Paradise Now

My friend 'Ainur recommended the film to me. The movie was an Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film in 2005. It won the Golden Globe award for the same category. Intrigued, I bought the DVD.

The movie is about two lifelong friends, Said and Khaled, who are chosen to carry out suicide mission in Tel Aviv. The mission went wrong the first time. Said and Khaled got separated. With explosives strapped to their body, Said and Khaled start to question whether they are doing the right thing. Suha, a female acquaintance of theirs tried to persuade them to change their mind.

The movie really made a big impact on me. It got me thinking about a lot of issues.

I was particularly struck by how different Palestine and Israel look like. The former is so bleak while the latter is thriving.

Below are the three scenes which affected me the most.

X X X

Said visiting Suha on the night before the operation

Suha: Do you go to the movie?
Said: No. There's no cinema in Nablus anyway.
Suha: I know. Have you ever been to a cinema before?
Said: Yes, once. Ten years ago when we burned down Revoly Cinema (deadpanned)
Suha: (shocked) You did that?
Said: Not alone. There were lots of us.
Suha: Why? What did the cinema do to you?
Said: Not the cinema. Israel. When Israel decided not to employ any workers from the West Bank, we demonstrated. Then we ended up in the cinema and set it on fire.
Suha: But why the cinema?
Said: Why us?
Suha: I don't know...

X X X

Suha trying to persuade Khaled to abandon their mission

Suha: Why are you doing this?
Khaled: If we can't live as equals, at least we'll die as equals.
Suha: If you can kill and die for equality, you should be able to find a way to be equal in life.
Khaled: How? Through your human rights group?
Suha: For example! Then at least the Israelis don't have an excuse to keep on killing.
Khaled: Don't be so naive. There can be no freedom without struggle. As long as there is injustice, someone must make a sacrifice.
Suha: That's not sacrifice. That's revenge! If you kill, there's no difference between victim and occupier.
Khaled: If we had airplanes, we wouldn't need martyrs. That's the difference.
Suha: The difference is that the Israeli military is still stronger.
Khaled: Then let us be equal in death. We still have paradise.
Suha: (exasperated) There is no paradise. It only exists in your head!
Khaled: Astaghfirullahalazim .... Astaghfirullahalazim. May God forgive you. If you were not Abu Azzam's daughter... Anyway, I'd rather have paradise in my head than live in this hell. In this life, we're dead anyway. One chooses bitterness when the alternative is even bitterer.
Suha: And what about us? The ones who remain? Will we win that way? Don't you see that what you're doing is destroying us? And that you give Israel an excuse to carry on?
Khaled: So with no excuse, Israel will stop?
Suha: Perhaps! We have to turn in into a moral war.
Khaled: How, if Israel has no morals?

X X X

Said explaining his motivations

"I was born in a refugee camp. I was allowed to leave the West bank once. I was six at the time and needed surgery. Just that one time."

"Life here is like life imprisonment. The crimes of the occupation are countless. The worst crime of all is to exploit the people's weaknesses and turn them into collaborators (Palestinians working for the Israelis). By doing that, they not only kill the resistance, they also ruin families... ruin their dignity and ruin an entire people."

"When my father was executed, I was 10 years-old. He was a good person. But he grew weak. For that, I hold the occupation responsible. They must understand that if they recruit collaborators, they must pay the price for it."

"A life without dignity is worthless. Especially when it reminds you day after day of humiliation and weakness. "

"And the world watches cowardly, indifferently. If you are all alone, faced with this oppression, you have to find a way to stop the injustice."

"They must understand that if there's no security for us, there'll be none for them either."

"It's not about power. Their power doesn't help them. I tried to deliver this message to them but I couldn't find another way."

"Even worse, they've convinced the world and themselves that they are the victims. How can that be? How can the occupier be the victim? If they take on the role of the oppressor and the victim then I have no other choice but to also be a victim and a murderer as well."

X X X

The trailer

For more info, click here

3 weeks into IPBA

Despite having to wake up extra early to go to college, I do enjoy staying out of the hostel. Commuting is not so bad; You just have to avoid the peak hours. And to combat boredom from the 20-minute journey, you just need to have a book in hand or occupy your mind with thinking about something.

It's also nice that I have my sister with me. We usually stop for a roti canai at the Kerinchi station before embarking for IPBA/UM. The 15-minute morning walk is refreshing. Seriously. No embellishment here.

