How Can I Not Love Them?

Assalamualaikum,

cliche photo for the first day 

welcome to the University of Queensland!

Alhamdulillah, it has been a week I'm in Queensland, Australia furthering my study in the University of Queensland. That's mean it also has been a week I'm staying here with awesome akhawat in BM (Baitul Marjan. I did get the name wrong when the first time I heard BM. haha) Ok, by the way, I just want to share my moments with the members of Baitul Marjan here for a week.

The first time I entered this lovely house, all the akhawat here were really welcoming. They were very helpful and nice. I started to taaruf with kak Adilah, kak Shanad, kak Farah, kak Faie and kak Karam. The first three days here, they brought me a tour around Brisbane such as South Bank, shopping complex (Toowong) and around University. There are also some nice akhawat accompanied me here (Kak Aimi, Kak Syai, Kak Fini, Kak Ayuni and a lot more people that I couldn't list them all). They always ask me if I need anything. They provide me with their winter clothes because  I'm still adapting to the weather since I can't really bear a cold weather. They remind me to cover the lectures I couldn't attend for a week. They suggest me books to read. They cook delicious food I couldn't resist and they do appreciate small things. For example, last Friday was the first time I cooked for 6 people. I never cooked for so many people before this and of course, I was quite nervous and anxious whether the food will turn out like what I wanted it to be or not. It happened to be that the food did not turn out well. I was quite frustrated but all the sisters here really gave me supportive comments, 

"Takpe, mula-mula lagi kira bagus ni"
"Good job Azzura! malam ni kita makan masakan zura"
"Jazakillah Azzura masakkan untuk kami"
"Nanti kami masak, kami ajak sekali zura masak dengan kami"
"Nanti akak ajar awak masak tomyam"
"Ala, dulu masa akak mula-mula pun akak belajar dari senior juga. No worries."

I really feel touched. As for me, the food wasn't that good but their comments really comfort me.  

picnic at South Bank

from left: kak Shanad, kak Faie, kak Adilah, kak Karam and me

not in photo: kak Farah because she had usrah during this time

Here, in Baitul Marjan, I feel like staying at home because they really treat me as if I am their real "adik." They even called me "adik" just like what my family call me. We do things together as a family such as cycling, dancing, cooking, watching videos and reflecting on it and many more. I just met them for a week but we do have a chemistry as I feel like having a new family here. I always said to my parents that they do not have to worry much about me because I'm doing really well here. Ibu once said,

"nak lepaskan anak perempuan ni bukan mudah. Lagi kat tempat orang. Sakit pening tak boleh nak jenguk."

However, now, she said to me,

"Kirim salam dekat semua orang kat rumah. Cakap terima kasih jaga anak ibu."

Now, ibu can feel more relieved when she knew that her daughter is doing well here. Alhamdulillah.

Besides knowing this awesome akhawat in my new home, I also get to know some married akhawat such as Kak Ayuni with her adorable little Yusra and Kak Farah with the cute little Hana. Kak Ayuni always pays us a visit, so I always got the chances to play with Yusra. Playing with kids somehow released my stress because even it's just the first semester but I got a lot of works to do (I start to have planner and I really need it from now to organise my life). I'm amazed actually with all the akhawat that I've known. How do they manage their time with study, usrah, daurah, husband, kid, and many other commitments? This is amazing. It won't be that easy, right?

cute little baby Yusra

Mama Farah with adorable little Hana

I guess, I'm always surrounded with great and nice people. They're such a precious gift from Allah that I couldn't exchange with anything else. I once had a bad assumption towards my sahabah who planned to send me to the seniors' house since I expected that they will live with me in Australia. I did feel bad about it to the extent I felt that they don't want me. Haha. How funny. However, when I got their explanations and after I have already been here, I feel so grateful that they planned this for me. Lesson learnt is that we never know what will happen in the future, just expect that Allah's plan always be the best. Put faith on Him. Always pray for the best and He surely will give what we need.

celebrating ukhti Amirah Farhah Zakaria for graduating from the University of Queensland

meeting my best friend since high school is one of the best things in Australia

I remembered my conversation with ibu a few days before I depart,

me : Ibu, this is the decision I've made. Semua manusia ada pilihan dan insha Allah ini adalah pilihan adik untuk pilih sambung belajar di luar negara. Adik harap pilihan adik ni dapat redha Allah dan ibu ayah. Adik harap ini yang terbaik dalam hidup adik dan doakan adik selalu ye ibu.
ibu : ibu redha insha Allah. kalau ini yang terbaik untuk adik, ibu doakan selalu.

