Sunday, May 27, 2007

my very own Andalucian stories

Disclaimer:

I am no Washington Irving. Unlike him, who spent 4 years of his life living in Spain in the early 19th centuries and wrote some magnificent stories about the history and tales of the Moors & the Spaniards, I just spent a couple of nights in a mediocre place in Granada this year (and same few last 2 years) and I don’t have the capacity to produce a beautiful book that still sells almost 2 centuries later. Well all I have is this humble blog where I go to whenever I feel like writing, stressed out, when something interesting happens, or even for nothing at all (dan juga bila bertemu lelaki kacak ha ha haa..kidding)


Alhambra: my own short (and sweet) tale of it

For a second visit, Alhambra managed to win my heart all over again. It’s like a rebound to your ex-lover that became an ex- after a peaceful departs, if you get what I mean. The rain was pouring heavily in the morning, alas, the sun started to shine again when you think that there’ll be no hope for that. Fate drew me closer to this blue-striped someone, exchanging glances, and it was fate too that had us turned away from each other in the end. OK that might sound a bit cliché. (Nothing happened, no we didn’t chase each other down the hill with multi-coloured costumes and back-up dancers, nothing like that)


Albaicin

Late in the afternoon I went up to Albaicin alone. The parents were too tired for a second round up. During the first Spanish conquest during winter 2005 I didn’t get the chance to visit Albaicin, so this time I promised myself that I’d go there no matter what. It was a peaceful solitary journey, made me realized that I shall do that more in the future just for the thrills of life. It was a quiet and beautiful evening. Not many tourists were there when I reached the viewing place, as there were still few more hours to sun down when tourists would usually populate the place for a breathtaking sunset view of Alhambra from afar.

I went to the only mosque you can find in Granada, I mean the functioning one, after all the old mosques converted to churches after the fall of the great Muslim rulings to the hands of Isabella and Ferdinand. It was a pretty cozy mosque, there was a small garden in front of the entrance to the praying area. I went in, with the intention to perform a 2 rakaat solat and realized that I had my see through skin colour hosiery on and forgotten to bring a new pair of clean socks for solat, which I normally would do. OK lesson for the day was pakailah stoking yg menutup kaki betul2 he he (tertunduk insaf).

Just when I was about to step out from the mosque I heard a voice giving me salaam from behind. He was a tall lean Spanish guy, probably in his early 30s, with a very clean face and a pleasant accent. I figured immediately that he looks after the mosque and the little shop just inside. We talked, mostly about the Muslim Spaniards. He was from the Northern Spain, and asked me,

“Are you from Indonesia?” I mentioned Malaysia and he replied,

“Oh they’re very alike, all are from the same Nusantara.”

I asked more about the mosque, the funding and all. It was inspiring to learn the fact that there’ll always be people that’ll fight for Islam to live through no matter where and how. The chatting continued while we strolled out to the front garden. Once outside he saw a lady in a wheelchair just at the main entrance of the mosque and immediately excused himself for a moment and went near her to offer help. I took the chance to snap few photos of the garden, the mosque and Alhambra from there.

I figured it’d probably best to continue my walk to other places there. Went to bid him farewell when he mentioned,

“Can you do me a favour? Do you know Layla? Anwar and Layla own a teahouse on the right and down from that corner. She loves to get contacts of Muslimahs from all over the world. Maybe you can meet her and leave your name and number there.”

So I went searching for Layla following his directions while enjoying the scenic view of local settlements of Albaicin quarters. I came to few small teahouses, bar and restaurants, none looked like being owned by a Muslim couple. I stopped and asked a worker from a restaurant, he referred me to a guy who gave me a simple direction of forward and right. Nothing too. I gave up. It was not my rezki I figured. I began walking in reversed directions where I came from, engulfed in my own thoughts before realizing that I walked the wrong way. Well you know me and directions..

When I reached San Nicolas (the viewing place) the skies had begun turning red. I quickly took few photos and spent some times just sipping the evening air while listening to the live guitar and singing from a group of young hippies. Not bad at all. I then packed my stuff and went to wait for the bus to go down, realizing if I stayed any longer it would caused worries to the parents (the truth was they were still asleep when I reached the room, probably very tired from all the walkings).


