How to make...

I'll let you in on a secret how to make bunga manggar in Sudan...hehehe.

Kak Zainon requested bunga manggar for the Edufair's opening ceremony. How to make bunga manggar in Sudan?!! We did have the colourful fronds from the Embassy but the stick?!! We asked Nina to buy two mop sticks but it took us about two days to think about what to use to stick the fronds to the mop stick. If we're in Malaysia, we could just use young papaya or even banana stem or to make life easy just buy that green flower sponge from the shops.

Here in Sudan, where to get all those things?!! I don't think papaya or banana trees grow around Khartoum. And I've yet to see a flower shop in Khartoum...sigh. So on the 28th of October, around 3, I got a call from Kak Jas to go to Ina Sakinah's house on the second floor. When I got there, Ina Wahab, Kak Jas and Kak Jas were busy making the bunga manggar.

They've already cut some polysterene foam... I think, I'll just let you see for yourself what we did...hehehe

First, cut the polysterene foam...

Roughly made into a 'ball'

Wrapped it in dough...

Shaped it into a 'cylinder'

Shaping it...

Then use aluminium foil...

Cover it with aluminium foil...

Poke it with a knife...

Then make it bigger with your hand...hehehe

Then, stick it on the mop stick!

Make sure you hold the stick firm...

Amir's about to do something naughty...hehehe

Then slowly put in the colourful fronds...

Working together's always the answer...

Tadaaaaaaa!!!

That's how you make bunga manggar in Sudan...hehehe. Even though, we're just housewives, we do have a lot of great ideas to make our lives in Khartoum bearable. Well, shopping for things online also have its merits...muahahaha

p/s: Thank you Kak Jas, Ina Sakinah, Ina Wahab, Kak Shidah and also Kak Rohana for making that day very memorable and full of laughter...hehehe. Looking back at the pictures made me smile like a crazy woman...muahahaha!

Aliah's open day...

On the 28th of October, both of us went to Aliah's school around 12.30 pm. When I entered the compound, I immediately spotted her at the playground. She was among her classmates learning outside because they're using her classroom for the parents to meet their teachers. Her face was pink because it was quite hot outside...hehehe (but she was quite happy for me to take her photos because my daughter's definitely a poser! Hehehe)

Actually compared to Hadi, Aliah was always pleasant in school and would always get great reviews. So, I was not too concerned about her attitude in school. I was just a little bit worried about her academics in Year 3 because she missed out on Year 2 altogether.

She was among her friends...

Merah padam muka Aliah...hehehe

When we went upstairs, we discovered that we're among the earliest and straightaway talked to the teachers. We had to see all the teachers one by one and Alhamdulillah, all the teachers complimented Aliah and her work. For someone who missed one whole year and the beginning of the year, she's making great progress. So good as to be at par with her other classmates within a month.

Ms Mona just had one problem with her... her hair! We were told off for not cutting Aliah's hair...hehehe. Ms Mona even told us an instance when her partner had to literally lift some of her hair to talk to her! Hehehe. Point well taken. I took some pictures of her school work which were pasted on the wall.

Water-cycle...

Athena...

Comprehension...

Maths...

Fruits...

Her classroom...

One of the mothers looking at her child's work...

On our way back, we picked up Amir. He was happy to see us...hehehe. But it seemed Hadi was upset when he found out that I already picked up Amir without picking him up...sigh. He cried in the van. He must have got so used to me picking him up with Amir.

Amir looked happy...

So happy to get home...

On our way out, we saw Aliah playing with her friends... Enjoy the pictures...

Ain, Rawda, Wadaha and Aliah

With her friends...

Playing...

She finally realised the camera...

Halaqah : Cuties at Kak Shidah's house...

During the Halaqah at Kak Shidah's house, I couldn't help but fell in love with two beautiful babies. Sharifah Nayela (Najwa's daughter) and the fun loving Aleesha (Nicky's daughter). I took so many pictures of both of them... hehehe. Enjoy!

A very alert Sh. Nayela...

Looks intelligent, right...

Nayela with Kak Anum...

Happy baby with her mother...

Kissed by Maziah's son...ahem...ahem...

Relaxing in the arms of Kak Anum...

Aleesha...

They're having a conversation...hehehe

Cutie-pies!

Time to play on her own...hehehe

Halaqah : Kak Shidah's house...

On Wednesday the 28th of October, we had the halaqah in Kak Shidah's house. Ustaz Nizam was there to share with us Rasullullah s.a.w hadith and its translation. Kak Shidah offered her house for the halaqah because she wanted to have a doa selamat as well. She'll be going back for good to Malaysia sometime in December with her kids.

The halaqah started around 9.30 and finished around 10.30 am. I was a little bit in a rush because I was supposed to go and see Aliah's teachers in Avinash Academy around 12 pm. I stayed on after the halaqah until around 11 am, before rushing off to cook a simple lunch for the kids...sigh

Ustaz Nizam in the middle...

Khusyuk...

During the doa...

Ustaz Nizam reciting the doa...

Posing, jgn tak posing...

With tuan rumah... kak shidah standing (in brown)

Group photo...

Hadi and his homework...

Doing his homework!

Last year when Hadi was in Pre-Reception, he didn't have any homework, just the reading component only. This year, he started having homework once a week and gradually increases to two or three times a week. Knowing him, I would be the one who would check his bag everyday...sigh

Normally, I would be the one who would supervise him when he was doing his homework, but on the 27th of October, I was busy with something else and my husband had to do it. At first he was all right but my husband forgot to tell him that instead of two pages, he had four pages of homework. I went into the room when I heard Hadi screaming with shouts from an equally angry father...hehehe

My husband's very strict to say the least and Hadi's equally stubborn. Definitely not a good combination...hehehe. One thing about Hadi's that he would first 'struggle' by kicking and screaming before doing anything that he's not comfortable with. I would normally 'persuade' him gently with 'rational reasons', my husband's the 'unrelenting' type. So, it's a clash of personalities to say the least!

I was not about to miss the opportunity to take some great pictures of the 'event'... the clash of the titans...hehehe. I finally persuaded him to do his homework until it finished, to the amusement of my husband...hehehe. Hadi was very reluctant because he didn't like drawing and he had to draw a lot of images... He's definitely inherited my 'keras tangan'...sigh. Enjoy the pictures!

My husband looking angry... hehehe

His math homework!

Being stubborn!

Regression?!!

Look at his drawing...hopeless! Hehehe

My husband started to smile... hehehe

Amir was unhappy because we were concentrating on Hadi...

He's doing it on his own...

The final page...hehehe