Ramadhan Kareem

Tonite..Muslims will start with Solat Terawih and from tomorrow we will begin fasting. Subhanallah..berjumpa lagi Ramadhan kali ini....This morning before leaving for school Zayd asked : "Ma..what time is Terawih? Hmm..after isya..probably about 8pm or so...Again he asked : Are we going to the masjid tonite? Insyaállah....Again he asked : Will it be long..I may have homework to do and to sleep early to wake up for sahur? Hmm...I said: Only 8 rakaahs plus 3 witir..it's not going to be very long...Think of the hasanah in Ramadhan for all deeds you are going to do..I said to him....Then he just smile..Yeah..okey..and went of to school...

I need to do some time management for Ramadhan....firstly bcos I want to attend some Quran classes or to read them on my own....Next...to get the kids ready with their homework and also have time for terawih if possible...And most important...Waking up for sahur as fajar is at 3:55am and kids got to wake up for school at 6:00am...this is usually the trying time. Preparing for Iftaar will be nothing grand..it is as normal as can be with addition of dates and myb some sweet delicasies..But..we want to change the habit of break the fast and fill-up the plate first before solat Maghrib...getting the kids to break the fast and do maghrib first and than eat and get ready for isya'and teraweh..this is my aim..I know they will tend to have loads of homework and its gonna be an excuse plus the waking up in the middle of the nite and myb sleep again and wake up for school..all in short intervals..But hey...I believe they won't loose much in terms of school work..We do one good thing and we tend to get more good things coming our way....

As for me...now planning what time to wake up and prepare sahoor and wake the rest of the family pulak...and thinking what..oh..what to cooked..got to expand my menu...

Ayman will be fasting at his hostel and this weekend probably if he's back than we will be together...Adzrul will be with his abah..wonder how the two bujangs will fare...Insyaállah we might be able to spend part of Ramadhan after 7 long years of inability to do so...Zayd has started to complete the whole month since two years back..Hannah has got no problem fasting in ramadhan & infact she started fasting earlier than Zayd...only that this year she will have to miss out some days and make up for it later..and this is the hard part...

May Allah showers us and inscrease for us with His Rewards and He holds us firm on His path...and May we be muslims thru and true..may He forgive us for our sins and accept our deeds and showers His blessings on our parents...amin..

Ramadhan Kareem....

p/s..Happy 51st Birthday Malaysia..May we got to see changes for the future of the next generation...May good intentions comes to form and May Allah swt Bless Our Nation and it's People...

Hotel Reviews...The ones we stay in this July/Aug in Malaysia

Quality Hotel Shah Alam.

• Costs were reasonable....we booked the Executive suite for RM270...it consists of 1 spacious bedroom with a king size bed...a separate living and dining room. Breakfast is included....requested an extra folding bed..but this bed is bad not worth the RM60 paid for it..( eventually..it was not charged so okay..). It's large and if you have sleeping bags than it's good coz'it provide only 1 bed. 1 person can sleep on the long sofa provided. Basically the Junior suite will be sufficient for a family of 5 with sleeping bags...and costs RM220/-
• Only 1 bathroom so we have to take turns.
• No cooking facilities but tea/coffee making is provided.
• Breakfast buffet is so-so...
• Best thing..it's very near to SACC Mall, PKNS and Plaza Alam Sentral...Getting food here was easy from the stalls available in-front of the hotel near Plaza Alam Sentral.
• Free wire-less coutesy of Wayarless Shah Alam..
• The hallways a bit shabby and the room decor...

If you don't mind how it looks and mainly for the conveniences of surroundings...shopping, eating, transportation..and the costs for room space provided than this will be good for spending a few days.

The Zon ~Suitestay...Kuala Lumpur.

• Stay in a 2 bedroom apartment courtesy of Berjaya Vacations we only pay RM200 per nite. Booking costs can vary from RM360 to RM450...I like the rates by KL-Hotel... sometimes by AWB and also by Holiday City...
• The kids like it here because of KLCC is a walking distance so as to Ampang Park, LRT, Masjid KLCC..Pelita restaurant etc....
• Laundry is 24hrs done by the staffs there..you just need to buy some tokens..this were handled by Ayman & Adzrul...if I am not mistaken it is RM5 per load?? Convenient bcos u just drop the laundry with tokens and detergent...it will come up dry and folded. make sure you judge the load size so that washing is clear and drying is sufficient. If not leave extra tokens...
• Food is reasonably good although we only take ala-carte and no breakfast buffet due to the package that we take. Other food mainly bought ta-pau from Kg.Baru for breakfast at Wak Manjor...
• Kids love the swimming pool and the rooms have 1 king bed in a room and 2 twins in another. bathroom to each room and a living and dining room too..
• It has a kitchen...so you can cook there since most things are provided..a rice cooker is provided too. Living room & dining room spacious.

