Monday, March 31, 2014

1. Kohinoor; 2. Coffee Etc; 3. Namoo on the Park; and 4. Jibby & Co

"In the first place, you shouldn't believe in promises. The world is full them; the promises of riches, of eternal salvation, of infinite love. Some people think they can promise anything, others accept whatever seems to guarantee better days ahead, as, I suspect is your case. Those who make promises they don't keep end up powerless and frustrated, and exactly the fate awaits those who believe promises" ~ Paul Coelho

Hello readers,

It is Monday huarghhh. Busy week ahead.

As such, I have decided to have a collective foodie post. Cram everything in one post. Sorry but it would have to do.

First up, Namoo on the Park in Publika. Contemporary Korean food at its best.I have to say that I am not a fan of Korean food at all. I remember tasting the worst Kimchi ever at one Korean restaurant and swearing to myself that I won't ever pay for something so nasty ever again. But Namoo was a surprising change in so far as Korean food is concerned. I found that I actually liked the Kimchi they served. From left to right 1. Our drinks (my colleague told me the ice cubes were flavoured in peach!! such a nice touch) and my blue punch. 2. Spicy Ramen 3. My garlic rice with kimchi; and 4. The cute tissues!!

Kohinoor Part 2 - My colleague and I absolutely love this place. And we are slowly going through the menu every time we come here to order all the different dishes. From top to bottom 1. The mushroom and green peas in gravy. 2. The chicken in mint gravy. 3. The simple rice with spice. 4. My rice with a hint of saffron; and 4. Lean lamb and mince in spice. Let me tell you guys. NOT a single bad dish. NOT one. Never. This place is truly a hidden gem.

Coffee Etc - A new coffee place in Oasis Ara Damansara. I hung out here on Saturday with kindred Diyana S, the place had simple quirky decor (case on point, the hanging monkey and funny poem haha). High ceilings and lamps with copper finishings. Love the empty frames on the brick walls. There is a huge chandelier made with table lamp accents and a tree smack dab in the middle of the cafe. There are plugs at every side table so you can hang out for hours with your lappie and phone chargers in tow. I had cappuccino and kindred ordered the Americano, medium roast. I liked my cappucino. They have a food menu as well, although nothing to extravagant at the moment. Cool place to hang with friends and loved ones for coffee and a bite.



Jibby & Co., Empire Shopping Mall - Met with my Shearnies at Jibby & Co, located at the outside parking area of Empire Shopping Mall/Gallery. Located opposite CIMB Bank. Aly made it but is not pictured here. It had an interesting decor with a funky, industrial feel to it. Sue ordered the Linguini Goreng (yes, it was on the menu hehe). It is sort of Mee Goreng but linguini replaced the mee. She says it was pretty good. I was lost on what to order so I left it to the waiter to recommend me something. He said the soft shell crab burger with brioche was good so I went with that. He told me an entire soft shell crab will be used to make the burger, and man he wasn't kidding. When my dish came,I saw an entire soft shell crab with its face staring right at me sandwiched between 2 burger buns. Hahaha. The dish was good and I loved the sweet potato chips. But because the soft shell crab was super rich, I couldn't finish everything. The servings were huge. Pics from top left clockwise: 1. The cute table adornments; 2. Our drinks; 3. Sue and I; 4. My soft shell crab dish; and 5. Linguini Goreng.

Fuhhh, so relieved I managed to update this.

Okay readers.

I have to go. Work and coffee awaits.

Much love from me and Airiel

Peace and love to everyone.


Friday, March 28, 2014

100 Happy Days Challenge - Day 1 and 2

"But I have been too deeply hurt, Sam. I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them..." ~ J.R.R Tolkien

Happy Friday readers,

There is this challenge going around, and its called 100 Happy days challenge.

Things have been great for me this year so far. So I am starting this!! Lets make it to 100 happy days shall we?

My posts so far:-

Day 1 - The heart and the armor. Airiel dah pandai suap mama makan and minum these days. Cair jiwa hahaha




Day 2 - I got my best friend back!!

And for the readers yg request nak tahu whether I am on IG, WeChat or Dayre, my ID is idzerqqy for all kay? Come find me and lets join in the campaign.

Happy, happy days ahead InsyaAllah.

Its gonna be a packed weekend so lets brace ourselves and go!!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Where You Are...

"One day we will breathe together once again, and you will be smiling back at me....Only then will I be free...when I can be where you are..

Dark days for us all, for Malaysia.

Yesterday was Akif day as well.




Sigh, dark. Very dark. 

But Airiel was super cheery happy to see me when I came home and lifted my spirits immediately. He was waiting for me the ENTIRE day he said. Look at him!!!

