Steps to Happiness

Dear Readers
As I had already mentioned in my latest blog, Allah says that fasting Muslims will be happiest whenever he is going to break his fast and the memont he is going to meet Allah.Hence all Muslims must totally submit to Allah in order to receive special treatment from Him.

Today, Tuesday, 15/9/09, is just 4 days from the spectecular day, Eidil Fitri, which is going to be celebrated by most Muslims througout the world. Muslims, young and old, would be wearing their best attire, eating delicious and luxurious meals, visiting families and playgrounds.

1st Shawal 1432, would always be cherished by every Muslim on this planet earth.
Eidil Fitri brings joys and happiness to most Muslims, but at the same it may bring sorrow and gloominess to some families who have just lost their loved ones through tragidies, sickness and other means.

Cometh What May, Sunday 20th September 2009, must be celebrated with a lesser fanfare because the final examination is just around the corner. Whatever, to my students who are making their trip homes please recite doa before embarking on your your journey home to be with your loved ones. To the names that are still embedded in my CPU Selamat Hari Raya
UiTM KAG
1. Mohd Fariq
2. Suzi
3. Sharipah
KBM
1. Md Azmi
2. Sara
3. Natasha
4. Md Danial
5. Shahrul Nizam
6. Antarasul
7. Md Bazeris
8. Nor Aishah
9. Zulhelmi
10. Md Shafik
11. Hafitz
12. Md Thalha
13. Khairunisa
14. Asma
15. Nur Hayati
and to all of you in BAS 5A, BACC 4A, BBin 3C, BBHR3a, BACC 1A, BACC 1b and BBHR1A enjoy your Eidil while you can.

Maaf Zahir Bathin

Home Address: 37 Jalan Rajawali 1
Taman Berkat Tanjung Agas
84000 Ledang Johor
0123630698

The Burning of the Sins

Assalamualaikum
Today is the 18th day in the Holy Month of Ramadhan. Muslims, young and old, are carrying out a ritual that have practised by others before them.

To fast, Shyyam in Arabic, is to abstain from water, food and sexual desires. Children as young as 7 years old are expected to embark on a noble practice of fasting. People who plans to fast must place a pledge, nyawaitu in Arabic, after taking their late supper. Anyone who fails to offer his pl;edge would not be able to perform the obligatory fast.

Fasting for more than 12 hours needs a lot of guts, patience and endurance.

Au revoir

Long Lay Off

Dear Readers
It has been months that I had my pieces of my mind in my blog. Call it what it maya, complacency, laziness, lazzie-fairre, or whatever. Finally I back to my trueself, an academician.

I have ben busy with my social and family obligations lately. For the past six weekends I had been outsataions during weekends; 4 times to Kuala Lumpur and twice to Johor bahru to fulfill my social and family obligations. The most memorable weekeend was on the 8 th of August, 2009, whereby the whole members of the family made a trip to Kuala Kubu Baru to accompany Dato' Shafik, Dato' S, to take Siti Atikah, 22, as his new wife. The solemn ceremony was held in Kelompang Mosque, at around 1030 am. The ceremony was withnessed by about 100 peolple. Then it was followed by the wedding reception at around 100 pm. Alhamdulillah every went as planned.

We headed back to KL at around 300 pmr . After Asr prayer, my wife and I left KL for Muar and we reached home at around 730 pm. We were accompanied by Nuri Angkasa and Kak Ngah and had our dinner at Kelantese Corner with Sup Ekor, Kailan and dessert. We sent Nuri to his daughter's house in Taman Tanjung and we were finally homed by 930 pm.

Now that I am a bit free of so many committments, I am able to share my experience to dear readers. This semester has not ben favourable to me because my time tble needs me to be in campus till 430 pm and 630 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. I am currently teaching 7 different groups of students in 3 different codes. But I am enjoying every minutes of my teaching profession. To me teaching is an honour rathen than a burden. I believe if ever I would be given a second life, I would still want to be a teacher. Being a teacher is to share your knowledge, experience and intelligence. A teacher doesn't only try to make his students intelligent, but also to guide the students to have a strong character. Thus it means to say a teacher must ensure intelligent students must be borne with a strong personality. Students must also be taught to master Intelligent Quotient, Spiritual Quotient and Emotional Quotient too.

That's all for now and meet me in the next blog soon.

Au Revoir.

Dr Bano

Family Togetherness

Monday, March 9, 2009

Today is the 12th Rabiul Awal 1430 of the Islamic Calendar.

Malaysia, one of the Islamic countries on this planet earth, is declared as a Public Holiday. Offices, schools, banks, organisations factories are close. Last night, most mosques and suraus held special congregation by reciting the verses of the Berzanzi after Maghrib Prayer. Light cookies and drinks were soon served .

