Salam dear all, I have temporarily moved to: http://dmashqlights.wordpress.com
See u there, inshaAllah 
I had the chance to escape to Tioman island for 3 days and I wish I didn’t have to return back home so soon…
Here’s 9 reasons why…
#1 – a very inviting tioman
#2 – clear blue skies giving a sense of tranquility
#3 – beautiful clear waters
#4 – amazing sunsets. SubhanaAllah!
#6 – idyllic life
#7 – snorkelling!! and making friends with locals along the way
#8 – local food ~ yummy!!
#9 – beautiful sceneries like this
ain’t it the life….
I am missing TIOMAN ISLAND
(and a turtle)….
This informative and interesting documentary is 1hr 42 mins long, but it is worth every second of your time.
Watch it, and you will realise how much history has been unfairly omitted in textbooks. Especially at minute 2:50 to 2:58, this fact is reiterated by the host of the documentary herself.
For some pictures of a part Andalucia i.e. Granada, click here:
Assalamu alaikum
(Peace Be Upon You)
I can’t believe it…it’s been almost 2 months since I wrote an entry. I know being busy isn’t an excuse for letting all the virtual dust settle here on this blog…but, really I can’t help it 
It’s been 8 months since I had left my country for a trip. I seriously need to go on a trip anytime, soon. I hope, inshaAllah.
Still, alhamdulillah, I did “travel” a little (thanks to an outing organised by my workplace) to an offshore island (which is a very short ferry ride away from the mainland actually). But the journey took 2 hours because they made a looooong winded journey as it was a mini-cruise on a ship called “Cheng Ho”. Here is a picture to share
SubhanaAllah…and the waters were really nice and blue, I thought I wasn’t in singapore! :p
- Started your own blog
- Slept under the stars
- Played in a band
- Visited Hawaii
- Watched a meteor shower
- Given more than you can afford to charity
- Been to Disneyland
- Climbed a mountain
- Held a praying mantis
- Sang a solo
- Bungee jumping
- Visited Paris
- Watched a lightning storm at sea
- Taught yourself an art from scratch
- Adopted a child
- Had food poisoning
- Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
- Grown your own vegetables
- Seen the Mona Lisa in France
- Slept on an overnight train
- Had a pillow fight
- Hitch hiked
- Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
- Built a snow fort
- Held a lamb
- Gone skinny dipping
- Run a Marathon
- Ridden in a gondola in Venice
- Seen a total eclipse
- Watched a sunrise or sunset
- Hit a home run
- Been on a cruise
- Seen Niagara Falls in person
- Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
- Seen an Amish community
- Taught yourself a new language
- Had enough money to be truly satisfied
- Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
- Gone rock climbing
- Seen Michelangelo’s David
- Sung karaoke
- Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
- Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
- Visited Africa
- Walked on a beach by moonlight
- Been transported in an ambulance
- Had your portrait painted
- Gone deep sea fishing
- Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
- Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
- Gone scuba diving or snorkelling
- Kissed in the rain
- Played in the mud
- Gone to a drive-in theater
- Been in a movie
- Visited the Great Wall of China
- Started a business
- Taken a martial arts class
- Visited Russia
- Served at a soup kitchen
- Sold Girl Scout Cookies | I do the buying.
- Gone whale watching
- Got flowers for no reason
- Donated blood, platelets or plasma
- Gone sky diving
- Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
- Bounced a check
- Flown in a helicopter
- Saved a favourite childhood toy
- Visited the Lincoln Memorial
- Eaten caviar
- Pieced a quilt
- Stood in Times Square
- Toured the Everglades
- Been fired from a job
- Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
- Broken a bone
- Been on a speeding motorcycle
- Seen the Grand Canyon in person
- Published a book
- Visited the Vatican
- Bought a brand new car
- Walked in Jerusalem
- Had your picture in the newspaper
- Read the entire Qur’an
- Visited the White House
- Killed and prepared an animal for eating
- Had chickenpox
- Saved someone’s life
- Sat on a jury
- Met someone famous
- Joined a book club
- Lost a loved one
- Had a baby
- Seen the Alamo in person
- Swam in the Great Salt Lake
- Been involved in a law suit
- Owned a cell phone
- Been stung by a bee
- Read an entire book in one day
Unforgettable climb up the uneven stone stairs
6 a.m., about 500m before reaching the peak of Mt.Kinabalu at almost 4000m a.s.l
SubhanaAllah. Here, the sun gives a golden glow to the peak of Mt. Kinabalu.
