After three episodes of The Walking Dead on AMC, I thought I’d try a zombie game scenario with Irfan. I was itching to try out the free Microlite20 system, so I adapted it the M20 Modern plug-in to come up with a simple zombie apocalypse scenario. Irfan wanted to play a sheriff, he rolled up his three characteristics, chose a Smart Hero class (which gives him +1 to Knowledge) and took a Law Enforcement starting occupation (which gives him another +1 to Knowledge and a +1 to Physical). The game began with Irfan coming back to town from a three-day camp-out in the woods. He had with him a sniper rifle. As he walked up the road to town, he spotted a car at the roadside. Upon a closer look, he noticed a figure slumped back in the seat. It was a corpse, dead for perhaps a day or two. […]
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Irfan on the new desktop
When this blog was founded, Irfan was not yet three years old.
He is now an adult with many more leagues to travel.
Here’s To A Decade
Ten years ago today, there was an aqad ceremony where Ain and I were wed. Here we are 10 years later, together and eating chicken at Kenny Rogers Roasters after so many trials and much struggle. The dinner was courtesy of Emma. It was a great dinner. Thanks, Cik Ma! I can still remember the anxiety and distress almost 2 years later, when embryonic Irfan did not move for hours and we rushed to hospital in panic to check up on him. Here he is still with us now 8 years later. I love the pasta salad. I should have told the waitress to give me pasta salad for all three of the side dishes. This was Ain’s. Unless it’s Emma’s. But it’s certainly not Irfan’s. Another dead bird about to be devoured. Happy anniversary to us. Here’s to another 10 years and more!
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Last Day In Malaysia
It was the last day of Alya, Vin and Sila’s vacation in Malaysia. It was a sad day for everyone. It was sad. Thankfully, the cousins did not feel a smidgen of sadness. They both rocked all day from the breakfast at the mamak restaurant, to the final minutes at KLIA. You know, I think I’ll just leave the photos here mostly without any commentary, funny or otherwise, because I honestly have no idea what to pad out the entry with. Bon voyage, the Renstroms. See you whenever we see you next!
Continue readingFun at KL Hilton
Since Irfan had no school due to the UPSR exams, we took the opportunity to go for a mini-vacation and spent ultimately two nights at the Hilton KL Sentral. This is freaking best Hilton in the world! Seriously! We stayed here after our wedding five years ago when Irfan was not much older than Yaya is now, and we were hoping that it would be just as cool this time around. And we were not disappointed! Unfortunately, due to Abah’s commitments in Sitiawan, our parents had returned to Sitiawan and did not come with us. That first night (Thursday September 23) it was Vin, Yaya, myself in one room and Yope, Yong and Irfan occupying another – we were on the 31st floor! [[image:2010-sept-hilton23.jpg:Yaya and Purrsley admiring the view from our room:center:0]] After checking in, we relaxed for a bit and then with an excited Yaya and Irfan, hit the […]
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After Eight Years, Irfan Reaches Eight
Irfan’s eighth birthday occurred when Alya, Vin and Sila were visiting at the Tenth Floor. I was happy they were around for the birthday bash, seeing that they don’t usually have a direct train or bus line from Ohio to come regularly. We ordered a cake that was in a shape of the number 8, because having a cake in the shape of the number 9 would make absolutely no sense. Moments after this photo was taken, Alya joined Irfan and they both held the knife together (under supervision) to further cut the cake. Irfan and Alya showed off their still-wrapped presents from Atok and Opah. Irfan was really into unwrapping his presents, though he needed some adult help to take apart the wrappings and open the boxes. Alya played with the wrapping ribbons. Atok and Opah got Irfan a chess set. What does Irfan have to say about chess? […]
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Pool Time with the Cousins
It wouldn’t be a visit to our place without a dip in the building’s swimming pool. Irfan practically learnt to swim by himself here. Sila and Vin had been training Yaya the same way. She was totally unafraid of the water. Everything about splashing around in the pool just screamed “unabashed fun” to her. That of course meant we had to accompany her every step of the way because she was oblivious to the dangers of jumping off the deep end before learning to swim. In any case, as the photo above illustrates, she had lots of fun. Irfan swam all over the pool, showing off his skills to his aunt and uncle, spinning as he propelled himself through the water. Here he balanced himself on one leg as Atok took a photo. Alya couldn’t really play with her cousin in the pool itself because she has yet to develop […]
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Journey to Taiping and Ipoh
The journey began on the morning of the 12th of September. The planned route would have taken us from Sitiawan, up north toward Taiping to two houses, Opah Teh and Tok Teh’s in Matang and Pak Unggai and Mak Unggai’s in Taiping. Then, we’d drive south-east using the North-South Highway toward state capital of Ipoh, to Wan Cu’s new abode. Just three houses to visit for the day. By normal reckoning, it would take us an hour to get to Taiping, then another hour to get to Ipoh, and finally another hour to get back to Sitiawan. If we spent 30 minutes per house visit, we would be back before it was late afternoon. Little did we know… Before we began our journey, we stopped for supplies at the local Giant hypermarket. It’s still weird to think of having a Giant hypermarket in little Sitiwan. Of course, Sitiawan is no […]
Continue readingYati Comes a-Calling
On the fifth day of Aidilfitri (September 14th), my old friend Yati stopped by for a quick Hari Raya visit: [[image:2010-sept-yati04.jpg:Onyang Yati:center:0]] It had been a while since I last saw Yati, and it was really good to see her again, and also to see her husband Zukry, and to meet their beautiful daughter Fatihah: [[image:2010-sept-yati01.jpg:Zukry and Fatihah:center:0]] Yati brought some mini-cheesecakes (or cheese-tarts) for all to enjoy. Does this make her the Queen of Hearts? [[image:2010-sept-yati02.jpg:Irfan, Yati and Opah checking out the tarts:center:0]] The kids got along famously: [[image:2010-sept-yati03.jpg:Hands up, Irfan!:center:0]] [[image:2010-sept-yati05.jpg:Yaya plays congkak:center:0]] Yati was obsessed with trying to fix Yaya’s hair. After about thirty minutes and about a million tries, Yaya finally acquiesces and allows her hair to be ponytailed (for all of about 3-4 minutes, but that’s ok). Yati was so involved in fixing Yaya’s hair that Fatihah, that sweet little daughter of Yati’s actually told […]
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Eid 2010 Group Photo
Strangely enough, thanks to jet lag and other stuff we only got a family photo taken on the fifth night after Eid. We had to leave for Kuala Lumpur the following day. We were all pretty much exhausted when this picture was taken.
