ShaElaiza in Wanita Magazine

If you've been following my blog for quite a while you'd probably remember that I had a photoshoot for a Malaysian magazine called Wanita before coming back to New Zealand a few months ago. It was exciting for me as I had never been featured in a magazine before. The photoshoot was originally for the magazine's make up column and after it was done I asked the photographer to take some shots of my Mum and I just for fun. Later on the journalist, my Mum and I started talking about my experience living in New Zealand. It was more of a spontaneous and casual conversation.

I didn't really expect anything to come out of it so you can imagine my surprise when my sister texted me about 2 weeks ago and told me that the magazine published an article about me and my Mum in its latest issue! The article is generally about my relationship with my parents and my siblings as the youngest member of the family. It also touched on a few things about my parents accompanying me here in New Zealand so I can pursue my degree. 

I have the scanned images of the article but I won't post them on my blog because I wasn't wearing a hijab during the photoshoot as I wasn't a hijabi then. I know I still have previous photos of myself not wearing hijab in my blog and Facebook profile. I will eventually delete them when I'm ready. However, hijab is a part of my image now and to put up any new photos of myself without it feels wrong to me. I can't help that the photos are published in the magazine but this is who I am today. 

The article is in Malay so I'll translate my favourite parts for you guys. 

"I admit that I'm 'anak manja' (a pampered child - 'manja' means pampered and/or affectionate) and I usually get what I want. My brother likes calling me a spoiled brat. I realise that I only have one mother and when else am I going to be 'manja' (close and/or affectionate) with her? When I'm with her I will usually hug her spontaneously, so much so that my brother compares me to glue, as in I'm always glued to my mother." Okay I didn't think the journalist would take my words so literally. I don't always get what I want and I'm not a spoiled brat, at least I don't think so anyway. But the second bit is  sooo true. I just love giving her hugs! Big bear hugs!

"Shahirah sees her Mum as a symbol of inner strength and the one who compels her in her studies."

"When I started schooling my Mum usually buys me books as birthday presents or as presents for when I get good grades in school." She hardly bought me toys unless they were educational. 

"My late father was the who loved pampering me the most. He would send and pick me up from school, then send me to tuition classes." My school and tuition classes were 30-45 minutes away from where we lived. Now he would sneak out behind my Mum's back and get me toys haha. 

The article made me miss him so much. I know I'll never ever meet another man who will love me the way he did. He was a joyous man, always so happy-go-lucky. Simply irreplaceable. 

The journalist made a few mistakes though: 

1. My late father passed away  in February 2007 not 2009.

2. I was living alone with him in New Zealand when he passed away. My sister was still in Malaysia. 

3. My mum's name is Zaiton Jalaludin. 

So there you go! To those back home, check out the May issue of Wanita if you wish =) The article is also in conjunction with the upcoming Mother's Day which is on 9th of May. And to those who aren't in Malaysia and are curious to see the article drop me an e-mail at elaiza_@hotmail.com or leave your e-mail address in the comments or the chatbox in the side-bar on your right (girls only).

Girl Food

I've always wondered... do men ever read women's magazines? Because just out of curiosity I checked out GQ magazine's website today. As I schemed the main page I was intrigued by the title of one of their featured articles - "The Tyranny of Girl Food".

Girl food? What's wrong with what we eat? What's so oppressing or intimidating about girl food?

Ah yes, it kinda rings a bell now. I've heard how apparently men eat 'real' food and women don't. According to the writer, us girls like to go on giggly lunches (okay well that's sorta true) and "nibble on tuna melt, three bean salad, cream cheese on Ryvita, stewed fruit, cereal bars, soya yogurt, chicken wraps". Men, on the other hand, would rather have a 300 gram piece of steak with chunky potatoes and carrots on the side.

"Men tend to go for scrambled eggs, while girls prefer soufflé. Men generally order pizza, while girls head for pasta. Men have barbecues, girls have picnics." You get the picture.

Men are such funny creatures. They tease us when we eat and they tease us when we don't. Gentlemen, please make up your mind and understand that there is a reason why many women try to eat healthy food and go on diets - to keep you happy. If anything is oppressing women it is the ideals that men have set for women's bodies and you know it.

Because truthfully I'd rather have a 300 gram steak over stewed fruit any day.