Morning onboard the Superstar Virgo
(The most boring cruise on earth. Luckily I was with my wonderful colleague-friends, so it was fun in the end.)
At the observation deck
Baby lamb in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia
In the dunes of Erg Chebbi in Maroc, North Africa
Subh in Toh Guan Road i.e. Dawn in Toh Guan Road
May Peace Be Upon You.
Today’s post is slightly different as I won’t be blogging about travel.
On 5 Things, I have been tagged by Hajar
5 Things I was doing 10 years ago
- I left my temporary job at Inland Revenue Authority to enter Polytechnic.
- I was in my 1st year in Polytechnic.
- I joined the Women’s Hockey Team in Temasek polytechnic.
- I went on a hiking trip to Berkelah Waterfalls, Pahang
- I bugged my Dad to buy me a handphone. Looking back, it was really a gigantic one by Nortel Networks.
5 Things On My To-Do List
- Continue my mural project *to be unveiled soon* , inshaAllah
- Post this tag.
- Complete Module 4 of my TEFL course.
- Explore my iMac, which sadly, I have still yet to know more about
- Continue with memorising the Surahs in Al-Qur’an, inshaAllah
5 Snacks I Like
- Chocolate.
- Potato Chips
- Seaweed, crispy and seasoned ones
- Figs
- Dates with nuts stuffed in them
5 things I would do if I was a millionaire
*I doubt it will ever happen, but I think I might be a millionaire if I’m in Indonesia…1 million rupiah is a few hundred dollars*
- Charity, Fi-sabilillah i.e. Charity, in the way of Allah
- Migrate to another country with my family, where we can have our own land for farming *Err…I hope I don’t sound unpatriotic*
- Buy some land, built a castle with lotsa land for farming
- Ok I can’t think of anymore
5 places I have lived ( for various lengths of times)
- Chai Chee, Singapore.
- Bukit Batok, Singapore.
- Toh Guan Road, Singapore (current)
5 Jobs I have had
- Tutor
- Relief teacher
- Management support
- Finance Exec (current)
People I Tag
and just about anyone who are interested 
Peace Be Upon You,
I present to you, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Morocco: The Roman ruins of Volubilis. In Arabic : وليلي (Walili). It is situated nearby the town of Moulay Idriss.
Archaeologists believe that the city probably dated back to the 3rd century BC.
The city now lay in ruins, save some pillars and arches and some baths (empty, of course). What amazes me, definitely, has got to be the mosaics which are still perfectly preserved. SubhanaAllah!
As the sun retreated back into the horizon to signal the end of another day, I could only close my eyes and imagine what the city must have been like….2000+ years ago…
Nearest town : Moulay Idriss
Peace be Upon You….
Look out for my next post where I will be writing about some really awesome World Heritage Sites.
See ya soon, inshaAllah! Stay tuned……….
Salam alaykum …
The picture here has a meaning to it. It’s a stop sign, yes. And it means, that my travel plans have been shelved. Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi roji’un. There must be a hikmah to all these happenings…Allahou3alam.
Anyway, I am intrigued by this “Bucket list”. I had been tagged by Hajar Alwi.
”Simply state any number of goals you want to achieve in the next 8-10 years. Let them be small goals, big goals, silly goals. It is always nice to think about a bucket list, write it down, and share it. But most importantly, tag others to do the same when you are done and link back to the person who tagged you.”
