Tourism Malaysia Event @ Dubai with Tourism Minister Dato' Seri Nazri Aziz

when you live overseas away from kampung halaman malaysia tercinta, any malaysia-themed event is exciting. the crowd, the feel and especially the food! ‘celebrating 1malaysia truly asia’ is the tagline, an event organized by tourism malaysia in dubai, promoting our beautiful nation to the eyes (and pockets) of the arabs! kihkih.

i was so ready for the food and the song and dance!

 

 

me in batik sarong selempang across my chest and mr khairul in batik sarong folded like a tanjak. i think he looks so adorably pahlawan-like. well, pahlawan in a suit! we didn’t come like that – everyone who came for the event got these complimentary batik! with only one rule – you must wear them like this! haha.

 

this was earlier when we just arrived and mr. khairul browsing batik.

 

awesome photobooth outside the hall where people can get their picture taken against the backdrop of tourism malaysia, and then get that picture printed for you FOC to take home as souvenir. cool!

 

pretty dancers awaiting the arrival of tourism minister dato seri nazri aziz.

 

 

inside the ballroom before dato seri nazri aziz arrived. behind me, in colorful baju melayu johor; a fantastic band of traditional musicians belting out classics. oh the atmosphere was amazing with songs like ‘joget pahang’ and many more traditional songs. feels like home! so festive!

 

the crowd started to pour in while we waited for dato seri nazri aziz. seats and tables began to fill up and we were just so excited to watch the show. but first, lemme take a picture huhu.

 

 

the incomparable mahadzir lokman was the MC, and that’s when i know this is one HUGE event that malaysia is bringing to dubai! no matter how long he’s in the business, and how many thousands of events he has done, mahadzir lokman was still very relevant and fresh, highly entertaining, very professional yet can still steal a few cheeky moments to joke with the crowd. he is truly malaysia’s best master of ceremony!

 

tourism minister of malaysia, dato seri mohamed nazri aziz. promoting malaysia to the arabs. hmm, not enough arabs hanging around suria klcc and pavilion in the summer, eh!

 

 

i only have a few pictures, and it SO doesn’t do justice to the myriads of colorful shows, wonderful dances and costumes, and catchy songs presented on stage. i was SO very proud to be a malaysian. to come from this humble country that is truly ASIA. we are so rich in history, culture and customs. there are so many things to see, enjoy and appreciate for the tourists.

 

on the big screen next to the stage, was a description of the dances presented on stage, not only for the benefit of the foreigners watching, even for this particular malaysian as well! i’m learning too especially the dances from sabah and sarawak. amazing malaysia!

 

we were also shown a breathtaking video ‘the essence of asia’ with a beautiful background song by our very own malaysian singer yuna. such an engaging clip showcasing mesmerizing sights of malaysia, and the beauty that is calling world travellers to visit. yuna’s dreamy voice just brings out the best in each shot. the whole video is so hauntingly beautiful; making me feel so so proud to live in such a beautiful place. i was even stealing glances at the non-malaysians and pak-pak arab to catch their reaction watching the video. so proud! click here to watch the video.

the video, promoting ‘visit malaysia year 2014’ also won the prestigious gold award for promotional travel video under the marketing media category.

 

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“hmm…lawa tie!”

 

oh, did you know that tourism minister of malaysia dato seri nazri aziz is a proud product of the malay college kuala kangsar? the unofficial rep of MCOBA (malay college old boy assoc) dubai hehe mr khairul donned the sacred mckk maroon tie to the event and had a small reunion with this famous old boy, along with another koleq old boy in dubai bro nizalman. 

 

 

mckk old boys : dato seri nazri aziz v71, bro nizalman v90 and kay v96

 

with tourism malaysia dubai director mr mohamad taib ibrahim, mr khairul, dato seri nazri aziz and malaysian ambassador to UAE dato anwar adnan.

 

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the final number ends with a bang! i was thoroughly entertained. amazing, amazing show! the talented all-smiling dancers represented beautiful malaysia really well. *standing ovation* (lepas buat show ni depa sume mesti pakat pi dubai mall shopping kan. koman-koman pi naif borong abaya kihkih).

 

 

the dancers with mahadzir lokman. malaysia, truly ASIA.

