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Daily Activities in Makkah, Saudi Arabia
January 10, 2018 Mecca Saudi Arabia
For the first two days, I was a bit confused of what to do. Only after I successfully performed my first Umrah, I could adapt to the environment. :) Alhamdulillah.
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| Kaabah. |
My parents and I together with the rest of our groupmates spent 6 days in total in Makkah (including the day we arrived). Have I told you that the hotel is just approximately 50 meters to King Abdulaziz Gate? Even from the hotel, some of us who stayed at the upper floors (like 7 and above) can see the Kaabah directly from their bedrooms' glass wall. :D
So, this was one thing to put in my mind at that time, that I should not miss any opportunities to pray inside Masjidil Haram especially the five daily prayers (Masjid al-Haram can be used to refer to the same mosque) since it was extremely near.
“Solat di masjidku ini (masjid Nabawi) lebih baik daripada 1,000 solat di tempat yang lain melainkan masjid al-Haram. Dan solat di Masjid al-Haram lebih baik daripada 100 ,000 solat di tempat lain”. [Riwayat Ahmad (15271)]
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| View from the dining area. |
So, our plans for Makkah were roughly like these:-
Day 1 (18th Dec 2017)
- Check in to Safwa Hotel
- Perform Umrah
Day 2 (19th Dec 2017)
- Free activities
Day 3 (20th Dec 2017)
- Ziarah to Jabal Nur, Jabal Tsur, Jabal Rahmah, places for Hajj.
- Niat for Umrah at Masjid Jaranah
Day 4 (21st Dec 2017)
- Ziarah to camel areas etc.
- Niat for Umrah at Masjid Hudaibiyah
Day 5 (22nd Dec 2017)
- Free activities
- Jumaah prayer at Masjidil Haram
Day 6 (23rd Dec 2017)
- Tawaf Wada'
- Check out
- Travel to Madinah
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| One of the praying areas for women. You can see Kaabah in between the pillars :D |
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| Shelves for Quran. They are almost everywhere in Masjidil Haram. |
Emak and I always try our best to get good spots to pray. What I meant with good spots is areas that we can see the Kaabah.
Can you imagine the feeling of seeing Kaabah in real life, in front of these two eyes (plus another two for the glasses)? It feels surreal! Unbelievable! People always said that once we enter Masjidil Haram, try to find Kaabah. At first, I was a bit nervous if I could not see the Kaabah. But alhamdulillah, nothing like that happen to us and most of the things turned out very well. :)
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| After Subuh prayer. |
Compared to Masjid Nabawi, it is easier for us to be together in Masjidil Haram. As the doors / gates are open for both genders, but still, praying areas for men and women are separated (except of some reasons here and there - I understand it is not easy to control such a huge number of people).
Usually, my parents and I went to Masjidil Haram together via King Abdulaziz Gate and we promised / planned to meet at specific areas - in our case, the escalator. It was tricky a bit as the guards won't allow people to wait there as it would cause congestion.
So, if you will be going there, choose less crowd area to meet.
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| Meals with the view of Masjidil Haram. |
On days that we had ziarah, we would go back to the hotel after Fajr prayers and had breakfast. For those who plan to do another Umrah, the bus would stop at Miqat. For men, be ready with ihram (either you wear ihram directly from the hotel or you can change at the miqat later).
Few things I found to be crucial while in Makkah (in Madinah as well) are:
- nametag with lanyard
- sling bag provided by your agent (trust me, it would be easier to spot Malaysians this way)
- small bag for shoes (sarung kasut)
- spray for wudu'
- tissues
- sejadah
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| Makkah Royal Clock Tower - seen from Masjidil Haram |
So basically, days in Makkah will be spent mostly in Masjidil Haram (especially for five daily prayers). Free times are usually after Fajr and Isya' prayers as the time towards the next prayers will be longer.
Meals.
Meals are usually provided by the hotel (depends on your package) and will start after prayers. Like breakfast will start after Fajr prayer, lunch after Zuhur prayer and dinner after Isya' prayers.
Shopping.
If you want to go shopping, you can do it between Fajr and Zuhur prayer. People said the prices are cheaper in Madinah compared to Makkah. I agree in disagree. It also depends on your bargaining skills :) For jubah, we got the simple one for 20 riyal each, and the full manik-manik for 80-90riyal. Again, depends on the patterns that you want.
