Omurice

Hellllloooooo guys, kalian pernah nggak terinspire untuk masak setelah nonton drama Korea? Saya pernaah, hahaha. Pas udah nonton drama Rooftop prince, saya jadi pengen nyoba "omurice". The prince sama servants nya sampe lahap banget makannya. Jadi kepengeeeen :D

Nah setelah ngeupdate blog, saya langsung aja nyoba buat omurice for dinner. Saya coba cari di youtube cara pembuatannya. Ternyata gak susah-susah amat kok. Sama kaya masak nasi goreng biasa. Kalo untuk bahan-bahan nya, saya pake apa yang ada di rumah. Pokoknya saya cari yang praktis aja hehehe. Maaf kalo gak di share bahan-bahannya, soal nya benar-benar hasil modifikasi sendiri :D Dan alhamdulillah ternyata enaaaak. Itu kata keluarga saya siiih. Mungkin karna lagi laparrr aja. Hahaha :D 

Tadaaaa, ini dia hasilnyaaa:D

This is how it looks like from the inside :D 

Selamat menikmatii :D

Gratitude Part 2 of 2 - Haleh Banani

If someone was to give you a very expensive gifts, how would you feel?
You want to thanks the person and show them gratefulness.
But what about all the gifts that ALLAH has given us? All the gifts that He's given us worth a millions and millions dollars. How much a liver transplants would cost? How much your eyes, your liver, limbs cost? When're reflecting on these, ALLAH has given us million of dollars worth of gifts.

Do we show enough gratitude for amazing gifts that ALLAH has given us?

What to be grateful for?!

• Health

1. When was the last time that we say Alhamdulillah we have teeth?

Imagine what eating will be like if we have no teeth? And yet we don't show appreciation until you have to go the dentist when you have cavity. If you were to replace eight of your teeth, how much would that cost?

2. What about our heart?

What if we need a heart transplant? How much would that cost?

3. What about our intestine?

If you need to do an intestine transplant, how much would that cost?

4. What about our kidneys?

If you need to do a kidney transplant, how much would that cost?

And that's only if you're lucky if you could find a matching kidney.

5. What about your eyes?

6. What about your ears

Imagine not being able to hear the voice of your loved ones.

If you're suffering from your health, there's nothing to worry about. There are other things to be grateful  for.

"And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing, vision, and heart (i.e. intellect) that perhaps you would be grateful" (QS An-Nahl : 78)

The prophet PBUH said: there are four gifts, if they are given to someone, they are given the good of the world and the hereafter.

1. A grateful heart.

The heart that is content regardless of your condition.

2. A mentioning tongue.

It means that you're always busy counting the blessings that ALLAH has given to you.

3. A body which preserves patiently at the time of tribulations.

You might have an illness that is very painful, but you are content regardless of your situations. You are content with the Qadar of ALLAH.

4. Having a wife who does not betray her husband neither in herself nor in his property.

To be continued . . .

Give Thanks for Pain: Be Grateful For The Pain

We expect things to be perfect all the time in this life. We expect things to always turn out the way we want it. But of course, we all know that it's not possible. There's always ups and downs in this life. I thought this video is very amazing, capturing of how we also need to be grateful even for the pain. Yes, it does sound crazy! But it's true, we all need to be grateful for whatever life situations that God puts us through, and there are always wisdom behind them ;)

So here's few things I would like to share with you guys from this video:
Start asking and answering these questions yourself ;)

1. What was really challenging and painful this year?

2. What came out of that for you?

3. Who supported you through those times?

4. Reach out to the person or people that were an influencing factor in your life

Presentation?!! Yes or No?!

Helllllloooo guysss, udaah lama saya gak nulis dalam bahasa Indoonesiaaaa :D hahaha
Selama ini saya bukan nya sok-sok English, tapi saya pengen bisa mengimprove bahasa Inggriiis saya, especially tulis-menulis. Cuz I really suck at it , jadi itulah mengapa saya sering bercakap dalam bahasa Inggris di sinii :D

Anywaaay, kenapa saya menulis dalam bahasa Indonesia kalii ini?! Wallahua'lam, saya sendiri kurang mengerti, mungkin karna saya lagi kangen Indonesia kalii yaa, especially Aceh!!!

