Iftar @ Asy Syakirin Mosque, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur

Fasting in the month of Ramadhan is one of the pillars of Islamic teachings. We are now into the second week of fasting from dawn to dusk. Basically by fasting one cleanses oneself and observed the real value of life specially the under privileged.  Anyway, that being said, fasting to me and others is a ritual that we observed meticulously.

Everyday, Muslims break their fast at about 7.30pm in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Since the city traffic will come to a near standstill, most KLites will break their fast at a mosque near their office. I am no exception. Three years ago, my office was right in the middle of the evening jam, just next to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), i.e. the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur. As such my favorite mosque is the Asy Syakirin mosque since 2005. Every year this is the place that I feel very comfortable breaking my fast among strangers that were slowly becoming my annual mosque buddies. I have made a few close friends and one passes away last year due to severe diabetes. Another is good at baking fruit cake. And my close friend Id is my constant companion every year.

The beauty of breaking fast in the mosque is that every one from all walks of life seat together on the marble floor waiting for the call of prayer at 7.30pm marking the time to break our fast. All of the congregation have the same packed food, a bottle of mineral water and a bowl of porridge. I am humbled by this scene. When the muezzin calls for the prayer everyone like a clock works start with a bite of the deliciously heaven send dates that is full of goodness and a sip of mineral water, thereafter everyone start on their bowl of porridge. Some will continue with their mixed rice, others proceed to perform the dusk prayer together. Since I am a slow eater, I will eat after the prayer instead.

Thereafter all of the congregation moved into the praying hall and pray together in harmony. It is a beautiful scene and the feeling thereafter is beyond words.

Thus, one can celebrate the holy month with loved ones in a cozy of one home or bring all your clan to enjoy the humble ambience at any mosque and experience the simple dishes but expertly made to ensure a full wholesome taste through out the fasting month. 

iftar blessing

~Acepaizah~

Toy Story 1

{my old faithful BenQ}

{my new toy & resting flap keyboard}

Today is an ordinary Friday but for the soaring temperatures. However, in the comfort of my office another story is unfolding. Having to commit murder these past few weeks when I have to encounter the “kill pages” box, I traded my old faithful BenQ computer with its latest version. The process took about an hour or so, since the computer man have to install everything from my old faithful BenQ.

The end result was much to my surprised. The screen itself is wide. Suddenly everything is so clear. Emm what took me so long to change to flat screen monitor? For the record, I am not a gadget person. I will use whatever gadget I own till it is irreparable. As far I am concern all gadget are to facilitate our life, full stop. In fact I choose to keep the old keyboard since it has a flap where I could rest my wrist. 

Ok, back to my new toy. According to my computer man, the MG is large enough and by analogy, a few teams of foot ball players could play at the same time. Never mind, I am not interested. All that matters is that I am not a killer of the web pages anymore. And I need not have to read newspaper or multitasking while waiting for a web page or to check my emails anymore. In addition, I do not have to scroll the scroll back back and forth to read any text. It was rather taxing and irritating to scroll back and forth since I enjoyed the convenience of not having to do that with my lap top at home. But I am antique freak! I will keep all work-able stuffs. I have to start to let go stuffs, lest I am becoming a hoarder.

To my surprise, apparently my office internet connection is fast. And I am not using Unifi! Now I think I have to synchronize my routines lest I spend more time surfing the web than doing my work. But that’s a story for another day. Welcome to the virtual world.

new toy kisses
old faithful goodbyes
~Acepaizah~

Pre-Ramadhan Foodie Misadventure @ Bara Bistro

{yummy}

Malaysian past time activities is eating. We greet each other with the phrase “Hi, dah makan?” (Hi, have you eaten?) Friendly neighborhood restaurant opens 24 hours a day. Serving all kinds of food, from the humble plain toast to chicken chops at 3am! Only a Malaysian can plan for their supper while having dinner. And along the way I heard through the grapevine that even expatriate are acclimising to this way of life. Welcome to Malaysia, the land of vast variety of delicacies and cuisine from all over the world.

