Taking a Break in Ballarat

I finally got to catch up a little on rest when I took a nap yesterday with XX. And this was only because Hubby reminded me to do it before I fall sick.




The past week has been tiring even though we didn't do much. Partly because I've started a new hobby but mainly because XX has been more than a handful recently.







On our first night at the Windmill Holiday Park in Ballarat, XX refused to sleep. He finally fell asleep in my arms after I sang to him. Then throughout the night, he kept waking up crying. I don't know what's wrong with him. Maybe it's a new environment or maybe he's not well. And once he gets into 'the bad mood', nothing you do will please him. Try to hug him, he'll push you away. Ignore him, he'll cry harder. Everything you ask him, he'll give you his standard answer 'NO'. This boy can be very adorable when he's in a good mood but can also throw a stubborn terrible tantrum. We had wanted to visit Souverign Hill the next morning, but end up both Hubby and I were so tire out by XX's midnight drama that we couldn't wake up in time. We decided to visit the Ballarat Wildlife Park instead.








The ticket price to the Wildlife Park was $22 per adult and $13.50 per child above 5 years old. We also bought a pack of kangeroo food for $3. It's quite expensive but we could only confirm that it's a rip-off after we went in. The premise is not very big, I reckon if you walk non-stop, you could probably complete one round in 15 mins. We took about 2 hours, stopping to let the children feed the lazy and greedy kangeroos, while avoiding their lumps of poop scattered all over the place. I did enjoy the Reptile House collection of snakes, lizards and crocodiles though. I could see these reptiles, some of them poisonous, so close up and they are so beautiful. Not sure if I'll say the same thing if there isn't a glass wall between us! And we came really close to some emus, who were so docile they just stood there like a statue while visitors posed next to them. Unfortunately, XX tripped over a tree root there and had his face in mud, and most probably their poop, while trying to get closer. Poor thing!




Although I packed bacon mushroom and egg sandwiches, the kids were picky and refused to eat them. That's one of the biggest headaches I'm facing nowadays, making their meals. If I make something that they don't fancy, you should see the tortured look on their face! KK will make comments like 'Gross!', 'Disgusting!' while XX will spit it out and then cover his face with his hands when you try to feed him again. Of course, I have my ways to counter them. Wait a while longer. When they're hungry enough and there's no other food, they'll eat. (This works for KK.) Or try again when they're in a better mood. (This works for XX.) Alternatively, give the food some 'plastic surgery' to make it look different but still the same ingredients. When all else fails, finish up the food yourself, or make husband eat it, and remember never to cook it again for the next few months.




Anyway, we left the Wildlife Park when XX got tired and cranky. The 'show' they had then was about snakes and the narrator kept talking about what to do if you are bitten by a snake while another keeper had a python around her to let people touch. That's all? And there was no proper seating for visitors so you got to stand around under the scorching sun. For the next 'show', they bought out a koala for photograph taking, which I believe they will charge extra for.








The kids had just as good a time, I believe, back at the holiday park. They played water at the pool, jumped like crazy on the gigantic Jumping Pillow and watched cartoon movies (with free popcorn) at the Recreation Room. At 5.30pm, there will be some kids activities organised by Windmill where they played simple team games. KK had fun running on the Jumping Pillow while others try to row a ball across to touch him. Or he'll be trying to throw balls at the other kids running through. Even XX and I enjoyed some bouncing fun on this giant 'pillow'.





The chalet is clean and looks quite new. It is small but rather cosy, with a queen bed, a bunk bed and a small but complete kitchen. We could park our car just beside the cabin and the pool was just right outside. There's a fan and air-con/heater, TV in both living and bedroom, so it's very comfortable.

On the 3rd day, we decided to skip Souverign Hill as we didn't think the kids would enjoy gold-panning or learning about mining. Instead, we drove to "Australia's Biggest Playground" and let them have fun there. Most importantly, it is free. As expected, they got tired of running around after a while and rested over gelato ice-cream at the open space next to the playground. The playground was supposed to be facing Lake Wendouree but 3 years ago, this artificial lake dried up. There's a bad drought in Australia, so can't waste water maintaining it. We played frisbee and had a simple picnic lunch of sandwiches there, followed by a short walk through the Botanic gardens opposite. That's how we spent the day and XX fell asleep in the car on the way back.

