Ila Liqa’ Dubai الى اللقأ دبي

We will bid farewell to Dubai in two week’s time... Looking back to the two years that we have spent here, they are not without any events or things that we will remember for the rest of our life....

I arrived in Dubai on the 1st of May, 2008... Knowing no one except for the colleague who had arrived 2 weeks earlier... The family didn’t arrive until the middle of June that year.

The first contact with the Malaysian community was when we gathered at a Lebanese restaurant for a dinner... We “wined and dined” until the wee hours...

One weekend I joined some friends who were going to the Blue Souq in Sharjah and Dubai Outlet Mall... I was beginning to like it here... despite the searing summer heat...

Then I was occupied with work... travelling to Iran for 2 weeks... until the beginning of June 2008.

When 3 leaders from PR came, I took that opportunity to meet other Malaysians... I found out later that Malaysians here welcome visitors... especially those who are going to stay here long, like myself.

My life was made complete again when the family joined me on the 13th of June, 2008. There we were... together in Dubai at last.

A few weeks after they arrived we attended the Agong’s birthday celebrations in Matrade and we met more Malaysians that day.

Before that, we had to enrol our two elder daughters into a school. I had done a lot of communicating with a number of international schools even before I arrived in Dubai. At last, one school, Raffles International School in Umm Suqeim, accepted them. They aced the assessment tests (English and Maths). They started their first day in school in early September 2008. And thanks to the host company that the school and the bus fees would be paid by them.
We celebrated our first Ramadhan and Eid holidays away from home that year... new experience for the family.

Perhaps, the most obvious thing about us that time was that we didn’t have our own mode of transportation. We didn’t have a car and I didn’t have a driving license. When we wanted to travel anywhere, it would be either by walking or the taxi. I knew it was quite hard for the family but at least they learned how hard it was to be in a foreign land and how to survive. Surprisingly I heard little complaints from them... especially Apit, my youngest child.

Nevertheless, we were lucky that we have friends who offered us a ride whenever there was a gathering or during the Eid celebrations... We were so grateful that we made a promise to ourselves, if ever we had the opportunity, and means, to buy a car here, it would be a big car.... So that we can offer other people a ride.

I had started my driving lessons towards the end of October 2008 and, after failing the first driving test, I got my Dubai driving license on the second test (valid for 10 years) on the 5th January, 2009.

The first major event that we joined was the Island Escapade, in early March 2009... Organized by MyUAE-Pro, in a small island off the coast of the Emirate Umm Al Quwain. About 300 Malaysians from all over UAE gathered there for a day of funs, games and get-together. Mabrook to MyUAE-Pro and the organizing committee for the wonderful and meaningful event.

We managed to buy a big made-in-Korea minivan later in the middle of March 2009 and all praise be to Allah, our prayers were answered.... and true to our words, to the best of our knowledge, we never denied any one who wish to hitch a ride with us. For a family of 5 like us, a car is a necessity... and the company didn’t provided us with it... one of the down-side of things for us in Dubai. With a car for ourselves, we were free to go anywhere... we wouldn’t have to trouble any one because we wouldn’t have to depend on our friends to take us where we wanted to go. And we didn’t have to depend too much on the taxis and other public transports.

When MyUAE-Pro had its first AGM and officially called MY-UAE, I was elected as one of the ExCo members. As I mentioned personally to the elected President, I was honoured to be elected to serve my fellow Malaysians... and I meant it.

Meanwhile, our two daughters had been settling well in school. They have made a lot of friends, really good friends. One of the wonderful things about Dubai and the international school is that they really open the minds of our kids. They befriended almost everybody regardless of religions, race, skin-colour, mother tongue, etc.


I was really grateful they settled in well because we had always thought that they would have a difficult time adapting to the new environment. They had proven their mother and me wrong. Their friends are consist of students who come from a well-to-do families... whose fathers didn’t have to rely on BizTrip allowances to make ends meet, they were still accepted as one of them. Frankly speaking, I am quite sad that they have to live Dubai and their friends.

July 2009 came, and I took the whole month off and took the family back to Malaysia for a holiday.... but 1 month was not enough... we only managed to go to visit a few relatives and a weekend trip to Singapore.

We came back to Dubai just a few weeks before Ramadhan... our 2nd Ramadhan in Dubai.
We joined the Ramadhan Bazaar.... we shared a table with a couple from Kelantan who were one of our good friends in Dubai. My wife made karipap, koci and etc.... it was our first experience as entrepreneurs and I think we did well.... and we got to make new friends too. The kids also helped in their own ways despite having to fast... well, except for Apit.

Ramadhan passed and Eid Al-Fitr came.... this time around, we didn’t have to worry about not having to join in on the celebrations. We had our own car. It was one of the busiest Eids for us.... we travelled around from morning until midnight, attending open houses... and as for every Eid, we held our own open house at our small 2-room apartment. The menu was, as usual, my Soto Ayam and Spaghetti... and a number other delicacies. Shukran jazilan to all our friends who had attended our open house...

The new school year started in early September 2009. Apit started his KG education this year. Once again, we were worried that he would not settle in, but once again we were proven wrong. He settled in well and seemed happy to start learning and making new friends. He didn’t have that “Day One” syndrome that most kids his age had.

