A&W Seremban... now..

I posted these photos for a friend of mine yang rindukan tempat ni... tempat jatuh lagikan dikenang... inikan pulak tempat makan burger and rootbeer float... sedapnya... so Zarina... sama macam dulukan... cuma sebelah kiri yang tempat makan outdoor tu dah ditutup... interior pun dah lain... Dulukan I sekolah KGV kat sebelah tu... selalu jugak lalu kat sini bila balik sekolah...

Do come and visit Seremban sometime...

Easy Sunday

Seremban's Lake Garden

I just came back from Seremban Lake Garden (above). My husband, Hajar and me had planned yesterday to go for an early Sunday jog. Nadia and Sarah would also want to join us katanya. But this morning... bila kejutkan both of them kata tak jadilah.

So.. just the three of us yang pergi. I made a brisk walk about 1.5 round the lake and sit on the garden bench with Hajar waiting for babah to finish up his 3rd round.

After finished the Sunday morning exercise, we headed for Stadium Paroi. I memang suka roti jala kat situ. I bought 4 sets of roti jala (16pcs) enough for all of us and also 4 bungkus nasi Lemak!. Why 4 only? sebab I wanted to avoid nasi lemak... membazir gi jogging..

So now... everyone in the house dah kenyang had their brunch. I don't have to prepare lunch lagi. Perhaps lewat petang baru start masak. I planned to start the bead works for a baju kurung. Dah sebulan kawan hantar, belum start jahit lagi. I better get started after this.

What about the plan to make the 'no-bake' cheese cake? Next week lah sebab tak cukup ingredient. Anyway, yesterday I already baked the chocolate cupcakes (no decoration). Actually It was a chocolate cake.. became chocolate cupcakes simply because I poured all the adunan into the papercups. Woilla!! jadilah chocolate cupcakes... Yang penting.. my daughters and hubby like it...

My Cupcakes

As promised, I finally managed to upload photos of us attending Kak Jun's Basic Cupcakes Decoration class on 1/4/09 at Subang Jaya. It was really an exciting and also a new experience for both Ida and me. I really enjoyed creating and experimenting the cuppies decorations.
pssstt.... Zarina... how was your cuppies class recently?..

These cuppies was mine...

These trays of cupcakes fully decorated belong to us, my dear frienfd Ida and me. Cantik tak? OK lah kan.. The forefront tray was Ida's and the other one was mine. This was our first time messing with fondant and buttercream. Kak June taught us the basic of cupcake decorations. We learned 10 different types of decorations. As you can see from the above photo, of all the decorations, the roses and mushroom yang paling I suka...

Cupcakes and me....

Sweet Ida with her sweet cupcakes....

The two new artists in action...

Delicious black coffee served by Kak Jun.. cap Tupai katanya... and Ida pergi cari kat Supermarket and found it!

Sambil - sambil minum kopi, we enjoyed the serene surrounding... how nice!

Ada pond with fishes yang menyejukkan hati dan perasaan menjadi tenang...cewahh..

Shopping for baking supplies..

My friend, Ida and me had planned a week earlier to go to the baking supplies shop nearby our office during the Friday afternoon break. So, after a nasi ayam lunch at the cafe, we rushed to Puchong searching for the shop. Finally, we found it.

Initially, we planned to buy supplies for our first self-made/home-made decorative cupcakes. By the time we left the shop, I had a handfull of something for decorating cupcakes and cheese cake. I bought a spring-fold tin for cheese cake. Quite cheap compared to the supermarket. Even the creamcheese was also cheap. Boleh datang lagi...

Now... I am planning to decorate the cuppies la pulak...

Out of the Office

I was away from office for 2 days from Tuesday. Only today I'm in and there's a bundle of documents in my in-tray until I delayed my breakfast.

I attended the Developing the Purchasing Skills course at the Legend Hotel in KL nearby the PWTC. It been sooo long since I last attended a paid course. It's either the courses offered not related to my job scope or the company just sooo kedekut to approve my requisition.

Anyway, the course was so informative for me as I am still 'young' in Purchasing. There were 7 participants all together including me. The instructor is generally good in the field and an experienced guy. The best part was the hotel's food was excellent! (it was free).

As usual, if I were to go to KL on official engagement, I would take the Komuter train from Seremban. This time my stop was at the Hentian Putra. Guess what? It took 1.5 hours from Seremban to Putra stop. Bangun tidur bangun balik semula tak sampai-sampai lagi. Quite a boring journey. Some more no story book to read. On the first day I attended the course, I went to the International book fair at the PWTC before balik. There's lots of books. Tak tau mana nak pilih. But... I already had something on my mind... I search and search... and finally jumpa. Punyalah happy jumpa sampai tak sedar I termenjerit. The lady beside me pandang I, she was a bit terkejut I guess. I was looking for the A-Z Smocking. Murah je RM38.00 and after 20% discount I got it for RM30.40 only. It is a translated book to BM. Kalau English version punyalah mahal, around RM115 or more. Punyalah puas hati and smiling all the way home.