Sooo, what am I going to write about today?! It's about presentation!!!

Pasti kita semua udah pernah presentasi di depan kelas, ya kan?! pastiii nyaa udaaah dooong! Nervous?!! Nervous dooong pastinya!!! Siapa siih yang gak bakal nervous dengan presentasi, ngomong di depan kelas gitu. Sebagian sampe gemetaran, karna saking gugup nya. Sebagian lagi mengalami yang nama nya slurred speech, tiba-tiba gak bisa ngomong gitu looo! Dan sebagian lagi mendadak sakit, I'm getting sick!!! Please help!!!

Dan memang cukup understandable kenapa sebagian kita mengalami hal demikian.
Bagi saya pribadi, presentasi bukanlah hal yang mudah, apalagi ketika harus presentasi dalam bahasa Inggris, di depan bulek-bulek. Ohh nooooo  . . . . Rasa-rasa nya dunia seperti mau kiamaaat!!!

Lalu gimana caranya mengatasi rasa rakut akan presentasi???!!!

Know your material inside out!

Memang lebih afdhal jika kita mengetahui materi yang hendak kita presentasikan. Tidak sekedar tahu, tapi benar-benar paham apa yang hendak kita sampaikan. Karna gak mau doong kalo pas presentasi, pandangan kita terus-terusan tertuju pada note kita. Hanya saja bagi pemula, hal ini boleh-boleh saja. Karna memang semua nya butuh waktu dan latihan. One step at a time guys! Let's keep improving ourselves! ;)


Practise makes it perfect!

Sebelum presentasi itu memang sebaiknya latihan terlebih dahulu, cuz like the saying goes, practise makes it perfect! Cari seseorang yg bisa mendengarkan kita presentasi. Bisa ortu, sahabat, atau bahkan random people sekalipun yang kita temukan di jalan :D Hal ini di lakukan agar kita tidak lagi canggung di depan kelas nanti.


Know your audience!

I'm not saying kalo kita harus mengenal satu-satu audience kita yaitu tahu nama mereka, apa pekerjaan mereka, dimana mereka tinggal, atau berapa nomer sepatu mereka :P  Hanya saja kita perlu sadar kalo audience kita tersebut hanya manusia. Sama seperti kita yang hanya makan tiga kali sehari!!! Dan tentu saja, mereka juga pernah berbuat salah dan mungkin juga sama nervous nya dengan kita. Aaaaand, as we all know, nobody is perfect!!! ;)


Acceptance!

This is important! Terkadang kita merasa hasil presentasi kita kurang memuaskan, bahan-bahan nya kurang lengkap dan kurang menarik di bandingkan hasil kerja kelompok lain. Maka, terimalah kondisi kita saat ini. Katakanlah, alhamdulillah atas hasil kerja kita. Kalaupun ingin hasil yang lebih baik, maka coba tanyakan pada diri sendiri, "apa yang bisa saya lakukan agar presentasi kedepan nya lebih baik?!"
Akan tetapi, untuk saat ini cobalah untuk menghargai hasil kerja kita sendiri dan partner kita (jika kita melakukan presentasi secara kelompok).


Ask yourself, "What's the worst thing that can happen?!"

Sebagian kita takut presentasi karna membayangkan hasil presentasi kita tidak berjalan sesuai dengan keinginan kita. Takut kalo tiba-tiba kita lupa dengan apa yang hendak kita sampaikan. Takut kalo tiba-tiba tangan kita kegemetaran dan sampai di tertawakan oleh teman-teman kita. Takut kalo tiba-tiba di lempar sepatu sama teman-teman kita karna hasil presentasi kita nggak memuaskan. Kidding, gak laaa. Teman-teman kita gak sebrutal itu, hopefully not :D
Soo yaa, tanyakan pada diri kita, apa hal terburuk yang mungkin terjadi dan terima lah dengan keridhaan hati. Lagian, kalopun udah latihan capek-capek, trus hal-hal yang kita takutkan tersebut ternyata terjadi, bukankah ini karna kehendak ALLAH juga ya kan untuk menguji hambaNya?! Soo, ikhlas dan ridha adalah kunci nya! ;)

Semoga tips-tips ini membantu. Dan saya yakin di luar sana, pasti banyak lagi tips-tips menarik lainnya untuk mengatasi rasa takut dalam presentasi. Anywaay, I hope this helps! And good luck on your presentations guys! ;)

Beautifully said ;)

Gratitude part I by Haleh Banani

Most of us are so focused in achieving our goals. We look at what other people have, and we want to have the same thing. We look at other people's achievement, we want to achieve the same thing. It is very important to have goals and ambitions, but it is vitally important to take the time to appreciate the achievement we have already achieved.

