A Visual Feast of God's Love

Camel Ride at the Pyramids

2009-03-25T00:49:00.000-07:00

Me and my Lawrence of Arabia. If you at first you dont succeed, you try again..

The two reluctant but happy participants that were forced on the camel

Father Abraham and his family

Happy and silly people on the camel

Having heard stories about camel rides, I at first declined the camel ride at the entrance of the Pyramids. Once in the area, how could we not ride on a camel in Egypt with Pyramids as the background. Furthermore, might as well do a trial ride before Mt Sinai the next day.

So , when this blue-eyed , Lawrence of Arabia look-alike asked, I agreed and there came the famous falling on the camel-guide incident. Yup, it was a great story to be told over and over again on how I fell on the camel guide. On top of that, the guide got everyone on the camel , took lovely pictures and then ripped us off with a huge bill of RM750. It was a rip-off but nevertheless, I didn't mind paying the max of RM500 and negotiated so . It was pricey but money well spent for the sheer drama and a lifetime of storytelling.

The fall was a good lesson for the next day camel ride -

a. choose a short camel

b. choose a big size camel guide

c. make sure you climb on the same side as

the camel guide so that when you fall, you can land on him......

Egypt Pt 2

2009-03-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

Pyramids of Giza

Lunch at Giza

Museum at Cairo

Crossing the Streets of Cairo

Do not ever attempt to do this. It is extremely dangerous. On our first night, we thought of walking along Nile which was just across the street. Looks simple enough, done it millions of time but this is Cairo. There is no traffic law, some cars have no light and crossing the road is an extreme sport.

We did cross the road looking for Target the supermarket but silly me, it turned out to be Target the Limousine Hire. Turning back to meant crossing the road but wanting to buy water meant crossing another road. After the ordeal of crossing road and nearly been scammed for Pringles Chip ( the shop wanted to charge us RM32 for a canister), we headed back to the hotel for room service and hence ended our first night in Cairo

Day 2

Our first stop of the day is the much acclaimed Egyptian Museum. Again hordes of tourist and whilst it is fascinating, my brains cannot take who is king , queen and what they did to who and what. The highlight of course was to see the King's Tut's mummy which I refused to go. Our next stop was probably a lot more interesting- the Pyramids of Giza and had lunch at a restaurant with the view of the Giza. Excited and full of anticipation of the Pyramids. We finally came saw the ancient structures which mystified millions for many years....

Egypt- Pt 1

2009-03-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

The transit hotel in Dubai

Sunset over the Nile

The view from the room

Here goes my much delayed posting on my Egypt trip. Way overdue mainly because of fatigue, plain laziness to write and anyway I had already written about my childhood dream of riding a felucca.

IN THE BEGINNING

Well, the only way to start is the beginning and the Etihad flight would be a good way. First time to the middle east and the Abu Dhabi was a 12 hours stopover. Did not fancy staying at the airport staring into space or sleeping like a refugee so decided to spend a little and booked a transit hotel. Expensive i.e US$170/room for less than 12 hours but it was worth every penny because flying in tired and in a cramped airport was what it was like.

So we flew into Cairo the next day fresh and well fed with a good Western breakfast only to reach Cairo International Airport which looked like it was like a blast into the past. Hmm the last time I walked into airport like that was in Beijing way back 15 years ago i.e the pre-Olympic days.

DAY 1

Chaotic , filled with people and loads of army personnel , it was nice to see Nora ( we called her Nora throughout the trip only to find that its' not Nora), smiling and holding a placard with our name. Welcome to Cairo and smack into the traffic. 5 to 6 lanes of cars on each side back to back . Hey, KL is a breeze. This is Cairo, dusty, noisy and so full of character. We passed Sadat's memorial and I'm instantly reminded of the conflicts that this country faced and seeing guns, military personnel , fighter jets are everyday fare. We are so blessed that in Malaysia it is peaceful . Somehow, I wasn't afraid in fact extremely intrigued and wanting to soak into every minute of this fascinating country.

We got into the much anticipated Semiramis Intercontinental beside the Nile River. Again more uniform soldiers around the hotel and the luggages all had to go through the security scanning machines. Finally, checked in after hassling the receptionist about our "platinum status" . This time, the best they did for me was a Nile view river but Ray and Chris got the Macdonald view room.

Of course, I quickly snapped pictures of the sunset over Nile. It's my first sunset of the Nile. Excited because it is everything I imagined it to be. Huge, orange but yet not perfect unlike Hawaii. The dustiness and emerging fog blurred it provided the mystic allure that I have always imagined Egypt to have.

Turning 45

2009-01-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

I finally celebrated my 45th birthday in PD with my closest friends and family. I couldn't ask for more. It was beautiful weather and for as far I can remember , I dont ever recall seeing such a beautiful sunset in PD . So often , I climbed mountains, flew thousands of miles just to catch a sunset and here in this once sleepy town,right here in my very own backyard was a beautiful sunset.
As we gathered around enjoying the loveliest cool breeze ( yes in hot Malaysia) sipping champagne, enjoying the lovely setting , indeed I have plenty to be thankful for. To top it all, it was a lovely full moon that night.
And therefore, as I post this , I am indeed very blessed and loved by the Almighty. I am reminded that without our Lord, I am nothing. I cannot complain and should always remember of his gracious LOVE.

A felucca ride on the Nile

2008-12-17T19:58:00.000-08:00

Clarissa and me ....

Me and the kids on the felucca

Pretty feluccas at Aswan. Loverly....

