Ho Chi Minh!

Currently writing on the plane. Bound to Johor Bahru from Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam. 

The last time I board on a plane for international departure was almost 6 months ago, during my last farewell for Jordan. (God. It has been 6 months since I've graduated? It takes just another half a year to complete a cycle. God. How fast. Time, you're an Olympic sprinter athlete or what) 

A short tour around Banking University, Ho Chi Minh 

(so educational lah kan my trip ni luls)

My trip to HCM was uncalled for. Dad has been suggesting me to follow him since 2 months back. However Mom took control over the suggestion and told me to just stay at home. My life is like that. My Mom's say is always a verdict. Even Dad agrees, ahead of him is always another beuracratical procedure to get through. The Mommies Appeal Court. Haha. 

The plot changed just 3 days before the flight date. Dad's HCM work trip talks come floating again and cutting the story short, Mom suddenly concedes to the idea of me following Dad for work. Hehe. You know, I sometimes find pleasure in dealing with this kind of Court and Council. Because unpredictable events always come abound. You can never tell what lies ahead for you. Just like life. Aaah. You know, my Mom perhaps attempting to teach me some life advises through this subtle message. Lol. 

Where am I now? 

Okay.

Dad is attending ASEAN Educational Meeting with other representatives from several ASEAN countries eg Thailand, Philipines, Switzerland and Indonesia. So since it is Ho Chi Minh that the meeting is being held, to tail around is always a thing I look forward to. HCM is a shopping haven for specifically Malaysian. It stores various kind of kain, baju kurung, Viet Nam Silk, up-to-date fashion started there too. Many of the famous hijab fashion brand in Malaysia now tailored their products here in HCM. Economically, the labour and production cost are relatively cheaper here so they can hit a higher marginal profit. Even you can drive the bargain in Ringgit Malaysia and not VietNam Dóng! 

So this is the typical womenly part of me. Shopping. Haha. Glad I do have this kind of trait running in my vein.

Anyway. Should I or Shouldnt I be grateful for that? Haha

THE MOUNTAIN OF KAIN!

1) "Thank you Nadiya, you're a great company" 

During the first day of the meeting, my initial plan was to go for shopping on my own. I've surveyed some items with Dad the day before so it wouldnt be hard since I already have set in mind what to buy, on certain prices that I've already brilliantly (cewah perasan) compared. However, the plot changed. No, I'm not going to say that I splurged on excessive shopping spree. You expect that coming aite? Haha. It is, I had to escort the wife of other representative and be her loyal company for the shopping day. (Yeah, since her husband is working, just like my Dad). It was an inadvertent moment that I agreed. 

So guys. There goes my nearly sprained ankle susceptible to overdoing my walking routine. I think this is prerogative to the unusual habit. Meh. Mana aku biasa jalan masuk setiap kedai dan kiosk effortlessly macam tegur makcik makcik kat kenduri kahwin je gayanya. 

But the day wraped up well when the wife I escorted said good things about me of being a great company. It is a relief to hear her genuinely saying that, because if not, aku gunting handbag baru dia. I nearly hurt my ankle and get sunburnt kot! Ok. Being normal again. We talked about everything under the sun, we even ventured into topics that are unlikely for me to opinion about. It is in the parallel universe I would ever talk about the different taste of Mango Smoothies and Coconut Shake that her sons prefer to binge on. What should I care, right? But I just did guys. I DID. 

Well, should I include this. Haha. Her son is at the same age of me. Regardless anything else, this is the most tiring part for me. The match-making part; "Anak Aunty handsome tau Nadiya"; everytime I got this from any aunties, I shrugged and stiffed. So I gave her my usual obligatory reply and selalu dalam hati aku, Alhamdulillah aunty haza min fadhli rabbi maka nikmat Tuhanmu yang manakah kamu dustakan. Ramai jugak aunties yg selalu puji anak dia handsome. Pernah tak umi puji ktorang lawa? Hahahahha kay. 

