Off days

Bonda Cafe's Menu - quite impressive. Tapi kena cakap Chef Det - kurang masin kit ye.

The cosy insides of Bonda Cafe.

Si Hizz, part-timer kat Bonda giving me the fingers (heheh..kidding). You can only find him during weekends coz on other days, he's still doing his Master's Degree in Actuarial Science (betul ke eja ni Hizz?)

I snapped this before I caught the bus to Oxford Street

A park near our apartment.

Gorgeous colors

My take on London so far

The weather :

It's a really cold summer. Which is a bit odd, coz it is summer, and summer is suppose to scorching hot. But I'm glad it's cold. I like it cold than hot. It's a welcome change from the weather at home and the electricity bills we have to pay to stay cool. Anyways, I still hear people complain about the weather, everyday. They complain it's cold when it's 15C and they complain that it's hot when it's 23C. Please stop complaining. Just be grateful.

Took a walk to enjoy the weather.

The road from where I'm staying.
Restoran Bonda. Food is nice. Staff is great. Atmosphere fantastic.
But it ain't cheap. Thanks for the discounts though. (ooppsss..this pix should be up there but I cant move it, so biar je la kat sini)

Kak Yok or Mariani.

And her friend K. Ton. Nice ladies. They even treated me to breakfast and we chatted away. Few of the nice Msians I met here. There are a lot worse out there. Stucked up Msians who wouldn't even smile back at you or pass a kind look at you.
I love the flowers here.

If you ever need to stay here. Ehh..Salahudin Sir, commission please ye. Free advert ni!

Alan Dunn's previous work.

I like it here this time of year. The last time I was here wih Hubbs, was also during spring time. It's wonderful...the weather..I loike!! Alhamdulillah...

Apa2 pun, Malaysia still the best. There's nothing like home.

The phone call:

I'm missing my family like mad. I like Lycamobile. I call Hubbs n son everyday, many times for 1/2 hour at least. It only cost me the most 1 pound/call for about 40 mins. It's cheap!!

So far I've only used about 9 pounds kot. Call 3 times a day, !/2 hour. Kalau tengah boring lagi bnyk kali call. Next time you come here, use Lycamobile prepaid card. Highly recommended. And for local calls, it's free. They give you like 200 minutes free calls for every 5 pounds prepaid.

The people : Msians' abroad

I have to say, from personal experience that is, maybe 30% are nice and friendly, the rest is way below par where friendliness is concerned. I can't really understand why. I guess it's what London Malays are all about. I mean it's not like if you ever return my smile or my salam, you'd immediately have a lodger following you home. Puhleeez la...We're not that hard up for a conversation with you, just a smile back would be rather nice. They normally just shot a look back at you before turning away, or they just look thru you, as if you're never there. My smile usually hang about halfway, because of the speed that they turn they head around.

Had that bit of experience at Malaysian Hall and on the streets sometimes. I never return to Msian Hall again, and the food there is horrible.

But I'm staying positive. So far, the ones that I've met here at Paddington, they are quite nice people.

The people : Londoners

Well, I first half expected them to be a bit racist, especially after 9-11. And also I had this rather bad experience when we were in Gold Coast last year. They tend to look at you rather menacingly, they don't really serve you well at counters especially if they're kind is waiting behind us. So, I was rather afraid the same kind of treatment would be waiting for me here. I did enquire bout that from those who've lived here, but their answers seemed positive.

And so far, well they are as polite as they need to be. I'm not complaining though. It's totally not my lost if you decide to be indifferent to other races. But I had some wonderful experience though. I met this guy on the train to Farnham and it turned out he could speak Malay. So we chatted a bit on the bus and he was saying nice things about Msia and of course we talked about the weather...that's what they do quite often here apparently, talked about the weather.

My PME course mates were nice. One lady from Holland, she kept staring at me, and I could see she'd wanted to say something. So being me (I cant shut up!)..I asked her" Do you have anything you want to ask me?" Yes, she said. Is it about this? I pointed to my headscarf. Yes, she said...so we got on to talking about my headscarf and swimming suits while we waiting for our turns in the toilet. How is that?