Another point, it is better to go shopping in Madinah as your time in Makkah can be fully used for ibadah. The rewards are even larger, right?
Another point, it is better to go shopping in Madinah as your time in Makkah can be fully used for ibadah. The rewards are even larger, right?
Local phone number.
It depends on you actually. If you and family members stay in the same room, it is not needed then. But for us, Mak and I stayed in a female room while Ayah in a male room on another floor. It was hard at the beginning to reach each other only then we decided to buy each of us local numbers. Since the passports were with the mutawiffah, we successfully bought our numbers at the perfume shops. Hoho, ada Bangladeshi ni set kan.
Can't remember the exact price. But Ayah and Mak got themselves sim cards for calls for 50 riyal each (with 10 riyal credit inside) while I got myself a sim card for 85 riyal ( 2GB data plus 10 riyal credit). Maybe you can get better prices somewhere else or mungkin kitorang kena tipu je harga ni but I am not that enthusiastic to find other offers. T_T And actually the Bangladeshi cheated by setting up only 1GB on my sim card instead of 2GB. Hahahadoiiii.
Till next posts,
InsyAllah I am going to share my experiences of tawaf and sa'ie :)
SS, Perak, Malaysia
180110
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo | Book Review
January 9, 2018
Can I say that I bought the book primarily because of the "K Drama Steps to True Love"? Haha it is like the author has analysed the Korean dramas very well to use them in this young adult novel. And obviously all the steps are true and really being used in dramas.
This book is very easy going and light, I finish reading it within an evening. Guess, it is funny and silly as well. Romantic too (especially when I imagine the characters in it).
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| I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo |
Title: I Believe In A Thing Called Love
Author: Maurene Goo
Pages: 325
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: May 2017
Synopsis :
Basically, it is about Desi Lee, a Korean American who is excellent in everything except relationships. In fact, she's never had a boyfriend and always encounter flailure (flirt + failure). Till one fine weekend, she dissolves herself into Korean drama after a pathetic incident happened between her and her crush. She manages to come out with her "K Drama Steps to True Love" which are absolutely helpful to get her boy, Luca Drakos.
In the middle of the mission, she decides not to refer to the list and it is when she finds out real love is more than just drama that she's analysed. The relationship faces challenges when Desi needs to sacrifice an interview into Stanford for a medical school and towards one point when Luca feels being played to find out about the list.
What will happen to the relationship?
And what exactly the list is all about?
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| Back side of the book |
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As I mentioned earlier, the crucial part that I am looking forward is the list. Haha. I have been watching K dramas since Winter Sonata - I guess it is the very first drama shown on the television that time. I went on hiatus for K drama for quite a number of years and moved to the OST (I am still loving OST!)
Till 2015 when Kill Me, Heal Me was released. I was totally into its Hallucinations OST (it was piano instrumental that I was listening to actually). So, right now I watch dramas on and off.
1. The K Drama Steps to True Love
Let me share the points here.
Wow, am I exposing too much?
These are roughly the scenes (for the plot) in most romantic comedy dramas - the one Desi Lee watched over the weekend.
Till 2015 when Kill Me, Heal Me was released. I was totally into its Hallucinations OST (it was piano instrumental that I was listening to actually). So, right now I watch dramas on and off.
1. The K Drama Steps to True Love
Let me share the points here.
- You are the living embodiment of all that is pure and good.
- Have a sad-sack family story.
- Meet the world's most unattainable guy.
- Let the guy get to you whether it's from annoyance / obsession.
- Have a secret dream that brings you closer to the guy.
- Doggedly pursue your dream, no matter the cost is your well-being.
- Mystery surrounds the guy but find out more.
- Be caught in an obviously lopsided love triangle.
- Get into a predicament that forces both the guy and you into an intimate bonding moment.
- Find out the guy's big secret, preferably through excruciatingly repetitive flashbacks.
- Prove that you are different from all other women - in the entire world.
- Life threatening event make him/you realise how real your love is.
- Reveal your vulnerabilities in a heartbreaking manner.
- Lock that baby in with a kiss! Finally.
- Fall deeply into cringe-inducing mushy love.
- Pick your very own love ballad to blast jarringly over and over again.
- Worlds have to collide for some comic relief.
