Run, run...

I planned to stay longer in PD to do what ever I have to do. But this morning, I opened my apartment door and saw cars packed at the car park. No wonder it was noisy. It's a long weekend holiday which means noise, dirty and thoughtless guests/visitors.  My neighbour upstairs still did not repair his pipe system which makes irritating noise every time it was turned on. Countless complaints were given but no remedial action taken. It's quite frustrating.
Unfortunately, I found that I forgot to bring spare eye drops this time. This is not me. Usually wherever I go I will bring a set of spare eye drops but not this time. May be when I left PJ, I wasn't in my normal state of mind and just threw what ever things I needed in a small bag. I have to go back to PJ today and see my eye specialist on Wednesday. I hope my eye pressure stabilizes again. The recent test didn't show an encouraging improvement and it worries me.
Going back to PJ means seeing my Rania and Gabe again.
Will be back to PD after I return from Tunisia.

Beginning of a new year

January 2013 is almost over. Life goes on as usual except for a few events that destabilize me. Having Rania and Gabe makes a lot of difference in my emotions. The thought and the sight of them calm me down when I feel low. Bless my little angels.

Rania and Nenek at Julia Gabriels ready to go to class, at Citta Mall. 160113

Rania started play school at Julia Gabriel in Citta Mall. She is happy there and adjusted herself well with no fuss. She loves going to school. Ika has successfully toilet trained her and there is no problem now..... maybe on one or two occasions when she held back and wet herself before sitting on the toilet bowl.

Rania reciting Al Fatihah. No she can't read the Quran but knows where Al fatihah is. 190113

Rania loved to sit on my lap after I finished praying maghrib. She listened and repeated when I recited Al Fatihah. Now she can recite Al Fatihah on her own with my Quran on her lap. She struggles a bit on the last ayat. She is really good. Children at her age are quick to imitate but will forget if not trained to recite it regularly. I am really proud my little Jantung Pisang. She brings sunshine in my life.

Rania in jubah bought by auntie Liza. She  look so pretty.

I visited my mother's grave today before leaving for PD. I still talked to her when I am in despair and ask for forgiveness for all the mistakes I made in treating her when she was alive. I understood now how painful it was when your child hurt you and I felt so powerless except to recite Al Fatihah and Yassin and prayed that Allah will forgive me. I did give my mother a hard time and she cried many times for my behaviour. True what a saying says ' You get what you give'. So to all children out there who read my blog and who still have living mothers, please treat your mothers with gentleness, love and respect, for when she is gone, you will be haunted with guilt for life. I can guarantee you that the feeling of regret is not a nice feeling. No matter how bad your mother is, she is your mother and you only have ONE mother.
Today I didn't hear knocking and drilling from the apartment below me. The contractor is so selfish and thoughtless. He just disregarded the rules and regulation even though the security guards requested him to stop work at 5 pm on week days and no work on weekends but he blatantly disobeyed. I had to get out of the apartment to avoid the noise till dark. It was so infuriating. The management was not able to do much which I believe they could do it if they are really strict and enforce the regulations. I hope it's going to be a quiet week as I need this respite.

Rania and Gabe with Nenek at JKids Paradigm Mall. 200113

Rania and Gabe at JKids Paradigm Mall, 200113

Gabe playing with foam blocks at JKids Paradigm Mall, 200113

Rania and Gabe had a good time playing at JKids in Paradigm Mall in PJ on Sunday 20 Jan 2013. It was packed with kids and parents. How different it was now compared to before. Now kids play indoors in artificial play room whereas before they were free to run around in an open air playground with natural surrounding. Safety is such a big issue now. No children should be left unattended on their own no matter where.
Chinese New Year is so far off but there are people already playing fire crackers. This is the behaviour of arrogant and indiscipline Malaysians. They are disgusting. I am glad I will be away in Tunisia during CNY. I hate the noise.

