I babble, I ramble, and I rattle

No, it’s not my dad’s birthday but my granddad’s 70th 75th 70th birthday according to his birth certificate (not his actual birthday which no one knows about). I think it’s his 75th. Or is it his 70th? Oh well… I don’t remember.

And yes, I call him Ayah (well, actually it’s Ayoh since we speak Kelantanese). You do know that Kelantanese have a weird way of referring to their relatives, right? I called my late great grandmother Mak (mother).

The rest of the family (i.e aunts, uncles, cousins) had already celebrated the birthday (Ayah’s first ever birthday celebration) last night after a relative’s wedding at the Palm Garden Hotel, IOI resort (pics by Ba’ah HERE).

I did not attend the function as a sign of protest towards the rest of the family due to reasons which I shall not elaborate here. Despite my grandma’s insitence that I attend the wedding (and specifically requested I wear my latest kebaya bought in Padang, Indonesia), only my parents went.

Instead, I went to BG’s friend’s house to play with his cats (the male cat tried many times to rape sodomise his own 3-month old SON! How desperate… ) and came home with several scratches as souvenirs.

This morning, last night’s entourage (Ba’ah’s siblings’ families) to the wedding dinner decided to give us a visit and mum sent me scrambling to the shop to buy some chicken, fish and vegetable for lunch. As I returned home, mum cheerfully informed me that they were not going to stay for lunch. What a relief. However, I went to the kitchen to clean the chicken; almost 6kg of them so that I don’t have to clean them later.

Only one of my uncles and his family did not come as they have been the host for the visitors from Kelantan and Melaka since yesterday. We had lunch at their place yesterday, where every single one of Ba’ah’s siblings were present with their families. Unfortunately, I was too busy eating (hey, my aunt made spaghetti carbonara & bolognese!!! Simply irresistable ) to take any pictures of the family gathering.

As I was halfway done with the chicken, mum came to the kitchen and announced, “We’re cooking them lunch and we have to be quick about it. They’re in a hurry to go to KL.”

There simply was no time for protests. I cooked and cooked and cooked and by the time I was done (they ate while I cooked), everyone was already outside the house, ready to leave. Therefore, again, I did not take any pictures. And I was exhausted (so can you imagine my response when mum asked me to cook dinner? But I did it anyway).

Later in the afternoon, Boka came home and mum asked him to get a Chocolate Indulgence cake from Secret Recipe for Ayah’s birthday. I’m sure it was just an excuse for us to have a cake. We’ve always been looking forward to birthdays so that we have a a valid excuse to splurge on cakes. We’re cake manias.

We had no candle-blowing or cake-cutting ceremonies. We rarely have them. We asked Ayah to cut the cake simply because it’s meant for his birthday. Otherwise, we might have cut it ourselves without anyone else’s knowledge.

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Boka (the only grandchild around apart from me) & Ayah. I’m liking my ‘new’ lens… VERY MUCH.

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Ayah cutting the cake for us.

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Our (me and my siblings) motto when eating is ‘when you find something that you like, eat it until you’ve had enough and if you don’t feel like puking yet, you haven’t had enough’. And eat (the rich and creamy chocolate cake) we did until we could take no more.

Afterwards, Ba’ah came down and put on his HD sampler (blu-ray) disc that he got from the US. He played it once last week and proudly told everyone what that was. In case you’re clueless, it’s the clips that the shops play on their HD-TVs to demonstrate how cool their TVs are.

(Translated)

Me : They actually sell this thing? Who would buy them?

Mum :Ba’ah did…

Me : …

Then…

Ba’ah : Cool. We have our own aquarium now.

Some pictures taken from the TV:

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Just now, we were talking about how EVERYONE who came today read this schedule printed by Pih last week. Mum asked someone to hang the laundry and Pih suddenly went to the computer to print this out:

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He changed the days when he realised that he had to do the hanging (which he dislikes doing) that day.

Mae just came down to see me, Kona and Pih glued to the laptops and desktop in the living room (Boka is upstairs playing Hotel California on Guitar Hero) and exclaimed, “All THREE computers are taken???”

Maybe I should let him use my laptop now.

Oh, just remembered. Mum called from her room upstairs and asked me to do something in the kitchen.. She called my mobile phone first but I was too lazy to get up and answer it; then she called the house phone. How ridiculous. I wonder what has got into her when usually she would just yell from her room.

I better go now before I forget again. It has been a long exhausting day.

N.B.: I had no idea about the watermarks on the pictures until I have uploaded them all. Can’t be bothered to change them. Must be Ba’ah’s doing when I wasn’t aware. I didn’t see him playing around with my Picasa, though. I wonder when he did it.

This morning Boka came home with a new game for us; Guitar Hero World Tour.

We can jam using our cute little Miis! They look so out of place on a rock stage. Well, actually these Miis look silly wherever they are; even on the Wii Music concert stages.