With all the kids at school, my wife was left at home from morning until the early afternoon. She passed the time honing her baking skills (I bought her a Kenwood bread maker as a motivation) and chatting with friends and family back in Malaysia on the internet (YM, FB and etc.). I started a new assignment at home in the morning when not on BizTrips.... waking Apit up, bathing and dressing him... It’s more like a father-and-son thing... the Hilmy clan version of male bonding.

In late November 2009 until the middle of December 2009, we had some important guests... My mother, father and my two nieces came for a 2-week visit to Dubai. I picked them up at Terminal 1 and brought them to our apartment. It was a kind of small re-union for the Mat Zean clan. They couldn’t come at a better time because in early December, we had a long weekend due to the UAE National Day celebrations.

We brought them to places around Dubai, Abu Dhabi and we also joined the trip to Musandam, Oman... My sister said it was a motivational trip for my mother who had just recovered from a diabetic-induced complication.

When we were growing up, our parents used to take us to places such as Kelantan and Penang during the school holidays... and the roles were reversed when they came to Dubai. It was my turn to take them for sight-seeing and savouring the delicacies that Dubai had to offer. My parents particularly liked the Lebanese food as it lacked oil and served with complimentary pita breads and vegetables. Traditional Arab food is actually good for people who are health-conscious as it is cooked with less oil and salt... My parents even brought home some pita breads with them when they left Dubai.

In mid-January 2010, it was my sister’s, the Running-Mom, turn to come. She was running the Standard Chartered 2010 Dubai International Marathon (read HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE).

One of the highlights of our 2 years in Dubai would be our family trip to Istanbul, Turkey, during the New Year Holiday (2010). There’s another entry for that HERE.

New Gregorian year 2010... the news came that the company might not be extending my contract... so, the preparation to leave Dubai started... Frankly speaking, we had mixed feelings about leaving Dubai. We have made a lot of good friends here... The kids have settled down in school... they have also made a lot of good friends, including Apit. It’s really sad to leave, but we know that life has to go on... who knows, there could be better things for us in Malaysia...

One of our friends asked me, what would be the most memorable moments for me (and us) in Dubai... after 2 years. Trust me, I don’t have the answer for that... every moment in Dubai is a memorable one.... We will never forget each and every one of it. But the most important thing is the friends that we met and made here will always be in our hearts... I hope the friendship will continue for as long as we all shall live.


We will always cherish the memories in Dubai... who knows, we will come back in the future... who knows? ;-)

Istanbul (New Year 2010) - A very belated entry

This way to Istanbul

Actually, our year-end holiday plan could be called an Ad-Hoc one because I initially planned to take my family to Tehran. That was my plan from a few months ago. I made a promise to my wife that I will take them somewhere for a vacation when I have a 4 day weekend during the New Year break.

Due to the instability in the Iranian capital, I turned to Cairo. But, unfortunately the Economy Class seats were all sold out. Only the Peak Economy seats were left vacant and at the price that I couldn’t afford.

One of my colleagues suggested Istanbul. I checked the flight tickets, searched for the accommodations... and the rest I will share later... in a nut shell (I am not much of a writer...)

30/12/09
I went to have my hair cut in the morning. All the things to bring with us to the Turkish capital were already packed.

At about 12:00 noon we left the house to catch the taxi to the airport.
We brought:
1. One suitcase of clothes
2. One small bag of food items and
3. Two knap-sacks and my wife’s laptop computer
4. Our Sony H-50 camera and the Nikon compact as a back-up
This was actually considered light for our standards.

Upon arrival at the airport, we checked in our two larger bags at the self check-in kiosk and went on to the passport control and the departure hall.

We performed Jama’ and Qasr for Dzuhur and ‘Asar at the prayer room and walked to the boarding hall for our flight to Istanbul... EK121. We checked in at Terminal 3, but had to walk all the way to Terminal 1 for boarding. But since everybody was in a good mood, nobody complained.

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The flight took us to Istanbul in about 4-4.5 hours. We didn’t have any problems with the immigration and the luggage delivery.... everything went well (except that they didn’t informed us at which carousel our luggage should be collected from).

Coming out from the Arrival Hall, there were so many people around, most travel agents, waving the placards with names on them. I was looking around for my name when my wife said, “there it is...”. In capital letters “HAZA HILMY ZEAN”.

The agent ushered us to a corner as he was also waiting for some other passengers. After about ½ hour of waiting, he took us out to the waiting shuttle bus (a big van, actually). We got the first taste of Istanbul’s weather.... It was not very cold to my standard (I’ve experienced colder temperature when I was in Iran) but not to my family. They never experienced this kind of weather before (which was why I wanted to take them for the winter vacation in the first place).

The trip to the hotel took us from the Ataturk International Airport to the heart of Istanbul in about half an hour’s time.

The taxi stopped a few meters from the hotel, Star Holiday Hotel, just in front of Diva Nyolu Cadesi (or Diva Nyolu Street). It will be our home for the next 3 nights. It wasn’t very cold actually... except when the wind blew.

We checked in and with the help of the hotel staff, climbed three flights a narrow staircase to our room, a quad-room, in the 3rd floor. The room wasn’t that big for a quad-room... there was hardly any space to walk around... but we were not actually planning to stay in the room all day.
The room has 3 beds; 2 in the front and there’s another one, a bigger one, in a small “sub-room”. It’s separated from the rest of the room by a door-way.

