Tourism Malaysia Event @ Dubai with Tourism Minister Dato' Seri Nazri Aziz

when you live overseas away from kampung halaman malaysia tercinta, any malaysia-themed event is exciting. the crowd, the feel and especially the food! ‘celebrating 1malaysia truly asia’ is the tagline, an event organized by tourism malaysia in dubai, promoting our beautiful nation to the eyes (and pockets) of the arabs! kihkih.

i was so ready for the food and the song and dance!

 

 

me in batik sarong selempang across my chest and mr khairul in batik sarong folded like a tanjak. i think he looks so adorably pahlawan-like. well, pahlawan in a suit! we didn’t come like that – everyone who came for the event got these complimentary batik! with only one rule – you must wear them like this! haha.

 

this was earlier when we just arrived and mr. khairul browsing batik.

 

awesome photobooth outside the hall where people can get their picture taken against the backdrop of tourism malaysia, and then get that picture printed for you FOC to take home as souvenir. cool!

 

pretty dancers awaiting the arrival of tourism minister dato seri nazri aziz.

 

 

inside the ballroom before dato seri nazri aziz arrived. behind me, in colorful baju melayu johor; a fantastic band of traditional musicians belting out classics. oh the atmosphere was amazing with songs like ‘joget pahang’ and many more traditional songs. feels like home! so festive!

 

the crowd started to pour in while we waited for dato seri nazri aziz. seats and tables began to fill up and we were just so excited to watch the show. but first, lemme take a picture huhu.

 

 

the incomparable mahadzir lokman was the MC, and that’s when i know this is one HUGE event that malaysia is bringing to dubai! no matter how long he’s in the business, and how many thousands of events he has done, mahadzir lokman was still very relevant and fresh, highly entertaining, very professional yet can still steal a few cheeky moments to joke with the crowd. he is truly malaysia’s best master of ceremony!

 

tourism minister of malaysia, dato seri mohamed nazri aziz. promoting malaysia to the arabs. hmm, not enough arabs hanging around suria klcc and pavilion in the summer, eh!

 

 

i only have a few pictures, and it SO doesn’t do justice to the myriads of colorful shows, wonderful dances and costumes, and catchy songs presented on stage. i was SO very proud to be a malaysian. to come from this humble country that is truly ASIA. we are so rich in history, culture and customs. there are so many things to see, enjoy and appreciate for the tourists.

 

on the big screen next to the stage, was a description of the dances presented on stage, not only for the benefit of the foreigners watching, even for this particular malaysian as well! i’m learning too especially the dances from sabah and sarawak. amazing malaysia!

 

we were also shown a breathtaking video ‘the essence of asia’ with a beautiful background song by our very own malaysian singer yuna. such an engaging clip showcasing mesmerizing sights of malaysia, and the beauty that is calling world travellers to visit. yuna’s dreamy voice just brings out the best in each shot. the whole video is so hauntingly beautiful; making me feel so so proud to live in such a beautiful place. i was even stealing glances at the non-malaysians and pak-pak arab to catch their reaction watching the video. so proud! click here to watch the video.

the video, promoting ‘visit malaysia year 2014’ also won the prestigious gold award for promotional travel video under the marketing media category.

 

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“hmm…lawa tie!”

 

oh, did you know that tourism minister of malaysia dato seri nazri aziz is a proud product of the malay college kuala kangsar? the unofficial rep of MCOBA (malay college old boy assoc) dubai hehe mr khairul donned the sacred mckk maroon tie to the event and had a small reunion with this famous old boy, along with another koleq old boy in dubai bro nizalman. 

 

 

mckk old boys : dato seri nazri aziz v71, bro nizalman v90 and kay v96

 

with tourism malaysia dubai director mr mohamad taib ibrahim, mr khairul, dato seri nazri aziz and malaysian ambassador to UAE dato anwar adnan.

 

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the final number ends with a bang! i was thoroughly entertained. amazing, amazing show! the talented all-smiling dancers represented beautiful malaysia really well. *standing ovation* (lepas buat show ni depa sume mesti pakat pi dubai mall shopping kan. koman-koman pi naif borong abaya kihkih).

