Zara made herself right at home at Ping's, playing with Shirleen's (Ping's niece, who's about the same age as Zara) toys, or anything she could get her hands on. Shirleen was clinging to Daddy most of the time, I never knew he was such a child magnet as normally kids are afraid of him because of his height (King's Wife's kids called him Big Uncle up till today).
Ping's parents cook very well. They made us nasi lemak for dinner and home made cendol for dessert (yummy!); and for Zara, her mum made her fish porridge which Zara ate the whole big bowl, and saying 'GHG' (her 'good') all the time.
Clockwise: Delicious home-made nasi lemak; Zara having her fish porridge; Daddy the child magnet (Shirleen refused to get down from his lap); two toddlers trying to read.
After dinner, we went back to the hotel with Ping. The hotel was like an ice box, freezing cold! Daddy gave Zara a quick shower and changed her to pajamas, then we went down to the coffee house to have hot tea to keep ourselves warm (should have brought along my winter jacket and ski mask!). 
Zara had a great time playing with the things on the table. She was so excited and busy. Daddy helped to look after her, brought her for walks so that Ping and I were left alone and we could talk.
When it was Zara's bed time, we sent Ping back home, and then took a car ride just so Zara can fall asleep in the car as I thought she would be too excited to sleep in the hotel room.
On Tuesday, we picked Ping up and went to Malacca town to have brunch, followed by some shopping. It was a good time to be in Malacca, because the town was quiet (traffic was good), and there were lots of Chinese New Year goodies for sale. We bought some biscuits and jam tarts although Ping's mum have already given me quite a lot of home made cookies to bring home.
We then sent Ping home as she needed to help her mum with cookie making, picked up more goodies from her mum like star fruits and bananas grown in their relative's back garden. We went back to town for late lunch and then headed back to KL.
Malacca is still a very pleasant place to go to, food is good, and relatively cheap, and there's still lots of home made goodies to enjoy. We really don't mind visiting Ping back in her home town yearly when she comes back.
Ping brought back quite a lot of prezzies for me and Zara, but one of the nicest is this handmade (I'm a sucker for any thing handmade or home cooked) Brazilian necklace by one of her Brazilian friend. Very nice. Have to find an occasion to wear it.
It can be difficult to put a child to sleep in a new place. A car ride would work for my boys too...
ReplyDeleteMy boys would eat better in people's house, or if fed by others (anybody but me and daddy). Is it the same for you too?
Or may be Zara found the porridge really nice. Wish Champion could finish his meals, at least once!
The photographs are very well taken. I like those sepia tone pix. Very nostagic feel!
ReplyDeleteThe nasi lemak looks yummy..makes me hungry..haha..and that's a very unique necklace:)
ReplyDeleteDaddy is so nice, helped to look after Zara so that you can have some quite time with your friend:)
Welcome to Melaka! Shall we meet up in your next Melaka trip?
ReplyDeletehaaa...the sepia photos looks like my sister's childhood photos.
ReplyDeleteLove the necklace/pendant, so lovely, I am sucker for all these too. :P
May be Melaccans cook better so she wallop the whole porridge.
The nasi lemak sure looks good! Wow! Home-made chendol for dessert some more, lucky you. Zara got nice porridge to eat too! What a wonderful trip :)
ReplyDeleteso did you ask for the fish porridge recipe? share leh, if got.
ReplyDeleteyup malacca is really fun and the food is fabulous too!
ReplyDeleteHas Daddy been playing with sepia tones on his camera? So befitting for Malacca - retro and classic. The pix of Zara and Shirleen looks like an old picture, and I thought it was you and Ping of olden days. Hmmm... nice.
ReplyDeleteGeetha,
ReplyDeleteYeah, car ride normally get them to sleep better.
As for feeding, I think Zara is the sort who'll eat only if the food is good.. tried feeding her MIL's porridge in MIL's plc, she just spit them out. :P
Sesame,
haha, my husband's favourite way of taking photos.
Blurblur,
Yeah, daddy was nice FOR ONCE. :P
Jesslyn,
You based in Tangkak or Malacca one?
Allyfeel,
You so arty tarty sure likes those handmade stuff..
Yeah loh.. Malaccan really can cook very well, and they don't mind taking the trouble to grind ingredient from scratch.
Two Little Fellas,
For now, 1 toddler still easy to be happening. :P
KY,
Come to good food, sure very happy if we can get any, esp if it's home cooked hor?
Maria,
She said she boil the porridge, then when porridge is cooked, put in the mah-yao (kurau) fillet and the bone (just the big one in the centre), boiled until fish is cooked, put in some soya sauce that's it woh.
So I'm going to try, I always cook porridge using pork or chic stock, will try just using fish and see if she likes.
Rani,
Yeah.. Malacca is a nice place to get fat!
Mother Superior,
Hubby's favourite.. he likes to take almost all photos in sepia. I like it to be coloured, then if you decide to use the software to chg to sepia you still can.
Yummy nasi lemak, one of my favourite food. Didn't try chicken rice in Malacca? I miss the food there.
ReplyDeleteBTW, has Zara's been putting on weight lately? She seems to be more chubby in the recent photos.
That's a really groovy bracelet!
ReplyDeleteThe last time I went to Malacca was ten years ago...
that's a really nice necklace. it's like a charm necklace.
ReplyDeletenearly dinner time here, and it's nasi lemak I see!!! Well, I see the other pics too, but somehow that nasi lemak pic seems .. so much sharper!
ReplyDeleteYOur hubby looks very at home with kids!! lol Is it bcos of your trainning or is it genetic? :-P
ReplyDeleteTalking about food, I remember a fren taking me to a place which sell chicken rice rolled into a ball. It was good!! I cannot recall where is the shop already... Hopefully, I'll get to savour the chicken rice again......
Glad Zara & you are having such a swell time!! lol
Glad to hear that you had a good time..! and Zara too..!! i love malacca too.. everyone is so nice there.. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my! The nasi lemak looks so yummy. It puts mine to shame. The sambal looks so good too.
ReplyDeleteI love going to Malacca too. My last visit was more than 10 years ago.
That Brazilian necklace is awesome ... i think some of the guy in Brazil wears that as well
ReplyDeletedidn't pop by and ask jason to belanja you makan?
ReplyDeleteIf you stay at the Riviera, their cakes and pastries go at half price after 8pm. Real good spread.
ReplyDeleteany Melakans here can recommend nice nyonya restaurants that are not too pricey?
Thats all? No food pictures?
ReplyDeleteCocka Doodle - Bibik Neo Nyonya Restaurant not bad. My favourite. It is at Malacca Raya.
hmm yummy nasi lemak. nice necklace. i like it very much.
ReplyDeletecockadoodle: is that so ... aiya! i was there last month .. didn't know .. wasted. :)
Thanks Jason, will keep Bibik Neo in mind the next time I visit.
ReplyDeleteTwin...yes, the pastries & cakes are baked fresh daily, so they have to lelong whatever's left at half price at night.
The italian restaurant which is tucked in the far end of the hotel facing the sea serves very good food too.
ZMM are you salivating yet?
The appropriate occassion to wear that beautiful Brazilian necklace would be the Rio Festival! Goes very well with flamingo feathers and a pair of thongs! LOL
ok there is one 'Big' occasion coming up next month ---> blogger gathering. then u can wear that nice necklace to show all of us :D
ReplyDeleteIvan falls asleep easily in the car too :) that's why sometimes when he's just about to doze off I'd prefer to ride a few more rounds around the block before stopping home
ReplyDelete