Wearing Baju Melayu to School

tomorrow, 2nd of december, united arab emirates (UAE) will celebrate its 39th national day. naturally, the school will be closed tomorrow, so today the kids are having national day activities today in school.

the kids are asked to wear “the national dress of any country especially UAE national dress.” if only khaleef has the white jubah and the red chequered cloth to wear on top of his head to look like one of the emiratis!

so instead, this morning khaleef went to school in baju melayu!

baju melayu is a traditional malay outfit for men. it consists of two main parts. the first being the baju (long sleeved shirt) itself which has a raised stiff collar known as the cekak musang collar. the second part is the trousers. a skirt-type adornment is also commonly worn with the baju melayu, which is either the kain samping made from songket, or just plain sarong. both are loops of fabric which are folded around the wearer's waist. a jet-black or dark coloured headgear called the songkok can also worn to complete the attire.

~ adapted from wikipedia

however, he didn’t wear his sampin and songkok. moms with young boys will know why! if khaleef goes to school with songkok and sampin, he definitely won’t be coming back from school with them! sure tertanggal and tertinggal! left and lost! hihi.

at first i was afraid that it will be too cold to wear a baju melayu, but this morning, the weather is chilly in a wonderful way. the cool breeze was just lovely.

sahil and khaleef

when khaleef’s schoolmate sahil came down, he was wearing his national dress as well – a ‘kurta pajamas’. he wore them complete with matching fancy aladdin shoes!

kurta pajamas is a traditional item of clothing worn in afghanistan, bangladesh, india, pakistan, sri lanka and nepal. it’s a loose-fitting shirt falling somewhere above of right

at the knee of the wearer. it can be worn with loose pajama bottom, or wrapped-around dhoti. these days you can even see them worn with jeans!

~ adapted from wikipedia

they both looked so cute sitting side by side that i had to take a picture!

but then – boys will be boys! dah pakai cantik-cantik pun nak golek-golek main kejar-kejar aci nyorok!

* * *

so what is the national clothing for the emiratis (people of the united arab emirates)?

the male wears the white kandoora, while the women wears the black abaya

(thanks nia for reminding me i need to add a bit on uae's national clothing as well!)

click here for more info on the traditional dress of the emiratis.

Tamil Movie Stars : Mohana & Ramesh

no, not really – but they sure look like one! hihi.

the picture below was one of the many pre-wedding shots they took. what a beautiful couple, eh? ramesh tu memang sebijik macam hero citer tamil, hihi while my friend mohana is just so lovely!

naturally, they wore few different sets of clothing for these pre-wedding photography; from wedding gown to evening dresses, and of course, traditional as well.

in fact, the pink saree she wore in this picture is courtesy of yours truly!

 

 

yes, i bought the kain in dubai, as a wedding present. it was pink, with silver glittery flower motif. when she said she’s gonna make a saree to wear for the pre-wedding shots, i felt honored – because these pictures are for keeps for years to come, to show her grandkids! and she was willing to wear the saree that i gave her!

and my, she looks so sweet and gorgeous in that saree! hihi.

 

 

well, i know it’s very late already – they got married like 2 weeks ago, but better late than never!

so here i am, sending my little congratulations to my ex-colleague mohana who (finally!) married her long-time sweetheart ramesh in a lavish indian wedding steeped in tradition. well, i wasn’t there, but the pictures sure showed how festive the wedding was.

to me, mohana is a really chatty person, and can be very straightforward most of the time (read : laser! haha) – but she has a huge heart, always ready listen, warm you with her kind words and be there for you. you have to know her, to know that she loves her friends and would do her best to help when in need.

i miss all our morning roti canai breakfast just chit-chatting, having good laughs!

 

 

i love this shot, mohana. so tired and lepak after the elaborate wedding ceremony – yet still look so beautiful!

ok – now it’s time for you guys to make lots of ramesh juniors and little letchumys, yah! congratulations, and may happiness always be with you!

Dinner With MCOBA President in Dubai

it was an exciting day for the malay college boy who has never really left school.

the president of his alumni association was in town! tan sri megat najmuddin from the class of 62 has been president of the MCOBA (malay college old boys association) since september 2006.

he’s in dubai for a short while, so as usual, mr. khairul organized a get-together – calling on any available old boys from mckk around uae (united arab emirates).

 

from left : kamil v96, rashdan v89, ikmal v80, mr. president tan sri mac v62, zaim v82, wan hasni v81, kay v96, shon v84, shamsul v86, suhaimi v00 

 

what better place to treat tan sri najmuddin in dubai than a wholesome middle east dinner at the biggest mall in the world, with the view of the world’s tallest building, while enjoying the awesome aqua performance of the tallest shooting fountain in the world?

only these superlatives treatment fit to welcome the eminent guest!

they dined at ‘wafi gourmet’ in dubai mall – beautiful restaurant, delicious food, awesome view. we’ve been here once, when mr. khairul’s family was in dubai. click here to read the post, and more on wafi gourmet.

