Got this email sometime ago.
DEAR ALL FELLOW MUSLIM,
PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO OTHER MUSLIM..
SEKARANG NIE KRISTIAN SEDANG AKTIF DI SEREMBAN ..1900 ORANG PADERI MELAYU YANG BARU TIBA DARI SINGAPURA BERADA DI SINI SEKARANG.MEREKA MENGGUNAKAN SIHIR. BERHATI- HATI DENGAN JENAMA (AIR MINERAL):-
1. AL -BARAMKAH
2. AL-MANSORI
3. AL-BISTARIA
P/S : SAMA ADA DIPEROLEHI SECARA PERCUMA ATAU JUAL MURAH, SEMUA AIR-AIR INI TELAH DICAMPUR DENGAN 'HOLY WATER'
TOLONG SEBARKAN MESSAGE INI KEPADA SEMUA UMAT ISLAM/SAHABAT/SAHABIAH &DLL.
SESUNGGUHNYA KITA TAK TERMAMPU MEMEGANG SENJATA UNTUK MENEGAKKAN AGAMA (ISLAM), AKAN TAPI KITA BOLEH LAKUKAN DENGAN SEND MESSAGE NIE ...SEMOGA JASA BAIK INI DIRAHMATI OLEH ALLAH SWT..
My take: Udah2 la percaya benda2 mystical ni. Take de punya air boleh di magic2 kan. Kalau iman kuat, minum air tak kan jadi bangang nak tukar akidah. Keracunan may be la - should the water is tainted with whatever poisonous substance e.g. phthalate ke, racun tikus ke.
BTW, Melayu pun ada juga holy water ni. Ayaq jampi yg hampa dok minum sebelum exam tu la. Kadang2 bila orang baca Yasiin pakat2 letak botoi air kat tengah. Siap suruh bukak tudung botoi lagi - kot2 lah zat Yasiin tu tak masuk kan. Balik Malaya hari tu I saw some at PKNS - air musoffa (marah tokey dia kat aku nih!). Commercialized youu!! Tell you what. Bukak Quran tu, tengok 13:11 Tak de punya minum air boleh jadi pandai/bodoh. Nak, usaha la. Kalau aku jadi org Kristian seperti di atas, nescaya aku akan mensiddiqkan ayat ni dengan berusaha keras menuangkan bergelen2 holy water kat ampangan Ulu Langat (dan sewaktu dengan nya). Maka mereka yg percaya dgn email di atas akan terus jadi bangang dan tukar akidah (yg tak percaya tak jadi lah kan?).
On the other hand, gomen pun boleh do the same thing nak tolong org Melayu/Muslim. Tiap2 rumah yg householdnya Melayu/Muslim (mesti boleh identify kan, kan ke ada banci), akan dibekalkan air jampi. Cuma perlu panjat siling dan tuang dalam tangki sahaja (kalau tuang dalam ampangan nanti suku kaum lain jadi pandai sama - defeat the purpose la kan). Kalau nak lagi effective, terus masuk dalam balang, masuk peti ais. Minum lepas main bola atau bila balik kerja. Nescaya semua Melayu/Muslim akan jadi pandai terang benderang a.k.a. ulul albab - walau pun cuma baca buku setahun sebuah sahaja adanya.
Me? I'll just keep on drinking whatever that doesn't poison me. Kalau holy water boleh clearkan TB aku ni, pasti aku balun je. Janji berbasmallah, dok kekneh?
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Friday, 30 May 2008
Tu .. tuber .. what?
Took the Mantoux Skin Test last week inc. x-ray after local hospitals called the whole office crew (mine is St Peters Hospital) for TB test after Dell's predicament - who has been confirmed with TB disease. Test result today - Hampeh! Positive. The raised bump was 23 mm. Lebar tuuu! I just hope its Inactive Tuberculosis or Tuberculosis Infection. Coz I didn't have any symptom - no cough (let alone cough blood), no loss of appetite (lagi kuat melantak ada la), no loss of weight for no apparent reason (not sure about this one - coz I think I've lost 2 - 3 kg the past one month, but probably because I was conscious (sedar diri) in my eating). If its inactive or latent tuberculosis, it cannot be spread to others. However, it is important to note that inactive tuberculosis can develop into Tuberculosis Disease (Active Tuberculosis) within weeks to several years after the initial infection if the immune system of the infected person is weakened.
Arwah Abah was hospitalised before for TB. I suppose, I need to keep my immune system tip top lah. Camana tuh?
It may have been in me since whenever. TB Inside - macam Intel Inside plak. I really hope its just infection, coz that will mean I only have to take medication (2 types of anti-biotics) for 2 months. As opposed to Dell, who took 7 medications! For 6 months! Banyak side effects lak tu. Mengantuk, blurry eyes etc. Ish, leceh leceh. Nak buat camna, dah di Qada kan aku ada menda ni. Qadar nya je lah aku kena control & manage.
Arwah Abah was hospitalised before for TB. I suppose, I need to keep my immune system tip top lah. Camana tuh?
It may have been in me since whenever. TB Inside - macam Intel Inside plak. I really hope its just infection, coz that will mean I only have to take medication (2 types of anti-biotics) for 2 months. As opposed to Dell, who took 7 medications! For 6 months! Banyak side effects lak tu. Mengantuk, blurry eyes etc. Ish, leceh leceh. Nak buat camna, dah di Qada kan aku ada menda ni. Qadar nya je lah aku kena control & manage.
