Underwater World, Waterfall @ Langkawi and PAIN

On the second day (15 September 2008) of our Langkawi trip, we visited the Underwater World. Overall, we enjoyed the exhibits especially the penguins. We also watched a diver feeding the fish. The 3D show was rather crappy. It was the first time for Jordan in a theatre and he behaved well. He sat down and watched the whole thing and commented certain parts of the movie.

At night, we had a lovely dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Kuah. Then, we went back to the chalets for more games.

16 September 2008
I suggested that we visited the Waterfall and the Seven Wells which are near the resort. It turned out to be a bad suggestion for me. I climbed almost 300 steps to reach the waterfall but it was quite worth it. The air was refreshing and I love the sound of the waterfall. If Seng Chor had not stopped me, I would have climbed another 300+ steps to reach the Seven Wells. Thank God, he did.

After the climb, we had cold coconut. It was cooling and refreshing. However, as I was finishing the coconut, I felt my stomach getting more and more painful. I walked to the car first. Seng Chor and Jordan were already in the car. After waited for the rest for about 5 minutes, we decided to drive back to the resort first. My pain was getting more and more intense. I walked slowly to the chalet. I thought that I would faint before I could reach the chalet. I stopped to rest. The pain was almost unbearable. It felt as if I needed to pass motion but nothing came out. I was in excruciating pain. It was so difficult to get in and out of bed. It took me about 1 – 2 minutes to get up. I didn’t feel hungry. All I felt was pain. I just lay on the bed the day. My stomach muscles were really painful even though I was lying down. I couldn’t move side ways.

The rest of the gang played games in the next room. They went out for dinner after that. They came with fried rice for me after 10 pm. I couldn’t really eat much – just a few spoons. I vomited. I thought that I would not be able to take the flight back to KL the next day.

Thank God that I was slightly better in the morning. I walked really slowly. Sahaya had to drive slower because a slight bump would give me great pain.

Overall, the flight was ok for me. But the journey in the van from the airport was terrible. The road was rather bad. It was a bumpy ride. I couldn’t stand the pain. I cried. Seng Chor told the driver to stop so that I could change seat with Sahaya who was seated in front. It was better - not so bumpy.

At night, I went to see the panel doctor and requested for 2 days of Medical Leave. There was not much difference for the next 2 days. My situation improved on Saturday and I was a lot better on Sunday. The muscle pain is still there until today but not much. It will take probably another week for me to fully recover.

Jemimah was moving really active after the climb to the waterfall. It felt as if she wanted to come out of the womb. She was stretching all the time which caused even more pain every now and then. She was fine when I went for my regular check up at the gynecologist on Monday. The gynecologist commented that she is happy. I wonder how he knows – probably she was like moving every now and then.

Thank God for protecting Jemimah and me throughout the trip.


The steps I conquered to reach the Waterfall - almost 300!

Berjaya Langkawi Beach and Spa Resort

14 September 2008 - 17 September 2008

It's our annual Berjaya resort holiday. This year, we choose to go to the Berjaya Langkawi Beach and Spa Resort in beautiful Langkawi Island, Kedah. This is my second time in Langkawi, and first time with Jordan.

Previous Berjaya resort trips:
2004 - Berjaya Tioman Beach, Golf and Spa Resort
2005 - Berjaya Redang Beach Resort
2006 - Berjaya Tioman Beach, Golf and Spa Resort
2007 - Berjaya Redang Beach Resort

We didn't do much on the first day. We had lunch in Kuah Town. Then, we checked in to our chalets - 2127, 2128 and 2129.

Next, we had a lovely refreshment and relaxing time at The Loaf Bakery which is owned by Tun Dr Mahathir. It is strongly recommended to try the famous ice Latte at the bakery. The scenery outside the bakery is beautiful.

After tea, we had dinner at the Ramadhan Bazaar in the Kuah Town. Finally, we visited a duty free shop and went back to our chalets for games.

That was the first day at Langkawi.

