Arabian Holidays

Ain't Google the best thing for research?



The whole Lollies clan will be taking a trip to the beautiful majestic country of Oman. We are leaving tomorrow for about two weeks. So I would probably be on hiatus for a while and will later bombard you with the boring journal (somewhat) of my travel.

Oman is vast and we couldn't cover it all especially if the time and budget is limited. So I decided to explore the east of Oman which I believe is the best region to visit during winter. Salalah, on the west side which is a region of history in nature (Prophet Job (Nabi Ayub a.s. tomb and the ruins of Queen Sheba's (Puteri Balqis)castle) will have to wait.

We'll be driving all the way from Doha. The map above is the route that I have planned for the whole trip.

On the 21st we'll drive carefully out of Doha, get into short transit into the Saudi and later into the UAE and finally make a stop at Dubai. I estimate the journey will take about 8 hours.

In Dubai, I am staying with Halley, Dory's friend. HIIIIIII! See you soon. I hope the kids will behave. Apparently its Dubai Sales Festival now. I am not looking for much to shop, but I will probably get some sweaters and jackets for the kids and perhaps knee-high boot for me and another good all covering shoes (its freezing here). Lover might want to get new shades (he lost them in the dunes)

Then the next day we'll move out to Khasab, Musandam. Musandam is an Oman state seperated from the rest of Oman by UAE. The journey will most likely take about three hours. However I am planning to make lots of stops. I heard the route is picturesque. I can't wait to snap snap snap.

We'll be staying in Khasab, Musandam for three days. Hope to catch good view of the sea and fjords.

After doses of majestic cliffs and probably dolphins we'll make a move to Muscat, the capital of Oman. The journey will take about 8 hours. We'll probably visit lots of forts, souqs, beaches and villages along the way. Will stay in Muscat for three days. Hope it is enough to wash our clothes and relax and get some souveniers.

Then we'll take a slow three hours drive to Sur. A beach famous for its turtles. This will only be a 2 day stay but due to the short journey, I hope to be checking out some remote areas along the way like the Sumail Gap and whatever else (remind me to read again).

Then we are off to Nizwa located at the foothill of dramatic Hajar mountain. Five hours from Sur. Three days here.

And last stop at AlBuraimi. We reserved for one night stay, but if it turns out good, we might extent. Its only three hours drive but from what I read, there is just so much to see.

With that I hope you learn some geography today.

Name the Shaded Country

Hint : The capital is Muscat

Wetness

So much of me being melancholic about the little rain in Qtar. It rains everyday today now! It rains so much, it even surprises the Qtar Metereological department. In fact this year is the wettest year they have seen since 1964. I was here the same time last year, and I clearly remembered it never rain this much.

Rain is a bless.

In fact Qtar should learn from rain to better manage their drainage system. What drainage system? Qtar doesn't believe in drains. There is practically no drain anywhere. Even if there is, it is accumulated with sand. Thus look what happen to Qtar when it is drenched the whole day, three days straight.

The top two pictures are mud right in front of my house. It is almost impossible to park. My lover's car was stuck in one of the holes. And it was a 4x4 mind you. Luckily some good Qtari Samaritan with powerful Toyota Land Cruiser pulled the car out. Qtaris can be amazingly helpful. They might surprise you like that.

The weather is really cold now. It went down to 9 degree Celsius.

The rain can also surprise you sometime. Here I am rewarded with the beauty of a rainbow in the land of Qtar.

Word Sunday : HOST

So Doha was the host for the 15th Asia Games. We the Malaysians in Doha, Qtar also was the host for the Malaysian team. Some hosted makan-makan or take them out shopping. But what better can we give them but to let them experience a bit about middle east life if not for a game at the sand dunes?

And that was exactly what we did. We went sand duning last Saturday.


And these are the sand dunes we conquered. Not those little humpslahh, the one at the back.

Qtar is almost like an island. Thus most of the land is surrounded by sea. So here we have sand dune right next to the beach. So the kids get to play with the freezing water. The adults get to do what adults normally due when they find sand. Four wheel drive up the dune. Quad biking.


The beach and the dune, Part of the convoy, I like that picture and Lover deflating the tyre before we set off in four wheel mode.

We had loads of fun albeit the rain. It drizzled then the sun peaked out and then drizzled again. But we managed to have good fun despite the cold. Pity the Malaysian team..most of them do not have their jackets on.

The main food was nasi lemak and sambal ikan bilis. I didn't know what to bring and finally decided on boiled tapioca and sweet dessicated coconut. It was such a hit particularly with the takraw boys. It was still the talk of town today. Ha ha ha. *sejuk hati makcik memasak*


The kids.