Candle in the dark. This one. How does he make so happy? Tak paham hehe.

Akif, one day when I see you, when you smile back at me... that is the day that I know I will be truly free.

I will touch you one sweet day.

Sigh.

Okay readers. Foodie posts and online shopping posts to come. I promise!! Sorry about the lag. It just seems to insignificant considering the tragedy the nation is facing.

Sigh.

Huggs.

Peace and love to everyone.


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

No words...

"From child's hour I have not been. As others were, I have not seen. As others saw, I could not awaken my heart to joy at the same tone. And all I loved, I loved alone" ~ Edgar Allen Poe

I sat there listening to our PM say those words.

Those words. "...ended in the Indian Ocean".

"Ended"

"Ended"



There are no words...

No words...

My deepest condolences to the family and friends of those on board MH370. 

May they all be blessed.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Let's Move!

" 'A fight is going on inside me' said an old man to his son. 'Its a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil. He is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, pride, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good. He is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you.' 
The son thought about it for a minute and then asked 'Which wolf will win?'
The old man replied simply, 'The one you feed'..." ~Wendy Mass

Hi readers.

Such a crazy busy week at work and weekend as well. 


Awesome quote I found on IG.

A new week awaits. Crazy busy schedule ahead,

My foodie posts as requested will resume I promise. Maybe in the next update InsyaAllah.

Lots of travel plans ahead. Weekies with familia, trips with kindreds all over the place. 

Nanti iza update okay?

Now lets get this week started.

Peace out.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Ceritera Cinta Mama - Airiel turns 5

"There is no such thing as a 'broken family'. Family is family, and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers, and adoption documents. Families are made in the heart. The only time family becomes null is when those ties in the heart are cut. If you cut those ties, those people are not your family. If you make those ties, those people are your family. And if you hate those ties, those people will still be your family because whatever you hate will always be with you." ~ C. Joybell

My dearest Airiel, 

I hope you will one day read this. You turn 5 tomorrow. Tick tock tick tock. We packed your gift packs together tonight and you loved the stationary I chose for your friends. You reserved your favourites for your best buddy Tayrell. You were super excited about your ice cream cake that I bought for you to cut tomorrow in school.

I do not believe in extravagant parties Airiel, so this is the closest you are going to get to having one.

Your happiness and excitement is contagious. And I laughed away. But there is a yearning and a certain heaviness in my heart. I want to tell you what my heart wants to say.

I honestly can't remember how life was like before you came along into my life. But every moment since you were born is crystal clear. I remember everything. How you cried the loudest in the ward when you were born. How you would crumple your nose before you begin to cry. How you did not sleep for 3 months at one time and drove Nenda, Atuk, Opah and I absolutely bonkers. How I would dress you up in these hilarious rompers and take funny pictures. How at one time you would only want to sleep on my lap and would not fall asleep anywhere else, that time you were so small you could actually fit on my lap.

Your tiger style of crawling, your first steps, your first word, your funny way of sleeping, your smell.

Those images are like a slideshow playing in my head. My heart just grows bigger and bigger, trying to contain a flooding of emotion I cannot comprehend or understand. I feel so much love it overwhelms me sometimes. 

I want to tell you how grateful I am to have you as my constant companion throughout these years. Things have changed, circumstances altered, but if there is one thing constant, it is that I will always be beside you, as you are beside me...a quiet presence, radiating love that heals me from within. 

I want to tell you how sorry I am, because I could not give you what you deserved. I could not give you a family that was complete. I hope one day when you are older, you will understand the extreme circumstances that I had to face before I made the decision that changed our lives forever. That what happened was never your fault. 

I want you to know that you were born out of love, and you live as a symbol of love that will forever be etched in my heart. I want you to know that no matter what happens, you are loved my son, and will always be loved by your father and I. Nothing else matters.

I want you to know that even if I can't give you the world Airiel, I will give you mine. That even if I can't give you everything, I will give you everything that I have. 

Remember Airiel, in life there is always a choice. So choose...

Choose iman

Choose prayer

Choose faith

Choose hope

Choose courage

Choose heart

Choose soul

Choose forgiveness

Choose love

They say I am supposed to teach you things Airiel, but you have taught me more about life and love in these 5 years than I could ever think possible.

For that, I will always be grateful.

Remember what I told you Airiel. Always remember that you are braver than what you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think...

Happy Birthday, Airiel.

I love you. Remember that. No one can take it.

Forever yours,
Mama



Monday, March 17, 2014

Biarlah Sampai Syurga...

"It's not that I can't live without you; it's that I don't want to. There's a difference. We all make choices in life and I choose you...." ~ J. Sterling

Hi readers,

Packed wedding weekend it was.


