Birthdays & Workdays

with my anticipated day of turning 30, and packing for my trip back to malaysia, i forgot to spend a few space in my humble blog in birthday dedications to two just10 buddies, and two sibling cousins.

happy birthday to

• hani turned 30 on the 23rd
• anneeza joined the 30s club on the 25th
• nadhirah turned 15 on the 27th and
• rini is 24 on the 30th - today! (cakap lah bunga tu sape bagi?!)
  

* * *

they were both there on the day mr. khairul and i first met. let's just say they were the first of our siblings who met either one of us - my youngest sis azi and mr. khairul's younger sis tina.

funnily enough, both would have something significant this coming weekend : one would finished her industrial training, and another would start on one.

azi would wrap up her industrial training this coming friday, taking with her bags of wisdom, experience and priceless knowledge. throughout her practical, we followed her office-adventure through facebook; sometimes funny, at times seemed tired, but always with a positive attitude!

meanwhile, tina would begin her practical training in genting come monday next. she was 'heart-broken' knowing that she probably could not spend as much time with khaleef as she had plan to, being stuck up there with the high-rollers! well, we make the best with what we have so two days would be awesome when they're well spent!

to azi, have a great start on your continuing pursuit of education and to tina, good luck on your new job!

* * *

the next time i talk to you guys, i'd be on a different geographical spot. watch this space.

Kahfi is 2nd Cutest in Red!

a cool informative site for malaysian mommies, mombloggers planet started a monthly cutest baby contest, with different theme each month. it will run until end of the year where the 1st and 2nd prize winners 'fight' for the title 'cutest baby on the planet'! for june it's Cutest Baby in RED!

and kahfi won 2nd prize! check out the announcement of winners and what we won here!

kahfi's entry for cutest baby in red!

i mean, of course kahfi is super-cute like me (betul lah! hihi) but the rest of the 129 contestants are mighty adorable too! memang banyak sangat yang cute. i especially like cheeky adam zuhair, sweet adam arsyad, handsome mikhail rifki, macho muhammad, and the charming zharif adlan! jom kita buat boy band lah! hihi.

if you wanna see the other super cute babies in red, click here!

it's cool that kahfi is second to miss anis 'manis' mardihah, because funnily enough, she's one picture that captured my attention during the run of the contest. i'm sure all mommies who entered their babies checked out their babies' competition, aight? so i did the same, clicking away at other blog entries.

i checked out jiji's blog (anis's mom) and i left a comment telling her how creative her shots were. (she surrounds her baby's face with a red silky cloth, giving the impression of a tudung-clad baby) creativity wins the day!

congrats to us! *clink clink*

* * *

khaleef's entry to the cutest baby contest in bsc

speaking of winning 2nd prize - when he's around 7-8 months old, we entered khaleef's photo in the cutest baby contest too - organized by bangsar shopping centre in colabo with toys r us.

and hey back then he won 2nd prize too!

we didn't know who won the first prize, because it wasn't on display even after the contest. i just got a call one day, telling me that khaleef won 2nd place and i had to collect the prizes at toys r us hq. mr. khairul went to get 'em - and it was a whole bunch of wrapped up presents - toys, lego set and a box of reading and writing activities, all courtesy of toys r us!

* * *

sigh. honey you're so lucky to have a super cute wife like me! hihi. big bear hug and snuffy wuffy kissies for my adorable baby boys khaleef and kahfi!

for mommies out there, the cutest baby contest by mombloggers planet is a monthly thing, so check out july's theme so that you can enter your baby and win awesome prizes! have fun and good luck!

to khaleef and kahfi, mak nak tunjuk posting ni kat girlfriend korang nanti okay? hihi!

Destinasi

destinasi kami.
nanti.

* * *

ipoh

* * *

kampung lalang

tunggu.
kami.

Proton in Dubai, Modhesh & Michael Jackson

spotted!


on our way to the festival city, we were delayed on the road by this familiar sight - a proton wira's backside! i was so excited to see a malaysian car driven on dubai road! first time nampak...

