MY LIFE AS A SIGMA FEMALE

Eiyo Fadneiras,

Welcome back to my blog. Eid Mubarak is just around the corner ^_^ Are you guys ready for the festive celebration? I hope you are.

Besides Eid Mubarak, I am also looking forward to my birthday. Yay!!! My birthday is next Monday, 31 March. Syukur alhamdulillah, I'm turning 39 ^_^ Plus, my birthday might be the same day as Eid Mubarak. Woah! So, for today's post, I will share a list of 39 things for me to be grateful for. Okay, let's not waste time and begin with no.1...

#1 Syukur alhamdulillah, I was born on the 31st of March 1986 as Fatin Munira (yep, this is my real name).

#2 Syukur alhamdulillah, my parents gave me a name with a very beautiful meaning. Fatin means beautiful, while Munira means brilliant. In Islam, names are prayers.

#3 Syukur alhamdulillah, my parents are Abdul Azizal (father), and Fuziah Kartini (mother). Both of them are people with big hearts and full of love.

#4 Syukur alhamdulillah, I was born in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia.

#5 Syukur alhamdulillah, I am born a Muslim. 

Baby me ^_^

#6 Syukur alhamdulillah, I am the only child in the family. Being the only child has pros and cons. And speaking about the pros and cons, only people who are the only child can tell you what they are. If you're curious to know, read my short story titled Miso Paste in Patah Tumbuh. To purchase the book, click on this link >> PATAH TUMBUH @ FADNEIRA_ON94U

#7 Syukur alhamdulillah, when I was eight months old, my parents took me to the United States of America with them. We stayed there for almost five years.

#8 Syukur alhamdulillah, I had international exposure at a very young age.

#9 Syukur alhamdulillah, my parents trained me to be diverse at a very young age. 

#10 Syukur alhamdulillah, I learned to draw at the age of 3. My mother taught me to draw. Mermaids and princesses were the first objects I learned to draw. I was a huge fan of Ariel from The Little Mermaid and other Disney Princesses at that time.

#11 Syukur alhamdulillah, I was a dinosaur addict when I was a child, and being a paleontologist was my first ambition. I'm grateful that I have good knowledge of dinosaurs even though I did not achieve my first ambition ^_^

#12 Syukur alhamdulillah, my parents and I returned to Malaysia when I was nearly 5 years old. Malaysia is home and where the heart belongs.

#13 Syukur alhamdulillah, I celebrated my fifth birthday in Malaysia with my parents, grandparents, and cousins. It was my first birthday in Malaysia, and the celebration was lively ^_^

#14 Syukur alhamdulillah, my family and I moved from Melawati to Bandar Baru Bangi a year after we returned to Malaysia. We had a nice home and four lovely cats ~ Tippy, Endora, Tiger, and Ollie (all are in heaven now).

#15 Syukur alhamdulillah, I entered kindergarten right after we moved to Bandar Baru Bangi. The kindergarten I studied at was an artsy one. Being a student there nurtured my passion for art.

From left: Maddy, me, and Suhaila. This picture was taken during our primary school sports day.

#16 Syukur alhamdulillah, I entered primary school in 1993. The school's name was Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Jalan 2, Bandar Baru Bangi. That's where I met my BFF, Maddy. Yep, we began as classmates. Plus, we sat side-by-side in class ^_^

#17 Syukur alhamdulillah, Maddy and I are still friends till now. I can't believe we made 3 decades as BFF, Maddy. I hope our friendship lasts forever. Aamiin ^_^

#18 Syukur alhamdulillah, in 1995, I moved to Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Jalan 3, Bandar Baru Bangi. And Maddy moved there too ^_^

#19 Syukur alhamdulillah, my mother nurtured my passion for reading and books when I was 11. She taught me to read classic literature novels by authors like George Elliot, Alexandre Dumas, Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, and many more. Besides literature novels, my mother also introduced good modern novels such as the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowlings, and anything by Nicholas Sparks to me. I have loved reading these novels till now.

#20 Syukur alhamdulillah, besides reading the novels, my mother also taught me to review them. Every time I finish reading a novel, we will discuss the story together ~ my thoughts on the story, what I learned from the story, the message that I bring home, and how the story changes my view of the world and life.

#21 Syukur alhamdulillah, besides reading, my mother also nurtured my passion for creative writing. I began with writing in scrapbooks.  I also created my own magazine called Co-Star when I was 11. I was so influenced by Smash Hits and Top Of The Pops at that time ^_^

#22  Syukur alhamdulillah,  I entered high school in 1999. The school was next to the primary school I attended.

