Pre-Raya Clean Up @ Kg Lalang : Lessons For My Boys

before last year’s raya the whole family went balik kampung to kampung lalang, padang rengas, perak – the home of mr. khairul’s grandma on his dad’s side. though she is no longer with us, every raya mr. khairul’s dad and family, and siblings would still converge here for a raya reunion. noone lives here now so to celebrate raya there’s understandably a LOT of work to be done! the cleaning and scrubbing and washing and mopping – and that’s just on the inside.

the outside lawn needs a lot of work too. wild shrubs overgrowing. rotting trees need cutting. piles of leaves needed throwing away. and alhamdulillah there was an abundance of rambutan fruit up in the tree that needed picking!

the grown ups had their hands full, but who had the most fun? the kids! my boy khaleef, kahfi and kazim, along with their cousin sis wafa and lil bro khairy tagged along.

 

* * *

 

lesson #1 :  the value of hard labor

if you want something done, sometimes there is no easy way about it – cut it out, and just cut it! so many people out there do not have the luxury of an office job – plush cushion seat, air-conditioned cubicle and scrumptious meals during lunch time. the construction worker, the garbage collector, the gardener, the rubber-tapper, the farmer (tapi pakcik goreng kueyteow ngan apek sayur pakai singlet kat gunung rapat tu lagi mewah kot. rumah je rumah papan tapi keta mercedes hihi rezeki orang rajin). these people know all too well what hard work means – and my boys learned that first hand.

khaleef and kahfi followed bapak around looking for trees to cut down. then they labored on, carrying the dead barks of trees to a corner. any dead twigs around must be collected and put away too.

looking around at a clean, clear space would be the testimony of their little manly sweat and tears, and a wonderful bonding session with bapak!

 

 

* * *

 

lesson #2 : learn about malaysian fruits!

in dubai, believe it or not, rambutan and mangosteen are luxury items! they are expensive! and to think that back in kampung lalang we only need to shake the trees and some will just drop down on your head, ready to be eaten. alhamdulillah!

the sight of the wonderful rambutan tree, lush green leaves with little dots of heavenly red – you can almost taste the sweet juicy rambutan flesh in your mouth. delicious!

 

 

my youngest bro-in-law asrar up in the rambutan tree. oh the red rambutan! what a sight!

 

 

that’s mr. khairul’s tok abah & pahyang’s house in the background. hari raya is totally incomplete without a visit down to her house – an all classic melayu papan house. a fantastic backdrop to our hari raya shots too!

 

another classic wooden house. all surrounding mr khairul’s kampung house with no picket fences. all living harmoniously.

 

this is just a smidgen of rambutans from the hundreds of thousands that we collected! ok tak la sampai ratus ribu haha tapi memang banyak berbungkus-bungkus! we collected SO MUCH that i can still take a lot more to bring to ipoh my abah’s house AND still be able to divide the lot to my sisters! THAT MANY! Ya Allah Kau murahkan rezeki keluarga pemilik pokok rambutan ni, dapat menjamu berapa ramai orang ni tak terkira!

 

here is khaleef climbing up the mangosteen tree. lama gile tak makan manggis (dan juga lama gileeeee tak panjat pokok huhu. the last time i climbed trees was probably the mango tree in front of my old house in rapat setia. it was so long ago that even the tree has since been chopped off).

 

khaleef said he felt so awesome to able to climb trees as high as he went, and to be able to help his opah collect the manggis. priceless, man. you can’t get this experience in dubai.

 

this was quite frightening for a mother to see – he might fall, get scratches, bump his knee? but i know deep down, that scars, bumps and bruises are the order of a day in kampung. you're not living it if you don’t have those. scars, bumps and bruises are badges of honor! haha. seeing khaleef climb up a tree was nerve-wrecking but i reminded myself that when i was younger, i had this advantage. i had fun climbing trees. my mom never stopped me and never make a huge fuss, so why should khaleef be denied this? and then he went HIGH up until i can only see his hand waving somewhere up the manggis tree – and that’s when i hyperventilate. hahaha.

 

* * *

 

lesson #3 : we are not alone

yes, we are not alone. this phrase usually refers to the fact that there might be extraterrestrial beings out there somewhere in space trying to contact us human being. but here, i mean we are not alone – we share this planet with so many other creatures of God’s creation! in the metropolitan dubai, you hardly see any creatures – seriously, semut pun susah nak nampak and i’m not exaggerating! (well, got a bad cockroach infestation a while back at our dubai home, but they are long gone and never before seen again after the pest control.)

so here in kampung, you got all sorts of animals to be seen in their own natural habitat – from goats, chicken to tiny little catterpillar on a leaf.

 

here’s kazim spotting little ms caterpillars on her lunch. literally.

 

for 3 young boys living in the metropolitan city of dubai with skyscrappers as far as the eyes can see and (neck can crane), a tree-filled kampung is heaven-sent. it beats ferrari world. so many flowers to smell and fruits to taste, animals to chase and insects to inspect.

yeap. chasing chickens is the norm here. sorry, chickens. run and hide when you see the dubai boys coming! (no chicken was harm during the clean-up!) they’re not bullies mind you, and far away from being abusive to the animals! they’re just a bunch of typical curious kids, who enjoy exploring an unfamiliar territory. let them be!

