Date Night Is Movie Night Is Date Night

Had a little WE time last night with Inche Azrul.

Agenda biasa = dinner then the movies.
He was craving for duck confit so I obliged. To Alexis we go. Dapatlah makan mixed berry meringue for desserts. Yeay!! :)

Happy. :)

The movie of the night?

picture from: here

Best giller okeh. A bit long , about 2 hours and a half. But I really liked it. Intellectual, gitu. Plus there's Leonardo DiCaprio, that mamat from 3rd Rock, Joseph Gordon Levitt and this child prodigy Ellen Page *no wonder she looked fimilar, adalah Juno* for good acting . Whoever thought of that story is a real cracko. Giller complex dan out-of-this-world sekali. However, I find that it could be summarized by this tajuk lagu rock kapak dari tahun 90-an. Inception = Umpama Mimpi Dalam Mimpi. hihihihihi

Happy. Happy. :)

Here's another reason to be happy. My first Choos made her debut on Malaysian soil.
Happy. Happy. Happy. :)

Happy Friday, all!

-dillz blogging out-

Tit for Tat

Stayed up late to teman the hubby watching FIFA World Cup 2010. It was the semi-finals : Germany versus Spain. *also for the adorable Messut Ozil, but don't tell Inche Azrul. Shhhh! * Actually , we slept first and woke up at 2am for the 2.30am game. Damn so many alarm clocks were blaring at my ears.

The game was really menyedihkan for me coz I was rooting for Germany. *think doe-eyed Messut Ozil, yet again* They were slow, macam kena rasuk pun ada jugak. Spain, on the other hand, played a very aggressive game and held possession of the ball almost the entire game. Ozil was sadly, slower than usual. Inche Azrul said it was due to that Mueller guy not playing. Sheesh! Apa nak buat, memang dah ditakdirkan kalah. As predicted by the Oracle, Paul the Octopus. Sigh.

Mamat yang score goal tu celebrating.
picture from : here

I think in a way, Inche Azrul appreciates my company, coz guess what we will be watching at 10pm tonight? *plus also because he enjoys the Twilight series*

picture from: here

Wee-hee! Can't wait!

-dillz blogging out-

Taking A Break

Taking a few days off from work to be with Inche Azrul. Just him and me in the land of cheap spas.

*Not looking to shop this time around. Duit bonus dah habis kat Shingapore. Kalau Inche Azrul nak belanja, itu lain cerita. *

Picture from: here

So, see ya in a couple of days. Or not. I might just blog from Jakarta. We'll see.

p/s: I actually brought some work over with me. Can't seem to leave them behind. Shites.

-dillz blogging out-

Trudging Trudging

It's already Thursday. That makes it almost a Friday.

The week has been long for me thus far.

A day would go on where I would work hard at work, come home late and carry out some more work at night. Maybe even manage a 2 hours nap in all that time. Next day continues and I try to put in some kind of exercise - be it PT based or just a good cardio or group exercise. Then, I'd get a full 6hour sleep.

Repeat cycle.

So far I am still managing. Maybe the slot of exercise has kept my stamina going further. Ideas are creatively flowing, thoughts are clear and analysis still sharp. Alhamdulillah. Business as usual. Just that I don't get to see my kids as much as I want to.

This would go on till Saturday, before I leave for Jakarta to join Inche Azrul. Will be back in the home country on Tuesday.

Honeymooning, just the two of us.

So, yeah. Am really working hard to earn that 2 day leave. Saturday can not come soon enough.

Till then, I might just make a run home for lunch. Only possible with the help of Saufi. Really missing Miss Deyda. See you in a while , baby!

*updated: Miss Deyda during my lunch run!

-dillz blogging out-

Shingapore Trip

It was really a last minute trip. 2 whole days at the Summit that ran in conjunction with CommunicAsia2010.

The visionary address was by Josh Silvermann, the CEO of Skype. Then there was the CEO's Perspective forum that brought together the CEOs of Skype, TM, Telstra and StarHub in one sitting. Later we adjourned to the individual tracks. I was registered into the Next Generation Broadband Business Model and Next Generation Fixed Broadband tracks. I came prepared though - several varieties of multi-coloured pens for taking notes, several bottles of mineral water and a Starbucks Frappuciono as back up. :) I really thought that it was interesting. Well, at the very least, it definitely brought some new insights to what was happening in the telco industry.

