Kok Lanta During Dusk

We found this really nice restaurant at the tip of Kok Lanta. It was ideally called Beautiful Restaurant and the sign claimed you will enjoy the most scenic view ever. True enough it was beautiful and the breeze was excellent.

Some of the dining tables had their own little secluded spots, good for private dining! I avoided those spaces though cause they were too near the sea and knowing little Ali, he would be climbing over to see what's on the other side.

Thie walkway from the entrance to the back where the dining area was is littered with trees and paper lanterns. Quite a distance but gives you a sense of anticipation of what is ahead.

The trees dotting the walkway is so typical of Thailand where no tree is chopped down. Why can't Malaysians cherish trees this way? There was an architecture and landscape course in Krabi which my friend attended and he said they taught them how to replant a tree. No tools or machines required. If Thai's can do that, why can't we?!?!?

This is the entrance to the restaurant ... looked really quaint from the outside. Most interesting was the drive to this part of Kok Lanta actually. It was a little fishing village with wooden street lights. Instead of normal street lights as we know it, these street lights had little lanterns.

Reminds me a lot of China town but from what we saw it seemed to have a good mix of Muslims and Chinese in the area. There were a few tourists mingling about at the fishing village and we learnt later they were staying there under a homestay holiday. Even in this remote part of Kok Lanta, the locals know and understand fully the benefits and concepts of a homestay programme.

The more I see of Thailand the more I like it. And this is only some parts of it. Even our drive to Chieng Mai in 2008did not take me to all parts of Thailand. There is still so much of it I haven't seen. Can't wait!

Kok Lanta in March

We just returned from a week in Thailand. It was hot and humid but the kids had a ball of a time going in and out of the pool and running on the beach. In addition to nights spent in Aonang, Krabi, we stayed a night in Kok Lanta.

Kok Lanta is about an hours drive from Krabi and an hour from the Krabi airport. There are three parts to Kok Lanta: the mainland, Kok Lanta Noi and Kok Lanta Yai (hope I got that right). To get to the other two parts you have to take a short ferry ride which the kids enjoyed tremendously. Tried to upload some of the pixs here but it seems to be failing all the time and I am tired of trying.

We stayed at Twin Bay Resort, there are many resorts, small hotels and huge 7 or 8 star resorts to choose from but we didn't want to waste time looking so we chose the most decent looking and priced one we could find straight away.

The kids of course were pretty much the judges of where we should stay and they said yes to the first pool they saw. The beach was pretty awesome too, clean, pristine and pretty much untouched. Actually pretty much of Kok Lanta is untouched but before long it will be as busy as Aonang. Just a matter of time. As it is, the place was simply crawling with tourists it being trge high season and all. During the high season, rates of places to stay are pretty steep too.

This is a picture of sandy white beaches and clear crystal waters of a beach stretch in Kok Lanta. Pretty much all of the beaches look this serene. Such a pretty picture isn't it.

In the evening we took a drive to the very end of Kok Lanta and this was what we found, a fishing village that was as remote and untouched as possible. Looking at the villagers and the simple life they lead simply melts your own problems away. Being there made your problems look so minute! Literally at the edge of the world ...

We found a Beautiful Restaurant which served fresh seafood (but of course). The ambience was pretty cool too with paper lanterns and the sea breeze lulling you to sleep. We ordered black pepper and garlice squid (delicious!) and sea salt prawns. I forgot to take pictures of the dishes, was to busy eating and when I remembered plates were cleared.

Satiated stomachs here and too bad we had a rather long drive back to the hotel cause the sea breeze of Andaman was making it difficult for us to open our eyes!

This is the beach front from the place we stayed. The sky was clear that night and you could see almost every star in the sky. At night, the restaurant lets you dine on the beach, very romantic!

The chalets .....

There are more pictures of course and will get to them soon....

Khalif and Ali at Play

My nephew Khalif celebrated his first birthday mid of Dec 2009. He is growing so well and is oh so cute. The girls love him and simple dote on him. Ali seems to like the idea of having him around too but I think it won't be long till they start having boy squabbles together. As it is they already fight for the same toys.

Khalif came over for a romp with the kids some time ago and Ali was trying to be the big brother, showing Khalif how to play. Ya, by trying to take everything away from him!

At this time Khalif is a fast crawler and can take baby steps holding on to his parents' hands. I have not seen him since ( ya, everyone has a busy parenting schedule) but I hope he can walk now.

