Jalan-jalan Cari Makan

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

We started off this Ramadhan pledging to take it easy on the ‘buka puasa’ thing. You know, no more excessive food — the five types of kuih plus karipap AND murtabak, three types of drinks (typically: sugar cane, soya bean, air kelapa, cincau or /and cendol ) and five main dishes — to go with our white rice. That essentially meant cutting down on the things that we actually buy from the PaRam(short for Pasar Ramadhan)

It went really well for the first two weeks or so. Then suddenly, IT happened. We were invited for a buffet buka puasa by the ever so generous Uncle Boerhan. Would we pass the invite in order to stay true to our pledges? I mean, this is free-flow FREE food we are talking about.. Time for serious reflection.. *PAUSE*

Are you freaking out of your mind? Of course not. There’s no way we’d let the opportunity slide. So, we tucked our tails in between our butts and made our way to the heart of KL. And that, my friend opened up a whole new can of worms for us. And since then, I am not very happy to report that we have also frequented some other fine establishments to fill up our hungry tummy for breaking fast.

Chatz Brasserie @ Park Royal on Wednesday, ( 4 October 2006)or was it Thursday?

The whole buffet consists of a layout in the dining area as well as a collection of stalls out in the foyer. There were OYSTERS (yup, and I had a whole bunch of it), white rice and a whole array of Malay dishes, a whole goat (?), char kuey teow stall, an ABC stall where you get to choose your ingredients (which included lychee, rambutan, cendol etc), mini burgers, a selection of cold appetizers, a big salad bar, a whole table of desserts and I especially loved the dinner bread with butter. Everything was replenished till the end and the crowd was also pleasant. The price? I think it was RM75++. The cost for us? FREE.

Shakey’s Pizza @ BB Plaza on Sunday, ( 8 October 2006)

Shakey’s was on promotion when we went. They were charging us about RM15 pax that particular day — just like the good old days… We have always had a soft spot for Shakey’s buffet. Historically, Azrul has been frequenting Shakey’s Buka Puasa buffet with his chums since his RMC days. Then, they started bringing their girlfriends and that later evolved into wifes and/or kids… I think the last time we went with the boys were 2 years ago. This year, however, the gang decided to step the game up one notch and we’ll be talking about that a little later. I LOVEd the lasagne, the fried chicken and also the salad. We had free-flow of carbonated drinks which I upgraded to a Coke Float, thanks to the ice-cream counter they had for dessert. The food this year was average, I should say.. But hey… What can you expect? It’s only RM15, right?

Ms. Read’s Delicious @ Bangsar Village on Monday, ( 9 Octobar 2006)

First off, Happy Birthday Zachy! The outing was to celebrate Zach’s 29th birthday. We went to Delicious due to our recommendation on the desserts’ selection. It was basically ala-carte with most of the girls ordering the laksa mee. Hubby took the Spaghetti Marinara which was NOT in the menu but especially made for him anyways. It turned out to be quite the star-dish, actually. We also went ahead and ordered the Wild Mushroom Soup with garlic bread, no less. After the main meal, we couldn’t resist the temptation of Brownie ala Mode. Which, by the way, was simply scrumptious. (note: Only 2 other places have brownies of the same quality : Chili’s and Makansutra @ Damas)Turned out that we were THE pigs! heh heh heh The whole bill came up to about RM300 and ours amounted to about RM100. Yeah la.. for appetizer, bread, meal and dessert; mah..

