The Real Life

The Hijab: More than just a piece of cloth

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:03:00 +0000

Bismillahirahmanirahim.
Assalamualaikum w.b.t

Exams are finally over! Alhamdulillah. My first semester is officially over and it's time to pack up the things, get ready for clearance and back to lovely Penang! So, about that super long post that I planned to write? Oh, yeah. That.

As a Muslim, I think to myself, “how can I make myself even more closer to The Creator?”. Well ofcourse, solat lima waktu, baca Quran, tutup aurat, etc. But sometimes, sekadar membuat yang wajib, dapatkah kita merasai nikmat disebalik semua itu? Are we able to feel the pleasure of just doing the compulsory? It used to be just “solat lima waktu, baca Quran, pakai tudung” but now after being exposed to a lot more of the beauty of Islam, I believe that it’s more than that. For instance, wearing the hijab. Isu pemakaian tudung pun boleh jadi sensitive. Kenapa boleh sampai macam tu? Sedangkan saya di sebuah Negara Islam yang maju.

As a a female muslim, I believe we do know that we must wear the hijab, the veil, the tudung or whatever you wish to call it as it is what Allah has summoned us to do. Memakai tudung adalah tuntutan agama, bukan sebarang bentuk fesyen atau sekadar permintaan ibu bapa/suami. For some people, it may take time. I, myself, took the time to wear it. And only wore it when I was 15. At first it was only because my mother asked me to. I mean, you know that it is a must, but still you don’t do it because you’re not ready or you wear it because of the sake of wearing it. “Memakai tudung mestilah ikhlas”, orang kata. And yes, it is true. We should be sincere about it. But still, it is something that we must do. Sincerity and readiness will not come knocking on our door, we must go and find them ourselves. This is called intrinsic motivation, where you motivate yourselves from within. It is believed to be more satisfying. Everyone does it, I believe that. And so it is not impossible for us to take that first step. For I had once quoted, “Change isn't easy. But it's a step to take. Take that step and the next thing you realise, you're there. You've changed”.

Firman Allah s.w.t yang bermaksud “Dan katakanlah kepada perempuan-perempuan yang beriman supaya menyekat pandangan mereka (daripada memandang yang haram), dan memelihara kehormatan mereka, dan janganlah mereka memperlihatkan perhiasan tubuh mereka kecuali yang zahir daripadanya, dan hendaklah mereka menutup belahan leher bajunya dengan tudung kepala mereka, dan janganlah mereka memperlihatkan perhiasan tubuh mereka melainkan kepada suami mereka, atau bapa mereka, atau bapa mertua mereka, atau anak-anak mereka, atau anak-anak tiri mereka, atau saudara-saudara mereka, atau anak bagi saudara-saudara mereka yang perempuan, atau perempuan-perempuan islam, atau hamba-hamba mereka, atau orang gaji dari orang-orang lelaki yang telah tua dan tidak berkeinginan kepada perempuan, atau kanak-kanak yang belum mengerti lagi tentang aurat perempuan, dan janganlah mereka menghentakkan kaki untuk diketahui orang akan apa yang tersembunyi dari perhiasan mereka, dan bertaubatlah kamu sekalian kepada allah, wahai orang-orang yang beriman, supaya kamu berjaya”

And say to the faithful women to lower their gazes, and to guard their private parts, and not to display their adornment except what is apparent of it, and to extend their headcoverings (khimars) to cover their bosoms (jaybs), and not to display their adornment except to their husbands, or their fathers, or their husband's fathers, or their sons, or their husband's sons, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their womenfolk, or what their right hands rule (slaves), or the followers from the men who do not feel sexual desire, or the small children to whom the nakedness of women is not apparent, and not to strike their feet (on the ground) so as to make known what they hide of their adornments. And turn in repentance to Allah together, O you the faithful, in order that you are successful (An Nur: 31).

Now that you’re there, now that you’ve done it, congratulate yourself. And now, on ways of wearing it. The hijab is not just a piece of cloth you put on your head. I, for one, believe that it is more than that. It is something that represents modesty, that represents a Muslim woman, that represents you. Thus, wearing it modestly and appropriately would be nice and fit the purpose. Oh, and about being fashionable? You can be fashionable all you want for all I care. As long as you don’t forget the true reason on why you wear the hijab. Pakailah tudung macam mana pun, berlilit, berpin, asal jangan kita lupa kenapa sebenarnya kita memakai tudung di kepala. I have seen so many different styles, so many creative ones, weird looking ones also, but Alhamdulillah, many of you have been blessed with creativity. DeBono once said that creativity is a mysterious and rare gift. Thus, not everyone has it. But being able to manipulate and experiment with it, one must be inventive. And so I have seen many inventive and creative Muslims nowadays, especially women. But always remember what the hijab represents.

“Kita tidak menolak fesyen, tetapi garis panduan syarak perlu diletak di peringkat utama dalam semua keadaan. Dengan kreativiti pereka fesyen yang mempunyai roh islam, pakaian wanita seperti jubah tetap menarik yang menepati urusan agama dan bersesuaian dengan era moden dan terkini”.( retrieved from http://mokhzam.com/blog/710/menutup-aurat-dalam-islam.html)

Don’t complicate the simple. Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda,”Islam itu mudah maka jangan dipersulitkan,”.

Next, on wearing it right. Sue Anna Joe had once released a “Wear It Right” Campaign about sometime last year? I’m not pretty sure. It is a really good campaign and I hope it has been effective. It has been summoned by Allah in the Holy Quran, that we should cover the hair, the neck and also the chest.

“Dan hendaklah mereka(perempuan) menutupkan tudung ke dada mereka…” ( An Nur : 31)

Imam Abu'l-Fida ibn Kathir: "'Draw their khimar(headscarf) to cover their bosoms” means that they should wear the khimar in such a way that they cover their chests so that they will be different from the women of the jahiliyyah who did not do that but would pass in front of men with their chests uncovered and with their necks, forelocks, hair and earrings uncovered."(retrieved from http://www.muhajabah.com/surah-an-nur.htm)

Mentutup aurat dengan betul dan sempurnanya, bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah bagi sesetangah orang. Mungkin kalau dah terbiasa sejak kecil, mudah untuk mereka. Tapi bagi orang yang mencari jalan sendiri, it’s probably a big step. But we can start by taking that first small step. Hold on hold on, janglah marah, atau jangan pula nak “condemn”. For I have once been that person. But alhamdulillah, Allah made me realise on the importance of wearing it right. It is a fact, a fact that sometimes we are afraid to face, or choose not to face at all. But why, still, does this problem occur?

“Mengutuk cara orang pakai tudung. Haih. Pakai tudung pun salah. Tak pakai pun salah.”

“Pakai tudung tak semestinya baik, tak pakai tudung tak semestinya jahat.”

“Ala, janji pakai tudung. Biar lah pakai macam mana pun, daripada tak pakai.”

Maybe this is why? I suppose all need a little of reflection. And fix our perception. I’ll leave that to you to think about. Right now, we’re unsure of where we stand(in terms of heaven and hell, sins and deed), tapi amalan-amalan di dunia lah yang akan membantu. If wearing it right can increase the chances of standing firmly, then why not? Please, this is not something that anyone created just for fun, just to condemn celebrities and create controversies. This is something that has already been written in the Holy Quran. And there are its benefits.

Sekurang-kurangnya, kasihanilah kaum adam. Sudah lah mereka itu “kaum yang lemah sebenarnya”(Dr. Hamzah, 2011). Bukanlah mereka ini lemah, lembik atau lembut. Tetapi, macam mana pun, tetap manusia. And they too have what the anatomical term call “fontanels”, meaning “soft spots”. Kalau tak, macam mana mereka ni boleh “jatuh cinta”? Is it not when we fall in love, our hearts weakens? Tet! Tapi.. itulah. Yang pada asalnya tak tengok, dah tertengok. Yang memang tak mahu tengok, kita pula menggalakan dia tengok. Kalau tak tutup dada, apakah tidak ada apa-apa yang tertonjol? Ada yang memakai ketat sana ketat sini, nak berfesyen katanya. Macam mana saya tahu semua ini? For once I had been this lost person. I thought that it would be fine. At some point it seemed cool. Sekarang.. Hm, rasa malu pula. If it is just drawing attention to yourself, then you never know what could happen next.. Unless you like that kind of attention. I know I don’t. And if I had a husband, I know he wouldn’t either. Don’t you want to feel special for the one and only? And what I mean is, well, humans, are simply attracted to each other in many ways. Tak semestinya kalau kita memakai tudung labuh, atau pakai serba hitam, perhatian orang tak akan tertarik. Tapi tarikan seksual tu tidak dilahirkan, sebaliknya ia menarik manusia untuk seketika berfikir tentang Deen Islam, Allah, maruah, dan ‘kecantikan dalaman’. Please, don’t be shy about this. It’s time to open up and educate yourself. In Malaysia, this a sensitive issue. However, it should not be as sensitive as it is related to our daily lives. We probably need to fix our mentality, no? Because it can cause confusion and how can we mature if we aren’t allowed to talk about the important matters? Alah. Macam pegang anjing. “Tak boleh pegang anjing!”. Sebenarnya, orang yang cakap macam tu, dia dengar “anjing” je. “Tak boleh pegang anjing yang basah” sebenarnya. “Anjing basah” tu tertinggal lah pula. So.. yeah how about that whole fix perception idea?

