Selamat Hari Raya & Maaf Zahir Batin!

(celebrating Raya with the rest of my extended relatives)

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you readers / bloggers a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri & Maaf Zahir & Batin. Happy Eid-Mubarak to all Muslims who are celebrating the Syawal after a long days of endurance during the fasting month of Ramadhan.

(with my grandfather at his open house)

To me Syawal this year is very interesting. I got the opportunity to meet my extended relatives and share some thoughts with them. Nowdays we all have different path lies in front of us. Some are doing law, others are doing public administration & administrative science, geology, medic, economics, business, physioteraphy, accounts etc. Some also were not here coz they're pursuing their studies overseas in which Aidilfitri is not a public holiday to their country like my brother is the UK & my cousins in Australia. Oh well, life still goes on & i just hope that they all have a very good Aidilfitri over there.

(the Johorean delicacy being served to visitors at the open house)

Being part of the strong Johorean family...serving laksa Johore & Arissa (the turkish delicacy) is a must when there's a festive season's coming. Of course there's also satay, ketupat, lemang etc. being serve along the way but i guess its just tradition for the host to show our very arts of culinary.

So today, being the 3rd day of Hari Raya i've went to about 10 Open Houses. Oh it's such a wonderful month to eat all you can but i'm afraid that men do have their capacity in their stomach. The problem is that when the food is so tempting & so tasty...there's no way stopping it. Huhu. I guess we might just get along with it.

To infinity...& beyond!!!

(The Soyuz rocket which will be their carrier into outer space)

As of yesterday the 10th October 2007 at apporximately 21.21 international standard hours, 2 man & a woman was sent into outer space on a Russian rocket named Soyuz. Sure it seems like nothing to most people in another country but for Malaysia sending its first astronaut is 1 hell to scream about. The lucky chap who get to travel outside earth is Dr. Sheikh Muszafar whom if i not mistaken a medical lecturer at the local university. He was competing with Dr. Faiz who's a dentist at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Medical Kor but luck was on his side to get such honour.

(The Russian space station)

Hari Raya is just around the corner, while most people in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur were busy buying stuff to prepare to celebrate Aidilfitri by going to Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman or Chow Kit Road or anywhere alike, our astronaut is not going to celebrate it with his family like most muslims on that much-awaited day. So since he's the only muslim on board of the Soyuz starcraft, i guess he'll be celebrating his Aidilfitri up there...huhu...no ketupat & lemang for u ah Sheikh this time.

(Dr.Sheikh & 2 others from Team A in spacesuit)

Oh well, like most of the people would say "Experience is what makes u different from others". Where thousands of Malaysians applied to get such experience, Dr.Sheikh is sure one lucky fellar. Funded by our very own govenment worth RM30mil++ with a good relationship with the government of Russia, i dont think any Malaysian can afford to go to space even as a tourist. I'm not sure about business tycoon but it sure takes a lot of money to go up there.

Anyway, i'd like to congratulate for u Dr.Sheikh & Dr.Faiz for your achievement where only you who have gone to a place where no Malaysian had ever been. Salute!