The last day, we checked out of Windmill and visited Kryal Castle, Australia's 'unique' medieval castle. I'm sorry to say, that's another disappointment. There's wasn't much to do inside, besides looking at some of their collection of ancient weapons, armoury and chemistry. The place looks run-down and is poorly maintained. The exhibit rooms are old and boring looking. Besides a rather scenic hilltop view and the little drawbridge at the entrance, there isn't anything there worth seeing. The shows are 2 hours apart but how to stay so long with young children? Luckily, we managed to endure till 1.30pm to see the Jousting show, which was probably the highlight of the visit. You see 2 'knights' on horses taking turns to hit some targets with a joust and a jester trying to make you laugh with silly antics.

After this, I think I've enough of Ballarat. It was a good break, but it's time to drive back home.

Christmas Holidays

My Christmas Present to Hubby

Time passes really fast. After XX's birthday celebration, we attended another birthday party the next Saturday, then a few days later, it's Christmas Eve already. It was a quiet Christmas Eve for us. We had a simple dinner of Chicken Rice. No roasted turkey, but it's still a bird nonetheless...hee.

Christmas Day, the kids opened the rest of their presents from the Grandparents and aunties/uncles in S'pore. They merrily ripped away while it's constant collecting and crushing of loose wrappers and boxes for us. They were the happiest and luckiest that day as we attended 2 gatherings and they collected more presents.

After breakfast, I started to get busy, making 'Lo Mai Fan' (Glutinous Rice) for the lunch gathering. It was well-received and we came home in the afternoon so XX can have a nap. While he was asleep, I made some Gingerbread Man cookies for the evening party. In between, I also made some Min Jiang Kueh for tea as a pilot friend of Hubby was in town and he came over to our place.

We were dead tired by the time we reached home at about 11pm. But I still can't go to bed yet. As Hubby sent his friend back to the hotel, I started packing. Yes, we're leaving for a short holiday the next day and we've not even started packing. Procastination is the word. I think we went to bed at about 1am that night.

The next morning, Boxing Day, I got out of bed at about 8am, awoken by XX. Which was just as well. Cos I'm heading for the Boxing Day SALES happening everywhere! I found out at the party that evening before that over here on Boxing Day, retail stores everywhere slashed their prices up to 70% for some crazy 'Stocktaking' 'Clearance' Sale. Many big stores even open early. In downtown Myers, people will start to queue up outside the store as early as 4am to wait for the doors to open at 6am. It's that good that some of the friends there were talking at meeting each other for shopping at 6 or 7 in the morning!

Well, I didn't go down to Myers as there wasn't anything much that I was looking to buy there. But I did go to Spotlight to try my luck for a sewing machine that I've been thinking of buying. The store was having a 20% storewide discount. Still not good enough to meet my budget. However I did end up buying the rotary cutter, cutting mat and quilter's ruler at 20% less. I also got 2 kids sleeping bags at 50% discount over at Big W's and some good quality chocolates at 40% off.

By 1pm, we've started our drive to our holiday destination at Ballarat. I was so tired that I actually slept in the car. (I don't easily fall asleep in cars these days.) I thought that these few days should be good for me to catch up a little on my rest but the first night here proved me wrong.

Find out what happened in the next post!

Club Med Cherating (16-19 Dec 2007)

After a long drive from Malacca to KL, then across the peninsular of Malaysia, we finally arrived at Kuantan. The journey was smooth and blessed with good weather. Baby X was initially cranky but he still managed to sleep for about 2 hours in the car. From Kuantan, it was another 30 minutes past kampongs and malay huts before we arrived at Club Med, Cherating Beach.

