Thoughts on my 28th birthday

Assalamualaikum,

Salam 1 Muharram 1435 Hijrah. Alhamdulillah, jom kita pakat-pakat panjatkan kesyukuran sebab masih diberi peluang untuk hidup setahun lagi di bumi Allah swt ni. Semoga buku amalan kita sepanjang tahun lepas ditutup dengan amalan-amalan yang boleh bawak kita ke Jannah, InsyaAllah.

Alhamdulillah I celebrated my 28th birthday three days ago, November 2nd 2013. But this time, I chose to have it celebrated in a more traditional way. Traditional? Macam mana pulak tu? haha. Very easy. I ignored my so called smart phone, and let all the memories been stored only in my brain instead. :)

It was a simple, humble and yet a memorable little celebration between me and my husband on the night I turned 28yo. This is our first time celebrating birthday together though. Selama ni celebrate through phone ataupun Skype je. But this time, I have him to be the first to wish me, in real. :)

I went to bed quite early that night because of massive headache. Tetiba Am kejut suruh makan ubat. So, bila keluar je bilik dalam gelap-gelap tu, tengok ada 2 pieces of cake (or chocolate brownies to be more exact) siap lilin kat atas pinggan. Ting!!! Terus segar bugar mata hilang semua sakit kepala. Ohh la la ~~ :p

Masa nampak je cake tu tangan ni laju je terus nak capai handphone and macam biasa la, nak ambik gambar nak Instagram la kononnya. Apparently, I didn't. My heart told me to stop right there. I'm sorry my dear smart phone, this time, I chose to enjoy every minute of my birthday allll to myself. I don't need you to keep the memories for me. Next time okay? :)

So I blew the candle, and allowed myself to taste the cake even it was half past midnight already. Pastu kitorang borak-borak about life and so on sambil menghabiskan separuh dari kek tu, and then sambung tido tanpa rasa bersalahnya. Padahal baru lepas makan kek, and dalam kek ada gula. hahaha. Takpe, sekali sekala. :)

Esok siangnya, we spent the whole day chilling out together at home, keluar petang tu pegi kenduri kat Sungai petani, pastu jalan-jalan dekat Amanjaya Mall, and then malam tu balik rumah my parents lepak borak-borak kejap. I think I spent a very good quality time together with people I love around me on my birthday. In a more traditional way, can't you see it? I think I'm so blessed and I don't know what more could I ask for? ^_^

So that was it. After so many years of depending on my smart phone to keep the memories for me, whereas for this year, I manage to let only my brain to do the work. Surprisingly, it was worth the try. I enjoyed it more and I don't mind to try it again next time. :)

I am (18+10) years old this year. Eighteen with ten years of experience. :)

The eleventh month of the year

Assalamualaikum,

Ten precious months of 2013 have passed in the speed of the light, haven't they? And we are left with only remaining two now. I hope they are going to be awesome and meaningful as much as I always wish for. So hello November! Let's have some chit chats, shall we?

November has always been my favorite month of the year. Why? Because it is my birthday month yeay! I have experienced so many beautiful Novembers for all my life. And I bet this year would be somewhat special though. Knowing the fact that at this point in my life when I turn 28 years old, I am blessed with a husband by my side, understanding parents and parents-in-laws, beautiful families, and lovely close friends.

We surely realize that life might treat us in so many ways; laughter and tears, happiness and sadness, joy and pain. Everything will come and go without you know it, the next thing you reckon is that they were all beautiful experiences, that bring you up to the next level of life. With maturity. 

So, no matter how hard your life is treating you sometimes, just bear with that, the hardship will eventually go one day. That's what life is all about. Life is hard, life is difficult, accept that, and make it better. 

Just a quick example on how to make your life better here:

"If you want to have a perfect married life, you can't simply turn your spouse to be someone that you wish them to be. You need to change yourself into an ideal spouse instead."

Live, Laugh and Love.. That's how we wish we could spend our life growing old together.

Projek Mee Tepung : Berjaya!

Assalamualaikum,

Here I come again! hahaha. Sementara tengah ada mood dapat sembang-sembang syok jugak. Nanti bila mood ke laut, berminggu-minggu senyap sunyi jek blog ni. ehehe. :p

Anyway, semalam I ada cakap nak buat projek Mee Tepung untuk berbuka kan? Alhamdulillah projek successful! Am cakap okay, jadi, cuma rasa of course la lain sikit sebab resepi asal untuk buat sup guna ikan bilis, tapi I guna air rebusan daging. But I think the taste was quite good. Now boleh la tambah menu Mee Tepung dalam masakan harian nanti. hehe. Sonang and sodap!

Ni resepi turun temurun dari nenek Am sebenarnya. I guess there are some recipes that are homely and comforting which will always become family favorites. Walaupun nampak simple, tapi berkat air tangan tu sebenarnya yang buat home cooked meals turn out to be the best! So here we go, let's welcome Mee Tepung to be part of family favorites! :)

Mee Tepung guna air rebusan daging.

Dah ambik air rebusan, daging tu buat goreng kunyit.
Saja untuk buat tambah selera je.

Makan dengan cili kicap.
Simply tasty.

Oh no, blog ni dah jadi blog makanan pulak lately. huhu. Takpe la, it's good for my own record anyway. Agak-agak kalau lupa dah nak masak apa nanti boleh jenguk kat sini balik.

