Splendous Sabah Trip (Part 2)

Life couldn't be any hectic. Being commuting to and fro Putra Medical Centre, Sungai Buloh since my sis is warded there. To cut it short, voila, our family was aired with a good news yesterday. Another blessing of the year, welcoming the latest addition to Muhamad's family, Muhamad Amirul Hakimi. Another hero and beetle in the family. Be a good and pious son yeah! 

:)

Moving on to our main agenda, I've been keeping the urge of writing this post since i'm pretty caught up with my current life. But heck, I manage to spare some time to write and surely upload some pictures of our day trip to Sabah - miss those moments together. So enjoy the pictures!

Start off the day by driving ourselves to Desa Cattle Mesilau which is within few minutes from where we stay.  Wanted to watch the sunrise, but it rises earlier than we expect. Too early to enter the farm that we decide to just take a few minutes to savor the beauty of Kinabalu mountain zenith from afar before hitting the road to the next destinations. 

Grab our breakfast at Kundasang, and head to Kinabalu Park as promised. Follow the provided trail and end up at a stop which views the mountain top lost in the fog. Devour our breakfast and move to Timpohon gate, one of the entrance to hike the mountain.

Drive up to Ranau which is a bit hotter than calming Kundasang. Head to Sabah Tea. Enjoy the view and buy some souvenirs. 

Rest for a while at Tagal Sg.Moroli or Fish Spa. What an experience! Worth every penny.  When The fishes start swarming your leg, you will feel a bit itchy - that's how the fishes massage you. Feel so great to finally be able to flex the leg muscles.

Hop on the hanging bridge that exists at the Sg.Moroli Fish Spa. Heart skips a beat every time the bridge goes flimsy and shaking. 

Make our way to Poring Hot Spring - rhymed, isn't it? Ha-ha. Just so you know, if you are not a hot spring geek, you will have other option to pamper your body like having a a private time at the waterfall like this one above which one needs to do some walking to the actual spot from the entrance. 

But heck, all pain is paid off once we get to see the water flowing freely, cascading down the waterfall. Have a dive and swim or you will regret for not. 

Later, move to the hot spring part. Yeah, the water is hot, what do you expect? LOL.

Change our clothes and try our male bravado and endurance at Poring Canopy Walk which compounds us another entrance fee.  

Have an immense thrill of fun! Trying to act cool when fear hits us to the core every time we look down. 

End our day at the Rafflesia Sight Seeing. It's deep in the forest. But worth the journey we take. Finally the wish is granted. 

If I feel like writing or hitting this elfin keyboard, i'll try to come up with the third part. So, in sha Allah, there will be a continuity. Stay tuned.

Splendous Sabah Trip (Part 1)

I have long had this written in a draft, but am so lackadaisical to post it up on the blog. Let's see why this occurs. The only reason is that memories are better kept in the back of my mind so that it would be the panacea of bad moment in my life. So i'm writing this away just because I want to immortalize things that we have undergone in a form that it would be there forever that I could still remember what I have undertaken, and that is the beauty of internet. It stays with us forever.

This year end trip has come to an end. After a year of saving and planning, we finally did it. Can you believe it? I possibly cannot.

There are a lot to tell but English just lacks requisite and appropriate words to describe our adventure, our feelings, and our experiences. Just so you know, we do not hire any tour guide to lead us throughout the journey and it gives us freedom to plan our own dream trip. We are proud to tell that we manage to survive until the end of the trip without any major hiccup, excluding losing direction which is a common thing for newcomers like us. Enjoice the pictures of day 1.

The journey begins as soon as we board MH 2604 that flies us away to Kota Kinabalu.

As this flight happens to be the first flight to Kota Kinabalu and it's still early in the morning,  MAS serves us  breakfast as we can choose to devour either Nasi Lemak or Roti Canai. Poor us. When it comes to our rows, they have ran out of Nasi Lemak and that leaves us with no choice but to just manage with Roti Canai.

The good weather warmly welcomes us to Kota Kinabalu. It's a sign that we are going to have a good time throughout  the journey. We unboard the plane at A5 gate. We dash to the custom area to make clearance, and they will issue us a receipt that acts as a pass to enter Borneo. We move to the baggage reclaim area and once we finish, we make our way to the arrival hall. Soon after we settle down at arrival hall, our rental cars arrive (viva auto and saga flx auto). We stuff our things into the car and off we go.