Alhamdulillah, all members of my family are home, the last being Mohammad Asshad, who was back from Manila at around 1.00 am this morning. I started my day by performing Solat Subuh in Surau AlNasirin and I recited Yassin upon reaching home. Then when I was busy banging the keyboard, my brilliant grand daughter, Maryam, came and disturbed my chores. As usual she wanted to play around with ABC. Hey where are my beloved twins? Abang, the elder, and Anan, the younger, are still sleeping and they would be awake any time now.

So what will be my itinenery today? The Muar Mosque will be conducting a talk on Prophet Muhammad (saw) at around 0830 hrs. Well, I might as well be there because I am given leave for this great day.

Salam.

Family History

Monday, March 2, 2009
For the first time in our history that all members of my family, except me, will be overseas. It is normal that I would be abroad while my family is at home.

Firstly, Dato' Shafik, my second son, left for Jakarta on Friday, Feb. 28. Secondly. my wife, Azizah, my only daughter, Julianaa and grandaughter, Maryam, will be leaving KLIA for Jakarta on Tuesday, March, 3rd at around 4.00 pm. Lastly, my youngest child, Mohammad Asshad, will head for Manila at around 1000 pm.

My wife, daughter, son and grand daughter are in Jakarta for the launching of Jomstar.com, while my youngest child and son will be in Manila to perform in one of the hotels there. So what am I doing back home. As usual I will have to perform my duties as a lecturer in UiTM Melaka. Life will be pretty tough because I have to do the house chores myslef.

Au Revoir

Presentation Days are here again

Friday February 27, 2009 1055 hrs

As the title displays, presentation days are here again.

My BEL 492 (Presentation Skills) students from the Faculty of Business Administration , Finance, Human Resource, Insurance and International Business, have been extremely busy in lieu of their presentations from Monday, February 23 till March 5, 2009. In doing so, they have been meeting me or calling and SMS (ing) me at odd hours in order to have their final tips and touches. Sometimes one would call just to inform me that they wanted to have their titles changed.

Students of this subject would be ensured to be able to plan, prepare and finally orally present topics of their choices. They are given freedom to present any topic based on discriptive, narrative, demonstrstive or agumentative issues in 5 - 7 minutes.

This course ensures students to be able to be a good oral presenters on any isuues in English. The main ideas must be derived from reliable sources. Hence are hardpress to scramble therough journal, internets and bood. All facts and statements must be supplemented by reliable sources.

Students who aspire to score good grades in this subject, must dress to kill in order to secure high marks in delivery. On numerous occasions I have reminded students that examination, presentation and interviews are unreal. Hence one has to be abnormal in order to excell. In aiming to score in any examination, a student must be willing to sacrifice his hobbies, sleeping and eating habits. One have to work, work and work in order to excell. One have to dress and present well during an interview. Transform yourself from a nobody to look like a new somebody. Thus in a presentation you will have to look differently, speak differently and will have to be intelligent as well as to look intelligent too.

Presentation, interview and examination is cruel and sometimes inhuman. After sacrificing our youth, time as well as money we are unable to score as expected. Hence students must study consistantly. Study step by step or piece by piece. There is no compulsion in education. You must be the master of your own destiny.

Remember when we were below 7 years, our mums breastfed us, below 17 our eachers always bottle fed us, below 21 our lectures always spoonfed us, but after 21 we must feed ourselves. Now that you are above 21 no one is to feed you, It is you who have to prepare your own food. So undergraduates must be ready and prepared to study on your own and be be ready to beg for tips from lecturers. Point to remember that the job market is very competitive. Employers will only hire graduates whose CGPA are 3 and above. Gone are the days when any graduate will be employed regardless of thier academic standings.

Some students were good in their presentations. They excelled because of thier language commands or of their Audio Visual Aids or because of their skills to deliver thier skills. Students should dress well, sometimes I consider dress to kill.

I am invigilating BEL 462 BAS 4A and 4B students in Levek 13 now. One student, Nabilla, BAS 4B, is absent because she had to attend family matters in Johor Bahru. Currently 47 students are cracking their brains to score in the test.

Keep on sacrificing your youth, time and enenrgy in order to lead a successful life in futur.

Au revoire.
Dr Bano

Home Alone

Sunday February 8, 2009 0325 hrs

Some bloggers would be wondering what the heck this 61-year-old blogger is stll awake in the wee hours of this Sunday morning.

Well, I have been staying alone at home because my dear wife was away to KL to attend my youngest grandchild, Aiman Daniel Dato' Shafik, who turned 5 on February, 6. Happy Birthday, Darling.

By being alone in a four-bedroom semi-detached house, I occupied my time doing the routine chores like performing my Magrib and Isy' prayers at the nearby surau, reading Surah Yassin, browsing and surfing the internet and reading the newspapers. Apart from that I did light cooking to fill my empty bowel.

