Outstation On 1st Ramadhan

I have to go to Bangkok for a conference on 31 July, which happens to be my 7th wedding anniversary. I would've been thrilled if it was not during Ramadhan, or much earlier before I'm bound to go on study leave. Oh well, I'll probably enjoy myself when I'm there's. I'll be going with my colleague, Noorsham.

In the mean time, I'm kinda panicking because I have yet to receive my letter of offer om UPM. I hope it'll come soon!!

Summer Tales ~ Machester - Edinburgh

19/07/2010

We checked out from Travelodge at about 9.30 a.m. The only reason we stopped by Manchester is because of Old Trafford. Rafiq is a huge fan of Manchester United. The rest is history.

As we approached the stadium, we saw many restaurants and shops bearing the name of Manchester United players. I really can’t imagine Rafiq’s excitement as we went for the stadium and museum tour. There were about 30 of us in the tour group. We experienced the story of MU in all its glory and get to visit the trophy room, a memorial for the players who died in the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, the players changing room, walked through the players’ tunnel and of course the football field. Rafiq took loads of pictures and when our tour guide asked MU related questions, I wasn’t surprised when Rafiq could answer all of them correctly. Die-hard fan I tell you!! I think you can tell from the pictures how over the moon he was :o)

All smiles from the start...

In memory of the players who lost their lives in the Munich Air Disaster on 6 February 1958

The Players Changing Room

I'm not really a fan but I'm just a good poser :o)

Peek-a-boo!

Owh..tour guide! Lu nak marah lantak lar!! Janji wa dah pijak rumput padang nih! P.R.I.C.E.L.E.S.S!!

Tak habis sengih :o)

GGMU!!!

I was in there!

Sir Matt Busby ~ Scottish football player, MU legend

The happiest man in the world!!

Indeed it was a dream come true for Rafiq. I think we spent a good 3 hours there, including at the souvenir shop. We left Old Trafford at about 1.00 p.m. As it was already lunch hour, we stopped by Rusholme for some take-away briyani lunch. Then, our four hour journey to Edinburgh began. It was raining along the way. We stopped by at one of the rest areas to eat our lunch and it was funny when suddenly the rest area smells of curry. We continued our journey and we enjoyed driving along a scenic route to Scotland. The scenery and landscape was simply magnificent..Subhanallah!! Before we arrived in Edinburgh, we passed by a small village of Broughton and we decided to stop by for tea. In that rainy cold weather, sipping hot tea and having berry crumble and apple pie was heavenly!!

We continued our journey and arrived in Edinburgh at about 7.15 p.m. We were amazed at how old buildings were the main feature of such a big city. The sight of a castle in the city was so majestic as we made our way to Hard Rock Café. After snapping some photographs, we headed straight to Travelodge Edinburgh Central. Since it was already 8.30 p.m., we just rested and called it a day at about 11 p.m.

~To be continued~

Welcome to Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle on top of Castlehill

I'm a sucker for such facade!!

Statue of King George IV on King George's Street

Doesn't this remind you of The Eye of Sauron/Mordor

Room with a view

Goodnight Edinburgh

Welcome to Sean Connery's crib...NOT!!!

Jakun with sheeps

Laurel's Cafe, Broughton

Apple pie with ice-cream

Hot tea + Berry Crumble = BLISS!

Gung Ho-ness Explained

I think one of the reasons why I am still so gung-ho about my summer holidays last year is the fact that I haven’t finished writing about it. In conjunction with the first anniversary of our trip, I’ll be blogging about my untold stories, as it happens 365 days ago!

365 Days Ago (Part 5)

365 days ago...


We visited Oxford University, got to see ‘Hogwarts’ and was summoned for illegal parking.

We saw Englishmen play cricket at their cricket club.

We saw cows, horses and sheeps as we drove a long the highway.

We played along the stream with ducks and visited the Cotswold cottages at Bourton-on-the-Water.

We arrived in Manchester.

365 days later, at 6.30 p.m. I'm still at the office and will probably be here till at least 9 p.m.

365 Days Ago (Part 4)

365 days ago...

Rafiq and Amran went to Barking to pick our rented car.

We shopped till we dropped at Bicester Village.

We had spaghetti dinner at Sujack's and met his wife and kids for the first time.

365 Days Ago (Part 3)

365 days ago..

We went to King's Cross Station looking for Platform 9 3/4.

We went round and round Tottenham Court Road looking for Argos.

We went to Harrod's, took a stroll around Hyde Park and let Faiq play endlessly at the Princess of Wales' Memorial Park.

We had dinner at Khan's Restaurant in Bayswater and received stares from commuters as we boarded the last tube at 11.30 p.m with our children fast asleep in their strollers.

All Is Well

My appointment for medical check-up at Klinik Kesihatan Putrajaya was today. Everyone told me that it'll take half a day to do the blood/urine test, X-ray and eyesight test. I was hoping that it'll end early so I could watch the first Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 show at Alamanda.

Suffice to say, I made it in time. I have been reading Jan, Liza and Zalia's tweet about it and I honestly was bracing myself to watch this final epic. The end of a journey. It ends here. After 10 years, there'll be no more Harry Potter movies.

Of course I read the book and I know how it ends. But it's hard to explain the emotional attachment I have towards it as a fan. I cried buckets at all the expected scenes. And when the movie ended, I cried because I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend. A friend you've had for 10 years. A friend you'll never see again. It was the same feeling I had when I read the last line of the book. If I'm feeling all this, imagine what the casts must have felt. I think I will cry again when I see the "Behind The Scene" shows.

I'm really happy with the movie. I'm glad it ended how it did. KUDOS to David Yates, J.K. Rowling and the others for being such talented directors of the Harry Potter installments, evoking such emotions within me and other viewers.

And thank you Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley (I want to mention everyone but I don't think that is possible), for the 10 wonderful, beautiful, fun and magical years which we looked forward to with much anticipation. I don't think I'll ever feel this way about another book/movie ever again.

It all ends here. All is well.

365 Days Ago (Part 2)

365 days ago...


My jet-lag strickened children woke up at 2.30 a.m. UK time demanding for food.

My children had their first bath in UK at 6.00 a.m. because they couldn't go to sleep.

Aira fell in love with Chuggington.

We bought our Garmin at Surrey Quay.

We (except Rafiq) went on our first trip on the tube via Jubilee Line from Canada Water station.

We spent the whole day in Oxford Street and shopped at Mothercare, Primark, Marks and Spencer, Hamleys' and started living on M&S Brioche Rolls.

365 days ago (Part 1)

365 days ago, we were having breakfast at KFC KLIA.

We were going to board the 10.00 a.m. flight to London.

365 days later, I still can't get over that fantastic summer.

I wish I could turn back time.

Or at least be on leave to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Instead of being stuck in a meeting! :op

*wishful thinking*