First Family Trip to Lombok

What a trip! It didn't turn out to be very relaxing since caring for J took place 24/7. In particular, G felt that it was a hardship trip and admittedly it was more tough on him since he had to be J's main caregiver given that I was rather out of action with the bun in the oven...

J seemed to love it (though) since he was like a mini-celeb at our resort. The staff were always playing with him and were always very attentive to our needs :) I can't say the same for the chickens and turkey who roamed around the resort since they were repeatedly chased by father and son! We even saw a chicken flew up twice to escape the chasing!

J's performance on the outbound flight was rather good since we were able to feed him and contain in within the confined space. The return flight was another story altogether! He refused food and was always shouting for us to "GO! GO! GO!" Well, it was rather miserable for us and the rest of the passengers alike even though we know he was finding it difficult to fall asleep despite being very tired. sigh!

All in all, it could be a while before we travel with J again given this experience (even though I think his vocabulary has expanded since the trip). Here's a few pics of the trip:

Maldives: An Unforgettable Trip

I think the pictures speak for themselves and I have taken many more photos of the beautiful scenes of Maldives (but nothing beats the real thing).

We chose Zithali, a resort that required seaplane transfer and it was a great decision since the ride came with breathtaking views of atolls. Our water villa at Zithali comes with a private pool, jacuzzi, rainshowers. For me, this was a holiday where I had no desire to be out of the hotel room to explore the surroundings. It seemed to be an incredibly expensive way to laze around (since J stayed behind in Singapore) but it was important time spent alone and as a couple. The most active activities we did were to snorkel and cruise around looking for dolphins and enjoy the sunset over the Indian Ocean. For someone like me who is scared of all other living creatures, the experience was outside of my comfort zone and it was actually fun!

On the return flight, I came across an article in the Singapore Airline magazine that listed the top travel destinations and unsurprisingly, Maldives made the list and it is definitely a place that I would revisit :)

Babymoon!

I really enjoyed myself in Melbourne knowing that the memories from this trip has to last for the next year or so... the company and weather was perfect so here are some snapshots from our babymoon in Melbourne!

Great Ocean Road

Puffing Billy in the Yarra Valley

Catching up with old friends...

Savouring THE most delicious iced chocolate

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I thought I would start a section for my little one...

Dear baby,

This Melbourne trip was taken when you were 19 weeks old... how did you like the trip? I thought it agreed with you since you had been really good throughout the flight. The only exception was during the bouncy ride to the airport when you performed a couple of somersaults!

Well, the funny thing is that we have been stuck in Melbourne time for these couple of days and have been falling asleep around 10 pm and waking up before Daddy does (which is always early!).

Can't wait to see you again in 2 weeks time!

Mummy

Happy times

1. Baby is growing - Can you see his hand? It was moving so the picture may not be very clear...


2. Visit by Nathalie, Bram and Xander (from Netherlands) - Xander is a boy (not girl)!



3. Upcoming Melbourne trip - Babymoon! =)

Random...

I am happy that my boy is growing well... he is 16 cm long at 16 weeks and seems to be quite active during the ultrasound scans =)

I am also pleased that our gynae has encouraged us to travel during mar/apr, the supposedly most stable period of the pregnacy...

I am so hoping that we will go for a short trip to relax before his arrival takes over my life...

I am looking forward to the day I can feel my baby kicking me...

I am amazed by how much thought a parent can give to a child...

Postscript

The Club Med experience was unique and all-inclusive. It was the first time I holiday-ed with all food, drinks, entertainment etc included... In some ways, Singapore is like a scaled-up Club Med, with manicured lawns and ample facilities and you pay high prices for the services/goods you get ;P

I also learn that some Club Meds actually have infant services for babies at 3 months old! What an excellent proposition for new mothers. I hope I get to go back some day and that G takes the not-so-subtle hint *beam*

Club Med in Bali

Was in Bali from 13 to 17 Nov with G, D and S. The timing was just right to celebrate G and my 3rd wedding ROM anniversary. As I am typing this blog entry, I am reminded to revisit Mandai Orchid Gardens, something that we try to do each year.

