Dubai Water Bus @ Marina Promenade to Marina Walk

it’s winter in dubai – weather is always fantastic for a day out walking. an even better day to be out cruising on a bot – or rather, the dubai water bus!

we were taking a stroll along the marina behind our place, just a short walk to arrive at the ‘marina promenade water station’, the first of FOUR around that area. the other 3 stops are at the ‘dubai marina mall’ (yes, I can easily take a 10-minute water bus trip to a mall from my place!), another stop at some building, also along the marina; and the final stop before they turn back is at the marina walk.

the fare for each ride : 2dhs, one way trip. like the brit grandpa who was with us on the boat said, the fare was “a no-brainer.” just ride on!

 

the station nearest to our place : the marina promenade water station. just approach the officer on deck, pay 2dhs, and hop on!

 

ample seats, but that morning it was just us and a brit grandpa taking his grandkid in a stroller.

 

got a seat right by the glass door – so we can see everything! nothing but tall skyscrapers along the marina. sigh. this is our neighbourhood for the past 6 years!

 

kazim totally enjoyed staring at the waves…

 

the door is ajar. agak scary huhu. the door can be opened manually by just pushing it aside, and as you can see there’s only SO much place to stand on the other side, so hang on to your kids!

 

mr. khairul getting friendly with the driver

 

safety precautions. take note!

 

the beautiful spiral building of dubai : ‘the cayan tower’ (previously known as infinity tower) in dubai marina. the tallest twisting tower in the world – twisting 90 degrees.

 

remember I told you about opening the door manually. huhu

 

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love the water bus. it’s comfy, with great view, and cheap fare! also, makes it SO easy to go to dubai marina mall from my place. before this, it’s too far to walk, but too near to take a cab – so this really makes it easy. macam 5 minit je dah sampai sebab cuma perlu cross the marina!

a great addition to the folks at dubai marina! yay!

Fly DXB–KUL (Dubai-Kuala Lumpur) Just Mak & 3 Boys

it was that time of year when we get to go balik kampung – goodbye dubai, see you soon MALAYSIA!

…and it was just me and the boys. yet again – flying from dubai to malaysia inside an aeroplane with 3 boys aged 8, 5 and 3. *yay*. the boys were on their summer break, but mr khairul would only join us on raya eve. so I had to just breathe in, eat my sanity pill haha and hope for the best!

 

my young traveller in simple white T and his adidas. senang nak bergolek-golek atas kerusi kapal terobang nanti!

 

alhamdulillah I’m so lucky that my boys are fast learners – they quickly take their places and immediately knew what to do – fasten seatbelt, find the earphones and switch on cartoon channel! mak dah tak payah susah-susah pikir!

 

kazim could get grumpy when the cartoon he’s watching got interrupted by a pilot’s announcement. have to slowly pacify him with biscuits or magazines with pictures of animals! but other than that, he’s a darling too!

 

meal time! khaleef having a bowl of fruit loops cereal with a fresh cold milk

 

it was morning up in the sky so the boys were served breakfast : hotdog, baked beans, hash browns and orange juicy. simple and budak-budak ade la jugak selera nak makan. they also got a bowl of the cereal fruit loops and a bottle of fresh cold milk. totally refreshing for the boys.

 

kazim so at home! gets colder as hours pass by. getting snug like a bug in a rug in his aussie sweater.

 

alhamdulillah, arrived safely in KLIA : air travel with 3 cheeky monkeys – success!

 

as the boys grow older, there were less troubles and headache for mak! the boys were well-behaved most of the time, ate their meals quietly without much ‘force’ and kazim slept through most of the 7-hour flight. it ended up to be quite an enjoyable, peaceful flight.

oh, except for the fact that once the plane landed safely on KL ground, kahfi loudly announced, “yay, we’re alive!” haha.

my sis-in-law tina picked us up from klia that day, off to puchong where my in-laws helped babysit the boys as I attend a women’s-only islamic conference with my sisters. more on that later!

 

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enjoy our dubai-malaysia-dubai travelling stories here!