Berjaya Langkawi Beach and Spa Resort

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Our Food

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The Loaf Bakery

Unforgettable Redang May 2008 (Part 3)

3 May 2008 (Saturday)

For breakfast, I ate noodle instead of nasi lemak. I also took porridge and a piece of toast with butter and jam.

I had a relaxing stroll along the beach. This time I went to the left side of Redang Bay Resort. There are also 4 resorts along this side but one of them is unoccupied. The construction seems completed but heard that the owner wants to sell it.

After the stroll, it was time to send the divers off. Then, I went back to the chalet – prayed for 40 minutes and watched C. I. B. Files episodes until lunch time.

The divers arrived back very late – about 2 pm. I couldn’t wait for them, so I ate lunch on my own. Only Seng Chor and Florence joined me but they didn’t take rice. Florence ate only fish. Seng Chor ate more. Because the food is cold already, they ordered something else from the shops outside.

Bad news - My life jacket from the resort was stolen from the Dive Centre. I left it in the basket together with the rest of their diving stuffs. On the first day, I took it to the chalet but I decided to leave it in the Dive Centre the next day. It was a bad decision indeed. I prayed that somehow the person would return it so that I would not be fined.

As usual, after lunch it was C. I. B. Files marathon until tea time. I had 2 cakes, 2 small buns, red bean soup and a cup of tea. It’s too bad that the divers missed their afternoon tea again. My fun dive was scheduled at 5:30 pm after their final rescue dive practical. Woohoo!

The swimming pool was not occupied. I practiced for about half an hour. My hands and legs coordination improved. I could manage for 4 swings – right, left, right and left. Previously, it was only 2 or 3. I was really happy with my achievements. I didn’t use the snorkeling gear. When people started to arrive at the pool, I headed for the sea. No life jacket, so I was really careful that I don’t go to deep. Yesterday, I went too deep and I nearly panicked. Only my toes could touch the bottom. I moved slowly to the shallow end. Phew!

It was 5:30 pm but still no sign of the divers. I waited and waited. When they eventually arrived, they had to complete the rescue diver practical sessions first. So, I waited and waited again. It was about 6:45 pm.


The Highlight
Finally, I heard the call, “Christine.” I went over to the dive site. I borrowed most of the diving equipment from Florence:

• BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) with Oxygen tank


• Regulator


• Boots


• Fins

I borrowed the mask and weight belt from Seng Chor. I couldn’t really sink without the weight belt. Three of them had to help me put on the diving gear. Florence helped me with the BCD and the boots. The guys assisted me in putting on the fins and weight belt. I felt like a queen. Hehehe! Next, Che Leong taught me some skills:

a) Regulator Recovery
It is essential that I know how to recover the regulator if it accidentally fell off from my mouth.
The steps:

1. Take the regulator out from my mouth


2. Blow some bubbles


3. Place the regulator back to my mouth and blow again (just in case got water)

After a few trials, I was successful. I showed the ‘ok’ sign with my hands whenever I succeeded in performing the skill.

b) Clearing the Mask
Steps:

1. Fill the mask with water half way from the top.


2. Tilt my head.


3. Drain the mask by breathing out through my nose, from the bottom of the mask through a small gap.

This was tough. I managed to do it well only after 4 or 5 attempts.
As a sign of my success, Che Leong shook my hand.

c) Dealing with ear pressure
This was interesting. When my ears get painful because of the pressure, I need to hold my nose tightly and blow, and ears would go, “Pop”. That will stop the pain.


The Real Thing
I’m ready! Seng Chor was ready with the camera. I dived! At first, I couldn’t see much. It was also getting dark – 7 pm already. There were not many fishes around. I tried to kick as much as I could. After the dive, I found out that Che Leong was holding up my tank most of the time because I was sinking and wasn’t really moving forward. Poor him! It was tiring for him. At one time, I was so scared because there was a dark area, that I held his hand for quite a distance. It happened after I saw a Potato Garoupa. Next, Che Leong pointed to a baby shark. It was a Black Tip. It disappeared behind the coral quite fast. According to the divers, I was extremely blessed to see shark at this depth. Throughout the dive, he kept asking me whether I was ok or not using the hand signal. I ‘popped’ my ears a few times. It was interesting. Seng Chor was busy taking photos of me. I even posed with the ‘ok’ hand signal. Hehehe! We dived one round the corals.