As the fasting month approaches, many pre-Ramadan lunch, tea, dinner and supper were arranged in the anticipation of having breakfast at dusk instead of just after dawn. I am not an exception either.  Among them I went to Bara Bistro @ Axis Atrium in Ampang, Selangor, bordering the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, and just a stone away from the City of Kuala Lumpur. I ordered my standard menu, Nasi Lemak with spicy fried chicken and cucur bilis (fried anchovies in dough). My companion Id ordered special burger and white Nescafe.

My Nasi Lemak was below par and the chicken was over spiced and fried to burn! So, it loses its juiciness. The sambal (chilies paste) was way too spicy even to my third companion HH who came later who simply loves chilies. However, the cucur bilis were as expected fried to near perfection but too oily. The accompanying sauce tastes more like chilies' in vinegar! The Nescafe was just right, well mixed and shake with its frothy form which was creamy. 

The special burger was moist with sliced cheese and fried egg top with generous mayonnaise and layered with crispy salad and sliced tomato.  Id cut it into halves and HH help herself to it. Id is a small eater. I had a bite and my teeth sink into its layers of goodness. Maybe I will order this special burger instead in future.

As I patron this place quite often, I definitely will come again for my caffeine fix! Notwithstanding, the ambiance is very appealing and inviting. It is a comfortable place to relax after work with a glass of Nescafe and some finger food and just gossip your time away. The ambiance is definitely an 8 or 9 on Acepaizah scale. On some day the food is palatable and value for money, but not on this visit. My Nasi Lemak is definitely a 5 on Acepaizah scale!

{burger, nescafe, cucur bilis,
nasi lemak}

caffein kisses

~Acepaizah~

 16/7/12

Lunch at 4pm @ Kelfood Restaurant

{Ayam Percik & its accompanying condiments}

I am hitting a brick wall. No, I am not talking about writer’s block.  Figuratively I am enjoying a long plateau of my weight crisis and the graph does not look presentable and we are in mid July of the Gregorian calendar! After careful and quick observation through my analytical mind, the main contributing factor emerges. It is the easily accessible delicious mouth watering food in the land of 24/7 fast food, hawkers and family friendly restaurants.

Last week was such a stressful time for me with work piling and my monthly test approaching at neck breaking speed. So after the panic button were turned off on Saturday a few of us decided to celebrate with a bang. So our entourage of 5 cars and a motorbike made our way to Kelfood Restaurant along the Middle Ring Road at Taman Melati, Kuala Lumpur, approximately 6 kilometers from the Islamic International University Malaysia.

Kelfood is a short form for Kelantan Food. Kelantan is a state in the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula bordering Thailand famed for its sweetness in most of its dishes. It was about 4pm when we reached Kelfood Restaurant. It is tea time but we have not had our lunch. After a brief browsing we pile up our respective plates. J had a plate of Nasi Dagang (Rice and raw mixed vegetables) and grilled chicken and salted egg. This is a local cuisine originated from the states of Terengganu and Kelantan (both in the east coast of Malaysia). I had rice with grilled chicken and a long slice of cucumber, squared bean and egg in thick coconut gravy. W and M had mixed rice too while Wg had chicken rice and French fries. I ordered an extra bowl of chicken soup which I ended gently forcing S to slurp it.

The foods were simply delicious. The chicken pieces were well marinated and grilled to perfection. The chicken meat was tender and juicy. The accompanying sauce is reasonably sweet and spicy with just the right amount of chilies and I think there is a lingering sour’s after taste. This grilled chicken is called Ayam Percik (Ayam means chicken). In all honesty, it is in its authentic taste, texture and flavours! This grilled chicken will be sold at every Ramadhan bazaar in the city of Kuala Lumpur during this forth coming fasting month, i.e. the Ramadhan month. However, due to human greed, some of innocent buyer will be short changed by unscrupulous vendors.

