Swine Flu - Circular To Parents

Along and Ain brought home this circular from school yesterday. Although this is just a note of caution following the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and US, this pandemic disease has got victims in other countries as well such as Germany, Costa Rica and Austria.

There's no such case reported in Dubai yet but it's quite alarming when this circular issued by the school where our children are studying, especially when there are just too many expats in Dubai including those coming from the two badly infected countries.

Just want to share the important piece of information contained in the circular:

We parents can help educate our own children by taking these common sense measures to prevent against infection, as stated in the circular:
* Wash your hands frequently.
* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue upon coughing and sneezing.
* Use appropriate gel or foam hand sanitizers (As most food courts at many Dubai shopping malls do not provide sinks to wash hands, I'll make sure that I will not forget to include hand sanitizer in my handbag apart from lipstick and lip gloss).
* Stay away from work or public transportation if unwell.
* Avoid people who might be infected.

The circular also warns parents of a suspected case of Meningitis in a Dubai school (though not yet confirmed by the Health Authority). So, those parents whose child has not received a vaccine for the past 3 years are advised to get their child a Meningitis A&C shot.

As far as I know, none of my children has taken such an injection because if I'm not mistaken (correct me if I'm wrong), in Malaysia it is not included in the series of injections that a baby has to get especially in a government clinic. Now I understand why some private clinics, while we were in Malaysia, strongly advised parents to get their baby an injection for Meningitis.

Bekwoh Gulai Kawah di padang pasir

I've heard of gulai kawah before, I know it's a Kelantanese dish but I'd never seen or tasted it. When I heard there would be a bekwoh gulai kawah in this desertland, I surely wouldn't want to miss the opportunity of seeing and tasting it.

For this gulai kawah, we came all the way from Dubai to another emirate of the UAE, that was Ajman, on Friday last week. Gulai kawah was not the sole purpose, the main reason of going there was actually to attend a farewell ceremony of our My-UAE Pro President (it's a Malaysian society in the UAE).

Berbekalkan dua bilah pisau pemotong serta anak-anak berbekalkan bantal-bantal busuk dan comforter, maka menujulah kami ke destinasi yang dituju. Tengok tu budak 3 orang ni kalau nak travel jauh sikit mulalah buat kereta tu macam bilik hotel bergerak. Apit siap bawa kengkawan dia Bumble (bunny) and Eddy (the blue elephant). Hmm sukahati laa...

Mr A and Mrs S's abode. Thanks so much for your hospitality. (Maaf baru perasan gambar rumah ada, gambar tuan rumah lupa nak ambil)

So, the gulai kawah together with fried chicken and fish were prepared through gotong-royong just like a kenduri back in our kampung - from cutting the meat up to serving the food. Being far away from home, it was really great watching the gotong-royong spirit among Malaysians here.

Whike the men were showing off their hidden cooking talents, the ladies were busy in the kitchen cutting fruits and kuih-muih. There were just many, many fruits and delicacies brought by other Malaysians who came. Each and everyone did not come with tangan kosong. Name it what Malaysian local delicacies that were not there - karipap, kole kacang, putu ayu, kuih koci, bubur kacang, puding jagung, agar-agar pandan, agar-agar kacang merah, kuih sagu dan seri muka - all heavenly irresistible especially for those who live abroad like us! Dapatlah hilang rindu pada kuih-muih tradisional. There were also carrot cake, puffs, donuts and chocolate cake.

At the end of the day, the serving tables were more than full with many varieties of yummilicious Malaysian dishes and delicacies. Ikan masin, petai dan jering pun ada...jangan marra...So, that's the delicious gulai kawah. Now only I know gulai kawah tastes like beef curry but a little bit sweeter and undeniably delicious.


Sesi makan-makan dan penyampaian cenderahati to Mr President and another Malaysian who are leaving for good.

These are only some of those many who turned up that night. It was real fun!

p/s- Errr what is bekwoh anyway?

It's been almost 7 years...

It had turned off automatically, unintentionally, a few times for the past few weeks. Never happened like this before. The climax of it was when smoke was seen billowing out of my laptop through the cabel port when I was online. The smoke was not that much though but enough to cause me panicked. Thank God it didn't explode! Huby was quick to turn it off. Everytime there was a problem with my laptop, I always resorted to using my kids' one. Too bad when the kids' laptop had the same problem. Arghhh...mati kutu sekejap since I couldn't watch TV online anymore, read news online, update my blog and log in FB (I did use hubby's laptop a few times when he was home to check important emails).

It's been one of my closest friends for the past seven years...since 2002. I just do not want to let it go...yet.

Pity the kids...their laptop has had only a short life span...less than a year. Hubby refused to have it repaired...at least for the time being. Good for Along and Ain as they can now give their full concentration on the coming final exam at the end of May. (But not good for their Ibu as it made her mati kutu when wasn't able to be online sob sob...).

Two days ago, hubby sent the damaged part of my laptop for repair. Alhamdulillah... this closest friend of mine can now work like normal, serve me as usual. Thanks a lot to dear hubby. ;)

As blogging keeps me sane, being unable to blog for a fortnight leaves me feeling 'not-so-sane' (not 'insane' ok!).

Apit nak masuk KG

Today is the first day of school for Along and Ain after a two-week Spring break. After a long go-back-to-sleep-after-hubby-goes-to-work, my early morning duties started as usual today. Apart from preparing Along and Ain's breakfast and lunchboxes, hubby and I had extra duties this morning...waking up Apit, bathing him and preparing his milk. Apit's going to school today yeayy!! No, not schooling yet but our little boy is sitting for his assessment test for KG at 8.30 am this morning. We took him to Raffles IS because he had an interview session as a requirement for admission to KG. As a mother, I was worried as if he was sitting for a big exam hi hi...Bukannya apa risau gak mana la tau Teacher tanya in English dia bantai jawab dalam BM ikut sukahati dia...like he sometimes do at home hmm...Lagipun masih banyak English vocabs yang Apit belum tau even though he already knows ABC until Z in both capital letters and small letters, and 123 until 10.

