Syida & Nash : Pretty Peach Reception

after the obligatory nikah or solemnisation, now comes the kenduri, or reception. they have been declared husband and wife, and now it’s time to share the happy news with the whole family and dear friends.

the theme : romantic peachy-pink. so in love.

 

the bride, my younger sister syida, and the groom, my new bro-in-law nash

 

my family : abah, umi, my sisters, me and mr. khairul, my bros-in-law, my sons, my nephews and nieces.

 

may Allah shower them with everlasting laughs and love (and lots of patience and understanding!)

 

sisters!

 

my abah with my boys. thanks abah for everything. abah rest now, because in december we have to repeat the process!!! hihi

 

next in line…my baby sis azot & her fiance faiz

 

a special thanks to my aunty cik too for helping us gubah the hantaran and so much more. thanks for all who came, and helping out in one way or another. THANK YOU! we’ll see you all again in december…

these gorgeous shot was taken by my future-bro-in-law faiz. thanks bro!

Ijab Kabul Syida & Nash : My Sister is Married!

so people, this was why i came back to malaysia!

she was my roomate in abah’s house while we were just two comot little girls. and now she’s someone’s wife. congratulations to my younger sister SYIDA who weds office sweetheart NASH in a simple yet meaningful ceremony in ipoh last saturday.

may Allah bless this happy union with endless love, happiness, laughter, patience and tolerance.

 

the sharifuddin clan opens our door to a new bro-in-law – welcome NASH! you're in our circle of trust now, hihi!

 

* * *

 

my cheeky boys with their aunty da – the beautiful blushing bride… there are SO MANY photographs (as would be expected of a wedding, especially when you’re the host!) but these are some of my favorites, which may not be enough to recall what happened during that nikah day, but it was no less special!

 

hantaran pihak perempuan – which includes some yummies from dubai!

 

hantaran pihak lelaki – which includes this adorable little pillow with cross-titch sewn on it! made by the mom-in-law! so sweet!

 

abah was so busy that he didn’t have time to stop to pose and take pictures. so whenever abah is sitting at one spot, that’s the time we rush in and stand around abah to take a picture! *snap*! thanks to umi too for being so helpful in preparing for this big day.

 

* * *

 

 

* * *

 

next bride & groom!

 

…so how DID you meet your husband/wife/cat? hihi

Lauk Kampung & Pak Wan Biola @ D’ Cengkih

yes, people i’m back in malaysia and craving lauk kampung!

imagine eating steamed white rice with lauk kampung (traditional dishes), while enjoying good soothing violin sound? i experienced that at this cool malay restaurant d’ cengkih at taman tun dr. ismail. the food was delicious, the ‘entertainment’ was awe-inspiring and the setting is nothing short of wonderful.

i dare say this might be one of the best malay restaurants i’ve been to – especially with this charming old man who plays the violin to entertain the patrons – more on that later.

 

 

* * *

 

 

i went to d’ cengkih at TTDI with my two baby sisters syida & azot, together with azi’s fiance faiz. we only ate the steamed white rice with lauk-pauk; but this restaurant actually serves a lot more, especially johorean dishes like mee rebus, soto ayam and even kuih-muih (desserts).

 

my future bro-in-law faiz picking out the lauk. as usual with ‘nasi-bungkus’ restaurant, this is a self-service place too – you get a plate of rice, and choose whatever you like from the endless choices of lauk – from fried chicken to all sorts of masak lemak dishes to many types of veggies.

 

one of my favorite lauk, and no doubt the best fish in the world – ikan keli! (cat fish). add a spoonful of kangkong – perfect! for the gravy i just love anything with kuah lemak, and kicap – also a perfect combo!

 

* * *

 

the setting is worth mentioning. sephia-toned pictures depicting days of yore and long-gone people adorned the walls. really a touch of classic and pinch of nostalgia there – more so when you lunch and munch amidst soothing sound of the classic violin!

 

what a nice little touch to add to the classic feel!

 

* * *

 

 

what about this pakcik? i saw him first playing the keyboard, which i already felt was a thoughtful addition to an already good atmosphere and delicious food. then, while eating, i saw him taking out a violin! there’s something about a violin that is so old-school and classic and enchanting that i was immediately hooked to the pakcik’s passionate performance.

upon my brief ‘interview’ with the pakcik, this humble musician was friendly and obliging.

