an evening in RC park

Kembaraksa@Istanbul-Amsterdam-London Day 2

16 April 2010

Still hoping to go to Amsterdam. Checking with Airlines what are the possible flights available. From the news last night we got to know all flights to Europe were cancelled due to volcanic erroption in Iceland. I had a feeling that i will not be short time. It will take weeks. What should we do?My husband still keeping hope. We keep contacting our friend in Amstermdam, updating him our status. We are using Skype as mode of communication. Alhamdullllah the hotel provides wireless access. Then we contact him updating him our status and check with him the airport status over there. We also like to consider Paris as another destination to stop beside brussel, dusserdolf and Frankfurt. But after hearing from the news that all train station also get congested we have to re-consider our option.

Airlines are busy to check on next departure flight, trying to cancel our cruise trip from Rotterdam to London (Stenaline) and we stuck here waiting for instructions from Airlines. But Alhamdulillah at least we have hotel and good food because I could see other people they had to stayed in the airport.

by 12.00 p.m suddenly the janitor hush us to leave the room. She is talking in Turkish, I cannot understand. But from the way she is talking that she want us to leave the room. I checked with the operator was it true and he confirmed right because we will be moved into another hotel by Airlines. After having our meal we waited for bus to come and pick up us at the lobby. After 4.00 then the bus arrived. We noticed we were moved to a hotel more nearer to the airport because I remembered the road when we first took during city tour sight seeing. In comparison to the first hotel is further in the downtown.

More better I hope. Yeah it is a 4-star rate hotel. And we noticed added to group another group of passengers who also stranded in Istanbul on the way to London. Amongst them is an old lady and a young pregnant mother with a child. So pity. They were both alone and now become family helping each other.

The Hotel (Grand Senol Hotel) offers us good meal as well and the kids enjoyed the hotel so much and forget temporarily their trip.

Still no news from airlines , no flight can fly to europe. I insisted my husband we got to plan something. Sooner or later our holidays will end. We cannot keep on counting of the airline plan. So I started to search for second alternative, like what if we just stay and have the vacation in Istanbul. I started inquiring the front dest, the places of interest in Istanbul since we did not make any homework at all for Istanbul. We got several brochures from the frontdesk and I started to plan what if we have to stay here. Recall K. Dillah advice if I did not make any reservation yet, she advised me to find somewhere in Sultanahmet Area. It has train link to Airport. Easy access town for movement I guess. So I kept her words in my mind.

At the same time my husband still try to work out for option to go to Amsterdam. I had something in my mind tomorrow, if there is no plan for flight we plan to stay in the same hotel and spent time here in Istanbul. We asked about the rate of our room we had now, it was about 150TL. Family suite. We calculate our cash and it is affordable. So if things no change tomorrow we will be ready to stay in Istanbul. Again after lunch, the airline want us to get ready to move into another hotel. Then quickly we pack our stuff and move to back into another town called Merter. This time the Hotel name is Gunnes Hotel.

Kembaraksa@Istanbul- Amsterdam - London - Day 1

Hotel Sahinler

15 April 2010

Today I cannot stop myself to enjoy my feelings to have our trip to Amsterdam. Feel time tick so slow. After complete my last task at 4.10 sent my last mail for this week to my Boss, I quickly took my bath and dress up the kids and do final check on all our luggage. 1 ,2 and 3. add 2 knapsack. My mom said.. I took 1 month preparation only to pack the bags ..hehehehe. sorry mum to bother you with all my request. The Deuter bag, the Brahim's pack and stuff.

Then we drove to Jeddah, to Yusof house to park our car. He offered us his help to sent us the airport tonight. Our fligh is at 2.00 a.m 16 April. The time was purposely arrangement such a manner because to we want to catch the free sightseeing tour in Istanbul by Turkish Airlines. Since this Year is Turkey visit year, the airline has arrange if we stopover in Istanbul for one whole day we are entitled for city sigthseeing tour inclusive lunch. So I could not see why we should not take this opportunity.


