Of Ramadan, Syawal & Bachelor Bakes

It has been a while since I updated my blog. I was quite depressed with how things was turning out for me initially. There was nothing much I can do except to be patient and have faith.

Eventually I got an offer to work with a telco, thanks to the recommendations of my ex colleague. I started working on the 22nd of June, a few days after Ramadan started. It has been a good a month over. Upside, the job is pretty ok. Downside, it is a good 1.5 hrs of journey.

Positive side - i lost weight from all that travelling to work!

At the suggestion of family and friends, I decided to take orders for cornflakes and chocolate chip cookies. I sold cornflakes for $18 per bottle and has about 120 pieces and $35 per bottle for chocolate chip cookies.

I manage to get an order of 40 bottles of cornflakes and 10 bottles of chocolate chip cookies. I had also 4 cake orders.

Alhamdulillah, it certainly help me for the month of July 2015.

I feel that due to my situation, I seems to take things easy during Ramadan. I was very relax though busy. Stressful yet happy.

I was aware that Syawal this year would be very different - I was not ready or in the mood for it. This was what happened:

On 3rd July, I received  a call from Mak. She informed me of the tragedy that had befall on our Maria's family - her son fell off FROM a tree (WTH he is doing on a tree is beyond me) and currently temporarily paralyzed.

I was definitely on the verge of an emotional breakdown. I took a deep breath and start making plans.
Send Maria on her way the very next day - that was after talking to her and ensure that we remain in contact through out. She has to let us know if she wants to continue working with us.

I made arrangements to check / call back on her weekly. After close to about 2 weeks away, she was unable to give an answer if she is coming back. I was on the verge of terminating her work permit when it was nearing Raya WHEN she called to inform she intends to come back by mid August.

We settle the deal there and then. Proceeded to make plans to the embassy to get the documentation for her so she can do her KTKLN card in Indonesia in order to return back to Singapore.

All that was settled last week Tuesday. She texted me to update that she is doing her KTKLN card today.

If all is well, she be back next week Wednesday - 18th August 2015.

 So as you can imagine, with this happening, the tasks of household management falls onto my mother's lap. I did the food for the guests this year. I prepared Mee Curry for all. Mak made the food for our family members only.

It has been a very trying 2 months. I was juggling with my own situation, family and the orders. My hair turn white even faster than usual.

I was so busy that I only cut my hair for Raya on the 2nd Syawal!

After the 2nd week of raya, I got a very bad migraine that lasted me a whole night that caused me to take medical leave for 2 days. I also did not rest enough after the endless cooking /  baking that I did.

My slip disc was definitely in action and my legs was turning to jelly any moment.

With the 2 days MC, i stayed home and recuperate. I went for more frequent schedule massage to combat the pain.

Health-wise, with my weight going down, I monitored my food intake. I started a self campaign on reducing my sugar intake. I still keep to my meals BUT i started eating more healthily.

I avoided fast foods altogether and only eat quality - home cooked food.

All in all, it is a turning point for me.

There are so many things to be done and with my main focus on my future and the mess that I am in now, I have to step up and be more proactive in getting the dollars in!

Aside from the current job, I intend to offer more thru bachelor bakes to create more opportunities for myself.

During the National Day long weekend, I prepared 2 new recipes to offer to my followers. Hopefully through that I can get more businesses and eventually or ideally it should be able to supplement my income.

Wish me luck on that!


Thank you.

Challenges

Bismillah,

For past few days I  have been very emotional. It affects the quality of work and perhaps my personality to a certain extend.

Majority of my friends probably gets sick of the way how I behave for past few months. From the point of changing jobs right up to the things that I rant about almost on a daily basis.

I took time this morning to reflect on the issues that causes this. Regardless the situation, I blame it entirely on myself. I have never blamed anyone else for the situation I am in and I can only hope Allah SWT will be merciful towards me and ease me in my suffering.

Oct 2013

This was the starting point. Towards end Oct / early Nov, I was in a meeting with my lead. Prior to that meeting, there was an announcement made by my boss to which I did not really think much of as how it is going to impact me.

I attribute this to my jovial mood then - having managed to register for my course in 2014, I made upfront payments for a semester and the bridging course fees in Dec 2013.

I have some money left and made plans to save more come bonus and commission pay out.

So during that meeting with my lead, he shared how it is going to impact me based on the first meeting with the boss. He later announced that I will no longer be getting my allowances - which is about 4 digits.

It will take immediate effect - Nov 2013 payroll. I was lucky that HR was unable to deduct it in Nov 2013 and i felt the impact in Dec 2013 payroll. I got lesser amount after that deduction.

Jan 2014 - April 2014

I was very sad of course. I could not save as much as I can and furthermore, I have to reduce my parents' allowance. Tell me, who among us would want to do that to our parents.