It's funny sometimes how you take a holiday which is suppose to mean a break , a rest , but after the holiday, you feel more drained, exhausted and needing another holiday.

Egypt was one such "holiday". It was filled with adventure and I enjoyed myself tremendously as I was fulfilling my dream of sailing down the Nile in a felucca. This felucca ride experience was injected of course by Hollywood.ie. The Spy Who Loved Me, btw the only decent James Bond Roger Moore ever made. Of course, this romantic notion of sailing down in a felucca was inspired by the scene which Mr Moore had with Barbara Bach. I've held that dream for a long time , in fact since I was 14 . I was in boarding school then and I saw that movie during one of the Sundays my parents came to visit. In order to prolong the visit in this remote, sleepy town called Kuala Pilah, they took me for a movie. I felt guilty about going then because it was the exams the next day and I really should be going but I missed them a lot and I wanted to prolong the visit , too. Watching the movie though was the best thing I did. I remembered coming back extremely happy, singing that beautiful melody, the Spy Who Loved Me and an aspiration to go on the felucca. Actually, much , much happier and really for the first time, didnt even feel guilty about skipping study time ( yeah, yeah I was a boring mugger!!!)

Since then, Egypt has always been the "See Naples and Die " . For that, I wanted to keep it off my visit list as far as I could . I finally did it recently. The verdict - enjoyable, picturesque, extremely relaxing . One of the highlights of the trips.

I can't help but feel sad though. It has been for a long time its been the peak of my everest and like what I've learned in so many different everest in my life . Now what ? Is that all ? And of course like all many, young romantic illusions, that magical moment is gone. Anyway, now nearly 30 years later, weathered by life experiences, I need to find another " See Naples and Die". Hollywood please ???

Aman Rimba - Janda Baik

2008-09-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

and a lovely walk after breakfast so that we can eat some more

Nice kampung nasi lemak with nescafe for breakfast

Chris first drive

More karaoke king, queen and a mighty princess

Karaoke kings and queens of the night

Father and son bonding

Really lepaking

A weekend of nature, lovely walk, river swim complete with natural jacuzzi, wonderful fresh food so sumptiously cook, cool refreshing mountain air , noise pollution caused by karaoke kings and queens that sang off key, beautiful wild life especially the butterflies and lovely company from a group of mighty old friends...

Fancy a walk in the jungle in the middle of KL

2008-09-25T01:34:00.000-07:00

Chris trying to figure out if he should have the
bangers and mashers or the fish and chips at the
Magnificent Fish and Chips

A for effort in trying to get us a decent place to trek and
enjoy the jungle

A lovely rainforest right in the middle of KL

The three trekkers figuring where they are

The trek up to KL Tower

Our Malaysian signages are terrible. I was trying to locate the Bukit Nenas Reserve because I was told that the there is a nice little jungle trek there. We followed some signages that led us all the way up to St Johns and Convent Bukit Nenas only to have the sign disappear and so went up KL Tower and ask the guard. We were told we could actually access the trek from KL Tower, so we parked the car at the foot and walked up. We then walked down a jungle trail until we came to the information office. Then we walked up again and whilst it was quite a nice little walk, the hordes of mosquitoes swarmed and attack everytime we stopped.

Saw a beaufiful glass beetle but my close-up photography skills still sucks... and I didnt get to take the picture. Was too tired to walk to the canopy bridge so left that for another day.

We headed to the Magnificent Fish and Chips opposite Frangipani and tucked in with the best Fish and Chips in town.

Pizza, Spaghetti vs local food

2008-09-25T01:18:00.000-07:00

The crunchy, nutty tiramisu to die for

The old vs the young

Sam, Chris (wrapped up in PSP world ) and Selia

These days, the younger generation are fed with a diet of spaghetti, pizzas and my nieces and kids are no different. While my kids are okay with Chinese food , my nieces favours the west.

And so finding a restaurant that serves good Western and Asian food is a must when the family gets together for that special treat. Early this year, for CNY, we went to La Risotto and my mum ended up eating bread and water only. So I found Alexis and we were there with kids giving the thumbs up to the pizza and the spaghetti and my mum to its delicious mee siam. As for me , I am a sucker for its wonderful, nutty, crunchy tiramisu.

My Little Cuties

2008-09-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Daphne's cutie

My favourite cutie

We just wrapped up the shoot for SiManja Huggies yesterday and these are pictures of some the cute little babies

Avril Lavigne Concert - The spirit is Willing but the Flesh is weak

2008-09-04T00:21:00.000-07:00

Finally, the happy teenager, the kid brother and the over-age
rocker !

The ever useful binoculars
That's how tiny she is from where we were
The kids including Chris singing to Avril's songs

Avril, finally started her concert at 9.10 pm, more than an hour later that what was advertised.

The drenched rats at the concert

When my daughter agreed to go with me to the Osmonds Concert and enjoy "my music", I decided to go with her to enjoy "her music".So when Avril Lavigne was in town, the whole family went. The family had to experience a rock concert together. Anyway, its the kids first rock concert and probably the only time they will allow mum and dad to chaperone.

Confession, I have never been to a rock concert and the last time I went to Stadium Merdeka was for Michael Jackson and that seems eons ago. So, I was entering virgin territory and what the heck, I said I would be more open to trying new experiences.... So, I got home early and got ready to go. My daughter looked at me and said "Mum you look like you're going for a country concert", I was wearing a nice long skirt you see with a peasant collared blouse, feeling very feminine. Since this business of turning forty few years back, I have this tendency not to really care about fitting in..

Ha, this time we remembered to bring the binoculars which gave Chris so much joy as he was pretending to be in some kind of espionage game in his own little world.