The dive lasted for only about 10 – 15 minutes. It was one of bravest things that I have ever done and I am really proud of myself. If nothing happens, I will go for the PADI Open Water Diver Certification in July. Hopefully, Che Leong will not be scared to be my instructor. Hehehe!

Achievements for the day:
• Swimming with more hand strokes
• Snorkeled without life jacket
• First dive and saw shark

Praise the Lord!

Unforgettable Redang May 2008 (Part 2)

2 May 2008 (Friday)

We woke up around 7:00 am.
Breakfast menu:
Nasi Lemak
Fried Noodle
Chicken porridge
Toast with Butter and Jam
Buns
Hot drinks – Milo, Tea, Coffee

I had Nasi Lemak, a bit of noodles, a bowl of porridge and a cup of tea.

After breakfast, it was time for the divers to gear up. I took pictures of them as they were preparing for the dive. The whole process took about 10 – 15 minutes. It was like making a documentary for the National Geographic. Hehehe!

Once they were onboard, I took a stroll to the Mo Mo Tea Souvenir shop. I snapped a lot of pictures along the way. Around 9 am, I went back to the chalet. What did I do?

Prayed for 40 minutes
Watched the first episode of the C.I.B. Files Hong Kong Drama Series

The divers came back to rest at around 11 am. So, I joined them for a drink before their next dive.

Then, I went back to the chalet and watched a few more episodes. After the agenda, it was then time to greet the divers again and have lunch. They arrived back later than the day before. This was their 5th dive.

After lunch, it was drama series marathon for me until tea time. I had cakes, barley and tea. The divers missed the afternoon tea.

I swam for awhile in the pool but I didn’t really swing my hands. Next, I proceeded to the sea for snorkeling. I swam a bit. The experience was not as overwhelming as yesterday – second time already. Seng Chor and the rest were also doing the Rescue Diver course after their 6th dive that day.

I had a good shower before the BBQ dinner – fried rice, noodle, potato, fish, lamb, beef, fried chicken and watermelon. Then, four of us (excluding Che Leong) walked all the way to the Mo Mo Tea Souvenir Shop. We bought 3 T-shirts – one for Seng Chor, one for me and of course, another for Jordan. Seng Chor used his camera to take the night scenes. We took a longer time to walk back as we visited the various resorts along the way. We also checked out the room rates and diving packages. There are all reasonable. One of them (Redang Beach Resort) is even cheaper than Redang Bay Resort with better room condition. Laguna Beach Resort is more expensive but still considered reasonable for family trip with children – about RM 250 more than Redang Bay Resort but the environment is much more appetizing.

Before I bed, I watched one episode of the C.I.B. Files. I was looking forward to my fun dive tomorrow.

Mo Mo Tea Inn

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Laguna Beach Resort – Night and Day

Unforgettable Redang May 2008 (Part 1)

First Day – traveling
It was Wednesday, 30 April 2008. Seng Chor and I left the house at around 5:30 pm. Patrick and Florence (Patrick’s wife) came to pick us up. Che Leong, the Dive Instructor was already in the MPV. So, there were altogether 5 of us for this trip. Their main mission was to complete the Rescue Diver certification course and be certified as a Rescue Diver. My mission – to watch Hong Kong Drama Series, swim, snorkel, dive (if possible). Of course, the most important thing is to relax and have fun.

