Kenduri Thoughts

"There's a house across the river," Alas I Cannot Swim by Laura Marling.

So it’s the end of the year and in Malaysia, that means kenduri season.

And while I’ve been eating away, I’ve also been observing and am called to make some comments regarding what I’ve been consistently seeing throughout the kenduri-season. So check it.

1. Salam

It’s common practice in Malaysia (alongside most parts of the world) for people to shake hands upon meeting each other, either for the first time or for any other time for that matter. The unique thing about Malaysians, especially among the Muslim community, is that the younger participant of the hand-shake would usually be obliged to kiss the hand of the older one (if not kiss, then bow their heads). It is a sign of respect towards the elderly, and something I find charming.

Of late, I’ve been seeing more and more young people refusing to even bow their heads when shaking hands with people who are clearly older than them. To me this is a big loss to the Malay-Muslim culture, and if left untreated will take away one of the flavours of the Malaysian experience.

Some people might go on and say “but what’s the big deal?” and my answer would be the same question. 

What’s the big deal? What’s so hard about bowing your head towards your elders, showing them respect for their years? What do you lose when you bow? Dignity? Value? In my humble opinion, you actually increase in respectability when you show respect towards others, especially towards your elders. 

There’s a Malay saying that goes “ular menyusur akar tidak akan hilang bisanya,” which roughly translates to “a snake that slides below a root does not lose its venom”. The point here is that even if you are of very high value, it does not hurt you in any way if you respect others, even those regarded “below” you (if you believe in such rankings).

Main point, young people, guys and girls, show respect to earn respect. Tunduk pi la bila salam orang tua. Bukan susah sangat pun.

2. Waste management

If there’s one thing that ticks me off, it’s littering. Generally, people seem to think that there’s nothing wrong to throw their paper napkins, candy-wrappers or cigarette butt into a nearby gutter or on the floor, even when rubbish bins/plastics have been established and are plentiful. 

Admittedly, the problem is not only limited to kenduris, but you can see the extent to which cleanliness is of insignificance during these gatherings.

The problem lies in the thinking of the people that assume that their “little bit of rubbish” is not a significant enough amount to hurt anyone. 

“Hang toksah dok buat teghok ngat aih. Plastit ceklet hack ja pon.”

That’s during the early stages. When it finally gets bad enough to actually show, there’s another way of thinking, which goes “it’s already dirty, like this little thing is going to make it any worse. Alang-alang dah penuh sampah tu, kita guna ajalah macam tempat buang sampah.”

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Throw your junk where they’re supposed to be thrown. There’s bound to be designated areas. If by the impossible chance there aren’t any or if all of them are full, point this out to the host of the kenduri. It is their responsibility to ensure there are places for guests to throw their rubbish. And I’m sure they’d appreciate the heads up.

3. Monetary gifts

It is normal for people to bring gifts for the newly-weds. It is almost expected of the guests that are close to the family of the newly-weds. However, sometimes people forget to get gifts. And in these cases, it is common for people to palm some money to the host (usually one of the parents of one of the newly-weds) when shaking their hand.

And I’ve seen hosts rejecting these monetary gifts. They refuse to accept the cash, some even return the money by going to the extent of shoving the cash back into the giver’s pocket.

I disagree with this act of returning money.

You might want to seem more “sincere” in throwing the kenduri by not accepting the money. But let’s be honest. If I were the giver of the money, and the money was meant to make up for my bad memory, then I would be insulted if you gave the money back to me, just as I would be insulted if I brought a gift-wrapped microwave oven (or anything, really) as a gift and you refused to accept it on the grounds of wanting to seem “sincere”.

So hosts, receive the gift, in any shape it may come. If you want to go through the routine of rejecting a gift to seem polite, then do it only once. If the giver insists on giving the gift, then accept it with a big smile and thank you. And hug. If you want to.

So that concludes my kenduri-thoughts for now. May all the newly-weds be blessed and get lots of children. Muahaha, typical wish is typical.

May peace be upon all of you.

Cheers!

Hastened Farewell

"Forgive me.. I cannot stay," What He Wrote by Laura Marling.

So this is it. My last post from Marsfield, New South Wales, Australia.