Ha, semalam kitorang pi pasar malam dekat area rumah ni ingat nak pi cari barang basah sikit. Sekali tengok harga ikan semua naik oiii sebab musim tengkujuh. Nelayan kurang ke laut. Ikan temenung sekilo RM10. huhuhu. Terus cancel niat nak beli. Biasa RM4-5 ja. Sudahnya cuma beli udang kecik sikit sebab ingat nak buat shrimp salad dengan ikan selar dua ekor. Pastu beli buah anggur sikit. Total doploh lebih. ;O

Duit memang keluar macam air ek sekarang ni? Nak kata membeli di luar keperluan tu rasanya tak jugak. Semua yang perlu je. Kalau tak beli nak makan apa ye dak? The least we could do to control our budget is to stop buying unnecessary things. Memang rasa susah, but it is worth the practise I guess. If you haven't, let's start doing it now, shall we? :)

Healthy eating. KONON nya. :p

Assalamualaikum,

Haiii!! Semua orang sihat kahhh? Harap-harapnya sihat walafiat lah hendaknya okay? Sekarang ni kat Penang tengah musim hujan. Rasanya tempat lain pun hujan jugak kan? Dah masuk musim tengkujuh ni cuaca asyik mendung, mood pun sebokkkk jugak nak mendung. Haihhh.

I was in the middle of doing my works just now. Tetiba terfikir bukak puasa sat lagi nak makan apa. Tak pasal-pasal sat lagi dok meng-google resepi pulok. hihihi. :p My husband requested to have mee tepung untuk berbuka. At first I was like, "Mee Tepung? Apa tu?" Mee goreng, mee rebus, mee kari, mee sup, dan segala mak nenek mee lain lagi tau la. Mee tepung memang pestime dengaq. huhu.

So, he explained to me about it. Buat sup simple, uli tepung pastu penyek-penyek tepung tu campak dalam sup. Makan dengan cilip padi kicap. That's all. Errrr... Seriously, I still couldn't get it. Boleh imagine rupa dia, cuma tak boleh nak agak macam mana sebenarnya nak buat. Sudahnya, dia suruh tepon mak kat Melaka tanya macam mana nak buat Mee Tepung. Hahaha.

So I called my mom-in-law asking her on how to cook Mee Tepung as what my husband requested. Her first reaction was, "Apa ke mimpi dak Pijal tu tetiba nak makan mee tepung ni? Mak sendiri pun dah lama tak buat". hahaha. Lepas dah gelak-gelak, she then explained to me about the whole process. Yeayy, simple! InsyaAllah sat lagi boleh masak untuk berbuka.

Owhh, did I tell you that we are in the process of applying healthy eating style in our daily diet? KONON nya malam-malam takmo makan nasik la. hahaha. Siang takde masalah boleh je nak makan nasik Tapi malam nak try makan yang ringan-ringan je. p/s: rasanya applicable bila makan dekat rumah sendiri je, kalau balik rumah parents' tak kira la Telok Ayer Tawar or jasin, diet hancusssss! Tapi ok la daripada takde langsung kan. :p

So, ni menu yang berjaya dimakan selama dua malam. Lettuce, celery, apple and protein from beef or chicken. They are surprisingly fulfilling and refreshing. Rasa pun not too bad. Lepas ni nak cari idea nak buat salad yang menarik, sedap, and healthy at the same time! Wahhh kemain lagi semangat. Harapnya jangan separuh jalan udah la ye. hihihi. ^_^

Okay then! Selamat berbuka kepada yang berpuasa. Dan selamat makan malam kepada yang tidak berpuasa. Till I see you again next time! Assalamualaikum. :)

We are what we eat

Assalamualaikum,

Apa khabar semua? Ada sihat ka?? Well, I'm doing all good over here. Asyik tenggelam timbul je tuan tanah ni kan. haha. But worry you not, I'll definitely come back when I feel like scribbling something in here. Anddd tetiba hari ni rasa macam nak menulis pulak. So here I am, jom la kita sembang! :)

Petang tadi I sempat tengok satu talkshow kat TV AlHijrah, dengan host jemputan Chef Sabri, dan topik yang dibincangkan, Hidangan Barakah. I rasa ni siaran ulangan (biasa la Astro kannnn?? :p) tapi tak kisahla, asalkan rancangan yang bermanfaat, I don't mind watching it again.

Okay, back to the topic, Chef Sabri ada highlight kan cara pemakanan yang diamalkan oleh Rasulullah SAW. I rasa ramai orang yang dah share pun benda ni kat FB, so I don't have to elaborate this further I guess. Chef Sabri pesan sangat jangan campur makanan laut dengan daging tak kira la ayam atau lembu, sebab jenis protein dalam seafoods, ayam dan lembu adalah berbeza, so kalau selalu makan campur-campur, akan ganggu sistem penghadaman badan.

