Kerumitan urusan jenazah

Pada mulanya salah seorang muallaf american mengatakan yang jenazah ini meninggal dalam keadaan mini-syahid.
mini-syahid?
Yang saya tahu hanya ada mati syahid, ada kah istilah "mini-syahid" atau orang-orang muallaf di situ sudah keliru dengan istilah mati syahid?

Jadi pada pendapat mereka keadaan mini-syahid tidak perlu dimandikan dan dikafankan.
Huh?
Saya menelefon ustaz amin dan melapurkan keadaan ini, ustaz kata mati syahid ada 7 perkara dan keadaan anak ini meninggal bukan dalam mati syahid.
Lalu saya berhubung kembali dan menerangkan keadaan ini pada ketua di base.
Ia itu jenazah perlu dimandikan dan dikafankan.

Ibu kandung jenazah mau anak itu dihantarkan ke Ivory Coast, benua afrika untuk dikebumikan di situ. Jadi kata sepakat orang-orang base supaya ibunya mengerjakan urusan jenazah itu seperti mandikan dan kafankan.

Tapi...

Setelah beberapa hari, baru hari ini, kami dimaklumkan yang ibu kandung itu bukan orang Islam!!!

Sekali lagi saya menggelabah!

Kalau betul ibu kandung itu bukan orang Islam, bermakna orang sini wajib mandikan, kafankan dan solatkan jenazah sebelum dilepaskan ke tangan ibu kandung itu.
Dengan pesanan bahawa upacara kebumiaan wajib mengikut cara Islam dan dikuburkan di tanah perkuburan Islam.

Hingga hari ini jenazah masih disimpan di bilik mayat, belum dapat dikeluarkan lagi.

Orang-rang lelaki dalam base ingin membuat solat jenazah selepas solat jumaat esok tanpa jenazah dimandikan dan dikafankan.

Saya mengangkat telefon lagi dan berbincang lagi dengan ustaz amin.

Untuk peraturan solat jenazah, jenazah itu perlu dimandikan dan dikafankan terlebih dulu. Bukan saja-saja solatkan tanpa prosedur memandikan dan dikafankan. Kalau tidak pun, biarlah dimandikan, dikafankan dan solatkan sebelum perkebumian apabila sampai ke Ivory Coast kelak.

Saya khabarkan sekali lagi matlumat ini pada orang-orang base.
Setidak-tidaknya kalau tidak mau ambil nasihat saya ini, tolonglah berhubung dengan orang-orang yang lebih mengetahui dalam perkara ini...tolonglah...saya mohon sambil mengurut dahi.

Disaat ini, saya dilapurkan yang orang-orang base akan menunggu jenazah dikeluarkan (tarikh belum tahu lagi), barulah dimandikan, dikafankan dan disolatkan di sini sebelum dihantarkan ke Ivory Coast untuk ibu kandungnya (yang bukan Islam) menguruskan perkebumiaan secara Islam.

Pada pembaca, tolonglah doakan semoga jenazah ini selamat diuruskan secepat mungkin tanpa kerumitan lagi.

perayaan syawal 2007

Very humourous and effective way of "instructing" people, I like it.

Merajuk Ramadhan

Hari ini masuk 27 ramadhan, saya masih membuat salam ramadhan sana sini. Ialah orang lain dah buat ucapan raya sana sini saya masih ucap ramadhan.
Bukannya apa, saya rasa merajuk pula bulan ramadhan sebab tidak mengendahkan hari-hari terakhirnya. Raya belum jatuh lagi, sudah sibuk buat ucapan sana sini.
Lagi pun syawal, bulan raya ada sebulan, "can take your time" kan untuk membuat salam dan ucapan raya dalam bulan syawal?

Pun dunia siber, senang aje. Tak perlu jumpa muka, ucap sana sini dalam sejam dah boleh sampai seribu teman dan kenalan, tak susahkan?
Saya sememangnya tunggu sampai masuk syawal barulah buat ucapan, saja nak hormatkan hari-hari terakhir ramadhan...rasa sayang nak tinggalkan, itu yang "hang on to it"!

Ini pe'el saya lah, orang lain tak perlu tiru.

Tadi pagi bangun dengan kepala sarat memikirkan planning masak dan kemas untuk raya ini, saya tonton drama pagi.

Si lelaki lebih kurang 5 thn lebih tua dari budak perempuan itu yang masih sekolah, umur 18 tahun. Yang lelaki tu dah masuk univ.

Budak perempuan nama Kiyoumi jalan di dataran laut dan lelaki itu panggil dia masuk kereta, mula2 kiyoumi enggan tapi lelaki itu kata ada perlu nak bincang.

Maka mereka berjalan di pantai...

lelaki: dalam 5 thn nanti sempatlah...
kiyoumi: sempat apa?
lelaki: sempat kahwin
kiyoumi:kau nak kahwin? kahwin dgn sapa?
lelaki: kahwin dengan kaulah!
kiyoumi: kenapa kahwin dengan aku?
lelaki: aku suka perempuan lambat otak, perempuan otak kosong, perempuan tak berfikir...macam engkau lah!

BOOOOPPPP...terlentang lelaki itu, menyiarap, muka berlumut pasir.

Satu penumbuk sudah jatuh kat muka dia!

Lepas itu, saya ketawa khek, khek, khek sendiri...bertenaga untuk memulakan tugas hari ini.

Membiak-biak

Rabbit rumah nie beranak lagi wiken lepas. Bulan Ogos 5 ekor anak, bulan Sept. 6 ekor dan wiken lepas 5 ekor lagi.
Kuat betul ibu rabbit itu beranak. Selepas beranak 3-4 hari bulan Sept, hubby asingkan si jantan ke tempat lain. Ingatkan dah safe lah tapi alangkah shockingnya bila tengok wiken lepas nampak lagi anak2 yang baru lahir.

