Buka Puasa @ Ikea

We buka puasa at Ikea on September 15th - one of the final buka puasa buffet we had this year - Dah terlangsung nak pi kedai Buaya (Crocs) kat Ikano and since tak pernah berbuka kat Ikea, maka kami pi la dengan semangatnye kat Ikea tu (kali ni aku pi buffet dengan wheelchair sebab tak larat nak jalan deh) I anticipated famous Ikea menus like their famout Meatballs, Meatloaf and the like but to our disappointment, they were serving local dishes. Ikea kitchen was closed! Hampeh tul. It was however not that bad (apart from the long queue!) - sampai sekarang Kal El tertanya-tanya apasal orang berebut-rebut nak buka kat Ikea tu? Atau semua orang pun beria-ia ingat ada Ikea dishes ke? Tipah Tertipoooooo!



The local dishes served - Nasi Putih, Ayam rendang, daging halia, sausage with baked beans, keropok, mee hoon, kueh mueh, air tebu, air soya, coffee/tea and ice cream - very limited but ok la for the price we paid kan, mana nak dapat buffer at RM15 per head? The pulut panggang and kueh ketayap was fabulously delicious!

Masa ni blom ramai orang lagik... kejap je lagi penuhhhhhh

Congratulations Nash!

It was a happy Hari Raya for Nash, Wifey and their daughter. A baby boy arrived bringing joy to the already happy family. Congrats my friend!

(c) Nash on FB

Salam Aidil Fitri 2009

(c) Imageshack

Assalamu'alaikum. Kal El mengucapkan Selamat Menyambut Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Moga hari raya fitrah tahun ini dipenuhi makna dna keberkatan untuk semua. InsyaAllah.

"One thing I'm not gonna do is chase staying alive,"

The Late Patrick Swayze

I have always envied Patrick Swayze for his talent in dancing. Being the overweight child I was, I had always danced alone in my bedroom watching Dirty Dancing over and over again. Wow, have I not always wanted to dance like him (but that of course, never came true).

Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing

My first movie outing with friends in my high school years was to watch Point Break and again it was Patrick Swayze's movie. In college, we were hooked up laughing and enjoying To Wong Foo where Patrick Swauze acted a cross-dresser and my god, the movie was and still hilarious!

Patrick Swayze in To Wong Foo

Something that I may not have realized, how much I have actually grown up watching and enjoying Patrick Swayze's movies and how much his movies had lived part of my dreams to dance. After a 20 month battle against pancreatic cancer, today we bid farewell to this very talented actor/dancer. Goodbye Patrick. 2009 seems to be a year famous people die.

Patrick Swayze in Ghost

Here's the news from ABC News

Actor Patrick Swayze died today after a 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer his publicist confirmed to ABC News. He was 57. "Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement released Monday evening.

Patrick Swayze in Point Break

Swayze, best known for starring in the blockbuster films "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost," sais he was diagnosed with cancer in January 2008. His last television interview was in December 2008 with ABC News' Barbara Walters. Swayze spoke candidly to Walters about his prognosis and vowed to fight his cancer and "keep my heart and my soul and my spirit open to miracles." "One thing I'm not gonna do is chase staying alive," Swayze said, "You spend so much time chasing staying alive, you won't live" "He fought the bravest battle and sadly lost," Walters said today. "My heart goes out to his wonderful Lisa, his wife and soulmate for 34 years."

Swayze's Rise to Stardom

From the time he could walk, Swayze, whose mother was a dance instructor and choreographer, took dance lessons in his hometown of Houston. Swayze's father, on the other hand, was a great outdoorsman, which is where Swayze got his love for horses. His primary passion growing up was dancing, but eventually Swayze was forced to stop because of injuries and began investing his energy into acting. He moved to New York and had his first big break in the Broadway musical "Grease" in 1978. His popularity on the Great White Way soon led him to Hollywood, where he appeared in a teenage movie called "Skatetown USA." Although he was compared to Rudolph Valentino and John Travolta, Swayze decided not to go the route of being a teenage idol. Instead, he chose to pursue films such as "The Outsiders" and the television miniseries "North and South." Swayze achieved true stardom with the biggest break of his life, starring as the gyrating dance instructor Johnny Castle in 1987's "Dirty Dancing" opposite co-star Jennifer Gray. He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role, along with a cult-like following of fans. He received another nomination for his 1990 blockbuster "Ghost," in which he starred alongside Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. He was named by People magazine as the "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991. Swayze continued acting in films, including "Point Break," "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar" and "Donnie Darko."

