Friday, October 29, 2010

Drive-Through ATM in Dubai

you are about to withdraw a huge amount of money. you have your toddler with you. it might be dangerous to withdraw that much money when you have to carry, hold hands or even baby-wear your kid. furthermore, your parked car is quite a distance from the atm.

or perhaps, it’s already late at night, you’re in your pyjamas, or baju kelawar, and you’re just too lazy to change into something more appropriate just to withdraw some money.

and just maybe, it’s the rush hour and finding a parking spot near the bank is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

the solution?



drive-through atm!

these pictures were taken by my sister in law tina during my in-laws’ visit here late last year. at that time, even i was surprised as it was the first time i came across the drive-through atm.

drive, withdraw money, then just speed off – all in the comfort of your car.

nice!



kat malaysia ade tak? *wink*


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Khaleef’s Student Planner

yes, bapak is not the only one walking around with a management planner. khaleef has one too – well, a student planner, that is. very, very useful!

 

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the student planner contains a comprehensive detail on the school’s rules and regulations, guidelines for younger students in foundation stage (like khaleef).

some of the items mentioned :

  • parents are asked to label their kids’ uniforms, bags and food container
  • provide extra sets of clothes (in case of emergency!)
  • provide an ‘art apron’ – in the form of daddy’s old t-shirt! how cute is that – a bunch of kids in their daddy’s oversized t-shirts!
  • khaleef usually brings either sandwiches, croissants, biscuits or sometimes cucur manis to school – there’s also a guideline on what NOT to bring, for example anything with peanuts, for fear of any allergic reaction

 

the first page opens up to the national anthem of uae! but it’s in arabic, so i haven’t quite figure out yet what  the lines mean…

 

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the planner also lists out useful websites that the kids can browse and play interactively, as well as the weekly planner that marks all the important events, activities and school holidays.

 

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there’s also a list of letters, sounds and words that the kids learn day by day in school. this is to encourage parents to participate in their kids’ learning experience at home. i can go through them, or ask khaleef to tell me which ‘sounds’ he learns that particular day.

 

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there’s also some tips for parents to support their kids in their learning to read and write.

  • let them hear how language is put together in a sentence, so mak and bapak must speak in complete sentences too!
  • learn in everyday life – whether at the grocery, while waiting for the doctor or in the car – read the labels, signage or street signs around you. you can also ask your kids to spot letters that they know
  • reading together – it builds the kid’s interest in books, and widen their vocabulary. books with pictures can be used to enhance communication skills, as you ask them to observe the pictures and tell you what they see
  • do lots of activities with brushes and crayons to enhance their motor skills and practice their grip needed for writing

 

there’s also pages with tables labelled ‘money record’, ‘injury record’ and ‘absence record’. these all seemed pretty organized down to the dates and signatures – to avoid any misunderstanding later on.

 

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…and the most important reason of all for khaleef to have this planner, is the ‘parent-teacher communication’ pages. in fact, 80% of the pages in the book is allocated for this purpose.

khaleef brings home the planner everyday and i have to give it a quick check for any note from his teacher :

 

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for example, the other day when khaleef was sniffling, i sent him off to school with a white jacket. later he came back from school with this note, ‘dear parents, please buy the school jacket for khaleef. wearing any other jacket is not allowed,’ signed by his class teacher.

i was supposed to reply with something like, ‘dear miss m, noted. will do the necessary’ – or something like that.

i’m guessing that if khaleef needed to bring a traditional costume for an activity, or maybe he spilled his juice and dirtied his school uniform – the teacher will scribble a note for our information. also, if (or when) khaleef is particularly naughty! i hope not!

of course, if there’s an official note like school concert or invitation to a sports event, khaleef will be given a printed letter for the parents – but this parent-teacher handwritten-note-thing does make it personal and therefore gets a personal attention as well.