Saya dah boring tahap leher nak tercabut betul.
Hubby punyalah excited tengok anak2 rabbit...betulah kata salah seorang SIL.
Laki kau tu memang suka usagi dari kecil lagi...

Dah banyak sangat rabbit kat tempat ampaian baju. Bila sidai baju, habis jari kaki ini mereka gigit, selalu saya tampar mereka.
Kain dan baju yang panjang sampai ke lantai, mereka gigit dan jadi tembuk kain cantik-cantik.
Baju mahal saya ada sehelai-dua dah bocor.

Tapi saya diamkan aje...maleh nak ngomel kat hubby, dia suka sangat dengan rabbit-rabbit itu tahap tak boleh buat apa lagi.

Kalau ampaian itu jatuh ke lantai, alamat kenalah basuh sekali lagi. Dengan dipijak dan dengan taik hitam berketul-ketul.

Pening betul bau taik rabbit kuat sangat, bayangkan 7-8 rabbit punya taik berserak.

Semalam, masa saya sidai baju dalam waktu asar...matahari masih kuat dan panas. Saya ternampak 3 ekor anak yang baru lahir tergolek-golek. Badan mereka seperti mengigil-gigil atas simen yang berbahang dan panas itu. Macamana mereka boleh terkeluar dari kotak pun saya tak tau.

Saya habiskan ampaian, memikirkan perlu buat persiapan hidangan iftar dalam beberapa jam lagi. Jadi saya tidaklah peduli sangat dengan keadaan anak-anak rabbit yang mengigil-gigil kepanasan itu.

Bila sampai ke dapur, saya susunkan kuih suji yang sudah sejuk ke dalam balang. Dalam 20min kemudian, baru saya teringat anak-anak rabbit yang terlepas tadi.

Saya kata dengan aman suara...3 new baby rabbits dropped from their box!

Wah, hubby punya melenting langkah 2 anak tangga setapak naik ke atas dan masukkan anak-anak rabbit itu ke dalam kotak mereka, saya perhatikan dia melenting dengan cool aje.
Dia kata saya tak ada hati perut, membiarkan anak-anak rabbit itu mengigil kepanasan.
Maleh lah nak jawap-menjawap bulan posa nie...saya kata agaknya ibu rabbit yang bawak anak-anak itu keluar dari kotak.

Sebenarnya saya dah tak pedulikan lagi anak-anak rabbit itu. Entahlah, saya tak terfikir pulak anak-anak rabbbit itu akan mati (tak mati pun). Saya biarkan saja.

Saya kata "one or two is okay but now we have too many of them. My washing is eaten, then they bite my toes, then they chewed the washing machine hose, then they shit on my fallen washing..." cakap lembut-lembut biar dia faham.

Kalau tak cakap, orang lelaki tak kan faham. Mereka tak ada supersonic, telepathic wave untuk memahami kaum puan...kaum puan kasi backinglah!
Biasalah kaum puan bila ada yang tak puas hati, selalu panggil backing sana sini, backing, jangan tak backing.

Ini dah boring, tahap leher nak tercabut!
Nasib baik bulan posa, terpaksa sabar. Kalau bulan lain, nak saya sembelih buat dalca arnab, ulam dengan papadom...wah sodap tu!

Alamak... bulan posa nie, boleh ke saya tulis entri macam ini. Sesiapa yang rasa entri ini tak patut wujud, sila komen le tapi jangan letak nama cik anon!

Autumn moon

Tak ada duit pun tak pe, miskin pun tak pe, tak makan pun tak pe, asalkan bahagia.

Hidup seorang pun tak pe, tak de pasangan pun tak pe, boring pun tak pe, asalkan bahagia.

Hati sakit pun tak pe, air mata meleleh pun tak pe, esok bahagia juga (bacalah kad-kad di video ini).

Inilah tema baru catchy yang popular kat Jepun sekarang yang NHK hebohkan.
Belakang tema ini menasihatkan supaya kita bersabar dengan segala ujian yang menimpa
diri...eenen (sebut: eh neng)

Esok kita masuk ramadhan 14-15 atau nuzul Al-quran.
Juga untuk orang Jepun, dalam setahun bulan yang paling cantik berseri mengambang ialah bulan September atau bulan autumn.
Autumn moon ialah musim segala kerja tanaman diselesaikan. Padi, jagung, gandum, soba antara tanaman yang disediakan untuk menanti hari bersalji selepas autumn ini.

Kira autumn moon untuk mereka berehat dan menikmati segala rezeki dalam tahun ini.

Kalau berkesempatan, dongaklah ke langit dan tenungkanlah kecantikkan Allah bila melihat autumn moon esok dan jangan lupa ucapkan subhanaAllah sambil memuji Kebesaran Allah Maha Pencipta alam ini.

Flora on Mt. Fuji

This is the scenery looking down as I climbed up. Its between the 6th station towards the 7th station. The vegetation in the lower reaches are still rather thick and green. But this greenery will change to somewhat sparsely as we climbed higher.



This is a kind of flowering creepers. It just creeps on the volcanic stones of the mountain. I don't think it needs lot of water as I don't see any stream running anywhere around Mt. Fuji.



Another small flowering shrubs with yellow, cotton-shaped flower. I haven't seen this shrub on lower land before and I assumed this is some kind of mountain flower.