Believe me, after wearing it right, well.. Ok before that. This is the problem with me. I sometimes have low self esteem. Anything can trigger it back to zero. But now, sometimes I feel pretty when wearing it right. I feel good about myself. And that is what everyone should feel about themselves. These things, these small things, perkara remeh-temeh ni, banyak kepentingannya. These small things really matter. Maybe if you don’t get it now, I hope you understand sooner or later. *(For further understanding, refer to http://lobaitampin.blogspot.com/2011/03/method-al-quran-dalam-isu-aurat-menutup.html)

So what are the common questions frequently asked?
“Jadi macam mana nak lawa kalau pakai tudung labuh?”. Boleh je lawa. You can still look beautiful even wearing it right. Who said it’s impossible? I mean, look at the people below:

Ahh. Who doesn't know the lovely Aishah Amin. The beautiful hijab fashionista. Always covering the chest. Still manage to pull off all sorts of looks!

Or how about something a little simpler? Like none other than the lovely Dianah Bahrin? Siapa taktau cik kak ni. Her proposal video went viral. Plus, orang Malaysia kan cepat excited. Tak sampai 5 saat dah sampai kat Twitter, Facebook and wherever possible for newspreading. But hey, I think she's pretty. And really modest-looking. She is indeed the one who inspired me.

Even the people close to you could be a good example. For instance, my good friends in UiTM. They've been with me through the whole of semester 1. They're as nuts as I am! But I've learnt a lot from them. They can manage to look great and still wear it right. So why can't I?

Labuh sampai menutup punggung itu adalah lebih baik. Kerana dua tempat itu(dada dan punggung) lah menarik perhatian dan sering menjadi perbualan lelaki-lelaki fasik. But covering the chest is already fine with the hijab. And so your blouse should do the job of covering your butt. Or maybe you could just wear an abaya, a maxi dress which is not tight, or maxi skirts(trending awesomely now aren’t they?) and maybe even palazzo pants(thank God to who created that one!). And if you want to wear accessories like necklaces, you can always get the ones with long chains. Or wear whatever you want as long as it’s not too tight and revealing.

“So where can I get awesome clothing and hijabs but still wear them right?”. Don’t fret! There’s always a solution to everything.

I recommend Tudung People. Their collections are breath taking. Ran by the beautiful Fazrena Azleen, Tudung People has a wide range of scarves which are suitable for casual and formal occasions. If you're into the whole chiffon thing, and you don't want anything too see-through or expensive, SHOP HERE! They sell really affordable and reasonable-priced products of high quality. Trust me. I, alone, have bought three of the Numa collection, one from Adiva, and three of their Najwa neck covers(one for Ibu and she liked it!). Last I checked they had almost 40,000 likes on their page! What's not to like anyway. Tudung People? RECOMMENDED

And what else none other than Dena's family business, Aroush Style(previously De Hana Hijab) offers you lots n lots of coverage(of the chest). I haven't got myself one yet, but sure hope I do soon! Ini banyak bagus niii. Tapi sangat laris rasanya. Lots of their collections have been sold out! Perfect for casual days. Aroush Style? RECOMMENDED

And last but not least, HijabSchool. If I am correct, ran by the awesome Miss Shazwani Sahiful Bakri. If you like maxi dresses, or abayas, or probably looking for something new and cute, YET modest, go for their collection! I got myself one. Haven't received it yet though, but I seriously can't wait :D HijabSchool? RECOMMENDED

*Anyone else know where else to get awesome modest clothing?*

So there you go. Not solutions to your problems. But options of solutions to your problems. I am not just some girl trying to show off, or trying to say sugar, spice and everything nice. Tak. Saya bukan nak cakap bagus, nak berlagak atau apa-apa perkara yang sama sepertinya. I just want to be improved. Saya hanya menegur diri saya sendiri, dan Alhamdulillah, saya dapat menerima teguran itu. It’s a wakeup call for me, and if it is for you too, then it’s good. If you can’t accept it yet, and not ready to open your heart, then at least open your mind. Being open minded is what some people lack nowadays. And I believe that it is worth sharing. And worth motivating people who believe that change is difficult or impossible, and worth influencing those that are still not being able to accept. And most important, it’s worth a try. Allah suka akan orang yang sentiasa mencuba, tak cepat putus asa, sentiasa meminta tolong daripada-Nya. So shall we not be ignorant anymore? And let’s really do some reflection, as of what I have done for myself. Cukupkah sekadar “itu” atau “ini” sahaja? I hope that I have helped and said well. Forgive me if I had not given enough explanations or had made you feel put down. It is not my intention for you to feel so. And I know maybe some of those who are reading right now may be those who feel as if I am talking about them. But no, I don’t know who is or who isn’t reading right now. And I might even make my own family or friends feel such a way, but all I want to say is keep on trying, never give up, know that there is always someone who supports you, and know that Allah is always watching over you. I'm glad that my loved ones are very supportive and are always there when I need them. Well then amigos! Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. Be open, as I am open. As long as you are mature about it, I’m all ears. Don’t judge me for I am no scholar in this area. And I have a lot to learn. But I believe that you don’t need to be a scholar to wait for all of this to be said. I, myself, have many flaws. And there are probably a thousand other mistakes that can be corrected, yet I have not corrected it. But anyhow, trying is a first step. Slowly, make that transition.. We humans aren’t perfect anyway, right?

Women of Islam, you are beautiful no matter what. It comes from within; a beautiful heart and soul leads to a beautiful person. If you are my age, now you are a daughter, a sister, a friend. Soon, you will be a wife, a mother, a grandmother. “You educate a man, you educate one person. But you educate a woman, you educate a whole family”. Sama-sama lah kita mengingati sesama sendiri. Semoga kehidupan kita lebih diberkati dan lebih diredhai. Ini bukan gimik, ini bukan cerita dongeng. Ini satu pesanan. Allah always loves us, He is forgiving, but can we cheat death when it comes? Wallahualam.
Thank you for taking time to read this awfully awfully long post. Maybe someone can do a post response? Hehe. Til then. Assalamualaikum :)

#TOWARDSBEINGABETTERMUSLIM

WHERE.HAVE.YOU.BEEN?

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:04:00 +0000

Salaam and Hola, amigos! It’s been a long time since I wrote anything here at The Real Life. Approximately two months since my last long one. Hence, it is possible for me to write another long long post. And trusting my instincts, I sense a prettyyyy long one will be coming up soon. *wink*

But before that, on “where have you been in December?”. Well, December’s been a pretty hectic month for me. I had the short film competition to work on(which I had represented my programme’s association Persatuan Pelajar Pemulihan Cara Kerja(PPPCK) and Alhamdulillah, had won 2nd runner-up), tons of assignments to do, two important presentations to present, two little kids to take care of(my younger brother and sister ofcourse, not kids of my own) and studying for my final exams(this is also means that I am carrying a large amount of sleep debt, have heavier undereye bags and darker dark cirlces!Sigh). Doing a bachelor’s degree is a pretty tricky thing, and my final exams had been pretty tough, but insyaAllah I’ll get through it well with hopes I can do well and learn well. Besides, we should be learning to know and not just to pass exams. At the end of the day, it’s just a piece of paper, and quality is better than quantity. I have one paper left, which is my Anantomy and Physiology paper, so wish me luck everyone!

So what's new for The Real Life? Well.. I have an extremely long post in my drafts dying to be published. Apparently, it took my quite some time to write a very “mantap” entry. I really wanted to write a good and effective one, something that can be beneficial to all and also serve as a reminder to me. I did my homework, look for the right resources, get permission from the people featured here and so do await for it patiently! InsyaAllah, it will be worth your read. :)

Well, I have to go now and do more revision on bones and muscles and how the heart works. Til we meet again, goodluck to me and keep smiling! Work it, while you still can B-)

B&W Definitions: HAPPIFY

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:26:00 +0000

Definition: To be made happy or instigate happiness.

Dear Nazrin,

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:11:00 +0000

I don’t usually do this; this dedicating a post directly for a specific someone thing. In fact, I don’t usually like to mention their names, but I believe that when it’s worth it, it’s worth it. My first attempt at writing a post, specially for a certain someone, with the mention of his name.

