Chiang Mai aku datang!

Almost a week ago, me and hubby went to Chiang Mai, Thailand. A place that we have never considered in our to-go list. But because we are now into joining marathon and have our aim and training schedule and all, even when we are back to spend a month holiday in Malaysia, we opt to join any marathon race just so we are on the right track. Especially for my husband, who has less than a month to do his full marathon run in Dubai.
So, in December, since no half marathon run is scheduled locally, he started looking for races near Malaysia. And the only race available is happening in Chiang Mai, the neighbouring country. So, what the heck. We can just go, so we can do race and at the same time, enjoy some tourist activity. Besides, Chiang Mai seems nice. Click here to read all about our first half marathon experience.
As expected, we loved Chiang Mai.. it is far different than Hatyai. Yes.. that's the only place we ever been to in Thailand. People are friendly, weather is cool and calm. Not so big and not so small of a town. Plenty of halal food around, especially near Night bazaar street. You can simply ride tuk-tuk to go anywhere. Tuk-tuk is a local 3 wheeler ride. It is inexpensive, and best to get around. Just make sure to agree on rates before riding anywhere. But then again, Chiang Mai people are generally honest and kind. So don't worry too much.. just explore and enjoy!
Since our main objective in Chiang Mai is for the half-marathon event, we didn't quite go to many of the must-go-and-do. We waited until after the event to enjoy the city tour. But considering the hurting legs post the running, we opt for Segway city tour. Which is super fun fun fun! Tuns out, Segway is a sensituve machine that works only by detecting our body moves, there's no pedal or break to control. All you need to do is sway! Such a joyful experience!
Chiang Mai is also generally cheap. From accommodation to food, and right to services. The best is their massage and spas. They are cheap and great! We went to 3 types of massages in the three days we were there. Yup.. we massage and massage until our hurting feet recovers!
So, if we ever have an option to come back, will we ever take it? Absolutely YES!
Chiang Mai.. I'm in love.

Superheroes Birthday party at the park

It's winter in Qatar (yup for those that tot how is it possible that a desert country which seldom imaged as being hot hot hot can ever have winter.. it's true.. that's the beauty of Allah's creation). The same country that can have summer temperature of 40-50 Celsius now drop to cool temperature of 10-18 Celsius.. which is jusssttt nice for a picnic and lots of outdoor activities, including Superheroes Birthday party! Yay!

We've been putting off their birthday party for months.. was about to do it in October/November, but then had to cancelled it on the last minute for an unexpected misfortune. Which i will blog about someday.. InsyaaAllah.. just for the sake of sharing the experience, adui.. lame sangat tak update blog..sampai dah lupe ape bende! yikes

Anyway, I update back about this party almost a year later.. haha.. it is officially 26th of Sept 2013 when I continue writing this entry..when it happened somewhere in Nov last year! oh my god.. I seriously need to sharpen back my blogging skills!

wonder woman cake

So, with door gifts,

bumblebees-transformer cake

self-paint trophies for best dressed heroes

home-self-made cakes,

and many super costumes later 5 ironmens to be exact.. we've got ourself a cool party in the park! Which I'm pretty sure everybody enjoyed.. not just the kids.. their parents too. :)

Myra is dressed as Wonder woman, same like me! Maqeel as Captain America, daddy as Batman and lil Mishel as cute lil Ultrababy! hahaha..

Bat Auntie with batgirl & wonder girl

Guests

More happy guests

The after party- town of toys!

Certainly a party to remember! Thanks Barzan park!

Sayu..

Today I received a sad news from a friend.. her mom suddenly passed away, and she is hundreds km away I don't know how many kilometers are we from Malaysia. They are flying back tonite.. that's is one bad thing about living abroad.. you'll have to be prepared for sudden news like this. I am still Alhamdulillah haven't received anything similar.
In my WA group with my gal friends, we starts talking about out mother.. and one point that touched me and reminded me of my blog is when a friend mentioned about her late mother's diary that she inherits. How sweet to have something to remember your mom by.. a written journey of her life.