2. Year | End of my career break and to start anew in my new job soon, inshaAllah (God-willing).
3. Year | To do Umrah & ziarah Baitulmaqdis with family, inshaAllah.
4. Years | To speak Arabic confidently
5. Years | To travel to China, this time to Xinjiang i.e. The Silk Road - Hajar, are you interested in this? If yes, maybe inshaAllah we could work something out , a trip to the Xinjiang region 
?
6. Years | Open my very own cafe with a traveller’s theme. InshaAllah!
7. Years | Settle down, if the one comes along
8. Years beyond | Hopefully my life, together with all those around me, always be blessed with imaan with the mercy of Allah swt.
So, that’s it. My small bucket list…hehehe
Next, I’d like to tag Ranjini
Lookin up to brighter years ahead, inshaAllah!
One who fails to plan, plans to fail. – Proverb
لا حول ولاقوة إلا بالله
La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
” There is no power and no strength save in Allah.”
This expression is read by Muslims when they are struck by a calamity, or besieged by a situation beyond their control.
A Muslim puts his trust in the hands of Allah, and submits himself to Allah.
It was a Tuesday night (if I remember correctly), when my sister came to my room and said, “Kak, Thailand’s anti-government protestors have invaded Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport and the government has shut down the airport.”
My reaction was, “Really? Wow so bad ah the situation?”. As I was surfing the net at that time, I quickly googled “latest news on suvarnabhumi”. And only then the truth hit me. Thai anti-government protestors are not to be messed with. And as I am writing this, I should actually already be on my way to the airport.
Yes, sadly, my flight on Royal Jordanian to Amman is via Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi. So, I can’t fly. I have to wait and see how the situation goes. Either I postpone the trip, or choose an alternative flight on an alternative carrier, or I cancel my plans.
Alhamdulillah, I’m glad that this time my trip is booked through a muslim owned travel agency, which, alhamdulillah, is well established one. That’s why maybe I am not so “kancheong” i.e. worried.
So I will just wait now …………..
Not going anywhere...yet.
Assalamu alaikum
(May Peace Be Upon You)
The intriguing, the mysterious, the wrongly perceived
The Middle East
The centre of the world (almost), the land of diversity, the land where most of the world’s oil gushes forth
The Middle East
Next destination of the wayfarer?
books for research
Peace Be Upon You!
Today I am gonna share with you, in case you still haven’t known, about WWOOF. It is the short form for : Willing Workers on Organic Farms.
Why it interests me?
Firstly, it is unconventional way of holidaying. Imagine, working about 4-6 hours in a farm in exchange for lodging and food. And not just an ordinary farm, but an organic farm! Now, isn’t that interesting? I hope, inshaAllah one day I will be able to be a WWOOFer
Read more here:
http://www.wwoofinternational.org/
http://www.wwoofinternational.org/world.php#jp
WWOOF in Turkey: http://www.bugday.org/tatuta/index.php?lang=EN
Anyone with first hand experience to share?
Masjid Hassan at-thani, Casablanca, Morocco
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
InshaAllah, Muslims are welcoming the blessed month of Ramadhan, very soon. In the Hijri calendar, 1st Ramadhan 1429H coincides with 1st September 2008 of the gregorian calendar. I am thus inspired to post a humble photoblog on Masjids in Morocco.
Architecture of the masjids in Morocco can be seen in some of the following pictures. Notice the tall block-like minarets, which are typical of Moorish architecture. They are beautiful! MashaAllah.
Here are some pictures I’d like to share. You can click on the pictures if you’d like to see them in its original size.
Medersa Bou Inania in Fes
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- Masjid Hassan at-thani
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- Medersa Bou Inania in Fes
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- Interior of Medersa Bou Inania
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- Reflection of stained glass in the interior of the Medersa
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- Minaret of a masjid in the labyrinth of the Medina of Fes
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- Masjid in the Royal Palace in Rabat, outer compound
How great the wonders of the heavens, and the beauty that dwells on Earth.
