Thursday 31 December 2009

2009 & 2010

How to do this tag:
Do some writing in a language you are not familiar with or just learned, then using an automatic online translator translate it into English. At the end, explain what is the exact thing you would like to express. At last, don´t forget to tag your friend. Have fun!

In Spanish:
Luna azul es una phenomena cuando tiene dos veces de luna llena en un mes. Se llama luna azul porque en condicion especial, este luna se puede ver en azul. Ademas, es una phenomena raro porque se puede ver solamente cada 2.5 años. Este año es mas raro porque celebremos año nuevo, solamente en cada 12 años. Tengo suerte puedo verlo. Adios 2009 y bienvenido 2010 pero a luna azul hasta 2012!

According to Babel Fish:
Blue moon is a phenomena when it has twice of full moon in a month. Blue moon is called because in special condition, this moon can be seen in blue. Furthermore, it is a rare phenomena because it is possible to be seen only every 2,5 years. This year is but rare because we celebrate New Year, only in every 12 years. I have luck because I can see it. Goodbye 2009 and welcome 2010 but to Blue Moon until 2012!

But what I meant to say is....
Blue moon is a special phenomenon when it has twice of full moon in a month. It is called blue moon as in certain condition we can see the moon bluish. It is rare, only happens in every 2.5 years. However, this year is special as we are celebrating new year with it, which happens in every 12 years. I am lucky to see it. Goodbye 2009 and welcome 2010 but for blue moon see you in 2012!

So, my friends, do help me. Comment or do another one like mine.
Azhari Salleh
Mirzana Muharam
Akma Kamarzaman
Emmy
Marcelina
Anybody

Monday 28 December 2009

Vacation spree urgently needed

Christmas just past few days ago. Even with free days to enjoy, 2 more weeks to be exact, I am weary. I have datelines to fulfill, yet my brain just does not working - at all. I feel tired, cranky and my nerve easily got me. Easily angry, fed up with things. God, I do need a vacation, exactly at this time. Unfortunately, no money no talk. Furthermore, no passport no plan, darling. Visit from my Londoner friends did change nothing, in fact I envied them for being able to have a breakaway, why not me....

I did try shopping therapy, bought my fav items - perfume. After Paul Smith, Burberry, Victorio & Lucchino, also Hugo Boss for my significant half, the trick failed. Cooking and eating? No appetite. Try to play some music - I need new string for my guitar. Write poem - do not have Zarina´s talent to play with words.

Spend my time under the sun? No sun. NO SUN - Gosh, the weather is now depressing just like England, with lots of rain. It is the WEATHER. So I have to be somewhere sunny. Again, it leads to vacation. Sigh....

Saturday 12 December 2009

Thank you for such a great present



Thank you for all who had wished me birthday greetings. Thank you very much.

From the bottom of my heart,
Honeysuckle.

Sunday 25 October 2009

MITB


My husband is a person who loves cycling and bicycle, and anything related to it, and it is a passion since he was small. Today, he went for an official race of mountain biking, the first one he does in Spain. He is not alone because Jose and Jorge are there too.

But the race is not started only today, in fact it acquires few days earlier, to be exact a month. (What a month??!!). Setting, trying, adjusting, training (which I doubt), finding equipments this, that, this, that and furthermore we live quite far from Kak Akma´s, so include the traveling too. (Okay, exaggerating, we went to Kak Akma´s place on hari raya, exactly a month before - for setting. The next visit, is for race day).

So, in the morning they put the bicycle, prepare some errr preparations..before leaving the house. We ladies stay at home as it is cold, and to go there with children who are constantly eating and easily get bored...no way! So I am not sure what happen there but..

This is the time where they waited for starting...Look, Titan Dessert tu...This is what my hubby really aim for..

Early stage or the race...

Not sure which part of the race...

But at the end, everybody able to finish safely, (mountain biking remember), coverred with mud and happy.

My hubby ends at 51 out of 100++ participants for his category. (Not bad, as I have no faith that he is able to finish it, hehehe, sorry darling). And he is looking forward to join more races like this.

And we would like to thank all the sponsors, Kak Akma and Jose, Jorge and Ana. Hope to see you again..And for freinds like Lehman (Didie´s half), "meh le join race nih...best wooo", (sorry, wa plak yang lebih) and Rahman, " sambar je Merida tu, tak teruja ke??"

Monday 19 October 2009

Just one word

I got this from Tyiana. She never tag me, so I invite myself.

USING ONLY ONE WORD! It's not as easy as you might think! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on by tagging your friends. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to tag the person you received it from!

