Another birthday...

Happy birthday Amira @ angah.Mommy hopes that you are always happy,healthy and surrounded by good friends who can inspire you to strive for the best.
May you always be in HIS protection and guidance.Hope you have a beautiful birthday and we miss you at home...

Blue beret call

After so much planning and preparing necessary documents plus receiving a few jabs, dear hubby finally left for C...last night to serve the UN.This time he will be away for a year..
Checking -in.He decided to shave bald.

Family sending him off
Good bye Sir,dear hubby,ayah,Pak ngah..hopefully you can serve well and make the country proud ...
Walking towards the gate..
Last minute reminders
Since it is school holidays,kids are back except for Along.His break starts next week..so he doesnt get the chance to see his dad
The couple who has gone through thick and thin, rain and shine,in health and in sickness..till death do us part..


Father and daughter sharing final moments before his take off

All the best in your new venture.Continue to shoulder on whatever responsibilities that come to you ,for the country and the nation at large.
May you be under HIS protection always...and we are proud of you sir...

Dear Along...

Dear Along,
I am so happy today...You get through your interview to pursue your studies in Australia.The offer came yesterday through a phone call from MARA.
Though SPM result is still two or three months away,you have managed to get a sponsor son.I am happy for you.At least now you have better things to do,instead of being a couch potato and with your PSP all the time, which frankly speaking have made me quite worried and angry sometimes!
I am sad at the same time son.For the last one month, things have been very comfortable at home with you around.Now the house will be quieter and no handy man.No co driver to drive the car into the garage,no 'bibik' to hang the clothes in the morning when I am rushing for school,no partner to watch late night movies.no guard to check the gate and the doors at night...and of course I am going to lose my helper in the kitchen too.Nobody to order around if Ifah and Big Baby ever want some fries or burger or even telur mata kerbau.I am going to miss your cabonara too!
But mommy dearest must not be selfish.You have your future in front of you to plan and shape. Go ahead dear son.Focus on your two years preparatory program so you can get into a renown uni down under.My time has passed and I have accomplished part of my dream and now it is your time to chase your dream and make it come true.Do your best and my doa is always with you.
And yes Son...we argue sometimes.Of course,teenagers do not see things exactly like adults.We are two different generations.So any comments, criticism,nagging ets..etc...are all meant for a better self.Do not get me wrong.You know that I will do anything for you,your brother and your sisters as well.You all are precious and greatest gifts from God.
Son,
When you were small,I used to lay awake in the middle of the night,feeling so alone, so vulnerable,so afraid.Would I be able to carry out the trust God has entrusted on me.Would I be able to nurture and educate you well.Could I go wrong somewhere? My mind was bombarded with questions.Then I looked at your sleeping face, and I gained the strength and courage to shoulder on.Yes,our family has ups and downs.And without you son, I might remain beaten,unable to stoop up and build up the broken pieces.You give me strength and you help me to stay tough!
I wish you the best.Provide yourself with enough knowledge and increase your faith in God.Encircle yourself with good people who can inspire you.Last... but the most important thing is do not forget your Solat.Perform every Solat and your life will be on the right direction.Trust me.
Good bye son and step into your new world with confidence....

Our last raya here

Since this Hari Raya Qurban is going to be our last hari raya in negeri Cik Siti Wan Kembang,we decided not to go back celebrating it at our home town.Besides, Along is in his mid SPM exam. I rather not leave him here struggling on his own.There is a four-day break before the next paper which is Biology.He came back and took the opportunity to join extra class at my school.

Whether we are celebrating hari raya at home or di perantauan,I will always cook my mom's Johor delicacies.So yesterday morning I spent time looking for the ingredients and in the evening I used my time to the fullest cooking nasi empit,kuah kacang,kari daging and rendang ayam.For kuah lodeh I always cook in the morning of hari raya.At first I wanted to leave curry daging for my other half because that is his speciality.But after discovering he was still in Bentong at 4:00 pm and the road was packed with vehicles ,so I decided not to wait for him.I cooked the Johor version of kari daging.Dear hubby,please accept my apology if my curry is not up to your expectation,your kari utara!

He reached home at 3:40 this morning.The journey from KL to KB took more than twelve hours!It seems anak-anak Kelantan di perantauan would not want to miss the chance of celebrating Hari Raya and doing the Qurban at their home sweet home.