 

* * *

 

later this afternoon, mr. khairul and i will be going to khaleef’s school for the ‘settling-in parents consultation’ with khaleef’s class teacher.

i hope she not only has good things to say (if ONLY good things, it usually means the teacher doesn’t have anything extra to say about khaleef; thus khaleef doesn’t really shine or stands out from the crowd) but also personal observations like how he always like to jump and pretends he’s spiderman or that he needs to brush up on his ‘s’ pronounciation – specific things like that.

wow.

my first parent-teacher meeting. this is gonna be fun!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Dubai, My Second Home

there’s no place like home, malaysia.

however, for the past two years, i’ve been living in dubai, following my husband who works here. this month (18th october to be precise) marks our 2nd year being part of the huge expat community in dubai.

seems only yesterday i 'celebrated' our 1st anniversary of living in dubai. it was just the three of us when we started off, as i was pregnant with kahfi when i arrived in dubai. and just two years later – we’re suddenly 5ive!


us in 2008 @ klia to dubai (see my baby bump?) ~ us in 2010 on recent trip back


i have a confession. before coming here, i thought abu dhabi and dubai are two different countries. really! turns out, they both are states in a country called united arab emirates (UAE) and abu dhabi is the capital.

mana la tak macam dua negara? abu dhabi and dubai have their own airline; etihad for abu dhabi, and emirates for dubai. their police wear different uniform, and harga minyak pun lain-lain tau!


* * *


introducing dubai!

where is dubai in the world map? it’s the one marked star – see how far it is from malaysia? but it seemed to be right smack in the middle of the world map, right?



flight kl-dubai takes about 6 hours plus, and we’re 4 hours apart – if it’s 8am in dubai, it’s already lunch time in malaysia at 12 noon!

the picture below will show you the location of the 7 states, or here they call it ‘emirates’ – abu dhabi the capital, dubai, sharjah, ajman, umm al quwain, ras al khaymah and fujairah.

  1. abu dhabi – mellow city but fast catching up on brother city, dubai with their awesome yas hotel (yang bentuk macam topi basikal tu) and the gorgeous ferrari world
  2. dubai – our home!
  3. sharjah – home of qanat al-qasbah yang macam venice
  4. ajman
  5. umm al quwain – we hunted crabs here!
  6. ras al khaymah
  7. fujairah

dubai-map


fantastic facts on dubai!

  • since 1833, dubai has been ruled by the al maktoum dynasty – the present ruler of dubai is the handsome sheikh mohammed bin rashid al-maktoum
  • the climate is hot and dry - sunny MOST days of the year. in summer it can be super hot, temperature reaching 50c! however, during winter (nov – feb) it can be very pleasant, and some days surprisingly VERY cold, especially when it’s windy!
  • dubai is tax-free, there are no income taxes nor personal taxes!
  • the currency in dubai is dirham (dhs/aed)
  • 80% of people in dubai are foreigners, (tu aku rasa kenapa emiratis kena buat muka nyombong. diorang sekarang sikit dari pendatang, so have to show who owns the place!)
  • dubai is one of the safest cities in the world to live in with an extremely low crime rate
  • male emiratis wear kandura (long, white garb), while the females wear abaya (black jubah) ~ (aku suka tengok mamat emirati hensem yang pakai kandura, tapi dengan cap! ade jugak penah nampak awek emirati pakai abaya dengan sneakers! yeap! coolness!)
  • ‘sheikh zayed road’ is the longest stretch of highway in the UAE starting from the state of abu dhabi, across dubai and ends in ras al khaymah. it’s much like what federal highway is to KL. it houses a lot of office and apartment buildings
  • oh, and of course – dubai is the home of the tallest building in the world – the burj khalifa

dubai marina (where we live) contains over 200 highrise buildings (apartments and condos, hotels & office buildings). gile kan? i’m not done – right across dubai marina, is the jumeirah lake towers – yes, ALSO filled with puluhan lagi highrise buildings (more offices, and apartments).

imagine these buildings are domino blocks. sheesh.

the ones i exed are postponed or cancelled projects. see dubai marina? and next to it, the palm island? that’s the only mega project that has completed. it’s really an unbelievable feat, and you just need to drive there and walked on the grounds of palm jumeirah island to soak in the fact that it’s the biggest man-made island in the world!


dubai_map


the other one that i circled – bur dubai, was our first home in dubai before moving to dubai marina. i love it there. it’s much closer to al-tawasol, my favorite mandi restaurant!