I do miss IPBA occasionally. I miss going for dinner with friends, going to the surau, playing volleyball, and having a nice afternoon nap in my room after one whole morning of lecture.

Semester 1 is quite ok thus far. I like all my tutors. They are all wonderfully-different from one another. One lecturer likes to narrate his experiences at the expense of not completing the task at hand. But that's ok because I really admire his love for the teaching profession and how he always have the students' best interest at heart.

Another lecturer likes to give homework *groan*. But the tasks she set us will tremendously help us prepare for the exam, so that's ok too I suppose. Plus, she cracks us up with her "umbrella, ella, ella" joke.

I have a former lecturer as my tutor for another subject. I've always like her so there's no problem there. Another lecturer is a very lively individual. That makes learning so much more enjoyable.

But while tutorials are all right, lectures are quite hard to endure.
I find it difficult to pay attention, or even keep awake. I've tried sitting in front - it didn't work.
Need to find another strategy!

X X X

Excerpts from "Ketika Cinta Bertasbih"
by: Habiburrahman El-Shirazy

Bakda shalat Isya ia tetap di masjid untuk mengaji kitab Al Hikam karya Ibnu Athaillah As Sakandari dengan Adil Ramadhan. Malam itu ia mendapat pencerahan sangat berharga dari kitab Al Hikam tentang hal yang sangat penting baginya sebagai seorang penuntut ilmu. Ibnu Athaillah mengatakan,

"Khairul ilmi ma kaanatil khasyyah ma'ahu. Ilmu yang paling baik adalah yang disertai khasyyah."

Adil Ramadhan menjelaskan bahwa khasyyah adalah rasa takut kepada Allah yang disertai mengagungkan Allah. Maka segala jenis ilmu yang tidak mendatangkan rasa takut kepada Allah dan juga tidak mendatangkan pengagungan kepada Allah tiada kebaikannya sama sekali. Adil Ramadhan berpesan pada Azzam,

"Untuk mengetahui ilmumu bermanfaat atau tidak cukuplah kaulihat bekasnya. Jika dengan itu kau semakin takut kepada Allah dan semakin baik ibadahmu kepada-Nya, maka itulah tanda ilmumu benar-benar bermanfaat. Jika sebaliknya maka berhati-hatilah, Saudaraku!"

X X X

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his influence stops"
-Henry Brooks Adams-

TIMES Bookstore Year-End Warehouse Sale

I wrote in the previous entry that I have so many books lined up to be read.

So, when my sister asked me to go to a book sale with her, I only tagged along to keep her company. I quietly resolved not to buy anything.

heh~

Turned out I bought 6 books:
1) Hegemony or Survival by Noah Chomsky
2) The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
3) Enemy Combatant by Moazzam Begg
4) The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
5) Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith
6) The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith

All of them cost RM12 each.

Surprisingly, the warehouse sale has a lot of new titles as well. So, do check the place out if you have the time :)

X X X

Al-Jaahiz, the writer, advises you to repel anxiety through reading books. It will repel boredom and depression. He said:

"The book is a companion that does not praise you and does not entice you to evil. It is a friend that does not bore you and it is a neighbour that causes you no harm. It is an acquaintance that desires not to extract from you favours through flattery and it does not deceive you with duplicity and lies. When you a poring through the pages of a book, your senses are stimulated and your intellect sharpens. Furthermore, your tongue will find eloquence and grandeur. Through reading the biographies of others, you gain an appreciation of common people and you learn the ways of kings. It can even be said that you sometimes learn from the pages of a book in a month, that which you do not learn from the tongues of men in a century. All this benefit, yet no loss in wealth and no need to stand at the door of the teacher who is waiting for his fees, to learn from someone who is lower than you in manners.

The book obeys you by night as it does by day, both when you are traveling and when you are at home. A book is not impaired by sleep nor does it tire in the late hours of the night. It is a teacher who is there for you whenever you are in need of it and it is the teacher, who, if you refuse to give to it, it does not refuse to give to you. If you abandon it, it does not decrease in obedience. And when all turn against you, showing you enmity, it remains by your side. As long as you are remotely attached to a book, it suffices you from having to keep company from those who are idle. It prevents you from sitting on your doorstep and watching those who pass by. It saves you from mixing with those who are frivolous in their character, who are foul in their speech, who are base in character, and who are woeful in their ignorance. If the only benefit of a book was that it keeps you from foolish daydreaming and prevents you from frivolity, it would certainly be considered to be a true friend who has given you a great favour."

