A loud rhythmic snore could be heard in the distance. A few people looked intently on where the sound came from. I had been sitting at that seat beside the window for the best part of four hours, staring out at the darkening blurred images that pass by. Every now and then sparkled in the orange glare of the station lamps. After finally fallen asleep with one side of my face pressed against the cold windowpane, suddenly I woke up with a stutter. The station name mentioned on the loudspeaker rang a bell. I looked up at the piece of paper that I’d scribbled earlier for confirmation. This was the last in a series of train interchange that I had to make before my duly awaited destination could welcome me back. Another hour I thought. I took a seat by the windows again. It was past midnight and it all came rushing into me.
“I’ve been watching but the stars refuse to shine,
I’ve been searching but I just don’t see the signs”
Where is my sunshine?
These are the words that best describe what is going through my mind then. Fake smiles and meaningless laughter helps from other people noticing it. Every now and then hoping for the sun to muscle its way over the dark cloud to shine its sunny rays into my life. A bit of sunshine would be nice for a change.
… And know that Allah cometh in between the man and his own heart … (Al-Anfal, 8:24)
So, the journey has begun. Physically I have arrived, but the heart and mind needs some persuading into. I didn’t have to seek further. The moment I stepped into the camp, the burden and the weight seemed to just disappear into thin air. It seemed as if I had entered into a totally different world. I quickly settled in with all of the participants. Friends old and new alike. Some of them came from the far north of Hokkaido and some even came from the horizons of Korea!
…And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him, (2) And will provide for him from (a quarter) whence he hath no expectation. And whosoever putteth his trust in Allah, He will suffice him. Lo! Allah bringeth His command to pass. Allah hath set a measure for all things. ( At-Talaq : 2-3 )
Ice Breaking!
The first night was highlighted with us forming a circle for a little bit of ta’kruf . The unique part of it is that each and everyone of us had to form a question about themselves. And randomly select another person to answer it for us. You’d have to experience it first-hand to enjoy the spirit of the game. It was quite fun actually. Okey, I’ll share it with you all, what my question was.
Me: What was the first sport that I got involved in?
1.Gymnastic
2.Swimming
3.Total free flowing “Samba-style” football(a little bit exaggerated …hehe.)
The train leaves in about an hour. It was nearing midnight. But I was not sleepy at all. I wondered if the journey that I’m going to take is worth the while.The heavy heart made me feel a bit reluctant to go, I guess. A journey to the east.
I am in a state of mess. My head is spinning with all the problems I faced. Furthermore, my savings is starting to dry up. I was at the bottom of the life cycle. I was contemplating how life has treated me. I had led an ‘easy’ life up until now. Then, without warning, all of a sudden everything came crushing down on me.
I needed a new hope to cling on to. A new motivation. A new ‘lease of life‘ to say the least. I was drowning and needed air.Enough just to breathe. I wasn’t asking for too much am I? Continue reading “Searching for that Something…”
Kitajima swam a brilliant race to clinch the gold medal in a world record time! Simply Brilliant!
The end product is all what we get to see on our telly.The sheer joy of winning.The tears of achieving a lifelong dream of winning at the greatest stage the world has to offer.Oh, how it has touched us throughout the world.The thing that really lit up the games were not just about winning.It’s about participating and trying your best to achieve your goals.But do we really know where it all started from?Where did he get the motivation and the courage to achieve such a feat?
Every child wakes up in the morning with a new and different dreams to the one before.Dreams that sometimes will come true and some will just fade away with time.Are dreams just for the mind of kids?Or is supposed to be relished and worked hard towards realizing it? Are dreams relevant in this world today? Continue reading “DREAMS: Reality or Fantasy?”
No matter where we come from, what languages we speak or what color our skin is, we are all unique in special ways. We all share the same desire and hunger to succeed and most importantly to love and to be loved. Many have argued that love is only a feeling and cannot bring wealth nor success but deep inside, we all know that love is the greatest motivation that a person can have.
My world=).
When I was at the airport and on the verge of boarding the plane to come to Japan, I caught a glimpse of my mum’s face and I couldn’t help but notice that there was something shining in her eyes. I quickly realized that it was her tears. I didn’t realize it was happening but I could soon feel streams of tears on my own cheeks. I was actually crying too! Trying to avoid her gaze, I hastily waved back at her. It struck me then, as if I hadn’t realized it before, that I was all alone now, facing a whole new world. Stepping into the unknown, into a world that seemed so strange. I felt a sudden coldness as if an ice cube had been trickling down my back. I was actually feeling scared to leave the comfort and warmness of the ones I love the most. Even though there were a lot of people around me then, I felt so alone, rooted in the moment all by myself. I wandered where all the love and security had disappeared to so quickly? Is it all now left in my memory? Continue reading “Old Memories, New Adventures…”
THE PONDERER 