Then how great the Creator must be.
SubhanaAllah. All praises to Allah subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
Geyser in Te Puia, Rotorua
New Zealand
Are you one who is particular about fashion, even when travelling?
Personally, I am one who doesn’t bother much about fashion, as long as I don’t look unkempt or smell bad.
What’s important in my opinion is looking tidy i.e. presentable, being confident of yourself and comfortable.
“Truly Allah loveth those who turn unto Him, and loveth those who have a care for cleanness.”
Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 222.
I love to travel light, so I try to bring as little clothes as possible. My trick is to bring more scarves for my hijab, to add variety i.e. I don’t want to end up wearing the same scarves everytime in pictures. (Though I can’t help it sometimes.) I also bring lightweight clothings that dry fast. Well, of course ultimately it depends on the climate of the country you are visiting.
Travel secret: Travel iron
I can’t live without one.
How about you? Do you always have to look like a million dollars when travelling?
May Peace Be Upon You, dear travel lovers wherever you are coming from
Almost 10 months since I last posted something here. Blame it on my lack of inspiration to write as I had fallen in love with reading all over again, thus I prefer to read than write. Heh
In this post, I shall share with you a part of the magical Middle East which I had the opportunity to take a peek at not too long ago. Literally, I chose the word “peek” because I really only had a whole day in the country before flying out very early the following day to my destination country.
دولة قطر Qatar (Full name: State of Qatar)
Capital : Doha
Population: Est. 900, 000
It is an Arab emirate situated in southwest Asia. Take a look at the map, and you’ll see that it is bordered by Saudi Arabia in the south. Its other immediate neighbours are Bahrain and United Arab Emirates.
Do you know that out of the 900, 000 population, only 25% are Qataris whilst the remaining are foreigners? Qatar is fast growing, and to my opinion, faster than Dubai, even. There is a large grand scale of construction going on, mostly tall buildings.
The tornado tower – almost completed!
Weather: In April the weather was mild. It was not too hot and in the late morning, a fog blanketed Doha and lingered on even as we left the country.
Traveller’s tip: To get into Qatar, if you are from some countries, you may get visa on arrival, upon paying 100 Qatari riyals. This visa is valid for a month’s stay and it will also entitle you to get into the State of Oman.
Stay tuned for more updates on Doha…
Imagine, you are somewhere in the streets of Beijing, late morning. You are very hungry. After looking at the trusty little travel research book which has 3 months’ worth of research (halal food shops/restaurants, prayer times, masjids), you finally find that little halal restaurant tucked along the street. The Islamic calligraphy at the entrance is distinctive with the word, “MaT3am – Hallal”.
You go in. The owners, ethnic Huis who are Muslims, greet you enthusiastically, Salam alaykom… and usher you to a seat upstairs. You look at the menu. Hmmm…not so bad. Like us, the Chinese too eat rice as a staple food. Well, we are Asians, so rice always is a feature in most of our meals. Almost an hour later, you sit down, sipping the last cup of green tea. You have had egg fried rice, some stir fried green vegetables and other stir fried dishes… and also fried milk dough. Yes, fried milk dough is very delicious! Alhamdulillah! It’d been a spread and delicious. Like how one would say in Mandarin, “Chen de hen hao chi”. It means, “Really delicious”.
Well, imagine if you are not open-minded to the cultures of other people. You want *nasi lemak, mee goreng, Lontong, Laksa, teh tarik* for breakfast, like what you normally have for breakfast back home. Well, then there is no enjoyment in travelling. Every country has its unique foods. One should try the foods unique to each country!
*These are mouth-watering local cuisines found in Malaysia and Singapore.
