Jom Ke Estet!

what a refreshing idea for a movie – a comedy focusing on the indian community, integrating with the malays as workers at a rubber estate. well, as far as malaysian movies mainstream is concerned, i’d say it could be suicide for director-writer mamat khalid to come up with something different such as this movie.

and i applaud his courage and creativity! (lagipun, takde la lain sangat. masih ambil farid kamil jadik hero! macam syarat wajib tayang je sekarang ni – ade je muka farid kamil!)

the story line sounds fun, though i can somewhat imagine a hint of stephen chow’s ‘shaolin soccer’ in it.

a football match between cinta manis estate and red cobra estate stems from an unpaid debt. two young men – a malay (farid kamil, lagi!) and an indian, join forces to fight, with a damsel in distress thrown into the mix – geetha. geetha’s father, subramaniam acts as coach, and this is probably where we’ll see some comical scenes.

 

 

3 reasons to watch this movie :

1. it’s by the talented mamat khalid
2. if you want to see an ‘alleycat’ act as a rubber-tapper
3. this movie probably has the most number of indian actors ever in a malaysian movie

 

a football match between cinta manis estate, and red cobra estate

 

ONE, it’s by mamat khalid, who brought you award winning movies like the awesome black and white movie ‘kala malam bulan mengambang’, the delightfully silly ‘zombie kampung pisang’ (shooting took place at mr. khairul’s kampung, kampung lalang!), and who also co-wrote the epic ‘puteri gunung ledang’. talented, this guy.

TWO, if i’m not mistaken, there are possible cameos by rosyam noor, and beloved 80’s ballad-er, david arumugam of alleycats! you want to see david arumugam rubber-tap in his afro hair-do, then watch ‘estet’! as for rosyam, i bet he’ll be fun to watch in this one!

 

 

THREE, yasmin ahmad put together chinese and malay with jason and orkid’s love story. mamat khalid is trying something multicultural too here with indians and malays, via farid and geetha. very interesting to see how it all turns out.

 

the romantic leads – farid kamil & newcomer jasmin michael

 

there’s even a lesson not to resort to suicide as a last act of desperation. i’m sure there are few other cultural and racial stigmas that he would try to focus on, and depict humorously in this movie.

 

 

i think previously it was jaclyn victor who’s supposed to take the lead role as geetha. what happened, eh? comel jugak kalo dia yg berlakon!

the list of casts (above) for the movie is taken from this site – kind off like the imdb of malaysian movies! click on to read further about ‘estet’. pictures are taken from here. click to see more.

 

 

oh, and also - an indian-inspired movie is incomplete without a couple of singing bits, trees-hugging and rolls in the grass, eh? check out this youtube clip, i guess the original sound track for the movie ‘estet’ – titled ‘ayuh kawan’ by siva, featuring awie.

do wait for awie’s appearance – it’s gonna make you ROTFL. really.

 

Khaleef on Dubai School Bus

much has been written about the ‘past performance’ of dubai school busses – no safety precautions. rude bus drivers. bus attendant who pinches kids’ thigh. and of course, speeding. also, some the kids on the bus can be unruly, and bullying!

however, khaleef had an absolute opposite experience!

alhamdulillah, the bus moved at an acceptable speed, the driver is friendly, the bus conductor is always smiling and the kids on the bus were behaving well. it was an enjoyable bus ride for khaleef, on his first day of school!

yeap. it’s khaleef’s 1st day of school!

 

my handsome boy all grown up!

 

day one started uneventful. which is a good thing!

khaleef had no trouble getting up as early as 6, lounge around watching ben10 while having breakfast, take his bath without any apprehension, dress up in his strapping school uniform, grabbed his school bag and was more than ready to go!

 

khaleef’s school bus!

 

when did malaysia school bus changes color to orange? well, as far back as i can remember, it had always been orange! and that was way back in the 90’s! however, for dubai – only by the end of 2008, dubai school busses must be painted yellow, and the windows tinted or supplied with blinds.

gile lambat kan. haha.

 

khaleef atas bas

 

on his school bus, there are two adults on board – the driver, and the conductor. for kids as young as khaleef, the conductor will go down, escort him up the bus, sit him down, and will do the same when they drop him off after school.

everyone seemed to be behaving fairly well!

