News of the day: Fatwa on Yoga... Let's do Kejora Instead

I'm sure many Muslims who has been practicing yoga waited for the official fatwa in abated breathe while the Muftis get a crash course on yoga before they make any decision. I have attended several yoga classes led by several Chinese instructors and apart from 1-2 who said their ohms after the class, there's nothing during the exercise session that suggested the presence of Hinduism elements.

While it would be nice if the Fatwa said 'Yoga is not Haram', it wouldn't bother me much if they say it is. I will probably have a tough time explaining to other Muslims why I still continue attending my yoga classes (when I got the time to go actually). But haven't the same fatwa council said smoking is Haram and yet we see Muslim men, and women included, smoking away like chimneys endangering not just their health but their loved ones from the second hand smoke.

If some people insisted Yoga originates from Hinduism, why don't we change the name to reflect a modern Yoga that focuses on health and not religion. Probably we can use Kejora instead since Jalan Alor got to keep its name :) Then I can say I'm going to my Kejora class hehehehe...

Another Love Of My Life

This is another love of my life :) He is so adorable. How can I not love him... he is so sincere, so nonjudgmental and he gives back as much love as he receives. No questions asked, no filters and no layers of pretense whatsoever.

Adik, Mak Sue misses you very much!

The One

The One.

It's a romantic comedy shown on TV tonight. It was heart wrenching watching Michael Blake struggles with his feelings towards Gail throughout the movie. Bill, Michael's best friend, has a phrase for what Michael's going through... proximity without intimacy. It must have been torturous for him to keep his feelings like that. My heart goes out to him whenever he makes a blunder. I have the tip of my tongue at the back of my front teeth, willing Michael to make the declaration of his feelings towards Gail.

Gordie, Gail's fiance, is a nice guy with a temper and self-centeredness that may exist in each and everyone of us. How well do you know your other half? That is the question that brings a sweet ending to the movie.

How well do I know hubby? We're still discovering each other's quirks and fancies. How do I KNOW he's the one? That's a little bit more complicated to explain but in a gist, he stood up through flying daggers and zingers to discover the other side of me. Before I met hubby, I was always skeptical when people say you'll find someone and you'll know he's the one. I was like.... yeah right! then how come so many marriages ended up in divorce when they have accepted the other half as 'the one' or else they wouldn't get married to each other. Right??!! May our marriage has Allahs's blessings as long as we live and if you're still looking, you probably wouldn't believe me either but you'll know if he or she is 'the one' :)

Whenever you stare at him while he's asleep or when he's not looking, you're just glad he has become part of your life and you'll go through life's journey together. Yikes... I'm going so mushy tonight. Must have been because of the warm and fuzzy feeling I got from watching the movie :D

Of Being in Control... and Not

One of the thing I dislike so much is of judgmental people and those who backbites. I'm not perfect. I'm human too... thus I may be guilty of the same mistake but I'll not do it consciously. I've always subscribed to this saying, "Do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you." But then, how can you make people realize that? How can you make people believe in the same principle as yours? I'd say I may have better luck watching the grass grow than change people.

Below is an article that is said to be the 90/10 Rules by Stephen Covey. I have read this passage before but I can't recall from which book. Anyway, it is the message that is important. I should practice it more often especially while driving :)

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? By your reaction.

You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react.

You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home. When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? ... Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is “D". You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.

Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "It's ok honey, you just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED.

You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

It still hurts when you found out how judgmental some people can be or of what people has been saying behind your back BUT... those are the things that you do not have any control of. As for the things I CAN control, I'm glad I have my conscience clear. And as for the things I CAN control, I'm about to make a dramatic change in my career. It's scary and exciting at the same time. Isn't it great? That we have a choice :)

Selamat Hari Raya 1429 Hijrah

I still remember how it was during Hari Raya last year. That was the most challenging Raya for me. So many things has happened since then. This is my first Raya as a wife. Alhamdulillah, it went very well :) We celebrated at hubby's kampung. I was part of the ketupat crew and got the 'tender' for beef and chicken. I was wearing my wrist watch when we clean and wash the chicken. I'm sure the CSI team can still find a lot of chicken DNA on the band of my wrist watch :D

I have a small family. Hubby's big. All the food is cooked at a large scale. Almost like a 'kenduri' scale. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was tiring but everyone seemed to be in the festive mood and enjoyed the gathering. The children were running all over the place and it can be quite overwhelming for someone who normally have her peace and quiet but it was fun getting to know my little nephews and nieces. They are cute. Cute nieces and nephews means I have to prepare more Angpow this year :)

We also have a special invitation to an open house hosted by Puteri Gunung Ledang hehehe... This is the time for us to relax and unwind.


The waterfall


This is us :) You can also find Duyung Ledang Muslimah if you were at the open house but hubby said his hands were too wet to take her photo.


The other guests...


The path




On something not so nice, I discovered the ugly side of human nature. Rubbish were thrown all over the place all the way to the waterfall despite the many rubbish bins provided. Sigh! I have some pictures but decided not to waste my bandwidth by posting them. I take it upon myself to collect and throw rubbish found along my way. Hubby has to help in which he asked since when does he become the member of Malaysian Nature Society hehehe... I told him I already subscribed to the family membership so he automatically becomes a member :)

There's another thing. It's like getting a jolt with a bucket of icy water. I can only do so much, say so much, hope so much... the rest is up to Allah. It's my fault. I have always respected other people's privacy. I expect other people to respect mine too. But this time I break my own rules... to receive a painful lesson. I'm not going to make it a habit. I've learnt my lesson. No matter what other people say or do, I'd like to say I have my conscience clear. I prayed everyone will have a blessed Syawal.

Eid Mubarak... Kullu ‘aamin wa antum bikhairin... Minal ‘aaidil wal faaizin.