Gong Xi Fatt Choi @Dhiab Street!

Well, it's Friday, 31st January 2014. Also the Chinese community is celebrating their Chinese New Year. I guess most of them if not all are celebrating the Re-Union Dinner with their loved ones since yesterday evening with wide spreads of meals! To all my Chinese friends, Gong Xi Fatt Choi and May this year of the Horse be prosperous and full of harmony :D

Anyway, this morning I had breakfast with Mr Right at home. He made omelette with lots of mushrooms for me and grilled beef which was my favourite. On my part, I only prepared the drinks which include juices and coffees as well as the baked beans and sweet corn! After the hearty breakfast and while waiting for afternoon to come for CNY lunch @TT, I watched Korean movies titled Sadder than Sad about true love and sacrifice which brought tears to my eyes. It was followed by Yalkae, a comedy with an every day plot about a mischievous school boy turns hero which at the end of the movies caused blurry vision to my eyes also due to 'emotional perspiration.' 

Once in a while with happy pearly tears welling the eyes, I strongly feel its good for my eye sight and to keep them from drying out. Also, I found out in psycologytoday.com that "for both men and women, tears are a sign of courage, strength and authenticity." Dr Judith Orloff wrote in her book that "Like the ocean, tears are salt water. Protectively, they lubricate your eyes, remove irritants, reduce stress hormones, and they contain antibodies that fight pathogenic microbes." Wow! I'm truly feeling blessed after a good pearly drops while viewing the emotional movies that went straight to my heart and soul!

Then, it was time for me to get ready for lunch @TT Crib in Dhiab Street. Although there was no theme whatsoever, since it was a CNY celebration which is synonyms to scarlet colour both Mr Right and I decided to wear something red to commemorate the auspicious occasion. I wore a red blouse which I bought from Beijing closed to ten years ago. Since I seldom wore it except on certain events, the silk+satin blouse which was nicely embroidered was still in good condition and most of all, it's contemporary! Mr Right also wore his red shirt, thus we both were feeling good in our attires to visit our Chinese friends Peter & ThaiTee @PDO Camp. As a token of appreciation to their invitation, I tagged along a box of Patchi for my friends and her daughter.

When we arrived, the lovely couple were already waiting for their guests with wide spread of dishes single handedly cooked my Madam TT! Under the canopy of palm trees we sat and enjoyed the sumptuous luncheon. The cool breezy wind that blown softly in the valley surrounded by rugged mountains added 'umph' to our already good appetite. Wow > There were delicious char kway teow, aromatic chicken rice with grilled duck, glutinous chicken wrap, chicken curry and of course the crispy prawn crackers, with lots of tit bits comprising of nuts and many baskets full of mandarin oranges. 

Not forgotten the pinky and yummy Kuih Angku which was Madam TT's signature dish. In every function which was held in our residence, she never come empty handed. There's always this dish which was made from white glutinous rice flour. Since the cake was always in pink and synonymous with Chinese New Year tradition, thus a little bit of pink coloring is necessary to be added to the dough. And the best part which I truly liked was the 'inti' or fillings which was made from mung beans. Wow! That's truly a mouthwatering and lip smacking dessert which a piece or two wouldn't be enough! LOL.

Indeed, by then my belly was already stuffed with great foodies. But, Madam TT did not stop there. She asked me if I liked 'telor masin' and I quickly nodded, without knowing that she'll cook that dish for us, too. After the hearty meals both main and dessert, I repeated the meals again because she already prepared the 'telor masin' with nasi lemak! Woosh, lucky me :D Although I was already full, yet I still ate the new meals which she offered me and Wallah! It was truly delicious. I then washed all of them down with a plate full of mandarin oranges and slices of juicy water melons. All in all, the lunch @Madam TT was exceptionally delicious and truly filled up my 'hollow' belly that ended up like full blown balloon. And, when its time to leave for home, I could feel my pants almost screaming like, "Help Me!!!" But, I said tenderly, "Please wait till we reach home sweet home!" :D

Beautiful Memories and Delicious Foodies at Dhiab Street, PDO Camp! Big TQ Madam TT for having us to celebrate the auspicious CNY 2014 - The Year of the Horse :D

Up, Close and Personal

Up! Close and Personal -(@^@)-

Ho! Ho! Ho! Who would that be?

Well, none other than me > Gary ...

"It has always been Me" purred He,

Dad's favourite and of course Mommy!

          The mischievous Gary :D

Up! Close & Personal -(@^@)-

Gary purred, "Mom, I'm truly happy"

"Oh! Yes!" replied Mom hopefully

"Indeed, with you I'm feeling comfy"

"Hmmm, on your bed especially ..."

         Gary's Favourite Spot!

When Readers' Meet ...

At last, we met after a month's break! For what and where? It's none other for foods and certainly not for tummy only, but more so for our thoughts! It was a monthly meeting for MQ BookClub members to discuss on books which we read. It was truly stimulating to share what we understand based on our perspectives and at the same time we gained more from the others who gave their views  which sometimes we have overlooked or never crossed our minds at all when we read the books from page to page! 

That's the power of knowledge sharing. This time the readers including me and the Ladies of Leisure LARRS gathered at N's Cozy Crib and the discussion centered on Elif Shafak's novel 'The Forty Rules of Love' which among others touched on the issues of woman who was turning 40 with her newfound happiness and the understanding of the true meaning of love at that age - the crucial Forty Something! Also not  surprising that one begins to question oneself  of one's existence and to better understand of one's self spiritually. 

Since the booked also touched on areas of Sufism and the poet Rumi, so the other readers did share a little bit on this which led to unfolding about Zoroastrianism and other spiritual mystics which was an eye opener to some of the readers. This discourse also provided wide spectrum of knowledge which in a way closer the gap for me who is longing for academic discourse with colleagues and intellectuals alike!

