Kelantan-my own definition

Assalamualaikum, readers.

*gasp*

*gasp again* 

How long has it been since my last update? 7 months?

seriously? 

*falls to the ground*

So, it's been 4 years since I lived in Kelantan. There were lots of stigma about how Kelantan and the people really are. 

I've been planning to blog on this since first year but I kept forgetting...

Ready for the TOP 5 MYTHS about Kelantan that are not true?

anyways, here we go!

1- Kelantanese are poor

To be honest, I have no idea how do you judge a person poor or rich just by looking at the person.

Some people may drive imported cars, but they still struggle to pay their bills every month.

Some people don't own lots of jewelleries, but they have lots of savings in the bank.

Based on my observations, majority of Kelantanese are involved in business. Whether it's selling tudungs, kitchenware, vegetables and food or toys, they are up for it. And surprisingly, the ones you see running the business are both teenagers and the elderly. 

Pasar Siti Khadijah: 3 floors packed with all kinds of stuff you wanna shop for!

Most of the teens who start business at an early age are the ones who refuse to further studies and the elderly are just spending some time doing something else other than sitting on a lazy chair at home, watching TV and sleep all day.

Nevertheless, there are people who are so poor, they starve every day. I've came across a small boy eating french fries from the floor because he had no money to eat. 

2- Kelantan has no tar roads

This was the first thing I imagined when people even mention Kelantan. I've always imagined the roads were sandy with no tar, and people either walk or use bicycles to travel because they had no cars. 

*laughs hard*

Much to my surprise, people here drive imported cars and own more than one car! and yes, the roads are tarred!

3- Kelantan is an Islamic country, ALL Muslim women wear tudungs, zero crime rate.
It took me by surprise as well when I first stepped foot in Kelantan. 
Kelantan is ruled by an Islamic political party (PAS) and is by far the only state ruled by it. *PAS is known as the opposition party here*
The politicians in this party are very religious, or appear religious. I was told once that the state fines any Muslim women who does not cover their heads (part of aurah), about 10 years back. 
I have no idea what happened after that, but now, nobody is fined anymore. And so, you'll still see Muslim women exposing their hair, men and women who aren't married sitting so closely...just like anywhere else.
Zero crime rate? Pfftttt...
People has nothing to do with a state. If a person is bad, then, nothing you can do to change the person to a good one, none other than the person himself. That's pretty much it.
Not in the mood to elaborate on this any longer...

4- Kelantan is under developed, there's no proper buildings there.
Excuse you! 
There's a few malls in Kelantan now. And the malls are always packed with people. 
We have Sushi King, Domino's Pizza, Big Apple's, Watsons....you name it, we've got it! 
*eh, since when did I become a Kelantanese myself?* *oppssss*

5- Food in Kelantan are all sweet, highest diabetes prevalence.

Nasi kerabu

Not TRUE!

You can ask for your food to be less sweet, if you want. They'd actually make yours just the way you want it...

Kelantan also serve savoury food like sambal pedas and masak lemak cili padi. And, we also have nasi kerabu. It's pretty spicy because of the chilli...
About diabetes...
One question. Will you get diabetes if you drink two glasses of sugar dissolved in water?
NOPE!
You'd get diabetes if your Beta cells on your pancreas are resistant to glucose or your Beta cells are not producing enough insulin. 
If you exercise and monitor what you eat, you'll be safe from diseases. Nothing to do with the state or whatever.  

What do you think of Kelantan now?
I hope you realize that Kelantan is just another state, the people are as NORMAL as the ones in KL, Johor or Sarawak. 
They have the right to live, just as much as we do. 

Wallahua'lam.

BEWARE, mummies wannabe!

Assalamualaikum, readers.

I'll be cursing, screaming and shouting throughout the whole entry, so, if you don;t like to see a monster, just leave the blog immediately.

This entry is inspired by Sarimah and The Rod from The Mix Breakfast Show, based on what they were discussing this morning.

Lately, there's been a lot of people getting married at young ages, be it men or women. And most of them have just started working and owns a house that was presented as a wedding gift from their parents, and the house happens to be very close to their parents' place.
Basically, the kids are safe! Safe from any form of trouble, I would say.

"Mum, my husband and I will be having dinner tonight with you guys!"
"Dad, my wife's car broke down. Can she borrow your car?"