I hope not. 

Viet Nam is a busy and loud city. You can barely see any cars and 4-tyres vehicles on the road. The motorcycles dominates the way. 

This is Ho Chi Minh. The Father of Independence of Viet Nam. Which is later Saigon City to be named after this guy

2) ASEAN Representatives.

The most interesting part of the trip, apart from getting to shop without taking out money from my own purse, I also made new friends. They are academia from various international institution and coming from diverse backgrounds. Maybe I can say that I'm close to the Philipines delegates. They are joyful! Haha so funny somemore. I almost punctured my laughing tyres for excessive punchlines they made. Joyce, one of the Philipinos is a lady full with wise words to share. I didnt get to talk much to the Thailand rep, as they're plenty of them from several universities so they are among themselves most of the times, with their own language of course. 

Nota tak berapa penting: 

This one Thai guy caught my attention for it made me wonder, is he a Malay? Why he's talking in Thai? He seems so young to attend this meeting. I even asked my dad. "Ada university yang bawak students dia ke?" As I pointed to him, my dad replied "taklah, itu staff dia" I terkejut kejap. Not until he was with the table eating Bacon that I knew other than not bleeeding Malaya, he's also a non Muslim. Then I decided to move on. 

3) Father

There's a man in the group is a Father. Head of priest at his place in Philipines. It is new to me that in certain countries, the government certifies this Head of Priest and entitled them as (Fr). Like Dato, Tan Sri we have in Malaysia. I had fun talking to him, he's a man with wise words to utter, well-versed about life and soft-spoken guy. Seeing it in another metric, I believe this is the quality a preacher should acquire. Or, a sound human in general. We didnt venture into any religious topics, let alone any missionary moves. We talked about life, struggles and of course, me, having to listen about the meeting and any educational blueprint that they wish to spearhead for the ASEAN community specifically in the socio-economic projects. 

The father and the Father. Hehe

4) War remnants. 

Yeah. I know Melee said in their lyrics that we never know peace without a fight. Viet Nam is a struggling country. The encapsulated past history of it intertwined well with the World War tales, and also the US Attack back in 1960s. Viet Nam came together as a notion, to eventually dethrone US from basking in pride of their parade of being proud to conquer. US got defeated and Viet Nam is what we can see today. I dont know. Everytime I read regarding the past wars, and even the wars raging on in today's world, I always feel unsettled and unrest. In the realm of politics, war can impose either a good notion or a bad one. But you tell me now. It is always in the expense of other's sacrifice. Always. One feels smothered, another one bears the pain. 

The guide who I had a struggle to grasp his pronunciation. Nonetheless with a good English

Just a fader and doter kind of selfie

The host from Banking University, Ho Chi Minh City took us to the Cu Chi Tunnel where the Vietnamese back then build a tunnel and underground bunker to survive the war. It really denotes their remarkable strength to fight the US Army. Here, abah cakap, "kat Malaysia mesti ada jugak ni, cuma tak jadi tempat tourist attraction je. takkan lah Communist boleh duduk dalam hutan lama-lama" 

Rahmat dan ampunan Tuhan buat manusia di seluruh dunia, yang harapnya semua yang terjadi hanyalah mimpi, yang duganya segala yang hilang akan kembali. 

There's still plenty to be written, but I think I'll settle it to this. 

The Host. 

I'm back in JB Alhamdulillah, so much on the plate that I decided to just sleep (for today). Haha. Back to commitment now k. 

Till then! 

Frozen

Last two weeks are weeks full occupied with me commuting home-masjid-home. Now I'm entitled as an ustazah mengaji of my neighbourhood. Well. At least to the masjid community. I'm not sure what impression should I give to that. However it is, it feels great to have my plates full of things that are enjoyable for me to devour. Things that I'm happy to do. And willing to. 

