Dear children & grandchildren
When we grow old we hope that you will take care of us just like the way we care for our mother, Madam Khoo Siew Tuan.
She is in her late 70s and she is my mother (Ruth writing).
At first I did not understand why she did not want to stay with anyone of us, did not like to be house bound, did not like to be bed-ridden, did not like to be in a wheelchair and takes her vitamins diligently.
I did not understand her daily schedule of waking up early, sleeping early, going to her favourite coffee shop for her morning coffee ( a glass of hot kopi O with a glass of water), eating 'beh' or oats, eating simple meals or also her preference of taking a bus to town to walk around, drink her coffee, chit chat with friends and then taking a bus back. A simple chore of paying bills in town is a break to her monotony and something to be looked forward to.
I also did not understand why she wanted her independence and has set ways of doing things. Neither did I understand her home remedies to cure colds, fevers and like sicknesses. I normally do not follow any of them or go to the medicine shop to buy the various herbs she recommended me to buy for general health (being a modern person who believes in modern medicine).
However things became clear to me when I watched the show "Carnation".
This Japanese show about 2 generations of fashion designers in Japan really touched a chord in me. The 3 girls, Yoko, Naoko and Satoko became top designers in Tokyo and London but the mother refused to give up working at an old age. Even when she broke her leg and suffered from ill-health she continued designing clothes and even launched her own line of clothes!
This true story really touched me because I saw that the mother behaved just like my own mother. When the 2 eldest girls asked her to go to Tokyo to stay with them she refused and call them her "enemy"!
When they offered their brand names to launch her clothes line, she refused preferring to use her own name instead. When they asked her to retire, she refused flat-out. She forced herself out of bed and called her daughter in Tokyo to remove the hospital bed from her house!
She insisted in carrying on her business, meeting her customers like she used to do and even scolded the young people who worked under her!
Finally she got her way and at an age when people should be retiring and taking things easy she continued designing, making clothes and teaching the young men that worked with her the ropes of her trade.
Even her rebellious granddaughter Rika changed from a girl who only wore jerseys and got into fights to a lovely obedient girl. Rika was touched by the guts of her grandmother and her stubbornness to let others to do things for her. In a way, Rika saw herself in her grandmother as wearing jerseys day in, day out was a sign of rebellion.
In Itoko Ohara's words "I am just too busy to die"!
When my mum had her fall last 2 days, suffered a blood clot in the brain and had to have stitches to her skull to stop the bleeding, I am thinking that my mother's spirit is like the spirit of Itoko Ohara. Finally I understood why my mother behaved the way she did. Itoko refused to have a sick bed in her house or to move around in a wheel chair opting to risk falling down rather than be pushed around! Every morning Itoko would go through a set routine of talking to those who had gone before her, talked to the pictures of those who had died, eating her meals in front of the TV, speaking to her 2 faithful employees, speaking to her clients and barking orders to her employees.
I rushed back to Penang when I heard the news. Grandma said she fell when boarding a bus. Witnesses said she was hit and grazed by a hit and run. She fell and suffered a knock on her head. The bleeding could not stop.
I decided to stay with my mother in the hospital as I felt that it was what the Lord Jesus wanted me to do.
I prayed for my mother throughout the night as it was most difficult to sleep in the hospital deck chair.
I offered my younger sis to pay for my mother's medical fees and then to claim it from my other siblings. She said to me "Good luck to you". Somehow I knew what she meant. One of my siblings will make comments about the hospital charges. Some will say that they do not have the money. Some might not even pay at all. This was from a previous experience I had when 'collecting' money from them for a previous hospital stay.
I want to thank God for showing me that its not just enough to pray for my mother but I must love my mother with my actions and my words. Going to Penang at short notice is an action of love, speaking to her and praying for her is my words of love.
I was encouraged when my mum lifted up her hands and said "Hallelujah" after I prayed for her.
I had to rush back the following day as I had things to do that day but I promised my younger sis who is giving grandma loads of love and care to keep in touch and to come back soon to see her.
Younger sis says we have to work out a solution otherwise she will keep falling down and the next fall could be more fatal than this.
I hope that you will not abandon me and your father when we are old. We do not like to depend on people but there will be times when we will need your help. Will you be there to help us?
Love
Ruth & Tim (parents & one day will be grandparents)
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Night Jungle & fire show
Night Jungle
If your vision is not so good its best to give this a miss.
