The persona of Miss Grotto

Sitting down on a rattan chair made in early 80's, at the verandah under a mangosteen tree. The weather is so hot make sudden breeze air feels like heaven on earth. Chirping from dozens of birds and cats lying down lazily around accompanying a lonely Miss Grotto. Despite the fact that being grown up as 'kampung girl', she feel like being more as a cave girl. A very few people in this village know her. Why? Maybe because she seldom walk around and keep distances from others. Again, why she do that? Guess that she tired of listening to complained by aunties, those unauthorized journalists who spread gossips around about other childrens while their own child annoyed villagers with their nasty behaviour. A simple principle for Miss G is whatever she do, she do not distract others.

 

Miss G is not totally somebody who is antisocial but someone who actually build a wall with negative people to prevent herself from falling into their groups. Miss Grotto know that being G is a way to keep out from being the main target of Gossips news. Although not fully protected, at least doesn't make harder to breath. Miss G is a quiet observer, she look at people and she heared about all the gossips. Thus, she change critics into advices, use it to become a better person. The way she look at life is different doesn't mean that she's odd. Miss Grotto is an open minded, she act nice to others including those who hurt her because she believes that taking revenge doesn't change anything. Act nice towards cruel people is the best way to make them felt bad.

 

However, Miss G have to find way to ensure that her voice heard by others. Too bad if she only kept all the lessons with her. Knowledge that she had may help to change the community around her. Good generations can't simply being born by a person and can't be achieve in just a second. Like wise said, 'Rome was not build in a day'. Being a Miss G, forever spend her life in cavern might not be a good choice as people live in society. Creativity needed to achieve a mission of making something beneficial to others and at the same time simply keep on being as herself, a Miss Grotto. 

Pictures credit to: http://www.google.com.my/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=566&tbm=isch&tbnid=csaPRxhUE2L3tM:&imgrefurl=http://www.flickriver.com/photos/donbriggs/tags/hanahawaii/&imgurl=http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1206/1356885866_060c702f44.jpg&w=500&h=333&ei=QYJFUPzvCYG4rAeXtoCQAw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=336&vpy=137&dur=666&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=178&ty=101&sig=107375420567085899605&page=1&tbnh=102&tbnw=136&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:78

Passion to learn

There is only one week left for my industrial training in the hospital while there are so many things to learn and to observe during this period of time. I still my remember my lecturer's last words before I began my training. She said, " Life at works is not as wonderful as you thought. There are many people with their own unique characteristics and instead of learning what to do in the lab, try to learn how to deal with people." I met different kind of people with different background. There are doctors, pathologist, medical lab technician, science officer and also cleaner.There are also trainees from other institution.

One day, a pathologist asked me about fixatives. Sudden question that cause me sudden blurred. After a few second I answered, H&E ( a type of stain in histopathology lab). Oh my God! I should think more before gave that answer, because of it she gave me only one day to make a preparation to do a presentation about fixatives. I was like haaaa...? You say what?? Thank God I'm not alone, I'm together with other trainees. Without wasting my time, I divide works among us and borrow a book from the pathologist. She is the Head of Department and I'm 'dead' if I do wrong. A few of my lecturers were previously medical doctor so I know how they work and what kind of expectation they had.

At the end of presentation, praise to Allah, she was satisfied with our presentation and 'good news' to other trainees, the assignment involving presentation will be continued by them. =D. Actually, the things that I would like to highlight here are attitudes. Because on that day, a trainee ask me why I remind the pathologist that I will do a presentation? When I wait for the pathologist, they said why am I so excited to do the presentation? Astagfirullahalazim (I ask Allah forgiveness). I really can't understand them. Should I remind that we are STUDENTS and we came here for a TRAINING? What's that mean? It means our job is TO STUDY. TO LEARN. Am I do anything wrong for just accomplish my assignment? What kind of attitude is this?

