a house is not a home

People, my story isn't finished...my next stop after York was...Newcastle!

5th-7th April 2010

Newcastle Upon Tyne

Wafi was intrigued about his next destination; wondering if Newcastle has anything new to offer. It was his first time riding in a first class coach. Looking through the window, he sipped some of the tea from his cup; two sugars and milk - his favourite. Then, Wafi realized he's approaching the place where most people converse in Geordie dialect. The train was moving on a bridge and as he looked out, masyaAllah. Stunningly beautiful! Bridges as far as his eyes can see...it was like arriving in a fictional city which only comes to life in the silver screens. He said to himself, "Cool giler".

 1st class!

Hehe, just trying my talent in writing. Not so good I guess. Yeah, I love Newcastle. And this is my story:

The tradition

Me and Muz ran against the wind (this is my favourite thing to do on a windy day). There's something about running against the wind which makes me feel good. By the way, he told me he's not reading my blog anymore. So, I decided to put his picture here :D

Farid was busy with someone who got so excited to see a canon

Kan dah kata...

Ruins (aku tak ingat kat mana, yang aku tau...station Tynemouth)

The view from within

The stadium in the middle of the city

Tyne Bridge

Helmi Sohor, gambar ni tak kontroversi macam kau punya

By the way, I refuse to put any pictures of Millenium Bridge because my camera's not good and I'm not good at taking pictures of the bridge :P 

Anyway, Zaid Jasmin has been actively following me on Twitter. Kantoi! And I got to eat nasi lemak and roti canai :D This is the proof:

Roti Canai

(only in Newcastle & Cork :P)

And lastly, thank you Farid. Something about Newcastle made me feel like at home (maybe sebab kau bagi aku makan banyak kot). Kalau dekat, aku dah datang selalu, huhu. 

 One of the windiest days of my life

 

To Farid Wajdi and Zulhilmi Ibrahim, wait for me in 2nd year, insyaAllah...

it's a man's man's man's world

A song struck a chord with me...

Man
Husband. Father. Brother. Son.

Woman
Wive. Mother. Sister. Daughter.

A reminder,

An-Nisaa 4:32

"...orang-orang lelaki ada bahagian dari apa yang mereka usahakan, dan orang-orang perempuan pula ada bahagian dari apa yang mereka usahakan; (maka berusahalah kamu) dan pohonkanlah kepada Allah akan limpah kurnianya. Sesungguhnya Allah sentiasa Mengetahui akan tiap-tiap sesuatu."

"...men shall have the benefit of what they earn and women shall have the benefit of what they earn; and ask Allah of His grace; surely Allah knows all things."

And another,

An-Nisaa 4:34

"Kaum lelaki itu adalah pemimpin dan pengawal yang bertanggungjawab terhadap kaum wanita, kerana Allah telah melebihkan orang lelaki (dengan beberapa keistimewaan) atas orang perempuan, dan juga kerana orang lelaki telah membelanjakan (memberi nafkah) sebahagian daripada harta mereka..."

"Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women)..."


photo by carf

And I got this from Cha:

complementary posts on My Lens and Saifulislam

Nothing without a woman or a girl...

use somebody

I just can't describe the feeling that I have after facing the torment yesterday and the day before that, I just can't.

But thankfully, I got the inspiration to write several blogpost(s).

You know..when you have this feeling that you want to perform so well but when you're actually doing it, you eventually realize it's not going your way. Okay, I need to remind myself that I did everything I could and it's not like I didn't prepare wholeheartedly. After all, isn't there a saying that goes like this - do your best and let Allah do the rest. Yeah, I did my part. Now I have to tawakal.

Heh, maybe it's just because I could really use somebody...

because of you

did you know...we should do everything for Allah?

"Every single thing - starting from the glorious dawn when we wake up till we close our eyes under the night sky; it's all for Allah"

7 things, being me, Nov 3, 2008

Well, I suddenly remembered several events in my life which made me feel so tense, so apprehensive that I couldn't imagine anyone else being in my shoes.

Before I go on, here's another place where I stopped by during my trip...