Some of the mummies were angry at me for letting my kids play in the water. My kids in the water obviously induced other kids to the water too. Ha ha ha. That's the thing with me. I don't mind messiness. I don't mind the sand, the wetness. Seriously what are they suppose to do? Play cards? Board game in the openness? Thumbing gameboy?



I couldn't take much of the photo when I am at the top of the sand dune. We were going so fast, the car was humping about. My camera went everywhere. These are the best I can take. Check out the tyre tracks on the sand.

One can get seriously lost driving in between the dunes. Everything looks the same. And when you go uphill, you cannot tell what its like on the other side. You have to honk, in case another vehicle comes from the other side and get in your pathway. Or you might find a 90 degree downhill slope. Errkksss

We rented two quad bikes. And we saw lots of Mat rempits in action particularly the takraw boys. But of course no one can match the locals with their stunt and speed.


The last picture was me taking a picture while riding with lover.

I had great time even though I was drenched head to toe at the end of the day. The gloomy sky, the crying clouds only spoil the photos but not my mood. As you can see no blue sky in the pic.

Kak Lina asked me before I went off, "It's a great day isn't it?" . I replied with a big grin combing my wet hair, "Fabulous!"


Don't bother looking for me. I am not in the picture.

More pics here

Home and Busy Already

It was a smooth trip back. Jack slept for 6 hours. He was up and chattering when we flew above Oman. The day was clear and bright with bob of clouds about. We looked out and saw the majestic mountain range of Oman. Breathtaking.

It was good to be home and everyone had so much to tell. Sya kept on saying she missed me lots. She said she misses nenek too.

But not a time to be snuggling the whole day though, we had high tea with the Malaysian Takraw team at Dr. Azhar's house. Of course the whole night, everyone was teasing both of us. Tanya lagi pulak to the kids, "Kena duduk luar rumah ke tadi? (Did your parents lock you outside?)" *Merah telinga*


The Malaysian Takraw Team in the tiger stripes. All in the bus ready to go home.

Then without much plan, we all went to watch the squash game, featuring Nicole David, World Ranking No.1 - squash. We left the kids at Dr. Azhar's house. Everyone went in our car. Imagine 8 adults in the car all hype and ready to tease us, the newly married couple. And my lover, somehow, that night kept on making wrong turns. Ayoooo.



We had tickets but couldn't get in for nearly an hour. We missed Nicole's game. Apparently those who had tickets, stayed for the whole game since morning. We manage to catch the man's game though. It was Malaysia against Malaysia. Ong Beng Hee against Azlan Iskandar. So not all is loss.










I have never watched squash in my whole life. Now I know that they like to wipe their sweat on the glass doors. And it is a crowded room in the glass door as well. they kept knowcking each other. But then squash is made even more interesting especially when I get to watch Azlan. He was perspiring and kept on wiping his face with his shirt thus displaying his six packs. I immediately want to become a bimbo and throw thongs at him. Oh la la.









Highlight of the moment was singing NEGARAKU and watch Malaysian flag raised.

Way to go Malaysian team.

You Wait

Perhaps the two weeks apart brings back new meaning to our love life. Cewah! Macam bagus!

Anyway we have been on sms or phone calls. Which made me angry because lover is terrible at answering sms and sometimes I can't hear him properly. I am impatient, I know.

But there are times that we enjoyed the teasing. Like lovers we are. Especially on YMs. I can't wait to get back.

I chat with the kids too. Jack was so happy to see kakak and abang and do little dance for them.

Sya sounds so cute on YM. Can't wait to go back and hug her. Hug all of them.

I teased them on the cam. I ate satay which irked lover. I showed MAMEE to Haziq. He didn't care. I showed Roti Gardenia perisa cokelat. Ha ha! He wanted that. I drank vitagen. He wanted that too.

Lover had been quite good with the kids. Apparently he had been taking them to support the Malaysian team at the Asian Games. They were on TV too. Haziq was seen on TV banging the drum. I think that was quite an experience.

I am pretty sure the house is in one piece because that is my lover for you. I have objection with the type of food he is feeding the kids though.

Regardless, I am missing them lots. It is tiring doing things alone (ESPECIALLY PERGI PEJABAT TANAH OK!!).

So lover, you wait ok.

About

About Traffic

The traffic was bad on the Seremban-KL highway when I drove to KL. Welcome to Malaysia, where highway is jam packed on weekends.

It was Selangor's public holiday yesterday. It took me one hour to reach Bangsar from my house, which otherwise should be a short 15 minutes.