Once we were settled in, we went out to see the night-life... It was about 8pm and quite chilly...even at night we could see that Istanbul is a beautiful city.

The night out in Sultanahmet

We walked around the Sultanahmet area... checking out the sights and sites... took some pictures... and went back to the hotel when Apit was beginning to have one of his “Apit penat lah...” acts...

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31/12/09
We were awakened by the Fajr Azzan... from multiple directions... for a country without any official religion in its constitution, Islam is something special here... historically and spiritually. We can see from afar, there were a lot of mosques (camii in Turkish) in Istanbul and when it comes to azzan, every mosque would seem to try to outdo its neighbour. The closest mosque to our hotel was the Agha Firdaus Camii and the Sultanahmet Camii (or the Blue Mosque).

We went to have breakfast at the 4th floor terrace... just overlooking the Blue Mosque. If we panned our view to the left, we would see the Haghia Sophia (or Aya Sofiya), a one-time cathedral, then a mosque and now a museum.

The breakfast was simple... freshly baked bread (the size of a small coconut), hard-boiled egg, cheese, some pickles, fresh olive, thinly-sliced sausages, tea and coffee, fresh milk... but it’s enough to keep us full until lunch-time.

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Inside the boat - Bosphorus Cruise

The agenda for today will be the Bosphorus Cruise. So, we took the tram from Sultanahmet station, past Gulhane and Sirkeci stations towards Eminonu station. We got off and went directly to the Eminonu Port just a few meters away from the tram station. It was about 1045am.

The official Bosphorus Cruise boats were already departed and we chanced upon some people who offered the “mini-cruise” for TL20 per head.... Apit would get to ride for free.

So, off we went... from the quay just adjacent to Galata Bridge towards Bosphorus Bridge... one of the two bridges connecting the European and Asian sides of Istanbul. The other one being Fatih Sultanmehmet Bridge, about 7km up the Bosphorus Strait from Bosphorus Bridge.

The view was ultimately breathtaking... the undulating movements of the small boat were almost forgotten and ignored... the only thing that made us dizzy was the smell coming from the diesel engine. We were with about 20-30 more tourists on the boat... most of them looked European or Caucasian.... I think we were the only Asians on the boat. We saw the Dolmabahçe Palace, which used to be the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire as well as the Presidential resident of Kamel Attaturk.

On the boat - Bosphorus Cruise

We also saw so many beautiful buildings... seagulls and cormorants were everywhere, feeding in the waters of the Bosphorus, perching on the side of the jetty or simply flying along following the boats.

At Beylerbeyi town park

Our small boat made a u-turn upon crossing under Fatih Sultanmehmet bridge and made a stop-over at a small town of Beylerbeyi, just next to the Asian side of Bosphorus bridge. We spent about an hour there, appreciating the weather and the view and taking pictures.

At about 130pm, we board the boat for the last leg of the trip; a return leg to Eminonu. We arrived about 40 minutes later. Since we hadn’t had lunch yet, I bought a fish sandwich at a nearby stall. A meal of the sandwich and soda cost just TL5. To kill the fishy taste, you had to eat it with some salt and lemon juice. We finished the small lunch and headed to the next destination which was the Masir Carsisi or Egyptian Bazaar or the Spice Bazaar.

It was the 2nd largest bazaar in Istanbul after the Grand Bazaar. We weren’t planning of doing any shopping, so each of us pick a small souvenir for ourselves and a few more for friends and family.... that was it.

We went back to the hotel to take a much needed rest. We were planning to go to Taksim Square that night to watch the new year celebration.

After solat (about 630pm) we went out and have Turkish kebab dinner at a road-side restaurant halfway between the tram station and our hotel. We had our first taste of authentic Turkish cuisines and the aromatic and tasteful Turkish apple tea.

Then, we took the tram towards Kabatas station. Kabatas is the last tram station in the Zeytinburnu-Kabatas tramway. After that, we had to take the Taksim Fenikuler train. It is a train system that connects Kabatas and Taksim Square. It actually runs up the hill towards Taksim Square in an underground tunnel. The train itself was design to tilt at about 40o – 45o.

Taksim Square is located on top of hill.... it serves at the gathering points for Istanbulis.... equivalent to our own Merdeka Square. It is a place where people gather for almost everything from demonstrations to celebrations. But we didn’t wait for midnight because judging by the in-coming traffic of people, we were sure that at midnight there would probably be no place for us to even sit down.

So, after taking a few snaps of pictures, we decided to leave Taksim Square. We went down the stairs to the Fenikuler station to buy the tokens for the ride back. That was when I realized that my wallet was gone.... (but I don’t want to tell sad stories here....maybe another time.... just maybe)... hehehe. Luckily, we still have some TLs because I split the TLs between my wife and me.

So, we went back to the hotel and called it a day.

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01/01/2010

Ain and Apit enjoying themselves at the Blue Mosque ground

I went to settle some issues in the morning and promised to meet my family after Jumaat solat. It was the first experience for me to listen to the Friday sermon and perform solat with tourists all around me, sitting on the outer rim of the square. I guess, on Fridays, they don’t restrict visitors to the Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Camii for Muslims only.

