Azi & Faiz : Pretty Purple Reception

after the nikah on 20.12.2012, came the makan kenduri or reception, held at the same place where my other sis syida had her peachy peach reception last april. it was purple, purple and purple and so beautiful!

what a historical day that the last daughter of haji sharifuddin is finally married off!

newlyweds : faiz & azi, may they be in love for always!

the totally cute cake-topper on the purple wedding cake, surrounded by little cupcakes. super adorable! perhaps azi didn’t know this but later that day, kazim pulled out the groom’s arm, and haiqal managed to stick it back. haha.

the bride, sisters and the big guy Abah.

there was an apparent sense of relief in abah’s face during the reception. no helter skelter to attend to the crowd; abah seemed more relaxed and at ease. perhaps abah was thinking about how he has now passed on the responsibility of caring for his daughters to 5 deserving men. perhaps he was just basking on the joy of hosting the final kenduri kawin for his 5 daughters. perhaps he was just happy, a tired, contented smile on his face. perhaps.

no worries abah, your girls are in good hands!

abah’s NINE grandkids, minus one waiting at home – born 12.12.12. from left haqeem, khaleef, adam, kahfi, kazim, haiqal, ica, nuna & cuya. miqail syafi is the new member of the cucu-atok-podin club!

as usual, the MCs for the event : my bro-in-law abg mat and my eldest sis yong syimee handling it like a pro. it was just another job well done for them!

awesome cute button-badges for Abah, Umi, Bride, Groom, and four for Kakak-Kakak. worn with pride!

my in-laws came too, and stayed till the end hanging out with their grandkids, with my sis-in-law tina obligingly rendered a couple of siti nurhaliza songs for the crowd. great voice! however, this only reminded me that my mr. khairul was mising; out there somewhere in dubai at the time. sob sob. miss him so much especially during such a romantic occasion where we celebrate LOVE!

sisters : me, yong, syimot & syida. our youngest sis azi the bride was heading to kellie’s castle at the time for her post-wedding photoshoot

my sister syimot managed to reach ipoh in the morning of the reception, but was not able to join us at the banquet hall since she’s still in the early stage of confinement. well, we were more than happy that she’s there at abah’s house. once back home, us sisters and cousins and aunts took tons of pictures with her, making her no less part of this happy occasion!

* * *

ok semua dah kawen ni – what’s next? kenduri kawen of our first nephew haiqal kot! haha.

Ijab Kabul Azi & Faiz : Puteri Bongsu is Married

that’s it. selesai sempurna alhamdulillah.

as of 20.12.2012, all FIVE abah’s daughters are married off. my youngest sister azi chose to spend her lifetime with a mr faiz who, incidentally lives right in our neigbourhood – that my bro-in-law made this joke while MC-ing during the reception, something like – jerit kat pintu belakang pun boleh dengar. huhu. memang dah jodoh!

faiz, azi’s husband joined abg mat, mr. khairul, din, and nash to complete the wonderful league of haji sharifuddin’s sons-in-law. welcome, brother!

 

the blushing bride : my youngest sis azot. congrats si comot! by the way, fun fact # : the magnificent bridal bouquet of white and yellow flowers is hand-made by my aunt cik, with my help! hihi.

 

sisters : from left yong, azot, me and syida. we’re missing one sis, syima who was still in confinement during the nikah day. she delivered a baby boy on 12.12.12 so she couldn’t make it on that day, but finally arrived in ipoh on the eve of the reception. yay!

 

alhamdulillah faiz is azi’s husband in one lafaz. fun fact #2 : the imam who performed the nikah is the SAME imam who performed the nikah for ALL five abah’s girls. yup. and at the very same mosque. with the very same witnesses.

