Earthquake in Dubai!

it was nearly 3am when mr. khairul read the super-latest news : tremors of earthquake was felt in the entire UAE (united arab emirates). a rush of mild panic swept me. an earthquake? in the country that i’m currently staying in?

and then i read the news. it wasn’t so bad after all. at least in dubai.

actually there was a strong earthquake in pakistan, and the gegaran were felt so far wide, including the UAE. 7.2 on the richter scale tu. that’s one powerful quake! poor pakistan. they’re still recovering from the devastating flood that hit the nation last year – 1/5 of the land covered in water, losing thousands of lives and about 20 millions left homeless. kesian, now gempa bumi pulak.

apparently, people living in al-ain felt the earthquake the most. dubai is about an hour and a half away from al-ain.

during the said earthquake, we were actually on the road from the airport after sending abah and umi, and picking up mr. khairul’s sister teh, who had just arrived from cairo, egypt. we didn’t feel anything. i immediately called abah who was still waiting for his flight back to malaysia. they were both okay, and didn’t even know about the tremors. alhamdulillah.

 

 

Al Ain: Strong tremors caused by a powerful earthquake in Pakistan were felt in most parts of the UAE at around 12:27am on Wednesday, sending waves of panic among people who rushed out of their homes.

Pakistan's earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale struck some 566km in the northwest of Karachi, said the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology.

The NCMS confirmed that the tremors were felt deep inside the UAE. In a report issued at 2:10am, the centre said it has caused no harm in the UAE.

The US Geological Survey said the quake was more than 84km underground, close to the town of Dalbandin in Baluchistan province, near the Afghan and Iranian frontiers.

The tremors were felt by people living even in Al Ain. Police and Civil Defence department has not reported any material damage or causalities.

The quake, however, sent a wave of panic among residents in Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ajman, Dubai, Al Ain, and parts of Abu Dhabi. Many of them rushed out into the open.

Doneet Lobo, an Indian resident in Al Ain, said he was reading a book at his bed when the tremors were felt. He immediately realised that it’s an earthquake and got out of the room. "The things around me rattled for a few seconds and I was horrified,” said Lobo. He said he immediately contacted his friends in the city and they also felt the same.

click here for full story.

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2.5 on richter scale, or 7.2 on richter scale – what is this actually?

HOW AN EARTHQUAKE IS MEASURED

• in 1935, an American seismologist, Charles F Richter, made use of a logarithmic scale to measure the magnitude (the size and strength) of an earthquake
• it’s known as Richter scale
• it was based on the amplitude of the waves, measured by a seismograph
• Italian scientist Giuseppe Mercalli invented Mercalli scale in 1902, used to measure the intensity of an earthquake, based upon the observation of destruction caused by the calamity at a particular location.
• the seismographs near the epicenter of the earthquake measure its intensity, ranging from 1 to 9
• the lowest intensity, number 1, is not felt at the surface
• little damage is caused, when the intensity is recorded as 4
• the number 6 corresponds to a strong earthquake, clearly felt over a wide area
• the intensity of earthquake, noted as 7 and 8 on the richter scale, is considered as highly destructive, damaging the buildings and life up to 100 km from epicenter
• te intensity of 9 has not been recorded till date. such a high intensity is regarded as an earthquake that can devastate life up to 1000 km from the epicenter

 

the earthquake that hit pakistan last night was 7.2 on the richter scale!

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WHAT TO DO DURING AN EARTHQUAKE

• if you're indoors, stay there. get under -- and hold onto --a desk or table, or stand against an interior wall. stay clear of exterior walls, glass, heavy furniture, fireplaces and appliances. the kitchen is a particularly dangerous spot. if you’re in an office building, stay away from windows and outside walls and do not use the elevator.
• if you're outside, get into the open. stay clear of buildings, power lines or anything else that could fall on you.
• if you're driving, move the car out of traffic and stop. avoid parking under or on bridges or overpasses. try to get clear of trees, light posts, signs and power lines. when you resume driving, watch out for road hazards.
• if you're in a mountainous area, beware of the potential for landslides. likewise, if you're near the ocean, be aware that tsunamis are associated with large earthquakes. get to high ground.
• if you’re in a crowded public place, avoid panicking and do not rush for the exit. stay low and cover your head and neck with your hands and arms.

