Independence Day...

Yesterday, the 51st Malaysian Independence Day was celebrated in the new Petronas Complex compound in Khartoum. Even though the ceremony was simple, but it gives the Malaysian community something to remember for years to come. The ceremony was attended by the Malaysian Ambassador to Sudan and other Malaysians currently stationed in Khartoum.

In one of the speeches, it was mentioned that Petronas first came to Sudan in 1997. It has been 11 years and the Petronas Complex reflected the success of its venture. It is indeed an accomplishment that any Malaysian could be proud of.

Aliah was involved as a traditional dancer. She was so excited because she likes dancing, plus the fact that she's going to make new friends. They didn't have a lot of practice, less than a week in fact. So the little kids made a lot of mistakes but I salute the coordinators because it still looked very colourful. Look at the pictures below...

Waiting in excitement...

Trying her very best!

Mistakes here and there...

Aren't they colourful?

Amir and Aliah

A child's logic...

I am still in grief... But, my kids forbid me from crying... So, I could only cry when Aliah and Hadi are at school. I am trying my very best to accept fate and learn to 'redha' with what has happened but it is still too early, too soon... Sometimes, out of nowhere the memory of my brother would crept into my mind, and I was consumed with sadness...

Though my kids won't let me moping around the house. Aliah said, "I don't like to see you cry, mak.". But, the 'gem' came from Hadi. When I asked him whether he missed his Pak 'Yang, he said, "Yes". When I cried, he said, "Pak 'Yang died, but Pak 'Mud is still alive. You're happy now?". Who am I to argue against his logic? It's true that one of my brothers has died but I still have another one...So, I am trying to see it from Hadi's point of view... I've lost one brother but I still have another...

Terima kasih...

Disini inginku rakamkan segala ucapan terima kasih dan penghargaanku kepada semua yang terlibat sama ada secara langsung atau tidak langsung dalam menyempurnakan jenazah adikku Ayang, semalam. Allahyarham selamat dikebumikan di tempat tumpah darahnya di Sabak Bernam sebelum isya' 26 August 2008.

Terima kasih buat semua ahli keluarga dan saudara mara yang telah datang menziarah keluarga kami. Terima kasih kepada Mahmud kerana walaupun kau kehilangan satu-satunya adik kita, tetapi masih dapat menyempurnakan segala urusan dengan baik. Mesti ada hikmah daripada apa yang terjadi, mungkin ini masanya kau menjalankan tanggungjawab sebagai seorang abang. Tabahkan hati di hari-hari yang mendatang, insyaAllah semua urusan akan selesai dengan baik.

Terima kasih kepada kawan-kawan Ayang (dari Perodua mahupun dari kalangan rakan sekolah dan kenalannya) yang sanggup menunggu berjam-jam di Hospital Selayang. Terutama sekali kepada rakan baiknya Epul, yang sejak dari zaman persekolahan, dapat menggembirakan hatinya dan yang sanggup bersama semasa berduka juga. Dari kecil rakan-rakanlah tempat dia mengadu nasib, sampai ke akhir hayatnya, rakan-rakan jugalah yang bersama. Terima kasih yang amat sangat diucapkan kepada rakan-rakannya yang bersamanya hingga ke akhir hayat beliau.

Terima kasih kepada jiran-jiran daripada Tasik Puteri (Ema, Zali, K.Eda, Abg. Mus, Ina, Man dan yang lain-lain) dan juga jiran-jiran dari Taman Sri Rawang yang dapat meluangkan masa hingga ke tanah perkuburan. Tak dapat kubayangkan bahawa kalian sanggup berbuat demikian untuk kami sekeluarga.

Terima kasih kepada Kak Yah dan Kak Zila dan kerabat Petronas di Khartoum kerana menyempurnakan tahlil untuk adik saya. Walaupun kalian tidak mengenali kami, tapi telah menolong dengan ikhlas.

Terima kasih kepada Ewin dan keluarga, janganlah terlalu bersedih, sesungguhnya mungkin ada jodoh yang lebih baik untuk Ewin kelak. Terimalah dengan redha dugaan Allah ini.

Terima kasih kepada Abg. Sham dan Kak Normah, Kak Arah dan Along Zali kerana menyempurnakan segalanya. Terima kasih kerana menganggap kami sebahagian daripada keluarga kalian.