The masjid conducted kem tahfiz, kem smart solat, kem smart hafazan. You name it. At a first glance it seemed like opening a kindergarten and after hours passed it felt like being a primary school teacher. The next moment is me talking in front with pictures from Jordan and Mesir, telling educational stories about prophets and sahabats. How cool am I right? Haha. 

There was this one night the kids were tasked to perform any kind of performances they felt confident to do. So, a group of kids ranged 5-6 years decided to sing the song they've performed during their kindergarten graduation day. How cute. The cuteness is beyond words can describe. I just let them to, and assigned a friend to supervise their rehearsal. I've got my hands full of checklists that night so I couldnt get my focus straight to watch them practising. 

Was a bit trailed off of a situational awareness, my off-of-the-zone moment was crushed by a kid humming the famous Frozen song; Let It Go. Suddenly the atmosphere conspired to let me drifted by the lyrics that never caught my attention before. Let alone what the song has to entail for us (me, at that moment) 

It's funny how some distance

Makes everything seems small

The fears that once controlled me

Cant get to me at all

It's time to see what I can do

To test the limit and break through

Let it go, let it go

You'll never see me cry

Here I stand, and here I'll stay

I'm never going back

The past is in the past

Let it go, let it go..

Funny right?

How a 5 y/o kid can get me so emotionally invested into her (maybe) subconsciously singing. Some of the lyrics intertwined well with the story that once happened on this date, a year ago. 

I've let it go.

But to remember the date is to keep my mind sounds of the anger that once controlled me. Perfect. 

Thank you Alisha and Amni. Good luck entering darjah 1 :)

261215

Amanlah, di sana

The moment when the news struck me, i tried so hard to hold my tears. I was speechless. Out of all things that i can be updated of, this is the most part i hope to be avoidable. Hati dan bibir dah terkumat kamit baca doa jenazah dan Alfatihah. 

I was meaning to pay her a visit at HRPZ, cakap dengan umi nak balik Kelantan, but for some reason the discussion about me going back to Kelantan left hanging. until, yesterday. this regrettable feeling. i can't even. 

Everytime One Republic's I Lived crescendoed in my playlist, my mind will drift to this girl's life, How every nanometer of perseverance in fight against her unforgivable disease always propel her days to a new notion. No matter what, to struggle is a must. How every splinter of hope matters, which what will tail herself up to stay being a positive and although unspoken, although unwritten, the war battle she's waging in herself to project a strong her is painful enough and we all know that deep down the blister of hurt is such an agony. We'd admit that, though. 

Hope when you take that jump, you don't fear the fall

Hope when the water rises, you built a wall 

yes, kau cuba untuk kuat lawan semua. yes, kau cuba bina benteng dari terus jatuh dan terus kuat. 

Hope that you fall in love, and it hurts so bad

The only way you can know, is give it all you have 

yes, you experienced a devastating love story that, unknowingly known by you, i just knew a bit of the pieces, but you still piece yourself together and fight the feeling. you're a born true fighter. 

And I hope that you don't suffer, but take the pain

Hope when the moment comes, you'll say..

"I, I did it all.." 

With every broken bones, I swear I lived 

yes, it is excruciating, but you swallow the pain and give it out the best you could. you did it. 

Hope that you spend your days, but they all add up

And when that sun goes down, hope you raise your cup

yes, you had your head held high. yes, you're suffering. yes, you're tearing. but you never succumb to it and lose hope.

Oh, I wish that I could witness, 

All your joy and all your pain

But until my moment comes, I'll say..

"I, I did it all.." 

you did it, kawan. you certainly did it. 

Losing two friends, defeated by same disease within a year is not an easy feeling i have to deal with. For the record, I was scrolling down arwah Mirer's writing when I got the news of Mairah passed away that evening. 

Even to pen this, I'm disarrayed. I can't subject and for God's sake, can't even seem to find perfect words to note every surge of feeling I'm having right now. 

