 | About Me | Mar 2, 2008 |
Assalamualaikum... This will be 'my diary' from the day I start my life as a 'domestic engineer' in Dubai starting Friday 13th June 2008. Feel free to read and drop me a line. Karma Chameleon - Culture club Thursday (May 28th) - Hubby landed in DXB in the afternoon. Dubai Airport Expo was our destination for the night. There was a Grand Book Sale and we wouldn't want to miss the book fair like last year. At the basement car park, we sensed something was amiss as the car couldn't start after several times trying. Hubby gave me the kind of look that I could understand right away. Y-e-s, I did not start the engine while he was away...not even once since he left for Tehran five days ago! The comfort of being in an air-conditioned room made me so lazy to come down to the car park to start the engine, as hubby told me to, especially during this hot summer. (It's not a valid reason though as the car park is only at the basement...). He was staring at me again. I met his gaze and I dropped it....not because I was shy but because I knew I was guilty! Needn't be defensive, I admit it was my fault. I'm sooooo sorry Yang. Will you forgive me...??? ;-) Friday (May 29th) - Things became worse when all car rental shops were close on Fridays and workshops were only open after Friday prayer. All our plans had to be replanned with certain activities had to be cancelled. We planned to join MY UAE activities at Safa Park this morning but it had to be cancelled including the order we'd placed for mee tomyam and chicken rice. If not for the important meeting (MY UAE EGM) that hubby had to attend at 4.00 pm today, he wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere. He was just not in the mood...worrying about the car and wondering what could go wrong as we had just changed the car alternator and battery not long but just two months ago. At the same time, anticipating the threat of having to have the untimely big hole in his pocket...sigh...
That evening, a cab sent us to MATRADE (Malaysia Trade Centre), the place where the meeting took place. I accompanied him in order to give moral support especially when he was in the midst of a 'headache' regarding the car, other than to give moral support to MY UAE itself. Luckily, hubby could hide his worry throughout the meeting. Well, he had to. Being the acting Secretary, he had to be all ears in order to be able to take the minutes. It wasn't just any ordinary meeting okay, it was an Extra Ordinary Meeting held purposefully to legally pass the constitution of MY UAE.
Saturday (May 30th) - Alhamdulillah it was a Saturday...which meant all car rental shops were open and therefore, we could go to the destinations we'd planned...which also meant hubby could send our car to the workshop. No wrongly put, our car could be sent to the workshop. It couldn't start at all even after three times being jump started. So, the car was towed to the workshop at Umm Ramool.
With the car rented, we proceeded with our plans...first, a potluck lunch at Arabian Ranches. Due to the car problem, our intention to cook and bring soto ayam to the potluck lunch turned out to be plucking some grapes and 'baking' Tiramisu at Spinneys supermarket. Syukur Alhamdulillah and thanks a zillion to the generous host for the delectable prawn meals made from some fresh prawns that swam all the way from kolam peliharaan terbaik di dunia in Saudi to Dubai.
Right after lunch, we sent Along to her classmate's swimming pool birthday party at Al Wasl and then headed straight to the Grand Book Sale at Dubai Airport Expo - the place where I told hubby by hook or by crook, come rain or shine, we should go this time hihi...(since we missed one last year). Yesss!! Alhamdulillah we made it this time and look what we'd managed to grab here...
 It cost me just 60 dhs to get five books of Jeffrey Archer! (when the usual price for each is about 42-49 dhs old or new). It's really worth coming to this book sale for those who love collecting books/novels of their favourite author. Nasib baik tak sempat pegi the non-fiction section, kalau tak mesti lagi shopping buku tak hengat... Too bad I only managed to explore the fiction section since hubby dah mencuit to leave the place as we had to fetch Along from the birthday party. Most importantly, we had to return the car by 7.30 pm before the car rental shop closed. If closed before we reached, that would cause hubby having to waste money paying for another four days since he would be leaving for Tehran again early the next morning.
If the word 'maniac' only refers to 'a person who has an extremely strong desire or enthusiasm for something', then I would dare to call myself a Facebook maniac at the moment. But if it brings the meaning of *'a person who has an extremely strong desire or enthusiasm for something, to an extent that other people think is NOT NORMAL', then I'm not! ha ha ha... To be frank, I've been more easily accessible at Facebook since the last couple of weeks, as compared to my blog or emails. Too bad that I just couldn't balance my leisure time between facebooking and blogging just like my SIL and a few other friends did. I'm telling myself that I should improve on this, ok. I will still blog as I need some non-human channel to pour out my feelings, my heart, my mind, my thoughts...to keep me sane and this is it. This FB craze did not leave me for nothing. I got to be in touch with many long lost, old friends in Msia, UAE and also other parts of the world (especially those who are currently struggling their way towards getting a doctorate. What makes you hooked up to this is that the moment you send a message, you'll get a reply/replies within minutes, sometimes from several friends at the same time. Through this FB, I also got to know that...when I envy those friends who are currently doing their Phd overseas (because I do not know if ever I have that opportunity too hmm..), to my surprise, they envy me too! (not all). Strange...this cikgu tidak bergaji is being envied?? ;-). Will blog about this 'envy' things in my next entry insyaAllah. p/s - To friends who asked, you can reach me at FB by keying in 'Ziela Salih' and country 'Dubai, UAE'. (Sorry lambat inform) Tidak ada guru yang tidak bangga bila membaca puisi hasil karya Allahyarham Usman Awang ini... Guru O Guru Berburu ke padang datar Dapat rusa belang kaki Berguru kepala ajar Ibarat bunga kembang tak jadi Dialah pemberi paling setia
Tiap akar ilmu miliknya
Pelita dan lampu segala
Untuk manusia sebelum manjadi dewasa.
