Walks of Life

It's been so long

2009-06-14T16:12:00.002+08:00

Wahhhh.....lama giler tak update blog nih. Penuh dengan sawang labah-labah.

Hari ni pun still malas sebenarnya tapi rasa nak menulis. Malas cakap omputih, so aku tulis Melayu jek laa...

FYI, aku la ni dah keje balik. Kat mana? UTM. Kenape? Sebab suka aku la nak keje balik!
Mauahahaha..

Sebab tu ler lama tak berupdate rumah nih, sebab aku teramat-amat la busynya.

Jawatan aku kat sana ialah sebagai Pegawai Promosi dan Perhubungan Pelanggan. Pergh..bunyi cam gempak gitu, ahahaha... ringkasannya keje aku nih selalu kena keluar dan berhubung dgn ramai orang. Agak memenatkan, but so far I like my job lah. Yang penting, fulus masuk ujung bulan..tu yg penting. Hehe..

Ok..adios!

Our 9th Wedding Anniversary

2009-03-25T09:13:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, 24th Mac 2009 was our 9th wedding anniversary. How time flies *sigh*... Nevertheless, Alhamdulillah...thank you God the Almighty for giving us the most wonderful and blessed life together. We've had problems, we've had our ups and downs, but Alhamdulillah, so far we have been able to face everything together. It takes a lot of patience, both for me and him.

Dear hubby and I have different personalities. He loves the outdoor, football and fishing especially, but I love indoor, cooped up with my books and my laptop. He loves adventure, but I'm the timid ever cautious type of person. He's a quiet person, prefer to think rather than talk..but I'm a bubbly person..non-stopped talking. Hehe..But we try to find our common ground. While he watches football, I will sit beside him and do my reading. Sometimes our fingers entangled together with both our children sleeping on our laps. And when he goes fishing, I will be at his side too, but with my books of course :)

I know we still have a long long way to go, Insya-Allah...but I just hope that the happy and blessed life we have now will remain this way. I hope both of us are tough enough to go through whatever tests that will be coming along the way. I pray that our life together will always be blessed by Allah the Almighty and may our love remains strong both in this life and hereafter, Insya-Allah...Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin.

Enough of that ramblings...so yesterday I had another reason to bake! Hehehe... Dear hubby is not someone very fond of cakes though..he prefers the simple and plain type..no icing.. So, I baked a banana cake, and then wrapped it with white fondant. This is my first attempt ever to cover a cake with fondant. Hmm..had quite a 'tiring' time and had to get help from my mom when covering the cake with the big layer of fondant. Printed an edible image of our wedding pix, did some simple deco with chocolate ganache and walla...our cake is ready! :D

Happy 9th Wedding Anniversary for me and my hubby :D

Happy Birthday Ibu

2009-03-16T16:46:00.003+08:00

Seems like birthday occasion will always be the reason for me to update the blog. Hehe..LOL

Yesterday, 15th Mac, was my mom's 67th birthday. Since my dad passed away, we have never celebrated her birthday. No cakes, no birthday song. Just a simple wish from us. But since it's been almost 5 years, and mom has been quite happy these days (able to control her emotion better), I decided to bake her a cake. (Well..just a good reason for me to execute my hobby, eh? Hehe..). My little family stay together with my mom, apparently I can't do the baking behind her. So, early in the morning I just wished her and that's it. I just make a 'muka toya', like nothing will happen.

After lunch, I started my baking operation. This is quite normal to my family as baking has been a routine for me these days. I decided to make one of Chef Alex Goh's chocolate cake, and tried my hand on moulding flowers from gum paste. Made some lilies, simple roses and simple star flowers. I left my laptop on, hoping that my mom will spend her time surfing. (Yes, my mom surfs the internet, hehe..I frequently find her blog-hopping, or visiting her favorite websites, and lately I found her surfing online shops...haihhh...aku ajar sikit aje..makin terror lak dia..aiyaa).

Secretly I decorated the cake, light a candle, turned off the lights...and when everything is done, I gathered my kids..and me, dear hubby, the kids and Bibik brought the cake to her while singing her a birthday song. :) My mom was so surprised, but I know she was very very happy. It warmed my heart to see her smile so brightly. I miss that smile! And I know she appreciated my effort. Usually my mom only eats plain cake (non-decorated cake). But she finished up her slice of cake..(which is coated with thick chocolate ganache)..and this morning, she ate another slice! Wahhh...I'm feeling very very very happy.

Ok..Ibu, if you are reading this (yes, I know you read my blog, hehe..), just know that we love you very very very much! All of us...Intan, Zul, Harith, Hannah, Abang Nol, Kak Liza, Dian and Hafiz...Eventhough we can never replace Ayah, but we will try to make you happy. I know I might be a very stubborn, naughty, and sometimes mulut laser daughter, but one thing is clear..I LOVE YOU IBU! MUAHHHHSS!!!!!

Happy Birthday Honey

2009-02-23T22:01:00.003+08:00

Today is dear hubby's birthday. He's 34 today :)

As the global economy is not in a very good condition, ahaks..so the presents have to wait. He's not someone into presents anyway. For him, birthday is just a number. He never bother to make a big deal out of birthdays.

But me...errr..for me, birthday is important. It's been that way in my family (I mean, my 'original' family - my parents and my bro) for as long as I can remember. So, I came up with an idea how to celebrate his birthday without having to spend too much.

As I love baking and I still have lots of bake stuffs at home..hm..yeah..you got it right..so I baked some cakes! Hehe..again, they were steamed cupcakes but now with chocolate flavour. As dear hubby is a HUGE fan of football, particularly Arsenal, I came up with a football theme. I spent the whole morning doing the deco. (The cakes were done earlier during weekend, but I kept them hidden from him). Fortunately dear hubby went to the office early today. So after I've finished the deco, I called my hubby's assistant, Nazruddin, who is also a family friend (err..kind of..as Din's father and my father were childhood friends) and asked him to collect the cupcakes at the guard house and arranged for a small gathering of friends and surprised dear hubby. Fortunately Din agreed. So at 2 p.m., my mom and I went to Rapiscan Systems to deliver the cake. I had to drive very slow as the rain was pouring heavily. Didn't want to mess the deco. Hehe..

Anyway, Alhamdulillah...I managed to fulfill my dream of giving dear hubby his football theme cake. I've dreamt to do that eversince I'm active in the baking world (which is really only a few months, hehe..). Alhamdulillah..I consider the deco was quite beautiful, considering I'm only a beginner. This is only about the 7th time I've done cake decorating. Hahaha... So, below is the cupcakes, lovingly baked and passionately decorated by a wife who loves her husband very much. Cewahhhhhhhhhhh...ahaks.

To my husband, Zulkifli bin Othman....

Happy birthday Honey...May you have many more happy years to come, may you be showered with God's love and rezki. I love you!

Way Back Into Love

2009-02-16T17:25:00.003+08:00

As promised, an entry about this song. You can hear the song in my playlist that I've just added.
I really love that movie..and I really loveeeeeeeeeee that song! I never knew Hugh Grant could sing...and he does have that voice! Wahlauu...IMHO, that guy is good looking as well as has a nice voice.

Way Back Into Love
by Hugh Grant And Haley Bennett

I've been living with a shadow overhead
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I've been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past
I just can't seem to move on

I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need them again someday
I've been setting aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
Oh oh oh

I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine
I've been searching but I just don't see the signs
I know that it's out there
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere

I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Not somebody just to get me through the night
I could use some direction
And I'm open to your suggestions

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart again
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end

Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration
Not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I can't make it through without a way back into love
And if I open my heart to you
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do
And if you help me to start again
You know that I'll be there for you in the end

Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh
Oh oh oh

Hmmmm......I'm quite lost right now...blur..stone..stuck...
Please...guide my way back into love?

Who wants to love me? Angkat tangan!

Lalalalalala.......

Tag by Fazid pulakkk

2009-02-16T09:26:00.006+08:00

I got another tag today by my friend Fazid who's currently living in Brisbane,pursuing her dreams. Aihh...mementang la aku nih minah leleh sket, ko bagi aku tag romantik ek..hehe..ok..layannnzzzz

Please copy the following rules in your post (as usual)
1. You have to point out 5 romantic movies that you would love to share with your loved ones..
2. It doesn't have to be in order.. as long as you love the movies, it will be fine..
3. You have to tag another 5 person to answer this tag
..................................................................

I'm in a rajin mood today, so elaborate sikit. :)

1. GHOST - the first romantic movie I've watched. If I was not mistaken, I was in Form 4 when the movie was released. Look at the cover, and you know it's a romantic movie. Tangkap leleh..especially the tanah liat scene..ahaks.. ;)

2. PRETTY WOMAN - my all time favourite..also released when I was still in school. I fell in love with Richard Gere, hehe..I particularly love the scene above..it was so playful and naughty when Richard shut the box and Julia gasped and quickly pulled her fingers.

3. WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING - was released when I was in 2nd year university. Watched the movie with my friends, Gee, Dida and Hazleen. Hazleen was drooling over Bill Pullman, hahaha...

4. MUSIC AND LYRICS - watched this last year at ASTRO. Love the dialogues, but I especially love the song, Way Back Into Love. Will write about the song in my next entry.

5. P.S. I love You - watched this movie last year when dear hubby rented the CD when we were in Los Angeles. I've written an entry about this movie. Memang SURE tangkap leleh punya.

Orait...who's going to be next?

1. Kham
2. Farah Hasliana
3. Sha Hussin
4. AnnDee
5. Sue Samsuddin

This is just for fun..it's ok if you girls don't answer the tag. :)

Tag by Kham

2009-02-14T14:14:00.004+08:00

Alahai..kena tag pulak by Kham...since I got nothing to do, layannnnnzzzzz...:D

1. Go to your photos folder in your computer.

2. Go to the 6th folder of photos.

3. Go to the 6th picture in that folder.

4. Put the picture on your blog and description of it.

5. Invite six friends to join the challenge.

6. Link them in your blog and let them know they have been challenged.

So, here we go...

Picture taken on 16/12/2007 at 6.38 p.m.

Abah was busy washing his Bemmers...abang and adik was busy mengacau.
And Ummi was busy capturing the moment.

Hmm..need I tag anybody? Hmm...takpe la kot..tak semua org rajin wat tag nih. :)

A New Look Again

2009-02-13T16:45:00.002+08:00

I went to my brother's place yesterday. He commented that my blog skin 'is too dull and looks old'. Hehe..He added, "You have been doing jobs for the old people that even your own blog looks old'.

Haihhh..so I spent the whole day looking for a new template. None impressed me. But I had to settle on something!

Finally grabbed this on.

So dear brother, I hope you like this one. Even if you don't like, nyah tak kisahhhh laa...tak kuasa you!' :-D

Petua Untuk Hati

2009-02-12T19:34:00.003+08:00

I got the article from one of the mailing list that I subscribed- Tmn2Syurga. I would like to share with my readers. However, it is in Bahasa Melayu.

Petua untuk Hati

Istimewa untuk hati yang sedang bersedih, jiwa yang sedang berduka, minda yang sedang berkecamuk, inilah petua terbaik buat mengubat resah dan gundah:

Amalkan tasbih, tahmid dan takbir - Inilah petua yang diberikan oleh Rasulullah SAW kepada anaknya Siti Fatimah.

Berdoa - Mohonlah kepadaNya. Ingatlah, doa itu senjata bagi orang mukmin.

Sibukan diri dengan sesuatu - Lakukan aktiviti yang boleh melupakan segala kekusutan seperti perbanyakan membaca al-Quran & pelbagai bahan bacaan, terlibat dengan aktiviti usrah, kemasyarakatan dan sebagainya

Luahkan perasaan anda - Bermacam cara boleh digunakan untuk meluahkan perasaan. Carilah seseorang yang paling anda percaya (sebaiknya yang ada pertalian darah atau orang yang arif dalam agama), menulis diari atau catatan harian, menulis blog dan sebagainya

Senyum - Apabila berada dalam tekanan, cubalah untuk senyum. Senyumlah dihadapan cermin dan lihatlah diri anda yang sedang tersenyum. Ia mampu menenangkan fikiran dan hati

- wallahualam -

" wahai tuhan ku, aku tak layak kesyurgamu ...namun tak pula aku sanggup keNerakamu.........,kami lah hamba yang mengharap belas darimu ........Ya Allah jadikan lah kami hamba2 mu yang bertaqwa......ampunkan dosa2 kami, kedua ibubapa kami, dosa semua umat2 islam yang masih hidup mahupun yang telah meninggal dunia."

Alone

2009-02-12T09:55:00.003+08:00

Dear readers,

Have you ever feel alone?
Quiet....lonely....alone...
Sunyi....sepi....bersendirian...

The children might be screaming...squeeking...fighting...
The room might be full of a crowd
The tv might be on
The radio might be blasting
But yet...
You feel....alone...

Unable to express your feelings...
For no one might be interested to know
Keep them all to yourself
The person that you feel closest to you
Might also be the person that least understand you.

Hmm....
Life is such

Kasih sesama manusia, satu hari pasti ada terasa kecewa
Kasihi Allah, Dia tidak akan mengecewakanmu dan Dia akan sentiasa ada di sisimu

Subhanallah Walhamdulillah Wallaillahaillallah Wallahuakbar

Allah Knows

2009-02-11T10:00:00.001+08:00

When you feel all alone in this world
And there’s nobody to count your tears
Just remember, no matter where you are
Allah knows
Allah knows

When you carrying a monster load
And you wonder how far you can go
With every step on that road that you take
Allah knows
Allah knows

CHORUS
No matter what, inside or out
There’s one thing of which there’s no doubt
Allah knows
Allah knows
And whatever lies in the heavens and the earth
Every star in this whole universe
Allah knows
Allah knows

When you find that special someone
Feel your whole life has barely begun
You can walk on the moon, shout it to everyone
Allah knows
Allah knows

When you gaze with love in your eyes
Catch a glimpse of paradise
And you see your child take the first breath of life
Allah knows
Allah knows

CHORUS

When you lose someone close to your heart
See your whole world fall apart
And you try to go on but it seems so hard
Allah knows
Allah knows

You see we all have a path to choose
Through the valleys and hills we go
With the ups and the downs, never fret never frown
Allah knows
Allah knows

CHORUS (x2)

BRIDGE:
Every grain of sand,
In every desert land, He knows.
Every shade of palm,
Every closed hand, He knows.
Every sparkling tear,
On every eyelash, He knows.
Every thought I have,
And every word I share, He knows.
Allah knows

Attitude Problem

2009-02-10T12:12:00.002+08:00

Kali ni aku nak membebel dalam Bahasa Melayu. Tak kose nak menyusun ayat cakap omputih.

Citenye gini. Tahun lepas, sebelum aku fly ke LA, dlm bulan Julai 2008, aku dah antor 3000 buku ke sebuah agensi keraajaan di negeri Johor nih. 3000 buku tuh 2 titles lah..jadi ada 2 L.O (surat pesanan kerajaan daaa..) yang bernilai agak boleh tahan gak laaa. Aku punya la anto cepat, dengan harapan lepas balik L.A, dapat la bayarannya.

Balik aje dari L.A hari tuh, aku pun called up bos bahagian Kewangan agensi tuh. Dia kata, "Dah anto L.O kat SUK dah..tapi masih lom dapat peruntukan, jadi takde la payment lagi..". Fine..aku pun accept la kata-katanya ittew...kot la orang kat SUK terlebih keje awal tahun kan..tak dapat nak proses L.O aku tuh.

Now dah nak masuk pertengahan bulan Februari, aku call lagi ke agensi kerajaan yang cukup femes dengan tari menarinya itu. Cakap dgn orang yang in-charge antar kat SUK, konon nak follow up dgn sape dia hantar tuh..sebab menurut kawan aku di Pejabat Bendahari, takde masuk pun lagi dokumentasi utk Dwi Imej.

Nak tau apa dia cakap?
"Ooo...saya baru aje hantar ke SUK, kak."

WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTT???? What the hell????

Aku pun ape lagi kan...Mood memang sedia tak baik sejak semalam, dengar camnih lagi la nak meletup. Tapi kusabarkan jugak. Adab orang berpuasa, kena banyak bersabar.

Tanya elok2, "Kenapa baru hantar? Akak dah submit sejak bulan 7 tahun lepas lagi."

Jawapannya, "Ya...L.O tu kena submit dengan SUK bersama dengan bukunya sekali."

Respon aku lak, "Buku2 tu akak dah hantar ke sana sejak bulan 7 tahun lepas tu lagi laa...ada 3000 naskhah dok dalam setor tuh."

Jawapannya, "Ya, saya baru ambil daripada Cik Mat."

@!$#%^#!$&^#$*&!($^!@%$^#$@!^%$&*@!$*!%$#!@&^$*@!(#!^$&!#%$!^@$@#*&!@#*

You know what kind of attitude is that????

Jenis suka amik mudah kerja.
Jenis lembab buat kerja.
Jenis tak reti buat kerja.
Senang cerita, jenis menyusahkan orang.

Macam manaaaaaaaaaaaaa laaaaa bisness orang Melayu tak bungkus, kalau macam gini la gaya attitude pekerja kerajaan???? Sedia maklum, kebanyakan biz Melayu ni mesti nak kena dengan gomen. Nih tah berapa lama pulak aku nak tunggu untuk dapatkan payment.

Tension, frust, kecewa, menyampah, putus asa...macam-macam berkecamuk..serabut kepala hotak aku nih. Tambah lagi dengan beberapa masalah peribadi yang lain.

Dugaan...dugaan...
Sabar...redha...pasrah...
Allah Maha Mengetahui apa yang terbaik untuk kita. Pasti ada hikmah di sebalik semua dugaan ini.

Ya Allah, pinjamkan kepadaku secebis kekuatan-Mu.
Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin.

DBP Charity Sale For Children of GAZA

2009-02-09T20:46:00.008+08:00

My friend, Azura Halid from DBP called me the other day. She informed me that DBP (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka) will be holding a charity sale at Danga Bay's Festive Mall on 9th February 2009. It's for NST's fund for GAZA. So she asked whether I have anything to give for sale. After thinking for a while, I decided to bake some cakes for them to sell. I spent last Saturday and Sunday baking. And below are the results:

Steamed Chocolate Cake Topped With Chocolate Ganache and Chocolate Rice

Steamed Orange Cupcakes Topped With Mix Buttercream Icing Decos

According to Azura, everything was sold out by 3 p.m. (The sale started at 11 a.m.)... Alhamdulillah....I'm so glad that I could do something for the children of Gaza. It may not be big, and it might not make too much difference..but I'm really happy that I was able to do it. Praise to Allah Who has given me the strength and determination to kick the small project.

Anybody interested to order? Hehehe... ;)

Dwi Imej

2009-02-08T23:27:00.003+08:00

I finally created the blog for my business, Dwi Imej.

Dwi Imej is the name of my company, a home-based free-lance graphic design company specializing in paper printing products (i.e: books/newsletters/bulletins/cards/programme books etc.). It was originally created by my late Dad in the year 2000. When I returned to Johor Bahru in 2002, I was pregnant with Harith. Being preggie, I couldn't apply for any job. (My line was Management Information System). Hence, I joined the company. When Dad passed away in 2004, I fully took over the company. I terminated my salesman (I felt I was not confident enough to provide a rice-bowl for a family) and I run the business single-handedly. Of course dear hubby and my Mom were my biggest supporters. And I felt dear Ayah was always there with me too. Dwi Imej has always been a home-based company. So I was lucky to be able to juggle my time freely between my business and being a mom. I feel quite satisfied to be able to be with Harith and Hannah during their early growing up years. :)

Based on the portfolio, I feel that Dwi Imej has been quite successfull. But business has been quite slow lately. Most of the customers are government agencies and it's a known fact about them - they pay very late (still waiting for last year's payment..haihhh).

Anyway, feel free to drop by the blog to view my works. Enjoy... :)

Dwi Imej - http://dwi-imej.blogspot.com

Oh No...Not Again... :(

2009-02-05T12:17:00.003+08:00

It happened...again.

I lost someone who was very closed to me. He was the 'father' that I've known through out my life other than my real father. I remember him taking care of me when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I remember him hugging and kissing me and carrying me to and from the shops, attending to my whining and crying when I was just a small girl. I remember him being the busiest person during my wedding (he was in-charged of the food part) I remember him comforting me when I lost my father. And I remember him advising and guiding me back to the religious way when I was in my darkest hour. He was my uncle, Ahmad bin Haji Hussien, my Dad's brother.

