Letter to Erin 20150801

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

I'll have to say that it's handy to know how to make dough.  Fresh bread is filling, tastes great, good for you, and goes with pretty much anything.  Ya Allah, thank You for the knowledge and the bounty You have provided for me.  I can't make sliced bread like the machines do, but making dough comes easily for me.  It's because I had to make batches from 50 pound sacks of flour 2 to 7 times a day everyday at one point in my life.  My dough is as basic as it gets: flour, yeast, water, salt, and oil.  You should try to make dough too.  Just remember, you have to make dough everyday to become good at it.  Well maybe not everyday, but very very often.  Today for dinner, I rolled out a couple of doughs to about 8 inches, then stuffed with steak, black mushrooms and onions sauteed in butter, and cheese, then cooked them on the flat pan I use to cook tortillas, flipping them over a couple of times.  So yummy, and dripping with butter.  Yeah, perhaps I used too much butter, but it was great.  Oh, I ate yours!  I'm sorry, but you weren't here.  But as you know, you're welcome anytime for dinner, because I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150731

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

Hi Erin!  How are you, Sweetie?  Prepping for football season already?  Go team!  I'm sorry I'm not much of a sports fan.  I guess I need to find out who won the 2015 Ladies Figure Skating Championships.  The only sport I like, and I don't keep up with it.  I'm a big fan of you, though!  Go team!

It's just another everyday day for me here.  I went downtown to pay my phone and Internet bill in the morning.  I wanted to eat at one of my usual spots but it was closed, so I went home and cooked up some beef and potatoes.  In the evening, I cut grass over at your house inshaAllah.  Nothing too special for dinner tonight, just fried calamari.  Squid, flour, eggs, salt and pepper.  But oh so addictive.  I had a lot of cuttlefish, and today I only fried up just the heads and I'm stuffed.  Yeah, I ate your portion.  If you may say that.  Your portion is my portion.  Married people.  One plus one is one.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150730

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

Aha!  I caught Bat Cat I eating the cat food!  So much for his pride and independence.  This is the first time in years I caught him eat my food.  Of course he ran away at top speed when he heard me.  But I guess It's somewhat gratifying that he relies on me a little.  But this batch of cat food has some worms in it.  Both ------- and ---- laid some fresh stools last night and I inspected them when I saw some white specks, and they were worms.  Now of course one can't expect purity in cat food.  Do you think that the humans would use fresh red snapper and bluefin tuna for processed cat food pellets?  Of course not.  Even the top brands like Friskies. Meow Mix and Iams get their bulk fish from slave boats, probably days or perhaps weeks old by the time they get it.  So this morning while I was waiting for my Dad to see the eye specialist, I swung by the vet to pick up some anti worm medicine.  By the way, the vet was packed and so was the eye specialist.  Anyway, they had run out of anti worm pills, so I went to the pet shop in the evening after it stopped raining to get the medicine.  When I got back, little ------- was crouching at the cat food, then went to lay a fresh stool.  No worms!  Where did the worms go?  I wasted RM22 on worm syrup?  I didn't want to give the cats drugs they don't need, so I put off the medicine for now.

I don't have a standard recipe for mole sauce.  The batch I made for dinner was made out of my failed attempt at making a palatable chocolate bar out of cooking chocolate.  As you know, I can't find cocoa butter anywhere around here, so I have to use cooking chocolate.  My chocolate bar attempt tasted good, but it had turned into Nutella (could it be that Nutella is actually a hazelnut bar failure?)  Actually, it tasted like mole sauce before I even added the hot chilli puree in.  Maybe the spoon wasn't properly washed.  The hot chilli puree had onions and Thai peppers in it, so my mole sauce today had some kick.  I slow cooked a chicken breast in the sauce, so the sauce also has chicken broth in it.  Then I made chicken mole burritos with lettuce, tomatoes, and black mushrooms sauteed in butter.  I made one for you, but I ate it since you didn't show up for dinner.

If you're trying your hand at cooking (and you should, but please have fun at it OK?) then please make sure that you put your stomach before your taste buds.  What I mean is make sure that what you cook doesn't hurt your stomach, regardless of the taste.  The flavor will follow naturally inshaAllah.  Also just use no bigger than medium heat until you have total confidence.  But I don't want to compete with you in cooking.  I have to eat whatever you serve me without complaint, because I love you and I need you.  But my stomach is very sensitive, so please have mercy on me.

