Something From ANDALUS (part 1)

Salam everyone.

Hope you and me, both are in good condition; health, mind, and of course our IMAN..Well, firstly, to be honest, I'm not good in putting things into words and words onto paper. Those seem to be among my biggest problems in life. But, of course I found that couldn't be an excuse for me from sharing with others, as our beloved Rasulullah SAW has said, 'Preach, though a sentence'. So, here I am, with whatever I can, trying to share some of the priceless experiences granted by Allah to me, His little and delicate servant throughout my Andalusia Quest with my other Muslimah friends.

What's This?

Understood?

Can you understand the above boards? huhu.. I guess no except those who know Spanish.

Well, starting from our arrival at Malaga airport on April 4 until our next departure flight returned to UK on April 8, there was one prominent thing that I felt challenging throughout my Andalus quest.. It was the Language Barrier.

As Andalusia is considered as southern part of Spain since 16th century, so their first language since that is Spanish. Most of them hardly speak other languages including English. Thus, no matter what, to survive all along our trip, we have to learn to speak Spanish. Could you imagine how difficult it is? All along my student life in UK, good in English and some Arabic phrases help me a lot to survive being here.. If I get lost in the City, at least the language used in sign boards can direct me to home.. But in Spain, things were different. We had to survive two things in a time; being in a real new place and environment with a completely unfamiliar language (Spanish). We had lost so many times, and of course we hardly found way to home or to the place we want to visit because of the language barrier. Reffering to the signs just make us more confuse.. Thus, as the mastermind for this trip, I seemed to be the person who mostly forced to interact and use Spanish with the locals especially to ask them help for directions. To do so, I had to keep referring to the book bought by Husna (Easy Spanish Phrases) each time I wanted to talk to them. Oh, that’s of course not easy! Well, talking or asking them using Spanish is one thing, and trying to understand their answer in Spanish is another thing..! The most often I did while interacting with them were smiling and nodding to the speakers, and said 'Muchas Gracias!' .. that's sort of pretending to understand their words though often I totally wasn’t or sometimes merely a little bit! That’s funny, isn’t it? Yet, what else we can do..

Nevertheless, Alhamdulillah, I salute most Andalus people for their kindness, hospitality and helpfulness. Knowing that we couldn’t understand their language, Andalus people used various ways to help us. Often, they used body languages. Some of them drew maps or pictures on papers. There were times where they themselves brought us to the place we had asked them; in Granda, a Muslim old lady herself brought us to the At-Taqwa Mezquitta while in Cordova, a non-Muslim old man himself brought us to our hostel. Aren't they really nice to do such helps? But, the best of all was when they brought us to those who can speak English!

Well, this experience wasn’t really bad at all. It’s truely challenging, but it’s very precious and of course unforgettable one. Especially to me.. as I love to talk and to know people around me.. So, being in such condition sort of hindering me to be the Real Me. However, Alhamdulillah from zero knowledge I seemed to be gradually familiar to Spanish, which I consider a really good asset.

Well, I really thank Allah for His Mercy for giving me this precious experience. Having language barrier as one of difficulties in our journey made me really pondered and wondered how much other language that I didn’t know in this world! I felt tiny, delicate and powerless. We are no body in this huge wide world. Merely because of LANGUAGE differences, we can turn from being somebody in one condition to a nobody in other conditions... I believe, how smart a person is, there will be no human who able to master ALL the languages in this whole world. This shows Allah’s infinite Greatness.. I reflect one of the Quran verses that always being repeated by my mum when I was little, which means;

“and if all the trees and plants in the earth are turned to be the pens; and if the seas and oceans (are turned to be the inks), and another seven seas and oceans will be added as they have all dried, yet the words of ALLAH (knowledge of Allah) will never ever able to be all written. Indeed, Allah is the Most Powerful and the Most Brilliant.”
(Luqman, 27)

Truly, before this I did understand the phase meaning of this verse.. but, I couldn’t really feel it within my heart.. But, now.. Alhamdulillah.. with Allah’s love and guidance.. I gradually build the real feeling and understanding of this ayat..

ALLAH is the GREATEST and MOST BRILLIANT EVER..

we are really NOBODY to compare with HIM and what more to go against HIM… So, come on..WAKE UP..! Don't be such arrogant...! Let’s realize HOW much small and fragile we are as a servant and as a creation... and HOW GREAT and AL-MIGHTY ALLAH as the CREATOR and as the OWNER...! Let's notice that how ALLAH does not need us at anytime, but We do need HIM all the time..

Erm.. i think that's for now.. Hopefully you'll get something from this.. I'm nobody to tell you all this.... I'm just sharing what ever ALLAH has granted me... May ALLAH accepts this as a part of my good deeds in His eyes...

well, before end, here are some of the Spanish phrases that still remain in my mind.. may be it'll be usefull for you to know some of them..

