What? February's last day today? Oh my, time is surely flying by so quickly. Hello, Summer!
What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
- Devotion of Suspect X, a Japanese Novel
- Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi
- Currently Reading: Todd Burpo's Heaven is for Real
What movies and/or TV shows did I watch this month?
- Starting Over again (Papa P and Toni G.)
- JLC and Sarah's first movie (forgot the title, sorry!)
- About Time
- This is 40
- Red District
What special days did I celebrate and how?
- Our 9th anniversary
- Valentine's Day (yes, we celebrate it with the whole family!)
What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
- I had FLU right in the middle of this month so I wasn't able to go to work for days. I also had allergy attacks and sinusitis. I'm taking a lot of medications already.
What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
- Went to Miravana Wellness Spa for our 9th Anniversary
- Dinner date with college friends at Akira then Brotzeit for beer after
- Dinner at Yedang Korean Restaurant for VDAY celebration
- Went to Ronquillos for wine and cheese afterwards
- Watched Wicked as my sister's treat with her friends. Oh I love it!
- Went all the way to Tagaytay for a massage treatment at Nurture Spa with Mom and sister.
- Lunch at Pamana Restaurant afterwards
- Impromptu dinner at Kimukatsu with Hubby and the kids to celebrate Feb 25, no classes. ♥ (actually I just came from a checkup and we were all so hungry so we decided to eat out. Ha!)
- Impromptu dinner at my place with parents and sister
What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
- Miravana Wellness Spa (haven't tried their massage though, maybe next time)
- Akira (East Wing, Shangrila)
- Brotzeit (Shangrila)
- Yedang Korean Restaurant ♥♥♥
- Momo Cafe
- Chicken Rice (my fave resto in Malaysia is here!)
- Pamana Restaurant (Tagaytay)
- Kimukatsu
What special or unusual purchases did I make?
- Flowers for me from the Hubby
- Balloons for the kids from Lola Yolly
- Treats from friends for the baby girl
What have you learned this month?
- I got sick and I felt really disappointed. I realized that I'm only human and I need to rest too. I need to STOP and DISCONNECT to be able to feel complete again and be a better person.
- Blessings are there for us to enjoy it. Do not feel guilty of enjoying a trip/travel, a purchase of a watch you've always wanted or a shirt that you've been eyeing for months. If it makes you happy, go for it!
- Pursue your own happiness. YOU are the only person who knows what makes YOU happy. ♥
Our next stop while in Langkawi was the Underwater World. A stop intended for the kids.
Right after lunch, we planned on checking this out. I've read a lot of good reviews about this place, so we were all very excited!
And, I'm glad we really did visit this place. It was full of interesting fishes that the kids love to see.
Underwater World Langkawi is one of the largest marine and fresh water aquaria in South East Asia. Since the start of its operation on 26 August 1995, it has become one of the must visit tourist destinations in Langkawi and has attracted a large number of foreign as well as local tourists. SOURCE.
The concept and theme of Underwater World Langkawi are geared towards Knowledge, Education and Entertainment. It is built to raise awareness on the importance of conserving our precious aquatic life forms, thus creating understanding of the deep and inseparable bond between man and nature. SOURCE.
Unique to Underwater World Langkawi is the gigantic 15-meter long walk-through tunnel consisting of 500,000 liter seawater which houses many big fishes and sea creatures including the Giant Green Turtle. SOURCE.
Other attractions include the Freshwater Fish Section, the Seashell Display, the Koi Pond, the Mini Reptilian and Invertebrate Section, the Coral Reef Section and the Poisonous and Venomous Creatures Section. SOURCE.
The 34,701 square foot oceanarium is located adjacent to a shopping centre and the Neptune Caf¨¦. Visitors are thus provided with a one-stop shopping, eating and entertainment package, all of which are available within one area. SOURCE.
