Goodbye MHI. Au Revoir Media Prima.

I'm writing this on a Monday afternoon, which can only mean I'm either on leave, or I'm in between jobs. And if you do follow me elsewhere in the social media realm, you'd know it is the latter.

Yup, last Thursday was my last day as an employee of Media Prima, a company I've been through so much with for the past six and a half years. And if you know me only through my hosting gig on Malaysia Hari Ini (MHI), I humbly invite you to click on the "gua.com.my" and "tonton" tags positioned on the right of your screen to see some of the stuff I've been humbly part of.

I might write more about some of the more memorable experiences I had there, but for now, I just wanna say my deepest thank yous. First up, to the top management of MPB including the group managing director and the chairman. And of course, my immediate boss, Ahmad Izham Omar, the CEO of Primeworks.

Izham and the Primeworks HODs threw me a farewell do at One World a week before my last day, which was a complete surprise. I was told to attend a meeting with the sales group, but it turned out to be my farewell. I actually wanted to meeting postponed at the last minute!

And before that "meeting", my own new media team along with the marketing communication side also bid farewell to me, where everyone took turns to feed me cake. Hehe.

Then, it was my "old" colleagues of Alt Media's turn to give me yet another surprise when they ambushed my department meeting to say their goodbyes. I must say that I did pretty well holding back my tears on all these occasions.

And finally, I said my goodbyes last Wednesday to the team and audience of MHI, the morning talkshow on TV3 I've co-hosted for the past three years. I came closest to bawling my eyes out then, but seeing how everything was unfolding on NATIONAL TV, I restricted myself to a couple of sniffs.

I also had a nice lunch out with two of my closest buds at Kokopelli but keeping in mind where I'll be going next, we knew this wasn't really a goodbye.

Again, I just wanna thanks to everyone for your kind support and cooperation all these years and thanks for the warm goodbyes, gifts, cakes and balloons. May God bless all of you always. Till we meet again...

Umrah 2013: The Journey Begins

It has actually been four days for me here in Makkah, and what a journey it has been. We arrived here on Tuesday and proceeded to perform our first Umrah.

It was an emotional occasion for me as tears flowed when I saw the Kaabah for the first time and did the tawaf. After a 13-hour flight and a 2-hour bus ride from Jeddah, we were physically spent, but our spirits were high and the desire to please the Almighty carried us through...

Since then, this trip has been all about spending time at the greatest mosque of all, Masjid Al Haram, praying, seeking God's forgiveness and contemplating every aspect of my life; my past, my future and my relationship with Allah.

I have experienced unexpected miracles and feelings I never knew I had in me. And all will be shared once I return home, Insya Allah. Meantime, if you have any doa for me to recite for you here in Makkah, do message me and I will do my best to fulfill your request. May Allah bless us all always...