I love purple on any flower and this bell-shaped purple blossom attracted my camera lens. I found this bell blossom on the middle portion of the mountain and looking at it, I felt really humble. This purple blossom is growing at a higher altitude than most other vegetation but it looked down, maintaining its humble image.
How I wish people would take its character, as they go higher the working rank, just continue being humble like this purple blossom. The colour purple was most attractive but very simple, just like a beautiful bell, from afar against the dark volcanic ashes.


This is another ikebana in the making on the higher reaches of the mountain. The orangey-pink blossom was in sharp contrast to the black volcanic ash and stones but because of this contrast it brought out the best of the orangey-pink shade.
Again, I assumed this must be some special flora for high altitude area as I've never seen it on lower grounds before.

To end it all, subhanaAllah, to the Creator of the universe for such beauty on earth.

Footnote: Please don't take my photos, if you want them, I suggest you climb your own mountain...ouch!

Rezeki Ramadhan

Kadang-kadang saya rasa satu penantian itu sangat menguji kesabaran saya sebagai manusia biasa. Bagaimana saya usahakan, bagaimana saya percepatkan usaha itu dan selepasnya usaha itu tidak menjadi seperti yang dijangka dalam jadual masa yang dikehendaki.

Tapi hanya pengalaman, usia yang meningkat akan mengajar. Masa muda-muda dulu perkara begini kerapkali membawa pada kecemasan atau tekanan.

Tidak lagi...sekarang saya sabar...saya sanggup tunggu.
Pengalaman membuka mata hati ini...kalau direzekikan Allah ia tetap dikabulkan-Nya, tidak kemana jua.

Nah...terbukti kesabaran selama ini. Rezeki hari pertama ramadhan ini...membawa senyuman dari telinga ke telinga sambil saya mengucap alhamdulillah beberapa kali.

Ini mesej dari salah seorang penulis buku antologi, yang sudah masuk proses percetakan...

sdr jahrera... good news! I managed to get our Ipoh city (Mayor-Datuk Bandar) to write a foreword for our haiku (antologi book), so coincidentally Ipoh and Fukuoka are twin cities, so he agreed! mission accomplised at last...

Sedang buku ini dalam proses cetakan sekarang, persiapan mengumpul karya tanka (puisi Jepun dalam bahasa melayu) berjalan dengan ligatnya untuk buku antologi tanka pula.

Sesiapa yang berminat untuk mencuba menghasilkan tanka dan mungkin karya anda juga akan dimasukkan dalam koleksi antologi tanka, sila lihat link yang tertulis di sini.

Ketai-cellphone

Handphone, Cellphone, cellular phone, handset, ketai, whatever...
semua orang ada, yang tak ada hanya orang yang tinggal di bilik tahanan di Jepun.

Lagi pun bukannya mahal untuk satu set baru di Jepun. Yang tercanggih, terbaru, terlatest pun sama harga dengan sebiji vacuum cleaner.
Harga pembayaran talian pun sudah dikurangkan. Berbagai offer untuk menarik pembeli.
Ada famili diskaun, ada husband-wife diskaun, ada sweet-talk diskaun whatever...

Sekarang pula tak perlu ada talian internet atau pasokom (pc) kat rumah. Ketai pun dah boleh jadi pasokom. Tak perlu digi-kame (digital kamera) lagi, ketai pun dah boleh jadi digi-kame.

Saya...

tak punya handphone, cellphone, cellular phone, handset, ketai, whatever...

Ada dua tiga musim, beli dua tiga set...buang...(beli talian dapat set percuma)

Saya...

tak punya handphone, cellphone, cellular phone, handset, ketai, whatever...

Nah, jangan tercengang lama-lama sangat!

Descending FujiSan-Aug.24, 2007

We couldn't catch the rising sun as the fog was too thick and the winds at 3c was too cold to stay too long. We we allowed to rest for half an hour at a resting hut and then were chased out to make way for new climbers who just reached the summit to rest. When we were out of the resting hut, there was not much to see except to go round the volcano crater. One walk round the crate will take about 90mins. Some of the people in the group went to the edge of the crater to have photos taken and then we started our descend down the slope.
After the excitement of reaching the summit, I didn't make doa when descending, totally forgotten. Like Ali Baba's brother who asked for the password to enter the treasure cave but forgot to ask for the password out of it.

It was just gravel, small stones, black volcanic ash that buried my angle every step I took. Some of the slopes were very sharp-downhill and I felt all the gravity going to my two big toes. The two toes were pressed hard on the shoes and every steps were gruelling all the way.
Initially, I tried the zig-zag walk, as, if I walked straight down, I would just dropped on my back.
We started to descend at 8.15am and the group leader instructed us to reach ground level by 10.30am (about 2 hours).
Let me tell you the time I reached ground level...3.30pm! That was like 8 hours away from the initial time plan.

About 2 hours, half way down the slope, I was too tired to progress further. Then, two guys helped to drag me by having me hanging on the side of each of their arms.
Eventhough I was dragged by two strong arms, I still have to stop every 20 steps because my feet were killing me.
I kept thinking of the time, that I have to reach ground level by noon, the latest, as instructed by one of the guys in the group.

By noon, I was making doa for Allah to take my life, make me dropped death there. I cannot move anymore steps.
There was this kind Japanese lady, who saw me being dragged like death hippo, stopped me and applied some muscles pain-killer on both my legs. That helped a lot with my legs but my two toes were already purple in colour. Lots of water-bags developed around my sole. The arch at my two feet were screaming with pain every steps I took. I just cannot go on anymore, I knew I cannot go on but I tried just to be in time for the group.

