CROSS PATHS..... IN A TOILET.

Hehe Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu..

As funny as my header of this entry sounds, that is how my soul sister and I crosses paths! 

Had an hour or two long catch up with EJ over at Fajar as she wanted to pass me her heavenly baked brownies! 😍 They really are heavenly brownies! All my sisters and my mom agrees! Hehe. Ma Shaa Allah. Jazakillahu Khairan dear, for the time and sweat in baking these!

We updated each other regarding our hijab journey so far, the supportive friends and family, the tests given by Allah, and everything that we could relate ourselves to! She's such a sweetheart.. Always advising me when I'm down, always thinking positive - which leads me to think positive as well. Allah let us cross path for a reason. May Allah guide us both and make it easy for us. Ameen!

So one of the topic during our conversation was how did we even acknowledged each other's presence? Lol. This is just plain boring and hilarious. I told her I remember I was in the girls toilet with Hanim during school hours in our Seconday School days. EJ walked in with kiDd went into individual cubicles (lol, yes had to be very specific as I can really recall our first time we verbally acknowledged each other..).

So when Hanim and I was done, we left the toilet but just before we left, I said "Bye kiDd". Hanim was like "then the other one?" So I took a few steps back and said "Bye EJ!" And she responded a "Bye!" back right from inside her cubicle! We were laughing over this during our meet up and it's all these little things that creates memories and laughters when we think back about our olden days again. Hehe.

Wassalam.

REWARD.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu. 

It's my off day today but I received a whatsapp text from Sophie...

Ma Shaa Allah.. May Allah reward her with good. Ameen! Totally gave me hope to attempt to guide them female colleagues to the right path. In Shaa Allah. May Allah give us guidance, protect us from hurt and harm, and ease all our affairs!

Allahuma Ameen!

Wassalam.

YET ANOTHER TEST.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu.

So the haze had gotten from bad to worst. Two days ago, when I alighted from the LRT at Fajar station (back from work at 11pm), my breathing was slightly affected by the haze and I felt almost weak. I grabbed a little piece of clothing from my shawl and covered my nose and mouth. It was already 11 at night! Who would be seeing me covered that way anyway? 

And the next day (which was yesterday), I felt that it is not a bad idea to cover my nose and mouth using my shawl. So I did just that while making my way to work.... And back from work.

And Here's the story.. Dad sent Sofie and I to work earlier today. Since I started half an hour later than Sofie's shift, we sent her first. When I went down, dad and Sofie was already in the cab. So this was the conversation that took place between dad and myself (not exactly but somewhere there):

Dad: Work allows you to wear like that?

Me: uhmm? Donno.. Maybe, maybe not.

Dad: You wanna change can, but don't be too fanatic. We follow Imam Syafiee, just simple rules. 

Me: *taken aback by what my dad said! Couldn't believe that my intention to cover my nose and mouth from the haze made my dad pointed out things he doesn't have to! I couldn't help it but my tears couldn't stop flowing.*

After We dropped Sofie off, it doesn't stop there...

Dad: Uhhh... It's good that you wanna change.. But until to the extend that I couldn't recognize you? I dowan one day mama and papa cannot recognize our own daughter.. 

*My dried face had to be all wet again*

But what hit me real bad was when dad said this line.

"If that's the case, I dowan you to change. I prefer the old you."

ASTAGHFIRULLAH HAL'AZIM. I was at the verge of bursting out crying but I let my tears flow freely. Only Allah SWT knows how I felt at that point of time. All this time I thought my family would be happy for my change. That my parents would be happy for me. Especially my dad. All along I was doing what that was commanded by my Lord, the Al-Mighty, the Al-Knowing, happily and freely and thinking that my parents are at ease of my actions. 

I alighted from dad's cab still crying, reaching work with my eyes visible full of tears. Sufyian was the only one seen on the shop floor and behind the counters so I had to approach him to get my bag checked before entering the store room. While checking my bag, he looked into my eyes and asked me if I was okay. I assured him that I was but he insisted and asked me again to reassure. 

