My Last Entry

Hi all, this is my last entry in meundertheradar. Shifting to http://www.anajoe.com Keep on following me. Thanks!!

Apabila Mata Gedik Tak Nak Lelap

Sekarang sudah pukul 12:35 pagi, buah hati dua orang sudah diulit mimpi tapi mata gedik ni masih belum mengantuk. Pukul 430 nanti dah nak bangun bersahur.. kalau tak nak tersenggut depan MacBook (ada unsur riak di situ), saya kena paksa mata ni lelap. Maybe lepas merapu sikit dalam blog ni, mata jadi kuyu sikit.

Mungkin saya ni ada rasa teruja sikit sebab baru je register domain baru yang akan diguna pakai very soon. www.anajoe.com. Gembira tak terkata sebab dapat guna nama timangan (manja tak?) untuk blog sendiri. Ingat nak import contents blog ni ke sana tapi fikir2 balik, okay juga kalau start fresh. Tengoklah macamana. Macam-macam dah fikir nak buat untuk blog baru ni. Kalau ada suggestion, silalah beritahu ye.

Sekarang ni sedang mencari tiga perkataan untuk describe myself. Apa kata kita buat contest? Siapa dapat bagi description tepat akan dapat tudung ekslusif dari iamjetfuel by Yuna. Cepat, hantarkan penyertaan anda.

Nak tulis blog ni kena rajin dan tulus. Kalau nak jadi pretentious atau berpura-pura, pembaca pun mesti dapat rasa. Dalam kepala tengah list down stories yang akan dimuatkan dalam blog baru saya tapi dengan kesibukan kerja dan sebagai, tak tahulah bila boleh siap project ni. Maybe saya pun boleh jual barang dalam blog, pieces yang akan saya beli dari London, Paris nanti atau apa-apa aksesori gorjes yang saya jumpa sewaktu membeli-belah. Apa kata? :)

Jam sudah pukul 12:51, saya harus paksa mata untuk lena. Selamat bersahur semua.. 6 more days to go! Good night

Jalan-Jalan Pergi Kuala Terengganu

Bulan Ramadhan kali ni kami sekeluarga busy betul. Tiap-tiap minggu ada je aktiviti yang dibuatnya. Minggu sebelumnya berjimba di Melaka untuk pekena ikan bakar, minggu lepas kami terbang ke Kuala Terengganu. Apa pasal pergi Terengganu? Alkisahnya, cik Abang pergi tempah tiket bulan November tahun lepas.. tetapi cik abang tak perasan bulan Ogos ialah bulan puasa. Dah alang-alang tempah, mestilah kami pergi! Kami terbang hari Jumaat malam dan sampai ke Kuala Terengganu dalam masa 50 min sahaja. Penempatan yang kami tempah boleh tahan menariknya. Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resorts & Spa di Pulau Duyong ni tempat mat saleh duduk kata pakcik teksi. Kalau tengok published rates memang terbeliak mata, tapi banyak internet deals yang boleh memberikan kita diskaun hebat, pandai-pandai cari ye. Sesampainya kami di airport, kami ambil teksi dengan tambang berharga RM25 dan pemandunya ada impian untuk membawa kereta di litar F1, Sepang. Kenapalah laju benar pokcik, ngeri saya!

Bilik kami di tingkat atas, Tia suka benar melepak di luar sambil bermain iPad. Relaxing kata dia. 

Interesting juga nak tahu macamana pihak hotel menyediakan makanan sahur. Rupanya, tiffin dihantar ke bilik tepat pada pukul 430 pagi.  Dengan alunan lagu-lagu retro dari Sinar FM, kami pun bersahur tanpa perlu membuka mata. Lauk-lauknya simple je tapi cukuplah..

Sedap le rendang daging tu.. daging lembut betul!