Anyway, traffic wasn't so bad and we managed to park our car in this valley that turned into a giant car-park opposite the stadium. Then the sky started turning the dark, and we quickly whisked out four umbrellas from over age rocker's car ( what's he doing with so many umbrellas in the car???) only to be told that we cannot bring it into the stadium.

True enough, it started to rain, I was excited , yeah rain, a rock concert, if only I was twenty years younger, I would have bought entrance tickets to the centre field and dance bare feet. The thing is 20 years ago, I couldnt afford the centrestage... That's the irony of life.

Oh well, so here I was at a rock concert, dressed as if I was going to watch Marie Osmond with my kids and then reality hit- the seats are actually hard slabs of concrete with rough, coarse gravelled surface that prickled my soft but fleshy bum. I did not expect this. Now I regretted not wearing the good old durable jeans.

Yeah so we were given raincoats in different colours and there I was in this yellow raincoat , sitting on extremely uncomfortable concrete without any back rest !!!! I was feeling kinda sick now, you know like when you feel a fever coming up and after half hour of no back support -my neck and back was beginning to ache.

An hour later and I gave up being feminine and ladylike, wrapped my skirt around my ankle and tied a knot so that I could just sit cross-legged on the one level lower and rest my back against the panel. What a relief to my aching back.

Well, the very talented Avril finally arrived and as she belted her songs starting with Girlfriend , the crowd roared and the whole stadium was standing and rocking with her. She is very talented and the performance was great but as sang her last song " Skater Boy", all I could think of was " Thank God ", now I can go home and rest my poor back.

The Eye and The Twin Towers from Lake Titiwangsa

2008-09-02T09:14:00.000-07:00

My favourite pictures !!!

The Eye and the many different colours on Merdeka eve . Somehow, despite the my aching body after the Avril Lavigne concert the night before and a late night with the usual Aisec kaki's for Swee Ai's birthday, I was inspired to take the pictures of the Eye and the Twin Tower from Tasik Titiwangsa . I have been meaning to do so but somehow just never got around doing it and since I got the new Nikon P80, I wanted to try the night landscape pix.Aiya, the kids didnt want to go as they were sleepy but somehow I just wanted to do it - perhaps thanks to the belacan overdose during dinner that kept me perky and wide awake, I went by myself . I'm glad I did because the pictures were great.

The fireworks were a disappointment though. The KLCC firework were extremely low and I didnt get any good shots. I was actually walking away when the Dataran Merdeka fireworks started and them my battery went flat.... As I was desperatly trying to load , I thought I was going to miss all the fireworks but finally got everything working. Taking the fireworks was not easy though - as there was a lag time between pressing the button and capturing the picture and I still do not know how to use the continous mode......Aiya.

Today, I AM HAPPY because I just read in the papers that the EYE is being dismantled on Thursday and last Sat night was probably the only and most beautiful time to take the picture. I would have missed this photo opportunity if I had not gone that night.

Aman Rimba

2008-08-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

My ex- boss Sabri has this lovely private resort at Janda Baik . He's added a pool and a lovely bungalow across the pond. We visited him last weekend and he and his lovely wife Wati as usual fed us and we indulged again despite our heavy meal at Bukit Tinggi earlier on.

The kids jumped into the stream and splashed about and swam. The stream is relatively clear and quite sandy so is nice for swimming unlike the stream in ChiangMai which was quite stony and therefore slippery. Chris declares it his favourite stream and wants to buy it ( with what my dear?) .I was my usual sedentary mode, did not want to jump it , so fiddled with my new toy, trying to capture a good shot of the water spider. Failed miserably....Then tried chasing the dragonfly - the action mode is slow so tak bolehlah. Give up....

More pix

2008-08-26T00:30:00.001-07:00

Playing around with the P8O, close up shots of the flowers outside my window . Many, many shots were taken to get the pictures I like . The second picture was taken with the flash and its my favorite shot. The raindrop is a bonus. The shots of the bunga tahi ayam didn't come out as well though despite many , many tries . The flowers were blurred while the leaves were sharp. Still need to fiddle more.

pensivedreamer

2008-08-26T00:10:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Clarissa has a blog - pensivedreamer.blogspot.com. All her rantings, ramblings and whatever is immortalised in this blog. I took these picture of her while fiddling with the new camera and I believe this really look like the pensivedreamer.

The Twin Tower at night

2008-08-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

Finally, a picture of the Twin Tower at night , taken with my new Nikon Coolpix P8O, camera for dummies that had a so many different scene choices. I'm happy...

Champagne Cod and Placido Pinot Grigio

2008-08-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

This is the dish that had me off red wine and red meat for a while. Cod fish grilled and braised ( I think ) with champagne and a tinge of tomato sauce topped with crispy Japanese sea weed to give that extra exotic taste that goes so well with the chilled Placido Pinot Grigo.

This dish is a speciality of Oriental Pavillion of Jaya 33 and it was the flavour of the month for us for the last 6 weeks.....

Alamak Amy Season 2 shooting has started

2008-08-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

Alamak Amy the family comedy with Ijoy and Sharifah Syahira started production a week ago with Jason Chong as the Director. Winnie Thye reprises her role as June and the ever funny Didie is back as the maid. We were there yesterday with the cast and crew when they were shooting the clinic scene at Plaza Damas.

My Baby's All Grown Up

2008-07-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

My little baby Clarissa is all grown up. She was in her school play recently , Romeo and Juliet and in her make-up and grown up demeanor , my baby's all grown up. In fact, she is Juliet's age.....

