My 400th post!

Believe it or not, this is my 400th post. In the beginning, I was a bit worried about finding things to write about in my blog. Then, I discovered how to put pictures in and until now I've always find it very effective.

At first, I was anxious about things that I write and people that read them, but now I've discovered that writing for myself is the best style of writing ever. Now, I hope people who reads my postings would feel as happy as I am. I am a jovial person to say the least and I hope my 'hehehe' aka giggles would make other people happy too. I'm as loud as I am in my writing...hehehe

For the past week or so, I've been boring you to death about the raya activities in Khartoum. As I said in earlier posting, it is my blog after all! It'll be my keepsake and would very important as a reminder in my journey of live. I'm using this blog as a journal of my daily life, insyaallah.

So, hopefully I'll keep on blogging as I have loads of things to share. I'm just too busy enjoying life to sit down and write about it. Actually, now I find everything very interesting to blog about...sigh... so, till another 100th post...insyaallah

Fifth day raya...at Noni's house

On Thursday, the fifth day of raya, Noni/Fino invited us to go to their house after maghrib. The kids refused to come with us because they were busy playing with their PS2...sigh.

Since I was fasting on that day, I opted to break my fast with my own cooking...hehehe...while my husband just break his fast with light food. As usual, we were among the first and got a nice 'perching' place...hehehe

The Acheh students cooked most of the dishes while Noni made her infamous McNoni porridge...hehehe. It was delicious! Anyway, we didn't stay long because soon, her place was too crowded with people. My husband even joked with Azuar that NADA should have designed a bigger apartment for all of us... and to that, he replied, "Bersyukurlah ngan apa yang ada"...hehehe

Infront of the door...

These kids are such cuties...finding a spot under the counter...hehehe

The plate at the back are full of Sudanese cookies...

Condiments for soup and porridge...

Noni greeted a guest...

Some of the ladies...

The Acheh boys...

A view from the front door...very crowded...

Fourth day Raya...at Kak Erlina's house

On the fourth day, my husband started working and we started our puasa enam. Kak Erlina/Zabudin invited us to her open house after maghrib. So, I just cooked for the kids. By maghrib, I've bathed and fed the kids. Our not so little baby decided to have a nap...sigh. So, we left all the kids at home while we went to the third floor.

We were the first, so when we arrived we couldn't see any shoes outside their house. My husband was a little bit worried while I was busy counting the days after raya... I could have sworn she said on the fourth raya...hehehe. 

Luckily when I rang the doorbell, they were waiting inside...hehehe. Kak Erlina who's an Indonesian prepared soto padang. She also perpared loads of other dishes like rendang, kuah kacang, lontong etc. But her soto padang was different, we could put in white rice as well...alhamdulillah, as I was fasting and I need my nasi! Hehehe...

Since we were early, we had to leave early too...Didn't have time to have a long chat...sigh... But on the way out, we tried her cookies and it was delicious! 

Amir was really sleepy...

Hady was busy watching TV...

The men and Su...

Kak Erlina in the black and red tudung...

Some of the dishes...

Third day Raya... at Ina's house

After Isya', we went to Ina/Wahab's house on the 3rd floor. She came to Sudan during the summer holidays. She has two daughters and came originally from Kedah.

I came after isya' because then I would be able to stay longer...hehehe. She had fried mee, nasi putih, fried eggs etc. Hadi was happy to eat the mee and fried eggs and later just fried eggs...sigh. I stayed until after 9 pm, with Kak Jas, Ina Sakinah and Puan Taha...hehehe

Ina wahab and Kak Jas...

Sempat posing...hehehe

Lauk-pauk...

Fried mee...

Biscuits...

Third day Raya... at Winnie's house

From Kak Liza's house, we went back to relax and pray because Nad's house was not until 3 pm...hehehe

So, at 3.30 pm, we went to Nadzifah/Hairudin's house. Actually, Nad's mother, sister and auntie were around. They came specially from Malaysia to 'experience' eid in Sudan...hehehe. She served us laksa penang and nasi impit kuah kacang. But sadly I was distracted enough with hadi and Amir to take any specual notice. 

Hadi had a tantrum because he wanted to play with Ikhlas's toys (what's new...sigh!). So, we cut the visit short and left early. I didn't even have enough time to take the pictures of the food...sigh. We then sent Aliah and Hadi home while Amir came with us to Winnie's house.

I was really impressed with the decor in Winnie's house. It was green, with loads of plants. She had also many lovely oil paintings. She served us laksa penang and carrot rice with rendang and other condiments...very delicious! Winnie cooked with the help of two Indonesian girls. She made some brownie too...hehehe

Winnie's laksa penang...

