If I Was A Man

... i'd fix the broken ceiling, painted the whole house and throw away all the garbage. But I am a woman.

Fruit Enzyme

Material:

3kg of raw kitchen waste (fruits and vegetables)
1kg of brown sugar (gula merah/kabung/nise/melaka)
10L of water (no need mineral water or deionized - pipe water will do)

Preparation:

Get a 15L container with cover and measure in the water.
(Water level could get up to 3/4 full)
Cut the raw kitchen waste into small size and dump into the water.
(Now water level could get to 1" from full. Use a bigger size container if container becomes too full.
The process needs air to complete and extra space will allow for good mixing later.)
Dump the brown sugar into the mixture and mix.
Cover the container and keep at cool and dry place.
Open the container and stir the mix everyday to release built up gas and to propogate the process.
After a good mix, close it and leave it until the next day.
Repeat daily for the first 30 days.
Leave the container closed for another 60 days.
After the 3 months process filter off the residual solids from the liquid.
Keep the liquid ready for use in plastic bottles.

Usage:

The liquid is ready for use diluted 1:10 for house hold cleaning or plant caring
or more concerntrated for drain or sewage cleaning.
The solid can be dumped into ground as fertilizer or reused in the next batch making.

Use the same above ratio (3:1:10) to porportionate when preparing smaller or larger quantity.

Note:

The gas emitted during the initial days is good for the environment.
It reacts with CO2 and results in O3 which is foundation for ozone.
Our air has a natural ozone layer which filters harmfull sun radiation from reaching earth. Excessive CO2 or CO3 from industries or motor vehicles has reduced this natural ozone layer. Thus gas from the making of this fruit enzyme helps heal our natural ozone layer.

Thrown away kitchen waste results in methane gas produced as it degrades at garbage dump. Methane gas is bad for the environment as it reacts and decays our natural ozone layer. So reworking our kitchen waste into enzymes helps protect the environment and also helps our household economy by reducing cost for cleaning detergents. By using natural enzyme for our daily use, decreases the amounts of chemical used for cleaning and the chemical we dumped back to the environment (trough our drains.)

Help protect and heal the environment.

The info in this material is from reference to information found on the internet from other webs. I hold no responsibility for inaccuracy or ill result from preparation or usage of the said product. However, have tried the enzyme (as prepared by other) and prepared myself the said enzyme with papayas.

DIY

Cheezy term coined from "do it yourself". Even as a child, I was always interested to do things myself. Remember those building blocks? Or the ABC which we'd arrange to make words etc. Remember LEGO!? The ultimate toys for the constructive mind. There are many other toys that you'd put together pieces to end up with the actual toy. Well I'm in my 40s now. When I first come across DIY term on the internet it just continued to interest me. Probably DIY at home was the most popular search. Then I began to search for DIY sewing projects. Then I came together with my own DIY kit. Through Sulam Sayang I created a Beginner's Beading DIY Kit. Then I came up with Tudung Bawal DIY Kit for hand embroiderers. Latest is through Eazy-Grow I'm promoting Hydroponic Kit, Hydroculture Liquid Fertilizer, Seeding DIY Kit and Fertigasi Kit. Wow! Am I thrilled with DIY kits. Would like to share my interest to everyone, get yourself a DIY kit. It'll probably be the best gift for yourself or your love ones.... very productive!

This's Year's Ramadhan Experience

This year's experience is different. Kak Long is away, Baba is away, so there's just me and the boys. The boys are sweet at times, like pic showing them making ondeh-ondeh. But at other times, I can't catch up with the em, as I tire very easily.

Even without Kak Long the boys got me presents for my birthday and put up an effort for a surprise party - although I knew it coming.

My mind ping pongs a lot nowadays, thingking of projects for me to take on. Unfortunately it's all a blur. I'm good at thinking for other people I guess but hopeless when thinking for myself.

This year I cook for breakfast and sahur most of the time. Going to Pasar Ramadhan is like trying to cross Chow Kit Road at 5. What with the swine flu and all. Plus things are so expensive nowadays. I guess that's what drove me into trying out new recipes. I love trying out traditional malay kueh and dishes. There's a few which I've updated at my Famili Cooking. But truly most of my trials are pathetic. The try out was fun though.

We consumed a lot from our new vegetable garden. The Salads are wonderful. It just goes with everything - budu, mayonnaise, tempoyak. Can't wait for the tomatoes, cucumber and bendi to fruit.

Selalu teringatkan my experience buat Umrah and Mekah and Madinah. Rindu. Rindu jugak of my late mom and sis.