1. he asked to be called as simply ‘pak wan’, and he never had any formal training in violin – amazing, when it seemed he was playing effortlessly!
2. he used to play for weddings
3. he played at d’ cengkih on the invitation of a friend
4. he can play all sorts – from lady gaga to current malay pop hits

 

i took this video of pak wan playing the evergreen p. ramlee song ‘jangan tinggal daku’ upon my own request! hihi. i asked him to play ANY p. ramlee song, and he serenaded the patrons with this heart-wrenching rendition. thanks, pakcik!

 

* * *

 

d’ cengkih is at taman tun dr. ismail at the same row as celcom TTDI. enjoy the nasi + lauk kampung lunch or dinner, and hope you’ll meet pak wan too!

Gorgeous Garden @ One Utama

‘garden’ at one utama is actually a restaurant offering various types of dishes from western like lamb shanks and spaghetti, to local yummies like nasi lemak.

(yes people, i’m back home in malaysia!)

when you walk within the concrete walls of one utama and suddenly see greneries with lawn chairs and green shrubs growing across the ceiling; you’re in the right place. that’s ‘garden’ – which explains the name! what’s interesting about ‘garden’ is the interior decor. you eat there and you feel like eating inside of an english house that overlooks the garden of beautiful shrubs and trellises. beautiful place to eat.

 

my sister’s fiance was there too joining us. hi faiz!

 

love the interior! so soothing and relaxing!

 

there’s even a section with adorable little flower pots for sale.

 

lovely!

 

 

what to eat?

the menu is surprisingly extensive. i thought that this place only serves western food, but it has italian food, and even local delicacies as well. the list of drinks is inviting too.

i was feeling a little out of this world that day, and decided to order something i don’t usually order – i went with fish and chips.

 

mine was fish and chips. i was a bit disappointed when i first saw the fish, as i expected it would be yellow tempura-fried. but this looks like bread-crumbs. but the first taste proved that it was equally delicious. a simple dish that can fairly satisfy fans of fish and chips – if you don’t mind the bread-crumbs.

 

it’s served with veggies, slices of lemon for taste, and of course the ‘chips’ or fries. the portion of fries is worth mentioning – it was huge! loved it.

 

my youngest sis azi went for this italian dish of spaghetti in white sauce with beef bacon i think. delicious as it could be, and she liked it. this was served with lettuce and some cut-up fresh fruits.

 

my future bro-in-law faiz picked this beautifully-decorated dish of lamb chops. it was very delicious! yes, i had a bite and it was really well-marinated, the texture was tender and the mashed potato just complements the meat. the funny thing was it was served with this kangkong. hmm. really a first for me. otherwise, it was a really good dish.

 

we also ordered this small plate of fried calamari. the calamari was freshly fried, and tasted good but i just wish that they didn’t spread the dip on the calamari. should’ve put it on the side instead of on the calamari.

 

i can’t remember the name of this drink but it was delicious! it’s like crushed-ice mango, with fruit coctail thrown in. so yummy.

 

‘garden’ is at one utama, lower ground floor of the new wing. it’s a beautiful place to eat, serves fairly good food. try it if you want to unwind after a shopping spree!

 

6-Hour Dubai-Msia Flight With the Kay Boys

5 facts on agent syigim’s new mission. mission impossible?

syigim, your mission should you choose to accept, is to relocate three of our secret agents – agent K, agent K and agent K to a secure location somewhere in the peninsular malaysia. your flight from dubai will depart approximately at 1030. please be advised that the three agents are armed and dangerous. armed with cheekiness and mischiefs. we will deny any knowledge of this mission should you or any of the three agents be caught. this message will self-destruct in 5 seconds.

 

agent K and agent K are listening to instructions of their missions.

 

don’t be fooled by agent K’s innocent facade. he is THE mastermind.

 

* * *

 

FACT #1 : seating arrangement was strategic.

we got the 4-in-a-row seats, right by the lavatory. i was glad because when khaleef needs to go to the toilet, it would be just beside his seat, so i don’t have to worry about him going too far away. when i needed to go while kazim is asleep, i just went quickly and still made it without any trouble – and even if kazim woke up in the middle, i would be able to hear and could dash out ASAP. this did not happen, and most of the time i was able to go – in peace! hihi.

