Natrah oh Natrah!

Zil, 'Natrah' and I

The sad story of Natrah @ Nadrah or Maria Huberdina Hertogh is indeed a very sad one..

I have heard her story since i was young and it has been retold soo many times especially by my late grandfather . He was in Singapore when the Natrah's riot broke in 1950 and witnessed everything that happened. Whenever he told me the story he had always failed to hide his sadness to me.. I did understand why back then.. I just pretended to be interested to his story because I love to accompany him to visit his favourite mamak 's place and got to eat my favourite mee rebus... very sedap 1!

Zil and Cik Hayza Posing ala-ala Charlie's Angels

so when i heard that Erma and Istana Budaya were going to stage "Natrah' I did not missed the chance and booked the tix a.s.a.p.. and I angkut my BFF , Zil to see the play so in case if i dont like it i have someone to gosip2 with..haha.. Oh bukan susah to convince Zil to come with me coz she happens to be a big fan of Remy Ishak ( ala mamat dalam Nur Kasih tu )..

So on the 3rd Dec 2009 I wore my best dress and went to Istana Budaya to see 'Natrah in person' .. (to be continued.. )

Cupcakes n Fancy Cookies class @ Loveliana - Updated

Lovely and Patient Kak Liana

oh..

have been wanting to share this ..

tp asyik lupe je... hehe

One fine sunday morning , me and my officemate Mek Sal telah mengagahkan diri utk menghadiri kelas cupcakes decor n fancy cookies..

ler.. rupe2nye Loveliana tu dekat je ngan umah aku bout 5 mins jer..

if i knew it earlier i would have been able to open a bakery by now ler gamaknye hehehe

alamak.. x leh upload lak all the pics.. nanti i upload k

The first 3 cuppies, edible image , baby shower and hat deco

My fancy and comot cookies!

Riang Ria Cornflakes

my cornflakes.. meriah tak? tunggu turn nak masuk oven

owh this is another favourite raya cookies of mine...

I've never made it without my sister's supervision..

but since i have all the ingredients needed .. i pun mencuba nasib ler.. read all the doa n felt nervous about making it coz x penah buat sendiri.. normally i'll prepare it with my sister

ok i'd like to share my recipe here.. feel free to try and adjust to yr liking k..

all my 125 pieces cornflakes..

Honey cornflakes with nuts

ingredients

i box of cornflakes ( about 300-350 gram)

200 gram butter

1 cup honey ( if the honey is too sweet.. reduce it)

5 tbs ( or 1/2 cup) coarse sugar

50 gram cashew nut ( roastd)

50 gram almond flake (roasted)

50 gram red cherry / chocolate rice - for deco purposes

papercups- use the black one

( if u use the white /fancy one nanti gula lekat kt dasar cup)

methods

Melt the butter in your pan with a slow fire.

Then add sugar, if u like it sweeter, add more sugar.

Stir it until it boils then add honey and stir it again for 5 minutes.

Put aside the pan and add the cornflakes and the nuts and mixed all well

spoon the cornflakes mixture in the papercup

deco with red cherry or choc rice

( i use both) and bake for 10 -15 mins

happy trying!

tadaa.. ready to munched..

hmm .. fast to cook yummy to eat!

not too bad kan ? :)

My Chocolate chips cookies attempt

chocolate chips cookies hot from the oven.. melt in your mouth not in your hand :)

I think i've been posessed by the Raya Spirit coz out of sudden i'm in buat kuih raya mood haha

err.. havent done so for at least 5 years..

so last nite i picked up my courage to start on buat kuih raya mission and tried my best to make

my bro's favourite chocolate chips cookies.

Chocolate Chips Cookies

adapted from : Children Party Cookies and Cakes Cookbook

Ingredient

1 egg

1/2 cup butter or (115 gram)

1/2 cup brown sugar

11/2 cup self raising flour

1 cup choc chips

1 cup walnut /almond/pecan /hazelnut

1tbs vanilla essence

a pinch of salt ( optional)

Method

preheat the oven

Beat butter + sugar till fluffy

in a different bowl beat egg plus vanilla essence till frothy

add egg and vanila in the butter mixture

add in flour, choc chips and nuts of your choice

mix all the ingredient together

scoop the cookies mixture and drop in on the baking tray

bake for 10-15 mins or till it turns slightly brown

good luck!

tadaa.. the end product.. it might look like cengkodok but it tastes better than famous amos!

