Bukit Tinggi Colmar Tropicale & Rabbit Farm

It's end almost end of the year and i just want to go sonewhere! But due to work commitments and coordinating everyone's time is quite a task. Kaseh still have to attend school and hubby
has some projects to complete.

Thus, till our proper family vacation, i pledge to make short weekend trips for the next 2 months, just to break the monotony and keep the kids excited and busy. Most importantly, we spend time as a family.

Last two weeks we spend 2D/1N in Port Dickson. This time around, i have chosen a closer venue, still involves nature, water, animal but thus time above sea level. I'm not a big fan of highlands, cause i can't stand the travelling. The winding roads gives me that uneasy feeling. I think the last time i visited a highland was more than 15 years ago.

So Bukit Tinggi, Pahang it is. After reading a few blogs on the place, i thought let's give it a shot.

The entrance fee is RM 16 per adult and kids under 3 years old enters free. This is the fee to the French themed hotel Tropicale Colmar, Japanese Village and Botanical Garden.

The entrance, as you can see in the above picture is really quite picturesque. But apart from that , this place has not much to offer. There's a few restaurants here, but the price is on the high side. So it's really just "jalan-jalan" for us literally and we finish walking about in 15 mins. I seriously feel that they shouldn't charge us a fee, it's just not worth it.

A small fountain makes a great pit stop for the kids, and it gives you that feeling of not being in the country. Like i could tell people that this was taken in Europe and i might get a way with it .

Ok, the Twin Tower on the horse and the "Selangor Turf Club" sign clearly shows that I'm in Malaysia. Tak pe la bagi chance, saja nak feeling feeling.

The swans to me are the highlight of this place. So charming and friendly. Watch out, Kefli got bitting by one of them. That's because they thought we got food!

We skipped the Japanese Village and The Botanical Garden, i don't think my kids would enjoy it, we straight head on to the animal farm. You've got to exit the French Themed area, cause animal farm is not part the RM 16.

This is the animal farm, further RM 3 is charged to enter , but i thought it's Ok, it's for the animals, in fact i don't mind paying more if the money is used to ensure that the place is well kept and invested in upgrading works.

My kids loved this place and we do too. The cool breeze makes it pleasurable to just hang outdoor. It's not much cooler but , slightly i feel. Unlike trips to say Zoo Negara or Bird Park, KL you either have to go early in the morning or after 4 pm to avoid the heat.

Friendly deers roams freely in the farm.

Kefli's attempt to catch one of the rabbit.

Kaseh's first donkey ride. A milestone for her and she was really proud of herself and we do to for overcoming her fear. Well done sweetheart.

We spent a good 3 hours in Bukit Tinggi. On our way back to KL we stopped at the Genting Sepah Rest area. I never knew that chicken rice there is pretty good. The one served with ayam goreng berempah. I can't remember the name, but you won't missed it - opposite an ice cream stall.

Overall our trip was an enjoyable one. This place is worthy of a one visit just to check out what the fuss is all about. Once you've see the place, your next visit wouldn't be so soon. Yes we would come again, but for the animal farm. Hope this helps.

Family Short Get Away @ Regency Tanjung Tuan, Port Dickson, N9.

Happy October everyone ! And it's Eid once again but this time it's Raya Haji. It's time for another quick getaway, long weekend for us as Monday is a Public Holiday. I honestly did not plan to go anywhere but at the last minute i was itching to go somewhere. Just needed to getaway from KL. Plus for KL-lites like us, where KL is our kampung , this us yet another great opportunity for a family get together.

So, we decided to spend 2D/1N in Port Dickson . It's less than 2 hours from KL and the beach isn't too bad these days and that will keep the kids occupied ! Yay, i was really looking forward for this break.

We were really lucky that there's a few more accommodation available at such short notice. Even Avillion PD has a few more rooms on Agoda. We would normally choose Avillion but just for one night , this time around we looked for an apartment - so that everyone stays under one roof and mom can open her kitchen in PD.

Regency, Tanjung Tuan has a 1500 sq feet 4 bedroom apartment. It's our first time there but from the photos and website we decided to go for it. For me and my sister , there's a pool and close to the beach, enough to keep our kids busy. We are ON darling !