 

 

* * *

FACT #2 : finally enjoying in-flight entertainment.

since kazim is already 2 years old, he had his own seat, instead of sitting on my lap and sleeping in a bassinet. when he was sitting on my lap, i had to share the screen with him so i watched nothing but disney cartoons! and even when he was asleep and i can put him in the bassinet, i cannot concentrate on watching any movies because i was always on the alert in case he wakes up.

well, i LOVE disney cartoons and can watch it over and over again with kazim on my lap, but it is kinda nice to be able to watch grown-ups movies this time, from start to finish. so it was - the first time really enjoyed the in-flight entertainment. yay!

 

first movie i picked was ‘sherlock holmes : a game of shadows’. always wanted to watch this but never had the chance. i LOVE sherlock holmes THE BOOK. plus jude law is just the handsomest, and i like robert downey jr. but i’m sorry his sherlock holmes is not like what i pictured him to be. and sorry again, i didn’t get the plot even in the first 15 minutes. i wasn’t impressed, and decided no matter what the box-office says – i did NOT like this movie. stopped halfway thru, and picked another movie.

 

i watched ‘new year’s eve’ next, wondering why didn’t i pick this movie first. this movie turned out to be so MANY THINGS. sweet, uplifting, sad, funny, feel-good – it’s a really enjoyable movie with interesting multiple storylines that kept viewers glued to see what happens next to whom!

oh, such a wondeful movie; and why not – just look at the cast list – hillary swank, zac efron, michelle pfeiffer, sarah jessica parker, aston kutcher, robert de niro, halle barry,  jessica biel, catherine heigl, sophia vergara, russel peters, alyssa milano and even jon bon jovi! all the characters experienced the new year’s eve in various circumstances that will move you, make you rejoice, make you cry, make you smile and definitely will make you reflect. a must-see.

 

i love browsing through the ‘world channel’, checking out the synopsis to see if there were any movies i would like from other parts of the world. i stumbled upon ‘wild 7’ – a japanese movie that sounds pretty interesting – a story about this really cool motorcycle group made up of 7 bergaya ex-cons that help fight crimes for the police, but in secret. nice.

 

* * *

 

 

FACT #3 : in-flight food.

the kids meal was yummy, just PERFECT for my *italian* boys. it’s tube pasta and marinara sauce with beef. it’s fairly good, they loved it, and i was just glad that they’re eating something on a 6-hour flight. it was so nice watching them all nice and snug under the covers with the tray of yummies in front of them; and they’re watching their favorite cartoon. relaxed!

 

 

* * *

 

i absolutely love the snack box. usually it’s just a cardbox, but this was the first time the boys got an actual plastic box with a nice cover and all. it’s really nice! they can use it as a lunch box to bring to school. as usual, yummy little goodies inside.

 

 

* * *

 

the choice was between chicken curry and breaded fish. i wanted the chicken. duuh. but when the tray came to my seat, “sorry, there is no more chicken.” WHY? get this, “..because everyone wanted chicken.” well, apparently everyone else seemed to be getting one but me. so what, i’m not important enough to get chicken too? how come i’m the one who had to give in and take fish instead of the *everyone else* who wanted chicken and got it?

anyway, ALHAMDULILLAH – at least i have something to eat, and it is surprisingly nice tasting fish, yummy mashed potato and pretty nice steamed veggies. overall an okay dish. you got lucky, emirates!

 

* * *

 

 

FACT #4 : kazim slept during the first 2 hours of flight. kahfi slept throughout the middle of the journey. khaleef slept towards the end. these agents seemed to have it all timed-out. brilliant! they always have TWO agents awake watching out for me!

 

* * *

 

 

FACT #5 : alhamdulillah, safely arrived earlier than the ETA, and my younger sisters and their future hubs were already waiting at the gate. it was such a wonderful sight of my youngest sis waving frantically as i walked out of the departure gate. i had to wave back enthusiastically too! even more so! haha. *WAVE WAVE!*

 

this is love! my sisters with their dubai nephews kahfi and khaleef, with their beloved sister whom they have been missing so very much! hihi. and then off we went to my other sister’s house for a little makan-makan. it was a great fun day of late-night talks with shrill voices and extremely loud laughters. it was the best.