Journey to Kulim, 19.7.09

Finally, this day has come..gotta moved up to Kulim and stay with my hubby..

After 4 years & 3 months working with this Company, I had resigned from my job on 10/7/09..which mean I have a week to prepare myself, pack my stuffs and do some personal matters before leaving for Kulim..Initially I wanted to bring my dog up too..but since I will be bringing lots of stuffs and the car has no more space, will bring her during our next trip ler..

We will be driving up with my old Proton saga (16 years old)..Initially, I am a bit worry, not sure how far can this old car takes us to..moreover, the car water temperature has some problem..heat up pretty fast..so I sent the car for service and the mechanic said no problem for long journey..so I took his words..

That morning, we attended church service at my church..then went for Bak Kut Teh for brunch before our journey started..I drove the first half of the journey, from Klang till Tapah rest area..(Mark said, if drive at the speed of 110km/h, it takes 1.5 hours)..but since I am driving and the car was an old car, so he asked me to go slow..I took almost 2 hours (1.30pm-3.20pm) to reach Tapah..the water temperature was high but didnt reach the DANGEROUS level yet..phew..after 10min break, we continued our journey again and Mark took over to drive..if everything goes smoothly, we shall reach Kulim in 2.5 hours..

BUT...the real problem started now! There were some slopes along the way and the water temperature shoot up high like anything..almost reaching the DANGEROUS level and we were worried..decided to stop by the road side and to check the engine..we met 2 people from the PLUS ronda..they were kind enough to help us check the engine..apparently, the hose that connect the water tank to the radiator was full of dirt and rust..hence, preventing the water to circulate..and the water temperature went up high!..Nothing much we can do but to wait for it to go down..we poured water on the radiator, in order to cool it down..the PLUS ronda guy gave us a name card, suggesting us to call this mechanic in Kuala Kangsar (KK)(far from here) for checking..Mark called him and he asked us to wait at the KK toll..

After thanking those 2 guys..we drove slowly to KK toll..along the way, I called my cousin who was also a mechanic, we wanted to ask for his advice..in case our car need to be repair, how much would it cost coz we were afraid the KKmechanic would 'slaughter' us...my cousin advised us not to let the mechanic check coz most likely, the price will be high and asked us to continue driving and not to be worry about it (I think he didnt believe me when I said the water temperature was high and he couldnt imagine our situation here)..after discussion with Mark and also praying to God, we decided to meet the mechanic and see what he has to say..if the price is high and it gonna take long hours to repair, we will just continue to drive back to Kulim with faith..we waited and waited but the mechanic was still nowhere to be seen..that time was already 530pm..mark was a bit impatient already coz he was worry that if we continue to wait for him, and what if the car need to be repair..we will reach home maybe in the midnight! So, we decided to drove off...

Well..the car was not siding us at all..the water temperature continue to go up high..and we counted, for every 15min of driving, the temperature will reach the DANGEROUS level..so we practically made pit stops at every rest area that we could find..then, open the front boot, poured water on the radiator, filled up the bottle with water from the toilet, poured again..filled again...rested 10min, then journey continued..

THANK GOD that we survived to Bandar Baharu...we had dinner at Serdang and at the same time, let the car engine to rest..from Serdang to Kulim takes about 30min and since its already 7pm..the weather has cool down, so we should be able to reach home without making any pit stop...and we were right..finally we reached home at 830pm! The whole journey took us 7 hours..wow...

We really thank GOD for HIS protection..though I did complaint to Mark ..why GOD is not answering my prayer? Why GOD didnt let the water temperature goes down? but Mark corrected me..he said, God answered my prayer in another way..HE gave us wisdom to quickly stop driving when the water temperature went up high and met 2 kind people..HE also gave us wisdom to discuss things over, to overcome this challenge together..i totally agreed..GOD always work in HIS own way and time..

Though we were both very tired...but the journey today was indeed a big challenge and a memorable one!

