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zieflorals — Sat, 03 May 2008 07:29:16 +0000

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Wanderings Of My Mind….

zieflorals — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:49:00 +0000

The week that was leaves me in a very complicated emotional state or rather too many of the what if’s and what I want to do and not get done…Too much lazing on my back didn’t help either. Anyway…for what it’s worth I believe everybody including myself got a couple of things completed…So the week that was….

Sat. 4/26….Been crazily trying to memorize certain vocabs in order to do a test on my Quran translation..Urghh..been at it for a few days…more like cramping weeks of lessons into 3 days…Been throwing bits of that vits and this vits in order to jog my memory….I feel uncertain and to come myself down…said to myself that whatever is the effort I know I am getting the hasanah although the results or outcome may not be in passing the test…but I least I begin to put together some words…

Sun. 4/27…The test!!! Nervewrecking I can say…got the paper and couldn’t believe that I cant read the writings..my heart beats so fast…I believe poor copies and handwriting was the cause and not really that I dont know most of it..ha..ha…Halfway thru..I give up says that I got to do it again the following week…sheer mistake as I have again not been studying and tomorrow is Sunday again…

Mon 4/28…Couldn’t really remember what were the main things I did except for preparing Zayd’s stuff for going to Riyadh for his SAIK band festival..he was blowing this mean thrombone.. but I guess his refusal earlier in going stems more out of nervousness than not knowing what to play..I guess the talk with Mr.Elkins on prev Wed helps to calm his nerves and look forward to the trip as something that is going to be fun…

Tues. 4/29…Just the 3 of us at home…the morning part of my day started off quite good but I got caught in an argument..Got to watch my fuse not to be easily ignited..Myb the way its being thrown or maybe its the truth of the question…the teacher was saying that we are not really focusing on the subjects for class..we want to stick to the safe side..knowing numbers.. colors.. time..That for me was still a struggle…mainly due trying to convert every meaning 3 ways..Arabic–>English–>BM–>Arabic..thats how my brain is accepting it right now..Maybe the age ka?? No wonder it takes ages to grasp and she’s not happy of the rate we are going..

I was frank in my intention to learn a new thing and on top of everything that I put myself in I believe its not fair to say that we are not focussing and not spending time say 1 hour a day…I do believe with more time spend I can eventually get it right but my excuse was that I am having much to do…but I also think I can be organize and do better but when she says that as if we just do for whims was not fair..there are some in the class who are really good but some who’s eager and says anything are not really that far away ahead of me..he..he..just being mean here… I feel bad for honestly saying what I did..but maybe its just something of my fuse being short again…

Evening time – when for a walk around the golf course with Azlan before Maghrib..completed it in an hour which was great for me…but then dinner at MK almost tip everything off…but sheer bliss the tea-tarik and mee mamak ( fried spagetti MK style)…

Wed..4/30…Lunch was simple as we got invitation from ASB for dinner which definitely going to be a spread as usual. It was definitely fantastic..I envy her for cooking all those lovely stuffs..Well..it get me thinking that what do I know..except for the few mastered recipes I didn’t kknow more..I wish I could but in having reliable suppliers before back home makes me leaving the culinary skill aspects of what I should do behind and not really being ashamed of it until NOW…anyway..I manage to put together sort of a Bread Pudding…without the vanilla sauce..I feel so small beside the carrot cake with cream cheese topping by Aida..another sort of a mix cake too..puddings and apams and tapai..the lot…

Thurs ..5/1..its Labor Day!!! But I am still in labor not of the birthing kind…Got to get up early and take everybody for breakfast to MK that is..the labor wa sin getting everyone up so that we can reach MK early and get back to camp by 10:30 bcos Hannah has her Girl Scout Bronze Award – First Aid presentation today…At breakfast get to meet everybody which was fun..fun… and rush back to camp and got to volunteer for the day…being on my feet was not a good idea for that long a time….

What I regret today was my unexpected blurting out my assumptions…shouldn’t have done it but it happen…it might hurt somebody if the assumption is wrong or just by talking abt it…The eyes might not see the actual truth…Anyway…I believe I am ahead in my assuming so thus the trouble…shouldnt have bothered too..but sometimes I tend to let my heart go..I cannot judge on the same principles that I carry…Well..just for saying it out here…I believe a family unit should have a consideration for each other in the unit i.e. between husband & wife, parents&children and between siblings. But then again the care and considerations may not be the same for everybody..but myb due to some privy that we got to know way back makes what we see today looks a little bit off-sided. Well..in coming to Saudi..many ladies had to forgo things that they are use to doing..like going to work and earning under their name..but when does this earning not become so important and not having this doesnt even indicates that your freedom is at stake..?? The feeling of having to depend on somebody even for the small pocket money you need to get things..does not have to be a sign of your independency being taken away from you…of you not being useful….Ya..lah..sume nak kena mintak…so terasa rendah diri juga kadang tu..said a friend. Maybe in my case I have been taking for granted many situations that I share with my husband… I didnt have to resign but I want to resign..many people says I will regret it financially but I say know I wont and I still wont..I got the pleasure of spending someones else money..and the pleasure of setting my own time and rules for what I want to do..this is bliss..But anyway… life here is in a way dependent on the husband in a lot ways…if he does not take you anywhere outside of time spend when he’s working and you are home..basically the days just fly by… Not saying that I want to keep him to myself all the time..but hey..if he feels like being there with me I am fine with it..basically he doesnt want to do things by himself…but I did tell him..Nanti orang ingat I tak bagi you buat apa2 pulak nak berkepit je dgn I…but truth of the matter is..its been like that since early on..now that I got to again think about it..sometimes ya you need your own space..but then why should I complaint…

