Baby in Bali (Part 1)

From 12-15 May 2008 we were on holiday in Bali together with Papa and Aileen. It was Julian's first trip overseas. He slept a good two hours on the flight but woke up in time to eat his cereal just before landing :-)

Day 1: We were met on arrival by our tour guides, Astrawan and Kedil. After checking in, we were taken for lunch and the rest of the day was at leisure. We walked on the beach in the evening and took Julian for a swim in the hotel swimming pool. We stayed at the Bali Garden Beach Resort in Kuta. The rooms were a little bit old but clean. The pool area was beautiful.

Day 2: We had a full day tour. We were at Batubulan to watch the Barong Dance - depicting a Hindu legend, and did some batik shopping.


[Barong Dance]

We also visited the silver smith's, wood carving centre and art painting centre.


[At the silver smith's]


[A wood carver busy at work]

Besides that we saw a picturesque paddy terrace at Tegalalang. One of the highlights of the tour was Kintamani, where we had buffet lunch at a restaurant overlooking two active volcanos, Gunung Batur and Gunung Agung, and the Batur Lake. The air here is cool.


[Paddy planting on terraces]


[Diners enjoying the view of Gunung Agung and Batur Lake from Kintamani]

Also on the itinerary were: a visit to a small orchard where coffee and cocoa are grown, among other crops; a visit to the Tirtha Empul temple ; and Sanur Beach.


[Sampling some ginger tea, Bali coffee and hot cocoa. The container contains cinnamon powder, for added flavour]


[Balinese children at the Tirtha Empul temple]

We had a lovely seafood dinner at Jimbaran - right on the beach, in candle light. Very romantic :-)


[Candlelight dinner at Jimbaran]

Our 4th Anniversary

We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary on 1 May 2008 (Labour Day holiday). This year, our wedding anniversary coincided with Ascension Thursday which is a Catholic holy day of obligation. We attended the mass at 12 noon at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.

For our anniversary dinner, we checked out TGI Friday's at Queensbay Mall, again. We had the Jack Daniel's Burger and the Mushroom, Chicken and Mushroom. The burger tasted better than the chicken. To wash them down, we had a glass of Pineapple Sunshine and a glass of Strawberry Surprise. The latter surprisingly outshone the former :o). We were also surprised to bump into the Giddy Tigers who were dining there as well :o).


[Strawberry Surprise and Pineapple Sunshine]


[Mushroom, Chicken and Mushroom]


[Jack Daniel's Burger: Yummy!]


[Julian joined in the celebration]

The highlight of the day, as always was the lighting of our Unity Candle for our Anniversary Prayer.


[Our Unity Candle and the Three of Us]

Julian at 11 Months

Julian turned 11 months old on Monday (28 April 2008).

At 11 months he doesn't like to be carried much at home, preferring to roam and explore freely and independently. But he doesn't mind being carried when we're out. Probably because he's still busy taking in all the new scenery. He can be quite mischievious - grabbing anything he can get his hands on, or trying to climb onto the sofa, etc. So, both of us are "full time" on the lookout... can be quite tiring.

Julian actually began verbalising "pah-pah" about 3 weeks ago. We have always referred to Bart as "daddy". So, we are definitely sure he is not calling Bart "daddy", yet. He has also verbalised "mah-mah" but we're not sure if he's calling Angie because he's usually crying when he says it, something like "uhm-maaaahhhmm-maaaahhhmm"... more like asking for "mum-mum" (food = milk). *sigh* Still got to wait for the magic words :o).

In addition to the 4 full teeth that he has (2 at the bottom and 2 at the top), another 2 have erupted at the top. So, he's good at nibbling his baby biscuits and crackers.


[Let's do this experiment on the sofa shall we?]


[We'll start by giving the plate a good whack just to prove it's solid]


[Then, we'll bring out the subject - an empty biscuit wrapper, but wait... I think I need a diaper change]


[It's really empty... see?]


[And the empty biscuit wrapper penetrated the solid plate, see?]

Ninth Encounter

Angie and I presented our ninth Engaged Encounter Weekend. The 69th Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend was held from 4-6 April 2008 at the College General, Penang. 22 couples attended the weekend. We were on the presenting team with Fr. Ambrose Vaz, and Jacob and Padma from the Singapore Engaged Encounter Community.


[Participants, presenters and supporting couples of EE69]


[Julian was there too :o)]

Baby in a Boat

We finally got Julian a boat so we don't have to perpetually hold him in the pool. Although the maiden voyage had to be delayed for a few days due to bad weather, the captain has now taken control of the vessel and set sail :-)


[Ahoy!]

Julian at 10 Months

Julian went for his regular bimonthly visit to Aunty Nurse on Wednesday (2 April 2008). He weighed in at 8kg. Not as much as we would have liked, but we've become somewhat accustomed to his slow weight gain. His fourth tooth is now clearly visible.

