent life - It's nothing to others but it's just perfect for me :) In category, I belong to the group that pursue education for career development  and also knowledge.  I love to read, and I get paid for what I love to do that is reading and knowledge.  I read and I impart knowledge to students and to who ever interested. There...there...teaching and coaching can be extremely therapeutic if u love what you're doing.  To teach, you have to love teaching - NEVER EVER resort to teaching as the last option because all you'll get is just disappointment, hatred, boredom and all the negative thoughts.  You just got to love kids, or to be precise - you have to love your audience (you could be teaching across competency and age level)...Quoting my Prof. He said "Make them love you and the rest will just fall into place".  Another lecturer said "Always show your students that you are at least one step ahead of them and they will trust you". Dr. Noor Azman Othman always say "I like to make your life easy, so my life will be easy too" I believe that's taken from a hadith about making others' life easy and Allah will grant good deeds in return, etc.  If I quote all the lecturers, or my father or many other mentors in my life I'll only be able to stop writing tomorrow LOL!


Those who are engrossed in climbing the career ladder, would pursue formal education for career enhancement. They enroll themselves in programs that are relevant to their current job and once the study is complete, they'll get a promotion + a salary raise - SIMPLE!


To conclude, I always like to go back to the Al-Quran and hadiths.  What ever you do, it goes back to the BIG thing - that is, your intention or your NAWAITU... None of us is immortal, some day, some where, we are going to die and meet Allah.  Before that, we must gauge all the good deeds we can perform now as an investment for the hereafter.  We are answerable to everything that we do in life.  Our solah, our sedekah and the knowledge we impart for the benefit of others.  We are encountered for all the good and bad deeds.  I am a person of sin.  I have sinned.  I am not a good serf to Allah but deep in my heart, I just wish that Allah will have mercy on me.  I do not have to prove my sincerity to anybody accept Allah - he who knows, sees and hears everything.  May Allah accept all the knowledge I impart to others and erase my sins from the book currently placed on my left shoulder...Amiin


✦ I LOVE YOU ALLAH✦
I will  sleep tonight knowing it may be my last, I hope for tomorrow if not I have been blessed, I thank you Allah please forgive my past, I hope for another day for good works and pray, I love you Allah, nothing else to say!!!