1. 2012 trip from dubai to kl
2. 2011 trip, my first trip from KL back to dubai, just ME and the boys – and we survived!
3. 2010 trip from KL back to dubai
4. 2009 kahfi’s first trip back to malaysia after he was born

Metro Dubai Ride with the Boys

kids love trains, kan? it’s the exciting change from the mundane car rides. the route is different, the scenery is different. they can observe people. they can see things from a different angle. somehow, train rides are super exciting!

so just because, we took our boys on a train ride – on metro dubai! (click here to read about my first experience on metro dubai with mr. khairul and my in-laws.)

 

bapak lined up to get tickets – we already have the SILVER NOL CARDS, so all we need to do is to top-up the cards.

 

anxiously waiting for the train to arrive

 

memupuk semangat membaca walau di mana jua berada! my boys enjoying their favorite dinosaur books on the train

 

they shared the single seat. they almost got a double seat, but a man (full grown man!) actually raced with them to get that seat. shame! so, a nice indian dude gave up his seat for them. there’s still good in the world! it was a long ride back home, so I was glad that my boys get to sit and rest. thanks dude, whoever you are!

 

mr. khairul the ever caring considerate husband asked me to sit down – it’s gonna be a LONG ride. you’re gonna be tired. are you sure you don’t wanna sit down and rest your feet? bla bla bla. hihi. thanks honey, but I’m SO used to travelling far like from gombak to kelana jaya and back again. dari hujung ke hujung tu! this was nothing! haha.

 

when the crowd slows down and the train was almost empty, the boys decided to experience standing up, holding on to the railing. I was a little worried, but they were just enjoying the light sways of the train and how their body moved with the flow.

 

 

HOME at last! well, the boys really had fun. it was just a simple trip. on a train. from A to B. but to them, it was a little adventure that they had enjoyed so much.

5 Things I Adore About Muscat, Oman

we spent aidiladha at mucat - the capital in the sultanate of oman. just a nice little family vacation since khaleef is off school for a whole week. to me muscat, oman is like al-barsha dubai (simple, clean and non-chaotic) with a few surprises like the majestic sultan qaboos grand mosque, and a royal opera house too!

we’ve been to musandam, oman (popular tourist attraction to spot dolphins!) and enjoyed every second of it. click here to read about our experience chasing dolphins in musandam, oman.

 

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1. rocky mountains

drive anywhere in muscat and you'll see black-gray rocky mountains left and right. it may not be as green as our malaysia landscape, or swiss snowcapped mountains, but the rocky mountains along muscat is still very beautiful in its grandeur.

it's the al hajar mountains, and the mountain range dominates the landscape of muscat. the city lies on the arabian sea along the gulf of oman. the hajar mountains are the highest mountain range in the eastern arabian peninsula.

gorgeous.

 

the rocky mountain along muttrah corniche

 

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2. forts and castles

there are over 500 forts, castles and towers in oman which has a coastline of 1,700 kms, so they needed that many forts to protect it from potential invaders. these forts built great cultural landscape for oman, and continue to be an interesting tourist attractions.

 

at one of the many castles around muscat. entrance is free and open to public but we came on eid so it was closed. boo-hoo.

 

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one of the most visited landmarks in muscat is this huge frankincense burner perched on top of a hill on the roadside of muscat’s muttrah corniche.

3. frankincense

in the past, oman used to be one of the richest countries in the world, with the wealth mainly originating from the incense trade. frankincense trees also grow in the wild in oman.

frankincense is an aromatic resin obtained from the frankincense trees and is used in incense and perfumes. yang pak-pak arab suka bakar asap bau-bau sedap tu, ni lah dianya.

 

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the white building is the royal opera house muscat

 

4. oman's royal opera house in muscat

there is an opera house in muscat! what a surprise! it's really new, only opened in october last year. man, even dubai does not have a specific building dedicated to cultural enrichment or theater performances. which is weird. dubai should already have the biggest theater house by now! hihi.

this excites me the most because i am a huge fan of theater and plays. when i was a student back in 1997 onwards i frequented malaysia's istana budaya, and of course the actor's studio - back when they still had their theater hall under the dataran merdeka which had to close due to the terrible flood.

i really miss those days!

