Let's do Asian groceries

Yesterday was Maulidur Rasul day. Prophet Muhammad SAW birthday. Well, there was a ceremony held at Fort Collins Islamic Center buy we did not join them. Why? Because we don't want to. You will be surrounded by Arabs and you will feel like alien because they will only talk to themselves. OK, so we went to Post Office at Boardwalk Drive because I had received a note which I did not understand. It turned out that the postman had paid 17 cents to a mail sent to me with insufficient stamp. You know what, the Americans can do their passport at the post office. How convenient!

Anyways, we went straight to Aurora because I really wanted to find the Zaytoon International Market. We got lost on the last attempt which I found out later that I had mistakenly mark the place on my map at the wrong location. It was very far and I started to feel that it was not worth it. We found the place eventually and I was very glad indeed. The owner has greeted me with "Assalamualaykum, sister and how are you doing?" when I opened up the door. She was a very sweet looking lady and there were several young Arabs having lunch on the corner of the store. The store is very clean and the deli offers looks very delicious. I noticed that the prices for sandwiches with fries started from 7.99. I would love to try it but we're just on a very tight budget. If we had lunch there I had calculated that we might spend at least $30 or more and I can't afford it. Not until the next allowance because we're just moved in here and we've been spending a lot of money to start a living. Of course I can always use my salary but I don't want to use it. Anyways, I bought a smoked whitefish for $6.99 and lots of beef from stew style to shanks and ribs. I also bought a box of Maggie Beef Stock in a cube for $5.55. Well, I like this store a lot but it is too far from my place. The owner is a very nice Muslim American lady. Anyhow, I will go there again to try out her food. It looks very inviting.

After that we went to search another store, World Bazaar at Havana Street at the back of Kia Motors Office. The store is owned by an American from Pakistan and it have lots of spices and herbs for curry ingredients. They also sells very huge pots like the one you use for kenduri kahwin. I bought chicken and more meats here and it is halal too. You can also buy Quran, brooches and scarf from here. They have that too. I bought more Shan's brand spices and garam masala. I like the Shan Korma Curry and I don't mind if you can't have Adabi or Alagappas. This one is good too. It have many types from Masala to White Korma. I use Plain Yogurt instead of Santan and saved on Asam Jawa (tamarind). So, if you're looking for curry powder, I recommend the Shan brand. It's good.

Next stop is of course the Asian groceries. I went to Viet Hoa Supermarket at Alameda Avenue. Wow, from East to West just for the sake of tekak (throat), huh? This store is clean and have varieties of choices from fresh veges to fresh ulam like pegaga and ulam raja. It also have keladi (yam), taugeh, durian, coconut and you named it. The fish looks fresh and nice and they have live frog and frozen snails too! Hello, this is Vietnamese store OK? I bought another stock of kuey tiaw and fresh noodles. We also bought Jasmine rice (50lb pack) for only $22.50. They also have Milo in tin (3.3 lb) for $10.80. I loves this store and it's very similar to Pacific Ocean Market at Broomfield but I prefer Viet Hoa better. So, this will be my favorite store from now on.

Last snow before Spring?

Well, it was Sunday and I was reading my third book, Rebecca. I started read the book before I went to sleep and I slept at 2.30 a.m. and end up to overslept on Sunday morning. The weather looks fine but cloudy. I told my hubby that we can go to Denver tomorrow because I have to finish my reading or else I could not have some peace of mind. I made Ayam Masak Lemak for lunch and after cleaned up the dishes it's reading time. It started to snow around 4p.m. and I instantly knew that tomorrow trip's to Denver had to be postponed. Anyway, I finished read the book just before dinner and spent the night watching movies.

I'm not going to review the book but I'm going to tell you that hey, we have snow in March? I always fond of snow. I loves snow and watching it falling at night gives you a peace of mind and considering that I had finished all the books and no class tomorrow, it even more peaceful. The kids loves the snow too. I would like to go to Breckenridge once and maybe during the next Christmas break will be a good time then. Well, maybe....



