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Entries by Haris Abdul Rahman (3438)

6:39AM

Iftar at Flamingo

One of my pet grief is having iftar at hotels or restaurants. They usually offer buffet. Often with not much choice with the patrons clamoring for the offerings. The price were never cheap. You will be doing well to get them for less than RM50 per head. You also have to think about the children - with will also be charged even though there weren’t fasting, and the maid. With all the chaos, jostling for food and table, it can often be a frustrating time. And then, there was the traffic getting in and the parking. We ended up arriving very early, staring at the food, with the children driving us up the wall!

When my sister Julia asked if we wanted to take our parents out for iftar, I cringed a bit. Over the years, it had not been that pleasant an experience. We phoned a few joints, but they were already booked. Understandable. It was Saturday evening after all. Puan Anita then went through her Halal Food Guide book and came across Flamingo Hotel in Ampang and gave it a call. A couple tables were booked. Flamingo it was.

Driving in was fine. Got there around 7 pm. Shortly after, with all the fumes and excitement, Idlan had an asthma attack. Oops! We forgotten to bring the inhalers. A mad dash back home and a lecture from mum-in-law later, and all was well. I got in around 10 minutes after iftar. Puan Anita got the food ready for me, sparing me the hassle of queuing for food. Off we went.

The selection were authentic Malay. There were bukhari rice, tempoyak, roast lamb, fried kuey teow, nice satay. Not bad. The customers were booked into tables, so one do not have to worry about seatings. Since the place was actually a converted exhibition hall rather than their a usual restaurant, there were plenty of space. The tables were comfortable and well-spaced - which is important because when my boys met their cousins and had some sugary dessert, you know what they would to do? Run around in circles! What does a good parent do? Leave them as they were and went on to enjoy the food of course!

From left - Imran, Idlan and Irfan. Yes, we need imagination ....Self-made ais kacang for dessert. More syrup and creamer please.

The place was well organised, plenty of staffs and the food was very well-stocked. One thing I noticed was, the waiters and waitresses were in high spirits. Very friendly and accommodating. While we were having food, there were also some live music, some traditional Malay ensemble. The food were fine. The nasi bukari and satay was good. They also have a continuous supply of iced Milo and teh tarik - important this!

The traffic going in was kind, even when I had to drive back home to get Idlan’s inhalers. Parking was aplenty on site - at RM4 per entry. Those were the pluses. It was not perfect. One of my main gripe was the surau. It was a makeshift one on the second floor. A partition put on at the end of a corridor. One also had to walk to a toilet for absolution. It was not a purpose-built surau. The management should at least opened up a couple of the meeting rooms and convert them for praying instead of just some partitions. It looked like an afterthought. They should also provide some slippers for those wearing shoes to go to toilet for absolution. I was OK with my Crocs because I sort of knew what to expect.

How much do they charge? RM65 for adults and RM35 for children aged 4 to 12. They should have made children under 10 eat for free. I suspect the charging was to discourage parents from bringing in children really. Iftar during weekends were supposed to be a family affair, and to be honest, I did not see that many children. RM35 for them? A disgrace! As for the adult pricing, you really had to do very well to find a joint that charged less than RM50 per head in KL nowadays. Bora Ombak in Ampang and Penang Village in Great Eastern Mall were a couple which springs to mind. Judging from the venue and the food selection, it looked reasonable.

Will I come here again? Not for this Ramadhan I think, but definitely in the future. Will I encourage others to come? Certainly worth considering. Food was aplenty and there were hardly any jostling. Parking was ample and staffs were friendly. Do check the place out at http://www.flamingo.com.my/main.htm. 5, Tasik Ampang, Jalan Hulu Kelang, 68000 Ampang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, Tel - 03-42563288.

