UK? Well, it goes like this really...

The last picture before takeoff. Needless to say, I was rather nervous myself.

Finally, one eye-opening term has come to an end. Took me long enough as everyone else was already way ahead with the fact that they began their long winter holiday last week. With the end of the Proteins and Enzymes test at 3:14 pm on Friday, my winter break has officially begun. Now, as I lay back lazily on my chair and contemplating the long chilly nights ahead, I finally had the 'strength' to post on this 'cobweb filled blog'. To any followers of my blog, I apologise for the long delay but I hope this will more than make it up to you.

Coming here in the first place was a big decision to make. For anyone who has been stalking me or just interested in knowing more about my situation, you might think that the choice was obvious as to which option was I about to take in determining my future.

Option A: Stay with Khazanah and study locally with the promise of being provided with the highest allowance around.

Option B: Accept JPA's offer and get the lowest allowance available for living in London

When deciding which one to take, I was caught in a real dilemma. For one, the fact that I may have to repay everything that I got for the past 2 years of my education was honestly one of the things that made me think back not just twice but even more than that. Then, there comes the additional benefits of sticking with Khazanah as I am entitled to even more of the self educating experiences offered. However, in the end, my dream of graduating in the United Kingdom was too much of strong pull for me. JPA's offer came at a time when I believed everything was lost. Then, on 1005 aboard flight MH004 on the 22nd of September, I was off to the promised land...

Ben the Big

London, a city built some 2 milennia ago as the Romans gained their foothold in the nation called England. It was known as Londinium back then and has since grown into one of the most well known cities in the world. For dear old, big London, I was a mere speck amidst all the other 8 million people here. For me on the other hand, it's gonna be a place I would call home for the next 3 years, InsyaAllah. As expected, like Kuala Lumpur is to Pokok Sena, London is exactly what I had in mind. I expected everything to be relatively expensive and I was not wrong in my guess. A fine example would be how a glass of cincau and soy bean would cost around 1.80 ringgit, the same price can be seen here...just don't try converting it back into ringgit. Places of interest are a plenty like Big Ben, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and of course the ever profitable London Eye. Overall, very nice place to visit, a pocket-boring place to live in. ( For your information, I pay 124 pounds for accomodation...per week!)

Yup, that white stuff is snow. Cool right?

The weather? Well, obviously it is almost nothing like in Malaysia. For one, you don't get the same sunshine all year round, believe me. In winter, expect temperatures to range between -3 and 1 degrees Celcius in which on any given day with the right conditions, snow (yes,that white stuff that regularly gets associated with freezing temperatures) will be there too. Then, there's the question of having short hours of daylight with the reverse happening in summer. Luckily for us, a happy chap called Benjamin Franklin invented Daylight Saving to help us maximize our sunny time here. Genius he is...

UCL's Main Library

What else...oh yeah! The university of course! UCL, as some of you probably know by now is ranked the 4th best university in the world (a fact the Imperial students take rather bitterly...) Anyway, besides being the first secular university in the UK, it takes pride in having one of the most diverse mix of ethnics in one institute of education which is clearly visible from the number of languages spoken here. You name it, we will most probably have it...Needless to say, the amount of work we are subjected to here is amazing especially the Electrical Engineering dudes.Just a small thing lacking though. The fact that we are a secular institute makes it impossible to have our request for a praying room certified. Instead, we have to resort to having a small room (really, really small room) as our prayer room...and this bring me to my next point.

London Central Mosque

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. I find this quote very true indeed as here, I have learned things regarding my faith that I never knew before. Enclosed back in Malaysia in a single 'mazhab' environment, I find the other ways of practising Islam as a real eye opener. Besides that, I have never before encountered such difficult conditions to perform our obligations. For example, taking your ablution with ice cold water is not easy and lest I forget, praying in very cramped up conditions is hardly any more comfortable. Yet, it is here that I begin to learn the real meaning of living as an ummah. Brothers and sisters of the same faith act as if you know each other for years even if you've just met like 3 minutes ago. Alhamdulillah, I find that this is the best opportunity for me to further understand Islam and be a better person, InsyaAllah....