Usually I play golf on Saturday morning. Unfortunately the golf club was closed for Chinese NewYear Golf Tournment. So the whole of Saturday morning was spent on preparing light breakfast, cleaning the house, attending to old notes and watching tv. I did not have lunch yesterday but I have snacked on whatever goodies and cookies available in the refrigerator and the deep freezer.

After Zuhr prayer I drove downtown to buy the transmission and engine oil from my friend's shop and it cost me RM 152.00 for both items. Then I went to change my a new frame of my spectacles at RM 260. Soon after I contacted Ah Lek, my personal mechanic, to change the transmission and engine oil.

I was homed at around 1630 hrs and I performed ny Asar's prayer at around 1700 hrs. At around 1730, Ah Leck took my car to have the oil changed.He sent back my car at around 1830 hrs and charged RM 40.00 for his services. We had coffee and cookies togerther till he left at 1910 hrs. Hurriedly I had my clothes changed to baju Melayu annd sarung and I headed to the surau. Immediately after Maghrib prayer, I I headed home to read Surah Yassin.

In the midst of reading Surah Yassin, my niece, Semah and her family from Kelantan dropped by while on her way from Batu Pahat to KL. She prepared drink anf served whatever cookies and snacks available. As were were chatting, Aida, DAD 1C studen called to enquire about the topic of her group discussion. I promised to catch up with her later, but I am yet to call her. Semah her family left at around 2100 hrs.

Soon after her depature, I performed my Isy' prayer and hurriedly rode my motorcycle to attend to a khenduri at Hasbi's house. The ceremony was over at 2145 hrs. I tuned on the tv to see some entetainment and news programmees. Later I realised that the tv was watching me instead of the other way round. I was`awakened at around 0130 hours, Sunday morning. I cleaned myself, took my wuduk and performed the Tahajjud and Hajjat prayers. After completing my prayers, I surfed the net until I found the nerve to write this blog.

It's 0415 hors Sunday, February 8, 2009, I have to sign out now.

Mondaygitise

Monday February, 2, 2009 2105 hrs

Today is Monday. Some called it Black Monday or Monday Blues or Monday fever or Mondaygitise.

Today is the first day of the second half of the semester and I had to be lecturing in Alor Gajah Campus. As usual, I made my preparation to lecture BEL 120 to DAD 1C students till 0130 hours. My dear wife woke me up at 0530 and hurriedly I cleansed myself; performed my Subuh prayer before reading Surah Yassin.

Breakfast was served at around 0645 hrs. While I was having breakfast, I tuned on the usual Religious programme on TV 9. I left home for Lendu at around 0745 hrs. Alhamdulillah, I reached there at 0845 hrs. Since I had about two hours before lecture, I contacted my dear Hassan to accompany me for breakfast at Sungai Petai. We had nasi lemak, soup and Teh Tarik.

Hassan and I left the favourite gourmet rendezvous and reached Lendu campus at 1000 hrs. After dropping Hassan at the Guard House, I hunted for a parking space. Unfortunately, no space was available. Come what may, I had to park my JJK, and I did it illegally. Then I met En Khamis and chatted for about half an hour before walking to Lecture Room Y 204.

Upon opening the door, I saw 15 familiar and sunken faces glaring at me. Then I heard a voice saying Happy Birthday.I t came from Aida who must have read my blog informing the bloggers that I did celebrate my 61 st Birthday on Monday, january 26, 2009, which coincided with the Chinese New year. I thanked her for her wishes.

After offering Salam, I noticed that Md Faliq, my class representative, was on medical leave due to allergic to bees. The seven men looked sad and sleepy while the eight women were rather energetic and responsive, except Suzilla who looked so forlorn for whatever reason she might be experiencing.

Well, I saw some attitude changes happened whereby everyone was punctual. That's maight be a good omen to start a new semester. The three-hour lecture was spent on tenses and I divided the class in 5 groups in lieu of the Class discussion. The class was dismissed early to allow the groups to meet, dicuss and prepare for their maiden group discussion nextMonday.

I made an early journey home via AMJ expressway and I was homed by 1430. Hurriedly I performed my Zuhr prayer and I had my lunch. Immediately after lunch, I had my favourite siesta till 1640 hrs. By 1650 hrs I had performed my Asy' prayer. At 1920 I headed for Surau AlNasirin for my Maghrib prayer, and by 2040 I had performed my Isy' prayer.

During my Isy' prayer, Antarausl, BAS 3A Class Representative, called. My wife insisted he called me later. At around 2050 he sent SMS enquiring about the book critique from. Immediately I sent the form through the mail at antarasul86@yahoo.com.

Finally the first day of the second part of the semester is over. Tomorrow will be new day in Hang Tuah Campus. The lecture will stretch on till May when the students would be taking their final examinations. By now students musthave to be focussed in their studies. My professional advice is to study step by step or piece by piece.

God Luck in your academic endeavour.

Dr Bano