Letter to Julia 20121231

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Happy New Year, Julia!  My love, my beauty, my flower!  How are you feeling?  God knows what kind of a looney year it will be for our love.  Please be cool, stay confident and optimistic, and know that you are my girl, you have my love, and my commitment for marriage.

Singing well is not easy.  Because the human body is the instrument, and if there's something wrong with the body, then there will be something wrong with the instrument.  When I voice train, I usually sing for 2 hours straight without break.  I might be able to go for another hour, God willing.  Then there are emotions to consider as well.  Back when I was in the band with Andre and Terry, we would never rehearse on the day we have to gig.  This was Andre's philosophy, and I agree with that today, now that I'm primarily a singer.  Since I work for stamina among other goals when I rehearse daily, then at night my singing voice doesn't function properly due to exhaustion.  I need a full night's sleep to "reset my system", in order to sing properly at the same time the next day.  For example, if I so happen to have to sing at some hotel restaurant from 8 to 11pm this coming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I would not rehearse at my usual time on those days, and I would do 3 x 40 minute sets.  And I would not leave my house until after I pray the Maghrib prayer.

Letter to Julia 20121229

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello there, my beautiful young Julia.  How are you feeling?  I pray you are feeling healthy and confident.  It's almost the new year, and I assume you are very busy.  I have been clearing out the property where my grandfather's old house still stands.  It's a long cry from what it looked like 4 years ago.  Back then, the land was overgrown with scrub, vines, and thorns, but I managed to get it to the point where it's actually a pleasure to stroll around.  Today, I worked on dismantling a tree that was hanging over the old house.  It was a big tree, and it had a companion tree growing alongside it.  This companion kept the old tree upright after I had hacked away the trunk with my axe, so I had to pull it down with a steel cable.  Now it is still being held up by part of the roof, so I'm taking it apart bit by bit.  Good thing most of the weight is on the ground now.  Chopping down trees is great exercise. You should try it sometime.

Letter to Julia 20121227

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

YOOOOOOOOLIIIIIEEEE!!!!

Hi Julia!  Are you having fun?  Yes, you are the center of attention, you are my girl!  Mine, mine, MINE.  Of course I love you, and I forgive you.  Hey people, she's a lady, and she does what she does because she loves her friends and the many people who depend on her kindness.  Got it?

Oh Julia, I didn't get to blog yesterday, even though I wrote the letter.  I got distracted by a fish.  But I posted that letter today, in case you want to read it.

Letter to Julia 20121226

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Oh, what a busy day!  One thing after another!  Especially housework... it's like a domino effect!  I wanted to change my bedsheet, then it turned into doing laundry, and vacuuming... at 10pm!  Oh, I'm so lazy.  I want a house that cleans itself, and clothes that wash themselves.  How would that work?  Each garment would have a built in sensor that would measure how much dirt and s*** is present, then activate a washing sequence.  How?  Each garment would have a built in washer and dryer?  Naaahh... a robotic solution would be more practical.  The sensor would activate a "maid" type robot to undress you and throw the clothes into the washer when the dirt reaches a certain level.  Oh Julia, I'm so lazy!

Before all that awful mundane stuff, I was cooking up some bamboo shoots fried rice.  There seems to be an endless supply of bamboo shoots in the yard.  I like to marinade them in salt water for about a week to tenderize them.  Tastes kind of like sauerkraut.  But there's a natural bitterness in my bamboo shoots.  I watched Iron Chef on Shadowplay TV while eating dinner, it was the bamboo shoots battle.  Wow, their bamboo shoots are big and fat.  The commentator compared bamboo shoots to growing boys, and talked about how subtle bamboo shoots taste.  My bamboo shoots are kind of thin and bitter, but there are so many of them, I have to experiment.  I was trimming my bamboo the other day with my parang, and I missed a cut and hit a shoot bud right on the head.  It was just barely peeping out of the ground, and it was nice and fat, too.  What a crying shame.  It grew up a few days later all twisted and bent, and covered in mud and red ants.  I'll be more careful next time, insyaAllah.  Those tiny little growing things are so sensitive at that age.