Now what’s my Ayam Percik verdict? I give a 7 on Acepaizah scale. Will I satisfy my hunger pang at Kelfood in future? Definitely! It is a clean and comfortable place. The waiters and waitresses are polite and friendly with ready genuine smile on their face. It is a value for money place.

ayam percik kisses

~acepaizah~

14/7/12

Happy Birthday Gang!

{2011's cheese cake}

{fr NN,FA,+a similar pen fr MK}

Today is Monday, 9^th July 2012. It is a second Monday for the month of July. Last week was 2^nd and next week will be the 16^th. In life, we were told not to delve what was in the past. We are instilled with the phrase “que sera sera, what will be will… the future is not ours to see, que sera sera…” What is so significant about all these Mondays? And not forgetting one lonely Tuesday on the first week for month, i.e. 3^rd of July. July is a month of celebration. It used to be a month that I will be broke and I think still is!

Now, let’s ponder about today, 9^th July. Today is my nephew E’s birthday. He should be 18 years old today, if my memory serves me well. Emmm, yes he is definitely 18. I think he is celebrating his birthday alone sans family members since he is away in college in Banting, Selangor, and a town on the east coast of Selangor, relatively near to the beach along the Straits of Malacca. He was very talkative and active bordering a hyper active child when he was very young and now he seems to lost some of his vocabulary and answering any query with a single syllable. However, he is very active in giving a helping hand to a charitable organization which his father introduced to him.

Next Monday, my first born niece NN will be celebrating her 22^nd birthday. Naturally she will be celebrating with a bang with her own baked cheese tart. I still owed her 21^st birthday’s present which she will probably get during the Eid’s celebration in August as what her cousin brother IQ got during last year’s Eid celebration. Somehow along the years, my sense of time derailed. IQ was the first victim when he turned 21 two years ago.

Oh yes, I have not forgotten the lonely Tuesday boy. Well, he is not a boy anymore but a man with a wife and a daughter and a well manned moustache to boost! Tuesday 3^rd was his 29^th birthday. I believe he celebrate with a bang too. When he was younger, (about the age of seven or eight, after being aware of his birthday) he never misses my birthday. He is the only one among all my nephews and nieces who do not need a reminder from the parent’s of my birthday. I supposed he made a point to remember it lest I forget his birthday the following day. There was this year, when he placed a nicely wrapped blue ball point on my first car’s windscreen early in the morning before going to school! 

Last year, yours truly celebrated her birthday at De Palma Hotel in Ampang with friends from university’s days. This is after more than 20 years graduating from my alter mater, University Technology Mara Malaysia. It was not a planned birthday do but a mini reunion. They presented me with a cheese cake, the size of a cappuccino cup! I cut the cake into 8 parts! Guess where I celebrate my birthday this year? Yes, De Palma Hotel in Ampang, seating at the same long table but with different company. Déjà vu!

Happy birthday E!

Advance happy birthday NN.

Belated happy birthday MK.

July is indeed a prosperous month.

lotsa birthdays hugs & kisses

~acepaizah~

Kampung Pengantin @ Wedding Village

{the newly wed's main table}

{the wedding dais}

 It is time of the year when most couple ties the knot and says the dreaded phrase, “I do”. It is July and July’s bride is full of summer's glow. As usual I received a number of invites and I have to be mindful and careful which invite to accept and which to decline as I could not be at two places at one time. Over the years I have learnt to bite just that much that I could chew. NHA, the groom’s mother, invited me to join the groom’s entourage last Sunday to the bride's wedding reception.

The reception was held at a place which requires a year booking in advance. This is “the place” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is called “Kampung Pengantin” (literally means the “Bride’s & Groom’s Village”- “kampung” means “village” and “pengantin” means “bride and groom”). Kampung Pengantin is situated on a roof top of a 3 storey building. Kampung Pengantin is very breezy notwithstanding that it was held in the afternoon. The banquet hall of Kampung Pengantin was air conditioned and it was very comfortable.

