We are flood victims (Part 2: during the flood)

Bismillah,

This is a continuation of this post. Still remember that the power supply will be cut off from this post? So this was what we've did as a preparation. We cooked every raw materials that we had in the fridge. From chicken, seafood, egg, fish, to even veggies. No one want to throw all that away when it got spoiled right? Membazir camtu je nanti. 

We cooked almost non-stop okay (nonstop!) before the power cut off. We wanted to ensure that we will have a sufficient amount of food during that period.      

While we were preparing the food supply, we can frequently hear the helicopter sound. It was so close that you was concomitantly wondering, "has the flood reach our street by now?"   

A view from Sis Zatil's house at Warren Street. 

Can you spot the helicopter?

At Warren Street before we left for Central Avenue. Half of the garage was being flooded. 

Do you still want to rent this property? Nah..

Then we packed our stuffs and foods as we wanted to move for a higher place, the Central Avenue. Thanks again to Sis Zatil for her hard work in finding a much higher place for us. :) 

Do you think the ants know that the flood is coming that they 

wanted to move out somewhere higher? (Our seniors' house at Central Avenue)

Some of our food supply. Menu for the first day: fried chickens, boiled eggs, veggies soup, rice. 

Mewah kan untuk mangsa banjir? Alhamdulillah. ^_^ And some plain water.

 From Central Avenue back to Warren Street to gather more foods on that evening.
Can you see how high the Central Avenue is? And try to zoom in to the end of this road.

 Here's the close up view. Blocked road.

As most of us (particularly me) afraid that the food supply that we have might not enough, we went to the FoodWorks located at Hawken Village. The only shop that managed to operate during flood, and they used a generator for their electricity. We went there to grab more loaves of bread. But unfortunately...

The bread's shelves were empty! :( 

(Roti dah habis boleh lagikan senyum? Hehe..)

Same went for the biscuit's shelves. *Double worried*

But, lucky enough that we were early and managed to grab 4 bread loaves at the counter. We were being blessed again! Thank you Allah that You ease our rough situation. :)

I found this service was kind of cute and generous. No electricity remember?

 Thanks FoodWorks!

On the second day at Central avenue, Ainna got a phone call from Auntie Nisyat. It was an invitation to cook at her place (as her stove use gas not electricity). She wanted to finish her meat supply fast as the meat might be spoiled due to power cut off. 

So we went there and we read Surah Ar-Rahman (Allah the Most Gracious) from Quran as our sign of appreciation to Allah for:

• the food supply we have at that moment.
• the help that we got from many people.
• the fact that we are still alive not being drag or drowning in the flood.
• the house at Central Avenue that Sis Zatil managed to find for us.
• and many more (!) that you can't finish listing all of it.

"And He gives you of all that you ask Him, and if you count Allah's favors, you will not able to number them; most man surely is very unjust, very regretful" [14:34]   

"Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?" [55:13]

So this was our menu on that day. Thanks Auntie Nisyat! Alhamdulillah2 praise be to Allah for the food. :)

Fried Samosa with potato and curry filling.

Lamb Briyani! Owh yeah..

Carrot and cabbage in a sweet ketchup soup. Masak kicap la..

Curd yougurt and Kheer; a Pakistan's dessert (as told to me). 

Or maybe from India? I'm not very sure.

Disclaimer: Sorry for the last 3 pictures, a bit dark. No electricity aite? :)

To be continued..

We are flood victims (Part 1: pre-flood)

Bismillah,

Now is 4.40 am in the morning, the 3^rd day since I evacuated my unit property at Sir Fred Schonell, St Lucia. Currently there is no electricity (no electricity means no internet too okay, just keep that in mind), limited food supply and probably shortage of water supply soon. The condition? Alhamdulillah praise be to Allah, all 6 of us are being blessed by Allah in this flood crisis. You’ll find out what I mean with that ‘blessed’ word. Keep on reading. :)

I will make 3 parts for this flood experience story; pre-flood, during the flood and post-flood.