What do you get when you reheat uncooked chicken and Krispy flour in a microwave? Chicken in bread!

For the first time in my life, I am literally living alone. I will no longer have any form of financial support from my parents, no-one is going to take care of my welfare and of course this includes cooking. I will not lie, I am a terrible cook mark my words. Cooking rice with plain fried chicken is the most common menu in my weekly diet, for the very simple reason that I can barely cook any other type of food well enough to taste good. Needless to say, there were a number of cooking disasters on my part but as usual I'll just laugh at it and learn from it. Mum told me to help out in the kitchen often, I should have listened. Hehe... :P

Arsenal vs Olympiakos, 2-0

Now, I am literally living up my dream. A dream which began 12 years ago and will hopefully be complete in the next 3 years. I have been thrown 70 meters above the ground here, I have lived the experience of being in Emirates stadium, I have also witnessed my home in Birmingham for which I spent nearly 2 years of my childhood...now, I am ready. Ready to prove myself once and for all that I am a somebody. With God's will, this I will achieve...Cheers everyone and enjoy your holidays! :)

My goals here....

It's Been A While...

So sorry oh dear bloggie...I'm currently in the process of settling down and stuff especially with my classes arrangement cz their really confusing. Got bank problems to settle and not to mention my accomodation payment date is due next Friday and my money is still in Malaysia! Other than that, cooking is something I'm definitely not good at at the moment so I hv to rely on takeaway food for now. To add to my troubles, I am still mourning the loss of my dear white external (please, MAS. I need a reply...anything will do!) Luckily enough, I've been blessed enough to have already been involved in a number of things despite being barely 2 weeks here. Soutussalam is a new name in my life, Emirates Stadium is now my sweet memory, Moodle and Portico are now my bookmarks on the Internet and Tower Bridge night with Adli and the rest of the gang...just blissful really.

Hope to tell more but like I said, I'm in not a good position to do so. Pictures will tell the rest of the story soon enough. Cheers! :)

Farewell Mak Long...

Call No.1, received during Pharmaniaga’s Monthly Assembly on my last day there

“ Assalamualaikum, Along ke ni?”

“ Ye Along ni, sapa ni ya?”

“ Pak Long ni, Ni…Mak Long Mariah dah takdak dah…”

“ Laa…Innalillahiwainnalillahirajiun…”

Call No. 2, received approx 15 minutes later

“Along, balik skaranglah ya Along?”

“Skarang? Naik flight ke Bah?”

“ A’ah…”

It was a really weird day actually. For one, I was actually looking forward to have my meeting with the MD so that I can say thanks to him for everything. Alas, I did get to do so albeit under such rushing conditions, definitely not what I had in mind…within a few minutes, Kak Maziah was already on the phone and Zain was ready to send me to the airport, pronto. My flight was scheduled to depart from KLIA at 1:55 pm and after the fastest goodbye to everyone I’ve ever done, I was in his Lancer Evo car, speeding along the highway at 210km per hour! ( wait, I hope there’s no cop reading this!). The ticket pulled me back by 349 ringgit but honestly, this was not a time to be miserly at all.

Call No. 3, Platform A6, KLIA

“Along ke? Ni Kak Long ni…Kak Long kat bawah TV kat A06 ni”

And she was there. From what I know, she took an earlier flight from Johor to come to KL and luckily enough, her hotel where she was working is next to the Senai Airport. My cousin seems calm enough though deep inside, I can tell that she was keeping her emotions to herself. The flight took 55 minutes and upon arrival, my dad was waiting to pick us up to my late aunt’s home, next to mine. My mom was already there and upon seeing me, sobbed inconsolably as she remembered just how minutes earlier before her death, she was talking to her like always, never realizing what was coming. Then, I saw my aunt’s body. By this point, my cousin’s emotions were too much to take. She wept beside her mother’s body and despite some of the elders advice against it, nothing could be done to stop her.