Coca Restaurant @ One-Utama on Tuesday, ( 10 October 2006)

There are three things that come to my mind when Coca is mentioned. One: U.S Sirloin Strips. Two: Curry Crab . Three: Mango Glutinous Rice. When it was brought to our attention that Coca was having a buffet promotion at RM48++ pax, we hurriedly wade our way to one of the outlets. The buffet included the New Zealand Striploin Strips which was an okay substitute for the U.S Sirlion. A little bit thicker, but it does the trick. There were also squids, crabs, eggs, fish, all types of balls, Coca fish glue, a variety of vegetables ( which we refused, heh heh heh), the soo-hun and the green mee. So, we thought the package was well worth the money and decided to dig in. (We ordered the striploin thrice!) Not being able to resist ourselves, we also ordered the Curry Crab plus the special buns. (They are not part of the buffet, mind you..) It was excellent, as expected , but bordering on the too-much side. On hindsight, I think that was a mistake on our part - we could have managed our tummy space better without it and go for value for money on the buffet instead. Dang, la..

One On One @ Le Meridian on Friday, ( 11 October 2006)

This was a special treat from one of Azrul’s suppliers. Since we weren’t paying, so why not? After all, I am a sucker for FREE food. The price is not disclosed, but I think it was around RM80. The whole atmosphere was really nice and there was a certain kind of ‘air’ to it which I liked. However, it was a let down on the varietyfactor. There weren’t much on offer and we could quickly decide on which dish to take more of. On the other hand, the quality of food was really to shout for and best of all the food were also replenished right to the end. I especially liked the Buttered Prawn (Yummy..) and the roti canai which I ate with Prawn masala, Minced Lamb curry and Dhal. (Amboi…) Azrul liked the grilled whole lamb and we both simply adored the desserts. Especially those that came in little shot glasses. Scrumptious! On a personal note, I wouldn’t go back if I was paying myself, la..

Rahsia Bistro & Wine Bar on Saturday, ( 12 October 2006)

Aah… This place was selected to replace the annual buka puasa at Shakey’s by the OPA 94. Price wise is okay — RM37 per person. Venue? At a mysterious location , somewhere behind the Crown Princess, KL. (It is actually on the same road as Ceylon Hill, if that helps at all..) Selection? Limited. Ambience? Very very nice, really.. All in all, I kinda liked it. It was something else, la..I also met CikPijah there and she was looking rather hot!

I also heard rave reviews from Datin-boss for Carcosa Sri Negarawhich is ideal if you want a private evening out with hubby. Granted that the selection is limited, she assured me that everyting on offer was really really tasty. Even the hot-off-the-wok mee goreng! She was saying, there were at least 2 waiters for every table and they were calling you by your name. Very exclusive and very Tatler, eh? The cost is about RM90++ pax. So, I don’t think we’ll be going there anytime soon. heh heh heh

Another place I am dying to try is IKEA with their RM15 buffet. That’s been taken care of since I am going this Friday with some of the ADP3 girls! Woo-hoo!

-dillz blogging out-

The Photoshoot

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

Did you notice the new photo album I have? I meant this one –>The Photo Shoot Photo Album This album is actually a small collection of two separate photo shoots ; one for The Azruls and another for The Zaghlols. The photographer responsible for the shots is none other than Azmir Z. , Azrul’s friend from his days back in Lucent. He now operates Smokescreen Photography which specializes in wedding photography.

We actually wanted to take some pictures of us clad in our graduation gowns with the whole scroll and mortarboard thingy. However, a pose at the convocation ceremony would have costed RM100. So, we decided to seek for professional / semi-professional help and we thought we might as well take a family picture while we are at it. I was actually taken by Smokescreen tag line — Acceptable Quality at Affordable Price. (ha ha That’s me! That’s me! I am a Cheapskate!) I mean, I don’t really need a super professional job at it, as long as I look nice, it should be good, right?

We were pleasantly surprised with the quotation and did the first photo shoot in Pantai Hillpark, both indoors and outdoors. The prints came in a few days later and a sample can be seen in my digital Photo Album. I have them showcased in IKEA frames everywhere in my little house and some I will use for my scrapbook project. We even got a CD of the whole photo shoot too.

I showed them to my sissys and they too wanted a photo shoot. Since Ema was around at that time, we had the whole gang gathered in Pondok Azlul and our raya pictures were taken.