Mak has been generous to me. She paid for one of the semester fees as well. I shed tears thinking about it.

I was moody and took it out on myself - depress, i cried everyday but have to patient about it.

There's one evening after my appointment I was in Orchard road. I went to Paragon or Isetan (Cant remember which) and meet my late Kak Ann. Told her of my situation.

She ask if I am ok to work for her - take care of ladies shoes at Paragon over the weekend. The pay is $8.50 per hour exclude commissions. You know when you are desperate, you will do anything to cover up.

I work from 10 am to 10 pm - till April 2014. I left because it was too tiring. My legs was giving way - due to my slip disc.

Also, they paid too slow. I got commitments to settle.

What did I do? baking - and bachelor bakes was born.

Bachelor Bakes
Getting 1 or 2 orders a week may not mean much to some of you. However, to me it was a lifeline.
I reviewed all my expenses, stayed over at Mr L's place most of the time so that I can save money on transportation.

Moreover I can cook anything I want and bring it to work.

The hari raya orders was the best. With the amount of money I had collected, it lasted me till Hajj.

Great Friends

It is during these period that I confide into friend(s). Those that I can really trust and understand and don't make judgement about every single act that I do.

I have my friends who continuously texted / message me to ask how things are doing. Giving their doas and support and telling me to hold on. I am extremely touched and grateful.

There are friends who continuously ask me for my bakes and indirectly is helping me. One of them is Kak Ton. Without fail, she will always buy 1 cake from me every month. I am so thankful for her support.

Of course during such challenging times, you never know when help will come and they came from 3 different persons:

One such friend was Mr A. He loaned me about 2.5 months of my salary to help defray my fees. I have yet to return him anything - told me to take my time and stabilize myself.

Mr L gave me weekly support expenses to help me stay afloat while I slowly stabilize myself and get used to the changes.

Both men, stayed overseas and I meet them occasionally. Mr L, told me to take things easy and he knows my character really well.

An army mentor whom I respected so much during my NS days came to know of my situation and gave me a soft loan while things gets better.

 New Job = Wrong Decision Making

With the completion of my course, I decided maybe I should try to find a new job and as Allah SWT wills it, I got an offer that I wanted.

Being the meticulous person I am, every single question I asked hence that's why I accepted the offer UNTIL I came to work.

I lasted for 11 working days.

I feel so useless. As Allah SWT decree, the day i left, another job offer came to which I am working till today.

At times, I wonder why I accepted it. Is it  because I don't have a choice or is there something better awaits me?

I don't know what the future holds for me here. At times I feel like giving up but ALLAH SWT don't like us to give up. So I soldiered on cause I am very afraid if I go, He may not give me another one that easily.

Support

Thankful for the support that was given by friends who has been tasting my bakes - cakes or that cornflakes thing hahaa.. I have to swallow back MY WORDS.

Remember last year? I refused to bake honey cornflakes or chocolate chip cookies.

It's because it is tiring. However, I am determine to get myself out of this situation and therefore, I am taking orders for Hari Raya.


I thank all of you in advance for your support. I am here not to get sympathy but I believe I owe everyone an explaination to why I am doing all this.

I am sure there are questions of course and I am most willing to share it with you personally. This platform is a bit too public to air out everything.

Well, thank you for reading.

May we meet again. Inshaa Allah.

New Mufti & Social issues facing by the Muslim Community

Salam,

It was announced without much fanfare, the appointment of Ustaz Fatris Bakaram.  I remember attending his classes way back in 1994/1995 - the Fardu Ain if i am not wrong. May Allah SWT guide him well in his new capacity as Mufti of Singapore

I didn't attend for long as I am always being taunted by the children at the mosque. You know the usual teasing, bullying...

Anyway that's beside the point.

Yesterday, my colleague email some of us with regards to the changes or feedback that we desire to see with the appointment to the new Mufti.

I am not sure whether there has yet to be changes. The jurisdiction of the MUIS office is never an independent organization but is tied up to MCYS - if you get my point.

Currently, religion is a personal and secondary issue and is never a paramount issue in any secular matters.

However being a Muslim is to integrate that into your secular life. It should not actually trouble you much in being someone secular.

Firstly, i would question:

1. What makes a Singapore Muslim?
2. How do you identify a Singaporean Muslim?
3. Why is it necessary to be identified?

Our community is close knitted. I sincerely believe we all know each other. Look at weddings. thousands turn up just to a wedding. This shows that there is still an acknowledgement of "silaturrahim" within the community.

However, how many of us would greet a fellow Muslim in the lift, along the corridor or just smile sincerely?

Do we keep our home door open or close all the times?

Do we know our neighbours?

Dont apply this to Muslims, how about non-muslims? Are we being the persons that our religion obliged us to?

And unlike other communities - who have issues, we also have issues too:

1. Majority of the Muslims here are malays and we have been plagued by issues like - education progression, salaries difference, housing debts etc...