We arrived in Attartuk Terminal Airport at 6.30 a.m. It tooked one hour to clear all immigration check out. Only one counter was opened at that time may be too early. After an hour several counters were opened. Started searching for Turkish Airlines to ask bout our free trip. Still feel afraid if the trip is only true in clause but not available in real. But Alhamdulillah, finally we found the booth and we were told the trip will be at 9.00 it is just around the time, an hour before. We saw many others tourist also will join us. One group from Indonesia, their destination is London, few indiviuals passengers (students) , few transit passengers returning from Easter vacation from various destinations all plan to Europe countries like Amsterdam, Brussel etc.

We now with a group of tourist having our one-day Istanbul Trip. Our destination is Topkapi Sarayi, Sultanahmet Mosque(Blue Mosque), Haghia Sophia, Hippodrome, Arasta Covered Bazaar, Lunch and return to the airport.At least we had some ideas of Turkey as pre-visit and may be next time we will come again.


The places were so beautiful, we enjoyed the city buildings(the ancient time). We have one beautiful tourist guide providing infos and history of the places we went. Though it was a quick tour, but really satisfying. We had our lunch in Tamara Restaurant. Delicous Turkey meal. Kebab, Tavuk, and small portion of Egyptian rice, plus soup of the day, bread, salad and ended with Turkish tea and the famous baklava.


I have calculated in my head. One day Turkey will be my next destination. Then we returned to the airport and our kids were looking forward to fly to Amsterdam. My son was really look forward to visit the Ntural History Museum in London...


On the way to get our luggage where we left earlier at the Turkish Airline Office, my son suddenly told me a shocking sentence, " IBu our flight to Amsterdam was cancelled". I said , " No lah, you might mistakenly see the status". But he insisted it as true and mentioned that was our flight number. He was very keen to go and he had checked on every single thing he saw. We were waited for my husband to update us. When he returned, he said it was true that our flight was cancelled and next flight will be may be tomorrow morning to frankfurt. I told him to check for Brussel or Dusseldorf as well. The kids felt a little bit upset. What to do, we do not the reason. After a while I saw on the electronic board, it was not only one flight cancelled, almost all flight to Europe countries were cancelled. Whats's wrong ? Is there any problem to the world and I started to worry. How bout tonight is the Airline will provide us hotel? My hubby replied positively and now we are waiting for the bus to bring us to the hotel.


It is almost 9.00 p.m when the bus came and pick us. It took us 3 hours in the bus where mostly the bus is not moving seemed like the driver lost and cannot find the place. He frequently came down from the bus and asked for hotel direction. Our kids now all fall asleep. My watch now showed 11.30 suddenly the bus driver told us to get down and we have to walk to the hotel. The bus was stucked in the busy road. The road is so narrow and I noticed it is an hilly area and trafffic was busy at that time. It is difficut for the bus to move or turn.


As usual we are always be the last person to get down from the bus because we travelled with many small family members and its better to get down last. But unfortunately, Aina who supposed to take care of one the knapsack, she forgot to bring down the bag because still 'mamai'. When I realized the bag is not with him I told my husband to get the bag before the bus left. While all of us waited for him try to catch which direction the last bus passenger turn into. Its pretty scarry in the middle of the night, when almost every shop about to close we have to stood there waiting for our my husband with all the luggage with us. I cannot see now where the last passenger went to. It is almost past 15 minutes when my husband left. He supposed not to take so much time because the bus is not so far. But now more than 30 minutes, O my God, Now I notice, what if he did not returned. We did not have all our passport with us. They were with him. No cash, no documents and people around us cannot speak English. Almost feel like crying.


Now the kids started to worry when they saw their mum 'gelabah'. We lost from the group and lost from my husband and it was middle of the night. I tried to make myself stepped on a slightly higher pedestrian walk so that hoping my husband could see me. Luckily, he noticed and quickly returned to us and he told me that he took the wrong turn that's why it took him time. Now we had another problem, where is the hotel? We tried the route where I saw the last person went to. And we reach to a junction and we did not know which turn should we take. One more time my husband told us to wait and this time round, I am more smatter, I keep all our passport with us and some cash. Now this area is more scarrier, almost all shops were closed and some few men approached my kids offer them chocolate and tried to talk to me in Turkish language. I tried not to be so friendly neither being so ignorance.


