HoW dO i SPeLL tHe WoRds

Dubai is Cold!

2012-01-25T06:58:00.001-08:00

it was not THIS cold last year. i remember because during winter last year, i didn’t need socks to walk around the house. this year, the winter hit dubai hard, and it’s windy everyday! REALLY WINDY. i look out the window, and see the trees swaying like mad each morning and evening.

when i send khaleef down to his bus daily, we had to stand by the wall – if not, we’d feel the full blow of the winter wind. really cold!

yes, it’s WINTER in dubai, and it’s a really COLD one these days!

too bad i didn’t capture the one with 10 degrees once!

but hey, this is not a complain posting ok. this is just a report hihi.

because, alhamdulilah, windy or too windy – i’m enjoying the cold dubai winter. this is the short time of year where we can go out for a walk in dubai, and feel like we’re somewhere in europe – with our thick jackets, snow caps and pashmina wrapped around our neck. also, by next month, temperature will start to rise again… enjoy the cool weather while we can!

boleh la berangan kejap!

i hear malaysia is enjoying HOT weather, no? i miss you, malaysia!

(our own paper thestar actually wrote about winter in dubai in this 2011 article. click here. however the last line of the article about booking MAS flights to dubai – not happening anymore! what, didn’t you hear? MAS does not fly to dubai anymore…)

the Tale of Rasulullah SAW and Oranges

2012-01-23T01:04:00.001-08:00

one day, a non-muslim woman came to Rasulullah SAW bearing gifts – a few ripe oranges. the oranges were round and beautiful, very tantalizing. at that time, Rasulullah SAW was with his companions. Prophet Muhammad SAW graciously accepted the gift with a smile. then he ate the orange one slice after another. still with a smile on his face.

usually, when Rasulullah SAW ate with his companions, he would definitely offer some to them, but this time, he did not. he did not offer anyone even a single slice. Rasulullah SAW continued eating, every time with a smile, until he finished all the oranges. the other companions were perplexed with Rasulullah SAW’s behaviour.

then the non-muslim woman left, while Rasulullah SAW thanked her for the oranges.

that’s when the companions asked Rasulullah SAW why – with a smile he answered, “do you know that actually the oranges were so sour from the very first slice that i tasted? if you were to eat those oranges with me, i worry that one of you might squint your eyes because it’s too sour, or might be angry at the woman. i worry that she might be offended. that is why i finished all the oranges myself.”

and so it was, the mark of Rasulullah SAW’s high character – he will not look down on anyone’s gift even when the gift was not a good one, and even when it is from a non-muslim.

to emulate our beloved Rasulullah SAW’s character, we should always appreciate other’s gifts even when it’s not to our liking. just say thank you, and accept it with a sincere heart, because every gift is a rezeki from Allah.

got this from a friend’s FB page, shared from imam muda nazrul. it was originally in BM. it’s a very simple story, yet so meaningful, displaying one of many Rasulullah SAW’s great virtues. we should always try to apply Rasulullah SAW’s sunnah and exceptional character to the best of our capabilities.

GONG XI FA CHAI to chinese muslims celebrating chinese new year, and to all my chinese budies whereever you are! aku tak boleh makan limau lebih dari sebijik. confirm batuk!

*image is googled

Real Steel, Dolphin Tale & The Help

2012-01-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

3 more amazing movies, people. thanks for dropping by.

this time i watched ‘real steel’, a touching story about a father and son, and their boxing robot with incredible will power. also the heart-warming friendship between a boy and a dolphin without a tail in ‘dolphin tale’, inspired by a true story. and finally, a moving drama about african-american maids in the 60’s, and the challenges and harships they face each day in their jobs.

* * *

i never thought a robot could stir my emotions like a human character can. i mean, sure – ‘transformer’ was a fantastic movie but those metal guys were already famous before the movie. and even so, the 2nd and 3rd transformer movies were just crap if you ask me. there was no heart in it. now this – ‘real steel’ you have got to see.

the father, an ex-boxing champion. the son was the one he abandoned, and now that his mother had just died, he reluctantly got to take care of the boy. the world is set in the future – where boxing has changed – instead of humans, robots are made to fight in the boxing ring. together, the father and son joined forces to lead their humble robot to victory, in the boxing ring, and into the hearts of the people. their old robot revealed astounding will power, and both of them discovered a strong bond of family.

hugh jackman as the father is as hot and hunky as ever. you can see the transition from a i-don’t-give-a-damn guy to a believable father figure. as a boxer character, you get to see some sexy muscular arms action especially at the end. *pengsan* hihi. the boy who played the son is just so adorable, that you KNOW he’s gonna be as handsome as his on-screen dad when he grows up! hihi. watch out for the dancing scene!

but at the end of the day, the robot named atom steals the show. no spoken words, his eyes just flickering blue lights, his movement clunky and he’s just metal – but he has displayed more hearts and fighting spirit just like any living characters.

his fighting scenes are one of the best scenes – full of angst, hope and struggle – you would feel like watching any other human fight that has rocky I or IV, or watching russel crows’ cinderella man in action – you want atom to win just as much. you cringe when he gets beaten, you get tensed when the clock is ticking, your gut twisted in a knot when he fell down after a strong punch. just like watching a real match with real people.

and when he triumphs, you will cheer even louder. a highly recommended movie. it has heart, it has action. a metal robot with human fighting spirit.

* * *

dolphins are amazing. they’re said to be the 2nd most intelligent creature on earth – after humans. i’ve always been in awe of their charm as they ‘perform’ delightfully in water with balls and hoops; and captured our hearts in turn. ‘dolphin tale’ is the story of one such animal.

inspired by a true story, this movie is about a quiet lonely boy sawyer who first found an injured dolphin stuck in crab net. her tail was badly affected and had to be cut off. she was taken to the ‘clearwater marine hospital’ where she was named ‘winter’, and taken good care off. here on began the endearing relationship between sawyer and winter, as he comforted her back to health, helped her swim despite her disability, and best of all – helped her get a new tail, and a new lease of life.

the real-life dolphin with the prosthetic tail named winter (who also acted as the ‘winter’ in this movie!) still lives happily and continues to receive visitors at clearwater marine aquarium in florida.

the characters in this movie is lovable, especially sawyer. his dreamy eyes really shows how connected he is with winter. dr. clay (the person who runs the maritime hosp) played by one of my fav crooners harry connick jr is also endearing, and i love that they don’t waste the movie on the likely romance between him and sawyer’s single mom, played by the lovely ashley judd who seemed to have gained weight, but looked just as gorgeous in this movie.

watching ‘dolphin tale’ you will laugh, you will cry, you will clap your hands, and you will cheer. a tale of hope, a tale of survival, of a tale of friendship between man and animal, a tale of overcoming adversity and never giving up. a heart-warming family movie, with a positive message, with a feel-good ending. highly recommended.

“i am seeing something that a mother, a teacher dreams of seeing : a turned-on kid. he is so engaged, and it’s not with a game-boy. it’s with something that is alive, and beautiful and real.” ~ sawyer’s mother played by the lovely ashley judd when talking to sawyer’s teacher about him staying off school to help take care of winter.

this music video features clips from the movie ‘dolphin tale’, with the background song ‘safe’ by westlife which is played at the end of the movie. i havent’t really heard westlife in a long time (not a fan) but this song with wonderful lyrics really touched me. rasa nak nangis je!

enjoy!

* * *

nominated for best movie, best actress and even won for best supporting actress – this movie has it all – an interesting storyline, great cast, and an engaging script.

a story about an author in the 1960’s ‘skeeter’ who decided to interview the african-american maids aka ‘the help’, and writes their point of view on their white employers, how they were treated and their trials and challenges against racism and prejudices.

the two main african-american maid characters aibileen and minny played their role fantastically well; aibileen the reserved, quiet maid, while minny is the loud-mouth funny one. together, they helped skeeter write her controversial book, after several mistreatment from their white employers. skeeter is played by the beautiful emma stone, who played her spunky, determined, out-spoken and different from other girls her age who are all ‘happily’ married.

the script is what i enjoyed most – sometimes touching, at times funny and most of the time, will make me think. highly recommended movie, especially if you grow up with a maid in your house, or if you are employing a maid right now taking care of your home, prepare your food and bring up your own kids, while her kids are taken care off by others!

if a writer went and interview the indonesian maids in malaysia, what do you think they have to say about us malaysians as employers?

* * *

been trying to write a review ‘ombak rindu’, that popular malaysian movie among acik-acik and akak-akak. it’s coming. watch this space!

Yemeni Dishes @ Turath al-Mandi, Jumeirah

2012-01-15T17:00:00.000-08:00

people, i am a ‘mandi rice’ addict, and i don’t want a cure. haha.

i know mandi rice is an arab dish originated from yemen, and i can easily get it at my favorite place al-tawasol in deira. however, a new arabian restaurant in town ‘turath al-mandi’ claim to offer other YEMENI dishes as well.

mandi rice? mazby rice? makboos? bukhari? zorbian? other than these ‘rice’ dishes, what other yemeni dishes could there be? we went for a first try.

my yummilicious plate of mandi rice. yumness!

‘turath al-mandi’ is situated on jumeirah beach road, jumeirah 3. it’s right next to the also-newly-opened ‘dixie lee’ chicken fast-food joint. dixie lee’s building is very red and yellow, so you won’t miss it. turath al-mandi is right next door.

parking spaces are available right in front of these restaurants, but on a weekend it’d probably be full, so you either have to park a little further up or down.

* * *

as soon as we walked inside, we knew this is gonna be the ferrari of mandi rice restaurant! the posh lightings, the wall decor, the plush seats and carved windows – it was a really beautiful setting, though a little more posh for the humble mandi rice that we’re used to.

the place was really breath-taking.

ye lah, all this while we’ve enjoyed our mandi rice while sitting down cross-legged on turkish carpets while the kids rolled around in the privacy of the ‘tent’. the plates were just stainless steel platter, and cups were just plastic; so we won’t worry if the kids accidentally drop them.

at turath al-mandi however, it certainly brings the dining experience a little higher than we used to – huge square ceramic plate, heavy silver cutleries, spotless white napkin folded into shapes plus a very fragile-looking tall glass which has absolutely no business being around kids!

i immediately pushed all these fragile items OUT OF THE WAY from kazim!

i immediately told mr. khairul – if you wanna entertain clients, or guests, or really special guests, who are all ADULTS…haha – this is the place. it’s posh, it’s stylish, it’s got that rich yemeni culture in its gorgeous, very expensive-looking interior.

but us, with kids? THREE kids? and one of them is kahfi? na-ah. don’t risk it again, syigim! you got away this time! you got lucky! haha.

since we want to ‘hide’ our kids’ hooligan-ism haha, we picked this rather charming little closed-up space that looks like a half-cut egg. really gorgeous. cantik sangat. the walls inside our ‘egg’ was padded and the place was just comfy.

as you can see from the pictures, there are many other ‘types’ of seating – by the window, or around the walls if you’re a couple – your choice.

AND as you can see from the picture right above, mr. khairul was taking away all the fragile stuff from kazim. itchy itchy hands!

* * *

at first glance, i was kind off disappointed with the selection in the menu, especially considering my first impression on the posh place.

i expected it to be filled with exotic yemeni delicacies that i’ve never even heard off, with delightfully inviting pictures and colorful description – like the menu in the emirati restaurant al-fanar – really comprehensive with pictures and description both in english and arabic.

however, despite the cover of the menu being super-classy and hard-cover plak tu, the inside is just a short list of dishes printed in one a4 paper. talk about anti-climax, huh. gamba pun takde.

no pictures no description. how are we non-arabs or even arabs who are non-yemenis gonna know what those yemeni dishes are? i hope these menus are just prototype before the real one, turath al-mandi!

oh also, the food price here doubles that of al-tawasol. hey, somebody’s got to pay for the ambiance…

* * *

anyway, we started off with ‘fattoush’ (in the menu it’s listed as ‘traditional salad’) – a type of arabic salad made from toasted or fried pieces of pita bread (the crunchy square-shaped brown ones – usually they make use of stale bread – ala, kalau macam salad omputeh bubuh crouton, salad arab bubuh baked-pita bread) combined with diced-up mixed veggies like tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and capsicum.

sumac (some sort of powder/spice) is usually used to give fattoush its sour taste. i don’t like too much of ‘sumac’, but when it’s done right, this is easily my favorite salad dish ever.

this is a complimentary appetizer which looked and tasted like our roti canai or parotha. mr. khairul said, when he ate at restaurants in yemen, this was also served before the main meal. i googled and found out that there were many types of yemeni bread – but this one is cooked using a tandoor – a big heated clay pot like nan bread.

it’s really delicious – thin and crispy, served with a dipping made from some herbs and olive oil. tapi kalau la ade kari, sedap ni!

ah, my precious plate of delight – the mandi chicken. the moment it arrived on my table, i knew this was going to be delicious, but NOT my favorite. why? i don’t like my mandi rice to be laden with unnecessary cashew nuts and raisins! i know they’re trying to be fancy and all, but spare me the extra taste – i just want the rice!

it was served along with the usual chilli-tomato gravy, plus oddly enough – a bowl of yoghurt.

my verdict : the chicken was delicious – juicy, tender, easily shredded, just like a good mandi chicken should taste like. but the rice, like i said, was not to my liking. it was not just about the cashew nuts and raisins, the beads of rice were not as soft as the ones you’ll get at al-tawasol, and the herb not as tasty as the ones from bait al-mandi.

delicious, but certainly not the best.

of course, mr. khairul the lamb-fan would order the mandi meat. rice – the same – filled with raisins and cashew nuts. the lamb meat was at its usual best – juicy, the flesh falls off easily from the bones and the taste – delicious. considering what we pay for, this was just a normal, good plate of mandi meat. nothing more special than that.

* * *

here’s my eldest boy khaleef at quite an interesting corner of the restaurant – buckets filled with herbs, spices and powder – filled to the brim. from all types, all sorts of colors and texture. a very nice addition to an already beautiful place.

there’s also a jambiya on the counter – jambiya is a traditional yemeni dagger which is shaped like a ‘J’, now used mainly worn for decoration around the waist with a belt, or used in entertainment.

interesting to note that :

the prices of the dishes double the dishes you pay for at al-tawasol. mandi chicken there is just aed21 if i’m not mistaken. here it’s aed45.
of all the mandi rice restaurants i’ve ever been to, this is the by far the ONLY mandi rice restaurant in which i have to pay for the accompanying salad. the rest would give the plate of salad complimentary together with the mandi rice dishes. tsk tsk.
the yemeni bread they gave out before the main meal comes is just so delicious. it’s made FRESH using the tandoor, and i saw it myself (through a glass window looking over the kitchen) when i asked for another one to my table. well done turath al-mandi!
camel burger is sold here. might wanna try that one out next!
there are a few interesting yemeni dishes here, including the ‘tharid’ which is a traditional arabic dish made of pieces of bread in vegetable or meat broth. the dish is notable in that it has been mentioned in a number hadith attributed to our prophet Muhammad SAW.

~narrated Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari: Allah's apostle said, "many amongst men attained perfection but amongst women none attained the perfection except Mary, the daughter of Imran and Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh. And the superiority of 'Aisha to other women is like the superiority of Tharid (i.e. an Arabic dish) to other meals."

~narrated Ikrash ibn Dhu’ayb RadhiAllahu anhu, we were brought a platter with a large amount of tharid and slices of boneless meat and i plunged in my hand in all directions, but Allah’s Messenger SallAllahu alaihi wasallam ate what was in front of him. he seized my right hand with his left and said, "eat from one place, Ikrash RadhiAllahu anhu, for it is all one kind of food." afterwards we were brought a plate containing various kinds of dates and i began to eat what was in front of me while the hand of Allah’s Messenger SallAllahu alaihi wasallam went round on the plate. he then said, "eat where you wish, Ikrash RadhiAllahu anhu, for it is not all one kind."

* * *

ok – to me, the mandi rice dishes at turath al-mandi were delicious, but not delicious enough for me to come again for their mandi rice. but hey, i might come again to try the camel burger or the tharid. there are a few more rare yemeni delicacies that you might not find anywhere else in dubai, so that’s a plus.

also it’s very pricey, so i’d rather stick to my favorite al-tawasol to get my beloved mandi chicken which is much cheaper, with bigger portion, and none of the cashew nuts and raisins nonsense! haha.

the place is really beautiful (i think i’ve been repeating this! it really is beautiful!) so for a special occasion, or to treat a special guest, you might wanna give the posh turath al-mandi a try.

the pictures of the interior of ‘turath al-mandi’ are from its facebook page. thanks.

Tangled, Ever After?

2012-01-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

i’m a disney girl. always has been, always will be.

i know all the songs from whatever disney movie you can name – from the more popular ones like beauty and the beast or aladdin to the less popular ones like ‘robin hood’ and ‘fox and hound’ to the classics like ‘jungle book’.

so of course i was totally in love with disney’s latest princess in ‘tangled’. i absolutely adore her, the songs were endearing just like any ol catchy disney tune, mandy moore’s voice is uplifting, and flynn rider is just the most handsomest-est (that’s how handsome he is!) disney hero ever drawn.

and just today i discovered that they’re making ‘tangled ever after’! cuteness!

scheduled to be released already in january, it picks up where the last ‘tangled’ left off – flynn and rapunzel are about to be married and the unlikely buddies – pascal the chameleon, and maximus the royal horse lost the ring as they were about to get married! bummer!

so ‘tangled ever after’ is basically about the adventure of the two in recovering the rings. hmm, not too excited about the story focusing on these animals, adorable as they may seem – because i want to see more flynn and rapunzel – and more singing!

however, still looking forward to see it! wonder when is it out in dubai? while i find out, please enjoy this short clip taken from ‘tangled ever after’. flynn and rapunzel are so gorgeous together!

i may have THREE SONS, but khaleef’s favorite disney movie when he was younger was ‘the little mermaid’, and kazim would stop on his track when i put on ‘tangled’. my boys are all disney-ed already. haha.

now, for ‘tangled ever after’!

1881 Baklava From Lebanon With Love

2012-01-07T12:55:00.000-08:00

any fan of baklava here?

some will say it’s too sweet. and some say they’re delightful drops of heaven to the palate. i will tell you this : if you felt that this arabic sweets is TOO sweet, you’ve tasted the wrong kind. a really good baklava should taste amazing, with just the right amount of sweetness.

the syrupy sweet honey would envelope the pistachio bits and ‘fillo dough’ pastry with perfect union. it’s sweet romance in every bite. ewah, dah macam iklan pulak.

the shop actually offered a plate of randomly selected baklava for a ‘taste-test’ before mr. khairul decided which to buy

looking at the title of this posting, i would like to state that i did not eat a basi baklava from 1881. ok, bad joke. mr. khairul got me this box of baklava from beirut, lebanon on his recent trip there – and the shop that made these baklava had been around since – you’ve guessed it – 1881. the shop is called ‘abdul rahman hallab & sons 1881’.

