INTRODUCTION TO NILAI 3

RED ALERT!!! Husbands, don't bring your wives here! You have been warned!

22nd November, after lunch - The next visit was an introduction to Nilai 3. I have heard of it as a shopping haven especially for women but this would be my first hand experience at this very place. So let's see what we can get from Nilai 3.

carpets

materials for women's dresses

the only shop selling men's shirts

handbags

curtains

framed Islamic calligraphy

handicrafts from Sarawak

and surprisingly, a video arcade in the middle of the shopping area
(specially for bored kids tagging along their parents)

drinks stalls
(quenching our thirst after seeing all the items on sale)

So that was all about my day trip to a few places. I would like to thank again Puan Nooraini and Encik Rahman for their kindness ferrying my friend and I all the way from LCCT Sepang right back to our hotel in Kajang. Hope we can meet again some other time in the future

PUTRAJAYA - CYBERJAYA - NILAI - KAJANG

22nd NOVEMBER - I had to be in at Putrajaya for work reason but after having travelled very far, I had to make full use of the time. As I did not have the chance to meet an ex-colleague, Puan Nooraini Mohd. Nor, when I was in Kajang earlier last month so this was the best time to have a reunion with a long lost friend. Puan Nooraini left SMK Taman Universiti in 1998 when she moved to Pahang and is now lecturing in one of the teachers' teaching colleges.



Puan Nooraini and her husband, Mr. Rahman, were very kind enough to meet my friend and I at the airport, and send us to Putrajaya. Right after that they took us for lunch at Restoran Saba in Cyberjaya. I guess this eating place is a well-known spot as most of the tables were occupied.




The restaurant specializes in Arab food. So I had the opportunity to have lunch the Arab way. We had Chicken Hanith - the rice similar to the Malay's "nasi minyak" but with longer kind of rice, with roasted chicken in aluminium foil and side dishes of sauce made from mashed tomatoes, cucumber and pineapple cut (something like acar) and dhal gravy. We also tried new drinks called Babrican, most probably the Arab carbonated fruit drinks that came in different flavours.

That was a new eating out experience for me and once the tummies were full, we were taken to visit Puan Nooraini's home in Nilai before one more final activity right after that. To be continued...

VISITING HUTAN BANDAR MUTIARA RINI FOR THE FIRST TIME

I was in awe when I first arrived here. I did not expect the place to be that big and with well-planned landscape. It reminded me of Sydney, Melbourne and London, where there are parks in the centre of the city and people go there for recreational activities. At least, for people in Skudai area, there is a place for us to go relax our mind.

Just hope that the place will be maintained so the public can enjoy the park as well as the facilities available. We do need more park like this in Johor Bahru.

MOVIE REVIEW 22 - HARRY POTTER AND THE DEADLY HOLLOW (PART ONE)

I don't really follow the chronicle of Harry Potter. But Harry Potter should be a fun movie - with all its magic, wizards, witches, spells, demons and all the computer images. The first time I watched Harry Potter, all the characters were as young as me but now they have all grown much older. And the movie has now developed into an adult movie with scary images and more violent actions. Gone were the days of cute little boys and girls who could perform magic tricks in a school full of people who were born with supernatural powers.

It was a good watch anyway, but I personally feel Harry Potter is now a suspense thriller or horror-action movie. There would be a lot of heart-stopping moments and deafening sounds to accompany the extreme movements on screen.

By the way, I could not find any big poster of this movie outside the cinema for me to take photo with so I had to settle for the tickets instead. Thanks to Zahari and Syahir for the time spent, both at the cinema and the late teh tarik session right after that. Do remember this is only the first part of the movie so we should now wait for its sequel.

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR THE YEAR 2010

Officially, today was the last day of school for the year 2010. Again, how time flies! The teachers were extremely busy trying to finish off the work before they go for a month break. However, as a tradition, we had another potluck to celebrate this joyous moment. At the same time, this was a send off party to two teachers who would be transferred to new schools next year.




The main course for today was mee kari (curry noodles) but I could also see laksam and rojak at the side of the buffet table. Eating made people happy and could lessen the stress of working too hard.

Pn. Alyani giving her goodbye speech

Pn. Saemah's turn to address the crowd in the staff room

Farewell gifts exchanged hands

The two teachers who would be going away were Puan Alyani who asked for a transfer to Sandakan and Puan Saemah who would be moving to Kota Tinggi. Hopefully you both will never forget us here and treasure the wonderful moment here.

So, happy holidays to all my colleagues, at least you should enjoy yourself away from the students for a short while. If you think, this is going to be a long holiday for everybody, that is not necessarily true. Many of the teachers are involved in the SPM examination invigilation which will end quite late this time, and some are involved in the marking of the same exam paper. As for me, I have tonnes of work to do but I will try my very best to not just be like Jack the dull boy.

DEEPAVALI POTLUCK

We had a potluck for Deepavali today. One main dish we could eat was Idli, which I like very much, eaten with chicken curry. The students were not in school so we could have our food peacefully. So thanks to Mr. Narasimman, Mr. Punithan and Miss Indra for organizing the session.

CELEBRATING EID UL-ADHA 1431H

Eid ul-Adha was celebrated once again by Muslims all over the world. However, at my place, it was not as joyous as Eid ul-Fitri, when a lot of visiting activities are carried out. I myself would just go the mosque for the Eid prayer, then attending a short tahlil and later on went to visit the graves of my late parents and lastly went to my sister's place, or she would come over with the other family members. The rest of the day would be spent at home - doing nothing but eating and watching television.

This year, nevertheless, it was a bit different because I went visiting. Puan Roslina who did not go back to her hometown in Terengganu was having some sort of an open house for friends. When I arrived at her house, to my delight, a group of friends were already there. My choice of food would definitely a specialty of Terengganu which was Nasi Dagang.

The second house that I went to was Puan Zakiah's. Not actually because of Eid ul-Adha, but to visit her son who met with an accident last week on his way to Cameron Highlands. The boy was thrown out of the emergency door at the back of the moving bus onto the road but thank God, he only suffered minor injuries. As usual there was a lengthy conversation with the parents and got to meet two of their children who were ex-students: Safia and Adam.

That was how I spent my Eid ul-Adha break. One thing for sure, I need to lose this weight, soon.