10 Things I Love About My First Football Match : Malaysia vs Iraq

i don’t fancy football. i don’t watch the games. i don’t know the teams. i don’t know the players. except of course david beckham. everyone knows david beckham. hihi. but the story goes that i am currently living in dubai so if i get the chance to get closer to anything that is remotely MALAYSIAN, i’m game. pun intended.

..and that is how i ended up watching a LIVE football match between Malaysia and Iraq on 1st feb, at an actual field in an actual stadium in Ajman (another state in the UAE), from start to finish, for the first time ever.

and to sum it up – the TEN things i love about watching a football match, strictly from my point of view.

 

the whole family came in yellow malaya tigers jersey woohoo! (credit to bro wak kohl for this picture taken from his fb – thanks so much, this was our only complete family picture!)

 

1 – WEARING MATCHING JERSEY OF YOUR FAVORITE TEAM

there’s something wonderful, united and glorifying about wearing the same thing with other supporters. the sense of belonging is even more so especially when you’re living overseas. this once-a-while get-together really strengthens the bond between fellow countrymen as we cheer and support our malaysian footballers.

in this case wearing the bright yellow jersey with black stripes which echoes the nick name of our malaysian football team – the malayan tigers. rawr!

 

 

2 – RAISING JALUR GEMILANG, MALAYSIAN FLAG PROUDLY

knowing that we’ll be watching the malaysia-iraq friendly football match, i quickly korek-korek everywhere looking for the malaysian flag. it’s not often we get to parade and show-off our flag while cheering and shouting in public. yah, try doing that in dubai mall? haha.

khaleef held the big flag all through the game. he even ran across the front of the seating holding the flag on his shoulders while the other malaysian pakciks cheered on. khaleef felt the pride and joy despite spending half of his life in dubai now.

our flag is so beautiful, and a single piece of cloth can mean so much to us as malaysians once you see the red-white stripes with the star and crescent moon on the dark blue background.

kibarkan jalur gemilang!

 

mak & the kay boys. thanks so much aida for this lovely picture! suka sangat!

 

3 – SITTING IN A FOOTBALL STADIUM WATCHING FOOTBALL

the malaysian-iraq friendly football match was held at ajman football club or ajman stadium. ajman is one of the emirates in UAE (united arab emirates), about half an hour away from dubai.

this was the first time i watched a football match at a stadium, and it was pretty exciting simply because you’re watching it in real time, LIVE. right there and then. you don’t hear hasbullah awang saying “canteeeekkkk” or “owh, sayang! gol terlepas” or whatever. however, you do hear unofficial sports commentators left and right – “woi referee bodoh!” or “dah depan mata pun tak bole gol ke!” and “tendang bola pun lembik!” haha.

the view was great if you don’t know the players and they’re just little blue-white-red dots running around chasing a ball. because you totally can’t see the faces, and i am positively sure that watching football matches on tv in HD is so much better. boleh nampak muka, ape!

 

 

4 – INSPIRING YOUNG FOOTBALLER

khaleef loves football ever since he started running and able to kick stuff. he was barely 2 years old and already running, kicking a big beach ball we bought for him. so he was the most excited to watch this football match.

throughout the game, kahfi would be the most restless – kept asking when are we going home, keep asking for food (i brought snacks and biscuits, phew!) while kazim kept walking up and down the aisle and everywhere.

khaleef concentrated on the game, he kept on cheering whenever the ball is nearing the goal post and he occasionally kept the malaysian flag up in the air. when the game ended with iraq 3 – malaysia 0, khaleef actually tried hard to hold back the tears. he was so disappointed.

he’s fine by the way, and was really inspired to become a footballer one day. position? goalkeeper!

 

 

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my mr khairul in the middle with fellow malaysians in dubai. from left : bro affandy, abg fudzail, mr khairul, bro mat nor & bro wak kohl

 

5 – YOU WANNA GO WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

watching football matches in the stadium, you’re usually faced with huge crowds, possibly rowdy and slightly dangerous with strangers left and right, but when you’re watching a football match overseas with malaysians you always see everytime there’s a malaysian get-together, you really feel at home in the stadium.

i particularly enjoy watching this football match in dubai because you pretty much know most of the people in the stadium (the area where malaysian supporters are sitting) so i really didn’t mind kazim walking up and down the aisle exploring the place.

of course, things are always fun with friends. enjoying a concert, hanging out at the coffee shop, watching a football match – you need someone to cheer your favorite team and shout insults to the other haha.

