Fun under the Sun

Oh my...I miss writing so much (well, that what I always say after long hiatus isn't it :P) But yes, it's true! I miss writing but just couldn't fit the right time to pour what I feel. Or maybe when the time comes, I don't have the mood and heart already to blog about it. Sigh. Anyway, I still randomly post something on my IG (@aanandes), so check it out there. In fact, these entries also already posted in the IG but of course it isn't this details. Nothing beats good old blog right? ;)

I know Syawal is sooooo yesterday! But better late than never... because we had soooo much fun during last raya! So I have to pen down this! :D

Ok according to the plan, we will go back on the Saturday (Raya falls on Monday) which means we will celebrate the eve of raya in Terengganu. But somethings come up (work of course! It's always about work) that MrComot has to stayback in KL for the first and second day of raya. Of course I was a smitten and just can;t believe it, siap plan nak balik asing with the kids via flight ok, such a drama.

MrComot said that it's not like we don't go back at all, it just we go back later on the 3rd raya.

Of course it's a big deal, first day never the same with third day ok? If it's the same, might as well we go back the next 20 days, or even the next year! Haha..seee..sentap giler ok.

Anyway, after I calmed down, I was thinking, heck, why I need to spoil the festive season and sulk over small matter. It doesn't matter really because at least I can celebrate the first Eid with my in laws. Thank God they are in KL, else it will be super suck!

Talking about raya, both of us were very busy during fasting month and we don't even care about the baju raya and whatnot. Only on Saturday it hits us, alamak..tak best la takde baju matching2 this year. So on Sunday right before raya, gigih pegi cari baju ok. We only bought for MrComot and Zahra as Emir and Mommy already has baju melayu and kurung in Purple. We decided to go purple this year because two of use already have it, so don't have to buy new one for all four of us.

But the irony is, gigih beli baju before raya, but have none picture the four of us in it. Gahhhhhh!!

Ok talk about balik kampung, so since MrComot has to standby until 2nd day of Eid, we decided to go back the night of the 3rd Eid itself. This is our first time driving long journey at odd hours and oh mann....the road is super smooth BUT scary!! Because not many cars hitting it and there is no roadside lamp so it was pitch black.

Thank God we didn't hit anything random crossing the road that night, and we didn't see anything weird either *goosebump all over*.

So! These what we've been up to during the holiday in Besut. We had so so much fun and how I wish the place is just few hours drive away.

Scary dark. Thank God the kids were sleeping so we can have peaceful drive. I tried to stay up throughout the journey to accompany MrComot but terlelap jugak few times *sorry baby!*.

Plucking pucuk kemidi / paku-pakis / midin / fern shoots for bubur lambuk  my mom's style. Best dish ever. Just a simple porridge with lotsa ferns, fish meat, coconut milk, blackpepper. My comfort food. 

Scooping up sands at Pantai Air Tawar, Besut. 

Fresh mangosteen plucked from my dad's orchard.

Cooking a big batch of ayam masak merah with green view. There were couples of spring chicken freely roaming around and such a treat to my eyes.

Tapai (fermented rice) made in daun pisang (banana leaves) and original daun getah (rubber tree leaves). Yummy!

random find - mosses color died bug

Went to morning market and see all the villagers selling local stuff, from food to clothes. But you have to be very early here, before 8AM or it's hard to find parking.

Etak-etak, local snack. It's some-kind of shellfish, boiled with salt and you just eat it as it is.

Random fish monger in kain batik. So laidback! Nothing pretentious here.

Having boiled corn

while watching the chickens

handsome boy had to hold two of the corn...because it might finish faster than he can munch.

My mom with my grandma, at the original wooden house.

Went to hypermarket where basically nothing much there because festive season, all sold out I guess.

Had sup urat keting which is extremely delicious but heart clogging. MrComot pass this, not his kind of food (he is that "bandar" ok hahaha)

My dad making lempuk (durian flesh with sugar). You have to stir it for hourssssssss until it turns to a good goey dessert. Yum!

Went to buy keropok kering (fish cracker) from the maker and get wholesale price. Just for fun.

Went to Rantau Panjang (at the Thailand's border) and eat at random local shop. This is our first time eating randomly like this (with kids I mean! I am totally fine with this kind of shop) and they've been chasing flies and ants. Kids!

Totally flat after some shopping.

Raya is not complete with firecrackers isn't it

Freestyle

Making choc cupcakes with abundance of sprinkles of course

Harvesting rambutan. The tree is just right in front of the house.

And it is so low that the kids can pluck by themselves.

Being nice to the brother :D

So, that's it! The kids had a really good time and Zahra keep on asking when we can have long holiday and balik kampung again.

Sadly, no raya picture. We brought the raya clothes back thinking that we will wear it again and snap a picture together. But we are too lazy to do that, booo!