 

 

the dancers with mahadzir lokman. malaysia, truly ASIA.

Majlis Bersama Rakyat : Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin @ Dubai

deputy prime minister of malaysia tan sri muhyiddin yassin spent an evening with malaysians in dubai over malaysian delicacies which includes nasi lemak daun pisang and such. this was not his first visit to dubai, and i myself have met him before when he joined paklah’s entourage to dubai in 2008. at that time, he arrived for the dinner much earlier than paklah and went around shaking hands. he was the one who approached the rakyat. he came from right behind me, and i was so surprised the it was tan sri muhyiddin yassin sneaking up behind to say hello. if you ask me, tan sri muhyiddin yassin is very approachable and all smiles! he’s alright!

 

 

the usual malaysian buffet spread – nasi goreng, meehon goreng, lauk-pauk, kambing tergolek and such!

 

 

nasik lemak daun pisang was the hot stuff that day!

 

 

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meeting tan sri muhyiddin yassin was okay haha, but catching up with these msian in dubai ladies was even better! always fun berborak with these akak-akak, all pretty and dressed up for the occasion.

 

    

mr. khairul was exceptionally pleased to see the then MCOBA prez (malay college old boys assoc) tan sri mac v62. with them was otai dubai bro nizalman v90. and of course little adik khairul is v96. shared laughter and old tales. as usual. hmmph. huhu.

 

an excerpt from berita harian about DPM’s visit to dubai. can you spot mr. khairul in the front crowd? haha.

Hatta Desert : Sand, Wind & Camels

on our way to muscat, oman sometime early march, (together with my in-laws who were here for their dubai holiday) we passed by hatta desert – beautiful bronze sand everywhere. it was an amazing sight. now my kids are very used to the desert sand already, but what happened that day was an unforgettable moment for them, and me!

 

my boys – khaleef, kahfi & kazim – brothers forever in the sands of time.

 

writing on the sand. it won’t last a minute, but the memory will last a lifetime! (corny sangat mak! haha)

 

the unforgettable moment was when, out of the blue, a group of camels strolled our way, eating plants while their at it. what a wondrous sight! it was wonderful to watch.

 

wild camels out to get lunch. so adorable!

 

kazim playing in the sand; while the family of camels taking a stroll in the background. and since you’re looking, oh those sand dunes!

 

thank you, camels for sharing your family moments with us!

 

here is my sis-in-law tina with her dubai nephews

 

mr. khairul with his aunt maklang, while his mom looks on at the back.

 

dubai-hatta road lies in the background – a favorite fast lane for bikers of UAE, a common playground for mr. khairul and his biker buds. what a beautiful sight of bronze sandy desert as you chase the wind on two wheels!

 

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enjoy the clip below; my boys, the sand and our unexpected guests. the background music is lagu ol skool ‘midnight at the oasis’ by maria muldaur.

 

Awesome Buildings Around Dubai & Abu Dhabi

you know the world’s tallest building burj khalifa is in dubai, but do you know there are many more buildings in dubai with awesome titles too? world’s tallest hotel, world’s tallest twisting tower, world’s furthest leaning tower – all here in united arab emirates.

here are more incredible buildings in dubai which prove that dubai never ceases to amaze me.

 

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my sis-in-law tina is standing in front of ‘cayan twisted tower’ in dubai marina – the world’s tallest twisted tower, twisting 90 degrees. standing at 310m, 75 floors; with each floor rotating by 1.2 degree. so beautiful, so iconic! to build something strong and concrete like that in its twisted form is amazing. it’s an apartment building tapi bila lalu malam-malam nmpak few lights je on. penuh ke tak penuh lagi ni?

 

I was at safa park with my in-laws to check out stuff at the dubai flee market. the two blue buildings behind us is the JW marriott marquis dubai – the world’s tallest hotel at 355m, and 72 storey. all the suites at JW marriott marquis dubai come with sheikh mohammed’s book of poetry penned by himself.

