The Internet Line Was Down...Kaput...

For the last few days the internet line was a problem..and in fact it is still is..Today I just manage to get a connection to view messages etc...The IT team says they are working on it as we are using the company supplied facilities in the compound. So..wait lo....

Anyway.. i will try to be more organized and orderly with this blog. Hello to new contacts..love reading your blogs..but nak panggil nama apa ya...let me know. Hello to "newly contactable" friends..let's not loose contact ya...

Today it rains in Dhahran..this is unusual for the time of year...and the day is heating up and steaming soon. We are reaching the 50 C ++ already..and the company temperature recorder will stop recording after 50C since it involves more "humane"issues for those who works in the sun...

One thing to look forward to..today I'm having lunch at Tandoori House with friends while the family will feast on Nasi Goreng..he..he..As for dinner..hmm..still a few hours to think about it...

Have a good weekend for those Thurs&Friday areas...

Apam Tepung & Moist Rich Banana Cake

Food..food..and more food galore...since yesterday..the nite activity has been nothing but eating with friends. But all for a good cause...yesterday nite was after the religious talk by Ustaz Lah... we had Nasi Dagang & Ikan Tongkol by Linda Zamri of Khaloud Village..sure happy neh..to get the invitation. I was thinking from morning what shall I do to bring to the makan-makan time. Finally decided on a banana cake since I had some bananas ripening rapidly...either cokodok or banana cake. Found a recipe from mama.fifi recipes blog and try it out..sure is moist..!! Sampai takut nak makan thinking of the butter in it...

Tonite pulak..got a dinner invitation from Azizi&Shalita..promised to make Kuih Apam..been letting the mix rise since morning and now it is in the steamer..not sure how it is going to turn out..this is the terrible time of waiting...sometimes it turns out sticky and too soft but sometimes it turns out just nice..same recipe..same hands mixing it..but not sure of the focus...

Will put in the photos of these two delicacies later...

Yup..It Rains a Wee Bit in Dhahran Today and a Sandstorm is Happening

Look out my window just now and saw a few droplets of water on the cement slabs..but raging quite fiercely outside is a sandstorm....this syamals are normal as the north winds will blow usually will bring it weather of change...

You would not want to be caught up outside as the sand will get into everything....Oops..Just remembered ..could have knock my brains out...I got to raise up my car screens!!! A bit tooo... late..the sand has got in the car...!!!

Hannah Kamilah and The Suicidal Bird...

This is a photo of Hannah in 3rd Grade 2004/2005 for the Middle-East Festival at Dhahran Hills School.....she was about 9 that time...yesterday she was in the school talent show..teaming up with 3 other friends playing trumpet,sax and thrombone..I couldnt figure out the song but she sure is trying out to do many things..I keep on wondering if I was still in Msia..will the kids be this involved and I will have the time listening to their presentation and sit for more than 2 hours.. Anyway..I got a free Latte courtesy of Amy Mehta.. something about if its small change dont argue who will pay.. Huh..beats me what it means but I guess..I am lucky to get all these treats.. I offered to pay though but sometimes I am the receiver...also because I was not really well for 2 days.. had to miss my Tajweed class...and..got a bowl of soup from Ana also yesterday.. Jazakallah Khairan..Lucky me...

Anyway...this morning as I was sending Hannah to school again.... after missing the bus !!!... at the 4-junction of Al-Hasa and Arabian Gulf Road... as I was moving on after stopping at the STOP sign...a bird suddenly dive down and hit the car!! WOW..suicide and die lo..I guess as much from all the feathers that was blown away...I was..Oh! my god.. I am not the one who hit it but rather IT was the one who hit me....

We have this thing about all the animals on the road if it was killed..the small animals that is..cats..birds...who's to be blame..So we decided ehemm... if the animals were the one who come to us and in a suicidal mood no matter how we want to avoid it but it just came on collision than it was their fault...Fair huh?? But if we were the one who purposely go and chase IT to satisfy some killer instincts in us than we will be the one to answer.... Ayman use to say that all these animals that we have or may have not killed on the road will be waiting for us in the afterlife and Says...Hey..You....Remember what happen between us??? He..he..it's payback time....!!

Anyway....on the way back from school... I came along the same road and did not see any dead bird supposedly laying around on the road near the place.. probably it survived the crash...

Today..it is already hot about 33 deg C this morning but the sun/sky sure is downcast.. would there be rain?? If it happens than it is a first off thing I guess and will be the first ever to happen in the almost 4 years that I have been here...

Counting the days to Cuti-Cuti Malaysia...29th. June 2007...

2nd. Sunday in May...

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY....

To all the mothers out there..you know who you are and what you are.. we can only try as best as we can... without requiring compensation..without ever giving up.. success rate sometimes not so good.. standards have to be changed often..methods have to be learned hands on..sometimes..all it takes for the rewards of the sheer hard work are just..a small wet kiss and mom I luv you...

