Laman of Life

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Two months on...

Two months, my love,
Goodbyes can't be uttered,
Without tears streaming,
Jannah for us, Ya Rabb.

Friday, June 21, 2013

The day passenger train going south, pulled up at the Railway Station. Passengers, some with children, took their luggage and headed for the coach steps. Single filed, they went down. Some went straight into the arms of waiting family, while some walked towards the station’s doorway. A group of school boys, were busy getting down too.

Unknowingly, a pair of eyes was watching a young girl sitting in the coach. Standing on the platform, waiting for friends to come down, he could see that she was looking for her friends too. Friends who were boarding the train.

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Ipoh was not her destination.

‘What a relief, those boys are getting down here!’ muttered the girl to herself. They really know how to travel light. Not much luggage with them. And they were walking up and down the coach just now, as if it was their own train!

She looked up and saw her girlfriends coming towards her and motioned them to sit at seats in front and beside her. Yes, time for girl chat.

The station master blew his whistle. As the train was slowly pulling away from the station, she heard her name called….

# What will be the next sentence be???

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Eid 1433H - Zakat Fitrah

Will it be 28 or 29 days of Ramadan for us? That kept on going in our heads before Eidul Fitr 1433H. It was such a looong time ago, since I last celebrated Eid outside of the country. Now, what about our zakat fitrah?

One of the obligations during Ramadan, before Eid prayers, is for the head of the family to pay up 'zakat fitrah'. This I found peculiar to this area in Nong Prue whereby Pakar had to buy the equivalent amount of rice already prepared at the mosque, and made the aqad. Hmm...gotta find from him the 'price' of a cupak of rice later. Now, if I am not mistaken it was either 80Baht or 120Baht.

Picture by Pakarudin: This picture shows a Muslim self-measuring a cupak of rice to be given as his zakat fitrah. The rice will then be put into another basin next to the large pot and packed to be distributed to the poor.

Picture by Nabihah: The pot and basin, and packs of rice used for zakat fitrah as seen on the First day of Syawal, 1433H / 19 August, 2012, Sunday at Masjid Ban Mapsong, Nong Prue. This picture was taken after Eid prayers.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Day 7 ( Rayong, Bang Lamung, Pattaya)

On Saturday morning (2 June, 2012), we went towards Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, which is in the Rayong province (Chonburi's neighbour). We took Route 331 and reached Khao Mai Kaeo Intersection (*Khao Mai Kaeo is a tambon/subdistrict within Bang Lamung amphoe/district). Turned left towards Bowin town. Saw lots of tapioca and pineapples planted along the road. We passed by Amata City Industrial Estate where according to hubby, BMW cars are being assembled. Took us about 45mins to reach our destination.

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Took a snap of these buah salak at a road side stall. Fruits, and they are sweet and delicious, are abundant in this country. Be it mangoes, rambutans, pineapples (this you have to taste, simply love it)....

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Next was our visit to an outlet of the Big Bee Farm, Nongpralai, Bang Lamung. No entrance fee was charged here. Outside of the building, there were the honey combs and also apparatus used to get the honey. The lady staff was polite enough to warn hubby not to drop the bee-comb he was holding to the ground, or she'll be the first to run away. :) The honey products sold here are from the farm bees in Chieng Mai. Apparently, Chieng Mai boast of many types of flowers when compared to other parts of Thailand giving the best nectar as feed to the bees.

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This shot of Pattaya / Bang Lamung Railway Station was taken when we were on the way to the floating market. Err...macam railway station kat mana ye?

The entrance to the Pattaya Floating Market. Nabihah's favourite seaweed store is on the left side, next to peanut store Koh Kae.

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The day ends with tom yam gung dinner at a Muslim restaurant off Pornpraphanimit Road, not far from our place. Yes, the dishes were hot...

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Day 5 (Nongprue, Bang Lamung)

I use pre-paid plan for my communication back home. The night I arrived, tried to make a call and sent sms but both didn't go through. Only incoming calls and sms were received (with roaming charges of course). It was different about 1.5 years ago. I could still make a call back then ... Hmm...these telecommunication plans change fast!!

Anyway, bought a new SIM card. An AIS 1,2 Call for 50B with a bonus of 15B for usage. Then topped it up with 200B (equiv to RM19 or thereabout). And this morning, changed my FB mobile no. to the new no. so that I can receive and reply text messages via the handphone.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Day 4 (Nongprue, Bang Lamung)

With the many electronic gadgets around us and owner to some of them, don't forget to bring along your universal adaptor when travelling. Since most would live up to the tagline 'Now Everybody Can Fly', a wise move is to check the destination's power voltage. Buy an adaptor before hand or you might consider buying one when you reach your destination. I did both (psst...one was not enough)!!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Day 3 (Nongprue, Bang Lamung)

Bottled drinking water is essential here. Be it for drinking purposes or for cooking. I noticed the water was fast diminishing in the big bottle last night. Just need hubby to fill it up before he goes to work. Before, in Khlong Nueng, we could just go down and fill the bottles at a water dispensing machine, but not here, since it's quite far to walk out.

It's not advisable for us to drink piped water over here. So, do bring along your water bottles or your Tupperware tumbler (ohh...you can get a tumbler from me. Click here or here!!) when travelling around.

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Dinner was taken at a road-side stall. Khao mok (sort of nasi minyak), chicken rice and kuetiaw soup. 160 Baht for 4 persons + 1 saiklong (tapau). The stall is located along the road where Masjid al Ikhsan is located, again off Sukhumvit Road, Pattaya. Stopped by at a fruit stall and bought 2.5kg mangoes. Cost us 50B. Rambutan, durian, mangosteen were also on sale. Going towards the main road (Sukhumvit), there's another masjid with a few Muslim operated food stalls outside its perimeter. So, halal food is not an issue, alhamdulillah.

Mangoes that we bought

* For khao mok picture, click here...but only for friends' view...

Note:

1. Bang Lamung is a district (amphoe) in the southern part of Chonburi Province (changwat), Thailand. It is subdivided into 8 subdistricts (tambon - Bang Lamung, Nong Prue, Nong Pla Lai, Pong, Khao Mai Kaeo, Huai yai, Takhian Tia and Na Kluea), which are further subdivided into 61 villages (muban).

2. Tambon within cities or towns have no subdivision into villages, but into communities (chumchon).

3. changwat (province) >> amphoe (district) >> tambon (subdistrict) >> muban (village)/chumchon (community)

Source: Wikipedia

Monday, May 28, 2012

Before it reaches 365 days....

The blog has been collecting webs for the past 10 months. Sigh!! With a little time on hand, decided to put in a few words...

Day 2 (Nongprue, Bang Lamung)

We are back again in the Land of the Smiles but at a different location totally. The Province of Chon Buri is now 'the home'. From an apartment building in Pathum Thani, now it's a landed abode. A bit far from Suvarnabhumi Airport but it's the highway (Hiway 7) all the way. To reach the new place, we made a left turn before reaching Pattaya. It's about 4km off Sukhumvit Rd. Well, I like what I see... And what do I see? A small garden....:-)