Red Dots

Sya played I spy with haziq during lunch yesterday. The thing about them playing I spy is they tend to look at the things that they want the other person to guess. This of course made it easier for you to guess the answer.

So, it's Sya's turn to do the I spy and she said, "RED DOTS" and then immediately her eyes darted at me. And haziq upon cue, looked at me too. And upon inspection of me, he said, "PIMPLES! on ibu's face!"

They laughed and sya added, Ibu has lots of them.

Bertuah punya anak.

It's true you know. Remember my so called rashes/ pimples that I had when I came back? Now it has grown to pimples and also full blown acne. Such agony! I actually had to go to a dermatologist and now on the medication. Cream and pills.

As expected all hidden pimples comes out as if no shame. Some dried out. Some grown into a stump and stop there with a big red dot. But mostly grows into volcanoes. Active ones. That erupt every other day. One erupt, five more peeked out. Gross gila.

Sigh!

Second Batch of Open House : Done!

This time I invited a few mummies from batrisyia's school to my house. It was on Thursday morning when the kids are happily in school. It's party time for mummy.

There were only six ladies. A mixed of nationalities : Malaysian, Indonesian, Germany (Remember Kirsten?), Jordanian (remember Fifi?) and Egypt.

Kirsten had a baby. She was pregnant last time, remember? So typically all the ladies went oohhh ahhhss at the just too cute baby of hers.



I cooked the typical Malay Eid (at least typical for a person who is from Johor)food. Something that should not be spicy for my non Malays taste bud and stomach lining. Something, I think, that will present Malay food well. So I cooked, which is no surprise,

pressed rice
peanut sauce
lodeh (I only put carrot and cabbages and prawn in coconut gravy. and dried bean curds)
fried satay marinated chicken.
I also whipped up corn pudding in creamy milk sauce.
Teh tarik (tea with milk)
Orange juice.

Of course to most Malay standard, this is too little a menu. For usually one would cook two sets of dishes. But considering it is weekdays, and I slaved cooking at night and still has to go out to send the kids to school, and also there were not many people, I think it was ok.

My non Malaysian friends seem to love it. Kirsten actually said, this is the kind of food she likes, with gravy and this sweet crunchy sauce (peanut sauce). I warned her though that it contain nuts, in case she is allergic to it.

Apparently, I think many westerns are allergic to nuts, such that there is no nut policy in most schools. It's either I am not aware of it, or there are very few cases, but I really do not know any Malays who allergic to nuts. Correct me please.

Anyway they ate three bowls of it! And they were amazed at the pressed rice. And thought it is so cute. When i worked as a waitress in a Malaysian restaurant back in the UK, pressed rice, as simple as we may think, has always been the attention of many. I always have had to explain the whole technicalities of rice pressings. they would usually take a nibble and said, it tastes nothing. I said it is just rice but pressed.

My Malaysian and Indonesian friends are mostly fasting but came anyway, for which I doggied back some of the food for them. Hope they like them.

I had a surprise that day. When Kirsten came, she brought me a box of baklava. That was not the surprise. It is quite common to receive desserts. But my Arab friends brought me house gifts! Wowser! Nicely wrapped as well. That was surprising. Apparently its common that they bring gifts, not in the form of food, when invited to someone's house. Do take note my friends. I received two dessert dishes and a tissue box wrapper and matching coasters. :D

I enjoyed myself. I hope they had a good taste of experiencing our Malay food.

Guess who is going to school?

He he he

He he he

He he he

It's me!!!

It's true my friend, I am your new school going old girl in the blog.

I have enrolled myself for the tajweed and arabic class here. Finally! Here in Qtar, yo can find a few establishments offering arabic, tajweed, and tahfiz classes. Some are quite expensive, some takes many hours in one sitting, and take most of your weekdays off and mostly most of the courses are done at night.