And there was this English guy who said salam to me and went to say that his wife is a Turkish Muslim. So, of course, again being me, I asked him. You said your wife is a muslim, so you're not a muslim? Nope, I'm a strict Chatholic he said. So I went on asking all sorts of questions, till I felt it was getting personal and I stopped. (My husband always compares me to Susan of Desperate Housewives, you know, always gets into troubles with curiosity).

What I meant to say is that, if the non-muslim can be rather nice and friendly to me, why can't the Muslims be nicer to me. I mean, even the other muslims like Arabs or whatever, they cant be bother to answer my salam or smile back. Sheeessh..how are we suppose to be strong when we can't even do the simplest thing to our fellow muslims.. it's not a wonder why we are being pushed over.

But am not letting the few bad apples to dampen my positive views on the world. Perhaps, there's still hope. I'm hoping that when you read this, and you meet other people out there, regardless of races and religion, just be kind and smile first, or back. Let's make this world, which we only have one, a kinder gentler place to live in.

I agree with Maxi Priest - it's hard to get by just on smile now.

The transport : Tubes and buses

Well, what can I say? This is London and they're waaayy famous and proud of their underground trains and buses. But there's a lot of engineering works going on right now and on weekends especially, most of the lines are shut down and you'd have to take the buses to get to where you want to go. I have no complains, except maybe 1, but in general, the transport systems here is excellent, albeit a bit expensive.

I'm using the Oyster Card, where you load prepaid into. It can be used up to Zone 5 and you can use for tubes and buses. I usually take the weekly prepaids that covers zone 1-2 and it's cheaper than buying daily tickets. You can use it any time of day, unlimited for a week. It cost you bout BP28 i I think. I forgot. Anyways, it's cheaper and easier for me.

Food:

Well, you can find Msian food anywhere now, especially near the Paddington Area. There's Bonda Cafe, Delima Restaurant, Tok Din, Satay House etc. And about 3/4 km away to Edgware Road, there's plenty of halal middle eastern restaurant. There's also a halal Subway restaurant near Paddington (Bakerloo line) Station. It's quite easy nowadays. Per person's simple lunch with drinks will set you back about BP7-10. So be ready with loads of cash if you come with your family.

The weather : It's really nice and cool (sometimes very cold) summer which I thought is a bit odd. Summer days should be hot but it's not. So, if you have arthritis, I would say it's not a good time to be here during this time of year then....

But no matter how nice it is herSave Nowe, it's nothing like home. Hot and sticky home. I'm missing my family and my comforts..and my car and convenients...

Sugar Flower with Alan Dunn

I have a collection of Alan Dunn's books. I've often flipped thru the pages, dreaming that one day I'll be able to attempt some of the flowers in there. I've even dared myself to dream, that one day, I'll meet him. Maybe just sit down in a corner somewhere, looking at him demonstrating his skills at sugar flowers.

Never did I dare to dream, that I'll be in a class with him, learning from the master himself,sharing jokes, let alone, share a train ride back to London (twice). Oh my God!!!

Imagine, we race up the stairs, huffing and puffing, for fear of missing the train. We chatted till he got off at Croydon. Bliss!! That's all I can say...I can't stop smiling. I just can't...If I could, I would be jumping up and down, doing the dance. But I don't want to be thrown off the train, for London is still far away, and I wouldn't know which bus to catch. So, I just sat quietly, smiling and grinning at the same time, non-stop.

Before he got off, I dared myself to ask him, the same question that I asked Tony Warren. Alan, do you do one-on-one class? Yes, he said. Do you think that you'll be able to take me in for a class this week? Ermmmmm.... Tony didn't have errmmm. But Alan said errmmm. I'm hoping it's a good ermmm. Tony just said sorry. I'm booked till next year.

It was a short errmmm. And I'm positive. I think it shouldn't be a problem, Alan said. I'm quite free next week.