* * *


5 things i like about dubai

  1. here, almost everything can be delivered to homes. one pack of rokok, pieces of roti canai, a plate of briyani or sandwiches – you name it – they can send it. so when mr. khairul is off to one of his many business visits for a few days and i’m swamped with the kids, i just call up the kedai runcit bawah, and they’ll send up one bottle of fresh milk and a loaf of bread!
  2. in most restaurants, there's always a family area, and singles area. so it's really comfy for us bringing a baby. also, a lot of places have separate sect for male and female - for example the clinic waiting room and the metro train (lrt). also swimming pools and gyms. the park has days where only females can go and exercise, and there are days where families can go.
  3. of course, the international crowd is awesome. everywhere you look, there’s mat salleh, malay look (most with malay looks would probably be from the philippines or indo) chinese, indians, arabs, arabs who look like mat saleh, arabs who look like hindi people – it’s quite a sight – a myriad of languages, culture, and idiosyncrasies
  4. i LOVE the malls in dubai! be it the biggest mall in the world dubai mall, or mall of emirates (which has the biggest indoor ski in the mid east), the classic mercato mall or dubai festival city
  5. saving the best for last, i like dubai because this is where i fall in love with NASI MANDI! i’m a self-confessed nasi mandi addict! i also self-appoint myself as the unofficial spokesperson for al-tawasol, my favorite nasi mandi restaurant in dubai!


5 things i dislike about dubai (aside from semua barang mahal!!!)

  1. every service here requires you to give tip, at least 2dhs (equivalent to RM2). from taxi driver, waiters, petrol pump attendant to the pizza delivery guy. if you don't tip, i guess it's fine - but don't expect your food to come on time on your next visit!
  2. we’re almost ALWAYS mistaken for philippinos. malaysian lah – MALAYSIAN, and proud to be!
  3. there are no street addresses in dubai – seriously, i don’t even know my home address! i always tell the cab/delivery guy, “the building in the middle of apartment W and apartment TY”.
  4. here in dubai, when you need petrol, you MUST place your car so that the pump will be exactly next to your petrol door. if your petrol door is on the other side of the pump, the police might fine you! so sometimes you'll see a long line on only ONE side of the pump only. ntahape kan
  5. the summer heat can be deadly, and i’m not speaking figuratively. memang ada orang mati sebab working under the hot sun! if i’m not mistaken, if the temperature hits 50 degrees, the construction workers get a day off!


oh lagi? in dubai, when you want to tapau food, you don't say 'tapau' or 'take away' – you say 'parcel'. "this one parcel, yah?" i was really surprised when i first heard it! it's weird!

ah, so much more – and as much as i miss my family and home so much, it has been an enjoyable 2 years in dubai. we have a large malaysian community here, so raya gatherings or any other activities held are never short of warmth and the feel of malaysian hospitality.

we’re all right here!


* * *


burj khaleef my eldest son khaleef, with burj khalifa; the tallest building in the world


sigh. 2 years already, huh?

lagi berapa lama lagi mau duduk sini, mr. khairul?


Wednesday, October 20, 2010

House For Rent @ Alam Budiman, Shah Alam

this is our house. it’s in a nice neighbourhood in alam budiman, shah alam, selangor. it’s a gorgeous double storey terrace house with red bricks. it was perfect.

almost.

the problem is, we’re now staying in dubai!


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so after an arduous discussion, we both agreed (with a very heavy heart) to rent it out to one lucky family!

STRICTLY for rent ye, NOT FOR SALE! sayang wo.. hihi.


  • it is situated near the new UiTM Puncak Perdana campus
  • it’s located at the 'Guthrie Corridor Expressway', the new gateway into shah alam with its vast network of access through roads and mass public transport system easing travel into kl, shah alam, klang, petaling jaya and subang jaya
  • it’s close to other townships like puncak perdana, sunway alam suria, and cahaya SPK



* * *



Std. lot size : 24' x 70'
Gross built up : 2,590 sq. ft.

4 rooms, 4 bathrooms. the two rooms upstairs has their own bathroom, rather than shared. that’s a plus when we bought the house!

it really is very spacious. i absolutely LOVE the layout of the house. so sad while writing this. isk isk. sob sob. snortz. my khaleef will show you around in these photos –


alam budiman


hall & dining area


you can see that the house is TOTALLY empty. if (or when) you decide to rent this house, we’ll be putting up the grill to the door, the sliding door and windows.


master bedroom


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our neighbours – the one on the left is a malay muslim family – we’ve met the husband; nice guy, great big family with young kids. on our right is an indian muslim family. i’ve yet to meet this family.

this neighbourhood seemed to have a fairly grounded community – lots of get-together sessions and activities. check out the ‘alam budiman online community’ to check it out. they even have a website for the alam budiman surau! click here!


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IMPORTANT : we expect the paperwork to be done by 25th october or so, and the tenant to move in by 30th october 2010. hurry, hurry – first come, first serve!

contact mr. khairul’s brother, khairul adzha for further questions, rent details or request to see the premise.