Apart from the precious knowledge gain, I also experience directly and indirectly valuable inputs through diverse cultural and tradition shared by the members from international backgrounds both from the east and west. This includes the variety of foodies from various nations that were served to us while happily discussing the books which we read, as well as sharing universal topics such as how we got our surnames and other jokes that always brought laughter in our two hours meeting which were truly fruitful! Indeed, this monthly meet which had been going on for two years since my arrival in this hospitable land taught me as a DS that every where we go, there will always be an opportunity to improve ourselves if we are willing to open up and embark with something of interests to us and share it with others who have same passion and likeness. 

Thus, I'm looking forward to our next meet where we will be discussing other books that had been agreed upon till summer time. They are To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee and followed by Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Since I have read the earlier classic of modern American literature which was published in 1960 and won the Pulitzer Prize, I truly look forward to having intellectual discourse with the MQ Readers. In fact, this novel has been made into a film in 1962 by director Robert Mulligan. And, ironically or perhaps   interestingly unlike any other authors who usually will continue publishing their books especially after they won an award, it is one and only Harper Lee's published novel. This is also, I think will be one of the areas for fruitful discourse as to why she stopped publishing and also "refused any personal publicity for herself or the novel since 1964" just four years after the stardom!

By the way, one of our readers proposed Gone Girl for March discourse. I have not read the book nor having any clue what is it all about. But, as readers we always happy to read new things and for that matter, I did search in the web as to have a glimpse of the book which was published in 2012. Wow! I found the extract in the pdf and feeling truly blessed.  This contemporary thriller novel was also written by an American lady writer. Among others this book narrates Nick Dunne, the protagonist as to whether he killed his wife, Amy? 

Well, I think Gone Girl will be an interesting read because for the very first time we will have a discourse on 'thriller' novel. All along our books among others centered upon movitational subjects our self discovery such as The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma and Aliph by Paulo Coelho. We also read a book which touched about one's life with moral issues in Tuesday with Morrie by Mitch Albom. All these books were good read! And, as for me it opens up a wide spectrum of understanding of myself. For example, I like the quotes in Aliph: "Don't be intermidated by other people's opinions. Only mediocrity is sure of itself, so take risks and do what you really want to do." Also, the remarkable statement by Paulo Coelho, "If you conquer yourself, then you conquer the world." 

Well, all in all I must say that the BookClub activity which I joined made me more aware of what is happening around the world and most interestingly I had something to look forward to every Tuesday, the last week of each month! And now, I must gather the other books in preparation for When Readers' Meet - Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and Leonard Peikoff; Dodger by Terry Pratchett and finally the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.  These will last me till June, insyallah. By then, my brain will keep on working, absorbing all the   literature and surely will provide good foods for my thoughts. Just like I always need a balance diet for my body, the same goes for my brain - a balance input for thought which includes love,  spirituality, morality, thriller and laughter which is the best medicine for both body and mind!

              Me & My Books :D

Ladies in Red!

I saw them before and I saw them today. The ever stunning Ladies in Red! While welcoming and embracing them in Rumah Malaysia, my heart discretely echoes the following words of Sham Tabriz  in The Forty Rules of Love:

Ladies ...

East, West, South or North makes little difference. No matter what your destination, just be sure to make every journey a journey within. If you travel within, you'll travel the world wide world and beyond ...

Insyallah :)

Anyway, the stunning Ladies in Red aka Si Baju Merah were all here for the Perwakilan Muscat AGM. Although the core members are ladies from the Malaysian Embassy, yet in most cases we have Committee Members on Ad Hoc basis. And of course the rest of the Ladies in Red are our truly staunch supporter. They are our backbone! They are our pillars. They are our right and left hands. Without them, our organization could never function as well as now! Our decisions are based on concensus. They propose, they decide and they implement: All Together in Unity!

This goes well with our Silent Slogan "Berat Sama Di Pikul, Ringan Sama Di Jinjing." Also, we are fortunate to have the Ambassador as our Patron who provides guidance to all our events and so far, TYT Dato' Rustam is always there giving his support to us and our activities. 

       The Ladies in Red is synonymous to Perwakilan Muscat in Oman :)

Here, I composed a Malay poem especially meant for our Ladies in Red both former and present. To Thank Them All for the wonderful deeds which They Did, and to pray for their continuous support and togetherness for the Present and Future activities of Perwakilan Muscat.

Hai! Si Baju Merah ...

Langkahmu sopan menarik perhatianku

Keayuanmu kalian menawan kalbu

Siapalah Perwakilan Muscat tanpamu?

Mungkin cuma ada nama namun lesu

Kehadiranmu Si Baju Merah ...

Ibarat serikandi di medan perang

Bersemangat waja bagai Sang Helang

Sentiasa berusaha untuk cemerlang

Sesungguhnya kau buatku ceria dan girang!

Oh! Pertiwi Negara Si Baju Merah ...

Kau laksana matair penawar dahaga

Di padang nan gersang kau bercahaya

Kehadiranmu di sini bawa bahagia

Oh! Kau kebanggaan tanah air tercinta

Siapakah gerangan Si Baju Merah?

Aha! Keahliannya berbilang bangsa

Tanpa mengira Melayu, India atau Cina

Warganegara Malaysia semuanya sama 

Sentiasa bersatu untuk negara amalan kita

Kepadamu teman Si Baju Merah ...

Ku tadah tangan tanda kesyukuran 

Kerna dipertemukan dengan kalian

Ku jabat tanganmu penuh kesyahduan

Bersama ucapan Terima Kasih kuajukan.

Snaps @Perwakilan Muscat AGM 2014/15 in Rumah Malaysia on 27.01.2014. "Thank You, Ladies in Red!"

SuFi, My Song to You

I was reading Elif Shafak's novel The Forty Rules of Love for our MQ BookClub discourse. Among others Elif brought a subject on Sufi mystic through Rumi, the poet and his love for Shams of Tabriz. I was intrigued by the author's interest in Sufism "out of (her) intellectual curiosity." And according to her, the more she reads, the more she unlearned. That made her to think again and on this she said: "Not with your mind this time, but with your heart." Since then she has been interested in Sufism and spirituality and also found the 'light' which was all along inside her!

