Don't Worry, Be Happy

Performed by Bobby McFerrin


Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate

Don't worry, be happy
Lood at me I am happy
Don't worry, be happy

Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got not girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy

Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy

Favorite Verses

Many converts in their search for answers have in the process had become more poetic. True to Moa Tze Tungs words perhaps, he said “all revolutionaries are poetic”. These later converts look at life in a very different manner than most teachers at local schools, local hospital psychiatrists and Government paid television preachers who sees life as an okay and we err. They saw life as something not right and they too are missing something right. For example read Maryam Jameelah works in “western civilization condemned itself”.

It also interesting to note each prophet is given a dominance over the rest in a miracle that close to the social heart of its people. That’s why Solleh (as) was given a unique camel. Jesus (as) was given the cure for diseases and even death. David (as) the grace to defeat the might of Goliath and Moses (as) with his magic stick, for magic was not only dominant but also majestic during his time The prophet was given the Qur’an as a miracle. Since his time words have been used in communications of all kinds. of literatures through books, periodicals, telecommunications and now the computer’s web. Thus the Qur’an is as alive, not any less than when it was progressively revealed some 1400 years ago.

Some of the converts managed to get a hold to the Qur’an via gifts or own initiatives . The passage the first read chapter, The Opening was in fact, implementing the very meaning of the first revealed verse , Iqra’ (read). The first chapter is also known as the mother (Umm-ul) of Qur’an. It is an invocation to the Great One for guidance, in fact beseeching him for a straight path to exclude the paths taken by two kinds of deviants, first that has lost the path, gone astray and angered him and second type who had usurped the path, blinded others the true path and profiting from it while making others to follow their paths and hence challenging God himself, the extreme type.

Now we shall look at the verses . The converts were moved by the immediate reply that came in the early verses in the next surah which we will also see its translation and the terms or conditions that are placed before them if they are truly looking for and wanted guidance.

The Opening (7 verses revealed at Mecca)

1. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent , the Merciful
2. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds:
3. The Beneficent, the Merciful
4. Owner of the Day of Judgement
5. Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.
6. Show us the straight path
7. The path of whom thou hast favored; Not the path of those who earn Thine anger nor those who gone astray.


Al Baqarah ( revealed in Medina first 5 verses of 286)
(the surah following the Opening)

1. Alif Lam Mim
2. This is a scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance for those Who ward off (evil)
3. Who believe in the unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that “We bestowed upon them.”
4. And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee ( Muhammad ) and Which is revealed before thee, and are certain of the hereafter.
5. These depend on guidance from their Lord These are the successful.

Two things probably is worthy, regarding Ilmu Qur’an (Koranic Knowledge) to note here, the first concerning the arrangement. Note that Quranic verses are not arranged according to the chronological order they were revealed. It is a norm that student in the science of Quran would study in depths reasons behind, why a particular verse revealed. The Opening was reveal in Medina when early Muslims were persecuted and unable to practice Islam as a way of life. The second surah (Chapter) was revealed in Mecca where Muslims could implement a way of life in the midst of a cosmopolitan society of Mecca.

( all interpretations of the surah were of Marmaduke Pickhal's )

The FIrst Few Verses Revealed

Munajat

Supplications (Munajat) of Khwajah
'Abdallah Ansari, the great saint of Herat.

I live only to do Thy will,
My lips move only in praise of Thee
O Lord, whoever becometh aware of Thee
Casteth out all else other than Thee.

O Lord, give me a heart
That I may pour it out in Thanksgiving
Give me life
That I may spend it
In working for the salvation of the world.

O Lord, give me understanding
That I stray not from the path

Give me light
To avoid pitfalls.

O Lord, give me eyes
Which see nothing but Thy glory.

Give me a mind
That finds delight in Thy service.

Give me a soul
Drunk in the wine of Thy wisdom.

Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street

Windin' your way down on Baker Street
Light in your head and dead on your feet
Well another crazy day
You'll drink the night away
And forget about everything
This city desert makes you feel so cold.
It's got so many people but it's got no soul
And it's taking you so long
To find out you were wrong
When you thought it had everything

You used to think that it was so easy
You used to say that it was so easy

But you're tryin'
You're tryin' now
Another year and then you'll be happy
Just one more year and then you'll be happy
But you're cryin'
You're cryin' now

Way down the street there's a lad in his place
He opens the door he's got that look on his face
And he asks you where you've been
You tell him who you've seen
And you talk about anything
He's got this dream about buyin' some land
He's gonna give up the booze and the one night stands
And then he'll settle down there's a quiet little town
And forget about everything

But you know he'll always keep movin'
You know he's never gonna stop movin
Cus he's rollin'
He's the rollin' stone
And when you wake up it's a new mornin'
The sun is shinin' it's a new morning
You're goin'
You're goin' home.

DEBAT ANJURAN UIAM

KOLEJ Melayu Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) dan Sekolah Alam Shah (SAS), Putrajaya muncul juara Pertandingan Debat Sekolah-Sekolah Malaysia 2007 yang berlangsung di Auditorium Pusat Aktiviti Kebudayaan, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) Gombak, semalam.

Pada pertandingan merebut Piala Tun Sri Lanang dan Piala Munsyi Abdullah, MCKK selaku pasukan pembangkang menewaskan Sekolah Seri Puteri, Cyberjaya bagi kategori Bahasa Melayu yang membahaskan tajuk Peperangan Adalah Jalan Terbaik.

Sementara, SAS selaku pembangkang menjuarai kategori Bahasa Inggeris dengan mengetepikan pencabarnya, Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman (Star), Ipoh dalam tajuk This House Believe As That Open Source Software Should Be Made Mandatory In Government Offices.

Dengan kemenangan itu, MCKK yang dibarisi pendebat Aslam Abd Jalil, Mohd Amirul Asyraf Mohd Hanaffi, Muhammad Affendy Hasni dan Mus’ab Abdul Manan (simpanan) menerima Piala Tun Sri Lanang, wang tunai RM2,000, piala iringan dan sijil penghargaan.

Pasukan SAS yang diwakili Darimi Saadon, Muhammad Khalid Azizuddin, Nuruddin Abdul Aziz dan Hairul Abdul Rashid (simpanan), memperoleh Piala Munsyi Abdullah, wang tunai RM2,000, piala iringan serta sijil penghargaan.

Kedua-dua sekolah turut mencatat kejayaan berganda apabila Darini dan Muhammad Affendy diumumkan pendebat terbaik pertandingan akhir. Masing-masing menerima wang tunai RM300, piala iringan dan sijil penghargaan.

Naib johan kedua-dua kategori masing-masing menerima hadiah wang tunai RM1,000, piala iringan dan sijil penghargaan.

Pendebat terbaik keseluruhan dimenangi Muhammad Affendy bagi kategori Bahasa Melayu, manakala Muhamad Zuhri Kamil Mohd Sapii bagi kategori Bahasa Inggeris.

Hadiah kepada pemenang disampaikan Setiausaha Parlimen, Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim.

Hadir sama, Timbalan Rektor Akademik dan Penyelidikan UIAM, Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Azmi Omar.

Pertandingan Debat Sekolah-sekolah Malaysia 2007 ditaja TIME Engeneering Bhd sebagai penaja utama, selain Petronas, Kesatuan Alumni UIAM dan IIUM Holdings Sdn Bhd, manakala akhbar Berita Harian selaku media rasmi.

Pertandingan tahun ini menyaksikan penyertaan terbanyak 162 pasukan membabitkan 810 peserta dan guru pengiring.

Berita Harian Sabtu 21 April 2007

BBBooootu, 21 April 2007

Sabtu, 21 April 2007

KELANTAN - Local delicacies

( dedicated to a friend from Machang now living in New York )
Invented by the Kelantanese among them:

• Nasi Dagang

A brown glutinous rice (special glutinous rice) which is cooked with santan (fresh coconut milk) , blended onions and garlic and some spices (such as Malay:halba (fenugreek). Fish or chicken cook similar to curry comes as an add-on to complete the dishes. Add-on include a specially prepared sour salad consists mainly of cucumber.

The Nasi Dagang is one of the tastiest dishes in Kelantan and goes well with fish curry (the spices used are different from curry), sour salad, hard boiled eggs and chicken.. It is recommended to take only a small portion as it is extremely filling.

• Nasi Kerabu

Nasi Kerabu literally means "herbal rice". There are two version.

