:: Jack Johnson - Banana Pancakes ::

Can't you see that it's just raining
Ain't no need to go outside...
But baby, you hardly even notice
When I try to show you this
Song is meant to keep ya
From doing what you're supposed to
Like waking up too early
Maybe we can sleep in
I'll make you banana pancakes
Pretend like it's the weekend now

And we could pretend it all the time
Can't you see that it's just raining
Ain't no need to go outside

But just maybe, laka ukulele
Mommy made a baby
Really don't mind the breakfast
'cause you're my little lady
Lady lady love me
'cause I love to lay here lazy
We could close the curtains
Pretend like there's no world outside

And we could pretend it all the time
Can't you see that it's just raining
Ain't no need to go outside
Ain't no need ain't no need Mmmm MMmmm
Can't you see can't you see
Rain all day
And I don't mind.

The telephone is singing
Ringing it's too early
Don't pick it up
We don't need to we got everything
We need right here
And everything we need is enough
Just so easy
When the whole world fits inside of your arms
Don't really need to pay attention to the alarm
Wake up slow, yeah wake up slow
You hardly even notice
When I try to show you this
Song is meant to keep ya
From doing what your supposed to
Like waking up too early
Maybe we can sleep in
I'll make you banana pancakes
Pretend like it's the weekend now

And we could pretend it all the time
Can't you see that it's just raining
Ain't no need to go outside
Ain't no need, ain't no need
Rain all day and I really really really don't mind
Can't you see can't you see,
You gotta wake up slow

:: Fiqh of Love ::

Excerpted from Al Maghrib Institute’s “Fiqh of Love” seminar with Shaykh Waleed Basyouni.

1.     Great relationships don’t just happen; they are created. You have to work at it.

2.     If your job takes all of your best energy, your marriage will suffer.

3.     One of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse is your own happiness.

4.     It is possible to love and hate someone at the same time.

5.     When you complain about your spouse to your friends, remember that their feedback can be distorted.

6.     The only rules in your marriage are those you both choose to agree with.

7.     It is not conflict that destroys marriage; it is the cold, smoldering resentment that you hold for a long time.

8.     It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you do with what you have.

9.     If you think you are too good for your spouse, think again.

10.  Growing up in a happy household doesn’t ensure a happy marriage, or vice versa.

11.  It’s never too late to repair damaged trust.

12.  The real issue is usually not the one you are arguing about.

13.  Love isn’t just a feeling; it is expressed through our actions.

14.  Expectations set us up for disappointment and resentment.

15.  Arguments cannot be avoided, but destructive arguments can be avoided.

16.  One of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse is focused attention.

17.  Even people with happy marriages sometimes worry that they married the wrong person.

18.  Your spouse cannot rescue you from unhappiness, but they can help you rescue yourself.

19.  The cost of a lie is far greater than any advantage you gain from speaking it.

20.  Your opinion is not necessarily the truth.

21.  Trust takes years to establish and moments to destroy.

22.  Guilt-tripping won’t get you what you really want.

23.  Don’t neglect your friends.

24.  If you think, “You are not the person I married,” you are probably right.

25.  Resisting the temptation to prove your point will win you a lot of points.

26.  Generosity of spirit is the foundation of a good marriage.

27.  If your spouse is being defensive, you might be giving them reasons to be like that.

28.  Marriage isn’t 50/50; it’s 100/100.

29.  You can pay now or pay later, but the later you pay, the more interest and penalties you acquire.

30.  Marriage requires sacrifice, but your benefits outweigh your costs.

31.  Forgiveness isn’t a one-time event; it’s a continous process.

32.  Accepting the challenges of marriage will shape you into a better person.

33.  Creating a marriage is like launching a rocket: once it clears the pull of gravity, it takes much less energy to sustain the flight.

34.  A successful marriage has more to do with how you deal with your current reality than with what you’ve experienced in the past.

35.  Don’t keep feelings of gratitude to yourself.

36.  There is no greater eloquence than the silence of real listening.

37.  One of the greatest questions to ask your spouse is “How best can I love you?”

38.  Marriage can stay fresh over time.

39.  Assumptions are fine as long as you check them before acting upon them.

40.  Intention may not be the only thing, but it is the most important thing.

41.  Good sex won’t make your marriage, but it’ll help.

42.  Privacy won’t hurt your marriage, but secrecy will.

43.  Possessiveness and jealousy are born out of fear, not love.

44.  Authenticity is contagious and habit-forming.

45.  If your spouse thinks something is important, then it is.

46.  Marriage never outgrows the need for romance.

47.  The sparkle of a new relationship is always temporary.

48.  There is violence in silence when it’s used as a weapon.

49.  It’s better to focus on what you can do to make things right, then what your partner did to make things wrong.

50.  If you think marriage counseling is too expensive, try divorce.

:: Jack Johnson - Hope ::

I adore him! My hubby adores him! He likes the sea.. We like the sea..

