Guests from Plymouth, UK

Sunday 2nd August 2009, 9.50 am, when I was about to perform Solat Dhuha, suddenly felt like having a peep at my handphone, in case I had missed any incoming text messages or any missed calls. True enough, one message was waiting to be answered, it was from a good old friend from Sains Raub Secondary School, a shy but intelligent boy who used to sit behind me in the class for 2 years, in 4 Science 1 and 5 Science 1. The guy who I used to compete in exams. We used to take turns to be the first in class, if i were the first, he would be the second and vice versa. The guy I meant is Azlisham, so many girls had a crush on him, I wonder if he is aware about this fact or not.

The message said 'Asm, r u free today? We are in Manchester now & if u r around may visit u circa noon time or a time that suits u & family. Azlisham, Semesra 87'.

I replied, 'Drop by for lunch, we'll be around'.

So at 1.30 pm, the 6 of them arrived, Azli, his wife and 4 kids. Azli looked the same as before, a bit of weight gain though. The same old shy guy but much more talkative now. His funny chuckle remains. His kids look more like his wife, hardly any Pakistan features of Azli.

Had prepared briyani rice with lamb kuzi and fried tandoori chicken. Alhamdulillah Azli and wife makan bertambah, sedap la kot...Makan sambil borak till almost 4 pm.

Guess my lamb kuzi is the most simple version, just dump everything in the pressure cooker and after 20 min it's ready. Will post the recipe later specially for my good old friend in the faraway land, Farina.

Azli, Ros and their 4 kids with my family and mother in law.

Time to go back to Plymouth. Wished they could a spend a night here.

Tetamu dari Belgium

30 April 2009, jam 1.30 pagi tibalah tetamu yang dinanti-nanti, Dr. A and family from Ghent, Belgium. Inilah tetamu yang rumah mereka kami nak ziarah masa ke Europe ari tu tapi tak kesampaian sebab kereta rosak kat Holland. Makanya kami ditemukan di bumi Birmingham.


Ah and family took a train at 10.43 pm and arrived at Birm New Street at 1.00 am, pukul 1.30 pagi dapat phone call and bila jenguk kat keluar tingkap nampak taxi depan rumah. Akhirnya sampai juga mereka setelah 2 hari di London. Rupanya meke tersalah beli tiket Midland train yang slow tu, so depa kena tahan tak bagi naik Virgin train yang laju itu, tapi Allah nak tolong, supervisor tu cepat2 suruh meke naik virgin train tu sebelum train tu jalan.



Dah lama tak jumpa maka sampai 3 pagi kami berborak sambil temankan Ah and wife makan mee bandung kow Mama (perasan lagik, sori ye) and chocolate cake kow Mama. Anak2 Ah, Hilmiyah and Hilman dah lama lena.

Mama's moist choc cake, taruk horlicks


On Friday 1 st May 209, brought them to Queen Anne, then to Portmeirion and Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent. Emm 2 kotak nak kena shipping nih, boleh tahan jugak surgeon kita ni shopping. Mama pun tumpang shopping jugak, tambak koleksi Portmeirion yang dah sedia ada. Beli..... jangan tak beli cik kiah time sale ni, nanti nyosal. Balik dari Stoke which was about 1 hour drive, berjoget lagi kat dapur, masak untuk tamu dinner pulak. Invited Dr. Mimi who is also Ah's friend in USM Medical School. Papa invited Azli and family for dinner as well. Cooked asam pedas sea bass, sea bass masak kicap, sayur campur and ikan masin.



2nd May: After a dose of nasi lemak, Papa brought them to Lea Marston Carboot (tempat Mama kena pickpocket tu...). Mama dok umah jaga budak2 sambil prepare the ingredients for singgang kambing for Birm Malaysian Community Summer BBQ at Cannock tomorrow. We were invited for lunch at Dr.Mimi's house in Aston. Then to ASDA and East and West supermarket, tempat Mama beli halal meat and chicken. Mak oii, harga ayam naik lagi dari 2.89 pounds per kilo to 3.29. Cam mana nak business ni??



3rd May, patutnya bawak Ah pi Studley Carboot, the biggest Carboot in West Midlands tapi ingatkan hujan takut pulak carboot tutup. Anyway Ah and co have got to catch their train to London this morning as their flight to Malaysia is tonight. Sempatlah jamu nasi dage with chicken curry and gulai udang kat kawan baik Mama ni. Tapaukan Mummy Izan and Daddy Yoh of Egham some nasi dage and singge kambing (p.s: See you guys there end of May insyallah).


