Slipping Through My Fingers...

In few hours' time we will be ushering a brand New Year 2010. My year end is made meaningful with the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon me by answering my doas... As for now, I am not revealing what my special request (prayers) are, but one is definitely about my daughter, Yasmin Maisarah.... who has made us proud. Somehow, seeing her lying ill two days ago, I can't help but thinking of the day when she would leave this nest to spread her wings in the field she chooses to pursue...  Thus, my mixed sentiments got the better of me. The feelings I had is well, ... well said in this old video clip of ABBA....

(pic: Mysarah at her Tok Mat's house with No More No Less, the rabbit)

Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while
The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny
What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go
(Slipping through my fingers all the time)
Well, some of that we did but most we didn't
And why I just don't know

Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time

Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
Slipping through my fingers...

Slipping through my fingers all the time

Schoolbag in hand she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile...


HAPPY NEW YEAR YOU ALL!  :)

Ateh's Ramblings....

Dengan akhir tahun nak melabuhkan tirainya, akaq saja nak ramble sini sikit, sinun sikit. Sejak hari Isnin baru-baru ni, memang tersangatlah sibuk dan mabuknya jadual routine akaq. Dalam kepala ni macam-macam nak dulukan tapi sampai ke malam terbengkalai jugak hasrat murni itu. Petang ni, baru dapat 'bernafas' sikit. I've tried many times to stop and sit in front of the pc, but every time I did, it was either the internet was pretty slow or my eyes just couldn't open anymore. Anyway, lets get back to my hectic life of late...

Firstly, MyC had to collect her textbooks from her school. We rushed from Ipoh that very Monday morning. At the same time I was feeling a bit down of the thought of me not making a trip to Taiping to visit the family of my great aunt - the grand matriarch (of the Taiping clan) on my late father's maternal side, who passed on on Sunday December 27th. She was the last two of my father's surviving aunts. I figured out that calling one of her children would compensate my absence. And at the same time, the morning before I left for home, we were shocked by another news of the demise of an aunt ( my late father's first cousin) in Petaling Jaya. Yes, two days in a row... first the aunt, now her niece... Alfatihah to both Allahyarhamah Pah Yan and Wan Nyah. In fact, as I see it, for the last one week, we had a wedding and three funerals (one was ayah lope of Taiping)... all from my father's side.

The reason for my not attending my great aunt's funeral was because I had already made plans with my cousin, Shida, to deliver the much awaited crockery for my buyers and psstt.... yours truly pun ada selit one or two sets... hiiii.... and it would be troublesome to reschedule for another day as Shida and her family were going up Cameron Highlands that Sunday.

Semalam pulak, penuhlah rumah akaq dengan barang 'miss port' dan yang sewaktu dengannya. After lunch, the rightful owner of miss port came to collect her dinner set. Siap re-checked, repacked dan sebagainya barulah nampak rumah akaq macam rumah semula... hehe... except for one box of 'Royal Al....' yang tuannya, (Shida's customer), yang tinggal kat island, masih belum claim sebab 'balik kampung' ke Switzerland.
Yesterday, MyC was down with indigestion. She was vomiting from 3 am till the crack of dawn. We had a steamboat dinner that evening at Seoul Garden. She must have over-eaten! I commissioned myself (who else... for crying out loud!!) to cook her rice porridge with lots of side-dishes and condiments to suit her tiring body for breakfast. Then later cooked lunch as though I was feeding a battalion! (bukan apa...tambah dengan lauk untuk bubur nasi... haha.... jadi banyak weh!)

Hari ni pulak, sibuk menghantar MyC ke sekolah untuk class streaming, spring cleaning and gotong royong sebelum class mula minggu depan. Since her school is nearby the sea, I took time off stopping by to catch a glimpse of the island and of course, the sea! Then on my way back home I called at a good friend's house to convey my condolences on her mother's passing last week in Negeri Sembilan. The poor woman was still visibly sad because she had not seen her mother since she came back from Mecca two weeks ago.

By afternoon I saw myself rushing to settle the bills, go to the bank and also to get MyC her new uniforms. Bandar Sunway at these hours is a nightmare, I tell you. Bila dah sampai rumah betul-betul time Asar, memang penat giler! And then there's the clothes waiting to be folded and dinner to start. But as I'm writing this, I have an idea to 'mogok' masak this evening.... he he he he!

Having written this piece, I don't see where the 'sibuk sangat' lies... saja suka kalut... alahai!

Okay, got to go now..... I need matchsticks to prop up my closing eyelids.... help!

Of Sweat and Sweet Success

I drove to MyC's school with trembling hands on the steering wheels. While I tried to stay focused on the road which seemed endless, I joked at her not looking smart in her old school uniform. Every now and then I took a deep breath and shaking my head as if there were water in my ears. As I parked my car at the school backyard, I knew I lost my coolness! Suddenly, there were butterflies in my stomach. My head spun a bit and I felt sick. MyC hastened her pace and left me behind. She was steady while my world appeared to tumble before me. I knew there and then ... she was no longer the baby I used to pamper. My heart sank as I watched her mingled with her friends in the school hall. She looked dignified and full of confidence.

I settled down with a few parents that I had known for almost my daughter's school-life. Only then I retained my composure and was in my usual cheerful self again. And then the results were in and one by one the straight As students' name were announced and one of them was my baby... I cried as some friends patted my back and some reached out to hug me.

