The travelling apples

The best part about Malaysia was the relatives and definitely the food. It was nice visiting my uncles and aunties and cousins and most certainly getting free lunches and dinner ... and transport. heh heh.

All in all, a most satisfying holiday. The first hotel we stayed wasn't too good though. A three star one which faked a five star on the internet and cheated us to pay five star rates. Thanks to my father who remembered wrongly and gave the lousy recommendation. We moved out almost immediately the next day, and you can sure as hell hear me grumble the whole day! Even hubby wasn't too pleased, and that says a lot ... since he's usually the easy-going one. We'll never be back there for sure!

Dinner first night was crabs, chilli kangkong, a kind of shellfish called lala ... and I forgot. That three dishes was enough to make me die without regrets. Food there was really good! And pretty cheap. And we didn't even have to pay a single cent. *bleah*

We drove down to SP the next day and had lunch with some of my aunts. The roast duck was pretty good, but that was about it. Nice meeting them though. I always got along pretty well with all my aunts. Then Father drove us down to Alor Star to visit Granny. We stopped for durians on the way ... very very delicious durians, though the aftertaste wasn't too good, what with each of us burping along the rest of the journey and contributing to the sour smell. heh. But the next best part were the one kilo of mangosteens we bought! Oh mangosteens. My favourite. *swoon*

Dinner on the second night wasn't too ideal. Fourth aunt wasn't around, and she's the one with good suggestions on where to get nice food. Still, I guess one shoudn't complain too much especially when they treated us after all. If Grandpa were still around, he would know where to go for nice food. Grandma doesn't want to leave the house nowadays, and we couldn't get her to come along, no matter what. She's getting absent minded nowadays. I guess age is finally catching up.

I'm sure hubby was dreaming of driving fast cars. The next day when he woke up, he told me he wanted to go to Langkawi. My uncle worked there and he sells cars, and over dinner the previous night, my aunts were telling him all about the Ferraris and being able to test drive around the island. You could sure see his eyes sparkling after that. So off we went then. The water was extremely choppy, and I threw up my lunch, which had never happened before. Damn. It's ok though, lunch wasn't too good too. I told Father I wanted to go to the place where we used to always go for lunch with Grandpa, but he brought us to the wrong one. :( It was quite disappointing at AS.

So we spent the third day at Langkawi. No fast cars to test drive though, since most of them had been sold due to the impending tax. But we certainly did have a great time with fourth aunt who brought us to the most delicious seafood place with lovely steamed crabs, steamed fish, big prawns, lala ... and they were very cheap and extremely fresh too. *droooooool* My fourth aunt is like a tribal leader in the island. Almost everyone greets her when they see her and she gets special privileges. heh heh. We got to stay at one of the best resort hotel for half the rate. Must go back again! :P We also went to the pasa malam and bought the nicest mangosteens ever. Oh drrrrrooooooool. I sure as hell stuffed myself full of mangosteens that night!

The last day wasn't very interesting. It was a long road trip back ... from Langkawi to AS to SP and back to Penang to catch out night flight. (oh yes, we changed our flight twice, and almost a third time as well!) Lunch was at AS with very nice noodles. At least Father got that place right. Now I now why mom loves the noodles there. We had three bowls between the two of us. heh. Dinner before leaving was western steak, and I must say ... the portions were huge. So much bigger than what we have here. Oh boy.

Food. I've been eating non-stop since I got there. Crabs, prawns, fish, lala ... and best of all ... mangosteens. Drooling even now to think of them. Oh, the mangosteens. Oh wow .... and the crabs. Too bad I didn't get to eat really nice lala yet. Oh well. :P

Mangosteens. Arrgh.

***
Oh, and what was it about the apples? We took some from home before we left, since there were still quite a lot left from that time, and we were afraid they would spoil by the time we got home. So the apples went island and town hopping with us as well, till they were finally slaughtered at AS.

:P

Arrrgh ... those mangosteens. I sure didn't have enough of them. The stomach can only hold that much each time! *bleah*

*****
I wonder where xena has gone off to. Has she gone off blogging for good?

Mangosteens?

***
Everyone seems to be talking about it. All because the nation main newspaper published a lousy gossipy article. I just have one opinion of it. It's sad when the nation newspapers resorts to taboid gossips to keep its readers entertained.

And hubby brought to my attention the other day that front page news was about how people are all spending so much more, to give a sense of a growing economy, and hidden away on the fourth page was an article about an impending technical recession. Bad times ahead are not important for us to know.

:P

Things are decidedly starting to look gloomy.

I saw mangosteens selling here. Wonder if they're any good. Expensive though. Very much more ex than back in M.

***
Grandma is in hospital back here. She was losing energy and didn't want to eat. Refused to open her mouth. Mom panicked and called the ambulance. She was put on drip and now seems better. Last I heard, mom told me they're sending a speech therapist to see her. Speech therapist?! Whatever for. DUH. The last time we sent her to the hospital they also sent a speech therapist who ended up wasting time and money. Grandma's mind is gone. Gone. I told mom to get a social worker to access the finanical conditions. I doubt anyone can heal grandma in her mind. It was too late. They should have let her see a psychatrist when she was showing signs ... or maybe neuro ... but nooo ... no no no. At least Grandma seems to be picking up again, I suppose that is ... good, and mom's burden of taking care of her on her own will still continue. My friend had advised to get a social worker. I wonder if mom would do that.

Poor grandma. When she was still aware of things around her, she didn't want to live anymore. I wouldn't want to myself if I'm ever in this state.

And mom suffers the most. Oh, she doesn't see it as a burden at all. Who am I to say that she's suffering. I'm sure she would have loved to go with us to Malaysia this round. She loves the food there as much as I do. She hasn't been back there for so long. It would have been fun to have her around too. I bet she'll stuff herself with noodles and durians. :P

*****
Yesterday MIL washed our little money plant the way I would wash my vegetables before I cook them. The poor little plant looked ... well, extremely clean and the leaves are pathetically drooping over the pot. I think the plant must have gotten a shock of its life. hahahahaha. I told hubby he has got to sing to them later to sorta perk them up. I'm no green thumb. Plants are hubby's territory. heh.