Patrick drove for about 1 and half hours. Because he was not feeling well, Seng Chor took over after that. We reached Cherating about 8 pm. We stopped over at Seri Ombak Restaurant for dinner. I ordered Soya Sauce Beef with rice and Horlicks with milk. It was quite tasty though the beef was a bit tough. Seng Chor ordered Paprick Rice. He was actually thinking of Pattaya Rice when he ordered it. So, he was a bit surprised when the dish was served. Overall, it was a satisfactory dinner for everyone except Patrick. He ordered porridge but didn’t have the appetite to finish it. Later, he even vomited.

We arrived Seri Malaysia Hotel, Kuala Terengganu at around midnight. Seng Chor has already booked 2 rooms – one double bed room which I shared with Florence, and a family room for the 3 guys. I was the only one who showered that night. The rest just washed face, brushed teeth and slept. My nose was giving me problems throughout the journey. I was a bit worried that I would disturb Florence during the night. But when I asked her the next morning, she said that I was really quiet – no sound from me at all. Praise the Lord!

Redang Bay Resort
We had buffet breakfast at around 7:30 am, and left for the Merang Jetty at about 8 am, and reached there before 9 am. The ferry was due to leave at 9:30 am. The ferry was really packed. We wanted to sit in the open area but it was fully occupied. So, we all sat at the lower deck.

I slept throughout the ferry ride. It took only about 1 hour to reach Redang Bay Resort. We arrived at around 10:30 am. For all my previous island trips, I stayed only in Berjaya Resorts. It was a huge difference indeed. I was surprised that they even provided free flow of welcome drink – orange cordial. No porter service. The seats in the Reception Area were arranged in multiple rows and 2 columns – like a bus station. The transportation of the luggage from the ferry to the resort was rather interesting. So, I snapped a few photos of it. After everyone has checked in, the lady made some announcements on the house rules. No microphone but she spoke loudly. All I could remember was the meal times. Hahaha! Very important indeed.

Breakfast: 7 – 9 am
Lunch: 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Tea: 4 – 5 pm
Dinner: 7 – 8 pm

Upon arrival, the four of them went to the dive centre to keep their diving stuff. I waited for them at the Reception Area until everything was settled. Then, we went to our respective chalets. The couples stayed in the chalets – next to each other, while the Dive Instructor stayed in the dorm.

The chalet
First impression on the room – “Bare Necessities” – double bed, dressing table with mirror and a cupboard – that’s all. No chair. No tv. No kettle. Perhaps the only thing that is attractive in the room is the painting. Somehow, I have a sense of contentment. At first I thought that no kettle means I couldn’t boil water for drinking. Later, Seng Chor told me that water is free flow at the dining area. Woohoo! No need to boil water at all. I don’t need to wait for the water to cool down before drinking. Just refill anytime from the container. I really love this!

The other thing I like about the room is that there are a lot of hooks for you to hang clothes/towel – one row behind the room door, 2 rows on the side wall, and 2 more in the bathroom. I would say that the resort is catered mainly for snorkels and divers. Yup, they need a lot of hooks to hang all the wet clothes. You can also hang the washing on the line outside the room to dry. It’s really convenient indeed.

Lunch
It was about 11 am. The four of them went out for their first dive trip at the Southern Tip. I slept in the room. At around 12:30, I went to the dive centre to wait for them. They returned almost 1 pm. Lunch was cold already but still tasted fine. The resort operators have allocated the food portion for each group. Each meal consists of soup, fish, chicken, taufu or wan tan and vegetables – 5 dishes altogether. For the first meal, the dessert was apple. I ate quite a lot.

The swimming pool
The pool is just outside our chalets. I only go to the pool after the afternoon tea when there was no one around. On the first day, Seng Chor accompanied me. He asked me to swim the whole length of the pool. I was not really confident. I didn’t realize that the other end is quite deep. I stopped when I saw the depth difference. Then, Seng Chor allowed me to swim along the width of the pool. To practice my legs and hands coordination, Seng Chor suggested that I use the snorkeling gear, so that I don’t have to worry about the breathing part. It was a good suggestion. I managed to improve. Firstly, I tried without moving hands. Then, next he asked me to move my hands. Amazingly, I could swing my hands quite well. I swam a few rounds – to and fro. Next, Seng Chor asked me to tilt my head to the side to breathe as I swing the hand. As he was giving me the instructions, he suddenly lost balance, and fell into the pool with his T-shirt on. It was so funny! So, he had to go back to the chalet to change. While he was away, I didn’t try the breathing part, just continued to swim with the snorkeling gear. When he returned, we adjourned to the dining area for tea. I had banana cake, fried banana fritters and green bean soup.

