Everybody Loves Huda

This posting come a bit late. As usual, am having problems with uploading photos and what-not.
(And again sounding lame...haish...!!)

I attended a friend's daughter's engagement do last Sunday. But first, let me introduce you to this sweet girl, Huda. Huda is every mother's dream of an ideal daughter. She's not only pretty but also an excellent student. She made us, this close-knit community, proud for being one of Penang's top achievers in SPM in 2004.  It is Huda that MyC wants to emulate... to do the best to excel in her studies. In fact, Huda is every girl's idol here. Well, minus her good looks, of course!

So, it came as a shock at first, when I learned from her mother, kak Munirah, that she has been proposed by a certain suitor. She, being so young and still studying. But like everything else... there is always the first time. Lepas tu tak terkejut dah! Haha! Most importantly, Huda is happy. The engagement was to take place two weeks before Huda leaves for Scotland to read medicine in one of the best universities. In Dundee, to be exact. She has another two and half years to complete her studies there.

And the day came...

I have lived here in Penang for as long as I remember, yet I have never witnessed the culture of a distinct group of a 'true-blue Penangite'. It is quite norm for engagement ceremonies to be held low-key, but this one I attended was way very grand. The man's entourage alone consisted of a hundred and fifty people! The hantaran were carried by bearers in traditional attires. One thing prominent about this group is the 'bunga malai' - as big and as well as heavy, made from scented fresh flowers and was garlanded around Huda's neck. She was to wear it throughout the ceremony. One such tradition that is not within the Malay adat was the 'suap gula'. Good thing is, Huda is only twenty two...imagine having twenty two family members (all ladies) to spoon her with sugar after the 'sarung cincin'. What if she is thirty two? Hehe...

After the ceremony all the guests were treated to high tea at kak Munirah's compound.
Later on we got to see Huda's fiance who presented her with a big bouquet of pink roses. She is one lucky girl betrothed to the most eligible, good-looking bachelor in Penang (hiks!!!). A corporate figure in his early forties.When they get married this July, Huda will become an instant 'Datin'. A very young one, at that!

Huda looking resplendent just before the ceremony.

Some of her hantaran to the fiance...I personally like this piece: agar-agar kering in a fondant casing.

A simple garden-like dais...

My very best wishes to Huda...

What Have They Done....

...TO THIS SONG?
I like it anyway... although it wasn't the interpretation I had all along thought of ... hehe!
Alright, do your own miming if you wish...



..hmmm...is this another excuse of 'takde idea'?.... ;-)

Send Me The Pillow...

After that long weekend in Ipoh, I have become lazy. Too lazy.
Too lazy to even switch on my laptop. Never mind checking my blog.

This has been going on for some time.

Hmm...just when I thought I would write something tonight, my eyes see the better use of a pillow than merely a prop up for my laptop... which by now... as I am trying to fight this sleepiness, is about to slide down my tummy.. Looks like another wasted effort........

Nite nite...and it is only quarter to ten....

"Meguriai" - Chance Encounter?

Me-gu-ri-ai is a title of a Japanese song. I suddenly remembered  this beautiful song while admiring an exquisite diamond ring outside a jewelery store the other day. So, do bear with me - with my sentimentality; as I take this walk down another memory lane...

Some time in the early nineties, I found myself hooked on many Japanese dramas on tv. I hardly leave the house during weekdays and gave up on my afternoon naps simply because these series were heck entertaining - mostly heart-warming and sometimes tear-jerking. I made sure no one bothered me during the one-hour shows by pulling off the telephone plug, doors closed and curtains drawn as if I was not at home. Some obsessions, you might think! But hey, that was the only moment I had to myself.

One of my very best memories about these series would be of, "Tokyo Cinderella Story". Somehow, like most other serial dramas, I seemed to miss their last episodes! But due to encouraging requests from tv viewers, they repeated the show and at the same time slot too. I was thrilled... but again, missed the last episode as I was vacationing in Langkawi! Silly of me sneaking out of my hotel room to shop for an electric  deep-fryer, and ran back just in time for the drama....arghhh...only to realise that I had locked myself outside and couldn't get to wake up hubby who was sleeping like a log! By the time I was done banging and knocking the door... ringing the bell and all, the show had already ended. When the door finally swung opened, I greeted hubby with a sulking face.

Later that same year, there was a rerun of the drama and this time, I got to watch the ending. Hehe...

As always, I love the soundtracks of Japanese dramas. And this particular song from Tokyo Cinderella Story, "Meguriai", was so deeply felt. Most of the songs too, were sung by these wonderful duo, Chage & Aska...
It was these songs that prompted me to write tonight and also, a conversation between hubby and me that reminded me of the story "101st Marriage Proposals", and the ring that I saw in the window...

Here's one of my favourite songs by Chage & Aska...

Pekena!

Pagi tadi, akak keluar rumah dengan semangat berkobar-kobar. Walaupun hari masih gelap pada pukul 7.10, rasanya tak ada apa yang akan menyekat akak dari meneruskan misi penting pagi ini. Cuma bercinta sikit bawa kereta pepagi buta ni kalau tak tempuh jam...(eh, bahse melayu eja j-a-m ke j-e-m?).

