Wednesday, September 23

Hari Raya 2

Abi and I celebrated our first day of Hari Raya in Penang. In fact, we were already on our way over there two days prior to the big day. I had also promised myself to break the fasting with grandmother; and dad in Sungai Petani. I managed to fulfill them all, thank God.

We performed our Raya prayer at the Al-Jamiul Badawi Mosque in which the former Prime Minister and family were also present. Tun was not able to be around during such festive day like this for more than ten years due to his duty but now he was back in his hometown to join the celebration.

After that my husband and I visited a couple of my relatives’ houses and we were off to his grandmother’s. We hit the road about one in the afternoon and arrived in
Kuala Pilah in one piece before sundown. Brother-in-law was planning a barbeque party so we did not want to miss that!

On the third day I was already in
Pasir Ris to accompany Abi who got just a day leave from his office (poor baby). For your information the official public holiday for Hari Raya in Singapore is one day only. Here in Malaysia we get two days but my office would be shutting down for five days so, yay!

Anyhow, this only means that I could follow my husband (
been there), would do a bit of post Raya shopping (done that) and might try (I repeat, try) to visit my relatives or his relatives over there. If they are already back in town that is.

By the sixth Hari Raya we both will be back in
KL. Only then I get to see my mother and her side of family. I am crossing my fingers though. Plans can still change depending on the energy we have left for attending all those invitations. Traveling south-north-south-then-north-again can be exhausting even for diehard travelers like us.

I am praying for a quick but safe journey home. We are all set for it and going to make this trip happen. The truth I do not really mind about going everywhere in times of celebration but I only care if Abi is going to be around. However, I am looking forward to cooking and eating festive foods with no regrets! And most importantly, we will try to be there for our families even if it means we are going to be on the highway a lot.

The reason I am telling all this is because you can know our whereabouts. If we are not at your open house party, we may be at someone else’s farther from yours. I know it is tough being us but a couple’s got to do what a couple’s got to do. Although kindly find it in your heart to not make this a big deal and pardon our lack of appearance, literally.

So may you enjoy your festive holidays. Please do not drive but stay home during Hari Raya so
we can hog the road!

p/s: Happy birthday mom-in-law! I hope our
duit raya was enough for you to buy a nice gift for yourself (wink). It is your special day so I wish you have a good time today.


Wednesday, September 16

More eats

On Monday I went out with the girls from office for breaking the fast. This time our choice of venue was a restaurant that carried an American name but served all kinds of Italian food.Ironic? Sarcastic? Tongue in cheek? Well I am not sure, you be the judge.

Anyhow, restaurant’s concept apart, it was a cozy eating place and near to both our office and the highway toll so we could go straight home after dinner. And the food was not bad at all. The dish was infused with local flavor a bit (cili padi on a pizza, anyone?) thus well suited any Malaysian palate. Besides, the portion was huge!

A girl friend and I had to ask them to pack our pizzas because there was insufficient space in our tummies. And I had been eating it for two days now. Surprisingly it tasted normal and hey, I am still breathing. Living proof, right here.

Last night there was a department break fasting do. It was considered our final feast together during fasting month this year. A department member was kind enough to sponsor about 70 percent of the buffet dinner price that we all needed to pay. I am praying that God bless him with longer life on earth and much more wealth for his deed!

It was held at one of the cafés inside UKM. And dinner was delicious despite of the extra hot flavor in some dishes. I am guessing the Chef hailed from Negri Sembilan. So I braved myself finishing every single dish I put on my plates. After all the sweat and tear I invested in them, I pulled through in the end. Good job, girl!

