Redang Lagoon Beach Resort: The Return 2013

After a great experience last year, we went back to Redang Lagoon.

When I went there last year, I was going through a difficult period of my life and needed that break so desperately. A change in environment to put things into perspective, to clear one's mind and to contemplate on things. One year on and our lives have changed dramatically. Life is stabilizing into a new routine, work is becoming more challenging and getting more involved in research activities.

Sometimes it is good to go back to a familiar place. So, we went back to Redang Island, a "paradise" island off the coast of Terengganu. We stayed at the same resort, Redang Lagoon. This time, we travelled a day earlier and stayed at Batu Buruk Chalet Resort for one night. It was an okay place as a stopover. The Batu Buruk beach is a beautiful sight but it is not suitable for swimming as the underwater currents are strong. The Resort has a swimming pool for children to dip into.

Batu Buruk Beach, Kuala Terengganu

Early the next morning, we headed towards Shahbandar Jetty in Kuala Terengganu and took the Sejahtera Ferry to Redang Island. Most resorts offer packages inclusive of ferry rides, four meals a day, accommodation and snorkeling activities. We reached Redang Island at 11am and checked into our room. The kids were so excited and headed straight for the beach. Lunch was provided for. We had rice with 3 meat dishes and 2 vegetables.




Redang Lagoon Beach Resort, Redang Island

After a short nap, we went for our first snorkeling trip in the open sea. The water was around 4 metres deep and we could see the corals underneath. We had our life jackets on and were taken there by very fit experienced lifeguards.

It was great swimming amongst the fishes. After tea, we headed for the beach again and went for a swim. It was incredible just swimming and gliding along with the fishes. Yes! there are also fishes near to the shore. We had our barbecue night and it was chicken, fish and cuttlefish. I stayed up late that night walking along the beach with my daughter, feeling the cool breeze and listening to music from nearby resorts.



Barbecue dinner at Redang Lagoon

On our second day, we rise up early at dawn prayer and watched the sunrise. After breakfast the lifeguards took us to Marine Park Fish Sanctuary for our second snorkeling session. Again, the underwater view was breath taking. It was nice to know that the people there remembered us from last year. We chatted to the owner of Redang Lagoon Resort who was such a nice lady. She used to be a lecturer but has now retired and spend nine months in a year at the island. Then, there were the lifeguards who were very funny but I couldn't understand half of their jokes. Just enjoy watching them swim around like dolphins. They are just such powerful swimmers.

Then, after lunch we had our third and final snorkeling trip. We came back to the resort and spent the rest of the afternoon lazing by the beach, swimming in the water and chasing after fishes.

Our guide showing off his swimming skills

The next day, after breakfast it was time to pack our things and check out from the resort. We had to wait for more than an hour before our ferry arrived. The journey back to the mainland took around 2 hours. I had parked my car near the Jetty at the Majlis Perbandaran carpark. It was a reasonable parking fee of RM9.80 for such a long stay. The entire package for 3 adults and 3 children cost me RM1600++ and we had to budget for the toll which was around RM30 (RM5 at KL-Karak, RM3 at Karak interchange and then RM21 for the Lebuhraya Pantai Timur), we exited at Jabor as the highway ended there. There was a bad traffic jam before Dungun due to road works. Petrol may cost around RM60 - RM70 one way and for equipment rental such as mask and life jackets is around RM10 per item. You may want to bring additional cash for souveneirs and titbits. There is a small shop at Redang Bay resort, next to Redang Lagoon where you can get drinks and basic necessities.

It was another incredible experience and we would definitely go back again in the future insyaAllah. There are many available resorts. If you are looking for a more expensive chalet type resort with your front door heading straight to the beach, you may want to check out Sari Pacific Beach Resort. Redang Lagoon Resort offers basic room with downstairs double bed and upstairs double mattress. It has own shower/toilet with solar powered hot water. (So no hot water in the morning). The chalets are traditionally made with wooden frames which is more to my liking.

A trip down south: Legoland and Singapore

It all just seems like a dream now as I am back into the real world of rush hour, work and daily routine but just a few days ago me and my babies were on a lovely holiday to Legoland and Singapore.

Thursday 15th November 2012

After breakfast, we loaded our packed bags and started our journey down south towards Johor Bahru. We were cruising along the E2 KL-Seremban Highway, had a few stopovers, had lunch at A&W Ayer Keroh Restaurant Jejantas and reached Johor Bahru within 5 hours. I planned this little trip a while back after buying a package deal for Legoland from New Asia Holidays at the Matta fair. It was a good deal for 3 days and 2 nights staying at the Grand Blue Wave Hotel and transport provided to Legoland and back. For 5 people, it costs RM1000 ++ including breakfast.

The hotel was fantastic. The kids were like "This is our hotel?" with wide eyes. I was pleasantly surprised. The room was comfortable and had good facilities.

Friday 16th November 2012

Well, life in this world is a test and to remind us of this, my eldest caught a viral infection and had high temperature on the day of our journey to Johor Bahru. I dosed her up with paracetamol and got her to rest. I was worried since the Friday, the next day is our long awaited Legoland trip but I have learned to simply put my Trust in Allah SWT, not to worry about things anymore so, it was a matter of medicine, rest, dua and Tawakkal. I told her to make dua and reminded her that sometimes when we are enjoying life we might forget that this life is temporary, a place of test. This is not Jannah and we forget our real destination which is not Legoland but the akhirah. So, when Allah SWT gives us test in our quest for fun and enjoyment, it is good for us in order not to forget our real purpose in life.
She stayed in the hotel to rest whilst I took the others for dinner. We went to KSL Mall. We went round and round the place looking for some food outlet but not much choice. There was a food court but it didn't seem halal and finally we went for KFC. Thought I would never go there again and wondered how things would be if Muslims were not in charge of this country. It would be so hard to find halal food restaurants. All these little things we take for granted.