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Scotland
Edinburgh
24 May 2008
Birm to Edinburgh - we took the scenic route .. I think it was A 701. Memang scenic - I believe Switzerland would look that in summer. Beautiful.
Arrived early at Seton Sands - quickly sent the kids into the pool, which was suppose to close by 1645. The Funworks area gobbled my quids so quickly and I think .. horror .. horror .. Rina is turning into a gambling addict in her quest for tickets (to exchange with gifts).
Edinburgh was really enjoyable. Had a no-rush walk along the Royal Mile and then the northern part of the castle.
Infront of Edinburgh Castle
Tak habis2 gurau
Beautiful
butterfly costume
Spit on the heart medalion and your wish will come true (huh?)
Stirling
25 May 2008
On the way to Stirling, saw a sign for Rosslyn Chapel. Well, since I like Da Vinci Code, and this was where the novel climax, had to to swerve by here. Mana la tau, kot2 jumpa holy grail.
At Stirling, breezed through Stirling Castle. Ingat nak masuk, but then we'll be late for Glasgow.
Depan Stirling Castle
Robert the Bruce - alah, yg dajalkan William Wallace tuu
Nearby, the Wallace Monument on a hill. And it was windy!
At the door & Wallace Monument from afar
Glasgow
Next stop - Glasgow. Another beautiful city, mainly grid pattern.
Tak tahan tengok Police Box. Posing Dr Who.
George Square
St Andrew's Square
Went back to Seton Sands. Check out our caravan and the sun set. Menggigil lawan angin tunggu sunset.
24 May 2008
Birm to Edinburgh - we took the scenic route .. I think it was A 701. Memang scenic - I believe Switzerland would look that in summer. Beautiful.
Arrived early at Seton Sands - quickly sent the kids into the pool, which was suppose to close by 1645. The Funworks area gobbled my quids so quickly and I think .. horror .. horror .. Rina is turning into a gambling addict in her quest for tickets (to exchange with gifts).Edinburgh was really enjoyable. Had a no-rush walk along the Royal Mile and then the northern part of the castle.
Infront of Edinburgh Castle
Tak habis2 gurau
Beautiful
butterfly costume
Spit on the heart medalion and your wish will come true (huh?)
Stirling
25 May 2008
On the way to Stirling, saw a sign for Rosslyn Chapel. Well, since I like Da Vinci Code, and this was where the novel climax, had to to swerve by here. Mana la tau, kot2 jumpa holy grail.
At Stirling, breezed through Stirling Castle. Ingat nak masuk, but then we'll be late for Glasgow.
Depan Stirling Castle
Robert the Bruce - alah, yg dajalkan William Wallace tuu
Nearby, the Wallace Monument on a hill. And it was windy!
At the door & Wallace Monument from afar
Glasgow
Next stop - Glasgow. Another beautiful city, mainly grid pattern.
Tak tahan tengok Police Box. Posing Dr Who.
George Square
St Andrew's Square
Went back to Seton Sands. Check out our caravan and the sun set. Menggigil lawan angin tunggu sunset.
I Like ..
Cousins from Kota Bharu Upon Tyne went to Barcelona and got me this Hard Rock t-shirt. Two dragons - nostalgia lah pulak @ Dragon Dance 1985.
I like ...
And today, had lunch with Vishal, Kris "Magic" McGuire & Christian (got to know later, his dad was one of the owner of his company - patut la muda belia dah jadi Head of Fund Mgmt side). It was at Browns Bar & Brasserie, the one at Maddox St near New Bond St. Like it coz the website has got menu. Quite good choice of seafood.
http://www.browns-restaurants.com/menu-mayfair.php
BTW, also like The Don Restaurant & Bistro, at St Swithins in The City.
http://www.thedonrestaurant.com/
I like ...And today, had lunch with Vishal, Kris "Magic" McGuire & Christian (got to know later, his dad was one of the owner of his company - patut la muda belia dah jadi Head of Fund Mgmt side). It was at Browns Bar & Brasserie, the one at Maddox St near New Bond St. Like it coz the website has got menu. Quite good choice of seafood.
http://www.browns-restaurants.com/menu-mayfair.php
BTW, also like The Don Restaurant & Bistro, at St Swithins in The City.
http://www.thedonrestaurant.com/
Monday, 26 May 2008
Birmingham - A Farewell
"Off to another European country?", asked RY. "Naah, just going to Birm, my sis' in-laws are leaving on Sunday."
Took off around 2130 after bracing a nagging on how there wasn't enough time to pack and all. But I just had to leave that night .. after imagining the time it would take if we went direct to Edinburgh. At least 2 hours would already be knocked off.
Bak & Wan were leaving on Sunday. Sensed that Wan can't wait to get back to Malaya, and Bak, thinking of when his next trip to Birm will be. Got Wan a Queen Anne set (bought in ooops .. Birm).
See you soon Bak & Wan.
Took off around 2130 after bracing a nagging on how there wasn't enough time to pack and all. But I just had to leave that night .. after imagining the time it would take if we went direct to Edinburgh. At least 2 hours would already be knocked off.
Bak & Wan were leaving on Sunday. Sensed that Wan can't wait to get back to Malaya, and Bak, thinking of when his next trip to Birm will be. Got Wan a Queen Anne set (bought in ooops .. Birm).
See you soon Bak & Wan.Wednesday, 21 May 2008
Double Double
"Aku dah call Roman suruh jual itu Anelka. Hampeh betul. Sedih siol. Too near yet too far."
