Chinese New Year!!!

Its the 3rd new year of the year!!!! haha. Being in AC, its so good to know that Malaysians get to turn over a new leaf on new year's 3 times a year.. lol! but it was good.. we had a meal to celebrate chinese new year with the malaysians and other "bananas" *ehem* :P.. we wanted to go buy stuff and cook, but the shop was closed by the time we got there, so we couldnt cook.. it was really a last minute kinda thing.. sooooo... we ended up buying some chicken at a fast food and some lamb, and we had that.. but the best part was dessert!!! we had chocolate fountain!!!! with strawberries, honeydue, grapes, cake... mmm hmmm! lol. and luce, who was in front, got covered in chocolate from people dipping chocolate in the fountain.. lol. it was so funny.. and yummy!!! got a bit of a tummy ache after that.. but it was all worth it!!! so to all chinese and malaysians out there.. Happy Chinese New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

have not been update my blog often enough.. really busy.. even now i have to rush off to choir.. but no service for a week!! i passed my pool lifeguard exam!! im officially a pool lifeguard!!!! lol.

adios¬ till next time.. =)

;)

*tadaaa!!!!!* didnt i tell everyone i was going to do this??? hehe.

Focus week!

So ok.. I know i was supposed to post pictures, but the internet here is so lousy, and i dont really have time to do it, so i can't really post them. Maybe next time..

Anyways! its been really busy since i got back to AC this term. The past few weeks have been really hectic, especially this week, being the Asian focus week and all, and the South East and Eastern Asia National Evening last Sunday.

The Malaysians got togehter, and we made a short sketch of a scene at a warung, then we did a short joget, which we invented ourselves after watching tonnes of youtube videos. It was kinda nice actually. I was doing the introduction, and I kinda liked the part "tuan-tuan dan puan-puan, ladies and gentlemen, senoras y senores, madames et messieurs.. selamat datang, welcome, and please give a big round of applause for MALAYYYSSSIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" it was fun.. hehe.

i cooked chicken curry, fried rice and fried noodles to sell just before the national evening to raise funds for the Malaysian Summer project as well, and we did quite well actually.. Then on monday we had a malaysian cookout for focus week (which is supposed to be a week dedicated to Asia) on monday night as well, and i made rendang ayam, ayam masak merah, jemput-jemput, bubur kacang, ais kacang (somewhat improvised version.. hehe) and roti canai. I got kinda freaked out, coz it was supposed to start at 7, and I was waiting for my friend to chop the chickens, and at 6.45 he came and said he had no idea how to do it, so i started to cut, and people started to come and i was still cutting the chicken.. they had to wait for like half an hour before the food was ready..



on wednesday, we had a discussion about the asian core cultural beliefs while we served asian tea, including teh tarik.. i nearly burnt my hand pulling the tea.. i forgot it was hot.. -.-" but it was good to hear that the asians here still know their own values, and dont just leave everything behind.. Asia is just so interesting.. ;)

And on that day as well, i had to do the Malaysian poster for the focus week.. it was supposed to be up by sunday, and my friend was supposed to do it.. but on tuesday, he sent out an email asking our (the malaysians) opinion for the poster.. so i was like "omg! the week's almost over!" i told him to just do it, but he said he has to do something else, so i just started doing it, and posted it up on..

Tomorrow night, Friday, we're having a guest speaker to come and speak.. he's the maritime attache in the Malaysian high commision in london.. a malaysian! lol. we wanted to cook dinner for him, but because of UK's strict and absolutely absurd fascination with health and safety, we cant do it.. we tried to fight for it a few times, but the vice principal is just so weak, he gave in to the kitchen ladies! just imagine how incredibly tak masuk akal it is... the reasons we were given.. "if u bring the food from ur house to the castle (which is 2 minutes walk away), it is a health hazard..", "if you buy prawns, they'll defreeze when u bring them back, and if u freeze them again, its a health hazard" like omg!!! we told them michele, who is a HSE certificate holder, is going to supervise our cooking.. we told them, we're going by car to buy the stuff, we told them, we'll invite them to the house, not the castle.. but noooooo... they want him to eat the dining hall's food.. "whats wrong with the food?" they ask.. hah.. i bet they never tasted their own cooking..

anyways! i had econs coursework due monday, i had spanish due that day as well, i had lifeguards work due tuesday, i have english and e-systems assignments due tomorrow.. and i havent had a good night's sleep all week.. the moment i walked into spanish class this morning, the teacher just stared and said "she looks sleepy.. but you! you look dead.."