Before I had the opportunity to read Elif's novel which touched issues on sufism, I had once saw Sufi whirling in a theater. I was made to understand that it is a form of meditation originated among Sufis with "the aim to reach the source of all perfection." I was amazed with the performance where the dancer was spinning his body in repetitive circles. In Wiki, it was stated "while whirling, his arms are open ... ready to receive God's beneficence ... The human being has been created with love in order to love." On this the poet Rumi shared, "All loves are a bridge to Divine love. Yet, those who have not had a taste of it do not know."

I also love to listen to a Malay song titled SuFi by Damasutra where the lead singer was Bagio! I first listened to this song through FB when one of my virtual friends posted and shared it.  Although I don't  know much about song writing etc, but when I sang the lyrics following the song, I could feel the 'holiness' in the song. Strange but true! The melody is extremely enchanting while the lyrics somehow made me ponder to my Creator. S. Amin Shahab, who wrote the lyrics said, the song is based on Sufism.

SuFi Selangkah Tirai Kasihmu kubuka

Engkau serahkan cinta hingga dirimu tiada 

Kasih SuFi kau rela pilih derita di dunia

Biar rebah di hina kau tak berubah 

Kau menguasai selautan

Yang tersembunyi di genggaman

Nafi dan Isbat kau sandingkan

Sebagai tali pegangan

SuFi  kau hilang di pandangan

Ada di dalam kenikmatan

Engkau dan Dia pasti tidak akan terpisah 

Andai tertutup tirai SuFi

Yang terang tidak nampak terang

Inilah siksa menyakitkan sepanjang jalan

Inginku tempuh titianmu

Dari kekasih ke kekasih

Pengabdianku bersamamu Kasih 

Biar rebah dihina kau tak berubah

The SuFi song has deep meaning. It relates to man and his Creator. He was looking for true love and indeed, he found it. Once he found his love with Him, other matters no longer relevant although he was hated and ridiculed by others who don't understand or refused to understand. To the man, nothing could change him for he already found solace! Here, in Shams of Tabriz it was written: "The true Sufi is such that even when one is unjustly accused, attacked or condemned from all sides, he patiently endures, uttering not a single bad word about any of his critics. A Sufi never apportions blame. How can there be opponents or rivals or even 'others' when there is no 'self' in the first place? How can there be anyone to blame when there is only One!" 

Similarly, I'm of the view it matters not if we have been wrongful to ourselves. For as humans, we are bound to make mistakes. We are known to be an imperfect creature. Yet, once we're awakened, we must repent and seek for His Mercy for He is Merciful. In Surah Az Zumar, Ayat 53 (39:53) which is translated as "O My servants who have transgressed against their souls, do not despair of Allah's Mercy, for Allah Forgives all Sins. It is He Who is Forgiving, the Merciful!" In other words, our Creator Allah SWT truly loves us, His creations. Thus, in return we are bound to love Him for only Him who loves and understands us! We must be remorseful for our sins and sought for His Forgiveness and Mercy. We are created by Him with love in order to love Him in return! Indeed, as narrated in Shams of Tabriz "how we see Him is a direct reflection of how we see ourselves ... If we see Him as full of love and compassion, so are we!" Hence, my song to you - SuFi <3

Credit to Google for this beautiful image and song! Indeed, listening to SuFi song reminds me of Rumi's words: "All loves are a bridge to Divine Love. Yet, those who have not had a taste of it do not know!"

Love!

This month's book discourse for the MQ BookClub members titled The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak and to be held @NCrib. I have not read the entire book for review and what nought. But from the little pages through Synopsis and Prologue in the web, I found out that it was about finding the truth of one's inner self. Sometimes we uttered something which is totally the opposite of what we aspired or desired. Mainly due to our surroundings or just to follow the norm and to safe face rather than telling the truth! Especially when it relates to the sacred word 'love' which connotes different meanings to different people. Thus, I quite like the phrase which was written by the author: "For despite what some people say, love is not only a sweet feeling bound to come and quickly go away." Indeed, it has a deeper meaning that only the person who is truly in love and feels it knows what it means to him or her. 

Yeah, I now look forward to finish reading this book and to have a fruitful discussion  about its content as well as to learn more about the protagonist Ella Rubinstein. She is an interesting character who is a thirty something married woman and has three grown up children with a dentist husband. She later found out that her husband had cheated on her with a string of mistresses. Also she soon realizes that her two decades marriage life was not love after all! She just follows the flow - day in day out by taking care of her family and domestic chores. Nothing more! Until she reviews a manuscript which was written by a male author Aziz Zahara with an intrigue title Sweet Blasphemy about the famous poet Rumi and his beloved Sufi teacher Shams of Tabriz.  That changes her! And, I have to find out what was written there that totally changed her perspectives and outlooks of life which surprised many people including herself when she sought divorce from her husband whom she had married and shared her twenty odd years life together? Until I finish the book from cover to cover, I wouldn't know the answer :D

By the way, I am optimistic that every one of us has experienced love. Be it love at first sight or not, it does not matter. But what matters are we have fallen in love at least once in our life time. It could mean loving a person. Also, to some love not necessarily happen only to person with flesh and blood. It can be about loving our Creator who creates us! This, I believe will be more eternal and everlasting. Where we show our undivided love by following what is warranted of us. Most importantly to show our gratitude to His Al Mighty for whatever we received and the blissful life we are leading. This true love, I strongly believe will be reciprocated with more love in return from Him. Insyallah. 

Foods 4 Thoughts > 28th January 2014!

FluffY 4 M ...

I received this cutie whitish FluffY from Mr Right. It's from Kyrgyzstan. Big TQ Dear! 

                     My FluffY ... 

