Sofiya, Koko dan Abdullah

(bukan tajuk sebuah novel cinta).

The Quran and I by Anas Zubedy

Yesterday I finished reading The Quran and I by Anas Zubedy. The title caught my attention and I finished it in one sitting at Sunway Pyramid's Popular. Oops.

The description of the book (taken from Anas Zubedy's blog)

The Quran and I by Anas Zubedy is a collection of reflections and childhood memoirs featuring among others, inter-faith and inter-racial friendships and depictions of how the multi-cultural Malaysian setting is fertile ground for personal growth. The book highlights universal values found in the Quran through daily life experiences and serves as a simple introduction to the Quran.

credit : Anas Zubedy's blog

I was expecting a story of how Qur'an helps him in making choices in everyday life or something close to that, I was expecting Qur'an as a central topic but this book is not exactly that.

He told his story, from a childhood submerged in poverty until he is now a successful adult. He had a very interesting story to tell, I especially love the stories of his remarkable mother, and his friendship with his Christian best friend. Throughout this book there are numerous Qur'an passages that fits with the story he was telling.

But I can't help feeling the Qur'an quotes are just that. Quotes. That fit with the theme. I remember reading on how the writers of Glee decided what songs to be featured in an episode. First, they will write the storyline, and then scour the music catalogues to decide what songs suit that episode. Sometimes the songs fit perfectly, sometimes we viewers are left wondering how the heck that even relate?? In many ways this book feels this way.

credit : Fox

Plus some of his interpretations of Qur'anic verses sound like a personal interpretation, interpretations that suit his values. This could be dangerous.

BUT. The book is quite interesting. I absolutely agree with the writer's sentiments on the importance of unity, and how diversity is God's creation so we must love/embrace it. I may not agree with all the ways he interpreted the holy verses, but I appreciate the story he was telling.

Another Birthday

It is going to be World Cup again soon. This blog was first created on a World Cup year. In a way it is celebrating its birthday I guess. Like someone who was born on 29th February, aging every year, but older only once every four years.

(There was also something here about how after all these years and everything that happened I still remember the boy that broke my heart four years ago but I deleted it.)

Saya, Mama dan Doraemon

Saya punya banyak memori tentang zaman kanak-kanak, antara yang paling saya ingat ialah betapa gemarnya saya terhadap komik Doraemon.

Doraemon mula-mula saya kenali dengan menonton anime (kartun) nya yang ditayangkan di TV. (Kartun Doraemon ini nampaknya begitu evergreen. Saya baru saja selesai menonton satu episod di NTV7 sebentar tadi). Kemudian pada sekitar tahun 1992 (jika tidak silap) Syarikat Penerbitan Tora Aman mula menerbitkan komik Doraemon secara bersiri.

Saya masih ingat, Mama mula membelikan komik Doraemon untuk saya semenjak keluarannya yang pertama. Sewaktu itu cuti sekolah, dan seperti selalu saya berada di kampung. Mama membawa komik itu ke kampung untuk bacaan saya. Sewaktu Mama sampai, saya tidak berada di rumah Nenek, sebaliknya di rumah Tok Ali. Apabila saya sampai di rumah Nenek, Mama memberitahu dia ada membeli komik Doraemon untuk saya. Wah! Saya sangat seronok. Tetapi kemudiannya saya mendapati komik itu sedang dibaca Nadiah. Mak Lang menyuruh Nadiah memberikan komik itu kepada saya, tetapi Mak Chah (dan keadilan sosialnya) memberi arahan kepada saya untuk menunggu giliran. Saya menunggu dengan tidak sabar-sabar.

Doraemon Volume 1

Maka bermulalah kisah cinta saya dengan komik-komik Doraemon. Komik-komik ini menjadi peneman zaman kanak-kanak saya. Saya berasa amat kagum dengan imaginasi pengarang Fujio F. Fujiko. Komik ini menceritakan tentang pelbagai perkara, daripada apa yang menyebabkan kepupusan Dinosaur, kepentingan menjaga alam sekitar, dan pelbagai lagi konsep-konsep sains dan sosial.

Namun melebihi kekaguman saya dengan jalan cerita yang pelbagai, saya merasa dekat dengan watak di dalam komik itu. Seperti Nobita saya (ketika itu) adalah seorang anak tunggal, dan saya juga seorang pelajar sekolah rendah. Saya juga teringat membandingkan Mama saya dan Mama Nobita. Kedua-duanya memakai cermin mata tetapi di situ persamaan berakhir. Di mana Mama Nobita ialah seorang yang sangat garang, saya teringat memikirkan bahawa Mama saya tidak garang (sekurang-kurangnya tidak segarang Mak Chah dan keadilan sosialnya).


Terdapat satu ketika, dua keluaran Doraemon telah keluar tanpa kami sedari. Sewaktu kami ke kedai Titian Emas yang berdekatan dengan sekolah, Mama membelikan saya kedua-dua keluaran Doraemon itu untuk saya. Seorang budak Cina yang juga berada di kedai itu pada ketika itu seperti kagum dan berkatakannya kepada kami. Mama membalas;

"Ialah budak ini, emak dia sayang dia."

... Doraemon akan sentiasa mengingatkan saya tentang zaman kanak-kanak saya. Namun yang penting sekali, Doraemon akan sentiasa mengingatkan saya tentang kasih Mama kepada saya.

Terima kasih Mama. Selamat Hari Ibu.

Saturday Night Song Recommendation!

This song never fails to make me be in a fun! mood. Plus the group name is "fun.". Hahaha.

fun. - All The Pretty Girls

So I call your name, cross my fingers
uncross the others, hesitate.
Oh,I don't think straight with nothing to prove.

I don't wanna say I'm leaving
I will stay until the weekend.
And you can take all your things;
the boxes and rings
and get going.

'Cause I've been waiting for...

All the pretty girls on a Saturday night.
Let it be, and come to me with the look in your eyes.
Well you break and take all the words from my mouth.
I wish all the pretty girls were shaking me down.

So I call(I call) you out(out baby)
Just to feel a little bit better about myself(he does)
And I do(you do), baby I do
'Til their lips start to move,
and their friends talk music
I say "I've never heard the tune!"
But I have, I just hate the band
'cause they remind me of you.

Every single night ends up the same,
I don't say much at all, but I bring up your name.
(Over and over and over)
I think it's striking me out.

All the pretty girls on a Saturday night
Let it be, and come to me with the look in your eyes.
Well you break and take all the words from my mouth.
I wish all the pretty girls were shaking me down.
But not you,
you still wear boots and your hair is too long
and then this one doesn't want to admit she's fallen in love
Oh c'mon, oh c'mon, what's a boy to do
When all the pretty girls can't measure to you?

I don't understand your reasons
Please just stay over the weekend
You can't take all those things
They define you and me
everything we've become,
You're all that I need
Please don't make me face my generation alone.

All the pretty girls on a Saturday night.
Let it be, oh come to me with the look in your eyes.
And you break and take all the words from my mouth?
I wish all the pretty girls were shaking me down.
But not you,
I feel your faith is destroying the world
and then this one never really understood
the 80s is over and done
Oh c'mon, what's a boy to do,
when all the pretty girls can't measure to you?

p/s: I don't condone violence, but to piñatas oh yeah!