MyC received her slips from her principal and was in the group of forty seven of straight As achievers. And as always the girls outnumbered the boys... Her success was made sweeter with most of her friends who scored were from her kindergarten days to primary school to the present. Even sweeter, her bosom friends who left for boarding schools and Mara colleges got through with flying colours. Alhamdulillah.

Congratulations Girl.... Mummy loves you so much and is very proud of you. Can I count on you for another eight or ten As in SPM? Start gearing up from now on...

p/s My congratulations too to my cousin Dira of Kolej Tunku Kurshiah. To niece Nina, who scored seven As, you did well.... congrats!

...Ooohhh...

If this does not melt your heart.... then there is nothing I can do...
As for me, I had mixed feelings..., and a reaction between giggling and blinking away tears. See, I told you people.... I'm practically easily amused with anything simple and in this case, simply innocent!


                                                                 
p/s ... check her hand gesture towards the end of this vc... hehe...

The Weekend That Was

Salam to all... Sejak dua menjak ni, akaq tetiba jer malas nak meng-update.  Hendak pulak masa-masa ni bila baru balik dari Ipoh. Walaupun pergi for the weekend, membasuh kain baju bagaikan orang balik dari holiday. Macam my sister yang balik dari PD baru-baru ni... hah... sampai berdobi kain bajunya! And then there is the house to straighten up, the floor to mop, the cooking to do..ah...the list is endless. Sometimes I feel like quiting... but from what? Hehehe! At least kan, hujung minggu baru ni adalah sikit aktiviti... kalau tidak asyik memerap kat rumah mother.... okay, hate to rant any further, please carry on reading what I have to offer this time. Agak ferasan lak bunyi ayat kali ni!

First Muharram, I was back in Ipoh. For the last two weeks it was bright and hot in Penang and as I was about to leave for Ipoh that morning it rained. And it sure was raining heavily. We made it quite in time for the men to go for their Friday prayers. Ipoh especially is very wet when it rained and we got bored staying at home. Moreover, my sister and her family were away for a holiday. So I decided to take MyC and the gang out for an early dinner at Ipoh Hainan Chicken Rice somewhere near Jalan Anderson... if I'm not mistaken. This restaurant is managed by a Muslim proprietor who also managed the Pakeeza Restaurant; a north indian cuisine outlet. We like the food here at Hainan because they serve Chinese-style cooking.
We had these for the dinner:

Steamed chicken rice

 Deep-fried taufoo....hmm...yummy!

and

 Koay teow chicken soup

On Sunday, I was at a cousin's daughter's wedding in Kuala Kangsar. It has been a while since I last saw my entire Wan clan and that day was indeed emotional as we met up again. My sister and I were a bit moved when we saw our frail looking aunt came all the way from Terengganu who has a spitting image of our late father. As we hugged her and her daughters too, we openly wept and whispered we really had not been in touched for ages. But as I recalled, I hadn't had any family moments with them! I supposed living in two different states far apart could be the reason if not excuse... hiks... But then again, I must admit I am not that close to my paternal relatives but when we met, we felt the closeness... the unspoken heartfelt love... Perhaps it has got to do with blood-ties... I don't know...perhaps...

Anyway, at the wedding, dapatlah berjumpa dengan ramai saudara mara dari utara sampai ke pantai timur. Yang silapnya kami duduk satu famili semeja... ish...kalau duduk pecah-pecah mesti dapat catch-up dengan our extended family members ni... I saw many of arwah bapak's first cousins... the syeds, the wans and the ... er...never mind! We mingled for awhile.... got to exchange phone numbers, got some business deals ...hehe...tak boleh blah! And we even got invited to weddings scheduled for next year already... hihi!

Too bad, I did not get to capture the moments with all of my relatives even the Pengantin, saved for some kodak moments here with.... the close ones...

Ayah Ndak and sons: Wan Ahmad Faisal and Wan Ahmad Azmil...

 

yours truly...ehem..partly hidden (intended!).. with Ayah Ndak and Mak Andak...

(This photo is especially for Pakmat)

By the way, there are more pictures but due to some editing problems  I encounter, these two is just as good for now! Hmmm....nak kata apa kalau dah tak pandai edit mengedit ni!

Dah Pekena!

At last, dapat jugak pekena nasi kandaq beratuq yang orang Penang hingak sangat eh! Hehe! Dua perkataan penang yang akaq paling cekap...'nasi kandaq'!

Fancy, having to wait for the kedai mamak to open its door at the stroke of 10 o'clock last Saturday evening... We were there at 9.15pm and saw quite a number of people loitering about the sidewalk pavement. Some busied themselves with games on their mobiles while some chatted happily not bothered with the long wait. Time sure passed by the slowest as it was the case when you kept on glancing at your watch! I told myself, this had better be good or I would tear my hair if the fare was not outstanding as been raved by the true-blue nasi kandaq lovers. Talk about the waiting and setting up your own table; it'd better be good! But we were lucky as we had our orders taken before they set to sell and were forth in line too. We were seated at the table inside the shop, much to my dismay, as I was hoping for a table outside on the sidewalk. Kalau makan kat sini baru ada 'feel' nasi kandaq bawah pokok. But hubby kata, 'buat apa makan bawah pokok maneler tau... jatuh ulat pokok dalam pinggan nasi ke, burung memerut ke..' Alahai!

Another round of waiting and we got to see the night shift taking over. And suddenly, out of nowhere there was a long queue snaking up to Masjid Kapitan Keling! The first patrons seated next to us got their order and the family of four were clapping delightfully when the food were served. Lawak pulak tengok derang ni! Could be the waiting. And I heard one family had parked themselves outside the shop right after Maghrib!!
Ours were served at exactly 10.45pm. And the verdict:

(pic: cilok : ya ampun... credit to Lilian)

(this is our shared plate!)