Dialah ibu dialah bapa juga sahabat
Alur kesetiaan mengalirkan nasihat
Pemimpin yang ditauliahkan segala umat
Seribu tahun katanya menjadi hikmat.
Jika hari ini seorang Perdana Menteri berkuasa
Jika hari ini seorang Raja menaiki takhta
Jika hari ini seorang Presiden sebuah negara
Jika hari ini seorang ulama yang mulia
Jika hari ini seorang peguam menang bicara
Jika hari ini seorang penulis terkemuka
Jika hari ini siapa saja menjadi dewasa;
Sejarahnya dimulakan oleh seorang guru biasa
Dengan lembut sabarnya mengajar tulis-baca.
Di mana-mana dia berdiri di muka muridnya
Di sebuah sekolah mewah di Ibu Kota
Di bangunan tua sekolah Hulu Terengganu
Dia adalah guru mewakili seribu buku;
Semakin terpencil duduknya di ceruk desa
Semakin bererti tugasnya kepada negara.
Jadilah apa pun pada akhir kehidupanmu, guruku
Budi yang diapungkan di dulang ilmu
Panggilan keramat "cikgu" kekal terpahat
Menjadi kenangan ke akhir hayat
Usman Awang, 1979
Yes, this is not the only poem exists concerning teachers...but this is the most moving of all. I've 'fallen in love' at first sight when I first came across this poem years ago. More than words can explain how I feel everytime I'm reading it. May 16 - Happy Teacher's Day to all my friends out there and all teachers wherever you are. I'm really glad and thankful that I am still being remembered despite being far, far away from my homeland. Thanks for all the HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY messages I've received through sms from my (ex) Boss, a non-teacher close friend, two ex-students (Fariza & Rifa'at from USIM, thanks dear!), a colleague and not forgetting from my other colleagues and friends through Facebook. As I said before, I may not be a very good teacher but when I'm being remembered, it does tell me something... p/s - ...and I'm proud to say that I AM a TEACHER. Apit spilt some water on the floor. Wasting no time, he ran to get some tissue papers before Ibu chewed him out. Ain was on her way to get some snacks from the fridge. The moment I turned to warn her of the spilt water, she was already lying on the floor. Her head hit the floor and she cried in pain. Panic-stricken, I smacked Apit on his hands for causing Ain to fall on the spilt water. But I didn't help Ain to get on her feet, I scolded her instead for being careless. I knew I shouldn't have done those and I felt very, very guilty! Pity Apit. I took Ain in my arms, kissed her and rubbed her head. Who doesn't feel worried when her child falls and hits her head on something hard. I was very worried especially when her father was not around...what if something bad happened... Within 24 hours, I watched her closely for any sign of fever or vomitting. Alhamdulillah none except for a swelling at the back of her head. Hubby said tuam that swelling part just like our mother did when we were small, so I did. She was absent from school the next day as she was still complaining of the pain at the back of her head and dizziness. But only one day...the following day, she had to come to school as it was her birthday and Ibu had prepared something for her to share with classmates on her special day.
Ain when she was 3 1/2 years old. With a very fair skin, didn't she look like an Amoi? This Amoi is now eight years old. She was called Amoi since baby especially by her grandmother and aunties because she looked very much like anak Cina. Luckily she was born at Pusat Rawatan Islam (Az Zahrah, BBB), if she was born at Hospital Kajang, we would surely have thought that we had mistakenly taken an anak Cina from the hospital nursery...
For Ain's birthday, these are what Ibu had prepared for her to share with her classmates and class teacher.
 Goodie bags with snacks and balloons inside. Strictly no chocolates with traces of peanuts included.
Ain's classmates and teacher said Ibu's first homemade choc chips muffins were delicious...auuwww!
 Our eight-year-old Nura'ain Nabilah memang suka bergaya... Ibu dan Ayah doakan Ain akan menjadi anak yang sholehah dan membanggakan Ayah dan Ibu. p/s- While Ibu was in the OT, anxiously but excitedly, welcoming Ain to come into this world, Ibu didn't know that Ayah had experienced a suspenseful story while waiting outside the OT!! Check it out here. I've attended several AGMs (Annual General Meeting) or Mesyuarat Agung before. Mesyuarat Agung Persatuan Penduduk, Mesyuarat Agung PIBG sekolah and what not...but nothing like this AGM of My-UAE Pro (the society of Malaysians in the UAE). This AGM that was held at MATRADE (Malaysian Trade Centre) in Dubai on the 1st of May last Friday was neither too formal nor too informal. One thing for certain, it was...meriah. And this was my first time ever attending AGM abroad. A few pics of that event...  First from left: The former President of My-UAE Pro was giving a speech; 2). Pengerusi tetap -Prof Dr Rani in his welcoming speech; 3). Consulate General - Tn Syed Hasrin giving a few words; 4). The three ladies in scarves - Kak Aishah (the wife of the former President), Zaida (green) - the 'second' lady and Suraya (black) - our new First Lady hehe...; 5). Proses pengiraan undi sedang berlangsung dengan disaksikan pemerhati-pemerhati tidak rasmi; the biggest pic - Refreshment time, while waiting for the results of the newly elected exco members to be announced (nasi lemak sedap pun ada...).