Since the amount of food I cooked could last for few days,so today after solat hari raya, we spent time eating and sleeping alternately.We did our Qurban at home so we were left with nothing to do all day.By Asar, we were bored to death so I suggested that we go somewhere.There is no relative to visit here.Friends' invitations are mostly for tomorrow,so we just headed for KB.Angah suggested we go bowling but when we reached KB town everything is closed.Even the biggest shopping mall in KB stops its operation today.So, how to bowl kids???

Even at this traffic lights there aren't many cars.
On normal days this road which leads to hospital is very busy.Today it is lonely and almost deserted.

A lonely drive here.Maidin and Pantai Timur Supermarket are located along this road.On other days this road will be packed with vehicles moving at snail pace.

Where are those anak-anak Kelantan pulang dari perantauan.They surely aren't patronizing the streets of KB.Maybe busy in their backyard slaughtering cows and preparing for bekwah
It seems only us on this road.




We finally end up at Pizza Hut.
Since the nasi kerabu stall,nasi dagang stall,nasi air stall etc..etc..are closed,so the crowd at Pizza Hut is bigger than usual.The waiting is extraordinary long,we kill the time by snapping a few pic.

Mommy and daughter

Father and daughter
We left KB after performing our maghrib at Muhammadi mosque.On the way back we wanted to stop at TESCO to do our groceries.But TESCO is closed too.

Looks like this hypermarket is receiving a different set of guests for hari raya aidil adha...

A luncheon date with Along

When I first decided to join the blog sphere,it was merely for the sake of killing the time.My posts range from past experience to something very closed to my heart,my children.Lately I have been writing more on the latter.I just thought it would be better to jot down events that happen around my kids, for them to reminisce in the later part of life.After all, I am just a plain high school teacher(where life is centered around home and school) with a simple mission in life that is to see my children and students develop into good individuals with certain noble values to uphold in life, to keep them on the right path.

So,to my regular trespassers,sorry for this post is again about my children.When it comes to children I always write about Along. I do not know..maybe because he is my firstborn so I have high hopes on him.I want him to be the role model to his younger sisters and brother.I want him to set and pave the way to the right direction so his siblings could follow.

Now UPSR is over.PMR is over too.For mommy dearest this brought a little bit of relief,at least for the time being.There is only one more countdown, that is to SPM.

When PMR was approaching, I had been making my way to my Angah's school every weekend to guide her on her PMR preparations.Now it is over and it is time for me to make up the lost time that I should be with Along.So ,when he called me last night,I had no excuse of not meeting him today.


As early as 7:00 am this morning I was already up and about in the kitchen.First I had to defrost the chicken for I planned to cook chicken rice today and had lunch at Along's college.While the iced chicken was doing the defrosting, I brought out wet clothes to be hung outside.Why wet?Yes ...my washing machine is jammed for it can't spin.I had called the Panasonic agent ,but they said they could only come the soonest on Sunday.So ,I have to wring wet clothes which are rather wet and messy for 2 days.

After all the clothes were on the cloth-line,I got into the house to do a bit of cleaning.I am very particular when it comes to dust,so I would sweep almost every day.When it was done and the chicken was a bit defrosted,I started cooking.Everything was done at about 11:00 am.By 11:30 am I was on my way to Along's college.




As usual,mommy dearest will have to bring extra food for his friends.Along will ask the same question every time,"Ma bawa makanan lebih tak?"

Then he will invite his friends to join us.Living and growing up together under the same roof for the last five years have made them very closed, like brothers.


Mommy and son enjoying their lunch


Along's sanctuary for the last five years...

After lunch,we discussed about their studies.They are having extra classes almost every day, even on Fridays.Their days will start at 7:30 am right until 10:30 pm with of course a few breaks for meals,solat and riadah.There are times when the teacher will extend up to 12:30 midnight.Phew...they are in full steam now.They have to, for starting this year the Examination Syndicate will categorise A grade into 3 levels; A+,A and A-.So, only the cream will get the best offer!

We talked about their plans after SPM.It seemed that all of them hope to get selected into fast trek program.They are now still waiting for the offer.Hopefully this year the respective sponsors are still offering fast trek program to those students who achieve flying colors result in their SPM trials.

So, best of luck children, both in your SPM and for a place in fast trek program.

At the eleventh hour.

Mommy dearest has been cracking and spinning her head for the past few days thinking of ways to improve her children's studies.Luckily, she doesn't have any kind of heart- related diseases or suffer from high blood pressure or else the chances she might end up in a ward again are very great.

