A traveller in the temporary world

A servant of Almighty God,daughter to my parents an ex engineering student at a German University, a Citizen of Malaysia, a proud Terengganuer, a German-people admirer.

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Pergi ke Toulouse 2012

Pada akhir tahun 2012, saya telah pergi ke Toulouse France untuk satu program. Saya naik flight Air France kerana tiada flight tambang murah lain. Saya tidak dapat tiket terus ke Toulouse, jadi saya beli tiket ke CDG Airport dan terpaksa mengambil perkhidmatan shuttle bus untuk ke airport domestik. Sementara menunggu bas, saya berjumpa beberapa pelajar perubatan dari Poland. Ain Nabilah dan saya lupa nama dia. Kami ambil penerbangan ke Toulouse. Kalau tak salah, kami ambil bas shuttle ke Gare Toulouse. Kami dijemput di Gare Toulouse oleh Ukht Saba dan suaminya. Saya ingatkan tempat tersebut tidak jauh dari airport Toulouse, tapi sangkaan kami salah. Saya pun tertidur- tertidur dalam perjalanan, sempat saya mendengar pertanyaan Ukht Saba terhadap keadaan suaminya, kedengarannya seperti suaminya kepenatan dan tertidur. Akhirnya kami tiba kira-kira pukul 3 pagi,kami ditunjukkan bilik kami.

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Training program for graduate trainee and presentation

Last two days, on Wednesday 14/9/2016 , we have had an presentation on Customer Relationship Management Software Congratulations to my teammate Alima, Iqbal, Adli, it’s an awesome experience to collaborate with you guys. I still couldn’t believe we only discussed this three times (2nd September, 8th and 13 )at Sans Francisco Coffee Place prior to our presentation. And actually I was quite nervous since I was still looking for info the night before presentation and I haven’t rehearsed. I don’t know if we all will be in this company after our training ends, but I want to keep this in my memory. 

And for my teammates at our company’s training centre, Dayah, Mai, Safwan, Faiz, Azmir and Haziman, it’s my pleasure to be able to collaborate(to argue and to command) and sharing ideas and opinion for the past two week (5/9/16- 15/9/16). We might see each other again, or maybe not, so good luck in your future undertaking wherever and whenever you future might bring you. Remember what Mr Emir told us, be the best in everything you want to do. 

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Somebody in my life

Today I want to tell about somebody in my life. Because I fear someday, I will forget her. I want people to know, I want my future generation to know, that she is someone so special. Let me introduce her as Dina. When you look at her, it’s hard to say what she is up too. I do something I considered unusual for me, riding motor with her. On a main road. She is so cool. And so thoughtful. Actually I am scared, but I eventually I am convinced with her ability. She brought me from the site back to our office since I don’t have any transport. She sent me to nearest train station when nobody is there for me. She waited for me.She laughed at me when I am panicked and then I would laugh too. I did some funny things (on that motor), only God and we know it (hint:helmet)  She bought food( fried beehon, samosa besar, keropok lekor) for me. We went to surau together, we eat together and we share our stories, as if we have known each other since ages. She love to make deserts. We got to know each other on 12/4/2016, and the last day is 8th June 2016.(If I am not mistaken).We would sleep at the surau. She would laugh if my head ,,tersenguk-senguk’’ when I was doing my work, or when my stomach made funny sounds. Her stories are interesting and funny, so that I would listen and then laugh. We met an uncle who like to talk to us in stall near HKL till she could not focus on her food.. One story, I think, (it is not too personal) the story of cats at her home area who love to have  their ,,meetings’’, or the story her and cat in a hotel. She left to chase her dream, good luck. Pray for me to chase my dreams too. Saya doakan Dina diberi pasangan hidup dan zuriat sebagai penyejuk mata dan pemimpin bagi orang bertaqwa, semoga menjadi di kalangan orang beriman yang diredhai Allah, dimasukkan ke syurga dan dijauhkan dari api neraka. Semoga kita jumpa lagi. I really glad, that I meet you and learn a lot of goodness  from you. InsyaAllah, suatu hari nanti, kita jumpa lagi... 

