Kembara Hati Mawar Safiya

Foto: Cosmin Gavris (Pexels) Hello! As you know, I’m always looking for a story. A good photo, for me, isn't just about the ‘f-stop’ or the ‘golden hour.’ It’s about the story trapped inside the frame. The other day, I was idly flipping through the Slowly app, and a single screen stopped me in my tracks. It showed a place called the ‘Churches of Moldavia’ in Romania. At first glance, they look beautiful, but ancient. Old stone, tall spires... classic Eastern European. But then you look closer. The entire outside of the churches is covered in complex paintings, called frescoes. This isn't just a little mural over the door. We're talking about massive, detailed, ground-to-roof masterpieces. The churches date from the 15th and 16th centuries, and most of the frescoes were painted in the 16th century. The app's description was fascinating. It called them "masterpieces inspired by Byzantine art," "authentic and particularly well preserved,"...

Hello my wonderful friend, I've always believed a camera is more than just a tool. It's like a passport that lets you travel, or even a time machine. But sometimes, a big trip starts with something small, like a simple postcard. I'm part of a group called Postcrossing . We send and get postcards from random people all over the world. It's a wonderful way to share cultures. Today, I got a card in my mailbox from Metz, France . It was a simple black-and-white photo of a building I didn't know. The building was nice, but also... strange. It wasn't a huge church. It was small, strong, and looked almost like it was hiding a secret. It had a special eight-sided shape and a very steep roof. My friend's note on the back was short: "Im from Metz, France!" That ‘Metz’ made me very curious. I did some research and found out it wasn't just a city with an old church. The old chapel itself was part of a Knights Templar base. And that story is d...

Hello my wonderful friends! Guess what? On the very same day, Sept 30, 2025, that the happy fish party postcard arrived, another paper treasure popped into my mailbox! Double Alhamdulillah! This one also travelled a long, long way, all the way from China! Thank you, Postcrossing friend! A Wobbly, Wonderful Drawing This postcard is super special too! Just like the fishy one, it is not a photograph. It is a drawing, a sketch! It looks like someone sat down with a pen and some watery colours and quickly drew a picture of a busy city place. The lines are a little bit wiggly, the colours are soft... it feels alive and moving! Like the artist drew it super fast to capture a happy moment! What did the artist draw? Wow! There is a very long, strong-looking bridge made of metal criss-crosses, like a giant Meccano toy! It goes across some dark, wiggly water. There are even little boats floating on the water! Chug chug! And peeking behind the bridge... oh my goodness! There are...

Hello my wonderful friends! Guess what popped into my mailbox at the very end of September? Sept 30, 2025! Another paper treasure! A happy surprise from my Postcrossing friend far, far away in America (USA)! Alhamdulillah! Getting real mail always feels like finding a little bit of sunshine! A Fishy Surprise! This postcard is super cool! It is not a photo. It is a drawing, or maybe a special kind of print! And it is full of... FISH! Lots and lots of colourful, funny-looking fish! Splash! Swim swim! They are all swimming together in a big group, like they are having a happy fish party! Some fish are flat and spotty, like little underwater pancakes with polka dots! Hehehe. Some fish are long and sleek, zooming through the water like speedy little rockets! Some look a bit grumpy, some look surprised! They all have cute, simple shapes and bright colours. It looks like a picture from a very happy, old-fashioned storybook! The postcard tells me the picture is called ‘Fishes’ ...

Hello my lovely friends! Phew! What a long, busy, but super interesting day it has been! Today! My feet feel a little tired from walking around, but my heart feels full and happy. Why? Because today, I got to be a helper for something very important! My Super Helper Job! Today, Kak Mawar was part of a special team. Me and other nice ladies! We were like busy little bees, helping to run a big learning seminar. It was organised by a wonderful group called PUSPANITA JPM . They are like a club for ladies who work with, or whose family works with, the Prime Minister's Department here in Putrajaya, Malaysia! Who was the seminar for? It was for about 60 amazing teenagers! These smart boys and girls are getting ready for a super-duper big test soon, maybe next month in November. The test is called SPM , it is like the final boss level of high school here! Very important! And guess what? My own dear youngest son is also taking the SPM test this year! So, my mommy hear...

Hello my lovely friends! Sometimes, after a busy day, my mind feels like a bouncy ball... boing, boing, boing! So many thoughts bouncing around! At times like that, you know what I love to do? Yes! My secret magic trick! I open my treasure box of paper holidays! My happy postcards! Today, my fingers found a picture that feels like a calm, quiet whisper. Shhh... listen to the peace! It is a postcard with greetings ‘Groeten!’ from a faraway land called The Netherlands ! That's Holland! What is in the Picture? A Purple Dream! Wow! Look! The main picture shows beautiful, rolling hills covered in... purple flowers! So much purple! Like a soft, fuzzy purple blanket spread over the land. There are sandy paths winding through the hills, saying "Come, walk with me!" Green trees stand here and there, like friendly giants watching over the flowers. And the sky above is blue with fluffy white clouds floating by. It looks like a place from a happy dream! So peaceful! ...