To be honest, I am not the 'cuddly' type with any pet. Once, in high school I thought I loved rabbits, but it does not prevail. Simply put, I am neutral when it comes to animal pets such as cats, rabbits, hamsters etc. Feeding or giving them nice shelter is ok with me, but no cuddling ok. The only type of cats which I like is the ones which do not react when I stroke or caress them.
Thus, when I tried this quiz suggested by my good friend Zakiah, I am not that surprised when I got the following result: The Norwegian Forest Cat is strong and independent. She is reserved with newcomers but blossoms in the company of old friends. Confidently defending what is hers, she does not like strangers in her territory. Her luxurious coat is a lot to handle, and necessity dictates regular upkeep. An amazing athlete, the Norwegian Forest Cat thrives on physical activity, and no leap is too great or prey too quick for her to tackle. This huntress is clearly queen of her domain!
Most of the descriptions are true, but strong and independent? Hmm, not that strong I presume, though I am trying to be strong. Anyway, I think this Norwegian is so cute, hope she will let me stroking her fur without reacting :D
Sendiri ... seharusnya rasa sepi Sendiri ... seharusnya rasa gundah Sendiri ... seharusnya rasa resah Sendiri ... seharusnya rasa lemah Sendiri ... seharusnya rasa sukar
Aneh sekali
Sendiri... kini jadi ria Sendiri... kini jadi ceria Sendiri... kini jadi damai Sendiri... kini jadi teguh Sendiri... kini jadi tenang
Awakened. That's the best word to describe my feeling after hearing the sad news of a good friend's husband's death. All the death-related quranic verses and ahadeeth came into mind all of a sudden. He was not even 40 years of age yet. I shuddered when realizing our age difference: only 9 years. Should I die within 9 years, I could not guarantee the initial 31 years could compensate for the lack of good deeds 9 years ahead. That, if I should die at the age of 40, what if the time comes earlier?
Being overwhelmed with work and family responsibility is fine as long as you do it with the intention of serving the ummah, thus automatically seeking Allah's pleasure. However, establishing the intention of doing everything for the sake of Allah is not an easy task. As a khalifah, we have to keep striving for purifying our intention in order to avoid being blinded with the worldly matters.
I came across this wonderful song by Maher Zain, another respectable artist under the same label as Sami Yusuf. As the song title suggests, you would be awakened by its lyrics. It is almost like a ceramah (talk), only with catchy melodies. Please ponder the attached lyrics as well
We were given so many prizes We changed the desert into oasis We built buildings of different lengths and sizes And we felt so very satisfied We bought and bought We couldn't stop buying We gave charity to the poor 'cause We couldn't stand their crying We thought we paid our dues But in fact To ourselves we're just lying
Oh...I'm walking with my head lowered in shame from my place I'm walking with my head lowered from my race Yes it's easy to blame everything on the west When in fact all focus should be on ourselves
We were told what to buy and we'd bought We went to London, Paris and We made show we were seen in the most exlusive shops Yes we felt so very satisfied
We felt our money gave us infinite power We forgot to teach our children about history and honor We didn't have any time to lose When we were.. (were) So busy feeling so satisfied
I'm walking with my head lowered in shame from my place I'm walking with my head lowered from my race Yes it's easy to blame everything on the west When in fact all focus should be on ourselves
We became the visuals without a soul despite the heat Our homes felt so empty and cold To fill the emptiness We bought and bought Maybe all the fancy cars And bling will make us feel satisfied
My dear brother and sister It's time to change inside Open your eyes Don't throw away what's right aside Before the day comes When there's nowhere to run and hide Now ask yourself 'cause Allah's watching you
Is He satisfied? Is Allah satisfied? Is Allah satisfied? Is Allah satisfied?
Oh..I'm walking with my head lowered in shame from my place I'm walking with my head lowered from my race Yes it's easy to blame everything on the west When in fact all focus should be on ourselves
Pertama kali saya menyaksikan iklan drama Nur Kasih (sewaktu itu belum ditayangkan), saya akui saya terpaku juga dengan sinematografinya. Tetapi hati berdetik, siapa lah muka-muka ni, tak kenal pun. Tambahan pula watak-wataknya semua berhijab, dalam hati saya berburuk sangka lagi, konon-konon cerita agama la ni, mesti tipikal dan maklumat tentang Islam mesti kurang tepat.
Tahu-tahu drama ini mula mendapat sambutan hangat dan menjadi sebutan ramai, namun saya masih lagi dengan buruk sangka saya yang tak habis-habis (atau kekecewaan dengan drama Melayu yang tak habis-habis?). Hanya apabila sudah 6 episod berlalu, saya saja gatal menonton drama ini secara online. Nothing to lose, fikir saya. Ternyata segala sceptism saya berakhir apabila menonton episod 1. Faktor tambahan, ada scene di masjid UIAM (yang saya rindu amat) sebagai masjid di Kaherah kononnya. Namun bukan itu sebab utama saya meminati drama ini.