The Lord , Our Creator

2008-07-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

Fear not! If the Lord God can do this, he can do anything.....

Kisah Kaisara Season 2

2008-07-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

The second season of Kisah Kaisara was launched in a glittering press conference with a wedding between Hasnor and Marlia i.e Norman Hakim and Vee. Aziz M Othman , Director and Executive Producer of Ace Motion on special request was asked to "bless" the wedding. Kisah Kaisara also won the Best Sponsorship in this year MSA Awards. It finally did it for us after 3 years of drought.

The Osmonds - Apple Pie, Color TV and Puppy Love

2008-07-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

I had a ball of time recently in Genting watching "The Osmonds 50th Reunion". I first saw the Osmond Brothers in a little known show with another child actor - Kurt Russell in the The Travels of Jamie McPheeters and then on The Andy Williams Show. Then it was the cartoon , The Osmonds which my sister and I used to sing to and watch Donny' s escapades with a girl from every land.

The Osmonds reflected a time when white is white, when it was cool to be a goody two shoes, sweet like saccharine, a time of sweet innocence and to hear to hear those songs again - One Bad Apple, Puppy Love, The Twelve of Never -for a moment , I felt I was a little girl again .

By the time , Donny and Marie aired , I was in boarding school and I really look forward to holidays when I could watch my favourite toothy twosome. The Donny and Marie Show was also the tv show I saw in color . Elprup was finally in purple ......

Celebrating 50 Years Together

2008-06-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

I was looking for images of Dumex crockery in the net when I suddenly recalled that Mum might have these old Dumex plate, bowls what nots. When I spoke to Mum she told me something very startling. Not only she has the Dumex bowl but it was 50 years old. She bought it when my eldest brother was born and he's turning 50 end of this year . When I told her about Dumex 50th anniversary, she was delighted as she and my Dad just celebrated their 50th anniversary earlier this year. 50 years- what a long time of history and suddenly this Dumex bowl and tea pot which looks remarkably new is now seen in a new light . There is history , no wonder,my mum kept it.

The Flutes at the Fort

2008-06-19T01:59:00.000-07:00

Still thinking about the grilled lobster with cheese and the Venezia Pinot Grigo that I had at Flutes at the Fort recently. The matching is excellent . The Pinot Grigo light and smooth taste went really well with the lobster and the gratined cheese on top. Enjoyed the meal and the wine ( didn;t even realized the entire bottle was gulped down ) so much that I forgot to take a picture but was sober enough to take the dessert.

Took us two rounds around Fort Canning before we found Flute but it was worth it.

Adventure in Chiang Mai

2008-06-19T01:53:00.000-07:00

Swimming at the waterfall, elephant trekking, flight of the gibbons - what an adventure and funfilled holiday. Flight of the Gibbons was the best - flying among the tree-top of the rainforest, canopy walking and of course, emulating spiderman as the drop you from the top....

Sunset along KL-Singapore Highway

2008-06-19T01:38:00.000-07:00

I didn't expect this. Have been so into looking and taking pictures of sunset wherever I go, I never expected such a lovely sunset at our very own backyard. Was trying home from Singapore and the changing colours of the sunset was just breathtaking!

Chiang Mai - Rose of the North

2008-06-09T01:08:00.000-07:00

Just came back from a nice break in Chiang Mai. I went with not much of expectations but a break that closer to home but yet not too hot. We did Chiang Mai in 5 days and 4 nights - just right we thought. Took Air Asia and the flight was just about 2 hours and we checked into Holiday Inn. Haha the Platinum Card proved to be a great advantage as they upgraded us to a lovely suite again. Jacuzzi - every night ????

We took a took-took to the city ( the old part) not much of an old city really apart from some walls and wats and more wats. Surprisingly for me , loads of Western influence in this town like Starbucks, pubs, bistros, etc until we came to the center of it all - the The Three King Monument, the Wats, the street stalls with its exotic insects and hairy herb or whatever it is...

Not too much traffic , just enough shopping, great eateries, very affordable massage and loads of adventure - quite a nice change really

Clubhotel - Murau

2008-05-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

In the summer of 2006, how could we forget our European trip to watch the World Cup. We stayed at this lovely 2 bedroom apartment at Clubhotel, Murau right in the middle of the Austrian Alps with its tiny yellow flowers amidst the lush green fields and the crystal clear waterfalls.

The Fairytale castle in Fussen

2008-05-16T06:25:00.000-07:00

Neuschweinstein - the Fairy Tale castle of Fussen. This must be the third time to this beautiful castle. The first time was in 1990 in the fall when the leaves were turning brown but the view of the castle was blocked by a fog.

Then in 2005, I went there again but this time it was in the Winter and the views were some of the best I've ever seen. I told myself that I would come again, this time with the kids and we did in the summer of 2006

Happy Birthday Annie

2008-05-12T04:17:00.000-07:00

My partner , Annie, recently celebrated her 40th birthday. Her hubby, Alan went through a lot of pain to organise her a surprise party. Surprise parties are difficult for "kan cheong" people who wants to take matters in her own hand. An elaborated scheme had to be hatched i.e. a falsified invitation card, very good acting and people that can keep a secret...

The Best Meal in Venice

2008-05-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

The verdict is out. The best meal in Venice was this - a mac with coke underneath the Italian blue sky, warm sunshine, right at St Mark's square people watching and the pigeons as your guests.....