Taken from:
Don't be Sad
by 'Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarnee
translated by: Faisal ibn Muhammad
International Islamic Publishing House
pg. 136

from Leaving Sydney to Eid al-Adha

Dec 13

A farewell gathering was held for us Cohort II. It was nice to talk to our lecturers one last time; to had the chance to tell them how much we loved and enjoyed our learning experience with them.

Some memorable parting words:

Ilija Casule - "We'll miss your unique presence on campus. You girls brought something else to Macquarie" [girls in hijab]

Jean Brick - "You have to write a book about Malaysia, not me. I'll be your editor (!)" [Jean wrote a book entitled China: A Handbook in Intercultural Communication]

Rod Lane - "You'll make a great teacher"

Dec 14

Alhamdulillah, we all got through check-in even though our luggage were grossly over the weight limit. It was a pleasant 8-hour flight. Glad to have Tasha sitting next to me. We shared our lunch. I chose the Beef Rendang while Tasha chose the Chicken Pasta. Tasha finished my salad for me :) The food was really good!

Arrived at KLIA around 9pm, Malaysian time. The Arrival Hall was full of people, mainly Malaysian athletes who just got back from the SEA Games in Thailand.

Caught sight of Mama. She was waving wildly. She looked so happy.

It felt good to be home.

Dec 15

It was a difficult day. I was having a hard time adapting. It seemed my eyes had turned very critical. I found fault with a lot of things:

-The city is dirty. There are litters everywhere
-The waiters/waitresses are brusque and unfriendly
-The buses look shabby

I felt like going back to Macquarie right then and there.

And another thing: It felt weird blending in with the crowd. I felt exactly like what V. S. Naipaul wrote in his book The Writer and the World:

"An Indian, I have never before been in streets where everybody is Indian, where I blend unremarkably into the crowd. This has been curiously deflating, for all my life I have expected some recognition for my difference; and it is only in India that I have recognized how necessary this stimulus is to me, how conditioned I have been by the multi-racial society of Trinidad and then by my life as an outsider in England. To be a member of a minority community has always seemed to me attractive. To be one of four hundred and thirty-nine million Indians is terrifying"

Dec 16

Thankfully, common sense prevails. Talking to friends who are going through the same phase helps a lot. I find that focusing on all the good things about being home is a great comfort.

Here is my I'm lovin' it list:
1) Mum's cooking
2) Playing with my cats, who are all shameless attention seekers
3) Live Azan from the Masjid instead of from the computer
4) Kenduris!, which equal good food
5) Talking books with Kakak. There are so many books to read at home that I'm all set for the whole year :)
6) There are proper praying areas at public places. There's no more need to crash in at any parents room or fitting rooms!
7) I get to eat Roti Canai + Teh Tarik for breakfast instead of Nutella on toast

Dec 17, 18

Did settling-in stuffs:

- Bought a SIM card
- Registered as a voter
- Cleaned up room
- Retake my driving license ... with my dad of course!

Dec 19

Helping Mama with Eid al-Adha preparations. Took a break to write this entry. Better stop here and make myself useful again.

And yeah, my air-freighted things will be available for pick-up today!

Eid Mubarak people!
Wishing you all a very happy Eid al-Adha.
May Allah the Compassionate bless us all on this festive occasion :)

Tak kenal maka tak cinta

During the last "Malam Jumaat" gathering, we did a sort of heart-to-heart session. heh~

It was the last gathering before the cohort 3s leave for Malaysia. So, after Ma'thurat & Yasin, the floor was opened for everybody to say their "last words"...

There were 10 cohort 2s and 6 cohort 3s. Every single one of us said something. Even those who are reluctant to say anything, were forced to :p

All the speeches were beautiful. Some were funny, others were mostly profound / poignant / sad /touching.

The funniest speech has got to be Syal's:
"Waktu mula2 datang dulu, kena ta'aruf: perkenalkan diri, asal dari mana... rasa: Alamak! poyonyer!"

