Hisham and Ain at Ana Burger

Year 22: An Anniversary

It has been twenty-two years since we got married. Nothing to report other than a family dinner. Earlier that morning we had breakfast at a new place that appeared from the abandoned site of an old. Located in front of a nearby orphanage, it has become our new go-to place for breakfast. Their nasi kerabu is delicious with a lot of very fresh chopped vegetables. That evening, we had dinner at Ana Burger. Here are the images of the event:

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21st anniversary 01

Anniversary: Year 21

For the first time ever, we celebrated our anniversary tonight at a hotel. Five years ago or so, I would have never dared to dream we could do this. In any case, it was the best choice as there was not many other patrons in the hotel cafe. Nothing much to report for the evening, other than the food was nice, the ambience was enjoyable, and I am pretty certain we can use the sofa set in the lobby to play role-playing games.

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1996

25-Year Blind Date Still Going Strong

The year was 1996 Exactly 25 years ago today I went on a blind date with this woman in the photo. There was no cameras at the time. We spent time at an A&W’s, then took a walk at the beach accompanied by our mutual friends. We got wed 4 years later and I believe that very first date that began in 1996 has not yet ended even today. (The photo is from several months later in 1996 where we visited Hutan Lipur Sekayu with Atok and Opah who came to visit and have yet to become an Atok and an Opah.)

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At the surau

20th Wedding Anniversary

The story so far… 20 years ago, Ain and I took each other as husband and wife on a sunny afternoon in Pasir Mas. As it was a chaotic day, I had to spend a lot of energy to ignore what things might go wrong, what might come tomorrow and other conjectures. Instead I focused on the moment. One thing at a time, I traversed the day. 20 years later, Ain is a warrior at my side, the same as I try to be one by hers. As I approach middle age and gain a modicum of hindsight, it becomes clear that I would not have any other person by my side, undergoing all the trials and tribulations that were thrown our way a we made our way along two decades. Much more than just a partner… Much of the tribulations have not been recorded on this weblog, but I […]

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The electric candles are kind of adorable

19th Anniversary Dinner

It has been 19 years since Ain and I were wed. Unlike last year when we had to go see a doctor during our anniversary, this year was fairly uneventful. However, it was the first time we celebrated our anniversary at a Middle Eastern restaurant. I had always wanted to fine in a such a restaurant with the family back when we lived at the 10th Floor. We never had the resources to do so back then. Here are some photos of the happenings of the evening. Next year, it would be our 20-year anniversary.

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30 years of Star Wars RPG

Star Wars RPG 30 Year Anniversary

Five years ago I wrote this article. Today, it’s time for a new anniversary image based on the game session I ran yesterday. Note: Although the upper image above was taken in 1989 it was not of our first game. I believe it was of the session in the same campaign entitled “The Yesterday Man” which some day I will write about.

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18th anniversary late night snack

Anniversary at the Dispensary

It has been 18 Gregorian years since Ain and I were wed. This year we decided to celebrate by visiting the doctor’s office because when I was at work today, she threw her back. Thankfully it was just a minor sprain and not a slipped disc. Even so, it did cause her much discomfort and pain. After the doctor’s visit, we picked Irfan up from home and went to fill up our potable water bottles. It was at the Serunai Padi restaurant so we stopped for some snacks. Some heavy snacks.

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Orator of sorts

Celebrating an Anniversary

Irfan’s Atok and Opah came for a visit this week. And their anniversary will be up in three days! On this fine Friday, and you can tell it’s a Friday because Irfan and I are in Baju Melayu, we went to the food court at Kuala Perlis for an early celebration of their anniversary! Here are some of the selection of food we ordered. Also, Irfan was explaining something and gesturing with his arms when I took the following picture:

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This is mighty big tasty

17th Anniversary Dinner

It is now our seventeenth year together, Ain and I. So many hardships along the way and against hostile odds here we are still together, still in love; and with Irfan still in tow although he is not as little as he used to be. We thought we would try out the BIG Tas’TEA restaurant by the roadside at Arau. We have always wanted to stop by, but we had to have extra change in our pockets before we could splurge on the more expensive Western food and smoothies and such. We made sure in advance that we had the cash to visit BIG tas’TEA on our anniversary. Sure the cholesterol level might be through the roof, but the chicken in this meal tasted fantastic. We ordered Pepperoni Chicken and the Ultimate Cheese pizzas! I thought we should quickly get a photo of us together before my ailing, physically broken […]