 

(sila abaikan selerakan ni...bukan salah I...mamak tu yang taruk sampai sememeh! hohoho!)

Like any mamak fare by the roadside, this one was.... sedappppp! But don't take my words for it, go try yourself. Do bear in mind though, that the worst nasi kandaq in Penang is better than the best in KL. Ooopppps!

Okay, pekena dah pekena dah... next time nak pekena nasi kandaq kat Jelutong, Kpg Melayu in Air Itam, Immigration and Merlin. I had eaten at Merlin and it was superb. The only problem is parking -  it is located at a very busy commercial hub at a junction between Penang Street and Union Street.

Jom makan-makan nasi kandaq!

Afternoon Delights....

I watched "You've Got Mail" at HBO, hmm... for the umpteenth time, today. Some heart-warming tales like this is worth watching repeatedly but it can be rather addictive (hehe!) as I have this habit of mimicking the actors' lines. This one especially : "I love daisies...they're so friendly. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?". Set in time when e-mail and on-line messages became prevalent (what? 1998? I started surfing in 2008! I'm 2000 late!)... where strangers are welcome into your virtual domain.... er...but, let's just leave it there! Or, just say, I'm not good at reviewing movies. Well, I'm not solely 'into' its story line, mind you... but the fact that I also loved to observe the quaint little bookshop and captivated by the books, and let my imaginations run wild, believing I'm somewhere there devouring books, books, books! And of course falling in love with New York City... and, and....afternoon tea!

Here are some of the memorable lines I'd like to share and that equally beautiful song featured: 

Kathleen Kelly: Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void.

 Joe Fox: The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are can, for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.

This song is one of my favourites from Carole King's brilliant composition. Too bad, they have disabled the version from You've Got Mail due to copyright violation... whateverlah!  
 

A Love Affair

The idea of having this blog is actually to feature my culinary skill and the food that I would like to present as 'my dinner tonight'. Having said that, it just occurred to me, (how strange now, when come to think of it), I was once, the laziest girl to be seen in the kitchen! I'd find excuses  to escape  helping out  for every meal . I  always thought that cooking was never my forte. Couldn't blame myself...as a little girl and through my teenage days, I was not an 'eater'! I hated many food. I was very picky about almost everything there was on my plate. As a result, I grew up to be a skinny girl ... Heheh, but not anymore! Now that I eat like there's no tomorrow.

My love affair with cooking came about when I was sixteen or so. Even though I hated the kitchen, I still loved watching my mother in action, deftly cooking for her big family. I knew what went into this pot of curry and into the next. There were no measurements needed and I could tell they were all delicious dishes one could ask for!

Well, fast forward, I found myself itching to start my own experimental kitchen. I was by then, quite good a cook from very simple dishes to the elaborate ones.  My mission then, was to start baking. In retrospect, I couldn't help but remember the time when my two elder sisters and I chanced upon an old recipe book belonged to our mother, well, during her hey-days. The best recipe was definitely my mum's "kek Nanas". Hehe...note the spelling! So, armed with the book, my sisters planned to bake one. I was only allowed to watch... they were mean! Heheh!  Kak Lina, was the one responsible for converting all measurements into metric system. Some sensible instruction was re-constructed... hehe...what with a 'senduk' of this, 'buang balik 2 sudu besar' of that.... to our amusement! But the best part would be, the whole book was written in 'jawi'...and we had a ball of time reading it the Pendekar Bujang Lapok's style!! "....hmmm....al kurma kuk...al bulan puasa tukk..tompok tompok taik unta!...al kisah...taibb..sultan firaun...taibb..mane firaun pakai sultan, bodoh!!!" ... It sure was hilarious! Anyway, the kek nenas turned out very good. Soon it became my late sister, kak nyah's, trademark and most sought after at her many parties. I somehow lost the recipe and kak Lina's version is not quite to my liking!

My real baking test came a month after I became the blushing bride. Immediately after office, I got home lugging the ingredients and utensils for baking. Not to mention cookbooks that I could get hold of, be it straight from the bookstore or placing my orders through Reader's Digest. I was over-zealous. But my attempt on a chocolate cake turned out disastrously unleavened! My other half made fun out of it by naming it the 'I Dream of Genie' cake. Don't ask me why.. Slighted by his remarks, I turned to play the "not tonight honey,...I have got a headache" game, for a newly-wed, at that! Goodness! (Blush, blush! hiks!)

I can now say and am proud to say that my ever moist chocolate cakes, carrot cakes and sinfully rich fruit cakes had all landed on the bigwig banquet tables..hiks again!

Isn't cooking my forte? Go figure!

Just Musing

Salam, everybody... Still not feeling good after the long weekend. My back is troubling me especially so when I sit. Thus, sitting down to surf the net or even blogging has been put off for the time being. Strange though, I could stand for hours at ends without feeling the pain. Presently, I'm on some medication prescribed by my cousin doctor, Dr Azlan Helmy, or known to us by his endeared name, Che Lan. It was by chance that I met him during our uncle's funeral in Kuala Kangsar on Hari Raya Haji recently. We managed to catch up again at my family home that very evening when he came with his family for 'beraya'. So it seemed he has been giving us consultation and medicines minus the hefty fee! Hey, I was not the only one who sought his opinion, you know... Thanks Che Lan!