Letter to Julia 20121225

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi there, beloved Julia.  How are you feeling?  I pray you are healthy and happy.  You must be busy right now, doing things you are used to doing.  Me, it's business as usual.  *sniffle*  Somehow, I caught the sniffles.  But I must keep working, I must try to sing everyday, insyaAllah.  Because my situation glorifies Allah.  I'm not a prophet, but I have to work everyday.  I'm sure there are plenty of people who call themselves Muslim who take the day off today to celebrate Christmas, just as there are those who call themselves Christian who have to work today.  Turn on the TV, and you will see them.  I am not allowed to compromise in that sense.  Just as I will not compromise my choice of you as my wife, in respect of your half-naked friends.  I stand by you because I love you no matter what day it is.

Please take good care of yourself, please maintain your prayers because you represent the both of us, and have a great day.

Letter to Julia 20121222

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Oh Julia, I do need you, for you are my girl, and I love you so.  You are so beautiful, and I take pleasure in your beauty.  I long for you so much, and I pray that Allah will bring us together in marriage, in love and happiness, soon.

Ah, I'm so full.  I cooked up some fried flat noodles with cockles and bean sprouts (keow teow kerang) again.  Alhamdulillah.  Ya Allah, thank you for the knowledge and bounty You have provided for me.  All those years doing food business almost ruined my feet, but I grateful to be able to cook for myself.  Like I told my Dad, I like my own cooking because I don't give myself food poisoning.  InsyaAllah.  I also can eat what I want because I generally know how to prepare it, and I can eat the portion I want.  Tonight I ate half a wok of keow teow kerang.  I could have eaten the entire wok, but I probably would have exploded like an overfed python.  I can also experiment, and I also save money on eating out.  If I'm by myself, then it makes no difference to me if I don't eat out.  But I know I have to endorse others, so I do.  Plus sometimes I'm too lazy to cook.  I know we have to take you out for adventure and romance, so whenever you feel like playing roulette with our stomachs, we'll try out different places to eat.

Letter to Julia 20121219

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello, my precious Julia.  Yes you are very precious to me, my beloved.  You are my life, and you give me something to look forward to.  You also give me someone to miss, someone to maintain a routine for.  I pray that you are healthy, and feeling good.  You are my girl, and I love you.

I've been feeling a bit feverish lately, but I should be OK with a few aspirin.  InsyaAllah.  I always have something to do, so I don't like to be bogged down by a fever.  What to do, eh?  Ya Allah, thank you for our good health, and please maintain our good health for us, as we cannot.  It was raining everyday last week, so little Chee Cheah had a relapse of her skin infection.  So I had to take her to the vet for an antifungal shot.  Oh, it's so hard to get out of the door every morning.  Creaks and groans!  The hammering I gave my body when I was young has caught up to me!  Especially in the morning, adding that I'm  not a morning person to begin with.  Anyway, I skipped breakfast, which I really shouldn't do, but I did, because I thought that I would be OK until lunch.  All I had to do was drive the cat for a quick shot.  Then I went to the day market to buy some salted fish.  This particular type crisps up nicely when fried, and not too salty either.  I enjoyed it with my cheeseburger and fries for lunch.  I generally wake up at 9am everyday, because I wake earlier at 3 or 4am and go back to sleep after I perform the dawn prayer at about 6am.  So I have to get all morning business done by 12pm, so I can eat and take a nap before I pray then voice train at 2pm.  This nap has become crucial, because I'm able to put myself into a near coma.  Damned lullabys!  And why do I voice train at the same time everyday?  Because the world is listening, insyaAllah.  At 4pm, I quickly tidy up my parents' kitchen.  I feed the cats again, and after the Asr prayer, I do yard work until sunset.  I try to cook and eat dinner before the last prayer, then after that I write to my sweetie.  I love my sweetie Julia.  She's very important to me.  I want to marry her.

