HEY C'EST LA VIE! WELCOME TO THE PARTY!

After much anticipation, my sister in law, Sue (who is my brother's wife) gave birth to a healthy baby girl about two (2) weeks ago. So now, I am Mama and my husband is Papa to two "anak daras". Due to several unforseen circumstances I was not able to visit my new niece until recently. By then both mum and newborn were safely back in their home in Kota Warisan, Salak Tinggi. But I finally managed to waddle my way to my brother's house yesterday and had my first meeting with my latest "anak dara"...so folks, here's introducing "Nur Alisha Zahari"!

Alisha, just a few days old and still in Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban.

Hmmm...anak dara ni kuat muncung...photocopy atuk dia. Don't believe me? Check out the photo of her Atuk.

I told you! The little lady looks exactly like her "granpere" - right down to the hairstyle!

The elder sister...Amira...always, always, centre stage.

The two sisters...photos courtesy of Aunty Alosh.

Nur Alisha, now about two weeks old...all nice and comfortable in the arms of her "nenek".

I wonder what she's dreaming about...

Whatever it is, it must be good judging by her wide smile (Probably she got some inside info from the "BIG MAN UPSTAIRS" that England will be kicked out of the World Cup).

Alisha: "What???!!! You're going to allow then to score one goal??? No, no, no...let it be 10 to 0 in favour of Germany...please, please, pretty please!!!". Alisha, giving the whole apartment (not to mention the whole apartment block!) a preview of her voice...this little lady's got a good pair of lungs on her.

Ya Allah...sayang, naper marah sangat tu??? Ish, ish, ish...muncung sungguh anak Mama yang sorang nih...memang macam Atuk dia.

Alisha; "Pa, are you done yet? You're disturbing my beauty sleep...ngantuk nie, ngantuk!!!"

Papa and his two girls...Alisha: "Laa...lepas Papa, Mama pulak sambung main kamera...bilo la den nak dapek tido nih?"

The sleep of the young and innocent...All love Sayang, always...sugar & spice and everything nice

Amira and her Nenek...I love them both so very much!

To Alisha, C'est La vie Mon Cherie! Welcome to the party! It's time to rock and roll! Remember always...I've got your back.

LUPA LA TU...(SAMBIL MUNCUNG PANJANG)

Hmmmm, he did it again. My hubby conveniently forgot my birthday again last year. Waaaaaaaaaa!!! So very the sedih. Okay, so I exxagerate. He didn't forget...but he was the third person to wish me "Happy Birthday" and we live in the same house! He should have been the first! Okay, okay, it's me being the spoilt brat that I sometimes am. So there was the usual "tamil drama" and tears, and snot (spoil jer la hingus nih!) and the "you memang tak sayang I"...ish, ish, ish...sesungguhnya gua memang drama queen. But then he made up for it...hmmmm...niceeee...don't ask for details...they are not for the faint-hearted...ha! Ha! Ha!

However a few days later he got me flowers and chocolates...the man definitely knows the way to my heart (not to mention tummy) pending the actual birthday gift, and this blog, although long delayed is to record for posterity the loveliness of the flowers.

I luurrrvveeeeee roses...very much! And I am partial to chocolates as well.

Bunga kembang...hati ku pun kembang...unfortunately badan ku pun kembang jugak!

Cinta...love...la, la, la, la, la...

The card...also so full of love one...I hope it'll stay this way until death do us part.

The roses and chocolates in the car...just after I received it from my hubby...

The venue wasn't some exotic faraway island paradise, just the basement parking at One Utama Old Wing but I was in seventh Heaven...God, I'm so easy to please am I not?

Aku sungguh terharu...muka tengah tahan airmata daripada bercucuran...ish, drama sungguh uols!

BARBEQUE RAYA HAJI 2009

I've got an invite to a birthday barbeque after work tomorrow but alas I will not be able to make it. What a waste, the lady (who also happens to be the second in command in the department, so she's me Boss) who invited me is a great cook. It's to celebrate her twin daughters' birthday. Would be fun but after a day at the office, all I can afford to do in the evening is crawl into bed and pretend to watch the footie match on the telly. Ahhh, barbeques. Had a few at the petit-de-maison in "Mantin-Montreal" but it wasn't anything fancy. Wish I had my boss' funky high end barbeque set and the lovely setting that is her house to go with it. But...we have to make do with what we have, so it was the round barbeque set (which we got free from Proton Edar after spending a small fortune on the car maintenance) and the backyard at Mantin-Montreal.

Pagi Raya Haji...Anak daro den melaram habis pakai kebaya! Anak daro yang lagi sorang tu den raso "ehem, bau asham..."armpit" siapa "toot"!

Ish, ish, ish...Papa dengan anak daro dio. Papa pun raso eh, ado bau-bau "gambin".

Anak dara zaman sekarang, Bukan main pandai, melaram.

Arose dengan gaya "Chipmunk"! Cute gitewwwww! Asalkan the shot is above the "empire line", if bawah sikit nanti nampak "the entire empire" (emphasis on the "tire" = "tyre" - same pronounciation, different spelling only maaa!)

Ewah, dua jejaka "hashem" ("handsome" the way Amira pronounces it). One to blow on the "arang" [as any stray pieces of "arang" will not be detectable on him - I am mean, I am mean, I am very mean!] and one to "kipas" the "arang" into life.

Arose and Mader (when life was simpler and Mader was still just Mader)...note the loveliness of my cousin Arose's curvy figure...very the lentik uols! But there is a secret...perut pun lentik jugak and ianya tidaklah lentik ke dalam...get what I mean?

The chicken and the beef, which had been marinating for a whole night, undergoing its "trial by fire".

The smell was so "wonderful" even the cats were attracted! Dey tanggachiiii, itu daging juga jangan kasi sama kaler macam itu Mader, vokeh!

Anak daro den dah paneh! Nakdo laie kebaya, berlengging ajo. Anak daro sorang laie tu memang cas lawa dari awal, tapi tak po la, dio rajin jago daging, jago api...cayang Aunty Alosh!

The result. Don't look without eye (direct translation - jangan pandang tak ada mata), the colour may have been a bit dark but the taste was superbly delicious! Look out AFC, soon you'll be begging for my recipes and it'll be "Thrilling for a Grilling with Roza"...ha! Ha! Ha!

My coleslaw!!! Success!!!

My mashed potatoes - also a success!!! I'ts sooooooo gooood...from the front to the back...oppss, that's a line from the song "Body Beautiful" by "Salt n Pepa". Over pulak!

The deserted back side of the house after all was over and done with...*BURP*...I mean the deserted BACKYARD, BACKYARD! Sometimes my brain just refuses to provide the right words and I figured "bahagian belakang" translated becomes "back side". I guess I was not quite correct...

Anak daro den dah mandi, pakai baju lain pulak sambil tayang-tayang selipar "bling-bling" yang Aunty Alosh beli kat Bangkok.

If she likes it, it must be good...coz this young lady is rather finicky when it comes to food.

Raya Haji 2009 was the way a family gathering should be despite the overcast sky. The rather moody weather forced everyone into the house, good food, good company, good conversation where no one took offence coz everything's in jest, the warm lazy feeling where you are free to be yourself, no need to impress, just bring your own skin and be comfortable in it coz no one's judging...I wonder if we'll ever feel that way again...