I could write a long post on how I met this person, I fell in love him bla bla bla life goes on, but that’s not what I’m here for. Now you see, I am not the best at explaining things. Well maybe I could type it but I’d always have difficulty in saying it. I’m not a good speaker, I lack confidence, I’m shy in front of a crowd, and I am always nervous and have trouble saying what I need to say. I know that’s what John Mayer told all of us to do, but I’m sure that some of you just have trouble in doing it. And so yes, I do have those troubles... sometimes. But I have someone who believes in me, more than I believe in myself. I know that friends, family, believe in you all the time, but the impact is not the same as a lover believes in you. So I was told I always come up with the “outside-of-this-world” ideas, I always have it in me and that I CAN, and that’s you Ahmad Nazrin. You told me that.
So since all the possible places to top up my credits unfortunately have sold out the reload tickets, here’s an idea, why don’t I just tell you what I want to tell you here? I don’t call myself The Free Skater for nothing! :D

Please listen to what I have to say. And I cannot be anything else but honest with you. I am afraid. I am afraid that I might do something ridiculous which could lead me to losing you... again. I am afraid that I am too small for your big world. I hope that I have not done anything ridiculous but I can’t deny that I can make mistakes in the future which I don’t know of and only Allah s.w.t knows of. But if I could design my own future, I would say that I do not ever want to hurt you again. I do not ever want you to go through pain. I do not ever want to upset you. I do not ever want to do anything stupid or silly or whatever that is relevant to it. But if I did have that power, life would be too perfect. And I am nothing near perfect. And I am glad that I do not have the power, and only Allah does, because you know what, He designs everything so nicely, it feels beautiful. When we’re hurt, it makes us a better person, when we’re sad, in teaches us how to make ourselves happy. At the end of the day, you end up saying that you’re thankful for every single thing, good and bad, and that you’re glad it happened.
I am thankful that I met you. I thankful for that day you ordered the same thing I did but man, I did not give a damn about you at all. Neither did you give a damn about me.. I think. I don’t know. I mean, it’s possible because we never knew each other then anyways. But we got to know each other better and hey, here we are! And if it wasn’t for my best friend, Shazana, I wouldn’t have had a bear named Pinky, I would be talking to myself a lot more because well, you know I actually talk a lot(too much, sometimes) and, I would not have met you. Thanks, Shaz. You know, she was there for me the whole time. The whole time I lost you. Or more like you lost me. But I lost you too.

I regret everything I’ve done to hurt you. I know that you probably didn’t want to talk to me anymore, but you did. You know the part when we are really at the top of our lungs, and we just give ourselves in to Allah 100 percent, that’s when we see, that Allah is very fair and loves us very much. Allah knew what was best for us, and the next thing, we got back together. I’ve to tell you that I noticed alot of change, not only in ourselves, but in our relationship. I think that we communicate better, we are more honest with each other and we really work things out, even when, as usual, I am “over sensitive”.

I know that you’re not in your best state of emotion right now. And sometimes, I know that, but I get a little upset when I feel like I can’t cheer you up or I’ve ran out of ideas on how to make you smile again. And then when I do get upset, then.. Goodness, it becomes a whole different thing! And I’m sorry. I’m sorry for that, Nazrin. I’m sorry that I have made so many stupid mistakes. And you are right. I should never give up, and I should just see this as a test from The Almighty. And so I’m not going to. I don’t want to. And InsyaAllah, I never will. I’ll keep on trying. I’ll try to fit in with your friends, and push my low self esteem away. Because I’m in love with you, you crazy ass. I’m in love with the way you are, the way you talk, the way you make me believe the stupidest things, the way you cheer me up, semua lah senang cerita! Hmm. Aku pun taknak cakap panjang lagi sebab dah masuk 935 words dah ni. I should just use this for my Psychology assignment. Damn it. Assignment tu pun tak sampai panjang macam ni lagi. Wowza :)

I’ve broken hearts before, and I’ve also had a broken heart. But I just want to keep things simple, and as a human being, I ask co-operation from anyone that is related, please, respect my relationship, because I really want to take care of this relationship well. It’s an important part of my life now. And that’s how I want to keep it. I know.. I’m still young. But if what I feel here is real, give me a chance, and guide me how to care for this relationship right so I don’t screw this one, and can focus on my studies well enough.

To whoever is reading, thank you for taking the time to. I appreciate every single support. Nazrin, this one is just for you. So I am not going to post the link on Twitter, or on Facebook. But just on your wall for you to read. Ok I should really stop now because it’s 1100 words already. And it’s 2.03 am.
Oh, and Nazrin, I love you, no matter what. Smile! So I dare you to let me be, your one and only. :)

Helpless Little Birdie

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:25:00 +0000

I lay there.
I lay there inside my nest. Curled up to withstand the cold air of heavy rain.
I'm not going anywhere.
But all I want is to move, to be more comfortable, more open and truthful.
I'm not asking for freedom.
But every time I spread my wings, they'd say I want to fly away..
But I don't.
I just want some openness. Some understanding.
Support.
That's what I need.
I want to be able to do something I am passionate about. Something I love.
But if I'm just a little birdie, why would they let me think big?
But I am. I am thinking big.
For me. And for the better, and not for the worse.
Yet would they understand?
And so nothing concerns me any longer.
I lay there inside my nest. Curled up to withstand the cold air of heavy rain.
I lay there.

I Will Try To Fix You

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:22:00 +0000

Glee, episode 3, season 3, "ASIAN F", they sang "Fix You" by Coldplay at the end of the show. The episode was pretty emotional. Moving in some ways but not moving enough for me, though. But yes, it is a sad episode. Mike Chang got an A- for his chemistry, in other words an "asian F". Lots n lots of pressure from his parents, til he even thought of quitting Glee. Then came along Tina, his asian girlfriend, giving her never ending support.

Three things:
ONE: That's how I want to be. No, I don't want to be Tina, but I want to be the girlfriend that gives her never ending support. Even though it's tearful, to see the one you live give up like that, but bear in mind, no one should give up so quickly. At one point, some point of your life, you will come back to your senses and you would wake up and realise you need what you need, and that can never be taken away from you. For instance, I need music. I need my piano. I need my life. I need to breathe. I have asthma, but hey, at the end of the day, I still gotta climb up those stairs. If not, I'll never get to the top. God won't take away what you need, and if He does, then that's not what you need anymore.

TWO: Getting an A-, we should be thankful, bersyukur, and not be miserable for the rest of your life. as a muslim, we should praise Allah for giving us such an opportunity. Will that opportunity be given again? We don't know. Will we really get an F in the future? Possible. But if we do, will we get up and go away, or get up and move up? Somehow, we will feel like getting up and going away. But later on, we just know that we should get up and get movin'. I need to climb the stairs. If I climb half way, I'll waste my time going back. All I need to do is to just keep climbing.. Even if it's VERY tiring.. Even if I have to stop a lot of times, just to catch my breath.

THREE: I love Coldplay. I don't think anyone can ever come up with a good cover. It's not that no one can cover the song. I'm sure loads of people can. But their songs are always JUST TOO GOOD. So unfortunately, I don't like Glee's version of Fix You.

I would say more, but I believe that, Fix You's lyrics will finish the post for me.

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down on your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down on your face
And I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down on your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Crazy ass, you know this one's for you. Keep moving forward

<3

They Are Robin

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:33:00 +0000

Salaam amigos. A short update just to let you know that I am still alive and still breathing, alhamdulillah. Been a hectic week, and I've kinda been a bit under the weather. And there are even a few conflicts here and there, but anyhoo that's the real life! It's been raining heavily here every evening. I don't mind the heavy rain, I just mind getting myself all wet. Nevertheless, I will get back to The Real Life as soon as possible. Before I end this post, I would just like to let you know that there's a blogshop named Robin which is based in Kuala Lumpur, and ya know what, they are uhh-maa-zing. Their collections are very classy and chic. Don't forget to check out their jewelry as well! Even got myself a necklace from Robin. Well, OK, I didn't buy it but I LOVE IT! So do check out the new and improved Robin!

wearerobin.com

Til then amigos, shop til you drop!

Keep Your Loved Ones Close

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

How to keep your loved ones close:

More Than Words

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 09:17:00 +0000

"What's meaningful say no words, but shows them."

Autism: Who & What?

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 05:29:00 +0000

Another boring Saturday.
Wonderful.
Great for reading British sarcasm from "About A Boy", the novel by Nick Hornby.
And I, for one, can't neglect the images of Hugh Grant and the voice of that little boy singing "Killing Me Softly" inside my head.
One of my favourite, About A Boy is.
But I suppose.. I should do some studying... Later.
Hmm.
It would be lovely if it were to be less difficult to escape the land of Puncak Alam. It's only because it's hard to move around, especially via public transport. But once you're outta here, shouldn't be that difficult.. Or so I heard. Probably gonna head out with my housemates later on. If we're not that lazy. But let's do a little bit of typing.