Oh yes, just to update about the passing of Ayah Kama, my aunt's (mum's cousin) husband. He died on the eve of Hari Raya Haji which coincided with malam Jumaat. He had been in Ipoh Hospital for about three weeks due to some complication of the brain. Seeing the familiar faces at his funeral I realised how close-knit our family were. Most of us ranged from first cousins to third cousins but we were more of siblings. Although the late Ayah Kama was only an uncle by marriage, we were all saddened by his demise and I sure felt it when Imran, my first cousin's child, was seen crying his eyes out during 'berkafan'. A small boy like him understood the meaning of death in the family. Come to think of him living in Kuala Lumpur but see a lot of his mother's families in this side of Perak.

Okay, this is all for now. Am starting lunch now....

p/s I would like to welcome my cousin, Wan Ahmad Nasroun Wan Salman to my blog. Thanks for finding Kak Lili here. Yeah, I need some family from my father's side too! :)

Salam Aidil Adha

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha kepada semua Muslimin dan Muslimat yang sudi singgah ke teretak Ateh Lili ni.

Dalam sakit-sakit ni, akak tetap jugak balik ke Ipoh nak merai bersama bonda tercinta dan keluarga yang ada disana. Tak kiralah, kalau Kak Lina tak dapat balik sebab Abang JR bertugas invigilate calon-calon SPM. Rasa-rasanya, yang selalu tak miss datang makan-makan ni.... tentulah... Yeop and family... dan... mungkin juga big boss kat Proton City tu!


Okay, nak bersiap-siap dah... nak jemput Cik Min kat office... (ye... dia kerja gak ari ni walaupun dah ambil cuti....makan hati weh...)


Wassalamm....

Glambert!

It has been two weeks my pinggang is giving much pain. The doctor's prescription has completed but the pain still persists. It was better two days ago, and today I had to confine myself in bed all the time. Adeh....  Kalau balik Ipoh awal, kesian pulak kat 'ncik kena jaga Ateh.... so best if I rest at home.

Anyway, when a cyber friend feed me with her recent addiction of  that Glambert thingie on twitter.... hehe.... I'm all agog like a teenage girl all over again. One thing for sure, she is not aware that I've started blogging again. If only she knew.... I guess, she'll freak!

We both love this song from our Glambert....hehe...Adam Lambert.....



p/s: someday Lake, someday.... who knows, you'll find me here - Em

That One Person

Phew! School's out and I'm all relax at the moment. No hassle of fixing breakfast, searching hi and lo for MyC's missing stuff in the morning nor putting up with her tantrums. Yes, she does that... my fifteen year old still throws tantrums. No wonder she did not last long at MRSM Langkawi...hehe...she could not be the same there!

With the school holidays, everyone in the family wants to be with this person. The person who would cook scrumptious lunches, who would allow the children to play in her bedroom.... lepak-lepak until they turn the room upside down. The person is my mother, the children's Opah. Here's one for the album.....

Here's Opah with some of her grandchildren....

 

Here's Opah with her nephew, Shazalli....

 Her adorable great grand-daughters...Alisya & Aqish...

Well, Opah is not the only reason we're looking forward to.... hmm....

 ..hehe...rambutans and of course this fella, Qarim...our official photographer so that we could cam-whore at every angle and at every event ....

So let's balik kampung... er..in my case here....balik bandaraya Ipoh!

Words Don't Come Easy...

I'm not good at this. Not good in imparting comforting words for the sick or the dying. I do the consoling in my heart hoping the sick or the dying will pluck my thoughts out of my head and understand my concern. It is not them that I fear most for having to endure the pain; it is me.... because ... I had seen the miserable looks of a very sick boy. I wish and I wish and I wish....and how I wish.... I could turn back the clock - to the day when he complained of agonizingly painful sensation around his neck. He was already nineteen, well-built and shouldn't be seen nagging about his 'sore-throat'.... that was what I thought. The most I could tell him was, when it was time for breaking fast in one Ramadan day 2002, to 'drink a lot of water and take some painkiller'. Easy as that. And when his nose bled not with runny blood but congealed dark red blood, that was the sign we did not expect what illness he was to contract.

About a few weeks after Hari Raya that year, we were distraught  when we found out our sister's eldest son was down with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and was at stage four. I repeat, he was only nineteen. But all hopes were not lost. Still, it was wee too late for my sister's family... Allah loves him more. He succumbed to the deadly but otherwise curable disease on a Thursday night of July 31st 2003.
He was gone. The quiet and obedient boy we all loved to tease for being too attached to his mother, was gone! All of us, especially his 'bosom' cousins were devastated but accepted his loss as ineluctable fate.

I write this piece as a spin-off from my niece, Nadea's posting a few days ago about her missing her brother. Reading her entry brought tears to all of her caring aunts and cousins and mostly her mother, Kak Lina. I heard she cried buckets.
She usually does... oopps...sorry...

If only I could be wise with words, I would have said to my late nephew, Aizal Marzuki, " Bertahan ye...kita pergi hospital" instead of that regretful, " minum air banyak-banyak lepas berbuka..."

Me and my weight we got issues.......

......don't know if I should gain some or stop losing few...
Damn I wish that I could resist the juice...
Can't decide if I should eat nenas or lots of rice
Me and my weight we got issues,issues,issues
We got issues issues issues....
(....to the tune...."Issues" by The Saturdays)

Itulah dia. Bila kurus sikit cepat jer orang noticed. "Apasal cengkung sangat ni? Cik Min tak bagi makan ke?"
Bila rasa akak dah put on weight pulak, tak de orang tegur.
"Eh, biasa jer I tengok you, Lili. You tinggi, so tak nampak beza. Kurus gak!"