The next day, her temperature was not completely settled. I had to ask her the difficult question. "Do you think you can go to Legoland?" but she was adamant so, I took one last initiative and gave her Ibuprofen 200mg stat! That seemed to do the trick Alhamdulillah and she was able to get up.

We reached Legoland early around 9.20am and the doors opened at 10am so we waited for a while. there was already a queue and as soon as the doors opened, everyone was excited to go into the theme park. We went to Lego City first and the kids went on the driving school and boat riding. We then looked at the Miniland where there were miniature lego models of famous places in Asia e.g. the forbidden city and Taj Mahal. We went to Lego Kingdoms. the older two went on the Big Dragon ride which is the main attraction roller coaster ride. I wanted to go on it but unfortunately when I got there, there was a technical difficulty so, instead I dragged all of the kids to the Apprentice Dragon ride.

All of us were ready to go on it but at the last minute, my youngest had cold feet. He said, "I don't want to go on this ride. I'm scared." We had been waiting for 10 minutes and I had my feet inside the Dragon so I pulled him in and sat him down, put the seat belt on and before we knew it, the ride started...and we were screaming our heads off except for my little boy who had this confused look on his face. When the ride ended, he had a mixture look of fright and joy at the same time. He secretly enjoyed it! My little girl was going "Let's go on it again!!!" I wondered if I was being cruel and probably scared my little man for life but nah...he was fine.

Then, we went to the Lego Technic area where there was a water ride and we went on Project X. I sat in front with my little girl and my eldest at the back of the four wheel seater. Just as the ride started, my eldest said with a fright "What am I doing on this?" and we climbed up and up and finally as we reached the top, I thought "Oh God! What the hell am I doing on this?" and down we went very steeply and up again; and that was when I realized, I survived zero gravity and started to scream AHHHHHH!!!! and it was just screaming all the way but it was fun!

It was then around 2pm and the sun was scorching HOT...We had umbrellas, sun cream, drinks & mineral water but the weather was too hot for us; so we went to the souveneir shop and had a look around all the overpriced items. We left Legoland and into the adjacent mall for lunch. We reached the hotel around 4pm ready to rest and sleep because tomorrow is another adventure for us to enter Singapore.

Saturday 17th November 2012

Singapore is my hometown, the place I used to spend my Eid as a child.

We survived Legoland and today, we shall see if I will survive driving into Singapore without getting a fine. We left the hotel at around 10am and I looked at my car and thought "There is no way my car is entering Singapore looking like that!" so, I took the car for a wash. The drive from the hotel to Woodlands was less than 5 minutes but we had to wait an hour to get pass the check points due to the jam. First we went through the Malaysian Immigration and then the Singaporean Immigration and then I had to buy the Autopass card which is like a vehicle entrance and exit card. It can be topped up at any 7-11 or just before Singaporean Immigration at the exit. It can also be used for parking.
After the check point, it was a straight road from BKE to SLE and then TPE. I was so nervous I couldn't believe it cause I had never driven into Singapore by myself before. I had to remember not to go into CTE because it is a toll road. The first thing we noticed as we entered Singapore was how orderly everything looked. The roads, the trees, the sign boards...everything was precise and order which was nice but very scary at the same time. I felt I had to be on guard at all times.

After missing a few turns and getting extremely frustrated because I was afraid to take U-turns at traffic lights in case it was prohibited, I went round and round looking for my cousin's apartment and I took for granted about my mobile phone call plans and didn't opt for international calls so, I couldn't call anyone but Tawakkal Ala Allah, I finally found her flat. It was a nice little cosy 3 bedroom flat. There were high rise flats everywhere and they call it 'pigeon hole'. I was greeted by all of my family members and we had the best day ever. Alhamdulillah I have such wonderful uncles, aunts and cousins. We chatted and chatted. The kids enjoyed meeting their cousins too and they played as though they had been playing together everyday since birth.

We left Singapore at 8.30pm after praying Maghrib, dinner and more chats. I just found out that my uncle is a biker and he owns the biggest Harley Davidson in the whole of Singapore. Wow! Didn't realize I have such cool and interesting uncles. The journey back was uneventful, got passed the two checkpoints. Made a few rest stops along the way and reached KL at 2.30am. I was shattered but so grateful to Allah SWT for an amazing holiday.

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Tips to Legoland

- Due to hot weather, bring sun block cream, umbrellas, hats and lots of drinks. They have restaurants and drinks booth but it is expensive and sometimes full of people. The map of Legoland is given FOC. Try to go anti clockwise to avoid long queues.

- Legoland is very suitable for young children, the rides are mild and not super scary like some theme parks. It is very child friendly and enjoyable for kids from 3+ (this is my own opinion)

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Tips to Singapore

- Get your Singapore entry card before reaching Immigration and fill it in prior to entry.
- If your car is entering Singapore for first time, you have to buy an autopass which is in a booth just after the immigration. It costs (at the present time) S$10 and you can top up at any Singapore 7-11 or just prior to exiting. To exit Singapore, you put the card in the card slot at the Immigration exit booth and press car. S$1.20 will be deducted from the card.
- At the Malaysian Immigration when exiting Singapore, you have to pay RM2.30 by Touch N Go.
- There are parking at any flats, if you are visiting friends or family but you have to display parking coupons. You can get the coupons from 7-11 or your friends or family (if they have any)
- Singapore is notorious for traffic fines. People drive within the speed limit and do not disobey traffic rules and traffic lights.

A trip to Paradise Island, Pulau Redang

Sunrise at Redang Island

I started dreaming of water during my teenage years, clear blue sea water...it has been a dream of mine, a quest to find a place on this beautiful planet where the sea water is crystal clear, where you can see the sand beneath your feet. Finally...my dream became a reality.

We left Kuala Lumpur at 5 o'clock in the morning. We took the DUKE highway and joined KL-Karak Highway. We stopped at Genting Sempah R&R to pray Fajar. It was still too early to get breakfast as the restaurants were shut. We continued our journey and joined the Lebuhraya Pantai Timur. We stopped at Temerloh R&R for some breakfast.

