Book Club : Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wa barakatuh...

As I mentioned before, the Outpost ladies came up with few activities to keep us occupied in the camp. An email came in last week to remind us on the next few week's activities. There was a planned book club session. I emailed them back to get the details, it turns out I missed out the earlier email, that gives the book details that is up for discussion.

After searching high and low, I finally get myself an e-copy of the book. (Lemah nak baca...I am an old fashion book reader, I need the hard copy). Nonetheless, I am making an effort to blend in. I am an introvert in many sense, and now, living in the guest house, I am even more isolated from the rest of the community. These kind of activities will help me a bit. Besides, its important for me to build rapport with the ladies. I will not be there in most of their activities on day time, hence I have to at least show up once in a while.

I didn't even finish the book, I only managed to read some reviews online and with the very limited knowledge and opinion of the book, there I was, attending my first ever book club meeting. Only the 'mat saleh' ladies showed up. I kinda guessed so. The Asian ladies are not really into these kind of things.

The discussion went well, they all have rounds and rounds of wine, vodka and soft drinks. Me? I had nothing..hehehe... I was there to observe the discussion, I didn't even contribute. I came clean much earlier that I have not finished the book yet, and I have not read that much yet. Its interesting on how they analyze the book. Few of the ladies are teachers, and they obviously has seen enough of the social issue where they came from. My take away from the session.

1. Book club is a legit session to speculate, delve on other's life and judge on how a certain things should be. We do this everyday, its called gossip...hahaha....but the beauty of a book club is, you are not actually talking about a real person, its just the character from the book that was put under scrutiny.
2. Moving forward, I would also use this session to practice my communication skill. I am intimidated by the 'mat saleh'. They are speaking in their mother tongue, and I have to step up. At the office I am interfacing too much with the locals, so much so, I can sense that my English is deteriorating, badly. Their use of grammar is poor, and sooner or later, I would go down to that level and I don't like that, therefore, I have to do something. It will be a monthly affair, but at least I will spend more time to prepare and up my game.
3. The club is a way for me to expose myself to other people's culture and get to know other people. As I mentioned, the Asian ladies, are not into this. My session with them revolves around recipes, home care, which is nothing wrong, but sort of limited to a certain topic only. 

About the book, having read only the reviews, and coming out from the book club meeting, I would definitely try to finish it. The fiction is based on actual issue that happens in US circa 1920s-1970s. Its a heavy topic but according to the ladies, its an easy read. We'll see how I will survive.....hahaha. Till then, wassalam.....

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh....

Its been a while I shared my book reviews (as if I wrote that many reviews :P). Its been a while as well since I last finished a complete book. Time seems to pass by very quickly, especially when you are alone. You would have thought that being alone means you get to do more things, yes, but on condition that you have to be discipline. Me and discipline does not go hand in hand.

I started on this book more than 6 months ago. My first English books after a string of demam novel melayu....hehehe... I have never really read a chick flick/ chick lit, last was the one I shared here about a girl's trip to NY on new years' eve. I have never bought Sophie Kinsella's book, just not drawn to it I guess. So this is an attempt to see if I can survive the genre. (survived for 6 months that is!!)

The story started off slow, very slow, and its no way a page turner, but I had promise myself to finish this book before moving on to a new one. A simple friendship story with series of trouble among two girls that later in life brought them to two different paths. I can recognize one of the character in me, and that's the point it starts to hook me into reading it further. The plot is predictable, with a bit of suspense here and there but of course not to a level a thriller can give you chills. I think it would make a so-so drama that would probably survive one season. The tagline on the cover actually got me hooked .

I keep on reading to find out what the betrayal is, who betrayed who, as it can potentially goes both ways. And finally it happened, maybe I have not read enough chick lit, I didn't really see it coming, oh well.... there it is. Based on other people's review, they were quite pissed with how the two characters were brought together, so cliché, they say...hahaha... what do you expect, I wouldn't put high hopes in chick lit for the twist and turn. 