That was the reply I got from Shahrul. Earlier I texted him, "Takziah. Dari dasar hati. Chelsea was a worthy opponent. Jgn nangis kay."
There you are, another silverware for the "Kings of Europe", after a gruelling match in Moscow rain. First half was brilliant football for Man U. Second half, I found most of the time I was holding my breath. Full time 1 - 1. One each for Ronaldo & Lampard.
Extra time saw missed chances by both sides. In a moment of madness, Drogba turned stupid and slapped Vidic, an act fitting for a red card.
It had to be settled by penalty shootouts. And guess what, United has never won a penalty shootout under Sir Alex. And as I predicted, it had to be the Best Player of the World to screw up. But thanks to the rain, Terry did a "Beckham" and hit the post and Anelka had to be the one to bear the burden of "you must score" and didn't. Full time 1-1 and 6-5 on penalties. Kudos to Van de Sar the savior, Ferdinand, Sir Alex & the lads.
Three times European Champions.
1968, 1999 and 2008.
Couldn't be better after crowned "Kings of England" last week.
That was the reply I got from Shahrul. Earlier I texted him, "Takziah. Dari dasar hati. Chelsea was a worthy opponent. Jgn nangis kay."
There you are, another silverware for the "Kings of Europe", after a gruelling match in Moscow rain. First half was brilliant football for Man U. Second half, I found most of the time I was holding my breath. Full time 1 - 1. One each for Ronaldo & Lampard.
Extra time saw missed chances by both sides. In a moment of madness, Drogba turned stupid and slapped Vidic, an act fitting for a red card.
It had to be settled by penalty shootouts. And guess what, United has never won a penalty shootout under Sir Alex. And as I predicted, it had to be the Best Player of the World to screw up. But thanks to the rain, Terry did a "Beckham" and hit the post and Anelka had to be the one to bear the burden of "you must score" and didn't. Full time 1-1 and 6-5 on penalties. Kudos to Van de Sar the savior, Ferdinand, Sir Alex & the lads.
Three times European Champions.
1968, 1999 and 2008.
Couldn't be better after crowned "Kings of England" last week.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Anniversary - We R 12
It was 3 days ago .. blink blink, blink blink, 12 years oredi. Ann got me an Esprit wallet .. woohooo .. there goes my Hardy Aimes yg dah lunyai. Why I like it? Coz I can now put in all the pound sterling in it and they fit perfectly. Pound notes are so much taller than other currencies globally .. vain kot, perasan duit dia besaq gila (memang pun). 
Got Ann JLo Live - bought weeks ago. And then top up with a UniQlo shirt .. almost got run over a bike on Regent St. Sayang bini ler kata kan.
30:21 Dan di antara tanda-tanda kekuasaan-Nya ialah Dia menciptakan untukmu isteri-isteri dari jenismu sendiri, supaya kamu cenderung dan merasa tenteram kepadanya, dan dijadikan-Nya diantaramu rasa kasih dan sayang. Sesungguhnya pada yang demikian itu benar-benar terdapat tanda-tanda bagi kaum yang berfikir.
Got Ann JLo Live - bought weeks ago. And then top up with a UniQlo shirt .. almost got run over a bike on Regent St. Sayang bini ler kata kan.
30:21 Dan di antara tanda-tanda kekuasaan-Nya ialah Dia menciptakan untukmu isteri-isteri dari jenismu sendiri, supaya kamu cenderung dan merasa tenteram kepadanya, dan dijadikan-Nya diantaramu rasa kasih dan sayang. Sesungguhnya pada yang demikian itu benar-benar terdapat tanda-tanda bagi kaum yang berfikir.
Monday, 19 May 2008
Den Haag - Delft - Kinderdijk
Den Haag (The Hague)
12 May 2008 – national holiday: Whit Monday/Pentecost Monday/Monday of the Holy Spirit (celebrated after Pentecost)
It was like a ghost town, perhaps because of the holy spirit in town. This place is the 3rd largest after Amsterdam & Rotterdam. Scheisse! Should have gone earlier .. when there's more people. The shopping rows look chic juge, global brands intertwined with Dutch brands. Den Haag is the actual seat of government, but, somewhat anomalously, not the official capital of the Netherlands, a role set aside by the Dutch constitution for Amsterdam. So its kinda like Putra Jaya lah kiranya. A mixture of old and modern buildings. Oh .. should've gone the night before. Tak pe, if long age-cheap fortune, arrive again in Amsterdam .. definitely will come to this place.
Delft
Beautiful town with small canals and bridges. A place known for the painter Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery (Delftware), the Delft University of Technology, and its association with the Royal Family.
Ann shopped for souvenirs quite a bit here. Nat had a mind of her own and decided to have a different t-shirt from what we wanted to buy (diff color, pattern & size altogether). Sheesh! Betul lah budak ni. And as usual, kejar merpati at the town centre (square)
Kinderdijk
Pronounced kinderdeck – Dutch for Child’s Dike, berpusing sekejap cari the exact location. Lucky us, there were a few spaces near the entrance (€5.00). Masyaallah Tuhan maha kaya … jumpa Farok lagi, this time he’s with Rudy (with his Suzuki Cuppacino) .. tak jadi pergi Antwerp coz he slept in, thanks to us (who also slept like a log)
Such a beautiful open space so good to just have an afternoon stroll. The path split into 2, for bike & for pedestrians. You can go into the mills (€3.50 adult, kids can’t remember, below 6 free). Amazing, these structures still work. The arm of the windmill is made of steel! The blades are like sails, you can roll the “sail” if you don’t want the mill to spin.
