Church Anniversary Dinner

Phua Chu Kang is in town!!!

To celebrate the much anticipated event- of-the-year: 118^th Church Anniversary, the church has extended its warm welcome to this famous, hilarious, awesome actor/host/comedy performer – Gurmit Singh, or better known as Phua Chu Kang. 

A committee was formed and soon the church secured a booking at Kings’ Green Hotel for a 75-tables Chinese 8-course Dinner.  Tickets were sold out within the second week of the launching. 

Hubby requested to arrange for a dance performance at the dinner.  We started practising in June.  Initially I planned to have 20 tambourine dancers + flag bearers.  After viewing the hall and realised that the stage is quite small, I reduced to 10 pax.  

My stress level was on the rise as the Big Day drew near.  I was scheduled to worship lead the Sunday after the Anniversary Dinner.  Besides, I was supposed to sit for my exam that very week itself.  Preparing the song list for Sunday Worship, completing my assignment and project while studying for the exam – are only part of my near nervous breakdown.  Hubby then decided to test my limit by assigning me to design a brochure.  Thankfully, after hours of staring in front of the laptop, the brochure was done in time for printing; the assignment and project was completed, and I recently received my grade for the exam - with flying colours!!!  And the Sunday worship went well.  Phew!!!

The day has finally arrived!  One of my friends whom I invited for the dinner, See Kar, reached around noon and thankfully, Doreen was there to pick her up from the bus station and brought her to the HomeStay.  I re-scheduled the worship practise to the morning.  However, time was really not on my side.  After the practise, I had to rush home to cook for my two kiddos and then deliver it to the hotel as hubby was there with my girl to oversee that everything was in place.

Then, sent my princess to art class and drove over to meet See Kar and Doreen at Jonker Street.  Although they assured me that they understood my busy schedule and graciously told me not to rush over, I did not heed their advice.  :p  It was good to catch up even for that short one hour.  Went back home to wash up, got my kids ready, drove to the church to pack up all the flags and then finally, reached the hotel with my heart beating profusely.

I am so grateful to have my DG members, aka Siang Ling, Karen and Irene, to help me up with the make-up and hair-do for the dancers and flag bearers.  One of the dancers’ mom, Erny, was also there to assist that evening.  In fact, they reached the hotel earlier than me!  (*shy)  The reward is: They took a photo with Gurmit Singh even before the event commenced.

The early birds... exclusive photo with Gurmit Singh  (*jealous)

A special note of thanks to Susan for staying put at the hotel the whole day.  She was the first one to welcome Gurmit.  All of us were surprised by his early arrival.

Let the magic begins....

The dancers rehearsed a few rounds on the stage.  Though they were not perfect, they were awesome!  I am so glad to work with these incredible people for the past few months.  They have always tried their best and even took the extra mile to practice with extended hours.

Since it was still early, I took the opportunity to snap a few shots... hello, smile!

The 4 handsome flag bearers

The beautiful tambourine dancers

The majestic wings carriers

The girls...

Now, a group photo

My DG members

Soon, the hall was packed with people.  Elyse was eagerly waiting for See Kar and Doreen at the entrance while I rested at my table, munching some left over fries and sip a few mouth of coke.  At last, our guests of honor arrived and we continued to catch up with each other till the event started.  Bee Gek and her family arrived late as they were caught in heavy traffic jam.  Nevertheless, it was such a pleasure to meet her as the last time we met each other was 17 years ago!!! 

Buddies since secondary school

 

Simon led us in a time of worship followed by some video slides presentation.  The flag and tambourine dance was scheduled after the 2^nd dish.  The youth were nervously waiting for their call.  Karen, the MC for that evening, welcomed the youth with the sound of applause from the crowd.  They performed the routine without any mistakes.  It was such a joy to see the fruits of our labor finally accomplished.  I am proud to lead these precious ones through this journey.

The crowd waited patiently for the appearance of Gurmit Singh.  Our patience paid off as he made his entrance to the stage with jokes and songs.  Surprisingly, he sang extremely well!  And we had the honor to be the first to purchase his first debut album.  

The crowd went crazy as Gurmit walked around the hall posing for photographs.  He even played a silly game with a few gentlemen.  His transposed humor brought waves of laughter around the hall. 