Yesterday, after finished the course singgah at a small pameran buku at The mall. A lot of story books but I was so tired to choose. So, I balik with nothing.

Now, I am planning to try out the smocking project pulak.

Gotong Royong

Yesterday, as early as 8.15 a.m. Hajar, my hubby and me were on our way to Hajar's kindy ada gotong royong.. As previous year, memo from the school says boleh bawak anak pokok, pasu, or peralatan bercucuk tanam..

I brought two abondoned clay pots and a few anak-anak pokok but not suitable to plant at kindy because the plant has torn on its leaves and finally the anak pokok later became rebutan among moms. I also brought cangkul and pencakar rumput. It was quite fun, with parents got to know each other and share stories of our kids. Yesterday only I knew that Hajar is one good netball player. The 'coach' (one of the parent) told me that Hajar always be the pemain contoh kononnya but she still have to work on her feet, always bergerak which is not allowed in netball. OK lah I said, I'll get the sister, Nadia which played for the school to train Hajar on this.

Actually the gotong-royong is to clean up the school compound and to beautify the landscape. The men do the tougher work like potong pokok mangga and bakar all the sampah. Nasib baik the neighborhood that report to JAS. We the moms tanam pokok bunga and alih-alih pasu bunga sambil bersembang-sembang... biasalah...

After almost 2 hours of sweating, it was makan time. Eloklah dah berpeluh, makan nasi lemak! We ate sampai kenyang and tapau some more. Tak payah masak for lunch.

After we left the school, terus ke laundry shop to sent Hajar comforter sebab ada kucing kencing! and do some groceries at the nearby supermarket. Ada very special offer... the Kraft's cheese spread is now sold at half price from it's usual RM8.99 and now at RM 4.50.

I like cheese. What about you?

Ayat-ayat Cinta...the end

That's it!... I finished reading ayat-ayat cinta late last night. I started to continue reading while the girls were watching the AF7.. the season that I was not interested at all... I simply got fed-up with.... the stage!! In fact, the whole thing of AF!

The ayat-ayat cinta... I really like the whole story... the background of the story, the people inside the story, the references given, the characters within and the morale of the story... It was fantastic!!! It was truly full of life! Penuh keinsafan...

But.... I did not cry ya... eventhough it was soooo touching gitu... Maybe kalau watch the movie... barulah terasa....

What's my next book? I will visit the MPH next weekend... but I just received the April's copy of my Reader's Digest...

Now.. I remember the Book Fair at PWTC next week... alamak!! nak kena pegi ni....

Baju Melayu Untuk Ayah

Ayah came over to my house just now. He just drop-by on his way to Angah's house in Bangi. Angah was away since last Thursday, she's in KK, Sabah right now. Ayah was there just to tengok-tengokkan her other four children. She just took the youngest one, Maryam with her.

I bought sepasang kain for a Baju Melayu for ayah last weekend kat Casa Moda, Seremban. Pilih punya pilih the colour that he wanted, at last dapatlah satu Italian Crepe. He wouldn't care the type (brand) of the material, as long as it is not too expensive or kilat-kilat. The sales assistant pun potonglah the 4.5 metre. I gave the kain to ayah on Monday night when he was on his way home from Masjid Negeri. On Thursday he called me saying that the kain has the word Silk printed on the edge. I was kind of terkejut sebab orang tu cakap bukan silk. Tak pelah I said, I bought another one lah. That one I punyalah jawab nya. I already started imagining to potong the kain later..

So, on Friday, I went to Gulati's lah pulak in SACC Mall in Shah Alam. It took quite fast to look for the suitable color of Ayah's choice eventhough there were soooo many material for baju melayu... I cannot resist to intai-intai kain for sepasang baju kurung... "Remember!"... I told myself. I still have quite a stock at home also from Gulatis and Casa Moda. I ended up buying only for Ayah. What a wise decision!..

Just now, I have given the kain to ayah and rest assured him that this time it is silk-free. OK settled. What was sooo hassle massle about the baju melayu??... Just wait.. the surprise is yet to come...

And now.. I continued with this entry and before that finished up making the pancake as Hajar was waiting and grumbling beside me...

Hadiah untuk Pengantin Baru

I just finished wrapping up the present for the newly married couple... the daughter of Hj Ahmad Zakri, colleague of mine in GMSB. We could not make it to the kenduri in Keramat, KL last month sebab asalnya Hajar demam but suddenly the next morning we changed plan and brought Hajar to the coloring contest in Seremban Parade.

