Author: Raidah Shah Idil

Raidah Shah Idil is a student counsellor, poet, writer, and creative instructor with a passion for YA (young adult), fantasy, sci-fi and detective fiction. She was born in Singapore and moved to Australia at the age of 12. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (English) and Bachelor of Science (Psychology) from the University of New South Wales in 2005. After working as a marketing copywriter and studying the Islamic Sciences in Amman, Jordan for nearly two years, she returned to Sydney, got married, then moved to Malaysia. While working as a part-time tutor at Axiom Learning, she works as an online counsellor for Seekershub Global. She has completed her Diploma of Counselling through the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. Her full-time job is raising her baby daughter. Everything else is squeezed in between. Literally. Her writing has been published in The Feminist Wire, SISTERS magazine, Daily Life, Lip Mag and Venture Beat. Raidah’s poetry was recently published in the ‘Armed With Only Our Souls’ online DDFS chapbook by New York poet Caits Meissner. Her debut double-featured novel, “Finding Jamilah and the Story of Yusuf” was published by MyLegacy publications in early 2014. In her spare time (ha), she reads, listens to audiobooks, goes on walks, and is always on the lookout for tasty noodle soup. She currently lives in a green, leafy suburb in Kuala Lumpur with her husband, three small children and mother-in-law.

Hop on over to this brilliant read: How do you find a partner if 99% of the population are a no-go by Zeynab Gamieldien. Zeynab is a fantastic writer and her blog, Love Haqtually, is a great place to read all about the quirks of the Australian Muslim community, especially on the topic of luuuurve. Man, there’s so much stigma when it comes to love and Muslims, yet we’re the ones with the exponential birth rates *facepalm*

Kudos to you, Zeynab, and to all Muslim women out there who are brave enough to tell their story. It’s refreshing to see Muslim women demonstrating agency by speaking out about their own experiences. It’s not cool to see people talking ABOUT Muslim women (“Free her from her oppressors!” etc), and it’s often the woefully ignorant who are the most opinionated. And who get the most air-time. It’s wonderful to see that Zeynab has added her unique voice to the tapestry of Muslim voices in the media, and I pray that many Muslim women will do the same. The world needs more compassion, understanding, and acceptance, and the best way to humanise the other is to give it a face, and a voice. Muslim women, for better or worse, are constantly in the limelight, and I hope that with the passage of time, more of us will be proud of the faith which us brings life, and tell our story – with a smile 🙂

Islam, Life, Love, Opinion

On Being A Hybrid Australian Muslim of Malay Descent – my lip mag piece

April 24, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

Check out my latest article on lip mag – on being a hybrid australian muslim of malay descent. Ha, yes, a mouthful. This was a fun piece to write, and it was inspired by my brother Ahmad.

We know a lot of different kids and adults who also balance different cultures and expectations, and who probably experience all the ensuing mini (or major!) social gaffes. When you grow up in Australia, going back to visit Singapore or Malaysia (or your country of origin) is a combination of meeting family, getting teased about your ‘funny accent’ and having that delicious plate of nasi lemak/nasi ayam which just doesn’t taste as good, anywhere else!

Beauty, Health, Life

You Can Be Too Beautiful – Atlantic Times opinion piece

April 16, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

Check out this interesting article – You Can Be Too Beautiful.

We all make snap judgements based on how other people look, and it’s a common myth that prettier people have it easier. This article offers a different insight. Beauty itself is so subjective, and the entire beauty industry is geared towards capitalising on what people think they lack.

In countries like India, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, fair skin is the ultimate expression of beauty. It’s bizarre. Shelves are lined with all manner of ‘skin-whitening’ products, and it makes me wonder about what kind of chemicals are strong enough to bleach skin several shades lighter. Scary.

On the other hand, in Australia and many other countries, a lot of fair-skinned folk are dying for a tan. Literally, in some cases. The statistics about the mortality and incidence of skin cancer are quite serious. 1,452 people died from melanoma in 2010. I’m hoping that more people will value lasting qualities like compassion, patience and kindness over fleeting constructs like physical beauty.

Islam, Life, Love, Opinion

The Ways I’ve Worried – Huffington Post opinion piece

April 12, 2013April 12, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

1069213_endless_green The Ways I’ve Worried is an exquisite and heart-wrenching piece on the fragility and beauty of life. The author writes about her relationship with her first husband, who had cystic fibrosis, and how that impacted on the way she lived, loved, and lost.

Mortality is one of the defining characteristics of humanity. That’s one thing we all agree on. Everyone has different ways of coping, and for me, it’s my faith and the love of my family and friends. The next life is better than this one, and that very yardstick of eternity puts everything into perspective.

Gaming

Mass Effect

March 15, 2013March 15, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

For the gamers out there, you know what I’m talking about.

I’ve always been fond of the RPG genre (Role-Playing Games). Many years ago, I recall my brothers playing Mass Effect. It was a futuristic combat game and it looked vaguely interesting…but I had The Sims to pass the time, and that kept me occupied.
Times have changed. I’m happy to report that there really is more to life than The Sims (and their neverending expansion packs) so a few months ago, I ventured down to EB Games and bought a pre-owned copy of Mass Effect 1. The rest is history.

Before I go into that, I also bought Fable 3 and I played that first. As fun as that was, my youngest sister, whom I lent Mass Effect 1 to, was convinced that Mass Effect 1 was a much, much better game. I was skeptical, but by the time she had finished with Mass Effect 1 and I could start playing it….boy. She was right.