Reflecting 2012

You can make plans but Allah will determine your destiny. How true. I had a good 2012, alhamdullillah but was not spared the disappointments and challenges of daily life. I have made up my mind to quit working totally and focused only on my personal life and my travels, secured in the knowledge that I am quite stable financially. At my age financial stability is crucial for it determines one's self-esteem, independence and sense of security. My stability was shaken when an investment has gone sour and I wasn't sure whether I could get back my money which was quite substantial. I am not the type who takes risks in investing in something that promised a high return but was persuaded by well-meaning daughter who believed that my travels could be supported by its returns. It was a mistake and I am paying for it. For some time I was down with mild depression, fearing my future and my well-being.
On top of that, the person whom my older brother trusted to develop the land left by my mother to me with an amanah that when the land is developed, the proceed should be equally divide to all my siblings. The land has been cleared and houses have been built but no money comes in. The broker of the land doesn't respond to my calls, letters etc. None of my siblings bothered to make an effort to find out what happened, leaving it as my sole responsibility. I have no documents in my possession. My 5th older brother destroyed it because he was angry with me. I have given him the files containing documents, asking him to help looking after the matter when I left to work in Sarawak in 2001. Of course now, he denied it. I feel burdened and my heart is riddled with guilt for not being able to honour my late mother's wishes. It has been 13 years and this issue has not been settled. If family members are divided, issue like this is easily manipulated.
There were many ways I was being tested but alhamdulillah I was able to cope and overcome the negative impact. Many didn't realize the difficulty I experienced but I believe Allah is with me and my mother is giving me strength.
Inspite of the downside of life, I am blessed with two adorable grandchildren, Rania and Gabe. They make my life colourful, especially Rania whom I see more often. I stay with her parents every time I go back to PJ.
My ardent desire to see the world and my country as much as possible, took me to different parts of the world and Malaysia - Pekanbaru, Indonesia, Umrah, Mekah, Gunung Jerai, Tandem-paragliding, Sendayan, Eastern Europe, Coastal road Terengganu dan Kelantan, Tasek Bera, Nepal,  Taiping Lake, Seychelles, and Jakarta -Bandung.  
On the whole, I had a good year and I hope 2013 will be another good year for me. Insyaallah.    

End of 2012

Cold weather trees shed leaves at Tangkuban Perahu 291212

At Tangkuban Perahu 291212

I spent the end of 2012 in Bandung and Jakarta. It wasn't a good idea. Bandung and Jakarta were packed with locals and foreign tourists. Roads were jammed with cars and stores were buzzing with endless shoppers. I went with Izan and 4 others. Their purpose was shopping. I shopped a bit but when I got what I came for I just wanted to get away to a quiet place - not a possibility. So I had to play the waiting game and I got more and more bored,
Bandung and Jakarta are not new destinations for me. I have been there before. In Bandung we just visited Tangkuban Perahu and Seri Ater. Both places were packed with people. Kiki, the guide and Pak Harman, the driver have already warned us about the huge crowd. As a shopping paradise, it was heavenly for my friends but not me. I was bored!! They had so much energy trudging from from store to another and from from one shopping complex to another. I didn't want to spend money on shopping as I need the money for my other overseas tours. But I enjoyed looking at the Muslim women fashions there especially in Pasar Baru Bandung and Tanah Abang Jakarta. There are so many variety like how to tie the head scarves into turbans etc. I was fascinated. The Indonesian Muslims ladies are very fashionable.
See more in zuraidaharahman.travellerspoint.com

Visiting Seychelles

Seychelles is a group of islands in Indian Ocean, an exotic destination for vacations especially for honeymooners and those seeking for peace, tranquility and natural beauty. When Darshini extended her invitation to visit her at Silhouette island, Seychelles, I wasted no time in making the necessary arrangement. Thank you Darshini for being a gracious host.
It was indeed a superb holiday for me, being in a place so gorgeous and meeting so many fascinating individuals who work in Hotel Hilton Labriz in Silhouette Island and on Mahe Island, Seychelles. It's a melting pot for different cultures and countries such as Malaysia, Morocco, Uzbeckistan, Australia, India, Morocco, Germany, Russia, Mautitius, Philippines, Sri Langka, Indonesia and others.
I landed in Seychelles on 23 November and left on 1 Dec 2012 with a deep tan that I don't need. I want to get back to my natural light brown skin colour which is more acceptable in Malaysia.
For more stories and photos on my stay in Schelles, please visit my travel blog zuraidaharahman.travellerspoint.com
I missed my 2 grandchildren and looked forward to seeing them again. Rania is learning new skills and so is Gabe. Now Rania is in her cheeky stage with her screeching noise and cheeky laugh. She also posed cheekily when a camera is focused on her. A little girl with a thousand words and endless questions, always drawn to her mom's iPad. Her little finger knows where to touch to find what she wants. She is more savvy in using iPad than me. 
I have yet to see Gabe.
Seemed I can't upload photos anymore. My storage of free 1 GB is fully used.

