Hong Kong Family Trip 17 to 21 Dec 2016

Ya Allah Ya Tuhanku, kami mengembara keranaMu Ya Allah. Untuk melihat bumimu yang indah. Lindungilah kami, rahmatilah kami sepanjang perjalanan kami. Jagalah kami, harta benda kami yang kami bawa dan yang kami tinggalkan. Semoga pengembaraan kami mendapat berkat daripadaMu Ya Allah Ya Tuhanku.

Sleepover

School holidays!! Just before we went to Disneyland.

Swimming with the glow in the dark plankton

I recently read that Readers' Digest asked its readers "what was the most daring thing you have ever done?" Well, for me it had to be giving birth but coming a close second would be the the time we went night snorkeling with glow in the dark plankton. This is not to say both events are in the same category but that plankton thingie was by far one of the scariest thing I have ever done after giving birth to Arwen.

First of all it was pitch black and the place where the plankton were at was right next to the huge rock formations that was in the middle of the deep ocean. It was pitch black, dark, scary deep ocean and i had to take off my glasses ( cant go snorkeling with glasses on!) so i was almost as blind as a bat! I remember sitting at the top of the ladder at the side of this small longtail boat and looking down into the deep dark ocean and thinking "oh dear, oh dear, oh dear what am i doing?" And then i just plunged into the darkness of the ocean. That was scary.

After that, i would have to say it was the most magical experience i have ever had in a very long time. Because when we moved around and shook our hands, the plankton just lit up! It was magical and mind boggling and crazy and amazing all at the same time. You can feel them bump into your hands and face and it was just magical! 

There were no pictures of that time because frankly it was quite hard to photograph the experience. The pictures above were taken from krabiactivities.com and railaylastbar.com just for record sakes but no picture was necessary as that had to be the most memorable and daring thing I had ever done. 

Pullman Getaway - destress for Bak

2 - 4th August (Sunday to Tuesday) Bak decided that we should getaway just before he starts work in Maybank. So you got to ponteng school for 2 days! We left Abang Alip's weeding reception in Puncak Alam and came straight here. We even ordered room service for dinner!! So no pictures on check in day because we were just tired and wanted to rest and sleep.

3 Aug - Breakfast buffet at 7 am!

Trying out an option in Picsart

Bak being funny haha

Swim in the morning.

Went to Mitsui Outlet Park for lunch and window shopping.

Swim in the evening. Bak went for the complimentary spa massage.

Dinner at B's

Mama and Arwen played scrabble for the first time together.

4 Aug - Breakfast

Jalan-jalan after breakfast

Mama's turn for the complimentary spa massage.

After my spa massage - which was just heavenly, we checked out and went to Mitsui Outlet Park again to meet up with Mak Long and Abang Iwan to jalan2. I forgot to take a picture of us!

Port Dickson family trip

It was a sad week beginning the 8th March due to the missing MH370, haze and water ration. So to cheer me up I finally finished making this video of our trip to Port Dickson way back in July2012. I pray that happier times will come, that the plane be found, the haze won't come back and that rain, lots and lots of rain to ensure that no water ration will ever be required.

Melaka Trip 25 March - 27 March 2014

At Tanjung Bidara Beach

 We did it! Our first road trip with the Suprima! We stayed at Afamosa Condotel for 2 nights. On the first day, after we checked in and had a rest, Bak drove us to Tanjung Bidara beach.

On the second day, we went to Melaka town. Spent half a day there walking here, there everywhere. We were so tired by the time night came. It reminded me of that last day in Australia - how tired I was and how tired my legs were. Only here it was extremely hot!! Which is worse really hahaha. The best part of the day was when you had your picture taken with an orange iguana names Tyson! He was a very big lizard!

Menara Taming Sari

 

Arwen with Tyson

On the third day, we checked out from the condo by 9.45am and went straight to the Waterpark. We had fun going down the slides amd then by 2pm we headed over to the Safari park. It was great, we rode on an elephant named Lucy and you rode on a pony named Suzie.

Arwen and Mama riding the lazy river

Arwen and Bak after a water slide ride.

Fun pool playground

Arwen and Suzie the pony.

Riding Lucy the elephant

Picture with the parrots

 
We had a wonderful time!

P/s for the full story, check out the photobook I made on this trip.



 

Melbourne 2013

On our Phillip Island trip, I took this picture. Beautiful nature. MasyaAllah!

I was sitting on a bench by the roadside waiting for Bak and you. You guys were in the Cash Converter store near Queen Victoria Market. When I looked up and saw this. I love this picture. 

I wish we could travel more often.I wish we could live where the weather is like spring all the time.

Passport making day

21 March 2013 - we are making our passports today! Yeay!

Golden Palm Tree

We were here at the Golden Palm Tree, Sepang Gold Coast for your mid year school holidays. We checked in on the 4th of June and checked out on the 6th of June. The best part of the hotel was riding the bicycles!

Mr. Hoppy and D.W

Mr. Hoppy has been with me since I was 10 years old. So that's already 27 years!! Wow. Tok bak bought it for me when we were in Australia way back in 1985. I chose Hoppy because he was the cutest kangaroo that I could find.

You chose DW when we were in Melbourne.

Melbourne Trip - April 2013

What a wonderful time we had! 13 to 20 April 2013. Bak had to work in Melbourne and this time we could tag along. Yippee!! Alhamdulillah, rezeki daripada Allah. Thank Allah too for everything went well.