And so I have entered a few classes this week, Introduction to Occupational Therapy, Introduction to Psychology, Therapeutic Activities & Anatomy & Physiology(the most feared). Since Occupational Therapy(OT) is under the Health Sciences division, it is quite close to the developmental disability area, which is close to Autism, where by to me, is a golden opportunity to understand my dearest, eldest brother, Fazly, better. Fazly, per se, means "istimewa" or special. And truth to that, ladies and gents. He is doubtlessly the special one. He is of special needs. And he has autism. You see, there are different types of autism.

First thing's first. What on Earth is Autism? Probably have heard of it, probably haven't. Probably've heard of it but don't even know what it means. I admit. Sometimes, I, myself do not know how to explain what autism is. The most basic thing I can say is those with autism live in the world of they're own, unwell with their social skills. Well that is according to what I know and what I've seen. But there is definitely more to that. According to wikipedia, "a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by great difficulty in communicating and forming relationships, and in using language and abstract concepts" or "a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior".

So what could cause autism? Is it preventable? Is it curable? Can you improve it or do you have no hope at all? Well, for what causes autism, there are many explanations and theories proposed, but there is no exact cause of it. Many causes of autism have been proposed, but understanding of the theory of causation of autism and the other autism spectrum disorders is incomplete. Heritability contributes about 90% of the risk of a child developing autism, but the heritability of autism is complex and typically it is unclear which genes are responsible. In rare cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects. Many other causes have been proposed, such as childhood immunizations, but numerous clinical studies have shown no scientific evidence supporting any link between vaccinations and autism. I assume you've guessed that I copied and pasted that from Wikipedia. Excellent copycatdar you have there *wink*. There's so much more to autism that you don't know. And autistic kids, they look just the same as other kids. It's how they behave is different. Just imagine you having a baby, and it looked so cute and normal. But once you noticed the difference, you take him/her to the doctors, and bam, they're diagnosed with autism. Unfortunately, you can't get rid of autism. However, with the technology we have, with the skills our pros have learnt, I assure you, your child can have a better life. There are speech therapists, who can help teach them how to speak, as some of them can't. There are occupational therapists, who can help them live their daily lives without having to depend on someone too much. There are other specialists that can help some more, and doctors that can give special medication. We didn't have this back then. Or so, we never really bothered to think about having it. Just look at how people looked Temple Grandin. Temple Grandin has autism. But she managed to improve herself, and she's a very very smart lady. She is, surprisingly, listed in the 100 Most Influential People and has been categorized under "Heroes". Wonderful, she is. They even made a movie out of her. Those interested to know more about her, I suggest you watch "Temple Grandin". Saw it on HBO weeks ago. (Y)

So what are the different types of Autism? Like Temple Grandin, there's Asperger Syndrome. People with Asperger could be everywhere as they have brilliant IQ and they are very smart and particular. Asperger syndrome describes individuals at the highest-functioning end of the autism spectrum. Unlike other autism spectrum disorders, Asperger syndrome is often diagnosed in teens and adults. People with Asperger syndrome generally develop spoken language in the same way as typically developing children, but have a tough time with social communication. These difficulties that become more obvious as they get older and social expectations rise. Because people with Asperger syndrome are often very intelligent - but "quirky" - the disorder is sometimes nicknamed "geek syndrome" or "little professor syndrome."

There's also High Functioning Autism. Like "mild" autism, high functioning autism (sometimes shortened to HFA) is a made-up term that's become more and more commonly used. HFA is a tricky term, because it can be hard to distinguish a person with HFA from a person with Asperger syndrome. The official distinction is that people with HFA had or have speech delays, while people with Asperger Syndrome have normal speech development. But there may also be very real differences in terms of social awareness, personality characteristics, and other traits. The jury is still debating the fine distinctions.

Besides those two, there's Severe Autism. Severe autism is officially termed autistic disorder. It goes by many other names, though, including profound autism, low functioning autism, or classic autism. People with autistic disorder are often non-verbal and intellectually disabled, and may have very challenging behaviors. This what my brother probably has.

Well there are more types, but these are the common ones I've heard of. So let me just give a little thought. These people of special needs, be it kids or adults, how do you treat them? Do you treat them well? Or do you just call of them "retards"? Do you assume that all of them aren't smart? Do you think that they deserve to be treated horribly? THEY ARE DIFFERENT, NOT LESS. So I think that they deserve to be treated right. I know some of you like to stare at them in public, like they're from some kind of undiscovered planet. Or is it just Malaysians? Oops. I won't say any further. Except, I am very thankful that I have an autistic person in my family, as now I know more about Autism, and I don't judge others that show the symptoms of autism so quickly, so and so forth. Do a little volunteer work with them once in a while. I'm sure that's not so bad. Make others smile make you smile too, no? I'm sure that there are many of you that care out there. Let's not wait for a family member. Let's just do it.

Hope I've done enough explaining here. I can't explain the whole thing as I've lots more to learn. And I can't just simply copy paste things from the net without understanding what it says. I am sure that there are many other resources out there, perhaps better than mine. The whole purpose here is just to share, and to let some of my friends understand more about what my brother is like. But words are just.. not enough sometimes.

I am not a scholar in this, but hopefully one day I could work together with my mum and we could open up a home for people with special needs back in my hometown, insyaAllah. And so let's pray for the best for everyone.

He's 30, now. And hopefully, my brother will survive his eye surgery, which insyaAllah will be on the 11th of October, with hopes that he will recover well(he has a cataract in his left eye.. or it could be right. Oh my, I don't remember. Sigh).

TIL THEN AMIGOS! BE GOOD! :)

A New Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:19:00 +0000

So I'd like to wish all of you out there Selamat Hari Raya, Happy September, Selamat Hari Merdeka and Selamat Hari Malaysia that celebrate them. Haven't touched these keys in a looooonnnggg time. Busy as usual when approaching Eid. But now that Eid is done, well actually.. It's not yet done as Eid is celebrated throughout Syawal. But you get the picture, don't you? Let me know if you don't. *wink*

So that's that with Eid, and let's move on to the next best thing that's happening right now. To those whom may or may not already know, I am currently pursuing my studies at UiTM Puncak Alam, doing my degree in Occupational Therapy(OT). So are you "huhh??"-ing right now or are you "aahhh"-ing? To be honest, it is an absolute relief when people say "ahh that's good" when I tell them what I am studying instead of those that ask me back "what the bloody hell is that?". Haha OKAY fine no one said "bloody hell"(unless it was Ron Weasley) but yeahh you get me, don't you? Awesome. I'd really like to let you know what OT is all about, but maybe I'll make another post, just especially for it. Maybe, though. So yes, amigos! Here I am, finally at uni. Still have not completely explored the whole campus. People here are pretty nice. Some of them seem to be abit too nice. I'm not sure if they are the type that would understand my loco-ness. But never mind, it's still a fresh start, gotta do abit of warming up and then we'll see what happens. Oh and the internet connection seems pretty fast over here! And this is via the cable. I am not so sure about telco broadbands, but I hear the performance is prett-ty slow. Oh, and just so you know, I am absolutely against the 6% service charge for prepaid users. It's ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Anyhoo, back to campus life. The food is pretty good, but slightly pricey. Not alot of guys over here, and there's only one dood in my programme, out of 34. I bet my crazy ass boyfriend is singing "All Praises To Allah" by Maher Zain right now. LOL.

Speaking of my crazy ass boyfriend, yes sur-rey! It is the 12th of September today. Officially, it has been a year. Despite our ups and downs in between, I am absolutely thankful that I have reached this day and I am absolutely still counting. I have never been in a relationship for this long before.Hence, alhamdulillah. I pray that Allah will give the best for both of us and will protect each of us from a far. I am sure that I have been a pain before, but alhamdulillah, he is a patient young man. Although he has his flaws too, but who doesn't hey? I have mine. And yet we can accept each others' flaws well and that's all you need. He's taught me a lot about respecting people, respecting their feelings and so much more I wish I could list them all out, just to share them with you, to share my happiness and to also share anything that may be useful to whoever is reading this right now. In a relationship, although I am only 19 and I have a lifetime ahead of me, insyaAllah, the basics are to be understanding, give and take, have a fair discussion, always be there to listen even if you don't know what to say, respect each others' feelings and always forgive. That's pretty much it folks. There's probably alot more, but that's what I know up to now. I wish the best for you as well.. whoever you are.

So that's the new beginning, ladies and gentlemen. A new life, but still in The Real Life. Last but not least, never forget who you are and where you come from.
Til then, keep smilling :)

P/S: To all Gleeks, I am officially Gleek no. 11303. Yes, I have finally been listed. How awesome is that? Huzah!

What You Say, What You Do, Does It Mean Anything?

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:12:00 +0000

"What are words if you really don't mean them when you say them?"-What Are Words, Chris Medina.

"More than words is all you have to do to make it real."-More Than Words, Extreme.

"Action speak louder than words."-Damaged, Danity Kane.

