Letter to Julia 20130601

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

YOOOOOOOLIIIIIEEEEE!!!!!!

This family business that is Shadowplay is like an oasis in the desert.  It's also like walking into the lobby of a mall, and it's bright and bustling, the crowd is excited, and the stores and kiosks are packed.  But only 2 spaces away from the lobby, the stores are empty.  A group of teenage girls drive around to the other side of the mall, but it's in complete darkness.  Nothing is happening anywhere else.  This is something you and our bosses need to understand: if it's not directly connected to the music, it's not going to be profitable.  InshaAllah.  It's like sitting at a cafe that's out of earshot to the singing: if you're there to listen to the music, then you're going to have to move closer.  Closer to where the music is.  Glory to Allah.  Don't mess with the situation, people.

I have made a commitment to marry you, Julia.  I mean it, Julia: I love you.  Therefore, right now I am unmarried, and I have never been married.  Now I'm old.  I can't marry you yet because I don't have the wealth to give you a good married life.  Please understand, that I cannot take any other position than to put your well-being in top priority.  MashaAllah.  Therefore, I can't take the responsibility for the lives of all the women who kill themselves for the love of the music, because I have made my commitment to marry you.  Ya Allah, please forgive me for my shortcomings.

Qur'an 20130601

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

79.  Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say, "This is from Allah," to traffic with it for a miserable price!  Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby.

80.  And they say, "The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days."  Say, "Have you taken a promise from Allah, for God never breaks a Promise?  Or is it you say of Allah what you do not know?"

81.  Nay, those who seek gain in evil, and are girt round by their sins- they are companions of the Fire: therein shall they abide."

The Heifer 2:79-81
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Have you taken a promise from Allah, for God never breaks a Promise?  Or is it you say of Allah what you do not know?

I believe verse 2:71 is a warning to those who write something, then claim that it is from God, to try to make money, or gain some power, whether it be Muslims, Christians, Jews, or otherwise.  I believe this clause also includes the people who add unnecessary stuff to the Commandments of the Qur'an and the teachings of prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).

The rationale of some "believers" is to take for granted that they will be Forgiven by God, and that they will only reside in the Fire for a short time if they commit a sin. 

Letter to Julia 20130529

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

Hi Julia, my beloved.  How are you feeling today?  I am longing for you as usual, my love.  You are my love, my future.  I'm sorry I've been talking all business lately.  You are Mrs. Global, after all.  It's been raining lightly.  I guess Allah gives us precisely what we need, and some of us need to have our faith tested.  Ya Allah, please strengthen my faith.

Letter to Julia 20130527

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

Aaaaa!  I broke a guitar string!  **sob**  I never break guitar strings.  Well, hardly ever.  The last time I broke a guitar string was a bass string, somewhere around 1994, I think.  I love old strings.  The strings on my SG are nearly 5 years old, and are getting nice and rusty.  But I broke my high E string last night.  I must have used too much muscle.  It must have been the full moon.  I had to replace it with the E string that came with the guitar when I first got it in 2008.

Anyway, only Allah can bring down the rain.  Ya Allah, please bring down the rain, because the rice fields are really dry.  The 2 massive floods we had here recently must have made the local authorities over-compensate by digging more drainage.  Massive flooding of the like are actually quite rare, so the local government can't be blamed for not being God.  A possible answer is to build miniature dams in the minor waterways.  The world is changing.  Global warming.  The Qur'an speaks of "seas boiling over".  Perhaps the Earth's core is going to heat up along with the atmosphere.  Hey, instead of stockpiling arms in preparation for invasion, perhaps they should use their brains and technology to clear up greenhouse gases?  That should help clean up the environment, plus manage their natural resources better, so they don't have to commandeer other people's resources, and enslave the impoverished.  No?  Too greedy and corrupt?  Well, Allah has prepared for Judgement Day in a most mysterious way.  We are righteous people insyaAllah, and it is our duty to try to slow down Armageddon.  Only the unbelievers try to speed it up.

Letter to Julia 20130525

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

YOOOOOOOLIIIIIIEEEEEEE!!!!!!

Hi Julia, my darling.  How are you feeling today?  I pray you are feeling healthy and confident.  I'm sure you know that Perlis is susceptible to flooding.  It hasn't flooded for the past 2 years, but you know how the weather can change in a blink of an eye.  This means that Casa de Julia cannot have a basement.  In fact, the foundation floor has to be about a meter from the ground for the house to have the best possibility of staying completely dry.  A massive deluge can flood the cesspool, and you can't flush the toilet (unless your toilet is on the 2nd floor, even though it would affect the toilets on the ground floor) until the water recedes.  Well, you CAN flush, but I'm not going to clean it.  I want to prepare the house for floods, but flooding is nothing to really worry about unless the rice fields turn into a miniature sea.

Please don't be so trustful of the people you encounter, and their example of how you should conduct your religion.  It is best that you establish your own relationship with the Qur'an, and God.  If you are sincere, then Allah will guide and befriend you.  If you need an example, then study prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).  Please maintain your prayers, as you are my girl, and we are Muslim.