- Meet his family and win them over.
- You must make the ultimate sacrifice to prove your love.
- You are not allowed to be happy until the very last possible minute
- Betrayal time - one of you kinda-not-really betrays the other.
- At your lowest point, your life is only made up of flashback montages of good times.
- Take drastic measures for your happy ending.
- Get your happy ending.
Wow, am I exposing too much?
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| The handwriting is a bit hard to read, well Desi is a medical student to be. Haha |
2. Persistence.
That is what Desi Lee has done. She uses all skills that she previously has used for her education into something that she has never excel before.
A bit of confession here - I think somehow I am being biased between this book and the previous one that I've read (Suamiku Dajjal). I support Desi's persistence to get the boy she likes but I have bad feeling for Safia when she attempts to get Encik Kopiah. T__T Is it because of the ethnic / culture / religion backgrounds portrayed by the characters? :(
2. K dramas fans.
"I believed, and still believe, that you can build your dreams brick by brick. That you can accomplish anything with persistence. Even falling in love." - page 7
That is what Desi Lee has done. She uses all skills that she previously has used for her education into something that she has never excel before.
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| "You cannot control who you love, Desi, but you can always control how hard you fight, okay?" - Appa |
A bit of confession here - I think somehow I am being biased between this book and the previous one that I've read (Suamiku Dajjal). I support Desi's persistence to get the boy she likes but I have bad feeling for Safia when she attempts to get Encik Kopiah. T__T Is it because of the ethnic / culture / religion backgrounds portrayed by the characters? :(
2. K dramas fans.
"The dramas I watched were all of the romantic comedy variety, because that was clearly the genre that best fit my current life scenario. I hadn't left my house, showered, or seen another human aside from my dad in that entire time. I had ignored texts from Fiona and Wes." - page 41
Korean Dramas Marathon.
Can you relate yourselves to this?
Hahahaha.
Angkat tangan senyap-senyap okay.
3. Boys doing the move or vice versa?
"You know what, Wes? That's sexist crap. When a guy goes through obstacles to get a girl, it's considered 'romantic'. Think climbing through a girl's window unannounced to watch her sleep. However, when it's a girl making dramatic gestures for a guy, it's creepy. Double standard bullshit!" - page 75
Maybe anyone with experiences can share anything related to this?
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| "It was a drawing of me, ...." - Desi - the moment she finds out Luca has something into her. |
4. Real love: It was all about risk and having faith. There were no guarantees.
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| "But in the end, they were about people sticking together through thick and thin, not knowing if it would work out." |
Risks.
Are you willing to take the risks to pursue your love?
Faith.
Do you have the faith that this may turn out good if you keep the efforts?
No guarantees.
And yes, no guarantees that you will end up for each other, or end up together till the end.
5. The Ultimate K Drama Starter Guide
Especially for those who have no idea where to start with K Dramas!
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| Brought by Dramabeans too! |
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| They list lots of good dramas though. |
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| Different categories though. But I think I can't see any medical drama? |
My rating: ★★★★☆
Get yourselves a copy! :)
SS, Perak, Malaysia
180109
Suamiku Dajjal by Aiman Banna | Book Review
January 8, 2018
The very first book I finished reading in 2018.
I did not check the review or rating via Goodreads in advanced. And in fact, I am a bit hesitated to buy books like this. Haha. Suamiku bla bla bla, isn't the title a bit cliche? This kind of title used to be so famous to be published into dramas.
But, I know I should not judge the book by its title. Eh?
I decided to buy it as Aiman Banna sounds familiar with non-fiction books. Right?
I haven't read his other books anyway, I will I will.
Title: Suamiku Dajjal
Author: Aiman Banna
Pages: 342
Publisher: AQADA International Sdn. Bhd.
Publication Date: April 2017
Synopsis:
There is a girl named Anis Safia who dreams on a religious guy (read: ustaz) to be her husband. She loves reading novels so much and I can say that somehow she is living with the love fantasies shown via the novels. Although she adores Encik Kopiah (an anonymous author), she ends up marrying Adam Wafiy, a guy she met during a book fair two months ago.
Unfortunately, the husband whose the wife expects perfection from, is not perfect (well, who is though). He is someone with bad pasts. The situation gets worse when she called her husband, Dajjal!
