How Time Flies ......

School will reopen in two days time . A school's break means a lot to me too......as I would be spending less time on the highway . And I was saying its a a chance for me to spruce up my house .......which alas ......I did not finish doing . Tsk! Tsk!


However it was nice of hubby ( one of the days ) to drive me over to Penang Island . It was not a welcoming sight while on the Penang Bridge .



Penang Island was shrouded in haze . Ohhhhh....what a shame .




Had always enjoyed seeing the island as we were approaching it . Observe the traffic flow ? Less cars on the bridge nowadays ever since the price hike on car oil . Driving had never been smoother .....


I went to the new shopping complex ....known as Queensbay Mall...not so much of buying anything ...but just to browse and scout around ...which I just loved ................to do . This habit dies hard on me , however I have learnt to buy the NECESSARY items only , Ok ?




The place was decorated with the Malaysian flags .....ready to welcome our Independence Day comes this 31st August .

Am still loving you , Malaysia !


I'm counting the days to welcome our Ramadhan month too . My second son is so excited about it . That brought me memories of yester years ...how they start off to do their fasting . All of my children fasted when they were about 8 years old . Not so bad with the boys ...but it was a different story with my daughter ......hehe !!

Of course , all of them were handsomely paid each day when they completed their fasting !!




Insyaallah , we will be welcoming this blessed Ramadhan month in a weeks time .

May ALLAH SWT 's rahmat shines on us in this Ramadhan month and always , too .Amin ......

Yes....!! I Did It !!

Yesterday I created my own personal history . For the first time in my life ........I made my own BUNS......which all these time seems so elusive .


Before that I had to attend a short baking class ...the basics of making your own bread .I sloughed away that morning for four hours ...learning the techniques ....kneading away with my bare hands . All these for a mere RM20 . Worth every cent ....!!!




Don't get me wrong ....making your own bread / buns is so time consuming . I am not complaining but its worth every minute doing it. I need the help of Mr. Sunshine for the dough to rise . And when it did , the dough was wonderful to work with , soft and not sticky .




I did not add any nuts or spices in this start up project of mine . I just want to get the real taste of buns .



In the oven it went , the smell was fabulous .






Once done , the taste was wonderful as well . It left a smile on my face .




Then it was back to cleaning up the kitchen . Sigh !!

Wedding

See this invitation ? I am invited to attend a wedding . My first invitation to a malay wedding ...I mean here in Sg. Petani .




This is the bride's father . I had known him and his missus ..... for the past one and half years through my weekly marketing . They sell chicken at the open air market that I frequented . Nice folks though our conversation is not your usual type of conversation ...its more like " How many kilos today ? " or " Will that be just the chicken wings only ? " Then they would cut up the parts for me while I waited at the side ....collected and paid for my purchase . Then off I went to see the other stalls .


I told hubby that I would be attending this wedding reception . He trotted along too ...which is not like him to do so . Somehow ...he did and ......it started raining ...with thunder and lighting . So we had to wait for at least two hours ...and I honestly thought the rain would not stop . After all I was dressed in best baju kurung ....siap dengan my selendang too !!




Again , it was a typical Malaysian wedding ...friends of all races and religions stopping by to wish the happy couple and parents . It made me feel good to be a Malaysian .




The happy newly weds .


Semoga berkekalan hingga ke anak cucu !!

Happenings.....

Hubby was on midnight shift . By the time I left , he was still not home yet . Anyway I had told him earlier about my intention to attend this baking class for the past week . Funny , he kept on forgetting . Signs of us aging ?


The class started on schedule . After paying the fees , I chose a place to sit. I don't know anybody there . So ...you got to be a lone ranger for a while . All the best seats had been taken . Fear not , dread not ....just go on with what you planned to do.....I said in my tiny heart . Honestly you can be lonely in a crowd .....




Not a bad company to be in . There were two male teachers ....wilo take the plunge for the hands on experience .




Another was a lecturer at the teacher's training college who came with her sister in law . Her sister in law has her own food stall . She said she just want to try her hands in baking bread as her children just love to buy the buns and they are not cheap nowadays .




The chef showed us the steps how to make a basic bread dough .