5th April 2010

York

A typical street in York

Yeap, Maliq joined us and we had breakfast at Bettys while discussing a very interesting topic

York Minster, Northern Europe's largest gothic cathedral

The 2nd spiral staircase that I climbed after the one in Oxford's, and it's much higher and narrower (285 steps)

York Boat!

I guess this picture sums up everything :D

Back then, when I was in MRSM TGB (MRSM Jasin), I shared with Yati (Deputy President of BWP 05/06 and then she became my classmate, M07J KMB 07/09) a saying which is coined by myself,

"Whenever you feel tense or under pressure while doing something, always remember you're doing it for Allah"

Adlan Wafi Ramli, MRSM TGB, 2005/06

And when I remind myself that I'm doing it for Him, it sure made me feel less burdened or stressful and I feel more peaceful and sort of untroubled.


Yeah, we might be doing something because of various reasons.

I arranged the heavy tables at the dining hall of MRSM TGB (with the help of friends) because it's my job, I study because I want to pass the exam, I want to play the piano (or keyboard) because it's been my childhood dream, I smile like 24/7 because I promised myself when I was a kid (at least, that's why I think).

Whatever the reasons are; we should know that the core, the basis, the underlying intention of why we're doing everything is truly for Allah :)

And now, I shall continue to study...

stronger

You know, I've always wanted to be stronger...

 

1st-3rd April 2010

Liverpool

I bet you know that I went for a trip around UK for 12 days. Yeah, it's a challenge for me as well to see if I can make it till the 12th day. Alhamdulillah, I made it :)

So, instead of making a 12 day post :O ; I'm gonna make separate posts beginning with the place which I once considered as a place to start over if I ever went there...

Albert Dock

It's called the Planet if I'm not mistaken and it's in Dukes Dock (near Albert Dock)

And they have a giant anchor

At the World Museum Liverpool

You see the bird up there? It's called a liver bird (pronounced as /ˈlaɪvərbɜrd/; rhymes with fiver)

My first English Breakfast in the UK

My tradition :)

It's actually my first time to meet up with Hanis in the UK, before this; we only talked on the phone. And Hariz was a great tour guide, very enthusiastic indeed, thanks! Plus, we met up with Zaid and I didn't even meet Shukur O_o

Well, it would be great if Mak was here cause she could show me the place around. She could say things like: "Wafi dulu suka main kat situ" or "Kita selalu makan kat kedai ni". Haha, my imagination..but it's true, it would be great to see the place where I grew up (padahal sekejap je :P) with my mum.

I've been reading that book since Feb 2008

Well, I want to be stronger. I guess I will always live in denial but at least I know I'm not the only one. I have to use my denial to my own advantage.

After all, denial may be associated with more rapid recovery from myocardial infarction. (Havik & Maeland, 1988)

Haha, this remark is due to my keen interest in Behavioural Sciences :D

Don't let my denial weaken me, instead make me stronger. And I think I can do it..cause I'm Adlan Wafi...

patience

 The last sunset in Dublin during my Ireland trip 2010

I'm just so glad that Nottingham Malaysian Night 2010 is over and all my coursework assignments have been submitted.

I have to admit; it was really pressuring - those few days before MNite, eventhough I was only handling ticketing. (It was so stressful that I have to make several phone calls to talk to my morale boosters, hahaha)

During those days of intense pressure, I suddenly remembered what my facilitator said once upon a time when I attended a symposium for nuqaba back then during those KMB days. Well, this is what she said (although not exact words, my memory is not THAT good):

"Kalau hati akak rasa gelisah atau tak tenang, akak akan buat camni - ambil Quran dan buka satu muka surat (randomly) dan baca satu ayat (randomly) serta terjemahan sekali. InsyaAllah, kita akan beroleh hidayah Allah." 

And so...that's exactly what I did! 

Look what I found,

"For the present, Allah hath lightened your (task), for He knoweth that there is a weak spot in you: But (even so), if there are a hundred of you, patient and persevering, they will vanquish two hundred, and if a thousand, they will vanquish two thousand, with the leave of Allah: for Allah is with those who patiently persevere."