And I'm very very glad because since the first day I cooked for my husband, I manage to follow this rule quite obediently. Masa mula-mula kahwin, memang tu yang suami pesan dulu, jangan masak campur-campur, and Alhamdulillah, dalam masa 6 bulan ni, I berjaya ikut. :)

I'm lucky because my husband is not a fussy eater. Masak lah apa saja, insyaAllah dia akan makan dengan penuh berselera. Tapi sebelum tu of course lah dah riki-riki dengan my in-laws apa yang dia suka, apa yang dia tak berapa suka. So lepas tu pandai-pandai lah google resepi ke apa kan. :p

Lauk berasaskan protein dari ayam, daging dan telur.Sayur hijau musti mau adaaaa. :)

Lauk berasaskan seafoods. Ikan, sotong, udang. etc.
Perasan tak tiap-tiap kali pun ada ikan temenung (kembung)??? That's my number one favourite. hehehe.
Rasa macam tak lengkap hidangan kalau takdak ikan temenung. :p

So, setakat hari ni, kitorang masih berjaya ikut pesanan Hidangan Barakah yang Chef Sabri pesan. InsyaAllah selagi mampu akan cuba diamalkan sampai bila-bila. Tapi kitorang takdela strict sangat sebenarnya. Bila pegi rumah orang, atau kenduri, or makan kat kedai, kadang-kadang terbabas la jugak makan campur-campur tu. Cuma bukan selalu la. Once in a blue moon orang kata. hehe. :p

Haaa lagi satu, Chef Sabri pesan jugak, supplement terbaik yang diamalkan Rasulullah SAW, kurma + madu + habbatus sawda. Alhamdulillah we have been practicing that for quite a while every day and night. Tapi I makan madu dengan kurma je la. Habbatus sawda tu belum lagi, Am sorang je yang makan. Tengok dia makan pun I dah gulppp macam tak sodappp je. So tak berani lagi nak try. huhu.

So, to make it short, we obviously know that we are what we eat. So it is very important to practice a healthy diet, untuk mengelakkan sebarang penyakit yang tak diundang. Tapi sekali sekala kalau pekena burger stall tu takpa la. Tak boleh selalu ja. kehkehkeh.

Adik perempuan saya dah kawen. Tinggal lagi dua orang. Lai lai~~ :p

Assalamualaikum,

Yuhuuuuu!! Apa khabar semorang??? Long time no see huh?? Macam sebok sangat tuan tanah ni sampai tak sempat nak jenguk tanye kabar langsung kan? hehe. Oh well, memang busy sikit pun lately ni. From work to family matters, here I am juggling everything in between. 

So anyway, did I tell you that my sister has got married? Kalau belom, yes, she is lawfully a wife now! Ohh you know what? She's 4 years younger than I am I, but we share our wedding on the same year. It's either I yang kawen lambat or dia yang kawen cepat, that's how fate has set us! And we are soo happy about that! :)

Akad nikah was last Friday, and the reception on the bride side was the day after. Dah nama pun Malay wedding kan, of course preparation dah mula awal-awal lagi dah. And then Ahad tu pulak majlis bertandang ke rumah pengantin lelaki. Pheww~~ 3 important days in a row. That explains why this blog is abandoned for that long. kihkih. :p

Okay lah, dah lama tak bercerita, so otak macam beku sikit. Just enjoy some photos taken during the events okay? Takdela banyak sangat pun. Apa yang ada dalam tepon I ni je la. hehe.

My most favourite picture!
Orked dalam perut masa I kawen, and she's 5months-old masa Fatin kawen.
Photo taken from my cousin's FB.

Dia excited gila masa majlis akad nikah ni.
Tak padan dengan baju cekci and bunga besaq atas kepala.haha.

Before akad nikah.

Happy newlyweds. Congrats both of you!
Selamat melayari bahtera rumah tangga. :)

Reception belah perempuan.
Muka I nampak gemok gila kan?
Memang tak sesuai pakai tudung camni. T__T

Majlis bertandang di rumah pengantin lelaki.
Baru ku sedar rupanya diri ini pendek gila berbanding suami. huahuahua.

Bila dah terkena baru nak berubah. Better than nothing at all.

Assalamualaikum,

Salam duaplohsen untuk semua! haha. Dari malam tadi sampai hari ni dok kecoh pasai minyak naik harga ni kan? Whether we like it or not, we still have to deal with it and endure the consequences that may arise later on. Urghhh, I foresee the burden to myself already. Tapi apa nak buat, hadapi je dengan tenang and cuba berjimat dari segi yang lain, shall we?

Okay, done with the 20 cents issue already, hari ni I nak share something yang I rasa sangat-sangat terkena dekat batang hidung sendiri. Technology that surpasses human interaction. Very boring topic huh? Apparently, when I look closely into this matter, it has some hazardous effects that will eventually break the warm connection between humans.

I may not want to discuss about this in details. I guess semua orang pun dah faham sangat tentang issue ni kan? However, when I bumped into this video posted by a friend in facebook wall, (I jarang sangat tengok video yang orang letak dekat fb tu), somehow, something urged me to watch this video. And after watching it, danggg!! It hits me straight to my face! 

Korang nak terasa jugak? 

Please spend 2.11 minutes of your precioussss time to watch this.

Who knows, it may change you and your life for the better.

I think I have to start doing something to repair the connection between me and people I love around me. These are some reasonable things that I might start to do:

1. Stay away from my so-called smart phone as long as I can!
   I'm not gonna die avoiding it.
   
2. Check my email only through my laptop.
   Kalau urgent sangat takpe la. Ni kalau setakat email dari online shops, tak payah nak buat-buat busy dok scroll your so-called smart phone!
   
3. Leave my so-called smart phone in my handbag if I have someone with me during outings.Jangan dok kalut nak check whatsapp, instagram, fb, wechat, keek and whatnots. Do that later when you're alone. Real conversation is much more meaningful than the virtual one isn't it?
   
4. If it is bed time, set the alarm clock, and that's it!
   Say hello to my so-called smart phone only when the alarm goes on the next morning.
   
5. Please please please celebrate memorable events in my MIND!!
   Not only in my so-called smart phone. Jangan sampai nanti nak cerita kat anak cucu pun tak ingat sebab semua data dalam tepon dah hilang. Padan muka!
   