Zayd returns abt 8:00pm on a bus who had had AC problem from 50miles back..the kids were running the bus and rolling on the grass…He was saying how fun it was…Lucky that he got to go..huh..huh…

Friday..5/2…Adzrul says the qualification paper for matric is obtained and should not be a problem to sit for his finals. earlier there were an absolute no…no….until get the approval. spend the nite looking for cup cake recipe instead of studying..but hey..I manage to memorize ayat 1-4 of Sajdah…very happy abt it..but got 4 more to memorize by Monday.. have fun drooling on this Chocolate Cupcake.

Solat Qasar

zieflorals — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:53:00 +0000

Thought that I would write this down as a reminder to myself…as often we get it wrong for not really understanding as to the different school of thoughts. Wew can get similar clarification from Arab News, Islam-On_line and this explaination by Sheikh Mohammad Salah from Huda TV…

Qasar ~Shortening of one’s prayers.

When : You make intention to travel.

Opinion #1. – Travelling any distance even less than 80km.

Opinion #2. – As long as you are travelling with no limits to the number of days ~Qasar & Jama

Opinion #3 – * More commonly accepted.

If you travel and decided that it will be more than 4 days, than you can opt to do prayers regularly after the 4 days.
Your travel is up to 4 days – than you may shorten and combined the prayers during this time~ Qasar & Jama’
If you are not certain/ sure of your travel days than you can shorten your prayers as long as you are in this state.

In addition – If you are travelling and it is Friday than you do your Friday prayers while a traveller, you can after Jumaah pray your Asar ~as shortened and combined.

Note : Qasar only the 4 rakaah prayer to 2 rakaahs and Jama’ for Zohor & Asar vice versa and Mahrib & Isya vice versa.

Waállahualam ~as quoted from the session of Ask@Huda this morning. We can decide to do which will be a benefit to us. We cannot miss our 5 daily prayers and sometimes we are in a situation so we can do our prayers without any haste or missed. It helps as many of us will be travelling especially summer. Another state to understand will be the Jama’ prayers that you can do in a state of need and not done as a habit or regularity and solat “hormat”waktu..what are they and its meaning.

‘Kindly advise to that I may err..the good from Allah swt and the mistakes purely my ignorance.

Cerita yang Terdelete….

zieflorals — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:13:00 +0000

I make a posting about this few days ago but somehow not sure why it did not get upload but deleted instead.. I go like this..Uh..uh..Ohh..Ohh…penat..hilang pulak!! I was just writing about the feeling of togetherness that I felt recently..with the kids and hubby… firstly it was the spring break…so Ayman had a week leave while Zayd and Hannah had a month..originally plan to go for umrah but unfortunately due to a lady monthly thing…it was cancelled…so Azlan spend the week sending the car for service..sleep..sleep..and more sleep…plus makan-makan in between. Anyway…the Tuesday b4 Ayman got to go back to Bahrain…we decided to go to Bahrain…just to spend the day elsewhere instead of everyone under their blankets..We left abt noon and head straight to Ponderosa for lunch..here is when I felt the togetherness thing when everyone was munching…and talking and laughing…the one missing was Adzrul…but than we sit in the same spot that we did when he was here the last time…after Ponderosa we went over to Seef Mall… the kids was thinking of getting a game cartridge for PSP…as often as I tried telling them that the PSP is not theirs..it is mine…tactic ngumpan sebenarnya…