I rendezvous-ed with the family later, right after I finished doing some errands and the ‘Asar prayers. We went for a tour around the Sultanahmet Mosque and Aya Sofiya. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to enter Aya Sofiya as it was already late and the visitors’ entrance already closed. We just took some pictures and went instead to the Topkapi Museum. On the way there, we stopped by the road-side shops because my wife was looking to buy some souvenirs to bring home.

The museum was also closed by the time we arrived at the entrance, and once again we were only able to take pictures outside the huge museum complex. We walked back to our hotel......the kids were already tired and in need of a rest.

We had dinner in the room... just to finish off the food that we brought with us... When kids were settled down, my wife and I decided to go out and experience the cool Istanbul night, just the two of us.

We took a walk along the tramway towards Gulhane tram station... taking some pictures along the way... while appreciating the wonderful Istanbul night.

We got back at about 1100pm... tomorrow would be our last day in Istanbul.

Me and Hotel Manager, Mr Altin Decko

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02/01/2010
We got up early and started packing our things after breakfast. After bidding farewell to our host, we took the tram to Ataturk Airport.

From Sultanahmet station, we travelled by tram to Zeytinburnu station. It’s a transit station to the airport. From Zeytinburnu, we took the Metro line towards Havilamani (airport).
The journey took us just under one hour.... and it rained and hailed halfway through the tram and metro ride.

We arrived at Ataturk Airport, checked in, perform Dzuhur and ‘Asar prayers (Jama’ and Qasr), had a light lunch at BK and went straight to the boarding gate.

That’s the end of our Istanbul trip... but deep in our hearts, we knew that 2-3 days were not actually enough for us to really experience Istanbul. We made a silent promise that we will return one day, one fine day, InsyaAllah.

Family Visit

30/11/09
Left office exactly 1730 for the airport.
Parents and nieces arrived in Dubai at 1810.... and came out at 1850... Thanks to Marhaba.
What a great feeling to kiss my parents hands again after 4 months.

Cousins, enjoying themselves in the pool

01/12/09
Had to go to work... parents and nieces needed some rest after the long flight.
Wife took them up to the swimming pool... they had a good time.
Came home late... had to help with the setting up of the 5-aside Asean Cup.
More photos HERE

The family, after a hearty dinner at Tawassol Restaurant

02/12/09
UAE National Day.... 5-aside Asean Cup... was on duty in the morning as a volunteer.... left at about 12 noon.
Planned to take the family and watch the National Day parade in Jumeirah.
Went to send something to a friend’s in Umm Suqeim. Make a round at the kids’ school to show Atuk & Uwan and Aisy & Iman their school.
Went to Jumeirah Rd afterwards... missed the parade but saw some young Emiratis doing the “Drift”.
Went to DFC to buy Bakugan for Apit.
From DFC, went to Tawassol Restaurant for dinner. They really enjoyed the Mendi and Bukhari rice with chicken and fried sherry fish.
Went home at about 2200.

More photos HERE

Cousins at Ski Dubai.... (-4degrees C)

03/12/09
Spend the morning resting.
After Dzuhur, took them to MOE. Atuk and Uwan wanted to take their grandkids to Ski Dubai.
So, we took the nieces to buy a pair of gloves each and the entry tickets.
Suit them up and send them off to the Ski Dubai entrance.
Their Atuk and Uwan stayed with us.... we took them for a late lunch at MOE food court.
They came out at about 1600.... hungry.... we took them to the food court and bought them their lunch.
The next day, Musandam, Oman beaconed....
More photos HERE

At the Khasba, Musandam jetty

04/12/09
Woke up at about 0400... got everybody ready.... we left home at about 10 minutes to 0600.
Destination: Musandam, Oman.
From the rendezvous point (Emarat station near Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club), we travelled in a convoy of 7 vehicles....the time: 0730
Reached Al-Dahra, RAK, UAE exit point at about 0900... Spent about 15 minutes with the immigration processes.
Exited UAE into Oman.... bought Oman insurance worth Aed100... after about 30 minutes standing in the line.
Then, went to the Omani immigration and got the immigration form....and start queuing... the time: almost 1000.
The line was so slow.... didn’t move for almost an hour.... the Omani immigration people should do some Kaizen to their system.
Then, there’re these queue cutters who thought that they could do it because they are Arabic.... WTF!!!... What the heck are you thinking about.... being an Arab doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you like.... Get in the line please!!!!
Aside from that..... we’re finished at the Omani immigration at about 1230... and proceeded with the journey.
We stopped by at what seemed to be like a fishermen’s small port area.... with small boats, fishing nets and etc. We ate lunch and performed Dzuhur & ‘Asar (Jama’ & Qasr... remember, it’s Friday and we missed Jumaat when we got stuck at the immigration counter).
We left the area at about 1330.... along the winding coastal road of Musandam towards Khasba. On the right were the rocky cliffs and on the left was the Arabian Sea (or the Gulf of Oman?).
We didn’t get to see a lot of dolphins, tho’.... only a few of them and they are too far away for a good snapshot.
Returned at about 1700... after some group photos, we went back.
Luckily, there were no hassles at both Immigration points.
We stopped by for dinner and prayers at an Eppco station not far from Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club.
More photos HERE

At Karama Wet Market

05/12/09
Resting.... took Mak to the wet market in the afternoon.