6. Because I really love my so-called smart phone, I can be-friend with it only when I'm alone.
   When I don't have someone to talk to, or to kill the time. Main la sampai pengsan. Takpe, tak salah.

The list goes on and on.

Senang cerita, hargai SETIAP masa yang you spend dengan orang yang you sayang. You never know how much longer you are going to live or how long they are going to live in this world? Am I right?

Jangan sampai nanti dah tua cucu tanya, 

"Nenek, atok suka makan apa?". 

Kita jawab, 

"Jap, jap, nenek tengok dalam handphone ada tak nenek ambik gambar favourite food atok". 

Hmm, isn't that sounds so sad?

So people, let's do something, while it is not too late!

Let's eat Arabian style at Al-Araby Restaurant

Assalamualaikum!

Good morning everybody!! Let's rise energetically today and shine brighter than yesterday, shall we? 

So, how's your week treating you so far? Menarik ke tak menarik? 

Or ada yang dah plan nak buat apa hujung minggu ni? 

Kalau sesapa yang buat open house hujung minggu ni bagitau laaaa boleh I pi terjah. kihkih. :p

Tak sedaq diri dalam dok kata nak diet tu ada hati lagi nak terjah-terjah rumah orang kan? hahaha. 

Takpe la, kemeriahan open house ni dapat rasa dalam bulan Syawal je. 

Kalau buat makan-makan lepas bulan Syawal dah lain sikit feel dia kan? kan? 

*Ehem, what a brilliant justification to allow me to eat more* ;)

Anyway, semalam lepas picked my husband up from tol Sungai Dua, kitorang terus pegi Tesco Seberang Jaya sebab Am tetiba nak makan nasik arab dekat sana. 

So, kitorang pun plan untuk bukak puasa Arabian style in Arabic-Middle East Restaurant la kononnya. hehe.

Sebagai pelanggan Tesco yang setia, tiap-tiap kali pi sana pun mesti lalu depan restaurant tu, nama Al-Araby. Tapi tak pernah teringat nak singgah la pulak. 

So when my husband ajak berbuka puasa dekat sana semalam, apa lagi, laju-laju terus cakap nak. hehehe.

Al-Araby Restaurant. From outside view.

Personally, I found that the whole ambiance is very welcoming with: 

1) Comfortable and clean eating place 

2) The foods are nice with hugeee portion

3) The staffs are well trained and respond to all orders very efficiently

4) Food prices are very reasonable

Chicken with Biryani.
Order satu untuk makan 2 orang

Chicken Schwarma
Appertizer

Lamb Haneeth
Add on

Owh, he is mine. You can't have this one.
Takde dalam menu. Nasik biryani tu je ada. :p

So to all Penagites, if you feel like having an Arabian meal, I suggest you to visit Al-Araby. 

Generally speaking, I had a very good impression upon this restaurant during my first visit. 

I don't mind to come to this place again next time.

I hope it wouldn't disappoint you too. :)

Post wedding transformation. I am scared.

Assalamualaikum,

Selamat pagi semua! Wahh bukan main semangat mengadap blog pagi-pagi ni kan. Maklumla hari ni enjin panas awal sebab sesudah subuh tadi dah keluar hantar suami dekat tol Sungai Dua nak pegi meeting kat KL with his colleagues. So sementara tengah ada mood ni meh la kita sembang-sembang kat dalam ni dulu okay! :)

Sedar tak sedar dah masuk 13 Syawal dah hari ni kan. You all semua tengah mood beraya lagi ke sekarang ni? I rasa macam dah tak pun. Kecuali hujung minggu je la rasa meriah sikit sebab bila pegi kenduri jumpa sedara mara apa semua, the rest of the week I'll do my normal routine just like usual.

Cuma bezanya, sekarang ni kuih raya masih belambak-lambak dekat rumah, bila bosan je boleh kunyah-kunyah bajet macam hari raya. hahaha. Tengok tu, dari sebelum puasa sampai selepas raya dok asyik sebut nak diet, tapi mulut ni tak reti-reti nak stop mengunyah ni apa cerita. haihhhh. 

Hari tu masa dok pilih-pilih gambar wedding yang nak print masuk album, ada la terjumpa a few photos yang kitorang amik a couple of weeks after our wedding. Wahhh masing-masing tergelak tengok perbezaan masa baru-baru kawen dengan beberapa bulan lepas kawen. 

On the day we tied our knot.
Dua-dua maintain tanpa lebihan lemak di mana-mana.

Melaka reception. Kembang kempis idung tahan napas pakai korset. :p
Husband masih maintain. My double chin is clearly visible here. Aaaaa!! :(

One month after the wedding.
Kembang sikit dah muka tu oiii. Tudung salah. Tudung salah. I tak salah.
*Denial mode* 

Okay, I officially love this baju!! Sebab bagi effect langsing.
Padahal tak berapa langsing lagi dah masa ni.
Mungkin warna merah cili ni kot yang buat nampak kurus sikittttt. 

Our latest. 4 month after.
Muka dua-dua orang dah kembang semangkuk.
T_____T

Walaupun masih belum ketara sangat, but we know the difference IS there. Especially part muka tu. Lemak kat tempat lain boleh disorok, tapi kalau kat muka nak sorok lagu mana?? Huwaaaaa. Ni baru beberapa bulan je dah nampak perubahan, kalau dah beberapa tahun tu macam mana??? ;O

I think I should declare war with all the kuih raya inside the balang. 

