.: القطط في المسجد :.

Kittens in the masjid.

"I know pretty much what I like and dislike; but please, don’t ask me who I am." 

Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath

Found these two at the entrance of Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque. They were sound asleep and their mother was nowhere in sight. Minutes after this shot was taken, they were woken up by a couple of kids, who happily picked them up and started cuddling them. 

Their purrs. Their playfulness. Their incredibly lovable nature.

Sums up my daily dose of happiness.

7.16pm, Malaysian Time

.: Hiraeth :.

The nostalgia.

• Hiraethn. a homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was; the nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past

A best friend. Some of us have one. Some of us have none. Until now, I still remember those who I regarded as my best friends. The earliest memory I had was in primary school. We were in the same class for three years and four months. We drifted apart after both of us transferred to other schools. Each time I return to Singapore, I cannot help but wonder whether I would ever bump into my long lost best friend. Would we recognise one another?

Years went by and I entered my late 20s. During that time I got acquainted with someone, whose character reminded me of my long lost best friend. We clicked. The connection was surreal. Yet, all of a sudden, the friendship came to a halt. The correspondences stopped. I had no means of reaching out. All forms of communication were entirely shut down. 

And just like that, I carried that pain of losing another best friend. The grief was unbearable. Just like my long lost primary school best friend, I too start to think, what are the odds of me bumping into my late 20s best friend when I am in Singapore? 

Wanting things to return to the way they were seems impossible. The constant what ifs, only prove to cause more damage to the self being. So I move forward, and learn to come into terms with things.

There are still times when I will remember both of my long lost best friends. And those deja vu moments can be too real at times. Yet I choose to take things positively and cherish the memories. If I had not known them, I may not have turned out the way I am now. 

To my long lost primary school best friend;

I hope and pray you are doing well. You were one of the brightest students then and I knew you had it in you to carve a meaningful future. Wherever you are, keep being the helpful and ever considerate person that you are. You were a blessing to me then, and I truly believe you are still a blessing to those who are around you now.

Woodlands Primary School.

To my long lost 20s best friend;

I know you used to read my blog occasionally. If you still do, and you would like to reconnect, you know you can always contact me. I too hope and pray you are doing well. I always think highly of you and I respect you for your wisdom. You had been and is still an inspiration for me to continuously improve myself intellectually. If I ever did anything wrong, I humbly ask you to forgive me. 

MRM.

The long lost past.

9.29am, Malaysian Time

.: Ramadan 2019 :.

Almost there.

The scars that you can't see are the hardest to heal. 

Nao Tomori

Three. Two. One.

11.07am, Malaysian Time 

.: Al-Amin Xinjiang Muslim Restaurant :.

Where food meets pleasure.

This will be a biased yet genuinely straight from the heart post. 

K's friend, Brother Bao, is the owner and chef of Al-Amin Xinjiang Muslim Restaurant. The restaurant specializes in Xinjiang-style cuisine, so unlike regular Chinese Muslim restaurants, Brother Bao churns out the most amazing dishes, with Middle Eastern and Chinese influences.

While I do not usually write reviews, I am making this an exception. Mainly because Brother Bao has a delightful personality and despite how busy he is, he always makes time to chat with us each time we come to his restaurant. 

Brother Bao's restaurant has over 30 types of dishes and beverages. 

Here are our top 3 favourites:

Xinjiang Kao Bao

Looks familiar? We sell these at Kaijia too! But we still love the ones sold by Brother Bao. His are generously filled with mutton and onions.

Fried Noodles

K loves this dish to bits that he orders it at almost every visit! The noodles are quite spicy and not heavily drenched in oil. 

Da Pan Ji

Also known as Big Plate Chicken, this bite-sized chicken dish is cooked with a variety of vegetables. Order a side of rice, noodles or bread to go along with it.

Bonus: Niangpi

Once upon a time, we sold these at Kaijia too. These days, whenever we feel like walking down the memory lane, we would order this to share.

Does the restaurant tick all the right boxes?

Tasty dishes? Yes!

Wide variety? Yes!

Reasonable price? Yes!

Generous portions? Yes!

Comfortable setting? Yes!

And they even have a surau. No excuse for missing your prayers!

The only downside? 

Finding a parking spot can be challenging, though that should not deter you from ever going there. The food and ambiance are well worth it.

Restaurant details:

Al-Amin Xinjiang Muslim Restaurant

Address: No.20 Jalan 19/3, Seksyen 19, 46400, Petaling Jaya

Opens daily: 12PM - 9PM (Fridays, 3PM - 9PM)

Phone number: 010-566 4012

Getting hungry.

9.09pm, Malaysian Time

.: Almost Unreal :.

Entirely surreal.

Minutes, hours, days, weeks and months. 

In a matter of days, K and I will insha'Allah embark on a relatively new territory. We never thought the day would come. We were contented with what we had and we still are. Yet Alhamdulillah, He is the ultimate provider and He has paved the path for us to achieve something we had never imagined to ever achieve in this lifetime. 

This may be a small step for others, but to us, it is a major blessing. A blessing that we can never thank Him enough for bestowing upon us.

While we are unsure of the path ahead, one thing is for sure, come what may, we are certain that He will guide and protect us along the way. As He always does.

Just a few more days to go, khair, insha'Allah. 

5.27pm, Malaysia Time

.: 新年到，新年好 :.

New stage in life.

Wishing all of you a Happy Chinese New Year! 

May it be a year of prosperity, good health and lots of happiness. 

祝你们新年快乐，万事如意，身体健康，天天快乐！

Before anybody starts asking me for red packets, I have to point out that K, despite being a Chinese from China, does not celebrate Chinese New Year. In fact, his family never celebrates it. Chinese New Year to them is just like any other day. Then again, they do not really celebrate any festivity, so this did not come as a surprise for me. Did that just blow your mind? 

So what did we do on Chinese New Year? We went out, met some friends, had a nice dinner with K's niece, and we slept. Even the firecrackers and fireworks failed to kick the sanity out of us. We heard the sounds, we disregarded it, and we went back to bed. Best sleep ever!

But we did host some friends the day before. We had hotpot. For a brief moment, it did feel like we were having our reunion dinner, except it was not dinner. What we had was a late lunch. 

The new stage in life? We are expecting something huge to kickoff this year, insha'Allah. Something that we have been praying for. Something that we have been yearning for. Something that would insha'Allah bring significant changes to our lives. 

No. It is not a baby. 

Or maybe it is. Figuratively.

Excited, yet nervous. 

Off to hunt for a mandarin orange.

9.37am, Malaysia Time