[norlisaabdulrahman]

"Say Something" Say something, I'm giving up on you I'll be the one if you want me to Anywhere I would've followed you Say something, I'm giving up on you And I... am feeling so small It was over my head I know nothing at all And I... will stumble and fall I'm still learning to love Just starting to crawl Say something, I'm giving up on you I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you Anywhere I would've followed you Say something, I'm giving up on you And I... will swallow my pride You're the one that I love And I'm saying goodbye Say something, I'm giving up on you And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you And anywhere I would've followed you (Oh-Ooh) Say something, I'm giving up on you Say something, I'm giving up on you Say something...

quoted song-

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Ethics and Moral Values in Malaysia

Salam wbt. Today I want to talk about some things I find not so comforting in Malaysia. Maybe because I spent most of my independent years in Germany (From January 2009-September 2015), I didn’t know the reality to be an adult in Malaysia. Maybe during my school days I was surrounded by good people (ok my primary school is SK Sultan Sulaiman 1 and SMK Sultan Sulaiman, and also during my preparation course in KBU I, I think my classmates are courteous(or good people). Or maybe, I was not so particular at that time because I am Malaysian and I am not exposed to  the outside world and how good they are compared to ours. I think we are already doing good. 

So in Germany, I learnt to greet people eventhough I don’t know them. We say hallo to the bus drivers  or someone who we encounter during our mountain hike. Men holding doors for women or people who are at their back are considered normal things in Germany and it’s polite (and it doesn’t mean that someone is exeggerating or trying to flirt). At  restaurants, especially fast foods, we clean back our table and return it to the workers or its place. We sort our  trash at home, paper, glass, plastic/packaging, bio, rest (what could not be recycled like pampers, tampon, dirty things). Their rivers are clean, I never encounter a smelly big drains or something like that when I was  in Germany. 

Sadly in Malaysia, people are ashamed to greet people, or maybe people are just sceptical of other. Yes sometimes we could find someone who is helpful and good, but it bothers me when someone (especially of your same race) acting cold or making face in front of you.  I see that the spirit of Islam is lost in our culture, which is to say to greet assalamualaikum to your fellow muslim brothers and sisters, and to smile and meet them with pleasant face. We have become hard. We have become materialistic.We have abandoned ethics. Maybe some people act that way because they are stressed. But if you see so many people acting like that, is there something wrong in the way we raise our kids or we ,,design’’ our societies? People are ashamed to do good. At fast food restaurants in Malaysia, I want to clean the table back and return it to the racks but I feel weird because people are not doing it. I am afraid I am losing the values that I learn in Germany just to fit in my society. I hate to see in some towns, the rivers and drains are filled with trashed, the water is heavily polluted. I just asked myself, where is the implementation of the law acts that we have. Often I encountered drains which are smelly, and streets which are dirty. I just don’t know why. Ooo Muslims, isn’t cleanliness a part of our religion? Doesn’t God see where we are? How could you say you are Muslims and throwing rubbish overall, and you are polluting the rivers? How could you? 

And why zebra crossing is made but no drivers want to give way to pedestrian? Why on earth like in Malaysia nobody are aware of the regulations? How could Germans raise their kids to be a law abiding citizen? In Germany I experienced once, a car was quit fast and it was approaching the zebra crossing. I was thinking, is this car going to stop. But it stopped eventually. A German granny looked at me and said something like this ‘’ if the car doesn’t stop at the zebra crossing , take the number plate and report it’’. And I just feel, wow. Everybody(almost) know the rules and they take it seriously. That means, even if we report it to the police, they will consider it. I remember a story of my senior at the University, she said, one of her friends bought a plant in a vase, the he/she lost it and reported it to the police. And the police took that report seriously and finally brought back that plant with the police car, at the back with seat belt. 

Ok actually I have more things to say. But I think I must stop here. Oh God, only you know how I miss Germany and the Germans. And oh God, please guide me so that I could change myself and people around me to the better. 

[norlisaabdulrahman]

My Friends Series...

Since I was in Germany for 6 years and 9 months, I developed quite a number of friendship there. I might know a lot of people/friends, but I didn’t really have a specific best friend. I am not the type of person who will tell everything in my heart, even if you think  that I love to describe in details  as you read my blog. I choose what to tell and what not.

In Germany, we (Malaysian Students) are quite close, since we do not have our parents and family by our side and we know we have to help each other to stay strong and happy. Only engineering students in Germany know how stressful it is to study in Germany. Some suffered from depression, some don’t go to classes because they think there is no use to go to class since they could not understand anything (no attendance obligation in Germany except for labs) 

In September 2015, I went back to Malaysia. Now, I know, after our student lives, all of us will have our own lives. It is not the same like in Germany. In Germany, we could plan our meeting almost spontaneously. In Malaysia, we are going to have more commitment. Maybe some of us will have new families. We might work in difference states.  I fear, that I will forget all those friendship. So I want to dedicate this series to my friends. 

to be continued……

[norlisaabdulrahman]

So here I want to tell about some friends/collegues, which have play major roles in my study life.

