My 1st Baby Turns Se7en

my eldest son is 7 years old today, coincides with the first day of the new year in islamic calendar. salam maal hijrah semua, and happy birthday khaleef!

we started the ball rolling that whole week before the exact date : took him to kidzania a few days before, had pizza dinner the night before, surprised him with a lego dinosaur from his opah that morning, and of course THE birthday meal at IHOP (international house of pancakes).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KHALEEF!

 

treated birthday boy to a fun time at kidzania, dubai mall. just mak and khaleef. details and pictures coming soon!

 

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thanks for the fb wishes, friends!

 

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lego dinosaur from his opah.

 

when mr. khairul last went back to malaysia for an exhibition, my mom-in-law gave this to him to bring back to dubai, and we’ve been hiding it in the closet for weeks and weeks – until today. surprise!

(what’s with that face? oh, nothing. khaleef impersonating a dinosaur. haha. by 7 years old khaleef is absolutely crazy about all things DINOSAUR! do NOT get him started on dinosaurs – he won’t stop talking!)

 

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as usual, a big birthday meal – this time at the newly opened IHOP at JBR. details and food review coming soon!

 

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thanks for the fb wishes, friends. appreciate it very much!

Oman Sweets : Like Our Malaysian Dodol

that was my first thought when I saw the “omani sweets” – macam dodol! the texture is also similar, but you can cut dodol into cubes and pieces, but the omani sweets is not congealed enough to be cut up. to eat, you scoop bite-sized serving using a spoon.

the way both desserts are cooked is also similar – kena guna kuali besar, kena kacau-kacau sentiasa. the taste however, differs greatly.

the omani sweets or halwa is made up of starch, eggs, sugar, water, ghee, saffron, cardamom, nuts and rose water mix together – giving it the rice taste of spices, cooked for TWO hours. me not much of a fan these spices!

our malaysian dodol is made from coconut milk, gula melaka (jaggery) and rice flour and takes about NINE hours to cook! me not much of a fan too – but during hari raya, who can resist good ol dodol! a classic!

 

this is how omani sweets is usually served – in a bowl of different sizes

 

we came to this place by chance. we were heading back to dubai already and on the way, we simply saw a sign that says, “omani sweets factory” – and was intrigued. we stopped by, tasted many different types of omani sweets, and bought a couple of boxes.

 

these are all ready for customers. they usually just buy straight in these bowls, and served at home just as it is for a special occasions and celebrations. this ‘dessert’ is very common in every omani household.

 

kalo nak cun lagi, beli yang dalam mangkuk fancy sikit haha. I’m guessing these would be more expensive than those in the metal bowls. we bought in small plastic containers. mane nak habih oi kalau beli banyak macam ni!

 

here’s my mr. khairul trying out the different types of halwa before choosing one. a bowl filled with plastic spoons is at one corner on the table – take one if you want to try a bite. I tried one and gave up. too much bitter-sweet spices for my taste! however, mr. khairul the foodie adventurer kinda likes it so he was clearly enjoying the tasting session!

 

..complete with personal advisor on what’s popular with the customers, what’s the best seller, and which ones with the most delicious ingredients

 

 

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bought a few boxes of sweets

 

the omanis are warm, friendly people. really. I’m not saying that emiratis in dubai are NOT friendly, but must admit – they’re less approachable, and this fact has even been discussed in the emirates news one time. even THEY themselves are aware that they’re seen as unapproachable.

 

nways, we had a great time, love your beach and rocky mountains – thanks OMAN!

Splashing Good Time @ Sohar Beach, Oman

let me take you back to oman. swimming in the arabian sea. black sandy beach stretching along the gulf of oman. calm winds. the coast of india somewhere in the stretch of the ocean, beyond sight. what a treat!

this is sohar beach, oman and we dropped by one evening on our way back to dubai after spending few days in muscat.

 

my favorite shot of the day! FUN OVERLOAD!