Regency Tanjung Tuan from Avillion Admiral Cove, one of the neighbouring hotel.

Took us slightly longer than usual , 2.5hours , due to the usual jam in Seremban interchange, and we got there , just slightly before 4pm.

The apartment turned out to be quite pleasant . A duplex with quite a large kitchen and dining hall, on the 10th floor, overlooking the sea. Costs us RM 1600 for the whole house , 3 families
( 13 pax) , it's really worth it.

The overview of the duplex apartment.

Nice clean kitchen , there's coffee and tea making facilities , a stove , fridge , washing machine and a dryer !

Master bedroom on the ground floor with King size bed. The rest of the rooms are as follows :
2nd bedroom - queen size bed
3rd bedroom - twin beds with ensuite bathroom (2nd floor)
4th bedroom - twin beds with ensuite bathroom (2nd floor)

2 nd bedroom on the first floor - queen bed.

View from our unit.From the number of people in the pool , you can see that this place is quite popular with holiday makers especially , family with young children.

Upon checking in, we explored the hotel facilities . The food court along the beach called Coconut Groove is quite a nice chillex place. Menu is not too bad,, slighly on the pricey side, but i think the ambience and dining by the beach experience makes it worth the price. What we ordered

ABC - RM 14, bit sweet but portion is good to share with 3 pax
Homemade beef burger -RM 18, generous portion of fries but beef patty so so
Chicken chop - RM 28 , nice , succullent and tasty!

The eatery by the poolside and beach. Good mix of menu, local and western food.

My son, enjoying the sea, he's a natural beach bum.

The lobby of the hotel. Our unit is in block A where all the 4 and 3 bedrooms are. For studios and 2 bedrooms , is situated in block B.

Well, my perspective of PD changed from this trip. There's acctually plenty to do , so perhaps next time we might consider 3D/2N to PD. Things we discovered on this trip for us to do.
1. Ostrich Farm
2. Bouncing castle and horse riding in Teluk Kemang
3. Seafood by the water front ( there's drive thru Mcdonald and Starbucks)
4. PD Mini Zoo
5. Pasar Malam ( night market) only on weekends

Siloso Beach Resort, Singapore!

Oh wow! Raya sakan this year. Raya these days got a lot more exciting for me. Since i got Kaseh and Kefli, they brought so much joy into our lives especially during Eid. This Raya we
did three states in 7d/6n. We did the usual Raya visiting in Johor Bharu my husband's hometown, holidayed in Sentosa Island , Singapore and made a pitstop in Malacca on our way back to KL.

We were in Johor Bharu for for 3 days, Singapore 2 days and Malacca 1 day. My husband hails from JB thus this is where his kampung is, the usual visiting happens around JB, Pasir Gudang and Pontian.

This year we decided to make a trip to Siloso Beach Resort, Sentosa Island ! We got our parents to join us and my elder sister planned the whole trip.

We Malaysian loves to go for holidays in big groups, well as for me , the more the merrier. At least our kids ada geng ! Not many Malaysians are aware of Siloso Beach Resort. Most would probably choose Hard Rock Cafe over this hotel, i personally like Siloso because it faces the sea, and we get to play by the beach.

My daughter Kaseh us no where to be seen because she'll be with her cousins most of the time. This is the main disadvantage of holidaying with other family members, my daughter will most likely choose to hang out with Aidil and Amyrah. Here the three of us hanging out on Siloso Beach. Great coffee but expensive lah and great company. Kefli is a natural beach bum, we start em young.

For us Malaysians, Singapore's strong currency makes this island seems unattractive as a holiday destination. Plus, Sentosa Island is mostly reclaimed , so we feel there's no good reason why we should spend our holidays here. Plus we get value for money holidaying on Islands such as Perhentian, Redang and Sipadan in our homeland.

But i must say that, this Beach Resort is very clean and well kept plus there's so much to do.
If you are looking for a fun filled and pack with activities for kids, this is where you should consider to go. From Aquaria to USSR and water park and sports, there!s si much to do on this Island.

