The Arrival

In relative terms, I would describe my flight hours to be about 5 meals, 4 good movies and a long nap (in real terms: about 24 hours flight time with a 4 hour layover in Paris), we have arrived in New York! It was June 29, 2013.

       

Arrival in John F. Kennedy International airport - muka penat;p tapi we were revived with the very warm welcome by Salinda & Nurul. It was warm and slightly breezy. Good day as any to arrive in New York. 

After a quick stop at Forest Hills for a peek at my future home, we were brought for lunch at a new Malaysian restaurant in Queens called Mamak House. The restaurant is owned by Nani who hails from Penang and serves authentic Malaysian food Penang style - char koay tiau, Mamak noodle, kari kepala ikan and other delicious fares. No time to miss Malaysian food:) Sorry, no pics here as we were hungry especially after the paltry vegetarian meal served in Air France.  seen here with Said & Nurul, Salinda, Kat and yours truly

Since we arrived over the weekend, Salinda was kind enough to bring me around town and had all the necessities set up eg mobile phone (coz stupid ass MAXIS didn't roam even though I had called them before I left to set up roaming) and did furniture shopping to fill the house. She had left behind the basic necessities such as a queen bed, iron, rice cooker, pots, pans, cutleries, etc so I was ok for a couple of weeks sans furniture and tv. we had wifi so that was a consolation. 

Monday came.

I was still jet lagged but determined to learn as much as I can before Salinda hands over officially . As a preparation for the posting, HQ made us attend a two weeks crash course to learn the necessities of managing an office eg accounts, admin matters, marketing. But being there in the actual office with all the tasks in front of me, it became very real that I had all this responsibilities to fulfill. There were so much to learn in the three days before Salinda leave. So it was information overload for me, coupled with my befuddled, jet lagged mind, I wasn't sure if I had all the information down pat. I guess I'll just have to learn on the job.

Handing over job scope by my predecessor, Salinda and looked over by my boss, Mr Johanif.

I must admit that the first 2 months was hard for me, just adjusting to the new job, with one staff short (on wedding leave) for the first month. But the good camaraderie in the office helped me to quickly adjust to the city, weather, work, people. Missed family and friends back home, missed the food, favourite hangouts. But NYC is home for the next three years, so will make the most out of it by exploring as much as I can on NY. 

Note: Right now preparing a bucket list to explore as much as I can - USA and beyond.  

Things that happened for the past year

I have been absent from my blog for a year. A YEAR!

There was a time when I couldn't let a day go by without at least checking in on my blog. I was totally obsessed with trying to post something online.

So many things happened within the year. I was contemplating a change of pace as I was feeling stuck. Work was beginning to get to me and I feel like I wasn't performing. Then the New Year came. 2013! I figured that I had to do something with my life, trying something new.

Mid April I got the letter that would change my life. I was up for posting in New York during the summer. NEW YORK?!! I have not dared to dream of overseas posting, plus with a seemingly highly coveted destination like New York. I was in disbelief.

YES?NO?MAYBE?

From then on, my life was in a whirlwind. I only had about two months to pack all my stuff, vacate my home to rent it out, hand over my current job, preparing for the new job. Not to mention moving thousands of miles away from family, friends and familiarity. I was excited but sad at the same time. Scared at the unknown. So many questions in my mind. Its America. would they be tolerant of Muslims after 9/11? Can I do the job well? I have been out of HQ and so many things have changed for me.

Eventhough I have traveled overseas before but moving to stay overseas feels totally different. Both Hubby and I were like scared children about to leave the nest. We had to depend on each other as we were all that we have over there.  

With limited time on my hands, I had to make the most out of it. Meet my friends, settle some personal affairs, trying to learn as much as I can about New York which will be my home for the next three years. My predecessor, Salinda had been very supportive and informative. So much information given out on the conditions of New York - the office, workload, staff, home, what to do, where to go. We shared so many whatsapp chats over the nights and day, but it seems like I can never get enough information to prepare myself once I get there.

I longed to visit Rompin and Yan again, meet with aunties, uncles and cousins, but alas, time did not permit.

Colleagues at MyCEB was lovely. They were all excited for me and threw a lovely farewell, one of the best parties that I ever had the privilege to be part of. Everything was beautiful but poignant at the same time. My parents also did a small kenduri selamat to pray for our well being.

Love the Cake!!

Then the time came for me to say goodbye. Both Hubby's and my family and some friends came to say goodbye at the airport. This was it. I was finally happening. Its bittersweet but I am glad of all the love that was showed by family and friends. In body as well as in cyberspace (yes, that was you, Siti and Lisa).