Monday Morning Smile

Just a little something which made me smile the other day - a stop-motion animation made mostly by reused materials. I love everything about it but my favourite part is the batting eyelashes!

I'm still a kid at heart =)

God Texted Me

I missed yesterday's Fashion Friday post, sorry guys! Yesterday was busier than I thought it would be. I had a lecture and a test before going to Friday prayers. After that the committee organised a little fundraising bake sale at the mosque so I had to make sure everything ran smoothly. By the time it was over I was so tired because I was up studying until 3 am the night before and when I came home I just plonked myself on the bed and kind of drifted away to la la land for a while....

Anyhoo, after such a busy week Lamya and I decided to go to town and treat ourselves today and can I just say... someone please confiscate my ATM card from me because there are sales everywhere! Even at Dotti and Witchery. I think I should restrain myself and not buy anything else for the next 1 month except for groceries.

So I have to tell you this. While we did our rounds in town something happened to me for the first time...

Two 18-year-old-looking guys passed us and I heard one of them say, "F****** Muslims." I pulled Lamya towards me and asked, "Did you hear that?? Did you hear what he said?". She didn't but he kept looking and he even had a faint grin on his face while doing so. That was the first time I experienced blatant negativity towards me ever since I started wearing hijab almost two months ago. I was kind of taken aback but Lamya was a super trooper and said, "If I had heard him I would've replied 'Thank you very much',"

I was surprised and felt a little disrespected at first but then another feeling crept inside my heart and it's the strangest reaction. I was actually happy to be recognised as a Muslim! But that doesn't mean I wasn't affected by what happened. We went to Starbucks after that to get some studying done (I'm serious, we brought our laptops to study but we only did it for 30 minutes!) and I checked my cellphone. I received a message from Shaymaa. Remember her? The girl from my first Fashion Friday post. This is what it said:

If that's not a sign from God then I don't know what is. It was spot on and the amazing part is that I received God's guidance from a friend through my cellphone. It was almost like God texted me! Okay, I'm stretching it a little there but you have to admit, He really does work in mysterious ways.

I've always been a Muslim but in the past I wasn't easily identified as one. In some ways I didn't want to be identified because I was afraid non-Muslims would judge me and my belief based on what they hear in the media and the assumptions they have made from the actions of some so-called Muslims. I can't say the same about myself today. I no longer place another person's opinion of myself or my religion above what I know deep down inside is the truth. That guy probably doesn't even have any real knowledge about Islam apart from the distorted information he has heard from the media so I don't even blame him.

I am proud feel blessed to be a Muslim, alhamdulillah and no one can take this feeling away from me except for the Almighty so I pray that He will always inspire me to be thankful towards Him and that He continues to strengthen my iman (faith). Peace of mind is truly a gift and blessing. When you're happy from within almost nothing can ruin that feeling for you.

[Credit goes to my friend Zahra from Muslimness. We miss you Zahra! Come back to Dunedin please.]

P.S. Sorry for not visiting your blogs lately. I will try my best amidst my hectic schedule. You know I miss reading them. Much love from me.

Music with a Message

I miss the days when music had a message.

Today's music scene is filled with nothing but images and sadly most of them are vulgar. Lady Gaga's video for her single 'Telephone' is the epitome of where the music industry is heading towards if it's not there already. Her songs are catchy, no doubt, and I'm not going to pretend I don't have them in my playlist but if anyone tries to listen to the words she sings you'll find that she doesn't have a message and definitely has nothing of substance to pass on to her audience. What's worse is that I keep hearing over and over again about what a genius she is.

Her outrageously distasteful image and persona is her message and they're screaming, "Dare to be vulgar! It's cool and it'll make you super famous like me! And who knows someone might mistake you for a genius while you're at it!"

Has the word 'genius' been devalued or is society becoming dumber for dubbing her as one?

During my study break at 2.30 am last night I stumbled upon one of India Arie's music videos on YouTube. It was so refreshing to hear some positivity in music! I remember how popular her songs were on MTV when I was around 15 or 16. It's sad to see musicians like India don't even stand a chance in today's music industry unless she does a mini striptease in one of her videos.

