Super-soft Apam

Colourful, delightful Apams!

This is an easy recipe and your kids will love the supersoft texture of the apam!

Ingredients

250g caster sugar
300g superfine flour
200ml fresh milk
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
1tsp ovellette
food colouring

Method

1. Heat the steamer
2. Beat eggs and sugar for 10 minutes until creamy
3. Add in vanilla essence and ovellette
4. Add in flour and milk in turns
5. Divide mixture into 3 or 4 bowls. Add colours of your choice
6. Drop mixture in paper cups
7. Steam for 10-12 minutes

Best eaten fresh from the kukus! Enjoy your apam (^_^)

CONGRATULATIONS TO ADLINA!!

CONGRATULATIONS to our princess Adlina for getting 5As in her UPSR Exam!! Papa and Mama are soooo proud of you darling!! Woohoo!! You beat Bang Long & Hakim!! Girls Rule!! You Go Gal!!

Syukur Alhamdulillah... (^_^)

Neglected Page

Dear Blog,

I'm so sorry for this neglected page.. I've been extremely busy these past few months. Has it been 4 months since I last wrote? Time really flies this year! Can't believe we are coming to the end of October..

I will write a summary of July, August & September soon.. But for now, let's just say that I've been thoroughly blessed by Allah the All Mighty, Syukur Alhamdulillah..

Apabila Allah menurunkan rezeki kepada hambaNya, kadang kala ianya datang dengan berbagai jenis dugaan dan cabaran. Ianya untuk menguatkan dan memantapkan semangat. Supaya kita belajar dan lebih matang dalam menghadapi kehidupan yang penuh rintangan ini. Insya Allah.

Signing off for now. Will be back soon..

(^_^)

ST DAVID'S HIGH SCHOOL CARNIVAL 2011

The State Champions performing for the Chief Minister

CM walking around the Carnival, impressed by the turnout!

Shaking hands with parents and students

Taking time with the futsal players



Our school field on the day of the Carnival

Thanks to ICI Paint for donating free paint to re-paint all our school buildings. We are proud to be the 1st school in Malaysia to be the recepient of ICI's special CSR program called Tunas Harapan. Thanks to the Chief Minister of Melaka for spending time with us at the Carnival.

Thanks to the team of parents, teachers and students who have given their all to ensure the success of this event! It was so much fun!

Special thanks to the most dedicated team of parents: Josephine, Puteh, Azian, Fazy, Wan, Alice, Eleanor, Jaishree, Pat, Mike, Kemmy, Jagan, Sonia, Christine & Joyce. You are all so inspiring and fantastic! It's a pleasure to lead a team of volunteers who are so committed to do so much although they have nothing at all to gain except for the satisfaction of having helped change the lives of others. Thanks to Qabil & Kerry for organizing the futsal tournament and being around to help with everything.

I am indeed Proud to be in St david's High School (^_^)

Postscript: Body aching all over BUT feeling extremely HAPPY!!

STATE CHAMPIONS 2011

CONGRATULATIONS to the Choral Speaking Team of St David's High School for becoming State Champions -  our 7th year in a row!!! THANKS A MILLION to the most Wonderful Coach in the World, Madam Anna Yap for her Fabulous Script - "DO HARD THINGS" - and for her passion! We love you Anna! The Team could not have done it without you!!

The Team sacrificed their 2 weeks holidays to train for the competition, and for that, we SALUTE all of you. You have brought Honour to our School, THANK YOU to each of you!

On a personal note, I am SO PROUD of Adlan and Hakim for being in the Team and winning the Competition for the School. You both did really well! Mama loves you loads (^_^)

Scrumptious Scones

Scones are so simple to make! Preparation time is less than 15 minutes & baking time is about 20-30 minutes depending on your oven. I make them quite often and after a while, you don't even need to look at the recipe!

