School's first term

This is after house singing, when everyone shouted "Welcome to Shazwan's Crib"

Hello everybody, the school term started on the 26th of August 2012. Everyone was pretty excited when school reopened(not really). Everyday, my schedule is a very fun, tight and fixed schedule. Basically, I start  the day by going to breakfast. Stare at a particular someone. Then, so back to the house, chill for about 45 minutes. Go to classes until about 3.20. Then, its either I have ECA's or I chill, then at about 5.30(the interesting part), I play football. Everyday, I improve, I think in playing football. The best part about this term was house singing. Our house sang "uptown girl" by westlife. Everyday we practised for 2 hours plus which the least among houses. We had so much fun practising together. Not to brag but I was in the harmony section, although I wanted to dance :(. Anyways, my house didn't win but my house got the award for the most entertaining house of the night. Which in my terms, is the best house for the night. Well, that's basically it for my school. Every now and then, interesting things or events happen. For your information, danial ramzi is a very nice man but he, occasionally, sucks balls.
FYI, here's the link for our performance : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFuMi5Sz_wU&feature=plcp
Danial Ramzi sucks

Raya cookies

Pineapple tart

Biskut Mazola

Me, making biskut rempah

Every year, during the last two weeks of Ramadhan month, my grandma, mother and aunty would make specific family recipe cookies. There are 5 types of cookies made which are "mazola" (made from ground nuts), "arab", "biskut cornflakes", pineapple tarts and my personal favourite "biskut rempah". My favourite cookie is not found in Malaysia. It is an Indonesian type of cookie :) This year, I did my best at helping them make these cookies in simple ways like putting almond on the "biskut rempah" etc etc. Without doubt, these cookies are the best I've tasted. These cookie making sessions are some how like a bonding time with the family. This is the type of raya spirit that should be implemented in everyone. I hope you'd like these cookies :3

Singapore, Lion City

Indian food :) 

Grilled meat

My family and I enjoying the food.

Enjoying night shopping!

The customised stationery from Ri 

I am back from the Lion City. It was just a short trip my family and I had just to relax and chill for the weekend. Our main agenda was to shop till we drop, well not really, because we were fasting and couldn't walk much. MAS aeroplane was our transport to Singapore. We took a couple of hours to settle in to our hotel which is Hyatt Hotel which is to our advantage as it is near Orchard Road. Why is it to our advantage? Well, Orchard Road is known for its wide variety of shopping malls. Once you step out of the hotel, you could see shops as far as the eye can see. Firstly, we went to the Wheelock Place to go to a stationery shop named Ri. The shop sells customised pencil box which in other words means that we could put our name on the pencil box. Since we arrived at Singapore late in the afternoon, we only had a couple of hours of shopping. The next day is when the real shopping is done. Our first stop was The Ion Orchard Mall. The T-Bar, pull and bear and Fred Perry were the shops visited by my dad, brother and I in search of clothes and shoes. After we were done, we went to Forum Mall where I bought my jeans at DKNY. Other than that my day was pretty much come to an end because we were tired. Hyatt has one of the best Halal restaurants in Singapore which goes by the name Straights Kitchen. Everyday for Iftar, a buffet of food from indian food to the middle eastern food. One day isn't enough to eat everything that is served, you would need at least two days to eat every last food served in that restaurant. In addition to that, the quality of the food is top notch. Thus, the day ended with a belly full of food. We had to go home the next day. While at the airport, I still had some leftover money, and didn't know what to do with it. I searched everywhere for things I could buy but I came in the opposite side of luck and didn't manage to get anything. Nevertheless, it was a great trip. I thank my dad for this holiday :) Singapore is a good place for your shopping needs, that was hard to say as I am a Malaysia :P Cheers.

Safe

This is a device that releases a very loud and annoying scream when the metal string is pulled so that people hear them prior to an emergency. 

