U View Cafe

I frequent the U View Cafe in USM for lunch. It's located facing the smaller field near the Batu Uban gate. They serve a variety of western and local food. Prices are comparable to what you'd pay in most foodcourts or coffee shops in Penang.


[Chancellory Chicken Chop]


[Fish and Chips]


[Nenda (Grandmother) Fried Rice]


[Mamak-style Fried Noodle]


[Japanese-style Noodles]

Some details are available on Foursquare.

Recreation Around Campus

Angie and I had always associated USM with studies and work. Lately, with the kids, we have managed to associate it with some fun and recreation.

Since early this year, we have had picnic there a few times. Currently, our picnic spot of choice is the shady grassy strip between the Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) and the Graduate School of Business. Overlooking the USM swimming pool, this spot is scenic and breezy. Cleaning up is convenient as the Anjung Budi building is nearby.


[Picnic on campus]


[Pine trees give a highland feel to the surroundings]


[Justin doing his picnic dance]

Besides picnics, we have also brought the kids to USM's Tuanku Fauziah Museum and Gallery, as well as for leisurely strolls.


[USM Museum: Julian the spaceman wannabe]


[USM Museum: Julian intrigued by the replica of the Perak Man burial exhibit]


[Giant Letters of USM: This can be seen from the main road near the Batu Uban gate]

KL with the Kids: Day 3

Day 3 (11 April 2013) of our KL holiday saw us at the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong at about 10am. The plan was to do the canopy walk and then meet up with WY for a picnic at the FRIM picnic site at about 11.30am. Alas, little did we realise that we would need to do quite a fair bit of trekking before even getting to the canopy walkway. Given the time constraint, and with 3 kids in tow, we decided not to proceed. But venture into the jungle we did, just a bit.


[Julian with the giant yam]


[Jungle Jianna]

After the mini jungle trek, we had a picnic by the stream. The kids (the boys especially) had fun playing in the water with the toys WY brought for them. WY also cooked up a storm with delicious spaghetti and meatballs, mash potatoes and edamame beans.


[Picnic at FRIM]


[Our picnic lunch]


[Justin at the picnic]

After FRIM, we headed back to the city to pick JL in Brickfields at about 2.30pm. We then headed to the Lake Gardens.


[A family photo at the Lake Gardens (photo by JL)]


[At the Deer Park in the Lake Gardens]

After the Deer Park, we went to the KL Bird Park at about 3.45pm. The kids found it quite fascinating to have some of the birds roaming and flying around so close to them. There were many peacocks, chickens and cattle egrets around the main entrance. However, Julian was startled when a peacock pecked at his pants. The highlight of the visit was when we saw a little chick being pecked by a peacock, carried off by a flying cattle egret and then dropped on the floor. We rescued the chick just in time before it was harmed further but not before being threatened with an attack by the cattle egret. We carried the chick to the souvenir shop where it was put in a box to be handed over to the staff-in-charge. The boys were absolutely thrilled by the rescue operation.


[A family photo at the Bird Park (photo by JL)]


[Julian keeping an eye on a peacock while a cattle egret looks on]

Jianna at 14 Months

Jianna turned 14 months old on 30 May 2013. Here are some updates:

• Had earlier resisted formula milk at daycare but is now taking more. She's more keen on solids. At home, she is still breastfed on demand.
  
• Learning to talk "dada" (for daddy), "ba-bye" (for bye-bye), "pah-purh" (for diaper)
  
• She sweats very easily and would only sleep comfortably when the ceiling fan is turned on to full.
  
• She has caught her brothers' interest in planes. She can 'fly' a toy plane and also move her hand in upward motion (plus sound effect) when a plane takes off at the airport. 

[Jianna on the carpet]


[Jianna at the Batu Maung cargo complex carpark]


[Tennis, anyone?]


[Jianna on the rocking horse]


[Jianna's debut at the apartment pool]

Soohongry

We were at Soohongry on Lorong Soo Hong for lunch today. It is a charming little cafe just off Lebuh Armenian.


[Pork adobo with garlic rice]


[Breakfast at lunchtime]


[Spaghetti with minced lamb]

We also had a muffin and a refreshing homemade mango ice lolly. All were delicious!

Julian is 6 years old!

Happy Birthday, Julian! Julian celebrated his 6th birthday on 28 May 2012. His current weight is 25kg and he is 117cm tall.

Here are his updates:

• He seems to be good with numbers. When he sees 4-digit car registration numbers, he would mentally calculate the sum of the first 2 digits and the second 2 digits (sums that do not involve a carry, of course).
  
• His Chinese writing has improved, often knowing the order of the strokes, but he seems to need more work in spelling, reading, and speaking.
  
• His current favourite books are a picture dictionary, and a picture atlas.
  

[Julian]


[Julian the Superman]

Julian celebrated his birthday with his friends at the kindy on 17 May 2012 (Friday). We got him a cake and prepared party packs for him to distribute to his friends. His babysitter prepared alphabet nuggets.


[Julian's Micky Mouse cake at kindy]

We had our extended family over for his birthday celebration on 26 May 2012 (Sunday). We had lunch at Sea Palace Restaurant. We baked him a chocolate ladybird cake (Gaston the Ladybird is one of the characters on Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom, a cartoon that he watches).


[Julian's ladybird cake]


[The kids having fun with the cake]


[A family photo]

On 28 May 2013, we bought a few cake slices and had a simple celebration.


[Julian's signature smile]

Justin at 46 Months

Justin turned 46 months old on 25 May 2013.

Here are some updates:

• Just before the school holidays, he resisted going to kindy. He said he didn't like going to kindy because the teachers "scolded" him. However, we thought he was making up excuses because he seemed to be naming the nicest of teachers as those who "scolded" him. Anyway, all was well when the holiday programme at kindy started.
  
• He sometimes tries to be nice to Jianna, but is often quite rough. He likes lifting her by putting his arms under her arms and around her chest but we try to discourage him because he seems rather unstable. Jianna doesn't seem to complain though.
  

Having recently watched the movie Up, we asked Justin whether he liked the show:
Daddy: Justin, did you like Up, the movie?
Justin: Ya... the skin of the house can go high up in the sky!
Daddy: ?!?!

 
[Justin reading a book]


[Justin]


[Justin doing a crawl]