The R&R are big pit stops with petrol, restaurants, surau (praying area for Muslims) and toilet facilities whereas the smaller stopover areas do not have petrol stations. The last ferry from Shahbandar Jeti, Kuala Terengganu to Redang Island leaves at 3pm. We had to get there in time. The journey was smooth. We reached Kuala Terengganu at 12.30pm. We managed to get a parking inside the Jeti compound and had to pay RM10.00 per night. At least, it was secure.

We had lunch and prayed Zuhur/Asr and caught the ferry at 3pm. The sea water within the Jeti was dirty grey but as we got further away from the shore, the water became dark blue. The journey on the ferry took around 2 hours and we needed to change to a smaller ferry when we reached Redang Island to get to Redang Lagoon Resort.

We were greeted by this view at Redang Island

We checked into our room which had a double bed and another double mattress on the top floor. It was a cozy little room with basic amenities. The resort was made out of wood and looked pretty exotic.

Redang Lagoon Resort

The children immediately rushed to the beach and jumped into the water. The water was the bluest shade of blue and crystal clear like glass. We spent the entire evening at the beach until it was time for dinner. The package included three days and two nights, with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snorkeling activity.

The next day, we joined the snorkeling group. The lifeguards took us to a marine farm to swim amongst the coral fishes.

The lifeguard told me that the Island is only open to the public from March until October. It is closed during the monsoon season (November - February). This is because the waves are too dangerous for swimming. The water is slightly murkier during March as there are still strong underwater currents and in September, the waves start to get stronger. Hence, we had chosen the best time to visit this beautiful Island.

Leaving Lagoon Resort towards the Marine Conservative Area for snorkeling

Marine conservation area - swimming with the fish

Baywatch

We spent around two hours swimming amongst the fish. We had our life jackets on as the water was very deep. Although the lifeguards were jumping into the deep end from the Jetty and made it all look so easy. I couldn't quite get the hang of the snorkeling breathing apparatus and decided to simply use the goggles. We went to the deep end and saw a variety of colourful fishes, yellow stripey ones, blue ones, small ones and larger ones. Fortunately, we didn't come across any scary fish. It was the most beautiful feeling on earth. It felt like we were in one of those National Geographic under water ocean scenes.

We got back to the resort, had lunch and rested whilst the sun was directly above our heads. Later in the day, we went swimming again. There was a small coral reef near the resort and we went swimming there, there were a few fishes and we were just swimming away like dolphins without our life jackets as the water was shallow. It is important to consider safety as it was still an open sea (South China Sea) and the currents can easily drift one away from the shore. We spent our time swimming and lazing by the beach until sunset.

Unfortunately, my baby developed high fever. I was fortunate that I brought some liquid paracetamol with me although the lifeguard told me there is a clinic at the Island. I thought I could manage his condition, so just gave him some medicine and tepid sponge him. That night he kept waking up every so often with bouts of coughing. It reminded me that even though I felt like I was in Paradise but this is no Jannah, this is still earth...a place of test, of illness, of disease, of pain, of hurt, of sorrow.... Alhamdulillah.

The next day, he was feeling slight better. We had breakfast, packed our bags, sat by the beach and relaxed waiting for the ferry to arrive at 11am.

The crystal clear blue waters of Pulau Redang

We were loaded onto the ferry and was so exhausted that we all fell asleep for an hours journey ride. We felt so relieved to get back to the car and took a detour to Masjid Kristal to pray Zuhur/Asr before making our long journey back to Kuala Lumpur.

I dosed myself up with coffee to keep me awake during the 7 hours drive. The journey back towards Kuantan was a mixture of double and single lanes and was dangerous at places. It is better to have patience and be stuck behind a bus. Once we entered the Highway things were smooth sailing. We stopped again at Temerloh for dinner and to pray. The scariest part of the journey is just before reaching Genting Sempah as the roads are winding and there are slow moving vehicles. It is best to go slow along that stretch of road. We finally reached Kuala Lumpur at 10.30pm.

This was the best holiday ever...we definitely plan to go back to Redang Island next year InshaAllah.

Trip to Kota Marudu Sabah

Alhamdulillah I am happy to say that another one of my dreams came true.

Finally, after all these years...I set foot in Sabah. I actually flew across the South China Sea and landed at Kota Kinabalu. I was there for three days involved in a health screening programme, part of the Dean's PURE Rus (Population Urban Rural Epidemiology) research project.

The flight was two and a half hours. I was so nervous but glad to be next to a good friend who just kept chatting to me and kept my mind occupied. I hate flying! My ears kept 'popping' during the landing. Just a tip: if you travel by air, make sure you bring a boiled sweet or a strawed drink to sip every now and then during the landing. This will help maintain the pressure balance in your ears.

We reached Kota Kinabalu and I was so amazed to see the new airport and how modern it looked. We had a van waiting for us and took us to the city centre. We stopped for a while at the handcraft market and had lunch at one of the mamak restaurant. We then made our way to Kota Marudu which is about 2 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu.

It was a two way single lane road surrounded mostly by jungle, rubber plantation and villages. We occasionally came across a big town with new development houses and a shopping mall. The road ahead kept winding. I understood now what happened to my cousin and his wife who passed away from an accident whilst driving in Sabah. (Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun). The roads were pretty dangerous and I wouldn't recommend any tourist to drive in Sabah.

We reached Kota Marudu which is a small town and we checked into the Marudu Inn hotel. It was a basic simple hotel but it was clean and comfortable. We were completely exhausted by then and was glad to have a rest.

The next day, we woke up early and prepared ourselves for a big day ahead. We went to the Community Hall where our health screening was set up. My role was to take blood, check blood pressure and give consultation to patients who had abnormal readings. It was enjoyable meeting people from Sabah. It is a nice feeling to get to know many different people, find out their background and to learn something from them.

We finished early and Dato' invited us to go on a trip to the Tip of Borneo. So, after lunch and prayers we went by van towards Kudat. We stopped along the way to look at honey stalls, Gong making village and we even visited a 'long house'. We were able to enter the long house, which was purpose built as a guest house and you can rent a room for RM55.00 a night.

