.: Uncovering uncertainties :.

Past the obscure depths hidden deep within our souls.

It was one of those days where I logged into QQ messenger to leave a message for my little brother. Surprisingly he was online so we decided to chat for a while. Moments later I told him I'll be back in 15mins because I wanted to do my prayers. That was when he asked ...

What is praying? Why do you pray?

In the past, I never query him about his religion although I have a feeling he doesn't have one. I didn't anticipate this so I was quite taken aback. His questions brought me to a certain memory. A friend asked those questions when I was in primary school. At that time, I was praying because my parents told me that God commands us to pray. I basically replicated that answer to my friend, but he wasn't satisfied with it. He wanted to know why God commands us to pray, and even if God commands us, why must we follow what God tells us to do.

I didn't like it when I said, "Because God tells us to do! End of discussion!". In the end, I was terribly upset because I couldn't provide him with a satisfactory answer. But that dissatisfaction was nothing as compared to the amount of dissatisfaction I had towards my own self. So I began to ask myself, "Why do I pray?"

~

A few minutes later, I regained my composure and answered as so:

Praying is a part of my religion. It is a central part of my belief; that there is a supreme being known as God, and I pray to Him because I wish to speak to Him. To tell him about my worries, my hopes, my dreams, my sadness, my anger ... anything. Because of that, I can find inner peace, comfort and salvation. I feel relieved because I am able to let my feelings out, and I know God is always there for me so I also thank Him through my prayers.

Perhaps last week was the unofficial praying curiosity week, or my friends and I happened to go online during prayer times. Two other friends; both are atheists also asked the exact questions.

Note : My little brother is not related to me by blood.

感谢真主.

4.36pm Malaysian Time

.: Sg Wang Restaurant :.

Pearl of the Orient.

5 Combination Dish (五福临门)

In case you're craving for some halal Chinese food in Penang, try visiting my friend's restaurant. The vegetable dishes are priced from RM8, marmite chicken and home made bean curd are RM8 above while the curry fish fillet starts at RM15.

Address : 8 & 10, Lebuh Nipah 5, 11900, Bayan Baru, Penang

Phone No : 604 - 6455368

Website : www.sgwanghalal.com

FaceBook : www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000917113491

Email : cindylim@sgwanghalal.com

Partial Menu :

• Fish Maw Soup (鱼鳔汤)
• Plum sauce Chicken (梅子鸡)
• Salted Fish Vegetable (咸鱼时菜)
• Lemon Sauce Steam Fish (酸柑蒸魚)
• Vegetable Delight in Yam Ring (佛砵飘香)
• Three Flavour Home Made Bean Curd (三味 豆腐)
• Soya Sauce Steam Red Snapper Fish (清烝红狮鱼)
• Teow Chiew Steam Red Snapper Fish (潮洲烝红狮鱼)

Sometime in mid July, my sister will be in Penang for her company's golf tournament. Hopefully she gets the chance to visit my friend's restaurant and maybe 'tapau' some food for me. :)

Note :: 'Tapau' means "to take away" as in take away food.

Almost lunchtime.

11.18am Malaysian Time

.: MIHAS 2010 :.

The 7th Malaysia International Halal Showcase.

The World's Largest Halal Trade Fair

Inaugurated in 2004 with the sole aim of facilitating the sourcing and selling of quality halal consumables, products and services globally, this annual trade fair is in effect the largest congregation of halal industry players.

As an international trade fair focusing on halal, MIHAS attracts a following of loyal visitors and exhibitors. MIHAS 2009 saw the active participation of 529 exhibitors from 30 countries and attracted a total of 34,051 visitors from 65 countries.

Date : 23 to 27 June 2010

Venue : Matrade Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC), Kuala Lumpur. (click to see the map)

Website : http://www.halal.com.my/


Getting There : Ground Transportation

Brochures Download Links : 1. English 2. Chinese

___________________________________________________________

~

I came to know about MIHAS in 2007. At that time, I was severely addicted to "Chocodates" and ma'amoul . Then, my prime intention was to purchase those sinful treats. Alas I didn't get that chance, and the situation sort of dragged on until now since the event almost always coincides with something unavoidable.

If nothing crops up *like it always does*, I will attend MIHAS 2010 tomorrow. From a quick glance at the list of exhibitors, it seems like I know quite a handful. It'd be super if I can meet them. I will blog more on this, plus do a couple of Chinese Halal Restaurant postings under the "Bites" label soon, Insha'Allah.

Note: Ma'amoul *that comes with various fillings* are easily available now! Alhamdulillah!!! ^^

Working from home is a total bliss! :)

12.29noon Malaysian Time

.: WCME 2010 :.

Foreword.

By YBhg Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew and the synopsis of WCME:

Islam in China is rich with heritage and culture, and has influenced the course of Chinese history. One of the great Chinese Muslim figures of all time is the Admiral Cheng Ho, also known as Zheng He. Known as a great leader and skilled voyager, Cheng Ho symbolizes many things including the spirit of peace, friendship and adventure in the face of uncertainty.

- ~ -

The World Chinese Muslim Trade and Culture Forum & Exhibition 2010 consist of both local and international exhibitors showcasing Chinese Muslim Culture, Islamic Art and Calligraphy, Halal Foods, Textile, Apparel, Healthcare Products, Home Decor, Tourism, Technology and many others.

• The 拉面 was made on the spot, and the guy was kind enough to allow me to capture the whole process.
• Over at Uncle Chan's, the uncle was kind enough to reserve the last few packs for me.

The event was held at the Malaysia International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC), Mines Resort City. By the end of the day, I bought a few items *don't ask how much I splurged*, ate a bowl of steaming hot hand-pulled noodles (拉面; la1 mian4), packed some duck rice and made several new friends. Alhamdulillah, I even bumped into an old friend and her family, and did some catching up. :)

__________________________________________________________

WCME Info: http://www.wcme.com.my/t1/index.php

If you want to try the noodles, you can find them at this address:

Restoran Ayu
Batu 131/2 Jalan Cheras Kajang.
Tel: 03 - 87364717, 012 - 2080284
Opening Hours: 5pm - 10pm

As for duck rice; please check their website 'cos they have a few outlets:

Restoran Cina Muslim Mohd Chan Abdullah; http://www.mohdchan.com.my/

It was a worthwhile trip.

4.52pm Malaysian Time

.: Shadow trails :.

Lurking behind.

After the 3 months hiatus, I've resumed my Mandarin studies on a daily basis. One can even say it sometimes happen on an hourly basis. I keep the dictionary in my bag, and bring it with me for quick reference should I read a character or word I am unfamiliar with. Like when was the last time I stuck my nose in a dictionary? I am also doing exercises from the workbook, and occasionally write Chinese in MS Word instead of NJStar. Moreover, my cell inbox is filled with text messages written in Chinese and I habitually read it in an attempt to further retain my literacy. So now I rank myself in the order of proficiency as:

1. Spoken
   
2. Reading
   
3. Writing.

However, that's not the only thing progressing. The messages I receive in my inbox are becoming more frequent. I honestly do not know what is going on, and obviously have no idea on what will happen next. It just made me think whether I have done something to trigger something ...

"问心就明白了"

For once I could read and understand this instantly. I should be ecstatic that I can read Mandarin far better than before ... but in what expense?

Things may become complicated.

10.48am Malaysian Time