 

we were in the car, on the move when it happened. why didn’t we feel anything ya? and i wonder was it better to be stuck inside the house during an earthquake, or be caught outside?

all in all, alhamdulillah nothing bad happened to us, and abah and umi…

Mandi Rice @ Mina Modern Kitchen, Abu Dhabi

disappointing!

despite being suggested by a few malaysians staying in abu dhabi as THE place to eat mandi rice, this restaurant did not live up to all the positive recommendations.

i am so thankful for the many delicious mandi rice in the many lovely restaurants in dubai – al-tawasol, bait al-mandi, al-marhabani and malek al-mandi – they all serve fantastic mandi rice!

but this – this is a poor excuse of a nasi mandi!

 

with abah, umi, my eldest son khaleef, and youngest son kazim

 

situated in the vicinity of a ‘fishing’ area, it’s very close to the fish market near the corniche. susah nak cari for us, but when you know the way, the restaurant is very obvious.

you have to look for this 3 incomplete buildings near the fish market, drive right into, passing this one gate until you see the signage ‘fish market’. the restaurant signboard is bold red.

oh, why bother – i don’t recommend that you go here anyway!

 

 

the rice is dry, the chicken not as juicy, and the lamb is hard – like a day-old hard, or one that they simply re-heated for the next day.

however, abah and mr. khairul both agree that the fish was the one thing that was okay – fresh, and crispy. well – duuh – we’re practically neighbouring the FISH market!

the plate of veggies were fresh too, and the cili sambal is the spiciest i’ve ever tasted, which is not really such a bad thing.

 

 

and don’t get me started on the setting and ‘ambiance’. it has an old smell, smell of dried wet rug kept inside for too long. the inside is dimly lit – not in a good, romantic way, and the blue curtains separating the tables were like shower curtains!

adoi!

in fact, the first moment we were ushered to the back to the ‘family area’, i was like, “ni macam nak makan dalam gua'” – because of it’s poor lighting, and the tight enclosed space. it’s close to be a claustrophobic’s nightmare!

 

see the ‘shower curtains’ behind mr. khairul? tacky, real tacky!

 

the staff at tawasol (our favorite mandi restaurant in dubai) are the best we’ve seen so far – maybe because we’re such a loyal customer, yes – but maybe because they ARE naturally nice and friendly. however, it’s nothing like here.

for the first time, we’re served by ladies at a mandi restaurant, and instead of getting a much ‘sweeter’, ‘lovelier’ treatment from female staff for a change, we get sour faces and less-friendly vibe!

what gives!

 

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once a mandi-freak, always a mandi-freak. the mandi rice was frustratingly not as good as the ones in dubai, but still so sayang kalau tak habiskan!

 

nyum nyum

 

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my boys, amongst the metal wire fish nets. there’s like hundreds of them like this all along the opposite side of the row of restaurants.

 

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if you feel that you still don’t know where this restaurant is even after reading my mean review, it’s on purpose. hihi.

i’m half-heartedly giving you directions, because i really do not recommended that you go there! seriously, if you’re visiting the UAE, you’re better off driving an hour and a half to dubai to get a much better plate of mandi rice!

and if you’re living in abu dhabi, please tell me that THIS is NOT the only place to get a so-called ‘good’ mandi rice! do you know any other place in abu dhabi?