Tip of Borneo

Finally we reached the tip of Borneo and what I saw in front of me was simply the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen in my whole entire life. the South China Sea spread right in front of me as far as the eye could see, clear blue water, green trees, white sandy beach. It was like a scene from 'Pirates of the Carribean' and it was clean. It is important to keep the place clean and to preserve the natural environment.

It was a very hot day with minimal wind so, we bought some ice-cream and sat in the hut. Dato' then took us for some 'makan-makan' and we sat inside the restaurant next to the beach watching the beautiful sunset. By the time we got back to the hotel, we were so exhausted.

Sunset at Tip of Borneo

The next day, the same health screening programme and after lunch, it was time to go back to Kota Kinabalu. We stopped by Tanjung Aru Beach to have dinner. Tanjung Aru was very different from the Tip of Borneo; it was busy with people, music and restaurants. It was a hang out place for families during the weekends. However, the beach was still beautiful and clean. Children were swimming in the clear calm waters with gentle waves.

We had coconut drinks with barbecued fish, prawns and cuttlefish. There were so much food shared between the nine of us. We chatted about everything and anything. I felt so grateful to Allah SWT for the blessings He gave but a part of me felt sad for those who have not been given such opportunities.

Everybody wants to enjoy the simple things in life, sitting by the beach having a good meal with friends and yet, there are people starving or displaced by war. I thought about the people I know who didn't have the opportunity to study, to further their education despite having the intelligence and the ability. I felt sad but I believe that Allah S.W.T knows best and He gives to whom He wills and takes from whom He wills. Whatever he gives to us is a test, it is not a reward because this life is only a test and the reward is in the hereafter. Whatever he takes away from us is a test, it is not a punishment because the punishment is in the hereafter. Everything that we have in this life is a test for us, will we value the things that Allah S.W.T give to us and use it for good deeds. Our health, wealth, intelligence, abilities... or will we use it to hurt or harm others, to perform bad deeds.

Our flight took off at 8pm and I was happy to be on my way home...to see my little ones again.

Surah Az Zukhruf

Were it not that all people would become of a single creed (i.e. disbelief), We would have caused, for those who disbelieve in Rahman, roofs of their houses to be made of silver, and the stairs as well, on which they would climb, (33) And doors of their homes, and the coaches on which they would recline, (34) And (would have made some of these things) of gold-ornaments. And all this is nothing but an enjoyment of the worldly life. And the Hereafter, with your Lord, is (destined) for the God-fearing. ⁸ (35)

Holiday in Cameron Highlands

We are in Cameron Highlands, on the final day of our 3-day holiday. We are sitting at the Hill Station Cafe having breakfast. We are having strawberry waffles, honey waffles and thosa. We are sipping Teh Tarik and strawberry drinks listening to some music and the wind is blowing.

We left Kuala Lumpur at around 8am, took the PLUS highway towards Ipoh. We were debating about going through the Tapah route or Simpang Pulai. In the end, we chose the 'puke-y' way i.e. Tapah. It was a scary windy single lane with two-way traffic going up and up the hill. Occasionally, you'd come face to face with a bus or a lorry that is about to collide with you head on or...fall into the ravine below. The kids were going GREEN!!! but I was still singing...

There is no way I'm going down the hill the same way. The last time, we went down through the Tapah route, little Luqy, my 5-year old puked. I had to stop the car by the side of the ravine. Luckily I had lots of tissues and towels. Whilst I was tidying him up, a pack of dogs came over to say 'hi' and I was squeezing myself in the back seat trying to get away from those dogs. It was a panicky moment but I was able to go into my 'doctor' mode and was able to clean up all the mess without throwing up.

This time, our journey up the hill was bearable. We stopped over at the teashop to have a look at souvenirs and then, went down to the tea plantations. From the top it looked like a maze. I can just imagine getting lost in there looking for someone...It was an amazing sight MashaAllah. Along the route to Tanah Rata we saw some English looking cottages which has been transformed into guest houses.

Anyway, we got to Tanah Rata in one piece. We decided to book into a budget hotel. Why waste money on anything expensive? It was RM100 per night and was comfortable enough for us. It was also right in the town centre.

Tanah Rata is a self-contained town on top of Cameron Highlands. It has banks...Maybank, Agro Bank, BSN, HSBC etc...etc..., a post office, a klinik kesihatan with an attached mother and child health (MCH) facilities. It has lots of restaurants including steam boats, Indian food, Cameron satay, cafe, Marrybrown and even a Starbuck's. However, if you're craving for KFC you will have to go down to the next town in Brinchang.

We had lunch and spent the entire evening at the Children's playground. The most unique part of Cameron Highlands is the weather. It is the coolest place in the whole of Malaysia. The weather is like a warm spring day in England with temperature around 23-25 degrees Celcius. You could still walk around with short sleeves when the sun is shining. There are less clouds and the sun is brighter but occasionally, a cool breeze will struck you with a little chill.

At night, it gets pretty cold and there is no need for air conditions. It is nice to snuggle under the duvet covers just like in England. I can imagine, it being the only place in Malaysia that one might enjoy sitting in front of a fireplace at night drinking a nice cup of tea.

The next day, we didn't really want to wake up. Cool weather equals hibernation and we just wanted to sleep all day long. However, our stomachs were grumbling so, we went for breakfast at the Hill Station Cafe.

We then went to look at Robinson's waterfall. The waterfall was beautiful but there was no place to sit down for a picnic. Cameron Highlands is a preferred holiday for those who enjoy the outdoors, jungle trekking or nature walks. There are many known jungle paths, some for gentle walks and some for serious jungle trekking. It was difficult to do all those things with two small children. So, we decided not to go further down the waterfall walk.

