The Couplehood Journey of a Distort Soul....

IKEA & IronMan...

We sent Eliza to MATRADE early in the morning for her ASCPA exam and we drove to IKEA for our morning breakfast; only to find out that it will be open by 9am. We then walked to CURVE for breakfast at McDonalds. We did went into IKEA; by 9.30am and I bought wedding present as well as a few home essentials. We did enjoy IKEA soft ice-cream after we conclude our shopping at IKEA. As it was still early we went to Toy'R'Us and I still haven't bought a birthday gift for Arief. After walking for about half an hour; I then decided to buy Arief a complete set of IronMan toys; Helmet, Chest & Hand. Arief was so happy; and he immediately wore all three once we are in the car. And he continue wearing when we pick-up Eliza at MATRADE :-)

Boys Day Out...

As Eliza need to finish her studies for her upcoming ASCPA Exam on 1st May; I decided to go out with Arief for some needed retail therapy and both of us wore the same t-shirt @ Rafa Green Nike. We went to Empire Subang and we went to Toys'R'Us where Arief bought his remote control helicopter; advise age is 14++. Well I have to play for Arief then. We then had our lunch at Nyonya's Corner; Arief ate nasi lemak while I ate curry mee. Then we went to the 2nd Floor for TANGS Branded Sale where Arief bought my Mac & iPad carry case at 80% discounts; good offers indeed. As as usual Arief need to go to the toilet; big time and he accidentally peed on his pants while doing his stuff. Major catastrophe but I do have his extra clothes in the car; so Arief had to walk in his wet pants to our car park. Luckilly we park nearby :-)

Birthday Dinner @ BBQ at Holiday Villa Subang Jaya...

We went for my birthday dinner at Holiday Villa Subang Jaya; via Groupon. We arrived by 7.30am and we immediately went to our table which was reserved just beside the BBQ grill. Without hesitation I attack the meat and lamb as usual. Arief really enjoy sipping the mushroom soup as well as enjoying sausages. Well me & Eliza mostly ate lamb & beef; with the occasionally satay + vegetables + bread pudding + fruits + coffee. The buffet spread is just simple and nice. It is a bit hot though; they do need to provide better ventilation at the venue. We arrived home by 9pm and Arief was already sound asleep. Well I'm 37 this year and anxiously waiting to embark on a new journey soon :-)

Little Caliphs Sports Day...

Today is Arief's sports day; held at TTDI Jaya. We were there by 8am and it was already crowded. We manage to find a small parking space beside the entrance; we drove our cute Aveo today. Arief wore his sports attire but he was supposed to wear black t-shirt for his march. Luckilly we brought along his extra t-shirt which happens to be black in colour. Arief is one of the flag bearers at the back and he even participated in the performance.  Arief participated in one game during his sports day; and his team finish last. And the best part is when we participated in the family game; we had to carry arief around a small cone and run back to the starting line. We finished 2nd and we received our prizes :-)

CTO 9...

This time I entered as a volunteer and as a doubles player with Zemi. I arrived by 7am; as we were preparing for the players registration; singles and mixed doubles. Everything went well and I was in-charge of the mixed doubles group stages which will be playing in the indoor courts. I started my match by 3pm; this is our first tournament as a pair and we lost 2-8 in our first match. Our opponents make less errors than us. We bounced back by defeating my cousin 8-7 and 8-2 in our final match. We managed to enter the main draw of which will be play on Sunday morning. Our opponent is the champion; Rizal & Piee. We lost 1-8. I'm happy with our progress; R16 Main Draw is an achievement for first time pairing in an official tournament. Next will be KL Tennis Classic on 3rd June 2012 :-)

Upin & Ipin The Musical...

I managed to secure three tickets for 8.30pm show on 17th April 2012. We had to rushed back from the office; and to make the matter worst it was raining. We ended up arriving by 6.30pm. We immediately took our shower and we started our journey after Maghrib. We brough along Oreos for Arief light dinner; he was unsure where we will be going as we plan a suprise for him. I took NSE towards Jalan Duta; minor traffic approaching Damansara exit and we reached Istana Budaya with 10 minutes to spare. Arief was already excited after watching Upin & Ipin banners all over Istana Budaya and he can't contact his excitement upon entering the lobby. We bought sandwiches for our light dinner before we went in to take our seat. The musical show lasted for 2 hours and Arief was wide awake until the end. It was indeed an entertaining show. It was already 11pm and we drove to Kampung Baru for Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa. We reached home by 12.15am. Btw Arief wore my old sweater; the one that my sister gave to me when I was in primary school :-)

Brunch at Darabif Burger IOI Mall...

