Monday, September 28, 2009

Visiting the Tajuddins

The past Sunday, we had an invitation from Azlan Tajuddin and Noor...for a Raya gathering at their house...

Kids buckled-up and ready to go
Basbusa for the host..
The house in Brookline
Wii Haaa, kids in the basement...
Friends
Friends, the men's side...
Saying goodbye...
Liberty Bridge...
Another bridge from Duquesne University's vantage point
20-minute stop at Salem Halal for meats and wrapped dinners...Had to go back to the house to retrieve our camera. Later we learnt that Hana left her hoodie there...

Tired, but we had fun..
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Two Good Friends of Mine

I first met Dennis during the hari raya open house that I had in 1998. It was winter, and the new IUP students from malaysia had just arrived. dennis was having a bad cold that evening, but he was still cheery! He said he played tennis. So I said, "Dennis Tennis" just to remember his name. IT worked. I still remember his name til today. At that time, he was a transfer student from Inti college, and was instrumental in getting in-state tuition for all Inti college transfers into IUP later on. For that, he was given a tuition-free education at the Master's level... At least, that was what he told me. I told him to go for his PhD too, since it would also be paid for...

He did his Masters and graduated with a gold medal. I remember attending his graduation, and I don't attend too many graduations! All due to Azral who got us IUP Malaysians together. We went fishing a few times, bbq a few times... Dennis (with his friends) even helped me move house a few times, and I also remember helping him move, too. And fix Tomoko's leaky gas tank... haha...Anyway, we had fun. One day, he gave me two folding fishing chairs, through Azra. That was nice of him. I still use those chairs for picnics. He also delivered for me a laptop that I donated to Idah that one time he was back in Msia...

Dennis, like Teri and Azral, is one in a million. You don't meet their kind often.

Today, in Tokyo, Teri was looking for appliances to buy for his new house. He answered two adverts. At the second house, one of the guys asked him, "Do you remember me?". Of course teri did. We were all together during those times at IUP. And so, Teri ended up buying Dennis' fridge and washing machine. Dennis looks like he's moving to China. I had known that he was doing some Japan-China trade, and that he was living in Japan. But for Teri to have met him thru' the classifieds beats the odds. Someone should be buying some tickets today! Anyway, good luck to you Dennis!! Make your fortune, and come back to Indiana and visit us here!!

Here's Teri (left) and Dennis (right) at their chance meeting!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

It's Been A Month..

It's been a month since I'd returned to the US...
Here we are, going to the HUB to get I-Cards only to be told the supervisor has to be around to qualify us, and that's Monday...
Boo!
Good tele shot of the kids.. So we decided to get into the rain, and go somewhere to drown our sorrows...HUHU!
Guess the drinks? The "plaice"??
"Drink cold tea, drink cold pepsi.."
Muhsin thinking something fishy?
Dutch-panning Pah..
Luqman reading his future in the tea leaves..
Here comes the fish..
Caught in the act!!

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Friday, September 25, 2009

smart Elephant

Finally, smartcar has a trunk...LOL

(taken from forum discussion thread http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f4/tale-jumbo-vs-smart-car-26365/)
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Thursday, September 24, 2009

You Got Owned, Laksa!

I have been wanting to make my own laksa noodle, so i looked up the internet and found a recipe. Problem is, theblog owner did not allow any form of recipe reproduction elsewhere, so I won't print the info... but yes, you can email me, and I'll give you the link... Needless to say, Pah and I enjoyed making the bihun laksa and will make our own laksa from now on (well, we have to use the store-bought laksa in our pantry, too, to avoid wastage..)

Ingredients.. at least part of the recipe..

Dough the Hustle!
You'd need this Hutzler cookie press..
Press the dough through into boiling hot water...
Toskan (in ice water) selepas laksa timbul..
Ready, our own homemade bihun laksa!
I get to taste the first historic bowl...
Bye China Store!! Bye Oriental Store!! Bye Asian Store!!

Addendum:
Accidental culinary art...
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

DC Again

At Breezewood, midway, waiting for Hajed waiting for his pizza..

Halal Meats shop; they allow their customers to solat there..Saw this smart at a parking lot there. The owner's name was Noni, a German restaurant owner..
The Saudiair plane landing...

back again, here, at downtown Indiana near ATM machine

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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

A'at's Raya Guests

The hosts
The guests.. Pak A'aa's family
Aa'a, the man, on right
Dir, Zarina and Aina
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Raya Shenanigans

Big load for little Muhsin
Hamzah with the donuts
Wasil practicing his iron grip
And shoots himseelf in the face
Me creeping into the pic...
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Monday, September 21, 2009

Random Raya Scenes

See No Flip, Saw No Flop, and the Dolphin jumps over the Flip Flop!!
Take my hand
Kids Korner
OldTie Korner
The Lubis Kids

Hands behind neck, everyone!
Happy Eid, smartcar!
Wasil's angle
Luqman pretending he's not squishing Muhsin. Probably bent Muhsin's specs, too
Swing testers at work..
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