Dean's Family

Moving

2008-09-28T04:49:00.004+07:00

I will no longer use blogspot as my blogging plateform. I have moved to another plateform.

Do visit us at http://deansfam.wordpress.com

This blog ends here.

Cheers.

Ashley's latest drawing

2007-12-14T01:28:00.000+07:00

Here is Ashley's intepretation of daddy! I then asked her to write down her name on it. Not bad I guess,.... The only thing I worry is that daddy's got a Big Head and Thin Legs....!?

Guess Who?

2007-12-14T01:04:00.000+07:00

We came across this old pic in our photo album,.... Do you see the resemblance?

Shenzhen trip....continued

2007-12-13T23:56:00.000+07:00

Among the animals Ashley and Colleen saw at the zoo

(L) Feeding the Tigers

(R) Stinky Camels. Ashley's first reaction.

(L)Mellman the Giraffe

(R) The Panda. Too bad, a bit camera shy!

We also visited the Sea World in Shenzhen. Almost like Ancol, Jakarta (went there with Danica, Tabi, and Chloe during Harvest Festivals holidays). Here however, here we were allowed to pet the dolphins.

Posing with Dolphins. Colleen looking on with curiosity!

(L) Mommy with Colleen at the entrance

(R) Bubble girl with bubble dad!

The highlight of Shenzhen is the Window Of The World Theme Park. Here, it displays all the miniature form of popular landmarks around the world like The Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, Niagara Falls, Notre Dame,…. But somehow Petronas Twin Tower don’t have,…. Hehehehe! It also has a sky train going around the park so that you can have an arial view of he whole park.

(L) Mini Egypt

(R) "Niagara Falls"

(L) The Eiffel Tower

(R) View from top! Can see Hong Kong from here!

Of course when its time for Justin and Sydney to go back, papi and mami was a bit sad. But its okay,… they still have these two to entertain them,…..!

Shenzhen Trip

2007-10-30T00:11:00.000+07:00

Last Raya, we had a family reunion at Shenzhen. Dea, Qing, Justin, and Sydney flew in from Chicago to meet up with their Wai Kong and Wai Po! Qings parents lives in Shenzhen, so they were kind enough to take care of us while we are there,... you know lah, having a local is always helpful when you are in a foreign place.

(L) First meeting!

We stayed in Taizi Hotel, Shekou, west of Shenzhen. We can see Hong Kong from where we were, and it appears that we can take a car ride and drive to Hong Kong,... but unfrtunately,....not enough time. Papi & mami were content enough just to stay in Shenzhen and hang out with thier grandchildrens.

(L) Colleen, Justin, Ashley, & Sydney

(R) Papi & Mami with Wai Kong & Wai Po

Among the interesting places we visited was the Zoo. Ashley enjoyed feeding with the animals, Colleen somehow enjoyed the safari ride better. I used some of the Madagascar characters so that Ashley could relate the cartoon to the actual animals.

(L) Safari Ride

(R) Horse feeding. We wanted Colleen to feed the horses too, but she ate the carrot instead... hahaha!

To be continued....

Missing my girls

2007-09-22T23:51:00.000+07:00

For the past three weeks, I was in KK, and KL. I have to go out coz my tourist visa to Indonesia expired. So took the time to do some matters like passport and international drivers license etc.

At first, siok juga ada "Holiday", but all that time, i kept on thinking about Ashley and Colleen. Intan told me by phone that Ashley sometimes woke up and look for me,.... have to say that, all those time apart,... I miss my girls.

When I came,....I noticed Ashley kind of clingy towards me,... could be missing me, or just dont want to lose her daddy again.

The Flower Girl

2007-09-22T23:22:00.000+07:00

Early this month, Ashley was asked to become a flower girl for our friend Mila. She enjoyed being one since she like playing princess. Her partner in crime is a 5 year old girl named Jane. (unfortunately, I was in KL, so I couldn’t see her in action….tsk tsk). Sometimes I found myself amazed by how fast she grows. Today flower girl, then bridesmaid,…. After that the Bride herself,……ahem!! According to Intan, they did a good job. But, behind the scene, both of them played outside the church macam monyet! Hahahahah…

Jakarta Trip

2007-06-15T00:36:00.001+07:00

Okay,.. last month,...during Harvest Festival Holidays,... Tom & Didi decided to visit us in Jakarta for a week,... (Aawww,....how sweet!....actually they got free tickets from Air Asia bah!)