#23 Syukur alhamdulillah, my family and I moved to a different town at the end of 2000. We moved from Bandar Baru Bangi to Putrajaya. And that's where we live now.

#24 Syukur alhamdulillah. I moved to a new school when I was 16. At the new school, I met my other BFF, Fadet.

#25 Syukur alhamdulillah, I became friends with Fadet. Fadet was a beautiful person inside and out. Besides friendship, Fadet also taught me about life, love, hope, and faith. She passed away in November 2023 due to kidney cancer. But she went with her unfailing faith. I'm grateful that despite all the toxic people I met, Allah SWT still made me become friends with one of the most beautiful souls on earth. I always miss Fadet. But our friendship is still alive and I can still feel her embrace. 

One last picture with my bestie, Fadet. Al-Fatihah.

#26 Syukur alhamdulillah, I graduated from high school in 2004 and entered Limkokwing University. I did my diploma in Fashion & Retail Design there for three years.

#27 Syukur alhamdulillah, right after graduating from Limkokwing University, my parents sent me to Manchester. I did my bachelor's degree in International Fashion Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University for 2 years.

#28 Syukur alhamdulillah, I had experience living in Manchester all by myself. Living in Manchester was my first time being away from my parents. I'm grateful that everything went smoothly at that time. And Allah SWT protected me well. The experience was priceless. Syukur alhamdulillah again, I made the right choice.

#29 Syukur alhamdulillah, after graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University, I went home and secured a job in the fashion industry. I learned a lot of things about fashion and even myself while working in the industry. The experience was valuable even though the industry was extremely toxic.

#30 Syukur alhamdulillah, I quit the fashion industry at the end of 2011. Quitting the fashion industry means I freed my soul from a tomb I've been living in for seven years. Alhamdulillah, I know my worth. And now, I don't want to return to this industry that never allows me to be myself.

#31 Syukur alhamdulillah, I entered the National University of Malaysia (UKM) in 2012 to pursue my MBA. Being a graduate student was a rebirth for me. And achieving an MBA is one of the best life achievements I have had.

#32 Syukur alhamdulillah, I got a job at the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) after graduating from UKM. I worked there for four years. I lived the life I always dreamed of. The knowledge and experience I gained were valuable even though there were a lot of toxic people in the department. Hehehe :P 

#33 Syukur alhamdulillah, my days at JPM ended after the National General Ellection in 2018. At first, it was depressing for me. But that was where my journey as an author began...

#34 Syukur alhamdulillah, I started blogging again in 2019 and participated in a book collaboration project with Puan Sri Diah (Malaysia's famous author and editor) and other authors. The book was titled Sahabat. And in Sahabat, I wrote a short story titled KDK-Kawan Dari Kecil.

With my babies ~ Fail Merah and Saranghaeyo Namsan ^_^

With fellow authors during KLIBF 2023

#35 Syukur alhamdulillah, I published my first novel, Fail Merah, in 2022. I was 36 years old at that time. 

#36 Syukur alhamdulillah, I participated in the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF) back in 2023. During KLIBF, I met my fellow authors who are also my mates. Yep, they are beautiful souls and I'm forever grateful to have them in my life. Everything about KLIBF 2023 was priceless ^_^

#37 Syukur alhamdulillah, I published my second novel, Saranghaeyo Namsan during May last year. During the same year, I participated in four book events ~ KLIBF 2024, SCBF 2024, SIBF 2024, and Hentian Buku Selangor.

#38 Syukur alhamdulillah, I am going places even though I'm not yet a bestselling and award-winning author. I'm grateful and happy with all the progress I made, the achievements I achieved, the people I met, and the knowledge and experience I gained. I am eternally grateful that I was allowed to pursue my long-forgotten dream. I am also grateful that my parents, family, and close friends are supporting me. Thank you, guys ^_^

#39 Syukur alhamdulillah, I'm turning 39 soon. I have traveled quite far. I never thought that I would live this long. Insya-Allah, may my long journey ahead be a good one with loads of joys and adventures. Aamiin.

Okay, so these are the 39 things for me to be grateful for. Before I end this post, I want to inform you that I will take a one-week break from blogging due to the Eid Mubarak celebration. So this post, is my last one before Eid and also my birthday. Hehehe ^_^ 

So, Happy Eid Mubarak to my Muslim friends. Wish you guys a good celebration with family and loved ones <3 <3 <3 Last but not least, please leave a birthday wish for me in the comment box below. Thank you. 

XoXo,

Fadima Mooneira ^_^

(Authorpreneur, Novelist & Crafter)

#SyukurAlhamdulillah #39 #39ThingsToBeGratefulFor #FadimaMooneiraWriter #Lifestyle #FadimaMooneiraDotCom

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