 The newly elected exco members of My-UAE Pro 2009/2010
2nd from left: Tn Hj Affandi (red) - our new President, Clinton Ooi, KP, Haza Hilmy (ehh dear hubby pun ada...!), Firdaus, Ms Chan, Putri, Rozana, Afza (Treasurer), Yusree (Secretary), Imran (Vice President), Hasnoal, Mushil and Nik. To all exco members: Congratulations and selamat menjalankan kewajipan kepada agama, bangsa dan negara. Semoga My-UAE Pro semakin proaktif bawah pucuk pimpinan baru. p/s - Yang, even though you used to be the exco member of our Persatuan Penduduk before, and used to be the President of Malaysian Students of Sacrament0, CA long time ago, but this one could be different, could have different challenges. I just hope that you can give your very best and do it sincerely, ok Yang.
Along and Ain brought home this circular from school yesterday. Although this is just a note of caution following the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and US, this pandemic disease has got victims in other countries as well such as Germany, Costa Rica and Austria.  There's no such case reported in Dubai yet but it's quite alarming when this circular issued by the school where our children are studying, especially when there are just too many expats in Dubai including those coming from the two badly infected countries. Just want to share the important piece of information contained in the circular:  We parents can help educate our own children by taking these common sense measures to prevent against infection, as stated in the circular: * Wash your hands frequently. * Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue upon coughing and sneezing. * Use appropriate gel or foam hand sanitizers (As most food courts at many Dubai shopping malls do not provide sinks to wash hands, I'll make sure that I will not forget to include hand sanitizer in my handbag apart from lipstick and lip gloss). * Stay away from work or public transportation if unwell. * Avoid people who might be infected. The circular also warns parents of a suspected case of Meningitis in a Dubai school (though not yet confirmed by the Health Authority). So, those parents whose child has not received a vaccine for the past 3 years are advised to get their child a Meningitis A&C shot. As far as I know, none of my children has taken such an injection because if I'm not mistaken (correct me if I'm wrong), in Malaysia it is not included in the series of injections that a baby has to get especially in a government clinic. Now I understand why some private clinics, while we were in Malaysia, strongly advised parents to get their baby an injection for Meningitis.
I've heard of gulai kawah before, I know it's a Kelantanese dish but I'd never seen or tasted it. When I heard there would be a bekwoh gulai kawah in this desertland, I surely wouldn't want to miss the opportunity of seeing and tasting it.  For this gulai kawah, we came all the way from Dubai to another emirate of the UAE, that was Ajman, on Friday last week. Gulai kawah was not the sole purpose, the main reason of going there was actually to attend a farewell ceremony of our My-UAE Pro President (it's a Malaysian society in the UAE).  Berbekalkan dua bilah pisau pemotong serta anak-anak berbekalkan bantal-bantal busuk dan comforter , maka menujulah kami ke destinasi yang dituju. Tengok tu budak 3 orang ni kalau nak travel jauh sikit mulalah buat kereta tu macam bilik hotel bergerak. Apit siap bawa kengkawan dia Bumble (bunny) and Eddy (the blue elephant). Hmm sukahati laa... Mr A and Mrs S's abode. Thanks so much for your hospitality. (Maaf baru perasan gambar rumah ada, gambar tuan rumah lupa nak ambil)
So, the gulai kawah together with fried chicken and fish were prepared through gotong-royong just like a kenduri back in our kampung - from cutting the meat up to serving the food. Being far away from home, it was really great watching the gotong-royong spirit among Malaysians here.  Whike the men were showing off their hidden cooking talents, the ladies were busy in the kitchen cutting fruits and kuih-muih. There were just many, many fruits and delicacies brought by other Malaysians who came. Each and everyone did not come with tangan kosong. Name it what Malaysian local delicacies that were not there - karipap, kole kacang, putu ayu, kuih koci, bubur kacang, puding jagung, agar-agar pandan, agar-agar kacang merah, kuih sagu dan seri muka - all heavenly unresistable especially for those who live abroad like us! Dapatlah hilang rindu pada kuih-muih tradisional. There were also carrot cake, puffs, donuts and chocolate cake.  At the end of the day, the serving tables were more than full with many varieties of yummilicious Malaysian dishes and delicacies. Ikan masin, petai dan jering pun ada...jangan marra...So, that's the delicious gulai kawah. Now only I know gulai kawah tastes like beef curry but a little bit sweeter and undeniably delicious.  Sesi makan-makan dan penyampaian cenderahati to Mr President and another Malaysian who are leaving for good.  These are only some of those many who turned up that night. It was real fun! p/s- Errr what is bekwoh anyway? It had turned off automatically, unintentionally, a few times for the past few weeks. Never happened like this before. The climax of it was when smoke was seen billowing out of my laptop through the cabel port when I was online. The smoke was not that much though but enough to cause me panicked. Thank God it didn't explode! Huby was quick to turn it off. Everytime there was a problem with my laptop, I always resorted to using my kids' one. Too bad when the kids' laptop had the same problem. Arghhh...mati kutu sekejap since I couldn't watch TV online anymore, read news online, update my blog and log in FB (I did use hubby's laptop a few times when he was home to check important emails).  It's been one of my closest friends for the past seven years...since 2002. I just do not want to let it go...yet.  Pity the kids...their laptop has had only a short life span...less than a year. Hubby refused to have it repaired...at least for the time being. Good for Along and Ain as they can now give their full concentration on the coming final exam at the end of May. (But not good for their Ibu as it made her mati kutu when wasn't able to be online sob sob...). Two days ago, hubby sent the damaged part of my laptop for repair. Alhamdulillah... this closest friend of mine can now work like normal, serve me as usual. Thanks a lot to dear hubby. ;) As blogging keeps me sane, being unable to blog for a fortnight leaves me feeling 'not-so-sane' (not 'insane' ok!).
