Week 31: July 16 to 22

We arrived back home around lunchtime Monday and spent the afternoon unpacking, Steve studied, and we went to KLCC in the evening to have dinner and get a few groceries.
Tuesday Steve went back to work and the kids and I stayed home doing some washing and watching tv. We went out for dinner with Mel, Leigh and Ella to Las Carretas as they were leaving for Dubai this week.
Wednesday the kids started back at school and I had lunch with Cathy and Mel. It turned into a long lunch as we went back to Cathy's for some wine and Steve got the kids off the bus and dropped them at Cathy's on his way to a function.
Steve had a morning tea at the High Comm Thursday morning, then had the rest of the day off. We met for lunch, then went to get some groceries. Steve also had Friday off for study, we went to IKEA and the curve and to a pub for lunch. Friday night we went out for dinner at 7atenine with a group of people for Janelle's birthday. It was a great night.
The weekend was pretty quiet. Steve did some work and we watched quite a bit of footy. On Saturday evening Steve and the kids went to Colonel Toh's for a party (I wasn't feeling the best). We were invited out to Out of Africa on Sunday for lunch with Michelle and her family. Out of Africa is a sports club with an Olympic sized pool and a south African restaurant, it's a great place for adults to have a drink and talk while the kids swim.

Saturday was the start of Ramadan here. Ramadan is when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, then they have a big feast in the evening. Ramadan lasts for a month and ends with Hari Raya, a celebration similar to Christmas. So it is an interesting time here in Malaysia. Steve gets one week off for the whole year, and it's during Hari Raya, in mid August. For those who don't know, we have planned a trip to Venice and a cruise around the Greek Islands for our week off. It will be tiring, but we are really excited about it!

Week 30: July 9 to 15

What a busy and exciting week!

Monday was quiet, Lachlan was still feeling unwell.
Tuesday afternoon Michelle and her girls came over for a swim. Lachlan and Danae were invited to their place for a sleepover that night, so Steve and I went out for a drink and dinner, but came home fairly early as Steve had some work to do.
Wednesday I went with Sarah, Michelle Donna and Toni on another KL explorers tour to Petaling Jaya to see some furniture stores. Afterwards I picked up the kids and Danae went to Ella's for another sleepover.
On Thursday I took Ella Danae and Lachlan to lunch and the movies. And we packed for our trip to Cambodia and had an early night.

We had to get up early Friday morning to get to the airport for our flight. It took 2 hours to fly from KL to Siem Reap and when we got to our hotel we were able to check in early and our tour guide was ready. On our first day we saw the temples of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphoun, Pimean Akas and the Elephant Terrace and Taprohm (the temple in the movie Tomb Raider, and Steve's favourite). With a stop in the middle for some lunch. We got back to our hotel around 4:30, had a swim to cool off, then headed into the tourist area in the centre of town for dinner and a quick look around.

Saturday after our buffet breakfast we had an early start and saw the temples of Preah Khan, Neak Poan, Ta Som, and East Mebon. We were then taken back to the hotel for a complimentary lunch. We also had a bit of a relax. We were picked up again by our driver and guide at 3:30 and we went to a market, then to an artisan school, kind of like TAFE were young people get selected to learn the crafts of silk painting, laquering, wood carving, silversmithing, soapstone carving, or sandstone carving. Then we headed about 20 minutes south of Siem Reap towards Tonle Sap (Great Lake). We got on a boat and were taken down the river past a floating village and to the edge of the lake. We got off the boat onto a floating restaurant/shop/information center/crocodile enclosure and went up the top to watch the sunset. On the way back, Steve and Lachlan drove the boat most of the way until our boat driver quickly took the wheel back as he said "oooh police up here". When we got back to Siem Reap the driver dropped us off in the centre of town, we had some great Mexican food, had a wander around the night markets, and all four of us got a relaxing foot massage.

Sunday was our last full day in Cambodia, we slept in a little, had breakfast then headed off for some more temples. First we went to Banteay Srei, which was my favourite. Then we drove about 30 km through villages to Banteay Samre. On the way back we stopped for lunch, and after lunch we visited the famour Angkor Wat temple, which was both Lachlan and Danae's favourite. Our three day tour finished at about 3 and we got back to our hotel, had a quick swim, then Steve and I went for our complimentary traditional massage. After a rest in our room we headed into the town centre one last time. We had a drink and a snack at the Mexican we had been to the night before ($1.50 margaritas are too good to pass up!). Then we had a wander around for a couple of hours and chose to have dinner at a Cambodian barbecue restaurant. We got 10 different types of meat (including crocodile, ostrich, frogs legs, snake) to cook on our own tabletop barbecue, along with noodles and veges which get cooked in a broth around the edge. It was a great experience, but Danae was dissapointed she didn't get to try kangaroo because they had run out. After dinner we got a tuk-tuk home for a good nights sleep before flying home.