He looks so much Like Murni, my sis in law, but has my brother's dimpled smile. That feature makes Ali and Khalif look so much alike. Guess it will only be the dimples to say they are cousins.

I also can't wait to hear Khaif speak. His first words are deep grunts, all that baby sound! He seems to have a rather deep voice unlike Ali's high pitches. I think if Khalif spent more time with the girls he will be talking in no time. I noticed that Ali's speech has improved tremendously and I am sure being around with his sisters helps very much with his development. Of course he has also picked up words I don't really like for example "silly" and it is so much trouble to kick him off the habit. And they fight, especially Nadiah and Ali. I thought the six year age gap would automatically cease that activity but I was wrong. Guess siblings will be siblings. Wait till No 4 comes, then we can see some different action.

Khalif Sucks his Thumb!

My nephew Khalif is nine months and oh so cute ... he has taken to jumping up and down and loves it! Very much like his father at that age. He has such soft brown hair and soft white skin and his legs .... oooo ... little drumsticks!

This is Khalif and Murni, and he is such an attention seeker, always looking for his mommy now. He can sit up pretty steadily and he has even taken to rushing for the same toys Ali is holding. I can't wait to see him moving around on his tiny feet.

And the nost shocking thing is, he sucks his thumb just like Nadiah! After every feed, he will stick his thumb in his mouth and suckle a little before he starts jumping again! Makes me wonder where all this thumb sucking started in the first place.

The dilemma I am faced with now is how to get her to stop! She will be 8 in a few weeks time and still loves her thumb so much! Murni even scared me with a story of her sis who sucked until her teen years. Yikes!

Najihah couldn't get enough of Khalif, she finds him so adorable and cute. Bet she can't wait till he is a little bigger and she can play with him. By that time, she will have her little own baby brother or sister too. Hmmmm ...

Desserts Galore ...

I had break fast with my mom last night and came back very full, as usual lah when you eat at your mom's place! Last night's event was made more memorable cause two of my aunties and two of my cousins came too.

We had Mak Itam and her daughter Sarah as well as her grandkids Ameera and Kristen. We had Mak Ngah and her second child Kak Hani. Kak Hani stays in London but is here cause her father had a cardiac arrest two weeks ago and is still in hospital. That's a different story.

She gave us some good news yesterday: she is coming back for good next year. She says she has had enough of living in England and wants to be with family. Infact, since her brother (who was staying in London too) got married last year and moved here, all her siblings are here.

My kids playing with their cousins after their stomachs were all full ...

This was dessert ... my aunty bought them from a place called Baker's in Ampang ... simply delicious! Aishah and I helped my mom with the bread and butter pudding. Now that I am writing this I am thinking non-stop about it! Sigh ... the falls of fasting..

It was nice to just sit and chat and eat ... share old stories and tell what's going on in our lives. It is not easy to get the whole clan together but this little dose is good enough. On the table in the big jar is the trifle my mom made, also very delicious. You are probably saying this is all dessert, what did we eat for break fast. Hahahaha ... break fast was good lah but never as good as the desserts!

From left: Mak Itam, Mak Ngah and Kak Hani. They were full but waiting for desserts!

A closer look at the desserts my aunty brought with her. The eclairs were to die for. The chocolate one used dark chocolate and I love dark chocolate so it was a real treat! Just look at the fresh cream .... yummy ...

It is very seldom that we get to buka puasa with aunts or uncles and cousins so this was a real treat eventhough the invite list was small. I hope to organise a buka puasa with the cousins but not sure if its a good time with an uncle being in hospital and all. Let us all pray for his speedy recovery.

Hope everyone is having a good Ramadhan ...

Kids in Janda Baik

When I went up to Fraser's Hill with my friends last weekend, Bob took the kids to Janda Baik. We have a friend who owns a beautiful sprawling bungalow there. It is by the river and a really nice place to chill. He has a homemade lake where you can go boat paddling too.

The kids love the river and we have even camped out there a few times. It is really cool at night and almost freezing in the morning. I remember one time we were camping out but we had to run into the house in the middle of the night cause it started raining too hard.

Ali as usual, loved being there as the pictures show. He loves the water now and also the camera!

This is our neighbour, Cikgu Rahman, obviously trying to catch some fish into his net. Not sure if he was succesful though ..

I like this picture best, Ali chilling with Bob up at the house. I like the way their positions are about the same. Ali follows everything his father does these days. Must be careful what Bob does I guess!

The water must have not been so cold cause the girls don't look like they are freezing here. But then again, they don't look so wet either!

