Toddling @ Kepong Village Mall

Tesco Kepong had their Member's day specials offering great bargains and double the points for every ringgit spent on Dec 29 & 30. Shop and get entertained, nice one for kids.

Well the clown ain't planning to perform ear candling but an attempt to pull a handkerchief out of the boy's ear. The magic wasn't David Blaine material but nevertheless an effort to be praised.

 He doubled up as a puppeteer too and the skit was hilarious.

Hanna-Barbera's Yogi Bear and Boo-boo made an appearance to promote their up coming feature film. (http://yogibear.warnerbros.com/). Turns out Daddy was popularly known by this nick name back in school.

Year End Trip - Ipoh Town!

Familiar sight? 3 years running, our annual year end getaway is a merger with my Uncle's family and we've made it a point to get this done by hook or by crook to unwind before the new year.

This time we went up north to Ipoh. Wasn't a good idea to hit the highway on Christmas Day but the excitement eased the pain of driving. We left early and stopped at the Tapah Rest area for breakfast and what a crowd this place attracted. Tapah stop is said to be the best rest area for north bound travelers.

We reached Ipoh about 1 in the afternoon and thanks to Google maps, it was easy locating the Ritz Garden Hotel (http://www.ritzgardenhotel.com/index.shtml). Checked in, drove out again looking for good Ipoh food.

Banana leaf meal is apt to recharge a tired body and with healthy amount of second servings we were close to hibernation! A short walk around Ipoh Old Town, we hit the jackpot! This shop serves the best Ipoh White Coffee and great tasting home made cream caramel.

I've never seen daddy in a state of bliss when it comes to food but the power packed caramel left him speechless. I took a bite and decided not to indulge more as daddy went on with 3 servings.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel and headed out to Ipoh Parade for dinner at night. The next morning was great with an array of selection for breakfast at the hotel and to digest the meal we went down town for the Sunday morning bazaar.

Folks is Ipoh are really fond of the weekly affair as the crowd grew by the minute. You can find a variety of items put on sale. While majority of them are antiques, there were good amount of new household items too. This one had all sorts of sharp items up for grabs. I'm not sure why anyone wants to buy used scissors and knifes.

Now this might be of help to daddy. I looked at him with a smile as we reached this stall and to distract me he got me a toy. A really powerful smile it was.

Just as we were leaving the city, this caught my eye ... Ipoh plates starts with an A and how appropriate for this one to say AHH with a dent in it .... ;-)

Mickey & Minnie at 1 Utama!

My rendezvous continued to a closer destination. 1 Utama. Every year they supersede most of the malls with mega structures to showcase the best a creative mind can offer for Christmas. And this year, indeed it was.

A Little English setting was put up with actual walk-in stores to do your Christmas shopping. With rock pavement, lovely decorated trees and artificial snow, the management really knows how to surprise us.

That aside, they had play areas put up for kids to tryout the toys before they purchase them. While daddy didn't get me any, he was more than willing to wait till I was done with Play-Doh.

The best part of the day was a special appearance by Mickey and Minnie Mouse. They were down here to promote their upcoming Disney on ice show. As great entertainers, they surely know how to strike a pose.

Would I miss a chance to get a shot with them? Certainly not! Here I am with the biggest stars on earth and pretty Minnie pinched my cheeks calling me a cutie. Getting that from Minnie ... I was on cloud nine!

Not the kind of Christmas decoration one would put up at home but it was a major attraction there. People lined up taking photos and vandalized the poor fellow with signatures all over.

Potential ...

I am fond of dance and music and tend to get into the flow if I catch a rhythm. Now am I up for writing my own tune? Exploring possibilities.

Merry 'Mr. Bean' Christmas

Here's the season to be jolly ... Christmas is synonymous to shopping. The festivity circulates around family reunion and exchange of gifts and it's no surprise that shopping malls cash in on this with all sorts of fantastic and innovative ideas to attract shoppers.

The Mines shopping complex just outside of Kuala Lumpur CBD decided to go with Mr. Bean to entice shoppers this year.

There has been many themes by leading stores to create the magic of Christmas but this is by far an interesting choice to go with. Many cartoon characters played St. Nick ... bumbling Mr.Bean looks cute.

It was a nice touch to engage the Mini owners club in Malaysia to showcase their prized possession. A classic tribute to these vintage machines.

And among them all, this was the most photographed Mini.

Mr. Bean memorabilia were on sale at the center court and kids were all over them. I got myself a stationery kit with a notebook and drawing block.

The highlight was a 20 minutes musical piece featuring Irma, Mrs. Wicket and the star himself ... Mr. Bean. Not forgetting teddy nicely tucked into his coat. Lovely to get a photo with them.

Kids Fair 2010

Last weekend we made a beeline to The Star Kids Fair at KL Convention Center. Daddy's primary motive was to source information on pre-schools and this event should see a fair share of them gathering.

Poor daddy was left disappointed. There weren't any major pre-school players seen among those who setup booths. Many of them showcased their products and we ended up spending quite a bit buying them.