As usual, bab makan je la kena hati-hati sikit. I only stuck to croissant with strawberry and butter, some juice and cereal at the buffet breakfast. There were, of course nasi goreng, kuey teow goreng and stuff. I didn't take 'em. I just worry that they contain bits of meat in it. The following "assorted leaves with condiments" served at the Summit lunch, for example, contained little bits of reddish pink specks of what I suspect is bacon bits. So, yeah. Be careful, yah. Besides fast food that are certified Halal in Shingapore ( I know KFC, McD and Burger King are) we also tapaued some macarons from this dainty cafe called 1837 TWG Tea at Ion Orchard. All are infused with tea (but of course) and selling at SGD2 per pop. Sedap! :)

Since our adventurous nature was really burning that Monday night, we went ahead and got a cab to Beach Street Food Garden to try out some Singapore Soup Tulang, only at the authentic haji Kadir's place. It's red, I tell you!!!! Kinda gruesome and canniballish but pretty darn good - especially when cicah with roti. They had mee /meehun goreng that was blood red too, but we felt it was way too much lah. hihihihi. Takut...

Despite being caught in training the whole day, sempat juga pergi the Great Singapore Sale. Among the stuff I got:

That nudie jeans will not be washed in at least 6months to get a really nice "wash" to it. What's special about it is that it would follow the natural creases that is unique only to my body = unique "wash". Wah! Tak sabar! Apparently, the tip says that to get rid of any odour, one should put the pants in the freezer. Adoiai! Habisla jeans bau ayam nanti. hihihihihihihi

On the night I was packing the stuff, I realized that I needed to get more stuff for the kids sebab pembahagian harta tidak adil between the three Khas. Seeing that it was already the last night in Singapore and wouldn't have time to shop after training finishes, I did a little more shopping at the airport. (Ya, selepas check-in semua) Suffice to say the kids were pretty happy with what they got. Ibu pun happy, sebab dapat the following at Gucci. :D

-dillz blogging out-

A Few F1 Weekends Ago

Yes, am a bit lagging in the news over here. A few F1 weekends have come and left, while I am still stuck at the one in Sepang. (Not that we even watched the actual race there. haha!)

We were lucky to have been given a few tickets by the generous Keduaq for Grand Stand seats at the Emerald for the Qualifying Race. Thinking that it would actually be a good experience for our boy Khaleeq, we decided to have a little outing - just me and my boys. Khaleeq was really excited about it as he got to don his fresh-from-the-Melbourne-race orange McLaren tee.

Biasalah F1. Vroom sini. Vroom sana. The sounds of the engines revving were too darn loud , I could not make out what the announcer was saying over the speakers. Plus, I had the additional task of keeping Khaleeq's earplugs in place. Kejap kena pegang belah kanan, kejap kena pegang belah kiri. The screen was also blurry, so I lagilah blur! Thankfully, I could rely on @fazz27's and @tonyfernandes' updates and analyses on twitter.

But I got a Ferrari umbrella though. So, that made it worth the while. haha!

-dillz blogging out-

My Dream Grecian Holiday

What better way to forget your sorrows and your pain other than dreaming of a perfect getaway, right? In my case, it's spending lots of time in the sun and sea of Greece!

I have always, always loved Greece. Think Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and Mamma Mia. Don't they make you wanna get married in a Greek Island? Where the waters and the skies are always blue. There's another reason to go too. My sister, Kira is now based in Alexandria, Egypt. So, we have been talking about visiting her and visiting Greece too since they are so close to each other. *in our dreams, lah*

Aaannyways, Inche Azrul just got this email from some travel agency about, get this:

7 Days, 5 Nights Aegean Classic

Athens - Mykonos - Cruising to Patmos via Kusadasi - Cruising to Rhodes - Cruising to Santorini via Crete - Athens

The Aegean Classic offers relaxation, sightseeing and fabulous Greek food. Start your journey in Athens and cruise for 4 days to the Cycladic islands of Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Rhodes and Patmos, as well as a short stop in Kusadasi on the Turkish coast. There's nothing quite like watching the sun set over the Mediterranean from the bow of your luxury cruise ship while sipping on the cocktail of the day. Paradise.

Pictures from: here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here

Oh. L.O.V.E.

The charge includes return economy flight ticket, airport tax & fuel surcharge, accommodation based on twin share basis-inside cabin, meals and sightseeing as per itinerary. There are departure dates for 25th April, 2nd May and 23rd May 2010.

I want to go! I want! I want! I want! :) Kalau tak this year pun, maybe next year. Or to celebrate our 10th year anniversary in 2012. I want! I never considered going on a cruise before but it sure sounds like fun. Syoknya kalau dapat pergi, kan?