So being the kind host that Intan and I were,... we brought them jalan in Jakarta lah,... Places of interest that we went was Ancol,... (something like Sunway Theme Park).

In Ancol itself has a lot of diffrent places to go,... didnt get to go all of them,... but we did manage to go to the Aquarium (just like Aquaria KLCC), see the dolphins,... and also the 4D theater!

We also went to Bandung where we visited the famous "Factory Outlet". Here we let the kids play at the amusement park while the mommies and daddies go jalan-jalan,...hahahah! Ashley and her cousins Danica & Tabitha,... boleh tahan,... berani juga naik the Ferris Wheel!

And by the way,... Thanks Aunty Jenny for letting us stay at you place!

We took the train back to Jakarta by train,... Actually,... this was my first train ride too,... hahahaha. Well at least can get to experience it first hand with my family.

Its the girls who enjoyed the trip the most. Although its havoc having all five cousins together, but it was fun! They left a week later,... Ashley was sad at first,... but we managed to bribe her with some Barbie scoolbags,...hehehehe. Well,... cannot wait for the next holidays.

Colleen's 1 Year Old Celebration

2007-06-15T00:25:00.000+07:00

Time flies so fast. One blink, and then the next thing I know,....Colleen is already one year old.

Actually we celebrated her birthday is on 21st May,... tapi lambat post bah.

Now, I cant wait to see her running around and playing with Ashley.

FINALLY,...AN UPDATE IN ALMOST A YEAR

2007-03-27T00:11:00.000+07:00

I'm really sorry for not updating this blogs. I could give you a million reasons, but I wont......pls forgive me!

We are in Jakarta now. Our friend Vimi is here visiting us while she do some shopping.

In the mean time, here's the latest pics of Ashley and Colleen.

HOI,...UPDATE BAH!

2006-04-02T23:56:00.000+07:00

It has been a while since we update our blog. If say no time,... not entirely true juga. Just didnt get around to do update. Sorry ya.

Anyways,... as of today,.... Intan's tummy is BIG already.... (and may get Bigger dia bilang). As for Ashley,... she is at the stage where she must have a dose of Barney daily..... right now she got a good collection of Barney VCD's.

The packers will come tomorrow to box everything up to be ship back KK, so I reckon,... the house will be quite a mess. But on the flip side,... it will be nice to go back home juga.

Here's the latest pics from Ashley.

Hee hee,... amacam? Ashley looks like she got a hangover,...ka ka ka!

WE ARE EXPECTING OUR SECOND BABY!

2006-01-13T09:43:00.000+07:00

Okay Announcement! We are expecting our second baby! The doc estimated the due date to be 31st May,... ngam-ngam Kaamatan lagi tuh.

Anyways, we added a ticker so that we can follow the countdown to the day.

She's a girl!,..and we already chosen her a name,.... wait till she comes out and then finalize lah. Can't wait to see how's she going to look like. By then, there will be FIVE GIRLS in this picture,.... hahahahah!

Christmas Holiday

2006-01-10T01:49:00.000+07:00

Okay,...ini mungkin cerita last year,..but I want to blog about it juga coz its not easy for my family and Intan's family to get together. Especially with all family members are spread far apart.

Our year end vacation started at around 15th December,... My bro-in- law family flew in from US, Intan's parents and younger bro flew in from Indonesia, and we converged in Singapore. We spent around 5 days there, to relax, catch up,...and shop. Its pretty amazing because three families, from US, Indonesia, and Malaysia, meet up in Singapore for holiday. Not an easy feat considering getting all "required" documents done, like visa's, before getting together.

With Aunty Qing and cousin Justin.(left)

The three cousins,... Justin, Ashley, and Sydney.(right)

Sitting on Orchard Rd with Grandpa & Grandma.(left)

Dea, Intan, Denny, and the kids!.(right)

We even managed to meet up with oom Iwan, tante Yul, and Ika. Uncle Iwan (right)and aunty Yul were already in Singapore earlier, and Ika (left)came to accompany her parents. So it was a pleasant mini Indonesian gathering in Singapore.

