Syawal Stories - Part I

I realised that I have not posted any Syawal stories. First, there was no mood and time to do so, and the hubby's computer was stolen and most of the photos were in it! I am kinda upset as my external hard drive rosak and I couldn't transfer the files anywhere. Thank God, I've posted most of the photos on FB so at least there's something there!

Waiting for Mama to get ready

Syawal morning was spent at Khan's Mahal. We left AD at about 7.30 a.m. so that we need not rush to go for Eid prayers which starts at 8.30 a.m. They left the house at about 8.20 a.m. whilst those who stayed set up the table. My nephews, Imran and Adam, is big enough to follow the adults to the mosque, so the house was left with 9 Little Khans. The 3 stooges (Asif, Mu'az & Faiq) teamed up with Akif and played like there's no tomorrow. Sabrina took care of the younger Khan Girls (Akisha & Aira) and the two baby Khans (Naufal & Irsyad).

The Khan Boys

L-R: Asif, Mu'az, Naufal, Irsyad, Faiq & Akif

The Khan Girls

L-R: Nur Sabrina, Syamima Aira & Akisha

Brothers Imran Danial & Irfan Adam,

who just came back from the mosque

When they returned from the mosque, we will all gather at the living room, bersalam-salaman and listen to Papa's khutbah Hari Raya. Mak Long was also there, her second raya at Khan's Mahal. Papa talked about his observations of the family from last Syawal, his hopes for the family and then he would nominate one of his children to speak. This year, it was hubby's turn. He, as usual will speak his ayat-ayat politik and then it was makan time!

The usual menu for Syawal is nasi dagang, kuah ikan tongkol & ayam, ketupat with sambal ikan, kuah kacang, rendang (including rendang ayam pencen, as requested by hubby), teh tarik and teh o.

After breakfast, Mama will ask all the menantus to pack the nasi dagang for our parents. In between, there be hundreds of Syawal moments captured. But these are my favourites =)

My family Potrait

Goofing around with Jan & Kak Tine

We left for our parents house at about 11.30 a.m. Lala and his family left for Bota, Lachik and his family left for Kepong, Cheychey and his family off to Setapak and Rafiq left for D.U. Papa, Mama, Mak Long, Jan and Dik decided to visit Papa's relatives in Melaka.

We arrived at D.U at about 12 noon. We arrived at the same time with my grandmother and 2 uncles. My younger brother arrived at about 1 p.m. My elder brother beraya at Melaka, his wife's side. The menu at my parents house will be ketupat with rendang ayam and daging, kuah kacang, lemang, kari ayam and bread. We ate and performed Zuhur prayers as we will be busy once the guests arrived. At about 3 p.m., guests started visiting. My sisters, aunty Leela and my maid were busy refilling food, kuih raya, cakes, fruits, making drinks and washing dishes. Most of the visitors are my mom's cousin, who came to visit my grandmother. My parents 2 besans i.e my in-laws and my brother's in-laws and the next door neighbour also came. Up till 9 p.m., there were about 10 families who visited us on 1st Syawal.

My sisters with their nieces, Ilham Muneerah & Syamima Aira

Ina, Ilham & G

Some of the visitors

Will continue with more Syawal stories in my next entry.

Something To Look Forward To

I've had a pretty stressed week and I'm foreseeing more stressful weeks ahead.


But I will not think of that now.


The events that I am looking forward is tomorrow. First is Hasfaradi's wedding and the other is Sofea's aqiqah. Hasfaradi and Sheikh (Sofea's dad) were my classmates back in UiTM.


Hope to see loads of ex-classmates tomorrow.


WHEEEEEEE!

Untitled

I currently hate what I'm feeling right now.

Really hate it!

Lost in The Musicator

I love listening to Red.fm especially to JD and Dilly on the way to work. Being a [late] 70s baby, my favourite segment has to be Lost in the 80s, where the deejays will play your 80s song requests. They supposedly travel in a time travelling machine, which was dubbed The Musicator, call the person who made the request or read their emails and ask the caller why they chose the song.

