An Nisaa - I am Woman

This is not a portrait of a legendary heroine from the past. Nor is she a princess in a fable created by an impressionable artist. This is Almaz. And she is real.

If Almaz were a building structure, I'd reckon she would be the Taj Mahal. She's beautiful, intelligent, unpretentious and strong-willed. She is a woman of principle, highly opiniated and knows exactly what she wants.   

The magical, mystical and magnificent Taj Mahal.  Pix taken from http://www.tajmahal.travel/

Almaz, which means "diamond" in Ethiopian, is vocal and extremely articulate; when she speaks, one cannot help but be mesmerised as she expresses herself with a myriad of facial expressions created from each element of her face. Her well-arched eyebrows complement her almond eyes, and in presenting a point, her right brow arches at a height according to a scale which indicates her level of seriousness.

Her nose is unusually sharp for someone who is of pure Malay parentage, and it bears the distinct septum, obviously inherited from her late mother, Hajjah Esah Hamzah. But what makes Almaz is most definitely her smile. She has one of the most enchanting smiles I have ever seen. When Almaz smiles, she gives it her all. A big, sunshiny smile that bares two neatly set rows of teeth that seem to reflect her openness and magnanimity. Often, the smile comes with a hearty, outward laugh, one that you know, somehow, that Almaz is genuine. When she likes something, she will tell you so. And when she doesn't, she will also let you know. This is just how she is. Straight-forward, open and honest.       

I love this picture. This is in Charlesten, St Austell in Devon, England,  where the Eden Project is, she says. Taken without permission because I wanted this to be a surprise :-p

That is probably one of the traits that makes Almaz a successful architect in her own right. She runs her own practice, known as Almaz Architect Sdn Bhd. I won't be writing about her profesional achievements as you can read all about her accolades on her website here,  I do want to mention though, that she was featured in a book titled " Biografi Tokoh Wanita Kelantan" (Biography of Kelantan Women Icons).

Almaz was a nominee of The Malaysian Women's Weekly  Great Women of Our Time in 2010.  Picture taken from http://www.almazarchitect.com

The book was launched on the 22nd of March this year at a "by invitation only" function which I had wormed my way into with the help of an aunt. Among other reasons, I had wanted to be a part of the occasion because my eldest sister, Prof. Dr. Azni Zain Ahmed is also featured in the book. I had written about her in an earlier post "Behind The Woman at the Helm". This book showcases women from Kelantan who had made significant contributions in academics, health, business, economy, poltics and the arts.



I'm not close enough with Almaz to say that I know everything about her in absolute detail. But as a child, I had always looked up to her as someone who didn't seem afraid of anything or anyone. I remember especially, a time when she told off a male adult, because of her concern for his child. At that time, she was barely in her teens, but she was as sharp as her jawline. Almaz makes no excuse about standing for her rights, and the rights of others.

Having battled with diabetes from an early age, Almaz is  extremely concerned about health issues. In this picture,  Almaz is seen visiting my late mother during a Hari Raya.   At this time, Mama who was also a diabetic, had just had  a minor operation on her toe.  Almaz always showed concern for Mama especially about her diet,  and knowing Mama had a sweet tooth, brought her  sugar-free chocolates to indulge in.

I am not a writer, I cannot write whenever or whatever there is to write. I can only write when I want to. Sometimes I'm not even sure what it is that compels me, as with the case of Almaz. I just felt I have to write about her, to the extent of putting aside other pressing matters just to complete this post. But the reason eluded me...right until I reached this next paragraph (I don't even plan what I'm going to write, the lines just flow from the heart to the tips of my fingers). This is the reason why I want to write about her:

Within the solid structure of steel and stone, lies a gem of a heart  that is warm, caring and generous in kind and in spirit. Just like a diamond, Almaz radiates light to the lives of the people around her. She makes time and gives attention to people, listening to them and helping in any way she can. This nobility and compassion, coming from a strong-headed person, is what I find very inspiring and reverent, and definitely a design for other women to emulate. This is, Almaz.

Another picture of Almaz I love, taken from her Facebook account.  It's just so endearing to see her holding her  one and only precious grandchild.