I left the house soon after, changed and went to the graveyard where it was already beginning to rain. Using a parang, me and my dad used it to cut some bamboo and used it to make a small shelter for the grave. It wasn’t easy at all, but in the end we made it. My aunt’s body arrived at the graveyard at around 5:10 and it was then up to me, my dad and 2 of my uncles to lift her up. Truth be told, I was really nervous to do so at first, fearing that my lack of experience would cause the simple loincloth at the bottom of the coffin to make way. Then, I also had the task of lowering the body into the grave. Despite some complications (my thigh was stuck under the coffin for a while) and after using balls of clay to keep her facing the kiblat, we began to bury her. Only then did I realize just how tiring this ordeal really is and so we took turns to cover her up. In the end, the Talkin process began and with firm reminders of what was waiting soon after the burial for the soul of the departed one; one cannot help but feel immense fear of what could possibly lay in store for me once my time is up. Wallahualam…

Farewell Mak Long Mariah, and may Allah have mercy upon your soul. Amin…

Mak Long Mariah bt. Mahmud

Born Friday, 14th of August 1959 - Passed Away Friday, 14th of August 2009

(yes, she was exactly 50 years old)

The Last of The Invincibles...

"Toure dah blah dowh?"

"Ye ke? For how much?"

"14M"

"Murah sangat r..."

The conversation took place at around 12:30 last night and for some reason I refuse to believe it especially for such a meagre amount of cash. Nah, it can't be true now can it?

Fast forward to this morning at work, took the time to open up Soccernet and found out that yes, he left for 16M. With that, spells the end of the last piece of the Gunners Invincible team. Toure will be missed and if Arsenal does'nt improve this season, I dare say that Wenger is losing his touch and his head will be on the guillotine by the end of the season. Toure's departure signals the end of an era and now is the perfect time for the young ones to stand up and be counted. COME ON YOU GUNNERS!

Bye, bye Toure and thank you!

First Salary!

Bangun pagi dlm pkl 6.40. After solat and mandi, got ready for work. Just like any other day in my 6 weeks internship. Except today, Haqqa was ill and not ready to go to work. So, I went off, expecting a really busy day today. And true enough, I was loaded with LOADS of work regarding the MYR (Mid Year Review) and was feeling the stress. For once, I was practically lying on the table with a really bad headache, much like what Haqqa had earlier today. And then ,he came

"Farhan ya?"

"Ya,saya?"

"Sign sini ya"

I looked at what he was handing me. Haha, my first paycheck,baby! It was not much, only 400 ringgit but man it was a pure satisfaction once you got it!

Taraaaaaaaa!!!

Haha, now that dah dpt gaji, some of the guys around here have been nudging me to have a go at my salary. Sorry fellas! I'm keeping this one for myself!

All right, now back to my Mid Year Review. Now where was my file just now, I know I had it here...

Halfway Point Conclusion

Fazlin and Zain's birthday, the same day we joined them

Referring to the title above, it is my sincere intention to…hang on, why is this all so formal? Hmm, I guess working in an office really does get to your mind sooner or later. As for me, it has truly been an eye opening experience. From the first day of meeting the MD of Pharmaniaga, Mr. Mohamad Abdullah (who is a really fatherly guy, I must say), all nervous from not knowing what lies beyond our (Amie and me) 1 month plus stay in the company. Then, there’s this other guy named Andrew Loke. Another interesting figure really with a knack of inserting his experiences from time to time just to make things interesting and really clear.

The first day was rather troublesome. My mind was not in the office because of thinking of many stuff such as where am I gonna stay for the next 6 weeks and also how am I travelling to work on a daily basis. My parents took the initiative to look for accommodation in UITM which I did not find all that appealing. In the end, I had to turn to the one friend I hope most not to burden again, Haqqa. In all honesty, I did not feel particularly comfortable the first few nights, knowing that I am really burdening them by staying at their place (till today really). Hmm, I just hope that my KFC treat the other day will make it up a bit for their troubles. Haqqa on the other hand, seems to appreciate the company, much to my amazement. I guess the holidays can really make you so lonely. All I can say is, Thank You Haqqa.