In my opinion, people who behave these ways are no different than when they were single. Marriage represents responsibilities, capability to solve problems among yourselves and most importantly, INDEPENDENCE. You should be able to stand on your feet with your partner and leave your parents to rest and not worry about you anymore.

Back to the main topic....

It has also become a "trend", or should I say "RACE" on who'll get pregnant first.

What does rapid pregnancy do to you and your so-called rivalries?

Will you get a bonus?
Will you get a diamond ring from your parents?
Will you get a free meal from your rivalry?

Baby, why are you so cute?

Wake up, people! The baby is not a toy!


And sadly, reality does not hit the mother until the baby finally comes out from her big round belly.

When she hears the baby crying every now and then, she gets annoyed!
When she tries to get some sleep, the baby asks to be fed, she gets mad!
When she tries to put the baby to sleep and it's taking her hours, she goes crazy!

She feels it's so much trouble to carry a newborn baby that needs her full attention in her arms at all times during family occasions, because all she wanted to do was show off her slim body after shedding off her pregnancy weight!

Whoa! I do sound mad!

I'm sorry...but I truly am. 

I'm talking based on my experiences watching a few women pregnant at young ages, or are trying to conceive right away after marriage...
Why are you rushing?

Are you even ready to carry the responsibilities of a parent? 

I just finished my paediatric posting at the hospital a couple of weeks back, and I watched lots of ignorant parents who are just too tired of taking care of their children. 
But, again, I'm not referring to all of them.

There was a baby who fell from her cradle and the mother didn't bring her child to the hospital right away. The next day, the baby suffered from a two hour seizure!

Another kid swallowed a cup of petrol because someone left some petrol in front of the house while repairing his motorbike. The mother was busy cooking in the kitchen!

The other kid had a fall while playing and he vomited right after that. But the father also didn;t bring the kid for check-up. By the time they came to the hospital, which was a few months later, the boy was suspected of having leukaemia with cerebral involvement.

Most of the things that happened here could be prevented if the parents were very careful and responsible towards their kids. 
And when I see these mummies wannabes who are just eager to show off to other people that they are pregnant and not think of what plans do they have for the kid after birth, it breaks my heart.

I knew this one person who has a boy after suffering from a miscarriage at about 3 months of pregnancy. She stopped breastfeeding after one month. And the baby has been on formula milk ever since. He has developed some sort of illness, where he has stomachache frequently. The parents say he has flatus. 
Surprisingly, and luckily though, the father of the kid is very alert of his needs and he takes care of his child like he is the mother. He knows how to put the kid to sleep better than his wife. 

Please, please, please...

I know I'm not married and I have no right to teach you people, but, I urge all of you to please spend a few minutes to think of your kid's future...

I know it's silly of me to think ahead of my life, but I have thought about my baby, or babies... ;)

I would wanna breastfeed my baby for as long as he/she needs, but no more than 2 years...
I would interact with him/her as I'm breastfeeding with him/her because I believe it's a very special moment between us. 
I would have extra milk supply in the fridge in case the baby is hungry at night, so that my husband won't be able to escape from his job as a Daddy at night. 50-50 right?
I would still spend some time with my husband, watching TV, asking him about work, cook, clean whatever...only when the baby is asleep and I have had my share of rest.
I won't hesitate to bring my baby to occasions, although it's gonna be tough, with the baby stroller, diaper bag, bottle, bib, extra clothes (just in case)...the list goes on and on...

"You have no idea what it's like to be a mother!"
"That's easy for you to say, you haven;t a clue what I'm dealing with!"
"Pfffttt...budak hingus!"

I get it! I'm not married...I don't understand half the things you're going through...but at least I have a plan. 
Trust me, I watched a lot of movies, listened to the Dr(s) in the lecture halls, and they have provided me with more than enough information to keep me paranoid when I'm around other kids. 
Imagine how paranoid I'd be with my own kid?

- Nobody can touch my kid without proper sanitation
- Video camera will be put in the nursery, in case things happened when my husband and I were away
- Baby can't play on his/her own without supervision
- Baby will only play with very clean toys, trust me, it's Dettol soaked clean.
- Emergency numbers are on speed dial. Husband who has a medical background is a bonus

The list goes on and on...when something bad happens to other kid, I'll add something new to my list.
You don't have to be as paranoid as me, but please, read books on parenting, how to deal when something bad happens....