But the one that I am attending is, in my opinion, the most practical for a typical domestic goddess like me. You know for those who need to send their kids and pick up their kids. And also for those again like me, who wouldn't be able to go to evening classes and leave the kids at home alone, or would prefer to berkepit dengan lover as soon as lover comes home.

The class is twice a week. Monday and Wednesday. Arabic is taught on both days. tajweed is only taught on Wednesday. Each class is one and half hour each. And read this read this. It costs me QR120 PER YEAR! Per year I tell you. Is that cheap or what?

This course is done in an establishment special for ladies. It is heavily sponsored by the government of Qtar to help educate the ladies especially the expat's wife. Besides arabic and tajweed, they also give lessons on Fiqh, tawheed and tafseer.

I have been eyeing the course for a year, but was not able to attend for Jack2 was still around. And I must confess, this is the main reason that I sent Jack to school. Sure I said it would be good for him, so that he mixes with other kids, establish the english language, early exposure bla bla bla. But the real reason is, as a matter of fact, is really a very selfish reason. I just wanted something for myself. And that is why I chose Jack's classes to be on Monday and Wednesday. Most of the time, ladies and gentlemen, my life is precalculated.

In a way it is a balance thing. First I helped save lover's money for not sending Jack for the whole one week. I also get to go to the most core of the courses provided. having said that I have to forgo the other classes. But don't you think it is good enough?

Today is my second day. But we are still in the early days of the course where everyone's spirit is high and everyone is eager to learn. teaching is still basic Talk to me again in three months time. heh heh

Oh oh oh I was put for a test so they know where my level is for both arabic and tajweed is. I am put in the intermediate class for both classes, for which I am happy. This is one step hisgher than the beginner. And get this, the teacher said my handwriting is nice, MasyaAllah sister! She said. Ahsanti! I really had a laugh. Not to the teacher. But to myself. You all have seen my jawi writing kan? hahahaha. But yes, it was legible. And to an Arab, knowing someone who is non arab who can write in arabic font quite easily, must be quite something. nevermind my writing is not an art. However when she tested me on my tajweed, Ya Allah berapa kali kena betulkan the makhraj. Baru Fatehah. Aku ingat dah cukup betul tu. But she did ask whether I have learned in an arabic school before. This is the second time an arabic teacher ask me this question. I am still perplex with this.

The crowd seems fun. So many ladies from so many nationalities. I am really excited.

Anyway, pray for my istiqomah.

I just want to tell

That I am feeling very happy these days.

It must be the positive energy I have been getting throughout the holidays of eating frenzy. Meeting the right people. Having great conversation. Some intelligent, mostly none. I feel so so good. So content. And I feel loved and has lots of love to sprinkle out.

And that is funny for I should be grumpy on my PMS day. And to top it, today is the day the routine starts again. Early get up, cooked up a wholesome breakfast of pancakes, getting the kids ready and O.M.G. why was the road so jammed up? Send kids, get home, clear the house, cooked asam pedas ikan tenggiri, rushed to haziq's school, then to Sya's school, then to Sya's sports activity venue, then back home to feed the boys lunch for ten minutes and out again to pick Sya, then the routine of mengaji and pouring over homework, then lover comes home, eat eat eat, tidy tidy tidy. You know the usual thing.

And nothing manage to put me down today. Today is my good day. the day when things are in good shades of pink. The day to hug the one you love. Kisses and smooches.

It must also be that the weather has been kinder. There were puffy clouds in the otherwise too clear blue sky. The breeze is far more pleasant. I can feel the spring in my feet as I walk.

I am enjoying this good feel day. I feel calm. I am feeling positively happy.

Hope you had a good day too.

First Batch of Open House : Done!

Last night I opened up my open house for our first batch of guests, my lover's officemates. As you know, I like calling people in small batches rather than the one shot, cover all open house. I prefer an intimate entertaining.

The menu? Oh same thing I did last year. Just a bit of adjustments due to lack of ingredients.

