Look at the moon!!

Back then when there were still freedom of speech culture at the mosque, there was this guy of uncertain origin who would stand up after Jumaah prayer to deliver his own version of radical sermon.
He dresses in an arabic style jalabiya with turban and carried with him a small back pack and a cane. So, in his unique attire he not mistakenly often look out of place amidst the blue jeans and sweater the normal wear for university student, me included.
His speech will include going out on jihad and halal haram stuff much to the annoyance of the "normal" mosque patronage. I certainly don't blame him for standing up for his belief, albeit on the extreme but somebody has to keep reminding the public that its not just enough performing prayers but lacking da'wah.
Among my friends, he was fondly known as the "Look at the moon!" brother. The story of my first encounter with him was during the first Ramadhan in UK when he stood up after Jumaah and suddenly proclaiming that we have not fasted according to the sunnah. He claims that the "hilal" or "son" of the moon (sic) was already visible but we did not started fasting immediately. And so a debate ensued afterward, but i don't care anymore. Just follow the majority lah..
Anyway, as for myself, every time he stood up, I would just slip quietly the back door because I wouldn't want to miss out buying the 3.5 pound Nasi Ayam on sale at the pantry.

The picture of the moon above was taken two nights ago on the 16th night in all its splendor a 97% waning gibbous. The night was a little bit colder as there was no cloud above us to held up the day's heat.

So my friends and I grabbed our spears and decided to go on a night hunt for stingrays. We managed to turn up with a medium size catch not bad on such a beautiful night.

Notes from Land of Dusty Hollow

Yesterday, despite the fasting month, I tag along with a couple of my friends to search for dunes worthy of photo shots. It was an unpopular decision against every sleepy bones in my body. Oddly I did not sleep throughout the 135km or so round journey south like I expected. The road was straight as an arrow which could lull any unwary drivers into micro sleeps that have proven to be fatal.
The 360 degrees scenery is mostly flat dotted with bushes like these pictures. Cik Mad recalls it looks like the scene from High Chaparral a late 60s tv show. That will hint u his age. The one and only sign post you could find around here. If u happen to be driving around here, don't count on finding such sign post to aid if ur lost. There probably wont be any. Ur best bet is to drive straight and watch out for any Bedouins tent around to help u track back.
The sign post is fixed on hinges should strong wind blows, the whole thing wont just collapse as is common after a bad sand storm. The bush that dotted the barren land. The roots must be very deep into the ground where the water is. The soils here is very fine dust that rain water or flood takes a long time to dry and when it finally seeps into the ground, farmers or Bedouins can still retrieve it by a digging a bit. Our journey finally ends near this once fisherman village by the red sea. If we drive further south we could end up in Eritrea.

Last year when we came here, there were a few boats and fisherman selling their harvest under a tent. Now, we can only find these empty seashells left behind. Mabye its the Ramadhan, and they are on holiday or something.

Thats Ipin the Stingray Slayer. His the one who suggested we go on this trip for some photo shots. He thought this would be his last trip but I think he might have to come back and stay like the rest of us till March.. who knows if he finally got the lucky one way ticket trip. We wait and see..

We managed to find an isolated dune worthy of photo for Ipin to take home. U could see the wind blowing softly against the sand creating a hazy shade of color.Some small tree that could survive this desert condition. It sure adds color to this bleak sandy desert scene.
Heres more or less the geography of this Red Sea District. It is a contrast to the dark red soil, deep blue sky and green trees and bushes that one normally find in southern Sudan.

Me and Cik Mad who also has his own blog.

A building which purposes is lost to me. It lies by the roadside with nothing inside it. Too small for a medium size Sudanese to live in it. Probably its one of those temporary permanent building solutions by the passing Bedouins around this area.On our way back, we took a detour into the town called Suakin. Heres some pictures of the kind of houses common in the villages around the town. The houses are simply built out of dead branches sufficient to keep out the heat during the day and cold breeze during the night. It almost never rain here, so there probably no need of fancy house like we have.
Although more and more people with stronger economics capacity are opting for brick layered build up.
Yet there are the poor who live next door to a well to do neighborhood.
A small shop displaying its good out in the open.

Some build their houses out of wood rather than the traditional branches.
The main transport of choice is still the donkey. This one here is use to carry drinking water for houses.

