home at last =)

It's good to be home.
It's good to be home.
It's good to be home!!

After a few weeks of being here and there, doing this and that, it's finally good to be at home at last. Waking up on my own bed and breakfasting with my my mama n papa, those are just a few things among others :) Heehee..

If I start talking about my last few super-hectic days, I guess there would be no end. It's really amazing how things just keep coming up, totally unplanned.. but Alhamdulillah, most of the time, I was able to make it. MasyaAllah...aturan Allah itu memang superb amat!

2 weeks as an employed person taught me much, especially about the real world out there. I have had a glimpse on what it feels like to work under pressure, on a tight deadline. I saw how people with dreams, work hard enough to pursue their dream, to make it happen. Their passion and the way they think. It all amazes me.

And of how people working in a team can have such big differences in personalities and characters, and to manage them all, you need the skills. The skills to work with these people, to share your knowledge, to deal with them in the most appropriate way. This was definitely some valuable experiences for me. And woah, there is still so much more to learn if you want to survive in this world!

Anyway, happy Merdeka people if it's not too late already! The highest syukur to Allah swt for everything that we have today, because everything we have in this world comes from Him :)
But let us rethink of what Merdeka actually means to us, is it just another day off or is it more than that? After 50 years of Merdeka, are we already on the right track? Can we proudly say we are true Malaysians and have we contribute enough to our country, our religion and our people?




till later..bye!

Animation: My real destiny?

alhamdulillah. even after a week of silence from blogging, let it be known that i'm still alive and breathing. he he. reason of this sudden disappearing act? ehem ehem, i am now a 'professional' (so-called!) animator in a studio in KL. Yeah, really, don't believe me? I've landed a job .. a real but temporary job (plus a great salary some more!) . A job for 2 weeks with the animator team to finish the animation 'Badang' for RTM1 viewers. Cool, eh? Maybe this is what I am destined for..maybe this is my actual dream all along, all this while...Hm.. nah, don't think so. Trapped in a studio office from 9am to 5 pm is not really my idea of an ideal job, I guess. For these 2 weeks it's still allright. But not for the rest of the days of my life! So, yeah, I'm contented with the path that I take- a future doctor- where I'll not just be in an office in front of a PC, but going out, meeting people from all different walks of life etc.

But really, it is very interesting indeed working in the animation studio. Apart from the strained eyes after a day's job, there's really nothing to complaint about. My job is to paint the cartoon scanned on the PC, using a software similar like 'Paint'. Easy peasy. No university qualification on animation or any background experience/base needed. Just drag and paint. Drag and paint. Drag an paint. Again and again. But hehe at times, I can't deny it can be a bit irritating trying to paint all of those, which never seem to end! Endless!! But then, it's still allright I guess. People pay you for that, so really you can't complain, can you?

Actually back to my previous entries, on the Cambodia Mission, well, there's still so much to tell, so much to write about. We've not even come to the part where we all went to the kampongs and meet the villagers, and do the mobile clinic and sunathon thingy! I needed to write it down for myself actually just as a reminder of these things that I've been through, and hopefully it will remind me time and time again, that there are so many people in the world out there who are not as fortunate as us, and they are still there, waiting for some help, even after we've been back here safe and sound in our own country. So really, everything that we do, every job that we take, every money that we obtain should somehow be contributed to them, because they needed it. And hopefully with all these writings, some people out there would be inspired or something, and perhaps give a helping hand to those who needed it..well who knows right? Allright, signing off now..tata!

Salaam

Day2

That night, without actually planning it, we were invited to go the Mufti of Cambodia's house/office. Alhamdulillah, we were granted an opportunity to actually meet the man responsible for the well-being of Muslims and Islam as a whole in Cambodia.

To get to the Mufti's house, we were able to view the 'night scene' of Phnom Penh.. Not very surprised really to see that many of the shops have already closed for the day, and it was a bit gloomy and dark all around. After all, the man at the embassy office yesterday did tell us about it: the shops had to close in the early evenings (at about 5 pm) because the supply of electricity is mostly provided only until that time. If not they needed to use their own generators for electrical supply 5 pm onwards.Hmm...
(and what about us in Malaysia?? Never really consider the 'nikmat' of electricity as something to be grateful for.Keep on wasting them ada laaa..)

