My Two Girls – All About Zara and Zaria

For the longest time, the girls have been asking us for a dog. Last weekend, we succumbed to their request.

Bubbles, a 2 year old West Highland Terrier, was adopted, and moved in with us on Sunday.

I’ll let the girls tell you about him.

From Zaria.

From Zara.

During the Raya break, we didn’t go for any holidays except for day trips out of town. The 1st one we took was to Kuala Selangor and Sekinchan.

The girls upon knowing we’re going to Kuala Selangor, requested the hubs to stock up on peanuts so we could feed the monkeys. We fed some Silvered Leaf Monkey at the entrance of Kuala Selangor Nature Park sometime last year, and the girls wanted to go to the same spot to find the monkeys.

None were found in the afternoon heat. The girls’ spirit were deflated just for a moment… As we exited the Nature Park, we saw some of them at the foot of Bukit Melawati.

Unlike the common Macaques that we see in KL, Silvered Leaf Monkeys or Silvery Lutong are friendlier and have a more gentle nature. We could almost pat it when we gave them food, and they never grab, only picking the food from our hands.

The baby Silvered Leaf Monkey have golden fur babies, we spotted a couple of them. When they grow older, their fur then becomes silverish grey like their parents.

4 pack of peanuts later, we headed to Sekinchan. Seems that the planting season has just begun.

Some farmers are lucky, such a tranquil place to live in.

We heard of this paddy processing factory, PLS Marketing, that sells pearl grain rice. It’s a big factory which is opened to public, and they have a section which sells the vacuum packed pearl grain rice which is produced in Sekinchan, and also other local Sekinchan produced (vegetable, yam etc). A good place to visit, and to stock up on locally produced rice.

The factory has machinery running which hulled and polished rice, good for the children to see how the rice they eat become that state from a grain. There are lots of stacked bags of rice, which I think make a nice backdrop for photography.

After visiting the factory, we brought the girls to a husk hill, which is formed by all the disposed husk from the factory. From a far, it looked like a sand dune.

The girls had so much fun making ‘husk angels’, rolling on the husks etc.

(Beware! After we’re done here, we were all itchy. Zaria even had an allergy reaction on one of her eye. Both Zaria and I have rashes on our legs which I think was probably caused by some mites on the husks).

(PLS Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd, Lot 9990, Jalan Tali Air 5, Ban 2,, 45400 Kampong Sekinchang, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel : 016-205 6558. A map on how to get there can be found here.)

We then moved on to Redang Beach. A tiny stretch of beach in Sekinchan. It’s of course not as nice as the Redang Beach in Teregganu, but a beach is still a beach, and it drew quite a big crowd during this holiday season.

We wanted to dine at one of the seafood restaurants in Sekinchan, but there’s a new set up at the beach which attracted us. Bar Beach Grill, which is opened by a group of like-minded youngsters who grew up together in Sekinchan.

The place provides you a BBQ stove (with red hot charcoal), table and chairs, and you just have to order the food from them to BBQ. As Sekinchan is a fishing village, our plates of prawns, squid, skates, and clams (lala) were really fresh and nice. No seasoning required, just taste from the sea.

One of the owner and her boy friend entertained us with some songs, and the girls decided to join in too. Zara did her Adele, acoustic version.

And the girls were quite thrilled to be able to cook for us too (fuchuk or bean curd skin being BBQed can be so tasty).

Having dinner at the beach has its advantage. The girls had a chance to explore and pick up some shells at the tide pool nearby while I cooked dinner.

(Bar Beach Grill is located at Redang Beach Sekinchan. Contact : Darren 014-9305724, Jack 016-3443330. Opened during weekends and eve of holidays)

Continues from here. (Typed out as per how Zara wrote it.)

Today, after a wonderful breakfast, we went to an animal farm. On the drive there, I started to feel dizzy and I’m telling you that ride was worse than a roller coaster. When we reached, I thanked God that ride was over.

When we got back, we had lunch and played more archary. I met a Malay boy there and he teached taught me how to aim even better. We played and chatted for one hour, then I went back to my room. I chatted with my friends and each of us had to tell a joke and a ghost story. Before I (k)new it the transport was here.

(no photos from the camp host Radiant Retreat as most photos taken were of the group playing paintball)

Continues from here. (Typed out as per how Zara wrote it.)

Today, after a delicious breakfast, we went for archary and I always hit the target. After the archary, we studied the fish that we caught. The teacher fliped it around and I started to have goose pimples.