Qur'an 20121219

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

5.  The similitude of those who were charged with the Mosaic Law, but who subsequently failed in those, is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes.  Evil is the similitude of people who falsify the Signs of Allah, and Allah guides not people who do wrong.

6.  Say, "O you who stand on Judaism!  If you think you are friends to Allah, to the exclusion of mankind, then express your desire for death, if you are truthful!"

7.  But never will they express their desire, because of what their hands have sent on before them!  And Allah knows well those who do wrong!

8.  Say, "The death from which you flee will truly overtake you.  Then will you be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open, and God will tell you the things that you did!"

9.  O you who believe!  When prayer is proclaimed on Friday, hasten earnestly to the Remembrance of Allah and leave off business.  That is best for you, if you only knew!

10.  And when the prayer is finished, then you may disperse through the land, and seek of the Bounty of Allah often, that you may prosper!

11.  But when they see some bargain or some amusement,they disperse headlong to it, and leave you standing.  Say, "That from the Presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain!  And Allah is the Best to provide!"

Friday 62:5-11
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O you who stand on Judaism!  If you think you are friends to Allah, to the exclusion of mankind, then express your desire for death, if you are truthful!

The death from which you flee will truly overtake you.  Then will you be sent back to the Knower of things secret and open, and God will tell you the things that you did!

That from the Presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain!  And Allah is the Best to provide!

Letter to Julia 20121217

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Julia, my beloved.  I pray you are doing well, and feeling confident.  You should have figured out by now that to be sincere in Islam is to take that leap of faith to Allah, to conduct worship solely for the sake of Allah, and that there is no turning back.  The best is to strive in the cause of Allah with all you have, for then Allah gives that the highest reward.  I have tried to do so, may Allah accept my work.

Letter to Julia 20121215

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Oh Julia!  How are you today, my princess?  You must be busy as always.  That's the trouble with work in mass media: one has to work 24/7 it seems.  Oh, the lack of privacy!  And I still haven't cleaned off the cobwebs off the windows since I moved into this house.  Hey I like spiders, and since I'm by myself, I might as well let them decorate the windows.  Oh, I'm so lazy!  That's the real reason.  Since I'm working all the time, then I might as well be lazy, because it doesn't matter what I do, I'm still working.  Maybe I'll take a nap.

Oh don't worry, Julia my love.  I'll chip in with some of the housework, and I'm capable of doing my own laundry.  I'm just waiting for you, my beloved.  Fame certainly is not a blessing, but perhaps Allah will grant us an easy life and happiness together in spite of it.  Meanwhile, you please maintain your prayers in sincerity.

Letter to Julia 20121213

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi again, my Julia!  Kiss kiss!  Thank you for your love.  I love you!  How are you feeling today?  I just had some "nasi lemak" and "laksa" over at Ina's restaurant, so I'm stuffed.  You must be fascinated with the local cuisine here, and you may have learned a few tricks and recipes.  I want you to master German cuisine.  The local food is everywhere here, well because it's local.  But I want halal sausage, cooked in sauerkraut!  I want you to teach our children and me German, I want our children to be trilingual.

I'm sorry to bore you with talk about Shadowplay music, and an old man's memories.  But I'm sure that you can see that now is not the time for me to talk a lot about the fashion business.  This is your time to blow the fashion scene to pieces, and be the fashion mogul.  It's your turn to shine in the business you've worked so hard in.  I am here to love you, and marry you.  Remember the goal of our marriage, is to make them come to us, so we can slow down and stay put, and enjoy our family together. 

Maybe you want to be nice and all that, but just don't be too nice to your enemies.  And it may be that Allah may grant love between you and those you hold as enemies, for Allah has power, and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.  Allah only forbids you with regard to those who fight you for your faith, and drive you out of your home, and support in driving you out, from turning to them in friendship.  And remember, there are the completely lost souls, on whom is the Wrath of Allah, and they are in despair of the hereafter.  Keep away from them.