I find myself saying words my late father used to say to me. "What is this music you young people listen to? This isn't singing this is talking." In case you're wondering, he was referring to Eminem. I used to listen to real R&B music ya'll... Musiq Soulchild, Erykah Badu, Common, John Legend, pre-nervous breakdown Mariah Carey, KCi & Jojo and Boyz II Men, just to give you a rough idea. Music used to be soulful. Music used to be meaningful. Now music is just another form of advertising which promotes all the wrong values to its audience who are hanging on to its each and every word.

On a brighter note, we still have YouTube =) This song by India is a gem. It lifted my spirit and brought some nostalgic memories of days when I could watch a music video channel without my jaw-dropping.


P.S. Speaking of music with a message, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) has confirmed his tour to Australia and New Zealand! Check out his Facebook fan page for more information.

P.P.S. Thank you so much to everyone who commented on my last post and said a prayer for my sister. She is doing much better now, alhamdulillah. I spoke to her earlier today and she was saying how beautiful the view from her hospital room is. Apparently she can see the Kuala Lumpur skyline! The doctors didn't really explain what happened. I'll have to call again tomorrow to find out.

A Prayer for My Sister

I received a phone call from my Mum this morning. I was still in bed so I couldn't take the call. "It's 3 am in Malaysia right now... why would she be calling?", I thought to myself. I woke up, went downstairs and called her back about half an hour later.

Me: Hello, you called me?
Mum: *sounding all sleepy* Yes, I couldn't sleep earlier... I read the Qur'an until 3 am but I couldn't sleep so I called you.
Me: Oh okay. What's wrong?
Mum: Your sister's not well. After the laser surgery she hasn't stopped vomiting and her temperature keeps rising. She was admitted into the hospital on Sunday.

(My sister was diagnosed with a fibroid - a benign tumour near the uterus - last December. She recently underwent a laser surgery to have it removed.)

Me: Oh okay... what did the doctor say?
Mum: The doctor didn't explain much. They all look scared... they didn't tell me much.
Me: What do you mean they didn't say much??? What's wrong with her?
Mum: Apparently it has affected her liver... I'm really scared for her, Shahirah. I hope she pulls through. *almost in tears*
Me: Mum, don't panic. They probably don't want to say anything to scare you. They're observing her in the hospital, I'm sure she'll be fine. Didn't they tell you this would be one of the side effects before the surgery took place?
Mum: No... I think this is a first for them. They said it wouldn't affect her other organs.
Me: Well that's careless of them! How can they not foresee this?!
Mum: I'm just very worried for her... I don't think I can leave her like this. I feel so sorry she has to go through all this. I'm not allowed to stay with her in the hospital at night. What if something happens???
Me: *silence* Mum, just don't panic okay. Kakak (Malay term for 'older sister') is quite fragile maybe her reaction to the surgery is a bit extreme. And please think positively. Be positive and cheerful when you're around her because she needs to be strong. Once the mind is weak then the body will be weak too.

Mum: I know... I know...
Me: And give her some honey to eat and  some  Zam Zam water  to drink as well. That should give her strength.
Mum: We were at the hospital on Sunday from 12 pm to 6 am. So I was too tired to call you yesterday.
Me: Okay nevermind, just don't get so worried. If you get sick then we're going to have 2 sick people in the family. Then what are we going to do?
Mum: I want you to come back in June. I don't think I can come end of this month.
Me: *silence* Okay Mummy, I'll see what I can do...

What am I suppose to make of this? I have a mountain of work to do; I have my studies and I'm involved in several University associations and now I have this hanging over my head? What's worse is that I can't be there for my family and I'm stuck here because it's my final year and God forbid, I won't let anyone or anything get in the way of that. I'm so horrible with feelings. I push them aside and I tell myself to soldier on while deep down inside it really hurts. Sometimes the only way I can ever let my emotions out is by writing so here I am.

I know most of you here don't even know me very well but can you please say a prayer and make du'a for my sister? I will of course pray for her as well but if you do know her and you're reading this please, please make du'a for her to recover and for my Mum to be strong and patient.

I don't really feel like talking about this and the only person I really want to talk to is someone I shouldn't be talking to. How did life get so complicated?

Fashion Friday: Ice Cream That's Good For You

As an avid fan of colour I'm happy to announce that ice cream shades are here to brighten our days. It makes perfect sense to me because they suit any season. You simply can't go wrong with subtle touches of colour.

