Super peak period 4 - 8 Dec 2007

Due to LIMA 2007, we strongly advise anybody to plan the trip carefully. Do not try your luck by coming to Langkawi during that time without any reserved accommodation as far as we know, there is no room available anywhere here. Cars and vans have been rented out for sleeping vehicles as well.

If you really want challenge the lady luck and experience walking miles with your backpack with no hope, please do try come with early flight or ferry otherwise you will stuck in the island. Last ferry will be at 7 pm while last flight is before midnight.

I doubt the municipal will allow anybody to sleep on the beach or roadside with sleeping bags or tents as it is international event and that kind of sight usually is unacceptable here.

And the answer for anybody that may ask : NO, we do not have room from 5 to 8 Dec.

Good luck!

Update for October

Had a big problem to connect to blogger.com for few days. Anyway, simple update... Zack celebrated his Raya in KL. Posted pic of his family - all in traditional Melayu or Malay clothes. For the men, it is called baju Melayu or Malay wardrobe and for the women, baju kurung. If you have nothing to do, check in google the translation of "kurung" in English, you'll be so amused!

Rooms are full as usual. We have Thomas from Germany and Goh Su Wang & co last week. The Malacca's students had bbq here on their last night and I must give thumbs up that they were some of the few Malaysian youngsters that are polite and well-mannered. No but or despite of. Yes, they even cleaned up after one of them got sick after too much wine! Lol.

Few girls were here as well. Karin and 2 other swedishes, Helen, Nicole and Jenn.
John King from UK, Nicholas from UK, Muaiad from Iraq and Arun from UK also were here for few days.

Now, we still have Vegar and his family from Norway, Mozani from Germany, Peter from Germany, Heidi and her partner from Sweden and Amanda and Lisa from Sweden as well. Joe Hans from Switzerland. Lorenzo and 3 boys from Italy. Sally and her partner from UK.

Karim will leave us tomorrow to stay in other place as we do not have enough room.

Another day for Bandit

We decided to give another chance for Bandit as he gave a fight when the vet came last night. Suddenly despite his weak legs, he managed to go downstairs and ran outside. Put him on drips for a while and gave him a massage and he started to eat solid food as well. A trooper as he always is.
Although his rashes are still rather bad but he is quite active now and shows appetite to eat as well. So, yeah, we put this "sleeping" idea on hold until another attack.

Jody left to KL to start his journey to take train from Vietnam to England. Elliot left as well to Thailand and Mikami left to Singapore as well.

We have new batches of guests today. A group of international teachers in KL. Rob, Chaterine and her friend, Mark, Justin, Lin and her 2 other friends. Another one is Allison from USA teaching a home school from her house in PJ. Iraj from Sri Lanka joined the crowd.

Gopi, Karim and his daughters and Jenny and her partner are still here.

Zack is going to KL tomorrow to celebrate Idl' Fitri - a Moslem celebration of finishing fasting month - with his children.

Bandit

Bandit is getting sicker. His spirit that always keeps him alive until today despite all the sicknesses he has - is very low now. He hardly can't move anymore. His legs are too weak to support his body and he spends all the times in his bed. I has to drip water to his mouth as he cannot bend down to drink nor eat anymore. The only thing he can do is mere lifting his head. He does not even wag his tail at all.

It is sad and we consider to put him to sleep. Big decision as it will be holiday tomorrow and the vet services will be closed as well hence we need to make the decision today or wait until after holiday - Tuesday. Zack can't bear to see him in misery anymore neither do I but I just need a little hope that he can survive like many times before. I want to wait for a hint of wellness but in the same time I do not even know whether I help him or make him suffer by waiting for too long to put him down while I can.

The guilt of keeping JD in her pains for so long is still become my burden and now, Bandit.... I just need him to tell me what I should do now.

Preparation for Raya

Many things happened in a week.

Busy as usual. Edie left to KL with a heavy heart. What a man! I wish when I reach that age I still can cycle daily to Kuala Teriang daily! Gemma was back to Shanghai to teach again. Yoann and Damien left to Krabi as well.

We had some Asian guests surprisingly. Yugo Honda and his partner from Japan. Tran from Vietnam, See Kian Shim from KL and Mikami from Japan. Jody is still here. Her passport and visas arrived yesterday and hence she can plan her trip - train from Vietnam to London! Karim and his daughters are still here. And Gopi as well.

Elliot and his partner from USA arrived yesterday and will spend 2 nights with us while Peter and his partner has been with us since the 6. Nicholas from Sweden with his partner is going to stay until 12.

Raya celebration is coming. We are busy preparing the rendang as Zack is going to go to KL to spend this holiday with his children and grandchildren there and he wants to bring the beef rendang and chicken rendang for them. OK, of course beside all the sinful ciggies and buzz.

Meanwhile, we are in sombre feeling as well as Bandit is sick and getting sicker by days.

The curse of duty free island

We have Karim's daughters here, Bethan from UK, Kate from Australia, Gemma from UK/China and Kelly from Canada/Korea plus of course Jody and Ashleigh making total of 8 girls in our place. The boys only Damien and Yoann from French, Eddie (73 y o) from UK/Australia, Charles from USA/Korea. And of course Karim.

Activity? Drinking. Get drunk. Watch TV. Burn yourself under the sun. Here is the pic of Yoann this morning.

Chris left yesterday. With a big rush! We tried to wake him up thrice as the flight was 1350hrs. He only managed to drag himself to Zack's car at 1315hrs! Lucky they still opened the gate. Pic here is the warming up drinking session on his last night. From left : Damien, Eddy, Chris, Yoann and Zack.

Cindy Li and her husband and her mom and his mom left today. Richard and Laura left to Singapore as well today.

Post hiatus

Took 2 weeks holiday back to my hometown. Zack took care the guest house by himself. A minor incident when Bandit and Kacang wandered around to Oasis and scared the staff there. Bonton picked them up and called Zack after that. Kacang refused to jump into the car and hence he followed the car from Bonton to the house!

Anyway, Zack was sick as well after that until yesterday. Six days no alcohol and just practically in bed. Big deal for him as he has never been sick until that state. But he is back to normal today and work as usual this afternoon. His favorite job ever : cutting grass.

It is Ramadhan this month. And again, God shows His sense of humor. The humidity and the warm weather are definitely a killer. I hardly can breath being back from my hometown @ 15 C. Good thing is food bazaar is open again.

The house is busy - despite the low season hit in Langkawi. Most of the rooms are occupied and we are blessed that we have the returnees. Chris from Switzerland, Jody from Canada slash Korea, and Dawn from England. Karim will be back tomorrow with his two daughters.
Beside them we have Gopinath from KL on working trip here since 22, 73-y-o-Edward from England from Saturday and will be here until October 6, Ashley from UK slash Korea, Richard from Scotland and his Laura, and Yoann and Damien from French.
We had Jussi from Findland for few days and the group of Ruchir and Agrawal from Nepal/Indian as well. Thibault even slept in the unfinished room in our new site!
Not so bad.

Pic: in blue sitting : Dawn, Ashleigh *yellow, Jussi and partner.
Pic : in dining table : Jody, Chris, Laura, Richard and Thibault

The sad note is that despite our rooms are full, I do not have any maid anymore. Well, good to shed off the kilos I gained home.