On a totally unrelated note though, I think this drug is working like a charm. :)

-dillz blogging out-

Valentine's Day vs Percy Jackson

Spent a good portion of the long, loong weekend at home and my mom's place, vegetating. Thus explaining the lack of updates in the blog. hihihihi.. At other times, I was at the movies, spending some quality time with the other half. Dulu, waktu berchenta pun, going to the movies has always been one of the main agenda. This time, we managed to watch TWO movies. :)

Valentine's Day

picture from here

A star-studded film - Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, McDreamy, McSteamy, Taylor Swift, Taylor Laudner, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx - macam-macam ada.. So it was definitely pleasing on the eye! :)

The story line pun boleh tahan. It's a story of love in its many, many forms. One good lesson to be learnt by all is that you need to accept your other half in totality - the good parts as well as the bad part. To stand by their mistake and to celebrate their succcess. Gitulah lebih kurang. (Eh, movie pun ada moral of the story? Ini sudah bagus..)

I mean, I went in with no expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised at the end. The bad guys ended up alone, the good guys get companions. A real feel good, heart warming movie this one.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians : The Lighting Thief

picture from here

Truthfully, I thought Percy Jackson was the American version of Harry Potter. Only that the boy can't act as well as Daniel Radcliffe. hihihihihi So kayu , he reminds me of Anakin Skywalker in Episode 1.

The story was adventurous enough to my liking and the sidekicks were pretty awesome. The villains are even more awesome - Uma Thurman as Medusa. So stunning. *literally* There's also other hotshots like Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Rosario Dawson and Melina Kanakaredes (The CSI lady - susahnya nak eja nama). I loved Hades in the Mick Jagger persona - hilarious! And that Persephone is so gatal! Rosario nailed her perfectly! hihihihihi :)

Despite the great CGI and story-line, I personally feel that in the duel between the two, I proclaim Valentine's Day as the winner! Woo-hoo!!! I am a sappy romantic underneath after all.. :)

Excuse my ignorance, but I have never heard of this dude Percy Jackson before. But, it did make me google him a little more. So this is what I found.

There's a whole series of Percy Jackson and the Olympians - in writing by Rick Riordan. The series include:

• The Lightning Thief
• The Sea of Monsters
• The Titan's Curse
• the Battle of Labyrinth
• The Last of the Olympian

I have only this to say, "That Percy Jackson Hardcover Boxed Set sure looks yummy." hihihihi

Picture from here

-dillz blogging out-

Makan Kari di bawah Pokok Ceri

Have not gone to this place for a long time already. Maybe the last time I had lunch there was like 2 years ago. (Really? Maybe exaggeratelah a little bit) Sempat pulak pergi makan dengan Azrul tengahhari ini. :)

The location: Belakang TMC, bawah pokok ceri, Jalan Ara Kiri XX. (Sorry, the number was covered by a fast-loan ad. )

Pokok ceri ke ni?

*Updated: Map to Pokok Ceri, as requested by Mimy and Amy

We were greeted by this friendly uncle. Sangat friendly. i think he even remembered me. Or was it just darn good PR?

Uncle: Apa khabar? Sudah lama tak datang?
Me: Busy lah uncle. *senyum kambing sebab perasan fofular*

Friendly uncle

We ordered the usual:
Nasi dua,
Ikan satu,
Sotong empat,
Ayam satu,
Kuah bendi lebih,
Kasi asing, ah!

Binatang yang bakal dibaham

The combination?
Perggh!!!

Put it all together

Mak mertua lalu belakang pun tak perasan, I tell you... :)~~

Di hujung waktu makan

Dah kenyang. Alhamdulillah...
Oh harganya?
RM20 untuk semua yang di atas , termasuk 2 teh o ais limau. Terima kasih.

-dillz blogging out-

Doomsday in 2012

I forgot that 2012 was showing last week. It didn't even register in my overworked brain until my other half mentioned a possible Gold Class treat for it. (Seeing that it was about 2 hours and 45 minutes long) Ya, kami kiasu.. nak Gold Class mestilah berbaloi dari segi mutu cerita dan how long the movie is! Seems like this particular movie fits the bill to the tee... :)

(picture from: here)

Lemme tell you that it was worth it!!! Serious!!!

All this while, I have always been let down by apocalypse / dooms day type movies coz we never actually get to see the destruction/ chaos after. In 2012, however, every single bumi kena telan tanah, tsu-Mawi (OK, sorry, bad joke) , rapturing and burning buildings were shown its all its glory gory. CGI was unbelievably amazing! There is also a few subplots of human stories in it which made it even more watchable.

Kesimpulannya, saya suka and if you get the chance, GO SEE!

-dillz blogging out-

Go watch The Time Traveler's Wife!

Though I was 50 pages shy from completing the novel when I watched the movie, let me go
ahead and give you the review aaaannnyways.. ;)

(Picture from: here)

Was it choppy? Definitely not.
Was the screenplay how it was written in the book? Similar, but not exactly identical. I believe the differences were necessities in order to keep the movie length viewable.
Did I cry? Yes, I did. Not buckets though. Just wimpy tears.
Was it good? NO. It was GREAT!