I do not keep a diary of my life.. I tried once, but when I found out somebody's reading it.. I stopped. Where's the privacy in it? Then I started to blog, which I also have stopped doing frequently.. after finding out few friends or friend of a friend in Qatar are actually reading my stories.. yes.. I am that shy!  truth is, I never shared my blog link to anyone.. I just created it to express my feelings, and use it a my medium of collecting sweet memories.

But after that discussion with the WA gangs, I tot to myself, I should keep updating this blog, as a remembrance of our life, especially when we are abroad.. building up family of our own.. so when my kids are all big, they could have look back at this and have some ideas, how it was.. yes kids.. Mommy is writing this for you.. so I have left something for you to remember me by :)

I love my Mom.. although we don't connect as others do. 

Our family umrah trip by road

Journey from Qatar to Riyadh to Madinah then Mekah and back to Qatar by road.

 It has been long since we ever made a long trip journey other than to Malaysia since we had Mishel. We thought to give any trip a rest, until the kids got slightly bigger. But at the end of March, somehow we were invited to go to Mekah to perform Umrah. Alhamdulillah.. not everyone are invited, it is the most privileges invitation a muslim can have. Be it you have all the money in this world, if HE didn’t invite you, then you will not be allowed to go.. and if HE decided to invite you.. a short notice invitation is all it takes for HE is the best planner of the universe. AllahuAkbar.

I just started a new job with a completely new field in an oil and gas industry. I was always TV/Media kind of person. Have always been in operation and now, migrated, in hope to achieve a better mindset and a better family-oriented kind-of job. Yes.. I am thankful, now I am working 7-3.. just nice for school hours.. yes, although Maqeel and Mishel are currently at home, but soon they’ll join the nursery too.. so this is by far, the best job option Allah had granted me with. Alhamdulillah.. another Arafah prayer has been answered.

I started my new work officially on 12th of March, luckily enough, my boss allow me to go for a short break from 26th until 30th March for this short-notice umrah trip, and back to work the following Sunday.. blissed.. and I tought I’m going to feel tired and restless.. but I was wrong.
Thanks to Mr.Ai’s brilliant plan, we manage to complete our Umrah and Ziarah mission in 5 days, without feeling restless, nor tired. Here we share our itinerary to Umrah by road in hope that many more people could benefit from this and get their chance of invitation too.

25th March 2013

1400hrs we pushed off to border and completed the whole yada yada process in approximately 2 hours. Made our way to Riyadh and reached our hotel around 2230hrs.

26th March 2013
0900hrs we pushed off to Medina Al Eiman Taibah (N 024 48.969, E 46 37.947). Reached there just nice for Asr prayer. Parked our car, checked in.. then rushed to Masjid Ad-Nabawi. The hotel is not too far from the masjid.. a 5 minutes walking distance, which is acceptable. That night, after Isyak, I went to Raudah with my P.A.. Yup.. our main point of going to umrah must be because of her.. she is quite warak and never have left Dhuha prayer.. and Alhamdulillah.. our journey has been made easy, and I believe it is partly because of her too. Allah have given her this rezk by inviting the whole family. My experience in Raudah also was easy this time. I could just walk straight to the very last point where they stopped you to wait for your group turn just before the Raudah..but still, it took about an hour of patience to be allow an entrance.. finally.. I manage to enter and perform my solat there.. praying.. hoping that all that I have asked for came true. InsyaaAllah.

27th March 2013
0800hrs we pushed for Masjid Quba’ (N 24 26’17.6” E 39 37’03.5” ). He who take wuduk from home then perform 2 solat sunat in Quba’ will be granted the same amount of rewards as if performing Umrah. InsyaaAllah..

