Just Keep TRI-ing

Thank you ALLAH for yet another great year. 2011 has generally been kind to me. I have been blessed with many happiness especially with the birth of my daughter Cinta Amani. There are many things to be grateful for in 2011 among others: - Happy marriage - Birth of Cinta - We were blessed with good health - Performing Umrah - Quit smoking (though I still smoke socially but passed the addiction) - Completed my Masters degree after 5 long years - Zach turns 1 and getting smarter everyday - Have a great boss, and the best of colleagues - Have many good friends that I can rely on - Hired Mariam as our full time maid and she is good - Road trip UAE, Holy cities of Mekah and Madinah, Holidays in Malaysia and Singapore - Ran Penang Bridge Half Marathon - The list could goes on and on... THANK YOU My main 2012 resolutions are: 1. A better Muslim InsyaALLAH 2. Cleared bad debts and enjoys financial freedom 3. Achieved pre-wedding weight and maintains a healthy lifestyle 4. Learn Arabic 5. Tr...

I was excited when Emirates launched their Global Sale earlier this week. The sale will end on January 9th so I was planning to buy tickets for my next trip when I get my December salary. Just imagine a return flight tickets to South Eash Asia and Europe will be as low as QAR 1000++ from the normal price of QAR 3000++. But then I saw this email from Emirates just as I was ready to log on their website. ...................................................... Dear Mr Ahmad, On 25th December Emirates launched a Global Sale, offering strong discounts on return airfares across our international network. After the Global Sale began, Emirates received a notification from the local Qatari Civil Aviation Authority requesting that we stop the sale with immediate effect, due to the requirement of governmental pre-approval. Emirates respects the government rules and has subsequently stopped the offer within Qatar. Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused to Skywards me...

Since we returned from our holiday in Malaysia, Zachary's vocabulary has multiplied by leaps and bounds. He also likes to repeat every word we said. So we have to watch our language. We do not want any incident like Greg Focker had with his nephew, little Jack in Meet The Fockers. He also shows a lot of interests in vehicles or any mode of transportation especially aeroplane. Maybe because we took so many flights recently that he is almost addicted with aeroplanes. He would even sleep with our small Air Asia fridge magnet plane. So last week we bought one big A380 model to satisfy his addiction. And the plane's rudder broke off from the main fuselage on the second day. He is also quite obsessed with lorries because he sees many of them at a big land dump site behind our house (an ugly view from our bedroom window unfortunately). He would wake up in the middle of the night and say 'Lollu lollu'. We had to assure him that the 'Lollus'...

I was just penned an entry about how serious milk formula being the target by shoplifters in   'Milk made of gold dust' . Then this morning I came accross a newspaper article proving that it is indeed very true. And I don't know if it was just a coincidence that the incident happened in Penang (The picture of Milk formula with safety device was taken in Penang as well). Maybe it is a local problem because I have never seen this scenerio anywhere else in Malaysia. So maybe the government should include milk formula as one of subsidised items.     

Hi this is my first time to blog. I finally have time to share with you my thoughts in this blog. All this while I have been busy learning new things and understanding my new environments. I love to giggle especially when mama, papa or my elder brother Zachary is by my side talking to me. It makes me happy, because it is no fun just lying on my matress all day while watching them playing, running, jumping.. oh I am so jealous. That is why sometimes when I get bored I would cry just to get my mama's attention. Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.2

Sambungan dari entry Menjengah Rumah ALLAH: Episod 1 Mekah, 17 March 2011. Kami sampai di Mekah sebaik masuk waktu Maghrib. Keadaan di sekitar Masjidil Haram ketika itu sangat sesak. Jalan menuju ke Hotel Fal Al-Saha  yang kami tempah juga ditutup bagi memberi laluan kepada ribuan jemaah yang berjalan kaki menuju ke masjid. Kami terus saja mendaftar masuk di Hotel sebaik saja jalan dibuka semula pada lalu lintas. Alhamdullilah aku dapat meletakkan kereta betul-betul di hadapan hotel. Hotel penginapan kami di Mekah Kamar hotel tempat kami menginap di Mekah ni hanya asas saja, tidak seperti hotel 4 bintang sebagaimana di iklan tetapi cukup kerana niat ke sini pun untuk beribadat. Rate satu malam adalah sekitar 200 Saudi Riyal. Sebaik melepaskan lelah, kami berhasrat untuk terus mengerjakan ibadat umrah, tapi akhirnya terperangkap di hotel kerana hujan yang tadinya renyai kini semakin lebat mencurah-curah. Teman-teman yang lain semuanya sud...