1881! gile lama!

it’s actually situated in another state in lebanon, called tripoli 85km north of beirut. the building looks amazing from outside, and even more beautiful on the inside – a reminiscence of old moroccan cafe, with a little hint of french---

ok fine! i don’t know architecture much ok. it’s beautiful. nuff said! haha.

anyways, a baklava recipe since 1881, huh? that’s gotta be one heck of a baklava to have lasted THAT long! it’s said that the baklava are hand-made, from the purest of ingredients.

* * *

now, it’s the inside that excites me the most when mr. khairul first showed me. it looked like a baklava factory in there! it was so wonderful seeing all those trays filled with freshly made baklava, ready to be packed and sold.

i don’t know about you, but this could be a little bit of willy wonka for the baklava world for me! not as extravagant, but still! pretty exciting!

there are seats there for patrons who wants their baklava there and then – could you imagine the freshness of the baklava that came out straight from the oven and into their mouth – heavenly!

my favorite type of baklava – called the ‘lady’s finger’ baklava – a popiah-like sweets made from a very thin and crispy pastry called ‘fillo dough’, with nuts and honey or sugary syrup inside. it’s smaller (i think the smallest of all baklava) and bite-sized so i could pop this for hours! haha. bahaya!

i also prefer those with pistachio than any other nuts.

mr. khairul said this was his favorite because it’s very compact and chewy – so all the flavor of the nuts, and dough, and honey just gels together in one delicious bite!

it was so cute that the ‘chefs’ were all so malu-malu at first when mr. khairul were given permission to enter their preparation area behind the counter. everyone was hunched up together at one corner, curiously eye-ing this malaysian tourist!

and then one brave soul stepped forward upon mr. khairul’s request – to pose for his camera. he even sportingly cut up a few baklava so mr. khairul could ‘catch’ him in ‘action’ candidly.

…and then, all of a sudden, the ‘pack’ started spreading out, and appeared more comfortable. everyone started to be more playful and happily posed for the camera with different kinds of ‘action’ of a normal working session. hihi. comel! mula-mula malu, pehtu over pulak! haha.

* * *

i’m very fortunate to be able to try the best baklava from lebanon, and the best from syria – and personally, i preferred the latter because syrian baklava are more crispier and that’s the way i like it. i’ve written about the baklava mr. khairul bought from syria – click here.

if you’re like mr. khairul and enjoy a more chewy baklava, you’d probably go for lebanese baklava. oh well, syrian or lebanese baklava – one is never enough…

Asean Delight @ Spore Deli, Karama

2012-01-05T12:37:00.000-08:00

are you a malaysian tourist in dubai sick of all the indian briyani and western fast food in your travels here? have some food close to home at ‘singapore deli’ in karama – offering singapore-malaysia-indo dishes that are hot and spicy – just as we asians like it!

if you’re a malaysian staying in dubai and has never heard of ‘singapore deli’, then you haven’t really lived in dubai. haha. or maybe you’re just a REALLY fantastic cook. huhu.

we’ve been here many times before when we first came to dubai around 2008 but i never got around to blog about it. now after a long time since we last came, we decided to have our dinner here.

it’s in karama, right opposite the burjuman center.

since the weather is nice and cozy and chilly, we enjoyed having our hot dinner right outside. it was more windy than usual that night, but when else can we savour winter in dubai than this time of year? just sit back and enjoy the cold air lah!

how’s their menu like?

interesting dishes that sounds suspiciously more indo than singaporean dishes – nasi tumpeng mini, nasi pepes, nasi timbel, nasi pecel ayam; down to the usual malaysian delights like nasi lemak and ayam panggang. the most singaporean dishes would be the chicken rice, and of course singapore meehon.

the place should be called asian deli instead! haha. takpe, kita kan serumpun. we have pretty much the same food! share-share makanan ni biase lah. haha.

i would eat this ‘nasi tumpeng mini’ again simply for its delicious sambal tempe goreng! terangkat!

mr. khairul tried the nasi tumpeng mini. this one is called ‘mini’ because usually the ‘nasi tumpeng’ is served with A LOT of different dishes (lauk) in small portion which is arranged all around the cone-shaped yellow rice (yellow because steamed with added tumeric/kunyit powder), and usually served as a celebratory dish – on special occasion.

this mini one was served with ayam panggang (juicy sweet grilled chicken), tempe goreng sambal, cut-up cucumber, egg and keropok. the actual huge-portion nasi tumpeng is also available at singapore deli for the really hungry tummy!

i went for the less-adventurous choice of ayam nasi panggang – which is just white steamed rice served with juicy-sweetly marinated grilled chicken and some cut-up veggie. we requested for a small bowl of plain savoury soup, FOC. it went very well with my plate of grilled chicken and rice. yum.

this dish relied solely on the grilled chicken as it doesn’t have anything else. the grilled chicken is marinated well, and tasted delicious. especially goes well with young kids who doesn’t like spicy food – and my khaleef loved it!

my growing boy had one whole plate all to himself!

if you wanna try another good plate of nasi ayam panggang, try the one in betawi. also a nice small place get indo food. read my review here.

we also tried the tantalizing kangkong belacan – spicy with that unmistakable yumness of belacan, just as it should be. well, of course any abe kelate in lembah klang can make a better plate of kangkong belacan, but we dubai beggars can’t be choosers, right?

it opens daily from 12 noon to 12 midnight, with the exception of friday of course, when they open after friday prayer at 3pm. should you crave for malaysian, indonesian and singaporean dishes in dubai, go to ‘singapore deli’.

..also, it’s just a nice change to visit a restaurant in dubai where you can speak malay to its waiters…

The Devil’s Double, Our Idiot Brother & Another Earth

2012-01-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

syigim’s cinema is open with another reviews of 3 latest movies to grace the silver screen.

i watched a disturbing movie based on true accounts of the man who claimed to be the body double to uday saddam hussein in ‘the devil’s double’. the next movie is ‘our idiot brother’, the delightfully funny story of a brother with three sisters and how he changed their lives. finally, ‘another earth’, a movie about a world where another planet was just discovered; a planet that is exactly like our earth. exactly. including having another version of us in it!

* * *

was the son of saddam hussein really THAT sadistic downright psychotic? disturbing tortures, have naked birthday parties, kidnap young schoolgirls from the street and kill her when he’s ‘done’ with her? randomly shooting people according to his whims and fancies?

it was really disturbing how uday was potrayed in this movie – told through the eyes of the man who was recruited to become his body-double. very graphic, and very real.

dominic cooper delivered an oscar-worthy performance as both uday saddam hussein and the body double latif yahiya. i know him as this manly hot dude from the movie ‘an education’, and was surprised at his transformation for this double role. well done! as uday, he is this loud-mouthed goofy-looking prince with very unpredictable violence. as latif yahiya, he is this cool english-accented military man forced into this undesirable situation.

i’m not sure whether to recommend this movie, or warn you against it – but it’s probably too controversial to be ignored. your call.

* * *

this is a really cute movie. i don’t have any brothers, so i’m sometimes fascinated with the relationship mr. khairul has with his 3 sisters. mostly funny, sometimes caring and at times obnoxious like only a brother can be! this is a tale of a brother, and how he inadvertently changed the lives of his 3 sisters…

ned is a simple-minded guy, sweet and caring. fresh out of prison, he stays with his sisters – one at a time. each time he stays with a sister, he somehow gets involved in their lives with dreadful (but funny) consequence. he doesn’t mean to make things worse, as he is always just being honest, and wants the best for his sisters.

kind off like forrest gump, but instead of the annoying ‘jenny’ character, we have 3 sisters.

paul rudd does well in his ‘ned’ character. he’s endearing, funny and loveable. no matter how much he goofs up and messes with his sisters lives, you can’t help but feel sorry for him, and hates the sisters! haha. speaking of sisters, they did very nicely too playing the sister part. great acting.

overall a light comedy-drama to laugh, to cry and to just remember how much you need your siblings in your life, no matter how ‘stupid’ the things they do! hihi. highly recommended!

* * *

i’m so glad i stumbled upon this award-winning indie movie. it was such a moving piece – original storyline, powerful performance from these relatively unknown actors, wonderful cinematography and a banging ending. a must-see.

that night, a duplicate of our planet was discovered. another planet that is exactly like our planet, in every single way – including having another us in that planet! another person who is exactly like you. on that same night, a brilliant student crossed path with an accomplished successful composer in a tragic accident, that will change their lives forever.

i will leave the synopsis at that, as i don’t want to spoil your viewing pleasure any further. the pace of the story might be a tad slow for those who prefer fast-action-packed movies, but i’m telling you that the conclusion of the story is SO worth the wait, and will hit you right between the eye. it was like, woah. i absolutely LOVE the ending.

this movie is more than just a sci-fi drama about the discovery of a new planet with CGI-ed aliens – i recommend this movie strongly to all who believe in hope, believe in forgiveness and second chances.

enjoy the trailer.

* * *

until we meet again in the next movie review!

Desert Camping Near Camel Road, Dubai-Hatta

2012-01-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

we started the new year with desert camping!

well, we didn’t exactly slept on the sand under the stars beneath the cactus tree – but we did join 9 other malaysian families, and pitch our tent at the desert!

it’s winter in dubai, the best time to hang out at the desert…

9 cars zoomed across the camel road along the dubai-hatta route; according to mr. khairul this area is simply known as ‘camel road’.

we took some time to decide where to settle and set up camp. the last time we went to camp at a desert, we went further in so the desert was really vast and was nothing but sand dunes everywhere you look.

(read here for our 1st desert experience with the 3 boys)

however, this time we didn’t go too far inside the desert area, as some of the vehicles might not be able to drive through soft desert sand. so there were more stones, and dry tree branches around the area we stopped at.

well, it was still as beautiful as Allah’s creation can be!

when we finally got the spot, the men got right to pitching up the tents, while the ladies set up the picnic tables with all sorts of yummy homemade dishes. a few of them would be spending the night there, and the rest would leave – including us!

we almost wanted to stay – we’ve got the tent, we’ve brought comforters and pillows and extra socks – but without sleeping bags, i fear it could get extremely cold as the night progresses. winter in dubai can be very cold – and this is winter in DESERT dubai – it’s definitely way colder in the night!

so we decided, maybe next time lah! hihi. when we’re much better prepared…

see how deep kahfi’s feet went into the sand as he walked!

the boys had tons of fun going up and down the sand dune. now this time, the sand dune was so steep, that i was left breathless trying to climb up to the top of the dune. seriously people, it’s NOT as easy as it looks. especially when your feet sink so deep into the sand as you’re trying to push yourself up. phew! letih gile weh naik bukit pasir tu!

as the night creeps in, the boys lepak inside the tent. now this is my FIRST time of really hanging out inside a tent, in the middle of nowhere. mr. khairul is a king’s scout so he’s SO used to camping out – but i’m the exact opposite, camping for more than 12 hours (especially when kids aged 1-6 are involved!) is a no-no haha.

nways, it was really comfy and cozy hanging out inside the tent. away from the chilling breeze of the desert, we got really warm and toasty inside the tent. especially so seeing the camp fire at a distance. really toasty!

* * *

this was one of our many, many, MANY attempts at taking my picture with the boys. failed! miserably! haha. kazim kept wanting to escape. kahfi hated posing for the camera. and while khaleef loves to be photographed, he kept complaining about the sun in his eyes. oh, man!

oh well – there’s always the next time, and the next, and the next…

* * *

seeing this posting one day, i hope my sons realize how lucky there are to be able to experience this beautiful landscape that cannot be found in our home country malaysia. some people can enjoy snow, some live life by the beach, and some breathe the fresh kampung air – they got to play in the biggest sand-box ever!

syukur!

11 Memories for 2011

2011-12-31T12:37:00.000-08:00

never too late to recap the beauty of 2011…

my eldest son khaleef’s *graduation* before going to year one~

abah & umi’s visit to dubai in january~ this was at the biggest mosque in UAE, sheikh zayed mosque in abu dhabi~

kazim turned ONE on april 1st!

watched stevie wonder LIVE in concert @ yas arena, abu dhabi! wee! unsangkarable moment!

mr. khairul got his harley davidson! vroom!

went back to malaysia in july and had a fantabulous spore getaway with abah, umi, my two younger sisters syida & azot. stayed at the beautiful festive hotel on sentosa island and hoo-ha-ing at universal studios singapore – priceless moments!

words cannot describe. our party of five. syimee, syigim, syima, syida & nazirah. me & my sisters in an impromptu photoshoot. at my dad’s place in ipoh. i’m gonna make this an annual thing!

had an indo-getaway with my sisters-in-law tina and teh with just the boys. mr. khairul had an urgent call to fly to saudi and had to pass on this. jakarta surprised me with her metropolitan front. truly an enriching experience.

my precious. all abah’s 9 grandkiddos in one shot for one rare second.

our 2nd time spending syawal in dubai. *smile*

the boys’ first time playing in the desert : what a blast!

* * *

wishing for 12 memorable moments for 2012 – and more! happy new year, people!

Garrett in Dubai : Caramel-Crazed Popcorn

2011-12-30T13:42:00.000-08:00

have you tasted garret’s popcorn that’s creating a buzz in klcc malaysia right now?

been seeing 'garret' in dubai since forever, but never had the urge to buy or even try, because it's so expensive here! however, since i heard they just opened one in our beloved klcc in malaysia with a loo—oo---ng----g line of people buying, thought i tried it here in dubai where nobody cares! haha.

(also, jealous finding out my sisters dah rasa dulu! hohoho)

garrett’s caramel crisp popcorn

we went to the one in dubai mall – well, i think the only garrett in dubai IS in dubai mall. there are two actually, one is in the candylicious opposite the aquarium, and the other one is at the exit heading out to the musical fountain.

kahfi & khaleef with our popcorn. khaleef was delightfully obsessive about his pack of popcorn haha

established since 1949, it is stated in their fb page that garrett is a “chicago tradition, unchanged for 60 years, handmade fresh every day, one batch at a time, using only the highest quality ingredients.” wow. did they really hand-mixed all those popcorns in special copper kettles? classic!

well, 1949 tu! malaysia pun belum merdeka!

there are a few regular flavors or types of garrett popcorn like the classic caramel crisp, as well as sweet caramel-coated popcorns with nuts you like – almond, cashew, macadamia or pecan, and even cheese popcorn! and they even offer a new ‘spicy cheese corn’ flavor!’ popcorn, spicy? that’s really something.

it seemed that the most popular one is ‘chicago mix’ – a combo of caramel crisp popcorn and cheese corn. sounds tempting, but for a first-timer, i wanted to try the very basic, and then go from there.

pricey!

we got ourselves the LARGE caramel crisp, at aed34 per bag (i think more or less RM10 more expensive than in msia). and look at the price of the biggest gallon of caramel crisp – a whopping aed758! even for a big party i wouldn’t dream of spending that much on popcorns!

those people must really be caramel-crazy to buy this much!

i was fascinated with the packaging. 3 layers! first, the popcorns are packed in a clear plastic bag, rolled down air-tight. this was placed in a cute striped paper bag with cool taglines like ‘heavenly obsession’, and ‘gone in 60 seconds’, ‘rite of passage’, ‘unchanged for 60 years’ and ‘the pursuit of happiness’ and my favorite – ‘selfish gobblin’! hihi.

finally it’s placed in a fancier bag to take home. fancy!

* * *

alright.

so we finally tried this so-called best popcorn in the world hailed from chicago.

VERDICT : the caramel-freak boys (and i'm talking about MR. KHAIRUL and khaleef) love it, but it's too much la for me. ok, here’s my first meeting with the popcorn people will line up for :

i’m amazed at how big the popcorn kernels are
every single one popcorn is wholly covered in caramel
it’s hot! so it tasted really fresh when you pop one in
i tasted one, and WOAH – it really is one of the best popcorn i’ve ever tasted! (at first…)
i tried some more, and it can be quite addictive especially if you’re a sweet-tooth person – i’m sure you can’t stop popping them
but TO ME, really, after 4-5 more scoops of garret caramel popcorn, i gave-up the sugar rush – too sweet! too much caramel for my liking!
also, the caramel after-taste was so overwhelming, even after i stopped eating them, it felt like i just drank a whole cup of caramel drink or something. the caramel taste is so strong!
but it’s nice that none of the popcorn kernel has a hard part. all crispy crunchy popping all the way. sickeningly sweet way!
my eldest boy khaleef and mr. khairul are the caramel-popcorn-freaks in the house – they can even sit with a bucket of regular popcorn rummaging thru it looking for ONLY the brown caramel-coated popcorns, leaving the white tasteless ones for me huhu – so they’re ABSOLUTELY HYPNOTIZED already by garrett popcorns haha
interesting fact : my youngest boy kazim – who can eat anything from m&m’s to doughnuts to nasi goreng tomyam – tried one, and spit it out. he wouldn’t try again. hmm.

my final word on garrett’s caramel crisp – it’s definitely too sweet for me to eat a lot off, but seriously, who in the world could go back to regular jagung bertih TGV or reel cinemas popcorn after a taste of sweet-sticky rich heavenly caramel at garrett’s? right?

Briyani in Bamboo @ Masala Bay

2011-12-29T00:05:00.000-08:00

briyani rice cooked in bamboo?

there are so many, many, MANY indian restaurants all over dubai. in order to stand out from the many, a restaurant needs to have good food with great price, good location with good service – and to be unique.

‘masala bay’ in discovery gardens may look like any other indian restaurant, service pretty much the same food – but the uniqueness lies in the way they serve their briyani!

briyani rice is served in bamboo trunk. the server pushes out the rice from the wooden tube, by edging a stick through an opening.

* * *

this branch of ‘masala bay’ is situated in discovery gardens, serving south indian food of the kerala state which – like its name suggested – rich in ‘masala’ (indian spices). the fiery symbol on its red signage can also prepare you for the hot spices of their dishes!

my favorite color is yellow, so i was immediately drawn to their ceiling which brightens up the minimal interior of the restaurant. it’s not that spacious, but comfy. a small clear window shows the chef in action.

i love the pictures on the walls – close-ups of spices, chillis and my favorite is a world map made solely from small beads of indian spice. nice.