Words words words. Words. Do they really matter? Are words just words? Or could we just keep quiet but still get the message sent? Or do we require a little bit of "show n' tell"? Honestly, I don't know.. Well, I can't really put my finger on it because as usual, IT DEPENDS. It depends on the situation itself. There are no answer schemes to the questions. Hence, YOU are the answer scheme. You find out yourself and you try to be the wise guy here and see for yourself. Not sayin' that you should be judging the book by the cover or so, but what I am trying to tell you here is that you sometimes just need to a little bit more thinking than to listen to what others say. So let us all wear our thinking caps on, shall we? Words are best used during many many times; when a guy wishes to express his love to a girl, OR when a daughter wishes to express her anger to her father etc, etc. However, I, too, feel that they are best used for opinions and assumptions, no?

Opinions. Have them. You need them all the time. You need them when you're in school, you need them when you're in college/university, you need them when you're working, you need them when you're having a conversation with anybody, any age at any time! This is when words matter. It's not a matter of whether you are right or you are wrong, it's a matter of expressing your thoughts and just letting people know,"hello, this is what I think bla bla bla..". And if what you think is the right thing to do(in your opinion), and there are possible actions that can be taken, why not take the chance to take a few actions? If you're just gonna sit there and do nothing and give opinions like a machine gun well that's not much of a "giving opinion" kind of thing now is it? More like complaining if you ask me. Do something about it, IF YOU CAN. I'm pretty sure there's a minimum for everything. Prre-ttyy sure.. So when we give an opinion, we can't seem to stop talking, can we? Or is it just me? Nahh, I can't be the only one now, can I? Whatever. It's like answering an essay question. One sentence wouldn't be enough, ofcourse. That would just give you riddiculous marks. You know that, but you still do it, because you just really don't know what the frickin' answer is. So the more you write, the more marks you get(if you're writing the right thing, InsyaAllah). Nyehh, we've all been through it. I have, too. Don't be ashamed. And don't be afraid to give opinions.

Assumptions, however, sometimes have no effect what so ever, but usually it is a pain in the arse. People assume this, people assume that. Yes, I am a "people" too hence, I, too, assume. But remember what Jimminy Cricket, the grasshopper from Disney's Pinocchio said? "Let your conscience be your guide". Lately, a lot of bashing about universities and underestimations related to that matter has been going around. I must say, at first it was ignorable. But hearing about it on and on and on again like there's no tomorrow, has become an annoyance to my space. I deeply regret all the comments on whose university is better, bla bla bla. But who am I to regret for them? They should be regretting themselves. Enough with the labelling, amigos. Just, stop it. Just because you study at a prestigous university, DOES THAT MAKE YOU PRESTIGIOUS? If you go around bashing about other "less prestigious" universities, that doesn't really make you much "prestigious", AT ALL. Just because you go to a "less prestigious" university, you don't have to act "less prestigious" too. I am highly annoyed by this issue, and if I had a remote control to this, I would definitely press the "stop" button. But I don't. Hence, you make the call. Aren't you tired of the labels too? Aren't you tired of people "deciding" what kind of person it makes you? The best way is just not to care about what others think. But if your not tired of the jibber jabber, then... Well, then. Suit yourself.

Words are still words. Best not be playing around with what's not play-able. You can think for yourselves now.

I'm sensing a message from the mothership of the human body to stop typing this instant. Hence, I'm off and ooh, the pizza's here.

Til then, keep your thinking caps on, keep it off, whatever.

Post Response: When I Start to Yapped

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 09:31:00 +0000

Salam and Hola, amigos. Let's do a wee bit of sharing today, shall we? Is this what I think it is? Relationship advice, is it? As youtube videos have video responses, well this is my post response to the following:

"Coming home and getting an awfully long phone call from a friend about a break up isnt really an everyday thing but hey, its normal. A five year relationship down the drain just like that in a split second. But why? There were those couples that I thought I'd be seeing having kids and all, but they ended all and there was no "other person involve". All he said was he didn't love her anymore like he used to but that wasn't enough of an excuse to go right? But still, its down the drain. Well, Im no psychiatrist nor am I good at giving any advises, but Ive been through a lot since I was in high school and based on observations of the incidents happening around me, I can share a few. Lets not take the view from the person who got dumped because that would be boring and its actually too common to take it from the 'innocent side'. Yes, lets take it from the other side, the dark and heartless side as you may all see it.

So why did you dump her? Lets give it two situations. Situation A, there was another person that he fancy which has a simple explanation to it and Situation B, he didn't have any feelings for her anymore, nadaa. zero. null. Which is hard to figure out and you might get rashes on your butt just from thinking of it. Tricky.

Situation A.

Many relationships go to waste because of this. Seeing someone else they're attracted to and immediately telling themselves, "Im gonna leave my girl and hit on this chick all right". Well, if you are unhappy and having a shitty relationship they yeah. Just leave cause you know yourself, you deserve better. But make sure you ask yourself why were you unhappy. Just dig it up to the core so that you'll get the answer. BUT sometimes people just go on and have new relationships for the short term pleasure, for fun which is wrong. A selfish act that is practice in our generation. But in the end the person would normally come crawling back and asking for forgiveness and asking you to take him back. Priceless ey? Dont smirk and dont say yes. :P Second chances are given for a reason but not the wrong ones. If people treated you like shit, then that person isn't worthy at all for you.

Situation B.

"He doesnt love me nemoreeee" and the endless crying continues with added blowing nose into tissues and teardrops the size of Jupiter. So he said he doesn't want you anymore and you ask yourself, what did I do wrong? How can one person love the other so much and the other leaves just like that? Well, in a relationship it doesn't really matter how long the duration is really, its the feeling, tolerance and appreciation that brings it all together. As the relationship grows, you can either grow apart from each other or end up growing together and having similar mutual feelings. Heck, you can feel great about your relationship 7 months ago and still feel great about it until today. But it is natural if it goes the other way around. Don't blame people for what had happened but why not blame yourself. You may mislead things and focused on the wrong things thats why it becomes a waste. It may have not been love in the beginning even, maybe it was a series of coincidence and flirtatious acts.

Emotional training is important and if you are truly grateful of your partner then surely you would do anything to fight for that person rather than giving up and meeting someone better which in my opinion is a lazy, easy and an immature option. Seee, so keep your relationship clean and lovable and keep it interesting ;D"

-adapted from Kiss The Rain

speaking like a pro ey, Kyla? :p Well whatever she crapped there is absolute truth, no doubt about that amigos. Well here's a tip to whoever is reading, sometimes a little break up does not necessarily mean THE END. It may just mean the beginning. Sometimes it may mean that its time for a change and for you to just get with that better man/woman somewhere out there waiting for you, maybe? Or it may just mean that you just need a break. Hence, you will learn to appreciate each other better. As sometimes that lack of appreciation can just cause a catastrophe, and you wouldn't want that now, would ya? Would ya? Nope.

It also depends on how well you overcome the problem of your relationship. If you know the proper strategies, the necessary things to avoid, then you'd probably be safe and you most probably wouldn't need a break up. In my case, I needed one. Well, it's not like I was begging one from God or planning it along the way. But, when I am at this point, and everything seems far better with my crazy ass boyfriend and I, compared to before, ofcourse, then yeah, I do regret the terrible things that had happened along the way, but I am sort of thankful that both of have learnt to have deep appreciations for each other and that is what everyone needs. APPRECIATION; assessment of the true worth or value of persons or things.

If you really love your relationship, just don't forget that you love your guy/gal too. Don't be so caught up in the relationship, busy trying to have THE MOST perfect relationship ever, trying to be the top 10 sweetest couple in the world, when you're man doesn't even love you anymore 'cause.. I dunno, you're too lovey dovey? Too pushy? Too clingy? There's no harm in saving the relationship, but as long as there's no ice berg ahead, you don't need to sink the ship.

I, for one, like things to be more natural, spontaneous and random. But everyone has their own different way, anyway. I don't really know exactly what it is now do I 'cause you're not telling meh, are youh?! Well then! Tell me!

Til then, thumbs up to Sharifah Syakila. *wink*

Be Practical, Don't Be Silly

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:42:00 +0000

First things first, amigos. Did you know that Glee 3D is out? Well it's out alright! OUT!

Go watch it! GO GLEEKS! GO!

*Please note that all of the below was written two days ago.*

What's me without doing any last minute work? In this case, the medical checkup I'm supposed to do which is on of the requirements for entering any university. Come to think of it, it's not THAT last minute, but to my mother,"if everyone else has done it, it's last minute. And you are not a pro at last minute work... Like me." Uh, alright then mommayh.