 

the locals were playing beach-football and my boys were caught in the ‘battlefield’! can you spot kahfi near the ball? and kazim seemed oblivious that there were men as tall as coconut trees running and shouting by his side!

 

playing catch with the waves!

 

khaleef braved the calm sea and completely undisturbed by the big waves. this was the first time that I felt so nervous for khaleef as he kept going further out than he should. I kept shouting “not too far khaleef!!!” but bapak was always near, so he’s in good hands and eyes!

kahfi was iffy at first but cautiously tried to follow. kazim? kazim was surprisingly not affected by the knee-deep sea and waves as tall as he is! he fell down many times in the salty water, but got up and walked towards the waves again and again. that’s my boy!

 

kazim : the undefeated!

 

kahfi, one with the waves : a gorgeous shot by mr. khairul. I can’t get over of how fantastically timed this shot was! and only taken by a point-and-shoot sony camera!

Burrito, Enchilada, Tortilla, or Quesadilla? Mexican Food @ El Chico, JBR

don’t you just love pronouncing these mexican food-names? haha.

an ol colleague of mine kak marliza from my days as a mag editor dropped by dubai last few weeks and we met for dinner at this mexican restaurant ‘el chico’ at the walk, JBR (jumeirah beach residence). it’s opposite the ‘bo house café’, and next to the movenpick hotel.

(at that time, mr. khairul was on a business trip back to – malaysia! uhuk uhuk. *jealous, but c ‘est la vie!*)

 

from its official website, this mexican restaurant ‘el chico’ claims that it has been around since 1940 – so I was expecting good spicy mexican food comin my way that night!

 

me with kak marliza – another take-photo-of-food kinda foodie! kak marliza is just one cool chick to hang out with, and I was just excited to have an adult conversation for a change hihi. (no offence, boys!)

 

like chilli’s, TGIF and many other food outlets, el chico too provides their young customers the ‘kids’ menu’ complete with drawings, coloring and other fun activities to do on paper. as a mom, this is just perfect. I don’t need no ipad to get the kids occupied!

 

we took the seats outside, as the dubai summer heat has already subsided, and the weather was just nice and windy. I love the round stone-tables – especially the sunflower design. so pretty!

 

after we made our order, we got a complimentary bowl of corn chips with salsa dip (tomato-based spicy mexican dip). crunchy!

 

kak marliza with her ice-lemon tea and sugar syrup, and for my boys just the mineral water. we’re given chilled glasses. cool! literally!

 

kak marliza the awesome foodie. I enjoy stalking her facebook for marvelous photos of food she tried during her trips all over middle east!

 

kak marliza had the seafood platter (because she’s tired of chicken and meat! haha) this generous plate of seafood galore consists of prawn, calamari and fish. judging from the empty plate afterwards, I’m guessing kak marliza enjoyed the dish!

 

my adventurous choice : the el rancho

 

I had this mexican party of a plate called ‘el rancho’. being a NON-adventurous foodie, I have no idea what got into me to make me pick such a WILD dish. yes, to me this is already wild haha coz it has like 2-3 items that I’ve never tried before!

it’s grilled chicken breast on a bed of onion and green peppers, topped with *pico de gallo, a beef *burrito sonora with sour cream sauce, and cheese *enchilada. I got *mexican rice and *refried beans as side dishes.

there’s so many stuff going on on this plate. some are really tasty, some are surprisingly good and a few are just disappointing. for a dish that originates from the rich taste of mexican food, the mexican rice falls flat. it’s really just tasteless. the grilled chicken, while well-done, is a tad too dry for my taste. tasty, but too dry.

this is my first try on the refried beans, and it tastes funny, but I kinda like it. my favorite are the beef burrito, (the one covered with white sour cream sauce) and cheese enchilada. the filling surprisingly did not get the burrito too soggy – it went perfectly well together – the texture, the taste – I should’ve just ordered a burrito dish.

next time!

 

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ok, wanna brush up on your mexican-food vocabulary? the one marked with * is in my dish.