After tea, they had to gear up for the next dive trip. I snorkeled. It was the first time I snorkeled on my own in the open sea. Che Leong managed to get a life jacket for me, and I used Seng Chor’s snorkeling gear. So, I didn’t have to pay the resort for the equipment. I enjoyed it very much. The fishes were so close to me. I tried to touch them but obviously I couldn’t. It’s just so beautiful. Even though there were only 2 types of fish at the shore, I still enjoyed it. It was wonderful to swim with the fish.

After the diving trips, the divers continued with their Rescue Diver course which was very near to my snorkeling area. I observed them as they ‘rescued’ each other. When it was Florence’s turn, I switched with her husband half way, and became her victim. When it was time for her to drag her husband to the beach, I pretended to be her victim. I was quite tensed at the beginning and it was difficult for her to support me. Eventually, I relaxed and she piggy-backed me to the beach. Then, she pretended to perform the CPR on me. It was fun!

Dinner
We had the same type of food – soup, fish, chicken, vegetables and wantan. Oranges were served as dessert. After dinner, Seng Chor and I walked along the beach. We walked until the Mo Mo Tea souvenir shop – about 10 minutes. The building was actually the location for the movie “Summer Holiday” acted by Sammi Cheng and Richie Ren in 1999. I bought a fridge magnet as a souvenir. Along the beach, there were a few disco parties taking place – mostly Cantonese songs. There was a live English band as well at the Laguna Beach Resort. There are 4 resorts along that side of the beach, and 4 more on the left side of Redang Bay Resort.

That was the first day and first night at Redang Bay Resort.

Highlight of Redang Trip - Fun DIVE

Dr Cabokia had her first dive on Saturday, 3 May 2008 at Redang Island, off Redang Bay Resort. It was around 7 pm, 5 meters deep. It was truly magnificent and an unforgettable experience. More real stories coming soon…

Sunburn, Genting, and Patience with Jordan

Good news
After missing my swimming lessons for 3 weeks, I finally got to swim last Saturday. Seng Chor and I arrived at the club at 8 am. Jordan was at the babysitter. We waited for the rest of the divers until almost 8:30 am. While 4 of them including the instructor dived and ‘rescued’ each other on the other side of the pool, I swam. I started swimming about 9 am, and showered at around 2 pm. In between, I had breaks including lunch.

Bad News
I got sunburn on my back. I applied sun block on my face, hands and legs but I forgot about my back. My back and shoulders were rather painful the next day. It’s better now. Seng Chor got sunburn on his head because he has shaved his head. Hehehe!

Another Bad News
Even though I was swimming for about half a day, I still didn’t improve much. Sigh. I can float. I still use the float to move forward. My hands and legs are not coordinating. I tried but the moment I started to move my hands, my legs seemed to kick less, and I would sink. The breathing part is poor too. It’s worse because of my runny nose and blocked nose. I feel like giving up, and moreover, I don’t need to know swimming to learn diving. On the other hand, I am also thinking of getting a personal instructor to help me. This month, I am able to attend only one lesson. Hopefully, it doesn’t rain this Saturday evening. Well, just see whether I can progress further after this round.

Genting
After showering at the club, we picked Jordan from the babysitter. Then, we went home to pack. It was almost 5 pm before we left Genting to join the rest of the Teoh family members.