Almost 3 years of battling the disease, denote her life struggle. Leaving behind a remarkable piece of strength for every people to keep on living and breathing this compelling reality. Mortal beings live necessarily to die. What matters is what we have in between. 

Alfatihah buat sang pejuang. 

Amanlah, di sana. 

Siti Amirah Kamarul Zaman (1993-2014) 

Aishah Humairah Mohd Lokman (1994-2015) 

"Oh, I swear I lived.."

disproportionate

my finger just got hit by a ball just now during netball practice. such a sacred sacrifice, the finger has nothing to do with my own mistake of leaving myself unfit and losing balance T.T

well. i have this thing having brisk walk in my mind occasionally when it feels like to. i'm full aware that to write this down is quite a revealing story. and maybe your perception to me will be shifted a bit; which i don't really care (actually). 

okay. three days ago i attended an annual meeting of ikram in shah alam. it was all God's plan that i bumped into a person whom i haven't talked to since this one better-to-be-forgotten day that i decided to disconnect with him (i hope you won't read this...). i couldn't hide but to feel extremely shocked, buried my face in husna's tudung, whispering her who was there and making sure that he won't notice me in that crowded, congested hallway---

(which later that night he sent me FB message, making sure that it was me whom he saw........)

theres something in me that is so..unsettling. what we had in those past days were nothing but an unnecessary friendship. okay i even memorise my essay to him yada yada. but what baffled me so much was i couldn't recall what were actually my logical yardstick of calling it an unnecessary, better to get raid away, one. little did i realise that i deliberately didnt even clarify myself crystally clear enough to the point that when it came again into my mind, after 4 years since the event, i wouldn't have any confound, puzzled feeling like what bothered me right now. God! 

it is not that i regret over something that couldn't be undone anyway. what is regrettable is that the reasons that i listed, i am not that person anymore. i shouldn't be too pretentious in projecting a self image that i want people to understand. however it is, i knew it myself, what kind of person i am. during that moment, during this moment.

the cardinal law that should be borne in mind, we have to always be true to our ownself.

and, 

dont, 

hurt 

people 

the hijrah #2

writing from Kemaman again. its been awhile since the last time the breeze of Monica Bay hit my face. as for this time i will be staying here for a week, baby sitting Unays prior to his mama's passive on-call duty this whole week. well i won't be detailing out every impertinent fragments here. 

earlier this evening, i had lunch alone at kakak's house. kakak and nubhan were out to their respective clinics. just then they reached home i've nearly finished my meal when kakak approached me saying "kenapa aya makan dalam gelap?" 

shocking in disbelief, i replied "gelap ke?" and yep, when i motioned my eyes around, something in me flicked, nadiyah why you didnt even switch on the lights? the curtains are all untied, so there was no natural lighting entering the living room. 

and its beyond logical comprehension that whats hovering in mind at that moment was something partially philosophical haha. 

kita takkan pernah sedar kita berada dalam kegelapan, hingga ada tangan di luar yang dapat melihat kerana cerah dunia mereka. dan bila dipanggil, baru kita akan nampak cahaya di hadapan, yang perlu untuk kita meluru ke arahnya. 

aren't we all lost stars

trying to light up the dark? 

----------

ps; my formal malay writing is something next to comedy 

pss; but i hope i'm conveying the right message 

psss; have i ever managed to well-explaining myself though? 

pssss; life is such an echo, i hope my slight whisper will be amplified 

psssss; happy birthday from me and my friends

mystery

hey. just attempting to shut my eyes off. the ceiling looks beautiful tonight. i couldn't help but to stare. oh wait. it is a beauty all this while how silly i am letting the ceiling left unappreciated. and can't sleep even after trying to count the uncountable. (should i stretch my arm a bit and get my calculator? well forget it, i don't even remember where do i put it)

somewhere in my past life, i write because i know my classically antique spill of thoughts propping the keyboard and laptop as the sidekick; will reach someone significant in my life. i appear in a form of lining up pieces of alphabets because i know they will understand. i distasted public attention. i can't reach them (him/her) physically, so i chose this platform. then it gradually turns to be a routine where i pen any random stance i have in mind. so i reform this medium to be something i will look up to if i have anything bugs me around. not for those specific people to read, but for me to contemplate.