For dinner, we BBQed the fish we caught and ate it. In the night we had a safety talk. Before we went to bed we told each other jokes, and they laughed so loudly and they stomped on the floor. And when I went down I heard the thumping of elephants. By the time I went to our room, all my roommates were asleep.

(Here are some photos taken by the camp organiser for Day 2 by Radiant Retreat)

Continues here.

Zara went to her very first camp during the holidays. I asked her to write about the trip in her journal so I know what she did during the whole 3 days there. I typed this out just like how she’s written it (even the spelling).

On Tuesday, when we arrived at camp, I was so hungry I had to eat some curry puffs (wich I don’t really like to eat.) Then they announced our rooms : the boys had to sleep in the lobby (poor things), and the girls slept in the bunggalo. I was like ok where’s the bunggalo? Then I heard a girl say “The bunggalo’s up stairs.” Then I thought it’s no big deal it’s just a few steps up. But when we started to go up the stairs, I thought they were taking us to the top of Mount Everest. The moment we reached, I fell on the ground and looked up, there I saw a sofa and a DVD player. I saw a little kitchen with flask of boiling water and our own little fridge. Then I saw a staircase and I started climbing it. When I went to the top, I saw a door. I decided to open the door, and inside I saw a sofa, a huge king sized bed and five mattresses. I saw a glass sliding door and there was a(n) outdoor bath tub, but I didn’t use it because I was afraid that a monkey might take a photo of me being naked.

Before we went to bed, we got to watch a movie. I watched until I fell asleep on the sofa, and before I (k)new it, it was day.

(Here are some photos taken by the camp organiser, Radiant Retreat)

The Boys’ dorm isn’t that bad.

Children being briefed and having lessons about nature.

The scrumptious lunch.

The children walking to the stream for a swim.

Cool dip in the stream.

Continues here.

These days, Zaria is picking up new words/phrases from the TV, her books, and when she wasn’t quite sure what something meant, she asked us, which made her learn them and able to apply them very quickly.

While I was trying out ‘nice’ dresses, and showed the girls.
Zaria said, “You are so sexy, I don’t even think you are cut out for it.”
o.O”

While her lunch of noodles arrived pipping hot, I asked her, “Do you need help with the noodle?”
Zaria replied, “I’m not a retard, I can eat on my own.”
o.O”

While we were out, the hubs wrapped his arm around me.
Being possessive, she doesn’t like others touching me, so she stuck out her tongue and said, “Blech! Please don’t swap spit now ok?”
o.O”

We went to the new Baskin Robbins nearby.
I asked her, “What if your Cikgu so and so (BM teacher from school) is also there?”
She replied, “Oh… and then Mr So and So (English teacher from school) will be there too. (She thinks her teacher and cikgu are going out.)
She then added, “Ha.. then I’ll tell them, don’t do that in front of me, don’t make me feel like a third wheel.”

Seriously, I didn’t think I know how to use those words until after I became an adult.

We sent Zara off to a holiday camp meant for 8yrs and above.
How fast they are growing up. Sigh.
I asked her if she was fine on our drive to the pick up point, and she told me she’s a bit scared (scared not being near us) but at the same time excited with what she would be doing, and the people she would be meeting.

It was with mixed feelings I saw her carrying her overnight bag climbing into the car that would transport her to camp. Zaria’s face turned gloom when she saw her jiejie closing the car door.

This is the very first occasion where Zara is away from home, without her parents (it’s always either the hubs or me will be with the girls; only once we had to leave the girls at their aunt’s house because both of us had to travel for work); this is also the first time Zaria won’t get to sleep with Zara.

So how are the girls doing?

We called Zara at camp yesterday night.
Me : Are you ok?
Zara : Yes ma. We are having so much fun.
Me : Everything is alright then?
Zara : Yeah.. I’m having so much fun.
(sounding impatient, like she couldn’t wait for the conversation to end to get back to whatever she was doing)
Me : Anyway, just wanted to tell you, Zaria missed you.
Zara : Oh… (2 seconds) But ma, I’m having so much fun. The river swim was so fun.. We got leeches all over our hands.
Me : Ewww… but aren’t you afraid of leeches? (I had a leech clinging on to me once in Sri Lanka, and the girls were all screaming like they had seen ghost.)
Zara : No, I just flicked them off my hands.
Me : Oh wow. Alright. You have fun then..Bye. Love you.
Zara : Ok ma, love you. (put the phone down real fast).

I told Zaria about our conversation, and Zaria asked, “Huh? She doesn’t miss me?”