 

 

kat dubai pun ada vandalisme jugak atas bas ok! jangan ingat kat malaysia je. hihi.

this sure brings back memories. AAQ bus. TE bus. these are the keramat plate numbers that i must forever remember all through my school years. the chinese uncles who drove the busses are all so lepak and very friendly, especially uncle AAQ (i wonder how he’s doing now).

however, being on a school bus as a school-going teenager, i experienced all sorts – from dangling by the bus door for my dear life in a super-packed bus, to trying not to faint while being in a bus full of sweaty teens on a rainy day with the windows closed! phew!

if you were late to get on the bus, the bus simply leaves (the bus driver assumed that the student had extra-curricular activity)! which means hours of waiting for the public bus at the bus stop in front of the school!

i’m not sure about now, but when i was part of the ‘gang bas sekolah’, it was all about making money. the bus was like a sardine can – packed to the max! i wonder how did i ever survive commuting to school each day?

also an interesting part of taking a school bus – this was where monkey loves blossom!

while the lucky convent girls get to ride the bus with the cute andersonians and st michael boys (because the schools are near each other), we the cute girls from the methodist girls’ school had to accept the fact that we’re sharing the bus with only girls; the raja perempuan girls, and perak girls school. no boys!

oh well, i was a clear-cut tomboy back then, so no exciting stories there. except that, there was this one ‘prince’ who passed me a raya card once…

 

 

fat-forward to the present – there i was, now a mom of three, waiting for my 1st born, on his first bus ride home. by 12pm, it was time to wait for khaleef’s bus to drop him off at our condo.

i was worried – did he cry? was he bullied? did he sit properly? but by khaleef’s expression as he got off the bus, i knew my worries were for nothing! he seemed so okay, and his big huge kerang busuk grin spoke volume of how he enjoyed the trip back home from school.

i must admit, i even felt a slight selfish need for him to at least look monyok because he misses his mak. tapi takde lansung! ceh!

 

* * *

 

only i can pass my wisdom of bus-riding to khaleef. why? because his bapak had absolutely NO experience riding on a school bus. tsk tsk. rugi. tak rock lah. haha. maklum la. budak asrama. duduk kolej melayu pulak tu. haha.

it’s up to me then to share with khaleef all my adventures on the school bus!

A Street-Smart Graduate

131010, sharifuddin’s youngest daughter walked into the UPM hall a humble student, and came out a confident graduate of science computer (networking).

CONGRATULATIONS!

graduating with one of the highest GPA, and already working at one of the country’s leading oil and gas company, she’s making her sisters proud. she’s the one who re-vamped my blog’s layout! she’s funny, she’s nutty – and her loud laughter is infectious. i say it time and time again, she’s not just text book-smart, but street-smart as well!

well done, azi and enjoy this new phase in your life!

“welcome to the real world – it sucks, but you’re gonna love it!” ~monica geller

* * *

next week, that other sharifuddin’s daughter in the picture is going to graduate with a master’s degree, a little further away from home. down under to be precise. the land of kangaroos and joeys to be discreet. deakin university, melbourne to be exact.

and i’ll have another proud moment.

sigh. my baby sisters have all grown up!

Unwanted Clothes : What To Do

saw this at a petrol station in dubai.

 

 

it says there i can contribute

• clothing
• abaya
• kandora
• bed clothes (blankets)
• hand bags
• paired shoes
• towels

*abaya and kandoora are both traditional arabic dresses – abaya for female, and kandoora for male. and ‘paired’ shoes – maybe there are those who threw away only the left side of their shoes? camne orang nak pakai ye? hihi.

i think i have a few old baju kurung that i am willing to part with. they’re old, but still in decent condition. it’ll definitely clear up a huge space in my wardrobe (and make space for new ones, hahaha!). however, i wonder whether they’re willing to wear a traditional dress from another country – to where ever they’re distributing the clothes to.

also, maybe i can bundle up a few of mr. khairul’s old t-shirts too. the boys’ clothes? boleh simpan lagi – kazim can still wear! haha.