Kebab Ahmad (bukan nama sebenar)

I actually took a small detour to the last kebab shop I went last winter before walking back to the place I stayed. I can still remember how tasty the kebab was, probably the best kebab you can find in Granada (OK I might be wrong due to the fact that we only tasted 2 different kebabs last time). I remembered Ahmad, the pleasant Egyptian guy who made the kebab for us. We agreed that he was more than just a kebab guy, well if he’s not then he’s certainly an opiniated one! I remembered he talked about Islam in Spain. I was a bit disappointed to learn that Ahmad was no longer there, there was a new Algerian guy who gave me the same ol’ delicious kebab with discount. It was nice to trace back the old memories though..


If you ask me whether I'd like to go for a third round trip, I would say yeah without a single doubt. The past two visits had served some very random, sweet and exciting vibes in my life, and I think I need more of those, very certainly..

Monday, May 21, 2007

of gaining the title (Part 2)

A day after the exam really finished the whole lot of us spent times together in one of the girls' houses. We talked and ate, and talked even more till about 3a.m. All of us kept our mobile phones closed within reach as the failed candidates for the final exam will be notified via phone starting that day. Terrifying, never in my life I want my mobile phone NOT to ring ever!

So we talked, and it went deep. Some of us mentioned about the old parents lives, the hardships they have to face in order to feed their children to be who they are (or who they nearly become) now, the old family that sacrificed so much, the lossed ones and the missed ones. Yep not all of us are dads' who are doctors, engineers or bank managers. And yep it's a big challenge to raise a kid to really become a human nowadays. Somehow we felt so blessed somewhere in those hardships we were still brought up in a way we should be (or closed to). It was just emotional to think about the old days when things were still fixed in such inadequacy.

I don't know about other people. I used to be a difficult child to my parents, very demanding and an almost impossible person sometimes. It got me smiling on my own to think about the moments when I threw tantrums over almost everything and had the whole family spin their heads 360 degrees over my nothingness. I was merely a kid..(who sought for some extra attentions when bored I supposed)

So for this occasion, I'd like to say the biggest thank you to my parents (though I know they won't read this). Thanks for giving me enough attentions I can't never get from any other people, thanks for raising me up adequately (or extra-adequately), thanks for believing in me when everyone seemed to lose hope in me, thanks for letting me opening myself to what I want to be, thanks for the du'a and tahajjud in the middle of the nights, thanks for not leaving the prayer mats till I finished my papers, thanks for putting up with me all these while, thanks for every other words can't explain..

I know I can never thank you enough, not today, not forever..

Friday, May 18, 2007

of gaining the title (Part 1)

Yep.

All praises to dear Lord, Allah SWT, I've passed my final exams. When the results were announced last Friday (May 11th) , it really felt like a heavy stone (maybe few) being lifted from my shoulders. The feelings were overwhelming, I was left with free flowing tears and huge sobs. Part of me was so full of gratitudes and the other part was just happy that this battle, for once and for all, has finally come to an end.

I had been receiving advises (and pre-warnings) on the finals for many times since entering the year. If I have to pick which advice that moved me the most, it has to be the one given from one of the senior consultants. He said,

"You have been studying for almost 6 years and when the time comes, just make sure you DO JUSTICE TO YOURSELF."

So I kept repeating that in my head during the sleepless nights and at times when I was about to lose hope on myself - that I shall not stop till I really have done justice to myself. It was hard to justify how much should one do in order to achieve justice, especially when one is at his/her most fragile state and endurance seems so impossible. So my interpretation of justice was to do everything I might for the final push, and yeah that includes putting studies first before meal and the last thing before I close my eyes to sleep, and pray hard for God's mercy for the rest of it.

One of my friends mentioned a quote which I thought of helped, it says "luck is when preparation meets opportunity" - thus in order to gain luck one must be prepared and pray for the best opportunity (in my case I call this rezki) to come from God. In truth it wasn't as easy as it sounds (if one thing you shall learn from reading this entry is nothing good in this world is easy), you can never be prepared enough as there are numerous things to cover and you are afraid that opportunity might not come when you need it. But you have no other choices, keep pressing the pedal on a gear 4 and pray hard that you arrive safely..

Saturday, May 05, 2007

running to the future

from left: Mr How-U-Doinn'?, Moi!, Miss U-Don't-Wanna-Mess-With-Me-Seriously, Miss Cool-Gurl-With-Big-Attitudes

Last day of Paeds rotation

March 2007, OLCH Crumlin



Paeds has officially ended today. Alhamdulillah..

2 more..

Keep running..



p/s: gonna miss every little moment from paeds definitely..