Muchas Gracias ---> Thank You very much
Day na da --> you're welcome
Despenseme, Ahbla Estes English? ---> excuse me, can you speak English?
Comprendo! ---> I don't understand
Solo Habla English --> I can only speak Englishe
estes el-camino directo .... --> is this path direct to...
Por favour ---> please
Izquirda + Derecha --> left + right
Salida + Entrenda --> exit + entrance
Nueve ---> nine
Una --> one

wallahua'lam. Salamz

With Love and Care
-SERVANT-

Away

Subhanallah. It has been more than a week I haven't written anything here. Indeed, it's merely because of my fully occupied Spring/ Ester Holiday. Insya-allah, with Allah's Blessing and Help, I'll share each of precious experience gained all along my journey later. Anyway, thanks for continue visiting this simple site while I was away. Here, I would like to share some of photos snapped via my old camera lense.. Hopefully they'll help you to share some small peices of my whole journey story...

Stunning Cloud

Green Awesom Granada Moors


A part of Al-hambra

15th century Village, Al-Baycin

The first Mosque established by Local Granada Muslim after 500 years re-conquesta by the Christians

A Journey to The Diamond in the Solent

Here I am, visiting this place for the fifth time. This island is so dear to me... as the first place I've visited with my dear housemates when I arrived in United Kingdom. The memory came back to me...

That Saturday, was a cold morning and the entire household already woke-up and excited with the journey we were going to take. A journey to Isle of Wight (IOW), a famous island with unique geography and weather condition situated not far from Southampton Port or Portsmouth Harbour. Early in the morning we have prepared ourselves for the journey and catched a bus not far from our home. When we arrived at the port, the ferry was already there and we had to hurry even we were running to get onboard. AlhamduliLlah, we manage to board that 8.35am ferry called Red-Funnel. Oh! I forgot to tell that I’m in one of the city in United Kingdom and during this soon to-be summer season, fajr time is early which was about 3.30am, in fact its so early than we used to in Malaysia. So at 6am the sun is already rising and daylight took over the night, but even though the sunshine was smiling on earth, the air and breeze is so cold.

Back to my journey, so we managed to board the ferry, but a while after that there is an announcement concerning a technical problem with the ferry and all the passengers should evacuated and board the next ferry. So much for the running, we smiled to each other. A friend went to the counter to change the tickets but they gave us tickets for speedboat called Red-jet which will depart in 15 minutes. MasyaAllah, how Allah changes from one thing to a better one, and all we have to do is to be patient. Well, if we go by ferry, its going to take one hour to arrive at the IOW, but with Red-jet, we could reach there in less than 30 minutes and furthermore the rate for the boat actually double the rate of the ferry but they didn’t charge us that extra because of their fault. So, we boarded the boat, took our seat and the real journey began and we were eager to be enthralled and fascinated.

IOW known as “Diamond in the Solent” with sparkling destination from the glittering blue of waters, historical theme parks and animal attraction; museums and castles; windmill and old steam railway station; and a lots others. When we arrived at IOW, our first destination is Alum Bay and The Needles. Along the ways we could see beautiful scenery with acres of field filled with yellow flowers and other wild flowers bloomed at the end of spring, groups of sheep on the field, countries and village houses. I couldn’t even took my eyes away. To see the splendid view, I am bewitched. SubhanaLlah, how beautiful His creations, but yet human still refused to be grateful.

Then we arrived at one of the six wonder in IOW, the Needles: Needle that you cannot thread. The Needles are those well-known chalk rocks or cliffs jutting out to sea at the most westerly point of the island, with the lighthouse on the furthest one. Did Needle Battery ring any bell? The Needles Battery (National Trust) was built into the cliffs to protect British from the treat of French invasion in 1862. It still has its original gun barrels and there are two tunnel cut into the chalk leading to the searchlight position. Alum Bay and the Needles Park offer attraction with glass blowing, sweet factories and we have taken the breathtaking chairlift down-to and up-from the beach to view the magnificent coloured cliffs. Feel like we’re on the top of the world. MasyaAllah its so beautiful and stunning to see from above. Wonder how Allah see us!.

At the beach we marveled at Alum Bay’s multi-coloured sand cliffs and afterwards, we took a boat trip to get a really dramatic view of the cliffs and the Needles. The wind was blowing but the weather was nice, AlhamduliLlah our trip went well. The boat keeper told the history of the Needles and shows the tunnels that lead to the utmost lighthouse. Hence, we’ve been busy capturing pictures of the historical place as well as our photographs.

Afterward, we took the chairlift back to Alum Bay where we have our lunch and rest for a while by mingling around the funfair; played some games and visited the souvenir and Glass shop. Next, our destination is to the Godshill to discover the secret garden of Isle of Wight. I will enlighten you about the place later on, maybe... :).

~WHITE~