Across the Land

Another food escapade but not that far. Just at Mont Kiara.  And if you are willing to spend more than RM30/100g on a high quality, grass-fed beef. The burger is, of course, much much better than McD..though I'm not a burger fan. Mind you, the burger is pricier than the steak we ordered. The panacotta dessert was yummy to me, I could eat loads of it. I thought I could just buy the tender Australian steak at the Giant Supermarket which cooked minutes if not seconds,M but I won't get the grilled-taste meat which I love. Over to you, Las Vacas :)) Thank you for reading and visit me again.

It has been a long time since I wrote my last post. I'm a slow writer and not a very good one. After SPM is over, I went back to school to update the files and did stock check. Updated the profile information in HRMIS. Sent the PBS exercises to be printed for the 2014 first few weeks of school. I also attended the wedding of my husband's niece at Villa Sangkot, Ulu Langat and sending-off-the-bride ceremony at Putrajaya during the weekend. She is the third child and youngest girl in the family of six, 3 girls and 3 boys. It will be many more years down the road before another wedding as the 4th child is only 16 years old. Then off we flew to Tawau for our annual visit to my hometown. This time with three children in tow. Their last trip was 2 years ago and they had missed their grandma's kampung. A recommended Bernama article related to shopping in Tawau can be read at the end of this post. Along the Highway on the 2nd day, watching the sun went down over t...

When I was small, besides eating fried mee for breakfast, I also took 'nasi kuning'. But fried mee was more frequent. I remember very well eating nasi kuning  when we went out to the Tawau town. Young kids peddled these two main food at the jetty, selling to the boat passengers. I dont know the origin of this yellow rice but I grew up with it. It's the mixed chilli paste, bumbu bali  ( sambal bali)  which produce its distinctive taste. The sambal should be dry not watery . Since my mother did not have a blender, all ingredients were pounded in a mortar. Thus, the pounded dried chillies were quite coarse. The types of fish used are the smaller ones, not the mackerels or red snappers. A condiment is added which is the  serunding kelapa, a savory grated coconut, fried til dry enough to not get spoilt easily. We may also add plain boiled egg to the rice. What actually made it aromatic and delicious is because the yellow rice is wrapped in banana leaves, after bei...

Ramadhan is here again. I have been fasting since I was a kid, perhaps around 9 years of age. However, I can't remember much except that my mother prepared and cooked all the foods for iftar (arabic word) or sungkai (a Bugis word). No buying of food or eating out. Those practices were non-existence when I was small. I used to be the messenger in the customary exchanging of food with our neighbors. We made only one kind of kuih but when the iftar  was drawing near, there would be several kinds of  kuih on the table.

When the 'authorities' talked about the school closure due to haze, nothing or rather no one was clear about it. School or no school? Which states? Teachers and students or only students? Whose authority it is to give directive, PMD or MOE? MOE's website was out-dated for urgent issue like this. They seemed very slow in making decision. Should it be called 'cuti berganti' or 'cuti darurat jerebu'? Then, the night before the next day. 'Teacher, got school or not?' The TV1 highlighted, 'school is still closed'. Another, 'schools may open tomorrow'. Statements are contradictory. I just want the MOE to be the only one giving one fast, short and clear announcement through its website and on television.

I experienced a chest pain when I woke up one one Sunday morning. I sat on the bed, feeling anxious for a while, waiting for it to subside. It lasted just a few minutes. The next Monday, when I was sitting at my desk in the staffroom, I felt numbness in my right foot and hand. Having read several health experiences of stroke and heart patients, I decided to see the doctor at PMC, Sg. Buloh immediately after school. I did ECG on that day and Dr. F asked me a lot of questions. He asked me to do full blood test the next Friday but I won't skip classes. We agreed to Saturday morning.

I have gotten a new status today. Grandma. The 3.4 kg and 53cm long-awaited baby in the family emerged from his dear mother's womb naturally at 10.49 am. The venue? Putra Medical Center at Sg. Buloh. Both mother and child are well. Alhamdulillah. We are all very happy for them and for us, too. Thank you for reading and visit me again.

