From Aku, with love

My mother is  going to her home today. And Insya-Allah, she will come here again during Ramadhan. I have already booked Buffet Ramadhan for next Saturday.  I invited my mother, bang ngah, kak chik and my brother-in-law to join my family. My treat ler. It's ok. Only once a year. Last year, we had our Buffet Ramadhan at Hotel Seri Malaysia and this year, tutttttt.

This morning, I cooked my " Nasi Lemak Jiwa Gelora ". I made extra because I wanted to give it to my niece ( An's mother ). She's pregnant.  I wanted to make it special BUT I forgot to buy a cucumber. Aiseyman. Or should I name it " Nasi Lemak Jiwa Kacau "? Nasi lemak without cucumber is like a man wearing  Baju Melayu without a songkok. It's incomplete. Sighhh.  My dear husband still wanted to bring it to school although I was not happy with the cucumber part.  But I'm touched. 

Don't ever think that you and your partner have been married for 20 or 30 years, he or she can read your mind. Don't expect that. The best solution is communication. Tell your partner your problem and he will listen to you. If you don't know how to say it, text him. He will read. It's simple. Don't make it complicated. Your partner is just like you. If you cannot read his mind and of course, he cannot read your mind. So, cakap.....cakap..... ( like Tuan Director Ahmad Nisfu said in the Seniman Bujang Lapok movie ).

After Ramadhan, we're going to have Syawal. Lots of preparation - kuih raya, baju raya, duit raya, catering.....need lots of money.  As a retiree, I have two types of budget - monthly budgets and a one year budget. I have already put hari raya preparation, the qurban cost, my Achik Vee ( car ) insurance in my one year budget list. So I don't have to worry. And my "monthly budgets", it changes. Sometimes, there are weddings in that month or bla, bla, bla. It's not fixed. And thanks to my husband for increasing his wife's monthly gift.  Alhamdulillah 💕.

The wife was drinking ice- blended chocolate hazelnut with a straw. Suddenly, she stopped. H : What's wrong? She continued drinking it slowly. W : Phew. It's cold and I think my brain is shrinking. H : And your teeth are chattering..hahahaha W : But it's so tasty. H : I hope there's no CCTV here. They'll wonder why the lady beside me is shivering....hahaha W : I won't drink ice- blended anymore. This will be the last one.  Husband looked at his wife and smiled. H : We're old. W : I know.

Last night, I received a message from Kak S, one of my mosque friends. She told me about the kuih for moreh that the mosque ladies plan to prepare this Ramadhan. And she asked me whether I would like to join them. And I replied, "Yes". It's Ramadhan. The feeling is different. We just want to do good things . We just want to be good. And I got invitations for a wedding and a kenduri. The same date ( February 22 ), the same time. And both, I can't attend. I had already informed and apologized to the hosts. Must visit my uncle today ( February 22 ). He's my mother's younger brother. He's not well.

Waiting at the bus station,  I didn't care about the time, I just waited, Tik tok Tik tok. A bus stopped in front of me, Ignoring the people, I stared at my shoes, Suddenly, "Assalamualaikum" A gentle voice behind me,  Turning around. It's him, He was smiling at me, But I didn't smile back, My brain started questioning, "Is he real ?" "Does he really want to meet my parents?" I looked at his face, And my heart gave me the answer, "He's ready".

I'm fasting today. Alhamdulillah. And I have already ordered "Nasi Arab" for the iftar.  Alhamdulillah.  My mother will stay with my small family next week, before Ramadhan. Insya-Allah.  I'm so glad and proud to have Y as our RR friend. Like last year, this Ramadhan will be a busy month for her to prepare food for 25 orphans. She informed her RR friends and another lady's  group earlier about it. If we're interested in being a contributor, we text her. Transfer the money according to how many days we want to sponsor. And she will do the rest - cooking, delivery and take photos to share with the contributors. Amazing.  A woman with a golden heart.

Lots of things to do, I still have time to think of him, Has he had his breakfast? What is he doing now? Lots of things to do, I still have time to text him, Telling him what I had for breakfast, What I'm going to do today. Lots of things to do, I still have time to read his message, A simple message, But it makes me smile. Lots of things to do, And I still have time to miss him.

Water disruption ( only this area ) from last Saturday until this afternoon. Alhamdulillah, no more water problems. And Alhamdulillah, it's raining now. Thank you Allah. So tomorrow until Friday, I will be busy 1. Doing laundry 2. Gardening 3. Cleaning the house ( not the whole house ) Saturday "Jalan-jalan cuci mata" with the loved ones Sunday Cooking with love Insya-Allah 

This is an old story of mine. It's in 2008 or 2009, if I'm not mistaken.  When we had PSS month at school, I did ask a few subject teachers' help to conduct a competition in that month. And there was one female teacher, two years before she retired, she wanted to do something for her subject. A cooking competition. And she managed to do it twice. She's the late Kak RW. I admired her. A very dedicated teacher. It's not easy. She had to make sure the kitchen was well-equipped before the competition. I still remember the first cooking competition, the theme was "Kuih".  It was not an individual competition. Each participant must have a partner. And there were two Chinese boys who wanted to take part. I looked at them. Well, they looked serious and determined. So I just asked them to write their name on a piece of paper.  A week before the competition , all the participants must submit their recipe for Kak RW to check. No recipe , No competition. After checkin...

