Letter to Julia 20140108

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

Hello Wednesday, my dearest Julia and Erin.  My, how time flies.  It's already 2014.  I just made a commitment to call the prayer at the local mosque during the weekdays, the Dhuhur and Asr prayers, or the high noon and late afternoon prayers respectively.  Which would make it right before and after my daily voice training.  When we are married inshaAllah, I would expect you to follow me to these prayers, especially if we have plans to go out, but more because I don't ever want to leave you by yourself.  I don't even want to leave you to throw out the garbage.

I didn't make it in to blog because I went to buy some tenderloin, then I grilled a fish.  It was a fairly big scad, with a massive amount of roe, which my Mom gave me last week but I only found the time to cook today.  It was sliced up the back, which I don't particularly like.  For stuffing, I put young coconut flesh, onions, garlic, ginger, chilli paste, cilantro stems, and a peeled lime in the blender.  Chee Cheah never hangs around the house during the day, but somehow she knew I was grilling a fish, so she was present and a-meowing for her snackipoo.  Later, in the evening, someone had thrown a fish on my driveway which I found.  It looked like a tilapia.  No, I didn't grill it.  The ants had already claimed it.

So what's for dinner?  Last night I bought a kilo of fresh shrimp for real cheap: RM8 per kilo.  Not as attractive or as large as white shrimp, but fresh and clean.  Would you like to know the secret of shrimp?  Well, I'll just show you.  Hint: think "bisque".  Otherwise, fork out the bucks for jumbo shrimp.  I made a batch of shrimp injections.  I'm sorry, croquettes.  Tomorrow, it's wontons again.  Wanna join me for some munchies?  I love you.

Letter to Julia 20140106

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

My beautiful, distinguished princess Julia.  You are truly a lady, my princess.  Your demeanor and aura has become so refined and sophisticated, it only adds more and more to how lovely you are.  You are like a well-polished diamond.  I am humbled by your love, my Queen.  I love you so much, my beloved Julia.  MY Julia.

Erin, you little sweetheart.  I'm sorry!  But that's what I love most about you, is how sweet and good-hearted you are.  I just want to hold you, and protect you, you darling girl you.  You're such a sweetheart.  I love you so much Erin.  MY Erin.

My dearest wives, I'm sorry it's been so business-like lately.  Please forgive me.  But that's what happens when more money and more people come around.  Perhaps soon Allah will send wealth my way, and trounce with a heavy penalty those who stand in between and against us, so we can be properly married.  InshaAllah.  But always know that no matter how much business they try to shove at me, I always want you to be with me at all times, for us to be together all the time, and do everything together, inshaAllah.  I love you.  Ya Allah, thank you for Julia and Erin.

Letter to Julia 20140104

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

I had been craving mole sauce for quite a while already, but for some reason I had been waiting for avocados.  Can't have chicken mole without avocados, right?  But I couldn't wait anymore.  So together with my chilli paste and powdered chocolate I put onions, ginger, garlic and oil into the blender.  Awesome!  Praise Allah!  Instead of avocados, I'm eating it with oyster mushrooms.  Right now, my chicken breast is stewing in the sauce, so I'm waiting while writing my love to you.

Somehow I'm having an imaginary conversation with you about love, about how love should be all the way, or something like that.  Don't you believe my love for you is all the way?  I'm certain that I must put your well-being into the highest consideration, so I cannot have you marry into my poverty.  But I am waiting and working towards that... all alone... all by myself... isn't that all the way?  Am I not working into the deepest danger in the service of Allah, to push the barrier until it collapses into wealth enough to afford to marry you?  InshaAllah.  Don't you sense my all-out abandon for you?  Don't you feel how deep my love is for you?  Oh, you don't think it's deep enough yet?  How can it be, when we're not together yet?  Wait until we're together.  InshaAllah.

Would you like some chicken mole with mushrooms?