* * *

appetizer : the super crispy popadom which is unlike any indian popadam i’ve ever tasted. very thin and crispy, with curry leaves and sprinkled with what probably is paprika. it’s served with this green dip.

* * *

this is ‘raitha’, a cold yoghurt dip with cut-up cucumber and onion, usually served with indian food to balance the heat and spiciness of the dishes. i love to dip my popadam in this ‘raitha’, as i eat my spicy briyani. excellent.

love this one too. is this coconut chutney? hmm.

for the boys, we ordered roti canai.

you’d be surprise to know that although there are many indian restaurants in dubai, it’s not as easy to find GOOD roti canai (parotha they call it here). really!

here, they are not too big on roti canai because they make so many, many other types of indian ‘roti’. so the best roti canai in dubai so far that i’ve tried are from ‘green city’, and ‘appa kadai’. and then i found this one at ‘masala bay’, and i liked it! not bad. soft, with a little crisp brownish spots here and there. nice.

we accompanied our roti canai (the parotha) with this thick, delicious curry chicken. yum.

* * *

..and here’s the main dish!

we ordered mutton briyani and they’re cooked normal but later steamed in this cool, classic-looking bamboo trunk, and then served straight on our plate. the waiter pushes out the rice from the wooden tube, by edging a stick through an opening. what a presentation!

the portion can be shared by two, especially if you’re also eating parotha. hihi. i like this mutton briyani at ‘masala bay’ because they’re not too spicy and the spices – though rich in flavor but not too overwhelming like some briyani tend to be if you add too much spices. overall, a delicious treat – soft beads of rice, and the mutton easily shreded and tender.

* * *

as usual, mr. khairul’s trip to any indian restaurants is incomplete without an order of sada chai. this indian tea is heated up on stove together with the milk, water and tea leaves which gives it a more rich milky taste that mr. khairul loves. must always ask, “tea bag? or not?” if it’s JUST tea-bag, don’t go for it. hihi. try the original!

* * *

while you wait for your order, you can enjoy amusing yourself with reading the jokes on its placemats. funny!

‘masala bay’ has a nice, relaxed ambiance to it, and the servers are polite and prompt. i would try this place again for the chicken briyani next!

New Year, New Haircut

2011-12-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

if you’re a regular at my blog, you know how long kahfi’s hair is. being mistaken for a girl is a norm, and i’m not even insulted anymore! his bapak wanna do this david beckham thing but i think it’s about time the boy tried a short haircut for a change!

click here for an interesting 50-s style black-and-white entry of their last haircut.

…so tada ~ their new looks for the new year! felt so relieved seeing all those hair ‘chopped’ away! while their maksu (my sister azot) is so glad kahfi finally got rid of his ‘weird’ long hairstyle, another aunt was not so pleased! their ateh (my sis-in-law diyana) was wee bit sad to those soft flowing locks go to waste!

oh well, it’s not like it won’t grow back! hihi.

* * *

before : kahfi was oblivious to the impending doom upon his hair…

we went to a saloon for kids called ‘just 4 kids’. this saloon caters exclusively for kids, so it’s got colorful geometric shapes at the entrance, and dalmations stickers on the front door. it really is inviting for kids! hihi.

it’s situated at deira, the same row as our favorite mandi rice restaurant al-tawasol. we always pass by this saloon as we head to al-tawasol, and only now it came to good use!

just a regular-sized shop, the saloon is furnished with colorful sofas suitable for an environment fit for children. on the walls there are cut-up pictures of children-models modelling hairstyles. haha. selalu kita nampak kat kedai-kedai gunting rambut amoi-amoi ade gamba fesyen rambut – sini pun ade, tapi gamba budak-budak. cute!

under each mirror, there is a small tv playing ‘tom and jerry’ to entertain the waiting kids, and especially – to calm kids who don’t want their hair touched! the seats are also cute with printed dalmation polka dots!

each haircut costs – 30dirham!

first up, was abang long khaleef – so that he can show kahfi that there was nothing to be scared of! he was relax and even a little excited, so his turn was a breezy.

the ‘barber’ or hairdresser is this warm, friendly lady from philippines who had been in dubai since 1993! so we know their hair was in good, experienced hands! she was always smiling, and always comforting kahfi when she cut his hair.

kahfi was starting to freak out!

abg long khaleef standing by to give words of encouragement to a sulking kahfi

…then it’s kahfi’s turn! he was very, very reluctant, and cried! we had to pop him a lollipop before he agreed to sit still and let the nice lady cut his hair. mr. khairul had to hold the lollipop for him at first haha, and as he sat there, he probably realized – ‘hey, this is not so bad’ – and sat still for the rest of the haircut session.

*i hate this but i want a new style* haha

* * *

voila!~

so went their old haircut and in with the new. may this new year usher in lots of new exciting stuff for you nice people to experience, to learn, to enjoy, to cherish.

have a good year!

Kahfi’s Bday : Figaro’s Pizza @ Rimal JBR

2011-12-25T08:47:00.000-08:00

my 2nd son kahfi just turned 3 and he LOVES pizza. he can eat two slices at one go, rest, and eat another one, and another one in the morning. hihi. so for his special day, we took him and the boys for pizza somewhere in JBR (jumeirah beach residences).

pizza napoletana, the pizza company, pizza express, papa john’s pizza – there are so many pizza places in JBR but we decided to try the italian figaro’s pizza that day. everybody together now – “fiiiiiiiigaro!” mesti rasa nak beropera kan hihi.

figaro’s pizza is on the first floor at the rimal JBR. you can even see its bold red signage as you walk along ‘the walk’ JBR.

i love the posters on the wall!

the interior is so red, haha – just like its signage. the inside is very spacious and so inviting. i love the red seats – big, sturdy, leather and looks kids-friendly – you know, one without any opening where a kid can fall out off, wouldn’t topple if a kid stood on it and it’s padded so it’s really comfy.

it’s cozy, relaxed; a family with kids could really hang out here.

* * *

its placemats have this sweet, romantic story that keeps you occupied while you wait for the pizza. ‘romano & juliet – a tale of real cheese and true love!’ haha

* * *

well, a pizza place is a pizza place. same stuff on the menu. what differentiates the pizza would be in the CRUST, combo of TOPPINGS and the CHEESE! going to a pizza place with the kids, we don’t even really need to look at the menu, since we basically know what the boys love most.

figaro’s pepperoni pizza

we quickly ordered the ‘pepperoni pizza’ especially for the boys. even if we wanted to go a little ‘wild’ and pick a pizza with different toppings or a little bit more than just pepperoni, the boys would just pick out the toppings they don’t want, and still ends up with pepperoni. so might as well get the plain ol pepperoni pizza for them!

birthday boy enjoying his pizza

it’s beef day apparently for us – since we got a second beef-based pizza

the crust is thick and soft, but personally i think their pizza are a little TOO SALTY. thank goodness i had my plate of mixed salad with me, from the salad bar. everytime i took a bite, i had to eat the coleslaw or potato salad together to add some sweetness. i couldn’t really eat the pizza on its own. it really is too salty for me.

mr. khairul ordered this hot chicken wings which looked like dry ayam goreng kunyit to me! however, mr. khairul said he really shouldn’t judge chicken wings by its look because they tasted quite delicious. i tried one but it’s so spicy! too spicy for me, but mr. khairul enjoyed every bite.

i was suprised that they brought out a plate instead of a bowl for the salad. they really don’t want people to pile up on the salad, huh? hmm, no matter – i still tried my best to pile on the coleslaw, potato salad, lettuce and mix veggie on my little plate. haha! and i actually finished everything on my plate, okay! so people like me should get bowl next time. hihi.

btw, i would just like to add that i LOVE coleslaw, and i think figaro’s pizza did really well with their coleslaw – it’s lumpy in a good way, it’s not too dry and not too watery – just nice. loved it! and it’s a good thing i have it to complement the salty pizza!

the salad bar

mr. khairul’s lime mint drink

* * *

figaro’s pizza is in rimal JBR ok, if you wanna check it out.

as for me – well, i love figaro’s pizza coleslaw, but with all the other pizza places around JBR, i doubt if i would come again. this is a great place to hang out as a family with small kids, but please amend the amount of saltiness of your pizza! thank you. hihi.

sigh. gimme domino’s or pizza hut anytime…

Kahfi Turns Thr3e

2011-12-23T05:09:00.000-08:00

my 2nd son KAHFI KHAIRUL turns 3 this day. everytime your birthday comes, mak will tell you that :

you were 7mths in my tummy when i flew with abg long on a plane from malaysia to dubai
you were born in dubai hospital
bapak was not with us in the labor room as he had to take care of 3-yr old abg long
you were delivered by a really nice indian nurse (too many babies coming, docs were super busy!) who had worked in dubai hospital since day it opens (around 1983!). otai tu! otai tak otai – i didn’t need any stitches!
while pregnant with you, mak craved indian food – and then you came out looking very chinese. hihi.

birthday boy is crazy about pizza, so on his birthday we picked one of the many pizza places in JBR (jumeirah beach residences) especially for birthday boy. nyum.

* * *

thanks for the wonderful well-wishes via facebook. you made my day! *smile*

* * *

making it simple this year – just a little itty bitty blueberry cheesecake for the birthday boy

happy birthday sweetheart!

as of today, kahfi has been off pampers too for the past 2 months, and we’re so proud of him. he calls kazim as ‘baby’, and khaleef as ‘anong’. i suspect that he’s a chinese-looking italian disguised as my son haha, because he absolutely love spaghetti, cheezy pasta, pepperoni pizza – anything italian!

his favorite quote for the time being is :

“mak, what’s that? what’s that? what’s that?”

“not me, it’s abg long!” or “not me, baby!” – whenever he’s accused of something.

and

“what’s that noise?”

mak, bapak, anong, and baby kazim love you very much and may Allah bless with you many wonderful years ahead. easy on the naughty stuff ya!

The Monster @ Burger Fuel, JBR

2011-12-21T01:33:00.000-08:00

boasted as ‘new zealand’s original gourmet burger’, we decided to give it a try on a nice weekend night at the walk, JBR (jumeirah beach residences). since the closing of hardee’s in amwaj next to KFC, JBR really needs a good ol burger place to balance the scale – there are too many pizza place in JBR!

this branch of burger fuel is situated in bahar building of JBR, right next to a cafe opposite hilton jumeirah. be on a lookout for purple signage and neon lights!

the weather was so fine, we preferred dining outside in the cool dubai air.

the restaurant is spacious inside, with minimal usage of colors so it kinda looks like a bare loft – which is cool, and urban. the washroom is upstairs, with more seats too. however, the weather is so fine now that it’s winter in dubai, so we decided to eat outside.

like chilli’s and TGIF, the kids get coloring papers featuring the typical burger and fries character with a cute face and a box of coloring pencils. sure kept the boys busy while we waited for food to arrive.

* * *

this is a burger place. so you’ll get an assortment of beef burger and chicken burger in their menu. there’s also a list of veggie burgers for the vegans. for sides, there’s this pumpkin thingy called ‘motobites’ which is really a cute name, and this chicken-based finger food called ‘chicken fenders’.

we ordered ‘chicken fenders’ for the boys. according to the menu, it’s ‘char-grilled chicken tenderloins seasoned with garlic and rosemary sea-salt’. my, my what a description! and all i want is just chicken nugget! haha. it looks so fancy too!

this is the ‘chicken fenders’ – the seasoning taste good, but i just don’t prefer white meat, so i didn’t like the texture that much. bahagian dada, tak best! in my opinion, it’s very pricey for just 4 small pieces of chicken bits. they should at least throw in complimentary fries, or cola!

the ‘BF monster’ burger is ‘1/3 new zealand ground beef, melted cheddar, sliced beetroot, beef bacon, salad and relish’. also in the burger is – get this – mango and avocado! OMG. mango? in a burger? seriously! i’ve eaten burger with pineapple when i went to the universal studios singapore, but this is really the weirdest combo in a burger ever!

mango? what!

an typical of mr. khairul, he would go to the weirdest dish in the menu. so this was his choice. he absolutely LOVED it! i tried a bite, and there was this explosion of taste in my mouth – so many things going on. but the tender juicy beef patty certainly overwhelms everything else. a delicious treat.

i ordered this one – the ‘cn cheese’ burger is essentially ‘1/3 pound new zealand ground beef, with melted cheddar, grated parmesan, salad and relish.’ when i read the menu, this burger got me at MELTED CHEDDAR and GRATED PARMESAN.

the bun is soft and fresh, the texture of the beef patty is just right – juicy and tender. it’s just a simple cheeseburger with a fancy name! it’s delicious, but i agree with mr. khairul, if you wanted plain ol cheeseburger, you can get one from mcdonald’s or burger king. since you’re at burger fuel, why not try all their other kiwi burgers with ingredients that are uniquely theirs.

next time, eh?

as you’ve noticed at burger fuel, burgers are served in paper bags (with the name of the burger) to your table, and you can request that they cut your big fat burger in half. also, they include this DOOFER – this paper thingy when folded and fastened together –

…it becomes a holder for your burger when you put it down! this is the first time i see such a thing – interesting! the friendly and helpful staff helped us to fold it. thanks for not judging us first-timers haha.

we get these dips for the chicken fenders and the fries. we can choose from these two – fresh lemon *aioli or natural yoghurt relish dip.

*aioli is is a traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, and (typically) egg

i LOVE their fries. these ‘spud fries’ are big and fat, just the way i like it. HOWEVER, burger fuel doesn’t have any set meals, so we had to order drinks and fries on the side. pricey, pricey!

we ordered mineral water, and this heavenly chocolate malt shake. it comes in this tall paper cup and taste so rich and cooling. i can’t even remember the last time i had a milkshake, so this was really a lovely treat. slurp!

the next time we drop by, i’d probably just get one chocolate malt shake, and try one of them motobites!

personally, burger fuel is one pricey burger place, but it’s still worth the dirham, unlike fatburger. what we pay, we get. check out this blog for more awesome pictures and a review of burger fuel.

Midnight in Paris, Dream House & 50/50

2011-12-18T04:53:00.000-08:00

a romantic movie, a mystery-horror flick and a dark comedy about dealing with cancer. these are my favorites of the week, but one has gone into my list of best movies ever, aka one of my favorite movies of all time.

* * *

i absolute adore this movie ‘midnight in paris’!

from the opening montage of the many popular sights of paris along with the soothing soulful sound of sidney bechet’s jazzy saxophone, i’m already in love with this movie. the story is so magical, the script is witty and funny, the leads did a great job being charming, and the city of paris is just amazing.

a writer is on a paris trip with his fiancee and super-rich future in-laws. instead of joining their social outings, he decided to take a night-stroll alone, when he somehow entered the past – 1920’s paris. he was star-struck as he met a string of his literary idols – scott fitzgerald, hemingway, and t.s. eliot, along with legendary artists like picasso and salvador dali. here he also fell in love with picasso’s mistress, and have wonderful midnight walks with her, enjoying the nostalgic night air in paris. always at midnight, always a magical moment.

the end kinda reminds me that we all feel the need to ‘escape’ at some point of our lives, but we just have to go back, and face the music. make the best of what we have. a great movie!

why i LOVE this movie :

i love woody allen’s movies. my favorite before ‘midnight in paris’ is ‘purple rose of cairo’. you should check it out. woody allen’s script is always so original, witty and funny.
it’s a time-travelling story, but it doesn’t bore us with details on how the character suddenly ends up in the past, or whether his ‘science fiction’ story would affect the course of history when he let getrude stein read it. it’s just a simple slip in time whenever he was out for a walk and woody allen just invites us to join the character in his nostalgic midnight adventures.
i know owen wilson as this funny loud-mouthed sidekick of jackie chan in the shanghai noon series, but in ‘midnight in paris’ he has become this sweet, romantic idol who is charming, sincere and passionate about his ideas, about paris and about being a hopeless romantic. he’s not brad-pitt or johnny-depp handsome, but he sure is loveable!
i major in literature so i could relate to his adventures of meeting all this famous literary figures, and how incredibly excited he was in being able to converse and share his books with them.
rachel mcadams plays inez, the main character’s fiance – and i LOVE her outfit throughout the movie. i’m NOT a fashion person, and i seldom care about what an actress wears in a movie – but her long-shirts-thin-belt look is so smart and feminine at the same time! love her, and love her look!

yes, ‘midnight in paris’ has now become one of the my favorite movies ever, alongside ‘shakespeare in love’, ‘sense and sensibility’ and ‘back to the future’ trilogy. highly recommended if you’re simply a romantic person at heart. oh, and if you love paris!

* * *

been wanting to watch this for the longest time, since i first saw the trailer. watch the trailer, and you’ll see why. it gave me such a chilling feel, that no other ghost story has given me for a long time. HOWEVER, what disappoints me is that the trailer had actually given away most of the best part of the movie. what i wasn’t ready for was, the twist at the end.

also, the story is more of a creepy mystery than a scary horror movie.

basically it’s about a happy family who just moved into a house, and mom and dad and their two girls are just excited to decorate, paint and be at home with this new house. then they found out that there used to be a gory murder in that house, where the father had shot his wife and two girls… they found out that the murderous father is still alive and is at a psychiatric hospital. the dad went to the hosp to find out more, when he was told a very shocking truth…

i thought ‘dream house’ is like ‘nang nak’ (the super-awesome super-scary thai movie about a man who lived a normal life in his house with wife and baby, not knowing that they’re already dead..) but there’s a different twist to this movie. the ending was nice – even put a little tear on mr. khairul’s eye as a father – but to me it’s a little anti-climax.

the premise of the story was brilliant, but the follow-up plot seems rushed and too easy.

* * *

i won’t spoil your viewing pleasure by giving away the ending, but i will tell you that you will cry. and if you know someone who had a terminal illness, you will cry even more. tears of joy, tears of pity, tears of sadness, and tears of triumph. oh, and it’s a comedy about trials and tribulations of beating cancer!

just a regular guy who doesn’t smoke, and doesn’t drink. has a nice house, and a cute girlfriend. and then one day – bam! – ‘you have a rare spinal cancer’. his chances of recovery? 50-50. he’s asked to go see a trainee psychiatrist doing her phd, and begins an awkward relationship that is funny and sweet.

i love how the movie potrays his friendship with bestfriend played by funnyman seth roger. he bashes him, throws profanity, hates his girlfriends – but we all know that their bromance runs deeper. the scene before he went into the operation theater really gets to me. their friendship is just the sweetest.

also, i love how the ending is unpredictable, as it could go both ways. he was wheeled into the operating theater – and viewers have to wait. if he died, we would’ve expect a sad ending but rejoice at his full life. or if he made it, we would’ve expect his survival because he has such loving support from family and friends. which one? go watch!

this movie is about dealing with cancer. if you had cancer, of if your child had cancer, or if your bestfriend had cancer, or if your boyfriend had cancer – how would you deal with it? this movie deals with this very serious and most undesirable condition, yet managed to come off really funny and charming. the script is never boring, and the actors did their part convincingly.

one memorable line – he was sickly and pale, yet his bestfriend suggested they go hook up with girls – “i look like lord voldermort!” haha.

highly recommended.