I cant stop wondering how this skid mark on the road right below my office window were created. Perhaps the next instalment of Fast and Furious should be shot here, with the title of 'Too Much Fast Too Much Furious'.  Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.2

I love cable car. Maybe because Mama rode on one at Genting Highland when she was carrying me in her belly. Then when I was 6 months old Papa and Mama took me on a spectacular cable car ride by the famous Caldera in Santorini, Greece. But nothing compares to the experience I had recently in Langkawi with Panorama Langkawi Skycab .  I must tell you that the cable car ride is not for the faint hearted or if you are an achrophobic like my nanny, Mariam. The ride will take you from the ground zero to the top of the mountain some 700 meters up. If offers great panoramic view of the island, the mountain cliff and the forest below. You can also see the Seven Wells waterfall from up here. What so scarry about this cable car ride is because it is so steep  and almost vertical especially in the section between the Middle and the Top stations. You will feel it more on the way down. It was like the gondola fel...

It's the time of the year again. QG 2012 diary box set also comes with a magnetic chess set, a pen, a calculator and a laser pointer. What? A chess set? Seriously? Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.2

Langkawi 15 November 2011. I love fish. I fell in love with the marine life when papa took me to Dubai Aquarium last October. Since then, I always fascinated with the variety of underwater creatures and wonder how can they live in water without the fear of getting drown. Last November, I had another chance   to get up close and personal with these beautiful aquatic life at Underwater World, Langkawi. Our hotel was just next to the aquarium, so we just walked. We spent hours at the aquarium simply because there were so many fish and other marine creature housed there. The fish comes in many colours and shapes. Other marine creatures include jellyfish, prawns, snakes, eels, etc. But the most intriguing to me was the penguins. They were so funny and playful. Papa said penguins live in Antarctica, a frozen continent at the bottom of earth. I hope one day I can go there and see penguins in their natural habitat and see if I can keep my feet on the ground without falling o...

I love the beach. Last November, Papa took us to Langkawi Island for holiday. I had 4 fun filled days there. We stayed at a cheap but fantastic resort called The Cabin at Cenang Beach. I had great time swimming (more like running and dipping) in the ocean. At first I was scared and worried that I will be swallowed by the waves but all the worry disappeared when I feel the sensation of the sand and sea water brought by waves on my feet. I also feel safe because papa was always by my side. I cannot wait for my baby sister, Cinta Amani to grow big as I am so we can have awesome time together at the beach. I am going to miss the beach when I get back to Qatar, because the water will be too cold during this time of the year.

Doha, 12 December 2011. Isnin lepas, aku dan Cik Minah menghadiri satu majlis Hi-Tea bersama Duli Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Dr. Nazrin di atas jemputan Perwakilan Malaysia. Raja Nazrin yang berada di Doha kerana menghadiri Interfaith Dialog, masih sempat mencemer duli untuk bertemu dan beramah mesra dengan rakyat Malaysia di Qatar. Raja Muda Perak yang berjiwa rakyat ini, sangat ramah melayan  dan bersalam dengan semua hadirin yang hadir. Melihat personaliti Raja Nazrin dari dekat pada petang itu, aku yakin orang-orang Perak dikalangan hadirin petang itu boleh berbangga kerana mempunyai Raja Muda seperti Raja Nazrin. P/S Pictures courtesy of Malaysian Photographers of Qatar (MAQ Eyes) 

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.1  I was looking for Zach’s and Amani’s milk at Jusco Queensbay Mall, Penang when I was there last month, and found it weird to see that there was a designated barricaded area for infant milk formula complete with security gate and its very own check-out counter.   Not only that, a safety device was also attached to every tin on milk as if the content of the formula were gold dust. The sight left me dumbfounded. Who would give ‘haram’ milk to their children? The question I still cannot fathom, but according to the cashier, the stealing was too rampant it forces them to set up a high security milk section in their supermarket.    

Penang 20 November 2011 . Lanjutan daripada entry Aku Nak Lari Marathon  pada bulan Jun yang lalu, aku telah menyertai acara Half Marathon dalam Penang Bridge International Marathon 2011. Mulanya aku sekadar mahu menyertai acara 10 kilometer kerana berasa kurang yakin dengan kemampuan diri yang boleh dikatakan langsung tak menjalani latihan tambahan dengan usia yang menginjak 35 tahun dan badan yang semakin munggil. Kali terakhir aku berlari jarak jauh ni adalah 17 tahun yang lalu. Tetapi aku gagahkan juga setelah tercabar dengan kata-kata Zaitun yang memperlekehkan acara 10 kilometer tak ubah seperti 'Fun Run'. Ceh, mana boleh jadi, cucu Laksamana Bentan ni pantang dicabar (walaupun tak berapa confident sebenarnya). Aku sekeluarga, Zaitun dan Adaha menginap di Hotel Eastin yang suasananya tak ubah seperti athlete's village sukan SEA. Ramai peserta PBIM menginap di hotel ini kerana lokasinya yang terletak bersebelahan garisan permulaan/penamat di Queensbay Mall...