Suakin is a town famous for its Fort City build entirely out of coral reefs. Some say it dated back to the period of King Solomon. Although another story recounted that the Turkish was the first people to build the fort here many hundred years ago. Will soon find out the truth next week, InsyaAllah when we return here for a visit inside the city. This time we were not prepared with the entrance fees. The picture above is just a sample of the crumbling ruin of an old house outside the gated fort city. This house here is also build out of coral reefs.

At the bottom here is some seashells i managed to scavenged from the trip. Its not that pretty yet, but wait till I clean them and drown it at the bottom of my in-laws pond.
Actually we tried to take more close up pictures with the local but unfortunately, they are somewhat hostile to a bunch of photo itchy tourist and refuse taking photos of them. I had a bad experience of being shouted at near Khartoum once. Cik Mad also had a harrowing experience with a local bully who threaten to report Cik Mad to the police for taking innocent pictures of the scenery.

My guess is as good as yours on to what kind of stigma attached to these local people on photography. In East Malaysia there are some tribe that belief their soul would freeze forever in time within the photo if other took pictures of them. Maybe they are just not well inform..

Semalam Puasa hari yang ke 30

Technically, semalam puasa Ramadhan ana yang ke 30 harinya disini. Yealah, tahun lepas kan dah puasa 29 hari dah di Negara Pasir Berdengung Darul Permai ni. So dah rasa macam seasoned pulak puasa negeri panaih berdebu ni. Dalam sejarah hidup kira dah kali ke-4 lah posa luaq negeri ni.

Beza banyak dulu, sempat 2 kali puasa kat Glasgow. Puasa masa zaman muda remaja di negeri orang seksi meksi dan sejuk gigil ada cabaran tersendiri kalau di bandingkan dengan puasa kat negeri panaih badan dan panaih hati sebab layan orang sentul. Apapun, kena lah bawak banyak bersabaq.

Dulu puasa kat Glasgow, time bukak slalu pi Masjid makan Briyani Pakistani "More Curry Brother". Memang sedap sebab free. Kalau bayaq pon tetap sedap sehingga menjilat jari. Kadang kadang dapat la makan Sweet Rice dengan gulai, pergh..sedap! Walhal pertama kali kena rasa kembang gak tengkok sebab tak penah rasa, dan tersilap kerana tamak haloba isi banyak pulak atas pinggan. Tapi dah 2-3 kali kena memang cari lagi, sesenduk dua.

Sekarang di negara Sudan ni, lagi sedap kalau makan lauk rendang semalam sebab Orang Malaisi sendiri yang masak. Kalau ikutkan menu orang sini, tak sanggup kot berbukak. Memang tabik "Spring" kemampuan orang sini makan kacang kuda, kurma keraih dan aiyiaq jus kurma masam sambil berdiri. Dah adat mereka hanya berjamah sedikit mengikut sunnah sebelum bergegas ke surau menunaikan Maghrib. Bila selesai sembahyang baru depa pulun makan makanan tradisi mereka. Orang Malaisi, macam biasa la, melantak sampai 3 kali tambah baru bisa beransur balik solat.

Apa-apa pun, harap dapat terus berpuasa di sini sebaik mungkin dan di beri kesabaran dari mencacatkan ibadah sebab kutuk masakan sentul tak sedap. Tinggal 21 hari saja lagi sebelum dapat pulang berpuasa bersama keluarga, InsyaAllah..

Ini la Rotob yang dimaksudkan. Mungkin diimpot dari Jordan atau Lubnan. Takdak rasa kelat sikit pon. Manih melecaih macam Nancy Ajram. Haihh..puasa puasa!

Setengah hari di Bort Sudan

Semalam escape jap dari bosan tahap maksima dengan makan angin di Bort Sudan. Sebab, keesokan harinya nak puasa, pekan sentul ni pon sibuk la penuh dengan bermacam aktiviti perniagaan, melepak dan bermacam ragam manusia. Pencemaran bunyi dari "hon" kenderaan dan sekali-dua kala "hon" asli dari kenderaan rasmi 4 kaki negeri pasir berdengung ni, yaitu keladai menambahkan hiruk pikuk suasana petang itu.

Tujuan ke pekan pon bukannya apa, kengkawan nak beli senaskah dua Al-Quran dan buah rotob. Harga senaskah Al-Quran disini memang kompetitif seingat aku la berbanding harga di kaki lima Kotaraya suci Mekah Al-Mukarrammah.
Sebuah kedai yang kami singgah di kaki lima mempamerkan bermacam2 buku dan dan alatan ibadah bergantungan atau diletakkan atas kaki lima begitu saja.

