The University a.k.a "The Climb"

It's anybody guess why I called the university "The Climb"... hehehe.

boleh kurus kering hari hari memanjat bukit nih pegi school ... :P

My home is...

In a nutshell (Prof. Moses fav. words),

home is ...

a roof on our heads...

wholesome food on our plates ... (see that Kicap Kipas Udang & Lingham's sauce!)

long luxurious baths...

a warm, comfortable bed during cold windy nights.

Home is a "social context" (Understanding Educational Research! hehe!)

... a place of nurturing

a sanctuary of love ...

Home is where the heart is :)

(A feeble attempt at poetry...hehehe!)

On getting used to the weather

I can still remember the remarks of people back home when we told them that we're moving to UK:

"Eee! Bestnya!!!"

At that time, with a lot of things that we had to do before we leave, I would smile wryly and say,

"Belum rasa best setakat ni..."

And now, as I lie in bed, bundled up in my 13.5 tog duvet, I just can't stop smiling because if those people were to ask me how I feel now, I would still say the same thing...

Being a true hot-blooded mammal from a tropical country, I have not really gotten used to the cold weather. I go to school dressed to a T (as in THICK) that some of my classmates would tease:

"My! You must have come from a warm country!"

"Enjoy the sun while you still can..." the locals added, cheerfully. By their standards, Bristol's weather has never been better.

Blue skies in Knowle ...

... & Bedminster

Actually, I must admit that the weather is not that bad. It is sunny almost everyday and it rains only occasionally. But the coldness ... cold wind, cold water, that really needs a lot of getting used to. The cold made me appreciate the sun more than before. Now, I would even sit at the steps of the front door just to bask in the sun!

Anyway, aside from the temperature, autumn is just perfect for the avid photographer. Pictures will be posted soon!

Journey to Our New Home

We left Malaysia for UK on the 24th of September. Yeah, yeah, I know it has been 2 weeks but I'm still going to write about our travel, anyway. After all, it's not like I'm competing with CNN to air the latest news or the likes. This entry is for family and friends who have been waiting for me to update my blog...hehehe!

I did not have any pictures of us at KLIA, but it was so "mengharukan" that family members and relatives took the trouble to send us off. Amid all that, the 5 of us did not shed a single tear but I was told that Yasmin, my niece, cried all the way back to Seremban (don't know if my father exaggerated to make us feel guilty for being so 'heartless'! Haha!). Truth is, we were emotionally & physically drained by a lot of things for months that we just don't know what to feel, think and do anymore. We were thinking, let's get this over with and try to get some rest once we arrive in the UK.

Well, we did get some rest and pampering on the plane. Flying Malaysia Airlines, business class, the stewardess practically fluttered around you till you couldn't breathe! After all, we were reminded time and again that they were "award-winning cabin crew". Hohoho!


The food... well, even though I'm not into their elaborated prawn cocktail, the rest was OK. Yup, that's right: ONLY OK. I mean, food should be savoured in the right ambience. Eating satay on a plane? I'd rather have smoke sting my eyes while I enjoy my satay at Samuri's belakang stadium Kajang tu... Huhuhu...

Anyway, we appreciate our seats (and leg room) very much and ever the shopaholic, I managed to do some inflight shopping... Kui! Kui! Kui!

We arrived 13 hours later in Amsterdam, and had to wait for our connecting flight to Bristol for 9 hours. Luckily, there was this place at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport where we could lie down on reclining chairs and take a nap (they even have blankets!).

Then, it was off to Bristol.

All was fine. Even the customs weren't fussy with our baggage (Dang! Should have brought more ikan bilis, serunding, soto mix, etc! Sigh...). I had my first taste of Bristol's hospitality at the Bristol's immigration checkpoint :).

We were greeted by the MCBUK committee when we arrived (terima kasih semua!) and they even had a little jamuan for us (thanks Asri & Faizah :)).

... to be continued (really have to read those journal articles ASAP)...

D5000 Raya Pix

Our farewell raya poses captured with my D5000.

My favourite picture: Jon Syahmi, my cutie-pie :)

This would have been a nice picture of the Mister and Missus, if not for the 'noise' in the background (the telephone cable and that colorful 'flower' near my head!) Human hindsight.

2009 official raya family pix

... and one with the maid, Tutik.

The three men in my life...

To have and to hold, and in time, to let go...

With Abah & Mumsie.

My verdict of the D5000: sangat berpuas hati (though I have yet to explore the full potential of the camera.

Jon's 6th Birthday & Farewell Party

Yeah, I know, this posting is long overdue. But, what the heck (brace yourself for more "yesterday's news"...hehehe).

Below are pictures of Jon and his friends in his final weeks in Malaysia (no lengthy write-up for a change!)

Thanks to Aisha and team at Alim Kids. Jon sure enjoyed his birthday!