Travelling should/will make you more adventurous in gastronomic adventures! Trust me
Hallal hotpot restaurant in Hohhot
Hallal Mongolian hotpot in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia
Alhamdulillah, travelling would now be much easier for me, as my parents have given their 100% blessings for me to continue my journey of travelling around the world. : )
Everything that happens, has a start. It all started in 2002, when I was asked to join a short trip to Batam Island, Indonesia, which is 55 minutes away from my country, by speed ferry. Before I knew it, my love for travel grew, and 5 years on…I’ve visited quite a few countries, Alhamdulillah. The furthest I’ve been to is Morocco, which is abt 11,559 km away from my country and a 19 hours flight with a short stop! It was the most unforgettable long haul flight I ever undertook. Unforgettable but most likeable so far. Thinking back, actually, the journey didnt feel that long 
Actually, I do not know where I got this love of travelling from. My parents do not like to travel at all. I am so different. I simply love to explore the many different countries, different culture, different sights. It’s all, MashaAllah, so amazing : )
Well of course, as a Muslimah, I feel that as long as I do not abandon my duties as a Muslimah and also do not visit haraam or illegal places, I should continue to travel and see the world.
Travelling, in fact, makes me even more thankful of all the blessings from Allah SWT.
So, I shall travel as long as I am given the opportunities to. Bi iznillah. InshaAllah.
Next destination? ?
Do you love the excitement of rushing with the rapids? Do you love speed? Nature? Tranquility? Well if you are into exhilarating adventure, you will love whitewater rafting.
So, just what is white water rafting?
It is a recreational activity in which the participants go onboard an inflatable raft to navigate downriver. This is usually done in various degrees of rough water (Class 1-6). The higher the class, the more adventurous (and thrilling) it becomes. Basically Class 1-3 waters are fine for beginners. Class 5 and Class 6 waters definitely need precise manouvering.
So, do you need to know how to swim? Well, not necessarily. But you must not be afraid of the water! Do not worry! ‘Cos one would need to undergo a water confidence test – body raft down a stretch of the river – before they are allowed on the raft!
Here are some photos from a recent Whitewater rafting trip of mine at *Sungei Itik, in the state of Ipoh, Perak in Malaysia.
*Sungei means River, translated from the Malay language
Hari Raya goodies consisting of cookies and tarts
I would like to wish every Muslims around the world who happen to stumble into my blog,
عيد مبارك وكل عام و انتم بخير
Best wishes to you and family.
May Allah SWT accept from us, all our good deed and forgive us with his mercy. Amin.
Ketupat, a Malay traditional rice cake served during Hari Raya
SimplyMoroccan, a creative site where one can learn Moroccan Darija, is having a competition – the first! The competition requires participants to write a text: – it could be either poetry or story or anything that contains the following words in Moroccan Darija: Babbôr, qrzâz, farâsha, wîlî, and khnôna. The competiton is sponsored by SpeakMoroccan. Up for grabs: 3 great prizes of $50 cash to the 3 winning entries. Contest ends midnight of 12th October. Hurry! The clock is ticking. Wait no more and get those creative juices flowing!
Here’s my entry, as silly as it may sound, I hope its ok
Not too long ago, in a faraway land called Indrapura, there lived a poor but rich old man, by the coast. He was absolutely qrzâz, and loved his money so much that he slept with all of his money and counted each of the banknotes before he went to sleep each night. One night, his nose got irritated while counting his money. This caused him to get into a sneezing bout till khnôna splashed onto his money.” Wîlî wili ” he exclaimed, as he frantically tried to clean his money. He waited till it was morning and he put his money out to dry within the garden of his house. Suddenly, a farâsha landed on some of his money. He tried to chase the farâsha away. Suddenly a swarm of farâsha came his way and started to attack him. The old man ran as fast as he could and tried to take cover. Unknowingly, he ran till he reached the jetty at the coast. There, a babbôr was about to move off. Desperate to escape from the swarming farâsha , the old man jumped onboard the babbôr . Soon after, the babbôr moved off. The old man then became frantic and jumped into the sea but he realised he couldn’t swim. And he was never seen again…..