Last week I attended two "majlis rundingcara", one was at my son's college and another was at my daughter's school.This year I have three children sitting for major examinations.Along is sitting for his SPM,Angah for PMR and big baby for UPSR.So , you know the kind of worries ,anticipation, anxieties and turmoil that I am facing...

For Along and big baby, I do not have much problem since they are very consistent in their studies and performances.But for Angah , her latest result leaves me speechless and at wit's end!

I received different responses from the two interaction sessions.Along's teachers gave very encouraging comments and his recent result is something that he should be proud of considering that he missed lots of his classes.

From his Chemistry teacher, "Ridzuan is always busy and he missed three topics when he was away for rugby.Tapi tak pe sebab dia pandai bawa diri.Balik dari training dia terus jumpa saya for coaching.Dia ni saya lantik as mentor in Chemistry."

From his Sejarah teacher, "Mu sibuk lagi We (short form for Ridzuan)Bor..bor..lah.Nok periksa doh ni."

From his Add Math teacher,"Dia orang yang paling sibuk dalam sekolah ni.Kejap pergi rugby,sekejap sibuk ngan Badan Perwakilan Pelajar,sekejap pergi exhibition hinggakan pergi ziarah kematian pun dia.Lucky pick up dia cepat, kalau tidak teruk juga.Dulu saya jadikan dia model dalam kelas saya,tapi sekarang ni pelajaran dah menurun sikit. "

So after the session, I had a long pep talk with along asking him to slow down with his activties.
He promised me that he will focus on his studies from now on since he has let go some of his posts.The election for Badan Perwakilan Pelajar is done, so from now on the fourth formers will take over.The fifth formers can now concentrate on the lessons.Alhamdulillah...

Then I went to Angah's school.The comment I received was not becoming at all. I made a point to see all her subject teachers.
From his Science teacher,"Dia ni pick up sederhana, jadi kena rajin lah.Dalam kelas very responsive dan tidak ada masaalah.Saya tak bimbang dia ni pasal dia tak tau dia tanya."

From his Math teacher, "Saya tak tau apa nak cakap pasal dia ni.It is like dalam kelas dia ni orang lain and bila ambil exam seolah-olah dia jadi orang lain."
I was confused and asked, "kenapa?"
He answered, "Nampak macam dia faham bila dalam kelas, tapi bila exam dia tak boleh menjawab."
Wow..there is a problem here.But all I can think of is she lacks practice in Mathematics.Once she understands how to solve the problems, she should practise it again and again.And to do this,she needs to be hardworking and Angah is definitely not!Self-study which should be the practice of any boarders does not suit her.She has to be reminded continuously, guided closely and even blabbered often to get her to study.And how am I going to do these since she is staying at the hostel???
So, after spinning her head for days, mommy dearest comes to a solution.From this weekend I will visit her every week to sit and study together with her, even if I have to stay the whole day.I cant forsee any other ways to get her to study since she has only 62 days to her PMR.
I have myself to be blamed too.All this while I thought like Along, I could leave everything to her and the teachers.So, I did not give much attention to her and trust her to excel on her own.

To me, there is a blessing in disguise here.Angah's case has made me see that different children learn not only at different pace but under different condition.I also learned that once you put your children in boarding schools you just cant wash your hands clean.You still need to be alert on their activities and guided them closely.

So, now I ve decided to blog less, instead spend more time studying and working with my children.And last night I had been sitting together with daughter Ifah until 11:30 pm to teach and coach her in Math on the topic "Integers".It is not easy for I have to refresh my memory on this.Afterall I left my Mathematics 30 years ago after completing my fifth form.However, the session I had last night with Ifah was satisfaction guaranteed.
I got to go now because the next topic is "Angles" and I have to do my revision first! Bye folks.

Happy Birthday Angah!

Today, the Fourth of July, is the Independence Day for the United States of America.It is the day where the Americans declare its independency from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Today, 4 th July is also Angah's birthday. Angah is her nickname among her siblings but her real name is Siti Amira Dayana which means "ketua yang berani" or the brave leader.And brave she is..She is the most outspoken in the family that at one time when she was six years old I had to chili her mouth for being so outspoken.Among her friends she is a chatterbox.I didnt know that until one day I went to her hostel to pick her up when she was down with fever. The friends told me the class would definitely be quiet because Dayana was not around...

Angah, a few months old, standing on her father's palm...smiling sweetly

Angah .. at three years old, smiling from ear to ear parading her new gown and new shoes on Hari Raya.
Angah now, still smiling away and always friendly to people.