 

     

 

it was a night to remember for these old boys, when their alumni president dropped by. some travelled all the way from other uae states; ras al-khaymah and abu dhabi – all in the spirit of koleq brotherhood.

it was a personal joy for mr. khairul as organizer for this gathering, hoping that tan sri megat will come by dubai again – this time for nasi mandi at tawasol!

(picture credit : bro faisal shon from his facebook)

 

* * *

yes, he STILL wears the school tie if it’s a wednesday, even now…

 

a few school traditions survive:

• the wearing of one of two forms of the school tie every wednesday by the old boys.
• the annual gathering lasting around three days at the school itself - referred to as old boys weekend (OBW).
• an annual formal dinner for old boys, usually held in a ballroom in kuala lumpur.

in dubai, the old boys here made an effort to hang out and have their own little OBW. check out the mini gatherings in 2009, and 2010.

* * *

sultan azlan shah & raja nazrin doning the school tie (picture taken from mckk9296 site)

 

yes, apart from the dashing sultan azlan shah (sultan of perak my home state oh yeah!) the malay college has certainly mould many notable alumni which include :

• dato' onn jaafar, the father of malay nationalism
• former prime minister tun abdul razak hussein
• the former deputy prime minister dato' seri anwar ibrahim
• hishammuddin hussein
• effendi norwawi (mr. tiara jacq)
• nazri aziz
• shahrir samad
• halim saad (mr. khairul’s idol – once named by TIME mag among 100 upcoming young leaders)
• hishamuddin rais (dari jemapoh ke manchester)
• rehman rashid (theater)
• ramli ngah talib (former perak menteri besar)
• the sultans of pahang and perak
• pak sako or ishak haji muhammad
• mahadzir lokman
• suhaimi sulaiman
• hani mohsein
• ahmad fauzee

…and many, many more…

 

malay college old boys in parliament wearing the school tie (picture taken from mckk facebook page)

 

and

• my abah haji sharifuddin shoib
• khairul anwar of dubai hihi
• khaleef?
• kahfi?
• kazim?

oh no! means more mckk ties lying around and more compulsory mckk sampin on hari raya? hihi.

I Have Cute Nieces!

my abah has 9 grandchildren. 6 of them boys. only 3 are girls. i, of course did not contribute to that ‘girl’ equation!

sigh. i miss my nieces!

cuya

suffiya syafeeqah

mama : syima, my younger sis

nuna

nor aisyah husna

mama : syimee, my eldest sis

micha

marissa marha

mama : syima, my younger sis

taking this page to wish both of their moms a HAPPY BIRTHDAY; syima on the 7th of november, and yong (syimee) on the 24th of november. love you both!

photo credit : syidot & azot

Best Appam @ Aappa Kadai

appam is a type of food originated from india. the name basically means ‘bread’, but it looks like a bowl-shaped pancake. hihi. it’s made of fermented rice batter. they taste bland, usually served with a spicy condiment.

i’ve never had this appam, but it’s said that the best appam in dubai can be found in this restaurant; ‘appa kadai’. if i’m not mistaken, appa kadai means wok or kuali. it’s situated in a new shop lot area in discovery gardens.

 

 

i was surprised when i entered because it didn’t look like a typical indian restaurant. for starters, the seats were red leather, and abstract paintings adorned the walls. usually it’s elaborate pattern on the cushion, and indian-themed pictures on the wall like indian palace with marble archers.

this indian restaurant is bright, modern and youthful. more like a diner than an indian restaurant. if you want the indian ambiance, only the songs playing on air will give you that. however, the interior is pretty modern.

 

 

the toilet is also clean!

 

there is an already popular branch in karama, and this one just opened in discovery garden. i think there’s another newly opened at dubai marina.

 

 

* * *

 

like i mentioned earlier, ‘aappa kadai’ is famous for its appam. in fact, the list of appam greeted you as soon as you look at the menu. front page!

there’s plain appam, appam with egg, appam with cheese and few more. i was sceptical at first looking at the appam, but mr, khairul assured me that i’d probably turn from roti canai to appam after trying one!

 

roti canai

 

we ordered roti canai nonetheless. here they call it parotha.

you have to know that all this while we’ve been going to ‘green city’ for our roti canai fix, and that restaurant is all the way in deira – 30 to 40mins away from our place! just for roti canai!  now we can just travel less than 10 minutes for a good roti canai that tastes just like the ones in malaysia (perhaps even better, as this is an authentic parotha made by the keralites from india!).

we also ordered garlic nan. crispy on the outside, soft on the inside! it’s alright, but i’m just not a nan person. i’m not even a chapatti or tose person. i’m strictly roti canai. hihi.

 

garlic nan

 

we ordered chicken curry and fried mutton to go along with our parotha and garlic nan. the chicken curry is thick and spicy; while the deliciously black-peppery fried mutton tears up easily – excellent!