Boka (drums) and Pih (guitar) having a jamming session on Guitar Hero World Tour.

Ba’ah and Mama got home from Singapore after midnight last night and Mama excitedly told me that she bought something at Changi Airport… And showed me this box. (No, no… It’s not for me)

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Puzzled, I asked her why. It’s not like her to buy perfumes or anything else at airports. Besides, she just bought a bottle last month.

Guess what? She bought the perfume just to get this Disney cushion. And we’re not even fans of them. Ok… I hate Mickey but I kinda like Donald and Ba’ah likes Goofy but we would never admit to being their fans.

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She told me Changi Airport is now celebrating Mickey & the gang and with any purchase of $80 in one receipt, you get that cushion for free.

Pictures by Ba’ah:

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She could have bought the cheaper eau de toilette but spent $130 on an eau de parfum just because it came with free gifts but that’s beside the point. I still find it hard to believe that she purposely spent her money at the airport just so that she could get the cushion. Well, Alifus… Lucky you. The cushion is yours.

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On another note, Ba’ah bought a new lens for himself and handed down to me his old one. We had a brief photo taking session.

Mama’s perfume set, my old kit lens and one of the two boxes of Ferrero Rocher that Mama’s cousin gave her.

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I wanted to put this picture up the day after it was taken but the site was down then. After that, I simply forgot.

I know mum has already blogged about this but that’s her blog. This is mine. Besides, I need to correct something that she wrote.

Ba’ah got back from the US on Sunday (it was Sunday, right?) with a couple of Blu-ray discs, one of which was the Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds concert. Kona is a big fan of hers and Ba’ah bought it especially for her (the rest didn’t get any souvenirs from Ba’ah ).

Kona played it cool… Not appearing to be too excited about the disc and instead focused on playing games on the Wii (or did we have a Singstar session on PS2 as well? I don’t remember).

Only later at night, did she quietly tell everyone she wanted to watch the concert. We decided to join her.

A few minutes later, she suggested we try the 3D version.

The disc came with four of those stupid looking glasses eyewears and we took one each while Boka fished out from his wallet a piece of blue plastic and another piece of red one. Why on earth has he been carrying those things, I would have no idea. (Mama, those pieces came from Boka’s wallet, not the drawers).

It was an interesting experience… And I ended up with a headache afterwards. Spectacled people are just not meant to be using that thing for a prolonged period.

Mum was with us for a short while before handing over her piece to Mae.

We looked so stupid, wouldn’t you agree? Picture taken by Ba’ah.

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Currently, we still have the house to ourselves as Ba’ah and mum went to Singapore yesterday.

Thanks to night-long football and gaming, Kona was almost late for her piano lesson today and I didn’t start cooking until late.

Oh, and today Harvest Festival on Animal Crossing!!! Spent approximately 5 hours (me, Kona and Pih took turns) bullying Franklin into giving us special harvest items. Now that the festival is over (it ended at 9pm), everyone is calling it a day. Besides, it’s raining outside… The perfect weather to catch up with our sleep.

On second thought… I might just have another go at Wii Music.

Such a relief to know that smart, intelligent and sane people still exist in Malaysia.

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Council of Rulers must approve edict first
Terence Fernandez

PETALING JAYA (Nov 24, 2008) : The implementation of the fatwa (edicts) on yoga and tomboys by the National Fatwa Council are on hold pending approval from the Council of Rulers.
According to sources, the rulers have expressed reservation over the pronouncement of the fatwa and want to study both edicts before giving royal assent.

The fatwa prohibiting Muslims from practising the ancient form of exercise was issued on Saturday by National Fatwa Council chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin. He issued another edict banning tomboys and lesbianism on Oct 23.

So far, the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah is the only Ruler who has gone on record on his reservations over the edict.

This morning, the Sultan issued a statement from Istana Bukit Kayangan Shah Alam, stating that the fatwa on Yoga will not be enforced in his State as the edict was not brought before the Selangor Fatwa Committee.

“The State Fatwa Committee which is chaired by the Mufti of Selangor will convene to discuss the matter in depth, so that no decision is made in haste,” His Royal Highness said in a media release issued through his private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani.

The statement added that after the Committee decides on the fatwa, the proposal will be presented to the Sultan who will decide if it should be adopted. This is in line with the Islamic Administration Enactment (Selangor) 2003.

“It is the wish of Tuanku that in future any fatwa that will affect the general public will be brought to the Council of Rulers first before it is announced,” the statement said, adding that by adhering to protocol and procedure, any decision to implement a fatwa “can be done so intelligently so as to avoid confusion and controversy”.

When contacted later, an Istana Bukit Kayangan official said any religious edict can only be issued by the Council of Rulers before its implementation.

“It is not for the Fatwa Council to declare edicts at their whims and fancy,” he said.