Continue readingGuess Hoos Coming to Raya?
On the second day of Aidilfitri (September 11th), the Meis and their family came for a visit. By family we mean Mei Lin, Mei Chin, their husbands, their daughters, their parents, and their little brother Colin-boy. Hoo did you expect? 😉 [[image:2010-sept-hoos01.jpg:Me and Yaya, and Mei and Immie:center:0]] Hisham and I had to decide which of us would actually write this entry (since Mei Lin was his classmate and Mei Chin was mine). But here’s my take on the day! * Mouse over the pictures for captions Mak had made chicken curry to eat with roti jala for the guests (mmm mmmmmm!) since we had basically polished off the rendang from the first day of Aidilfitri. What can I say, I haven’t seen my mother’s rendang in a while, and coupled with ketupat and lemang, I just could not resist. Nor did I. Not to mention Yong’s righteous nasi dagang! […]
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Young Book Readers during Eid
The most awesome thing which was agreed upon by everyone was that Irfan and Alya were friends almost from the get go. Even when Alya was grumpy, badly affected by jet lag, she will more often than not smile or even laugh whenever Irfan came around to cheer her up. Once she even climbed onto Irfan’s bed to wake him up in the morning: Later that day, they both did something which was not planned at all. Irfan started reading for his little cousin as they sat together on their grandparents’ couch. At first, they both flipped through a Reader’s Digest magazine and a book Ayah Cik was reading at the time: Alya was fascinated with photos of cats in the Reader’s Digest. Irfan also checked out the pictures sitting at her side: Then Irfan remembered the children’s books Cik Dik bought for him as presents, so he rushed to […]
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Eid Mubarak from the Cousins
Alya and Irfan send their Eid greetings from Sitiawan! Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir Batin, from the whole family!
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Gamera Tears Up The Living Room
… or at the very least, it wishes it could. As previously mentioned Irfan seems to have taken a shine to Gamera, the giant monster turtle with awesome powers! I was looking at papercraft material online when I came across a Gamera papercraft, which was only a two-page downloadable pdf. Irfan and I spent the part of the afternoon cutting, folding and gluing the pieces together. Finally this was what we ended up with:
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Gamera vs. Godzilla
800th blog post! Irfan’s been on a daikaiju kick lately. Checking out all the monster throwdowns on Youtube, he’s decided that giant, flying, bipedal sabre-toothed tortoise Gamera is his favourite monster. We quickly illustrated this picture earlier this morning. Click on the thumbnail for the full image.
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Avian Visitor at Night
And so it came to pass that as I was relaxing in the living room as the last glow of the setting sun disappeared, a bird flew into the house. At first it just rested on the carpet looking forlornly at me, perhaps wondering into what parallel universe it had travelled to. I called Irfan to approach slowly, but as I edged for a closer look, it flew. Because the top of the doors and windows were a couple of feet lower than the ceiling, the bird had difficulty trying to leave the house. It flew here and there, catching a breather on the floor, at the top of the cupboard and clinging onto curtains. As we tried to help it leave the house, Irfan called up his grandparents to let them know what’s happening. It even flew within an inch of Irfan’s head – causing him to shriek – […]
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Visit to Putrajaya
A few weeks ago before the school break ended, Irfan followed his tuition centre group on a visit to Putrajaya where they visited the botanical gardens, among other places. This was the first time he went on a trip with the group. Although he came back tired, he said he had fun. Irfan recently obtained the photos they took during the excursion. One of the first thing I thought of telling Irfan was that I played in the rubber plantations which was ubiquitous in Sitiawan when I grew up there. Then, I remembered that they’ve all been mostly replaced by houses, rows of shophouses or palm oil instead. Guess I have to show him photos of it instead.
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