Reading this book, I began to reflect on my own, how solitary lives can impact me, it has, and I hope I am handling it well. Years worth of friendship does not guarantee anything. Friendship, as any other relationship goes through ups and downs, mine has pretty much been plateau for the very much part of it, be it with anybody. I managed to steer clear of just having one BFFs. I have big groups of girl friends, which I know when push comes to shove, they will be there for me emotionally. (Can't really count on physical support, each has their own commitment, I have to deal with it)

One of my close friend has just had a rough patch with another close friend (they still are as we are talking now). I listened to both sides, trying to be impartial, but somehow I tend to side with one of them, advises were given, but the outlook is not good. How far can you go in intervening somebody's else's problem? I found this video by Syeikh Yasir Qadhi helps a lot. 

Watch from minute 28 onwards, the second part of the khtbah. May it all help us as well. 

Wassalam....

How Leh...?

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahiwabarakatuh...
This got delivered to me today..ni lah padahnya shopping online..I thought I've selected two different books, but it turns out I bought the same book, just different version. Now I can read both in BM and English :p.
Since I am looking out to buy a property, is it obvious that I need to do lil bit of research..this book actually reminded me of some of my dreams.

1. I want to build a masjid (bukan kahwin..ok kahwin pun nak jugak..tapi ni literally build a masjid) together with a self funded orphanage.
2. I want to start a business by 40 (target nak ternak lembu, confirm market utk korban,akikah, & kenduri kahwin).
3. Have financial freedom (angan2 mau tinggi ye..almaklumlah..baru settle bayaq ptptn...tapi tak sedaq diri bnyk lagi hutang dok beratoq kat belakang...)

Basically I have many more dreams that involves loads of big bucks, but never once I have plans on how to get the capital for all those dreams. This book has got me thinking of going serious about this (hebat hang..baca satu buku, angan dah tinggi..) Bukan camtu, when there is a will, there is a way. If I can get myself to at least practise few of the author's strategies, then maybe I'll be able to generate enough capital for my dreams.

The content is inspiring, the author's years of hardwork was summarized to a book that of less than 200 pages. No pain no gain. I am taking the strategies with a pinch of salt, bearing in mind most of the financial products are still not riba' free. If I really want to go this road, I have to make sure all my dealings are shariah compliant. Cukup-cukuplah menyumbang ke riba' selama ini.
Wassalam..

p/s: I did not gave any final say on chenta hati #1. After halfway through reading this book, I hope I am making the right decision by not jumping to a decision on a fly.
p/p/s: those properties in Kajang that are well within my budget are SOLD OUT!! . Depa ni beli rumah macam beli kuih kat pasar..sat sangat dah habih..dasat..dasat..

Whats up?

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh....

Sedar tak sedar lebih sebulan tak update post. Hutang janji manis untuk qada' post 2012 sampai la ni tak tertunai. Nasib baik tak masuk bertanding blog pilihan, kalau tak memang kena ungkit la janji tak ditepati...hehehehe.. :)

So whats up? What has been keeping me busy? Nothing much, but something quite big...hehehe...(kahwin...hhmm... takde rezeki lagi..). I have been successful in my application for a transfer..!! My window was meant to be opened end of year, so I've negotiated with my SV to let me apply as early as start of year. Having bad experience of rejection from last round, I am bracing myself for the same cycle all over again, except that I am more prepared this time.

Come Feb the internal job posting was opened. I've applied for 3 positions in different parts of the world. Staying true to what I have planned, I want to remain in Process Safety, a field that is relatively new, not many experts around. I didn't really place my hope high, but I was scheduled for 2 interviews. One did happened and another one somehow just passed by. The one and only interview was via telecon. First half of the session, the interviewers were selling the location to me...(yes, I was a bit confused then). The second part, I was then grilled on things that I've claimed to have achieved in my resume.