* * *

next threen movies coming soon. watch this space!

Al-Fanar : Eat Emirati Food in Old Dubai Village

2011-12-15T01:01:00.000-08:00

imagine travelling back to the past in simpler times where fishermen sat at tables drinking hot tea after a tiring day. at a corner, bedouin ladies preparing local food. pearl-divers and merchants busied themselves in souks (market), with donkeys carrying oil containers outside while passing by a camel sitting with its herder under the shade. arab merchants stopped to rest; cross-legged in a majlees while the waiter served them machboos dajaj (machboos rice with chicken).

no need time-machine for that.

gorgeous entrance ~ sturdy old-style oak door – and heavy to open too! (the arab dude behind me is just a mannequin ya hihi)

just eat at al-fanar restaurant and cafe, boasted as the first and ONLY place serving *emirati cuisine in the most incredibly charming setting – depicting the ambiance of 1960’s dubai. a time when it was just a small town in the heart of the middle east, along the shore of the arabian gulf. it was the strategic spot for merchants, pearl divers and bedouin people.

*locals of UAE (united arab emirates) are called ‘emirati’ and even the locals admit there is no restaurant selling emirati cuisine as it’s usually serves in people’s homes. realizing the lack of awareness about emirati food among the expats and tourists, the owner decided to open an emirati restaurant – and so al-fanar is born.

here at al-fanar restaurant, you feel like you’re eating at a museum; a museum set to look like an old emirati village. let the pictures show you how wonderful the outside of the restaurant is – so much to see, and to hold, and to take pictures off. my boys had so much fun. it’s good that they don’t really mind kids ‘riding’ the display. a few arab families also had their kids on the donkey and camel and take pictures.

and this is just the outside.

the decor outside is awesome. from left clockwise : my eldest khaleef on the camel, kahfi pulling a donkey, a blue jeep and lots of other items usually found in a typical emirati village; like the final picture showing kahfi watching a ‘bedouin woman’ making cheese – so interesting!

* * *

let’s go inside!

kedai kopi

words cannot express how wonderful the decor is on the inside. this part of al-fanar restaurant is made to look like olden days coffee shop. it has this gorgeous nostalgic look, with the crumbling paint-job on the wall, the rusty look of the door hinges and the oil lamp – complete with an old bicycle resting by a wall.

credit : al-fanar facebook page

this is also where the ‘souk’ is – where patrons can buy local items usually found at emirati houses, like metal containers, little hand-woven baskets, and brushes made from leaves – which mysteriously looked like the long-lost brother of our malay penyapu lidi!

the rest of al-fanar restaurant is even more mesmerizing. every single corner and walls is a quite a sight with kerosene lamp hanging above. all around the walls you can also see classic black and white pictures depicting old dubai, scenes from life in dubai around the 1960's.

everything is so nostalgic!

the courtyard (credit : al-fanar facebook page)

there are so many places you can choose to eat at. outside you can choose to sit cross-legged in the tent, or choose a tent with tables and chairs. you can sit outside beside the donkey or with the view of the man-made canal.

inside, you can sit at the table at the ‘souq’ or go to the courtyard, where we sat. you can choose to sit by one of the ‘booth seats’ tucked in a few corners for privacy, or just in the middle under the ‘blue sky’ next to a ‘tall bushy tree’.

yes, the ceiling is painted to look like a clear blue sky, while they ‘plant’ a tree (yes, a tree!) smack in the heart of al-fanar restaurant! lovely! you really feel like eating outdoor at an arabian courtyard.

we sat at the ‘courtyard’. it’s so interesting dining amongst the arabs, surrounded by the ambiance of an arab house. just lovely.

* * *

so, how’s the food?

the menu at al-fanar restaurant claims to offer ‘authentic emirati cuisine’. interestingly enough, i don’t see the usual street-food that i’ve had while in dubai like my favorite mandi rice, or shawarma, or even hummus – which i thought is a must-have at an arab dining table. turns out that these other food may be ARAB in origin, but not emirati.

this is exactly what the owner of al-fanar restaurant is trying to change : the perception of expats and tourist about what IS the local emirati food? there are more briyani dishes and grilled seafood in the main course, i would say. the selection of desserts is most commendable, and i guarantee you can’t decide right away which to try first.

the menu is easy to browse – it’s got pictures which makes it easy to imagine the dish you’re gonna enjoy without relying on the description alone. the names are in arabic, but the description is in english. to view full menu, click here.

we tried this humble little dish called ‘koftat samak’. looks like our pergedil, but it's actually fish – deep fried crumbled fish. it doesn’t look much, but it’s deliciously crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.

too bad blur photo – but this fish dish was the best! 'samak al-tanoor' is the name of the dish, served with steamed white rice, softest i’ve ever eaten – ntah beras apa diorang guna! the fish is simply grilled, leaving the flesh soft and juicy with rich taste of the marinade.

highly recommended! can’t wait to bring my abah here, he would love this grilled fish!

for the main dish, we ordered 'machboos laham' – it looks like meat mandi but sad to say, quite disappointing. the rice was ok but the meat is just too dry. i think with all the yemeni's mandi rice and iranian rice, rich-flavoured indian and pakistani briyani we’ve tried in dubai, emirati main rice dish is just a mediocre dish…sorry, sheikh!

we realized that we didn’t have anything with gravy but we didn’t want any curry (since we want to try something new) so we went for 'nagahr nashef' which is squid cooked in tomato sauce. this dish is quite so-so, tasty enough for me, but those who want more spice in a dish would probably not like it. it’s very mild, and for some reason, i didn’t taste the squid. was it really squid, ke potato?

now, i would suggest you to simply go to al-fanar JUST for their selection of local emirati sweets and desserts. just pick a table, sit back, relax and order one sweet dish.

this one that we tried was so delicious that we had to order another plate. this yummylicious dessert is called 'leqaimat' – crispy fried dough ball coated in sweet date syrup – sedap sangat! my boys loved it! served hot and fresh with a generous pour of the sweet date syrup, and a sprinkle of sesame seed.

there are a few others that i would love to try next; like the emirati doughnuts and flat bread served with date syrup and cream cheese – oh, the thought of it! check out the list of al-fanar desserts here.

* * *

my malaysian readers would be interested to find out that the waiters' outfit looks like our baju melayu, siap pakai kopiah ngan kain pelikat. i was so delightfully shocked when i first saw them! but actually they wore the green kandoora, and the kain sarong on the outside like an apron. we had to take picture with one!

while the men’s outfit looked like our lelaki melayu, the waitresses wear different colored kaftan.

when we came right at noon, the place was just starting to get packed. by the time we were waiting for our orders, more and more people came until there was a waiting line at the seating area by the cashier. however, the waiters were helpful in suggesting dishes to us, and promptly served our food.

* * *

in every nook and corner you can see an item, along with its description – just like in a museum kan? so interesting!

another interesting finding – these plates said to be ‘dishes traditionally used in most of the houses in UAE’ are amazingly similar to the ones used in my grandma’s house in teluk intan! macam pinggan mangkok kenduri opah aku kat teluk anson je! kan kan kan…

al-fanar restaurant and cafe @ dubai festival city

al-fanar restaurant and cafe is in dubai festival city, by the man-made canal by the marina.

personally i would say that it was an enriching experience eating at this beautiful al-fanar restaurant as it was like eating in a museum, it was like eating in another moment in time in the olden days, AND because it was my first time eating local emirati food.

all these while i’ve eaten yemeni’s mandi rice countless times, lebanese food, and iranian dishes, but never local emirati food.

overall, i thoroughly enjoyed my lunch here at al-fanar – since i tried the oh-so-soft steamed rice with the deliciously juicy grilled fish and crispy fish koftat. HOWEVER, i must say i would not go there as soon, because it’s quite pricy (to me, as i prefer cheaper but equally delicious yemeni’s mandi rice and pakistani briyani elsewhere!) but i highly recommend that you go and try eating there even if it’s just that one time.

this is the place where you can say ‘enjoy your food’, ‘enjoy the view’, ‘enjoy the display’ and ‘hope you had learned something about emirati food and culture’!

click here for a very interesting article on al-fanar restaurant and the emirati food from gulfnews, along with a video of the restaurant.

Kerana Facebook

2011-12-12T01:23:00.000-08:00

terbaca dalam status seorang sahabat facebook pagi ni. katanya :

kerana facebook : daripada kawan bertukar musuh
kerana facebook : couple boleh gaduh sebab cemburu
kerana facebook : pasangan couple boleh berpisah
kerana facebook : hidup boleh diperbodohkan
kerana facebook : kawan lupa kawan
kerana facebook : kita tak tidur & tak makan
kerana facebook : seseorang tu lupa diri konon dah hot

masa aku baca tu, aku amati ayat-ayat tu satu-persatu. hmm. ade betulnya. memang ada kawan-kawan facebook aku sendiri gaduh sebab status politik yang berbeza pendapat. ada pulak yang risau sebab kawan lelaki fb ntah mana-mana asyik suka 'like' status awek dia. ada yang diperbodohkan sebab membuka pekung di dada - contohnya mengutuk boss sendiri, atau mengeluh tentang 'keperitan' hidup yang terpaksa guna kipas sebab air-cond rosak...

tapi...

kerana facebook : kawan sekolah yang rapat masa kecik tapi terpisah,
dipertemukan
kerana facebook : couple bole meluahkan perasaan sayang di status dengan
gamba profile yang romantis
kerana facebook : ade pasangan yang bertemu di facebook, hingga ke jinjang
pelamin
kerana facebook : hidup bole lebih bermakna dengan berkongsi hadith
Rasulullah, dan kata-kata hikmat yang memberi semangat dan membuatkan kita
berfikir
kerana facebook : kawan akan sentiasa ingat kawan sebab setiap kali
harijadi, pasti ada notification! ruang news feed pula akan
sentiasa berputar menyajikan kita dengan pelbagai activiti dan asam
garam rakan-rakan fb

kita yang tentukan facebook ni bagus atau tidak untuk kita sendiri. seperti benda-benda yang lain jugak. pisau tu, contohnya boleh membunuh, tapi kita-kita yang boleh berfikir waras ni guna untuk potong ayam je lah ye!

moga kita semua pengguna facebook yang bijak! ok, masa untuk log on...

MoKa & Marini : Purple Royal Wedding

2011-12-11T04:01:00.000-08:00

sigh. here is the frustrating thing about living so far away from family – i’m missing all the fun stuff!

last weekend my cousin marini got married to her sweet-mocha ‘moka’ also known as khairul (yah same name as my husband haha) in a royally resplendent purple wedding. it looked like such a beautiful affair from the pictures i’ve seen on their facebook pages.

marini is the 2nd daughter of my mom’s sister, and this was one of the 2 weddings of the year for my family on my mom’s side – few months back, another cousin my mom’s youngest sis got married (here’s the post), and now this other cousin.

i missed both weddings, but i wish both couples a lifetime of happiness, love and passion!

a picture of happiness! the newlyweds with my aunt and family : from left – their first son-in-law firdaus, eldest daughter shina, the groom khairul, the bride rini, aunty na & uncle mi. sitting down from left – only son amin (super cute in bow tie!), and youngest daughter nayah

the solemnization : i gasped in awe – so lovely!

looking good! my newly wedded cousins – wani, rini, khairul & ijan

their pre-wedding photoshots – cuteness!

as usual when weddings come, i always thought of my own; and how far we’ve come together. alhamdulillah! may Allah grant rini and khairul many wonderful years together till they’re old and wrinkly, still holding hands. amin.

remember, the wedding is over – the marriage is the one that we look forward to, that we have to work for, that we have to cherish and uphold, that will last a lifetime…

Margin Call is In Time for Fright Night

2011-12-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

movie time with syigim again! mr. khairul got me a whole lotta movie this week, and i watched a tenseful drama that takes place 24 hours before the global economic crisis of 2008 called ‘margin call’, a sci-fi action movie ‘in time’ starring the artist who ‘brought sexy back’ – justin timberlake, and another one a horror movie about vampires that does NOT involve vampires having twinkling skin under sunlight. heh.

* * *

i never thought i’d ever enjoy watching a movie about numbers, economic and finance. ‘margin call’ is a movie about all that, and there was never a dull moment in that movie. was it the incredible assemble of actors? was it the 24-hour clock of the movie that makes it so intense? was it the controversial issue presented in the movie?

was it the incredible assemble of actors? YES. imagine a movie starring kevin spacey, stanley tucci, demi moore, paul bethanny, that dude who played the villain skylar in ‘heroes’, the cute guy in ‘gossip girl’ – each of them played their role wonderfully eventhough it was just saying out endless lines about numbers.

was it the 24-hour clock of the movie that makes it so intense? YES. the whole movie takes place 24 hours before the crash of the world economy in 2008. so the speed of the movie was what captured me, as the characters dealt with the problem hour by hour – from the moment they found out about the ‘glitch’ in the system, to the moment when they finally made the life-changing decision that will alter the face of the world economy as we know it now. all this while keeping the suspense on high.

was it the controversial issue presented in the movie? YES. i don’t know much about economy or finance or what REALLY cause the economic downturn, but how they simplify the issue makes me more interested to find out what really happen. it was a shocking revelation on how the top management handled the problem, but that’s what makes the movie more exciting.

a highly recommended drama for movie fans, and a must-watch-or-die for all you numbers-geek out there. hihi.

* * *

justin timberlake is one hot stuff. he was in a smashing teeny-bopper boy band when we first know him, then he shot to superstardom with his awesome music as a single artist, and now he’s in a new movie in his first starring role in ‘in time’.

‘in time’ is a sci-fi movie about how literal is the saying ‘TIME is money’ because in this movie, time IS money – they somehow have ‘time’ embedded in their wrist, and when they want to ride the bus, or buy food, or give their son some pocket money, they pay using TIME. a scanner will scan their wrist, and deduct the time they have. if you’re exchanging money = time, two people simply shake hands and the ‘time’ will transfer between the two.

the problem with this is – the ‘time’ in your wrist also acts like a ticking clock. when it goes 0:00:00 – you’re dead. so in this world, the rich can live forever, and the poor die young. and speaking of young, everyone in this sci-fi world STOPS AGING at age 25. a bit ridiculous, but it gives the movie-makers an excuse to put ONLY young, beautiful people in this movie.

ok, back to the being dead part – imagine if you only got like 5 mins on your ‘wrist-clock’ and you know it needs 15 mins for you to get back home and get some money from your mom. what happens if you don’t get back IN TIME? you’re dead, man. so this movie also instils the RESPECT FOR TIME.

at the end, i get the ‘robin hood’ vibe from this movie – the hero steals from the rich and gives to the poor, and the phrase ‘don’t WASTE my time’ certainly has more meaning here in ‘in time’.

* * *

familiar film title, unoriginal plot, cheesy-looking movie poster and b-grade tagline. so why did i watch this movie?

‘fright night’ was all hot in the top 10 box-office countdown, so we’re kinda curious. my take – if you’ve seen ‘disturbia’ starring shea labeouf, i’ll tell you that it’s like that, but instead of a psychotic killer, they’ve got vampire living next door. at least ‘disturbia’ is so much better in so many levels – shea labeouf is a better actor than that lembik nerdy guys starring in ‘fright night’.

it’s not really an original plot – no need spoiler alert lah. it’s actually a remake of a 1985 movie with the same title.hello – if you wanna do a remake, make yours better or otherwise what’s the point!

well, in this movie, the vampire will be all mysterious and suspicious – surprise-surprise, it’s the neighbour, no one will believe him at first, we can guess who will kena first, and the vampire will try to get freaky with his girl. what’s new?

don’t bother with this if you have other options…

* * *

so what’s on the next-change board?

Home Service ‘Massage’–Really?

2011-12-07T05:58:00.001-08:00

if you get THIS name card slipped under your door, would you be interested to get one? hmm, let’s look at the card, shall we –

it’s from a MASSAGE CENTER. ok, interesting. my husband has been complaining of back-ache and sores after riding through the desert the other day, so a massage would be a good idea to relax him.
it offers HOME SERVICE. wah, ini sudah bagus. my husband and i do not need to drive all the way to (hmm, surprise, surprise – NO ADDRESS GIVEN – oh well), the masseuse can come over to our house! wah.
ok, there’s a HP NUMBER given. right. and then look at the picture.

key words : massage. home service. and THAT picture. could they BE more suggestive? cover-cover la sikit weh. lepas amik gamba ni, terus buang name card tu!

sorry lah honey, tunggu balik malaysia cari pakcik tua kerepot yang terer urut lagi afdal. hihi.

* * *

here in dubai, it seems so easy for people to invade our homes by slipping flyers, take-out menus and name cards under the door. i’ve even gotten hand-written notes like, ‘need maid? i’m available, call 050-XXXXX’ or ‘maid available for hourly cleaning’.

i appreciate the take-out menus, because even if i’m not interested to order their food for delivery, my boys just love looking at the food pictures and pretend their at a restaurant. we can have a little roleplay there.

but merepek advertisement like the above name card, shame on you.

* * *

name cards are small, and there’s limited space where you can put pictures to let people know what you’re all about. however, let me just try and help them out by googling some of the more acceptable photos they can use for their name card next time.

‘relax’. says it all.

put ‘decent’ and presentable pictures of your pretty professional massage therapist.

give ideas and visuals of aromatherapy used in your massage services

..and this is simply THE CUTEST!

(images are from google. you should be flattered that i took your picture, because i’m showing the examples of better pictures to put on a name card! thanks! hihi)

well, to the ‘massage center with the chick in an unnecessary unrelated pose’, i hope this list will help you improve your name card in the future. thank you.