While we were there, we decided to pay the Zoo a visit. I heard so much about Singapore Zoo.

Adults and kids alike will enjoy Singapore Zoo. Malaysian Zoo need no go far to find a case study, this Zoo is beyond expectation and should be use as an example for our local Zoos. I am particularly mazed with the crocodiles sanctuary, the biggest croc i have ever seen in my life!

Flamingos, polar bears, elephants- the Singapore Zoo is divided into different section. Entrance fee is SGD 28 per adult. I highly recommend that you buy online prior to visiting the Zoo.

Siloso Beach Resort's pool is one of the best feature of this hotel. It's huge and is surrounded by trees and nature, a nature sanctuary just within minutes of the hustling and bustling of Singapore city. We had an awesome time , but the exchange rates makes me think twice before visiting this resort again .

Magellan Sutera Harbour, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Wow, I am back in Sabah. What a pleasant surprise, never thought i'll step back to KK so soon, with #keflinursulhi just turned 8 months, it's really hard to tell. Cause travelling with infants requires a lot of preparation and detail planning such as if the location is suitable for infant, accomodation ? Logistics?

This time around because i was going for work purposes the date did not collide with school break. Thus my sister decline my offer and mom didn't want to tag along cause my youngest brother ( her cheperon) is currently pursuing his MA at Taylor's and it's not term break either.

So that's sorted. I asked my husband 2 months prior to this trip if he would take up the challenge and follow me to Sabah. I have to attend to some work matters there and didn't want to leave the kids behind. It will be too rush to make it a day trip plus it would be a waste to not take the opportunity to visit Sabah since i'm already there. His challege is to babysit the kids, no maid, no grandma and no me ! Just him and Kefli and

Our first time in KLIA 2 and we missed our flight. So if you are flying from KLIA 2 just a heads up, be there early , they close the counter 1 hour before departure time, regardless if you web check in or not.

We paid RM 300 and got on the next flight. At the airport, our reactions bila missed flight, as you can see Kaseh looks really happy, don't think she knows what happened.

Kaseh. Kefli is a handful and he is really attached to me, so handling him takes plenty of patience and perseverence.

Kefli's first time on a plane !

Kota Kinabalu was hot and sunny, a much welcome change from the hazy and rainy KL. We hired a car as soon as we touch down KK international airport. KK is relatively small and we suggest you rent a car, makes it easier to travel around. For RM 120 a day, you should be able to rent a MyVi.

Magellan Sutra Harbour is simply breath taking. Checking in was a breeze and the staffs was really friendly.

Checked out the crystal clear water, memang best!

We got a room in the purple zone - 4th floor. Very far from the pool are and lobby. And the nearest lift is very far away, request for a room closer to the pool #tips or you ll have to ferry your kids up and down the stairs.

One of the reason why i choose to stay in Sutra Harbour is because they have plenty of activities for the kids. Kid's club, a playground and a huge pool will keep them busy.

Kaseh enjoying the kid's pool.

A work trip which then turned into a family holiday . I was in Kolej Yayasan Sabah for an audition,brought my kids with me.

The next day , we made a trip to Pulau Mamutik. Take a boat from Jesselton Point , rm 28 per adult , to and fro.

There are three islands that you can visit at the Tengku Abdul Rahman Marine Park - Mamutik , Manukan and Sapi Island.

Skipping back to the hotel, i must say that it 's one of the best hotel we've stayed in. Value for money and the rooms are tastefully decorated. Huge bathroom and a big tub for the kids to bath in. I would definitely come back .

And when we do come back we would like to complete the following:
1. Northern Borneo Train
2. Trip to Manukan Island
3. Kundasang
4. Visit the upside down house

Till we meet again Sabah !

Family #selfie

Gambang Safari & Hyatt Kuantan Trip

Helooooooo, it's been really tough to blog now that I am a mother of two, it's really really challenging. I don't know how those blogger moms does it , this blog post took plenty of will power and loads of delay and hurdles. Alhamdulilah, I manage to steal some time now, they are all asleep. Here goes.....