Pajama Party & Storytelling @ Kahfi’s School

every year the school organized a storytelling session, and the kids come to school in their pajamas. adorable! cant get any cuter than that? it can! they were also asked to bring a favorite plush toy. so kahfi brought his favorite stuffed toy, those monster fly-buddies we get complimentary when we fly emirates.

(yes, kahfi, if you’re reading this when you’re 20, you once HAD a favorite fluffy toy. he was yellow and weird looking, and you call him puppet. once kazim spilled milk on it, you were upset and asked mak to wash it. i just threw it in the washing machine – its faced was splat against the clear washing machine lid, and looked really creepy. haha. and yes, you sleep with that yellow, pink-nosed puppet. true story.)

 

kahfi wore his favorite buzz lightyear pajamas and his favorite fly-buddy.

 

the teachers collaborate and staged a cute, simple story of the gingerbread man. there were a lot of repetitive lines from the story so that when the kids do it, they can easily memorize the lines. after the kids had their turn trying out the short play, it was the parents’ turn! most parents were reluctant – ye lah, mesti la malu-malu sikit, takkan nak melompat terus kan haha. however, i always tell khaleef and kahfi to participate actively in class – put up your hand, ask questions, be the first to answer, be part of the conversation – so i immediately volunteered, to prove my point. get in there, moms! get involved, dads!

walk the talk!

 

 

..and so i was the moo cow. mooooo~ hihi

 

 

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parents can also enjoy the stories. naturally, most of them busy snapping photos. haha.

 

  

 

this is a fun initiative by the school because 1) the kids can enjoy an evening of story-telling, 2) they can watch their teachers in a lighter environment acting out the story of gingerbread man, 3) they have fun with friends in a more casual setting, and later act of the gingerbread man together, and of course 4) parents had the chance to goof off and put a smile on the children’s faces when it’s the moms and dads’ turn to act!

also, there was a fee to join this storytelling session, and all the proceeds go to charity. kudos to the school!

Frozen Yoghurt Menchie’s With Beach View

there are a few awesome ice-cream shops around JBR (jumeirah beach residences) but none of them a complete frozen yoghurt place, until ‘menchie’s opened just around the corner at ‘the beach’ JBR near the cinema.

 

the theme color of the whole place is so attractive and really inviting. sweet pink and fresh green!

 

if you’re used to make-your-own-cup of frozen yoghurt (my favorite is tutti fruti, click here for my review) then you don’t need further instructions! i love that they have a lot of choices from plain yoghurt, the classic chocolate to all sorts of fruity flavors.

 

 

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and of course, you’re presented with an eye-popping toppings of sorts – all kinds of nuts, chocs and marshmallows and gummi bears. you take your pick! just remember, like at tutti frutti, you PAY for what you TAKE, after the weigh-in.

 

 

 

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and oh my – syrup for the taking! take all you want! the idea of peanut butter was a bit iffy to me. does it go with frozen yoghurt?

 

my youngest boy kazim enjoying his big cup of menchie’s frozen yoghurt. VERDICT : with cute color combo, excellent location and wide choice in flavors and toppings – to me, menchie’s frozen yoghurt itself was NOT good. why? there are icy bits. plain and simple. the frozen yoghurt was not silky smooth. it’s got frozen bits and just unpleasant in the mouth. sorry menchie’s, but i will stick to tutti frutti or pinkberry. click here to read about my comparison between yogen fruz and pinkberry. i compare on prices and choices of toppings but both fro-yo is of excellent quality. delicious!

unlike in menchie’s!

 

did i tell you about the excellent location? i mean, just look at that view! more than words!

 

  

me enjoying my mediocre frozen yoghurt with my boy kazim. i hope it was just a glitch that day for menchie’s frozen yoghurt to be THAT unpleasant. because it’s just walking distance from my place, and with the awesome location, i might just drop by to give it another chance.