In fact, there are other relatives coming to Singapore too for holidays, but unfortunately Intan and I couldn't meet them.

On 21st Dec, we flew back to KK, while Intan's family stayed on in Singapore, to meet up with the KK family! My mom, and sis Didi, fetched us from airport with their brand new Avanza (eisehmen!),...fitting juga lah,...habis banyak luggage kami bawa. She treated us to the newly opened drive-thru McD near UMS. We waited there for Tom to bring Danica & Tabitha, who are anxious to meet Ashley.

The next day. We left Ashley, along with her cousins, to experience life in Daycare. She adapted quickly. Sempat juga jumpa Jeffrey's son, Jordan in Daycare.

With Daycare principal, Aunty Mary. On the right, Jocelyn and Jordan.

Now, I have a new found respect for Daycare teachers. Can you imagine managing 30 kids at a time?!!!

After settling down,.. we had our anticipated Christmas Eve dinner prepared by my sis. Sedaaap. Very well done Didi!

Christmas Eve Dinner and exchanging of gifts.

Ashley got a Barney toy from Aunty Didi...

We continued our vacation by going to Kudat the day after Christmas for some fun and sun. I was excited too coz we get to go to the Tip of Borneo. Pretty amazing experience.

Posing at the Tip of Borneo. I cant help but be at awe.... cool man!

On the left, breakfast time at Kudat Marina. Very hard to get a still pic of all four girls together.

More swimming,.... under the careful eyes of our own "Baywatch" guard.

On the way back, we stopped at one of the Rungus Long House near Kota Marudu. I was very impressed by the enterprising orang kampung. Bought some interesting sourvenirs too.

After a fun filled trip, we went back KK and had some crabs for dinner.

For New Year eve, we went to Nagasaki restaurant for dinner, and went back home after that. We didn't do the dip into the sea ritual to "buang sial", although we had a few humorous stories of it. When we reached home, everyone was beat tired and slept. But Tom and I stayed up to see the Liverpool vs Bolton match on tele.

I think my sister, Pam, went to a countdown party with her friends, coz she wearing the dress & earrings that Intan picked for her for Christmas,...hahahahah! (Looks nice on you by the way)

We hurried back to Singapore via JB on 3rd January, just in time to spend a few more extra days with Intan's family. And then, we sent them back to their respective places.

So, after a hectic time, enjoying each other company, with the shouting and crying of the children, plus the minor sickness like flu that we infect each other.... everybody went back.
Now, as we sit at our JB home,.. we sorta missed the chaotic time we had. Ashley missed her cousins too. Anyway, its always nice to spend time with the family. If God willing, we can get to do this again for 2006.

Goodbye 2005,....Hello 2006

2006-01-10T00:38:00.000+07:00

Has been a while since I updated this blog. I'm sure everyone else is also busy towards year end. Anyways, I finally got a chance to sit down and blog.

Everytime, when I reach this point, I find myself asking whether what that I did this past year was right, what I decided was correct... or perhaps could I do it a little different and better. To be honest, I felt I did not give my best effort this year.

To sum up my 2005 in one word,.....COMPLACENT.

Its not something that I want to boast about. It happened and I cant do anything about it now. I did not get that sense of achivement yet. This is what I need to improve on this year.

On the other hand,...being a father along the way really helped. Yes, there may be times when Ashley is driving me mad, but that is insignificant compared to her being with me. Sometimes I still cant believe that I am a father. I think I still didn't potray the real father figure to her yet. Another area I need to improve.

There are time where I was being selfish. I am thankful that my long suffering Intan is still patient enough to put up with my antics. I definitely need to improve on being a better man to her.

Apart from that, I grateful for the good health God mercifully gave me.

So, the question is, ....What to look forward to for 2006?

I most certainly have to improve all the above. The bar was set pretty low last year,... I need to raise it this year. I just pray that God continue to protect and provide for my family, with another blessed addition in my household by mid 2006. THAT I definitely look forward to in 2006.

Oh ya,...there's another thing that I am looking forward to in 2006.......

Uncle Melvin

2005-12-02T23:29:00.000+07:00

Our college friend was in JB for transit yesterday! Unfortunately for him, his Air Asia flight was delayed till 11pm (...kasian!). So we took this chance to catch up with him!