Letter to Erin 20150729

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

Hi there, my dearest Erin. How are you feeling today, my beloved?  Are you excited?  Well, don't be.  It's all the same old day, you know.  Then will come Judgement Day.  At least when we are married inshaAllah, we will share the day together.  Today I took it slowly, did all my chores slowly, and tried to get as much rest as I could.  There's always something to do around here.  I went downtown for dinner, and had some fried noodles for takeout.  Quite a big helping too, so now I'm stuffed and watching TV.  It's a James Bond movie, "The Living Daylights".  I'm going to set my bed now, rather it's a sheet covering a carpet on the floor.  Don't fret, I like sleeping on the floor.  I may never give that up, no matter how wealthy I may become.  Remember that the goal is to stay put, settle down, and raise a family.  Doesn't that sound better than throwing the illusion of a party to give the illusion of having fun to give the illusion of prosperity?  Would you care to join me on my bed?  Well, we have to be married first.  I love you, and I need you.

Erin. please give a donation of a minimum of one US dollar to a worthwhile charity.

Letter to Erin 20150728

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

Hi Erin!  Sweetheart!  I'm watching the first episode of Sailor Moon right now.  Have you been watching the Japanese version of Sailor Moon like I asked you to?  It may not matter so much to you, you sports fan you, but it really matters to the Sailor Moon junkies worldwide.  Because you are MY girl.  It's almost like a secret society like the Illuminati, but bigger.  Really, they should worship Allah.  Remember to watch Sailor Moon in the sequence I told you: the first season first (also known as Sailor Moon), then the 3rd season (SMS), the 4th season (SMSS), the 5th season (SailorStars), and the 2nd season (SMR) last if you feel like it.  If you can't find an episode, then wait until you find it before you move on to the next episode.  I have all 200 episodes, but you're going to have to wait until we're married before you get any Sailor Moon out of me.  What's my favorite season?  SMSS.  But my favorite Moonie is Hotaru Tomoe.

Dinner tonight is pepper steak on white rice, and I made enough for 2, so you're welcome to share my dinner.  I learned the pepper steak idea from Andre, but he used jalapenos while I use the Thai peppers I grow in my garden.  It's yummy and super hot, and a perfect match with white rice.  Meanwhile please take good loving care of yourself, because I love you and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150727

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

Hi Erin!  My letter of the day before yesterday didn't post because of a Google error, so my letters are out of sequence.  I'll have you know that I write to you everyday, so please don't be bummed out that I missed a day, because you mean the world to me.  Of course anything can happen at anytime, but for now I promise you that I'll write everyday, because I love you, and I need you.

Chee Cheah went missing again for about a day.  I think she's feeling guilty about all the damage she did to herself.  Poor little kitty.  She's an old kitty but I love her so much as I love all my kitties.  I can't imagine my life without cats.  She showed up after cats dinner while I was watering my eggplants, asking for food.  So she was late for dinner, but she ate a lot of food.  I groomed her a little after that, and she seems to be settling down again inshaAllah.  But she must not take that collar off!

Yesterday wasn't a good day for cooking for me.  I burned the sauce for my steak, and lunch was leftovers.  It's not that I don't have better ingredients to prepare, but I don't want to waste these leftovers.  Lunch today was simple: eggs and beans, because I had just cleaning my Mom's bedroom and I didn't have much time, energy or motivation to cook.  Dinner was those curried potatoes I made the other day, with leftover slices of steak.  Only single portions today, please forgive me.  Are you trying your hand at cooking?  You might as well pick up cooking as a new hobby.  You can't expect me to do all the cooking, plus you might want to prepare something for your kids.  Also mashaAllah, as my wife you are automatically a professional endorser of food products.  Do some commercials for food service!  Get paid.

Letter to Erin 20150725

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

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling today, Sweetheart?  I pray you are feeling healthy and confident.  You are the most beautiful girl in the world to me.  I love you, and I need you.

For dinner tonight is cheeseburgers!  I happened to be downtown this morning getting an appointment with the eye specialist for my Dad, so I bought a loaf of bread and some sliced cheese.  Yeah I've had a craving for cheeseburgers lately, but tonight it's more a case of using up the lettuce and tomatoes, because they were wilting.  I've had cheeseburgers for dinner 4 out of 5 nights.  That's 8 cheeseburgers total.  I couldn't possibly eat them all at once.  That would make me sick.

So yeah, I need to work on your happiness.  This evening I cut the grass over at your house inshaAllah.  The rain was pelting down at 4 pm, and I didn't think I would get a chance to do any yard work.  Then the sun suddenly came out, in a most surreal fashion.  Yeah, I need to work on your happiness.  It sucks that I don't have the cash to do it.  Please be patient with me, and pray that Allah grants me what I need to give you a happy and secure marriage.