__________________________________________________________________________

Rewinding back to the past most critical 72 hours on 11.1.11 (the last update from me in this post).  

I just finished with the observation and some data collection for my crosses project (more details about my summer project here and here). I was at the rooftop of Goddard building alone when I did my data collation. I knew something was not good when it was raining heavily on that day since morning. Like something was no right. It did rain on the previous day, but there was something different with the weather on that day.

Then I went back to the lab downstairs to keep my log book. I wanted to finish up with the DNA extraction and some plant transplanting work that was long due.

It was about noon when most of the people (summer students, postgraduation students, and researchers) that were currently in the university received a warning email from their school director. That email told us to go back home immediately to secure things, evacuate the university ground asap and move to hilly area.

“Nurul, you need to go back now. Pack your stuffs and buy food for a week”, said Vignesh with his serious face out of nowhere when I was browsing the internet to check emails.

I stunned. I tried to read his poker face deciding whether that statement was a joke or for real. You know how playful Vignesh is right? (Read more about him here) 

“This is serious! I’m not joking”, he continued realising the long pause and reluctant-to-believe face that I gave to him. 

“Yup I will. When I finish with this”, I responded.

As soon as he leaved the lab to inform others, I immediately called Zaira. I told her about the evacuation and let her knows that I’m going to overnight at her place for a couple of days. I packed my stuffs and headed straight to my house.

This was the first scenario that I felt blessed and grateful to Allah. I was lucky enough that Allah gave me will to do some groceries few days before this flood crisis strike. So I had enough food supply for a week. Alhamdulillah.

This was what I brought in a cabin size luggage:

• Passport, Malaysian IC, house documents, student ID, bank card, some cash
• The holy Al-Quran 
• Laptop, mobile phone, phone charger, camera
• Some clothes, socks, spare hijab, small towel 
• Umbrella of course
• Rice, eggs, milk, bread, fruits
• Medications and toiletries

And this teddy bear; the only not-so-important item that I will not leave behind. This teddy means a lot to me.

With his flatted tummy. Owh well..

That evening when I arrived at Zaira’s place I just realized how serious and critical the situation was when I watched the television (okey, rumah saye tak ade tv harap maklum). The Toowomba was heavily flash flooded due to inland tsunami. That area was severely affected and damaged as told by the news. My jaw was almost drooped when I heard of the news. 

Now I need to face this crisis independently without my parents. This was a matter of survival. That night we gathered at Sis Zatil's house. There were 6 of us; Zaira, Asyikin, Sis Shuhada, Ainna, Sis Zatil and me.

O’ Allah, please help me and my friends.

Just overnight, the water went higher than expected. Almost half of the Warren St was submerged with water. The map of Warren Street in this post. Alhamdulillah Sis Zatil managed to find a house at Central Avenue which is the highest point in our area.

Above was my travel log on 14.1.11. I only managed to blog again when the internet connection already stabled. To be continued..

Boxing day in Aussie

Bismillahi rahmani rahim,

Yesterday was a Boxing day. Before this, I never knew there is such a day that you can call as a BOXING day. The first time I heard of this 'boxing' term, I thought that it is a day where all Australians go to the stadium to watch a boxing match. Haha!

Later, I found out from seniors that people used to go shopping like crazy on this particular day. Ape la pulak kaitannye lawan-lawan boxing dengan beli belah ni kan?? So, this is where the 'boxing' term is originated (Source from article).

What is Boxing Day?

Boxing Day is a day the higher classes gave gifts to the lower classes. Before or on December 25th people of similar class would exchange gifts to celebrate the Christmas season. Gifts were not exchanged with the lower class until the next day called Boxing Day. It is also known as St. Stephen’s Day.

Why is the holiday named Boxing Day?

