New Year Travels

Gong Xi Fa Cai, everyone!

It’s been a good Chinese New Year holidays, for me. I travelled a lot, as usual, but this year, thank God, i managed to avoid all the traffic jams. I heard for those travelling at peak hours it was pretty bad, but at least most of the construction works have been cleared, except for that Tanjong Malim killer stretch.

First things first – on Wednesday, the day before Chinese New Year, we took off from home early in the morning and headed back to my hometown in Johor. Travelling south has always been far easier than north, and we made it back before noon. When we first got married, my wife onced commented that going south on the highways was very different from the north (she’s from Ipoh) in that:

1. There are no mountains, so boring one. Well, like, the Banjaran Titiwangsa has already ended, y’know? But she sleeps all the way, anyway.
2. Why got so much palm oil and rubber plantation one? Ipoh people have never seen a rubber ‘estet‘, it seems.

Anyway. Home was the same. At least this year it wasn’t so hot.

Didn’t really take many pictures, was too busy spending my two days there doing important stuff, like eating, sleeping and reading my awesome Lat collection (i have his complete set at home).

But this is a good picture. My kids and nephew doing Bible study.

(2ann – can you see your book?! So thick!!!)

A trip back home is never complete without a visit the (in)famous monkey park. This year there seem to be MORE monkeys, and MORE aggressive.

So that was home. Plus my garden is now something like a jungle, no thanks to my mom and her plants and flowers. I swear, one day, those plants are going to swallow up my dad’s car.

Day three of CNY we came back to KL for a short rest (some of you may have noticed the sudden burst of Facebook activity during that time), then off to Ipoh in the north. “See? Mountains! And no ladang kelapa sawit!”)

Small red lanterns seem to be the ‘in’ thing this year. And those pictures of mice holding Chinese words. I see them everywhere. Even at the mamak barbershop.

On Sunday morning, we went to old town for the famous white coffee. As you can see, we were NOT the only ones there.

It was packed! I couldn’t even get into the shop, let alone fight for a table. We went to the one opposite, only just slightly less packed, but at least i can still SEE the tables.

The object of our desire. White coffee. Eat your heart out, starbucks.

We also ate the hakka mee. Picture taken halfway through eating, forgot to snap photo BEFORE eating.

My wife loves this apam stall outside the coffeeshop. According to her, “can never find this in KL“. I’m not crazy about apam, so i passed. But like all the stalls around here, very teh popular one.

Actually the real reason for us coming down to old town and joining all these crazy food maniacs was to go this toy shop – one of the many lining the road. I just looo-ove this toy shop. They have fantastic stuff at dirt cheap prices. You can easily find toys that you played with 20 years ago here.

Later we went to buy a pack of yee sang for our lunch. Every year we go to this same restaurant in Pasir Pinji – Tuck Kee Restaurant. The place doesn’t look much, but if you’re in the area, you have got to try their food.

Anyway, i came back to KL on Tuesday.

*****

I opened up one of the hampers i got for CNY, and surprise, surprise, what did i find? Kickapoo! The best soft drink in the world! Any soft drink that is green in color has to be awesome. Like Green Fanta. Like Green Spot. Okay, that last one isn’t green.

I mean, just look at it. Two weird looking elves jumping into a burning tub! How delicious is that?!

*****

Valentine’s Day was on Thursday.

Instead of joining the mad throngs at TGIF, this was what we had for supper. Nothing says I love more than glazed donuts. Mmmm…

******

So that was my week. This morning i was counting the number of days to payday. And to the next public holiday. Argh.