I have to write an article about Mass Effect. Seriously. In the peak of my gaming experience, my non-gamer husband said that “Mass Effect has had a massive effect on you!” Ha. Good one. I’ve finished the entire Mass Effect trilogy, and have downloaded two DLCs (Stolen Memory and Citadel). Bioware has done such an amazing job with Mass Effect. They’ve created an entire universe and made characters that countless fans have grown to love (and hate). I don’t know what gaming experience will top this one. I’m actually taking my time before I play the Citadel, because that’s the final DLC for the entire trilogy….and from what I’ve read, a fantastic send-off for Commander Shepard and her team.

Check out some great Kotaku articles on the Citadel DLC:

Mass Effect 3: The Kotaku Review

Reader Review – Mass Effect 3: Citadel

For the non-tech savvy types like myself, this article will help you figure out how to actually PLAY the Citadel DLC!

How To Start Mass Effect 3’s Citadel DLC

Health, Opinion

My article on DNA is up!

March 1, 2013March 1, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

Check out my latest article – Investigating Our DNA.

It’s amazing to think how much of our destiny is already pre-programmed into our genome. Someone told me once that everyone was born a blank slate, with the potential to be imprinted by the environment alone. In reality, our unique genetic makeup influences us from the beginning, from the colour of our eyes right down to our inheritable diseases. With the advances in genotyping technology, there’s also so much we can learn about our genetic ancestry. Our past, present and future are clearly impacted by many unseen factors – one of them being our genetic code. This really flies in the face of the concept that we’re all in 100% control of our lives, because really, from the minute we’re born, we’re given a set of cards that are beyond our control.It’s a reminder for me to rely on Allah because He’ll look after me, and everyone around me.

Health, Life

My new article on acupuncture is up!

February 18, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

Check out my Lip Mag article, The Joys of Acupuncture.

I strongly recommend every sentient being to trial the benefits of acupuncture. Yes, I kid you not, I am that much of a believer in the power of harnessing TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)! It’s made a huge difference to my own health and my husband’s, and after many years of being rushed through our GP appointments…it’s nice to get an hour or two of uninterrupted care by our acupuncturists.

Here’s to TCM, and better health!

facebook, Life, Love

Facebook kills romance

February 13, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

Ha, bet that title got your attention 🙂

I read a cool Huffington Post article Facebook Valentines: Study Finds Oversharing On Personal Life Hurts Romantic Relationships. This is a particularly telling paragraph:

One of the problems with your significant other opening up on Facebook is that “you feel less special and unique,” Kansas doctoral student in psychology Juwon Lee concluded. Many times you feel they’re trusting you with intimate information, but then you see them sharing their feelings with everyone, Lee said.

The study goes on to describe the relationship between disclosure and feelings of intimacy – namely, the more you disclose about your romantic relationship, the less intimacy you actually feel with your partner. This might seem paradoxical in an age of constant FB status updates – OMG I want to SHARE everything with EVERYONE – but if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Think of all those quiet moments of intimacy which you share with the person you love – that’s special. Flailing it about on Facebook takes away that magic only the two of you can share.

Food for thought, as the world braces for another Valentine’s Day onslaught.

Counselling, freelance, Gaming, Life

Assessment time!

February 7, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

As I write this, I’m finishing up two workbooks due tomorrow and preparing to review my notes for an all-day prac on Friday. I also completed a proof-reading project earlier in the week. Suffice to say, this week has been stressful.

In the midst of my writing and editing work, I’m completing a diploma of counselling via correspondence. I’ve discovered the importance of having a timetable – and sticking to it. One of the challenges of a freelance writer/editor/student who works and studies from home is, well, staying at home. It’s so cosy, with so many distractions…like my Xbox 360. Ha. I’ve recently discovered the epic Mass Effect trilogy, and I’m really glad that I’m waiting for the arrival of my Mass Effect 3 game from eBay :p It helps to space things out a bit. Once I’m done with this trilogy, I’m aiming to write another gaming article.

In the spirit of not caving into study stress and indulging in Indo Mi, my vice, I’ve whipped out my exercise mat. Each time I feel stress levels or sleepiness rising, I do a few push-ups, squats, crunches, and I’m a lot more awake by the time I’m done. Try it out! Sitting for hours is really bad for your posture anyway.

Check out this article by Huffington Post: Food And Stress: 7 Healthy Picks That Can Help You Relax.

Life

Rain, floods and natural disasters

February 2, 2013February 2, 2013 Raidah Shah Idil

My husband and I have been watching the news and we were really shocked to see how a few days of heavy rain in Sydney meant flooding in Queensland, and in another news segment, there were really bad bush fires elsewhere in Australia! I pray that everyone in these affected areas stays safe, heeds the emergency warnings, and that relief for them comes soon.

We had our own brush with flooding a few days ago. My husband travels to different work sites as part of his job as an acoustics engineer. A few days ago, I followed him as he drove to the Hunter Valley to do some measurements – our plan was to stay overnight, and for him to continue working the following day at a nearby town. A phone call from one of his clients derailed our plans – a river in that town had burst its banks, and the roads were closed. So we ended up driving back after he completed his first job near the Hunter Valley.

This goes to show that work plans really take a back seat when natural disasters take centre stage :p The rain is continuing to pour in Sydney. Here’s hoping the floods will abate in Queensland, and that people will stay safe and resume their normal lives soon.