Suprise! By June next year,... Melvin & Mona will be expecting their first child. So in the mean time,...practice dulu angkat baby with Ashley! (Bulih lah,..pass juga sikit-sikit)

Congratulations you two! So, since your baby will be born during World Cup, want to give a footballers name,.....ohh, I dont know, say for example... Maradona? (chuckles)

What happens at home when Daddy's out?

2005-12-02T22:03:00.000+07:00

Let me share with you a glimps of what goes on at home.

Getting online, sometimes chatting with aunts in Indo & KK.

And then,...when tired, a little exercise is good, (even our dog Tung-Tung joins in). Wah,...Sioknya!

CHRISTMAS!,....its just round the corner!

2005-11-29T14:27:00.000+07:00

In Singapore, Christmas is always celebrated with nice and elaborate decorations all over the island. We went there to catch the christmas atmosphere. This christmas tree outside Paragon is just one of many HUGE christmas trees along Orchard Rd to Tang Lin Rd.

And at night,...all the lights come out! Very nice. I just hoped Ashley was able to appreciate it the colorful decorations.

Inside Takashimaya, all the christmas decorations is on sale.

After seeing all that kan,...we suddenly want to celebrate christmas faster,...hehehehe,... looking foward to go back home christmas and celebrate with the family.

"I'll be home,...for christmas"

Yoga Baby

2005-11-29T14:10:00.000+07:00

Intan was doing some yoga exercise at home. And then Ashley pun decided to follow, both of them are doing the exercise in front of the TV..... Amazing how flexible si Ashley's body is, and how amazing Intan's body is,....hee hee hee!

As for me,...ada susah sikit lah,.....I cant even touch my toe.....kalau dulu duuuuulu,...masih boleh lagi!

Aquaria KLCC

2005-11-18T23:10:00.000+07:00

Went to KL last weekend coz I need to attend a meeting in my HQ.Intan and Ashley also came along to accompany me, and at the same time, jalan-jalan in KL. We checked out the newly opened KL Convention Centre, with its main attraction, The Aquaria.

I was really excited,..... coz I LOVE FISH!... and they taste good when cooked. Anyway,.. the entrance fee was a bit on the high side,...RM28 for adults and RM15 for children. Luckily, children below three have free admission.

We got to see a lot of species,..... ranging from fresh water fish, to salt water fish, crustaceans, and even reptiles.

Check out this vertical tank. It has a tree as its centre piece. Very creative.....

The highlight of Aquaria is definitely "The Tunnel". You can see all the fishes swimming over you. The Ray fish is beatiful, gliding slowly and majestically. Si Ashley pula try to reach and catch the fish...:)

Aquaria do not allow flash photography inside, but if videocam,... no problem. Next time I come here, I will make a point to pakai digicam. Here is a pic of everyone favorite fish,... The Shark!

Wo Tie!

2005-11-11T13:54:00.000+07:00

Today, Intan was so gracious to make something extra special for us,....Dumplings! (I love my wife...kiss!). Although we can find dumplings here in JB,... tapi not quite the same.

Reminded me of the time I had makan with some friends after movie in Sedco,... we wanted some dumplings.

Girl #1: Minum apa bos?
Dean: Oh,...mau order wo tie dulu,... bulih tulung panggil?
Girl #1: Tunggu ah,...........HOI! WO TIE!...SINI KAU!
Girl #2: Mau order Wo Tie ka bos?

Nama dia Wo Tie barangkali!...haahahhah

DI LARANG MASUK?....or

2005-11-11T13:10:00.000+07:00

Saw this at Giant last night,...couldnt help myself but laugh!

MALACCA....Malaysia Historical City part 3

2005-11-10T17:28:00.000+07:00

Okay, check this out. This is the Maritime Muzeum.

The ship has a lot of pictures and stories of war between the Bajau and the Portuguese, Portuguese and Dutch,..etc.
Inside is air conditioned. And before entering, we have to take our shoes off... so bolehlah tercium bau kaki orang. heheheh!

Here we are standing at the bow of the ship! Tingginya!

It was getting a bit crowded inside, so Ashley and I went out to check out the cannons.

Ashley trying to figure out how to open the treasure chest.