2. We rarely take time to acknowledge the other Muslims brethren such as Indian, Chinese.

3. Our moralities - are we sending the right message to be a modern Malay/Chinese/Indian Muslim that practise our religion and we also can adhere to the growing demands of the global platform?

I would prefer a very much a whole review of the entire community choice of life or way of living. True it is definitely a personal matter but there must be a certain guiding point in our life - lead by the Islamic Council. This would definitely helpful - considering that youth nowadays spends more time on the web than out of the home.

Let's tackle the 2nd point first:
Notice that since the day i ever stepped into the mosque until now, all khutbahs are generally in the Malay Language. no doubt that the Malay language is the national language. However, i notice that in recent years, there are Muallafs around on Friday prayers. Notice that some of them do LOOK lost when the khutbah is being read to them. The intepretation screened on TV may not help if they happen not to be around near it or short sighted - they take off spectacles when they go prayers usually.

I am fairly certain that majority of the elders now are those that belong to majority that are able to understand and converse in the English Language. Many decades have passed since LKY insistence that everyone must learn English. I am sure it must have rubbed a bit on some of them.

There should be a review of this. It is important. Otherwise our Muallaf may get bored, and if the end up asking the next person what is being talk about (he is not supposed to while Khutbah is being read) will cause unnecessary misunderstanding between 2 brethrens of Islam.

True that the Khutbah is available online. Frankly speaking, i rarely go online and look out or read the khutbah as i have already heard it in Malay the language i understand. But how may of the Muallaf will do that?

Being said that, it is up to each individual on how to find the source of the khutbah however the starting point must be right too & i believe this ought to be considered.

The first issue is endless. It covers all issues regarding education, jobs and money.
For years, our Malay Muslim community have strive their very best to improve and i think we seeing better results now than 20 years ago. However, it seems that there is always a black mark somewhere. I have come across articles which seems to say "melayu must do better" or "more can be done" or "melayu giving up" or in short - sometimes i feel the appropriate title would be Melayu Masih Bodoh.

I dont deny that some of us in our community are slow in progress. However that does not necessary means we are slowing as a community.

Frankly, i am proud of our community but at the same time disappointed. For some reasons nowadays, people rarely help you with full sincerity. For helping someone, there must be something in for you. no keikhlasan if you asked me. Social standing is important too. The size of your HDB flat indicates your superiority among your family members. The amount of money, your job, your clothes, your possession is far far far more important than anything else. The number of trips to Makkah for Haj or Umrah seems to be worldly acknowledgement which has something to do with - social standing. Does going more trips to the Holy City makes you more holy and superior than others or it is supposed to bring you down gently to earth and acknowledge that no one is superior or above each other and only He has dominion over us all?

I dare to say this because I have seen this shoved in my face many times. I admit, I am who i am but that doesn't mean i dont listen. Wisdom comes to all and we regret many things that we done in our youth. We just hope that the past will not catch up with us and we can move on towards the path that leads to Eden.

I am fairly sure, that in terms of education, we have been pulling our socks high. There is one aspect i believe MUIS can make a suggestio. However i know that it is very rare for one Statutory board to dip their fingers into another but that does not mean they cant nor there isn't any precedent for it.

I believe education is the key to the well being of the Ummah. Therefore, perhaps MUIS can review the Civic  & Moral education subject that is being taught. Aside from the 5 pillars of Islam, more details can be emphasized on the appropriate attire required of the Muslim Man & Lady, the significant of the call to prayer etc.

I have 2 sisters, one was pretty scrawny while growing up and the other is quite robust, in fact bless with a good figure. I am very uncomfortable seeing her in skirts in school uniform. I have seen eyes leering at her. I have seen mature men looking at her. I am not saying that my sister is gorgeous. definitely not. I am uncomfortable with men having thoughts about her.

I often wonder why. This will be the subject that will be part of point 3.

If during PE lessons, they are allowed to wear trackpants, i sincerely believe if they were to think about it, they too can allow, pants for girls too. I pray for the day will come. Hijab is not necessary. At this time, i am thinking the need of being secular and uniformity of the uniform and integrating the need for a Muslim to guard her modesty while being secular. This is only a thought. I will still have to respect the rules. After all the law of the country is man-made. Muslim laws came from Him.

In terms of HDB debts, jobs . I believe a certain political party is bring it up in the next election. You may want to give DUE consideration to this. I feel there is a flaw somewhere with the current policy but i am not that analytical of a person to understand the impact it would make if a certain process is taken out from it. Obviously it has not been experimented but it is worth giving a thought.

http://votingrp.wordpress.com/2010/11/14/affordability-of-hdb-flats-a-response-to-minister-of-national-development/

I won't dawdle much on jobs or HDB flats. This issues are non-pressing. We cant control it but we can achieve it - insya Allah.