About Songs

Many old songs are sung again huh? New remix and all. I suddenly feel so old. There will come a day, I will have to tell my kids, hey this is an old song. it was better the old version.

About nose and boobs

Many artists have sharper nose now. Is it make-up?

Many ah mois with bigger boobs now. Is it the food they eat?

About Shopping

I hate shopping for clothes you know. I envy those who can shop and end up with heaps of goodies.I have problem finding good pants. It doesn't help that I have a big bump and a small waist. Anything that fits the bum would have a waist too large. And I don't like tying knots. It makes my tummy big. Which already is. I do not need to flatter it more.

What's with the tops nowadays? Too small. The Vs too low. Too transparent. Too short. The one that fits me make me look fat. Bencilah.

But Malaysia is a heaven for shoes. Especially during sales. Hooray.

About Stroller

Zachary had been a fairly cooperative boy. He sat in the stroller most of the time in the mall. He even slept in it for two solid hours. The only things I am scared of pushing him up and down the escalator. Ayoooo so ngeri. I used the elevator instead. But many able people who are not pushing a stroller or a trolley or wheelchair rush into the elevator before me. I hate most is the elevator in Sunway pyramid. The small ones in the middle of the court. Too many selfish able people.

And pushing the stroller down the travellator with bags and wearing a stilleto is also a scary feat.

Cyber cafe and fax Store

There is no cyber cafe in Mid Valley in case you want to know. There used to be one at the boulevard area. So I went there pushing Zachary, only to find rows of slimming stores. It intimidated me. I felt fat, inadequate and jiggly.

Anyway if you ever need to access the internet at Mid Valley, like I did, there is one corner at MPH. There are four computers and they charge you RM2 per half an hour. I personally think they should not allow kids playing games there though.

And also if the need to fax is a matter of life or death, there is one at Carefour. At one of the magazines and paper store. There used to be one next to 1901. They have moved at P1 level under the travellator at Jusco's side. This one do photocopy in colours and also can print your school assignments. (But the computer was so damn slow)

Hmm anyway it had been a good return for me. I was never idle. Busy busy everyday. I get to eat what I want to eat. For the record I prefer the briyani in Malaysia better. I get to meet those I want to meet. I got to do what I wanted to do.

You guys are lovely. And Dory so kurus. Betik too (sebelum dia marah aku) and Diah too for God's sake. How can a pregnant woman be slimmer than me who is not pregnant.

Gart's female colleagues are so so kurus. The newscaster on TV also so kurus. What are they eating?? Or not eating maybe.

Fried koay teow with kerang are the best.

Word Sunday : Milestone

Milestone : An important event in one's life path

I am back only for a short two weeks. Myself and little Jackos. My lover and my two kids are still in Doha, cheering the Malaysian squad.

For those of you who just recently become Lollies the not so domestic goddess cult followers, you might not know that I am currently on a one-year-unpaid leave from the company who sponsored my studies before. This is obviously so that I can dutifully follow my lover to Qatar. Now the one year is up. I applied for an extension, and as expected, was rejected. Thus the time has come to decide whether I would want to continue working, serve my bond but live apart from my lover. Him in Doha, me in KL. Or quit my work, pay up the contracts, lose the job I like but stay together as lovers and have great love life.

My milestone of life is this decision I am making.

I think the decision is obvious for me. But my dad and my inlaws are not happy. Very understandable especially after they saw us going through two years when lover was out of job.

I am sad too because my job has been my last cling to my individual self. Throughout my stay here, I sometime keep myself subconsciously apart from people knowing that I have a job still waiting for me.

Like today as I was walking around the Wetex Parade, the most happening "mall" in Muar, I was stopped by a salesman trying to coax me to take up an English course in some college. "Are you a surirumah or are you working?" "I am a surirumah" Gosh! I still find it hard to say that. I hope if you are a homemaker, you won't be offended, because that's not what I am trying to do. I like career life and that is the truth. I still find myself unorganised trying to organise a small house. I am a chaotic domestic goddess.

Regardless, I still think I am not ready to keep the family apart. I don't think I am emotionally independent. I don't like the bed cold either. Now that we are three days apart I am already having mood swings.

And last week, during dinner, Haziq said that I have the greatest job on earth. I corrected him and said that I am not working anymore. He replied and said that I am. "You are babysitting us," he said as he gobbled up his food.

Indeed. The greatest job on earth.

I would be in KL for one whole week and most likely will not be able to access the internet. I didn't have my Doha's phone so i do not have your number. Any problem? Call : 019-607 6840. You problems may or may not be entertained though.