The next day, Monday, was the grocery day where we're supposed to go to Denver to buy all the Asian supply and Halal meat. But we did not feel like it. We spent the morning having fun playing with the snow. Aqif were busy scooping the snow to his orange bucket. He even ate those snow when nobody is looking and when I caught him doing that he simply said, "Ice mama.. ice..." and smiles. Yeah, right!

We still go to Denver though.. we were so bored that we just get the coat and head to I-25 and straight to Broomfield to find a new found Asian stores. It was half past 4 when we leave the house. After missed the store and made a U-turn several miles ahead, we found the Pacific Ocean Market. It was big and they have varieties of Asian foods. I bought Squid brand fish sauce, taugeh and black soy sauce which is not thick enough but sufficient enough considering it's very hard to find.

Eventually, I prefer shopping my groceries at Vietnam stores in Federal Boulevard so we head South to those stores. I was afraid the stores will close as it was already half past 5. Luckily, we made it and so I bought some more lemongrass (serai), fresh kuey tiaw, bihun, sawi and some other sauces. We tried to find Zaytoon International Market to buy halal meats but somehow we got lost and it was already 8pm and so we headed home. It was silly though, I know. We had tapau Fish Sandwich at Arby's on the way home. It was OK but I prefer Wendy's fish fillet. It's more delicious! So, that was that. Snow and Denver. We had both although the kids not enjoy the ride to Denver.

Spring Break Part I - reading

Today is the beginning of my 1 week Spring Break and yet I just don't have any idea where to hit to.. Well, to be honest, I was actually trying to finish up reading the classic story book that I had borrowed from CSU library. I had borrowed three books with a goal to finish it up before the class resume.I always hooked up with the book until I finish reading it. It was sinful when you have so much of works to do but you just can't let it go.

I had finish read the first book- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen before the break. I borrowed the book because I had watched the film last Sunday and was so moved by it. It was my second time, the first time I watch it on Astro HBOs and the recent one was aired on OH! I read the book because I found Mr Darcy and Lizzie was simply romantic. I love the film better because the book was rather dull and boring. Plus, the illustration in the book would make Mr Darcy looks so plain it was not worth pursuing. However it was worth reading it so you could understand a lot more than just watching the movie alone. The book I read was in plain hard cover with the classic floral prints.

I always loves Keira Knightley especially her acts in Pirates of the Carribean. Although she is so terribly skinny she is so beautiful. I wish I could tell her right in her face that she should put up some weight. It will be a blessing if I could transfer some of my fat to her. Mr Darcy on the other hand is a very new face to me. Matthew McFadyen might be infamous in Britain but he looks dashingly handsome in the movie. This is quite and old movie, release in Nov. 2005 so I shouldn't put lots of review here. One thing I am sure of is I simply loves the ending in the movie than the ending in the book. I think I will have to watch Atonement too. Yeah, I know, I always late on these sort of things. Oh, credit to allmoviephoto.com for the above pix. Thanks!

I just finished my second book today. It was Anne of Green Gables. This was a re-read after so many years ago which I myself couldn't even remember when I last read the book. I remember I was so happy when they aired it as TV series back then. I found Anne of Green Gables website and was so thrill to see those faces again. Anne's as most known is always a wonderful book you simply loves to read over and over again. I wish they will air the series on TV again. I loves to have a pleasure of watching it again. I'm sure many of us does. Problem is, after you finished it, you simply wanting more. There are 8 series for the Anne story. While searching for the picture in Amazon, I saw the offer for the whole series in a box for a mere $29.04, this is irressistable! I will do some cost benefits analysis on whether or not to make a purchase.

The third book have to wait. I also had read it before. It started with the famous line of "Last night I dreamt I went to Menderley again" Yes, it is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. This classic book was published in 1938. I vividly remember I had cried reading this book. In fact, I always cried when reading something sad and touchy. What a sensitive soul, heh? I know if I start read the book tonight I will not go anywhere until I finish reading it all. My mind will not put to rest until I know the ending. So, I will stop for now until I finish my GIS homework and Dr. Oad's assignments on Crop Water Requirement. Until then, I don't know how long I can resist the book.