Around two weeks after that, I was asked to attend another interview, more details required on my 'successes' and 'challenges'. The session ends with me feeling a tiny bit of confidence, and not even 10 minutes after that, I was asked to called one of the interviewers back....and Alhamdulillah...!!! He told me, they want to take me in!! (Rasa macam dunia ana yang punya...hehehehe...) I didn't expect it to be that easy, honestly I am not bragging, I think Allah helped me a lot.

So yes, I am planned to move this year insyaAllah, if all goes well. The reason I am telling you today is, finally the official transfer process just started last Friday. Only a handful of people in the company knows, the rest, I'll let the cat out of the bag when the final date is firmed. The whole visa, customs and what nots will take around 4 months, give or take. So yes, tentatively, after raya, I'll be off to a new adventure.

I am moving to a country that is GMT+2. Starts with the alphabet N. And not many Malaysians are heading that way, definitely not a popular tourist spot, and I can say it is among the popular conflict zone. You must think that I am crazy to venture to such places. But hey, I want to experience life, and I think there is no better time than now. (Takkan dah tua-tua dekat nak retire baru nak pi duduk kat conflict zone pulak kan...? cari pasai la tu... :D)

With this move, I definitely limit my chances of getting married. Ni awat dok sembang pasai kawin ni..hehehe... Dah tu dua tiga menjak ni dok layan drama jiwang + novel khayalan agak2 real, mana tak kepikiran terus...

Start dengan apa lagi..Adam dan Hawa, pastu la ni dok layan SSID. Novel ini dibeli selepas menonton satu-dua episod drama-drama itu ye... Yang Suami Aku Ustaz tu beli dari tahun lepas..dok la peram dalam almari. Entah macam mana dah habis dua buku yang dah jadi drama tu, terpanggil nak baca pulak buku yang plastik tak bukak setelah berbulan-bulan jadi hak milik.

Rasanya terakhir baca buku-buku camni zaman sekolah kot, zaman U dah budget omputih, layan Sidney Sheldon & Judith McNaught ja..Lagipun zaman tu novel melayu kebanyakan pakai bahasa bunga-bunga sangat, sampai boleh nampak daun-daun menjalar ke kulit buku. Baca dua muka surat dah tak tahan ngantuk..mana nak habis sebuku.

Adam dan Hawa masih mengekalkan ayat bunga-bunga tu tapi tak teruk sangat, sebab tu boleh habiskan lagi. Itupun pakai teknik speed reading, satu muka ada la 50% ja baca betul, yang lain tu skim through ja. :)
Yang SSID dah ringan sikit bab bunga, gaya bahasa bersahaja, dan lagi cepat jugak aku baca sebab cerita yang sangat lucu. Nak-nak lagi dah start tengok drama, dok la terbayang Tiz (Syaf) ngan Izzue (Firash a.k.a Chad) dalam setiap muka yang aku baca.

Suami Aku Ustaz lagi santai, habis baca dalam 2 hari (ni pencapaian zaman sekolah ok...dah lama tak dapat baca dengan kelajuan yang macam tu..hehehehe..) Jalan cerita dan bahasa yang sangat lucu, nak-nak bila watak utama (Lisa) tu malu sendiri, macam-macam response dia nak cover malu bila muka dah panas :P

Oklah..panjang pulak membebel..nanti sambung lagi (janji manis lagi daaa.....)

Selamat mengundi, saya akan mengundi di P-124 Bandar Tun Razak. Saya undi untuk keamanan, kestabilan dan negara yang aman makmur, bebas dari kemungkinan hutang IMF gara-gara terlampau nak jaga hati rakyat dengan janji manis bulan dan bintang. Peace y' all. ;)

Twins of Faith & Before I Forget

I know I owe the continuation of Surah Yusuf for quite a long time, I typed some, hoping to publish tonite, but realized that I had some missing facts to be clarified, and I left the binder in PD, so I guess that will have to wait.