 

 

6 – RAIN!

it rained during the second half of the match. sigh. patutnya budak-budak malaysia ni lagi terer la main dalam hujan since we’re so used to the rain in our country but too bad, still can’t win over the tall, dark, handsome pak arabs from iraq! hihi

 

 

7 – MEET AND GREET

the game ended with disappointment on our side since we lost 3-0 to iraq, but the malaysians were still looking forward to meet the malaysian football stars.

they took the time to stand by the barricade to shake hands with fans and take some photos. they were all smiles in spite of the tiredness, and the loss to iraq. i applaud their spirit and consideration to spend some time with the fans.

two other players who left the field during the game looked at the malaysian supportersm raised their arms and waved heroically, and the crowd cheered loudly in approval. however, one player seemed to be looking grumpy, mind elsewhere, and hardly smiling. when he left the field, he did not even glance up at the malaysian supporters. sombong lah pengantin baru tu! hihi.

the only player i know is the infamous khairul fahmi che mat (from the controversy surrounding the breaking-off of his engagement, to his link with gorgeous girls, and finally to his beautiful wedding) and too bad he was the one not fan-friendly. tsk tsk.

thinking of his new bride, i’m sure…

 

 

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8 – NEW-FOUND FRIENDS

knowing most of the malaysians there, but there’s always room for more new friends! always so fun to know that someone recognizes me on the streets after reading my blog haha. aliyah and i ‘met’ through our blogs, and this was the first time we met face to face! comel je orangnye. take care of the baby-in-tummy and have a safe delivery back in malaysia ok!

 

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9 – MY MAK LOVES FOOTBALL

football reminds me of my late mak. because no other person that i know loves football as much as she did. even my husband does not like football that way! suka main football manager kat xbox ngan ipad je hihi.

the only time i watch a football match was with my late mak who was a HUGE fan of football. she knew the players, she had a favorite team, and she also had a dream team where she compiled the best of the best players that she liked into one team.

she even had a poster of roberto baggio at the back of the kitchen door. cool huh?

 

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10 – MY POINT OF VIEW

i still don’t like football.

but i totally enjoyed watching a game that puts malaysian against another country, and this game has brought together malaysians in UAE in support of our football team. we wear t-shirts with the word ‘malaysian’ on it and malaysian flag too, we brought out our malaysian flag, we sang our national anthem ‘negaraku’ loud and proud – we were being malaysians!

living in dubai for almost 5 years now, anything that reminds me of malaysia is a plus and i definitely want to be part of it.

also, khairul fahmi che mat is much shorter than i expected.

ok, i’m done.

Wok It : New Fancy Place for Asian Food

eating in dubai is so kacang for malaysians. if you missed food from home, you’ve got ‘singapore deli’ or ‘noodle bowl’ that sells spore-msian food from nasi lemak to laksa. you can also get lauk-pauk from indo restaurants ‘sari nusa’, ‘betawi’ or ‘dapoer kita’.

add to that list is ‘wok it’ – a new asian-food place offering delicious dishes from indonesia, malaysia, singapore and thailand. there’s the familiar pandan chicken, char kuey teow, nasi goreng kampung and the most popular dish here – murtabak. 

for links on my reviews of the places i mentioned, click here : singapore deli, noodle bowl, sari nusa and betawi.

 

 

‘wok it’ is very near burjuman mall in bur dubai. it’s directly opposite centerpoint. look out for that cute giant ‘bee’ statue, and you’ll see the entrance to ‘wok it’. you can park right in front of the restaurants, but parking can be tough on a busy day. wait on the side, and if you’re lucky, just swoop in when a car leave its space!

 

 

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with its stylish interior, wooden flooring, classy minimalist park bench-like seats and open kitchen – ‘wok it’ sets itself apart from other asian restaurants. personally i feel that this is the most fancy restaurant that i’ve been to, that offers malaysian dishes.

but hold it – this doesn’t necessarily makes ‘wok it’ better than the others – i still like betawi’s small, cosy place and singapore deli’s simple setting that is so lepak, as well as sari nusa with its batik table spread.

