Sweep off! It's Mine!

Life’s too short to think about unimportant things such as revenge, broken heart and impossible dreams. Open our eyes and mind and we’ll know that there are lots of better things to do. Often said, ‘a journey of thousand miles begins with a single step’. So why not take that step instead of standing still like the Statue of Liberty.

I’ll be 19 years old by the end of this year yet there are plenty of things I still haven’t achieved or find out. However, I did learn one simple thing a few days ago. Something I never thought I would be able to learn. Not so important it may be but it was satisfying. It took a simple boring holiday to teach me that. A simple game I’ve been playing since I was, what, 5 years old? This game is in almost every single computer in this world. It may not be as exciting as DOTA or PES 2010 but the game is kind of mind testing and sometimes it depends on luck.  

I’m sure everyone knows this game but probably many of us don’t know how to play it. Minesweeper is a deceptively simple game of memory and reasoning. The object of Minesweeper is to overturn blank squares and avoid those that conceal mines. If you click a mine, the game is over. Uncover all the blank squares as fast as possible for the highest score. 
Yes, luck may be a factor but there are some techniques needed to solve this puzzle.

To start the timer, click any square on the playing field. If a number appears on a square, it indicates how many total mines are in the eight squares that surround the numbered one. You can use this number to help deduce whether a square is safe to uncover.

In the figure above, the number 1(in red circle) indicates that there is only one mine in the eight boxes (green boxes) surrounding it.

In the figure below, the number 1 in red circle indicates that there is only one mine in the eight boxes surrounding it. Since there are no mine in the other seven boxes (green boxes) surrounding it, the mine has to be in the last box (yellow box).

To mark a square you suspect contains a mine, right-click it. This will add a flag to the square. If you're not sure, right-click it again, which will add a question mark to the square.

Try to mark all mines right away. If you know exactly where some mines are, take a second to mark them. Otherwise, you might forget them by the time you get back from another part of the board. This takes time, but it's worth it in the end.

If a set of squares doesn't reveal a pattern and you're not sure where to click next, clear out some unexplored territory. You're better off clicking in the middle of unmarked squares than clicking in an area where you know some mines are located.

You can adjust the difficulty level and set other game options in the Options dialog box.

Told you it’s not hard. Where there’s a will there’s a way. The few steps I shared above may not be enough to master this game but at least you could get some hint about this game. It takes experience to be good at this game. After all, experience is the best teacher. GOOD LUCK TRYING ^_^ !

Viva Alexandria

It’s hard to see the whole house wake up so early in the morning. However, that was what happened last Wednesday (16^th June 2010). Wasn’t really a surprise as some of us didn’t sleep at all that night (probably too excited about the trip to Alexandria). After fajr prayer, we (me, Shah, Sob, Ali, Omar, Himma and Hassan) got ready, bathed, perfumed, dressed up and went to Syabrawi as we were to meet Fiq, Shamil, B and Zarul there. While waiting for all four of them, we had breakfast (makrunah) first at Abu Hajar stall. Shamil and B arrived just as we were about to finish our breakfast. Shamil, B, Ali and Hassan took a cab and went to Ramses Station first to buy the tickets, Fiq was still getting ready and Zarul had to wait for him while the rest of us waited for a bus which arrived a few minutes later. When we arrived at Ramses, the tickets were already bought and not long after that Zarul and Fiq arrived too.

                                             
                                                                Ramses Station 

So, off we went. There’s not so much to say about what happened in the train as I slept most of the three hours throughout the journey. It was still early when we arrived (around 730-800 a.m.). Shamil went to buy the tickets for the return trip first before we all walked. We didn’t really know where to go as it was too early to go to the beach. Yet we still took a tramco to the beach but just to have a walk along it. After a not-so-interesting ‘walk’, we decided to go to Di Stefano Mall as some of us still haven’t had breakfast yet and to get some cool air inside the mall.

                                                                 Di Stefano Mall

Around 11a.m., we went to Bibliotheca Alexandria. It was big and sort of unique. We had to buy tickets to enter the building though. There were plenty of books there (of course there were, it’s a library). We weren’t really there to read or do some research, obviously, we just walked inside the library without any purpose. The funny thing is every time I look at a book I thought I was interested in, I just get bored reading it. When it was time for zuhur prayer, we went to a mosque near the library.