My Favorite Shawarma in Dubai

2011-12-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

like kebab? in dubai, it’s shawarma!

shawarma is pretty big in dubai. just like our local malaysian ramlee burger stall, it can be found in most places around dubai especially in karama, deira or bur dubai area. people love it because it’s cheap, doesn’t take too long to prepare, it’s easy to be eaten on the go and it’s delicious too!

basically shawarma is thinly sliced grilled chicken or beef rolled or wrapped into a flatbread or pita bread, along with cut-up veggies and sauce. i think our malaysian version would be the ‘kebab’ we get from pasar malam.

i love our malaysian kebab (though i prefer it on a hotdog bread rather than pita bread) however, malaysian kebab is no match for the exotic simplicity of the shawarma. while our kebab uses just mayo, shawarma has a special sauce which is a blend of yoghurt, garlic sauce and lemon. yum.

nampak simple je kan, tapi sedap sangat! – the shawarma from ‘picnic home’ in bur dubai

shawarma differs from country to country, and even different stalls would serve shawarma with slight variations on the bread they use (some use pita bread, tortilla bread, or flatbread) sauce, veggie (some go without tomatoes, some put onion, and some add pickle) and the marinade for the meat.

my favorite shawarma in dubai has to be the one in bur dubai, in a small humble restaurant called ‘picnic home’. what makes it most delicious is mainly the sauce, and the crispy chicken bits that’s perfectly marinated.

i’ve eaten shawarma that has chicken bits that are too salty. not nice. and i’ve eaten shawarma with homemade flatbread that is crispy! that was probably one of the best shawarma i’ve eaten too!

wrapped…

..unwrapped!

* * *

like i said, different stalls offer different taste, ingredients and presentation in their shawarma. this posting is about MY personal favorite of shawarma – the shawarma at ‘picnic home’ (lawak kan nama dia hihi). it’s situated in bur dubai, next to a shop called ‘royal dirham’ which i think sells souvenirs. it’s also opposite the burjuman metro station.

it should be easy to spot, but difficult to get to. parking is almost impossible! either you park so far away that you had to walk a long way OR what did we do?

DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK : hihi – but we simply stopped the car by the roadside right next to the stall, mr. khairul dashed out to order the shawarma by the window, rushed back in after few alarming honks from cars behind, made a U-turn and arrived back at the stall, repeating the process but this time to get our order and pay.

phew! it’s SO worth it!

mr. khairul making his order through the window counter

from the signage it says that its sells ‘lebanese food’ which is pretty much grill stuff all the way, including this very delicious, simple shawarma.

in our ‘early’ years of living in dubai, we used to get this shawarma regularly because we live nearby – our home was just few blocks behind burjuman mall. since moving to dubai marina, i haven’t had this shawarma since forever. rindu!

when i finally got to eat it, i was savoring a delightful dish that is so simple yet satisfying! the soft tortilla flatbread, the crispy juicy chicken, the tasty yoghurt garlic sauce and the fresh lettuce – yum!

know any other good place to get delicious shawarma in dubai? sorang msian kakak ni told me that the one in ibn battuta mall (next to geant) also has delicious shawarma which her kids love so much. i’m gonna try that one soon!

Jinn Interrupts Phone Call During Talk Show

2011-12-04T23:27:00.000-08:00

is this real? watch the video. judge for yourself. i must warn that this video contains clear vocalization of what seemed to be the 'jinn' interrupting a phone conversation between an ustaz and a female caller who wanted to seek advice about a jinn problem she was currently having. to me, memang seram ya amat!

this video is taken from the talk show 'roadside2Islam'. during the talk about 'the unseen world', a female caller sought advice about her problem - an unknown person sent her an item which resulted in her being possessed by a 'jinn'. she was supposed to testify in court, and the 'jinn' was sent to 'block' her from testifying.

during this phone conversation, the 'jinn' interfered twice - in low voice, and the second time with a seriously creepy laughter. i love how the ustaz in such a cool and calm manner recited surah from the Quran, and had firm interactions with the 'jinn' in reminding 'it' of 'its' Creator.

i myself am very glad that i watched this in clear daylight, because it scared the heck out of me. staged or not, real or acted out - this video taken from the talk show 'roadside2Islam' is definitely fascinating.

i never personally face a person who is possessed; just stories from few friends who had been to boarding schools and related their experiences.

whether this video is real or not, it demonstrates the ways in which to tackle jinn, as jinn is also a creation of Allah, and its existence is real. keep reciting zikir whenever possible, and don't forget your 'bismillah' before any tasks or before entering a place. may we always be under the protection of Allah from any harm. Allah knows best.

Farewell Thai Food Lunch @ Black Canyon, JBR

2011-12-02T06:30:00.001-08:00

two of my dubai gal pals are leaving dubai for good. sob sob. fida and husband amran is leaving dubai this saturday, and lin is delivering her 2nd baby sometime next 2 weeks, and then with hubby bob leaving dubai too after her confinement.

we’ve known for quite some time that lin and bob are leaving, but news of fida’s departure came as a shock to me as it’s too sudden. tiba-tiba je dapat tahu kena balik malaysia dalam sebulan-dua. uhuk uhuk. they will be sorely missed.

a dubai family (if you’re wondering why mr. khairul was in bike boots, he was out riding with his biker pals that morning, and came straight with his bike)

we treated them for a thai lunch at black canyon coffee in the walk, JBR (jumeirah beach residences). this branch is situated right opposite sheraton dubai marina, next to starbucks amwaj. it’s at the more laid-back and quiet lane of ‘the walk, JBR’, so you really won’t miss it.

‘black canyon’ in JBR offers authentic thai cuisine that’s both delicious and affordable, considering that it’s in dubai marina where everything is a little more expensive than anywhere else.

ladies : fida in red, lin, jaja in blue - lin’s sister vacationing in dubai, and me in purple

currently the weather in dubai is lovely to have your meals outside, but at 2pm, it’s quite scorching! so we took it inside and was ushered upstairs where we took hold of the entire floor. just us!

the kids went bat-crazy running around screaming and wailing while the moms and dads were able to enjoy their meals without worrying that the kids were running into the waiters or disturbing other patrons.

it was fun!

the dudes : my honey mr. khairul in T, lin’s hubby bob, and fida’s amran

* * *

don’t go to a thai restaurant and not order TOM YAM! we always go for black canyon’s tom yam whenever we’re here. it is commendable – huge portion, with the right amount of spicy and sour. highly recommended if you ever thought of dropping by. this huge bowl can basically be shared by 2-3 people, depending on how hungry you are!

this is mr. khairul’s favorite, and we ordered this as well to share the uniqueness with our buddies. it’s basically sweet-spicy fried rice (fried with prawn, chicken, capsicum and pieces of pineapple) and served in a half-cut pineapple. very cute, very delicious.

the chicken bits are slightly stir-fried before adding them into the rice which explains the slight brownish look on the chicken – and i love it! the first time i tried it i didn’t immediately like it since i thought it’s too sweet for fried rice, but it kind off grows on me, especially since mr. khairul loves it so much. it’s a unique dish, and try it if you’re curious!

we also tried this. well, i will try ANY kuey teow i find in dubai just so i could find the ONE that taste like penang/ipoh char kuey teow! this kuey teow in black canyon – well, imagine you fry kuey teow in sweet chilli sauce – that’s how it tasted like. it’s tasty, but incomparable to our malaysian style fried kuey teow!

however, i appreciate them putting aside the taugeh. saves me time asking them to fry without the taugeh! hihi.

we basically had white rice with lauk-lauk (savoury dishes, thai style) from top left : red chicken curry, green chicken curry, beef and broccoli, a fish dish with mix vege, kerabu sohun, and my favorite fried calamari.

i would recommend green chicken curry as it’s delicious and unique though if you’re looking for something spicy, this is not it. sedap, tapi tak pedas sangat ok. the fish was so-so, because the texture was soft but i don’t find any specialty about its preparation. i would be biased against the kerabu since i’m not a fan, but the fast-emptying plate clearly shows that the rest enjoyed it!

the fried calamari – what can i say, freshly fried – crispy and crunchy. also recommended. i just wish the portion was bigger with that price.

* * *

pulut mangga – glutinous rice with mango

what better way to cap this farewell lunch than a sweet dessert shared with sweet dear friends? we ordered the pulut mangga – warm glutinous rice served with cut-up sweet mangoes and sweet-salty coconut milk poured on top.

this is one delicous dessert – the combination of the warm glutinous rice with the cold mango gives quite a party in your mouth. and the sweet-salty coconut milk just adds to the richness of the dessert. yummy!

one complain – it’s too expensive for this small plate of humble dessert, and i advice you to order this ONLY if you’re really craving! haha.

makan sepinggan membawa berkat hihi

* * *

noisy kiddos : from left : kahfi behind haffiy in white shirt, amily is hugging him, adam in red, khaleef holding his hand and kazim walking aimlessly in front

* * *

now for my touching sad speech. huhu.

we didn’t see each other as often as i would hoped, but throughout our friendship, i found them to be friendly and easy to go into conversation with – senang nak ajak borak. when we see each other during events or makan-makan at friends’ house, it’s just easy to hang out with these gals as we can get along well. boleh masuk-masuk la kata orang melayu. hihi.

lin is the sweetest, and always smiling while her husband bob is just one charming dude. perfectly lovely couple, with great sense of humor. amran is just the nicest, soft-spoken guy around, while fida is the dubai baker i always go for to get the most delicious cakes. last year i think we ordered about 4-5 cakes from fida for the boys’ birthdays – and ALL of them are carrot almond cake with cream cheese, nothing else!

most importantly, they are the kind of friends you can count on. i will forever remember that one fateful night away from mr. khairul, and had to sought help from these brothers and sisters of dubai. their help was unconditional, and was offered without the slightest hesitation. i am grateful to be in dubai with friends like these. alhamdulillah!

take care now, and keep in touch for we “meet new friends, but keep the old – one is silver, but the other one is gold.” till we meet again! *hugs*

Sumo : Japanese Food @ Town Center Jumeirah

2011-11-30T07:56:00.001-08:00

our favorite japanese restaurant in dubai is ‘sumo’. the food is delicious, the portion is huge, the service never disappoints, and the price is affordable – considering that japanese food in dubai is generally pretty expensive with small portion. we’ve been here so many times that our order is always the same :

chicken katsu for me. it’s basically chicken strips fried japanese style, served with japanese rice, and steamed veggie. it also includes a teriyaki sauce dipping which i don’t really like because it’s too sweet. i will always just ‘steal’ the dip from mr. khairul’s set!

i love the japanese fried chicken strip – crispy, crunchy and such juicy tender chicken meat inside. yum.

mr. khairul’s choice is always ‘tempura bento’. (bento means ‘meal served in a box’) there are shrimp tempura, veggie tempura and chicken teriyaki as well. the portion is, as always – huge and satisfying. the shrimp tempura is always fresh and the sweet teriyaki chicken juicy and delicious.

this is the sweet teriyaki chicken served in mr. khairul’s ‘tempura bento’. delicious, marinated to perfection.

wash down the delicious japanese dishes with japanese tea. mr. khairul likes this but me – no thanks! too bland for my taste! gimme teh o gula anytime!

this humble plate is ‘shrimp gyoza’ – a shrimp dumpling fried slightly on hot pan. you can also order a chicken one. i don’t really like dumpling because i don’t like the too-gooey-soft texture but this fried one is delicious.

because this one is a little fried, it has that slight brownish crispiness that adds flavor and texture to the dumpling. dip it in a japanese soy sauce – yummy!

* * *

usually we go to the ‘sumo’ branch in dubai media city as it’s nearer to our home. however, for a change of scenery, we decided to go further down to jumeirah beach road, and tried the branch in town center jumeirah. town center jumeirah is a small mall right next to mercato mall.

if you came from dubai marina, as you pass, you can clearly see the big blue neon signage that says ‘sumo’ on the side of the building. if you came from the other side, watch out for mercato mall, and sumo is right next door.

‘sumo’ in town center jumeirah is right smack in the middle of the ground floor. from the 1st floor, the restaurant looks amazing with the lights looking like little opened-up paper umbrellas.

the light above our head – like opened paper umbrella – nice!

unlike dubai media city branch, here there are more choices as how you want to be seated. there are normal square tables and chairs, there are booth seats, and then there are also the japanese-style seating area where there’s a hollow space under the table where you can sit cross-legged, or else put your feet under the table like you would when you normally sit at a table.

most comfy – spacious, and our boys can run around while we just sit cross-legged if we want to – one plus point for this branch

dubai media city don’t do this, but here in ‘sumo’ town center jumeirah, the boys are given activity paper mat and crayons just like when you’re in chillis or tgif – another plus point for this branch

why does this japanese boy look like my 2nd son kahfi? huhu

kazim took a sip of japanese tea

if you love simple straightforward japanese food (not fusion, not posh, not exotic) that offers big portion under reasonable price – head on to ‘sumo’. and if you want the japanese decor and ambiance, try the one at town center jumeirah.

otherwise, the one in dubai media city offers equally delicious food and warm friendly service. it’s just that it’s a smaller branch, and tables are close together which can be quite uncomfortable when it’s a full house. tapi makanan sama je sedap!

well, i don’t fancy japanese food, yet i love eating at ‘sumo’. go figure. itadakimasu! *selamat menjamu selera* ~bon appetit!

Puss in Boots : Where is the Shrek-Humor?

2011-11-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

i was disappointed. tak lawak sangat pun.

puss in boots is and forever will be so very, very adorable, but where is the charm and laugh-out-loud humor that we all love so much from the four shrek movies? it has none of the lawak gile one-liners. well, there are a few moments here and there, but here and there ONLY is NOT good for a movie that supposedly a prequel to all the shrek movies!

the movie is entertaining – super cute characters, entertaining fight-scenes and a few great scenes like at the giant’s castle, but no LOL moments…

just for the record, we take the boys out for movies only ONCE a year in dubai. the cinema ticket is SO not cheap to begin with (55dhs a piece! and if you watch the movies at posh malls like in dubai marina mall, it’d be more expensive) and throw in a couple more dirham for the popcorn-soda set – the whole cinematic experience in dubai is pretty expensive.

2008 – we watched madagascar
2009 – we watched cloudy with a chance of meatball
2010 – we watched megamind
and 2011 – its puss in boots

so, that being said, that’s why we go all out when we finally picked a ‘good’ movie to watch on imax 3D that will be worth it for us and the boys. this year it’s ‘puss in boots’.

like other times, we watched at grand megaplex ibn battuta mall – smaller mall, less crowd, and much closer to home. senang. also grand megaplex has better popcorns than cinestar. haha. more caramels, and it’s served hot and fresh! yums!

* * *

back to puss in boots.

ok i’m not saying that the movie is bad. it’s just that i had high expectations. yes, that’s it. i anticipated too much. my boys and i love shrek so much, that i’m just waiting for puss in boots to come out, knowing that it will be as funny and memorable as all the shrek movies.

i love you puss, but the movie is simply NOT as funny as it should. as if a totally different set of writers wrote the script, with none of the same type of jokes. the movie is SO cute, and that’s it. the only thing i find funny is the fact that it’s so difficult (and dangerous!) to have an adventure when you’re an egg. haha.

what i love :

only antonio banderas and salma hayek can build sexual tension with their cat characters!
the final scene with puss in boots was to me a reminiscent of a scene from the movie ‘zorro’ – which starred antonio banderas too! cute!
puss in boots is SO CUTE! SO SO CUTE!
as usual, the 3D effect is amazing

what i don’t :

incorporating fairy tales and nursery rhymes like beanstalk, and the old jack is all good but could’ve been better if there were more reference
it’s not as funny as it could be – shrek, donkey and puss team was so funny that you would expect puss to still be funny on his own, considering that it’s produced by the same company
i personally feel that if it wasn’t for puss being famous from the shrek movies, this movie would have been just another regular animation
when we’re watching kungfu panda, khaleef laughed like crazy at so many scenes. watching ‘puss in boots’ he only laughed at the part where they all fall down from the beanstalk screaming

my eldest boy khaleef

oh well…

at the end of the day, we all have loved the adorable puss in boots so much in shrek, that we will forgive him in this mediocre animation. i actually welcome a sequel to this ‘puss in boots’, in which i hoped there would be improvement on the humor department – ala shrek!

Sand, Wind & Desert Motocross @ Nazwa Dunes

2011-11-26T06:14:00.000-08:00

one of the fun things to do when you’re in a desert is riding a bike across sand dunes according to mr. khairul. but if you ask my sons, the best thing is to just roll down the sand. hoho. yesterday we did just that.

we went to nazwa – which is a lovely vast desert area along the main highway of hatta, dubai. here the locals and expats try dune bashing in their 4wds, quad biking and desert motocross.

* * *

the main reason we’re out here in the desert was mr. khairul’s plan to do some desert motocross with his friend john, who is pretty much a pro already. this is a good thing because desert motocross is no easy feat, and you need a good guide who knows his way around the desert, and is really experienced handling a bike on uneven desert sand.

desert motocross is pretty much like motocross, only you’re riding across the desert; with steep sand dunes and unpredictable corners and slopes. and this sand is desert sand, which means extremely soft and smooth grains – one wrong step, and you might find yourself stuck, deep in sand.

motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. it was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the french moto with cross-country. ~wikipedia

mr. khairul getting ready with full suit, boots and bike

mr. khairul with his back against the camera, and john – ready to conquer the dunes! (picture credit : michaella el-daghma’s fb album – thanks!)

i don’t know much about bikes – wait, i don’t know ANYTHING about bikes – but i was told this is a KTM bike, the one that mr. khairul and john used during the desert motocross. it’s a cool, lean machine and mr. khairul looks GOOD on it. rowr. haha.

mr. khairul all geared up! (picture credit : michaella el-daghma’s fb album – thanks!)

john rode off with mr. khairul in tow while john’s wife lai shan drove us to the desert spot where we’ll be camping while waiting for the boys.

being in a 4X4 across the desert is an adventure by itself! how miss spunky lai shan did it i might never want to know! haha. i couldn’t do it – driving a huge car up and down uneven sand, she was a trooper!

the boys enjoyed the extremely bumpy ride so much, like being on rollercoasters!

* * *

it was extremely beautiful, and extremely fun, with awesomely fine weather to top it off. the desert was a vast beauty of nature, sand and more sand as far as the eyes can see. i can only utter subhanallah, in awe of Allah’s creation.

the boys?

..they climb up the slopes, pretending to be survivors of some crash, and now are lost in the desert haha. stepping on sand while climbing is NOT as easy as it sounds! letih weh!

..they enjoyed the vast view through binoculars,

..they lay down on the sand. rolling around, and making sand angels! rambut penuh pasir!

other activities also include burying themselves in sand, running up and down the sand, picking up a handful of sand and see the soft grains fall from between their fingers and termakan pasir!