We went to visit a strawberry farm and bought two boxes of strawberries for RM30. I asked the man to wash the strawberries for us and he asked if we would like him to sprinkle some sugar or add some chocolate on top of them. I was like..."No no no!!!" Plain fresh strawberries ARE THE BEST. So, we sat in the strawberry farm eating some strawberries. We then went back to the children's playground since that is the only thing that the babies could enjoy.

At night, we played Monopoly.

It is time to go home. This time, we will take the Simpang Pulai exit inshaAllah. Goodbye beautiful weather...

Sleeping over water... Avillion Hotel Port Dickson

I'm sitting here on a comfy bed by the window in Avillion, Port Dickson just chilling out with my two boys. It is dark outside apart from the hazy half moon, the clouds have covered the stars tonight. I've stayed in many hotels before but this particular one just exceeds expectation. The water chalet stood right on top of the beach and right now, the tide is coming in...

I can see the sea-water rising underneath me. It is both amazing and frightening at the same time. We are completely exposed to the elements, the creation of Allah SWT. I can't quite describe how I'm feeling...I'm just in awe of the beauty of this place, the sound of the waves, the smell of the sea air, even the flash of the distant lightning...everything is beautiful. The whole experience is beautiful. It is like one of those experiences where you think you could start writing a book and finish it by morning. Unfortunately, I'm thinking more of a romantic novel rather than the chapter on 'Management of Anaemia in Pregnant Women' which I should be writing and is due within two weeks time! Well...let's not think about that tonight.

Life in Malaysia has been like a long extended vacation...so different from the UK. Britain never fails in reminding us about the problems in the middle east and constantly agitating the Muslim ummah by accusing us of being 'terrorist' and 'extremist'. However, over here...life is just so comfortable. Life is about family holidays, outings, shopping, sight seeing, fun-filled activities, visiting relatives and even work is enjoyable. I'm not complaining... but I'm afraid. Afraid of becoming complacent... afraid of forgetting completely about the world outside, the suffering of the ummah... in Palestine, in Iraq, in Egypt, in Afghanistan... sometimes it feels like the rest of the world is too far away... and we are trapped inside this glass bubble, that the whole world could be crumbling down, tearing apart and we wouldn't know about it. World War 3 could be starting, Khilafah could be re-established and we would still be strolling at shopping malls, eating at McDonalds and racing on the motorway, flashing at other drivers to move out of the way.

Sometimes it is even so hard to think...to think about real issues in life like geopolitical issues, economic problems and crisis, the agenda of the Capitalist nations and all the 'why' and 'how'.

Maybe that is why too much of my time has been spent on contemplating about irrelevant issues and sometimes wallowing in self-pity, just being completely self-absorbed. Watching BBC news today brought me back to the reality of the economic problems still facing the world and never ending middle east crisis that only the return of the Khilafah can solve. Sometimes we need to get back to the main road, back to where we started, to remind ourselves what is our true purpose in life? what is the straight path?

Surah Al An'am: 153
"And Verily, this is my straight path so follow it, and follow not other paths for they would separate you from His path." Imam Ahmad recorded that, An-Nawwas bin Sam`an said that the Messenger of Allah said, Allah has given a parable of the straight path, and on the two sides of this path, there are two walls containing door ways. On these door ways, there are curtains that are lowered down. on the gate of this path there is a caller heralding, `O people! come and enter the straight path all together and do not divide. ' There is also another caller that heralds from above the path, who says when a person wants to remove the curtain on any of these doors, `Woe to you! Do not open this door, for if you open it, you will enter it. The (straight) path is Islam, the two walls are Allah's set limits, the open doors lead to Allah's prohibitions, the caller on the gate of the path is Allah's Book (the Qur'an), while the caller from above the path is Allah's admonition in the heart of every Muslim.) At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also recorded this Hadith.

The sea has filled up beneath me...for the first time in my life, I'll be sleeping tonight on top of water. It is like a scene from one of my dreams...

I will only think about the ummah tonight...

My health screening experience at Ketereh, Kelantan

Just spent the last 3 days in Kota Bahru, Kelantan. I've always wanted to go to Kota Bahru and finally, two nights ago I landed at Kota Bahru airport with two of my work colleagues. We took a cab to the city centre and checked in at Renaissance Kota Bahru.

There is something special about staying in a hotel. For me, it brings back sweet memories of childhood when my dad used to bring us along during his meeting trips around Malaysia. As a young child, it was exciting to stay in a hotel even if it means just watching TV inside the hotel room. I felt nostalgic and slightly pampered.

At the same time it made me feel sad to think about other children who may not have had the luxury of growing up in comfort. The path of lives for different people will be different but whatever our situation, rich or poor, this life is a test for everyone. I remembered my boss telling me that the more we have, it is more of a test for us because the person who has more, will have more to answer for on the day of judgment compared to a person who has nothing.

The next morning, we set off by cab to Ketereh where our health screening programme was held. It was a sharp turn on to a narrow kampung road, surrounded by trees everywhere going deeper into the wilderness until all of a sudden, there was a compound with buildings in front of us. In the middle of nowhere stood Rukun tetangga Hall but everyone around the area seem to be aware of its existence because we were greeted by a hall full of people waiting to get their bloods taken and blood pressure checked. Our health screening programme looks at cardiovascular risk factors mainly in the elderly but some in their 30s and 40s also joined in.

We went straight to work and my job was to take blood, review patients with hypertension and abnormal ECGs. It was rather scary to find many patients with undiagnosed high blood pressure or those who defaulted on treatment. Some even had evidence of undiagnosed previous myocardial injury from their ECG. Since we were only there to screen them so, I could only advice the patients and refer them to the nearest specialist centre. Most were stable and were happy walking around holding a referral letter.

After a hard day's work, we went shopping at Pasar Cik Fatimah and I could have bought the whole material shop. We had to drag ourselves away and ended up at KB Mall. We had some cake at Secret Recipe and walked 5000 steps back to the hotel, burning the extra calories consumed.

I was exhausted and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I fell asleep.

The next day, we went to the same site and repeated our routine yesterday, taking blood and assessing patients. The Kelantanese are so friendly, so welcoming and so generous. The atmosphere of the village was peaceful and inviting.

