Penang getaway

October 13

Daddy is home after his faraway trip and has brought back two car toys from Hamley's for us. While we're checking them out (trying to make one run off the edge of the table and crashing the other one to see it "break apart), we learn that he's going to be away again later that week. But... we're all going together and surprise surprise.. mama is going on the trip to Penang with us! It'll be our first trip with her and I'm getting very excited as Thursday approaches..

October 14

I told all my friends and teachers at school that I'll be going on holiday and will miss them (esp. Kimberly) and both Kyan and I were quite excited to see the empty suitcases taken out and "magically" full of the usual clothes, diapers, toys and milk the next morning (coz our parents packed them overnight while we were asleep).

October 15

Thursday is here at last! I didn't have to wake up early to go to school and spent the morning playing with Kyan and watching TV till mama arrived with her suitcase at noon. Then it was off to the airport at last to board the plane. After the usual check-in procedures, we waited impatiently at the boarding gate for quite a while coz the plane was slightly delayed. When we finally boarded it, I was a little disappointed, because I had been expecting a personal TV and a tray of food to be served. Although Mummy had told me that it was going to be a very short flight, unlike the previous trips to Australia, I was still expecting a bit more entertainment and food coz the plane looked the same as the ones we sat in. All I got for a meal was some juice and a chicken pie and I fell asleep in a huff in the seat beside mama...Kyan had no trouble though as he promptly fell asleep during take-off and didn't wake till we were stamping our passports at the Penang airport.

Finally, we were on board a taxi and heading to the Parkroyal hotel. It was a long journey though as our hotel was at the other end of the island and the roads were crowded because it was the evening peak period. I was tired and hungry when we finally checked in, but the large comfortable room with a view of the sea and the delicious chicken rice we ate at the hotel's restaurant finally made me a bit happier. Then it's off to bed after a long day. (For once I'm not wedged in between my parents on a bed high above the floor while overseas... hope I don't fall over the side while asleep!)

View from the room.

We never got tired of watching the parasailing activities from the balcony!

Sunset over the Indian Ocean

Water Babies having fun with Daddy when he was finally done with work.

We had a splashing good time with our new friend.

Ok, the signboard can't be seen but this is the famous roadside chendol stall that every Penang visitor has to patronize. Customers gather around the stall eating chendol out of plastic bowls as cars and motorbikes pass them just centimetres away. It was so good we ta-paoed some more to take back to the hotel!

Hmm, the snack stall beside the chendol one didn't seem to be that popular but the peanut candy from here beats those back home anytime!

And that's about all the photos we took for the 4 day trip - mainly because the chief photographer was busy at work in Georgetown, and Mummy and mama had their hands full with the both of us, especially as most of the "sightseeing" took place along narrow five-foot ways and lanes. Kyan might still be too young to remember much of this holiday, but, (apart from the indoor shopping/walking long distances to hail a taxi part...)I certainly will look back upon this trip with fond memories : )

Kyan's birthday

My brother officially starts his "terrible twos" today (although unofficially, we all think he's already been getting lots of practice at it!). We celebrated it with another cake and a little party at Mama and Gong Gong John's house.

Yum yum! Getting ready to blow candle and cut cake

Kyan getting a little help from Mama and me

Chocolate is still our favourite flavour!

The birthday boy with his usual biscuit in hand pose

Finally, Daddy takes a break from his camera.

Out and About

Mama bought me a pair of gardening gloves so that my hands won't freeze when I get in touch with nature.

Kyan meanwhile enjoyed some retail therapy at Rundle Mall, and as usual, he can't go without some sort of snack while waiting.

Back to Nature

Lovely day at the playground! But our attention wasn't on the swings or slides this time..

coz we're in bubble heaven!

Dandelion fun

We found a lot more dandelions last year, but somehow nobody managed to take photos of me blowing on them. So this year, when the weed came up in Mama's garden, our parents made sure they captured a shot of it.

Focused on making sure i blow every single seed away

Kyan wondering whether it's edible..

Maybe it is...

Then again, I'd better just play it safe and save my stomach for dessert instead!

Our Family Trip

June's arrived and school holidays are here! After a seemingly endless week of hot sweltering weather, Daddy and Mummy started preparing for our trip to visit Mama and Gong Gong John in wintry Adelaide. This trip would be different from last year's coz we're going without Ku Jie and Uncle Colin (who now have baby Benjamin to busy themselves with). Also, mummy didn't seem to fret over the packing too much this time around, maybe because plans were only confirmed at the last minute (no thanks to the H1N1 bug) and we're both older by one year, and hence, need less essential luggage (Mummy looks forward to the day when diapers are a thing of the distant past!)

As usual, we took the only night flight to Adelaide, and, having experienced a lot of hassle last year, we decided to be prepared and be at the airport earlier. Unlike last year however, check-in was smooth-going and, having about an hour and a half to spare before boarding the plane, we managed to fit in supper at Hard Rock Cafe in the transit area. Soon, it was time to board the plane and before long, after a brief delay, we took off ten minutes past midnight.

I don't remember much of the journey. Maybe the novelty has worn off a little, maybe I was extra tired that day, or maybe i was lulled by the rocking motion of the plane when it encountered turbulence that lasted for almost half the journey but I actually slept through most of the flight and didn't even wake up to eat my "breakfast" which was served about 2 hours before touch-down. The next time I was fully awake (thanks to an unexpected "incident" which I'm too embarrassed to disclose here and for which I was extremely grouchy afterward...), it was dawn in Australia and soon, we were preparing to disembark. No hassle too at the customs and immigration unlike last year where we had to open our luggage for inspection. We were simply waved through and after another short wait, the familiar sight of Gong Gong John and Mama came into view : )

The first significant event was my birthday celebration. As we had arrived a day before I turn four and it being a Sunday, the adults decided to go out for dinner. And so, I got to blow the candles on my chocolate birthday cake at a little eatery called the Cafe Beach Pit.

mmm, there's nothing like chocolate cake for a birthday celebration.

Posing with Gong Gong John and Mama under the birthday banner (given with love from Ku Jie and Uncle Colin)

Cheeky me ; )

Back at Glenelg

We visited Glenelg again on a beautiful sunny day. My favourite spot there has got to be the amusement park where the bumper cars are, but this time, we didn't go on them because Kyan wasn't tall enough to go into a car so I would have to drive the car alone (and how is that called driving in a bumper car..)

So the theme of the visit this time is really the outdoors. And as our happy faces show below, the combination of the crisp sea air and wide open spaces of sand and grassy promenades makes this one of our favourite places to visit!

Enjoying the sun, sea and sand

Nope, the wind didn't style Kyan's hair. He woke up this morning with the punk look already intact.

We had fun tramping all over our shadows.

I'm growing up fast! This cap now no longer covers my ears.

Ready, set, jump!

Now that was a good work-out!