A phone call in the middle of the night is definitely not a good thing. Most of the time it would mean someone in the family is dying or is already dead. True enough, another uncle informed me that Pakcik Amat, as we fondly called him, has died. It took me about 3 minutes to digest the news before I finally woke dear hubby and my mom to break the news. Less than 10 days ago, I met him at his home before my trip to Melaka. Although I knew he's suffering from some unknown disease (he refused to go the hospital), but it never crossed my mind that we would lose him so early. He was only going to be 54 this coming 10th April.

My heart breaks for Cik Idah and their kids. Akmal is supposed to be married this year (I wrote about his engagement in one of my early entry). Hanum is in her final year in Universiti Utara Malaysia. And the youngest, Zihah, is waiting for her STPM result. Just like my Dad, Pakcik Amat passed away suddenly. I mean, they were fit at the time of their death! Well, we know they might be sick, but they were not hospitalized or bed-ridden! In fact both of them went out driving a few minutes before their death. It was so easy breezy for them...Alhamdulillah...but we, the loved ones, it's hard to explain the feeling of being left, without any goodbyes or any warnings. SNAPPED! You are suddenly an orphan or a widow. Having been in their shoes before, I definitely can relate to what they must be feeling now.

Dear readers, please convey Al-Fatihah to my uncle, Allahyarham Ahmad bin Haji Hussien and my Dad, Allahyarham Abdul Rahim bin Haji Hussien.

Dear God, please forgive all their wrongdoings and accept all their good deeds. May Allah blesses their souls. Amin.

Hmmm...I have to brace myself. Anxiety disorder.....grrr...here we go again......Dugaan..dugaan...I know I can go through this. Allah tidak akan menduga hambanya lebih daripada apa yang mampu dihadapinya. Subhanallah...Subhanallah...Subhanallah...

A Short Trip To Melaka

2009-01-27T17:27:00.018+08:00

Hi everyone. Haven't been updating the blog for so long. One main reason = I'm as busy as a bee. Reason of being so busy = being a driver to Harith / resuming my duty as a stay-at-home mom (cooking, cleaning, teaching) / resuming my duty as a business owner to Dwi Imej (which blog is yet to be created....haihh)...meeting customer, printing dummy etc. / promoting my new venture (Hannah Edible Image) which has received a few orders since its launching almost 2 weeks ago...and the list can go on and on.

Thanks to CNY celebration, I managed to catch my breath this week. Harith is having his school holiday for one whole week. Last Saturday, we decided to go to Melaka. My sister-in-law stays there with her husband. We stopped by at my Dad's home in Batu Pahat. So we only reached Melaka on Saturday night. Lazying around the house on Sunday, and only went out to eat at a famous Cendol stall in Bukit Cina. A friend of mine promoted the stall in her blog (unfortunately her blog is in private mode, so I can't point you there). Anyway, my personal opinion, I don't find any speciality with that cendol. I've tasted better (Sorry Sue :) )

The small hemisphere stones behind Harith are actually very very old Chinese tombstones
(from Malacca Sultanate era).

Then we just drove around town without stopping. The latest Malacca attraction, 'Menara Taming Sari' is situated in the town center. Harith wanted to take a ride in it, but dear Hubby refused. Reason, 'The ride is not thrill at all." Hehehe...

Next we went to the Portuguese Settlement. We planned to have our dinner there, because I saw 'Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan' in TV3 and the food seemed so delicious. But unfortunately when we arrived, almost all the food-stalls serve alcoholic drink. So, terus cancelled the plan. We only stayed for a little while, watching the sunset.

On Monday, we went for a camping/picnic at Pengkalan Balak. It's about half-an-hour drive from my sister's place in Taman Merdeka, Batu Berendam. It was quite crowded. Almost all the chalets were fully booked. We managed to find a nice spot and put up our green tent. Earlier in the morning, I've prepared marinated chicken and we had a great time barbecueing at the beach. Harith and Hannah especially, enjoyed themselves making sandcastle and splashing in the water. Actually, Hannah is quite afraid of the ocean. So she clunged to her Daddy's back. While Daddy did the real swimming, she splased her legs too, pretending to be swimming. Hehehe...

My sister-in-law, barbecueing the chicken.

My boy, goofying around with Ummi's camera inside the tent.

The weather was quite hot. The sun was blazing. I forgot to buy sun-block lotion. As a result, my kids had sun-burnt. Arghhhh...what a bad mother I am :( But they didn't care though. They were still actively playing and running around. We stayed till around 7 p.m. I love watching the sunset. I managed to catch a pix of some college boys playing around in the water. NO, I didn't snap the pix because of the boys, hokayyy :D It's because of the 'terjun tiruk' stunt that they pulled in contrast with the sunset background.

Hannah Edible Image

2009-01-14T10:19:00.007+08:00

I'd like to announce that I'm offering the service of edible image printing. For those who don't know, edible images are real-life images (i.e your own pix/cartoon characters) that can be placed on cakes/cupcakes/cookies and are printed by using edible ink and frosted sheets. Please see the sample below:
It's becoming a big hit in Malaysia market now, but it's hard to find places that offer such service. I'm operating from home in Johor Bahru, and I do the printing myself. So rest assured that your images are printed in a Halal-based environment. Customers from outside Johor Bahru are also welcomed. Orders will be posted by Pos Express.

For more information, please visit my other blog:

Hannah Edible Image

I'm very new in this cake deco biz. So any comments are very much welcomed and appreciated. TQ. :)

I'm Flat

2009-01-08T19:36:00.006+08:00

Life has been quite hectic for the past few days. This week, a new era has began for me as well as for my darling son. Harith has started his official schooling life this year. He's in Standard One for both Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar UDA 2 (national school) as well as Sekolah Agama Bandar UDA (religious school).

For the national school, he is in the afternoon session. So naturally, religious school will be in the morning. Currently the day for religious school are only on Monday and Thursday, from 7.15 a.m. till 11.45 a.m. , and for the national school, at 1.00 p.m. till 6.30 p.m., daily. So for Monday and Thursday, it's quite a rushing time for him. The administration of the religious school has informed the parents that they might changed the schedule to daily, but with shorter time range. Maybe it'll be around 8.45 a.m. till 10.15 a.m. I will welcome the change if it's true, because it means Harith will have more time to rest in between two schools.

Harith, in religious school uniform.

Harith, in national school uniform.

At the moment, both me and him are still adjusting to the new lifestyle. But I think I'm the more concern and 'over-acting' one. He still keeps his 'cool' personality...taking everything light and easy. Grrr...(have to blame his dad's gene for it! isk..isk..)

Harith's 6th Birthday

2009-01-07T20:02:00.006+08:00

Last Saturday, we celebrated Harith's 6th birthday. It was a belated celebration. The actual date is on 30th December. We were still in Kelantan then, and we had the 1st celebration over there.

He wanted a car birthday cake. Lightning McQueen from the movie 'The Cars' is his favorite character of all time. So when we were in LA, I bought a McQueen cake pan. He finally got his wish. I stayed up till 3 a.m. in the morning to decorate the cake :) It was very tiring, but it was worth it as I saw his big smile when he woke up and saw McQueen The Cake.

It was only a small family lunch celebration. We didn't invite anybody else except for my brother and his family. So on Saturday morning, I did some cooking and came up with Nasi Minyak, Ayam Masak Merah, Acar Buah Epal and Sup Sayur. My mom cooked Pulut Kuning, Rendang Daging and Bubur Jagung. Only my niece was absent as she had some activities in the campus.

A very happy birthday boy :D

Hello 2009

2009-01-01T11:39:00.001+08:00

Hi all...it's been a longgggggg time.

I'm back in Malaysia...err..since Thursday, 18th December. But I was off to Kelantan on 20th and spent almost 2 weeks there. Now I'm back in JB...flat beat.

In 2 weeks, I covered half way around the world, and Peninsular Malaysia (from Sg. Golok to Selat Tebrau).

**** Yawnnnn****

Just stopping by to say Hi and Hello 2009 and Salam Maal Hijrah 1430 to my visitors.

May all of us have a wonderful and prosperous year ahead, Insya-Allah.

Picking apples and Christmas @ The Grove

2008-12-16T08:27:00.000+08:00

Since the weekend would be our last weekend here in LA, we decided to do something that we haven't done before...apple picking! Dear hubby googled some info and we decided to take a trip to Bakersfield. It's about 2 hours drive, north from here. It's where the Murray Family Farm is located. The kids were excited, and of course so was their mom. Hehe.. So we reached there around 11.45 a.m. Took a hay ride around the farm and then went on for apple picking. It's a farm as well as a fun family park. There's an asparagus maze and me and the kids enjoyed ourselves getting lost in the maze. There's also a big pyramid of dried hay, and a big giant ant park. (Of course it wasn't a real ant). Another attraction that they had was a small farm. Among the animals there were peacocks, chicken and hens, goats, ilamas, sheeps and not to forget, mr. piggie (uiyyuhhhsss..). Anyway, the apples were so sweet and juicy! We could eat as much as we wanted to at the farm and if we want to take them home, we only have to pay for those. So we had our lunch of apples and then bought some percimmons, pamogranade, apples and a blackberry pie.

Going on a hay ride.

On top of the hay pyramid.

Inside Asparagus Maze.

Adik Hannah picking an apple.

Hmm...it's so yummy!

Later on we went to the Farmers Market @ The Groove. We went there previously during Ramadhan. I wrote an entry about the place before. It's to fulfill our promise to Harith to catch a ride on the train. Fortunately we reached there just in time. We managed to catch the last train. Pheww.... We rode on the upper deck and Harith had a blasting time. :)

The Grove was crowded and beautiful!!! Christmas is just around the corner and everybody is out shopping or just having a wonderful time outdoor. There's a big giant Christmas tree, decorated till the very top. The lights were just too marvelous! And there's Santa and his rain deers 'flying' in the air.

See? I wasn't kidding. Haha...

There was also a performance by a group of Santarinas...dancing to the Christmas songs. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good look as it was too crowded.

Just as they finished performing, the snow started to fall down.

Of course, it was machine-made snow. Hehe..Unfortunately, there's no snow here in LA.

Santa Claus was having his workshop here too. Well, actually it's where the photo session with Santa is taking place. Since Harith and Hannah already taken a pix with Santa in Del Amo Mall last week, they had to pass on this (although Harith insisted on taking pix again, but no, this time it cost too much, USD60 per photo!)

Lastly, I finally managed to get a copy of Ann Rule's latest book, Mortal Danger in the Barnes and Noble book store. Weehhaaa...can't wait to start reading it.

Tonight will be our last night here in Torrance. I'm going to miss Los Angeles. So many more things to explore, but so little time. Hopefully, Insya-Allah, we will come back. But till then.................Goodbye America and Hello again Malaysia.

Belacan Grill and Beverly Hills

2008-12-16T07:54:00.001+08:00

Last Saturday, dear Hubby brought us to 'Belacan Grill'. It's a Malaysian restaurant located here in Redondo Beach. We've passed this restaurant a couple of times, even stopped once last year, but it was always closed. So, after checking their website and making sure of the hour, we decided to have our lunch there.

As soon as we stepped inside the restaurant, the familiar smell of Malaysian food greeted us. Fooh...menusuk kalbu wa cakap lu. And the interior were all too familar. A red beca sitting in a corner, a wau bulan hanging on the wall, a number of rattan and mengkuang weave baskets, a big poster of tourism Malaysia etc etc. And the food...ahhh...I can't get enough reading the menu. I thought of ordering everything, hehe.. Finally we settled on steam rice, seafood tomyum, belacan fried rice, mango shrimp, a mix sate set, and cendol.

Our verdict..hmm...OK laaa....not as yummy as we expected. Dear hubby said, I cook better, hehehe... TQ dear, yes...I think so too ;) But it did keep me full until late at night. Anyway, one of my big dream is to have my own restaurant preferably in oversea. So, seeing a Malaysian restaurant here in LA gave me some ideas on how I want my restaurant to look like. Ceewahhh...ahaks!

After that, we thought of going to Downtown LA, wanted to get a few knick knacks for people back home. Unfortunately hubby took a wrong turn, and we ended up driving in circles, but fortunately we ended up in a familiar neighborhood which we have been to last year....Beverly Hills! Parked our car and took the kids for a stroll along Rodeo Drive. All the famous brands (and the incredibly unbelievably crazy price tags). But one brand made me feel proud to call myself a Malaysian. Check out the pix below.

Yes, it's the boutique of Dato' Jimmy Choo...our own Malaysia-born international designer. Stepped inside...and wow...I think his brand is in line with Versace, Prada or even LV. The designs of his shoes, handbags, wristlets, boots are all so exquisite. Thought of buying a wristlet, but after taking a peek at the tag...no thankyou lah. A small wristlet cost USD 750!!! So don't ask me the price of the handbags or the shoes yeah.

Rodeo Drive at sunset. Notice the road lights? Those are chandeliers kept in crystal boxes. Chandeliers eh....huhuhuhu....well, what do you expect, it's the RODEO DRIVE!

For those who doesn't know, Rodeo Drive is where Julia Robert's character in Pretty Woman went shopping. It's THE place for shopping. Think of any luxury brand you can think of, and you'll find them here. Heaven!
And as usual, being Coach's latest fanatic, I couldn't resist the urge! Did I get anything? Ahaks...ahaks.. ;)

Later we went on a drive around the neighborhood. Unfortunately it was already dark. We were here:
Yes, we were in Bel Air! I could see big gates and big driveways and I'm sure inside there are the big mansions. I know some of them belongs to well-known names here in Hollywood. And the mansions...ahhh...I so wish....when can we afford to have such luxuries? Haihhhh......

What's up, Doc?

2008-12-13T13:59:00.001+08:00

Well, since nobody gives any feedback, I shall keep the skin till the day I feel like changing again (which might be soon, haihhh). Actually, I just love searching for any blog skin and apply them here. And then, I would try to edit those HTML to suit my taste. It just reminds me of my programming days. Hmm...can you believe that I'm actually missing those days??

Anyway, what's with the title you might ask. For the past one month, it just seems like somebody I know or somebody that knows somebody I know (errr...do you get that?) are either sick, or have been involved in an accident or dead. Ok..let me go through this:

1. About 3 weeks ago, my only brother in this whole wide world, called me in the middle of the night to inform me that he had been in an accident in Kedah. He's alright (Thank you God) but problem is, he was driving my Kembara. At that time, he thought that the damage was not too serious, but after evaluation by the insurance company, they concluded that it was beyond repair. Seems like the spare parts needed are too expensive, hence it's better off to scratch yard. Arghhh...I didn't even get to say goodbye to that car.

2. 2 weeks ago, when we were in San Francisco, my sister-in-law called to tell dear Hubby that she and her husband was involved in an accident in Malacca. It was a bumper to bumper accident. Thank goodness she who is 7 months pregnant are alright.

3. 1 week ago, we received a call that my brother-in-law was involved in an accident. He was on his way home from his grave-yard shift (no, he doesn't work in the grave yard, I meant he was working on the night shift) when he bumped into a trailer. (yeah, he bumped into the trailer, not vice-versa, hehe..) Thank goodness he was OK, although he had internal bleeding in the mouth and the doctor had to cut his cheek in order to stop the blood.

4. 3 days ago, I received an email saying that a friend of mine in Sarawak has lost her father. Al-Fatihah to Ayahanda kepada Dayang Kartinah. I'm not sure whether he was sick or met an accident or whatever the cause was. (Do death even need a cause?)

5. A few hours ago, I chatted with Shasha who's getting her PhD in Norway. She said she was in Kuala Lumpur because her father had suddenly collapsed after Hari Raya Haji and now is in coma. He's currently in ICU, Hospital Selayang. I pray for his speedy recovery.

6. Oh..and if you have been following my blog, you'll remember I mentioned another best friend of mine, Dida, who's mother has been diagnosed with gall cancer. I also pray for her speedy recovery. Last time I heard from Dida, there has been some good progress. Alhamdulillah.

7. About 3 weeks ago, my best friend, Gee, said that her childhood friend was in a coma. The diagnosis was unknown then. A few days after she told me the news, that childhood friend died. Because of meningitis. She had 2 kids. The eldest is the same age as Harith and the second one is only 1 year plus (who is still breastfeeding). Although I didn't know her personally, it was heart-breaking.

Now, isn't that quite a list?

And for the past 5 years, I've lost a Grandmother, a Father, 3 Aunts and 1 Uncle.

Phew...what a list!

I've reached an age where I keep receiving news of deaths or sickness.

Yesterday, I chatted with some of my good friends. One of them was saying something quite eerie.

"Nak ke, taknak ke, kena terima jugak. Nasib masing-masing tak tau. Kot2 kita jalan dulu, macam abang aku, dah jalan dulu, tak tunggu turn pun."

Translation: "We have to accept this whether we like it or not. We don't even know our own fate. We might go first. Such the case with my brother, he went first, didn't even wait for his turn (by age)"

How true. Question is, are we ready to go?

New Look

2008-12-11T10:33:00.000+08:00

What do you think of the new skin? Feedback please.

Oh..and another thing, a few weeks ago, I chatted with a friend whom I haven't seen for quite some time. She said she is a silent reader of my blog and have been visiting religiously without fail. Huh..I had no idea my blog will have such reader. So, those of you who has been visiting me, please drop a comment. (And that include you, Yati, hehe..)

Thank you.

Just feel like blogging

2008-12-11T03:14:00.000+08:00

A few stuffs are already packed. Some are still lying around, waiting for the boxes that dear hubby has yet to buy. (grrr...I hate reminding him time and time again). For the past 4 months, we got quite a bunch of things without us realizing it. Remember when I said America has it all? I wasn't kidding Our stuffs are the result of E-Bay, flea market, factory outlet, yard sale and tele-marketing. I guess that's why dear Hubby doesn't want us to stay here for good. But hey, I'm not the only one who did the shopping ok. Who shopped for that big giant BOSE system? (That will be the biggest box of all.) Certainly not me! ;)

On a different note, my anxiety disorder is back :( Normal I guess, for I've been under stress lately (refer to my previous post). Maybe I should do what a friend suggested. Be selfish and arrogant for a change! The dizzyness is back. Short of breath, numbness on my fingers and toes. (The cold weather doesn't help either, sometimes I'm afraid if I'm having a sign of athritis...haihh). I have difficulty sleeping at night too. My eyes are closed but my mind is working over time. I'll be tossing and turning around, sometimes for a few hours after I first lie down. Dear hubby and the kids will be orchestrating their snores, and I'll be envious of them. The Bach Rescue Remedy has not been much help. And neither does drinking chamomile and lavender tea. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH.... I hate when this comes. I keep thinking of dying or getting sick. Problem is, I'm not sick! Well, a slight cold maybe. The whole house is down with cold. I keep reminding myself to be strong and positive, just like Kak Raden in One Breast Bouncing. I try to picture all those cancer sufferers who has practically been given a death sentence, but still, they have the will to fight it and go on with their lives. But most of the time that anxiety disorder part of me wins. Sometimes I fall asleep at 3 a.m., only to wake up at 3.45 feeling choked up and having difficulty to breathe.

I know that I can go through this. That's why I've been given the test. Allah is the Most Merciful. He won't test us with what we can't bear. But sometimes, I do feel that I can't take it anymore.

"Allah, please help me. You are the Most Loving, Most Merciful and Most Powerful. Please cure me of my anxiety disorder. Please give me some peace in my mind and in my heart. Please...help me God. Amin."

Feeling d.o.w.n.

2008-12-07T08:52:00.001+08:00

I'm feeling down.

Both persons are important in my life.
I love both of them very much.
Whether they know it or not, both of them are so much alike.
Dedua degil, dedua super sensitif, dedua keras kepala, dedua tak sedo diri, dedua pentingkan diri sendiri.

And as always, I'm stuck between both of them.
Sana kena dengar, sini kena dengar.

Oh why oh why...why does it always have to be me?
Me who always have to please everybody?
Me who always have to take care of other people?

Dear hubby said that is my gift.
Being able to care for others more than I care about myself.
But sometimes I think that is just a curse.

I feel like running away.
Irony is, I AM away.
And instead of remain being away, I am going back.
Back to the mess and b*llsh*ts.

For the past 4 months, I've really enjoyed myself being with my own nucleus little family.
My own rules. Nobody to bother me.
For the past 4 months, life has been like a fairy tale.
Now, back to reality.

I'm so not looking forward to go home.
Haihhh..... :(

You guys don't understand me, do you?
Never mind me...I just need to ramble here, that's what blogging is all about, right?