 

* * *

 

lesson #4 : lead by example!

when atuk did hard work, the grandkids followed. atuk made it fun, atuk made it less of a chore and more of a game and sing-songs. atuk made them laugh, but atuk also made them work! smart atuk. hihi.

 

atuk’s little minions helping him pick up this huge branch to be collected at the side of the house. i can almost hear “heigh ho heigh ho from home to work we go-“ the grandkids helped their granddad.

 

 

* * *

 

siapa masih guna penyapu lidi? i hardly see one in dubai, and i doubt any shop is selling them. and this is when you see all sorts of ‘çleaning devices’ including the classic penyapu lidi, made from coconut leaves.

 

 

and here is mr. khairul’s little nephew working his way with a penyapu lidi. funny lil fella!

 

* * *

 

 

my boys in front of istana kenangan

 

balik kampung padang rengas means jalan-jalan to the royal town of kuala kangsar just minutes away. a pit stop at the istana kenangan (remembrance palace) is a must. built in 1926 for sultan iskandar shah’s official residence. now it’s the royal museum of perak. the most significant aspect of this palace is that it’s made entirely out of wood and bamboo – without the use of a single nail. nada. nope. no nail. mind-blown architectural feat! also, when seen from above, the palace is designed to look like a sword in its casing. magnificent!

 

..but, of course a drive-around in kuala kangsar town is incomplete without stopping by the malay college kuala kangsar (mckk); the iconic school that has brought up many prominent malay figures such as tengku razaleigh hamzah (ku li), datuk seri anwar ibrahim, tan sri zam of telecom, tan sri halim saad and tan sri azman mokhtar; among others. oh and not forgetting awesome alums such as my super abah sharifuddin and my mr. khairul. my eldest boy khaleef next?

4 Sisters @ Being ME2 : Muslimah Empowered, PICC

one thing that I really looked forward months before going back to malaysia is this event : women’s only islamic conference ‘Being ME 2 : Muslimah Empowerment’ with the theme ‘Divine Liberation’ held at PICC (putrajaya international convention center), putrajaya on 29th june 2013. not just because of the many benefits that I will get from all the wonderful talks, but also because I shared the experience with all my sisters!

I was really excited about this!

unfortunately this outing was not complete without my other sis syimot who had to stay at home taking care of her 7-month baby miqail; last minute adik ipar aku busy plak tak dapat jaga baby. (so after the event four of us lepak at her place makan-makan borak-borak bising-bising! best sangat!)

click here for more info on Being ME 2 : Muslimah Empowered – maybe you can catch the next event Being ME 3 insyaAllah!

 

sharifuddin sisters : from left yong syimee, syigim, azi & syida inside the hall at PICC, seated, getting ready to absorb knowledge and wisdom. such a priceless moment for me to hang out with my sisters at such an event. wouldn’t believe how rare it is to gather all 4-5 of us without abah, or our husbands and kids!

 

the participants heading towards the hall as the door finally opened that morning. my picture here doesn’t do justice to the wonderful sight of our malaysian muslimah. myriads of color, pattern, style and beauty – it was a festivity of jubah, abayas, and shawl segala macam lilit! aku balik dubai pun tak nampak macam ni punya meriah kih kih.

 

the stage was set for a whole day of empowering muslimah and inspiring young women. a T-shaped stage like in a fashion show. we were seated at the VIP area (bukan sebab important sangat hihi but it’s because we’re the early bird ticket-buyers huhu)

 

we went inside pretty early. got seated somewhere at the front. comfy seat. air-cond tak terlampau sejuk. great view of the speaker. decent view of the large screen. strategic spot at the sides in case we need to leave for the restroom, or something. overall, a good spot. asam boi pon dah ready haha.

 

this is my first time at PICC so sangat kagum. the wondrous ceiling was like wow. like I’m attending final juara lagu or something. huhu.

 

* * *

 

there are many interesting talks scheduled for the whole day at Being ME 2 – ‘women of substance’, ‘one woman, different hats’, ‘muslimah : identity given by Allah’, positive mental attitude’ and many more. the talks are held at 2 different venues : the main hall, and the workshop in a smaller room (picture below). so you could either go to the main hall or to this room to hear the topic you’re interested in.

I wanted to catch as many talks as I could, but it frustrates me when I wanted to listen to 2 different talks happening at the same time at 2 different venues. kena la sacrifice one talk, and go listen to the other.

also because of this, at times my sisters and i had to separate when two wants to listen to sheikh A, while the others want to stay and enjoy the talk by ustazah B. but the engaging talks make up for it. I managed to catch talks by sheikh daood, prof dr muhaya, IIUM rector prof. dato dr zaleha, tasneem ghauri and of course the muslimah heart-throb fatih seferagic. never a dull moment.

 

the ‘workshop’: this is the 2nd venue for the other talks that are taking place.