I was really anticipating this movie 'coz I have heard raving reviews about the book. So, I decided to buy the book and read it for myself. At first it was kinda confusing. Once I figured out how to read it (Waa.. Da Vincci Code, kah?) it was kinda hard to put down. Anyhoots, on the day we were due to watch the movie, I had about 200plus more pages to finish. I tried and tried to, but I didn't manage it by viewing time. So, how Henry actually died was still a surprise when I entered the cinema.

Having Eric Bana as Henry was also a pull factor for me. (Kindly recall his hot bod in 300 Troy) So comel to see the old him saying 'I do' at the altar and the dashing young him again dancing with Clare at the wedding reception. :) I was giving hints to Azrul as the movie progressed but in actual truth it was not really necessary 'coz as soon as your mind starts to question or wonder about something, the answer will come right up in the next scene. :) That Rachel McAdams is also so gorgeous as Clare, kan? I also liked the fact that they tried to keep the plot simple. I mean it is really confusing enough to be travelling back and forth through time without having to showcase every single character in the book. Imagine how complicated it would be if the complexity of Clare's family, Henry's estranged dad and his friendly neighbour/caregiver Kimmy, the fondness that Gomez has for Clare were entwined into the plot. Adalah sangat confuse, okay..

Sudahlah merepeknya... In conclusion, I would rate the movie as a definite must see. Go catch it while it's still showing at the cinemas.

Now, on the silver screen front:
1. I just need to make my way to This Is It. Bila habis showing, ek?
2. I really hope I win the movie preview from nuffnang for New Moon! AAAAminnn..

-dillz blogging out-

Down Memory Lane

We renewed Parmi's work permit at Kompleks PKNS, Shah Alam today. The process were pretty swift and we were actually done within 20 minutes. Good job there, Immigration! Very effective! However, that is not the main point of this entry..

Kompleks PKNS used to be the place where my then boyfriend and I spend a lot of time talking and getting to know about each other. Give us a break, we went to a college in Shah Alam and SACC was not opened yet then. There was this one spot on the yellow tembok in front of Maybank where we used to sit for aages after dinner, just talking. That was also the spot where I let him hold my hand for the first time. *cue Aaaaahh.. (so busuk, right?)*

hihihihihi.. Kompleks PKNS brought a smile to my face. So sweetlah ingat balik!

Picture from : here

-dillz blogging out-

The 6th Potter

Have you gone to watch Harry Potter- The Half-Blood Prince? Seeing that I am one of those people who'd pre-order the Harry Potter installments months and months before it's due for release (evidences here and here) , it would just be non-conventional if I hadn't already, right? hihihihihi..

True to the spirit; we watched it nearing midnight on the day it was opened at GSC, The Gardens. (where else?)

Saw on facebook statuses (statii?) that not many people liked it. I thought it had the right tone throughout - sombre as someone significant will die. Laced with loads of happy, funny moments in-betweens. I especially liked Luna - such a looney! We'd see a little teenage romance going on, with Harry and Hermione and Ginny and Won-Won (not in that order, obviously) I guess it is not the typical good vs. evil and good will win type of movie, yet it was very necessary. Just to prep up for the finale. Truth be told, I already forgotten the details of the book coz I read it like yonks ago. So, it was alright,lah.

Verdict: Go watch it nonetheless.

Pictures from: here and here

-dillz blogging out-

Meh Makan Mee Mahal!

Got news that TM is already paying out their dividend and capital repayment for this year. *Big Big Smile* Maybe, just maybe it was time to celebrate.. After all, it was a Monday, got to beat them blues away... hihihihihi

Hubby took me to makan mee mahal at The Noodle Room in KL Hilton. One plate of noodle is charged at approximately RM30. (give or take) There's the ready-made menu or you could even pick and choose your own stock, meat, garnish and stuff. Interesting, indeed.. We were chickens, so we just stuck with the menu.

We had the Paiti for appertizers, Azrul took the Cantonese Egg Noodles and I took the Korean noodle with loads of beef (tak ingat apa namanya). Sedaaaaap!!!! Just jangan beli air - cekik darah!!!

-dillz blogging out-

Need to Get One in There

Before I ramble on and on about why I have been slacking on the blog posts this week, let me just list out what went on last week, okies?

