PonyTales

Two weeks count down to celebrating Chinese New Year in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.

This will be the 1st Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration in Kelantan for Zoe and her second time taking a flight home. I hope this time she will still let me strap her and sit quietly throughout the journey. Otherwise, I might need the help of the pretty air stewardess to distract her attention. She seems to be very attracted to pretty people anyway…hehehe

We will be home slightly longer (4 days) and we will be visiting Great Grandma in Tumpat for the reunion dinner and 1st day of CNY. I am hoping that this time around, I will be able to visit the duty free zone for some retail theraphy, either Rantau Panjang or Pengkalan Kubur. I have not visited the Rantau Panjang duty free area as all these years, it was not safe due to the bombing in southern Thailand. I have been to Pengkalan Kubur several times and got a few items at really good price, especially pots and pans. I am still eyeing the Corningware set or Vision set they have there. Their selection of Pyrex products are not bad too. I never did bought any cause of the weight issue with airlines. If we are driving home next year, I will definitely bring home a full set of Corningware or Visions…hee hee hee. They have nice pirated clohtings too, like Nike, Timberland and some other sports brand. I need to make a mental note to get a few this year if I see any and not hesitate when the opportunity is there and regret later

Besides shopping, we plan to go to the beach as well. It will either be Pantai Seri Tujuh (nearby Great Grandma’s place) or Pantai Cahaya Bulan (PCB). I read that PCB has got quite a number of Batik shops and the recommended one is Citra Batik. Another mental note to visit that place if we manage to visit PCB. I visited PCB once, before we were married - feels like very long ago as I have very vague memory about it.

Af for Kelantan food, it is one of the best things about Hubby’s hometown. I simply love the food in Kelantan, lots of spices and very aromatic and natural. My gastronomic wishes this time around is to savour:

• Keropok lekor - home cooked type
• Nasi kerabu & laksam - my usual favourites
• Murtabak Raja or Royal Murtabak -reportedly sold for RM11 per piece as Sultan Kelantan tasted it before and it is huge and delicious
• Ayam Percik - it gotta be Yati’s ayam percik as it tasted the best so far and pricing wise comparable to KFC
• Authentic Thai food hidden in the jungle fringe along the wakaf baru or Tumpat area - They are really good and tasty.
• Durian kuih (Lempok Durian) - Those homemade by Grandma or the neighbours. I hope to get some this time around.
• Fresh fruits from the family orchard - Duku, Dokong, Durian, mango and a lot more…

Not to forget also the numerous house to house visits will have lots of Kelantanese home cooked delicacies of Nasi Dagang, Nasi Kerabu, Pulut with curry and lots of cookies and kuih. Every household serve full meals like these during CNY for visitors.

Thinking about it makes me all excited to "balik kampung" again this year. I probably need to fast and loose a few pounds in order to store the amount of food I am gonna take home with me this year….hehehe

Today is Zoe’s Daddy’s Birthday!

We are planning to celebrate together tomorrow as tomorrow is my Birthday. Yes, our Birthdays are one day apart. I am born almost a year earlier than Daddy ….hee hee hee

Thinking about it in terms of a baby point of view, about 31 years ago, when Daddy was born, I am already like Zoe now. If I see Daddy then, I would probably be standing beside him and maybe poke him or sayang him, while Daddy being a newborn still unable to see me clearly (the vision probably all fuzzy for him). Daddy is still a newborn while I am almost a toddler. Daddy is still fully on breastmilk/formula and I am already eating porridge. What a thot!!! Geeezz….
I guess being a mother makes my imagination wilder…haaa haaaa haaaaaaa

On this special day, I just wanna wish Daddy,

I got tagged by Ann Ann…probably blogging from her office this time…hee hee hee

Okay, here you go..my answers

1. What is your blogging name?
Ponytales

2. When did you start blogging, exact date?
Febuary 23, 2006

3. What was your first title? All In the Mind
For the first time…

4. Which posting you feel is the best post so far?
Those postings with photos…cause there are extra effort to put up the photos :p

5. Who promote/source of inspiration for you to blog?
Got the blogging bug from Simon but my inspiration to write usually comes from everywhere…I write when I feel like expressing myself

6. When dya usually post entries?
Early mornings, at my work desk before I start work. I felt that morning posts are usually more positive and cheerful.

7. Where would you prefer to be when you are blogging?
A place where no one is looking, usually my work desk.

8. Have you met other bloggers? Who?
Yes, some of them are my close friends whom I met often. Like Simon, WY, CityGirl and Ann.