Problem is, my wardrobe. I have seven pairs of M&S pants that do not fit me anymore. And they're not cheap in the first place... To alter them means to lose their exquisite cutting. To wear them... er... macam pakai seluar pinjam pulak. Save for one black M&S, but I wouldn't want to be seen wearing it day in day out.

With November and December fill with weddings invites, I'll possibly have a tough time adjusting to my baju kurungs which by now look like massive tents, if I ever want to wear one. You see, I had them made all in one go early each year. By April or so, I started losing weight. So, imagine lah....nak korek balik baju lama-lama, jangan haraplah... samada dah sedekah atau tak elok langsung.

Only solution is to go back to Ipoh during the school holidays and start packing the extra needed pounds to fit into all my good outfits. Maybe I forget that age is catching up with me, hence the lost of appetite, the losing sleeps and what-not.

Alright, I'm outta here. We're going out to have lunch... at where else if not....you-know-where!

Just Another Day

Early this morning I predicted the weather would be as gloomy as yesterday. While going about my chores, I had my usual caffeine fix and of all the food I craved, keropok happened to be my choice. Datang laa hari malas itu... Malas nak makan... malas nak bersiap... malas nak masak.... and berjelalah listnya.
But when the sun suddenly shone brightly as I was pottering about the house (ye lah...kerje rumah mane pernah habis kan..kan..kan?), I just had to drop everything I was doing. I showered, got dress and before I knew it I was on the road heading to the beach. It was such a beautiful day and it would hurt so much staying indoors.
Ah, this is it... the sea has always been my escape when I need to clear my mind. I stood by the low retaining wall feasting my eyes on the vast open sea. I could see the island from here and it was a delightful sight. Unlike yesterday, when it rained and the island was only a silhouette. Every time I 'lost' the island I felt a twinge inside me that made me sad for awhile and for reasons I could not comprehend. Anyway, laut pagi ini tersangatlah cantiknya.... dan tetiba jer teringin nak makan kari kepala ikan! Terbayang kari kepala ikan kat Hameediyah.... tapi masak sendiri sedap lagi kot....

Meluru ke pasar... dah dekat benar dari pantai BA ni. Hopefully, dapat ikan baru. Alhamdulillah... dapat juga kepala ikan jenahak. Balik rumah, sambung semula dengan laundry and straight away did the cooking. By noon, I was famished. Apa tah lagi bau kari kepala ikan menusuk kalbu... alahai... Tak sempat nak tumis sayur... buat sambal belacan  aje. AND....ngap sorang-sorang!

Eh, lupa pulak..sebelum balik dari pasar tadi, sempat jenguk Kak Zah.... hehe..just to check their new car... ish...ish...ish.... PJJ... my PJC is sooooo ancient, peeps!

Reviving "Doc Faisal"

I DID IT!

My cousin's blog 'Doc Faisal Photography' has become dormant for some time now. I know, he is such a busy man but not hearing from him for a while prompted me to text him last night. I was asking for some photos that we took during our growing-up days in that big house above the Post Office in Butterworth. Then an idea struck me, why don't he be the one writing about our childhood memories. When he replied, insyaallah, I knew it would take weeks if not months.
Boy, was I so wrong!

Few hours after our 'berbalas sms', he text me again - to check his blog. There you go, with just one push (pun intended), out came his new baby 'zaman dulu-dulu'! Thus, Doc Faisal's blog is revived.

Thank you Share for sharing the lost moments we once had.
Keep 'em coming.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SIS...

Wow, I am really, really behind in updating my blog. There's a lot in my mind lately. I get easily moved by people's (esp. if they're relations...) plight that I brood for days.... in this case.... weeks. May Allah give strength to those I'm feeling for. Berat mata memandang, berat lagi bahu memikul....

Well, on a lighter note, today, November forth, is my youngest sister's birthday.
Happy Birthday, Adek.... May Allah's blessings be with you all the way. I love you...
Read more http://hello-mello-neranera.blogspot.com/

(Picture taken on Hari Raya 2009 at Tun Terang, the family home.. Adek with her family)

p/s... also my birthday wishes to Kak Zah.... harap kak zah baca posting ni...

From My Treasure-trove...

I have been bitten by the 'kemalasan' bug to even bother to update my blog. Secondly, with the recent predicament one of my family members is facing, it is all too depressing to blog. I find solace lately in reading other people's blog while not neglecting my promise to pray hard for my aunt and her family in their difficult times.
Anyway, since I have nothing much to say lets just ponder on the story I feature below. This is from a long-lost friend who thought I would get over my sorrow by sending me this story a very long time ago, but did not want to make any comment nor...commitment... (hiks).  Here goes...

 .....This is a story about little Johnny Sparrow. Johnny was a sparrow who lived in the northern regions of Europe who was a strong willed and very individual little fellow. He did as he pleased and asked favours from nobody.

When time came for all good sparrows to fly south for winter, Johnny's nature got the better of him and he decided not to fly with his comrades, he was going to stay put and see the winter through in his familiar surroundings. Winter came and it was a particularly severe one. Johnny became colder and colder. After a few weeks he saw considerable wisdom in his colleagues' flying south so he decided, albeit reluctantly, to fly down and join them.