Ah and Na, this is the carboot sale that U have missed. Lain kali kena datang lagi ni...



Ada 15 lane you, so 30 row sumernya...lenguh kaki berjalan cam nak pitam pun ada...

Breakfast today, nasi dage

Mama's chicken curry, masih berasap lagi, baru turun dapur.

Mama's gulai lengkuas kunyit udang, pucat pulak rupa dia...tapi rasa kow. Opps perasan lagi..masuk bakul

3 families posing, Ah's, Mimi's and Mama's. Family Azli/ Nita dah balik.

Tetamu Malaya lagi....

At 8 pm, got a call from Papa who was at work, asking whether I received any call from his cousin Syed M. Papa said Syed M and family will be arriving at our house anytime tonight. So biasalah kan..supermum mana boleh tak hidang nasi kan, ni pulak sepupu nak datang anak beranak. So berjogetlah masak nasi briyani with Rogan Josh lamb curry, tandoori fried chicken and lettuce and tomato salad. At 10.30 pm after sosat 1/2 jam sampailah family Arab ni. Emm lupa lak nak amik gambo menu dinner kami dgn meke...


The next day brought them to Thinktank Millenium, Science Centre lah lebih kurang. Balik tu dropped them at Bullring for shopping. At 8 pm, visited by Juri and Kak Asmah. kak Asmah brought some kuey teow yg kow-kow.

After 2 nights in Birmingham, they continued their journey to West Midlands Safari Park then to Cardiff.

Madeehah and her second cousin Sh. Munirah.

Main ayo...
Madeehah nak jadi macam Mama ke cam Papa?

Kak Asmah and hubby, Juri temankan Made and Hanim makan kuey teow. Sharifah Mahani and Sharifah Maisarah, heheh..

All smiles.................

Guests from UPM

Had been very busy these past 2 weeks, visited by 3 Malaysian families one after another, each family spent 2 nights at our place. Seronok sungguh...

The first couple was Dr. Z , my UPM Medic colleague with her sporting hubby. Since they love market place, Friday morning 24th April brought them to Bullring outdoor and indoor markets. Then Saturday to Birmingham Whole sale market. Bought a crate of Sea bass, half Salmon and a crate of prawns. Then shot off to Middleton Carboot. Nak bawak gi Stoke-on-Trent yang famous dgn pinggan mangkuk tu tak sempat. Saturday afternoon, brought Dr. Z to Majlis Ilmu Wanita Birmingham. Sampai2 Yasin dan tazkirah dah abis, hanya sempat tengok demo Tiramisu by Zatil. Lovely couple at Bullring shopping complex

Dr Z, Mama and Madeehah belakang Bullring.

Just to prove to you people that we were at Bullring. Can you see the angry bull????

Shopping for fruits and veges at outdoor market

Jangan tak caya Cik Kiah, buah sukon pun ada you...makanya petang tu our tea menu was fried sukon with sambal kicap and cili api..emm yummy...yang bosar tu ubi keladi ye cik kiah....ubi kayu pun ada..ubi badak pun ada.

Meeting a celebrity, guess who?

Got a text message from someone at 10.39 am this morning asking whether I still want to have the book 'Travelog Haji' by Muhd Kamil Ibrahim. I only noticed the text at 1.30 pm before taking my shower and quickly replied, yes indeed I still want the book and gave her my address. Alhamdulillah she was already in Birm and promised to drop by after spending a day out with her fantastic four at Tink Tank Millenium.

At 4.30 pm, my door bell rang, there she stood with her 4 beautiful kids. Alhamdulillah, this is the moment I have been waiting for, to meet the author of pause to reflect in person, Miss or Mrs D. She is such a lovely person, warm, beautiful and cheerful. Thank you Khalil and Ida for getting my mobile no from my brother in Egham and passed it to D.


D stayed till almost 7 pm, I hurriedly cooked laksa johor and prepared some rice as well. By the time they arrived, everything was ready on the dining table.

D and me, can't help but recalling the moment when I first bump into her blog in Sept 2007 before we flew to Britain, when her Mr D was terminally ill. Everytime I read her blog, tears will be dwelling in my eyes. Alhamdulillah, glad to see that she is well composed now and in the acceptance phase.