Well..since they did not find anything else to check on and the movies are not the one they like we proceeded to Dana Mall pulak… a drive across the highway from Seef…**it’s fun to go to Bahrain during the weekdays as there are ample parking space and no jams to get to the parking space..* At DM we decided to watch 2 movies each…the kids watch the new Jim Carey movie Horton Hears a Who.. Az&I decided on Jumper…weird movie but somehow we are watching alot of this tak masuk akal stuff these days..it is better than talking about others per say..not that we indulge in talking about others…but just comparing two nonsense… The kids had fun I think..keluar movie tu full of praises…lepas tu mintak makan…since the next movie was in 2 hours time..we decided to go to Geant to buy some groceries..org duduk saudi gi beli beras kat Bahrain..sebab harga beras dah gila2 kat Saudi…eg. 5kg Tilda in Saudi is SR58 and in Bahrain is SR45…kat Bahrain still the old price..so ngangkut lah a few 5kg bags..funny thing is the 5kg bags if x2 is cheaper that the 10kg bag….tak sure why… than we got back to Dana Mall a very short drive from Geant and snack on something and watch the 2nd movie we plan earlier..Vantage Point….as the movie finish..we drove back to Saudi… everyone was tired..sleepy but had fun no doubt…

End of Spring Break…

zieflorals — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 19:58:00 +0000

T.G.I.F…

Today being Friday was sort of a relaxing day although the weather outside was bad…very bad sand storm…visibility almost nothing…but thats life in Saudi…I guess..the weather will get hotter soon…My throat has beinn scratchy the last few days…

To start the day…Azlan & I went for breakfast at the Hobby farm….I use to wonder why they call it hobby farm since its for horses..sorts of horse stable’s…Anyway…I dont waste my time to ponder over it….Breakfast were coffee and waffle for me and coffee and sandwiches for Azlan…its the best time of the weekend when we can sip coffee..talk…and the kids were still sleeping at home…we just tapau whatever for them..if they complaint..always the answer will be “You have to make your own bfast next time ya…”and the urgh…and grumble…mumble….and..wake up early to have your choice..!!..What I will say to their backs….

The day when by pretty quick though…after Jumaat prayer…Azlan decided to go to the office to look over things…since he was on weekend duty and nobody seems to ring him up updating whatever…so he went to check for himself….we decided after Mghrib to went out for dinner to Malaysian Kitchen in Khobar…we tend to call it MK now…

Adzrul is 25 years old today…..

zieflorals — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:48:00 +0000

Time flies so fast….it is now 25 years since I had adzrul…He was my first and frankly the easiest birth….How I miss those times…but for evrything that has happen Allah swt plans always beats that of ours..May we always have HIS blessings…

April 25 years ago..1983

zieflorals — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:20:00 +0000

A bit short of time here..but just want to write this short entry..I remember 25 years ago in April 1983..I was in Carbondale, Illinois..at Queens Apartment..shucks..couldn’t remember my room number but it was the one beside the laundry…What was important..I was ripely pregnant at this stage with my first born…huffing around just to get by the days…Delivery was just around the corner…I was in the midst of preparing for exams mid-semester..wishing that i could sit for all of them before my maternity..actually there were no maternity leave..just I will be missing some classes till I am fit enough to move after giving birth…I was just 21 then…Azlan were going to start his Spring break in the coming week and we hope that birth will be around this time…

We were anxious..scared..and thrill at the same time..but we are more or less prepared…I have met some of my lecturers that if I were not present in class in the coming week b4 the spring break..my reason will be that I am having a baby..I remember some shock faces..but pointing at my tummy my excuse for asking for resitting my exams during the spring break was accepted…

How time flies..soon I will be celebrating that particular day in spring that our bundle of joy was delivered…25 years ago…in the wee hours of the morning…

Post- PRU-12

zieflorals — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:58:00 +0000

Today..I was smiling after knowing the results of the Malaysian PRU-12. Yes..a wave of wanting CHANGE has swept Malaysian citizens..thus the results that we see. Each and everyone need to know their standing..the reasons why..not just follow-follow neh..It is not that bad in thinking why not try it at least once…CHANGE..that is…the fear for change even in our own personal life is sometimes too scary to think about..Why??..bcos we have all the what if’s in our mind..worst case if it is worse than existing situation..this is what scares us usually…moving from something predictable to something with uncertainty..Uncertainty bcos we do not know what is step 2 from step 1….BUT..if we never ever try to CHANGE..we will never know how it is going to be…Worst case for PRU…in4~5 years time you can always again use your power to effect another change… The changes will be in those who are in power to set the policies and manage it’s running…the worker or those that runs it will be the same people toiling day in day out..the difference will be in focusing on what matters most..Nobody will lose their job just bcos of the change-over of top management like what will happen in 4 states…unless the person itself has some issues that now somebody will take a look at…the one who runs the show will be different but the ones who work for the show will be the person who is hired for the job all along…Nahaslah..bila tukar governance so tons of people will be laid-off..tak macam tu…