and it tickles me how diverged i was back then.

another random topic. you know. in life, there will be not a few number of vital things that we tend to overlook. we might get sidetracked by what seemed as trivialities but without us being aware enough, those are the stairs that we might need to step on as a channel in accomplishing our pursuit of life happiness. unfortunately, we tend to be lulled by the temporary delusion.

so heres the game.
how to really distinguish which are which?

sounds great right? if life will be seamlessly easy for us to catch its implicit meanings. how we could effortlessly decipher what lies ahead. oh cut it off. even to decipher what is actually happening now is quite a hurdle and stifles us a lot, let alone what is yet to happen? a comprehension that i really want to master on. to be a woman sparkling with genuine life insights, not just parading nothing but pride.

such a mystery.
and that is how the life plot that Allah had decreed is a special one :)

if life is a maze,
i don't want to be a runner,
allow me to sprint.

goodnight. i have this Locked Away stuck in my head.

light up the moon, shine up the stars. let this little girl sleep. 

Akhi Dilema & Ukhti Indecisive

Hõla October! 

Today i had an interview with Robert Walters Malaysia. To put it simple, it is a recruitment company functions as a bridge between hiring company and job applicants. Macam agensi lah macam tu. To my surprise, it is a globally established company that has been entrusted a sheer number of reknowned companies and world of corporates in volume. I just heard about this during my random googling session. So I deposited my profile there, and few days later i got a call. 

My main purpose is to get myself seated for insights seeking from a company who knows all the holes and alleys of job industries in Malaysia. I dont know. Maybe sebab selama ni dengar graduates Islamic Finance from Jordan mostly masuk bank, sambung belajar or terus keluar bidang. So it left me some unexplained curiousity vibes that clearly unsatisfying. 

Oh. I think its essential to mark here that even entering the tower 3 of petronas rendered me to be a complete out of place girl, talk about parading into corporate world? Haha. Dahlah belasah pakai baju kurung dengan tudung tak match warna. Even the makcik guard looks better than me. Even the receptionist postures a model alike! iPengsan InsecureBeta 

Okay. Lets get to the focal point of the topic's retina. 

So. This Anthony guy who glanced at my photo attached to my CV and look at me saying; oh nadiyah, you look much younger in person-- he is a help. Without any boreness translated on his face, he patiently explained to me that RW is on their effectiveness to exhaust any possible avenues for the candidates to get a job. He told me about the opportunities, life career that suits my qualification and also, he talked about keeping my options open. 

However, unfortunately, the discussion is still revolving the banking industry. I macam, takde yang lain ke? Tapi another part of me defies balik, memang lah takde, dah clearly kau punya degree tu  Islamic Banking? But no, i believe theres still pipe that yet to be plumbed. 

So i tanya dia lah. Dia kata, ada je untuk buat research. Syariah advisory, and everything on the same boat and couch. Entahlah. Tapi i still takde heart for all that. Anthony kept convincing me that from RW's end they will do their best for the candidates. Aku dalam hati, memanglah thats your job pun. 

After the moments of aspirational nature type of conversation, we went down to some casual chats. The pressure depleted. Shouldering a muddled up feeling, I exited the room with Anthony walking me out. 

Ps; he has girlfriend already.

Moving on. 