Cebu - Lapu-Lapu Island and Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa

Previous stories here:

Part I

Part II

Part III

We went to Lapu-Lapu Island (part of Mactan Island) via van. There is a connecting bridge to that place. 

Lapu-Lapu Island is the exact place where Lapu-Lapu killed Ferdinand Magellan (I've written about it in Part I where we visited the Heritage statue)

 Here on 27 April 1521 Lapu-Lapu and his men repulsed the Spanish invaders killing their leader Ferdinand Magellan. Thus Lapu-Lapu became the first Filipino to have repelled European aggression.

 On this spot Feridnand Magellan died on April 27, 1521, wounded in an encounter with the soldiers of Lapu-Lapu, chief of Mactan Island. One of Magellan's ships the Victoria under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano sailed from Cebu on May 1, 1521 and anchored at San Lucar of Barrameda on September 6,1522. Thus completing the first circumnavigation of the earth.

The exact place where Lapu-Lapu storm in and collide with Magellan and killed him.

Lapu-Lapu statue

Then we off to Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa, the most expensive hotel in Mactan (it's 5 stars!). And tell you what, the place is mes-me-ri-zing! Seriously, I considered having a second honeymoon there!! Fly to Cebu just to stay at this hotel.

The place is huge!! We didn't cover everything but we went to the beach.

Too bad I didn't snap the hotel's interior. It was drizzling that time and I was busy handling my handbag because I spilled the mineral water in there. Such a klutz :-/

The coral area

big ass playroom for your kids

Outdoor spa on top of the slope. It was windy and I can imagine how soothing that will be to be massaged up there.

The beach is amazing too! The sand, the water. It's crystal clear and secluded. Very relaxing. After I went back to Malaysia, I keep on saying to MrComot that we should go to this place! Maybe when we are older..and the kids are bigger hehe.

Cebu - Yap Sandiego Ancestral House & Fort San Pedro

Previous story here:

Cebu part I

Cebu part II

We went to Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House after the visited the Lapu-Lapu and Magellan statue. It's somewhere in the Chinese Street as well. The house is originally owned by a Chinese merchant, Don Juan Yap and Dona Maria Florido. It is one of the oldest existing residential structure in Philippines, built around 17th century. One of the unique characteristic it that it is built from coral stone.

The moment I stepped inside, I can see a lot of antique stuff and a lot of religious statues like Virgin Mary and the angels. In some corner, the house a little bit spooky, maybe due to the light, or the religion stuff. I mean, we Muslims don't have any statue right, and in the house statues are everywhere. Nasib baik takde muka scary.

The house from outside

One of Cebu heritage

The family pictures are everywhere

I'm not sure which generation of Yap/Sandiego is this

The religious statues

Wooden stairs leading up

Jesus plate at the window

The ancestors

Wishing well. Some tourist will throw coins and wish for something they want

It is a wooden boat lift up at the second floor, if you can see it closely. It has become a pot for some plants.

This is the original seat for their women to give birth

The hall on second level

The wall is conencted directly to the next building. The original wall was damaged and they plastered it with cement. The handpainting was added to make it look nicer.

The Yap and Sandiego family. I forgot which generation. I jot down the info but my not lost :( 

Another table decor

The dining hall.

The master bedroom. The current Yap and Sandiego family don't live here on daily basis, but they still come and sleep in this room like once a month. Somehow this room gives me a goosebump..it's like "alive". Maybe sebab banyak patung kot.

Another corner in the master bedroom.

Their wedding picture

What do you think about the house? Spooky isn't it? Masa masuk tu dah baca macam2 doa and I didn't touch anything hehe.


Then we went to Fort San Pedro. It's the smallest and oldest fort in Philippines and built in triangular shape, with 2 shapes facing the sea and the 3rd one facing fronting the land. It is labored under Spanish commander Lopez Miguel in 1938. I didn't take much picture pun sbb dalam tu is their normal deco - baby Jesus. They have very strong belief in Christianity and our tour guide suka bercerita so, most of the stories mesti ada cerita pasal baby Jesus. Macam derang adore sangat baby Jesus ni.. a symbol of purity to them. Walaupun kitaorg ni pakai tudung bagai..they keep on saying baby Jesus is God etc.. I pun angguk2 senyum je la. Nak argue tak berani, tand don't know how to say it pun.

Fort San Pedro from the front

Some part is build from coral

Another coral design

Typical pose hehehe

"The Fort San Pedro Restoration was a tedious, time and labor consuming project. To restore the fort as close to the original as possible, coral stones which were hauled from under the sea along Cebu coastal towns were utilized. Delivered crudely cut to the restoration site, the fort laborers did the final cutting and polishing to make the blocks fit each other. - wikipedia"

Another interesting situation I found in Cebu..most of the road has this signage at their turning point.

A few metres before the junction "TURN RIGHT AT ANY TIME WITH CARE"

But when then the put this at the junction "NOR RIGHT TURN". It's contradicting and I find it funny. Maybe it has different meaning that I don't understand.