I bought a set of lovely couple breakfast set, quite romantic I guess. I seldom wrap present and I have to admit that I memang tak pandai wrap present. Normally I would just go to the customer's service counter and get them to wrap for me. Selesai masalah. Tonite, I have to wrap the present myself jugak sebab dah beberapa lama asyik tertangguh nak bawak the present to office to give to the newly self-promote bapak mertua. I pray for the young couple to be happy everafter and may Allah bless them.

I could still remember 16 years ago... I pun dapat banyak hadiah kahwin... seronok kan... banyak pinggan mangkuk and tea set. Until now I am still using it...

Salam Takziah

I would like to express my deepest condolence to my colleague, En. Mohamed Raiff for his beloved father's sudden departure. May Allah bless his soul.

This morning at about 9.30 a.m, my collegues and I telah bertolak ke Kelang untuk menzirahi jenazah bapa seorang rakan office. We arrive there greeted by his relatives and mother. My heart felt for her as I watched her, in her most deepest sorrow and sadness on her face. I hugged her to offer my comfort eventhough I know that would not lessen her sadness for the lost of her husband. I once again was touched because she kissed me on both my cheeks. As though my mother...

I could only sedekahkan al-Fatihah and surah Yaasin. May Allah bless the family as well.

Suddenly the sweet memories of my beloved late mother came one by one and I could not help it but quietly cried for the lost. I miss my mother and will always miss her for the rest of my life...

Al Fatihah....

Ayat-Ayat Cinta

by Habiburrahman El Shirazy

This is my first non-english language novel. Why I bought this one? Simply because my friend read it and my sister in-law also read it. Semua yang dah baca kata buku ini teramatlah bestnya..

I am now at page 90. I started reading since I bought the book during the weekend. As planned I went to the Popular and immediately searches the Ayat-ayat Cinta. Sekejap je dah jumpa. Tak tengok dah buku lain. Nadia pulak pilih Aku Mahu ke New York by Ain Maisarah, a teenage novel. Nothing for Sarah because she yet to finish her Sarah and Bunga Mawar. And also nothing for Hajar.

Before the bookstore, I went to the textile shop, Casa Moda to buy kain for a baju melayu for my father. And this time no kain for me as I have plenty of stock at home!

Guava la jugak..

Since yesterday, our colleague started selling sliced guava with asam boi. All freshly cut and nicely packed together with serbuk asam boi. She put all the packed guavas inside the fridge in the pantry. Just imagine you are indulging in the chilled guava with nice sweet and sour serbuk asam boi. Sedapnyaaa! Lupa pulak, she also sell guava juice with asam boi serbuk or without the serbuk. I prefer the one with the serbuk asam. Sedapnyaaaa.....

Tapikan have you ever eaten a pink guava? I still remember when I was small, there's a pokok jambu with the pink inner seed.. Kalau yang biasa kita makan tu is putih inside but this one is pink inside tempat biji-biji tu. I tell you... sedap nya... and the colour inside, of course! it's pink...

The pink guava tree is generally just the same as the pokok jambu yang putih kat dalam tu. There was a pink guava tree infront of my arwah Lang I in kampung kat Jitra. Sekarang ni jangan kan kata pokok, batang pokok ke akar pokok pun dah tak de lagi sebab tapak rumah and sebahagian kampung tu dah jadi Pekan Jitra 2 sekarang ni. If you happen to pass by the town on your way to Bukit Kayu Hitam or to Kuala Perlis ikut jalan biasa not highway, kat situ lah pokok jambu pink tu...

So... merah jambu does exist and the colour of pink ikut pink guava punya color lah. Got what I meant? enough about jambu... I just finished up the guava juice... sedapnya kalau ditambah asam boi serbuk tu... dan harganya cuma RM1.50... Today I just beli the guava juice not the guava with asam boi sebabnya yesterday I bought 2 packs! Bagus jugak I guess sebab bolehlah tak banyak sikit detox my body.. konon...

Today's ... Friday... during lunch hour we have kelas fardhu Ain.. conducted by a Ustazah... started from last year lagi on Friday afternoon from 1.00 p.m to 2.30 p.m. This is organised by the Wanita committee of GMSB Sport Club... lunch provided lagi.. just be there and what a barakah Friday... penghulu segala hari. Wassalam...

p/s I bought another cup of guava juice... sshhhhh...

Cupcakes

Today, I made another milestone in my life... I learn how to decorate cupcakes! Ida and I registered ourselves a week earlier to attend the class in USJ. The very baik and tak garang teacher who taught us was Kak Jun. Thank you for your patience on us thoroughout the class from 10.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. I will upload the photos (still waiting for Kak June to email me all the photos)