 

one of my aunts said that this was THE nikah that she felt really sebak – she had been our ‘mother’ after mak passed away, cooking her nieces’ favorite food and meeting potential husbands hihi – so she felt a blissful sense of relief, now that all her late sister’s daughters are married, she knows that they’re all now taken care off.

ye mak tak payah risau dah. dah ade orang jaga anak-anak mak. *sniff*

 

rejoice! family photo is a must! abah, umi, the pengantin baru and sisters. would be perfect with my sis syimot, but a happy happy occasion nonetheless!

 

my sis azi with her bff – the dayangs for the day. they bought cute matching outfits just for the occasion and was very helpful in the prep for the wedding. personally i would just like to thank them for keeping my boys company haha aunty bell playing badminton with khaleef, and the girls hangin out with kahfi before bedtime. thanks, girls!

 

* * *

 

to azi and faiz, ENJOY!

‘Malam Berinai’ is Malam Bergambar-Gambar

there’s a specific way of doing an ACTUAL ‘malam berinai’, but to us, it’s simply the night before the nikah or solemnization, when the bride has had her fingers, palm and toes painted with henna or inai – a night of fun, laughter and taking lots of pictures!

on that night of 19th dec, my youngest sis was about to get married. before the nikah the next day, she wanted to have a light, fun night of malam berinai. she was just so resplendent in this heavily beaded beautiful jalabiya I got for her from dubai. she was breathtaking. sob sob.

 

at the time of writing, she has already been whisked away by her husband on their mini honeymoon in penang. this is her on OUR version of malam berinai – dressing up just for pictures!

 

* * *

 

she had her fingers, palm and toes painted earlier that day, and I was so fascinated that the inai-painter had her ipad on with pictures to guide her in painting the inai. hello technology!

 

before…

 

…after!

 

* * *

 

azi looking gorgeous in cream-colored jalabiya, flanked by umi and my aunt cik. thanks for joining us in our craze and happy-fun-time!

 

…and then there’s US! azi, my eldest yong, me and syidot. we’re missing one more sister syimot who was still in confinement in her home in sri kembangan. she did manage to travel all the way to ipoh on the day of the reception, but we missed her during this malam berinai photoshoot, and the nikah too.

 

…and later that night it got even more crazier…

 

me and my boys : khaleef & kahfi

 

malam berinai is not a necessity, not wajib, not a must – to follow the procedure to a T is just following adat, and you’re welcome to do so if you like. for us it’s plain and simple – a gathering of close family members to just look pretty (or trying to haha) and take lots of pictures amidst lots of laughter and noise!

Malam Berinai, Tunang, Nikah & Kenduri All in a Weekend!

I’m in malaysia. woohoo!

best :

1. makan makan makan.
2. of course, the biggest news is – my youngest sister azot got married! habis dah anak-anak haji podin dipinang. abah bole rileks ye abah!
3. got to meet my new nephew who was born on the awesome triple date 12-12-2012, he is finally named Miqail Syafi! super cute!
4. my 2nd boy kahfi turns 4 today! so nice to celebrate it in ipoh surrounded by his cousins. aunty da bought him a yummy chocolate cake with his favorite angry bird perched on top. thanks sis! super ecstatic! balloons, bubbles, toys, oreos and chocolates – a perfect day to turn FOUR!

 

tak best :

1. since my sis syimot had just given birth, so she was still dalam pantang on the wedding day. she was cleared to travel with the-just-over-a-week old baby miqail syafi and was able to go to ipoh, but didn’t join us at the banquet hall for the wedding. she stayed at abah’s. we miss her in all the photographs during the reception, and through the wonderful celebration and merriment, felt a tinge of emptiness. tak cukup korum!
2. sigh, I came back to ipoh to celebrate the LOVE and union between two hearts – but I left my heart in dubai! sob sob. mr khairul couldn’t get a leave so it was just me and the boys flying back to malaysia. I miss him terribly. thanks SKYPE!
3. my eldest boy khaleef wears glasses. and I just bought him his 4th pair. nasib baik dapat reasonably cheap in ipoh. I hope this one last longer!

 

* * *

 

full report coming real SOON!

 

the cake-topper for azi’s wedding cake!