                                                              Bibliotheca Alexandria 

After zuhur, we went to the beach for our ‘main event’. We went to the Montazah Beach. The beach had many entrances which we had to pay to get in. We walked along the beach, well actually on the sideways off the beach, to decide which entrance we should take. We picked one, got in and got changed. The spot wasn’t so good though but we didn’t want some bunch of stupid Egyptians barbarians to spoil our mood. It took only a while for us to get into the water. It’s been a long while since the last time I went into the sea. The water was salty, what else do you expect from seawater, yet it still took the hot weather out of me. It was exciting and fun not just the water but to spend times with your friends. We made sand castle together, ‘buried’ Ali, ‘mermaided’ Shamil and played sand ball (to let out the frustration of not being able to play snowball). We stopped and took a shower around 7 p.m. and waited for the sunset though only Himma had the chance to watch it till the end. The rest of us were too busy ‘posing’, packing things and getting dressed. Still to see the sun from the beach was beautiful. We took a tramco to Di Stefano Mall for maghrib prayer and dinner.

After dinner, we took a cab to Sidi Gaber Station. Our train was at 10.15 p.m. Again, I slept most of the three hours throughout the journey. We arrived at Ramses Station around two in the morning. We took a tramco to Syabrawi but me, Shah, Sob, Ali, Omar, Himma and Hassan stopped halfway as it was closer to our house. Alexandria wasn’t really so good but how often do you get to go to the sea let alone with your friends? Kind of reminds me of Langkawi. At least it’s better than just sitting home doing nothing. 

 

Montazah Beach

Engineer Turned Doctor

Alhamdulillah. Praise be to Allah. Finally, I managed to finish my 1^st year in University Al-Azhar. The last paper for this year’s final exam was Biochemistry. Though it was quite tough, I hope all my efforts will be enough for me to get mumtaz, or at least maqbul so that I can pursue my studies for the 2^nd year at this university. Its holiday now but I didn’t know what to do. So, I decided to write this post.

Actually, becoming a doctor was no longer my ambition since I was in form 1. So, medical course wasn’t really what I had in mind whatsoever going to Egypt. When I was in form 5, I decided to become a chemical engineer and to pursue my studies in England. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the opportunity to do so. Instead, I went to UiTM Shah Alam and took Asasi Kejuruteraan. Even till the final few weeks before the Mid Sem Exam I still haven’t made up my mind yet. Egypt and England are two different countries but the difference between engineering and medicine are even more significant. My father did told me that if His willing, he wanted one of his sons/daughters to be a doctor but I know that if I did it because of him instead of my own will, I might flop and things could get worse. So, I thought about it for quite a long while. I can say it was a hard decision but I decided to go to Egypt and that was only after Eidul Fitri which was like a month before I was due to depart. So to Egypt I went. P/S: Considering that it was University Al-Azhar, made things slightly easier for me to decide.

So, here I am now waiting for the Final Result. Hopefully I’ll succeed. It wasn’t so bad though. Besides learning everything about human bodies, we could appreciate the Greatness of Allah. How perfectly did he create us as he said in The Book. Sometimes it also makes me think how ungrateful we are. He created us, gave us an earth to live on, plants and animals to eat, yet, instead of saying a simple Alhamdulillah, we keep on complaining. May Allah forgive us all for our weaknesses, ameen.

At first, it was kinda hard to understand my professors’ English, but then I manage to cope with it. Studying medicine isn’t really hard. We just need to have the eagerness to know more about human body and of course we need to study well. Undeniably, the pressure of studying overseas is difficult but not impossible to overcome. We must not let ourselves to give up. It is important that we choose the right friends as our family are not there with us. So, friends are the one we rely on but don’t let them put bad influence on us. Plus, we must have a specific time for us to study. Don’t put too much pressure on ourselves yet don’t ‘relax’ too much. It’s best that we read the topics to be discussed in lecture before we enter the lecture or at least read t again after the lecture on the same day. This might help us to understand better and so that we won’t forget it easily. Studying in group is also a good habit as studying alone might make us sleepy (based on personal experience). Not missing lectures is also an important thing because some points discussed in the lectures are not present in the book or some wrong points in the book may be corrected during lectures. Besides, sometimes the professors will stress out which points are important. As for motivation, always remember our family especially mom and dad. It’ll help us significantly trust me. Most importantly, don’t forget The One who created us, who made it possible for us to have this opportunity, who, in the end, decides either we succeed or we fail. At least we should perform his obligations five times a day ON TIME. Read Yassin after Fajr prayer, perform tahajjud if possible, read the Quran, help others in their studies, remind others of what to do and what not to do with no other intention than to please Him and without forgetting to remind ourselves.

My 1^st year wasn’t as how I wrote above. That was just some experience I learned and want to share with those who are reading this. InsyaAllah, I will practice what I wrote in the 2^nd year. I’ll put more effort and try harder.

                                                ~Ya Allah, mumtaz untuk Muaz. Ameen~