ROAR - Rashad Official Annual Reunion

Sometime last year, my Tok Ayah suggested that we hold a family gathering. We, the 4 eldest grandchildren - myself, Nurul, Alliyah and Sabrina - sat down, discussed and came out with an idea of what to do for the gathering. We wanted it to be special and unique. We talked about having loads of entertainments. We wanted it to be a memorable one.

We started after Maghrib and began scoffing down plates of briyani with mutton - thanks to Tok Ayah who sponsored it. Not to forget the traditional ondeh-ondeh that Nenek made especially for the event.
 It was kicked-off with a mini fashion show on a runaway which is actually a coffee table. The models were my young cousins who paraded their outfits which was themed on animal prints. They were such natural models and i think a talented lot.

It was soon followed by performances by them such as singing, rapping, breakdancing which mainly consisted of hip shaking. It turned they got swagged!

After all  we all made a speech together conveying our love to each other and especially to our parents, Tok Ayah and Nenek. It was quite a touching experience for all of us. This is one of the memories that will be imbedded in my memory for eternity....<3333

Trip ke Sarawak

Setiap dua tahun sekali, saya dan keluarga akan balik ke kampung halaman ibu saya di Sarawak. saya mengambil kesempatan untuk berjumpa saudara-mara sambil bercuti dan menimati keindahan alam semula jadi yang hanya terdapat di Sarawak. 

Suasana kampung amat berbeza sekali dengan di bandar tetutama  keadaan cuaca panas yang memerlukan semua orang menggunakan pendingin hawa tetapi di kampung nenek, cuaca dingin malam menusuk hingga ke tulang sumsum. 

Satu pengalaman yang tidak dapat saya lupakan ialah apabila ibu saya mengajak saya dan adik-adik mengambil buah nipah dengan menaiki sampan kecil menyusuri Sg. Sibuti. Air yang tenang dan kicauan burung benar-benar memberi ketenangan kepada kami. Keindahan alam semulajadi di sini memukau pemandangan saya dan menggamit jiwa untuk kembali ke sini. Sayang Sarawak! ;)

Swimming when there’s nothing else to do

One of the common interests we have between us as family besides indulging ourselves in food , food and more food is swimming! The initial reason why we took up swimming was because of our number 1 hobby-eating that results in adding more layers to our belly. So, mama made herself clear that she wanted the whole family to take up a sport

Cycling was boring as we were only allowed to cycle around the neighbourhood that was full of stray dogs that could chase you anytime they want. Badminton was too common and there’s no adrenalin felt while playing that. Soccer was…well… out of question. Duh, have you ever seen a soccer team of girls who hated sunburns? Let me give you the answer- never

So, we all agreed to spend our weekend on swimming at the pool that was a stone’s throw away. So, every Saturday morning, we will all get into our swimming suits- goggles and all- and get in the car that is loaded with food as we become like a pack of hungry wolves after swimming.

We’ll swim for at least 3 hours and when the heat was beginning to burn our sunblock coated necks, we’ll get out of the water, make a few cannonballs and climb up to shore. We’ll eat like we haven’t met food for days and begin laughing at each other’s burn marks as we looked like we had stripes on our faces. That’s what goggles do to you.

So, I’ll log off for now to see what my brother is doing in the bath tub. Probably using all the soap to make bubbles and make my mom go mad. Bye!!

Chillax!

In our family, we have one golden rule that we strictly adhere to. That is go to the mall every weekend. You name it, the Curve, The Midvalley Megamall, The Gardens, One Utama, we’ve been there. This is all thanks to Ayah who likes being in places blasting with air conditioner that chills to the bones.

Sometimes, all we do is just ‘lepak’ at  Starbuck’s and spend hours reading novels but we never get tired of doing it. Now, when I’m in boarding school, I miss every second of it. The smell of the bread wafting from the bakeries, the lingering scent of perfume in the air as promoters try to attract customers and the enormous ‘sale’ signs displayed on almost all stores making your eyes almost popping out from your head.