Why do we need to be grateful?

                                 1. Psychological Benefit

Gratitude is the best attitude
When you see someone who has gratefulness in their heart, it will shine through. They're happier individuals and you want to be around people like this. Sometime, it has nothing to do with what they own or posses or achieve. Some of the happiest people might not have much, but this feeling of being content of what you have, how you look like, and what you do.

Antidote to depression
If you're feeling down, focus on the the things you're grateful for. Write specifically, what things you're most grateful for and post it on the wall. If we're busy counting all the blessings, we have no time to be depressed. All of us are so blessed. Once you bring this into focus, then happiness will fill our hearts.

Simple exercise :
- Think about one thing in your life that you're really grateful about, something that makes you happy. Reflect on it. How does that make you feel? What are the changes?
- Now think about one thing that really angers you and frustrated you. Reflect on it. How does that make you feel? What are the changes?

Notice the change in your body. There is physiological and emotional reaction to everything we think about. When you're having these positive thoughts of the things you're grateful about, suddenly there's happiness. You feel more relaxed. The opposite, of course, you'll feel angry, frustrated. You're starting to get tensed, your heart beats got high.


Power of asking right questions:
It is the question you ask, or the question you fail to ask that shapes your life

For example:
Someone has just gotten a divorce. She/he can simply ask questions like:
-Why does this always happen to me? Why am I so unlucky
-Why me? Poor me?

Or they she/he can simply choose to ask empowering questions like:
-What did I learn from this?
-How can I become a better person through this?

You have a file cabinet in your mind, and when you ask questions like, "Why does this always happen to me", you'll find every excuse to why does bad things always happen to you.

OR, when you ask empowering questions like, "What did I learn from this?", then you'll find the answer like: maybe I can become a better person through this.

Try to ask empowering questions in the morning such us: "what am I grateful for" Instead of focusing on the things we don't have.

Improves Emotional Health
It helps us to feel happier and more balanced.

"And few of my servants are grateful" (34:13)

Are we amongst those who are grateful?! Do you really show gratefulness for all the amazing blessings that you have?! We need to put more effort into being among those who are grateful.

Shift gears by shifting your focus


                                 2. Health Benefit

Maximizes medical treatment

Makes us much more alert and energetic
- When people spend their life comparing themselves to others, they'll feel lethargic. You're feeling down and not empowered.

Affects immune system
- People who are optimistic are less likely to get sick.

Reduces stress
If you're unhappy with your spouse, your work, it would affect your level of stress. But if you focus on the things you're grateful for, you'll reduce your stress level.

                                                3. Spiritual Benefit

Being grateful will form a thankful muscle. It is like a work out for the soul. And when we show gratefulness, ALLAH is pleased with you.

"And if you are grateful, He approves [i.e. likes] it for you" (39:07)

Increase blessings

"And remember when your Lord proclaimed, "If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favour]; but if you deny, indeed My punishment is severe." (14:07)

You'll be rewarded

"Allah will reward the grateful" (3:144)

You'll be an optimistic person


Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h6VV7mMLow

Friendship

Have you ever felt that you've known a person forever just from reading her writings?!

Have you ever wish you could meet that person in real life?!

To get to know her better?! To be her friend?!

And when you do, do you feel like you could fly, out of happiness?!

I have!

She's not far from home,

she is where home is,

in fact, she is my dear neighbour.

Just by reading her writings could inspire me,

to want to do more,

to want to help,

and most importantly to want to write,

a piece that is beautifully written, that could touch the soul of others.

And hopefully, she'll continue to write,

so that many people would be inspired too . . .

Lake Louise, Banff (Calgary, AB)

Sooo, I'm adding new label to my blog this time which is travelling.
I'm inspired by many people. I've read their blogs on how they want to travel all over the world. And to me that doesn't seem a bad idea. I do think that when you travel, you see different things which you learn from especially seeing ALLAH's creations. It makes you realize how small you are in front of ALLAH, the Lord of the universe.

