FEMALE ONLY

During the mid-term school holiday, I made a bold decision  to drive 540 km to Hat yai, Thailand with my sisters and their daughters.

Hat yai famous for its toot-toot car, food and elephant....

Of course my dear worried husband would not allowed but eventually he relented and give in to my daily whining demands.

We started our journey at 6.30am on a cool Wednesday morning and made a stop at the Tapah Rest Area for a late breakfast and continue our journey to Alor Setar at about 12.30noon for lunch.

Mesmerizing view along the highway...

After lunch, we visited a relative whom we have not seen for a long time.

At about 3.00pm, we proceed with our journey and the drive from Alor Setar to the Thai border was a beautiful sight with green padi fields lined up all the way on both side of the road.

Suckling pig is a famous delicacy in Hat yai also..

Upon reaching the border, we parked our cars at the Bukit Kayu Duty Free Complex and boarded a rented van to Hat yai.

All female holiday :)

Our stay at the Lee Garden Plaza Hotel was a pleasant one and did not scares us one bit although it was known for its notorious bombing last March.

Overall, Hat yai is still the same to me after my last visit 2 decades ago except that the traffic has gotten worse in term of human and machine.

The food is still great but it is no longer cheap and you can find more massage parlors in every crooks and corners.

Crafts and food found at the morning market...

On day 2, we hired a van to take us on a day trip to Songkla which is about an hour drive from Hat yai.

Places of worship in Songkla..

Basically, Songkla is more of a place for worship and it is famous for its elephant farm.

Feeding the elephants at the farm..

It seems Samila beach is a must visit in Songkla because it is famous for its white sandy beach and the symbolic mermaid statue.

Samila Beach...

Shopping in Hat yai is nothing to shout about but we truly enjoy the foot massage.

After a relaxing foot massage...

After spending 4 days in Hat yai, its time for the long drive home.

Traffic was fine except that when we were crossing the Malaysian border, there was a long queue because only 2 counters were open at the immigration. Guess the people working there are still in Hari Raya mood.

The drive home was smooth sailing all the way until half way through the journey, a monkey dash out from nowhere along the highway and went right in front of my car.

Driving at 120kmph, I would not risk the life of everyone in the car but to drive straight through.Everybody was shaken but otherwise fine.

Souvenirs my daughter got for her friends..

I feel so sorry for the poor lost soul and could not do much but said a prayer for it.

We reach home past Cinderella's time at half past twelve midnight and of course logically, our cars did not turn into a pumpkin nor do the human change into any kind of animals except that we are all dead tired.

The worried hubby a.k.a. daddy was waiting anxiously for his queen and princess with a face full of relief....and so the journey ends with a beautiful note...AND THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

A DAY OF FUN WITH MOM, THE KIDS AND THE DOGGIES...

I never knew I can derive so much pleasure on such a simple outing with mom and her grand and great-grand children, which of course makes me their grand aunt.

The outing was plan in accordance with the mid-term school holiday.

Mom was looking forward to this outing as she has not had such an adventure for a long time.

The afternoon takes off well with the weather on our side although chaotic because there were eight children and eight adults in tow which total up to  sixteen of us. What a lucky number!

We went to a nice and cozy coffee shop where they serves fresh hot toast and heavenly tasting freshly brewed coffee.

Coffee & Toast

Mom enjoying an afternoon of delight...

After coffee, it was time to put mom,s new wheelchair to test.

We went to the dog park which was located behind the coffee shop.

Mom was so delighted to see so many cute and angelic doggies..

She even made friends with some dogs and their owners and a cute little beagle named Hugo even adopted mom as his grandmother,...awwww so sweet.

Mom giving Hugo a good squeeze on the cheeks..

The children has their fair share of fun playing at the park also.

The kids having fun...

under the watchful eyes of their granny...

When we were about to leave the park, a rainbow peep through the clouds and form a kaleidoscope of colors in the sky.

Beauty from above...

Everybody was so in awe to see such magical display from mother nature and we are all so blessed to have such a united and loving family.

Me checking-out mom,s new wheels...

We ended the day with a sumptuous dinner  at a nearby Chinese restaurant.

And I am looking forward to have more outing with mom whenever times permit me....

Wholesome food to tantalize the taste bud...

CANDY CRUSH CRAZE

The game has become hotter and sweeter....

After Farm ville which got many potential farmers hook including myself, now people has develop a sweet tooth for Candy Crush.

I remember swearing under my breath that I would not get hook on games anymore after I have wean myself off farming.

But it seems that the candy is too much to resist.

I was tempted when I see people playing the game on the LRT, in the restaurant and it is no help when I receive request on my Face book to play the game.

Needless to say, after my first taste, I was craving for those two dimensional, calorie-free candies.

The game requires you to arrange three or more candies in a row so that you can pop them and achieve certain objectives for each level which gives me the sugar high everytime I did it.

My favorite non virtual sweets....

As you go to a higher level, there are more tricks to be solved and as an amateur, I was quite proud of myself when an aunt who has been playing the game way ahead of me enlisted my help when she was stuck in a certain level.

Yours truly is now waiting for tickets from fellow gamer to continue my journey to level 156 which is quite an achievement for someone who started playing just about a month ago... LOL, ego boosting can be good for the sweet soul.

But than again, the enthusiasm for Candy Crush is reminiscent of other crazes.

On a normal human interacting days with my daughter.. .

Remember Pet Society, Restaurant City, Angry Birds and a few others which was such a huge phenomenon worldwide?

But the things with crazes and fads is that they fade.

Popular games on Facebook....

We get all  hot and heavy over something when the fire is burning bright  but move on soon after, forgetting the previous phase.

