Rafe - 41 Months
The boy is now 41 months old! Almost 3 and a half!
That is the face he made after eating his fill of roti canai at the Straits of Malacca.
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Boy Spells Words
Irfan told informed us that he was invited by a teacher to attend some spelling bee. Later he told us the event was held at a local hotel: the biggest hotel in town.
He didn't even tell is it was this contest:
You can read about the contest here.
We arrived and I took some photos before Irfan joined his school contigent for registration. There were 150 attendees from his school.
After registration, the teacher in charge briefed his contigent. It looks like there were representatives from every Form.
Irfan and the other First Formers take a photo together. He was the only one from his class.
This appeared to be the qualifying round. There was only a preliminary written test for the attendees. If Irfan makes it past the preliminaries, the next event would be the State Challenge which according to the website would be held at Dewan Kapitol on the 8th and 9th of August.
Veronica - Hello and Farewell
Before we left for Kuala Lumpur and Sitiawan last weekend, Ain was enamoured with another stray kitty who hung around at a roadside stall nearby. She took to Ain very well, so she thought we would also adopt her and Betty would have a companion.
We took in the new calico on Tuesday and named her Veronica. Like their namesake, Betty and Veronica did not really get along well. Betty was quite haughty and Veronica was a better-behaved kitty. They did things together, but once in a while they got into hissing slap flights. We thought that after a week or two of acclimatising, the two kitties would be okay with each other.
On Wednesday, while we were having lunch at home a neighbour knocked on our door and told us she saw Veronica get hit by a car. She was at the doorstep limp and lifeless, her eyes looking out to nowhere.
While I returned to work, Ain and Irfan sadly buried Veronica by the canal. We were all shocked by the sudden death. Even Betty appeared to be shaken by the event. She is less energetic and behaves better than she ever did now for some reason. Perhaps she regrets fighting with Veronica.
So long, Veronica, and sorry.
A Return To the Tenth Floor
It's the Labour Day/Wesak Day long weekend. We were unsure if we were able to travel 500 klicks plus change to the old house back on the Tenth Floor in Kuala Lumpur.
We had planned on departing at 3AM, but because we were exhausted we awoke at six, and after gearing up were only able to push off from Kangar at seven. Twitter warned us of slow traffic on the highway ahead of us, which forced us off and into the state roads near Selama toward Taiping. Soon we decided to stop at Atok and Opah's in Sitiawan for a brief rest and Friday prayers.
We resumed our journey at 3PM and reached Kuala Lumpur by nightfall.
It was a strange feeling, returning there after five months away from the city. I don't believe we were ever away from the city anywhere near this amount of time. The strangeness was promulgated by the fact that it did not feel like we were away for five months. It felt like we were only away for a week or two.
Soon we were back at the Tenth Floor. A familiar sight of the Pandan Indah cityscape greeted us. The city lights were still aesthetically pleasing. That night we went for a drive around the city, like old times.
The Tenth Floor was all but a shell of its former self. Despite being our shelter and home base for the last fifteen years - the same number of years I lived in Sitiawan before I had to go away to study - it felt like a relief to finally being able to appoint a realtor to help sell it off. Irfan knew of no other home and it was here that he learnt to swim.
A Return to Burger Republik
Because we sent some freelance proofreading work in the direction of the proprietor of Burger Republik, they invited us over for dinner on the house. I had the chicken kebab which was perfect and juicy. Especially the onions.
Because onions!
Ain had ordered a new item on their menu, the salmon. I thought the bean sprouts gave the fish a great taste and texture. Although I loved my kebab, I quickly wished I had ordered the salmon instead. But all is good, because we all share our food with each other anyway.
Irfan had a "Broadway Burger". But there was no photo of it, just this photo of Irfan devouring said burger.
Because we found the selection of Burger Republik's menu quite appetising, we shall return there!
Atok and Opah's April Visit
Atok and Opah visited us in Perlis once more, this time to help ensure all went well during the my last ever semester final examinations. If I make it through this, then I would have a Bachelor of English Studies degree. And in a position to do something with it.
We planned for a picnic at Gua Kelam, but rainfall overnight caused a change in plans so we went to Tasik Melati which appeared to be overrun by ants and water lettuce, although the lily pads were pretty neat.