anyways! rejoice! tomorrow is friday! its been a hectic week.. and i think it went quite well.. =D

2008

my first post for the year 2008. No, im not going to write about spain just yet. I just arrived in Madrid, and i still have 5 days left before my post of spain. =)

i guess,sometimes, it just cant be helped, how you feel. things come and go, and u have to resist the urge to hold on to the past. often, i find myself thinking, hoping, that the future will be predictable, something i can rely on, something i can look forward to without any doubt. But then, i remind myself - if the future were all that, then what is there to look forward to?

its hard, but the unpredictability of time and fate is just something we have to learn to leave and let be. the future will always be there.. the past has always been there.. the present, thats a gift..

we can all just hope, the people who came into our lives, who play such important roles, who touched us, who led us, who followed us, who we term family,friends, continue to be there. but who knows..

as the new year dawns, the last year, the old year, sets.. last year has become a memory, part of a string of events that lead to this year. its hard for me, but.. Happy New Year 2008..

visual of dubai!

Vale.. the photos i promised u guys!! Some of the pictures i took when i was in dubai.. Some of them arent too clear because someone else took the photos.. my canon ixus is too old already.. perhaps it needs a change.. *chucke*


This is the mosque near Uncle Husam´s place.. very modern design for a mosque.. unique in its own way, not stuck to the traditional design.. revolutionary.. i like¬ hehe.

this is the inside of the mosque.. not bad eh.. one of the things i like about dubai.. its growing at at amazing pace.. just imagine, 20 years ago, it was all just desert.. now, hundreds of sky scrapers, flyovers all above, MRTs/LRTs, gigantic malls, luxurious homes.. but amidst it all, masyaAllah, you can still hear the sound of the Azan in the malls, the mosques are as modern as all other worldly buildings, god is not forgotten.. alhamdulillah.

Here´s Ahmed, Uncle Husam´s son, with a falcon, during the desert safari..

aziza, my sister..

Sumaiya, Ahmed´s oldest sister..

This was in the car during the desert safari.. see ahmed in the back? hehe.

My parents, uncle husam, aunty sabra and siham were in this car.. you could practically hear aunty sabra screaming.. my mum was screaming as well at first, but she got quiet when aunty sabra started.. i think they all got deaf from that.. haah

aunty sabra and siham when they got out of the car..

Here´s the desert.. it was actually quite different from what i imagined it to be.. but probably because it was winter.. it wasnt quite hot.. it was quite nice, to be honest. the weather i mean. and the sand was very fine, it didnt even stick to my jeans..

the cars parked during one of our stops. there were about 10 cars altogether in a convoy..

heres salwa, the one in between ahmed and sumaiya (what a description.. hehe), eyeing the falcon.. haha.

guess who got the coolest picture with the falcon? hehe

when the convoy was driving.. it was really beautiful.. when you see, you can only say.. "que bonito..." it was breath taking..

the sun setting..

one of the pictures i meant when i said blur.. if you can see, thats me pulling ahmed down one of the dunes.. haha. it was fun!

here´s everyone.. i think.. let me count.. uncle husam, ahmed, aunty sabra, my mum, sumaiya, salwa, siham, aisha, aziza, me, my dad.. yeap.. thats everyone.. pity it turned out blur as well..

another one of me pulling ahmed.. you would think that the 2nd shot would be a clearer one.. =(

we´re on the camel.. haha. my legs really are long..

*chuckle* ahmed was reciting the kalimah syahadah when he was on the camel behind me.. hehe

they were just waiting for us riding on the APVs..

someone leaning over the chair like that, in sand so fine, u can just imagine whats going to happen..

did u imagine the right thing? haha.

when he fell, the first thing my mum did was to shout for Sumaiya to take a picture.. She even stopped Uncle Husam from helping my dad get up before the picture.. hehe. Uncle Husam said later on, he thought the camel was behind my dad, because all he said when he fell was "ah... ah.. ah.." lol

*covering up* "you camel! sneaked up on me like that!" hehe

when we got home.. just making sure the house doesnt turn into a desert.. ;)

a view in one of the malls.. i think this was Festival City, if im not mistaken..