This has been the place of new experiences and new faces. The ups and downs have made me who I am today, for better or for worse. 

So many things done, yet so much yet to do. Too soon, I feel. But just enough.

This will always have a special place in my heart. 

Alhamdulillah, life goes on.

Here's for a better future.

Cheers!

May peace be upon you.

Post-University Musings of a non-Muse-fan

"I saw that day, I lost my mind," El Mañana by Gorillaz.

So last Friday was the last of class for us in the B. Ed. TESOL course here in Macquarie University. 

Two years, four semesters, done. Wow. Alhamdulillah. Wow.

Going to, entering, and exiting the classes for the last time, time went slower this week, for some reason. At the end of each class I stayed an extra minute or two, just to take it all in for the last time.

Learnt so much on campus. Struggled a lot. Sometimes eager to learn. Sometimes just plain sleepy. But always struggling. 

With myself more than anything else, really. My thoughts. My half-cooked and never-executed ideas. My consequential self-loathing. My tendency to lean back and let the world happen in front of me, choosing to just take it all in, and probably, just probably, learn something. My lies I tell myself.

I've definitely changed here. People rarely stay the same in the course of two years, if I may be so bold to claim. At least people who go to university. In another country.

I'd like to think my eyes have been opened more since the start of my stay here. I'd also like to think that I've become a much more tolerant person. Also, a person who appreciates the process of knowledge-seeking more. But who am I to be so audacious to claim such things?

Now, I can't get my mind off anything other than how things are going to be like when I return to Malaysia. The Maktab in particular. I've accustomed myself with this certain way of life that I'm very confident wouldn't fly very straight back at the Maktab. I'll so totally need that re-induction (more like rehabilitation, really) week.

But I've always thrived at the Maktab. I don't know what it was about the place, but I grew leaps and bounds as a person during my two and half years there. I know that my lecturers over there had a heavy hand in making that happen. Maybe that's it.

The same could not be said about the two years I've spent here. I have changed, definitely. But have I grown? I'd like to say yes, but I just can't say.

I'll be off to travel tomorrow. I still have an exam to take care of. I still have loads of stuff to pack. I still have one last video to make, here. Or maybe two. We'll see.

I regret not writing in this blog more often. Might have helped me. God knows I needed it. Oh well, what's done is done. 

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

Shout Awards 2012 (Who to vote?)

"Guess he had nothing to say," Hope in the Air by Laura Marling.

So surprisingly, I've been nominated for the upcoming Shout Awards. Alhamdulillah. In this post I'm going to talk about who/what I'm going to vote for in the Awards and why. Why? Because I feel like it. Now check it!

Rockstar Award

List of nomnoms: Bunkface, Estranged, Faizal Tahir, Hujan, Love Me Butch, Monoloque.

Who I'm voting for: Hujan (no duh~)

Why: Because they revolutionized the Malaysian music scene when they first burst onto the scene. Because they're fantastic to see live. Because they have ventured into other markets as well. But most of all, because they make high quality music.

Break Out Award (Best New Act)

List of nomnoms: Diandra Arjunaidi, Go Gerila!, Kyoto Protocol, Massacre Conspiracy, Najwa, Oh! Chentaku.

Who I'm voting for: Go Gerila!

Why: Because of the bang they made when debuting as a band in Versus. Because of their originality and sense of adventure when it comes to music. Because they look poised to become a big influence in Malaysia's music scene in years to come.

Fresh TV Series Award

List of nomnoms: Betul Ke Bohong?, Friday I'm In Love, Projek Pop, Tentang Dhia, Versus - Konfrontasi Terakhir, Yuna - Bintang Di Langit.

What I'm voting for: Versus - Konfrontasi Terakhir.

Why: Because of the originality of the idea and the originality it subsequently produced. Because of the myriad of memorable acts it has staged. Because Hujan, Go Gerila! and Black & Parallax.

Wired Celebrity Award

List of nomnoms: AG Coco, Altimet, Celepets, Fatimah Abu Bakar, Sofia Jane, Yuna.

Who I'm voting for: AG Coco.