I almost dropped off my cushy chair. It's a good thing the train's chair was a 3 seater cushion. Oh my God!!! He's free and able to teach me. Oh my God!!! We''ll talk about it tomorrow he said and got off at his station.

Are you able to imagine, how I was at that point in time? (Well only if you are familiar with who Alan Dunn is. I'm star strucked).

By the time I finished dinner at Bonda and ready to settle down and while I turned on my computer, I casually flipped thru the new Wedding cake magazine that I just bought at Squires Kitchen. I didn't have time to check it out when I took it from the counter.

After a a few pages from the back, a picture caught my eyes. Oh my God!!!

It's my dummy cake! From the Squires Kitchen Wedding Cake Course with Rosalind, last year. It even got my name underneath it. Can someone please pinch me!!!!

It's a big picture. Huge. I was so happy!! I can't describe how happy I was. It's truly a happy moment. And I'm alone.

I quickly went online to find my good friends there. I wanted to share the news. Shahieda was the first to respond. Thank you for being there darling!! We need our

riends, thru good and bad times.....

I tried to call hubby but there were no answer. He must be sleeping. It's dawn over in Malaysia....Oh man. It's too much. I kept repeating "Alhamdulillah" so many times...over and over...

The next day, we continued discussing the private class, and it's gonna happen. InsyaAllah this Friday and Saturday. Don't ask me how much it cost..coz it's not the money that important. It's Alan's willingness to accommodate me at such a short notice, and all the knowledge that he'll pass on to me...priceless...

To Alan Dunn, thank you. I'm truly honoured.

This is Alan's.

again I look pretty big because of the camera trick. Isshhh..I should change my camera...

Alan, at work.

This is Alan's.
This mine.
My cake picture. In the magazine. Thank you Rosalind for sending our pix to SK. Not everyone's pix was chosen though. I'm glad they chose mine.
The magazine no 35.

All the troubles with the trains this morning seems so small. Though the night ended with a huge migraine, I didn't mind.

It was so worth it!!!

PME Seminar

Julie Askew, the Editor of Cakes - Craft & Decorations drop by our class and she brought goodies!! We each got a copy of back issues of Cakes - Craft & Decoration Magazines and Wedding - Cakes & Sugar Flowers Magazine..yeay!!! Thanks Julie..you're a doll.

Class

Pat and Mel

Every morning, for the next four days, was to be a case of who gets there first. I meant the tube trains or me. If I was a bit late, I risk tipping the balance that is set at 8.45am Brimsdown Station. And so, for that I learnt to walk very very fast. I've never walked very fast back home, even if I was jogging, I just wasn't fast.

The first few days I was here, I often thought to myself, these Londoners, they always seemed hurried. Scattering around, often with coffee in one hand and I-phone or the Metro paper in the other, they walked very very fast, almost running at times. They seemed to always have somewhere to be, fast. And now, I know.

PME just moved their office from Harrow Road to Brimsdown Industrial Park in Enfield. It's a journey worth 1 hour and 15 minutes of my time, every morning, on the H&C line and the East Anglia Rail Trains.

On the first day I reached Brimsdown Station, I had no idea where I was supposed to go. Armed with an address and a hand luggage full of stuff, I made my way to the main road, vaguely remembering the map someone sent me earlier. I know I was supposed to go to the right. But then what?

The road was really quiet. I was early coz it was only 8 am. There was a black dude looking at me suspiciously, as I shot a look back at him, also with suspicion. I walked on, very fast. I saw a guy somewhere near a factory and asked him how to get to no 23, Jeffreys Road. He had no idea. Oh gosh!

Well, it's a good thing the Brits can't live without their maps. He took out his thick map book, and flipped through, and there it was. Jeffreys Road. I thank the gentleman and dragging my luggage in one hand, and a Nero Coffee in another, I continue my early morning adventure, finding PME.

