Turkish Delight

after performing umrah, and staying about 4 days in Madinah, 4 days in Makkah, we went to Istanbul, Turkey.

what's awesome about this place is that it's a muslim country!

masa kat sana.. macam jakun sekejap coz from the moment we stepped into the city, everywhere we went we were greeted with "assalamualaikum!" by mat-salleh-looking people.

imagine, people with coloured eyes, not the usual brown/black as we asians have, and hair yang macam blonde-ish, brownish, bukan macam asian yang typical black and kalau ye pun, dyed hair... and muslim.

tak ke cool?!!

senang gila!! everything there is halal, beautiful mosques everywhere and people are friendly!

it's like KL version mat salleh.

hahaha!!

my body pun culture shock kat sana. it was extremely cold! on the day of our arrival, it snowed!!

i was wearing this ThePoplook Henley Tunic top and had a sweater on, and guess la what happened. i was freezing my pants off!! my malaysian skin could not cope with winter it seems. hahaha!! so i caught flu when i was there. macam pelik je. catching cold when it's cold. why cannot catch heat when cold? apa ini maria shmaria? lu bukan budak medic maka tanya lah pakar nanti ya kenapa kita catch cold when it's cold. brehueuehheueee =p

yup, it was that cold. but my family coped better than i did. =)

so first day takde buat pape sangat. though we did go to Grand Bazaar that day, and i strongly recommend people to not shop so much there. it's nice to see but in terms of shopping, i think they mark up a lot because the grand bazaar is a tourist attraction. for example the pashminas, it's like 10 turkish lira there, about RM20. and material-wise, sama je. lebih baik beli sini je kot.. if you want to buy souvenirs, buy outside grand bazaar. can get cheaper price =)

mama and moi on 2nd day in istanbul =D

Istanbul, Masyallah, cantik betul the city. it's HUGEEEE!! and it's situated on the border of asia and europe! that's why diorang mat salleh tapi ada asian-ness!

here's me trying to get used to the chilled weather. was wearing ThePoplook Bell Sleeve blouse, my one and only jeans yang fit me nicely and my safety boots. haha! tak la. kasut gangsta i call it. =p

i thought i was ok on the second day, tapi tak jugak rupanya. still had to wear jacket. 

behind my pucat face is the awesome Blue Mosque!

it is one of the most beautiful masjid's i've ever been in. i wish i took more pics of the insides.. but masa ni my fingers were frozen. had to ask my bros to help me with the pics. heee =) it's my first time seeing a masjid opened for tourists. i think non-muslims yang visit pun cannot deny, it is beautiful, unique, bright and awesome! hehe!

this was at Topkapi Palace. again, couldn't take pics because my fingers malfunctioned. haha!

the best part about this place is this!! inside the palace museum, ada this place where we saw relics of Nabi Muhammad SAW and his sahabat! ada swords, ada hair from his beard, ada Kaabah's lock, Hajar aswad zaman dulu, and much more!! we couldn't take pictures in it.. and the security was kinda tight, so telan image dalam otak je. oh well. it was a blessing dapat tengok all those sutff. =D

we went to loads of places after visiting this palace, but sadly.. the cold got the better of me.. we got to see medusa's stone heads in an underground "city" called Basilica Cistern. i'm not an artsy person, so i couldn't care less about the significance of the heads. haha! =p

ada la banyak lagi tempat we visited. and the best part of it all, we walked throughout!! memang healthy to the max la the locals. kitorang malaysians ni kalau 1km pun nak drive je. the turks, they just walk. terror tul. but then, if our weather is like theirs, maybe we wouldn't mind walking around.. 

on the third day, we went to spice bazaar where we bought some tea, turkish delights yang yum! and mama bought some rare spices. 

this was supposed to be a family picture but ada orang enterframe! hahahhaa! kurang asam betul!

after the spice bazaar, we went on a boat trip where we saw the whole city, both from european side and asian side. from there, we actually saw the mixture in terms of architecture influences. istanbul is really really beautiful!

mama looking very happy here =D

as for me, i was freezing like crazy tapi muka tetap control. haha! this is my favourite safiyyah shawl xl from TudungPeople!

this is a place on the asian side of istanbul where we saw the panoramic view of the cities. and this jumping shot of Ike, is my kind of art. hahaha!! =p i je yang pandai tangkap gambar lompat! my jumping pics sume fail. geram tul. so tak dapat jumping shot, tangkap biasa2 je la. 

posing with mama =p

on the last day, we just went around shopping. actually, more on window shopping. to be quite frank, malaysia is way cheaper. we didn't buy much there but we had to look at what their market's like. i prefer malaysia's stuff. hahaha!

maria sedang bajet sebab pakai charlene chiffon maxi dress from ThePoplook yang best. haha!!

now, this is a bazaar i'd recommend people to go! cheap and cute stuff they sell. they don't have la plates or whatever kitchen stuff mothers would wanna buy, but for those yang nak beli souvenir yang light and easy, this. is. good. enough! =D
it's at this place called Ortakoy. we found the place by chance actually. abah wanted to go to Hard Rock Cafe and mama apparently found an address in the internet. so the driver took us to this place, only to find that there were no hard rock cafes in istanbul. maluuu! hahaha! nasib la jugak, or else we wouldnt know this place. =)

after eating, walking around and shopping, we went to have dinner at this place called Konak Cafe near Galata Towers. 