Malam sebelumnya, sorang kawan yang dah lama berpesan supaya akak 'jangan lupa' untuk jumpa dia dekat jogging track kat pantai kami, berpesan sekali lagi...'jangan lupa esok...jom la start morning walk ke jogging ke!' And as usual, jawapan orang yang selalu procrastinate ni, sama saja..."InsyaAllah! You pergila dulu...kalau nampak I kat 'knots landing' tu...adalah...kalau tak, takde lah!" (Fuh, 'Knots Landing' man!)

Malam tadi lah jugak, kawan yang dah macam kakak akak pulak telefon.... 'esok pagi buat apa? Antor Mysarah sekolah ke?'. Bila bagitau dia tak buat apa-apa...(dalam kepala dah nampak muka kawan yang ajak jogging!), akak tanya pulak, "kenape?". Hmm... katanya, 'nak ajak kamu breakfast nasi kandar Kampong Melayu...pukul 7.30 pagi kena kuor umah dah..'  Yes! Yes!

Malam tadi jugak, tidur akak tak berapa jerap. Sekejap sekejap terjaga. Excited kekdahnya!

Jalan mana mana pun, (anyway lah!), dengan selambanya pagi tadi akak dah terpacak kat depan rumah Kak N tepat 7.25 pagi. (well...ini Lili... tarak suka orang tunggu dia, dan tak suka menunggu orang!)
"yeay, jom makan-makan nasi kandaq kampong melayu, air itam!!!" akak dah buat dah iklan tak berbayar tu. Kak N dan hubby dia sambut dengan ketawa.

Boleh ye, sorang kawan nak jaga kesihatan, ajak kita beriadah - akak tolak... hihi !
Sorang kawan pulak ajak tambah kolestrol - akak SUKER! HAHAHA!

Sanggup pulak tu, menempuh queue yang panjang nak naik feri... sanggup meredah berbelas traffic light sepanjang jalan ke Air Itam... ish, ish... nasi kandaq punya pasal. Dan yang paling tak sanggup... sanggup pulak menyusur lorong-lorong flat kos rendah tu... hidung dah kembang kuncup tahan bau yang kurang enak. TAPI... bila nampak kedai mamak tu.... semua yang tak sanggup tadi jadi sanggup.

Terima kasih pada kak N and abang M, sebab tercapai jugak hasrat nak rasa nasi kandaq ni. Memang SEDAP! Semua lauk akak nak rasa. Mujur akak ni jenis makan lauk lebih dari nasi. Nasi setengah jer... buat kotor pinggan, orang kata! Alhamdulillah. Oh ya, siap tapau lauk untuk lunch for MyC!

Hmm....sempat tanya lagi, "bila pulak nak pekena nasi kandaq immigration?" ;p

A New Beginning

Salam to all...

Wow, sekejap jer dah February! After two long months of 'holidaying' from my Quran classes, this morning, the new class resumed. But not actually started yet... not without holding the 'Yasiin' recital and 'tahlil', then followed by 'makan-makan' session. My friend, whose house doubles as our class, has just moved in to a new house. That explains our long holiday...  like what we joked about just now, sahlah lepas ni lupa habis hukum hakam bila ustazah buat ujian mengejut! We were spared today because of the house-warming do. Hehe!

My friend, Shima, is well known for her generosity of having friends over for brunches. In fact every Monday we are treated at her house for brunch and I mean it, she takes it seriously. Tak cukup dengan makan kat situ, dia siap tapau lagi kat kami. Nasib baik our mengaji group ni kecil.... tak sampai sepuluh! Every week too, some of us bring along desserts to chip in. Mana tak elaboratenya our weekly brunch ni... Selalunya, bila dah kenyang, mula ler malas nak masak lunch kat rumah. Macam hari ini. I think I will just have sandwiches later in the late afternoon. Untuk MyC, akaq dah tapau siap dari rumah Shima!

So... last weekend, I attended Yana and Jojo's wedding. Adeh, tak macam selalu bila majlis akad nikah kaum keluarga akan duduk keliling dengar lafaz nikah tu...kali ni, tuan rumah pun kena shoved ke tepi dek ramainya orang media! Bilik yang ber-aircon  pun jadi panas... Apapun, semuanya berjalan lancar dan majlis pun selamat dah. Penat, memang penat. Bukan penat menolong sangat... tapi penat makan... berbual... bergambar...
Seronok jumpa keluarga yang ramai di Ipoh ni. Itu pun tak semua yang hadir. Insyaallah, come December, we'll get to meet again.

To Yana and Jojo: Kak Lili tak tahu nak ucap apa lagi selain dari... banyak-banyak bersabar menjalani hidup sebagai suami isteri...hidup biar sepakat, bertolak ansur dan sentiasa bertawakkal kepada Allah.

(Pic: When the media have left... yours truly (yang terpaksa merendahkan dudukku!) with the newly-weds, MyC, cousin Shida, and nieces plus a nephew, Abrar..)