Then, almost ground level, when the black gravel and volcanic ash changed into black, hard hillslope...I told the group to go and leave me to walk alone.
The guys in the group were kind enough to drag me, that is more than enough for me and I already delayed their schedule.

I cannot forget these guys, sdr azhar, sdr muzaffar, sdr kahar, sdr zamri and among the cutest of them sdr firdaus, only Allah will repay your kindness.

Anyway, they have to leave me and make their way back to where we kept our luggage.
From here on, I walked myself...alone. Even this took another one and a half hour for me.
Then at last, I reached the end of the decending trails and saw 4 people of the group waiting for a taxi back to Kawaguchiko station.

It seemed we ended at Seikansou Hut at Izumigataki trail, while we were supposed to finish at the original 5th station.
There were some confusion when some people landed at the 5th station and some at Izumigataki hut. So, we were separated on different trail while decending.
I reached the group in time to take a taxi back to Kawaguchiko station together with them. There was no bus transport from Izumigataki descend trail.

Once, I let myself out of the taxi, I was flat on the pavement of the roads. It seemed my knee was jammed. I couldn't managed to stand on my two knees anymore.
I told Norhayati that I couldn't make it with them to Shinjuku and left word for her that I would stay longer at Kawaguchiko station.

I walked slowly and crossed the nearest road and enter a hotel. They don't have rooms anymore but they still have one bed left. I booked the bed and found out that it was a shared room with other ladies and men as well.
Oh...what can I do, I need to keep aurat but I was about to collapse anytime, so I just took the bed. Have a little sandwich and a hot Japanese public bath in the hotel and slept like rock.
I have to check out of the hotel the next day but then again a kind Japanese lady travelling there, spoke to me. She knew I was in utmost pain because she ever experienced the climb before and she took me in her room.
I stayed with her for 3D/2N, she bought for me muscle pain-killers and food for all the time I stayed with her.

Good thing, there were internet port on every floor of the hotel. I managed to send messages to all my friends and family by the internet. That I was still alive. I left my phone book in the main luggage bag back in Shibuya. I was glad for the internet line or else I wouldn't have any means to let the outside world knew my existent.
I was only moving while eating, taking the hot public bath and doing the internet. Other than that, I slept for all the 3D/2N while alone in the room. The lady friend that helped me was busy doing her sight-seeing and left me alone in the room all the time.
But she brought for me breakfast and dinner everday.

I only have to thank Allah for making stranger have mercy on me, to help me while I was suffering every inch of my bones and muscles.
The lady friend, Akiko, helped to book my bus trip back and assisted me all the way till Shinjuku.
But we didn't separate in Shinjuku...

At last after returning to Okinawa, my beautiful home, one week today...I managed to update on this entry.
The kind lady who helped me, Akiko, came to Okinawa to see me. She was here for about 3 days. Since she still have the summer holidays, she take the chance of meeting me at Kawaguchiko to meet me in Okinawa again.
I really appreciate all her help while in pain and with great love for her, I showed her around the island.
SubhanaAllah, alhamdullilah to Akiko, the climbers from Malaysia and to all other friends who have been kind to me.

Ascending FujiSan

I joined the climbers from Msia at Shinjuku train station, the west exit. Aini, my host, was kind enough to be with me. We met and exchanged greetings and names. Most of the people in the group are in their 20ish, a fistful in their 30ish and a couple in their 40ish. I, without saying, am the oldest of the group.
I introduced myself as Kak lela and one of the ladies questioned me to the title Kak on me. She felt she is entitled for the Kak calling in the group, I told her my age, straight up and she was like open-mouthed staring at me.
We left the inn and took the bus up to the 5th station. There we bought post-cards, climbing sticks for yen 1000 and took lots of snaps. Its like a carnival over there, lots of sight-seers, climbers, picnikers or just strollers.
The air was at 23c, gust of strong winds and foggy. Some of the Msian climbers were already feeling the chills and started to add on some layers of clothings.
We made our safety doa and I adding some of my personal doa as I start to walk on the path.
The ground was gradually sloping, with lots of flowers and small plants in between the volcanic rocks. We started our slow walks at 11.35am from the 5th station (2305m) and the estimation time to reach the 6th station(2390m) is 45 min, but we made it at 50 mins...considering good for me.

We took 10 mins rest at the 6th station and started our slow walk at 12.35pm for the 7th station(2700m). The estimation time was 60 mins but we took 1.25 mins to reach the 7th station. The vegetation between 6th to 7th station was lesser and the trails was mostly loose volcanic, black sand. The slope was still manageable but I have to stop every 10 steps to take some deep breath. My heart was bumping like doing the aerobic steps.

We reached the 7th station (2700m) at 2pm and rest for 30 mins. I have to make myself go to the toilet. I felt my urinary bladder so full and heavy but I cannot let it out. The toilet cost yen 100 per entry and there is no water to wash. I have to take with me wet tissue paper for the cleaning. Then, every toilet is uni-sex. The males do their thing in front and we ladies have to pass them by to enter our cubicle. Some Msian men cannot do it in public and they used the cubicle for privacy.
The toilet stank beyond description, the smell would stay on your clothes for quiet sometime.
For stamina drinks or pet-bottle water of 500ml, it cost 5 times more. On ground level, it normally cost yen 100 but here on Fujisan the higher you go, the higher the water cost, which comes at yen 500 per 500ml pet-bottle.
There were 6 resting huts at every interval from the 7th station. These huts provide drinks or hot instant soup and toilets facilities.
From halfway through the 7th station, I felt I need to use the portable oxygen. My breathing was swallow and short. Every steps I took was breathless. I had to stop for breathing every 10 steps. There was this guy, Muzzafar who helped me with counting my steps and telling me to breath every now and then. I tend to get away with long steps and forgetting to stop for my regular big air.
The approximate time from 6th to 7th station is 100 min but we took 180 mins. Extra 80 mins because we stopped many times for breathing rest by the side walk. The trail was getting narrower as we go higher. At some points, only one person can passed through and we had to wait in queue. It is recorded that between July and August of the year, about 3000 people climb Fujisan daily. So imagine the bottle-neck at some rocks.