 

since this room for the workshop is significantly much smaller, most of the time you see the participants sitting down on the carpet floor for lack of chairs. it got more crowded when it’s a particularly popular speaker (like the adorable fatih seferagic), sampai kena tutup pintu tak kasi orang masuk dah!

it’s NOT particularly comfortable of course sitting cross-legged on the carpet for 1 hour while other people get to warm their bum on kerusi empuk, but somehow it doesn’t matter when all you want to do is LISTEN and take in as many beneficial points as you can. duduk bersempit-sempit kaki kebas pun jadi lah asal dapat dengar antipatinya.

 

 

cuma satu je aku tak puas hati betui nampak ade satu minah ni dapat duduk atas kerusi, siap chop tempat utk member dia (tu takpe lagi) lepas tu dia bole TIDO! imagine I was sitting on the floor, and see THAT.

ok chop tempat aku tak kisah sebab I would’ve done the same thing for my sisters. tertido pun dimaafkan la kalo dah tak tahan sangat tapi tengok la tempat dan keadaan : seriously, what was she thinking? sitting comfortably on the chair with the best view, surrounded by eager participants who had to sit on the floor sebab takde space – and she had the nerve to SLEEP? international speaker talking in front tengok pun buat malu je!

may Allah reward us for our patience and endurance!

 

* * *

 

in between talks ladies could go and jalan-jalan. there was a bazaar open with many, many stalls selling jubah, tudung, islamic books, locally made beauty products and many more. my sisters bought knee-length blouses and I bought myself the popular inspirational book yasmin mogahed, ‘reclaim your heart’. such a soothing read. review coming!

 

yong dah rambang mata hihi

 

right at the end of the long trail of stalls is the escalator leading to the surau. super crowded as all the muslimah rushed to answer the call to pray. alhamdulillah. everyone in orderly manner and moved fast after prayer to let in other people.

not only were there bazaars, there were also a lot of activities happening at other spots like ‘genius-aulad kids’ zone’ where mommies can drop their kids to enjoy storytelling, tazkirah, playtime and even naptime!

 

look who’s talking!

 

there’s also a ‘sister’s corner’ held at another room in PICC with tv al hijrah personalities sharing their experience as a muslimah in their profession. there were also manicure and henna design that I really wanted to have done on my hands but the line was too long! there was a 40 minute waiting period – as it was already late afternoon, tak jadi lah.

and then there’s irma hasmie sharing and caring with the sisters in the audience. I really don’t know who irma hasmie is (pelakon ke penyanyi ke pengacara tv ke) aside from the fact that she’s a popular personality who had ‘berhijrah’ and sported a lovely demure muslimah look now. she seemed nice. hihi.

 

* * *

 

how’s makan time? there’s a foodcourt in PICC and that morning we had our breakfast there, buffet style. the food is good, reasonably priced. bihun goreng singapore style dia sedap! asal kenyang to start the day, alhamdulillah. lunch pun kat situ.

 

my sisters : nyam nyam ngap ngap

 

I had nasi lemak and a bit of singapore bihun, but to me the singapore bihun is much more delicious. should’ve taken more of that!

 

* * *

 

anyways, one of the sweet (funny) memories at ‘being ME 2’ was also when we met this ex-UIA student during a talk by IIUM (international islamic university malaysia) rector prof. dato dr zaleha kamaruddin. she was sitting right in front of us.

before that dr zaleha had already asked all the UIA students/grads among the audience to raise their hands, and of course la with pride I raise my hand, prompting the girl in front of me to ask later on,

• “budak uia ye?” I was like yeap. “uia jugak ke?”
• and the girl replied, “tapi I dah lama dah grad,” in a very akak-akak way, brushing me off as if I were STILL an undergrad student at uia.
• before I could correct her, my sisters in amusement replied, “dia ni laaaaaagi lama dah grad. dah 10 tahun kot. haha”
• the girl was stumped. realizing all at once that I turned out to be much, much older than she is.

ok pointnye story ni ialah aku nampak muda macam budak degree ok!! hahaha. aku gembira dengan cerita ini. sekian, terima kasih.

cerita masa fatih seferagic kasi talk pun lawak. tapi nanti-nanti la aku cerita.

 

* * *

 

 

so who were these other awesome speakers and what did I actually get from listening to them?

well – talks that inspire. words that motivate. wisdom that will make you open your eyes. anecdotes that amuses and tickle your funny bones.

too many words of wisdom that we picked up during this wonderful event. from the helpful tips shared by international qari fatih seferagic, to the engaging tales told by sheikh daood butt, up to the motherly love exudes from prof dr muhaya – too much to share in one posting. insyaAllah I will share it bit by bit as I go along updating my long-abandoned blog!

being at ‘Being ME 2 : women empowered’ with my beloved sisters has certainly empowered me as a woman, as a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister and most of all as Allah’s servant. not just knowing our place in society and family, but our duty to Allah. it made me feel so much pride to be a woman, realizing all the wonderful things I could do, most importantly as a mother.

not just about how to memorize the Quran effectively, but how to encourage our children and make it easy for them. not simply for us to think positive but to bring out the best in other people through your positive attitude.

we are part of a bigger picture – and that’s what muslimah needs to realize and understand what we can offer the world.