Hari esoknya, kami pun mulalah merancang nak membeli-belah. Nota tambahan: Kalau setakat bawa RM500.. takde dapat apa di sini. Destinasi utama: Pasar Payang. Teksi: RM20. Macam rusa masuk kampung kami bertiga sebab tak tahu peta Pasar Payang. Tingkat bawah jual bermacam barangan dapur, kuih muih dan keropok kerepek. Tingkat atas jual baju. Tentu sekali saya bergerak ke tingkat atas dengan laju sekali.

Ikan tamban paling sedap kata orang kedai tu. Belum goreng lagi so tak boleh nak confirm

Setibanya di tingkat atas, maka mata saya menjadi kabur kerana terlalu banyak pilihan kain. Nama macam-macam, sutera crape yang pelbagai, mahal murah, ada batu takde batu, lukis tangan lukis digital, lengkap semua ada. Yang penting.. duit kena banyak sebab harga tak murah. Memanglah boleh dapat murah berbanding di Kuala Lumpur tapi masih lagi berada di paras mahal. Batik sutera crape digital dijual dengan harga paling murah RM190. Harga yang ditampal di atas kain itu ialah RM450. Kalau tak pandai tawar menawar, minta maaf le. Kalau batik lukis paling murah RM250. Kalau nak yang lebih mahal tentulah ada. Cik abang membeli kain sampin satu. Di Kuala Lumpur saya tanya harganya mencecah RM1000, di Terengganu ni dapat potongan yang cukup baik. Kain batik basahan, kain pelikat, baju kaftan.. banyak benar pilihan. Banyak juga lah kira kami berbelanja di Pasar Payang ni tetapi kualitinya berbaloi.

Hanya Jauhari yang mengenal Manikam, saya hanya kenal sutera crape. Grade dan Jenis saya tak faham.

Masalahnya timbul apabila selesai bershopping. Nak cari teksi punyalah payah. Jalan pusing-pusing pun tak nampak kelibat teksi. Last-last tanya pakcik jaga parking Pasar Payang tu. Rupanya kena jalan sikit, baru boleh dapat. Kami lalu di depan Bazar Warisan yang dibina untuk membawa crowd dari Pasar Payang ke bangunan yang lebih baik. Nampaknya belum berjaya objektif tu ye. Saya perhatikan Bazar Warisan ni macam bangunan tak siap je. Banyak lagi perincian yang perlu diperhalusi, dan kelihatan material yang digunakan tidak begitu baik. Belum siap sepenuhnya dah nampak usang, dan sampah-sarap yang dibuang merata-rata tidak membantu menaikkan imej tempat ini. Waterfront pun begitu, kawasan disediakan tetapi sampah-sarap merata-rata. Di mana kesedaran rakyat tentang kebersihan, saya pun tidak tahu. Apalah yang susahnya nak buang sampah di tong sampah? Sampai ke hotel, kami berehat dan berbuka di hotel itu sahaja dengan harapan ada nasi kerabu dan nasi dagang. Abang tension sebab pergi Terengganu tak jumpa nasi dagang! 

Bangunan Pasar Warisan 

Keesokkan harinya kami menyewa kereta Alza dengan harga RM150. Ambil pukul 1100 - Pulang dalam pukul 830 malam. Dengan menggunakan Maps dalam iPad, dengan mudahnya kami cari jalan. Destinasi: Masjid Kristal dan Taman Tamadun. Masjid Kristal ni bagi saya nampak unik sekali tetapi sekali lagi bahan buatannya macam ada yang tak kena. Dari jauh nampak gah betul, dari dekat perasaan saya tidak begitu. Mungkin kerana saya cranky sebab panas terik. Lepas snap, snap, snap.. kami pun bertolak ke Taman Tamadun dan banner yang memberitahu Taman itu tutup sepanjang bulan puasa menanti kami. What a bummer!