Here we are in Kundasang which is 2 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu. Buy our lunches and we head our ways to the place where we are going to stay for 2 nights.

Kiram's Village Cabin is the place we choose to stay. What a beautiful site! Nothing could describe the pristine and tranquil beauty of this place. And it is cold indeed. The background is just majestic with Kinabalu Mountain sets as its backdrop.

As budget travelers, we book the cheapest room that this place has. To our surprise, the room provides us with 2 beds (1 queen size and 1 single size) and they are just enough to accommodate seven of us.

Finish our lunches as fast as possible as it's still bright outside lest the fog will get heavy as darkness rises. We dash to War memorial to pay our visit.

The beautiful and amazing parks insides the memorial stun us. For a moment, with the temperature fluctuates, we feel like living abroad. HA-ha

We make our way to Kinabalu Park before we call it a day. It's already dark and foggy. We dare not to venture this place more as it's dusk already when it's just 5 pm over there, promise ourselves to revisit this place early in the morning the next day. It's not advisable not to wear thick garment as it's freaking cold. 

To be continued. In sha Allah.

Holiday mode turns on

And so I am a free and single man. I have been dumped by final exam last Sunday. What an atrocious relationship, we have! The turmoil is over. The stress that runs your life has ceased. The anxiety that exponentially escalates considering the fact that you have not covered many topics is now dwindling or perhaps vanishing. The battle is so full of rage and atrocities. The tanks and vessels that are used to be on the front line are now demobilized. What’s done cannot be undone. Let’s just hope for the best that He would give us enough courage to face the wrath of final result which is expected to be released in the end of December or around that circle. This love-hate relationship is sure going to be missed.

What have I done to occupy my free time at the campus while waiting for my departure date which is going to be on Saturday? Apart from decluttering the clutter, I go out with Faiz and two of his friends. He has long gone home but decides to come back to take his left-over things home. So he takes me out considering I am all alone here (*false). We take his friends a tour around Perlis. Instead, we go to Padang Besar.

So here begins the story. The fact is that shopping and me is inseparable. Shopping makes me alive, really. I can shop till I drop. I am on a tight budget on this shopping trip, so I decide not to shop a lot, especially shirts and garments. Being me, I couldn’t help myself but to shop shirts. I think I would just manage with one. Little did I know that I would end up with three shirts and a travelling bag. Again, cash flies away. Am now on the verge of thinking do I have enough to survive during the holiday, to be exact borneo trip. (Did I not tell you that I am going on a borneo trip with my college mates? Lame)

That would be it for this moment. Looking very most forward to Borneo Trip (Sabah). Have a lovely and wonderful holiday!

Checked-in. O'Allah...I pray that you ease our journey and keep us from harm and danger. Aaminn

Raya + Exam = Rayxam

With final exam is in few more days to go, one is supposed to work like crazy now. You see, at this time of the semester, all the attention is given to revising and studying as other than these two things seem to be less important and impractical. It is interesting fact to ponder that students can revise 4 subjects that they learn for months in one single night, from cover to cover, how amazing their brains are. That’s why there are students who manage to score very well even if they study at the very last minute.

Well...world knows that I am not that kind of students. I am not gifted enough, I think. I struggle a lot to achieve what I want. However, as the exam nears, I feel a bit worried. My brain is bombarded with numbers of perplexed confusion that I too have no finite answer. What if this…what if that…and the list goes on and on. 

As of now, Alhamdulillah, I’m done revising all subjects. But heck, that does not mean I can simply chill up. I have done my part and now leave the rest to Him. May He bellow upon me what is the best for me.  Aamiin.

Anyhow, Eid Mubarak is just few hours away. Am writing this to kill time while waiting for the bus to take me home. Hey, home is not homey without me, hence I need to go home (excuse of homesickness).

Final wishes, Salam Eid Mubarak y’all. May it bring all of you blessing and happiness. 

Yay!

Whats up?

Life so far couldn't be any better.

You know the feeling;

When you are finally free from any relationship with assingments?

When your hips are no longer attached to your very own table?

