Mekah Al-Ann (Mecca Now)

Few photos showing Mekah As-Shamiyah area at this time.

Demolishing work is in progress for future expansion of Haram Mosque and Hotels. Pictures spoke a thousand words, nothing was left behind and the only remaining was a memories.

My parents in-law has a good memories about As-Syamiyah. Their first visit to Mekah 36 years ago for hajj and yet the place still fresh in their minds. It was proven when their last visit on February where they still recall the shop selling "Tamis" and others stuff. Ohh My God! It still the same, they said. Although after 36 years the building and road were still the same. But that was on February, now everything has gone. Gone with the memories.

Oppss! We hit a Camel

Last Wednesday we planned to have our last Umrah before we fly back to Malaysia on July 3. The journey was fine though all the way Hannan did not cooperate very well. She cried along the journey. Don't know what really troubling her. We assume maybe she want to free herself from the baby car seat. Together with us, are family of Suhaimi and Sadimin.

It was Maghrib time when we arrived Meqat Juhfah area. As usual, we decided to stop at Meqat Mosque to perform our Maghrib prayer and then continue our journey to Mecca. It was another 200 meters away from the mosque when we saw in the darknest,from the opposite direction a car giving high beam. We thought it was for the car that at that time was using the road(opposite direction). Unfortunately, it was a signal from camel shepherd to tell us there was a flock of camel ahead and want us to slow down. It was too late to slow down when we saw the camel just a few metres in front of us. It was a big size camel and it hit our windscreen and bounce to the side of the road. Sadimin who was leading the convoy safely passed the camel flock. Me and Suhaimi did not realize caused it was dark. Suhaimi a few metres at the back suddenly stopped his car and checked on us. Alhamdulillah, nothing happened to anyone of us. Except I had some small pieces of broken glass got into my mouth. At that time, my main concerned was how was the kids? I turned back and checked all of them and turned to my husband. When I found everyone was ok then I realized there was something in my mouth and started to spit it out.

We decided to continue our journey, since there was no point to go back, we almost in the middle of the journey. In fact,it is dangerous to drive back with shattered windscreen at night. So, we started our niat ihram and continue our journey. It was 12 midnight when we reached Makkah.After settled our kids in the hotel, at 2.30 a.m we performed tawaf and Saei. Then after fajr we returned to hotel. In the same hotel we met my cousin 'Yop Najib' and wife, Azlindawati's in laws and other relatives who happened at the same time came here to perform Umrah.

Friday, Hj Azman(my cousin , Umrah tour operator, who is staying in Makkah for 20 years) sent us home to Yanbu. Surprisingly, he never been to Yanbu. This is the hikmah of what had happened. So, after he had lunch with us, my husband brought him for city site-seeing. He seems enjoyed the city and promised to come again with his parent and family to spent a few days to enjoy the beach in future.

On Saturday, my Saudi neighbours offered us help to make police report. In KSA if you had an accident and need to repair your vehicle, the wokshop will not accept your vehicle unless you have police report. Earlier, we made to understand, the report should be done to the nearest police station of the incident. Its mean we had to go to Rabigh police station to lodge report which is 200+km away. But luckily, Alhamdulilah, we got help from my Saudi neighbour so we manage to get the police report from here. And now she is in the workshop right now.

p/s: We would like to thank to Sadimin and Suhaimi for their help and patience. May Allah will reward you hassanah.

My Handprints

Yesterday , I received a most valuable gift from my dear son. I am kind a person never celebrate seriously special days. I used to treat everyday as special day to me. Yet, sometimes it makes me forget on certain special dates. 11 May is Mother's Day and I found this handprint note on my study table...

My Handprints

Sometimes you get discouraged

Because I am so small

And always leave my fingerprints

On furniture and walls

But everyday I'm growing big

And soon I'll be very tall

Then all my little handprints

Will be very hard to recall


So here's a special handprint

Just so that you can say

This is how my fingers looked

When I placed them here today....

Shah Eiman Amzar Shah Apandi

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers day to my beloved wife, my mother in-law (Pn. Habshah Mokri) and to all mothers where ever you are. I miss my mom very much. Indeed. I miss her cooks, her smiles, her calm face and her love.