Shadow walks faster than you

You don't really know what to do

Do you think that you're not alone?

You really think that you are immune to

Its gonna get that the best of you

Its gonna lift you up and let you down

It will defeat you then teach you to get back up

After it takes away all that

You learn to love

Your reflection is a blur

Out of focus

But in confusion

The frames are suddenly burnt

And in the end of a roll of illusion

A ghost waiting its turn

Now I can see right through

It's a warning that nobody heard

It will teach you to love what you're afraid of

After it takes away all that

You learn to love

But you don't

Always

Have to hold your head

Higher than your heart

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better be hoping you're not so...

Du du rut

Hope you're not alone

Hmm hmm humm

Your -

Your echo comes back out of tune

Now you can quite get used to it

Reverb is just a room

The problem is that there's no truth to it

It's fading way too soon

The shadow is on the move

And maybe you should be moving too

Before it takes away all that you learned to love

It will defeat you and then teach you to get back up

Cause you don't

Always

Have to hold your head

Higher than your heart

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better be hoping you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not alone

You better hope you're not so...

Du ru ru ru ru

Hope you're not alone

Hmm hmmm hmmmm

Better hope

Huuu huuu hmmm

Better hope you're not alone

Huuu huuu hmmm

Hooope 

:: Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue ::

Kecomelan melampau!!

:: My Happy Places ::

Hey beautiful and kind people of the world!! Wasssaaaappppp!!!!

Today, I'm psyched! Could be because of a few reasons:

1- I now have a new boss.. (long overdue, I know) and he is the direct opposite of my ex boss.. my ex boss was evil, this new one is extra super humble and polite.. my ex boss was a liar and corrupt, this new one is pious and honest.. I've known him for quite some time and honestly, he is one of the most humble human being on the planet.. I dont know that many people, especially those with wealth, stature and title, who would stop and bow his head slightly every time he sees me.. and say, with an honest smile.. "cik apai, apa kabar?".

2- The small family gathering at home last night.. Mak, Abah, Mama, Kamal, Ayed & me, we enjoyed wonderful food from Saba.. Nothing much, but I really enjoyed it.. We had a great laugh, updated each other and talked about everything under the sun.. Now that was quality time with family to me..

3- I managed to organize my pictures in this lappy. And I found loads and loads of pictures that brought a smile to my face.. I love it!! It makes me realize that my life is actually blessed. Blessed with my in-laws who are all nice and respectful.. I am blessed with a husband who loves me and share the same passion, that is scuba diving.. I'm blessed with parents who are always supportive in whatever I do, brothers who are very loving and respectful of me.. Actually, now that I think of it, never once, and I mean NOT EVEN ONCE have we argued! How amazing is that! Yeah we disagree on things sometimes but somehow we can talk and discuss about things and when we cant find an agreement, we turn the subject into a joke.. We respect each other's opinion all the time. Never once have I raised my voice in anger to neither of my brothers because they showed me the utmost respect deserved by an older sister. They were there during my ups and downs, always supporting and comforting.. I couldnt ask for more, seriously!

Well anyway, there will definitely be another post about my brothers soon.. In the mean time, enjoy these random pictures, which happen to be my favorites.. Never fail to bring a smile to my face..

So Smile People!! And Say Alhamdulillah..


Take Care of each other..

:: My Advice? ::

Hi peeps..

You know what I think? I think now is 'musim mengawan' for the whole of malaysia.. Everywhere I look, it seems like everyone is pregnant. I heard news of pregnant friend or cousin almost everyday.. Which is good! I'm thrilled for all of them.. The more the merrier!!

And in fact, based on a research, people tend to find out that they're pregnant during winter. Sales of pregnancy tests typically soar in the first month of the year, as more women than usual tend to become pregnant - or just think they are, according to Inverness Medical, the maker of the Clearblue Easy pregnancy tests.

