How to stop persistent coughing?

My cataract surgery scheduled on 17 February maybe postponed. I am coughing so badly. I have taken cough syrups which I hated. It made me feel drowsy and lethargic. I have swallowed anti-biotics and other prescribed tablets but the cough still persisted.
I suffered from prolonged cough since I came back from Haj in 2009 which was at the height of H1N1 epidemic. My experience of having flu and cough there lingered in my mind. The virus spread so fast there because the pilgrims didn't bother to take care of themselves and thus spread the virus to others. Very few were willing to wear masks inspite of repeated appeals by doctors. Hygiene was taken so lightly. My room-mate refused to wear masks because she didn't feel comfortable wearing it. So, every time she has an attack, it infected me and I suffered. It took more than 2 months for the cough to subside after I came back. Blood screening proved me clear of any lung diseases. Since then I am quite susceptible to flu, cold and cough. And I am sick of it. I have tried almost every remedy that's recommended such as:
Air asam jawa and honey
Air limau nipis and honey
Air jintan putih and honey
Air rendaman nasi semalaman and selawat 3 times when drinking
Avoid cold water
Sapu dada dengan gel herba waktu malam.

All tak jalan! The cough is stuck to my throat like a leech.

I would like my cataract removed from both of my eyes. Driving is proving quite a hassle for me especially if I drive to unfamiliar places.
Last Sunday (13 Feb 2011) I kept my promise to Mila that I would come and meet her PRS of MRSM Kuala Kubu Baru. Ulu Yam is a place I have visited several years ago and have forgotten the way and so couldn't find the resort where her program was held. The road was unfamiliar and it was difficult for me for not being able to see and read the road signs clearly. Since it was Sunday, the trffic was quite light. I stopped at Ulu Yam Polis station and called Mila to pick me up from there. I made it on time.
Going back was difficult. Forgetting that unfamiliar road will cause some trouble driving, I chose to try the Batu Cave way. It was a mistake. Road signs and traffic worried me. Driving slowly irritated some drivers and I was horned and the more nervous I became. Eventually I stopped at a petrol station checking whether I was on the right track. The young man was patient enough to explain which road and exit I should take. Eventually I saw a Petaling Jaya road sign and with a sigh of relief followed it through to Federal Highway. I came home safely but promised myself not to drive to unfamiliar places until my sight is OK.
Anyway, thank you Mila and the PRS of MRSM Kuala Kubu Baru. I wish all of you success in achieving what you aspire.

Poor baby

My little Professor, Rania, delivering a ceramah on my bed! 050211









For the first time after 9 and 1/2 months, Rania fell sick with fever, cold and blocked nose.Yesterday night was quite a tough night for me and Ika. She fretted and cried most time, being so uncomfortable breathing through her mouth. Justin is in Sydney attending a workshop. So Ika and I took turn to hold her when she screamed so loud at midnight and at the wee hours in the morning.
Last night, Ika slept with her alone in her room. I needed to make up for lost sleep but at 3 am I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep. So I sat up typing the yearly report on the charity work done by the women's section of Ar Rahman mosque, next to my house in PJ. I didn't hear anything in Ika's room and felt relieved that Rania was able to sleep.
The next morning after subuh prayer, I slumbered off for an hour or so before Rania woke up. Later Ika told me that Rania was fretting the whole night and that she fell from Ika's bed to the hard marble floor. I was appalled. I feared this would happen if Rania is sleeping on the bed. She will roll herself everywhere on the bed.
She was crying and throwing tantrums this morning, refusing her milk and her food.I was worried. Finally Ika called and made an appointment with a doctor in Bangsar this afternoon. I pray Nia is OK and that her fever is just an ordinary cold and flu attack.
It was. So far, according to the doctor, Rania doesn't show any signs of problems and we pray she will be OK.
After talking to the doctor, Ika and I concluded that Rania caught the cold and running nose by going to the swimmimng pool in PD before CNY. There were many children and adults and the virus was in the air. I hope Nia will be OK soon.







