Ireland Trip : 18th September

Today I didn't really do much. My tiredness from cleaning my house was still there. So I spent quite a while talking to the new friends that didn't feel new at all because of the way they treated me. 

I didn't feel awkward or different. They really know how to make their guest feel at home. They are very matured in terms of thinking eventhough most of them are younger than me. 

It's interesting to have a chat with medic students because obviously they have different style of thinking compared to engineering students.

I went out at 2p.m with a few of them. Well it was Sunday, they didn’t have class today. We just hang around in Dublin city, looking at the buildings and drinking hot chocolate from Buttlers. 

I visited Trinity College. There is an old library there that's famous for its 'Book of Kells'. For someone who likes books, I'm amazed with the old library. They say the library looks like the one in Harry Potter.

At the counter we met a gentleman, a Cashier in his early 40s. We asked for 3 Tickets. Student‘s price was 9 Euro per person. He looked at our cards. Apparently he was amazed by the courses that we took. Then he smiled and let us entered the library FOR FREE!! Alhamdulillah...

40 minutes later we went to the Trinity College‘s souvenir shop. Someone approached us and he turned out to be the cashier again. He gave us 2 10% discount coupons for the shop. Before he left he said,
“My name is Ken. I wish all you the best and success in your studies. Whenever you are here, you can ask for Ken“

That’s when I realised that this trip was the beginning of a whole new experience. I’m really looking forward to my real solo trip tomorrow!

Ireland Trip : 17th September

Today is the day! I’m in Ireland!!! 
To be honest I lost my excitement a few days before my flight because I was so busy. I  had moved out so I had to clean my old house and I was super tired.

The flight was good. It took about two hours to arrive at Shannon Airport. Guess what? Shannon Airport was one of the place shot in Westlife's MV: My Love. Hi hi hi

From Shannon to Dublin it took about 4 hours by bus. Somehow the feelings and the scenery along the way reminded me a lot about my father's hometown, Linggi. Single house with garden and small farm at the back. 

I wish I could spend some time again at Linggi. I miss being there.

I stayed at friends of my friends (x5) in Dublin. So basically this will be my first solo, semi-independent trip. ;-)

Memmingen to Shannon

Dan tidaklah sama...

Dan tidaklah sama orang yang buta dengan orang yang melihat.

Dan tidak pula sama gelap gelita dengan cahaya.

Dan tidak pula sama yang teduh dengan yang panas.

Dan tidak pula sama orang yang hidup dengan orang yang mati….

(35 : 19-22)

Benar tidaklah sama orang yang hidup dengan yang mati.

 

Yang mati sudah tentu penamatnya, yang hidup tidak ada sedikit pun 

pengetahuan tentang hari-hari yang bakal hadir dalam hidupnya.  

Mati. Bukan sekadar kakunya jasad, bukan sekadar dibaluti kain kafan dan bukan sekadar terlafaznya talkin. Mati juga ada pasangannya yang lain, hati. 

Apabila mati hati seseorang itu, maka tiada yang mampu menghidupkannya kembali kecuali yang Satu. Tiada cahaya, tiada teguran dan tiada petunjuk yang akan sampai pada dirinya. Jika ada sekalipun akan terus terpantul. Lebih teruk dari matinya orang yang kita lindungi, dari matinya orang yang sayangi dan dari matinya jasad kita sendiri. 

Maka jagalah hati dengan 

kurangkan percakapan yang sia-sia dan yang tidak disenangi oleh orang yang mendengar, 

kurangkan melihat apa-apa yang tidak memberi faedah, 

kurangkan makan, makanlah sekadar untuk menegakkan tulang sulbi (tulang belakang)

dan berkawanlah dengan mereka yang sentiasa mengingatkan kita pada kebaikan

Yang paling akhir, berdoalah kepada Allah SWT agar hati kita sentiasa dihidupkan. Biarlah raga yang sakit menderita tetapi tidak hati. 

Semoga kita berada di bawah naungan-Nya sentiasa. In Shaa Allah...

Salam Ramadhan,

dari penulis yang tidak akan pernah cukup ilmunya.

22 Ramadhan 1437 

30 days without Instagram

Instagram. 

I’m sure a social network that most youths all over the world know and use. As a youth, I have one too. But for me, my instagram is not as important as Facebook and Twitter as I gain a lot more informations through these two social networks compared to instagram. So one day, 5th October to be exact, I challenge myself not to browse the instagram for 30 days. 

I decided to know how capable I am to discipline myself. I find it interesting to challenge myself and succeed. I live alone. So when I’m bored, I tend to browse instagram which now that I don’t browse it, I find myself enjoying my real hobbies which are reading, exercising and few others that surely bring more advantages than sitting, browsing and commenting others’ photos. It’s not wrong, neither it’s wasting time especially when you follow informative pages which is not my case. 

I tend to judge people based on their photos and captions which is improper. Though I try not to do it because I try not to do something I dislike to others. But again, we are humans who are far from being perfect. We are not angels. 

As I’m writing this, it’s been 26 days and I did find peace for not browsing instagram. I started to realise that I achieve more than I intended after challenging myself. I got the joy of doing old hobbies and appreciating what’s around me rather than staring at photos for quite a time. 

It may sound nonsense, but I learn that how am I going to sacrifice something bigger in the future if I can’t sacrifice someting that is not that important. 

To achieve something,

We sacrifice something 

To achieve something bigger

We sacrifice something bigger

It always works that way. 

Life is all about sacrifices. 

After these 30 days, hopefully, I’ll be back to Instagram as a less judgmental and a more positive me. Well I did miss looking at photos but not that severe. 

As I said, I did this just for fun, to challenge myself. This time it’s my own life and thinking that I explore and stalk instead of others’. That’s my way and I did it my way.

Well now my father’s favourite song, My Way is ringing in my head. After reading this, maybe you can go and listen to it. It’s a good song. 

P/s : One's life is not all that you see on Instagram and your life is not all that you have to potray on Instagram. The world is bigger than just a social network. 

MfG, 

Die Schriftstellerin