Bla..bla..bla..

2008-12-06T09:52:00.000+08:00

Phew...I have finally uploaded all the pictures taken during our Thanksgiving adventure. So friends, if you want to view more pictures, please go to my online photo album. Happy viewing!

We will be going home in about less than 10 days. Our flight will be at 11p.m. 16th December. So I might not update the blog as frequent as before. Many things have to be packed. Kalau tertinggal bukan dekat nak amik wooo. I will resume blogging actively when I'm back in JB.

Deep in my heart, I feel 50% happy and 50% sad.

I'm excited to go back home. I miss my mom, my brother and his family, my cousins, my uncles and aunts (apart from my family, I don't miss anything else in Malaysia :-P) and I can't wait to start on my special project (What is it? Tungguuuuu). Another part of me, I don't feel like leaving Torrance. I realize that America is a land of opportunities. Everything is here. You name it, you got it. Tak puas lagi dok sini laaaa. I so wish that we can stay here for good? I want my kids to have those opportunities that this place can offer. But it won't come true, I guess. My dear husband is a true-blood Kelantanese/Malaysian :-P (Paging for Rapiscan Systems: Can you transfer your Asia Pacific Service Manager here for good? You might want to change the title though...maybe somewhere in Florida or San Francisco will be nice. Hehehe...)

Anyway, here's wishing 'Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha' to fellow Muslims all over the world.

San Francisco - USS Pampanito SS-383 Submarine

2008-12-06T04:36:00.000+08:00

We checked out from Travelodge on Sunday. It's time to head back to Torrance. The cashier gave dear Hubby a pamphlet of the San Francisco Maritime Museum. It is the USS Pampanito SS-383 Submarine, a WWII era submarine located at Pier 45 (again, within walking distance with our hotel), a maritime museum since 1982. Since Los Angeles is only about 6 hours drive from San Francisco, we decided to visit the maritime museum.

All of us were quite excited. We have never been in a submarine, let alone a submarine which has survived the World War II!

A little info on USS Pampanito:
USS Pampanito (SS-383), a Balao-class submarine, was a United States Navy navy ship, the only one named for a variety of the pompano fish (see gafftopsail pompano). She completed six war patrols from 1944 to 1945 and served as a Naval Reserve Training ship from 1960 to 1971. USS Pampanito's keel was laid down by the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine, on 15 March 1943. She was launched on 12 July 1943, sponsored by Mrs. James Wolfender, and commissioned on 6 November 1943, with Lieutenant Commander Charles B. Jackson, Jr. in command.

After shakedown off New London, Connecticut, Pampanito transited the Panama Canal and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 14 February 1944. Her first war patrol, from 15 March to 2 May, was conducted in the southwest approaches to Saipan and Guam. She served on lifeguard duty south of Yap, then scored two torpedo hits on a destroyer before sailing for Midway Island and Pearl Harbor for refit and repairs to a hull badly damaged by depth charges.

Pampanito’s second war patrol, from 3 June to 23 July, took place off Kyūshū, Shikoku, and Honshū. On 23 June, a submerged Japanese submarine fired two torpedoes, just missing Pampanito. On 6 July, Pampanito damaged a Japanese gunboat, and 11 days later headed for Midway Island.

Pampanito’s third war patrol, from 17 August to 28 September, a "wolfpack" operation with submarines Growler (SS-215)Template:WP Ships USS instances and Sealion (SS-315)Template:WP Ships USS instances, was conducted in the South China Sea. On 12 September, she sank 10,509 ton transport Kachidoki Maru and the 5,135 ton tanker Zuihō Maru, and damaged a third ship, which unbeknownst to them was a "hell ship" carrying POWs. On 15 September, she moved back to the area of the original attack and found men clinging to makeshift rafts. As the sub moved closer, the men were heard to be shouting in English. Pampanito was able to pick up 73 British and Australian survivors and called in three other subs, Sealion, Barb (SS-220)Template:WP Ships USS instances and Queenfish (SS-393)Template:WP Ships USS instances, to assist with the rescue. She then set course for Saipan, disembarked the survivors, and steamed on to Pearl Harbor.

Pampanito’s fourth war patrol, from 28 October to 30 December, took place off Formosa and the coast of southeastern China with Sea Cat (SS-399)Template:WP Ships USS instances, Pipefish (SS-388)Template:WP Ships USS instances, and Searaven (SS-196)Template:WP Ships USS instances. Sinking 1200 ton cargo ship Shinko Maru Number One, 19 November, she damaged a second ship before putting in to Fremantle for refit. Her fifth war patrol in the Gulf of Siam, from 23 January to 12 February 1945, with Guavina (SS-362)Template:WP Ships USS instances, was highlighted by two sinkings, the 6,968-ton cargo ship Engen Maru 6 February and the 3,520-ton passenger-cargo ship Eifuku Maru on 8 February.

Refitted at Subic Bay, Pampanito returned to the Gulf of Siam for her sixth war patrol. Operating with Caiman (SS-323)Template:WP Ships USS instances, Sealion, and Mingo (SS-261)Template:WP Ships USS instances, she sighted only one target before sailing for Pearl Harbor.

From Pearl Harbor the ship proceeded to San Francisco for overhaul, departing for Pearl Harbor again 1 August. With the end of the war, she was ordered to return to San Francisco. She was decommissioned at Mare Island on 15 December 1945. She remained in reserve until April 1960 when she was assigned to Naval Reserve Training at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Reclassified AGSS-383, 6 November 1962, she served as a Naval Reserve Training ship at Vallejo, California, until she was stricken from the Navy Register on 20 December 1971.

Pampanito earned six battle stars for World War II service.

You can visit her official website here.

The tour through the USS Pampanito descends into the rear of the sub, and it's actually just a short walk through the compartments. Into the rear torpedo room, the 2 engine rooms that reek of diesel fumes, the eating quarters, the tiny galley, the sleeping quarters, and the forward torpedo room.

It's remarkable on how small the place is within the subs. The inner walls are only a few feet apart. The inside of the submarine is sectioned off into small compartments, all separated by tiny water tight doors. To think 80 men lived for months on end within these cramped quarters takes a bit of visualization. And the smell...arghh..for me who is a bit of a claustrophobic and an anxiety disorder patient, it was quite a task to finish up the tour. But the historian in me get the best. Thanks to my dad's gene who was a History teacher. :)

Have a look at a few snaps inside the submarine.

The torpedo room. Yeah, that yellow and black things are torpedos. KABOOMMM!

We could see hundreds of meters and other sorts of control 'thingy'.

So small!

Gadgets again.

Dining area

Water tight doors between compartments.

The service men.

The tour was an educational one. Especially for Harith and dear Hubby who are interested in anything to do with gadgets, meters and all. Me, I'm just interested in the historical part. Hey, it's the WWII submarine ok! Even my Dad was just a little toddler at that time. For Adik Hannah, it was just a small playground. She had fun going through the submarine, climbing the stairs, lying on the bunk(although that wasn't allowed, of course), hehe..

So if any of you folks happened to be in San Francisco, go ahead and take the trip down to Pier 45. The ticket only cost USD7. But I can assure you what you will experience will worth much more than that.

San Francisco Cable Car

2008-12-05T14:34:00.000+08:00

One of the attractions of San Francisco are the cable car, the street car and the MUNI bus. Harith, (who is a gaga of trains and tramps and whatever that have anything to do with the rails) was obviously so excited when he saw all the cars. So after a little rest and Adik Hannah was all cleaned up and pretty again, hehe..we went out. We went to the Fisherman's Wharf by foot. There's a cable car station over there. The ticket cost USD5 per person per way. Children ages 5 and below are free. We had to stand in a long line before it was our turn (almost one hour!). But it was worth the wait. The cable car took us on a route which practically covers most part of the city.
The cable car's driver (the Sikh man in the second picture above) kindly obliged when I asked him to snap our family pic. We even had a little chat and I was pleased to know that he knew where Malaysia is. Hehe.. Most people know about Singapore and Thailand, but not Malaysia...so that was kind of refreshing.

We walked around the city for a little bit. The city was bright with night-lights. Since it was weekend and just after Black Friday, most stores are still open. Kira happening laaa.

We promised to take Harith on the MUNI bus too. So we took the bus ride to go back to the hotel. In case you're wondering, MUNI stands for 'Municipal Transportation Agency'. This is how a MUNI bus look.
The MUNI bus runs on electric. It has cables and rails all around the city. I think it is very unique and cost-saving. Obviously Harith was really excited. Gosh...two rides in one night! That's too much to handle. Hehe.. The ticket only cost USD1.50 per person.

We reached the hotel at about 9 p.m. Took the car and drove to BangsanThai, a local Halal Thai restaurant. We haven't had rice for the past 3 days and I told dear hubby that we would definitely have to search for a Halal restaurant. I wanted a proper hot meal. No more bags and bags of French Fries. Grrr.... We googled and found the restaurant which was only 6 minutes drive from Travelodge. Alhamdulilah...told you, our hotel was near to almost every destination :-D
I went back to the hotel feeling very satisfied. Phew...the food was marvelous. So for any Muslims out there who are visiting San Francisco, I definitely recommend this place. You can view their website here.

Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco

2008-12-05T13:25:00.000+08:00

Saturday morning, we woke up feeling fresh and excited. Dear hubby and I decided that our first destination would be the historic Golden Gate Bridge. Yeah..you know, that big red suspension bridge with two towers which is a visitor attraction recognized around the world. Surprisingly, it was only about 10 minutes drive from our hotel. From the bridge, we could also view the Alcatraz, one of the most famous prison in the world (no longer a prison now, I think).
From the park, we walked to the bridge. Yes, we are allowed to walk across the bridge. There's a pedestrian walk. I was focusing the camera to snap the pictures of Abah and the kids when suddenly I felt a pat on my shoulder. I was surprised to look up and see a friendly Mat Salleh face asking "Would you like to be in the picture too? I can snap it for you." Of course, happily I said yes. So, this was the picture taken by the kind-hearted Mat Salleh :D

So that was one of the few examples of how friendly an American is. When I first came here, I was quite skeptical on how they would address me, you know....me wearing a Hijab as it has been portrayed that Americans don't respond well to Muslim people (with the 9/11, Osama Laden and all...haihh). But for the past almost 4 months I've been here, I can safely say that I've been treated well and fair. And you won't believe how polite they are! For example, when you're paying for your stuffs at the counter, the first thing that the cashier will say to you is, "Hello, how're you doing?"and before we leave, they will say "Have a nice day, will ya!" with that big bright smiles. Now, tell me if you've ever seen that in Malaysia (yang 'terkenal' dengan adat resam dan budi bahasanya?? Agak-agak pernah tak jumpa cashier yang tanya Apa khabar? Kalau yg muka masam tu banyak la kan) (chuckle)

Anyway, back to the Golden Gate Bridge. Below is some info that I have googled.

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay onto the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and State Route 1, it connects the city of San Francisco on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula to Marin County. The Golden Gate Bridge had the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed in 1937, and has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and California. Since its completion, the span length has been surpassed by eight other bridges. It still has the second longest suspension bridge main span in the United States, after the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. In 2007, it was ranked fifth on the List of America's Favorite Architecture by the American Institute of Architects.

The Golden Gate Bridge spans the Golden Gate, a narrow, 400-foot (120 m) deep strait that serves as the mouth of the San Francisco Bay, between San Francisco at the northernmost tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, and the Marin Headlands at the far southern end of Marin County. Although close by proximity, the two sides of the strait are separated by significant natural obstacles. Crossing the strait directly by boat is dangerous because of strong currents and lack of suitable landings. Ocean tides drive an average of 528 billion gallons (2 billion cubic meters) of water every six hours, at peak currents exceeding 5.6 miles per hour (2.5 m/s). Circumnavigating the Bay, however, involves a trip of several hundred miles and crossing several major rivers.

You can visit the bridge's official homepage at Golden Gate Bridge.

Above is the statue of Joseph Baermann Strauss who was responsible for the building of the bridge. He was the Chief Engineer in charge of overall design and construction of the bridge project. Construction began on 5 January 1933. The project cost more than $35 million. Strauss remained head of the project, overseeing day-to-day construction and making some groundbreaking contributions. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, he had placed a brick from his alma mater's demolished McMicken Hall in the south anchorage before the concrete was poured. He innovated the use of movable safety netting beneath the construction site, which saved the lives of many otherwise-unprotected steelworkers. Of eleven men killed from falls during construction, ten were killed (when the bridge was near completion) when the net failed under the stress of a scaffold that had fallen. Nineteen others who were saved by the net over the course of construction became proud members of the (informal) Halfway to Hell Club. The project was finished by April 1937, $1.3 million under budget.

Below are some snaps taken from the bridge. Look at the amazing construction and engineering. It was built in 1937 . Made me sad to think how far behind our country was in 1937 :(

Unfortunately, the Golden Gate Bridge is also a favorite place for suicide. So much so that now they're having a study on how to prevent the suicide here. The Golden Gate Bridge is the most prevelant place in the USA to commit suicide and one of the most popular in the world. The deck is approximately 245 feet (75 m) above the water. After a fall of approximately four seconds, jumpers hit the water at some 86 miles per hour (138 km/h), which is nearly always fatal. As a suicide prevention initiative, this sign below promotes a special telephone available on the bridge that connects to a crisis hotline.

Later, we crossed the bridge by car and went for a scenic drive in Marin Headlands. The Marin Headlands is a hilly area at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, above the Golden Gate. The Headlands are located just north of San Francisco, immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge. Again, another kind-hearted Mat Salleh offered to take our family picture.

Oh, before we went up there, we stopped at the store. It was lunch time and we were quite famished. So we grabbed some snacks and had lunch on top of the hill while viewing the great Golden Gate Bridge. Haihh...I wish we can do that often. Now, we will have to move to San Francisco if we want to do that, won't we? ;)

We stayed there for almost one hour. Thought of wondering about the city, but then Adik Hannah had some business in the car, hehe.. So we had to go back to Travelodge to finish up the 'unfinished business' of Adik Hannah.

Great Salt Lake and Crossing to San Francisco

2008-12-03T13:42:00.000+08:00

Friday morning. Another day of adventure. Our next destination was San Francisco. It would be another 12 hours drive. We left Best Western around 10.30 a.m. We took the I-80 West highway. It meant we would left Utah, crossed Nevada desert and enter California through Reno. A few miles into the highway, we made a short stop at Exit 104. That was the entrance to view the Great Salt Lake.
The lake is the saltiest in the world after the Dead Sea. As a result, no fishes can survive in the lake. We can only find shrimps there. Too bad for dear hubby. Hehe...I could practically see his brain working out the times to spend if he decided to fish there. It was quite smelly too..the lake I mean. It had some kind of sulfur odor to it. Not sure what it actually was.

After about half an hour, we left the Great Salt Lake and continued our way to San Francisco. Along the way (still in Utah) we could see some factories. I assume those are the salt factories??

The salt area was so huge! When dear hubby researched for the ski area, he looked at the satellite photos. He saw a big white spot in Utah, so he assumed that was the snow. That's how he decided to take us here. But now he thinks that was actually the Great Salt Lake and the dried salt area. Thank goodness Utah turned out to be the most perfect ski spot in America. Hehe..
And so we headed to San Francisco. Crossed over the Nevada desert, and again...the most spectacular, breathtaking views. Since we couldn't go faster than 75 m.p.h anyway, we took our own sweet time. I was glad that the kids were behaving very well. We played in the car, made some jokes, exchanged some laughter, sang some nursery rhymes (Intsy Wincy Spider being their favorite rhyme and yeah, my little princess Hannah has memorized some other rhymes such as Humpty Dumpty, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Mary Had A Little Lamp..I think for a 2 year old, she is amazing....Ummi loves you so much, Hannah!), popped up some quizzes and guessing games. That long drive was one of the best memories forever stamped in my heart :)

We reached San Francisco at about 9.30 p.m. Oh, we booked a room at the Heritage Marina hotel. But when I called to check in, they said they're over booked. I knew they were some kind of scam. I read the bad review of the hotel but dear hubby insisted to book it because of the low rate but good location. Grrr....looked around and luckily managed to get a room at Travelodge At The Bay. It turned out to be perfect. Only a few minutes walking distance from the Fisherman's Wharf which is a great tourist sport. Our adventure in San Francisco will be in another entry. Hmmm...tomorrow perhaps? If I'm still in the mood to blog. ;)

Our Snow Adventure in Salt Lake City

2008-12-03T11:36:00.000+08:00

As I've mentioned before, we went to Salt Lake City, Utah during the long Thanksgiving weekends. We started out from Torrance around 9 a.m. (so much for early start, haihhh). It was a long drive, about 12 hours. We passed through a few states. From California, crossing over to Nevada, Arizona, and then Utah. We had a surprise when we reached Las Vegas. It was raining!!! Not the cats and dogs type, but a really heavy downpour. Dear hubby said it was a record as it has not rained in Nevada for years.

Passing Las Vegas, I can't help but thinking of A-Tom. I was secretly wishing somehow A-Tom will magically come up to our car. You know, just like the movie 'Toy Story' where the toys found their way to their owner? Hehe..pathetic...pathetic... :-P

Anyway, as the days are short, (night by 4p.m.), there's not much to be seen when we reached Arizona. I so wish it was still bright. I could see lines of canyons and rock mountains. Tried as I might to squint my eyes, I still couldn't get a good look. We reached Salt Lake City around 9.30 p.m. (that was 10.30 p.m. Utah time, 1 hour difference from California) and checked in at Best Western Inn. As the kids has had a long nap during the trip, I had to stay up with them. Around 12.30 a.m I managed to get them to sleep, with the promise of a trip to play with snow. So around 7 a.m., Adik Hannah was already up and about, getting ready for her new adventure.

Unknown to us, we were actually very near to the most famous ski spots in Utah. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Utah is well-know for her ski resorts. There's Alta, Brighton, Solitude, Brian Head, Sundance etc etc. We were near to Cottonwood Canyon where Brighton Ski Resort is located. So off we went. It was quite a mountain to climb. We took our time, admiring the scenery as we went up. The view was breathtaking. Definitely not to be find anywhere in Malaysia (ye la kan....dah namanya negara tropika, mana ada snow, haiyaa..). I'll let you see a few snaps.

And then, we spotted the snow.

We decided to make a quick stop. The kids really wanted to touch the snow. (Termasuk la umminya jugak...haha..tak ngaku la pulak)

Then we went further up.
We reached Solitude Ski Resort first. We decided to have a look.

Then, we decided to go further up! Yeah..to Brighton Ski Resort. It was at the end of the road...the furthest you can go at Cottonwood Canyon.

We went to the ski area and snapped some pictures. I wish we could have gone skiing. Unfortunately we didn't know how, and I didn't want any of us to end up in broken bones. There's a ski school over there, but it cost quite a bomb. Furthermore, we didn't have enough equipments: the snowboards, the ski, the shoes etc etc. Sure we can rent them, but again it will cost another bomb. As this is considered a budget trip, we had to make the best of what we could have lah.
We spent about 20 minutes there. We were actually at the foot of the ski slopes. We didn't want to get knocked up by the skiers. So dear hubby and I decided that we would take the kids to the camp site where we could have some privacy and where it was safer for the kids to goof around.

We spent about half an hour playing in the snow. Then, the kids got too cold. So we said goodbyes to 'Diego', our snowman, and made the trip down the mountain. Along the way, we made a few stops at some creeks. I could't help but admiring the scenery. It was really, really, be-au-ti-ful! Amazing! Fabulous! Indahnya alam ciptaan Tuhan. I felt really blessed to be given the chance to witness the spectacular view. Alhamdulilah, my kids got their chance to experience this in their young age. I had to wait 33 years before I could feel what snow is like! Alhamdulillah...thanks to Rapiscan System who had sponsored our tickets here. Hehehehe.....

Then it was time for lunch. But since it was Thanksgiving, all the restaurants were closed. Even McD! We had to go to Walmart and grabbed some frozen meals. Thank goodness there's a microwave oven in our room. Dear hubby and I planned to go out to the city at night. But we ended up sleeping in the evening and woke up around 7 p.m. By that time the enthusiasm to explore Salt Lake City had already faded away, plus Harith was glued to the tube, watching Spongebob so we decided to pass. And it was freezing. Didn't want the kids to catch the cold so we ended up lazying around in the hotel room. Went to sleep early, getting ready for yet another day of adventure.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T15:51:00.000+08:00

Picture credit to Mom to Mom

It'll be a long holiday through the weekends. Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, 27th November 2008. The next day is Black Friday. And then the normal weekends. So, dear hubby will be on holiday from tomorrow till Sunday. Insya-Allah, we will be taking a trip to Utah, Salt Lake City to be exact. It will be quite a long drive, around 9++ hours maybe. So right now, I'm frying some chicken to be taken as our bekal tomorrow. The days are getting shorter nowadays, so if we want to reach there when the sun is still up, we should probably not make any stops.