Happy Rania tentatively feeling the pool water. 020211














Rania and mom playing in the pool at the hotel in PD. 020211



















No other people were around, I took Rania to play at the beach. With each wave hitting the shore, the sound startled Rania and she was quite frightened. As a reasult, at night she has nightmares and cried and clung at me or at her mom. Poor baby! Eventually she forgot the ordeal and returned to her normal behaviour enjoying water during her bath. 020211












To get Rania out of boredom being cooped up in thr house, we took her to Giant Kelana Jaya and put her in a trolley. She loved it and had her lunch there with her eyes absorbing all the goings on around her. 310111












Lovely!! Playing with sand is something new to Rania. Engrossed, looking and feeling the rough sand at PD lagoon. 010211













Caught in the act. Mischivious Rania. She tried to fool us by playing with the lid of her soiled nappy bin but in actual fact, she was aiming to play with the electric plug behind the bin.


This adorable 9 and 1/2 months old little bundle of joy brings so much sunshine and joy in the family. 300111







Love you sooooooooo much my precious 'jantung pisang'. May you have a beautiful happy life in front of you,

New books 2011

Year 2011 seems to be a good year for me. After working so hard to edit, update and write current book, 4 came out almost simultaneously in January 2011. Christine Chong of Marshall Cavendish persuaded me to republish my 3 books with Time Books International (abolished) in 1980s and 90s in a new look and updated contents. With Kamal, the editor, it was quite a long laboriously attempt to complete the assignment to meet printing dateline. It wasn't easy, with a lot of heartaches. Syukur alhamdullillah, the finalized work went in on time.




I am so happy that my book 'Boleh Saya Tolong Anda' is back in the market. I hope the counsellors, especially the younger generation of school counsellors, will get hold of this book and use it as a guide when they introduce Program Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya (PRS) at their respective schools or institutions. So far this is the first book in Malay written on this subject followed by PRS-Langkah Seterusnya. I hope to see more being published with new ideas and approaches without sacrificing the basic philosophy.














Back cover of 'Boleh Saya Tolong Anda'















My old title 'Anda OK!' is now changed slightly to 'Pastikan Diri Anda OK' which is more apt. In the process of writing this book, I learned a lot more about myself and how to read others especially when they interacted with others. Definitely, this is one of the enjoyable books that I have written and I hope to write more fun books for general reading in future.




















The back cover of 'Pastikan Diri Anda OK'













'Kaunseling dalam Pengurusan' has gone through quite a significant change process, not only being updated but also the chapters are expanded to 9 chapters.
All these 3 books are now with new attractive looks sold separately or in a box of 4 (with Peter Shepherd's Ke Mana Arah Hidup Anda) with a retail price of RM159.60.


















Back cover of ' Kaunseling dalam Pengurusan'


















IBS Buku Sdn Bhd with which I have established a long time relationship, has published 'Penulisan Jurnal Kaunseling' in January 2011 which I co-wrote with Najidah. I am proud of this book actually, for this is one achievement I am proud of, having successfully trained a former student in book writing. I hope Najidah will get more confidence and produces more work in time to come.
















Back cover of 'Penulisan Jurnal Kaunseling'














I would like to invite former students Siti Atiqah, Norhidayah, Faridah, Nurulaini, Nor Asnida, Norshila and Nurul Farhana whose some jurnal entry we used in this book, to sms, call or email me giving their addresses. I would like to send a complimentary copy for each of you with a million thanks.

If those books mentioned above are not available within your reach, please contact me at HP 019-857-5188 or email: zuraidah.rahman@gmail.com or through this blog. Please include postage. For one book to be sent by Express mail, please include RM6.00 for the envelope.

Prices:
1. Boleh Saya Tolong Anda - RM 39.90.
2. Kaunseling dalam Pengurusan - RM 39.90.
3. Pastikan Diri Anda OK - RM 39.90.
4. A set of 4 books ( 3 above books and Ke Mana Arah Hidup Anda) - RM 159.60.
5. Penulisan Jurnal KKaunseling - RM 19.90.