The people from the village caught a 7 kilogram fish yesterday and today, we had the tastiest fish cooked in Tempoyak dish. I've never loved Tempoyak before but this one was amazing... it beats any cuisine by any well known chefs in Malaysia.

Then, my big big boss whom we call Dato' took us to Pak Teh Rimau's home. He's known as such because during his younger days he had an encounter with a tiger and has a deep scar on his right arm to prove it. He showed it to us proudly...but he is a completely generous and happy man with a smile that never left his face. Pak Teh Rimau lives on top of a pond and he rears fish. Today, they caught a 4 kilogram fish. We had this lady who just skinned the fish almost seemingly effortless and she put it in a box for Dato' to bring it back on the aeroplane to Kuala Lumpur.

For a moment, I felt like it was a comedy show. I was imagining one of Mr Bean's sketches where he's going through customs at the airport with a box. The custom officer opening the box and was aghast at a sight of a fish. The officer exclaimed "I beg your pardon sir but what have you got here?" and Mr Bean answered "A fish!"... of course that was my imagination, there's no such sketch. Well, at least not that I know of but the thought was hilarious...

Dato' then wanted to show us his hometown so, he took us to Chinese Town and then to Pantai Cahaya Bulan. We took some pictures and went on our way to the airport. I can confirm that Kelantan people are very generous, friendly and nice. Dato' was saying how people here live a simple life.

He says in the villages, people are almost self-sufficient. They do not consume a lot... everything is around them, fish, cows, chickens, vegetables, fruits and even paddy fields unlike the Western nations who are dependent on consumable products, on processed items and natural resources... yet, the West does not have a large supply of natural resources whereas these so called 'third world countries' are the ones that have the natural resources, the true richness.

However, the simple life of the people do not require these natural resources... and so, the Western nations they come and they extract from us. Just because the people do not require them, does not mean that they cannot use them for the benefit of the community.

I hate the idea of turning villages into cities... that in order to progress and develop, these areas have to adopt the Western lifestyle and build sky scrapers... I think it is perfectly fine for villages to remain the way they are and to maintain their own way of life, a simple happy life but what is important is the infrastructure for essential public use such as a decent health care system, well equipped hospitals and good health promotion, well equipped schools and libraries.

The Islamic state (Khilafah) was once very rich and the rich people used their wealth for the benefit of the community, they built schools, hospitals, libraries, guest houses and even universities. They used their wealth to help the poor, the needy and they invested their money in translating books, scholarships for young bright students, businesses and agriculture.

This is unlike the Capitalist system today that has made individual pursuit of happiness and profit the most important thing in life. People live to make money so they can buy the house, the car, the millionaire's lifestyle. Everything geared only towards fulfilling selfish needs. Yet, do we find happiness and tranquility in city centres?

Just spending 2 days in Ketereh made me appreciate the real things in life that are important. At one point I was standing there listening to the mooing of a cow, turning around to look at the pond with 1000 fish in it and glancing up to the skies to see the birds flying... that is happiness. When you can truly look around you and appreciate the Creation of Allah SWT, to be grateful with the little or the big things you have in life, to spend time with your friends and family. I wish I could hold on to that moment forever... like treasure it inside a little glass bowl and that I could look at it every so often and remind myself... what really matters.

Holiday at Terengganu

We stayed at Kuala Terengganu, the capital for Terengganu state for one night at a nice hotel known as Seri Indah. Compared to the very basic little 'hut' at Pulau Kapas, this hotel was luxurious with large rooms, large beds, coffee and tea facillities and a swimming pool. It was also right next to Batu Buruk beach.

The beach at Terengganu was different from Pulau Kapas. It was an open sea and the waves were strong. No one dared to swim there due to the waves and the sharp sloping sea-bed. However, it was as beautiful and there was such cool breeze. We went to the playground, played kite by the beach, the kids rode on horses and best of all, there was an A&W near the beach. Cool!

The only drawback was all the mat-rempit lepaking at Batu Buruk beach. Mat rempit are like bikers except they are the low class bikers NOT the Harley Davidson kind of bikers - usually those from high powered jobs like bankers and CEO of companies. Mat rempit are like the cheap-O bikers and it wouldn't be such a bad thing if they were only interested in their bikes but unfortunately, it is a culture that involves things that are haraam like trophy girls, illegal races and menace on roads and sometimes even theft and crime.

It is quite sad to see the Muslim youth wasting their time and lives away...but in some ways, it is a failure of the system and a failure of promoting awareness of Islam. The youth needs a purpose and today, we are so quick at blaming the youth and labelling them a lost cause but look at the youth in Tunisia and Egypt...all they needed was something to fight for. Why do we deprive our youth of their true purpose, which is to be the carriers of da'wah...beacon of Truth and justice. The first Muslims during the time of the prophet (saw) were youth and they were strong and passionate; they embraced the cause of Islam with all of their hearts...

So, that was Terengganu. We drove along the coast and I kept stopping to look at the beach and the crushing waves and wishing that I could stay a few more days...a month, a year or maybe forever in Terengganu. The Sea, the cool breeze and the people were so nice. I could truly be myself there. I was like jumping up and down on the beach singing :"I love it here" and nobody even cared. The best thing was everyone spoke with a different slang so, nobody cared that we were different. You would think a cosmopolitan city like KL, people would be more open minded but we get so many stares from people and when I speak to my children, it is like people look at me with such judgemental looks but in Terengganu, everyone spoke funny and it's great. I love it that they add a 'g' after each word like 'depan-g'. It's sooo cute!

I love Terengganu...it makes me happy just thinking that Terengganu is just 7 hours drive away.

At Pulau Kapas (Cotton Island)

It was wonderful being at Pulau Kapas for 3 days and 2 nights. For that short period of time, I did not have to worry about anything...I left technology behind and only enjoyed sand and sea.