“worship Allah FIRST, and everything else will fall into place,” tasneem ghouri (motivational speaker, quran teacher, counselor)

 

* * *

 

 

on a lighter note, this is one of the best hang-outs we’ve had in YEARS ever since 3 of us got married and having kids. it was just us girls, without abah, without our husbands, without screaming kids demanding more cookies – just us sisters. memang liberating habis! hihi.

also I would like to congratulate my bro-in-law nash (married to syida) for a successful, smooth-sailing and interesting event. he is part of the team behind the scene; as the sales manager. well done, bro! 

watch this space for my take on the speakers like fatih seferagic, sheikh daood and prof dr. muhaya. anyone for Being ME 3?

Masterchef Selebriti Malaysia Musim Ke-2 : Pendapat Aku

yay! aku minat sgt masterchef selebriti malaysia tahun lepas. so sangat ternanti-nanti musim ke-2! adoi. kena tengok dari dubai lagi. tahun lepas berjaya tgk masterchef selebriti finale kat malaysia. tahun ni sempat tak?

mula tayang 22 april. tak sabar!

 

 

maaf ade yang aku tak kenal sebab aku tak ikut drama melayu (aku kat dubai, malas nak tengok kat youtube dan website) dan aku tak berapa kenal peserta-peserta rancangan realiti tv yg berlambak kat msia. tapi berikut aku beri anticipation aku terhadap karektor2 warna-warni yang bakal memeriahkan masterchef selebriti malaysia musim ke-2 :

 

 

* * *

afiq muiz – ok sape ni? tak kenal. tapi nampak macam hensem. pencabar terdekat zain saidin yang comel. harap-harap bukan stakat hensem tapi pandai masak dan klaka macam jehan miskin dalam musim pertama.

aznil hj nawawi – yes, aku nantikan komen-komen witty dan menghiburkan dari pengacara ulung realiti tv ni! aku memang minat aznil yang sentiasa kreatif, lucu dan bijak menarik minat penonton. semestinya favorite peserta aku! aku tengok azwan dulu dalam laser2 dia, dia amat humble depan chef, dan sentiasa menerima kritikan chef juri dengan positif. kita tgk reaksi aznil pulak yang dah biase hos rancangan sendiri!

cat farish – aku minat dia masa kat ruffedge je. lepas tu macam biase-biase je. kita tunggu dan lihat. ntah-ntah pandai masak macam angah!

celina khor – musim lepas ade soo winci yang sgt sweet. musim ke-2 celina khor pulak. suka sangat dia masa mengendalikan 3R. beauty with brains. mesti menarik jugak dia dalam masterchef selebriti ni!

michael ang – tak kenal jugak. hasil google mendapati beliau rupanya pengarah filem dan drama bersiri dengan beberapa kontroversi seperti paparan adegan lelaki tak berbaju. hmm. kita lihat macamana seorang yang dah biase beri arahan pada pelakon dan kru produksi terima arahan dari chef juri pulak!

enot – aku tau dia pelakon komedi. tapi aku tak pasti samade akan terhibur dengan lawak dia di luar layar kaca tv. kita tunggu dan lihat.

keroz nazri – macam comel tapi aku tak kenal. carian google memberitau aku dia penyanyi dan komposer yang menang naib johan program realiti mencipta lagu ye ke? aku tgk video ‘suatu hari nanti’. uish boleh tahan sedap suara. lagu pun best. ok, aku tak sabar nak minat personaliti ni! haha, ayat.

kenchana devi – lagi satu pelakun komedi. hebat sebab satu-satunya pelakun komedi wanita berbangsa india yang berjaya masuk industri yang dominasinya melayu. aku nantikan lawak-lawak kelam kabut yang menghiburkan dari dia.

lydiawati – pelakun jelita 80-an yang sekarang dah ayu bertudung. mesti macam mak-mak kat dapur kan.

sabhi saddi – tak kenal jugak. siape dia ni? google kat youtube, ha ambik kau – gile sedap suara dia. terus jadi hensem. haha. aku dengar lagu ‘nadiku’. maaf terlambat tapi sukanya lagu ni! kenape aku tak pernah perasan dia ni!

norish karman – bosan. tak minat. tak minat lakunan, tak minat in person. perasaan macam haliza misbun kot. haha.

radhi – wah! kejutan betul radhi OAG nak memasak. pernah jumpa dan amik gamba dgn radhi masa dia buat gig untuk youthquake di ipoh. aku expect dia akan gila-gila sikit dalam kelam-kelibut. pasti menarik! eh, kot-kot pandai masak rendang tok!

rozita che wan – tak minat. bosan. tapi lepas zain saidin meluahkan perasaan cinta pada dia, aku tertarik utk tgk dia beraksi di luar layar drama tv. best sangat ke sampai zain yang comel muda rupawan tu bole tergila bayang? cinta itu buta! lagi satu nak tgk rozita che wan masak pakai bulu mata palsu (ini mmg quote dari dia ok!)

sathiya – lawak! aku suka! tapi harap-harap dia tak mengoverkan nk melawak. harap-harap bersahaja mcm farouk.

