The Unbalanced Libra..

K and I brought Bria and C to Desaru for the weekend.  Along with my in laws, K's uncle, aunties and grandma, the 10+1 of us drove up in 2 cars.

We set off from K's grandma's house at 8am on Saturday, and headed for breakfast at Woodlands.  Breakfast was Bah Kut Teh and Roti Prata.  The Bah Kut Teh was the herbal type, but i still preferred the one in JB cause it has more ingredients other than just the pork ribs and liver.  The Roti Prata was good though!

After breakfast, we headed into JB.  At the customs, the officer actually asked for C's work permit.  I nearly did not bring the permit, thinking that her passport should be sufficient.  Luckily K asked me to just bring it!  The officer told us that without her work permit, C will not be able to leave the country.  Fortunately for us, there wasn't much of a jam into JB (about half an hour or so), and we managed to drive up to Kota Tinggi for lunch at this Chinese restaurant.

Just when we were about to park in front of the chinese restaurant, our car indicator light came on and hinted us to check our gear box.  Then K said there was something wrong with the gear box, that the gear is not responding.  Our nightmare began.

Actually, K and I were so half hearted to drive our Renault to Desaru, cause water had seeped into our car during the flooding season.  So we were thinking whether to drive my in-laws' car instead.  But based on the fact that our car had a bigger boot space and more space at the back seats, we decided to drive our car instead. 

So... we had lunch at the restaurant, and one of the employees at the restaurant helped us to call in a car technician who brought K to his workshop to assess and repair our car.  My father in law and K's cousin went with him while the rest of us continued to eat and drink at the restaurant.  And as if this wasn't bad enough, Bria pooed and her poo stained the white skirt she was wearing.  There was no facilities in the toilet to change her diapers, so C and I ended up changing Bria on the restaurant stage platform instead.

After lunch, we all squeezed into the other car, drove to meet K at the workshop and load all of Bria's stuff in the other car, before we continued with a 45-min drive to our resort in Desaru.  And because there was literally no more space in the other car for C, and my car was at the workshop, we had to leave C at the restaurant.  K and I were totally not comfortable with the idea of leaving C alone, but my mom in law kept insisting that it was okay cause she already told the restaurant people, and that C could rest there comfortably since the restaurant was air conditioned.  I was so worried that C will be scared, and kept reassuring her that we will come back for her.

My heart wasn't at ease for the entire journey, but I was pretty helpless.  My hp was flat on battery (another boo boo), so i couldn't send K text messages, and with everyone cramped in the car, it was also not convenient for me to borrow another phone and talk to K.  Plus, the car was at the workshop so there were not much options for us.

We ended up spending the rest of the day at the resort, some playing mahjong, some playing with Bria.  I bathed Bria and got myself all wet.  But couldn't change myself cause all my luggage was in our car, which was at the workshop.

In the evening, the ladies brought Bria to the baby pool to try out her new float.  At first, I was so worried that she might be scared of the cold water and tried gradually to ease her into the water.  To my surprise, the minute i put her into the float, not only did she not cry, she started kicking her legs so happily.  My baby is so brave!

We watched and laughed at Bria as she kicked her way from one end of the baby pool to the other end.  So cute!  Words cannot express the joy i felt when i look at her.

The family finally got together for dinner at 8pm at some ulu restaurant 30 mins drive away from our resort. It was over dinner that we realized K actually drove back to Singapore and switch to my in laws' car before heading back to Desaru. Our car couldn't be fixed. It took 15 seconds for the car to accelerate to 40km/h so you can imagine how slowly he drove back to Singapore. No wonder it took half a day for them to meet us! Poor K! He was totally bummed out that night.

Dinner was seafood.. Really cheap and delicious seafood.  We had cray fish, chilli crab, steamed fish, mussels, vegetables and fried noodles.  And each person only paid SG$10.  So cheap right?!

After dinner, we drove another 30 minutes back to the hotel, unloaded the rest of the stuff from my in laws' car and parted for the night.  At night, Bria did not cooperate again, and refused to sleep with me and K on our bed.  She kept crying, and stopped only when i carried her.  I tried this for an hour, before i gave up and let her sleep downstairs on her cot mattress with C.  I was exhausted, and so was K.  Luckily we brought along her cot mattress!  Otherwise, i don't know how to make her sleep!  While K was away last week, I actually trained Bria to sleep with me in my room for 4 nights, partly because i want to train her for this trip.  But it didn't work.  I think Bria likes my bed at home. Other beds won't do.  = )

The second day was more relaxed.  We ha buffet breakfast at the resort.  Totally horrible food.  After that, the family went to the beach for a stroll together.. I brought Bria to the beach and let her "walk" on the sand, and immerse her little feet in the sea water.  She loves it so much!  This girl seems to want to try everything!

After that was mahjong again, and Bria went to the pool again, this time with her daddy, who missed out on her first swim the day before.  K didn't seem as amused at her as I was though, which made me quite disappointed.  We checked out around 2pm, and drove for another 1.5 hours back to JB where we had lunch at Mahanttan Fish Market.  Another lousy meal. Then we went grocery shopping at Jusco, where it was packed with people, long queues and super slow working cashiers.  I nearly went mad looking at the way the cashier worked.  It was as if she was stifling a yawn while processing our purchases, and that huge yawn would come out anytime.  So irritating... 

We left Jusco at 5pm, and headed back home.  Bria slept most of the trip back, but started to get cranky when we got stuck at the traffic jam for nearly 2 hours.  Nonetheless, given the grand scheme of things,Bria is considered a good girl, staying quiet and sleeping for most of the road trip. So proud of her!