Eye issues.

I have totally accepted my condition. I have acute glaucoma on both eyes, that's a fact, no point denying it. I tried to do what the doctors advised me to do. Only one that makes me feel guilty - I play truant at going to the gym. Maz is not happy because she pays all the fees, including my personal trainer. Doctors advised me to do regular exercise for smooth blood flow to the eyes. I know it but...........Since I traveled outside the country in Dec 2010, fell sick when I returned, then followed by short visit to Kuching and going back to PD and the CNY holidays, I have not been to the gym. I have to drag my feet there with loads of excuses. I am sorry Maz, your mom is getting lazy. Thank you and Ika for pushing me but I have bigger excuse now for not going.

My eyesight is deteriorating, not because of glaucoma but due to cataract on both eyes. I stop driving when it's dark. Reading road signs is just impossible. I am endangering myself and others if I don't do something about this. I have consulted many eye specialist for advice on how safe it is if I go for cataract surgery with my acute glaucoma. Some are encouraging but many make me aware of the risks. One doctor suggested that I do double surgery - cataract and glaucoma at the same time. This frightens me. I went for another consultation and was advised to do one at a time as glaucoma surgery is very intrusive. It maybe more expensive but safer. I agreed.

I have given this a lot of thought but I have Hobson's choice. So, on 17 February I am going to do cataract surgery on my left eye at UMSC. Prof Mimi is going to do it. I trust her but please pray for me that I'll be OK and that my sight improves. I may do the right eye later if the surgery is successful.

One or two eye specialists have assured me that having glaucoma doesn't mean that I am going to be blind. This gives me hope. What I need to do is to take care so that my eye pressure doesn't go up. Question - how do I do it? Inspite of using 3 eye drops faithfully, my eye pressure sometimes shoots up. I found out only when I went for checkup. Looking at my visual field test, Prof Mimi said my pressure is not too bad and will consider surgery if the pressure cannot be controlled. Ya Allah...please help me and save my precious sights.

So I am taking time off from computer after 17 February 2011. I'll see what happens..

Tracing old steps

Kuching airport was closed on 11 January 2011 because AirAsia plane skidded and this is not the first time. So I have to change my flight to the next day, 12 January and back to KL 14 January. I have already bought the train ticket with Senior citizen discount and it couldn't be used for the next day travel. What a waste!
My humble apology to all my friends in Kuching particularly the lecturers of Counselling Department in Unimas. I didn't tell anybody I was coming. My visit was short and my objective was to trace back my steps while living there for more than 6 years. I have a very special bond with Kuching - the city, the people and the nature parks.
I wanted just to lepak at the waterfront, drinking tea and eating laksa Sarawak in the evening and enjoy the breeze and the tranquility. I used to spend time there, to lepak and to mark exam scripts. The waterfront and the river used to be very clean but before I left, it has become neglected.
I missed Orang Utan Rehabilation Center in Semenggoh. Delima, the resident orang utan, is a delight and so was Richie, the male orang utan if he graced the center by coming down. I just love this place and always brought smiles to my face everytime I saw the orang utans. I wanted to see this distant cousins of mine again.
A day trip to Bako was another destination I planned. Bako is a uniquely beautiful nature park with proboscis monkeys, silver leaf monkeys, the bearded hog, the rascal macquats, the pitcher plants, the rock formations, the white sands and the breathtaking scenery.
Exploring the rows of shops near waterfront and at Jalan India would make me feel nostalgic. I wanted to do some shopping there.
When I arrived at Kuching airport, disappointment awaited me. It rained!! And it rained throughout the days I was there, imprisoned me in my hotel room.
I didn't get to do what I wanted to do though I braved the rain and walked to Jalan India and took a short boat ride across the river to visit the beautiful new building, the Dewan Undangan Negeri. I met a friendly Sarawakian Malay lady who was kind enough to ferry me in her car to the DUN and to the orchid garden. Thank you Haslinda, you are not a stranger anymore and I hope we could meet again one day.
So next time I must remember NEVER to visit Kuching before Chinese New Year. I forgot. It always rained before CNY.





