Salam Aidilfitri 1435H

Rasanya ramai yang dah balik kampungkan... macamana perjalanan anda? Trafic Jem? Usah dikenang! Member saya dari rawang ke aloq staq 9 jam. Sorang lagi dari bt caves ke kt 15 jam. Dengar2 kb ke pasir mas pun ambik masa 3 jam! Kami pula dari kl ke Ipoh (jumaat malam) 3 1/2 jam, ikut jalan biasa sbb hi way jam. Semalam dari simpang pulai ke terowong menora lebih kurang sejam. Hebat betul org Malaysia beraya :)

Sampai ja kat kampung semalam, terus saya ke pokok manggis yang dah mula masak. Petik 4 biji utk Abang & Angah, baru masuk rumah. Excited sbb dah lama x buat gitu. Tahun lepas terlepas musim buah. Abang pula terus menuju ke pohon rambutan. Habis jugaklah 3-4 tangkai depa makan. Maklumlah fresh dari ladang. Umi yang puasa ni pun rasa tergugat iman. He he...

Kebetulan pula, J yang bertugas menjaga dusun Mak baru saja selesai menurunkan buah petai. Larat pula dia panjat pokok petai posa2 ni. Kebiasaannya, tiada upah yg dikenakan oleh pemetik buah tetapi hasil kutipan akan dibahagi sama rata antara pemilik pokok dan pemetik buah. Jika pemilik tidak mahu buah tersebut, pemetik buah akan membeli hasil kutipan tersebut dgn harga borong. Semalam Mak hanya mengambil 100 keping petai dari bahagiaannya. Baki 200 keping dijual kpd J. 

Utk bahagiaannya Mak jadikan jeruk (petai jeruk). Sempat jugaklah Abang & Angah  rasa pengalaman 'memicit petai'. Petai mentah tadi direbus kemudiannya isinya dikeluarkan satu persatu dgn kaedah memicit kulitnya. Melompat2 lah isi petai tu bila dipicit kulitnya. Bertambah excited depa dua. Proses seterusnya ialah merendam petai tadi bersama air garam selama 1-2 minggu (kalau x silap). Senang je kan...

Petai rebus, sedia utk dipicit

Akhir kata, ampun maaf salah silap jika ada yang terguris hati dgn saya. Hati2 di jalan raya. Selamat hari raya dan selamat semuanya. 

Kepada yang memandu; 

Memenuhi Jemputan Iftar

Jika diikutkan perasaan, memang xde mood nak update blog. Tragedi MH17 benar2 merentap tangkai hati. Sedih, hiba dengan manusia yg sudah hilang kemanusiaanya. Sudahlah pesawat kita ditembak tanpa sebab, akses ke lokasi nahas juga dinafikan. Tiada simpati, tiada empati. Zalim!

  Minggu lepas beberapa kali kami berbuka di luar, memenuhi jemputan rakan taulan. 

20 Ramadhan

 Kami berbuka di ofis lama saya. Seronok dapat berjumpa rakan2 sepejabat yg dah macam keluarga sendiri. Menu utama, nasi hujan panas bersama ayam masak merah K.Su mmg mengancam. Usai solat terawih, sempat lagi menyambung makan dan tapau sate. Tak berubah perangai even dah setahun berenti keja, asal ada jamuan je kat ofis mesti pakat tapau. Hehehe...

 Solat terawih dipimpim oleh Ust Shahrom.

 Suara yang sedap menusuk kalbu.

Kelab Tasik Putrajaya, berhampiran Masjid Putra.

22 Ramadhan

 Ofis B berpakat utk berbuka bersama. Majlis diadakan di Kelab Tasik Putrajaya. Ikutkan malas nak join, tapi B insisted to bring his family. Bukan apa, harga buffet utk adult rm69 dan kid rm39. Rasa tak berbaloi, mahal bebeno. Especially Abang, banyak mana sangat yg dia mampu makan. Tambahan pula we were seated at an open area (anjung) with no fan or aircond. Most of us are families with young children, so tempat tu quite uncomfortable for us. Ditambah dgn panas, crowded place and kids yg running here and there. Campur tolak bahagi darab memang tak worth for money. He he...

23 Ramadhan

Kami memenuhi jemputan bekas rakan sepejabat yg mengadakan kenduri aqiqah utk bayinya. Ini first time kami merasa makan kenduri aqiqah di bulan puasa. Majlis bermula dgn bacaan Yassin & tahlil serta tazkirah pendek sementara menanti azan. Idea yg menarik. Menurut rakan saya, menu utama yg disediakan ialah kibasy. First time juga makan daging kibasy. Sedap. 

Cenderahati utk tetamu, tasbih manik yang sangat manis :)

Alhamdulillah. 