 

*pico de gallo	also called salsa fresca or salsa mexicana is a fresh, uncooked condiment made from chopped tomato, white onion, and chilis, among others
*burrito	consists of a wheat flour tortilla wrapped or folded into a roughly cylindrical shape to completely enclose a filling. (in contrast, a taco is generally formed by simply folding a tortilla in half around a filling, leaving the semicircular perimeter open.)
*enchilada	a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, seafood or combinations.
empanada	a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried – macam karipap kita!
quesadilla	a flour tortilla or a corn tortilla filled with a savoury mixture containing cheese and other ingredients, then folded in half to form a half-moon shape
fajita chimichanga	any grilled meat + deep-fried burrito
tortilla	flatbread, macam capati
tamale	a traditional mexican dish made of a kind of starchy dough, which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. the wrapping is discarded before eating. tamales can be filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables, or chilies
guacamole	an avocado-based condiment that originated with the aztecs in mexico
*refried beans	(in spanish: frijoles refritos) is a dish of cooked and mashed beans and is a traditional staple of mexican and tex-mex cuisine

 

..and this LIST is why it took me more than half an hour to decide on what to eat. the menu of el chico is extensive – so many to choose from, that you just don’t know how to choose!

the boys had mac and cheese. senang cerita!

 

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I thank kak marliza for some of the shots, and this particular one. this is a small part of ‘the walk’ that extends to strings of cafes, restaurants and a few boutiques. one of my favorite places to be in dubai. on one side are the makan places, and on the other side is the ocean!

Comedy Movie Review : The Campaign, Ted, The Watch, Stolen

comedy, comedy, comedy! laughter IS the best medicine! been watching ‘the campaign’ – a humorous look on politics, elections and campaigns gone down and dirty! an obnoxious cute-looking teddy bear that comes to life in ‘ted’, four regular urban guys formed a neighbourhood watch to solve a murder in ‘the watch’ and the action flick ‘stolen’ – NOT a comedy, but it’s SO bad that I had to laugh.

now don’t go anywhere. go on read my review.

 

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with the US presidential election looming, ‘the campaign’ offers a very hilarious look on politicians, elections and campaign. politicians’ wives putting a fake front, grooming new candidates by creating a new persona for them, sneaky campaign manager, rigged elections and kissing babies to get good press. comedy or not, this is all happening in real-life politics.

will ferrel is best at playing fantastically obnoxious roles, and he’s so versatile in them, like the chauvinistic newscaster in ‘anchorman’, the has-been ice-skating champion in ‘blades of glory’, and an evil zany fashion designer in ‘zoolander’; and now this – he’s just so funny.

I only know zach galifianakis from ‘the hangover’ – he was so funny there, and he’s equally funny here. his soft-spoken, feminine mannerism and southern twang is so believable. he has great comedic chemistry with will ferrel and when both are on screen, they’re just killing it!

it’s a feel-good movie towards the end – reminding all politicians about WHAT the fight is all about – about the position, or the people? what is it all about? what are you giving up, and what are you getting in return? it’s also sad to think that even when your intention is good, a ‘good’ politician can’t survive in this cut-throat, rat-race, dog-eat-dog in today’s politics…

highly recommended movie, especially since malaysians are also waiting on pins and needles for the next big election. this might be a fun watch for us too…

 

 

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‘ted’ is a teddy bear. he is cute, cuddly and belongs to a lonely boy john who wished he could become alive so that he can be his friend. ted did come alive, and became john’s best buddy.

the problem is, when they’re still stinky ol pals even when john hits 30. also, ‘ted’ the teddy bear is not a sweet, cute cuddly bear that he was. he’s an obnoxious, loud-mouthed womanizing bear who shouts profanities most of the time, and even smoked weed.

he’s not improving john’s life either. he makes him late for work, abandon his girlfriend’s important party, and basically weighing john down to live his life. john needs to ‘grow up’ and cut ted off his life – can he?

the funny thing about this movie is that ‘ted’ is not made to be this magic bear who had came alive ONLY when around the boy, like calvin and hobbes. oh no no – ‘ted’ goes on talkshows, appear on TV, fans stop him on the way to take pictures, and ted even drives a car, works at the checkout counter at the hypermarket and people don’t even mind!

he’s like a real person, a person most people would find annoying. only he’s not. he’s a teddy bear.

it’s fun to see mark wahlberg in a goofy role where he can be silly and funny despite his rock-hard pecs and sexy looks. milla kunis is simply gorgeous and they make a cute couple.

a silly fun movie to enjoy if you’re into crude jokes in a movie about friendship.

