Interesting Egyptian English...

I am not yet a polyglot but enjoy so much in doing accent imitation. English is the most common language I have used in my accent imitation, followed by Malay.

So far I have learned and able to imitate these accents:

1. Malaysian Chinese speaking English
2. Malaysian Malay speaking English
3. Malaysian Indian speaking English

I don't know my level of proficiency since I do it for fun. I love languages by the way.

When I started befriend with the Arabs, I found their English accent is rather interesting. Unfortunately it is not easy to imitate theirs. Recently I found a few Egyptian English videos in youtube. It is very interesting and I enjoyed it very much.

Watch these videos:

Learn English the Egyptian way (in a classroom)


Learn English the Egyptian way (in a restaurant)

Gunakanlah frasa mashaAllah di tempat yang betul

Adalah menjadi kebiasaan dalam masyarakat rumpun Melayu yang beragama Islam, tatkala mendengar berita seperti kemalangan jalanraya, kematian dan pelbagai berita buruk yang lain, lafaz mashaAllah (masya Allah / ما شاء الله) pasti terkeluar dari mulut.

Contoh:

1. "Mat, anak engkau accident!". "MashaAllah!", jawab Mat.
2. MashaAllah, rosak habis rumah dia.
3. "Teruk betul dia tu. Perangainya... mashaAllah! Macam setan!"

Seolah-olah mashaAllah itu bermaksud 'dahsyatnya sesuatu perkara'.

Perkara ini ditegur oleh sahabat-sahabat penutur Bahasa Arab di masa second degree dulu.

Apa yang saya pelajari adalah mashaAllah itu merujuk kepada kekaguman kita pada ciptaan Allah. Dalam Bahasa Melayu, terjemahan yang hampir mungkin lebih kurang macam ini - Sesuatu (kejadian) itu, Allah yang juruskan. Maka kagumlah bagi sesiapa yang melihatnya.

Contoh (penggunaan yang betul):

1. MashaAllah, comelnya anak engkau ni.
2. Tengok permandangan dekat sana tu, mashaAllah cantiknya!
3. Anak Che Mat tu dapat 10A dalam SPM. MashaAllah hebatnya!
4. Kecil lagi sudah hafal al-Quran. MashaAllah!
5. Ali boleh bertutur tujuh bahasa. MashaAllah!

Semoga kita dapat manfaat dari perbincangan ini. InshaAllah.

Kebaikan membaca Surah al-Kahf pada Hari Jumaat

Masa zaman sekolah sampai first degree dulu, kalau hari Jumaat sahaja, sama ada malam atau siang, Surah Yaasin telah menjadi satu keperluan untuk dibaca.

Yelah, sebagai manusia yang tidak terlepas daripada melakukan kesilapan sudah tentu kita berkehendakkan sesuatu pahala, yang mana salah satu daripadanya adalah menerusi pembacaan al-Quran. Sekurang-kurangnya mendapat barakah dari pembacaan itu tadi, inshaAllah.

Tatkala masa berlalu, banyak perkara yang dipelajari, sama ada secara langsung atau tidak langsung. Ketika saya di second degree, seorang sahabat saya dari Timur Tengah telah bertanya kenapa tidak dibaca Surah al-Kahf (Surah al-Kahfi) pada hari Jumaat. Saya memberitahu beliau bahawa saya membaca Surah Yaasin di malam Jumaat. Tatkala ditanya kenapa Surah Yaasin, saya terdiam seketika. Jawapan mee segera saya adalah untuk mendapatkan pahala dan barakah, di samping ini telah menjadi amalan turun-temurun masyarakat rumpun Melayu Asia Tenggara.

Sahabat saya menjelaskan dengan penuh kesopanan bahawa tidak salah untuk membaca Surah Yasin, malah elok memperbanyakkan bacaan al-Quran pada hari Jumaat. Cuma tidak perlu mengkhususkan bacaan Yaasin pada malam Jumaat sahaja.