We went for our brunch at Darabif Burger at IOI Mall Puchong; via Groupon. I bought the family meal for just RM27 instead of RM43; we got 2 burgers (chicken & beef), 2 mini burgers (chicken & beef), 4 fries, 4 soft drinks, 6 pieces of nugget, corn nachos with dip and 4 vanilla ice-cream. It was indeed a huge servings for the three of us; and we had to bring back home 2 burgers as were so full after eating fries. The burgers is quite delicious with huge beef patties. We then walked around IOI Mall; noticed Toys'R'Us and we went in to survey Arief's birthday present (his birthday is on 31st May). We ended up buying his birthday gift; an air hockey table. We told him that he can only play on his birthday but knowing Arief he immediately open the box upon arriving home :-)

2012 Piala Ramza Team Tennis Championship...

My tennis team TTDuta will be participating in 2012 Piala Ramza in Inspen Kampus 2 in Bangi. I carpool with Safuan & Nasir from Shah Alam and we reached Bangi by 8pm; got lost along the way as we went  to Inspen main building. Upon arriving we met with our team members and all of us proceed for breakfast at the nearby Kelantanese stalls; I opted for Nasi Kerabu and it was delicious. We started our first match against team Bangi by 9.30am. I opted to sit out this match and our team won by 3-2. I partnered Fahmi for the 2nd match against Putrajaya (last year champion) and we won 8-6. The team won 4-1. During this match that I feel slight pain in my right knee; not to aggravate my injury as well as to ensure my team win the next match against USM, I decided to rest. The team won by 3-2 (we were trailing by 0-2 at first but we manage to overcome the odds). TTDuta was crowned champion, undefeated :-)

Lunch at Hainan Tea...

It is a public holiday and we went for our lunch at Hainan Tea in Puchong; again via Groupon. I use my trusted GPS and we arrived within 15 minutes; we even manage to find a parking nearby. We proceed straight to our reserved table inside. The atmosphere is quite pleasant even with a full house. We ordered their signature chicken rice; roasted, steam and BBQ. We also received 2 cheong fun. All were delicious; we do prefer roasted chicken as compared to the steam and BBQ. Arief even ordered his Volcano Drink @ Iced Milo :-)

Beef Ribs at Tony Roma's...

We went to Tony Roma's 1Mont Kiara for our lunch; Beef Ribs. It took me awhile to locate the entrance to 1Mont Kiara as I use LDP; ended up paying two tolls as I mistakenly enter the highway again. We were there by 11am; ample time for us to explore 1Mont Kiara. Arief wanted to play at the huge chess + jenga + snake & ladder + connect; but we manage to convince him to have his lunch first before playing (as RM50 entitles you to 4 coupons to play the game). We immediately order our beef ribs as well as cheeseburger for Arief. Eventhough the portion seems small but it was indeed delicious. We were so full from our lunch. And Arief gets to play at the giant games :-)

CTO 8...

I entered CTO 8 with Fahmi; tennis buddy that I met during FRIM friendly in 2011 and TTDuta 2011 Single Champion. I still feel a bit of jet-lag from my trip to London recently but I can manage. We play our first match by 3pm and we won 8-0; and we won our 2nd match by 8-1. The third match is quite competitive; plus we are playing at night with lights. We finally prevail 8-4 and we top our group going into knock-out tomorrow. We face our friends; Fikri & Anwar and we won by 8-3. And then our toughest task; playing against a strong pair from Paroi NS. It was close until 3-4 and then we ended up losing the next 4 points to end the match at 3-8. It was frustrating as most of the points went into duece. Eventhough we lost but it was indeed an excellent tournament :-)

 

London - Emirates Trip 2012 Part 7...

