Sunday Night Market and Playing at the Park

Heather and Kyle took us to "Chutney Marys" for Indian food last night. Since we have never eaten many Indian dishes we let them order a selection of food they like. We started out with spicy, pepper chips that you dip in mango or mint sauce. I liked the mint best. Then they brought us chicken grilled on a stick and basted with a sauce similar to the mint sauce - it was good. Samantha loves it and ate a huge portion! Next came: "nan" or bread - similar to a tortilla - good! okra in curry sauce; breaded broccoli; battered and fried cauliflower; two kinds of "Dal" - lentil dips; and prawns in a sauce. Overall a great experience but Indian food isn't our favorite!
For dessert we went to Samantha's "very, favorite place - Mango Mania." All they serve is mango ice cream - it's creamy like a frozen yogurt and delicious.
Kyle took the girls home while Heather, Roger and I went the to Sunday Night Market. It is in a different location each Sunday and it happened to be in the area of the restaurant. It consists of "junk" - fruits and vegetables - fresh fish of all kinds - and prepared food booths. It is so interesting to see all the different selections. In the pictures below you can see a popular food booth that has all the meats, seafood and vegetables on the top shelves and the frying pots on the lower shelf. You pick out what you want and cook it yourself. The "jackfruit" is very popular - you can see the big, bumpy fruit - the stall owners peel it, cut it up and sell it in small containers. It smells horrible - worse than the fish! Couldn't force myself to try it. They also sell meat sandwiches similar to what Roger has seen in the Middle East.
We stopped at the shopping center to get Roger some new sunglasses - he uses the kind that clip on his regular glasses - and he lost them! They had some but the were too big for his lens. The sales guy says "no problem, I cut for you." So he cut them to fit (with scissors!) and then filed them smooth.  So glad he had a solution because Roger really needs them!
We took the girls to a playground this morning. They are so excited about Disneyland that we had to take them out to run off some excess energy! The reflexology path is designed to walk on barefoot - to massage your feet! We leave early, early tomorrow morning!!

Christmas Morning

Megan and Carlos joined us on SKYPE to watch the girls open their presents this morning. What a great way to share some time with them. The girls loved the swings they sent them and had Roger and Kyle holding them up so they could "pump." They need to hire someone to come drill holes in the cement structure to hang them out front.
Emily got a scooter and a helmet and Samantha got a microphone and dance videos to play on the Wii game.
They love the Barbie house and each got a new Barbie to go with it. Samantha said "We need to move this up to my room so I can have some privacy. She's too little to play with it!"
We enjoyed cappuccinos from Heather's new coffee maker and music from Kyle's new Ipod speaker.

We are having a nice quiet (well, not very quiet!) day at home today. Turkey is in the oven and Heather made white chocolate, raspberry cheesecake for dessert!

Disneyland!

Roger and I are still in shock over our Christmas gift from Heather and Kyle - we are all going to Disneyland in Hong Kong! For years, I have been telling the girls they need to give me grandchildren while I am still young enough to take them to Disneyworld. You can imagine our surprise when Heather gave Samantha, Emily, Roger and I the same sized square box and inside was a Disney character with a note that said "Can't wait to see you at Disneyland in Hong Kong!" I immediately started crying tears of joy and couldn't stop! The girls are excited but not nearly as excited as I am! I'm like that little kid on the TV commercial - "I'm too excited to sleep!"
We are flying to Macao, the Las Vagas of Hong Kong, on Tuesday morning - staying at the Venetian hotel for 2 nights and then going the Disneyland and staying there for 3 days - flying home on Sunday. Kyle apologized for not giving me more notice to plan and organize - which is half the fun for me - anticipation!
Friends of Mel and Ray have a daughter who is touring Asia with her boyfriend and they were going to visit us while in KL - Heather had to change the dates with them because of our trip but, swore them to secrecy. Well, Mel heard about a "big secret" and she and Judy guessed that it was one of 2 things: either Megan and Carlos were coming to KL or Megan was pregnant! Megan called Heather and said "tell them already - you won't believe the rumors over here!"
It is cooler in Hong Kong - in the 50-70 degree range. We packed a few warm clothes because we thought we might go up into the mountains for a week-end so we should be OK. Heather had to borrow stuff for her and the girls!
Emily says she is going to see "Rella" - can't say Cinderella!
I'm really missing Megan and Carlos!!!!