Nampaknya kerisauan Ibu Apit tak berasas. Apit steady je, Ibu dio pulak yang lobih. Apit was very excited sketching, colouring and trying to write any alphabet that he knows and even trying to write his own name while waiting for Ayah filling up some forms (even though what came out was 'AFOFI' instead of 'AFIQ' he he...apa-apa je la..). When the Teacher called him to go to the assessment room, he held the female teacher's hand and was ever willing to follow her without bothering his worrying Ibu.

After more than half an hour, Apit was returned to us by the Teacher. We were expecting a very worried or crying face of Apit after not seeing his father and mother for more than 30 minutes tapi muka Apit selamba je, excited je he he...We curiously asked him, "Teacher tanya apa?" Apit kata, "Teacher ajar main toys, pastu Teacher tanya ABC dengan 123 until 5." "Alaa Apit lupa la nak cakap I don't know masa Teacher tanya Apit tak tau nak jawab"...

Nails In The Fence

Got this piece from a friend, an ex-coursemate through an email. I just like this...

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally, the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence.. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us."

*If only, there's no hole at all in the fence...

March 20th - Groove & Grind at JBH

Never did I imagine that I would step my foot at a famous five-star hotel in Dubai. If not for the annual dinner organized by the company hubby is attached to, it would still remain an imagination. My family and I were actually there at Jumeirah Beach Hotel to attend the dinner.

That was our first time at this wave-shaped hotel, so we were like total strangers looking for the place the dinner was held and a prayer room. In no time, the hotel staff approached us and showed us the way. Since it was near Maghrib, we headed for the prayer room first. We felt so welcome although we knew it that this was 'not our place'. With the extravagant hospitality shown by the hotel staff, it is no wonder that Jumeirah Beach Hotel has been voted ‘Best Resort Hotel in the World’ by readers of Business Traveller Magazine, UK, 2001-2008.

Themed 'Groove & Grind' in the 50s and 60s, hubby, the kids and I were trying our best to fit ourselves into the theme. We did not dress to the teeth, we just made do with what we already had. Hubby and Apit were in checked shirts with the sleeves rolled up whereas Along and Ain were in dresses with leggings and hair bands. Me, with ala-ala Saloma style but of course with my head scarf on.

Although we came a bit late, that was not a reason for us not to have fun. With Elvis' songs filling the air together with 70s and 80s nostalgic songs, the night was so lively. We had a blast (but we did not dance though, we just watched). The food was a variety ranging from Japanese to Indian to Arabic food and yummiliciously good of course. What made it so special is that the place we had dinner is overlooking another famous five-star luxury hotel - Burj Al Arab. It looks so near from that open grassy beach of Jumeirah Beach Hotel.

Burj Al Arab is one of the most photographed structures in the world. Your stay in Dubai is considered not complete if you yourself haven't been photographed with Burj Al Arab as the background he he...Let's feast our eyes on this stunningly beautiful Burj Al Arab. Very interestingly, at night its colours change every few minutes as it is illuminated by choreographed lighting representing water and fire.

If Sydney is famous for its Opera House and Paris with the Eiffel Tower, Burj Al Arab is an iconic or symbolic structure for Dubai. Designed to resemble a billowing sail, Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 metres (919 ft) out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It's the world's tallest hotel which characterizes itself as the world's only "7-star" property.

Although we didn't bring back any SONY Bravia LCD or a SONY home theatre set for the lucky draw prize, we were happy as we were full and really had fun.

Of the soft palate and the hard palate and the tip of the tongue etc. etc...

I thought I wouldn 't have to hear these linguistic terms of Phonetics and Phonology anymore...on how to articulate these letters and those letters and all. I thought when I had to deliberately practice moving the right and left jaw up and down to produce a certain sound etc. etc. in my Oracy class long, long time ago during my matriculation years, that was the end of it. No more after this. When we had to carefully practise touching the tip of the tongue to the soft palate and hard palate or putting the tip of the tongue between the plates of the top two incisors etc. etc. in Dr IH's class during uni years long time ago, I thought that was more than enough (pllleeaeseeee). The fact that he's indeed a very good and knowledgeable lecturer did little to help to reduce the migraine that I often had after his every lecture he he...especially the part when we had to give the linguistic description of how certain letters were articulated. Luckily, in the inroduction class of that thing with Mr J Fitzpatrick, I'd never had any magraine not only because I adored him so much but because the things studied were still less technical.

After so many years, never did I imagine I would have to study these linguistic terms again. But the fact is I am now learning it. Of course not the same subject but the same linguistic terms which I came across in the book Part 1 have already given me some kind of phobia (he he...). However, since I am now learning it for a good reason, a very, very good purpose, I am sure that The Almighty will be helping me all the way through the process as long as I have the sincere will to continue learning. Not only for my life at present but also for the life after this. It's not merely a linguistic class, it's more than that....

Having missed the first sessions of book Part 1, I have no choice but to do extra work on my part. I guess I have to stop mumbling now as I need, I repeat, I need to study book Part 1 as well as Part 2 for tomorrow's class (hmm like good hi hi...). So that, I don't have to unnecessarily get the jitters when I have to sit beside the teacher and read. (Now I know exactly how my students felt having to sit near me and read or present their part for the oral test). If that sweet soft-spoken teacher reads what I'm writing (which I don't think so...???), she must be smiling knowing how I feel he he...