Here's what you need:-

3 cups of Self Raising Flour
4 tbsp of castor sugar
110g of butter (softened)
180ml of Fresh Milk
40g of sultanas/raisins

Method:-

1. Turn oven on at 190c
2. Mix flour, sugar & butter to breadcrumbs texture
3. Add sultanas/raisins
4. Add milk to become dough
5. Roll out & cut using round cutter
6. Dust top with milk
7. Bake in oven for 20 minutes (or until slightly brown)

Best eaten warm, with butter & jam or clotted cream.

Your kids (and other half!) will LOVE them! Have fun trying (^_^)

SCHOOL CARNIVAL 2011

The St David's High School Carnival is coming back with a BANG! Come join us on SATURDAY 25TH JUNE 2011 for a FUN-Filled Family Time!! This year, apart from 70 Food Stalls organized by the teachers & students and the oh-so-scary Ghost House, we'll also be having Paintball, Wall Climb, Trampoline, Flying Fox, Abseiling, Pony Rides & many, many more!

After 2 years of roaring success, the St David's High School Carnival has become an event to look forward to in Malacca! All proceeds from the event will go to our School Building Fund to upgrade the infrastructure of the School. Our main priority this year is to renovate and re-furnish our 4 Science Labs which have not been refurbished since 1960! Needless to say, the tables and benches are all termite infested & desperately need changing!!

Please do come and have a wonderful time with your family at the Carnival, all for a good cause (^_^)

Istanbul

May started with a bang for me with a trip to Istanbul to attend the Global Summit of Women! What an experience to be amongst so many inspiring women who are successful in their own respective fields! The delegates from Malaysia led by our First Lady of Malaysia were organized by SMECorp. Thanks so much to Kak Normah for taking me to Istanbul!!

Perfect weather with clear blue skies!

The Global Summit of Women was conceived as the nexus at which all sectors - public, private & non-profit - would come together under the common vision of dramatically expanding women's economic opportunities globally through exchanges of working solutions and creative strategies forged by women leaders in all parts of the world. I was so proud to be a Malaysian as our leaders both in the public and private sectors were great speakers who shined! Our very own Women's Minister, Datuk Shahrizat was easily the best speaker of the whole Summit!

With Kak Normah: the ambience at a centuries old cistern was mystical

Wonderful friends we met: Yati, Joanne & Alice

The Haunting Swirling Dervishes

Hagia Sofya is a must see in Istanbul

The Beautiful Blue Mosque

The Grand Bazaar's tempting wares!

Istanbul, being right at the border between Europe and Asia, is a land of contrasts. They are neither European nor Asian - exactly somewhere in between. This fusion of cultures is reflected in everything in Istanbul, their architecture, their food, their traditions.. even their approach to religion. We were lucky to be there in Spring with the sun shining brightly and the cool wind blowing. Flowers - tulips, tulips, tulips, of every colour imaginable - were everywhere! Istanbul is hauntingly beautiful.

For me, it was a such an eye-opener! Meeting all those wonderful ladies from Malaysia in such diverse fields was electric! A shock to my system! I realize that there is a huge world out there outside of Melaka & perhaps, it's time to spread my wings and fly!!! (^_^)

1st Quarter of 2011

Whatever happened to the first quarter of the year? Suddenly it's April 2011!! To say the cliched "Time Flies" is truly an understatement!

Well, looking back on the last 3 months, so much has happened this year. On a personal note, it's been quite hectic for me & AZ- was in Paris in January and performed our Umrah the second half of February. The whole of March was a chaos of back to back meetings and assisting clients with Contract negotiations - some ended well whilst others didn't. Met some good people, and some not so good people. Juggling deadlines & appointments.

The past week has been quite an emotional one for the family. Apak was hospitalized and a biopsy was recommended. Mak was in US with Kak Long at that time and we had to make some difficult desicions which turned out to be blessings from Allah. Alhamdulillah we received the result of Apak's biopsy yesterday and he is clear of cancer. Syukur, syukur Alhamdulillah.