9. How many entries you made in a month?
I did not count, as many as I can afford.

10. Would you reveal your face or your family in your blog? Why?
Previously No! Now…Yes! Some relatives far away wants to see how my little girl looks like and progressing…It is the cheapest way to share our life with them :p 

11. Would you promote your friends to blog? Why?
Yes, especially my girl friends. I believe that there are a lot of unspoken stuff in their minds, but sometimes its hard to find a good avenue to express themselves. A blog is a good place to let it all out! And there are ppl who actually read it and understand us better when reading us than listening to us…hahaha!

12. Would you feel restless/guilty conscious/incomplete if you didn’t blog for a month?
Not really but I will feel that I need to catch up soon…

13. Define blogging.
A public personal journal.

Last Thursday being a public holiday, we took the opportunity to visit the brand new Pavillion shopping center. Since grandma is still in KL, it is really a good opportunity for Zoe to do Chinese New Year shopping with grandma, which is quite a rare occassion as Grandma stays in KB, Kelantan.

Zoe and Grandma taking a break. Zoe asked, "My Grandma sexy or not?"

This is actually a Chinese cultural dance - definitely not local!

Starting Young - Zoe squeezing in between for a good spot to watch the pretty dancers

Zoe and Daddy shoppin!!! with a free balloon from Paul Frank store - Monkey face balloon! Hahaha

It was a great day and I manage to buy some new clothes for CNY…hooorayy!

Pavillion parking is pricey thou! Hmmph!

We went to Morib beach during the Haji holiday last year. It was a day trip to the beach, I wanted to let Zoe have a feel of the sand and sea water. I also wanted to hunt down the famous Lover’s Bridge seafood restaurant (Tanjung Sepat), particularly the Ocen seafood restaurant where the food is nice, fresh and reasonably priced. I have read about Tanjung Sepat from many blogger, especially from Gina and Zara Mama.

We started our journey after lunch at about 2:30pm from our home and took us about 1 hour to reach Morib, thru some coastal road without toll. It was an eye opener that Selangor still have long stretches of Kampung roads. Feels like we are back in KB. Thank God we did not get lost althou half way in the journey, we thot we were lost. Its out first time using the road and we are only using an outdated year 2000 map

Zoe’s first contact with sand

Wuuu…salty sea water. She curled her toes up when in the water, maybe this experience is all too new to her.

Ocen’s seafood restaurant at Lover’s Bridge in Tanjung Sepat. Tanjung Sepat is about 20 minutes from Morib Beach.
It is a fisherman village.

Zoe and Mommy walking along Lover’s Bridge. It was very windy that day. What a sight and fresh air!

The wooden jetty leading to the fisherman boats. I really love the scenic view there.
Looks like a scene out of a movie.

Zoe slept all the time we were in Tanjung Sepat.
I guess the wind and sea breeze made her drift into lalaland for a good dreamy sleep.

Still sleeping when Daddy and Mommy was savouring our fresh seafood dinner in Ocen Restaurant.

The seafood there is really good and fresh. We ordered a plate of fried oyster with eggs (oh  chean), steam promphet teachoew style and butter prawn. All tasted heavenly with fresh coconut juice. The bills came up to about RM60 and I thot that was reasonable enough la.

I asked Daddy whether he would come back again and he said "Yes!". The next time I am there, I want to order crab….hee hee hee

Its a nice day trip that ended with delicious food. Oops, no food pictures as we were so hungry and forgot to take pictures of the food. Hee Hee…

Finally, I manage to compiled some photos takes during Zoe’s 1st Birthday party! Enjoy!!

Please click here - http://picasaweb.google.com/pohnee/ZoeS1stBirthday/photo#s5152547451429917186

(Again, I cannot get any slideshow to work in Blogsome, sorry for the inconvenience caused)

Wooohoo! We celebrated Zoe’s 1st Birthday last Tuesday (1 Jan 2008) 

This beautiful angel Birthday cake is ordered from Tracey. Thanks! It is excellent work!

It was tiring for both hubby and me but we enjoyed it a lot too!!!

We just want to thank all the relatives and friends who came and celebrated this special day with us. Thank you for the generous gifts (that almost filled up half the room) and most importantly, your presence and well wishes. We are simply grateful for all of you!

I will post up more photos taken during her birthday soon….hehehe