Some updates, I feel guilty for not sharing this earlier, but better late than never, at least some bit of promotion despite the fact that not much difference that I can make tomorrow. What is it? I am attending this carnival tomorrow and Sunday, Twins of Faith, Family Carnival. It will be held at PICC. The activity are jam-packed from morning till 10pm on both days. Some of the topics that will be covered are Modern Economics vs. Sacred Principle by the famous Ust. Zaharuddin Rahman, One Faith, One Family by an oldtimer ulama', Sh. Hussein Yee and Exemplary Women of the Past by Sh. Alaa ElSayed.
There are also workshop session in between all those talks, some that I have already signed up to are:

• Women in the Eyes of God by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Harlina Halizah Siraj
• Struggling to be a Better Muslimah Everyday by Wardina Safiyyah Fadlullah

Just pray that I have the energy to focus on all of them, insyaAllah. :D

Before I Forget....by Melissa Hill

This is not a book review. Nowadays its really challenging for me to finish a book. Hence I make a point to have any book/magazine available in my bag all the time, just so I can finish a page or two. On the way to-fro Bandung, amazingly I finished this book!! Whats so special about this book? Weelll........it just add up to another my destination to go > the city never sleeps, yeah you got it right, New York. Not just New York, but during Christmas time!! There's a part when Abby, the main character bumps into a stranger that took her on a quick tour in the New York city on the day before Christmas. The way Melissa elaborate on the city's vibe in this time of the year makes me wanna go even more.

And to add more reasons, I just watched this last weekend

The whole story revolves around New York. Just watching how the city was decorated makes me wanna start planning already!! But wait, I still have few more places on my list to go, so NY has got to wait  ;)

And I will not plan to go NY alone, not unless I have Det. Flack's no in my phonebook..hehehe... :P

p/s: Kak Tek!! di manakah anda~~~ same shout out to Senorita Aida y mi amiga Dieya !!

Orang tamak selalu rugi?

Total damage = RM 336
Here's the breakdown :
Jamie's Kitchen - hard cover = RM 25 (whatttt??)
Nigella Christmas - hard cover = RM 25 (another whattt???)
Spanish dictionary - hard cover = RM 15 (really??)
Window Treatment Design book = RM 10 (err......)
Various paperback novel + some hardcover novel = RM 8 x 22 books = RM 176 (you're kidding me???)
Kids boxset (4x3, Handy Manny, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) - hard cover = RM 70 (am running out of ???)
Some other stuffs = RM 3 x 5 = RM 15

Its still ongoing, go to Big Bad Wolf until this Sunday Oct 16. Honestly, I went berserk!! I was only quarter way through, but I was already carrying a box full of books. I ended up with the whole lot. This is considering I omitted looking further at cooking book section (guilt kicks in, as I keep on cooking the same dish, or worse I rarely cook nowadays) and they don't have my favorite John Grisham and Khaled Hosseini. I could not imagine the damage if those two writer's collection were there.

Most of the novel that I bought, I rarely know the writer, so I guess for RM 8 a book, I can afford to experiment ;)

p/s: this is not only for me, for my niece and nephew, my younger sis, my mom...(kenyataan bela diri!!)

C22-Your favorite 5 books

I like fiction books a lot. I like reading poems too, but never had a single anthology yet. I have read many books growing up, both Malay and English. These might not be my most favourite book, as I believe I may have forgotten some of it, but these that I still remembers to be among the best :

1. The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini - I had the book reviewed here, the story line is simple, about a boy and his friend, how he was 'betrayed' and how they moved on from the Taliban ruled Afghanistan. (I own)

2. Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami - A story set in the late 1960's, when Beatles' music were booming, when most of youth movement starts to form worldwide. Its about a guy's relationship with his deceased friend's girlfriend, and how he got through his student days. There was also an elaborate part of a sanatorium, where the girl lives after an emotional breakdown. Its a Japanese novel translated to English after almost a decade being in top spot of its own country. (I own)