At night, I stayed over Afza's house at PJ. UM neighbourhood. My eyes widely jolted awake by few whatsapp conversation. They asked me that common question people will probably ask to a fresh grad like me, dapat offer mana? Interview apa je dah pergi? Tak jadi ke sambung belajar? Yada yada 

In the name of a courtesy of long-standing MEC friendship, i told them that i cant put my stand for anything. Yet i cant even devise a plan to get out of this deadlock. Amir said "kau dah tekan pedal minyak sampai habis dah dulu, sekarang kau dah exhausted." Entah. Another friend cakap "otak genius tak baik tersia nadiyah, kau kena guna untuk menyumbang." And, "kau first class kot, tak semua macam kau." Hm the entreching societal stigma. Belajar dalam kelas pandailah, nak hidup tak pandai apa guna. (What? Sebab aku nak hidup lah aku tengah driftly steering sekarang) 

I've gone through a lot of indecisive moments. There's time I was too passionate to pursue postgrad. Being an academician is like my sole purpose of life. The light of the end of my tunnel is sought to be shining a Dr Nadiyah posturing a very high-powered career woman. I even consulted few school seniors regarding this. Kesian pulak bila ingat balik, mesti sabar je diorang entertain soalan aku. Okay. The next few hours suddenly I feel like being an industrial expert which prepping me to acquire all senses of practices and experiences. Kena apply for management training and I might get the chance to be accepted. Then, the next few weeks I hit upon a weird feeling of settling down as a housewife. Yes. That is like the weirdest dream ever. I dont know what kind of demon enslaving me that time. Such an evil one I suppose. Haha. Hantu lah nadiyah. Oh. The dilemma is yet to finish. Within a month I'm engulfed by a feeling of being an Ustazah. Maybe time tu Ramadhan kot? 

Anyhow. What I'm highlighting here is, I'm not meaning to depict a non-purpose me in living my life. Reinstating, I had (and still have) a huge dilemma in determining what I really want to do. Ya Allah. Bantuin Nabila ya Alloh. 

On another note, it is unbearable for me to dissapoint my parents. I know, they strained me and put a lot of pressure in my life academic success for my own wellbeing. For a promising future. In that convention, I survived and managed to get an excellent academic outcome, without other social skills left neglected. I top the class, and i also shine in oratorical forte, intellectual discourse. Tapi, hmm. Teringat ayat umi masa aku nak siapkan CV to suit my application being an academic staff; "aya kalau tak nak, aya cakap tak nak. tak payah buat kalau tak minat. better tak hantar in the first place kalau memang taknak. bincang balik dengan abah" 

For that, i'm blessed. My mom is the definition of loyalty. Throughout this predicament wave of mine, she's the one who will inform me any new found in the internet. Macam, mana tahu i akan berminat? Macam tu lah. Tell me stories about career and studies. Cerita realiti hidup sekarang. Duit, kerjaya. Refreshing memories and person I met since our Edinburgh life. To evoke the spirit and passion inside of me. Trying to bring the best out of her daughter. Pernah lah jugak umi cakap yg kakak kakak aku semua doktor dan dentist, so dia tak perlu fikir banyak sangat tentang kerjaya diorg. Haha. (And, diorg semua lepas grad terus kahwin, so umi dah tak payah fikir lols umi) well, she didnt condone my act, but she's helping me. A lot.

I dont know. 

Theres so much in my life now requires definitional reform. Have to be refined. But im not quite sure where to start. Where to gear up first. Few people suggested to just randomly apply for anything. Even it is unfavourable for me and didnt suit my interest, prior to the recent economic downturn, it is not our reach to be unreasonably choosy and irrational. 

But my heart, doesnt say so.  

.

Time has that special power for;

Everything. 

Coveted space of memory

People can be sentimental over everything. Anything that encapsulating a good fond memories of their life. Perhaps it doesnt confine only to the good recollections, any unfavourable events which logically people would just erase it out of their life, unplug everything they could have, but somehow those memories are the only valid claim of a version of theirselves that they had been, which what makes them who they are now. 

Last night abah sent this to the family group. I somehow can relate to the feeling of having recollected by those past moments of living in Edinburgh. Just as I felt that Jordan is the witness of mine, although many years had elapsed but still the fond attachment to the land that once we had stepped on which perhaps is the one of those checkpoints of creating the future. So i can resonate the feeling well, which i know it will be incomprehensibly unclicked to other people. 