I have to. I have to. I have to.... ZzzzzZzzz

My Hari Raya story

Assalamualaikum semua!

Finallyyyy after a series of long Hari Raya break, I'm back to tell you updates about what is happening around me recently. Hmm, memandangkan baru masuk hari ke-9 dalam bulan Syawal, I nak cerita sikit la pasal pengalaman sambut Aidil Fitri buat pertama kali dengan suami dan keluarga mertua.

Well, this is not my first time berjauhan dengan keluarga sendiri masa Hari Raya. Dah 4 tahun I beraya dekat Australia sebelum ni, so bila raya kali ni tak dapat sambut 1 Syawal sama-sama dengan family was not really a big problem for me. Rindu tu of course lah rindu, but it's okay, tahun depan raya dengan my family pulak! :)

While on the other hand, pengalaman pertama sambut Syawal dengan keluarga suami pulak sangat priceless! Walaupun secara general nya, sambutan di Malaysia lebih kurang sama je meriahnya dekat mana-mana tempat pun, tapi tiap-tiap keluarga mesti ada keunikan yang tersendiri.

Our Hari Raya photo for this year.
Complete family members together with the in-laws.

Okay, benda first yang paling I excited, I dah pandai anyam ketupat!! Selama ni belajar buat ketupat palas je dengan my mom, tapi kali ni I belajar anyam ketupat nasik pulak dengan mother in law, which is slightly complicated as compared to ketupat palas. Serious boleh bikin panas woooo belajar anyam ketupat ni. Berpintal-pintal tangan anyam sana anyam sini sampai tergulung daun kelapa dekat tangan sendiri. 

My ketupat sulung.
Rasa nak nangis hentak-hentak kaki selagi tak dapat anyam. :p

But once I got the skill, I kept on weaving the ketupats like there is no tomorrow. hahaha. Budak jakun baru belajar memang macam gitu la gayanya. Rasanya ada la dalam 40 bijik sarung ketupat yang I berjaya anyam. Okay la untuk beginner macam I ni kan? Harap-harap ingatan kekal kuat sampai raya tahun depan pulak. Kalau tak, rebus ketupat segera cap Nona aje la gamaknya. kuikuikui. :p

Separuh dari hasil kerja tangan saya.
Banggaaaa gilaaaa. Terus rasa nak meniaga ketupat tahun depan. kakakaka. :p

Lepas tu pulak, on the last day of Ramadhan, petang tu my MIL akan masak macam-macam lauk. Kalau tak salah 8 lauk altogether. Sambal daging, ungkep, sup tulang, sambal kacang, hati/pedal masak kicap, asam pedas daging, sambal udang and rendang daging. Banyak gila hoiiii rasa boleh buat kenduri. Tapi memang semua tu untuk tetamu yang datang masa 1 Syawal. Can you imagine berapa ramai yang  datang rumah kalau semua lauk-lauk tu habis??? ;O

I rasa dua tu je la yang paling berbeza pun dengan sambutan raya my family. Yang lain-lain tu semua lebih kurang sama je, pegi melawat from one house to another, makan non-stop sampai terkejut perut dibuatnya. hahaha. In overall, I experienced a really great Aidil Fitri with my in-laws this year, and I hope this will continue until forever. Amin. And here is some memorable photos that I am happy to share with you. 

Yours truly with the ladies in the family.
Macam ketua nasyid la pulok. hikhik.

Our first Aidil Fitri together. Hoping for many many more to come.

Husband & Wife

Ohhh I really like this picture with arwah atok's car as the prop.
Nampak klasik gitu. 

I think that's all for now. So what is your Hari Raya story? Kalau ada yang menarik share la ye. hehe. Seronok jugak baca pengalaman Hari Raya orang sebab lain family, mesti lain ceritanya. Okay la, till I see you again in the next post, happy Friday and may you have a great weekend ahead! Assalamualaikum. :)

Persiapan raya dah siap ke?

Assalamualaikum,

It has been raining very heavily here in Penang since dawn and it is still raining even until now. Just so you know it, dark and rainy day has a very high potential to affect your mood, or personally myself. And because of that, I should really do something to beat back the rainy day blues. Hiyakkk!!! ;O


Okay, please stop the crap and let's change the topic.

Macam mana dengan persiapan raya you all semua tahun ni? Banyak baju raya? Kuih raya? Langsir raya? Apa-apa je la yang baru untuk raya kali ni? As for me, none of the above is even close to ready. hehe. Persiapan I lebih ke arah kemas rumah je kot. Selebihnya tu takde apa sangat.

Maybe sebab dah berapa tahun beraya kat tempat orang dengan sambutan yang ala kadar, so tahun ni I rasa macam buat persiapan sederhana pun dah cukup dah. Pagi raya rasa macam nak pakai baju tunang je aci tak? Baru berapa kali je pakai baju tu, so tak salah la kalau recycle kan? :)

Kalau ikutkan nafsu wanita yang sememangnya suka bershopping ni rasanya hari-hari pun boleh membeli baju baru. Tapi bila fikir pasal keperluan, hmm, banyak benda lagi yang lebih perlu rasanya. Tapi my husband ajak pegi beli baju raya jugak. At least ada satu yang baru katanya.