Ali all decked out in his swimsuit ... looks a bit forlon though. Maybe missing his Mama?!?

I love these pictures and the happy faces of the kids. Even kids need some time out and a chill break huh!

Krabi June 2009

These are some pictures taken during the recent holiday in Krabi, Thailand. Some of you might wonder doesn't this family have anywhere else to go. Well, it is a nice place, really. The pace is good and ideal for a holiday mood. And a holiday is always about the food right! If you ask me how many times we have been there, I honestly can't remember. Too many times I think until most of the people know us there, especially the lady who gives Thai Massages on the beach!

Ali all smiles ... he was already down with fever at this time. Kinda spoilt the holiday for him I think but he managed to get some fun in too am sure

I like the mood of this picture. Such a classic! What with the sunset and all ...

The two girls trying hard to catch the waves on Aonang Beach Ali was sick towards the end of the stay. This is him looking so forlorn with a cool pack on his forehead

Najihah and Nadiah got their hair braided this time. They looked so cute, like Bo Derek! It took about an hour to do and cost me RM60 a head. Hmmmm ... holiday okay lah kut!

We took all the braids out a day before going back to school

Ali learnt to blow bubbles. He tried very hard to teach him and after many tries he managed to blow some

My friend Mimi went crazy over the mangga with pulut. It is delicious indeed. The pulut there is different and the santan that goes with it is exquisite

As usual, waiting for food. What is a holiday without food rite! I sincerely believe a holiday is all about food. One of the reasons why we opted for Krabi (again) and not Terengganu. The food there not as good as in Thailand

This is buah kelubi. I have never heard of it until I married Bob so ... and no, I have not tasted them. They don't look very interesting to me lah

On our way to Krabi, we stopped at Kok Lanta where our friend Rath stays. His sister and mom are excellent cooks and as usual we were given a spread fit for a king! Bob trying out fresh coconut with the girls

Was trying to get them to pose for a picture on our way to Krabi. So hard to get them all to smile, or look at the camera at the same time

All in all it was a good holiday and I am now on an official diet by the way. Have eaten way too much and it's so not good. I enjoyed Krabi a lot this time, felt very relaxed despite some sad news and Ali being sick. Can't wait for the next holiday!

Aishah turns 27

My little sister Aishah turned 27 years old on June 6. Not so little anymore I guess. We were not able to celebrate it with her on her birthday because she had other plans of course. Well, what do you expect from a 27 year old.

I remember when she was born and growing up with her was really fun. I adored her as a little girl. She was really cute! And very nakal too!! Over the years we have remained friends and she is more than a sister to me. Not forgetting the fact that she is also a very reliable errand girl! She used to be a very good baby sitter too but with her busy work schedule, social life and what not, she doesn't have the time to do anymore.

She is also very good at doing groceries for me too. She did this for me every week, infact sometimes twice a week, when I was in confinement with Najihah and Nadiah. At that time she was still studying so she had all the extra time in the world.

Aishah is planning a move to Australia, a migration. The real deal, with a PR and all. I know she has to lead her own life but it would be oh so sad to see her go.

For her 27the birthday celebration, we had high tea the next day at my mom's place in Shah Alam. My mom cooked a lot of nice yummy food and I had tea and dinner as well.

This is nenek with her two grandsons, Ali and Khalif. They both didn't look very happy that they had to share her. Am so hoping they will be friends but looking at the dagger looks there were giving each other, am not so sure!

Amir and I bought her a chocolate mousse cake. Aishah and I celebrate our birthdays together every year as they are one week apart. It is our ritual to get a chocolate mousse cake fro Shangri-La in KL cause it is THE BEST. This year, we didn't do the usual but we had to get her a cake anyways so I tried the one from the Apartment at the Curve. Their mousse which is served in a cup is really delicious but the cake is not so good lah. Quite a disappointment> Even the two girls were waiting anxiously for that oh so sweet taste.

We were all standing around for the this picture. Not sure what we were waiting for ... but you can tell the girls were getting impatient.

I like this picture .... Another year wiser perhaps my little sister!

Mama cooked up a real storm. This dish is celery sticks stuffed with cream cheese and topped with walnuts. It was delicious!

We also has this beef pie. The crust was the best part. Infact, the two girls only wanted the crust ... hmmmmm!

This is another favourite dish of ours. Its called potato gratin (bottom left) This was the first to go. I think I could just eat this the entire day and be satiated.

Me and my little sister, Aishah. Happy Birthday my dear. Lots of love and hugs....