* * *

when i first saw this yellow accordian-like thingy in fluffed toy version, bookmarks and notebooks - full merchandise on sale at a stall in a mall - i was asking myself what IS this thing? i'm sure it must be a mascott of some sort, or based on a cartoon show in dubai?


then i started seeing yellow everywhere - literally! this yellow sunny-headed, slinky-bodied thing is sitting on roundabout landmarks, road signs and even life-sized statues of it can be seen standing with arms outstretched on grassy corners of busy roads!

who, or what IS this thing?

several blogs i stumbled upon amusingly described modhesh - one as having an 'eternal ray of annoyance', since it can be found practically staring at motorists at road junctions and corners all around dubai. another describe the character as a 'result of a banana and a slinky having an affair'! some described it cutely as a 'yellow jack-in-a-box', while another commented it looked more like a 'baby tape worm'!

then i found it he is 'modhesh' - the mascott of the 'dubai summer surprises' - the tagline for the dubai summer sale (something like msia's mega sale carnival). with its infectious wide grin and bright sunny color, gulfnews even described him as the 'mickey mouse of the middle east' for its popularity with the kids.

"Modhesh, which is Arabic for amazing, is a jack-in-the box with tufts of yellow and blue hair above his face to symbolise rays of sunshine."

~ from gulfnews. click here to read more!

at festival city, we spotted this life-sized modhesh standing at the entrance of ikea! i really wanted to take a shot but both khaleef and kahfi were asleep so i didn't have the excuse to take a picture with this adorable character who seemed to be attracting only kids!

so, i stood beside modhesh, just minding my own business, not really posing for any camera - and mr. khairul took a shot! hihi.

i don't understand why people have to be so annoyed by modhesh (looking at several postings in different blogs). there's even a 'kill modhesh' facebook group out there but if you ask me, i love modhesh! he's yellow (my favorite color) he's smiling all the time and it's so cute that they're placing him everywhere around dubai! it brings a smile to see him sitting on an otherwise empty grass space.

what he represents - the psycho-urging to spend, spend, spend - that's something we can decide to do, or not to do - on our own. don't blame it on modhesh!

* * *

it's hard not to talk about the shocking passing of the king of pop, michael jackson.

i never listed him as my favorite artist, but he's undoubtly one i cannot take my eyes off whenever he performs. one whose songs i can memorize from constant listenings, one whose news and stories never fail to capture my attention.


like everyone on the planet, i started looking for michael jackson's music videos via youtube, or clicking to mtv or channel v for their sure-fire tribute to the pop legend. just last night we watched cbs' 'the life and death of michael jackson' - and we watched the summary of his big break with the jackson 5, his shot to stardom, his music, his ever-altering face, his bizarre lifestyle and his untimely death.

on a lighter note, we started to exchange our own personal commentaries throughout the tribute:

"he's a good looking black dude. apsal dia nak jadi putih!"
"dia nak jadi diana ross. tak percaya?"
"masa ni dia hitam lagi.."
"ha..masa ni dia dah weird.."
"kenape when he speaks is different than when he sings? lain sangat!" (after which mr. khairul would demonstrate his very bad impression of michael jackson speaking)
"uish tapi tgk dia menari. uish rilek gile."
"i don't think dia larat la pun nak buat 50 gigs kat london tu."
"eh, imagine if he collapse during the london concert...dramatic gile."
"uish, sape-sape yang pegang tiket concert tu juta-juta la worth dia."
"ni dah la. masa ni hidung dia dah weird."
"kenape dia nak tukar muka dia!"
"kan you cakap dia nak jadi diana ross tu!"

and we watched in awe his video clips; the pioneer of music vids with stories - thriller. "tapi, ala p.ramlee kan dah buat dulu hantu klua kubur ni.." haha.

..and we started to pick our favorite mj's music video - i love 'remember the time' for its song and 'the way you make me feel' - which i think is michael's sexiest, most manly music video, considering how effeminate he was during interviews. mr. khairul loves the song 'dirty diana' while he admires michael's suave moves and awesome footwork in 'smooth criminal'. agreed!

we even tried to do the moonwalk during commercial breaks, laughing as we failed miserably!

for khaleef and kahfi, they'll know michael jackson the way my generation appreciate frank sinatra's music i guess. call him a madman, an acquitted phido or wacko jacko - but he is already a legend, giving us awesome music to last forever, and powerful performances in the span of his career. i'm anxiously waiting to see how the american music award would show its tribute to him.

he may be gone, but his music lives on!