Letter to Erin 20150726

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

Chee Cheah finally showed her face to me after hiding for 2 days.  I was watering my Mom's flowers when there she was, sitting casually behind me, licking away at herself.  Oh my God, what a mess.  She was almost bald all over, after having scratched and licked almost all her fur off.  She couldn't have escaped her restraining collar by herself, otherwise she would have done so long ago.  She's an old kitty, so I was worried.  Cats leave home to die, unless of course they're trapped inside.  Chee Cheah isn't an indoors cat.  She has never treated the house with any respect.  She's always been like that, it has nothing to do with being old, just ask my Mom.  But she doesn't have to leave. because I love her.  I will bury her when she dies, inshaAllah.

Dinner was steak and cheese sandwiches.  It's not a cheeseburger, it's a steakburger!  I burned the sauce, so it wasn't that great.  I would share it with you, but I burned the sauce so I can't serve it to you.  I'm sorry.  I'll make it again properly.  I need to buy more mushrooms.  When I do, I'll make you one inshaAllah.  I love you Erin, and I need you.
 

Letter to Erin 20150724

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

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling right now, my love?  I'm watching Iron Chef Potato battle right now.  I had a whole lot of chicken curry leftover from the Eid, so I drained it and separated the chicken and potatoes from the gravy.  Then I cubed up 5 more potatoes into the gravy, then stewed them up until almost soft.  Then I strained the gravy again, then deep fried all the potatoes, french fry style.  Awesome!  I probably sprinkled on too much salt, but great anyway.  Alhamdulillah!  It was so good that I forgot my steak.  But not for long.  I'm starting to think that rib meat is superior to tenderloin.  It's because of all that creamy fat.  Oh my God!  I have a small sauce pot with lid, so I pan fried the steak in my teriyaki sauce (light soy sauce, black pepper and sugar) and butter until medium rare, made sure all sides were equally blackened, turned off the heat, put the cover on and let it sit for half an hour.  Oh my God!  Alhamdulillah!  I would have shared it with you, but you didn't show up for dinner.  Besides, I guzzled it all down very quickly.  I'm sorry.  I do love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150723

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

Now don't get me wrong, my beloved.  I appreciate your seriousness as much as your happiness.  Marriage is a serious business, and I want you to be happy with me.  It's sad that some people fall like toy soldiers, but I must work on your happiness first.  This is because I love you, and I need you.

For dinner tonight is cheeseburgers.  I'm sorry, but I have had a terrible craving for cheeseburgers lately.  This time I have lettuce to go with it.  I'm out of bread though, so unless I buy some bread tomorrow, I won't be having cheeseburgers again.  Oh, I ate your portion.  I hope you don't mind.

I haven't seen Chee Cheah since yesterday.  The last I saw her, she was hanging out by the amra tree at the top of my driveway by your house inshaAllah.  Today all I saw of her is her restraining collar right at the spot I last saw her.  She couldn't have taken that collar off by herself, but if she did then she must be in hiding until she has had her fill of scratching herself to pieces.  But she's an old kitty.  Ya Allah, please protect and heal all my kitties.

Letter to Erin 20150722

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

Aw Erin, please don't be blue!  My poor sweet Erin, please don't pout.  I want you to be optimistic, because I love you so much.  You are MY girl, and you mean the world to me.  So cheer up little camper, OK?  You are the most beautiful girl in the world to me.  I love you, and I need you.

I'm having such a terrible craving for cheeseburgers!  So I had cheeseburgers again for dinner, and now that I just ate, I want more cheeseburgers!  What's wrong with me?  Why do I want cheeseburgers?  I went to the butcher this morning.  I had the opportunity to buy tenderloin, but I didn't.  Don't get me wrong, I love tenderloin and sirloin, but sometimes there's just not enough fat on the cut.  The steer was big and fat, I could see that.  But there wasn't enough fat on the tenderloin cut for me to grab that.  So I bought rib meat instead.  I thought about having steak and potatoes for dinner, but I got a craving for cheeseburgers instead.  No you can't have my cheeseburger!  Oh OK, you can.  Wait, I ate it already!

I'll write again tomorrow inshaAllah.  Meanwhile, please make a donation to a worthwhile charity of a minimum of one US dollar.

Letter to Erin 20150721

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

Wha... you're mad at me again?  What did I do?  I did catch that video of your doing that basketball jump.  I think you are so beautiful and feminine, and I love you very much.  And I need you.