Ok last school break , we visited Kuantan again ! Well with Kefli who only turned 6 months recently , i am a little nervous taking him to places. My sons suffers from motion sickness, naik kereta jea nangis , just a short trip to the shop pun nangis, apatah lagi 3 hours to Kuantan. Tapi i gagah kan jugak, tak kan nak dok rumah jea kan ?

So we booked Kuantan Hyatt for our 3D/2N rendevous. I was really looking forward to the sea.
It's been 2 years now since our last dive in Tioman. I miss the white sandy beaches and the crystal blue water of our dive destinations. Ada hati nak ke Redang, but with lil Kefli, we thought we'll wait till he's a bit older. Although Kuantan beach may not be crystal blue, but tak pe, beach jugak.

If staying in Hyatt with kids, I really think that Village 1 has got the best view and location. We will only go for these rooms facing the sea and on the ground floor. On this trip we were allocated room 1006 and 1007. It s really easy for the kids to run around and the pool is just next to the room. Saves you the time and troubles to get in and out of the lift to the pool. The view is just breath taking too !

Plenty of eateries around Teluk Cempedak , there s this ayam penyek stall just by the corner of Hyatt entrance which is pretty good. Otherwise, TC is populated by mainly fast food restaurants. Your usual Colonel Sanders, King of burgers and Mr Ronald is there too !

We made a trip to Gambang Safari the next day, my sister who took the Gambang resort package recently, had plenty of good reviews and recomended that we visit the Safari. And we did!

Gambang Safari is huge ! You can spend the whole day there, they have a Zoo concept and a Safari concept. The entrance fee is rm 28 per adult with Mycard and free for kids under 3 years old.

As you can see from this photo , just behind my husband is the Safari bus. There's a long queue tho and probably about 20 people can fit the bus at one time. Remember , if you are bringing along your aging parents , it's advisable to request for a wheel chair, it's a long way up to the Safari check point.

I couldn't snap any photos of the animals cause Kefli hated the bus ride and he was wailing all the way #stress jugak lah . I was so glad that the whole 30 mins journey was finally over. If your kid suffers motion sickness like Kefli, you are better off spending time at the Zoo.

Ok one one family #selfie. This is just after the bus ride.

Back to the hotel later that night, Kefli terus demam , oh dear , cuti -cuti pulak nak deman. Ini lah cabaran menjadi ibu bapa. That's why we must respect and take care of our parents, we sacrifice so much and do all we can for our kids. I only realised this when i became a parent. So that night , 2am his tempeture rose, we took him to a nearby clinic.

The next day was spent leisurely on the beach. Thank god, Kefli got better. We couldn't swim due to the strong tide, tapi hang out kat beach pun macam dah best. Do visit around June when the water is calmer and clearer.

We bought a paper kite and look, Mommy managed to keep it flying high up in the sky !

This is one of our favourite holiday destination. With a baby and a toddler, this is manageable for us. It's not so much a holiday for us , sebenarnya penat gak lah nak melayan kerenah depa so depa lah yang holiday sebenarnya. I always believe that time invested with the family and your children is time and money well invested. If you don't spend time with them now , don't expect them to do the same bila kita dah tua nanti.

We'll definitely return to Hyatt , Kuantan.

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Kaseh Dalam Iklan , ha ha so cute !

I did this with Kaseh when she was 8 months old. She's all grown up now. Melts my heart when i watch this. Kefli looks exactly like his sister . Sigh...they grow up so fast . Shot in 2010.

Selamat Hari Wanita 2014 #womensday

Feminis ialah mereka yang membentuk, memperjuangkan dan mempertahankan hak politik, ekonomi dan sosial seorang wanita. Lelaki pun boleh jadi feminis, kalau mereka percaya dan perjuangkan hak wanita. Kenapa ? Tak salah kan lelaki perjuangankan hak wanita, bukan kah kami ni isterimu, ibumu, kakakmu, adikmu, rakanmu, girlfriendmu, anakmu  dan banyak lagi peranan kami dalam hidupmu.
Kenapa tak boleh sama-sama bersuara pada mereka yang melakukan keganasan terhadap wanita, merendah-rendahkan wanita, buat joke sexist pada/tentang wanita - tak kelakar pun. We are laughing at you , not with you.