3. Putik, Aziz Afkar - A very sad story of a young girl named Putik. She was born out of wedlock and the mother left her to a friend, while she fled the kampung and finds work in KL. In the mean time Putik was not well taken care off, she was pushed to do all sorts of chores at such a young age. From the writers description, she could not be more than 5 years old. She was not living like any other kids her age. The story ends with Putik died, after being brutally beaten and ****. I was crying uncontrollably during reading the book. I only read it once, yet I still remembers the plot and even some parts quite clearly. (I borrowed)

4. The Runaway Jury, John Grisham - Maybe the first John Grisham's novel that I read. The plot is complicated, twisted, and so full of lawyer-y terms. I became a fan since. (I own)

5. Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery - I read this book during primary/secondary school. I did not own the book, and the one in the school library was the hard cover version, so it was not up for the kids to borrow. So what I did, everyday I would go in and read 1-2 pages. I can't remember how long it took me to finish the book, but I did it. I tried to continue with Anne of Avonlea, somehow I did not finished it. Maybe I should buy a copy now and actually finish reading it ;) (I read slowly in the library)

I have the tendency to like the book that makes me cry. The darker the story line, the better, the more I cried, the more I think the book is good. Something wrong with me? because I also have to have once in a while my cry fix, be it books or movies. :(

A Thousand Splendid Sun

I read the book as slow as I could. I savour every page, reading and feeling lines by lines. It amazes me how a guy can tell a story from a woman's perspective. As if he has seen it through his own eyes. Or maybe he understand people more than any of us would. Irregardless, his work is a masterpiece.

This is the second of Khaled Hosseini that I read, A Thousand Splendid Sun. Its a story about two women, from different generation but brought together by fate.

Mariam, a girl that was a product of man's ignorance towards sin, being called a 'harami' even by her own mother. She lost her mother in pursuit of seeing her father. As if losing one parent is not enough, another sold her away to some stranger. She was pushed into marriage to a person that is no more than a man herself. He uses her to bear his offspring, and when that did not happened she is downgraded to a housekeeper cum his punching bag.

Laila, a girl that was brought up not in the conventional Afghan way, she sees the world differently, she was the one that will make headlines someday. However, Taliban's ruling made her lost everything. She ends up being married to a man that is even older than her father, for the sake of survival.

Any women in the world would never agree to share her husband with another woman (no matter how badly she is being treated), what more to woman that is way younger than her. That is what brought these two women together, they are married to the same man.

A relationship that was at first hostile, later turns out to be the best things that ever happened to them. The poignant plot breaks my heart. The women were treated as less than a second class human being. Its a similar theme among the stories from middle east, woman has no place in the society, apart from their function to produce heir. Its sad that all these happens in countries where deemed 'Islam' as their pillar of faith. Whereas in Islam, women is treated equally as men, at times even more distinct. Al Quran itself has a whole surah on women, Surah An-Nisa. To learn on how to be and how to treat a woman, its all in the surah.

Clearly these guys that use Islam as façade, has not really understood the gist of Rasullah's SAW teaching, maybe if they did, they only took that will bring advantages to them.Religion aside, those women that is portrayed in the story has been treated inhumanely, and I am sure any religion in the world would not condone such act. 

Khaled's way of story telling was such in detail, that most of the time I was pretty sure I was not reading a book, but more of watching the film rolls...I really hope that we would be seeing this on the big screen.
For this edition, look out for page 120, line 7, word 3, my name is on it :D

Has been on my bed for the past few months....

 Meanwhile...some random photos on what my life has been up to for recent 2-3 months.....
 

What I had for lunch on Sunday - L-R: Lettuce,tomatoes,sausages + chic balls, toasted bread, Campbell's oxtail soup, and a glass of tea :)     

The latest babe in the house :$

The most expensive chocolate I ever ate......serious...

Saya Belum Mampu...

I made it to this show yesterday. Nowadays I am easily infatuated by things from the neighbour (sinetron, songs, and yes, movie too). I picked up few DVD collection of Indon movie when I went to Bali last few years, and yes, they way they make the film differs from us, and I loike it.