We reached the 8th station (3020m) at 5.10pm. The leader of JALPAK, sdr Azhar had booked bunker rest at Taishi-kan Hut. All of us are given a single space of 1m by 2m side by side for 15 people. We cannot stand, the bunkers are only for sleeping.
Again no water for washing, for toilet we have to queue outside with the rest of the crowd and pay for every entry at yen 200.

We rest for 6 hours at these sleeping bunkers from 5.10 pm to mid-night. I can hear the winds howling outside. The temperature was below 0c. We we given a sleeping-bag and a square bean bag for pillow, thats all. We were not allowed to eat at the bunker but I bit slowly on energy bars, stamina liquid and a ball of white rice that I brough with me. Just before getting ready to walk again, I went outside to the toilet, I saw some people standing and shivering in the cold gusty winds. Lots of space and empty bunkers and they don't booked to stay inside. The hut is a private enterprise and the management closed the doors to people who don't pay for the warmth inside. I really symphatized those people standing in the cold strong winds and felt strong ache to how those people managing the hut have hearts enough to let people stays outside in the cold.

Anyway, after the sleep and rest for 6 hours, we started our walk again at mid-night 12.15am in the dark. We were well-clothed, thick winter clothing, gloves, caps and head-light or touchlight. It is dark and the trail is for one person only. So, you can see the lights moving on the mountain as people moved along the trails. There is no public light to light up the trails. Here, no matter what happened, you have to go up. Not down because they is no way down. At some point, human jam would cause the queue to wait for some 5 mins. There is no more loose sand from 8th station. Only rocks and big stones. There is no proper stepping stones...you have to find a good space to put your tired feet to walk on in the dark. One of the girls who joined our group from Las Vegas, she is a Hawaiian dancer and she cried from the 8th station. She was cold and very tired. There is no medic here as well. If you throw up, you just sit on the side and rest. Then walk up not down. The things is, nothing goes down at this point...everything points up and up.
I looked up and serched for the sight of the peak, can't see anything in the fog. I just moved, carried my legs, counting 10 steps.

What in my head, in my head...zombie...I was walking like a breathless zombie. I can't speak, too tired. Have to preserve all energy for the steps upwards. The air was getting thinner. I have to breath the portable oxygen a few times.
My urine bladder felt so heavy, like its coming out of my body but weird thing is, there is no urine!
My heart was beating 10 times faster than normal. Wow, people with high blood pressure, never ever think of climbing any mountains.

The sunrise was at 5 am. At this time, we were still climbing in the fog. Still can't see ahead. Visibility was like 5m. Of course, we can't see the sunrise at all. The winds was so strong, it was like a small typhoon. We couldn't stand straight, else the winds will blow us towards the edge of the one-line stone path. I was now crawling on my two hands, grabbing for something strong to step on.
The at 5.25am, I heard some people in the crowd ahead of us shouting "banzai, banzai"

are we there yet? are we at the summit already?

I reached a level ground and saw the only person sitting there calling my name...
"kak lela", Norhayati called me.
She was alone...waiting for the rest to reach.
She is the first person to reach the summit and I am the second to come.

Kak lela kita dah sampai, she said...
Oh ye ke? me, breathless...

We have reached the peak of FujiSan at 3776m at 5.25am on August 24, 2007.

I looked around, everybody was smiling, excruciatingly feeling on top of the world. Some people went in the shops to have warm breakfast, some went it to stamp their walking sticks, it was like a big fun-fair there.
I collected stamps on my walking stick at every station, each stamp cost yen200. We waited for the rest of the group climbers to reach and they spread MYJICA and Jalur Gemilang for the success climb.

I will write another entry for the descending journey...

Hibernation

Mommy,

They say when the muscle ache comes 2 days later, then you are considered as old.

young people's muscle ache will come on the next day.

you should ask tomo to massage your leg when you go home.

anyway, please go home and have a big rest.

This is the e-mail I received from my elders daughter in Singapore.

My answer is...

My dear girl,
Yes, I am old.
I am old but I am proud to tell you that I've climbed the highest mountain in Japan. The muscles ache comes immediately I reached the summit and double again once I reached ground level.
Does this comes in the young people age-group? Or the going to die-soon group?

Tonight will be my third night at the foot of Mt. Fuji. The first night, I just walked across the road and booked in a shared room. I took dinner and a hot bath and slept unconscious. Then, the 2nd day, I booked in a business hotel for 2 nights.
I slept for 48 hours on the go, only to get up for toilets and a drink of water. I don't have much feeling to eat anything.
For the past two evenings, I soaked my screaming muscles in the hot bath, a burning sauna and a painful massage on the massage bed.
Then, before sleeping, I applied some muscles pain-killer all over.

I will make my way to Shinjuku by the express bus and then to Shibuya tomorrow morning. Then fly off home in the evening, insyaAllah.

First thing I do will be to upload the photos of my success climb once I reach home, insyaAllah, but I can't promise yet as I might hibernate again for sometime at home.

My advise to people who have intentions to climb this beautiful mountain is...
Reduce the body cellulite to less than 40% before climb,
No gout,
No irregular heart-beat,
No high blood pressure,
No weak angkle and knees,
No lung-related sickness,
Most important of all is to prepare mentally for the gruesome tortoure.