Sempena dengan International Women's Day 2014 ni ( sambutan sejak 1911),  perjuangan harus diteruskan. Jangan putus asa, jangan letih dan jangan harap agar orang lain yanh akan memperjuangkan hak kita.

I'd like to thank all the strong and women out there , who made it possible for woman like me to drive, get an education, work, vote, participate in nation building, speak up and walk freely on the street. Believe or not once, women aren't able to enjoy all these , and some other parts of the world , women still aren't able to do all that.

I specifically hope for Kaseh ( my elders) daughter to continuously to enjoy equal opportunities and fair treatment in whatever she does, despite being a woman. We, would try our very best to give her the best education, to aspire her to reach her highest potential, encourage and support her to achieve the highest leadership position in what ever field she wishes.

I hope during her time, more woman will lead and not limited to secretarial or administrative role only. I remembered during my time, some questioned my position of School Head, simple because i was a girl. Girls were meant to be secretaries or treasurer only. I am glad , teachers in my school was quite progressive at that time. But that was an isolated case. Still today , Head or President are as thought reserved for only men.

I hope Kaseh does not have to face all  that we have to face - sexist joke, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, gender stereotype and those other crap that we have to face. She will be respected and seen for her capabilities and not because of her looks. She can stand up tall and be proud of her achievements and not be afraid that boys might be intimidated with her intelligence and vocalness.

For my son Kefli, we will give the best upbringing that we can , so that he grows up to be a gentleman, who is strong and who respects women. He's not pressured to join his peers in putting women down and will think that men who shows violence are losers. There's no need to put down others just to feel powerful. Don't let Mama catch you , making remarks at women - nak kena cili ? He will help me with my house chores, he will clean the kitchen and wash the dishes, just like Mama and Kakak. There's no preference here, and don't let me hear you say - itu kerja perempuan Mama ( that's a woman's job). Nak kena cili ?  He will grow up strong a gentleman and responsible.

Gender equality begins at home. Happy International Women's Day!

Inspired after reading Lean In by Sheryl Sanberg : My story

How are you? I hope it’s not too late to wish you a happy new year ! May 2014 bring us more luck and happiness. Perhaps this is the year to make our wishes come true.  The last 4 months of my 2013, I was lucky enough to be on maternity leave.

During these period my attention and energy was diverted and concentrated on my family.

I spent quality time not only with my now 3 months old son (fully breast feeding – add on to the tired ‘O’ meter) but also my elders daughter who just turned 3 years old last Christmas. They both require different sort of attention and this often zaps out mommy’s energy.

With modern technology and ALWAYS ON society that we are, I did try to “curi-curi” check and reply my work emails and calls. I much prefer whatsapp cause a couple of times during my telephone conversations, Kefli would be wailing away in the background and a few times where Kaseh would be distracting me. I kept apologizing profusely to my caller and request to return their call when it’s more convenient. Unfortunately there’s never a more convenient time. 

Luckily, it’s not always crazy. Occasionally I do get lucky where both of them would sleep simultaneously, giving me some room to bathe, nap and catch up on some reading.  Even though I do have a helper to assist me with my kids, but most often mommy would be the preferred person they want to hang out with (I am glad). So, during my maternity, my maid was kind of left doing the other house chores like doing the laundry and cleaning up the house and I took care of my babies.  It was time well spent and invested on my children.

With the recent ushering of 2014, my maternity leave ended. I started work on the 2/1/2014, after almost 4 months of maternity leave (2 paid and 2 unpaid).  

I am blessed to be kicking off this New Year with a brand new career and a newborn baby boy. Come Chinese New Year, we will be moving to a new place (our current place is getting a bit cramp now).

Somehow a new workplace and a newborn doesn’t usually sound that exciting, new responsibilities at work combine with sleepless night and nursing? I’ am already tired thinking about it. How does mom divide time for both?

Well exhausting it may sound, but we mothers, will always have that extra energy and will power to make that extra effort and pull everything thru.

I don’t know how we do it, but we just do it.