Rice
Thai Curry Prawn with Pineapple
Beef Patayya style
Sweet and Sour Garoupa
Fried sawi with fishballs
Marble Jelly pudding
Watermelon juice
Sweet melon
Crunchy grape

The men, I noticed, ate a lot. I think its because they missed the white rice afer gluttoning over ketupat and rendang and noodles and laksa.

A few more batches to go perhaps. Kalau rajin. Some people who are actually close to me heard about my open house and have been hinting why they are not invited. Gulp! If only they know that I will invite them on the weekend so they can spend time longer at my place. I will explain to them after this.

Kadang-kadang tak tau nak masak apa dah. But next possible in line

Mee curry
Laksa Johor
Mee bandung
Lontong set
perhaps a breakfast invi so can make nasi lemak
nasi puteh set with steam fish and chicken padprik

Somewhere therelah. Can you help me with more ideas?

Raya di Qtar

Aku suka nak assume that korang semuanya nak tau macamana agaknya beraya di Qtar ini. A family of three young children tinggal di negeri arab. Ada ramai Malaysian sini. Seperti kebanyakan rakyat Malaysian di Qtar ini, aku juga tidak tinggal di komuniti compound. Rumah malaysian merata-rata. Jadi beraya pun merata-ratalah.

Pertamanya pada malam sebelum raya hari itu, kekasih aku dan anak jantan sulungku pergi bertakbir di embasi Malaysia. Malang sekali sangat sedikit para hadirin. Amat mengecewakan. Mungkin kerana pengumuman raya yang mengejutkan, ramai yang masih lagi di masjid (dan ada tu habis terawikh 8 rakaat), ramai juga terpaksa menemani isteri terkocoh-kacah menyiapkan masakan menyambut raya. Anakku seronok juga bertakbir dan seterusnya bermain dengan rakan-rakan.

Di kebanyakan masjid di sini sembahyang raya pukul 5 lebih. Memandangkan subuh masuk 4:15 pagi. Orang arab suka sembahyang raya di kawasan terbuka. Embasi Malaysia juga ada buat sembahyang raya, tapi pukul 8:30pagi. Untuk pengetahuan semua, 8:30 pagi di sini macam 11 pagi waktu Malaysia. Sembahyang open air itu amat panas sekali. Tapi aku pergi jugak ke embasi selepas selesai sembahyang. Saja nak jumpa rakan Malaysian yang lain.

Hari raya pertama sahaja aku pergi lapan open houses. Itupun aku dah terpaksa tak pergi dua open house. Tak sempat. Keluar pukul 8 pagi balik pukul 12 malam. Meriah tak meriah raya at sini.

Ramai jugak rakan-rakan aku kat sini. Sebagai pengganti saudara di Malaysia, mereka inilah extended relatives aku. Terus terang aku katakan, aku rasa seronok sangat. Walaupun Mrs Twit masih tetap suka mengumpat, aku dah tak bother dah. Ramai lagi rakan-rakan ku yang menggembirakan aku. Seronok rasanya berkonvoi dari satu rumah ke satu rumah. berborak dan bergurau sambil menternak lemak yang sikit-sikit hilang sepanjang bulan puasa dulu.

Ada sesetengah Malaysian menyambut raya di Mekah. Seronok juga rasa nak buat yang sama. Ada yang pergi melancung ke Dubailah, Italilah. Hmm aku tidak mempunyai pendapat yang sama. Raya padaku bersama dengan keluarga dan extended keluarga. Tapi masing-masing punya selera. Ada yang balik Malaysia. Cemburunya aku.

Kat sini gomen kasi satu minggu cuti raya. Sakan betul cuti free. Jadi sepanjang minggu ini penuh jadual aku pergi rumah member-member. Hari ini ada tiga. Esok ada lima. Esok jugak kami akan ke AlKhor. Satu daerah di utara Doha dalam setengah jam perjalanan. Di situ jugak ada komuniti melayu. Hari Khamis komuniti melayu di Dukhan pulak menjemput. Yang ni pun di utara Doha. Perjalanan lebih kurang satu jam lebih. Aku dan kekasih aku girang nak berjalan jauh. Kami ni kempunan nak balik kampung jalan jauh ni. Lusa ada lagi open house. Infact hari-hari sepanjang cuti ni. Alhamdullilah.