Buka Puasa @ Hillside Corner Bukit Antarabangsa

Dah lama Kal El tak menjamu selera di Hillside Corner Bukit Antarabangsa. This time Kal El pergi dengan Amir for the Ramadhan Buffet and I think this year it's cheaper than the last (Rasanya la) Sesuai dengan harganya yang murah berbanding tempat-tempat lain, the food was limited but every single thing was tasty and sungguh mengenyangkan... buurrrrp! Alhamdulillah.

What I ate:
Nasi Putih, Kuey Teow Goreng (2 kali - sedap gila), Chicken Lasagna (juga 2 kali), Sausage Pie (juga 2 kali), Daging Masak Kicap, Chicken Rendang, Bergedil and Bread Butter Pudding

Antara juadah yang ada hari tu was Chicken Lasagna, Sausage Pie, Mee Rebus, Rojak Buah, Squid Goreng, Sayur Campur, Ayam dan Daging Masak Kicap, Kuey Teow Goreng, Nasi Putih, Ayam Rendang dan yang paling best - their famous Bread Butter Pudding - I tell you Bread Butter Pudding dan Chicken Pie di sini adalah yang paling sedap di dunia! Memang mahal (BB Pudding RM14 dan Chicken Pie RM7) tapi berbaloi. Selalunya kene datang awal jika tidak akan kehabisan dan melelehlah air liur anda kerana tak dapat beli hehehehe. One more thing, kalau nak makan kat sini masa Ramadhan, malam only serves buffet and do make a reservation sebab memang hari-hari full house.

What Amir ate:
Nasi Putih, Bergedil, Sayur Campur, Ayam Masak Kicap, Sausage Pie, Chicken Lasagna, Kueh Mueh, Bread Butter Pudding, Rojak and Jelly Fruit Cocktail.

Unlike previous years kalau pergi buffet Kal El memang champion tapi this year, 2 helpings dah tak boleh masuk dah. So Kal El tak sempat la makan Mee Rebus yang nampaknya amat sedap. Rugiiinyaaaa.... heheheheh

Oakleaf Park T.E.R.B.A.K.A.R!

(c) Panoramio

Kal El memang angin dengan budak-budak yang main mercun kat Oakleaf Park ni. Bising dan mengganggu ketenteraman. Tiap-tiap kali jugak Kal El doakan agar tangan mereka ke jari mereka ke putus. Jahat doa Kal El (lepas tu boleh la geng sama, dah jadik OKU kan) tapi mereka ini tak umpamakan orang lain. Tidak kah ibu bapa mereka terfikir untuk menasihati anak-anak kerana ada penghuni yang tua, ada yang sakit jantung (i'm sure) dan juga ada yang mungkin sedang mentelaah untuk menghadapi major exams tahun ni.

(c) Realestate.net.my

Kalau setakat main bunga api atau mercun biasa tak mengapa. Ini siap masukkan mercun dalam tin/botol agar bunyinya seperti meriam buluh. Dah la kondo ni kalau sebarang letupan memang bergema. Yang makin Kal El angin ialah yang bermain mercun ni budak-budak bangsa Kal El (bukan Kryptonian tapi bangsa yang lagi satu - Melayu ler) Dah la bukan culture Melayu main mercun ni. Kalau Chinese New Year paham la jugak sebab tu adat mereka, tapi tak kira la perayaan apa sekalipun (CNY ke, Christmas ke, Deepavali ke semua yang main mercun kat Oakleaf Park tu budak-budak Melayu)

(c) Panoramio

Pagi tadi selepas subuh berlaku satu insiden. Pernah dulu mercun terbang masuk satu unit kondo. Nasib baik tak jadi apa-apa masa tu. Pagi tadi budak-budak jahat ni telah meletupkan sebuah lif di Blok B. Kan ke mencari nahas namanya tu? Kalau terbakar satu blok kan ke susah? Baik-baik dapat beraya, jadi tragedi pulak. Kalau sendiri dan keluarga sendiri susah tak mengapa ni satu blok susah sebab tak dapat menggunakan lif.