I personally love nature! I love rivers, oceans, mountains, trees, etc. I just love to be out there, living in the wild :D hahaha

Sooo, welcome to my new section. Hopefully I could get a camera and start taking pictures like a pro :D But for now, I'll just upload pictures that I took from my phone. Please be patient until then :D

And as you guys know, the world is huuuugeee. Soo, let's start with somewhere local, somewhere close to where you live.

Soo, let's explore more, shall we? :D

This is Lake Louise in the summer. I got this pic from google because I don't exactly have a summer version of it. Isn't it beautiful?! Subhanallah <3

Lake Louise is a great place for canoeing. Many tourists from all over the world comes here over the summer. So, if you're thinking about canoeing, that's it! This is the place! ;D

My family and I went there in the beginning of spring. I think it was in the middle of March. As you can see, it's frozen! Can you believe it?! It's ALLAH who did it. Isn't He powerful <3
***Yes, you could walk & run on it! ;D

Anyway, I don't write the details of the lake because if you guys want to know more, you guys can always google it :D hahaha

Cinta Laura Kiehl

Hiiiiii guys! I'm done my exams! It's time to have fun and relax a little bit :D lol
Anywaaay, I was just chilling and watching youtube videos.
I came accross Cinta Laura's videos, well, I was actually searching for her to be honest :D
There's always something new about her! Something positive, unlike other celebrities who are known for doing things that they're not supposed to be doing (you know what I'm talking about :P)
And of course, people make mistakes and they'll learn from them. I'm not here to judge anybody. Neither am I gossiping about them. I'm just sharing my thoughts :D

Sooooo, what's with Cinta Laura this time?

Well, as you can tell, I adore her very much. I'm like her fans <3 hahaha
She's sooo into school and career, which not many celebrities are like these days.
In this video, she talked specifically on how she manage her time between studying and her social life.
She studies very hard and admits that library is her "second home"!!!! Can you believe it?!!!

She also told the media that she's very organized and actually done her assignment a week before it's due. Once again, can you believe it?!

Unlike me, I'm soooo the last minute person :(  I wish I could be as organize as Cinta Laura. Hopefully, next semester will be better, Insha ALLAH. Please pray for me guys, and wish me luck ;D

I guess there's one thing that makes us similar, we both are majoring in Psychology :D

Anywaay , here's the video I was talking about :D

Advice

Being optimistic is not something you are born with. You have to train yourself to look for the good in others. Look at each event in your life as a learning experience with the opportunity to grow and improve. Have hope in yourself, in others and most importantly in your creator and you will be a serene & content person spreading light and inspiration to others! - Haleh Banani

Tunggulah sampai ia mempersilakan mu . . .

Ketika seseorang membukakan pintu rumahnya, bukan berarti kamu bisa seenaknya masuk, langsung duduk dan langsung minum/makan atas apa2 yg telah ia sediakan. Tunggulah sampai ia mempersilakan nya.

Ketika seseorang membukakan pintu rumahnya, bukan berarti kamu bisa seenaknya mengkritik rumahnya. Mengatakan kalau rumahnya tidak bersih, kurang menyenangkan, tidak layak untuk di datangi tamu. Dan sebagainya

Apa lagi jika kamu hanya seorang tamu yang baru di undang kerumah nya beberapa kali. Beda halnya kalo kamu sudah menjadi sahabat nya sejak dulu, maka mungkin kamu akan bisa lebih santai di rumahnya.

Sama halnya,

Ketika seseorang telah membuka pintu, memberi mu izin untuk masuk agar kamu lbih mengenal dirinya, bukan berarti kamu bisa seenaknya mengkritiknya. Mengatakan kalo ia seperti ini dan seperti itu. Apalagi kalo kamu tidak benar-benar tau tentang dirinya dan apa yang telah di alaminya.

Tentu saja kamu punya pendapat tentang dirinya, dan bisa saja pendapat mu benar. Hanya saja, cara penyampaian dan waktu itu sangat penting. Tunggulah sampai ia mempersilakan mu. Jadilah teman baiknya terlebih dahulu, karna dengan begitu, ia akan lbih mudah mendengarkan mu.