It was on a weekend night. Mr Right took me to Muscat Festival which was held at Ameerat Park, about 20 minutes drive from our home in Qurum29. The traffic was smooth although many cars were heading the same direction as us. When we arrived at the festival ground, the parking lot was almost full with all types of vehicles from 4x4 to sporty flashy wheelers, yet we were very lucky since our car bore the CD plate, so we were allowed to park our silvery BeeMer right  in front of the main entrance. TQ Mr ROP :-D 

Once we entered the gate, we saw many people both locals and the expats were enjoying the fun-fair especially the 'Merry Band' who were in their colorful costumes and magical performances. We went round the four corners of the field and had a long peep at the International Cultural and Heritage site. Many nations took part in exhibiting their cultural products namely Thailand, Vietnam and lndia from the Asian region. Also Lebanon and some African artists for the paintings and traditional crafts. For this year Malaysia did not take part in cultural and heritage section unlike previous years. But, there is a cafe which promotes some Asian-like foodies. 

Well, back to the international cultural exhibition, I always look forward to view exhibits and products from Europe and Central Asia region. This year many countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan  and Kazakhstan took part in promoting their intricate handicrafts as well as colorful products which truly captured the customers eyes. I fell in love with their finesse arts and intricate softy handiwork. Hence, at one of their booths, Mr Right bought FluffY for me as remembrance of our night out to Muscat Festival. Also, I was taken to view a unique yurt where the older generation of Kyrgyz people once used to live in it during their nomadic life! Simply, it is a portable bent dwelling structure traditionally used by the nomads in the steppes in Central Asia as their homes. I managed to speak with the representative and from him I had a good picture of the country. Truly the yurt which was covered by sheep wool felt was awesome and the ambience inside it was warmth and cozy. In fact, in passing I was saying to Mr Right that perhaps one day with Allah SWT will and grace, to visit the place or better still if we could be posted there! Wishful thinking Mussy. Well, but who knows?

After the fruitful tour of Central Asia crafty corners, we went to the northern African site and visited the Moroccan and Tunisian Craft' Booths. I quite like the colorful costumes but most of all I admired its traditional mosaic and paintings. Touring these captivating cultural corners - it was as if I was transported to the hustle and bustle of the nations. Really enchanting! I also toured the Norwegian booths and saw intricate silver and glass artwork by a talented lady designer. How I wish to have a piece of them, yet too costly for me. But, all in all, the exhibitions of the cultural and heritage products from various nations at the month long festival was an eye opener for me since for now I have no opportunity yet to visit some countries such as those in Central Asia and Northern Africa. So to be 'virtually transported' while surrounded by their lovely and intricate arts was good enough for the time being. LOL!

Well, we also took the opportunity to have our dinner at CM stall. There were spread of home sweet home cuisines from nasi lemak to mee mamak and yummy desserts such as the famous ABC and kuih seri muka. Also burgers and interestingly most of the ingredients for the foodies were imported as to keep the authenticity. We were spoilt for choice. Yet, I chose char kway teow with teh tarik while enjoying the fantastical multicoloured laser show! For three consecutive years I have noticed that the LaserShow was everyone's favorite be they adult or young! Truly the show created dazzling display of neon laser lights featuring graphics and fireworks accompanied by soothing Arabic music. It was extremely a spectacular sight to our eyes and exceptionally soothing to our ears! Well, not only this show that captured or attracted the visitors. At one of the pavilions, there was Bollywood Show with dancers in their vibrant outfits and energetic movements with loud music. It was truly a superhit to the public with many followers. And we were told in other nights there'll be more cultural performances from other nations, too such as Sindbad World Show and European Carnival. So, I'd better keep that info in my 'memory' digital diary.

After that we walked hand-in-hand under the thousands of bright stars towards the Omani Heritage Village and saw the 'days' before the modern Oman. Among others, we were narrated about the Falaj irrigation system and I saw how mud bricks were made. Then, we went to the foodies section and stopped to taste the Omani rukhal bread. It was a thin round bread originally baked over a fire made from palm leaves. Wow! Delicious when I ate them with pure honey! Still feeling not enough of Omani know how, I walked along the shades and saw a man quietly weaving beautiful baskets from palm fronds.  I liked his patience. Soon after, I walked toward some ladies who were busy weaving colourful rugs. They were woven in patterns of brown and white or natural wool or the more colourful red and black! I found out later that the red thread was dyed with madder, a rich coloring well known from India. Nowadays, the weaving activities had become scarce but with the Muscat Festival event held annually, this part of Omani culture which was passed on from generation to generation is beautifully preserved. 

Well, I'm truly thankful that all the visits to the various nations' traditional craft booths and the Omani sites during Muscat Festival 2014 did provide me valuable insight, knowledge and greater perspective of other people's home sweet home as well as their wonderful cultures and traditions. Indeed, I had good memories of them. And, while walking back to our awaiting BeeMer and clutching my FluffY in one hand and a bag of pinky candy floss in another, my mind soared to my late Dad who used to take me to visit museums and exhibitions when I was a little girl. Among others he said: "Lil' M, to know and to understand your friend is to know and appreciate your friend's cultures and traditions." TQ Abah for the words and wisdoms.  

Dazzling & Colorful backdrop for us to enjoy and mesmerize ...

Lots to Watch! Awesome yurt and interesting activities throughout the month long festival :D

Enchanting & Beautiful sights @Muscat Festival that sooth our eyes ...

Luxurious Gourmet!

Wow! M truly full :D

In a day, we had complete meals outside home sweet home. It all started when I had to attend AASG Meeting cum BigBreakFast or rather healthy Brunch at a high end French Restaurant in The Galleria with my colleagues. Before I left home for the yummy foodies which comprised of two rolls with varieties of spreads, strawberry yoghurts and fresh fruits with a glass full of orange juice and a pot of Earl Grey tea, I already prepared for Mr Right his 10 o'clock tea with Italian Caesar salads! Then, I was off to Fauchon having fruitful meeting, also la la la time and most of all I was enjoying the Brunch!

Once Brunch done and after we were all satisfied with the foodies and incoming AASG 2014 programs, we dispersed and I soon visited my better half at his office. By then it was almost over lunch time or rather it's time for tea! LOL! 