From there she showed us how to turn this dough into buns ...





with toppings such as with sausages , with red bean paste and with onions as well .



She allowed us to interrupt and ask questions . Pausing now and then to answer and allowing pictures to be taken . She showed the steps so deliberately and she made it look so easy .



" Once done put this bun immediately on the tray . Remember to flour the tray so that its easy for you to remove once its cook . Do not put your toppings immediately . Leave it aside for at least 30 minutes ....."



Once she was through , all of us were divided into groups ...and my partner was this lady on the right .



The lady in blue is a teacher teaching at a local school . Both are friendly ...... My partner is an enterprising lady ....she has a business of her own ......making the malay's local delicacies . She said to me ".....I can teach you how to make the bahulu ...if you want to ". In my heart , how blessed I am to come across this lady who is so ever ready to pass her knowledge to others . And I don't even know her .


Well...both of us took turn to mold and knead the dough . Then we put it in the hot sun so as to allow the dough to rise and double its size . In the mean time we helped the chef to finish making her buns .....allowing me to garner experience as well .

Birthday .

Its hubby's birthday today .......never did forget about it as he claimed .The only difference is ....I did not buy anything for him ...nor any birthday cake .

Yesterday at the spur of the moment , I just wrote on a piece of card ....


I left it on the computer table ;not expecting he had seen it earlier . Later in the day , I showed it to him . " Hi , a card for you "

He said ' Ya , I saw it . My birthday is getting cheaper by the day .'


Haha.....



I told him it was written with so much love .


Today over breakfast ...we recited the Al Fatihah and ' doa ' that hubby and family will be blessed always ....with good health ....too.


As for birthday man , he bought for himself a new laptop .....

Beijing In My Living Room

I never was an athlete so that makes me as a kaki bangku . Somehow this 2008 Olympics Games at Beijing excites me . Perhaps its due to the constant coverage that is shown on TV. Perhaps the fact that I am a retiree( a friend said I sounded so old when I used this word ) has given me the option to watch and read more about this event . Back to the days when I was working limited time was spent watching TV . When I do get the opportunity the programs to watch would be more selective .

I was supposed to update this last night after the opening ceremony. Somehow it didn't work out as planned . I managed to take some pictures before the battery of my camera went flat .



I was glued to the TV too at precisely 8.03pm ; just to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games at Beijing ; transported there via its live telecast . Thanks to modern technology , this was the first opening ceremony that had me transfixed and mesmerized . Its okay that I need not be there to enjoy the show . Watching from the comfort of my home was so much cozy and less stressful .




I was of course joined by my children and dear hubby . Now that they are older , the 2008 Olympic Games has much meaning to my children .They can comprehend and appreciate its significant ; how much it meant to the athletes from all around the world .


There were countries that daughter Yasmin had not known of ...like Malta . She was impressed when I told her that her Usu Sari used to have a pen friend from Malta and that they are still in touch .


As for me the country Erithrea ( correct spelling? ) is new to me .....

Watching in the comforts of your home have its advantage and disadvantage . Advantage being that it was more relaxing and conversations could be held audibly .









Disadvantage being that everybody tend to sit in their most comfortable positions .......like this and .........mummy had to continue her housework at the same time .


I folded the days clothes as I watched the ceremony ; no time wasted . Half way through hubby said he was hungry and off he went to the kitchen . I joined him and later found both of us having dinner in front of the TV .

Bad !!!

It was an opening ceremony that will be etched in my memories . Another 4 years down the road , insyaallah ......I hope to see how the next host country will planned their ceremony . Last night was just awesome ! Fantastic !

In came the Malaysian contingent . I quickly grabbed my camera . I managed to catch this














and this .


And when the olympic flame was lighted up , Amir exclaimed , " Look at the size of the flame! "


Then added " That's global warming for you ! "







Put aside the green house issue , my son .


For now let us enjoy the GAMES !!

New Cat On The Block

See this cat ? Never saw her before . Somehow , she found her way to my neighbor's house .





She hanged out at the front of the house , clever enough to stay at the side of the gate ....not wanting to be run over .


