Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Our Penang Mini Vacation

Penang Trip Day 1, 21st September 2009

We had a mini vacation last weekend during the short Hari Raya celebration. We visited Penang state at the north part of Malaysia. We start our journey at 11am and the journey took us almost 8 1/2 hours drive to reach Penang which usually only took 6 hours the most for a non stop drive. On the way, we do stop at a 2 rest areas for stretching up. The highway road is quite jammed due to holiday season. We reach Ipoh town, Perak at around 4pm and took our so called “lunch” at the famous Ipoh Taugeh Chicken Lou Wong shop. The shop was overloaded with people and we waited for 15 minutes for a seat. We had a lunch very quickly because people are standing next to our table waiting. We continue our journey and finally reach Penang at 730pm. We meet up with Patrick and family, my husband friend in Penang. We took our dinner at Bukit Tambun, the seafood village. We stayed overnight at Patrick house located nearby the restaurant in Bukit Tambun, Penang Mainland. Alfred has been very good on our first trip that requires a long stretch journey. He slept most of the time and sing Barney song with his daddy walkman hand phone when he’s bored. Here are some photos to be shared.
Alfred hiding behind the phone laughing
Finally reach Penang

All by my own
Grandma, I want to eat myself.. arggh!!
Patrick & Quan
Ivy & Quan

Penang Day 2, 22nd September 2009

We waked up early at 9am and had our breakfast at a Dim Sum restaurant nearby Sungai Dua. Patrick recommended the place for us. The dim sums are tremendous cheap cause it was sold at RM 1 per dish, any dish. Usually dim sum priced around RM2 to RM 6 per dish. The foods is at fine quality although it cheap. That the cheapest dim sum I ever had. Sadly, no photo taken due to the restaurant is too crowded and I have to look after Alfred. We always stuck with crowded people areas, we had no choice, holiday season is time people had their break.

After the breakfast, we were on our own as Patrick had to leave us to work. We drive crossing Penang Bridge to reach the island. Our first stop is at Dharmikarama Burmese Temple. Opposite the temple is the Reclining Buddha called Wat Chaiyamangalaram, a Thai Buddhist Temple. The temple was built in 1845 and 33 meter gold plated reclining Buddha. Alfred does a lot of walking and running around at these two temples. Each temple had a lot of Buddha statue and they are really big statue and tremendously Alfred is not scared at all. I teach him to pray at Buddha and he did pray to each Buddha he see. He said his prayer loudly and attracted the people in the temple. Everyone look at him and asked me his ages. When I said nearly two, they stop asking and show me a frown face. Well, I didn’t continue to elaborate that Alfred is actually an achon because they stop asking. I feel that I do no need to explain unless they asked me why or how come and so on. My little boy had so much fun at the temple and falls asleep soon as he was being seated on his car seat. He is really tired.
On the way to Penang Island
Penang Bridge
We reach the entrance to Dharmikarama Burmese Temple
Praying to buddha that Alfred stay healthy
Lighting a candle for Buddha
A burmese monk gave a holy thread to Alfred
My favorite photoBig Standing buddha with Grandma and KS sister
The reclining buddha
When Alfred was asked to pose, this is what we get!!
Yeah!!
Walk with determination
Daddy follow from behind

We get to our next destination, Kek Lok Si Temple, another place of attraction in Penang Island. We take turn to walk around the temple as Alfred is still sleeping inside the car. When we reach on the top of the Kek Lok Si temple, Alfred waked up. He doesn’t want to seat on his stroller anymore. He doesn’t even want us to carry him. He loves to walk and pointing here and there. We choose to sit next to a pond which full of koi fish and fed the fish as Alfred just woke up and still not gaining his energy yet. After a few minutes of resting, he’s up again running around. When we were ready to go, I took Alfred to go down the hill by cable car while daddy waited for us at the bottom of the hill with grandma. We had a late lunch at 3pm because our breakfast is rather heavy. We had Penang famous Laksa and cendol for lunch. We also order another type of drink called “Pat Poh Tea” consists of jelly, lychee and tapioca.