* * *

setting up camp for the night (picture credit : lai shan – thanks!)

apart from john and wife lai shan, we actually joined ‘the chapter dubai’, for this desert camping trip. they set up camp for the night, but john, lai shan, mr. khairul and i left the place after the boys were done with their desert motocross.

‘the chapter dubai’ is a group of motorcycle enthusiast (all the guys own harley davidsons), headed by the charming mr. marwan who warmly welcomed us into their circle. as someone who is new to riding harley davidson, mr. khairul welcomed their friendship to share experiences and gain knowledge, especially the tricks and turns of a harley!

(picture credit : lai shan - thanks!)

mr. khairul would’ve been fine about camping overnight at a desert, with nothing but sand and wind (since he’s a certified king’s scout) but i’m not much of an outdoor person! especially with such young kids, thanks but no thanks! huhu.

takpe honey, when they’re older you pegi camping dengan diorang je lah!

* * *

one of the cars got stuck in sand

* * *

..i found friendship in the middle of the desert!

with aussie nadine, and our feisty 4x4 ‘driver’ lai shan

ever so glad to hear manglish in the middle of dubai ~ with these lovely amoi; paige and lai shan

* * *

when there’s a campsite, there’s camp fire! the boys were so engrossed as they stared at the fire after an extremely tiring rolling around the desert.

the other guys brought vegetarian dishes which include a delicious veggie briyani while i brought nasi lemak! anyone for a little taste of malaysian food? i was more than glad to assemble the cucumber, anchovies, sambal and the works for the arab gentleman mr. marwan.

glad the malaysian girls enjoyed my nasi lemak – that’s more than i need! appreciate the love! hihi.

* * *

mr. khairul with sifu john

to john and wife lai shan, thanks for including us in this little adventure. mr. khairul thoroughly enjoyed the extreme desert motocross, though he complained of aches and bruises! it was indeed a rough tough sport, and NOT for those lacking in stamina and upper body strength!

the boys had a fantabulous time rolling around the desert, and we would definitely want to do this again. as long as no overnight camping ok! haha.

Islamic ABC Poem

2011-11-25T10:04:00.000-08:00

A is for Allah
Lord of the Universe, who is One,
He made the earth, stars, and sun
He made angels to worship and pray,
He made man from a dab of clay

B is for Bilal
Bilal is that tall, brave African man,
Islam freed him and gave him iman
Calling the Muslims to come and pray,
Was his duty each night and day

C is for Children
Black, white, red, yellow, and brown,
Better than the jewels in a crown
Laughing or crying, short or tall,
Allah loves children, one and all

D is for Du'a
Remembering Allah all nights and days,
By giving Him our thanks and praise
Thank Allah with "Al Hamdulillah"
And praise Him with "Subhanallah

E is for Earth
With its mountains, rivers, and seas,
Animals, birds, fruits, and trees
They all declare Allah's Might,
Following His laws, wills, and light

F is for Faith
That which the Muslims call Iman,
Is in the heart of the believing man
Will come from his lip and hand,
Love for Allah pouring out like sand

G is for Gabriel
An angel created by Allah from light,
His duty is to serve Allah all day and night
To Prophet Muhammad (S) he did appear,
To bring mankind the Holy Qur'an so dear

H is for Heaven
God's garden of joy, peace, and love,
The home for Muslim's souls above
The path to this heavenly place
Is faith in Allah's guidance and grace

I is for Islam
A way of life for all of who,
Give to Allah the praise that is due
We worship and pray five times a day,
Because we know it is the best way

J is for Jesus
Peace be upon him, 'Isa, the son of Maryam,
To his people Allah's word did he carry
By Allah's help he made the sick well,
So people would believe what he had to tell

K is for Ka'bah
First house of Allah in Makkah was made,
By Ibrahim and Isma'il the stones were laid
Millions of believers from every race,
Come for Hajj tot his extra special place

L is for Life
A precious gift from Allah to you,
Don't waste it, he knows what you do
Don't chase pleasure or forget Allah,
No matter how little, say "Al-Hamdulillah

M is for Muhammad
Peace be upon him, Abdullah's son,
From Allah's enemies he did not run
Of all the Prophets he was the last,
Islam his message which we hold fast

N is for Nuh
Peace be upon him, a Prophet who was very good,
Allah told him to build an ark, fast as he could
Take pairs of animals and the believers-all,
The flood was coming and the waves would be tall!

O is for Obedience
It is the duty of each Muslim to obey,
The Qur'an and the Sunnah all the way
Go for Hajj, give Zakah, fast, and pray,
And to your parents do not say, "Nay!"

P is for Prayer
It is the cornerstone of Muslim life,
And the devil it cuts like a knife
Prayer five times a day is a must,
In Allah you should put your trust

Q is for Qur'an
A blessing and guide for all of mankind,
In it Allah's message you will find
Of all His messages it is the last,
Perfect for present, future, and past

R is for Ramadan
For Muslims this blessed month of fasting,
Is to celebrate Allah's love everlasting
All day, no food, nor drink, nor evil deeds,
Pray and read Qur'an, to heaven this leads

S is for Surah
One hundred and fourteen in the Qur'an,
Read them and trust in Al-Rahman,
Do you know ten of them that you can say?
Knowing them will help you pray

T is for Tawheed
La ilaaha illallah, Allah is the only one,
There is no partner with Him, nor son
Alla is the answer to all that we need,
Watch your heart and tongue, He knows every deed

U is for Ummah
The Muslim community which Muhammad (S) found,
The brotherhood of Islam made it sound
Allah's laws in the Qur'an and Sunnah,
Are to help everyone in the Ummah

V is for Victory
It is the help from Allah to you,
His guidance in everything you do
Work and prayer a Muslim does need,
To celebrate Allah's victory, indeed!

W is for Wudu'
We must keep our minds and bodies clean,
Because by Allah we are always seen
Whenever you hear the call of athan,
Prepare and come pray as soon as you can

X is for "Seen" *
X is not easy for us to rhyme,
So we'll not waste much of your time
In higher math X is hard to find,
But Allah's path is clear even to the blind
(* the Arabic letter "seen" stands for the unknown)

Y is for Yunus
Peace be upon him, a good man in a wicked town,
He ran to the sea and a whale gobbled him down
By the mercy of Allah he was saved to tell,
His people to become good and obey Allah well

Z is for Zero-sin
It is the way we each begin,
Free from wordly sin
So, don't let yourself forget,
Keep out of the devil's threat!

i took this wonderful poem from a site called islamicpoem. many talented poets contributed their poems there, and such beautiful words weaved about the glorious Quran, our beloved prophet Muhammad SAW, and many more poems with islamic theme. check it out!

salam jumuah, everyone!

Rockin’ Bday : 1st Day Opening Hard Rock Cafe Dubai

2011-11-17T19:57:00.000-08:00

for khaleef’s 6th birthday, we rocked and rolled at hard rock cafe dubai on its first day opening! yeargh!

this is probably the most anticipated opening in dubai – the hard rock cafe dubai at sheikh zayed road had been closed in 2009, only to be transferred to the festival city dubai recently. the opening had been delayed for more than a year but it finally had a soft opening on the 16th, and officially opened to the public today after friday prayers – and we’re one of the first few customers!

this newly opened hard rock cafe dubai branch is the 2nd biggest in the world after the one in orlando, and it has the biggest merchandise store too. if i’m not mistaken, they would soon put a replica of a guitar at the entrance, and it would be the biggest in the world.

well, korang tau la dubai kan. semua nak biggest, tallest, first bla bla.. haha.

the entrance is beautiful, but will be complete with the biggest guitar in the world

* * *

spacious and high celing – comfy!

since the hard rock cafe dubai is one of the biggest there is, the interior says it all. spacious, long lines of tables, high ceiling, and a huge stage dominates the inside.

we took a seat right in front of the stage, and enjoyed ourselves with all the rockin’ video clips shown on a huge white screen on stage. we were told there would be a live band playing that night.

it was pretty loud, but i welcomed the noise as it drowned the noise from my own kiddos! we can pretty much let loose and just lepak!

* * *

nothing much to shout about regarding its menu – if you’re used to TGIF and chilli’s, hard rock cafe serves pretty much the same kinda food with some variations here and there. don’t get me wrong, i LOVE these kind of food hihi. some entrees, sandwiches, steaks and chops – the works.

we tried the entree first – named ‘jumbo combo’ of ‘hickory-smoked’ chicken wings, crispy deep-fried onion rings, juicy ‘tupelo’ chicken fingers and soft baked potato skin. there’s also ‘santa fe’ spring rolls (yang macam popiah tu) served in a tall bowl of salad. yummy.

this plate of savoury delights also include four types of dipping – i think they’re marinara sauce, sour cream, mustard and another delicious dip. what’s not to like? you can come to hard rock cafe dubai for this alone, and be full and entertained the entire time there.

a classic plate of fish and chips for me this time. teringin pulak! i’ve always preferred fish and chips fried in batter instead of bread crumbs, and hard rock cafe delivers it. i LOVE the batter – crunchy, thick enough to cover the fish and not oily. the fish was soft and deliciously tender. tartar sauce is a must, and theirs was thick and yummy.

this is a good plate of fish and chips, and would be perfect if the fries were fatter!

mr. khairul opted for a plate of lamb chops, served oddly enough with baked beans, coleslaw and fries. this is probably my first time seeing a plate of lamb chops served with baked beans, and coleslaw instead of mashed potato or steamed veggie. hmm. anyway, my take on it – there’s good and there’s bad.

the good is that the portion is HUGE. you can really share this plate as there are about 5-6 pieces of lamb chops. the texture is perfect. however, the bad is that the marinade is a little bit on the sweet side for me. i mean, sweet and succulent is all good, but shouldn’t be THAT sweet. but this is a personal thing, you guys might like the sweet taste.

it’s served with coleslaw, which is fine by me because i love coleslaw, but mr. khairul passed the coleslaw to me, as he preferred steamed veggie. again, this is all personal.

also, as usual there’d be a kid’s menu with selection from burgers to pizza and pasta. we chose the macaroni and cheese served with garlic bread. unfortunately, this is NOT a good dish. the dish was DRY. mac and cheese should be ooey and gooey with lots of cheese. this is just dry, and the cheese does NOT taste good. i don’t know what type of cheese sauce they used – it’s slightly bitter, really.

since khaleef is a huge pasta-fan, he wasn’t as choosy, and happily finished the mac and cheese. the only good thing about this dish was the garlic bread. soft.

* * *

since it’s the first day of its official grand opening, hard rock cafe has lined up few activities for the kids – a clown, face-painting and lotsa shaped balloons to give away.

first khaleef got a sword balloon, but when told that he’s the birthday boy, he got another hat balloon which looked so very cute! i love the balloon hat! kahfi and kazim got a snail and a poodle balloon each.

birthday boy looking snappy!

in the middle of it all, the staff of hard rock cafe dubai took the stage dancing and snapping away to upbeat songs that include the classic YMCA. it was an entertaining bit from the sporting staff, and a fun break for the kids as khaleef, kahfi and even kazim joined in to boogie!

i’m not sure whether this would be a daily thing, a weekend thing or just because it’s the first day of opening.

* * *

what’s hard rock cafe without all the rockin’ memorabilia? drums, guitars, jackets, dresses and even boots from celebrities donned the wall in glass cases. pictures of rock stars also graced the wall, in true hard rock cafe tradition.

biase la ni. korang pi hard rock cafe KL ngan penang pun bole nampak benda-benda ni. ntah ye ntah idak ye haha. kot-kot just duplicates of the real thing!

* * *

the best part of the day for birthday boy most definitely was when the hard rock cafe dubai staff surprised khaleef with a tall glass of 3-scooped ice-cream as a birthday thing. they sang ‘happy birthday’, and brought a plate of whipped cream with cherry on top. when khaleef bend down to bite the cherry, they stamped the plate of whip cream on his face! all in good fun!

the complimentary birthday ice-cream was absolutely yummy! THANKS hard rock cafe dubai!

the 2nd biggest hard rock store in the world after orlando

we had a great time – the staff were friendly, helpful and eager to please. the food were fairly delicious, and it was a fun, entertaining time at the hard rock cafe on its first opening day. hope this commendable service continues!

the store opens from 10am to 1am, while the restaurant opens after 1pm. enjoy!

My Prince Khaleef is 6ix

2011-11-15T09:06:00.000-08:00

my eldest boy turned 6 on 15/11/11.

khaleef is a strawberry-fan, so for his birthday, he requested for a strawberry cheesecake, very berry strawberry ice-cream from baskin robbins, and a berry banana smoothies. so very berry!

we didn’t do any kenduri harijadi (birthday party) this year with a big cake and lotsa guests – i just packed goodie bags for khaleef to bring to school for his classmates. and that night we just went out to JBR to get him a small cake, because this weekend there’s gonna be another hoopla.

*wink wink*

* * *

thank you BERRY much for the well-wishes!

* * *

happy birthday khaleef, may you always be in the loving protection of Allah ~ always here for you, mak, bapak and your brothers kahfi and kazim. we love you very much, abang long!

Fell Asleep on Metro? Fined AED300!

2011-11-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

imagine you’re fined RM300 for falling asleep on the LRT. imagine.

of all the times i had to take the LRT from gombak station to taman bahagia, i admit dozing off a few times on the train. travelling from one end to the other is not a short trip, so memang letih! but in malaysia, sleeping on LRT is allowed right? right?

however, you read right – AED300 fine for sleeping on trains, in dubai!

it all started when an american student fell asleep on the dubai metro, missed her stop, and was fined when she reached the final station. kesian gile. tak pasal-pasal kena saman just because she was sleeping on the train!

this is downright weird. people sleeps on public transportation all the time. sometimes (or even most of the time) it can’t be helped. when you’re tired, you’re tired. or maybe you’re not well. or you’re pregnant and sleep is part of the cycle. at times people can’t wait for the train to arrive so that they can get into the air-cond space and catch a few winks before arriving at their destination.

hmm. a new way for dubai to make money? the powers that be of dubai, PLEASE if you want so badly to FINE people for AED300, you’re better off taking it on SMOKERS.

just found out that dubai is implementing fines on people chewing gum on metro – just like in singapore – so take that ‘fine’ example further and implement fines on smoking in public places too! that would be fantastic.

anyway, back to fined-for-sleeping – the funny bit was when a couple of attendants cleared it up by saying that “..if a passenger falls sleep and snores or disturbs others - by drooling or falling over on to someone else's space - that can invite a fine. as long as they don't disturb other passengers when they sleep on the train, then it's OK.”

lemme get this straight – so apparently is IS okay to sleep but no

drooling - haha
snoring – what, an officer will just stand beside the sleeping passenger, listening and fine him as soon as he starts snoring? agak kelakar di situ
head-falling-on someone else’s shoulder – i admit this could really be a bother, but waking him/her up would be enough right? a fine is too much. after all, they’re not some perverts who are doing it on purpose!

there is a comment asking for a fine on people who “stepped on her clothes with their dirty shoes”. hellowww you’re in a PUBLIC transportation. with CROWDS. there are bound to be jostling of arms and knees. as long as they’re not pick-pockets and perverts taking advantage of closed space. tapi takkan ketiak passenger busuk pun nak report kat officer suruh dia fine orang ketiak busuk tu kan…

ok, so anyways, if i wanted to lentok my head manja-manja on my husband’s shoulder while on the metro, still kena fine ah?

to read full article, click here.

Turning 81 on 11/11/11

2011-11-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

my beloved tokwan turned 81 on this special date of multiple ones – 11/11/11. what a blessed day to be celebrating 81 years of good health (alhamdulillah!), wonderful family and contented in life. at 81, he is still manning his makan place in taiping; his specialty is making ice-kacang – yum!

tokwan is tokcik’s husband. ala, tokcik is very famous in my blog. haha. my grandma who owns a makan place in taiping, ‘selera desa’. drop by when you’re in taiping ok! i’ve written about it here and here.

a man of few words, but plenty of smiles and laughs. no doubt one of the nicest man you will ever have the pleasure in meeting.

tokwan with the love of his life the ever vogue tokcik, with their grandsons

happy 81st birthday, tokwan – may Allah grant tokwan many more years of health and wealth in rezeki and rahmat; in this world and the hereafter. amin!

Our 3rd Aidiladha in Dubai

2011-11-06T02:34:00.001-08:00

a short entry to wish everyone a blessed Aidiladha!

my eldest khaleef donning the mckk sampin this raya. this is the very sampin worn by his bapak during his schooldays. classic tu! following the footsteps of atuk, bapak and his pak ngah? we’ll see!

my naughty 2nd boy kahfi couldn’t keep a straight face when taking picture. lantak la mak bubuh jugak gamba yang kelam kabut ni. hoho. these days he completely refused to eat rice, but this morning he ate A LOT of lemang!

* lemang is glutinous rice cooked in bamboo with coconut milk – delicious!

my youngest prince kazim was being weird this morning as he kept wanting to wear the songkok (headgear) padehal during last eid syawal he kept pushing it away! unpredictable!

mr. khairul actually went back to malaysia for about a week, and came back with his mom’s chicken rendang. absolutely divine. i don’t know how to cook rendang, so having this means the world. when i heat it up this morning, the whole house was filled with the aroma of ‘raya’. best! thanks a bunch to my mother in law for her thoughts and effort!

* rendang is a spicy malay dish usually cooked using chicken or beef, and is an excellent partner with lemang.

bahulu! again, thanks to my mom-in-law for packin them. the whole family is a bahulu fan, so two huge packs of bahulu would probably be finished by the end of the week. if not by the end of the day. haha. the last time we went back to malaysia, my aunt cik packed a whole lot of bahulu and we ate ‘em all in one day in dubai. bahulu freaks!

*bahulu is a malay traditional sponge cake. yum!

malaysians in dubai solat hari raya at matrade office, al-shafeena building, in oud metha – this is always where we would have our annual malaysian gathering for solat aidilfitri or aidiladha. there are A LOT (really, a lot!) of malaysians in dubai but sometimes they pray with the locals and other expats at the mosques near their homes

the tables at the back are for pot luck dishes – this year there are plenty of goodies!

thanks dubai baker fida for the picture!

* * *

ok, enjoy the rest of aidiladha, people! may Allah grant us patience and courage to keep sacrificing for our religion, our family, our country. amin.