All in all, we had great fun and a wonderful time in Belgium and the Netherlands. I must say, driving was not stressful - even enjoyable. Thanks to Garmin. If I were God, the guy/gal who created sat-nav would get full points for making human life so much easier.
Nederland (BTW: Neder = Low, Land = Country) – I’ll be back.
Acknowledgements:
i) God - for granting us safety and a lot of sunshine during our stay
ii)Ann - the one berlumus-tungkus preparing for this trip. A lot of trees were cut due to the amount of papers printed.
iii)Dell - for the SD Card with Europe map for Garmin
iv) Farok - the perfect host
12 May 2008 – national holiday: Whit Monday/Pentecost Monday/Monday of the Holy Spirit (celebrated after Pentecost)
It was like a ghost town, perhaps because of the holy spirit in town. This place is the 3rd largest after Amsterdam & Rotterdam. Scheisse! Should have gone earlier .. when there's more people. The shopping rows look chic juge, global brands intertwined with Dutch brands. Den Haag is the actual seat of government, but, somewhat anomalously, not the official capital of the Netherlands, a role set aside by the Dutch constitution for Amsterdam. So its kinda like Putra Jaya lah kiranya. A mixture of old and modern buildings. Oh .. should've gone the night before. Tak pe, if long age-cheap fortune, arrive again in Amsterdam .. definitely will come to this place.
Delft
Beautiful town with small canals and bridges. A place known for the painter Vermeer, Delft Blue pottery (Delftware), the Delft University of Technology, and its association with the Royal Family.
Ann shopped for souvenirs quite a bit here. Nat had a mind of her own and decided to have a different t-shirt from what we wanted to buy (diff color, pattern & size altogether). Sheesh! Betul lah budak ni. And as usual, kejar merpati at the town centre (square)
Kinderdijk
Pronounced kinderdeck – Dutch for Child’s Dike, berpusing sekejap cari the exact location. Lucky us, there were a few spaces near the entrance (€5.00). Masyaallah Tuhan maha kaya … jumpa Farok lagi, this time he’s with Rudy (with his Suzuki Cuppacino) .. tak jadi pergi Antwerp coz he slept in, thanks to us (who also slept like a log)
Such a beautiful open space so good to just have an afternoon stroll. The path split into 2, for bike & for pedestrians. You can go into the mills (€3.50 adult, kids can’t remember, below 6 free). Amazing, these structures still work. The arm of the windmill is made of steel! The blades are like sails, you can roll the “sail” if you don’t want the mill to spin.
All in all, we had great fun and a wonderful time in Belgium and the Netherlands. I must say, driving was not stressful - even enjoyable. Thanks to Garmin. If I were God, the guy/gal who created sat-nav would get full points for making human life so much easier.
Nederland (BTW: Neder = Low, Land = Country) – I’ll be back.
Acknowledgements:
i) God - for granting us safety and a lot of sunshine during our stay
ii)Ann - the one berlumus-tungkus preparing for this trip. A lot of trees were cut due to the amount of papers printed.
iii)Dell - for the SD Card with Europe map for Garmin
iv) Farok - the perfect host
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Master of the Universe
Selingan.
When in Brussels got a text from Jai, "We have passed our masters."
Yahooooooo!!! I'm now He Man - Master of the Universe!
When in Brussels got a text from Jai, "We have passed our masters."
Yahooooooo!!! I'm now He Man - Master of the Universe!
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Amsterdam
11 May 2008
Squeezed out of Duinrell slightly after 0800. Drove to the Olympisch Stadion .. had to tawaf the stadium one round before we found the Febo car park.
Then I met one heck of a rich Dutch guy by the name of Net. Never have I met somebody so unassuming, friendly (mind you I’ve never met him before), so giving and expecting so little. I say he’s rich coz he seemed to gain so much satisfaction in giving - amwal & amfus. Damn ! Now I feel so kayap. Remind me of John Wesley's (theologian) words: "Make all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can."
Anyway, hopped on the tram and hopped off at the Museum Square. Here you see Van Gogh Museum (pronounced Funkowh) – didn’t go in, if I did it’d probably be one whole day coz here there are collections of his finest pieces including early and lesser known works, Rijksmuseum – the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to arts, crafts and history, Stedeliljk Museum – the Municipal Museum with a sweeping view of Amsterdam from its top floor.
Passed by Vondelpark & dropped by Hard Rock Café and bought shot glass & classic t-shirts (did’t I have one from Amsterdam before? Was it Onne who gave it to me?) Had breakfast again at Farok’s at Prinsengracht .. Cool siot! Apartment facing one of the most famous canals in Amsterdam.
Then we toured Amsterdam, by foot. And tell you what, siap ada running commentary lagi from our host. Check out the pics:
De Wallen pun lalu juge - hmmm Merahnya Mak Ngah kawasan ni. Told the kids the working ladies are modelling undergarments for sale. Check out one of the arts on the ground in this area .. sesuai kan?
Central Station is huge .. didnt go in, save some time. Bicycles - in the thousands! There's a 4-storey bike park here.