Untuk bunuh masa, kami pun jalan-jalan sekitar bandar. Jumpa kedai keropok losong, berhenti beli 10 batang, sebatang RM1 je. Pergi Pasar Payang sekali lagi untuk membeli keropok and such. Saya cuba juga Google tapi takde tempat yang menarik sangat untuk dikunjungi. Setelah pusing-pusing di Pantai Batu Buruk dan takde tempat nak pergi, kami ambil bilik di tepi pantai sambil menunggu masa untuk berbuka. Berhampiran ada pasar malam, so apa lagi.. misi mencari nasi dagang dan nasi kerabu diteruskan. Abang jumpa Nasi Dagang sedap yang dijual orang seorang pakcik veteran, saya pun syok dengan Nasi Kerabu banyak lauk. Tia makan Nasi Goreng Pattaya tak pedas. Tapi yang paling saya suka ialah jeruk bawang putih sebagai ulam nasi kerabu. Delish! 
Lepas makan, kami bergegas ke airport untuk berlepas ke Kuala Lumpur. What an experience! Untuk kembali ke Terengganu, mungkin lama lagi kot. :)

Nostalgia Bulan Ramadhan

Diam tak diam (hehe.. cliche je pembuka cerita) dah seminggu kita berpuasa. Ting tong sikit kepala sebab hari-hari bangun pukul 430 pagi masak sahur, lepas tu tidur balik pukul 530, lepas tu bangun balik pukul 630 anak nak pergi sekolah, pastu tidur balik sekejap, then bangun lagi pukul 820 pergi kerja sampai pukul 5..... ting tong sampai petang. Tapi semuanya aku redha. Hari-hari masak sahur okay!!! Jangan ingat nak hidang semula makanan berbuka, tak mainlah macam tu...semua masak panas untuk sahur. Kau ade? Tia pun bersemangat bulan-bulan puasa ni, tak susah kejut untuk bersahur tapi setakat ni hanya lepas satu hari puasa penuh. Yang lain tu separuh hari atau sampai pukul 3 atau 4, yang mana dia berkenan le. Kecil lagi tak mau paksa2. Asalkan kita dapat buat dia teruja dengan puasa, kira kami dahlah capai objektif Ramadhan kali ini. 

Wa takde le pemalas sampai goreng telur je bersahur.. hehehe... 

Time-time bulan puasa ni terkenang cerita masa kecil-kecil dulu. Teruja tu memang le sebab bulan puasa, risau pun risau juga sebab banyak dugaan kalau berpuasa di kampung. Pergi sekolah jalan kaki hari-hari. Kalau balik sekolah tu matahari tegak atas kepala... then kena siap2 pergi sekolah agama pulak yang jaraknya lebih kurang 750 meter dari rumah, Puasa bang... penat. Dah tu, setiap kali bulan puasa, mestilah lepas tu raya kan? Arwah mak memang suka nak tukar cat rumah sempena menjelang Aidilfitri jadi kami le tukang mengecat rumah. Umur dalam 9-10 tahun.... dah lah berpuasa, lagi nak kena cat rumah, haru betul. Kadang2 bila dah tak tahan tu ada juga teguk air paip dari dalam bilik air. Mengelat? Penat lah!!! Mana tahan.. tahu tak rumah Melayu limas berapa besar... pengsan nak cat semua! Arwah bukan guna positif reinforcement ke apa ke.... kalau kata.. lepas cat rumah dapat RM5 sehari best juga. Haha! Rindu arwah mak... masa-masa macam dia yang excited nak siapkan barang-barang untuk raya.

Bila dah nak raya tu.. kakak-kakak aku mula la buat kuih mcm ada pertandingan Kuih Terbanyak di Kampung Paya Rumput. 10 jenis kira mcm takde effort laaaa, kira mcm keluarga jenis malas la senang cakap. kurang-kurang 15 jenis yo! Dari subuh ke petang bawa ke malam, asyiklah buat kuih, lepas tu susun kuih atas para. Kira mcm paling awesome tengok kuih beraneka jenis dalam balang jernih. Kuih yang sering tersenarai dan tidak dianaktirikan termasuklah Kuih Tat Nenas, Kuih Siput, Kuih Dahlia, Kuih Goyang atau juga dikenali dengan Kuih Ros, Kuih Semprit, Kuih Makmur, Kuih Gunting, Kuih Kapet dan sebagainya. Buat kuih ni bukan sikit2.. kira dalam skala sekilo dua juga la. Dan yang bestnya.. semua kuih itu akan habis dimakan. Siapa le tukang makan eh? :)