Inside Club Med, it is a world of its own. A GOs (Gentil Organizers) was waiting for us when our car pulled up the driveway. We offloaded our bags and while Hubby went to park the car, we were led to the reception area where glasses of cold tea & water and cold towels were waiting for us. After a brief introduction, we were led to our room. We had 2 adjoining rooms, one with a king size bed, the other had 2 single beds. The rooms are modern and clean and the bathroom, though simple, is tastefully decorated. They knew we had a baby and as per what I read from the internet, they prepared a baby cot, changing mat and a bottle warmer with baby toiletries. But what amazed me was, they even prepared a potty and baby bath tub! I was worried about how to bathe Baby X but now my problems are solved.

Since we arrived around 6pm, our first activity was dinner. Hubby had warned me not to dress too shabbily for dinner but I had no idea HOW dressed up they are gonna be! The GOs were dressed like they are going to a dinner party! (I discovered later that there is a theme every night. The next night was ‘elegant white’ and all the GOs were in white.)

When I entered the restaurant, I know why you’ll look out of place in shorts and flip flops. The restaurant is as posh as those at 5 star hotels. The buffet area is almost as big as the dining area! There are so many choices that you need about 15 minutes just to walk around and see everything. I tried some Korean, Chinese and Japanese that night while Hubby and KK feasted on pizza and pasta from the Italian corner.

The next 2 days, it drizzled a little but mostly when we were asleep or indoors having our meals. Otherwise, it was sunshine all the time. Praise God!

There were so many reports about floods in Kuantan recently that I was so worried about the rain affecting our holiday. But this shows that prayers does work and miracles do happen.

Everyday, KK joined the Mini-Club after a quick breakfast. The good thing about Club Med is that they have activities organized for the kids the whole day. They’ll bring the kids to lunch at 12 noon and also provide them with another snack at 4pm. You pick the kids up again at 5.30pm to shower them and dress them for dinner. At dinner, the kids have a choice to dine together and join in the night activities till 9pm or they can remain with their parents. At 9.30pm, there will be a show presented by, you guessed it, all the GOs. The show normally follows the theme of the night. Even the restaurant and the bar will be decorated to reflect the appropriate theme.

KK spent the whole of the next two days with the GOs and other kids at the Mini-Club. He even wanted to have dinner with them and joined them for the after dinner activities. He did bungy bouncing, walked on the tight rope, played water games at the pool, picked sea shells & built sand castles at the beach plus a whole lot of other games. Seeing him being independent and having fun is our greatest joy. It also leaves us with more time to manage Baby X.

Baby X is a challenge especially at meal times, especially since he developed a cold after we got there. There’s the challenge of feeding him. If Baby X decides not to eat something anymore, he’ll not open his mouth no matter what you do. And if he’s tired of sitting in the high chair, he’ll bug you until you lift him off. We had to give him all sorts of stuff to try to keep him inside the high chair while we try our best to enjoy the sumptuous buffet spread. Ice cubes, plastic soup spoon, paper cups all became toys for him but by the 2nd day, even those became boring. Worse, he’ll purposely drop these things and then bend dangerously over the high chair to see where it goes. Often, we end up eating alone at the table while the other one brings Baby X for a walk.

All in all, despite the many trying moments and the long car rides, it was a good holiday. Club Med has a concept that suits our family. We had a lot of joy watching KK enjoy himself and exploring new horizons in Mini-Club. We loved watching Baby X too discover his new surroundings. In between, we even managed to squeeze a few moments to try archery and sailing. Hubby even took part in a mini tournament for archery and won the Bronze medal. We were also blessed with good weather and a smooth journey on the roads. I just can’t wait for Baby X to grow up so he can go into Mini-Club too!

Road Trip

Today, our family set off on our first road trip holiday to Club Med Cherating. We decided to stop over in Malacca enroute so that the entire journey would be more bearable for the 2 little fellas. Last night, it was frantic packing and as usual, majority of the stuff packed were meant for the sustenance of the 2 little ones. In general, the smaller the size, the larger the amount of luggage.

We sat off a little late at about 9.30am but thank God, the timing was rather good. Baby X fell asleep in his car seat at about 10.30am and surprisingly stayed asleep until about 12.20pm. After he woke up, I fed him cereal in the car. He gulped in all down and finished in time for a toilet break and a stretch of the legs. As we progressed on, Baby X was a happy and satisfied boy in the car. However, KK was starting to get restless. I allowed him to climb to the back of the car to play with Baby X.