Lake Lugano - June 2006

2008-05-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

Lake Lugano - June 2006. A pristine, Swiss-Italian town . How would I describe it . Like a jewel with breathtaking scenery . I took a funicullar up Salvatore Mountain and the views of the lake , surrounded by the Mountain. God's creation. No man can beat that....

Are you crazy, the water's freezing !

2008-05-09T07:56:00.000-07:00

Lake Lugan0, June 2006. The water's freezing but that didnt these crazy Malaysians from taking a dip in this infinity pool with an amazing view of the Lake. The result - a sick boy, a frantic mum and a $70 bill plus a missed trip to Lake Como.

Going Up Jungfraujoch

2008-05-09T07:51:00.000-07:00

Snow for the first time for the kids. Look at Chris and his ski mask. Clarissa terrified of falling off the snow slope. Magnificent scenary all the way and a Bollywood experience right on top of Europe

Lucern - June 2006

2008-05-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

Lucern, the children's first landing in Europe. Alan's first time driving in Europe. Chloe throwing up on Annie's brand new trench-coat. the smell of fresh dung outside the window of hotel room. Our first day, jet-lagged, tired but determined to see the sights.

Cambridge - July 2007

2008-05-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Punting in Cambridge

2008-05-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

I've always wanted to punt in Cambridge. Our stay so far has been typical English weather - sprinkles of shower and just a week before going to England, there was a severe case of flooding in the midlands but again God blessed us with a wonderful day. It was a lovely late spring/early summer weather - blue skies, warm sunshine and a cool breeze. We picked up some sandwiches , cheese and of course wine from Marks and Spencer before heading off to Cambridge. A lot quieter and more spread out than Oxford - Cambridge was lovely. There were the usual throngs of people and tourists . When we reached the river bank - we saw the punting we've heard and read so much about. We quickly hopped onto one and hence began a lovely , lazy punt down the river , soaking into the sights of this old establishment.

More of Awana 2005

2008-05-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

More pictures of CTS birthday party at Awana.......

Awana in 2005

2008-05-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

CTS birthday party at Awana. The gang went up, we had a lovely lamb dinner at Ming Ren, the next morning was a lovely hike to work off the food.

No Shopping - Just “Parking” in Singapore

2008-01-03T01:14:00.000-08:00

When I tell people that I go to Singapore and visit their parks – I get wide-eyed look and sardonic smiles. What no shopping? Yeah - sure at Ang Mo Kio apartments for its wonderfully cheap and wide variety of stuff from China.

Ha, the truth ever since the exchange rate has more than doubled , I personally still think that Malaysia is the best place to do shopping , I don’t shop in Singapore. Instead, my brother has actually brought me and the kids to some wonderful parks – Labrador Park for a picnic once, East Coast Park for the kids to just run and the small but scenic Mt. Faber.

In my latest trip, I discovered MacRitchie Reservoir Park which is I think to date is the best. The view over the reservoir with its beautiful landscaped gardens and wide space, plenty of well kept benches is a wonderful place for just “lepaking”.

The kids had a ball of time playing soccer that is until a monkey stole the coke and attracted a family of monkeys. That’s when we literally ran.

The other park which we discovered by surprise was Teluk Blangah Hill Park. I was searching for Alkaff Mansion but found it was closed. So instead was the Terrace Garden with a wonderful view of Singapore. It is not so well-maintained as the other parks and can get pretty creepy at night though.

Moon Over Neuschwanstein

2008-01-02T19:54:00.001-08:00

The last time I visited this fairytale castle, it was nearly 15 years ago. It was end of summer and the fog spoiled the view of the beautiful castle for me. And all I could remember of the trip back then was the tiring walk up the castle which even then was quite a challenge for me.

I could not however, forget this postcard picture castle and so I decided to play hooky from the conference I was attending in Munich and take a trip to Neuschwanstein. It was cold in Munich and the cottage I had rented in the suburbs had snow covered roofs and gardens which paled in comparison with what I was about to see later.

The train ride to Fussen itself was another reminder of God’s artistry and magnificence. The landscape was scenic with snow-covered fields, silhouettes of leafless trees and specks of farms houses and sheds against an extremely clear blue sky. It was cold when I reached Fussen, coldest that I have ever experienced but this quaint little medieval town was all decked in Christmas decor butI didn’t have the time to walk around the town as I had to quickly take the bus to the castle.

I didn’t fancy a walk in the cold so I took the horse carriage not knowing that I had to wait for enough passengers before we could set off. Yup, nice horse manure scent to give the whole setting the ultimate “feel” as they say in Cantonese.

The tour into the castle was informative but I had attended it before. It was probably the last tour and it was getting dark and this time , I decided to walk down as I figured perhaps walking down would be better than waiting in the carriage in the cold and I didn’t fancy smelling and seeing the horse butt.

When I reached the foothill, the sky was getting darker but yet the sky was strangely illuminated . Then I looked up and I saw the perfect white full moon over the castle. It was the moonlight in clear, cloudless sky . I could not never capture that perfect picture moment because my amateurish photo taking skills only understand auto mode. The Korean guy helped me with the night mode and as I was fiddling with the mode, I tried to take that picture with me in it like a bloody typical tourist and that’s when the Korean guy told me “Don’t... Take it as it is – that’s enough.” I stopped to look at that image again and he was right. I never did get that picture as I saw it but for that one minute when I stopped fiddling with my camera , it was captured in my head hopefully forever or at least until Alzheimer’s take over.