養不起的未來

日本的諷刺明星兼導演北原武不久前又獲得一個電影的國際獎。
幾年前他的母親去世，他回故鄉去奔喪，他一直不喜歡母親，

因為她一直不斷向這一個兒子要錢，只要他一個月沒有寄錢回家，

母親就打電話給他破口大罵，真是所謂的死要錢，

而且北原武越出名，她索取的錢越多。

回到家之後，他還是忍不住大哭一場，

想到他一直在外，沒有好好供養媽媽，

雖然是死要錢的媽媽，他還是覺得虧待母親。

等辦完喪事，北原武正要離開家的時候，

他的大哥把一個小包袱給了他說：

這是媽媽叫我一定要交給你的。
北原武小心翼翼地打開小包袱看到一本存摺與一封信，

存款是用他的名義開戶，存款金
額高達數千萬日幣，信中母親寫道：

“武兒，在這幾個兒女當中，我最擔憂的就是你，

你從小就不喜歡唸書，又亂花錢，對朋友太慷慨，

當你說要去東京打拼時，我就很擔心你會變成一個落魄的窮光蛋，

因此我每月從不間斷地要你寄錢回家，

一方面可以刺激你去賺更多的錢，

另一方面也為了替你儲蓄；你給我的錢，

我一毛都沒有花，你大哥一家把我養得好好的，

你的錢就是你的錢，現在就拿去好好利用吧！”

看完了信，北原武哭倒在地上，久久站不起來．．．

王永慶曾經說過一句話：
你賺的一塊錢不是你的一塊錢，你存的一塊錢才是你的一塊錢。

現在的經濟景氣越來越差，全世界都進入了二低一高的時代
低成長、低利率、高通膨；
不要小看你隨手花掉的小錢：
一杯咖啡、一包香煙、一件衣服．．．，

省下它，就有可能改變你的一生，

如果你身邊也有存不了錢的朋友，

告訴他北原武的故事，你就有可能成為他這輩子的貴人！

養不起的未來 --不是收入太少，而是開銷太大

Folid Acid Benefits During Pregnancy

(from http://www.enotalone.com/article/10695.html)

The B vitamin folic acid helps prevent birth defects. If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and while she is pregnant, her baby is less likely to have a major birth defect of the brain or spine.

Most women do not know how important folic acid is for their bodies and for the health of a baby they might have in the future. They also do not know that a woman needs to take folic acid every day, starting before she is pregnant, for it to work to prevent birth defects.

Birth defects of a baby's brain or spine happen in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman knows that she is pregnant. That is why it is important for a woman to get enough folic acid each day, starting before she is pregnant.

A woman's body uses folic acid to make healthy new cells for her baby. Scientists are not sure how folic acid works to prevent birth defects, but they do know that it is needed for making the cells that will form a baby's brain, spine, organs, skin, and bones.

Every woman needs folic acid for the healthy new cells her body makes every day . . . even if she is not planning to get pregnant.

All Women, Every Day

What is folic acid? As a woman, you need folic acid every day, whether you're planning to get pregnant or not, for the healthy new cells your body makes daily. Think about your skin, hair, and nails. These - and other parts of your body - make new cells each day.

You might think that you can get all the folic acid and other vitamins you need from the food you eat each day. But it is hard to eat a diet that has all the nutrients you need every day. Even with careful planning, you might not get all the vitamins you need from your diet alone. That's why it's important to take a vitamin with folic acid every day.

Today's woman is busy! You know that you should exercise, eat right, and get enough sleep. You might wonder how you can fit another thing into your day. But it only takes a few seconds to take a vitamin to get all the folic acid you need!

Make it easy to remember. Try taking a vitamin when you brush your teeth. Or take it with your morning coffee, after your shower, or when you brush your hair. Seeing the vitamin bottle on the bathroom or kitchen counter can help you remember it, too. If you have children, take your vitamin when they take theirs. That sets a good example!

You can get your vitamin with folic acid in one of several ways. You can take a multivitamin or a small, single supplement of folic acid. These days, multivitamins with folic acid come in chewable chocolate or fruit flavors, liquids, and large oval or smaller round pills. Many stores offer a single folic acid supplement for just pennies a day. Another good choice is a store brand multivitamin, which includes most of the vitamins you need each day. Unless your doctor suggests a special type, you do not need to choose among vitamins for women or active people, or even to go with a low carbohydrate diet. A basic multivitamin meets the needs of most women.

