MINI REUNION

After three days attending a conference, I was actually looking forward to yesterday for our mini reunion. But the conference first....

The conference was organized by the English language Department of the university where I am studying now..besides the knowledge gained throughout some of the papers presented I got to meet my ex-classmate (we were in the same class in form 2 and 3 at CBN). Gained some tips on the area that I am thinking of doing for my dissertation. Able to see TMM in person for the first time..

Well more conferences are waiting for me I guess.

The Reunion

Yesterday was a great day. Meeting old friends and ex-roommates..remembering our days in the States. Some not-so-nice incidents due to our immaturity...but those were the days gone by..Today, we are able to talk about it with laughter.

Looking at our grown up kids serves as a reminder that we are not getting any younger..

CKZ..hope we can do this more often. Give us a call whenever you are in town.

Ella, Ana, Nor and Haniza...we had fun, hadn't we?

Another Recipe

Salam.. today is again a recipe day..this time around it is specially dedicated to Kak Nor.

First of all I minta maaf banyak-banyak Kak Nor ya coz lambat sangat menunaikan janji ni..Lima bulan lebih dah tertangguh. Finally, ini dia...

Mushroom Sauce (Tanpa mushroom jadilah black pepper sauce)

Ingredients:

50 g cendawan butang dihiris sederhana tebal
1 biji garlic dicincang halus
1 g daun rosemary
1/4 sudu teh oregano
serbuk perasa ayam
garam (kena careful kuantitinya sebab brown sauce tu dah masin)
1 sudu teh majerin
lada hitam kisar secukup rasa
Brown sauce (utk 6-8 org makan - 3 sudu besar)

Kaedahnya:
1. Panaskan majerin (minyak biasa pun ok)
2. Masukkan garlic diikuti lada hitam (kalau nak masuk lada hitam lepas tu garlic pun boleh)
3. Masukkan mushroom
4. masukkan sedikit air - biarkan mendidih
5. masukkan brown sauce
6. Masukkan rosemary
Biarkan mendidih seketika

Ok.... kak Nor selamat mencuba..

Nota: Credit for this recipe should go to Linde and Hubby

Kak Zan

Lega...for now I would say. Sat for the IOK paper this morning. 3 hours straight of writing, kalau tak score tak taula...Tawakal ajelah...

Managed to go and see kak Zan this afternoon. She is leaving for Hajj next week. Moga mendapat haji yang mabrur. InsyaAllah, semoga Allah juga mengurniakan rezeki buatku untuk menziarahiNya ASAP.

Study Day

Salam..today is a study day for me. In fact, started studying yesterday. This is going to be the last final that I am going to sit for this semester. Had one on Friday. Alhamdulillah, rasanya macam ok but tak taulah..guess I have to wait for the result to know for sure.

Saturday and Sunday..weekends are normally the days to spend with the family..take the kids to the book store or jalan-jalan but not this week...In fact writing this entry is just a means of taking a break from my study...dah 2 hari tak masak..today pun makan roti je..luckily the kids can survive with bread but of course Adam needs more than that. Oh by the way the two boys and their dad had gone out to OU katanya...so that I could study in peace..said my husband. Sebenarnya..it was a great help. So I was left with my daughter.. she has to study as well for her final exam which starts tomorrow.

Feels like my head is already full with facts..just have to pray hard so that Allah will help me to remember whatever needs to be remembered in order to answer the questions tomorrow.

Kak Nora's Recipe

Today is a recipe day. A tribute to kak Nora..Norasyikin bt. ...(tak ingat). Yes,our dearest kak Nora..cikgu ERT tu..ex-adviser for cadet's corp when I was a student in CBN and she was in SMPW and later we became colleagues in SMKPW..

To Kak Nora... thank you for all the recipes yang I memang guna til today..banyak pahala you for berkongsi ilmu Allah ini..