Today is the first day of school for Along and Ain after a two-week Spring break. After a long go-back-to-sleep-after-hubby-goes-to-work, my early morning duties started as usual today. Apart from preparing Along and Ain's breakfast and lunchboxes, hubby and I had extra duties this morning...waking up Apit, bathing him and preparing his milk. Apit's going to school today yeayy!! No, not schooling yet but our little boy is sitting for his assessment test for KG at 8.30 am this morning. We took him to Raffles IS because he had an interview session as a requirement for admission to KG. As a mother, I was worried as if he was sitting for a big exam hi hi...Bukannya apa risau gak mana la tau Teacher tanya in English dia bantai jawab dalam BM ikut sukahati dia...like he sometimes do at home hmm...Lagipun masih banyak English vocabs yang Apit belum tau even though he already knows ABC until Z in both capital letters and small letters, and 123 until 10.  Nampaknya kerisauan Ibu Apit tak berasas. Apit steady je, Ibu dio pulak yang lobih. Apit was very excited sketching, colouring and trying to write any alphabet that he knows and even trying to write his own name while waiting for Ayah filling up some forms (even though what came out was 'AFOFI' instead of 'AFIQ' he he...apa-apa je la..). When the Teacher called him to go to the assessment room, he held the female teacher's hand and was ever willing to follow her without bothering his worrying Ibu. 
After more than half an hour, Apit was returned to us by the Teacher. We were expecting a very worried or crying face of Apit after not seeing his father and mother for more than 30 minutes tapi muka Apit selamba je, excited je he he...We curiously asked him, "Teacher tanya apa?" Apit kata, "Teacher ajar main toys, pastu Teacher tanya ABC dengan 123 until 5." "Alaa Apit lupa la nak cakap I don't know masa Teacher tanya Apit tak tau nak jawab"... Never did I imagine that I would step my foot at a famous five-star hotel in Dubai. If not for the annual dinner organized by the company hubby is attached to, it would still remain an imagination. My family and I were actually there at Jumeirah Beach Hotel to attend the dinner.
 That was our first time at this wave-shaped hotel, so we were like total strangers looking for the place the dinner was held and a prayer room. In no time, the hotel staff approached us and showed us the way. Since it was near Maghrib, we headed for the prayer room first. We felt so welcome although we knew it that this was 'not our place'. With the extravagant hospitality shown by the hotel staff, it is no wonder that Jumeirah Beach Hotel has been voted ‘Best Resort Hotel in the World’ by readers of Business Traveller Magazine, UK, 2001-2008. Themed 'Groove & Grind' in the 50s and 60s, hubby, the kids and I were trying our best to fit ourselves into the theme. We did not dress to the teeth, we just made do with what we already had. Hubby and Apit were in checked shirts with the sleeves rolled up whereas Along and Ain were in dresses with leggings and hair bands. Me, with ala-ala Saloma style but of course with my head scarf on.  Although we came a bit late, that was not a reason for us not to have fun. With Elvis' songs filling the air together with 70s and 80s nostalgic songs, the night was so lively. We had a blast (but we did not dance though, we just watched). The food was a variety ranging from Japanese to Indian to Arabic food and yummiliciously good of course. What made it so special is that the place we had dinner is overlooking another famous five-star luxury hotel - Burj Al Arab. It looks so near from that open grassy beach of Jumeirah Beach Hotel.     Burj Al Arab is one of the most photographed structures in the world. Your stay in Dubai is considered not complete if you yourself haven't been photographed with Burj Al Arab as the background he he...Let's feast our eyes on this stunningly beautiful Burj Al Arab. Very interestingly, at night its colours change every few minutes as it is illuminated by choreographed lighting representing water and fire. If Sydney is famous for its Opera House and Paris with the Eiffel Tower, Burj Al Arab is an iconic or symbolic structure for Dubai. Designed to resemble a billowing sail, Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It's the world's tallest hotel which characterizes itself as the world's only "7-star" property. Although we didn't bring back any SONY Bravia LCD or a SONY home theatre set for the lucky draw prize, we were happy as we were full and really had fun.
I thought I wouldn 't have to hear these linguistic terms of Phonetics and Phonology anymore...on how to articulate these letters and those letters and all. I thought when I had to deliberately practice moving the right and left jaw up and down to produce a certain sound etc. etc. in my Oracy class long, long time ago during my matriculation years, that was the end of it. No more after this. When we had to carefully practise touching the tip of the tongue to the soft palate and hard palate or putting the tip of the tongue between the plates of the top two incisors etc. etc. in Dr IH's class during uni years long time ago, I thought that was more than enough (pllleeaeseeee). The fact that he's indeed a very good and knowledgeable lecturer did little to help to reduce the migraine that I often had after his every lecture he he...especially the part when we had to give the linguistic description of how certain letters were articulated. Luckily, in the inroduction class of that thing with Mr J Fitzpatrick, I'd never had any magraine not only because I adored him so much but because the things studied were still less technical.
After so many years, never did I imagine I would have to study these linguistic terms again. But the fact is I am now learning it. Of course not the same subject but the same linguistic terms which I came across in the book Part 1 have already given me some kind of phobia (he he...). However, since I am now learning it for a good reason, a very, very good purpose, I am sure that The Almighty will be helping me all the way through the process as long as I have the sincere will to continue learning. Not only for my life at present but also for the life after this. It's not merely a linguistic class, it's more than that....
