Zura's Akad Nikah Ceremony, Apr 2012

Dear Diary,

If last year my parents in law received a new daughter in law, this year they welcomed a new son in law. Hubby’s sister, Zura, tied the knot in April. Remember my entry about two families met up and promises were made to forge a closer tie. Alhamdulillah, everything was smooth sailing.

Akad nikah ceremony was held at Abah’s house after Isyak on April 6, 2012. It was an intimate event attended by family members and close friends. Abah himself perform his daughter’s akad nikah. Everyone waited with abated breath and exhaled easily after imam announced both Man and Zura are officially husband and wife. Alhamdulillah, syukur segalanya dipermudahkan Allah.

After the marriage solemnization, everyone was invited outside for a buffet dinner.

Man, welcome to the family!

* Pictures courtesy from our family’s collection

Rojak Cendol SS15 Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Apr 2012

Dear Diary,

Is there anybody who comes from Subang Jaya here, SS15 in particular? If you’re familiar with SS15 area, you surely would remember the hang out place called gazebo and the famous rojak cendol by the roadside in yesteryears.

In the past, if you drive or walk around SS15, you’d see a very long queue of people waiting patiently. It was not an uncommon view there. There was a vendor (or were there two vendors, I can't remember) selling rojak and cendol by the roadside (opposite a petrol station - Shell). Kalau nak makan kat situ, dok la tang mana pun – bawah pokok, tepi jalan, dalam kereta, atas motor. There were never enough stools for everyone. Now, you cannot see this view there anymore because a shopping/office building has been built in that spot. I’m not sure whether the rojak cendol vendor is still operating in that vicinity or not.

However, for all SS15 rojak cendol fans out there, search no more because they’re now serving their famous rojak cendol at a new place. A few months ago, a new eating place opened next two doors from my parents in laws’ restaurant. It is called Rojak Cendol SS15 Subang Jaya. One fine evening, I panjangkan langkah and went inside the premise. True enough, it’s the same seller in SS15 (I asked them, not that I remember their faces!). They’re only selling rojak, cendol and beverages there. The place is clean and the service was fast.

Rojak Sotong – jenuh nak habiskan sorang sebab portion banyak

Cendol Pulut

Nyamannya pekena cendol bila cuaca panas!

Address: No 58-G, Blok 3, Jalan Pahat G 15/G, Seksyen 15, 40200 Shah Alam, Selangor. Operating hours: 12pm – 7pm

Marche Movenpick Restaurant, The Curve, Apr 2012

Dear Diary,

Before watching Avengers, we must fill our tummies first. So, we headed to Marche Movenpick Restaurant for our lunch. This restaurant is very popular, I tell you. Every time we walk pass it, there’re many people either queuing outside or eating inside.

Marche is unique because it introduced market concept to city dwellers. A concept well accepted by Malaysian I guess ranging from the customers that kept coming in. Inside the restaurant, there are several stations offering different types of food and beverages. The stations lined the place in a nice layout giving you a feeling that you’re walking through a food market. A fancy food market that is! Some of the stations that I can remember are Salad, Pasta, Pizza, Savoury Crepe, Tea/Coffee, Beer/Wine and Hot/Cold Beverage.

At Marche, there’s no waiter who’ll come to your table and take your order. What you have to do is some sort of “buying” food at the stations. Upon entering the premise, each person will be given an ordering ticket. You choose from a wide range of food selections and then go to the respective station and order. When you order, person-in-charge from that station will stamp your ordering ticket. Next, you wait for your order to be cooked and when it’s done, you bring the food to your table. You can “buy” from as many stations as you like if you’re able to digest a lot of food. Before leaving, you hand your ticket to the cashier who will then calculate your bill amount based on stamps on the ticket. You pay your bill and you exit the restaurant.

The downside of this concept for us customers is you’ll tend to “buy” and “buy”. Everything that looks appetizing to your eyes, you order. Tengok semua benda pun sedap, nak semua. Ikut nafsu! Although it’s fun to keep on “buying”, without realizing you’re actually increasing your bill amount. In other words, you’ll tend to overspend. At least, that was what happened in our case. To top it all off, some of the foods were not up to our expectations. Their tastes were not as delicious as their mouth-watering looks.

There’s a playground inside the restaurant. For parents, it’s a peace of mind. When your children are getting restless, you can let them have a ball there while you calmly savor your food. Moreover, Marche cater for indoor functions.