For dinner today is cheeseburgers!  I've had a craving for cheeseburgers.  Burger buns are hard to find recently for whatever reason.  Maybe the MacDonald's mob is putting the squeeze on burger bun makers.  But I think sliced bread tastes better anyway.  I'm not rationalizing, sliced bread does taste better!  I made some mayo this morning.  It's a good batch, nice and smooth.  I also made hot sauce, great for dipping chicken nuggets, fried calamari, or stuffed won tons.  I couldn't find any lettuce anywhere, well I was too lazy to go downtown, but the tomatoes were great.  I did find some big, fat, and fresh cuttlefish.  Such great looking squid, hardly any smell at all.  I got 4 in a kilo, that will make some hefty fried calamari.  Oh I'm sorry, but I ate your burger since you're not here.  I'll probably make cheeseburgers again soon, so please make sure you show up for dinner.

Letter to Erin 20150720

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

Hi Erin!  How are you today, my darling?  I just saw that new Victoria's Secret ad that got posted recently, you know the one with you and Lindsay and 2 other girls.  That is current, right?  I'll put it on my TV station.  You are my most beautiful girl, of course.  Because you are MY girl.  You are the one I love, and I need you.

My Bob Cat caught a fever at the same time I did.  You can tell if a cat has a fever without a thermometer by embracing it to feel if it's too hot (compare with a healthy cat).  Also, it has no appetite and is listless.  So I gave him a fever reducer, and he took it quite easily.  The next time I saw him, he seemed better, but still a little low in energy.  So I tried to give him another pill, but this time he struggled and I couldn't get the pill in.  Plus he stuck his claw in my pinky, and it bled profusely.  Bobby knew people were watching, so he put on a great act by dry heaving and spitting out- BLEAH! BLEAH! POOI! POOI!  I didn't get anything in his mouth!  Next he didn't show up for dinner.  If he still has a fever next time I see him, I'm going to have to dissolve the pill and use a syringe.

Letter to Erin 20150719

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

Argh!  I couldn't gt all my sinus fluids dumped!  The Flu Virus Collective got wise to my defense, and only allowed half the mucus to go.  I know it's totally unromantic to talk about snot in a love letter, but I believe that infected sinus fluids are extremely dangerous, and is the primary cause of influenza, pneumonia, and meningitis.  The sinus cavity needs to be emptied when infected.  How would you empty the sinus cavity of an infant?  With one of those suction balls?

So I had a very rough time getting through voice training.  Not just a raw throat, but trying to fight suffocation while singing.  I kept wanting to pass out, but I countered that with 3 minute naps during the set.  I suppose that would be funny to look at if I were on stage, but it certainly doesn't feel funny to me.  It feels like death.  Gah!  I hate singers.  Divas, all of them.

I'm not fasting, but I'm sitting here waiting for them to call the sunset prayer.  I still haven't broken the fasting month habits.  The village is full of strangers during the holidays.  My boy cats who spend their lives outside, have been very busy.  Especially Bat Cat III, always on the scent of some other dirty secret.  For dinner is leftover rice and chicken.  I try not to waste anything, besides I'm not in the mood to cook right now.  I pray you're healthy and eating well and getting plenty of rest.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150718

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

HI Erin Sweetie.  Today is the Eid.  I'm not fasting.  Anyway. it's past sunset and I'm watching "Stroszek".  It's a German movie with Mexican subtitles (or is that Portuguese?), and I don't know what the hell is going on.  I spent the first half hour draining my sinus cavity, so I was watching the drip and listening to German chatter.  I'm going to have to play the movie over again.  My Mom (and her gang) made a ton of tomato rice, and I have leftovers in my cooler.  Well not a ton, but I have over 3 liters of leftover tomato rice.  I'll cook that up after the night prayer later, and watch "Stroszek" again.  I've been eating the same thing over and over again today.  Fireworks have been popping incessantly at night, last night and right now.  Floofy didn't like them last night, but now she's gotten used to it, and is just sleeping away on my prayer rug.  Fireworks aren't a big production out here in the kampung, but many many independent displays permeate the night until the wee hours, taking the time where karaoke once ruled.  Oh no, I made too much tomato rice fried rice!  I'll be eating tomato rice again tomorrow.  Alhamdulillah.

Let's see if I understand the movie.  Bruno's a musician who just gets out of jail gets into trouble with some pimps, then he and his friends move to midwest America where they finance a trailer home, but it gets repoed so they go rob a band but the bank is closed so they rob a barber instead but the old man gets caught and Bruno is left alone and hijacks a ski lift where he goes around and around up and down with a frozen turkey and a shotgun waiting for the cops to get him.  How's that?  Lots of nice little nuances in the movie.