Why: Because he's the most down to earth rockstar you could hope to meet. Because of his exemplary passion and hard work. Because he doesn't forget his roots. Because he's active on all the social networking sites that matter.

Shout! Aloud Award

List of nomnoms: Faradyable, yours truly, JinnyboyTV, Matluthfi90, Popteevee, The Wknd.

Who I'm voting for because I won't vote for myself: Matluthfi90.

Why: Because his work can only be described as genius. Because he does almost everything in his videos himself. Because he talks about things that matter. Because he's hilarious. Because he deserves it the most.

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So to vote, you guys can click over here : http://www.shoutawards.com.my/2012/nom-listing.asp

You may vote ten times per day until the 22nd of November 2012.

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

Moon Lamp

I look up at the moon tonight and notice it's as bright as any streetlamp. I wonder how many are looking up and noticing the same when the answer comes to me. Millions (if not billions) of people are looking at the same moon. How small we are. How small we are.

Tears

"Kalau kau rasa terkilan," Gurindam Hutan Batu by Monoloque.

So I (not so) recently watched this video:




But then again, so has everyone else. If you're one of those hermits who hasn't, it's about these two orphaned kids (a blind child and a mute child) who decide to go on a journey to visit the mute kid's mother on Eid. Touching, truly is. Kudos to BERNAS for making it.

I cried watching the video. Really cried. Like teresak-esak. 

But when I stopped crying, I thought to myself.

Why am I crying? Because I just watched a sad video.

Why was it sad? Because those children were underprivileged.

So?

Hmmm..

So it made me think of how ungrateful I was of all the little things in life such as the ability to see, the ability to speak, still having my parents. 

So what are you going to do about it? Be more thankful, of course.

How?

Hmmm..

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Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people." - Surah al-Baqarah [2:286]

Those kids are strong. They are able to cope with their fate. My fate is this. To live a life that's comfortable, more comfortable than some people will ever experience in their lives. 

What am I going to do with this comfort that has been granted to me? Am I going to just dwell in the fact that I am too weak to face a fate such as theirs? Put my head down and do nothing?

What do you think?

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

I am Man?

"Walaupun sejengkal," Keroncong Untuk Ana 2012 by AG & Co feat Noh Hujan.


So it was my birthday a few days back. I am apparently 22 years old, if you subscribe to the Gregorian calendar. I have very little idea of how old I am according to the Hijrah calendar, and I'm in no state to Google it.


2012 has been a year of many things, but one of the firsts would be being called a "man" by other people, particularly strangers who come to the store in which I work in. They would say to their friends or kids (or vice versa) "try asking that man over there," and I would conceal a giggle and a blush upon realising that they were referring to me. Needless to say, I took it lightly.


But now that I've turned 22, I have to ask that very serious question. Am I a man? My father got married when he was my age. Sultan Muhammad al-Fateh conquered countries when he was around my age. What do I have to show for myself? What makes me a man? Am I a man?


22 years old. So old. Yet, still so young. So much yet to do, so little to show for myself. If I've been a disappointment to anyone, it would be to myself more than anyone else.


But what does one do when one is down? What one can do. Get up. Crawl, if one has to. One needs to. For themselves. For the love of God.


May peace be upon you.


Cheers!

Last NCG for Me

"But that's okay," That Green Gentleman (Things Have Changed) by Panic at the Disco.


So I'm back home in Marsfield. I've been home for more than a day now, arriving in Sydney yesterday evening.


The final results for the NCG 2012 (Queensland) rugby competition is as follows:


1. Victoria
2. Queensland
3. New South Wales (my team)
4. Western Australia
5. Tasmania

Le spoils.

We dropped a place from last year, effectively ending my brief participation in the National Conference Games in a negative gradient, result-wise.


As for performance, I managed to play all four games this time round, which is a big improvement from last year's one and a half, alhamdulillah. Our scrum-half got injured in the third game, so I had to fill in that role, since the team was short on good scrum-halves. I miss being a scrum-half. Scrum-halves see so much more action than standoffs do. 