I just hope that this is one of the best decisions I've made in life. I always hope that whatever decisions that I made, they're all blessed by Allah and my parents. May this decision benefits ummah too. Amiin.

Beyond Expectation

Assalamualaikum

Everyone in this world has choices to make from the smallest things such as what to eat, what to wear, what to do and many more to the biggest things such as what course to take, what career to choose, who gonna be our spouse. Small and simple things do not require a long time to decide, perhaps we could decide on the spot like what to eat.  Just order and eat. Simple. However, bigger things that will change our life needs a lot more time to decide. Sometimes, we make the right choices but sometimes we do make mistakes. However, I would say that the mistakes are not totally wrong since we can definitely learn from it depends on how we handle the mistakes. 

I would like to share my story, a not so interesting story but interesting enough for me because it's a story of my life. Since I was in standard 6, I have set my ambition to be a motivator (at that time, I never knew that Psychology even existed). From that time, whenever I came to write my biodata, I will write motivator as my ambition. Up until I was in Form 3, I never changed my ambition. However, after I took pure science subjects (Physics, Biology and Chemistry) and Additional Mathematics, I started to change my ambition because my results for those subjects along the way were quite excellent except for Physics (Sorry, Cikgu Rahimah. I do love the teacher but I cannot love the subject).  Therefore, I changed my ambition to pharmacist because I love Chemistry and the Chemistry teacher was so inspiring (Cikgu Azmyee who acts like a father to his students).

I was quite in doubt with my choices after my SPM trial, whether to go for Psychology or Pharmacy. So, I hold my decision after I got the SPM result. I consulted with my counselor and friends regarding the course I want to take which is psychology because I was quite worried about my career in the future. I got positive responses from my counselor and friends since it suits my personality test and interest. Plus, my parents have no objection on any course I decided to take because they put their trust on me to decide for my future. Just that, some teachers were quite unhappy and shocked with my choice because they expected me to further my study in pure science but I have already made my choices and there I go. I applied for MARA scholarship and Alhamdulillah, I got the offer to make preparation at the INTEC Education College before I further my study in University of Queensland, Australia (I'm going there on this Wednesday, do pray for me).  I'm so grateful that in INTEC, I met nice people who always have my back and INTEC is a nice place (the lecturers are so helpful and awesome!). So, I came to join a group of nice people and my life started to change. I did have some difficulties to adapt for the first semester since it was my first time being far from home (home is where the heart is, people say). However, I managed to adapt to my new life with new friends and environment and I've now graduated from the college. 

I guess, I would meet a lot more nice people in a new place and got some exciting experiences. I'm so glad that wherever I go, Allah never makes me struggle alone. I'm blessed to have such great friends and meeting great people in my life. I could not ask for more because having these people in my life is such a wonderful gift from Allah.

Now, I'm going to make the biggest decision in my life (so far) and I believe that I would never be disappointed by asking Allah's guidance and consulting with the people I love in life. Ever since I always got something beyond expectations, I would love to say that Allah will always give us something beyond our imaginations and expectations. He may give us painful experience or event in life that we never expected, yet He never makes us struggle alone because right after the most painful event, He will surely grant us with happiest event in life. Just imagine, the reward for a patient and grateful servant is Jannah, which is definitely one of the greatest gifts from Allah (the greatest gift is the chance to see Allah in Jannah). We, as a servant just need to have faith and keep believing because we would never be disappointed. Never. Everything that happens in our life, including the calamities would just fine if we have faith that with every difficulty, there is ease (Allah mentions it twice in Surah Asy-Syarh to guarantee us).

"Sebanyak mana rasa syukurku, tidak sebanding lautan nikmatMU" 

-quoted-

Kisah 2 : Merancang

source: google

Saya melihat sahabat saya diam, lalu saya pun memulakan perbualan.

"Apa yang awak sedang fikir?"

"Saya teringat satu buku yang saya baca, 'Merancang Kematian'. Kita memang tak tahu bila dan di mana kita mati, tapi kita boleh merancang bagaimana kita ingin mati."

"Oh. Hmm."

"Saya ada bertanya dengan ummi saya, jika saya meninggal di tempat kita belajar nanti, adakah dia ingin membawa jenazah saya pulang ke Malaysia? Lalu, ummi saya kata tidak mengapa. Tanam sahaja di sana."

*terkejut* dalam hati bicara ( eh, biar benar ini? )

"Err, kenapa ye tak perlu bawa pulang ke Malaysia?"

" Sebab yang penting bukan jenazah itu tetapi perasaan dan doa yang tidak pernah putus "