Its so funny. This morning on the way to work at Duheil roundabout traffic light, a local bloke (I am assuming he is) driving a pick-up was honking a van full of workers from the Indian sub-continent to give way to him. The van driver was panicking and wasn't able to do anything as he was inch away from a concrete mixer truck in front. The guy in pick-up truck keep honking and giving the van driver hand signals to move. I was laughing my heart out at the back. How can he be that hurmm what can say, that moronic for the lack of better words, demanding other road users to give way while the traffic light was red and the vehicles infront of him were bumper to bumper. Well it is common to hear people give you a horn the second the traffic light turns green even if you are seventh in line here in Qatar, but this bloke here is really unreal. To add to the already absurd scene, he even complaining about it to another local guy (again I am assuming) ...

6 December 2011. I am 35 today. I may not be rich but I am happy. I am blessed with good health, beautiful wife, perfect son and daughter, good job, great family and many good friends. ALHAMDULLILAH. My Birthday Cake I did not have lavish celebrations, not that I want one anyway. To me birth day is the time for you to count your blessings and be grateful. However I was glad that Putu and Alan took me out for coffee after work. It was like a reunion. We used to went out together a lot when we first joined the company in 2009. When I came home, Cik Minah greeted me with her home made cake and we had a mini celebration just among us. Thank you yang.  My perfect little family  Putu and Alan  Also I would like to thank all my friends and relatives for their wishes posted in Facebook or texted me directly. Sorry I was not able to reply each one of you. I appreciate it.

Serabai ni adalah sejenis kuih tradisional melayu di utara. Jangan keliru, kerana kalau di Johor,serabai tu maksudnya 'kusut masai' tak terurus.  Pada zaman dahulu, Serabai ni selalunya disediakan sebagai hidangan pada hari ketujuh kenduri arwah, Sehingga ada yang berseloroh "Bila aku nk merasa serabai hang?". Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.1

Doha 21 Oktober 2011. Hari ini memang merupakan hari dalam sejarah buat aku. Mana tidaknya, sebaik saja tamat acara Hi-tea bersama Tun Mahathir , aku dan Cik Minah bergegas pula ke Khalifah Tennis and Squash Complex  untuk memberi sokongan kepada ratu squash negara, Dato' Nicol David . Cik Minah begitu vogue sekali dengan berkebaya nyonya. Sungguh tak sesuai untuk menyaksikan perlawanan squash. Nicol yang beraksi menentang Madeline Perry dari Ireland hanya memerlukan 33 menit sahaja untuk memenangi perlawanan dengan straight set 11-2, 11-7, 11-3. Ini adalah kemenangan beliau yang ke lima dalam kejohanan squash Qatar Classic sejak 2006.     Law of Attraction: Aku cuba menyaksikan perwanan akhir melibatkan Nicol dalam Qatar Classic sewaktu aku mula-mula sampai Doha pada November 2008. Aku yang baru 2 hari sampai di Doha ketika itu menyangkakan Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex ni terletak di Aspire bersebelahan Khalifah Stadium. Dengan confidentnya aku ...

Doha 21 Oktober 2011: Aku berpeluang untuk menghadiri sesi minum petang bersama mantan perdana menteri Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed di Holiday Villa Doha atas jemputan Kedutaan Malaysia. Tun Mahathir adalah seorang yang sangat aku kagumi dan hormati walaupun aku tidak bersetuju dengan beberapa keputusan di akhir-akhir tempoh pentadbiran beliau sebagai perdana menteri. Majlis anjuran Talentcorp itu dianjurkan untuk menggalakkan professional Malaysia pulang berkhidmat di tanah air. Dalam ucapannya, Tun Mahathir, walaupun menggalakkan para professional Malaysia untuk berkhidmat dan menimba sebanyak boleh pengalaman di luar negara, menggesa agar para professional ini pulang berkhidmat di tanah air selepas mempunyai simpanan yang cukup. Beliau menasihatkan agar pendapatan yang diperolehi hasil bekerja di luar negara itu dilaburkan dengan membeli emas. Aku cukup kagum dengan Tun kerana berucap secara neutral tanpa dipengaruhi politik, walaupun menekankan bah...