Abah must have been very reminisced during his stay in Edinburgh now. To be who he is today, that Scottish land sealed the struggles and sweats. I believe that every inch he paces is evoking sweet thought of the past days there. 

Edinburgh. Where my childhood begins. 

The hijrah #1

I am recently updating from Kemaman, Terengganu. Tomorrow I'll be having my first interview in Kuala Terengganu. Yes ladies and gentlemen, you hear me. My very first interview. And yes. It is being held in KT. 

Since my arrival in KL 2 months back, all that i'm doing is having my self blanketed with all the leisures i can get at home. Spending time with umi, since umi is on her unpaid leave, babysitting the nieces and also doing housechores (except cooking). Yes, except cooking. You hear me once again. When was the last time i had myself holding senduk to tumis? Entah. Haha. 

I dont know why i even brave myself to agree, and take the 8hours bus ride, getting prepared for the interview wayy far from home. 

These recent weeks i was not in my ideal and stable emotional basis. I distanced myself from everyone near me. Except for few friends that i couldnt even in the first place creating the miles in between us because of family matters. Sudden distaste for social networks. I refuse to be present. My indulgence in everything that seems to be my interest before turn to be the ultimate mundaneness. Apart from being clouded by the future endeavours, the passionate feeling to pursue anything in life is like being ejected out of me. For the reasons i couldnt fathom. 

Being lectured by abah and umi, its my daily staple diet. So. This stipulating crisis of mine doesnt seem to find exit. 

And that is how my current presence in Kemaman. Dont ask me why, i also dont know what i am doing right now.

Ps; i am reachable through whatsapp and this blog. I'll update more insyaallah. 

Pss; i hope i'll get back on track sooner. It suffocates me sometime. But another time, to be drowned suffices self-satisfactory more. 

Till then! 

Hm nak jawab apa interview esok ni..

22

I have no vivid memories of what were actually happening throughout the year. I cant grip any solid remains of it. Every moment that I tried to capture and clasp it properly, slipped away effortlessly from me. All that I know now, when I palm my phone tonight, it is 16th August again. It is not the time that flies, it is me who flew all the way from the cage of the past, the box of the old days. 

For every eventful reminisce, 

For every regretful regain, 

I thank Allah for letting me to experience this life, 

Which I dont know for how long it will last. 

So just, 

Cherishing life, as it is :) 

Ah well. For whatever poetic lines I'm trying to inscribe here, still couldn't depict the actual picture of what my mind is thinking about. 

Happy 22nd Birthday Nadiyah Syahira, 

I, still, love you :) 

Does it ever drive you crazy,

Just how fast the night changes.  

0908

Di bayang mata

Melarik senyum

Yang nyata

Tuhan yang tahu. 

Raya (i)

I

I'm attempting to impress my little cousin, Zarif. 

"Cantiknya baju zarif"

"Meme ah" 

"-.-"

II 

And then after i slightly succeeded to win his attention, he just couldnt stop talking. With limited language acquisition of mine, i had a hurdle to keep the conversation going and win his heart. Haha. But things get better by time. 

"Rumah zarif banjir marin kakya tau dok"

"Kakya tau je. Banyak ke air naik rumah?"

"Sekat dada zarif. Kalu papa bawoh sikit lutut. Tapi mainan zarif ado keno selut. Ado yang mama doh susuk habih mugo takut air naik tinggi"

"Hah yelah. Tapi mama ngandung ko zahra kan. Zarif kenapa tak tolong mama"

"Eh kakya panda kecek ko dok ni. Bakpo lah tok panda. Huk aloh kakya" 

"-.-"

III

He never failed to make me go -.- after i conversed with him. And the ultimate one;

"Zarif banyaknya makan. Sedap kan nenek punya soto" 

"Kakya make lagi banyok. Dari sakni tok sudoh lagi" 

"-.-" 

Selamat hari raya! 

