The Imanies Diaries: 2015

Today (20 August 2015) is a very special day to me & my wife, Intan. It is because exactly 2 years ago (20 August 2013) was the day that we first met on Facebook. How did we meet on Facebook all of sudden??? Let it remain secret between two of us. Hehehhe. At that time, I was working as a House Officer in Emergency & Trauma Department, Hospital Taiping, Taiping, Perak. It was my 6th & final posting before I was being upgraded to Medical Officer in the end of September that year. Meanwhile, Intan was a Mathematics teacher at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent, Teluk Intan, Perak.

So, after the day we first met on Facebook, we kept chatting & got to know each other personally day by day almost every single day. I told her that I am the second child from 4 siblings (2 boys & 2 girls) & I was born in Parit Buntar, Perak. My family has been staying in Parit Buntar since forever. We never moved anywhere. My primary school was Sekolah Kebangsaan Methodist, Parit Buntar. Then, I went to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Methodist (ACS), Parit Buntar from Form 1 till Form 3. After that, I went to Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Taiping from Form 4 till Form 5. After I got a good result in SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia), I accepted the offer to further my study at Kolej MARA Banting, Selangor to do IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma programme as a gateway to further my study overseas.

Meanwhile, Intan is the first child from 2 siblings (1 girl & 1 boy). She was born in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, but she & her family moved to Teluk Intan few years after that. Then, when she was 10 years old, they moved back to Seremban. And they finally moved back to Teluk Intan in 2003 & stay there till today. Her primary school was Sekolah Kebangsaan Convent, Teluk Intan. Then, she changed to Sekolah Kebangsaan Puteri, Seremban when she & her family moved to Seremban when she was 10. She then went to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Puteri, Seremban for few weeks before she changed to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan King George V till Form 3. After that, she went to Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Kuantan during Form 4. When she & her family moved back to Teluk Intan when she was in Form 5, she changed school to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent, Teluk Intan. She basically went to a lot of schools. Hahah.

After she got a good result in SPM, she also accepted the offer to further her study at Kolej MARA Banting to do the IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma programme. She was my super junior. I left that college in May 2002, got my IB Diploma in July & left for Ireland in September the same year to pursue my Degree in Medicine at University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland under JPA (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam) scholarship. Meanwhile, Intan only got into that college in July 2004. So, we never really had a chance to meet there.

And after she left Kolej MARA Banting in May 2006 & got her IB Diploma in August, she pursued her degree at University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom in September the same year, under KPM (Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia) scholarship. She majored in Pure Mathematics. While she was doing her degree in Manchester, I was still doing my degree in Dublin. The distance between Dublin & Manchester is only one hour flight. Quite close. I even went to Manchester in the end of Summer 2008 for holiday, but we never had a chance to bump into each other. Maybe we had, but we didn't notice. Hehehe.

After she got her degree in June 2009, she came back to Malaysia for good & did her Postgraduate Diploma in Education (Mathematics) course starting in August 2009 till May 2010 at Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Pulau Pinang in Gelugor, Penang. After she got that Postgraduate Diploma in June 2010, then only she started teaching Mathematics at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Convent, Teluk Intan starting in July the same year. She was so lucky because the school is not far from her parents' house. So, she never had to look for a house to rent.

The distance between Dublin & Manchester

Intan's Congregation's Day at University of Manchester, United Kingdom in June 2009

Meanwhile, I finally got my degree in Medicine in June 2010 & then, I straight came back to Malaysia for good. Eventhough the pay is higher in Ireland compared to Malaysia, I didn't plan to work there as I wanted to serve my people & my country. So, after came back to Malaysia, I started my housemanship training starting in September 2010 at Hospital Taiping, the only hospital that I requested. I requested for Hospital Taiping because Taiping is near to my parents' house in Parit Buntar. Since Parit Buntar is still quite far from Taiping, which is almost one hour drive, I had to rent a house in Taiping.