A single serving of many breakfast cereals also has the amount of folic acid that you need each day. Check the label! Look for cereals that have 100% daily value (DV) of folic acid in a serving.

Think back to when you were a child and you took your vitamin - how easy it was to chew up that fruit-flavored tablet in the fun shape of your favorite cartoon character. You may have been told: "Take your vitamin. It's good for you." Today, taking a vitamin with folic acid is just as easy - and just as good for you!

The CDC, the March of Dimes, and the National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA) have organized a national folic acid promotion effort for the prevention of serious birth defects of the brain and spine (neural tube defects or NTDs). The goal of the effort is to teach all women about the importance of getting enough folic acid every day.

The effort aims to reach every woman who could possibly become pregnant, as well as teach health care professionals and community advocacy groups about the importance of folic acid. The CDC, the March of Dimes, and NCFA have created messages, materials, websites, and other tools to reach these three groups with the folic acid message.

Research has helped identify two target groups of women who could become pregnant and need to learn the folic acid message: women planning a pregnancy ("contemplators") and those not planning a pregnancy ("non-contemplators").

"Contemplators" generally fall in the 18-35 year old range and are planning a pregnancy sometime in the next year or so. These women are likely to consider changing their behaviors to prepare for a healthy pregnancy. These women are open to messages about pregnancy. Yet, most "contemplators" do not know when folic acid is needed to prevent birth defects. So, education about needing to take folic acid before getting pregnant and in the first few months is important.

The "non-contemplators" are harder to reach. These young women are usually 18-24 years of age and are not planning to become pregnant anytime soon. Thoughts about getting pregnant are not on their radar screen. They are less open to messages about pregnancy and do not see behaviors that improve pregnancy outcomes as important for them. As half of all pregnancies are not planned, it is important that "non-contemplators" learn the benefit of taking a multivitamin with folic acid every day, regardless of whether they are planning to get pregnant or are not. Messages for these women should focus on the idea that adopting this habit today can not only provide general health benefits but also can help prevent a birth defect in a baby they might want to have in the future.

Day 7 & 8, 9-10/3 : Melbourne-Philip Island

Day 7 & 8: Philip Island

Early in the morning, Aunt Paula drove to Uncle Seong Seng's house, to pass us her car..she even drew us a map and prepared 2 jackets for us (coz its very cold especially during the Penguin parade)..I was so touched for her kind thoughts!

After sending her back to her house, we started our journey..it was pretty easy actually, just drove all the way straight along the highway..and followed the signboard..and of coz the Melbourne map book was very useful..but Mark always said I am a 路痴, I had missed out lots of important landmark many a times..hehe..

Finally we reached Philip Island..it was an small island..we got the map from the information counter and our first stop was to check in to our cottage..Chicory Dock..I found this online too..AUD135 per night for 2 people, inclusive of breakfast for two..Chicory Dock located at the other end of the island..it was actually a house owned by an elderly couple, Stan and Judy. The place was beautiful and cosy..it was a self contained unit including of:

• kitchen facilities
• refrigerator and cook top
• microwave oven
• breakfast area
• ensuite with spa bath
• color tv and dvd/video
• cd/casette player
• double bed
• electric blanket
• additional double sofa bed
• cosy gas log fire
• R/C airconditioning
• under cover parking
• elevated entrance off sundeck

We had an option to cook our own breakfast, or they will cook for us..we chose the latter as we would like to just relax ourself here..so Mark chose the savoury omelette and I chose sausages, tomato, bacon and scambled egg set..

After checking in, we drove to the Churchill Island Heritage Farm..I had earlier purchased the Philip Island picnic deal online for AUD52.50 per person, inclusive of:

Afternoon tea at Churchill Island

Entrance to Churchill Island

Entrance to Koala Conservation Centre

Entrance to the Nobbies Centre

Lunch/Dinner at the Nobbies Centre (two course and drinks)

General penguin viewing at the Penguin Parade

We really had so much fun at the heritage farm..so many

animals-horse, sheep, duck, dog, chicken, cow etc..we had the opportunity to milk the cow also..

Next we went to the Koala Conversation Centre mainly to see the koala..3 years ago when I was in Sydney, I had the chance to hug a koala, but now, we are not allowed to be upclose and personal with the koala coz according to the person in charged, a koala tend to be in pressure when it keep in touch with humans and it will died of depression..haha..

