The theme for our trip.

This trip had been many "firsts" for us and we went on many different types of transportation that it looked like a educational trip on "THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEHICLES"

Let's see...

We took a bus to KLIA.

We took a plane to Bangkok (duh! why of course!)

A taxi took us to a hotel in a suburb of Bangkok (I think, I mean, the suburb)

We went on the sleeper train to Chiengmai and had our dinner onboard. The kids were thrilled having dinner on a moving train, and jumping over carriages.

Didi was especially excited with the tuk-tuk.

We were on a bamboo raft on a river, on top of an elephant over different terrains and river, and on a ox ride. It was so exhilarating yet so... sigh.

We went to an island from Pattaya on a speedboat and korkor experienced his first para-sailing. I believe he enjoyed his flying through the air tremendously.

Why, that almost summarized the whole trip. Ain't I clever?

Our fabulous family vacation

Sawasdee kaa, taorai neng shong shang xi ha hok chek paed gaw sip khao phad khap kun kaa.

That's the Thai language for saying...

"We are back from our fabulous trip at Thailand and there are going to be numerous endless stories and pictures of it, like it or not."

Still wanna google translate it meh? Dun trust me izzit??

School year end concert 2012

Meimei was involved in the school year end concert yet again. Last year, it was the first time both korkor and meimei were involved in some way or other and I had no choice but to drag didi along and bought 2 tickets for that show.

This year, I rather skip it. As experienced before, it wasn't like very interesting and too long, too draggy. Last year, I had to admit I felt rather bored. And had to shush didi whole night for grumbling that he was dragged into it.

The ticket wasn't cheap either, it was either 50 or 100 bucks each. Though I understand it's all for the sake of the school well being and not into  any teacher's pockets, it was still a big sum of money to many of us. Furthermore, that wasn't the only time the school asks for donations, the requests keep coming from school starts till ends.

I ignored the memo asking for orders of tickets. When the concert came closer, apparently the principal was furious that the sales of the tickets wasn't doing very well and even demanded the higher primary students to buy one from each family. Response from pri6 was the worst of all. And meimei's class teacher also persuaded meimei to persuade me to watch her performance. Oh well...

Since my mom was here to watch over the boys, I finally relented and went to watch it. And whaddaya know, it was superb actually. It was short and sweet, not as long and draggy as last year's, I suppose the school received that "wind" somehow. But that hurts the tickets sales in consequence too. Who would want to come on a TGIF night to watch some other children performing, right? Not you, uh uh.

The children gave a brilliant show, each and everyone of them, and the shows consists of a good variety of music, singing, dancing, fighting .... I actually enjoyed myself. And I think it gives a good opportunity for the children to experience it all and celebrating a wonderful year of hard work and learning. I was almost at the verge of tears! Yes, next year, I think I'm going to show my support and watch the concert again.

The night ended surprisingly soon, and we still had the rest of the weekend for ourselves, which was good.

My daughter and I

On a camwhoring mission.

I love this daughter of mine. She is ever the sweet, obedient and lively little one to brighten up my day everyday.

A night's stay at Renaissance.

This is meimei, all snuggled up comfortably in a babycot, still. Of course, this isn't our home. It is in Renaissance Hotel in KL for a night stay. The boys sleep together in 1 bed while this little girl still gets to be the "baby" in her babycot. Guess this will soon be over, she's way too tall for it already!

Now, why would we stay in a hotel in KL? For some mystery unknown, hubs loved to buy those books of vouchers offered from these 5 star hotels. We have stayed in Westin, Sheraton, JW Marriott, Mandarin Oriental so far. The offer also includes buffets, spa, and many other discounts. He thinks it's worth it and probably a convenient getaway from our routine once in awhile. We normally utilizes the food vouchers and the 1 night stay. The other discounts vouchers are gone to waste. So, if anyone wants it, or you know anyone who wants it, do let me know. 

To korkor, he says, it's the buffet breakfast which he's looking forward to all the time. The other two never fails to go for the cereals first thing in the morning. Hmm... hotel's breakfast seems to be the most yummiest breakfast for them somehow. 

That night, we didn't spend much time in the room, for we had gone to my uncle's wake earlier, so, oh well.

We have yet another hotel stay going to expire end of this year! Guess where we are going to?

Korkor attending a gathering with his friends at a bistro

On the eve of a public holiday, suddenly korkor blurted out to me excitedly that on their FB class discussion, there's gonna be a gathering at a bistro among their classmates the next day! What a shocker I was!

I mean, what, 12yo kids, gathering at a high class bistro?? Who's going to pay for the bill? How are they gonna separate out the bill if they are going dutch? Why do they need a gathering when they are still seeing each other in school anyway?? Isn't that sound all fishy and ridiculous??

I posted on FB on my qualms, and apparently, some thinks that it's not a big deal la, youngsters these days lead this kind of life bla bla bla...(can you tell I was rolling my eyes when I read those?)

He kept begging me to let him go, I asked him to ask his dad, his dad told him to ask me! Guess both of us did not know what to say to him! And hubs also felt like a shocking freak like I did!

The next day, we had breakfast then at 11.30, I suggested to take him over and look see look see first.

When we got there, holy cow, lo and behold, a rich classmate's parents booked a whole segment of the place for them with a buffet spread for their little daughter's who is already out from the school, in an international school right now for them. It's so called the class' farewell party, and I saw their class teacher with a retired assistant principal too. They even hired a professional photographer to capture these memorable moments! Really awestruck! The things that rich families do for their kids! Isn't that bewildering? I was speechless.

Well, we left the kids to have some fun with their friends and I scooted off to walk around somewhere else with KT for awhile. They had a great time and thank you to those parents for their generosity.

Wake of my 5th uncle.

My 5th uncle, a brother of my dad, passed away over the last weekend. He was an artist. A real artist who paints and sells his masterpieces in art galleries. Ain't that so .... "wow"?

But he and his family were never close to us. They stay in KL all their lives, but we never visit them, not at least whilst in these 7 years we settled down here. When I was young, my parents did take us to see them once in a while, like, really once in awhile. It had been many many years since we really last saw each other. According to my mom, there were some squabbles over, well, family issues.

I don't know why, but somehow, the cousins I have who share the same family name with me, are just aren't close. There are some in Melbourne who are extremely friendly and kind, but they are children of my dad's cousins, so it's under another family tree branch away. For the cousins who are directly under my grandparents' branch, we are just never close. As a chinese though, I had been taught that these cousins are supposedly like my own brothers and sisters.

So the kids had never known this family relative of mine, who is so close in relation yet so far away. When I told them my uncle passed and his profession, they were nonchalant, nevertheless.

Anyway, I went for his wake, and since KT wanted to pay his respects too, we had no choice but to bring the kids along. Shall I say, maybe it's the first wake they had been to. I was sceptical at first, but, they behaved well throughout and even went to see my uncle who was lying in his coffin! I myself dared not see! Well, at least, they had seen him for the first and the last time. I felt a pang of guilt, really.

3 nights for the wake, and I went there again on the 3rd night, bringing my parents along, who came back all the way from SIngapore. They were supposed to be heading back to Ipoh directly the next day, but plans changed so they had to detour here. I met my cousins (children of the deceased) and I couldn't recognize them! They have grown so much! Oh well, aren't we all? 2 of them are residing in US while the youngest child is in China. The son is a cosmetic surgery doctor now, and they are all around my age. Needless to say, they are very good artists too!

May the soul of my 5-pak rest in peace.