It was a good reunion. I haven’t seen one of the cousins from Johor for a few years. There were altogether 28 of us:

1) Seng Chor
2) Cabokia
3) Jordan
4) Pa-in-law
5) Ma-in-law
6) Huey Pin (sister-in-law)
7) Danny (Huey Pin’s hubby)
8) Jeffrey (Huey Pin’s son)
9) Li San (sister-in-law)
10) Tua Pek (Eldest uncle)
11) Tua Um
12) Kang Wei (cousin)
13) Tua Ko (Eldest aunt)
14) Ling Ling (cousin)
15) Ling Ling’s husband
16) Sa ko (Third aunt)
17) Uncle Wong
18) Christine Wong (cousin)
19) Fatty (Christine W’s hubby)
20) Nicholas (Christine’s son)
21) Tony (cousin)
22) Uncle Tong
23) Ming Wei (cousin)
24) Ming Wei’s girlfriend
25) Xian Chek (youngest uncle)
26) Xian Sim
27) Li Yuan (cousin)
28) Li Chen (cousin)

Disappointments
I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t take Jordan to the Theme Park. He had 3 indoor rides – that’s it. Hopefully, we can spend more time as a family next time.

I felt rather stressful actually. Before the trip, I kept telling myself to enjoy my time with Jordan. I know that I would have to take care of him full-time in Genting. I need lots and lots of patience. Unfortunately, I lost my temper with him on Saturday night when he refused to sleep. I think I smacked him almost 10 times during the period of 1 and a half hours. Smacked, cried, then up he went again. I was so tired after the swimming and my back was aching. It was so frustrating indeed. Finally, probably about midnight, he finally quiet down, and lied down on the bed.

Screaming Monday
It was before 10:30 pm when I asked him to go upstairs. Everyone was already upstairs. I switched off the lights in the living room. He refused to go up. I scolded him. He almost reached the room, when he wanted to go downstairs again. I scolded him loudly, and dragged him to the room, and put him inside the cot as a punishment. Then, immediately I went downstairs, leaving him with Seng Chor. I needed to cool down. I tidied up his toys. He was still crying when I went up – it was about 5 minutes. He threw all the toys out from the cot, sat at a corner. He didn’t want me to touch me. I said sorry to him few times and tried to carry him. Eventually, he allowed me to carry him. I almost cried too. After awhile, he calmed down.

Super patient Tuesday
Last night, I was super patient with him after screaming at him quiet badly on Monday night. About 10 pm, I took him upstairs. He washed up, drank his milk and watched Thomas for awhile. We turned off the lights at around 10:30 pm. He didn’t want to sleep yet. He was gathering all his pillows, bolsters and napkins together. Each time something dropped, he would ask me to pick it up. He didn’t allow me to sleep at the side, and kept asking me to move. There was anger inside of me boiling. I tried to reason with him. I told him nicely to sleep and lie down. It didn’t work. I ignored him. It didn’t work as well because he kept asking me to move and pick up things for me. He also kept asking me to roll up the napkins. It was supposed to be his ‘trains’. He would say, “Mummy fix Thomas”, “Mummy fix Percy”, “Mummy fix Toby”, “Mummy fix Rheneas”. It was non stop until almost midnight. I almost smacked him. Seng Chor woke up a few times to scold him, but Jordan just ignored him, or replied, “Don’t want”. Eventually, he grew tired, I guess and he lied down quietly, and slept.

Throughout the 2 hours, I was really helpless. I didn’t know what to do. Smack? Scold? Reason with him? I know that I shouldn’t smack him or scold him. Reasoning doesn’t seem to work. Ignoring him also didn’t work. All I did was complying with all his demands with extreme patience until he knocked out. This is not the first incident. It has happened many times, and probably many more to come. Any good advice?

Genting Trip and Paris (Photos)

Highlands Hotel Room

Dinner at Genting Restaurant

Dinner at New Paris Restaurant, SS2

Genting 28-29 December 2007

The Teohs were blessed by Seng Chor's ex-pilot instructor - Mr David Hu from Singapore in this trip to Genting.