You need to read the novel to understand what kind of bad stuffs Adam involved in that trigger so much anger in Safia. Continue reading to know what will happen to their marriage.
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Stop here if you don't expect spoilers. Haha.
I will refrain myself from sharing key points but sometimes they go beyond my capability :)
There are lots of things within this book for us to ask ourselves and to find the answers within us.
1. Everyone has his own bad pasts, will we accept people like this? How far it can be?
This is a common issue in people nowadays. We can't run far away from expectations. And really, people know expectations kill. So do assumptions.
So many people mentioned they don't really mind people with bad pasts but how far can we accept?
I remember a tweet about if you happened to love someone and towards your marriage, you found out that he/she was a criminal. Was. I repeat, was.
So, will you still accept that someone? If yes, how can you be sure that he/she is not going to repeat the same mistake / crime again? If not, what will you do to stop the relationship?
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| Perfection? |
2. Will we do forbidden stuffs if we are in rough situations and seems like there is not a single way out?
This question may be not that common in my life but I know there are people out there who happened to be in very risky and rough situations. Turn out, they can't think well to find solutions and usually the situations will put the person under more tension and pressure to survive.
Let me relate this question to common situations around us that I found in the news.
- Is it okay for poor people to steal money or food just to keep themselves or their family from starving?
- Is it okay for people to involve themselves in prostitution for the sake of survival?
It is hard for me to answer myself.
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| "Jadi Anis Safia, saya cuma mahu awak terima saya yang sekarang, yang sudah berhijrah. Janganlah pandang segala sejarah jahiliah saya." |
3. Ask before we judge.
Although being judgmental is not socially accepted, but somehow we need to have good judgement to proceed with life. We actually make judgments all the time!
"Hai orang-orang yang beriman, jika datang kepadamu orang fasik membawa suatu berita, maka periksalah dengan teliti agar kamu tidak menimpakan suatu musibah kepada suatu kaum tanpa mengetahui keadaannya yang menyebabkan kamu menyesal atas perbuatanmu itu." - Quran - Al-Hujurat, 49:6
The point that makes it different is to have better understanding about certain things before we jump into conclusion or make any decision. I look forward to more conversations, more information before I can decide what to do. As what I have mentioned earlier, assumptions also kill!
Yes, it is.
Simple example - we rely on other drivers' signals / indicators before we want to change lanes, to make any turns, to cut off other cars etc. Humans can't read minds (or maybe some can). Signals are clues for us to understand what the other drivers have in mind, so that will help us to make better judgement on road.
Maybe not a good example, but you get the point right? T_T
4. Love people around us.
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| "Kadang-kadang kita berseronok di dalam social media kerana berhubung dengan orang yang jauh daripada kita, sedangkan kita sedang menjauh dengan orang yang terdekat dengan kita." |
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| "Seolah-olah nak naik kapal terbang tapi malas keluar duit untuk beli tiket flight." |
6. If you are married, behave like a married person.
I am sorry that I am totally not in the shoes to elaborate this, but I feel that problems in marriage are common and needed to make the relationships grow fonder. It is tolerable to ask people for help when you feel helpless. Just it is absolutely weird and unnecessary to share it to random-opposite-gender-stranger. T_T
In this novel, I felt speechless when Safia wrote a message to Encik Kopiah (the anonymous author she loves) and shared about her marriage crisis. Why, girl? Ouchhh.
To make it even sadder is when Safia is looking forward to get married to Encik Kopiah while she is still a wife of Adam. T_____T Although it turns out into something different, but still.....
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All in all, it is a good novel to read although I feel like I can expect most of the plot. Cliche but not that cliche. Full of lessons to be learned, lots of Quran verses as well :) The story is a bit slow at the beginning but it is interesting enough when it reaches the climax, the moment when Safia calls Adam as Dajjal!
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| Redha, belajar untuk redha. |
My rating: ★★★☆☆
SS, Perak, Malaysia
180108
From Jeddah to Makkah, Saudi Arabia
January 5, 2018
If you haven't read the previous part:
Approaching Jeddah, the pilot announced when the plane was flying over Miqat* in which it was Qarnul Manazil for us. It is encouraged to attend any Umrah courses to have better understanding about these 13 forbidden stuffs and the rest (like procedures, experiences, FAQs etc) so that we have better ideas and don't do any of forbidden stuffs unintentionally. :)
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| Me, Ayah and Mak |
We arrived Jeddah airport at about 9.40am (local time) and with the rest of groupmates, we took a bus to Makkah. Passport control was okay, the very first time I had to scan fingerprints other than the thumbs - compulsory for all I guess?