Kuih paling senang nak buat jadi sedap

Puasa di kampung lain dengan puasa di bandar. Mana ada pasar ramadhan nak pergi cari makanan, kalau ada pun takkan nak belanja hari2. Formula arwah mak, kalau buat sendiri lagi muai dan sedap. A very good formula untuk orang berkeluarga besar. Jadi bila tiba nak berbuka tu penuhlah atas meja dengan mcm2 juadah. Yang best, air mesti ada dua jenis.. yang sejuk dan yang panas. Kuih pun boleh tahan juga, semua buat sendiri. Orang bandar banyak mengelat. Semua beli. Puasa pun banyak mengelat, duduk atas kerusi empuk sepanjang hari di tiup angin aircond sepoi2 bahasa. Haha... termasuklah yang empunya diri. 

Sekarang ni teruja tengok Tia dah cuba-cuba nak puasa dan dah mula excited bila nak raya. Now, it's all about her. Lagi 3 minggu nak Aidilfitri... nak buat kuih apa eh? Sajes la sikit!

Who Needs A Diaper Cake??

Well.... apparently people who organize baby showers! I've never heard of a diaper cake until yesterday when my niece informed me so. In my mind, I was like, do people eat diaper cake? Didn't want to sound ignorant, I refused to ask her what the hell is a diaper cake. And then I consulted Mr Google who told me that there's no eating involved in diaper cake. Phew! I had imagined sinking my teeth in a piece a cake that looks like a diaper with lemon filling. Don't panic.. this cake has nothing to do with flour, icing, etc. If it has, for God's sake, I don't mind being forgotten.   

But this cake is special and unique. It is to give expecting mothers on their baby shower parteeey!!! Don't expect any Candy Shop song by 50 cent in this gig, no lollipops...more of lullabies perhaps. 

Okay....to make this cake, all you need are diapers and baby stuff, sprinkle it with imagination... and voila! Haha!! As if I have ever made one. For my other niece who is expecting a baby daughter, I want to make one for her.  Something like the one in this photo! If it didn't turn out to be this one... DO NOT JUDGE ME FOR I'M JUST A HUMAN YANG TIDAK SEMPURNA!

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Gorgeous yo!

2 days in Singapore!

The five great things about Singapore:

1. Great shopping place.... seriously dangerous for shopaholics

2. Great cinematic experience - IMAX yo!

3. Great transportation system or walkways for pedestrians 

4. Great building architecture.. have you seen The Sands and The Esplanade? 

5. Great Singapore Sale!! Hehe.. up to 80% discounts on branded items!

Awesome view from the plane

Kids need chocolate

A simple space could leave an impact with a bit of attention to details

Kid and dad on the other side

Kid and dad at the Fountain of Wealth

The Fountain of Wealth

A great design for a shopping mall

Attractive!

The Wheel lock place! All you need to do is to look up!

Photo op!

My kiddo posing!

And this is so not appropriate, is it? Could cause a riot if it's in Iran or Pakistan :P

My B'day Gift: LV Neverfull MM Monogram

My birthday is two weeks away but my husband decided to surprise me in Singapore with a treat from Mr Louis Vuitton's shop. We were looking for an iPad 2 casing, as we have seen plenty of LV cases around but unfortunately the casing hasn't been launched yet. So for those who have bought the LV iPad 2 casing.. rest assure that it's a fake. Sorry to break the news to you but the LV specialist told us so.  

Coming back to my birthday gift, he asked me to look around and I pointed the Neverfull MM because I have been eyeing that for quite sometimes. The PM is too small for my liking and the GM is too huge. MM is my perfect fit.  And lucky me, my love said yes! :) 

Not only that the Neverfull has a lot of space, where you can fit a few kittens inside, you can also wear it two different styles. Wear it loose like the picture below and you'd look super cool or you can fold the sides and tighten the laces to make it looks like a chic bag. Tie a scarf, hang keychains.. etc.. personalize your baby. 