Having missed the first sessions of book Part 1, I have no choice but to do extra work on my part. I guess I have to stop mumbling now as I need, I repeat, I need to study book Part 1 as well as Part 2 for tomorrow's class (hmm like good hi hi...). So that, I don't have to unnecessarily get the jitters when I have to sit beside the teacher and read. (Now I know exactly how my students felt having to sit near me and read or present their part for the oral test). If that sweet soft-spoken teacher reads what I'm writing (which I don't think so...???), she must be smiling knowing how I feel he he...
Everyone seemed to be full of anticipation of the Island Escapade `09 - a family day from Malaysians for Malaysians in the UAE. As early as 7.00 am, Malaysians were seen waiting patiently at the jetty for a boatride to take us all to the neighbouring Palm Island, UAQ. Those who didn't stay overnight at Palma Beach Resort were among the early birds. The guest of honour, our ambassador Dato' Yahya and Consulate General Syed Hasrin, were among those riding the early boat.
 While we who were putting up there at the resort taking our own sweet time snapping pictures...  Along, Ain and Apit couldn't wait for the boatride.  Even if it is a 10-15-minute boatride, safety jackets are a must...
 Our hotel room seen from the boat. It's like a double-storey townhouse in which the first and second floors are occupied by two different families. What's special here is that each room is allocated an exclusive parking space right in front of the door. Among the activities...  Reminiscing some 28-29 years ago, I took part in the traditional game galah panjang. It was so exciting although we lost...it's not the prize but the fun that matters.  The kids may have never heard of galah panjang, but they were not bad at all. By just listening to the instructions given, they coud understand the game. Along enjoyed playing galah panjang for the first time in her life. Her team got second place.  Knee injury forgotten, hubby took part in champion ball (it's like netball for men). His team also got second place.  Queuing up for food ration for lunch.   It was like our school years when we were all divided into four houses - white, yellow, red and blue - colours of Jalur Gemilang for sure. Penat bermain, rehat kejap sambil tolong Kak L and hubby touched up our house flag - Yellow The Champ.  Sukan, sukan juga, kewajipan sebagai seorang Muslim tetap tidak dilupakan. It was Friday so, the men had their Friday prayer at the beach...a sight that we would never be able to see in Malaysia.
 I also took part in medley relay together with 5 other members...the event that saw me accidentally flying like a superman in the sand...(I wonder if anyone's lens managed to capture me in that rare action he he...)...which had caused my team, that almost won, lost in the game.  Sorry friends but I'm proud that it's the sportsmanship of the teamwork that matters most.  Hubby in tug-of-war is nothing new. His team was the champ, the strongest of them all...yeay!!  But, me in tug-of-war...is the sight that my students would kill to see ha ha ha...!!  Small kids looked so cute in this tug-of-war. Judging from their faces, they were enjoying it including Along.  Prize giving ceremony...except for tug-of-war, Along got 1st prize for dodge ball and medley relay, and 2nd for galah panjang.
 Hubby was the champ for tug-of-war  ...and 2nd place for champion ball.  Since events for kids below 7 years old were cancelled due to a certain reason, each and every kids from the age of 7 and below got a prize each. Good news for Apit and Ain. Apit was seen queuing up for the prize. So cute he he...
 Tired...but satisfied and happy. Ready to go home...anticipating body and muscle aching in one or two more days...hi hi After fetching Ain from school and, Along and me from Safa Park, hubby drove us to Uptown Mirdiff. We were to join another two families to go to Palma Beach Resort at Um Al Quwain. At 4.45 pm, we drove in convoy as hubby wasn't sure of the route.
Um Al Quwain is one of the the seven emirates of the UAE. This is the fourth emirate in the UAE that we've travelled to after Dubai, Ajman and Sharjah. There are three more emirates that we are yet to explore - Abu Dhabi (the federal capital), Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. When we reached Palma Beach Resort at around 6.20 pm, it was almost Maghrib.  We'd booked a single room that overloked the sea instead of the resort's swimming pool.  (This particular pic is taken from Channels World of Hotel UAE)
This room which is neatly decorated with an Arabian style is spacious for a family of 2 adults and 3 small children like ours.  That night, about 200 hundred Malaysians, big and small, gathered at this three-bedroom villa rented by several Malaysian families for a BBQ. At least we had some time to kill before gearing up for a big and adventurous event the next morning organised my-UAE Pro - from Malaysians for Malaysians.
I was so tired after joining Along's school activities at Safa Park during the day that I went back to our hotel room early to catch some z's. Furthermore, we had to get up early to catch up on a more exciting thing awaited the next morning.  We woke up early that morning and looked out of our room balcony...what a stunning view! Hubby grabbed his camera and in no time captured this beautiful scenery.  No, we're not in Egypt. Palma Beach Resort, UAQ is a resort hotel with a distinct ancient Egyptian theme. Along, Ain and Apit were so scared to even go near these Pharaoh's big black and golden statues.  We took a few photos that morning right after breakfast and before getting on a boat that would take us to the neighbouring Palm Island.   We'll surely come here again...not only for the peace and tranquility of the place but also because we felt that it was such a waste to spend such a short time at this beautiful resort. Last Thursday (3rd March), Along had a class trip to Safa Park. It wasn't merely an outing or a picnic at the park but it was a fun-filled activity held for all four Grade 4 classes from the south and west campuses of Raffles IS. Four buses took them to the park which was not very far from their school. Once inside the park, the students and teachers assembled at one of the fields for a briefing before dispersing to their own respective groups that had been assigned to them the day before. There were four very interesting activities carried out by the teachers, and assisted as well as supervised by a few parent volunteers (including myself).  Activity 1: Drawing Burj Dubai - the soon-to-be world's tallest building - conducted by Ms Tiffany  Activity 2: A Walk In The Park conducted by Ms Lee In this activity, the students were to list down living things and non-living things which they found along the way from the grassy lawn up to the top of the hill. The things that they jotted down would be used for the follow-up written activity. It was such a breathtaking panoramic view from the top of the hill which was landscaped with a man-made cave and waterfall. The breeze was so cool and refreshing in this spring afternoon.