Tag : By Aisha

tadi saya demam. sekarang sudah beransur pulih. ucapan terima kasih saya kepada pencipta panadol, dan juga kepada encik khairul yang telah memasak lauk pauk yang sedap untuk hidangan makan malam dan siang saya. di dalam hati saya amat bersyukur punya suami yang tidak kekok di dapur dan pandai pula memasak!

saya perasan yang teman saya aisha melengkapkan soalan tag saya untuk dia di blognya. jadi saya ingin pula menjawab soalan tag dari beliau. nah!

* * *

Sila jawab soalan-soalan ini dalam Bahasa Melayu sahaja.


1. Bekas kekasih saya adalah:
~ anuar zain? haha.

2. Saya sedang mendengar:
~ khaleef bising bermain xbox.

3. Mungkin saya patut:
~ rehat kerana saya baru baik demam!

4. Saya suka:
~ menyanyi semasa memasak.

5. Sahabat-sahabat baik saya:
~ amat memahami kepelik-an saya.

6. Saya tak paham:
~ bagaimana khaleef boleh menewaskan tailung dalam level terakhir kungfu panda, sedangkan saya dalam level latihan pun gagal menewaskan lawan.

7. Saya kehilangan:
idea sebab demam.

8. Ramai yang berkata:
~ yang saya ni comel orangnya. betul lah! gelak kenape?

9. Makna nama saya:
~ tidak dapat dikenalpasti. cuba anda google.

10. Cinta itu adalah:
~ khairul.

11. Di suatu tempat, seseorang sedang:
~ mengingati saya di ipoh, kl dan melbourne.

12. Saya akan cuba:
membuat sambal belacan yang lebih pedas dari sebelum ini untuk penkritik terhebat saya, encik khairul.

13. Ayat SELAMANYA membawa maksud:
~ tidak pernah henti; seakan seperti khaleef yang sedang bermain xbox itu.

14. Telefon bimbit saya:
~ bewarna putih, bergaris merah jambu.

15. Bila saya terjaga dari tidur:
~ saya terus sambung tidur kembali.

16. Saya paling meluat apabila:
~ orang mengutuk anuar zain.

17. Pesta/Parti adalah:
~ menyeronokkan jika bergelak ketawa di samping keluarga, teman-teman akrab atau yang tersayang.

18. Haiwan yang paling comel yang saya pernah temui ialah:
~ mok dan kering di dalam semak sebelah rumah saya di ipoh.

19. Peringkat umur yang paling menyeronokkan bagi saya ialah:
~ kemungkinan di kala 16 tahun - mak masih ada, saya di tahun 'bulan madu' di sekolah, sudah agak senior, namun masih muda - terasa amat cool dan hebat di samping rakan-rakan, membuat pementasan drama yang amat-amat saya minati.

20. Hari ini:
~ saya demam.

21. Malam ini saya akan:
~ cuba menghabiskan soalan tag oleh aisha ini.

22. Esok pula saya akan:
~ ke al-tawasol makan nasi mandi, jika saya sudah betul sihat!

23. Saya betul-betul inginkan:
~ nasi tomato cik, nasi ayam auntyna, rendang hari raya yong dan satay kajang.

24. Ketika anda lihat wajah anda di hadapan cermin pagi ini:
~ saya berkata, "comelnya saya di umur 30 tahun ini!"

25.Pusat membeli-belah atau arked permainan:
~ pastinya pusat membeli-belah - xbox di rumah pun saya kurang minat bermain, inikan pulak di arked permainan.

26.Makanan Barat atau Jepun:
~ pastinya makanan barat! hanya encik khairul yang gemarkan makanan jepun.

27.Bilik yang terang atau gelap:
~ bilik yang terang untuk saya membaca, manakala bilik yang gelap untuk lelap!

28. Makanan segera adalah:
~ sesuatu yang amat saya gemari.

29. Ayat terakhir yang anda katakan pada seseorang?
~ khaleef, shhhhh!

30. Siapa yang anda mahu tag?
~ syida, azi, kak arin, fida, anneeza, syu

Kahfi : 6ix Months After

in my zest to celebrate my 30th birthday, i neglected to mention that my kahfi turned 6 months last 23rd! he's been with us for half a year now!


his achievements so far:

• the best is of course he's now able to wriggle forward, very fast!
• he hasn't crawled yet but yeah, he's fast!
• favorite sleeping position is not tido anak kucing, but he would arch his back backwards baru sedap tido - try it!
• he enjoys harassing big bro khaleef while playing xbox
• abang khaleef would often heard saying (or more like shouting) "mak, look dat!", "mak, kahfi!" or "mak, again!!!"
• able to grab, hold, swing and bite his toys

i'm so proud of him!