The lining fabric design is simple yet beautiful but be careful not to spray perfume or leak any liquid inside. It could be moldy, warned the specialist. 

The trimming is made of cowhide leather, it'd turn tan after sometimes. If yours doesn't turn tan after you used it for 12 months or so.. maybe it's a fake. :P Just saying!

Neverfull design doesn't have any zipper to conceal the contents of your handbag from the prying eyes but at least it has a cute hook to secure the two sides together

For those of you who are curious about the price, in Singapore is  SGD1070, RM2700 in Malaysia and 480 Pounds in the UK. And people say you can get it cheaper in Paris. Duuuhhh!

All in all, I'm sooo over the moon with the gift. Not only because it's LV, but most importantly I received it from the love of my life who knows his wife so very well. Thanks my love! Happy Birthday to me!

My Kid is a City Kid

I helped Tia with her homework yesterday and by help I mean, accompanied her til her work was done. She needed to write one paragraph three times in her workbook. The sentences went like this "Haji Musa mempunyai sawah padi yang luas di Kedah. Dia mengupah pekerja dan menyewa jentera untuk membajak sawah padinya." Apparently, she didn't know anything about sawah padi, jentera, Haji Musa, Kedah, etc etc. Thank God for Google but I couldn't show her Haji Musa though. :P After we're done with the homework, we went upstairs to get ready to sleep and I read to her about fireflies. I told her that I caught a few when I was small. She looked perplexed. In her eyes I could see that she was wondering how was it possible for me to catch fireflies. She had never seen one in her life.

Basically, her childhood and mine are totally different. My kid is a city girl who never walks barefoot on a ground. She never plays outdoor at 3pm without adult supervision. She doesn't know how to climb trees. She never experience riding a bicycle downhill without having any protective gears. She was amazed to know that I had a lot of interesting experiences in my life. On my defense, I didn't have anything to do, that's why! But for her, if given the opportunity, she would love to experience my childhood, I reckon. Looking at her life now, many people would agree with me when I say, it's a blessed life. She could get almost anything that she wants, and she never has to worry about anything. But at the same time, she's losing out on the excitement of discovering things out there. 

I climbed trees as early as 6 years old. I chased and caught chickens just to find out that i'd only get a small piece after all the hard work. Tia could eat chicken whenever she mutters the word 'chicken'. I walked to school, stopped halfway to play in the rubber plantation about half an hour or so before headed home. I plucked multicolor chicken shit flowers (bunga tahi ayam) and made potpourri, along the way to my religious school. I helped my mom picked ciku fruits from the tree, cleaned them and sold them, only to receive 5% of the revenue for myself. When the water supply was cut, I had to walk downhill to the well to bath, wash clothes and carry some water home, uphill!! I didn't have any fancy toys but I spent my days on top of the ciku tree, wasting my time. Haha! 

Life is different for many kids nowadays. Tia is well-protected by us. From home, to school, to babysitter's house, to home again. Never once I let her out of my sight when we're together. But as a kid, she has also experienced many of us could only imagine, like traveling the world. She's six and she's been to many countries, meeting kangaroos and koalas, experienced extreme cold in Shanghai and autumn in Korea. She is gaining knowledge from books, a lot of books. She learns what she loves to do like dancing and drawing. 

Our childhoods might be different but as long as she's happy and she's got to experience life at its best, I don't think it matters. I'd like to introduce her to kampung life but I don't know where to start and I think she's not cut for it. Haha!  :)

A Sexy Emma

Her name is Emma. She came as a big surprise one day, a very pleasant gesture from a very nice man. Met her once, took a photo with her and left. Never thought that we’d meet again. Came across many others, none as appealing as she was. On the day she arrived, the heart skipped a beat, the eyes simply refused to look away. Oh how beautiful she is, the body is gorgeous, the skin glows; everything is perfect. She looks classy yet one can sense an air of toughness around her. A soft caress on her skin, you immediately get the feeling that she comes from a good place. Admiration surfaces, the heart surrenders. This is it; Emma is the one.