Wallahua'lam...

a piece of me

Assalamualaikum, readers.
Today i'll share something about myself...
i am a girl who loves entertainment. music, dance, sports (i prefer cheerleading the participants), arts and crafts...you name it, i love them all.
And i honestly love music. i don;t know how or why, but i just love them.
i grew up listening to Michael Jackson and Raihan, a local Islamic band, then took a turn to meet Westlife (Seasons in The Sky was the first song i ever heard), and then came my Bollywood era. it was until i was somewhat in high school that i heard the latest pop music of Hollywood and the Malay-wood. 

having a dad who used to earn a living by singing, he encouraged me to sing, helped me practice for my nasyeed when i was a little girl. so, i've been singing ever since. and still am. *peace* My dad used to sing in wedding ceremonies, to entertain the guests, just for fun...and he still does! and i'm one of the loudest girl cheering for my dad!
when i enter a room of entertainers, i get excited. i get chills when i watch a live concert. i watched them over and over again, and scream along with the crowd, sing along and even clap my hands if they do some crazy stunts on stage. that's just how i am.
so, can you imagine what it'd be like if i was in a live performance, how would i react? yeahh, exactly! 

"Let me hear you sing!"

I don;t feel good to not cheer when i see people giving their all to entertain me, and yet i just sit there, legs crossed and leaning back in my chair, hands on my knees, with a look that says, "that's the best you could give me? meh!" 

if i could, i would stand in the crowd and cheer them all the way till the end. that's just me. i am like a little cheerleader. it's the adrenaline rush that feels so good after i've let it all out. i don't have any regrets after cheering, i feel good. 

but...

being a Muslim, this is not right. some say, clapping our hands during an event is not nice, because it gets us excited for the wrong reasons, you forget the reason you were there to learn something new, but after you clap or hands and laugh, your niat changes to just wanna have some good old fun. 

it is extremely hard for me to pretend i don;t feel like clapping or laughing at the jokes, when i feel like doing so...

guess what? that's exactly what i'd do.

in a conclusion, i know i will have to change myself for the better, but i don;t know when will i ever do so. hopefully, i will...

mission impossible

*jeng jeng jeng jeng*

Assalamualaikum and g'day people...
If you think i went skydiving or rock climbing, no, i didn't do any of that.

then, wassup with the mission impossible?

here's the thing.
i attended a religious discussion session and the leader of the discussion told us something interesting...something i've never thought about so deeply. i'm going to share two stories from the Holy Quran with you guys.

# Story 1
You know how Prophets back then lived for thousands of years, maybe not thousands, but hundreds of years? Prophet Zakaria was an old man, hundreds of years old, i believe, and he does not have a kid. so, he prayed and prayed to God for a kid, and he never stopped praying. 
One day, God told him (via angels) He's going to grant his wish, by presenting him a son, Yahya. and the Prophet couldn't believe it.

He said: "O my Lord! How can I have a son when I am very old, and my wife is barren?" Allah said: "Thus Allah does what He wills." (Chapter 3, verse 40, The Holy Quran)

for a person like us, who studies Science, do you think it's possible for this to happen? We all know that in order to produce a fetus, we need an ovum and a sperm. but if the Prophet's wife is infertile, how is she producing the ovum, thus, logically, there will be no baby. 

# Story 2
Have you heard of the name Maryam? the Bible refers her as the Virgin Mary. in the Holy Quran, it is stated that Maryam has not married anyone and yet, she was pregnant with a son, Isa. 

She said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me." He said: "So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: "Be!" and it is. (Chapter 3, verse 47, the Holy Quran)

again, i would like to relate with scientific knowledge, is this possible? how can a woman gets pregnant with a son if she does not have sexual intercourse with anybody? 

well, some girls get pregnant by swimming in the pool. sperms can survive in the pool and maybe somehow gets into her.

hmm...smart guess. 
let me remind you that Maryam lived in the desert, where water is so difficult to find. i don;t think we have a public swimming pool at that time. 
the thing is, there's no explaination to these two scenarios. and these are just two of the crazy, impossible stories that i learnt from the discussion. 
why is God telling us these stories? why's His plan?
in simple language, He wants us to believe that He can do the most impossible thing we could think of. 

the Hereafter. 

i cannot imagine how awesome and cooling the heavens are like. how the rivers flow free, with pretty angels entertaining the people there. Wow! and there are 7 heavens altogether. What? 
can you imagine how hot the flames are in hell? and the people will not just rot it hell, they'll live and get burnt and die and live again, the cycle goes on and on. ouch! how insane and painful is that? 

