Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Snippets

wix.com and MUMSA Committee
  • Yesterday, Lutfi asked me whether I can come out with new MUMSA Committee Chart. So I agreed. And then, I decided to do in flash format since I wanna try something new. I used wix.com to do it and finally done. Here's the chart. You guys can click on it for a bigger resolution.



  • I showed it to Lutfi and he seems impressed. When the new Mumsa website is complete, then I'm going to put this chart in the website.
COREL PAINTSHOP PHOTO PRO X3
COREL PAINT SHOP PRO PHOTO X3

  • I just started using this software yesterday. I just want to try it and compare with my current photo-editing software, photoshop CS4.
  • So far, so good. Perhaps I'll give extra more time and if it's suits me better, then I'm going for it as a replacement to the current cs4.

Esplanade Escapade II (HDR)

  • Why I'm so addicted to HDR? Simply because it gives my pictures a vivid look and much range of light. No more anxiety about being under or overexposed. Simply blend it all and it's gone.
  • That's the reason I spend most of my last weekend in the nearest Esplanade to shoot some picture, most of em' was the view of sunset along Manawatu River.

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Alongside Manawaroa Park

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Cook Street, the nearest road to Esplanade.

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Perhaps this is not HDR. The last of the sakuras' at Esplanade.

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Don't afraid to be different

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Between vintage and modern marvel.

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The last day when sun setting at 6pm.

  • Have a good one !

Monday, September 27, 2010

Hasil Menjahit Gambar.

ICE Effect (IPC)
International Pacific College (IPC)'s Lake.

  • Gambar di atas adalah hasil kombinasi tiga gambar yang diambil secara berasingan menggunakan perisian "Image Composite Editor".
  • Teknik sebegini dipanggil sebagai "photo-stitching". Ianya sesuai untuk fotografi landskap dan panorama.
  • Setting yang saya gunakan selalunya M ataupun A, supaya depth of field (DOF) bagi tiap-tiap gambar dapat dikekalkan.
  • Kedudukan kamera yang digunakan ialah secara "portrait" supaya "aspect-ratio" gambar yang dihasilkan nanti akan dapat dikekalkan.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Syawal Snippets

  • Eventhough it was only potluck that being planned for Eid, most of the postgrads cant resist the temptation to held an open house. 2nd day of Syawal last week was full with open houses. I went to almost 7 houses that day :P
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First house, Umah Abg Din kul 9 pagi.

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Owg kita kt Palmerston North.

  • I put the above pic on facebook where Tengku Ahmad Tajudin, one of the national hockey player(they came to Palmy last year for friendly match with NZ Black Sticks), give a comment, said that "meriah sungguh raya kt palmy. macam kt Mlysia plak". He's true about that :D
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Open house umah Abg MatTau. Dh malam dh ni.

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The last open house, umah Abg Izad.Kul 11 malam ni.

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Sempat tengok All Blacks vs Wallabies. All Blacks won 23-22.

  • Last Saturday 18th February, there was a Sakura Festival held at International Pacific College (IPC) just next to Massey University.
  • It was a storm and raining heavily that time so most of the activities and events were held indoor.
  • Because of that, not many pics I snap this time compared to last year (refer my flickr to see last year's pics).
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Yasir ask this girls to take pic with him :P

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Japanese Drums' Show

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Taekwando show

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Kendo Performance

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Kung-Fu performance

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Yosakoi Dance

Footage of the dance

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Some random pic I took. Many Wellingtonians came during this event.

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There goes my new lens!

  • MUMSA Hari Raya Open House
This happened yesterday. This is the first time we using The Centre for open house. It was my first task as new MUMSA Multimedia Officer. Alhamdulillah, everything going on smoothly eventhough we were running out of time.

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My baju raya theme for this year "Bedouin"

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Team bakar sate.

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So many that came this year :D

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Kids made this event even merrier.

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VIP, Dr Rosli (MSD Director) and wife

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M.C. Ajmal and Piqa :)

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Speech from new President of MUMSA, Lutfi (my housemate) :D

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Aunty Ruzaini (Deputy MSD Director) also came :)

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It's potluck so many foods on the table!

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Live performance by team Miles :D

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John with his magic :) Very impressive.

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Group photo session. Dr Rosli with Palmy Postgrads :D

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With my friends, Lutfi and Afnan.

  • That's the end of the event. I would like to extent Lutfi's thanks to everyone who were directly or indirectly involved with MUMSA Open House yesterday. And congratulations to the newly appointed MUMSA Committee members. I'm looking forward to work with you guys.




