Am I up to the real test??

Remember my posting pasal my first pulut skaya?Ingat? Okey..skang..just forget them.

Now that I realize -- they were only some small issues exaggerated by orang tak reti masak like me - because here comes the real challenge.

Mr Papa and I have finally made up our mind -- that we should (long ago) host a feast for our friends - and yes, one of the reason behind it -- sebab asyik makan kat rumah orang je. So, as timely as it can be, we have sent out invitations for friends and neighbours to come and makan-makan in our house - next Saturday -- that is on Ezzah and me birthday.

We tried not to limit the number of guests, and 20 people RSVP-ed us they are coming. I hope my living room can accomodate them well. Still my biggest fear would be my cookings. Half of the guest are British and most are looking forward to makan new stuff like Malaysian food. Kak Ana said normally they (Malaysian friends) will bring something too - so she said I shouldn't bother with too much cookings (well, that works for me). Alice, out of the blue, offered to bring her very own cheese cake (am drooled already). Richard specifically requests for sambal (hmm..I wonder where on earth he knows about it!).

I thought that with dribbling the "what to buy list" in my mind would be enough to get me going on hosting stuff - but with exactly one week to go, I started to get these goosebumps. A lot of 'what if I forget this and that' stormed my shady brain lately -- so I finally got a large piece of A3 paper and stocked up all the things I need to do innit. Believe me, it is a verryyy long list. That can't be serious kan? I seem to look like planning for my daughter's wedding!! Hahaha.. (nervous laugh)

Okey, here goes the menus.

1. Mee Kari and all its taste-kicking condiments.

2. Ayam Panggang Malaysian style with savoury sauce

3. Nasik Goreng Cina (options for kids and those who can't eat spicy food)

4. The Birthday Cake of course

5. Snacks (Chocolates and potato chipzzz)

6. Drinks (Ribena, fizzy drinks and fruit juices)

7. Kuih2 

So..how am I doing? This list is handful enough for me and to tell you the truth, to think that this is something 'real' - does churn my perut upside down . But heck, this perhaps is my only chance to stand on my own guts -- plus this shall signify our triple (5th anniversary, birthday, birthday) celebration together ye tak..?

Blue Butterfly cake -- checked. Ezzah is all excited. Tanya Ezzah 'how old are you..?' 

Dia jawab 'I'm 4!'. 

'How old is Mama?' ---------------> 'Five!'.... hehehe..

Hari ni nak gi ASDA, beli disposible paper cups, plates dll. Wish me luck people!

** Think someone I know is getting engaged today -- CONGRATULATIONS! **

xx DreamSnugger xx

Make You Feel My Love.. (2nd Semester Song?)

We've been listening to this radio station called Heart (or something) and I never change the frequency ever since. I don't know why suddenly this particular song being aired like forever kat this radio when I got in the car nak pegi school -- of which will normally takes me 8 minutes top to get there. Not one day missed. Bizarre uh? Coincidence, perhaps? And last night, we watched 'When In Rome' starring Josh Duhamel - and this song was innit. Sangat sengaja nak menjiwangkan orang.. still, that movie was quite a school-teen-fantasy sket. I like it better when Josh belakon 'Life As We Know It'..alongside Heigl.. cute!
 
Well, as in this clip, they say that this should remind us upon the 'struggles' we are facing at times.. guess they're mine too. Enjoy it people!

 Adele - Make You Feel My Love

When the rain is blowing in your face,
and the whole world is on your case,
I could offer you a warm embrace
to make you feel my love.

When the evening shadows and the stars appear,
and there is no one there to dry your tears,
I could hold you for a million years
to make you feel my love.

I know you haven't made your mind up yet,
but I would never do you wrong.
I've known it from the moment that we met,
no doubt in my mind where you belong.

I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue,
and I'd go crawling down the avenue.
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
to make you feel my love.

The storms are raging on the rolling sea
and on the highway of regret.
Though winds of change are throwing wild and free,
you ain't seen nothing like me yet.

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true.
Nothing that I wouldn't do.
Go to the ends of the Earth for you,
to make you feel my love
to make you feel my love 

xx  DreamSnugger  xx

Things I fancy, things I don't..

It doesn't even take 3 minutes for anyone to notice, that Britain countryside 'looks exactly the same as what you see in the Postman Pat cartoon' (I still regret saying that stupid crap to the cab driver when we first arrived) -- but what fascinated me the most was to see -- loads of beautiful people - like a fashion charade on the street. Not that I never seen white people before, but the fact that they're everywhere -- damn good looking/pretty, fashionably-well groomed, neat, manicured, legs up to the neck what not-- had made me feel seriously jakun for a while. I even didn't mind if Mr. Papa sneaked his eyes out and gazed at the girls because I did that too! The girls were worth-looking at - I think I said "cantiknyeee dia tu kan bang" way too many times, that he (Mr. Papa) went from being amused to being pretty freaked out.. hahahha!