“So as far as Selangor is concerned, any fatwa issued without the proper procedure does not stand, and this involves yoga and tomboys,” he added.

“Their Royal Highnesses are not pleased with the rulings as they were not consulted, as required,” said a source.

“It is felt that the Fatwa Council did not respect the position of the Sultans as guardians of Islam since any edict must first be brought before the Council of Rulers before it is announced,” said a source.

According to procedure, after the proposed fatwa is discussed by the State Fatwa Committee, the Mufti, submits the prepared fatwa to the Islamic Religious Council, who in turn makes a recommendation to the Ruler for his assent to publish the fatwa in a Gazette.

Once the edict has been assented to, the religious council informs the State Government of the fatwa, who in turn will proceed to publish it in a Gazette. Once published, the fatwa is binding on every Muslim in the state.

The source added that such protocol is common knowledge to members of the National Fatwa Council. It is not known if Abdul Shukor will be summoned by the King, but it is understood that in Perak, State Religious Department director Datuk Jamry Sury has earned the displeasure of the Perak Royal household for adopting the National Fatwa Council’s edict on Yoga even before Sultan Azlan Shah or Raja Muda Raja Nazrin Shah were consulted.

“Tuanku will summon Datuk Jamry at the appropriate time, but as far as Perak is concerned, both fatwa will not be implemented as yet,” said a palace source in Kuala Kangsar.
Jamry today withdrew his statement, which was reported in The Star today.

The secretary of the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council was also quoted as telling the paper that a meeting would be held on Dec 9 before a public announcement was made on the matter.

He said today that as JAIP director, it was beyond his jurisdiction and discretion to make a stand on a religious matter which was the prerogative of the Sultan of Perak.

“The fatwa (on yoga) cannot be adopted in Perak yet as it has not been discussed by the State Fatwa Committee and brought to the attention of the State Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council before being presented to the Perak Sultan for consent,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, in Malacca, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the state government would gazette the fatwa on yoga for Muslims issued by the National Fatwa Council, by next month, the latest.

He said the state government fully supported the ruling that the systematic practice of yoga which involved physical movements, mantra and the aim of oneness with God were against Islamic teachings.
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“I will hold a special meeting with the Melaka State Islamic Religious Council (Maim) to discuss the matter,” he said after visiting the state zakat headquarters in Bukit Palah.

Mohd Ali, who is also Maim chairman, said Muslims should take up other forms of physical exercise which would not affect their faith in Islam.

On the call by the Syariah Lawyers Association Malaysia for the government to use the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment and Penal Code on those who challenged the fatwa institution, he said he supported it.

Mohd Ali said Muslims should adhere to the fatwa issued by the National Fatwa Council, otherwise others would make their own rulings on matters involving religion.
Updated: 01:03AM Tue, 25 Nov 2008

http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=27939

Started my morning by sending mum to work.

Then bought breakfast lunch for my brothers and sister.

Followed by a few hours of fishing and bug catching on Animal Crossing: City Folk (this is the Wii version, previously I blogged about the Gamecube version).

Called JPA who informed me that they have actually received my cheque weeks ago but it was sent to the wrong department. WTF??? I specifically addressed the letter to Ms X in XYZ Department. Just because the cheque was put under the Ketua Pengarah’s name doesn’t mean it should be sent to department ABC. Besides, what were they doing opening up the letter which were not addressed to them in the first place?

Discovered that our website is finally up again (YAY!!!).

Cooked dinner for family.

Pick up mum from work at 6pm.

Watched Pih and Kona fishing and catching bugs.

Will have to go out to send Kona for her piano lesson in a short while.

“Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin says yoga can erode the belief of Muslims”

PUTRAJAYA: As expected, the National Fatwa Council yesterday announced that Muslims are prohibited from practising yoga.

In declaring yoga haram, the council said it could be traced back to Hinduism and concluded that yoga could erode the faith of Muslims.

Council chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin said the decision was made as yoga involved elements that were against the beliefs of Islam in its physical movements, chanting and worship.

“Many Muslims in the country fail to understand the ultimate aim of yoga.

“It combines physical movements, religious elements, chanting and worshipping for the purpose of achieving inner peace and ultimately to be one with God,” he said at a press conference to announce the decision yesterday.

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Asked if practising yoga with the intention of promoting physical health was also against the fatwa, he said although it did not include the chanting and beliefs, it was discouraged.

This, he said, was because the physical movements of yoga were a component of the practice which was haram.

“In Islam, one must not do things which can erode one’s aqidah (belief). Yoga, even the physical movements, is a step towards the erosion of a Muslim’s belief, hence they must avoid it.”

Obviously I have no say on the fatwa ruling but that does not mean I do not have my own opinion.