Mushroom Soup

Garlic Bread

Salmon Fillet - YUMMY

Chicken Chop

Mixed Grill

Beef Pepperoni Pizza

Chicken Pineapple Pizza

Sweet Crepe - MARVELOUS

Coconut, Pineapple Juice, Chocolate Milkshake, Ribena and Iced Blended Macadamia

One funny incident happened during our visit that afternoon. I was busy snapping pictures here and there. I didn’t realize that patrons are not allowed to take pictures of the restaurant until I was kindly informed by a staff there. Malunya!!

Location: G87, Ground Floor, The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Website: www.marche-malaysia.com

Marvel's The Avengers

Dear Diary,

On the fateful day of street demonstration Bersih 3.0, we went for a movie at e@Curve. We’ve set our eyes on Marvel’s The Avengers. There were several shows for the film and all of them were sold out! Fortunately, we managed to grab our tickets.

Marvel’s The Avengers is a superhero action movie directed by Joss Whedon. An all star casts of Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/The Incredible Hulk), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawk Eye), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts) is more than a good enough reason to attract moviegoers.

Earth is under threat from impending war initiated by Loki, Thor’s stepbrother. He’s jealous of Thor and full of vengeance because he cannot become king. So, he planned to invade Earth by raising an army named Cauthari. He came down to Earth from another realm and stole Tessaract (an energy source). He started working using the energy source to open up a gateway portal for his alien army to attack our planet.

Nick Fury assembled a group of freaks or people with special gifts to fight Loki. These special people, named Avengers, are Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawk Eye and The Incredible Hulk. Each has his or her own character with special talents. Iron Man is a stuck up filthy rich businessman, Hulk is an intelligent introvert scientist who can turn into a ferocious beast, Thor is a skillful suave warrior, Captain America is a naive old-fashioned hero, Hawk Eye is a quiet accurate archer and last but not least Black Widow is a gorgeous sexy moderator.

In the beginning, all of them cannot get along. They like to boast and pick fights. They want fame and put themselves above everyone else. Each has their own agenda. Semua nak tunjuk hero! Bersatu teguh, bercerai roboh. After a good push from Nick Fury, they start to bond and cooperate. Together they are able to face whatever hurdles that stand in their way to save the world. When they team up and combine forces, they can easily overtake the enemy.

Best! Best! Best!!!! What more can I say? Memang puas hati la tengok filem ni. Imran and Zarra were overexcited. Siap berangan sorang jadi Iron Man sorang jadi Hawk Eye. Mama lak dok angau kat Thor :-)

* Sourced from Yahoo!Movies

My Baby Boy is 2

Dear Diary,

In early 2010, Abah and Mama were pleasantly surprised to find out that we were pregnant with you. We're planning to have another child but we didn't expect to conceive you so fast. Anyway, praise to Allah for giving you in our lives.

Ever since you're born, you've been a darling to everyone. You're very close to Kakak that you imitate whatever she does. It's not a huge surprise then when we often see you playing masak-masak or Barbie, wearing tudung or telekung and wearing bracelets or cekak. On the other hand, you always find fault with Abang. Memang tak leh gi dengan Abang.

You're one cheeky (layaq burok orang Kedah kata) boy. You like to tease Abah and Mama. You can also be very "persistent" at times. Bila mai angin nak jugak-jugak dia, memang tension Mama. Tok said you have muka mayat which means face without expression (muka takde perasaan). Whatever it is, you're handsome to my eyes...always have been and always will.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR IRFAN

One birthday cake to stuff your face

One birthday song that's sung with grace

One plate of ice cream (maybe two)

One birthday wish for dreams-come-true

One special present wrapped with care

One festive party hat to wear

One day of acting off-the-wall-

A day to smile and have a ball!

Irfan sayang,
My prayers are with you always...
May you grow up to be a soleh son
May all your dreams come true
Don't lose your charm and cheekiness
Hanya yang baik-baik saja untuk anak Mama.

Brighten Your Corner

Dear Diary,

Have you noticed the great difference between the people you meet?
Some are as sunshiny as a handful of forget-me-nots.
Others come on like frozen mackerel.
A cheery, comforting nurse can help make a hospital stay bearable.
An upbeat secretary makes visitors glad they came to see you.
Every corner of the world has its clouds, gripes, complainers, and pains in the neck - because many people have yet to learn that honey works better than vinegar.

You're in control of your small corner of the world.

Brighten it...

You can.

* A message as published in the Wall Street Journal by United Technologies Corporation