Pictures from KK Trip

Simply Chocolate

Scenes from the Kota Kinabalu Observatory Tower

Gaya Seafood Restaurant

Sea Creatures in Ocean View Restaurant

My Primary and Secondary School – next to each other

Fabulous Family Trip in KK

First Day – Thursday, 11 October 2007

10 am – Departed from LCCT. Yoke Kheng sent us to the airport.
12:30 pm – Arrived at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) Terminal 2.
Greeted by my Mum and Dad

Lunch at home – fried noodles – one of Mum’s specialties.
Rested at home.

7:30 pm – Dinner at Supertanker with Uncle David and Aunty Doris.
Jordan felt asleep. So, we had a peaceful dinner.

KK city tour. Jordan continued to sleep.


Second Day – Friday, 12 October 2007

8:30 am – Dental appointment for Seng Chor and I – tooth scaling. It was a painful and wet experience for Seng Chor. His dental scaling took more than half an hour!

11 am – Visited the chocolate factory – Simply Chocolate in Jalan Penampang.
This is the first handmade chocolate factory in Sabah.
We could view the process of making the chocolates in the factory.
It’s my first visit to a chocolate factory. I was expecting a big premises but it was just a shop lot. Anyway, it was still an interesting visit, and we bought some chocolates back as well. They have lovely packaging for the chocolates.

Lunch – Dim Sum at Foo Phin Restaurant. It was good to see Jordan finishing more than half a bowl of the chicken porridge. He really enjoyed it.

In the evening, Seng Chor and I took Jordan to the Tun Fuad Stephens Park near our house. There is a lake in the park, with a lot of fish. We even saw a turtle swimming in the lake. Jordan was excited to see the fish and the turtle – there were all very big – about 4 - 5 feet. Jordan kept on repeating the words, fish and turtle, and pointing to them at the same time. As a child, I used to go to the park with my family. We would bring bread to feed the fish. The fish were small then. Now, they are huge. I wonder if they were the same batch of fish.

Dinner
My Mum cooked a lovely dinner for us. Jordan enjoyed the soup very much, and he kept on asking for more – “soup, soup, soup”.

After dinner, we wanted to visit my ex-schoolmate. Unfortunately, Jordan fell asleep.

Third Day – Saturday, 13 October 2007
Morning
We including my parents went to Karambunai Beach Resort. We walked around the Nexus Hotel. Seng Chor took Jordan for a walk on the beach but Jordan was still scared. He was reluctant to put his feet into the sea as well.

After that, Jordan sat next to a pond and had fun watching the fish swimming. There was a monitor lizard lurking near the pond as well. It also swam in the pond. Jordan was not afraid of it at all and even wanted to go near it. He really enjoyed himself that morning.

Lunch
We went back to Foo Phin Restaurant for dim sum again. This time Jordan ate the century egg porridge – he ate more than half a bowl as well.

3 pm
My ex-schoolmate Josephine and her hubby John picked us to visit another ex-schoolmate Agatha who was working at the Tambunan Golf Club. Even though the meeting was brief (about an hour), it was still good to catch up with one another.

7 pm
Sumptuous dinner with Jenny at Gaya Seafood Restaurant. It was a wonderful treat from Jenny – my ex-University mate. We had butter crab, steamed prawn, “tung fung lo”, “sayur manis” (Sabah vegetable) and garlic rice.


Fourth Day – Sunday, 14 October 2007 (Jordan’s 22nd month birthday)
Visited Church of the Good Samaritan – an Anglican church.
Aunty Doris took us there.
During the worship, Seng Chor babysat Jordan. What a good relief! I hardly had chance to sit through a worship session without any interruption. It was a refreshing time indeed. The best part – I got to sing my favourite song – “Jesus loves me this I know.” My eyes were almost filled with tears as we sang the song. God has reminded me of His love for me, and I long for His touch once again. Praise the Lord!

I took over from Seng Chor to babysit Jordan during the message time.
4 visitors from Doulos shared. They played a short video clip, introduced the gospel through a skit and ended with a message by the Malaysian who has been with Doulos for 20 years. He shared his experiences and the challenges as a missionary on Doulos.

