Selamat Menyambut Rejab..Syaaban..Ramadhan

Salaam to all.... as the title says..the month of ramadhan is soon at our doorsteps.. Alhamdulilah if we can get to be in this month again and increase our amal..insyaállah..

In the immediate future..Monday that is.. I will be leaving for Malaysia.. I hope its gonna be a fruitful 2 months.. safe time and happy time....good times with love ones especially Dr. Adzrul.. who is forever busy with hardly free time.. May we will be able to have some quality time.. insyaállah...

To all those vacationing..take care...

Ayman's High School Graduation from Bahrain School.

Monday June 15th was the high school graduation nite for Ayman. It was held in the gulf Hotel Convention Centre..we were there as early as 4:30pm after leaving from Dhahran at about 2:30pm..Luckily KIA's air-cond was running fine thus a smooth cooling journey in the heat of the day outside. Security was high as one of the Crown Prince son is also graduating..This graduation marks the end of attending grade 12 and Ayman has sat for IB as college entrance exam. We will only know the IB results end of 1st week in July '09. This then will chart the route he's to follow for the next 4 years...Just hope that its gonna be the best that it can be for him. Allah swt decision will be made no matter how much we have deal and plans..

He left BISA dorm with goodbyes from some of his mate at about 10:30pm that nite. How time flies..it seems but just a moment ago we send him there. This was a tough year in a way...if not for anybody else..it was for me in facing all the issues with him at school..I wonder if he just want to make a colorful exit..or it happens just because it meant to be as some bumps in our life that we have to get over... Whatever it is my doa's with him always..moga jadi anak yang soleh and berjaya didunia dan akhirat...

Tumeric.....Daun Kunyit

If we are overseas..delicacy using serai, kunyit etc..etc..are something we treasure. Mainly bcos its not readily available..the raw stuffs that is. So..if ada peluang balik Msia barang2 ni lah yg kita pack bw..ber kg2...Simpan dlm freezer.In Saudi where its got too hot..nothing seems to grow. tanam serai pun dah mati kat keluar tu sbb panas...Will try tanam dlm pasu..but if merebak tu yg tak sure how to handle...beli pun Sr1 for a bulb..

So.few months..yes..few months!! back..I bought a couple of fresh tumeric from the Oriental store..feel greedy so beli banyak juga..Use for cooking tak sebanyak mana pun so..some I freeze and about 2 bulbs..cucuk je dlm tanah of my indoor plant basket. Well..did not pay much attenionuntil this morning I spied some shoots coming out long..wah..tumbuh juga..cepat2 ambik air and siram...

Tumeric or kunyit is good to generate blood or heal wounds...So..after delivery for 3 days..I'm not sure why just 3 my arwah mother ask to do..take ibu kunyit the size of your thumb..or bigger..grinds or parut to take its juice..mmg sikit abt 2 tbsp je..but good enough and drink it. It taste better actually than ginger juice where it'll burn your tongue and throat. tak boleh makan lebih as its gonna dry you up..Huh..?? Old wife tales but something not to ignore. Modern medicines has also found that tumeric is good for cancer prevention?? Its now being used as mixed in many medicines...

Soccer Nite & Farewell

The players from KLL posing before start of game.
Another pre-game group photo
Our youngest member - Aqila Qistina

Call of Isya' prayers

Eliyeen

Cutie Pie..Ehsan

Iman, Aida, Izzah, Ikhwan,Imran, Izzah

Only some of the foods...

Most families turn up at the field near Riyal Road..Aramco. We have Azmi's family from Ras Tanura..ustaz Lah & Shamsul family from Dammam.. The rest were the fun-loving family in Aramco..he..he..it doesn't matter some turn up late and we got wet right before leaving because the sprinkler was turn on at 10:00pm promptly....

We had cendol by Za and also Nor....syawarma from Azizi & Ita....fruits from Ifah & Mat Shah.. Nasi Beriani brought by Faridah...KFC brought by Su&Razali..cakes & sweets by Izan.. Ustazah.. Gee..Su..Elisa...Dali..and other ummis... Love the keropok belinjau with sambal kicap pedas by Ana..yummy..Most important of all..just come and have fun doesn't matter what was brought coz'your presence were important..There were plenty of food to go round and even pack for next day breakfast..or lunches..he..he..he.. That's actually what counts...

The kids had fun and so were the daddys...Azlan said Yahya&Izzat combination were brutal to yea ol ' uncles... Sweats and huffing and puffing..but great time...Only..next time we start early so that we can meet the 10:00pm cut-off and let the baiýa go back on time..

Half Moon Bay ~Sunfish Beach

It was a sandstormy day last Thursday in Dhahran....I took quite a awhile to decide against bringing the BBQ stuffs...because sand would have settled on it if the winds still blow that bad. Finally decided on nasi lemak and watermelons and some drinks... Hannah had went earlier to camp-out...so by the time we reach the beach she has completed a few rounds...