Even though we ended up dropping a place from last year, I feel that this year's team was actually better than last year's. This was because the training was better, the playing was more organized (not perfect, but better than last year's, in my humble opinion), and the boys worked really hard on the pitch. We won the first two games (WA & Tas) but due to spills in the rucks in the opponents' twenty-twos, we lost the other two games (Vic & Qld). They were very efficient in capitalising on our rare moments of sloppiness, and we paid the price.


Having said all that, of course I am to a certain extent saddened by our losses, but I am certainly happy I got to play four full matches with a good team. Alhamdulillah.


My whole body is still hurting.


God I missed rugby.


May peace be upon you.


Cheers!

First Day of NCG2012

"It is not your fault should you lose. It is your fault should you not give your very best."

So I'm here at Bond University, Goldcoast watching the handball competition. The picture is of a guy attempting a shot at goal in midair. It was shot with the phone camera, so please forgive the less the optimal picture quality.

It's the first day of NCG 2012, and I've been the spectator to four sports now, namely football, basketball, netball and handball. After not being in sport for so long, I have rediscovered why sports is so important to me. It teaches me a lot of things, but the most valuable lesson, in my humble opinion, is the quote that I started the post with.

It's never about winning or losing, because that's pretty much predetermined by the Planner of Plans. It has everything to do with the effort we put into our game. The preperation, the training, the communication, the performance, that's all left for us to do. It is our responsibility to give it our all, however much or little that may be. And leave the rest to Allah.

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

Updates ba dum ts

"Ice age coming," Idioteque by Radiohead.


So the semester has come to an end. I dare say that this semester has been the hardest, the second half in particular. Nearing the end of it, all I could think was "Nak balik Malaysia!" This coming from the guy that didn't want to return to Malaysia for the whole two years that he was to spend in Australia but has nonetheless returned twice already. I just felt like I needed to escape the workload and constant thinking that I have to do when doing assignments here. I used to be able to write a one-thousand-word essay in less than two hours without breaking a sweat. But now five hours of furrowed-brow is needed to squeeze out a two-hundred word paragraph. But of course, back then I didn't need to do tonnes of background reading and substantiate my sentences with references, but still, not good. Not good at all.


Alas, that is behind me now and should be kept there. Lessons for the future? Third year is no walk in the park. It's more like a sprint-as-if-a-dog-is-chasing-you-and-you're-lunch-if-you-aren't-fast-enough. You really have to hunker down and get serious. That means less "celebratory 2 hour Facebook/Twitter sessions because you've written a paragraph" because the fact of the matter is you just don't have the time. Time management continues to be an issue and I really need to work on it, as any good student should.


So winter break is here. Plans for anak pak man? 


Firstly I'm going to get back in front of the camera. Two long overdue videos are waiting to be shot while others will also have to done. I'm also thinking about making another channel to post videos that don't really fit into the "IniAnwarHadi" category (whatever that may be). The second channel will consist of random moments, travelogs, music (ooh, music), and basically everything else lah kot. 


To help me stay on track and not just spend 90% of my time on Youtube/Facebook/Twitter, I have drawn up a "mutaba'ah amal" (daily "to-do list") of sorts that doesn't only include the ibadah part of my life but everything else too. It's still in beta mode, so we'll see how that goes.


I also have the National Conference Games (rugby) to look forward to. After only playing a game and a half last time around, I'm keen on contributing more this year, inshaAllah. The team is shaping up and we'll see how it goes.


While everything is going on, Ramadhan is drawing ever closer. Excited yet? I wrote about my thoughts on Ramadhan last year here. Click if you'd like to read. 


I'll update this blog more regularly during this break (hopefully) because it's an item in my mutaba'ah amal thingy. I really should come up with a name for it. Soon.


May peace be upon you.


Cheers!

Ensemble So Far

"It's a tempting communion," Night After Night by Laura Marling.


So following up on my previous post, I just thought I'd post a picture of the instruments I have at my disposal so far.

None were priced over $50. For that, I give myself a high-five. The oldest one would be the ukulele, which I bought a year ago, while the newest addition to the ensemble would be the angel glockenspiel (xylophone), which I bought yesterday. 


I haven't even got an amplifier for the Ibanez-wannabe yet. But rest assured it'll be on a strict $50 budget. Then we'll officially be in business.