Anak-anak aku semuanya gembira ikut aku beraya. Mana taknya berjumpa dengan kawan-kawan. Pada mereka beraya ialah jumpa kawan dan main. Such simple life is. Disini tradisi duit raya kurang dipraktikkan (among the malayslah). Orang arab masih beri duit pada anak-anak mereka. Tapi adalah jugak dapat sekeping dua. Tapi nampaknya anak-anakku pun tak sebok mengharap dan mengumpul. Ramai jugak family yang anak dah besar umur 13 tahun tak bawak anak-anak berjalan lagi dah. Bosan katanya. Sekali lagi aku kurang setuju. Kenalkan mereka dengan extended keluarga mereka. Kawan ayah mereka. rakan-rakan mereka yang lain. Salam dengan orang tua. Yalah bosan agaknya menunggu orang tua berbbual. Baik tik tok tik tok main computer games.Anak-anak aku dinasihatkan salam dengan orang tua (walau no duit raya) lepas tu hah pergilah kau main. Mak oi gamatnya rumah.

Aku nak bukak pekung di dada, aku tak masak apa pun raya ni. kalau dah aku asik berjalan keluar, siapa yang nak makan. Menu pun lebih kurang pulak tu. AKu rasa membazir aje kalau aku masak dan tak makan humban masuk tong sampah. Tapi yalah bila tak masak tu rasa kurang pulak. Tapi dah sebok-sebok beraya ke sana kemari, anak-anak seronoklah jugak. nanti aku jemput orang pulak, biar rasa sebok sikit.

Esok Hari Raya!!!!

Di umumkan tadi bahawa hari raya Eidul fitri jatuh pada hari Jumaat, yaani esok 12hb Oktober 2007 di Qtar. Dan most likelynya di kawasan GCC yang lain (saya tak pasti).

Inilah bahananya procrastinating. Aku satu apa pun tak siap. Rumah pun tak di lap lap lagi. Kekasih aku dah bergegas ke embasi untuk bertakbir ramai-ramai dengan Malaysian yang lain. Aku dan Sya akan sebok buat benda lain supaya suasana raya dapatlah juga di rasai serba sedikit.

Hampir menangis aku tadi masa tau esok raya sebab mati-matian aku jangkakan hari Sabtu. Tak cukup puas pulak aku rasa berpuasa.

Apa apa pun aku ucapkan selamat hari raya untuk rakan-rakan yang membaca. Mintak maaf jika terkasar bahasa menyentuh jiwa. Terlebih cara dalam berseloka.

Selamat semua

Good things for haziq

Haziq came back from school the other day showing a box with a calculator face on it. What is that, I asked. A calculator, he replied. Where did you get them, my next obvious question was.

Apparently Haziq won a science quiz competition in school. The kind that the teacher ask an impromptu question and you give the answer. It wasn't the best calculator,but it was quite good for his standard actually. Basic Casio scientific calculator. I think I only had that calculator when I was doing my A Levels.

The questions were
1. What is the first space craft carrying man into space?
2. What is the first country to launch a satellite?

Err..so i asked him how did he know the answers. He said he read about Armstrong sometime last year. And I asked, and you remembered? Yeah, why not. OH so nerd. hahahhaha

And he knew the second answer from watching Iron Giant.

Why don't you give a try at the questions (without googling :D)

Also Haziq did full fasting this Ramadan, Insya Allah..there is still tomorrow eh? I must give him full credit for it. I know it is hard to fast in this hot weather. What more with the vigorous P.E. that he still has to do. Under the hot sun as well. He attends all his afternoon activities, karate and swimming. Both are optional. he didn't need to go. But I encouraged him nevertheless and waited for his reaction. So far he did not complain directly or tell me he wants to quit fasting. Terharu aku.