Today is my last day as I will be flying back to Malaysia tonite @ 10pm London time which is 6am Malaysian time. I went for my morning stroll around Liverpool Street; buying egg & mayo sandwiches, banana and potato crisp for breakfast. It was extremely cold this morning; fog is expected. We checked early by 9am as most of them will be flying via Etihad Airlines by 1.30pm and they plan to do their VAT returns at the airport. As my flight is late at night I plan to walk around London :-)

I took the underground to Knightsbridge and I kept my bag at Harrods for GBP3; making it easier for me to walk around London without having to pull my heavy bag. First stop is Primark Oxford Street, then a brief visit to Nike Town, followed by JD Sports, Hamleys Toy Store and finally to Lillywhites. I completed everything by 2pm and proceed to Paddington for lunch. I opted for Lebanese food; a mixture of rice with lamb meatballs and vegetables with green mint ice tea. After lunch I went to "Left Luggage" to pick up my luggage; cost me GBP13.50 for the storage. Then it's time to board Heathrow Express for Heathrow Airport :-)

Upon arriving Heathrow Airport I immediately walked to Customs VAT return. Suprisingly it was near empty and I settle everything in just below 5 minutes; superb service. It's 3pm and I have 6 hours till my flight. So I took a capsule room at Yotel for 4 hours; complete with en-suite shower. Room is small but just enough for me to re-pack my luggage. It has free wifi with TV as well. I'll refresh first before checking-in and exploring Terminal 4 Duty Free :-)

London - Emirates 2012 Trip - Part 6...

This is the day that I will be going to Emirates to watch Arsenal vs NewCastle. As the game starts at 8pm, I still have ample time to explore London again. I drop my big lugagge (24 kg) at Left Luggage storage facilities located at Padddington Station before making my way back to my hotel for breakfast. I decided to take the bus to Liverpool Street; no 23. I manage to board the
bus at 9am and the journey took an hour via various landmarks around London. I arrive at Liverpool Street by 10am and walked to Tube Hotel to meet up with all my AFCSM friends :-)

I took the underground to Marble Arch with Azman & Kanna; we plan to do our shopping at Primark. I bought t-shirt for alll my nephews and nieces as well as shorts for my Australian Open trip in 2013. From Primark I walked to Adidas Store and I ended my shopping adventure at Planet Hollywood London. Then I took the underground back to Liverpool Street; while in transit there's a news on "person under a train" for Picaddily Line thus will effect my journey to Emirates this evening. Upon arriving at Liverpool Street Station, I bought my lunch at Wrap It Up @ Mexican burittos :-)

I went early to Emirates with Bernard as I plan to print initials and numbers on my Arsenal jersey. We exited at Finsbury Park instead of Arsenal station; bought my Official program nearby Arsenal store and we walked to Emirates (15 minutes walk). We noticed a lot stalls along the route where I bought my black coffee ad well as previous official program for Arsenal vs Spurs. We walked straight to the Armoury and it was already buzzing with fans. I manage to do my printing; Emirates with number 12 and 03.12 at the bottom to celebrate my first visit to Emirates :-)

By 6pm we went to meet up with Arsenal Supporters Club representatives and we were ushered inside for Arsenal TV recording. And to our big suprise, we werre allowed to watch Arsenal
players walking into their changing rooms; magnificent indeed. My seat is at Upper Tier, Block 123 Row 6 Number 884. We took our seat immediately and it was indeed electrifying. The fans singing and chanting at every opportunites. Arsenal won by 2-1; RVP scored again and Vermaelen scored the winner at 95 minutes. I was frustrated at first as the Toons decided to just absorb out attacks throughout the game but the extra time goal was priceless. I was jumping all over. We finally left the stadium by 10.45pm; walked to the Arsenal Station and take the underground to Liverpool Street. It is indeed priceless :-)

London - Emirates Trip 2012 Part 5...

It's free and easy for today and I plan to explore London with my AFCSM friends. I manage to walk around Hyde Park early in the morning; it took me nearly an hour to walk around the park. We met at Westminster Station by 10.30am and we began exploring Big Ben & cross Westminster Bridge; taking amazing photos of the famous London eye as well as buying London souveniers nearby the bridge. We then walked to Westminster Abbey; stroll along St James Park until we reach Buckingham Palace. It was full with tourist; could be due to the change of guards ceremony. We then walked to St James Park Station for our next journey :-)

We reached Embankment and we walked to Charring Cross; stop briefly at "Pret A Manger" for our light lunch before walking to Trafalgar Square. It was again full with tourist. We bought souveniers again; this time at Lambert Store and it was indeed much cheaper as compare to the one we bought earlier at Westminster Bridge. From Trafalgar Square we took the tube to Covent Garden. We took the wrong decision to climb up the stairs upon exiting the tube; it has 193 steps of stairs. Tiring indeed. Covent Garden is so crowded with street performers everywhere; making it difficult for us to walk. We manage to find Oakley Stores and did our shopping briefly :-)