Soon, we arrived at Malacca and after another 30 minutes, we approached the Renaissance Melaka Hotel, just as Baby X started to get impatient with being inside the car.

The wait to check in was a bit long and Baby X pooped while waiting. Luckily our room was ready, so we quickly got there and changed Baby X. It was a nice and comfortable room though the beds were rather high. Baby X had a taste of its height when he tumbled off from the bed accidentally. Thankfully, he only got a shock and nothing else.

We had a late lunch at the hotel café. We wanted to try their new Italian restaurant Olio which opens today but they only start at dinner. Nonetheless, we met the Director of Operations who went out of his way to ensure we get our pizza and pasta from the Olio kitchen served to the café. It has been a good experience so far.

Thanks to Hubby’s gold membership status, we stayed at the Club floor and were allowed access to the Club Lounge. Which is where I am now - having a cuppucino, typing my blog and using their free internet access to post. Hubby is having a glass of wine while the kids are playing nearby.

Since Baby X only slept for 30mins for his afternoon nap, I gather we’ll have to retire early tonight. We’ll probably go back for a bubble bath and eat the leftover pizza for dinner.

Holiday in Brisbane - update #7

8 September

Finally, it’s time to pack up and go home. On the last night I am going to have an uninterrupted sleep, I laid awake for over 2 hours after waking up in the middle of the night to pee. I looked at the time, about 3.30am. This will be about 1.30am in Singapore. I wondered if Baby X is awake as well.

I woke up around 8am and started to cook instant noodles and sausages for breakfast (clear food!). There were some toiletries to pack, trash to throw and also some last dishes to wash before 9.30am – the check-out time. I didn’t want to leave a bad impression on Singaporean travelers, so I made an extra effort to fold the blankets, pull the sheets on the bed properly before leaving.

We made our way to Brisbane city, detouring to do some last minute shopping of sausages and cheese for Mom. For this special purchase, we had purposely bought a plastic container (that cost more than the sausages). I couldn’t resist grabbing a kilo of middle bacon as well. Meat is just so cheap in Australia.

The flight home was better than the other way south. As it was a day flight, we spent the next 7 hours eating, drinking and watching movies. I found out KK was actually waiting for the lights to turn out when we were about to land. Sitting near to us was a Caucasian couple with a young baby, probably about the same age as Baby X. I couldn’t help thinking how it would be if I had brought Baby X along on this trip. It would never be this leisurely, I’m sure. When you're looking at others, it seemed so easy. That baby behaved extremely well though. He drank milk and slept, drank milk and slept, for the whole flight. I guarantee you Baby X would never be so easy. I sometimes wondered if Baby X will ever complain when he grows up that we’ve left him behind. Then again, looking at the dad walking up and down the aisle, I’m convinced our decision was best for everyone. I am looking forward to seeing Baby X again. Wonder how he’ll react when he sees us again.

We cleared immigration, customs and picked up our luggage with the usual efficiency of Changi Airport but there was no sight of my family at the arrival hall. They are on their way….

Baby X stared at me wide-eyed when the car pulled up. I took him in my arms and kissed him. No resistance, he acts as if we’ve never been apart. Carrying him has never felt so good.

Holiday in Brisbane - update #6

7 September

We awoke to a cloudy sky but there was no rain. Hubby called the whale watchers to enquire if there were any tours today. This would be our last clear day in Brisbane. Unfortunately, they had cancelled it again last night. What should we do next? We decided over breakfast to go to the beach at Surfer's Paradise.

It was very windy and rather chilly at the beach. Not many surfers in the sea though the waves were great. The Life Savers board there stated "unstable condition" and that swimmers should swim at waist level waters only. Not a great day still for any sun, sea and sand activities.

We drove down the Surfers Paradise boulevard and admired the many beach holiday apartments along it. I know many Singaporeans own such apartments as investments and rent it out to holiday makers. Wonder if I will ever be one of them?