Sunset Over St Kilda's

2007-12-26T21:59:00.000-08:00

We were recommended to go to Stokehouse for dinner and drinks but the sunset we got was a bonus and it compensated for the one we missed at Port Campbell . It was an unscheduled stop but we just finished shopping at the DFO (right after landing from Alice Spring) and it was the best weather we have had in Melbourne since we arrived and we thought a stroll along the beach would be nice. Driving along St Kilda Road gave us a glimpse of some lovely Victorian houses with iron-wrought latticed balconies . Along with the view of ocean, I can imagine why a friend once told me that she used to love jogging along St.Kilda’s in the evenings.

We drove all the way down but couldn’t find Stokehouse the first time round and took a turn back and finally found the much raved Stokehouse. It wasn’t a fancy restaurant as I expected but a great place to have drinks , hang out and watch the sun set. It really did compensate the loss of the sunset at Port Campbell though the food was nothing to shout about. The scaffolding and railing that was partially blocked the view didn’t spoil the evening for us. And I even manage to take a great picture of Stokehouse with the rays of the sunset washing its buildings.

The evening had to end with us silly Malaysians shivering in the cold because we took seats outside and when the sun went down, no amount of coffee was going to keep us warm. Still St Kilda’s and Stokehouse with the sunset made a great combination.

The Best Lamb Dinner in Marysville

2007-12-25T19:53:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Marysville just before 5 pm and checked into this lovely, cottage - Lyell Cottage which we booked over the internet.

We had about ten minutes to spare before the supermarket closed so we immediately drove there and picked up some groceries. It was our second day in Australia and we were still wanting a lamb meal despite the lamb shanks we had in Holiday Inn which was disappointing . So I picked up some marinated lamb cutlets.

After that express check in and mad dash to the supermarket, we then had time to soak in the town. Marysville is a lovely , picturesque town just about an hour and half away from Melbourne ( that is if you don’t make vineyard stops along Yarra Valley). The road just before Marysville is fringed with tall “beech wood” ( I think) which is really quite breath takingly beautiful and I attempted to take some pictures from the opened sunroof top of the BMW we rented.

The lovely ,colourful flowers, the creek and the solitude provided a perfect place for honeymooners , not exactly a cup of tea for the three of us but it provided the relaxing atmosphere away from the normal KL hustle and bustle .

That night , we had more wine despite the wine tasting we had on our way to Marysville and it went really well with our lamb dinner. Simple to cook and affordable lamb cutlet , readily marinated and so delicious.

After that, in order to get the dinner digested, Annie suggested a walk to Stevenson Fall . The lights on the Fall would be switched off before ten so it was just night. It was a lovely cool spring night and Ray suggested more wine drinking there. So we did something we would never do in Malaysia - Walk into a deserted pitch dark jungle at night .

Annie who has deserted me many a times in these hikes was walking very slowly behind me . Later, she told me she was afraid of tigers ( tigers in Australia??? ) so I guess , in her mind I would provide more interesting meat to the tigers, hence me the shield. The walk in the cold was what we needed after that heavy meal and Stevenson Fall with the lights on at night was quite something. But I was scared too , not of tigers but more humanly creatures , slashers, Freddy, mad serial killers – an overdose of slashers movies I think. So , no wine drinking at Stevenson Fall – just a quick dash back out and into our safe, warm cottage..

Pork Bellies and a lost sunset at Port Campbell

2007-12-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for sunsets and a picture perfect sunset of the Twelve Apostle that I saw on the internet set me off on another sunset trail but this time it was to Port Campbell.

After more than 4 hours of driving from Marysville and a stopover at Geelong, we finally arrived at Port Campbell. The sky was overcast with dark, gloomy clouds that trailed us all the way from GeeLong. It was drizzling since GeeLong and I had hoped that it would change at Port Campbell. But it didn't and when we reached the Best Western Motel at Port Campbell, I sighed and commented to the receptionist that it didn’t look like I’m getting my sunset here. He laughed out loud and cheekily told me that it will be the same tomorrow.

Well, what about penguin watching ?? Sure he said, if you don’t mind being cold and wet. As Ray and Annie haven’t been to Port Campbell, they were at first game to penguin watching until we went to the Twelve Apostle. The wind was typical of the day – strong, unforgiving and of course, more drizzle and freesing cold for a late spring day.

The Twelve Apostle was of course no longer twelve but the sight of the mighty rocks and the high waves crashing against the rocks was still worth the drive. And once all the picture taking was over ,it dawned on us that we were spending a night at a quiet and almost dead town with no penguin watching or any nice night walk because of the strong wind and cold weather condition. But we were in Australia and so far the food and wine have not failed us.

We walked into the Waves (I think that’s the name) early as the last shop shooed us out before I could even pick up a single souvenir. The restaurant was highly recommended in some of the internet sites and I had in mind to tuck into a nicely grilled barramundi but Annie beat me to it so I picked something else instead (should have used my seniority card.....) . Whatever I had, it was forgettable . Annie’s barramundi turned out good as expected and I’m throwing her daggers in my head. Ray’s fish didnt turned out good as well. But the treat for the day really was the pork belly. Crisply grilled with a marination to die for , it made our day. I argued with Ray, that the cook probably used Chinese soy/black sauce as Australians had adopted quite a fair bit of Chinese style cooking and dared him to check if the chef was Chinese but he chickened out as usual. Chinese, Australian, Arab or whatever - it made us happy enough for that day despite the missed sunset and penguin watching

Mr. Loh - the Master Chef of Aman Suria

2007-12-24T00:10:00.000-08:00

Mr Loh, loves to cook but last week, he outdid himself. The rainbow garoupa - steamed, slipper lobsters grilled in his special sauce and garnished with ginger, finger-licking prawns ,grilled pork-ribs, chicken curry with the blue elephant curry powder from Bangkok.