Fresh Off the Runway

1. Valentino, Spring 2010 2. Michael Kors, Spring 2010 3. Giambatista Valli, Fall 2010

ShaElaiza's Interpretation
Strawberry & Lime by shaelaiza featuring Red Herring cardigans
Rockmelon by shaelaiza featuring Kurt Geiger shoes

Blueberry by shaelaiza featuring Victoria's Secret jumpsuits


Is it just me or do these colours make you crave something sweet? I haven't the slightest idea why...

A Little Gathering for a Big-Hearted Community

Oh how I have missed you, my blog! I've been incredibly busy since the weekend... even replying a text feels like such a chore these days. In fact, I just finished 2 tests which took place one after another. I didn't sleep all night or eat all day. By the end of today I felt completely drained. Anyway, 1 chicken sandwich later here I am!

So what happened last weekend? On Sunday the Muslim Students Association's (MUSA) sisters committee held a Sisters Gathering at the local Dunedin Al Huda Mosque. As the Ameera I was pretty nervous about it as it was our first event for the year. I really thought only 15 people would turn up and those 15 people would consist only of my friends but guess what? Heaps of ladies turned up and some of them brought their kids... so it was a success, alhamdulillah! We had an ice breaker session and an Islamic pop quiz followed by our 'grand buffet'. Honestly, I was amazed at the amount of food the ladies brought for the pot luck. We had pizza, cheese croissant sandwiches, Arabic food, Afghani food, samosas, chicken pie, brownies and carrot cake (courtesy of yours truly) just to name a few. Anyone who has organised events would know that food can either make or break an event. Thankfully we had plenty of yummy food.

We also organised a colouring competition for the kids and they were literally jumping up and down! It was so nice to see them very excited about being a part of the Muslim community. I'm just so grateful the event was a success and I feel so blessed to work with such a dynamic and hard working team. Thank you everyone and jazakallah khair!

I love being a part of the Muslim community in Dunedin. We're a small, close-knitted community and I love the fact that we come from all over the world and have different cultural practices but at the end of the day we gather and unite under one name: Islam.

Here are some snapshots for all you lovely people. By the way, I know I have been posting a lot of photos lately. I'm very much a visual person but I'm not sure about you guys. So tell me, do you like or dislike the fact that I like to post heaps of photos?


Our beloved mosque


The sweetest bunch of boys I know


Some of the brownies I baked as a prize for the Islamic pop quiz.




The stage and volleyball court, Al Huda mosque


Quiz time!




Girls just wanna have fun


3 year old Aisyah, our 2nd youngest colouring competition participant. The youngest one was a 2 year old!


Our 'grand' buffet

P.S. This post is dedicated to my friend, Shareen, who's celebrating her birthday today all the way in Melbourne. I made brownies for her birthday last year so this year she's brownie-less.... haha. Happy birthday! We miss you and love you!

Fashion Friday: Ribbon in the Sky

"Ribbons weave poetry into fashion"
- Ardeana Hamlin
Before I started wearing hijab I used to see skinny scarves in shops and I'd wonder what they were good for. They're not wide or thick enough to keep me warm during winter and they're almost too long to be used as a Lauren Conrad-style headscarf. They look sweet when tied in a ribbon-style around the neck though. I bought a few because I couldn't resist such pretty prints like this one here...


Skinny scarves are pretty thin. You can almost see my fingers through this one here.
Back in my pre-hijab days I used to wear them like this...

As a new hijabi I get excited when I find ways to 'hijabify' my accessories and clothes! So now I think skinny scarves are great for adding some funk to plain hijabs. Yesterday, Lamya was getting ready for an outing and she wore a plain beige pashmina to match her maxi dress; a colourful and patterned one with a beige undertone. She thought her hijab style looked too plain so I made a suggestion for her to try a few of my headbands - one resembled 2 strings of pearls placed side-by-side and the other had sequins. After trying them out she decided not to look too fancy so I handed her this skinny scarf I bought a while back. In the end she came up with this delightful style which totally reminded me of Stevie Wonder's 'Ribbon in the Sky'! I decided to re-create the look and share it with ya'll today.