We chose to have dinner at the Nobbies..fish and chip again..it was very windy and cold here..when the night get darker, we were very excited as we were going to see the penguin parade..thank to Aunt Paula for the 2 jackets..Mark didnt need it at all..he was not afraid of cold! I took them all..wrapped myself like a dumpling..the experience of watching the penguins, slowly came out of the water, walked to the beach and then to their home was really great..

After a cold night, we went back to our cottage and had jaguzzi! it was superb..

The next morning, we went down to the dining hall for our breakfast..yummy! Both Stan and Judy were showing us lots of hospitality..highly recommend this place if you intend to find an accomodation in Philip Island during your visit!

Before we headed back to Melbourne, we dropped by another interesting place in Philip Island, the Amaze n Things-an intriguing, stimulating anf bizarre world of optical illusions, mazes, puzzles, mind games and the delights of Puzzle island..Entrance fee was AUD18 per person. Quite fun here.

On our way home, we decided to drop by Alice's house, which was located not far from the island..she stayed in a golf course..hanged around there for bout 30mins and we finally drove back to Aunt Paula's house..getting ready to leave for Malaysia tonight..

Aunt Paula cooked us dinner..we had spagetti with fish paste..something special but it was delicious..after dinner, we had holy communion and Aunt Paula sent us to the airport..She has been such a nice aunt throughout our stay here..Thank God for her..

So, our honeymoon in Australia ended with so many good memories and happiness..will definitely visit Australia again, probably to Perth next time..

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Day 6, 8/3 : Melbourne-Colonial Tramcar Restaurant

Day 6: Colonial Tramcar Restaurant
Early morning, Ben took us to Aunt Paula's place, about 15min drive from uncle's place.. Aunt Paula looked the same, but thinner..she was so happy to see us, especially seeing Mark for the first time..We attended Sunday service at a local church, called Kingdom Builders Church..the target audiences were those businessmen..The service today was rather special..there was a special speaker and he had the gift of healing..instead of giving a sermon, he demonstrated the power of healing on one of the church member..Both Mark and I were not used to this kinda service and felt a little uneasy, especially for Mark..He think this speaker is from a cult church..haha

After church service, we had breakfast at Aunt Paula's house..she cooked BBQ lamb and chicken, salad and bread! I loved the BBQ lamb..yummy..and her friend, Judith and her 3 daughters came to visit Aunt Paula also..Judith is a social worker at a rehab centre and she is from Cook Island..we played ping pong with one of her daughter and we had so much fun at her house..

Later in the evening, we were getting ready for the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant..this is one of the main attraction in Melbourne..Mark googled and found out about the tramcar..Ben lent us his pajero (more than 15 years old) so that we could drive to the city..however, we had so much 'fun' driving the car..the engine kept dying off..Sometimes it died in the middle of the road, in front of the traffic light..so dangerous..luckily, we managed to reach the destination safely..and the problem now was, we need the car for tomorrow as well, to drive to Philip Island..initially we were driving Aunt Paula's car, BMW, but because the GPS couldn't work with the BMW and we were not comfortable to drive to Philip Island by lookng at map, so our next option was to take the pajero as the GPS worked well with the car..anyway, you will read more about our Philip Island trip on my next entry

"Dining in Melbourne can be a fabulous experience, especially aboard the fleet of historical trams that have become The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant. These glossy, burgundy restaurants on wheels are the first travelling tramcar restaurants in the world and ensure a delightful innovative approach to dining.

As they cruise the scenic streets of Melbourne, diners can enjoy our fine cuisine and drink the very best of Australian wines or make a selection from our fully stocked bar at a fully inclusive price. The atmosphere is cosy, the service friendly and the decor as inviting as the colonial period these trams reflect.

The Colonial Tramcar Restaurant officially commenced operation in August 1983 and has since become a star attraction and tourist symbol for the city of Melbourne. Dining aboard the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant is not only a culinary delight, but also a trip into a little piece of Victoria's history"

We booked the late dinner menu set (AUD115.00/pax)..total 6 courses..