1. Was in Cherating for work last Thursday and Friday. Decided to bring the troop along. Azrul got off from work and the kids skipped school. (Takpelah, after all lagi seminggu term break, maa) Khaleeda and Bibik Parmi joined in too. We were in the family room the first night and then took 2 adjoining rooms for the rest of the stay. Work was tiring. We didn't finish till it was 7pm so, the kids' entertainment was left to Azrul. There were trips to the pool, the beach, the activity room, the game room (they had the old school arcade games as well - fighting game ala-ala Street Fighter, Puzzle Bobble, etc).. So, they pretty much had their time occupied. I think they had fun since they weren't complaining when I finally get to the room. :) (will upload the pix tonight when I get to fiddle with hubster's lappie - UPDATED! 1 June 2009)
   
2. Family do on both weekend nights. Mak Anjang's getting her two boys circumcized this Friday and had a little makan-makan last Saturday night. We just got back from Cherating (see item no 1 above) and only managed to join after they finished the doa selamat. *sibuk qada' tidur* The next night was a Kenduri Arwah for Ayah Teh pulak. Our nights were filled with good food *which would eventually result in item5* , good conversation and good times with the family.
3. Spent a good portion of Sunday just with hubster. Brekkie at Chawan's with Os (apparently hubster bumped into Sujay & Poh Imm later) , made a run to Ikea to get the hanging thingy for the kids' wardrobe but still no stock, lunch at Waroeng Ayam Penyet @ The Curve and a good 1.5 hours Thai massage. Ahhhh.. soooooo sakit, but oh soooo sedap .. Must remember to "Lilek, na... Lilek.." as the therapist tried to pull me, stretch me, push me and stand on me.. Must seriously think about getting the package,lah. Think I am gonna need them.
4. Brought the kids down for a little swim. All three of them. Khadra and Khaleeq have always loved the pool. (Need to remember to get them enrolled in a proper swim class though.) Am also proud to report that little Khaleeda is able to be independent now. She flaps her arm floaties and licks up some chlorine water every once in a while. The wading pool is just the right size for her to go waddling around on her own, all around the pool without having mommy to get wet in the process. Yeay!
5. All the food before sleepytime and the seriously hot weather last night resulted to a very uncomfortable night's sleep. I think I was literally sleeping in my sweat! Sheesh.. So gross.. As a result, gassy tummy and sweaty smelly body greets my morning. What a way to start the week..

-dillz blogging out-

Beam Me Up Scotty

Picture credit: here

Went to watch the Star Trek movie midnight last night with the hubster. Bestnya!!!! Seriously. I am not kidding you. Please do yourself a favour and go watch it this weekend! Go, go, go watch it.. You'll not regret it.. Oh, btw, if you want the whole plot you can get it here! 

Truthfully, I was never a Trekkie. But that's just it.. Anybody who doesn't know an iota of knowledge about Star Trek can really enjoy the film.  Cuba sahaja tengok kehenseman Christopher Whitelaw Pine yang walaupun tak nampak familiar tapi masih meruntun jiwa. And Sylar as Spock - that's such coolness!! Sangat secocok! And they strike a very similar resemblance to the original Spock and Kirk, don't you think? (Sila lihat dibawah)

The new dynamic duo 

Picture credit: here

The dynamic duo yang lama

Picture credit: here

What I liked about the movie? **Caution: Don't read if you don't want a spoiler..** 

• Sangat fast paced - didn't get a chance to be bored or even yawned. Even though it was an 11:55pm viewing and it didn't finish until it was 2:10am. The fighting action was comprehensible, I don't feel overwhelmed by the special effects. It looked soooo natural.. (Sorry, ya.. Saya tertidur dengan nyenyaknya during the viewing of Transformers last time. )
• The casts were awesome. I especially welcomed hunky Eric Bana as Captain Nero, the Romulan baddie, Harold from "Harold & Kumar"-fame as Sulu, can I mention the awesome twosome Kirk and Spock again?, there's even Winona Ryder as Spock's human mom. 
• There's also comedy -  a lot of subtle comedy.. I love that 17-year old Russian genius who handled the Public Announcements. He even muddled up the voice pasword thingy --> Wictor-Wictor... hahahahaha.. 
• The old Spock has a major role too.. Definitely made more than a cameo, the great Leonard Nimoy did.. Loved it when he said, "I am NOT our fathers" to younger Spock. But, I just can't keep my eyes from his jaw area. Terganggu fokusku kerana melihat pergerakan gigi palsunya.. hihihihihiihi 
• Montgomery "Scotty" Scott - the person that catchy phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" was directed to. He's recruited in this film! So, sweet lah and soo gelut too.. 
• The hero is not the typical goody-goody kind of hero. He is a rebel and he rocks my world!! hihihihihi
• It's a new beginning. Forget what you know about the old Star Trek and the legacy left by William Shatner and the gang. It is the ultimate way to chart their own journey and a whole load of new adventures.. A whole new possibilities of sequels and series.. Me likey..  

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Aah.... can't wait for the continuation of this. Ada series tak? Will this finally turn me into a Trekkie? Beam me up, Scotty. ;)

-dillz blogging out-

Weekend Movies

We are big movie buffs, my hubby and I. Eversince our college days. There was this one time, we watched three movies in a row. Strategically picked to allow for solat and munching breaks. Marathon, gitu...

