Surviving in IIUM as a newbie

Hello everyone. It has been a while since I last posted anything here.

FIRST OF ALL.. I passed my Arabic paper. For Level 2 :D So no more CFS! I have 3 levels left to complete it.

I was so anxious on the day the result was out. It was so surprising knowing that I passed the paper. A wonderful surprise! I'm sure most of you here know how much I hated studying the language. But now, its a different feeling. It was actually a pleasure learning Arabic in my short semester. Especially when you get a teacher like Ustazah Sabariah. SHE IS AWESOME. I don't know how to say it. She teaches so well and forces you real hard to get there. And she's not boring. She's very funny. To those who haven't completed your Arabic, try your hardest to get her to teach you.

I'm now in the main campus Alhamdulillah! I was super excited to get here. As everyone says, its a new environment, a whole different level compared to CFS, you're gonna meet a lot more people here.

So. The first week, hence the Taaruf week (orientation)... was like shizzz. It was so boring and I slept most of the time in the hall. The briefings and the talks were like erkk. But some of the committees are so nice, I can't deny that. Thank you to all you kind people! But Taaruf is a part of IIUM. You just gotta deal with it. And don't skip the bai'ah ceremony. Thats the fun part, for me. Part yang nyanyi lagu IIUM tu was waaahhh I loved it! :)))

This is my second week in IIUM. I'm kinda stressed out right now. There are a lot of things going on. Its pretty exhausting. BUT ITS ONLY THE SECOND WEEK. I'LL GET USED TO IT! (promise but not really)

I'm missing home so so so bad. It feels like the first time I got into CFS again. I feel like I know no one here but I do. I know so many of them but I don't get it. I still feel this loneliness. I swear my room is so quiet I don't know what to do. I can't even sing in my room how stressing is that!!! It gets to the point that I'm afraid I might suffer from depression ahahahaha. I will figure something out. I can't live like this for one whole semester.

On the bright side…… I have my friends with me!!! :D The most exciting time of the day is when I get to get out from the room in the morning and walk to irkhs building and meet my friends and all the new people! Pretty cute people hehe.

Getting lost while finding the classes is normal. Its so confusing (well its your first time). But thanks to the brothers and sisters at the counter kat tepi tepi tu for always helping us out eheheh ;D

Thanks a lot to Maryam for the walks and the din dins. Food in Mahallah Ruqayyah is really good. Husna and Marissa for helping me out with almost everything here! Aina for being also very helpful. Geena for still being the one who always laughs at my jokes. Sakinah for being the girl who knows it all. Athirah, I miss you. And Nab, for always being the talkative one (kalah aku) and very kind :)

This is a part of the journey. We complain here and there but we go through it no matter what. I have another 3 or 4 years to go. I don't know what will happen. I don't know what might come along the road, but lets walk it!

Mother and Father! :D

In my 20 years of living, I've learnt a lot of things. I've seen a lot of incredible things with my eyes. Crazy life experience.

The most important is I learnt how to care and love. Its none other than my family who taught me this. The love I have for my family beat everything else.

Especially my parents.

When we think of all the sacrifices our parents have done for us, its unimaginable. I wonder if I could do the same when I become a parent to my kids.

Today, I want to talk about my mom and dad.

Dada (if you're reading this),

You're such an amazing man and an incredible father to your children. I can't imagine how our life would be if we didn't have you as our dad. You have sacrificed so much, have gone through a lot and have done so many things for your kids.

You teach me how important it is to be nice to people. It doesn't matter the age, the religion, whether you're wealthy or poor.. We treat people equally. You love helping people but I'm sure everyone knows that. You try to help everyone around you in the best way possible. Be it our own family, your friends, the people who work for you and even strangers. People know you for that. Go to Pasir Mas or Sungai Kolok and ask who Omar Akbar is, they will show the way to our house right away.

Of course in life we can never please everyone. You can be the nicest person on Earth or the cruellest, they will always have something bad to say about you. How they make up stories about you, spreading false rumours. But Dada, you always choose to not care about them. Because those who love you, will trust you and stay. And those who don't, will get up and leave.

I'm still a kid and I might not understand some of the matters.. But I know what you have been through all these years are exceptionally tough. Only a strong man like you can survive it.

To Mami, (Kakak or Kak Yam, please tunjuk kok mami)

Hi mami hehehe. I miss you. YOU ARE THE BEST COOK AND I LOVE YOU.

I don't want to be cheesy here. I'm a very shy person :P


Mami and Dada are the two most important people in my life. I don't know what would I do without them, both of them are my hero.

Actions speak louder than words. Our parents don't need to advise us in everything about what to do and what not to do.. We see it from their actions, that is also a process of learning.

Mami and Dada, I love both of you so much. And I want you to be here for me, forever and always.


I always make fun about me not being your daughter because I'm the only with curly hair and I look like none of us in the family. Hahaha. With DNA test or no DNA test, I am your daughter and you are my parents. I love you.