I've learnt a few things today. Obviously, the first thing would be LAST MINUTE WORK = THE MUSIC IN MUM'S NAGGING. (Y) Good to know I have a mum that cares. Nevertheless, she is 54 and most probably approaching that menopause phase. Love you anyways, Ibu. *wink*

Second of all would be to always have a notebook and a pen in handy. Just in case you have this crazy idea for a blog post and you just can't afford to forget any of them. Like what I'm doing right now. I'm writing all of these shizzay in this old Mickey Mouse book I bought during my Matriculation days just for the sake of pleasing my "oh-so beloved" English teacher as she wanted all of us to have a class journal and write whatever shizzay we could think of in class. And what else could I do while waiting for mum to pick me up at the hospital, besides texting my crazy ass boyfriend whom right now is probably wondering why I haven't replied his text message. Hence, he decides to send another with alot of question marks.

***

And now I shall continue at the clinic while waiting for the doctor. Again, mum leaves me here and takes off to run some errands. Yet, another chance to write. Yeay me :D So folks.. Shall we talk about language today? This isn't really a "pick out from the hat" topic. Just so happened I was chit chatting with this chinese lady, in her 50s perhaps, and she was kinda stunned I had "The Friendship Book 1997" by Francis Gay(all-time favourite) in my hand. Like, rrealllyy stunned. So why do I choose to write The Real Life in English? Do I think I'm all that when I write in English? Am I confused about my nationality? Can I speak as how I write? You could be asking these questions. You could be asking even more, be it worse or better. Well, I've tried story-telling before but I sort of blew it, hence am no story-teller! Not like any of the pros anyway. But I do write stories. In a way, I, too, am telling you stories. Stories of The Real Life by The Free Skater. And that's just it! That's just it. This is what it is. It's not a form of flipping my hair in your face. It's just that it is a choice of mine and I really am happy this way. Tapi tak bermaksud saya tak reti berbahasa Melayu. Be practical amigos, don't be silly. And I have no idea how long this post is going to be, but hey, whatever, I'm gonna continue anyway. Proceed reading, if you wish.

Everyone has their rights, and you know it. Everyone has the right to choose, to do what they want. Well, let's just hope the choices we make are possibly the best ones. Not necessarily the RIGHT ones, but the BEST ones. Just to allow some mistake-making to take place. Just so that we could learn something, hey? It's all good, folks!

So it doesn't matter what language you prefer. As long as you're comfortable with it, to hell with what others think! You're not turning against your country, or your race, or anything. Unless those are your intentions, well.. That's definitely a different story. If you're good with the words, then that's just an added bonus. In The Real Life, we are an equal. Except those who don't want to be an equal. You could just.. Yeah, take a hike? Don't be afraid to be yourself. Jangan malu, jangan segan. Kalau malu, tetap mahu, kan? Si amigos? Huzah!

So please, please, please, have you enough with the underestimations?

Til then! *waves*

Just Quote Me 18: Ramadhan

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 11:35:00 +0000

Just as I was minding my own business(yeah right) on Facebook, I found this. And it just moved me.. Again. You know that part in the top right corner when you're viewing a wall-to-wall page or photo album or whatever, and the previous posts or statuses pop up randomly? Ya know which part? Yes? No? What I mean is..

Ahah! Now you're speaking my language. Ok, let's proceed shall we. And so I saw this. And this was what I had said and felt exactly one year ago from today. Let's zoooooom in!

The quality of the screenshot is kinda ugly. Tried to save in png format but I'm not sure why it is still saved in a jpeg format. Oh, look! I even spotted a typo. Hmm. Never you mind. Oh, and you've probably figured out that "Ahmad Nazrin Evelyn Salt ♥" is most definitely postively tiddly tuddly not the just quote, so don't mind that too. Kudos to those observant (Y).

It was also in the month of Ramadhan, and it reads,

"If there's ever a time when I gave up that easily, then I guess I wasn't me. And now I'm still me. And I'm not going to let the same thing happen again. Ya Allah, sesungguhnya dugaanMu begitu hebat di bulan yang mulia ini. But with all the love I have for You, I'll make sure I won't let you down. And the rest, I leave it to You. And I'm not talking about the tempting food."

I remember this. I wasn't in THE best place at that moment. There were alot more downs than ups back then, and I was always just trying to find a way to cheer myself up. And somehow along the way after that, I guess I forgot how capable I am at being optimistic. And even though studies have shown that optimists are just making it worse for themselves, I believe sometimes, it wouldn't hurt to just wanting to make yourself happy, no? Well then, thank you Facebook for reminding me of what I have said. Now that I've realised that I should not give up next time, I'll try not to forget that again... InsyaAllah. Above that all, I am happy now and happy I shall be. Towards a better Ramadhan!

When God answers your prayers

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Salaaam amigos.

I just got back from my grandmother's house and I seriously just couldn't wait any longer. Do you have any idea how hard it is to actually sit down and eat with her without any stress? No you don't have any idea. But my mum does.. And my sister.. And my brother(but then again he is Opah's cucu emas. Mehehe). Well yes, my mother and I went over to Sg. Karangan and ate at her place. Her cooking: UH-MAAZING. Best cook I've ever known. And it was just a simple dish. Yet it was that good I couldn't keep my eyes off it and just couldn't wait to nibble on the shizzle. All I have to say is, it was nice. And mum said she has been waiting for something like that to happen for so so so long. What some of you may not know, is my grandmother is not much of a typical oldie. She's more of a goldie and likes clothes with a whole lot of bling. Can stop her from what she likes. Plus, nothing is normal in my family. We are all just so weird and... weird. Everyone has their obsessions though, no? I mean, Opah with her bling bling baju kurung, Kak Yaya with her shoes, Ibu with her Ikea shopping and Estee Lauder, Bapak with his high tech phones, Abang Hakim with his DVDs and books, me with my polka dots and hijabs, Nazrin and his futsal and Topman(Y), and you and your.... whatever your obsession(s) is/are. I guess it's normal. I guess. But nyehh, who cares. As long as we're happy, the world has no right to take that happiness away from us, ey ey? Just as long as you don't forget to be thankful and don't overdo it, and if you're a muslim never forget to say Alhamdulillah. And alhamdulillah, Allah has answered my mother's prayers, and now grandma and her are having a better relationship. And that makes me happy. And a bunch of others happy. And now the whole world is happy! I think. Wait, are you happy? I know I am. Well, right now I am. Because it's the 11th month from the 12th of September 2010? Hmm, go figure. Wehehee :D

Let's hope this isn't temporary though. Let's hope Allah has something even greater planned for all of us, even for you.. Whoever you are. We can't always be jumping to conclusions. And we should just enjoy what the moment brings, and don't be so hard on yourself, and just take a chill pill(that's if they ever invented one). You know nowadays, nothing means anything! For instance, just because there aren't any comments in (whatever) post, doesn't mean no one's reading! Am I right? Or.. just because no one liked your profile picture, doesn't mean no one's seen it yet. Right? Right? Or.. Just because that girl's wearing a hijab doesn't mean she's not a b*tch. Ok that one, OFFENSIVE. That goes around ALOT nowadays, and yea the statement, in some situations are true, but as a Muslim, as a female Muslim that wears the hijab, I feel that we should not let that be as true as it can be, because the hijab is not just a piece of cloth on the head. It represents more than our religion. But it also represents who we are. And it is a form of modesty. And I could go on and on but.. Yeah we'll just talk about it later. Ladidadida where was I? Oh yes, since I've already mentioned about this hijab issue tissue, I shall correct what I have said. Well it's not that nothing means anything nowadays. Sometimes, some things mean something, but not every thing means everything. Ahh, now you get me? No? Yes? Am I right or am I right? Ok just, think about it. And my dearest magical people, chill! I am random and you are cuckoo. Eat me, if you disagree. Ay? Alright! THAT'S THAT! LIVE LIFE TO THE MAX! KEEP SMILING! HUZAH!

Food for thought

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:32:00 +0000

HELLOOOOOOO EVERYBODAYH!
If you're wondering where I've been, what happened to me and so on and so forth, well I hereby give you the answers.
No.1, No, I did not die. If I did, you would be pissing in your pants right now wondering if I am a ghost. (Y)
No.2 no, I did not fast only up to the 4th day of Ramadhan because that was the last post of The Real Life. I did, however, fast until the 6th day, then that menstrual cycle started on the next so..... Yeah.
No.3, no, I was not stranded on some island. I already live on an island. Why do I want to be stranded some more?
No.4, yes, I did not feel like writing anything. Alot of things happened. And when I say things, try not think of the worst, will you? Things as in occasions or events or anything related to that matter.
No.5, yes, I've been online and I just want some "me quality time". Nevertheless, I have been trying to get my "Loco-motion" on(the name of my Youtube channel. wink), but sometimes life is like a pain the arse and it just so happens my laptop has a webcam which I shall put in the category of crapola(thank you Jack Black for making that term work like a charm).

Well that's that. I'm sorry if you were hoping for an everyday update of Ramadhan from me. I was hoping for the same thing from myself. However, I do not want to force myself to write for the sake of another post as I always believe we should write what we want, write what we have to say, and write because we want to and not because we want to please other people, not because we wish to gain popularity, not because we want more friends, not because we need to keep the archive going.