Malah katanya, ada dinyatakan di dalam hadis tentang galakan membaca Surah al-Kahf pada hari Jumaat. Penjelasan sahabat saya telah menyedarkan saya bertapa lemahnya basic berpengetahuan saya akan agama yang menjadi ikutan saya selama ini, yakni Islam. Yelah selama ini ikut sahaja. Lagipun buat apa nak lebih-lebih, kita bukan ustaz atau pelajar bidang agama. Itulah pandangan ramai termasuk saya pada ketika itu.

Lalu saya buat homework tentang Surah al-Kahf. Saya dapati banyak hadis yang menceritakan galakan membaca Surah al-Kahf pada hari Jumaat. Yang sahih ada, yang daif pun banyak.

Berikut adalah hadis sahih yang diriwayatkan oleh Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (r.a.):

عن أبي سعيد الخدري قال : " من قرأ سورة الكهف ليلة الجمعة أضاء له من النور فيما بينه وبين البيت العتيق " . رواه الدارمي (3407) والحديث : صححه الشيخ الألباني في " صحيح الجامع" (6471)

Dari Abu Said al-Khudri, "Sesiapa yang membaca surah al-Kahfi malam Jumaat diterangi baginya cahaya jarak di antara pembaca tersebut dan antara Baitil Atiq"
Riwayat Ad-Darmi (3407) dan disahihkan oleh As-Sheikh al-Albani di dalam Sahih Al-Jame' (6471)

من قرأ سورة الكهف في يوم الجمعة أضاء له من النور ما بين الجمعتين رواه الحاكم (399\2) والبيهقي (249\3). والحديث : قال ابن حجر في " تخريج الأذكار " : حديث حسن ، وقال : وهو أقوى ما ورد في قراءة سورة الكهف. وصححه الشيخ الألباني في " صحيح الجامع" (6470)

"Sesiapa yang membaca surah al-Kahfi pada malam Jumaat diterangi baginya dengan cahaya tempoh antara dua Jumaat"

Riwayat al-Hakim (399/2) dan al-Baihaqi (249/3). Dinyatakan oleh Ibnu Hajar di dalam Takhrij al-Adzkar sebagai Hadis Hasan dan disahihkan oleh As-Sheikh al-Albani di dalam Sahih Al-Jame' (6470)

Rujukan: ISLAM QA, al-Fikrah.net, al-Firdaus.com, dll.

Terima kasih pada sahabat saya yang memberi penjelasan dengan penuh hikmah. Semoga Allah memberkati beliau. Juga, semoga Allah memberi taufik dan hidayah kepada kita semua.

World Top 30 Tourist Destinations 2007

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Do you know which is the most visited country in the world? According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), their statistics show that France is on top of the ranking with around 82 million visitors visiting the country in 2007.

Here are the World Top 30 Tourist Destinations for the year 2007:


Get more information about World Tourism at World Tourism Organization.

Mehndi / Inai vs. Tattoo

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Tattoo is a permanent marking made by inserting ink into the layers of skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons (Wikipedia).

Mehndi on the other hand is an art of skin decoration using henna as the colouring agent and commonly practice by the South Asian communities during weddings, local festivals and other celebrations. The artwork is called inai by Malay speaking people in Malay archipelago and has been a long time practice by the traditional Arabs. Unlike tattoo, Mehndi is temporary and can last for 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the quality of henna and method of preparation.

South Asian style Mehndi

I am always wondering why people go for tattoos and piercing, since I couldn't find any true beauty articulated from it. In fact it only turns them into ugly duckling, especially when tattoo is applied on their faces.

Now he looks nothing less than a devil

Will this make you happy?

Or happier?

I HATE tattoo, I really do. Tattoo lovers definitely hate me for saying this. It won't change my perception no matter how good the pro-tattoo media say about tattoo arts and freedom of expression. To me, crafting something permanently on our body parts will never make us a better person, rather we will look like either criminals or morons. I'm sorry (but I accept mehndi or inai).

Stinky Pig Farms stink the world

Pigs also known as hogs or swine have been domesticated for its meat (more popularly called pork or ham) by many, except Muslim communities. As the world population increases, the demand for ham increases, which results in increasing number of pig farms across the globe.

Smelly, stinky, slimy, disgusting, all these terms are always associated with pig farming. The fact is that animal farms are always smelly but pig farm is more than worse.