With Yanti, one of the first few friends I made since UIA days, united by our passion for Taekwondo

With Azura, who has helped me maneuver thru working life and kept me grounded both in TM and MyCEB. Also my makan2 and geli2 partner. Fridays won't be the same without you

The very delicious red velvet with frosting cupcake made by Kak Azah. Who though not in body, was with with us in spirit and cupcake:)

With all them ladies Hola! Many thanks to Cik who has helped me physically with the final moments of packing up

With my family and Shiefa & Najmi

Time to say goodbyes and bleary eyes. See you in New York!

TGIF!

Assalamualaikum wbt

Just wanna wish everyone a Happy Deepavali & Salam Maal Hijrah.

With the two festivities, we have public holidays. Who doesn't love a public holiday especially in the middle of the week and two days at that on the same week!

But to be honest,this has been a confusing week for me. As you know, we celebrated Deepavali on Tuesday and Awal Muharam on Thursday of this week. Its nice to take a break in the middle of the week but for me the working days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday felt very odd because I start working everyday like its Monday but end everyday like its a Friday.

Allow me to explain. Usually after a weekend off, you feel dread that Monday is looming. So when 7pm comes on a Sunday, you start to feel that the rest day is so precious as it is about to end. But Monday still comes the next morning. With it some Monday blues, but you quickly adapt with the routine of the work. And so it goes for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. But Bam! Friday comes and you know its the last day of the week and after that it is your rest day again. So you go about the day knowing that Saturday is coming and you will have that rest time that you so crave. So the circle of life goes on and on.

But with this week, I have Monday AND Friday on the same day for three days. I started work with some Monday blues but after lunch I feel light hearted because the next day is a rest day. So this happened to me on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is surreal and I feel conflicted. Maybe I am too jaded and set in certain ways, especially what I am feeling on different days.

But I am glad that today is Friday, for real! This week is finally over and next week we can start with our usual days again :)

TGIF!

Lawak Hari Ini

What's wrong with this picture??

Kasut jenama sama, cutting yang sama, ketinggian yang sama, bila pakai takda rasa canggung pun.....tapi jeng jeng jeng.........designnya berlainan! Ya, saya dah buat satu lawak bodo hari ni.

Yang bestnya, dengan kasut ni saya dah pergi site inspection ke Chin Swee Temple di Genting dari pagi sampai tengahari, baru tersedar rupa-rupanya kasut dah salah pasangan. Bila tanya rakan-rakan saya yang sama-sama pergi site inspection tersebut, mereka pun tak perasan saya dah salah pakai kasut dan kalau ada orang lain yang terperasan pun mungkin ingat ini fashion statement!

So, moral of the story is:

1. Tengok betul-betul bila nak sarungkan kasut, mana tau pakai kasut lain warna ke, tersarung kasut orang ke....
2. Tapi kalau dah tersalah pakai kasut, buat bo je - ye lah, bold fashion statement kan!
3. Redha jer lah dengan kejadian ni.
4. Simpan stok kasut kat ofis - atau foldable shoes dalam handbag.

p/s: Nasib baik kat ofis ada banyak stok kasut....

Salam Ramadhan 2012

Selamat menunaikan ibadah puasa Ramadhan 2012

Sabtu 21 Julai 2012 (1 Ramadhan 1433 Hijrah)

Semoga amalan kita diberkati Allah. Amin 

Ceri & Belang & Kucing Gemuk

Kucing.....kucing......kucing.....tak ada cerita apa2, just nak share gambar masa time makan kucing ni.....

Tunggu masa nak makan, kalau bukan masa makan tak nampak batang hidung!

Dah puas mengiau, Ceri rileks kejap

Ni sebab Ceri diberi nama Ceri - byk spots kat badannya

Kucing gemuk ni pun tunggu makan

Belang berehat depan rumah lepas dh kenyang

Tunggu Belang makan dulu

Ceri & Kucing gemuk (yang sebenarnya agak manja sebab nak makanan kot)

Too nice to handle

I was informed that I am too "nice" - coming from a colleague who have been working together with me for the past 10 years, and thus probably thinks that he/she have an authority to inform me on this matter. This colleague mentioned that 10 years ago I was too naive and thinks everybody is "good". Obviously judging from my colleague's tone, that it was an error in my character because whenever the colleague and some other colleagues tried to bitch about somebody that I know, I would say that people is basically good. I was probably mentioning something positive or an unknown fact about the person that they seem to have beef with. So this makes it hard for them to bitch or gossip about other people to me as I was perceived as too nice to participate in this bitching ritual.