Concorde Inn KLIA.

• We are not really impressed..From the breakfast buffet, the rooms and the staffs. We paid about RM400++ for a 3-bedded room. But the surroundings quite nice..greenery around..it drizzles slightly while we were there.
• The limo service counter person behave as if..if u dont want transport we dont care also.. Hmm..maybe just my feeling on a wet day...but the driver is very polite...

Concorde Shah Alam.

• We like this place. We took a 3D&2N package for RM555net with extensions of RM189. We got 2 adult and 2 kids Sunway Lagoon passes for each room. But these pass is only for the water park and free rides..for the other rides you need to upgrade..the cost is steep...We took connecting rooms since everybody has slumped around a bit and need a good rest b4 returning home.
• Somehow the front desk staffs..were a bit uncertain if you ask too much why..why...why.. but they do try to be helpful. Although I forgo asking for the tickets to Sunway Lagoon for 1 room after they say that it has been pick-up when they did not charge me for the half-day late check-out and extra bed.
• We love the breakfast buffet with its wide spread of dishes..although after a few days it is the same everyday and you tend to get bored and dunno what to eat...but nice all the same. The pipe in music at the Melting Pot Cafe also is the same tunes probably for the whole week and mainly its the 60's & 70's songs..Duh..should take a survey of the crowds... but after the remodelling the space is nice..got to check out the washrooms..nice...
• Ala-carte..we love the noodles offerings...Hannah love the mushroom soup...
• Had dinner at the Japanese restaurant..as usual zayd will ask for the raw fish..sushi..big plate and costly...but this time he get a taste of the fishy taste down his throat and probably off fish for some time..he just say it was too much...CTZ and abah joined us for that dinner...Adzrul got the largest order with Unagi and what nots..hmm..bila dah kerja kena pandai2 budget sendiri...it was a happy nite..
• Love the room..the bed and beddings is heavenly too coz..I can get a good lie-in due to the mattress...the housekeeping come everyday although at the end of the day..but since we are out most time..it is no bother. Both times we got the view of the mosque which look so serene....
• Near to Plaza Shah Alam where according to Hannah ok-lah coz there's a Starbuck and Chicken Rice Shop there plus Pelita restaurant...and Giant...
• Hotel laundry is expensize so we send our bundle to a laundry store nearby abt 5mins drive at Seksyen 9..Millenium Laundry or something behind Celcom. Fast service too...
• The arrangements were convenient as we easily took a taxi to the airport from the hotel...RM90 for a mini van using Premier Taxi service since hotel only provide cars. Too many bags..4 large luggage..3 handluggage..2 laptops plus a shopping bag..with 1 nyonya bag belonging to Adzrul to be taken back to abah's house.

KL Plaza.

• Location wise this is the place...but room wise wee bit old..we got a 3 bedroom and there's bed for everyone and it's deducted from our Berjaya free nites. So works fine.
• Pavilion the new posh shopping complex is just across the road...but I wonder what can we normal people buy there....when most are boutiques. I did not give in to the impulse of wanting a Cole Haan shoe although it looks so comfy..the size were big. But..I did get a Coach limited handbag by courtesy of Mr. Raja Azlan after we feel the LV handbags that we see doesn't seems to strike us as worth the price...maybe we are not the cultured few to know its value...
• We didn't do any laundry here since the laundry room is always full....
• The staffs were very welcoming and helpful..this is good.
• Other than Pavilion, it's next to Starhill and a few steps to Lot 10 with Planet Hollywood at its entrance. I enjoy sitting at the Coffee Bean sambil cuci mata tengok2 minah Arab laku dan gayanya..it makes you wonder...

Beside the place we stay...we went to...