However, after breakfast at Tasik Melati we found ourselves at Gua Kelam anyway because we travelled quite a bit past Sungai Batu Pahat northbound toward Kaki Bukit.
We enjoyed the greenery at the Gua Kelam Secret Garden on the other side of the cave tunnel where we finished off the leftover of our Tasik Melati breakfast.
There was one way to prove that we were at the Secret Garden, which was to take a photo of the indisputably noticeable large words that labelled the locale as a SECRET GARDEN. Needless to say its secret was safe with us.
The next morning we visited the Pauh Pasar Pagi which was a unique combination of a farmer's market which also includes flowers and other landscaping material, and a flea market which even sells melee weapons including a not-very-hefty-looking wooden mace. With spikes and all.
Atok and Opah were very engrossed with the decorative plants, which were sold right by the roadside.
Irfan smiles with glee at another flower stall which was located between a graveyard and a rubber plantation.
Opah bought for Irfan another flowering potted plant to look after. According to the seller it's a "Japanese Rose" however a cursory Googling confirms that it is not.
After exams were over, it was time for Atok and Opah to leave for Sitiawan, with a plan to meet soon during the Labour Day/Wesak Day long weekend.
Wedding at Lunas
One day we had to leave Betty kitty at home for the weekend.
We travelled south to Lunas, Kedah about three hours south where Ain's cousin Zariff was getting married.
Ain had found a homestay online and booked by phone. It was quite a comfortable pace to stay, we discovered upon checking in.
Then we rendezvoused with Tok Bah and Tok Ma in Kulim who had driven in from Pasir Mas, and had some nasi ayam for lunch. We also took a drive to Butterworth to buy some pickles at the pickle store.
An Unexpected Guest: The Wet Sprocket
Upon returning home from Pasir Mas to pay our last respects to Irfan's Nyang, we discovered that the house had an unexpected guest.
It was a big katak puru that took refuge among the old laundry causing Ain to scream out loud when it jumped after being startled. Ain and the local fauna appear to love to startle each other at the same time. It attempted to flee deeper into where the glassware was stored, but Irfan and I boxed it in, literally.
Soon, the toad was released out to the recently-harvested bendang.
Where I assume he lived happily ever after.
Ya Seen For Nyang
Last Monday, Irfan's only living great grandmother passed away. She was 91 and only after her death did we learn that both Irfan and his Nyang shared a birthday.
We departed for Pasir Mas to pay our last respects to Nyang. Because of financial reasons we had never balik kampung to Pasir Mas in the entire year of 2014.
For a moment we had to cancel the trip which saddened Irfan a great deal as he was looking forward to meet his cousin Aiman who he had not seen since we left Kuala Lumpur. Then a cheque cleared at the bank.
Irfan read Ya Seen at Nyang's graveyard with Aiman at his side.
Tok Bah and Tok Ma also read Ya Seen for Nyang's departed husband who Irfan never met.
Earlier, Irfan and Aiman also taught (or attempted to, as time was short) their second cousins to play Uno.
Needless to say, Irfan spent as much as he could playing with Aiman and his sister Zara before they left for Kuala Lumpur.
Birthday Burgers
Ain and I couldn't celebrate our recent birthdays during our birthdays for one reason or another. Then we both received some extra coin for doing some freelance work. So we all went for some cheeseburgers at Burger Republik, which I hope would not be appropriated into Burger Imperial at some point by Palpatine.
It's not too far from the house, just over a klick away en route from town. I have made an observation before that this town might have a higher density of burger joints in a single area than Kuala Lumpur.
They also have chicken chop, which looked tantalising on the menu but they were not serving any today as the chef was called away for wedding food and beverages duty.
Ain's was a double beef patty and you could still order a triple. Mine was a mutton patty. Ain or course, would not touch mine.
Irfan's towering double burger had extra cheese as all of Irfan's burgers are wont to have.
Scenic Silver Springs
While we were in Ocala, Florida on a work trip, the local colleagues recommended that we visit Silver Springs, Florida and try out the glass bottom boats. So that is what we did! It was not far from our hotel (one town over) and quite convenient, and as it turned out, it was really really amazing! We all loved it! So here are some pictures.
OK, here are a lot of pictures! We weren't there more than a few hours but it really was very cool. We would definitely go again if we had the chance, to experience the glass bottom boat again.
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78 Months
And so, the girl is six and a half years old! 78 months of Yaya!
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