Monday, September 13, 2010

Syawal, a month of consistent worship

Last Friday is quite significant for me since it's the day of Eid, and it's the same day where I delivered Friday sermon in Massey University Islamic Centre. Below is the text of the sermon that I want to share with you guys Insya Allah.

Ma’asyiral Muslimin rahimakumullah,

Let us build taqwa to Allah s.w.t. by obeying all of His commands, and leaving all that He has prohibited. May the month of Ramadan which has just passed inspire us to continue performing noble deeds and acts of worship in other months throughout the year.

And may the presence of Syawal motivate us to continue obeying Allah s.w.t. and performing good deeds as we did in Ramadan. May these positive acts strengthen our faith and reinforce our taqwa and ultimately lead to success in the hereafter. Ameen.

Allah s.w.t. says in surah Al-Taghaabun verse 9:

Which means: “The Day that He assembles you (all) for a Day of Assembly,- that will be a Day of mutual loss and gain (among you), and those who believe in Allah and work righteousness,- He will remove from them their ills, and He will admit them to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever: that will be the Supreme achievement”

Dear Brothers,

Today is the day for the Muslim Ummah celebrate their triumph and victory. It is the day in which Allah s.w.t. has promised joy and happiness for every Muslim who had fasted in Ramadan. Rasulullah s.a.w. said:

Which means: “A person who fasts shall experience two kinds of happiness. Happiness when he breaks his fast and joy when he meets his Lord.” Hadith narrated by Imam Muslim.

Today is the day for us to express our profound gratitude for every blessing that we have received from Allah s.w.t. by reciting the takbir and tahmid. This is in accordance with surah Al-Baqarah verse 185, where Allah says:

Which means: “And so you must complete your days (of fasting), and you should glorify Allah for what He has guided you to, so that you may be grateful.”

Dear Friday Congregation,

While we celebrate the arrival of Eidul Fitri, let us take a moment to reflect on our view of Ramadan as a month of good acts and noble deeds.

Generally, Muslims in their views on the value of worship in Ramadan, may be divided into two categories.

First – Those who positions Ramadan as being the finale of the season of goodness and worship for the year. The final few days of Ramadan for those in this group is perceived as a finishing line in a race to attain Allah’s bounty and rewards.

The closer they are to the finishing line, the more vigorous they are in enhancing the quality and quantity of their acts. However, as Ramadan ends, so does the season of actively pursuing good deeds,with the arrival of Eid’s colourful celebrations.

Second – Those who perceives Ramadan as a stage in the process of continuous self-improvement. For this second group, Ramadan is a period for the cleansing of the soul and the strengthening of the faith, before continuing on to the next step of the journey.

Any accomplishment during Ramadan becomes a catalyst for more good deeds throughout the whole year, until they meet the next Ramadan.

This second category, my dear brothers, is the practice of Rasulullah s.a.w. He never stopped his acts of worship or stopped devoting his time for goodness even after Ramadan has ended.

The noble contributions made by the Prophet s.a.w. with much generosity never stopped with the arrival of Syawal. Rasulullah s.a.w. continued and strived maintain his closeness to Allah s.w.t. It did not end with the Maghrib prayer call of the final day of Ramadan. This is because the Prophet s.a.w. and his fellow companions r.a. never perceived the end of Ramadan as the end of a short race. In fact, it is viewed more as a stop for them to re-energise and reinvigorate their spirits to continue the coming year with more vigor and resilience.

Dear Blessed Friday Congregation,

With the current Eidul Fitri festivities going on and as we celebrate it with faith and taqwa, with joy and gratitude, let us honestly evaluate ourselves.

Among the two categories of people mentioned earlier, to which do we belong?

Which kind of character do we need to shape and develop as part of our identity?

What form of spirituality should we develop from the previous Ramadan?

My Dear Brothers,

Certainly, deep in each of our hearts, we would not want our acts of worship and noble deeds to end with the departure of Ramadan. Hence, we must continue to nurture our souls with faith and love of doing good deeds. Let us inculcate the enthusiasm we had in Ramadan by making it part of our community’s and family’s culture.

Ramadan demonstrated our community’s potential to be a community which is conscious of the hardships faced by fellow humankind. This was seen through the numerous voluntary activities which were organised throughout Ramadan.