Winter semester

Hiii guys, I haven't written for few days, and I feel like writing today.
Winter semester almost comes to an end! I'm excited!!! :D
I'm quite nervous about my marks though. Well I've tried my best, that's all you could do, right? Try your best and leave the rest to God ;)

Soooo, there's one exam left to do!!! It's a take home exam, so no biggie. Also I have Tahsin written exam which is due this wednesday and oral exam which is next week. 
Anywaaaay . . . 
wish me luck guys! I'm really looking forward to the end of this semester. Hahaha
And hopefully, everything goes well. Please pray for me ;)

Quote of the day

Hanya saja, sdikit permohonan,
smoga kedepan nya kita g mudah menilai seseorang, sebelum benar2 tau apa alasannya.
Bisa jadi kita udah berdosa, karna udah berprasangka yg bukan2.
Alangkah lbih baik jika hal tsb di konfirmasikan dulu, sebelum membuat judgement. 
:)

This just made my day! ;)

Just when I thought a task was too hard and I couldn't do it, God showed me I can. Show the effort, put your trust in Him, and He will make the difficult easy. He never gives anyone more than they can handle. 

A Remedy for Our Worries

A Remedy for Our Worries

Posted on July 28, 2012 by admin in Uncategorized

Written by Marwa

Many of us say we trust in God.  We often say that God knows best.  Our tongues are programmed to say  “God willing” with most of our sentences.   We often say, “If it’s meant to be, it will be.” For some, these are just words that don’t reach beyond their voice boxes.  For others, they are words that the tongue says and the heart confirms but the words do not play a role in their actions.  And then there are those who are of a different caliber.  They are the ones who say it, feel it, and embody it.   Their hearts are at rest fully knowing that God is in complete and total control.  Their hearts are not preoccupied with worries and fears for they only see their creator and trust in what He has ordained for them.

Which category do we fall in?  Are we amongst those who say we trust in God, but then worry and fear what might befall us in the future?  Are we of those who say God is our creator and he is in control of our provisions, but then turn to the creation as if our fate is in their hands?   People are afraid of letting go.  They feel that the moment they let go, they lose all control. They fear that if they stop worrying, they are doing nothing to fix their problems.  So they hold on to their worries, convincing themselves that they are “working on it.”  Convincing themselves that they will fix it.   What we fail to realize is that this power and control we thought we had before this problem existed was never there to begin with.  But every now and then, God will present us with problems that leave us feeling helpless and powerless to remind us of who really is the ultimate Helper, and who really has all the power. We keep looking to ourselves for all the answers. And when we don’t have them, we start to worry and anxiously look to other creation lest they might have a way out for us. We are hit with the reality that we have no solution to this problem in front of us.  We recognize that the future is unseen and holds so many possible outcomes.  So in these vulnerable moments, all we have are our thoughts and so we start to worry.  We start to think of all the “what ifs” that can occur, just so we can feel we are doing something.  Just so we can feel we have some type of control.   And in the end, despite the many hours of worrying, fearing, and thinking of all the different scenarios that could happen, the truth is we gained no control what so ever in the process.  We lie to ourselves so we can keep holding on to this illusion of control.

What are your worries?  What are your fears?  What are your distractions?  What keeps you awake at night?   And then ask yourself, have any of these worries, fears, distractions, and those endless nights made a difference in what your future presented to you?   Have they helped you move forward in any way?  All that they accomplished is that they added a weight to our hearts.  They kept us from moving forward.  They hovered over us like a cloud preventing us from seeing the rays of the sun.   Most importantly, they blinded us from the truth.  The truth and reality that our creator is in full control, and that there is no leaf on the face of the earth that does not fall without Him saying, “Be and it is.”   Letting go is the gift.  Submitting our hearts is where all the security lies.  It is in this act of submitting that we realize only God knows the way out of the situation we are in.  He is the source of all solutions, all help, and all relief.   He has full knowledge of the seen and unseen and full control over everything.  He is the only one worthy of us submitting our hearts to, for everything we have or don’t have is because of his power.  Our existence and the existence of everything we see around us is because he said “Be and it is.”   So put forth the effort, strive for success, make the most out of today, and plan for tomorrow, but fully understand that your choices are yours, and that the results, future, and outcomes are in the Best of Hands.