Would like to link again to my earlier post on Dua Malam Lailatul Qadar as I noticed it drives the most traffic into this blog. Readers, whatever good you've obtained from this site is from Allah S.W.T. and whet ever bad is from my ignorance on subject matter. Selamat Berpuasa dan menjalankan ibadah di sepanjang bulan Ramadhan Al-Mubarak ini dan Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya Aidil Fitri yang akan datang.

Beautiful Song

LabbaikAllah hummalabbaik.....

Almost a month since we plan for our umrah trip, insyaAllah, we're set to leave for Saudi Arabia 18th of May 2009, 23 Jamadilakhir 1430H. This will be our first trip to SA to do our first umrah. The feeling is overwhelming. We will start our ziarah at Madinah, followed by our first umrah and ziarah in Mecca.

Our milestone:

• Decide if we're ready, physically, spiritually, financially, mahram
• Choose the agent, price and package
• Pick the date
• Register, photo, ic's, passport, vaccination (at Poliklinik Kerajaan for special umrah vaccination service and health card for RM2 only)
• Umrah classes - Thank you Ustadz Wan and Rayhar for the free umrah classes held at Rayhar's Kuantan office.
• Preparation - that means shopping! Jubah, stockings, hand guard, inner wear. Mydin's a good place to start.
• Research - self study, ask people who've already done the umrah/haji, internet explore;
• Perangkaan Umrah http://dalil-alhaj.com/my/mo.htm
• Plan lokasi hotel di Mekah & Madinah http://www.thts.com.my/myhajj.html
  Nice & informative photos of Mekah & Madinah http://www.flickr.com/photos/chinx786/sets/72157600685895022/
• Ibadah Haji dan Umrah Berita Harian http://www1.bharian.com.my/Misc/HajiUmrah/index_html
• Beautiful presentation on where and what we've going to do with nasyid Pergi Haji by Raihan - MUST SEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX1M_m7UDoo
• Packaging, and we're all set

Angels & Demons - the sequel to The Da Vinci Code -

Advertlets is presenting a special screening of Angels & Demons (The sequel to the Da Vinci Code) for registered Advertlets bloggers. So I would like to get the two tickets they are giving away to the fast action blogger and watch the movie TWO days before the world premiere!! This post is my entry.

Another thing, I would also like to win a Sony Cyber-shot™ Skinny-T worth RM 1299, for best blog page with illuminati's from the movie. So please help me out and vote my blog for the grand winning prize. Just follow this post title link (click the title), at the contest post click comment and paste the following:

I vote this blog for the best blog page:

http://norazihan.blogspot.com/

If you do that then I owe you one. When you need a similar favour just let me know - leave a comment here with link to your comment voting my page as earlier and I will return the favour. Tks.

Happy blogging!!

Thank You

.... and He will give us rezeki from sources we don't even know.....

Yesterday after a few hours of tossing and turning following an afternoon nap I decided to go to town. Thought I would shop for a suitable shirt to wear to a much anticipated lunch interview. Even though still in my day clothes I drove myself to Megamall to head to the one outlet that offers great office wear in my size. I didn't expect to be attended to eagerly by the staff coz I was dressed very casually in T-Shirt and crumpled linen slacks, both over sized, with my tudung tied in the usual way, which is unacceptable by many, and in floppies. We were discussing over this one beautiful pastel top in chiffon with lining. It's very light and airy and as we were talking this other lady who was trying on some other blouses called out for the one I was looking in her size. A minute later she danced out with the blouse on with her white jeans. She's probably around my age, but she looked glamorous in that blouse and I pointed her out to the sales assistant. Just out of curiosity I asked the lady what she would wear the blouse with. She said with pants as she's not comfortable in long skirts. I mentioned that we were considering the blouse with it's matching skirt and she volunteered to put on the skirt so I could take a look. Hmm.. how nice. It's easier to evaluate a look when it's on somebody else. She looked gorgeous. From there we were chattering about the fabulous blouses in the shop and her three daughter there were pulled into the discussion. In two minutes they were going like auntie this and auntie that. I was amazed at their friendliness and there we were, including two sales assistants, continued our make believe make over, enjoying ourselves with chatters and laughter, to find a right blouse, a new look, for my interview.

What amazed me most is Kak Nor (I overhead her calling herself that) was tak lokek in sharing her moment with her daughters and experience and thoughts with a stranger like me, who is not the least like her, and in that close vicinity of the shop, was so open and honest giving out her opinion. I felt blessed that Allah have given me the opportunity to meet such a person and family.