I will resolve the purchase of Anne series later because I was thinking to buy the DVD Platinum edition of Lord of The Rings trilogy at Amazon. I had finished reading the first two series, The Ring and The Two Towers just before I came to US and my plan was to finish the third, The Return of The King in here. Unfortunately, the bloody Pos Malaysia had messed up my stuff and I had left with nothing. I also lost my treasured Hydrology textbook too. I had tried not to talk about the "tragedy" because it will boiled me with so much anger.

Now, let's type something nice like Anne would say, "something with a scope of imagination". I just love reading because it brings so much youth into you. I always fancy reading with an exclusion of textbooks and journals. How terribly sad I must be. I should be like Anne who really diligent in her study. OK, time now quarter past 10 and Aqif had sleep already. I need to plan for tomorrow's trip. We'll go to Denver of course to buy some supplies but I was thinking to make a longer trip. Hubby wanted to go to Vegas but I guess I'm not ready yet. Well, we'll see.

Menjejak kaki di bumi Amerika - entry 2

Note: ni adalah posting lama date bila pun tak ingat, boleh???

Last night was horribly, terribly freezing cold. I bet last night the temperature must be between -10 to -18 degree Celcius. We were all freezing in the house. My hubby end up covered himself in a kain pelikat. I mean, I can count he wore kain pelikat less than 10 times during our 6 years of marriage and I still bring a piece of it. Well, just in case. For the record, I even brought a kain batik panjang here. It's not that I wish for the bad things to happen but you know the terms "just in case" means?

OK, back to the freezing night, we end up sitting and enjoy our fresh brewed coffee and watching TV. Although the coffee is cheap according to the US dollars but yeah, it's worth it. Sipping your coffee and chewing cucur ikan bilis oats with sweet thai sauce, late at night, the air is cold and chilly, it's simply rewarding! I went to bed at I guess half past 1 in the morning and woke up today to find that everything is covered with snow outside. I mean, yeah, this is my third time to watch snow alive and it's just amazing.

I have an appointment with Paul this afternoon. We're going to buy a Van, a 1998 Plymouth Voyager Van to be specific. Oh! He's here already..gtg

It turn out that Mr Paul is an old man I mean, he must be around 60s something. He's nice too and since my kids cannot ride in a vehicle without a proper child seat so I have to stay home and my hubby has to go with Mr. Paul to test ride the van. After all, he have better driving skill than I am and he's good at engines too. If I am the one to see the car, I would probably judge the car by the cosmetics, not the soul. OK, let's wait for hubby .

While waiting, my boys had a quarrel over my hubby's laptop. Aqil wanted to search for "Bully" in the internet and Aqif wanted to watch Power Rangers DVD. It turned out that Aqif, in order to show his rage, had purposedly spilled his milk on the keyboard. I was so furious and took him to his room. We cannot lock the door as all the doorknobs is our little apartment don't have a lock. So, I just let him remained in the room for while. After 2 minutes, I checked on him. When I opened up the door, he was nowhere to be seen. Guess what, he had this favorite spot that he just found out the day we moved to this apartment. So, I left him hiding in there and came again to check about 10 minutes later. There he was, fall asleep in his secret hiding place with his mouth slightly open. I left him be. Do not disturb your child when he's sound asleep!

Back to my future vehicle, I like it, we both like it. It cost us $2000 (you would never get it in KL!) and we have to take driving license here and etc. Right now, it is so good to have a vehicle. It's kinda old but roomy enough for all of us. Plus, if you want to drive long distance, the Van just perfect for our tight budget. The long distance here is nothing like the long distance I would have call each time we going back to my place in Alor Setar. Yupp, in Malaysia, we define KL to Alor Setar is long distance but here, we define Fort Collins to Vegas, or to LA or perhaps to New York? So, tomorrow I am going to give away $2000 for the Van. It's equivalent to RM6,600.


