.: Sealed instinct :.

The memories of various dimensions.

Aunt :: We need to buy lemongrass, ginger, chillies, etc for Eid.
Mum :: We have those. My husband harvested them from the house. :)

Ever since mum retired, dad heightened his passion for sustainable living. At our home in Seremban, he grows bananas, papayas, mangoes, chilies, lemongrass, ginger, potatoes, yam, curry, lime, guava, etc. due to an excess of land in our residential space. He even harvests honey from the beehives at the roof. Dad takes a lot of pride in his harvests therefore occasionally he will trade with the neighbours i.e. our chillies for their beans. Mum chips in by distributing to family and the people around.

On another note, my big brother and his wife are drawing plans to breed fish and rear chickens and ducks. The advantage they have is bigger land and the land is located at the outskirts of town. This enabled them to venture into livestock and other forms of vegetation i.e. chillies and pineapples. My brother and his wife have plans to sell the produce, while at the same time, they are also doing this to ensure we have our supplies from reliable sources.

Mum :: Your dad comes in with a bucket of sweet potatoes. His haul of the day. He was clearly exhausted but he looked really happy. And there I was thinking what can I do with a bucket of sweet potatoes? I eventually made chips. We don't buy vegetables anymore. On certain days your brother sends fish over. This was how I lived in the past. Everything that we ate came from our land. There is a greater sense of appreciation and contentment.

Whenever I'm home in Seremban, my dad will tell me to be wary of the bees and the monkeys whereas whenever I'm at my brother and sis-in-law's land, they will tell me to be wary of the hogs.

Going to those homes on 16th Sept.

10.31am Malaysian Time

.: Crypting passages :.

The weightless carrier.

As we draw closer to the end of Ramadhan, one ascertains that the journey to self purification is akin to walking down a timeless trail. Where come what may, one has to keep going down that path till one reaches the end of the line. Even then, when the essence of life has left its physical self, the journey does not end. It continues through the fragments in the lives it has touched, through the many deeds one has done in this lifetime.

Grasping the finer nuances.

3.45pm Malaysian Time

.: Gathering of fates :.

Memory retrieved.

She is a sister who I recently came to know. A sister who in our first meeting camouflages her innermost feelings with smiles and laughter. Where under those very circumstances, she still managed to gather enough strength to lay her utmost belief in the will of God, in total reliance of God's plans for her and her family.

~

I was driving when my thoughts fleeted to her. Deep in thought of how I would have dealt with the situation if I was placed in her shoes. Moments later my tears began to fall a drop at a time. This is insanity. I have only met her once, so how is it possible for me to have such intense empathetic feelings towards her?

Soon enough the text reached my cell inbox. It was a short text. but it was enough to make me shed tears. By a mere stroke of coincidences, the sky too began to shed its tears of sorrow and there I was, in the car, stuck in the traffic at Jalan Ampang, crying as how I had cried when I received the text from my mum several years ago when she said my dad suffered a mild heart attack on flight and had to be warded in the intensive care in Singapore.

Through this sister I may had seen the strength that my mum had on that very day. Of how my mum told us to stay in Seremban, to continue celebrating Eid, and when dad becomes better, she will bring him to celebrate with us.

Dad :: Your mum is a strong person. But if something were to happen to me, even when she tries to act all tough, all I see is her vulnerable side. That is when you and your siblings must take charge. Help her find the strength to truly deal and accept the consequences.

My parents are still in Seremban now. However, ever since then, each time Eid approaches I will remember that text from my mum, and of how I begged my family to allow me to rush to my parents that very night.

As for the sister, I pray that she will be able to overcome this hardship.

Halfway through Ramadhan.

9.31pm Malaysian Time

.: Miraculous revelation :.

Of a heart that believes.

Working in a non-Muslim environment often led people to believe there is little room left for compassion towards religious tolerance, let alone religious acceptance. Despite being in one, I supposed I am one of the blessed ones to be granted the right to carry out my religious obligations without any form of oppression or restrictions.

Taking the example of Ramadhan, I am allowed to return home at 4.30pm just so I can beat the traffic and reach home in time to break fast with my family. As the sole Muslim I try to refrain from gaining special privileges over my non-Muslim colleagues, therefore I negotiated with my management on earlier hours and continuing my work at home.

