5 Aidilfitri Home Customer Service Tips

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As the music continues to play (literally, from my previous post), I’ve decided to share with you my list of must haves that will keep your guests rejoicing as you welcome their presence. Here’s my very own Aidilfitri Home-Customer Service Tips Pack:

1. Niche Food

I love going to my aunt’s place because of her sambal sotong. She does sambal sotong like no other, and because of that, guests are often aplenty at her house. Simple for her as well… little of this and that, but cook up a storm when it comes to sambal sotong. Recogize your own niche food, and treat.

2. Nice Door Mat

Invest in a “Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri Door Mat” or something nice lah, especially for you folks who have pets (and hence have to shut the gates most of the time even when expecting guests). It’s a much more pleasant sight than some scruffy old mat in front of a closed gate.

3. Keep Your Handphone in Your Pocket Always

Mobile telcos too go all smileys during Aidil Fitr as the number of outgoing calls rise. Be contactable. Oh, and make sure that call waiting ringing tone in your mobile phone fits the occassion too.

4. Drinks Drinks Drinks

Salaam, my name is Hafihz. I’ve travelled afar to visit you my friend. Oh… and I’m thirsty too. (…)

5. Contingency Answers to Sensitive Questions

Bound to happen. Your uncle will suddenly pop that question which you’d wish none would ask. It’s that family secret, hush hush thingy which gets you in a fix and is oh-so-hard to answer. Get ready with diplomatically nice answers to these questions.

Any of these familiar?

Selamat Hari Raya (Turn Up The Volume)

(Rarely you hear music on Hafihz.com … but what the heck, rejoice!)

PS: Here’s a rather out-of-point but good food tip for households celebrating Eidil Fitr in Singapore: Cook something else other than ketupat / lontong and your guests will love you. ; )

Reflections on Ramadan Blogging

The idea: To blog only about Ramadan during Ramadan.

The verdict: Not easy. Sort of like a restraintful feeling… suppressing the normal whimsical blog posts, the regular commentary on everyone else (other than yourself), the nitpicking of random thoughts.

Conclusion: An exercise in discipline. If you tried this out as well, share your comments and thoughts. I’d like to hear from you.

(We now return to our regular blogging channel…)

Ramadan and Ctrl+F5

Pressing Ctrl + F5 on your keyboard when surfing the net is also known as a hard refresh. This is when you clear your cache and reload your site… simply put it, it’s like surfing with a new com (in some ways).

Ramadan seems like a Ctrl + F5 to me. It’s an opportunity to go beyond just reflection: to recommit and upgrade, to explore and discover. That’s one way to keep the spirit of Ramadan alive post Ramadan… to keep that will committed to courses, books, programs, skills.

Ctrl + F5.

Ramadan and Patience

Ramadan and patience… inseparable.

• You wake up in the early hours, despite the heaviness, and almost force yourself to eat at times, no matter what the food, no matter how zero the appetite is. Patience in sahur.
• You sleep back, and minutes later have to wake up to begin normal routine. Patience in a nap which never seems enough.
• You chase the train, bus. Your sahur’s energy potential, is gone in just that dash. Patience in time.
• You go through lunch time with Zuhur, and catching up with the Quran or a tazkirah. Even perhaps a youtube video. Patience in spending time which had been used for eating.
• You look at the clock. Almost time to go home, but not yet. Yet you’re alittle tired. Patience in fairness.
• You sit at the table. You hear the Azan. You eat what’s near, slowly. Patience in breaking fast.
• No sooner you journey for terawih. Patience in routine.
• You come back home, try catch up with other stuffs. Patience in prioritization.

Patience. Remember the reward, and keep your eyes on the prize.

Ramadan and Sweetness

I say in Ramadan, you can taste more than in any other period.

When all distractions are (almost) silenced, you savour sweetness in its purest form. And not by the taste of sweet sugar, nor some fancy dish…

But through the routines of working hard and fighting yourself in the daytime, and praying and meditating in solitude and in humble at night towards the higher power.

The sweetness of trying to return to near innocence. You can almost taste it. Have a good Ramadan.

Ramadan and Discipline

Ramadan is often associated with abstaining not just the food and drinks (from dawn to dusk), but also of guarding the tongue against ill words.

This to me is easy. Ultimate discipline is guarding the heart and mind from ill thoughts, especially of others. It is acts which others cannot see, but which you do for the sake of God in silence and solitude, which sometimes tests the strength of your faith.

Ramadan. Almost a third of it has passed on. Let’s make the rest a good one.

Ramadan and Goal Setting

With the discipline that it entails for a duration of about 30 days, Ramadan is an excellent opportunity for the following:

1. Break bad habits
2. Install new good habits
3. Accomplish pending goals

Spend your Ramadan wisely for yourself in this world, and for the life beyond. Have a good one.