Happy 15 th birthday Angah.I hope your days ahead will be filled with joy and laughter.May you be in good health and under the protection of the Almighty always.All the best in your PMR.

Sorry momy dearest couldnt make it to your school today to celebrate your birthday.Anyway,I hope you have a good time at your hostel with friends...

Congratulations boys!

The tune 'I lay my love ' from my handset disturbed my afternoon nap.Still tired and dizzy from the hectic day at school, I grabbed my phone and answered the call.It was my son,Along, calling from Muar, to inform me that he was going into the finals in rugby tournament this afternoon.
What else could I say, except all the best Along and give your best shot.He and his team had been training for months,moving from the east coast to the north and now in the south for the finals.
As I ve mentioned in the previous post, the director of MARA insisted on taking up the challenge from the director of SBP to have students of both parties competing in rugby and also to prove that the MRSM boarders are not ayam daging.As for that, the students had to sacrifice their classes,study hours,pocket money(as they were given rm 42 only for two weeks) and a few other things to achieve the mission.In fact, the parents were called up by the director himself to be given further explanation on this matter.

All your hard work pays boys!Congratulations..the four teams went to the finals this afternoon were three MARA teams from north,east and south zones and Kolej Yayasan Saad.All the teams from SBP like Royal Military College and a few science and premier schools failed to enter the finals.

At 8:00 pm just now Along called me up to inform that his team secures the second place and the proud champion goes to MARA south zone.

So mission accomplished for the MARA boys including the director.Good work boys and surely all of you deserve something better than that rm 42!

For Along, have a safe journey back to your college tomorrow and mommy dearest will see you this weekend...

Get back and catch up with your studies Along.It s 142 days to your SPM!

Mak Ya ...in loving memory.

UPDATED:
Allahyarhamah Siti Doria Sapeh bt Puteh telah selamat dikebumikan pada pukul 1:00 tghari,16 Jun 2009.Majlis pengkebumian berjalan dengan cepat,lancar dan tanpa sebarang halangan.
The crowd of mourners who came to pay their last respect was overwhelming.She must have been one amazing,wonderful and kind-hearted being throughout her life.Even her Chinese and Indian friends grieved and wiped their silent tears.
Mak Ya...you will be deeply missed by beloved family and countless friends.Our love for you will remain and the moments with you will forever be cherished and treasured.
May Allah grant you an eternal rest....

She was my closest aunt..a person (after my mom)whom I would seek for if I had any problem...a place for me to 'dump' my children whenever I had to go far,either for a pilgrimage,holidays or functions.She was the most selfless and generous person who would never turn down any of my request.If there were a person who would teach me to learn to give without expecting anything in return ,it would be her.I know sometimes I took her for granted..please forgive me Mak Ya.
If ever I craved for any dishes,she would cook for me.In fact, she was a good cook.Her Nasi Beryani was well-known in her neighbourhood that she would receive order after order especially during Chinese New Year or weddings.Not that she was business minded but she just could not turn down the request from friends and neighbours.
I could not remember how and why I got so closed to her.I guess when I was small I spent most of my time at home with her when my mom was at work,so that in a way made us closer.She would cook,wash for my family besides babysit us, the kids.I remember every night whenever we were watching TV , I would put my head on her lap and she would caress my hair.She would never complained,never grumbled.
Then we grew up,she got married.But whenever summer holidays and I was back in Malaysia,I would spend most of my time at her place.She never breathed a word of having extra mouth to feed...That was my Mak Ya.
Hers was the place where you could jump out of a band wagon and landed on it at any time of the day or night and found home-cooked food on the table.Being such a gracious and accommodating hostess to all her nieces and nephews,her house would always be the place for us to gather and meet.Whenever we entered her kitchen, there would always be something brewing on the stove.We would never get hungry!Whenever her nieces or nephews from kampung were looking for jobs, hers would be a transit place until we were able to secure one.She had the biggest and warmest heart who would offer a helping hand to anybody in distress.
I know I haven't done much for her.But I am glad at least she managed to sample a bit of luxury before she left us.

Mak Ya or her real name was Siti Doria Sapeh bt Puteh..was named by a great man,the former Menteri Besar Johor, Allahyarham Tan Sri Othman Saat.At that time my late grandfather was a good friend to him.We do not know if there is any special meaning behind the name.

Mak Ya...your name will forever be engraved in my heart and I would never ever forget what you had done to us.