I gave him an unconvincing nod and headed towards the store room. I couldn't help it but to burst out of tears, with confidence assuming that the store room was empty. But Sophie (Store Manager) & Rafie (Assistant Store Manager) was inside. Sophie got up, panicked, and asked what happened. 

The day passed by in a daze and I ended my shift with the big guy Sebastian. Geddit? Okay not. Lol (Sufyian's family name is Sebastian and he is a big build guy. Okayyyyyyyyyy.) 

Initially wanted to break my fast while dining with the best friend. But I was still upset and felt a little unwell so I decided to head home straight after work. Sufyian wanted to drop in Uni Qlo so we went in to look around and left for home. We chatted in the train on our way home and that's where I got to know him better. A big guy with a soft-spot. 

Since he doesn't have to take the LRT, my journey home alone was yet another daze. I was whatsapp-ing my baby sister and my soul sister. I'm such an emotional and sensitive person. I can never talk or text without crying when I'm emotionally hurt or mentally exhausted. 

So I was too engrossed in sharing with them how my Friday went, I missed my stop and only realized it 3 stations after! Hahaha. Subhaan'Allah. 

Took the train via Petir, passed by Fajar and I alighted at Senja! Hehe. I was upset at that point of time :(

But overall, May Allah increase my family in knowledge. Ameen.

May Allah ease all out affairs. Ameen.

May Allah protect us all from harm, hurt and danger. Ameen! 

May Allah reward my sisters in Islam with good for being there for me. Ameen!

Allahuma Ameen!

Wassalam.

Marlie.

MIRACLE OF ABLUTION.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu.

Work has been manageable so far... But in this post I am gonna talk about the incident I had while I was in the toilet during my shift. I was fasting yesterday and it was time to break-fast hence after breaking my fast with mineral water and some biscuits, I head to the toilet to have my ablution (wudhu') done for Maghrib prayer. While performing the ablution, I always have to split places to get it done.

First, the cleansing of my face to my arms/elbows are done on the basin of the sink itself. (Yes, I've to remove my hijab pins and the hijab itself so water could get to my faces, forehead and ears.) Second, to ensure that water gets to my feet, I went into the last cubicle which has a pipe installed. I took the pipe and started rinsing my feet one at a time.

Once I was done with the last part of ablution, I opened the swinging door of the cubicle but was unaware of the position of my left foot at that time so the sharp edge of the door hit my left foot and left a cut. It was a stringing pain but I ignored it and let it be.

I wore back my socks when I reached the store room to my shop and totally forgot about the cut until I ended my shift even after I reached home! I could even lay down on my mom's bed watching tv beside her. When it finally hit me, I quickly took a close look at my left foot. It was incredible! Like as if I din hurt or injure my foot. There wasn't any visible mark or wound at that point of time! Subhaan'Allah. The power of ablution, and Allah's will. Ma Shaa Allah :)

Wassalam.

JESUS.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu.

Before you judge the header of this entry, just hold on to your thoughts first. Hehe.

Work has been manageable, Alhamdulillah, with wonderful colleagues who are very patient and willing to guide me and correct my mistakes. Was scheduled at few other outlets as there was an issue with the official opening of the new outlet, JEM (Jurong East Mall), which is where I was supposed to be. So they put me at jCube, Wisma and CityLink. But I've gained experience and feel on how other outlets manage their sales and customers. It's really overwhelming looking at the huge difference in the crowd from one outlet to another.

So JEM finally had their delayed opening on the 15th of June 2013, Saturday. I was scheduled as 11am to 4pm, but my Store Manager (SM) wants me to come as 9am to 2pm to help out with kits. She knows I love doing kits! Hehe. So first day, Elissa was there. She's the Regional Manager for Smiggle, and I get to meet the Visual Merchandise Manager for Singapore Smiggle as well, Fadilah. Such a small and cute lady. Petite. 