What do i crave for during Ramadhan?

Here are top 10 things i crave for whenever Ramadhan menjelma..

1. Kuih Lopez - Err my nieces n nephews always called this sweet traditional kuih as kuih Jenifer lopez.. sounds yummier rite?

2. Murtabak Daging plus Kentang - My late Mak prepared the most delicious murtabak daging n kentang.. it tastes better than Murtabak Arab Street u knw! My late mak always served it with her signature Kari Telur.. hmm soo mouth watering..

3. Karipap Sadin- Thank God I manage to find one stall in Putrajaya Ramadhan Bazaar which sells the nicest Curry puff Sadin for only 50cent each..

4. Buah Melaka - easy to prepare n delicious to eat! or so i was told err not that i know how to prepare it hehe

5. Puteri Mandi - er someone told me that it is also known as Badak Berendam .. but i prefer to refer to it as Puteri Mandi.. sounds Sexier hehe

6. Char keow Teow Penang- Nothing compares to the real Penang Char keow teow plus Kerang... Peh.. Brad Pitt lalu belakang pun x heran :)

7.Caramel Puding - I started the craving for this pudding almost 13 years ago when i did my preparatory in Intec Shah Alam.. There was this very good looking Pakcik selling nothing but Caramel Pudding.. I swear to God he is waaay sizzling than the pudding.. but of course he's not for sale.. too bad.. hmm

8. Laksa Penang - ohhh if the taste is rite i can really eat bowl after bowl of Laksa Asam.. lucky Lemon Grass's version of Laksa Asam is at par with the one sold in Penang.

9. Ketam masak lomak cili Api- another favourite of mine.. but i always request for the less hot version... i have very low pedas tolerant ...

10. Assam Pedas Tulang - my family always serve this with salted egg.. sodap! nothing compares to my mom's assam pedas.. now she's no longer around... no one can cook it the way she did.. hmm too bad

ok guys.. gtg.. need to go to Baza Ramadhan and grab something for Berbuka.. or i'll end up eating Maagi.. Chiao

It's Party Time!

The finger licking good cuppies

As requested by many, after more than ten times replanning and rescheduling alot of things.. finally i managed to throw a housewarming-reunion-pre birthday Party at my pink crib..

it is organised esp for my tesl7 batch frens..

so people eat yr heart out hehe...

here are some pics snapped at the party

of fabulous food and fantastic frens

The rice gurls.. can u handle us?

(hayza, zil ,zarina,linda,cyn, mimi)

Derin and Maresa.. the ubat batuk cap ibu dan anak model :)

With Mimi's daughter, Misha

The irresistable foodie

Two yummy mummies.. can u believe that they are actually mothers of two? really envy their lean and slim body!

the party hotties Cyn, Ernie n Me :)

The gossip girls at work

(Turiz, ernie, saila)

Can u handle us?

Cynthia n i strike a vouge pose

Bibixs at work..

cyn the beautiful bibik..

zil the bountiful bibik .. hehe

People always think we r twins or sisters..

do we really look alike?

Really sad when the party is over..

wish i could throw party every weekend..

maybe i can have a bigger and better one next year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !

The Yummilicious Cuppies Shopohalic theme courtesy of Azreena (cakesandsuch.blogspot.com)




33 years ago i was brought into this world through my late mum
i know she had to endure such a great pain to ensure my safety..

was only 7 months old in my mum's womb.. when she fell off the staircase of my granny's traditional kampung house..and i had to be taken out of the womb to make sure both of us r safe

i remember my granma told me tht my condition was very bad..
my belly button was badly bleeding for more than one month..
and no one thought i would survive or live longer than a month..

but with Allah will , Alhamdulilah till today I still have the chance to breathe and explore the beautiful world that He has created for us..


I am 33 years old today and havent accomplished much compared to others who earn 5 figure wages..
No, i dun drive a mercedes benze, bentley or BMW.. have been driving the same wira for the past 8 years..
Yup.. I am still a civil servant who have to wait till the day i retire to hold a great post in my department..
I wish i could travel and see the world every month but with my meagre income can only do that twice or thrice per year...
and i am still single and unmarried despite the number of relationships i had with my exes..
oh gosh i am so tired of kissing the wrong frog :(



But i am grateful with what i have now ....



Thank U Allah for giving me the chance to live my life to the fullest..
Happy Birthday to me..
May trength alweis b with me..
May Allah Bless me..
May my 2mrw be filled with joy and happiness



The chocolate cherry cupcakes

of Phobia...trauma..and such...