12-12-12 : K Boys Welcome Another New Cousin!

no, this date doesn’t necessarily bring luck, or holds any special ‘magic’ just because of the triple number – I’m thrilled with this date because it’s the LAST repeating date we will ever encounter in our lifetime.

…AND I got a new nephew, and my boys got another boy cousin! (earlier my bro-in-law received his second child, a boy). congratulations to scientist parents syima and my bro-in-law din, getting this precious gift on this rare date!

this would be the 10th member of ‘Kelab Cucu-Cucu Atuk Podin’, and my younger sister’s syima’s 3rd child, and her 1st boy. much reason to rejoice!

 

 

* * *

 

I knew my sister was already at the hospital by 1pm on 12-12-12, so with Allah’s will, the baby could come out by today. I called her up from dubai kasi semangat haha but no sweat, it’s her third time so I’m sure she’s all prep and ready.

 

 

* * *

 

and then came the SMS announcing that my sister’s 3rd baby is OUT! alhamdulillah! mom and baby in excellent condition. it’s a BOY!

 

 

* * *

 

…and then I finally got the photo from my youngest sis azi whatsapp-ing to everyone. he is SO adorable, like any newborn would be. can’t wait to see him!

 

 

at the time or writing, the parents have not confirmed the name of the baby – the baby boy’s elder sisters are named sufiyyah syafiqah and marissa marha – SS, MM – because mama is SS and their abah is MM. so it’s a wild guess what’s this boy’s name would be!

Delicious ‘Student Biryani’ is Cheap?

is it called ‘Student Biryani’ because it’s made to cater for student-budget? well, I found out that the food at this pakistan restaurant may NOT the cheapest biryani that I’ve found but it’s still comparatively cheap, especially when you see the HUGE servings in one plate of biryani!

(the cheapest biryani I’ve ever eaten in dubai is in LIYARI (also a pakistani biryani restaurant) – which is incidentally dubbed the BEST biryani in dubai! click here for my review)

we came here unplanned actually – we were around deira area to get new spectacles for khaleef, and while waiting for it to be fixed, we hung out here and decided to have a light dinner.

LIGHT, huh? haha.

 

‘student biryani’ established in 1969? must be GOOD to last that long!

 

there’s an open counter at the front, just like in a fast food restaurant like McD or KFC. and you know what – it’s because they DO have food like KFC!

 

other than delicious biryani, they also have ‘set meal’ like in KFC – with pieces of chicken, fries, coleslaw, soda and a bun. there are also set meal that comes with a plate of biryani with the biryani chicken as well as the crunchy fried chicken. you can mix and match!

and eating biryani rice with crunchy chicken like KFC is actually very satisfying!

 

the restaurant itself is very simple, looks like any other decent indian or pakistani restaurants in dubai. and SO unlike fast-food restaurant like burger king or KFC! haha. it’s clean, and the staff is friendly and helpful.

 

* * *

 

…and this is the plate of biryani that we got. see what I mean by HUGE serving? it’s a mountain of rice, brimming on the edge of the plate. the juicy beads of rice look mighty delicious even before the first bite.

yes, the biryani lives up to its first impression – the rice is deliciously soft and yummy, and the chicken is tender and not too spicy. I like this kind of biryani – not too much spices, yet the taste is still rich and strong. I will be back!

 

can’t see how big the serving is? here is a comparison with khaleef. I’m telling ya, you can share this plate of biryani – unless you’re really really hungry!

 

this may not be the best angle for the crunchy chicken, but the chicken is nice and crunchy, a really good lauk to eat with the biryani, if you want a change from the usual biryani chicken curry.

 

they also deliver!

 

this one that I went to was in deira, but there are many other branches around dubai. the biryani is reasonably cheap, with big portion, and delicious too. try it!