You know what, I have seen a nice pair of baju traditional yang I tengok dalam online tu mak aiii mahal bukan main! Sepasang sampai beratus-ratus ringgit I rasa sungguh tak masuk akal. Dah la kebanyakan material dia yang jenis fragile stok kena hantar dry cleaning je. Sudahnya nanti pakai sekali pastu dok la terperap dalam almari sebab malas nak gosok, malas nak hantar dobi. haha.

Lepas tu fashion zaman sekarang ni amboi glemer bukan main mokcik nak pakai pi kenduri pun takut kalau orang ingat pengantin pulak nanti. hikhik. Kalau nak beli pun I rasa nak yang jenis simple, descent and also applicable to daily wears, so kalau pakai bila masuk kerja nanti takde la rasa hover gila dengan bling bling segala.

Okay la, I think I've got to stop here.
Hopefully I will have time to come back before Eid is coming up.
Till I see you again next time.
Assalamualaikum. :)

The night of power

Assalamualaikum,

Hai semua! Lama tak tanya khabar kan? Tup-tup dah masuk bulan August, minggu depan pulak dah nak raya. I pun taktau nak define perasaan nak sambut raya ni macam mana. Seronok tu seronok la, but I think there are so many things that I missed in this Ramadhan especially towards the very end of it. :(

Sometimes I think I have so many sins that are holding me to move forwards. I know right away that this is the best time to get them forgiven. Okay, I have a couple more days to go, I should really make full use out of it. I. Know. That. I. Have. To.

Kalau ada lagi permintaan kita yang tak dikabulkan Allah, jangan berhenti untuk terus berdoa. He knows when is the best time to grant us with whatever we ask from Him. I have sooo many things in the list and I will keep coming back to him, and repent unto him sincerely as much as possible.

Now we are left with the last 6 nights of Ramadhan, and what better opportunity to make long and sincere dua to Allah right? Who knows if we make dua every night we might be lucky enough to make it in the night of power where all duas are accepted. InsyaAllah. :)

Seeking out Lailatul Qadar

Tapi. 

What I am afraid the most is, if I'm gonna leave all the good habits as soon as Ramadhan finishes. Sepatutnya amalan yang baik-baik ni kena buat sepanjang masa. Ramadhan ni buka peluang untuk kita get closer to Allah, and we shouldn't stop doing that even when it comes to the end. 

May all the changes in this Ramadhan continue that way throughout the year. 

Amin.

Separuh Ramadhan yang hampir hilang

Assalamualaikum,

What are you guys up to this weekend? Ada pi jalan mana-mana? Or pergi berbuka dekat mana-mana? I tak pi mana pun, duduk rumah je hari ni settle kan kerja-kerja kat rumah. I just completed my second laundry, maknanya menimbun la kain baju yang nak kena lipat nanti. :)

Hari ni dah masuk 12 Ramadhan kan? Kejap gila rasa. Alhamdulillah kita masih berpeluang untuk menikmati kelebihan Ramadhan di samping ibadat-ibadat sampingan yang diharap dapat jadi penambah berat untuk timbangan di hari perhitungan nanti. :)

Anyway, tahun ni takde pun plan nak pergi berbuka dekat mana-mana restaurant atau pun hotel. Hmm, memang bukan budaya dalam my family pun untuk makan kat luar. We prefer to break our fast at home, lagi selesa, senang untuk solat, dan tak terkejar-kejar untuk solat tarawikh. :)

Anyway, semalam I and my husband balik berbuka dekat rumah tok sebelah bapak. Kebetulan ada saudara lain lagi yang balik rumah tok, jadi meriah jugak la majlis berbuka puasa secara kecil-kecilan ni. hehe. Menu utama nasik daging Tok Yam, di samping macam-macam lagi makanan yang semua orang bawak secara pot luck.

Foods galore. Nyummsss!!
Alhamdulillah for this rezeki. :)

Masterchef yang duduk atas kerusi biru kat belakang tu. Yang lain anak, menantu, cucu, cicit.
Ni baru sikit. Kalau semua ada kena beratur dalam barisan. :p

Meh tepek gambar dengan suami terchenta.
Sapa suruh asyik kutuk I amik gambaq makanan,
akibatnya I paksa sengeh kat depan front camera. hihihi. :p

As far as I can remember, masa kecik-kecik dulu memang kerap jugak balik berbuka dekat rumah tok. Tapi sekarang bila semua dah besar panjang, masing-masing dah ada family sendiri, ada komitmen sendiri, so jadi makin jarang balik dah. So bila sekali sekala balik bukak puasa ramai-ramai tu seronok pulak. :)

Okay lah, I nak pegi godek-godek fridge nak tengok barang apa yang ada untuk masak petang ni. Kadang-kadang mati kutu jugak taktau nak masak apa. Belasah je la, asalkan rupa macam makanan tu suami I makan je apa-apa. Sedap ke tidak tu letak sebelah, effort tu yang penting. :)

It is almost half past Ramadhan already

Let's appreciate every single minute of it

Assalamualaikum! :)

A mother's unconditional love

Assalamualaikum semua,

Semalam I dengan husband balik berbuka dekat rumah my parents. Saje je sebab last bukak puasa sama-sama masa first Ramadhan je pastu dah pegi KL and balik Melaka. So semalam lepas Am balik keje kitorang balik la rumah mak untuk berbuka sama-sama.