Alhamdulillah after 10 minutes, my husband returned and told us he found the hotel. Finally , we check in and get some doner kebab as dinner. The kids intially were hungry but after what happened the felt so tired and fall asleep. I cannot sleep well thinking what is going to be happen tomorrow. Hoping we could still go to Amsterdam.
Together with us is a group of Dutch who would like to go back to Amsterdam and London after Easter Holiday VAcation and some of them from Brussel, returning from Umrah.

Finding Allah in Texas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBeLhu3eZ_k

YANBU RATTLED

Aftershocks rock Al-Ais :Muhammad Al-Sheikh & Yousuf Muhammad Arab News

YANBU: Strong aftershocks were felt in the village of Harrah Al-Shaqah and its adjoining settlements in the Al-Ais area yesterday with the Civil Defense declaring emergency in the region and ordering complete evacuation.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the strongest of the aftershocks measured 5.6 on the Richter scale at 8:10 p.m. yesterday. Earlier, a Saudi Geological Survey (SGS) statement said: “The magnitude of the earthquake has been rising notably from 3 to 4.81 on the Richter scale with a total of 46 earthquakes recorded between 2 p.m. Monday and 2 p.m. today. The strongest tremor occurred 7.7 km beneath Harrah Al-Shaqah and its adjoining villages.” Aftershocks were felt in Umlaj, Wajh and Ula.

An SGS team that is conducting an aerial survey of the quake-hit area found a large crack in the earth and opened a quake detection station at Harrah Al-Shaqah.

The USGS posted on its website that an earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale was observed in western Saudi Arabia yesterday morning. USGS pinpointed the location 195 km west northwest of Madinah (25.105 degrees N, 37.788 degrees E) with the epicenter at a depth of 10 km underground. The latest quake of magnitude 5.6 hit the same area.

The Civil Defense warned people in Al-Ais and its surrounding villages to avoid areas where smoke is coming out of the ground as such areas are more likely to see volcanic eruptions. It also said that rumblings and pungent smells are indications of possible eruptions.

Roads in Madinah are currently choked with people leaving for open areas and gardens. In Umlaj there have been reports of people fainting. The Civil Defense, which has been put on full alert, has also evacuated people to safe areas.

People in Yanbu also left for open areas and camped out on roadsides and gardens while waiting for the all clear.

Madinah Gov. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Majed ordered the acting undersecretary at his office, Ibrahim Al-Khattab, and other high officials to inspect safety arrangements in the area, and do all that is necessary to ensure the safety and wellbeing of residents.

The officials have been asked to guarantee the rehabilitation of the affected people, Al-Khattab said in a statement.

The machines that arrived at the Civil Defense Center here are the latest and most accurate to detect seismic activities — both the rumblings and volcanoes. The machines have been brought on the orders of Lt. Gen. Saad Al-Tuwaijiri, director general of the Civil Defense.

Heavy machinery that can work under rubble and cameras with remote sensors have been brought in by the Civil Defense. Powerful generators to run them are in place and experts in seismic activities are monitoring the situation.

People reported tremors all day yesterday. Students in Yanbu were excited rather than scared by the tremors.

The Ministry of Education has sent senior officials to the region to make sure teaching in schools is not disrupted.

Civil Defense authorities have also reserved more hotel rooms and furnished apartments in view of the increasing number of people leaving villages close to the affected area.

Col. Essam Farrash, acting director of the Civil Defense in Yanbu, told Arab News that evacuees who wanted furnished apartments were provided with the same. He said up to 800 people were evacuated from Al-Qarasa, Al-Hadama and Al-Amid, and were put up in various Yanbu hotels and apartments on Monday. Officials denied reports that they had stopped providing evacuees with furnished apartments.