Letter to Julia 20121212

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello there, my beautiful Julia.  Yes, you are the most beautiful girl in the world to me.  I love you, and I want to marry you.  I pray that you are staying healthy and confident.

Oh dear, "Revenge of the Sith" is on Shadowplay TV right now.  I guess I'll fast forward it.  I don't want to turn into Darth Vader.  Ah, "Gigantic Killer Fish" on MonsterQuest.  Much better.  Actually, I wrote "Revenge" waaaay back when I was still in Salt Lake City.  Andre, Terry and I had a daytime gig, I think it was the Sabbathon... I'm not sure.  Hazy days, you know.  I believe it was outside the Cinema Bar.  As far as I remember, there was a pause... oh yeah, Andre broke a string!  So I took out a brass slide, and started jamming alone on my bass.  I played bass back then.  Terry joined in on the drums, then when Andre was done restringing his guitar, he joined in too.  I barked out some stupid words, and behold!  "Revenge" was born.  That was 1994, I think.  Years passed by, Terry quit, Andre died, I rewrote all the instrumental parts, and "Revenge" is what it is today.  I still have the version Andre, Terry and I recorded.  I wonder if it would sell?  Nah, it's only good for my nostalgia.

There is a difference between treating your enemies with justice and turning to them for friendship.  Allah loves those who are just, but making friends with your enemies and the enemies of God is wrong.  Then there is the case of women refugees, who become Muslim, then turn to you for help.  First make sure their faith is sincere.  Once you are sure of that, then it becomes haram (unlawful, forbidden) for you to send them back to where they came from.  You must help them somehow.

Letter to Julia 20121211

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Julia!  My love!  Are you feeling good?  I'm reprogramming Shadowplay TV right now, and snacking on fried peanuts.  I had fried chicken for dinner which I bought at the night market, and my Dad gave me some fried noodles.  I'm pretty full.  Alhamdulillah.

I'm reworking "Revenge" right now, and it's a pretty long song.  8 minutes and 32 seconds.  The original version is already very good, at first I didn't want to rework it.  But I know I can sing it better today insyaAllah, so I changed my mind.  I originally produced it in the summer of 2005, in the blazing heat of Phoenix.  It's definitely a desert song, kind of country hip-hop, with tribal drums.  There's nothing wrong with the song, except that I'm sure I can sing it better.  The problem is that the instrumental track I have is missing the slide whistle part, which is an important element of the song.  Nobody takes the slide whistle as a serious musical instrument except me.  It's considered a toy, and only used in cartoons and comedies.  But it can be played very expressively, and I managed to get a very haunting take.  But the take is lost, and I can't find another slide whistle here in Perlis, even at the toy stores.  Oh, lament!  Who out there hears the lament of a musician without musical instruments?  Oh, oh, oh!  I need a set of drums, I need a tube stack, I need a mixer and microphones, I need a slide whistle, I need a whole lot of stuff!  Ya Allah, please help me!  Anyway, if I can't get the slide whistle, I'm going to have to use a slide guitar, which I don't want to use, because the part is written for a slide whistle.

By the way Julia my love, you must stop offering love to your enemies and to God's enemies.  If they had the chance, they would lead you to ruin.  It should be obvious to you now who your enemies are, so just stay away from them.  Do not offer them love, not even in secret.  They had their chance, now leave them alone.

Letter to Julia 20121210

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Wha.... where's my sweetie?  You're not in the latest Victoria's Secret fashion show?  Well, that's actually a good thing, because it shows the world that you are modest.  I'm glad that you realize that you are a role model for millions of young Muslim girls, and you are my princess.  I wish you had told me that you weren't going to be in the show, so there would have been less drama. Maybe you did tell me in not so many words, and I'm just dense.  I guess it doesn't really matter.  May Allah reward you.