The biggest consolation however, is when I have non-Muslim colleagues and peers voicing their eagerness to fast. Their reasons vary from absolute fascination on how a seemingly feeble being; in reference to myself can withstand hours without food and drinks, a mere daring attempt to challenge their capability or vulnerability, to the most basic which is purely out of respect towards the month of Ramadhan itself.

Most of them do not consider their actions to be of any worth. Such was the case back in my student days when non-Muslim campus mates flicker at the idea of fasting and joining in the lavish unbecoming pigging out sessions. The fact that they kept to fasting all day made all the difference to me.

On other occasions, no matter how frequent I reiterated I am fine with them eating in my presence, they simply refused to do so and some even go to the extent of requesting their friends to restrain from doing anything which may invalidate my fasts.

To experience this once again is akin to strolling down the bygone lane. To the time where religious differences are celebrated and not used as a mean to create disparity and disharmony within the community.

Second week of Ramadhan.

12.52noon Malaysian Time

.: Faraway beginning :.

Determined individuals.


Friends from Raleigh will organize a project and the monthly meet with the Orang Asal/Asli settlement. As much as I want to be there and partake in the activities, I am afraid the possibilities are nil as I already made plans to spend some quality family time at home. Nevertheless, I am sharing it here in case anyone would like to get out there and join these inspiring Raleighians for some fun, laughter and a worthwhile experience. :)

___________________________________________________

... Hands On Orang Asal Project ...

Date :: 7th August 2011

Time :: 8.00am – 6.30pm

Gathering point :: Gombak LRT Station

Register :: https://spreadsheets1.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dDF6TnlQSlFkc0pMSHUyc0Y2dFUwYnc6MQ#gid=0

RSVP :: 5th August 2011

Abstract :: Lending a hand to the Gombak Orang Asal community by building small bamboo huts to promote eco-tourism activities in the area. All proceeds will go to a single mother (the owner of the land) to subsidize the schooling costs of her children.

You will have the opportunity to learn ::

• How to build a bamboo hut
• How to weave the atap (roof)
• Other traditional Orang Asal building techniques

___________________________________________________

... August Monthly Meet ...

Date :: 13th August 2011

Time :: 8.00am – 1.00pm

Gathering point :: Gombak LRT Station

Fees :: RM5 for members and RM8 for non-members.

Location :: Orang Asal Waterfall Village, Gombak

Register :: https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dFpCR3Rob3VxXzJQTWdHU3V6TVdJX2c6MQ&ifq

RSVP :: 11th August 2011

Abstract :: The Orang Asal are the indigenous people of Malaysia. Although development has overwhelmed the City of Kuala Lumpur over the last two decades, there still lives a small communal group of Orang Asal in the laid back hills of Gombak. The schedule includes cleaning the waterfall, Raleigh EGM [Extra Ordinary General Meeting], speech by Orang Asal, swimming and lunch.

If you have any queries, please drop them an email at info@raleighinternational.org.my or call 012-3386908. Alternatively, you may also contact me and I will direct you to the person(s)-in-charge.

Community outreach.

4.13pm Malaysian Time

.: رمضان في ماليزيا :.

Ramadhan in Malaysia.

"Warped spectre"; taken during the excursion at the Orang Asli settlement.

The blessed month of Ramadhan has finally arrived. May all of us be granted the opportunity to taste its sweetness and achieve a higher degree of understanding relating to our faith.

As like the previous years, I plan to organize another round of Eid cards mail-away. The rules have not changed and I intend to make this a yearly event at least till the day I decide to stop blogging permanently. Yes. That day will eventually come. :)

The Rules ::

It doesn't matter whether you are a girl, guy, k-12, teenager, Muslim, Christian, student, worker, Asian, Westerner, Malaysian, American or from other parts of the world etc. Anyone can request for an Eid card from me. As long as I can mail it to you I will insha'Allah mail it out.

The Method ::

If you would like to receive an Eid card this Ramadhan, kindly send your name, home and email address to hajar.alwi@gmail.com or you may leave it in the comments section by August 15th 2011. Rest assured that I will not publish your information and the confidentiality will be well guarded.

Truth be told, one does not have to be a Muslim to celebrate Eid. Eid is a joyous occasion, thus it needs to be shared with people from all walks of life, faiths and beliefs. In this regard, I suppose this may be considered as a way for me to share the many joys of Eid, while another aspect is for me to express my gratitude towards my readers as well as in hope of bringing the relationship into a whole new level. :)

Have a blessed Ramadhan everyone!

3.12pm Malaysian Time