About Me

I am married to my loving husband for more than 45 years now. I am a mother to 3 beautiful children, until years ago when I lost my youngest son. Since then my life is forever altered but yet unbroken....

Friday, 22 December 2023

Iraq - The Cradle of Civilization

"Know thyself, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories..." - Sun Tzu

(City of Regent, Karbala)

We were overly excited and a little nervous when we decided to embark on this trip. Regardless of what people say about Iraq and its wars, it is actually a beautiful country with long-standing history, friendly locals and cultural diversity. It was a fascinating and enriching experience for us. And another tick-off from our bucket list. Alhamdulillah...

Iraq was home to ancient Mesopotamian peoples who developed the world's first writing, agriculture and cities. Powerful civilizations from the Sumerians to the Neo-Assyrians ruled the region. This wealthy region, comprising much of what is called the Fertile Crescent, later became a valuable part of larger imperial polities, including Persian, Greek, and Roman dynasties, and after the 7th century it became a central and integral part of the Islamic world. Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, became the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th century. The modern nation-state of Iraq was created following World War I (1914–18) from the Ottoman provinces of Baghdad, Basrah, and Mosul. Iraq derives its name from the Arabic term used in the premodern period to describe a region that roughly corresponded to Mesopotamia, “Arabian Iraq” and modern northwestern Iran, “Persian Iraq”.

(Baghdad, Iraq - a mural on the wall)

The capital city Baghdad is the second largest city in the Arab world and the 4th largest in the Middle East. Iraq has several World Heritage Sites, dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, most notably is the Ancient City of Babylon. Religious tourism is the most popular type of tourism in Iraq, with tens of millions of tourists from several countries visiting Holy cities and places in Iraq every year. These include: Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, with remains of Adam and Noah, according to Shi'ah belief and Imam Hussein Mosque in Karbala, with the tombs of Sayyidina Hussein, Sayyidina Abbas and the many syuhada’.


Iraq Itinerary:
(13 - 22 December 2023)

Day 08: Baghdad Tour

(Isytar Gate of Babylon)
(Makam Nabi Zulkifli in Kifli)
(Masjid Sayyidina Hussein, Karbala)


My Travel Blog: munmus.blogspot.com

Thursday, 16 November 2023

A Family Holiday in Penang...

"There is something truly magical about the holiday season that brings out the child in all of us..."

(The grandchildren at the beach)

(Bank Negara resort at Batu Ferringhi)
(All in the family in Penang)

(A short holiday with the kids and grandkids)

(The two of us at the beach)

Sunday, 12 November 2023

Sariah's daughter Wedding

"May the true love you share today grow stronger as you grow old together..."

(The newly weds)

To Izzaty & Mustaqim,

Wishing both of you joy,
love and happiness on your wedding day 
and as you begin your new life together...

(A wedding reception at Bora Ombak, Putrajaya)
(SMKB friends from Kota Bharu)
(The newly weds with parents' school friends)
(Sariah and Hj Din, the parents of the bride)

Friday, 10 November 2023

Koh Lanta - Tranquil Simplicity...

 "There's no 'right time' in life. There's just time and you get to choose what to do with it..." - unknown

(Simply relaxing, cool drinks by the beach)

Koh Lanta Trip
6 - 10 November 2023

This is our third trip to Koh Lanta. This time we were on a 5-day road trip driving our Toyota Hilux 4-wheel pick up .

Our first was a riding trip in 2012 with the KKB bikers gang. We were riding our Vulcan 600 then and the only couple riding the cruiser. It took us a while to adjust to the group’s riding style as they were mostly riding the adventure motorbikes. We were doing fine except the bit struggle in the initial especially when riding on rough terrain.

Our second trip to Koh Lanta was a solo riding trip in 2016. We were riding our KTM 1190 which was both exhilarating and joyful.  



My Travel Blog: munmus.blogspot.com

Saturday, 7 October 2023

Pak Uda is a spitting image of my Abah...

“Your presence is missed every single day, but your legacy of love lives on...”

(Abah younger brother, Pak Uda Talib)

Pak Uda looks very similar to my father.

We were on our way to Serom for a wedding reception of one of our cousins when my brother decided to detour to Kampung Kundang to visit Pak Uda, my ailing uncle. Pak Uda is my Abah's younger brother. At this old age, it was fascinating to see such a strong family resemblance. Not just their looks that are alike, but they both shared similar personalities traits as well.

Watching him laugh while narrating old nostalgic stories makes me deeply miss my Abah...

(Abang reminiscing old memories with Pak Uda)
(At the wedding reception in Serom)