Our Hope for the Future

I did something out of character last weekend- voluntarily helping out at a masjid sponsored event.

Maybe you would understand why from looking at the photos.

The event was dubbed SAMBA (Santai Bersama Belia) 1.0

The aim was to get more youths to 'hang out' more frequently at the masjid for all the right reasons.

While there, hopefully, they'll be able to fill the gaps in their knowledge and practice of our chosen Way of Life thereby improving themselves.

The name SAMBA actually alluded to the main draw of this activity, a friendly game at the indoor court, Samba de Futsal at Seksyen 51A just past Kampung Tunku.

"1.0" is a hope and a prayer that this will only be the beginning of more such events to come...

 The ice-breaking session. I have no idea what this game is but it was seriously fun and sure broke the ice!

 The main draw- a game of futsal at Samba.

This is one of those times when I feel the loss of my DSLR most acutely, all those lost moments and actions...

 After a session of learning, there followed an "explorace" to gauge their current level of knowledge and how much they've managed to retain from the lessons.

 And this was the other attraction, the meals provided. For dinner is Domino's Pizza! They even got a Magnum Gold ice-cream each later for supper!

 One of our participants had to leave the program that evening to attend his grandfather's funeral. This lead to an impromptu class on solat janaazah, the prayer for the dead.

 Qiyam al-lail, the night prayers. Getting them to wake up by 5.00 in the morning was tough. I felt proud of them, of the fact that they all made the effort to get up and join in.

 Filling up their tanks with a light breakfast in anticipation of the grueling punishment to come.

 A watered down session of bootcamp-style fitness workout by our very own certified trainer.

It looked highly unpleasant from where I stood, despite being seriously toned down!

 Totally unrelated to the activities. This is the son of our siak (the keeper of the masjid).

I just thought the little devil happened to look very angelic here for once, haha!

The final session was to learn and refresh their knowledge of solat.

These kids and young men still have a long way to go, but it's a start.

I took off early as I had a prior obligation to attend to and was not present during the closing ceremony.

It was perhaps a good thing that I missed it. This event has got me all melancholic, especially thinking about the future of our Muslim community here.

I may just break down and cry.

But we shall pray daily for a new hope.

Here's what I've been up to in the past 8 months...

These seems like a lifetime ago when in fact, only several months had passed.

There were other smaller meaningful happenings in between, but in the interest of brevity, I've decided to only sum up the major events in this entry.

1st to 2nd March 2014: A crazy, exhausting weekend of traveling from a wedding in Paya Rumput, Melaka to another in Semerah near Batu Pahat and finally, from west coast to east coast of Johor to experience an overnight stay in Tanjung Leman within the space of 12 hours. Moreover, we needed to take off by noon the next day in order to reach home before midnight! That's how crazy it was!

10th to 12th March 2014: Work visit to peaceful, idyllic Kota Bharu and Kubang Kerian. During this trip, I confirmed what I suspected and learned greatly from it, but my travel mates seemed to have grasped a different, conflicting lesson which may bode ill for the future. The meals throughout this trip though, were spectacularly delicious!

16th to 20th March 2014: Langkawi revisited. Very dry season this time around. Hardly any water flowing down the various falls. I am quite surprised at how very few photos I had taken during this trip! However, it was one of the most enjoyable and relaxing holidays of the year.

12th April 2014: Participated in part one of an Instagram-o-philes gathering at Kuala Lumpur Commuter Station. Despite being warned and chased off by police and a short blackout during lunch, it was a thoroughly fun outing! They moved on to an even more awesome venue after that but I sadly had to give it a miss.

26th to 27th April 2014: Another weekend travel, but more relaxing this time. To Pahang we went, from a wedding in a crowded housing area of Temerloh, we made our way to windy Cherating. It's been a while since I last experienced a truly refreshing dip in the sea. This was totally worth the hassle!

30th May to 6th June 2014: Paying homage to the third Holy Land was a nerve wracking but exciting journey. From Jordan we traveled into the captured lands of Palestine- Jerusalem and al-Aqsa, still independent Ramallah, Bethlehem, beleaguered Hebron, beautiful Tel Aviv, Haifa, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth. Floating in the Dead Sea was quite painful due to sunburn and we also checked out the shopping scene in Amman, Jordan before flying home. At this point in time, my beloved Nikon D-90 was already lost to me as it had been burgled from my home just 4 days before I was due to depart. The images from here onwards were captured using a compact camera, the Olympus Tough.

