Monologue with God

Ya Allah,

I'll be leaving for Umrah for the first time today,

Making my way to Your Holy Land,

With my parents, I hope everything will run smoothly.

Ya Allah,

I'm coming to You as Your humbled guest,

Each step I take today is a step closer to You,

There will be challenges ahead I'm sure,

But I pray to you Ya Allah,

I pray that You will bless me with enough patience, perseverance, humility, selflessness and piety,

Enough of those to get me through this journey.

Ya Allah,

Let this spiritual retreat be one that will make You forgive my ugly sins,

The one that will make me a better Muslim,

The one that will make me stronger; physically, emotionally, spiritually,

The one that will make me a better person, all around.

Ya Allah,

I'm coming to You,

With pure intention and prayers,

So I pray to You that you will bless my family's journey,

Let us go to Your Holy Land and come back safely,

For our return will be flourished with new vigour and passion,

As we continue to sow the seeds of good deeds in the name of you, Ya Allah.

Insyaallah.

A Class Above

Was at Petronas Twin Towers earlier for an interview with one of the largest management consulting firms in the world for their leadership internship programme. Can I just say the firm is one of the best, most open and friendly organizations I've encountered (in my very narrow experience)? Really. The people there were graduates of Cambridge, UPenn, LSE, Columbia etc with various backgrounds but they were very humbled people and conversed with us, the candidates in a very casual, welcoming manner. No traces of arrogance whatsoever despite their remarkable credentials and positions.

My interviewer was an equally charming, friendly guy and our session was like a casual conversation between friends. We talked about some easygoing stuff; our love for squash, about Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, his lifestyle at the firm, where's KYUEM (a must question!) etc. On a more serious level, I was questioned about my aspirations in my chosen field for the programme and the plans I have in bringing Malaysia forward in the field.

I chose social entrepreneurship but more specifically youth social entrepreneurship. Why youth? Because I do think a lot of the time people undermine what the youths are capable of and we're not being given the right chances to prove ourselves. Managed to come up with a plan and I coined it as 'Learn, Connect and Sustain' project. More on that later if anything concrete comes out of it :)

That was probably one of the best interviews I've had. Not only because it was with one of the most prestigious firms around but because of the people and the environment it offered. I was impressed and inspired just by reading the firm's official website and the people I met today affirmed the good impression I had of them.

Would LOVE to start my career after university at this place. The people, the working environment & lifestyle, the office are just a class above. Every project, every client, every challenge they meet is a new learning curve and the firm is definitely the place to learn and grow as a person.

Now, let's hope something good will come out of the interview.

24 Years of the Knot

My parents mark their 24th wedding anniversary today. I believe a big CONGRATULATIONS is in order! They plan to go out on a date at a Japanese fine dining restaurant, Fukuya somewhere in KL and I'm away in KY on my last week so I can't possibly join them. They would probably love it that way.

I like what my mum wrote on her blog about her marriage after 24 years:

"We are like two opposite poles. He likes football, I like the net. I think what keeps us together for so long is the space we give to each other and the respect for each other's individuality: that we can be who we wanna be without expecting the other to change us."

And that's true. They are poles apart at times but it's funny to watch them when they are at loggerheads with each other. I think the other part that keeps them together after so long is their ability to poke fun at each other and still laugh silly at themselves. They become one another's best friends and unrivaled bickering partners.

To Ibu and Papa, may you have another 24 years to come together as a couple and thank you for becoming great role models to me. Whenever I walk into my marriage one day, I would make sure I have one that would last as long as yours or possibly longer, Insyaallah.

Manja-manja together :)