Abah (Class of ‘65) Meets MCKK Juniors

abah finally get to meet the juniors of his alma mater, malay college kuala kangsar in dubai, after hearing so many stories of little gatherings and mini meetings between the boys. as usual, with the help of organizer mr. khairul, 3 of them managed to turn up to meet this super senior.

abang zaim, who has always been a strong supporter of mcoba (malay college old boys assoc) gatherings in dubai was there. abang ikmal came all the way from ras al khaimah, which is like almost 2 hours away from dubai – speret koleq! bro akram is new, joining for the first time.

another ardent member of mcoba dubai, abang faisal shon couldn’t make it as he’s in malaysia at the moment. bro nizalman also wanted to join but had to fly to qatar that day.

hey, 5 mcobs meeting up in little tawasol ain’t that bad!

 

ikmal v80, zaim v82, akram v94, abah v65, kazim v27 (hihi), kay v96

 

the location? where else but our favorite haunt, al-tawasol near the clock tower, deira. it has always been here for the old boys of mckk – every berbuka puasa sessions, or farewell makan-makan, or simply hanging out for old boy weekend, dubai.

it has always been a gathering over mandi rice and arabic mint tea!

 

 chicken mandi & lamb mandi in one dulang

 

for me, i’ll state for the record that i’ve tried 7 mandi rice from different restaurants in dubai and abu dhabi, and 2 more from malaysia – i have to say that tawasol has the best mandi rice i’ve ever tasted.

bar none!

 

 here’s khaleef sipping lentil soup – he’s a soupy freak!

 

 

 abah with cucu-cucu dubai khaleef, and kahfi

 

 

 

abah seemed to enjoy himself sharing stories with the ‘youngsters’, and comparing notes on life in the boarding school of mckk. talk of each other’s famous batchmates (names like hani mohsein, datuk shahrir samad and of course anwar ibrahim did come up!)

abah was the oldest, and his son-in-law mr. khairul was the youngest malay college old boy there. hihi. and i guess abah is an mckk boy through and through, having been enrolled from form 1, all the way to upper 6! imagine the stories gathered in between the years!

abah really appreciate them coming to hang out with this mckk veteran, especially abang ikmal who drove 2 hours from ras al-khaimah to dubai! many thanks! to my mr. khairul, as usual thanks for organizing this small gathering for abah to walk down memory lane – along the corridors of the big school…

Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi

when we talk about ‘leaning tower’, we immediately think of leaning tower of pisa in italy. it’s popular simply because it leans. and of course because it’s really ancient. 1200 year old of awe and wonder.

fast forward in 2011, a new leaning building wants to claim the title ‘world’s furthest leaning man-made tower’, and this has been certified by the guinness world records. imagine, pisa tower only leans by 4 degrees, but this building leans by 18 degrees!

 

it’s called the ‘capital gate’, the leaning tower of abu dhabi.

 

me, abah & khaleef ~ capital gate, abu dhabi is behind us

 

we were in abu dhabi yesterday to take abah to the gleaming white sheikh zayed mosque, and jalan-jalan when i thought of taking a detour and stop by to see this leaning building. click here to read about my first experience going to one of the largest mosques in the world, the sheikh zayed mosque, abu dhabi.

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‘capital gate’, owned and developed by ADNEC (Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company), is 160-metre, has 35-storey, and leans 4 times as far as the famous leaning tower of pisa.

 

capital gate, abu dhabi ~ leaning tower of pisa, italy

 

where?

the capital gate abu dhabi is close to sheikh zayed mosque (the white marble mosque) and really stands out because of its unique posture. there are also a few embassy buildings nearby. in fact, after taking these shots, we were stopped by a policeman who wanted to confirm that we weren’t taking pictures of the embassy buildings.

my take?

it’s graceful, and sleek alright – but i can’t help noticing that its outer skeleton looks a lot like gleaming snake skin under the sunlight! and with the inclined posture of the building – lagi lah nampak macam ular melingkar!

i discovered through further reading on the net that this is due to the unique feature of capital gate, that has 728 custom-made diamond-shaped glazing panels all over the building. to achieve the structure’s curving shape, each pane of glass is different and each will be fitted at a slightly different angle.