The swimming must be quite hard because he is swimming in an open air pool at 1 in the afternoon. And I know the teacher pressed the students quite hard in he pool.

I am happy that he didn't ask to quit fasting even though I never force him and most likely allow him to quit anyway. Of course after interrigation. Maybe that's why he nevr bother asking. He is tired I know, that sometimes he would be grumpy when I asked him to recite the Quran or calling him to pray when he is resting. (tadi baru lepas kena marah)

But otherwise i think he did well. I promised him and Sya a toy each. i am actually thinking of giving him some amount of money. I would let him spend on a toy of his choice with the amount of money given. Before that I will be guiding him to spend, and give some to charity and some to keep. We'll see how he fare eh?

So readers, have you got the answer to the question yet?

It was Haziq

Heh heh it was Haziq who was on tele. And it was the AlJ@zeera Children's Channel, which I have just found out that it is only aired in the GCC and some part of Europes. Even I have never watched it. Elisa, apparently it is on Nilesat. It is an Arabic programme. That figures.

Anyway Al J@zeera Children's channel launched a retail store selling children's stuff last Friday at the Vill@gio, one of the biggest malls here in Doha. And Haziq, well, he participated in modelling the store's merchandise.

In short Haziq did fashion modelling. Hahahhahahha. He did the cat walk! On stage! In public! On tele! Except that err no one get to watch itlah.

It started sometime the week before last, when the embassy called us and told us that AlJ@zeera wanted a Malaysian boy and girl around 8-12 years old. Somehow, the wakil ambassador thought of Haziq. then I got to talking with the agent. She said he needs the Malaysians to parade our national dress for some launching I don't know what. I said OK. It would be exciting eh?

However, the next day she texted saying that Al J@zeera already has their Asian kids and costume, so they don't need Haziq. I said OK. Nothing lost there.

But then, the agent called me again the next day and said, you know what, why don't you send in Haziq's photo and we'll see from there. I send one. Apparently it was a va va voom photo. The agent loves Haziq instantly and put him back in. The other Malaysian girl was out of the story it seemed.

And that was it. He went for practice nearly every night. And met a lot of other kids of different nationalities. Started off nervous and shy but took off afterwards with the rest of the boys and infact had to be told off for playing too much.

On the day, he started off parading his national costume and after that he walked about the stage showing off the store's merchandise wearing the store's shirt as well. And then they were laughing, playing an imaginary guitar and high fiving each other on stage. He enjoyed himself alright.

The only thing was I couldn't get good shots of him that night. The crowd was rowdy and most people in front of me are taller than me. :( The only time I get to snap was during rehearsal.

There was one time I got a good snap. I was in front of the stage, smack at the the centre. I raised the camera and snap at the most perfect angle. Alas it was not a picture of Haziq but the Egyptian couple. And after that I got told off by the crew member that my camera flash was spoiling their shoots. :(

Anyway photos of the night can be found HERE.

It was a good experience for Haziq. He met alot of new friends and learn something new. He still look a bit stiff walking on stage, but it does not matter. He was happy.


gambar rehearsal ajele nampaknya

1 2 3 4 5

I have been tagged here and there. So here I am for the five things

5 Things in my bag

- sunglasses alhantuya.
- purse yang tercabut button and dah kurang tembam compared to masa kerja
- compact camera
- handphone
- make up on the go. macam bagus - compact powder and lipstick aje

5 Things in my wallet

- Malaysia ATM card. I don't have an ATM card here. bukak account pun tak boleh. tak kerja.
- 2 credit cards
- identity cards - malaysian IC, resident permit, driving license, health card untuk pi klinik sini
- money, duit, fulus
- old receipts. bila nak buat housekeeping ni?