Going there was definitely worth it. Here are more details if you also want to visit the place:
Exhibition/Display Areas (including 3D Theatre)
Daily 10:00 am - 06:00 pm
School and public holidays 09:30 am - 06:30 pm
Feeding Times
Otter Pond 3:30 pm daily
Harbour Seals 10:30 am and 03:00 pm daily
Rockhopper Penguins 11:00 am and 03:30 pm daily
Underwater World Langkawi
Zon Pantai Cenang,
Mukim Kedawang,
07000 Langkawi, Kedah.
Tel : +604-955 6100
Fax : +604-955 6103
Website : www.underwaterworldlangkawi.com.my
Email: info@underwaterworldlangkawi.com.my
As beach lovers as we were, our first agenda on our itinerary was to check out the beach!
And look at this beautiful road on the way to paradise...
Every step we took, we knew that a beautiful beach awaits us. And after a couple of minutes, we were finally at the shore...
I was surprised that it wasn't crowded. With a cloudy weather it would be perfect to swim and lounge around. Aaaah, the smell of salt water and and feel of the sand, it was definitely heavenly!
A couple of months ago, I was hooked with this book entitled, "Divergent". It became so popular that look, it is going to be shown in the big screen very, very soon!
If you are interested in watching the movie, I suggest that you read the book first. I highly recommend it! (*wink*)
Oh, I can't wait for the movie to come out! Soon.
See you soon, FOUR!
After a couple of days in KL and after we enjoyed the sights, the malls for shopping and the local food, off we went to our next destination - Langkawi.
Oh, everyone was so excited because we were all looking forward to relax and unwind in Langkawi. Before the trip I knew that they have a lot to offer us, beach, huge swimming pools and yummy food.
We couldn't wait to start our next adventure!
I know I've shared this song already a couple of months ago. But I'm still on Wicked fever so I'm sharing it again...
Ooooh, I love WICKED!!! It was simply AMAZING! Wish my kids can watch it in the future.
Another place that is worth going back to down the memory lane...Pier 39 in San Francisco. An unforgettable trip with my highschool friends last 2001.
Thanks to my friends they brought me here.
Very touristy but one thing I couldn't forget about this place, this is where I tasted the best clam chowder soup ever!!!
Would love to go back here again one of these days.
Our last stop in KL before we went to another city in Malaysia is of course the ever beautiful Petronas Towers.
When we saw these towers during daytime, we made sure that we go back during night time. And guess what? We were able to catch the fountain show too! ♥
Ooooh, it was the most wonderful fountain show the kids saw so far! We all enjoyed it. ♥
I highly recommend that you drop by Petronas Towers at night time too. It would be worth it!
1. Korean dinner with family
2. Wine and Cheese night with HH friends
3. VDay flowers, thanks hon!
4. VDay loots from the girls' friends and classmates
5. Wicked!!! Thanks to my sister for the treat ♥
6. Chicken Rice and Milk Tea. YUM!
7. Northpark crispy noodles. Love!
8. Gift of family
9. Friends came over last weekend
10. Coffee!
To know how this started and credits of the header, click here.
After we did a couple of shopping spree at the outlet shops near Batu Caves (we got really good deals, by the way!), we were able to convince the driver to stop by The King's Palace for a couple of minutes.
...and he said yes!
Even from afar (we couldn't go beyond the gates), the palace was magnificent! Yup, that's the first word that came into my mind.
Surrounded by a beautiful park, green lawns and ponds the King´s Palace, Istana Negara, is the official residence of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, a Malay title usually translated as "Supreme Head”. You can watch the Palace from outside the main gate where the Royal Guards, dressed in white Malay as well as red British inspired uniforms, are guarding the main gate on horse and on foot. SOURCE.
The area of the palace was so huge the kids can run and run in that area. It truly was unbelievable!
I was so glad we stopped by and checked it out. It was a beautiful palace for the kids to see and appreciate in KL.
Well, that's me!
Are you?
Check this out to find out if you are...
I feel nostalgic. It's like time is flying by so quickly! Sigh. Let's make the most out our lives, people!
Now, it's time to go up the cave!
Knowing that we were going to conquer 272 steps in Batu Caves, I prepared myself for this and made sure that we ate first, drank water and even went to the bathroom.