Other dishes...

Complete with lighting to create the atmosphere...

Me, K. Erlina, K.Shidah and Winnie...

The men...

Third day Raya... at Kak liza's house

On the third day of raya we had plenty of invitations of open houses, maybe because people were trying to grab the last day of the holidays. At first, there were only two invitations, Kak Liza's for lunch and Ina/Wahab for dinner. Just nice actually. But then, we received invitations from Nadzifah (3-6) and Winnie's from 4 to 9 pm...sigh.

Well, we could always skip and not go, right? But, raya is the only time when we had the chance to visit each other, especially those working ladies...sigh.

First, around midday, we went to Kak Liza/Rahmat's house. I was a bit quiet in Kak Liza's house...not because of the food because the food was delicious...Kak Liza cooked mee bandung, mee soup etc. It was because I was sitting right infront of the kaabah replica that they've got. I felt it was ' not right' to be my usual loud self...hehehe. Even the others commented that I was really quiet...hehehe

My husband and cheeky Hadi...

It was really big, okay...

Kak Liza...

Some of the guests...

Second day raya... at Ina's house

The dinner slot for second day of raya was initially taken by Kak Anum/Ipin but two days before raya, they decided to go back to Malaysia. So I persuaded Ina/Budin to have theirs on that night (theirs was supposed to be lunch on the third day)...hehehe.

So, we went to their house after isya'. It was full of guests. Hadi was happy to be able to eat soup. Actually it was soto...hehehe. I had the best time chatting with others and I stayed back when most of the guests went back. So, I had ample time to taste her cookies. My favourite was pea's biscuits...really nice... really delicious.

Hadi was eating the soto...

Su and Nicky's baby...

Those who 'over-stayed'...hehehe

The varieties of cookies...

The delicious cookie!

Second day raya... at K.Shidah's house

Actually, on the second day of Raya, I've arranged for 3 open houses in Block A. Ours was the breakfast, Kak Shidah - lunch and Ina Budin - dinner. Hehehe. So, the others do not worry about cooking... kira cam gantung periuk for Raya... We only cooked for our open open house and I've arranged it so that there's no 'clash' of time... I also let the others know of the 'timetable' beforehand so, it'll be easy for them to remember...hehehe. FYI, they had to 'book' their slots through me...hehehe. Gila kuasa kan?!! Muahahaha!

Anyway, we went to Kak Shidah/ Kusaimi's house quite early. We arrived slightly after 1.30 pm and straightaway had lunch...hehehe. They asked the Acheh students to cook nasi minyak, ayam masak merah, dalca and meehoon soup etc. We left soon after because Amir was sleeping at home and Hadi had to be the baby-sitter...hehehe

Then, we had a rest... a long rest...alhamdulillah.

Notice in front of their house...

Their creative kids made this... hehehe

Some of the dishes...

Meehoon soup...

Some of the guests... the ambassador in black...

Our open house... santai pictures

I'm just going to share some of the pictures taken after the 'peak' hours...hehehe

This is the only picture of me during the open house...

Ruziean and Din lepaking outside...

Su with Nicky's baby...

Ala cutenya...

Lin and her son...

My kids, afterwards...

Amir's asleep while Kak Long's playing PSP

Self-taken picture... sigh...

We're ready to go to the next house...hehehe

Our open house... the atmosphere

Our open house was supposed to be from 9 - 11 am. It started at slightly after 9 and ended around 1 pm! Hehehe... Nearly all came to our open house, alhamdulillah. If I'm not mistaken, only Noni and her family didn't turn up... 

At first, I was so busy serving the guests and didn't have enough time to chat with the guests. Only when the first rush was over, did I find some time to chat with friends. Since I had some food left over, I started inviting the Sudanese who was working on that day... from general workers to the cleaners...hehehe

I was really satisfied with the turnout as well as the food that we ordered. Guests mostly said that the food was good which I could only thank the students who cooked them...hehehe. I was also glad to have it as early as the second day of Raya because after that we were 'free'... free to enjoy other people's open houses as well as we could 'relax' and not worry about our 'turn' anymore...hehehe. All in all, I was really happy with our open house...Alhamdulillah. 

Some of the early guests...

My husband was the 'perfect' host...

Khalida and the gang enjoying breakfast...

Hopefully they enjoyed the food...

Rahmat, Andrew among the guests...

I only managed to snap a few pictures of this group...

They were busy chatting...

The 'peak'...

Kak Erlina, Puan Taha and Winnie...

The men drinking hot coffee...

The kids in my room...

The kids in Aliah's room...

Chatting among themselves...

They were having fun... alhamdulillah...