1. Where is your cell phone? - Honeeeyyy!!!
2. Your significant other? - Zulkffli
3. Your hair? - Straight
4. Your mother? - Best
5. Your father? - Cool
6. Your favorite place? - Home
7. Your dream last night? - None
8. Your favorite drink? - Tea
9. Your dream/goal? - Progressing
10. What room you are in? - Kitchen
11. Your hobby? - Reading
12. Your fear? - Dark
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? - There
14. Where were you last night? - Home
15. Something that you aren't? - Curvy
16. Muffins? - Yummy!
17. Wish list item? - Patience
18. Where you grew up? - JB
19. Last thing you did? - Cook
20. What are you wearing? - Jumper
21. Your TV? - Disney
22. Your pet(s)? - Nothing
23. Friends? - Family
24. Your life? - Improving
25. Your mood? - Calm
26. Missing someone? - Sure
27. Car? - Hummer?
28. Something you're not wearing? - What?
29. Your favorite store? - Bookstore
30. Your favorite color? - Blue
33. When is the last time you laughed? - Yesternight
34. Last time you cried? - Forgot
35. Who will resend this? - Friends
36. One place that I go to over and over? - School
37. One person who emails me regularly? - Her

And the last part, tagging - for sure my friends with blog like Zarina, Didie (hopefully she is fine waiting for the day), Babypose. And for those without blog, they will get the notifications by facebook.

Wednesday 7 October 2009

Biblioteca y Tecnologia

Yesterday , I was in the library looking for an old article from Journal of Consumer Research dated back in the year of 1978. An old one but very prominent. From the system, it was a microfilm, so but my limited Spanish, I asked for access. Then, the librarian who attended me was shocked. He said nobody has asked for his assistance for quite sometime...

I myself was startled too. I tried to recall the last time I used microfilm....hmmmmm had I used it before? The librarian and I started to make jokes (imagine with very limited vocabulary - less than 100 root words) about old movies, Elizabeth Taylor and Burton, how antique the machine was..and he is short-sighted...so he had to focus the machine till I can read the wordings cause he could not read anything. And he kept laughing (so I had to laugh with him). At the end ,I really laughed with him cause his act reminded me of my dad while he tried to read my sister´s report card without his reading glasses. (And that is the best time for my sister to get him sign it with pre-act: hide dad´s glasses).

Why I am making this blog post today? I don´t know. I have the Raya entry in due. I guess my freinds here are dying to see it. But I feel unease today. My worry creeps deeper and I feel bad. Need to talk to someone...

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Ramadhan Karim

Spending Ramadhan abroad really makes me missing home. No Bazar Ramadhan, no sound of Terawikh from the mosque, no raya songs even tough I hate it. And Zarina makes it even worse by uploading pictures of breakfasting with friends and purposely making remarks on how goods the foods are. She just gave me a sentence and it successfully make me longing to go back home. (Cis Zarina!). Thank goodness the Spanish love fireworks, so at least I don´t miss Malaysian stupidity of playing `meriam buluh´until they lost hand, legs, eyes and head.

After two consecutive years here, there are some food that I really miss. So, last week I googled up for yong tau fu with soup recipe. It is difficult to find as most come with the brown sauce, yet finally....I got one. And the result is not heart breaking at all, satisfying.



Next, I bake some pineapple tart too. The look is not as promising as what being offered in the market. But the taste is really good. It even challenges some available in the market, I dare to boast as my family is very fussy about the taste of pineapple tart. I need to bake for second batch later, more artistic this time so that it looks photogenic, thus I can brag more about it here. Hahaha.

I know my dad will laugh out loud on this statement as he always said," what? you cook? Instant or from the can?". (Encouragement or reverse psychology, I myself not sure). But still, there are a lot and lot of Malaysian delicacies that I miss especially my dad´s nasi beriani, my mom´s gulai daging salai, my ibu´s asam pedas, sambal goreng, fried bittergourd (and her -never ending list) , my mak mertua´s crab curry...Aiyoh, hungry mah...Need to fill my stomach before the grumbling gets louder and woke up my baby...


Sunday 23 August 2009

Ramadhan al Mubarak

Ramadhan is coming again, and this is the third year we have it abroad - furthermore in summer time. The weather is hot, torching and torturous. It really tested my patience, with my toddler crying, and sometimes throwing tantrum. Ya Allah, please help me.

I told my husband, are we making an unwise decision to come abroad at this particular time (when Ramadan falls in summer?) But it is unfair to go abroad with aim of having shorter and cooler fasting month - he said. Yeah it is sooo true.

Another thing, during Ramadhan, I miss my family, the busyness and chaos that we had while preparing dishes to break fast, the fighting, the noise, the weakness (I am usually the weakest one) - everything.

Luckily I have my husband and daughter here. My family and in laws, including Adam, I miss you guys so much. To my sisters and friends who are abroad, do survive. Yeah, I know the feeling of missing pasar Ramadhan (except Zarina, she´s going back to homeland next week, grrr...).

Salam Ramadhan Al Mubarak.