Now she is adopting my neighbor ....now and then she gets to run and have fun in their house too and at times slept on their bed . Of course she is happy as food is daily and constantly served .


Each day when I reached home after sending the children to school , I would see her on top of the gate pillar . She would look at me ; I liked to think she is welcoming me home . Oh , she is friendly alright . I found her in my house one day and about to stretch herself on my new sofa . And on another day , she was looking at the sofa perhaps asking herself ...will this be cosy to rub my back ?


Now she got the guts to come up to me and rubbed herself against my legs . I bet in her mind I am a furniture and a warm blooded one too !


Until then ..............

Dear Me .........What Have I Done ?

Hello there ! What's up ?

A lot actually , in my case .


Remember in my last couple of blogs that I was keen to get for myself a new mixer ? After all the short baking classes that I attended , I was tempted to get one . Below is the faithful thingy I had been using or the past 15 years . It had seen better days .




I scouted around . Should I get forself brands like ......Kenwood ...........Electrolux .......Kitchen Aid ? I asked the chefs what their opinions were of such brands . Well.they kind of give me some tips here and there . In the end I was having second thoughts in purchasing either one of them .


Then I saw one brand in a brochure . Yes , I read the specifications .....paid a RM50 deposit , waited for it patiently and in week , I received a call asking me to pick up the product .


The salesman took it out from the box . I saw this huge thing and was caught by surprise . I was like ......oh my god ......did I order the correct product ?



Was I impressed ? No !! I was shocked .


None the less, I paid for the balance ...the salesman put it in my car . No way am I going to carry it as it was so......so......heavy . When I reached home , I left it in the car and waited for hubby to help bring it in .


His first words when he saw it ? " Are you opening up a bakery outlet ? "




I could not say anything . Its there on my kitchen top . Occupying up so much space n my small kitchen ; side by side to my faithful old one .

I have used it . It is impressive ; stable and quiet. Great !! Now I have to attend more classes on baking and perhaps find myself baking my own bread .


We never will know !!

School Trip

Second son said there was a letter from the school . He said it was about his club's trip to Bukit Merah on this saturday . " And you know what ? .......Its now RM30 ......".he chirped .


I know he was excited about the trip . Going on such outings are great especially among school friends . I'm all for it as its not that often such excursions are organised by the school .


So I read the letter ...the date and time of the trip was stated and the letter required the parent's consent for my son to participate . Fine .....


Missing however are the names of the teachers who are to accompany them . I felt a bit depressed as I don't know who am I entrusting my son's safety to . Sure , I appreciate the school' s effort for such activities but still ...it would have been great if the extra mile is taken to include names of the teachers plus their cellphone numbers as well .....in case yunno ......we need to contact them . At least I know who is in charge of the trip ............


So I made a little note in the letter requesting the school administrators to release names of the teachers ( plus of course their contact number ) accompanying the students .


I hope they would respond to my request .......

Am Letting Go ..............

1st August and 29 Rejab .......tomorrow we will be ushering the first day of Syaaban ..alhamdullillah .....


I'm back .......had been hibernating in my own environment , going about my daily chores and now and then thinking of the past .........times I had spent with Jamilah , days of fun......laughter and many , many many more . Mostly happy memories with her .


It is hard to let go of the past ...for me or is it we women ? I'm letting go now ..my friend .....I cannot cling on anymore ...I know you would not want me to be this way as it causes pain . I'm not forgetting you ....you will forever be in my memories .


Strange ......I lost a friend but somehow found myself connecting with others for the past one and half week .......


Amazing how in that short span I have been in contact with friends I had not seen nor heard for 30 odd years . I know I could get them if I had made more effort . I was too busy with my own life and family that to reach out to friends was being put aside . How we talked ......trying to squeeze as much news from each other and found that we had been in each others thoughts for the past years . Somehow ........I'm glad I did get in contact with " lost and found " again friends . And these friends were sweet and kind enough to respond , talk and brightened things up . I mean we were not lost for words with each other .We kind of pick up the pieces which we left years ago and was glad and happy to hear news from one another .


Alhamdullillah ..........



Yes ...some good things happened when I let go and I'm sure I'm pavng the way for some new things too . The future is embracing me .