Everyone’s happy with the outcome and we’d be making a family calender out of the pictures too.. Cool, no?

Azmir can be contacted at 012-2000361 or azmir1@yahoo.com

-dillz blogging out-

Kubang Kerian United

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

We took the AirAsia flight to KB at a bargain price of RM260 for our family of four. This was done months ago, before the arrival of Bibik Parmi. At that time, we didn’t even know whether it will be a Parmi, Fuaton or Wati. (Just some random names of Indonesian maid that I know of :)) So, prior to the trip, we had to make a decision on whether to bring Parmi along or endure 5 days without help with the kids. An additional RM200 PLUS an extra pair of hands to handle the awesome two vs. No added cost BUT having to take care of the kids on our own. Having just been back from the Pangkor trip with the kids without assistance, we decided that the RM200 would be money well spent. So, Parmi had to come with and with that I have bought myself a couple of extra minutes of sleep in the morning.

You know, this trip really highlighted one trait of my son, Khaleeq. That boy is so darn shy! Look! He was covering his face the whole journey from Pengkalan Chepa airport to Mek’s house in Kubang Kerian (KK). For those of you not very familiar with the region I have grown very fond of, that’s approximately a 20-minute drive. The Naza Ria that picked us up was only filled with 2 of his cousins and his aunty who was driving the car. As soon as he got to Mek’s place, however, he was a little better. Maybe coz he really knows his granny. I think he’s only terribly shy of unfamiliar faces. So unlike me.. heh heh heh

One of the things I loved about KB is the Gok Kapur market. Look at all the fresh seafood. We bought squids, tenggiri slices and prawns. This will constitute the bulk of our meals at Mek’s place. Other times, we buy! There’s so much to choose from. For breakfast, hubby will buy Nasi Berlauk, Nasi Dagang or Nasi Kerabu from the stall by the roadside. (I don’t know where exactly because I’ve never been — still catching up on my beauty sleep when this event takes place) . For the heavy meals; we have Zakinie Nasi Kukus, Nasi Air Mak Su Nab , Yati Ayam Percik or the array of food stalls near the Pasar Siti Khadijah. During this trip, we were lucky to experience the first day of Ramadhan in KB. So, off to the Stadium we go for the Ramadhan Bazaar. The were 4 rows of canopy on one side of the stadium and another 5 rows on the other. Food, food, glorious food.. (Actually, we planned the trip to coincide with the first of Ramadhan in KB –heh heh ) On top of that , KB also has a selection of venues for night caps. We went to MacB opposite Hospital USM for a little minum-minum with hubby’s ex-primary schoolmates one night. The other place worth mentioning is White House, a kopitiam place that I heard rave reviews about but never ever set my foot on. Maybe next time.

The trip was also fun for the kids as they met up with their cousins. Khadra and Khaleeq especially enjoyed the bicycle ride at Ayah Aa’s place. Jakun, kot - seeing that we don’t have additional space for such activity at home. Khaleeq also loved running around and playing ’sandcastle’ at Mek’s yard.

Too much fun in the sun however had its consequences. Khadra started throwing up and charting high temperature on the third day in. Then, Khaleeq followed suit. At one point he was at 39.7 degrees C. That was a little worrying as high fever can cause serious complications to toddlers. However, we are very thankful for Abang Azhar who went out of his way to provide for the medications for them. So, the final days in Kelantan were more of nursing the kids back to their health - sponging them to keep the temperature down, engaging in little battles when it is time for medicine, cleaning after them after their vomit… It’s just soo heartbreaking seeing them so weak when you know they are so darn active if they were well…

All in all, the trip was a good one. Just look at my baby’s face as he rides the LCCT trolley. In truth, I always look forward to my trips to KB coz it feels like I am going back to my own kampung. Though KB is NOT AT ALL a kampung; I mean with Billion Supermarket, 4-star hotels, SSF, Bilal, Pizza Hut, KFC and KB Mall … That’s soooo NOT kampung.. You know what I mean… Till we meet again KK — we’ll be back!