Recently, on more than one ocassion, we have noticed him beginning to let go of his support when standing. At the moment, he's able to remain standing without support for only a split second.

In terms of communication, we don't think he has actually begun talking, but he's been calling "mama" quite often especially when he's upset and wants mummy to carry him, or when we fail to decipher his request for milk on time. When he objects to being carried, he would voice his displeasure and twist his body (sometimes up to 360 degrees) in an effort to get down.

He's still being 'difficult' when it comes to sitting in the car seat, but we have so far succeeded in putting him in at the most important times - when only one of us is with him. Sometimes when we're together we let him 'win' (it can be quite tiring 'fighting' with him) and carry him for the journey.


[Julian: The Maestro and his Magic Flute]

Baby at the Beach

Julian went to the beach for the first time two weeks ago (18 March 2008) in Batu Feringghi. He seemed to be curious about the waves.


[Julian and Mummy testing the water]


[Julian and Daddy]


[The scenery as we left]

Julian saw many new things: there were lots of people, fishing boats, jet skis, horses and miles and miles of sand.

Curry at Karaikudi

After attending the Sunset mass for Palm Sunday (15 March 2008), we had dinner at Karaikudi Restaurant in Hillside, Tanjung Bungah.

We ordered chicken dhum briyani rice, cheese naan, Punjabi chicken curry (tandoori chicken cooked in curry) and baigan bartha (mashed brinjal cooked in spices).


[Chicken Dhum Briyani Rice]


[Cheese Naan]


[Punjabi Chicken Curry]


[Baigan Bartha]

On the whole, it was a delicious meal. Serving size is quite generous for 2 persons. Total bill came to RM30.

Easter 2008

Holy Week this year was rather busy for us.

We attended the Sunset mass for Palm Sunday at the Church of the Assumption. We sometimes attend mass there because we like to hear the pipe organ. Julian likes to go there because there is an Auntie who always comes to say "Hi!" to Julian after mass.


[Julian on Palm Sunday]

Wednesday night of Holy Week saw us at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit because we were on duty to sing and play the organ for a special weekday mass with an extended surmon by Fr. Fabian Dicom.

Thursday saw us in church again on duty for the Maundy Thursday mass at 5pm.

Friday was Good Friday... again on duty at night. For Good Friday the service has to be specially solemn, so no playing of the organ... just plain singing. Julian was extra holy because he attended the 12 noon service as well with the baby sitter :o).

Easter Sunday morning saw us singing in the cathedral choir. Angie's parents and grandmother, my parents, Niq, Chui Ying and Gabriel were there at the mass. After mass we all adjourned to Pearl Palace Restaurant at Setia Pearl Island Country Club, Sg. Ara for lunch.

Julian Update

Julian is almost 9 1/2 months and getting more and more active. We have now observed him kneeling. We have also since end of February started brushing his teeth.

Recently he has begun objecting to being put in his car seat. But we're not ready to be outsmarted by a baby. So, now we bring along his favourite toys on standby in the car to distract him while we strap him in. So far so good...

After casting our votes last Saturday (8 March 2008), we went over to Butterworth on the ferry. We had wanted Julian to experience a ride on the ferry but, alas, he fell asleep!


[Julian's First Ferry Ride: Hohumm...]

On Sunday (9 March 2008) we noticed that Julian's third tooth had erupted! So now he has two existing ones on the lower jaw and a new one the upper jaw. He has been drooling a lot lately and has been very cranky when sleeping the last two nights. He'd just wake up and cry... must be due to teething. So we used a syringe to "bathe" his upper gums with cold water... seemed to work. Since he now has teeth on both jaws, he has started grinding his teeth (the sound makes me feel uneasy).


[Julian showing off his teeth]

Election Epilogue

The Malaysian 12th General Election has come and gone. It will be an understatement to say that the results were interesting :o). Ha ha... Admittedly, this post is already very late by blogging standards but we thought we'd just punch in a few lines to say "we voted!".

Angie & I strolled into SMK Hamid Khan in Island Glades to cast our votes at about 9am that fateful Saturday morning of 8 March 2008. It was a breeze as there was hardly a queue at our respective streams. Before we knew it, we were already strolling out the centre after drawing our cute little crosses. But of course, not before saying "hi" to Peter, Joyce and Ethan.

Early that night, we knew something interesting was happening when DAP seemed to be doing very well in Penang. So, we went to bed at about midnight knowing by then that Penang and Kedah were in the hands of a new state government.

The first thing we did on Sunday morning was to log on to the net and to our surprise, the "weighing scale" was tipped! No more two-thirds majority in Parliament! I had goose pimples :o). Wowww...