• The Curve..I was sort of expecting something more from the promo brochures that we see but lastly..it just come flat. Anyway..it was a good time spend there although not that impressive.
• The Pavilion....expensive boutiques but food court is great and Madam Kwan restaurant is there..love the Nasi Bajuri or something. It also has Tangs and Parkson Grand....
• KLCC...mainly to Kinokuniya and walking around and eating at Chakri Palace where the steam siakap with lime is out of this world...my taste buds juicing just by mentioning this dish...
• Subang Parade...where we actually bought the clothings and spend time..not too crowded and familiar with MPH and Chicken Rice Shop our main target.We got some special discounts at Manhattan Fish Market given by the supv...certain items are not in the bill..he said since we eat so much..wow..i was hoping more for our charms that we got the discounts..jazakallah...
• Mid-Valley...somehow I am not that keen on this place although if we go there..MPH again is the target while I will stop over at Ms. Read.The money changer here gives good exchange rates..SR to RM
• Amcorp Mall..CTZ took me here the Sunday b4 I left...remember when I use to frequent this place to sell my crafts...stop over at Zahir's Creative Cottage where CTZ will come for art classes. Bought 2 blouses for Hannah...CTZ bought me a tudung...
• KB Mall..its living and you can get many things here.I did not manage to go to Bazaar Buluh Kubu?? since I went to Pasar lama to get the tudungs....
• PKNS..where we can get tudungs and clothings...
• SACC Mall..new place in S.Alam....there's Lovely Lace, Southern Pottery and the Art shp on the 2nd. floor where you can take classes. Just turn right from the escalator. We love the food at the D'Palma cafe...
• Plaza Alam Sentral...cannot say much since I stop there only a short time with Hannah...
• SOGO...short stop to go to Insaf for Nasi Beriani...bough cookies there..not bad...
• Ampang Park..stop over to look at the flower shop there...it is still full of flowers..swags, topiaries but the designs remains the same as 5 years ago...The money changer here gives good exchange rates too.
• Summit USJ...we went to Adidas outlet there..watch movie and the money changer gives good rates.
• Sunway Pyramid...huge after the expansion...but..the Jusco store is messy..crowded. We kinda get lost in the whole building...but the directions do help..Ayman ask an Amoi where is the surau located..the Amoi said lagi depan jalan la ada punya...he..he..
• One Utama...more organized and nicer compared to above place...stopover at Craft Haven..bought some brushes and paint although the salesgirl try to pursuade me not to buy but get some lessons first and just buy what the teacher ask...Haiya..I got no time lo... but I smiling says ok...and she give me some pointers..thanks dear...
• Munawwarah designs TTDI...the place where I get my tudungs...for friends not really for me..I do have the few that I wear..not actually borong but did bought a few...should have get varied colors coz..I end up with more blacks than necessary... Buying it was in preparation whenever Hannah wanted to start wearing..sudah anak dara so dah kena pakai but she still hesitating..I said no problem lah pakai...She asks me bila mama start pakai..can I wait until same time...hmm...

That's about all the place that was covered in a rush..ha..ha..ha...

Time In Malaysia

Let's see if I remember some of the things that happen while I were in Malaysia...upon arrival..my 3 sis were at the airport with their families..after lots of huggings what nots we proceed to go to Ana's house which is my 2nd sis..Adik&Dilla decided to come along eventhough their house is just near the airport. I forgot about the eptrol pinch since it's price hike.. usually we will transit at Ana's house first b4 going to any hotels that were booked. These hotels were booked way in advance and sometimes I forgot to check the conditions to cancel or amend...as such RM110 melayang due to dates overlap..Anyway..if you serve the net you can look for bargains and will manage to save som $$ just by getting it from different agents or direct to the hotels. In one instance..the rates I get from KL-Hotels for rooms in Concorde Shah Alam is about RM20 cheaper per day..not much right. But if you were there for say 7 days its going to add up...at least can pay for lunch. The breakfast spread at Concorde Shah Alam was great in comparison to the other place that we stay. So a heavy breakfast tend to make you skip lunch and than you take an early dinner..so that's pretty much what we did.....

Actually we were in this quandry....having to hotel hopping during this vacation and last in Malaysia due to the unreadiness of our own homes. I expect to rectify this from next year onwards insyaállah....Our first home was repainted externally and internally last year...so the time stretch due to the rainy season and we cannot even stay there last year...as for this year since the house was void of furniture..we cannot stay there also... so thus the hotels...

Anyway...since the order of what needs to be done was centered around where we stay at the moment..it makes us able to complete quite a few items. I don't really expect to complete all that we wrote done prior to repat...