Japan was hit by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake, then a destructive tsunami which unfortunately resulted in further chaos in a nuclear plant in Fukushima. I have been closely following this catastrophic events and can only pray that Allah will give them mercy. After watching news reports & documentaries on CNN and BBC News, reading newspapers & magazines, looking at extremely sad pictures and finally speaking to Azam who just came back from Japan after 10 days of mission with MERCY, I can only conclude that there are no other race on earth like the Japanese. Their resilience, true grit and strength is commendable. Despite the chaos and trauma, they face their day to day life in perfect order and stability. Azam said that what he saw in Japan is Islam and everything that is taught in Islam although the Japanese are not Muslims.

I wonder how Malaysians would react if a disaster ever hit our country. Nauzubillah.. Ya Allah, jauhkanlah negaraku ini dari berlakunya gempa bumi, tsunami dan malapetaka alam yang membinasakan..

Looking forward to the next 3 quarters of 2011 in anticipation.. (^_^)

Happy Anniversary to Apak & Mak

Wishing Apak and Mak a very Happy Anniversary.. After 49 years, they still hold hands while sitting next to each other whilst having a conversation with me, Eda & Win that evening. It brought a tear in my eye being in the presence of so much love... To Apak & Mak: Thank you so much for everything that you have taught me, for all your sacrifices, for your unconditional love and understanding. I am who I am today primarily because of you, and for that I'm eternally grateful.. I love you so much, Apak & Mak.. Happy Anniversary!!

The Awakening

It was a journey like no other.

The feeling of being in MasjidilHaram and facing the Baitullah for the first time is just too amazing for words. I felt a throb in my chest, and all my senses felt as if they tingled, and without even realizing it, I was in tears. It seemed like everything else which surrounded me, the crowd, the people, the sounds, moved to the background. I only saw the Kaabah and there was me. It was such a surreal experience.

It was as if something in me had finally awakened, as if I had found something that I didn't even realize I had lost. Maybe I had found myself. The true reason for my being. Why I am placed on this earth. I am now finally at peace with myself and my Creator.. Rasa begitu dekat dengan Allah..

Alhamdulillah, AZ and I were blessed to arrive in Tanah Suci on the official first week of visa Umrah. This means that the holy place was not crowded as usual. Semua perjalanan, urusan dan ibadat telah dipermudahkan oleh Allah. Alhamdulillah. Kami berkesempatan membuat yang wajib dan sunat. Bersolat dan berdoa di tempat-tempat yang paling diidamkan. Menyempurnakan amal dan ibadat yang tidak pernah kami lakukan sebelum ini. The mosque is just so beautiful and peaceful. I felt so blessed to be a guest in Allah's home.. Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah, Alhamdulillah.

Every prayer was so precious. Almost every time I sought His forgiveness, His indulgence, His guidance, every time I thanked Him for everything that He has given me, tears would just fall. What a feeling to pray with the Kaabah right in front of you and the sky above you. I kept closing my eyes and re-opening them to see whether or not I was dreaming. Whether or not I was really saying my doa in front of the Kaabah. For the first time ever in my life, I was looking forward to every waktu solat. Even Subuh! Masya Allah..

Every daily activities in Mekah are scheduled around prayer times. How wonderful is that? Why can't it be the same in Malaysia? Shops are temporarily closed during prayer times which means that everyone can walk over to the mosque and solat berjemaah. 100,000 kali ganda pahalanya dibandingkan dengan solat di tempat-tempat lain. Wow! Terlalu hebat ganjarannya..

Now I understand what Mak meant when she said that I would only fully appreciate the feeling of being in Mekah when I go there. And I understand that praying is not just for Allah, but also for me, to cleanse my mind, my heart and my soul so that ultimately, I would be able to perfect my submission to Allah.

Ya Allah, aku memohon dariMu untuk diberi peluang lagi menjadi tetamu di RumahMu bersama-sama dengan AZ dan anak-anakku... Amin..

Labaikallah Hummalabaik..

Alhamdulillah, we received confirmation last night that our Visa Umrah has been approved and Insya Allah we will be embarking on our spiritual journey soon..