* * *

can't write much today - demam! but a writer is always a writer. so blog i must! hihi.

no, really i felt funny since last night, had clogged nose this morning and then a slight feverish feel up my spine. took panadols after my meals and hide myself under the cover for a long, refreshing naps - and i'm much better now!

mr. khairul cooked dinner yesterday and lunch today too much to my delight because he is a super-cook! his black pepper chicken is deliciouso. fantastico. muchos muchos sedap! love you so much!

oh-kay. before i memalufying myself by continue to merepek-ing, i shall excuse myself. i'll see you again when i'm err.. sane.

Burp-day Meal @ The Meat Co

"so kita nak makan mana? burj al-arab?" hihi.

"lebeh kurang lah."

and he ain't kidding. i mean, we didn't dine at the burj - gile! but this is probably the closest we could get to eating in the company of the only 7-star hotel in the world.


for my 30th birthday dinner, mr. khairul took me to 'the meat co', in souk madinat jumeirah - said to be the place for meat-lovers, with a fantabulous view to boot. it is situated on the sea front of the 'mall', and offers one of the most spectacular view of the arabian gulf, and in particular, the burj al-arab.

mr. khairul booked way in advance to get the best table that faces the burj, right beside the canals where we can enjoy the calming sea water while watching *'abras' pass by ferrying guests across the canals, just like in venice (ewah!).

*abra is the arabic word for boat, is a traditional one made of wood, used to transport people across the dubai creek, sort off like a water-taxi.

it was a wednesday, a working day - but tables were full all around. in fact there were people lining up to get a table.

it was a typical warm summer night, but i was glad sitting snugly where i was, two amazing views in front of me - the magnificent burj al-arab hotel, and the awesome man who brought me here.


khaleef slept on the way here, and woke up mengigau! we sat him up, gave him slices of the yummiest appetizer i've ever eaten - super-soft bread with choc chip and cherries - and he slept while still munching! few minutes later, he woke up, only to get excited over seeing the boats floated by, just to fall asleep again.


kahfi? kahfi meragam and was sweating so we took off his top! straight-away it changed his mood entirely and he cheerfully greeted everyone within 1 mile radius with his infectious smile.

* * *

FOOD REVIEW
other than char kuey teow, the other dish i was always looking for in dubai is a good dish of lamb chops or lamb cutlets. sweet, juicy, tender lamb meat. and that was what i ordered.

we have the option of having a side dish of fries, baked potato or mashed potato. i went for the first, while mr. khairul chose the baked potato. this was a plus point, for some steak house just plop a scoop of mashed potato without giving option like this.

with the place, the view and the price - i waited in high anticipation of the presentation of the dish.

what came was 5 lamb cutlets stacked on a huge white plate, with fat fries in a small bowl on the side. that's it. i don't have pictures, and it's really too dark anyway but you picture just 5 lamb cutlets with fries on the side. not too attractive, yeah?

okay. i took a bite. it was heavenly. nyum nyum. i LOVE lamb chops! and i LOVE fat fries! you know, the kind that looks like shoe string but fatter? but be forewarned. there wasn't even a portion of side-salad or fresh-steamed brocolli and baby carrots that came with the dish. if you want those, you got to order it separately which adds to the cost.

with this pricey meal, i'd have thought a small side scoop of complimentary salad wouldn't hurt! mr. khairul said ramai orang tak makan sayur pun. so they probably wouldn't mind. well, i do! i want some greens to go with my succulent meat!

so if you really want the meat, the meat co gives you just that. it is what they do best. side dishes aside (pun intended!) the meat itself is sweet and juicy, soft to the munch and well-done. complement it with my 'summer breeze' mocktail of orange, pineapple and peach - it's a perfect meal to celebrate being 30!

got a special day to celebrate, then come over!