After prayer, we visited masjid Qiblatain (N 24 29 02.2”, E 039 34” 43.4”), Madinah Quran factory (N 24 30’55.6”, E 39 32’ 19.9”) then straight to Miqot Bir Ali (N 24 24’ 53.8” E 39 32’ 34.1”)..before continuing to Mekah.
Note: If you thought about putting wakaf copies of Quran in Masjid Nabawi or Masjidil-Haram, please be sure to put the version printed from Madinah Quran factory. If they see any other version, it will eventually be removed and put into other masjid. So be sure to get the original copy from the factory shop itself, not from stalls selling Quran outside of the masjid area. The Medina Quran factory opening hours is from 0730am till 12pm. And only men are allowed to go in for visit. Women can only enter the shop. Visitors to the factory will be granted a free copy of Al-Quran.

We reached Miqot Bir Ali at around 10am, we changed to ihram and set our umrah niyah. LabaikAllah.. humalabbaik.. 5 hours later, we reached the Kuday free parking area (N 21 23’54.6”, E 39 49’39.5”), pared there and then took taxi to our hotel in Mekah Al-Mukarammah (N 021 25.17”, E 39 49.607”). Alhamdulillah.. just in time for Asr prayer. After Asr, we performed our Umrah.
One of the experience that I felt was meant to happened to teach me a lesson was, when I got separated from my family. I was carrying Mishel in my arm, while performing tawaf.. she cried most of the time due to the heat.. I then opened up her clothes and pray that she’ll get better and sleep. Thankfully, after the 5th round, she fell asleep. I finished my tawaf, and still hoping to find my family again.. but I couldn’t. Then it was almost time for Maghrib, so I took sleeping Mishel into the women’s praying area. Still praying and hope that my family will find me. But they didn’t.
 It was somehow meant to be, I didn’t have any money or my phone with me.. it was hanged on the wheelchair that carries Myra and Maqeel.. . After Maghrib Mishel was hungry.. thankfully somebody gave us 2 pieces of Tamar, more than enough for us to gain some extra energy to perform Sai’e. I went to Safar, hoping that I’ll see them.. but still.. no sign of them at all. Luckily, I got to borrow one of the nice men phone to send a text msg. I then perform Sai’e with Mishel in my arm.. feeling just like Siti Hajar.. running back and forth looking for water and food for her child. I could hardly bare her in my arm anymore.  After Isyak, we settled, we went back to our hotel, I was barefooted. Luckily enough, the bell boy remembers me, as Maqeel’s Ummi. He hand me another copy of the hotel card, so I manage to go in to rest.
Alhamdulillah.. even in the worst, Allah still provide helps, one after another.. and if I hadn’t been separated, I wouldn’t have appreciate it more than I am today.
It was an experience to remember.
That night, I took Shaklee Collagen and 4 tabs of Shaklee Ostematrix. My arm was numbed .. ached all over from shoulder down to my back. But I woke up feeling fresh and re-charged.. ready for more.. Alhamdulillah. Click here if you need more info of the product. Highly recommended as they are very very good.

28th March 2013
We stayed 2 night in Mekah.. and Alhamdulillah.. Allah has answered my prayer.. finally, I got to kiss Hajar’ul Aswad.. something that I have not considered from my last 2 visit to Mekah before.

29th March 2013
After performing tawaf Widaa’, we stop by the Zam-zam distribution center in Kuday, then pushed off to Riyadh.. the most long and tiring journey.. 9 hours to be exact.

30th March 2013
After a nice and relaxing time, we made our way back to Doha. Reached Saudi border at 1430pm and finished by 1450pm. Yup.. going out is fairly easy and fast. We reached Qatar border at 1515pm, performed our jamak prayer and safely entered Qatar at 1523pm, stopping at Hyatt Plaza for a nice family meal.. before heading home to Gharrafa.

It was amazingly smooth and everything was somehow made very easy for us. Alhamdulillah.. may we be invited again someday.