  • 019 – 248 4878 or
  • 013 – 208 5903

saya doakan dapat penyewa yang berhemah dan bertanggungjawab, maklumla – nak sewakan rumah kesayangan!

* * *

* as of 30/10/2010, we officially signed the tenancy agreement with encik rosdi and puan kathy from perak. mixed feelings! letting go of a brand NEW virgin house (dream house with red bricks!) to be rented, but at the same time glad that our monthly house payment to the bank will be significantly reduced!

to encik rosdi's family, happy building memories at our home, enjoy the neighbourhood and jaga rumah kitorang baik-baik ye!

isk isk. sob sob.

Syida : Master of Commerce

well hey, we’ve got a financial planner graduate in the family! 20102010 is her magic number now!

i’m so proud of you, my little sister. more than words. you’ve grown from a little girl who sleeps while eating maggi in the cup – to an outspoken, admirable young lady who can speak volume about money matters. from the comot days of methodist girls’ school, then a UM graduate, and now holding a master’s of commerce from deakin, australia.

congratulations on your convocation!

i hereby appoint you as my financial planner. pro bono!



didja hug that wombat for me?

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Khaleef Has a Student ID!

for those who just found out, yes – my eldest boy is off to school for the very first time. he has a uniform; pale yellow color with dark blue shorts and black shoes. and he’s given a student identity card, hard and durable – looks like something a college teen would use to swap books from the library.

 

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man, kids these days. macam-macam!

 

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it’s got his full name, class, bus number, pick-up and drop-off point, as well as phone numbers of parents or guardians. it also includes all the important numbers for police, fire and ambulance.

he wears it with a lanyard strap fastly around his neck.

when he goes up the bus, the driver will take a bar-code reader that he put by his side, and swapped khaleef’s card! when he arrives home and goes down the bus, the driver will swap again.

what’s next? a bar-coded sticker on kids’ cloth diapers at the nursery?

Monday, October 18, 2010

Jom Ke Estet!

what a refreshing idea for a movie – a comedy focusing on the indian community, integrating with the malays as workers at a rubber estate. well, as far as malaysian movies mainstream is concerned, i’d say it could be suicide for director-writer mamat khalid to come up with something different such as this movie.

and i applaud his courage and creativity! (lagipun, takde la lain sangat. masih ambil farid kamil jadik hero! macam syarat wajib tayang je sekarang ni – ade je muka farid kamil!)

the story line sounds fun, though i can somewhat imagine a hint of stephen chow’s ‘shaolin soccer’ in it.

a football match between cinta manis estate and red cobra estate stems from an unpaid debt. two young men – a malay (farid kamil, lagi!) and an indian, join forces to fight, with a damsel in distress thrown into the mix – geetha. geetha’s father, subramaniam acts as coach, and this is probably where we’ll see some comical scenes.

 

 

3 reasons to watch this movie :

  1. it’s by the talented mamat khalid
  2. if you want to see an ‘alleycat’ act as a rubber-tapper
  3. this movie probably has the most number of indian actors ever in a malaysian movie

 

a football match between cinta manis estate, and red cobra estate

 

ONE, it’s by mamat khalid, who brought you award winning movies like the awesome black and white movie ‘kala malam bulan mengambang’, the delightfully silly ‘zombie kampung pisang’ (shooting took place at mr. khairul’s kampung, kampung lalang!), and who also co-wrote the epic ‘puteri gunung ledang’. talented, this guy.

TWO, if i’m not mistaken, there are possible cameos by rosyam noor, and beloved 80’s ballad-er, david arumugam of alleycats! you want to see david arumugam rubber-tap in his afro hair-do, then watch ‘estet’! as for rosyam, i bet he’ll be fun to watch in this one!

 

 

THREE, yasmin ahmad put together chinese and malay with jason and orkid’s love story. mamat khalid is trying something multicultural too here with indians and malays, via farid and geetha. very interesting to see how it all turns out.

 estet 25 Filem ESTET on Deepavali

the romantic leads – farid kamil & newcomer jasmin michael

 

there’s even a lesson not to resort to suicide as a last act of desperation. i’m sure there are few other cultural and racial stigmas that he would try to focus on, and depict humorously in this movie.