I don't get sentimental about the holidays, but I wish you were here with me.  We can do things over and over again together in comfort, security and joy inshaAllah.  How's that?  Erin, you have to keep stable and mundane for your children.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150717

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

Hi Erin!  The fasting month is officially over!  No more staying up all night.  I don't know why that happened to me, but now I can stay up late.  That's what I'm going to do tonight, and eat lots of snacks.  I'm not one for celebrating public holidays.  I think it's because I have to work everyday, but my parents love the Eid.  I prefer Ramadan over the Eid.  The routine tomorrow is that after the Eid prayer in the morning, I hang out at my parents' house and eat all day.  Since tomorrow is also Friday, there's also the Friday prayer to attend in the afternoon.  But otherwise, it's the same old day for me.  I think I'll cut grass over at your house inshaAllah.  Maybe I'll have time to burn the compost.  It's been hot and dry, so maybe all that vegetation has dried up enough to burn.

You must be busy nowadays.  I hope you're not getting too caught up in the competition of it all.  You are MY girl, so that makes you the most beautiful girl in the world to me.  I want you to be nice to your fashion designers, and treat their clothes with great respect.  Can you do that for me?  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150716

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

Hello my beautiful darling Erin.  How's the most feminine movie star in the world doing today?  You may not think so, but I think all this competitiveness is not a blessing.  But I am on your side, and it is my responsibility to provide for you inshaAllah.  So all those other girls look like men to me.


I'm sitting here waiting to break my fast as usual, and watching Mork and Mindy: Mork's Seduction.  I think this is the best episode, it's so funny.  Don't you agree that comedians are the most serious people in the world?  It must be so sad to have to be funny all the time.  Especially those physical comedians- one would need drugs to have to be a 24 hour party.  How would it be possible to take a break from being funny?  To be serious?  Humor is a paradox.

For dinner is a tortilla and a block of tofu smothered in spicy sauce, with dried fried onions sprinkled on top.  Vegetarian!  The tofu is 5 days old, so it's not so fresh.  Tofu ferments well, but the flavor difference between fresh and fermented tofu is huge.  Would you like to share my dinner with me?  It's nice and healthy and good for you!  Erin, you are MY girl.  I love
you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150715

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

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling, Sweetie?  I'm sitting here, waiting for them to call the sunset prayer, so I can eat a date then take 2 aspirin and some cough syrup.  Yeah I'm still feverish, but it's not out of control inshaAllah.  I wanted to go downtown this morning, but lately it could start pouring at any given moment, and if I get caught in the rain right now, I'm done for.  For dinner it's noodles again, spicy Thai variety again.  I was thinking about anchovy stock, but I changed my mind.  I had all this leftover won ton stuffing so I put it in the broth, and that really thickened it up.  I'm starting to really love fresh tofu.  This fever is making me really drowsy and tired during the day, so I can't do too much of anything.  I did work out, though.  But at night it's the flip side: I was up at 1 am again, so I spent 3 hours playing bass and watching TV.  I always write music rhythm first, because I want to dance even though I can't dance.  Bad feet.  But when we are together inshaAllah, we can make up our own dances.  Somewhere I don't stomp on your feet.  I've become really clumsy.  Beautiful Erin, I love you very much.  And I need you.

Qur'an 20150715

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

47.  And they used to say, "What!  When we die and become dust and bones, shall we then indeed be raised up again?"

48.  "And our fathers of old?"

49.  Say, "Yes, those of old and those of later times."

The Inevitable 56:47-49
------------------------------------------------

Yes, those of old and those of later times.

Letter to Erin 20150714

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

Wow, I didn't even know that it's the 20th anniversary of Live Aid.  I was just watching Shadowplay TV when Michael Hutchence came on.  It's not luck, people.  Nor coincidence.  It's the Grace of Allah.  Believe it or don't.  And Glory to Allah.

Good evening, my beautiful Erin.  It has been raining all day, and it's raining right now.  I caught somewhat of a fever early this morning with a sore throat, so I won't be going anywhere tonight.  I fasted as usual, and I have no intention nor desire of skipping out on my worship of fasting during Ramadan.  I slept most of the day, and I sang only the easy songs for voice training: none of that high pitched stuff.  I was unable to medicate myself all day, but I just took a couple of aspirin and cough syrup.  I took it easy all day, if you would discount playing "Extreme Road Trip 2".

Oh I saw that Victoria's Secret ad on YouTube with you, Candice and Alessandra.  You all look current, and it was posted as current, but I also get the feeling that it was made in 2012.  I also saw that Vogue Turkey piece.  Didn't I tell you that what fascinates them is your smooth white skin and blonde hair?  I want you to know how beautiful you are, you are so very beautiful, Erin.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150713

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

I don't believe that Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates were intentionally set up to be lovers.  I believe that Michael, by due of his personality, seduced Paula (intentionally or not), and from there other things happened.  Michael and Paula insisted that they were being monitored.  But what would be the purpose of bugging and shadowing them?  They were not a particularly important couple.  Rather because of their habits, they would be easy to kill.  Perhaps the angle is that the real target was not Michael and Paula, but Sir Bob Geldof.  Given the golden opportunity of Michael stealing Paula away, some people would use the lives of this ill-fated couple to bring down Sir Bob.  It was a flimsy plot.