The hall went silence as Gurmit shared with us his testimony on how God miraculously healed his mom and thus paved the way for his family to come to know God.  There’s a story behind every man.  Indeed, his life story allowed us to peek into his world where Christ and His grace are deeply embedded in his life.

The Dinner ended with the signing of his autograph for those who buy his album and a photograph session.  I was one of the last few to take a photo with him.   

My friends and I parted after the Dinner as I had a terrible headache.  I felt so guilty for being unable to accompany them back to the HomeStay.  Again, a big thank-you to Doreen for playing host.  

It was a beautiful evening, meeting up with beautiful people; watching a beautiful performance; listening to a beautiful story; having an encounter with a beautiful God.

p/s: And a beautiful ME!!!  :p

Trophy

Elyse won her very first trophy early this year.  Actually she has had two other trophies which she received at her kindergarten when she was four.  But we all know that that was more like an encouragement to all the kids.

Elyse mentioned to us a few times she participated in the colouring contest in school.  But one day, she came back home with this trophy and a certificate.  We are really proud of her.  This is her first trophy in her primary school life.  Way to go, girl!  We hope that this trophy will motivate you to work harder next time.

Four years old birthday

This was written months ago but kept in my Draft.  Finally it is out of the shelf!



Erwyn has finally turned FOUR!!!

I believe this is a common illusion that most parents face when you have more than one child: I know that my son is so much younger, but very often I thought/expect him to do more than he should.  This could partially due to I have an older child and she could accomplish quite a lot by herself without my asssitance.  So I tend to treat my son the same way.  The advantage is: My son is more independent.  He could do a lot more things by himself as compared to my daughter when she was four.  But at times I do feel a bit guilty for not giving him the attention he deserved.

Erwyn is one child that does not want to grow up.  And he constantly remind us of that.  I am extremely curious of what makes him to think likewise.  I thought all children want to grow up.  Perhaps we always tell him and his sister when you are older you need to do this by youself.  I could imagine him saying this, "So, I no need to do if I don't grow up lor!"  Sounds logically, right?

Well, I am also struggling with the idea that my son is growing up.  "Please, don't grow up so quickly!" That's my secret desire.  I fear for the day when my children no longer enjoy chit-chatting with me; I when my children prefer to play their own games instead of having fun with me; when they leave the nest and the house is empty.  So, please... let me just enjoy kissing them, hugging them, snuggle with them, tickle them, running around with them...

Erwyn likes Mandarin.  That really surprises me, A LOT!  Unlike Elyse, he doesn't read a lot of books.  But once in awhile he would recite to me what he learned in kindy, especially the Mandarin reading.  He would flip through his Mandarin books and showed me his masterpiece.  It's always my dream that my kids would be able to communicate with my parents, sharing laughter and jokes with my parents.  It would never fulfil as my dad has passed away, but I wish they would do so to my mom.

My boy likes mee!  Wan Tan Mee without black source, to be exact.  And soup!  Just like his father.  All the dishes, be it chicken or fish, he named all of them chicken.  He also likes to eat white rice.  His favourite is plain chocolate, just like his sister.  He also loves Mamee Monster and Pringles.

Little prince adores his Ah Gong.  Perhaps Ah Gong plays with him most of the time.  There was once Ah Gong went back to Subang for a couple of days, Erwyn missed Ah Gong so much that he almost cried.  The bond between them two is strong.  You may be surprised that he chooses Ah Gong over Daddy at times.

He is one cheerful little boy with lots of facial expressions.  How I wish to capture every one of these precious moment in camera.  His cheeky expression often brought laughter to us.  I wonder how long would this last?

My little boy sweat a lot!  Not his entire body though.  This is only applicable to his cute little round head.  Whenever he run around, or just stay in a warm room, or travel long distance in a car; his hair is so wet (due to the sweat) as though he just had a bath.

Why... why... why... That's his favourite word.  I confess that at times I am so frustrated with his 'whys'.  It isn't as easy as you think to answer every questions he asks.  Nevertheless, I am glad that he is one curious cat that is hard to pleased.

Happy birthday, my little prince!  

Mommy and Daddy love you!