However, with all the stuff that's going on in the home front, it's been quite a while since we last went to the movies. And in the spirit of the holidays, we went for two this weekend.

Ghost Rider:
Midnight show -- very tired. I slept half-way through the movie. What more can I say... Never read the comic version so I can't really appreciate it. Plus, burning skull in a leather jacket fighting evil spirits -- I really don't get it lah.. Not worth the RM10 I spent. If you fancy big bad bikes and jumping over fire, this one is for you..

 Music and Lyric:

This one, on the other hand, I really got! Loved the movie. loved, loved,loved it! Plus the fact there were only 3 of us (me, hubby and Ki) in the whole freaking theatre. Macam private screening pulak... So, please do go and watch it.. I'm not gonna tell you what happened and spoil the cinema experience for you.

Azrul was saying, there are the different genre of films and then there's two more -- Adam Sandler's genre and Hugh Grant's genre. No one else can do it like they do. And I totally agree. The movie is such a feel good one, it reminds me of Two Weeks' Notice. (I so loved that movie) There's something about Hugh Grant's one-liner that is really charming and witty, and sooo sexy. Nasib baik aku dah kawin... heh heh heh

-dillz blogging out-

Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat

GAMARJOBAT - What does it mean, really? According to Ketch & Hiro-pon, it means everything and nothing.

After reading rave reviews from Afdlin's blog last year, we were very pleased to find out that they have returned to this side of the shore yet again for another round of laughs. We were contemplating very hard whether or not to watch the show seeing that the ticket is priced at some RM60 a pop. As luck would have it, I was at Starbucks one fine day and read a brochure that said:

With a receipt of any amount from Starbucks, get a second ticket to watch Gamarjobat for free.

I called up hubby at once and we bought 2 tickets and got 2 free ones. We invited my two (then-single) sisters to watch it with us.

After seeing the show, I had to agree. It really was very very good. The two mohawk mimes really used the audience and had such great stage presence. It really proves that you don't have to say anything to be funny. They really raised miming to a whole new level. Not your typical black-and-white tuxedo wearing, white faced person being stuck in a box kind of mime.

The whole show actually consists of 2 mini shows. The first part is when they warm the audience up, putting everyone in the mood. I loved the fact that they actually took what was happening around them, in the hall, and incorporated them into the show, might I add, quite effortlessly. For instance, the audience who came in late -- Aaahhhhh .. Bad mistake.... ;) (Note to self: Don't be late if we watch them again next year!)

The second part was a long sketch about The Boxer. There were several characters in the sketch: the boxer, the old coach, the girlfriend, the opponents ; but they were all played by the dynamic duo. I was most impressed by their body movements, especially when they did the slo-mo actions. Every muscle was orchestrated and performed to perfection! Best part is, we got to eat after the show. The grubs were very tasty. Oh yes, they also autographed our posters and I'd also like to point out that we were first in line! ;)

Verdict: Very entertaining and very very funny.

I just couldn't get over the fact that one of them really really looks like Kalai...

-dillz blogging out-

Dubai ... DO BUY... (Part TWO)

...

The next day we went off to Abu Dhabi which is only about 1 hour away to have a look around. Radhi is actually based in Abu Dhabi, so he wanted to show off his 'hood, lah.. We went to his nice one-bedded service apartment to freshen up before heading off to sightsee. Went to see the largest mosque in the world which is still under construction, to a nice spot by the waters where we could see the Abu Dhabi skyline and then off to a mall.. (again..) We went to Marina Park or something and the shopping was somewhat forgettable. Nothing like Dubai 'coz Abu Dhabi was not on sale la.. Just the measly year end sale... :( We also visited this place which suspiciosly look a lot like Putrajaya. Truth be told, it kinda reminded me of Naboo.

We had to rush back to Dubai to send off ZZ and Nazz. The night we spent at Burjuman, another mall in Dubai. This one is slightly more upmarket and you can tell from the restrooms. There's a sink, complete with mirror in every loo, okay? There were also street performances and free kids' activities such as face painting in the mall. I went to Saks Fifth Avenue (I jakun, sorry..) , bought a little bit of Patchi (yummy-licious!), had dinner and went back to the hotel.

The next day, we went to the Mall of Emirates again so that I could finish my shopping and Azrul took the opportunity to meet up some contacts in Dubai -- entrepreneur, kata.. kenalah widen the network.. :) We wanted to ski initially, but there was that slight constraint of time. Tak jadi lah.. First, a meet-up with an Old Putra at Starbucks - wi-fi charged at AED15/hr and the coffee is almost double the price here. Had dinner at Chili's with another contact where everything was so darn salty and the portion was rather huge. Then, on to another meet-up with other Malaysians in the Emirates at a place where you could get 'teh tarik' near Lamcy. By the time we were through, I was so darn tired that I slept all the way back to Abu Dhabi. We spent the night in Radhi's house FOC. Had a very good night's sleep. ZZZZzzzzzz....