Orang ramai yang berteleku dan duduk2 tu sedang bersembang dan bertukar gosip sambil minum kopi cangkung yang turut di jual berhampiran.
Peniaga2 boleh kata bersepah2 lah menjual barangan mereka, yang pakcik kat bawah teduh tu jual tali pinggang dan aksesori pakaian lelaki. Yang kat depan sekali tu pulak jual kayu sugi dan bermacam2 artifak yang tidak dikenali.

Gambar ni ambil jauh2 sebab orang sini tak gemar gambar mereka diambil. Sementara aku sendiri tak gemar dengan barang yang dijualnya maka tak adalah consensus untuk berjual beli sambil ambil gambar.
Pakcik ni pulak jual tikar gulung sambil berdiri. Terpikir jugak, kenapa hanya tinggal dua? Laku ker? Mungkin stok nya masih ada di belakang kedai kot.Rotob tak ada, yang ada Tamar. Tamar Sudan ni tak best sangat pasai dia kering. Kena rendam aiyiaq hangat gitu sampai dia lembut sikit baru leh makan. Silap haribulan leh patah gigi makan yang kering begitu saja.
Jalan "raya" penuh sesak dengan kenderaan termasuklah keladai ni yang menunggu giliranya di simpang. Traffic light takder, asal siapa berani jalan dulu. Agaknya, kalau budaya merempit singgah ke sini dibawa oleh expat2 Malaisi macam mana la pulak keadaan jalan raya kat sini nanti? Kita tunggu..!
Pakcik ni bawak berguni2 gula untuk dijual diatas kenderaan "eco-friendly" nya. Kesimpulan dari gambar ini:-
1) Orang Sudan kuat makan Gula, pakcik tu pon sihat jer
2) Perniagaan disini dijalankan tanpa mencemarkan alam sekitar
3) Kenderaan ni front leg center drive.

Chewahh! Siap "double park" lagi. Kalau kat Keyhell dah tentu kena saman berguni.Lagi suasana kalut malut yang dapat disaksikan dari dalam keselesaan Totota Land Cruiser GXR.
Ni bank Sumber Binatang. Agaknya apa jenis produk yang ditawarkan oleh bank ni? Bank Riba ker Bank Islam?
Lori Mercedes warna warni yang turut menyusuri jalan raya ini. Jam sebentar.
Sibukkan? Yea lah, ramai orang yang buat "last minute shopping" ala-ala orang Malaisi jugak.

Ni salah sebuah kedai tujuh sebelaih yang boleh ditemui sebijik dua sepanjang lebuhraya dari pekan balik ke Bashayer, tempat aku merempat.
Senario yang biasa di lihat atas lebuhraya di negara ini. Laju bukan main tu.. "Safety" jangan ditanya la.

Dalam perjalanan balik sempat la kami singgah di sebuah masjid yang ringkas rekabentuk nya. Bilal melaungkan azan dari luar masjid memanggil umat Islam menunaikan solat Asar berjemaah.Sempoi jer. Orang sini ambil wudhu pakai bejana kecil tu ja. Sumber aiyiaq yang terhad mungkin membentuk cara hidup yang sesuai dengan keperluan setempat. Bukan macam orang kita, habis basah baju.
Budak ni main aiyiaq sambil kerenyih, membuatkan aku teringat anak aku Muhammad Nuaim. Ada la sekali tu bawak dia pi sembahyang masjid. Tengah dok sembahyang dia hilang takdak dekat2 tu. Mula la tak kusyuk sembahyang. Bila dah habis bagi salam, cepat2 la pi cari anak sulung sorang tu kat mana. Rupa-rupanya jumpak dia dok syiok main aiyiaq pancuq kat belakang sampai habih basah baju.

Marhaban Ya Ramadhan

Time sure flies and in a few days time, the most awaited month will soon dawn upon us again with abundance of gifts and bonuses from His Most Compassionate and The Bestower . But remember, we have only one short month to seize all the great offerings within it.

Ramadhan is here again. Alhamdulillah, I have add another year to my age. Along the additional year I enjoyed, I have stumbled upon many sins and sometime willingly embroiled myself in transgression act that surely earned wrath from my All Mighty thus distance myself from Him.