Anyway, what is Thanksgiving? Normally, when we say Thanksgiving, we will straight away come up with an image of smoking roasted big fat turkey surrounded with all the yummylicious dressing in the middle of a big dining table, surrounded with big happy family. There will also be apple/pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, corn bread, green beans, etc etc etc. Those are traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Sort of like ours ketupat and lemang for Malays, rendang for Minang, burasak for Bugis, sambal goreng for Javanese, errr...now I'm a little bit carried away there...yumm..yumm.. I've been having a blasting time for the last few days watching the Food Network channel. They're having shows after shows of Thanksgiving feast. Learnt lots of recipes and cooking tips.

Thanksgiving is a traditional public holiday here in North America. Black Friday is also a public holiday. Black Friday is when all the shopping malls and factory outlets will be having their Midnight Madness sales. All prices would be slashed down to almost 80-90% of their original price. Woowwweeeee.... (Too bad dear hubby has given me that 'We've already spent too much, honey' look...huhuhuhu). Boleh la yanggggg....??!!??

Anyway, here's some info about Thanksgiving that I've Wiki'ed.

Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, at the end of the harvest season, is an annual American Federal holiday to express thanks for one's material and spiritual possessions. The period from Thanksgiving Day to New Year's Day often is called the holiday season. Most people celebrate by gathering at home with family or friends for a holiday feast. Though the holiday's origins can be traced to harvest festivals that have been celebrated in many cultures since ancient times, the American holiday has religious undertones related to the deliverance of the English settlers by Native Americans after the brutal winter at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The first recorded Thanksgiving ceremony took place on September 8, 1565, when 600 Spanish settlers, under the leadership of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, landed at what is now St. Augustine, Florida, and immediately held a Mass of Thanksgiving for their safe delivery to the New World; there followed a feast and celebration. As the La Florida colony did become part of the United States, this can be classified as the first Thanksgiving. El Paso, Texas, has also been said to be the site of the first Thanksgiving to be held in what is now known as the United States, though that was not a harvest festival. Spaniard Don Juan de Oñate ordered his expedition party to rest and conducted a mass in celebration of thanksgiving on April 30, 1598.

Thanksgiving was originally a religious observance for all the members of the community to give thanks to God for a common purpose. Historic reasons for community thanksgivings include the 1541 thanksgiving mass after the expedition of Coronado safely crossing part of Texas and finding game, and the 1777 thanksgiving after the victory in the revolutionary battle of Saratoga. In his 1789 Proclamation, President Washington gave many noble reasons for a national Thanksgiving, including “for the civil and religious liberty,” for “useful knowledge,” and for God’s “kind care” and "his providence." The only presidents to inject a specifically Christian focus to their proclamation have been Grover Cleveland in 1896, and William McKinley in 1900. Several other presidents have cited the Judeo-Christian tradition. Gerald Ford's 1975 declaration made no clear reference to any divinity.

The tradition of giving thanks to God is continued today in various forms. Religious and spiritual organizations offer services and events on Thanksgiving themes the week-end before, the day of, or the week-end after Thanksgiving. Bishop Ryan observed about Thanksgiving Day, "It is the only day we have that consistently finds Catholics at Mass in extraordinary numbers...even though it is not a holy day of obligation."

In celebrations at home, it is a holiday tradition in many families to begin the Thanksgiving dinner by saying grace. Found in diverse religious traditions, grace is a prayer before or after a meal to express appreciation to God, to ask for God’s blessing, or in some philosophies, to express an altruistic wish or dedication. The custom is portrayed in the photograph “Family Holding Hands and Praying Before a Thanksgiving Meal.” The grace may be led by the hostess or host, as has been traditional, or, in contemporary fashion, each person may contribute words of blessing or thanks. On Thanksgiving Day, families and friends usually gather for a large meal or dinner, the result being that the Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. In the United States, Thanksgiving is a four-day or five-day weekend vacation in school and college calendars. Most business and government workers (78% in 2007) are also given both Thanksgiving and the day after as paid holidays. Thanksgiving Eve, on the Wednesday night before, has been one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and clubs, both in terms of sales and volume of patrons, as many students have returned to their hometowns from college. Since being fixed at the fourth Thursday in November by law in 1941, the holiday in the United States can occur as early as November 22 to as late as November 28. When it falls on November 22 or 23, it is not the last Thursday, but the second to last Thursday in November. As it is a Federal holiday, all United States government offices are closed and employees are paid for that day. It is also a holiday for the New York Stock Exchange, and also for most other financial markets and financial services companies. The Friday after Thanksgiving, although not a Federal holiday, is often a company holiday for many in the U.S. workforce, except for those in retail. It is also a day off for most schools. The Friday after Thanksgiving, colloquially known as Black Friday, is usually the start of the Christmas shopping season. The term "Black Friday" originated in Philadelphia in reference to the heavy traffic on that day. More recently, merchants and the media have used it instead to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers are in the black (i.e., turning a profit).

So here's wishing Happy Thanksgiving for my visitors who celebrate the holiday. Cheers :)

If I Were A Boy

2008-11-25T07:19:00.000+08:00

Currently, this is my favorite song. First time I heard it was about 3 weeks ago when Beyonce sang it 'live' in 'Oprah'. It was the debut of the song..(the album has not been released yet, then).The more I hear it, the more I like it. I fall in love with the melody first, but then after a few times hearing it, I caught up with the lyrics. I found the lyrics as 'very true'. It can relate to us in most cases of life.

Well, currently an important person in my life (you know who you are when you read this) is having a crisis in her life. My message to you is this:
"Dear..., please listen to the song. Life is too short and valuable to be spent on tears and fights. You have a long road ahead of you. I know love is blind. And you think that you know it all. But please...open your eyes. Boy comes and boy goes. If you're in a marriage, then you should fight to keep it together, no matter what the problem is. But as long as you're not married, then you should keep your option open and choose for the best one for your future."

If I Were A Boy ( Official Music Video ) HQ - Beyonce

If I Were A Boy (Beyonce)

If I were a boy
even just for a day
I'd roll out of bed in the morning
and throw on what I wanted and go

Drink beer with the guys
and chase after girls
I'd kick it with who I wanted
and I'd never get confronted for it
cause they stick up for me

If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I'd be a better man
I'd listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he's taking you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

If I were a boy
I would turn off my phone
Tell everyone it's broken
so they'd think that I was sleeping alone

I’d put myself first
and make the rules as I go
Cause I know that she’ll be faithful,
waiting for me to come home, to come home.

If I were a boy
I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl
I swear I'd be a better man
I'd listen to her
Cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted
Cause he's taking you for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

It's a little too late for you to come back
Say it's just a mistake,
think i'd forgive you like that
If you thought I would wait for you
you thought wrong

But you're just a boy
You don't understand
and you don't understand, ohhhh
How it feels to love a girl
Someday you wish you were a better man
You don't listen to her
You don't care how it hurts
Until you lose the one you wanted
Cause you're taking her for granted
And everything you had got destroyed

But you're just a boy

Valentine's Roses

2008-11-19T04:47:00.000+08:00

Picture of Red Rose, credit to JustOurPictures.com

Hey, I know it's not Valentine's Day yet. We don't celebrate Valentine anyway. However, I came across a lovely poem while I was blog-hopping. It brought tears to my eyes. Well, normal lah, since I am a sentimental freak. Huhuhu... But really, the poem reminds me of my late Dad and my Mom and their eternal love. Just that my Dad was not into roses like the author. He was a typical Malay guy who rarely showed his emotions. :) Anyway, just read the poem below:

Valentine's Roses (author unknown)

Red roses were her favourites, her name was also Rose
And every year her husband sent them, tied with pretty bows
The year he died, the roses were delivered to her door
The card said, "Be my Valentine," like all the years before

Each year he sent her roses, and the note would always say,
"I love you even more this year, than last year on this day."
"My love for you will always grow, with every passing year."
She knew this was the last time that the roses would appear

She thought, "He'd ordered roses in advance before this day."
Her loving husband did not know, that he would pass away
He always liked to do things early, way before the time
Then, if he got too busy, everything would work out fine

She trimmed the stems, and placed them in a very special vase
Then sat the vase beside the portrait of his smiling face
She would sit for hours, in her husband's favorite chair
While staring at his picture, and the roses sitting there

A year went by, and it was hard to live without her mate
With loneliness and solitude, that had become her fate
Then, the very hour, as on Valentines before,
The door bell rang, and there were roses, sitting by her door

She brought the roses in, and then just looked at them in shock
Then, went to get the telephone, to call the florist shop
The owners answered, and she asked him, if he would explain
Why would someone do this to her, causing her such pain?

"I know your husband passed away, more than a year ago,"
The owner said, "I knew you'd call, and you would want to know.
The flowers you received today, were paid in advance.
Your husband always planned ahead, he left nothing to chance."

"There is a standing order, that I have on file down here,
And he has paid, well in advance, you'll get them every year.
There is also another thing, that I think you should know
He wrote a specific little card...he did this years ago."

"Then, should ever, I find out that he's no longer here,
That's the card...that should be sent, to you the following year."
She thanked him and hung up on the phone, her tears now flowing hard.
Her fingers shaking, as she slowly reached to get the card.

Inside the card, she saw that he had written her a note
Then, as she stared in total silence, this is what he wrote..
"Hello, my love, I know it's been a year since I've been gone,
I hope it hasn't been too hard for you to overcome."

"I know it must be lonely, and the pain is very real.
For if it was the other way, I know how I would feel.
The love we shared made everything so beautiful in life.
I loved you more than words can say, you were the perfect wife."

"You were my friend and lover, you fulfilled my every need.
I know it's only been a year, but please try not to grieve.
I want you to be happy, even when you shed your tears.
That is why the roses will be sent to you for years."

"When you get these roses, think of all the happiness,
That we had together, and how both of us were blessed.
I have always loved you and I know I always will.
But, my love, you must go on, you have some living still."

"Please...try to find happiness, while living out your days.
I know it is not easy, but I hope you find some ways.
The roses will come every year, and they will only stop,
When your door's not answered, when the florist stops to knock."

"He will come five times that day, in case you have gone out.
But after his last visit, he will know without a doubt,
To take the roses to the place, where I've instructed him,
And place the roses where we are, together once again.

Now....wasn't that the most beautiful love poem you have ever read?

In my Mom's case, it is her who brings the roses to my Dad's grave. It's compulsory for me to order 15 stalks of fresh white roses and 15 stalks of fresh pink roses prior to Hari Raya, and my Mom will distribute the roses evenly between my Dad's and Grandma's graves when she visits their graves in early Raya morning. I know such practise is not good in Islam, as it's more like a Christian or Hindu practise. Tried to tell her that, but she ignored me. But well, I guess if it would make her happy, then let her be.

The other reason this poetry reminded my of parents is because next to my Dad's grave is a vacant spot. Mom had asked to reserve that spot for when her time comes, she will be laid to rest next to her eternal love. I know that's not good too, because as a Muslim, we never know where and when we will die, and if we die, it's advisable for us to be buried at the place where we die. For example, my auntie who lived in Johor Bahru was buried in Kuala Lumpur because she passed away at her daughter's home there. But well, as I've said, if it would make my Mom happy, then let her be. It would be our responsibility as her children to honour her wish.

Outing in Smoke

2008-11-18T16:44:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, we wanted to go to Desert Hills Factory Outlet. According to Google Map, the easiest way for us to get there is by using CA-91 Highway. So, by 1 p.m., off we went, without checking any traffic report whatsoever. We knew that there's a big fire somewhere in this Southern California, but we didn't bother to find out where, because we felt it won't affect us.

Anyway, we were already half-way into CA-91 when lo and behold..we saw so many cars turned back at us (in the same lane!). We thought there's a big accident in front, but dear hubby bijak pandai teruskan jugak perjalanan). But then we saw big smoke. The sky seems to be so much darker then when we left the house.
When we reached front, we saw this:

Sh*t..CA-91 was closed. We had to turn back. Dah la queue panjang bukan main..haiyaaa...

Then, again, dear hubby tried to be smart. We bought a map, and tried to take another route to go to Desert Hill. So, we decided to take Highway 57. After about 20 minutes drive, again, we bumped into a big jam. We were at the Yorba Landa exit when we saw this:

Wow...we never thought that we were so close with the fire. It might look small here, but I tell you, it was HUGE! So huge that Mr. Arnold (Governor of California) had to declare State of Emergency for that part of California. A few hundreds houses was on fire. People and animals had to be avacuated. Approximately 15,000++ acres of land was on fire. Fortunately those are area orang kaya-kaya. Pity them jugak lah for losing their mansions, but I guess they can afford to build new ones. Haihhh...

Anyway, I was determined to go to Desert Hills the next day. So I woke up early in the morning to prepare our breakfast. Around half-an-hour into the preparation, I felt the familiar glims of lights from the corner of my eyes. Oooo...oo..oh no...my long long friend has come again...MIGRAINE!!! Arghhhh...of all the days!!! I woke up dear hubby to ask him to get some migraine pills for me. He came back with Advil. Gobbled down two pills, and had a bed rest. Dear hubby had to take care the kids and prepared lunch. Thank you honey...MUAHHSS. I woke up feeling a little bit better. So, we got on with the plan and headed to Desert Hills Outlet. Reached there quite late, around 5.30 p.m. since we only got out from the house at 3.30 p.m. (The outlet is quite far to the east of Torrance). Wanna know what I got? Please visit Authentic Stuffs ;)

Falls and Winter, Colder and Sleepier

2008-11-15T05:41:00.000+08:00

It's getting colder these days. Falls is at its end, and we're approaching winter soon. Thanksgiving Day would be at the end of the month, 27th November to be exact. We're planning to go on another get-away. Details are still to be discussed, ...so I can't tell exactly where we're going. But dear hubby said that we might go somewhere further North where the snow has start falling, so that the kids will be able to have the new experience.

The days are getting shorter. By 4.50 p.m. it's already Maghrib time and by 5.15 p.m., it's completely dark, like 8 p.m. in Malaysia. It's kind of depressing, really. The sun only rise at 6.30 a.m.

This more than 12 hours of darkness is really affecting my body. By 8 p.m., I will feel very sleepy that I can hardly keep my lids open. It's like already so late. If we're outside the house, it'll be worse as my eyes will lose their focus due to the sleepiness.

One thing that's puzzling me though, Harith and Hannah don't seem to be feeling like I do. Even at 11 p.m., they are still active. Running and playing and jumping and screaming. (???) So although I would loveeeee to snuggle under my blanket as soon as I feel sleepy, I would have to push myself to stay awake, because they don't want to go to sleep. Arghhh... As a result, I would feel sleepy during the day. Sometimes I do doze off. And I hate to nap in the afternoon because I would have head-ache later if I do so.

To Shasha, I wonder how do you survive the long cold days in Norway? Give me some tips, will u? :)

Happy Birthday To Me :D

2008-11-12T14:09:00.000+08:00

Today is my 33rd birthday :). Dozens of friends wished me Happy Birthday yesterday since it was already 11th Nov in Malaysia. Lucky me, I had 2 days to celebrate, hehe..

Tonight, my hubby brought us to Red Lobster in order to celebrate the happy occasion. 33rd!!!Gosh..am I THAT old? Haha...LOL. Anyway, before going there, he called our son, Harith to the room while I was still surfing the Net. I heard them hush-hushed but never bothered to look as it was a normal scene between those 2 boys. Suddenly Harith came out and gave me a Sponge Bob card. Wow :) Dear hubby got the card for him as the kids' gift to me and he coached Harith to write the notes in the card.

Click at the card to view Harith's message :)

We reached Red Lobster around 7.30 p.m. Since it was a Seafood restaurant, we have no problems with the Halal status. We ordered Steamed Clam for appetizers, Popcorn Shrimp and French Fries for Adik and Abang, Big plate of Lobster+Crab+Shrimp for hubby and Smoke-grilled Lobster+Shrimp+Scallop for me. Both of us had Mix Salads with Thousand Island dressing and Mashed Potatoes for side dishes.

Salad

Appetizer

Kids' Meal

Abah's Meal (ni dah kena makan separuh baru ingat nak amik gambo :P)

Ummi's Meal

The food was fantastic! It was so yummylicious. But the portion was quite big, though. Biasak la kan...saiz orang putih. I was so full, but the desert menu looked so inviting that I had to have one of those. So, I ordered this:

This was so sinfully delicious, Chocolate cake with thick chocolate sauce and chocolate chips, served with Vanilla ice-cream....Yummyyy. Hannah enjoyed the cake so much.
Habislah...sure malam ni Ummi takleh tido sebab Adik Hannah dah jadi
very very the hyperactive.

We took some pictures at the restaurant.

Hannah was so engrossed with her drawing.

Harith was goofying around as usual.

Our little family, The Zulkifli's

Abah and his precious princess, Nurhannah Nadia.

Abang and Adik in front of Red Lobster.

We went home so full that I felt like my stomach would burst! Huhuhuhu....

As I walked out from the car, dear Hubby surprised me with another gifts...a bag of Chocolate and a card. :) Thank you Honey...it was so unexpected and so not him (he's not so much into cards, so all the sweeter and more memorable). Hehe..he said another gift is on its way in the mail, he ordered something for me from the internet...want to know what it is? ;)

Click at the cards to view the sweet message ;)

This has been the best birthday so far. I feel so blessed.

"Dear Allah....Alhamdulillah. Thank you for all your gifts to me. Thank you for giving me 33 years of good life and good health. Thank you for giving me a wonderful husband and great kids. Thank you for surrounding me with good friends and families. I pray that we would always be in Your blessings and You would always show us the right path. Amin Ya Rabbal Alamin."

Weekend in Las Vegas and The Lost of A-Tom :(

2008-11-12T06:45:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, we went to the City of Lights - Las Vegas. Dear hubby has promised to take us there since we arrived here, but only managed to make it this weekend. Co-incidentally, I met a fellow Malaysian in CARI forum who lives in Las Vegas. She invited us to stay at her house. So, apa lagi kan..bagaikan orang mengantuk disorong bantal..kecik tapak tangan, kawah besar kami tadahkan, haha..

We left Torrance around 9a.m. The journey took around 4 hours plus. Made a quick stop at Primm because the kids were hungry. Arrived at Nita's house at around 1.45 p.m. Although it was the first time we met, we immediately warmed up and clicked. She's one gracious hostess. Nasi ayam dah sedia menunggu. Dear hubby and I were famished, so tanpa segan silu, kami pun mentekedarah, heeee.....

With our hostess, Sharifah Nita and her kids, Aizad and Alesha.

Later in the evening, we went out to experience Las Vegas's night life. True to its name, Las Vegas IS the City of Lights, which never sleeps! Throngs of people hopping from one casino to the other, I'm sure most of them came with a big hope that they will hit big time. Parked our car at MGM Grand Casino..took a look around, and hopped in to take the monorail. The monorail tracks cover almost every big casino in Vegas, with 5 stops in between. Some of the famous casinos are The Venetian, Caesar's Palace, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Harrah's, Bally's, New York New York, Circus Circus and the list goes on and on and on. We walked around in some of the casinos. At first, it was a bit akward since I was wearing Hijab, but nobody cared. Everybody was busy paying attention to their own games. So I just buat bodoh aje la kan. We didn't gamble of course..but there's nothing wrong with looking on, so we did just that. But not for long anyway, because Under 18 are not allowed to stand beside a table. (ni utk Hannah dan Harith laa). Here's a few pix.

A replica of Status of Liberty in front of New York New York

Harith's posing inside Harrah's. Actually we are not allowed to take a pix inside casino but we managed to snap one pix. Hehe..

Replica of Venice river at The Venetian

Sir Elton John, Bette Midler and Cher are performing at Caesar's Palace.

Yours truly in the lobby at Caesar's Palace.

There's a big musical fountain in front of The Bellagio. I took a video of it, but it's taking too long to upload here. Here's the static pix instead.