Uwan, Atuk, Imn & Aisy in front of Atlantis Hotel, Palm Jumeira

06/12/09
Felt unwell.... got an MC from the doctor.
Felt better in the afternoon... took the whole family out to Jumeirah area. ‘Asar with Ayah at a near-by mosque.
Took photos at Jumeirah Public Beach... with Burj Al Arab as the background. Everybody was enjoying themselves, especially Ain and Apit...
Took them to the Palm Jumeirah.... took some photos at the Atlantis...
Stopped at Mercato Mall... performed Maghrib and had dinner at the food-court. The girls wanted to watch New Moon....(KKG betul).... Send them off to the movies at 1900 and went back.... the movie will end at about 2115.
Picked them up at about 2130 and went home.
Tomorrow....first day at the office after a long holiday.
More photos HERE

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07/12 – 10/12/09
At the office...during the day... no activities for them....
On Thursday evening, took them to Naif... Ayah wanted to buy Kanduras.... Mak wanted to see some “yard cloth” (Kain ela).... so, took them to Phulwani’s .
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Syeikh Zayed bin Sultan Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

11/12/09
Mission: Abu Dhabi
Left Dubai at about 1100.
Ayah wanted to see where I work...so, did a little de-tour into Jebel Ali Free Zone.
Stopped at a mosque 20KM outside Abu Dhabi for Jumaat prayer
Arrive in Abu Dhabi... first destination Syeikh Zayed Grand Mosque.... the 8th largest mosque in the world.
Lunch at a KFC restaurant near the Zayed Sport City.... it’s beginning to rain...
Next destination... Corniche and Marina Island.
Unfortunately, no parking spaces and rain got heavier....
Turned back and headed for the Grand Mosque once again for Maghrib & Isha’....
Went home....it rained all the way from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
More photos HERE

12/12/09
Took them shopping at Max, Oasis Center.... Mak & Ayah bought something (clothing mostly) for the family in Malaysia and the Kids....
Then, to Dubai Mall... the Kids wanted to go to Candylicious.... Mak & Ayah spent some time looking at the fishes in the Aquarium... just in front of the candy store.
Got home at about 1830.... had MY-UAE exco meeting at 2000 at DFC.

13/12/09
At the office..... itching to go home early....when suddenly got an email from the HR Director.....
“Dear All,
Due to the incessant rains, the company transport buses will leave at 4:15 p.m. today.
We have arranged for one more bus to leave at 5:30 p.m. for those who need to sit awhile longer to complete their work.
For all others in their personal transport, I would suggest that you also leave by 5:30 today and be extra careful whilst driving.
Thank you.”
Yesss....Thank you Sir....

14/12/09
Final day.... went to the office in the morning.... got back at about 1200....
Waited for the Kids to come home from school....
Left for the airport at about 1600... the wife and kids took taxi... Mak, Ayah, Aisy & Iman rode with me....
The flight was re-scheduled to 1930 (originally 1840).
Checked them in at MAS counter.
The hardest thing came.... it’s really hard to say good-bye and let them go.... but we had to....
Hugs & kisses... said good-bye..... and went home...

* Looking forward to next month when Mak Long & Pak Long come for the Dubai International Marathon

P/s: Along, Ain & Apit wish Atuk Mat Zean a Happy 64th Birthday......

Destination: Kalba (24/10/2009) - A belated entry

I have been planning this for quite some time. Our first long distance trip... to Kalba, in the Emirate of Sharjah. Kalba is a small town on the east coast of the UAE (Gulf of Oman), just a few km from the UAE border with the Sultanate of Oman. It’s about 130 km from Dubai.

Early in the morning, my wife cooked Nasi Lemak among other things. We were planning to have a picnic there. So, after Dzuhur, at about almost 200pm, we left Dubai. We headed for Sharjah by the Emirates Rd.

Then at the National Paints round-about, we took the Maliha Rd which will take us directly to Kalba. On each side of the road, we were greeted by sandy deserts and sand dunes.... but because we didn’t want to arrive in Kalba after dark, we didn’t stop to take photos.

We continue our journey pass the town of Maliha.... into the mountainous road towards Wadi El-Helo. The road was carved into the rocky mountain that separate the Oman Gulf plateau from the rest of UAE.

Sharjah-Kalba Road

Highway through the rocks

Wadi Al-Helo town, in the middle of nowhere

Wadi Al-Helo tunnel (reminiscent of our own Menora tunnel)

We're almost there... Oman is to the right side...

We arrived in Kalba at about 430pm... the weather was wonderful with temperature in the mid-20s. We performed ‘Asar at a small mosque and, afterwards, went to find a picnic spot by the lagoon.

We found a spot a started our picnic... feasting on the nasi lemak and the karipap that my wife made. There were quite a lot of people jogging and walking along the lagoon... women in abayas, children. There were also a few Arab families having their picnic not too far from where we had ours.

Nasi lemak & karipap...a Malaysian picnic in Kalba

I found this fox wondering in the clearings across the lagoon from us...

Sunset in Kalba

When the muezzin from the near-by mosque sounded the azzan, it was time for us to start packing and cleaning up. We left the lagoon to find a mosque to perform Maghrib and ‘Isya (Jama’ and Qasr).