Mr Right suggested we should go for lunch since he needed some solid foodies but certainly not rice. And when he asked me what and where would be my preference, I quickly answered, "I wanna carrot cake at D'Arcy!" He smiled and nodded which made me grin happily :) So, we soon off to Jawarat Shatti and ordered our foods. Yes, me with my carrot cake and hot Earl Grey tea while Mr Right asked what was the specialty for that day. Wallah! It was beef pie American style with french fries and salad to be taken with cool ice lemon tea. 

Indeed, we had great time together - having small light talks and little laughter while enjoying our meals, his late lunch but me >my mouthwatering dessert for tea time special. Whoosh ... On the way home when my belly was truly full and our hands were clasping together at the back seat of the moving car, I hummed a childhood song:

Gendang Gendut Tali Kecapi

Kenyang Perut Suka Hati

Upon hearing my happy humming Mr Right looked at me and teasing softly, "M, now you can cry ..." In actual fact he was imitating what my Mom used to say to us her children (me and my siblings) when we were young after we finished eating. She also said if we want to cry for whatever reason, she'll make sure our tummies are all full, and never when we are feeling hungry! When I am having my own children, I repeated the same to them and this statement made them laughed instead! Also, a person very closed to me always reminded me that a full tummy persons never demonstrate or less show tantrums but those who are always hungry will make chaos! Wise info, right?

Yup, Still talking about foods, I thought that was it for a day, yet Mr Right asked me after my evening prayer, "M, where do you wish to have dinner, dear?" I looked up at him and smiled. Very quickly I responded, "Frankly, I'm quite full but I think you need one dear. And what do you wish to eat?" He told me that he wished for something soupy or liquid. Then, I said, "If that's the case, perhaps Tom Yam Kung may be good for you!" on which he replied, "That's not bad for a light dinner." 

And so we drove to the MGM and headed to Shang Thai Restaurant.  With the lovely greenish ambience, we had a delicious spicy Tom Yam and seafood cakes as well as prawn crackers. Indeed, all the foods we ate throughout the day were truly sumptuous although simply and not really heavy, but I'd like to term them 'Luxurious Gourmet!' And, for that my greatest gratitude to Allah SWT who gives us the rezeki and to my dear Mr Right who took me to all the cafes and restaurants for the wonderful delicacies! Amin. 

Simple but to me truly 'Luxurious Gourmet' from BreakFast to Dinner! Yeah :D my tummy is full and that makes me happy and feeling blessed. Alhamdulilah. 

AASG Outings!

It's third week of January 2014. Once again our AASG Ladies met and gathered after a long new year break! This time we met @Fauchon, a cozy French Restaurant in The Galleria. 

While having our hearty but healthy Big Breakfast, we also took the opportunity to say "Hello" and wishing each other "Happy New Year!" Also, we drafted our AASG programs till Summer Time. Amongst them to visit places of interests in the Sultanate, to 'hunt' for beautiful mementoes at Muscat Festival, to have outdoor activities or picnics during this cool season before summer comes, to share each others' culture via film shows and national foodies, as well as to initiate some games sessions to train the brains. Indeed, the line up of the activities was truly awesome which I certainly look forward to! In a way, the tentative activities are not mind boggling nor burdensome to the ever sporting AASG members, instead I believe it will create more fun and togetherness among them.

If the last meet was known as the 'Pink Lady' Day where all the members dressed up in varieties of pink colours, at today's meeting we went for casual wear. And, what I liked most about this group was the esprit de corp or team spirits shown by them with full of togetherness and laughter. We shared stories of our life, jokes, children and to some extent intellectual discourse about foodies and each other's cultures and traditions. Like today, we all had a good laugh when one of the members shared her experience about children's innocence, their pure and honest attitudes, and most of all their single tract mindedness or simply 'unadulterated' mind. 

It happened when Dad and daughter were at home one fine evening. The sweet little daughter was busy doing her homework while Dad wanted a good rest after a hard day's work and wished not to be disturbed by any one even though his closest friend. So he told his innocent daughter that if someone come to look for him please said to them that "Dad is not at home!" Well, the girl nodded and instilled that sacred words in her mind.

Then, the innocent girl went back to her study when she soon heard a knock on the front door. She opened the door and saw an old man whom she knew was her Dad's good friend. When the man asked for her father, she immediately responded, "Very Sorry Uncle, my Dad said Dad is not at home!" The old man who heard her answer could not stopped from laughing but still thanked the little girl and walked away. The girl felt good and quickly closed the door and continued with her homework. A week after that when he (Uncle) met the girl's father, he related the story and both men LOL! When the Dad came home, he then relayed the story to his sweet and innocent daughter which resulted the duo LOL! And when the innocent girl who is now one of our members related the same story to us this morning over BigBreakfast, again all of us in unity LOL! 

Indeed, we had a great day and good laughter! As once said by my octogenarian Mom, "when laughter is shared it binds people together and increases happiness ..." So, AASG Ladies, lets keep busy with our activities and continue to share more humorous stories. See you all at our next event :D

Healthy Breakfast and Good Laughter keep our AASG Ladies 'Young & Vibrant!'

Virgo ...

I was waiting for my better half at the lunch table for our luncheon. I prepared for him a pot of vegetable stew with sea-foodies. Actually, I had ran out of ideas of what 'next' to cook for him. Since for breakfast I already prepared toasts with scramble eggs and for his 11.00am tea break, I already prepared quite a heavy meal - Chinese Fried Rice with Seafoods and Potatoes as its side dish! So, I was thinking of cooking something light for his late lunch meals, which certainly proved awesome and successful! Alhamdulilah :D

Before Mr Right sat down on his usual seat, he passed to me two magazines, the first was Woman followed by Signature. Indeed, he knew what was my favourite pastime! Thus, it wasn't a surprise that he will hand to me whatever reading materials that landed on his large table in the office. Oh! Big Thank You Mr Right for the wonderful gifts  :) And, we continued with our luncheon and little chit chat while having our light meals!