Due to we had our lunch late and it still early, we headed to Queen Bay Mall. The mall is huge. We stayed there for 3 hours and I did a little shopping buying a few cloths for Alfred. Our next stop is Gurney Drive at Batu Feringgi for dinner. By the time we reach the famous Gurney Drive Hawker Centre, it nearly 8pm. After the late dinner, we went home. All of us are so tired but it is a good day.
Feeding the fish at Kek Lok Si Temple
Our Late lunch "Penang Laksa"
Desert "Cendol"
"Pak Poh Tea"
After the dinner at Gurney Drive, Batu Feringhi

Penang Day 3, 23rd September 2009

Due to yesterday tiredness, Alfred slept till 11am while me waked up at 930am to pack our stuff before we head home. So, the whole families skip breakfast. Later, we headed to 23 Takehana Japanese Restaurant at Auto City, Juru for lunch.

We had a great lunch and good food at the Japanase Restaurant. Here is a few photo of Alfred at the restaurant.

Alfred also wanted a set of menu, pointing at the menu calling daddy, daddy
That's my chopstick
Father and Son
This is how he used his chopstick
Our delicious lunch

After the lunch, we headed to Sunway Carnival Mall for a walk while daddy has to settle some work at the supplier office. The first stop is the toy department of the mall as I am looking around a present for Alfred’s birthday which falls next month. I ended taking funny pictures of Alfred as he wandering around the toys corner taking every piece of toy he can hold too.

His first stop

Seem like he interested with the toys

Walking away to the next corner

Does the reaction of Alfred and the giraffe look the same?
Our dinner "Wan Tan Mee"
Alfred pointing at the lantern but I'm busying captured the food, he frown his face when he called me again at me

At the shop buying local biscuits for the family
Love this shoot although Alfred did not look at the camera.. grandma wanted to buy the "petai", a type of green bean with a pungent smell which my hubs love so much cooked with belacan. Ugghh!!
The fruits stall at Bidor, Ipoh
I will be posting more photo in Facebook.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A sad day for Daddy

Today, daddy went home after finish his job nearby our hometown. The purpose returning home is to send Alfred favorite Barney FireHouse video because we taken it home during the weekends and daddy failed to return it to grandma. By the way, it is just one of his reasons to go back just to visit Alfred. When daddy reaches home, Alfred was sleeping. After taking his lunch, just before he headed out to the car, Alfred wake up and saw daddy. He looks so happy when he sees his daddy. Daddy usher him back to his nap and again fail to finish off the task as he need to rush back to his company for some undone job. When daddy going off, Alfred cried and yelling for daddy. Daddy peeked from the window and saw him crying. Grandma told Alfred that daddy need to go to work and try to get him back on his nap. Daddy leaves the house sadly. He wishes that he could stay longer but he can’t. My eyes go teary when daddy called me and tell me the whole stories. We never leave Alfred when he is awake. Usually we’ll wait till he falls asleep at night before we goes off. Now I can feel how close the bond between Alfred and KS.

A trip to ER last Saturday

Last Saturday night, we went to buy our grocery at Giant Hypermarket nearby our house. When we reach the hypermarket, Alfred demanded to walk but we doesn’t allowed him instead we put him in the stroller. When I reach the children corner, the stroller stop there and he demanded daddy that he want to walk while I was looking at some clothing for him. Daddy allowed him out from the stroller as he can’t stop showing off his tantrum demanding to walk. Not even 5 minutes of walking, Alfred falls on the shelves close to the floor but daddy manages hold his hand. The fall was not bad cause it only coz a bump on his head. Quickly, I reach him and comfort him. The comforting didn’t help stopping him from crying and we finally take off from the market after 10 minutes of Alfred none stop crying. Usually, the comforting didn’t take more than a minute to stop him from crying if he fall but these cries make me nervous. When we reach home, I change him into pajamas and yet he cries again which apparently stop a minute ago before I had him changed. I presumed something is not right and I told daddy we should bring him see a doctor. All the way long to the ER, he didn’t even cry till he meets up with the doctor, he yelled and cried even louder. Doc checked on his head, hand and stomach and nothing seem wrong. My word just came out to Alfred, if you stop crying, we are going out from here. He did stop crying at instant. Hah!! Magic words. Scared of doctor! I didn’t sleep through the night as Alfred did cries in sleep during odd hours of the night. I gave him a massage on hand and feet and that bring him back to sleep. I feel no good about the fall although I just a very minor fall and I just assume that daddy might have sprain his hand vein when he trying to save Alfred from the fall. The next morning, everything seems ok. That’s a relief!