Closure

Funerals are never a good start to the year. On 13 Jan, in conjunction with awal Muharram (the 1st month of the Islamic calendar), Hafidz's maternal grandmother passed away.

Yani & Amzhar had just flown 2 days earlier to Manchester and New York for their honeymoon so wasn't around but the rest of us were called in by her doctor on Sunday noon as her condition worsened. Although she had been hospitalised for almost 2 months now, diagnosed with lung cancer almost 2 weeks prior to her death, she had been eloquent and alert when we visited her the night before.. so we really didn't see it coming. When we arrived, she had already deteriorated and was gasping within the confines of her oxygen mask- in the final phase of 'nazak'.

The death certificate issued said time of death was 5.30pm, just after asar. Out of nowhere, I had an image of me and Dian in our madrasah uniform sitting in front of Ustadzah Latifah in Al-Muttaqin Mosque prayer hall whilst she told us that a 'good' time to die is after asar on a Thursday.. I can't for the life of me remember why though but I do recall Dian & me promising to each other (at the naive age of 7) that we would both die at 5pm on Thursday in Mecca :)

The burial was smooth, the weather was nice and warm although it was the monsoon season still and we all went home feeling saddened that Arissa never will knw her Nyang but glad that we had the last 15 mins with her on Saturday night as she nodded to us and gave a weak smile on our way out..

Innalillahi Wa-innailaihi Raji'un... al fateha to Hjh Zaiton Bte Burhan (1930-2008).

Dawn of a new Era

A year has come and gone. 365 days of my life gone, never to be returned, with only memories for posterity. And what a fantastic year it has been for memories. Nothing beats having kids (A kid in my case)- they make you grow up like nothing else can. Yet, you also start seeing how simple life can be from their perspective.

We ended the year with a mini getaway with Hafidz's family to Batam Island which has flourished nicely. Big malls, brand names, coffee culture, donut culture- all alive in this little nook called Indonesia- living side by side with the traditional padang food and teh Sosros. It was too short a holiday but I got to spend quality time connecting with the extended family.

Then a very nice surprise came along and we ushered in 2008 as a complete gang again (well, minus 1 family in KL). Of course, when the gang gets together its got to be a foodfest.

With all that catching up to do, we ran late for the countdown and all the roads leading to town were blocked so it was the 7 of us celebrating in our own individuals cars watching the skies light up from Benjamin Sheares bridge. I must say we got to the best point at the stroke of midnight so Arissa got a fantastic view of the fireworks.

It was a good ending to 2007. Hopefully a new beginning to 2008 with more good times to come.