My husband took us to Parameswara, Umbai, Melaka yesterday evening. It's a famous seafood restaurant. Lots of people there and  I think most of them were spending their holidays in Melaka. Yup, the last weekend before school opens tomorrow ( February 17 ). 

Alhamdulillah. Thank you Allah. It rained yesterday and that was heavy rain. Alhamdulillah. I'm very sure all my plants were so happy dancing in the rain. Thank you Allah. 

Every woman loves roses. My husband would give me fresh roses on my birthday. I always knew there would be  a bouquet of roses waiting for me at home that day. But those were only during our early marriage. After that he asked me to choose, either a bouquet of roses or dinner at my favourite place. And I chose the latter. Yummy.  In 2021, on my birthday , I received a message from my husband. He told me that somebody would come to my school with my present. A present from him. That person would call me if she'd already arrived. Then I received a call from her. She's waiting for me outside the office. Yup, I was at school at that time. When I met that lady, she took a video of me, giving me a bouquet of fresh red roses with chocolates and a balloon ( a few small balloons were inside the balloon. And the words " Happy Birthday" on it ). I was speechless. I didn't expect that kind of birthday present. She asked me how I felt. I just said that I was very happy and tha...

I received special guests last Monday evening. My sister, my brother in law, my niece and her husband. Yup, the newlyweds came to my house. Yeyyyy. But they came without informing me. Aiseyman. My niece said it's a surprise for me. And I told her that I don't like surprises. My house, well you know, we just returned from Perak last Sunday. It was the day before. So, it's tutttt. And the most important one is if I knew they were coming, I would cook something special for them. Sighhh. But never mind. I'm very happy to see and receive them as my guests. And of course, I took the newlyweds to my garden. Luckily, my nephew helped me cut the grass that morning. So, it's ok la. They could walk here and there in my garden.  Alhamdulillah. Oh ya tomorrow is 15 Syaaban (14 February). So tonight is a Nisfu Syaaban night..........

Very busy in my garden. Yesterday, on the way to Melaka, my husband took me to Gadek Nursery. Not to buy plants. Only two big pots, two small pots and a sack of coconut husk chips. Thank youuu. And thanks again to my husband because he bought our breakfast before he left for his meeting this morning. Now you know why I love my husband so much.  Oh ya. My husband cut the sandpaper plant yesterday evening. Don't worry. It will grow healthily like  before . And I changed its place. I put it near the fence. It will have more freedom to climb... hahahaha. The white flower plants take over its place. Not bad. My patio looks brighter now.....and I love it.

 W : I want to tell you a secret. H : What is it? W : No, I won't tell you. You will get angry. H : Ok. Husband looked at his wife and he laughed. H : You will tell me. I can see it from your face. Wife smiled and she started.... W : Bla, Bla, Bla,...... H : Hahahaha. 

February 10 - I was not at home for almost a week. I noticed there were three types of plants in my garden while watering them yesterday evening. 1.Type A plants ( fighter ) "Although she's not here, we must be strong. We must survive". Leaves and flowers - either ok or quite ok 2. Type B plants ( weak or maybe, they miss me ) "She's not here. How to live without her?" Leaves and flowers - not ok. 3. Type C plants ( happy-go-lucky ) " It's not a problem whether she's here or not. I'm still happy". Leaves - ok Flowers - more flowers than before. And Alhamdulillah, all plants are ok today except the sandpaper plant. It's one of my favourite plants. I am not worried because I know its root is strong. Just give it time to recover.  Insya-Allah, it will be ok.

February 9 - We're on the way home , Alhamdulillah. The end of our Cuti-cuti Malaysia . We went to Muar ( Johor ), Kuantan and Temerloh ( Pahang), Kuala Terengganu ( Terengganu ),  Machang and Tanah Merah ( Kelantan ), Pengkalan Hulu and Ipoh ( Perak ).... awesome 👍. All during school holidays. I really-really enjoyed myself. Thank you so much to my dearest husband 💗. And a few of those places were 2 in 1, Cuti-cuti Malaysia + Family events. Alhamdulillah. All went well.  Insya-Allah, there will be another Cuti-cuti Malaysia. But as I always said, " poi Melaka pun ok dah". No problem.

Bye Pengkalan Hulu. I like the place. It's cool. Insya-Allah, we'll go there again for the akad nikah and the wedding. And I also like my nephew's future family. They're friendly and generous . At first, they served us "kuih-muih". After the wedding discussion , it's time for lunch.  "Nasi putih" and "lauk kampung" were served. Wow and thank you so much. I ate a lot. Alhamdulillah. Hugging my sister in law and my niece , waving bye- bye to my brothers in law and my nephews, i don't know when I will see them again. They're going back to Kelantan. May Allah protect all of them. Aamiin ya Allah.  Now, we're in Hotel Excelsior Ipoh. It's only for one night. It's been so long I haven't come to Ipoh. Let my husband relax. It was a long journey. 

