LOVE STORY

FAREEN

My wife and I have been planning for our long-awaited back packing Europe Tour - VERY EXCITED! But still a long way to go. We are planning to go on that tour at the end of Feb 2014. Hope Allah will make it easy for us to make this tour a reality. If everything goes according to plan, we should be somewhere in Germany on 2nd March 2014, Insya-Allah!

What is so special about March 2nd?

On 2 Mar 2014, I will be celebrating my 12th Anniversary of marriage to this lovely lady, Fareen. Everyday, I thank Allah for awarding me this angel, who have been everything to me. May Allah also see us through together in Jannah for eternity - Amin!

This may be too early - but in celebration of our anniversary, allow me to go back in time a little and tell you our story from the beginning. This story actually begun almost 25 years ago. I remember it was 1988 and I have just finished my UPSR.............

Perghh.. jauhnya back in time..!! But seriously, that's where it really begin - So just bare with me!

After UPSR, I started applying for secondary school entries. My friends and I have been talking and very excited to apply for RMC - Royal Military College. Like many other children, I have high respect and admiration for our men in uniform. Well, it's not really about the uniform or the discipline. It was the guns and bombs and the missiles that excites us the most - yeah!! So, I applied to enter RMC.

Gambar Hiasan 

Believe it or not, I hand-written a formal letter (yes, we did not have computers or printers yet at that time), put the letter in an envelop, bought a stamp and posted the letter to the Education Ministry. THAT was actually my first official letter ever and I did all that all by myself! I felt so proud when I received a reply back with an application form.

To cut the story short - Allah actually have better plans for me and my application to RMC was rejected. So, you can see now why I have to start my story from 1988, right? Because that was a significant turning point in my life. Thinking back, had I been accepted, I am sure that I would be leading a very different life today and I would never have met the love of my life. 

Parents knows best!

My parents got me enrolled into another school instead. I was still excited because I know it is a very good school, but of course without the guns and the bombs and the missiles. The school I entered is a well known boarding school in Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Sekolah Menengah Tun Syed Sheh Shahabudin, or SOKSEK as it is fondly known as. Although I did not know yet at that time - This school changed my life forever. A place I will call home for the next 5 years and I have loads and loads AND LOADS of memories there. Friends are more like families and we still keep in touch until today.

Fareen joined the school a bit later that year. And I still remember the first time I saw her walking into the class and being introduced as a new student. I fell in love almost immediately. But I was not ‘Mr Cool’ back then and I have very-very-very little courage when it comes to interaction with girls. So, I only dare to look at her from afar, concealing all my feelings as best as I could. In other words, CONTROL MACHO! Hehe. But really, at that time, we were still on a long journey for knowledge and we were simply very young.

Me - Standing 3rd from left
Fareen - Sitting 2nd from right

But I have to admit that every time I looked at Fareen, my heart would pound like a Chinese New Year’s drum. I also caught myself smiling every time I thought of her. I was happy, I was confused, I was jealous, I was shy, I was going insane!! And during that roller coaster of emotions, I always put up my hands and pray to Allah to give me guidance. I told Him that I love her very much.

Gambar Hiasan

“Ya Allah, I know that there is no hiding from You...", I would start.

"You know what is in my heart – hidden or expressed. So, I know that You know that I love Fareen so very much. But I am not very sure if this is true love or is it just the hormones of a teenager. Guide me ya Allah, please guide me. If Fareen is the one for me, make it easier for us to be together. Clear our path and give me the courage to approach her. And if we are meant for each other in this world, please make it so that we are also together in jannah, ya Rabbi.”

Years went by and we finished school without her ever knowing how I feel. Only after SPM and we were being 'freed' from the boarding school that I have spent most of my adolescent life in - that it finally hit me. I told myself that if I don't act now, I would lose her forever. One fine day, I borrowed my dad's mobile phone, gathered up my courage and dialed her home number; a number I have 'stolen' from the teacher's log book weeks earlier - A misuse privilege of being the Deputy Head Prefect. Huhu..!

Ring... Ring... Ring... (Seriously, that must have been the LONGEST ring I have ever had to wait!)

"Hello", a voice suddenly came on the phone.

Alamak, sekali mak dia yang jawab daaa!!!......... (Now my mother in-law)

"Err.. Assalamualaikum auntie. Fareen ada?"

"Waalaikumsalam. Ada.. Siapa ni?" asked the mom.

"Ni Azmil, ka-ka-kawan sekolah" I replied nervously.

"Azmil? Ok. Nanti sat naa.." said the mom with that Penang slang.

Phew! Lucky her mom did not interrogate me so much. (The interrogation came much later...... hehe)
Then Fareen came to the phone and we started talking.

For those who are excited to know what we talked about... FORGET IT!! I am not going to reveal that. Hehe.. But suffice to say that that phone call was the best thing I ever did and we starting dating after that.

Moving on.........

We dated for several years while pursuing our studies in our own fields in UKM. Wonderful memories.. Simply wonderful! And again, I am not going to get into details of our dating period... RAHSIA LAA!! Gila ke apa? Kalu mak aku baca, mau pitam dia nanti! hehehe......... :p

Fast forward - In 2001, I finally asked her to marry me. I have just finished my degree at that time, not much savings in my bank account, no property whatsoever under my name - Nothing! In a nutshell, I have nothing to offer except for my undying and unconditional love (ceewah!)

Lucky for me, she accepted my proposal, families meet families, we put plans into actions and the rest, like they say - is history! We got married a year after on 2nd March 2002.

Wedding of the year!!

Since then, we have been blessed with 12 wonderful years. We have done a lot of things together, face many challenges together, we have also traveled the world together. Yeah, we travel a lot and we love it!!!