 

 

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the leaning tower of capital gate, is an addition to many other exquisite landmarks in abu dhabi which includes the amoebic-shaped ferrari world, the dolphin-inspired yas hotel and the circular aldar building that looks like a gigantic blue 50 cents!

what’s next for abu dhabi?

Es Teler, Indon National Drink & Gulai Kaki Sapi

if you like to eat at any indonesian restaurant, i’m sure you’re familiar with the name ‘es teler’. it’s a popular fruit cocktail in its home country. it’s like our ais kacang, but containing a myriad of different items. while some say it’s teh botol, is ‘es teler’ really THE national drink of indonesia?

it’s got avocado, coconut, cincau, jackfruit; served with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, pandan leaf, sugar and a tiny amount of salt. some places simply put ice cubes in, while others grind the ice like our ais batu campur. i prefer the latter.

in dubai, you can get the es teler drink with ice cubes from betawi restaurant, but if you want a better es teler with crushed ice, get it from sari nusa. fantastic!

 

the es teler at betawi restaurant in dubai, with ice cubes. click here for my review of the restaurant.

 

the es teler at sari nusa restaurant in satwa, with crushed ice. excellent!

 

i definitely prefer the es teler with crushed ice. it’s a more satisfying drink than the one with just ice cubes.

i can say that es teler is my new favorite drink! i love the taste of nangka in the drink, especially since it’s been long since i tasted any. mix it up with the crunchy coconut flesh, and juxtapose that with the soft avocado – no wonder this drink won the ‘ice making competition’ in indonesia!

what? won a competition?

i just found out that this drink is actually created by a makcik indon named murniati widjaja. what’s more interesting, is that she won a competition in 1982 to come up with a national drink for indonesia – and ‘es teler’ was created!

she and her husband started selling this refreshing concoction, and called it ‘juara indonesia’ (indonesian champion).

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yesterday we went to sari nusa as abah wanted to try the indonesian food here in dubai. that’s when i had the es teler with crushed ice-version. click here for my review of the restaurant.

we ordered the usual gulai nangka, daging rendang that’s similar to our rendang tok and ayam merah. in addition, we added a few lauk that we’re trying for the first time – gulai kaki sapi (bull’s leg in spicy gravy), and terung sambal (eggplant in spicy condiment).

 

gulai kaki sapi – this is the first time i’ve heard of such a dish! i didn’t try the sapi’s leg, but according to mr. khairul, it’s really juicy and berlemak! puas hati! hihi. i took the gulai and it’s certainly sweet and spicy – delicious!

 

terung sambal – soft, tender eggplant in spicy sambal. equally tasty, a great addition to our indonesian meal. it’s just that, when it comes to terung, i’d always preferred it fried in tempura flour. much nicer!

 

abah enjoying his craved indonesian meal. memang seronok tengok abah berselera makan. *smile* the mountain of rice in front of him was not his ok – that’s the nasi tambah! hihi.

 

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that’s atuk and his grandson walking towards sari nusa restaurant, the one with red signage and yellow writing. cute. khaleef will always ask, “can i walk with atuk? can i go with atuk?” i will miss this sight very much when abah goes back to malaysia…

 

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mahu minum ‘juara indonesia’ es teler? here’s a simple recipe!

Ingredients for Es Teler

• two cans of jackfruit
• a can of young coconut meat
• a couple of fresh avocados
• some crushed ice
• some condensed milk (more on that later)

Directions

Step 1: drain the cans of jackfruit and cut the fruit into thin strips or cubes. add the jackfruit strips/cubes to a large bowl.

Step 2: drain the can of young coconut meat (reserving the syrup) and cut the coconut into thin strips. add the coconut strips to the bowl with the jackfruit. add the reserved coconut syrup to the bowl as well.

Step 3: halve the avocados, remove the pits, and diced them. scoop out the diced avocadoes into the bowl with the other fruit.

Step 4: mix everything.

Step 5: add several cups of crushed ice to the bowl. ice cubes work too!

Step 6: add 5 to 8 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to the bowl. add bit by bit while tasting, until it reaches your desired sweetness.