-dillz blogging out-

There's A Tikus In My Ear

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

Imagine that you were a thousand miles away from your kid and she’s wailing over the phone saying "There’s a Tikus in my Ear". What can you do?

In my case, I didn’t have to imagine coz that was exactly what happened when I was away for a work-related matter in Labuan. It was only a 2-day one night trip as I didn’t want to spend many nights away from the kids. We went on Monday morning and was due to return on the evening flight on Tuesday. Should be okay, right? Well, it wasn’t okay.. It seems like the universe revolving around our family began to collapse as soon as I boarded the plane.

Khadra was just watching TV and rolling on the carpet when she suddenly complained that there was a Tikus in her ear. Concerned that it might be some kind of bug, Aunty Ida tried to check and get it out from her ear but to no avail. By now she is shouting and wailing and getting really agitated. I was soon informed about this little incident but remained quite calm. After all there was nothing that I could do from this side of the country, right?

So, hubby, accompanied by Tara took her to our panel clinic to check it out. That didn’t help much as Khadra had this little thing with doctors — she didn’t like them. It’s nothing personal though, she just doesn’t like any doctor that is trying to do a check up on her. If it was on Khaleeq or the rest of us, she had no qualms about it. Please proceed, just don’t bother me. So, she basically refused inspection on her ear. I later heard it from the doctor herself that she stood in the consultation room in the clinic with her hands folded and mouth pouted. The only thing Dr Nirmala K. Malini from Klinik Desa Sri Hartamas (formerly known as Poliklinik Suhaimi) could do was to write a referral to Pantai Medical Centre (PMC).

I got my update yet again and hubby took her to the Emergency Department (ED)in PMC. I spoke to Khadra over the phone and all seems to be under control now that the Tikus has been reduced to a Semut. :)

After waiting at the ED, the troop were sent out to an ENT specialist where they were to wait yet again since the Dr was out on his rounds. After finally getting to meet the Dr, they were sent back to the ED since Khadra refused to let the Dr look into her ear. Aah.. here we go again.. More waiting and finally they decided to sedate her. Now they just have to wait for the anaesthesiologist (sp?). After the first dose, she was still very very active and didn’t show any signs of being ‘weakened’. They gave her another one and she, well… showed no effect. In fact, she was on the phone with me and thought she sounded kind of hyper. Hmm… what to do, what to do? The ED suggested that they stap her down — If that could have been done, then why the hell didn’t you do it earlier and not subject us to the waiting of 3 hours? Duuh… So, hubby took her away for a drive. That still didn’t konk her out. My hubby called me relating to how "She was trying to sleep and please don’t marah me". Sedih la pulak aku…

Finally, at about 8pm they warded her and brought her into the Operations Room. (Sounds kinda scary, does’t it?) They put her to sleep and checked out what was really in her ear. No, it wasn’t a Tikus. Not even a Semut. Thankfully it was just WAX. Just hard wax, on both sides of her ear. Took it out, and she was warded for a while. Tok Ki, Wek and Mak Langkawi even came for a visit. Azrul brought her home the same night, and I was relieved and could now go for Karaoke in peace. :)

All that drama, Khadra.. for wax.

-dillz blogging out-

Update on My Wishlist

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

Remember My Wish List ? Just thought I’d update you on it seeing that I HAVE GOTTEN ALL THE THREE THINGS I WANTED! (Did that come out a little too loud?) heh heh heh

This is my husband. And, that was the first picture I took with my brand NEW T-10 Sony Cybershot! I was actually kinda surprised by it. But in true Dilla-fashion did not react to the surprise that well. You see, hubby told me over the phone that he’s got a surprise for me. Seeing that I was with my Datin-boss at the moment, we were brainstorming on what the surprise could be. And, she told me the only 2 times she got a surprise from her husband, a brand spanking BMW was waiting for her at her garage. Both two times! So, historically speaking, things could only be good, right?