Kepada semua, tak dapatlah kami balas jasa kalian sehingga ke akhir hayat. Hanya Allah yang dapat membalas jasa kalian, insyaAllah. Walaupun kami jauh diperantauan, dan hanya dapat berdoa dari sini, sesungguhnya terharu bahawa segala urusan telah berjalan dengan lancar. Terima kasih sekali lagi.

Aku berdoa agar roh adikku, Ayang dicucuri rahmat dari Illahi, dan semoga dia ditempatkan di kalangan orang-orang yang beriman, insyaAllah. Al-fatihah...

Al-fatihah buat Ayang...

Al-fatihah buat adikku Ayang (Ahmad Nazri bin Mohamad Aris)... I've learnt about my brother's death about 2 hours ago. Abg. Sham called us at 4.30 am and told us that Ayang has passed away in a motorcycle accident in Rawang. I do not know how to describe my feelings at the moment, it's all surreal.

My brother, my youngest brother... He lost his mother when he was 4 years old, lost his father when he was 12 and now lost his life when he was just 22... Allah loves him more... Ya Allah, tempatkanlah adikku Ayang diantara orang-orang yang beriman, Amin... Sesungguhnya Kau lebih menyanyanginya... Ampunkanlah segala dosanya, ya Allah... Kau permudahkanlah segala urusannya...Al-fatihah...

Making the most of it...

My kids simply love bathing in a bathtub. Since Aliah's small, she relishes the occasional times when the family stays in a hotel because it means that she would get the chance to use the bathtub...hehehe...A hotel without a bathtub is considered not a very 'nice' hotel. Hadi and Amir also love to spent time in the bathtub.

So, when they arrived in Khartoum and found out that their bathroom has a bathtub, it really makes their transition much easier... I don't blame them because the bathtub is huge...hehehe... Whenever we permit them to use the bathtub, all three would run and spent hours playing in it. They have all sorts of toys in the bathtub (sometimes they even managed to sneak some in without our knowledge!).

Now that we're moving to the new complex in a few days, they're maximising the use of the bathtub. Since they are aware that there'll be no bathtub in the new apartment, they use the bathtub everyday without fail. Only in the morning, they'll use the shower. In a way, I'm glad that we're moving soon because I'm tired of being the 'bath-gel police'...sigh...

Aliah and Amir playing

The kids enjoying themselves...

Donkey ride...

In Kandahar, while waiting for our food, my kids went for a donkey ride (except for Hadi of course) compliments of En. Mazman. Aliah and Amir went with Aiman, Fatiha and Nabil for a tour of the area. They even managed to see a group of camels. At first Aliah was scared but when she saw Fatiha and Nabil, she agreed to go and enjoyed it. Look at the pictures below...

Amir and Hadi relaxing...

Getting started

Off they go!

Enjoying it!

A trip to Kandahar

Last week, the residents of Block G decided that we should show our gratitude and appreciation to the workers of Block G (they include the supervisor, drivers, guards and also the general workers). So, last Friday we went to Kandahar in 2 vans and a car. It's my first trip to the infamous Kandahar. Surprisingly, it's not that far from Khartoum. The journey took only about 40 minutes.

Along the road I could see the 'real' Khartoum, complete with mud huts and one of the busiest souk in Khartoum, Souk Libya. According to the driver, Souk Libya is the place to get a bargain for carpets, if you're lucky that is. By 10 am, we're in Kandahar. Kandahar is famous for its meat market and also acted as an auto rental (which means that people come there to rent vehicles of all types, even a tractor!).

Luckily, our driver had called ahead and made the order beforehand. So, when we arrived, we were ushered straight in. What struck me was the meat hanging outside the stall. We were supposed to choose the meat and wait for it to be prepared. Another peculiarity was that we're supposed to sit on a kind of bed while the stool was used as a table...hehehe... it seems that after a meal, you could sleep on the 'bed' and relax.

The khoruf outside the stall

The lady preparing the salad

The meat is cooked on a pan full of holes (so that the fat drips) over a coal stove

The meal

The company

It's enough to say that we were satisfied with the meal. We had khoruf (mutton) and camel meat...hehehe... Quite delicious because khoruf is different from the normal mutton and it doesn't smell at all. The salad's fresh and tangy, a perfect complement for the meal. After the meal we had 'chai', a very strong tea. Then, we went home. We arrived back in Khartoum before the Jumaat prayer, just nice to have a quiet nap after a fulfilling meal...hehehe...