But I haven't played the ukulele in so long, I've forgotten the chord fingering. And I still have no idea how to play the keys and xylophone.


Oh well, the holidays are approaching, so Youtube-teachers will be my good friends very soon.


May peace be upon you.


Cheers!

Rugby, Scripts, Lyrics

"I know how you feel, I know it's not right, but it's real," Don't Ask Me Why by Laura Marling.


So today was one of the most tiring days I have ever experienced, and surprise surprise, here I am updating the blog. I have no idea how or why I choose the days that I do to write, but here we are.


Joined the New South Wales Malaysian boys' rugby team for this year's National Conference Games  which are to be held at Goldcoast in July, inshaAllah. Second training session was this morning, and training drifted into midday. This time we didn't spend the whole session just playing touch (thank goodness) and did some actual drills. I was entrusted with handling the backline, and I noticed that I've been out of the game so long that it seems that I've lost the ability to speak rugby (yes, it's a language folks), and I hate that. 


I used to love speaking to my team, giving feedback,  listening, communicating, shaping individuals into a cohesive unit, but it seems that I haven't done that for so long that I've forgotten how that was done. I missed the game direly, but being out of the game after what seemed to be forever has taken its toll on me, and I don't like it. It doesn't help that we don't have a proper coach. Or any kind of coach, for that matter. Now I'm not entirely sure how I am to regain that "rugby Anwar" that I so love. Le sigh.


Moving on, I've taken up a script-writing role for the musical theatre "Malam Gema Malaysia". As if I don't have enough on my plate. That was my initial thought when asked if I wanted to do it. What with major assignments (plural, yes) being due in ten days or less now, family coming over, work and training to think of (not to mention pending video updates), I really should be swamped. 


But I accepted the offer anyway. Why? Good question. I think it's because I haven't ever written an actual drama script (or anything close to it, for that matter). The only scripts I have ever made are the scripts for my videos, and those are for my indulgence alone (95% monologue). This is a new challenge that I think is hard to come by, so I'm eager to see if I can actually do it. It's a learning experience, and I like learning experiences. Plus, I miss theatre.


On another unrelated note, I'm thinking of taking music more seriously. Not a become-a-world-touring-Grammy-award-winning-rockstar kind of serious, but more of a record-own-songs-and-publish-them-on-internet serious. This is mostly due to me having Garage Band, and this puts all kinds of thoughts in my head. And I don't intend on getting famous and gig-offers from my songs either. I would just like to share my music with the world, and if it could make even a single stranger smile, then I'd be happy. But I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. I've published one song-less piece of lyric that I've written here (click it). Songs, still in my computer, uncertain of their future (that rhymes). We'll see how it goes.


And no haiku for this post. Or maybe just one.


Tiring days drift by,
Shoulders and legs want to cry,
But stay smiling. Bye.


May peace be upon you.


Cheers!

May the 4th

"Don't think I can breathe now," When Catching Butterflies by Delude.


Alhamdulillah.


So I let myself (and probably a few, very few readers) down again. Neglected the blog for only the thousandth time. Failed to keep to my Alahaiku schedule. It's not that I don't write them anymore. I do. It's just that I find it hard to rewrite them on other more mobile pieces of paper and snap a semi-good picture with it. I find that hard. But here I have a whole page of random (emphasis on the random) haikus that I have written since the last post.

Most of them were in fact written in a single session, but I probably shouldn't have told you that.


I have also been disappointing in the video-making front. Failed my 2-week-per-video-this-whole-semester quite miserably, as I have not uploaded a video iiiiinnnn (goes to Youtube to check) almost a month now. Astaghfirullahal'aziim. I have a script under construction and an episode of NTAH to record. Maybe I'll record and upload them both at the same time. 


Of course, that would be easy peasy lemon squeezy stuff to do if it were not for all the uni work I still have to do. I have three essays ranging from 1500 to 3000 words to submit by early next month, not to mention school visits and other stuff that I have to keep up with (sleep being a good example).


But all of this wouldn't be on my plate if The Provider didn't think, nay, know that I would be able to lap it all up with swog. 


Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. "Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people." - Al-Baqarah [2:286]


I will do the best I can. Please Anwar, do the best you can.


Alhamdulillah.


May peace be upon you.


Cheers!

AlaHaiku 3

"Mata dalam kaca, topi berceloreng," Bawaku Pergi by Zizan and Kaka.


Ada satu yang bukan haiku, tapi saya sertakan kerana ia merupakan sesuatu yang, bagi saya, sangat mendalam untuk sesuatu yang hanya ditulis di atas dinding tandas awam.

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

AlaHaiku 2

"Let's just call it what it is," Oil and Water by Incubus.

I know it's a day late, but here we go.

Comments please?

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

AlaHaiku 1

"It seems to be the way that everyone else gets around," Drive by Incubus.

Tomorrow I'll be conducting a mini-lesson on "How to Write Haiku" in my TEP387/EDUC393 class.

Haiku are basically a form of Japanese poetry that are short and meter/syllable-specific. Having said this, English-users have adapted it and a form of English haiku has been established. In the English form, haiku consist of 3 lines, each having 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively. Convention dictates that haiku are poems about nature, but we're not too rigid about that, are we?

Since researching English haiku, I have to say that I have grown fond of it. It's a simple form of creative expression, and i'm all for simplicity.

So, in the interest of this makin-lama-makin-neglected-blog, i will write one haiku daily, and i will post those haiku here weekly (I'll try to post every Monday).. I may choose to publish less than seven a week, but not less than 4.

They may be in the form of pictures (like the one below) or actual typed posts.

So let's see how this goes, shall we?

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

Three Sugars?

"I hear you on the radio," Megalomaniac by Incubus.

So i'm at the library cafe, with no que in sight, i fancy myself a cup of mocha, so I go up to the counter to order myself a cup.

"Hey, how ya goin'?" greeted the girl behind the till cheerfully.

"Good, thanks," the normal response. "Regular mocha please. With three sugars please."

"Three sugars?" the girl said while making a face that might have suggested that she was actually saying "are ya crazy mate!?" while never actually making eye contact with me.

I only stood there, making a poker face on the outside while going "DON'T JUDGE MEEEE!!!!" on the inside.

The end.

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

Melbourne-ing Around (Days 3 & 4)

"Don't ever let life pass you by," Warning by Incubus.


21 Feb


So the next morning, we got up early, had breakfast and proceeded to the DFO again because someone left her wrist watch at the wall-climbing site. Alhamdulillah, it was still there when we went there, so we quickly made our way to the Twelve Apostles along the Great Ocean Road. Even the name of the road had us excited about what we would encounter along the journey to the said disciples of whatnot.


It would be a 280+ kilometre drive, with plenty of pitstops along the way with me being the lone driver, so it was going to be fun.


First up, we branched out near Geelong and visited the Victoria State Rose Garden. There was also a mansion there. Boring stuff, to be honest, but having cameras meant we were able to have some fun.

 The mansion weren't THAT big, really.

Then we continued our drive along the road and stopped over at a place called Torquay to get some lunch in the form of fish & chips as well as snap a few pictures of ourselves. Ha.

 The sky is pretty awesome, doncha think?

Then we proceeded along the road and spotted a lookout point that had a lighthouse, so we checked it out, and, surprise, surprise, wondered how it would be like to be models.

 Buy Canon, because everything else sucks.

 Oh hey, there's a big rock over there. I'm just gonna pretend there's something way more interesting out of frame.

2 milliseconds later, I tasted sand. Urf.

We continued our drive along the road. What road, you ask?

That road.

Honestly speaking, the Great Ocean Road (GOR) has provided me with the best driving experience in my life to date. The sceneries along the way were nothing less than breathtaking. There were even certain stops on the road by the cliffs along the way for people to take in the scenery a little longer. 

At one of these stops, we were fortunate enough to run into some other Malaysians who were driving all the way to Adelaide (that's like a whole different state. Google map it to find out just how far that is) so we chatted with them for a bit and they were kind enough to take a picture of us three.

 Rare picture of the troubled-trio.

After a few more pictures, we moved on, since there was still a long way to go, and the road was really winding, so the drive was slow (not that I was complaining).