I went over to my hubby’s office and there it was, waiting for me on his work desk. My reply? "Oh, thank you.." That’s it. Ha ha ha. In actual fact I was jumping for joy inside.. Deep down inside me I was showing reaction, honest!

I am completely ecstatic over it! I love it so much coz it was exactly like my T-9; only it’s better. It’s got both the anti blur thing and the anti-shake stuff which I don’t know how to explain. But, trust me, it is indeed ALL good.. And I never thought whitecould look so good on a camera! It really does!

This my friend, is a shot of my MyVi steering. Look closer and you will see that the Odometer reads 0012. Mind you, I had to stop by the roadside to take this shot. We received the car from Anne, the sweet salesperson from Perodua Taman Tun on Monday; the 25th of September 2006. My MyVi colour: Mocha Silver. My MyVi plate number: WPH6175. What random string of numbers, you might think. Think again my friends, as there is meaning behind it. For WPH stands for Wanita Paling Hangat and by putting dots in strategic locations of the number string reveals my birthdate: 6.1.75. Perasan, I know… But then again, it is MY car and this is MY damn blog. I shall write whatever I please!

Funny thing though, when we received the car, the plate number reads WPL6175. That was when my hubby noticed that something was amiss. Takkan la Wanita Paling Langat , kot? Rightfully so, the JPJ registration was for WPH6175 but the number plate was wrongly made. So, Anne helped us redo the plate and I was off my merry way driving below 80kmph for the next 1000km. (Of course I took stops!) So now, I officially have a car to my name! Syoknya Raya…

This is an iPOD shuffle. Hubby decided that enough is enough and we should get an iPOD each in order to peacefully go to the gym. We decided that we didn’t need an iPOD Nano since the objective here is for the gym. An iPOD Shuffle seemed to be the more logical and financially viable option. A Shuffle would just have to do!

SO, he got one for himself and I get to keep my Nano. I don’t have to run with my earphones stuck to my handphone. Problem solved. PLUS…

Here’s a picture of my favourite thing in my kitchen. A Zanussi ZOE535 Electric Oven / Grill. I asked for this for our 4th year wedding anniversary. It really complements the new found knowledge I got from reading Jamie Oliver’s cook book. So far we have experimented on the Rosemary Roasted Chicken, some Shoulder of Lamb thingy — all thanks to my lovely oven! Lately, I bought some DIY Brownies’ packages to try and it turned out great! (Really! If you don’t believe me, seek the following persons: Khadra, Khaleeq, Azrul, Suhla or Hiday) I am planning to try at least one kuih raya this year. Most probably, Biskut Arab since it is so simple to do and I just learnt how to make it from Ziezi.

So, it is quite safe to say that I am very happy with my new assets. heh heh heh. I think this "Write it down, and it will come true" thing really works. I’d better start writing some more stuff down! (Kiasu, tak?)

-dillz blogging out-

One for The Fans (ehem!)

*from my other blog at Dilla Speaks Out

I know.. I know.. I have been terrible at updating this blog. Some unnamed person has even gone as far as sms-ing me about it. (Thank you, *Bunga Mawar* , bukan nama sebenar) I do have reasons behind it, I really do.

1. I was away for some work-related matter in Labuan.

2. We (the 4 of us) went away for a long overdue holiday to Pangkor. A trip to make good our promise to Khadra when her bibik went back to kampung.

3. We ( Us 4 + Bibik Parmi) went back to Kubang Kerian due to the irresistable AirAsia deal we booked some 4 months ago.

4. Had loads of work in the workplace. (Lame, I know, but it’s so true!)

5. Busy writing out our Hari Raya cards - I made a dateline to send them ALL off by the end of the week. So, if you still have not sent me your snail mail address, do it quickly since the card stock is depleting very quickly.

After this, I promise you.. I’ll be back. (Might even sneak some posts in between too..)

-dillz blogging out-