Kids' Cycling Weekend

A weekend free of activities is not easy to come by, it was with great delight and relish that the family finally afforded two days of activity free weekend after a September chock full of stuff.

On Saturday, free of tuition, replacement classes and dentail appointments and other even lesser chores we packed up the two bikes and drove off. Destination : Bulatan Park. This was the first time ever the kids got to road test their bikes outside the confines of our home since we bought the bikes in June. All this while all they had been doing was to practice their bike maneuvers around the house. They went about the Shell Traffic Games lanes over and over and over again as if to finally release all the cycling angst they've held within all this months.

On Sunday, we decided it's time for more open road cycling. With the two bikes packed up, we headed to the old Kuala Baran Ferry road, on the other side of Batang Baram. Both Ali and Aisya had a field day cycling on the open road, almost traffic free. The overcast skies helped shield them from the sun ... the breeze from the coast and open areas add a tad of a challenge. With an hour break at the old jetty, they both cycled a total of 8kms roundtrip. Aisya wanted more but reluctantly gave in when Ali decided that he'd had enough paddling for the week.

To top off an already perfect weekend, at least from the kids' point of view, we lunched at Mac D in PermyJaya ... between the two of them they gobbled 5xDouble-cheeseburgers!!! Rather unsure whether that's something I should be proud of.

Aisya braked too hard on the way back and tipped over.

Aisya had more than enough practice at home, as cool as a cucumber on two wheels.

Ali meanwhile with less practice was still nervous and trying his best to cycle a straight line.

Both the kids finally getting the hang of their wheels and actually relaxing and putting out a smile.

Growing up in a kampung setting, I counted myself lucky when Mom finally relented to my requests for a bike when I was 12 ... after I delivered the grades. With a bunch of friends our days were more free then, we cycled all over roaming the countryside leaving the house as early as 5am and returning as late as dinnertime. Sometimes just roaming around, sometimes trying out far-away fishing holes. Those were exciting and more innocent times : we didn't have parents chauffering us around then watching our backs 24/7.

Kudat for Raya Hols

"Selamat Hari Raya 2011" from our Kudat Marina Resort room.

Someone's not happy about something picture from The Tip of Borneo.

Playing gong at the Rungus longhouse.

Checking out the honeybees.

The obligatory tourist pic at the honeybees kampung!

Another fine day at the beach

Making sand-sculptures and generally splish-splashing around on the beach ... a fine day indeed!

Baraya Laut weekends

What could be better that a warm sunny day at the beach ... a beautiful beach at that?

Sg Raan rivercruise for fireflies

We did see some fireflies, but we got stuck on the bottom of the river before we actually got to the best display trees ... we chose a time when the tide was lowest!

Sri Mawar sports day

Ali putting all he's got into his sprint during the 400mx4 at this year's school meet.

Aisya at the diner

When we finally settled for brunch, it was at a diner, one of the only two in town.

Home-cooked ikan bakar in the backyard

Nice blue-skies day, perfect for a backyard bbq.

Half-day Escapade across the border

We ran out of cereals and bread, so off we went to Kuala Belait for replenishment. Along the way we stopped by at small estuary just across the border to try out some fishing. No luck, Bruneian fish dont take plastic bait ... though we did see some baitfish jumping up and down probably being chased by a switched-on predator.

On the way back, we stopped by Escapade Sushi at Kuala Belait for lunch.

Strolling with my girl

I took time off work yesterday to ferry the kids about for their piano tests; Grade 2 for Ali, Grade 1 for Aisya. Though both kids are not that fond of piano as much as they used to when they were younger, I believed they should have a regular activity to revolve around other than school, tuition and Mandarin. They've stuck with music this far, not sure whether they'd be willing to go further after the test .

With approximately an hour to spare before picking up Ali for his session after sending him to school, Aisya and I went to Kuala Baram for a short stroll. I've been there many times over the years. In the early days after relocating to Miri to take pictures of the changing coastal landscape, later counting migrating waders during migrating season and Asian Waterbirds Census in January.

I have not been there with Aisya, one on one. Initially skeptical as to why we were there at first she slowly warmed up to the place. Most times we are at the beach, it was to run around and splash about. Today, we were just sitting on the rocks watching the clouds go by, peeked at the mudskippers and enjoy the cool morning breeze.

"Papa, I think I like this place! I like the rocks, I like the sounds of the birds, I love the mudskippers ... can we stay here longer!"

Ever since we were back in Miri, when they were still young little tykes, I've taken them to the beach around our home. They've always love it: the running around in the water, splashing each other.

Today this is the first time I've heard Aisya profess her fondness for a place such as this. It's wet, it's muddy, crawling with strange creatures ... the fact she likes the place as it is warms up my heart. This spot can be her special spot too.

Aisya's 9th Birthday

She worked really hard this year to get going on her bike. We bought the bike in Gawai, she practiced every weekend without fail to the point of getting upset whenever we had to take the weekends off to do something else, by the time we celebrated her 09th birthday 02nd July; she's ready to swirl around the front yard. Ali followed suit a few hours later.

Sunny Gawai break at Tusan Cliff

At low tide this spot is kinda cool ... lots of sand and water is clear. Hide-tides can be a bit frisky. There's also a resident young (6 footer) crocodile in the estuary nearby ... he's cool and apparently never causes any trouble according to the local folks. The croc can be seen basking by the beach under the full moon sometimes on quiet nites.