Went for a Canal boat ride – courtesy of Farok! Tak mau duit pulak tu! Isk. Damage is something like €11.00 per adult, €7.50 per kid (different operator different price)OK, there are 165 canals here, crossed by about 1,200 brugs. Banyak nyeee. This is a must if you visit Amsterdam. Coz its such a beautiful day, there are lots of people bersantai along the canals, with books, probably biscuits & some drinks. Heaven on earth gitu.
Had a drink around Dam area, next to AEX (Dutch Bourse - I made a lot of money from this bourse last year .. heh hee) and before we left for Farok's, singgah one halal KFC .. the wait was so long coz originals were being fried (too much demand). A lot of Turks in the KFC too. Wanted to tapau, but decided to have it there while it was still hot. And yes, it was superb!! The kids loved it. I wonder if London has any halal outlet. BTW, the Prophet s.a.w was very open in halal food. There was one incident when a clan who just reverted to Islam asked him: “Sesungguhnya satu kaum membawa kepada kami daging yang kami tidak tahu mereka menyebut nama Allah atau tidak? Adakah kami boleh memakannya atau tidak? Sabda Nabi s.a.w.: “Kamu sebutlah nama Allah dan makanlah” (Riwayat al-Bukhari). In other words, if you are unsure - berbasmalah lah and eat.
Kira tak habis lah kalau nak cerita. Memang best lah, tapi Ganole kata best kalau datang kejap2. Farok pun kata kampung je Amsterdam ni. However, for me .. kena datang lagi. Tak habisss tengok.
Squeezed out of Duinrell slightly after 0800. Drove to the Olympisch Stadion .. had to tawaf the stadium one round before we found the Febo car park.
Then I met one heck of a rich Dutch guy by the name of Net. Never have I met somebody so unassuming, friendly (mind you I’ve never met him before), so giving and expecting so little. I say he’s rich coz he seemed to gain so much satisfaction in giving - amwal & amfus. Damn ! Now I feel so kayap. Remind me of John Wesley's (theologian) words: "Make all you can. Save all you can. Give all you can."
Anyway, hopped on the tram and hopped off at the Museum Square. Here you see Van Gogh Museum (pronounced Funkowh) – didn’t go in, if I did it’d probably be one whole day coz here there are collections of his finest pieces including early and lesser known works, Rijksmuseum – the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to arts, crafts and history, Stedeliljk Museum – the Municipal Museum with a sweeping view of Amsterdam from its top floor.
Passed by Vondelpark & dropped by Hard Rock Café and bought shot glass & classic t-shirts (did’t I have one from Amsterdam before? Was it Onne who gave it to me?) Had breakfast again at Farok’s at Prinsengracht .. Cool siot! Apartment facing one of the most famous canals in Amsterdam.
Then we toured Amsterdam, by foot. And tell you what, siap ada running commentary lagi from our host. Check out the pics:
De Wallen pun lalu juge - hmmm Merahnya Mak Ngah kawasan ni. Told the kids the working ladies are modelling undergarments for sale. Check out one of the arts on the ground in this area .. sesuai kan?Central Station is huge .. didnt go in, save some time. Bicycles - in the thousands! There's a 4-storey bike park here.
Went for a Canal boat ride – courtesy of Farok! Tak mau duit pulak tu! Isk. Damage is something like €11.00 per adult, €7.50 per kid (different operator different price)OK, there are 165 canals here, crossed by about 1,200 brugs. Banyak nyeee. This is a must if you visit Amsterdam. Coz its such a beautiful day, there are lots of people bersantai along the canals, with books, probably biscuits & some drinks. Heaven on earth gitu.
Had a drink around Dam area, next to AEX (Dutch Bourse - I made a lot of money from this bourse last year .. heh hee) and before we left for Farok's, singgah one halal KFC .. the wait was so long coz originals were being fried (too much demand). A lot of Turks in the KFC too. Wanted to tapau, but decided to have it there while it was still hot. And yes, it was superb!! The kids loved it. I wonder if London has any halal outlet. BTW, the Prophet s.a.w was very open in halal food. There was one incident when a clan who just reverted to Islam asked him: “Sesungguhnya satu kaum membawa kepada kami daging yang kami tidak tahu mereka menyebut nama Allah atau tidak? Adakah kami boleh memakannya atau tidak? Sabda Nabi s.a.w.: “Kamu sebutlah nama Allah dan makanlah” (Riwayat al-Bukhari). In other words, if you are unsure - berbasmalah lah and eat.
Kira tak habis lah kalau nak cerita. Memang best lah, tapi Ganole kata best kalau datang kejap2. Farok pun kata kampung je Amsterdam ni. However, for me .. kena datang lagi. Tak habisss tengok.
Brussels
9 May 2008
0300 It was a hot and steamy morning. I only managed 2.5 hours of sleep before I was awaken by the rustling sound in my room. Scheisse! Time to wake up.
Got to Stansted around 0500, plenty of time to spare. The flight was rather speedy, I think the pilot stepped on it – it took only 40 – 45 minutes before we arrived in Eindhoven. Had some problems with National/Alamo car hire – no auto & the PIC left! Thank to Ruud from Avis we managed to get an auto/manual Fiat Punto – gosh! Brand new with only 2600 km clocked. (Note to self: Rempedaal to get in gear from neutral!)
Skirted Antwerp and went straight to Brussels. Parked at Atomium for free. The structure was designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn for the International Exhibition of Brussels, that took place in 1958. It is a structure that is half way between sculpture and architecture, symbolising an iron crystal by the scale of its atoms, magnified 165 billion times.
