Muktamar 2009 – A Different One [Part 1]

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim…

Prologue

Alhamdulillah, Muktamar ’09 had closed its door. It’s been great to have myself part of the convention again this year.

The feel was of course different than previous years. I never expected to come again, you know why right?

I came as a graduate student, not many are with the same age or older than me (the students I mean), and true, a lot of expectations for being among the eldest of MISG sisters. And for the first time, I came as a participant, purely without any commitment related to Muktamar.

Pre-Muktamar

Left: Snow while on the way to Ann Arbor, MI. Middle: My undergrad life was here. Right: New traffic lights on this junction.. heh~

As I finished my quarter early than others, I went to Michigan a week after my finals and spent there for 3-4 days. Cooking for the final people, visiting Kak Fezah, go out shopping at Kroger. Then, Midah picked up our van at rental office.

We headed to Vanderbilt as I have to rent a car for them, and some will get onto our van. I was soooo excited coming to Vandy after few months leaving (baru few months kan? :P). InshaAllah, I’m hoping to come again later. Ameeennnn… Oh, I met our dearly advisor, just to say hi, for about 5-10 minutes before running back to Izzati’s apartment and get ready to continue traveling.

And around 10.30 am, we departed for a 4-5 hours trip to Atlanta, Georgia...

Anyway, thanks to my dear Bam for waiting us till 3 am. It’s such a pleasure to meet u guys. ;)

Next: Muktamar days

mabruk alaikum!

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

while I'm here faraway from home, 2 of my close ukht finally got married with their beloved ones.

Asiah & Abdul Rahman Sayuti

Aliyyah & Mus'ab

I'm definitely feel sad for not attending the nikaah & walimah, but I'm much much happy to see them. =)

May Allah bless.

Luv u guys. Upload gambar lagi ok!

Perjalanan Jauh

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

The journey will start in less than half and hour.
The journey that I used to travel with Vandy comrades.
But now switched to Umich... (closest among my close friends)

Not that I didn't travel before this.
This one is kinda interesting.

To Vandy
To Muktamar

I set my intentions since I started my journey to Umich few days ago.
And I hope the intentions will still there, refreshing every day.
InshaAllah.

Can't wait to see Vandy people who I missed.
May Allah protect us all.

ps: Di Malaysia (ni yang saya tahu jela), selamat berPKN untuk KARISMAians!

tahun baru

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

Of course for today, I'd like to say "Salam Ma'al Hijrah" to all of you.

Looking back to the past year (1430 H), it wasn't much that I've succeeded. And I could say it's kinda bad compared to previous years. So many things I did not accomplish having the list was not even long.

It's bad isn't it?

Some parts, yeah, I'm thankful so much for Allah giving me the opportunity to learn this and that while I'm in States - not knowing that I'll come back here after 3 months break in the summer. =)

Ukhuwwah - that I feel the most.

It was so hard to leave my sister alone, though I wasn't a big help for her pun being 8 hrs away.

It was so hard to get separated with MISG sisters, which I know I won't be able to see them for He knows how long will it be.

It was so hard to leave Vandy ppl, esp my sisters *u know who u are* realizing that I won't be able to see them everyday anymore. and it kinda regretful - not to visit my dear sis in Miri after planning things. *saya claim nanti ok! :P*

1430 H also had been a big year, I now keep in contact with so many childhood friends sampai I tend to retake the printed pictures to share them with my friends. So many, I don't know how tiba2 the gelombang semua pegi korek2 connection kawan masing2. Kawan darjah 3 pun dah contact balik!

Independence - this gives a lot of impact to me

Yeah, what can u say, once u graduated, u're pretty much on your own jugak la kan. Though u're still living with parents, u're practically a real adult now. That really challenges me who hardly make big decision by herself.

And since I've never experienced of living alone by myself, this new academic year really give me tough lifeee. seriously. After these few months, I can say I'd like to congratulate myself for being able to do so! =)

I'd say, I learned to rely on Allah so much. Not that I never done that before, but it's much more since I became a graduate student. It's a shame, for not feeling that through my whole life, but I believe it's a good starting inshaAllah!

______

That's 2 things that I wanna highlight la kot, besides I'm tired of typing already. hehe~

Anyway, let's reflect ourselves back to the previous year and set targets for this new year. Rugilah kalau kita sama je macam last year, and lebih dasyat if it's worse.

Nak berjaya kan?
Make a move!

no reason

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

tak ada sebab untuk aku tak bersyukur.

Terima kasih ya Allah
Terima kasih Mak & Ayah & adik2

(nak cakap byk2, mcm bahagia dah grad je pulak. tapi...)
Terima kasih to adik2 & kakak2 yang memberi support beberapa bulan ni.
Khidmat anda semua masih diperlukan. =)

Nanti lain kali saya cakap lagi ok?


ps: masa saya singgah di Dunkin Donuts sebelum ke kelas Divine Speech, ada orang tanya saya,
"Are you a convert?"
-that was my first time, do I look like an American, a convert?-

Divine Speech weekend

Bismillah...