Yes, a promise fulfilled. A small non-eastern delights for my sisters' family.  Next, a Bugis soto menu at Selandar, Melaka, Insya Allah.

Out of our almost 30 years of marriage, only 3 times we celebrated Eidul Fitr in my hometown in Sabah. The rest (excluding 4 times in the States) were spent in Tumpat, Kelantan. There's no such thing as taking turn. I prefer to go back to Sabah during the longer holidays so that I can spend more time with my family there. You know, the airfares are not cheap to go back often. The same routine happened year after year like going to the market and preparing Raya food on the last day of the fasting month. Since my family was the one who often went back earlier than the others, I was the one who will do the cooking for the first Day of the Eid. Sometimes I also cooked for the second Day which I'd rather rest.

Life has been busy since my last post. Doing this and that and coming home late. Since age has been catching up with me, I now work and think slow. Forgetfulness is the norm. I have to recount the cup of rice I'm going to cook and simple multiplications is an arduous task. I have to write my next day lesson plans a few hours after I finished all my classes when the memory of them are still fresh. My multi-tasking skill is not a skill now so please do not  interrupt me when I'm doing things. Feel like my brain space getting smaller and constricted, giving me headaches. And I seldom get headaches before. Ha ha ha. ~

I went home late afternoon. After I offered my zohor and asr prayers, I went down to take some food as my stomach was pleading for food. Too early but what the heck, my last heavy meal was at 9 this morning. Then before attending my Nature society meeting, I finished the papaya cubes my daughter prepared for me from home.   A lazy lady's early dinner. Ayam brand hotTuna sandwiched between 2 crispy herbed french bread. I grilled them on olive oil sprayed pan. While eating, I remembered I have to take down the mature sour mangoes from the tree or the monkeys would beat me to them.  Almost a bagful later, I put down the plastic bag against the wood beams of what ah? I forget the word. At the mere mention of this fruit, your mouth would soon be filled with saliva. Then, I went to see my little herbs garden at the back of the house. Oh, the weather had been dry for many days and that could be seen on the quite parched herbs bed. Off I went to the water pipe and.. I l...

I have just read another blogger's 'frustrations' about the teacher's world today. Gone are the days when going back to work after the holidays was something that was really looked forward to. School going children are also not spared.  So, let us work this out together..

The rainy days of December were over and January came with its hot spells now and then with some showers in between. February is certainly going to be a hotter month as the sun is approaching the equator. It will be an equinox at the northern and the southern hemisphere when almost everywhere will experience equal length of day and night. So, hotter noons for us here in Malaysia but showers with lightning and thunder will come down in the evening to cool down the atmosphere. Then, how does weather get to do with monkeys? Just look at the pictures and make your own conclusion. On that day, my third daughter called me frantically to tell me about the monkeys (there were three of them) which came from the little jungle at the back of the house . The little jungle is home to few wild animals. A big, wild boar had been sighted at our area last month. I stopped her midway to tell her to snap their pictures. ''Ok", she hung up. No videos because the battery was dead.

The wedding reception on the my side went off well, Alhamdulillah. It was not that tiring doing it at the house contrary to the opinion of a few others. However, I got a mild fever and flu the next day, the only one to get it. The preparation wasn't that tough but it was time consuming; the problems were more to getting the right things or getting things right rather than having to many things to do. All was needed was quick decision making and getting the right people do the work. And more important, to have the bucks ever ready! Therefore, the only cooperation I needed first was from my other half. Then, from my family including my dear mother and sisters, niece and nephew, who were up front, cleaning, tidying up, cooking, etc a week before the event. I was out of the house most of the days up to the reception day, doing all the shoppings. I did the small house decorations gradually at nights, usually when people were asleep and I hit the pillow usually after midnites, sometim...