“As part of housing arrangements, permits have been issued to evacuees to seek shelter either in Madinah or Yanbu. Those who were issued permits for Madinah will get their accommodation there and those issued permits for Yanbu will be provided accommodation in Yanbu,” an official said. He added that only the best available apartments have been selected for them.

“Seven patients have been admitted to Yanbu General Hospital,” said Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Saeedi, director of Health Department in Yanbu, adding that an emergency hospital with 50 beds and latest instruments has been put on alert in Yanbu.

Hospitals and health centers in the city are ready to handle eventualities, he added.

Special Entry:Selamat Hari Bonda

Selamat Hari Ibu kepada bonda tersayang yang jauh di mata tetapi dekat di hati.

If I can recall all those days, really hope time could turn back. But, it is impossible.
Dulu kita budak2, anak kepada mak dan bapak, wonder, nakal ke, rajin ke @ malas ke aku ni dengan orang tua. Tak boleh ingat semua tu. Tapi yang masih ingat di kepala abah tak pernah control dan tak selalu marah2 kami adik beradik tapi kami takut dengan abah. Kalau abah marah semuanye menikus. Selalunya decision abah based pada mak. Kalau mak kata ok , maka oklah abah. Huih power kan mak..

Tapi mak lain. Selalu jugak dengar mak membebel. Especially bila time kitorang asyik main dan tak tolong dia masak atau kemas rumah. Ada satu favourite phrase mak yang aku masih ingat tapi tak applicable utk aku skrg " terbakar kaki tangan mak ni nak kasi korang makan". Pernah juga try pakai. Tapi anak2 sibuk pulak cari, "kat mana ibu? tak nampak api pun?" . Lagi satu, ha main lagi.. tak habih-habih lagi main. Nanti mak rebus batu-batu tu bagi korang makan(masa tu main batu seremban) hehehehe.. Sekarang nak rebus apa yek.. "ibu rebus play-station tu buat lauk tengah hari...boleh tak agaknye..


Mak bolehla cakap macam tu, sebabnye mak full-time memasak dan suka memasak. Apa yang dia pernah makan, dia akan cuba masak sendiri , ikut sedap tekak dia dan tekak kami. Hasilnya, abah dan kami kurang berminat nak makan kat luar sebab lebih sedap makan yang mak masak. Dan the most important thing, mak masak sedap original, tak pernah letak any perasa. Kadang-kadang jek abah bawak kami makan kat luar(sebulan), itupun agaknya sebab nak entertain mak kot ataupun nak entertain kami adik beradik, dah letih masak kat umah atau tak de idea nak masak. Tapi bila makan kat luar, kalau tanya dia, " Sedap tak abah?" Dia jawab " Sedap lagi mak kamu masak". Happy agaknye mak masa tu. Abah puji mak bukan sebab nak jaga hati mak sahaja, tapi memang reality. Kalau mak tak de, sedih betul tengok abah. Ada la sekali-sekala mak pernah balik kampung tengok tok sakit. Abah tinggal ngan kami kat umah. Kami cubalah try masak macam mak. Tapi abah makan sikit sahaja. Suruh tambah lagi dia kata "Dahlah. Dah kenyang dah". Kadang-kadang abah sanggup tak makan, boleh makan biskut saja. Nama nak pergi kedai beli makanan, tak. Actually boleh bilang dengan jari sepanjang hayat mak, travel alone tanpa abah. Selalunye mesti dengan abah.

Dari dulu sampailah sekarang, mak tak pernah sanggup tinggal abah sorang2. Bila ajak mak datang sini, dia mesti kata abah kamu macam mana. Walaupun abah kata boleh pegi tapi, mak berat nak tinggal. Setia betul la mak. Aku ni boleh ke jadi macam tu? Aku harap aku boleh jadi macam mak. Sabar dan setia.