We chance upon a playground and stopped to let KK have some fun. There were a few families there, with 2 or more kids/babies, having picnics. Such is the lifestyle of Queenslanders?

There, we met this mainland chinese couple with a daughter the same age as KK. We started chatting. The lady had moved to Australia 12 years ago and speaks fluent English. Husband is from Canton and holds a job that provides him with an apartment in Gold Coast though they stay in Sydney. (That's all I dared to probe.) Anyway, we were talking and I took this chance to find out from her more about the education system in NSW, difference between public and private schools etc.

In one of the conversation, her husband revealed that despite the culture there, the 'kiasu-ism" of asians prevails. They are the ones who sends their kids for extra lessons on weekends. This is exactly the kind of pressure I want my kids to avoid in Singapore but even in Australia? So I guess maybe we should stop blaming the schools and look inwards at the home environment.

He observed that the asians tend to do well academically in their studies but once they go out to the workforce, they fail to outshine their white counterparts. They are somehow less creative and lack resourcefulness. Accurate assessment?

Holiday in Brisbane - update #5

6 September

The weather continued to be grey and wet today. We wanted to go whale watching but they cancelled the tour due to bad weather. We did the next best thing - shopping! After a MacDonalds breakfast, we went to Tree Top Mall, an outlet shopping mall. Not that there was anything we really wanted to get but we did not return empty handed. Our best buys - 5 pairs of Pumpkin Patch socks for Baby X for $8, River sports shoes for Baby X for $10.99 and for KK at $12.99.

KK was a nuisance though. He complained of tiredness the moment we got there. I promised him we will go home after about 3 hours and he became our timekeeper, asking me 'how many hours?' every 10 minutes. Worn down by his nagging, we left at about 5pm after a trip to Coles supermarket.

Back at the apartment, we marinated the beef rump steak we bought with red wine, salt, pepper, sugar and garlic. It costs us $12 for 2 large pieces. It was so large that 2 of us shared 1 piece for dinner that night. A bottle of red wine complemented our dinner together with warm bread rolls, boiled carrots and sauteed mushrooms.

While there, I managed to cook a pot of vegetable soup (pre-packed vegetable soup pack with chicken stock) for KK. This stock was used to cook noodles for KK's dinner that night. Besides satisfying our appetite, we really saved a lot of money by cooking.

10

Holiday in Brisbane - update #4

5 September

Dream dream dream world....ever wonder why it's called that? In fact Dream World is just an amusement park with a lot of thrill rides that we sometimes also find springing up in empty fields around Singapore. Well, call it a nice name, create a theme for different areas, tie up with some cartoon characters, have mascots walk around abit, then you can charge AUD60 per head - great marketing strategy. Despite knowing it's a rip-off, we paid up willingly to spend a day with Spongebob, Dora and the Wiggleys (heard of them?).

Some of the rides are pretty fun and exciting. There was one that looked rather harmless but we were fooled. It started spinning and as it got faster, the X axis slowly rised to become a Y axis! (See first image to get the idea.) KK was screaming 'stop, stop' while inside the 'cage' but we just got to bear it till it's over. Verdict: Scary!

Holiday in Brisbane - update #3

4 September

Into the world of Movie World! The weather wasn't too good today. The skies were overcast and as we drove towards Helensvale, it drizzled. (This type of weather was to stay for the next 3 days.)

We had a good deal for Movie World, the Thrifty car rental package gave us a 'buy one get one free' deal. So we bought 1 adult and 1 child ticket from Ticket Mates (the tour desk at our apartment) and was supposed to exchange for the free adult ticket at the theme park. However, upon reaching the ticket booth, the lady behind the counter told us that she can't give us the Thrifty free ticket because Ticket Mates and Thrifty are 2 different companies. Hubby showed her the terms and conditions page on the Thrifty discount booklet which clearly says 'tickets can be purchased from any ticket outlet but the free ticket can only be redeemed at the theme park.' However, she still insisted that Movie World won't get paid for the free ticket by Thrifty because we bought the tickets from Ticket Mates. Though we understand what she's saying, we don't agree as this wasn't what we were told nor understand from reading the terms & conditions. In my mind, I was totally put off. Either this staff was not educated or there's some misrepresentation. Either way, their internal operational issues shouldn't be the customer's problem. If I have to pay for the 3rd ticket, I'm gonna get some explanation from the management later. But guess what, after a few minutes of hogging the ticket booth, when Hubby says he needs to make a call, the lady suddenly printed the tickets - 2 adults and 1 child - and gave it to us. We were surprised. "So, it's done?" says Hubby. "Yeah", says the lady and she refuses to give us any eye contact. I guess she gave up.