World’s Tallest Building Made of Ferrero Rocher!

ferrero rocher is one of my favorite chocolates of all time. when mr. khairul goes travelling and ask, what choc do you want me to buy at the airport – it’s ALWAYS ferrero rocher first, and then think of some other chocolates like m&ms, kinder bueno or some chocolate bar.

so you can imagine how excited I was to know that there is a HUGE replica of the world’s tallest building the burj khalifa at dubai mall, made from ferrero rocher!

awesome!

 

 

in conjunction with ferrero rocher’s 30th anniversary (I can’t believe ferrero rocher has only been around for 30 years! I thought it was more!) they decided to celebrate the brand in dubai mall. I think there’s even a contest to count the number of ferrero rocher used in making this replica, and you can win a 22-carat gold ferrero rocher!

click here for more information.

from this picture alone, can you count the number of ferrero rocher used? I’ll be spinning round and round trying to keep track of the numbers!

 

 

I read somewhere that it took the staff 72 hours to put up this tall replica of burj khalifa. the resplendant replica will be on display until this weekend, so don’t miss it! it’s quite a sight!

 

 

pictures : courtesy of abg faisal shon. thanks sir!

Raining Camels & Cats in Dubai

as november moves out to give way to december, it rained in dubai last weekend, after many-many months. and that’s really rare around here. it rained all through morning, and it was pretty cool and mendung for the rest of the day. it was really calming.

 

flooded dubai!

 

it rained so much that some parts of dubai is flooded – as it’s notoriously known that there’s no affective drainage system in dubai, since it doesn’t rain much here.

a friend of mr. khairul had his apartment flooded ankle-deep, and his unit is in the 3rd floor! how is that even possible? bad plumbing sistem? leaking? dubai is just not well-prepared against the element of rain!

no matter – I will just say ALHAMDULILLAH for this blessing – hujan itu rahmat – and just rejoice and enjoy the cool weather that we’re currently having!

 

 

my boys were super excited to see the wet roads (after the rain had stopped for awhile, before it rained again a few hours after that). sigh, this is what I get living in the padang pasir! haha.

but I see it in a positive light – my boys appreciate the rain so much, and this helps them appreciate the little thing that we malaysians may take for granted, or even complained about (you know, “alaaaa hujan lagi! tak boleh buat itu ini!”)

how much do they REALLY appreciate rainy days? mr. khairul took us around the neighbourhood in the car after the rain stopped – to nowhere – but just to look for PUDDLES! he would drive across the biggest, deepest puddle we can spot, and just drove through it so fast purposely make a huge splash. (no passerby was wet in the making of this activity ok haha) the boys enjoyed this SO MUCH – laughing and just enjoying the view of the splashing water.

so simple lah to make them happy kan? hihi. my eldest boy khaleef even called it ‘an adventure’ to spot for puddles, and to go through it, like he was in a jungle expedition or something.

imagination is really the one TOY that does not cost anything, and something we can never take away from the kids.

 

 

* * *

 

the climate in dubai is mostly warm and sunny, and it’s scorching hot during the summer which starts around june up to august. come november, days get cooler with more wind which is the start of winter that goes on till march. I would say that december and january are the best times to visit dubai as the weather is excellent, and the awesome DSF (dubai sales festival) usually starts around january.

I’m fine if it rains again soon. drip drip drip!

Review : Istanbul Aku Datang!, Untuk 3 Hari & SAM.

aku datang lagi untuk review filem. kali ni filem-filem melayu okay! pertama, filem komedi romantik ‘istanbul aku datang!’, satu lagi komedi romantik dari afdlin shauki, ‘untuk 3 hari’, dan filem aksi psiko-thriller ‘SAM (saya amat mencintaimu).

dah tengok ke belum? aku tengok kat dubai ni je ha.