21st June 2014: After meeting up with my Brother at the state mosque in Shah Alam, I went on to see what Floria Putrajaya had to offer its visitors this year. Surprise, surprise! There was an entrance fee this time but without any justifications as to why there should be. The exhibition flow was horrendous and the displays, less wondrous compared to previous years! There were a few gimmicks and extras that may have brought on the charge but overall I believe it was an unfair toll to pay. Looking back though, I have been coming to this event since 2008, when it was still held at the Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur. Perhaps being charged makes no difference at all to the general crowd who may be there for the first time ever.

20th September 2014: Took leave off my senses and followed a group of kids up Broga Hill. This place is frigging selfie central, I tell you! There I was, huffing and puffing for my life while they smiled and snapped pictures front, left and centre! The stop by Tekala Waterfalls did succeed in freshening me up, thank you!

6th to 14th October 2014: Conference, meeting and work visits, with a bit of sightseeing on the side, where Queen Elizabeth II currently reigns. Rubbed shoulders with other tourists, taking in the atmosphere at the birth home of Mr. William Shakespeare. Experienced a bit of salty Grimsby, lively Manchester, sadly rundown Liverpool, scenic Chester and the carnival lights of Blackpool by night. I was fortunate to have a willing guide and a bunch of happy-go-lucky postgrads to accompany me on my little adventures!

22nd October 2014: Stadium Merdeka. "Mariah, you're on faiyah (fire)..." croons rapper Mase in the remix of Honey. Indeed she was fiery, Ms. Mariah Carey, but we were all downright wet out there. Having bought budget seats, we were so way out that all we saw were these tiny glowing boxes up front. The fact that the Ministry of Tourism had a hand in the management of this event made it all the more appalling. This Diva deserved a much better arena than this, preferably covered!

Reflections

A lot has happened and a lot has failed to happen.

I will be 37 years old this year (38 this month, if you go by Hijri years).

I am still single and unavailable.

I am still living free of the full weight of the responsibilities inherent in my life, shielded by my weary and aging parents.

Pa complained that I have my priorities wrong.
He said that the way I'm currently living is the way he had lived when he was 15-16 years of age.

And I agree with him wholeheartedly.
Though he dismisses the fact that I had an almost completely secluded and protected life at that age.

Imagine only learning to take a bus on my own at 18.
To tell you the truth, my university days were my 'teenage' years and I behaved abominably true to form.

I am truly ashamed of me during those years- I was really the most selfish of brats I have ever known.

I still am in a way, I guess, though I've learned to mitigate it with spontaneous acts of kindness.

The prospect of life at 37 seems to be a lonely one.

Where I am expected to live in the company of my own family, my own wife and kids, I currently have an empty space that I am attempting to fill with the company of friends and acquaintances.

But as friends my age began to withdraw into their own family lives, I find myself scrambling to make an ever younger circle of acquaintances.

The generation gap becomes wider and wider and I find myself socially 'unacceptable' at any level of society.

I must believe that what is, is the best for me.
Otherwise, I will be negating my belief in Qadr and Qada.

I pray daily for the strength to endure.

Kerang, Nenek & Tarzan

Kalau menikmati rendang kerang (yang betul-betul kerang, bukan sekadar ketul-ketul liat sebesar biji saga seperti yang sering terdapat sekarang), pasti aku teringat arwah Nenek.

Dan pasti terimbau kembali kemeriahan sebuah kenduri, bersama sepupu sepapat meratah rendang kerang sambil mata tertancap pada kaca televisyen yang menayangkan filem lama Tarzan and the Mermaids, lakonan Johnny Weissmuller dan Brenda Joyce.

Aku rindu arwah Nenek :'(

Al Faatihah disedekahkan buat Nenek Zaharah binti Sean...

Setahun yang lalu...

Di ketika ini pada tarikh Hijri yang sama tahun yang lalu, inilah pemandangan yang aku lihat dari tempat pembaringanku...