However, what matters the most and the most memorable things that I miss about going to malls is spending time with my family. How cranky Akmal is when he can’t get what he wants, Sabrina begging to go to a bookstore to get her hands on the latest novel series, Ayah offering to get us ice creams or more drinks and mama dragging me to the stores to check out the clothes or house decorations. I love every minute of it. But I’ll guess I’ll have to wait until the final SEM school break arrives to go up and down the escalators of my favourite mall with the people I love <3

My Brother

When I was eight, I noticed my mom’s belly start protruding against her shirt and I found out that I was gonna have a new addition to the family! My wish came true as I was given a brother who looked identical to me based on my baby photos…

Muhammad Akmal Ashraf is eight years old this coming February and studies at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Selangor, Subang Jaya. He is full to the brim with antics and doesn’t like people to tell him what to do especially when it comes to getting his homework done He loves to go to Toys R US- who doesn’t. well, except for parents. Once he’s in a toy store it’s like he’s lost in his own world and goes hyper, jumping up and down at Hotwheels and Nerf guns and oohing and aahing at the lateat robots on sale. If he doesn’t get at least one toy to play with, he’ll eventually throw a tantrum and be moody for the rest of the day.

He goes to Kumon classes just like the rest of his sisters and despises it. I think that’s the only thing we have in Kumon. Although he may look cute, he’s like Puss in Boots in the hit movie Shrek. Once you spend a few days  with him and he starts showing his true colours, you’ll  go insane. Guaranteed! Since he is the Benjamin of the family, he is very close to our mother, and whenever he gets cranky, only our mother knows how to persuade him to shut up.

All in all he’s like sugar. You need him but too much of him, you’ll start to lose your marbles. And through this post, I declare that I am one of the victims. Haha. Lurve you bro! muahhh

My Sister

Amirah Sabrina Binti Mohd Azhar is the name that belongs to the girl who is out of this world!! Yep people, that’s my sister. She is thirteen this year and is a fourian- a term used for students of SMK USJ 4. Don’t believe me? Search it on Wikipedia. She looked like she has traits of a Chinese which is partly true as our grandfather is Chinese- at least 20% of  it.

Sabrina or Na as when she was smaller, she had difficulties pronouncing her name correctly and declared herself Na and the name sticks till today. She has cheeks that turn crimson when she’s either over the moon or just put her foot in her mouth. Whatever it is, she;s the type of person who puts her heart on her sleeve for all to see, and know, and take note of..especially when she’s not in the best of her moods.

Na is like a live wire. She could never stay at a spot for a long period of time. She will never wait for people it has to be vice versa. Let me give you an example if she was to be involved in a relationship- her boyfriend would have to constantly follow her around and she won’t shed a tear if she broke up as she knows the guy will come running back. My imagination is on hyper mode again!

Na has a passion for activities that require a lot of physical strength like martial arts. She also has a thing for math as her mind functions like a calculator that I sometimes think that they’re twins. She hates failing at something and loves competition so I would like to promote her in this blog. To whoever who needs a calculator who can cheer up your dull life and swallow a large bag of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies while scoffing it down with glasses of frappucino, give me a call. I think I have just the person you need.   

mama

She is one of the miracles that rarely happen in my life. She is my mom-mama! She was born in a Miri, Sarawak a bustling town that made its name because it’s the first site of oil drilling in Malaysia. She is the eldest daughter and was raised up as a ‘mother’ of her 6 younger brothers who always have something up their sleeves. She always shared her experiences about her childhood with me. About the times she had to go to the river to get buckets of water to wash the clothes of the whole household, juggle house chores and schoolwork and cook at a small hut by the paddy fields for her parents who sacrificed blood, sweat and tears to work at the fields

    Besides that, mama was also one of the students who passed her SPM with flying colours. However, because she studied in a rural school that is hidden from the eyes of society, she could not get a chance to follow her dreams. So, at the young age of 19, she board a plane and got a one-way ticket to the peninsular Malaysia to seek for a better future and a job to lessen her parents’ burden and support her brothers’ education.

She gained a myriad of experiences and tried working as a waitress in restaurants, a salesgirl at boutiques before finally settling down in the hotel line. She worked as a receptionist in various internationally known hotels like Sheraton hotel in Subang Jaya or now known as the Grand Dorsett hotel- a place constantly occupied with upper echelons. My mom resigned from her job when I was born as she wanted to be a devoted housewife and mother who will always be there when her children needs her. Besides that, she doesn’t trust outsiders to look after her kids as you never know what these nannies have in mind. I mean, have you ever read the papers about what these sick people do to people’s children??

Back to the point, Mama is very friendly and she could spark up a conversation with anybody about anything. She always reminded us that it is important to have a lot of friends but out of those flocks of people who claim to be your friends, choose only one or two people you trust to safeguard your secrets.

That is all from me for now. Tata and call your mom right now and say those three words…asap!