Regarding transport, I am thankful to have Amie to willingly let me come along in her car to go to work. In all honesty, I feel rather ashamed sitting at the back (even though it was at her request) because it feels as if I’m treating her like some kind of a chauffer. The fact that she’s the one driving, and not me, only makes it worse. I hope the amount of cash I gave will go a long way in making up for her troubles, not to mention the oil and toll fares. No wonder it’s so expensive to live here! On another note, I really enjoy the religious discussions we had together and despite the troubles regarding the car, it certainly taught me to be a lot more patient and get to know about car mechanisms more in the future. All I can say is, Thank You Amie.

So, it’s back to the office. My office (haha,”MY office”) is located on the highest floor of the A Block in Bukit Raja, in a nice glass box. There are 3 main people in the department I’m attached to, Mr. Andrew, Mr. Fazlin and Mrs. Azlina. Explaining the latter two, one is a quiet but very engaging fellow once involved in a conversation while the other is a very organized and motherly like lady. And of course there’s the other staff. Kak Maziah and Ika are both pregnant, the latter expected to be around early August. Both are really helpful to both of us in terms of settling in the office. Don, Zain and Syafik are really smart guys. Don prefers to be the strong, serious type while the latter two are the practical jokers of the office, with the joke occasionally on me, but heck, I don’t really mind! Kak Sel is a quiet type, regularly helping Amie out in her tasks and me too sometimes. One practical note, Syafik, Zain and Kak Sel have at least sent me back to Putra Heights at least once!

The lessons I’ve learnt here…hmm, guys take my word on this. If you’re gonna be working in an office first of all, be prepared to have a VERY, VERY REPETETIVE life. Chances are you’ll be expected to end up in office by 8.30 till 5.30 for the next 6-7 years. And it only gets more taxing higher up the corporate ladder albeit the occasional trips abroad. As such, it is of the utmost importance you build a strong relationship with those in your office with the fact that they are gonna be the faces you see on a daily basis in you life, possibly even more than you’re wife and kids!

On the plus side, I learned that it takes some time to get used to the acronyms used in the office. During our first weekly meeting, with everyone using acronyms in making their point, we we’re literally lost for words. The fact that we we’re of pure science background certainly didn’t help much! Nevertheless, assistance was always around when we needed them for they too realize the position we are finding ourselves in. After all, we are rookies! Note to myself, KPI means Key Performance Indicator…

Besides that, I have also got the chance to experience division of labour in practise. When you wanna get information regarding the market, use the marketing personnel. Well, use is a rather harsh word really for they are really nice people especially 2 blokes called Paramme and Mahendran. Again, understanding my position, they did a lot to help me identify the market size of certain medications. In the end, I got all the necessary information I need to finish my presentation albeit with some difficulties along the way.

To be honest, I’m not used to being scolded at. In fact the last time was probably during Bangsawan because I didn’t act the way Pok Chek wanted. But in office life, sometimes a kick in the back is probably all you need to make yourself alert again. This particular incident happened when Zain was rather disappointed in me for not getting the prices data that he really wanted. Sure data from the US is good but what are more important are the prices in the LOCAL market. Criticized me on the spot too for what happened. Not pretty but essential, just a pinch of what office life is all about.

And another thing, lateral thinking is very much encouraged in the workplace. For example, there is data on pieces of paper regarding the Indonesian market. The task is to transfer the data to Excel. Option one is to scan the sheets and save them in PDF Format and later copy text into Excel. Option two would be to write down each and every data in to Excel, the manual way. Unfortunately for me, I did the latter one until Haqqa’s dad made me realise that the former was possible and really is the better option. Although I learnt it the hard way, it definitely made me realise the need to think more and from a different approach next time.