As for Victoria's Secret, I'm afraid I cannot endorse your show or your product if my sweetie Julia isn't involved.  Thus endeth the Victoria's Secret fashion show saga on Shadowplay TV, except for the shows that feature my sweetie Julia on regular programming when picked by the randomizer.  I strongly suggest you guys quit while you're ahead, and try to get back to a basic showcase of your product in your fashion shows (like in 1998 and before) with minimal loss, or axe the fashion show altogether and just rely on commercials.  It is impossible for you guys to get bigger and better without limit, because you are human beings and you sell underwear.  Oh God, I hope they don't try to cast wrinkley old women in mummified makeup to walk the catwalk in skimpy lingerie just because these women have power and influence, and try to call it sexy.  Eau de formaldehyde!  But I guess that could be a bigger and better approach to the show, from a certain point of view.

Letter to Julia 20121208

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hello there, my beautiful Julia!  How are you feeling?  Today is my parents' 52nd anniversary.  They've been married to each other for 52 years!  I'll buy them some ice cream on my way home.  They are kind of difficult to shop for, because they don't really like anything except for what they get for themselves.  As a couple, they don't seem to have similar interests.  My Mom is a sugar addict, while my Dad is a chain smoker.  Their other tastes and habits are equally divergent.  Their only common interests are lying in bed with each other, and eating rice with mixed entrees (nasi campur).  Ya Allah, thank you for keeping my parents alive.  Please give my parents long, happy, healthy lives, forgive their sins, allow them to enter heaven together, and have mercy on my parents as they cherished me in childhood.

The Internet cafe was out of order last Thursday, so I didn't get to blog.  Please forgive me.  But I am so looking forward to seeing you in the fashion show.  And our show!  Remember, our goal is to slow down and enjoy our lives together.  InsyaAllah.

Please do not be fooled by hypocrites and disbelievers who appear united against us.  Listen again, and you will hear lies and dissent among themselves.  Look again, and you will see fear.

Letter to Julia 20121206

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hi Julia, how are you doing?  I pray you are feeling great.  I didn't take the cat to the vet yesterday.  But I did go to the vet.  The last time I took that cat to the vet, the vet said that she had mouth ulcers, and prescribed antibiotics and some pills to reduce the swelling.  So I just renewed the prescription.  She does have a broken tooth though, and it's obvious that she's suffering.  So I also bought some Listerine to help disinfect her mouth.

I'm looking forward to seeing the latest Victoria's Secret fashion show.  I want to see you most of all.  I always look forward to seeing you, even though I am unable to go searching for you amidst the lies of the Internet.  You are my beloved Julia, and I cherish you so much.

Letter to Julia 20121204

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

Hmmm.  There's something going on today.  What day is it?  December 4th?  I know there's something I must do, but I can't seem to remember.  Let's see, I have to pay the power bill, I've got to get some gasoline...  Tomorrow I have to take the cat to the vet, so I won't be blogging.  It's my brother's cat.  She seems to have something wrong with her mouth.  I think it's a broken tooth, but I'm not sure.  Tonight I have to cut the grass.  The grass cutter has been in the shop, so the grass is really long, because it's been raining everyday lately, except yesterday, so I had a chance to trim my front yard.  What is it I'm missing?  I'm senile, Julia.  You're marrying someone senile.  Well, I'll just go home and indulge in my loneliness, and look at pictures of my sweetie.  She's a beautiful model, you know.  Whatever it is I'm forgetting, I'm sure I'll remember eventually.

Letter to Julia 20121203

In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.

How are you today, my beautiful and beloved young Julia?  I pray you are taking good care of yourself, and that you are keeping safe.  I've always believed that it is better to have only a few friends who are close and sincere, than to have many fake friends.  Don't you agree?  I want to tell you again that you are the girl for me, the girl I want to marry, that I have been waiting for you for nearly 4 years already, and that I am committed to our marriage.  I love you, Julia.

Again, ours is not a conflict between nations, but a conflict between urban and rural.  The "Big Picture" is Allah, not the city.