The jewel in the crown was a ten year old limited release Constantiarood S. African wine that was so smooth and a plate of Korean strawberries that was so sweet for dessert.

A toast to you, Mr.Loh...

Kids, High Blood Pressure and Sunset Over Kuta

2007-12-21T19:09:00.000-08:00

It was the last night in Bali and we would dine in style at Ku Deta a fancy mancy restaurant on the beach over at Seminyak. After a lazy day swimming and a massage out in the garden , we thought we would spend the afternoon shopping at Kuta, watch the sunset at Kuta Beach and head off to the restaurant.

Mistake one - don't think you can restrain children from the beach despite the hot sun. Whilst the others were shopping, Annie and myself had to escort the kids to the beach under the blistering hot sun. After 45 min, enough we said, we are going in with a promise for more beach time to the kids. Meanwhile let Mommy shop ok????

Mistake two, don't let the kids play in the beach and still think you can go straight to dinner at a fancy restaurant like Kuteda. We did. Went to Kuta beach for the sunset and again got swarmed for massage, t-shirts, souvenirs etc. Not wanting to feel guilty like the last time, I took a massage and a bangle. The kids were playing at the beach after a hundred and one reminders of dont get yourself wet because we are going for dinner after that yeah....Of course , when you have beach mad kids that doesnt seem to compute, whatever you says blows through like the breeze over the sea.

Just as the glorious sun says it goodbye for the day and throws its rays over the sea at Kuta, two drenched kids with sand all over them appeared . I heard a high pitch screech - it was Annie, for a moment, I thought she would have a stroke. As I watched the sunset, the background music was a tirade of I told you, how many times, what's wrong with you. Of course, my son was also an accomplice and he was sheepishly quiet for once .

No peaceful sunset here anyway, so I quicky searched for a shower place and we found one and we stripped the kids , bathed them and washed them and thanks to the shopping - there was a set of clean clothes. But I kept Chris shirtless, took a picture of him to remind him of this day....

Private Villa and a Lobster dinner in Paradise

2007-12-21T18:23:00.000-08:00

You gotta watch the sunset at Kuta Beach, Annie says. You gotta stay in a private villa, Raymond says. So on one of those mad end of the year moment, we decided to book Air Asia and go.

After some surfing, we booked Villa Damai , which promised a butler, driver, cook and massage for every one - wow a weekend of heavenly paradise. It was one of my first internet booking for Bali and with money upfront - no refunds. So when Annie asked , How ??? - I said a little prayer and said go ahead.

We took the family minus the spouses as it was again one of those mad last minute dashes typical of us and all our better halves couldnt make it. Too bad.

It was our first Air Asia flight and we had heard about the rushing for the best seats so we sent our best scout , Christopher. Because we had mum and dad with us, we were suppose to get priority but whatever priority we had ,was lost when the gate opened and it was like a free for all. That's when you appreciate MAS. Mum and Dad cannot beat these young Air Asia frequenter as they hobbled on to the airplane. However, thanks to Chris, they did get seated together. The black, leather seats were great and though the maggi mee was way overpriced, the combination with nescafe and nasi lemak was so goood.... The kids tugged in especially when you limit the portions.

Anyway, we got in late and the access road into the villa in Jimbaran was dark and creepy. The villa was the typical Bali villa and was dimly litted but the staff was all lined up to give us the warm welcome. We ordered MacDonalds takeaway as were too tired to go out. Macs in Bali - what a meal...

The next morning, though, was glorious - breakfast in the garden , beside the pool, a beautiful scenery of the myriad colorful bouganvillas and the faraway in the horizon - Bali beach. We had bacon, eggs, sausages, toast, pancakes, fresh juices and a view to tuck in . This ...is the private villa living that I imagine.

Our day started with a trip to Kintamani to see the volcano and on the way back was the rice terraces at Tegal Lallang. The volcano trip was a bit long and way too crowded. We lunched at a restaurant with a great view of the mountain but with swarming flies and an overpriced buffet which surprisingly was reduced when I looked like I was going to walk out. The view by itself was not enough though to make up for the downsides. And to top it all , the moment we walked out, we were swarmed again , this time by peddlers of souvenirs, t-shirts , jewellery and one particular woman was tearing when I said no even after she lowered the price of her t-shirt to a ridiculous amount. As I left the place and even days after when I think of the lady I kept kicking myself for not just taking the t-shirts.

The day ended on a happy note though because, the villa staff cooked a wonderful lobster meal - our best dinner in Bali really. After the dinner, we enjoyed the pool, drank a bottle of overpriced Chilean wine because we didn't purchase any at duty free and ate more bacon, sausages chips which the kids cleaned up despite the heavy duty dinner we had.

Villa living - more like pig living...

Sunset, Champagne and Ayers Rock

2007-12-18T09:16:00.000-08:00

Ayers Rock? What if the romance of it like the Stonehenge was more the sizzle than the steak. Somehow the solitary figure of Princess Diana silhoutted against the background of Ayers Rock never left me , I guess. As I surfed the net, I realized that the best way to go was to fly. The train from Adelaide was an overnighter and though a drive would be quite an adventure, time would not permit.

Then it was a matter of flying directly there or perhaps to Alice Springs. Alice Springs , evoke my childhood memories of the Nevil Shute book which stangely connected Malaya and this faraway outback town . So, how can I give this place a miss and a decision was made in that instant . Also, thanks to the points from my Priority Club, I took my room at the Crowne Plaza where they graciously upgraded me to a suite.