The wetness and this incident didn't spoil our day. Once inside, we enjoyed Shrek's 4D adventure, Road Runner's roller coaster, Batman's Space Mission and other rides. KK's favourite was the Road Runner's roller coaster. He was so thrilled by the speed, I see a speed demon in the making. (Better keep him off bikes & cars when he grows older, says Hubby).

KK missed out the Scooby Doo ride as the height limit was 110cm and after measuring him with a tape measure (they are that strict), he missed by 0.5cm. Arrgh, but we took this opportunity to remind KK why he should eat more, grow taller and get to go on more rides next time.

Holiday in Brisbane - update #2

3 September

Although we planned to visit Movie World today, fatigue got the better of me and I couldn’t get out of bed until 1100hrs local time. Hubby is kind enough to let me sleep on as he knows how deprived I am. We decided it’s too late to go to the theme parks so decided to make a trip to the honey farm instead.

After a short drive, we arrived at Currumbin, where Superbee Honeyworld (another ‘world’) is located. We signed up for the tour, which costs us $15 for 2 adults. KK got in free as he ‘appears young’. Peter, the beekeeper took us into a dark room. He switched on the lights and as we walked towards 2 glass panels, we saw millions of busy bees on the other side making honey.

Now I understand how the term ‘busy bees’ comes about. It is not an understatement to say bees are the most hardworking living things in the world. They never sleep! And their mission in their short life (about 7 – 8 weeks) is to make and store honey, and to serve the queen bee.

Apparently, the bees have different levels of work. The juvenile ones start by making royal jelly for the queen to eat. Then they can progress to be ‘foragers’ – flying out to collect nectar. There are also the ‘guard bees’, guarding the hive’s entrance against invaders and outsiders. Guard bees are merciless – if a bee from another bee accidentally tries to fly in, she will be killed, no second chance. Then there are the ‘scent bees’. Their job – stay outside near the entrance, tilt their backsides and flap their wings. This sends a fragrance which serves as a guide for their fellow sister bees to identify as they fly home after collecting the nectar. The best job of all must be the ‘drones’. They are the male bees and their job is to have sex with the queen bee and help her breed. They don’t need to work. Sounds like some men we know?

The bees (or ‘the girls’ as Peter calls them affectionately) work incredibly fast. 24 hours and they would have built the base of their comb. After the comb is built, the bees deposit the nectar into each hexagonal hole and when the holes are filled, they will be capped and sealed with wax. When the whole comb is filled, they will be ‘robbed’ by the honey farmers. According to Peter, it is necessary to rob the hive. Otherwise, when there is no more room to store honey anymore, the whole hive will just leave to look for somewhere else to fill. You see, bees just CAN’T STOP WORKING! They are the ultimate workaholics!

In my view, bees are the most exploited workers in the world. They don’t get paid a salary, they have no holidays, no benefits and their food get stolen every few days! But they don’t complain and never strikes. Every employer’s dream workers ya?

Inside the room where they extract the honey, Peter scrapped the wax off a comb and we used our finger to taste the sweet golden liquid underneath. Hmm… lovely. Honey, we learnt, keeps incredibly well for 5000 years with no need for refrigeration (there’re no refrigerators inside honey combs.)

Peter personally testified the gospel of royal jelly, the stuff that queen bees only eat. He says he takes one capsule every morning since 3 years ago and it healed his arthritis and keeps his complexion good despite being 56 years old. He also shared how propolis (the protection against bacteria created by the bees for the queen to lay eggs) healed the skin cancer of a woman. Believe it or not!