Letter to Julia 20130523

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

Dearest Julia, I'm sorry I haven't written in so long.  Of course I still love you.  How could I not?  You are so beautiful, you are MY girl, and I want to marry you.  I did tell you that I've been talking too much lately, so I am feeling reclusive and lazy right now, more than I usually am.  So I stayed home and watched TV all the time, other than taking Chee Cheah to the vet, and going out to buy snacks.  But I had to reorganize my hard drive, so my computer had to work 24/7, and so did I, to keep an eye on it.  So much for being lazy.  You must be working hard.  Please believe, and be righteous.  Allah will grant us beautiful gardens together.  InsyaAllah.

Meanwhile, how about you watch a movie?  This features and is directed by P. Ramlee, one of the greatest Malay stars, who died young at the age of 44.  It also somehow reminds me of politics in Malaysia (both sides).

Letter to Julia 20130518

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

Hi there, my dearest Julia.  I've been talking too much lately, so now I feel extra reclusive and lazy.  Oh, I'm soooo lazy.  I just want to watch TV and snuggle with my Julia.  But she's not here, so I just watch TV.  I love you, Julia.  I need snacks.

Letter to Julia 20130516

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

Now you're probably asking yourself, "Why didn't God protect the younger sibling from the jealous wrath of his brother if God had preferred him over the other?"  Anyone who studies the Qur'an would know that the younger brother offered himself up for sacrifice with the intention of letting the older brother carry the burden of both their sins.  But it didn't stop there: from this incident God decreed that if anyone committed a murder, it would be as if he slew an entire race of people.  Now this happened a long time ago: the two brothers were sons of Adam, which could mean mankind before the Qur'an, or more likely the first generation offspring of Adam, the first human.  That would probably spiritually account for all the wars since the beginning of the human race.

But the human mind is too feeble to calculate its own past.  Probably in another 50 years time, people will say that President Kennedy never got shot, along with those who say, "Who's Kennedy?"  We Muslims are instructed to take account of the unseen as a fundamental aspect of human existence.  Even the stupidest people cannot deny that there might be something unseen around the corner as they drive.

Qur'an 20130516

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

1.  Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of mankind,

2.  The Ruler of mankind,

3.  The God of mankind,

4.  From the mischief of the Whisperer, who withdraws,

5.  Who whispers into the hearts of mankind,

6.  Among Jinns, and among men."

Mankind  114:1-6
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This chapter wraps up the Qur'an as we know it today, with a summary of existence: humans (and Jinns) are in conflict with Satan (a Jinn), until Judgment Day.

Letter to Julia 20130515

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

Are you the jealous type, Julia?  I wouldn't want you to cheat on me, and I wouldn't cheat on you for the same reason.  You would probably want me to be a little jealous, but that has nothing to do with our agreement of honor to each other.  And would I be jealous of the people who make millions as a by-product of the music that Allah granted me, while all they know is how to take, with no clue on how to give, not even a little bit so I can buy some coffee?  Actually, I don't care.  Allah will deal directly eventually with the oppressive, and I probably wouldn't even hear about it.  Sure, I get unhappy that I can't afford to marry my Julia, and buy all the toys and snacks that I want, but I'm not jealous with them about that.  Allah is the One Who enlarges or restricts the provision of whoever God wills.

The tormented rock star with many enemies routine has been done before.  I was listening to "The Wall", then cringed when I heard Roger Waters mug Sha Na Na.  I grew up on that album.  Then throughout my life I came into blows with people who were jealous with what I had/have.  Certainly what Allah gives is better than the wealth they amass.  That's between them and God, why be jealous with me?  But they want to be jealous.  That's just how they feel.  Everybody gets jealous.  It's justified.  Kill.

The Qur'an tells a story of a brother who got jealous with his younger sibling who was preferred by God, then murdered him.  This shows that jealousy reaches down to their spiritual level but again, that's between them and God.  You must have some old women who are jealous of your beauty.  Jealousy is a basic human suicide bomb, and it is NOT a blessing.  But God offers protection for the sincere believers.  The Only One Who has the Strength to protect.  The Lord of the dawn.

Qur'an 20130515

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

1.  Say,"I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn,"

2.  "From the mischief of created things,"

3.  "From the mischief of darkness as it overspreads,"

4.  "From the mischief of those who practise secret arts,"

5.  "And from the mischief of the envious one as he practises envy."

The Daybreak  113:1-5
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Letter to Julia 20130514

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

Hi there again, my love.  How are you feeling today, Julia?  It's a wild and crazy world out there, isn't it?  Conspiracies everywhere.  Just be righteous, be faithful, and put your trust in Allah.

I've been in a clammy mood lately.  My Mom cooked up some of those clams I told you about, you know, the "snails of a thousand brains".  I couldn't get enough of them, so I bought myself a kilo of the clams at the night market last night.  Oh Julia, clam broth is SO powerful.  I browned up some garlic and onions, then chilli paste and water, and something to add slight sourness, a touch of sugar, and then let the clams boil away in the mix.  I only bought a kilo because I didn't think I could put down two kilos, but now that they're all gone, I should have bought two kilos.  But nobody loves a fat astronaut.  Hey, would you like to try some?  How about I spoon up some of the broth with a clam in a half shell, and spoon feed you?  My darling?