Anyway...its interesting to look at the gears and how the set-up...There were quite a number of girls got stung by jellyfish...It will sting real bad an dto overcome the pain its either pouring vinegar or to pee on it.. Ha..ha...the girls chose to put vinegar instead..

The tanks were heavy...see how the girls had to bend down to carry it to the water and how Azlan took quite a force to lift them up... It was a fun day as they tried out some board sailing too.. But it was really..really..hot plus with the sand and all..The salt water can be felt against the lips and the grainy taste...

ATV Weekend...

We had a fun weekend ATV'ing in the dunes...The ATV is the 4-wheeler you see. Its the first time for me.. And the pro's are Za's&Fandi's family.. Zayd had been on it last weekend... and Hannah the last time was at Hawar Island trip...

It was already quite hot.... But the 30mins ride was fun..The cost of the ride was SR30 for the small one Hannah is riding and the rest SR60 while the one's Za is on is SR100 per half hour sebab ambik auto yang baru....

PADI Certification ~ Hannah Diving Trip to Al-Lith/Farasan

The Al-Ahlam Resort near Al-Lith 230km south of Jeddah.

Abu Latt Island

Getting ready for their dives...

Navigation Training...

At the resort...
Troop 45

The Diving Boat

We left for Dammam on Wed 4/8 by Aramco bus from the theater parking lot ~28 people altogether..although only 24 will proceed to the resort at Al-Lith. This trip to Al-Lith / Farasan for Troop 45 certification for scuba diving under PADI master diver James Vandervyver..they have been having dive classes since Feb'09 in Aramco 3rd street pool. Hannah passed her written exams before leaving for the trip. The flight to Jeddah took about 2 hours..some of the girls asked why there were so many men wearing towels to Jeddah....Actually these men were going for umrah and since miqaat is about 30mins before Jeddah..they wore their ihram either on the plane or from Dammam.

From Jeddah, an Aramco bus was waiting..what a blessing..the trip was well organized from start..left Jeddah about 9:30pm and pizza was served on the bus..the Al-Ahlam marina and resor is south of Jeddah about 230kms away..on highway 5 towards Jazan/Yemen... Al-Lith is the town where the Al-Ahlam marina is situated..it is a private marina belonging to a princess..if I am not mistaken Princess Nour who is about 70++..We arrived at the resort after midnite... was assigned our rooms by Erik and it was a 2-bedded room very large. the resort also has a Jacuzzi, a wading pool and a swimming pool..it also has it's own private beach....Only royalties in Saudi can have property along the coast... So this marina runs diving expeditions, classes etc under PADI...you can check their web-site... We straight when to bed bcos tomorrow the girls need to ahve an early start.

A knock on the door wakes up everybody...the girls got ready in their swimming gears and head for breakfast where scramble eggs..pancakes..toasts...meats etc were served..They need to ahve a full stomach so as not to feel cold underwater.... There's no need for showers since everyone will go in or under the water... Next we left for the marina abt 5mins away bu tuk-tuk or you can just walk...

At the marina..few boats belonging to the resort were there...the divers when onto the Jeddah diving boat while the rest of moms..me included will go by the speedboat to Abu Latt island where a tent was set-up...and we can swim or snorkel till the girls came for lunch...While on th way to Abu Latt..somebody says a whale shark was spotted...we could not see the whole whale only part of its tail/fins but we saw a few dolphins which I couldnt catch on camera clearly.. The view of the island was magnificent as can be seen in one of the photos... The water was so blue and clear that we can see the corals and small fishes swimming from the surface... The boat ride takes anywhere from 45mins to 1 hour from Al-Lith to Abu Latt island... as we got down the water was cool...I couldnt resist being in the water...although I dont swim well but I love being in the water...the area was calm..private with only 4 moms and the 3 boat handlers.. Got into my swimming wear...although a few was curios how I am going to bathe in the sea...Now they know how..I dont stay away...the water was lovely..just standing up to the chin in sea water...The beach was steep and I got to find a more level area to avoid being pulled whenever the tide retreats... Just jumping..kicking in the water..some water aerobics there...Here I am...in the clear blue water of the Red Sea..who would have believed...As I had enjoyed the fast boat ride..I enjoyed being in the water more...

I was on the banana boat ride with Ami, Emme, Veena and I sat at the back with everyone having life vest...I was saying to myself before being pulled away..If I feel into the sea what should I do...It did happen oon the 2nd round...the banana boat flip and we were thrown off into the water....while Emme and me let go...Veena and Ami were hanging on..I was thinking to myself..am I gonna float??..yes I did...But Veena&Ami did not let go of the BB and thus swallowed some salty seawater...Erik was screamng and waving to let go and swam to the boat... I had to be fished out from the sea onto the boat since I cant climb back to the BB... It was scary coz if I don't have the life vest..I would have sink...but than it was fun too...