‘wok it’ is a pretty place, but at the same time, i immediately feel that we’re gonna be spending a lot more moolah here than any other asian place!

 

there are two sections : one is with the park-bench seats. and you go a few steps up to a smaller area with soft white chairs. it’s really nice, comfy. simple but classy. and it’s a classy place that is still kids-friendly. i like it.

 

 

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a few of our malaysian and indonesian friends who have been here suggested we try the ‘murtabak’. murtabak is a delicious malaysian dish which is basically minced meat (chicken, or lamb) cooked with a lot of diced onions and egg, wrapped inside a thin parotha-like skin. and it’s grilled over hot pan.

there is also a choice of ‘sweet murtabak’ which i think looks more like our ‘apam balik’ but with cheese and chocolate inside.

 

murtabak kambing or lamb murtabha

 

it’s no wonder why this is one of the most popular dishes in ‘wok it’. it’s delicious! granted that it’s got less inti that what we could get for cheaper in malaysia, and its got a crunchy exterior more similar to ‘samosa’ than our usual malaysian murtabak, but it’s still worth the dirham. it’s served piping hot so the outer skin is crispy crunchy.

for hardcore fans of murtabak, this might be a slight disappointment because the inti is agak sikit but personally I LIKE IT very much simply because i am not usually a fan of murtabak – i like my food to have balance and murtabak is just the sort off food that has very thin skin and A LOT of inti – faham tak? bila makan tu kadang-kadang rasa inti je berlambak. it just doesn’t go together for me!

tu sebab aku suka murtabak ‘wok it’ sebab inti dengan kulit dia seiring dan sejalan haha.

 

we also tried this spicy beef szechuan something-something with bell peppers and mushroom. tasty but tasty yang biase-biase je, especially for the price we’re paying. if you like these kind of dishes, i suggest you’re better off going to lan zhou chinese restaurant near dragon mart. cheap, super delicious lauk! click here for my review.

if i have to say one nice thing about this dish, the beef is tender. senang gigit. well-cooked.

 

for veggies, we opted for kangkong belacan. again, sedap but sedap biase. it’s fairly tasty but mr. khairul said singapore deli has the best kangkong belacan in town.

 

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i think i’ll try the char kuey teow next, just to see whether it’s similar with my favorite ipoh or penang char kuey teow. considering how *often* i get to eat authentic char kuey teow here in dubai, i doubt it will taste as good – but you never know until you try!

depan centerpoint kat burjuman mall tu tau. try lah!

Wafa & Her 3 Dubai Cousin Brothers

can’t help but share these adorable shots with you fine people out there. these were taken by my sis-in-law tina when they were sending us off at KLIA.

my boys khaleef, kahfi and kazim with their only girl-cousin on bapak’s side. the adorable wafa.

 

from left : kazim, wafa, khaleef and kahfi. their eyes are proof that they’re close cousins! those pretty cat-like sepet-eyes that stretches forever – that even the strongest genes cannot push aside!

 

thank you my sis-in-law tina for these shots. it’s fair to say that among her siblings, she’s the one keeping everyone together for any photo shoot. syabas!

 

wafa refers to her cousins as ‘my friends’. cute. she cried so hard when the boys left to go into the international boarding area. sob sob. hope you come by to dubai soon kiddo!

Movies : Upside Down, Flight, Premium Rush & Hope Springs

movies again!

the second movie-round for 2013 starts of with a fantastic romantic sci-fi ‘upside down’, the emotion-high drama ‘flight’, action-packed ‘premium rush’, and the romantic comedy ‘hope springs’.

 

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how does LOVE overcome challenges in the romantic stories we know of? romeo and juliet defies their feuding family just to be together. ghazali and engku zaleha are separated by darjat. peter parker and mary jane couldn’t be together in the beginning for fear that spiderman’s enemies might hurt her.

in this romantic sci-fi ‘upside down’, the LOVE in this fantastic movie is separated – by GRAVITY. 

the premise of this sci-fi romance is that the two lovers live in two separate worlds – one on top of the other but are close enough that they can build ONE really tall building that connects the two worlds for business purposes, but citizens of both worlds can never socialize, and are bound by the gravity of their home planet.