After what seemed like the longest walk, I saw the sign, Jeffreys Road. I looked at the address, no 23. Man!! Why can't they settle for no 2 or 3? Why 23? I was sweating on that cold summer morning.

Dragging the bag on the tarred road made the loudest noise on a quiet morning. I think I could be heard all through Brimsdown. I passed no 1, and 2 and so on and so forth. These are factories mind you. So no 1 or 2 or next covered quite a large area of their own, including parking spaces..imagine how far away no 23 is....

As I appproached no 23, a car passed by me and made a turn. A lady came down and smiled at me. Hmmmm...I thought this must be someone from PME so I said " Are you Pat?" Yes she said, are you here for the seminar? Yep!! Did you walk from the station she chirped... Yes maam, I must've loose a few kilos there, I was trying to cover up my huffs and puffs nicely...after walking for almost 40 mins, I guess didn't quite do a good job.

I was the first one there. I settled down quickly, choosing a seat right in the center. Soon after, the other students began to walk thru the door. We introduced ourselves and sat our places while Pat got busy gathering her staff.

While settling down earlier I saw a guy that looked familiar. I've seen that shy face somewhere. So when Pat introduced Lisa Slatter and Tony, I quickly gathered it was Tony Warren. Oh my oh my!! Tony Warren! He's like, one of the leading master in sugar flower. I have one or 2 of his books, particularly the one he worked on with Tombi Pecks and Alan Dunn. Wow!! Just my luck that he was recruited on board to teach PME together with Lisa, taking over from Pat, who was, of course promoted to a busier position.

I went through the rest of the day, of course dreamily. Not because I was sleepy, but because here I was, taking in all I can, from the experts, in Cake Decorating industry. It's something that I've only dreamt of, until now. I mean, who am I really?. I'm still green in the industry compared to my colleagues here who attended the seminar.

Chineze (pronounced Che Ne Ze and not chinese) from Nigeria, she had been doing Cake decorating for more than 10 years, and has one of the largest school of cake deco in Nigeria. Efua, from Ghana, she has 100s of students graduating from her school every 6 months, especially from the Wilton course.

Jens from Germany, he had been doing this seriously (and he is a serious guy) for all his life. He's starting a Cake Deco Club back home with almost 6000 club members already available to sign up..

And the rest carried more or less the same kind of resume. We have a team from Ireland who owned a bakery and school, Indonesian team and one of them, Fatma also teaches in Malaysia and has already 2 books in her belt...and the list went on. All very impressive.

So I was feeling rather small. I should just take my seat and sit somewhere in the back, at a corner...but the group was great. They are great people. Humble and always helpful, and cheerful, (goshhh, we did laugh quite a bit there now, didn't we?) they made me felt like I was one of them. When I grow up, I want to be just like them..:-)

Jens (pronounced Yens)

Madam Chineze from Nigeria

the lovely and sleepy Madam Efua..hehehe sorry.

Group pix..(I know I looked rather large, but that's just camera trick)

PME International Teacher's Training Seminar -2

PME Seminar

One of the stations before Brimsdown. Looked like the KTMB one in Labu.

A view from the train.
Tony Warren at work, with Lisa Slatter. They took turns doing the demo before we had to go and do it ourselves.

Chineze, posing for the camera, while Jens looked on.

Our entrance to the hotel for dinner.
A view from another angle.

The hotel's entrance.

2 members of the Irish team.

We were all smiles and laughs that night.

I was sitting at the table with the Irish team and Lisa when I started taking pictures of everyone at our table, soon everyone at the bar and sofas joined us with their cameras and it was quite a long photo shoot after that..hahaha...we really had a good time...laughing all the time. The Irish team, Myra, Theresa, Kathleen, OMG, I cant remember the other 3, were all so funny and were constantly cracking up something wise. I think they were the funniest group at the seminar.