So he gathered up his little shivering body and started the flight. However as he flew along the cold so intense that he could not move his wings - gradually he lost altitude and became increasingly tired with the effort needed to stay up. Eventually he passed out and fell to the ground ending up in a frozen heap in the middle of an open meadow.

Now a cow happened to wander by and, feeling the call of nature, landed a large crap right on the spot where Johnny had landed. Johnny came slowly to life to find himself surrounded in a lovely warm substance. He thawed out and for the first time in weeks he felt terrific. So he started to sing to express his relief.

However a cat was also wandering past the meadow and was surprised to see a piece of cowshit singing. The cat went to investigate, found Johnny sparrow and ate him.

Moral:
1. People who pour shit on you are not always your enemy.
2. People who pull you out of the shit are not always your friend.
3. When you find yourself up to the ears in shit don't cry about it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR AHMAD MUKHLIS

 (Ahmad Mukhlis: beraya at Ayah/Tok Mat's house)

 Today is my nephew, Ahmad Mukhlis' birthday. Happy Birthday Amad... Ateh doakan Amad jadi anak yang paling baik dari semua yang baik-baik... hahaha! Juga jadi cucu yang 'mama' paling sayang... (Yes, cucu-cucu opah yang duduk sekali dengan opah panggil opah, - 'mama'... huh, habis dengan Ateh-ateh pun dah tersasul panggil mama bila cakap dengan Khairina dan Amad!)

Amad dah besar dah.. dah seven years old! Masa kecik-kecik, kak Umai and kak Mirah suka panggil Amad 'Jericho Rosales' sebab muka Amad macam pelakun Filipina tu. Maknanye, Amad ni encem laa!
Ok.. malas nak celoteh panjang-panjang.... Mari sama-sama celebrate birthday Amad dengan buat jamuan kat rumah masing-masing! Save banyak weh!

I Love you, Ahmad Mukhlis!

Selingan

Masa kecik-kecik dulu...er...silap....masa moda-moda dolo... suka nyanyi lagu-lagu lama. Some time ago, jumpa satu blog ni yang cerita pasal lagu lama yang akak minat. Uish...terus terfavourite kat blog tu! Sebenarnya, lagu tu masa kecik-kecik selalu dengar tapi tak sehingga akaq dengar versi nayanyian Marini dengan iringan biola suaminya, Idris Sardi, yang betul-betul tersuka lagu tu sampailah sekarang. Ingat lagi nyanyi lagu tu kat kawan-kawan..hehe..derang tak percaya I actually sang lagu Melayu! Nak tau lagu apa? Hah, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian... lagunya... "Serunai Malam". Jenuh weh, cari kat youtube versi Marini tu... yang ada cuma nyanyian Bing Slamet. Soothing to the ears tau..but somehow ada kurengs dari muzik arrangement tu. The version sung by Marini way back in the 80's was superb and kalau tak silap was telecast live kat RTM.

Jadi, tak naklah nak letak kat blog ni lagu yang Bing Slamet nyanyi tu. Akak dengar diam-diam sendiri-sendiri! Tapikan... nak promote ler uncle sendiri.. hehe.. layan ler lagu yang sangat popular dolo-dolo nyanyian Ayah Andak Wan Salman Ahmad....

Not My Cuppa But Am Still Drinking...

Tajuk tak boleh blah! How do I begin this entry?


Well, this is not the kind of blog I used to have. You see, I don't write stuff about families and friends and the on-goings of my daily life or theirs, but I am more of that person who writes crap.... hehe.... mushy things... you know, things within me... I thought people who write about their past are the most coolest people in the world! When you get back to those days, yes, those once-upon-a-time days...whatever you termed them, you are actually reliving your past and make them all so interesting that you wish the young ones would envy you. Another thing is, I don't write in Malay... lame.. but it is true. I'm trying to keep my English simple here, so bear with me if I write in mixed bahasa. Oh yes, another thing is, this blog is meant to re-connect myself to my long lost relatives who are also bloggers but very productive ones - semuanya berbusiness.. teman jer caca marba!


I have nothing to offer here except that, I write just to encourage Khairina, (my ever 'garang' niece), to write. She loves writing, and at a very early age, for that matter. But once she started blogging, the other girls of 'Tun Terang' (hehe!) start blogging too. Not bad, ah? So, Adik, what have you to say about your daughter?

Okay la.... sebenarnya seronok menulis ni... ada satu macam 'ketagihan'. Satu hari kalau tak menulis rasa macam nak demam jer... and worst, akak, (hish..akak la pulok!)...akak, selalu menulis dalam tidur. Sambil berwirid masa nak lelap mata tu.. boleh menari-nari lines dalam kepala ni. But when I sit down to write... they all seem to disappear. Macam sekarang ni, nak tulis actually about our holidays masa kecik-kecik dulu kat rumah besar atas Post Office tu. Ingat tak? I guess, I shall keep it for some other time lah!

In the meantime, I hope Khairina, Maisarah and Farihah, rajin-rajin ler menulis and read lots of  books in English, okay... Also to Nad... 
(Gambar kat atas tu...gambar atas pokok rambutan...Can you believe it? They were cam-whoring outside on Hari Raya Pertama... while I was busy toiling in the kichen!
Depan sekali from L to R: Khairina, Wan Noor,  belakang: Farihah, Maisarah, Wan Khadijah and Nadiah) 

What's In A Name?

