BREAKING FAST IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY FOR THE FIRST TIME

In less than two months, I was back in Singapore again. This time with my friend, Mr. Razib. Despite the fact that it could be a scorching hot fasting month, it was an offer that could not be easily rejected, especially when we were going to Geylang Serai this time.

Wak Tanjung Mosque

Geylang Serai is synonymous to the Malay community in Singapore and is very well known for its Ramadhan and Eid ul-Fitr bazaar. Tents were seen along the stretch of roads and it seemed to be endless. You could already breathe in the air of the celebration of Eid although it was only the beginning of the second week of fasting month. You could find almost everything under the sun there; from carpets to curtains, capal (traditional Malay footwear) to cookies, ready made dresses to imported dates.

At the entrance of Geylang Serai New Market. Beautiful Malay architecture is being preserved.

in front of a stall selling colourful head scarves

The place was already crowded with people by 6:00 p.m. as they started to buy their food to break fast. It was intoxicating in a way - with vibrant colours surrounding you, loud music blaring from loud speakers everywhere and the smell of food being fried or grilled filling the air; those could be the reasons for people to be spending money unconsciously. But for me, too many things, too little money. *sigh*

the tourist guide and I

We were so engrossed with the items on sale without realizing it was already time to break fast. We settled for kebab and a bottle of sugar cane drinks each, sat down on the pavement and ate with other strangers. This was what we called a simple pleasure in life; satisfaction without any remorse and no complaints whatsoever. Then only, we took the MRT and headed to Mr. Razib's in-law's house somewhere in Tampines.

Well, it was an excursion worth going, at least I know an option of where to go and what to get from there. Thanks Razib, and next time shall we go and explore other part of Singapore?

A LATE SUPPER WITH A SCHOOL BUDDY

Yesterday I went to have a late supper with a school buddy, Razib. This time it was Senibong, a famous place for seafood in JB, because he had a craving for grilled fish. It was too early for sahur though (an early meal taken by fasting Muslims most of the time before the crack of dawn) but the exchanges of updates were more important. I don't have that many real close friends from school; I wonder if I do have any. I don't keep in touch with friends from school. I don't know whether they will still know me or whether I do exist in their lives after all. That is a disadvantage of being a not-so-famous-one in school, it is either they like you or they just don't care. Nevertheless, I have this one kind soul who has been, shall I say, considering me as an old friend from school all this while, right after a few years after we have finished university. Although it is not a frequent get-together as he is working in Qatar, when he comes back for his breaks, it has been regular meetings in mamak restaurants, McDonald's or Siamese seafood outlets. And we have been doing this over a number of years. As long as we can talk and eat, that will be just fine. So I would like to thank Mr. Razib for his kind gestures to be more than just a friend from my Facebook or Yahoo group, you are real!

Friendship remains and never can end, as long as it doesn't involve borrowing or lending money.

TUESDAY MORNING EXAMINATION BLUES

gazing into the future

Already my fifth time taking the PTK exam, the third time for TK3 (competency level 3) but thank God only one paper this time. Anyway, knowing the type of questions that were about to be asked, the only word that can describe me sitting for the exam is nonchalantly (definintion: behaving calmly and not seeming interested in or worried about anything). Even my friends who were there looked too happy to come for the exam which was unbelievable. Just keep my fingers crossed but no high hope.

all's well that ends well

JUST A BUNCH OF NOISY STUDENTS

I decided to have my tuition class for my form 5 students during the day as I need the night time for the tarawikh prayer. As a result, two sessions of a 4-hours stretch had to be done. Surprisingly, no one fell asleep during the whole class and we just focused on the novel section, and everything had been covered thoroughly. So, I hope they can get high marks from this particular section for the upcoming exam. Something has to be done to award them for their determination to come to class for half a day during the fasting month. Isn't taking photographs everyone's favourite pastime nowadays?

FUN SCHOOL BREAK ACTIVITY FOR YOU

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
See the three pictures up close and try to identify who was the photographer for each of the picture. Have fun!

WELCOMING THE MONTH OF RAMADHAN

Ramadhan is here again. Every time this month arrives, I would always remember my late father and mother. I had started fasting as early as before I started primary school. Back then, fasting was not an easy task. To wake me up early in the morning before dawn for sahur was not an easy thing to do. And to make sure I could stay fasting is another thing. For a small kid, to abstain from eating and drinking must have been no small matter. I can always remember what my father would do to make me stay fasting until the end. After coming back from work, he would bring me to Pantai Lido (Lido Beach) in his car. Pantai Lido was not like what it is today. Back then it was still unpolluted. So we would sit there by the seaside, watching people digging the sand on the beach, finding a kind of sea shell, which were clams I think. They only used spoons or ladles they brought from home to do that. Or we would simply be enjoying the scene of the sea with Singapore Island on its backdrop. When the sky had turned its colour from blue to red, then only we would make our way home, ready to break fast. And most of the time, my determination to stay fasting until the end would be rewarded with ice-creams bought from a Chinese vendor. Oh god, how I miss those moments and how I miss breaking fast with my parents around. Before I left home for boarding school, I had not even once had break fast without my parents. It was like a family matter, it had to be done with everybody present at the dining table. And that would be one of the happiest moments of my life.

The moral of the story: make sure you enjoy the moment with your parents when they are still around.

WAKING UP AS A CELEBRITY, FOR ONCE

I grabbed today's edition of the New Straits Times as early as 6:45 a.m. to find out that Puan Rozana Sani had indeed featured my blog in the Tech&U pull-out. How many times in your life would you have the chance to appear in a newspaper with 1/6 of your photo covering its page and the other 1/6 with story about you (or rather your blog). So I would like to thank Puan Rozana Sani for liking my blog (I hope) and also for all her effort to put me in her paper which is an experience of a lifetime.

New Straits Times, August 17 2009, Tech&U page 14

Nevertheless, I think not many people are reading the NST or the Tech&U section as nobody seemed to notice about this historical event except for a group of librarians who were waving me the newspaper from the opposite block in front of the library. So I waved back at them, like a newly-crowned Miss Universe. Thank you, there were people who knew! I am still famous.

You can try and see the NST online version of this article at http://technu.nst.com.my/Current_News/techNu/Monday/Blogger/20090817133333/Article/index_html but I am not sure how long this page can be accessed by public.

LOOKING AT THE BRIGHT SIDE OF (SCHOOL) LIFE

We have been having quite a number of schooling Saturdays so as to allow extra holidays for festive celebrations like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Deepavali. Based on previous experience, not many students would turn up for replacement school (what more with the heavy downpour in the late morning and the H1N1 scare). We had planned for another pot luck for two reasons: to bid (early) farewell to our two trainees who will be leaving the school during the fasting month and to celebrate the month of Ramadhan itself.

with the two trainees, Fadhlun and Lim, and our new conselling teacher, Mr. Punithan

This time the theme chosen was food from the east coast so we had dishes like Nasi Dagang, Laksam, Puteri Mandi and for the drinks we had refreshing coconut water. As expected, not many came to school so we had the peace and harmony for the rest of the day.

enjoying the food and the chit chat

Even in class, light activity such as reading was carried out and that left us plenty of time to have photo-taking session. School on a Saturday was not that bad after all.

in the classroom, with the form one boys

and the form one girls

half of my form two students who did not go missing