My Bingen Senior  and Batchmates.

-Kak Rawai, Kak Farah, Hasnoon, K Qilah,Que, Firdaus, Azwa and Zuhaili.  Actually I have never researched about Bingen before I went there. I wanted to go to University of Applied Sciences in Kiel, it is located far in the north of Germany, in Schleswig Holstein. Back then during my preparation course in Köln at Carl Duisberg Centren in Hansaring, I didn’t know where should I study, there are too many options to choose. One thing I know for sure, I wanted to study electrical engineering. I was so brave enough that I was applying for university that I didn’t know if there were any Malaysian studying there or any Malaysian who has succesfully completed their study . This is actually important, as you know some university in Germany might be so tough to cause you to go back to Malaysia. To hear  that seniors were sent home  were the worst news we want to hear. To cut the story short, I applied FH Bingen as second choice to FH Kiel. Before that, one friend told me, make ,,the istikharah prayer’’ - the prayer when you have to make important decision in your life so that you are guided to the right one. Actually, at that time, in 2009, I didn’t have much knowledge about sunnah (extra) prayers. I thought we need to recite certain surah and only special people or knowledgeable people could do that. Nevertheless, I made a 2 rakaah prayer (when I am not mistaken). I just recited simple surah and did it like normal daily prayers, except I made it 2 rakaah . For obligatory pre university practical, I had to move to Dortmund in July 2009 because CDC (Carl Duisberg Centren) could not find me practical placement in Köln. In Dortmund, it was already in August when  I received a email/or letter from Nora from CDC, which said I got accepted to FH Bingen. The closing date for the registration in FH Bingen was 21 August 2009,I had only around a week to decide but I haven’t got any offer from FH Kiel. So I have decided to take FH Bingen. Actually, when I made the istikharah prayer, I was feeling like, was my prayer correct?How should I do it the right way?.Nevertheless I did it and did ask from God. Now, as I look into the past, I know my path was guided by God. God has made it easier for me to choose. And I have caring seniors and batchmates in Bingen who were willing to help. I didn’t know why I want to study alone in Germany but deep in my heart  I know I always need people’s support and help. Maybe, I just  have ego. It just me, that I don’t like to beg people for help.  

[norlisaabdulrahman]

My Friends Series...

Since I was in Germany for 6 years and 9 months, I developed quite a number of friendship there. I might know a lot of people/friends, but I didn’t really have a specific best friend. I am not the type of person who will tell everything in my heart, even if you think  that I love to describe in details  as you read my blog. I choose what to tell and what not.

In Germany, we (Malaysian Students) are quite close, since we do not have our parents and family by our side and we know we have to help each other to stay strong and happy. Only engineering students in Germany know how stressful it is to study in Germany. Some suffered from depression, some don’t go to classes because they think there is no use to go to class since they could not understand anything (no attendance obligation in Germany except for labs) 

In September 2015, I went back to Malaysia. Now, I know, after our student lives, all of us will have our own lives. It is not the same like in Germany. In Germany, we could plan our meeting almost spontaneously. In Malaysia, we are going to have more commitment. Maybe some of us will have new families. We might work in difference states.  I fear, that I will forget all those friendship. So I want to dedicate this series to my friends. 

to be continued......

[m7madsmiry]

This boy along with his grandmother sells the best strawberry in the whole Gaza.

[norlisaabdulrahman]

I miss sweet n fresh stawberry :)

[humansofnewyork]

“My wife and I were eating at a rib joint in Key Largo, and we actually took out a piece of paper and made a pros and cons list. The ‘con’ list was pretty normal: time, money, things like that. I remember at the top of the ‘pro’ list was: ‘Full Human Experience.’ After our daughter was born, that became an inside joke with us. Every time she was screaming at bath time, my wife and I would look at each other and say: ‘Full Human Experience.’ The first three months were the hardest. Honestly, we wondered if we’d made a mistake. It was like a bomb dropped and eviscerated everything in our lives. But then our daughter started growing up, and learning to do things on her own, and we kept taking small steps back and getting more of our own time back. There’s an unexpected sadness to getting your life back. It’s like your getting laid off slowly from an equally grueling but joyful job. She’s ten now. And I’ll notice that she’ll be reading alone for an hour without getting bored and jumping on me. We used to make tents on the bed, now it’s more homework and YouTube. Sometimes she’ll go in her room for a long time and close the door. Her life is becoming hers and I’m fascinated by where it’s going to go. But it’s bittersweet that she needs me less and less.”