***************************************************************************************
In order of appearance:

(1) Break fasting with mom in Gombak Setia. Check.
(2) Break fasting with parents-in-law in Paroi Jaya. Check. Twice.
(3) Break fasting with the girls from office. Check. Twice.
(4) Break fasting with brother-in-law and boy cousins. Check.
(5) Break fasting with Abi’s grandmother in Kuala Pilah. Check.
(6) Break fasting at the airport. Check. Twice.
(7) Break fasting with gossip buddies. Check. Twice.
(8) Break fasting with division colleagues. Check.
(9) Break fasting with the boys to skip reunion dinner. Check.
(10) Break fasting with investment dealers. Check
(11) Break fasting with fellow staff and volunteers at a certain NGO office. Check.
(12) Break fasting with Abi in the quiet of our own home. Check. Once.
(13) Break fasting with department members. Check.
(14) Break fasting with big sister. Check.
(15) Break fasting with my grandmother in Kepala Batas. In progress.
(16) Break fasting with dad in Sungai Petani. In progress.

Alright looks like my fasting month routine is almost complete. And best of all, I managed to do it with or without you, Abi. Of course it was more fun dragging you around and tagging along with you (wink). I sure hope to repeat all of this next year. God’s willing.

Wednesday, September 9

Beauty mark

The car got into its first accident. Well, not exactly traffic accident. On Monday evening, Abi and I just arrived at the executive suite where we were staying during his training. At the parking lot, my husband was a bit distrustful about the car next to us would bang into ours if the driver opened the door.

So he tried very hard to adjust it further away from that car. He squeezed it really close to the pillar and there you have it: a scarred side mirror on the driver’s right.

I rephrase, it was Abi who did it. I almost died when I heard the screeching sound of the side mirror against the pillar. My other half was of course, crazily traumatized. Enough said.

It had only been three months since he bought the car. My husband tried to calm himself by saying, “There is always a first time for everything.” Hmm. Why did it not sound right to me somehow?

I must admit the scar just breaks my heart every time I look at it. And I refuse to comment on your driving skill, Abi. Anyhow, it is in fact your car and you scratched it on your own, thank God. Although it is a universally known truth that I always have issues with tyres but now we know you have a so-called relationship with side mirrors (wink).

Well, we could not turn back time and undo the unfortunate event now, could we? Therefore, I say we try to forget everything and put things behind us because it was not a good memory after all. But I will tell you what was, despite all this.

The fact that we still get to rest our tired bodies and relax our minds at the hotel was the best part of the day! Allow me to bring you on a tour.

I did not want to get up from that bed. I swear. Ever. However, instead of staying in with my husband (one could only wish), he must attend some training and I need to come to work. Darn. I will miss you bed, I promise.

Monday, September 7

Of eating, again

It was that time of year again. Abi was invited to his school batch’s breaking the fast event. This year it took place at one of the golf clubs in Shah Alam. I, on the other hand had made plan to dine with his brother-in-law and boy cousins on the same weekend.

Because my husband would need a ride to his reunion dinner venue, I had to think of a nearby location to eat. I asked around in the office but nothing seemed intriguing enough for me or the five us for that matter. It was kind of stressing since I had not been to Shah Alam for quite a while now that I did not know if the cafés or restaurants I used to frequent during my pre-university years would still be there today.

Finally at about five in the evening, a girl friend who stays in Shah Alam recommended I go to a kedai kopi. She tried the shop’s ala carte dish before and it was good. In addition, she said the shop was serving a buffet during fasting month but had not experienced it. I took her word about the food’s taste so I went on a search for a kopitiam by the lakeside with the guys.


Hey how come you did not tell me there were two kedai kopis, Auk?

Yes there were two of them but the one we found was without the buffet. Sigh. Now we never knew how it would taste like, huh? However my girl friend was right about most of the ala carte food. Every time I checked with the cousins about their food they say it was fine.

The service was great though. The waitress spoke softly and most dishes arrived before it was time to break fasting. By the way we placed our order at 7pm and we are talking about seven different items from the menu here, so we could not really blame them for the late arrival. Anyhow we enjoyed the feast except for poor brother-in-law due to his unusual prawn mee taste.


It was an exciting dinner despite my husband was not around. We also did not skip dessert in which my husband would if he were to be with us (tongue). Would you look at that melting ice-cream? It was lip smacking I almost could not stop. Oh do not be mad, Abi. I am pretty sure you had a lot to eat from your buffet spread. And I hope you had loads of fun over there too because I did!