We took a different route back to Dubai.

We headed north towards Fujeirah (by entering Fujeirah, we’d completed our trips to all the 7 Emirates), then to northwest towards Masafi, Al-Dhaid and Sharjah. Traffic was quite heavy that night... but we arrived home safely.

Harun Al-Rashid mosque, Kalba

My Mr Dependable in front of the mosque

A Malaysian furniture store in Kalba???

More Kalba photos HERE

Don Corleone

I brought the family to Magrudy's book store a few days ago. My kids and wife are readers.... they like to read. Even Apit reads... although I don't know if he understands any of the words. But it's good to start them early.

My parents have brought us up well... instilling the reading culture in the three of us. I am planning to do the same with my three kids.

I remember that my father used to travel and brought back books as one of the souvenirs. At my parents' home in Kota, we have a lot of books from all kinds of genres.... from academics to fictions to history... you name it.

Back to our visit to Magrudy's... I was actually thinking of buying myself another James Patterson's Alex Cross novel. But I found a few titles that were available and I didn't know which one to chose. Had I just got my paycheck, I would have bought the whole collection.

Then I saw it... The Godfather by Mario Puzo. To tell the truth, I am a fan of those Mafia films... especially those set in the 1940s & 50s... They really looked cool in those fedora hats and long over-coats, weilding those drum-magazine-fed M1 Thompson machine-guns.

I have read about one half of it now and found Signor Puzo a really great story-teller.... with simple and easy language & plot-lines.

Ok.... enough for now.... I want to finish reading this... After this, maybe, I'll look for the film trilogy... The Godfather (1972), The Godfather II (1974) & The Godfather III(1990)... starring Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Al Pachino, Andy Garcia & Robert De Niro among others.... talking about star-studded cast.....

She's in the web

My Sayang... at Raffles International School International Day 2009.... Manning (or ladying) the Malaysia Booth...(sambil makan satay)

From HERE

Geng Bas Sekolah (GBS)

Geng Bas Sekolah

The Kids started their new school year on today.... with the addition of another member of their GBS..... Apit.

Today is the real acid test for Apit.....his full day at school (Ramadhan timing for the school is 830am to 1030am for KGs an 830am to 130pm for the other grades).

It's quite a labour waking him up in the morning for the early morning shower....(now I know how Mak felt then.... about 30 years ago). I had to practically carry him down from the bed....stood him up.... took off his night clothes and ushered him into the bathroom. I brushed his teeth.... bathed him.... helped him put his school uniform on.... and combed his hair..... By then.... his engine was already warmed up....

The above photo was taken right before we sent them down to the waiting school bus.... see the huge grin on Apit face? That means his ready to take on the day.

GBS... about to get on the bus

Deep in my heart, there was still some doubts that Apit would "survive" the day.... considering that he has never been away from us... his family... with total strangers.

Apit and Along in the bus

So, after they got on the bus, we followed them in the car. We arrived at the school much earlier than the bus. We watch from afar.... one by one, the children got off the bus.... then, we say Apit... still grinning.... Ms Eileen, the Phillipino helper, took his hand and took him to the class. She's also Apit's class helper.
In the class, he seemed lost... and actually, so were all the KG kids inside.... Then, we saw that he was given something to do....such as coloring, educational toys etc.
We left Apit to check on the girls....his sisters. They didn't seem to have any problem because almost all the kids in their classes were their friends from last year. They are big girls now....and they can take care of themselves.
We left the school to buy some groceries.....
At 1030am we went back to fetch Apit. He was still grinning...hehehe.... We guess he had enjoyed his first day at school....
He told of his teacher Ms Meneka, telling them a story about a mouse/rat with a strawberry... hehehe.... Well, we weren't in the class...so we didn't know whether it's true or not.... and how Apit understood his teacher...(he doesn't understand English very well.... at 4 1/2 years old, what do you expect?). But we assume that what he told us was true.... because he was enjoying it.
Before we went back... Apit got his wishes.... to play at the KG playground. We let him play for a few minutes....but just as he's beginning to enter into his "Pushka-pushka" mode, we called him in and drove back.
We told him that tomorrow (and onwards), he will have to stay back a little longer as Ayah and Ibu won't be fetching him at school at 1030am... "Ayah nak pegi Egypt".... So he has to go back with his sisters at 130pm.
I hope... We hope... and pray that Apit will do OK.....
Just enjoy your days at school, learn new things, make new friends.... Ayah, Ibu, Along and Ain will always be there for you.

Cuti-cuti Malaysia (Julai 09)

Alahai....rasanya hari tu dah janji nak tulis pasal Cuti-cuti Malaysia masa balik Home Leave bulan Julai hari tu.....

Hmm.... malas lak rasanya..... Buat ringkasan je lah....