APPETISER		Cream, liver and cognac pate crowned with aport wine and juniper jelly Roasted red capsicum dip served with assorted crisp bread
ENTREES		Grilled kangaroo loin brushed with lemon myrtle, thyme and honey, served on vegetable and chive frittata with bush tomato chilli jam Smoked salmon and avocado mousse dressed with baby capers, red onion and tomato. Served with frisee and dill crème friache
* MAINS		Chargrilled breast of chicken seasoned with a sun dried tomato tapenade served with a mediterranean vegetable risotto, salsa verde and shaved parmesan Prime eye fillet of beef resting on a potato and herb rosti, accompanied by seasonal vegetables, onion marmalade and rich beef jus
CHEESES		Selection of Australian Cheeses served with dried muscatel grapes, pear paste, fruit bread and water crackers
* DESSERTS		Warm Sticky Date Pudding topped with butterscotch sauce served with cream white chocolate and passionfruit mousse with praline and vanilla raspberry syrup
* BEVERAGES		Wine Selected Victorian Red and White Wines From the Bar Beer / Whisky / Brandy / Gin / Vodka / Bacardi Rum / Dry Vermouth / Bourbon Coffee / Tea Liqueurs Port / Cognac (v.s.o.p.) / Drambuie / Dom Benedictine / Cointreau / Tia Maria Gratuities at your discretion

Besides the food, the waiters onboard were so hilarious and funny, especially one of them really can sing well..he used to be singing in the orchestra..very entertaining..The tour took about 3 hours..and again, we had problems with driving home with the pajero..haha..but thank God, we reached home safely! Aunt Paula was so worried too..she sms me several times while we were driving for the dinner, to ensure we reached safely..late at night, she sms me again..and told us, it will be better if we take her car to Philip Island tomorrow..and she had drew us a map..she said the journey to Philip Island was pretty easy and straight forward..She will drive the car to my uncle's house tomorrow morning and guide us from there..really grateful for her..

Day 5, 7/3 : Melbourne-Great Ocean Road Tour

Day 5: Great Ocean Road Tour

We booked this tour with Go West, AUD105.00/pax, a full day tour from Melbourne taking in all of the highlights of this glorious coastal drive. Visit famous Bells Beach, spot koalas in the wild, enjoy a guided tour of the Otways rainforest and marvel at the amazing rock formations of the Port Campbell National Park, including of course the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. And of course, you'll see all pristine beaches and rugged rocky outcrops of the Great Ocean Road.

Early morning, Ben sent us to the pickup point near Flinders Street Station..Again, we had Subway for breakfast..we just loved it, budgeted and filling!

About 7.45am, our tour guide, Chris, came and picked us, with a comfortable air-conditioned coach..There were about 18 of us for this tour. .Chris was a humorous guy and he made us laughed all the way..

The scenery along the way was beautiful..weather was cooling too..

The tour ended around 7pm..My uncle picked us from the pickup point and we went for dinner at a Italian restaurant..Food was yummy especially the mussels, so big!

Tomorrow we will be visiting my aunt Paula, and attend church service with her..Have not seen her for 3 years already..she was really happy when I told her I will be coming to Melbourne for honeymoon..initially I wanted to stay over her house, but due to limited space, we decided to stay with my uncle. (FYI, they had divorced recently)

More photos here

Day 4, 6/3 : Gold Coast-Melbourne

Day 4: Departing to Melbourne
Finally today we had the chance to walk around the beach at Surfers Paradise! Weather was good..Many people like to surf at GC..Wherever there is a beach, you will definitely see surfers! Beach here was clean and the sand was so smooth and white..Mark couldn't control himself that he took off his shirt and ran towards the sea like a little boy..playing with the water..

After an hour spent at the beach, we went yumcha (another word for dim sum, people here called it yumcha instead of dim dum) at this Hong Kong restaurant, near to the hotel..I loved the dim sum here, so delicious and satisfying..we ordered 5 types of dimsum and it costed AUD30.30..quite reasonable and worthed the money! We continued to walk around the street and bought frozen yogurt for dessert..something different and Mark liked it so much!