It was your first time on an overseas trip and I'm glad we went to Melbourne. Melbourne has a special meaning for your bak and I. We went to university here, well not exactly in the city. We were 2 hours away from Melbourne but Bak spent his summer holidays and every break here and even though I didn't get to spend as much time in melbourne as he did but it still has a special place in my heart.

The weather was beautiful. Not too cold and not hot either. It was the end of autumn. I was hoping it would be colder really.

At St Kilda beach

At Cook's Cottage Fitzroy Gardens.

View from our Park Hyatt Hotel room.

At Cook's Cottage Garden.

20.12.2012 mama and bak's 10th year wedding anniversary

A pretty date. 20.12.2012. We went to Pullman Putrajaya for a getaway for mama and bak's anniversary. We had a gorgeous 1 bedroom apartment. Aahhh wish our house could be like that without all our clutter hahaha

It was crazy hectic what with trying to fit in so many activities before the school holidays end. So after the camp out at mak long's house we sent ya, redza, tuah and nisha back to mak lin's house and we finally reached home about 11pm and I had yet to pack for our getaway the day after!

The plan was not to leave the hotel at all! Mama packed bihun goreng and the apartment had a lovely kitchen fully equipped with kitchen utensils and a microwave! On the second night we had dinner at the hotel's restaurant aptly called B's.

The hotel had a small man-made beach which actually is a public beach at one of the parks at the Putrajaya Lake. So you had  a go at playing with the sand and so you got your lil bit of a beach holiday going on here hahaha

Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa, Cyberjaya

Wow, we just got back from a short weekend getaway. I'm feeling the post-partum holiday blues. I hope you don't feel it. It was a good trip. Not too far but far enough for it to be a 'getaway'. You had the most fun swimming. I wish I could let you swim all the time we were there as I know how bored you can get with 2 tired parents who seems like always wanting to sleep and having no other siblings - you don't really have anybody else to play with. Thank goodness there are the Ipad and the tablet. Even though they don't keep you entertained for long and if they do I'd feel guilty about it. I really pray that will get a sister or a brother soon. Of course you really want a sister only.

Dreamy bed.

It was a special weekend because today was my 37th birthday and it was Father's day as well!! Bak really spoiled us and especially me this weekend. Tidur hotel. Makan sedap. No housework for me! Hmmmm bestnya hahaha...Thank you Bak! He was actually not feeling too well but still he drove us around and had a swim with you on Saturday evening.

Freeze!!

Oh! and today just as time was almost up since we need to check out you - for the first time ever - went underwater!! the whole head and all! By choice! You never ever want to put your head underwater before. That was so amazing! I'd never thought I'd see it. It was unbelievable! Wonderful!

See? Underwater!!

Port Dickson Family Trip

We went to Port Dickson for an overnight trip on the last day of 2009 and welcomed the new year 2010. We went with Mak Teh & family, Mak Lin & family and Pak Long & family. Tok Bak & Tok Lia could not come at the last minute because Redza & Shahirah were sick. Kesian sangat. Bak didn't come too, so we had to hitch a ride with Pak Long to PD and with Mak Teh on the way back. We sure had a lot of fun. It has been a really long time since we went to the beach. You liked it so much that you cried after the last swim & shower before checking out. You refused to wear 'baju jalan' and insisted on wearing 'baju home' as you said with tears falling down your face " I want to stay here! At the beach!" Hmm...I was sad, surprised and completely overwhelmed by this remark. Totally the opposite of what I was afraid of before coming here. I was afraid you'd wake up in the middle of the night wanting to go home like the time we were at Country Heights Kajang. I guess finally you found something that you didn't have at home. The beach. Eventually, you settled down after I asked you to pretend that the baju jalan is your baju home.

When we first reached PD, you and your cousins all went straight into the pool even before Mak Teh checked into the rooms. Then your cousins stopped swimming and got changed to eat but you didn't. Both of us kept on swimming. Later we went to the beach. It was wonderful.

Then at night, we went out to the Fun Fair. It was already getting late when we went out. After 9pm. Almost your usual bedtime. You were yawning away in the car and suddenly when you saw the lights and the Ferris Wheel, you just sat up and said "Wow! Look at this!" After that you wanted to go on all the rides! I was afraid that you'd be scared because the precedent  was that you don't even allow us to put coins in the coin operated rides at any shopping malls. Well..on this night, you went on the tea cups ride which spunned and turned around so fast that I felt like throwing up but you were ok. Amazing! Then on to the horse on the merry go round. Then the Ferris Wheel with me, Adam & Nadiah. I had cold feet when the Wheel stopped right at the top but you were ok. Then you went onto the Space ride with Tuah and Adam. It was pretty fast. Finally on the train ride with Nisha. What a night!

The morning after that, your cousins were waking you up and telling you that we're going to the beach. At first you didn't budge but then suddenly you woke up and said "Let's go to the beach!" Arwen, Arwen, funny girl. So dengan tak makan lagi, you got into your swimming suit and off to the beach we went!

 

After checking out from the hotel and lunch, we all went to one of the public beaches in town. Super fun even though Mama actually felt malas to change and wash in the public wash room. After that sembahyang asar & maghrib at the nearby mosque, ate dinner and left PD about 9pm.Even though you were so tired but you didn't go to sleep until we reached the Sungai Besi tol which is already 15 minutes to Tok Bak's house. You stayed awake throughout the almost 1 hour ride home because you were watching the Mickey Mouse cartoon on Mak Teh's dvd player in the Naza.

We had so much fun! Yeay!