I always feel awkward if anyone were to call me by my family name let alone my full name. I was quite taken aback or rather, should I say, lost in my reverie... when I visited my sister-in-law in Arau recently, as she addressed me with that "Wan" thing! For a moment I thought she was talking to someone else when it hit me later that I was the "Wan" (one) indeed. Ah, it has been a while since! As far as I recalled, I am known with my nick-name, 'Lili' that I sometimes find it hard to introduce myself with my real name. Huh!! Unlike my other siblings, even their spouses resort to calling them with "wan". 

Same goes with my daughter who has quite a mouthful for a name. Being the only girl, I thought naming her with two names was fancifully meaningful... err... and eventually had to endear her with only that pampering 'Girl, Girl' term. She was still a baby when we called her that and was caught by surprise when a visit to her paediatrician made us, my other half and I, looked silly. We sat through minding our baby girl when the nurse was straining her neck screaming out and searching for a "Yasmin Maisarah" several times when we were right under her nose!

Dari Utara... Naik Lagi Ke Utara!

Hah, ini cerita ke Perlis semalam! Sayup no...ke utara nun. Speeding is a no, no here. Sentiasa ada polis buat road block tahan pemandu-pemandu yang speeding. Seronok kami tengok kereta-kereta orang KL yang kena tahan tu! Hambik ko..BMW, Skyline and what-not... got slapped with surat saman!

Sampai Arau terus pergi UiTM cari Umai nak bawa dia lunch. Budak ni... dah tombam pipinya macam dia masih baby dulu. Cium pipi dia macam sinking our teeth into a 'pau gebus'! Baru jer jumpa masa Raya ari tu, dah sihat sesihatnya dia....
So, kami pun makan kat 'Pokok Sawa' yang femes tu. Memang ramai gilas. Nothing to shout about.... but the food was fairly good sebab banyak masakan kampung. Lupa nak ambil gambar makanan tu, not until kami dah sapu almost all baru Umai tingat nak snap snap. Ikan bakar dia fresh belaka... kena dengan air asam yang sedap. What I liked most was the gulai lemak nangka. Nampak jer pucat... tapi sedap....berasa. Tetuka rebus curah air asam pun sedap. Che Min duk pulun ikan keli sesaje... dari keli bakar ke keli masak lemak, semua dia balun!

Lepas hantar Umai balik (sebab dia ada kelas pukul 3 pulak), kami pi ler ke rumah kakak Che Min pulak. Ziarah orang sakit yang dah nampak sihat dah.

On the way back singgah Sungai Petani nak jumpa Na.Mula tu ingat nak singgah rumah dia kat Jitra, tapi dia dah berlonggok kat rumah keluarga Abang Aji. Elok sampai, keluarga Abang Aji buat kenduri nak ke Mekah, dah nak selesai pun... si Na ni entah kemana meronda shopping kat kawasan Village Mall tu. Jenuh menunggu dia. Seronok weh, bila jumpa.... macam selalu...tak kering gusi dengan Na. Ada jer kisah-kisah silam pak lang pian dia bukak! Dah dekat nak balik, kita orang kena makan juga nasi kenduri yang tersangat sedap. Walaupun perut kenyang, makan jugak... alhamdulillah... Balik nanti ingat nak tidur terus jer.

Tidur ke? No... pergi pulak BBQ kat rumah kawan yang siangnya ada buat kenduri nak naik Haji ni... Dah tak dapat datang waktu siang, malam ler baru sua muka. Makan lagi....

Itu lah.... dah dapat keluar rumah sampai ke malam... kalau tidak, memeraplah!

The Day After

Salaam. Hm...lama tak menulis sejak sibuk dan buat-buat sibuk kebelakangan ni, terus saja jadi betul-betul malas dan betul-betul sibuk! Hari ni baru rasa lega sikit sebab exam si MyC dah selesai. Anyway, I still find it way too hectic to resume writing. Firstly, I got to admit that I have been writing elsewhere, and expressing myself in English is my strong point. Itu pasallah, nak tulis kat blog ni macam siput sikit! Bak kata Zizan, "I torai!", hehe..I will try to write in BM jugak.

Sejak berdunia dengan alam cyber ni, dah jadi panjang pulak langkah akaq! Heheh! Banyak perkara yang nak di'explore' and I virtually live in this world more than ever that I practically have no life and have become quite anti-social. But, I take it easy these days... I have stopped blogging entirely at my old blog, so, dapatlah tumpu sikit masa kat sini. Nak mulakan tu yang berat sikit. Ni pun dah rasa boring kan..kan..kan?

Minggu exam baru-baru ini memang tension sikit. Budak tu yang pekse mummy dia yang lebih gelabah. Tu yang jadi sibuk tak menentu. Apa taknya, nak kena siap masak awal sikit dan bawa bekal makanan waktu break dia just before the next paper started. Rupanya, I'm not the only 'mother-at-the-gate' during the exam week..... ramai jugak parents yang datang bawa lunch anak-anak ke sekolah. Yang lawaknya, bila budak-budak ni keluar dari dewan peperiksaan, macam tak de masalah jer... berbeza dengan muka parents yang kat pagar sekolah tu! Semuanya berkerut dahi...nak berbual pun rasa nervous!

Now that semuanya dah selesai, harapan kami semua anak-anak yang dah berusaha akan berjaya cemerlang walaupun kan it is too soon to tell tapi yang pentingnya mereka ni dah mencuba yang terbaik. Jadi sekarang ni, pada MyC, Nina dan Dira.... banyak-banyaklah berdoa mudah-mudahan apa yang dah diberikan mendapat ganjaran. Amiinnn...

Hello? Is Anybody Home?

