Tuesdays with Morrie

Tuesdays with Morrie

an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson

This particular book has been sitting on my brother's dresser for a month over now and I finally decided to pick it up. Immagine my ignorance, not knowing who Albom was, and never even having heard of this amazing book. I flipped to the first chapter, the Curriculum, and I was completely captivated. See if you don't feel the same...

The last class of my professor's life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed it's pink leaves. The class met on Tuesdays. It began after breakfast. The subject was The Meaning of Life. It was taught from experience.

No grades were given, but there were oral exams each week. You were expected to respond to questions, and you were expected to pose questions of your own. You were also requiered to perform physical tasks now and then, such as lifting the professor's head to a comfortable spot on the pillow or placing his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Kissing him good-bye earned you extra credits.

No books were requiered, yet many topics were covered, including love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, and, finally, death. The last lecture was brief, only a few words.

A funeral was held in lieu of graduation.

Although no final exam was given, you were expected to produce a long paper on what was learned. That paper is presented here.

The last class of my professor's life had only one student.

I was the student.

Now, I've only gone quarter-way, but I highly recommend it to you guys. The language is simple, easy to digest. The book itself isn't thick as bestsellers usually are. To me, so far, it feels more like your favourite story from Chicken Soup prolonged into a book. It's a definite Must Read. It might just make you into a better person, at the very least.

Take a peak here!

Mok

MOK

I know a girl

She puts the color inside of my world

She's just like a maze

Where all the walls all continually

I've done all I can

To stand on the steps with my heart in my hand

Now I'm starting to see

Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

Fathers be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers, who turn into mothers

So mothers be good to your daughters too

Boys you can break

You'll find out how much they can take

Boys will be strong

And boys soilder on

But boys would be gone without warmth

for a womans good, good heart

John Mayer/Daughters/Heavier Things

raya haji

Happy Id'l Adha

I simply love it when my mom's two sisters come over with their families. Us cousins grew up together and it's always a pleasure to be able to get together once in a while. For a moment, when everyone was busy chatting and helping around the kitchen, it almost felt like we were back in Mok's house in Kota Bharu. Those were the days...

My favourite moment of all - there's always one - is when Mama, Mama Yah and Mak Long sit down together at the table when everyone's done eating. They'd be talking about the old days, the pains of dealing with juvenile delinquencies and, this time around, the woes of Mok's old age tantrums. It's not so much the stories that amuse me, but more of how they talk about it. The expressions, the exclamations, the personal insights and opinions. Nothing goes inhibited during these sessions. It's almost like a home away from home.

The only ones missing today is Abang Yi and Kak Long and Ayah Long. The clan would otherwise have been complete.

List of offsprings:
Mak Long : Kak Long, Kak Yana
Mama Yah (Mak Ngah) :Abg Yi,Kak Na,Kak Wa, Liza, Wani, Miya, Azie
Mak Su (My mom) : Nani, Lin, Omar, Hakim

The menu was simple : Daging goreng ala mamak, ayam masak merah, kerabu mangga and acar, topped with fruits and chocolate fruit cake. I really have to applaud my mom for this. Cooking has never been her forte, but she never fails to pull together a mouth-water feast that's beyond any complaint.

I did my best to convince Mok to come over for this Raya, but to no avail. I hate to think of her alone in the house, with no one to keep her company. I had her on my mind all through today's raya lunch. I hope she's ok.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to all.

inner soul

What the...?!!


(Courtesy of : Kak Ilavogueinternationalhabess )

Your inner soul is saying SCREW YOU! For some reason you gave up caring about things. You use to be warm and loving, but now you've started crusting over to a cold, hardcore bitch who doesn't take crap from anybody! Even though you try not to show emotions, you desperately want to let loose and go wild! You have an attitude that makes you irresistible to others and you are the one usually to take charge of situations. Try to let loose and have some fun because we all know how much you really want to ^-^

What Is Your Inner Soul Trying To Say? (With Pics)

I know I'm not perfect, nobody is, but this is definitely more than I expected! Wow, I've really deteriorated for some reason...

Grief

Tears tears tears

I think the best way to deal with grief is to simply let it out.
I think if you cried hard and long enough, you'll come to a point where you finally run out of tears.
I think that's the point where you finally get over it.
I think I've cried all I can, so when is that point coming?

He was.

It's been exactly one week since his passing. It's only now that I can actually think about arwah without shedding tears. My heart still feels heavy from an invisible burden. It's true what they say; you don't know what you've got till it's gone.

The phone rang, his number came up and I had a warm feeling at the pit of my stomach. But then his sister's voice came on. I instantly felt something was wrong. That's when the ball dropped.

The first few days were filled with disbelief, on my part and on others'. It seemed impossible that one of us could go so soon. And one so well loved, too. I could go on and on about what a gem he was to us all. There would neither be enough words nor space for that. Suffice it to say that his absence will be strongly felt; his presence will be forever missed.

It would take some time for me, and others, to reconcile ourselves with the fact that he is no longer among us. I can still picture his goofy smile, I can still hear his jokes, and I can still see him running around in his Hawaiian shirt. Honestly, I've never met anyone as full of life as he was.

Macam benih. Campak ke mana-mana pun mesti tumbuh.

Ask anyone who knew him and that's probably how they'd describe him. With his gifted hands, he's fashioned countless little trinkets and gave them away on a whim. I still have the butterfly he made me from twisted wires. And the tiny pair of shoes sewed together from pieces of leather. And the little tree with a heart made from left over cardboards he gave me on my birthday. And that...

My heart still aches for one last conversation, one last glimpse of the one I hold so dear to my heart. I know it is impossible, and it is too late. Syakir, I'm so sorry I wasn't there at your funeral. I can only console myself with this thought:

He was brought into this life, and the life of those who've had the pleasure of his acquaintance, for a purpose. And with his passing, that purpose is fulfilled.

Semoga rohnya dilimpahi rahmat Illahi dan diletakkan di kalangan orang-orang mukmin.

You are always in my prayers, Insya'Allah.

Syakir

He's gone. Kembali ke rahmatullah. Innalillah...

Birthday

Anniversary Aftermath

I've been wrecking my brain for something to write to mark the occasion. I can't say that I feel that much older or wiser (yipes!). I had this amusing conversation with my cousin Hajar the other day where we both agreed that I had neither the weight nor wisdom deserving of a twenty-two-year-old (gulp!).The fact remains that the day passed without so much as a shudder. My parents have long since discarded the practice of celebrating birthdays for the quite surprise of a gathering (usually in the living room), the presentation of a gift(s) and a round of hugs and kisses for and from everyone. And, of course, a discourse on some serious issue, i.e. family bonds, the tsunami, religion, the future. Yup, that's how we do it here in the Rahiman Clan.

Despite the fact that I woke up with my nose full of snot and suffering from sinus spasms every three minute (remnants of a flu), today spoke of N-O-R-M-A-L like nothing else.

Excitement01 : Beeping phone messages of birthday wishes. Some came from my best friends (of course) and some from people I least expected. I mean, I didn't expect them to know my birthday, much less wish me and let me know they remembered! I can hardly remember half of my best friends' birthdays as it is!(Got to do something about that)

Excitement02 : Worked the brain cells overtime trying to decide how to best spend my birthday loot. It's always harder to decide on something to buy when you actually have the money for it. There's always a dozen things I need to buy when I'm all dried up, cash-wise. Ironically.