What is wrong with this picture? Is being nice/good considered a flaw in a person these days? Or is it because I don't participate in their vicious gossips and probably a deterrent in rumour mongering among themselves? I don't know.

They were glad that I have grown up and became more skeptical about people. Maybe I have grown up and have a different perspective about how the world works now but in my heart of heart, I still think people is good. Unless they have proven otherwise to me. Maybe thinking that everyone is good is a dangerous notion in this day and age because we don't know if that person might be a psycho or harbouring something dark in their heart. What this colleague perceived as me being more skeptical most probably came from my knowledge of things happening around the office, and thus made me privy to information most people don't know of.

They probably think if they bitch about a particular person that I know, maybe somehow I would pass on the message. I think that is their business and would not meddle with gossipers who probably have nothing better to do than pick a beef with somebody just because they are weird or do not confirm to their social standards. Hello, not everyone is born a gossiper. I don't need to know what's happening with so and so, if it doesn't concern or have an effect on me. Probably I am better off without the gossips so I don't have a share for it later in akhirat. Wallahu a'lam.

FYI, I am still nice. Deal with it.

Mee Goreng Basah ala BP

Mee goreng basah

Hari cuti ni saya cuba goreng mee resipi Kak Anim (kak ipar) yang saya dapat masa balik dari Batu Pahat hujung minggu lepas dan lepas tu tokok tambah secukup rasa.

Boleh kata menjadi jugak sebab saya tak pernah buat mee goreng dan rasanya boleh tahan, agak pedas dan berperisa sebab ada udang.

Ramuan:
500gm mee kuning - basuh & toskan
5 ulas bawang kecil merah
3 ulas bawang putih
8-10 ekor udang kering
1 sudu besar makan cili boh
1 sudu besar makan cili sos
1 sudu besar makan tomato sos
1 sudu besar kicap atau sos tiram
10 ekor udang basah saiz sederhana - dibuang kulit dan dibersihkan.
Kulit & kepala udang direbus untuk dapatkan airnya
Fishball & fishcake secukup rasa - atau boleh digantikan dengan ayam/daging
Sayur sawi secukupnya - atau taugeh
Air secukupnya

Cara memasak:
1. Tumbuk atau blend bawang merah + bawang putih + udang kering dan tumiskan
2. Masukkan cili boh dan tumis sampai naik minyak
3. Tambah sos cili, sos tomato, kicap/sos tiram dan air rebusan udang
4. Masukkan udang/ayam/daging/fishball/fishcake
5. Masukkan sawi + mee kuning dan gaul sehingga mesra
6. Hidangkan dan siap untuk dimakan! Untuk 4-5 orang makan

Komen:
1. Memandangkan first time buat mee goreng, saya tak pandai agak ramuanya jadi mee goreng ni masin sedikit sebab saya letak garam tambahan. Sebenarnya tak perlu sebab dah ada udang kering + sos cili, sos tomato, kicap/sos tiram.
2. Masak pakai sukatan lebih senang terutamaya kalau resipi sendiri, jadi boleh masak balik dengan rasa yang sama setiap kali.
3. Walaupun pakai sukatan yang sama tapi rasa mungkin berubah sikit sebab jenama sos, saiz udang, kepedasan cili boh mungkin berbeza dari resipi asal.
4. Okay saya cheat sikit masak mee goreng ni sebab ada letak "Cukup Rasa". Rasanya tak payah letak kalau udang kering saya buat resipi asal tadi cukup (5 ekor). 
5. Kalau nak mee goreng lebih basah, tambah saja air secukupnya.

Abu Dhabi : Desert Safari

On our last day in  Abu Dhabi, we finished the tradeshow at 1pm and our flight back to KL will be later on  the same night (well technically it will be tomorrow morning at 2.40pm (via Etihad Airways)). Since we have more than 12 hours to kill before our flight, we decided to go on the desert safari which will start from 3pm and finish around 9pm. We calculated that we will be back to the hotel latest by 10pm, have at least 1 hour to refresh ourselves before heading out to the airport by 11.30pm that night.

The safari cost us about 200 dirham each (about RM168). Pick up was at hotel by the tour company in a 4WD. There were 3 of us in the car and we shared with a family of 3 (minimum 6 pax) - John, his daughter and granddaughter. We rode out from Abu Dhabi to Al -Ain which took about 1 hour. John used to work in the UAE many year ago and he shared with us that Al-Ain was the old capital of Abu Dhabi and used to be Summer administration and come winter, the administration moved to Abu Dhabi. Finally, it was decided that the administration moved to Abu Dhabi.