Step 9: done! you can enjoy it especially best on a hot day!

selamat mencuba!

‘Sedetik Lebih’ With Anuar Zain

if i could have sedetik lebih (one extra moment) with anuar zain, i would ask him to sing for me, take pictures with my boys and sign all my CDs of him.

i LOVE anuar zain!

his new album, his fourth is only out in september, girls but his latest single is up - ‘sedetik lebih’, a melodramatic, soaring song that will make you want to put on that tuxedo and evening gown, and go ballroom dancing. philharmonic orchestra contributed to the song, which explains the classy sound.

it’s also the major theme song for KRU’s latest movie project, the awesome ‘hikayat merong mahawangsa’. now i have more reasons to watch the movie! click here to watch the movie trailer, and my review.

 

sedetik lebih is a simple song, with the usual jiwang lyrics, but i think ‘lelaki ini’ makes me cry faster, ‘jangan bersedih lagi’ is more meaningful, and ‘bila resah’ is forever a classic hit. enjoy the classy video clip, directed by yusry KRY, and the lyrics, by edry KRU.

 

Setiap nafas yang dihembus

Setiap degupan jantung

Aku selalu memikirkanmu

Dalam sedar dibuai angan

Dalam tidur dan khayalan

Aku selalu memikirkanmu

Ternyata ku perlukan cinta dari dirimu sayang

Barulah terasa ku bernyawa

Kasihku…ku amat mencintai kamu

Kerana kau beri erti hidup

Ku kan terus mencinta sedetik lebih selepas selamanya

Di kala penuh ketakutan dengan badai kehidupan

Ku bersyukur adanya kamu

Biarlah kehilangan semua yang dimiliki di dunia

Asal masih adanya kamu

 

on another note, mr. khairul bought me anuar zain’s previous album.

the story is kinda cute. we were in the car, it was raya if i’m not mistaken because anuar zain’s raya song is on air. i was singing aloud (as usual) to that song when mr. khairul suddenly said, “buat apa dengar lagu lama. nah dengar lagu baru,” and he suddenly took out anuar zain’s CD! surprise! ntah bila dia beli. *hug hug*

moral cerita : mr. khairul sila lah buat surprise lagi in september. hahaha.

Chicken Rice For Abah

you’re probably used to cooking for your parents. what’s the big deal kan? but i’m not a good cook, and when i was younger, i hardly cook for my parents. so when i cook chicken rice for my abah who’s in dubai now, it IS a big deal.

you’d think that having 5 daughters, abah has 5 extra cooks in the house. well, in truth, masa mak ada lagi, mak is THE cook. she made everything, and always tastes so yummy. us girls, we just helped out here and there; most of the time standing on the side sharing stories of the day with her, and she loved hearing them while giving comments and occasional advice – all while whipping up fantabulous dishes.

rindunya!

okay in short, when i was younger, i don’t cook much for abah. now’s the time to make up for it! so since abah is in dubai, i cook my nasi ayam for him, and very proud of it. *smile*

 

 

i started making the soup, rice and sauces when abah and umi came, just in time for me to fry the chicken. piping hot and fresh from the stove!

 

* * *

 

 

“nice!”

for a man of few words, that was enough for me. a short expression, but it means the world. *sengih lagi besar* the fact that he had a few more helpings and grabbed a few more chicken made it more satisfying to cook for abah. later on abah even said he won’t be eating dinner, kenyang dah! umi also had a few helpings, and said that everything looked nice and tasted delicious.

my pleasure!

 

 

as usual, when atuk is around, (or even mr. khairul’s parents), khaleef will show his mengada side. that was him fresh from school, and refusing to eat - “i don’t want orange rice. i want white rice.” hmmph! after atuk pujuk, he finally tried a little bit, and ended up having two servings of chicken rice.

tadi jual mahal – wek! hihi.

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my chicken rice is the simplest on the planet, but if you would like my humble recipe, click here.