So..kak Shimah here it goes..Sphagetti Bolognese:

Ingredients:

1. Minced beef (ikan sardin pun boleh)

2. Tomato puree and sedikit air

3. Fresh tomato (kalau suka- I always guna both fresh and puree dlm tin tu)

4. Sedikit Garlic

5. Cendawan Button

6. Bawang besar - diced (kuantiti yang banyak)

7. Butter + minyak

8. Rempah kari daging (ini kalau nak ada malaysian flavour, if not tak payah)

9. Sedikit lada sulah and gula

10. Bay leaves (yg kering ada jual kat Tesco dalam packet kecil)

11. Oregano (wajib)

12. Rosemary

(items 10-12 semua adakat Tesco dlm kuantiti yang sedikit)

13. Garam secukup rasa

14. Grated cheese (optional)

Method:

1. Panaskan butter + minyak

2. Tumis bawang besar dan garlic dan bay leaves

3. Kalau nak rasa rempah kari tu masukkan here, if not tak payah

4. Masukkan minced beef - biarkan sekejap.

5. Masukkan tomato puree dan sedikit air

6. Masukkan oregano, lada sulah (sedikit lada hitam pun boleh kalau suka), rosemary

(oregano and rosemary ni lebih sikit coz ini yang buat baunya bau "sphagetti bolognese"

7. Biarkan semua bahan ini mendidih dan macam naik minyakt u..

8. Serve with sphagetti and grated cheese

Sorry coz' tak boleh nak bagi the exact quantity bagi all the ingredients, semuanya main agak-agak je but I am sure you are good at agak-agak ni..he..he..

Ok..good luck and happy cooking..don't worry mesti jadi punya.

MAIDS

I was shocked today when I called one of the maid agencies and was informed that the fees would be Rm6900 (Package 1) or RM7300 (package 2). My God..that is exorbitant because I believe those who need maids the most are those families whose both husband and wife have to go out and work to provide for the family..With that fees..I am thinking more than twice....

When I first had my maid I did all the paper work here myself and it cost me abot RM1600 to pay the agency in Indonesia. That was in 2003..To fork out 6 or 7 thousand memanglah tak mampu...kesian kat I. Quitting my job is totally out of the question..kesian the kids as well.

Now, need to figure out the alternative..

Question to ponder..nah! let me just ponder myself!

IOK

One of the courses that I am taking this semester is challenging, I would say, as the materials that I have to read are rather new to me..Hellinistic Philosophy, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi to name a few. Anyway, I find it enriching..the discussion part is challenging..I always make sure I come prepared for this class..don't want to sound so stupid in front of Dr F.

Dr F..a scholar she is..I admire her takes of the world..of things going around us...someone to whom you can look up to..can inspire you.

I was not very confident when I completed an assignment for her class..but got her feedback yesterday..alhamdulillah very encouraging...really boosted my confidence etc..

For the next two and a half weeks..have to concentrate on the final examination...tension gak..lots to read and understand...at this age rasa macam dah slow sikit...but will pray hard and of course work for it.

Zoul's Station

This is not a paid advertisement ya..but knowing that all of us love every minute of our lunch time together (I miss this you know)..and how much we love food..this is another new place to visit. New to you all at the college..So, Huda pergilah cuba-cuba. Yang lain-lain boleh cuba gak..but remember..when it comes to food..it is very subjective..

Discovered the place a few days before raya hari tu....should try the mixed grill (if I am not mistaken). I haven't tried it but if my hubby yang quite cerewet tu kata sedap..sedap lah tu...

Okay..got to go..need to catch upon my reading..

Raya Mood

Now only I am beginning to feel the raya mood...after completing a draft on a project paper and an in class seminar presentation. Anyway, it was an interesting discussion in class yesterday...Lega sikit rasanya...but a few more assignments are waiting..but I will focus on that later...as for now raya dulu for the sake of the children. Today baru nak gi shopping..of course for them. Kesian baju raya pun tak beli lagi..they are looking forward to going...haven't decided where to go ..One Utama maybe..

Last night we treated ourselves to a late supper at Zoul's...western and chinese cuisine at that..not bad..sedap gak..at least now we have something good nearby and of course at a reasonable price. Oh by the way it is in Bukit Sentosa/Bukit Beruntung...must tell the people at the college to go there and try the food...

