Dini back to MTS and Nasi Kerabu Ketereh

The last weekend of the year has always been hectic for us as we have to travel to Kelantan to send Dini back to school. This year was even worse as we need to return to KL immediately for Faiz registration at IQKL. We went back last Thursday, 31 December 2009 and returned on next day, celebrating new year in the car!

On our way to Kota Bharu, we stopped for breakfast at Ketereh. Warung Su is famous for its Nasi Kerabu served with ayam or daging bakar. If you travel early morning along Ketereh, you will not miss this warung. There will be many cars parking along both sides of the road and you can see the smoke coming from kitchen. The place is always full and you have to wait for empty seats. Do try if you happen to be around the area.

We visited our aunty and Uncle in KB before sending Dini to MTS. IQ's aunty just lost her mother few weeks back and we did not have the chance to go back menziarah. So we made a point to drop by to see them. We left around 11am and reached Tanah Merah at 12 noon.

Every year, we will send Dini back a day earlier, so we could have the whole school to ourselves! Well, the truth is, we were there to help her moved all her belongings (study table, book rack, towel rack etc) from her old room to the new room. We will spend time cleaning the room and clear all the rubbish left by the students. It's a pity that the school did not impose the students to clean their rooms before they go off for their holidays. This is one of the things that is lacking in the school administration. Parents sending their kids for the first time will get a culture shock looking at the dormitories! I am hoping that the school administrator will put in a system to ensure cleanliness during the school holidays.

To Dini, this is just the beginning. There are many more hurdles awaiting. Hope you will continue to work hard and keep the momentum going strong.

Faiz first week at IQKL

Our dilemma finally came to an end when we decided that Faiz will go to IQKL, of course after considering all factors and trying all that we could. He understood and accepted the decision with open heart as we had been discussing and talking to him throughout the ordeal.

We knew there were 26 boys and 22 girls who had qualified to join the school but on registration day there were 36 boys' names...certainly more people had came in even after the open day...perhaps some of them were not prepared or expecting other offers which normally happens for the first child.

We went to register him at IQKL on Saturday 2.1.2010 and it was a beautiful day. Tok Wan, Tok and Tok Abah came along to lend the support...all of them were very happy that we have decided IQKL for him. He was in a very high spirit and raring to go.

The registration was smooth, very well managed and I was very impressed. After registration, we went up to his room to unpack his bags...he's in room B2 (4th floor) with 11 other new boys (the room is headed by a Form IV student). The room is nice, clean, tidy and airy...one boy to a single bed and a personal metal locker. Of course they share bath and cleaning rooms.

His room mates include a boy (eldest in family) whose dad is an ex MCKK student who chose to send his son through this education system, another is a boy who had just lost his mother and eldest brother 2 months ago in a road accident. He had a scar on his face due to that tragedy ....tragic but the spirit is highly admirable. He was the third of his siblings who studied at IQKL. His two elder brothers have graduated as Al-Hafiz and one of them died in that road accident.

What interest me most is the commitment of 2 Chinese Muslim families who chose to send their boys to this school. One boy is much younger but is already enrolled at this school (both parents are local Chinese Muslims). The other is a boy, whose mother is a Chinese who converted to Islam, whom Faiz met in the cyber world (while playing on line games) a day before they were to actually meet at school...what a coincidence!!! What's important here is that having Chinese Muslim friends would be great for these boys.... There was also Faiz' third cousin (a female student - relationship through Harison), who came all the way from Parit Buntar.

We took the opportunity to go around the school and had the chance to look at the classrooms, science lab, computer room. I can say that the facilities are adequate and good. We finally left at 2pm after a briefing, shopping, lunch and zohor prayers. Both the mom and Faiz did not shed any tears and I'm sure we have chosen the best place for him. However, the home is different without him, of course...

We only heard from him two days later when he called to say that he was doing OK. Not much stories shared during the call. We were glad that he was coping well over there. On wednesday, he called again and this time he didn't sound good. He told us that he was having fever and not sure what to do. We contacted one of the ustazah to check on him and true enough about 10.30pm the ustazah called us to inform that she has brought Faiz to the clinic and his temperature was 40 degree celsius. The doctor gave him 2 days mc and the we were told to take him home. Of course we were glad to see him sooner than this saturday but we didn't want him to miss his orientation. Nevertheless, we went to the school at 11pm and took him back. He also brought along his pail full of dirty clothes...

From his story, we knew that he is enjoying himself in IQKL, meeting new friends and getting use to the daily routine. We hope and pray Faiz will start anew and do well for the next 5 years....insyaAllah.

Majlis Kesyukuran dan Solat Hajat

Minggu lepas, hari Rabu 30 Disember 2009 kami mengadakan majlis ringkas 2 dalam 1 sebagai tanda kesyukuran atas kejayaan Dini dalam PMR dan solat hajat sebelum Faiz ke IQKL. Memang menjadi lumrah bagi orang-orang Kelantan mengadakan solat hajat berjemaah untuk berbagai perkara (masuk sekolah, kereta baru, mengerjakan umrah dan haji, mengambil peperiksaan dan sebagainya).

Majlis ini pun dirancang "last minute", dua hari sebelum. Oleh kerana kesuntukan masa, kami hanya menjemput keluarga terdekat serta kawan-kawan Dini dan Faiz. Kami bernasib baik kerana Pak Ngah masih sanggup menerima tempahan katering pada saat-saat akhir begitu juga Ustaz Fatihi yang sudi meluangkan masa menyempurnakan solat isyak dan solat hajat berjemaah.Apa lagi, kami pun kelam kabut menghantar jemputan dan melapangkan rumah untuk jemputan mengerjakan solat.

Sememangnya Pak Ngah tak pernah menghampakan kami dengan menu yang begitu istimewa seperti nasi tomato, daging kerutub, ayam goreng berempah, udang goreng mamak, acar mentah, dalca daging tetel dan acar buah. Bibik tak ketinggalan menyediakan ikan kering goreng tempe dan rendang daging. Terima kasih pada Tok yang sudi menyediakan pulut kuning dan butir nangka dan Kak Aishah dengan kueh sagu dan cream puff. Memang banyak buah tangan yang kami terima pada malam itu hingga tak cukup meja untuk menghidang kesemuanya. Terimakasih Nani untuk carrot cake, Teacher Mary untuk butter cake dan Kamil untuk cream puff.

Alhamdulillah majlis berjalan lancar dan kepada semua yang sudi menerima undangan kami, terima kasih kami ucapkan dan mohon maaf sekiranya terdapat sebarang kekurangan.