Picnic at Ras Tanura

These are 2 photos out of many that was taken during the picnic. It was a fine day at the RT beach on Thursday...although it was quite hot when we left home at about 2:30pm..The turn-out was great..most who committed to come did come. in a way the picnic was for Bro Saleem who taught some of us Tajweed and Arabic..and this is just the Msian group plus the Dayaji,Hasani,Senawi and a few "bachelor"guys. In fact, a friend of Azlan from Jubail was there. He was actually invited by Harun of RT. The food was marvelous...mainly msian fare besides the BBQ..we do not want to make it a big ahssle for everyone to prepare..but I guess sometimes when we prepare food we always have the fear of "What if it's not enough?" and so we prepare extra for the just in case..imagine if 20 families in this pot-luck have this "Just In case " theory...we end up with more food that we can eat...But..it was FUN..FUN...although I wish..I could have circulate more among all the ladies and talk much..much...more. Get to know how they prepare their food and so on about kids and stuff...Insyaállah maybe next time...

As for me...this planning give me the opportunity to learn about the portions for catering...the left over food was quickly taken up as "ta-pau" stuffs and got re-heated up over the following days..which is a tremendous help...

Last but not least...Jazakallah ul-Khair....May there be a next time...

The Week that was....

What I could say was, this week has so many events that we were left flat out by Friday...even the thought of watching the new Spiderman 3 movie in bahrain does not get too many response from everyone.

Saturday was normally..housekeeping day after the weekend..so..the whole day was spend..almost doing that.

Sunday..is when kids have lunch in school because of their club activities. So..had lunch at Shalita's home at about 1:30pm...with Shakiroh, Ana, Aida & Kamisah. Next..about 3:30pm when for a discussion at Sis Fatimah Senawi home for the intended beach party &BBQ at RT on Thursday, Faridah and sis Zahida was already there. Well...again our discussion was on food and who to bring what and how much. We agree not to worry about the food too much..in the end we will end up with more food that what we can take..

Monday is again a full day...in the morning is the Tajweed class...makes many mistakes and it's getting tougher with how to say the words and mouthing them properly..aahhh... Rush home to make lunch...nasi goreng aje....

Tuesday we had breakfast at the Golf Club House..again with Ana, Linda, Shakiroh... only cook for Hannah's lunch...Ayman is at home too due to Bahrain having Labor Day Holiday..Went to Dhahran Mall after maghrib to buy some gifts for Amani..who's having a birthday party tomorrow and a sleep over. Well..I bought a pair of pajamas in light blue..so nice and comfortable to wear..Now thinking..maybe I should go get another one..he..he..price is quite steep..about SR200 for pants and shirt. The ones on sale were the one not in my size...if not easily 50% is off..

Wednesday...Ana call-up saying she needs to tell us something about the RT picnic...so we went over to her house for a yummylicious b-fast of nasi lemak ( microwave), roti canai etc...In the evening was Hannah's soccer tournament...she practised some penalty kicks at the backyard the day before...So we were at the soccer field from 7pm till about 9:30pm. Hannah's team won.. that's the best thing...Quickly get home after the match for her to shower and went over to Amani's home for the sleepover. At the same time..we proceed to Izan's Kimey home for late dinner as they were having a tadarus at that time...

Thursday..early breakfast at the Hobby Farm..pick-up Hannah from Amani's house. Cooked nasi lemak on the stove ~15cups for the afternoon picnic at RT..make also the squid sambal... make some cood drinks and fruit salad and we are set to go... left Dhahran at about 2:30pm and reach RT at 3:30pm..the weather was nice... It was a fun day although tiring..met again some new ladies...couldnt' circulate or go around and talk so much..I was in my own thoughts although I manage to speak to quite a number..but I wish I spend more time with the newer ladies...as for my friends.. I guess they have a fun time too..as Ana decided that she will come along even though Mat was at the rig..she & kids took a ride with Azizi...

Friday..was a sore day..lepak all day...bought rice & grilled chicken from one of the Bukhari stores in Khobar for lunch & MacDonalds at nite...Azlan drop the container for rice...and luckily everyone has had their fair share but still Hannah was saying that she wants more...

It was a wonderful week..may this week and the next be better..

Super Cool Goalie...

Last Wednesday May 2nd., Hannah played in the last tournament for spring, in the girls' soccer. On normal match days, her team does not fare very well coz' although they have good individual players but getting the girls to play as a team requires more time. Anyway, Hannah was the team goalie that nite and it was a knock out game and each round winner proceed to the next round. Well..the girls won all their rounds and Hannah only let 4 balls to pass her, while her team scored 9 goals. The gals were screaming and jumping for having won the tournament after always being defeated in their weekly matches. The coach was smiling and so are we...as the coach says "Hannah was the best goalie for the tournament..yeah..". Good for you..sweetheart...