"Sekarang Allah telah meringankan daripada kamu (apa yang telah diwajibkan dahulu) kerana Ia mengetahui bahawa pada kamu ada kelemahan; oleh itu jika ada di antara kamu seratus orang yang sabar, nescaya mereka akan dapat menewaskan dua ratus orang; dan jika ada di antara kamu seribu orang, nescaya mereka dapat menewaskan dua ribu orang dengan izin Allah. Dan (ingatlah) Allah beserta orang-orang yang sabar."

  (Al-Anfal (8): 66)

And that made my day forthwith :)

Ok, I have another event coming up and it's called Peace of Palestine (POP). Until then, be patient...

fight for this love

I was thinking of putting a different title to this post; but then I remembered that Fitri Hakim had once dedicated this song to his mum on Facebook. So, I decided to do the same :)

Just know that you're not in this thing alone
There's always a place in me that you can call home
Whenever you feel like we're growing apart
Lets just go back, back, back, back, back to the start

So...that very next morning after I got back from my Ireland trip, my mum came to Nottingham!

We cooked together and had lots & lots of strolls around Nottingham which I truly cherished. We even had a whole family Skype session on one Saturday morning :D (Mira wasn't around though)

To my mum, 

I know you're worried about me sooooo much since UK is so far away from Malaysia.
Don't be, cause Allah is always with me and He's with you too...and don't be sad, I'm all grown up now.
After all, no matter what happens; I'll always be your smiley Wafi ;)

Mak, I love you too...

3

 19th - 24th January 2010

Dublin - Cork - Galway

Yeah, I know it's a bit late for this post but better late than never huh?

And so I chose Ireland as the 1st country for me to go to after arriving in the UK, and I have to say, it was a good decision indeed :)

1st day (night actually), 19th

Arrival at Dublin Airport and along came Adib and Jannah to pick us up. And that night was the last time I saw Iman. We went our separate ways through all 3 destinations though...;)

I went to Trinity Hall which was cool cause it's huge and played Akmal's air hockey set with Adib.

2nd day, 20th

Today's an important day cause I wanted to prove that it's only 8 cm.

That morning, me, Adib, Fana and Fifah went out for a short tour around the city since I have to catch a train to Cork. And when I said goodbye to Fana and Fifah from the taxi, it's almost like a dramatic scene from a movie. Hahaha.

 The Monument of Light

The train is very much similar to the ones in the UK as the toilet has a futuristic touch. One thing which made me excited was that my name appeared on the display at my seat. The view? Astonishing and made me feel serene.

The funny thing is, they worried too much about me when I arrived in Cork :P
Xpe, I appreciate it.

What I enjoyed:
1. Meeting the whole Corcaigh lot.
2. Staying in the room with Al-Hafiz that whole afternoon.
3. Syuk's cooking - Lamb ribs!
4. Ikut Zuhri pergi Centra beli susu.
5. Going to all the boys' rooms and finally know how it really looks like after all those Skype calls.
6. Mior told me what Haidir said.

Castle White, Cork

One more thing, asal diorang tak study??? Letih aku datang weekdays nak tengok diorang study, sheesh. So, I opened up NLE (Network Learning Environment - this is Nottingham's website for Medics) and asked Syuk to do some MBM (Molecular Basis of Medicine - sort of like Biochemistry). Hahaha :D


3rd day, 21st


So, I went to the "Good Stuff" lecture and I almost clapped my hands at the end of the lecture, hahaha. I had Nasi Goreng Ayam for lunch and Ain gave me a karipap!


It was raining that noon but Syuk, Zuhri and me did go out for a stroll nonetheless. To be honest, I do love the rain. It's just that I prefer to watch it through the window. I had fish and chips for lunch and a few minutes later, it's time for me to catch the train back to Dublin.

"Jom stay kat Ireland"

"Nanti datang lagi tau"

"Adlan tak bawak apa-apa pon untuk aku dari Notts"

Back in Dublin, I rode on the Luas to go back to the city and took a bus back to Adib's place. I bumped into Jannah which made me glad cause I didn't know the stop for Trinity Hall. Me, Adib and Akmal had dinner while watching Gokusen. Next, it was time to see the person yang tak puas hati aku pergi Cork the very next day after arriving in Dublin :P

Yeah, me, Helmi and Izzul went to Rico's for extra dinner. We had long chats, I mean lonnnggggg chats which I enjoyed cause it's really been a while. That's when I realized that Ribena Strawberry pon ada kat Ireland.