[insert shrieking protests from the cohort 2s]

"Tapi dah lama2 rasa best. macam Kak Jaime kata: tak kenal maka tak cinta"

Syal, that speech was priceless! :)

I really hope that we'll stay friends forever - ukhuwahfillah abadan abada - insyaAllah
Like what Amrien says in her blog, we may have hundreds of acquaintances, but true friends are hard to come by...

X X X

"Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqun" (Az-Zukhruf: 67)

Thus, let us constantly "recommend one another to truth, and recommend one another to patience" (Al-Asr: 3)

YouTube

We all need reminding all the time...

"And remind, for verily, the reminding profits the believers" (Adh-Dhariyat: 55)

I love watching the "In the Shade of Ramadan" videos on YouTube. The videos are made by MAS Youth, a division of the Muslim American Society for young people.

The short videos are actually made for Ramadan. There is a video for each of the 30 days of Ramadan - so they serve like daily reminders.

There are about 60 videos in all. 30 videos from Season 1 and another 30 from Season 2. I've watched until Day 13 of Season 1. All of the videos are great. The messages are conveyed in a simple, appealing fashion.

Among the topics they tackled are:
-Taqwa, Good Deeds and Character
-Different Types of Fasting
-Keeping the End in Mind (i.e. Jannah)
-The Value of Ramadan
-Purification of the Heart
-Victories of Ramadan
-The Flip-Flop Phenomenon
-Prayer (Salah)
-Du'a (Supplication)

So, although the series is called "In the Shade of Ramadan", it is still a relevant viewing post-Ramadan :)

These 2 videos are among my favourites: Patience (As-Sabr) Part I and Part II.
Both are by Dr Imad Bayoon.

Happy viewing :)

Gorgeous Photos

After my exam the other day, I went to the library to check out the photo exhibition that I've been meaning to see. The exhibition is titled: The Mosaic Middle East. It is located at the Macquarie University Library Exhibition Area (next to the borrowing counter). The exhibition is on from Nov 16 until Dec 14.

The photographs are taken by Alex Marlow, a recent graduate from Macquarie University in Political Science. He took the pictures in 2005 and 2007. The photos feature 5 countries: Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria & Egypt.

I really like the photos. They are absolutely beautiful!! Among my favourites are the photos of the separation wall in Palestine and the photos of Petra in Jordan.

The photos of the separation wall are moving. There is one which features a graffiti asking "W H Y ?". It was a simple image yet so powerful.

The ones of Petra are magnificent. I'm reminded of the story in Quran of the Thamud people who are skilled in carving out dwellings in the mountains.

So, even if you had no reason to go to the library now that the exam is over, do pop in for a while to check out the exhibition :)

1 month countdown

I turned 22 yesterday.

22-years-old.

dah tua tu.

old enough to ditch childish behaviours.
yet young enough to feel that my whole life lies right in front of me. (kalau panjang umur la)

In 1-month time, I'll be back in Malaysia (iA). Most of my friends don't want to come back. Actually, they do but they wish that it's only for a holiday and they'll get to come back to Australia again.

Me??
I guess I'm pretty neutral about it.

I'm excited to see my family again. I can just picture the exhilaration of seeing Mama, Papa, Kak Yom, Abewan + Kak Lin + Damia, Abafan & Kakak at the airport.

I especially long to give Damia a big hug since I had only seen her in pictures so far.

I'm excited to see my friends again, many of whom are graduating this year. I want to catch up and know what they're up to now.

And then?? Then...
I dunno...

I definitely want to spend more time with my family - my parents especially. During calls to home, I often get the feeling that our house feels "empty". With my siblings flying out of the nest, I guess it's my responsibility to keep my parents company and do the other stuffs like:
-prepare meals
-do the laundry
-go to the post office to settle the bills
-visit Nenek regularly
-accompany Mama & Papa on family gatherings
-feed the cats
-do the groceries
-ferry Kak Yom and Kakak to the LRT station

Basically, be an exemplary daughter that I've never really been ... heh

Looking at the above list, I realize that going back to Malaysia equals assuming back the responsibility I've temporarily been excused off.

R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y
It's such a big, intimidating word isn't it?
oh well, I'm 22 now; life is no longer about me, me, me.

So I have to say goodbye to my carefree life here. I'm sOo going to miss:
-my own private room with an en suite bathroom
-life which is often spent chillin' with friends and housemates
-the opportunity to go travelling with like-minded friends - and with no chaperons in sight

Putting aside assignments, I can easily say how relaxed my life has been here.
May be I'm glossing over the bad parts.
Or may be I just have a short memory to remember them all.

