Women’s day with Breda’s Living Encyclopaedia!

Today marks the 8th of March 2023.It is the International Women’s Day. An opportunity to celebrate the collective of womanhood and the uniqueness of these women who make a huge impact on our lives. Hereby, I am proud to be a friend with this Bredanaar queen. Her name is Gerleen. She is an amazing friend, dogs’ lover, the life of the party dancer, a creative woman of crafts and food lover. Her laughter is contagious and I am addicted to listen to her jokes and details about her latest activities.

Our evening walks with her dogs Padues and Fleuren (I hope I am correct when it comes to the spelling) are splendid tours around Breda. Gerleen showed me her family old house, the neighborhood where she had grown as a kid and a young woman. Touring around the city with her is a history class where I could have the chance to learn about the stories of each corner and a building that’s why I consider Gerleen as a living encyclopedia of Breda. Her sense of humor is another level of comedy.

May you live longer while in full health and joy! Happy Women’s Day, dear Gerleen!

Home is now called Breda!

The Great Church - Breda

A new journey has begun last year when life forces had swept me away from the very south east of Asia to the very north west of Europe, from my beloved Malaysia to the Netherlands. Kuala Lumpur was home for the last 9 years. I presumed that I will spend the rest of life there. However, the pandemic of Covid 19 has changed a whole world ‘s plans and I’m no exception. I

Breda has become HOME! It wasn’t an easy road to build life here. Yet,t the Bredanaars (how they call locals of Breda ) are very kind and welcoming. My neighbors are a huge support system who constantly help me to navigate my way in this city’s narrow streets. At first, I had the impression that Breda is dull and windy and can offer nothing interesting. As time flies, it turns out that I am completely wrong. These prior negative assumptions are smashed by changing my mindset about my new home. The internet has played a great role to change my perspective. Many events are advertised in website like Eventbrite, Facebook groups and local community organizations’ direct webpages. Therefore, it is my turn to make the best out of these circle and kick off one of hell amazing adventure!

Reading Books with Kids!

There are two reliable sources of truth, kids and books. At school, my students enjoy reading the textbook specifically selected for them. To my own surprise,I myself,the teacher, ended up falling in love with it. The one hour- length class is marking- free,therefore our focus is only enjoy the company of each other and spend some quality time clinging to the edges of the library round table. Dear readers, if you are looking for the truth just surround yourselves with kids and books.

This is Mayar and his classmates next to him- Image by Hadeel Abdulah

The ladder and the Snake!

I am in love with this photo not only because I look radiantly happily beautiful. The more I look at it,I learn that I have missed years of ladders that I should have climbed but the fear of hidden snakes here or there made me reluctant to challenge myself and play safe all the time! 2019 has not finished yet and there are very important statements that I should emphasize and prove to myself and not someone else! Fears of failures and self- set traps of procrastination have taken a tight grip and suffocated all my goals and dreams. Wake up, Adele! And Adele’s alike 😉 The game has not over yet!

Starbucks- Penang – Image by Hadeel Abdulah

The TV hall and the Missing Souls!

In February 2014, I moved into a hostel called Bangunan Tunku Puan Besar Kurshiah. Since then,my life has been filled with beautiful meanings of sisterhood. I experience a roll coaster of emotions while listening and watching my younger hostel mates falling in and out of love,getting a boyfriend,losing a boyfriend sometimes girlfriends,marriage,having kids,fulfilling their studies and moving forward into a promising profession. You Name it! The TV hall was one of the places that enabled me to mingle around with all of them. A foreigner like me used to ensconce myself opposite the TV screen to work on my Malay language by watching some series or initiating conversations with other girls who surprisingly join to watch. Seven yours past, I am sitting alone no more familiar faces. Everybody has gone on their own ways. The TV screen might not preserve their figures but my heart does! Be Happy wherever you are,lil sisters!

BNW TV Hall – Image By: Hadeel Abdulah

Malaysia’s Most Famous Twins!

Petronas Twin Towers represent the symbolic facade that embodies Malaysians’ persistent endeavors to achieve the nation visions with apprecaition of the country culture and building a better future. Today, Petronas Towers remind me of one of the valuable lessons in life. This lesson is related to the consciousness of the dichotomy nature of life, positiveness and negativeness,happiness and sadness,light and dark…I can keep on enlisting endless vocabulary of dichotomy. For Now,I am blessed to embrace life to the Max till I meet its other face,death.. To pass into a greater place!

Malaysia’s Petronas Towers- Image by: Hadeel Abdulah

The Old Penangite Cargo Bike Rider!

Penang has always been my sanctuary to flee away from stress and work burdens of 8 months commitment of teaching 60 angelic kids between the age of 5-9. Almost six times of frequent visits to this island of beauty and its charming mainland have been enough to build a special bond with it. July Summer 2019, my best friend, Wan Marina and I headed to Penang on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

This time, Penang was generous to display one of its human treasures while roaming its streets. I couldn’t resist to look at the this old scrawny man struggling trolling the roads on his rusty cargo bike. His eyes were occupied to chase pieces of hard paper and some plastic waste to add on the piles of black plastic bags. It was a scene full of historical contrast where hasty cars couldn’t abrupt the old rusty bike from dominating the scene and capturing my attention the whole time. My curiosity has clearly caused some feeling of uneasiness shown on the Old Penangite’s facial expression. He looked at me questioning my intentions and somehow he might assume that he is nobody to care about! Who is this man? I wish someone would pay more attention to cover the story of The Old Penangite’s Cargo biker!

The Old Penangite Roaming the road. Video by: Hadeel Abdulah

A Man With Loads

How can she explain to him! He is her shelter and her fear…
She lives on his land while he sneaks through her veins…
The fantasy of him spewing her strength with a warm hug…
And the seal of his lips upon hers could destroy all her defence
Her brain screams..
Push this man away..
Push this pain away

A Stranger!

This week has been one of the most difficult times of my life. I literally struggle to breathe alone in my room. How come an expressive creature like me fail to spell a word. Life slams me hard on this round. The damage cost me the nine lives I spare for the coming battles. After five years in Malaysia, the bottom line is that I will never be enough for this country. I will always be considered “A stranger”. I look at the mirror and my lips remind my brain to be rational. It is their country where locals understand each other and ,as a foreigner, I should not interfere. It took me an insulting body gesture and a bridge to knock me down and WAKE UP!

At this point, the hell that I left behind back at home seems more merciful at least there is no surprise factor. Pain is always expected. “Hope for something different” is a dangerous thing in Malaysia. Now, it is time to stand up and wear hope with pride to live life. An Amazing life!