Nice & breathtaking, but nothing much around the area. We didn’t even go in. It costs €9.00 per adult and free for kids below 12.
Tried the Metro from Heysel to Centraale – Fast!
Checked out the tourist area esp. around the Grand Place (Grote Markt - Market Square). It’s a very old town with beautiful set of Guild houses dominated by the Town hall and the King's house.
We were awed by the exquisite and detailed decorations on the buildings and the kids were awed by … heart shaped papers. There must’ve been a wedding ceremony at the town hall just before we came, and there were red heart shaped confettis everywhere plus rice on the ground, not unlike our tabur beras & bunga telur I guess - as a symbol of fertility.
Walking .. walking …
New York has the Statue of Liberty, Paris has the Arc de Triomph and Brussels has the ...... Manneken Pis. This statue of a little boy doing what? No price for guessing, pissing. I suppose it was just a decoration on a fountain but wow, its been been a major tourist attraction in the city since several centuries. Tapi pakai baju lah pulak .. I was hoping to see it in its au natural state. Oh well.. now I know that the manneken-pis is very often dressed. At the moment he has a wardrobe of more than 600 costumes, which are all preserved in the King's House, or City Museum at the Grand-Place.
In Benelux (I’m assuming Luxembourg has the same peculiarity), toilets make money! You pay to go in usually €0.40 - €0.50
Good: You don’t have to hold it in, you can “go” anywhere you want as long as you pay
Bad: Even patrons e.g. at Shell, McD still have to pay – weird!
Anyhow, it was a glorious day at 27 degrees Celcius.
Managed to arrive at Duinrell Caravan Park around 2000+. Along the way, I was unsure whether a speed camera flashed on us or another car. I was told the fine is €40.00. Arggh!! £@#< it!!
This is our cabin.
10 May 2008
We targeted to be at Keukenhof at 0800 but only managed to be there around 1030. Didn’t know preparing kids and cooking breakfast would take so long. Anyway, another beautiful day. 33 Celcius.
Keukenhof, believe it or not, means The Kitchen Garden. In the 15th Century this area consisted of woods and dunes and belonged to the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beieren. Here games were hunted and herbs gathered for the castle's kitchen. The present Keukenhof Park started in 1840 and was initially designed by horticultural architects Zochter, father and son. In 1949, Mayor of Lisse Mr. Lambooy, with dozens of prominent flower bulb and tulip growers, developed the idea for an open-air flower exhibition and started the flower garden of Keukenhof of today.This is probably the most photographed place in the world. Since it was so warm, it was akin to sunbathing but in the glorious colours and shapes of 7 million bulbs. A 3 hour planned trip turned to 5+ hours. No regrets!!
Volendam
This sleepy fishing town is kinda my favourite part of the trip. The fisherman’s cottages, the harbour, fish markets, old and new boats and yacts almost stroking each other. What a serene ambiance.
Met 2 working Malays there going to the local supermarkt. Also met 2 working girls (not that kind lah!) I mean they were not students as I thought. They were on a “Rombongan Cik Kiah” from Ireland. Had “lunt” (Lunch-Tea?) – Kibbling for us and pizza for the kids. Nice!
Something familiar here. Check out the bottom left of this stall.
Marken
Another sleepy village. Marken is actually an island linked to the mainland by a dike. It was a cool drive. I wish I could live in one of these villages & do my reading, writing and surfing. Lotsa traditional Dutch houses, mainly green. Small canals with bridges (brug) named after royalties. visit. They say some of the inhabitants still wear the traditional Dutch costumes.
Got back around 2100, supermarket at Duinrell was already closed.
Had dinner outside since it was still quite warm.
0300 It was a hot and steamy morning. I only managed 2.5 hours of sleep before I was awaken by the rustling sound in my room. Scheisse! Time to wake up.
Got to Stansted around 0500, plenty of time to spare. The flight was rather speedy, I think the pilot stepped on it – it took only 40 – 45 minutes before we arrived in Eindhoven. Had some problems with National/Alamo car hire – no auto & the PIC left! Thank to Ruud from Avis we managed to get an auto/manual Fiat Punto – gosh! Brand new with only 2600 km clocked. (Note to self: Rempedaal to get in gear from neutral!)
Skirted Antwerp and went straight to Brussels. Parked at Atomium for free. The structure was designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn for the International Exhibition of Brussels, that took place in 1958. It is a structure that is half way between sculpture and architecture, symbolising an iron crystal by the scale of its atoms, magnified 165 billion times.
Nice & breathtaking, but nothing much around the area. We didn’t even go in. It costs €9.00 per adult and free for kids below 12.Tried the Metro from Heysel to Centraale – Fast!
Checked out the tourist area esp. around the Grand Place (Grote Markt - Market Square). It’s a very old town with beautiful set of Guild houses dominated by the Town hall and the King's house.
We were awed by the exquisite and detailed decorations on the buildings and the kids were awed by … heart shaped papers. There must’ve been a wedding ceremony at the town hall just before we came, and there were red heart shaped confettis everywhere plus rice on the ground, not unlike our tabur beras & bunga telur I guess - as a symbol of fertility.Walking .. walking …
New York has the Statue of Liberty, Paris has the Arc de Triomph and Brussels has the ...... Manneken Pis. This statue of a little boy doing what? No price for guessing, pissing. I suppose it was just a decoration on a fountain but wow, its been been a major tourist attraction in the city since several centuries. Tapi pakai baju lah pulak .. I was hoping to see it in its au natural state. Oh well.. now I know that the manneken-pis is very often dressed. At the moment he has a wardrobe of more than 600 costumes, which are all preserved in the King's House, or City Museum at the Grand-Place.