One of the many places in the world that I wanted to go was here. It's Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. There are only a few of Madame Tussaud's in the world, i.e: London, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Berlin...I've always wanted to go to the one in London, but since we were there in Las Vegas, then a trip inside the museum was a MUST. It's located just next to The Venetian. The ticket price was reasonable..19USD per person for couples, and free for children ages 6 and below. Perfect! So, got our tickets and excitedly wandered inside. All of us (sebenarnya makpak yang lelebih) had fun posing with the celebrities, hehe.. You can see from the pix belows. Anyway, I found that the art was truly amazing. They really do look like real people that sometimes I got confused whether it's the real thing or the dummies. The eyes look real, and they shine! One particular dummy of Matthew Macoughney, his eyes actually twinkles when you look long and hard into them. I'm not sure how the interactive technique works, but it was sure damn impressive!

With my High School Sweetheart, Jon Bon Jovi.

Who's stronger? Abah was challenging the Governor of California

With Mr. Lincoln

"Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves;
and, under a just God, can not long retain it."
Abraham Lincoln
Source: April 6, 1859 - Letter to Henry Pierce

Harith taking tips from Mr. Wood.

Dear hubby getting cozy with Miss J-Lo. ;)

Getting interviewed by Al Roker was a big privilege. Haha..

Despite the great time and fun that we had there, one awful incident happened. Hannah lost her A-Tom..her security pillow, her best friend, her pet, her bantal busuk.. I'm not sure when it occurred, I only realized that A-Tom was missing when we reached Nita's house at around 12.30 a.m. As Hannah was too tired, she fell asleep immediately. But me..I was so sad that I cried my heart out. Huwaaaaaaaaaa..... don't laugh at me. Part of Hannah's growing up memories is A-Tom. Missing A-Tom is like missing a part of Hannah's life. A-Tom was her first pillow in the hospital when I gave birth to her. A-Tom was always there wherever Hannah was. Losing A-Tom made me feel like I have failed my duty as a mother because I didn't take good care of my baby's precious thing. If only I have insisted on leaving A-Tom in the car. If only I have checked that she had it with her when we left the parking lot. If only...if only...

I woke up in the morning with puffy eyes because I really did cried myself out hard. I even called my mom to confide in her. That night, I tried to ask hubby to go back and find A-Tom but he was too tired after the long drive and the jalan-jalan. Nevertheless, dear hubby woke up early in the next morning and went back to MGM. He traced back our trail, but as expected, A-Tom was nowhere to be found. :___( Until now, Hannah is still calling for her A-Tom and every time she does that, my tears will flow down hard. Huhuhu... I even recited a prayer for A-Tom, "Ya Allah Ya Tuhanku, peliharalah keselamatan A-Tom walau di mana juga dia berada". Hehe..go on..laugh at me..I am so pathetic, kan? I even imagined that if only I can call CSI Las Vegas to find A-Tom..surely they would jump in from one dumpster to the other. Heee...

Hannah's last memory with A-Tom. :___(

The next day, we left Nita's house after lunch. "Nita, thank you for your great hospitality. Panjang umur, ada rezeki, Insya-Allah kita jumpa lagi."

Again, we made a stop at Primm. This time was to drop by at the factory outlet. There were a few big name stores there i.e: Coach, BCBGMaxAzaria, Banana Republic, Nike, Michael Kors, Polo Ralph Lauren. The stuffs were authentic, but the price was a big bargain! So apa lagi...makciks pun bershopping sakan laaa...heh..heh..

We reached home around 10 p.m. , feeling very tired. I felt so sad because A-Tom didn't come home with us. Even in the car, Hannah was calling out for her A-Tom. Abah said A-Tom dah kena makan buaya, hehe..and Hannah responded, "Mommy pegi savekan A-Tom...adik nak A-Tom...uwaaaa"...and my tears started falling down again...huwaaa... I am such a sentimental freak!

For more pix of our adventure, please visit our online photo album.

Hearie Hearie

2008-11-08T02:10:00.000+08:00

Dear All,

For my readers who have also been surfing my recipe page at http://rahiza75.fotopages.com, I would like to announce that I will no longer be updating that page. Please visit my new blog, Sudu dan Garfu at http://sudu-dan-garfu.blogspot.com for more recipes from now on.

Thank you.

(cewahh..perasan cam popular chef la pulak, heh..heh..)

p.s: The new blog is written in Bahasa Melayu. Tak kuasa nak berspeaking time memasak.

Accepting Changes

2008-11-06T11:11:00.000+08:00

I came across a blogger saying that she found most Malaysian bloggers are 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing over Obama's victory as so pretentious and idol worshipping, but on the other hand are doing nothing about what's happening in our own backyard. I tend to agree with her. But personally, I think what is happening here in USA is a big example and can be a great influence in our own country.

For those who bother to read about US's history, should know that African-Americans has always been regarded as second class citizens. About 150 years ago, they were known as slaves. The Whites and the Blacks didn't mix. They couldn't go to the same restaurant, walked in the same paths, even shopped in the same stores. And all hell will break lose if a White boy happened to fall in love with a Black girl and vice versa. So what happened last night was a big..HUGE leap from what it has been. I watched the Live telecast in the tube, I found most of the Black people were crying. Yes..it was just a dream, but now it has become a reality.

Apart from Obama's being a Black man (his mother was a White woman, married to his father who originated from Kenya), for the Democrats to win the Election is also a big change to the country. They won HUGE, OK. They even took over the Congress. They took over some places who have been Red's territories for some times.

Most of all, I'm impressed with the mentality of most Americans. Even those who supported Republicans are now backing off, saying that 'Election is over, it's now to move on, to come together as One, supporting our Commander-in-Chief, Presiden-elect Barack Obama.' Most of the Republican's candidates also say that they will co-operate with the future President (Obama will be sworn in on January 7th, 2009), agreeing to set aside their political differences and work together for America's better future. Obama, when asked whether he would be asking McCain for advices or ideas, he gracefully said yes, saying that although they (he and McCain) have had different ideas, he deeply respects McCain and he would have no problem working together with the other man.

Now, THAT is a BIG lesson that should be taught to OUR OWN MALAYSIAN LEADERS. I'm sure most of us who are Malaysian would know that the Alternative Front has won big time in our own previous election. (Taking over 5 states IS a big winning). But so far, I have not seen any leaders from the ruling party giving any kind words of assurance that they will hear whatever the Alternative candidates have to say. Instead, they counter everything that the Alternative has to say, sometimes even using nasty words and remarks. Senang cerita, diaaaa aje yang betul. Apa orang lain cakap semua salah. Bila tak ada perbincangan, tak ada pertukaran idea, macam mana nak tau suara hati rakyat? Haihhh...I'm sick of Malaysian politics. Sometimes they even resort to attack the personal sides of the Alternative leaders. Which by the way are mostly wrong facts anyway.

Why are we so afraid of changes? I read a post in one of my Sparkpeople friends. She quoted her grandfather who is 98 years old. He said,

"In life, I learned that accepting change is a must. That we have to make the best of it because even though we may not like the changes, often those very changes bring us some of the most precious gifts we will ever get in our live as well. Don’t be afraid of change, face it head on and make the most of it. It is the secret to a full and happy life. Don’t stress over things and just do the best that you can because that is all you can do."

Now, I find that those are very wise words from a very old man.

By the way, I just found out that Obama's full name is Barack Hussein Obama Jr. His paternal grandfather was a Muslim. (Feeling proud here because my late paternal grandfather's name was also Hussein...err..apa kena mengena ye? Hehehehe..OK.. if I have another boy, I shall call him Hussein...sempena nama cucu Nabi S.A.W., nama moyang dia and nama Presiden US...LOL :-D)

A Black man, who has a Muslim name, will be sworn in as US's 44th President. In 150 years, from Slavery to Presidency.

That is a CHANGE.

Fellow Malaysians, are we ready for a change too? I wonder...

Superb Local Animation - GomoMan

2008-11-06T03:06:00.000+08:00

My husband showed me a Youtube animation created by local Malaysian designer. It has a great story behind it. (Featuring the ever kelabut political rivals between BeEnd and Pembangkang). But mostly I'm impressed with the animation. Dah la 3D animation pulak tu! The design seems to be quite flawless. The movements are very smooth. It even has a translation script. Whoever the creator is, I'm proud of you!

Come, have a watch!

For more series,please visit their website, GomoMan- Malaysian 3D Animation Superhero.

Scrapblog.com

2008-11-06T03:02:00.000+08:00

Found this website while blog-hopping. Tried it out, and I love it! Lots of designs to explore. Below is my first attempt.

OBAMA - 44th President of the United States of America

2008-11-05T13:17:00.000+08:00

The result is official.

Barack Obama is the President elect of the United States of America.

History has been made. Obama is the first ever African American to become the President of this great country. Prior to this, I thought this will only be a fiction in a movie (i.e. Morgan Freeman as President in the movie 'Deep Impact').

He has just given his victory speech in Chicago, his HQ. And I tell you, that man is impressive! He really can give a speech (thanks to his background as Harvard Law School graduate). He said and I quote,

" If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer......

.....And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.....

.....America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we cant, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America."

Nevertheless, I should give credit to Senator John McCain. He accepted his lost graciously. He said and I quote, "I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and now is my president."

It has been a long 21 months. That's right. Unlike Malaysia, the time-span for campaign/election processes takes almost 2 years! Kat Malaysia...hari ni bubar Parlimen, 2 minggu lepas tu dah pilihan raya. Nak kenal wakil pun tak sempat daaa..

And Obama has earned it. I'm looking forward to a new USA. More 'likeable' foreign policies. Calling back US Army from Iraq would be a very good start. A more affordable medical facilities for the people would be a great change. As far as I know, people here in US can't survive without medical insurance. As my friend said, "It will cost you your arms and legs if you don't have medical insurance here in US".

Anyway, congratulations to Senator Barack Obama, the upcoming 44th President of the United States. The journey won't be easy. It will be long and hard, but I am very sure that he will be a great President.

A Historical Event For All Americans

2008-11-04T09:13:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow is an important day in this great United States of A land. It's the presidential election.

As all know, the candidates are Barack Obama for the Democrats and John McCain for the Republicans. Well, there's only 2 parties here in America. And in US History, no party would rule more than 2 sessions. President George W. Bush from Republican has been in the office for almost 8 years. So, if based on the history, we would say hello to Senator Barack Obama for the next Landlord of the White House.

Unfortunately for him, his grandmother Madelyn Payne Dunham, died today. I feel so sorry for the man. His grandmother was the one who shaped much of his life. As he was saying and I quote: "She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me."

If he will indeed win the Presidential election, it will be a one bittersweet victory for him.

Go Obama!
Obama-Biden for America.

More information at Barack Obama's Official Website.

Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Garden

2008-11-04T03:43:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, dear hubby and I decided to take the kids on a trip to the zoo. So off we went to LA Zoo which is situated at Zoo Drive. Took about 40 minutes to get there. It's more or less at the same place as the Hollywood Sign that we visited the day before. But the zoo is at the other side of Hollywood Hill.

Anyway, the trip was a normal Zoo trip lah. Monkeys, orang utans, alligators, birds, chimps, camel, antelope, elephant bla..bla..bla... But the kids enjoyed themselves. Better than being coped up in the house!

And the camera had to run out of battery. Damn! #%@^#^%$@#

Welcome To Hollywood

2008-11-04T01:54:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I was feeling a bit adventurous. So, I talked my husband into visiting the famous Hollywood Sign. You know, the big block thing on top of the Hollywood Hill that spells H.O.L.L.Y.W.O.O.D. Ever since I was a little girl, that thing has been featured in most American movies that I watched. So, tak sah la kan kalau dah ada sini tapi tak visit that sign.

We started from home around 3 p.m. It took almost 40 minutes to reach Hollywood Hill. We got the direction from Google Map. I'm not sure which moronic creature came up with the direction that it was such a complex route, it took another 20 minutes for us to reach up there, with lots of small snaky roads among the big mansions. I'm pretty sure any postman who is assigned to Hollywood Hill would curse himself. Hehe.. Anyway, when we came down, it was only about 5 minutes, using the route that dear hubby taken so adventurously.

Along the way, we came acrossed lots of big mansions. No..I mean, HUGE. Ni orang kaya-kaya punya tempat..orang kayap takde tempat kat sini aaa.. One time, I thought we passed by a movie star walking with her two daughters. Can't remember his name though, but even dear hubby agreed that the guy looked very very familiar and famous.

So we continued up there and eventually reached Mulholland Highway. This is the closest point we can get to the sign. Unfortunately, hiking up to the sign is prohibited. If it's not so, I would surely go straight up. It was so closed, and the hill was not so steep at all. The kids were asleep, but we woke them up for posing time. Yeah..my dear little pumpkins...still so little, but already they've been to one of the most famous landmarks in the world. Haihhh..bertuah badan diaorang, tumpang rezeki Abah. Alhamdulillah.

Info time...here's a little knowledge about Hollywood Sign.

The Hollywood Sign is a famous landmark in the Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles, California, spelling out the name of the area in 50 feet (15 m) high white letters. It was created as an advertisement in 1923, but garnered increasing recognition after its initial purpose had been fulfilled. The sign was a frequent target of pranks and vandalism but has since undergone restoration, including a security system to deter vandalism. The sign is protected and promoted by the Hollywood Sign Trust, a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to physically maintain, repair and secure the sign, to educate the world about its historical and cultural importance, and to raise the funds necessary to accomplish these projects.

The sign originally read "HOLLYWOODLAND", and its purpose was to advertise a new housing development in the hills above the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. H.J. Whitley had already used a sign to advertise his development Whitley Heights, which was located between Highland Avenue and Vine Avenue. He suggested to his friend Harry Chandler, the owner of the Los Angeles Times, that the land syndicate in which he was involved make a similar sign to advertise their land. Real estate developers Woodruff and Shoults called their development "Hollywoodland" and advertised it as a "superb environment without excessive cost on the Hollywood side of the hills."

It became so associated with Hollywood that in September 1932, actress Peg Entwistle committed suicide by jumping to her death from the letter "H", as she saw the sign as a symbol of the industry that had rejected her.

The sign is located on the southern side of Mount Lee in Griffith Park, north of the Mulholland Highway. A good viewpoint within 100 yards of the sign can be reached by driving north up Gower Street from Hollywood Boulevard and then north along Beachwood Drive.

More info can be read at The Official Website of Hollywood Sign.

Trick Or Treat!

2008-11-01T12:17:00.000+08:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Dear hubby and I finally gave in to Harith's whining. We agreed to get him a costume. He even get his sister Hannah to join in the whinings! So, even Hannah was pestering us constantly. "Ummi..adik nak pumpkin...adik nak Halloween." Haih...seeing those big round eyes and those round cheeks in that round face, pleading and pleading, I really didn't have the heart to say no. Plus, I've always have a soft spot for Hannah. Sure, I love Harith too..all the same..not a bit more, not a bit less. But Hannah really knows her way how to win me. At her age of 2 years and 6 months, already she knows the charm. Whenever she does something naughty, and I will show her 'my angry look', she will quickly come and hug my legs and says, "I love you, Mommy"... :) and THAT would definitely melt me. Haihh...

Anyway, last weekend we did go to Party City to get the costumes. After about half and hour in the store, Harith finally decided to get a Transformer Bumble Bee. Hannah was undecided between being a Bee or a Super Girl. Abah fancied her being a little Pirate but she refused. At last, she said Yes to Super Girl.

Tonight is Halloween. Since we live in an apartment, dear hubby and I decided to take the kids to a nearby neighborhood where the 'environment' is 'friendlier'. So we took them to the housing area between Calle Mayor and Anza. Sure enough..it was a very friendly neighborhood. Every house that we went to serve candies. And we passed by many other parents, taking their little ones for 'treat or trick'. I find myself quite amused. As we don't celebrate Halloween in Malaysia, I think this experience will be memorable for Harith and Hannah as it would be their only Halloween ever. (errr...unless if we move here for good laaa...I so wish this can come true..hehe). It was fun. We passed by a skeleton, a Robin fron Teen Titan, a few angels, a Minnie Mouse, a nurse and a doc (these were the parents), a Jedi, even Fredy Kruger! Hehe..

And the decorations were fantastic! Some of them really went all the way. We saw a giant Snoopy with a pumpkin, and a giant Pumpkin in another house. We saw lots of insy bitsy spider crawling up the walls, even a witch sitting on the lawn chair. Hannah was quite scared. So she spent most of her time clinging to Abah rather than trick or treat. Hehe.. but Harith really enjoyed himself. At one time, a dog even came down to greet him and he never ran away. Apparently the dog was attracted to his pumpkin basket. (I was so scared for him though). Ok..here're some pictures of them during trick or treat.

The first stop

This kind man came to Hannah when he realized Hannah was quite scared
and gave her share of candy.

The decoration in one of the houses. The house had a Halloween party going on. A very kind nurse greeted us there.

The owner of this house was not home but was kind enough to leave a bucket full
of candies in the front door.

The Transformer Bumble Bee who was excitedly going from door to door, collecting his treats.

Look at that Super Girl, clinging on her Super Dad. :)

A satisfied Bumble Bee with his bounty.

A very tired Super Girl fall asleep on our way home.
Look at that chubby face smudged with candy! :)

There's a big Halloween parade downtown in West Hollywood. The News is running a coverage on it. I so wish we can go there. No, I won't be wearing any costume..but it would be fun to see those characters around...The Flintstones, Batman, Superman, even Barack Obama and John McCain! Hehe...

I'm going to catch some movies now. It's Halloween, so there's a marathon of good horror movies on the tube. Weeeeee..........woooooo......hiiiiiiiii..........

We Are With You, Dida

2008-11-01T02:45:00.000+08:00

I just got a message from Gee that Dida's mom has been diagnosed with gall cancer, stage 4. FYI, Dida is one of my best friends that I've known since university's days 14 years ago. She and Gee were my room-mates during our first year in UTM.

Dida, if you're reading this, know that we are all here for you and your mom. I know how devastating the news must be. But just remember, Allah tidak akan menduga kita lebih daripada apa yang kita mampu.

"On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns." (Surah Al Baqarah, verse 286).

La illahailla anta subhanakan inni kuntu minadzolimin.
"There is no god but You, Glory be to You, We are indeed of the wrongdoers”

Dida, please visit this page: One Breast Bouncing

The author is a breast cancer survivor, and currently battling another type of cancer. She's sharing the verses and zikir from Al Quran to shrink and kill cancer cell, as well as verses to cure cancer. And she is the strongest person that I've had the chance to know. Her battles and sufferings continue to remind me that my anxiety disorder is just like a ride in the park, compared to what she has to go through.

Kuatkan semangat ko dan makcik.

Insya-Allah, I'll pray for your mom's speedy recovery.
In Allah we trust, and in Him we surrender.

Happy Anniversary

2008-10-31T04:09:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was our 11th Anniversary. Anniversary apa ye? Haha....

Ok...11 years ago, at around 9 p.m., my other half uttered the three words, for the first time ever.

It made me chuckled just to remember the scene. We were on our way back from having dinner. He was sending me to Masjid Jamek's LRT station. I was living at an apartment in Pandan Indah then. I noticed that he was a bit quiet during dinner...but being a chatter-box, that was perfectly fine with me, because I myself, can memeriahkan suasana.

A few steps from the station, suddenly he stopped and pulled me beside the road. He looked at me seriously and blurted, "I love you." I was like..errr...what? It took me a few seconds to register what he just said. Wooo...I didn't know how to react. We had only known each other for about 3 months (2 months online and 1 month in the real world) and we had only gone out for about 5 times before that. So, you know what I said in response? ... I said, "Thank you." Haha...I can still see his 'dumbfounded' face by my answer. Clearly he was expecting a different answer. Anyway, I just gave him a big smile. I was soooo happy because I was smitten with this boy/man from the first time I met him and for him to propose so unexpectedly, really made my day, err..night. I was so so very happy that I took the wrong way home. Instead of taking the LRT going to Chempaka, I took the other way around, to Sogo instead. Who can blame me? I was in Cloud 9! :))

Now...11 years and 2 babies later, we are still together. Alhamdulillah.

I wished him Happy Anniversary last night but he replied with a deep snores. (chuckled)...if he was awake, he would have ask, "Anniversary apa pulak ni?" Haha..after we got married, we decided that we will only celebrate our wedding anniversary because being a typical man, he's not good in remembering dates. But being a typical woman, I still remember the date. How can't I? It's one of the sweetest memory in my life, forever carved in my mind and my heart.