Qur'an 20130514

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

1.  Say, "God is Allah, the One and Only."

2.  "Allah, the Eternal, Absolute."

3.  "God begets not, nor is God begotten."

4.  "And there is none like unto God."

The Purity of Faith  112:1-4
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Sincerity.  How sincere are you in your relationship with God?

Do you conduct your religion mostly for the sake of conforming?

Do you conduct your religion mostly for the sake of being seen by other people?

Letter to Julia 20130511

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

Hi Julia, my beloved.  How are you feeling today?  I'm feeling a bit hungry.  I've been on sort of a mango diet, having a mango or two instead of a heavy meal.  It won't last though, because the mangoes won't last, and I'm a voracious carnivore.  So for dinner, I have a chicken and bamboo shoot stew cooking on the stove top.  I wanted to make chicken and cashew curry, but my Mom pilfered my cashews.  I love you, Mom!  The stew should be quite good, inshaAllah.  Just meat, veggies, water, and bouillon at the end.  Simplicity!  Want some?

Qur'an 20130511

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

1.  Say, "O ye who reject Faith!"

2.  I worship not that which you worship,

3.  Nor will you worship that which I worship,

4.  And I will not worship that which you have been wont to worship,

5.  Nor will you worship that which I worship.

6.  To you be your way, and to me, mine.

109 Those Who Reject Faith

Letter to Julia 20130509

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

Hi Julia.  How are you?  I pray you're doing OK.  I'm doing OK, I got through the political season OK, and I'm still in one piece.  I hate politics.  I spent the evening harvesting mangoes.  This time I was a little more patient, and I only dropped a couple, and they were already close to the ground, so they didn't go splat, or bounce out of control.  I can't let the mangoes fall to the ground naturally, or the bugs will get them first.  I collect them in a cart I have in the kitchen, and let them ripen at room temperature.  Then I stuck them in the cooler.  I've been having mangoes for breakfast everyday.  Yummy!  Would you like to have one?  I'll peel it for you, my love.

Letter to Julia 20130508

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

Hi Julia, my Sweetness.  How are you  feeling today, my Princess?  I pray you are feeling healthy and confident.  It's been raining everyday.  I couldn't do much for yard work, so I just sat on my porch and watched the rain.  The first thing I remember doing when I first got back to Malaysia from the USA is watch the rain.  The reproductive ants flew up from the ground in the opposite direction of the rain.  More like singular but many little wisps of cigarette smoke, hey dodged the water drops as they rose up to lose themselves in the grey of the heavy rain.  Hundreds of dragonflies were patrolling above my yard, to pick off an ant as it tried to wing itself away into the sunset grey.  But some ants got away.  Future queens, they are.

Letter to Julia 20130506

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

Oh Julia, I woke up too early today, so I'm feeling rather spacey.  How are you, my love?  It's the day after the polls.  I thought I has to take Chee Cheah to the vet, but I had to postpone that.  Do I typed this letter at the Internet cafe.  Oh, I'm drowsy.

It seems that people are indoctrinated early in politics around here.  I can tell from the little kids who have their party affiliation scribbled on their grubby little notebooks and backpacks.  My vote was private until I cast it.  Sigh.  Fame is a liability.  But I guess it means that only Allah knows what's going on in my head.  InsyaAllah.

Letter to Julia 20130504

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

Hi Julia.  I love your nose.  I think your nose is so beautiful.  Your nose is so much more better looking than those plastic noses we see on TV nowadays.  And I love you, Julia.  I long to be with you.  Oh Julia, I don't know what happiness is.  Sometimes Allah allows me a glimpse of the perfect feeling, but I'm not in heaven yet.  I want to be happy with you, my beloved.  Ya Allah, please grant Julia and I happiness and security together in this life and the Hereafter.

Tomorrow is Election day.  I normally clean my parents' bedroom on Sunday morning, but I'm going to have to do that tonight, so I can go and vote.  People here have been quite civilized in their conduct lately, this election.  It didn't start that way, but their behavior improved.  Alhamdulillah.

Letter to Julia 20130502

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

Hi Julia, sweetie!  Oh, don't be so serious.  Then again, I should practise what I preach, huh?  I can get too damn serious sometimes.  Especially when I don't have my Julia to snuggle with.  I was much worse back during the pizza days.  I was cussing and swearing when I was picking mangoes just now, because the limbs of the tree were hanging over the street, and every time I picked a fruit, a car or a motorcycle would drive by, and the fruit would fall and go splat on the asphalt, or bounce into the storm drain.  @$#%$#&&*&##$*&!!!!  Thank God it rained last night, so the water in the drain wasn't disgusting.  This morning my Mom, renowned for her sense of humor, bitched me out for eating her soup.  Sorry, Mom.

Election Day is this Sunday, and the polls are being held at the elementary school down the street.  There's already a choking mess of propaganda outside my front gate.  It seems the world is interested in the Malaysian elections this year.  I wonder why.