(don’t worry, in the opening scene of this movie, this concept is explained very clearly by the hero. it’s all extremely fascinating, really!)

the two sweethearts adam and eden met for the first time when they were just kids, on the tallest point of their world, and from then on fell in love. how could this relationship be possible, when gravity pulls each on their own ground, that they can never live on the other’s world? their love seemed impossible, and yet, one would risk everything to be with their one true love.

jim sturgess as adam is just so adorable in his pursuit to find eden (kirsten dunst), and she is just the same sweet and charming young lady we know in her movies, despite all the new young hot names popping up in hollywood like amy adams, amanda seyfried, rachel mcadams and many more. the two have fantastic chemistry, and a joy to watch.

the cinematography is amazing – well, green screen yes – but still! it reminds me of that cool scene from ‘inception’ where the city landscape sort off rolled up 90 degrees. awesome. in ‘upside down’, the whole city with skyscrapers and millions of lights are always right above their heads. what a sight. creative genius!

if you were a science-freak watching ‘upside down’, please don’t be a party-pooper by pointing out all the illogical points regarding gravity, planet movements or whatever intellectual crap you have. just chill out and enjoy the sweet romance from the adorable leads; kirsten dunst and james sturgess as they defy gravity – literally – to be together.

highly recommended. you will cry, you will laugh, you will cheer with the hero, and feel his frustration. you will say YES way to go and oh NO at the suspense! but above all, you will sigh. oh, how sweet!

 

 

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i would say that ‘flight’ is an OK movie, and the only thing that made it interesting is denzel washington. no wonder he is the only thing smack right on the movie poster.

as always, denzel washington delivers a powerful performance full of emotions and the usual swagger. if it weren’t for him, ‘flight’ to me would just be another movie about an alcoholic pilot accused of causing death when the plane he flies went down.

denzel’s character piloted a flight that went wrong – 6 people ended up dead from the crash. some said noone could’ve landed the plane the way he did or more people might end up dead. he saved them! on the other hand, he also had been drinking. drugs were involved. he is forced to face his own demons – admit his problem, seek help, falling from grace, or cover-up everything, play the blame game and walk as a hero? what will he do?

i guess i’m not interested in movies about people battling alcoholism or drugs. boring.

i would recommend watching this movie once, just to know what it’s about, and of course if you’re a denzel washington fan. or if you’re a pilot. or have once been on a plane.

 

 

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a surprisingly good movie that i enjoyed watching very very much. ‘premium rush’ is a non-stop action-packed movie without a boring moment. the whole movie just speeds up just like the characters who are all mostly moving fast on super-speed bicycle in the middle of a busy manhattan city streets.

the title ‘premium rush’ refers to the name they give any package or letter that is important, super-urgent, and must arrive 5 minutes ago.

wilee is sort of a courier guy – on bicycle. yup, instead of sending packages and letters using large trucks or cars, he cycles. one day, he picked up an envelope to be delivered fast – little did he know he was about to get involved in one serious cat-and-mouse chase with a dirty cop who wants that envelope as badly as he’s willing to kill the cyclist.

from the get-go the cyclist dictates the pace of the movie – fast, smooth and slick. no room for mistake. joseph gordon-levitt as wilee makes bicycle looks freaking cool and sexy! he must’ve developed some seriously *sick* thigh muscles just for this role. now i wanna take up cycling!

a unique subject matter – a cyclist-courier guy in a fast-paced chase through a busy city with a mystery to solve – what’s with that envelope? a must-watch!