Thursday 20 August 2009

Czech please

Our tour ended up with a visit to Prague. A city where almost everyone who had visited told us beautiful.

It is undeniably beautiful. In addition, my love made a conclusion that any city, with a river runs through it, is beautiful. Based on every city that we had visited, all 5, yes. You are right honey.

And the river, besides adding beautiful touch to the scenery, cools down the temperature a bit. (Hey, it is summer, and the sun is torching hot). Everybody tries their best to enjoy both sunshine and water.

Again, I lost count on what the places we were visiting. Not because there were many places to visit, but this time we just walked around and made ourselves lost in the city. One thing for sure, when we were tired, we were heading back to the river bank.

And usually, besides the riverbank, he was re-ready himself for more and more pictures. The tripod - check, 50-200mm - check, 18-55 mm - check, lens covers all four - check, spare battery - check, card - check, visor - check and the list continued..

Summer in Europe is far different from our hot weather back home. It is dry, my skin flaked and itchy due to excessive dryness. Yeah I know, lotion and sun block, but these two were not enough. I kept complaining about the itchiness. And it killed my mood for providing a good subject for my crazy photographer.

Somewhere, somehow, it is just me. I love being in front of the camera and thank goodness for my camera-friendly ability. Those pictures turn out to be not bad (according to my discretion, hahaha).

And I think this guy sensed it too, so he encouraged me by capturing memorable shots with feeling and happiness. Just look at his smile.

In front of wax museum with MJ, Whitney Houston and Carlie Chaplin.

Da Vinci anatomic shot in front of the clock.

I love you, You love me, we are happy family, with a big great hug and kiss from me to you, won´t you say you love me too..

At the meridian line, which was managed by the Czech

At the square

This is the 'clock'

Us at the clock

People at the clock waiting it to strike

At the square

Again, at the square

A glimpse of Prague road

This is a monument created by a Jewish notable lawyer named Frank .... can´t remember. When I looked at it, the first thing that crossed my mind is the aim of Jewish want to control the whole world. Master of puppet like.

Eventually, he learned to smile and pose

At one of the parks, I found a pear tree - fruitful. At first, I wonder, did anybody eat the fruit? It´s a shame to let it waste. Then, this man arrived, shook a bough and ate the fruits. WOW! I wanted that too, so when my husband arrived, I asked me to do a favor and he got me 2 pears. (yes, I am short). The taste? It was the best pear I ever eaten, crunchy, juicy and sweet. Even Zara wanted for second one.

The bridge near the park with pear tree

At the riverside, with my Polska-shirted hubby

I remember this moment what led my hubby to take many photos of us. While he was busy taking pictures of the building, try to get the best reflection of everything on the water, a group of men passed by and teased him. "She is better than the buildings and bridge, focus on her". And we were laughing. I know that my husband loves taking pictures with reflection, so that did not hurt me.

A building that I love to look at

A better close up

The bridge

Another place that we loved at Prague is Narodni Museum. We took a lot of pictures, with flowers and statue. There is a 'rambla' in front of this museum and many people sit and enjoy the view. Magnificent!

Roses everywhere! My fave

If my mom was here, she will love this too. I mean the flowers, and she loves me, claro!


This is the view in front of the statue at Narodni Museum, the 'rambla' I had been talking about.

We let her free, polishing her walking skill, but it came with price. Dirty hands and pants.


He and Narodni Museum, smiling with his Czech cap and Polska shirt

Zara was clapping her hand happily. I think she likes the camera just like me.

A happy family, yuppee!!

A closer look (at daddy´s teeth)

Side view of Narodni Museum

The entrance to Communist museum

After a tired walk, it was either the park or restaurant. We were hungry but she did not like waiting for the food.

Luckily, when she tossed around, almost to crack a wail, the waiter saw this and came with crayons and some drawing. She was amazed by the new things. I never gave her crayons, afraid that it will go to either her mouth or eyes, but she managed well. So, next trip, I have to be like Kak Akma, stuff in lots of colouring books and crayons.

An opera house
At the tower, before the rain poured

A quick pose with Chopin, and the wind hated me this time. I looked....terribly bad

A theatre for ballet

Cuban bar is popular in Prague, and the cool vintage car added to the Cuba-ness

She was streching herself after hours of seating in the stroller

A Jewish synagogue
(We tried to get into one of many synagogues but the fees - pff turn us down)

This man can sax very good. He reminded me of Sheila Majid - cool Jazz

On the bridge with many statues, one of the famous bridge in Prague

View from Prague castle

Changing the guards, but not as impressive as Buckingham

View from the wall

Toy museum

At the catedral besides Prague Castle

The inside

The outside

Another photo-obsession of my husband is to take picture at night. I think he is good with it just like the reflection. Here are some of his take.









Well, what do you think?