I wish I could bring back those moment. A moment when I sleep on her lap, kiss her hands and moments surrounded with joy and happiness. I wish I could see she laugh again.

Memories are always memories. I lost her last year, May 2007. I was in Yanbu when she died. 2 weeks before, I went back to Malaysia just to be with her. My tears drop when I saw her lying on bed unconciously. Mom is a fighter, she has survived longer than what was predicted by the doctors.

I also lost my sister (Yong) on May 2007. Yong died due to heart failure. I saw tears from mom eyes when we told her about Yong. Yong is the only daughter she has after Nyah died. Both Mom and Yong is a gem in my life. Both raised me with patient and full of love.

To Mom, Dad, Yong and Nyah......may Allah bless you Jannah for your kind deeds and love.

Cuti - Cuti Malaysia

We will going back to Malaysia for vacation this summer. We collected the tickets from Saudi Airline yesterday after received the travel voucher from Royal Commission in the morning. Our flight will be on Thursday 3rd July, 2008 and coming back to KSA on 31st August, 2008 which is approximately 60 days in Malaysia.

Flight itinerary as below

From Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (JED) To Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia (KUL)
SV 1072
Jeddah (JED) Saudi Arabia 20:45, Thu 3 Jul, '08
Riyadh (RUH) Saudi Arabia 22:15, Thu 3 Jul, '08
Economy

SV 3840
Riyadh (RUH) Saudi Arabia 23:59, Thu 3 Jul, '08
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) Malaysia 13:00, Fri 4 Jul, '08
Economy

From Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia (KUL) To Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (JED)
SV 831
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) Malaysia 11:30, Sun 31 Aug, '08
Jeddah (JED) Saudi Arabia 14:50, Sun 31 Aug, '08
Economy

Sounds good?.Yeah..for the kids, but it is quite bored and tiring for us. I don't like to travel with Saudi Airline. From my experience with Saudi Air, everything was not good starting from the airport until you fly with them. The services and comfortness are less than other airlines especially Malaysia Airline. No dedicated tv screen for passengers (we have to watch the big TV on top of our head) which already applied in other airlines, No baby bassinet for infant (they just give you bag, put your baby inside and put it on the floor infront of your leg) and the unfriendly crew.

As during summer in Middle East, most people will travel outside from their country to escape from the heat. Since September 11, people from Middle East has made Malaysia become their favourite place to visit. Some of them went to Malaysia for their honeymoon and many of them not only went there once but repeatedly.

For airflight tickets, you have to book as early as February in order to travel on July or else you will stay behind. This July, we will flock Malaysia together with the Arabs.

InsyaAllah, we will spend most of the days in our hometown, Perak. Visting relatives and friends are the main agenda, apart of that we will try to resolve all matters arised while we are here. An island in Terengganu will be our choice for relaxing.

Banana Fritters @ Pisang Goreng

Wargh .. today feel like crazy to have banana fritters.. ummm yummy ..

Cannot help it anymore. One year did'nt eat Pisang Goreng....huuu..cannot "tahan"..I urged my husband to look for some banana, so that we could have for our tea time today. So he marched to the nearest shop and alhamdulillah he found half-ripe banana ("pisang montel" je..)and hope that it taste can be as good as the "pisang abu" fritters...

We told ourselves repeatedly, it might not taste as what we expected, so that we won't get frustated. Hehehe.. this is the result ...



I cup of coffee + banana fritters + sambal kicap johor emm(soya sauce+chillies+garlic+sugar) Whallah....

It sold out within few minutes... sorry...

Boat Trip - Part 2

This post is a continuity from the previous entry. We can say it is an enjoyful trip becoz another chance to get together with Malaysian family. But not all were present. Some were absent due to some personal reasons.

The underwater life not as beautiful as we have in Malaysia. Maybe the place the boat took us, was so near to the Power Plant. Most of the coral reefs look whitish, deadly and not colourful. We also can see kind of "plucked- effect" on it.

Anyway, to the children it was an enjoyful trip. It is for them anyway. That's good enough.