After the good lunch, we went upstairs and I carried the two magazines with me. Very soon, I read all the pages in Woman and in particular I liked and enjoyed the article on 'What Makes You Happy' which was written by the Editor. I truly liked the part she wrote in the editorial, "... happiness is what we perceive, a state of mind we would like to be. So, do all things that define happiness for you, and start the New Year on a positive, happy note." I concurred with what she wrote and even this morning, I found sheer happiness by just reading an email from my son who wrote simply: "Hi Ma, read your blog just now. Happy to know I'm being loved! Love you and see you again ..." Yeah! I wrote a poem meant for him in my blog recently and in fact, I was exceptionally happy to note that he appreciated it and that made my day!

Towards the end of my good read of the colorful Woman magazine, I saw a write up on Virgo in 'What the Stars foretell ...' I quickly read and found it exciting to be shared here for all virgoreans. It said:

This month, do the things that you have always wanted to do, but had never had time for. Unleash your adventurous side, plan a holiday and move out of your comfort zone. Things have been getting stagnant for some time now and this may be a perfect time to break out of the rut. It's the start of a new year and a great time to try out new things.

    Truly Liked these magazines :) Full of Informative Materials and Exciting Read!

Wow! That's quite a handful things to plan or do for 2014! Anyway, I took it positively and had already started with something which I had wanted to implement some years ago but had been postponed due to 'not time yet!' perspective  or perhaps 'unsureness' issue. Yet, the beginning of this year, I did it and was truly feeling happy with my decision and doings! Alhamdulilah. My gratitude to Allah The Almighty for showing me the path and giving me the courage which I truly need. Amin. On this, I remembered what my late Abah always instilled in me when I was a young girl. He said, "Adik, Believe in Yourself.  If you have decided on doing something which you think is good, just do it!" 

Oh, Thank You Abah ... for all the wise words and wisdoms which you had instilled in me in believing in me-self! And, of course the other thing which I had done and wished to continue with the good beginning was the new arrangement of my wardrobes. They are now more systematic and well arranged in the closets according to colours for easy choosing and managing the mixed and matched! Here, being a Virgo and someone who loves to having matching patterns for her wardrobes and what nought  I truly hope my so far 'ideal' closet will stay put :D  As rightly put by Rosemin Manji in Signature, "January marks the start of New Year and it is a great time to start organizing your closets and if that's too overwhelming then start with your handbags." On this, I saw someone was showing his thumb's up and grinning at me when I showed him the article. Guess Who?  LOL!

The articles in the magazines were not only entertaining but exceptionally 'infotainment unlimited!' Thumbs up to the editor and contributors :D

DS Life in TwentyFourTeen?

As my mind was reminiscing my last year's colourful life and some achievements, a soft voice coming out from my own mouth asking me, "What's your plan for 2014, Mussy?"

I smiled and shut my Chinese eyes for a little while. Then I opened slowly and uttered to me-self, "Insyallah, TwentyFourteen will be better than TwentyThirteen!" So, what have I planned? 

First and foremost I'm truly grateful to Allah SWT for granting me the opportunity to be with my loved ones to usher in the New Year :D  The last time we were together as one big family for the final count down was during our stay in London. We were ushering in 2007 with lots and lots of snow on our doorsteps and in the back garden @GoldersGreen! Seven years later, here in Muscat, we were ushering the New Year under the thousands of bright stars along Qurum Beach overlooking the Gulf of Oman in a cool wintery night which was awesome and truly blissful. Amin.

After the kiddos left on the second week of January for their jobs after their vacation, I am back to my new year routine, duties and responsibilities again as a trailing spouse! The first was to meet the newly appointed HE and his spouse upon invitation at a friend's beautiful residence. I went to meet the gorgeous couple with an open arms and especially to congratulate them to the new posting place.

Indeed, we had a great time together sharing and exchanging foodies notes about each others nations' specialties particularly the coconut rice versus shuwa and dodol versus halwa!  Also on that evening, I went out with 'new me style' with my head covered for the very first time in an official function. Truly, I am looking forward for more events this year with my colleagues and friends both from the diplomatic corp and other organizations. Insyallah, this TwentyFourTeen will be better than TwentyThirteen. Yeah!!!

It was a blissful wintery evening when I matched this black velvet with silk yellow scarf from Chanel for my first official duty this year :D

Deep down in my heart, I know my late Dad was smiling from up above and my octagenarion Mom will be very pleased to see me in this outfit!

If last year, among others the Perwakilan Muscat achievements were seen published in the news and dailies particularly their participations in show-casing Malaysian cultures and traditions as well as their untiring contributions in AWG Charity Bazaar, I truly hope this year we could do more charity works and learning about local cultures and traditions apart from visiting places. Perhaps we could start with going to Muscat Festivals both at Ameraat Park and in Naseem Garden. Insyallah. 

In fact, throughout last week I've structured some plans for my half year duties and responsibilities as DS here. I planned it till Summer Time June 2014 before the members go for their break. I've already outlined the tentative programs with the HBS spouses during our meeting last week and hopefully all plans will be tabled to the members and succeed with flying colours. Amin. Among others were to hold Perwakilan Muscat AGM by the end of this month and to celebrate Chinese New Year with the members and their families by the first week of February. Also in the pipeline was to organize some Coffee Morning events with various themes of their choice and at suitable dining places apart from learning new things such as fruit carving with Chef Rid Morat and Visiting Interesting Places in Muscat. 

Since the baton for ASEAN Ladies Circle (ALC) Presidency will be passed on to Malaysia for Year 2014, it also means the duties and responsibilities will be rested on my shoulders for the entire year. But, I will surely accept the post and responsibility and insyallah will do my very best for the Organisation. At the same time, I still have my duties in the Ambassadors Wives' Group (AWG) since I am holding the Treasurer's post. Thus, with Allah SWT will and grace, I shall give my level best towards the success of the Organization's activities till the end of my tenure. Insyallah :D

All in All, I really look forward to all the TwentyFourTeen events and activities in Muscat where I shall part take! But, for now I am exceptionally happy to just take a step by step moves and through week by week matters till year end.

