our way of ending 2008

a day after xmas, we made the decision to go back, to Terengganu. yes, FYI, im from the same state of our current Agong (how im related to him, dont ask! coz only my dad knows the whole history / family tree).

it has been almost 5 years since our last trip there. mr. son was only a-month old back then. and, ms. daughter was practically there for the first time. mr. hubby is always excited at the thot of going back there. i guess, being brought in the city, and being kampung-less, he does look forward to the different ambience. 

tho we were aware that the journey back would felt like an endless one, we still drove back. it was fun for the kiddos, as they got to see a lot of things throughout the journey. i was practically tired from having to answer their questions! (tu la, masa diaorg tak pandai cakap lagi, sibuk laaa duk sebut, bila la anak aku ni nak dapat cakap! haa, sekarang, RASAKAN!) :P

once we entered the state border, we felt 'lighter.' haha.. leaving behind the hustle bustle of the city life.. our minds felt calmer.. and mr. hubby would agree with me on this. he has been mentioning that maybe one fine day, we'll decide to come back and stay here, in Terengganu.. 

being there for 3D, 2N... believe it or not, i didnt do any, i repeat, ANY shopping back in hometown. aside from taking the kids to the beach, which was the main agenda, i was sooo busy scouring for food!!!

yesssszaaaa, from nasi dagang to nasi minyak (a la Terengganu style), from all the delicious kuih (tepung kapur, bubur cha cha, akok, jala mas, and MANY MORE!), from rojak ayam to nasi lemak sambal ikan (bilis tak main ehhhhh?)... i came back to KL with a bulging tummy!!

inilah yang dikatakan, KEMARUK makan!!! everything looked sooooo YUMMY (and they WERE), and not just that, they were SUPERCHEAP ok? mana tak disambar semuanya??! 

these are random shots taken before we were out for dinner during our first nite there. jalan-jalan cari makan, last2, we ended having dinner.... where..?? u guess laa..

ta ta ra ta ta.... im lovin it!

yeap, we had dinner at McD!! so lame, kan??

SMSS -- the place of my 'becoming-of-age' phase of life (dramatic la pulak ayat tu! buerrkk!)

after my UPSR, i began my 1st year in secondary school, at THAT school. then, few months after, i was accepted to SESMA, one of the boarding schools in Trg. my eldest bro went there, and to be the 2nd among the sibs to be accepted, was a major boost for the whole family!

BUT, i wasnt there long.. hehe! or, i was only there for a month! so much of calling myself a boarding school student! from the prep classes, to so-so food served in the dining hall.. from the late nights of lectures by the seniors, to 5am wake-up call (again) by the seniors.. boarding school wasnt my cup of tea! hence, i was transferred back to SMSS! mcm biskut, kejap ada, kejap takde.. :P

some would say, im no longer from the state.. coz when i go back, i'll stay at a hotel. there's no more the family house there.. so, acting like 'tourists', we paid a visit to the most-talked-about Taman Tamadun Islam, where the controversial Masjid Kristal is located. 

the view of the whole park is simply breathtaking.. and the architecture is simply stunning! photos taken using the choplang digicam didnt do justice to the place..

the most looked-forward-place to go to was no doubt - THE BEACH! thank God that it didnt rain that evening, i took the kids to the beach. they went there dry, and came back totally wet, from head to toe! and ms. daughter had sand all over her curly hair!! aduusss, penat mak menyental malam tu!

it's always a great feeling to see the kiddos having fun, especially at the beach. being brought up in the city, im quite concern that they might end up not knowing about their mom's actual roots, and missing out on few things that the city doesnt have to teach them.. *sigh*

can u believe, mr. son pointed out EXCITEDLY to me, that time he saw some chicken running around: "Ibu, tengok!! ada ayam laaa!!" all this while, tgk ayam kat PHDC je! :P

the last nite before we head back to KL, we had dinner with my dad. for those of u who dont know me (personally), my parents split up when i was still in my primary years. so, since then, we were raised by our mom. of coz, our dad had played his role here & there, but our mom was THE dad & THE mom. (selingan jap: love u Mi!!! muahs muahs!)

my dad is now residing in KT, with his new family. but, it's all good.. my parents can still sit at the same table and have dinner. my mom can even share recipes with my stepmom.. hehe.. and, that nite, my mom did sit at the same table with my dad, and had nasi beriani!

apart from ms. daughter who was throwing tantrums that nite, everything else was good, from the food, the company.. ;)

[im the only one among my sibs who has a 'small' body frame, a trait i got from our dad. my 2 elder bros and my elder sis, they are A LOT bigger than me, a trait they got from our mom]

came sunday, it was our time to head home. after checking out from hotel, we made our rounds around Losong area, the famous place for wat else, keropok lekor la! haha..

but, the keropok we purchased was not for us. they were for our frens, who dont get to taste the original keropok lekor that much.. KL punya version, hampess skit! :P

(selingan jap: to those yg i bagi keropok, hope u guys like it! kalau kureng sedap tu, mintak maap bebanyak!)

the best part was, i did get to meet my old frens from school - Ilya and Akma (nickname: Noyol). Noyol (who's residing in Kemaman now) and i, we've been frens for the longest time. yes, we dont get to see each other as often, but the closeness we share is always there. tho meeting her for just couple of hours, it felt like forever! sempat share some marriage + parenting tips lagi! hehehe..

our journey back was a very 'wet' one. it rained all the way.. mr. hubby was constantly reminded by me not to drive too fast. tapi, when it was my turn to drive, redah aje sampai 120km/hr! :P

i had totally forgot how nice it feels to be back in KT. not having to think about work, it was all 'peaceful' and 'harmony'.. hehe.. and, people there tend to take everything one step at a time, which is very much different from OUR way here, in the big city.

i wont wait for another 5 years to go back.. 

given the chance, i would jumped at the 1st opportunity to feel the sand under my feet again..

definitely, this is the BESTEST (hihihi) memory of OUR 2008!

we hope you've had your best memory too!!

luv luv!