(c) SyahrinAziz.com

Patut la pagi tadi dari Blok Kal El terbau hangit - nak sampai 11 tingkat tu! Dan ada bomba dan polis di Oakleaf Park. Budak-budak ni bukan tau the sense of belonging sebab bukan diorang yang keluarkan duit beli rumah. Mereka menumpang mak bapak je kat situ. Yang si mak bapak pula, lepaskan dan biarkan saja anak nak buat apa.., Kalau duduk kampung tak apa, selamat tapi kat kawasan kondo? Baik-baik terlepas malapetaka tanah runtuh Disember tahun 2008 karang ditimpa pula malapetaka kebakaran. Siapa nak tanggung?

Berikut ada keratan akhbar Utusan Online hari ini.

Congratulations Kim!

An ex colleague at the Blood Sucking Sicko Company was recently blessed with the arrival of a cute looking son - congratulations Kim!

Buka Puasa @ Putrajaya Lake Club with Wan

One of my closest friends, Wan or more fondly referred to as WANita Beruang is currently studying for his PhD at UPM. Since he is nearby my work area, we planned to break fast together and the place was at Putrajaya Lake Club in Pecint 8 Putrajaya.

Tukang-tukang Makan Hari Itu - Wan, Amir and Kal El

It was my second time there, the first was a dinner treat and I kind'a liked the food there. The Ramadhan spread too was ok, tak la terlalu banyak melimpah ruah tapi cukup mengenyangkan and the food pun boleh la tahan.

Believe It or Not - I had 2 Servings only - tu pun dah macam nak meletup perut!

There were choices of Nasi Putih and lauk pauk like, fish, lemon chicken, sotong, paceri nenas and two types f spaghetti, roast beef with black pepper and mint sauce, prawn mee, mee goreng mamak, rojak buah, a variety of starters and choices of desserts and fruits an macam-macam lagi lah. Air plak ada la 4 macam plus unlimited coffee and tea.

Putrajaya Lake Club Lobby/Lounge

What I liked most was the open air dining by the lake concept. Kalau on normal days for a la carte menu, they have a small restaurant to dine in. Untuk ramadhan buffet at RM48nett ni, makan ramai-ramai kat the club lobby cum lounge with maginifent view of Putarajaya Mosque and the Prime Minister's office.

Muzikal Tun Abdul Razak

Ala... sebenarnya terlupa nak masukkan entry ni. Dah lama, sempena merdeka but well, a story is a story right and it's worth sharing no matter how late it is published.

Setelah sekain lama kami tidak menjejakkan kaki ke Istana Budaya, sempena merdeka tahun ini kami kembali. Sebenarnya inilah rutin Kal El bersama arwah ibu, setiap kali menjelang hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia, kami akan pergi ke Istana Budaya untuk menyaksikan teater yang dianjurkan sempena hari kebangsaan. Seingat Kal El, arwah mummy memang seorang yang patriotik dan kami akan sama-sama mengalirkan air mata di saat lagu kebangsaan Malaysia, NegaraKu dimainkan. begitu juga semasa Teater Muzikal Tun Abdul Razak ini, Kal El telah menitiskan air mata dipermulaan teater apabila NegaraKu dimainkan. Bukan hanya kerana tersentuh akan rasa patriotisme terhadap negara tetapi juga kerana terkenangkan memori indah bersama arwah mummy.


Teater Muzikal Gema Merdeka ini adalah hasil arahan Dato' Rahim Razali dan dibintangi oleh Fauziah Latiff sebagai Toh Puan Rahah dan Rashidi Ishak sebagai Allahyarham Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang Ke dua, Tun Abdul Razak. Pementasan muzikal yang turut dijayakan pelajar dan graduan ASWARA ini memetik kisah kehidupan Tun Abdul Razak sejak dibangku sekolah sehinggalah di saat kembalinya ke rahmatullah.

(c) Berita Harian - Barisan Pelakon Teater Muzikal Tun Abdul Razak

Secara keseluruhannya, Kal El sukakan penataan muzik dalam teater ini. Lagu-lagunya sedap dan ditambah lagi dengan bakat penyanyi-penyanyi muda dari barisan ASWARA dan juga kehadiran professional seperti Fauziah Latif, memang menghasilkan satu pementasan yang menakjubkan.