I like this one more than Ayat-ayat Cinta. To me this has more content, more messages, lagi banyak hukum-hakam, sunnah, quote of hadith as compared to the former. There are few clever lines, that I would just love to quote here, but I miss parts of it, so it will not do justice for the writer. Am trying to get hold of the book now, see if I can still appreciate the story and content..

Basically the story revolves around...what else? Jodoh....Its a story of a guy who just completed his degree in 9 years while at the same time providing for his family. He upholds his Islamic value strongly and the two movies shows his route to finding the one. Moral of the story, kalau ada jodoh tak ke mana, but then again, this is all fiction. Yang benar datang dari Allah, but what I like about this movie, off and on it will refer back to hadith, sunnah and the need to put faith in Allah's hand be it whatever the situation is.


I came across this book recently, the cover is catchy (at least for me). I bought the book with the intention to learn something that I didn't know already. But it turns out to be quite a dissapointment. The book was written by a guy. I have nothing against guys giving advise to women, under certain circumstances, it is most welcome. The content are not properly organised and and a little bit haphazard. There is now flow of content as the book progressed. The writer dwells a lot on why these women are still single. We know why we are, but even if we don't, Allah knows best.

To me the book was supposed to provide guides from Islamic point of view (since the cover features a girl with hijab) to live our life till the day we meet the one. These guides are best to be supported by verses from Al-Quran, or hadith. He did mentioned some, but it was all too general and nothing that I have not known yet. 

The main reason I bought the book and yet remains the strongest part is the quote on the cover;

"Dan orang-orang yang tidak mempunyai kemampuan berkahwin, hendaklah mereka menjaga kehormatannya sehingga Allah memberi kekayaan kepada mereka dari limpah kurniaNya,"

(An-Nuur: 33)

Wallahu'alam...

p/s: tak bertemu jodoh lagi, kiranya belum mampu la kan ;)

Cheese...where?

I read this over a lunch last weekend,

Amazingly,I finished it in just one seating (nowadays its very hard to concentrate, maybe the age is a factor?). Its a simple yet profound insights on how people react to changes, be it in personal life or at work. I can identify myself really quickly as being a 'Hem'. (A subtle way to say I am a procrastinator!!)

For the past one week, I have been running in my own maze, with no proper planning and strategy, not quite aimlessly but could have been done better. The book is simple, to implement what it suggested is another question. Am not saying that I could not do it, but its a work in progress.

yes, published in 1998, I am 12 years behind ;p

Buena suerte!! ;)

For you a thousand times over...

I bought it sometime in 2008, it was tucked in between many more unread books not so neatly arranged in a box in my store. I do not have a decent shelf to display it and maybe that is why I have totally forgotten about it. This year I made an attempt to start reading again. Eversince I started working, I can't barely even finish a book in less than 10 seatings. I will caught myself going back to the pages that I have read.

So I started off with The Diary of Anne Frank, a literature book that was discussed by other class back when I was in Form1, my class did some other books which I could not remember now. Same case with the diary, I kept on going back to the same page the next time I picked up the book, and then I decided to change to this one, The Kite Runner, I missed the chance to see the movie with a friend, conflicting schedule, so I sat and read.

I stopped when I have something to do, this is before Ramadhan. The book follows me to KL and later SP last Raya, I still have not managed to finish it. And at finally, last weekend I've read it all. What has taken me so long to read it? I figured probably because the story is so strong and many of the small details that depicts Afghanistan were beautifully written, and therefore I took time to dive into the words, and also took time to feel the emotions of each character.

It has been quite some time that I have read an emotionally binding book and this is yet by far the best that I have read. I know I may be way left behind since this book was published in 2003, but its better late than never right?

For you a thousand times over.....

p/s: there'a a mentioned of Malaysia towards end of the book, although I don't know whether what he says is true or false ;p