7:24AM

KB Photo Walk

The famous Pasar Siti KhadijahOne peculiar thing about KB during my stay there was the gorgeous weather during the day, but it will start to rain late afternoon, making evening stroll during the golden hour a bit of a challenge. I decided to take my camera out during the late morning instead but unfortunately time was tight and I only had a couple of hours on my hands on the Monday morning for a walk.

There were quite a few places to visit reading through the various blogs. The ones I wanted to visit was definitely the famous Pasar Siti Khadijah - not for the shopping I must add - the War Memorial, the State Museum and Islamic Museum. Unfortunately time was tight, I plotted a round route taking me to the Memorial, Pasar then the State Museum.

Can't remember what this was called, but it was partially run down alreadyThe War Museum basically chronicled the struggle during the Japanese occupation. The materials were decent, plenty to read and ponder, even though there was not much in terms of exhibits. The ground floor was mainly on the World War while on the first floor, there were rooms housing royal mementos and the such. Took me close to 45 minutes to read through. Realising I was running out of time, I headed straight for Pasar Siti Khadijah.

Remember staying at this hotel during my first trip to KB back in 1988The Pasar - or market - was unique in the sense that it was under a big dome, and the majority of the sellers were Malay ladies. It has a central wet market, while the two upper floors mainly do packed food and clothes. If you were into clothes, you should check out Pasar Buloh Kubu next door instead. But be prepared to haggle. Make sure you have a local with you since the moment you open your mouth, people can tell if you’re from Kelantan or not - 50% discount if you were local trust me!

If you read websites or brochures about Kota Bharu, Pasar Siti Khadijah would definitely be a feature. From a vantage point on the second floor, you can see all the business taking place, a neat place to snap photos. It was too conspicuous of me to carry my dSLR walking around the market snapping picture on my own, so I stayed at the vantage point instead.

Puan Anita's favourite makan place in KB - Sun Two and Hoover

The Kelantan State MuseumNext was a quick stride across town to the State Museum, passing rows of old storefront, and Hotel Temenggung. I think I must have stayed there in 1988 on my first trip with my Mum to Kota Bharu. The hotel still looked the same. In front of the museum was a round-about with a newly built clock tower right in the middle. The museum was showing an exhibit on snakes - which was a hit amongst the local. I could see schoolbus-load of students coming through the entrance as I was making my way in. The locals - at least their children were pretty mesmerised by snakes. The exhibit was rather corny when I learned that part of the draw was a lady sitting in a glass room full of poisonous snakes - “Gadis dengan Ular Berbisa”. I switched off after that. I was hoping more on historical account of the state, wau bulan, gasing, wayang kulit and the likes.

My two hours was up. I had to go to Pengkalan Chepa for lunch right after, followed by a drive to Rantau Panjang for more shopping.

6:22PM

Grand Riverview

In the numerous occasion we been to visit Kota Bharu, we stayed at Perdana and Renaissance. This was the second time we stayed at Grand Riverview. The reason? They do a nice suite with a connecting door to the maids’ room. Solved a lot of the hassle. In terms of service, Perdana won hands down. In terms of food, definitely Renaissance - the do a grand breakfast spread and the Chinese restaurant, Four Seasons was not half bad, albeit on the expensive side. Apparently Perdana has been under renovation for the best part of a couple of years now. The last time we stayed there was back in 2005. Therefore the decision on where to stay was pretty straight forward.

The front facadeThe main sitting areaUnfortunately, apart from the generous room, the amenities were pretty basic. Room service menu were spelt out on a single sheet of paper. They have three main food joints - a lounge, a buffet restaurant (where breakfast was served) and a Chinese restaurant, which was a far cry from Four Seasons - yes, we ate there the evening before we left. My Dad-in-law invited his family for a meal. Suffice to say we were a tad disappointed.