Assorted Dates @ Fish Market Deira

2011-11-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

one of the busiest places in dubai – the fish market at shindaga tunnel, deira. been living here for almost 3 years now and this is my FIRST time coming here! usually we go to the karama wet market (click here for my posting on karama wet market), or else we’d happily settled for shopping fish and chicken at lulu, geant or carrefour.

interesting enough, my mom-in-law had been here countless of times. well, everytime she’s here, her anak manja eldest son mr. khairul would definitely bring his mom here to buy stuff he wants her to cook! hihi.

like any market, the fish market deira offers everything under the sun, like any market does. fruits and vegetables; grocery items and FISH in abundance. even sharks, sadly!

men with wheelbarrow waiting for customers who need help

all around the market, even from outside, you’ll see men with wheelbarrows offering to help carry what we bought – for a small fee. most people here come over to this huge market to buy in bulks, and it eases the burden when these wheelbarrow-ing men come to help.

the man in kurta behind mr. khairul was waiting to gather our ‘catch’ of the day – the fruits, veggies and fish. now waiting for mr. khairul to choose some dates

one of the main reasons why we decided to go here instead of our usual shopping haunts was to buy dates. mr. khairul is going back to malaysia soon (JUST HIM on business trip uhuk uhuk) and he wanted to buy a lot of fresh dates as souvenirs.

and there were a LOT of stalls selling all sorts of fresh dates.

the stall-keeper packed the dates in small individual plastic bags before placing everything inside a box, and helped sealed it too, since mr.khairul mentioned he’s taking the dates on a long journey back to malaysia.

yums!

my favorite is the top left, the most juicy, shiny soft and taste like chocolate! lagi lembik lagi sedap!

the owner was so nice, he gave out free dates to khaleef and kahfi

* * *

and of course, you’d be a fool to go deira fish market and not buy FISH!

since it was my first time, i was surprised to see the scene inside the big huge warehouse-like market. hundreds of stall-keeper in strapping uniforms stood by their stalls shouting welcoming phrases to invite patrons to buy from their stall.

the smell of fish was pungent. duuh!

the staff here did not mind being photographed. in fact some stopped and smiled, and a few even cheered. i guess it’s sort of a break from their everyday routine around fishes.

we bought our usual favorites – bawal (pomfret) and a few other fish. (of course my number one favorite fish ever is IKAN KELI! but dubai takde ikan keli… sob sob) we also bought ikan kembung – dah lama tak makan ikan kembung goreng-goreng garing!

i don’t know much about fish – types and the many ways to cook ‘em so i wasn’t able to take full advantage of the endless choices of fish here at the deira fish market. beli yang mana tau je!

* * *

a lovely mural by the side of the fish market

dah lama tak nampak kucing liar macam ni

the wheelbarrow man helped to unload the plastic bags into the car while kahfi supervised hihi. thanks man!

the deira fish market opens daily at 7am till 11pm. parking is said to be extremely bad on weekends so brace yourselves. we went at night on a working day, around 9pm plus, and it was not that crowded, and parking was easy. wear old shoes and t-shirts!

Just Ban Smoking!

2011-11-01T10:10:00.000-07:00

"UAE approved warnings on cigarette packets with a graphic picture covering about half the packet...it also bans tobacco company from using 'smooth', 'silky' and 'light' or similar words to describe the product." - gulfnews today. click here for full report.

while i applaud UAE's effort in curbing the filthy smoking habit among its people, i can only snicker in sceptism at its effectiveness. tak jalan punya! this is not my way of belittling UAE's noble effort, but rather a scornful smirk towards the *incorrigible smokers.

*incorrigible : incapable of being corrected or reformed.

buat lah apa saja. rise the price of cigarette. put no-smoking signs. put pictures of blackened lungs on cigarette packs. have taknak campaign. ban tobacco advertisement on tv. create awesome no-smoking ads. under 18 cannot buy cigarette. cammon, tell me the truth - NONE is really working, right?

rising the price of cigarette - have you ever wondered why run-down flats in kl with owners who probably can't afford monthly insurance payment, managed to have astro satelite dishes mushrooming all over the building? same logic. mahal macam mana pun, orang yang tak berapa mampu pun will make it a priority, because they want to.

put no-smoking signs - i was there. at PWTC. there was a no-smoking sign. and this man still lit up a cigarette, without a care.

put ugly pictures of what harm rokok can do - smokers KNOW that smoking is harmful to them. they KNOW their health is affected. so pictures are just pictures. it's JUST the box. again, do they care? nope!

i'm sorry. it's just my sincere opinion. this is coming from someone who has lived with a smoker for her whole married life. and because of the same reason, i will tell you what REALLY works :

the ONLY way smoking can be deterred, or lessened, or eradicated totally - is to BAN SMOKING. the best example is our neighbour singapore. even as a non-smoker, i was surprised to see the long list of smoke-free places in singapore.

this includes so many, many places like carparks, playground, clubs and even hawker stalls! kat malaysia, hawker stall la tempat yang paling seronok nak merokok...

the best one was definitely 'no smoking within a 5 meters radius from ANY doorway. gile best. this means that even when you walk OUT of an air-conditioned, smoke free building, you need to make sure you're 5m away from the entrance before you light up a smoke, or else!

when we were in singapore last july, mr. khairul was restless as he searched for a place to smoke. it seemed like everywhere we go, it's a no-smoking zone. fantastic! whenever he felt like it might be okay to smoke, he was still cautious - can i? can't i? anyone watching? it was great to see him without smoking while we enjoy the holiday.

so you see, singapore makes it VERY DIFFICULT for anyone to smoke. also, singapore makes smokers feel like they've done something worse than armed robbery! as someone gets less and less chance to smoke each day, eventually they will come to their senses - hey, i CAN do without cigarette! it is possible. it can be done. i can slowly quit.

in this matter, i hope one day malaysia can emulate our neighbour, who is already famous for its squeaky clean image - ban smoking!

Kahfi & Kazim’s Emirates ID : Finally!

2011-10-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

“congratulations. you have just received your new UAE national identity card. this is your official identification in the united arab emirates.”

just like our MyCard, the emirates ID also has many functions - driving licences, work permits, employee cards, passports – all in one single identity card. kahfi and kazim finally got theirs a few days ago. so comel!

for ANY information you need on emirates ID, go to emirates identity authority (EIDA) official website – how to apply, where and how long, click here. you can also check the status of your emirates ID application on that site.

you can also check out here for a quick how-to-apply, complete with fees in straighforward point-form.

Sharks Sighting @ Jumeirah Beach?

2011-10-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

'sharks spotted at jumeirah beach'? reading this news is somewhat shocking, and exciting at the same time (since there haven't been any fatal attacks or death). jumeirah beach is the long stretch of beach along dubai, and it's right by our apartment. jalan kaki je!

it was reported that the lifeguard spotted what looked like a SHARK, two of them in the waters - not just any shark, but a hammerhead shark. he gave out an immediate warning, rushing people out of the waters to avoid any mishaps.

funny thing was, the crowd went back into the water as soon as the beach patrol cars left the beach. aren't they afraid of shark attack? i'll tell you why later!

click here for full news from 7days.

'bruce' the shark from 'finding nemo', with his other shark friends - one of them is the hammerhead shark

hammerhead shark is the shark with the funny head, with eyes that can see both up and down at the same time!

now let me tell you why the crowd seemed undisturbed with the shark warning, and was not afraid to go back in the waters - it's a known fact that hammerhead sharks are the least dangerous type of shark there is.

hah?

a shark that's NOT dangerous to human? really? i didn't know that!

it turns out that

out of 9 species of hammerhead shark, only 3 are dangerous
hammerhead sharks rarely attack people
known to be the least aggressive of all sharks
this type of shark is least likely to harm humans unless provoked
favorite food is stingray! also eats crabs, squids and lobsters
can grow up to 4m long
the most dangerous sharks are the great white shark, the tiger shark, and the bull shark. stay away!

meanwhile, marine experts are excited with these reports, since hammerhead sharks are said to be under threat of being an endangered animal (their fins are larger, they're hunt for this expensive delicacy. stop eating shark's fin!).

they say that it's good that hammerhead sharks are spotted here because that means that the gulf waters are attracting marine life, and naturally predators too. a whole new environment is created somewhere down below.

* * *

just be careful and always on the alert when you're out swimming. if it's not shark, it could be sea-snake. if not that, then it could be the strong current and huge waves. we're the one going into their domain. we're swimming at their turf. it's THEIR home. seeing them there shouldn't be much of a shock, so we're the ones who must be cautious.

oh well, after all this talk - someone had actually said it could've been just a plastic bag floating in the water! click here.

Crispy Masala Dosa Ghee @ Saravanaa Bhavan

2011-10-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

on the festive occasion of deepavali (diwali), i’ll post about this great vegetarian indian restaurant we love in dubai.

while in malaysia, i was never a fan of tose (in dubai it’s called dosa) like mr. khairul is. however, i can’t help but get hooked to this tose ghee (dosa ghee) in dubai at saravanaa bhavan. the taste, the texture – amazing. it has turned a non-fan into a must-order-this fan!

“

saravanaa bhavan is an indian vegetarian restaurant offering authentic indian cuisine – dosa (tose), uthappam, idly, aapam, naan and my favorite roti canai or parotta. from roti to rice – they’ve got it.

click here for full menu of the branch in dubai. the one we went today was in karama.

and hey, not only does it have a branch all over a few middle east countries, USA, canada, and singapore – it also has a few branches in our very own malaysia. in fact, one of the indian staff we met can speak very good malay as he had worked in the malaysia branch for about 3 years previously.

senang sikit nak order!

the other staff are also very friendly, and ready to help when you need them. at times too friendly haha, as they enjoy playing with khaleef and disturbing kahfi!

i love the interior of course – the seats are yellow! hihi the spaces between seats seemed narrow but the place itself actually looked quite spacious. it’s clean and doesn’t smell too much like curry haha.

* * *

khaleef with his favorite – roti canai, with a little bit of sugar. the roti canai here is tasty and delicious, but not as fluffy as the one in ‘green city’ and ‘appa kadai’.

kahfi gettin messy with his roti canai dip in sugar

tada ~ now THIS is mr. khairul’s favorite – the masala dosa ghee – and he has lured me into liking it too although i’m not originally a fan of tose/dosa!

the masala dosa is served with a few dippings – the one i like is this dip made from coconut, and it’s made spicy. something like the white one on the left picture, but it’s peach in color because of the spice. delicious!

now what is masala dosa ghee? you all know the plain dosa (tose) right? and it wouldn’t be super crispy and awesomely salty without the ghee. and they make it so big, and thin and delightfully crispy!

now the masala part? a masala dosa is made by stuffing a dosa with a lightly cooked filling of potatoes, fried onions and spices.

the dosa ghee, with the potato masala in the middle

my picture doesn’t do justice to the awesome taste of this dish!

the potato stuffing in my pictures may look like the portion is small – but actually they lump A LOT of potatoes in one masala dosa ghee, right in the middle. it’s really a very filling vegetarian indian dish.

the potato stuffing is delicious, and the texture is like mashed potato. a wonderful contrast to the very crispy dosa ghee. really, it’s yummy – the crispy dosa ghee and the mashed spiced potato filling!

wash it down with a glass of chai (tea with milk) and you’d have a complete meal!

the masala dosa ghee. try it the next time you’re thinking of having a nice vegetarian indian dish. it’s really good, really filling! kenyang weh.

Mr. K Head-Bangin to Metallica @ Abu Dhabi

2011-10-25T06:48:00.001-07:00

at the time of writing, mr. khairul is on his superbike across the desert towards yas island abu dhabi to watch the world’s biggest hard rock band in action – the metallica. they’ll be performing at yas arena abu dhabi as part of their world magnetic tour.

that’s the same place mr. khairul and i went to see stevie wonder early this year. click here to read my review on the concert.

adoi, tak sangka laki aku minat heavy metal.

the only thing i know about metallica is that their songs all sound like someone is trying to make their voice sound really scary, and then sing with that voice.

warrrggggh. warrghhh. all the way.

but i’m not totally ignorant, ok. at least i know ‘enter sandman’! hihi. the guitar plucking-intro is legendary to rock fans everywhere.

but again, tak letih ke nyanyi jerit-jerit macam tu?

nways, enjoy metallica, honey cookie. please come back all sane ok. i’ll have the cough syrup and lozenges ready since you’re most probably gonna lose your voice…

Congrats Nash & Syida : Engaged!

2011-10-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

last month, my youngest sister azot went through the merisik process, and last saturday, my second youngest sister got engaged – to long-time sweetheart nash.

congratulations! you guys looked lovely together! sob sob *tears of joy*

i think it all started as an office-warfare gone wrong – because they ended up falling for each other! *blink blink*. girl meets boy at office, boy acts obnoxious, girl annoyed with boy. girl and boy thrown into the same project. girl and boy got to talking. girl and boy discover lots of similarity.

..and then love happens.

nash & syida ~ engaged to be married!

my family and nash’s family met in mutual understanding of their daughter and son’s love for each other huhu, and so officiating the engagement ceremony with the engagement ring, fixed firmly by nash’s mom onto my sister’s trembling fingers hihi.

my abah in green batik shirt & nash’s abah in brown batik shirt

* * *

*jealous*

the pictures are uneven because i wasn’t there! sob sob.

love this picture of my sisters ~ from left : azot, yong, bride-to-be syida & syimot

* * *

always there for us ~ syida with my mak’s siblings – cu, syida, auntyna & cik

* * *

si darah-darah manis masin kelat-kelat. haha. faiz, nash, syida & azi. apsal org selalu cakap ‘darah manis’ ye? vampire ape!

future brides and grooms in the picture above : insyaAllah nash and syida in april; and faiz and azot in december. may Allah grant us smooth-sailing days ahead till the big day comes. amin.

hmm. just realized that all abah’s sons-in-law wear glasses. every single one. abg mat (yong’s) wears glasses. my mr. khairul wears glasses. din (syimot’s) wears glasses. and both my future bros-in-law also wear glasses – just like abah.

interestingly, NONE of us girls anak abah need to wear glasses. hihi. yet. alhamdulillah.

* * *

…and then somebody called all the way from DUBAI!

…hoho.

my family : mom’s side : miss them so much!!! wait for me, be coming back in april, insyaAllah!

* * *

this is just the beginning of wedding-planning. don’t fret too much, because it’s not just the wedding that we want to have in all its grandeur – it’s the *marriage* that is more priceless. happy hunting for more hantaran stuff (i’m doing a little hunting here in dubai myself hoho), have fun, take it easy and i’ll see you in april!

Mysuperkids iPad Contest : Final Challenge

2011-10-19T02:12:00.000-07:00

to my fellow iPad seekers from mysuperkids dot net - the final challenge of the iPad contest is OUT! (like a week ago haha) thank you so much anis for informing me about this, or else i'd definitely lose out!

there are FOUR challenges this time around - yeap, organizer mommy lina decided to bombard our creativity with four challenges at one go! this is IT! however these challenges can be completed in random order, and done at any time before the due date on 31st december 2011.

challenge #3 : natural, or semulajadi
challenge #4 : health, or kesihatan
challenge #5 : clothing, or pakaian
challenge #6 : internet

click here for full list.

winner of this challenge will finally receive the grand prize - iPad - and the rest of us hopefully will get some other awesome tidbits. hihi.

to me, the greatest challenge would be trying to be as creative as possible, as the topic for each challenge is so broad. it's only ONE word, and could be interpreted in many ways, from all sorts of angle.

at this point, i not only wish the contestants GOOD LUCK, but i also wish the same to mommy lina in picking out the ultimate winner in the end! 4 challenges each from so many bloggers - that's gotta be tough just trying to read 'em all!

GOOD LUCK!

For Teachers of the World & Cikgu Cabuk

2011-10-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

i am a teacher, did you know that?

i’ve never been a school teacher, but i’ve been a lecturer at a hospitality college, and then a magazine editor, and then a mentor at a kids’ development center (best job in the world!). so i teach. and i know what comes with teaching. a teacher friend of mine once said, “gim, you’re teaching kids. all cutesy stuff. it’s different than teaching teenage boys.”

i agree, it’s DIFFERENT. but the challenges and obstacles are nowhere more or less. i’ve taught teenage boys and girls before. and then i’ve taught little kids. believe me, all has its ups and downs, highs and lows.

..but i love each teaching moment!

* * *

found this floating over facebook today, LOVE it! :

i stumbled upon a blog once, belonging to a TEACHER. when she wrote about her job, she simply wrote : “cikgu cabuk aje.”

CIKGU CABUK.

this, coming from a teacher. i don’t know whether to be angry, or to cry. or to lower my head in shame for this fellow educator who is belittling this noble profession; her OWN profession. why the heck are you a teacher in the first place?!

be PROUD that you are a teacher. because god knows you’re doing so much more than just teaching. you’re touching people’s lives. you’re moulding young minds. you’re inspiring future leaders.

i dedicate this to cikgu cabuk, may you LEARN something today.

Kisah Dongeng Tak Bermoral?