On our way back to Dubai the next day, we detoured to the Abu Dhabi Golf Club to get some golf merchandise for encik and Abg Amran. After ripping the pro-shop bare, Azrul and Radhi came out looking satisfied as they are now proud owners of ADGC cowboy hat / detachable rain-jacket type thing / cap. (delete where applicable) Now, on to another meeting with more contacts at Lamcy Plaza (which reminds me a little of Wisma Campbell). After lunch, we went over to the nice Old Putra's house near the airport for some roti jala. So Sweet... We boarded the plane to KL at about 8pm and slept most of the journey home... More ZZZZzzzzzz....

One thing that I noticed during the trip here is that the two emirates are kinda like competing with each other - who's got better buildings (Burj this, that and the other) , better road (Abu Dhabi's roads are slightly wider than Dubai's), who's got more bulbs on their streetlight ( Abu Dhabi's got 4 while Dubai has 2 - serious!), who's got a better airline (Emirates vs. Etihad Airways)? It seems like neverending sibling rivalry. It is pretty obvious that Dubai is the more adventurous one, and Abu Dhabi is closing in very closely.. I was told that these two emirates are the more dominant ones amongst the 7. Abu Dhabi is the richest followed by Dubai. However, Dubai's oil resources will be gone pretty soon, so they have to think of more creative ways to survive later. I guess that is why they are on a 'construction binge' at the moment. There are so many cranes here, I swear I'd be pretty rich if I had RM100 for every one that I see.

The other thing that I love about Dubai is that it seems like anything that you can dream can actually happen. It's like giving a kid a blank piece of paper and asking him to draw anything that he can imagine and they can turn it into reality.
Case in point? How about these? The Palm in Jebel Ali and Deira as well as the World. Aren't they just amazing?? I think we got a glimpse of The World when we touched down earlier on.. :)

The other striking thing is the buildings. The whole stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road is filled with majestic looking skyscrapers; each one unique and photo-worthy. Imagine Menara KL, Menara TM and Petronas Twin Towers all on the same stretch of road. I especially like the Dusit Dubai, Burj al-Arab and the upcoming Burj Dubai that is in construction right now and is already completed up to the 100th floor - they won't say when they are gonna stop but it is rumoured to challenge the Taipei 101.

I also loved the Souk Medinat Jumeira which is essentially a very expensive market. :) The interior reminds me of the scenes from Ali Baba Bujang Lapuk - I keep on trying to find the door with an 'X' marked on it. ;) Best part is, we found a photo spot that captures Burj al-Arab in the background! Pretty cool indeed...

And, what is it about the Emiratis and raffles? There are raffles in all shopping malls offering cars (not the kodi ones, mind you - Lexus, Audi..) in conjuction with the Dubai Shopping Festival. I think the most outrageous one gives out a Jaguar for every apartment bought in an upscale development with the chance to win a private jet in the raffles. Giller, apa?

Told you the trip was magical. Can't wait to get back to Dubai...

-dillz blogging out-

**updated with pictures (Happy now, Amy? )

Dubai ... DO BUY... (Part ONE)

Finally, a little breather to post the stuff we did in Dubai. Do know that it is now 5.30am and I was woken up by a 4.08am phone call regarding work. Well, this is certainly the part I WON'T miss when I report to my new division in February. However, it did create just enough time for me to slip this post right in.. ;)

If I had only ONE word to describe the whole trip it would be... MAGICAL. :) The experience was truly very much welcomed seeing that a lot was going on at the home front. It was a very timely getaway for the both of us, from work.. from the kids.. heh heh heh Oh, and it was also time for the month long Dubai Shopping Festival , so we were expecting some great bargains too. Eventhough the whole idea was kind of impromptu and embarked on rather quickly, we did do a little research (in terms of my Lonely Planet :Dubai guidebook) and prepared a little itinerary on the things we'd like to see and do in Dubai. This particular document was then submitted to our travel companion, ZZ and Nazz as well as our bidan terjun tour guide , Radhi (he's Azrul's ex-M*X\$ friend now working in the Emirates) .