 

..but they do not need

• soiled clothes
• pillow
• duvets (comforter cover)
• books
• hard toys
• rug
• carpet

hmm, no ‘hard’ toys – so soft toys as in teddy bears and such are okay? then i’m out of those. my boys’ toys are all tough, hard masculine-toys! haha. if you see any cute-sy stuffed animal lying around the house – it’s mine!

What’s Your Favorite Perfume?

some are crazy about perfumes – knowing the latest brand names, the most popular scent, and even collect the bottles. these people probably have 5 or so perfumes that they use interchangeably, daily.

some probably has two – one for day use, and another heavier scent for night use. some prefer a day-to-day wear, and buy a new one only when the previous bottle is empty. that’s me. haha.

these are my favorites through the years – estee lauder’s ‘pleasures’, clinique’s ‘happy heart’, and salvatore ferragamo. ugh, i’m not at all good with describing their scent specifically – but i totally LOVE the scents. suka sangat sangat!

sweet and sexy at the same time, elegant yet light and fun. tak pening!

my mr. khairul – i’m always in love with his paco rabanne’s ‘ultraviolet’ scent because it reminds me of the first time we met! other than that, whatever he uses is fine by me! grrr.

* * *

what started me writing about perfumes was getting these locally-made perfumes from mr. khairul. yeap, made in the united arab emirates!

it really emits the traditional arabic fragrance – and bak kata mr. khairul, you spray this perfume while wearing abaya, and it’s perfect! hihi.

ajmal perfumes is a brand that means "most beautiful" in arabic. it’s a brand with a rich heritage and over 56 years of experience and know-how in the intricate art of perfumery. it was founded by ajmal ali in the early 1950's.

i’m normally not into this classic arabic scent – it’s too musky for me, bau kuat sangat. however, the scent of ‘sacrifice’ is really nice. softer, and light.

to describe the scent better, i wish i have the ability to identify what exactly the scent is like, and compare it to an existing brand – whether it smells more like channel, or jean paul, or christian dior.

but i’m really a buta-perfume! what smells nice, smells nice! asalkan tak bau pening, regardless the brand, or whether it’s an old collection!

* * *

incidentally, mr. khairul just came back from cairo, egypt and bought me another ‘arabic scent’! however, in spite of its less appealing appearance and cheaper-looking box, this small bottle of perfume has a much more interesting story behind it.

mr. khairul went to the a dark-lookin store just beside the pyramids, looking for souvenirs, when a man approached him, and asked him to buy this ‘special’ perfume. he said its scent is inspired by cleopatra’s scent – a seductive scent that she used, to lure some of the most powerful men in the world!

“you ask your wife to wear the perfume…” and the rest is history…the perfume dude also said many other things – involving something about crazy horses – don’t ask!

anyone wants to try a dab of this perfume? *wink wink*

Song Dedication From a Husband

speaking as a wife – i enjoy your company, i appreciate the shoes and bags, i love the dining out, and i appreciate the money spent to clothes the kids, put roof over our heads, and put food on the table. but sometimes…sometimes…i get these little moments that take my breath away.

today is the 10th day of the 10th month of october, 2010. a special number, yes – 10.10.10! and you took my breath away with this dedication!

sigh!

‘Just The Way You Are’ by Bruno Mars

Oh her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shining
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful, And I tell her every day
Yeah I know, I know
When I compliment her, She wont believe me
And its so, its so
Sad to think she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me do I look okay
I say

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

Her lips, her lips
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh
She hates but I think its so sexy
She's so beautiful, And I tell her every day
Oh you know, you know, you know
Id never ask you to change
If perfect is what you're searching for

Then just stay the same
So don't even bother asking
If you look okay
You know I say

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are

thank you, honey. love you sampai kerepot!

Kazim Crawling?

at 6 months plus, kazim pushed himself up in a crawling position for the first time few days ago! yay, kazim! (well, ‘yay’ now but ‘adoi’ later when he started crawling all over the place in cockroach speed!)

 

kazim & big bro

 

 

enjoy the video. i hope 20 years from now kazim can appreciate his mak’s effort to record his milestones!