...and after less than half an hour, we were finally up there!
The view was great but as they usually say, the journey was even more interesting. Well, who wouldn't enjoy the journey when you see these monkeys on the way up?
The kids were so happy to see them. I just have to warn you that you have to be careful with your food, they just grab it without you knowing it! So watch out!
The cave on top was really interesting. There were little temples inside which made it more special. I was glad I was able to witness a couple of rituals there.
Aaaah, Batu Caves is one of the beautiful places in KL that we will never forget! If you are planning to go there and not planning to go up the 272 steps, then you will miss a lot!
I've been listening to this song for the past few days already. It's lovely.
Beautiful Things by Gungor. Perfect for a beautiful day like today. To God be the glory!
Let us all celebrate the "love" day with our loved ones today...
Here's a great story that I came across a couple of years ago and saw it again yesterday... A Story of Great Marriage.
My husband is an Engineer by profession, I love him for his steady nature, and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad shoulders.
Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage, I would have to admit, that I am getting tired of it. The reasons of me loving him before, has now transformed into the cause of all my restlessness.
I am a sentimental woman and extremely sensitive when it comes to a relationship and my feelings, I yearn for the romantic moments, like a little girl yearning for candy. My husband, is my complete opposite, his lack of sensitivity, and the inability of bringing romantic moments into our marriage has disheartened me about love.
One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision, that I wanted a divorce.
“Why?” he asked, shocked. “I am tired, there are no reasons for everything in the world!” I answered. He kept silent the whole night, seems to be in deep thought with a lighted cigarette at all times. My feeling of disappointment only increased, here was a man who can’t even express his predicament, what else can I hope from him? And finally he asked me:” What can I do to change your mind?”
Somebody said it right, it’s hard to change a person’s personality, and I guess, I have started losing faith in him. Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered : “Here is the question, if you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind, Let’s say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff, and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death, will you do it for me?” He said :” I will give you your answer tomorrow….” My hopes just sank by listening to his response.
I woke up the next morning to find him gone, and saw a piece of paper with his scratchy handwriting, underneath a milk glass, on the dining table near the front door, that goes…. My dear, “I would not pick that flower for you, but please allow me to explain the reasons further..” This first line was already breaking my heart. I continued reading.
“When you use the computer you always mess up the Software programs, and you cry in front of the screen, I have to save my fingers so that I can help to restore the programs. You always leave the house keys behind, thus I have to save my legs to rush home to open the door for you. You love traveling but always lose your way in a new city, I have to save my eyes to show you the way. You always have the cramps whenever your “good friend” approaches every month, I have to save my palms so that I can calm the cramps in your tummy.
You like to stay indoors, and I worry that you will be infected by infantile autism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and stories to cure your boredom. You always stare at the computer, and that will do nothing good for your eyes, I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can help to clip your nails, and help to remove those annoying white hairs. So I can also hold your hand while strolling down the beach, as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand… and tell you the color of flowers, just like the color of the glow on your young face… Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves you more than I do… I could not pick that flower yet, and die.. ”
My tears fell on the letter, and blurred the ink of his handwriting… and as I continue on reading… “Now, that you have finished reading my answer, if you are satisfied, please open the front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite bread and fresh milk… I rush to pull open the door, and saw his anxious face, clutching tightly with his hands, the milk bottle and loaf of bread….
Now I am very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he does, and I have decided to leave the flower alone…
That’s life, and love. When one is surrounded by love, the feeling of excitement fades away, and one tends to ignore the true love that lies in between the peace and dullness.
Love shows up in all forms, even very small and cheeky forms, it has never been a model, it could be the most dull and boring form.. . flowers, and romantic moments are only used and appear on the surface of the relationship. Under all this, the pillar of true love stands… and that’s our life… Love, not words win arguments… SOURCE.
Happy Valentine, everyone! (*wink*)
Our next stop on our last day in KL, Malaysia was the Batu Caves.