Fuji Climb

We did it, we did it. With pride I declare that I successfully climb the summit of Mt. Fuji at 3776m.
I am the oldest among the group, the rest are like 40 ish and 30 ish, 8 men and 8 women.
I will describe the ascend later on when I get back to Okinawa with photo uploads. After all the experience, the climbing up is easier than the descend. I was the second to reach the top but the last to come down. The climb was very, very tough to the legs, angles, thigh and muscles behind the femur bone and not forgeting the knees.

I thought coming down was double easy that climbing, I was absolutely wrong. What makes the climb down gruelling was the loose black sand and rolling stones and boulders.
My legs went angle deep in the sand every steps and I fall and went buttock-skiing a couple of times. I couldn't make my way down and after having my buttock scratch a few times, I had to hang on the arms of two guys on each side for support.

We started our descend at 8.35 in the morning today and I ended up finishing at 3.30 pm alone, the rest of the group left me to go and pick their lugguge at the Japanese Inn.

An hour ago, they left me here by myself at Kawaguchiko Station at the bottom of Mt. Fuji to make their way to Shinjuku by train.
I checked in a room near the station with a commom Ofuro, alone. The reason is because I cannot walk at all!
I am limping and every muscles on both legs are pinning my sensory so much. I cannot move my body at all.
I just had dinner round the corner restaurant and after writing this entry, I will soak my aching muscle in the hot ofuro.
Hopefully, I can move normally tomorrow and might go back to Aini's house in Shibuya but my body cannot tell me just yet.
I will update on the ascending report of Mt. Fuji, once I have the chance to do it at home.

Salam Kawaguchiko, Mt. Fuji.

Back from Niigata

I'm in Tokyo again now, back from Niigata yesterday afternoon. I cannot reply to all the comments in the previous entries yet.
Today, Aini, my host family, and I plan to go Shinjuku station to find out the exact location of Keio Bus line. This is the express bus that we are taking to Kawaguchiko Trails for the Fuji Climb Expedition. Then, I need to get some supplies for the climb, things like light food to munch and stamina drinks.
The climb will be tomorrow Aug. 22, 2007.
How am I feeling about it?
Not so confident, to be frank. Even my spirit is quavering. I keep on thinking of my feet. I remember having the pain at the sole of my feet while doing my hajj. This time I've prepared two pairs of padding for my feet for this climb, one for arch support and one for the sole. Also, knee support and ankle support. After this, I don't know what else to do but make lots of doa to reach the peak.
The members of the group that I am with are mostly from JICA Msia, I don't know anyone of them yet.

While we were in Niigata for 4 days from Thursday to Monday, we went to a summer sky resort. There they had this sleigh ride called Bob-sleight, I can't upload my photo yet on this pc. I have one ride here after seeing Aini who is 4 months pregnant having a go at it. I remind myself, I am climbing Mt. Fuji at 3996m and what is 20 m high bob sleigh ride. I took the cable to the top.
NOPE!
I had some nervous strike looking down. My phobia for height is too strong.

Yesterday, I saw on tv news about China Airlines bursting into flames after landing at Naha Airport, on Okinawa main island. Alhamdulillah, no human live is affected.
Now, my fear for flying comes back. But I still have to fly back to my home in Okinawa.

I have lots of stories on my trip to Niigata, most of the things I did there are first-timer like grape-picking, Ayu-fishing and tasting and bob-sleighing.
All these stories will have to wait for me to update when I get back to Okinawa, insyaAllah.

I am booking my trip back to Okinawa after this entry, so I still don't know my return date yet.
To all members of Forum BashoHut and PondokBasho, please make doa for my safe journey back, insyaAllah.

Sampai Tokyo

My flight was in the deep of the night between 3 to 5.30 in the morning. I couldn'd sleep a wink *sigh* as usual. By 4 am the sky was suddenly ablase with fiery yellow strip and by 10 minutes later, it was daylight. Most of the passengers on flight were young Japanese youth on holidays. I think this is the cheapest flight I've taken in my life, even a cup of juice is charged for 100 yen.
Landing arrival was smooth and I was the last to pick my luggage. Saw Hani waving at the waiting floor. It was about 6am, when we left the airport parking lot and drove to Yokohama. While we talked, my eyes were looking around everywhere, trying to find something familiar. Just a little spot here and there but not much as most of the byways and highways were not there 20 years ago.
Anyway, when we reached Hani's house, the first thing I was showed here small garden porch where she grew almost anything that she can get her hands on. She has this olive tree growing about 3 metres with lots of little green olive fruits. Actually, this is the first time I saw olive trees, then she have kacang panjang, 3 pots of beautiful kesum plant, 2 bushful of healthy serai, mulburry plant and lots more other plants that I've seen before.
For breakfast, we had nasi lemak and towards lunchtime, we made our way to AiniZakri's house in Naka-Meguro. Going from Yokohama towards Tokyo, we had to pass through Tamagawa river and then, I saw the area that I occupied 25 years back.
I screamed at the same time pointing to Hani the area and make her promised to take me there again to have a closer inspection and hopefully manage to see my previous apartment owner.
We reached AiniZakri's house in the depth of Tokyo. I don't recognised anything at all on the road there at all. None at all. Most things have changed.
Before seeing Aini's apartment, I had the impression that her apartment is going to be the typical Japanese 3-rooms 6 tatami design, but I was in for a shock. Real shock. But, unfortunately, I cannot tell you this shocking feeling as it might revealed some confidential privacy on my kind host. So, let us stop here.
We girls chatted all through the day and still going strong towards late evening. In fact, our friend Hani was quite taken away with the time until she really, really had to rush home in the night.
Aini's hubby came home and we had dinner together and chatted away till very late into the night. Eventhough I still haven't had a wink for more than 24 hours.
He is a very acceptable kind of guy, easy to adapt and talk to. There is not an air of showishness in him. I've met some guys with his character, the kind that you couldn't get mad at, in whatever situation!
Yesterday, the second days at Aini's house, we prepared ourselves to leave the house after a late breakfast. Imagine me not sleeping for more than 24 hours and that morning on the rock I slept through till 9.30 am.
Just as I planned, after breakfast we made our way to Akihabara. We went from nooks to nooks, corners to corners, alleys to alleys. Aini had some hard time trying to keep up to me. She is into her 4 month pregnancy, all she complained was the heat of summer but she never say a word about tiredness.
Anyway, I found out that they do sell laptop Windows Vista in English here for about US1000. What made us went about every nooks and corners were comparing some desktops and laptops for Aini. I knew the exact specification and we were trying to get the best for somewhat at minimum cost. We went for Laox to Laox, from small tiny shops to big famous names. I was searching for a desktop with 300 gigabytes, HDD more that 1.8 with speed of 1 gigabyte and of course engilish Vista.
It either we have that spec but Japanese vista or the right spec with eng. vista but at some extro cost.
Anyway, we made some dealings and negotiations and had to make our way to Azra Haida'house. We took the Ginza line to Asakusa masjid and then took the local bus.
She leaves almost on the roof of that masjid and we had to climb some 5 story flight of steps.