The holiday is named Boxing Day because the tradition of giving gifts of cash, food, clothing and other goods to the less fortunate were placed into boxes for easier transportation. The goods were distributed based on the family needs and their services to the giver

Who celebrates Boxing Day?

Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and other Commonwealth Countries celebrate Boxing Day on December 26th.

Purpose of Teaching the Origin and History of Boxing Day

Boxing Day officially began in England in the middle of the 19 century under the rule of Queen Victoria. However, many adults and children do not know the true meaning of Boxing Day and its reasons for celebrating. It was a day to thank the community for all their effort throughout the years. The maids, drivers and other service workers were thanked with gifts of food, money, clothing, and other goods. It is important to teach students how they can contribute to society and to understand not all families are able to provide for their families all of the time. As well, the discussion on the origin and history of Boxing Day can open dialogue about less fortunate individuals in the community and how the students can make a difference. Students may do a viable proposal on how their class or a group of students can provide a service or gift to other families or students in the community who are less fortunate.

And now, boxing day I believe is the same thing as Year End Sale (YES) or Mega sale at Malaysia.

Okay, enough babbling about the history of this boxing day.

So last Sunday I went to Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) with friends. As the name itself explains its meaning, DFO is where the branded items are sold at a greatly reduced and cheap price. Then we split, to search for our stuffs. Me and Syazwani walked together as we will be buying almost the same items for our family members.

Okay, the first check point is where Corelle, the famous dinnnerware brand is sold. When I entered that store, almost everyone is Malaysian! Whoa! ;O Nampak sangat la orang Malaysia ni suka beli set pinggan mangkuk kan.. So, one item is done for Syazwani's mother. Alhamdulillah =)

Then we walked to the next store, Fossil.

Syazwani bought one watch for her sister and had adjusted her watch strap. And me? I've bought one already for my brother during my last winter trip to Melbourne. Whilst I've got my Fossil watch from Malaysia, long back before I arrived at Aussie. Haih, bertuah la sape jadi adik aku ni kan? Jam pun nak Aussie mali. Demand tinggi depa ni..

Afternoon tea by UQ scholarship unit

Bismillah,

Today was very tiring. I have no time to rest and goyang - goyang kaki at home. Alhamdulillah managed to safely arrive from Newcastle yesterday evening. The trip to Newcastle was a success. =) There will be another post for that trip alone insyAllah.

Okay, so today I went to the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) for a seminar regarding on safety induction for working with biological material. It's for my summer research project. This 2-hour seminar is compulsory for anyone who's going to work in PC 2 laboratory. So what is physical containment (PC) ? Click here. The seminar thought us how to appropriately play around with genetically modified organisms. 

Okay done with that. On the evening, I had an afternoon tea organised by UQ scholarship unit. The scholarship recipients come from various expertise. Psychology, economics, IT, engineering, medical, biology, arts etc. Before that we had a wonderful talk presented by Mr Dennis Schatz on how to communicate your research to public.

My team; a 3rd year student doing economics and 1st year student doing IT. Great people! Sorry with the quality of the picture, a bit dark.

Okay guys, I'm going off to bed early tonight. Tomorrow gonna be my 1st official day for my summer semester. Wish me luck! Can't wait to update about the Newcastle trip =D *yawning...*

Missing lovely Hani from Newcastle.

And stunning Ilia. 

Thanks a lot to Newcastle people (including Nadia and Cik Ijat) for the hospitality. Next trip to Newcastle is gonna be for the hot air balloon rides pulak! =)

No one knows

Bismillah,

I just got back from uni, was performing my tarawikh at Multi Faith Centre. Alhamdulillah, another one blessed night. =)

Fasting over here honestly, not much of a problem. I don't really feel the burden to resist temptation when people are eating in front of me, or the aroma of hot chocolate gushed into my nostril. Because you used to it. 

So, how is that? Most of the time even before Ramadhan started, we often eat at home after the classes end. Or tapau food for lunch if classes end late on that day. We used to 'starve' during lunch hour and have our meal later on that day.