You're still the one I run to
The one that I belong to
You're still the one I want for life
You're still the one that I love
The only one I dream of
You're still the one I kiss good night

Cracking Up

2008-10-25T03:32:00.000+08:00

I haven't been quite well lately. Head-aches, giddyness, not to mention my old friend, anxiety panic attacks. ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I'm tired of this so-called disorder. When will it ever go away???!!???

My being with only the kids doesn't help either. No, don't get me wrong. I love them dearly. They mean the world to me. But a very active toddler and a very 'suka menjawab' preschooler can easily drive any moms straight to the wall. For the past 5 days, my other half has been in Florida. Got some machine issues to settle in a nuclear plant over there. I know he's terribly busy, so I don't like to call him whenever he's away on a job. I just wait for his phone calls. And when he did call, I only mention about the nice things..I don't want to add to his list of things to worry.

But the main thing that'is making me crazy is about my customer. You see, I've been doing a design job for a state-body of Johor. (I shall not name it, but those who knows me personally should know this so-called tradition cultural heritage body..blrughh). That project has been carried over since AUGUST 2007!!!! I've done my part of designing and type-setting since then. Basically it's 95% ready. Only things missing are an article of a very important person in Johor's history, the Foreward, and the blurbs of the book. And mind you, I've been chasing for this materials since AUGUST 2007!!!! A 'so-called' very important Profesor Datuk from a well-known university in Malaysia is in-charged of this thing. That book was supposed to be launched on Merdeka Day 2007 (in celebration of Malaysia's 50th ID), but the Datuk asked it to be postponed saying that for once he don't want the launching ceremony to be 'menempel' in other celebration. Said he wanted to have a gallant launching of its own. So, it was post-poned to sometime in December 2007, to be held during UMNO's meeting in Johor. But then, it was cancelled AGAIN, because the Prof Datuk had to attend a convention in Jakarta, so none of the remaining materials needed was ready.

Anyhow, I still chased him. So, finally in FEBRUARY 2008, Prof Datuk came down to Johor and together with 2 other editors they camped in M-Suite, supposedly to complete the job. But then, dear Prof Datuk told us that he had lost the pen-drive that kept the material. ARGHH... He was supposed to write them back again and give them to me over the weekend. But STILL, later, before he went back to Kuala Lumpur..he said he would e-mailed me. So there I was, waiting and waiting, chasing and emailing him for the materials. But dear Prof Datuk was all over the world, Egypt, London, conventions here and there. ARGHHH...up until August 2008, (ONE YEAR LATER!!!), I was still chasing that guy!!! Oh..I did asked the other 2 editors to follow up too. But then they shoved the job back to me. "Intan aje laa yang follow-up, nanti apa kata Datuk kalau ramai sangat kejar" ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So, as I've blogged before, my hubby came to US in June 2008. I HAD TO POSTPONE MY TRIP UNTIL MID-AUGUST 2008 BECAUSE I HAD TO COMPLETE ANOTHER 2 BOOKS FOR THEM. So, when I have delivered the books safely (all 3000 copies of them), I asked one of the editors about that particular post-poned book, and he said "It's ok..biarkan aje. You just go to US and enjoy yourself, your job is finished for this year."

BUT last Monday, the same person called me and kecoh-kecoh, "We have to print the book this year!!! SUK dah bising, kalau tak peruntukan kena tarik balik. Prof Datuk akan datang JB 8 Nov untuk suntingan terakhir". I was like..."WTF man!!!! How can I possibly do the printing when my body is over here in US, and I won't be back in Malaysia till at least after Christmas 2008???" Now..bila SUK dah bising, baru semua orang gabra. And the other editor was saying "You just emailed us your copy of settings, and we'll ask other printer to print." Again, WTF!!!! I spent lots of energy and time designing and laying out the settings for the book, not to mention the editing of the texts and touching up of the images. And here he was, senang-senang cakap nak amik all my hard-work and ask other people to print??? Then the other printer will get all the money lah! WTF WTF!!!

Now now....pardon me for the language, but I am really pissed right now. For those who don't know the real situation, it would seem that I'm the guilty party here. This would be the perfect chance for my other rivalries to condemn my company. Yeah..as small as it is, my company does have rivalries..big companies who feel threatened by my presence. Shit..I'm just a one-woman company. I am the boss as well as the kuli. I'm a home-based company. But yet, I can deliver something big. You see, I treat every job like my own baby. I start from scratch, slowly designing and building it up to be something significant. I check my text word by word, I go by my design layer after layer. Hence all my jobs are almost perfect, and that is the winning point of my company. Giving customers top quality products is my priority. As I'm the only one in the company, I look after every stage myself, from designing to setting, to film layout to printing. Of course the printing is done by my dad's friend (we have an agreement on this), but I'm there all the way throughout the process. So far, I know I've done my old man proud (I took over the company when he died 4 years ago).

I've dealt with some issues before. Rivalries, jealousies, back-stabbing, design stealing, even black magic ok. Many times, I felt like giving up. But whenever I close my eyes, I would see my Dad, his smile, his words of encouragement telling me not to give up, telling me that I can pull this off, telling me that I'm his daughter, and as his daughter, I should be as tough as he was. But this current episode is really tearing me apart. I really feel like giving up the business. I'm tired of dealing with these kind of people. I'm tired of condemning and back-stabbing. I'm tired of giving my best and having zero in return.

And my anxiety disorder is making this worst. I really feel like cracking up right now. Sorry for my ramblings..just bear with me ok. I'm trying to ignore this feeling of frustation. I will tell them to choose 1 out of 2. Either they'll wait for me to come home, or they can give the job to other printer but they have to start from scratch. I'm not giving up my designs to them. I don't care if the SUK will give them wrath. As far as I'm concern, they can go to hell! $@%%&@#&%@^#$@%^

ARGHHHHH....

P.S. I Love You

2008-10-22T02:15:00.000+08:00

My cousin, Iqa, has been telling me about a movie titled 'P.S I Love You'. She said it's a romantic comedy and the story tells us how much we should appreciate our loved ones. Life is too short to be spent on angry remarks and hurtful words.

So last Saturday when we went to Albertsons (they have a RedBox DVD vending machine, 1USD per movie per day), I decided to rent the movie. Oh...before that I've bought the novel (the movie is based on a novel) but couldn't find the time to read it.

Anyway, my husband and I spent our Sunday watching the movie. I agree with Iqa..it is a romantic movie..but she failed to tell me that the hero is actually dead. *sigh*.. Well, in a nutshell, the story is about how a young widow is trying to survive the sudden lost of her husband. What I fail to understand is how did the husband die (they sort of jumping the scenes..one minute they were in bed..the next one it's already the scene during his wake). And the husband seemed to know that he's dying because he has made all the arrangements for his wife to cope up with her lost..guiding her with his letters and words of encouragement that's always end with "P.S...I Love You." Haiahhh.....I was red-eyed almost all the way. One time, I had to sneak to the bathroom to blow my nose in fear my husband would laugh at me..hehe.. Well, it is sad you know...to lose someone that you love very very much, and to know that you will never ever see them again..you will miss their smiles, to hear their laughs and to laugh at their jokes and antics.

The songs in the movie are great. But the theme song sticked to my heart. Even Harith recognized the song is from the movie (when I played the mp3 on my laptop). It's the kind of song that lingers in your mind and before you knew it, you'll find yourself humming to the tune. The song that you're hearing now is that song, titled 'Love You Till The End' by The Pogues.

I just want to see you
when your all alone
I just want to catch you if I can
I just want to be there
When the morning light explodes
On your face it radiates
I can't escape
I love you till the end

I just want to tell you nothing
You don't want to hear
All I want is for you to say
Why don't you just take me
Where I've never been before
I know you want to hear me
Catch my breath
I love you till the end
I love you till the end

I love you till the end
I love you till the end

I just want to be there
When were caught in the rain
I just want to see you laugh not cry
I just want to feel you
When the night puts on it's cloak
I'm lost for words don't tell me
Cause all I can say
I love you till the end

I love you till the end
I love you till the end
I love you till the end
All I can say
I love you till the end
I love you till the end
I love you til the end
Cause all I can say
I love you till the end
I love you till the end
I love you till the end

Life is full of ups and downs. We can never expect what the future holds for us. One thing I learnt from the movie, we should always treasure and appreciate what we have now. No use mopping on the past, and wondering the uncertainties of the future. The present is what matters.

To my dear Honey......I appreciate everything that we have had together....the good days, the bad days, the shiny days and the rainy days, every minute and every second...together with the seeds of our love, I know we will create many many more colorful memories, forever etched in our entwined hearts.

P.S I Love You.....till the end...

Halloween

2008-10-21T06:45:00.000+08:00

Halloween is coming up soon. Everywhere we go, we can see elements of Halloween in every corner. Giant pumpkins, monster masks, a flying witch, a big intsy wincy spider etc etc. Harith is very much excited about the whole thing. Not so with Hannah. My little peanut will start screaming everytime we come across the sandwich-man who's wearing a Halloween costume. About two weeks ago, we went to Gameland (a shop where they sell used and new games and their accessories). Whila Abah and Harith went hunting for a game, Hannah and I just browsed around outside when suddenly the little one gave a little howling, "Mommyyyyyyyyyy...Adik takuttttt". When I turned around, wallahhh...a scary Mr. Piggy is grinning at us. Hehe..I didn't notice that next door to Gameland is a Halloween store, and apparently Mr. Piggy is ushering people to go to his store.

Harith has asked whether he can get a costume. I don't see any point in buying him one since we don't celebrate Halloween back in Malaysia. Furthermore, I'm not even sure what is the purpose of the whole celebration. Is it a Christian celebration? Is it a just an American tradition? But I think I have to buy some candies just to make sure if any little ones come up on our door for the trick or treat. I sure don't want to disappoint anybody. Oh yeah..dear Hubby and I are still considering whether we should get Harith a costume. It's not the money that's matter. The costumes are quite cheap anyway. Around 10-20 USD for a boy his age. Errr..jangan convert duit Malaysia laaa.. It just that dear Hubby and I think that it's time for Harith to learn about the value of money. Not everything comes cheap, OK..and in our case (Hubby and I), we have to work hard to be where we are today (wherever it is). So yes, learning about the value of money is one of the values that we would want our children to have.

Anyway, even the theme parks are corporating the holiday. We have 'Mickey's Trick or Treat Party in Disneyland', Six Flags Fright Fest, Universal Studio Hollywood's Halloween Horror Nights, and Knott's Berry Farm's Haunt. Well, if I'm not a very very the penakut person, I would sure go to one of these. Especially the Knott's. It seems very very very eerily scary.

OK..here's a little about Halloween that I have Wikied:

Halloween or Hallowe’en is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting "haunted houses", carving Jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories and watching horror movies. Immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century.

Halloween is celebrated in several countries of the Western world, most commonly in the United States, Canada, Ireland, Puerto Rico, Japan, New Zealand, United Kingdom and occasionally in parts of Australia. In Sweden the All Saints' official holiday takes place on the first Saturday of November.

The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the alive and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks were also worn at the festivals in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or placate them. The carved pumpkin, lit by a candle inside, is one of Halloween's most prominent symbols in America, and is commonly called a jack-o'-lantern.

Originating in Europe, these lanterns were first carved from a turnip or rutabaga. Believing that the head was the most powerful part of the body containing the spirit and the knowledge, the Celts used the "head" of the vegetable to frighten off any superstitions. The name jack-o'-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking old farmer. He tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk. In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America where pumpkins were readily available and much larger, making them easier to carve than turnips. Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their home's doorstep after dark. In America the tradition of carving pumpkins is known to have preceded the Great Famine period of Irish immigration. The carved pumpkin was originally associated with harvest time in general in America and did not become specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 19th century.

In North America, Christian attitudes towards Halloween are quite diverse. In the Anglican Church dioceses have chosen to emphasize the Christian traditions of All Saints Day, while some other Protestants celebrate the holiday as Reformation Day, a day of remembrance and prayers for unity. Celtic Christians may have Samhain services that focus on the cultural aspects of the holiday, in the belief that many ancient Celtic customs are "compatible with the new Christian religion. Christianity embraced the Celtic notions of family, community, the bond among all people, and respect for the dead. Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in a gallimaufry of celebrations from October 31 through November 5, all of which appear both to challenge the ascendancy of the dark and to revel in its mystery.

A Quote To Remember?

2008-10-14T07:27:00.001+08:00

A few nights ago, I watched a movie titled "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". It was good, hilarious and informative, in aspect of Greek's culture, their tradition and lifestyle.

But one thing stucked in my mind. When the main character wanted to further her studies but her father objected the idea, her mom reassured her that she would change her father's mind. She said and I quote:

"The man is the head of the house, but the woman is the neck. She will turn the head to whichever direction she wants to."

Hahaha..don't you think it's funny? I did! :))

Handbag Planet

2008-10-11T05:08:00.001+08:00

Good news for everyone!

Handbag Planet is launching their website on October 15th, 2008. In celebration, they are giving away a free handbag every hour for 24 hours on the day of the launch. Their high fashion, trendy handbags are inspired by popular designer brands and priced between $30 and $80.

Please visit their websites to have a chance of winning beautiful, uniques designer handbags! ----> Handbag Planet

For Facebook members, you can become a fan by visiting their page at http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/wwwhandbagplanetcom/38449093560.

I so hope I'll have the chance to win ;)

Muslim Family Day @ Six Flags Magic Mountain

2008-10-07T05:46:00.000+08:00

On Saturday, the 4th Eid day, we went to Six Flags Magic Mountain for the Muslim Family Day organized by Islamic Circle of North America. We started from home at 9.30 a.m. and it took almost 1 hour to reach there. Surprisingly, it was drizzling. The 1st time ever since we have been in California.

The Front Gate

Six Flags Magic Mountain is a family theme park which is full of roller coaster. And the roller coasters are AWESOME and AMAZING. I wonder how did the human minds worked in producing such wonders.

View from Skytower Museum, 38 stories from the ground.

Anyway, our first stop was of course, Thomas Town. The kids were so excited. Harith and Hannah have been Thomas's big fan. Apparently, Thomas Town is the latest excitement in Six Flags. It has a little Island of Sodor, a Tidmouth Shed where all the useful engines have a rest after a busy day, and an animal farm. Unfortunately Sir Topham Hat was no longer around. The 'character' was there during Summer for photo session with the little ones. I wish he was still there, Harith would go 'crazy'!. Hehe.. anyway, Percy the Small Engine had a small ride of his own too.

Thomas Town

Tidmouth Shed

Thomas The Tank Engine with his coaches, Annie and Clarabel

Percy the Small Engine

We spent quite sometime in Bugs Bunny World. It's the only part in the park where Harith and Hannah can have the rides. Other parts are full of gigantic roller coasters such as Goliath, X2, Tatsu and Ninja.

Inside Tweety's Cage

Taking a ride on the heli.

After that we went to have lunch at the East Pavillion where the Muslim Family Day was having a few stalls. We had a Beriyani and a Halal KFC. KFC was really finger licking good..yummyy..I seldom eat KFC back in Malaysia, but now I suddenly miss it. Haven't had the opportunity to have it here till this family day..not all KFCs have the Halal status over here.

Next came dear Hubby's turn for his crazy rides. This is his 4th time visiting Six Flags and he's still not tired of those monster roller coasters. *sigh* He went on Tatsu, the longest flying coasters in mountainous terrain.

Tatsu, view from Skytower

Somewhere up there is my dear Hubby

While waiting for Hubby, the kids and I explore around. We found the Superman's cove. It looked quite harmless, so I was thinking that I should take the ride. I haven't taken any of those roller coasters ride because I was too scared.

So when dear Hubby came back to the ground, hehe..I asked him about the Superman ride. He agreed that I should take the ride. He said the ride was fun and easy and it's not a roller coaster. Seeing the cove, in my mind, I was thinking about the Mummy ride that I took in Universal Studio..it was fast but quite ok because it was only in the cave. So, happily I left the kids with dear Hubby and went on to take the ride alone. What I didn't see was...

...that tall rocket-high behind the cove.

So after queueing about half and hour and it was finally my turn, imagine my surprise when I realized that I was going to actually ride on this thing:

This Superman ride, true to its name, is the first ride ever on this planet Earth to reach 100 mph in six seconds, and I was actually on that thing!! %^&*@(*#@*%&$@ The ride was only about 15 seconds but it was the longest 15 seconds in my entire life! When the ride finally ended, I felt like my soul was actually still up there. It took me another few seconds to get up. Hehe..I walked back to where the kids and hubby were waiting, I could see that dear Hubby had a big grin pasted on his face. On our way back, he finally reveiled to me that he, himself didn't dare to go on that ride when he first came to Six Flags, he only took the ride during his 2nd time there. "Wooo..now you're telling me, eh Honey?" He just showed me his big "Gotcha" grin. Arghhh.. anyway, I was quite proud of myself, haha..

Well, later we went around the parks. Not really taking on any rides because it was too big for the kids and I was too chicken to get on it, and dear Hubby had already taken the rides during his trips previously.

Anyway, you can look at more photos in my online photo album.

Eid Mubarak

2008-10-02T08:39:00.000+08:00

Today is Eid Mubarak.

We started as early as 5.30 a.m. this morning. Performed Subuh prayer and woke up the kids to prepare going for Hari Raya prayer. This year, the event was jointly organized by Islamic Center of Hawthorne and Islamic Center of South Bay at Carson Community Hall.

After getting 'lost' for the first half an hour, we finally arrived at the Hall at about 7.30 a.m. Many people have arrived and the hall was almost full. Dear Hubby took Harith with him, and Hannah and I headed to the Muslimah section at the back of the hall.

The event was more or less the same as those in Malaysia. Takbir Raya, Khutbah, and the prayer. But a thing happened that I found was truly special and made the morning extra joyful for fellow Muslims. We received a new 'Sister'. We witnessed and welcomed a new Muslimah to embrace the beautiful religion of Islam. Hearing the Syahadah, "I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, and Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah", I found myself nearly in tears.

I was born as a Muslim, so I tend to accept Islam as part of my life. Well, Islam does means "A Way of Life". What I mean is, sometimes I forgot to be thankful how lucky I am to be born as Muslim and the umat of Muhammad. Sometimes I tend to ignore the beauty of Islam, to neglect my duties and responsibilities as a Muslimah. Let's hope that my experience this morning would constantly remind me to be a better Muslimah of this beautiful, true, religion of Islam.

Again, I was marvelled by the difference during the prayer. As usual, I covered myself except for my face and my two hands, wearing a jubah and a hijab, complete with the socks. But there were other Muslimahs who perform the prayers with only the shawl clinging on the head, and a short-sleeves dress, I could even see their toes (complete with the nail polish!) Wow..I did get really confuse. On the other hand, there were other Muslimahs who dressed as I do. Hmm..can somebody explain to me, which is which actually? The woman next to me even bent over and shooing her baby when the pumpkin cried in the middle of the prayer, and then she continued performing the prayer. Hmmm..I know we have different mazhabs in Islam, but for me that is too much difference! I was taught that we can't move freely during prayers for fear it would be 'batal'. I was also taught the aurat of Muslimah should cover everything except for her face and two hands. Hmmm....

Anyway, contrary to what I expected, no delicacies was served.. aww.. :( We only got a Papa John's doughnut and a drink. They were quite short, so I just took two doughnuts for the kids.

So we just went home and have a small feast of our own. I spent the whole evening yesterday, cooking ketupat Nona, rendang daging, ayam masak lemak kuning and sayur sambal goreng. Boleh laa..setakat nak lepas rindu, haha..serupa TAPI tetap tak sama...uwaaaaa...

Oh yeah..I had YM web conference with my family last night. Miss them..miss them..uwaaa...mujur la Ibu tak banjir..kalu tak..harus banjir gak LA niiiii, hahaha..

Hearing the Khutbah

That blue thing is the string of Hannah's balloon, enterframe betul laaa..hehe..

Outside the community hall

A sport shoes and a jubah??? Hehe..

I was holding tight to 'Atom', Hannah's security pillow (bantal busuk laaa) for fear of losing it. Has lost it in 2 occassions, and had to turn back all the way to the shop for it.

Our small feast, rezeki pagi Syawal di bumi Amerika...Alhamdulillah.

I Wanna Go Homeeeeeeeeeee.....Uwaaaaaa... :____(

2008-10-01T10:44:00.000+08:00

Another Weekend

2008-09-28T15:27:00.000+08:00

As usual, we had our family outing today. Harith has been requesting for a video game for quite some time. Well, he has one, but we left it at home. Dear hubby spent the whole day yesterday surfing the net, trying to find a good bargain. Unfortunately the bidding on E-Bay got higher and higher.