From Covent Garden we take the tube to Picaddily Circus for Oxford Street shopping. By the time we complete it was already 5pm. We the rushed Tower Hill via tube to board Thames Clippers from Tower Pier to Waterloo Pier (London Eye). We board the ferries by 6pm and by the time we reached Waterloo it was already dark; giving us an excellent photo taking opportunities. Then all of us take the tube to Paddington for our dinner at Bonda Cafe where I ordered nasi goreng daging. After our dinner we went to Lillywhites but it was already close (6pm; overlook on my side). I then take the tube back to Hyde Park Corner to shop at Hard Rock Cafe before ending my adventure for today at my hotel :-)

  

London - Emirates Trip 2012 Part 4...

I will be going to Emirates Stadium today for the Legends Stadium Tour and Armoury shopping. I did my morning walk as usual; this time trying to locate Satay House which was just nearby my hotel. After breakfast at the hotel I immediately walk to Lancaster Gate but it was closed for refurbishment. I ended walking to Marble Arch; long walk indeed but I manage to reach Arsenal Station by 9.40am. The huge and impressive Emirates Stadium was just nearby and It was awesome indeed. I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was not dreaming :-)

The group from AFCSM arrived a few minutes later and we walked to Armoury to begin our stadium tour; to be lead by Charlie George himself. The stadium tour is superb; especially with Charlie as he shared a lot of jokes and banters with all of us. We visited the directors seating; excellent view of the stadium, the players entrance, the changing rooms, the tunnel to the field, the seats beside the pitch and the interview room. Then we visited Armoury and all of us were undecided on what to buy as it was so many items available. Being a members has it bonuses as we received 20% discounts on our purchases :-)

We were at the Armoury until 4pm and I re-enter the stadium tour again for more photo opportunities. The highlight is when I took my pictures beside Henry bronze statue outside the stadium. Then I went to visit Highbury Square and took pictures infront of the famous East End. The old Highbury was situated in between houses, a neighbourhood club indeed. We had some problems coming back though as Picaddily line had to be stopped due to person under the train (suicide I guess). We ended up walking to Finsbury Park (15 minutes walk) and took another line to Kings Cross. I reached back to my hotel by 6.30pm and went for my dinner at Bonda again; this time Nasi Goreng Pattaya :-)

 
  
 
 
  
   

 

London - Emirates Trip 2012 Part 3...

From Southfields I went to South Kensington @ Harrods. I had my lunch at Subway beside the underground station for GBP3 (italian BLT with soft drinks). My friends from Arsenal Malaysia arrived by 3pm and some of us went to Harrods for shopping. I had fun exploring Harrods gift section. From Harrods we walked to Hard Rock Cafe but we lost our bearings along the way; ended up far off from the destination. We then decided to take the bus to a nearby Underground station but to our luck the bus is going to Hard Rock Cafe nearby Old Park Lane. I bought the usual t-shirt and we took the underground to Oxford Circus for Nike Town. It was indeed huge with 3 floors of exciting shopping experience. I bought Rafa Nike T-Shirt. From Nike Town we went to the Apple Store nearby :-)

We then decided to the bus to Picadilly Circus but it was jammed; we ended up exiting at the nearest stop and walk. The neon lights display is indeed impressive and Lillywhites is simply huge; 6 floors of shopping. We didn't bought anything as we were too tired from our adventure today. I ended the day with dinner at Bonda Cafe @ Nasi goreng tomyam :-)

London - Emirates Trip 2011 Part 2..

I woke up early and took a leisurely stroll around Sussex Garden; reached Lancaster Gate and I immediately bought my travelcard for today; all day pass to zone 1-4. Returned back to the hotel just in time for morning breakfast; toast with cereals and yoghurts. After breakfast I started my journey to Wimbledon; via Paddington Station to Southfielda on the District Line :-)

The journey took about half an hour and upon exiting I started my walk to AELTC. It was a slow 20 minutes walk and I reached the gate by 9.50am. Waited for a few minutes before we were ushered in. I immediately paid for my Museum & Tour which is scheduled to begin at 10.30am. The tour took about 1 and a half hour to complete and it was very interesting; I visited to all the available courts as well as Henman Hill and the player interview room. I did my shopping at the souvenier shop before visiting the museum; I do like the John McEnroe presentation. I then began my walk back to Southfields after nearly 3 hours at AELTC :-)

   
 

 

London - Emirates Trip 2012 Part 1...