 The students, together with teachers and parent volunteers, took a break for meal at 11.00 am.  Activity 3: Petunias Counting conducted by Mr ...... (can't remember his name) These are Maths and Science activities. In an interesting way, the teacher showed the students a metre stick and told them to make a pace forward that measured a metre. By referring to the petunias square nearby, they were asked to show which one was the width and length. Then, they were instructed to pace from one end to the other end along the width of the petunias square. Once again, they had to pace along the petunias square but this time, they had to count how many rows of white, violet, cream and red petunias altogether. This was followed by pacing along the length of the square and counting how many petunia trees in each row. The students were to jot down the number of rows of petunias and petunias in each row. The addition and multiplication had to be done in order to find out how many petunias altogether in the square. After that, they were given a microscope each and asked to examine parts of a petunia under the microscope i.e. stigma etc.  Activity 4: Playing Rounders This was the activity that Along enjoyed very much. She's liked playing rounders very much ever since she started learning to play it just a few weeks ago. The moment she hit the ball, I knew it she's after her father who played softball in his college years and was the captain of the team. Along got the chance to become the batter twice and managed to make a home run after both hittings. Pics 2 & 4 saw Along running wholeheartedly after hitting the ball.
 It's a free activity now...  Along (standing at the far left) with Ms Lee and classmates.  Parent volunteers: (from left) Ms Connie and Ms Kattea (Australian) and Ms Abeer (Egyptian) It was really fun although a bit tiring. I didn't do much actually, just supervising the students and giving them moral supports. Tiring probably because I had to follow them wherever they went around the big park.
At least I've learned some useful refreshing ideas that I could bring back to carry out with my own students back home.
We went to the Fringe Festival to watch Along performing Little Red Riding Hood with her classmates. Hubby took a half day off just to give her a moral support and also spend the evening at Dubai Festival City since this was our first time coming here. Raffles IS (south campus) was scheduled to perform at 4.30 pm. However, we didn't manage to reach in time. When we reached here at around 5.00 pm, Along and classmates had just finished performing. It was an open stage at the Timeout Kids' Zone, Marina Terrace 2. Upon arrival, this was what left...
 However, Along was happy to see us coming although we missed the performance.  Her friendly and sweet homeroom teacher, Ms Lee was there welcoming us while supervising the other Raffles girls.  Pic 1 - The maroon pants children (Raffles IS students) were seen all over the festival area; Pic 2 -Puppet show by Universal American School students; Pic 3 - A song and guitar performance by Al Khaleej National School; Pic 4 - A live band by Deira International School students. There were also workshops on creative writing and exhibitions on Literature held on the next and following days (27th & 28th Feb), however we couldn't manage to attend all.  While Along was having a late lunch with her classmate cum an Egyptian best friend, Lina, we walked around the mall to savour the stunning view at the Canal Walk area overlooking Festival Marina on the eastern bank of Dubai Creek. * Dubai Festival City, if fully completed, is expected to be the largest mall in Dubai and the newest shopping venue. It is at present Middle East's largest mixed-use development programme which comprises 550 shops, a 12 screen cinema complex and 90 international restaurants, bistros and cafes including 40 al fresco dining venues along Canal Walk. It is not just a mall but it harmoniously blends hotels, homes, offices, schools and a golf course. Among the famous most visited spots here are IKEA, HyperPanda supermarket (first Panda hypermarket outside of Saudi Arabia), Plug-ins ElectroniX and Ace Hardware (the largest outside North America). My Little Pink Riding Hoods went out to the woods not much equipped with a hopeful basket of cookie nor had they an overwhelming jar of jelly. My Little Pink Riding Hoods went out to the woods started out humbly with almost nothing the evil wolf notwithstanding, they do come back with a little something...
My Little Pink Riding Hood, in her Grade 1 CW class assembly, presented 'My Aunt Came Back' song about countries in the world, if not wrong with her classmates all along.
 Being the lead whom Ms Claire had carefully picked, my Little Pink Riding Hood stood up and threw a question to open up
"Who remembers the countries that we sang about?" which the audience responded with no doubt.  My Little Pink Riding Hood on two separate days, came back from the wood with a basket full of these sweeeeeeeeeet cookies in her hood...  -------------------- My other Little Pink Riding Hood on another day came back from the wood with no basket of cookie but a jar of jolly sweeeeeeeeeet jelly...  My other Little Pink Riding Hood in her Grade 4 LF class assembly was one of the three main characters in a skit on 'Heroes and Legends' though no actors.