BRAVO to all those people who open up their heart and decide to take up CHANGE…the fears in your heart..let it be..definitely it will be fan by all the media news that you read..infact today in Utusan..it has already printed down that the BA cannot get their heads together to govern..they started with who will be the MB for Perak…Huh..3x..Huh…Why la..lo…Be fair…wait and decide… this is not anymore for us..it is for our kids and kids future..It is already tough making ends meet as it is..lets try to make the future of Malaysians will be something that there’ll be benefits for all to share…I am not really into politics..to me no matter what.. it is tough for all those in it…But as long as the reps will work for their constituents..bring forward the needs of the people in parliment and try..try..no matter how hard..I guess..something will surely come up. I guess…for BA it will give them the chance to invoke changes…to prove..what can be done…even for BN definitely they will need to work harder..they will not be resting on their laurels too much…At the end of the day..we must give the HAQ to the deserving no matter who they are..do not deny the Haq for the good that somebody do…Open up our mind and hearts and our eyes and ears and even our nose will get the sense of it all….

My heart was in shreds looking at the photo of TGNA with tears falling down his face… my doa for that day are that people will open up their hearts and mind..May all the “hantus”pangkah BA…May Allah swt give guidance to the voters and May we be Sabr for whatever the on-goings will be..Alhamdulilah..Allah swt show us the way..The wins are not an easy thing to carry or run…it is an amanah with lots of trials..definitely BA have to work together..not just their heads but their heart too…I hope they will and find a way to resolve issues between them..and rule collectively with consensus…prove that the fears we have are just that..fears of the unknown….DSAI is still relevant definitely….at the end of the day we are Malaysians…lets start behaving as Malaysians to break all barriers..teach our children no matter what..we are from the same country…have the same fears and the same ambitions..may it will be a brighter future for everyone….

Living In Aramco – Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

zieflorals — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:05:00 +0000

This coming July’08 will be Azlan’s 5th. anniversary with Aramco. Not bad..he got a SR1500 gift certificate and for sure..you know who will it be going to..May Allah swt. make it easy for him in anything that he do…anyway..when we first got here we were the first Malaysian family… although there were 1/2 Malaysians too..those married to another passport holder. There were those who were Msian but has now become holders of other country citizenship. But after 5 years there are now about 50++ families scattered in Dhahran, Udhailiyah, Ras Tanura and Abqaiq…Dhahran being the most populated and nearer to the Al-Khobar and Dammam and just a causeway away abt 45mins from the country of Bahrain. So..I guess those who got to stay in Dhahran got the better deals in terms of amenities..although you can be easily tempted with all the sale that is always going on. Probably those who stay in other camps will be able to save more money compared to us here Dhahranians… No matter what..I guess in Aramco that’s where you can find the most varied citizens from around the world..just go to the schools and you know what I mean..the most mixed marriages…all in all it is quite a unique community.

Honestly…I dont venture out of the house much as I am without any help at home…got to do the 1001 things myself that the house and family needed..almost always 24 hrs on call…but basically no complaint as I got my equal share of fun the way I want it..But 3 mornings in a week I attended classes…this got me going and meet more fun people..like minded in the way we want to learn new things..so got to make sure I can maintain the consistency of going to the Quran & Arabic classes…There are always something going on..like the Womens Group..Garden Group and plus if you volunteer in schools for certain activities. You might end up having no time to devote to what your house or family need…sometimes I have a houseboy come to clean the windows and toilets etc..but since he’s back to India not sure till when..I havent yet get a replacement…On camp there also have a few snack bars, a cafe, a restaurant, a dining hall, a movie theater, swimming pools..hiking tracks..sporst facility, library, bowling alley, golf field, a hobby farm for horses..beautiful beach when its not hot… a great wall climbing area, art classes, individuals who also provide services like gifts, beauty, piano lessons, dance…you name it and almost always its available.. so life here is not too bad..once you get bored with not finding anything to do you can always go away for a short or long holiday. We were in Lon&Paris for 2 weeks, now planning for a 5week trip to Malaysia and in between maybe umrah to Makkah, weekend in Bahrain..thats what sums up your life here….

But the things you will almost always miss being here are relatives and the time….the food you once love but in actual fact not that healthy for you always..though it taste great and looks wonderful…But for me, the best thing will be seeing my children grow from my own nurturing… seeing more smiles each day between us…although the age is now slowly creeping up…

Zayd & Hannah

zieflorals — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 18:28:00 +0000

Student Lead Conference ~Sunday Feb. 10, 2008..Aramco School, Dhahran.

Trios at the 7th grade hallway…waiting for Zayd’s turn..

Zayd at his famous locker…

Hannah & Papa front of the date tree…

In front of 7th. grade building…

Hannah waiting to be called in…

Hannah & Mrs. Lunsford her 6th. grade Oasis and Math teacher…

Student led means the kid got to present and show/tell their parents what they have been doing. Their progress in school that is…well..Hannah has great grades and Zayd has make some big scale improvements in Science from C- to now a B+ avg…wonder if he can maintain them… Here are some photos of them around school…