Well, I’m talking about my latest handbag by the name of Coach Madison Leather Large Emma Satchel. I just want to try writing a paragraph about something without using I, my, mine. Can or not? This bag is exceptionally comfortable. You can wear it with a sling or without. What I love the most is the inner red lining of the bag. It just gives you the feeling of luxury, and the red is simply sexy. The bag has just enough compartments at the sides for you to store your smart phone and other women essentials, and there’s this large space in the middle where I put my handbag organizer in. The calfskin leather is soft and slightly shiny, exudes sophistication and style.

Emma is just a perfect bag for any occasion, well.. probably not for dinner parties. And the Coach logo is tastefully placed in the middle front, subtle and just enough to my liking. This bag is offered in black and beige and I’m so glad that my husband chose the black one. It looks stylish and classy for any occasions. Emma is my first Coach handbag. Honestly, I am not into Coach bags, as I don’t like large flashy logos and the many Cs, but its leather collections are not bad at all. Thank you my love for the lovely gift. Much love. XOXO.

Grin..grin!

The size is just perfect for an everyday bag

A nice subtle logo

Sturdy handles

Sexy red lining

Listen

I have always been interested in politics; not to be involved directly in politics but to keep myself updated about politics. The recent development in my beloved country however had been greatly politicized even though the issue is not totally about politics; it is about the voice of the people; unless the authority does not consider us, who support the cause for a clean and fair election, as people. 

When you take care of a country, you should take care of the people – those who like your administration and those who don’t. That should be the responsibility of the government. Period. Politics is one thing, government is another. 

What disturbed me the most about this rally that shouldn’t be named, was the overreaction of the government. Your people wanted to walk peacefully for 2 hours for a great cause. Not only that you said “no” and closed all doors for discussion, you also took out all your armies and weapons to intimidate your people, and even worse, after the event you tried to justify your move by saying that you have done a good job??? Don't even start talking about the stadium, you lied. It's as simple as that. 

How could you not know your own people? Malaysians by nature are moderate people, we are not confrontational, and I couldn’t comprehend why did you go to great lengths trying to prove your people otherwise? Did you really want to see bloodshed? Did you really hope that the event would turn out to be like the Jasmine revolution? Are you now frustrated? The irresponsible main media and the authority displayed molotov cocktails, parangs, and bundles of rally that shouldn’t be named’s t-shirts weeks prior to give the impression that this rally was going to be violent. You banned the freaking t-shirts, you considered the piece of clothing to be extremely dangerous?? Why??? I am perplexed that you take us your people for fools. 

Despite all your demonizing efforts, people still went to the rally. People wanted to be heard. These people are educated people, these people are my friends, these people are the ones I look up to, these people are your future generation. And I am a good citizen who never fails to pay the country tax, do not commit crime and work to better our country. Don’t mind the opposition parties, majority of the participants of this rally are your people. I read the updates from both sides, the government media and the alternative media. This rally produces a lot of heartfelt stories about how people from all races united for a common cause. And unfortunately, despite the 1Malaysia slogan that you called for, all I heard about from the government are lies after lies after lies after lies. 

Do you really think we are blind? 5000 to 6000 turned up? Who were you kidding? Minimal force? Really? All videos in YouTube were edited? Seriously??? People were paid to be there? How much? You made fun of people who were injured. You justified your hideous acts. Who do you reckon we are? Criminals? Some low-lives? A group of people who you shouldn’t care about and should be condemned? 

For a government who claims to champion Islam, this move alone is so unIslamic in so many levels. 

All these people wanted is to be heard and the government has time and time again, adamantly shown the people who are loud, the closed doors. I am one of the silent majorities you’re talking about Mr Prime Minister, and I know there are many more out there. Perhaps you should take a moment to reflect on your doings and listen to your people. It’s time. 

Singapore Stands for Shopping!

Yeah, yeah I know Malaysia is also good for shopping but when Singapore calls, I have to answer. :) We are planning on a short shopping trip to Singapore just before Ramadhan to get some clothes and items for Raya. Just so happen, we will be there during the Singapore sale and THAT my friend, deserves a woo hoo! 