Sunny days in May

The kids surely had a goodtime; the past few weekends they've been to coastal villages with us for the community outreach program but was barred from entering the water. On the 16th they finally had their fun, we went to Bungai Beach.

Two weeks later, 30th of May we went to Tusan beach, the kiddoes claiming their righful place in the sand under the sun; the croc's (actually we saw only one "friendly" fella the other nite) basking front yard.

Niah NP in April

Ali at Niah Park in April 2011.

Kuala Selangor over the weekend with family

Eight of us including 4 little children (eldest 10, youngest 4 years old) checked-in to MNS managed Kuala Selangor Nature Park for an overnight stay to check out the monkeys, egrets and possibly fireflies and owls. After the 'townies' overcame their initial shock of the spartan condition of our 7 single bed room, we headed to town for lunch at Kuala Selangor's best lunch place as far as I'm concerned.

There's about 40 ala-carte dishes to choose from for your lunch including obscure items such as kerabu paku, keli gulai masak lemak to sotong sumbat kukus. Seven plateful of rice filled to the rim with delectable local delights and individual drinks totalled a princely sum of $38, tough to beat if you are outside of Kuala Selangor. After lunch we took a romp on the Majlis Perbandaran Kuala Selangor train ride up Bukit Melawati and looped back to KSNP for a well-deserved afternoon seista.

All were fresh-eyed at the start of our late afternoon walk around the park. The littlest one was excited and scared at the same time at the prospect of meeting up with real live famous monkeys of KSNP. The furry creatures were out in full force as they always do ... from flabby macho males to the tiniest little runt. The kids had a blast viewing them up close, little Vanessa decided right there and then that she didn't like monkeys.

 The kids made it all the way up the viewing tower (2nd) and round the loop of the mangrove boardwalk. If it weren't for Grandpa and Grandma, they would've gone further, excited by the encounters with waving fiddler crabs, mud-crabs, buggy-eyed mudskippers, wood-peckers (they've all this while were only familiar with Woody Woodpecker) and other birds. Both Alyssa and Vanessa were conversant enough to point to and call out Brahminy Kite by the time we ended the trail.

CNY at PD Part II

They'll be all big and tall at next year's CNY ... let's do Lumut next or maybe someplace fun in Langkawi.

The last day before everyone drives off home to their final destination.

Mini Yee-Sang at the kiddie table.

Family at CNY 2011 - Part I

Jarad and Hannah


Vanessa and Alyssa


Aisya and Ali

Starting the new year 2011 right

Who's looking bored and would rather be elsewhere?


Aisya got very excited when we pulled up JJ, her tiny prawn, now her most-est favorite after Moses.


The jetty is a nice place to hangout, plenty of friendly locals and quite a few creatures crawling about in the water. Several seasons ago we saw a large estuarine croc not 200 meters away from where Aisya was sitting.

We attempted to start off the new year right this year. The Friday prior we decided to go on a family fishing excursion to Kuala Baram. Aisya has been egging us to go ever since she got back from Kelantan. It's something that we used to do a lot of before busy work came into the picture.

We did some fishing together at the same location but that activity fell on the wayside after other more-pressing stuff took center stage. Mommy ensured at least this year it'll be different, good for her. All of us we looking forward to the one day out in the sun.

It was supposed to be an early breakfast, we thought it was early enough. By the the time we reached Pak Wan's, had breakfast, chit-chatted with Pak Wan, we didn't leave for Kuala Baram until it was almost 9:30am! Pak Wan always had lots of stories.

We persevered and ploughed on and reached the jetty just before 10am.

The jetty was packed with other fishos and regulars, the catch of the day seemed to be prawns rather than fish! We got the wrong bait and gear!

Aisya was most excited about the prospect of catching something, anything. Ali was more out of it, his body was there, his mind was elsewhere. He'd rather spend time at home on his laptop. Sitting, waiting patiently for a nibble was more suited to Aisya who clearly was having fun.

We didn't catch anything and used up less than a quarter of Mom's prawns as bait.

By 11am it hot too hot for all of us, we decided to head back with promises of a second attempt the next day. For prawns this time.

Aisya and Daddy made a second attempt on New Year's day the next day specifically with prawns on our minds. With the help of Ali, Aisya managed to dig up 20+ earthworms and was ready to be out of the house by 0700am.

Off we went father and daughter team to conquer the giant prawns of the mighty Batang Baram after a quick family breakfast of noodles and dim-sum.

It was a slow morning with lots of bait changes. The day didn't all go to nought , plenty of nibbles (maybe perhaps too many) and the sacrifice of 22 healthy earthworms later, we brough up JJ. JJ is a middle finger sized prawn (not quite what we expected) which got Aisya all a flutter.

Aisya took JJ home in a bucket, and he's now taken up residence in our large aquarium at home.

With school starting, the prospect of sitting around shooting the breeze with loved ones was probably the best start for the new year. This knowing fully well that there are time enough for other busy work that will almost always become a wedge between self and family, stealing precious years from crucial bonding moments.

We need a billboard at the Pujut Roundabout "Take time off, have you taken your kids fishing today?"