Most of the time I found myself doing eye exercises like squinting into the glass enclosures and second guessing where the animals were hiding. The tapir was visible because of its size but it was sleeping when we saw it. The skunks on the other hand were having a great night foraging for food and releasing their smell, the armadillo, hedgehogs, porcupines, squirrels, racoons and other marsupials were busy trying either to eat, sleep or hide from us.
Anyway all I can say is that the selection of animals in the night jungle is really great although it does take time to stare into the glass enclosure before one can start detecting shapes or movements among the rocks, trees and shrubs in the animal enclosures.
Fire show
The fire-show was something else. 5 young men from Australia or some foreign country gave us a stunning performance of fire-blowing and fire-eating (a very dangerous act).
Blowing fire from their mouths was just as easy to them as blowing air or blowing bubbles!
Most amazing was this young men who ate fire! He would wipe his mouth each time he put the fire torch into his mouth as though he relished and enjoyed the taste.
In order to make the fire bigger all the fire blowers would drink kerosene and then put the fire torches into their mouth before blowing out fire.
I knew it was kerosene because each time they drank from a bamboo tube some of it spilled onto the ground and I went forward to just see what it was....it smelt like kerosene.
This is a very dangerous act and must have taken many years to master. Surely not for a novices but for skilled masters of the act....
If your vision is not so good its best to give this a miss.
Most of the time I found myself doing eye exercises like squinting into the glass enclosures and second guessing where the animals were hiding. The tapir was visible because of its size but it was sleeping when we saw it. The skunks on the other hand were having a great night foraging for food and releasing their smell, the armadillo, hedgehogs, porcupines, squirrels, racoons and other marsupials were busy trying either to eat, sleep or hide from us.
Anyway all I can say is that the selection of animals in the night jungle is really great although it does take time to stare into the glass enclosure before one can start detecting shapes or movements among the rocks, trees and shrubs in the animal enclosures.
Fire show
The fire-show was something else. 5 young men from Australia or some foreign country gave us a stunning performance of fire-blowing and fire-eating (a very dangerous act).
Blowing fire from their mouths was just as easy to them as blowing air or blowing bubbles!
Most amazing was this young men who ate fire! He would wipe his mouth each time he put the fire torch into his mouth as though he relished and enjoyed the taste.
In order to make the fire bigger all the fire blowers would drink kerosene and then put the fire torches into their mouth before blowing out fire.
I knew it was kerosene because each time they drank from a bamboo tube some of it spilled onto the ground and I went forward to just see what it was....it smelt like kerosene.
This is a very dangerous act and must have taken many years to master. Surely not for a novices but for skilled masters of the act....
Simba and the meerkat
Well it was worth it to pay RM38 for the Savannah, the white lion in the glass enclosure, the night jungle, the animal show and the fire show, all of which were housed within a huge building before the start of the Savannah.
One cannot walk through the Savannah as the animals are wild animals but the animals in the huge building at the entrance of the Safari Park were placed in cages or enclosures for public viewing the petting.
The white lion named Simba was taken out of his natural habitat and placed for public viewing in a glass enclosure. He had a nonchalant look about him but he was really magnificent-looking. Like I said he does remind me of Aslan in Narnia.
The restaurant is just side by side with his enclosure. For RM48 you could buy yourself a buffet dinner and 'dine' with the lion.....
Animal show
What do you call a bird who can count, add, multiply and identify pictures? Well this beautiful blue bird could do all the sums given to him. Even more amazing was it was the audience who gave him the sums to do not his keepers!
The meerkat was another popular animal with the young men. They spent a relatively long time stroking her and playing with her. Yes, the meerkat was like a half cat half tiger but really domesticated and kind of lazy. When Tim tried to hold her for photos she rebelled so these photos were taken only after patiently 'coaxing' her to pose for us.....
Simba is my favorite animal in the Safari Park, the meerkat is the children's favorite....
One cannot walk through the Savannah as the animals are wild animals but the animals in the huge building at the entrance of the Safari Park were placed in cages or enclosures for public viewing the petting.
The white lion named Simba was taken out of his natural habitat and placed for public viewing in a glass enclosure. He had a nonchalant look about him but he was really magnificent-looking. Like I said he does remind me of Aslan in Narnia.
The restaurant is just side by side with his enclosure. For RM48 you could buy yourself a buffet dinner and 'dine' with the lion.....
 |
| Simba |
What do you call a bird who can count, add, multiply and identify pictures? Well this beautiful blue bird could do all the sums given to him. Even more amazing was it was the audience who gave him the sums to do not his keepers!