After the intro and get-to-know sessions, we were served asam pedas with goreng sayur and a dish of ikan terubuk masin. With Haida's husband, the imam of the masjid, we chatted for almost 3 hours topic ranging from politic to Islam, but mostly islamic.
I thought maybe today, the 3rd day in Aini's house, I take the 3 children to the public library here and read them some Japanese children story. Then, we might go for some light groceries to prepare for our trip to Niigata tomorrow.
Niigata is the hometown of Hani's in-law and the place where Aini's hubby study before. Well, I haven't been to Niigata before and going there would serve the 3 of us some good purpose.

New kits-bunnies

Most people call baby rabbits as bunnies, that's what written in the dictionary but to be exact baby rabbits are called kits at birth, then before they are a year old, its changed to leveret. This is what I found out from some language expert but who would be bothered to change from kits to leveret. I take the easy way out, lets call them bunnies, internationally-understood.

Around March this year, we bought a buck and a doe, that's what you called a male and female rabbit. I mean, only if you turn the rabbit under and check for the reproductive instrument but would anyone bother with this? So, most people would just go for rabbits, not because they don't know what to call them but because they don't know the genitals.

Anyway, its 10 days today (see photo below) and the kits are growing beautiful, soft fur on their skin. At birth, their skin are mixture of dark or white, then came the fur which will follow the colour of their skin.

Anyway, the mother rabbit gave birth in an opened box with nothing at all. Otto was the first to see those kits. He was excited and warned everybody not to touch those kits for fear that with human smell on them, the mother might reject them and not be willing to feed them.
Most of the feedings are done in the night as I often go up the balcony to do my house laundry and haven't yet seen her feed the kits during the day.
Just for information, mother rabbits breast-feed their kits, just like humans females do.

Yesterday, the winds brought in some typhoon breeze that travelled to Taiwan bypassing this island. Eventhough the winds are not so strong, but still frequent with some little strength. It was bright and clear with that little strong breeze in the morning and Otto found out the rabbit box and kits was covered with shredded newspapers that we stocked on the balcony to collect their poos.
Otto questioned all of us about the newspapers and we all denied having done anything to do with it.
Then, in the afternoon the typhoon winds brought in some torrential downpours. Only after this downpours do we all realized that it was the mother rabbit that was doing the covering. The thing was, the mother rabbits knew the winds would bring in the torrential downpours. We, as humans with 5 senses, did not feel the downpours coming at all.
Some would call it animal instinct but I don't see it that way. I called is The Mercy and Rahmah of Allah SWT that give all animals the way to protect their youngs.

.: kits at 10 days old

Lahap

Some people said, "O Allah's Apostle! Meat is brought to us by some people and we are not sure whether the name of Allah has been mentioned on it or not (at the time of slaughtering the animals)." Allah's Apostle said (to them), "Mention the name of Allah and eat it."

Semalam saya menerima emel ini dari salah seorang saudara baru yang berkerja dalam pengkalan tentara Amerika. Emel ini bukan untuk saya sahaja tapi untuk semua yang telah dan sedang berkerja dalam pengkalan. Saya kira ada dalam 35 nama dalam senarai emel itu.

Sudah 4 tahun saya mengelakkan diri dari bermakan-makan di rumah kawan-kawan Islam yang tinggal dalam pengkalan. Tak suka makan bersama mereka sebab ada 2 garisan. Satu untuk saya dan orang-orang melayu lain dan satu lagi garisan untuk orang-orang dia.

Garisan itu dipandukan oleh hadis di atas.

Saya bukan pandai sangat berbahas mendalam tentang ugama. Saya juga pernah membaca hadis di atas itu, tapi tidaklah saya terus terjun dan makan daging orang kasi atau dijual di kedai-kedai merata.
Ada banyak lagi ayat-ayat dalam Qur'an yang menguatkan supaya kita makan daging bersembelih cara Islam tapi mereka dalam pengkalan mengambil hadis ini sebagai garis panduan untuk melantak tulang rusuk lembu macam harimau lahap.