Our flight to Melbourne depart at 4.45pm..When we arrived at Melbourne airport, Ai Lay came and picked us up..She and her family had migrated here..Ai Lay is currently teaching music related courses in a school..We went for buffet dinner at the Conservatory Restaurant, inside the Crown Casino, together with her bf, 育辰。。3 years ago, I was here too for buffet dinner with Soong Hern.. Dinner was great..we had a good time chit chatting and the world is so small, Mark and Ai Lay were secondary school mates and Ai Lay was Mark's buddy, Teck Hun's classmate! The world is round, everything link together.. After dinner, Ai Lay sent us back to my uncle's place at Brighton..When we reached, we were being welcomed by my uncle, Jessie, Ben, Jackie (Ben's gf) and Holly..We had a short chit chat before getting ready for bed..tomorrow gotta wake up early for the Great Ocean Road tour..and Ben was kind enough to send us to the pickup point at the Flinders railway station..thanks!

Day 3, 5/3 : Gold Coast-Sea World

Day 3: Sea World

Today, we went to Sea World, by taxi..we had Subway for breakfast..yummy..

There were so many people at Sea World on a weekday, unbelievable..Luckily we bought our entrance ticket online, saved us the hassle for queuing up to purchase the ticket..

Our first stop was the Sesame Street live stage show Bert and Ernie's Island Holiday featuring a full cast of characters singing and dancing up a storm...I still remembered when I was young, I liked to watch Sesame Street on TV..The songs and dance were so lively..

Next, the interactive dolphin show..Dolphins are just so adorable and clever..I always enjoyed dolphin show..

There was also Sea Lion show, they called it Fish Detectives, where you can the sea lions solving an environmental crime in this wonderful new adventure.

Another interesting show was the Waterski Wipe Out, full of catchy tunes, colourful costumes and sets, slapstick humour and a very cool cast of characters, all themed in true 1960's style..

Besides shows, there were many rides in the park too, prepared to get wet! However, when we were there, the pirate ship was under maintenance..darn..

We left around 5pm and returned back to hotel. After shower, we went to check out the shops again..We had Thai food for dinner and Gelato ice cream as dessert..hehe..As we were walking around, we actually discovered some Malaysian restaurant here.. :)

Tomorrow will be our last day in GC..we will spend the rest of our honeymoon in Melbourne!

Day 2, 4/3 : Gold Coast-Warners Bro Movie World

Day 2: Warners Bro Movie World

Another HIGHLIGHT attraction of GC..we purchased the entrance ticket for 2 parks (Movie World and Sea World) via online and you can actually save 10%..Total expense: AUD103.50/pax)

Transportation in GC is very convenient and easy..it took us about 20min to reach Movie World from the hotel by bus. We had Subway for breakfast. (all in all, I think we ate 3 times Subway in Australia! We just loved it!)

Movie World in GC is not as big as US..but to me, I was very excited as this is something I wanted to do since young. Once you entered into Movie World, everything looked so colorful..and you would be able to see lots of Cartoon characters, walking around the park, waving at you and tourists like to grab them for a photography session..including us..hehe..suddenly, I seemed to be 20 years younger, behaving like a kid..

There were a few shows in Movie World too..but because we forgotten to take the timetable for the show, we kinda missed out some interesting show.. :(

Another food that we ate a lot in Australia was ice cream, especially Gelato! Yummy..and we drank lots of fresh orange juice too..

Most of the rides here were scary, for example the Superman Escape & Batwing..because I dare not take the challenge, so Mark has to accompany me for something not so scary, ie the Scooby Doo roller coaster..haha..

The park closed at 5pm..we returned back to hotel for wash up before going for dinner at the nearby restaurant..Shops here closed pretty late at night (unlike shops in Melb, Sydney which close at 5pm) and very happening..We had Vietnamese food again! After dinner, we walked around Surfers Paradise and bought some souvenirs..There were also street performers at the mall and they were quite talented!

Before returning to hotel, we bought kebab for supper! Kebab here was different from the one in Malaysia..it tasted so much delicious and it was big!

We also got a complimentary champaigne from the hotel, coz we told them we were here for our honeymoon..hehe..However, I had rashes the next morning..(I forgotten that I cant take shower after drinking wine/champaigne)

After a game of scrabble, we slept..Zzzzzz

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