Oh, there's definitely the not-so-nice things I've experienced here. A flick through my journal can attest to that.

But I can sincerely say that, overall, it has been a very positive experience.

It's a cliche but living overseas does make you a different person; a more wiser, mature and confident person.
You also learn to be more socially-engaged with world issues. And most importantly, you start to recognise what's culture and what's Islam.

So I guess the conclusion that I've come to after writing this is: I don't dread going back.
I love Macquarie Uni,
I love Sydney, and
I love Australia

I love going to Auburn & Lakemba
I love browsing at Macquarie Centre's BORDERS
I love eating Krispy Kreme's original glazed, chocolate glazed and iced chocolate with custard fill
I love drinking Easyway on a hot day
I love the cold autumn and winter weather
and I love that people are so much more environmentally-friendly here. Recycling things aren't a hassle at all. And you save water with the dual flushing system. (I'm getting off track here so I'll stop).

But despite all the fantastic things about Australia, Malaysia is still home.
Taman Sri Keramat is still home.
I have a family there and there's nothing that could compete with that.

I hope that I have made the best out of my stay here. My former classmate remarked recently that "I've changed the most". I didn't press for him to elaborate further but deep down I hope that the change had been for the better.

I'm 22 now.

"Ingatlah masa muda sebelum masa tua... hidup sebelum mati"

“Pada hari kiamat tidak seorangpun hamba diperkenankan meninggalkan posisinya kecuali ditanya lima perkara: Tentang penggunaan umurnya, masa mudanya, kekayaannya dari mana dia peroleh dan untuk apa digunakan dan apa yang dilakukan terhadap ilmunya.” (HR Tirmidzi :2416)

Why Democracy?

Last night, I watched the documentary "Taxi to the Dark Side". It's one of the most disturbing things I've seen :(

About the film:
Over one hundred prisoners have died in suspicious circumstances in U.S. custody during the "war on terror". Taxi to the Dark Side takes an in-depth look at one case: an Afghan taxi driver called Dilawar who was considered an honest and kind man by the people of his rustic village. So when he was detained by the U.S military one afternoon, after picking up three passengers, denizens wondered why this man was randomly chosen to be held in prison, and, especially, without trial? Five days after his arrest Dilawar died in his Bagram prison cell. His death came within a week of another death of a detainee at Bagram. The conclusion, with autopsy evidence, was that the former taxi driver and the detainee who passed away before him, had died due to sustained injuries inflicted at the prison by U.S. soldiers. The documentary, by award-winning producer Alex Gibney, carefully develops the last weeks of Dilawar’s life and shows how decisions taken at the pinnacle of power in the Bush Administration led directly to Dilawar’s brutal death. The film documents how Rumsfeld, together with the White House legal team, were able to convince Congress to approve the use of torture against prisoners of war. Taxi to the Dark Side is the definitive exploration of the introduction of torture as an interrogation technique in U.S. facilities, and the role played by key figures of the Bush Administration in the process.

The film is one out 10 one-hour films focused on contemporary democracy. The 10 films are broadcasting in October 2007 across all continents, with an estimated audience of 300 million viewers.

In Australia, SBS is the broadcaster for the series. The series kicked off on Oct 7. Several films have already been shown but there are still 5 more to catch:

23-10-2007

20:30 - Egypt: We Are Watching You

22:00 - Dinner with the President

23:00 - In Search of Gandhi

30-10-2007

20:30 - Bloody Cartoons

22:00 - For God, Tsar and the Fatherland

More info can be found on the Why Democracy website: whydemocracy.net

To quote the review in Financial Times: The series is able to transform us "from couch potatoes to sofa philosophers"...
Happy viewing ~

Raya Diaries

Eid Mubarak fell on Saturday. That Friday, the last day of Ramadan, I felt a bit out of sorts. I was not in the mood for Raya. The month of Ramadan went by so fast. I wasn't ready to let go. I haven't made the most out of the blessed month. Too many Ramadan resolutions are still unaccomplished.

Thankfully, I have my house mates with me. They were in full-swing Raya mood. They have made Raya cookies a week ago, put up 'lampu lip-lap' in our house, bought ingredients to cook the Raya delicacies, put Raya songs on full blast, etc... If it weren't for them, this Raya would have been very gloomy indeed.