The meerkat was another popular animal with the young men. They spent a relatively long time stroking her and playing with her. Yes, the meerkat was like a half cat half tiger but really domesticated and kind of lazy. When Tim tried to hold her for photos she rebelled so these photos were taken only after patiently 'coaxing' her to pose for us.....
 |
| Meerkat |
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| "This is better than my hamsters back home....." |
Wild Savannah
We dilly dallied about whether or not to go for the Safari Park but decided that we had to as it was touted to be the largest in Malaysia. When completed the Park will be largest in Asia.
The Park is actually half completed with the desert landscape and bear mountain yet to be completed. Also certain animals were not yet brought from the Boeing 747 which apparently transported them from Africa.
Not sure whether our guide was joking with us when he told us about the 'imported' animals but I will remember him as he said that his name was Nasa (the US space agency).
He gave us a tour of the African and the Asian animals at the Park. I think there must have been 3 Sections of the Park that were ready although certain enclosures had no animals such as the hippopotamus enclosure.
I liked the African Savannah best as I could see elands, topis and wildebeasts, antelopes, zebras close up. I could also see the infant giraffe which were as tall as trees (adult giraffes grow even taller).
Sitting in the safety of a safari designed tram with closed windows we had an ostrich pecking at the window, 2 tigers resting in the evening breeze with one of them taking his evening dip. We also saw a herd of buffaloes enjoying themselves up to their necks in the mud. They must be taking their beauty mud bath!
Most of the animals were still young probably just recently imported from Africa. According to Nasa, we need to come back next year to see the bears and the desert animals. Right now he asked us to imagine the animals being there in their enclosures....!
A tip - to go to the Safari make sure you go there in the evening. Animals like to come out and play in the cool of the evening.....
The Park is actually half completed with the desert landscape and bear mountain yet to be completed. Also certain animals were not yet brought from the Boeing 747 which apparently transported them from Africa.
Not sure whether our guide was joking with us when he told us about the 'imported' animals but I will remember him as he said that his name was Nasa (the US space agency).
He gave us a tour of the African and the Asian animals at the Park. I think there must have been 3 Sections of the Park that were ready although certain enclosures had no animals such as the hippopotamus enclosure.
I liked the African Savannah best as I could see elands, topis and wildebeasts, antelopes, zebras close up. I could also see the infant giraffe which were as tall as trees (adult giraffes grow even taller).
Sitting in the safety of a safari designed tram with closed windows we had an ostrich pecking at the window, 2 tigers resting in the evening breeze with one of them taking his evening dip. We also saw a herd of buffaloes enjoying themselves up to their necks in the mud. They must be taking their beauty mud bath!
Most of the animals were still young probably just recently imported from Africa. According to Nasa, we need to come back next year to see the bears and the desert animals. Right now he asked us to imagine the animals being there in their enclosures....!
A tip - to go to the Safari make sure you go there in the evening. Animals like to come out and play in the cool of the evening.....
Water Park
BGRC in its brochures claims to have the best water park in Malaysia.
Well for our children who has gone to Australia, no other water park in the world can rival the the huge and 'dangerous' water rides of the Wet & Wild in the Gold Coast.
Which is true, although the water park in Bukit Gambang is not too bad by Malaysian standards.
The only complaint I had was we had to pay to rent the towel, pay to rent the locker and pay to rent the double giant floats for the lazy river.
We arrived to a very crowded water park on a Saturday morning. The wave pool was packed, the lazy river was 'bumper to bumper' (or float to float). People were everywhere!
You had to edge in somewhere or you will miss out.
Me....I chickened out showing off my swimsuit because nobody was wearing a swimsuit! All the ladies were in t-shirts, shorts, long pants, long sleeve shirts and some even in their day clothes! I just lugged the camera around trying to find an empty cabana (which also had to be rented)!
Fancy being in a water park and not being in the water....
Anyway the water park is rather compact but the racer slides were very popular with the 2 young men who came with us for the holiday. All in they must have raced down on their tummies lying flat on a blue rectangular mat more than 5 times! Watching them I can understand the thrill of the race.
Tim took the double float and slept while cruising the lazy river! Can't imagine him with his rather protruding tummy being bumped by others floating around on similar floats.
It wasn't fun for me because I could not get into the water due to my designated role as "jaga camera" (camera keeper) or rather my self-imposed shyness in getting into the water with my one piece swimsuit.