And this morning, she woke up asking me “What bed did jiejie sleep on?” “What do you think she ate for breakfast?”

Per the usual holiday routine, Zaria did some homework from me, and then did her journal writing in the morning (and painted her nails in between doing these.)

And this was what she wrote and drew in her journal (she always like drawing first, then writing, as though planning out the scene).

My sweet sweet girl, missing her sister badly.

Continues from here.

♥June 4th♥

Day 4 of our trip was spent enjoying the morning at Noordin Mews.

For the girls, they could spend the whole day in the pool!

For us, the whole place is so pretty, we could just laze about and enjoy it.

The place is small enough where we could still keep an eye or listen to the girls’ voices wherever they were in the public area. That’s what I like best about small hotels. We could sit at the courtyard, and watched them swim, or watched them walk back the room to shower. For bigger hotels, no way I would allow them to walk back to the room alone.

When we checked out, the girls wrote their feedback on the hotel. Time to get their own Tripadvisor account maybe. 😛

Here is another bonus point. We found this really old soy sauce factory (100 years old?) at the end of Lebuh Noordin. It’s a corner shop lot with a very big piece of land, where urns and urns and soy sauce were being brewed.

Look at their signage. The phone number they had was only 3 digits!

We asked what the ginger was used for, and the brewery owner (3rd generation) told us it was to make their black vinegar.

Super old and dusty bamboo sieves lined one side of the wall (not sure what they were used for).

A helper gluing the brewery labels on cleaned/recycled bottles by hand.

And this is the signage of the shop.

We of course bought a few bottles of soy sauce to try, but alas, none of them had a label stuck on. So I can’t really tell what the name of the brewery is in English, but in Chinese it’s 瑞安和醬園醬油, I don’t have the address as well, but it’s along Lebuh Noordin if you want to look for it.

What’s the verdict of the soy sauce? Kwong Heng Loong’s soy sauce at Pulau Tikus is sweeter and darker, with thicker soy flavour. Soi On Wor（瑞安和 in Cantonese, since the brewery is owned by Cantonese) is saltier and lighter in colour (which probably suit Cantonese more) with a mild soy flavour. Both are good. Even at home, we have mixed reviews. Zara likes Kwong Heng Loong, Minerva likes Soi On Wor, I like them both, especially when mixed!

You go on and get a bottle next time you visit Penang and try it out yourself!

Not every vacation is suitable for kids. While mom and dad might love snowy cabins and peace and quiet, the little ones will be bored to tears. And, their boredom will quickly become evident, ending the peace and quiet mom and dad wanted in the first place!

Fortunately, numerous destinations are suitable for children and even offer some entertainment for parents. Here are the five best places to vacation with kids without coming back with gray hair.

1 – Branson, Missouri

“My dad says it’s like Vegas – if it were run by Ned Flanders” – Bart Simpson

Bart’s reference was accurate! Branson offers the fun-filled experience of Vegas, only without forcing parents to cover their children’s eyes.

There are literally too many quality attractions to list, but those kids might like most includes:

• Hannah’s Maze of Mirrors
• Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum
• Shoot for the Stars Mini Golf (Hollywood-themed mini gold course)
• Silver Dollar City (amusement park)
• The Track Family Fun Parks (arcade, bumper cars, go-karts, laser tag, etc.)
• World’s Largest Toy Museum

2 – Williamsburg, Virginia

Learning about history may not seem like the best break from studying. Fortunately, that’s not all there is to do in Williamsburg.

For pure fun, you’ll want to visit Busch Gardens. While offering a traditional theme park experience, it also hosts numerous “KIDsiderate” rides and animal attractions, as well as a charming European-themed ambiance throughout.

Water Country USA also has some kid-friendly attractions, although Busch Gardens has a wider selection if you can only visit one.

Check out Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf while you’re there, too. The kids should have a blast in this family-oriented, pirate-themed golf course.

Of course, whether the kids love history or mom and dad just need a break, the area is loaded with historical sites. These include Historic Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg and the beautiful campus of the College of William & Mary, the nation’s second-oldest college (just behind Harvard).

3 – San Antonio, Texas

With intense summer heat, anywhere in Texas – let alone South Texas – may seem like a bad place to take the kids on vacation. Yet, San Antonio offers numerous high-quality, kid-friendly attractions that make up for the relentless Texas sun.
According to USA Today, notable attractions in The Alamo City include:

• Natural Bridge Caverns (cave beneath the city)
• Sea World
• Six Flags Fiesta Texas (includes 25 rides specifically for children)
• The San Antonio River Walk (bat tours, boating, restaurants and more)
• The San Antonio Children’s Museum
• The San Antonio Zoo
• The Tower of the Americas (similar to the Space Needle)

As an added benefit, the weather in the city is quite nice in the fall and spring and its winters are mild compared to much of the U.S.

