Of motorcycles & trains

Ahamdulilah! Today's the completion of the fourth day of my Puasa Enam! I am so so lucky, Ahamdulilah that I can find the time to visit the mosque and do at least one prayer there, be it in Al-Falah or Ba'alwi. Insya Allah, I'll be able to do the same when I move out of College Green.

Previously, in my blog "23 out of 30", I mentioned that for this year's Ramadan, I only managed 23 out of 30 days of fasting. Statistically, I have achieved 76.67%. A little above average, but then it really depends what your idea of 'average' is defined to beging with. Conversely as I would enter most committments, I entered the month of Ramadan with fear, not the usual "gung-ho show me the money" me. I was fearful. Fearful that I would fail. True to a certain extent, I failed to aquire the 23.33%, which to me was a high rate of failure. Ahamdulilah! I have good friends, and especially Su who would tell me that it is not bad for a beginner. Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, I am living next door to another convert, Farhan. He never missed a day since his conversion years ago. Now... if anyone... he is the "gung-ho show me the money" kind of guy, albiet in his own nice, gentle and polite ways. I always wanted to compare myself with the best. And standing beside him... I was way of tangent.

Ahamdulilah! People like Safie, Pak Ali, Suraya, Pak Rahman and a whole host of other do-gooders have encouraged me. Puasa Enam is by far the most difficult to perform, because most people would not be doing it, or rather doing it at their own pace. You'll still get to see muslims eating and drinking. Ahamdulilah! Know the famous inspirasi stall that sell mee rebus, mee soto & soto ayam @ $1.50? We were there last night. Bought a bowl of mee soto for Su at 6.15 cos I wanted her to eat first, and not wait for me. On my second round to get my own food, the lady said, "another one?". "No, just now for my girlfriend. This one's for me. I was waiting for Maghrib". "Oh! Puasa Enam?!". I smiled. She was there today and seeing me at the end of the line, she smiled. Ahamdulilah! I am so blessed with meeting these people! Insya Allah, I will meet more and will be as inspiring to others as they are to me! Ahamdulilah!

People who know me usually see me as the fast-talking, chain smoking, SOB that I am. I used to start and end a sentence with KNN. Now, naturally I start and end a sentence, Insya Allah, with Ahamdulilah! Submission! It's a religion of submission! A muslim practises the religion of submission - Islam! Ahamdulilah!

My life now has not changed much. I still deal with irritating people and manage policies I can hardly comprehend. My attitude now has gone the other way! Ahamdulilah! Insya Allah, I will continue to have the strength to do so in the future!

Su & I had a good talk over durians this evening. I was looking for shophouses to rent. Insya Allah, I will find one unit that is well within my budget as well as intended size. I used to be a hard driver for these things. I push and push and push. But now, Insya Allah, as long as I am near to Suraya, I do not care as much. I leave everything to Him. Of course I must perform my due dilligence. And I hope and continue to hope that He will give me the strength to continue to do my 5 daily prayers (well... sometimes I 'kadak' them collectively), and to do more and more and more sunnats. But the seeking of knowledge remains top of my priority. Ahamdulilah that to find a course in English is not too difficult, given that the converts community go to DA or Al-Falah. Jemaah is a little too much for me considering my command of malay is not that good. Ok, my vocabulary's all right. I just find it difficult to pick words of importance that's mono-tone not expressive.

I can never thank Su, Safie, Pak Ali, Pak Osman, Ustaz Yusri, Pak Rahman, Fauz, Pak Rashid, Pak Joraimi and all those whose names I forgot (pai seh... still trying to get used to people calling me Amir to begin with). Ahamdulilah and may Allah bless all of them with abundance! For these people know their roots and they submit to You! Hear me! O Hear me!

jahwsl
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02 Nov 06'

Digeedee Dawg - The mouse ran up the clock

Went to HDBhub in Toa Payoh to look at Sri Geylang Serai's development. This is the 3rd time Su's been out with me house-hunting. I decided to get a HDB flat first before, Insya Allah, getting a landed property because if I decide to follow my wims & fancies, I'll have to wait 3 years before I can ever apply for a HDB flat, which I think is ridiculos. Anyway, since it's subsidised housing, just get lah. Free money anyway...

Kinda frustrating to go house-hunting with Su. As much as she may seem docile and obliging... I can assure you, food & housing are 2 things that she has formed very opinionated views on. Resistance is futile.

Dearest dearest dearest Dada

it was fun house hunting with you! again, we saw the
differences in priorities in selecting a home for
ourselves.

it is interesting to see what a home means in your
point of view. i m too aesthetic and emotional in my
selection for a home.

how can i not be, if i want the best for you and the
children? i know i m not paying for it, hehehe,,, but
it is a home to settle down with you..not anyone else?

you r my best friend and lover!!

Suraya 

But it was really interesting this time round. It was a public housing scheme, the first we ever considered looking at. And it was funny because we do compare the units, location, anmeties as we would a private development. And you know what? It doesn't come out short very much. Only the community forms the bulk of our concerns (at least for me - Su's also picky about the layout of the unit). And we were both disappointed that the development only offered standard four room units. Sigh...

My mission was to stay near a place of worship. She has a whole hosts of incidentals that honestly, didn't occur to me. But it was a good excercise. I am grateful for that. Don't you think her mail was so sweet?

Ahamdulilah! I have more patience now. I must keep reminding myself that she has never stayed anywhere other than in Marine Parade. The problem is that I really feel that anywhere else is a compromise too great on her part. The last transacted price for one of her point block unit was $525,000. No fucking way am I gonna pay that amount of money for a HDA flat, regardless of it's size! Bayshore's around that region, with a reasonable view. A four-room unit along the similar stretch would be going for >$450,000. I guess I'll have to up my budget for a flat then. Insya Allah I'll not lose my sanity on the prices of such units! Singapore! Not Manhattan! Yikes!

jahwsl
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1 Nov 06'