The True Meaning of Eid

Salaam pawsome peeps!

WOW!!! Time flies without us even noticing! Ramadan is already stepping out from under the spotlight and Eid is just around the corner! 😀 Most people-especially lil’ kids-are looking forward to this very joyous occasion. Many people are hustling about making preparations for Eid such as what to wear, what food to cook, where to go and other stuff like that. But because people are too busy fussing about the preparations for Eid, they tend to forget that the peak of this blessed month is in the last 10 days. They don’t realise that they are missing out on the best part of Ramadan just because they are getting blinded by the excitement of Eid!

Instead of getting in high gear for the grand finale of this blessed month of Ramadan, many of us are too busy comparing the number of outfits they have between each other. When Eid comes, people go especially crazy when it comes to buying new clothes. They shop like there’s no tomorrow! They’re wasting money unnecessarily when they already have more than enough clothes to wear! Just because it’s Eid, people think that they NEED to buy new clothes in order to celebrate this big day. In fact, many are going off the rails because they feel the urge to show off to people so they can be better than others. However, I’m not saying that what they’re doing is totally and completely wrong, they obviously want to look good on the day. But, that’s still not the true meaning of Eid! It’s not what Islam teaches us! Our religion tells us to be modest at all times.

To relate to our subject, I would like to share a discussion that my family had recently. We were talking about the preparations for Eid. Mr Dad asked me,

“Do you need any new clothes for Eid, Pawsome Lion?”

Hearing this, I excitedly jumped up from where I was sitting and replied,

“Yes please! I definitely need some new outfits!”

Then, Mr Dad asked me again,

“Are you sure?”

So I thought carefully and finally answered,

“Hmm…No, actually I’m fine. I don’t need new ones. I’ve already got more than enough in my wardrobe!”

You must be wondering why I changed my mind in a matter of seconds. Well…the moment I said yes, Little Miss Diva repeated after me saying “Yes!” too, with Baby A tagging along. They didn’t even know what it meant but because they always look up to me, they copied me 100%! So when Mr Dad asked me a second time, my mind was racing. There was a voice in my head telling me to make a wise decision because I’ve got a huge responsibility to carry, setting a good example to my brother and sister. And anyway, I can always wear my best clothes from what I already have, not to waste money on clothes that I’m going to wear once or twice! We all should buy things only when we really need to.

Allow me to take you further down the road…THINK! Will you be happy parading around in your new outfit when you know that in another part of the world, someone less fortunate than you, who is cold and hungry, hasn’t even got a shelter to keep them safe let alone clothes? Now, will you still be selfish and have a cold heart, counting the number of outfits you wish to have on Eid? Or will you be grateful for what you already have and remember the true meaning of Eid? Your call! 😐

Now, I am pleading to all of you. Don’t burden your parents just because of some selfish excuse. Be kinder, help those in need, look at the people around you and ask them if they need help, if someone helps you, pay it forward, do all these things so TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD! 💪 It is our duty as a human being to do it.

Moving on, in some countries, they practice giving money to children on Eid as a gift. For example, Malaysians call it Duit Raya. Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t give money but from what I have heard, I noticed that there are more negatives than positives on this tradition. Imagine that it’s Eid and you have two uncles in your family, Uncle X and Uncle Y. Uncle X gave £10 each to his nephews and nieces while Uncle Y gives only £1 each. Everyone will start to think that Uncle X is better than Uncle Y! Straight away, Uncle X has become everybody’s favourite. What everybody doesn’t realise is that Uncle X has billions of pounds in his savings account whereas Uncle Y has ZERO! What really counts is not the amount of money they gave away but the kindness and generosity that they intended. That is why we shouldn’t be judgemental. Always think further down the line, there might be some hidden reason behind one’s action!

Last but not least, I sincerely hope that this holy month of Ramadan will polish us to be a shining diamond! We can still celebrate Eid joyously and grandly but we do not have to show off our accessories or good looking clothes. Bear this in mind and everyone can live a happy life. Let’s all help each other to be a better person! Remember, the true meaning of Eid is to be modest and thankful for what we have and remember those in need!

Salaam!

“Modesty is something we should all have and hold on to. If we let go of it, our dignity will be no more and people will think of us as nothing but vain and selfish.”

The Pawsome Lion-Saturday 25th June 2016

p/s: Enjoy my old collection of Ramadan and Eid photo collage! 😉

*Media Source: The Pawsome Lion*

A Sad Adios…😭

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye…

As most of you know, the school year is coming to end and the summer holidays are slowly approaching. Everyone’s waving goodbye to their teachers and classes and are anxiously waiting to meet their new class teachers when the three weeks of ‘transition’ come. Transition is a period of time when children can get to know their new teachers and classes.