Point is, as a believer (read: not BELIEBER) we need to put our trust in God. If He says "Be!" then, that's what it is. He has created the Earth, the planets, the universe, what's so impossible with the Hereafter? 
think about it...nothing's impossible.

i love you...let's get married now!

Assalamualaikum and good day people! 
*a little hyper now, so, just bare with me*

we've heard about girls and boys fell for each other, go out on dates and then lived happily ever after...or not? *clears throat*
as a Muslim, things like this is forbidden. i've written a post about this before, long time ago, but the entry was written in Malay. *somehow, the article is no more there!*
growing up, my parents used to tell me how they'd prefer Chinese way of coupling. most of them are really serious and committed when it comes to coupling. the first two years are the 'get-to-know-you' phase. they'll bring along this friend to meet their parents indirectly, just to let them know they've got their eyes on the person. after two years, things kindda get serious, they've declared that they're an item. so, when will they take the next step? to be honest, the next step takes about 5-10 years. and they'd wait!
the guys usually would want to have a steady job, own a house AND a car, some thousands of cash in the bank and still have some money in his hands BEFORE he even asks the girl to marry him. *applause* 
being a student in the university, where people are already in their twenties, they're starting to think about the future.

"Will i ever meet my other half?"

"He's the best among all the others i've met here...maybe he's the one!"

"What if i got too caught up in work and i have no time to go searching for the one?"

these are some of the thoughts that Malays are thinking...i'm not being racist. i'm just...being honest? come on, guys. i bet you've been through this too...

and when you think it's over, and you attend the conferences about love in Islam and such, the panels would encourage you to get married early. they'd say things like, "It's hard...but i've been there and look where i am now? i have 5 kids, a successful career and a girl by my side, and i'm just 30 years old!" *audience gasps*

but, let's be realistic. 

i've got the rings right here. please say YES?

1- finance

if you're studying, your source of income comes from scholarship or your parents. let's say, you really get married, you'll have to give your wife some money every month. how much can you provide? RM 300? You think that's enough? 

"But she's sponsored too! RM 300 more is a BONUS!!"

okay, fine. now you've both graduated, where will your income come from? remember this, none of you are working. if you're thinking of getting a loan from your parents, please kill yourself! marriage means you're no longer under your parents wings, and that you stand as a unit with your partner. your parents love you, of course and they won't hesitate to give you money, but get this in your mind. you fail as a child if you turn back to your parents. 

2- a place called HOME?

say, you're married. if you are still studying in a university, and the both of you are living in two different places, it's okay...coz you have your own hostel to live in. now, you've graduated, and you need a place to stay with your partner.
"We can live in my room. i can make some space"
"My house is HUGEEE, HUMONGOUS! there's lots of spare rooms..."
i can accept this up to until your wife is pregnant. after pregnancy, if you remain in your parents house, you fail, man! seriously? 
living in your parents house means you don;t have much privacy because everything involves your parents. watching movies is not private anymore, saying lovey dovey things to your partner ANYTIME of the day is inappropriate...but of course, it's easier because half of your work load is off your shoulders...

3- romantic stroll
please, tell me you at least have a transport? a motorbike at least. i'm not demanding for things...it's just that, in my opinion, you need all these if you would want a steady relationship, at least during the first few years of marriage. can you imagine when the both of you are tired from all the stress of studying and you want to go out to have some fun, and you don;t have transport. the girl would crack under pressure...at least i will! and you guys would end up in a fight, yadda yadda...

conclusion is, i believe that a man who wants to ask a girl to marry him should at least have whatever that's listed above. this shows how steady you are...and that you've equipped yourself with everything that a girl needs in a relationship. 
all relationships are like climbing a hill. you'll have cramps and aches, need to stop for a break, even injure yourself, dehydrated...but once you reach the top, your lungs expand to the fullest and you could see the beauty that lies ahead of you. 
i don't think i'll get married while studying...me living on my own is hard enough, imagine if i have to live with someone and cope with the commitment of being a wife. no thanks...i'll wait!
~big jobs, stack of cash, huge mansion and a sports car cannot guarantee that one will have a successful, happy marriage. it all comes down to how strong your commitments and tolerance are to one another.

P/S: if you think you can cope without any of the things listed above, go ahead. =)