Crystal Anniversary Hideaway

By the time this entry is posted (thanks to auto/scheduled/timed-posting which blogspot introduced), wifey and I are on our way to a much deserved 3-day-hideaway-break and staying in one of the heavenly abodes above....And it's a surprise for wifey (of course I have about 3 other surprises up my sleeves lined up for wifey which will be unfolded one by one by the day)! Well the weekend away is not a surprise; the destination is! I really wanted to surprise her in toto but to save myself being surprised with shock-horror, I decided dead against it! (wifey's a workaholic you see....Even on days which she is not well and gets medical leave, off she'd go clocking-in! This time she even thought of bringing her laptop along - well let's just put it in the mildest way; I forbade her. I don't mind a few of this breed in my office as my support staff, though!).

We were married on 21st November 1993 (btw, this hideaway had to be brought forward from the actual date due to an unavoidable circumstance) - that was within 3 months after we got engaged! Had it not been for my mum, on the fated day, who saw us flipping through a bridal magazine with wifey admiring some solitaires which were beyond my means, I can safely say that there wouldn't be any Khadijah, Yusof, Kauthar, Ibraheem, Umar & Hajar nor this special weekend! She put her foot down and said come let's go to the goldsmith and get wifey the engagement ring! That was how the decision was made. It's not that I was not sure about wifey....but it was my obsession with my personal goals in life which was the hindrance! I knew she was the one for me to spend the rest of my life with because I was constantly thinking about her whenever we were apart; her faith in God, her company, her wits, her intelligence, her beauty etc (like what they say nowadays, a complete package....What to do.....personal goals over happiness in life!

I was later told by wifey, after the wedding, that she was giving me time until that very year (in her heart and mind; obviously she could not tell me this as we were never an item!)...She'd, otherwise, have moved on! It was shocking for me but I knew that she would not and did not expect her to wait for me till the cows come home.....! Till this day, I thank God for guiding my mum to push her way through!

You know in life you tread on very thin lines without realising it? A thin line indeed I was walking on at that very instant!

Truth of the matter was, wifey and I had been friends for what seemed to be forever....And our relationship was entirely and truly platonic. We had never gone for a proper date,...not even once, before we got married. I would say they were just outings like with other friends. I was so obsessed with my goals in life that falling in love was never an option. My goal was to make money and settle down with a wife and children in my late 30s. Well "Man proposes, God disposes" !

Dear Yayan if you are reading this, my feeling for you is aptly captured in this song - Happy Anniversary in advance!

Tak kusangka kau hadir di hidupku,
Kau penuhi semua impian hidupku,

Sungguh Tuhan ku bersyukur padaMu

Kau izin kan aku untuk mencintainya

Kau terbaik

Yang pernah kumiliki

Jangan kau pergi dariku

Namun bila harus berpisah

Kuingin kau tahu

Kaulah yang terbaik

So to any of you out there in the same dilemma, I would say, seek blessings from God and follow your heart!!! Bollocks with personal goals (LOL!)

Kassim Nasi Kandar

Yes! Yes! After a 10-year-wait, my craving for Kassim Nasi Kandar was satiated yesterday! It's not that I have not been back to Penang all these years, but it's always for meetings etc that I always had to skip this place every single visit. So this time when the opportunity came (background : had a meeting plus signing session with a company up in Sungai Petani and the nearest airport is Bayan Lepas - perfect!), since I had 1.5 hours to kill before heading to the aeropuerto, I drove in a frenzy around Komtar area to look for this place. Penang has really transformed since I last visited! The roads are difernet now! Almost missed this Nasi Kandaq seller though because I initially thought the Nasi Kandar place along Jalan Macalister was the one!

Kassim Nasi Kandar is located opposite Gama Supermarket along Jalan Gurdwara (it's a bit run down though. In its heydeys, this was "the" shopping place! With places like Queensbay Mall, Prangin Mall, Gurney Plaza; standalone departmental stores like this, are no longer popular! Parking was a breeze for me as there is an open air car park along Jalan Macalister (next to Masjid Jamek Simpang Enam).

I can still remember when we were young, dad would bring us to Penang (well the northern states, really) every single school holiday. My paternal grandparents hailed from Pontian, Johor but led almost a nomadic life because my granddad was in the police force and was stationed in various places like Sungai Petani, Kulim, Alor Star etc. They only settled down in Ayer Baloi when my granddad retired. My dad used to cycle to Penang Island from Sungai Petani/Kulim to watch movies and have his nasi kandar fixes! So back to our school holidays......My father would bring us to eat Nasi Kandar, whenever we were holidaying in Penang, at various places 3 times a day....(yes breakfast, lunch and dinner) - different stalls of course. But the one which I remember most is Kassim Nasi Kandar! It used to be a small stall but has grown four times the size when I visited them this time. To this very day, my dad would travel, with mom of course, to the northern states to visit friends whom have become more like relatives and would along side it indulge in a gastronomic gallivant!

Now you know why I'm into Nasi Kandar!

My nasi kandar with bendi (okra), fried fish fillet, prawn and long beans!

The prices have really increased

Prayed zuhr at this nearby mosque over a century old.

The original part of the mosque

The minbar (pulpit)

Must be the imam's bike

Mak's birthday

It's mak's birthday today.

HAPPY 66 TH BIRTHDAY MAK!

LOVE FROM ALL OF US.

Cool or what?

I'm stranded at Bayan Lepas airport. Flight is delayed and it's our national carrier. This is so cool though, being able to blog using my phone! My first! Got a bit fed-up with FB and walah! access to blogspot was relatively easy. But then, it may be Penang where the network is not that congested!

I'm here just for the day - meeting and signing documents in Sungai Petani. A bit of a hiccup due to the fault of our client (not passing the buck here, but it's the truth) - thanks to superwomanwannabe who frantically scampered in KL while I was sipping tea in Sungai Petani! The wonders of cyber tech! If it happened 10 years ago, I would have had to make a return visit!

I will post about my 10-year craving totally satisfied during this trip!

I'm beginning to surprise myself for being a tad prolific. Watch out for more entries these few days.

Quickie

I'd better put these pictures here before I lose them!

What have I been up to? Don't know, really. Time seems to have been racing through like a whirlwind without me realising it.....It's almost the end of 2008 and what have I achieved? Err....not much!

I have a few drafts remained unfinished and it remains to be seen as to whether they will ever get to see the daylight.

Picture aove was taken this morning on my way out to work....Hajar was sprinting to the front gate to get in to my car in the hope that I'd bring her out for a spin..Sorry Hajar, Dad was really late! It's her fave past time now....; dashing to the front gate whenever it is ajar! She's growing too fast, I must say. We are contemplating now...another baby? May be Baby Alive will just do....LOL!