 

estet

 

i think previously it was jaclyn victor who’s supposed to take the lead role as geetha. what happened, eh? comel jugak kalo dia yg berlakon!

the list of casts (above) for the movie is taken from this site – kind off like the imdb of malaysian movies! click on to read further about ‘estet’. pictures are taken from here. click to see more.

 

 

oh, and also - an indian-inspired movie is incomplete without a couple of singing bits, trees-hugging and rolls in the grass, eh? check out this youtube clip, i guess the original sound track for the movie ‘estet’ – titled ‘ayuh kawan’ by siva, featuring awie.

do wait for awie’s appearance – it’s gonna make you ROTFL. really.

 

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Khaleef on Dubai School Bus

much has been written about the ‘past performance’ of dubai school busses – no safety precautions. rude bus drivers. bus attendant who pinches kids’ thigh. and of course, speeding. also, some the kids on the bus can be unruly, and bullying!

however, khaleef had an absolute opposite experience!

alhamdulillah, the bus moved at an acceptable speed, the driver is friendly, the bus conductor is always smiling and the kids on the bus were behaving well. it was an enjoyable bus ride for khaleef, on his first day of school!

yeap. it’s khaleef’s 1st day of school!

 

my handsome boy all grown up!

 

day one started uneventful. which is a good thing!

khaleef had no trouble getting up as early as 6, lounge around watching ben10 while having breakfast, take his bath without any apprehension, dress up in his strapping school uniform, grabbed his school bag and was more than ready to go!

 

khaleef’s school bus!

 

when did malaysia school bus changes color to orange? well, as far back as i can remember, it had always been orange! and that was way back in the 90’s! however, for dubai – only by the end of 2008, dubai school busses must be painted yellow, and the windows tinted or supplied with blinds.

gile lambat kan. haha.

 

khaleef atas bas

 

on his school bus, there are two adults on board – the driver, and the conductor. for kids as young as khaleef, the conductor will go down, escort him up the bus, sit him down, and will do the same when they drop him off after school.

everyone seemed to be behaving fairly well!

 

 

kat dubai pun ada vandalisme jugak atas bas ok! jangan ingat kat malaysia je. hihi.

this sure brings back memories. AAQ bus. TE bus. these are the keramat plate numbers that i must forever remember all through my school years. the chinese uncles who drove the busses are all so lepak and very friendly, especially uncle AAQ (i wonder how he’s doing now).

however, being on a school bus as a school-going teenager, i experienced all sorts – from dangling by the bus door for my dear life in a super-packed bus, to trying not to faint while being in a bus full of sweaty teens on a rainy day with the windows closed! phew!

if you were late to get on the bus, the bus simply leaves (the bus driver assumed that the student had extra-curricular activity)! which means hours of waiting for the public bus at the bus stop in front of the school!

i’m not sure about now, but when i was part of the ‘gang bas sekolah’, it was all about making money. the bus was like a sardine can – packed to the max! i wonder how did i ever survive commuting to school each day?

also an interesting part of taking a school bus – this was where monkey loves blossom!

while the lucky convent girls get to ride the bus with the cute andersonians and st michael boys (because the schools are near each other), we the cute girls from the methodist girls’ school had to accept the fact that we’re sharing the bus with only girls; the raja perempuan girls, and perak girls school. no boys!

oh well, i was a clear-cut tomboy back then, so no exciting stories there. except that, there was this one ‘prince’ who passed me a raya card once…

 

 

fat-forward to the present – there i was, now a mom of three, waiting for my 1st born, on his first bus ride home. by 12pm, it was time to wait for khaleef’s bus to drop him off at our condo.

i was worried – did he cry? was he bullied? did he sit properly? but by khaleef’s expression as he got off the bus, i knew my worries were for nothing! he seemed so okay, and his big huge kerang busuk grin spoke volume of how he enjoyed the trip back home from school.

i must admit, i even felt a slight selfish need for him to at least look monyok because he misses his mak. tapi takde lansung! ceh!

 

* * *

 

only i can pass my wisdom of bus-riding to khaleef. why? because his bapak had absolutely NO experience riding on a school bus. tsk tsk. rugi. tak rock lah. haha. maklum la. budak asrama. duduk kolej melayu pulak tu. haha.

it’s up to me then to share with khaleef all my adventures on the school bus!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

A Street-Smart Graduate

131010, sharifuddin’s youngest daughter walked into the UPM hall a humble student, and came out a confident graduate of science computer (networking).