It’s time to bid farewell to Hazel and greet my new Year 5 class which is Oak! My new teacher will be Miss Parker and the LSP (teaching assistant) is Mr Johnson. Miss Parker will be our teacher for the three weeks of transition only as a new teacher will be appointed in September. I can’t wait to meet her/him! Hopefully they’re just like Miss Javed!

Wednesday was Parent’s Day at SHP, the day everyone received their yearly reports. As usual, everyone was nervous about the grades that they would get-especially me! There was a tense atmosphere when my family and I entered the classroom. We were all waiting for the moment when Miss Javed handed over my report for the year…

Then, the results were revealed! My report was…OUTSTANDING!!!! WAHEY!! My grades in Literacy, Maths, Science, R.E (Religious Education), Learning Together and P.E were superlative! I really need to thank God that everything in my report was great! This achievement is not mine to claim! It belongs to everyone, my family, friends, teachers and all you PAWSOME peeps because everyone has been supporting me all along and helped me to gain this achievement!

Of course, my report wouldn’t have been outstanding without the hard work of all the PAWSOME people in my life! I would like to thank each and every one of them!

1. Thank you God for making this possible!
2. Thank you Mrs Mom and Mr Dad for supporting me throughout my journey from Moseley (old school) to SHP!
3. Thank you Little Miss Diva and Baby A for being the cutest brother and sister in the whole wide world!
4. Thank you Dr Auntie for motivating me to do my best!
5. Thank you Mr OCD Uncle for being such an inspirational uncle to me!
6. Thank you Dadajee and Khun Yai Thi Rak Khong Phom for always building up my ideas!
7. Thank you Miss Javed and Miss Hussain for being the greatest teachers I have ever met!
8. Thank you Hazel class for always standing by my side!
9. Thank you SHP for building me up from who I was in Moseley to who I am today!
10. Last but not least, I would like to thank all of my family and friends, my blog readers, all of my supporters on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for always supporting and encouraging me!

I am not sharing my results so I can brag about it or anything like that, I am sharing them because I am hoping that I can inspire more people and show them that hard work really does pay off and if we work as one, TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD! And don’t just do it for yourself:

• Do it for God, who gave you a life, because He wants you to make a good use out of this precious dowry.
• Do it for your mother, who carried you in her womb for nine months and brought you into this world, so you can make her proud.
• Do it for your father, who works hard every day to ensure that you live a good life, so you can return the favour.
• Do it for your teachers, who get through the headaches to make sure you have a high-level education, so you can thank them sincerely.
• Do it for your brothers and sisters, who look up to you all the time, so you can become a perfect role model.
• Do it for your friends, who stick with you in times of sorrow, so you can all succeed together.
• Do it for the unfortunate people in this world, who manage to live in hunger and pain, so they can have a brighter future.
• Do it for everyone, so TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!

To end this emotional (😪) post, I would like to write a goodbye poem dedicated to Miss Javed and Miss Hussain!

A Sad Adios…

By The Pawsome Lion

You guided us through right from the start,

You loved us all with all your heart

You told us not to work for naught,

You taught us things that meant a lot

You never left us all alone

You made sure we didn’t break our bones

And though we’ve had our smiles and frowns,

We’ve turned the frowns upside down

That’s why I’m saying a sad adios

To two of my favourite amigos!

p/s: Adios Miss Javed and Miss Hussain! I wish you all the best for next year!

*Media Source: The Pawsome Lion*

The One for Me!

This post is dedicated to someone very special who has devoted their whole life to me. Of course, that person is no one other than…Mr Dad ! It was his birthday on Friday and I thought it would be a great idea to write a post just for him as a birthday present!

Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that’s why Mr Dad is the one for me! He always stands out from the crowd. He is a loving and caring father and listens to everything I have to say. He also has a heart of gold! Mr Dad’s fun, has a sense of humour and he never fails to keep the whole family happy! He has taken good care of me ever since I was born and from then on, he has been like a friend! Every dad is special but my dad is different. That’s because he’s the one and only Mr Dad!

As a coincidence, Mr Dad’s birthday is also near the date of Father’s Day! Wow! This means that he’s going to get more presents than anyone in the world! And, it also means that I have time to give Mr Dad one more very extra-special present, his very own birthday poem! So, here goes!

My Father!

(By The Pawsome Lion)

My father is the greatest, he’s the one to beat!

Don’t mess with him because he’s as fit as an athlete!