When theres too many preggers around, there bound to be 'free advices'.. things you can eat, things you cant eat, drink this, drink that, dont drink this, dont drink that.. If I'm being very honest, I am very sick of it all.. So one day, I asked my doctor.. is it true I cant drink coffee, milo, tea, soy milk and cant eat pineapples, pumpkins, limes, etc etc?? My doctor said, eat and drink whatever you want.. in moderation.. Only avoid a particular food if it clearly gives you a bad reaction.. Listen to your body.. She said, just enjoy your pregnancy.. read a lot of books, and try to relax more.. Prepare yourself mentally and physically to become a mother. 

Phewww!! So preggers, you CAN eat!!

My only advice is, (if I may) stay close to your husband.. you need all the emotional support you can get. Especially when your homones are all over the place during pregnancy..

A dear friend/client/mentor of mine once said this,.. "Faizah, take my advice.. sembahyang at least satu waktu berjemaah with your husband.. you may not see the result immediately but you will one day.." Thank you Encik Wafa.. I can definitely feel the effect of the ritual now.. the level of respect towards my husband also increase over time..

So take care peeps.. If you are a future mummy, enjoy your pregnancy!! I will only last 9 months!

p/s: patutla dulu abah takkan benarkan aku balik lepas maghrib.. dia insist gak kami semayang maghrib jemaah satu family.. banyak faedahnya rupanya.. hmm

:: Our 'Proposal' Anniversary ::

We were first friends.. We were very close and were very comfortable with each other. Then suddenly our feelings changed. I started to miss him when I didnt talk to him.. He started to call me more often..

Then, exactly one year ago today, 21/12/2009, he proposed to me.. His words were simple, straight to the point.

He: Aku suka ko, ko suka aku tak?

Me: Suka..

He: Ok.. jom kawin.. aku dah boring aa bercinta lama2 tapi tak jadi apa..

Me: Ok..

I was thrilled! So in March we were officially engaged, in July, we were married..

Now, one year later, 21/12/2010,  i'm 4 weeks pregnant with his child! 

I am blessed!

To my dear hubby, Thank you for being there for me, thank you for working so hard for our family.. thank you for taking care of me.. thank you for being a man.. thank you for restoring my trust in men.. and most importantly, thank you for having me as your wife! I couldnt ask for more! 

I Love You Sayang!

:: My Unique Feature - Republish!! ::

I decided to republish this entry because... well, because it's my blog!! hehe.. anyway, for those of you who have read this, thank you so much, for those who havent, feel free to.. 

Take Care!!


(this entry was writen on Nov 19, 2009)

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No, this is not those kind of post where I ramble about how people are different and everyone has their own unique characteristic and that's what makes the world a better place to live in..

This post is about my birthmark. Yup I have a distinguish birthmark on my right arm.

When I was little, the mark was smaller, rounder and darker (maybe because I was fairer back then). I was somehow conscious about it in school since everyone kept on asking about it. They asked questions like "apa tu?" or "kena air panas ke tu?" or "eh, tangan ko kotor aa.."

A boy called me 'si tompok' at school. Crazy, irritating boy! He would gather his friends and started shouting 'OI SI TOMPOK!!' from across the school field. (OMG! I hated that boy so much!!)

At one point, I wanted to wear long sleeves all the time to cover it. I was tired of hearing questions and remarks about my birth mark. I might have mentioned it to my mom and being a wonderful, beautiful mother that she is, she started telling me how I'm one of the luckiest girl in the whole world because I was born with that mark on my arm.

"Kalau hilang, mak nak cari senang.. takyah cari susah2.. tengok tangan je dah tau anak mak yang mana satu.." she said with that great smile of hers. "Lagipon, mana ada orang lain yang dilahirkan dengan jam.. only u.." she would add. That restored my self esteem. I started drawing numbers and strap on my arm. When anybody asked about my birth mark, I would show them gladly and said "this is my watch. I was born with it!".

My dad, a loving father that he is would hold my arm and 'analyse' the mark and started to tell me how the mark looks like the map of Australia, Singapore or any other country that he can conjure at that moment.

Time passed and I managed to turn a deaf ear to all the remarks about my precious mark. In fact, I have forgotten about it until the day I went to a cabin crew interview with Malaysia's full service airline. After passing all the stages, including the grooming test, after waiting for more than 7 hours, the head interviewer called me up and told me that I would have to surgically remove my birth mark if I really want the job. In my heart, I was cursing him. F him. Never in this lifetime would I remove something I regard as special on my body. So I said to him, its ok, I'm not that desperate. I'm sure other airlines can look beyond my birthmark and notice my potential.

