Felicia in Malaysia
May 11th, 2011:
Guest Post by Felicia:
While Rob and I have been traipsing all over the world in the past few years, the last time I went on a vacation with my family was way back in 2005.
So on this return trip back to Singapore, my Mom suggested that herself, my brother and I take a short family getaway to the neighboring country of Malaysia. Prior to planning the trip, she had sheepishly and apologetically asked Rob if it were OK if he sat this one out: and obviously the man had quite the adventure on his own.
It was certainly quite strange to be traveling without Rob (he is absolutely the best travel buddy ever!), but I enjoyed having the opportunity to catch up with my Mom and brother.
Overall, it was a whirlwind trip with one plane ride and 3 long-distance bus rides, to see 3 cities in 6 days. Here’s a small selection of images because I unfortunately wasn’t comfortable enough to have the camera with me all the time, especially in some parts of the big city , and at night. Ah, I miss the benefits of having my big redhead bodyguard with me…
We started off the trip with an hour-plus propeller plane ride Ipoh, where we stayed for less than 24 hours: a stopover primarily just to try a beansprouts and chicken dish. Thankfully the food didn’t disappoint!
I spotted this reserved parking spot outside of a bridal photography studio in Ipoh. It says “Bride’s Parking”. How cool is that?!
We spent the next 2 days in the Cameron Highlands, where my mother was thrilled to enjoy the cooler temperatures (about 64F at night) and admire the beautiful blooms that thrive in the climate. She has quite the green thumb – pity she doesn’t have much gardening space in land-scarce Singapore, save for a few potted plants outside her apartment.
It has been a difficult year for us all after my father’s passing, and it brought me great relief and joy just to see her laugh and smile, even if just for a fleeting moment.
My Mom with my brother, who turns a ripe old 21 this Saturday! Happy Birthday, Nick!
Apparently the climate in the Highlands make for good tea. We visited a tea plantation that boasted 600 acres of tea plants, stretching as far as the eye can see.
The last 2 days of our trip was spent in Kuala Lumpur (“KL”), the capital of Malaysia, which I wasn’t exceedingly excited about since it was a large sprawling urban center much like Singapore. Turns out, what I lack in photographic evidence, I made up for in calories when I was in KL. Security concerns aside, I would probably have had my hands free to take more pictures if I weren’t constantly shoveling food into my face!
Guess who needs to go on a diet again?
Facebook Comments:
feli, re parking lot, do u realised that u’ve captured a slice of Malaysian Mandarin? lovely pictures!
Yes KJJ! I think it’s because they mostly speak Cantonese in Ipoh, thus this variation when written in Chinese?
Felicia- it was funny to see the photos on this post because if it hadn’t been stamped “Guest Post” and written in a 3rd person by you, I would have assumed these shots were taken by Rob! lol Amazing how you two are so in tuned with each other that it’s even hard to tell who’s photos are who’s!
Nice work and you should guest post more often (hint hint Rob!).