We will eat out for Iftar today..kesian Adam..nak rasa buka kat luar katanya...and tahu dia nak gi mana...MCDonalds je cukuplah he said...see..kids are still kids.. nasib baik gak dia tak ajak gi hotel..not that I can afford it.

Salam

IFTAR

Invited a few close relatives for iftar yesterday..it was a great gathering. The children enjoyed it so much as it was also a good time for them to catch up. Jarang-jarang jumpa; bila jumpa macam-macam..they could really do a lot within those limited hours.

This gathering has actually been the family annual affair..the interesting part is that you could really see the kids growing.

Raya is just round the corner..the kids dah bising bila ibu nak buat kuih..and kuih means only cornflakes..yang they all boleh tolong buat and habiskan before dihidang for raya...kalau ikutkan ibunya yang busy memang malas rasanya..assignment due this Tuesday and to prepare for in class seminar for friday. Kuih raya will only come after that but being a mother...deep down inside kesian anak-anak. Tak pe anak-anakya..we will make the kuih after friday ok.

Kenapa tak beli je? Well not being at the office memang takde can lah nak tengok senarai kuih ke, sample kuih ke....savelah sikit he..he..kalau tak beratus ringgit gaklah for kuih..but not this year. Plan to make one or two types for the sake of the children to enjoy and to experience the moments of making kuih..as I did when I was young with mak..

Mak memang rajin..bab masak-memasak ni memang bagi kat dia. Take nasi lemak for example..my husband and the kids cakap nasi lemak mak paling best...dah merata nasi lemak kat kl we tried..none compares to mak's...nasi lemak no 2 paling best of courselah yang I masak..dah belajar dari maknya tapi still tak boleh challenge hers.

Oklah today iftar is at mak's..mesti best. But first thing first, need to go and return the books that the kids borrowed from PNM..dah overdue..

Salam

Herani

Finally managed to have a look at Herani's thesis which is long overdue..Anyway, looking at the thickness of the volume..takut I. Boleh ke I produce one like that...InsyaAllah..must tell myself I can do it.

Syok sendiri lak tengok ada nama I kat acknowledgement..thanks for remembering me...kalau betul I lah..if not biarlah I perasan sorang-sorang. Anyway, just to let you know Herani..it is such a motivation...you are such a motivation for me too. Eventhough I wasn't even half way with you during your journey, the experiences shared were priceless. Looking at your thesis memang berbaloi...Tengah kecut perut ni nak exam this Friday..maklumlah dah lama tak sit for exams..except for PTK ari tu...

Know that your encouraging words are always there reminding, motivating me...

I was caught in an unexpected traffic jam at 10:45am kat tengah-tengah hutan after Templer Park tadi..tak tau kenapa ada road block. Bengkak gak coz dah plan things to do and especially on my readings....I take it as dugaan Ramadhan lah tu..

Salam

Patience

As a mother to 3 lovely children I still have to learn a lot about..patience...yes,kesabaran... memang a mother has to be patient especially with her children..kena sabar banyak-banyak. At times tu I even feel like I am not a good mother bila terhilang kesabaran tu.....but come to think of it ..no.. I have done quite a good job. Ameer is already 14, Anisah 13 and Ammar 8. Children, if you are reading this, know that I am proud of all of you.

Okay got to go..haven't read for my class tomorrow..2 chapters to cover and I am sure going to learn something new from my reading. Kak Shimah..if you are reading this,do not get discourage okay.

Just starting

Assalamualaikum...

This is my first blog..no, second blog. Learned the first one in a course...dululaa..and left it at that. Now, starting a new one.. just to find an avenue to write and share stories...

Today is the third day of fasting...it'sfun tolayan kerenah my youngest boy. He managed to complete 29 and a half day of fasting. This year he wants to complete the whole month..encouraging him of course...tapi ada gak..lenguhlah ibu..hausla..letihla..

But the most important thing is he wants to do it... yes..go boy.