Al Fatihah...for my Mak Ya, who passed away peacefully at 3:00 am this morning (16 June 2009) at the age of 58,after suffering from pancreas cancer.May she rest in peace,may her soul be placed among the good and the pious.Amin...

Happy holidays everybody!

I wish everybody a happy and enjoyable holiday especially to teachers and students.But for some,holiday is just like any other school days.Nothing to look forward to.Still there are extra classes to attend to,kids to be sent for tuition,centralised training for those involve in MSSM,mid-year examination papers to be graded and keyed in before school reopens,duties at school especially teachers involve in administration etc..etc...So trips to school are still unavoidable.

My plan for this holiday:

1.Thursday - pick up my Angah from her hostel at SM Sains PP.

2.Friday - meet Along at his college before he goes for centralised rugby training in Kuala Terengganu.

- Extra class at school for RISDA kids

3. Saturday - send big baby for extra class

4.Sunday to Friday -Finally...trip back to my hometown.Will be there for one week visiting family and relatives.
Probably if 'langkah kanan' I can attend weddings or 'Bekwah'.
If I have time I would go down to KL, shopping for materials for "baju raya".Have to plan early because now days tailors are very much in demand. If not I ll just buy the materials in Tangkak.
Then probably go to Klang to visit Aunt who has just been diagnosed pancreas cancer.
Visiting hubby's new oil palm trees.Can get to see the monkeys which have been quite a nuisance and destroy the new planted trees.
Eating 'Mee Bandung' Muar.Oh how I miss that.

5.Saturday - Trip back to Kota Bharu.Home Sweet Home..

5.Sunday - pick up along from his rugby training.Sorry Along! you miss the good time in kampung.

6. Sunday -Thursday - cleaning around the house and clear up the store.It has been ages since I last cleared it.
Doing gardening.I ve been neglecting all my plants for quite sometime.Time to do a bit of justice to them.
Marking papers .
Big baby's extra class resumes.
Send along for Biology,Chemistry and Physics tuition.He definitely needs them.

7. Wednesday - send angah back to her hostel for she has to attend extra class.

8.Thursday - Getting ready for school - ironing and finish marking.

9. Friday- Time to sit down with the two kids and checking every body's homework.
- Doing groceries getting ready the stock.

10.Saturday - Send along back to his college.

11. Sunday - School reopens.

Happy Birthday Along

Along, a few days old, weighing 3.65 kg.How time flies!17 years later...Along celebrating his 17 th birthday at his college with a few friends and siblings.
With friend,Aidan and mommy dearest..


Mommy dearest brought home -cooked food..mee soto,chocolate cake and of course birthday cake.
From right Along,Aidan,Shahir and Shawal.They wallop everything.I am sure they miss their mom's cooking..

Along celebrated his second birthday at baby sitter's place in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bharu.

On his third birthday at Taman Keris Mas , Melaka'Majlis Graduasi' for PMR students at Mara Science Junior College. Along was awarded the best student in co curricular feild.


He is my eldest .His name is Muhammad Ridzuan b Mohamad Jamil and this year he is turning 17 .How time flies!

I gave birth to him at Raja's Medical Specialist in Muar,Johor,two days before his father flew to Cambodia for the tour of duty.I thought the father would not get the chance to witness the delivery,but Allah is most merciful and most compassionate to HIS servants.My doa was granted.

His father got the chance to perform azan, hold him,clean him even make up my hospital bed before flying to the war-torn country.What could I say...As a soldier's wife I had to give my full consent.There is a dividing line between an army and an army's wife, and as a wife I should not step over the line.The time when he was needed most to be by the side of his first born , he was being called away to serve under the blue beret of United Nation for one and the half years.He had to respond to the call..

He brought us home on the second day, and that night he flew away.Although we didnt get the chance to send him to the airport, we accompanied him with our doas and blessing.To him, his country comes first in whatever occasions and he has to obey orders from his top military man.'Cuti rehat khas untuk isteri bersalin" was not applicable at all here!!

So, Along and mommy moved back to Tok Aki's place.Although the father was not around,along was never lacked of love.He was showered with love and attention from Tok Aki ,tok wan and all his uncles and aunties.His father came back twice during the period and Along certainly was not able to recognize his own dad.

Although the tour of duty in Cambodia is over, his father is always on the move.To me, that is one sad thing about being part of the military family.Sometimes, the children didn't get the chance to see the father for weeks or months.I guess, this in a way has shaped and infuenced along's character.As young as seven years old ,along already showed his responsibility.When his father was not around,he would check all the windows,doors and sliding doors without being told.Whenever I brought him to the market, he would volunteer to carry almost everything on my behalf.Once a fishmonger passed a comment on him for being so responsible.."semua dia nak bawa,tak padan ngan badan.."