10 more days...

10 more days to the move, and the countdown begins... I am starting to panic, there's still so much packing to be done. I've packed 32 AGS supplied boxes and 17 Subalipack boxes. The packing progress in the storeroom is about 80 percent done. I haven't started with the bedrooms and the kitchen. I think this weekend would be filled with packing and more packing...

I have just received news that the progress in our new apartment is also about 80 percent. What does it mean? It means that the cleaning and the furniture are not ready yet. So, we'll only be getting our keys 2 or 3 days prior to the move. The packers (who would come to pack our bulky items and glassware) would also be coming 2 or 3 days before the move... I can foresee a period of hectic rush to get everything done in time. We also have a plan to clean the new apartment before the move. So, now the only day open for us would be the Thursday before. The schedule is so tight, we have hardly room to breathe...sigh...

Well, no use in moping around. It's time to 'do or die'... I will survive this 'mad rush' period and really looking forward to the calm and cool of the aftermath of the move... Hehehe... Well, at least it's something to look forward to...

Where do we live?

Where do we live? The answer is, "I don't really know". Puzzling isn't it? But, it's true. I don't know exactly where we are staying...it's somewhere near the Makkah Eye Centre...and that's the closest that I could get to our home address. I think, it's the culture of the region not to have the same concern about having an 'address' like we do. Probably, it's enough to know the landmarks surrounding your house.

But for me, not having an address is like not knowing where you are. If I were to be left in the middle of Khartoum, finding my way back would be close to impossible...hehehe, plus the fact that I'm very bad with my sense of directions. It also means that people couldn't write to me, so I'm only left with a 'virtual' address. Not that it's a bad thing, it's just irritating not to have an address of some kind. I'm sure they have a mail delivery system of some kind, I just haven't discovered that yet.

Another problem of not knowing your house address is the fact that you couldn't have a delivery of your favourite pizza for example, because what would you say when you call in? Plus the fact that we'll be fumbling with the use of English and Arabic to let the other person understand your order...hehehe...

Hopefully the problem will be solved when we move to the Petronas Complex. At least, we could use an address like this: Blok A-1-7, Petronas Complex, Khartoum, Sudan... I truly don't know, we'll see how it goes... But I do hope that we'll get a 'proper' address soon, just for my peace of mind...

Rainy season

This year the rainy season starts early. Normally it starts in July, but this year it starts to rain in May. Coming from Malaysia and so used to torrential rain, I was a bit surprised with the rain in Sudan.

When I first heard the pattering of the rain (and being curious), I opened the back door. I thought it was sandstorm because of the wind but in amazement I told my husband, "it's water". My husband laughed and said, "what do you expect, it's raining". It's nothing like the rain that I'm used to. Even rain in England has more 'character'...hehehe. It's just like big droplets of water, but quite sparse... And it doesn't last. After about half an hour, it stopped.

But it did leave its mark. The next morning, I could see the 'leftover' red dust courtesy of the rain at the verandah. There's also potholes in front of our building. Because Sudan is very dry and seldom see rain, the soil is hardened enough not to be able to absorb the rain water. So, we are left with potholes everywhere. As I mentioned before, most roads in Khartoum are dirt roads and after it rains, we'll have a 'camel trophy' kind of ride in the van...

Living in Sudan is definitely not for the faint hearted but the good news is you'll be able to appreciate your own country more...

Happy Birthday to...

Today is my husband's birthday...So, last night we 'tried' to have a surprise birthday celebration for him...hehehe... I managed to bake a chocolate cake and hid it in Hadi's closet. After Isya', Aliah and me decorated the cake with nutella and chocolate sprinkles. Amir was also there. But, we were caught red handed because my husband got suspicious with the 'lack of noise' in the living room (and Aliah forgot to lock the door...sigh...I'm working with such amateur...). So, we had chocolate cake with ice cream last night.

Happy 37th Birthday!

Aliah was enjoying the desert

But the baby enjoyed it most of all! He kept on asking for more...

First day of school...

Before:

Aliah was so excited, she woke up before 6 am...sembahyang, showered, finished her breakfast before 7 am. Hehehe...talk about being eager. Hadi was not too bad... Both rearing to go by 7.45. when we arrived at school, not many students there, so we waited until 8.30 for their assembly. Only about 5 percent Malaysians.