* * *

me, abah, syima, syida & azi @ souk madinat jumeirah in 2004

the souk madinat jumeirah is a mall adjacent to a resort, made to look like an open-air market (souk) in a typical arabian city, complete with the 'wind towers' - in fact it's like straight from an arabian folklore.

to my sisters korang dah pergi dah mall ni - this was the mall yang kita cakap macam citer aladdin tu? ingat tak? it has clay flooring, wooden door panels and timber pillars; along with intricate arabic-pattern carvings on its walls. the walls are painted to resemble clay, and the 'wind towers' reinforce the authentic arabian feel.

me @ souk madinat jumeirah in 2009

see my picture on the right? that's the wind towers. before the invention of air conditioners, the inhabitants of the middle east used wind towers to capture wind and direct it to the interior, cooling their homes. cool, eh?

one thing that i don't like about it is we could get lost in its meandering pathways along the bazaar-like atmosphere. the mall is beautiful, but you really have to know where you were before you start loafing around!

other than the numerous retails shops and makan places inside, the madinat jumeirah also has waterfront eateries to choose from, one of them is the meat co. nyum! truly one of the must-stop attractions in dubai, at least to get some pictures against a backdrop of classic arabian architecture and the sail-shaped 7-star hotel, burj al-arab!

* * *

mr. khairul had only this to say, "happy birthday, sayang. i love you my kerepot loving wife!"

hmmph!

enjoy this short video of the burj al-arab changing colors in this warm summer night, plus a special, yet lawak (albeit sad) rendition of 'happy birthday' song from khaleef.

Happy Birthday to Syigim : I am 30!

happy birthday to me
happy birthday to me
happy birthday to syigimmmmmmmm
happy birthday to me!

my sisters went all the way to make their birthday wish extra special with home-made videos and self-made animated e-cards!

* * *

this is a shot from a short and sweet plus extremely adorable video of my nephews haiqal and haqeem and niece husna singing 'selamat hari jadi'. well, actually only haiqal was singing whole-heartedly. haqeem looked like some kid yang malas mengaji tapi kena paksa ngaji kuat-kuat, while husna jual mahal, eh!

LATEST: i just embedded the video from yong's facebook. enjoy her kids' cuteness - the triple 'h' - haiqal (suara paling kuat), haqeem (nak taknak je nyanyi) and husna (tak tengok kamera!)


and this is the picture yong posted on my fb wall. i'm SO cute, aren't i? i love this picture. it's the very definition of our character-difference as sisters. she, the lovely, demure, soft-spoken elder sis - and i, the spunky, kooky, tomboyish younger sis.

i love you so much, yong and thanks for the video yang comel sangat-sangat!

* * *

my first younger sister syima, (also sweet, demure, soft-spoken bla bla bla - do i see a pattern here?) also did a special compilation of our pictures together in fb. some cute ones, and some yucks one where my thigh looks like kayu merbau - so i took this one out to show you guys what a family clown i really am.

and even at 30, i don't think it'll change.


thanks, gossip queen! i'll be back home soon, where gossips never die...

* * *

my second youngest sister syida made an animated birthday e-card just for me! it is so so cool, especially considering who's actually gracing the card - me!

sigh. i'm still so cute at 30. (stop snickering. it's my birthday.)


she also made a fantabulous birthday tribute to me in her blog. check it out here!

thanks, syida! i know your creativity was inspired by all those years of sharing a room with a creative genius like me. it's okay. you don't need to mention it. *snicker*

* * *

finally, my adik bongsu. thanks azi, Yang balik nanti kita makan kfc, satay kajang, goreng-goreng macam dulu.

i want:

1. nando's
2. waffle world
3. ice-cream (lupa nama ice-cream stall kat one utama tu)
4. marble cheese cake/banana choc cake at secret recipe

when we drive to UPM see whether khaleef still remembers it's where we have to pick up mak su...

* * *

here's another card hand-made by syida. thanks yong, syima, syida, azi - you guys made my day. love you so much and really can't wait to spend every second in malaysia with you!

p/s: coincidentally, at the time of posting this, i got an sms from abah and umi : "Happy Birthday Syigim, Wishing U, Khairul, Khaleef and Kahfi many happy returns. Barakallahu Fik. Take care, see you all soon. Insya Allah. Lots of love from us."

*smile*

Me is 30 Birthday Happy : FB Wishes

i. am. thirty. years. old.

today! happy birthday to me!

no speeches, no revelation, no resolution, no bulls - i don't want to say much today (uhuk uhuk yah right). but i do wanna thank my dear cousins, aunties, uncles and friends for these well-wishes via facebook. you guys really made my day :)
















..makes turning 30 more rockin' and rollin'!