Specially for you, my little prince

Erwyn was so shy standing in front of his class and listening to his friends singing birthday song to him

Cake cutting ceremony

Erwyn and his classmates

The little ones enjoyed the special treat

Homework

About a week ago, Erwyn came back home with some homework from kindy.  He was doing his colouring without my supervision.  That's the awesome thing about Erwyn.  I never need to sit with him to monitor his homework.

Then Elyse came into the room.  She asked Erwyn if he needed Jie Jie to help.  Erwyn was happy to hear that.  His little fingers were getting tired.  But before Elyse took up the colour pencils, she asked little boy: "Will your teacher scold you if Jie Jie help you?" 

Erwyn answered:"Yes, Teacher Jane will scold.  But if I don't tell Teacher Jane then she won't know lar!"


:)

DG Outing - Sg Lembing Part 2

We left for Sg Lembing Museum at 11:30am.  Sitting on top of a small hill, the museum is housed in an old bungalow once used by the mine manager.  It offers a comprehensive overview for this historic small town and the mines.  Sg Lembing was once the deepest mining area in the world (vertically downwards – around 27-30 storeys below and mostly submerged).  The museum houses a collection of mining artifacts.  All the exhibits were well laid out and have clear explanations displayed in English and BM.  Very informative indeed.  

After the museum, we headed to a famous Bak Kut Teh restaurant.  The place was crowded and the service was poor.  We were even told to wipe our own table!!  Nevertheless, I still prefer and missed my PJ old town Bak Kut Teh.  Anyone please ‘ta bao’ for me?

Our group was divided into three groups as some of us would like to hibernate in the house/room; the youth preferred to hang out at Lembing Riverview Resort for a tournament; while the remaining 8 of us would like to visit the Underground Tin Mines.  We stopped by at one of the hanging bridges before the Underground Tin Mines.  There were lots of visitors and the bridge was wobbly.  Well, that’s the fun of it!  Once you crossed the bridge, the path takes you to a few local shops that sell local food/products.  

The Underground Tin Mines is situated not far from the Museum.  The journey started with a short 'train' ride followed by walking in the long tunnel which is well lit and ventilated.  Guides are stationed at certain points in the mine.  Some parts of the walkway are wet.  There's a simulation, games and informative signboard retelling the golden days of the mine in English and BM. Stalactites and stalagmites adorn the “ceiling” and “ground” respectively and are still growing and forming.  At the end of the tunnel there is a steep flight of staircase to see the kiew (lift that miner used) after which we walked back to the exit. The tour is quite an experience.  One gets a glimpse of how the life of a miner of yesteryears working laboriously under the harsh environment.  

The tour soon came to an end and we departed back to our comfy nest, spending some time bonding with each other.  Our dinner was a big feast of instant noodles!  We intended to clear off the supply before departing for home the next day.

Most of us went to bed around 11pm.  It was a long day and soon I doze off to slumber land.  However, I was awaken around 1:30am.  I felt itchy around my neck, arms and thigh.  It was still early and I wanted to fall sleep again.  But the itchiness kept me alert.  Finally, I got up and checked and realised that there were rashes all over my body.  Took a bath at 2:30am and the swelling went down a little.  Lie down again on the bed but I was wide awake.  “There goes my sleep”, I’ve decided to just hang around until it’s time to get ready for the waterfall adventure.

The 4WD picked us up around 5:30am and took us to the morning market for breakfast.  Our group was divided into two as one 4WD could only accommodate 16 pax.  Siang Ling, me and the 3 kids were in one 4WD while the rest of them in another 4WD.  We departed the town at 6:30am and the journey took around 45 minutes.  There were some youngsters in our jeep that were making lots of noise.  I felt a little annoyed by their dirty jokes.  But turned out they created some excitement in the next 45 minutes of a boring ride.  Well, to consider it as a ‘boring’ ride may not be fair after all.  In fact, the 4WD took us through the jungle trails, crossing several streams, driving up and down the hill slopes and muddy path in full speed.  My daughter commented that the ride was like a roller-coaster. 

I enjoyed the chill morning breeze caressing my face as the 4WD drove pass the bumpy road.  It freshen me up as I was beginning to feel a bit tired.  After all, I have had very little rest the past two days.  We stopped by at a designated area to watch the sunrise.  I reckon the sunrise here is better than Panaroma Hill.