In recent years, we have been shocked into insensibility with the self made sex videos of our very own youth and I am aware of the fact that there were more children born out of wedlock and also high abortion.

It is obvious. However we turn a blind eye to all this and seems contend that as long as the person doing that deed is not in anyway part of my family, it is none of our business.

This is where MUIS can step in. Review the whole process. Dont just be part of the counselling process. Instead promote it from the root itself. Prevention is better than cure. There are just too much western influences out there.

Civil marriages happens too. I been invited to civils receptions - one of them involved a malay girl with her non-muslim bf turn husband to be and another is a malay chap with a non-muslim gf.

Their back ground is very much the typical like most of us. Industrious hard working parents, spent more time labouring at work trying to pay off the housing debts and keeping up with the social life. Money given to kids seems to be the solution for the time spent at work.

Frankly it is NON of my business. But however, what message are we sending to the rest of the youth? that it is ok to go for civil marriages?

For some reasons the MUIS authority are limited to marriages and divorces. That seems to be the primary role aside from Hajj and announcements of Raya and fasting etc.

More can be done. It is about time MUIS make bold approach towards promoting the Islamic New Year, the Maulidur Rasul or the Nuzul Al Quran etc.

At the same time, share the values of good people of our faith. Encourage this through education. Set aside a time frame of say within a year, at least spent a compulsory 30 days for youth to understand what Islam is all about. Encourage them to be part of the community.

I worked in budget hotel before which has a 2 hour so called transit check in. I have seen males and females alike muslims or not; checking in. They cant be having a rest alright. To put it delicately; shall we say, entertaining each other?

Mosque officials should be reviewed based on KPI & Performances. I have seen mosque officials accepting tokens and monetaries because the giver happens to be wanting for a favour to be done and that token is part of "ikhlas" i mean seriously. They earn a decent salary and being part of the civil group as i recall, should not that be given in the first place?

This i realise is happening whenever a kadi goes to a house to conduct the solemnization. A family member usually the groom's father, will prepare a small token for the kadi. I would like to believe the cos t of that has already been included in the amount that we paid at the office for registering and choosing the kadi himself.

I am not criticizing but there is a difference in giving monies to people. As i recall sedekah is to be given to those who cant afford basic needs, someone who has trouble getting thru life, yet he is patience, love the Lord and do work hard to improve his life, and endure whatever the Lord has given him. These group ought to be help. NOT those who are wheel chair bound and get their help from mosque and later spent it on booze. HEY I HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE OK! Just that i never take pictures of it.

I believe more can be done to help the lowest in society. Religious obligations must be acknowledge. It is from there than  i believe we will progress slowly and cut down on all this children out of wedlock issues, premarital sex and so on.

That is where the school book review comes in handy. Incorporate the Muslim way of life into it. Understanding the way of a life of a Muslim goes hand in hand everyday.

Parents have a role to play. They have to advise what is right or wrong in their children attire. As i mentioned my own personal experience with regards to my sister, i am afraid of things that might happen.

Guys in a group gossip more than 2 aunties in a market. One of them ever mention that malay girls the young ones would do ANYTHING for just a little bit of money.

The details that follow, shamed me to the core. Is this the Malay Muslim image that we are portraying?

Just for $20.00 some of them are willing to give in to the lusty demands and they are young. 15 year olds/16 year olds...against a 35 year old?

I am not sure if he is exaggerating, if he is,it is not by very much considering my own experience; judging by the number of check in i do at my previous employment.

A marriage is for life; however, infidelity is common too. How is this being tackled?

I am not saying it is a compulsory and there are many details and subjected to objections of various faction but i hope it is worth considering. Remember our youth of today will be the leaders of tomorrow and with all the globalisation going on, it is possible to put the context of Islam seamlessly into secular.

do not establish an excuse for it because once it is establish, there will be no way forward.

More issues can be raised but it is up to us as community to look back and asked ourselves if we want to be a slave to worldly matters OR a slave to Him. It is up to each individual which makes the community as a whole to make a difference in our youth or ourselves in fact. Some of you may feel that I am not in a position to raise my point or i do not have a say in this because of my background BUT i dare to say it because, it is an eyesore or a social issue. One day, something will happen and that will take another Minister to blast at us again and will be a farce on the newspaper for weeks!

Finally I have always this to say:

Patience towards challenges has its rewards, for in that challenge one become wiser and i am contend that He will never give me a challenge that is too heavy for me to bear. Insya Allah, with His Help, my plea for help, it will be overcome.

This is for those who are facing issues right now. remember there is no short cut to achieve your dreams. Bukan Senang nak menjadi orang Senang.

For those who have attained their desired level:
Help others. Raise them from the ground. He wants us to do so. Do not take advantage from it. He will reward you for helping - insya Allah.