Mummy had a fall.

Sorry for the delay in posting. Had not been around my computer this week.

Last Saturday 17 Mar 2007, received a call from my sister (at work), saying mummy had a bad fall and bleeding non-stop from her face.

Since my hubby and I were on our way to Ang Mo Kio to attend his colleague's baby full month, we re-route to my mum's house.

It's painful to see mummy's swollen left cheek and the bleeding injuries. She had a fall at the block car park after buying lunch. My sister managed to rush home and together we cleansed mummy's wounds with my Dethol wet wipe. Sister applied some anti-septic cream on her then we prepared to visit a doctor.

Rosman checked the nearby clinic was closed (open half day on Saturdays). We sent her to the Eunos MRT's clinic, which Rosman often visit and it opens 7 days a week till 11 pm.

The doctor examined her wounds and asked how many times she fell so far. We counted 3 times within a year. He said it was abnormal for an elderly to fall 3 times a year which she had never fell in the past few years. He then said, my mother was the problem of her fall... maybe she couldn't see properly where she was going or other reasons.

It reminded me that mummy was stuborn to wear her new pair of short-sighted glasses I made for her. I made that glasses for her because I noticed she squint her eyes to read the subtitles on the tv programmes. She would wear that glasses only when she watch tv.

Now with the doctor's advised, she has to wear it all the time.

The doctor suggested mummy should get a X-ray done on her swollen cheek, so we brought her along with the doctor's letter went straight to Singapore General Hospital's A&E unit. X-ray result was fine, no fractured, alhamdulillaah.

For the next few days, I either sleep over or went over to her place to keep her company. To watch on her so that she doesn't do any house work and climbing up and down cleaning the cabinate etc... the previous fall happened when she was cleaning the kitchen cabinate and fall onto the tiled sink and hit her forehead.

Now we had decided that mummy shouldn't be alone at all time. Either I spent the day time with her, then come home at night, or my sister would bring her to my place in the morning before my sister start work.

It's better that not to leave an elderly alone, we had planned these a long time ago, only mummy doesn't like to come to my place because I have no cable vision at home. For her own safety, it is better for us to keep her company than the tv.

Our adventure from Mina to Arafah. Part 1.

[Before going to Mina]
Rosman and I had requested our agency to arrange for us to go Mina for a night on 8 Zulhijah (a day before Arafah).

Our travel agency not stopping at Mina, went straight to Arafah on the 8 Zulhijah. So it arranged for us to join another agency's transport and shelter. Brother Helmi and wife, sis Shareena decided to join us to Mina.

We packed some breads and water during breakfast at Hahnemann Apartment at Shisha, and left at 7.30am. We were brought to Mecca to join the other agency's pilgrims. While waiting for transport, we prayed Zohor at Masjidil Haram (the holy mosque at Mecca). We left for Mina around 3.15pm.

[Mina, 8 Zulhijah 1427 Hijrah]
(Photos by brother Helmi- handphone pix)

1•Sweet sis Shareena & me.


2•Brother Helmi and Rosman.

3•Outside Hahnemann Travel's tent.

It was very cold in Mina... especially at night, the wind were chilly. The men were wearing only the ihram clothing (2 pcs of white towel), and Alhamdulillah, I had Hahnemann's jacket.

Alhamdulillah, the toilets were clean and with good flushing system. The taps were running with warm water. To perform ablution in the chilly air was a challenge, warm running tap water was indeed welcomed. (Note: Wudu area is outside the toilet cubicle, in open air. The whole area is surround by 6 ft wall, as in the last pix.)

On the cute side, there were papers (indicate usuage/waiting time in Malay language) sticked on each toilet cubicle. Some cubicles were meant for 'big business' (8 min), 'small business' (3 min), and 2 shower cubicles.

To be continue...

Mina Camp (photos by bro Yasin)

During the performing of Hajj in Mina to Arafa, Rosman and I didn't take any picture. So I had asked bro Yasin Chang for his pictures of the Mina Camp for Singapore.

The Mina camps were divided according to contigents. Singapore is under south-east asia, camp number 76. There were printed A4 papers pasted outside the tents, indicating the respective travel agencies. A hugh kitchen was located in every contigent's camp to provide meals for the pilgrims. All meals were provided by the Saudi.

This year, the dimension of Mina had extended over the boarder of Mudzalifa... and Singapore camp was located in the "old" Mudzalifa, so we could still see the boarder's signage "Mudzalifa ends here" standing at the hill before our camp.

My unforgetable things about Mina camp were the newly built and painted toilets. They were clean with proper flushing system. I couldn't stand the coldness and strong wind in the night. So I was really excited having warm water to take ablution. I repeat, the taps were running warm water not cold water. It's a blessing to have warm running water in a cold desert, you know...

To enter into state of Ihram.

A pilgrim should enter into a state of ihram, to perform his/her pilgrimage.

"In a state of ihram" means in a state of forbidden.

There are certain restrictions when one is in ihram.
1) Men - No sewn clothing
2) Men - Do not cover the head
3) Men - Do not cover the toes
4) Women - Do not cover the face
5) Women - Do not use gloves
6) Both gender - No perfume
7) Both gender - No kissing or sexual intercourse
8) Both gender - No solemnization of marriage or make marriage proposal
9) Both gender - Do not remove/shave hair or clip nails
10) Both gender - Do not hunt/kill animal
11) Both gender - Do not cut down trees or uprooting plant

A pilgrim has to be in proper attire (for both genders) before declaring intention. One enters into Ihram by declaring his intention to perform Hajj/Umrah at the MIQAT (means the boarder before entering Mecca, for making pilgrimage intention) and recite the Talbiya.

For us whom travelled from Sinagpore, intention to perform Umrah (Haj Tamattu)/Hajj Ifrad were made in the plane when reaching the Miqat (Yalamlam). The captain of the plane would announced twice, so the pilgrims could make their intention.

The men have to wear 2 unsewn cloths wrapped around the body symolised back to the basic like a new-born baby come to the world without anything. Normally the cloths for ihram (men) are 2 white unsewn long towels to wrap around the upper part and lower part of the body . While ladies wore as per normal that covered her aurat.