I feel insulted. I see it as an insult to my (and other Malaysian Muslims’) intelligence and faith. Am I THAT gullible? Are you? I was brought up as a Muslim my entire life and a simple yoga practice can erode my aqidah? PLEASE…

However, I do have to admit that I AM losing faith on the authorities; be it on religious matters or not. It’s eroding fast. Really fast.

I do yoga every now and then and it it makes me feel very good (physically and mentally). As for the spiritual aspect, I would have no idea about it as to me yoga is purely a form of exercise despite its origin. As far as I’m concerned, my Islamic faith has not been smeared one bit (much less eroded) from my yoga practices.

It is other things that make me question ‘Islamic’ beliefs. Some may say that I question the religion (and the authorities) too much but what is wrong about asking to learn and understand? When I understand something, I have more faith in what I believe in as opposed to just blindly accepting what others have to say. I think it is wrong for the learned to say things like “I know better than you do so you should listen to what I say”. Instead they should take the time to OPENLY explain and discuss the issues with those who are not in the know with the intention to educate them. (this is not related to the yoga issue but more of my general view on how things go about in Malaysia)

I still like yoga (though my extreme laziness would mean I would not do it regularly) and I believe I will still do it whenever I feel like doing so. I don’t like any other forms of exercises except swimming but I don’t have a swimming pool at home so I guess I’m stuck with yoga for the time being.

Between me and Allah, He knows that yoga has done absolutely nothing to erode my faith.

After much persuasion from everyone, I finally opened the box at 6pm today.

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And everyone immediately grabbed a handful for themselves.

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But we are keeping these 3 especially for Ba’ah (the white one especially since he loves white chocolate).

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My brother alerted us to the Monty Python Channel on YouTube a few days ago and there’s already an entry about it in my mum’s blog but who cares if I’m 10 years late.

Monty Python is on YouTube!!!

Now that I think about it… Where did I put all the Monty Python (original) DVDs that I own??? Seriously. I can’t remember.

Sorry for being ‘quiet’ for the past two days. Did not have internet access as my Maxis Broadband account was barred due to an outstanding balance of RM67++ (interesting to note that the monthly fee is actually RM78) which was due on 30/10/08. Very strict, indeed. Unlike Streamyx where you can not pay for 3 months and you still get your internet. Or more interestingly, you have terminated the accounts (phone line and internet) 5 months ago and yet you are still getting billed for them.

Anyway, at the risk of being reprimanded by my parents (and for that matter, any other sane person), for taking pictures while driving, I present to you the pictures that I took (there were actually about 100 of them!!! ) while driving on the North-South Highway from Penang to KL (though I can’t remember where I took which picture).

It rained heavily between Sungai Perak (where I overtook F’s car) and Ipoh and cloudy at other places. Rains and clouds don’t go well with my car as the aircond is already ‘gila ganas’ (to quote F).

I stopped at the Tapah R&R to rest my aching butt and get some fresh guava for my mum as well as to defrost my freezing hands and feet. Yes, my car is THAT cold (ok, I admit that ‘defrost’ is an exaggerated choice of word but you get the idea) even when the aircond is set at minimum blast and half the coldness (any less, then it’d just be like a plain fan). Opening the window was out of the question as it was raining. Fortunately this time around, I did remember to wear double layer of shirts so it was not as bad as before.

I was extremely tempted to surf the net (they have free WiFi at the R&R) but unfortunately my laptop was inside a box which was underneath a pile of ‘junks’.

Approaching Taiping.

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Somewhere near Taiping too, I think.

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Gua Tempurung. Oh, no! Just remembered that the speed limit there is 90km/h! Hopefully I was doing 100km/h  at that time (I usually maintain an almost constant speed of 110km/h on the highway) and there were no traps set. I’m a very unlucky person when it comes to breaking the rules. I get caught the moment I do something/ anything wrong.

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Just after Gua Tempurung.

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Nearing Tapah.

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Just after the exit to Bidor & Teluk Intan.

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Near Ladang Bikam.

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2km from Sungkai Exit.

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By the time I reached Shah Alam at around 8.40pm, my brothers and sister were already starving, waiting for the briyani rice that I promised to bring them from Penang. It’s my family’s favourite briyani. My parents likened it to the briyani that they used to eat in India (dad regularly went to India for business a couple of years back and mum tagged along once or twice for holiday).

If any of you is going or planning to go to Penang, I would highly recommend going to Kapitan Restaurant. Don’t miss the briyani and try the tandoori set. Their tandoori chicken is simply one of the best I’ve ever had and the naan very nice.

A word of caution, though… One serving of the briyani is enough to make you feel sick due to the extreme spiciness (and sometimes saltiness).

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The restaurant near Gurney Drive. I think this outlet (if I remember correctly, they have FOUR outlets on the Penang Island) serves much better briyani and tandoori and naan compared to the other Kapitan in town but the other one makes better mango lassi.

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