Congrats to the bride and groom!! Farah Shu and Duff.

Biarlah sampai syurga hendaknya...

I have a crazy week ahead. So must get it started.

Much love from me and Airiel.

Peace and love to everyone!!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Of Hope...

"None of us really changes over time. We only become more fully what we are.." ~ Anne Rice

There has been no news on MH370. Sigh

I look at the pictures of the families, not knowing what happened to their beloved. It is not knowing, not being in control, being helpless, waiting. How it kills. I pray. Airiel says 'Amin'. He asks me 'Org dalam kapal terbang tu pergi syurga macam Akif ke Mama?' and I am besieged by a stabbing sensation in my heart so painful it brings me to my knees. Raw. I smile and say 'Kita doa ye Airiel sayang?'. I look away because I swore to myself never to shed a tear in front of my son ever again unless they are tears of happiness.

There must be hope. There should be closure.

And so I look at the little things.

His endless kisses and how they change my world and heals my heart, piece by piece... 


Angel Akif always in my heart, waiting for me in heaven, a frequent visitor in my dreams... 


Airiel pretending to be Ultraman and I am his Raksasa... 


Pillow fights and laughter... 


Running away in panic when Airiel finds a freaking big pillow to bash this Raksasa...

We are a nation in mourning...

Let us pray and hope...

Have a good weekend ahead readers. 

Peace and love to everyone...

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Groupon Deal - Beyond Beauty, Plaza Damas

"She promised us that everything will be okay. I was a child, but I knew that everything
will not be okay. That did not make my mother a liar. It made her my mother..."


Hey readers,

I need to do this update because I realised that without my blog, I would have completely forgotten about the spa packages I have bought everywhere. Like everywhere. Random kay. Tapi best.

Anyway, the other day I went to redeem a Groupon spa deal. This was yonks ago I think. In January.

It was a 2 hour spa with a:-

(a) Swedish Masssage;

(b) Hydro Therapy Bath (which I switched to a Sauna instead); and

(c) A body Scrub ( I chose the Strawberry Scrub),

I added on a Strawberry Mud treatment for RM21 I think.

The Groupon deal can be found here.

The massage was relaxing as opposed to painful. So I asked it to be a bit harder and it was quite good. I always love saunas so that was lovely.

The highlight of the spa was definitely the Strawberry Scrub and Mud. Made my skin super supple and soft afterwards.

My only one complaint was that the shower stall in my room was faulty. Other than that, the spa was pretty, clean, private. Get complimentary drinks before, during and after spa session.

I of course, with style..kenala beli package strawberry tu kan. Hadoii.

The website for Beyond Beauty can be found here.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Inspired

"I write to give myself strength, I write to be the characters that I am not. 
I write to explore all the things I am afraid of" ~ Joss Whedon 

Airiel's Atuk is a source of inspiration for me.

He is a champion for charity work, helping others who are less fortunate tirelessly, selflessly and without expecting anything in return. Yes, you share my sentiment, people like him cannot survive in politics. Because politics are never selfless, in fact it is the exact opposite. Anyway, that is not the object of my post. Let it be for another post.

He is someone I aspire to be, but deep down I know, someone that I can never become. I am not wired that way.

He says 'Focus on the pain of others, then you will think less of your own pain'. He is correct.

A recent episode hits too close to home. When I saw a soon to be single father fighting for his daughter.

A face so gaunt, he must not have had any good (or at all) sleep for the past couple of months. No focus at work, no appetite to eat. He was all but skin and bones. His features was set up in a permanent frown. He would stare into space, only laughing or smiling when his daughter amused him with her antics. It is apparent she is his only source of happiness, of peace, of strength.

I also saw... madness. But in that madness there was focus, in that madness there was determination, and the only thing he could think about and the only thing he could say to me or Atuk is 'I cannot lose my daughter, I cannot lose her..'. He told us he was prepared to run, sehelai sepinggang anywhere, everywhere as long his daughter was with him. Start over, where they can live without fear. Nothing else mattered, not his job, not what he owned, not what he wanted in life, his dreams, his money, his property. He doesn't care about that anymore. In that moment I knew that the madness would consume him if his daughter was for whatever reason, taken away from him.

I look at the evidence of what this girl's mother and her family did to the father and to her daughter and all I could think about was 'how is it possible?'. 'How could a mother not love her child?' because I cannot imagine not loving Airiel or angel Akif. Because the love I feel inside for them is all consuming for me.  My love for them is not something I can control. It is beyond my understanding, an instinct way beyond logic and comprehension. Because they are a part of who I am. Because our souls are one and the same. I truly realise that I can live without anything, without everything I have, without what I own. But without Airiel, I will cease to exist. Without Airiel, I will go mad. Without Airiel, I would never be able to survive. Without my weekly Tuesday visits to Akif, I would be consumed by grief. A grief I know I can never recover from. They are my heart and I am their armour.