After 5 months, my fascination towards the looks of the girls and lads finally fades. It's all because - most of them (not all) like to GIGIT KUKU! Eauuwwwwww!!!!  I just cannot comprehend -- how can orang cun-cun macam tu do that - but since the kuku are so attached to the body, guess they can't get rid of the habit. It's everywhere, in the classroom, on the bus, while walking, masa makan (super gross!) and even when they are talking to you! Aduuu.. kesengalan lahhh..I was like.. 'Okey..you still have nice coat, handbag and legs though' dalam hati.

So now, my attention has diverted to something else - one of it -- is being enormously irritated by the prices of everything. Tahun ni jugak la nak naikkan VAT's and all - and yesterday's halia was the most irrational figure I've ever seen (cost me GBP2.50!). And, I also just did something so-very-unlikely me -- complaining to the local city council about my stolen food waste bin. I sent emails, I called, uhh.. so absorbed to being on of them, I suppose. But if I didn't do that, they will not collect my sampah, which is sangat kurang asam. Just like what I did to get the internet done the other day. Lepas 3 bulan, baru dapat 24-hours internet -- after series of cynical comments and non-stop complaints  -- which for me is something gila. Call me úncivilized for being that close to shouting over the phone, I just don't care.

Intann : Heheh..maybe after all the complaints era's gone, I will walk back to fancy people again, the ones without kuku issues of course!

xx  DreamSnugger  xx

My first pulut skaya ever!

After experiencing some panic attacks (of tak tau nak masak ape when friends called to visit) and occasional visual-torment images (of home kuihs and foods kat internet), I, finally, driven to make the kuih of my own -- and of course lah dish 'yang paling senang' - for a start.

So this evening, I made pulut skaya - or better known as serimuka. I followed all given steps, except for the tepung ubi (mana la nak cari) which I substituted with custard powders. Good thing I still have the liquidizer I wrongly-bought kat Argos (ingatkan blender) -- and it finally did the job like it should. Everything went well - I supposed - for it tastes just like pulut skaya! Slightly sweet, but still, I did it. Sigh.

Voila!

Intann : Lepas ni nak wat ape plaks ye..? 

xx  DreamSnugger  xx

Misi Nasik Dagang Kak Pah - Part I

Friday night, we were chilling out kat living room  watching the IT Crowd (the 3 moronz almost caused our mind to explode ngan lawaks mengong diorg) - when suddenly my phone rang and it showed "Mardziah Sheffield" on the screen. I jumped. Panicked. "Bang? Todays 18 kan? Kak Maziah cakap nak datang!! Dah sampai kot!" Totally forgotten about it! I was sweating hard - for the living room looked even worse than a wrecked ship! "Please don't tell me you're here just yet.." I prayed. Give me 10 minutes -so I can kemas the living room. Hahaha.. 

I took the call - with my eyes closed. While  my thoughts were pestering me brain with questions like "Äpa nak masak? apa nak masak?apa nak masak..????!

"Intannnn..akak nak gi sana ESOK..." the rest of the words dah tak dengar.. and..there was a loud-relief-yay from within. Then another big-yay echoed when she said "...kak pah ko buat nasik dagang sebesen ni ha..esok kitorang bawak...!" DOUBLE YAY! Felt like ESOK HARI RAYA you know..? Hahaha..

Yes. Pathetic. For someone who cook just better than a 12 years old anak bujang (ye ke..ke worse?) to list out menus for guest can be a bit depriving. I am totally happy they're coming - only the food part just churns me all over. Scary weh.. We got neither desert nor fruits. Let alone nak producekan festive-like dishes. Chikadees banyak la.. heh. So I made up my mind to add some more dishes to complement with their nasik dagang. Nasik putih and gulai ayam. Just to be safe, people. Hehe..

Saturday -- at around 11, they arrived. It was so good to see each other again (since BTN Penang in December 2009). Kak Pah n husband, Rizal now study and live in Southampton, Kak Mardziah and family travelled south from Sheffield, while Kak Haida, husband and their lovely miss drove from Leicester (God, I better google-up where the place is). Lyz's family car-pooled with Kak Pah, also from Soton. Harry came too - all the way from Trowbridge just to make sure we didn't habeskan his nasik dagang. It was indeed an early Hari Raya! 

                                               Ezzah with kawan baru - abangs from Sheffield.