Kelantan's Original Nasi Kerabu is a "white rice", served with "tumis" gravy and served with local herbs, leaves and vegetables. Tumis is a thickened chilli based gravy fried in a wok.

Thiere is another the version, which is a dyed-blue (using herbs – a type of flower) rice without a "tumis" gravy.

Apart from that it is also served with deep fried small fish coated with spicy ground rice, fried fish crackers (keropok), salted egg, "solok lada" (fish fillet and coconut-stuffed green chillis), and pickled garlic.

blue Nasi Kerabu with Keropok

• Nasi Tumpang

Rice packed in a cone-shaped banana leaf. A pack of Nasi Tumpang may consists of an omelet, beef floss, chicken curry and sweet gravy.

The norm is, it come in three layers of normal rice, glutinous rice and red beans. It is said that it is traditionally meant for travelers. Dubbed by young locals as Apollo.

• Ayam Golek / Ayam Percik

Wood-fire broiled chicken ( marinated in a selection of spices) dressed with sweet coconut gravy. Ayam Golek / Percik is eaten with white rice in major family dishes.

To those who do not prefer the rich coconut gravy can take the broiled chicken can also be dipped into "cholek" - a hot chilli sauce ala Thai.

• Nasi Berlauk

Nasi Berlauk is a breakfast dish. Most Kelantanese have Nasi Berlauk is rice served with fish or chicken and vegetables cooked with tumeric and galangal infused yellow gravy for breakfast. Wrapped in banana leaves brings out the special flavour.

• Keropok

These are Kelantanese fish crackers. Their texture and colour are noticeably rougher and darker than the usual variety found on the.

• Keropok Gote

Kelantanese version of sausages. Made by combining fish flesh and sago, keropok gote is rolled into long firm sticks and then steamed or boiled. To enjoy it, one has to cut it into desired bite sized and deep fried. Different from Terengganu's keropok lekor, the Kelantan variety is thicker and longer in size and has to be fried to be eaten. Keropok Gote is probably the one snack which all Kelantanese children grow up with. It is a must have, at all school canteens.

• Kelantanese Laksa and Laksam

Laksa is white rice noodles served with curry and vegetables, is made differently in every state in Malaysia. The Kelantanese laksa employs the creamy white coconut milk gravy which is richer and has full-bodied flavour. The main ingredients of the gravy is fish flesh, although connoisseurs would certainly prefer the ones made of selected fish such as eels.

Laksam is served with the same gravy. Laksam is from ground rice, turned into paste, steamed after being flattened into thin plates. Allowed to cool then rolled. Served after scissor sniped into strips of 10mm wide. Laksam is unique to Kelantan, it originates here, though one may find anywhere in Malaysia today.

Laksam

Whenever you are in Malaysia, try them.

KURSUS KEARAH PENSIJILAN HALAL
27 Febuari 2007 (Selasa) 8.30-5.00 petang
Di Kuala Lumpur, Kandungan: Memahami Prosedur
Pensijilan Halal, Meneganali dan memahami Akta serta
undang-undang dalam pengurusan Halal, isu-isu semasa
halal. Tel : 03-40235155, 012-3157358 (SMS)


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Dishing Out State’s money.

It was a happy day for the mums in Machang.. A day before Christmas Eve, 23 December 2006. Haji Jazlan a local acting leader, representing the Federal Government handed out some money to the poor kids going to school next year. Close to RM70,000.00 were handed over to the less fortunate under the scheme KWAPM , kumpulan wang amanah pelajar miskin, literally translated means -The Trust Fund For Poor Students.

The participants

Typically, the lowest stage, stage one in primary year one to three gets some RM150.00. That will be enough for exercise books and annual school charges. I refrained from using the term fees here, for education at this level in Malaysia is supposed to be free. The event was organized at Machang town level with parents from local primary schools in this town were invited to attend. The Headmistress from the local Chinese Primary School, Pei Wah was also present.

The participants leaving for a light meal

The interesting observation I found here is that on occasions like this, it is the ladies who flocked the schools. There were always more mothers than fathers present at school public days for primary school in this town including prize giving and sports. For the school that my children go to, I was told that the number of boys to girls ration is about fifty-fifty. I have to make more observation whether this phenomenon of women participation is limited to my town or ubiquitous through out the state of Kelantan.