A Weekend Treat with 'A Hi! and A Smile' from Mr Right @D'Arcy. I enjoyed today's treat. For tomorrow, I shall begin my weekly chores and duties till the next weekend! Followed by and repeated with the weekdays and awaited weekends till year end :D

A Pleasant Surprise from Sonny :D

It was on Sunday afternoon. At about 02.02 noon, I switched on my iPad and saw this picture (below) with a caption from Tupac which was posted by my dearest son Riza Mavericks and truly brought happy tears to my eyes :D

Oh! Big Thank You, my son for the thought and lovely words. A pleasant surprise to me who was already missing you after we sent off you and Mrs Mavericks at the airport this dawn.

Indeed, my son - you are a person with less words uttered from your mouth, yet once you said a sentence or so, it will go straight to someone's heart and soul! Your demeanor truly a mirror reflection of someone very closed to me, none other of your Dad :)

You'll be 25 years old this year, yet I am feeling like you're just born yesterday ...

You're the fruit of love desired by Mom and Dad

You're the true love and at times nemesis of your little sister 

You're 'the Boy' whom Mak and Abah poured their love and care

You're 'the Cucu' in time of need when Nenek calls during Eids

You're the love and eternal partner of your ever sweet wifey

You're everyone's favourite regardless of young and old

You're loved by many though some feel envious of your existence 

Most of all - You're among our Loved Ones :D

My Dear Sonny, you're everything to me

A blessed gift from Allah the Al Mighty

The Pride and Proud of Mom and Daddy

Who brings joy and happiness to Mommy ...

I thank You, Lord for the wonderful HE!

TQ DaD :)

During our children's two weeks vacation with us in Oman, their never ending statement were "TQ Dad ..." First, for the Foodies!" Indeed, they were very awed by their Dad's passions for cooking delicious foodies during his free time from work as well as choosing great dine out places for them throughout their stay. And, Mom played a good and reliable assistant! Truly they enjoyed their holiday moments with us and we in returned also were exceptionally happy to see their glowing smiley faces full of happiness and joy.  

Among others at weekends, Dad cooked hearty English breakfast which include cheesy omelette with fresh mushrooms, capsicum, tomatoes and onions. Dad also grilled beef bacon which his daughter Ms EL commended that it was much better than those in the popular Cafes in Muscat. Yeah! Also Dad hasn't forgotten to add the baked beans and sweet corns which were the kiddos favourites. 

At lunch time, Dad had poured his love and passion in preparing the grilled chicken which was marinated with Cajun herbs and sprinkled with Basel leaves. Other times, he prepared mouthwatering buttered lobsters for his grown up kiddos  that made their mouths grin with beautifully wide smiley faces. Indeed, all these brought happiness to the ever loving Dad and sheer joy to the children throughout their vacation in Muscat. Alhamdulilah. As for me, seeing all those loving gestures and happy bonding time between Dad and his kiddos brought great happiness to my heart and soul. 

For other varieties of foodies, Dad took them for Operation Diner Out at various cafes and restaurants from western to Asian and Middle East Foodies. Among the most frequented ones were D'Arcy Kitchen, Bread Talk and Crepes in Shatti Qurum as well as Shakespeare @TheWave. For Middle Eastern cuisines, Dad took them to a fairy tale and candle light garden like ambience Kargeen in MQ and Tche2 along Qurum Beach overlooking the Arabian Gulf. Not forgetting to try the big portion of Iranian saffron rice and kebabs at Mersin in MGM. For some fast foodies Dad also took them to taste the forever non fussy American and easy-going meals @McD and PizzaHuts! This usually happened when they were traveling or out for excursions which made life easy and fun for all :D 

The truth is all in all the R Family has a very good beginning of 2014 which was very rare for the past few years because of unsuitability of having time-out together. Thus, from a mom's point of view I truly feel blissfully happy and full of words of Thanks to Allah SWT for this wonderful opportunity of bonding time. Amin. Apart from the foodies which Dad happily prepared for the kiddos, he also took time off during New Year holidays to spend quality time together visiting places with them and in particular for memorable and enjoyable 21 hours round trip to DBX and Ferrari World where the kiddos had the opportunity of having long conversations, sorting out their differences and wonderful bonding time as happy siblings!  They who although stayed together under the same roof in our family crib @home-sweet-home yet seldom meet one another due to job commitment and different working hours!

Indeed, I am truly happy to note that DaD showed good example to his children about how to manage a family, the importance of togetherness and how to raise respectful children. I found a good quote in Muscat Daily which I opined not only true to all married couple but also to be emulated where it said:

It takes a lot of work to put together a marriage, to put together a family and a home. (Elizabeth Edwards, a best selling author and a healthcare activist). To raise a family is liken to planting and nurturing a plant. Not only one must place the seeds into good soil with suitable fertilizer but one must take into account the environment, atmosphere, temperature and what nought also so that it will grow well. Besides, it needs nurturing and love, too! And, DaD truly had done all those lovely and wonderful things to his children and for that they (including Mom) all said: TQ DaD!

One of Dad's specialty :) Thanks DaD!

Dine Out with Loved Ones :)

Family Dinner @Kargeen, Muscat

"Oh! Sedapnya Kueh Keria :D"

A Malay saying "Ah! Sedapnya Masakan Air Tangan Ibu" means foodies cooked or prepared  by mothers are always delicious and great! However, in my case I seldom have the luxury to taste   Mommy's cuisines since we stay far away from each other :( Mom lives in the tropics whereas for the time being I am a trailing spouse in the desert.  Yet, I am very fortunate for my better half loves cooking for me, thus I less crave for my Mom's foodies :D And, I will reserve my tummy for Mom's foods whenever I am home spending quality time with her at her home-sweet-home in Happy Village. Most of the time she will prepare for me her famous jemput-jemput tepung with sambal ketuk! Other foods, she will ask my sister Sofia or Annie to cook for me especially my favourite ayam ungkep and ikan masak asam pedas :D

One day, while we were visiting Nizwa, at its Souq - we found an old man selling sweet potatoes in bulk. For a full sack it only cost OR3. I told Mr Right that I wish to eat Kuih Keria which is made from sweet potatoes. Mr Right used to make them for me at our rented home-sweet-home in our home country. It has been ages since I last tasted the yummy Malaysian dessert! Looking at the red skinned sweet potatoes in the sack, straight away Mr Right bought them and handed to me. He said, "Honey, I'll make you Kuih Keria." I quickly gave him a Big Smile! 