Ramadan has also demonstrated to us our ability to increase our ibadah and noble deeds despite our tight and busy daily schedules. This proves that we are capable of continuing so even after Ramadan. Let us not allow our nights to be without prayers. Let us not allow our tongues and lips to be dry without much zikir and recitations of the Quran.

Continue these acts even if they are done in small quantities. Know that the Prophet s.a.w. said: “The best types of acts are the ones which are consistent.” Hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim.

May we be given the strength by Allah to continue worshipping and obeying Him consistently and to become a servant who is always thankful even after Ramadan has left us. To be a servant who makes Ramadan as a means for him be closer to his Creator. And may all of us be among His servants who succeed in this world and in the hereafter. Ameen.

It's blooming again...

SECOND SERMON

Let us together build an outstanding character, as a community that is devoted to goodness. If those whose life is devoted only to the life in this world can be consistent in their efforts to satisfy their worldly desires, then it is only more befitting for a person of faith to relentlessly pursue goodness and his Lord’s mercy.

Do not rejoice because you no longer have to fast during the day and endure hunger and thirst. Instead, celebrate with a sense of deep gratitude, for the experience of hunger and thirst which we went through enables us to be appreciative of Allah’s generosity in showering us with His kindness and countless blessings.

Do not celebrate because there is no more tarawih to be performed. Instead, celebrate because our determination and efforts to increase our deeds in Ramadan has produced a purer soul and noble character.

Do not be happy because you are no longer required to pay zakat fitrah, or because pleas and campaigns seeking donations for the less fortunate are becoming more scarce. Instead, experience happiness because you have successfully touched the lives of our fellow brothers and sisters who need assistance from our generous contributions.

O Allah, only to You we offer our gratitude. Before you we humble ourselves. Strengthen the faith in our hearts. Reinforce the taqwa you have bestowed upon us. Accept all the deeds that we have performed in the last Ramadan.

We fasted for You, O Allah. We submit to Your will, for we sincerely seek Your benevolence and love. Accept and allow our fast in the last Ramadan to benefit us when we return to You.

We started Ramadan with sins and mistakes from the past O Allah. However we went through Ramadan seeking your forgiveness, for we are certain of Your mercy and Your love. Do not disappoint us in our hopes for Your forgiveness O Allah.

Please grant us the determination and strength to be amongst your servants who aspire to do goodness. Save our hearts from being stripped of Your love and compassion O Allah. And make us not from amongst Your servants who are tightfisted in performing acts of goodness.

O Allah, You have provided us with sustenance and the luxury to beautify ourselves in celebrating this Eid. Please also grant us beauty in our character and peace in our hearts. Shine Your light and nur upon us, our families, our community and this world which You have made our home.

Please grant us goodness in this life. Grant us goodness in the hereafter. And protect us from the torments of the hellfire. Ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Aidilfitri 2010

Firstly, semua orang ingat yang raya taun ni jatuh pd hari Sabtu. Lagipun, petang Khamis yg lpas, ujan lebat sungguh. Xmungkin r boleh nmpak anak bulan time tuh. Aku pun cm bese, petang tu pegi lab organic chemistry, repeat balik experiment yg aritu buat. Alhamdulillah, de gak hasil dye yg positif.

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Benzylpyridine campur dichloromethane

Abes lab, terus pegi Islamic Centre utk Iftar dengan nak tunggu smayang terawih. Hujan x berenti2 turun. Pas solat Maghrib + Iftar, aku gi lepak jap kt Marsden Computer Lab. Bace kt fbook, Manawatu Muslim Assoc. nye status dh tulis sal moon has been sighted. So, besok confirmed raya.

Terus aku kuar lab tu gi balik Islamic Centre. Tngok sume orang dh hepi n salam2 wif each other. So, malam tu patutnye ingat nk siapkan assignment, last2 aku balik umah n bsiap2 sume baju raye :D

Pagi Raya

Aku bangkit kul 6pagi, kejutkan housemate sume n prepare nk gi smayang raya.Macam taun lepas, smayang raya taun ni buat kt Arena Manawatu sebab sini luas sikit n lg rmai boleh smyg.Just taun ni, awal sket solat dye buat coz myb orng nk gi keje sume. Alhamdulillah, ramai gak yang datang kali ni.Penuh smpai kt belakang nun.

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Panorama Solat Raya

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Khatib dan imam solat raya kali ni.

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Aktiviti wajib lepas smayang raya.

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Group photos.

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Gamba lagi.