Nota: pos je lah draft ni, maleh nak pk dah

Menjejak kaki di bumi Amerika - entry 1

Hari ini masuk hari ke 5 kami sekeluarga berada di Ft. Collins, Colorado. Bila fikir balik betapa susah payahnya nak ke sini dulu, terasa lagi susah bila dah berada di sini. Nasib baik suami tercinta sanggup berkorban untuk jadi teman belajar dan teman susah senang di perantauan.

Semasa sampai di Tom Bradley International Airport di Los Angeles, anak-anak mula meragam. Dengan keadaan balai ketibaan yang masih dalam upgrading construction, ditambah pula dengan beratus-ratus manusia yang tiba, kami mula terasa macam pendatang asing yang merempat. Tambahan pula, cerita-cerita mengenai imigresen Amerika yang strict menyebabkan hati agak gusar. Kami terpaksa beratur panjang dan dalam pada itu, Aqif (2+) mula menangis. Suaranya yang nyaring telah menarik perhatian pegawai Imigresen dan memanggil kami pergi terus untuk check in procedure di kaunter yang berlambak-lambak di hadapan.

Saya memegang visa kelas J-1 iaitu Exchange Visitor manakala suami dan anak-anak adalah J-2. Selepas lebih kurang 15 minit di kaunter dan iris scan bagi saya dan suami telah diambil, suami saya perlu dibawa ke tempat lain di hujung kaunter untuk temuramah dengan pegawai Imigresen. Ini adalah prosedur biasa di US untuk kaum lelaki yang berumur 18-45thn. I think this is the age range, you may check on the website. So, saya dan anak-anak yang tengah keletihan menunggu di kerusi yang disediakan. Penampilan masa tu, jangan cakaplah, dengan muka tak mandi, sememeh lak tu, so memang unpresentable lah.

Sessi temubual suami mengambil masa yang sangat lama. Nasib baik our connecting flight departs at 16:15hr. Saya yang menunggu dengan beg yang masih belum dituntut mulai risau. Tambahan, anak-anak mula buat perangai. Mana yang merajuk dok terbaring kat bawah kerusi, mana yang mengantuk dok mintak makan itu ini. Semasa menunggu, seorang pekerja MAS datang bertanya mengenai beg-beg kami. Saya yang terasa terasing di negara orang dok ingat budak MAS tu orang Melayu, so bantai la cakap Melayu dengan dia (sebab muka dia macam orang Melayu) and he replied back in English. Dia mintak maklumat baggage dan selepas lebih kurang 15 minit, dia datang membawakan semua beg-beg kami yang besar dan banyak itu. Lega rasa sebab dah tak payah fikir pasal beg lagi dan dalam pada itu, budak-budak mulai tidur. Sorang kat atas peha kanan sorang lagi kat sebelah kiri.

Tunggu punya tunggu, at last my husband pun muncul. Lama jugak about 45min or more. So, by the time, budak2 pun dah sound asleep. Kami dah mula kena fikir macam mana nak carry bags and the kids to next terminal. So, kami pun tanya satu Uncle Black yang peramah how to get to Terminal 7. It turned out that he was a Porter and he can carry all our baggage up to exit. Saya dukung Aqif dan suami dukung Aqil. Bagus jugak sebab tak payah beratur, dan yang penting kastam dia tak cek pun kami punya beg. Dia tanya ada meat tak and I said tak de, just dried anchovies. Then, itu saja and terus Uncle tu bawak kami sampai ke tempat check in bag. So, saya dengan polite tanya dia biasanya berapa banyak orang bagi kat dia, dia kata ikut suka so saya pun bagilah $20. Then, dia mintak tambah lagi $10, terus kami tambah. OK lah sebab tak payah beratur, tak payah cek beg dan tak payah bawak beg.

So, sebenarnya, US Immigration is not as bad as some people think. Bagi saya as long as we're nice and OK, they're just as nice, sama macam Imigresen kita juga. Silap-silap lagi considerate kot. Macam ada member saya cakap minta saya pakai lawa-lawa lah, touch up la sikit muka tu, pakai tudung kasik vogue sikit. Hah, apanya, saya rasa tu la paling sememeh ever. Mana taknya, dengan tudung Indon style tu, dengan muka tak mandi, tak cukup tidur pulak tu, bibirpun kering sebab dalam air-cond lama, dengan beg depan belakang. Nasib baik tak de apa-apa. Bagi saya just be yourself and tawakal kepada Allah. Insya Allah dipermudahkan.