“…Whoever takes refuge in Me and not in My creation, even though heaven and earth conspire against him, I will find him a way out.”  (Quran)

” So put your trust in God alone if you are indeed believers.” (Quran, 5:23)

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said:  “If you place your trust in God, truly trusting in Him, He will provide for you as He provides for the birds who are hungry in the morning yet satiated in the evening.”

“……..there is no agent but God the Most High: of all that exists in creation—sustenance given or withheld, life or death, riches or poverty, and everything else that can be named—the sole one who initiated and originated it all is God Most High.  And when this has been made clear to you, you will not see anything else, so that your fear will be of Him, your hope in Him, your trust in Him, and your security with Him, for He is the sole agent without any other.  Everything else is in His service, for not even the smallest atom in the worlds of heaven and earth is independent of him for its movement.  If the gates of mystical insight were opened to you, this would be clear to you with clarity more perfect than ordinary vision. “   (Imam Abu-Hamid Al-Ghazali, “Faith in Divine Unity and Trust in Divine Providence.”)

SOURCE: http://www.pearlsofresilience.com/a-remedy-for-our-worries/

Term Paper Presentation

Yiaaaaaay, I did it. Alhamdulillaaaaaaah :D
I thought I was not gonna do it because it's only worth 10 percent. I was like, why do it?! It's only worth 10 percent. That has made me worrying for days. Lol. Thinking how on earth would I present?!
Should I do it with power point?! Or just word document?! Seriously, I'm freaking out about it. LOL
Now, that's it's over, my worrying really is not worth it -.-"
It went well. I got full points. 10 out of 10! Alhamdulillaaaaaaah :D

My ideas were basic and it wasn't exactly 8 minutes as it was expected to be. But my proff said my points were clear, so it waaas good. And of course, I feel good :D hhhhaaaa
Although, I kept looking at my paper during my presentation. It's a process, really, it does take time to be more comfortable to present in front of others ;)

Anywaaaay, I really need to stop worrying from now on. Just face the day, do my part, and trust ALLAH. No more running away please ;)

Once agaaaaain, don't forget to say Alhamdulillaaaaaaaaaah for everything that has happened, good or bad in our definition!!! ;)


Aaaand, I decided to give myself a treat :D

I got this chicken BBQ Calzones from Biblos! It's middle eastern food. I think it's lebanese cuisine. Aaaaand of course, it's halaaaaal :D

***There's gonna be debate on my environmental class, which I haven't prepared for. Anywaaaay, please make dua for me guys! ;)

Piece of advice

Just because it's hard, that doesn't mean you should give up . . . Please keep going . . . Allah is with you . . .

Term Paper

What is the hardest test your facing right now?

The hardest test that I'm facing right now is really writing my term paper. Of course there are other problems too. But this is what occupies my mind the most right now. I've been so worried because I just don't seem to get my ideas right. I don't know if my arguments make sense or not. The hardest challenge is really finding the arguments and have the journals to back it up. I haven't found any journals yet. Another thing, my grammars are still all over the place. I don't know who's going to proof-read my paper before I hand it in. Oh noooooo, help . . .

To some people, this might be trivial problem, but to me, this is the hardest thing that I'm facing right now. And it is true that people are tested differently, depends on their ability.

"Allah tidak membebani seseorang melainkan sesuai dengan kesanggupan nya" (QS - Albaqarah: 286)

And guess what?! This is all I can think about. And if not finish, it does feel like the end of the world.
***Well, I guess my world :(

Well, at least I've done my part, and I'll leave the rest of the matter to ALLAH

Semaaaaangaaaaaaat Evaaaaaaaaaa ;D



April/15/2013

I checked my MRU account and guess what???!!! I got B on my Term Paper!!! Alhamdulillaaaah!!! I know it's not an A or A+, but still. I'm grateful for it ;)
I thought I was gonna get D or C cuz I've been putting it off :(
It shows that as long as we do our part and trust ALLAH with the result, ALLAH will give us a way ;)
And hopefully, I'm gonna keep working and improving my writing skill.
Until then, I hope I'll get an A or A+

Please pray for me, and wish me luck guys!!! ;)