In Pre-reception, there's four Malaysians (3 boys and a girl), while in Year 1 (1 girl and 1 boy). At first everything was fine but then a boy in front of Hadi started crying and was holding on to a pole...hehehe...the girl behind him started sobbing as well...and of course, he started calling for me...I was praying that the assembly would finish soon...Alhamdulillah, after that he went to the classroom on his own and sat infront of the class. I just said my goodbyes and went to Aliah's class. She was also sitting infront of the teacher's desk, there's only about 8 students in her class. After saying goodbye, we went home... There's not as much drama as expected for a first day...hehehe...

Looking smart in their uniform!

A little bit relaxed...

After:

Picked them up before 2 pm. We had to wait outside, under the scorching sun...so hot... At first, I didn't even recognise Hadi among the classmates, they all look the same to me...hehehe...that shows how well he 'blended' in with his friends...hehehe... I noticed the black spots on his face, I thought he was eating chocolate, but upon closer inspection, it was black dirt...must have been enjoying himself too much. His socks was nearly black with dirt and his shoes were full of sand...sigh...

Aliah was okay, but the classroom was so hot that the teacher advised her to take off her tudung... her face was all red from the heat. Anyway, Hadi said that a girl shared her blocks with him, "It's black!", so I gathered that he's making friends with a Sudanese...hehehe... As long as he doesn't make more remarks like that...hehehe... I think they had fun in school, that's all that matters... After mengaji, Aliah was asleep by 5 pm, while Hadi about half an hour later...they were so tired.

Aliah's dead to the world!

Hadi knocked out!

But, the most tired is this one! Picture taken after sending the siblings to school... Suffered from separation anxiety. Looked so lost, alone in the house...hehehe...

Preparation for school... Part 2

Aliah and Hadi are going to the same school, Little Friends (The Avinash Academy). At first we wanted to enrol Aliah in Khartoum International Community School which boasts of 5 star facilities (they have swimming pools, and even a 5 screen cinema)...But, since Aliah didn't perform well on the Year 3 test, she couldn't study in KICS. FYI, because of her date of birth, Aliah was supposed to enter Year 3 curriculum, of course she was not equipped to sit for the entrance test for Year 3 students (one of the question is essay writing!).

Anyway, there's two other international schools. There's KAS (Khartoum American School) and Unity. In KAS, the students don't have to wear uniform and the students are encouraged to express their opinions hence enhancing self confidence, but I think Aliah is too western as it is... While Unity is the school where there's the controversy of last year's 'teddy bear' teacher. And it's also in the middle of Khartoum and bearing in mind the present political climate, not a very suitable option.

In the Avinash Academy, boys are allowed until Year 1, while only girls for Year 2 and 3. Aliah loves the idea of being in an all girls' school. While Hadi will be in pre-reception for 4 and 5 years old. Aliah will be in Year 1 because we feel that she needs to master the basic skills first. And the fact that they will be together is another bonus.

So, everything is ready for their first day of school... I think Aliah is excited, but I don't know about Hadi. I can foresee some kicking and screaming tomorrow...hehehe...

Preparation for school... Part 1

The summer vacation is nearly over, it's two more days before the school starts. And as usual the parents are more anxious than the kids...hehehe... Time really flies, it has been nearly four months since we first set foot in Khartoum.

As Hadi's hair is getting really long, we need to have it cut before school opens. After asking around, the only viable option would be the barber in Holiday Villa Hotel . It seems that he is quite familiar with cutting Malaysian's hair. Otherwise, we need to find barbers at the odd pavement or corners and they are definitely not familiar with our finer hair texture.

So, last Saturday we went to see the barber. He was very pleasant, and Hadi was subdued enough not to scream...but he did squirm, though... At some point, my husband had to hold his head in place... So, the result? Hehehe... to tell you the truth, I'm not very impressed, he looks like Temenggung Jugah, but at least it's not long. When I asked the barber to cut Hadi's hair on top of his head, he refused saying that it's okay. Now, Hadi's hair is short all around with a bit of long 'turf' on top of his head, quite funny really...

During the 'ordeal'...

Today we went to Souk Arabi to have their trousers shortened. We had to ask Haithem, the driver to accompany my husband to act as a translator. It'll be ready tomorrow morning. We are also going to the school to buy the school uniforms tomorrow...hehehe...We have left it so long that now we're rushing to get everything done on time...