I am living in fear now..

cant sleep for the past few days...

am very sensetive to every sound, footstep, shadow , movement and voice that i hear...

it's all because...

there was this idiot indon broke into my house ..

and stole all my gold, diamond , cash and valuables..

lucky i was away.. for i cant imagine what will happen to me if i was home when it happened..

but he has my spare keys.. he took them all..

really scared that he might come again , or bring the whole batalion to take other things in the house..

so yesterday.. i did what is necessary for me to keep me and my house save from any intruder..

i even sleep with a few knives by my side...

i might kill a passing by cat or bird..

but i think my life worth more than that..

and I pray to God to protect me.. always

err.. will having a hubby shake all my fear away ? ;)

Meet Umairah Qistina....

looks really cute even when she yawns

Guys...

i'd like to introduce 2 u my family's latest sweetheart... meet Umairah Qistina or i'd prefer to address her as Qis

FYI Qis is my 11th niece out 0f 18 anak menakan that i have...

Qis is my brother's eldest daughter.. and just like me she was born prematuredly

She was born 2 months earlier than expected. Born in March and makes her only two months old now... when these photos were taken she was only 12 days old! cant u believe it? coz at the very tender age of 12 days she has already mastered the art of posing maut hehe... tgk la siape aunty die kan? hehe

watcha!...she loves kicking in the air... cant wait to take her to my kickboxing class!

aunty... this is how to sleep in style !

My very 1st photoshoot with Umaira Qistina.. sayang aunty will always cherish this moment :)

She is sooo cute and adorable.. and i am always looking 4ward to hold her in my arms...

what amazes me is that according to my sis in law Qis would only 'talk' and laugh when i am around her!

She would normally cry when any stranger touches her but smiles and laugh the moment I touch her..

I think about her and miss her everyday..

Qis sayang... I love u soo much and cant wait for u to grow so that we can go to shop or spa 2gather gather :)

mmmuah2

A series of unfortunate events..:(

this week is defnatly not the best week of my life..

It started of with my ever dearest besfren- My Nokie E6500 slide ( i dun earn 5 figure income u know). It wasnt functioning well and kept switching on and off by itself for no apparent reasons.. i tot it was because of the memory excess burden so i bought a new 2 gig memory card.. and rite after that the phone went crazy.. so i brought it to the nearest handphone shop and had the shock of my life. My phone is seriously infected by unknown virus and has to be sent to the manufacturer for a week or two for reformatting purpose! oh no! how do i survive without a mobile phone? It means the world to me! and it means i am gonna lose almost 500 contact no i have in the phone memory! OMG! where and how am i going to retrieve that no.. should have tot of back up file b4 hmmm.. there goes all the cute guys no! huhuhu

With my critical financial condition now i defntly cant afford to buy a new phone thou i've been eyeing blackberry curve and iphone for quite sumtime.. hmm

So how do i survive without my E6500? lucky i still have my ancient Nokia 7250 phone which I've not used for over a year.. but it is surely better than nothing... tho i hate the annoying poliphonic ringtone alot ..please be kind to me now..

Apart from my phone i am also having a slight problem wit my car.. I dont know whether car really has feelings or not.. It started showing it's true colour after I had this fun test drive with Nissan Latio Sport.. maybe it cant stand being compared with this cool nissan hybrid so it is shown in the rise of temperature whenever i go under 60kmph.. i've checked with the mechanic and it seems that the termostart and the radiator need to be replaced. hmmm and i need to prepare 1k for that..

Fist my phone, then my car , 2 hours ago i've received a call from my landlady in Tangkak. She called not because she misses me but because she wants me to evacuate the house by 1 May @ or in 2 days time or i'll have to pay the rent for May as well.. Meaning I need to find the mover and packer by 2mrw and have to apply for a day leave on Thursday. I know how my boss is so not in favour of approving emergency leaves. I am well aware that she is going to highlight this case over and over in a few up coming meetings .. but i have no choice..

To add salt to the bleeding wound.. i finally lost my temper to my housemate over a simple matter. She has forgotten to pay the astro bill and that means I cant watch my favourite "Ugly Betty" and "Desperate Housewives" 2nite! I have to suffer doing nothing at home while she is having fun watching Wolverine with her new found BF 2nite.. sooo unfair..