5 favorite Things in my bedroom.

over here i don't like my master bed room. I like the one in Malaysia. so favourite rhings are

- lover
- jack
- cosmetic stuff on the dresser. moisturiser abd stuff, perfume, hairbrush.
- a book i am reading. A malayan trilogy : Anthony Burgess
- kids story books to be read at sporadic times on my bed

5 Things I would like to do

- facial
- hair cut
- organise jack's photo
- prepare a present for a friend in the form of pictures that I took here. She is leaving for good at the end of the year. I am planning to print her pictures and make a booklet of sort. What do you think? Any idea?
- travel everywhere

5 Things I am doing now

- drying my hair by attacking it with a towel
- charging my camera batteries
- main jerawat
- checking alerts
- looking at photos

5 People I want to tag:

No one lah. It seems everyone has done it

---

If you have the time do watch AlJazeera channel or is it AlJazeera children's channel (ada ke ni) at about 1-2 a.m Malaysian time. 8-9 Qtar time. Someone would be on air tonight. He he

Goddess have their lazy days too

Sometimes even the truest of goddess runs out of ideas to cook for iftar. Especially the appetiser or dessert or the snack food.

So on the laziest of days (and also perhaps running out of stuff to cook due to even lazier act to grocery shop), I whipped up strawbery jelly and splashed creamy milk sauce and added fruit cocktail just for the bites.

Over Expressing : I Like

I like I like I like the way my lover show how much he appreciates my cooking. Especially when the cooking was exceptionally beyond. The goddessy kind. Trust you, me, he wouldn't just say hmm this is nice. Or you would have to insinuate his actions of sudden gullible of food. He would really tell. I don't have to worry that he was just exaggerating (well perhaps he is), because I know when the food is not at the Goddessy par or just so so, he wouldn't express that it is good. He would probably comment in the most tactful way when the food is below average good.

I have never told him thi, but I just love the way he praise me. ooohhh it just made me want to give him more. As you all know, i am not really the cooking type person. I wouldn't list it as a hobby that is for sure. In fact I didn't know how to cook until I had to survive my degree and had to share with four malay girls who wants rice everyday and my cooking turn was on every Monday. I really would not bother myself for recipe or even ask around on how to improve. I might have slowly killed my housemate throughout the two years we were together.

Of course then I got married and somehow it is just logical that I cook. Partly because both of us like to stay at home and eating out everyday was just not appetising.

And like everything you do, the only way to move forward is to improve. So does my cooking. When we were first married, he would show his appreciation by saying, hmm sedap and looked at me in the eye and caressed my cheek and then we can proceed to things yang lebih sedap. And then he upgraded his praises in parallel with my cooking's ability. (Ahaks!)

Now he would not only say hmm sedap and look at me and caressed my cheek, he would also shiver himself into an uncontrollable spasms, and roll his eyes like as if he is in ecstasy. Have you watched Gary Oldman in the Leon. Whenever he wanted to do something bad, (he was he bad guy in the movie), he would sniff his coke and got himself in ecstasy complete with shivers and rolling eyes.



My lover is my Gary Oldman, and my food is his coke (sometimes). I like I like I like.

And during this fasting month, when you cook extra special for breaking fast, I get even more of this ecstasy expression. I would just roll my eyes in the pretense of being the "perempuan melayu terakhir yang ayu and pemalu" and say you are too much.

The kids love this drama and would impatiently wait for lover to do it. Even though he doesn't do it everyday, because not everyday the food is to his liking. "kuih apa hari ni?" "Trifle" "Alaaa". Trifle wouldn't be to his liking. No ecstasy there.

But the kids would still wait. Azan. Little doa. Bite kurma. A gulp of drink. A bite on food and ecstasyyyyyyy. They are always amused.

And now the kids are taking sides. The boys would all go into trance and Batrsiyia would roll her eyes like me.

As you can see, we are breeding an over expressive children.