 

me, mr. khairul with his mom and aunt in front of the awesome coin-shaped ‘aldar HQ’ building at the edge of abu dhabi. another great feats of engineering and architecture in the UAE!

 

this quirky-looking building is simply called the ‘O-14’. some call it the ‘cheese grater’ building or the ‘honeycomb’. to me it’s the polkadot building! I always see it from afar, from sheikh zayed road on our way to dubai mall but never got near enough to take a picture – until now. one of my favorite buildings in dubai!

 

this is ‘capital gate’ – popularly known as ‘the leaning tower of abu dhabi’ – the world’s furthest leaning man-made tower. at 160m and 35 stories, it is one of the tallest buildings in the city and features an 18° incline to the west (according to wikipedia). that’s me and khaleef with abah on his visit here few years back. you can see how long it has been when you see how small my eldest khaleef is. hihi. abah you should come back again soon – so much new stuff happening in dubai and abu dhabi!

 

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there are many, many more interestingly shaped buildings in dubai and abu dhabi – and the ones I features here are just top of the ice-berg. awesome! and as usual – everything is ‘the most’ ‘world’s tallest, biggest, widest, leanest, –est –est –est!’ haha.

check out and gp google burj khalifa, burj arab, sheikh zayed grand mosque, the ferrari world theme park and viceroy hotel for more awesomeness!

waiting for the world’s biggest marvel theme park to finish and open here in dubai!

Yong in Dubai : Tourist Stops & Scenic Spots

yong, this posting is dedicated to our awesome time together in dubai. it’s also for haiqal and haqeem, to jumpstart their memory of the fun educational times here! warning : this posting will sound like a tourist guidebook. fine with that? proceed.

 

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burj khalifa. world’s tallest building. overlooking the world’s highest shooting musical water fountain. beside the world’s biggest mall. within it, the world’s biggest indoor aquarium.

aunty gim asked her nephews to just stand in front of the burj khalifa for a good few minutes – just try to soak it all in, and be fully aware that they’re at the presence of man’s extraordinary capacity – to build something so amazing like the burj khalifa.

oh well, our malaysia’s petronas twin towers are still the tallest TWIN buildings in the world!

 

haven’t taken a picture in front of the burj khalifa for SO LONG. took the chance to grab a shot.

 

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meydan grandstand and racecourse : able to accommodate 60,000 spectators in its 1 mile long grandstand. the wavy blue light is one distinct feature of the ‘meydan grandstand and racecourse’. you can even see the majestic burj khalifa in the distance; towering over others.

mr. khairul the expert at good-photo-spots stopped at some bushes, and hey – with a backdrop of meydan grandstand. *click!*

 

 

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burj al-arab, one of the most expensive hotels in the world. its unique shape is like an arab dhow; built on a man-made island. a night could cost you $10k to $15k – and that’s just the *cheap* rooms! haha. there are personal butlers, a private reception desk on every floor, and a chauffeured rolls royce for guests use. woah. you can only access the hotel with reservations, or invitations. tak bole selamba je nak masuk lobby amik gamba.

so usually tourists would go take pictures in front of the burj al arab near the wild wadi (that’s as far as anyone can go close to the hotel!) OR, at this spot that we went to – also a popular photo-taking spot – by the jumeirah beach.

 

at night, the lights on the burj al-arab changes color. once, on chinese new year, the lights even depicted a dragon! here we got this precious chance to take a picture with the full moon in the background. gorgeous!

 

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dubai historical bastakiya, my favorite place in dubai, simply because of its classic architecture of old dubai with traditional arabic courtyard and carved wooden doors. amazing that a place as quaint as this exists amidst modern skyscrapers and rapid development of dubai.

constructed in 1690s, it’s one of the oldest residential areas in dubai with houses separated by a labyrinth of narrow, winding lanes. my boys, nephews and niece had fun running around, and along the lanes – hoping not to get lost!

the most distinct feature is the architectural design of barajeels (also known also as wind towers). that’s the one on top of every emirati homes. hot wind comes in from the top, and cools off as it reaches below. natural air conditioning!