From the bedroom, looking into the living room, then straight on onto the maid's roomIrfan with his tea - biscuits and honey - posh boy!Idlan by the sink the spacious bathroomBreakfast and buffet spread was adequate - if you know what I mean. They have a swimming pool, with a separate wading pool for children. There was a also gym - don’t expect me to check them out. But enough of the negativity. The room was very comfortable. The suite we had has a small dining area, a sitting area, connected to the room next door, where our maids stayed. Then there was the bedroom and a comfortable bathroom. The bedroom only had a king’s bed, which mean I’ll be either sleeping on the floor or the sitting room. TV channels - the usual terrestrials, plus ESPN and movie channel. There were also a couple of vision4 channels. Broadband? Apparently there are wifi, but I can’t get them to work on my Mac. Therefore I use my E71 as a wifi base station instead.

TV timeOrdering in some sweets - sea coconut and loghan in syrupIrfan doing some art. I ended up completing it for him.Location? The hotel is actually within walking distance from Pasar Buluh Kubu - as I will mention later on my bit about the walk about town. It was located as the name suggests by the Kelantan River Bank. Unfortunately, the river was being dredged and therefore was orange and dirty. As the rooms were facing the river to the west, the sunset were quite brilliant. Apparently there are occasional barbecue by the pool with the patron enjoying the sunset. Unfortunately that did not happen during our stay. The room fees include breakfast for two. Will we come hear again? If the room were maintained to the current standard, most definitely. You can always enjoy the food outside. After all, this is Kelantan, where the food were gorgeous if you know where to look. 

The picture will not be complete without the two boys running around in the lobbyIrfan enjoying some down time by the poolThe hotel is located Jalan Post Office Lama,  Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Tel: 609-743 9988. Website: http://www.grh.com.my/

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5:26PM

20 years ago

The two generations of Rahmans, Idlan and me17th August. A memorable date this for me. Exactly 20 years ago, in 1990. It must have been the proudest moment in my parents life. At least my Mum’s. Maybe topped up by the day I got married to Puan Anita and both Irfan and Idlan were born, the proudest day of my life as well. Exactly 20 years ago, just before midnight I jumped onto MH 002, heading for London Heathrow with another 70 or so colleague on our journey as part of the BTU 6 crew.

Most of us were good mates by then, spending 3 months at the SUNY (State University of New York) campus in Subang Jaya for our English Preparatory Course. We didn’t have to pass the course. We were just really having fun. I did not stay at the hostel, driving back home everyday. The course was also during Italia 90 then, so I was more occupied about football then listening through lectures.

That was followed by the obligatory Biro Tatanegara camp prior to leaving overseas. I had to sit through 2 of them prior to my flight abroad. The last one being in Kota Bharu exactly a week before. So all pumped up, decked in suits, we boarded the DC10 - I repeat, a DC10, with a stop over in Dubai I think it was.

Everyone came with parents and loved ones. A few were sad to leave family and of course their girl or boyfriends back home. I was not sure what to expect. What had to be said had been said on the previous few days. I remember my aunties and uncles coming along as well. It was a proud evening. 20 years down the road, I still remember that evening very well.

Most of my friends boarding the same flight have since returned. Some are still abroad. Most of the groups were doctors. Some lawyers and accountants. Unfortunately lost touch with many of them already. I am sure all of them remember the events that evening as well. Nuff said!

11:09AM

Under the weather

It all started on the first day of Ramadhan when Puan Anita was down with diarrhoea. She developed muscle ache and fever the next day. Myself and the boys were still fine. But during sahur on early hours of Saturday, Idlan started vomiting. He then developed fever and been unwell through out the day.

I thought I was OK. Had my sahur as usual, then went out to do my ward round in the morning. Halfway through, I started having muscle ache. Rushed through and managed to see all the patients. Felt really bad while driving and by the time I reached home, it was doubly bad. Muscle ache started setting in, Slept the rest of the day. Idlan did not get any better. He started having diarrhoea overnight. At least Puan Anita’s fever came down, even though the muscle aches were till there. We are bracing ourselves that It was not more than just a viral fever. I fear the dreaded mosquito-borne virus that is pandemic at the moment …….

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