You must understand that in my strength, I am as fragile as a mother could be. I am capable of anything. I will destroy anything or anyone that hurts Airiel. And that is a promise. I am capable of it. I know that now. He is a source of strength for me, and yet he is my weakness. Mess with my son, and there will be hell to pay.  And believe me when I say I will not stop until you have paid it in full. 

I also saw and finally understood for the first time how much a father can love his child. What he would not do for her. What he is willing to do. Someone who had nothing to lose. It was an excruciatingly beautiful sight to behold.

It was hard to describe what I felt and still feel. I was afraid. I was floored. I was in awe. I felt grief. I felt helpless. I was touched down to the depths of my soul, I was...inspired.

What is my grief compared to the suffering of others? 

Atuk truly knows the value of the words he utters.

Pray for this father readers. He needs it. 

Have a good week ahead.

Peace and love to everyone.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Pray for MH370

"Trust I seek and I find in you
 Everyday for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters..." ~ Metallica 


If you miss someone, tell them.

If you love someone, tell them.

If you are sorry, say it.

If you forgive someone, tell them you do.

Have courage.

Be strong.

Choose love.

Choose hope.

Choose faith.

You may never get another chance...

Friday, March 7, 2014

It's The Way You Make Me Feel...

"When you look into your mother's eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this Earth" ~ Mitch Alborn

It's been a crazy busy week.

I am so looking forward to the weekend.

Just put Airiel to sleep. Missing both my kids huhu. 

And no matter what, I carry you inside... 


Me + You 

Have a good weekend

Peace and love to everyone...

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

F.I.Q's Gastronomy, Petaling Jaya

"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 
'I will try again tomorrow'.. ~ Mary Ann Radmacher

Hello readers,

Crazy week so far kan?

Jerebu - Catu Air- Kerja.

Anyways, this is a foodie post. I have a new project with beloved Diyana. Foodie explorations maybe perhaps once a month when we're both free. You know how schedules are like right? So tight there is no time to breathe.

Last weekend, on our virgin trip. We went to F.I.Q's in PJ. It is situated in a quiet secluded corner of SS19.

 Clockwise (errr I think), both Spinach Risotto, the quirky signs, cute menu, seating, my Ice Latte, Airiel's Fish and Chips and Diyana's Fried Calamari.

Both Diyana and I ordered the Spinach Risotto which was lovely. The orange blobs there was pumpkin puree. We both loved the risotto. The most suprising part of the dish is the chicken, dripping with juices. An awesome meal.

Airiel loved the chips, and the Calamari was flavourful and not cheewy. Too much food though so we ended up packing it.

The total for all the dishes and drinks came about to RM91 which I think is quite reasonable.

Check out F.I.Q's website here.

F.I.Q's fb page is here.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

96:4 [Part 2]

"If we burn...you burn with us..." ~ Mockingjay


Hey readers,

I am anticipating a crazy monday so might as well do my first update for the week now. This is a heartwarming moment I had with Airiel last week.



I am so blessed...

I find that the bond I share with Airiel is indescribable. He is attuned to my emotions as much I am attuned to his. If he even gets quiet or slightly upset, I would sense it.

He wakes me up every morning with his relentless kisses. He runs to the door every day that I come home from work expecting a huge hug. He makes me laugh endlessly in amusement at his antics. His constant demands for selfies with mama hahaha.

Sometimes when he is deep in thought, he would just lie next to me in my room holding my hand and we don't say a single thing to each other. And we stay like that for a good hour, being calm and still. We just enjoy the presence of each other. Sometimes we would just look at each other and start laughing non-stop. Semua org tgk kitorg mcm pelik hahaha. But Airiel and I share a language no one else understands... it's the song of our hearts.

He knows shopping makes me happy so he indulges me in it. Looks at photos of stuff with me. These days he has become more opinionated and involved and he even picks out stuff for me, from shoes to bags to fabric to tudung... I won't buy it without the Airiel seal of approval.

It is amazing at how much love my heart can hold for this little man. How much his love has been a healing force in my life. It's as if he has singlehandedly picked up every broken piece of my heart, arranged it sesuka hati dia...and patched it up with some kind of magic glue. I find that my 'patched up by Airiel heart' looks pretty awesome. I quite like it.


My padawan...

When he smiles, I feel like a little child...

Have a good week ahead everyone! Bertabahlah dalam mencatu air.

Much love from me and Airiel.
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