X X X

Woke up at 3am that morning. Planned to go to Lakemba for the Eid Prayer with Farah and Rym. Took a taxi at 5.45am and reached Lakemba 25 minutes later. The taxi driver was also a Muslim. He's very friendly and talkative. When we were nearly there, we could see people in groups walking towards the Masjeed. It was a beautiful sight.

A long stretch of road (about 150 metres??) was closed for the Prayer. The traffic marshals were all wearing a white jubah with a skull cap. We entered the Masjeed. The women's section was packed but there was still room for us. Prayed tahiyatul masjeed and settled down. There was a big screen in front showing the imam leading the Takbir. Looked around and was thankful I had the chance to experience all this...

Finally, it was time for the prayer. The imam's recitation was beautiful. It was slow, steady and deliberate. After it was over, people started to embrace and wish each other 'Eid Mubarak'. We didn't stay for the khutbah since it was in Arabic.

At the back of the masjeed, there were sisters selling hijab. I impulsively bought one in cream :)

When we exited the masjeed, we saw just how large the gathering was. The closed road were filled with people. Subhanallah! the feeling was indescribable. Rym said it reminded her of the time she did her Hadj. (In the newspaper the next day, it was reported that the gathering was attended by 40,000 people).

We walked towards the train station. Most of the shops were closed. Only bakeries selling baklava seemed to be opened. Farah and Rym bought some. It was then that I realized I was hungry and that I haven't eaten much since morning.

Rym wanted to visit a family she knew that lives nearby but they couldn't be contacted. So, we sat on a bench, ate the baklava and chatted to while the time away. After some time, the family was still unavailable, so we decided to go home. But first, we wanted to go past the masjeed one last time.

We took a different route on the way to the train station. It was a quite an exercise. Finally we reached the train station. The train to Central just past us by. The next one is due in 23 minutes. I suggested that we take the train on the next platform.

Bad move. We ended up changing trains 4 times:
-From Lakemba to Bankstown
-From Bankstown to Lidcombe
-From Lidcombe to Strathfield
-And lastly, from Strathfield to Epping.

Fuh! We finally reached Epping at 11.30pm. I panicked a bit. My house is supposed to have its open house at 12pm! Reached home in time. Everything was ready. Felt bad for not helping my house mates. Prayed Zuhur and just then out first guest arrived: our lecturer: Pamela.

More people started to come and the atmosphere was lively. It was nice to see everyone in their best attire and with a big smile on their face. Everyone was greeted with the customary embrace and a "maaf-zahir-batin".

Everything ended around Asar. After that, we came over to Unit 38 (Fatin, Farah, Fariza, Wanee & Hannah). That night, the juniors came over. We played bunga api together. It was fun. I was so tired that I slept at 8.30 that night. Tomorrow should be less tiring, I thought.

Boy, was I wrong. The day started off with Unit 36+37's open house. I went back early because I remembered that I haven't properly talked to everyone back home. After talking to my mum, dad, Kak Yom & Abafan, I went downstairs.

People who didn't come yesterday came that day. There were probably more people who came that day. We were a bit frazzled - will there be enough food?? Nisa whipped up Pengat Pisang & Tom Yam in record time. Alhamdullilah, everything went well.

I was a lousy hostess though. I really didn't know how to entertain the guests, especially the ones that I'm not closed to. So, I shirked from my duty by busying myself in the kitchen, washing the dishes.

After Asar, we went to the juniors' house: 128 + 110. By the time we reached Amrien & Syikin's house, we were so full, we couldn't eat much. There was still one more house to go that night: 107.

So, after Maghrib, we stuffed ourselves again at the Lysa+Aini+Aimi+Ida+Ain's house. They really outdid themselves by cooking beryani, satay, serunding, etc...

That night, I slept around 8.30pm again.
The next day, I have a class test which I still haven't studied for.
I'm banking on my MCQ-literacy to get through the test (!)

X X X

A friend I haven't contacted for a long time wrote me a letter. It was a very intimate letter detailing what she's been up to and her personal thoughts and feelings.

I felt touched. We used to be so close. But we've grown far apart ever since we changed schools. I thought that we are far too different now that it's unlikely for us to be close again.

Then I received her heart-felt letter... *lump in throat*