At one point, I cared. I cared about whoever was reading. I cared whether they liked whatever I'm writing. I cared whether they even care what I wrote. I cared about gaining more followers, and not just more followers but more readers. I cared about those popular bloggers who seemed to be very famous nowadays but really you can't seem to find that interesting bit of their blog. I JUST DON'T GET IT! But I cared, still. Somehow. But I guess I have come to my senses(I think) and I just want to stop caring... For the time being. LOL. It is a bit ridiculous. It really is. And it almost seems like I'm forgetting who I really am, who The Free Skater is, what The Real Life means to me. I'm not going to stop caring in a bad way. Sometimes, you just have to make it about you because this is you and no one can stop you from being you. And I have noticed that sometimes, or some people, me you anyone whoever whatever, we're lost. And we don't know who we are. We try to be someone we're not. But we are always meant to be who we are. When everyone wants to be friends with the popular kids in school, they forget who their real friends are. Shall we be who we are? I know I've got a lot of flaws, and I know I sometimes want to be more out there. Sometimes, though. But hey, I'm also speaking for myself. And there are no fingers being pointed to. No worries. ;)

I guess everyone goes through the same issue. It's just a matter of time. A matter of how you overcome it. Brilliantly or not. Nevertheless, we should never try to be someone we're not. We should always be who we are. And when it's that way, no matter what your personality traits are like, no matter how your physical appears to the eyes of others, it feels better. And it gives a better meaning to your life. Screw those who don't like you. Screw those who keep rubbing their beauty in your face. Screw those who think they're all that. You know you have it, darling! So start snapping those fingers, and pamper yourself.

When in doubt, tell yourself, THEY are NOTHING like YOU, and YOU are NOTHING like THEM.

Well then, that's some food for thought, no? Til we meet again amigos. Adios!

4 RAMADHAN: Notice the unnoticeable

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:57:00 +0000

I'm the unnoticeable. Hi. Did you notice me? Ok sorry. That was random.

Ever realised how alert we(Muslims) seem during the fasting month? Now what on earth am I talking about?! How alert can you be when you're hungry? Ahah! Caught you there, people. Wanna grab your thinking caps again? If my calculations are correct, the most alert time would be after 5pm. Once mummy's started cooking in the kitchen. Or when you just arrived at the Ramadhan Bazaar. And all that food seems like you just have to have 'em all. Ayam this, ayam that, kuih this, kuih that, you name it, you want it, you just have to have it don't you? And when you look at it.. Ahh, wait, shall we be more realistic here? Let's not talk about what the eyes can see, but what the nose can smell. I mean, masha Allah, that smell seems so good and you're 5 blocks away from it. And to look, let alone smell, would be enough to make your eyes bigger. And all that's left is to nomnomnom away at the dining table! Yes sur-rey. And don't tell me that you're not just sitting there, anxiously looking at the clock, and so so keen to here the azan for Maghrib, infront of all those delicious nutritious food before you break the fast? And is this the only time when you actually listen very carefully? Or..? I for one admit that I here speak for myself. And for many others as well, I guess. Yeah.. well these little things. They matter. Depending on the situation ofcourse. Well then, towards a better Ramadhan, shall we? And towards a better life? I'll leave you again with your thinking caps.

Til then

To Son, from Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:44:00 +0000

If you don't read this, you're missing out!

Bapak emailed me this yesterday. And I thought oh what the hey let's share this with you locos. VERY fascinating. Very fascinating, indeed.

"A letter from a renowned Hong Kong TV broadcaster / Child Psychologist to his son. The words are actually applicable to all of us, young or old, children or parents.! This applies to daughters too. All parents can use this in their teachings to their children.

Dear Son ,

I am writing this to you because of 3 reasons :

1. Life, fortune and mishaps are unpredictable; nobody knows how long he lives.
Some words are better said early.

2. I am your father, and if I don't tell you these, no one else will.

3. What is written is my own personal bitter experiences that perhaps could save you a lot of unnecessary heartaches.

Remember the following as you go through life

1. Do not bear grudge towards those who are not good to you. No one has the responsibility of treating you well,
except your mother and I.

To those who are good to you, you have to treasure it and be thankful, and ALSO you have to be cautious, because,
everyone has a motive for every move.

When a person is good to you, it does not mean he really likes you. You have to be careful, don't hastily regard him as a real friend.

2. No one is indispensable, nothing in the world that you must possess.

Once you understand this idea, it would be easier for you to go through life when people around you don't want you anymore,
or when you lose what / who you love most.

3. Life is short. When you waste your life today, tomorrow you would find that life is leaving you. The earlier you treasure your life, the better you enjoy life.

4. Love is but a transient feeling, and this feeling would fade with time and with one's mood. If your so called loved one leaves you, be patient, time will wash away your aches and sadness.

Don't over exaggerate the beauty and sweetness of love, and don't over exaggerate the sadness of falling out of love.

5. A lot of successful people did not receive a good education, that does not mean that you can be successful by not studying hard! Whatever knowledge you gain is your weapon in life. One can go from rags to riches, but one has to start from some rags!

6. I do not expect you to financially support me when I am old, neither would I financially support your whole life.
My responsibility as a supporter ends when you are grown up with the education that you received.
After that, you decide whether you want to travel in a public transport or in your limousine, whether rich or poor.

7. You honor your words, but don't expect others to be so. You can be good to people, but don't expect people to be
good to you. If you don't understand this, you would end up with unnecessary troubles.

8. I have bought lotteries for umpteen years, but I never strike any prize. That shows if you want to be rich, you have to work hard! There is no free lunch!

9. No matter how much time I have with you, let's treasure the time we have together. We do not know if we would meet
again in the next life.

Regards,

Your Dad"

Mummies, daddies, uncles, aunties, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, boyfriends, girlfriends, lolos, lolas, hubs, and wifes, this is for you. Tell it to the world!

Toodles

3 RAMADHAN: Dates

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:12:00 +0000

Salam and good evening, everyone. How was your day? Wait that's a boring a question. Scratch that. How have you been? Been feeling awight? I know that this is the only month whereby our doings, good or bad, are not influenced by any evil intentions of the syaitan. And this is where we are on our own. This is when we see everyone's true colours. Oh, believe me. Going to the mosque alone is good enough to see how courteous people are. And how much advantage people take of your courtesy. But not all people are as ignorant as some folks I've met. I don't think so. I know so. The world can't be filled with ignorant people alone now can it? And let's not forget that this is the month that we are facing extra tests from God. Ahah! Well I'll leave you with your thinking caps on and proceed with today's story. Well unfortunately today there is not much of an interesting story. I did not go to the mosque today hence no McGonigal. I took my Xertec last night and it made me sleepy the whole day. I literally felt like a flatworm(no, ofcourse not literally. What's wrong with you?). Hence, I broke my fast at home... alone. And this is the 3rd day of Ramadhan. And the 3rd day of August. And the 3rd day of having 3 dates for sahur. Huhaa! Well yea sure 3 dates alone is not much of a feast. But I'll tell you this, which probably some of you may already know, dates alone, specifically 3, are just good enough to get you going through the whole day until it's time to break the fast. Just don't forget to drink a glass of water with that. And you're good to go! And this may also be applied to those that wish to lose some weight... That is, if you don't eat so much during the breaking of your fast. Well that's that. I would write more, but I have to make way for something else. I've pretty much on my mind right now. And it is best to write when your mind is more sure of what it wants and what it is comfortable with. I mean, writing when your pissed off or sad will ofcourse produce tremendous results. But you wouldn't want to be deleting that and say to yourself "what the hey were you thinking?!" now would you? So for now, I'll just keep my thoughts on hold until I can find the appropriate words and the appropriate time for the talk of the mind. But come to think of it, on my mind, not as THAT much as some of you lot have on yours. It would most definitely be unfair for me to say that I have a lot on my mind right now. As I don't have to raise any kids, work my arse off for some extra cash or even think about equations. I mean, mum's got work to think about, Nazrin's got his tests to worry about which seems ridiculously difficult to study, dad's got his never ending scripts to write, and so on and so forth. So what's on your mind? And didn't I just say I have to make way for something else?
Well then.
TTFN!

2 RAMADHAN: Tarawikh

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 17:36:00 +0000

Tis the second day of Ramadhan, the second day of fasting, the second day of August. 28 days left and counting! Well I wouldn't to waste the space of this post with my blabbering about. But nevertheless, I would like to share with you the things my eyes have seen. No worries, amigos. This will be a short one as I will be attending to my pillow anytime soon.

Buka puasa at Penang's State Mosque yesterday and today. And it does give you a different feel when you're with all those people you don't even know, but there for the same purpose as you are. Ofcourse the food were no extreme delights. But they were quite tastey and filling enough. Standard mosque menu, ofcourse: porridge, rice, kurma, hot tea and other food donated by other people(bless them Allah).