We decided to get a used one. So we got him a used Sony Play Station-2. Main reason was that his cousin owns exactly the same console. So, it's easier for Harith to borrow the CDs..hehe..jimat sikit duit abah ummi. I wanted to get the Nintendo Wii, but it's wayyy to expensive, even for a used on. Plus, I'm not sure if we can find the games and accessories easily in Malaysia.

Later, we went to Wal-Mart. Just looking around, and I got some stuffs for baking cakes. And off we went to Bangkok Market again. Alhamdulillah, I got to buy "Ketupat NONA""...weeehaaaaaaaa...who says you can't find ketupat in Los Angeles..muahahaha...another thing that I found was...jeng..jeng...BELACAN!!! yippiee..it made my day! haha..

Most interesting was we met another Asian family. They're from Indonesia, and was very very friendly. They even invited us to go to the Indonesian consulate for Hari Raya.

Well, another tiring day. Later..

Turbo Jam

2008-09-27T04:45:00.000+08:00

Turbo Jam!!!

I just love it!

I ordered the video via internet after seeing the advertisement on TV. I received my package on Monday last week. Since then, I've done the exercise for about 7 times. First 5 times was the Learn and Burn stage..trying to grasp the 11 Elite moves of the programme. This week, I'm starting on the Cardio Party Mix which takes about 45 minutes per session.

I try to control my eating habit too..but being typical Malay, I had to have rice..LOL..plus it's Ramadhan and I need the energy(excuses..excuses haha....)but really, I try not to over-eat.

The result? Hmm..after 7 workouts and not so serious controlling my food (I still eat stir-fried..according to the video, I should take steam or baked food ONLY for better result), I managed to lose 1/2 inch from my waist, 1 inch from my hip and 1 inch from my thigh. Yipppiee....yeah..maybe it's not much, but I'm still happy with the result, considering that I'm not so discipline during the workout (always taking a break...pancit laaa!!!) and still eating all those oh-not-so-healthy food. :P

Semangat nih!!!

I plan to go all out after Ramadhan. 2 sessions per day, 6 days per week..control my eating habit, well, I should be down-sized soon...gegegege..

Anyway, I'm not SO big...lol..haha..but I'm on the mission to lose a wee bit of that tummy pooch that has been hanging on so stubbornly ever since I gave birth to Hannah. Grrrr... Plus a healthy lifestyle should be able to control my dreaded anxiety disorder.

Come and join me! Go this website for more info.

Selamat Hari Raya

2008-09-26T15:56:00.000+08:00

My family and I would like to wish all friends and readers:

Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir dan Batin
May all of you have a wonderful Hari Raya with your respective families.

As for us...huhuhuhuhuhuhu.... :_____((

This is the first time, EVER..that I'm celebrating Hari Raya away from my family. Hmm..I mean, my extended family. Alhamdulillah, my own little nucleus family is all here.

Dear hubby seems to take it well. Not a surprise since he's the type who rarely shows his emotions on anything, hehe..plus he spent four years doing his Degree in this United States of A. So, Hari Raya away from family is no news for him. And so are the kids. Well, they don't even know what a Hari Raya is. So, I'm left alone in my sorrow...Isk..isk..isk..

I miss my Mom..and of course I miss my Dad. This is the second time in a row that I'm unable to visit his grave during Hari Raya's morning. Last year was Kelantan's turn. I'm supposed to have my turn this year, but here I am..well..about 11,000km away from home.

Hmmm..what are the things that I would be missing?

First and foremost, I would surely miss eating 'ketupat and rendang'. Huwaaa......
Being half-Javanese, 'Sambal goreng' comes next. Isk..isk..isk...
Being half-Minang, 'Ayam Lemak Kuning' is also being missed. Huuuuuu...
Most of all, I miss being being around the family, the 'maaf-maafan' session..taking turns from the eldest to the youngest and eating together after returning from the Mosque after the prayer. Visiting relatives...hmm..I would miss going to Busu's house..chit-chat and gossips di pagi raya, haha...going back to Dad's hometown in Batu Pahat...I miss Cik Idah's terrific sambal goreng..I can go on and on and on..the list is endless!!! Haihhh...

Although I can cook those special dishes myself (except for ketupat, where in the world can I find ketupat in Los Angeles!), it just won't be the same. The ambience is not the same. My mom won't be around to nag me (you forget to put this, you should have done it this way..bla..bla..bla..hehe), my niece is not here to 'sibuk-sibuk', no brother and sister-in-law to insist on doing things short-cut, hehe..

Life is just as usual here. I don't even realize that today is already the 26th of Ramadhan. Except for going for Hari Raya prayer at the mosque, we haven't really make a plan on how to celebrate. Oh..the Islamic Circle of North America is having a family day at Six Flags Theme Park on 4th October. We might go there.

Hmmm...anyway, here's my most favourite Hari Raya song of all times...Satu Hari di Hari Raya by M. Nasir.

Satu hari di Hari Raya

Ku lihat cahaya bersinar indah

Langit cemerlang tak terkira

Tanda kuasa yang Maha Esa

Memberi nikmat pada manusia

Satu hari di Hari Raya

Ku dengar irama yang sungguh indah

Ku coba mendekati padanya

Kira irama itu adalah

Suara pujian pada yang Esa

Satu hari di Hari Raya

Aku menangis tanda gembira

Aku menangis tanda ku cinta kepadaNya

Satu hari di Hari Raya

Ku lihat wajah suci ibuku

Ku lihat wajah kasih ayahku

Ku gembira

Mungkin inilah dia kebahagiaan

I miss 'wajah kasih ayahku'...terribly...and more so during this Hari Raya.

I hope my Mom will be OK...since 4 years ago, Hari Raya has always been difficult for her. My being so far away will add salt to the old wound. I hope it won't bleed too much. Hmmm.....

Surah Al-Mulk (The Kingdom)

2008-09-23T08:44:00.000+08:00

I wrote an entry about Surah Yasin before. Today, I'd like to share about another Surah which is I think equally as important.

Surah Al-Mulk is the 67th surah in Al-Quran. It contains 30 verses.

As well being called al-Mulk, it is also called al-Waqiya (the Protector), al-Munjiyya (the Rescuer), and al-Mâni'a (the Defender) because it protects the one who knows it and rescues him from the punishment and defends him during the Rising. It is also called al-Mujadila (the Arguer) because it argues on behalf of the one who knows it when he is in the grave. Numerous hadiths have mentioned its excellence.

The Prophet, (p.b.u.h), said, "There is a sura of the Book which only has thirty ayats which will intercede for a man on the Day of Rising and will bring him out of the Fire and make him enter the Garden. It is Surat Tabarak (meaning al-Mulk)." He also said, "I wish that 'Tabarak' could be in the heart of every believer."

Eversince I knew about the Fadilat, I try not to miss reciting the Surah. Twice on each day...once after performing Dhuhr and once after performing Maghrib.

Truth be known, I'm scared of death. Well, who doesn't? I think only kids or insane people who are not scared. As I've said before, I know too well that my preparation for the other world is very very limited. But I know, one day..Death will come..without a knock on the door...not a minute earlier or later. So I hope that my small effort will help me in the hereafter journey.

I'll end with the tafsir of the 1st verse in Surah Al-Mulk which clearly shows the powerfullness of the Surah:

"Tabàrakallazî biyadihil moulkou, wahouwa 'alà koulli shay-in qadîre"
(Blessed be He who has the Kingdom in His Hand! He has power over all things.)

"He who has the Kigndom in His hand" means the sovereignty or kingdom of the heavens and the earth, this world and the Next. It is said that it means the King of kings in this world, as you say, "the master of the kingdom." The first is more general and encompassing. He abases or exalts whomever He wills, He gives life and makes die, enriches and makes poor, gives and withholds. It is also said by some that He has the dominion of prophethood by which He exalts those who follow it and abases those who oppose it. He has the control of affairs. As He says elsewhere: "They do not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole earth will be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Rising, the heavens folded up in His right hand." (39:64)

In Arabic "hand" (yad) designates authority and power. Allah has the power to bless and take revenge. Commentators say that yad refers to Allah's power (qudra) which is His attribute without interpretation or qualification. His power is beyond description or limitation. In this context, Abu Hurayra reported in a sound hadith that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah's hand is full, undiminished by any expenditure since He created the heaven and the earth, for what His hand holds has not decreased. His Throne was upon the water, and in His hand the scale which He lowers and raises."

Mulk means sovereignty, kingship, dominion, and it is means ownership. It usually refers to this world, the physical world of bodies, whereas Malakut refers to the dominion of the unseen as He says, "Glory be to Him who has the Dominion (malakût) of all things in His Hand." (36:83)

"He has power over all things" defines His power - it extends to all things without limit. It reinforces the first sentence.

Insya-allah, I hope by my sharing this, friends and readers...all of us will get a benefit out of it. I suggest that you grab an Al-Quran's tafsir and understand fully the meaning of the whole Surah.

Another thing, we are in the last 10 days of Ramadhan. There's another Hadith by the Prophet about the Fadilat of the Surah.

Rasulullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: "The person who reads Tabarakallazi biyadihil mulk & Alif Laam Tanzeel-as-sajda between Maghrib and Esha;the reward(for reading these 2 surahs) will be as though he(the reader) had stood awake during(the night) of Laylatul Qadr." (Ruhul Ma'aani, Ibn Mardawayah)

*** Alif Laam Tanzeel is Surah Al-Sajadah. I will write another entry on the Surah, Insya-Allah.

May Allah give us the strength and courage to reap the maximum benefits of Ramadhan, Insya-Allah.

An Evening In The Park

2008-09-22T01:53:00.001+08:00

Yesterday evening, we took the kids to a nearby park. It was about 10 minutes drive. Victor Park is located in a neighbourhood in Emerald Street.

The kids had a really good time. Hannah sampai taknak balik..mengamukkk.. They made friends and had fun together. It amazed me that the young ones are so easy to get along between them. Just a quick hi and what's your name, and off they go, running around and holding hands like they've known each other forever.

Here's some pictures that I snapped:

Harith and his new found pal, Kevin

Daddy and his little Princess

I love this pix...slack la ada tiang kat tengah la pulak

One Malay, one Chinese and one German...Harith, Kevin and Jack

Masjid Al Noor

2008-09-22T01:35:00.000+08:00

Lucky for us, there is a small mosque nearby our home. Although it's about 10 minutes drive, but Alhamdulillah. Dear hubby has been going there to perform his Friday prayers. The name is Masjid Al Noor. You can go here to visit their website.

During Ramadhan, hubby has gone there for a few times too..usually during weekends. (He only comes home from work at about 7 something). Usually he goes alone..one time with Harith. I wanted to go too, but thinking that Hannah would not be easy to look after (she's very active), so I just perform my prayer at home.

But last Friday, I decided to tag along. Harith has promised to look after his sister while we pray. So, off we went.

I was quite surprised when I arrived. That was the first time I see the most number of Muslim women. Most of them were Indians or Pakistanis or Bangladeshi. I could tell from their dress and also their slang. They were very friendly too, adressing me as 'Sister'. Oh, the mosque served Iftar during Ramadhan. So I had a nice err...I don't know what it was..some kind of Pakistani food I think, but it tasted good. Hehe...

Anyway, their Mazhab is different from us. As we were getting ready to perform prayer, I realized I was the only one who was covering all my hair properly. I didn't wear the usual 'telekong', I wore a Punjabi dress but with my hijab and handscover, covering myself from head to toe except for my face and my two hands. As for them, they were wearing Punjabi dresses too, but they just sling their 'selendangs' around their faces. I could still see their hair. Hmm...

Well, anyway...I hope I can go there again soon as Harith kept his promise by taking care of his sister well. Kudos to him...good boy. :)

Anybody who's 'sesat' in LA and looking for a mosque, this is the address:

Masjid Al Noor
25816 Walnut Street
Lomita, CA90717

Ada Untukmu - Nubhan

2008-09-15T09:13:00.000+08:00

I've always been a regular to Mr Manager's blog. So I've long aware of the new found gem of Artistes United Records (AUR) (belonged to THE popular diva, Ning Baizura) - Nubhan. I also watched Akademi Fantasia's final concert where Nubhan managed to clutch the 3rd place. That was when I first heard this song. But at that time, I didn't really pay any attention..bz with the kids cries, demands, etc etc etc. Plus, the clip was a bit corny for my taste. Heee...

Anyway, I had quite a free time to browse through all of Mr Manager's blog, so I entertained myself with this song. Mr Manager also posted the song's lyrics. To my surprise, I like the song very very much! Nubhan's voice is quite different from other Malaysian man artist that I've heard before. It has kind of a soothing element in it. And the lyric touches me. I've always been fascinated with the story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz, and Taj Mahal as the symbol of their love.

Enjoy the video. It's when Nubhan had his debut of this song in Akademi Fantasia's final concert.

Al-Fatihah

2008-09-15T06:23:00.000+08:00

Today is 14th September.

Exactly 4 years ago, I lost a man whom I've loved through out my entire life.

He was my strength, my mentor, my idol, my friend...he was everything to me and my family.

He was my Dad.

Al-Fatihah to dearest Ayah.

"Dear God, please forgive all of my father's sins. Please show your love and mercy to his soul. And please gather his soul among the good people whom that you love. Please give my regards to him, and please tell him that not a day passed by that I don't think of him and that I love and miss him very very much."

Dear friends and readers, I would appreciate very much if you would offer a prayer for my Dad.. Abdul Rahim bin Haji Hussien.

Thank you.

I wish my Hannah would know him..and my Harith could have spent a longer time with him. I wish they would have had the chance to know how great their grandpa was.

I wish you are still here Dad.

Venice Beach, California

2008-09-15T05:45:00.000+08:00

We promised Harith and Hannah that we would take them to the beach. So yesterday, off we went to Venice Beach. It's located about half and hour from here. Would take shorter time if we take the highway, but I was feeling a little adventurous so I asked dear Hubby to take the normal road instead. It's quite refreshing from being cooped up in the house all week. It's nice to see the neighbourhoods and rows of shops. And we got to pass through LAX. I've never seen LAX during the days, because the 2 times I've been to LA, I arrived here during the night.

After a couple of hours in the sun, we decided that we've had enough. It was great though. The wheather was terrific! A cold breeze but at the same time..sunshine.

Anyway, Venice Beach is also well-known for rows of shops..(about 2 miles I think) that sells all kinds of merchandise. On weekends, there would be a lot of street performers. They kind of make a living out of it. They would dance or act or do gymnastics..people would gather around them..hopefully one of the people would be a talent-hunter..and when the time comes for money-tipping, everybody will start walking away...hehehe..

There was also a weight-lifting championship. Surprisingly, one of the contestants was a 74 year old man..WOW..

Anyway, Venice Beach has been the location of a few well-known movies, such as Speed, The Fugitive as well as a popular television series, Baywatch. Yeah babe..Baywatch was filmed here. However, I didn't see any life-guards as hot as those in the series. They were wearing shirts and shorts, and no six-packs or big boobs were in view. Hehehe..

True to its name, the place was modeled after Italy's Venice. There're canals, with buildings on both side that really look like those in the original Venice.

The Truth About Cheating

2008-09-12T12:40:00.000+08:00

Watched an Oprah show this evening featuring topic of 'Cheating Men'. I know this is an old issue...infidelity everywhere...yeah yeah..but this is an inside view from a man himself. The interview was with M.Gary Neuman who wrote a book entitled "The Truth About Cheating: Why Men Stray and What You Can Do About It".

Here's the interesting part. You can go to Oprah.com and dowload the book for free. Yeah..you got that right...FREE...but there's a catch. You can download it between now till 7 p.m. September 12th Pacific Time...that would be around 10 a.m. September 13th Malaysian time.

Anyway, snippets from the show, there're basically 4 strong signs of husbands having an affair:

1. spending more and more time away from home
2. having less sex with wife
3. avoiding contacts with wife, i.e: you can't reach him at his handphone etc.
4. critisizing the wife almost all the time

So, go ahead and get your free copy. It took only about 10 seconds. It's a 233 pages book. Can't wait to start reading my copy. Heh..heh.. ;)

10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka

2008-09-12T09:45:00.001+08:00

A friend of mine shared a video called "10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka" in my Facebook. It's a short documentary featuring snippets and interviews of a few individuals who has fought for independence long before anybody else has even thought about that. But just because they were from "parti berhaluan kiri", history has not recognized their struggles and contributions. I think this documentary is truly an eye opener. Please go here to browse their website.

Angkatan Pemuda Insaf, Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya, PUTERA, AMCJA...Ahmad Boestamam, Ibrahim Yaakob, Burhanuddin Helmy, Ishak Hj. Muhammad a.k.a. Pak Sako ... What were their contributions? What is Hartal? Their story has never been told. History books in school has recorded them almost as betrayer, very closed to communism etc. etc. etc.

Anyway, watch these videos and judge for yourselves.

Remembering 9/11

2008-09-12T08:59:00.000+08:00

Today is September 11th. Exactly 7 years ago, the world was shocked by the attack to the World Trade Center in New York, USA. I was then a Programmer in Arab Malaysian Merchant Bank. I knew nothing of the attack, until my System Analyst came to work and excitedly inform me that he was 'lucky' enough to watch the attack to the second tower in 'Live Telecast' by CNN.

Every TV channels feature coverage of a few ceremonies marking the anniversary of the attacks. Till now, the government stood up their claim that it was a cruel act of terrorism. The ground where the WTC once stood is now known as Ground Zero. Even the heated presidential election campaign between Barack Obama and John McCain took a break when both candidates walked together side by side, to give their respects at Ground Zero.

Almost 3000+ lives were lost during the attack. Part of them were the lives of firemen and police officers who were bravely executing their duties to save lives but ended up losing their own instead. My heart went out to 63 children who gathered there...63 children who will never know their Dad.

Anxiety Disorder II

2008-09-11T03:16:00.000+08:00

Contrary to what I've hoped, I still experience panic attacks here in LA. I've had hopes that I would treat my problem here, as I won't have any due dates to catch and fussy customers to deal with. So far there have been about 3 series of attacks. Once, I got it during my web-cam conference through YM with my Mom. I quickly left the laptop and let my kids chatted with her as I don't want her to worry. *sigh*. Problem is, I'm not sure what triggered these attacks. Might be because I'm quite stressed handling the kids. Harith has been very, very naughty these past few days, and often I found myself catching for breath and rubbing my chest.

Anyway, another blogger (Mr.Manager - manager of Ning Baizura) is experiencing these attacks too. He's new to this. As for me, it's been almost 5 months since the first attack (and still counting...arghhh). From his blog, I found out about the Rescue Spray. It is one of a few products concocted by Dr. Edward Bach, who recognized the need for emergency treatment for people with stressfull lives. I checked the products over the net, (you can visit the website here)and found that the products are based on natural herbs such as roses and chestnuts. So I decided to grab a bottle of Rescue Spray and a bottle of Rescue Sleep. Each cost around USD11. I'm more convinced of the 'naturality' of the products because they are sold in WholeFoods Market. WholeFoods Market only sells products which are natural and organic.

I tried Rescue Sleep on that very night. True enough, I slept like a log! No tossing and turning, and no waking up at nights. For the first time in quite a long time, I slept like a baby. My hubby had to wake ME up for sahur. Usually it's the other way around, hehe...

I haven't tried the Rescue Remedy Spray. So far, haven't got any attacks since I bought the spray. Nevertheless, Alhamdulillah....I thank God for giving me a solution for my problem. If not permanently, it's still would be very useful in emergency. You readers might not have any idea on the attacks I'm talking about, unless if you're experiencing them too. I pray to God that none of you readers, my friends and my loved ones have to suffer like I do. It's terrible to have the dying feeling hanging around your shoulder all the time. Every minute, you'll think of having a heart attack and drop dead. You know that it's not true, but your mind has a way to wander from the rational thoughts to crazy thoughts. The feeling of tightness in your chest, the heart beating like crazy, the cold sweat running all over your body contributes to that crazy thoughts. Plus I'm here in a foreign land with only my two young kids while dear hubby is at work, and there's no way of communicating with him except for YM (my phone doesn't work here except for SMSes which cost RM2 per sms...grrr).