 

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5. children's museum

with the white dome, the children's museum of muscat is very recognizable even from afar. we were so disappointed to find out that the museum was close for eid - even 3 days after eid. the boys would've loved spending time there. from the blogs and website i checked out, the children's museum has a lot of hand-on activities like our petrosains.

amik gamba pun jadi lah!

 

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history and geography lesson, anyone?

1. Oman is officially known as the 'Sultanate of Oman'.
2. Oman, the capital of Muscat, is also the country's largest city.
3. Oman gained independence from the Portuguese empire in 1651 (wow, way ahead of malaysia who got her independence only in 1957!)
4. exchange rate : 1 OMR (omani rial) = RM7.94 = AED9.55
5. Omani men wear these white-based high-kopiah that is very recognizable, and you would immediately know that they're from oman when you see a man wearing it!

 

image : google

Spending Aidiladha in Muscat, Oman

salam aidiladha dari dubai!

however, this malaysian family in dubai is spending aidiladha in muscat, oman! by car! ROADTRIP, y’all! complete in baju melayu we headed on to muscat, oman – even the custom officer said “apa khabar!” when they found out that we’re malaysian.

*bangga jadi anak malaysia!*

 

on the way!

 

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before reaching muscat, the capital of oman, we lepak at one of the most developed city in oman (after muscat, of course) ‘sohar’ and there’s a pretty neat beach there! raya kat tepi pantai le!

 

 

I made nasi lemak that morning so we had that at the beach.

nasi lemak sambal ikan bilis suam-suam, angin pantai, riang ria gelak tawa budak-budak, hari raya, gumbira-gumbira.

sempurna.

 

 

more on muscat, oman when we return to dubai ya, watch this space! have a happy hari raya haji, and eid mubarak to my readers!

Why I Love Travelling with Abah

this post is a tribute to the best traveller I’ve ever known, my abah Haji Sharifuddin, in conjunction with his 65th birthday on 20th september 2012. europe, middle east, down under and the neighbouring asian cities – he has travelled far, travelled wide.

selamat panjang umur, abah! may Allah shower you with wealth in health and happiness; blessing in this world and the hereafter. amin. happy 65th!

 

my abah, on the streets of vietnam. taken from my sister’s tumblr : favorite waffle

 

why I love to travel with abah :

1. abah prepares a whole itinerary for that particular vacation. from the flight, hotel, the places to visit and prayer times while in that country – hour to hour, day to day – he’s got it all planned and written down. we’re just happy to get on board and follow along!
2. he googled everything before we even start packing! which malls to go, which hotel has halal breakfast buffet, best tourist attraction, which tram to take, or how much to pay for entrance ticket.
3. abah is extremely particular about TIME, especially for flights. he dedicated a lot of hours ahead of boarding time so that all of us would be completely ready.
4. abah reads a lot about the places we’re visiting, so he would share with us what he knows as we go along. a walking travel channel, if you will.
5. though he must have his fix of rice and lauk-pauk kampung, he doesn’t mind munching mcdonalds at least once anywhere we go. it’s like a must for us girls and abah! thanks abah for going with OUR flow!
6. when we were younger, of course abah pays for everything! weeee! but now some of us are already married, have kids and earning our own money…..so...…..abah STILL pays for most things! hihi. thanks for that, abah! we’re forever your little girls ok!

I thank Allah for continuing to bless abah with the strength and good health to go on travelling and enjoying the sights of the world, as well as the means to take his whole family to enjoy the experience with him in a foreign country. just take it easy, abah. enjoy in your own pace and soak it all in!

me and the girls are very grateful to have all this opportunity to travel with you, abah. you’re our favorite travel agent, and the best tour guide ever!