The crime rate has increase dramatically over the past year. Everywhere I hear, a person getting kidnapped, a person getting mugged or a robbery occurred somewhere. Crime has become ubiquitous. We all live in a world where people would kill just for a couple of hundred bucks. We can’t expect a place to be clean or empty of crime. All that we could do is take safety measurements to protect ourselves and our loved ones. In my opinion, you should sleep with a weapon beside you or close by so that you can grab it in case of an emergency. Weapons like baseball bats or golf clubs would be useful when encountering with a burglar. It’s funny how I always imagine a burglar breaking in to my house and I hold my baseball bat pretending to beat up the burglar in many ways. Well, it’s a preparation for the real thing if you ask me! Besides that, you should be alert of your surroundings especially girls who are always on the blackberry, IPhone or android checking their twitter or BBM. These few seconds of slacking off could give you trauma for the rest of your life. When you’re out at the parking lot alone, rather than checking your phone, look around for any potential threat. Be a more vigilant person. Well, let say someone attacked you anyways, alert anyone around you by shouting. There’s a possibility that people would help you. Although there are bad people in this world, there are also good people to help you in any ways possible. Other than that, you could take up martial arts and beat the crap out of that guy. Do some Muhammad Ali swing or some Bruce Lee machine gun punches to send a message to all criminals to not mess with you if that suits your personality. Anyways, I guess that’s all I could provide you with based on my knowledge. Keeping yourself safe is very important, can you imagine the suffering you would have to face just because you slacked off just a little bit. By the way, now, motorists are known to smash your car window and take your hand bag (women) during the red traffic light, so be careful. My mum’s friend’s car was at the red traffic light when a motorist tried to break her glass window, but failed because it was too thick. Well, maybe you wouldn’t be as lucky as her. Be careful, stay safe, be superman when someone needs your help and be aware. Cheers J

Yummy Food

"Draw me like one of your French girls"

Some sweet food for starters

Pumpkin soup with garlic bread

Garlic butter fish 

Rib eye steak with black pepper sauce 

It was the first day we'd eaten out of the house, we had a few suggestions lined up. Then, I was brain storming when suddenly without hesitation, I suggested a restaurant named Monte's located at Bangsar shopping centre. It's one of my favourite restaurant of all time. Based on the number of times I went there, even the waitress recognise my family and I. The best part about being known by the waitress there is that, you get your food quick and they become friendlier around you. In that restaurant, there are two starters that I often order and pick one of the three best main dish. For starters, I would always have the pumpkin soup and garlic bread. The pumpkin soup is creamy and smooth. It has that rich pumpkin taste and you dip the perfectly toasted garlic bread into the soup which just feels like heaven in your mouth. It's so delicious that you would devour it very quickly. Then, comes the main course, the centre of attention. The three main dishes I would have to thoroughly think through in my mind to choose is the black pepper chicken, rib-eye steak and the Garlic butter fish. You won't regret it picking one of these three dishes. Yesterday, I had the rib-eye steak with black pepper sauce on the side. The steak is so juicy, so tender, you feel it melting in your mouth. I should stop now, as I am fasting, describing the food would make me hungry. I strongly suggest you try this restaurant. So, head up to Bangsar shopping Centre! Cheers :)

Grandma's cooking :)

mmmmmmmmm.... Grandma's cooking.. Agrhhghrghghgh

Nothing’s better than a home cooked meal. What makes it even better is a meal made by your grandmother. A grandmother always makes the best dishes/food/desserts, especially for their grandchildren.  My brothers and I have the advantage of having my favourite dishes cooked. One of the first things that my grandma asks when I go to her house is “Dah makan ke?” which just means, “Have you eaten?” What I love about this fasting month is that every week when I go visit both grandparents is that the food will always be delicious and our family bond becomes stronger as we meet very often. Coming to the highlight of this story, the ever delicious grandma’s cooking. Yesterday, my grandma cooked a famous dish passed down from generations which is the laksa johor. It’s just spaghetti, a sauce which contains fish and some other ingredients and the colour is brownish yellow plus there are vegetables like onions, cucumber etc as a topping on the dish. Do search it for more information. She also made cucur udang which is prawn, flour and other ingredients made into a batter and fried is a lot of oil. Other than that, there were spring rolls and lasagna courtesy of my aunty. We ate like we haven’t eaten in a week, devouring everything cooked by my grandma. I like it when we sit together, just as family talking until late night about stuff. For me, I don’t contribute much to the conversation because all of them are adults, so until they talk about something related to my life, then I contribute. Family is very important to us, if we don’t have friends to talk to or have problems, family will always be there for you through crap life throws at you.  Appreciate the family that you have right now before they’re gone. 

Apologies for not posting the Laksa Johor, I was too busy eating I forgot, go check it out in the internet :) Cheers 

Grandma's malay style cooking !

Food cooked by my beloved Grandma :) 

The feeling when you release a deadly fart 

Well, it was just another Saturday, where I, Shazwan wakes up at around 10 but the difference is that, at 10.30 I had Al-Quran reading with my mom, dad, aunty, uncle and brother. After that, my brother and I had some bonding time playing Resistance 3 which was frustrating because we were at the same area for a very long time. Well, after countless of attempts trying to defeat the Chimera (the alien); we quit and played Fifa 12 instead which I lost to him twice before beating him. Well, there goes my day till about 4 o clock. After that, we all head to Bangi which is home to my grandparents of my mother’s side. As soon as we reached there, my father, brother and I went to the Ramadan Bazaar nearby where they sold many kinds of food like murtabak, Chicken Wing, Fried kuey tiao etc. Food as far as the eyes can see. At the end of the round, we had a bag full of food for later. From then on till our breaking of fast time, we just chilled and mind our own business. After we had a wonderful meal, we sat back and let the tummy out and release gas or whatever. (The feeling when I fart, “I have unleashed the Kraken!”) We performed our terawih prayers at about 9 and I was the Imam. It’s not as easy as it looks. That summed up my day I guess, till the next time. Cheers J