Earlier that day, I talked to my mum via telephone saja borak-borak about random stuffs and bagitau nak balik berbuka dekat rumah petang tu. Pastu I ada ajak mak buat kek macam dulu-dulu untuk raya kali ni. We used to enjoy baking when I was a little younger. Our favourites are fruit cake, chocolate cake, banana cake and not forgotten, classic cheese cake. :)

Biasanya malam raya la baru bakar kek-kek tu semua. And then bila dah start bau vanilla semerbak je dalam rumah, masing-masing dok tunggu je oven mak bunyi "tingg!!!" tanda kek dah ready, apa lagi jom kita serbuuuu!! Dalam sekelip mata, kek tinggal separuh sebab lagi separuh yang panas-panas and lazat tu dah selamat masuk dalam perut kitorang especially part yang garing kat tepi-tepi tu. Nyummsss!!

That was memory. We haven't been doing that for quite a while. Maybe I rasa camtu sebab I dah lama tak sambut raya kat rumah kot. Tapi seingat-ingatnya memang dah jarang buat kek untuk raya dah sekarang ni. And yesterday I told mum, "Let's do that again this year!!". I miss my mom's cake like very seriously. :)

Our conversation on the phone ended just like that. I pun sambung buat kerja, tunggu husband balik, and terus siap-siap nak pergi rumah mak. I bawak kuey teow dengan bahan-bahan cendol yang my parents in law kirim untuk bagi dekat my parents. Mak bagitau yang kuey teow tu nak buat Char Hor Fun.

Cendol dari Serkam, Melaka.
Very famous kat sana. Kalau pegi Serkam boleh cari ye. :)

Kuah Char Hor Fun mak. Sedap gila!!
Easy to make and effortlessly yummy! Tapi of course ada secret ingredient. hehehe. :p

So, sampai je rumah mak I tengok mak tengah kat dapur tengah prepare bahan untuk masak Char Hor Fun. Pastu ada bau pisang and vanilla essence pulak! Omg, I smelled banana cake. So, I excitedly looked around the kitchen to find a real mom's banana cake in the oven! I just told mom that I want to eat her homemade cake about a couple of hours ago, and when I went back home, Tadaaa!! The cake is already there!! :)

Banana slice. Richhhh with banana. Sedapppp!! :'))

Mak cakap kebetulan semua bahan lengkap, so that made her job easier. And that little girl in me was beyond excited! As expected, baru je keluar oven, half of the cake went gone just like that. hahaha. Sedap okehh makan kek panas-panas masa berbuka. I siap tapau satu bekas bole buat kunyah-kunyah sambil tengok tv. hehehe. :D

Now Amirah is like a happy little girl!

Her cake craving has been satisfied. :) 

Don't over eat your Sahur

Assalamualaikum,

Selamat pagi semua! Amboi pagi-pagi buta dah muncul. hehe. I just had my sahur and now while waiting for Subuh I think I'd better do something to keep me fresh and awake. So, here I am, pagi-pagi dah ajak you all sembang kat dalam blog ni. :)

Hari ni dah masuk hari ke-8 Ramadhan, tapi baru dua kali I sahur dengan suami dekat rumah sendiri. Yang lain semua dekat rumah my parents and the in-laws. So dah dua hari bila I tanya husband nak makan apa, he said he just wanted to eat light meal for sahur. Then I wonder what type of light meal in his definition right? Is that nasik goreng? Mee goreng? Roti telur? Sandwich? Or any other similar meals that I think are quite 'light' for me. Then he said, 

"No, just telur goreng and 3 pieces of buah kurma.". 

"That's all???"

"Yes. that's all".

So, I basically need only 10 minutes, well no, 5 minutes to prepare everything at the kitchen. Goreng telur and bancuh a mug of black coffee for him, and two pieces of bread and a big mug of milo for myself. Ain't that easy peasy??Amazingly, those light meals are more than enough in preparation of our fast for the next day. Alhamdulillah. :)

Our humble meal for sahur.
Please get something to eat even if it is just some water.
In it, there is Barakah. :)

So to all young ladies out there, if you are worried bila ada suami nanti komitmen memasak tu jadi complicated, well, it is actually not. Bila buat apa-apa pun untuk suami dengan hati yang ikhlas, kira masak with love lah orang kata kihkihkih, insyaAllah benda yang simple pun akan dapat keberkatan dia. :)

Okay, sekian kuliah Subuh oleh Ustajah Amirah untuk hari ni.

I better read a few pages of the Al-Quran to fill in some more precious time before Subuh.

Till I see you again next time.

Tata! :)

Nak makan apa eh berbuka hari ni?

Assalamualaikum semua,

Salam hari Jumaat, hari ke-3 Ramadhan. You all masih berpuasa hari ni? Alhamdulillah I still am. Soalan ni orang pompuan je boleh jawab tak ye, sebab ada alasan kukuh kalau miss flow datang melawat. Orang lelaki kalau jawab tak memang mintak pelempang la tu. haha.

Anyway, I am in KL right now, ikut husband ada meeting dekat sini. He went out to work this morning while I continue doing my work from home. Hari ni taktau lagi nak berbuka dekat mana. Semalam pegi bazar dekat bawah rumah kakak ipar ni je. Bazar takde la besar sangat, tapi ok la jugak ada banyak pilihan.