My Conferring Day at University College Dublin, Ireland in June 2010

Being a doctor & studying overseas had been my dream since childhood as I love to help people & I wanted to see the world. So, when I was given the golden opportunity to further my study overseas & doing Medicine some more, without any doubt, I grabbed that chance to fulfill my dream. Thanks to JPA (Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam) for willing to sponsor me. Alhamdulillah, after all the struggle that I went through, I finally was proud to call myself a doctor. And during my student years in Ireland, I took the opportunity to go traveling around during holidays by using small budgets. Before I came back to Malaysia for good in June 2010, I had already traveled to 43 countries. The countries that I went were in Europe, Middle East & North Africa. I had covered almost all countries in Europe. I went to Australia & Thailand as well while I was in Malaysia during Summer breaks. And while doing my housemanship training, I still managed to travel to another 11 countries around Asia & also New Zealand during my applied leaves. So, in total, I have traveled to 54 countries.

54 countries that I have conquered

Video of 54 countries that I have conquered

Other than traveling around the world, I also love to write. I used to be a very active blogger during my student years in Ireland. My blog was all about my travel experiences as I love to share my experiences with other people. I put nice photos too. My blog was written in Malay language. The title of the blog was "Aku Sebutir Pasir". It had quite a number of readers & followers, not only among Malaysians in Malaysia, but also among Malaysians all around the world, especially in Europe. And I had made friends with a lot of bloggers & the readers of my blog too. And believe it or not, I still keep in touch with many of them till today. I even have met few of them in real life.

In November 2009, I was approached via email by a publisher, Pelima Media Sdn Bhd. They were interested to publish my blog into books. It was a great opportunity. I was going to be an author!! After did a lot of thinking, I finally agreed. So, while I was in Malaysia for Winter break in December 2009, I went to their office in Bangi, Selangor & we signed the contract. I chose Turkey chapter from my blog to be published first as Turkey has always been special to me & closed to my heart. I did a lot of editing myself before I handed over the manuscript to them for further editing.

And Alhamdulillah, in March 2010 during the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2010, my first book was published, released & marketed all around Malaysia. The title was "Travelog Turki: Bumi Khalifah". It was written in Malay language. I felt soooo happy. Having your book published is like having a newborn baby. No words can actually describe the feeling. But the sad thing was I couldn't be there to celebrate & witness my book being published as I was stuck 11,000 km away in Ireland for my exam which was just around the corner. I didn't even get the chance to hold my own book with my own hands until I came back to Malaysia for good in June 2010. It is sad, isn't it? But overall, I was still happy. The sales was quite good & few people even wrote good reviews about the book on their blogs. I felt like my life's work has been accomplished. Conquering 54 countries, having book published & being a doctor. Those are my biggest accomplishments. What more could I ask for? Alhamdulillah.

My first book, Travelog Turki: Bumi Khalifah

Doing housemanship training was tough & needed a lot of concentration. I didn't have time to write my blog anymore. So, my blog has been inactive since I started working as House Officer. And I didn't even have time to even think about love, relationship & marriage like the rest of my friends at my age who most of them were already married & have children. I don't know how they managed to get married & have children while they were still studying & still in housemanship training. I totally couldn't do it. My plan was to settle down with my life & with my profession first. I did realise that I was getting older & my parents and relatives also had been pushing & non-stop asking me about marriage. I totally can't afford to have a family when my life was still not stable yet. I just can't. It was definitely not the right time.

But on the day I met Intan for the first time on Facebook, I felt different. It was like a revelation from the Almighty. I came to realise at that time that it was actually already a good time to think about marriage as I was almost reaching my goal to become a fully registered Medical Officer in few weeks time. I was almost settling down with my life & with my profession. I guessed that was the right time to start a family. Intan came to my life just at the right moment. That's what we call 'fate'. All praises be to Allah SWT, the Best Planner.

Those were some of the stuffs that we shared & told among each other. After few days knowing each other, we were getting closer & closer. We started to like each other. It was like no more secrets between us. And one day, we finally decided to meet up in real life for the first time. OMG!! It was a sudden & random idea. So, we picked the date, Saturday, 7 September 2013 which was about 3 weeks after the day we first met on Facebook that day. We knew it was too fast, but hey, there's nothing to lose.

So, like a blink of an eye, Saturday, 7 September 2013 finally came. That day I was working morning shift. My shift was from 8.00am till 4.00pm. Intan came to Taiping with her parents. They came all the way from Teluk Intan just to meet me. OMG. They booked a room at Hotel Taiping Perdana to stay overnight there. The hotel is not far from the hospital. It is only about 5-10 minutes drive. So, after I finished my shift at 4.00pm, I went straight to Hotel Taiping Perdana to meet them. My heart kept palpitating the whole time. And I just can't stop trembling. I wasn't used to do things like this. Meeting some girl's parents, trying to impress them. But I made myself say, "I can do this. I can do this. I can do this." Hahhaha.