Mereka bukan orang cacat mental atau banggang fikiran. Dan berdebat apa saja pun dengan mereka, mereka pasti menang.
Mereka orang pandai, pandai dari segi membaca dan menulis.

Jadi kalau mereka ingin membuat hadis ini sebagai garis-pandu makanan harian mereka, siapa boleh larang?
Lantaklah engkau...sebut aje nama Allah dan makanlah daging steak yang tebal berkilo-kilo, gong-gong rusuk lembu panggang berketul-ketul, stew ekor lembu berjela-jela.

Tapi tak perlu jemput saya sama...thanks but no thanks.

MDM

Lembar (5)
Aku tangkap sayap angin
dan melayang ke hujung langit
lalu lebur berguguran di ubun-ubun bukit.

Tanka ini saya dedikasikan khas untuk penulis karya di atas, seorang sasterawan terkenal di Msia sejak zaman 80an.

Menebar sayap
melayang hujung langit
nun ubun bukit
surat lapuk terselit
mengharap kamu datang.

Made in India

Suhu pulau ini mencengkah ke 33c. Pagi selepas suruk panas dah menaik hingga ke 29c.
Lebih berbahang dan panas dari Msia sekarang. Kalau di Msia pagi masih dingin lagi, suhu antara 23c atau 24c tapi sini kena pasang 2 kipas di ruang tamu. Saya dengar berita di Eropah sekarang yang suhunya naik ke 44c, seramai 27 orang sudah menjadi mangsa kepanasan ini. Semalam saya masuk bilik mandi sauna, ternampak seorang puan dalam umur 30's, badannya berbelang-belang hitam putih. Nampak dia gosok-gosok badannya macam perit sakit semacam. Rasa kau, nak sangat kulit hitam, kan dah nahas jadinya!

Doktor kata jangan pakai air-con selalu sangat, waktu nak tidur pasang sejam dan siang kalau boleh tutup air-con untuk memaintainkan (BM+BI) immuniti penahan sakit badan.
Macamana jalannya air-con boleh jatuhkan immuniti penahan sakit badan, itu saya tak tahu...dia kan doktor pepandai dialah nak kata apa...kita cuma ikut aje arahannya.

Dalam berpeluh-peluh masak petang semalam, saya terdengar lagu kat atas itu.
Eh, mana datang keluar lagu bollywood tengah-tengah kampung ulu Jepun ini? Takkanlah jiran tua-tua sebelah minat bollywood tiba-tiba?

Cari punya cari punca lagu...rupanya anak sulung itu tengah muat-turunkan lagu ini ke komputer ribanya. Pertama sekali, saya tulis anak sulung kat sini sebab kalau tulis nama dia, dia tahu saya ngumpat story dia. Kedua, apasal mereka namakan laptop...padahal bukannya letak kat riba pun bila digunakan?

Bila terdengar lagu bollywood ini, macam terasa kat kampung Radin Mas dulu, masa tu umur saya baru 4-5 thn. Orang sebelah, bukan sebelah saja...tapi rasanya semua rumah buka siaran lagu pemintaan bollywood setiap petang pukul 4 sampai 5.
Macam ada pesta, kalau setiap rumah mengeluarkan lagu yang sama.

Tapi yang pelik, macamana si sulung ini boleh melekat dengan lagu bollywood tiba-tiba? Kalau dah sampai Spore dan sudah terdengar lagu ini, lalu dia jadi minat...saya fahamlah juga. Ini belum pun pergi sana, dia dah sibuk download lagu bollywood...apahal? Mungkin ada kaitan dengan entri ini...

Itu pun satu soalan saya tak tahu jawapannya...*sigh*

Anyway, sementelah saya sibuk mengumpat lagu ini, baiklah saya buat dedikasi.

Saya dedikasikan lagi ini pada kak yan, kawan lama yang telah hilang di dunia siber ini tapi dengan jejak kasih dari AiniZakri "terjumpa" semula.

Kak yan...sila nikmati lagu ini dan masa mendengar itu, kenangkanlah juga kisah-kisah romantik waktu muda dulu dengan "hero tamil" yang kak yan sangat sayang itu.

Post typhoon malaise

I put it in a pot, filled it up with earth and add some fertilizers. Water it lovingly and placed the pot in a nice shade, away from the strong summer sun.

Then, the typhoon came and blew the whole pot away and there goes everything that I planted in the pot.

Hey, that was my brains in the pot...

Post typhoon report

A truck that has been flipped over by strong winds is seen in Naha, on Japan's southern island of Okinawa, July 13, 2007. A powerful typhoon stuck the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa on Friday, pounding them with torrential rains and high winds before it heads north towards the nation's main islands. The plate number has been altered by the source. (Kyodo - JAPAN/Reuters)

In Okinawa, men trying to clear the damage clung to trees to withstand the violent wind and rain, which was so forceful it uprooted trees and knocked over large fences, television footage showed.

"This is one of the biggest typhoons we've experienced in Okinawa," a local hotel employee said by telephone.

"We islanders are very nervous. It's fairly dangerous to go out or even drive a car as trash and broken trees are flying in the air," he said.

Seventeen people have been injured in Okinawa since the typhoon approached Thursday and at least one is in a serious condition, according to the prefectural government.

Latest figure of injuries after this report is 23 people with one still unconscious.

The "extremely strong" by the meteorological agency, is packing wind gusts of up to 252 kilometres an hour (156 miles an hour) and moving north at 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) an hour.

My doa for the safety of friends and their families all over mainland Japan.
Please stock your food supplies and make sure you have candles and torchlight with battery.