Christmas Brunch

The party last night was a success. It was nice to meet so many of the friends that Heather and Kyle talk about - all of them ex-pats with basically the same story as the kids. It seems the men work long, crazy hours and the women are responsible for everything else. Well, them and their maids!
A Malaysian caterer came to the house and grilled (brought their own little open fire grill) chicken and beef "satay" - small pieces of meat on a stick that you dip in a spicy peanut sauce - it was very good. They also brought a cucumber/onion salad meant to "cool the palate" and some rice balls. One of the couples brought "7 layer dip" with tortilla chips - a little taste of Texas!
We went to the Hilton hotel for brunch this morning. We can't all fit in the car so Roger, Samantha and I took a taxi. Samantha went with us so she could show us where to go to catch it. We walked by one taxi stop but she said "no, not that one - that is the blue and white one and it is too expensive" - "we get the red and
 white one at the bottom of the hill." When we saw a taxi coming she raised her hand and started waving it down saying "get it Grandpa, get it!" She is an urban girl!  Oh my goodness, what a selection of food! From all countries- Malaysia, USA, China, Europe. I tried all the fruit but stopped at  some of the other concoctions. Just the selection of bread and rolls was amazing. Samantha and Emily love the chocolate croissants!
Samantha and I started a tradition of going to the Nutcracker Ballett last year in San Antonio. Of course, there isn't a production here so I brought a DVD of the Royal Ballet version. It is interupted a few times to teach some ballet steps. We are getting dressed up and  "going to the matinee performance" after nap time today.
Thank goodness we started early on the Barbie Doll House - "some assembly required" will get you every time! It really is cute - 3 stories with an elevator; complete with a doorbell; a working chandelier; a pop up big screen TV; Chinese lanterns around the hot tub; a flushing toilet; and a shower that sings when Barbie steps in! Megan sent the girls swings - the guys are at the hardware store getting additional chain to hang them from the overhang on the front patio. They will love them!

Christmas Party

Heather & Kyle are hosting a Christmas party this evening for all of their friends that are staying here for the holidays. Many have left on "holiday" to visit family.
We went to the grocery store yesterday to by all the items we needed for the party, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Roger and the girls went with us and he took them to the inside playground at the mall while we shopped. A girl came up and introduced herself as Amanda, a friend of Heathers. After chatting for a while he discovered her parents have a summer home on Round Lake near Manitou Beach, Michigan. It truly is a small world! I swear we never go anywhere that Heather doesn't see someone she knows!
I am making an appetizer for the party that calls for water chestnuts and we couldn't find any cans - I said "I usually find them in the Asian section" - Heather looked at me and said "Mom, the whole store is Asian!" - duh!!! We finally found fresh ones that Renu showed us how to peel and slice!
Caterers are coming with the main Indian dish and staying to serve and clean up. Renu is staying late to feed the girls and get them showered and in bed and then coming back tomorrow to help with more clean up. So
Heather and I finished our cooking and went for a foot massage while the girls napped.
This "reflexology" place is very close to the house - Kyle loves it and goes at least weekly - and now I know why! It is dark inside with soft music and several reclining chairs. They serve a hot, spicy ginger tea which was very good. They soak and wash your feet and then massage each foot and lower leg for about 25 minutes. Then they sit you on an ottoman and massage your neck, shoulders and back for 10 minutes. All for $12 US! It was wonderful - I'll definitely go back before we leave. Roger wouldn't have anything to do with it!
Emily goes around singing "Jingle bell, jingle bell, all the way - heh!" and one of her favorite sayings is "what happen?"

  

Gingerbread House

Samantha and I took advantage of some quiet time while Emily was napping to decorate our gingerbread house. Guess why we had to put it up so high?!

No No, Emily

The little Tasmanian Devil that lives here has a new name: "No-No Emily Grace Liskow!" If we had a nickel for every time someone says "no no" to her we would be very rich!
Samantha was trying to be a "good big sister" and took it upon herself to change Emily's poopy diaper the other day - oh my!

Aquarium

Heather and the girls took us to the aquarium today. It is located in downtown KL so it was interesting just getting there. No valet parking so we parked in a parking garage - new experiences daily - now we know why Heather loves those valet guys! The guys on the scooters are crazy dare devils! They wear their jackets backwards - we can't figure out exactly why - it isn't like it's chilly here! Heather says probably to keep the bugs off their clothes!
The aquarium is located near the Petronas Towers in a huge upscale mall and park development. This mall was a "real" mall - 5 or 6 levels of expensive designer stores - we just looked as we walked through - no Gucci or Prada for us!
The aquarium is very well done with wonderful exhibits and a moving sidewalk that travels through a tunnel so you can see the sea creatures swimming all around you. Spooky when a giant - and I mean giant! - sting ray swims over you! Then we see a sign that says "Due to the glass the fish are actually 30% bigger than they seem!! We timed it so we could see them feed the sting rays and sea turtles. It was a special treat for the girls because Santa Claus was the diver today! Roger said "who would believe we are in Malaysia watching Santa feed the fish while listening to Jingle Bell Rock?!"
We had a picnic lunch in the park, played at the playground and then barely made it home before it rained.
The girls and I have had fun doing arts and crafts projects - making Christmas presents. I can't tell you what we are making - it's a surprise!
Heather is making spicy Thai food for supper - sounds delicious but I'd better go find the Tums!
We are really getting spoiled with both Heather & Renu waiting on us!