At the imposing main door of Dewan Undangan Negeri Sarawak.


















The raindrops on orchids at Kuching Orchid Garden.
















I will see Kuching again, insyallah.

Baitul Mukaddas

The place I dreamed to be, especially to visit Al-Aqsar mosque and Dome of the Rock which are described in the Quran. But the presence of the Israelis soldiers turned me off. The news report about their abuse of Palestinians in their own land is a reality in my eyes. Hitler was condemned as a monster for genocide but he saw what would happened if this race is in power. The Israelis are worst than Hitler.






The separation wall built by the Israelis with powerful surveillance cameras at every corner.












One of the graffiti on the separation wall expressing the feelings of the Palestinians.










The Palestinians live in the biggest prison in the world, created by the Jews and the world powers (America and the likes) just ignored the blatant assault on human dignity. The Palestinians are robbed of their lands and their dignity. It blows my mind to know how the Jews could practice their life principles of legalizing shooting women and children (especially Palestinians) if they present the slightest threat to their position. I think animals have more compassion than they do.

I had no choice. Baitul Mukaddis/Maqdis is a holy city. Being Muslims, I chose to brave the threatening situation there. I was quite confused - was I going into Palestine or Israel? At the immigration point manned by Israelis, we had to wait for hours before we were cleared (because we were 19 Muslims). There were 46 non-Muslim Indonesians who arrived later but they were being
cleared quickly. We left Jordan at 5 am but by 2 pm we were still there, hungry and tired.

There was no such thing as special consideration for seniors and children. If you drop dead in front of their eyes, the Israelis couldn't care less.

Dome of the Rock from Mount Olive.








I am so very grateful to Allah for giving me time and allowing me to visit Al-Aqsar and Dome of the Rock in Baitul Mukaddas. Though a first my body was so tired and in need of rest I decided to join the group for subuh at 4 am at Al-Aqsar. It was a good decision. I might not be able to go there again.






Dome of the Rock took my breath away. I was able to see the hanging rock on which Prophet Mohammad stood before Israj Mi'raj. I was in awe to be able to be where Israj Mi'raj happened and see the stunning architecture inside and outside the Dome.










The exterior of Dome of the Rock.











Syukur alhamdullillah, praying in Al-Aqsar was a humbling experience. This is where the Qiblat for Muslims to pray was, but Allah commanded Prophet Mohammad to shift Qiblat to Mecca.
The visit to Hebron was unforgettable. It pained my heart to see so many children left orphaned and poor because of the war and the opperssion by the Jews. The Palestinians live poorly but the Jews live in palatial homes on Palestinian land. I pray that the Israelis will stop digging underneath the Al-Aqsar as an excuse to look for their lost temple which until now they had not found a trace of it. Or is it just an excuse to destroy Al-Aqsar?


The Ibrahim mosque is a historical landmark in Hebron, Baitul Mukaddas. This is where Prophet Ibrahim, his wife, Sarah, Prophet Ishak and his wife were buried. The 84 year old caretaker tearfully narrated to us the massacre in 1994 when an American Jew shot 29 people while they were praying in the mosque. The irony was that, since this was done by a non-Muslim, the incident was treated so coolly. But if it were done by a Muslim, the non-Muslim world would cry bloody murder and accused Muslims as terrorists.
I hope the Palestinians will get back their land and their dignity and hell go to the oppressors.















In the Chapel of Ascension at Mount Olive where Prophet Isa (Jesus) stood before he was lifted to heavens by God.

Lightning visit to Lebanon, Petra and Dead Sea,

On 22 Dec 2010 was a free and easy day for the group members but all of us opted to go to Lebanon fo a day visit. Though we started early, the border check took so long, more than 2 hours, and by then it was early afternoon. The drive in Lebanon was unique with scenic mountain view with houses tucked away in valleys and on hills. The roads are winding and the hills were still covered by thin snow.