Morning was with Sophie (SM) and Sufyian. After Sufyian had left the shop when he's done with his shift, an angmoh lady in her late 40s / early 50s approached me at the counter to make payment. I greeted her with a friendly hi accompanied by a smile. She just smiled back. But while I was scanning her items into the POS system, she casually asked "How are you?". I answered in the most energetic "Fine thank you!" again with a smile. After I was done with packing her items and returned her change, she leaned forward, so I did the same thing. But to my surprised, she started babbling on something that I couldn't really catch but I managed to catch her last line.......... "Jesus is still alive." And she just stated at me!

I was still trying to catch on what she was babbling on the first few words, but I gave up and just said bye to her, she just smiled and left. I don't have any clue to what her intention was, but yes. That was very awkward and weird. I jut shrugged it off and resume my work.

Hmmm. May Allah protect me from hurt and harm and ease all my affairs. Ameen!

Wallahu A'lam.

Wassalam.

DREAM.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu lovelies!

Today I'm gonna talk about what (or who specifically) I've been dreaming about lately.

The following dreams was on the night of 9th June 2013, Sunday, where I woke up to the morning of 10th June 2013, Monday.

(Dream 1: Kak Ina)

Dreamt of bumping into Kakak Sabarina at the "airport" as she was waiting for her departure. She was gonna get herself involved in the journey to the Holy Land to perform Umrah (pilgrimage). She was so excited that she just greeted us randomly and excitement was written all over her face hehe Ma Shaa Allah..

May Allah protect her and her loved ones and accept her repentance and all her ibadah/amalan while performing her umrah. Allahuma Ameen!

(Dream 2: Stranger - H look-alike)

So I had the strangest dream ever! (May Allah guide me to His right path and forgive me for my wrongdoings and shortcomings. Ameen.) 

I dreamt of a stranger. And the strangest thing is not that, because how many times have we randomly dream of so many random strangers and just let it pass just like that? Thinking it was just a dream? But not for this one.

This stranger has the exact same personality and characteristics as my friend, lets just call him H1. (And lets name the stranger H2.) So H2 was exactly like H1. In terms of appearance, stubbornness, cheekiness, willingness and achievement! Subhaan'Allah. H2 was behaving very creepily in my dream, stalking and everything, but I wasn't the least bit afraid of his actions and behaviors. I was extremely, extremely irritated and annoyed by his constant perseverance instead of being touched by it. 

But at one point of time, I almost gave up and just let him be. I almost, ALMOST felt for what he was doing. Lol. But I was saved, by .............

REALITY.

Hehe woke up to another day, Alhamdulillah but I have been thinking about the meaning behind this dream up till today... It doesn't bother me in a sense but in a way, I can't help it just that the dream kept coming to me.. May Allah show me, guide me and ease my affairs! Allahuma Ameen!

This dream was on the night of 10th June 2013, Monday, where I woke up to the morning of 11th June 2013, Tuesday.

(Dream 3: Izzatie - wedding ceremony)

And finally........ 

So I was at this wedding ceremony.. I saw Izzatie (couldn't really see her baby bump maybe because I wasn't conscious about her pregnancy in my dream lol) with her husband... But what startled me was that her husband was Hariz instead of her reality husband, Ridzuan. Lol. 

My dreams just get weirder and weirder. It's like the more tired I am, the more weird it gets. But Alhamdulillah for weird dreams. Hehe. 

Just to share even tho it's something small. At least one day, I will remember some of the things in my life as I get older... :')

Wassalam.

KEEP CALM AND PREPARE FOR RAMADHAN.

GARDENS BY THE BAY.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatu lovelies!

Had an impromptu outing with my paternal relatives to Gardens by the Bay.

Initially we only planned to go to a relative's wedding over at Tampines! But it turns out that my aunt received a couple of free tickets to the GBTB from her friends! So we took that very opportunity to use up those tickets. Hehe.

Here are the beautiful photos taken while exploring the garden during our visit there. Enjoy!

Wassalam.