Then after a few more hours of driving very carefully (since the road was not for the weak of heart), we finally made it to our intended destination, the Twelve Apostles. It. Was. Magnificent. Made the whole trip worth it.

 Cameras never do justice to God's creations.

But then we were only stuck at the lookout area. We (me especially) wanted to go down to the beach, since I've seen a few pictures of people being on the beach there, but no stairs were in sight.

I really wanted to go down there.

But then upon closer inspection, we spotted some people who were already on the beach. They were a long way away from us, but they were definitely noticeable. We searched the vicinity if there were any stairs around the area to take us down, but couldn't find any.

We inferred that they must have driven down the road (away from the lookout point) to get down there. We weren't definitely sure, but we jumped into the car anyway in search of a way down.

Turns out, the steps that would take us down to the beach was only 500 metres away called the Gibson Steps (no relation to the guitar-brand, I presume). I was overjoyed. I mean, joy couldn't even begin to describe the feeling that I was experiencing when i was going down those steps. To be able to be there to watch the sunset. Just. Pure. Awesomesauce.

 I was really happy, if you couldn't tell.

Got lost in my thoughts, being at a loss for words.

After being there for a while, and proclaiming that that was my favourite location in the whole wide world, even taking a dip in the water, we packed up our things and bid farewell to the beach that stands as proof of the sheer majesty and power of Allah The Almighty. The drive to the Apollo Bay YHA was a dark one, but alhamdulillah, we made it safely there.

22 Feb

Woke up the next day after a good night's sleep and had breakfast as well as play some checkers with my friend before embarking on the journey back.

 As expected, I lost.

 The YHA was a very good one. Comfortable rooms, homy ambience, big big windows.

We drove back to the city and explored the city before our flight back to Sydney later that day.

 Visited a few lanes that were covered with graffiti.

One last picture of ye ol' tram.

Then we drove back to the airport just in time to drop off our rented car and hop on the plane back to Sydney.

-------------------------------

This Melbourne trip was one of the more awesome trips I've been on. Plus, it was my first experience planning and executing an "overseas" trip (meaning that we had to get a plane to get there) and I'm glad that it turned out to be a good one. I had great help in the form of my two friends TQ and Qya, and I really can't deny that without their help, the trip wouldn't have been as well-organized, so big thanks to them. A big thank you also goes out to Dayang for taking us around the city on the first day.

Next up, Gold Coast baby.

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!

Melbourne-ing Around (Day 2)

"I'm feeling out of bounds, out of bounds," Adolescents by Incubus.

20 Feb


So we woke up early the next day and set off to the local DFO for the girls to indulge in a little shoppage. As for me, well..

I went surfing.

Spent about 3 hours there, since the lure of wall-climbing was too enticing for them to pass up. Unfortunately, I wasn't wearing shoes, so I couldn't join the climb. I had to settle with just surfing.

Then we took off to our real destination for the day, Phillip Island. After a little less than two hours of driving, alhamdulillah, we got there in one piece.

Yep, I was there.

So after a quick stop at the information centre (both to acquire information and to excrete excrements), we proceeded to Churchill Island (a smaller island near the island) to catch some farming action at the heritage farm.

 Sheep shearing.

 Water extraction was hard in the old days. Making faces was necessary.

 The views are good too.

Then we proceeded to the Koala Conservation Centre. We were fortunate enough to arrive forty minutes before the centre closed.

Koala conversation centre.

 Where koalas, well, sleep.

 That, ladies and gentlemen, is a wallaby.

 It's pretty rare that you meet koalas that are so down to earth.

 Shooting koalas.

Then we proceeded to see the penguin parade (this is what Phillip Island was primarily famous for). Cameras weren't allowed inside, so we settled with pictures outside the parade centre.

 Penguinikins. 

(Get it? Manikins? Penguin.. Oh nevermind)

The price chart outside the centre.

Then we drove back to the Metro YHA, rested up for the adventures that still lay ahead.

That will be updated next time. I don't like reading long-posts, especially if they're of the low-quality-that-is-me kind. 2 more days to blog about. Just bear with me for two more posts. Please?

May peace be upon you.

Cheers!