Beriani Kambing, Bubur Lambuk

Cuti Nuzul Quran semalam sempat masak special utk suami & anak2, beriani kambing dan bubur lambuk ala2 kg baru gitu :)

First time in my life saya masak daging kambing. Selalu makan je tau..he he.. saya tumbuk bawang merah, bwg putih dan halia, kemudian tumis. Dah naik bau masukkan kulit kayu manis, bg lawang & buah pelaga. Then masukkan perencah beriani (saya guna Maggi). Dah naik bau masukkan daging kambing (saya rebus dulu hingga daging empuk).  Boleh juga masukkan kentang, cili merah etc yg nak dicampurkan. Basically macam masak kurma juga, cuma guna perencah beriani. Then masukkan santan. Lastly perisakan dgn garam & pak aji (kalau nak). Utk hiasan, tabur daun ketumbar & daun bawang. Walah!

Untuk bubur lambuk, saya try resepi makcik manggis. Kerlasnye nama dia :) terima kasih daun keladi, memang menjadi you!

Selamat mencuba!

Doa untuk saudara kita di Palestin

De Chiangmai Thai Seafood Restaurant, Sg Buloh

Idea spontan B's cousin utk berbuka puasa bersama-sama telah membawa kami ke Restoran Thai De Chiangmai yang terletak di Kg Melayu Sg Buloh. Tempat ni dicadangkan oleh Paktam yg juga secara automatik menjadi tuan rumah, juga tukang bayar :)

Kami sampai ngam2 waktu berbuka. Tak sempat nak ambik gambar bagai. Duduk & terus makan. Food Paktam dah order - siakap stim, siakap pedas, fried baby pak choy, ayam pandan, telur dadar & tomyam seafood. Alhamdulillah semua sedap.

Done!

Terdapat juga hot drink & desert spread ala2 hotel. Tapi banyak yg dah habis dan rasanya x sempat top-up. Sebabnya full house malam tu. Most of the patrons were family like us. The owner is Paksu's senior @ Jenan, married to a Thai woman. That's how the business started, I guess. 

Surau ada disediakan so lepas makan boleh terus berbual2. Since masing2 dah lama x jumpa, memang banyak perkata nak dibualkan. Rupanya ada yg dah bergelar CEO, yg lagi 4 tahun nak pencen juga yang baru keguguran. Umi yg x dapat turut serta sempat kirim kurma thru Poslaju utk kami berbuka. Maklumlah yg berkumpul ni semua adik2 dan anak2 saudara umi. 

Yusuf Taiyoob 

Puas berborak, kami ke rumah Paktam, minum kopi. Around 10 kami minta diri since anak2 pun dah mula bosan. Next round of gathering this raya, insha Allah.

Oren, star of the night

Al Fatihah : Pakcik Haji

My uncle, fondly known as Pakcik Haji (PCH) passed away this morning. I got a call from my brother while were are having our sahur. He died due to heart compilation. As long as I can remember, he was suffering from multiple illness since I was a bachelor. His health gradually decreased over the years. His right hand was paralyzed and his eyes were partly blind. However he was adamant not to go to hospital for treatment. He was an old man (born in 1920s) from older generation who believed that any medical problems can be cured using traditional medicine and alternative methods such as Quranic verses. Afterall he was a former imam, a respected position that days. He was sought after by kampung folks not only when they are sick but for other types of problems - marital problems, misbehave childrens even to pass an exam. His treatment was reciting doa and preparing 'air penawar' for them.

He is related to my family not only because he was married to Maklang but he was also my late Pak's cousin. That's make our family are very close to each other. My eldest brother, AD enjoyed a very closed relationship with him. He treated AD more than his own son. They enjoyed each other company since AD was a toddler. Mak once recalled, sometimes AD would crying at night asking to be with PCH. He won't stop crying until he met PCH. When Mak was working, AD was babysit by Maklang. The relationship became stronger after the demise of Pak, more than 10 yrs ago. 

Mak also had a very close relationship with PCH. Whenever she heard that PCH was not well, she would immediately visit him. Of course, not with empty-handed. She would cook his favourite dish like tepung bungkus or tepung talam for him. When we had a special meal at home like nasi beriani or laksa, she will bring to PCH also. This tradition is traced back to our late father, who started this. As we grew up, we know that PCH is a special person to my parents, so we must respect him the way our parents did. 

I am sure Maklang is the one who is suffering the most at this moment. She has been a loyal wife to PCH. She is always by his side since PCH was down with multiple illness, more than a decade ago. She sacrifices her personal comfort to give priority to PCH. Even she herself is not healthy, due to age factor, she didn't want to leave him for hospital treatment. She didn't attend any kenduri or gathering just to be with PCH, in case he needs her help. Not even mine, her favorite niece.