In Benelux (I’m assuming Luxembourg has the same peculiarity), toilets make money! You pay to go in usually €0.40 - €0.50
Good: You don’t have to hold it in, you can “go” anywhere you want as long as you pay
Bad: Even patrons e.g. at Shell, McD still have to pay – weird!
Anyhow, it was a glorious day at 27 degrees Celcius.
Managed to arrive at Duinrell Caravan Park around 2000+. Along the way, I was unsure whether a speed camera flashed on us or another car. I was told the fine is €40.00. Arggh!! £@#< it!!
This is our cabin.10 May 2008
We targeted to be at Keukenhof at 0800 but only managed to be there around 1030. Didn’t know preparing kids and cooking breakfast would take so long. Anyway, another beautiful day. 33 Celcius.
Keukenhof, believe it or not, means The Kitchen Garden. In the 15th Century this area consisted of woods and dunes and belonged to the Countess of Holland, Jacoba van Beieren. Here games were hunted and herbs gathered for the castle's kitchen. The present Keukenhof Park started in 1840 and was initially designed by horticultural architects Zochter, father and son. In 1949, Mayor of Lisse Mr. Lambooy, with dozens of prominent flower bulb and tulip growers, developed the idea for an open-air flower exhibition and started the flower garden of Keukenhof of today.This is probably the most photographed place in the world. Since it was so warm, it was akin to sunbathing but in the glorious colours and shapes of 7 million bulbs. A 3 hour planned trip turned to 5+ hours. No regrets!!
Volendam
This sleepy fishing town is kinda my favourite part of the trip. The fisherman’s cottages, the harbour, fish markets, old and new boats and yacts almost stroking each other. What a serene ambiance.
Met 2 working Malays there going to the local supermarkt. Also met 2 working girls (not that kind lah!) I mean they were not students as I thought. They were on a “Rombongan Cik Kiah” from Ireland. Had “lunt” (Lunch-Tea?) – Kibbling for us and pizza for the kids. Nice!
Something familiar here. Check out the bottom left of this stall.Marken
Another sleepy village. Marken is actually an island linked to the mainland by a dike. It was a cool drive. I wish I could live in one of these villages & do my reading, writing and surfing. Lotsa traditional Dutch houses, mainly green. Small canals with bridges (brug) named after royalties. visit. They say some of the inhabitants still wear the traditional Dutch costumes.
Got back around 2100, supermarket at Duinrell was already closed.
Had dinner outside since it was still quite warm.
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Man U da Champions
Gosh! I was so preoccupied I forgot totally about Sunday games! Congrats Man U da Premiership Champions. Thank you Ronaldo & Giggs for making it 2-0 against Wigan. And I so am satisfied since Chelsea only managed to settle for a 1-1 draw with Bolton. Arrrgh! Ecstasy!!!! Now, Champions League - Game On.
Sir Alex Ferguson
I envy this guy. Man U topped EPL 10 times under his charge. How did he manage to spot resources & motivate the ballerz to become the football powerhouse of Britain. His achievements:
1992-93: Won last 7 games to finish 10 points clear of Villa
1993-94: Bought Roy Keane from Forest for £3.75 m. Beat Soton to retain title.
1995-96: Cantona returned from suspension, chased down Newcastle's 12 point lead, winning by 4 points.
1996-97: Went top in January after 5 straight wins. Cantona ended career.
1998-99: Most successful season - the Treble. League, FA Cup & Champions League (beat Bayern Munich).
2000-01: First manager to win title 3 years running. After beating Arsenal in Feb, Man U were 16 points clear with 10 games to go.
2002-03: Unbeaten 10-game spell overtook Arsenal's 10 point lead.
2006-07: Hard fought with Chelsea. Victories against Man C & Everton brought the cup back to Man U.
2007-08: 10th title. With Giggs equalling Charlton's record of 758 caps for Man U + scoring as well
Sir Alex Ferguson
I envy this guy. Man U topped EPL 10 times under his charge. How did he manage to spot resources & motivate the ballerz to become the football powerhouse of Britain. His achievements:
1992-93: Won last 7 games to finish 10 points clear of Villa
1993-94: Bought Roy Keane from Forest for £3.75 m. Beat Soton to retain title.
1995-96: Cantona returned from suspension, chased down Newcastle's 12 point lead, winning by 4 points.
1996-97: Went top in January after 5 straight wins. Cantona ended career.
1998-99: Most successful season - the Treble. League, FA Cup & Champions League (beat Bayern Munich).
2000-01: First manager to win title 3 years running. After beating Arsenal in Feb, Man U were 16 points clear with 10 games to go.
2002-03: Unbeaten 10-game spell overtook Arsenal's 10 point lead.
2006-07: Hard fought with Chelsea. Victories against Man C & Everton brought the cup back to Man U.
2007-08: 10th title. With Giggs equalling Charlton's record of 758 caps for Man U + scoring as well
Saturday, 3 May 2008
Oil Price
Gas Price Calculation
Gas price in UK seems not that responsive to the actual movement of oil price (Brent, NYMEX etc). Well, that's because its got to do with tax! See how the British government suck you dry!!
