These are my nieces and nephews. I love them to bits. More so because I get to pretend at being a parent when I see them, yet don't have to worry about whether the expensive gift I get them may be psychologically scarring them for life. Kids may say they hate their mummies and daddies when they are upset; I don't think I have heard any say they hate Mak Long, especially one as cool as me!

I get to enjoy them when they are happy and smiling and don't have to bear any temper tantrums or migraine-inducing screaming fits or even silent sulks. Being an aunt rocks!

p/s: Denny is now recuperating at home. He split his lower jaw and has broken both his incisors but at least he's ok.

Monday Blues indeed

I very rarely leave my food unfinished. I guess you can tell by the state of my physical shape, haha. When I go to buffets, I take just a little bit of everything that I wanted to taste and go for seconds if I feel like it. Hence, minimal wastage.

However, this morning, I took three spoonfuls of my laksam and left the shop hungry. It was a sorry excuse for what the dish is supposed to be and the person who made it must have never had a proper laksam in her/his life.

Sometimes, when the dish is bad, I still force myself to finish it, because I think of all the pakcik petani and pakcik penternak and makcik penjual and makcik tukang masak and nothing justifies me wasting this rezeki but that laksam wannabe was just vile.


On a sad note, this is Denny's face this morning as I was getting ready to go to work.



He was fine last night. I am not too sure what happened to him; he's gotten into fights before but never to this extent. His nostrils are clotted with blood that he's breathing through his blood crusted mouth. His face is all swollen and there is an area of skin loss on his chin.

Was he run over by a motorbike or did he fall and hit his face somewhere? He seems to be able to walk so I don't think he has any fractures.

Alahai anak aku.....

Bleurgh

I am currently doing an attachment in another department for 11 weeks. While it may be refreshing to not be doing calls for the next 2 months plus, there is something intolerable about being functionless.

At least in my own department, I knew where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to do. Boredom is a terrible way to pass the time.

Bliss is....

Sleeping with 'daddy' on a pile of freshly laundered clothes.

Jalan-jalan Pekan-Rompin

I love road trips. There is an excitement which is hard to describe, in going through small 'kampungs' and discovering hidden treasures.

During the recent three-day weekend, we decided we would spend it in Kuantan, having gone back to KL the last two, and just thinking about driving to Kelantan was enough to exhaust me.

Since we're only about 40km from Pekan, I googled things to do there. Almost all the websites mentioned decent-enough sites like the Royal Palace, Sultan Abu Bakar museum and the Water Transport museum.

So off we went, cruising along the 4 lane road (passing only a handful of other vehicles, tau la nak pergi Pekan DiRaja kannn) - and in 20 mins we had arrived!


Pintu gerbang pun ada payung


One of the mosques in Pekan




and this was what greeted us:




How come no one bothered to update the tourist information sites that the museum is undergoing renovation? Hel-lo....?


View down the road from the under renovation museum

and across the road, the Watercraft gallery looked interesting enough - on the notice board, it says opening times 9.30 am.


Badly maintained tourist site in Pekan (Royal Town some more!)

It was about 10.45am when we were there and the gate was securely locked, complete with rusted chains.


Locked gates

Undeterred, we drove around the almost -unpopulated town, went round the Palace and the Polo Club.



Gates of the Palace

I especially like this very old building - old building makes me sad, I wonder what history comes with it, but the gates are locked and there are no notices to explain what this building is. Abg tells me it's the tombs for the Royal Family.

**further googling has revealed that this is Sultan Abdullah Mosque next to the Royal Tombs


Royal Tombs, apparently


Severely disappointed but still cheerful, we decided to drive further down to Rompin - apparently it's famous for 'udang galah's.

From Pekan just before you reach Rompin, on your right is an R&R with a prawn shaped statue. There are about 4-6 shops there, all selling the specialty dish.


'Udang' shaped statue, see...?



Anyone who can correctly name the price of these babies gets a mystery gift!


I think it is safe to say that we won't be running back to this makan place.

and finally, stopped by this stretch of road where there are several stalls set up selling pickled fruits, apparently locally made in Muadzam Shah. Bought a small jar of 'buah salak' [snake fruit] and 'sengkuang'. Discovered the salak pickle to be rotten when we got home. Ah well.




I love road trips.