Huh, tu dia! Dah berabuk bersawang rumahku ini! Tak ingat nak balik rumah kekdahnye tu.. Asyik sibuk memanjang. Ye lah... anak kan tengah exam. Concentrate ke situ dulu.
Agak-agak dah lapang nanti, teman berblog semula. Lagi pun banyak citer pasal makan jer.. Kan ...dengan kenuri, open-houses bagai. Tapi tahun ni kurengs sikit open-housesnya.. Gamaknya, boleh dikatakan ramai kawan-kawan yang sekapal... anak-anak exam. By the end of next week, hopefully everything will be back to normal.

See you guys soon!

From A Blog I Read...

Just for laughs! Here's what I read and had a good laugh afterwards at Mr Mraz's posting in his blog. Come, laugh with me!

Credits to Jason Mraz: freshness factor five thousand. Oh, yes....he's THAT Jason Mraz, the singer-musician!

Jason's Conversation Station
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
What kids know about the ocean...


Kelly, age 6 - “This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles.”


Jerry, age 6 – “Oysters' balls are called pearls.”


Wayne, age 7 – “If you are surrounded by ocean you are an Island. If you don't have ocean all round you, you are incontinent.


Kylie, age 6 – “Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend any more.”


Billy, age 8 – “A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head.”


Millie, age 6 – “My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men, a woman and some pots and comes back with crabs.”


William, age 7 – “When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn't blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans.”


Helen, age 6 – “Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really?”


Amy, age 6 – “I'm not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom, and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write.”


Christopher, age 7 – “Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves into chargers at night.”


Kevin, age 6 – “When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small.”


Becky, age 8 – “Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can't go down alone, so they have to go down on each other.”


Julie, age 7 – “On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass.”


Bobby, age 6 – “The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don't drown I don't know.”


James, age 7 – “My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn't know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom.”

Hari Raya At Ayah Mat's

Petang Raya pertama, kami beraya ke rumah Ayah Mat (Hj Meor Ahmad Darwish) dan Wan Chik Che Siah di Tambun. Sunyi rumah dia ni... yalah... yang ada cuma mereka tiga beranak. Yeop Didi and Shida were to coma back only the next day. Anyway, it was a joyous moment as we ate and chattered, and be merry!

The ever 'bubbly' host...Ayah Mat!



Makan-makan time...


My daughter, MyC with another activity besides eating!


Thanks Ayah Mat and Wan Chik for your hospitality. And I sure love the backdrop of their house overlooking the breath-taking limestone hills. Next time I'll sleepover!

Hari Raya Eve

Layan jer dulu our berbuka dish, kari ikan and lauk raya i.e rendang tok... both cooked by yours truly...ehem!
Rendang kerang ncek masak.




My Moist Choc-Mocha Cake... a hit among the children at Tun Terang...

Selamat Hari Raya

Walaupun dah masuk malam Raya keenam, rasanya belum terlambat nak ucapkan Selamat Hari Raya!

Memang sibuk raya tahun ini di Ipoh. Macamne pun, tetap meriah dan happy dapat jumpa ramai sanak saudara jauh dan dekat. Cuma yang selalu bertandang setiap tahun tak dapat bersama-sama kami kali ni. Mereka tu seperti Hanida, Pak Yang Kamal (Mei besor), Fuad dan Share Doc Faisal. Yang bestnya, SHIDA datang beraya semalam! Begitu juga Mail yang sentiasa segak dengan baju melayu dan songkok 'KOMTAR'nya (hehe), ada beraya bersama kami!

Well, I just got home this afternoon and still reeling with the Raya feelings. I guess, I'll update our Raya photos in the next entry.

Nite nite.....

Busy...

These few days have been very busy indeed. Tak sempat nak update blog... tak sempat masak pun! Masak untuk sahur jer.

Hari ni, tengah sibuk-sibuk 'mengemop' lantai, sempat pulak telefon ncek. Dengar ni anak-anak sedara and anak sendiri... kesian opah/mama tu... Dulu ada Pudin boleh bawa opah pegi pasar dekat rumah pah chik wah tu.. Ni, sejak Pudin dah berangkat ke England tak ada sape nak tolong beli bahan-bahan nak Raya ni. So, kekdahnya, 'akaq' jugak la yang bergegas pergi pasor Bagan Ajam kat sini. Tempah daging empat kilo...terus dapat dan bawa balik. Tempah santan untuk esok, beli perkakas nak buat rendang tok.
Plan asalnya nak masak kat Ipoh... nampak gayanya, since everything is within reach here, I might as well cook it straight away tomorrow, insyaallah! Senang citerkan!

Masih penat ni... landing time! Nanti update lagi..

Tata!

Menu Sepanjang Ramadhan

Gambar atas & bawah: Keow teow sup...hmmm...yum yum..


Hah..yang ini cucuq udang ... tak tau sajaaaa...


Yang ni...tangan hetA duk cekau udang....


Ini pun kalo tak tau..saja...sawi tumis letak poached egg...


Ayam masak merah...


Masak lemak udang dengan nenas...


Kanji/bubur lambuk makan dengan kerabu pucuk paku & taugeh & kerang...





Ini paling beshhh..gulai tulang tumis darat...tulang lembu daa..


Rendang kerang yang dah siap terhidang and rendang kerang yang sedang di rendang...




Amacam?

The First Entry... To The Birthday Girl!

Hari ni birthday MyC... So, happy Birthday Girl! No celebration just yet. Concentrate on your exam, okay... Hari Raya nanti, insyaallah, kita celebrate dengan Khairina.