When we decided to visit Pulau Kapas, some people thought it was a crazy idea since the Japanese earthquake had just happened and the devastating Tsunami. There I was taking my whole family to a little island in the middle of the South China Sea but the only thing I could think of was...the ayat in the Qur'an that says "Wheresoever ye may be, death will overtake you, even though ye were in lofty towers." 4:78. Hence, it is not death that we should fear but rather I fear the meeting with my Lord having not prepared anything for it. What have I done in this life that would constitute 'striving in the cause of Allah'? That is my true fear...

Pulau Kapas is situated only a few kilometres from mainland Peninsular Malaysia on the East Coast, off Terengganu. It is a small island and will probably take only half an hour to walk around the island if one could. Unfortunately, one could not due to the rocky coast. The main sandy beaches face the mainland and are protected from the strong waves. Pulau Kapas is a coral beach and on a bright sunny day, the water is clear blue and you may even see the coral sea life. The island is so tiny...I wondered to myself whether the re-establishment of Khilafah would have any impact on it.

We stayed at Makcik Gemuk Chalet Resort (translated as Fat Aunt). The lady who took our bookings and the owner known as Makcik Gemuk were very friendly and nice. She seemed to have an endless supply of young men working at her Chalet and most of them were probably her sons, nephews, friends of sons etc...They seem to be spending all day just chilling at the beach, taking tourist on boat rides, playing volleyball and kayaking. It was such a chilled-out life that I wish I was living like that.

To get to Pulau Kapas you have to take a boat from Marang Jeti. It was raining when we got there but we braved the rain and waves to cross to Pulau Kapas. As soon as we got to the island, the kids headed straight for the beach and we spent most of our time on the beach, swimming and making sand castles. My babies were truly enjoying themselves, rolling on the sand and screaming with laughter. Yet...as I stood there and watched them, I felt so happy but there was a slight constriction inside my chest...I saw a flashed image of a girl not more than 14 years old crying and screaming as she suffered the lost of her family. This image that I've seen many times on TV and the internet was a girl in Palestine. She was having a picnic with her family at the beach in Gaza, hoping to have a moment of peace away from the nightmare of her daily life under Israeli occupation...and as they sat there hoping to enjoy a family outing, they were shot at out of spitefulness and hate! I looked at my babies...they were smiling, laughing without a care in the world and I thanked Allah for His blessings but I did not want to forget what was happening on the other side of the world.

Then, the next day as we sat on the beach again we heard the sound of a jet-fighter thundering past. It came from a nearby Malaysian Royal Air Force base. We looked up admiring its elegance without any fear and my mind drifted to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya...I wondered what thoughts and emotions do they have when they hear that sound..

Three days...Pulau Kapas is beautiful like a Paradise Island. Just sitting there staring at the blue sea, feeling the cool breeze and it took my mind away from the frustrations and irritations that I've been feeling recently about being here in Malaysia, it reminded me of the reasons why I returned...

We left Pulau Kapas on the 3rd day and headed to Kuala Terengganu. I just didn't want to come back to KL.

Our visit to Cherating, Pahang

We left home at 8.30am for a leisurely drive towards Kuantan. The journey there was absolutely breath-taking. It was one of the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. It was simply greenery, mountains, clouds as far as the eye can see. I mean everywhere in the world there's the beauty of God's creations. When I was in UK, I appreciated the four seasons. I don't think there is any reason for us to be proud of our 'country' as such because it doesn't belong to us, it is not our handiwork for us to be 'proud' of rather, it is all God's handiwork.

The wonder of Pahang is that it is unadulterated. It was just natural and pure as far as you can see. Apart from the highway which was man-made, there were no buildings, no concrete...it was just pure beauty.

We reached Cherating at around 1pm after a long leisurely drive and the kids fighting and screaming in the back. We checked in at our chalet and straight away went to the beach. The children were so excited as they have not seen a sandy beach in their lives. They have been to Deal, Kent many times to visit Grandpa and Jenny and they have enjoyed the stony beach there, throwing stone into the sea but this was a completely new adventure, a completely new level.

I am not criticizing God's creation over another but believe me, this beach was at another level; even compared to any beach you can find at the West coast of Malaysia. I know that there are other more beautiful beaches in the world or even in East coast Malaysia e.g. Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Kapas or Pulau Tioman...but Cherating was at a higher level. It is like comparing Long grain rice to Basmati Rice.

For three days we spent morning and evening at the beach; only leaving the beach at around 11.30 when the sun is up (most dangerous UV light) and returning to the beach when the sun is less intense at around 4.30pm. We spent our time at two different locations, one bay where the children could swim as far as they wanted without being worried of being swept away; it was like a natural swimming pool. The water was see-through and waist deep for a long way. The other beach was an open beach...there the children enjoyed the waves.

On the third day, we spent the morning at the beach after a nice early breakfast. There were restaurants all along the main village road...and Cafe 619 makes the best roti canai, nasi lemak at a very reasonable price. We checked out from the Chalet at 12 noon and made our way to Kuantan Town. We stopped at the town to have lunch at KFC...yes, we were missing fast-food. Then, we made our wonderful scenic journey home.

If you ever come to visit Malaysia...you must visit the beach in East Coast of Malaysia; it is best to visit between March - October before the monsoon season.

Roller-coaster ride

Took the children to Berjaya Times Square on Saturday 8th May 2010. At first, we went on the kiddie's ride for Malik and Hadiya. It was nice and relaxing. This was actually our first proper Malaysian outing since we relocated back to KL.

Prior to this, we couldn't really 'pamper' ourselves because there was a lot of bureaucratic things to sort out and we had to live off our savings until we had a job. I feel a bit sad at times because people have the impression that anyone who returns from UK must be loaded with money due to the high exchange rate (or shall I say...previously high exchange rate). Things are different from one person to another and Allah gives his Rizk to whom He Wills. Truth was...we were struggling but Alhamdulillah we had enough to live and to survive. Life in London was expensive, the Rent, the Food, Petrol, Car maintenance, Islamic school fees and it wasn't easy. If someone earns £1200 and you think, "well, that is like RM6000" but the house rent is £730, Food expenses is £200 a month plus £200 on utility bills and petrol...well, you do the maths. It is not all rosy over there.