Buka Puasa/ the breaking of my fasting day part 7

Birthday cake 

My lil cousin 

Usually, I would either break my fast at home with my mum's cooking or at one of my grandparent's house but tonight is a special event in which it is my cousin, Iryna's birthday and the fact that my cousins and aunty are going back tomorrow makes it an event to a must go. I haven't met them for 2 years until they came back 3 weeks ago, the time just swooshed by and just like that, they're going back to Houston tomorrow. Well, what can I say, I will truly  miss them. My day was spent as usual with playing Fifa 12 and with an addition of doing some chores like buy groceries and stuff. Other than that, it's just a normal day at Casa De Shazwan . On another topic, I am watching The Dark Knight Rises this weekend, I shall write a review about it after I watch it. Yesterday for breaking my fast I had Laksam (kelantanese dish) and there was also Nasi Dagang and KFC. It was just a small party only for family. Well, we all said our goodbyes and kissed goodbye before we left the house. It felt like just a while ago, they were back home and now, they're gone. Well, that summed up my day. Cheers :)

laksam 

laksam

laksam 

nasi dagang 

fish curry 

my brother, aunty and I 

My cousins 

My lazy cat Snow 

Snow 

Buka puasa part 5 mummy's cooking

Soto ayam

roast chicken 

Big Apple doughnuts

Well, it was just another day of puasa, I thought I would do the exact same thing I did yesterday but my mum invited me to go to KLCC to go shopping. Well, as a person who likes shopping who wouldn't agree? We went there, and my mum wanted to go to Chanel and one thing lead to another, we ended up at isetan to buy some sweet food like doughnuts and stuff like that. After that we head back for like 10 minutes and then we had to pick up my brothers which I had to endure the heat of waiting outside for my brother as my mum parked far away. Then came buka puasa time where I had soto ayam, one of my favourite dishes. I eat it really spicy filled with cili padi. I am a person who loves spicy food like sambal. After buka puasa, we went to the mosque to perform our terawih which then, I was really, really sleepy. I was very patient. Well, that concludes my day yesterday :) Cheers 

Buka Puasa Mummy's cooking part 4

Vegetables :3

Black pepper beef 

black pepper udon mee 

yummy dishes 

steamed fish with soy sauce 

Buttered prawn

Sorry I posted this late but yesterday's food was Chinese food. It was yummy. Yesterday All I did was play games all day long. Well, that's the only fun thing you could do without a driver's license.hahahaha. Cheers :)

Buka puasa part 3 mummy's cooking :)

Indonesian Cooking

Sambal daging

Ketam masak lemak

fried tempe 

salted egg

krispy kreme doughnut

Ayam goreng bumbu

sayur asam

So, on the first day of buka puasa at home, my mum made Indonesian food which is also one of my favourite food thus making me hungrier waiting for the food when I  was fasting. The whole day all I did was play fifa, use my computer and read the Al-Quran. I couldn't do much as I was at home all day and this may be my routine for the rest of the fasting month unless I go out or something. Anyways, the food was spectacular, I was the last one off the table as I was enjoying every second biting and chewing the delicious food. If you haven't tried any of these dishes, you' re missing out on a lot of delicious stuff. Try it out sometime. Cheers :) 

Buka puasa Grandma's cooking part 2

kuih keria 

fried chicken and kerabu 

sambal ikan, lemang and serunding 

murtabak, fried chicken and keria

The second day of puasa, I went to bangi which is the home of my grandparents on my mother's side. Well, when I reached there, I rested for a while and went straight to the ramadhan bazaar which sold many delicious food but we only bought a few like murtabak and tebu. But the most important thing we searched for was the keropok lekor noba. It has been a while since we had it so we searched for it at the bazaar but it was not there, we also searched at the mall near by but it was also not there. Our hopes crushed like a broken window. Well, on the bright side, I met my granddad's adopted son. He was cool. We chatted before buka puasa. When the time came, all of us filled our mouths with grandma's cooking. We were bloated after about 15 minutes. Lastly, we had out terawih prayers and I became the imam for the night. I was quite nervous though as it was my first time being an imam to the family but I think I did well. At the end of the day we all went back home to Bukit Damansara. Cheers :)