Unbeknownst, I wonder what will be the next craze when the sugar fizzles...

AVID GAMERS....

Online games has really catch on with the oldies.

A very common sight on our weekend gathering..

I was bombarded by an uncle for not giving him lives and tickets which he has requested for his Facebook games....LMD!

It used to be the youngsters craze when Facebook first started and practically most parents are dead worried about their children's game addiction.

Looks like the ballgame has been turn around.

A familiar scenario is at the dinner table.

The young and the old will be fully engrossed in their electronic gadgets instead of communicating with each other.

Ipad has become the expensive toys for young children in order to keep them quiet and  their parents happy.

People commuting in public transport looks extremely busy tapping away on their smart phone.

In the home front, I am guilty as charged also although it happens only on weekends.

This is no good excuse for my sins as weekends should be spend more meaningfully with family members rather than a piece of machine.

Uncle Jay, and avid online gamer....

For not calling the kettle black, whether it is weekends or public holidays, we should make sure that we will have a good balance of quality time for human and machine for the sake of sanity.

And of course, the young ones also....

In the meantime, happy gaming if you are one of the guilty ones...

OF DREAMS AND SPIRITS

My husband family photo(His mother, grandmother & father which has passed  away)

Do you believe in supernatural being and the unrest soul?

I am not sure about it myself and have mix feelings about it.

I have this very real dream about a close relative  who has passed on about 10 years back.

I woke up scared and soaking wet and felt his presence in the room.

Photo of my parents(My mom is 86yrs old  now and my father passed away at the age of 60yrs old) 

He came into my dream voicing out his displeasure about some family dispute which is actually happening.

I felt that I am being asked to convey a message from the netherworld.

At first I was  hesitance as I felt it was merely a dream but after a lengthy discussion with my husband, we felt that we should not ignore the dream.

So I dutifully do what I had to do and never in my life felt so relief.

My eldest brother-in-law which has passed away at the young age of 53yrs old.

Dreams or real, I hope that I have help this dead relative of mine and may his soul rest in peace.

If duties summons again which I hope not, I will gladly be the ever efficient messenger although it really spook me out.



 

THE 13TH GENERAL ELECTION IN MY COUNTRY

The long awaited 13th general election held on the 5.5.2013 is over.

Flags of UMNO a component party of Barisan National.

Practically everyone was keeping vigil on the night of the election by updating themselves on the internet or TV awaiting the results.

The green flag of PAS, the component of Pakatan Rakyat....a strong opposition group in Kelantan.

This is also one of the most memorable election I have ever seen as 85% of the nation turn up to cast their vote.

The opposition ..DAP.

When the results was announced slightly past midnight, the phenomenon that swept through the social network was unbelievable.

A faithful supporter casting her vote in her wheelchair...

The indelible ink....

People started to get emotional.

The victors bask in their glory while the defeated mourn their loses.

Certain irresponsible parties spread racial slurs on the social network and there were a lot of accusation of foul play amongst supporters and leaders.

This is certainly a sad day for my country and her people because racial issues has been brought up but I hope that it would not divide us as a nation in term of our skin colors.

Voters travelling back to their hometown ....

I would still want to greet my Malay neighbors every morning and be invited to their Hari Raya Puasa celebrations or go for teh tarik in the Indian restaurant and indulge in some gossip with the waiter.

Hari Raya Puasa party celebrated by different enthic group.

A typical Indian restaurant...

After listening to Ray Stevens singing Everything Is Beautiful, I still have hope for mankind as part of the lyrics really inspire me to think so.....

"We shouldn't care about the length of his hair, or the   color of his skin.
  Don't worry about what shows from without, but the love that lives within.
  And we're gonna get it all together now; everything gonna work out fine.
  Just take a little time to look on the good side my friend,
  And straighten it out in your mind."

PLEASURE RIDE

Having the luxury of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) almost at our doorstep, I did not know that I am so blessed with this convenience until my daughter enter her secondary school years.

As her school is located in the heart of the city, it is impossible to drive her to school.

The Sri Rampai Station which is about 10mins walk from my house.

Priority seats....

Delicious looking door..

 
Our next best choice is of course taking  the LRT and for the first time ever, I am all praise for our public transport.

A fancy looking train..

It has been five months now and the LRT has never failed me in term of punctuality.

Being car-less in KL turned out to be a very much pleasant experience compare to the traffic madness which  I used to face when I am driving.

Riding the train during rush hours...

An empty coach when the rush is over

The stations and trains were clean with adequate air-conditioning, even when there were packed with passengers and what I appreciate most is part of the above-ground view it offered unlike the trains in Singapore and Hong Kong where their trains runs underground throughout the whole journey.

Our holiday in Singapore travelling in the MRT

In Yau Ma Tei MRT Station in Hong Kong

A wedding couple riding the MRT in Hong Kong..

I could marvel endlessly at the beautiful architecture of our buildings that make an impressive city skyline and when I reach my destination at the Pasar Seni Station,  another beautiful sight which I never fail to miss are the hugh colourful  mural painted by talented unknown artist along the banks of the Klang River.

State-Of-The-Art Mural drawn by unknown talents by the banks of the Klang River...

It is also a consolation to see young people giving up their seats for the elderly or disable without prompt nor hesitation.

One of the many beautiful buildings in the city.

A kaleidoscope of modern building to feast the eyes.

A MRT track running through the heart of the city.

The atmosphere in the train is relaxed and no one ate or left plastic bags or talk loudly on their mobile even when the train is packed although occasionally we do see some mischievous students playing some harmless pranks among themselves.

I never expected to gain so much from a train ride but I am looking forward to experience more ethnicity, diversity and caring interaction among the human race in my future everyday ride on the LRT.