To my horror, I realised on the flight there that I had forgotten to pack my swimwear! What on earth was I thinking? Since we stayed at Club Med, I managed to get a tankini top and bottom easily from the boutique =)


All in all, it was an excellent break from work and we were all at least 2 shades tanner by the time we left Club Med. We were very gainfully occupied by aqua aerobics, archery, badminton, bocce ball, golf, kayaking, snorkelling, table tennis and trapeze! Through participating in the different tournaments organised, we also won a number of medals =)


Any trip to Bali cannot be complete without a massage but we only had one on the last day of our trip. And that was the only time we were out of Club Med, Nusa Dua and ventured to Kuta. I would have liked a thai massage to crack my joints but I think the JariJari massage worked well in the end given that my shoulders were sunburnt! The tan was about the only souvenir of the trip, along with the beautiful memories of Club Med =)

Back to school

Was in Hong Kong over the weekend for a university friend's wedding... very happy to see him tie the knot after 12 years of courtship =)

They took the effort to organise a Back to School theme wedding. Each guest received an orientation card with a picture, the banquet tables included childhood snacks and the serving staff wore harry potter-like costumes!

A short trip that was hectic but enjoyable nonetheless:
- chance to catch up with BS, JL and get to know LT
- first time in Shenzhen
- first time to visit Buddha at Lantau Island
- first time in the midst of typhoon 1 rating (not too exciting but the good thing was this happened on the last day of the trip)
- shopping! =P

But, there were some misfortunes too:
- booked hotel, printed confirmation but there was no address to our horrors! Thank goodness for the helpful MTR staff!
- booked hotel for the wrong date and ended up paying for an extra day =(
- left phone in hotel room but upon checking out realised my folly - phew!
- Reached airport early but I dallied and had only minutes to reach the gate but it was so far away and required me to take the shuttle trains! I ran with my stuff to reach the gate but ended up with a portion of my boarding pass missing! To my relief, another passenger picked up the lost portion and returned it to me just as the airline staff was about to question me =)

Rooftop of the World

A long time since the last post... Went to Tibet with parents, in-laws and G for 10 days. Thankfully, the trip went well and none of us experienced altitude sickness. I guess taking 红景天 helped (found out about this thanks to OY).

Our journey took us to 西宁 (Xining), 青海湖 (Koko Nor), 塔尔寺 (Kumbum Monastery). I felt really happy travelling to 青海湖 as the canolas were in bloom and provided a sharp contrast to the blue lake.


The main part of our trip took place after we board the train that took us along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. In my view, the construction of the railway is no mere feat since the highest point has an elevation of 5,010 meter, and the oxygen content of the air is only 50 percent of low-lying areas! Mercifully, we 'survived' the small cabin space - 6 pax to a cabin!


At 拉萨 (Lhasa), we toured the main tourists sites including 布达拉宫 (Potala Palace), 大昭寺 (Jokhang) and 八角街 (Bakhor Street). I was touched by the sincerity of the Tibetans who would prostrate all the way from their hometown (many many months of foot journey) to reach Lhasa's Jokhang and Bakhor Street. Was told that the rich would have their folks waiting on them along the way but the poor would simply beg for their meals...

We also travelled west to 日喀则 (Shigatse) and the sights were amazing! We rode through/past so many mountains but this mountain range is considered one of the 'youngest' in the world and is still growing. Here is when I really admire our shifu for bringing us across all the mountains (and back) safely... We stopped by 羊卓雍錯 (Yamdroktso), one of the three largest sacred lakes in Tibet. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams and shines with the most brillant turquoise colour. We also visited 扎什倫布寺 (Tashilhunpo Monastery) but I was more impressed by the scenery than the monastery ...


The trip ended in 昆明 (Kunming) where I met up with J, a friend whom I have not met in 6 years! She's returning to notthingham for PhD in October and I'm glad we had the chance to catch up!