Avg Price unleaded (p) 109.80
Fuel Duty 50.35 (45.8%)
VAT 19.22 (17.5%)
Balance (Actual gas px) 40.24 (36.6%)
So, my rough calculation: kalau oil px down to $110 bbl, pump station should be around 104.5p. kalau up to $120 bbl, it should be about 114p. Roughly la.
1 gallon = 3.788 litre
In US, gas price is around USD3.60/g when oil price = $118.75 bbl
so in US,in litre terms it would be $0.95/ltr or £0.48/ltr vs kat UK £1.10/ltr
We in UK are 129% dearer!!
Khalas!! Khalasss!!
Gas price in UK seems not that responsive to the actual movement of oil price (Brent, NYMEX etc). Well, that's because its got to do with tax! See how the British government suck you dry!!
Avg Price unleaded (p) 109.80
Fuel Duty 50.35 (45.8%)
VAT 19.22 (17.5%)
Balance (Actual gas px) 40.24 (36.6%)
So, my rough calculation: kalau oil px down to $110 bbl, pump station should be around 104.5p. kalau up to $120 bbl, it should be about 114p. Roughly la.
1 gallon = 3.788 litre
In US, gas price is around USD3.60/g when oil price = $118.75 bbl
so in US,in litre terms it would be $0.95/ltr or £0.48/ltr vs kat UK £1.10/ltr
We in UK are 129% dearer!!
Khalas!! Khalasss!!
Friday, 2 May 2008
Jom Makan - New Port in Town
Went for majlis doa selamat for the new M'sian restaurant in town, called Jom Makan. Located right smack next to the National Gallery at Trafalgar Square. Nice chaps the MD & Director - Zuhri & Zain. Nice set up, very modern. However, am slightly confused with the target market, coz mostly around that area are fine dinings. JM is kinda like fusion between fine dining & modern.
Menu & price has yet to be revealed. Tengok lah camana - may be next month when its launched, I go recce with the guys again. I suspect its gonna be fairly steep to off-set the renovation costs & the running operation costs. Had some mee goreng & satays after tahlil. OK la. Hope they make sure the taste justify the price. Also the need to study food item/price/volume mix. Kalau target org Mesia who usually wanna come and eat a specific item, say, Char Kue Tiaw - may be £6 - 7 of Penang Cafe-like portion will justify. Coz you just target one item. But if you wanna target the thousands of tourists jumping up and down the lions of Trafalgar Sq, may be the portion needs to be cut, add on spring rolls ke, desert ke. Entice them to order a bit of this and that. So portion kena cut (along with the price maybe) so that orang tak kenyang sangat after eating 1 item. Each with different pricing - looks cheaper, but make a killing on price/volume. Anyway, aku bukan terrer sangat pasal meniaga ni (eh, not really. Masa kat sekolah dulu jual rokok - made a killing!!) Hope they will succeed.
On a different note, the doa selamat was done last night to catch the Khamis malam Jumaat thing. Nothing to do with the guys, but amazing how all of us are brought up to believe such magic. May be, other nights the points are lesser? Funny how we are so preoccupied with brownie-points .. Had a Yaasiin session, tahlil & doa selamat. Why Yaasiin? Everybody seemed so expert in reciting the surah, and I bet even without the Yaasiin booklet everybody can more or less still recite it. But I don't know how many can appreciate the surah. Makes me wonder what Yaasiin has got to do with doa selamat. The only ayat I can think of that has "Selamat" in it is 36:58. In fact the surah is an order! Look at 36:3. Yet everybody still refers to our long departed nabi to do the job when it is the reader who the ayat is targeted to. Well, until we become Practical Muslims, rather than Mystical Muslims, I don't think we are going anywhere...
Menu & price has yet to be revealed. Tengok lah camana - may be next month when its launched, I go recce with the guys again. I suspect its gonna be fairly steep to off-set the renovation costs & the running operation costs. Had some mee goreng & satays after tahlil. OK la. Hope they make sure the taste justify the price. Also the need to study food item/price/volume mix. Kalau target org Mesia who usually wanna come and eat a specific item, say, Char Kue Tiaw - may be £6 - 7 of Penang Cafe-like portion will justify. Coz you just target one item. But if you wanna target the thousands of tourists jumping up and down the lions of Trafalgar Sq, may be the portion needs to be cut, add on spring rolls ke, desert ke. Entice them to order a bit of this and that. So portion kena cut (along with the price maybe) so that orang tak kenyang sangat after eating 1 item. Each with different pricing - looks cheaper, but make a killing on price/volume. Anyway, aku bukan terrer sangat pasal meniaga ni (eh, not really. Masa kat sekolah dulu jual rokok - made a killing!!) Hope they will succeed.
On a different note, the doa selamat was done last night to catch the Khamis malam Jumaat thing. Nothing to do with the guys, but amazing how all of us are brought up to believe such magic. May be, other nights the points are lesser? Funny how we are so preoccupied with brownie-points .. Had a Yaasiin session, tahlil & doa selamat. Why Yaasiin? Everybody seemed so expert in reciting the surah, and I bet even without the Yaasiin booklet everybody can more or less still recite it. But I don't know how many can appreciate the surah. Makes me wonder what Yaasiin has got to do with doa selamat. The only ayat I can think of that has "Selamat" in it is 36:58. In fact the surah is an order! Look at 36:3. Yet everybody still refers to our long departed nabi to do the job when it is the reader who the ayat is targeted to. Well, until we become Practical Muslims, rather than Mystical Muslims, I don't think we are going anywhere...
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