Ya Allah, permudahkanlah perjalanan kami ini dan terimalah segala amal ibadat kami.. Janganlah Kau menduga kami dengan dugaan-dugaan di luar kemampuan kami.. Tingkatkanlah kesabaran kami dan hilangkanlah kemarahan kami.. Ya Allah, kami pohon dariMu kesegaran tubuh badan semasa menjalankan ibadah ini, kuatkan keimanan dan kepercayaan kami, tambahkanlah ilmu pengetahuan kami, keberkatan rezeki, peluang bertaubat sebelum mati, mendapat rahmat pada saat kematian menjelang tiba serta mendapat pengampunan selepas mati. Hanya kepadaMu tempat kami memohon dan berlindung, Ya Allah.

Sebelum berangkat, saya ingin meminta ampun dan maaf dari hujung rambut ke hujung kaki sekiranya saya pernah menyinggung perasaan sesiapa di sini by something I said, or didn't say, did or didn't do, or if something I had written had hurt any of you here. Dalam pergaulan dan interaksi kita seharian, dalam keadaan sedar ataupun tidak, kita pasti ada melukakan hati, menyakiti, menaikkan kemarahan, mendukakan, menyinggung perasaan... and for all that, I sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart. Minta dihalalkan makan dan minum..

Labaikallah Hummalabaik..

Bonjour Paris

Had an amazing week in France this week, working for 2 days with clients in Nantes and enjoyed the sites and sounds of Paris with AZ thereafter. Will write more about this beautiful city when I'm not so jet-lagged, but for now, do enjoy some of the pictures...

The awe-inspiring Tour Eiffel

Me, a mime & the Arc de Triomphe

The Champs Elysees, home to sinful designer labels

AZ in the Sully Wing at the Louvre

The Pyramide seems out of place but somehow

blended with the centuries old Louvre Palais

The view from the Eiffel Tower is simply breathtaking

Thanks so much to Encik Mazlan & Puan Normah for this work-cum-pleasure trip. And to my darling AZ, thank you for the really special Anniversary presents (^_^)

8.1.11 is Adlina's 12th Birthday

Adlina's Party Pinata

(Beaten to death by everyone!)

Adlina + Cousins

Happy Birthday to my darling princess, Adlina who just turned 12. I can't believe how much Adlina has grown from a cute baby, to an adorable little girl, and now to a beautiful young lady. Adlina is a real blessing in my life and every single day I thank Allah for giving her to me.

As she grows, I see more and more of me in her. Adlina is truly Mini Mama, only she will be better than me in every way, I'm sure of that.

To Adlina: I love you so much sayang.. Happy 12th Birthday darling!

1.1.11

The first day of every year is always special to me as it marks the anniversary of my marriage to AZ. We have been together for 17 years and I am so thankful to Allah for giving me the blessing of a soulmate. Alhamdulillah..

When you start your life together with someone, you always pray for the best but you never know where the relationship will take you. In my field, I have seen so many marriages crumble and end in bitter divorces and separations. I have seen friends who were so in love with each other but after a few years of living together, prefer to live separate lives. In a world full of distractions and temptations, lasting meaningful relationships are becoming less and less of a norm.

In the past 2 years, I've been called to speak at several seminars to advice women on their rights in law. I met many women in sad, abusive relationships. Some women are in unhappy relationships but have chosen to stay married for the sake of their children. Others stay married although they know of their husband's infidelities as they feel that they have no other options. For some, being married is just a matter of convenience.

And this is why I am so thankful to be with AZ. He accepts me as I am (fat + fluff included!). He understands me so well. He amuses me when I'm down. He shares in my joy and achievements. He supports me in all my endeavours. AZ completes me. He is my companion, my strength. AZ is my life.

We have both grown so much in this relationship. We have changed and evolved over these 17 years. And we are lucky that these changes have brought us together and not apart. Every day I love and respect him more and more. I never believed this could be possible.

To AZ: Happy Anniversary, darling. Thank you for everything that you are to me. I am really blessed to have you and our lovely children in my life. Alhamdulillah..

To everyone out there: Wishing all of you a Very Special New Year full of happy surprises, unexpected opportunities and wonderful achievements! Let's all resolve to be a better person this year (^_^)