With a big sack in our hands, we happily walked to the car :D When we safely arrived at our home in Qurum29, my helper Mrs P boiled some of the potatoes and later she mashed them. Once it was almost cooled, I called for Mr Right. He came down to the kitchen and showed me how to make my favourite dessert. Looking at him doing the dough was as if it was easy and simple. Yet, when I tried to do it myself, my hands felt aching and numb! Hu Hu Hu ... And, Mr Right laughed at me. He He He ... Yet, I never gave up and continued learning to 'master' the Kuih Keria. The result, as below:

Ah! Sedapnya Kuih Keria > TQ Mr Right for the sweet lipsmacking dessert :D

Here, I did it!!! But, with the help of Mr Right who did the 'sira' for me  (@^@) HiHiHi 

And in fact he commented in FB that "SV kata, lembu punya susu Mama dapat nama." Ha Ha Ha 

New Year Excursion with Family!

It happens only once in a blue moon ... 

When we stayed miles and miles away from our loved ones, each second which we sat eyes on each other counted and meant a world to us!

For this year 2014, on the very first day at dawn of 01.01.14  - I started the day with a very big grin on my face with many words of Alhamdulillah to Allah SWT for the beautiful life I am leading with my loved ones! Amin. It has been years since we celebrated New Year together. Being a DS, I have a duty and responsiblilty to follow my better half to various posting places. Similarly, my kiddos have all grown up and they have responsibilities also especially to their jobs and some to their better halves since they too are married persons. So, it is not always easy to find a time that suits all persons. Yet, 2014 gives us a great beginning which we truly appreciate! My gratitude to Allah SWT for the opportunity for this blessed time together. We were delighted and fully utilized the opportunity with quality times together for bonding, togetherness and heart to heart talks.

Mr Right suggested that we took a half day trip to southern Muscat, a place called Nizwa. Although my kiddos had been there once with us in 2011, yet we thought it will be great to showcase the Old Capital of the Sultanate to our DiL who is a new member of R'Family. Also, we hoped to have luncheon with them in a breezy winter somewhere miles away from Muscat. We started our journey at 7.30am from home and headed towards Azaiba for Big Breakfast @Mc Donald's. After the hearty breakfast we took the high way and continued our journey to Nizwa. We saw many sign boards of smaller towns that branched out from the snake like route such as Fanja, Bid Bid, Semail and Izki before arriving in Nizwa at 9.45am. It was a fascinating view that we saw - the rugged baldy mountains and at some parts the valley with green palm trees surrounding the mostly squarish whitish homes. 

When we reached Nizwa, we straight went to the souqs. Unfortunately, most of the goods were sold out for the early birds. Anyway, we managed to 'grab' some sweet potatoes for I decided to fry some and others as kueh keria. Wishful thinking Mussy! Insyallah in a day or two, there'll be kueh keria and keledek goreng in a platter :D 

Then we took our own sweet time to stroll down the pavements and weave ourselves through the handicraft stalls and pretty soon arrived at the fort. At the entrance, we had to pay 500 baiza per person but I truly felt the excursion was indeed worth the money. It was an amazing fort with lots of historical perspectives and knowledge for visitors like me who wish to know more about Oman. While walking at the entrance, I quickly snapped some photos of the 'honeymooners' whom we escorted for remembrance and solid proof that they have been to Oman. And, nowadays with the popular snap shot selfie via mobile the process to taking pictures is simpler as compared to my time with Mr Right when we were newly married couple where we had to make do or rely on bulky cameras!

When we entered the magnificent fort, I read the history about its establishment. Among others it wrote that it had been built since 17th century AD during the time of Imam Sultan bin Saif Al Ya'rubi. Next to the fort was a castle or Al Husn which was built much earlier than the fort and originally constructed by Imam A'ssalt bin  Malik Al Kharousi in 9th century AD. But the castle was renewed during the time of Imam Nasser bin Murshid Al Ya'rubi in 1624 AD. What I liked most about the castle was a section of well defined library and an accommodation for scholars. It truly showed that education was paramount to the people even in those days which was extremely enlightening to all seekers of knowledge! In another room, I saw a board which explicitly described "Oman was one of the first countries to answer the call to Islam." In fact, it was also clearly written on the board "Toward the end of his life, Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) sent a letter to Jaifar and Abd, the two royal brothers who together ruled Oman from Sohar ... The (Prophet's) letter which was similar to those sent to other great kings and emperors ... read (and translated verbatim as written on the board as follows):

"In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Peace be upon those who follow the right guidance. I call thee for Islam. If you embrace Islam you will be safe and secure. I am the Messenger of Allah to all people, to warn all those alive that the case will be proved against the believers. If you embrace Islam, I will empower you to rule; and if not, your reign will be over and my horses will tread on your territories and my prophecy will supersede there." Based on the letter, the description on the board in the castle also described "... On the basis of the unanimous decision by the national council, the two royal brothers of Oman responsed to the Prophet's letter with the conviction of the great faith which they were to embrace whole heartedly, and the Prophet (Peace Be Upn Him) blessed Oman and its people until the end of time."

      Yahoo! Quality Time with Kiddos :D

A visit to D'Fort & Castle which provides valuable knowledge to me and my family!

Snap shots @various places during our visit to the Old Capital > fascinating Nizwa!