During the last year, when I have pulled myself back into a full time housewife, I thought that apart from spending time at home, surfing the Internet and watching documentaries and drama series following the lives of professionals i.e. lawyers, doctors, crime investigators etc losing contact with the corporate world I was so familiar with, I would lose contact with people. I have lost contact with the people I knew from work I mean I hardly met any of them anymore. But to then meet or virtually meet new people who then became friends is something I did not expect at all. I'm not talking of people like housewifely only you know but professionals and business people and wow I am amazed. I'm fortunate that I have kept my eyes and heart open to others. That I have got acquainted with the likes of Kak Nor - although our encounter only lasted about 15 minutes I didn't get a chance to know her more than that she has three beautiful young adults daughters. But the point is that as low as I have felt since taking time off from my career appreciating people who I have bumped into unexpectedly and get to know them lifted by spirits high. Thank you Allah.

Thank you Kak Nor. Thank you young Zatul whom I met at the polyclinic during one of my visits there who turned out to be a lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Pahang and who later called me in to become a panel evaluating projects for some of the final year students, and a constant and persistent motivator for me to watch my diet and care for my ailment. Thank you Edina (mother of three young ones) whom is a fan of Sulam Sayang who has since visited my home and somebody who I horned at when we were either sending or picking up our kids at school. Thank you Mc Budu a virtual friend who seems to care. I appreciate your soothing words and strong suggestions just as what I would expect from a good friend. There are more, visitors to Sulam Sayang. Even though our acquaintances are just under the umbrella of embroidery you all have been my strength to face the life I am facing now. Thank you. JazakAllahu kasiran.

Fix my Jeep

Where to start with this old '96 Jeep of mine. Must have been 5 years now since we last used it. (Pic is taken during the good old times, probably in '98! From left: Ajim 4 now 15, Emi & Liyana)

A lot of mishaps with this Jeep, ever since we first bought it. A week after taking it from the dealer, I took it to KL with my kids and maid. We had our first break down, at Karak, a brand new car, rosak tepi jalan, with kids in it... what a blow that was. We had it towed to KL and fixed a leaking clutch fluid tube, purgh.

The wear and tear is expensive for this Jeep. One by one the sensors failed on us! They must have been substandard, locally assembled lah kan. Then a major part rosak and not available locally. Tah macam mane, one workshop managed to fix it. But then other problems arise and we didn't use it for quite a white.

Then we bought a Wira hatchback and I got to use a company car. So we gave the Jeep a rest. Just too long.













It ended up at a garbage dump hauled there by MPK!

Aduh! It must have been there for months by the looks of the weeds at the front fenders. We had a call from a friend asking if we had fixed the Jeep coz it's no longer at the workshop. When we asked the workshop it seemed it got towed away as non-moving vehicle in the city compound at had been placed at the Pusat Pelupusan Sampah!! God! How could they....

Since then it has been in and out of a workshop in Beserah. Now it's back to a stand still under our porch.

I am going to have it fixed.

Intro To Fun Blogging

Terasa nak share the how to start blogging pulak. Love doing it so much and w'like to assist others to catch up. Here's what's needed:

Generally to have fun at a computer:

• PC with internet connectionlah kan, a headphone and speakers, a lot of USB ports
• A digital camera, printer scanner - normally these gadgets comes with their own application simple enough for photo/doc editing and printing
• antivirus (use AVG for free, that's what i use)
• microsoft office for your basic text work, spreadsheeting and presentation
• music player so u can download and play yr favourite songs
• games but u'd probably know this right

For surfin n socializing:

• Internet browser - there are many i just use Internet Explorer
• A Search engine - i just use Yahoo - make it your default home page and start surfing
• an email account (i use yahoo!mail, good and reliable)
• Facebook or myspace etc or other groups - u'd need yr email account to start
• U can also do serious stuff on line u know like banking, job search and other business.

For blogging:

• A blog account, I prefer free, reliable and easy to use - Blogger (u'll get a http://.....blogspot.com account)
• Advertise your blog - MyBlog, put yr blog address at you email signature, join other blog direktories, social networking (Facebook, MySpace etc), social groups
• Make your blog interesting with gadgets and widgets, colors and designs (from Pyzam), slideshows, shoutbox and guestbook to interact with visitors, music player
• Post regularly.

Once yr done and start getting visitors, it's worth the effort when they start to comments. The good ones really will make your day!! Happy Blogging!!

Me Unsweetened

I am 45, female, bp 110/70, weighs 63kg, height 164cm, bmi of 23. Able to climb Bukit Tabur. Twice! A Chemical Engineer. And a mother of four. Did I tell you that I've climb Bukit Pelindung, Kuantan? Well that story some other time. Well! Fantastic! You'd think. This is one well rounded woman ha! But my glucose level was 7.3, that makes me a pre-diabetic person. What was that? Pre-diabetic? Well that means in Malay "disyaki kencing manis."