I will be flying to London today via MAS to watch Arsenal vs NewCastle on Monday night. The anticipation of my first trip to Emirates is overwhelming. I started my journey from Shah Alam by 6.30am and reached Abg Ngah house at Enstek by 7.15am. Azri then send me to KLIA by 8am; ample time as my flight is scheduled to depart by 10.40am. I immediately check-in at the departure counter and proceed to walk to the departure hall. I opted to wait at Premium Plaza lounge; courtesy of my citibank credit card. Breakfast was served; but as I was still full from having nasi lemak at Abg Ngah house I just opted for yoghurt and cappucinno. I met a Malaysian family here who is in the same flight with me; holiday in London and also watching football @ Manchhester United. And to my suprise the husband is from Taiping; small world indeed :-).

As I proceed to gate C3 for boarding, I manage to meet with my uncle @ Pak Man who will be operating the flight to London. And with that my seat was upgraded to Business Class. The flight was delayed for an hour as one of the passengers fall sick and requires medical attention. The journey is close to 13 hours and I manage to watch three movies; Edgar Hoover, In-Time and Tower Heist. The food served is indeed delicious; from Satay, Lamb Shank, Salmon, Chicken to Haggen Daaz ice cream. The plane landed safely at Heathrow by 4.40pm London time; about 11.40pm Malaysian time :-).

I was given Fast Pass for the immigration check and Alhamdulillah it was smooth. I just mentioned that I'm coming here to watch an Arsenal football match on monday night against Toons; well I guess the officer is a football fan too. Retrieved my bag at the luggage counter and immediately bought my Heathrow Express tickets to Paddington; it seems that I need to take a free shuttle to Heathrow Central from Terminal 4 and then go on-board Heathrow Express. It was fast and I reach Paddington Station by 6.33am :-)

As I was walking around the station; trying to find the exit I noticed an Orange shop. So I bought a sim card for ease of communication; the sales representative was very friendly and assist with my purchase until the full service activation. Btw he is a Liverpool fan and we talked about the recent match when Arsenal won 2-1 at Anfield. I then walked to my hotel located at Sussex Gardens; given a room at the ground floor which was nice. Kinda small but just nice. I was feeling a bit hungry; must be the weather. I walked to Bonda Cafe nearby and had nasi goreng ayam with nescafe o (GBP7) :-)

     

     

WTA BMW Malaysian Open 2012...

I won 2 VIP Hospitality Pass for Saturday session and I plan to go with Eliza & Arief. My friend also won for Friday session but as he will be going back to NS for a family wedding, he gave his pass to me with request for Player Signature. I went after Friday prayers and manage to watch a few matches. The hospitality is indeed interesting; especially on the free flow of food & beverages. Delicious. I think I spend more time eating than watching the match in progress. And I manage to secure Petra signature on the pass. On Saturday I went with Eliza & Arief and again we were seated in the Hospitality booth. Food was again delicious but pity it was raining for a good half an hour. We took our seat at the Verandah and it so happens our Sport Minister decide to sit in the same row; I manage to chat briefly before excusing ourselves. It was already 6,30pm and we were here since 2.30pm. The rain continues again the anticipated match between Jankovic and Matic is reschedule to Sunday morning; allowing me to utilize the Hospitality pass again. This time I went with Farid and we thoroughly enjoy the match. And again I manage to secure Matic signature on my passes :-)

Dinner Buffet @ Carnaval Churrascaria...

We finally went for our dinner buffet ar Carnaval Churrascaria. I opted to work from home today as our Auto-Gate is broken and in need of immediate repair which was completed in the evening. I went with Arief to Kelana Jaya LRT Station to pick-up Eliza but as it was already jam packed we decided to have our dinner at Carnaval Churrascaria. Their meal buffet is priced at RM61 per adults (Arief ate for free). It was indeed delicious with their free flow of meat on skewers. We particularly enjoy their lamb, chicken ham, pineapple, beef, chicken in curry spices, sausages and garlic bread. It was worth every RM spent :-)