Surely, I would not be able to right all the wrong thing I have done, but I pray and hope that I would be given the courage and strength to steadfastly perform the fast without any deficiency, the way that has been thought to us by His messenger, Muhammad S.A.W.

Hopefully, this holy month would prepare my faith for the future years and efface all the bad deeds I have committed.

Thank You, O Allah for blessing me, my family and my friends with yet another Ramadhan.

Ilmu Kesihatan Darjah Satu

When I was going thru my hard drive I found some scan copies of a very ancient book title: "Ilmu Kesihatan Darjah Satu" (Health for Standard 1). I probably got these pictures from emails or something.
Anyways, this text book was among the many that were issued to primary school starters like me. Many had to carry them on their small backs but for me, my dad bought me one of those briefcase that has fancy plaid design. If I remembered correctly, the briefcase only lasted till mid term when I finally got a backpack i insisted, which was considered niche trend those years.
Anyway, I'm not blogging about the bags but whats inside it, namely this text book. I only had to carry it once a week when the class is normally slotted towards the end of school day.
The teacher, would normally make us take turn to stand in front and read out each chapter. If I'm not mistaken, and I've been wrong before due to my weak memories, there was normally no homework for this class.
One of the lessons is , we were thought on how to properly take a shower. I found it quite odd that the boy depicted in this page is wearing "kain basah". Normally boys my age (that time) will just shower naked. Yeah, I still used a towel afterwards although, I sometime skipped that part especially if the weather was hot. That way i keep the moisture on my skin longer to cool it down a bit, hehehe.
Being in an all boys school, this caring act is often mistaken for sissy.
Haha. "Skema budak ni!". During my early years, if we see a teacher, we ran away as fast as we could. Even if we were not up to something and the teacher were not out to scold us or anything, its only just plain fun that way. The motto was "Stay out of trouble, stay away from teacher during recess time". Perhaps, I was very shy to talk to my teachers, thats why I peed in my pants once.
I remembered my friends and I accidentally started a big bush fire near my neighbor's house during one school holiday. It was an honest mistake, as I only tried to add fireworks to my volcano experiment, when it blew up and started a big fire.
I ran home and tried to call the fireman but I was more afraid to speak on the line for fear of being arrested by making prank calls.
Those days, my father locked the phone (those oldies with dials) to avoid the maid making long distance calls. I had to trash about to find the keys, and when I finally found it I was too nervous to speak and passed the phone to my accomplice who handed it right back to me. Anyway, when we finally made our report, the fire truck had already arrived at the scene to rescue my neighbor house from being touch by the fire.
I never knew that neighbor of mine until I met him 15 years later when he became my project manager in one of my project.
This lesson I still remember till today. If not, probably I'm dead or maimed or something.
Those days, kids were mostly shy from talking to strangers that probably made this tactics of kidnapping kids my age difficult.
Oh well, I probably could not find this books anywhere in my house now, possibly given away or burned after spring cleaning.

Budget 08

So what good came out of Pak Lah yesterday during the eagerly awaited budget speech? One thing for sure he didn't fell asleep while standing up during his speech. Although I did not watch the telecast, but some bloggers mention that it was not an exciting one.

As I read through the budget, I was hoping for more tax relief for individuals to be given out, alas, it was not to be this year. Except for RM300 exception for individuals who buy sports stuff in bid to promote healthier living. I hope they count bicycle as part of tax relief bracket 'coz i've been dreaming to buy one since last year.

All in all, this years budget would only be beneficial directly to me in say about 4 years from now when Muhammad Nuaim is ripe for his first school year. Than, I wouldn't have to bother paying the school fees nor get involved in a parents brawl at the bookshop to get the last copy of the text book.

I remembered those years when my dad was earning more than the limit for low income parents which means his lazy son was not entitled to get the loan text book scheme. Than, he had to drive me to several book stores just to get the text book for the year. Somehow, all the parents thought that last minute shopping was a fine annual parents gathering event which crowded most book stores than. Ended up, my dad not only had to pay for text books, but also some expensive comic books like Tin Tin or Asterix. Well, next year, no more bookstores rush.. pity them bookstore.

Another good thing out of this RM30Billion allocated for education, is the increment of special allowances for the teachers from RM100 to RM250 looks good to me. Hopefully with this increase, more and more teachers would stop competing giving tuition and concentrate on school hours. Probably could save some bucks there from sending my sons to tuition. But hang on, thats like 8 years from now, and maybe than RM250 won't buy u a pack of cigarette. Well, leave the future for another day.