 

 

finally we come to the star of the day – the appam.

the best thing about this appam is not so much the taste – but the texture! so amazingly soft, but with little hints of crispiness on the outer layer. both texture complements each other to create a wonderful eating experience, especially for me trying appam for the first time!

unlike parotha which is thick and compact, the appam has a fluffy feel to it – soft but not fragile. dip in chicken curry – heavenly!

 

 

see how the shape looks like a bowl? it takes the shape because of how the dish is prepared. in fact, part of the experience eating at appa kadai is watching the staff make appam at the LIVE cooking station placed near the patrons.

 

 

i took khaleef to have a look, and saw a line of wok, with a big, tall pot of appam batter on the side. one of the staff in apron turned on the fire, and add oil. when hot enough, he poured the appam batter just enough to cover the entire surface of the wok – hence, the shape.

he covered the wok, and waited for just a couple of minutes before the appam is ready. cepat dan enak dimakan!

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

want to try a REALLY good appam? try appa kadai!

Khaleef’s 5ifth Birthday Bash

the last time khaleef had a birthday party on his name was when he turned ONE. after that, when his birthday comes, we just bought a small cake, take him to his favorite fast food joint, or give him an hour or two on the hamster-cage-like play zone for kids at a mall. no party. na-ah. zip.

mr. khairul claims to never had a birthday celebration EVER, and while growing up, i only had cakes on my birthday and celebrate it with mak, abah and my sisters.

so yes, khaleef doesn’t get all the luxury any other kids his age gets – no themed-party with ben10 plastic plates and cups down to the ben10 paper napkins and birthday banner, clowns to entertain or pony rides – not even balloons! but that’s just us. hihi.

i hope this makes him appreciate his birthday celebration more!

when it comes to cakes, there was no question about it – we decided to order one from my dear dubai baker-friend, fida. she made the thomas & friends cake for kahfi for his 1st birthday, so it’s only so obvious to have a ben10 cake for that ben10 freak, khaleef.

it was carrot cake with cream cheese, and it was very delicious. some carrot cakes have a bit too much of a cinnamon taste, and the texture too crumbly – but fida’s cake was just right.

the price was worth it, so order one from fida if you’re planning a party with cakes!

* * *

like i said, we don’t decorate much for this birthday party – in fact, the only birthday decor we have was a set of cone party hats, and a cut-up orang lidi i made for the door! that’s it!

my handsome princes : khaleef, kahfi & kazim

takpe khaleef, it’s the thought that counts, and mak and bapak just want you to be happy and enjoy your day to the fullest. also, remember that bapak sponsored this party so that people can come and bring your birthday presents, ya! haha.

dah dapat pakai baju ben10 baru ngan kek ben10 tu dah kira bagus la tu! hihi.

* * *

this is the first makan-makan we’re having with 3 kids around – so i put my hands up, surrendered and said i’m just gonna make spaghetti. easy pizzy. we also prepared jugs of sirap kenduri. best betul makan dengan nasi briyani. macam kenduri kawen!

for the main dish, mr. khairul ordered pakistani briyani from najaf restaurant. excellent briyani – soft beads of rice, fragrant and so inviting! pair that up with juicy chicken masala with rich curry taste, and you’ve got a killer combo.

also in the line up was mr. khairul’s favorite dish from najaf, the dry fry mutton. black-peppery mutton fried with lots of sweet onions, curry leaves and green chilli – deadly delicious!

thanks to kak muna for the yummy kuih ketayap. hers were extra special because they’re filled with kelapa gula melaka with an added ingredient – durian!

* * *

the first guest to arrive was abe nik and eiyda with their 3 kiddos. khaleef was so excited (plus VERY impatient) to cut his cake that we didn’t wait for other guest kids to arrive! potong je la!

“mak, can i cut the cake? can i cut now? now, mak? how about now? now can i cut the cake?” OK!!!

* * *

i am happy when :

1. the house was not too crowded, yet filled with hungry tummies
2. the guests thoroughly enjoyed the food
3. i see guests taking 2nd and 3rd helpings
4. guests stayed till it’s dark
5. one guest said, “jangan anggap akak ni guest, anggap macam adik-beradik,” when she helped with the clearing-up. being in dubai away from family, that simple phrase (walaupun cliche macam drama melayu) brought me to tears. almost la. dalam hati. takde la aku nak menangis kat situ jugak hihi. tapi keikhlasan tu yang menyentuh. hihi.
6. no leftovers – we *forced* the guests to tapau some, and they happily obliged

* * *

first the excitement of a birthday party. then the excitement of seeing his ben10 birthday cake. finally the excitement of opening (more like trashing the wrapping paper) his birthday presents!

THANKS EVERYONE!

khaleef flew to the moon looking at all the remote control cars he got. funny thing was, of all the presents he got, the first present he grabbed enthusiastically and started looking through was a BOOK.

yeap, not the remote control car. or the toy bike. he quickly flipped through the pages excitedly while pointing at the animals in the book.

sejuk hati mak hihi.

* * *

ok, now we need to finish the cake. any takers?