The 4WD continued to drive on the uneven trails until we reached the river bank.   We waded through the waist level muddy river assisted by a rope.  Then slowly and carefully, we made our way through the rainforest.  The first part of the hike was quite straight forward and relatively easy for my girl.  I held on to her hands and kept her distracted by talking to her.  The second part of the hike was slightly challenging, where we needed to walk through shallow water, on mud and rocks where small waterfalls form.  There were ropes tied from one tree to another, assisting the climbers to cross over certain tricky path.  Elyse was doing fine, although a little slow at times, with some assistance.  Well, it is one thing to hike by myself; it is another thing to assist someone in hiking.  Of course the later consumes more energy and hard work.  I am grateful for Irene and Colin to see to the needs of my little princess and offered a helping hand.

Finally, we saw the magnificent waterfall.  It was truly a sight to behold. There were a lot of tourists who reached there before us and have found a nice spot to rest, while some choose to take a dive in the pool. The waterfall is about 150 meters high and the water was cold and refreshing.  There were cheers from the crowd as the beautiful rainbow made its debut. The exhausting journey up the waterfall was definitely worth it! 

The guides prepared instant cup noodles and Milo (water taken from the falls) for the tourists to quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger. 

Elyse wanted to dip into the water but the coldness frightened her off.  At last, Tay carried her on his back in the pool so that she can waddle her feet in the chilly water.  I joined in the fun shortly as she was desperate for her mom to be with her.

My only regret is I failed to swim nearer to the rainbow and see it at different angles as some bloggers described it as transcendence.  

Fun time sure passed by swiftly.  Soon, it’s time to hike back down.  A group of us had left earlier and faster.  I assisted Elyse almost one quarter of the journey, then we met a Kuantan guy who called himself a lone ranger.  He offered to carry Elyse at the back as we passed through those slippery rocky boulders.  I was a bit reluctant to accept the offer, as I wished for Elyse to experience hiking by her own ability.  On the other hand, I did not want to cause human traffic jam as there were many other tourists at the back of us.  Also bearing in mind that there’s a group waiting for us way far ahead.  The gentleman moved speedily though he’s carrying an 20kg load on his back.  I followed him closely.  Without assisting my girl, I hiked pretty fast too.  hehee…  *shy

At last, we crossed the muddy river again and crawled back into our 4WD.  There goes another 45 minutes of a gruelling journey back to Sg Lembing town.  We washed up, packed our bags, and headed back to the town for lunch.  Next, we drove to Kuantan to fuel up our car.  Did I mention that there’s no petrol station at Sg Lembing?  We separated into two groups again as 2 cars were driving back to Malacca directly, while the other 2 de-toured to KL before heading home.

As Siang Ling did not rest well the past two nights, I took over the wheel for the first 3 hours.  Perhaps it was a long weekend, the traffic was awful.  Thanks to Siang Ling’s F1 driving skill, she manoeuvred her car in between the snail traffic and brought us back home safely by 11pm.   The rest of them reached home earlier at about 7:30pm.

It was so much fun hanging out with this awesome group of folks.  Personally, I love the Rainbow Waterfall – it is definitely a hidden gem in Sg Lembing.  What an amazing experience exploring the natural beauty in this old little mining town!  And to all my DG members, I look forward to our next adventure!

p/s: Majority of the photos are contributed by my DG members.

DG Outing - Sg Lembing Part 1

The much anticipated outing of the year for my DG finally unfolded from 29^th till 31^st August.  I have never heard of this quiet little town, Sg Lembing, until Irene brought it up at one of the DG meetings.  

Irene’s description of this place quickly caught my attention.  The Rainbow Waterfall and the sunrise at Panorama Hill … just the right cup of tea for me.  After discussing with hubby, we’ve decided that Elyse followed me to Sg Lembing; whilst Erwyn stayed behind with Ah Gong and hubby.

Of course, there were some hiccups along the way.  We found out about Ah Gong’s illness and I was at the edge of pulling out.  After the funeral, I was anxious as hubby needed to handle Erwyn all by himself.  It shouldn’t be a major issue, knowing that hubby has been actively involved in raising and taking care of the kids.  But how about Sunday morning service and evening service?  Hubby assured me that there would be more than a dozen church members who are willing to ‘baby-sit’ Erwyn.  After all, he’s such a cutie pie, right?