Saya pecahkan faktor-faktor /ciri-ciri tersebut kepada dua bahagian: teknikal dan mesej.
Aspek Teknikal
Cinematography: Teknik penggambaran dalam karya-karya arahan Kabir Bhatia sememangnya memikat hati saya. Filem Cinta contohnya, bagi saya setiap babak sangat cantik dipandang, begitu juga Drama Kekasihku Seru berjaya menambahkan lagi mood seram (walaupun saya tengok sambil tutup mata). Seram tetapi cantik, sungguh ironi. Nur Kasih meneguhkan lagi trademark Kabir Bhatia di mana penonton dapat menikmati keindahan sawah padi, kehalusan seni bina rumah-rumah tradisional Melayu dan keunikan seni bina bangunan-bangunan di UIAM :). Saya memang tidak belajar tentang teknik-teknik penggambaran yang baik, tetapi cukup lah saya katakan, saya bosan menonton drama/filem melayu yang meletakkan semua pelakonnya seolah-olah mempamerkan kandungan kotak. Semuanya tersusun di dalam bentuk segiempat sama. Mujurlah Nur Kasih tidak mengambil pendekatan sedemikian.
Soundtrack: Ini faktor yang paling penting buat saya kerana saya memang penggemar soundtrack. Nur Kasih memiliki lagu-lagu background nya tersendiri yang sesuai dengan pelbagai tema: waktu sedih, waktu gembira, waktu terharu, waktu cemas dan saya sedar setiap kali Sara muncul dengan niatnya hendak membuat onar, ada satu lagu khas yang dimainkan, kalau dalam soundtrack Filem Hollywood mungkin ia akan dinamakan Sara’s Theme. Ini membuktikan drama ini dihasilkan dengan teliti, selalunya drama Melayu akan mengambil sesedap rasa mana-mana soundtrack filem Hollywood, drama Jepun, drama Korea (terutamanya Winter Sonata). Malah saya pernah membaca seorang teman menulis di blognya, dia pernah menonton drama Melayu yang menggunakan soundtrack Naruto! Lucu tetapi agak pathetic. Oh ya, ada sesiapa tahu, siapakah composer Original Score drama Nur Kasih ini, saya cuba juga membaca kredit akhir tetapi tidak terperasan pula. Original Score ya, bukan lagu tema Nur Kasih, itu semua tahu Yasin yang buat. Kalau lah saya boleh download hehe.
Lakonan : Lakonan yang berkesan hanya akan terhasil sekiranya pengarah bersungguh-sungguh hendak mendapatkan take yang bagus. Dan pelakon pula bersungguh-sungguh untuk merealisasikan impian pengarah. Meskipun kebanyakan pelakon drama ini muka-muka baru, tetapi setiap ekspresi dan emosi berjaya diterjemahkan dengan baik. Lakonan muka-muka lama apatah lagi. Bagi saya, babak paling berjaya membuat saya keharuan ada dua:
i.Ustaz Hassan: isteri orang lain ada intan berlian, isteri abang? (dengan air mata berlinangan, uzur dan tahu dirinya hidup tidak lama lagi)
Mak Jah: isteri abang ada abang (terus menangis di pangkuan suami)
ii.Adam: Kalau you dah tahu you dah tiada dalam hati I, kenapa you masih..? (dengan muka bersalah sebab dah tak sayangkan isteri yang dulu dia cinta bukan main)
Katrina: Sebab you masih ada dalam hati I. Dan cukup lah I jadi isteri you sampai bila-bila. (dengan nada yang sangat redha, oh perempuan, perempuan)
Sentimental lah pula, ok kita sambung faktor seterusnya:
Skrip: Dialog pelakon-pelakonnya tidak terlampau palsu dan tidak merosakkan bahasa. Contoh dialog palsu adalah seperti dialog drama Gerak Khas. Semua bercakap seperti menduduki ujian lisan Bahasa Melayu. Namun tidak lah pula drama ini menggunakan slang dan manglish. Sekurang-kurangnya saya tidak perlu mendengar orang-orang Melayu bercakap Inggeris + Melayu dengan slang mengalahkan orang putih (dalam cerita ini yang bercakap dengan pelat Australia ialah Katrina, dan ianya wajar serta sesuai dengan konteks cerita). Bahasa jiwa bangsa bukan :)
Panjang pula ulasan tidak bertauliah saya, insya Allah saya akan sambung aspek mesej pada entri seterusnya.
P/S: ZZ I am back to blogging, nur kasih punya angkara :-p