The Almighty.. Please have mercy on me.. I know u test me bcoz u love me... give me strength to endure this please...it's driving me crazy.. really huhuhu ;(

Insomnia..

Since i moved into my spanking new pink apartment few months back i've been suffering from a severe insomnia.. I couldnt sleep no matter how many sheeps i've counted.

Warm milk? tried that . it dosnt work on me. Lavender oil theraphy? tried that it works but find it not economical friendly. Seems like only the expensive ones work on me. Yg murah2 x jalan la pulak hehe.

Someone told me to to make myself as tired as possible coz fatigue will make me sleep better. So i did change my lifestyle to a healthier one and worked out. Went to the gym. Did cardio xcercise and i became very2 tired. so did i sleep well that nite? NOO.. guess i overexercise and i couldnt even close my eyes coz my whole body is aching.. hmmm

The unbearable body aches made me visit my favourite spa in Bangi. So I went and had aromatherapy massage plus scrubbing and floral bath ( eh ni bukan pasal gatai nak kawen tau)

and for the 1st time in 3 months i had the best sleep ever..

bui

e

of course I cant afford to go to spa everyday to make me a better sleeper so i am still figuring out how to solve tis problem. any idea?

Puteri Gunung Ledang Review

Never thought that I would watch this play for the third time. I've seen the 1st and the 2nd season of this spectacular malaysian made theatre and I dont think it's neccessary for me to see the same thing for the 3rd time.

But, one fine evening , my ex- housemate called me and asked me to accompany her to watch PGL season 3. She's been wanting to watch since 4 years ago but could'nt find the time to do so. So she made the neccessary arrangement and Walla! yes.. I made my 3rd visit to PGL castle.

The magnificient giant flower arrangement of tuberoses aka harum sundal malam , ginger flower and jasmine

As I stepped in Istana Budaya, I was welcomed by such a pleasent , subtle but very soothing scent of flowers. I looked around and saw not one but more than six giant flower arrangment comprised of White tuberoses, jasmine, wild orchid and red ginger flower to compliment the giant vase placed at the foyer to greet the huge crowd. I was totally mesmerized by the Balinese ambience that they tried to create. A part from the sweet white flowers, on the way to the staircase , there were four big urns filled with water, chrysanthemum and floating candles.. and i really felt as if I was in Bali..

the giant urn with red chrysanthemum and floating candles

my special pose with the urn ;)

A very unique yet sexy painting by local artist.. really nice!

Soo tempted to touch the handsome Tuah..

( x dapat touch org touch poster pun jadi la) hehe

Rumour has it this is going to be Tiara's last apperance as Puteri.. err Shall i replace her? ;)

In the theatre..

Though I thought I was going to dooze off while watching it , I really enjoyed watching every second of the play.. the have improved the plot, lightings. and the special effects which have made the theatre an unforgettable one. I am so proud of them. I am so proud of being a part of PGL and see the play grow so flawlessly well now. I am so proud to see a world class play produced by 99% Malaysian ( err i think Stephen is still not Malaysian rite?) I dont regret sparing my time watching it , am still very amazed with their teriffic perfomance. It is such an awesome experience to be part of the crowd and I dont mind coming again for PGL next year!
PGl- more spectacular, more mystical and more breathtaking really live up to the expectation
KUDOS Tiara!

The Humble Housewarming...

the pink and white flowers greeted my guests

(err this is my 1st attempt arranging fresh flowers so ignore the arrangement k ;)

Had such a wonderful weekend spent with people close to my heart. My sisters came over to my aptmnt during last CNY to help me out with the 'kenduri naik rumah' thingy so i decided to throw a mini housewarming party aka housewarming Part 1 ( there'll be more to come in the future coz i can have too many guests at the same time due to spatial constraint)

The yasin recital team imported from Johor

What I've prepared for my guests swiss roll n orange juice

What my sis cooked for me! marvellous rendang!

My nephews n bro in law enjoying the famous satay kajang.. my treat ;)

The Chocolate Fountain guardian Wawa n Ain

Sofea.. savouring the choc dip wafer roll.. Yummy!

It was such a simple yet memorable and very meaning ful to me.. really looking forward to have them in the house again.. it's too quiet now ;(

Sofea's story

Sofea in her Bali Mode

I received a sms frm my sis last week " Sofea g skolah harini.. bgn awal n excited sgt!" that is a pretty exciting news to me too..