The nasik dagang feast was like a dream came true, in fact that was most bewildered wish-dish for Mr. Papa since forever! 

This is ME menerkam my plate of nasik dagang. Ngehehehe..

The living room, the friends, the nasik dagang, and whole lotz of laughters!

Lepas berjaya feed the hungry Bath people (which tak kurus tang mana pun despite "takde food in Bath"), turn kitorang pulak jadi tourist guide. Misi jalan2 mula dengan pegi uni, then Bath town. Let the pics do the talking keh?

@Southgate, Bath - semua jamu mata jer..

Depan Pump Room

Menyesakkan laluan dengan berenti tengah2 jalan suka2 hati : ) 

Tourist guide pulak yang lebih. Hehe..ambik peluang weh..

bukan senang nak dapat photograper tambahan

Lyz, Khairul n Qistina @ Bath Abbey

Ezzah berkenan giler kat wellies itik tu..

@ Royal Crescent : Geng2 mak (termasuk yang preggy tu pun) join anak2 loncat 

- marking the end of the tour

Intann : Can't never get enough of nasik dagang. Even now still on nasik dagang hangover! 

xx  DreamSnugger  xx

"Tonight's TV belongs to mama, okey..?"

Last night was a blast! I caught myself having all this mixed feelings again; the blood-pumping exhilaration, anxious-ness, mind overly loaded with content, and of course - at the end of it -- scared of losing. These are all the things normally happen to me when it comes to football - tambah lagi kalau the last good game you've watched was ages ago. 

I couldn't help myself from hiding the wide-beaming-smile out from my face when the UCL montage roared the TV. That was beyond speech man! I was like being all reçharged and energized by the events -- (kononnya I was one of the screaming fans kat Emirates stad tu -- when I was actually under my soft snuggly white duvet in my petite living room - with Ezzah beside me crying and stomping - wanting to change the channel). Eheh. Sorry lah, tonight is Mama's night, okey.. Nothing beats the spirit eh?

First leg match between Arsenal and Barca -- was a complete suspense for me (takot kena gelak ngan laki kalau kalah). When Barca filled the net the first 30 minutes of the game, it broke me and at the same time - excite me even more. Even though Pires and the good-old-days team weren't there -- I still got the thing with Arsenal. (Did I tell you already Pires is currently in Aston Villa which is 2 hours away from me..?). Hehe..Can't wait to visit Arsenal's ground next month!

Goals from Persie and Arshavin were magical! I remember screaming my heart out - (sambil jeling jugak kat laki -- takut dia marah beb.. lebih2 plaks) when Arshavin scored; and the next thing was -- I'm fever free!! Huhu what a night. There must be a whole lot of pressures for the bunch of 'kids' with age ranges from 22 to 26 (as refered by Fabregas) to win the big event -- and I'm quite sure he was just being humble -- in front his Spaniard star-mates. Heh. 

Intann : Looking forward to watching the next mouth-watering clash : the 2nd leg. Scares me so.

xx  DreamSnugger  xx

Nape, tak pernah tengok orang selsema ke..?

Dragged my feet (and all the guts within me) to class semalam despite still having those irritating coughs, horrid-sniffles, and nasaly voice. I sounded just like Squidward (yes, I still do).  Asked a friend, why  they don't give us the antibiotics - for this has been going on for a week. Dia cakap that-- they used to bagi antibiotics before - but until recently the health ministry stopped distributing ubat tu and let people develop their own body immunity. Kalau takat seminggu tu kira tak dak hal la.. tunggu sebulan baru diorang bagi antibiotik tuu.. (Heh, how I wish she could cakap Melayu macam tu..). Logic jugak kalau impose kat local people, ye tak..?? Sepanjang masanya sejuk dan selsema, but can't they give some sort of exception kat foreigners..? Of which, on second thought, why on earth would they care, hehe..

I was this close to leaving the class (am showing you my tangan sejengkal ni, nampak tak?) when everyone seemed to turn their heads to look at me everytime I sniffled and let out the loudest cough (Mel was obviously running away from me!). When I speak, they was like "What..? Whatt..?? Say that again..??". Hmm.. Kes sengau lah ni. Tension betullah. But the lectures was so good, I knew I'd be terribly sorry if I missed them, so I stayed. Occasionally kena jugak run out from the classroom - sebab takleh nafas. Gila lah.. memang totally miserable! Tapi, that funny old chap from HLF bagi balik awal pukul 4.30 -- which really made my day sebab ada ARSENAL vs BARCA GAME AT 7.30! 

Hek hek hek.. (Squidward's laugh)

Intann : Think I better take a fresh sheet - sebab nak scream outloud 'bout game semalam!!

xx  DreamSnugger  xx