The End.
Assalamu alaikum
Ramadhan mubarak to all. Time really zooms past. It’s 18 Ramadhan 1428H. I’m inspired to share a videoblog of some masjids in China. Enjoy the video!
I’m sure all of you somehow had this in your mind: a travel wish list.
To visit the Al-Haramain (Makkah and Madinah Al Munawwarah) still tops my list.
But right now, here are some of the places/countries that I haven’t visited and would love to visit some day, InshaAllah…. Even if I cannot visit them, its ok…I guess I can visit them online
1. Syria
2. Jordan
3. Yemen
4. Uzbekistan
5. Bosnia Herzegovina
6. Mongolia
7. Kazakhstan
8. Tanzania (To see Mt Kilimanjaro)
9. Kashmir (To see K2)
10. Japan
11. New York
12. Canada
13. Iceland
14. South Africa
How about you? What are the places you long to visit?
Al-Maghreb beckons….
It’s been 8 months since I visited the beautiful and exotic Morocco, and my love for their cuisine has still not faded away. In fact, I’m craving for authentic Moroccan harira soup, which is so rich yet at the same time subtle and wholesome. Well today, I cooked kefta, without the tajine of course (I feel like pulling my hair for not buying a tajine when I was there.. )
Here’s the recipe for kefta tajine.I got this recipe and tweaked it a little bit as I couldn’t find some ingredients here e.g. sweet Hungarian paprika. Kefta Tajine (Spiced Moroccan Meatballs with eggs in Tomato sauce)
Meatballs
700g ground beef (or lamb)
3/4 medium onion, chopped finely
2 cm young ginger, chopped finely
2 tspn garlic, chopped finely
1/2 tspn turmeric powder
1/2 tspn salt
Black pepper (I pour to my heart’s content..but u may just want to put 1 tspn)
Mild paprika powder (I am very liberal with this but 1/2 tspn should be enough)
2 sprigs fresh coriander, finely chopped
2 sprigs flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil (currently I use argan oil,as I still have a little left)
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tspn salt (or to taste)
Mild paprika powder to your heart’s content
2 cm ground ginger, chopped finely
1/4 tspn turmeric powder
Black pepper to your hearts’s content
1 medium can tomato puree
Beef stock (I use beef stock cubes boiled with 450ml of water to make the stock)
Vegetables and Eggs
3 medium sized potatoes (cut into small squares) or you may also use squash..I can’t find ‘em in supermarkets here
1/2 cup peas
3 eggs, beaten
Methode
1) In a big roomy spacious bowl, use your hands to mix the meatball ingredients and roll mixture into mini meatballs 3/4″ to 1 ” in diameter; set aside.
2) In a skillet or TAJINE, combine sauce ingredients and let mixture simmer, covered, over low heat for 5 minutes.
3) Add potatoes (or squash) & peas to the sauce & simmer, covered over low medium heat for 5 minutes. I usually cook it a bit longer to ensure the potatoes are cooked through. Then I add the meatballs and let everything simmer another 15 minutes over the low medium heat.
4) Pour the eggs in a stream over everything.
5) Cover & cook just long enough to cook the eggs. About 3 minutes, depending on how well done you like your eggs. 6) Serve warm over couscous (or basmati rice or moroccan bread or normal bread or naan), sprinkled with cumin or black pepper if desired.
Next…Moroccan mint tea (atay bi na’na’)
You’ve got to try this refreshing gentle tea. It’s suppose to aid indigestion too. But go easy on the sugar. The Moroccan version mostly is sweet. So if you order atay bi na’na’ in morocco, ask them not to put the sugar in and ask for sugar separately.
Moroccan mint tea ( 1 glass)
1 green tea (tea bag)
A handful of mint leaves, complete with sprigs, wash clean! (I found a worm before)
Sugar to taste
Enough boiling water
Voila! Ur very own made-in-singapore moroccan mint tea