 

 

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oh, there’s so many wrong things about nicolas cage’s new movie ‘stolen’.

• this is like the B-grade version of ‘gone in 60 seconds’ – in ‘gone in 60 seconds’ his character needs to steal a bunch of luxury cars in one night to save his brother. it’s a freakin cool movie, nicolas cage looks so suave in it, and the cars made it more classy. HOWEVER, in ‘stolen’, he needs to steal a few million dollars to save his daughter. boring.
• plus rip-off from ‘taken’ – duuh, SO obvious – ‘taken’ is about a father who tracks down his daughter’s kidnapper in the most awesomely coolest way possible. HOWEVER in ‘stolen’, nicolas cage tracks down his ol buddy who drives a taxi, and has kidnapped his daughter, whom he doesn’t even have chemistry with. boring.
• and a brief reminiscent of ‘ghost rider’. in ghost rider’, nicolas cage rides a big-ass superbike on fire. in ‘stolen’ he drives a car a few meters to put off fire on the car. boring.
• unoriginal plot. I mean why name the movie STOLEN? that is such a clear-cut suggestion that it’s similar to TAKEN. hellow? stolen – taken? kidnapped daughter? dad on the prowl? ding!
• nicolas cage looks too old and tired to do any heist movie. sean connery did it in ‘entrapment’ and robert deniro did it in ‘the score’ they were fine coz they are actors who aged gracefully. but not nicolas cage. nope. no more action movies for you, buddy.
• viewers WANT to feel sorry for nicolas cage as the dad with the missing daughter. but we just don’t care. we see nicolas cage having no chemistry with the daughter, and to make it worse, she can’t act.
• there’s just no thrill to this movie. meaningless fast-paced movie that leaves no adrenaline rush – will he be able to save his daughter on time? can he steal the money? we don’t care.

 

nicolas cage is a great actor, and I absolutely love him in ‘the rock’, but he’s risking falling from hollywood A-list! he needs to choose his movies carefully next, or else he’d be a kevin costner or some actor we don’t even care to remember anymore…

watch this for a good laugh, and then go watch ‘taken 2’. or watch the first ‘taken’ movie again.

 

 

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I had wanted to watch this movie for the longest time. reasons : ben stiller, and aliens.

also, I just love movies that put normal people in extraordinary circumstances. like in this movie ‘the watch’, four normal urban guys – a control-freak active-in-neighbourhood-club dude, a controlling dad, one reject from the police force, and a british dude. they formed the neighbourhood watch to solve a recent murder in their beloved neighbourhood – and ended up fighting aliens and stopping them from destroying earth.

I love the plot, and ben stiller is in his usual comedic prowess here, but I would say that I’m a little bit disappointed with the movie. though it IS undeniably funny with a lot of hilarious one-liners but I can’t help feeling that there should be more laugh-out-loud moments, since there is ben stiller, and it’s written by another comedy actor seth rogen.

also the nigerian-brit dude with the spunky afro do is NOT funny. I don’t know who richard ayoade is, I’m surprised to find out that he has done a lot of stand-up comic, which I’m sure he’s good at – but it doesn’t work out in this movie. he doesn’t have that perfect comedic timing, he says his line very slowly but it doesn’t add anything to a funny scene.

I would recommend this movie for a fun weekend night – order a pizza or ramlee burger, pop open a packet of nacho cheese, bancuh milo ais satu jag, have a good laugh with your friends and loved ones.

 

 

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ok gimme more comedies please! I need cheering up!

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