 

* * *

 

 

senang cakap, filem ‘istanbul aku datang!’ ni ade macam filem ‘french kiss’ lakonan meg ryan, atau ‘only you’ lakonan marisa tomei dan robert downey jr – gadis mengejar cinta hingga ke luar negara, ke negara asing yang eksotik dan penuh warna-warni, tapi akhirnya menemui cinta yang tak terduga…

 

aku suka

1. lisa surihani dalam movie ni tersangat lah comel. melampau. cara cakap, cara senyum, cara pemakaian; cara pakai kasut bukak kasut pun comel. semua comel. nak picit-picit. yusry is one lucky dude!
2. scene curi-curi makan maggi asam laksa tu pun sangat comel, tak over dan real. lisa dengan muncung comelnya, beto dengan geramnya maggi asam laksa dah kurang sepeket – good chemistry!
3. runut bunyi dan lagu-lagu dalam filem ni best sangat! sedap didengar walaupun untuk pertama kali. bagi aku, jarang dapat lagi yang macam tu. aku nak je beli album soundtrack filem ni.
4. aku suka tomok semenjak masterchef selebriti malaysia (bila season baru nak start?) jadi aku suka tengok dia dalam filem ni, walaupun watak yang tak berapa nak best. comel jugak!
5. aku serius tak kenal siapa beto kusyairy dan ini kali pertama aku tengok dia berlakun. kagum. macam dah biase berlakun teater. ye kot. sebab dari cara pengucapan dialog tu, ekspresi dia, passion dia tu – ala-ala orang teater. aku suka.
6. istanbul indah. dan sinematography juga bijak menonjolkan keindahan tu dengan permainan lensa. kabur-terang-fokus-jauh. cantik!

 

aku tak suka

1. cepat sangat beto jatuh cinta dengan lisa. lepas bawakkan dia ke rumah tomok, kecewa dengan tomok, pujuk-pujuk sikit, terus rasa debar cinta? patutnya letakkan beberapa scene sebelum tu lagi untuk menunjukkan ade bibit-bibit perasaan antara diorang – even sebelum lisa tau pasal tomok.
2. tak menekankan sangat budaya yang kaya di kota istanbul tu, selain dari ice-cream turki yang unik dan kelakar tu. masa piknik keluarga tempatan kat padang tu, bole je ditunjukkan lisa cuba makanan ruji orang turki kan. filem ni boleh je dinamakan ‘manchester aku datang!’, atau ‘zimbabwe aku datang!’ atau ‘kokdiang, kedah aku datang!’. hihi.
3. lisa sebagai gadis sunti yang berseorangan mencari rumah sewa di negara asing – negara yang menjadi set filem ‘taken 2’ dan ‘james bond’ sebagai negara penuh aksi dan mara bahaya. mr. khairul kata realitinya, orang tu dah tipu duit dia je dah kira bagus la daripada di kidnapnya sekali!

 

okay, secara keseluruhan, aku suka filem ‘istanbul aku datang!’ ni. lisa yang comel, beto yang berkarisma, jalan cerita yang klise tapi diolah menarik, setting yang indah di istanbul dan lagu-lagu background yang infectious.

aku akan rekomen cerita ni sungguh-sungguh. best! nak tengok banyak lagi gamba-gamba lawa pengambaran dan stills dari filem ni, klik sini.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

‘untuk 3 hari’ menarik. komedi romantik yang memang cukup asam garam lawak dan romantis. pasangan bercinta rashidi dan vanidah terpaksa kawen dengan pasangan pilihan keluarga. untuk menjaga hati semua pihak, diorang janji nak kawen untuk 3 hari je, pastu cerai, pastu baru kawen dengan each other. abih tu, yang tu tak pulak nak menjaga hati? lagi sakit hati kot. hmm.

