All Aboard...The Doulos!

It's our Sunday trip to the Doulos and with mom's new Matrix mpv! All the way to Port Klang for a nice morning visit on board the Doulos and followed by a seafood lunch at Kerry Island.




Dimsum on the go. This is what we do when we're late and need a light snack in the mornings. Nigel's favourite is 'Siew-Mai', it's just prawn and mince pork wrapped in wanton skin and steaming hot!




This photo didnt turn out at all. It was hazy and the weather is quite gloomy with a light drizzle. Had to show you the distance Popo had to walk - All the way about 100 metres from the main building to the dock. On the way there and back, we see people singing praises in groups and greeting the Doulos crew members from all over the world.

Mom's red blouse really brightens the day. Here's Nigel and my mom nearing the ship. Notice the stream of people boarding the ship. I did wonder if the ship will sink! It was really crowded inside.





A little info on the ship, for those who wonder what the Doulos is about.

Gute Bücher für Alle e.V. (Good Books for All)

Doulos was purchased in 1977 by Gute Bücher für Alle e.V. (Good Books for All), a private, non-profit, charitable organisation registered in Germany.

Over 18 million visitors have been welcomed on board for tours, programmes and visits to the floating book fair. With stops in over 500 ports of call, this unique ship has visited more than 100 countries in including Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and many island nations.

Doulos is recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest active ocean-going passenger ship.



My parents struggling to board the ship with Nigel on foot! It's really not your normal stairway, and with a 3 year old at haul, it can become dangerous.


























The day got brighter with anticipation. It was a long queue, that by the time we got on board, the sun came out!









Crew members of the Doulos lending a helping hand. Visitors on wheelchair were helped on board one-by-one. Bravo! God has given Doulos a mission and the simple mission is LOVE!









Popo and Kung-kung were ahead of us. They kept comparing the Doulos with one of those luxury cruises they went on recently. Of course, I kept telling them that this is a mission boat - not a cruise to nowhere.












That's my dad - Shooing me away! He doesn't like to be photographed. We didn't get any books, but dad got himself a 'kitab' - A Malay language version of the Bible.















Here's mom doing some shopping. It was so crowded and warm - we all left early. Maybe next time, we'll come on a weekday.










Nigel's sulking already. Couldn't get any soft serve ice-cream on board - too long a queue and it was getting really really hot in there!

We left for an early lunch and headed home. Thanks - Doulos for the experience. I think all of us will be planning to go on a nice cruise soon!

My first Swap Package Arrived!

All the way from Bosnia. Thank you Maria and her talented 10 year old, Andre, for the lovely gifts. Perfect blue parcels filled with handmade goodies, toys, sweets, clothings and yarn for Nigel and me! And I love the letters and the notes most. Oh! How I pray my parcel will get to her and give her the same joy she's given us. (God speed!!!).



Posing with the new vest Maria sent. He was doing a lot of funny faces and I could only get this angle right - avoiding the mess at the back, of course.







Look at all the goodies. She even makes her own greeting cards and tote bags. Nigel loves the toys and the stickers, he practically claimed half the contents of the package and the bag of toffee. "Mine? Mine, ah?...Yeah!!!." I'm sorry Andre, no sweets and candy in my package, I thought it was not a good idea to send food over - that is until now - So wait for the next package of goodies I've planned for you!

In Bread Pudding Heaven!

Hmmm..mmm, that's just the only way to describe this bread pudding with chocolate sauce. Where else can you get good stuff like this - made with love by 'Josie Bakes'!











Shhh! Nigel's asleep. Isn't he angelic. This is the only time you get to cuddle him. He hates sleep, so you'll never expect him to take afternoon naps. He's a light sleeper and a very active boy. This restless little soul thinks sleep robs him off daylight hours!

This three year old is slowly coping with school. There's a little crying, I think it's the separation anxiety in the early mornings. Apparently he stops after a minute and starts to sulk and pout on his chair. His favourite words to the teacher are, "I'm tired!". The teacher thinks he is intelligent and very matured and the rest of the kids in his class doesnt know how to respond to him (I guess so, his class consists of quite a number of mandarin speaking kids and I noticed half of them are still learning to hold a pencil properly. Hmmm, I realise home learning is really vital to building the right foundation - not even playschool can do that.) And his knowledge of dinosaurs and pentagonal shape naming can put any teacher to shame. One thing about Nigel that I think annoys the teachers is his reluctance to being touched. He does not like to be held by the hand, guided on the shoulder or a pat on the back - he'll give that awful famous scowl of his and mutter, "don't do that, or I will....be mad". When I heard it from the teacher, it was unmistakably NIGEL! Infact, I was so embarrassed when the principal told my mom (we go to the same church) that he even smacked the caregiver on the cheek when she tried to change his school uniform (apparently he puked). I think it's reflex, but still a very naughty thing to do. So much for school! We've been strategising on how his schooling will be better if we slept earlier (yeah right!), psyched him up (yeah right!), bribe him (yeah right! again) and even threaten him (yep, not a good idea - it causes tension in the whole class!). We are quite poofed! Aunty Dorcas - Now I know why your kids actually go to sleep in their uniform! I salute you. You deserve a 'Medal of Motherhood' for breastfeeding all 6 kids and bringing up all 6 brilliant kids! Cousins - you will only know parenthood when you have kids to call your own.

First Day of School

He's only three and I have to say this for the record. If there were no schools for three year olds, I would not have sent my poor little lambikin to school so soon. But because of the fear that he will not be able to catch up with the rest of the kids (who parents think that sending the child to school is better than leaving them at home with the maid!) has forced me to accept the fact that schooling must start now!

So poor Nigel. His first day of school wasn't that bad - but still not too fun for him. His class consists of 15 three year olds who are some having a hard time staying awake and some emotionally high strung kids. Yes, there are bullies, sulking monkeys and the lost little kid in a class of babies. The occasional crying fits started by one kid actually can cause a series of chain effects And the phrase "I want to go home!" is the class motto. I must say that Nigel has been a brave boy and I'm proud of him for being quite cooperative and seems to enjoy the class. Mind you, he's the only one in class who can name all the dinosaurs by their rightful scientific names. BRACHIOSAURUS! And his favourite Tyrannasaurus Rex! Not some long neck dinosaur or sharp teeth dino one.

Suspicious of the early morning wake-up call and the uniform, the new school bag and the school shoes. Here's Nigel braving the new school day.

I have been going to school with him for the past three days and I'm already up to my neck with whining three year olds. These little angels have got so much brilliant excuses, you sometimes wonder whether they even need school!












Ahhh. My time-out is a big bite out of this Butter sponge cake with banana cream filling from Aunty Josie. Kicks the blues away from work and school!








It's my part-time project. A Macrame bag with rug yarn. (I'm sure you wonder where I get the time!) Well, I can't stand idle hands so this project is ideal when you're waiting for a file to save, a page to load or when Nigel does his Poo-poo. I have it hanging on chair corners, door knobs and everytime I steal a free moment, I tie a knot! Maybe I should post the craft page here.