Even at the time when he was studying for UPSR, he would come back from his extra class as late as 11:00 pm , and he would never wake me up.And when he needed to burn the midnight oil, he would make his own milo or milk.

And now as the vice president of his college he is in charged of the students' affairs in the hostel.It is not an easy job especially when he has to deal with discipline problems of those rascals...smoking,stealing,fighting are part and parcel of teenagers' life and Along has to deal with it first before notifying the wardens.There are times when his leadership and credibility are being challenged by the boarders and he almost lost his patience. But so far,he is able to cope and deal with it wisely.

Along,may Allah bestows HIS guidance and hidayah on you especially during your difficult times and in your decision-making.May you be blessed with health, wealth and a good future .Happy birthday Along or to his Kelantanese friend he is better known as Duwe and to his Terengganu friends he is Duang, and many happy returns of the day

Mommy will always love you...

Granny's secret recipe

Pour the mixture on the pan and spread it

Turn back and forth until it turns golden brown
Lempeng kelapa is ready to be eaten...

All of a sudden I am craving for my late granny's lempeng kelapa.Ooppss..don't get me wrong...I am approaching the autumn season already.So, I announce to my kids that they are going to have lempeng kelapa for their tea instead of the normal pisang goreng or keropok lekor from the mak cik at the junction.

An immediate response I get from my big baby is " Apa tu ma?".And from my daughter, Mira who seems not very convinced.."Sedap ke ma?Definitely, for mommy dearest is going to cook this traditional recipe from scratch unlike the usual instant pancakes which mommy cooks direct from the boxes.

Actually when late granny was still alive, I never bothered to ask her of any special recipe.We always took it for granted that she would be with us forever and ever.Now I start missing her nasi goreng ikan bilis,pengat of all kinds,bahulu berempah and yes..her speciality pulut tetal which I think nobody in the whole clan knows how to cook it now.Her bahulu berempah was so famous that when Hari Raya was approaching she would get orders not only from the kampung folks but from other villages too.They called it "bahulu mak su Sitam".That's my granny 's name.And her grandchildren would help her to beat the mixture in a big earthen pot which had been used over the years for umpteenth times.

So where shall I start?First mommy dearest is going to mix the flour with water .Mix it well and put a pinch of salt.Then add in grated coconut to the mixture and stir it well until you get a smooth but thick batter.Next, heat up the pan, and spread the mixture.Turn the lempeng back and forth over a low fire until it turns golden brown.There it goes... my lempeng kelapa is ready to be eaten.I toss it on a plate and within minutes it is gone.Another piece is tossed, again it is gone in no time.Five pieces have been cooked yet I still haven't got the chance to taste it. When the sixth one is put on the plate, Mira suddenly comes to her senses and shouts to her siblings. " Hei leave some for mama lah!"The other three are reaching for the last piece, stop midway and along pushes the plate to the side.They leave the table.Mommy dearest sits down,tears the edge of the lempeng and puts into her mouth..eemm delicious...finally mommy get to taste the lempeng that she has been longing for.But there is something missing..the aroma of the lempeng is not the same as granny's.Granny used to cook it over a traditional stove of dapur kayu where else I cook it on a gas stove..and that certainly makes a difference!

AL FATIHAH for my late granny Pn Hjh Sitam bt Demang Mahmud.May she rest in peace and be among the good and the pious..

In dilemma..