I'm sitting here waiting to break fast as usual, and watching TV.  What's on now is Ultravox live, singing "All Stood Still".  Why would there be intrigue over Band Aid?  The most obvious reason is that the rulers of many African nations are brutal and violent crooks.  But anyway, for dinner is a sausage calzone and bread sticks.  And a date, with grape juice.  Would you care to join me?  I love you, and I need you.  So cheer up, my melancholy baby.  You are the most beautiful girl in the world to me.

Letter to Erin 20150712

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

Hi there, my beautiful Erin.  How art thou, Sweetie?  I'm sitting here writing to you my beloved, I'm watching Jerry Springer.  "It's not my baby," again.  I spent the evening clearing out the small jungle at the side of the road opposite of your house inshaAllah.  I find the best way to clear out thick scrub is a hand pruner and a lot of patience.  I wish I had a chainsaw, but since I don't, I have to clear out all the smaller branches and all the vines, so I can have a clear shot with my machete.  No it's not my property, but it's everybody's problem.  Suppose one cobra meets one elementary school kid walking home, and who are they going to blame?  Me?  It's not my property.

I'm studying the case of Michael Hutchence right now.  I just barely got started, so I don't have much of a grasp yet.  I don't think he was a particularly great guy, but it always makes me suspicious when celebrities are found naked when dead.  I do sense a certain claustrophobia.  Otherwise, there doesn't seem to be any clues at all of outside influence in his death.  Paula Yates claimed it wasn't suicide, but she died of a heroin overdose 3 years later.  It's the love intrigue that fascinates me (she was still married to Sir Bob when this video came out.  All in the name of entertainment, I suppose.  Or even humanity.  But certainly not in the name of charity.)  So I do feel bad for Sir Bob Geldof.  It's probably because I have Live Aid in my heart.  No, he doesn't have the proper type of influence to have them killed.

I promise you with Allah as my witness that I am faithful to you, and I don't slut around.  I want you to please keep chaste and patient, and pray that Allah will bring us together in marriage soon.  Yeah, go ahead and work on your career now that you're at the top.  Please try not to party, and stay home if you're not working.  Yeah, we don't have any privacy.  Oh well.  Please know that you are loved.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150711

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

Hello there Erin, my most beautiful beloved.  How are you feeling today?  I pray you are feeling healthy and happy.  I'm doing OK, waiting here as usual to break my fast.  It will be the Eid next Friday, so I'm busy cutting grass. making the outside look somewhat presentable.  I cleared up my grandparents' grave also.  So I'm quite tired right now.

For dinner it's just simple bread and meat.  They're having a party at the mosque.  Party! Party! Party! Party! Party!  I don't like parties, so I'll just go there later when it dies down.  Actually it's not a party, but a breaking fast spread.  I hope you are taking good sweet care of yourself, maintaining your prayers, and getting plenty of rest.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150710

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

Hi Erin, my darling.  I'm sitting here, waiting to break my fast again.  This time it's only 9 minutes away, as I was busy all evening. trying to clear out that miniature jungle at the side of the road.  Then I had to start cooking.  I bought a lot of tofu at the market today, so I had a craving for tofu today.  Besides, it's cheap and filling.  For dinner, it's a tortilla with a block of tofu smothered in spicy sauce.  Tofu is supposed to be good for you, and this is high quality stuff.  You must try some.

I didn't sip my coffee properly this morning, and went into a coughing fit.  I guess that's why it's called coffee.  But my voice has become so sensitive as I become a better singer, that the coughing fit affected my voice training today, and I had to cut it half an hour short.  Growing old sucks.  You need at least 3 hands to do anything.  Well, I will do my best to take care of you inshaAllah, I want you to age gracefully and beautifully.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150709

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

Hi Erin.  How are you feeling today, my dearest?  Aw, you beautiful girl.  I love you so much.  I pray that all is going well for you, and that you are keeping safe and healthy, while I make a home for you and our children inshaAllah.  So please maintain your prayers.  I love you, and I need you.

My eye is getting better, alhamdulillah.  I can play video games again!  This time I'm into Extreme Road Trip 2.  Primitive graphics, but super fun.  Right now I'm watching Robin Williams on the Johnny Carson show.  When he just became a father.  It rained most of the day, but I didn't get to play games all day.  In the evening, I was outside trying to get rid of the scrub by the side of the road.  Still a long way to go, but I might get it all done and cut the grass by the Eid.  If it doesn't rain all the time.  Oh I'm dying to play that game again.  Gotta go.

