Goodbye 2010!

Salam everyone, how's your life going? Well, it's time to say goodbye to 2010 and to think about the year ahead. It’s fair to say this year has been challenging for me.

I just started my master's degree in the mid of this year and it went so stressful. It was like time criticising myself for where I think I went wrong.

"Am I ready enough for this?"

Sometimes I get "blur" and "clueless". I don't know whether I'm ready or not. Study needs full concentration which I didn't have. I was tired & stressed out about life, studying, I mean over everything!. But, no matter how "bad" the year may have been, there is always opportunity to view it through a meaning-centered lens - I've passed the first semester exam, Alhamdulillah.

There's no turning back, look forward to 2011 with smile and prays. May Allah show me the right way, Amin.

Oh ya, Maher Zain is going to make another concert in Malaysia this February, can't wait to grab the ticket :)

Jordan is freezing

I have been travelling in Jordan for almost 2 weeks now. Freezing, expensive, clean are the right words to express my thought about Jordan, which is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Since past 2 weeks, I have been staying at my friend’s house in Mu’tah. He’s the one who manages our travel schedules with the cheapest way to spend a month’s excursion.

Mu'tah view

I love travelling. It really opens my eyes deeply to see the colors of different culture. You're always more open to meeting new people when you travel. I have met lots of great people, Malaysian students from Mu’tah, they are friendly, easy out going and tender. They are definitely different and opposite from what I had heard before I came here and met them. So don’t trust what people say until you get a chance to know them personally.

I also met a few of Egyptians who are working here; amazingly I got a very warm welcome when they knew I‘m from Egypt. We had a great time, chit chatting and joking around together by using Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (Lahjah Ammiya) while some of them kinda confused to change the intonation’s flow like they used to talk, since they have been staying here for long time so their slang more into Urdun Slang. However, we didn’t have any communication breaks down nor were isolated. Just felt like home.

“How long will you stay here?” asked Samir

“One month perhaps”

“No! Stay longer…5 months!”

“lol”

Obviously I’m not Arabian, let alone Egyptian, but Language connects us to their culture. They not only gave me a warm welcome, but also a special price and free stuff. Don’t you feel overwhelmed?

What makes Jordan a little different from Egypt and Saudi is that its currency. It’s pretty expensive! You can only get 71 JOD by converting your 100 USD while in Egypt, you can get close to 560 L.E Thus, I’m being quite meticulous to survive and stay longer as I can, seeing almost everything here is rather expensive such food, snack, meals and medicine stuff. “Buy only important things and ditch others”

Amman

Now, Jordan is freaking cold, wet, muddy and raining non stop for 2 days. It’s tremendous rain! I couldn’t sleep much, my body shivered and we are going nowhere until the rain stops, indeed. The good thing is I could spend this time updating my ugly blog after 2 months away from blogging, and this would be my first entry for 2010. At least it's a good thing, right?! *grin*

Anyway, I'm still looking for chance to go to Abdali Friday Bundle Market in Amman. It offers you all kinds of essential items at extremely low prices. Insyaállah, next Friday!

Questions? Ask Me

If you have any questions about Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic / Egyptian Colloquial Arabic), Photoshop or anything on your mind, please do not hesitate to leave your words using the comment's form provided below. You can ask either in English language or Arabic or Bahasa Melayu.

Also, if you're interested to exchange your blog link with me, please do drop your blog's URL, then I'll put on my site. Thank you.

Good luck & Haz sa3ed.