It has been raining cats and dogs since last night.I thought of just curling on a sofa the whole day today and finishing my latest paperback P/s I love you by Cecilia Ahern.However, early morning call from Along changed my plan for the day.He just got back from Pontian after an inter- MRSM rugby competition and now asking his mommy driver to pick him up.The last time I saw Along was during the Chinese New Year.
Although his hostel is only about an hour s drive,driving in the misty rain and slippery road with lots of bends and twists is quite a challenge and could tire me easily.Nevertheless,I reached his hostel an hour later but to locate him was another problem.The place was so ghostly and quiet since everybody has left for home except for the rugby players.I waited for him at the square for almost 30 minutes before I saw him coming out from Musalla.My..my..my..he looked so dark that I could easily mistaken him for someone else!When he walked closer, another surprise for me.. a cut on his eyelid.
The whole journey back was spent on discussing how he is doing at school and in the rugby team.I could sense that he was feeling very,very tired and maybe had enough of rugby for this year.I planned to ask him to cut down his sports activities since I thought he has already met that 10% entrance requirement to the varsity.But I was totally mistaken.He told me that he is being selected to represent MRSM ,the east zone to compete with the premier KPM boarding schools, which includes the MCKK,SDAR etc..etc..There will be a centralized training in Kuala Terengganu from April to June.That is 3 months!This means more trainings, more cuts and bruises and less time spent on studies.Now what should mommy dearest say?Go ahead dear with your rugby or nope..you have had enough of rugbies and it is time for you to settle down and work on your 10 A1??
According to along, this is the first time they have such competition, between MRSM and the KPM boarding schools.The MRSM students have been labelled Ayam Daging by one of the top people of KPM.To prove that they are not ,the director of MRSM decides to have this competition.
Definitely along is so eager to be part of the team but the final decision is still up to me.To him this is a rare opportunity and he promised that he would not let this interfere with his studies.Of course he will be attending classes while training but in different classroom,different environment and with different teachers.Can he make the most out of it, I do not know.
To allow or not to allow..mommy dearest is cracking her head now...

Birthday

Life has been so busy lately.There are so many distractions, diverting from the routine that I could not find the time to update my blog.First, there was my trip to Kedah, followed by extra curricular activities at school since our Sports Day is approaching , and finally the course that I had to attend in Permai Inn Kuala Terengganu.In the mean time I also have to be the driver of the house sending my little prince and princess to extra classes, club meetings, sports practice and stealing time to drop by at the grocery store to grab a few edible things.By 11:00 pm I would be a dead wood already..
With all the line up schedule occupying my mind, I almost forgot that today is my birthday.The reminder came at 12:01 midnight from my daughter in SM Sains wishing me the happiest birthday ever...then an early morning wish came through sms from my other half.Happy 47 th birthday to me..another year older,another year wiser...
I think the last time I blew my birthday candles was 22 years ago.I was 25 yrs old then.I could still remember that particular night very well since that was the last year I celebrated my birthday in a foreign land.It was a cold spring night.Winter had not totally left the ground.In my sweat shirt and pyjama pants,I got ready for bed in the comfort of my two- bed room trailer.My trailer mate was no where to be found, I was alone.As I was about to zzzz into my dream land,there came a loud,insistent knocking on my trailer door.Thinking that it was my trailer mate, I opened the door.Of course, my mate was there standing and flashing a smile ,but she was not alone.There were 2 other friends and a huge white box in their hands.I ushered them in.As they were stepping in they sang a birthday song to me.Just when I thought nobody remembered my birthday, those three muskerteers came to me with a huge chocolate chip cookie with 25 birthday candles on it.It was so sweet of them..so touching..Those thoughtful friends of mine are now better known as Prof Dr Ummul Khair Ahmad, Prof Madya Baizura Ahmad Shah and Rohayati Rahmat whom I heard married to Mat Scotland and migrated there.Hello folks..if you ever read my blog, do drop a line or two ok..
When I was young, birthdays seemed important to me.I would feel so touchy and grouchy if nobody remembered it.But as I grow older, birthday is just a day to remind me that I am a year older..I will do some reflections of the year gone by and contemplate on my next move for the coming year.
However, for my kids,when they were small,I would throw birthday parties for them.But now I would just at least buy a cake or bring it to their hostel so they can celebrate with their friends...or sometimes when they are at home we would have a special dinner at the restaurant.At least there is something for them to remember about their birthdays when they grow older.

of cencaluk and budu

Variousness of things - Part 2

Previously,I ve posted an article on variousness of languages,dialects and slangs in Malaysia.In this Part 2,I d write on the variousness of dishes in Malaysia.


Mixing the budu(anchovy juice)

A combination of Johorean,Kelantanese and Kedahan dishes; fried tempe(fermented soya bean),curry prawn,budu(anchovy juice) eat with ikan cencaru or keronge and ulam-ulaman.I seldom cook as many dishes as these unless my children and other half are back.




My other half mixing and processing the budu.My youngest just couldnt wait..has started eating first.



One good thing about moving around so much is you get to taste a variety of dishes, from Melaka authentic Nyonya style dishes to Kelantanese traditional dishes.Due to its multi cultural society, Malaysia is blessed with zillions of mouth-watering dishes and appetisers.Thanks to the Al Almighty for we are still able to savour the many dishes unlike some of our brothers and sisters in war torn countries.Now with the influx of the immigrants, you can even find bakso and tanduri in your neighbourhood easily.