Anyway, back to the Mufti. He was really fluent in Malay Language, and one thing we should know is that Malay Language is recognised as the one of the language for Islamic education here in Cambodia. I guess it's just similar as to what Arabic is in Malaysia innit.
Somehow it really amazed me to listen to him telling stories after stories of Islam and Malay Cham in Cambodia, and of the Pol Pot regime which he himself experienced. You know, like 'sumber pertama' Sejarah like we used to learn dulu2.hehe.. really cool

He told us that the Pol Pot regime has caused the death of 60% of Cambodian Muslims. Also about how the villagers were living in this time of Khmer Rouge. Husbands were separated from wives, and families were torn apart. And many of them were tortured in the most unthinkable ways. If a man tries to escape and he succeeded,well, he may be safe from the grasp of Pol Pot. But not his family. His whole family would then be put to face the consequences and face even worse torture.

But alhamdulillah, the Mufti was one of the few educated persons who survived (which was rare) which he put as "saya tak sempat mati".. Life and death is of course in Allah's hands, and undoubtedly, Allah has his own plans for him..And to think that after the whole thing ended, there was only 4 or 5 'guru agama' left to be teaching all the Muslims in Cambodia about Islam. The Muslims then needed to start building back what they have loss, but it was really a big challenge in itself. And even up until now, they are still trying to find that firm ground to step on.
So isn't it part of our duty as their Muslim sisters and brothers in Malaysia, to offer as much help as we can to them?

Another story that he shared with us was about the Malay Cham race in Cambodia. They actually migrated from the Java Islands long long time ago, and had once build their own empire of Champa.. very interesting indeed..

All in all, I think , he was very inspiring indeed. I am sure it's definitely not easy to rebuild a community after it has been so badly damaged and bruised. But, yes, he was strong and had enough of those will power to contribute to his fellow men, to strive in the name of Allah because he cared about Islam and the Muslims as a whole.. Kita, bagaimana? hmm..

Pic: Just a little bit of our contribution..Iqra,Muqaddam, Islamic books. We also want to see the rise of Islam in Cambodia!

continuation...

(Continuation of previous entry)

A single picture can tell a thousand words. So why don't we browse through these pics and let them do the talking? [ini kes malas nak menaip ni! uhuh]

Pic: The next stop was the Market to do em..some early shopping. Bargain jangan tak bargain! "Good price good price." "Come lady, I can give you discountttt." Prestasi shopping yang agak membanggakan bagi semua orang.

Pic: We stopped at one of the mosque in Phnom Penh. The guys told us that the people there actually use Malay Language in delivering their tazkirah or etc. Coool!

Kelihatan juga di dalam gambar van kami yang berwarna putih. Perkara yang tidak boleh dilupakan pada hari itu adalah apabila driver bas yang baik dan comel telah ter-merajuk sedikit kerana makanan lunch sangat lewat sampai (ada masalah sedikit) ..kehkehkeh..die merajuk pun comel!

Pic: We were then assigned to start buying stuff in preparation of the mobile clinic, sunathon and etc. So we went out to buy medication (eg paracetamol, amoxycilin etc etc) and also some other stuff as well ( ie balloons and sweets to give to the kids, toothbrush and toothpaste for dental education etc). The shop in the pic above was where we have gotten our supply of these technical stuff.

Day 2:Phnom Penh

[oklahh since ade permintaan, sy akan meneruskanlah penceritaan di dlm blog ini .teehee.. are u ready?;p]

Day 2 : Phnom Penh City

Allright, so we woke up that day anticipating more excitement for the day. Jalan-jalan around Phnom Penh, eg the Royal Palace of something-something (can't remember its name, but that's where the royalties of Cambodia Kingdom reside), stopping by every few minutes to take photos with thousands of different poses (can't help it!! not only the girls but the guys as well! ). And let us welcome to the team, Kak Avy!!She's a Cambodian who just graduated from a university in Indonesia. She's been most helpful and kind to us along the journey, and she was always making us double up with laughter ..like..once every 2 minutes ..[owww I'm missing her already!!]

Pic: Wajah-wajah ceria kami ketika berjalan-jalan di bandar Phnom Penh..hehe

Anyways..Wouldn't you agree that to get to know a country more closely, you've got to know its history, of what has been revolving in the country and its people, previously so that we may learn a thing or two from it?

And so...ever heard of the Khmer Rouge? Of the Pol Pot regime? Of the sufferings and burden put onto the lives of millions of innocent Cambodians? Of the dark period of Cambodia and which had claimed the lives of millions of their people?

Well, if you haven't then, let me tell you myself.

From 1975-1979, the Cambodians were under the rulings of the Khmer Rouge which was a communist party led by Pol Pot. In its few years of ruling, it is estimated around 1.5 to 3 million people were killed, and some, in the most brutal and inhuman way. We were told that many of those who perished were of the professionals in their own field, doctors, professors, political leaders and what not.. Families were separated and even children are forced to work.