Today, one of the listeners requested for Kylie's Hand on Your Heart. His reason: it reminds him of his innocent days. Yup, he said it right. It's such an upbeat song. I was 10 or 11 years old when I became a fan of Kilie Minogue. Who wouldn't fall in love with I Should Be So Lucky and be addicted doing the Locomotion, right? Nowadays, when I hear a Kylie song from her earlier album, I would be reminded of my good friend, Michele Choo Yen Yen who is responsible for making me buy my first Kylie album :o)

Some info I found about Hand On Your Heart from Wikipedia:

"Hand on Your Heart" is a pop–dance song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman. It was produced by Stock, Aitken & Waterman, and received a mixed reception from music critics when it was released as the first single from Minogue’s second album, Enjoy Yourself, in the second quarter of 1989.
The single peaked at number four in Australia and became Minogue's third number one in the United Kingdom. In Australia, the single was available as limited editions 7" and 12" posterbags featuring different artwork to the UK release. In 2006, Swedish singer-songwriter José González released an acoustic cover version of "Hand on Your Heart" as a single. His version peaked at number twenty-nine in the UK.

"Hand on Your Heart" featured a colourful music video that was directed by Chris Langman and filmed in Minogue's hometown Melbourne,Australia in March 1989. The video features Minogue dancing in a modernistic house. Dressed in vibrant colours of red, blue and yellow, Minogue travels from room to room, dancing playfully for the camera. A live version of the video was also released and featured Minogue performing a special "live remix" in Japan, both versions featured in Kylie's Greatest Hits 87-97 DVD.

An alternate version of the "Hand on your heart" video was broadcast on UK TV pre-release yet has never been screened again. On this version Kylie's shoes spin on camera and introduce all three of her new outfits of matching colours. Only one "shoe spin" remains on the final version, featured on her Ultimate DVD.

Seen as a cheap video, and Kylie herself has made it clear she felt uncomfortable during the filming, it is however a fan-favourite camp-Kylie moment. Released to music video channels prior to the single's commercial release, the video was a hit, gaining significant airplay on music video channels. The video was released commercially on the Ultimate Kylie companion DVD, released in December 2004.

On April 24, 1989, "Hand on Your Heart" was released in the United Kingdom. The song became Minogue's second song to debut at number two on the singles chart, before it peaked at number one the following week. On its third week it was replaced on the top of the chart by the UK Hillsborough disaster charity single "Ferry Cross the Mersey" by The Christians, Holly Johnson, Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden and Stock, Aitken and Waterman. "Hand on Your Heart" also topped the UK Dance and Indie charts.

The song was one of the first singles to sell well on cassette, selling 2,000 copies in the first week of release. This would have been enough to have Minogue enter in at number one, something no female had ever done at the time, but the cassette single was not an eligible format for the chart at the time, meaning The Bangles stayed at number one with "Eternal Flame". Because of this the rules were quickly changed so that cassette singles were allowed.

Outside of the UK, the song was also successful. It reached number four in Australia and became Minogue's fifth top five single on the singles chart. In reached the top ten in Finland, France, Japan, and South Africa and the top twenty in Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Sweden.

HAND ON YOUR HEART - KYLIE MINOGUE

Put your hand on your heart and tell me

That we're through, oohOh,
Put your hand on your heart, hand on your heart



Well it's one thing to fall in love
But another to make it last
I thought that we were just begining
And now you say we're in the past
Oh, look me in the eye and tell me we are really through
You know it's one thing to say you love me
But another to mean it from the heart
And if you don't intend to see it through
Why did we ever start
Oh, I wanna hear you tell me you don't want my love


Put your hand on your heart and tell me, It's all over,
I won't believe it till you put your hand on your heart and tell me
That we're through, oohOh
Put your hand on your heart, Hand on your heart


They like to talk about forever
But most people never get the chance
Do you wanna lose our love together
Do you find a new romance
Oh, I wanna hear you tell me you don't want my love


Put your hand on your heart and tell me, It's all over,
I won't believe it till you put your hand on your heart and tell me
That we're through, oohOh
Put your hand on your heart, Hand on your heart

Oh, put your hand on your heart, Hand on your heart
(Hand on your heart) Hand on your heart
(Hand on your heart)Hand on your heart
Oh, look me in the eye and tell me we are really through


Put your hand on your heart and tell me, It's all over,
I won't believe it till you put your hand on your heart and tell me
That we're through, oohOh
Put your hand on your heart, Hand on your heart

ATP Malaysian Open

Rafiq is an ardent tennis fan. He plays the game and loves the game. I know tennis. I follow the tournaments if Rafiq watches them on tv. But I cannot answer a question on the players ranking unless you are talking about Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

Recently, we got tickets to watch the ATP Malaysian Open at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil. This is my first time watching a live tennis match.

Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil

We get to watch the qualifying match, quarter finals and finals. I think when you watch a game live, you will end up not concentrating on the game but concentrating on people instead. I don't really mind as I just wanted a feel of the atmosphere. Rafiq found it distracting coz instead of watching it, he was looking for his tennis gang.

The first game was between Fernando Gonzalez and Bopana. It was a good game, in the sense that although Bopana is not a well known player, he managed to force Gonzalez to a third set. The winner was Fernando Gonzalez.

Almost empty stadium

1st game: Gonzalez vs. Bopana

The second game was between Fernando Verdasco and a Slovakian player. I honestly cannot recall his name! I think the Slovakian player gave a fight but unfortunately he had a shoulder injury. Thus, Verdasco had an easy win.

Verdasco (with cap) and a Slovakian player

After the game was over, the players autographed a few balls and hit them towards the crowd. The crowd went wild.

ME! ME!

The quarter final match was between Fernando Verdasco and Richard Gasquet. Rafiq invited his colleague to join us. We were quite excited, probably too excited. Rafiq and James accidentally left their laptops in the car.

Enjoying the game. Little did they know...

PM & wife in the VVIP box

Verdasco (in orange) vs. Gasquet

Both players played well but alas, Verdasco won the third set. We left the stadium and headed to send James at PNB Darby Park. When Rafiq opened the bonet to get James luggage, none of their bags were there!!!

CRAP!!!! THE LAPTOPS WERE STOLEN!! 3 FREAKING LAPTOPS! NEVER LEAVE YOUR LAPTOPS IN THE CAR!! WHAT WERE WE THINKING???!!!

I know I've read about it over and over again but I guess we were too excited to watch the game. It was no excuse. We were careless!! And we only realized it at PNB Darby Park because there was no signs of a break-in. And I know for a fact Rafiq locked the car. Poor James, he only arrived in Malaysia a few days back and he had to experience this! Rafiq apologized profusely to James. He was the one who invited James to the match. James said there's nothing that could be done. He was really calm about it, which I truly admired. It was a good knock/smack on the head for us to be EXTRA CAREFUL next time. The only silver lining to it was the car was not stolen.

We actually got tickets to watch the semifinal match between the two Fernandos but Rafiq was too traumatised and depressed so we gave it to Dik's friend.

The following day, we somehow got the tickets to watch the finals. My sister, Dhirah managed to get one too so we went again. The final match was in the evening. It started at 2.30 p.m. with the doubles finals. I admit that I don't know the players at all!

Khusyuk abessss! ZZZzzzzzZZZZ...

End of match. The dudes in yellow won ;op

The final men's single match was between Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Verdasco. Most people were cheering for Verdasco. I didn't have any preference. May the best player wins!

I WAS THERE!!

Fernando Verdasco

Nikolay Davydenko

The stadium was definitely filled during the finals, albeit not full. But you can actually see people so there's hope for Malaysian spectators after all.

The Grand Prize + cash

At first, it seemed that Verdasco was controlling the match. He manage to take the lead and the game was to his advantage. But Davydenko was more composed and calm. It was tennis at its best. Someone had to win and someone had to lose. It was Davydenko's victory!

Winning point

Better luck next time, Verdasco!

Prize-giving ceremony

I had a great time at those 3 matches, save for THE unfortunate event. Don't mind watching another round of live tennis :o)

All Time Favourite

Heard this song on the way to work. This remains my all-time favourite :o)


I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU - STEVIE WONDER

No new years' day to celebrate
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring, no song to sing
In fact it's just another ordinary day


No april rain, no flowers bloom
No wedding saturday within the month of June
But what it is, is something true
Made up of these three words that I must say to you


I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart


No summers high, no warm July
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
No autumn breeze, no falling leaves
Not even time for birds to fly to southern skies


No Libra sun, no Halloween
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
But what it is, though old so new
To fill your heart like no three words could ever do


I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart


I just called to say I love you
I just called to say how much I care
I just called to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
Of my heart, of my heart


*Yes, cheezy is my middle name...hihi

Dusty

It's been a while since I last updated my blog. Several factors: busy as a bee, no mood to update, laptop hilang.


Still..no mood. Tunggu arr malam sket!!

Ohh..and congratulations to Belle and Collin for the birth of their baby girl, Natalie Loke Yenyin.