The dishes from my kitchen would change too, depends on our stop.Being born and bred in Johor,I grew up eating tempe,sayur lodeh(mixed vege cooked in coconut milk)tumis asam pedas,sambal belachan(pounded chilies with grilled prawn paste), mee bandung and sometimes beryani gam .

After I got married, my other half was posted to Melaka, luckily the dishes there are not much different.I could still enjoy tumis asam pedas ikan parang, but my sambal belacan had turned into cencaluk.In the market the types of fish sold are of the same species as in Johor.

However, my menu at home took a different course when we moved to Kedah.The sight of ikan parang and ikan jenahak is almost nil.Whenever, I went to the night market, I could only see a plentiful of fresh, sparkling ikan temenung or in the south it goes by the name of ikan kembung.What did I do with ikan temenung was making a curry out of it since any type of curries are very popular in the northern states.When I got enough of curry, I d just grill the fish and ate with ayak asam (a small bit of prawn paste mixed with tamarind juice,onions and chillies).Sometimes, when my kids got bored of eating rice, I would blend ikan temenung and make laksa penang.Now I can cook laksa penang better than laksa johor.

Then we moved to Kelantan, again our food changed depends on what are being sold in Kelantan market .Since there are many ikan ayo or ikan kayu, or commercially known as ikan tongkol,so I learn to cook singgang,a simple dish where you just boil the fish and throw in some ginger,onions,garlic,pieces of dried mango and galanga.In Johor we call asam pindang, but the galanga is replaced with tumeric.This dish is better eaten with grilled fish and budu.The budu must be processed first by adding onions,lime juice and lots of chilli burung to give an awesome taste, if not you would throw out the moment it reaches your taste bud!Well , you might be wondering what chilli burung is, in Johor it s called chilli padi and in Kedah it is chilli Melaka.

I think the Kelantanese are very creative when it comes to food.They can make out almost everything from a single slaughtered bird.Minus the meat, they make kerabu kaki ayam,satay kulit and satay perut and other inner organs.

Even the names are interesting. I flinched the first time I heard kueh tahi itik, but after tasting it for the first time as one of the desserts at Raja Kelantan's bitrthday banquet thrown at his palace, I kind of like it.If you have sweet tooth, you would enjoy jala emas,buah tanjong and akok..Though the names are not very becoming,these types of traditonal kueh are desserts at hotels and grand dinners.

What we have for breakfast is different here.Early in the morning we already have a choice of rice..either nasi kerabu(my favourite),nasi dagang, nasi berlauk,nasi tumpang or just plain rice with a variety of dishes to choose from.There are also pulut pagi(brown glutinous rice eaten with grated coconut and sweet red beans) and also pulut ikan kering(glutinous rice with dried fish and grated coconut)In Johor, pulut ikan kering is never heard of these days, so I was kind of surprised when I first bumped into this dish here. My breakfast also changed from a piece of roti chanai or a bowl of nasi empit to a plateful of nasi kerabu with grilled chicken marinated with honey or sometimes nasi berlauk and at lunch I would take rice again...

Kelantanese dishes have done wondrous to my appetite and luckily my taste bud is adaptable too!

Mohd Hafiz's birthday

Yesterday, 24 th Dec was Mohd Hafiz,my nephew's birthday.However the celebration is made possible on 25th Dec, since it is a public holiday,the only time the family members could gather around at my parents' place.

Name: Mohd Hafiz b. Baharudin

Nickname: Bob

Age : 3 years old

Weight: 23 KG

Ambition: as he says "polish"

Favourite phrase: "Ama..nak lo"

Hobby : collecting toys particularly lorries and trucks

Birthday boy better known as Bob fascinated with all the accessories on the cake and trying to rearrange as he wished

Time for opening the presents.....with cousin Intan,Ijat and Ifah

Game time...

Birthday boy covered with confetti...

May Bob be blessed with many good things and may the years ahead be a prosperous one.Father reading the doa

Guests arriving...close relatives and neighbours

Part of the menu that day..Pulut kuning, rendang daging and mee hoon Singapore.

Spaghetti and meat balls...eemm..delicious

Decorated pulut kuning

Venue of the party...atok aki and tok wan's hous

Birthday boy with friends and cousins

Bob with his mom...blowing the birthday candles

Bob in his party gears

Birthday cake..Bob turning three..May the years ahead be blessed

Birthday boy and mom...sharing happy moments together