For centuries, childcare and household responsibilities are a mother’s playing field. Some fathers do help out, but more on a voluntary basis, but the core custodian is still the mother. She’ll be the one anchoring, maneuvering, planning, and executing the household day-to-day operation. COO of the house.

However, in the past years, women have been entering the work force as women received better education opportunities and compensation. So, there’s nothing extraordinary about a mother who works now as compared to before, where there are less women in occupation.

Nothing extraordinary? We hell, I think it’s amazing that these women manage to juggle multiple roles and still keep their sanity intact. As Sheryl Sanberg wrote in her book Lean In –

“Give us a world where half our homes are run by men, and half our institutions are run by women. I'm pretty sure that would be a better world.”

― Sheryl Sandberg

In 2014, you might think that the above have materialize but the truth is the scenario have not much shifted since the days of our moms.

I admit, even thought my husband does a lot more than what my father used to do for my mom – like bathing, changing, feeding, playing with our kids and washing the dishes whenever he can, I still wish that he could help out more with grocery shopping, cooking and spearhead some household projects like beautifying the garden or remembering when the kids visit to the doctor should be.

If mothers can contribute their fair share into the household income, can fathers please take charge of the other half of the household chores? It’s only fair right? 

For any working mother, the support system surrounding her is extremely vital and it must come from fathers (who else?) and then family and then friends.

Who will be taking care of the children? Who will ensure dinner is served on the table? How about the daily house chores like cleaning up the house and ensuring the dirty clothes are washed? All these are issues that do not usually effects  working fathers.

My support system may differ from yours but, there’s nothing unusual about it, as I know some friends who shares similar system. And this system is very common in Malaysia (I’m not sure how it works in other countries, but yes I would love to hear from you – please email me).

In Malaysia, there are mainly 4 common supports systems for working mothers.

1.     Daycare centres

2.     Live in maid

3.     Grandparents

4.     Live in maid plus grandparents

I am once again blessed that both my parents are residing in KL. It’s becoming rather common these days for senior citizens to be living in the Klang Valley, simply because they have move to the city to stay with their children. In my case my parents both from Perak , moved to Kuala Lumpur to seek better employment opportunities during their younger years and now have permanently reside in Bandar Utama.  

My mother is 66 years old and my father is 71 years old. At such golden years, I don’t expect them to be running around taking care of my super energetic kids, I hired a maid and send them off to my parent house where, they act as supervisors and keep and eye on the maid and my kids.

My elder sister and my younger brother observe the same system too because their in laws are staying in Johor.  They both send their maids to our parent too.

It’s a mini daycare at my mother’s from Monday to Friday with 6 kids and 4 maids.

We ferry them early in the morning, drop them off at Bandar Utama and go to work and pick them up after work and usually return home after Isya’ prayers and dinner. We reach home almost close to 10 pm, just in time for bed and start the routine all over again at 7 am the next day.

Sounds tiring? Yes it is, but it’s the only system that gives me that piece of mind at work. Knowing that my children are in safe hands and grandma and grandpa

Are monitoring and nurturing them with good values, while we go out there to make ends meet.

I know of a friend whose parent’s houses ten kids and five maids - three are hers and the rest are her siblings.

My parent has been the backbone and pillar to my support system. They have given me the best education that they can provide (equal opportunities given to my brothers too), push me to excel and now take care of my kids so that my sister and i can Lean In.

Thanks Mak and Abah ! I don’t know if I can do the same for my children. But I know in order for my daughter to Lean In and rise in her career, I need to do the same for her. Not only I aspire for her to be in the workforce but to hold a leadership position in the field of her choice.

I also pray that when her time comes to juggle between a career and family, we can see a significant shift in roles and major support from policy makers, society, husbands and companies so that more women can strive at the work place.

Note :

I am blogging this after getting a chance to read Sheryl Sanberg – Lean In. My boss, Lina was the one who urged me to read it.  She is so inspired by Sheryl’s

experiences and thoughts on how working mothers can strike a balance – work and family and how women can get ahead in their career.  I picked up the book the next day at Borders Mutiara Damansara.

The views and opinions of the above are solely the views of the author.