Not a Bed of Roses

Assalamualaikum and hi everyone,

Sorry if I am not very active in updating this blog.

Being single is fun but it is not a bed of roses.  There are a lot of things that I need to learn to do myself.  These are not bad actually, it shows that a woman can do what a man can.  But at times it can be frustrating.

Here are some of the not-so-fun-things that we single ladies have to look out for:

1. Car Tyre - Putting air into your car's tyre.  Do you know I don't even know how to do this initially.  But I learnt and now I know. I can do this effortlessly now.
2. Petrol - Ensuring that my car always have at least 2 bar (indicator) of petrol in my car's tank.  Reason being because I am afraid if I am stranded somewhere without petrol and I don't want to bother my siblings for such petty reasons.
3. Car Battery - Have you ever experienced your car battery died on you.  I had this happen first time when I forgot to turn off the lights of my car for more than 6 hours.  I actually cried at this time because there were no one around (I went for a course and came out after many has left the conference area) and I don't have enough money to call AAM.  You have to have at least RM50 to have AAM comes over or something like that.  I actually look for the security guard of the building and seek their help to jump-start my car.  Can you believe it that I have this happening to me twice already.  But the second time I was not as panic-stricken as the first.  I was more calm and able to think whom to call to get help.  Lesson learnt - subscribe to any of the Auto emergency services like AAM.  I didn't subscribe to it.  I still haven't :). I like to play with fire, huh...
4. Direction to go places - I don't have a GPS yet.  So when sometimes I need to go somewhere in KL or perhaps Klang for that matter, I have a real problem.  Since I don't have a GPS, I used my siblings and other family members a lot to get directions.  Oh, I use google map a lot as well so I usually have to do some homework first before planning to go to places I am not familiar with.  So far I've been lucky and I do not need a GPS yet.  But if it gets any harder, I may just get one.
5. Plumbing - I am renting my place now and one day the tap in the toilet just burst.  I have no clue what to do.  I quickly turn off the main tap, then quickly go to a nearby hardware shop to get a plumber.  With money, you can get help pretty easily.  Luckily I have enough to cover the plumbing costs.
6. Lighting - my master bedroom lights went off,  and a few days later the toilet in my master bedroom also went off.  I had to sleep and go to toilet using a torch light.  I totally don't know how to change the bulb myself. I was too ashamed to ask my landlord.  I live without lights in my master bedroom for more than 2 weeks before I finally told my landlord.  Later after some time passed, I asked my other lady friend who is single if she has had problem like mine.  She said she did and now she knows how to change the light bulb herself.  She's awesome, right.  Girl Power indeed!
7. Safety - My safety is my utmost biggest concern.  I rent a condo because I feel much safer with the security guards around and the public cannot come and go as they like.  I was a victim of snatch thief and having my car broken into.  I left my computer bags for the world to see and apparently someone like what they saw.  Lesson learnt: always keep your bag in the boot out of the sight of "curious and dangerous" people.  This is also the reason why I feel safer in a condo environment.  I can also jog within the condo area.
8. Loneliness - I must admit that I do feel lonely being by myself everyday.  Although I try to keep myself busy with work, Quran classes, aerobic classes, dinner with friends, running errands, watch K-drama but there will be a point in time just before you go to sleep that you will feel lonely.  But to feel lonely like an hour 3 times a week, I definitely can handle and it is a piece of cake for me now.  When I pray, I try to remember to ask Allah to let the prayers I do helps me to always be in the path that Allah wants and like and to help me to enter jannah.

So it is not always fun but life is like that anyway.  At least 95% of the time I am extremely happy.  I may be alone but I am learning to survive.  Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't.  Sometimes I cry, sometimes I laugh. Sometimes I am alone, sometimes with friends and families.

The solution I take for myself for the above day-to-day problems may not be the right solution for you.  Always, have a network of friends because they are the ones you turn to when you have problems. It is extremely good to have single friends like myself because they understand my problem the best.  Also to have the support of your family is extremely important I feel.  My siblings are always there to help me when I fall and this I appreciate very much. and I try to give back to my single friends and my sibling as much as they give me whenever I can.

Being single doesn't mean you have to stay by yourself at all times.  I try to mixed around and gather friends but I only allow those I trust to come near me.  So I am collecting acquaintances now.

We are still in the Syawal month, I wish my Muslim readers and friends Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf zahir dan batin if ever my writing doesn't agree with you or may have hurt you in any way.

Thank you for reading my story.  In Sya Allah I will continue to write.... may all of us be in Allah's blessings at all times.... Good night....