Of raindrops and golden leaves

Hai assalamualaikum,


It's funny how each season has its own smell. has its own feel to it too. Spring is coming and I love the smell after the rain. The cloudy days, the rain itself. The weather has been pretty mild for the previous couple of days. It's like remembering something you used to love. something that used to make you happy. something familiar that you hardly remembers. That is always the feeling I had at each time the season changes. The smell of winter saying goodbye to give way to blooming flowers.

Spring - April '10, Ottawa

Winter - Feb '11, Ottawa

Hello spring, you've been missed and I miss you dearly. And goodbye winter, hopefully we'll meet again. If not, I'll always remember you. the beauty, and even tarbiyyah that comes from it.

Spring/Summer - May '10, P.E.I

Spring/Summer - May '10, P.E.I

the cold, rainy season that reminds me of London
the hot, dry air that always, always reminds me of my first summer in Ottawa.
the cold, frost-biting winter that reminds me of the 30-mins walk from home to Carleton
and that golden, crisp leaves that remind you of Ottawa as a whole.

Fall - October '10, Ottawa

Will be leaving you soon enough.
Thank you for shaping me up. For showing me all the beauty in life.

it's probably due to the headache

The small things are those that make me happy.

The small things that I'll remember.

The small things that are felt by the heart.

As you're one step closer upon finishing another phase of your life, more things are being put into perspective. True, it's a bumpy road here and there to get to where I am now, but those bumps are what makes me, me. Those bumps made me into a different Sarah that took a plane to Ottawa 3 1/4 years ago.

The plan I have before coming here might have to be adjusted here and there. But overall, life can never be better. Alhamdulillah. I'm still coping with some issues. Patience and optimism. When life's good it's not that I get all the good things in my way but rather bad things do come and take it as something that need to be improved on.

There's nothing specific I want to write on right now. It's just I'm feeling a little bit blissful. A bittersweet feeling you have. It's probably because holiday air.

No, no. It probably because of the exams. The last exam I had (this afternoon) was a subject by one of my favorite prof. I kind of want to be done with exams (mind you, I've been studying for that subject for a LONG time) but it's kind of sad knowing he won't be teaching you anymore. It's just like you want to graduate and get it over with but you'll miss the O-town and all its precious.

I just can't resist saying thank you to the prof at the end of the exam. I really like his class *me sleeping in class did not do any justice on how much I like his class. that's just purely me, not the prof''s fault*

A talk in the rain with someone I haven't talk to for a long time is enough to lift up my mood

Just cuddling up under your duvet with a steaming mug of hot chocolate and movie is my favorite activity for the weekend or at night mostly

Listing it off, it seems a little bit plain. but that's me. anything but fancy and glittery

Had a good dream few days back. Future husband is the sweetest. Tapi tak nampak muka.

I love to live in a double-storey house, with two girls and a boy, plus a little cat (the one with short stubby leg). And during weekend, we'll do some fun activities. And we'll have a lot of photo albums and scrapbooks to keep all the memories.

This is just a crappy post. I just want to write about all this with each point is making no sense than the other. And nothing related.

This is not some wishful thinking I had but my future's in it. Could You please make it happen? pretty please?

Summertime

the boulder has been lIfted. i guess. before the rain gushed in. alhaMdulillah.

these past months, i admit i'm having Some problems err letting go. i keep on holding tightly to the pAst without thinking what it was Doing to me in the present and thus jeopardizing my future. i became Bitter. i hate myself for feeling bitter becaUse i think life has so much To offer me and I ignore it all.

but alhamdulillah. the hurricane Subsided. the sun comes out again. or maybe a little bit of rain Here and there fOr a while before i'll be trUly happy. maybe this is the outcome from my istikharah haritu.

so i'm back again. feeLing more pumpeD out than ever to start the new term. and i wish you well. i am happy for you. the achievement. with someone along the way. that's what i've Been praying for you for the past fEw years we've known each otHer.

come on guys! heAt uP the engine and full steam ahead i say! this year will be the last battle for our degree. no time for slacking off! let's start the term with good intentions and good actions and Pray for each other along the waY.

now i shall go and cry For Old times' sake.

photocred: tumblr

12/3

Took a one-day tour to these 3 places:

1. Windsor Castle

This reminds me of Harry Potter. The place where they have their first flying class.

2. Stonehenge

Langit sangat biru that day. Opposite to the green field. Sangat lawa.

Around the stone. Nothing except endless field. Sangat peaceful.

3. Oxford (more to Oxford University)

The hall where Oxford students graduate

One of their colleges (Trinity College). Colleges ni macam resident in Carleton la. But they have their own park, dining hall, etc. Nak masuk pun kene bayar £1.

Trinity college's dining hall

Trinity college's park.