I was told later by MSD Officer, Cik Hamidah that some of our undergrads student was detained more than 2 hours. That 45minutes is a minimum actually. Alhamdullilah, puaslah mulut kumat kamit dok baca ayat Qursi dan memohon pada Allah dipermudahkan sessi suami. Bab baca ayat Qursi ni Mak Ngah (sebelah suami) yang pesan. Masa tu dia nak chk in kat Heathrow nak balik KL. Polisi dorang, carry on beg ni kena bawak sorang satu dan mesti lepas rangka yang disediakan. Her carry-on bag eventually turned up to beg slightly bigger at the bottom. So, dia cakap habislah dia ni, apalagi bertawakallah Mak Ngah dan terus membaca ayat yang dia ingat dan lancar. Alhamdulillah, bila turn dia mat saleh tuh terus suh masuk ke dalam tanpa perlu cek beg dan not only that, body search pun lepas.

OK, then kitorang pun bergegas pulak ke Terminal 7. Mak aii, jauh ey kono menapak! Cuaca di LA dingin dan selesa jadi OK lah cuma kepenatan sebab kena dukung Aqif dan Aqil terlelap di atas trolley. Leceh betul kali ini sebab kena bukak kasut, sweat shirt, buang semua air dan segala-galanya lah. Dalam pada tu si Aqif buat hal menangis lagi. Pening kepala dengan budak-budak ni. Yelah, dorang penatkan so meragam la sikit. Bila sampai kat Gate United Airlines untuk ke Denver, flight delay sebab cuaca tak berapa elok. Nasib baik tak lama, dalam 45minit kot dan pastuh kami pun boleh masuk. Kapal terbang tu punyalah buruk dan sempit, barulah terasa MAS tu sepuluh kali ganda best. Selepas 20minit, flight attendant mula menghidangkan air. Saya meminta jus oren dan suami minum kopi. Snack dia nama Snyders kaler coklat gelap. Nampak sedap tapi bila makan, mak aii punyalah masin. Orang putih ni memang salt freak betoi! Dia bagi 3 pek untuk saya dan anak-anak. Budak2 tu tengah tidur. walaupun tak sedap, tabii semulajadi susah dibuang serta merta, tapau tetap ku tapau. Masin-masin pun tapau jugak. Sampai sekarang ada kat dalam laci ni. Tak bersentuh pun!

Lebih kurang 2 jam lebih kami pun mendarat di Denver International Airport (DIA). Mata ni mula melilau kot-kot boleh nampak salji tapi tak nampak pun. DIA ni lebih kurang macam KLIA lah cuma kat KLIA trolley free tapi kat sini kena bayar $3 untuk satu trolley, boleh? Habis, nak tak nak terpaksalah keluarkan duit dan bayar untuk nak letak beg yang berkodi tu. Tunggu punya tunggu, tengok2 satu beg hilang. Masa ni, tag bag yang dia lekat kat tiket kapal terbang tu amat berguna. So, saya pergi di kaunter United Airlines dan bagi tau beg mana yang tak sampai. Kalau tak mau repot kat kaunter, kita boleh buat repot kat mesin yang terletak di sepanjang kawasan baggage tu. Masuk je nombor daftar beg dan nanti mesin tu print out status beg dan bila sampai. Beg kami yang hilang tu akan sampai lebih kurang sejam lagi. United Airlines boleh hantarkan beg yang tertinggal tu ke alamat rumah/hotel yang kita bagi, tetapi pasal saya pun tak pasti beg yang tertinggal tu beg baju anak-anak dan suami atau beg general items, so kami pun tunggu.