So, after 10 minutes drive from hospital, I finally arrived at Hotel Taiping Perdana. I parked my car at the small parking space next to the hotel & I walked to the hotel's entrance door. I didn't dare to walk into the lobby. I waited outside. My heart kept palpitating & it became stronger & stronger. Then, I called the phone number that Intan gave me earlier. I gave salam & she answered. That was the first time I heard her voice. Hahaha. Sweet. She said that she was at the lobby & she will walk out the entrance door to meet me outside. Once she walked out the entrance door, we finally met each other in real life for the first time. Eyes to eyes. I can feel my heartbeat was getting faster & faster. But I kept & maintained calm. Hahaha. Then, she invited me to sit at the lobby to wait for her parents who were still in the room upstairs. So, I walked in & have a sit. We talked about few things which I totally can't remember. It was almost rubbish stuffs, just to make ourselves look comfortable, easy & calm. Hahahah.

After about 10 minutes waiting, Intan's parents finally came down to the lobby to meet us. My heartbeat was getting even more faster. Hahaha. I shook hand with her father & I bowed to her mother. I felt totally awkward. Hahahah. Luckily her parents were very friendly & talkative. So, I did feel quite comfortable. They then brought us to Mak Jah's stall at Kuala Sepetang to enjoy the famous Mee Udang Mak Jah. It was about 30 minutes drive from the hotel. That was actually my second time being to that stall. The mee udang is indeed awesome. Myself & the parents had a long chat for almost one hour there. Many issues we had covered. Intan however didn't talk much. Maybe she was still shy. Hahaha.

After almost one hour there, we headed back to Taiping. I showed them around Taiping eventhough they were already quite familiar with Taiping. But there were still few places that they haven't been to. When it was almost dark, we finally went back to Hotel Taiping Perdana. It was a terrific day. I didn't expect that I successfully nailed it. The parents looked satisfied & happy. Before I left them at the hotel entrance, I shook hand with her father, I bowed to her mother & I smiled to Intan. I waved them goodbye & drove back home. When I arrived home, I messaged Intan on Facebook & asked her how did I do & what did her parents think about me. She replied by showing one thumb's up emoticon, which means great!! Hahaha. I nailed it!! Alhamdulillah...

Hotel Taiping Perdana, the first place that we met in real life

So, we continued chatting on Facebook & getting to know more about each other. We never met in real life again after that. We never talked over the phone. We just chatting & chatting on Facebook. Finally, after only 2-3 weeks knowing each other, we came to a decision to get engaged. OMG! After discussed with both families, we picked the date. It was Saturday, 28 September 2013. Officially, it was the last day I wore the title House Officer. I've already passed my final posting in the Emergency & Trauma Department. And the next day, I will be upgraded to Medical Officer. Alhamdulillah. It was indeed a double celebration. Getting engaged & being a fully registered Medical Officer. The engagement that took place at Intan's parents' house in Kampung Bahagia, Teluk Intan went smooth & well. That was the first time myself & my family went to her house. That was also the first time we had ever been to Teluk Intan. And that was also the first time my parents met Intan & her family. And me & Intan, we can't believe that we were already engaged after knowing each other for only about 6 weeks. Hahah.

The Engagement Day

After the engagement, we still kept in touch using Facebook chat. We still never talked over the phone like other normal loving couples. We were still shy. Hahah. After I had been upgraded to fully registered Medical Officer starting on 29 September 2013, the day after our engagement day, I continued working in Emergency & Trauma Department, Hospital Taiping while waiting to be transferred to other hospital. I was no more House Officer. I wore the title 'floating' Medical Officer. And after floating for about 7 weeks there, I finally was transferred to Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh to start my profession as a new fully registered Medical Officer on 18 November 2013. Alhamdulillah, I got into the Emergency & Trauma Department as what I had requested.

After few weeks engaged, me & Intan finally chose the date to get married. It was 1 August 2014, which was about 11 months after we first met on Facebook & about 10 months after the engagement. It was quick, but as the older people say, the quicker, the better. During the 10 months engagement period, me & Intan only met not more than 10 times. Most of the time we met with the company of her parents or our parents. We only went for movie date 3-4 times. The rest of the time we were just chatting on Facebook. Hahaha.