it's a cafe on a rooftop, and this is the shot of the view from up there. i could've taken more, but i was cold, and i couldn't feel my fingers. hahaha! ini je la yang mampu. =p the food was good too! strongly recommended!

it was a lovely way to end our short vacay sana. =)

we flew back to malaysia the next day, where heat awaits. i was literally holding back tears of joy when the plane touched down on malaysian ground. i missed the heat! hahahahaha! balik keluar airport, ha amek kau. humid air slapped our dry faces, terus jadi moisturised. (kat istanbul muka kering). ok exaggerate aje =p

so, Istanbul is definitely a beautiful city and to date, i think it's the most beautiful city i've been to!

there're more places that we have not explored and i'm sure i'll go there again!
and if i ever go there again, i'll go when it's not cold! woooottttt!! =p

peace.

I must remember

it has been 2 days since i've arrived safely home tapi rasa cam surreal je. the memories are still fresh but it's as if the memories are dreams yang real gila. does that make sense? entah la. that's what it feels like.

maybe it's my hormones. =p 

Allahuakbar! 

remember mars, remember when you first saw Masjid An Nabawi. remember how you thought it is the biggest masjid you have ever seen. 

remember how you couldn't believe your eyes when you were in the van on the way to the hotel. the glimpse of the Masjid took your breath away, and how you couldn't believe that you're actually in Madinah, looking at the Masjid.

Masjid An Nabawi.

remember how it's made of marbles and stones and how it's beautifully designed inside and out,

how the masjid was brightly illuminated that night when you first walked in.

remember how much you cried that night.

Family picture near Masjid Quba.

remember how mama took care of all of us, making sure we had the right clothes on, that we are well fed, we are well, and how she held us all as a unit.

remember you always lost her bila nak bagi dia air zamzam, padahal she saw you looking for her!

hehe!

remember how in Masjid Al Haram, you lost her after taking the air zamzam for her, and how you turned 360degrees tapi tak nampak nampak jugak mama, then she just went "sssssttt!"

and when you saw her, that look on her face, remember that!

remember that muka "what are you doing? and where are you going?" REMEMBER THAT!

priceless.

and you just cant stop laughing because it was too funny to you. =p

remember mars, remember when you went to Raudhah, 

remember the anticipation before you did.

remember how everyone rushed in to go through the doors to Raudhah when it was opened,

but you and mama just stayed back and waited until it was really our turn,

you waited with mama, and while waiting, remember how you fought hunger and tried to stay patient. 

remember those other women who are older than you, who also had fought their hunger to be in Raudhah,

you are fortunate that you're young and you can handle all of that.. mama had to struggle with her back pain and hunger.. good thing you had snicker bar with you =)

remember how you and mama finally had the turn to pray near Raudhah,

how you felt so close to Rasulullah SAW,

how you were tongue-tied when praying because you were so nervous about being heard.

i do hope i was heard.

remember the story of this place. Jabal Uhud. 

remember how these brave men berjihad with swords and weapons, 

how Saidina Hamzah RA stood by Nabi Muhammad SAW till the end. 

how brave they were.. you tu pengecut. tengok trailer cite hantu pun tutup tutup mata and telinga.

you should be as brave as the soldiers at least. 

be as brave, faithful and strong.

try ok. just try your best. =)

remember how nervous you were being in Ihram for the first time.

remember how you kept reading the panduan coz you were worried you might forget how to do umrah,

and how you kept fighting back tears on the way to Makkah.

remember how you fought back tears when you said "Labbayk Allahumma abbayk. labbayk laa shareeka la ka labbayk innal hamda wanni'mata laka walmulk, laa shareeka lak"

and then, remember when you first saw Kaabah.

you couldn't believe that the Kaabah which you've seen so much on sejadah and tv is really in front of you.

you were so amazed and so grateful that you forgot to close your mouth =p

remember when you tawaf the Kaabah, how you kept looking at it, wondering how you ended up there, in front of it,

and then you observed the people around you and felt how insignificant you are to Him.

"yet, You allowed me to be here. with my family. means, i'm not insignificant to You.."

remember mars, how fortunate you are.

during Saie, remember how tiring it was going from Bukit Safa' to Bukit Marwah.

tapi you muda, so takpe. remember how the older ones did it without complaining.

be like that too when you're older. be as passionate as if you've never aged physically.

My brothers and Abah. 

remember how Abah provided us with food, medicine, and making sure we get to visit Madinah and Makkah. if it weren't for him, we wouldn't have the opportunity to go there. 

thank you Abah =')

remember how Azry protected you during Tawaf and Saie and when we climbed Gua Hira'

remember how he was always looking out for me when i'm left behind.

he is such a lovely brother.

remember how Arief made you laugh with his faces and his jokes.

remember how he always held your hand in Istanbul to keep you warm.

such a thoughtful brother.

remember how Ike was always in the front, leading us all and making sure he knows it better than any of us so that he can guide.

such a good leader.