I googled if there's any anxiety disorder specialist here in LA. Well, of course there are dozens of them. There's one who's located here in Torrance. He's running a center which deals with my kind of problem. It's called the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Center. I know the medical cost here is rocket-high. But I still emailed him anyway, detailing a little bit of my problem, and inquired about the cost. He replied promptly, saying that my case is treatable. But of course, the cost is very high. Each session would cost USD200. I have to attend weekly sessions for about 3 to 4 months. The total cost would be around USD2500.!!! There's no way I can afford that kind of money! *Sigh*..so close, but yet so far :(

Let's just hope the Rescue Spray can help me. In the mean time, I'm trying to think positive and take things slow. Pray for me..ok. Thanks.

Belief and Faith

2008-09-10T14:57:00.000+08:00

So far, I can say that life in LA has been quite challenging, in terms of religion. Although there are many Muslims in USA, the numbers are quite small. Everywhere I go, people seems to stare at me, just because I'm wearing Hijab. Sure there are some Iranians, Turks and Pakistanis around, but not all of them are wearing Hijab. It's just like back in Malaysia. So far I can count with one hand the number of other women wearing Hijab that I've run across to (I met a few Muslim women in Disneyland and Farmers Market). And so far whenever I go to supermarkets or the beach, I would be the only one wearing Hijab.

There are lots of Christian channels in TV too. Night after night, there would be some movies about God and prophets...from Joseph (Yusof) to Zachariah (Zakaria) to Jesus (Isa). There would be voices of Gabriels, giving messages to the Messiahs. However the story lines are wayyyyy too different from what I've read in our Book (Al-Quran). Although I know they are wrong, I inclined to watch them. Just for the sake of entertainment. The stories are told in an epic style, so it's interesting to watch the costumes and the sets. And me and dear Hubby has shared many opinions and views, discussing the movies. On Sundays, there would be live telecast from churches all over LA.

This is another reason why I'm reluctant to send Harith to the public school. I'm afraid that there would be teachings of Jesus and Christianity at school. And I'm concern with the Halal status of the foods in the cafetaria. Well, if we are to stay here for good, then that would be a different story. There are a few Islamic schools around, but those are private school and cost a bomb! But, as I've said, if we are to stay here permanently, I would be sure to send them to an Islamic school. Money doesn't matter when Iman and Faith is in question.

As for restaurants, there are very few restaurants with Halal status. There is one website that have the list of Halal restaurants, Zabihah.com . Since we have been here, we haven't eaten outside. I cook everyday. I'm more comfortable that way. And we get our poultry supplies from an Iranian supermarket, Shayyan International.

Well anyway, I guess this experience has taught me something. Belief and Faith, are very important. And patience. There's a reason why God has given me this opportunity to be here. To test my faith, my imaan. Someone told me once that Imaan flunctuates, sometimes it's high..and sometimes it's low. It's up to us to maintain our beliefs, by praying often for Allah's guidance.

Harith's Masterpiece

2008-09-06T07:43:00.000+08:00

Found a coloring website for kindergarten. This is Harith's first masterpiece on that site. :)

Any resemblance?

2008-09-06T05:40:00.000+08:00

This just strikes me when I looked at Harith's picture closely. He resembles my late Dad so much..don't u think so? His eyes, nose, mouth, and smiles. :)

This almost bring tears to my eyes. I miss you, Ayah, and now I can see you in your grandson.

Almost 3 weeks...

2008-09-06T05:00:00.000+08:00

It has been almost 3 weeks since we came to LA. Most of the times, I'm quite bored. I spend my time cooking and cleaning and goofying around with the kids. Dear hubby gave me permission to go around, but I'm too scared to drive. Everything is left-handed here, and I'm pretty sure I will bump to another car as soon as I drive out from the car-park. Hehe.. Plus, the more we go out, the more we spend. Haihhh... Since hubby is working from 8-5 or sometimes later than that during weekdays, we only go out during weekends. Hmm..still thinking about which places to go tomorrow. Since it's Ramadhan, we might only go fishing at Redondo.

Anyway, at first we planned to enrol Harith to a school here, even if it for just a few months, just to give him some exposure. Usually school enrollment is a simple thing. Just bring the birth certificate and the immunization record and it's all set. However a trip to nearby school proved it's not as simple as that. By California law, we have to do medical check-up, dental check-up, etc etc etc. All in all, the total cost would be somewhere near USD 1000! FYI, medical facilities is very, very, very expensive here in US..even so for dental. That's what Barack Obama and the Democrats are fighting for. After discussing with dear hubby, we decided not to go ahead with the plan. We're not staying here for good anyway, only till the end of the year. It's really not worth it to spend almost USD 1000, when that money can be used for Harith's schooling in Malaysia next year.

So, I have to do the schooling myself. However, Harith proved to be a very very difficult student. He have trouble concentrating, and he gets bored very fast. Luckily I brought a few of his books from back home. So far I stressed on Mathematics. I want him to be good in Maths. Also, I found a few websites to teach him read English. Harith is good in communicating English, but has trouble reading. But he's progressing, and I'm pretty much satisfied with his progress. However, he's very good in drawing (for his age), and quite creative. Somehow, this reminds me of my late Dad. Surely he got the genes from his Grandpa since Ummi and Abah are no way an artist..haha.

Hannah and Harith with their color pencil man

Abang and Adik goofying around.

We watch TV almost all the time, and laptop is almost ON 24 hours, either for games, or facebook or forums or etc. I know this is really not healthy...*sigh*...please of you readers have any idea on what activity to suggest for the kids, please give them in your comments. TQ.

1st day of Ramadhan and Farmers Market @ The Grove

2008-09-03T02:47:00.000+08:00

Well, yesterday was the 1st day of Ramadhan. For me, this is the first experience ever of fasting in oversea. Not new for dear Hubby as he spent 4 years here during his student years in Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. Coincidentally, yesterday was also Labor Day here in the States. So, dear Hubby was not working. We decided to go to Farmers Market.

There are lots of Farmers Market here in LA. But the one that we went to was the original Farmers Market, established in 1934. Today, there is a big shopping complex named The Grove situated next to the market. So, it's a combination of the old and the new. Dozens of all types of restaurants in the market..u name it, u got it..but of course it wasn't suitable for us Muslims. There were also poultry stores (which are NOT OK too, because the meat sits just next to u-know-what..yeuwkk), and vege stores. There's one candy store which sell all types of nuts, and corns, and all the sweet things, and Abang and Adik were in heaven! Hehe..

In front of the historical clock.

Inside Farmers Market

The Grove is a really modern shopping centers. Almost all the well-known brands are there..such as Coach, Victoria Secrets, Banana Republic etc. A 3 stories Barnes & Nobles is also there. You would have a great time shopping here, provided u have lots in cash lah..(which I didn't have, so no shopping..huhuhu). Another attraction here is a little train that goes along a railroad around The Grove. When I was here last year, me & dear Hubby thought Harith would surely have a great time there, since that kid is really gaga about train. But poor Harith, it's in the process of a face-lift and will only be back on November. *sigh* He was so looking forward to it, because he saw my pic with the train, last year.

A beautiful fountain in the middle of The Grove.

Victoria Secret Boutique

At about 3p.m., we went home. Need to prepare for breaking fast. Dropped by an Iranian store (Shayyan International) to get some supplies.

So, here's a little something about Ramadhan that I've googled.

The Meaning of Ramadhan

Ramadhan is a special month of the year for over one billion Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for inner reflection, devotion to God, and self-control. Muslims think of it as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives. For Muslims, Ramadhan is a "month of blessings" marked by prayer, fasting and charity.Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam. The others are: belief & testimony in The One God (Shahaadah); prayer (Salah) - five times a day at its appointed times; alms -giving (Zakat) – approx. 2.5% of fixed assets annually; and pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah (also spelled Mecca) at least once in a lifetime.The third "pillar" or religious obligation of Islam, fasting has many special benefits. Among these, the most important is that it is a means of learning self-control. Due to the lack of preoccupation with the satisfaction of bodily appetites during the daylight hours of fasting, a measure of ascendancy is given to one's spiritual nature, which becomes a means of coming closer to God. Ramadhan is also a time of intensive worship, reading of the Qur'an, giving charity, purifying one's behavior, and doing good deeds.

As a secondary goal, fasting is a way of experiencing hunger and developing sympathy for the less fortunate and learning thankfulness & appreciation for all of God's bounties. Fasting is also beneficial to the health and provides a break in the cycle of rigid habits or overindulgence.
When the fast ends (the first day of the tenth month of the Islamic calendar –Shawwal) it is celebrated for three days in a holiday called 'Eid-ul-Fitr (the Feast of Fast Breaking). Gifts are exchanged. Friends and family gather to pray in congregation and for large (in the number of attendees) meals. In some cities fairs are held to celebrate the end of the Fast of Ramadhan.

From Dawn to Sunset

The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun. In between -- that is, during the daylight hours -- Muslims totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sexual relations. The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor) before dawn and a post/break-fast meal (iftar) after sunset.
Islam follows a lunar calendar which means that the months of the year are measured according to the revolutions of the moon around the earth (each month begins with the sighting of the new moon).

One may eat and drink at any time during the night "until you can plainly distinguish a white thread from a black thread by the daylight: then keep the fast until night." [2:187]
The good that is acquired through the fast can be destroyed by five things –the telling of a lie, slander, denouncing someone behind their back, a false oath, greed or covetousness.

Devotion to God

The last ten days of Ramadhan are a time of special spiritual power as everyone tries to come closer to God through devotions and good deeds. The night on which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed to the Prophet, known as the Night of Power (Lailat ul-Qadr), is generally taken to be the 27th night of the month. The Qur'an states that this night is better than a thousand months. Therefore many Muslims spend the entire night in prayer.During the month, Muslims try to read as much of the Qur'an as they can. Most try to read the whole book at least once. Some spend part of their day listening to the recitation of the Qur'an in a Mosque (Masjid).

Preservation of Qur’an

During this month Huffath (Muslims who have memorised the entire Holy Qur’an) recite a thirtieth of the Qur’an, word for word and accent for accent in congregational prayers on a daily basis after the night prayer, which is approximately an hour and a half after sunset, for the duration of the month (approx. 30 consecutive days), until they have completed the whole Qur’an.Muslims believe this is one of the ways in which the Qur’an has remained intact since revelation more than 1400 years ago.Food in RamadhanSince Ramadhan is a special time; Muslims in many parts of the world prepare certain favorite foods during this month.It is a common practice for Muslims to break their fast at sunset with dates (from a palm tree), following the custom of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This is followed by the sunset prayer, which is followed by iftar –The actual break-fast meal. Since Ramadhan emphasizes community aspects and since everyone eats iftar at the same time, Muslims often invite one another to share in the Ramadhan evening meal, the breaking of the fast “break-fast.”Some Muslims find that they eat less when breaking their fast during Ramadhan than at other times due to stomach contraction. However, as a rule, most Muslims experience little fatigue during the day since the body becomes used to the altered routine during the first week of Ramadhan.

May our act of fasting is blessed and accepted by Allah The Almighty.

Dear God, please help us to devote our ibadah to you, please make it easier for our little family, being in a foreign country and miles away from home. Amin.

Disneyland California

2008-09-01T21:16:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, we went to Disneyland, as promised to the kids. The tickets were quite expensive, costed almost USD200. *sigh*..well, nevermindlah..for the kids' sake..(and the parents too, ahaks)

Well, pictures speak thousand words. I'm too lazy to describe the experience. Please browse my online photo album for more 'words', haha.

Nevertheless, our family had a great time, especially the kids. It was a new and exciting experience for them.

Thank you God, for the opportunity, and thank you Walt Disney!

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

2008-08-30T01:46:00.001+08:00

In 2 days, my beloved country, Malaysia, is going to celebrate her 51th Independence Day. Being a post-independence child, I never really thought much about 'Merdeka'. For me, that day is just like another holiday. Nothing to be fussed about. Sure I know about the history, Tunku Abdul Rahman, etc...and being a Johorean, I'm well aware of Dato' Onn Jaafar, and Malayan Union.

However, something changed my perspective. When I was on my way to LA, I spent my time watching an in-flight movie: "1957:Hati Malaya". It started quite slow. But then it described one by one, the events that triggered our independence from the British. One scene touched me the most, that I found myself stiffling cries..and tears running down my cheeks. It's when the character 'Tunku Abdul Rahman', was telling the people that he and his men were going to London, to meet Lyttleton, to discuss about independence. However, they're lacked of money and resources. Spontaneously, the people attended the meeting decided then and there, to give whatever little money they have, to sponsor the journey. Men gave out their cents and dollars, and women gave their precious gold bangles, rings etc. Such were their sacrifices. Nothing can stop their hunger for independence.

Another thing that I noticed was when the Malays rejected Dato' Onn's idea of bringing in non-Malays to UMNO. That idea conflicted with the purpose of UMNO, which is to stand up for the Malays. I could see that Dato' Onn's intention of doing that was to convince the British, that we, people of Malaya can work together, and eventually we would be capable of running the country ourselves, even when we were from different races.

When Tunku Abdul Rahman took over UMNO, he actually came up with the same idea. It was fundamental to do so, because the British has concluded that in order to give our independence, they expect all races to work together. Honestly, in my personal opinion, the British sincerely thought that we won't be able to do this, hence they would have the reason NOT to give us our independence. However, Tunku's idea was a bit different from Dato' Onn's. He didn't bring in the non-Malays into UMNO. Each race sticked to their own parties. The Malays with UMNO, the Chinese with MCA, and the Indians with MIC. But they were brought together in a coalition named Parti Perikatan. They eventually won the election and was able to form a Federal Government and led to Tanah Melayu's Independence.

Watching the movie, I realised the significance of UMNO. UMNO started it all...Dato' Onn started it all..the day when the British announced Malayan Union, UMNO has worked hard for us.

However, the UMNO today is not the same as the UMNO then. The leaders today are NOT the same with the leader then. Then, they worked for the soul purpose of giving a better life to the Rakyats. Tun Abdul Razak died without even having his own house. Dato' Onn died with only a few dollars in his pocket.

Can we say the same about the leaders today? Cronism and briberies are everywhere. The rich is getting richer, and the poor is getting poorer. Sure, there are always talks and discussions about how to improve this and that...Corridors and mega projects here and there, but who will actually benefited this project?

I sure hope that the leaders of UMNO today would eventually realised what the people want. We love UMNO, we know what UMNO has done for us. But we are not living in the history. There's nothing wrong with UMNO. It's the people who's running it.

With the winning of DSAI in Permatang Pauh, Malaysia is slowly, but surely, in the verge of changes. We're witnessing another cycle of historic events that might change the course of our future. Whatever it turned up to be, I sure hope it would be the best for the Rakyat, especially for our future generation.

Willow Tree

2008-08-29T06:39:00.000+08:00

Currently, we're staying in Willow Trees Apartment, here in 4445 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance, California.

I've always wonder how does a willow tree look like. Not sure what it's called in Bahasa Melayu. But I'm pretty sure that there's no willow tree in Malaysia. Well, there's a big one in front of the apartment's office. From my apartment's verandah, I can also see the tree. I wonder how old it is. It must have seen years of historic events..perhaps even the war between the states? Haha..that's too much an imagination I guess.

This is the willow tree near the apartment' office.

Here's some info on willow tree that I got from Wikipedia:

Willows, sallows and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species[1] of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Most species are known as willow, but some narrow-leaved shrub species are called osier, and some broader-leaved species are called sallow (the latter name is derived from the Latin word salix, willow).
The willows all have abundant watery sap, bark which is heavily charged with salicylic acid, soft, usually pliant, tough wood, slender branches and large, fibrous, often stoloniferous roots. The roots are remarkable for their toughness, size, and tenacity of life, and roots readily grow from aerial parts of the plant.

The leaves are typically elongated but may also be round to oval, frequently with a serrated margin. All the buds are lateral; no absolutely terminal bud is ever formed. The buds are covered by a single scale, enclosing at its base two minute opposite buds, alternately arranged, with two, small, scale-like, fugacious, opposite leaves. The leaves are alternate, except the first pair which fall when about an inch long. They are simple, feather-veined, and typically linear-lanceolate. Usually they are serrate, rounded at base, acute or acuminate. The leaf petioles are short, the stipules often very conspicuous, looking like tiny round leaves and sometimes remaining for half the summer. On some species, however, they are small, inconspicuous, and fugacious (soon falling). In color the leaves show a great variety of greens, ranging from yellowish to bluish

The fruit is a small, one-celled, two-valved, cylindrical beaked capsule containing numerous tiny (0.1 mm) seeds. The seeds are furnished with long, silky, white hairs, which allow the fruit to be widely dispersed by the wind.

The leaves and bark of the willow tree have been mentioned in ancient texts from Assyria, Sumer and Egypt[5] as a remedy for aches and fever,[6] and the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates wrote about its medicinal properties in the 5th century BC. Native Americans across the American continent relied on it as a staple of their medical treatments. This is because they contain salicylic acid, the precursor to aspirin.

In JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, there is an ancient tree on the school grounds of Hogwarts called the "Whomping Willow". It is provided as a hiding spot of a secret passageway that Professor Remus Lupin roamed through every full moon when he began his transformation into a werewolf.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim Takes Oath

2008-08-29T00:09:00.000+08:00

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim takes oath as MP on Thursday 28 August 2008 morning, Malaysia Time. He is now the Head of the Opposition in the Parliament.

It's a victory for him as well as the people. It has been quite a long journey with lots of bumps and hick-ups along the way. Let's give him and the Opposition the chance for them to execute whatever the promise they have given us, the Rakyat, for a better quality life.

I don't understand why some people are so scared of changing governments. This is normal in other parts of the world. For example, here in US, the Democrats and Republicans keep rotating for every 8 years (most of the time).

Congratulations

2008-08-28T09:32:00.000+08:00

Oh yeah...congratulations to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for having won Permatang Pauh P44 election. Anybody who knows me should know that I'm a big supporter of him. The man has gone through so much, and I think that the time has come for justice to prevail.

People Power!

Anger Management Anyone?

2008-08-28T09:25:00.000+08:00

I desperately need to enrol in a class - Anger Management or Stress Management.

The kids are driving me up the wall, especially Harith. From the time they woke up in the morning till they go to sleep at night, there are constant fights and yelling and pulling hair and tugging and pushing and squeking...and the list goes on and on and on.

Grrrr......

Sometimes I can't control myself and start yelling at them. Or worst, I will spank Harith. Well, Hannah is too small to understand, but Harith is already 6 years old, and I expect him to be more responsible and follow the rules.

Sometimes I got angry so much that my chest hurts. My heart will thump and thump till I could practically hear the rhythm.

Am I a bad mother? *Sighhhhh*

Redondo Beach & Shopping...errrr..Groceries Onlylah :)

2008-08-26T14:07:00.000+08:00

We decided to go fishing yesterday (well, actually Abah decided ;)). Redondo Beach is only about 10 minutes drive from our apartment. It's a beautiful beach, with a big pier, lots of fishings going on. There're lots and lots of birds around too..even pelicans..always waiting for their lucky day when some of the catchers throw some fishes at them.

Getting ready

Abang and Adik had great times chasing the birds

Waiting...

Still no fish..after almost 2 hours...poor Abah :)

Adik Hannah enjoying onion rings.

Finally, at 3 p.m., dear Hubby decided to call it a day. Phewww... too many anglers anyway, and almost all were out of luck. Ikan mogok agaknya, haha..

So later we decided to do some groceries shopping, since Ramadhan is coming in less than 1 week. Naturally we're looking for Asian groceries. There's one that I had been to when I was here last year, named Bangkok Market. It's a Thai grocery shop. So off we go. Took about 30 minutes. It's located in Melrose Avenue, near Downtown LA. So we get normal things like, cili api, daun limau purut, lengkuas, budu, sambal etc etc.

Bangkok Market

Then we went to Pioneer Blvd. This is the place where most Indian communities are living in LA. They actually have a Little India here. Rows of Indian shops..be it restaurants, groceries, textiles, watches, jewelerries, electrical appliances, etc etc all run by Indians. So we went to one of those shops and grab some spices, a few types of chillies, frozen paratha etc etc.

Pioneer Blvd

Actually, there're lots of Asians here in LA. There're the Thais, the Indians, the Pinoys, the Japanese, the Koreans..to name a few...they live in certain parts of LA where u can find the big community there. If I'm not mistaken, where the Pinoys are, the streets name like Mindanoa Street.

Hmm..I think it's time for the Malaysians to be here as well?? I might start a Malaysian restaurant or grocery store..LOL.

Anyway, I went home fully satisfied. Now my kitchen is well stocked, and I'm all ready to celebrate the arrival of Ramadhan, Insya-Allah.