Next We visited Bukit Cina. This is the settlement of the entourage accompanying Princess Hang Li Poh, who was sent to be marry to the Sultan. Nothing much here, only the cemetary. But yang interesting is the Hang Li Poh Well. Imagine, last time, this place was full with China girls mandi-mandi! hee hee hee (grinning).

Hang Li Poh Well. It is said, if you drink from this well, you will surely come back to Melaka again. I tried to drink from it, but it was caged,... so minum mineral water lah...

A few days later, we met up with my old friend, Pritchard and his fiancee. Wanted to try the famous Melaka Chicken Ball Rice. Tapi, punyalah banyak orang.... tengok nie! Sampai di luar bah berbaris mau makan nasi ayam!

After around 45 minutes of waiting, we finally got a seat.

Pritchard and Viven.

Dean: "Bila lah kahwin chard?"

Pritchard: "Entah, next year barangkali"

Dean & Intan:"Bah :)!"

So there you go folks,... our DeepaRaya holiday in Malacca. Can say that this was a of the fun holiday for us.

MALACCA....Malaysia Historical City part 2

2005-11-08T17:25:00.000+07:00

okay,...sambung cerita

Christ Church and Stadthuys
We are standing in front of the Victoria clock tower and fountain. In the backgound lagi is the Stadthuys. Previously, the Dutch governor stayed there,... now its the Ethnography Muzuem. Has all the detailed accounts from Malacca sovereignity to Japanese occupation.

On the right is the Christ Church, with it's distinct red color. Trishaw rides hang around here to pick up potential customers. When asked how much the ride was, "rm12 saja.. ok tauke?" ....terpaksa decline politely. Some of d trishaw have stereo boombox fixed in it, occasionally you can hear Crazy Frog song!..hehehehe

Across the road, was the mini tulips garden and miniature wind mill, evidence of the Dutch influece. We wanted to show Ashley the flowers, but baby was KOed.. hehehehe!

No trip to Malacca is complete without eating the famouse "Cendol Melaka". We went to a small shop in Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat)... VERY NICE!,.. and cheap. Its only RM2.20 per bowl. Baby Ashley just woke up,... so not in the mood for cendol...heheheh!

So, after a whole day of sightseeing, eating, buying souvenirs, its time to go back hotel and relax. Of course being the princess, Ashley get to use the "Bath Tub" first,.... heheheheh.

We have more places to visit the follwing day,... so, to be continued.

MALACCA....Malaysia Historical City part 1

2005-11-07T16:38:00.000+07:00

Our holiday starts with the journey up to Malacca, so of course we prepared the essentials... baju, diapers, snacks... As for Ashley,..its her sunglasses.....(kinda hot konon) .. Then we checked in our hotel.

Our agenda was to cover as many tourist spots as possible.

Reading about it a lot of times, finally we get to stand at this monumental fort, the A`Famosa

Now, pop quiz! When did the Portuguese invade Malacca? If you answer 1511, you are correct. I needed the tourist brochure to help remember this little fact...hehehehehe

Malacca Sultanate Palace
The only Malay palace from Malacca's glorious past built with refined details. We have to take our shoes off though.

The A'Famosa is probably the landmark of Malacca. It is situated at the foot of St Paul Hill, and right next to the Malacca Sultanate Palace. All these historical place is right in the centre of Malacce town, and just 5 minutes away from Malacca biggest shopping centre, Mahkota Parade.

St Paul Church

Sexy archeologist checking out the Dutch tombstones

Originally built as a church by the Portuguese. Converted to burial ground by the Dutch. Used as a gunpowder storage place by the English. But in Ashley's eyes...a HUGE PLAYGROUND...:)

To be continued....

Sea of "Balls"

2005-10-10T23:31:00.000+07:00

We found a nice cake house near our place after dinner just now. It has a delicious Durian Mousse cake. Gilae... punya sedap. Sampai berebut bah with Intan and Ashley. The cake house ada playground for kids. So I guess,... the kids play while the parents eat...:) Anyway, we took Ashley into the "Ball" corner,... she "drown" herself in it, and enjoyed it everybit.

Looking for "Needle in Haystack"?

Using Spoon

2005-10-09T02:14:00.000+07:00

Last friday, marked another milestone for Ashley. She used the spoon all by herself. Which is a great relief for Intan and I, cause we can eat our food in peace when she is "occupied" . Check out the screen shots from Jusco.

mmmm,....sedap juga nie ice cream. This wasn't so hard.