My Jantung Pisangs

Second day Aidilfitri 200812. Rania and Gabe

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Masa berlalu begitu cepat. Dalam pejam celik, I am a grandmother of two already. Macam tak percaya boleh jadi nenek. But I am proud of being one and having gorgeous grandchildren like Rania and Gabe. Rasanya baru semalam Rania lahir, putih melepak anak mat saleh ini. Ika frust sebab Rania tidak seiras dia. Selepas bersalin Ika jadi depressed sebab berasa sukar menjaga baby, hasil dari ingin menjadi seorang ibu yang sempurna. Mana ada ibu sempurna? Bila diingat balik kesian juga pada Ika, pengalaman pertama menjadi ibu. Pesrsonalitinya yang emosional menyukarkan lagi keadaan tapi syukur alhamdulillah, dia berjaya mengatasi tekanan emosinya dan Rania membesar tanpa banyak masalah. Sikit-sikit adalah dan itu memang biasa seperti eczema, constipated, fussy menyusu dan sukar menidurkannya.

Rania Roseworn 140712

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Tetapi sekarang Rania is a darling, berumur dua tahun setengah, cantik dan petah bercakap - macam mak nenek!! Rania Jantung Pisang neneknya yang pertama dan menjadi penghibur hati dengan tingkah lakunya. Cair hati bila Rania kata " I love you Nenek".
Seolah-olah dalam mimpi rasanya bila Izrin dikurniakan anak lelaki, Gabe. To me Izrin is just a little boy, my youngest child tapi sekarang sudah berumur tiga puluhan dan seorang bapa. Macam tidak percaya yang Izrin telah dewasa kerana teringatkan ragamnya yang hebat sewaktu remaja. Begitu lancar masa berlalu, tidak sedar yang ketiga-tiga anak telah dewasa dan mempunyai tanggungjawab sendiri.

Muhammad Shah Gabriel Izrin Zamir 111112

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Gabe adalah Jantung Pisang kedua. Alahai, cantiknya dimple Gabe. Cabaran Gabe sebagai baby tidak begitu banyak diketahui kerana Haidi duduk bersama ibunya di Subang Bistari semasa dalam pantang. Sekarang Gabe sudah hampir 8 bulan dan menjadi penghibur hati yang kedua. Bila lama tidak melihat Gabe, terasa rindu hati ini. Mujurlah Izrin dan Haidi rajin juga membawa Gabe berjumpa Rania dan neneknya. Gabe seorang bayi yang montok dan sihat. Tubuhnya tegap dan dimple di pipi kirinya dalam dan cantik. Handsome Gabe nanti apabila dia besar. Syukur alhamdulillah, ada anak lelaki seorang dan cucu lelaki seorang (mungkin ada lagi, insyallah!) tempat mengadu hal.
Tidak pernah terduga di hati tetekala muda akan menjadi seorang nenek. Memang lain rasanya seperti yang kerap diceritakan oleh kawan-kawan yang lebih dahulu menimang cucu. Cucu lebih precious dan mempuyai daya yang kuat menyimpul hati neneknya. Di mata seorang nenek, cucunyalah yang paling cantik dan istimewa. Kadang-kadang bila duduk bersendirin, boleh tersenyum sendiri apabila teringatkan tingkah laku cucu, rasa sungguh hebat menjadi nenek.
Allah sahaja yang mengetahui bagaimana syukurnya hati ini kerana di beri masa dan peluang menikmati hidup sebagai seorang nenek. Walaupun umur meningkat tetapi kesihatan masih baik  (sakit sikit-sikit itu memang lumrah), penglihatan masih baik walaupun menghidap glaucoma, tenaga masih kuat walaupun tidak secergas dahulu dan rezeki dimurahkannya walaupun tidak semewahnya. Hanya doa sahaja yang dapat dipohon supaya tetakala tubuh badan tidak mengizinkan keupayaan berdikari, anak-anak dan cucu-cucu memberi kasih sayang dan perhatian yang lembut. Walau bagaimanapun harapan dihati memohon supaya hayat tidak dipanjangkan sehingga menjadi tidak berupaya dan menjadi bergantung. Hanya Allah sahaja yang maha mengetahui.
Rania and Gabe, my adorable 'Jantung Pisangs'. Nenek loves you to bits.