What's so great about shopping in Singapore is the variety of choices; it's a retail therapy city, where shopaholics could get their fix all day long. In terms of price, I think it's not much difference from Malaysia but in terms of choices, Singapore offers a lot more. Many brands come to Singapore first then only consider Malaysia. Latest I heard, H&M is opening its store in Singapore in Fall 2011. It's my OMG moment! I love H&M clothes but I reckon the price would be more expensive than if we were to buy in Europe. But knowing that the brand is just next door, it's kinda comforting. Pity that it'd only be available by Sept/Oct. 

I haven't had the chance to visit Sephora in KL but I think Sephora is brought down to Singapore some times ago. I'll be checking out Sephora in KL soon and compare with the one in Singapore. Interesting? 

So what will I be looking for in Singapore this month end? I like tops made from chiffon or crepe silk.. you have that soft touch, nice to pair it with a jacket. I also want to find nice jackets and perhaps a long skirt and a pair of cool jeans. Plus.... a pair of shoes. Cukup? See how lah... And of course the diva of all is Tia lah!! Mestilah nak cari baju dia yang coolness! And as for my hubby.. he's also excited to shop til he drops. I'll post pics of my catch(es) when I'm back from the city. Well... lama lagi kan... but I'm excited!! hehe.

Negative Correlation Between Age and Birthday Gifts

When I was young, nobody remembered my birthday. Birthdays were kind of exclusive, ONLY YOU remembered your own birthdate. Haha! There were a dozen of us, so to remember all dates was not our major concern. On my 7th birthday, I kind of told my mum about it and she made a special fried rice just for me while the rest of my siblings ate plain rice. Share? Didn't think so! :) Though it was not a grand gift, the gesture was really nice! It touched my heart and it'd forever remain in my memory.

Time passed by and during adolescent years I envied my friends who got a lot of exciting birthday presents from their families and friends. I always imagined that I would receive a teddy bear one day though I realized it was a far-fetched dream for me. Sob..sob...But dreams do come true and I received my first teddy bear when I was 17. Yeah, it was too late for a teddy bear at that age but I was ecstatic on that day. My heart swelled with pride because now I have my own teddy bear. Don't judge! Teddy bear was something grand in my olden days. 

Then adulthood said hi and expectations grew. I wanted flowers, handbags, watches, shoes, jewellery on my birthday and thanks to Allah, I received them all. Alhamdulillah. I have no complains and I believe that my life is a good life.  

My next birthday is around the corner and my husband hinted to me yesterday that it has becoming harder to choose a gift for your spouse.

I could relate to him. There are several points to look at. One is the value factor - should this year's gift be more expensive than the previous year's? Another is the repetition factor - could you repeat the same gift you have given two years ago? For example, a watch in 2009 and another watch in 2011. Third is the surprise factor - is it okay to surprise her or you'd be at risk of surprising yourself because your surprise has becoming predictable? Fourth is the excitement factor - how would the reaction be, would I be seeing that fake smile  or is the smile really genuine? I don't know about other people but I am really excited when it comes to buying my spouse's gifts. Perhaps a bit more excited than him. haha! For those who care about our partners, I suppose the feelings are similar. 

So for my coming birthday, I plan not to give any hints so that he could 'suffer' in the process. Can? :)  One thing for sure, I love my husband with all my heart because he has given me the best gift ever, Tia Sofia... si kichik sikit and the gift of happiness. 

Ke Pulau Rottnest, Indahnya Dunia Ciptaan Tuhan - Bab 4

Kami pergi Rottnest Island, pulau yang terletak 30 minit daripada bandar Perth dengan menaiki bot laju. MasyaAllah cantiknya. Tengoklah sendiri gambar-gambar yang kami ambil menggunakan Powershot S95. Nak pergi ke sini tambangnya AUD300 untuk tiga orang so kira kira nak dekat RM1000 la juga tapi berbaloi-baloi. 