The airport is small I think, but the outside area is hugeeeee. Well, it is nice to have massive area like this to accommodate millions of people coming for hajj. :)
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| The parking area for buses - buses are the main transport for hajj & umrah. |
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| Sands everywhere. Literally everywhere. |
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| Off to Makkah - al-Haram |
Do you guys know that non-Muslims are not allowed to be in Makkah?
Sorry for my another ignorance and lack of knowledge about this fact. There are few signboards along the way to Makkah that mentioned 'Muslims' and 'Non-Muslims' like this:
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| Credit - http://lifeinsaudiarabia.net/blog/2014/10/01/punishment-for-non-muslims-for-entering/ |
I came across this verse of Quran saying about this.
O you who have believed, indeed the polytheists are unclean, so let them not approach al-Masjid al-Haram after this, their [final] year. And if you fear privation, Allah will enrich you from His bounty if He wills. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Wise. - Quran (At-Tawbah 9:28)
After having few thoughts about this, I realized that Makkah is really the holy city :) The main reason people come to this city is for spiritual and religious reason, not for fun. Another point to be taken is the crowds. I have been told that Makkah is full of people basically every single day and the main purpose will be distracted if people just came for tourism. Cleanliness is another thing to be considered.
But I guess the verse is more than enough for this rule.
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| This is how the highway looks like. |
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| We stopped by R&R there and the building in this photo is the musolla. It is very big to accommodate big number of people :) |
After Zuhur prayer, my parents and I went to grab lunch. For the travel agents, food are provided at the hotel but since we are not able to reach the hotel within lunch hours, we need to pack ourselves food to eat.
Most of us went to Al-Baik (like KFC I guess). And this was my first experience when queues for male and female were separated. And even entry for women was from different door than the main door. But still, the cashiers were all male. Well, it is not easy to meet any female workers (outside the mosques).
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| This area is designated for ladies. |
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| Burger! |
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| Orange juice. |
After receiving the food, we went straight to the bus and continued the journey.
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| Common view along the journey. I was very surprised actually. I knew Saudi Arabia is full with deserts but I imagined date palm trees everywhere -_-' |
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| The checkpoint before entering Makkah - if I am not mistaken :) I was interested with the divider instead. Look at that! Hohooo. Awatnya macam ular kena palu gitu? |
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| Shariah Arch - to mark Haram boundary. |
Once we enter Makkah - Haram boundary, it is highly recommended to pray and if you refer guidebook provided, you will find this du'a. :)
Ya Allah, kurniakan daku di sini tempat tinggal yang tetap dan rezeki yang halal. Ya Allah, Tanah Haram ini tanah haram Engkau, negeri ini negeri Engkau, ketenteraman ini ketenteraman Engkau, dan hamba ini hamba Engkau. Hamba ini telah datang menyahut panggilanMu, dari negeri yang jauh, membawa dosa yang banyak dan amalan-amalan yang buruk. Aku bermohon kepadaMu sebagai permohonan orang yang sangat berhajat kepadaMu, dan takut daripada azabMu supaya Engkau terimalah daku dengan kelimpahan kemaafanMu dan masukkan daku ke dalam syurgaMu, syurga Jannatun Naim. Ya Allah, tanah haram ini tanah haram Engkau makan haramkanlah dagingku, darahku dan tulang sendiku daripada api neraka.
Ameen!
Arrived at Al Safwah Royale Orchid (about 50 meters from King Abdulaziz Gate), checked in after Asar and some of us were already getting prepared to perform the tawaf and sai'e. In which unfortunately for me, I only managed to perform mine after Subuh the next day. To survive a day with 13 forbidden things, for me it is not that easy, especially the intentional hair fall. T___T
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| The lobby of Al Safwah Royale Orchid |
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| Room for me and Mak, plus 3 other jemaah wanita. There were two other single beds on the other side. However, only 3 of us stayed there. :) |
Nevertheless, alhamdulillah!
