Here are Adik’s 38-month photos. [[image:2015-adik38month-05.jpg:My happy little boy:center:0]] Mouse over the picture for captions. So, when I mentioned in last month’s entry that we were moving to the smaller entry, I really meant it. Especially since I am writing this so late it is practically April. So let’s stick with the basics. Food status: still good. However still can’t get him to eat fruits, although I get to sneak vegetables in via fried noodle dishes and spring rolls. Reading status: Adik is even reading words in other languages now. He can attempt to read his Malaysian flash cards (courtesy of Uncle Zarin, thanks, yo!). And he is very interested in languages, asking about words in different languages and whatnot. He still prefers shorter books over the longer ones. Even though he can read the words he doesn’t want to grasp with plot lines and character development yet. He wants […]
Continue readingMonthly Archives: February 2015
New Gear From Atok and Opah
Although having accepted a new job, there are many problems that we have yet to overcome. One of the biggest perils to my final semester in my attempt to finally earn a Bachelor’s degree (even though I’m married) was that the old laptop, who was my companion through adventure and hardship, is gone forever. (Or not; you can never tell with these techno-organic life forms.) Its hard disk drive gave up the ghost a month before we moved up here. I have a whole semester of assignment writing to complete and no new-fangled electronic typewriter thing to do them with. Not to mention, no money to buy a new one. Then one day, Atok and Opah Irfan sent me a package at my office (because being out in the sticks, we were not certain if the post office would deliver to the right house) and in the box was a […]
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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.
Continue reading79 Months
79 months of Yaya! [[image:2015-yaya79month-02.jpg:Peekaboo!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions February was another crazy busy month. I traveled (without Vin and the kids) 2 out of the 4 weeks of the month. In fact, I’m writing this entry so late that it’s almost April now and I’m only just writing the February entry. Since this entry is being written so late, I will keep it brief. Despite the craziness that was my life, Vin and the kids had a pretty quiet month. They got to stay home and be normal, and we all learned how to enjoy FaceTime and cope with time differences and distance. Yaya did very well during my absences, it’s a little sad for me to realize that my little baby girl is growing up and getting independent. She does enjoy the bribes that accompany me (and my suitcase) upon my return from these work […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
Continue readingScenic 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. [[image:2015_silversprings_36.jpg:Silver Springs State Park:center:0]] 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. * Mouse over the pictures for captions We start with some photos that we took while waiting for the next glass bottom boat tour to begin. [[image:2015_silversprings_01.jpg:Hanging out on a bench:center:0]] [[image:2015_silversprings_02.jpg:Bit bundled up as although it was sunny it was in the […]
Continue readingRafe – 37 Months
Adik is 37 months old! [[image:2015-adik37month-09.jpg:Winky boy!:center:0]] * Mouse over the pictures for captions As mentioned in last month’s entry, we are now moving to the smaller entry for Adik, where we just round up his month and choose photos from the entire month rather than documenting how he spent the actual day. However, yes, I am finding it difficult to limit myself. So for this month’s photos, I have included a few from his birthday trip to the Boonshoft (Dayton Children’s Museum). But before we go to the photos, the monthly roundup. Food status: still good. He tries stuff, likes Asian food, even asks to go to the Straits of Malacca (which warms the cockles of this Malaysian girl’s heart) and comes running for noodles. However, he does seem to be anti-fruit and anti-vegetable. Argh. He does eat veggies if it’s in the noodles or in his favorite Vietnamese […]
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