Last Tarawikh

After Tarawikh last night - probably the last one for the year, I brought the whole troupe to join Julia's children at my Mum's place. It was havoc and we stayed well past midnight.

Julia wanted to go to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to look for some bargain, but I would imagine that the traffic going to be a nightmare! It sure would be fun though.

My parents would be in Kuala Lumpur through out Raya, but talking to my Dad, he was keen to head back to Penang for a couple of days after that. I don't think I could spare the time though. My break would last until Wednesday, and I would be back to work - on call as well - next Thursday. The week would just fly by like a breeze I was sure.

Back to Gombak

After a two weeks stay at the apartment, moving back to Gombak proved to be a right downer. We were having such great time there and it was a shame that we had to pack things up and drag ourselves back. It also meant a return of my long commute in the morning, but unfortunately it had to be done. It had been a couple of days, and only now that I felt like blogging. It was that depressing.

The boys were also glum. We left most of their new toys at the apartment, but brought back their Wii. We promised them that we would spend a few more days at the apartment after Raya, just before they return to school. I would be on call the first day I would be back to work next week, so they would be at the apartment for that.

As for now, we were gearing up for Raya this weekend …..

Pre-Raya Errands for Anita

Puan Anita has had a busy last couple of days where she had to do the pre-rays errands. Staying at the apartment meant that she can't leave the kids at home while she went out. She was worried that the maid couldn't cope. Therefore, going out during the day meant that she would have the kids in tow. Even with a driver, it was a pain.

So, she was out the last couple of days, and managed to finally shop for herself. The Raya cards were also sorted, and finally, the change for suit Raya was done this morning. Most of the bank teller had run out of small change by afternoon, so she had to go early.

Since Idlan was at the Quran school in Gombak, Anita and the gang were back home, leaving me for iftar alone at the apartment since I was on call. They would be back later this evening, but I would be out for my evening rounds already by then. If I was lucky, I might be able to get back home by midnight ……

Iftar at Sri Ayuttahaya

It was work last night, but tonight iftar was with family. Destination, Sri Ayutthaya in Wangsa Maju, one of the more upmarket-looking Thai restaurant around where I live.

I couldn't pretend that I like the place, but for the family, it was about the go-to place as far as Thai food restaurant if we were planning a family do. Good ambiance, clean environment, not bad food, but with a good efficient service - if the place was not packed that was.

The upper floor was kept empty for the evening.So, for fear of the place being crowded and full car park, we set off early. We were there well before 7, and we later found out that the restaurant was only half full. Instead of having a buffet spread, the restaurant offered a Ramadhan set menu for Iftar, making selection easy and food preparation straight forward. We know exactly what to expect, and the food came in early as well as they were pre-prepared.

It was my brother-in-law's treat this time and he was the one doing the ordering. We had the usual selection of tomyam soup, soft-shell crabs, vegetables and fish as part of the set. Food quality was pretty OK, but for the amount you paid, you would really expect something special in the meal. In the scheme of things, it was just about fine.

The food came thick and fastWe ordered separately for the boys. They had some fried rice. As you can see, the tomyam just looked too menacing for them.The fish was definitely the best dish of the night. And it didn't take long to finish it off .....The boys had to cool down after the sweet dessert.Time to go .....You couldn't fault the ambiance and service though, but bear in mind that the place was only half full. A couple of years back, we came here for a usual dinner and the service was rather poor. It was better tonight, but the food remained the same. I would recommend the sister outlet in Damansara if food quality was the one you were looking for.

For dessert, we had the firm favourite, water chestnut. On the whole, we quite enjoyed the dinner tonight. We ordered separately for the boys as the food were too spicy for them to stomach. 

Dinner in Bed

After a whole day of babysitting, both myself and the boys were getting restless. Anita also had a long day, spending much of her time earlier today when she was out fought in traffic. Even though she was taken by a driver, it was still frustrating when she only managed to go to one destination all day. And worst thing was, she did not manage to find the clothes that she wanted.

It was never a good idea going out shopping on a public holiday - even though Kuala Lumpur was business as usual - this close to the Eid. Even at 10 am, central KL was already packed, both on the road and LRT. I made the right decision not to go out ….. Imagine having the two grumpy boys along with you on a hot day!

The street was lit up to the Raya grooveA nice time to stroll as the place was not packed during weekdaysSo, come the evening, we went out to The Curve after iftar for a bit fresh air and of course supper. It was not that packed as it was close to 9 pm when we settled into the restaurant - The Apartment. The iftar crowd had already left. Car park was relatively empty already.

The lights were already up, and with the nice cool early evening weather, it was a nice outing. Food was not that bad either, as the tangerine cooler - my favourite - watched down very nicely. I was already full, and only ordered some salad. The boys had their dinner, in bed!

Irfan lying on the bedI was not joking .....Hmmm! Not sure what to order .....Maybe I get to stir Dad's coolers In the interior, some of the table had beds as their seats, and it was not long before Irfan took off his shoes and started jumping up and down on the bed. Thank God, there were not many people in there, as most of them were in the terrace outside.

Some salad of course .....We finally left after 10 pm when the shopping mall entrance was about to be closed - the mall closes at 10, restaurant and bars stayed open until midnight. We then took the long route back home on the drive ….