It is now a world wide issue, as far as odour and environment are concern. However, the popularity of ham as a major food source for some communities in the world has offset the stinking issue, therefore has not been well addressed internationally. In predominantly Muslim countries, in which the non-Muslim population is huge and noticeable, the issue has been kept to a minimum in order to avoid tension between religions, although unfair to the Muslims.

It is quite surprising to note that the issue was taken quite seriously by a small country like Singapore, when the government began phasing out pig farming in 1984 because of odour and environmental pollution (link). When it came to their source of import, the answer is Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. As a Malaysian Muslim of course I feel very disappointed. I was not aware that Malaysia has so much swine until Japanese Encephalitis (pig associated disease) erupted in 1999.

Revolutionary deodorization piping system

Deodourizing column turns slimy after certain period

Recently, I realized a revolutionary deodorization piping system has been introduced in pig farms in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. To my opinion, such system will not be introduced unless pig farm odour is no longer tolerable to the public. From my perspective as a civilized people, to have such a system, it is an effort, which I can appreciate.

But from my perspective as a Muslim, I more appreciate if pig farming can be phased out totally. This is because pork is forbidden in Islam according to the text of the Qur’aan, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“He has forbidden you only the Maytah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh of swine…”
[al-Baqarah 2:173]

Therefore swine and its byproducts are strictly prohibited, in which such contact will require physical purification as prescribed by the religion. The stinky smell coming from pig farms is definitely offensive to Muslims due to the possible "impure" airborne produced by the swine and its surrounding.

Scientific and medical research has also proven that the pig, among all other animals, is regarded as a carrier of germs that are harmful to the human body. Do search the net, there are abundance of information available.

I know I cannot stop non-Muslims from eating pork as much as I cannot stop pig farming. Who am I to do that? But being in a society where pork is prohibited is something I highly treasure. Alhamdulellah, I'm a Muslim.

All England 2009: Only 50% meet my prediction

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Well, not much great moment for me. The quarterfinal matches started at 1AM last night (Malaysian time), the time when I turned off my brain in bed.

After performing Fajr prayer at 6.30 AM, I immediately checked the results.

Very disappointing, that is the only thing I can say right now. Many of my favourites were shown an exit by the underdogs. With the early withdrawal of Anthony Clark/Nathan Robertson and recently Lee Jung Hyo/Lee Kyung Won, my prediction already turned up side down.

My previously predicted semifinalists:

Women's single:
Tine Rasmussen (DEN) [1] .................... IN
Zhou Mi (HK) [2] ................................. OUT
Zhu Lin (CHI) [6] ................................. OUT
Saina Nehwal (IND) unseeded .............. OUT

Men's single:
Lee Chong Wei (MAS) [1] ...................... IN
Peter Gade (DEN) [4] ........................... OUT
Chen Jin (CHI) [3] ................................ IN
Lin Dan (CHI) [2] ................................. IN

Women's double:
Cheng Wen Hsing/Chen Yu Chin (TPE) [1] ......... OUT
Lee Jung Hyo/Lee Kyung Won (KOR) [3] ........... OUT (withdrawn)
Du Jing/Yu Yang (CHI) [4] ................................ IN
Zhang Yawen/Zhao Tingting (CHI) [7] ............... IN

Men's double:
Lee Yong Dae/Shin Baek Choel (KOR) [6] .......... IN
Anthony Clark/Nathan Robertson (ENG) [8] ..... OUT (withdrawn)
Mathias Boe/Carten Morgensen (DEN) [5] ......... IN
Fu Haifeng/Cai Yun (CHI) [7] ........................... IN

Mix Double:
Nova Widianto/Lilyana Natsir (INA) [1] .......... OUT
Lee Yong Dae/Lee Hyo Jung (KOR) [2] ........... OUT
Anthony Clark/Donna Kellog (ENG) [4] .......... OUT
He Hanbin/Yu Yang (CHI) [3] ......................... IN

Check the results at: Tournamentsoftware.com

Well, as a fan, I have nothing to lose. It's only a prediction after all. But I do hope Lee Chong Wei and Tine Rasmussen can become the champions.