There were lots of activities held for children to participate and a splendid time they had. I have just happy to watch them. I can't be seen doing that in my lovely dress.

 

The highlight was the story telling competition. Cash prizes were up for grab and joining daddy with a long face for I was too young to participate. Next year perhaps.

Ears Pierced!

I was under the impression my ear lobes were spared until I turned 5 but I guess I was wrong. The man (daddy) who feared it the most ended up planning the whole thing.

I got it done on Friday as it turned out to be an auspicious day for it. A family friend who's a goldsmith by profession did the honors. His suggestion to go with a pair of red starter studs complemented my complexion to perfection. Apologies on the blur photo ... daddy's hands were still trembling.

We decided to go with the modern approach using this fancy little gadget. The Piercing gun. It was a wise choice compared to enduring mega pain doing this the traditional way. I admit, I had a tear or 2 when I got hit but the pain went away soon enough. Uncle Goldsmith handed me a candy for being brave but daddy needed it more so I gave it to him instead.

 

Well all major events in my life is a celebration so we headed for a good lunch right after. Both me and daddy weren't in the mood for any heavy stuff after that ant biting experience so we decided to have small portions and shared it on the same banana leaf ...

Yesterday we were at the hypermart to get some essentials and was surprised to see Manny and Sid roaming around. They must be tired with all the ice and opted for some sunshine in Kepong.

Happy Deepavali

 

It's a quiet one this year. Lots of food and great shows on TV. Fireworks at night. What else can one ask for.

Deepavali - 1 Day to Go!

On the eve of Deepavali, we normally take things easy. No major work to indulge in, enjoy a good lunch ... afternoon cat nap and an early dinner before hitting the bed for the big day tomorrow.

The prayer room was given a good brush-up and a minor rearrangement took place. Pooja items were all prepared in advance so that we don't run around looking for them in the morning.

The night was capped with some fireworks and this time, the big ones were brought out. Well it might not be considered big for some but to daddy it's dangerous enough.

 

I was happy with my sparklers. They too were starting to show signs that they have been kept for far too long.

The serving dishes were given a good wash before they are lined up filled with all the fantastic traditional fare and the modern cookies. I'm not sure why we take so much risk with these glass pieces.

We decided on packet drinks so that it would be easy to serve. Now the Fitnesse whole wheat fruit cereal is for post Deepavali slim down. Note the free dance workout CD that's included.

Deepavali - 2 Days to Go!

We finally completed all the major cleaning and pending the prayer room which will be top priority tomorrow. Sleeves rolled up for one more outstanding goodie ... Nei Urundai (Ghee Balls).

It's not as easy as it seems. You have to put some ghee in a saucepan and bring it to boil. In a separate container, empty a packet of ready made ghee urundai flour and based on your preference, you can add chopped raisins or cashew nuts together. Stir the mixture while you add in the boiling ghee.

Cautiously grab a reasonable amount and roll the dough with your hands into small balls. You can use the excess flour to dust them before serving. It can be served just like that or wrapped in coloured tissues.

 

It's a must have delicacy for us every Deepavali. We normally go with Baba's and I'm not endorsing it.

Our stock ran out so we had to get fresh vegetables for lunch tomorrow and looking at the condition they are in, we just have to make do with it.

And there's always time for a quick train ride too ...

Deepavali - 3 Days to Go!

Cleaning is a very tiring chore. The hardest thing about it is when you race to complete them in time. Cherry to the cake is to have more windows, an extra bathroom and a yard this big.

Daddy does most of the maintenance and I do help occasionally by picking the dry leaves. We had the lawn mowed 2 weeks ago but thanks to the downpour frequently, they are growing fast.

This stone walkway through the yard gave daddy a serious back ache this evening. Well it was all covered up in cow grass and using a hand spade, champion went on clearing all 15 of them right up to dinner time.

The fireworks were lit tonight and the sparklers were lovely. We had our apprehension that some of them may fail as these items were known to be old stock. I am careful with them and it's played strictly under adult supervision.

Deepavali - 4 Days to Go!

Once a year for Deepavali we get a little carried away on getting new stuff. It's a reason we use to justify the expenses that accumulates over a month preparing for it. Everyone wants to look like a star!

I'm not getting left behind so the 'puppy eye' trick worked and I've made good collection this year. My reason ... kids ride on a steep growth curve so by the time next Deepavali kicks in, I doubt I'll fit in any of these. The colourful leggings you see in the middle ... now those I can stretch and get in.

This is my evening piece, lovely colour and it goes well for informal functions and temple prayers.

This piece adds to the prior as they both are simple and elegant. I normally go for sleeveless since it complements my tall frame.

And this piece is gonna be the highlight this year. Bangalore silk saree. Daddy got it exclusively for me in India and the best part ... I don't have to spin it all around. Meant for kids and you just slide into it. Easy peasy.

This line of clothing caught my eye during one of my shopping trips. Mother Blouse ... stereotyping?