 

 

click here for a wonderful article about the dubai bastakiya in the huffington post; which also tells of the ‘legend’ of how england’s prince charles had a hand in preserving the bastakiya!

 

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hard rock café, dubai, the biggest hard rock café outside of the states. after 12 years operating in sheikh zayed road near dubai marina, it was closed in 2009, only to open again at a new, bigger venue in 2011. in fact, we celebrated khaleef’s birthday on its opening day on 18th nov (his bday was 15th nov).

click here to read about khaleef’s awesome 6th birthday makan-makan at hard rock café on its opening day.

yong just wanted to check out some stuff at the store. yong was a collector of hard rock café shot glasses from her days studying in the states. banyak collection dia! we didn’t even dine there coz it’s impossible to get a seat so fast on a weekend! takpe lah yong – it’s all just burgers and fries. dtg dubai makan nasi mandi ok!

 

 

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the global village, also my favorite place in dubai because you can see and experience the whole of the middle east in one HUGE venue – egyptian cotton or an african goat carpet, or soft nepal shawl; indian silk or rm700 hand-woven palestinian abaya – you can get it all at the global village. turkish ice-cream, indian briyani or indonesian bakso. hungarian pastry or mexican churros. iranian nuts or yemeni honey – you can taste it all here. amazing, amazing experience!

some may say that it’s always the SAME thing displayed at global village, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it all – even after 5-6 years here. the colors, the taste and smells, the unique items and beauty of the cultural performances!

yong agreed – global village is indeed, a special place full of diversity!

click here to read about my trip to global village with my two younger sisters, syida and azi when they were here in 2009.

 

one of the best things to get at the global village is my favorite emirati food LUQAIMAT! that hot crispy dough balls scooped fresh from the wok; served with sweet date syrup on top. absolutely heavenly. my nephews and niece loved the taste of luqaimat too!

 

since it’s a local EMIRATI food, you’d think they’re easy to get macam goreng pisang makcik tepi jalan but nope – it’s quite rare. and for me, I know I can only get it here at the global village; and at the expensive emirati restaurant al-fanar in dubai festival city (click here for my review of al-fanar)

 

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metro dubai – yeap, I even took a ride on the metro with just yong and her kiddos nuna and adam; while mr, khairul took care of the rest of the kiddos back home. it was just us because we were heading to one of the busiest places in dubai – the naif souq – the abaya and shawl heaven.

borong! it was a very tiring (lots of walking!) but very enjoyable experience with my older sis! the kiddos? sleeping all the way on the train.

I have to mention that on the way to, and back, there were always chivalrous men standing to give up his seat for us and the kids. however, one time when we’re going out of the train, SO MANY inconsiderate people pushing their way in – except only one guy who kept shouting, “hey kids! kids! there are kids!” and he spread out his hands to give way to us. may Allah bless you for your good deed, kind stranger!

..and as always, dubai contains all the superlatives – so the dubai metro is also the world's longest fully automated metro network spanning at 75 kilometres. there you go!

fyi, to reach naif souq by metro you need to follow the RED line to UNION station, CHANGE to GREEN line, and stop at BANIYAS SQUARE station. spot the minaret of a mosque, and walk towards it. you’re soon there at naif souq.

check out my first time on the dubai metro here, written in malay.

 

 

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the atlantis on palm jumeirah, is the first hotel ever built on this world’s biggest man-made island; the palm jumeirah – shaped like, well a palm tree. 100k fireworks were used during its grand opening, lasting 15 minutes. there is definite plans to have an even grander fireworks display this coming new year’s eve, to break the world record.

this is also where our prime minister would stay on his visit here.

the kids were a little cranky here, probably thinking, “it’s JUST a hotel! why are we taking so many pictures here?” haha.

 

 

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these are priceless moment for us sisters, and for the cousins. thanks to mr. khairul for making all these trips and stops possible. our designated driver and awesome tourist guide! mwah!