Travel Nepal 4 - Nagarkot and Katmandu

Leaving this spectacular scenery of the Himalayan mountain range at Serangkot for Katmandu and Nagarkot

On 14 Oct 2012, we started early by road to Katmandu. Inspite of reminder from Izan and Badri, the two old women were late as usual spending time yakking at breakfast table. They were really a nuisance who were habitually late without even an apology. We were forced to wait for them as if we were their maids, no respect for the group members. It was most irritating. Since we started late, the road was already jammed. What I noticed most about the people in Pokhara was how they get water. They bathed, washed clothes and did other things in drains with free flowing water. We thought it was dirty but the water actually is fresh from the mountain. They keep rubbish out of the the drain which is more like a little stream. I saw  pipe lines at the edge of of a high ground where water flows through it and that water is fresh from its mountain source. I guess they are never short of water even during summer.

A tiny mosque serving over 700 Muslims is in need of financial help to enlarge it - Hanfia Gausia Jame' mosque just outside Pokhara

Izan, the travel leader with a group of kids at the madrasah of the mosque

As promised, Badri, the guide stopped at a small mosque just outside Pokhara. It was a pathetic mosque, small and old. There were 700 Muslims there with about 90 households mostly very poor living in their own community. The mosque people came out to meet us and Badri became the translator. We donated some money collected among the 5 of us Muslim ladies for the mosque. They wanted to renovate and enlarge the mosque but fund is hard to come by. When I came back I made an appeal for help from my Muslim readers of  my facebook but so far none responded. But I'll try to collect contributions from friends and children and Izan will bring it to them in December with her second group. We visited the madarasah where children learn gow to read the mukaddam. They make do with whatever is available to them.

Unbelievable congested bad road which took forever to reach Katmandu from Pokhara - 200km took over 6 hours.  

One of the pretty villages along the way to Pokhara

The road trip back to Katmandu was slower with endless lorries, buses and cars. An accident slowed the traffic almost to a standstill. I was lucky I emptied my bladder at the mosque. There was no toilet stop and no decent toilet along the way. Some ladies have already grumbled that they need to go to toilet. Nearing Katmandu, the driver noticed a decent restaurant and the ladies came down to use their toilet. It is really a nightmare when you have an urgent need to go to toilet and there is none available - no problem with the men but horrible for the ladies.
We had dinner at the halal restaurant, Anatolia and left Katmandu immediately to Nagarkot after lunch. It was getting late and by the time we made our way to Nagarkot. it was dark. We could make out the road which was frighteningly narrow and winding with gravels. When finally we arrived at Fort Resort, we couldn't believe this was was a place we  towere supoposed stay. Our room was small with difficult hot water. I was tired and after praying, fell a sleep. Electricity failed several times and at about 4 am, electricity went off again till morning. We had to pray, went to toilet and changed in the dark. It wasn't fun.

Thick mist veiled the sunrise at the Himalayan mountains. Taken from the rooftop of Fort Resort, Nagarkot

The Fort Resort Nagarkot, old and pretty but the road up there was nightmarish.

At Fort Resort Nagarkot rooftop for sunrise with room-mate,. Ramlah. A misty day.

At 6 am we went up the rooftop to watch the sunrise at the Himalayan mountain range but it was a very misty day. We hardly saw the sunrise which was veiled by the mist. Though it was misty, from the top, the view of the valley and the buildings was so pretty.