After my KK hike, Elyse has been pestering me to bring her for mountain climbing.  The 45minutes hike up the Panaroma Hill and Rainbow Waterfall (the two main attractions at Sg Lembing) seem like a perfect starter for her.  Nevertheless, I brought her to Botanical Garden for some walking exercise a month before our outing in preparation for the big adventure.  The first week, it took her 90 minutes to complete the 6km walk.  My DG members were so considerate, they slowed down their pace and waited for my girl.  The second week, she completed the trail within 60 minutes.  The third week, I forgot to keep track of her time but she managed it at the same pace as the other adults.  My guess is around 45 minutes.  The fourth week, not only did she maintain her pace with us, she did another 6km!  In total: 12km within one and a half hour.  I am totally amazed at her progress and am proud of my little princess.

We set off for Sg Lembing and left Melaka around 1pm.  There were 20 of us, squeezed into 3 cars and 1 four-wheel.  Heading towards Segamat, the traffic was quite smooth.  We stopped by for toilet break and had tea at Nanyang Coffee Shop.  It was by accident they stumbled upon this famous kopitiam.  But their service was disastrous.  And many of my friends commented that their food is not as good as it used to be.  Though I stayed there for 5 good years, I have lost touch of that place.  But Segamat will always remain a special place in my heart; as this is where I came to know Christ, and this is where I met some of the most incredible people in my life.

As time was catching up, our initial plan of stopping by Kuantan was abandoned.  We drove straight towards Sg Lembing and reached late in the evening.  After checking in, we roamed around trying to hunt for food.  All of us were starving and exhausted after the long drive.  Filling up our stomach with some of the famous food at Sg Lembing, we retreated to our paradise to rest.

Many of us did not sleep well the first night.  And we needed to get up as early as 5am to hike up the Panorama Hill.  I was already wide awake at 3am and my heart sank when the rain started to pour.  At 4:30am the rain stopped and I was overjoyed but not for long.  It started to rain again heavily.  Amazingly, it stopped at 5am and we rushed off to get ready.  Haha… such an exhilarating morning.

After a strenuous climb up the concrete stairs for around 45 minutes, we reached the hill top of Panorama Hill.  A few of us did not make it though.  Elyse was doing well, with a little help here and there from Irene and her sons.  The view was spectacular.  The sea of cloud enveloped the mountain and the cold refreshing air was rewarding after the climb.  We lingered around for quite awhile, taking lots of photos.  Just when we thought there won’t be any picturesque sunrise, the golden light gently shine forth its radiance and pierced through the cloud.  Mesmerized by the beauty of nature, we stayed behind for another 10-15 minutes, God’s masterpiece is indeed remarkable.

Good job, Elyse!

Finally the sun appeared

Elyse with her two favourite jie jie

Sea of cloud

Group photo

Going downhill was not as tiring as climbing up, yet one needs to be careful as some steps are broken and the path are quite narrow.  One of my DG members, Cornelius, accidently sprained his ankle.  He was all well initially, but the swelling overpowered him and he was left limping for the rest of the trip.

Our stomach was growling after we descended down the hill.  All of us went to the morning market to grab a bite except Elyse and I.  We went back to our cosy homestay to wash up and had a simple breakfast.  After a much needed rest, the children were running around the compound as though their energy bar have charged up to the max and were waiting to explode.  Feeling bored, I took a walk around the house enjoying the scenery and the quietness of a small village.

Our homestay

 

Lots of fish... children enjoyed feeding them

Originally Irene wanted to stay at Lembing Riverview Resort but it was fully booked.  The owner recommended this homestay which I find it equally as pleasant.  The house has three bedrooms which could easily accommodate more than 8 pax.  It is fully furnished with washing machine, cooking facilities, air-cond, TV and water heater.  The best thing is: free supply of mangosteens from our next door neighbour who is a local here.  The uncle said if we were there two weeks ago, we could enjoy some mouth-watering Lembing durian.  Well, I am not complaining since I ain’t a fan of durian.  LOL