=)

remember the steep steps to Gua Hira'. 

during mama and abah's time, there were no stair steps, railings and resting areas. they literally had to hike.

remember how you were actually sick at this time but you just went on anyway coz you don't want to miss out on seeing the place where Nabi Muhammad SAW terima wahyu.

it was worth it =)

but then, remember how dirty it was.. how people just leave their trash behind and makes this place as if it's a picnic area..

hope there are some people who clean the place up.

Jabal Thur.

remember how hot and dry it was, but Alhamdulillah, it didn't bother any of us. 

we didn't feel hot even though our body reacted to it, and Alhamdulillah, you were not once kena kacau or grabbed or whatever! =D

remember how amazing it is to see air zamzam to flow non-stop for how many thousand years and it's so fresh and cold, ALL THE TIME!

Subhanallah!

doakan my brothers jumpa jodoh yang ditentukan Allah swt soon =)

remember mars.

remember.

=)

To You is the return (of all)

Assalamualaikum =)

Umrah was an amazing experience.
i would love to go there again and again and again!
i'd love to go there with my (future) husband, and if Allah wills, my children, my grandchildren and so forth.

we went to Madinah first, my family and I, then we went to Makkah and lastly to Istanbul.

Madinah and Makkah was of course for the Umrah and Istanbul, for a short holiday =)

Masjid An Nabawi and Masjid Al Haram.. I miss these Masjids already..
the first time ever i felt so close to Nabi Muhammad SAW and Allah SWT.
the first time ever my heart beats in zikir.
the first time ever my brain resets itself from internet, social, and all the worldly desires, to only thinking of my relationship with Him.

i was scared. i takde la warak mana. i bukan nak cakap i pergi Umrah, i jadi gila warak sampai i can only think of Him.
i had so much thoughts and mostly, i had so much regrets and concerns.

i was embarrassed to be so close to Him and The Prophet Muhammad SAW.. remembering how i was and what i am now, i still find so many things about myself that are shameful. will i ever get His approval? what have i done to make Nabi Muhammad SAW proud of me being his follower?

i have so much to learn.
ilmu di dada, memang tak cukup. knowledge i gained from university and school days dissipates into nothingness when i looked at Kaabah.
to me, my knowledge in Islam is only as big as my little finger.
how can i not be embarrassed?

so when i was there, in these beautiful Masjids, when i saw Kaabah, i kept crying and crying.
Allah SWT blessed us with so many great amazing awesome things, and it's high time to contribute back.

at the age of 24 (soon to be 25), i am still in that identity-searching period.
i don't know if that's normal.
sometimes i just wish someone can just talk to me, point me to my direction and guide me through.
tapi, kalau it's that easy, then i won't have experiences to share kan?

that's why i kept crying when i was there.
that's why i only had Him in mind.

baru i tahu yang i tak tahu apa apa pun.




Ya Allah yang Maha Esa..
Ampun.. and Thank You.
=')

Engineering 101

Assalamualaikum!

i have been working as an engineer ni for almost two years and i think i hardly ever talk about it.
sedih.
bukan apa, i blame the media.

YO producers/script writers/directors/and those yang kerja in filming industry!

Y U NO MAKE MOVIES OR SERIES PASAL ENGINEERS?!
*exception of Prison Break.

kalau ada pun, tak melekat kat people's minds to know what engineers do. coz we all know what doctors do, what teachers do, what happens in glee clubs and hair salons, but really, apa sangat yang orang tau pasal engineers?

sooooooooooooooooo,
meh saya ajar sikit pasal engineering ya. and this episode, i nak ajar pasal fittings!! yayyyy!! (?)

*ehem*
kalau buat satu project, tak kisah la rumah ke, building ke, toilet ke, train station ke, fittings mesti ada. fittings ni diumpamakan as penyambung. Fit-Tings. It Fits. eh macam potential nama kedai je. ahak!
function fittings ni, well, menyambungkan pipes or besi or whatever.

here are some examples of fittings:

google image, saya curi gambar tanpa permisi. thanks!

"wah, apa natang ni sume?" tanya orang yang curious. i bet kalau those yang tak curious dah stop baca by now =p
ini adalah pipe fittings!

here are two examples of fittings!

google image, i curi your picture dengan sengaja. thanks!

this is elbow 90degrees. bukan 98degrees ya.

kalau you notice, all the pipes yang bengkang bengkok memang ada elbow ni. wajib. kena. mandatory. 

google image, i took this one too. thanks!

this is nipple. stainless steel SS316. 1 inch, 150 lb. this one function dia menyambungkan two separated (and threaded) pipes.

and there are sooo much more!!

i dulu awal-awal kerja selalu gila pergi hardware store to stock up these fittings. so i almost kinda memorised all the fittings that are commonly used. like these two!

oh, by the way, now that we are aware of the existence of fittings, kalau boss you tengok kat purchase orders and ask

"whose nipple is this??? 1 and a half inch??"

jangan la fikir bukan bukan.

dan yang penting, jangan la gelak.

sekian.