12/2

Second day of the holiday (Apr 26th, 2011)

We arrived at Heathrow Airport London at around 7am. Alhamdulillah, the custom wasn't being hard on us (maybe we look like two harmless kids kut) so the whole process was not as bad as people always talked about. After collecting our luggages, we were thinking of taking a taxi to the hotel, but it costs you £55. That was a lot for a taxi. So we decided to take the underground from the airport to our hotel.

need to get here

THAT will be the last time I carry a luggage across the underground. They have no freaking elevator OR escalator at the stations. Mind you, it is an underground train so for sure you’ll have to go down a flight of stairs to get to the train and climb one back to get out of the station. Maybe it wasn’t as bad if you only have to take one train from the airport to the hotel. We have to switch a couple of trains to get there. Ya Allah.. Penat die xtau nak cakap ape la. We literally climb up and down six flights of stairs with ~10kg luggage. There are some nice people who help us carry the luggage but not for most of the journey la. We reached the hotel at 12pm *due to the stairs issue*.

The hotel is called Central Park Hotel (A piece of NYC in London huh? The hotel wasn’t that bad given if they have a free wifi. You actually have to pay to use the wireless in the hotel room. Apart from that, there is basically nothing to complaint about.

After praying, we decided to go to London Bridge since we still have some time before it gets dark. Well, London bridge is.. uhmm.. a bridge. Lawa la. Tapi it’s a bridge jela. We walk all the way to the other side, snapped some pictures (the view is nicer on the other side. I think the other side is called Greenwich kut).

And ohh, two Indian guys followed us from that end back to the London end. One of them was interested in my friend I guess. How I know they’re following us? I noticed them earlier and when I stopped on the bridge, they stopped too. Crazy huh? Trying my best not to panic (since Alvina had perfectly done the job), we walked across the bridge while looking if there’s a policeman around *but takde sorg pun and i was “where the heck are they when we need them??!”* at last, we went to an Indian restaurant and told the owner about our situation. She asked us to confront the guy *and I was like “what??”* I refused to go out sbb I’m scared like crazy if they followed us back to our hotel. The lady saw that I won’t budge an inch from my seat so she asked one of her workers to accompany us to the underground station. Sampai2 terus naik the 1^st train that arrived and balik hotel. Mind you, it was 6pm and we already at the hotel by 7pm (maghrib in London is at around 8-ish).

a street we stumbled to when walking along Oxford St.

So yeah. This was the memory I have of London bridge. I even remember that guy’s face until now. Screw you Indian guy! For wrecking our holiday. It was our 1^st day in London lah.

After all, ada hikmahnya kut.

• Dapat makan subway halal. Bought a foot long meatball sub. OMG! Sedap giler. Sebab konon2 plan nak mkn bila balik Msia, but I know that by the time I’m in Malaysia, subway will be the last place I’ll choose to eat. Heheh. Rezeki2..

• We were being a good girl for the rest of the vacation. We never went back to our hotel any later than 7 or 8pm. Basically, mmg balik before Maghrib la. :P

P/S: Hyde Park is only across the road from our hotel. :)

12/1

The first day of the trip was on Apr 25th. Where we (Alvina & I) took a flight from Ottawa-Newark-London. Baru2 je nak pergi dah ade something. We took the bus to the airport (nak jimat sikit) at 8am. While waiting for the bus, there was this one lady who came and talk to us. After the usual hellos, she started to ask if I'm a muslim, etc2. I told her I am a Muslim and Alvina is a Christian. After that she started talking about religion and stuffs. Dalam hati dah fikir "pagi2 lagi dah kene attack la pulak". She totally ignores Alvina and talk only to me. She talked about bible and say Prophet Muhammad that wrote the Quran and Bible is the only Holy Book, etc2. She said Jesus is dead and will later be (what's the word eyh. dihidupkan balik). She keeps on talking everytime I want to interrupt her especially the Jesus part. In the end, I barely listen to what she said. But something gets on my nerves when she mentions about this one ayat in Surah Al-Ma'idah (yes, she said that). Ayat 42. Agak terkejut. And then she asked if I understand Arabic or not. And then the bus came.

p/s: Segan pulak bile die cakap die faham Arabic (studied religion and arabic for 25 years or so she said) when my arabic is totally rusty. She talks like she knows the stuffs pdhal bau arak sikit2.

pp/s: thanks Sham ajar french sket. Tapi xberguna pun kat sana. Pfftt..

ppp/s: ohh.. sgt xreti nak tulis cerita.. bosan sungguh..

12/0

Summer holiday (12 days. Hence, comes the title).

The plan: London-Cardiff-Birmingham-Nottingham-Paris (3 people) with certain budget in hand.

The actual trip: London-Birmingham-Nottingham-Paris (2 people) and the budget was blown out of proportion -.-'

A holiday with all sorts of things experienced. Will try to write based on day-to-day experiences.

12/0 - Before the actual holiday.

Lots of things to be settled. Hotels, train tickets and even flight tickets! Nearly feels like cancelling the trip and burn CAD900 just like that. Nasib baik kuat semangat sikit. Planned on not checking the result until the trip ended.

p/s: Typing this entry means she has ended her trip and is sitting on her own bed with laptop that comes with 'mostly' unlimited wireless (unless I forgot to pay the bills, then it is limited) but yet still hasn't checked her grades. When in Malaysia perhaps. hehh.