Its You :D

ITS YOU


You are the sun that shines my gloomy days
You are the arms that I hold to when I cry
You are the hand that lifts me when I fall
You are the wings that help to set me free
You are the eyes that see the best in me
You are the lips that I kiss when I'm in pain
You are the words that make everything sings
You are the heart that I hold tight and will never let go



By: Salsabila Omar

Breathing Arabic…. Pheeeeew

Most of you might already know that I failed my Arabic paper in the final exam so I had to go to CFS for a resit. And I did. I went there last week. But what most of you guys do not know is, I failed the resit. The A&R department called me a few days ago saying that I have to REPEAT Arabic. Kalb!

I don't know what I did wrong. I think I did well in the exams but maybe that wasn't enough for me to pass. I don't know what else to think. I thought of dropping out from IIUM no kidding. I have never felt this miserable and wretched. Thinking about it makes me depressed.

I was very close to end the IIUM chapter in my life book.

Then I went deep thinking about it. The logic behind it.

I also talked to my parents and family about dropping out from IIUM. And my Dad gave me options, the decision is all in my hand.

Since we only have one more month before the short semester ends, why not I give it another try. ONE LAST TRY. Another shot, another chance. So yes. I have made up my mind. I am going to try one more time in the pursuit of passing Arabic.

The classes for repeaters like me have already started since yesterday. I'm joining a bit late. I was having mental breakdown, seriously, pondering about what to do with my life, making the right decisions. I'm hoping that they will still allow me to join in.

Dada said learning something new is never wrong. Its for our own knowledge, and Arabic is the language of Quran so it will help me in understanding the Quran better.

I will probably be back in CFS by next week. I expect none of you would come up and ask me silly questions. I have explained everything here so I'm not looking forward to anything like that, I hope you understand.

To those in CFS, I will see you soon. Those in Gombak, if everything goes well, I will see you too inshaAllah.

No ragrets? Uh uh

You know the feeling that you don't know what to do, where to go, who to seek, how to get out of here.

I feel so lost right now. I don't know what else do I want in life. I'm hanging in the mid of the air. I have my family here with me but why this feeling?

Everything pisses me off. Nothing is right. I don't feel like talking. I don't know what is wrong…. Well everything is wrong actually.

We just got our exam result. And I have to resit my arabic paper, as expected of course. Its killing me. Why oh why do they have to make it so freaking hard. These people are torturing students to death. What do they want. For us to die studying to achieve that certain level. Its ridiculous.

The purpose of studying is to gain knowledge. To love what we learn. To enjoy it. To have fun with it. What we are doing here,, is no close to that.

Let me tell you the purpose of me learning arabic in UIA - TO PASS LEVEL 5 AND THAT WILL BE IT I WANT NOTHING MORE.

Maybe the ustaz hates me for skipping arabic classes, but I think I did quite well (for a level 2 student) in the finals. God knows.

I'm considering of moving to a university in Bangkok. Have already started with my survey. If things really work out, I will definitely drop out from UIA.

For us BEN and HS students to learn arabic until level 5 is unfair while other courses only got to take it until level 2.

Yea I know English and Arabic are the main languages they use in UIA. That is why I'm starting to regret coming here.

I don't easily regret any decision I've made. But this one? I'm not sure.

The way you write, the way you live

I told Aina about my writing, and asked for her opinion.

My writing is very simple. There are no bombastic words that can blow peoples mind. I prefer it that way. Easy to write, easy to express and most importantly, its easy for my readers to understand.

However, it is essential for us to expand our vocabulary. Especially me as a BEN (Bachelor in English) student. We cannot just sit in one place and not moving our butt. Learning new things everyday is very important.

So when I talked to Aina about this.. She said, "You tak payah guna perkataan susah susah pun takpe. You have your own style of writing, and you express yourself really well." And I was like aawwwhhh hahahaha.

Its true though. Writing is from your heart and soul. It will come naturally, and then, you write it out.

While I was writing this, I came across this website by Paulo Coelho - AN AMAZING WRITER. And I want to share it with my readers! :D

http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2014/10/31/writing-tips/

Meeting Kouhei

The japanese guy that I met is Kouhei, and who has also become my friend. He inspires me so much.

As I've mentioned it multiple times before, I want to travel. Seeing Kouhei doing the thing that I want to do makes me go aaaaahhhhh

He has been travelling for one year. He started off in the US, then South America. Then he went to China, India, Nepal, Tibet and many other places. ITS AMAZING!

I first met him in Melaka. He was the one who thought I was Spanish ahahaha. We talked for a while, and he mentioned about going to Thailand after Malaysia. Then we said sayonara and that was it. 

Yesterday when I was on my way to Golok, I saw a guy that has similar figures as him. The hair, the beard, the back. And he had the same orange bag hahaha. I thought to myself, "that can't be him." Then I tried to look more closely, and yeah.. Its him. 

He was equally surprised when he saw me. He asked how did I find him hahaha. This is crazy. When everything is already written, nothing can come in between. I decided to go to Golok on that day, and he chose to do so. This is destiny! 

Maybe God has sent him to meet me again to show me that its not impossible to realize my dream. It is possible for me to travel the world and learn about cultures and the people. I also told Kouhei about how I want to travel and keep writing. To be able to travel and write. I will, inshaAllah, one day travel the world and live my dream!!

And now I'm reading The Alchemist. A story about following our dream. It's incredible.

When I told my family about me meeting Kouhei, they gave me the same response, "jodoh la mung duo ore tu."