The service started at 10 am, and ended slightly before noon.

Lunch at home – fish noodles from Tian-tian coffee shop (Dad’s favourite restaurant).

Dinner at Ocean View Restaurant
We celebrated Jordan’s 22nd month birthday. My mum bought him a 2 kg Black Forest cake from Strawberry Bakery. It was a big cake indeed!

Dinner was of course sumptuous – fish, steamed prawn, “tung fong lo”, 2 types of clams, sayur manis and ostrich meat.

Jordan ate some fish and cake. He was very fascinated with the fish, prawns, crabs, and lobsters in the aquarium.


Fifth Day – Monday, 15 October 2007 (Window shopping Day)

Had a light lunch at home.

Seng Chor, Jordan, my Mum and I visited the old and new shopping complexes in KK:
• Wisma Merdeka (old)
• Warisan Square(new)
• Centerpoint (old)
• City Mall (new)

Mum cooked dinner.


Sixth Day – Tuesday, 13 October 2007
Morning
Visited Doulos – bought books and a Children’s Discovery Bible for Jordan.
Went up to the Observatory Tower to take some pictures.

Lunch at home – once again, Jordan enjoyed the soup.

After lunch, we dropped by at Karamunsing Kompleks. Seng Chor wanted to check out the camera and hand phone prices.

Next, we visited my primary and secondary schools. Took some photos from the entrance.

6:45 pm
Left for the KKIA Terminal 2.
Flight was delayed for 25 minutes. The flight was not full. So, Jordan had his own seat, and he could also see the view from the window.

We arrived LCCT at 10:45 pm. We were greeted by Yoke Kheng.

The Teohs slept after 1 am.

Praise the Lord for a fabulous and memorable family trip!

3rd Tioman Trip and Sheraton Imperial

28 Sept 2007 to 30 Sept 2007
Seng Chor and I took a trip down Tioman Island – 3rd time for me and countless times for Seng Chor. Jordan was placed at the babysitter. We went together with Seng Chor’s colleague and family, and 2 other friends – 10 adults and 2 kids.

While Seng Chor and his friends were away diving, I spent most of the time in the room – watching TV and preparing PowerPoint slides for my lecture. How boring, right? I didn’t have any proper meal until Saturday night. Anyway, I pampered myself with the Signature massage at the resort. I enjoyed the boat ride to the nearby Pulai Island on Sunday morning – managed to tan myself a bit at the beach.

This is the first time I joined Seng Chor and his diving friends. It’s good to know them better and I do hope to join them more – maybe join them underwater in the near future. 

This trip is also part of our 7th wedding anniversary celebration.


At Mersing jetty, waiting for our ferry

Welcome drink at the resort

At Tulai Island

Sheraton Imperial, Kuala Lumpur – Saturday, 6 October 2007.
We ended our anniversary celebration with a one night stay at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel in KL. We celebrated the anniversary for almost a month. Hehehe! Jordan was with us and he had an excellent time – eating and exploring almost every corner of the room. This complimentary stay is one of the privileges as a club member of the hotel chain. We had complimentary buffet lunch and dinner too. This weekend retreat is worth more than the annual membership fee that we paid. So, it’s a good deal indeed!

We still have a few more vouchers for complimentary meal and cakes. We are looking forward to that but unfortunately no more complimentary stay.

On Saturday afternoon, we had a wonderful family outing at the latest shopping centre in KL - Pavilion. The best part - I got a cool new handphone - Sony Ericsson W660i - anniversary cum advanced birthday gift! Thanks, Seng Chor. Actually, the main reason for getting this mobile phone is that my LG phone is dead for no apparent reason. The old has gone, the new has come.

Sheraton Imperial

Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur

Family and Redang

First family photo in Redang

The Teohs' 1st bicycle ride

Dancing with Jordan

On the beach

In the room

In the lobby

Extended family

Even Jordan was posing...

At the Hai Peng Kopitiam