Minggu Pertama:
-Sampai KLIA hari Jumaat 3hb Julai
-Balik Kota and Teluk Kemang lepas tu balik Bangi balik
-Sempat rasa Cendol Madu Rembau dan Mee Sup Kendung.... masakan Mak jangan cakap lah
-Hujung minggu lepak rumah Angah (ipar) di Melaka

Minggu Kedua:
- Pergi Selatan....rumah Pak Ngah (Skudai) dan tidur rumah Andak (BBUda)
- Farid and Nore (cousins) jadi hosts...Andak dan Pak Andak kat SA jaga cucu
- Masuk Kota Singa dua hari.... malam balik tidur rumah Andak.
- Pergi Zoo, Arab Street dan Merlion Park (Day 1)
- Pergi Sentosa (Day 2)
- Hujung minggu melayan kunjungan Manchester United (gambar-gambar di SINI)

Minggu Ketiga:
- Ulang alik ke PD....Abah (mentua) masuk wad
- Hujung minggu pergi melawat Bandar Melaka

Minggu Keempat:
- Plannya nak duduk Bangi je....
- Pergi ke tempat kerja "lama" sebab jumpa Boss and ada beberapa urusan rasmi
- 2-3 hari sebelum balik, pergi KLCC (Dome) jumpa kawan-kawan lama dari zaman SAS dulu
- 31hb Julai... berlepas balik ke Dubai......

Sebahagian dari gambar-gambar boleh dilihat di SINI

Apit at the school (1st Sept, 2009)

Today is Apit's orientation day at Raffles IS..... We have all been waiting for this day..... Another big step for my little boy.....I woke him up early....bathed him.... and put on the KG uniform on him..... He looked really sharp...smiling all the way down to the car.

We registered.... they took Apit's photo for the ID Card. Then we took Apit to his class....met Ms Meneka, his KG class teacher and Ms Eileen the class assistant.

We left him in the class.... he was busy coloring.... We went to the Uniform and Book stores to buy uniform and books for the new year. His ibu fetched Apit at the class.... seemed like he was enjoying himself the first day.... alhamdulillah.

Well, the true test will be next week..... the first few days of school.... Here's hoping that he will do all right....

To Apit, Ayah, Ibu, Along and Ain hope you will do well in school....and you will always have our supports.... You can count on us....

My mother

My mother has been hospitalized since a few days ago due to a diabetis-induced complication. If I could have it my way, I will take the next flight out of Dubai, to KL, to be by her side.

Even then, it could never repay what she has done for me... for my sister & brother... and for the whole family as well. Her sacrifice is beyond reimbursable.

“Tell him not worry about me”, my sister related to me the other day. My sister said that Mak will feel much better knowing that I am OK... not worrying.

But as a child, the eldest son who is supposed to shoulder the responsibilities to his parents, no one can blame me if and when I get worried. I am thousands of mile away when I was supposed to be with her.

Anyhow, for her sake, I’ll stay put and just wait for any updates from my sister and brother. Thanks to the modern technology called the Internet.

May all the blessings of Allah be with her.

This is a beautiful song from Brother Yusuf Islam... I dedicate this to my mother...with love from your son and family in Dubai.


Your Mother
Who should you give your love to
Your respect and your honour to
Who should you pay good mind to – after Allah,
Comes your Mother,
Who next? Your Mother
Who next? Your Mother
And then you Father

Cause who used to hold you
And clean you and clothe you?
Who used to feed you
And always be with you?
When you were sick, stay up all night,
Holding you tight?
That’s right no other, your Mother

Who should you take good care of
Giving all your love?
Who should you think the most of – after Allah?
Comes your Mother,
Who next? Your Mother
Who next? Your Mother
And then you Father

Cause who used to hear you
Before you could talk?
Who used to hold you
Before you could walk?
And when you fell, who’d pick you up?
Clean your cut?
No one but, your Mother, your Mother

Who should you stay right close to
Listen most to?
Never saying no to – after Allah
Comes your Mother,
Who next? Your Mother
Who next? Your Mother
And then you Father

Cause who used to hug you
And buy you new clothes?
Comb your hair and blow your nose?
And when you cried who wiped your tears
Knows your fears?
Who really cares?
Your Mother

Say Hamdulillah,
Thanks to Allah
Thank You Allah for my Mother

Aktiviti Hari Sabtu (27 Jun 09)

Pagi:
Pergi ofis management di tingkat 7 untuk ingatkan diorang pasal program hari ni.

Mula Ops Bungkus sebab orang maintenance akan datang lepas lunch.


Tengahari:
Ops Bungkus selesai and bersiap untuk keluar (lepas solat Dzuhur).

Tinggalkan kunci dengan Pak Guard. Orang maintenance kata, pukul 8 malam baru boleh masuk rumah balik.

Nasib baik ada jemputan makan tengahari kat Sharjah (nasi kerabu, roti Sweetie dll).

Lepas Asar bertolak dari Sharjah ke JLT, melawat sahabat yang baru dapat baby.

Malam:
Lepas Maghrib, bertolak balik dari JLT. Rancangannya nak jumpa sahabat di area Karama... Tapi sebab jammed teruk, bagitau diorang, tak boleh nak jumpa. Jadi diorang datang ke rumah je la.

Dari Karama, terus balik ke rumah. Ambik kunci dengan Pak Guard dan terus check kerja diorang tengahari tadi. Hmmm, ok jugak walaupun masih lagi ada yang hidup.

Tengah bagi re-inforcement kat kerja diorang tengahari tadi, sahabat telefon... Dah sampai kat bawah dah.