Being the youngest n the only unmarried aunty, i am quite close to my nieces.. coz i've always wanted a younger sister.. and i always hope and pray if by the grace of God I got the chance to be a mother I would want my 1st kid to b a girl! y?
hmm bcoz i think clothing and accessories for girls r faaaar more variety compared to boys.. n cheaper to hehe

The girls enjoying the see saw



Generally , I have 9 nieces.. the eldest niece Nida is only few years younger than me n now pursuing her PHD in Aussie.. to me she is more than just a niece.. she's my friend, my sister, my counsellor, my soul provider , my banker hehe.. n i miss her a lot.. nantilah if i hv xtra $ i would go n pay her a visit..


My youngest niece Faten. 8 months, we lost her last Ramadhan because of Dengue Fever.. my sis tot it was just a normal fever so she just took her 2 the nearest clinic n given normal medcine 2 cure fever.. when the fever reoccur she was taken to HUKM , and warded but it was too late.. Allah loves her more.. Alfatihah to my Faten sayang..


Without Faten makes Sofea, the sister as my youngest niece.. she's only 3 years old .. but soo xcited of going to school so my sister send her to ABIM play school.. hmm seems like history repeats itself coz I also went to kindergarten at the tender age of 3! well during my time in the 70's that is pretty rare k..:)


Sofea is slightly different from other nieces coz dont know how n why but she is bestowed with curly hair! where else all of us in the family have str8 crowning glory!.. Sofea or Pia , my aunties in Batu Pahat would always call her Piah or sometimes Peah.. Her cousins would prefer 2 call her yaya as the influence of their fav tv series "Pepaya" .. and I love to address her as Ya or sometimes Sofiyaya coz it sounds cute


I hate the fact tht she is entering school.. coz sooner or later we will soon loose our little Goldilocks ..as she grows wiser she wouldnt want us to hug or kiss her publically , or do things for her, or give her piggy back anymore.. hmm most of my nieces refuse to manja2 wit me after the enter standard one.. and every single second i woud miss the daty they run to me n hug n kiss me once come out of my car.. n they would ask 1001 questions n demand 1 million things.. and as far as possible i would try to grant whatever their wishes for.. believe it or not if i say that almost 50% of my pay goes to them? coz i just love showering them with everything that they want not that my sis cant afford it.. so touched when they say " aunty jgn la kawin, nanti aunty xnak jalan dgn kitaorn, kitaorg saaaayang aunty " then give me a peck on my cheek.. hmm that is a sincere but very meaningfull utterance to me.. n they love me unconditionally..


I love them so much.. and will always do till death do us part.. even if I dont get a chance to have my own kids in the future i still have my Ain, Wawa, Sofea , Nida, Ina , Ika n Wani to love and care ;)








Faten, no longer with us but will always b in our heart!

( the photo was taken few months before Faten passed away..)

Turning Over the new leaf of 2009...

2008 left us 5 dayz ago...



and that makes us another year older, wiser and give us another 365 days to life for...



as i look back at the 365 days ago ... I am indeed thankful to Allah the Almighty for giving me the chance to sail another year..



though 2008 is not as glorious as 2007, i hope my 2009 will be more meaningful to me, my family , frens and to all of us..







I hereby would like to list down the BEST of 2008

1. I finally got the keys to my long waited apartment..

2. Joined a wonderful art-class as a therapy

3. Discovered the best Spa - Serenity Spa with amazing services

4. Went to Backstreet Boys on the VIP tickets.. really enjoyed the concert.. non stop jumping for 2 hours.. and suffer from sakit kaki the day after hehe..

5. Joined Tesl 7 ppp/ukm reunion after 10 years.. soo happy to see everybody... most of them bring kids and hubby...hmmm only me and a handful of us brought nobody but ourselves

6. By the grace of God via modern technological invention I met a lot of school friends from my past.. including those whom i havent met for almost 20 years!

7. Went to Celine Dione Concert with my best friend.. really amazed with her sweet yet powerful voice!

Wit my BFF, Zeal eagerly waiting for BSB to start at the VIP standing ring

Kevin of BSB singing his heart out ..

now everyone.., u r my fire... the one desire..believe when i say i want it that way

Hope that the Almighty restores something equally great next year..

Happy new year Everyone!

Wishing u a Fantastic january , Loveable February , Marvellous March , Foolish April , Enjoyable May , Successful Jun , Wonderful July , Independent August , Sexy September, Tastiest October , Beautiful November and Victorious December