My husband said that everyone will flee if I were to go in like that....(sob sob)! Worse still I could be asked to leave for 'indecent' exposure. I will be
smarter next time to bring extra t-shirts for water parks. If you can't beat them, join them!
Well for our children who has gone to Australia, no other water park in the world can rival the the huge and 'dangerous' water rides of the Wet & Wild in the Gold Coast.
Which is true, although the water park in Bukit Gambang is not too bad by Malaysian standards.
The only complaint I had was we had to pay to rent the towel, pay to rent the locker and pay to rent the double giant floats for the lazy river.
We arrived to a very crowded water park on a Saturday morning. The wave pool was packed, the lazy river was 'bumper to bumper' (or float to float). People were everywhere!
You had to edge in somewhere or you will miss out.
Me....I chickened out showing off my swimsuit because nobody was wearing a swimsuit! All the ladies were in t-shirts, shorts, long pants, long sleeve shirts and some even in their day clothes! I just lugged the camera around trying to find an empty cabana (which also had to be rented)!
Fancy being in a water park and not being in the water....
Anyway the water park is rather compact but the racer slides were very popular with the 2 young men who came with us for the holiday. All in they must have raced down on their tummies lying flat on a blue rectangular mat more than 5 times! Watching them I can understand the thrill of the race.
Tim took the double float and slept while cruising the lazy river! Can't imagine him with his rather protruding tummy being bumped by others floating around on similar floats.
It wasn't fun for me because I could not get into the water due to my designated role as "jaga camera" (camera keeper) or rather my self-imposed shyness in getting into the water with my one piece swimsuit.
My husband said that everyone will flee if I were to go in like that....(sob sob)! Worse still I could be asked to leave for 'indecent' exposure. I will be
The white lion
Perhaps one of the majestic animals on the planet must be the lion.
Perhaps one of the most beautiful of all lions must be the white lion. The white lion at Bukit Gambang Resort City has a flowing mane and is the size of a Myvi (no kidding). Standing high on a man-made rock the king of the animals beheld us from behind a huge glass enclosure.
Not exactly white but of a golden brown hue, the lion that graced the dinners held at the Simba Dining Hall was really a beautiful creature.
I was reminded of Aslan in Narnia just looking at him rearing his head. I could watch him all day! What a beautiful creation of God....
Diners can actually choose to dine with the white lion (not eaten by him but eating with him)! Yes....while he is watching you eat meat behind his comfortable glass enclosure you can admire his graceful and powerful moves as you eat!
The price of the buffet dinner is rather pricey at RM48. So we opted for the Egyptian restaurant at the Foreign Village and spent about the same amount for a dinner for 4!
Groupon special offer of Bukit Gambang Resort City is really a deal. Built in less than a year the Arabian Resort at BGRC was where we stayed for the 3 day 2 night holiday.
It was a 2-room apartment for 4 people. We reached there rather late in the evening and opted for a Chinese set meal at Oriental Oasis. At RM120 for 4 people the meal was reasonably priced and delicious.
While the young men went off to play snooker the older folks retired early....
More on BGRC....
Perhaps one of the most beautiful of all lions must be the white lion. The white lion at Bukit Gambang Resort City has a flowing mane and is the size of a Myvi (no kidding). Standing high on a man-made rock the king of the animals beheld us from behind a huge glass enclosure.
Not exactly white but of a golden brown hue, the lion that graced the dinners held at the Simba Dining Hall was really a beautiful creature.
I was reminded of Aslan in Narnia just looking at him rearing his head. I could watch him all day! What a beautiful creation of God....
Diners can actually choose to dine with the white lion (not eaten by him but eating with him)! Yes....while he is watching you eat meat behind his comfortable glass enclosure you can admire his graceful and powerful moves as you eat!
The price of the buffet dinner is rather pricey at RM48. So we opted for the Egyptian restaurant at the Foreign Village and spent about the same amount for a dinner for 4!
Groupon special offer of Bukit Gambang Resort City is really a deal. Built in less than a year the Arabian Resort at BGRC was where we stayed for the 3 day 2 night holiday.
It was a 2-room apartment for 4 people. We reached there rather late in the evening and opted for a Chinese set meal at Oriental Oasis. At RM120 for 4 people the meal was reasonably priced and delicious.
While the young men went off to play snooker the older folks retired early....
More on BGRC....
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| Oriental Oasis set dinner - fish, golden coin taufoo, choy sam, prawns and szechuan soup |
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