Now let me try again............ MMMMMMMM!!

I'm getting the hang of it!!! Now let me try and feed mommy. Say AHHH...!

Sea Horse

2005-10-09T00:15:00.000+07:00

I just had another addition to my fish tank, a sea horse. I thought it will be "galloping" around my tank, but it prefers to stay still and act like a stick. Maybe some kind of camouflage.

Anyway, decided to blog it cause my sis, Pam, told me to get a sea horse. Here you go Pam!

Saturday at Danga Bay

2005-09-28T08:03:00.000+07:00

Saturdays is always a family day for us. Last Saturday we went to Danga bay to give Ashley a treat of her favorite ride, the merry go round!! Since the last time we brought her there, she always get so excited to see the rides everywhere. She will jump, stomp her feet, point at the rides, say... "Daddy Daddy Daddy!!!" and rush to the horsie! so terpaksa have to prepare coins everytime we go to the mall lor...ish ish ish...

Pirate of the Carribean

2005-09-27T12:40:00.000+07:00

We were playing with Ashley the other day. She loves to pull all of her shirts and of course mom's and dad's too from our cabinet. And whoalaa...she came out with this style!!! Poof!... "I think I got the needle on Daddy... oops.."

With Jenny and Epi

2005-09-20T14:25:00.000+07:00

This is actually an old photo taken on Ashley's birthday in Kudus last July. Lots of people request so i post lah.

Of Lanterns and MacDonalds

2005-09-18T23:07:00.000+07:00

Today, the drive through MacDonald in our housing area celebrated their first birthday and had a party at their compound. So we brought Ashley to meet Ronald MacDonald live in person. I thought Ronnie can only do mime, dance, and take out burgers from his pocket, but to my surprise, he spoke good english and terrible malay....hahaha. I was glad to see him too coz he was shorter than me...:)

Ashley checking out Ronnies eye brows! Did the clown just touched my wife's shoulder?

Than later in the evening, our neighbour had a mini lantern party. Its fun to see the children playing with the colorful lanterns. Some say lanterns are for wishes to come true, some say to "scare away" bad things. But for us, its just a nice time to hang out with neighbours kids and simply.....play lantern. Anyway, its always a great time for Intan to polish her mandarin and for Ashley to hang out with her "che-che" and "ko-ko". Check out the nice lanterns.

Lanterns galore behind Ashley and mum.

Shopping at Carrefour

2005-09-13T15:39:00.000+07:00

We went to Carrefour last night to give Ashley some outside time (she was bored at home). As you can see, she enjoys going out aka shopping like mom. She even rolled over the carpet for sale!

Check out her new Jammie...

Fever....

2005-09-07T03:23:00.000+07:00

Intan and I brought Ashley to the doctor for her scheduled Chicken Pox jab. Tapi lepas tu,... eisehmen,.... she has a lil bit of fever,....okey not little,...but pretty high to make me anxious.

Luckily, her appetite for snacking is not lacking. Mau juga makan pretzels.

We tried the thingy that attached to the forehead to reduce the fever. But after a minute or two,.. she will pull it out and give it to me. So I tried it on,....kinda cool man,.... no really,... its cold, and gives a surprisingly comforting and soothing feeling.

Its about 4.30am now. Woke up bcoz Ashley mau nenen. So, couldnt sleep so I do a bit of update loh. Will bring her to see the doc again in the morning.

2005-09-05T19:33:00.000+07:00

Serious,.....konon!

2005-09-05T19:31:00.000+07:00

Makan chips,...

2005-09-05T19:30:00.001+07:00

At Sugar Bun Tanjung Aru (April 05)... Chloe masih dalam perut Didi.

2005-09-05T19:30:00.000+07:00

With Opa and Oma in the Safari (Aug 16, 05)

2005-09-05T19:29:00.000+07:00

I'm gonna catch you......

2005-09-05T19:28:00.000+07:00

Ashley's One Year Birthday Party in Kudus (29 July 2005)

2005-09-05T19:27:00.000+07:00

6 Months (notice belum ada gigi lagi,....)

2005-09-05T19:26:00.000+07:00

Cheeky Monkey

2005-09-05T19:25:00.000+07:00

Night Safari in Singapore Zoo (Aug 05)