4th day, 22nd


That morning, I went for a walk with Izzul in the city of Dublin! I kinda enjoy cause it's like having a walk with my mum. The only difference is it's with Izzul, hahah. And I got a white hot chocolate drink. So we went around Stephen's Green and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

 

 

Then, we went to Trinity College Dublin (TCD) where I bumped into Nayd, Izzi and Arshad. After Solat Jumaat, Akmal took us to the Book of Kells tour (at this point, Helmi is now with us) and around TCD. Too bad they don't allow cameras, I would have taken a picture of the old library. 

 

 

Later, me, Helmi and Izzul went to Blanchardstown Centre for lunch. And I chose the place to eat, which was - Boots! Yeah, Boots has cheap meal deals so you might want to try and have a go there. By the way, I never knew that Boots can also be found in Ireland, heh.


Next, it was time for me and Adib to take a train to Galway. We bumped into Nabil Aiman in the train. I just love bumping into people, reminds me of those days in KMB. 


It was very cold that night in Galway. Thankfully, some Muslim brothers offered us a ride to Pejan's, Weez's and Naim's house.


5th day, 23rd


Today's the day where me and Adib go to the Cliffs of Moher. Along the way, we did stopped at several few sites and the view; lovely...

 

  

  

  

 

That night, it's time to meet Amal and the rest. Oh and yeah, when Amal opened the door to her house, it's like another dramatic scene. Haha, saya jumpa Erni Bidin juga di dapur.

Sweet people of Galway

What I enjoyed:
1. Aisyah Razak told me something sweet.
2. Miza told me something sweet too.
3. Lyn said something sweet about Hosni.
4. I told something sweet about Helmi Sohor to Jihan.
5. Naim did something sweet to me.
6. Amal gave me twist puddings which are definitely sweet!

M07J

So, that night, 2 reunions of M07J took place. One in Cardiff and one in Galway (Fana even called me). 


7th day, 24th


It's the last day in Ireland.


So, we headed back to Dublin via bus (Note to readers, it's faster to go to Galway via bus than the train). 


So, it's the last day and I haven't seen Akmal Azman. Yup, that's my next stop. And I got to see his room and he cooked well. Impressive!

Too bad I couldn't stay that long cause I had to go to UCD next. At least, I get to talk to him while he's cooking. Arif was already off to Spain and Huda was somewhere else at that time.

As soon as I arrived to UCD, Fitri Hakim came and fetched me at the bus stop. So, while Baith and Fakhri were cooking, Fitri took me for a tour around UCD in the dark, hahaha.


And I get to meet Ali (bukan nama sebenar) and Mozac (bukan nama sebenar juga). Too bad I didn't bring any muffins for Mozac :P


Plus, guess who I found in Luqman Hariz's room? Yup, Aqeem!

Well, I was sort of in a rush so, I had to go back to Trinity Hall and go to the airport in like less than 2.5 hours. Another cool thing happened, I found Ika (Zulaikha Zainol) and Atiqah Zainal kat tepi jalan. Long story short, they helped me get back to Trinity Hall quickly. Haha, asyik jumpa orang je kalau kat Dublin ni -baru jumpa Nayd and Atiqah Jamaludin dalam bas that same morning.


So, I arrived at the airport and finally met up with the budak yang tengah cuak sorang-sorang. See, we made it in time. And she didn't even answer my question.


As soon as I get back to Nottingham, I made up these plans:
1. Stay in Nottingham for the whole February.
2. The next time to go to Ireland would be in my 2nd year.


Yeah right! No. 1 can be cancelled out already since I've gone to Manchester last week. I even have doubts about no. 2. After all, I've got a Dublin Bus Rambler card and I haven't taken the pictures for UCC and NUIG. Hehe, pandai Adlan cari alasan.

Aku anggap pergi Ireland tu macam balik kampung, HAHAHAHA. 

 I call this shirt...shades of grey

So yeah, that's my Ireland trip. It was a blast going to all 3 places and I love you Allah for giving them to me...