MashaAllah. sangat best kelas ni. I do agree with all my sisters who went to this class.

Serius best tak tipu. Tho da lenguh kaki duduk atas carpet (sebab buat kat prayer hall) 3 jam, tapi buku dan pen masih tak lepas dari tangan. =)

There's few points that I've heard during IFR Purdue, about Al-Fatihah.
and some other things too!

the balance in every ayaah in Suratul Fatihah
why is the word hamdu instead of Shukr, Thanaa' or Madh
why is the word Rabb mentioned first after Allah, not some other names
the verb and noun based sentences in this surah... and a lot more.

Lamanya tak pegi kelas2 camni.
Takde la trip2 jauh cam dulu, ni naik kete sejam je.

Maybe harus tukar major to Islamic studies, this interests me a lot more than EE. haha~



Sis. Aamna showed me this billboard on the way we got home. Of course I didn't take this pic, it was night already. Menarik2! I said to her, you guys are really fortunate to have the opportunity to stay in Chicago. It's lovely, tak tipu.

Looking forward for tomorrow to continue inshaALlah! ;)

ps: A man said shahadah right after our tonight's class. We are soo jealous that he is so pure with no sin at all now. Anyway, alhamdulillah subhanaLlah~ Welcome to our community brother!

News

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

Alhamdulillah tsummal hamdulillah. Masih diberi peluang untuk bernafas di bumi Allah ni.

Selesai sudah final exams untuk Fall quarter ni. Boleh saya katakan it is the worst semester/quarter ever in my life, but I'm sure there are so many hikmahs why it happened. I mean, it really does!

kenapa saya campak diri sendiri kat univ yang Melayunya cam tak nampak langsung
kenapa saya pilih univ yang high demanding (ops terkomen univ sendiri?)
kenapa dan kenapa....

hehe... though saya pun tak nampak lagi semua hikmah tu, I believe there are inshaAllah.


-----

Anyway, few days ago when I browsed the Facebook home page, my eyes caught a link posted by a brother in Vandy. It's the interview from our previous Chancellor who always came to the dining hall and talk to the students ^_^

VH: How do you think other institutions saw Vanderbilt? What qualities made it stand out against other schools?
GG: As to how other institutions saw Vanderbilt in 2000, I do know that other institutions around the country view Vanderbilt as one of the most highly competitive nationally recognized institutions in America. It used to be that Vanderbilt was the "Harvard of the South." I now believe that Harvard is the "Vanderbilt of the North."

Interesting?? ;) Read the whole interview HERE.

*saya da belot Vandy? :P*

Woke up this morning, I got 2 news from Malaysia;

1. BAGHDAD -- Royal Dutch Shell and Malaysia's Petronas on Friday won the rights to develop one of the world's largest remaining untapped oilfields as Iraq staged its second auction of oil contracts since the 2003 U.S. invasion. more
Since many of my sisters, and friends (and my father is too!) are working in both Shell and Petronas, this is kinda big news around my circle isn't it?

2. KANGAR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- Four people, including a bridegroom, were killed when a car they were travelling in collided head-on with a tour bus at Km7 Jalan Kangar-Padang Besar, today. more

This caught my attention a bit. It's just 4 hours of marriage, and Allah has separated them permanently (may they meet in the Hereafter inshaAllah). May Allah place him together with other mu'miniin and may the wife stay strong to face the test. Allah knows best!



Sekian dulu cerita hari ini. Petang (dah lepas isha' pun time tu) ni ada Divine Speech class. adik2 Vandy yang dah pergi jangan jeles, bagi chance kat kakak plak. ;) All the best to semua di Umich, Vandy, dan lain untuk minggu final. Pray hard while studying hard ok!

Malam Jumaat yang best!

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim...

Beberapa hari yang agak kurang best untuk saya.
Harini, alhamdulillah banyak benda yang menceriakan =)

First snow in Chicago came by to pay a short visit. Luv it mashaAllah~
Semalam sudah berjalan2 di tepi tasik, tengok itik2 berenang (tak sejuk ke itikkk??)

Maybe I should go on jalan2 more, tadabbur alam sekali sekala kat tepi tasik yang besar tuh. =)

Balik rumah, check mailbox.
Barang yang ditunggu2 dah sampai.
Tak sempat naik lif dah bukak hehe~

Alhamdulillah... semoga barang tersebut bermanfaat sepenuhnya untuk memantapkan diri saya, ameen ya Allah~

ya Allah, permudahkanlah urusan final exams pertama Masters ku. Rabbisyrahli wa yassirli amri wahlul 'uqdatan min lisaani yafqahu qauli....

ps: gamba pixel kecik sebab guna phone je.