 Tomorrow (26th Feb) at the International Festival of Literature my other Little Pink Riding Hood will be staging 'Little Red Riding Hood' with seven other girls in the same wood. One girl becomes the wolf and another girl plays the little red riding hood
but my other Little Pink Riding Hood with the rest five who Ms Lee considers good will be reciting the poem 'Little Red Riding Hood'.  So, come over tomorrow with no gloom or sorrow to this International Fringe Festival thingy that will be held at Dubai Festival City. We always say to our Little Pink Riding Hoods never forget to say thank you Allah whenever you pray.  May our Little Pink Riding Hoods live happily ever after. Amiin. The end. -domestic engineer in da house Dubai, UAE 25th Feb '09 (5.21 am) p/s- Atuk, Wan, Atuk Salih dan nenek selalu tanya camana Along dan Ain sekolah kat sini? Macam ni la...Along dan Ain suka sekolah kat sini. Kalau Ayah dan Ibu balik nanti, Along dan Ain nak terus sekolah kat sini, boleh tak?  Hi! My name is Afiq. I'm four years old. Ayah dan Ibu kata Apit nak school bulan 9 nanti.  Hari tu, Apit telefon Wan kat Rembau. Wan kata dah lama tak tengok gambar Apit. Ni ensem tak rambut pacak Apit, Wan? he he 
Apit suka main power rangers, Spiderman, Superman and Ben 10. Apit nak pakai face mask, Ayah Ibu tak nak belikan. Apit pakai la spenda power rangers Apit letak atas kepala, pastu pakai stokin kat tangan, baru bole main lawan-lawan. Best...
 Apit sayang Ayah dan Ibu. Apit happy sebab hari ni Ayah tak pegi Iran, tak pegi Egypt. Kalau Ayah pegi Iran dengan pegi Egypt, Apit selalu letak selipar Apit kat dalam selipar Ayah. Apit selalu cakap Ayah ensem, Ayah pun selalu cakap Apit ensem.   Apit suka makan roti bakar dengan Nutella. Roti bakar tu 'shebet' (favourite) Apit. Kalau Ibu penat, Apit selalu minta Along atau Kakak buatkan roti bakar. Kadang-kadang Along marah Apit minta roti bakar sebab Along tengah buat homework. Lepas makan roti bakar dengan Nutella, Ibu cakap mulut dengan pipi Apit comot kena Nutella. Haa...tengok, mana ada comot, tak comot pun haa. Apit suka 'ninum' susu. Bangun pagi dengan sebelum tidur malam, Apit selalu minta Ibu buatkan susu. Kalau Ayah tak pegi Iran, tak pegi Egypt, Ayah yang buatkan susu Apit.  Lepas 'ninum' susu, Apit bawa kawan-kawan Apit masuk tido. Kawan-kawan Apit ada 5 - (dari kiri) Ohok-ohok (sebab penguin ni ada bunyi ohok-ohok bila Apit gerakkan tapi Apit kata 'tenuin'), Sotong, Bumble (bunny), Edi (the elephant with eyes open) dan Eli (the elephant with eyes closed yang pakai baju tu). Kawan-kawan Apit tu sume tido kat sebelah Apit malam-malam. Apit selalu cakap kat Ibu...susunkan kawan-kawan Apit. Kalau Ayah tak pegi Iran, tak pegi Egypt, Apit cakap Ayah susunkan kawan-kawan Apit. Pastu Apit selimutkan dia. Kadang-kadang Ayah Ibu buat-buat tido tak nak susunkan kawan-kawan Apit. Apit nangis Apit ngantuk nak susun sendiri. Ok la Atuk, Wan, Atuk Salih dan Nenek, Apit nak tido dulu ni. Good nite...jumpa lagi. We started our Friday morning at Mirdiff Park. It has become a weekly activity for Malaysians in UAE to come here for recreations. Here, they come to play volleyball or tennis, and the kids would choose soccer. (Hubby's in that green and yellow T-shirt).
 The mothers can spend time jogging or simply accompanying their kids at the children playground. This was my first time coming here (and second time for hubby). We'd wanted to come here to join the activities long before this but just couldn't do so. Alhamdulillah, it did materialise today. Along, Ain and Apit were having fun at this playground. Not to forget, there's also another interesting activity going on here among Malaysians every Friday. Don't be surprised if you find the selling of nasi lemak, nasi kerabu, nasi goreng kampung, mee goreng and karipap here he he...So, we had a delicious brunch of nasi kerabu and karipap that day, the homemade recipe from one cek mek molek Kelate Mas, delicious of course...Along tak cukup satu nasi kerabu...sedaap giler Along kata he he. Since the nasi kerabu sedap giler, it finished before I could snap the picture of it. Next week probably will take photo of it (Mas, buat lagi nasi kerabu, pleaseee...) :-)
Sambil makan nasi kerabu sedap Mas tu dan bersembang-sembang, banyak pula kapal terbang yang dok melintas atas kepala. This park is near to Dubai International Airport. Managed to capture the pic of this Emirates latest edition of AirBus A380. I wish I can fly in this two-storey airplane (err tapi kapal terbang 2 tingkat ni terbang ke Malaysia ke tak..).
The same Friday evening, we attended a farewel makan-makan event for a Malaysian who's coming back for good. The gathering was held at a Malaysian senior's house at At Twar 3 - can be said as a 'favourite' hang out place for any makan-makan gathering here.
 While the mothers were busy in the kitchen, the men performed Maghrib prayer.  
I brought bread pudding to complement a much, much more delicious Malaysian delicacies served - nasi ayam, nasi tomato with dalca gravy and masak ayam merah, laksa asam and a few other desserts - all homemade ones. The nasi ayam, nasi tomato and laksa asam can jual one, I tell you...hi hi..