[portraitsofmiddleeast]

Donate to PCRF

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Right/Recht/Hak

Today I would like to talk about the word ,,right ‘’ in English, Recht in German and hak in Malay (adopted from Arabic).  So here are some sentences which use  the word right. 1) You could find Sri Aman Restaurant on the right side of the road. 2) You have the right to voice the opinion of  the people who are against the bauxite mining activity in that area. 3 ) I am totally agree with you, you are right in this matter. So the word right in the first sentence mean position, = the  on or towards the ​side of ​your ​body that is to the ​east when you are ​facing ​north (Cambridge Dictionary) . In the second sentence, the word right represents the power which somebody have to do something because it is supported by some sort of legal laws or it is morally/socially correct or acceptable according to their believe. In the third sentence mean the correct stand. So I found this interesting because we could also find it in German. Recht also mean right. 1) Der Restaurant liegt auf der rechten Seite der Straße.  =Similar Meaning like  in the first sentence above. 2) Sie haben das Recht um die Volkstimme gegen das Bauxitabbau zu äußern =similar Meaning to second word in English. 3) Ich stimme Ihnen zu, Sie haben Recht in dieser Sache .=similar to third sentence. 

Ok now let’s move to Malay language. Actually this word hak is adopted from Arabic. So the usage in Malay almost similar like  in Arabic. In Malay, the word hak is not used for the meaning used in the first sentence. The word hak is however used like in second and third sentences (English and German).1) - 2) Awak ada hak untuk menyuarakan pendapat rakyat terhadap aktiviti perlombongan bijih timah.3) Saya bersetuju dengan awak, awak di pihak yang hak(benar) dalam perkara ini.

The word ,,Hak’’ is always used in Islam.For example, the battle between ,,hak’’ (truth) and batil (evil). Eventhough hak in Malay is not used like in the first sentence, but  the sentences in Quran- people of the right also mean the people of the truth. I don’t know how to explain, but there is connection between right (from first sentence in every case) and the truth/correctness. 

Isn’t it mindblowing?Almost in all cultures, right wing mean the one which is more accepted , to do right things carry the meaning of doing the correct things. I don’t know other languages, maybe there are a lot more examples. But this made me believe, that Allah is the one who inspire human being and give the ability for us to talk , and we all come from Prophet Adam A.S. And the truth belongs to Allah.

Wallahualam. 

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Sejarah Melayu : Malay History

Hello guys. So today I want to introduce you all to one important figure in the history of Malays. Sorry if it sound ,,poyo’’ when I write about Malay history in English instead of Malay. I just feel that I want to write in English,just like sometime I want to write in German or Malay, eventhough my grammatic might be in chaos. 

So yesterday, I watched ,,Pejuang Bangsa’’ or translated as ,,Nation Fighter) on TV -Alhijrah. In this episode, the story of Tun Sri Lanang was featured. Actually, I am somebody who has interest in history. I can’t understand why somebody hate history while it could be so interesting. So here, I have some tipps for you who hate history. Don’t treat history as just numbers and facts which have to be remembered.The more importance thing is the main point of the stories, the chronology.how the story started, developed and ended, We need to ponder the meaning of the history, and to make it more interesting, we could imagine ourselves to be in that point of time. Just like when you watch a movie or read a book. I like history because I like to read things which really happened. Everybody has their own history and it is real. 

Ok back to Tun Sri Lanang. As I watched it, I remember I was once very in love with history. Back in school, I always scored in history because I am very  immense in history. I am a kind of person, which is quite imaginative. In my school days, if I watched english/white film or chinese drama with ancient setting, I would Imagine myself to be at that place. I also loved to hear my father talking about my grandfather or his childhood stories.

Tun Sri Lanang was the writer or the ,,editor’’ of ‘’Sejarah Melayu’’. Here I don’t want to talk about the dispute because it might confuse you and maybe also me.The narrator tell that  ,,Sejarah Melayu’’ contains the customs of Malays , the strategy and wisdom of Malay-Sultanate, its diplomacy and subtleness. some of the original copy of ,,Sejarah Melayu’’ landed in UK and in the Netherland,and also in Russia maybe as a result of colonialisation of Malay Archipelago once upon a time. 

Ok, eventhough I studied electrical engineering, I have enormous love for languages, cultures, history and politic. At one point of time,  I loved German language, I wanted to study there and I was interested in German history- the foundation of holy roman empire, the caesars, the romans, the Prussian Kings, the Bavarian Kings. the Austrian-German Empire, the wars, the DDR, the reunification of East and West Germany, Germany participation in world cup. Then yesterday, I realised again, that there was also greatness in local history. I was very fond of German that  I almost forgot my interest in Malay-Archipelago history. I love the German traits - honest, direct, hardworking but I also I almost forgot that Malay posses some great attitude too. It is not me being racist, but I believe God has given difference nation difference traits, which might be good or bad and we are not independence of each other, or shorter :we need each other. 