Tapi alagkah baiknya dan akan lebih natural jika Rashidi Ishak didampingkan dengan isterinya sendiri - Vanidah Imran, yang pada pendapat Kal El juga seorang penggiat teater yang berkemampuan. Bukan Kal EL mengatakan Fauziah Latiff tidak hebat tapi adalah lebih cocok jika Rashidi Ishak digandingkan dengan isterinya terutamanya bagi babak-babak yang memerlukan intimasi heheheh takde la nak pegang pun takut-takut dan kekok.

Malangnya terdapat beberapa babak (seperti babak pergaduhan antara Malaysia dan Indonesia) yang terlalu elaborate yang sepatutnya boleh digantikan dengan babak-babak lebih menarik yang lain. Namun, Teater Muzikal Tun Abdul Razak ini masih boleh dibanggakan dan mampu dikatakan menemui kejayaan menyampaikan maksud patrotisme 1 Malaysia yang cuba dihidupkan kembali anakanda Allahyarham Tun Abdul Razak, Perdana Menteri Malaysia kini, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Syabas!

Supper @ Secret Recipe Wangsa Walk with Roy

Wangsa Walk while in construction

A new shopping complex within the vicinity of Ampang/Wangsa Maju was recently opened. With banners and buntings all over, attracting me to visit the place, kononnya nak shopping ler sket-sket but sigh, takde apa sangat yang dah bukak except a few kedai-kedai kecik termasuk la Secret Recipe and TGI Fridays. The anchor, Cold Storage pun tak bukak lagi. So, we (Roy, Amir and I) decided to lepak at Secret Recipe for an early supper (padahal baru je bukak puasa) after selesai tawaf dan berterawih di dalam Wangsa Walk itu hahahahahaha.

Roy telah membelanja kami di atas kenaikan pangkatnye... tahniah Che Roy. I am very proud of you. And Amir, apa lagi dengan Roy berbual DSLR la dorang. Aku? Sibuk makan je.... dan satisfying myself guna my iPhone camera - hmmm how I wish iPhone ada 5 MP camera mcm my N95 dulo... huhuhu flash pun tarak but I love this phone because it's from someone I love very much hehehheh.

Kal EL ordered the Caramel Cheese Cake and Coffee Latte.

Kal El, Caramel Cheese n Coffee Lattee

Amir ordered the Butterscoth Pecan Cake with Banana Chocolate Shake (Sunggh tak sedap).

Amir, Bitterscoth Pecan n Banana Chocolate Shake

While Roy, the pay master ordered the Cappucino Expresso Cheese Cake with Hot Chocolate.

Che Roy, Cappucino Expresso Cheese n Hot Chocolate

Hmmmm sedap! Sangat baik untuk kesihatan ku ahahahaha bantai je... Thanks Roy!

Left Foot Driving

Since I've decided not to go ahead with installing the handicapped accelerator and brakes on the steering wheel, here's how I've been driving Ms. Livvy -using the left foot while the prosthetic is
detached - it's like performing a stunt in a circus really but after getting used to it, kacang je la hehehe.

Kal El
Sent from my iPhone

All Boys Buka Puasa @ Tony Roma's Cineleisure

Some of the boys from The Eye Co. gathered for buka puasa at Tony Roma's Cineleisure recently. Memang seronok as all of us can be considered 'buruk lantaks' and masing-masing tak reti nak malu-malu mentekedarah. The service @ Uncle Tony's however was not as good as the food (ada ke mamat Bangla ni served us and gosh berbelit-belit la dia cakap) plus the drinks arrived late (mine was the last - sampai nak terkecik Kal El). But all in all we had a good time!

Roti Free with Garlic Sauce - Yummy (Since it's free kan)

Starters

Sirlion Steak with Ribs and Mashed Potatoes + Baked Beans

Sweet Cherry Mocktail for a Sweet Person like me (perasan!)

I ordered the Sirlion Steak with Ribs accompanied with Baked Beans and Mashed Potatoes for mains dan air yang lambat sangat tu was Sweet Cherry Mocktail (i loved it!) For starters, we all shared the Platter consisting of Onion Rings, Chikcen Nuggets and Potato Skins.

Inilah dia Jantan-Jantan Best itu...

The menu has somehow changed since the last time we were there (and that was last year also during Ramadhan - and macam kat Chilli's gak - they have stopped offering Country Fried Steak - damn! Mana aku nak carik menda alah tu la lepas ni? Kat Bubba Gump je la yang ada (I hope this still have it lah)