By the time we reached home, it was 9pm.  What a exhausting and dramatic trip. The last time i went to Desaru, i was totally turned off by the green color swimming pool at our resort.  This trip wasn't too exciting for me either, with all the drama.  This is definitely the last time I am going to Desaru.

I spent my Good Friday long weekend in Penang with K and 11 other folks from the Miata Club.

We met up at 430am Friday morning, and drove for 14 hours before we reached Penang.  It was crazy shit.

By the time we arrived at Traders Hotel, everyone was shagged out.  Especially those who only had one driver, like K... Actually, i think K won't let me drive his precious Miata even if i have a driver's license. = )

For the next 2 days, we ate many plates of Char Kuay Teow and other local favorites like prawn mee and Penang laksa.  I had my favorite banana Apom as well, although it was cold by the time i had it cause I had to wait an hour for my order.  So i went back to the hotel, and collected it about an hour late cause i was just too dead beat.  Almost didn't want to go and collect if not for the fact that i had already paid!

We also met up with the Penang Miata club people, who took us for supper, lunch, buy some local produce and an exciting drive along the winding mountain B roads.  We also celebrated our club President's birthday with a surprise mini party.

These were all good.. Except for the following major bummers:

A Miata Kodak moment along the mountain B roads with the Penang Miata Club folks!

The apartment we stayed in. It was so old even the letter "A" has fallen off!

My favourite steam beancurd with onion oil sauce

Melaka Chenddol

Today was M&M: “Markets & Museums” Day. The 4 of us went to Canterbury weekend market, the Canterbury Arts Center and the huge Canterbury museum.

I had fresh milk and my 2 Japanese buns for breakfast today. Actually, I am supposed to be drinking milk every day, but I have not been doing so. Rather, I have been drinking Milo and adding a dash off fresh milk into my Milo for taste. Unfortunately, I have run out of Milo and K refused to let me buy more so I am drinking milk now.. = (

After breakfast, we drove to the city for the weekend market, with the hope of finding a few crates of cheap golden kiwi fruit, so we can bring some back to Singapore. We didn't. Instead, K and I bought a dutch almond cake for breakfast tomorrow after tasting the yummy sample that the stall owner offered us .. We tasted 3 types of home made cakes which were all very yummy. But we only bought one.

It was the arts center after that. We were expecting to find art galleries inside the center, but found instead numerous arts and crafts shops selling all kinds of stuff ranging from food, beads, $10 earrings to $35,000 oil paintings. We spent about 2 hours there before leaving for lunch. On the way to our car, we saw the warden issuing us a ticket. EK tried to call out to him that we are leaving, but it was all too late. We got a hefty fine of $60 for being just 15 minutes late. Sickening! Our plan for today had been to look for free stuff to do, but looks like we just paid $60 for the “entrance fee” to the otherwise free entry arts center. Sigh..

Lunch was at the same cafe that K and I went to yesterday. This cafe sells really cheap food. A big plate of fried rice for $2, and one big honey chicken thigh for another $2. So one can have a decent lunch for $4 which is really cheap.

After lunch, we walked to the Canterbury museum and spent the next 3 hours there exploring the huge place. K and I walked until our feet ached. But we learnt a lot of interesting things like the Antarctica, Asian arts, birds and marine life, ancient Egypt mummies, astronomy and colonial costumes etc. It was a massive library of knowledge. We also spend a lot of time at this children's section, where the museum had turned an entire foyer into a huge playground for kids to learn about their body and its functions. Like the functions of our nose, the eyes, the heart, the intestines etc. There were fun games to play like balancing yourself on a machine, 3D tic-tac-toe, puzzles etc. That was the only place in the entire museum that was bursting alive with kids running around and screaming. That was also the place where I laughed until I teared twice just by watching the kids. Once was when I saw this really cute baby all wrapped up in winter clothes in his pram falling asleep. Like one of those videos we see on “America's Funniest Video”. The second time was when I saw this little boy who was running towards the stair case screaming and his pants falling down. He was like climbing up the staircase and pulling his pants at the same time. It was hilarious.. = )

We explored the museum until we got chased out cause the museum had closed. Don't think we managed to finish touring the entire museum. I am beginning to wonder if this museum is as big as the Louvre, although it sure doesn't look like it from the exterior.

Left with less than an hour of sunlight, we decided to head to the supermarket and buy ingredients for our dinner. Dinner was a sumptuous feast of stir fried vegetables with mushrooms, pan fried hoki fish, cream of chicken soup and sausages with steamed rice... It was delicious and so homely!

After dinner, the 4 of us played 2 rounds of “Cluedo”. EK won the first round, while I won the second. = ) Halfway through the game, my parents called me, and we spoke about whether I will be returning to SG etc. Mom seems to be so worried that I won't get a confinement lady cause I am not experienced and will definitely need help. Mom mentioned something about me not suppose to touch water during confinement etc. However, with me losing 5 months of income, I am not sure if we should spend the money just to get a confinement lady for 28 days. After all, I still need to do everything myself once the confinement lady leaves.

EK and K are now playing “War Craft” on the laptop LAN, while I am locked up in my cell blogging and listening to classical music with baby. I wonder how baby is inside me. It seems to be more active at night, cause I can feel more movements every night just before I sleep. 2 nights ago, I felt the strongest movements from baby. It was like he is using his finger or elbow to poke my stomach from inside. Yesterday night, I asked K to lie beside me and put his hand on my stomach so he can feel baby move. But baby did not move. Haha.. so naughty.. = )

In less than one week, I will know my baby's gender. Really looking forward to it. Somehow, I know this baby is going to be a really special one (in a positive way). = )