I don't remember any special moments with PCH but always put a high respect for him. He was our 'orang tua' after Pak passed away. One of our obligations whenever we balik kampung is to visit him, even for a short while. I don't know how to describe my feeling but he has a special place in my heart. 

Losing him is painful for me and it's bitter because I was unable to attend his funeral. What more to be with Maklang & other family members during this hard time. Al fatihah.  

Restoran Adam Lai, Prima Sri Gombak

First of all, minta maaf banyak2 sebab story pasal JJCM pulak bulan puasa ni. Actually nak transfer gambar dlm phone ni ke laptop, baik saya up dulu storynya. Kalau dah transfer confirm le jadi pekasam :)

Restoran Adam Lai ni menyediakan Chinese cuisine yg authentic katanya. Ebby Yus pun ada share kalau x silap. He is in-charge of the marketing while Mr Adam running the business. 

Kami ke sini a day before puasa, konon malas nak masak sbb penat bersihkan rumah aritu. Portion makanan dikategorikan ikut size s, m & l. Untuk kami 4 beranak (exclude Balqis) s pun dah cukup. Our menu for that day; nasi putih, ayam halia, butter prawn, sup sayur & it's signature dish, 4-season (mixed of seaweed, crab stick and another 2 ingredients which I didn't recognized). Total was rm75 plus a jug of sirap bandung. If you were there, please try their vege soup. Simple je but very tasty, especially the meat inside the soup. Overall food memang sedap and puashati makan. Definitely will be coming again, after raya perhaps :)

Here are the pics; 

 Finally, jom kite!

BB1M

Dah lama saya menyimpan utk hasrat utk memiliki buku memoir Tun M ni. Tapi harganya mahal (rm59.90) bagi saya. W/pun saya ni hantu buku, when it comes to buying a book, saya berkira sikit. Kalau harga around rm30 tu saya kira mampu beli la. More than that saya kira mahal dan kena pikir banyak kali b4 beli. Unless buku2 yg boleh dijadikan rujukan spt Indahnya Hidup Bersyariat, Ensiklopedia Solat etc saya tak kedekut beli. 

Since hubby dapat voucher buku BB1M dgn statusnya sbg part-time student, dapat juga saya miliki buku ni. Selain buku ni, ada beberapa buku lain yg saya beli. Maklumlah rm250 nilai voucher tu, jenuh juga nak habiskan. Ini pun 2x Saya pulak x ke pesta buku tempohari. Hanya berbelanja di MPH & Pustaka Rakyat je. Untung saya sbb En hubby x minat nak guna voucher tu. Semuanya ana yg punya :)

Banyak buku saya nak hadam ni. Can't wait tu finish them all!

Ini belum termasuk buku Melodi di Atas Kertas (koleksi cerpen) hasil tulisan sahabat saya, Ummu Amar.

Daa... 

Ramadhan Challenges

Alhamdulillah, it is day 5 of Ramadhan. I feel the clock is ticking faster, isn't it? For the 1st three days it was like 'lambatnya nak berbuka' feeling :) may be our body & soul are getting used to fasting. And we have adapted to the daily Ramadhan routine. Wake up for tahajjud, sahur, congregational Subuh prayer, tadarrus etc. It is indeed the daily schedule that Allah arranges for us, for our own sake, Masha Allah. If we can keep the Ramadhan spirit  throughout the year, I believe that we can function more effectively and becoming more productive.  

My day during Ramadhan starts as early as 4 a.m. We will start eating sahur around 5.15. This year is Abang's first attempt to fast. Alhamdulillah it is easy to wake him up for sahur but his will just eat a bit. 

He managed to fast for 2 days in a row but on the 3rd day he requested to break his fast after coming back from school. He was very thirsty on that day. I can see from his face. I asked him to get his Walid's permission. It was granted. Since he was not fasting, our home turned upside down! The 'most active kid in town' is back! I like it when he is fasting because he is less active, more obedient and less talking. Hahaha... I can save my energy too, no need to yell or nagging on him. Hihi..

We made a deal with him last nite, he can fast on alternate days. But on the off day he has to eat sahur and only break his fast after school. Can't wait to see him coming from school today!

On the other hand, managing Angah  during this fasting month is more challenging. He has bigger appetite! He will ask for food/drink almost every hour. Like it or not, i've to ensure that we have food ready for him. I'll leave some portion of sahur for him.

The preparation for iftar is manageable so far. My 8m/o anak dara is now in menjulur stage. She is my best companion in the kitchen. If I put her in the walker, she will find me there. If not, no problem. She will go by herself to the kitchen. She will play with the plates on the rack or anything within her reach. I'm OK as long as she doesn't disturb me :) of course I've to keep my eyes on her.

Looking forward for a blessed, meaningful and better life in this holy month and years to come.