Letter to Erin 20150708

 

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

Ouch!  My right eye is all bloodshot and red from staring at that small screen too much.  It hurts.  At least I think it's from playing that game whenever I get a chance.  Don't worry: I have medication, so I should be better soon inshaAllah.  But I also have a fever.  There must be something else going on.  I'm still fasting, but I'll take a couple of fever reducer in about half an hour.  This reminds me of the big US stock market crash of 2008.  I was watching the Bloomberg channel, and some of the reporters had red, swollen right eyes from staring at the ticker.  It started my thinking: if one were obese and blind in one eye, it would be from staying indoors and staring at a computer 24/7.  Most likely creating virtual realities.

Oh, I'm just spouting some "End Of The World" talk.  I took some photos of Bat Cat III today.  I think he's a bit too pretty to be a male cat.  At first I thought he had blue eyes, but no, they are green.  He's a very friendly kitty: he was the first to approach me and say hello, when he was only 10 days old.  I wish I had a camera then.  He's also the most intelligent of all my kittens.  He likes to stay out of sight and observe, then exploit any weaknesses.  He also enjoys digging up dark secrets, which is probably why someone threw a rock at him a couple of weeks ago.  When I snapped some shots of him just now, he started posing, then he did a Nietszche impersonation.  Yeah, he has a left eye.  It was just the exposure that hid his eye, or maybe he was just copying my right eye.  My Batty Watty is prettier than Nietszche, though.  Did you see that cartoon of Nietszche in a wheelchair?

Nothing special for breaking fast tonight, just some fried rice with Thai seasoning, and a date.  I have a lot of rice, so you're welcome to join me.  You beautiful girl.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150707

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

Hello Erin, my beloved.  It's 7 pm, and I'm sitting here writing my love to you while waiting to break fast.  I can't spend money right now so I have to live on what I have in the house, which is mostly flour and rice, and a little bit of meat.  I still have a few chicken wings left, so I'm going to fry those up for the predawn meal.  For dinner, it's sausage bread, breadsticks with sweet chilli sauce for dipping, some chocolate cake, iced tea, and a date.  You're welcome to come over share my food.

I worked on your house design this morning.  Do you like high ceilings?  I won't be able to brush away all those cobwebs.  You're tall, right?  I found a game I really like for my cell phone: it's called Smash Hit by Mediocre, where all I do is break as much glass as possible.  I love it!  At one point in the past, I was really hankering for a PSP, but this phone is better than a PSP.  I don't really use it as a phone all that much.  It's also a telephone.  I'm going to play the game right now. 

Did you ever discover that the modeling business is cursed, especially when they try to take your God given beauty away from you?  Please don't get anymore plastic surgery!  I want you to cheer up and maintain your prayers, OK?  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150706

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

Hi there, rich girl!  All this materialism that's going on is important to you and your friends, and I don't mind at all providing for you, because it is my responsibility to do so as a good Muslim husband.  I am not a rich man, and it is of concern to people that my wife be so materialistic in this Islamic context.  My poverty is your wealth.  Does this seem like a paradox to you?  But Allah is the One Who sets the balance.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was administrator of wartime booty and political leader, so a tremendous amount of valuables went through his hands.  But he lived an austere life, and this was a problem to some of his wives, because they had live poor as well.  Once he had to exile himself from his wives for about a month because of their material demands.  This incident became mentioned in Qur'an, in gist: do they care more about the valuables of this life over the hereafter?  Over God?

I'm not a prophet.  I'm not a politician.  I am a musician.  But I understand the politics of our marriage: I cannot force you to live in poverty as I do, and I must provide for you adequately and give you a house.  I've been in music business long enough to brush off what people say, but this time the concern is if you care more about materialism over the afterlife.  I am a servant of Allah, and to care more about materialism over the afterlife is anti Islamic.  Sure you can have your wealth, and sure it is my job to provide for you.  But the afterlife is more important.  Did you know that?  Do you accept that?  Do you understand your position as my wife?

This paradox of materialism belongs to my wife, not to me.  I already know of what I seek in a wife.  You are my wife inshaAllah, and with Allah as my Witness, I am sincere when I say that I love you and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150705

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

Hello there, my beautiful Erin.  How are you feeling today, Sweetheart?  It is a surreal day here today.  The rain lingered on from yesterday, and at times alternated with the sunshine like a giant low frequency strobe light.  At times, it was raining in bright sunlight.  I was about half an hour away from finishing voice training, when God shut me down with a bolt of lightning which tripped my fuse box while I was singing "Top Of The World."  When The Boss says "Stop now", then I stop.  I did play the drums for about half an hour before the Asr prayer- the drums don't need electricity.  The sky was gloomy, while I pounded out Qur'an rhythms.  It's cleared up a little now as I write to you, but still a little cloudy.  I don't believe I'll get rained on when I go to the mosque inshaAllah.