The video session followed the eating session. We were full that night Alhamdulillah...but still we were packed with the leftover food. Thank you daun keladi... :-) Did Ibn Battuta come to Dubai? No, he didn't. However, as a famous 14th century Arab (Moroccan) traveler and adventurer, he is very much remembered in Dubai. Thus, our visit to Ibn Battuta Mall recently has not only answered some of my curiosity but most important of all, my kids - Along, Ain and Apit got to learn about this great Muslim explorer in an entertaining way.  Along, Ain and Apit were enjoying themselves at Ibn Battuta Mall - the only shopping mall where you can view historical icons, learn facts about Ibn Battuta the traveler, and combines education and entertainment under one roof. By coming here, our kids could, in a way, learn that Ibn Battuta was a man of great vision and strong Islamic values. It is the first ever shopping complex inspired by an individual's life six centuries after he embarked on his renowned journey. Being the world's largest themed shopping mall, it consists of six themed courts namely, Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China – which are named after the six regions that Ibn Battuta explored. Each region is reflected in the architecture and theme of the mall’s six courts. These courts strongly project the historical and cultural richness of this Arabian icon’s life which, in a way, is hoped to give an inspiration to all those who visit.  We captured this at Egypt court. Magnificent, isn't it?  Laa...ni sapa pula ambil gambar Ayah, Ibu dan Apit dari belakang ni...?? Since it is a large and long mall, we didn't manage to explore all the six courts at one round...tiring. We missed China and Andalusia courts which are located at both ends of the mall. We will surely make another visit here next time. Ain was crying that we didn't allow her to be in that Sky Dubai. We did promise Along, Ain and Apit that the next time we come here, we will be flying in that yellow hot air balloon.
Glad that there is a shopping mall here where we do not only get the entertainment (for me window shopping, of course...) but also education. Thus, one of the the mall's targets to provide edutainment seems to be right.
 It's not the award that matters, it's the thought that counts. Thanks so much Eiyda, I really appreciate this. Yup, it has long been overdue but the things I have to answer here are still and will always be relevant...as they are all about me and nothing but me. The rules to receiving this award are: 1. Copy the badge above and paste it in your blog. 2. Tell about the person who has given you this award. In my case, it's Eiyda, the sweet lovely lady whose Laksam Kelate yummmm...you can never resist! 3. As this award will never be given for free, you will have to state 10 hobbies/facts about you. 4. You have to choose 10 other blogger friends to be the next recipients for this award and name them here. 5. Visit the next recipients' blogs and tell them that they have been tagged. In this case, this tag has long been overdue therefore, I don't intend to pass it to my other blogger friends. I'm afraid it stops here.
So now I'm disclosing myself in these 10 facts about me... 1). I'm the sixth out of eight siblings. 2). Was born in Malacca, my kampung is Kuala Sg Baru, Malacca, grew up and parents' house in Port Dickson, N.S. Never have a Kelantanese blood but on several occasions, people have somehow mistaken me as a Kelantanese at first sight...Pasir Mas to be specific! (still wondering why...???)
3). Wear a wrist watch on my right wrist. My other half also wears a watch on his right wrist...what a coincidence!
4). Dislike perfume. The smell can cause me a headache. Luckily, my other half can't stand perfume too! I would choose baby cologne for it has a soft and sweet smell.
5). Love reading novels both in English and BM. For BM novels, I would choose the female authors however, for English novels, the male authors will always be my choice.
6). Cannot live without teh tarik. By 10.00 am, if I still haven't got teh tarik, I tend to get a headache. It started as just a joke amongst my colleagues but unexpectedly has turned out to be a reality he he he..
7). Am always impressed with bilinguists - individuals who are EQUALLY proficient in both English and BM and can do code switching very smoothly. Paling bengang dengan orang Melayu yang tak 'gheti' cakap Melayu.
8). My main weakness - procrastination.
9). Choose to be quiet when angry or upset.
10). May sometimes appear to be a reserved person when in a small group conversation. I'm more an observer than a talker. However, I will turn out to be a 'somewhat different person' when talking in front of an audience. I like public speaking. Always took parts in competitions that have something to do with public speaking when I was in a primary school as well as in a secondary school. (Tapi tak la terrer mana pun. Achievement paling tinggi pun setakat tempat ke 3 peringkat negeri je). At this age, no more public speaking competitions for me. At this age, I've always liked the honour of being the MC/emcee. By profession, English has always been my medium but being the MC, so far it has always been in BM (and pantun has always been my trademark). Seems like now in Dubai I have to 'bersara sekejap' from this thing that I so enjoy doing. I really like it when I can charm an audience with my words. . p/s - Eiyda, sorry for not being able to do the other tag as it is about new year, and I feel it's too late for me already  | Guestbook | |
 | Waalaikumusalam muchlisin. Thank you. Yup, kat UAE ni. Jemput datang Dubai... |
 | Assalaamu'alaikum. Wow, nice blog. Tinggal di UEA nih? |
| Salam, silakan...jemput masuk |
| Thank you bro for the beautiful birthday e-card! :) |
| Salam kenal juga. Kat Dubai ni takda musim luruh, so raya belum luruh lagi la selagi belum sampai 29 Ramadhan... :) |
 | Sajer nak kenal. Slmt ari raya dari Jepun. Mod raya kat sini dah lama abis..... luruh bersama bunga sakura. |
| Tak dpt cuti? Kesian...Takpa datang negara pasir berdengung ni, ada banyak kue raya bole makan Rendang daging unta pun ada... |
 | wasalam...lh sy tk dapat cuti lh?
banyak kue nampak mesti sedap ni heeeee? |
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zielasalih wrote on Oct 2, '08, edited on Oct 5, '08 pantasbelari : Tq for the raya greetings. Selamat Hari Raya to you and family too. Kitorang raya 30 Sept (Selasa). |
 | assalamualaikum...tgh beraya ke? |
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