CONGRATULATIONS!



graduating with one of the highest GPA, and already working at one of the country’s leading oil and gas company, she’s making her sisters proud. she’s the one who re-vamped my blog’s layout! she’s funny, she’s nutty – and her loud laughter is infectious. i say it time and time again, she’s not just text book-smart, but street-smart as well!

well done, azi and enjoy this new phase in your life!

“welcome to the real world – it sucks, but you’re gonna love it!” ~monica geller


* * *


next week, that other sharifuddin’s daughter in the picture is going to graduate with a master’s degree, a little further away from home. down under to be precise. the land of kangaroos and joeys to be discreet. deakin university, melbourne to be exact.

and i’ll have another proud moment.

sigh. my baby sisters have all grown up!


Monday, October 11, 2010

Unwanted Clothes : What To Do

saw this at a petrol station in dubai.

 

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it says there i can contribute

  • clothing
  • abaya
  • kandora
  • bed clothes (blankets)
  • hand bags
  • paired shoes
  • towels

*abaya and kandoora are both traditional arabic dresses – abaya for female, and kandoora for male. and ‘paired’ shoes – maybe there are those who threw away only the left side of their shoes? camne orang nak pakai ye? hihi.

i think i have a few old baju kurung that i am willing to part with. they’re old, but still in decent condition. it’ll definitely clear up a huge space in my wardrobe (and make space for new ones, hahaha!). however, i wonder whether they’re willing to wear a traditional dress from another country – to where ever they’re distributing the clothes to.

also, maybe i can bundle up a few of mr. khairul’s old t-shirts too. the boys’ clothes? boleh simpan lagi – kazim can still wear! haha.

 

..but they do not need

  • soiled clothes
  • pillow
  • duvets (comforter cover)
  • books
  • hard toys
  • rug
  • carpet

hmm, no ‘hard’ toys – so soft toys as in teddy bears and such are okay? then i’m out of those. my boys’ toys are all tough, hard masculine-toys! haha. if you see any cute-sy stuffed animal lying around the house – it’s mine!

What’s Your Favorite Perfume?

some are crazy about perfumes – knowing the latest brand names, the most popular scent, and even collect the bottles. these people probably have 5 or so perfumes that they use interchangeably, daily.

some probably has two – one for day use, and another heavier scent for night use. some prefer a day-to-day wear, and buy a new one only when the previous bottle is empty. that’s me. haha.



these are my favorites through the years – estee lauder’s ‘pleasures’, clinique’s ‘happy heart’, and salvatore ferragamo. ugh, i’m not at all good with describing their scent specifically – but i totally LOVE the scents. suka sangat sangat!

sweet and sexy at the same time, elegant yet light and fun. tak pening!



my mr. khairul – i’m always in love with his paco rabanne’s ‘ultraviolet’ scent because it reminds me of the first time we met! other than that, whatever he uses is fine by me! grrr.


* * *


what started me writing about perfumes was getting these locally-made perfumes from mr. khairul. yeap, made in the united arab emirates!

it really emits the traditional arabic fragrance – and bak kata mr. khairul, you spray this perfume while wearing abaya, and it’s perfect! hihi.


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ajmal perfumes is a brand that means "most beautiful" in arabic. it’s a brand with a rich heritage and over 56 years of experience and know-how in the intricate art of perfumery. it was founded by ajmal ali in the early 1950's.

i’m normally not into this classic arabic scent – it’s too musky for me, bau kuat sangat. however, the scent of ‘sacrifice’ is really nice. softer, and light.

to describe the scent better, i wish i have the ability to identify what exactly the scent is like, and compare it to an existing brand – whether it smells more like channel, or jean paul, or christian dior.

but i’m really a buta-perfume! what smells nice, smells nice! asalkan tak bau pening, regardless the brand, or whether it’s an old collection!


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incidentally, mr. khairul just came back from cairo, egypt and bought me another ‘arabic scent’! however, in spite of its less appealing appearance and cheaper-looking box, this small bottle of perfume has a much more interesting story behind it.

mr. khairul went to the a dark-lookin store just beside the pyramids, looking for souvenirs, when a man approached him, and asked him to buy this ‘special’ perfume. he said its scent is inspired by cleopatra’s scent – a seductive scent that she used, to lure some of the most powerful men in the world!

“you ask your wife to wear the perfume…” and the rest is history…the perfume dude also said many other things – involving something about crazy horses – don’t ask!

anyone wants to try a dab of this perfume? *wink wink*


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