So I performed the tarawikh solat next to this lady. She wasn't that tall.. Actually pretty short. Shorter than me that is. She wore a black abaya, black hijab, and a black robe with a hoodie on the outside(whereby deep down inside I seriously want one too). A very unique robe that is. It had only one button in the front. It was like Little Red Riding Hood's. Only it was black. And the material was velvet. And that smell, like kasturi. She was probably in her 50s. And she had pale, yet fair face. To exaggerate, I thought she was an angel. HAHA. But with all that clothing, I thought to myself,"Professor McGonigal? Is that you?". Well forgive me for the slight exaggeration of may imaginarium. Well then, McGonigal. Will I ever get to see you again? That is.. Riddikulous!(spell from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Remembah? No? WTV to that).

Til then, keep smiling :)

**apologies for the late post.

1 Ramadhan: The First Day of Puasa

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 05:08:00 +0000

Salam and Good Afternoon everybodayh!
What more than a better time to start a 30-days challenge than on the first day of Ramadhan itself? Ramadhan is 30 days PLUS all 30 days are not like the usual days as us Muslims must fast during this blissful month. So there will indeed be changes in daily routines and activities; that would include less talking, less eating, more starving, more thinking, a little less singing, a little more piano playing, more ibadah(act of worship), less gossip(I'm a girl), more kurma, a little less of this and a little more of that, so on and so forth.

There may be some of you Non-Muslims wondering out there, why do Muslims fast? Well then looks like someone's done the explanation already!

Oh, and last night, I went for the first tarawikh prayers for this month at Penang's State Mosque. And as usual, by the time it was 8.30pm the car parks were almost full. So imagine what the prayer hall would look like by then. So you know that during the early days of Ramadhan, you have to reach the mosque early to get a good spot. But once you've reached towards the end of Ramadhan... Well, I guess my fellow Muslims can figure that out. Ofcourse there are several reasons why it is so. Possibly, the people have started going back to their hometowns. Next possible reason, the ladies get busy in the kitchen, making rendang and ketupat and kuih raya. And the men get busy with their tools and the kids.. Well the kids just can't get enough of those firecrackers can they? Please children! It's dangerous! But telling this to a child would probably be like talking french to a mad cow. Wow I don't know what that means either. But, you get my point now don't you? So let's try to make a little change this year. And ofcourse everyone would want a better year than last year. So let's get to it! Towards a better Ramadhan! Huzah!

By the way, I've just recently joined bloglovin'. So say what's up to Bloglovin'.
Follow my blog with Bloglovin, if you're on it.

Well then ladies and gentlemen, amigos, amigas, muslimin dan muslimat, Selamat berpuasa, happy fasting, have a wonderful Ramadhan!

Til then, no eating til Maghrib. *tummy rumbles*

The Truth About McDonalds

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 13:41:00 +0000

You know that sudden feeling when you just see something and you immediately think of something else or someone? Like that moment when you see people in graduation robes and you think, "Ahh! Hogwarts". Or when you see a banana and think of cute little banana-eating monkeys. Well, my examples are not the best ones and may not seem THAT common, and please amigos, they are just fictitious thoughts.. Unless ofcourse, someone actually DOES that. You would be super weird, but you are more than welcome to join my loco cruise :)

So I was watching Captain America(which I feel was not THAT great but it was good and I like his shield and Agent Carter) with my parents a few days back. And as usual, they show all that commercial a few minutes before the movie starts. And one of them was the McDonalds' commercial. You know, the one with the adorable twins? No? This one?

Well now that you know which one I'm talking about, we shall continue the story.
Kids. What can I say. I don't have any. But I do have a little sister and brother. Annoying, at times. Especially when they cry over the littlest things, such as not getting to buy a toy, or not getting enough attention so on and so forth. But ya know, they are the most adorable little things on the planet, other than baby animals and mini cupcakes that is. And can you ever deny the fact that a child has made you smile during your most emotionless moments? And your those brain cells would just be saying,"ahh, just what you need." And you couldn't agree more. Am I right or am I right? Anyhoo, I must cut to the chase as probably some of you have already started to have "I wonder when she's going to start to chat about McDonalds" popping in your heads. Well then, on with McDonalds!

You see the truth about it, is exactly what you saw in the commercial I included in my post above. When I saw that very commercial in the cinemas, the little monsters, Farish Hakim and Nadine Hanim began knocking on the door of my memory. And so that specific memory replayed itself in my mind, and then came along a sudden smile. So this memory of yours, Sya, what is it? Ahh, patience my amigos. For here it comes.

I spent a few weeks back at my dad's in Melawati. And I remember that one time, when dad just called up and said he's about to arrive home and asked whether I would like to get a bite or something. And he asked whether the little monsters wanted to join us. And so I did ask them, and ofcourse, they said yes. So when we got in the car, my dad asked us where we wanted to go. Farish said Burger King. Nadine said KFC. And shouting of "Burger King" and "KFC" repeatedly became the music to my ears and I couldn't help but to laugh. There they go again! Fighting over something, which this time is our next destination. Kids will be kids and siblings will be siblings! I couldn't help but to laugh to the sound of "music". At an attempt of being a fair dad, he suggested MCD instead. They both immediately stopped the shouting and agreed to the suggestion happily. "OK lah McD. Ada taman." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the truth about McDonalds. Seeing is believing. ;)

What? Don't tell me that you were hoping for some juicy and controversial gossips about McDonalds. I think you could just.. Google that? Haha! Well my greatest apologies if you thought so. I just could not think of a more appropriate title. And I like to make you wonder anyway.. Whoever you are. Well then, amigos! Live life to the max. And keep smiling!

Til then, I'd like a double cheese burger with fries and a chocolate sundae ice cream.

Effortless Beauty: Saoirse Ronan

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:08:00 +0000

HANNA

noreply@blogger.com (Syahirah Jermadi) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:50:00 +0000

I got one word for you. Well.. actually one name.

HANNA.

May I just say it is the utmost amazing supergirl, kick ass, secret asset of the government action movie I've ever seen. If you're a fan of Mission Impossible, James Bond(perhaps), Salt, and all that super action hero, kick-arse-in-a-super-super-cool-way, fighting-and-shooting-and-killing-many-many-many-people-at-once kind of movie, then Hanna is a MUST WATCH! Only if you're into that kind, though. But why oh why oh why is it so? WELL THEN! Enough with the "whys" and on with the reasons!

REASON 1: THE CAST

As I watch the first scene of the movie, I begin to wonder. Those eyes, they're beautiful. She's beautiful. Effortlessly beautiful. Now, who have I said about this before? Ahah! And then that voice.. "My name is Salmon. Like the fish." Why isn't it Little Miss Innocent, Susie Salmon! Saoirse Ronan played young, beautiful, 13-year-old Susie Salmon in The Lovely Bones. Ahh, you know that lovely movie don't you? The one with the nice lighting and the wicked animation and that scary lonely man in the green house. Anyway, Ronan is Hanna! Indeed she is. And she played her role very well. Her soft voice, the look in her eyes, just like the ones Susie Salmon had. It's just that this time Ronan goes blonde. And kills people.. Excruciatingly. Eek.

That "I could eat you right now if I wanted to" look.

Anyways, moving on to the next best cast in line, Eric Bana. Him, and his fake accent. Well, what is there to say. This fella did a great job in Hulk, Troy, Time Traveller's Wife, no? But then again, I really couldn't take him that seriously after watching Funny People. Sorry Eric :) And last but not least, one of my favourite actresses, Cate Blanchett. In this movie, Cate plays Marissa. And in all movies, there is a bad guy. And in this movie, Marissa is the bad guy. And I just have to say, Cate has beautiful eyes. Huzah!

REASON 2: THE MUSIC

OK. I am not as much of a soundtrack geek as my brother, but I must say that Hanna's soundtrack really gets me into the movie. No, not literally ofcourse. But it just works with the movie. And I absolutely love it. It's like something on the shelf and you just have to have because you like it that much. Kudos to The Chemical Brothers for composing such great music. Although to listen to it, per se, might not be for me, it would probably work for my lame-o brother. Definitely recommending it to him.

Here's the track list of the soundtrack of Hanna:

1. Hanna’s theme
2. escape 700
3. chalice 1
4. the devil is in the details
5. map sounds / chalice 2
6. the forest
7. quayside synthesis
8. the sandman
9. Marissa flashback
10. bahnhof rumble
11. the devil is in the beats
12. car chase (arp worship)
13. interrogation / lonesome subway / Grimm’s house
14. Hanna vs Marissa
15. sun collapse
16. special ops
17. escape wavefold
18. isolated howl
19. container park
20. Hanna’s theme (vocal version)

source: http://soundtrack-movie.com/hanna/

REASON 3: THE REST OF THE MOVIE

Well then, you'll just have to watch it now, don't you?

Watch it or don't watch it, definitely up to you lot. All I have to say about this movie directed by Joe Wright is, me encanta!

Til then, keep smiling :)