It started raining immediately after I picked up the Yaris at the airport and as we drove into Alice Springs. Dang it ...it shouldn't rain in the desert but it did. We drove into town and was surprised that it was not just two rows of shops as I had expected. We did our usual souvenir shopping, and then drove out to Stanley Chasm . Our first trip to the outback was marred by the some of the clouds and we didnt get the brilliant blue that you usually get at the desert . The hike to Stanley Chasm was great and surprisingly for me , I found the walk quite enjoyable , peaceful, quiet with just the sound of the wind and perhaps birds. It might get eerie but it was a great quiet time too with the Mighty One.

On our way back to town, we decided to stop to see the wallabies feed in the evening . Another walk but yet it wasn't as tiring as I thought it would be and to watch wild wallabies feeding was something else.That night , we took an early night as we were too tired after all the hikes and it was a long day for us . So decided to have an early dinner , followed by an amazingly wonderful, jacuzzi bath.

The next morning was a 6 am pick up by Emu Tours. Oh man , a five hour bus ride to Ayers Rock - was just wondering how that would turn out . Surprisingly it wasn't so bad because first of all , after the shower the day before, we had lovely clear sky and it was like God washed all the mountains and stones for us. So, I just soaked up the beautiful scenery of the outback - the righ brownish orange against the brilliant blue .

Secondly, we had interesting stops, and the Emu tours guide, especially Shorty kept us entertained with his stories , jokes and information on the wildlife. We took a quick lunch break at the Ayers Rock Resort before heading off to the Park with a stop at the Abroginal Cultural Centre. There were two short hikes at the foot of Ayers Rock before we headed off to prepare for the barbeque and watch the sunset .Finally, the hilight of the trip. We were early at the camp site , so we had the choiciest location and got to enjoy the Rock before the busloads of tourist started arriving. We had time to get the best seats, take pictures and watch the sky turn in its different colours while the sun was setting.

Sipping champagne, watching the sunset , though we were on a tourbus packed with people, we hardly spoke to each other except to just watch every single moment's of God's wonderful creation. Once the sun was gone, we had to head back and that was another five hours, so we had to pack quickly and leave. As the sky turned dark into complete black, the stars packed up. We've never had such clear skies back home with its numerous stars . However, I could only enjoy it from the bus. When , we again made the coffee and pee-break stop , I immediately jumped out to see the stars under the tropics of Capricorn I realised I have to come again perhaps this time with the kids and camp overnight to watch the night sky and its brilliant stars.

Oh Chien anyone????

2007-12-17T17:09:00.000-08:00

Nowadays in Kuala Lumpur, we can get the best of Penang. The Prawn Mee, Char Kway Teow, Asam Laksa but Oh chien ( Fried oysters ) now that somehow I miss. Since my last trip was 5 years ago, this I must have before I head back home. And yummy, it was so good - we found Lorong Selamat by chance ????(yes, I have not heard about Lorong Selamat) . We were actually trying to get to Burmah road from Macallister and chanced upon it.

The lady didnt skimped on the eggs and the oysters were fresh and succulent. With lots of fresh parsely on top , the oh chien texture was just nice , enough sauce to give it that slightly gravy feel and the scrambled added the crunchiness to the dish. Overall, SCRUMPTIOUS....

Pasir Salak - Where Modern Malaysian history started

2007-12-17T01:20:00.000-08:00

Pasir Salak has always been intriguing to me , a history buff. Since , my daughter, Clarissa's literature assignment was Pahlawan Pasir Salak we decided to visit Pasir Salak on our way to Penang to allow the book to come alive for her. We stopped by Pasir Salak Riverine Resort which had such a pretty view of Sungai Perak but alas, was quite run down and the staff didnt look interested with any guests that drop by.

The place was actually quite difficult to locate because the signages weren't very good either. Nevertheless, we got there and after that decided to look for Kompleks Sejarah Pasir Salak but the sign boards kinda disappeared after we crossed the bridge. We didn't realised the Resort and Kompleks Sejarah was next to each other so we went out to the main road and took a big circle to get to the main entrance .

Kompleks Sejarah Pasir Salak was a pleasant surprise though esp the Time Tunnel which recreated the famous scene of Birch being speared while bathing. Walk through the tunnel and see how Malayan Union was formed, pre- independance etc. The place has so much potential especially with 2007 being our 50 years of celebration - reenactment of famous historical events, river activities, Perak culture - so much can be done . Sad really but I must say that this holiday has certainly provided us with some pleasant surprises.

Marzuki, the enterprising fisherman

2007-12-16T23:36:00.001-08:00

Just went to Penang recently with the kids. The last time we were there, it was nearly 5 years ago and the kids were excited. We stayed at the Holiday Inn (being a loyal priority card member) and at the beach front met Marzuki. He was trying to sell us buggy rides, paragliding but we said no.

Then, he shared his experience during the Tsunami when he was out on a fishing trip and how he went against the big wave and survived. Today, he wants to "cari makan" from the tourists that flocks Batu Feringghi. There and then, he suggested a fishing trip but using his "pukat" to catch fish. (Yup, beats waiting for the fish to be caught with the rod). No guarantees on the barbequed "lunch" at Monkey Beach but with the pukat - chances with be good. So, we agreed, and the kids enjoyed Monkey Beach and yes, fish was plentiful. And barbequed fish caught fresh from the sea was certainly an experience for us - thanks to Marzuki.

I promised to put him up on the internet and help promote his new found business - 0174244706 or home - 048852598. It was also there and then that I decided to start this blog ....