Last sekali kita pergi main miniature golf yang menyaksikan betapa berbakatnya Tia Sofia.

Ke Perth, Bandar Paling Terpencil di Dunia - Bab 3

Ini percutian keluarga dan kami ke Perth ye.. jadi janganlah mengharapkan apa-apa di luar dugaan. Harini kami bercadang ke Perth Zoo. Tia teruja benar nak ke zoo tengok kawan-kawan dia. Jadi dah tengok map....tak susah nak pergi Zoo, tak jauh pun. Sebelum itu kami bergambar dulu dengan bandar Perth di belakang. 

Posing ala mak datins

Bersama Ford Falcon

Kangarooooooo

Bunga liar

Unique Tortoise

Nama ini buah sosej

Meerkats

Nak masuk Zoo ni bukan murah ye. Rasa saya AUD22 untuk 3 orang,  kira-kira RM75.  Seronok juga tengok binatang-binatang yang sihat-sihat dijaga baik oleh kakitangan Zoo.

Lepas Zoo, kami nak makan satey di restoran orang Malaysia. Somebody recommended this restaurant and my husband memang supportive so kita cari la.. Tak jauh pun rupanya dan sedap masakan mereka. Masalah cuma harga. RM5 untuk secucuk satey dan RM60.8 untuk semangkuk masak lemak cili padi. Motif beli????????? Tapi saya fahamlah sebab satu biji limau nipis berharga RM15. Cekik darah!

Ke Perth, Bandar Paling Terpencil di Dunia - Bab 2

Di Perth ni, saya paling suka pergi Kings Park. Masa saya pergi dua tahun dulu ketika musim bunga, tapi kali ni musim sejuk.. bunga semua tiada... hilang lenyap, tetapi cuaca seindah ini memang mengujakan untuk menjalankan aktiviti bersama keluarga. Tapi sebelum pergi Kings Park, kami singgah dulu bershopping di Harbour Town di Wellington Street. Suami beli baju bersenam, Tia beli jaket Adidas tapi masalahnya harga lebih tinggi berbanding Malaysia so takde beli barang sangat, tak ekonomi. 

Tia kata kalau nak pergi picnic kita kena ada picnic basket, picnic blanket, food, etc. Haha! Tak mungkin nak cari picnic basket kan? Beli beberapa jajan di convenient store bersebelahan dengan hotel cukuplah. Saya paling suka Dare iced coffee... it's like OMG delish! Pilihan saya mesti Double Espresso. Sebelum meninggalkan Harbour Town, kami beli kebab di situ. Janganlah dok tanya halal ke tak... saya pun nak masuk sorga jugak. 

Nak order ambil nombor dulu..

Apasal Malaysia tak jual coffee ni?

Kings Park ini besar, pergi wiki kalau nak tahu ye. Yaya seronok sungguh main dengan papa dia. Main sorok2 belakang pokok (pokok besar-besar) main sorok2 pun tak jumpa. Di ketika ini lah tak nak lepaskan peluang berfotografi. 

 My sweethearts

 Awesome scenery

Lama juga kita spend time di Kings Park ni tapi lama-lama kena beredar juga sebab langit mula mendung. Kalau bunga boleh tumbuh di musim sejuk, Kings Park is definitely THE perfect place for me. Lepas Kings Park balik hotel lepaks dulu dan malam kami pergi jalan-jalan ke Burswood. Rupa-rupanya semua orang Perth datang ke Burswood ni... patutlah takde orang di bandar. Tak jauh lah tempat ni.. dalam 7-10 minit memandu. Burswood ni tempat orang mencari entertainment di waktu malam..ada macam-macam, kira agak seperti Vegas la. Architecture bangunannya pun sama mcm Luxor di Las Vegas. Tapi kami pergi sana minum kopi dan jalan-jalan tengok kedai apa yang buka lagi, Nasib baik kami sampai awal sikit sebab kami adalah pembeli terakhir di kedai kopi di belakang tu. 

Esok kami nak pergi Zoooooooooooo...........