I saw the movie "The Sandlot" this morning before dawn.  It's a cute movie, and I found it on YouTube so it was vignetted (to deter mass copying, I assume).  I hate young boys though, so I didn't get as much enjoyment out of the movie as you would.  I know I have make an exception for my own son(s) and be nice, but if the kid isn't mine then I really don't want anything to do with them.

None of my own cooking today for breaking fast.  My food has been given to me.  I have a murtabak (pan fried flat bread folded over and stuffed with chicken, egg, potato, onion, and what not), some chocolate cake, a date, and iced tea.  Quite a tasty spread, but I am hungry.  I pray you are eating properly and getting sufficient rest.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150704

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

Hi Erin!  Ah, it's a lovely day today.  The temperature is nice and cool, and I am at my happiest (as happy can be) when the temperature is perfect, when I'm neither sweating nor freezing.  The perfect feeling.  What is the "perfect feeling"?  What can the "perfect feeling" be to someone who doesn't know what happiness is?  Right now, here in Malaysia, is after the rain.  A glimpse of happiness from the One most Gracious, most Merciful.

I just downloaded some pdf novels.  The stuff I grew up with.  What was that?  Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, and Enid Blyton's Famous Five, "Mystery of" series, "of Adventure" series, and Malory Towers.  Oh dear, I grew up on girly books.  I wanted to be one of the girls in Malory Towers!  If I had been, I would never have left, and everybody there would have gotten pregnant.  Except the teachers.  Well, Sherlock Holmes is kind of macho, don't you think?  He didn't bend steel bars with his teeth, though.

I let Bob Cat loose after a night in the cage.  He didn't have that many ear mites.  Boy, that cat is strong.  He wrestled out of his restraining collar through sheer brute strength.  I had to pin him down with my entire weight in order to clean his ears.  At times I thought he would lift me up and throw me.  He doesn't like anything in his ears.  Plus, he probably doesn't know his own strength, which is why he shreds his ears over a few ear mites.

It's raining again!  I probably won't go to the mosque tonight if this rain keeps up.  I hope you are taking care of your health, and getting plenty of beauty rest.  You are my girl, Erin.  I love you, and I need you.

Letter to Erin 20150703

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

Hi Erin!  How are you feeling today, my beloved?  Are you being optimistic for me?  Please maintain your prayers as well.  I seem to be back on schedule right now, and am writing this letter while I wait to break my fast.  I just paid my bills so I'm broke, so I have a humble meal: sausage calzone without cheese, breadsticks, banana bread, red sugar water, and a date.  But you are more than welcome to share my food.  Because I love you, and I need you.

I managed to acquire a copy of the movie, "The Sandlot".  I haven't watched it yet, but you can bet that I will.  No I'm not a gambling man, so let me rephrase that: I will watch it inshaAllah.  My most favorite movie of all time and all space, that I can watch over and over again without getting bored is a Doris Day flick from 1948 called "My Dream Is Yours".  Oh, I love that movie!  Just thinking about it makes me want to cry.

Bob Cat has ear mites.  He's been scratching his ears so passionately, that his left ear is bleeding!  So I put one of those restraining collars on him, and locked him up in the cage.  What a nuisance.  Not only do I have to doctor a cut ear, I have to get rid of the ear mites completely, otherwise he'll rip his ears off.  Looks like Bobby is going to be a prisoner for a while.  To protect him from himself.

Letter to Erin 20150702

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

Hey there, pouty girl!  Please don't be blue, because you're my girl and I love you.  I have to make sure that I can provide for you before I marry you, you know that.  I will marry you inshaAllah.  So instead of being melancholy, give me a big smile and pray that Allah will grant me wealth enough to buy your ring and build your house and give you a stable and happy married life soon.

I woke up a little later than usual this morning at 2 am.  I was busy processing lemongrass for my Mom last evening, and I barely had time to cook my noodles for dinner.  I just paid my bills, so I have few options for the menu right now.  My banana bread turned out as expected, nothing abnormal.  It tastes as you would expect.  Banana + bread = banana bread.  For today's predawn meal, it's fried rice with mushrooms.  It's pretty humble right now, so forgive me if I am unable to make a portion for you, but you are welcome to share my meal anyway.  I love you, and I need you.