NEW YEAR: MY NEW WISH AND RENEWAL OF HOPE!

Neldy

Another stage of challenges in life will be coming. At exactly 12:00MN, the year 2011 will be starting. The year will be opened by these numbers 010111. It was just few days ago since the first month of Hijra, the Muharram, the first month of Gregorian calendar, January is here. The calendar was first called Julian calendar, named after Roman leader Julius Caesar and changed to Gregorian calendar after Pope Gregory.

The Islamic Calendar was instituted during the time of second Caliph of Islam, Hazrat Umar Ibn Khattab, when he said, “the Hijra has separated the truth from falsehood, therefore, let it become the epoch of the era”. But the calendar was named after the emigration of Nabi Muhammad (s.a.w) in the year 622 A.D from Makkah to Madina. This emigration marks the beginning of Hijrah.

Every start of the year would be the beginning of every wish and renewal of hope by people of the world. People may wish to keep the bad fate away and let the good fate coming.

I wish and hope to myself for a good health and long lives. I wish and hope to the Tausug’s cause for complete independence of their homeland, Sulu Sultaniyah Darul Islam would be realized soon.

I wish and hope that international community will have the open eyes, mind and heart to keep track of the Sulu Sultaniyah’s cause for complete freedom as Kosovo and Palestine.

I wish and hope that Sulu Sultaniyah will follow the way of Kosovo and Palestine as new Free State and become the member of the family of free people; free from Riba, free from ignorance, free from the clutches of colonial mentality, free from arrogance and free from downgrading others.   

I wish and hope that everything that I wanted to have in my remaining lives extended by Allah will be realized. I wish and hope that the novel I was starting to write will be finish soon.

I wish and hope I could write more books about Sulu archipelago and Tausug. I wish and hope I could finish the script for our first film project soon.

I wish and hope that we could pursue our dream to retrace the trace of the coming of Islam to Sulu Archipelago and write its story. I wish and hope that Allah guides me always to the right way and would increases my obedience to HIM.

I wish and hope a happy Amun Jadid and happy New Year to All!

SICKNESS MEANS TO REST: A PLEASANT VISIT TO JOLO

Neldy

Azan or Bang, a call to prayer heard from Masjid Sultan Shariful Hashim near Jolo Port. I arrived with Murshed Salam, a brother from Bangladesh, boarded M/V Jocelyn. We chatted silently about the nightmares in Jolo being experience by the Tausug and Tausug citizenship campaign to ask the Philippines to get out from Sulu territory.

Calmness of the Sea in Sulu Archipelago. Photo: Neldy

I told him to keep his voice slow. I was afraid of something not good to happen. A risk to bring foreigner to Jolo was been daily story of the people outside Jolo, Sulu. But ‘to see is to believe’ is applied here. Alhamdulillah nothing happened unnecessary.

I don’t think that Tausug is too insane and bad enough to treat their visitor with unpleasant welcome. The Tausug Peace Keepers fetched us in the port. Before went to Buansa, we passed went to the Masjid near this port. Many people were looking at us speaking foreign language. Maybe they are thinking that my companion was a foreigner. Yes he is foreigner in the place but not foreigner in faith and belief - Islam.  

I contained the pain since arriving at Clark Airbase, Pampanga from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in August. I stayed around four days in Manila. Even though in pain, I got some time to visit my relatives here.

I got contacted Rameeta (Rameer Tawasil), A Tausug renowned artist and a great ‘ukkilism-genre’ painter. He came to Manila to discuss about their exhibit in Europe. It happened that he is also in Manila. So we took time to meet in Robinsons Galleria for a dinner. I decided to come along with him to Zamboanga so I have a companion. He booked ticket for us for August 29 Manila-Zamboanga bound Flight.       

While Brother Mushed Salam was with the Tausug Peace Keepers roaming around Jolo, I was just staying in the house to feel the pain. Brother Murshed brought interesting stories and observations about Jolo, Sulu and the Tausug.

They went to the beaches and the woods in Jolo. The Igasan white beach, rural area in Buansa. Only in the seaside of Buansa I joined them, near Subah Datu beach overlooking Bangas Island, where beautiful beach is also found.

We get to Zamboanga after a two days and brother Murshed went home. He did not forget to remind me to pray to Allah. He was able to meet Sharif Yazir Rajim, a Tausug artivist and journalist and talk something about Tausug and Islam and pray together. I and Yaz together went back to Jolo (this would be the next in line story).    

I have been suffering with pleasant backache. I considered this pleasant because I believe this is blessing from God. And I took the advice of many friends, especially Yaz, Asree, Hasan, Abang Samad, Cikgu Hatta and Bining. If I got some illness that would mean I am loved by God and let me to lessen my sins and ask forgiveness from Him.

Most of all to let me to remember Allah always – no forget and skip of prayer. This is still month of Ramadan. Indeed sickness is God meant for me to rest, Alhadulillah!

TRIP TO THE GARDEN CITY

Neldy

It is my wanders to Borneo that invited me to visit the Garden City back again transiting to Peninsular Malaysia at Johor Baharu. I off to Kota Kinabalu from Sandakan at 7PM, it arrived around 1:30AM to Kota Kinabalu terminal. I slept here waiting for the daylight to come. I have to secure some funds. I ate Roti Kosong, an affordable food. Taxi Cab is quite bad having its higher price to take me to One Borneo Mall.

the merlion. i am thirsty...

 At around 1:30AM I headed to Airport Terminal 2. This is for the lowest-cost airlines terminal. Take bus to here at a lower cost of 1RM. It is in the bus terminal near Plaza Wawasan, Kota Kinabalu.

The aircraft arrived to Changi Airport, Singapore at Terminal 1. I saw a sign going to the Terminal 3. Train to the city centre located here. I purchased train ticket for Raffles Place Terminal from Changi Airport.

I was assisted and instructed by the in charge in the ticket machine. She gave a directional map to every train to take. She’s very kind. She changed the currency I have into Singapore dollar. The fare is 3 and 7 cents dollar – with a 1SD deposit, people could retrieve after, in any train station to stop.

This is the LRT tiket and the Map.

The enchanting beauty of the city, reminded me to remember the time when Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram II was honored by 18-gun salute here. This was the time when Sulu Sultanate and Singapore have the political and economic ties during 17^th – 20^th century. Sulu people indeed wish to reopen the link.

 

While roaming around the city as budget-tourist, I was reminded with the story of one Tausug fighter in Jolo. He said, “the secret of the Tausug in war if they got continues fire from the enemy have only two words that is ‘take and cover’ – take cover. It gave an idea to take pictures around here while walking in the streets of Singapore.  I take but did not cover.

Environmental Conservation effort made by Singapore. Fantastic idea.

I don’t know if this related to the adage of mountaineers when I was joining them during university days, “take nothing but time, kill nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints and leave no trace”. This seems to be true because I cannot trace my footprints and my foot do not print in walkway because of the sanitized street. No trace of soiled “shoeprints” could be seen.    

Anyway what is important to me here, I didn’t see any thrash in the street. I wonder how people of Singapore maintain this discipline. How fortunate Singapore people are.  

Let me finish stop here. I have to walk again for sight-seeing.  Many tourists said that whoever visited Singapore and failed to go to the Merlion, he must not have visited the city. The sprinkling water from the mouth of the Merlion proves this city-state as the bustling Garden City of Southeast Asia.  I will be in Johor, Malaysia later tonight. Happy Walking to me! Sorry for late posting, this was in February 2010!