I have been to Sogo 4 days in a row! I bought things which later I found I didn't need them but something else. Like, I thought the simple cotton sateen bedsheet was the one more practical than the commonly used ruffle and lacy wedding bedsheet. And that, after paying it up 2 days ago! I had to go up to the 7th floor to enquire whether I could get my money back if I return it the next day since I had brought the wrong one to the store! I couldn't wait since there were only 3 sets left and they would be gone if I came back the next day. 'Yes, you can', they said. I was so happy my long face went back to square. My family has avoided me since I knew my son put the wrong one in the car boot.  So, the bedsheet things was settled. I also had to buy one more 'bekas hantaran' which my daughter had been looking high and low in Shah Alam. It also couldn't be found in Sg Buloh stores. We found the rectangular form at Semua House but then we had problem with the r...

According to Wikipedia, " Kuih  (also  kueh ,  kue , or  kway ; from  Hokkien : 粿  koé ) are bite-sized snack or dessert foods found in the  Malay Archipelago  as well as the Southern China  provinces of  Fujian  and  Canton .  Kuih is a fairly broad term which may include items that would be called  cakes ,  cookies ,  dumplings ,  pudding ,  biscuit , or  pastries  in English and  are usually made from  rice  or  glutinous rice   Kuih are more often steamed than baked, and thus very different in texture, flavour and appearance from Western cakes or puff pastries. Many kuihs are sweet, but some are savory." Well. I have just used wiki to help me explain what 'kueh' means. Lazy kueh is translated from the Malay word 'kuih malas' which terms come from the state of Kelantan. It's named as such because it's very simple to make. The more common name for it is 'c...

So.. The wedding is to take place after a nine month engagement period. The cards are out and a Facebook event is created. Most major things have been taken care of too. Across the causeway, heard that, they are almost done. Very efficient. It's still quiet here at the home of the bridegroom. We have to get things done NOW. No more talking, talking, I told my family. Ha ha ha. The bridegroom seems relaxed but who knows what he is thinking. I hope you are ready to say farewell to your bachelorhood. Let's take a look at him  beginning from almost 28 years ago. The pictures are taken from the album which has been neglected for such a long time which explains their blurriness. Instead of using scanners, I used my BB phone. I was a little choked when I went through the album and felt all my love for him then. How I miss the kisses, the cuddles and the hugs! When my son looked at the photos of himself, he told me his children will look cute like him. And went on to show why. ...

One more week before the long school holiday begins. Most teachers are busy finishing their reports, closing the class registers, updating their many files, turning in the special room keys, checking stocks, doing the 'perancangan strategic' and other things listed in their 'senarai semak' forms.  A few will be very busy for their wedding preparations or of their children, like, ehmm, ME. And I think, I heard a teacher sighing about many teachers getting hitched this year. This year, there are more than seven weddings, including the teachers' children.  As for me, really, I'm not anticipating any wedding present, gift or money. I believe I'm the one who want to 'raikan' my relatives, neighbors and friends as stated in the 'sunnah'. So, if you have the time and health, I welcome you with wide, open arms to my home. So, don't worry about not bringing or giving anything, ok? I talked too much huh? Kad jemputanpun tak bagi lagi. Ha ha ...

Perkenalan yang sangat singkat. Pertemuan yang sepatutnya untuk melihatnya dan mengenalnya dari dekat berakhir dengan 'a proposal' pada tahun baru 2011. Ibu sepatutnya pergi merisik untuknya... Itulah...tidak ikut 'adat' but we are not really into adat. I don't follow all.  F O R   H I M F O R   H E R Cincin pertunangan sebagai tanda ikatan disarung pada jari on the 12th of March dengan izin Allah. No formal hantaran, but it wouldn't be nice to just take out the ring from the handbag, isn't it?  Not really decided in the last minute but doing it was. Ha ha ha. It went on smoothly as expected. Thanks Allah. The Big Day is coming very soon and plan execution is underway. Ya Allah, berkatilah.

It's Friday night. I love Fridays! Don't have to get up very early the next morning especially when I go to bed very late. Sleep is bliss! Sleep like a baby Simba and Putih