Step-by-step directions:
1. Tie your hair in a bun.
2. Take a plain scarf and wear it on your head while ensuring one end is shorter than the other.
3. Pull the two ends and cross them over behind your neck. Wrap the shorter end around your hair bun and tuck it in to make it secure. The whole thing should look like the second image.
4. Now get your skinny scarf. Fold it in half or three-quarter depending on the print you want to show on your hijab. Place it on top of your first scarf and tie it pretty snug at the back of your head while ensuring one end is shorter than the other.
5. Bring the longer end of the first scarf forward to the other side of your head like how I did in the third image. The scarf should cover your hair bun and neck as you do this. You can adjust it to make it as loose or tight as you want.
6. Tie a bow with the longer end of the skinny scarf. Let it sit nicely near your shoulder and you're done!

I think it looks cute for a fun day out with some friends and I hope you like this style!

What's in My Bag?

I was tagged by the extraordinarily talented and fabulously sweet Ashi.




1. Extra pair of earrings - I always carry at least one. It's a habit I developed before I started wearing hijab.
2. Ring - for when my fingers feel naked.


3. Attar perfume - A favourite. This was purchased in Madinah and it's named 'Flower Madinah'. It has a deliciously subtle sweet and floral scent.
4. Perlier Risarium Black Rice face cream - Perfect for when dry skin attacks or as a base for foundation.
5. L'Oreal Glam Bronze bronzing powder - I've been carrying this around since summer and I forgot to take it out when autumn arrived.


6. Band-Aid - For cuts or blisters.
7. Pin wheel and safety pin - A hijabi should never leave home without these!


8. LV purse - Where I stash cash, cards and unnecessary receipts.
9. Uni ID and ATM card - Very, very important cards in my life as a student.


10. L'Oreal Volume Perfect lipstick - Soft peachy brown for a natural look.
11. Refreshing mint from a local restaurant
12. Maybelline Shinylicious - When I'm not wearing black eyeliner this lovely shade of lipgloss brings life to my face.


13. Pens and highlighter - My absolute essentials for university lectures.
14. USB pendrive - Another essential for when I go to Uni.


15. Nokia E71 - A gift from my sister a year ago. I love it so much as it helps me organise my life so well!
16. A bottle of water - Did you know it's important to drink water even before we feel thirsty?


17. Sony Cybershot camera - To capture smiles and memories.
I tag Sarah Elizabeth, Sara Filza, Najwa,Smiley, Cairo Lusaka Amsterdam, 7aki Fadi, Rene, Fatima, Bliss, Amber, Amalia, Aimie, Mama Mona, Arabian Eyes, Smart Cookie, Mustika Sari, Maryam, Amina, Lamya and anyone and everyone who feels like sharing what's hidden inside their mysterious looking bags!

Giving Up

I have a confession.

For the past 5 weeks I've been here I've cried at least 3 times because I realised a few things:

1. The papers I'm doing this semester are very, very challenging. I thought I wasn't smart enough or working hard enough.

2. Being the Ameera for the Muslim Students Association is a huge responsibility and I was afraid I'd let everyone down and most of all, I was afraid I'd let myself down and let it affect my studies.

3. Being a final year varsity student without my Mum is harder than I thought it would be. She is my home away from home. My comfort zone when the world feels so foreign and scary. She was supposed to come back to Dunedin 2 weeks ago but we just found out we have to send our maid back to Indonesia so she had to stay back and look for a new one. These days it is extremely hard to find a maid because the government is limiting the amount of Indonesian maids into Malaysia. Apart from that there are other family issues holding her back home.

I cried when I was under pressure and felt like people didn't understand. I cried when my Mum told me she can only come back in later in May. I cried when I reminisced about my late Dad and realised how I will never ever be able to see him again and make up for all the times I was a selfish and unreasonable. I recite Surah Al-Fatihah for him after every prayer I perform and sometimes I can feel him telling me he will always love me as I will always be his daughter because in Islam our connection isn't only biological but also a spiritual one.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy and grateful about every single thing in my life right up to every last detail. Yes even the tears and sadness because they've taught me what it means and feels like to be truly happy. I know some people look at me and judge me from what they see on the outside. They think I'm a spoiled brat who's only concerned about getting what she wants when she wants it. The truth is I just believe in going after what I want in life and that nothing and no one is worth being angry and bitter over because they're all part of God's bigger plan for me. There have been times when I felt like giving up but each time that happens my inner voice inside my heart tells me, "If you give up now you're not giving up on the endeavour... you're giving up on yourself."