The situation make me fly back to a time that a lecturer (supervisor) for my final project said," Malay students are lazy because they don't have passion to learn. They are not competent enough to succeed besides other races. I don't want you to become one of them. We are MUSLIM. ISLAM taught us to be hardworking. Not only for now but until hereafter." MasyaAllah. A very straightforward  reminder from Allah s.w.t. They are Malays and so do I. I seek refuge in Allah from laziness and may Allah guide them to the right path. Wallahua'lam.



You won't know until you try

Hari ini, banyak pengajaran yang dapat diambil dari pengalaman menjual aiskrim bagi mengumpul dana untuk aktiviti pelajar. Ketika rakan saya mencadangkan untuk aiskrim ini dijual di taman tasik, saya terus bersetuju. Dengar macam kerja gila kan? Tiba-tiba nak jual aiskrim pada orang yang tak dikenali. Ini satu cabaran. Kalau saya tak cuba, saya takkan tahu setakat mana potensi diri saya. Itu yang saya fikir pada mulanya.

Bila saya mula melangkah ke taman, hati rasa berdebar-debar. Saya terfikir apa pandangan orang terhadap saya. Macam mana nak tegur orang? Macam mana nak jual aiskrim-aiskrim ni? Bawa pakai kotak ja kot. Teringat kisah Abdul Rahman Bin Auf yang pernah diceritakan oleh ibu saudara saya. Ketika beliau berhijrah bersama-sama Nabi Muhammad s.a.w, beliau ditanya oleh orang Ansar tentang jenis pertolongan apa yang dia perlukan. Bukan harta, bukan duit yang diminta tetapi beliau minta untuk ditunjukkan kepadanya pasar supaya beliau boleh berniaga. Bermula dengan 0, akhirnya beliau menjadi salah seorang sahabat Rasulullah s.a.w yang paling kaya. Usaha dan ketakwaan yang tinggi membuatkannya berjaya dengan rezeki yang Allah s.w.t berikan. Saya jadikan sahabat Nabi ini sebagai inspirasi. Saya berdoa kepada Allah s.w.t supaya diberi kekuatan, kesungguhan dan keberanian seperti Abdul Rahman.

Ketika hendak menjual aiskrim, saya sangat takut untuk menegur dan mempromosi aiskrim yang saya bawa. Segala doa dibaca supaya dipermudahkan urusan. Semasa menjual aiskrim, saya teringat pula akhlak mulia yang diajarkan oleh Rasulullah s.a.w. Kita perlu sentiasa bersikap jujur dan berbudi bahasa ketika berniaga. Macam-macam perangai manusia yang saya jumpa. Ada yang baik, ada yang tak berkira langsung untuk beli dan ada juga yang menolak. Tapi yang paling penting ialah berusaha. Rezeki itu milik Allah s.w.t dan Dia akan beri pada mereka yang berusaha. Kadang-kadang Allah melapangkan rezeki, kadang-kadang Dia menyempitkan rezeki. Kedua-duanya adalah untuk menguji hamba-hambaNya.

Alhamdulillah, jualan saya berjalan lancar. Dalam masa satu jam, saya berjaya jual 13 tub. Syukur dan pada masa yang sama malu dengan Allah s.w.t. Walaupun dosa menggunung tinggi tapi Dia tetap memberi pertolongan kepada hambaNya. Pengajaran yang paling penting untuk hari ini ialah kita takkan tahu apa yg kita akan perolehi jika kita tidak mencuba bersungguh-sungguh. Kadangkala cabaran yang datang bukan dari luar tapi dari dalam diri kita sendiri. Segala perasaan takut, rendah diri, malas dan malu tak bertempat boleh menjadi penghalang terbesar daripada mencapai kejayaan. Nobody can change what is inside you. Allah s.w.t will give you chance when you are ready but you, the only one who have to decide either to take it or leave it.

Lesson about patience and gratitude

I had wasting 48 hours in my life without doing anything this weekend. I can't focus in my study or whatever I'm doing and I don't know why. Worse isn't it? Maybe because I'm actually thinking about writing this. Several weeks ago, I got my results. It was not very good but better than previous one, Alhamdulillah.