After that we went for more soaking in the sea..one thing I notice..coming out of the water..my legs felt heavy....Went back to the tent for lunch...sandwiches and fruits and drinks...the girls had finished their first dive and came for lunch...About 1:30pm we left back for the marina...the girls got in around 5:30pm after finishing 1 more dive....

Zurich Trip - 2

Just have to write down more of my experiences while in Zurich....short and sweet..next time insyaállah we will go to the Alps etc...but this time without any of the kids we feel it's not justifiable...

• If you couldn't find the gifts shop in town..these are the few at the airport....Downtown Zurich and at the Main Train Station you can find Heimatwerk House of Crafts & Plaza under the main train station..

• Teuscher is a boutique chocolate shoppe..at first I thought it was a flower shop but than.... Another famous choc shoppe is Springli....I misplaced it's photo somewhere..

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  I was very..very impressed whenever wanna cross the road at zebra-crossing..if berdiri tercegat kat tengah or tepi jalan sbb takut tengok kereta laju...kereta2 tu akan berhenti at the zebra-crossing to let you cross walaupun tadi dia laju..sure driver tu dok ingat.. hmm..alien dia orang ni to our country so tak tau undang2...
  
  
• The bus will almost always come to your stop at the said time.... Tak payah nak tunggu awal sikit just in-case dia awal..tak payah nak kejar if terlepas..just wait for the next one. If you know the stops..bus/trams/trains..it is easy to switch transport mode to go where you want....



• I almost always have to remove my jackets and shoes at the "checking"gate sebab trigger the alarm...so make sure..get rid of your clips, brooches, etc... Dont forget to pakai decent last piece of clothing under jacket just incase dia surung bukak and nanti tinggal tanktop je pulak..I also experience this while taking the Eurostar from London to Paris....urghh..takde apa2 pun..myb my body static charge is high..Zayd yang ada pacemaker pun tak bunyi...



• Bawak siap2 charger/adapter...batteries....nak beli mahal juga lah bila dah convert... the 2 pin plug type is small 2 rounds..just like some of the handphone charger...



• I love sitting on the benches all over town and watch people move around....One thing I see.. almost 2/5 people-female having an LV bag..mengancam betuii... is it that cheap here in Zurich..I wonder...mid-size shopping bag dia at the LV boutique on Bahnhofnstrasse cost CHF880....I forgot to check KL or UK price so tak leh kata apa2...



• Almost 1 in 3 cars will be either a BMW or Audi. Mercs are taxi while not many American cars...although I saw same JEEP like mine while walking near the lake.
  

• The shopping anchor like Jemoli, Globus, Manor etc...costs of things on the high side.. probably branded items...shopping complex like Migros, Co-Op is lower price tapi tak murah jugak...but if nak beli chocolates yang normal type..pergi lah to Migros or Co-Op...same type at Jemoli may cost CHF2 more... Can you see the lemon grass, bak choy, chillies etc....?? These can be bought at jemoli's..I'm sure it can be found elsewhere too..only I did not explore enough...We did however find some Malaysian foodstuffs at Co-Op & Migros...
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• Almost all shopping centers have an area where they sell colorful prints paper products.. ber-rak2...of serviettes..wrapping paper...table covers...I am crazy about this things too..but limited to purchase....boleh tengok2 and usik2 je..arghh...



• I don't find Royal Albert or Royal Doulton..Vileroy&Boch adalah...Ingat nak cari teapot tapi tak jumpa yg deserve to be bought...Nak cari lace table cloth pun takde...dapat lace hand-kerchief je itupun dah CHF33



• Gift stores...puas berjalan mencari...actually banyak at the Zurich airport itself...in town you can find a few also like Hematwerk, Elderwise & Tourist Center at Main train station.. plus the shopping plaza under the main train station.



• I love going on the trams....sbb punctual and organized...


• Makan2...ada few fast-food like Mc-D, small stalls in Jemoli with Thai, Indian, Japanese food. A Thai stall outside of Globus facing Mc-D, park & Bahnhofnstrasse... Seafood Restaurant at Main Train station...expect to spend between CHF20~CHF50 per person per meal depending where and what you eat...Along the Limattquai and near Central.. there's an Asian food shop also... Otherwise..you can survive on fruits, pretzel, bread, chocs etc....



• Our first food stop was Grut Farm..which was near the hotel and the school...you can get ice-tea...refillable fried chicken wings..rice&vegetables thai style...We got confuse on deciding the male&female toilet..he...he...While crossing the road to get to the restaurant..we met a Malaysian boy who upon passing us..say te salaam..I responded and asked where he was from...says he's Ädi"and dad working for Alpha.. something.. that's abt all I can recall...it was a nice surprise though in the middle of a foreign land..

The hotel where we stayed..convenient and cheaper...

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Guess?? Which is male / female toilet..Is it obvious to you...?