From our intel, we figured that our biggest problem would be getting an affordable lodging for our stay. One night accommodation in Dubai could range from AED300 (forex is about RM1 = AED1) up till AED1000 depending on which area you stay in. (More so if you'd wanna try the 4,5,7-star hotels) However, that issue was efffectively dealt by ZZ with her awesome bargaining power and her detailed & relentess comparison efforts (read: Kiasu mommy in action). We ended up staying at the Al-Khayyam (Khadra a/p Ayam?) Hotel which was strategically located by the Gold Souk in the Deira area - ala-ala macam Jalan Masjid India la... :) This proved to be a very sound choice as;

1. we only paid AED350 for a 2-bedroom "suite" ( = CHEAP)

2. we found a good place to fill our tummy with good and tasty Lebanese cuisine in the am or pm at an affordable price (= CHEAP, yet again)

3. we could just run down and bargain our way at the Gold Souk for pashminas, jubahs, table runners, Ali Baba shoes and such when we had free time. (= CHEAPer)

My sissy went a day ahead of us, so by the time we arrived in Dubai, it was straight to business. We went around town capturing the"must see" landmarks - Sheikh Zayed Road with all the breathtaking skyscapers : Emirates Tower, Dusit Dubai, the construction of Burj Dubai ; Burj al-Arab (took pictures from the guard post as we didn't wanna pay to go in. took also from the beach) before heading to our first shopping stop: Ibn Battuta Mall.

Ibn Battuta Mall : The mall was really one of a kind. It is actually themed after the travels of Ibn Battuta from China to India to Persia to Egypt to God-knows-where else. So, when you are in the China court, the deco will be Chinese inspired and so on. Sorry, not just the deco.. the whole darn exterior is also built using Chinese inspired architeture. So, from the outside you could tell that a China man is neighbours with an Indian man and the nextdoor neighbour is Egyptian and so on. Quite awesome, actually.. The interior is also do darn detailed and exquisite. There are also little exhibits on the findings along the way , it's a like going to a museum mall - so darn informative and you could shop at the same time. ;) The shopping was simply heavenly... I loved the Nine West sale and the Mothercare sale. Variety is superb, choices of stores, also superb.

Mall Rating =4 Thumbs Up.

On our way back, we stopped at Hard Rock Cafe to buy some merchandise. I don't know what it is about this establishment that makes me wanna get something from HRC everytime we travel overseas. It's like a kind of proof that we've physically been to the city, kot? Both hubby and me got a real nice jacket/sweater for ourselves that actually fits perfectly!

Morning came and we had 2 things to tick off our itinerary. 1. More shopping at the Mall of Emirates and 2. Desert safari. So, we decided to shop and ask the safari operator to pick us up at the mall. Pretty smart, eh?

The Mall of Emirates : This is also the home of SkiDubai, the indoor ski slope complete with the cable chair thingy and theme park. Can you believe it? A ski slope in a mall???? Only in Dubai.... We didn't get the chance to ski though, because of the timing, but we did a whole lot of shopping though.. There's Debenhams and Harvey Nichols (COACH had 50% off here!!!) in this mall, so variety is aplenty. Loads and loads of stores for kids - Mothercare (in Debenhams), Pumpkin Patch, Osh Kosh (tak sale); a whole portion dedicated to designer stores - Burberry, Prada, Gucci, Dior, Hermes, etc etc ; high street fashion - MNG (sale gila), Nine West, Clarks, you name it, they've got it! Variety is excellent, choices of stores, also excellent. Definitely my favourite mall! :)

Mall Rating =5 Thumbs Up.

As for the desert safari -- definitely one of the must do item if you go to Dubai. We got a bargain price of AED150 per person (again thanks to ZZ) and that includes: dune bashing, sand surfing, camel ride, henna tattoo, photo op in Emirati jubah and abaya, sheesha smoking, barbeque dinner and belly dancing show. Plus, they'll pick you up from wherever you want, some more.. Waaah! Great bargain, innit? Azrul got really screwed when we stopped to buy some drinks. There were no price tags what so ever, so he asked the storekeeper for the price. His reply? Price at the counter. He took 3 Cokes and walked over to pay, to his surprise, AED18 for his purchases. Bloody hell. AED6 , satu Coke-- cekik darah betul! Taula tepi gurun... Knowing him, he paid the price and bitched later. If it was me, I'd leave them at the counter -- hah, tegukla Coke tu sendiri.. We also stopped awhile to catch the sunset in the desert. Quite a moment.. During the camel ride, we got the frisky camel behind us trying to chomp our legs - thank God for the little baskety cover on his mouth. I bought Khadra a pink camel to remember this trip by and brought her little pink camel on the ride as well. Camel riding a camel. :) Of course, the other thing I had to comment was the belly dancing. The lady, Shahrazad, didn't look very authentic and ZZ was saying that this minah maybe Russian. Anyways, the gelek was a little suspect - macam ballerina ada gak, macam headbanging ada gak, macam gatal pun ada gak.. heh heh heh

Damn, it's already 6:50am. Enough for today, I'll post another one for the rest of the time we were there when I get to, okay? And that's a promise. :)

-dillz blogging out-