* It was totally okay to set our niat from home but keep in mind that we would be bounded earlier to follow the rules of 13 forbidden things in ihram - which are:
p/s - I would highly recommended this hotel to consider before you sign up to any Umrah travel agent :) Another famous hotel booked by agents is Makkah Millennium Hotel and Towers.
Till next post.
- Covering the head / part of it (for men).
- Covering the face (for women).
- Wearing sewn garments (for men).
- Wearing gloves.
- Removing any body hairs.
- Trimming / cutting the nails.
- Using perfumes.
- Applying oil to the body.
- Damaging trees / plants in Makkah.
- Hunting.
- Touching someone with desires.
- Intercourse.
- Marriage.
p/s - I would highly recommended this hotel to consider before you sign up to any Umrah travel agent :) Another famous hotel booked by agents is Makkah Millennium Hotel and Towers.
Till next post.
SS, Perak, Malaysia
180105
4 Things I Love About Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
January 4, 2018
Seems like I don't have much movie reviews in my blog although I love reading them from other bloggers' posts.
Since I can count how many times I went to the cinema for the last 5 years, I am not that used to book tickets online. Yesterday was the day I finally signed up to be a member of TGV Cinemas. Haha. Siqah, I made it!
The offers are not that bad. With RM 30 per year if I am not mistaken, I can get these:
- Movie Freebies - I can redeem 2 free movie tickets plus 1 regular popcorn set when I sign up (in which I already redeemed them hehe)
- Birthday Freebies - The same offer as Movie Freebies (but only within my birthday month)
- MovieMoney - Siqah mentioned that we can get points for our purchases and use the points to redeem tickets etc.
- Etc.
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| The official poster. |
So, I requested to watch Jumanji and managed to tag along my youngest aunt and youngest cousin (from my father's side) to TGV Aeon Klebang. It was the first day of school, I knew but I were more than excited to pick him up from school (in which Ayah did) and off we go.
You know the feeling when you really want to make use of all free times you have with your beloved people. :)
What Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is all about?
It is the continuation of the first Jumanji (previously released in 1995). The concept is actually similar but it is really fascinating on how they made it to be modern, I mean to suit the current lifestyle (like video games instead of board games)
The plot is about four teenagers, Spencer, Fridge, Bethany and Martha in detentions due to different reasons. They get teleported into Jumanji's world. In the video game, they are not themselves but in the bodies of avatars instead, with different strengths and weaknesses compared to their real life. With the game's jungle setting, they need to pass all dangerous levels of Jumanji to exit the game. Along the way, they met another guy named Alex who was stuck there for 20 years!
The goal of the game is to return the jewel (Jaguar's eye) to the huge Jaguar statue and call out Jumanji. I am really looking forward to the adventures they will face along the journey!
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| Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Spencer Gilpin) |
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| Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon (Bethany Walker) |
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Franklin "Mouse" Finbar (Anthony "Fridge" Johnson)
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1. Expect the unexpected!
I love when they figured out their strengths and weaknesses. And through out the movies, I am amazed on how they try their best to suit the traits they have in the game even though they have totally opposite characters in the real world.
You can look forward to what happen when the geekiest boy at school becomes the strongest person, when the nerd girl becomes a commando who knows fighting, another girl becomes a guy in the game and the last one, how an athlete becomes the weakest one.
2. The teamwork!
Since they have different skills, they need each other to survive every single level! In reality, even though sometimes we need to sacrifice ourselves, be glad that we are actually contributing to results. The results, wallaaaa. Awesome!
But, be careful if people take you for granted. :)
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| Alex, Bethany, Martha, Spencer, Fridge |
3. We have only one life.
Oh yea, in the game, each player is given 3 lives in which they need to make sure they get out of the game before losing all lives or else they may end up stuck in the game forever.
Gigih cari kalau ada script dia. And I found this!
Dr. Smolder Bravestone: I can't do this!
Moose Finbar: I saw you fix a helicopter in mid-air!Dr. Smolder Bravestone: It's easy to be a hero when you have lives to spare... it's a lot harder when you have just one.
Moose Finbar: We have only one life. That's how it is.
Exactly, one life and we need to cherish every moment we have in this world. And as Muslim, to prepare for another world.
I love how things look like after they return to the real world. Especially for Alex. Watch it and you will understand what I mean.