Santa Claus

The girls stayed with Renu’s (the maid) daughters last night while we went out for “western food” at the Press Club and then the guys played virtual golf at Torrey Pines. Match play – Kyle won. Takes some time to get used to the visuals!
We are surprised that there is so much “Christmas” here – decorations, lights, trees and music everywhere! Guess the Muslims have “blended” with the other ethnic groups! The shopping center we went to last evening is 5 stories and full of unique stores but Heather says it is not a “mall” because it is not anchored by a large department store. Could have fooled us! She says it is more “like the Packa Plaza of KL!”
I am constantly getting in the wrong side of the car! I can barely stand to sit in the front seat when Heather is driving – I feel like I’m in the driver’s seat but have no controls and it is scary! Scooters weave in and out of traffic like crazy! Heather valet parks practically everywhere she goes because the parking garages are so small and dark. The attendants all know her well! We even got a discount because we valet parked there twice in one day!
We went back to the same “mall” today to see Santa. The girls were dressed in their matching red sundresses and pig-tails and looked so cute – but, trying to get Emily to be still long enough to get a picture is impossible! The guys took the girls to Chili’s for lunch and Heather & I went to a nice Chinese restaurant and had a quiet meal. Then we went and had manicures and pedicures, picked up a few more groceries and got a taxi back home.
We spent some time playing checkers with Samantha tonight. Roger got her some of the big ones from Cracker Barrel for her birthday. She’ll catch on to the the strategy quickly.
As we drive around town you can hear the “call to prayer” from the mosques throughout the day.
Malaysia has 7 kings, all from different regions, and they take turns ruling every 5 years. There is a $650 million ringgit palace being built here for the incoming king. The poor Malaysian people (literally poor!) get to pay for it!
The last picture is of the toilet in the women’s rest room at the mall. Since I broke my pelvis I can hardly “squat” – pretty sure I peed all over the floor! I know, TMI!!!

Yogi Bear and BooBoo in KL!

You will never believe who we saw at the mall this afternoon!? Yogi and BooBoo were there promoting their new movie that will be here in February. Samantha went right up and gave them both a big hug but Emily didn’t want to get any closer than about 6 feet! Waving and saying “Hi, YoYo” but not getting too close!
We valet parked at the mall to go grocery shopping! Many items are really cheap here but food is not one of them. We bought items for two/three meals, meat and vegetables, and the total was  was $350.00 ringgits or about $120.00 US dollars.
Kyle worked last night and today on a deal with a company in India. The good news is he didn’t have to travel there – he couldn’t get a Visa in time.

Happy Birthday, Samantha!

Hard to believe that Samantha is 5 years old today, Friday, Dec 17th. She opened her family presents before school this morning; had a cupcake party with her classmates and we are going to her favorite restaurant, Souled Food,for dinner - pizza and bannana splits! Her "real" party will be in January after all the children are back from Christmas "holiday."