 

aku suka

1. rashidi dan vanidah sangat sweet! kalau di layar pun begitu romantik, inikan pulak bersuami-isteri betul-betul kat rumah. mesti comel!
2. scene afdlin meraba ogy. lawak gile. cukup.
3. filem ‘untuk 3 hari’ diadaptasikan dari novel ahadiat akashah yang memang aku minat gile masa zaman comot budak skolah dulu. bila pulak diorang nak filemkan ‘budak momok’, ‘boy’ atau ‘gigolo’? lagi best!
4. jalan cerita menarik, scene lawak yang menghiburkan dan takde scene yang meleret

 

aku tak suka

1. ending lari! lari dari tekaan aku sebenarnya! aku serius ingatkan masa rashidi kejar vanidah sampai ke airport, rashidi tak sempat jumpa vanidah, tapi akan jumpa pulak awek lama dia yang baru sampai dari oversea. ha, kan best dan semua orang akan dapat happy ending! tapi tidak, rashidi dibiarkan di akhir cerita terkontang kanting tanpa cinta – tak adil!
2. ogy over. ok fine, aku tau memang lah primadona ogy tersohor dengan gaya lakonan over, tapi ni melampau sangat overnya. tambah naik lagi overnya sebab karakter vanidah seorang yang mellow dan memendam rasa.

 

walau apa pun, paling penting cerita ni tak boring dan bole la LAYAN! dah tengok ke belum?

 

 

* * *

 

 

filem ‘SAM’ ni adik ipar aku yang cadangkan. filem melayu yang menarik katanya. ok aku cuba. filem romantik-thriller SAM (saya amat mencintaimu) mengisahkan sam yang bakal kawin dengan kekasih hatinya lisa. ntah camne kehadiran watak-watak kekasih lama lisa dan stalker lisa yang macam gile; serta perkara-perkara pelik menimbulkan misteri dalam hidup SAM sehinggalah satu hari lisa dikidnap…

 

aku suka

1. shaheizy sam tak payah dah nak membuktikan keunggulannya dalam lakonan. memang best. berkesan, real dan penuh ekspresi tak kira gembira, romantis, lucu atau cemas. hebat! aku suka.
2. jalan cerita yang sangat menarik, terutama sekali ending yang tak tersangka. tak dinafikan ade baur-baur filem omputeh di situ sikit, di sini sikit tapi tetap menarik dek kerana olahan yang berjaya. berdebar-debar sampai ke akhir cerita!
3. filem ni bermula dengan ringan – tone yang lucu, happy dan romantis. dengan tiba-tiba boleh mengejut penonton bila SAM bertukar jadi filem aksi-misteri. aku suka sebab filem melayu yang tak klise!
4. hasil kerja pengarah termuda negara syafiq yusuf dari baka pengarah yusuf haslam (yang banyak mengarah filem-filem ultra-klise melayu yang aku tak boleh lansung nak minat) membuat aku teramat kagum. point of view beliau adalah fresh, kreatif dan tak membosankan.
5. pelakon utama sampai le ke pelakon tambahan semua berjaya bawak watak masing-masing. sekalipun lofa yang aku tak minat lansung dalam filem ‘azura 2012’ pun berkesan jugak la sebagai housemate si lisa. syamsul yusuf abang kepada pengarah muda pun kacak bergaya dan tak kayu dalam filem ni. kira boleh lah!
6. lagu-lagu indah nyanyian anuar zain yang menghiasi filem ini! best! feeling habis!

 

aku tak suka

1. watak azad jasmin sebagai si psiko haikal yang nak mengorat lisa. terlampau sangat psikonya – and NOT in a good way. in a way yang confirm mamat ni bukan orang yang bertanggungjawab kidnap lisa, sebab terlampau obvious ke-psiko-an nye tu! haha. perlu ke kat pejabat pun buat muka seposen dan macam tak mandi?
2. eh takkan satu je yang aku tak suka? ok sebenarnya aku dah malas nak pikir. dah nak pukul 11.30 mlm ni. ngantuk!

 

filem yang lain dari yang lain – aku ingatkan komedi romantis, tiba-tiba jadi psiko thriller. hebat. jalan cerita tak boring, lakunan hebat yang tak kayu, dan yang paling aku suka – ending yang tak tersangka-sangka. syabas. aku tunggu karya seterusnya dari pengarah muda ni!