On the way to Perak, we saw a bus parking outside a restaurant. My husband told me , if there's a bus, it means the restaurant prepares varieties of food for their customers. And he's absolutely right. Lots of choices at Restoran Kuali Gelegok Yani.  Then we stopped at Masjid An Nur, Gunung Reng . My husband and our son performed their Friday prayer there. I totally forgot to take a photo of Gunung Reng..... And tonight, my small family is staying in a homestay together with my in laws, my nephews and my niece. We had our dinner at Kedai Makan Firman Kroh just now. Best ler.

Tomorrow, we're going to Perak. My sister-in-law's son's engagement will be on Saturday.  We need to make sure this house is clean and neat before leaving. Going to miss this nostalgic house....... There's something special about my husband's hometown. Its Nasi Kerabu. The rice is white ( not the blue-coloured rice ) but plus everything , it is a perfect Nasi Kerabu. My husband always bought it with grilled chicken for me and our son. He knows we love it and I don't mind to have the same menu here every morning.  I would like to thank my brother-in-law again. He put "ambi pur Room Fresh - relaxing lavender" in our bedroom and the living room. We love the smell and it is fresh. I think I will buy a few to put in our home. 

A man who's in love, He will look at the woman without saying anything, He only looks, It's like he will know everything about the woman, By just looking at her. A woman who's in love, She will look at the man but she will talk a lot, She wants to cover her shyness and her nervousness, Or she will just smile, To show that she likes him.

After buying Nasi Air Dingin for our dinner, my son and I went shopping. We bought a few bottles  of mineral water. Then, my husband decided to visit his younger brother's family this evening. He went to a fruit stall buying mangoes for his brother's family.  Remember, they had their "Majlis Sambut Menantu" last Saturday but we didn't attend. The same date with my niece's wedding. Although my husband had already given the Wedding Preparation Angpow to him, it's still not the same if we could be here together with his family for the big event. So, my husband, my brother-in-law, his wife and I had quite a long, evening chat. Sharing stories 💕.

Alhamdulillah, we have already reached my late parents- in-law's house. I called my mother telling her about it.  I don't want her to get worried. On the way here, we had our late lunch at Sate Lanang Jabi. Alhamdulillah. Lots of things I need to do. Our bedroom and our unpacking. No need to unpack ler. Only a few days here. Thousands of thanks to my brother-in-law , the house is clean. Alhamdulillah. 

We stopped at RnR because my husband wanted to take a nap. But it's not only him, all of us took a nap there. And it's still cloudy. Rain, on and off. There's good and bad, travelling with this kind of weather. The good one is we don't feel hot whereas  the bad one is we feel sleepy. And I'm so glad the radio DJ is playing Boney M's song , " Daddy cool" now. 

Now, every time we travel , my husband prefers driving his car, "Ucu Harry" to my car, " Achik Vee". Oklah.... actually, it's better hahaha. And to all SmartTag users, please check your SmartTag first before travelling. Please don't give problems at the toll gates. Oh ya,  I bought Takoyaki for three of us at Gambang. Continue our journey. It's cloudy....

We're on the way to Kelantan. We left home quite late because I had to water all my plants first. I hope they'll be ok until I come back. Aamiin ya Allah. Our breakfast was at Restoran Awang Satay House in Pasir Besar. It's not our first time eating there. Its Sambal sardin is simple but I think that's the best sambal sardin i have ever eaten. The sambal sauce is quite thick. I did try cooking it at home but not enough umph. I think I need to add more onions and green chillies.  Ok....to be continued. Insya-Allah.

Alhamdulillah. We received a very warm welcome from A's family. A is my niece's  husband. While on the way to our special dining tables, I shook hands with A's aunties. We met a few times. They called me "Mak Su" and one of them called me "Teacher". Hahaha ok lah.  My mother, my sister and I enjoyed having a chat with A's family. His aunties are friendly. Happy for my niece. I could see that all of them were happy having my niece and her family as their new family. Alhamdulillah.  Tomorrow, my family will stay at home. We just want to relax.  Oh ya, we need to pack our clothes. Our destination? Sabau ler. You will know.

Today ( February 2 ), we're going to attend a wedding reception. My niece's husband's side. It's at the Balairong Pokok Mangga, Melaka. The akad nikah and yesterday's wedding ( the Balairong Bandaraya ), all went well. Alhamdulillah. So happy for my sister.  She has a big family now. With her three son-in-laws, two daughter-in-laws, three granddaughters and a grandson,  Alhamdulillah. And Insya-Allah, there'll be more members in the family. Aamiin ya Allah.  And congratulations to my dearest friend, Achik RR for her son's wedding yesterday (February 1). She has a daughter-in-law now. Alhamdulillah.