zain saidin – comel. sasa. tapi sebab aku ni minat muka melayu, jadi aku lebih tertarik nak tgk sabhi saddi atau keroz nazri mahupun afiq muiz. aku nantikan bibit-bibit manis (erk!) antara dia dan rozita che wan.

sharifah shahora – macam kenal tapi, macam tak cam. pelakun drama ye? mungkin bosan bagi aku sebab tak kenal sangat, tapi mungkin jugak sweet dan menarik mcm pendapat aku psl siti sarah musim lepas. aku tak minat sgt siti sarah tapi personaliti dia sweet je.

syanie –  aku lebih prefer syanie dari enot. tak sabar tgk dia masak!

syura – penyanyi kan? yang suara macam siti nurhaliza ke? ntah lah. lupa. tapi manis je dah pakai tudung. ini pun stok-stok macam siti sarah kot. aku tak minat tp mungkin personaliti menarik. kita tunggu dan lihat!

yassin – aku prefer lawak dia dari lawak over apek. rilek. bersahaja. jadi aku harap dia kekal dengan lawak bersahaja dan bukan dibuat-buat sekadar nak melawakkan masterchef selebriti.

 

* * *

 

ini semua pendapat peribadi aku je ok, dari diri aku yang tak berapa kenal sgt sesetengah peserta ni. jangan lah emo sangat kalo korang peminat norish karman atau yg lain yg aku tak berapa kenal. lepas tgk masterchef selebriti ni kenal lah!

hmm. tapi kan, pendapat aku lah kalau dah ade syanie patut xpayah ade enot kan. ramai sgt pelakun komedi dlm musim ni. sathiya ngan kenchana devi lagi. yassin pun ade. hopefully they don’t try too hard to be funny. aku rasa penerbit masterchef selebriti ingat rancangan ni nak bank on funny dan humor. tapi tak semestinya pelawak je bole contribute humor. mcm thanuja dan jehan musim lepas bukan pelawak pun tapi komen-komen diorang ade je lawaknya.

lagi satu, musim lepas ade angkasawan dan ratu cantik (bukan dari bidang hiburan) jadi musim baru ni patutnya jemput sekali ahli sukan atau pembaca berita untuk jadi peserta. kan?

ok tak sabar nak tgk! (tolong laaa upload kat youtube!)

See a Msian in Dubai : What to Do?

ok. you live overseas. melbourne, new york, tokyo, sudan, or dubai. on a day out, you saw a malaysian. what do you do?

1. ignore
2. run the other way
3. smile
4. scare them
5. exchange salam
6. smile, give salam, then have short conversation
7. do no.5, and then exchange numbers (of friend them on FB!)
8. mintak pinjam belacan

 

my sister-in-law diyana is studying to be a dentist in cairo, and she said there are TOO MANY malaysian students in cairo to be bothered with, so I guess sometimes they just walk past each other like it’s just another day in klcc or a pasar malam in kuala kangsor. it’s not sombong, or ego – there are just TOO MANY of them! hihi. so terjumpa malaysians tu memang benda biase hari-hari!

however, I feel that in dubai that shouldn’t be the case. ok, there are a LOT of malaysians in dubai – especially those working for construction companies, petronas, the emirates airline – but if  you ask me, I am always excited to see another malaysian in dubai. I want to smile at them. I want to get to know them. I would want us to be friends.

these are just a few of my ‘brushes’ with fellow malaysians :

 

at geant, ibn battuta mall

there are a couple of times where I saw a fellow malaysian, and I am waiting for her to notice me, so that I can give her a smile. haha. like this one time, I was at the cashier in geant ibn battuta, and there she was, this lady in tudung lilit-lilit across me, and I kept looking at her, while putting my groceries on the counter, waiting for her to notice me. lansung tak pandang sampai sudah. takpe. bukan nak kata sombong kan. tak perasan kot. tak pun dia indonesian. haha. kot-kot dia ingat ‘apa makcik ni pandang-pandang! ade hutang ka!’ huhu.

 

at ikea, dubai festival city

walked behind this young couple pushing a stroller. the little wife wore tudung bawal. sah-sah malaysian! haha. I gave salam, and with a smile we started talking. husbands exchanged name-cards.

 

sari nusa at satwa

this was at an indonesian restaurant in dubai. a malaysian family had just finished eating. we gave salam, smiled, laughed, talked a bit. our boys got along quite well. we exchanged information. then we became facebook friends. I went to her place for her son’s birthday, and she came to my place for my boy’s birthday. friendship formed!

this is how you do it, people!

 

at Ibn Batutta Mall

this happened just last weekend.

i had just entered the mall, when I heard the beautiful sound of bahasa melayu being spoken right behind me. turns out there was a group of 5-6 malaysians in shirts and tie (one lady, the rest are dudes). excited, as usual, I actually stopped and said out loud, “eh eh malaysians ye..” and the closest person to me was the lady who should’ve heard me, tapi minah tu buat bodo je. the guy who was walking beside her, but further from me was the one who responded to me with a nod and a smile.

now maybe she really did not hear me – but when the man walking very close to her looked TOWARDS HER SIDE, and nod and smile – wouldn’t she have noticed, and looked to her side too, to see who the man was smiling at? tapi minah tu still buat bodo.