Dalam menunggu tu saya mula mencari hotel termurah untuk bermalam. Di tepi dinding tu, ada bermacam iklan hotel dan pengangkutan pun disediakan iaitu free shuttle. Masa menunggu tu, suami membawa anak-anak ambil angin kat luar. Tiba-tiba, anak saya yang sulung, Aqil, berlari ke dalam ke arah saya dan berkata, "Mama, mama, magic la mama, mulut abang keluar asap!". He..he..he.., nak tergelak pun ada. Yelah, first time kan, so kami jakun la sikit. Lepas sejam, beg kami pun sampai dan kami terus bergegas naik shuttle untuk ke Red Inn Roof Denver. Masa nak berjalan ke shuttle tu, angin punyalah sejuk, tangan ni rasa macam rendam dalam air ais. Pipi pun mula rasa pedih sebab sejuk sangat. Mak aii, tulah angin paling sejuk pernah kami ketahui. Lebih kurang 20 minit, kami pun sampai kat Red Roof Inn. Suami saya bagi $5 pada Uncle drebar shuttle tu. Uncle tu beriya-iya menolak. Baik betul mat saleh ni.

Masuk je bilik, lega rasanya. Masing-masing berebut nak mandi, yelah lebih sehari tak mandi! Saya pun check la beg yang tertinggal tu apa isi kandunganya, nasib baik tunggu sebab itulah beg yang ada baju suami dan anak-anak. Kalau tak tunggu, budak-budak ni ada la baju yang nak pakai lepas mandi tapi suami takde. So, moral of the story, biar semua baju simpan dalam semua beg, kalau tertinggal tak de ler meraban sangat. Lepas mandi, perut pun lapar. Menyesal pulak tak beli fillet O fish ke kat Mcdonald kat Los angeles tadi. Nasib baik ler saya bawak periuk nasi kecil dengan converter sekali. Boleh lah masak 4 peket megi mini perisa sayuran. Habis licin, budak-budak ni pun semua kebuluran. Kena masak sekali lagi. Perut dah kenyang baru boleh tidur. Bestnya dapat tidur atas katil. Walaupun seat business class tu punyalah best boleh control2 at the tips of your finger, tidak akan sama dengan tidur di atas katil. Alhamdulillah dapat berehat jugak akhirnya. Selesai satu cerita!

Untitled.

Today is one of those days when you suddenly feel sad and anxious at the same time.. sort of like blues kind of feeling. I don't know. It's very hard to explain. The feeling bussiness is somehow very complicated and extremely delicates. so lets leave it alone...

I believe that the anxiety and the nervousness that slowly build up its structure inside me it's partly because I am start counting down the days I suppose to leave Kuala Lumpur and head for Fort Collins, Colorado. I am so afraid of the uncertainties, of what kind of life there, what kind of troubles awaits, what kind of environment, etc.. can my children adapts well to the new life there? although it's only 2 years but moving your life from here to there somehow sounds kind of quite exhausting yet exhilirating.

I really hope for the best. According to plan, we will leave by January next year. Just another 4 months to go. I supposed to start class on last August but I'm just not ready so I postponed it to Spring 2008. At this moment, it's still zero preparation. So I shall get everything ready by October, in which I assume I will received the Visa Form from the University. I have to submit all the documents to JPA by November. The financial documents still pending and guess I need to "mengadap" JPA soon to get the latest allowances details and sort. Now, I am compiling the bills, the transcript, the offer letter, the english result, the bla..bla..bla..

Good thing is, bulan puasa is around the corner. Today is Monday and taraaa.. hari Khamis sudah pun puasa. Solat Terawih will begin this Wednesday evening. Oh, I loves bulan puasa. We will have our sahur soon and pejam celik pejam celik suddenly it's Raya already.. Ohh, even talking about this makes the acid in my perut buncit churning and whirpooling. Or is it because I did not take my lunch? But no, even my heartbeat is pounding very fast. Yelah, bulan puasa ni doa banyak2 so that we will go there and live there as safely as in here.

Ahlan wa sahlan ya Ramadhan! May this coming Ramadhan Al-Mubarak will bring pure joy and happiness to my family and friends. May the blissfull Ramadhan will bless our life and purify our soul. May we live harmoniously and peacefully cross the races, the religions, the border, the whatever...

OK sudah, sambung keje balik!