Bawak family turun jumpa diorang, pok, pek, bla, bla kejap then salam-salam, naik atas balik.

Prepare untuk tidur... Sebab rumah macam tongkang pecah, anak beranak tidur kat ruang tamu. Penat gila... Besok kerja... Lagi 5 hari, lepas tu... Yee Haa!!!



Sent from MY BlackBerry® device

Haza in the news

Yes.... not yours truly... but the eldest Haza.... my sister (photo)...

I think this is the second time that her stories were in the news....

Previously, it was about her blog... but this time around it's about her bout with that thing called "weight"....

Read the news HERE (in Bahasa Malaysia of course....)

Well, to you Sis.... we are very proud of you... Your spirits and determinations inspired us all....

Updates: HERE's another entry in my Sis's blog about her stories in the papers.

One year in Dubai

1 year ago today

One year ago.... came one of the happiest day in my life.... my family, joining me in Dubai....

Our time in Dubai in not that long....I hope they are enjoying every moment of it.....

Happy Birthday Sayang

There’s another important date in my life....21st November... It has come to be important since 16 years ago and it will still be in years to come. It’s the birthday of my dear wife, Domestic Engineer Nor Azilah Salih aka Ziela. We have been celebrating this date ever since we first met in 1992.

A petite lady with a big heart... that’s how I’d describe her. She’s a teacher by profession but is a lot more than that at home....

She’s the Queen of my castle, the inspiration and the shoulder that I can cry on....

The most important thing is that she’s the mother of my 3 children.....and only God knows the ordeals that she had been through bringing them to the world... I guess that’s why the children are so close to her...

We had a few squabbles now and then....we had arguments.....but that actually made our love stronger.... She’s been there beside me through thick and thin. And I'm so grateful to God for entrusting her to me....

Mere words can’t describe how much I love her....how much I cherish and appreciate her...

And on her 36th birthday.....I’d like to say....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAYANG....I LOVE YOU

Epi DeBay Apit

19th November 2004......one of the happiest and proudest days of my life......the birth of my one and only son.....Ahmad Afiq Hilmy aka Apit.

One of the happiest and proudest moments of my life

At the Putrajaya Hospital...his first few days....

The interesting thing was that we knew the exact date of his birthday.....the doctor at the Putrajaya Hospital set that date for the Ceasarian Section, through which Apit was born....just like his two elder sisters.

That was 4 years ago.....he is pretty much a big boy now.....a hand-full though but youshould expect that from a boy like apit.

He reminds me of someone.....Yours Truly!!!.....from eating raw Milo to the Combat games.....from Tom and Jerry to the Transformers to the Incredible Hulk......only that I didn't have Power Rangers when I was growing up......

And he also doesn't seem to have any problem taking a long walk....in fact, he likes walking judging by his body language.

He also adapts well to this different environment (in Dubai).....just like his father...hehehe....

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Rewind back to 4 years ago.....

I was waiting anxiously in the waiting room near the Operating Theatre.....when suddenly I heard this very loud cry.....I thought to myself....it had to be a boy.....The nurse wheeled him out and she opened the blanket.....There it was....a penis (hehe)....and I muttered "Alhamdulillah"....Praise be To Allah.....our prayers had been answered. We had a healthy baby boy. I conveyed the good news to my parents-in-law.....but not before I recited the Adzan in his right ear and the Iqamah in his left ear. Then, I called my parents who were waiting anxiously at home in Kota.

Unfortunately, he had a serious case of jaundice....we had to let him stay at the PICU for a few days before we were able to bring him home......

He was our center of attention.....especially to his sisters....They enjoyed having a small baby to play with......It was a joy watching him grew....and it still is now.....

But, just like any other child growing up.....he's not without any mischief or any unfortunate events associated with him....

* Once, he was locked inside the car when we were stopping at the Gunung Semanggol RnR on our way back from a family vacation.....It was actually self-inflicted....he locked himself in.....It took us almost an hour to get him out....with the help of some good samaritans nd the PLUS people.

* He also had this nasty cut on his brows. He head hit our coffee table table when he fell down while eating some snacks......

* Then he had this severe chicken-pox.....his body was full of those red, itchy, fluid-filled spots....What an unpleasent experience for a small kid.

* Another thing was that he only stop breast-feeding at the age of 3+ we were already in Dubai by then)....which really annoyed me and his mother as well...hehehe....

We held a big kenduri when we had his head shaved (majlis cukur jambul)....It's as a sign of my gratefulness to Allah for granting us our wishes......We slaughtered a cattle....it was really a big affair....just like a wedding reception.....And we did it "kampung style".....almost all the neighbours lent their hands......

A bald-headed Apit....after the kenduri

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Fast forward...4 years later today.....

A big little boy, with an emotion of his own....hehehe.....sensitive, independent, active and a hand-full but still need his mother's cuddling at night.....

Yes.....an MU fan in the making

He has also started to wear the Manchester United jersey that I bought for him for his 2nd birthday.....I'm going to make him an MU fan...like his father, that's for sure.

And to Apit......Have a Great 4th Birthday....I love you....We all love you.....

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PS: Here are some collages of Apit throughout the years (4 years exactly).....enjoy....!!!

Apit: Year 0

Apit: Year 1

Apit: Year 2

Apit: Year 3

Apit: Year 4