But the major things that were completed :-

• Get the MPSA approval for the Subang Alam house renovation.
• Mid-August b4 Azlan returns, the renovation of the external kitchen started after we agree on the changes and the costs...I just hope that it will turn out good if not great since I am not there to watch the progress..I just go with my gut feeling and also surveillance by Sani that all will be as said...so 30% of costs all paid for. To date the external kitchen basics were completed.
• Able to get the Cahaya Heights rented out...RM800 per month for 2 years. With options to add 1 year additional. The tenant seems nice and although he requested a few items to be done..he is willing to fork out the money first and deduct from rental. Hmm..we again go with our gut feeling and thanks to Zarina & Gorden who help us to rent out the place...
• We sell our Toyota Unser and get a Toyota Vios for Adzrul...alhamdulilah manage to get a good trade in value for it. Although we went round surveying how much resale value around Puchong, PJ and S.Alam finally Toyota outlet at Subang gives us the best price..so we decided to get the Vios..Ha..ha..although with a car..Adzrul is just now taking his driving license course..to date he has passed the computer test and attended the practical workshop...so probably next week he should be getting his L and start on the road test. We hope he can master this skill since he will be on his own..at least to go to LRT or KTM station. But he needs to know which place to avoid when driving alone...
• Sign up MRTA with Alfa...although with some medical issues on Azlan's side.
• Sign up Hannah's policy with K.Ita.
• Pre-sign with CTZ...still need to get her the money...
• Settle our queries with Edarman..although still upset about the losses but still..we believe its not meant to be although we know the decision to take but it was not taken on time..It's not actually up to us...
• Settle with the house grill contractor...
• Meet up with my ex-staffs for Hi-Tea at Sheraton..gonna put up the photos soon. And the Wed b4 leaving again for makan-makan at Mintan's...dpt handbag Pierre Cardine lagi..too much these guys but thanks so much...
• Lunch also the first week at Sani's house..O'La..La..ada sup lala yg sedap and fruits etc...
• Had fun time in Sunway lagoon on Thurs 7/8/08...had dinner at a malay restaurant in Sunway Pyramid and then stay to watch a drum performance by some school students.
• Had various wonderful times with CT during the last leg of our stay..from The Curve/Ikea to Munawwarah and eating Laksam..
• Attended a ceramah by YB Zulkifli Nordin and also a visit to Dtk Hassan Ali office in SUK..where we met Dtk. Ismail Kamus too...who by the way has spend some time looking over our Subang Alam house if you know what it means....

Some disappointment....well..its my unhappiness now but..it happens that way may not be really up to me...may we have more time for family visits next year..and some compromises....we need to compromise and not just insist...anyway..I should have tried harder..but things are no longer the same..when hearts are harden its not easy to mend...there's too much silence and waiting who gonna start first...I may regret of not doing what I should have done but than again..things are not that simple...it's push way too long to do something about it...but still I will keep on doing the things that I can do although non-communicado...

Back in Dhahran....

Back again in Dhahran since 19/8/08....How 6 weeks flew by so fast....Truth be known I do miss this home away from home of mine...hmm...hmm...maybe because I have all the familiarities with me here now....Anyway..I haven't really got to doing much of anything yet coz' I seem to strain my back few days after coming back...so just take it slow...now it seems better and still I am in slow mode...

Especially yesterday was considered as not to do much of anything day bçoz...we are waiting for the results of Permatang Pauh by-election...we know the results now..Subhanallah..May DSAI gets to do what he needs to do for the betterment of Malaysians....insyaállah...and..and...it seems that this Thurs we will have sort of a kenduri menyambut Ramadhan and kejayaan..since Ramadhan will be here soon...

I need to get myself sorted out on the things that needs to be done too...not just the laundry and putting in things in the drawers and closets but totally in 5 years here we have dump up many many things..so its time for Red Tag days and to sort out and donate especially the clothes..Hannah has got hers neatly pile up at the bottom of her cabinet..the boys still a long way to go and so is mom and dad...Would like to apply the rule of : If you put in 5 new clothes You must take out 5 old clothes if not things are gonna jammed up....

What I have done since the last week home...

• Laundry...tonnes of laundry....Washing at home and send out for ironing.


• Clear up some of the kitchen cabinets in order to put in more stuffs...


• Have unpack the clothes from Malaysia thus the laundry and the hangers...


• Clean the refrigerator and stoves...

That's pretty much it....In total we brought back 220kg of stuffs spread out with sending via ABDA at RM26kg/bag for 78kg....mainly food items..the nasi impit and Milo sure do stack up the kg's....need to ponder if its gonna be a sensible thing to do in future..overhere..Milo for 600gm cost SR22++ in Msia 2kg cost abt RM21 if not mistaken...since Azlan returns a week earlier he carries with him abt 33kg and 7kg was excess to be paid...when I return with my 3 kids I had 106kg...and 6kg excess to be paid...ngam ngam duit Aramco bagi for excess baggage..ingat nak jimat boleh lah dok perbeli benda2 lain...This baggage thing will now be a main consideration before next repat....Will tell more on the stuffs that were brought back among the five of us...

Got to leave Adzrul behind.....this is a first..usually we will be waving him off...now he is waving us off....Well...you got to do what you got to do...Insyaállah he will be joining us here for part of Ramadhan and Eid....How long not sure..it depends when he will be called for his induction prior to housemanship....Still..he got to go and get his driving license soonest possible...kereta ada tapi ada driver but takde license lagi...

Will update more soon....