 

 

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this endearing movie ‘hope springs’ reminds me of another ‘elderly love’ movie ‘last chance harvey’ starring dustin hoffman and emma thompson. both movies are charming and no less passionate than the ones with young lovers!

and before you turn away from this movie like, ‘eww old-wrinkly-people-makin-out’ – let me just tell you that this is one of the sweetest, most honest romantic movies i’ve seen in years. if you’re married for a fairly number of years – be it 5 or 15 years, you would totally get this movie, especially if you’ve experienced rough patches here and there in your marriage. i mean, sedangkan lidah lagi tergigit kan?

kay and arnold are no longer sleeping in the same bedroom. after a broken back, arnold slept in the guest room, and the routine sort off just became habit. their lives have become perfunctory – just going through the motion – wake up, make breakfast, leave for work, have dinner with the kids, yada yada yada. arnold sees nothing wrong, but kay thinks something is missing in their 30-years marriage.

they met a relationship therapist, and so begin an amusing journey of discovering each other once more, learning to listen, finding words to express and of course, falling in love all over again.

as a married couple, our problems might be different then theirs, but there’s always something to learn when it comes to understanding, give and take, and making an effort in a relationship, and ‘hope springs’ might give you a little of that.

it’s about putting the romance back in your marriage. about rekindling the fiery passion that is lost. it’s about going back to the times when you just have to touch each other while driving, watching tv or simply toes-touching as you sit at the dinner table. it’s about looking at the person you’re spending the rest of your life with, and remembering why you badly want to do it in the first place.

and with tommy lee jones and the lovely meryl streep, you can never go wrong. a sweet, sweet story for married couples everywhere.

 

 

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any more movies to recommend? i’m out!

Journey to Kalba : Padang Pasir Musim Sejuk!

it’s winter in dubai. and winter in dubai can be really, really cold. especially on a windy day! one great way to spend winter in dubai is to hang out at the nearest desert spot!

our pick? the sandy stretch along the road to a place called kalba. kalba is one city in the UAE (united arab emirates) in the state of sharjah, very close to fujairah, another state of UAE.

 

my boys gone nuts. they’re like 3 hooligans in the biggest sand box ever!

 

why kalba?

 

kalba has a special place in mr. khairul’s heart (and bike) as this is one of the many routes he takes on his usual weekend bike-ride. he has burned the rubber many, many times along this familiar roads, but this was the first time for me and the boys.

though the slopes and sharp corners made me nervous thinking of mr khairul speeding on his harley, but the landscape is beautiful in its simplicity, that it was just so serene for me.

 

oh kazim, i just LOVE the feel of soft desert sand slipping through my fingers. i could do it again and again.

 

that SKY!

 

my boys hitch-hiking a ride home. haha.

 

no cars. as far as the eyes can see. so mr khairul took this shot.

 

 

we took TONS of pictures, but i’ll save it for another day. this – right before the tunnel – is one of the many memorable spots for mr. khairul and his riding buddies. here they would stop on the side of the road for a brief rest, before continuing their journey into the open road.

 

the superbike riders in kalba. mine is the one in white. hihi. speed smart if you must, and be safe, love! ingat orang tersayang!

Kahfi’s 4th Birthday in Ipoh

i was back in ipoh last december for my youngest sister’s wedding, coinciding with my kahfi’s 4th birthday on 23rd. it was just a simple yet wonderful moment to be able to celebrate kahfi’s birthday in ipoh, surrounded by my sisters, nephews and nieces.

 

cousins : from left cuya, haiqal, birthday boy kahfi, ica, anong khaleef and haqeem

 

aunty da (my sis syida) bought this rich moist choc cake for kahfi – with an angry bird perching right on top, an absolute hit with the birthday boy!

 

my boy kahfi has always enjoyed birthdays very much – cakes, balloons, presents and singing birthday songs – no matter whose it it. so having the chance to finally celebrate his own birthday with his aunts and cousins was truly an exciting thing.

 

thank you aunty da for this priceless moment. you have no idea how happy you made kahfi. he still talks about it everytime he sees the pictures. thank you!

Movies : Pitch Perfect, The Words, Cloud Atlas & Possession

syigim is BACK with her first movie review for the new year 2013! will start off with a musical comedy ‘pitch perfect’, a stirring drama ‘the words’, a thought-provoking sci-fi ‘cloud atlas’, and a terribly creepy movie ‘the possession’.

enjoy.