We were brought to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum /The Killing Fields to see with our own eyes the forms of torture that was put onto the victims of Khmer Rouge. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum used to be a school but during the Pol Pot era, it was turned into a prison, enclosed by iron sheets, all covered with dense, electrified barbed wire. Well, so that no one can escape obviously..

Pic: The prisoners were photographed before they were tortured and killed!

I'll just jot down the points that I have got on this brochure of the museum here/and some source from wikipedia:
" The prisoners were kept in small cells and shackled with chains fixed to the walls. Before the prisoners were placed in the cells they were photographed,...and they were stripped to their underwear.... "
"The prisoners had to defecate into small iron buckets and urinate into small plastic buckets..In each cell, the regulations were posted on small pieces of black board."
"Prisoners were tortured with electric shocks, searing hot metal instruments and hanging, as well as through the use of various other devices."
"At the extermination center, they were killed by being battered with iron bars, pickaxes, machetes and many other makeshift weapons."

Pic: OK cuba try sengetkan kepala masing-masing untuk membaca point2 ini. Tahniah.

Ugh, really. How can there be people who actually live to see other people suffer? How on earth could they actually enjoy looking at these innocent people get tortured to death? I mean, seriously, we're talking about people's lives here! It was a dark age I guess for the Cambodians especially and, I think it somehow cripple them and to some extent, perhaps destroy part of the nation as a whole. Look at what Cambodia has become today after many of its professionals died in this unbelievably cruel period of time!

Pic: The collection of human skulls, victims of the Khmer Rouge.

Let me rest my sore eyes now. Will be updating soon insyaAllah.salaam..

Day 1: Phnom Penh City, Cambodia

Day 1- Day 3: Phnom Penh City, Cambodia

And so the journey begins. With 13 of us, medical plus one dentistry students from UK and Ireland, we prayed to Allah to give us strength for the days to come and to protect us from any harm during the journey. We were in KLIA, there was a short briefing after checking in our luggages and boxes of donated items (thanks to those who contributed!).

Pic: Us with the donated items..a few hours before departing

At around 10.50 am local time, the city pf Phnom Penh came into view. We were greeted by Dr Mosein, president of Islamic Medical Association Cambodia (IMAC). Dr Mosein is a medical doctor AND a politician as well, he worked hard to improve the lives of Muslims in Cambodia, something that I find very respectable after listening to everything that he had done.

Pic: view of Phnom Penh city from the air.

So, everything was arranged for us to check in to our hotel ie Puncak Hotel,a hotel previously owned by Malaysians. On our way there, I have to admit that we were all equally in a high spirit of total excitement: berbelit juga lidah trying out some basic words of the Cambodian language. hehe. but anyways along the way to the hotel, we were observing the city of Phnom Penh..Hmm..although it was the capital city of Cambodia, I can't really compare it with Kuala Lumpur. We were especially taken aback at how many people can actually ride on a motorcycle together. There were 4 of them on a same motorbike at the same time...all big guys and not wearing helmet some more! Those are the common scenes on the roads of Phnom Penh I guess.

Pic: Ini kira cukup baik la 3 orang. I usually found 4 on a bike ^-^

The arranged activity for the day was the visit to the Malaysian Embassy. There we met Mr Megat who told us a lot of some inside stories of the country we were in at the moment, and the close connection and roles that Malaysia has in Cambodia. There were quite a lot of interesting facts, but that would be really lengthy for me to write in here. But I will do so later perhaps. :)

(to be continued...))

I think I've left a piece of my heart in Cambodia

It's been a few days now since I left Cambodia. The beautiful memories of our journey and the many exciting adventures are things that I feel would be hard to erase from my mind for as long as I live. I've seen so much. I've learnt much more and I feel I've matured in the process. So I am happy to say that the whole 12 days of the trip was worth all the time we've prepared for it, worth all the cash spent on it, and hopefully it has succeeded in reaching its aim to make a difference in other people's lives, insyaAllah.
Pic: The Cambodia Relief Mission 07 Team... thanks to all for making it all happen!

Anyway, I was really meaning to share and recount the experience that I've had in this little blog of mine, but then again, there are actually too many things to be said and I don't even know where to start!! hehe boleh ke mcm tu? I want to share the experience of our tasks there: mobile clinics, sunathon, and of meeting the villagers of the kampung (sambutan meriah btul! hehe) , and of the lives of the Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge (Pol Pot time) which has weakened the country even more, and of the Malay Champa I've met in Cambodia, of their strong faith to Islam, and also of our own adventure exploring Angkor Wat and emm shopping!! InsyaAllah will be writing all about them in these few days :)

Till then salam!!