I was hoping for the lady to notice me, sebab takkan aku nak mamat tu yang stop and bersembang dengan aku kan? tak manis lah kan…tapi hampa uhuk uhuk.

ek eleh minah. rilek la. baru visit dubai tak sampai seminggu nak buat sombong ke. rugi tau. eh, ntah-ntah dia dah duk dubai 20 tahun kot…

 

outside of mandi restaurant al-tawasol

we just came out after mandi rice dinner. bumped into another group of malaysians going in. both sides gave salam enthusiastically. I love that moment. it was just a short meet – not even a ‘meeting’ but just berselisih bahu kata orang – but berbalas salam dalam senyuman tu yang bermakna.

simply two groups of malaysians in a foreign country, acknowledging each other with warm smiles and greetings.

 

at medcare hospital, jumeirah

saw a malay family. give salam. turns out they’re indonesians. husband works at atlantis. cool. we exchanged name-cards.

 

lulu hypermart, al-barsha

met a friendly group of malays – turns out they’re singaporeans. very lively bunch. come to think of it, I must say that ALL the singaporeans I’ve known and met in dubai are all very friendly! seriously!

 

* * *

bagi salam tu nampak mudah sangat, apatah lagi kita sebagai umat islam, tapi percaya lah, tak ramai yang murah dengan salam dan senyuman.

moral cerita : kalau berselisih dengan aku kat dubai ni, kasi la salam. confirm aku tersengih-sengih balas salam. paling koman pun senyum je. takpe. bukan nak paksa korang jadi kawan aku pun. my husband may have the pinoy slash chinese slash mexican look, hihi but I have an absolutely wanita melayu face ok! confirm malaysian punya!

also, when I see a chinese, in groups or couple – I always wanted to ask – malaysian ke? because I cannot really tell, unless they’re speaking MANGLISH – then they’re most probably malaysians or singaporeans. otherwise, I might be saying hi to a taiwanese, japanese, korean or even indonesian chinese…

aku memang seronok jumpa rakyat malaysia kat dubai. korang tak seronok ke? I don’t want to make a big deal out of this simple thing, but I just hate it when people don’t reciprocate smiles and friendliness…

Kids & Firecrackers : To Let Them Play or Not?

do you let your kids play with firecrackers? mercun? bunga api cap kucing?

many unfortunate mishaps that we hear or read happened to some who suffered burns and serious wounds (lost of limbs too!) from playing firecrackers are caused by

• the misuse of firecrackers,
• wanabe scientists with failed experiments using potentially hazardous materials,
• and of course, no adult supervision (sadly, some who misuse ARE adults)

so should i not let my kids play firecrackers?

 

my boys with their cousins : note kazim’s lack of fear for the bunga api!

 

let’s rewind. further back. 1986. ok stop.

i had an extremely fun experience with firecrackers when i was a kid which became one of my best memories of ramadhan with my siblings. i played with the exact same type of firecrackers – bunga api cap kucing, bunga api asap banyak yang pemegang dia belang-belang merah putih tu, dengan pop-pop bila baling kat lantai bunyi meletop!

i stayed away from mercun – the big huge one shaped like a rocket, or even the small weird ones shaped like a frog. yes, i admit – i was afraid of lighting up firecrackers that will emit extremely loud noises and huge explosions!

my best memories of playing firecrackers during ramadhan :

1. my sisters and i would play bunga api in the front lawn right by our front door, lit them up with the lit-up panjut (oil lamps) that we hung on the fences.
2. and mak would even let us ‘cook’ something using a pot, water and hibiscus petal. making flower tea?
3. and when we balik my dad’s kampung teluk intan for raya, abah’s youngest sis mak cu would be the one supplying bunga api for all of her nephews and nieces! here i enjoyed the loud, explosive mercun, but left it to the older cousins to light them up, while i looked from far behind!
4. i tagged along with my eldest sister and her wacky friends to a ‘firecracker showdown’ with the boys! we went to a very very dark field – a team on each side, and then take turns to light firecrackers and see who lights up the brightest, and loudest!

so i see no reason of depriving my boys and their young cousins of the same fun that i had when i was their age!

 

cousins : nuna & kahfi

 

we just all need to remember and be reminded – SAFETY FIRST, and ALWAYS HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION!

alhamdulillah, the kids were well-behaved – extremely curious and highly excited, and needed a few reminders – but generally careful when they handle firecrackers.

it was fun just watching them, while reminscing my own childhood…

 

my boys : anong khaleef, kazim & kahfi

 

my boys just went out of this world with excitement. hihi.

khaleef the big boy was able to play all the time, lighting his own bunga api, and do all sorts of silly stunts with the bigger boys abg haqeem and abg haiqal.

kahfi was a little apprehensive at first – just watching to see whether it’s safe enough for him to handle on his own. slowly, he started to get more curious. soon he was able to hold his own bunga api after i help light it up.

unlike kahfi, kazim was NOT scared at all. he went very close to anyone holding the bunga api. he was very curious from the start, and if i hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve wanted to hold the firecrackers himself. i didn’t let him, until the VERY LAST one, and even then, i was holding his fingers along as he held the bunga api. he was ecstatic!