4 – San Diego, California

Picky parents may want to take the kids to San Diego. Why? The weather is gorgeous all year long.

Beyond that, there’s plenty to do for the children. The city offers access to both the San Diego Bay and Pacific Ocean. And, with the Chargers and Padres in town, catching a game is always an option.

Don’t forget to visit Balboa Park, which houses the San Diego Zoo, numerous museums, gardens and more. There’s a Sea World in San Diego, too, in case the San Antonio heat is too much for your family.

There are dozens of other worthwhile attractions for both parents and children in America’s Finest City, as well. But, if you’re on a tight schedule and can only visit one place, Balboa Park should be it.

5 – Tampa, Florida

Tampa is known for its laid back atmosphere. Combined with its warm climate, this makes it an excellent place to take the kids for a low-key trip.

Still, there are plenty of attractions for the kids. According to U.S. News and World Report, these include:

• Busch Gardens (African-themed amusement park)
• Florida Aquarium
• Museum of Science & Industry
• Sports (pro baseball, football and hockey)

And of course, you’ll want to head to the beautiful Florida beaches. Clearwater Beach, which was ranked by the Travel Channel as the second best beach in the state, is in the area and other great beaches are within driving distance.

This is a guest posts by John Gower. John Gower is a writer for NerdWallet, a site dedicated to helping consumers with retirement savings.

I started working from home partially when Zara was born, and when Zaria came along, I requested my then Australian manager if I could work from home fully, and he agreed. Although it’s now quite common for people to work from home, it was quite uncommon 8 years ago, and that’s how long I’d been doing it.

(Actually I don’t have a choice as I don’t have family or in-laws who can help me with child care, my option was to leave the girls with a helper at home or send them to a child care.)

So what are the pros and cons of working from home? It was one of the discussion topic brought up in a Facebook Group that I joined, and here are my thoughts.

Pros:
1. The kids are fully under my care, my supervision, their upbringing is done my way. (If they turned up rotten or outstanding, we will take the blame or the credit).
2. I get to experience their witty moment, mediate their fights, and not have to depend on someone to relay the information to me.
3. I can supervise the girls with their homework, what & when they watch (on) TV, what they eat, how they spend their time at home.
4. I get to witness their milestones.
5. The time spent getting stuck in the jam going to office and coming back, can be spent on the children, going for a run or sleeping longer.
6. I get to attend all their events in school, bring them to doctors/dentists without having to take leave.
7. I don’t need to spend much on clothes. (I sometimes wear PJs to work until noon time and then get showered and changed before picking up the kids)
8. I don’t have to rely on a transporter, and can send them to as many extra classes as long as I can afford the fee, and the time to chauffer them.
9. Have time to cook if I decided to, and can supervise the helper on what/how to cook.

Cons:
1. Get taken for granted at times. (Once, I asked the hubs to pick up the kids when he’s working from home, he replied, “It’s a working day for me you know?” WTF! It’s NOT a working day for me EVERYDAY when I pick the kids up.)
2. Socially, I don’t get much adult’s conversation, or mix around with adults except via FB, chat. This is the one of the things that affect me most. I sometimes feel I’m deprived of adults’ interactions.
3. The helper at home depends on me to decide what to cook for every damn meal!
4. The girls’ bickering or coming to you to ask for assistant in stringing a bead, solving a sum, cutting a shape can be very annoying when you are trying to focus on work.
5. Career advancement is more limited. I had to give up jobs opportunity which required travelling or working from the office. This also means salary wise, it hasn’t increased much since I started working from home (the company’s increment % is also partially to be blamed).
6. While lunch time for other working moms are a time to socialise, catch up, my lunch time is spent going to the school to fetch the children.
7. The girls are with me 24hrs every day (except when they are at school or attending classes), it can be stifling at times.
8. I don’t really have off days. Unlike moms who work in the office, when they take leave, it’s likely they can do their own things, because the child care/chauffering bit is taken care off per their daily arrangement. If I took leave, I still have to carry out my chauffer duty, unless I have the hubs take off to handle the kids while I have time for myself.

If I were to choose again, I’ll probably still choose working from home, just because at this point in time, the girls come first.