Alhamdulillah, on Friday, 1 August 2014, with the blessings of both families, both of us were united as a married couple by Intan's father himself. The akad nikah took place at Intan's parents' house in Kampung Bahagia, Teluk Intan after Friday prayer. At night, there was "Malam Berinai" which was also held at her parents' house. The next day (Saturday, 2 August 2014), bride's side's wedding reception was held at Dewan Rumah Rehat MPTI, Teluk Intan. And on next Saturday, 9 August 2014, it was the groom's side's turn to hold the wedding reception. It was held at my parents' house at Taman Seri Tenggara, Parit Buntar. Everything went smooth & well from the day of akad nikah till the day of the groom's side's wedding reception. Alhamdulillah.

Akad Nikah Day

Malam Berinai

Bride's side's wedding reception

Groom's side's wedding reception

It was like a blink of an eye. We only knew each other for actually less than one year, and we were already got married. No need to be like other couples who are in love relationship for years, but still undecided to get married. Marriage is a sacred thing & it is full of miracles. For example, after only one and half month married, Intan had been transferred to Ipoh. She actually had requested to be transferred to Ipoh 10 months earlier as we both had already discussed earlier when we were still engaged that we will settle down in Ipoh. Ipoh is strategically located in between Parit Buntar (my parents' house) & Teluk Intan (Intan's parents' house). Alhamdulillah. We never thought that Intan would be transferred to Ipoh that quick. So, I didn't have to travel from Ipoh to Teluk Intan few times per week anymore. She was transferred to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh on 15 September 2014. With the help of my parents-in-law, we managed to get a house to rent at Taman Merdeka which is about 3-5 minutes drive to that school & 5-10 minutes drive to the hospital. The house is totally at the strategic location!!

So, that was a bit story about myself, my wife & how we met & finally got married. Today, we are already more than 1 year married & we do live happily with the company of each other. We are now even happier as we are already blessed with a beautiful baby girl, Sarah Imanie who is on her Day 16 of life today. As some people say, love after marriage with the blessings of Allah SWT & both families is full of wonders & will last forever. It is true.

Below here is the music video of an Indonesian song, Cinta Sejati which is composed by my favourite Indonesian composer who is also called the Queen of Soundtrack, Melly Goeslaw, and performed by the famous Indonesian singer, Bunga Citra Lestari. It was the main soundtrack of the Indonesian film, Habibie & Ainun which was released in early 2013. The film became the most successful film in the Indonesian film industry till date with the most number of audiences in the theaters. And this is the song that I listened to almost everyday when I first met Intan 2 years ago. Everytime I listened to this song, my heart went blooming with love for her. It was like our love theme song.

To my wife, Intan, I would like to dedicate this song to you. You are my "Cinta Sejati". Thank you for choosing someone like me to be your life partner. I know I'm not perfect, but insyaAllah, I will love you with all my heart & I will take care of you till the end of my life. And then, I will meet you again at the Hereafter. If anything ever happened to me, I want you to know that I will always love you forever. You are the love of my life... Aku tak pernah pergi, selalu ada di hatimu. Kau tak pernah jauh, selalu ada di dalam hatiku. Saat aku tak lagi di sisimu. Ku tunggu kau di keabadian...

CINTA SEJATI

Manakala hati menggeliat mengusik renungan
Mengulang kenangan saat cinta menemui cinta
Suara sang malam dan siang seakan berlagu
Dapat aku dengar rindumu memanggil namaku

Saat aku tak lagi di sisimu
Ku tunggu kau di keabadian

Aku tak pernah pergi, selalu ada di hatimu
Kau tak pernah jauh, selalu ada di dalam hatiku
Sukmaku berteriak, menegaskan ku cinta padamu
Terima kasih pada Maha Cinta menyatukan kita

Saat aku tak lagi di sisimu
Ku tunggu kau di keabadian

Cinta kita melukiskan sejarah
Menggelarkan cerita penuh suka cita
Sehingga siapa pun insan Tuhan
Pasti tahu cinta kita sejati

Lembah yang berwarna
Membentuk melekuk memeluk kita
Dua jiwa yang melebur jadi satu
Dalam kesucian cinta