Some firsts in this trip (even though I consider myself quite a seasoned traveller):

• Travelling with both sets of parents... felt that they overshopped but I guess it makes them happy too so maybe shopaholism is inherited?
  

• Surviving the longest train ride of my entire life by peeing just once in that entire journey (25 hours!)... Considering the amount of water I drink and that I visit the washroom at least 4 times in a workday...


• On a related note on washroom, this is the first time I experienced the full Chinese toilet culture...


• Seeing two arches of rainbow appear simultaneously at a holy place - the seat of the Panchen Lama... really a special moment that I will remember and treasure forever.


• Got to know a guide who would help his tour members refund overpriced items they bought...


• and I got a rosary (from the same guide)...
  


• and another (last but related to travelling) first for this blog - using Mandarin!

Angkor dreams

I remember reading about Angkor Wat or 吴哥窟 in a secondary school chinese textbook and dreamed of visiting the place one day. This dream was realised recently when I visited Siem Reap with R.

We went to Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm and Bantaey Srei and each temple left a different impression on me. Angkor Wat is extremely majestic but the crowds drove us nuts... Bayon exudes an extremely zen feeling whereas Ta Prohm is like an enchanted forest... Bantaey Srei has the most amazing carvings and it is definitely worth a visit despite a 30 min drive away from the main temple grounds.

I have included selected pictures of my trip in the form of a slideshow below (in all honesty, starting this blog has allowed/ forced me to learn new technology). Enjoy! =)

Top of the World

The trip to Sabah finally materialised after it was postponed in Feb. Had a good time and tried out new things like white (more like brown) water rafting, climbing a mountain and catching a glimpse of the rafflesia. The climb must be the most memorable part of the trip and it was tough, even though KK is supposed to be an 'easy' mountain to summit....

We started THE DAY at Celyn Resort with a fabulous view of the entire mountain range. I felt in awe of KK but maintained my determination to summit Low's Peak. After breakfast, we met Miki, driver and friend, to head for park HQ to pick up our guide en route to Mesilau. Some shots at the start of the day:




We were blessed with fine weather so the climb up via Mesilau was beautiful. Even though the trail could be difficult at times with steep steps, our spirits were high and the distance was not felt. Nonetheless, I was so looking forward to reaching the 5.5 km intersection with the Timpohon route, the first milestone. At the same time, it was timely for a longer break to consume our packed lunch even though we were not that hungry but it helped to lighten the load for our guide cum porter Yasuan. Along the way, we met 4 other Singaporeans, a group of 11 Koreans and countless number of Malaysians. We later found out through new friends, Y & J that they were climbing to raise funds for charity and one of their group members had summited KK 9 times already!


Pressing on after lunch, the remaining 1.5 km to the Laban Rata guesthouse seemed to take forever. At times, I felt the inner child voice asking "Are we there yet?" and would ask Yasuan for an estimate of our distance to LR. He was ever so patient and encouraging though he spoke little English and our Malay is plain weak! We finally glimpsed LR from the trail and pressed on as it was starting to get chilly. After nearly 8 hours, we reached LR at about 4.30 pm n rested for a while before dinner was served. Sleep was the only post-dinner activity but the bed was cold and for some unknown reason wet =( Tried as I did but sleep was elusive thanks to the fierce howling winds outside.



Despite not feeling rested, I woke with enthusiasm - it is time to summit! =) The remaining 2.5 km up was really the most difficult part of the climb, being steep n dark. Shortly after passing the checkpoint, it started to drizzle and our pace was slowed by a frequent need to stop and catch our breaths... doubts started to creep in but I am proud to say that I tried my hardest and eventually managed to reach Low's Peak! Alas, there was no sunrise to marvel at but it was still worthwhile just to know that I did it...

Happy thoughts are ....

a surprise bouquet from G


a new arrangement



and the trip to Sabah in a few hours time! =)