Since we were the groom’s entourage, we were seated right in front of the lovely couple’s main table. The newly weds, their maid of honor and best man walked into the Kampung Pengantin’s banquet hall accompanied by the beatings of the kompang (a kind of hand held drum) and walked up the wedding dais and sat on the two high chairs. The chairs were relatively bigger in size compared to the petite couple. Their parents were seated in front of the wedding dais and observed the obligatory customs and rites of showering the couple with rose water and mixed pieces of fragrant flowers' petals and pandan leaves.

Thereafter they proceeded to the main table and we started to have our feast. The food is simply delicious. The briyani rice is delicious by itself. The briyani rice came with five side-dishes. Among others were beef rendang which I must say that it tastes like the one prepared by my late mother especially during Eid celebration. It is like a traditional “Perak-ian” style dish. The chicken is of premium quality and taste. We practically finished all the dishes that were served to us. Finally we were served with local fruits and white tea.

Now what can I say about Kampong Pengantin? Kampung Pengantin is a comfortable place. It is easily accessible, ample parking and good food. Whether it is value for money,I am not sure since I did not foot the bill. Rumours has it that it is quite costly. Well you only marries once?! Ha! Ha! What flavorful day, the food, the place and the company. I would rate Kampung Pengantin an 7 out of 10 on Acepaizah scale.

wedding hugs & kisses

~acepaizah~

1/7/2012

Upin & Ipin @ University

{Translated from post on 24/6/2012}

Saturday morning begins with a meeting with a friend, SD at 7 am. I wanted to consult her relating to Dr. A’s assignment. We met at Mc Donald Restaurant adjacent to the Shell petrol station along the Middle Ring Road near Ulu Klang. (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia). It's a pity that there are no Nescafe drinks on the menu; hence I was forced to order black tea instead. Did not get my caffeine fix this morning! We consulted briefly because I had to rush to the University. Regardless, the meeting is very beneficial.  

I arrived at the parking lot and got a space that was very near to the entrance of the building. Somehow, I feel supremely excited. Oh, in fact, I will indeed be excited when I can park as close as possible to the places that I wanted to go. Upon entering my lecture room I was greeted with darkness and the greetings of my comrades as well as Dr. F’s voice. Due to the heavy rain and lightning the day before, there was short circuit and our lecture room was affected. Our lecture was moved to another room which is rather small, right in front of the parking lot where I parked my car. Ha! Ha! Thank goodness Dr. F’s lecture went smoothly as usual. 

We were back to our usual lecture room for the afternoon session. As usual Dr H arrived 10 minutes to 2 pm, so he has to wait until 2.10pm before all of us arrived. His lecture commenced as usual and Dr. H later commented: "emmm… I’m speaking by myself..." Thereafter some interactive sessions took place and then we discussed about the Baqi cemetery in Medina.(a must visit place in Medina, Saudia Arabia). Suddenly and spontaneously Dr. H probed a pair of sibling "ha ... you, Upin and Ipin* pair, did you have the chance to visit and enter the Baqi Cemetery?" The whole class broke into laughter. Dr H too laugh and later apologizes to the siblings, A and A. However they said they were not offended. We were surprised with Dr. H’s one-liner jibe, because he is a rather serious person. He lectures till 4 pm and we had our break for 10 minutes before our colleague M, W and R presented their respective papers. Having said that however, Dr H do have a distinctive aura and can hold our attention till 5.30pm! And my own assignment is not ready yet. I am the last presenter during the holy month of Ramadhan. (Muslim fasting month, in mid July-mid August 2012).

Since I am very tired, upon reaching home I fall asleep until 3.05am.

Class kisses.
 ~acepaizah~ 
@23/6/2012
 • Upin & Ipin are twin brothers in a Malaysian cartoon’s character.
*translated upon request