 

this is the latest picture of my abah and umi, taken on 16th september when my sister syimot took them out for a birthday dinner. alhamdulillah abah nampak sihat dan ceria at 65 with 5 daughters and 9 grandkids!

 

(so where are we going to, next? *wink wink* I hope the next big family vacation is to bring everyone to dubai next year – after my youngest sister’s wedding! *excited!*)

 

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for abah’s birthday last year, my boys sang this fantastic version of ‘birthday song’ with such enthusiasm and excitement – because after they finished singing, they get to eat this one single carrot cupcake that I put right in front of them! haha.

however, this year – there was no cupcake. so no singing! huh! poor anong (abang long) had to do the dedication all by himself while the other younger brothers were completely oblivious!

watch, and I hope it sends you a smile! this is for the birthday boy, my abah!

DXB-KUL : In-Flight Movie I Watched

we flew back to malaysia in the massive emirates airbus a380. now i don’t know much about planes, but in layman’s term, this is a double-deck airplane with a LOT of lavatory and best of all, a huge tv screen for us economy class folks!

now that’s the way to enjoy in-flight entertainment!

i only caught two movies in the 6-7 hour flight from dubai to malaysia. i’ve wanted to watch these two movies since forever! ‘albert nobbs’ because glenn close was nominated for best actress in the last academy awards; and ‘the best exotic marigold hotel’ because the cast comprise of the best veteran acts in brit silver screen.

 

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oh my, can you even recognize the pretty glenn close in this man-butler get-up?

yes, in this riveting drama ‘albert nobbs’, glenn close plays ‘albert nobbs’ – a woman who disguises herself as a man to escape poverty, to be independent, and to work as a butler in a high-class hotel in the late 19th century ireland. an encounter with a handsome painter may open doors to her long-kept secret…

glenn close is so convincing as this soft-spoken man who always kept to himself, and at the same time a very well-mannered and dependable butler in this posh hotel. it’s almost heartbreaking to see albert nobbs alone in his/her room, quietly counting the tip of the day to see if it’s finally enough to realize his/her dream in owning a shop of his/her own.

when a handsome painter was hired to fix the hotel, he was asked to stay the night with albert – and so begins a whole new chapter in the life of albert nobbs…

a moving drama about going againts all odds, to realize a dream despite whatever shorcomings we may have.

 

 

 

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i LOVE this movie. and it’s no wonder – the director of this delightful movie was also responsible for my other favorite movie of all time, ‘shakespeare in love’. no wonder the script is witty, the casts are wonderfully engaging and the story itself is magical.

a group of english veterans decided to take a holiday at this so-called ‘best exotic marigold hotel’ which claims to have top-class facilities and all that marketing catch-phrases. when they arrived, things are NOT quite as advertised, but the old folks stayed on, and experiences life in the colorful and exotic india. in fact, the old ‘hotel’ seemed to have its own charm…

‘the best exotic marigold hotel’ is never boring because each veteran have their own story to tell, their own adventure to run, their concerns and problems – all which is interesting, touching, amusing and a joy to watch. sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and mostly an eye-opener – perhaps, when we get older, we’ll be facing the same challenges!

dev patel (of slumdog millionaire) plays the young manager who often seems a little klutzy as he strives so hard to please his hotel guests and to convince them that ‘things always turn out right in the end, and if it didn’t, it’s not yet the end.’ he gets some of the best one-liners, and obviously the comic relief. he’s definitely a darling in this movie!

this is highly recommended movie, for the young and the young at heart. it’s about hope and facing your fears, about letting go and second chances – and also to remind all of us that old folks still have a little bit of romance in them.

 

 

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though ‘albert nobbs’ is a fine movie, but it’s depressing to be watched in an enclossed space haha because you can’t escape to get a scoop of ice-cream or opening to window to get some fresh air – yes, it’s THAT kind of movie.

that’s exactly why i was so glad i watched ‘the best exotic marigold hotel’ next, which gives hope on life as you reach that golden age, that life’s adventure doesn’t end when you notice one strand of uban, and it’s just such a wonderfully funny movie to watch.