So off I went to another full service airline from Singapore and Dubai. The airline for Singapore accepted me but told me to cover it with foundation or concealer every time before flight. Because of that experience, I 'declared' my birth mark during the early stage of interview with the airline from Dubai. And surprisingly, all I got was a puzzled look. The head interviewer said with raised eyebrows, "So?". An international airline, among the highest paying airline in the world is not even slightly bothered with what everyone else think as a birth defect. I got in despite of the birth mark.

Well, anyway, time passed and once again I sort of forgot about it. I didn't even notice it anymore. And I realize that when I don't think about it, people don't think about it.

But yesterday, when I was in the 'kamar kecil', idly, I looked at my right arm. And realized that I have forgotten about my birth mark! Seriously my heart skipped a beat. As though I was seeing it for the first time. I have forgotten about something that makes me different from anyone else..

So today, I'm appreciating my birth mark again. I'm glad I have it. I'm never gonna be me without it.

Again, after more than 20 years, I'm wearing the watch that I'm born with...

Take care peeps.. Luv ya!

:: Doa Akhir & Awal Tahun ::

Doa Akhir Tahun dibaca 3 kali pada akhir waktu Asar atau sebelum masuk waktu Maghrib  pada akhir bulan Zulhijjah.Sesiapa yang membaca doa ini, Syaitan berkata

“Kesusahan bagiku dan sia-sia lah pekerjaanku menggoda anak Adam pada setahun ini dan Allah binasakanaku satu saat jua. Dengan sebab membaca doa ini, Allah ampunkan dosanya setahun”

Doa Akhir Tahun

Maksudnya:

Allah SWT berselawat ke atas penghulu kami Muhammad SAW, ahli keluarga dan sahabat-sahabat baginda dan kesejahteraan ke atas mereka.

Wahai Tuhan, apa yang telah aku lakukan dalam tahun ini daripada perkara-perkara yang Engkau tegah daripada aku melakukannya dan aku belum bertaubat daripadanya. Sedangkan Engkau tidak redha dan tidak melupakannya. Dan aku telah melakukannya di dalam keadaan di mana Engkau berupaya untuk menghukumku, tetapi Engkau mengilhamkanku dengan taubat selepas keberanianku melakukan dosa-dosa itu semuanya. Sesungguhnya aku memohon keampunanMu, maka ampunilah aku. Dan tidaklah aku melakukan yang demikian daripada apa yang Engkau redhainya dan Engkau menjanjikanku dengan pahala atas yang sedemikian itu. Maka aku memohon kepadaMu.

Wahai Tuhan! Wahai yang Maha Pemurah! Wahai Yang Maha Agung dan wahai Yang Maha Mulia agar Engkau menerima taubat itu dariku dan janganlah Engkau menghampakan harapanku kepadaMu Wahai Yang Maha Pemurah. Dan Allah berselawat ke atas penghulu kami Muhammad, ke atas ahli keluarga dan sahabat-sahabatnya dan mengurniakan kesejahteraan ke atas mereka.

Barangsiapa yang membaca doa akhir tahun ini, maka syaitan akan berkata:

“Hampalah kami di sepanjang tahun ini”.

-

Doa Awal Tahun dibaca 3 kali selepas maghrib pada malam satu Muharram. Sesiapa yang membaca doa ini, Syaitan berkata

“Telah amanlah anak Adam ini daripada godaan pada tahun ini kerana Allah telah mewakilkan

dua Malaikat memeliharanya daripada fitnah Syaitan”.

Doa Awal Tahun

Maksudnya:

Allah SWT berselawat ke atas penghulu kami Muhammad SAW, ahli keluarga dan sahabat-sahabat baginda dan kesejahteraan ke atas mereka.

Wahai Tuhan, Engkaulah yang kekal abadi, yang qadim. yang awal dan ke atas kelebihanMu yang besar dan kemurahanMu yang melimpah dan ini adalah tahun baru yang telah muncul di hadapan kami. Kami memohon pemeliharaan dariMu di sepanjang tahun ini dari syaitan dan pembantu-pembantunya dan tentera-tenteranya dan juga pertolongan terhadap diri yang diperintahkan melakukan kejahatan dan usaha yang mendekatkanku kepadaMu Wahai Tuhan Yang Maha Agung dan Maha Mulia.

Wahai Tuhan Yang Maha pengasih dari mereka yang mengasihi dan Allah berselawat ke atas penghulu kami Muhammad. Nabi yang ummi dan ke atas ahli keluarga dan sahabat-sahabatnya dan kesejahteraan ke atas mereka.