This time around I heard that same voice. I decided to gather all my strength and soldier on. I reached out for help. I spoke to my classmate, a 3rd year Law student, and he told me he finds the paper is hard too. We exchanged tips and ideas and suddenly it didn't feel as daunting as before. I spoke to my Mum recently and she told me some good news. We can keep our maid so she can come back at the end of this month inshaAllah. I confided in my friends about being stressed and they gave me support and told me I can always step down from the position of Ameera if it was all getting too much. In the end I decided to take on the role because there must be a reason why God has placed me in this situation, right? Then yesterday whilst organising our upcoming Annual Sisters Gathering I received a few emails from my committee members:

MashaAllah Shahirah. You are organized and make a great boss! Keep up with the good work :)

Thanks for being our Amirah ^.~ coz as Nourah R said you make a great leader for sure !!

Alhamdulillah! I was overjoyed! You have no idea how touched I felt and how relieved I was at the same time. I realised that all I had to do was not give up. I decided to have faith in myself and the people around me. I decided to think positive and visualise everything falling into place. I worked towards my goal instead of walking away from my responsibilities. Two years ago it felt as if graduating was next to impossible. I went through so much while I was studying - I lost the most important man in my life and my last remaining grandparent - and now here I am in my final year. Stronger than ever before and amazingly enough, more grounded and humbled than ever as well. When I look back at my life I think about how if I had given up years ago and stopped having faith in God, I can say with full certainty that I wouldn't have experienced all these life-changing lessons and adventures. I wouldn't have achieved anything memorable or met anyone inspiring. I look at my grades, pictures from my past and from last summer and pictures of my adorable 4-month old niece, Nisreen.... and life makes sense. Yes, every bit of it including all the adversities and disappointments.

Last night I cried again but it wasn't because I felt sad. They were tears of happiness and gratitude.

"You've got to fight for every dream because who's to know which one you let go would've made you complete."

Dear Nisreen, I can't get over how perfect you are to me mashaAllah. Baby, you have no idea what a blessing you are to our lives. We will always love you!

Fashion Friday: Happily Ever After

This is a late Fashion Friday post. (Or let's all just pretend today's Friday for a few minutes!)

I attended my first ever Bangladeshi wedding yesterday. The nikah (solemnisation ceremony) took place after Friday prayer at Dunedin's Al-Huda mosque. It was a beautiful sunny Good Friday and heaps of ladies turned up for Jumaah prayer! More than usual, I must say. The bride, Adiba, is a friend of my friend, Jarin. I don't know her very well but I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears during the nikah. Especially when the imam and her husband's representatives came over to the women's side of the mosque and asked Adiba if she truly accepts the proposal. Sort of like the 'I do' part of a Christian wedding. I don't know why but it just touched my heart and soon after the bride was crying tears of happiness as well.

The reception was held at night and my girls and I had such an amazing time! We all got ready together and our make up, clothes and pins were everywhere. It was so funny. In the end everything worked out just fine, alhamdulillah. The bride and groom looked STUNNING dressed in beige and gold with hints of passionate red. I've always admired Indian outfits. The combination of beautiful colours, beading and embroidery is just perfect for a day or night of glamour! And as we all know, weddings are the perfect opportunity to get all glammed up so obviously the guests were all dressed to impress.

And I have exclusive pictures as proof.


Congratulations to the stunning bride and groom!


The bashful bride


The finer things in life


Finally, a shot with the bride and groom TOGETHER! By the way, that's the ever so sweet Chloe in a turquoise Malay kebaya.


My first time wearing an anarkali salwar khameez. I was sooo happy!


Jarin, looking drop dead gorgeous in her sari. Who says hijabis can't pull them off? And Nadia, my Jordanian honey, mashaAllah.


Amina looking fine in a Somali dirac (pronounced as dir-rah). Yup she's back from Wellington for 2 weeks!


My beautiful friends all dressed up


Anarkali salwar khameez courtesy of Jarin. Thank you hun!


Make up inspired by MakeUpGeek's tutorial