Itu abah dan mak. Mak dan anak-anak pulak. Mak jaga kami baik-baik dari kecik sampai dah kawin. Dia jaga makan-minum supaya kami tak gemuk dan tak kurus. Makanan yang kami makan cukup zat dan vitamin. Ada pernah sekali, aku main bola jaring dan bola tampar, jari kelingking terseliuh dan hasilnya terbengkok la sikit, marah betul dia(" beranak elok2, jaga sampai besar, dah besar bengkok sana bengkok sini tak tau duduk diam). Ikutkan segala macam petua mak ada. Dah lepas kawin dan lepas bersalin pun mak tolong jaga.

Tak nak membebankan dia, bila anak ke-3 dan seterusnya nekad duduk rumah sendiri. Bak kata abah " dia dah besar dah pernah beranak tau la dia jaga diri dia sendiri", sebab mak risaukan kita. Lebih-lebih lagi kat Yanbu, sayu masa sebelum bersalin hari tu dengar suara sebak dia nasihatkan kita supaya jaga makan baik-baik. Pantang elok2. Dia tahu anak dia ni suka ngelat. Dia risau. Insya-Allah mak, janganlah risau.

Sekarang ni kita pulak yang jadi mak. Segala macam perasan yang mak rasa dulu agaknya ada pada kita sekarang. Macam mana ye nak jadi macam mak?

Sempena Hari Ibu, ingin ku nyatakan betapa bersyukurnya aku kepada Allah kerana ditakdirkan beribukan bonda Habshah Mokri. Insya- Allah ya Allah, panjangkan usiaku berikan aku kekuatan, kesihatan yang berpanjangan dan kesenangan yang melimpah ruah supaya kelak akulah orang yang akan menjaga mereka.

Weekend and Cinnamon Rolls

Hemmm weekend again.. What to do? Usually, to fill up my time I like to try new recipe. But this time, I remembered my newly arrived neighbour next door are actually waiting to taste my cinnamon roll again. She keep own saying that she likes the rolls and when she went back to Pakistan, she could not stop mention it to her family members.. What does it mean? .. Please send some more..hehehe. .. just kidding. She also like my curry puffs. So today may be I could entertain her.

So early in the morning, I make the dough, while waiting the dough to rise I am blogging and finish all the report analysis required by my Head. I have tried several time my recipes with different types input ingredients(whalla ..like programming le pulak) to find the best result. So this is the best recipe I have ever try I could say...

Ingredients:

1/2 kilo wheat flour(in Yanbu - Kuwait Flour is the best)
1 tbs salted/unsalted butter + some salt
1 tbs sugar 1 tbs dry yeast(saf-levure) any yeast may be works as well
1 egg
150ml low fat milk(fresh)
1/2 cup warm water+ 1 tsp sugar(to dissolve yeast)
brown sugar
cinnamon powder

Methods:
1. Dissolve dry yeast in warm water.

2. Melt butter and then add milk with sugar. Stir until all sugar dissolved. Milk should be warm not boiled. Put off fire. Cool off. Then add egg into it. Mix.

3. Get the flour into a big mixing bowl and make a hole in it. Pour in the milk mixture, yeast and mixed them together. Roll and punch.

4. Ensure it did not stick to your finger. Then cover it with plastic food wrapper and let it rest for 1 hour.

5. In baking tray, pour some cooking oil to grease and sprinkled mixed cinnamon sugar into it. The more the merrier.

6. Again hit the dough, until all air released. Divide dough into 3.

7. Roll the dough until it make about 15cm(A) X 25 cm(B). While rolling you may use some flour to avoid it sticking to the rolling pin.

8. Smeared the rolled dough with mixed cinnamon sugar.

9. Slowly roll it from the A side the until the end. Cut into 4 pieces using knife or dental floss.

10. Place it into the baking tray. Let it rise 1/2-1 hour. Preheat oven 350 F.

11. After 1/2 -1 hour later, sprinkle more mixed cinnamon+brown sugar on it and ready to bake for 20 minutes.

I usually works with 1/2 kilo flour at a time. My hand is not strong enough to work with bigger dough.

So, try it. If it does not work tell me.

note: Pictures were taken from previous entry.