I noticed harga makanan kat KL ni a little bit pricy compared to Penang ehhh? Kesian pulak tengok student kat sini mesti tertekan je nak bajet-bajet beli makanan. Apa nak buat kan, dah nama pun bandar besar. Mana boleh nak samakan dengan pekan Kepala Batas tu. hikhik. :p

InsyaAllah malam ni lepas berbuka or lepas terawikh kitorang gerak balik Melaka. Dah alang-alang dekat tu boleh balik berpuasa dengan mak and abah kat kampung for the weekend. This is gonna be my first experience celebrating Ramadhan with the inlaws. InsyaAllah it will turn out to be fun and interesting. :)

Tiba-tiba terasa nak makan ayam penyet la pulak. Hari tu makan dekat L.A. Tea Garden, tapi tak menepati citarasa sangat. Dekat area KL ni banyak tempat yang ada ayam penyet yang sedap-sedap kan? Tapi nak meredah jem pegi beli tu yang hazab. Takpolah, lain kali je ajak husband pi makan. huhu.

. Nasi ayam penyet L.A. Tea Garden. Presentation menarik, portion besar.
Tapi tak berapa ikut selera as I have tasted something better before this.
Ada satu gerai dekat Jalan Gombak. Perghhh ayam penyet situ memang sempoi. Slurppp. Hoihh puasa la. T___T

Okay, I better get back to work now. 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Tata.

Ramadhan pertama untuk pengantin yang tak berapa baru :)

Assalamualaikum,

How is Ramadhan treating you so far? Eh, sebenarnya how you treat your Ramadhan sounds better kan? As for me, I am enjoying every single bit of this holy month with people I love around me. Excited weh! Dah bape tahun posa kat tempat orang. Akhirnya tahun ni dapat rasa kemeriahan Ramadhan kat tanah air sendiri.

Anddd, to make it more special, tahun ni first time sambut Ramadhan dengan suami. Cliche sangat bunyi tu kan? Tapi perasaan dia memang lain sikit. I really don't know how to describe it, tapi memang seronok la. Rasa macam ada tanggungjawab untuk pastikan makanan untuk berbuka dan bersahur tersedia untuk suami.

Dulu masa bujang, sahur makan Koko Crunch dengan fresh milk pun dah cukup dah, pastu bukak puasa, goreng telur makan nasik panas dengan kicap pun cukup dah. (in other word MALAS la kahkahkah). Tapi sekarang ni, kena la fikir kan lauk berbuka yang senonoh sikit kan? Mana boleh layan perut macam masa bujang lagi. :p

Pastu sebelum start puasa hari tu, excited mengemas rumah, cuci semua toilet, basuh cadar, comforter, telekung apa semua. Kebetulan hujung minggu lepas kami panggil orang pasang alarm dekat rumah, pakcik tu bawak extra driller, ha apa lagi, terus paksa rela suami tebuk lubang untuk gantung 3 keping frame hadiah masa wedding hari tu. hahaha.

Mula-mula ukur tu main agak-agak je. Tapi being me yang cerewet asyik komplen nampak senget la, tak balance la hapa la, ha, terus Am ambik measurement tape, siap draw atas kertas nak balance kan kiri kanan dinding. Padahal secoet je pun dinding tu. Tapi I nak jugak kira!!! Am muka bengang je kena layan perangai wife dia. hahahaha. :p

Tengah tengok balance ke tidak measurement tu. hihi.

Husband in action!
Two up, one more to go. 

Tapi hasilnya agak membanggakan tau untuk orang yang tak pernah pegang driller. hehe. Seronok tengok dinding dah dihiasi dengan Ayat Seribu Dinar, diapit dengan kalimah Allah SWT dan Muhammad SAW. Harapnya kami dapat jadikan amalan untuk baca ayat ni setiap kali pandang dinding ni. Bukan sekadar hiasan semata-mata. InsyaAllah. :)

Sejuk je mata tiap-tiap kali pandang dinding ni. Now it feels like home. :))
Anyway, ni wedding present dari family Paklang I dari Port Klang. Thank you so much! :)

MAY WE HAVE A BLESSED RAMADHAN AHEAD

AND LETS GRAB EVERY SINGLE CHANCE TO DO GOOD DEEDS

:)

A Decade Long Love Story :: Amri & Amirah

Today marks a decade of long love story between Amri & Amirah.

It was MRSM Beseri that brought them together. They started as two high school strangers who got interested into each other but never had the guts to let each other know about it. Two years in high school ended with nothing. Only their love sparkled from within.

Their 17-year old MRSM Beseri's Yearbook Photos

Then fate brought them closer when they are destined to continue their degree level in UTM Skudai, Johor. On 9th July 2003, Amri asked Amirah out for a lunch date, and from there, they continue as a lovebird for the next couple of years until today, 9th July 2013. For ten years.

However, being together meant being apart in their love diary. After 4 years in uni life, they reluctantly made to agree with a long-distance relationship by only seeing each other some times in a while for nearly 2 years. He started working while she continued her Master's Degree at the same university.

What followed was yet a longer separation for another 3 years when both of them are meant to live abroad. Abroad here means two continents apart, one in Australia and the other one in Austria. This was basically like the most challenging part for the couple. The distance and work commitment had been so tough on them,  apparently, they proudly survived.

London allowed them to see each other at the heart of the metropolitan city in September 2012.

They got engaged in December 2011, and when decision has been made, they decided to tie the knot a year later. Despite all the things they have gone through in their 10 years relationship, they now become stronger not only as individuals, but also as a couple.

On the day they tied the knot.

They promise to go through sorrow and succes
for all the days of their life

They also promise to walk together hand in hand to wherever their journey leads them.
Living, Learning and Loving each other. Forever.

HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY
AND KEEP ON COUNTING THE YEARS COMING.

You may read the full version of their love story in here:

LOVE STORY I

LOVE STORY II

LOVE STORY III