Collecting handouts after the speech

The VIPS place for makan (meal)

Malaysian Schools Rugby Championship.

The PMR (Year 3 Secondary School Examination in Malaysia) has ended. Those who have completed it were jumping, Merdeka! Merdeka! (independence in English). The Schooling was still on, my kid came back for a week. He studied in a public (full residential/boarding school) in the state of Perak, in the west coast. Then he left again, went back to school, en route Malacca, to participate in the Malaysian Schools Under 15 Rugby Championship, that will stretched into the second week of the holiday.

Their school represented Perak. The reached the semi final, beaten by 1 try by King George the V (KGV) of Seremban Negeri Sembilan, another state in the west coast south of Perak. They got the third place. KGV was beaten by a School from Kelantan, Sultan Yahya Petra of Kuala Krai (SYP), SYP came out as the champ. I was told the SYP is now a sports school. In Malaysia now they are schools earmarked as sports school where good students of reasonable academical standing who have inclination over sports are placed.

Rugby is a good a game. At least me and my kid shared the same passion. I could share the excitement and enjoyed watching too, when he switches on a match say between All Blacks and Springbox or the recent Springbox, English tour on Youtube. I can associate with that. It’s a tough game for gentlemen and not a place for rowdies. In the game, we have one thing in common, we were not into scrums. I played more as one of the 3Qs probably just before the winger, was my favourite position. My kid play full-back. It is a position that I would rather not choose. Being the last man in the line up you will have to make sure that you can take any runner from the opposite side down.

Favourite Verses :

Rivalry in worldly increase distracteth you

Until ye come to the gave.

Nay, but ye will come to know!

Nay, but ye will come to know!

Nay, would that ye knew (now) with sure knowledge,

For ye will behold hell-fire.

Aye, ye will behold it with sure vision.

Then, on that day, ye will be asked

Concerning pleasure.

102:1-8 Al- Takathur ( By Marmaduke Pickthall )

Favourite Supplication :

O Lord, Thou art my shelter if I grow sad, and Thou art my resource if I am in need and unto Thee I cry for help, when deeply afflicted, and with Thee is recompense for what is lost, and reformation for what is corrupted, and alteration for what Thou disapproved:

Therefore, favour me with security before calamity, and bounty before begging for it and right direction before error and spare me from bearing me peace on the day of resurrection and favour me with handsome guidance.

O Lord, bless Muhammad and his family and ward off evil from me with Thy grace, and nourish me with Thy blessing, and reform me with Thy graciousness and cure me with Thy goodness and hide me in the shelter of Thy mercy and clothe me with Thy approbation, and help me, when matters grow difficult about me, to choose the most righteous of them, and when actions become dubious, to select the purest of them, and when the creeds conflict, to adopt the most praiseworthy of them.

O Lord, bless Muhammad and his family and crown me with sufficiency and adorn me with the grace of Thy love and grant me true guidance and do not try me with prosperity and confer on me the beauty of comfort and do not make my life a succession of trials, and do not reject my prayer with repulsion; for, I do not recognise any as Thy rival, and I do not call upon any as Thy equal.

O Lord, bless Muhammad and his family and restrain me from extravagance and preserve my subsistence from waste and increase my possessions by giving blessing therein and let me walk along the path of benevolence; in whatever I spend my wealth.

Supplications of Imam Ali Zayn al-'Abidin a.s.

Favourite lyrics:

I could be the driver an articulated lorry
I could be a poet I wouldn't need to worry
I could be a teacher in a classroom full of scholars
I could be the sergeant in a squadron full of wallahs
What a waste
What a waste
What a waste
What a waste

CHORUS:
Because I chose to play the fool in a six-piece band,
First-night nerves every one-night stand.
I should be glad to be so inclined.
What a waste! What a waste!
But I don't mind.

I could be a lawyer with strategems and ruses
I could be a doctor with poultices and bruises
I could be a writer with a growing reputation
I could be the ticket man at Fulham Broadway Station
What a waste (x4)

Repeat CHORUS

I could be the catalyst that sparks the revolution
I could be an inmate in a long-term institution
I could dream to wide extremes, I could do or die
I could yawn and be withdrawn and watch the world go by
What a waste (x4)


Ian Dury and The Blockheads : 1977

You deserve to hear this Late Cockney Londoner lyrics from the stage