Frankly, we are actually making the best of what we DON'T have... (For those who understood that statement.. good for you. For those who don't understand - don't worry about it. Nothing important...:)).

But I must say that I couldn't have asked for it any other way. Here are some of our vacation photos.

In Sydney, Australia

In Pucket, Thailand

Went on a 4x4 adventure in Ulu Kerling

With Buzz Lightyear in Disney World, Hong Kong

In Singapore with Aqeef

Canopy walk in Sabah

Para-sailing in Sabah

At Sky-bridge in Langkawi Island

On top of a volcanic mount in Jeju Island, Korea

Went diving in Tioman Island

In Bukit Tinggi

Performed Hajj in Mekah, Saudi Arabia

In Capadocia, Turkey

And many many more....................

If my calculations are correct, on the 2nd of March 2014, we should be in Berlin Germany. I'll upload photos of our Europe Tour after that, Insya-Allah.

Like any other marriages, of course over the years, we have had our share of arguments (which I always win!) and our disagreements (which I am  always right!).... hehe.

But I still love her no matter what!

To my dear Fareen, 

Thank you for all the adventures we have had over the years. Our life together has been FAR from perfect, I know. We have had our ups and downs. But as I look back at the journey that we have taken as lovers, and now as spouses, I am thankful to Allah for bringing you to me. I told myself that I must have done something good to be rewarded with this heavenly reward - YOU. You have stood by me through thick and thins. You love me even when I feel like I am not worth loving..........

So in advance,
HAPPY 12TH ANNIVERSARY, MY LOVE!
Let's go and create many more adventures, shall we?

NAKHODA MAT BAHAROM : FAMILY DAY 2013

On 14 Sept 2013, I helped organize a gathering of my family tree. A family tree that could be traced back to my great-great-great-great grandfather, named Nakhoda Mat Baharom. It was held in the Lost World of Tambun, a theme park in Ipoh Perak, under Sunway Group.

It was a great event with great turn out.

So, who is Nakhoda Mat Baharom?

Well to start with, the title 'Nakhoda' indicates that he was Captain of a ship. He lived in the 1870s and he was a trader from North Sumatra Province of Indonesia. He often comes to Penang and Singapore at that time to trade spices for items that he would then bring back to his hometown. On every visit, he would spend a few days to allow time for items to be loaded onto his ship.

After many visits, he soon fell in love with a local Penang girl named Noriah and they soon got married. Their union marks the beginning of Nakhoda's linage in Tanah Melayu. They were blessed with 6 children - Long Nerati, Ngah Pora, Alang Arbaayah (Mentera), Hj Ali, Andak Teh and Chu Ismail.

For me, I have direct linage to 3 of Nakhoda's children - Nerati, Mentera and Hj Ali.

See if you can follow this flow below..

1. Nakhoda's eldest child, Nerati married Aboo Kassim and got a son named Mat Selidin.
2. Mat Selidin later married his cousin, Amnah who is the daughter of Hj Ali, Nakhoda's forth child.
3. Mat Selidin and Amnah then got a son named Jamaludin.
4. Meanwhile the third child of Nakhoda, Arbaayah married Mat Akib, and got a son named Yeop.
5. Yeop then married Naemah and got a daughter named Zawiyah.
6. Jamaludin (see point #3) and Zawiyah (see point #5) later got married to each other.
7. Jamaludin and Zawiyah had a daughter named Hasnah.
8. Hasnah then married Abdul Aziz
9. Hasnah and Abdul Aziz are non other than my beloved parents!

Got it? Hehe.. It's okay if you don't. I got confused myself trying to figure out the family tree. And as you can imagine, the family tree gets a lot more complex when we include the linage of the other 3 of Nakhoda's.

On record, Nakhoda's linage has now reached its 7th generation. It is quite difficult now for everyone to know everyone within this huge family tree. So, this gathering provides a very rare opportunity to foster greater relationship among family members.

I can say that the senior generation know each other well and they often meet and chat. But as the tree grew larger, the younger generations gets further and further apart. The family gathering this time was purposely held in a theme park to attract the interest from the younger generations to continue this effort of fostering family relations. 

Juahari and I took the lead and became the emcee combo on that day. Hehe.. With no script, no rehearsal, we just jump in and get things rolling on that day!

I am very happy to see a lot of smiles and laughter and joy throughout the event. There were food, drinks, tele-match and lucky draw.

The tele-match includes:

The Orang Utan Race..........

The Mexican Wave...........

The 500 Miles...........

And Treasure Hunt..........

Till we meet again - May Allah continue to bless this ever growing family and unite our hearts where ever we may be. Amin!

Check out more photos on FB page of Keluarga Nakhoda Mat Baharom.

AIDILADHA IN PD

During Aidiladha this year, my in-laws and me went to PD for a family retreat. We stayed at Avillion Admiral Cove, near Telok Kemang. A beautiful place with loads of activities.

Friday night, we had dinner at this restaurant. Nice food BUT we had to wait for more than an hour. We could see a few other tables gave up and decided not to stay any longer. They left. We almost gave up too and was about to leave, when our food arrived. Thank god!!

Would I recommend this restaurant to others? Hmm... yes, because the food is nice; BUT DO NOT go there during peak season or you'll have to wait for more than an hour for your food.

The next day, we started our activities with a taste of Robin Hood....

Afif

Babah

Fareen

Farah

Kak In

Robin Hood

Azard

Nita

Nadzrul

Then, bicycle time!!!

A few of us also tried KMX

Then, lunch at a Golf Club..

Then, a few other activities....

 

More pictures in Facebook...........................

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