That was in November last year.

Last Monday I was CONFIRMED with diabetes (kencing manis.) Doktor kata penyakit kencing manis ni tiada ubat. Ia cuma boleh dikawal. Kene kurangkan berat badan, no sugar, no susu pekat, no rambutan, no pisang, makan nasi satu cawan je, ambik sayur and ulam banyak2. Sedih.

So skrang doktor start medication utk kawal gula lah. Ubat ni mujarab katenye. Saya kene turunkan berat badan, bila berat turun, cholesterol pun turun dan gula pun akan turun dan mudah dikawal. Kata nurse pulak, ubat yg dibagi tu utk membantu kurang kan berat badan. "Slim lah lepas ni!" Tergelak kami berdua.

So saya pun startlah makan ubat ni sebiji dua kali sehari. Saya disuruh makan ubat ni SEMASA makan. "Semasa makan?!" Ha! Semasa makan. Appetite depressent lah tu. Mula2takut jugak nak makan sebab doktor kata nanti ada sikit loya. Alamak. So malam tu, saya pun makanlah, sebelum tidur, tapi, makan dulu banyak2, he.. he.. he.

So today, I feel light and content and tenang dengan perubahan gaya hidup ni. Of course, first day hari tu, lepas dapat tahu, lepas balik rumah bila SMS kat Zul and the kids hari tu terlinang jugak airmata. But today, rasa ringan je badan. Selalunye membuang tu sekali pagi je. Hari ni pagi skali, tengahari skali! Nanti malam.. .. nanti tengok.

Saya tengah cari total calorie untuk typical dish and drink orang melayu kite ni makan so i can figure out calories and menu planning. Maklumlah nak kena jaga food intake sekarang. Kat hospital hari tu ada tulis tapi tak tulis pulak. Takpe, next appointment saya salin and share kat blog ni.

So, sesiapa yang umur dah 45, pergilah screening untuk blood pressure, jantung, kidney and check glucose level, dan breast check and pap smear untuk wanita. (Actually, do one screening at age 20 and another at 40, then every 5 years.)

Nov 08 saya buat basic health check up seperti diatas. Itu pun unplanned. Memang ada niat nak buat check up tapi tak pegi-pegi pun. Terserempak dengan Hospital Kuantan punya road trip, saya pun sukarela untuk di periksa tahap kesihatan.... rupa2nya dalam sihat tu ada juga yang tak sihatnye.

Then saya selalu gatal-gatal di kaki dan other area and I noticed kesan garu jadi macam kudis sikit and only dried up well selepas sebulan. Eh... something wrong I said to myself.

Jan 09 saya pergi tanya doktor. Doktor suruh buat full appointment utk check my glucose level and others. OK jugak. Dapat buat free medical checkup. I started using body lotion and scrubs to better care of my skin condition.

The next week ambik darah utk di test. (Biasalah poliklinik kerajaankan, kene appointment dulu, results in two weeks)

The following two weeks, dapat result. Glucose still high at 6.8 and cholesterol pun tinggi jugak. Doktor kate ni diabetes ni but need another test to confirm.

The next working day, buat dua tests, once before and once after drinking a glass of air gula. The result before is 7.2 and after is 13. Tinggi. Penurunan glukos tak cukup so confirm diabetes. So kad pesakit di cop Klinik Diabetes in red. Buka buku hijau untuk klinik and a smaller buku hijau untuk saya - all weight, height and glucose level will be monitored with yearly throurough diabetic medical check up.

That wasn't so bad. Rase macam di pamper pulak oleh the medical staff kat Poliklinik Beserah tu. Anyway, terima kasih bebanyak kepada doktor-doktor, staff nurse, nurse, lab techs yang membantu. Terima kasih sekali lagi and i guess you'll be seeing more of me in the near future.

Palestinians Brothers and Sisters

I pray that Allah (SWT) would help our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza who has been attacked ferociously by Israel. I wish I have the strength to give more to help. To extend a lot more duas for you, to do more prayers to ask for you. Forgive me as I am just a lowly humble servant of Him. May you be strong in facing this indefinite hardship.

Abu Sa'id's Hadith, may Allah be pleased with him. Tariq bin Shihab reported: It was Marwan who initiated (the practice) of delivering sermon before the Prayer on the 'Id Day. A man stood up and said: the Prayer should precede the sermon. He remarked: This (practice) has been done away with. Upon this Abu Sa'id remarked: This man has performed the duty prescribed on him. I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) say: Whoever, among you, sees something abominable should rectify it with his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue; and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of Faith.

Hadith number in Sahih Muslim [Arabic only]: 70