Letter to Julia 20140102

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

As I mentioned before, some goodly villagers helped break down the coconut tree that fell on the roof of the old house at Casa de Julia inshaAllah, and they took apart 2 other coconut trees besides.  Total of 3.  So the lot is strewn with large debris.  I spent the evening doing some burning, but the wind coming from the northeast was blowing strongly.  So strong that the smoke was moving horizontally in a straight line, so I could only have a small fire.  But there is soooo much debris.  It might be weeks before I get rid of it all, compounded with my other chores.  I plan to use the tree trunks, though.  The wind has been strong for over a week already, but strangely not at night.  Right now the air is still, but I don't want to cut and burn at night.  Northeast from here is China and Japan.

When we marry inshaAllah, I will be there with you to give you my strength and my devotion inshaAllah.  Until then, I pray that you try to find happiness in whatever you are doing.  You have my commitment for marriage, so please be patient.  Be patient and positive.  We all get moody, but please don't despair.  Not everybody despairs!  The faithful do not despair!  If you despair, it means you have no faith.  So please be patient and positive.  Pray.

I love you.

Letter to Julia 20140101

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

Happy new year, my dearest Julia and Erin!  I pray you are feel AWESOME!  I didn't do anything outside of normal for the new year.  Bird in a cage, y'know.  I vacuumed my kitchen, had fried chicken for lunch, voice trained, cut the grass around Casa de Julia inshaAllah, now I'm writing this love letter while my chicken and bamboo shoots stew stews on the stove top.  If you were here with me, of course we would have some sort of celebration.  A celebration of being married.  I love you, I love you.  I need you, I need you.

Letter to Julia 20131230

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

In the south of Malaysia, in the state of Johor on the Malaysia-Singapore border, is a development known as Iskandar Malaysia.  It is a multibillion dollar project designed to be a Singapore-like tourist attraction right next to Singapore, with theme parks and malls with designer brands, but not the casinos.  The local patronage is of course, the populations of both Malaysia and Singapore.  May Allah be pleased with their work, and reward them as such.

Up here in the north of Malaysia, on the Malaysia-Thailand border, is another tourist attraction.  Not a billion dollar investment, but rather made from resources already available.  The islands and beaches, local merchandise and foods, indigenous pastimes and activities, set in the clean rural Perlis-Langkawi-South Thailand triangle.  I provide a musical attraction: my mission is to please Allah with music and the people can listen in, and perhaps they may learn to worship and fear Allah.  The situation here glorifies Allah, and by the Will of Allah patronage is attracted, not just the local population of Malaysia and Thailand, but globally.  The power of music, mashaAllah.  Casa de Julia is part of that structure, so it is my duty to stand my ground here, and help protect what is being built here, inshaAllah.  Ya Allah, please protect what is being built here, and grant us peace and prosperity.

Since this situation glorifies Allah, anyone who tries to dismantle or sabotage it is an enemy of Allah.  If they desist then Allah will forgive their past, but if they persist then the punishment of those before them is already upon them.

Letter to Julia 20131228

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

Casa de Julia is under siege!  Oh, the drama! The intrigue!  I'm sure you've been watching, so you know who the traitor is.  But there is nothing you can do.  This is a spiritual situation, or more accurately, an Islamic spiritual situation.  Snakes have baby snakes, kill one snake and 5 others get away, and some snakes only God can kill.  So you're looking at a very long shadow.  So all we can do is stand our ground, and pray for Allah to resolve Casa de Julia in the most detailed fashion.  The good news is that this morning, some of the good kampung folk helped break down the tree that fell on the house, and another tree besides. Praise Allah!  Ya Allah, please grant me the wealth I need soon to acquire Casa de Julia and give my Julia and Erin a happy and secure marriage.  Please protect us, our home, our love, our work, and those we love.

Dearest Julia and Erin, I am yours, I am here for you.  To take good loving care of you, to help protect you.  I don't want you to ever feel abandoned.  I love you, and I need you.