The sad-yet-glorious moment when u finally say good-bye to A4 papers, microsoft word, staying up late and all those coffees that keep you company just because you want to finish the last line of thousands words essay as its due is the next morning?

Heaven much? 

Yes. It means world to me.

However,  

When you are all set to throw yourself a party to celebrate this victory of yours, you are disheartened by the fact that you still have two more mountains to be undertaken.

Shame on me.

This happy feeling is just ephemeral.

UAK and Final Exam are yet to come.

Instead of wasting time, I must get my ass up to study and get my focus laid on the upcoming tests.

*Just a short notice to make sure that everyone knows I'm doing fine with my life, especially my study. The road gets bumpy? Indeed. When the things we plan go haywire, the depth comes in and makes my life more interesting. 

Spring Sprung at the campus

Spring season is back in town.

With all blossoming flowers and lavish green leaves, and trees, everything seems to be in its right place.

Yeah, I aggrandize too much.

I am no where near Queenstown, NZ or Pasadena, USA.

In fact, this view is taken here in Perth-lis.

Enjoice!

1

2

3

4

5

*Aku tak marah pun kat ko. Cheers sudah! :)

Never Say Goodbye

Cake

Farewell is finally bidden to our beloved mentor.

she will be leaving for good as to pursue her PhD at UPM. *sobs

Yesterday, we had a surprise party for her.

All these while, she had heard people being surprised in a party. 

However, yesterday, she was "it".

This party was going to be the last meeting with her before her classes start very soon.  

Preparation

Runway

Catwalk much? Ha-ha

Two years ago, I thought I had it all. 

Then, I met you and I realized everything else was missing.

You taught us important things that others may just forget.

You are the teacher of our lifetime.

You are unlike any other lecturer, you are a mother to us.

Who would ever imagine a lecturer could be the one place where you can lean on your shoulder and count on for help.

She's quite a woman, isn't she?

LOL

Woman of the day

The Queen and the working bees.

Thank-you is all I can say for all the knowledge and kindness that you have given to us. 

Remember, there will always be a place for you in our hearts.

We are surely going to miss you very much.

May Allah ease every journey you roam.

May success, happiness and blessing are always be yours.

Pray for our success here too so that we could nail this course with flying colours.

So that we could follow your footsteps one day.

Aamiin.

See you again!

Together Still

Us, 7 years ago. Still have this picture in check.

It takes me some times to write this without falling apart. Sometimes, things are better left unwritten or unspoken so that the sweetness of it shall not fade.

Went through speedcity with them

Little bundle of joy is I could name the last meeting of ours. We have an immense thrill of fun, especially the talking part. We keep sharing our story, just to let everyone knows that we are doing fine in our lives. We laughed like no one is around and only us there.

Ama's House

Little did I know, that pure and unadultered moment is like snow flakes in a cup. The world gets better when you guys are around. Actually, the world is better. I have no worry of becoming myself.

The three musketeers

Whenever we make joke, no one is excluded from laughing out loud. It is like confettis coming out of a pom-pom. The time just slicks by without us realizing its pace. Every second seems to be momentous to let it slips through our fingers.

Cam-retard. Ha-Ha

They are just the same person I met seven years ago. Their madness and charm never cease. However, behind all those craziness, there shines virtue and intelligence - how I admire them in a way. So long we have each other and Allah as our guide, InsyAllah we will always be on right path.

Lunch with the teechs

Recent news is Syahir done with his eyes operation.  Couldn't help but to feel sorry about his eyes problem. Now, he's recuperating well at home. InsyAllah, your eyes will be fine again one day.

Us, now. Grown up a little bit. Glad to witness all of us mature as women and men. (3 missing-in-action)

Looking forward for the next gathering that would happen in the next summer holiday which means a year to go. As for now, I pray that His blessing is always you. I pray that you succeed in every road you roam. I pray that He lets our faith stand straight so that we won't go astray. 

From Italy and Japan with love. Wait for the love from Perth. Ha-ha

You will be right, you will be okay.

Allah is with you, you won't go astray.