Who did Julian vote for? His own party of course: Parti ABC (Aku Bayi Comel or Aku Baby Choobee) :o)

Cruising to Auto City

For a long time, we've said,"one day, we must take a drive to Auto City". That day finally materialised on 1 March 2008 :-)

We chose to visit a KIA showroom then proceeded to do what we like best - sample some cuisine :-) We had dinner at Roxbury's Food House. We ordered Pizzalania (a lasagne baked in a pizza base 'bowl') and varuval cheese steak sandwich. Both met our gastronometer's mark of 'satisfactory' but the varuval scored better. Julian had a share of the sandwich.


[Pizzalania]


[Varuval Cheese Steak Sandwich]


[Julian and Angie at Roxbury's]

After dinner we took a little stroll around. There were some lantern-like displays and a mini fun fair. Julian did not qualify for any of the rides so he had to be contented riding in Daddy and Mummy's arms :-)


[Bird Lanterns: An Avian Fairyland]

And yes, we agree with reviews that it's quite a happening place.

Pleasing Pizza & Pie

Last week and early this week I was on another baking spree. Pizza was the order of the day on Tuesday (19 Feb 2008). It was an oriental pizza - minced pork with onions in dark soy sauce and oyster sauce, and sausages, topped with cheese. No tomato puree or oregano.


[Oriental Pizza]

On Thursday (21 Feb 2008) I baked my first pie, which I think was reasonably successful :-) It was a lime & coconut meringue pie. It has a sour tinge from the lime balanced by the sweet meringue on top. Quite an exquisite taste, I must say. Never tasted anything like it before. The texture is smooth with hints of desicated coconut although none is used in the recipe. It was an interesting pie. Would make a fantastic dessert to a very rich/filling meal.


[Lime & Coconut Meringue Pie]

On Tuesday (26 Feb 2008) we had bread pudding for supper :-)

Julian at 9 Months

Julian turned 9 months old on Thursday (28 Feb 2008). No check-up at the clinic this month but from our rough estimate based on our bathroom scale, he's about 8kg.

He's now an expert on his walker, and has progressed to crawling on his knees.

On the communication front, he seems to be giving clearer signs as to when he needs to poo. He also makes cute whining sounds when he is hungry. Only if we fail to comply with feeding will he start crying.

He loves playing peek-a-boo, "blanket camping", and seeing us balance objects on our heads only to laugh when the objects fall off :o).


[Where is Julian?]


[There you are! :o)]

Julian's First Chinese New Year

It is Julian's first Chinese New Year... and here are some of his 'new' experiences...

1. He enjoyed receiving the ang pows - protesting occasionally when mummy/daddy took them away for safe-keeping ;-)

2. He sampled a variety of new tastes - kiwifruit, grape, egg yolk, ice-cream, keropok, bread and muffin.


[First Kiwifruit]


[First Ice Cream]

3. He climbed up the stairs in Menglembu.


[Climb every mountain...]

4. New Year, New Tooth... His second tooth emerged during this time, too... :-)


[Second Tooth]

Revelling in the Year of the Rat

We ushered in the Year of the Rat in Penang. Reunion dinner was at my 4th maternal grandaunt's with a gathering of about 25 family members. There were lots of food and fun. Yee Yee was back from Australia and Aileen managed to get leave to be around for the New Year celebrations. Yay :-) !

The first day of Chinese New Year saw us in church before doing the traditional 'new year rounds'. In the afternoon, we went to Butterworth to spend time at home.


[Fried Laver]


[Pig's Maw Soup]

The second day of Chinese New Year saw us back home in Menglembu. We visited Thai Gu in Air Kuning and Chia Poh in Pusing on the third day.


[Clockwise from top-left: Mooi Choy Kiu Nyuk, Mun Joo Nyuk (Stewed Pork), waxed meat, mixed vegetables, Zhar Nyuk (Deep Fried Pork)]


[Steamboat]

We returned to Penang on Sunday (4th day of CNY).

Chinese New Year 2008

Preparations for this Chinese New Year has been very minimal but we still look forward to the celebrations especially to meet up with family and friends.

Being the stingy prudent pair, we hardly bought anything except for a container of mini dried shrimp rolls for ourselves and some containers of meat-floss-filled love letter rolls to be given away. Not a single crate of mandarin oranges did we buy... shameful?... but we're proud of our miserly achievement (or the lack of it) :o).

Here's wishing you a Safe, Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year of the Rat from Angie, Julian and me.


[Unusual Orange: Not often do we find an imported mandarin orange with a leaf still on it]


["g" for Gong Xi Fa Chai: The letter "g" at g-Hotel with a cute hat on it]

The Oven Beckoned

Last Wednesday (30 Jan 2008), I had the (now) rare opportunity to prepare dinner. since I also have not had the chance to bake for a while, I decided to bake dinner - or at least one dish.

Check out our baked garlic cheese salmon...


[Baked Garlic Cheese Salmon]