2011-10-13T23:43:00.001-07:00

aku marah dengan status mengarut macam ni. kalau nak buat lawak, buat la smiley ke, atau smiley ada lidah terkeluar ke. takpe. aku terima. walau tak lawak, tapi aku terima kalau niat tu sebab nak buat lawak pagi2 jumaat ni,

dulu ade dah status begini bergelimpangan kat facebook tapi dalam bahasa inggeris. nada agak comel sikit, bak kata aku lah, sebab disusuli dengan smiley face atau lidah terkeluar tanda ada unsur lawak di situ. klik sini untuk yang bahasa inggeris.

tapi bila tulis status begini, pastu akhirnya tulis “ish..ish.. sume xbermoral..” aku sangat bangkang. tambahan pulak aku sayang kisah-kisah fairy tale ni. tak salah pun. enjoy je lah. aku memang membesar dengan cerita-cerita magis dari dunia khayalan dongeng ni – dengan puteri-puteri jelita, putera-putera perkasa, makhluk-makhluk aneh, watak jahat yang sentiasa tumpas di tangan keadilan. jugak kisah-kisah tauladan di sebalik cerita-cerita dongeng ni.

status mengarut tu berbunyi begini :

tarzan hidup separuh bogel..

cinderella balik lewat malam..

pinocchio menipu manjang..

aladdin suka mencuri..

batman memandu 320 km/j..

superman pakai underwear kat luar..

sleeping beauty pemalas asyik tidur..

snow white tinggal serumah dgn 7 lelaki..

ish ish..sume xbermoral..

mengarut!

hello! ini pandangan peribadi aku :

tarzan tak memilih nak separuh bogel. dia dibela oleh sekumpulan gorilla, yang tak pakai apa-apa pun. itupun ajaib dia bole terpikir nak pakai cawat. kalau dia dibela oleh yusuf haslam ke obama ke, pehtu gatai nk pakai cawat lagi, baru la kita bole belasah dia!

cinderella rajin buat kerja rumah. korang yang like status tu, sinki tu dah clear ke?

pinocchio tak ‘menipu memanjang’. hakikatnya hidung dia akan panjang JIKA dia menipu. dan pinocchio selamatkan ayah dia dari perut ikan paus. bukan ayah betul dia pun!

aladdin dapat 3 hajat (wish). dia berkorban untuk tak menggunakan hajat ke-3. dia wish genie biru tu bebas dari menjadi genie. tak selfish.

batman membantu orang dalam kesusahan.

superman tu alien. lantak dia la nak pakai apa. nasib baik la dia sanggup jugak membantu rakyat bumi walaupun dia dari planet lain. korang yang asyik kutuk tu, cuba offer khidmat nasihat etika pemakaian orang bumi kat superman – barulah dia faham!

sleeping beauty tu asyik tido je bukan sebab pemalas! sila baca BUKU weh. dia tu mangsa bomohan oleh musuh bapak dia. kena curse ok. bukan sebab malas. tu dah fitnah. huhu.

snow white larikan diri dari mak tiri dengki yang nak bunuh dia, dan 7 orang lelaki kenit tu yang selamatkan dan dengan baik hati bagi snow white sembunyi kat rumah diorang tanpa bayar sewa pun. sila jangan buruk sangka ye. kesian 7 lelaki tu, nak buat baik pun disalah erti..

ok, dah lepas geram. maaf kalau aku over. aku sayang dunia buku aku.

lain kali lihatlah sesuatu tu dari kebaikan. macam kalau berpolitik contohnya, daripada mengutuk parti lain, ceritalah kebaikan, kebolehan, kepintaran parti sendiri. eh eh, dah masuk politik plak! haha. oh, dan rentikanlah buruk sangka. sekian, terima kasih.

salam jumaat semua!

Rock-Hard Waffle @ Choco Melt, Ibn Battuta Mall

2011-10-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

i take this as a lesson : next time do it yourself, at home! one of the biggest disappointments i’ve ever encountered in dubai when it comes to dessert.

the place looked so promising, yet what is served did not reflect the adorable interior, the amazing array of colorful display and definitely was NOT worth the price we paid. rugi je ade tempat cantik-cantik!

we went to the ‘choco melt’ in ibn battuta mall. like i said, the kiosk is cute, and eye-catching. it’s right by the bowling arena at the mall. you wouldn’t miss it as you enter ‘india’ from ‘china’. oh, it’s also right behind the ‘elephant’.

what caught my eyes at first was the row of MELTED CHOCOLATE along the counter. it was really, really inviting. few machines were running, with wheels on them and chocolate kept being poured and the wheels just kept turning and turning and turning – you’d be in a trance watching the melted chocolate runs through the machine!

intoxicating!

my favorite – hazelnut milk chocolate!

mr. khairul’s favorite – white chocolate

…and they’ve got plain milk chocolate too of course, and dark chocolate for those who like some bittersweet taste in their dessert.

and wait – look. at. the. display.

rows of fruits dipped in chocolate. apples dipped in chocolate. bananas waiting to be dipped in chocolate. oreos dipped in chocolate. i particularly LOVE the apples dipped in milk choc and white choc, and made to look like bride and groom. comel gile!

i was really tempted to order ANY dish from this cute shop, so we ordered ‘waffle melt’ – waffle with one choice of fruit and one type of chocolate. i picked strawberry because it’s khaleef and kahfi’s favorite, and a choice of hazenut milk chocolate.

we waited. and waited. and waited. after about half an hour, we were told we had to wait another whole 15 minutes because THE STAFF HAD LEFT THE WAFFLE TOO LONG on the waffle maker, and now it’s kind ruined.

WHAT? ok, fine. i’ll wait. and it’d better be good!

when it came – owwwwkayyyy. the waffle looked flat, not fluffy, completely unattractive. the strawberries looked fresh, and they put A LOT of strawberries. and they’re generous on the chocolate melt too. i’m not sure this is the general practice, or they give extra because they made us wait..

i cannot even begin to describe the horrendousness of this dish that i love so much.

the waffle is hard. VERY. i cannot use my plastic fork to cut through the waffle
the texture is VERY BAD. it’s hard, through and through – i mean, it’s forgivable if it’s hard on the outside and soft on the inside but this is HARD ALL THE WAY.
and it’s not even crunchy. it’s hard and chewy. liat.
i know something is up with the batter that they use. i can’t say for sure – been put aside too long? wrong measurement of ingredients? i dunno, but it resulted in one BAD waffle!

the best part was, when i approached the staff to tell them how HARD the waffle is, they sheepishly replied, “a lot of customer also complained.”

*sound of silence*

dah tu, hang dok buat jugak waffle keras macam ni buat apa?

i had the best of intention. i just wanted to tell them that the waffle is too hard. please tell your manager, or owner or whoever that it’s probably the batter, or the way you make the waffle. change it. improve it. because i like this shop. that’s what i told the staff on duty.

the staff was polite and apologetic, so aku tak la mengamuk sangat. kesian pulak. bukan la salah dia completely kan. haha.

ape-ape hal pun rezeki jangan ditolak! the waffle may be HARD, but the fresh sour strawberry went really well with the sweetness of the hazelnut chocolate. we tried to finish the waffle but couldn’t. there were too much hard parts that we had to leave out.

to be fair (see, i’m still trying to think positive!), i guess the ‘choco melt’ shop is trying to bank on their chocolate-dipped items – like the choc-dipped apple, or choc-dipped marshmallows. that’s their specialty i guess. well, i sincerely suggest they stick with what they do best, and stop making below average waffles!

When My Kids Get Free Stuff

2011-10-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

...and on rare special occasions, we're blessed with small but meaningful kindness...

we went to mandi restaurant the other day. kahfi had been pressing us for a drink of orange fizzy drink. it was a straight 'no' from us, until kahfi took matters into his own hands. on the way out of the restaurant, kahfi opened a fridge, and took an orange fizzy can drink on his own. when we asked to put it back, he cried. ok, fine. take one. paying time - "nevermind. take, take." and kahfi got to enjoy his coveted orange fizzy drink, free of charge.

alhamdulillah. may Allah bestow the restaurant owner plenty more rezeki and blessings for that little can of drink!

* * *

we were at a shop selling nuts - almond, cashew, pistachio - i love that shop. they also sell chocs and candies. i let khaleef and kahfi take a roll of fruity mentos each, and by the time we pay for our packets of nuts, the owner exclude the mentos. with simply a head gesture geleng-geleng and a swoosh of his hand 'take, take' - i had to ask him twice, really? thank you!

alhamdulillah. may Allah triple his rezeki for this simple kind act!

* * *

in a world where restaurant owners want nothing better than to raise their prices, and shopkeepers count every penny, i'm grateful for these few kind souls who don't mind a simple deed without concentrating on just the material of things.

it was really nothing much - just a can of fizzy drink, and a few rolls of mentos. but it's the thought behind it that counts. it's the kind gesture that matters. the magnitude of the kindness that we experienced is this - "i'm losing a few dirham to see a kid smile, and their parents delighted. and that's ok."

It's Jummuah : Muslim Parody of Rebecca Black's Friday!

2011-10-06T22:49:00.001-07:00

familiar with the infamous youtube clip of rebecca black's 'friday' that has people labelling it the worse idiotic song ever? here's a brilliant spin on that song - done muslim style. total coolness!

enjoy the clip! oh, and salam Jumuah everyone!

it's Jumuah!

7am waking up for fajr
gotta make wudu', gotta pray my sunnah
gotta make ghusl, gotta clip my nails
looking outside, the sun is rising
up the sky, and everybody's rushing
gotta get down to the masjid
gotta say salam to the imam

sitting in the first saff, or
chilling at the back saff
gotta make my mind up
do i want the ajr?

it's Jumuah, Jumuah
gotta make dhikr on Jumuah
everybody is reading suratul Kahf, Kahf (2x)

miswaking, miswaking yeah!
miswaking, miswaking yeah!
pray pray pray pray
gotta read suratul Kahf

12:45 the imam's on the minbar
talkin bout something like fiqh or zakat
there's whispering, chattering from the crowd
don't they know that it's haram?

i stand up, you stand up
prayer's about to start yeah!
foot to foot, shoulder to shoulder
just don't step on me!

chorus

last week i had a heartburn (from after Jumuah lunch)
this week i am skipping (on after Jumuah lunch)
i'm on a diet, a veggie diet
just gonna have some hummus today

and when i try to leave the masjid, an uncle stops me
and rubs some itar on my cheeks

-rap-
ready, go!
pakistani, hindustani, senagalese
we see them all Jumuah prayer looking for keys
to Jannah, coz that is the goal
making dhikr, giving sadaqah, they trying to be whole
no matter who you are, you gotta come to pray
gotta greet your brothers, who you see in the day
so put your kufi and roll up your pants
it's the day of Jumuah, don't pass up the chance!

chorus

click here for the original song/video. personally the song is kinda catchy - too bad it has bad singing and bad lines - like, wow i never knew if it's saturday, sunday comes afterwards! and thursday comes before friday. and which seat to take in the car can be such a global issue. what breakthrough lyrics! nyeh nyeh.

Water For Elephants, The Beaver & Rise of Planet Apes

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

got popcorn?

i have three new movies to review - not exactly new, but i've finally been able to watch these movies recently. all three movies have an animal as the central character, also as part of the movie title - 'water for elephants' is a love story set at a circus; 'the beaver' is a drama about coping with a nervous breakdown in a weird way; and finally, 'the rise of the planet of the apes', a science fiction tale of how one ape will change the fate of its kind.

* * *

a simple love story in 'water for elephants' starts with an old man reminiscing his memorable moments working at the circus during his younger days. a veterinary science graduate from cornell, he is accepted to the circus for his knowledge. and so begins a life of circus wonders, animal connections - the elephant, and falling dangerously in love with the boss' wife.

the circus boss is played by academy award winner christopher waltz, for his deliciously evil role as the nazi officer in 'inglorious basterds' - so you can imagine how similarly he played the character of the hot-headed circus boss. evil at its cinematic best!

watching this movie convinced me that the super cute robert pattinson CAN act! so this means that the twilight saga really had bad script, bad direction, and bad co-stars. because in 'water for elephants', robert pattinson shows he has what it takes to do challenging roles other than looking pale and glowing occasionally. bleh.

he's so handsome here (normal-looking handsome and not super pale kinda handsome haha), and his character is innocently curious and eager to live his life. if you crazy-love him in twilight, i guarantee you love him even more in 'water for elephants'.

* * *

imagine your husband speaks to you - only through a hand puppet...

'the beaver' is a drama about a depressed man on his nervous breakdown - his company in jeapordy, his son hates him, and his marriage falling apart. then he found a hand puppet - a stuffed beaver. he puts it over his hand, and he began speaking to everyone ONLY through the beaver, even to his employees. confidence swept through him. he's suddenly a new man, because the beaver speaks his mind, the beaver doesn't have his problems.

soon the beaver seemed the be the one running the show. can he throw away the puppet, and be the man, the husband and father that he wanted to be?

mel gibson as always, great acting, great display of emotions as the depressed walter. the story is original, and can be somewhat slow-paced, but still quite interesting. towards the end i really want to find out whether he can survive without the beaver...

* * *

if you love the cinema, i'm sure you know what this movie is about. if you haven't seen the original 'planet of the apes', you should before you watch this modern one! it's a classic ~ "take your hands off me, you damn dirty apes!"

james franco is adorable as always, and john lithgow is believable as the alzheimer-stricken father - it's just that the star of the movie is truly the ape named caesar. i've got to applaud the people who did the CGI thingy on the ape - because his expressions, his movement and especially his eyes - really capture the feel of moment. he dominates every scene he's in!

though i LOVE the 1968 original version of 'planet of the apes', this current one is enjoyable to watch too. it has its heart-stopping moments, and if you're anything like me, the hair on the back of your neck would stand as you watch the last few scenes. woah.

* * *

ok, next movie please!

UUM Convo : Recipient of Gold Medal Award

2011-10-04T14:36:00.001-07:00

1.10.11 would be a date to remember for the little wife beaming with pride, and the inspired sons and daughter.

congratulations to my brother-in-law abg mat (my eldest sister's husband) for his completion of masters in business admin from UUM (northern university of malaysia). what's more impressive was that he received the coveted 'gold medal' award (pingat emas UMHSB) which is given only to 5 selected students who are the best in their respective courses.

he was named the best graduate in MBA.

a quick family potrait to mark the day!

a brilliant feat, but not surprising. an exco member of the perak youth (majlis belia perak) and a committee member of UMNO youth, ipoh timor, i've always known him as someone who has immersed himself in politics with great passion; and performed community service as well. when tsunami hit aceh, he joined missions to send help over in light of that terrible tragedy.

so as an MBA student at UUM, i believed he had no qualms at going the extra mile in his studies to enjoy the fruits of his labor today.

* * *

enjoy this moving video ‘produced’ by yong, my eldest sis and his beloved wife and mama to his four children.

congratulations again, may this success be an inspiration for his children haiqal, haiqeem, husna and adam harris in reaching their goals one day!

…and of course, behind every successful man, is a wife cheering him on…

Facebook Should Have These Buttons!

2011-10-02T20:44:00.000-07:00

*dislike*

i know a lot of us would love that ‘dislike’ button. sure i need that button when my sisters write status updates about going makan-makan with abah to yummy places - without me! haha. and my facebook friends who has ANY MALAYSIAN FOOD in their facebook status, will get a ‘dislike’ from me too! haha.

*love*

and tell me how many times you want to click ‘like’ a hundred times when you see a quote that’s really meaningful, or a status about an event you really enjoyed, or even a youtube clip of a favorite song – the ‘love’ button would help a lot! and of course, when your husband/fiance/boyfriend writes the sweetest words on facebook, it’s time to click ‘love’!

*hate*

i have a lot of facebook friends who are teachers. most of them are very dedicated to their work, and enjoyed posting status updates about their activities, and occasionally give inspirational advice and support to their students. SADLY, there are a few ‘bad apples’ who spoiled the bunch – teachers whose status updates are colored by their complaints. complain, complain, complain!

these statuses deserve a ‘hate’ button!

also – hey, i have my own preference when it comes to political party. i know so do you. the problem with us these days is that we like to KUTUK other parties instead of saying something good about the party that you support. hate!

let’s respect each other!

*applaud*

this is a cute one. someone scores in SPM. a promotion. trying new recipes. baby boy starts walking. successfully flew thousands of miles with 3 kids (me! hihi) will get an ‘applaud’! i would really love this button!

*stare creepily* & *throw tomatoes*

the funny ones would be ‘stare creepily’ and ‘throw tomatoes’! hihi. i’d click ‘throw tomatoes’ when anyone mentions twilight in their facebook status…

Malaysia Mandi Rice : as Good as in Dubai!

2011-10-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

i LOVE mandi rice. i started this love affair since i started living in dubai in 2008. there’s something about it – smooth beads of rice without too much spices, juicy tender crimson-colored chicken, spiced lamb meat that’s easily torn off its bones – an explosion of taste in your mouth.

this humble dish originated from yemen; and i wish i could visit yemen one day to taste the original mandi rice made by the locals.

happy hungry abah @ zamzam arabic restaurant enjoying mandi rice

this short posting is written just for this picture haha.

i got it from my sister syida’s facebook page. abah, umi and my sisters had mandi rice at zamzam arabic restaurant at section 9, shah alam. this is by far, the best presentation of nasi mandi i’ve seen in an arabic restaurant in malaysia. all these while it’s simply lump of rice with chicken on the side, on a normal dinner plate.

now this – it’s served in a huge dulang, with all the lauk (chicken and lamb meat) together on top of the rice instead of individually served on plates. looks authentic. looks like the real thing. looks mighty delicious too!

youngest sis azot, umi and abah

looks like the one in dubai, but does it taste like the one in dubai? my sister said abah even confirmed that it’s “..as good as in dubai!” ok, i shall confirmed this statement when i try it myself!

my sisters : syimot & syidot

this is not a paid posting (though i should get some kind of free-meals coupon ke ape ke kan hahaha) but i guess if you take my abah’s word for it, go to zamzam arabic restaurant at section 9 shah alam to try mandi rice that’s “as good as in dubai!”

Reunion With MCOB Kamil

2011-09-30T00:27:00.001-07:00

the mckk fraternity in dubai is converging yet again. where? if you need to ask, then you haven’t been following dubai mckk stories up close and personal enough! haha. tawasol lah beb. mandi rice!

this time to reunite with kamil, mr. khairul’s mckk batchmate who had left dubai for good some months ago, but comes back for a visit occasionally.

incidentally, another mcoba, abang faisal shon celebrated a happy birthday last two days; and also on the occasion of him and wife kak muna embarking on the journey that’s coveted by all muslims – the pilgrimage to kota mekah. they are scheduled to leave at the end of october, insyaAllah.

mr. khairul & mckk batchmate kamil

makan-makan borak-borak

tales of maids, child upbringing, recipes and arabic classes. of unpronounceable unspellable names of kids these days and of stories gathered from those who had performed hajj. sometimes i just let the kakak-kakak sembang berdua while i sat close by absorbing all the wisdom. still a lot to learn as a mother, a wife and as a person!

one word : xanariah? man!

kak rozina & kak muna

kamil in his natural state or entertaining a party!

* * *

kamil v96, faisal shon v84, zaim v82, shamsul v86 & kay v96

us in front of my favorite restaurant in dubai : tawasol!

it’s not too much to say that THIS is our family in dubai. and i’m thankful to have them coloring our lonely lives here in dubai far from our own family.

also, one thing i always notice, abg faisal shon and abg zaim would wear an mckk t or shirt whenever possible. this time, even mr. khairul wore his white shirt embroidered with a tiny emblem of the quad-colors. talk about semangat, man! speret kolet habis!

oh well, friends who are like family. restaurant yang macam rumah sendiri. time on our side. lots of stories to share. lots of good food to go around. perfect ingredients for a get-together!

* * *

till we meet again kamil on your next visit back to dubai. happy birthday to abang faisal shon – wishing you are blessed with many more glorious years ahead. safe journey this october to you and kak muna, may Allah grant you all the blessing and rahmat.

amin!