It took us almost an hour to go there. Yes, it was outside the city, a long road trip but definitely worth it!
The hubby also had fun taking photos of the whole place. It was nice to be able to witness a little bit of history and religion in Batu Caves.
Right before you go up the 200++ steps to the cave, you will see these birds hanging around or waiting for someone to feed them. It was a beautiful site to see. The kids loved it!
Batu Caves is a limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples in the Gombak district, 13 kilometres (8 mi) north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village.
The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia.
SOURCE.
I highly recommend that you check this place out. Batu Caves is located at 68100 Jalan Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
And oh, don't forget to visit the outlet shops near the place. (*wink*)
Addiction is a hard thing to overcome. There are many reasons why people get addicted to things, and all of them are disturbing if you think about them too hard. Fortunately, there are places like www.pbinstitute.com where people can get help to treat addiction. These programs give people the tools to change their lives for the better as long as the person actually wants to change.
Genetics
Probably the least disturbing reason for a person’s addiction is genetics. If you had a parent who was addicted to a substance, you are more likely to become addicted to that substance. The question about nature versus nurture is central to any argument when it comes to growing up, so in some families it is difficult to know when the behavior was learned and how much of the actual addiction is due to a
genetic predisposition. Just know that those who had an alcoholic parent or parents are more likely to face alcoholism.
Control
When someone picks up an addiction because the only thing that he or she can control his what goes into his or her body, it means that there is something not right at home or elsewhere in life. It is disturbing to think of a person who has been sexually abused and has picked up an addiction to cutting or some sort of food addiction because of that abuse. Not only will the person have to deal with the psychology and physical effects of the abuse itself, but he or she will also have to deal with the psychological and physical effects of the behavior that has become a harmful comfort.
A Safe Place
Not everyone has a safe place to go at night when the world gets too tough to handle. Those people have to create their own safe places, and sometimes the worst choices come out of that need for safety. Drugs, alcohol, and food addiction may not seem like safe places to most of us, but when a person chooses them, they will eventually need to find a place like www.pbinstitute.com to make everything come out right.
One of the kids' favorite place in KL is the Berjaya Times Square Theme park. It was full of kiddie rides and cute little stuff inside. WE all enjoyed it!
Among all the rides, bump cars were the kids favorite! They tried this ride three times I think. They loved it!
We happily waited for the kids to finish. We are so glad we tried this theme park. I'm sure they will never forget it.
As early as last month (January), we had already guests in our house. We were happy to have them actually and the kids were very excited to have them for dinner. Everything went well, they loved the food and the dessert (yey!), but I think I need to buy more stuff for the house. We need new utensils, plates and tablecloths. I found burlap fitted tablecloths here and it looks like they are giving out good deals. I also love that they do custom fitting. This will be perfect for our dining table with an odd size.
I think the moment we have the budget for home renovation, tablecloths will be our priority. I just hope that by that time, Premier Burlap Boutique still has the design that I like for our dining table. We'll see!
Our next stop after looking around SURIA KLCC mall, we went to Berjaya Times Square.
"Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur is a 48-storey, 203 m (666 ft) twin tower, hotel, condominium, indoor amusement park and shopping centre complex in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was opened in October 2003 by the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad." (Grabbed from Wikipedia.)
I love that this mall has a lot of stores and restaurants. We loved this mall so much! Watch out for my next post which is about the theme park inside the mall. It was great! (*wink*)
This mall is located at 1 Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur. For more details visit, http://www.berjayatimessquarekl.com.
Instead of sharing a song today, I will be sharing a very touching video I came across this week.
I love, love it. It brought me to tears and made me appreciate my dear family more.
Yes, I totally agree, "Family is FOREVER.".
After a quick shopping in Bukit Bintang, we immediately went to our next stop - Petronas Towers.
We were amazed. We literally talked to them - "Hello there!". LOL! And the view facing the towers were really great too.
Hubby started taking photos. He enjoyed the view so much. Check out his photos. (Thanks again to the Hubby!)
And when we were done with the photo taking, off we went to the mall!