 

* * *

 

i’m glad they had fun. fun in a safe environment! most importantly, this would be one of the things they would remember doing with their brothers, with their cousins, and with their mak and bapak during ramadhan. priceless memories for keeps.

Masterchef Selebriti Malaysia : I’m Hooked!

aku suka tengok masterchef selebriti malaysia. suka sangat!

hari-hari check youtube tengok dah ade orang upload latest episod tak! masa blog post ni dikarang, aku tengok setakat episod 18, episod penyingkiran – opps, takmo kasi spoiler ok. so korang pun shh je ok.
staying in dubai, i don’t get to follow regular malaysian channels, but i really would love to watch the occasional malay drama – tapi banyak sangat, camne nak tau mana yang best, mana yang bosan kan. so suddenly i stumbled into masterchef selebriti malaysia – terus follow!





why i like masterchef selebriti malaysia :

1. dapat tengok selebriti in a different setting that we used to see them
2. menunjukkan selebriti in a new light – just like us normal people yang gelabah nak carik bahan, terkejut dapat tau pasal cabaran-cabaran
3. paling seronok nak tengok azwan ali, tomok, fazley ngan jehan miskin masak
4. masterchef selebriti malaysia ade drama, ade lawak, ade suspen, ade emosi – fun to watch!
5. suka nak tau ape cabaran-cabaran yang diorang akan face – cross sungai nak amik brg kat pantry, or masak pelbagai jenis mushroom, ngan masak masakan kampung and also cara menentukan ahli kumpulan yang kadang-kadang suspen!
6. at the same time bole la pick up some cooking tips from the chef judges, as well as the contestants themselves! cth macam chef ckp serbuk kopi ditaruh sikit dalam adunan coklat supaya rasa coklat tu naik. ooOoo baru aku tau!

* * *

takde keja kan, so ni aku punya personal take on each contestant. PERSONAL opinion ok. kalo korang tak setuju takpe. setuju la jugak. hoho.

Msian Astronaut Mejar Dr. Faiz - the first celebrity to leave the masterchef kitchen

YAY : he's humble, enthusiastic in facing the cooking challenges, and for someone who has gone through more complicated situations and mind-bending challenges as our malaysian astronaut, i like that he still seemed nervous when he hears about a difficult cooking task. makes him seemed 'human' like the rest of us! hihi

BOO : he's boring! sorry ye mejar! we watch 'celebrities' because we want to be entertained, inspired and amused by what they have to say. he doesn't impress me. so-so je, so bye bye to the moon, doc!







Siti Sarah - Singer

YAY : ade time dia bising, tapi most of the time she's always calm and cool, yet can be feisty for her small built.

BOO : also boring, and this may be because i don't really have any opinion about siti sarah as a person, or even as a singer. but then again, i also have never heard of so wincci and thanuja, but i like them already! 

Serina Redzuawan

YAY : i like her. she seemed so down to earth. and for someone who is the daughter of an internationally-acclaimed chef, she's very humble, accepts her fate whenever she's included in the elimination round and always positive. she's quite funny too. seronok tengok dia di dapur, sebab ade je time dia kelam kabut sama mcm kita-kita yang bapak bukan chef pon hihi

BOO : i don't find anything i dislike about her; losing her from the masterchef show was a sad blow since she's fun to watch in the kitchen. i was just very surprised that she doesn't have her father's masterful touch when it comes to cooking!





Salamiah Hassan

YAY : i like her in the beginning, bak kata karl shafek - she's like the nagging but loving mother in the kitchen.

BOO : soon enough, she started to show her diva-ness, probably because she's the oldest celebrity competing and konon macam banyak pengalaman. when she left, i say 'good riddance'!





Louisa Chong

YAY : i really like her. she proves to be as funny in her acting as well as in the masterchef kitchen. she doesn't hog the limelight eventhough she was the leader for a few challenges. pokpek macam makcik, tapi itu yang buat meriah!

BOO : can be annoying at times, especially when she teamed up with equally noisy celebrity azwan ali! kecoh! haha. however, i didn't really wanna see her go as she brings humor and cerianess to the masterchef kitchen.




Raja Azmi

YAY : she surprises me with her occcasional humility and rendah diri. you know with all the previous controversy that surrounds her personal life, she seemed well – normal!

BOO : aiyo, too sensitive! this is supposed to be a fun, healthy competition to win money for a good cause! leave your diva bags aside, and enjoy the ride lah. melenting-melenting will only make you look so emo for tv – i’m referring to that incident with juliza adlizan dek kerana potongan timun dan bungkusan nasi lemak!




Karl Shafek

YAY : ok i have NO IDEA who this dude is when i first saw him, (actually sekarang pun aku masih tak kenal dia ni host rancangan ape) but he’s so cute! pretty boy! if not for his occasional complaining, he’s a real eye-candy. pandai masak pulak tu!