After smayang raya, terus aku gi kampus sebab pagi tu ade lecture kul 9 smpai kul 11 pagi. Mengantuk r jugak time lecture tu coz kurang tido malam tuh.Ingat nak stay kt kampus smpai smayang jumaat since ari tuh aku yg bace khutbah. But, after that, Lutfi call aku ajak gi open house kt umah abang Izad. So, pegi la aku kt sne.

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Melahap pas sbulan posa

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Baju raya aku taun ni :D

Dalam setengah jam kot kt umah abg Izad, terus aku balik kampus sebab nk bagi khutbah dengan imamkan smayang jumaat kt kampus. Aku bagi khutbah tajuk " Syawal ; Month of Consistent Ibadah". Abes dlm kul 1 petang, terus aku balik umah sebab tak tahan ngantuk dah. Petang tu actually de lg open house, tp sbab letih aku xdpat nk dtang. Tp alhamdulillah, weekend tu penuh dgn open house :D

TO BE CONTINUED................




Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Financial Report August 2010

In order to be transparent and to manage my financial systematically, I will publish my financial report starting from this time.

Here's the figure of last month (August) of my financial report.

august
Powered by Personal Finances Pro

This time I will only publish the expenses details and I will include my income details starting from the September one.

  • Travel : The highest expense for August. I bought my return ticket back to Malaysia and also slight error which make it extra costly for me (Though I still got my refund later on)
  • Shopping : This including my weekly expenses on groceries etc where I bought things for three people (my flatmates) where I got back my shares from them every month. I bought a new LCD TV on Dick n Smith's promo last month too and few stuff from Warehouse.
  • Trademe : Online trade and store. I purchase my Tamron lens here this month and also one lens pouch and one lens rear cap.
  • Rumah 10 : Rent, electricity and gas.Car fuel too. Also groceries that my other flatmates bought for three. Paid every month.
  • Visa bill : Bill that I paid when using my credit card. Starting from this month , I'm using Visa Debit and thinking to terminate my credit card.
  • Makan luar : Sometimes I went out to Kabbaba, Turkish Delight or Kebab on Broadway for lunch and dinner. Kebab or Iskender are the usual choice.
  • Infaq : We (Usrah group) agreed to give 3% of our allowance every month into the account called "Tabung Infak UPalmy" to ensure that we can do activities everytime. Also to pay for any donation or fundraisings.
  • ATM Withdraw : Cash on hand. I used it last time to buy biryani and kebab for Pakistani flood fundraising and also few stuff.
  • Nibbles : Few cookie time and chips I reckon from MUSA Shop and RSO.
  • Fee : My National Bank account fee and this month I paid for my Visa Debit fee.

Summary

This is the month that I spent most of my money so far in two years time (from last year). But I'm still financially stable for the next few months. Looking forward to manage my money wisely and try to get some income from my hobby and past time.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Esplanade Escapade

Last week, me and my housemates (Lutfi and Ajmal) went out to Esplanade. It was just to chill out that weekend's evening and have a try on our cameras as well (all of us are Nikonians :D). Spring has just started in New Zealand so my target was to snap flowers' pics mostly. We went out by walking since Esplanade is not really far from our flat.

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Lutfi and Ajmal

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Lutfi also shoot flowers :)

But, we spent only few hours there since it's gonna raining. I managed to snap few pics that time, using my new Tamron lens.

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Sunflower (maybe)

I came second time on Monday, where I brought my other new lens (please refer the previous entry in this blog). And thank God, the weather that time was very nice. I managed to snap not only flowers, but also few animals like rabbits and birds.

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It took me quite a while to shoot this picture since they're moving quite fast

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Maybe I should ask Sir Allen about this bird perhaps.

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My tamron lens also capable to shoot in macro :D

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Sunflower again?

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Alone in the wilderness

On the way back from Esplanade to my house, there is one man asked me about the camera i'm using and also my lens. He then introduced himself as the acting president of Manawatu Camera Club, Udo von Mulert (his photopages : http://www.trelum.co.nz/trelum/) and he invited me to join his club (http://www.manawatucamera.net.nz/), which until now I didn't decide anything yet. Udo actually waiting by the roadside for his tenant who are renting one of his house when he saw me with my camera.What a coincidence indeed.

P/s: Next weekends I believe there are lot of photoshooting session here in Palmy. Next week is Eid-ul-Fitri, and next two weeks from now, there is Sakura Festival in IPC. Can't wait to be there (^^).