I had fun celebrating raya in Kelantan after 2 years havent got the chance to visit my lovely land. Now im on my way back to Johor. And oh, before it slipped away from my mind, after getting countless question of when will i be getting married from the relatives, i came to a conclusion that the added point to fit into the family is the future mine has to be from pantai timur background. It's better. And yeah, do prepare for the worst. Haha. 

Have a safe trip õ dear self! 

good bye

I bid my farewell

Thank you for witnessing my struggles

Thank you for the silence that always bringing me hope

Thank you for the parched land that always quenching the thirst

Thank you for letting me to meet all the wonderful people

Thank you. 

For now,

Let me proceed with the next phase of life. 

Till then, Jordan. 

You are such a memory :) 

Nadiyah Syahira

3rd July 2015 

8:12pm 

the what ifs

"I still remember you love to watch the same movies even up to 10 times" 

She cracks a smile, enthralled by how vivid the reminisce. 

"Can you still recall why I'd love to do that?"

"You said that, you love the feeling of knowing what will happen next. You're proud when you can tell everyone's watching what is the next scene is all about" 

The smile just now vanishes. 

"Yeah. But life, doesn't imply the same.."

-----------------

I always love to do that. 

The feeling exhibited out of knowing what is there lies ahead after the presence or current scene is always settling. You don't have to be bothered by the curiosity or even get the stress out feeling of really dying to know what will happen. You can be full guarded to face any scrolls the scriptwriter has to present, and perhaps get prepared to swerve yourself from any something unpleasant. 

But this is life, anyway. 

Somehow I always eager to know what my life is all about. What will happen when I graduated, what I'll do after I managed to accomplish the degree, what happen to my friends, do we still keep contacted or not, how actually I will become a contributing person, what kind of person I will (eventually) get married with, what kind of woman I'll be postured of, where my dreamed high-powered career will bring me to (or do I even will get myself into it or not), and the list goes on. 

The master plan is not mine to decree. Neither it's anyone's.

Everyone is living by the present. Cherishing life as it is. Making their best of the day. Who are we to grind our gears for the tailspins of life when it's actually part of our checkpoints? Who are we to question so much when all we have to do is to prove that we are worth the struggle? 

One more thing that never ceases to dismiss my mind is, the fear of resorting on the wrong decision. Or choosing the wrong person. Or settling on a wrong position. Or standing on a misguided stance. I can't help but to get squirrelled by all these trivial thoughts, encapsulated by the fear of my own mind. 

How if my decision to pursue the fast track is not the suitable pursuit? What if I better further to the next option I have? How would I feel if I am actually advised to get the practical experiences first? What if my dream is not for me to dream? And. What if i'm letting go of the wrong person? 

The what ifs are suffocatingly torturing. 

I then console my own self, this is what the iman is all about. 

Channeling your worries to Him, handing your fears to Him. When no one hears but Him, when no one knows but Him. 

My mind jogs to that moment of self-contemplating I once had, the unsettling feeling we had is indeed a sign of a shaking and a troubled faith. 

He asked us to struggle, and tawakkal. 

He asked us to do istikharah when we're whirled by various (seemingly similar) options.

Guard your self up, rise up your shield, don't drown to the insecurities. 

You might not know whats the best for you, but you can always try your best.

Even if one day the reality hits you very hard, you won't succumb to pathetic-ness and get on your feet again as you know, the struggle is worth. And this is how we learn from life. It's okay to get diverged, to be steered elsewhere, you'll reach there somehow. 

There's no such thing as a wrong decision

The only thing is wrong is not deciding. 

To brave ourselves to decide. 

To be unafraid of taking chances. 

To be fearless of pacing, the very first step. 

Whatever lies ahead of me, it's yet for me to know. It's yet to be unfolded. 

Bismillah.