BOO : suka play the blame-game. getting into elimination round is because of raja azmi giving him the wrong tips. or azwan ali’s food got worse critic than his. or this. or that. there’s always something. me no likey.





Thanuja – Miss Malaysia

YAY : a beauty queen who is gorgeous and terer masak! she’s giddy and giggly, just like any excited young girl embarking upon an interesting challenge in the kitchen! suka tengok dia jugak, especially when she takes pride making indian food, or food with indian touch. bangga dengan asal usul dan akar umbi sendiri!

BOO : so far ok je. comel je dia dikenenkan dengan angah. hihi.






Soo Wincci – Miss Malaysia

YAY : suka tengok dia! so sweet! seriously she’s SO much prettier without make-up, rambut ikat tocang macam budak sekolah – cute sangat. i really like her. so gorgeous, and so talented. and though everyone else in masterchef selebriti has recognized her as the dessert-pro, she’s still so humble. looking forward for more of her dishes.

BOO : nothing to dislike. she’s sweet, she’s talented, and she’s humble about her ability in the kitchen.





Jehan Miskin

YAY : all this while, for me tak pernah pun rasa jehan miskin ni hensem ke ape ke, but there’s something really sexy about a hunky good-looking guy who can cook. sexy chef in the house? bring it on! he's cute, he's fun to watch, and he can cook! also humble and knows his limits but still reach out to do more. his comments can be quite funny too – “jangan kasi pelawak kira duit” haha.

BOO : not yet. i would love for him to stay longer in masterchef selebriti just because he’s the handsomest of the bunch!





Angah Raja Lawak

YAY : i’m in dubai yang tak pernah ikut mana-mana raja lawak series so i don’t know him. i don’t know how funny this guy is but i like that angah ni tak over sangat nak menonjolkan lawak dia. he’s just like any normal guy who makes jokes here and there, tapi tak sampai annoying. ok la. low profile. i also admire his creativity when it comes to decorating his dishes. bagus lah!

BOO : he’s not my favorite contestant, but there’s nothing about him that i dislike. bagus dia ni sebab tak over walaupun dia terkenal as pelawak.





Farouk Hussain

YAY : what else can i say, he’s a funny-man, so he’s enjoyable to watch. his so-called ‘permusuhan’ with azwan ali (which i think is TOTALLY made-up for the show hihi) is also fun to watch, because it’s like “yeah we hate each other, but to be professional, we can work together well!” which speaks volume of his personality.

BOO : ok. so far so good. lawak!





Juliza Adlizan

YAY : she sure can cook. i think she’s one of those people who can take a simple dish and make it really good with her touch. and she has that leadership quality that keeps her ‘workers’ on their toes and working well. she’s confident, but i like it that she’s not cocky about it.

BOO : boring. i just don’t have any opinion on her personality. she would probably stay for her talent.





Azwan Ali

YAY : believe it or not, i like watching him in this. call him weird with that bulu he always carry around or mulut laser or emo memanjang or whatever – he’s the life of the kitchen! that is what reality tv is all about! i will always look forward to hear what he has to say about someone or a challenge or a result of a task. most of the time he would be this pokpek makcik, but it’s still amusing to watch!
also, aku suka yang walaupun dia nampak difficult dan becok, tapi bila time keja dia memang buat bersungguh-sungguh and takde pun nak tunjuk diva dengan judge or kawan-kawan selebriti. bagus lah tu.

BOO : bak kata sorang selebriti tu (aku lupa sape) “azwan ni menang pun nangis, kena masuk pusingan penyingkiran pun nangis. kawan terklua pun nangis” haha. drama king! however, i think if he were eliminated, the kitchen will lost one little sparkle, and would be much less noisy, and a little less interesting…






Tomok

YAY : ok. aku pun tak sangka yang tomok ni my favorite masterchef selebriti contestant so far, sebab aku memang tak minat lansung la dia sebagai penyanyi. i just like him in the kitchen. he’s really cute lah. he's moving under the radar - not too kecoh, dan sentiasa nak cuba dan cuba walaupun dah 5-6 kali sipi-sipi nak terkeluar dari dapo masterchef! semangat!

BOO : not yet. still too cute to be cooking. hihi.





Dato’ Fazley

YAY : my choice on first msian celebrity masterchef? dato’ fazley, hopefully!
being an established motivational speaker, he always knows what to say, and i like that. he’s humble, banyak tolak ansur (orang lain reject bendera ireland, tapi dia sorang je yang volunteer nak try benda yang orang lain taknak. sama mcam dia nak bekerja dengan azwan ali yang org lain nak elakkan. bagus!)


paling best, aku suka sebab fazley ni selalu mention isteri dia dalam komen-komen dia. “isteri saya yang terer masak kek ni…” atau, “kalau isteri saya tau..” and yang paling sweet, “saya terbayang isteri saya tengah sorak-sorak..” itu aku rasa sangat sweet, sebab dia sentiasa teringatkan isteri dia. hihi.

BOO : setakat ni, aku nak dia dan tomok masuk final. or fazley and soo wincci. full stop.

* * *

ok. bila la diorang nak upload episode 19 ni. cepat sikit ye. terima kasih!