On a final note, take time off to walk outside with your friends. It helps to get your eyes away from the glaring computer screens and not to mention is a really good time to have a chat with them. In essence, I learnt a lot regarding many stuffs such as the reality of Malaysian football (from Fazlin), the exquisiteness of The Phantom Of The Opera play, the best tips in buying a house in KL (from Fazlin again) and finally the experience of childbirth (from Kak Maziah, not that I needed it really!)

All in all, I think it has been a very wonderful time in office for me. I learnt so much these past few days to the point that I may consider spending some time of my working life in the business area someday. Sure the traffic jams and occasional stale food may be a bummer but it really makes this whole journey the more interesting. Looking forward to the next 3 weeks here! Thank you for this opportunity, my sponsor Khazanah!

Cheers everybody! : )

For I Do Not Know...

Hello everyone! Whew,it's been quite some time already since I last updated this (3 weeks to be exact) Just some update first of all. I'm writing this at my office in Pharmaniaga Berhad in Bukit Raja under the Corporate Strategy and Business Development Division. The lads here have been very interesting especially a guy named Zain who is rather annoying at times but a real good fell to have a chat with. Enjoying my job so far except for the hemorrhoids part of course. Other than that, congratz to Malaysia for putting up a real fight against Man Utd despite the 3-2 loss. From the game, it was rather clear that they are really struggling without Ronaldo to penetrate the defence of a side currently ranked 150 plus in the world. Hope to see the same in the coming EPL season...GO ARSENAL!

Nway, back to the topic above. If you guys don't know yet, I'm currently staying at Haqqa's place for the duration of the internship and I go to my workplace by Amie's car. Well as it so happens, on one day, my heart suddenly had the urge to talk about destiny or Qada' and Qadar' in particular. As we were discussing, she handed me a small book of hadiths to ponder upon. The one in particular is shown below...

Dari Abu Abdurrahman Abdullah bin Mas'ud r.a berkata: Rasullullah yang jujur dan terpecaya ucapannnya memberitahu kami, " sesungguhnya setiap kalian dikumpulkan penciptaannya dalam rahim ibunya selam 40 hari berupa nufthah(sperma) kemudian menjadi 'ala-qah (segumpal darah yang menggantung) selama waktu itu juga kemudian menjadi mudghah (segumpal daging) selama waktu itu pula, kemudian diutuslah malaikat untuk meniupkan ruh kepadanya dan menyampaikan 4 perkara: menulis rezekinya, ajalnya, amal perbuatannnya dan akan menjadi sengsara atau bahagia. Demi Allah yang tiada Tuhan (yang berhak disembah) selain-Nya....

From this,1 question in particular intrigues me.

"If God has already determined everything for us including where do we end up in the afterlife, then where is the need for good deeds or 'amalan'?"

To be honest, despite Amie's best efforts to clarify matters, I was unconvinced with what she said and took the time to find out more. Luckily enough, the answer came to me via Amie through a website called langitilahi.com. The title of the article itself was simple enough

"Aku Beramal Kerana Aku Tidak Tahu..."

The article amazes me because of its simplicity in the way it presents the writers ideas. At last, I was at peace for finding the answer to my conundrums. The conclusion?

1.I do good deeds for I DO NOT KNOW where I will end up

2.so, we DO OUR BEST to get the best in our lives

3.we should not worry on WHAT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR US TO KNOW (the future)

4.entry into heaven and hell is not determined by how many good deeds or how many sins we commit in our lives. It is determined by GOD'S BLESSINGS ALONE

5.so, we do what we're supposed to do to get God's blessing

6.InsyaAllah, Allah will NOT BE CRUEL upon us mere humans. Those who do good deeds are promised with goodness while those who sinned will be justly punished.

7.by having good thoughts towards Allah, may His blessings be upon our souls.

This article is intended to remind myself in the future of what is meant by the Terms Qada' and Qadar. I learnt it since I was around 10 years old and yet only now I know the true meaning of it. May this article also shed light on my Muslim brothers and sisters who may also be looking for answers, just as I did.

Salam and thank you for reading! : )