I believed malays have some good traits, which I afraid, are  forgotten, We used to be helpful, kindhearted,simple-minded, easily-contented,  hardworking farmers, fishers or sailors

Ok to be continued.

[norlisaabdulrahman]

I miss Bingen and Germany so much.

I  miss FH Bingen. I miss Netto,REWE, the busses, the trains

I miss somebody from Germany

#Deutschland #Bingen #Germany

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Harapan,Hope & Hoffnung

Erti hidup pada harapan. Hilang harapan hilanglah tujuan. Harapan disandarkan pada Tuhan, takkan pernah dihampakan.Jadi jangan pernah hilang harapan. Teruskan berharap. 

There is life because there is hope. When hope is lost, so is the direction. Hope with trust in God, will never be dissapointed. So don’t lose hope.Keep making hopes.

Es gibt Leben wenn es Hoffnung gibt. Wenn Hoffnung verloren wird, dann gibt es keine Richtung. Hoffnung mit Vertrauen in Gott, wird nie enttauscht werden.So verliere nicht die Hoffnung. Mach Hoffnung weiter.. 

:))))

[promoterrrr]

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Solehah’s dream

part two

So she knew his name is Mr D Healer. First time she knew his name, oh I haven’t heard that name before in this society. She was thinking, why his surname bring the meaning of somebody who heal, maybe his ancestor was a kind of doctor or health practitioner in the past time.

He seemed according to her eyes,  perfect. Brown hair, fair skin, wearing glasses (which make him looked smart and intelligent infront of her),neither fat nor thin,  of medium height of middle  european men, but maybe already regarded tall by the  people of Solehah’s back home, But maybe for the first two months she met him in the class, she never recognized he was present. Till somehow, she could sense his presence. At first when she saw him, she thought ,, maybe he is somebody who is sought after by women here, Maybe he already has a girlfriend’’. There was once, she saw Mr D Healer and his best friend sat next to a girl and talked with her, she was not from Solehah’s class. That girl was beauftiful , at least for Solehah’s eye. Tall, blond hair, fair skin, thin, chic.  And she reassured herself : I’m not going to like this man.The reason was,  she didn’t want to have crush for somebody who will be chased after by every woman . She was once heart broken, and she would not let that happens again. She didnt want to build unrealistic hope and see it crash again. And she thought :  who is going to like her. She is just a foreigner in that land, and she is muslim in a time full with Islamophobia. . 

[norlisaabdulrahman]

Solehah’s dream

There is a girl whose name Solehah.

When she was a kid, she loved to watch the drama ,, burning flame’’, The thought of marrying a firefighter when she grow up came across. For her, they are so kind, ready to serve people  and animals all the time, risking their very own lives.

So the life goes on, she became a teenager. She was in a college  in another town away from home. So she came to know a young boy, who wanted to be an engineer. And this boy became her bf. So she forgot about the firefighter things. 

And then, she went to the university. She no longer has connection to her past love of her live. Her past boyfriend  is maybe , well not a mistake,  but a journey which God has set for her to go through. But she understood, there was no turning back. So she went through her university life normally. Because she was in engineering class,  because she was really passionate in engineering, she thought that she would only marry an engineer. She thought engineers are handsome, macho, smart, intelligence, science concious, environmental friendly, practical. 

One day, Solehah was attending a presentation skills lectures during her fourth semester. Everybody who took that subject must present something So there was this man, maybe student from second semester, who made a presentation about  ,, volunteer firefighters. So she thought, how interesting! An engineer could also be a firefighter!  That topic of presentation never left her mind, eventhough she has not had any clue about the student who presented it and could not recall about him. 

After more than two years , she eventually met the student again. Actually, she almost forgot him. But somehow, driven by instinct and maybe by accident, she overheard that he is a volunteer firefighter. And she knew that this was the student from the presentation. She could not remember much about him, but he was a man with bright colour skin and wearing maybe a  white shirt?.

She has started to like that man, but he would never know about it. She just didn’t know if it was her obsession or   love. She was, quite dissapointed with her past life, leaving her feel shattered everytime she thought about love. She wanted to get herself closer to God, and  she was more knowledgeable about her religion than when she was in the college. That the man is of difference nationality and religion, are the main concern for her hesitation. 

-To be continued....