My father can do anything, anything at all,

From cooking to cleaning to singing all day, and he’s CRAZY ’bout football!

My father is the best to me, he cannot be replaced,

If I stick with him then everything can be aced!

My father can be a busy bee

But get this, he’s still the one for me!

And when I think of him

This is what ‘FATHER’ means to me:

F   riendly

      A   lways caring

T   he best

H     elpful

         E   verlasting love

    R   ighteous

 

Before I go, there’s one more thing I would like to share with everyone. An EXCLUSIVE video of Mr Dad making pizzas! I guarantee that it’ll make you say “WOW!”. Here it is:

Once again, Happy Birthday and Father’s Day, Mr Dad! Hope you have a great 2 days! I’m sure you’ll enjoy everything from the cake to the presents!

p/s: Leave a comment if you do anything special for your father this Father’s Day!

*Media Source: The Pawsome Lion*

A Pawsome Project!

 

Hey there pawsome peeps! Hope you’re doing OK.

Because the one week school holiday started, I really wanted to do a fun activity. I was being ambitious and wanted to fit another project into my jam-packed time table. But, I had dozens of things to do. People were visiting, Mrs Mom and Mr Dad had lots of work to do, I had to look after Little Miss Diva and Baby A and I ALSO had a Drama Club rehearsal to attend! WHEW!!! I was definitely worn out after everything!

Although I had a very tight schedule, I still wanted to do something lively. So, Mrs Mom and I searched and searched. That’s when Mrs Mom said “Why don’t we try baking?” And that’s how I came across something called Onde Onde!

Onde Onde is a type of Malaysian dessert or Kuih. They are small, poached dumplings in the shape of balls that are coated with shredded coconut. The pandan, which they are infused with, adds an amazing flavour. The brown palm sugar filling that floods your mouth with scrumptiousness makes them simply irresistible! It’s almost like it bursts in your mouth! They are little bites of satisfaction and deliciousness! YUM!!! 😛

Because I’m so passionate about my wonderful Malaysian heritage, I decided to use Onde Onde as my inspiration and concoct my own creation-with Mrs Mom and Dr Auntie by my side! So, instead of the Kuih Onde Onde, I turned the classic Malaysian favourite into…Onde Onde CAKE! It’s something bigger and bolder! I’m sure lots of people will fall in love with it!

Now I know what most of you are thinking. What is the recipe for the cake! Well, I’m truly sorry but I can’t give it out to other people. It is TOP SECRET TPL business only! However, there is one thing I can share…my first time making it! Let’s get to it!

The first thing that I had to do was chop up a couple of pandan leaves and grind them with a pestle and mortar. It was hard work but I eventually managed to do it! I also needed to add a splash of water whilst I was grinding. This was to get the pandan essence out of the leaves.

Next, I had to strain the leaves and squeeze them so the essence would come out and drip into the cake batter. It gave the cake a light green colour and a fantastic aromatic smell. The remaining crushed leaves were discarded because no one likes something gritty and chewy in their cake, at least I haven’t met anyone who does!

After the batter was mixed thoroughly, it had to be equally divided into individual cake cases. I had to be careful with the amount that I poured in. Too much batter and the cake would be all over the place!

Then, I sprinkled some desiccated coconut onto the tops of the cakes. This was to add some extra crunch in the cakes. It also had a nice, fresh flavour, which goes great with pandan!

I also scattered some Malaysian palm sugar or Gula Melaka over the coconut. It adds sweetness to the cake and it almost has a decadent caramel-like taste. It is also very fragrant.

All I had to do now was wait for it to cook. So, Mrs Mom set the timer and put the tray of cakes into the oven. When Mrs Mom bakes cakes, she has her own special way of checking if they are cooked brilliantly. If she pokes a skewer into one of her cakes and it comes out clean, that means that they are perfecto!

Finally, the cakes had finished baking in the oven! The finishing product didn’t look flawless as it was my first time making it. But, it still tasted delectable! There was a hint of sweetness from the palm sugar, crunchiness from the coconut and a wonderful smell from the pandan! And to top it off, once I have polished my baking skills and tweaked the cake a bit, I can hopefully start selling my cakes to the public! So, maybe you might be able to get your hands on one of them!

To conclude this post, I would like to share the recipe for the original Onde Onde. It’s fun, easy and great to eat! Here is the video:

Sorry guys, I’ve got to go now! It’s the first day of school tomorrow and I need to get my beauty sleep! But, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post! Don’t forget to try out the recipe for Onde Onde! See you later!

p/s: Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @thepawsomelion for regular updates!

*Media Sources: Google Images, YouTube & The Pawsome Lion*