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The home team at work

16th Anniversary Dinner

Tonight is our sixteenth year together as husband and wife, so we took it upon ourselves to go celebrate with a dinner at a restaurant known as MaiCafe. As far as anniversaries were concerned it quite an enjoyable dinner and our second here in Perlis. I have said it once and I will say it again: I am blessed to have Ain beside me as a partner for 16 years. Though we began four years earlier, so this is actually our 20th anniversary together as a couple. Also, where would we all be without the presence of one Irfan Shafiq who is old enough to earn the Legion Flight Ring. Ain ordered her favourite meal, chicken chop with black pepper sauce. The portion was quite large that Ain was unable to finish it. Thankfully, Irfan was present to obliterate the chicken. Irfan’s spaghetti and meatballs were also quite delicious, especially […]

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Dinner at Chortiezz

Celebrating One Anniversary and One Birthday

The twenty-ninth of each year brings about both the birthday of Sila and the anniversary of our parents. She has always quipped that she was Atok and Opah’s third anniversary present. Atok and Opah were on site in Perlis on this day, so we thought we would go celebrate at the restaurant where we celebrated Ain’s birthday not two weeks earlier. This time I took a photo of Ain’s burger, which was enormous. Atok ordered a burger too while Opah had a chicken chop. I wish Sila, Vin, Yaya and Rafiq were here to celebrate with us. I really miss them, having last seen them recede into the distance at the airport almost six years ago on a very dark day. Happy anniversary Atok and Opah and happy birthday to Sila, Adik the Elder! May all of you be blessed with laughter and contentment.

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15 years today

15th Anniversary Pizza

Fifteen years since we that day Ain and I got married. We’ve had a number of anniversaries over the fifteen years. Fifteen years of juking and barrel rolling and Tallon rolling and drop kick Koiogran turn just to stay out of reach of blaster bolts from the rear. Sometimes, we would get it and it would hurt because it would mean I failed to keep my family from hurt and harm. Most of the time, we would pull through by the skin of our teeth. This was the first year we celebrate our anniversary without anyone attempting to acquire a target lock on us. It was amazing. I felt like it was the first time I managed to get the ship out of the asteroid field and away from the savage squad of pursuing fighters. We were able to spend some on pizza without worrying about the cost killing us […]

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14th Anniversary

It’s been 14 years since we got married. Since then, through shifting soil, moving goalposts, storms of ablative particulates and a deluge of fish entrails, Ain has been an excellent partner, wife and mother to our son. 14 is not a big number, but we thought we’d celebrate surviving this radioactive wasteland for another year. I love Ain so strongly that Hawking radiation is being emitted on the surface of the singularity of our sordid story. We went to a restaurant that we had been to several times which served delicious food. However, the food did not live up to its delectable precursors. But that, I suppose, is no excuse not to enjoy the night. [[image:anniversary-2014-01.jpg:Irfan and Ain:center:0]] [[image:anniversary-2014-02.jpg:Irfan’s chicken chop:center:0]] [[image:anniversary-2014-03.jpg:Irfan takes a photo:center:0]] Here’s hoping for a much better year next year. I’ve heard myself say this every year for the last 20 years. 20 years of saying […]

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The End of January…

…specifically today, marks both the Anniversary of Atok and Opah, and the birthday of Sila, the best sister and bounty hunter ever! Happy Anniversary and Happy Birthday to everyone involved! This is where I’d post old black and white photos of all Atok, Opah and Sila if I was able to get them and scan them. But I wasn’t. So I can’t.

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Cake too

13th Anniversary and Raya Haji in KL

It was Sitiawan’s turn for balik kampung Aidiladha this year. But I did not get paid for a work I invoiced so we could not gas up to go anywhere far. So Atok and Opah travelled from Sitiawan to Kuala Lumpur for the holiday. Also, Irfan’s exam week was looming. Coincidentally, Aidiladha was also the 13th wedding anniversary of Ain and I. So we decided to scrape up something for the day. 13 years through… a lot of things. Amazing things. Not so amazing things. Unbelievably inspirational events. Events that would destroy the spirit of anyone not prepared. Things I do not mention even in this blog. I owe a lot of people a lot of things. My parents. Sila and Vin. But without Ain to prop against and support my weight in the worst of times, it would have been a different world today. After solat Aidiladha, we took […]

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