We proceeded to have a late lunch at Surfer’s Paradise. We had spotted a few Korean restaurants last night. It is the kind of small scale, run by a Korean family setup that we like. I’ve always wondered why Singapore doesn’t have such shops. Singapore’s Korean restaurants are big expensive restaurants that charge you a bomb. While those at the food courts are not authentic enough. We enjoyed the food, just as we had at such Korean restaurants in Canada, New Zealand.

After lunch, it was off to Coles Supermarket for some grocery shopping. Believe it or not, we were already planning what to eat for dinner. The final selection: chorizo sausages (a coarse textured Spanish-style pork sausage flavoured with garlic and paprika), lettuce, tomatos, sautéed mushrooms with garlic and olive oil and warm oven-baked baguette). We bought a bottle of wine – Braided River Sauvignon Blanc 2006 for $14.90 – to go with the food. The result: an easy-to-cook and satisfying meal.

Now KK and Hubby are out at the balcony, chit chatting and enjoying the cool air over a glass of wine (for Hubby) and apple/mixed berries juice (for KK). I’m going to join them now. This is life.

Holiday in Brisbane - update #1

2 September

We finally arrived at Brisbane at about 0640hrs. Boy, am I relieved to leave the aircraft. I didn’t sleep at all. Just as I was about to doze off, the crew switched on the lights for Continental Breakfast. Though the food sucks, I still ate the breadroll and drank 2 cups of tea. KK had fallen asleep and I decided to let him sleep longer.

It was a breeze clearing immigration and customs. The Australians are a friendly bunch, even the Customs officer is cheery as he checked our food items. Once out, Khim collected his car, a blue Mitsubishi Lancer and by 0800hrs, we’re driving to our accommodation.

Inside the car, sleep caught up with me so the 1 hour journey was a blur. We reached around 0900hrs. Since we can’t check in yet, we walked down the street for some breakfast (they call it ‘breaky’ here) of pancakes.

The fully equipped but unserviced apartment was cosy and tidy. Without further ado, we changed and jumped straight into bed for SLEEP! I woke up at about 1430hrs whereas Hubby slept till 1600hrs. KK had to be woken up at about 1700hrs as we wanted to go for early dinner.

We showered and drove to Oasis Shopping Center at Broadbeach Mall. We ended up eating at Bugzies Seafood Restaurant. They served ½ price lunch menu till 1830hrs so we took advantage of that and ordered rump steak for only $17.90. They tasted great!!

As Hubby needs to get internet access to log onto, we drove to Gloria Jeans at Surfer’s Paradise for coffee and internet. I could not resist ordering some scones with butter and jam as dessert.

Back at our apartment, we were still very awake at 2300hrs. Singapore time, it’s only 2100hrs, not bed time yet. We had all brushed our teet and were preparing for bed when the issue of instant noodle popped up. I suddenly felt like eating some of the instant Korean noodles we brought from Singapore. Then Hubby looks at me and asked “feel like eating some noodles?” I smiled.

3 of us gobbled up 2 packets of noodles that night.

Jet Lag or Economy Class Syndrome?

1 September 2007

The journey to Brisbane took us over 6140 km and almost 7 hours. We were assigned 31HJK, the bulkhead row, with plenty of leg room and a toilet just nearby. There's a bassinet point as well and if Baby X were here, he'll be using the bassinet. We are considered quite seasoned travellers, but that didn't make this flight any more bearable. Even KK, who is used to 'lie-flat' style of flying (stretching out with head and legs on our thighs), had to sleep this time in a twisted manner - the 'real' Economy Class experience.



10 - at Gloria Jeans Cafe - Surfer's Paradise, enjoying coffee and scones.

Baby X stays at home

A goodbye kiss for Baby X at home, a hug for mum and a pat for dad, and we're off! The 3 of us - Hubby, KK and myself - took off towards the check-in counter for our first "real" holiday since Mar'06. Since the arrival of Baby X, travelling anywhere, even to the local supermarket is a logistical challenge and stressful affair. So this is really a treat that I'm deeply appreciative for. In fact, if mum had volunteered to take care of Baby X earlier, we would be setting off for Europe or further. But Brisbane still beat KL hands down anytime!