On the student COLA that has been increased, too bad that OZ is not included. My brother is planning to further his studies there this November, and looks like he has to work at the laundry to support his extra meals..huhu.

On the much talk about housing incentives, I didn't see that coming. Too bad I just completed the documentation to sell off my house in Bangi last month. If not I probably would save some RM there by holding the sales out till next year.

Anyways, it is still good news that it is now allowed to withdraw the Account 2 KWSP to reduce housing loans. But, I am not sure if they would still allow to withdraw for houses that are currently under sales transaction. Technically, I am still paying my loan till the title transfer documentation is completed, which would take like a year from now... Must find out about that..

Hooray! 28 days til RnR

Yesterday I managed to convinced the Boss to sign my RnR on 5 Oct. Wife expected to give birth maaa. Even if they don't sign, I would still go back 'coz I already bought a one way ticket from my own pocket. The only stumbling block is I need an exit Visa, which probably I have to belanja my friend a Shawarma for that.

Well, hopefully everything went well and pray that the baby come out just in time not a day earlier, InsyaAllah ;-)

28 days and counting...

Mobile Library

The other day I had an exciting opportunity to witness a ceremony for the Launching of the Petronas Mobile Library at Al-Shargiyah Basic Level School for Boys, Port Sudan. The event was officiated by the Petronas VP of Education Datuk Dr Rosti Saruwono and was a colorful one with school girl performance as well as war dance performed by young boys from a local tribe. One thing I have to remark is that the food was great too as this was the first time that I attended a local Sudanese ceremony that did not serve food in plastic packings :-)
The library is the third of its kind from Petronas to the Sudanese people as part of its commitment to develop local community, particularly in the field of education. The library is targeted for Basic Level Schools where it is equipped with English and Arabic books to encourage reading habits among children. A variety of books were neatly kept on the rack including religion, story books, references and dictionaries.
A worthy note to mention is that Petronas service to the local community also includes setting up 2 Vocational Training Centers in Khartoum, organizing annual English Language Debate Championship as well as sending top grade students to study in Malaysia on full scholarships.

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, but if you teach a man how to fish and he could feed for a lifetime". What a beautiful proverb that I think in Petronas case, such commitment is a win-win solution in this investor and host nation relationship. However, there is always a two side of the coins and so is the proverb. "Teach a man to fish and soon you will have competitors in the fishing industry, but if you give him a fish, you would create a demand for your fish product".

I guess any way you look at it there is always new critical views challenging your status quo. But it is not anyone faults. As long as the giver is sincere in his/her deeds, and the receiver is thankful and does not bite the hands of the giver, the world would be a very happy place to live in.
The dessert table at the ceremony. Sudanese has such sweet tooth, just look at their colorful desserts. Or is it the table cloth that is blinding me.

Adoiii!!

I had a painful encounter with the red sea creatures this morning at sunrise. I was stung by the jelly fish. Lucky I was not so far ashore and the water was a bit "tohor" by Mizang standard, so even though I panic I still could touch the sea bed and gasp for precious air.

This is the first sighting of them pink jellyfish close to shore and unfortunately I was in their way. I was stung twice, being the first on the neck that I panic and swam away calling for Denis the Menace who was also in the water nearby. With his jellyfish scanner goggle, he scan the water around but did not find any nearby so I grab on to him to swim back to shore, alas, again I went the wrong way and got entangled in another groupies of them jellyfish that lacerated my torso.

The first sting on the neck

The second sting all over the torso and my right arms.

When it stung first I felt very itchy and scratch them a bit that worsen the effect. After 5 minutes out of the water, the whole skin felt very hot. Many advise was given by my concern friend on how to make the pain go away including peeing on it (not an option), take pain killer or rub it with a mixture of asam keping, water and salt. Of all the advise, I heeded Ripin the sting ray slayer to rub it with asam keping and salt.

Lucky, I manage to get some asam keping from Pak Ya (god bless him for the thought of bringing some all the way from Malaysia) to mixed it with the stale salt on the dining table and rub feverishly on the affected area. After 2 hours, the pain and scar went away. Thanks to Ripin, now his title have to be change to Tok Bomoh Jawa for handing me down the old remedy that he probably inherited from many generations.

Walla..like magic. Who would have thought an ancient concoction could do such wonder..In the morning I thought that will be my last swim, but now at 4 pm, I think I probably will go back and swim some more. hahaha