Along the highway to Al-Ain, we saw many trees on the right and left side f the road. John told us that Syeikh Zayed the ruler had planted those trees. Each tree has its own water outlet which hydrates the tree. A massive undertaking to keep Abu Dhabi green.

Then we reached our first stop at a camel farm. There were a bunch of camels feeding on dried grass. we were told that they were females and males were kept in a nearby cage as they are quite volatile and likes to bite and spit on people.

Females are docile enough and I was able to pet its body. She doesn't mind it though. The fur wass rough like carpet.

The reason for the stop at the camel farm was to cool down the 4WD engines

Look at the smooth desert with its fine grain sand. There are some plants but it will soon wither and die.

We reached base camp after more than half an hour of dune basing

Entrance to the base camp (view taken from the inside)

Yours truly at table for all the travellers

Behind our table was the  stage for the entertainment

With Emily, John's grandaughter

Belly dancer

Henna tattoo on my arm. Stayed there for two weeks!

Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Zayed Mosque

The majestic Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was initiated by the late president HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was regarded as the father of the UAE. The construction used artisans and natural materials such as marble, stone, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics from countries such as Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, Turkey, Iran, China, Greece and the UAE. The 22,412 square metre Mosque site is equivalent to around the size of five football fields, and can accommodate 40,960 worshipper. More info on Visit Abu Dhabi and Wikipedia. Walk-in tours are available every day and its complimentary. Guest are reminded to be properly dressed as a sign of respect. However, abayas and head cover are readily available for loan. The Mosque guards will guide you on what ti wear and where to walk onsite.

 

Tip: If you take a taxi to the mosque, please ask the taxi driver to wait as it is difficult to find a taxi for the return trip.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque features 82 domes of Moroccan design and all decorated with white marble.

Italian white marble and inlaid floral designs adorn the prayer halls- this is on the wall

On the floor - Italian white marble with inlaid floral designs

The main prayer hall features the world’s largest chandelier under the main dome – being 10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height and weighing over nine tonnes. The Mosque’s seven gold-coloured chandeliers, from Germany, feature thousands of Swarovski crystals from Austria and some glasswork from Italy, and cost about US$8.2 million (AED 30 million).

The 99 names (qualities) of Allah featured on the Qibla wall exemplify traditional Kufi calligraphy, designed by the prominent UAE calligrapher - Mohammed Mandi. 

The Qibla wall also features subtle fibre-optic lighting, which is integrated as part of the organic design.

The 96 columns in the main prayer hall are round in shape and inlaid with mother of pearl.

I am standing on the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet. Designed by Iranian artist, Ali Khaliqi, the carpet was hand-crafted by 1,200 artisans in small villages near Mashhadin in Iran, a region renowned for its carpet making expertise. The artisans were flown to Abu Dhabi to stitch the carpet pieces together for the final fitting. Consisting of 2,268,000 knots, the Mosque’s carpet is estimated to be valued at US$8.2 million (AED 30 million).

The Mosque has approximately 1,000 columns in its outer areas which are clad with more than 20,000 marble panels inlaid with semi-precious stones, including lapis lazuli, red agate, amethyst, abalone shell and mother of pearl. 

Inside of one of the minaret

Water cooler

Side view of the mosque and this is where the visitors exit

View from the highway: 4 beautiful minarets standing at almost 107 metres each at the four corners of the mosque.

Abu Dhabi

View from hotel. Building of a new shopping mall

I was in Abu Dhabi last month for a business trip. This was my second time to Abu Dhabi, the first was way back in 2005. I saw very little of Abu Dhabi back then because we were only on a day trip from Dubai but the impression was that the city has nothing much to offer. But this time around in Abu Dhabi was an experience for me because there were so many things to do and see in Abu Dhabi. Not as any other tourism destination, everything in Abu Dhabi is about new development and the biggest and best of everything. But didn't have much time to explore the city (all pics was taken within one day). There were many other parts of Abu Dhabi that I didn't explore such as the Heritage Village, Souk at Shangri-La, Marina, etc.

Fountain in the middle of tourist area. Le Meridien hotel just at the back and Abu Dhabi Mall just next to it

Abu Dhabi Mall - good shopping for international brnads like Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, etc

The Abu Dhabi Co-Operative Society - a small scale shopping mall

We walked from Sheraton Abu Dhabi to the tourist area (near Abu Dhabi Mall) which took about 15 mins. Cool weather and windy in the early morning but gets very hot at noon.

Street signs in Abu Dhabi

Mc D promotion - The Arabian

Hardees - looks like Carls Jr but tastes much better!