Sleek Sushi Art by French Chef Joël Robuchon

most beautifulestest (that’s how amazed i am!) sushi i've ever seen (and i dont even like sushi). full stop.

apparently this particular sushi platter that we had is a creation of french chef joël robuchon, which contributes to the ‘art’ factor! chef joël robuchon is one of france’s most famous and skilled michelin chefs, with fine dining restaurants across the world, cook books and multiple awards. (‘michelin stars’ are the ranking system of fine dining restaurants).

this classy japanese restaurant is at ‘the beach’ JBR. the interior is really simple but sleek, and you can sit inside in the comfort of air cond or (it’s no sea-view) you can still enjoy the salty sea air outside. going to a chain with a michelin chef as its main head certainly begs a LOT of expectations :

 

this is called the ‘joël robuchon box’ – comprised of three different vibrantly creative sushi. (it’s important to note that we had this in may last year. however, at the time of writing, chinese new year is a few days away which explains their ‘main box’ having completely different sets of sushi with names like ‘fire roll’ and ‘dragon roll’, in line with the chinese new year theme. please ask if they still have these!)

 

spring roll crispy lobster – lobster, banana, cucumber, yuzu and mango sauce, wrapped in soy paper. did you read right? yeap. it includes banana. again, weird for me but so groundbreaking for mr khairul!

 

this is one wacky creation called ‘hawaiian roll’ with shrimp, basil, avocado, salmon, kiwi and yuzu mango sauce. mr. khairul who loves to try as-weird-as-it-can-get type of food, obviously fancied this one. me – i love mango, i like kiwi but on a sushi? naah. for those adventurous ones, like mr. khairul, the unchartered territory of fruit plus sushi is mind-blowing. but for a simple ol me, the taste does not add up. not a fan.

 

this platter of 3 types of sushi also comes with 2 scallop nigiri (blowtorched) with saikyo miso sauce. now i kinda enjoy eating this one. it’s tasty!

 

saving the best for last, (for me) the 'spicy ebi roll' with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, purple potato chips, yuzu sauce and kosho. now this is truly a burst of flavor and texture! i love shrimp tempura on its own to begin with, and that is why i love this sushi. shrimp and tuna go so well together and that crispy purple potato chips and tempura contributes to the different texture. i would order THIS one on its own.

 

edamame bean of course. with a pinch of salt to elevate the taste.

 

for a place so classy, owned by a michelin chef, the miso soup is surprisingly NOT ridiculously expensive. i’ve been to a japanese restaurant where the simple miso soup is aed18! at sushiart, it’s only aed10.

 

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i love the minimalist decor. simple, probably too plain for some – but then again the arty colorful sushi should be the star of the table!

 

    

      

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we didnt finish the sushi – with 2-3 pieces left, and this was how they packed our leftover sushi. so cute! macam door gift kenduri kawen. and on the left is the small pack of wasabi and the most adorable soy sauce bottle.

 

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the joël robuchon box is pricey but totally worth it for a true sushi fan. it’s like the godiva of sushi – not because it’s more expensive, but because it’s more vibrant! not only put together by a master french chef, but each is so incredibly creative, well-thought in taste, color and texture. truly a party of sushi gone wild.

Majlis Bersama Rakyat : Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin @ Dubai

deputy prime minister of malaysia tan sri muhyiddin yassin spent an evening with malaysians in dubai over malaysian delicacies which includes nasi lemak daun pisang and such. this was not his first visit to dubai, and i myself have met him before when he joined paklah’s entourage to dubai in 2008. at that time, he arrived for the dinner much earlier than paklah and went around shaking hands. he was the one who approached the rakyat. he came from right behind me, and i was so surprised the it was tan sri muhyiddin yassin sneaking up behind to say hello. if you ask me, tan sri muhyiddin yassin is very approachable and all smiles! he’s alright!

 

 

the usual malaysian buffet spread – nasi goreng, meehon goreng, lauk-pauk, kambing tergolek and such!

 

 

nasik lemak daun pisang was the hot stuff that day!

 

 

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meeting tan sri muhyiddin yassin was okay haha, but catching up with these msian in dubai ladies was even better! always fun berborak with these akak-akak, all pretty and dressed up for the occasion.

 

    

mr. khairul was exceptionally pleased to see the then MCOBA prez (malay college old boys assoc) tan sri mac v62. with them was otai dubai bro nizalman v90. and of course little adik khairul is v96. shared laughter and old tales. as usual. hmmph. huhu.

 

an excerpt from berita harian about DPM’s visit to dubai. can you spot mr. khairul in the front crowd? haha.