 

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been awhile since i’ve seen a really good fun movie about college-goin youngsters. this is could be the best yet. ‘pitch perfect’ is not exactly a musical like the legendary ‘grease’ with actors suddenly breaking into songs in the middle of a scene, but it IS about music. and people do sing in this movie. oh, i LOVE every single singing scenes in ‘pitch perfect’!

the genre is : a capella. singing without the help of any musical instruments; and the sounds, the beats and singing are all from the mouth. the trebelmakers and the barden bellas are two rivalry teams competing to be the best in singing a capella, while spouting insults towards each other.

and in the middle of it all, the new girl beca gets thrown into the mix. i love how her relationship with ‘the enemy’ jesse, another newbie in the college, develops through the movie – not too fast, not too lovey-dovey, and not too obvious. just nice and sweet, just a couple of friends hanging out, and later finding themselves enjoying each other’s company to finally falling in love at the end.

aussie funny gal rebel wilson as ‘fat amy’ is absolutely hillarious in this movie. sometimes it’s as if she’s without a script and just goin on and on being herself. it’s fun to watch!

so if you love college movies that are NOT just centered on sicky puppy love, if you love singing, if you enjoy a good comedy with a dash of romance – this movie is a must-see. i absolutely LOVE it, especially the scene with the riff-off.

what the heck is a riff-off? go find out, and enjoy!

 

 

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‘the words’ is my new favorite movie. i just LOVE it. i can watch it again and again. it’s a suspense-drama about a writer, talking about his book about a writer, who met a writer talking about how he starts writing. write? rite? right on!

now when i say ‘suspense’, don’t expect action-packed, or complicated mystery – suspense here means i find myself always eager to find out what happens next, and of course, how will the story end.

and it stars the awesome jeremy irons with that signature deep, mellow voice (he voiced ‘scar’ of disney’s lion king), dennis quaid who is still hot for an old dude; and of course the dashing bradley cooper. all 3 gave great, passionate performances. what’s NOT to like?

now i won’t spoil you with the storyline, because you really need to just sit back and enjoy the story of ‘the words’ as it unfolds, without bothering to find out about the plot. just know that it starts off with a narration from the author of a book during a book-reading, and you can just follow his voice.

it would be quite a trip. a highly-recommended movie.

 

 

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there’s no right word to describe this amazing movie ‘cloud atlas’.

i would say that this movie has a few different storylines set in different timeline, different culture and race, different environment.

…a dying lawyer on a ship rescuing a black slave in the 17th century; love-letters from a classical song composer to his ‘friend’; a feisty journalist racing to uncover conspiracy within a nuclear power plant; an elderly man wrongly-put in a nursing home plotting to escape; a pretty clone rescued by a dashing army officer in futuristic Korea; and an african-like tribe with occasional visits from humans living on another planet in the future.

the only thing that’s constant in ‘cloud atlas’ is the message – that our lives are connected somehow; past, present and future – that our actions affect others, perhaps even in a thousand years ahead. it sounds like a lot of adventures to take in one sitting, but you still try to be in the moment because the stories that were told are so engaging – you want to know how each story ends.

..and THAT’s not the amazing part.

the amazing thing is, the main actors in ‘cloud atlas’ play many parts (most up to 8 roles!). tom hanks, for example, play many different characters in each of the story – be it the hero, or the villain, or just a 2-minute-scene hotel manager. it’s a joy watching such an incredibly talented actor showcase his versatility in the many diverse roles he played in this movie.

some actors even played a different race, or even gender! halle berry played a white jewish woman in one plotline, hugh grant was at one time an evil tribal warrior, and ‘the matrix’ bad guy hugo weaving even played a female nurse in one of the plots.

caution : the movie moves from plot to plot set in different timeline and different characters so you either get lost in the movement of the storyline, or get even more engrossed. i was definitely engrossed. if you’re a tom hanks fan, this is a must-see.

 

 

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this is one scary movie.

what makes the movie ‘the possession’ even more scary to me is how closely i can relate to it – having a lot of ‘dirasuk’ stories exposed in our malay society.

the plot is very simple – a girl found a mysterious box that can’t be opened. and of course, she managed to open it. she hears voices. she begins to eat a lot. too much. always hungry. her voice sometimes changes. she acts weird. and people beginning to die around her.

classic case of being possessed. dirasuk.

it’s no ‘exorcist’, but not bad for scaring people. go see it if you enjoy a nice horror movie with an ending that will leave you with a vision of that rustic box, whispering your name – one syllable at a time.

 

 

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more movies coming up!