Of Ketupat and Rendang

it's never too late to wish every muslim of the world, salam eidulfitri. 

after a month of restraining ourselves from eating and drinking, we are now free to celebrate the victory upon our winning in the jihad against nafs.

and now syawal is back, all we could do is to get ourselves ready because we are now entering the hunger game against the devil.

it's almost two weeks from now that syawal start sailing. 

with all the scrumptious delicacies, one could not resist to stuff his tummy fat including me.

i believe i have gained some kilos, but never have the gut to really stand on the balance.

the only dish that could excite me to run through the kitchen more than twice

this syawal, my parents couldnt be any happier as everyone is coming home, twice in a row in fact.

the house is full. it is filled with tender, love and care. 

everyone gets to be together again this time. at times, you could hear laughter and crying echoing in synchronize at the same moment.

it's so lovely that everyone gets to salam each other and ask for forgiveness on the first syawal, while giving away duit raya.

Say Cheese! Picture time.

between entertaining my nieces and nephew, and preparing for syawal, my plate is full.

i get my both hands at most of the things. 

no speacial occasion is happening this syawal.

none of my family member is walking down the aisle this syawal. 

unlike last year, we were busy preparing for my sister's solemnization on the third syawal of last year.

and now she's expecting her first child. 

a normal tradition is visiting relatives on the first syawal. 

from house to house, we went to visit and bid our greeting.

we have some chat and get each other updated with our lives.

such a simple occasion to fortify the bond between us that has been built for so long.

that would be enough for today. 

Again,

Salam Lebaran

Maaf Zahir and Batin

Raya 2012

Long time no post.

You see, Raya is just around the corner. Ramadan is driving upon us so fast. It is leaving us so quickly. So, what have you gained from the month of Ramadan? Whatever that you have attained, it must be good for you.

The sweetness of Ramadan will be missed dearly. Raya is coming afterward. Everyone must be busy with the preparation-buying new clothes, baking cookies, or decorating house. A normal scene during Raya exodus-the roads are jammed (bumper-to-bumper indeed), tickets are sold out and many more. These are among the scenes or dramas that make “balik kampong” enjoyable and worth the wait.

Salam Lebaran dari Perth.

However, what does Raya mean to you?

For me, Raya means the family member get to be together. Everyone is coming home. Nothing is more enjoyable than being at home. Eat together. Laugh at silly jokes. Clean the house. Cook together. Mom’s cooks. Giggles of nephews and nieces. Get everyone update with your life. The list goes on anyway.

So, let this Raya be the most memorable moment that you are going to cherish forever.

Salam Eidulfitri and Maaf Zahir and Batin.

Cuti-Cuti

Ola!

So here goes my latest post in the midst of getting a new vehement of new semester. I just started with new semester. Luckily, I got through last semester, Alhamdulillah. He still gives another opportunity to study here.

Okay. Let’s talk about last mid-year holiday. Mine was pretty enjoyable though I spent most of time at home watching telly and reading some books. However, there were few things that I did that I would be missing them very much whenever I was away from home.

Enough chanting and rambling, let’s start counting:

1) Azure blue water and white sandy beach of Bukit Keluang.

Whenever I feel bored and apathetic, I went to this place to let off my steams. It is just minutes away from my house.

2) Boutique.

Before going home, I listed several possible jobs that I could do to stuff my pocket fat. However, as always, the temptation of lazing around is stronger than the urge of getting my ass up to work. But then again, sometimes, I did help my cousin at her boutique, doing some simple errands. Great job to kill time.

3) Water-splash at Lata Belatan.

What can I say...this spot is my favourite place ever. Its beauty is beyond compared. Sure I'm going to miss this place. *Did I not make a lovely father in that picture? :P

 Here we go again. So these are the things that miss a lot when I think of home. Lovely days ahead, folks!

Friday I Will Remember

Syukur.

Alhamdulillah..and Alhamdulillah is all I can say. I can never thank Him enough for this. The last final exam result has just come out. 

Thankfully, He still gives me a chance to study here for another seven semesters to come. All my effort and hardwork is paid off to say the least. Lecturers, friends, and family have helped me a lot in achieving such success. 

However, I have to remind myself that this is just a new dawn to a great reward that awaits me at the end of this road. For many more semesters to come, I need to double or maybe tripled my effort. I want to make my parents and family proud of me. 

Thank You Allah. 

Silver Lining. InsyAllah.