Yesterday my husband and I did a bit of Raya shopping. Moreover, there was a dinner we were attending so need to look for something to wear. We left the house before noon for Bukit Bintang area, again. Abi bought me a plain white shirt for dinner. He would be wearing the same that night (wink). Then he got black jeans for the both of us and my Raya shoes were an impulse buy. It was not in our shopping list but he paid for it anyway. Thank you my sweet hope-you-did-not-regret-marrying-me husband (kiss). Alright I promise this would be the last shoes for me. This year that is!

So I wore my glamorous sexy shoes to dinner just break them in for Hari Raya, you know. The host who invited us was already waiting at the entrance to greet us. Well, no offence guys, but I must agree when he said Abi “is the most handsome fund manager in town.” Okay, so I am biased, so?

And breaking the fast at a certain FELDA grand hall, buffet style; was heavenly! Need I say more? The renowned food caterer prepared the best briyani chicken rice, macaroni and cheese, much variety of delicacies, grilled meat, noodles and salad. I knew I missed many other food there but I could not stuffed them all anyway. There were 88 items on the night’s menu, people! We went home tired from digesting all those stuff, darn.

No, I was not done for the weekend yet. My husband is still here in KL for training, again. You know what it means. Life is great, that is all. Oh God, thank you so very much!

Tuesday, September 1

Simply living

On Saturday evening, Abi and I fetched his brother and cousin and all of us drove down to KL hoping we could still get a table at our favorite chicken rice shop in Bukit Bintang area. Sadly though, it was fully booked so we hung out at a mamak’s place first. The plan was to eat lightly before having an actual dinner later.

While waiting for breaking the fast, I did some people watching and boy was I surprised. I thought I just renewed my wardrobe’s collection a few months earlier but now it did not seem to come close with what those girls were wearing. They dressed really differently that I wonder how long had the trend been like this. I felt the need to catch up but I did not know where to find the energy to.

Just like I did not have the energy to wait for breaking the fast. I was darn hungry but managed to busy myself with a couple of magazines. After having some drinks and curry puffs, we moved on to chicken rice (now we are talking). And I was not sure if it is the food or the fact that we were seated in front of a pedestrian crossing’s traffic light right next to the Jalan Bukit Bintang that caused the heat. I was sweating as if I was running while eating. Anyway the food was as expected: it tasted better in other months and slightly poor in fasting month but overall, it was still good.

Next, we went to Lot 10 Shopping Centre (who goes there anymore?) and brother-in-law got himself a Mac bag. I purchased uncooked pasta for Hari Raya. They looked nice I could not wait to mess with them! In about an hour we were done there but not for the night, yet. We continued to hang out at a kopitiam. Each had a couple of drinks and updated our online accounts while we were at it. We had so much fun although we kind of did this almost every weekend! It was already 1am by the time my husband and I arrived home.

Yesterday, Abi granted another break fasting wish of mine. We rushed to the Mines Shopping Fair and there was unbelievably massive crowd over there probably due to public holiday. We decided to park outside the building and got in straight to buy that famous foot long toasted sandwich with beef steaks. I asked for all veggies except onion and all but teriyaki sauce to be stuffed in. That was how I would order it, every single time. No complain from him so far (tongue).

Done paying, my husband and I hurried out and off to the airport. Yeah we had to have dinner at the airport because his flight was at 8.50pm so must check-in before 7.50pm and boarding time was at 8.10pm. Therefore, we needed to squeeze everything in that limited time: eat, pray and run to the departure gate. Alright the word run was pretty overstated. Okay we did not run just walked very fast. Anyhow, all was worth it once you break fasting on a healthy but huge creamy spicy sour sweet messy sandwich with potato chips! Yummy.

Once again I felt blissful, contented and entertained by indulging in life’s simple pleasures. From street eatery to the airport’s food garden, I enjoyed them all. It does not take much to make my day (wink). I am plain boring like that but then again he is a simple person too. So I guess we complement each other in that way. I wonder what is in store this weekend. Hmm.