During Eid.. I did the takbir.. Malaysian style.. rindunya di hati, beraya di kampung, merayakan keagungan Illahi, kebesaran yang Maha Esa.. then uncle husam started the read the doa.. the whole moment was very touching.. i think for a moment there, there was a bit of a drizzle in the desert..

Then the festivities! Dancing to some malay and arab music.. hehe

We had barbeque that night.. sooooo much food!

Juana grilling the chicken.. it started off with aunty sabra.. then salwa.. then when the first round of food was done, noone wanted to be stuck by the grill.. aha

just us..

and us.. hehe.

Well, i guess thats it.. next post.. Seville.. =D

Dubai!!

Dubai!! You know what, if ever ur looking for a destination, go to dubai.. hehe. was there for slightly over a week, and it was *two thumbs up*!! lol. We stayed with uncle husam and his family there - they just moved to dubai from oman. Theyve been telling us to visit them in oman for the past 7 years, and we finally did visit them, theyre not in oman anymore.. haha.

Anyways. when we arrived the airport, there was somebody waiting for us right outside the aircraft (i was like whoa~ special treatment.. haha).apparently, uncle husam arranged it for us. So yea, they took us to the immigration (using a buggie!! however u spell it.. the car thingy they drive in the airports.. i always wanted to ride on that thing.. dreams do come true.. ;) ),and at the immigration, they brought us straight to the counter,bypassing the looooong line (i was thinking again.. whoa~~ not bad..), had our passports stamped, and went to get our bags. there, a few guys were waiting to get our luggage (by now i was like, not bad at all~ haha), we went out,and there were uncle husam, aunty sabra, and ahmed, waiting..

We went to their house, freshened up, bla bla bla, and that night,went to the shopping mall. Pretty much the same the whole time - shopping malls everyday...

But on tuesday.. or was it monday? we went on the desert safari.. twas so fun!! haha. 2 4WDs came and picked us up. Uncle husam, aunty sabra,my parents and siham (uncle husam and aunty sabra's youngest daughter) went into one car, and my sisters, sumaiya and salwa (siham's older sisters) and i went into another. They drove us to the desert. well, if you can say that driving. haha. the drivers just *BAM!* everywhere. We were skidding on the dunes, sliding down the slopes, and stuff like that. Sand was flying everywhere, and a few times, we cant see anything coz the whole car was emersed in the sand it( um.. im running out of adjectives here) blew up.. haha.then we went sand surfing, camel riding, and APV riding.. then we had dinner in the desert, and when we got back home, it was around 9pm - dark~ haha. but it was really fun, though a few were screaming their heads off,among other things they did.. haha.

hmm.. what else we did? we just went to a few places, mostly malls.. went to the souk.. had a good time bargaining.. haha. nice food as well!!after being in UK, where its so hard to get halal restaurant, i think i just filled myself up with food whenever and wherever i went.. lol.

Another thing i enjoyed most - i got my own room!! haha. its been soooo long since i slept alone.in istanbul, i shared a room with my dad, in belgium, with my friend, in AC, with a few friends.SO you can just imagine the relief and excitement, after the practically nil privacy in AC, when i entered a quiet room, all to myself, close the door, and lock it.. haha. felt soo good!! =D

hmm.. i dont know what else to write.. we did quite a lot actually, and it was really really really sooo much fun~~ i dont know, maybe its because i was in the UK that i appreciate it all the more. Good company (as uncle husam regularly points out), good food, good surrounding, good everything. Owh, and a perkembangan. I'm considering Qatar after AC!! hehe.

Anyways, again, no more pictures here. Im at Madrid airport now, waiting for my flight to Seville, and i cant upload pictures here now. So i'll do it once i get to my friend's house in Seville. After that,i'll be posting about Spain!!! haha.

ant..

Just a short story i wanna share..

Everyone knows about Nabi Sulaiman, or Solomon, if thats how you spell his name in English. Once, he saw an ant and he picked it up and looked at it. He told the ant, "you are such a small creature without any significance. what use are you? why did Allah even create you?"

And the ant told him, "I say the zikir (praise to Allah, eg alhamdulillah, subhanallah, allahhuakbar..) a hundred thousand times a day. How many times do YOU do it? What use are YOU? Why did Allah create YOU?"

And Nabi Sulaiman humbly put the ant down and appologized. Its not about how big you are, or what you do, that gives you a place in this world of God's. God gives you a place - thank Him for that. MasyaAllah, Alhamdulillah.