In Facebook, all my friends are really happy with their results. Many of them succeed in listing the dean list. Some of them asking me, "Do you get the dean list?" It's nearly a month they talk about results. You know what, for a second in my life I feel like I'm a loser. After a minute I came back to my senses. Astagfirullahala'zim. I had done a sin. I keep telling Him that I love Him more than anything else but when He tries me, what happen? You can say thousands time that you love that person but at time comes asking you to prove it then only you realize how strong your love is.

Sahih International

And as for man, when his Lord tries him and [thus] is generous to him and favors him, he says, "My Lord has honored me."

Malay

(Dalam pada itu manusia tidak menghiraukan balasan akhirat), oleh yang demikian, maka kebanyakan manusia apabila diuji oleh Tuhannya dengan dimuliakan dan dimewahkan hidupnya, (ia tidak mahu bersyukur tetapi terus bersikap takbur) serta berkata dengan sombongnya: "Tuhanku telah memuliakan daku!"

Sahih International

But when He tries him and restricts his provision, he says, "My Lord has humiliated me."

Malay

Dan sebaliknya apabila ia diuji oleh Tuhannya, dengan disempitkan rezekinya, (ia tidak bersabar bahkan ia resah gelisah) serta merepek dengan katanya: "Tuhanku telah menghinakan daku!"

Sahih International

No! But you do not honor the orphan

Malay

Jangan demikian, (sebenarnya kata-kata kamu itu salah). Bahkan (perbuatan kamu wahai orang-orang yang hidup mewah, lebih salah lagi kerana) kamu tidak memuliakan anak yatim, (malah kamu menahan apa yang Ia berhak menerimanya);

Sahih International

And you do not encourage one another to feed the poor.

Malay

Dan kamu tidak menggalakkan untuk memberi makanan (yang berhak diterima oleh) orang miskin;

Sahih International

And you consume inheritance, devouring [it] altogether,

Malay

Dan kamu sentiasa makan harta pusaka secara rakus (dengan tidak membezakan halal haramnya),

Sahih International

And you love wealth with immense love.

Malay

Serta kamu pula sayangkan harta secara tamak haloba!

( Al- Fajr 89: 15-20)

When I recite the above verses and read the meaning of it, I remembered that He tries us in many different ways. Everything in this world will never be eternal except Allah s.w.t.Whatever tries that He gave to us, He will judge us in Akhirat. He know what's the best for each of us. Who are we to go against Him? Who are we to complain this and that to Him? We are just His slaves. He can do anything to us but hundreds time he told us in Quran that He is The Most Merciful. My friend said, " Patience and gratitude go together. When you're not patient, you start complaining. And the fact that you're complaining is the sign that you're not grateful. " This is what happen and He taught me well about it.

"When Allah s.w.t tries you for many times about the same thing, it means that He want you to be strong enough facing it because that's the point of your weakness."

Sakura di Gurun Sahara

Sungguh aku lupa
Detik waktu kita bersua
Bagaimana keadaannya suasananya
Yang kekal subur hanya rasa gembira
Tatkala angin menghembus muka
Dalam guguran dedaun Angsana

Sungguh aku lupa
Bagaimana wajahmu senyummu
Gaya langkahmu mahupun tingkahmu
Kau kupandang hanya sekilas
Tapi kuat berbekas
Di ingatan atau di hati
Tiada satu yang pasti

Kata-kata tidak wujud antara kita
Tiada luahan rasa
Tanpa bersua muka
Baik dalam realiti atau maya
Kau dengan hidupmu
Aku dengan hidupku
Anehnya kisah ini
Sekian lama masih mencuit hati

Berjuta kali ku berkata
Tak mungkin berbunga sakura di Gurun Sahara
Sekali lagi aku lupa
KuasaNya mengatasi segala yang ada
Sehingga aku mula ragu
Antara cinta dan khayalanku
Yang pasti ku ingin kau bahagia
Walau di hatimu bukan diriku yang bertakhta

p/s: Pergghh...lama betul nak dapat balik ilham untuk puisi kreatif. Tiba-tiba muncul lepas dengar lagu Cinta Terakhir dari Aiman. Layan jiwang beb...