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Our journey started Saturday (Dec. 11) at 5pm when the van we rented picked us up at the motor home in Clermont and took us to the Orlando airport and ended Monday (Dec. 13th) afternoon when Heather and Samantha picked us up at the airport in KL! As Mom would say, we looked and felt like we “had been dragged through a knothole!” The flight from Orlando to Amsterdam wasn’t that bad – we took off at 8pm so sleeping on the 8 hour flight was natural – I rested more than Roger. He couldn’t get comfortable with no leg room. We arrived in Amsterdam about 12 noon. We had reserved a room at the Mercure Hotel, within the airport, so we napped and took showers before eating dinner and boarding our 8:40pm flight to KL. Although we were not totally refreshed we felt much better. The 12 hour flight to KL was the worst part of the journey – the seats were more comfortable and we had individual DVD players with movies, TV shows and music but it was hot in the cabin (you know if I say it was hot it was really uncomfortable!) and a very long time to sit. We got up and walked around as much as possible and did leg exercises in our seats! The food was mediocre at best but we didn’t expect much.
All of our luggage and boxes, including the doll house, arrived with us so we breathed a sigh of relief! We took 2 large black garbage bags with us to wrap the dollhouse box when we cleared customs so the girls wouldn’t see it! Heather & Samantha rode the train to the airport and then we took a van taxi to their house – their car is too small for 4 people plus all our luggage. It was wonderful to see them all! Emily is even calling me “Tima” now.
Their town house is in a gated community with many other “ex-pat” families and much bigger than we anticipated. It is narrow but has 3 floors – we have the guest suite on the top.  The girls are not allowed up here without permission! Not our rule but Mom & Dad’s! Good memory training because if you get downstairs and forget something you have to trek back up 3 flights of stairs! I have adjusted to the time change better than Roger – he was awake at 3am today! Hard not to nap and then begin a vicious circle.
Emily’s school is out for “holiday” and Samantha’s last day is Friday. We have been with Heather to take/pick her up (not a quick process – you have to park and walk her in and go in to get her each time – no fast drop offs!)  and I was the “mystery” reader on Wednesday. Thursday was her Christmas party and of course Friday is her birthday party at school. I went to ballet lessons Wednesday and Roger did gymnastics on Thursday. The population is Malay,Chinese and Indian but we have met people from all over the world in a few short days!
Renu, the maid, has us spoiled all ready. She emptied our dirty clothes basket, washed and ironed our clothes and put everything away! It is customary to remove your shoes in the house – there is a shoe closet by the front door, Emily says “shoes, off” to remind you – and Renu mops the floors every day. I hate to go barefoot so I’m considered rude!
Heather, Roger & I went to Batu Caves on Wednesday morning. “VJ,” a taxi driver who does private tours etc, drove us and explained their significance. They are high, deep caves in the limestone hills on the outskirts of KL that house Hindu temples. There is an art gallery of religious scenes and a huge statue of the elephant headed deity named “Ganesh.” We walked up all 275 steps to see the inside of the cave/temple. Seemed to have more souvenir shops than religious significance! Even had a man with 2 huge snakes you could wrap around yourself and have your picture taken! There is a Hindu temple at the base of the statue but you have to take your shoes off to enter and trust me you would not want to walk around barefoot! There were several monkeys on the steps looking for food and one swooped down, grabbed a yellow bag from a lady and ran away with it! He sat on top of one of the columns and sorted through the bag – throwing away everything he couldn’t eat! He found a coconut, threw it on the ground to break it open and then ran down and got it! Heather & I stayed far away from them!
We are having so much fun with the girls. Emily talks so much you can actually have a conversation with her! They have an elf named “Sonny” that moves from one room to another each night before Christmas – watching and reporting to Santa. They get up each morning and run around looking for him. You can not touch him or he will loose his magic. Samantha saw Emily playing with him and got hysterical thinking that Santa would not come. Heather had to write Santa a letter and explain that Emily did not understand the rules. Actually, Samantha just wanted to make sure Santa knew it was Emily and not her that touched him! He was in the bathroom on the towel bar this morning and Emily told Roger “Sonny swinging, bathroom, funny!”
We walked to the grocery store the other day – have been to the bank for ringgits, the local currency, – and went to the “wet market” this morning for fruit, vegetables and shrimp. It is fun to see all the different food items. Even saw black chicken!
We also went to “The Bread Shop” one morning for coffee and pastries and then on to a special shop that sells Chinese furniture, jewelry and home decor. The guy that owns it is from Glasgow, Scotland and has lived here for about 15 years. He has a large home in a very nice subdivision and it houses his shop and living quarters. No zoning in KL! He primarily caters to ex-pats. He told Roger the area that Heather & Kyle live in – Mont Kiara – was jungle 10 years ago. Now it is as urban as downtown Houston! We are not used to the servitude – it was raining when we left and the sales girl gave us all an umbrella and then came out in the rain to retrieve them after we got in the car! They don’t do that at Wal-Mart!
The last picture is a video of Emily giggling at the card Samantha recorded for Mom for Christmas - double click to hear it - she is adorable!

3 More Sleepovers!

As Samantha would say "Three more sleepovers before we leave for KL!" We packed our new, big suitcase with all the gifts and items we are taking - no clothes! - borrowed a scale and it weighed 52 pounds. Yeah, the limit is 60 pounds!!

Van Fleet Trail

We rode about 10 miles on the Van Fleet Trail today. A nice flat, "rail to trail" in a rural area. Saw birds, deer and a raccoon but no gators (thank goodness!.) Good exercise but boring scenery! We'll keep trying new trails.
Samantha called last night and said "8 more days, Tima!" I don't know who is more excited them or us! I have suitcases all over the motor home as I try to make sure I have enough room for everything. UPS now has "luggage boxes" with handles - probably will need one of those too!
We are getting to know more couples here. Happy hour every Friday night is a fun time to meet people. We are surprised at how many work part-time at Disney World. One guy recommended that we take our bikes, park in the Disney lot and ride around Fort Wilderness (the campground) for free - sounds like fun!