A Spiritual Winter

- Saint Louis, MO, 2010 -

Just came back from Muktamar 2010, an annual meeting organized by the Malaysian Islamic Student Group (MISG) and Indonesian Muslim Society in America (IMSA), alhamdulillah. It was lovely to be able to attend talks and reflect on our deen; may Allah SWT  guide us to act upon the knowledge with which He has blessed us, ameen. Met with a wonderful American Muslim sister, who is a convert, and I pray that Allah SWT blesses our friendship, ameen. I also pray that my sore throat gets better soon, insya-Allah! :) This is the first winter that I'm not back in Singapore, so I hope that I'll be more productive in terms of work and catch up on lots of sleep, insya-Allah. Looking forward to writing my end-of-year reflection for this blog, insya-Allah, and I leave you with a quote that I paraphrased from Sheikh Omar Baloch: 

"When a girl loves a guy and wants the guy to know, she gives him subtle hints like a box of chocolates. The universe is like a box of chocolates. In the universe are signs that Allah wants you to discover and turn to Him, because He loves you."

First Snow

- Saint Louis, MO, 2010 -

The first snow fell during Thanksgiving last Thursday, subhanallah, which was a pleasant surprise, since all I was expecting was a "light wintry mix". Many things to finish up before the end of the semester, so it is time to put on my productivity "cap" and procrastinate less, insya-Allah. Keep warm if you are experiencing winter and may Allah SWT always make it easier for all of us, ameen.

Beautiful Day

- St. Louis, MO, 2010 -

Looking up I see,

A sun shining so brightly,

In this cold winter.

The Heart Within

- St Louis, MO, 2010 -

Was chopping up onions and found a lovely surprise in one of them, subhanallah. :) In other news, I have been really busy with grading, reading, writing, and studying, so I'm really looking forward to the conference at the end of the week and then the Thanksgiving holidays, which will hopefully give me some respite from work, insya-Allah.

In case I do not update my blog before Tuesday, Eid Mubarak to my fellow Muslims and may Allah SWT always guide us in everything we do, ameen. :)

Nothing Gold Can Stay

- Lone Elk Park, MO, 2009 -

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

- Robert Frost (1923)

Obsolete

- Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, Singapore, 2010 -

Fifth Day

- Missouri Botanical Garden, 2010 - 

You,

who quench my thirst, 

like rain that falls for the first

time in the desert,

removing all of my hurt,

giving me a high,

as I,

in hopes this spirit will last,

break my fast.

Life in Mini (10)

- Chicago, 2010 -

Eid Mubarak :)

- Missouri Botanical Garden, 2010 -

A day of happiness

As we sincerely pray

For Allah's mercy and forgiveness

To make our sins go away

 The month of Syawal we welcome

As we seek to make amends

A tearful farewell for some

When beloved Ramadan ends

Sayings of Love

- The Muslim Reader, Singapore, 2009 -

(Click on the image to enlarge it)

Caution

- Fremantle, Australia, 2008 -

When was the last time you took a risk, of which the only thing that you can be certain was the knowledge that Allah SWT knows what is best for you? 

Sometimes...

- The Pinnacle@Duxton, Singapore, 2010 -

...we fear asking questions simply because we fear hearing the answer. 

Two Weeks

- USA, 2010 -

My transit at the airport in San Francisco was madness, to say the least, given the long lines at immigrations/customs and that I was still waiting in line for security checks at the time I was supposed to be boarding my plane back to St Louis. It all worked out just fine, alhamdulillah, and I was rewarded with a good 5-hour view of beautiful mountains, rivers, lakes, fields, and more, subhanallah.

Reaching the halfway point of Ramadhan, how has this month been for you? 

The Night

- Singapore, 2010 -

告诉我你在哪里，我的白马王子。。。

La vie n'est jamais facile...

- KPE Tunnel, Singapore, 2010 - 

...mais on peut toujours essayer. 

7 days

- Sultan Mosque, Singapore, 2010 - 

7 more days to Ramadhan and home in St Louis. :)

In Need of A Muse

- St Louis, MO, 2010 -

I've been trying to write an article for my editor for the past couple of hours but alas, I've been suffering from the much-feared "writer's block". So they say, in order to get out of this rut, I'd need to move on to other things to take my mind off the article, although I wonder if that would just be another excuse for procrastination. I still need inspiration, so perhaps some might come to me in my sleep, insya-Allah.

In other news, it has officially been a month since I've been back in Singapore and 26 days till I go back to my home in St Louis! It has been nice to be back but I miss the fresh air, slow pace of life, abundant space, and solitude, especially in this terribly overpopulated island. 

I am also trying to grapple with this terrible jaw pain of mine, which the surgery didn't seem to help. Lest I turn into a querulous spinster in need of romance/TLC/a sugar daddy etc., please pray for the pain to end once and for all, ameen! 

Don't forget to pray for world peace too. :) 

Life in Mini (9)

- Chicago, IL, 2010 -

Wish I was somewhere else now. 16 days till I go back home.

Life in Mini (8)

- Chicago, IL, 2010 -

Life in Mini (7)

- Lake Michigan, Chicago, 2010 -

Smile :)

- Saint Louis, 2010 - 

Buying those taleidoscopes from the art museum has got to be the best $4 I spent on something that I could get back at home in Singapore for $1. Will be in Chicago from today till Friday with my lovely friend Baoqin, who was smiling for me in the photo above. Finally, a holiday where I don't have to worry about work, alhamdulillah! :)

On an even more awesome note, I do not have to see the oral surgeon again until December, insya-Allah! Cannot wait to fully recover and eat properly! :)

O Food

- Saint Louis, 2010 -

I know this seems like a lazy post but food has been all that I can think about these days, given that I've been starving for officially 26 days now. For those yet to know, a much belated complication in the wisdom tooth surgery that I had done a year ago led to an infection and another surgery. In my hunger-induced delirium, I would wonder if my jaw will forget the action of chewing once I recover, if I actually do, insya-Allah.

On a lighter note, it's the summer holidays. :)

Someone To Watch Over Me

- Rottnest Island, Australia, 2008 -

There's a saying old
says that love is blind
still we're often told
"seek and ye shall find"
so I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had
in mind

looking everywhere
haven't found him yet
he's the big affair
I cannot forget
only man I ever think of
with regret

I'd like to add his initials to my monogram
tell me where is the shepherd
for this lost lamb
There's a somebody I'm longing to see
I hope that he
turns out to be
someone to watch over me

I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood
I know I could
always be good
to one who'll watch over me

although he may not be the man some girls think of
as handsome
to my heart
he carries the key

Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
follow my lead
oh how I need
someone to watch over me
someone to watch over me 

-x-x-x-

Winter Wonderland

- Forest Park, St Louis, 2010 - 

It has been a really rough week and I can only pray that things will get better. Plenty of things to do but it's Saturday and I think I deserve a day off.. Well, not exactly a day off but at least I get to do housework. :P 

In other news, do watch what you key in online, or else you'll end up paying USD14.95 like I did, which I suppose was a small price to pay in exchange for what I was trying to get. I bet your curiosity has now been piqued! ;) 

Happy Valentine's Day & Happy Chinese New Year to those who celebrate it :)

Life's still good, alhamdulillah. :)