 

 

* * *

 

ok ade tak filem melayu lain yang best yang korang rasa aku mesti tengok?

Khaleef’s International Friends (Happy 41st National Day, UAE!)

as usual, when 2nd december is near, khaleef’s school will hold an ‘international day’ together with a parade in conjunction with UAE’s 41st national day. students will come to school wearing their national clothes.

khaleef proudly wore a maroon baju melayu complete with songkok and samping to school. even I was so proud seeing a baju melayu worn amongst other national dresses. all his classmates looked so adorable wearing glittery costumes, beautiful dresses and smart-looking outfit.

 

this is my khaleef with his best buddy zayn who is also in the same bus as he is. I love this picture. I love how the boys instantly put their arms around each other the moment I asked them to pose for the camera. cute!

 

another good friend of khaleef, kynan – now THAT is a hug! cheek to cheek!

 

completely in love with this shot and the adorable kids. the way they put their arms around each other – innocence, friendship, pure happiness. a malaysian dude, an indian, a filipino, a pakistani and two egyptians : it did not matter where they were from or that they speak english in different accents – they have fun together, laugh together (get scolded by the teacher together!) and that’s what’s important!

 

there is only one other malaysian in khaleef’s class. this is norissa and she’s a spunky one! it’s so cute that they’re wearing similar color tone. love it!

 

kekecohan!

 

love these pictures too! believe me it was difficult to take picture of khaleef in class by himself or with only one classmate, because the other kids would start to surround him and wanted to be in the shot too. too cute! romanian, pakistani, iranian, sri lankan and egyptian – many more!

in the top picture, the kids are showing thumbs-up while saying BAGUS! let me tell you the story behind it!

 

* * *

 

before the kids went off to the field for the international day parade, parents hang out in the classrooms to do a presentation about anything from their home country – it could be a song, picture or they could talk about their country’s flag or the national dress.

I wanted to show them how to play ‘batu seremban’ but the parents that went before me all just stood there talking about their country. just talking, so their presentations were short. they told the kids about their country’s flag. about the languages they speak. so I didn’t want to be so ‘over’ hahaha. so I quickly changed my presentation! buat simple-simple je lah!

I taught them a couple of words from the malay language especially ‘bagus’ with a thumbs up. ‘bagus’ means ‘good’ in malay. the kids enjoyed doing the thumbs up as they shout ‘bagus’; I just quickly cut the class into half – team khaleef and team norissa (both kids are from malaysia) and had a contest to see which team can shout ‘bagus’ the loudest.

short and simple, but I can see that the kids were responding well and enjoying the shouting and gesturing!

this short activity really made me miss my old job SO MUCH. yes, I used to work around kids – teaching, lesson planning, preparing reading materials – a lot of tense situation (that makes me want to rip my eyes out, haha) but definitely a lot more enjoyable moments that make me laugh, as well as endearing moments to treasure.

 

* * *

 

after terrorising the class, parents head on to the field for the international day parade. there were also cultural shows being held in the middle of the field like the emirati girls dancing, african drums and many more!

the weather was wonderful – at 9am, the sun was out but it was cool all around. winter was already here in dubai!

I was seriously smiling and grinning the whole time watching the little ‘country representatives’ strutting down the field in their national costumes. they were SO adorable. I truly enjoyed the sight of different cultural identity in their clothes. amazing!

can’t help taking a lot of photos of these little ‘diplomats’, while waiting for khaleef’s class to pass by.

 

 

the final two pictures above were two malaysian kids I spotted. one was this cute little girl in red baju kurung. another one that caught my eyes was this enthusiastic boy in white baju melayu, raising his flag ever so proudly up in the air. super cute!

 

…and then it was khaleef’s class. note the boy in the baju melayu at the background? noisy, ceria, enthusiastic, joyful, exuberant. they were shouting UAE! UAE! at the top of their voice.

 

left! right! left! right!

 

with fellow malaysian, norissa. malaysia boleh!