We stopped at Jeitte Grottoes, the underground caves with stalactites and stalagmites. We were boating in the lower part of the cave to see more white shining stalactites and stalagmites glowing beautifully. I was impressed with the beauty of the cave but none so far could compare to the stunning formation of variety of stalactites and stalagmites in Mulu Caves, especially the King's Chamber. I informed some members of the group to make a point to see what our own country can offer so that we could appreciate and be more proud of our heritage. It's pointless to travel around the world but just disregard the interesting places available at our own door step. Gua Tempurung would take our breath away to see the two level of colours of white at the top and dark grey at the bottom - unusual combination in a cave.
What I appreciate about Jeitte Grottoes is that they are very strict in enforcing 'no camera' ruling and appropriate behaviour with no pushing or rushing. Everything is done orderly and the place is sparkly clean. The tour gyuides are mindful of the regulations unlike many tourist guides in our country who are not so mindful of the regulations and blatantly break the rules. I have seem a tourist guide in Putrajaya acting like a big boss raising his voice demanding the workers to let his group from China cutting Qs and became unruly. In the boat he just grabbed the microphone from the guide and babbled in Chinese, disrespecting other tourists in the boat. What did the guide do? Nothing!
By the time we reached Beirut, it was almost 5pm and getting dark. We visited the stunning Hariri mosque with amazingly beautiful interior. I could just stay there observing the intricate architecture and design but we had to move on. Just next to it is a church. From far, one of the minarets of the mosque seemed to be having a cross on top. It belonged to the church.













Hariri mosque, Beirut.











Nearby is the high end shops mostly selling original branded goods such Jimmy Choo, Channel, CD, Prada etc etc with half of the price you pay in KL.

Beirut is another experience that I would like to repeat with leisure, one day, insyallah.







PETRA, JORDAN 22 Dec 2010

I have been to Jordan some 10 years ago but missed visiting Petra. I read and saw a lot of pictures of Petra and it has heightened my curiosity. One of the attractions of this trip is Petra but the visit proved to be so disappointing. It was just ridiculous to go to Petra and spent about 2 hours there when there were so many things to see but that was what we did. The delay at the Jordanian-Syrian border cut our time for Petra a whole lot. We arrived at Petra just before 4 pm when the gate would be closed and darkness set in.















The walk inside to the Treasury is long, on uneven track. Noraishah and I decided to take horse carriage inside and paid US$40.00. Imran, the carriage driver was such an impatient man who was not friendly and not interested to entertain tourists' curiosity.










When we arrived at the Treasury, he demanded to be paid. We know if we paid him he would just leave us so that he could get more tourists in and we would be left on the lurch. So we ignored his demand and he scowled and yelled. We kept on taking photographs but felt uncomfortable at his loud yell for us to come in the carriage so that he could deposit us outside, at the starting station. What a rude Jordanian, so greedy.












All in all, I was really in awe of Petra. The rocky complex was so magnificent and majestic. Imagine having people living in the rocky hills a long, long time ago. No wonder my son-in-law, Justin, talked so much about the mystical Petra. Now I understand what he means exactly.









Entrances to their cave dwellings were still intact. The Treasury, intricately carved from rock is the ultimate attraction. How did those ancient people did it in such a skillful way. I felt fulfilled and humbled by the magnanimous structure which made me gaped with wonder. Syukur alhamdullillah that Allah allows me the pleasure of seeing this world famous Petra though the visit was short and didn't give me opportunity to explore the area more. Maybe, God permits I may see it again one fay.









At the Treasury, carved totally from rocks.












DEAD SEA, JORDAN 26 Dec 2010

Another lightening visit we did was at Dead Sea. The place has changed so much since the last time I visited about 15 years ago. They have landscaped the area and made it more attractive with modern facilities. None of the group member wanted to swim in the Dead Sea as it was already late. I swam and float in the Dead Sea years ago confident that I wouldn't sink even though I don't know how to swim. The sea is still calm and serene which pulled me to soak my legs in the very salty sea water.