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| The main characters. |
All in all, it is a great movie to watch with the family. Despite there are few sexual jokes here and there but I think it is not too much.
p/s - All photos are taken from Google Images.
SS, Perak, Malaysia
180104
Off to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
January 3, 2018
Alhamdulillah, I finally got the chance - financial, time, mahram etc.
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| All white |
Few years ago, I planned to go there from Prague, Czech - I mean, I would meet my parents (who would fly from Kuala Lumpur) at Jeddah airport / King Abdulaziz International Airport. However, it was beyond my limit to apply for the visa and seemed like it was impossible to fly separately (due to mahram was not travelling with me etc).
18th-29th December 2017
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| My first departure from KLIA2. |
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| Mak Ayah with their besan who flew all the way from Kuala Terengganu to send us off. Thank youuuuu :D |
The preparation for umrah was obviously different than my previous travels - from packing clothes, flights, preparing my mental, health and the lists will go on.
1. Clothes.
I used to take with me jeans and blouses and it felt literally different (a bit weird) to pack mostly jubah penuh, jubah seluar and few telekung. The scarfs were different where this time, I packed mostly black tudung sarung. My mum said tudung sarung would be easier to wear there. I took with me black shawl as well (no need to iron and thicker as I don't want to wear inner tudung there)
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| The schedule. |
2. Flights and the journey.
- AirAsiaX
I have never tried long haul flights with AirAsiaX before and I did not have any expectations with it.
For this umrah, my parents and I registered with Tiram Travel Sdn. Bhd, after considering the price, schedule and location of hotel.
The plane was full with approximately 90% Malaysians and the rest is Indonesian. Well, everyone was in there to perform Umrah, as well from different agents like Rayhar, Andalusia etc. It was a 9-hours flight. And I can say the aura was totally different - no in-flight entertainment (people around you keep on reading Quran and other books or some simple sleep through out the journey). Good vibes though :)
Another point, since it was with AirAsiaX, I need to pay at least RM4 for an extra mineral bottle to keep hydrated (in which all drinks were mostly free during my previous trips T_T)
Another point, since it was with AirAsiaX, I need to pay at least RM4 for an extra mineral bottle to keep hydrated (in which all drinks were mostly free during my previous trips T_T)
Meals were included, no need to worry about starving up there. :)
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| Boarding pass. |
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| Meals. |
- KLIA2
That evening of 17th, my family members sent us to Terminal Amanjaya. At 6pm to be exact, my parents and I took a direct bus from Terminal Amanjaya to KLIA2. It was with our favourite bus carrier - YOYO (my family regularly use YOYO to travel between Ipoh and KLIA/KLIA2). The road was full with vehicles and the journey delayed to 5 hours instead of 3 hours plus.
Upon arrival to KLIA2, I was a bit nervous as I have to guide my parents and I have no idea about the airport. T_T I didn't know where was the departure from the bus station and we relied to the signboards most of the times until we met few other group-mates travelling to Jeddah as well. For my own reference, YOYO bus will drop and take passengers from A02 (in front of Capsule).
Our flight was scheduled to depart at 5am of 18th December 2017.
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| Not that used to sit in the middle of the plane. Haha. |
3. Makkah or Madinah first?
To be honest, I have no idea why this question becomes the most favourite that people would ask every time someone is going to perform Umrah. Blame my ignorance but I am slowly learning why some people decide to enter Makkah first instead of Madinah or vice versa.
From my understanding, the main purpose of Umrah is to perform tawaf, saie (all those rukun & syarat wajib umrah) in which all these can only be done in Makkah. Some people said it is better for them to finish the compulsory first before heading to Madinah to visit Rasulullah and his city.
Meanwhile, some others who prefer Madinah first, mentioned it is better for them to prepare and get themselves adapted with the weather and atmosphere in Madinah first before giving all out in Makkah.
So, it depends on you. If you have the chance to try both, it would be great to personally know and understand the differences :)
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As for me, I just followed my parents who prefer Makkah first. To be honest, even though I attended few Umrah courses and read the guidelines, it was hard for me to imagine the real situation. All in all, our own experience is one of the best teachers :)
Till next post :)
FROM JEDDAH TO MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA
FROM JEDDAH TO MAKKAH, SAUDI ARABIA
Umrah 18th-29th December 2017
SS, Perak, Malaysia
171230
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