Week 29: July 2 to 8

This week Steve was away with work for the working week and I took Mum and Dad with the kids to Melaka.
Steve left Monday for Johor Baru (the southern town on the coast before you cross the bridge into Singapore). They stayed threre two nights, but spent a lot of the day time in Singapore. Then they went to Melaka for two nights. We got to see hime for a very short time in Melaka while we were there.
Monday was pretty quiet, and we set off Tuesday morning. After checking in, we had some lunch, walked around Jonker St and some of the shops. Then we went back to the hotel and had a swim before going out for dinner.
Wednesday we went up to St Pauls church, where it started to rain. Then we went down to the river cruise and as soon as we got in the boat it poured raining. The cruise was still good, but by the time we got to shelter after the cruise we were drenched, some more than others. So we walked back to the hotel using as much shelter as we could, and all had showers and dried off. After a fresh change of clothes it was still raining. There was a big mall across the road from our hotel, so we went for lunch then Dad took the kids to the movies to see Madagascar 3 while Mum and I did some shopping. Finally the rain stopped so later in the afternoon we set out to try and find somewhere that was showing the State of Origin. I wasn't too hopeful, but we found a great little bar with a really friendly owner, who put it on for us. After the game finished we went to Jonker Street for dinner. Steve arrived in Melaka as we were finishing dinner, so we met up with him for a bit, but he had a very early start the next day.
Thursday, we did a little last minute bits and pieces, then drove home. We went out for fish and chips that evening.

Friday, we went out in the afternoon to the Pavillion and BB Plaza. Steve came home in the early afternoon and we spent the afternoon by the pool having a drink with the Kyla and Logan, then Mel. We came upstairs for dinner and Mel and Ella came too.
Saturday we spent most of the day at home, Mum and Danae did another batik painting, Steve studied and we played some board games. Saturday night we went back to Jalan Alor for dinner, as it was Mum and Dad's favourite place we ate during their stay.
Mum and Dad left for Singapore Sunday morning and we went out to IKEA and the mall next to it, but almost as soon as we got there Lachlan was unwell and threw up, so we came home.

Week 28: June 25 to July 1

With Mum and Dad still here and the kids on holidays it has been both a fun and relaxing week, although Steve has had a lot of work to do this week.

On Monday Lachlan, Danae, Mum, Dad and I went on the hop on hop off bus around KL. We went up the KL Tower, got off at Bukit Bintang for lunch at Al Amar, had a quick stop at Chinatown and did the fish spa, stopped at the new Istana Negara (National Palace) then came back to Ampang Park stop where we got on. We all went to the rasa food court at KLCC for some cheap Malay food and caught the light and music show in the park as we came home.

Tuesday was a quiet day. Danae, Mum and I went to Berjaya Times Square and had a look around the shops and had sushi for lunch. Dad and Lachlan went to a few sports stores around the Pavillion and had lunch together.

Wednesday was pretty quiet as well. We took Mum and dad to get their bus tickets to Singapore, I took some dresses to the tailor to get the hems taken up and we went to KLCC for lunch and a little look around. For dinner we went to El Cerdo at Changkat Bukit Bintang and had a platter with all kinds of Spanish hams and proscuitto and half a suckling pig. Steve didn't come with us because he was feeling unwell and had to go back to work at 8:30 to work on a group project.

We all went separate ways on Thursday. Dad and Lachlan went out for brunch, Mum and Danae went to the Kraft Komplex to do batik painting and I went with some High Comm ladies on an explorers group around Sri Hartamas. Steve and Dad went to play golf after lunch. We had an early lunch at home then I took Lachlan to the movies to see Brave.

I took the kids and Mum and Dad to Chinatown on the LRT on Friday. We had a good look around Central Market, and had lunch in the food court there. Then we went to a few fabric shops and walked down Petaling Street. I got some flowers on the way back home. We had a swim and a drink by the pool, then came upstairs for dinner. Steve and I were thinking of going out to Souled Out, but were too tired.

Saturday, we went to Publika, had breakfast at Plan B, had a look around (they have a great industrial vintage store that I love), and got some groceries at B.I.G. In the afternoon we chilled out at home. For dinner Mum, Dad and the kids went to Delicious at Dua and Steve and I went out together. We had Japanese at the Intercontinental, and it was delicious!! The highlights were the grilled scallops and chocolate fondue for dessert. We stopped at Malones on the way home for a drink and a game of pool.

On Sunday we had a bit of a sleep in, then we went to Little India on the LRT. We walked around the bazaar, had a look at some beautiful saris and had some lunch. As we were walking to the next station to come home. Steve and I decided to go to the Hard Rock Cafe. Everyone else wanted to go back home, so they caught the train back. Steve and I had a drink at the Hard Rock, then ended up walking home via KLCC. After a swim and a cool down, we went out to Jalan Alor for dinner. We had stingray, calamari, lemon chicken, fried coffee chicken (that one was a favorite), assorted beans, brocolli, ocra and rice. With two beers, two soft drinks and two juices the bill came to $60. Dad thought it was the best meal he had had in KL.