Alhamdulillah we are fine now and Allah showers His Grace and Bounty to whom He wills; He gives and He can take away and no one has the power but Him. I understand that now. I do not worry about Rizk and I understand that in life, we must work hard and we must excel in everything that we do because we want to be the best; not for Glory, not for wealth, not for status but for the sake of God. It is another sad feeling when you realise how Capitalism has corrupted everything; making MATERIAL BENEFIT the purpose of our action. When people only does things to achieve a material gain and they can't see beyond that. How sincerity is only when you do something for the sake of God.

Anyway, Times Square...

It was a bit expensive so, I thought like it or not I must go on the roller-coaster ride. I'm not a roller-coaster kind of person and never actually been on one in my entire life. Still, I must go on this one just for the experience.

Before that, we went on the Dizzy Izzy and it is like this spinning thing that spins on itself in multidimensional ways. I really felt sick! It is like you're sitting there and your insides are churning and your mind is just thinking when is this going to end. Hence, I was very apprehensive about going on the roller-coaster thinking...if I sit on that seat and plug myself in, I can't get out of it half way.

Anyway, we sat in the roller-coaster Fajar and I and waited. Then, it was time and away we go...Boy! I never screamed so much in my adult life. You know as a young child, you can scream your lungs out and not feel any inhibitions. I still remember those days but as an adult, you bearly scream unless there's some emergency. On that roller-coaster ride, we all screamed. Roller-coaster was nothing like the previous ride. There was no time to even think. It was purely adrenaline rush. It was fast, it was exciting but it was over before you knew it. Fajar's legs became like jelly afterwards. She could bearly carry herself but it was enjoyable. A once in a lifetime experience.

Trip to KLCC

Half term school holiday and kids have been at home for the last 3 days. We decided to take them for a trip. For many tourist, KLCC Twin Towers is one of the main attractions in KL. In our previous trips to KL, going to KLCC was at the top of our 'to do' list. In our previous visits, we went to KLCC several times, to visit PetroSains or simply for sight-seeing but when you virtually live next to KLCC, you start to see it with a different perspective.

It is like when we were living in the UK. We barely visited the 'tourist' spots. We only went to Marble Arch, Buckingham Palace or Hyde Park because we happened to be there. It's like on our way to Regent's mosque for a talk or on our way to a March or when I had to renew my passport and Buckingham Palace was just round the corner. It's like the buildings is just part of the scenery, part of life but not the main attraction itself. I mean KLCC is primarily a shopping mall but it's got other attractions like PetroSains (like an educational science fair for kids) and the Aquarium. The PetroSains is interesting for the kids. They can play with the exhibits and entrance fee is reasonable.

I wonder if that is how it is like for people who live near the beach like the fisherman and his family. The children playing by the beach everyday, that is just part of their everyday life. It is not a 'holiday' or 'main attraction'. Or for those people who actually live near the Kaabah...like performing Umrah is a weekly activity.

Anyway, the kids were very excited to go on the LRT (something like an over-ground tube). In fact, the LRT ride itself was sufficient for them. We stopped at KLCC. Hubby wanted to go up to the twin tower bridge but unfortunately, there's limited ticket and you have to queue up at 8am to get one. So, we decided to just have a peek at the towers from ground level, we had A&W and ice-cream...hmmm...soursop flavour and bubble-gum. It was interesting. Then, we caught the LRT home.

That was the highlight of our holiday and of course, balik kampung...(the best thing about living in Malaysia)

Things you may find useful to know when visiting Malaysia

ATM machines and money-changer

The ATM machines in Malaysia use 6-digit pin numbers but will accept 4 digit pin numbers. Make sure you choose the ATM with VISA, MAESTRO or whatever logo is on your card. Just key in your 4 digit pin number and press enter. To be extra secure, use an ATM machine attached to the bank during office hours just in case you experience any problems like the ATM 'swallowing' your card.

There are money-changers in all shopping complexes and shopping areas.

WIFI and internet
There are WIFI hot spots all over the city especially in shopping centres and malls. You will see people with their lap-tops sitting down having a drink and checking their emails.

Looking for bargains
Tourist spots are very expensive. Locals will grab bargains from places like 'pasar tani' - a weekly make shift market normally at the weekends at various locations. There, you can buy anything from fruits, vegetables, meat, dried condiments, household items, toys, clothes, CDs, plants, pet-rabbits and even a car!!! Pasar Tani is the best place to get local fruits. It is cheap, tasty (much better than buying from supermarkets). I bought a watermelon and papaya from Pasar Tani and it was hmmm...mouth wateringly juicy and sweet. Nothing like I've tasted before in the UK and it is cheap, cheap, cheap e.g. whole large papaya for less than RM3.00; get the picture????

For materials, best to go to places like Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman; not those big shops but the little shops known as 'Aked'

For hijaab and jilbabs PKNS is a good place; you get get nice jilbabs for around RM50 - RM70.

Buying or renting a car
There are many loan schemes from Banks and some claim to be "Islamic". However, to avoid Riba completely and stay away from the syubhah you can rent a car for a reasonable price. If you wish to buy cash...you will need around RM45.000 to RM65.000 depending on what car you want. Local cars are much cheaper than foreign cars; some foreign cars will cost you around RM150.000. It is cheaper to rent a car long term than short term rent; depending on who you know...a year rental will be around RM600 - RM1000 per month. If you go to established rental companies, they will charge you around RM1400 - RM2000 depending on the car.

My advice is if you could get an AP (don't know what the procedure is); it would be better to bring back a car from the UK. You need to apply for AP first otherwise you will have to pay a tax of 150% value of the car. With an AP you only pay for shipping and some extra cost.
Hmm...what else would be useful to know? Can't think of it right now but all I can say is that shopping is wonderful in Malaysia (depending on where you go) but wherever you go, it is always full of people!