We're at the SK Lounge now, enjoying a cuppucino and KK's had a milo and some cream crackers, while waiting to board. Thanks to Hubby's frequent duty travels, he's a qualified PPS now. KK is eager to get on the plane and is browsing some magazines to pass time. We had reminded KK how lucky he is compared to his brother. We feel really bad to leave Baby X behind. KK is really fortunate to be able to travel so much compared to his brother. I promise myself to make it up to Baby X in the future.

I'm missing Baby X already and wonder what he's doing now. Maybe getting ready for bed. I wonder if he knows his mummy is not gonna be with him tonight? I really look forward to the day when Baby X can be like KK and we go holiday together as a family.

10 - boarding soon

Brisbane and Breastfeeding

This is gonna be a long day for us. Tonight we are leaving for our holiday in Brisbane. We've not finished packing and KK's got to go for his Little Champ class before that. The only thing I wish I could bring along but is leaving behind is Baby X.

We originally wanted to bring Baby X along as we didn't want to bother anyone to look after him at night. (yes, I did not trust my DH - domestic helper - enough. My theory: dealing with a fussing baby in the middle of the night requires genuine parental love. Even then, some nights I feel like being abusive what more an employed worker?) The other thing is, I was still breatfeeding, so he needs me and I need him.

However, my mother one day volunteered to look after Baby X at night for the whole week. I think she took pity on us after seeing us discuss how to travelproof the 'sarong' swing frame (take the wheels out, bubble wrap the frame etc) to bring to Brisbane. Yes, we were prepared to bring that and come back mid-day for his nap. It beats having a cranky, active and sleep deprived baby in our arms anytime. But we have to be realistic. Baby X is not going to remember nor understand what this holiday is. Bringing him along will compromise his rest and his meals. The worst thing is, KK and ourselves will all have to make sacrifices to accomodate him on the trip. Furthermore, Baby X got the flu and has started coughing as well. He will definitely get better rest staying at home. So much as I will miss Baby X (and I think he'll miss us too), we just gotta 'harden our hearts' and do the sensible thing. Afterall, it's gonna be just one week........Baby X, sorry we couldn't bring you. Be a good boy and wait for us to come back ya?

Since then, I've been trying to wean him off the breast slowly. I started by feeding him a little expressed breast milk before he sucks direct, to let him get used to the bottle before sleep. I also tried to make sure he didn't fall asleep at the breast. This took some time and wasn't so successful as some nights, I just didn't have time to express.

I then moved to feeding him whole bottles of formula milk just before his bedtime. Knowing that he's full, I switched off the lights. Switching off the lights was the que for him to sleep. He rolled around and whimpered a bit, clawing and scratching me at the same time, but I managed to put him to sleep without offering the breast.

In the middle of the night, I still feed him direct when he wakes up. This is for convenience and also to prevent engorgement for myself, since I already skipped the night feed. Recently, after the breast supplies adjusted itself to the reduced demand, I got Hubby to fix him a bottle of milk instead when he wakes up. Surprisingly, after a half-hearted protest, Baby X took the bottle and dozed off contentedly again after the feed.

All these took almost a month. By last night, Baby X only sucked a little breast milk at 0600hrs. And I sort of sensed some disinterest as he detached himself after a few minutes. That's it! That would be the LAST feed. Freedom! No more being tied down. At the same time, I feel a little sad - the special relationship between us during breastfeeding is over. For Baby X, he has enjoyed breastfeeding longer than KK. Words cannot describe the closeness we experienced. During these last few nights, I had looked at the peaceful and contented look on his face, eyes closed, when he sucks. He knows when the breast is coming and opens his mouth expectantly waiting for it to touch his lips. Then he latches on almost immediately and he will relax..... These are the memories I'll cherish and moments I'll miss.

I guess this is a milestone and a part of growing up. With time, Baby X will forget what breastfeeding is like. Like his brother, he may not be able to understand how anyone could drink milk like that. Until the day he becomes a father ,perhaps.

For now, I better get back to the packing.

10 - mixed feelings mum