Pat & her team organised a dinner for us at the De Vere Hotel in Herfordshire. I thoroughly enjoyed the night. It gave us a chance to loosen up a bit and get to know more about each other. Jens was telling me about the baking industry in Germany and about the many ICES that he had attended. He's a really dedicated person and he's really neat too. He didn't just clean up his table, but he helped us (voluntarily that is) to clean our messy tables too, especially Efua's. Her's is the messiest. Sorry Efua..hehehe...

Tony Warren at work

We were snaping pix of his flowers and he quipped to Lisa "no ones taking my picture". I heard that and I said let me. So here he was laughing saying, hey I was just kidding...hehehe..I snapped u anyways Tony.

Lisa Slatter Deputy Head of Cake Deco School and very famous Sugarcrafter (you can find her works in the Cakes Magazine and also Wedding Cakes, A Design Source Magazines), Pat Trunkfield (Head of Cake Deco School and one of PME's Director - congratulations Pat), Mr. Salish (I'm so sorry if I get this wrong, please correct me) - MD of PME School of Cake Deco, and Tony Warren - a master in Sugar Craft and Sugar Flower.

Flanked by Tony Warren and and Lisa Slatter during my proud moment. Try beating that!!

Everyone was so proud of their achievements. Congratulations all!!

We are now officially trained by PME. We'll just have to wait for Pat to approve us and make us their Certified PME trainers (but I already knew that I am...) yeayyy!!!

Am not posting what we did in the PME Seminar coz you'll just have to sign up with me to find out!! Check out the Schedules with Sugarflours.

Lazy Sunday

I didn't want to be lost on Monday for my class so I asked Fauziah to show me how to get to Brimsdown from Paddington Station. After that we went to Oxford Street and Regent Street for some retail theraphy. I find that some of the things are really cheap even if I'd converted them into Ringgit. 6 pairs of men's socks cost only BP2. A boy's World Cup t-shirt is only BP1. No wonder everyone's carrying a Primark's paper bag. BHS's also not bad. I like M&S's pants for ladies and they're really cheap here. No, seriously, a pair of a M&S linen pants for BP9.90, which is just about RM50. (M&S is Mark & Spencer). Would you get this price in M&S KLCC? I don't think so. I'm gonna get some shirts for Hubby from M&S. So worth it!!

It's a bit chilly, so I got myself a jacket for BP24, which I think is a steal. A t-shirt in Munawarah is RM180, now that is ridiculous!!

Anyways, I spent the rest of the day hanging out with Sidah and settled down early for my first day at class 2moro.

This gorgeous flowers lined most of the streets everywhere I go. It's spring and flowers are everywhere. The best thing is that you get to enjoy the sight of them for free. And the colors, oh my, I've never seen so many colors of pansy flowers in my life...they're so bright and vibant and fresh!! The ones here are roses and gerberas and some violets colored flowers.. It's hard to be depressed in spring!!

The road leading to 2 Paddington Stations - 1 serving H&C and Circle Lines, and the other one - Bakerloo line.

Paddington Station - I took my train to Liverpool Street every morning and from there took the East Anglia Express to Brimsdown Station.

My loyal travel companion, the maps of tubes and bus services in and around London. I'm getting quite used to it already by now. The last time I came was with hubby so I never really paid attention to any of the services. Now, I have no choice, otherwise I'd get lost.

The view from my window...it's a busy stretch, Sussex Gardens Road. The road leading to the left goes to Egdware Road and the to the right, I think it's Wembley, Nottinghill and etc..

A new friend I just met while in London. Her mom did what most Msian moms would do whenever they heard someone's going to London, kirim serunding!! (She couriered in from Kelantan, no less) Fauziah Bijaksana (her avatar in FB) was nice enuf to take me around on Sunday. We went and do a bit of shopping at Oxford Road. Earlier in the morning, I made her trace the route to Brimsdown Station, where I was supposed to go on Monday. I didn't want to get lost.

I found this cake shop Caffe Concerto in Regent's Street. Was admiring the beautiful cakes from outside.

This Caffe also serves breakfast and lunch. Not sure about dinner though, but I think they do to, judging from the lines of alcohol bottles in the shop.