Ok it is not starve, that sounds harsh. Haha.. We postpone our lunch (aka skip lunch la sonang cito eh..) So, when Ramadhan comes, it's not a big deal for me. Because you used to berperut kosong.

Plus, it's hard to get halal food around campus. So when you see someone is enjoying a hot drumstick or pizza, your saliva won't secrete (oke, terover plak gune perumpamaan air liur di situ..) because you know that food is not halal.

And plus2, it's winter now! Meaning that, day time is shorter than Malaysia's, aka break fast early! =P (X sempat rase lapar kot.. Hehe..)

Whether you are fasting or you are not fasting (due to menstrual reason la kn?) no one will ever know. Nobody will arrest you if you are eating publicly during Ramadhan. No one will say, "Eh, x puase ke?" if you mistakenly drank in class.

Because people around you do not know what's fasting is all about. Fasting in the country where Muslims are the minority, you can even skip the whole Ramadhan la if you want. But, be honest to yourself, because verily Allah knows. He said,

"And indeed We have created man, and We know what his own self whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge)" [50:16]

"And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record" [6:59]

Hatta daun - daun gugur pun Allah tahu, ape tah lagi insan - insan yang tak puase kn? Only you and Him, Allah the All-Knower know about it.

Today I had a 2-hour class from 5pm to 7pm. That class was totally clash with the Maghrib prayer, so I did jama' Maghrib with Isya'. Then, I straight away continue with the tarawikh prayer. I only managed to break fast properly with heavy meal after that (nasib baik perut tak grumbling time sembahyang...) I can choose to walk and make my way home pretending I've done with the tarawikh congregation. No one will ever know. Tapi hidup mahu jujur la beb!

The housewarming

Salam.. =) Yesterday we had an awesome housewarming at our place. Even though it's already like half year we've been here, for some of our friends this is their first time visiting our house! Yeah, we've been very busy last semester. (Da separuh tahun baru la nak buat open house..) 

Thanks to my housemates; Azzah, Ida, and Atiqah for making this happen. =D (Walaupon guest pertame da sampai tp ko still tgh memasak spaghetti kt dapur tu Azzah.. ;p)

  

Corn porridge and fruit cocktail

Cheese cake

Macaroni fried with garlic

Ramainye! =)

Syukran sume.. ^_^

Strawberry dipped with melted chocolate

With that, I want to wish to all muslims,

"Selamat menyambut Ramadhan mubarak!"  

Winter's coming!

Salam everyone!

After 2 weeks or struggle and busy-ness due to assignments marathon, I'm back! 3 weeks left to final. Owh! And I even have one subject that starts after maghrib prayer! (x pernah2 aku exam malam hari...)

Ok, back to topic. With the ends of May, Brisbane is officially in winter. Eventhough it's never snows at Queensland, but it still cold! And yes, unlike Adelaide, Melbourne and other parts of Australia, the trees here haven't started to yellowish. Thank Allah I'm not destined to study at the snowy country cause I can't tolerate with coldness! Owh, I miss the hot climate of Malaysia so much..

By hook or by crook, I'm going to get myself a heater tomorrow. I will not allow this freaking cold weather (sejuk la sangat kn? Tapi sejuk jugak...) to bother me especially when the final is just around the corner. Gambatte!

Owh ya, some updates. The last 3 days had been tough for me. I've been overnight at UQ library for the sake to finish my assignments. Under sleep deprivation for 3 days made me felt like, "Am I still alive?" Alhamdulillah, Allah gave me strength. Owh Dr Susan Rowland, please gives me high score for that assingment.. With Allah's will, amin..

*Rakan2 seperjuangan! Muke pukul 3 pg. Credit to Wawa*

*Brrr... Di bus stand pukul 6 pg. Org nk g uni, aku baru nk blk umah. Mandi2 siap2 then g uni balik*

*S.E.J.U.K!*