Back from the East

Thousand apologies to our dear readers for not updating this blog site *shame*

The past week has been a rather busy one for me (and I think for Anne as well!). In fact, it was pretty bad that I didn't get to clock into work for one week! *faints*

My grandpa passed away last Monday, so I took 3 days of compassionate leave. *sigh* He was the only grandpa whom I know & the only grandparent whom I am closest to. Now that he has left for a much better place, I find myself slacking in life & searching for the true meaning of life on earth. How could I live a fulfiling life on earth....?

After the funeral (Thursday), I actually left for the East Coast i.e. Kuantan in the evening. It was my initial plan to go there on Thursday morning, but I had to change my ticket to a later time...yeah, I went ahead with the initial plan although I am in the mourning period. My Kuantan family do not have any taboos/pantang about it & they're actually a great source of comfort to me. It's just that I will still shed a tear or two when I start to think of my grandpa, especially in the week where Easter is celebrated by Christians all over the world.

Being back in Kuantan means a few things dear to me:

1. Family
2. Friends
3. Food
4. Fun - beach & kids

My first meal was dinner with my Tan family at Pantai Restaurant. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this place before, but this restaurant is one of the best Chinese restaurants found in Kuantan. Situated in Air Putih, this restaurant is hard to be missed as its signboard is large & there are many regular patrons flowing in & out of the restaurant for a delicious, affordable, & fast-service meal. The most famous dish there is the 'Assam Steam Fish'. *drools*

I basically slept half of my Day2 there...hahaha...I lacked sleep especially after all the wake services & funeral arrangements. That night, we had Pizza Hut, so there's nothing spectacular about it. I had my dose of Nasi Dagang for breakfast on my 3rd day there. I spent almost the entire Day 3 with the Ng family in Kuantan, my 2nd family there.

I joined the Tans for dinner at Alor Akar Seafood Restaurant , yet another famous Chinese restaurant. This restaurant is famous for their house-noodles ('jiu pai min'), Begger Chicken, Lala, & the list goes on... if you're around the Jalan Kubang Buaya area, do try this place out ;) Yeah, it's not in Alor Akar, but Kubang Buaya...strange, isn't it? Iwas confused when I found a restaurant with the same name having their own website, but I'm not sure if it's a different restaurant *sigh* That one is also called Alor Akar Seafood Restaurant, but at off Jalan Beserah :S So confusing. After researching a 'lil more thoroughly, I found out that it is the same restaurant we're talking about, & Jalan Kubang Buaya IS off Jalan Beserah *Malaysian road names....ergh*

I didn't get to walk on the beach this time around :( All I had was a glimpse of the sea & its gushing waves on Sunday morning. We celebrated Easter Sunday beside the beach, at the car park area, where we had Sunrise Service (starts at 6.30am). In Kuantan, they have a combined churches Sunrise Service, where all churches in Kuantan will gather as one & have a time of worship, songs, sharing, at Taman Gelora. It's actually a very interesting experience & so far, I have been attending Sunrise Service in Kuantan for the past 3 years! :)

I had to leave Kuantan for KL on Sunday afternoon :( So much for the food & fun. I guess I had a great time there with the family & friends :) I look forward to my next visit there...in June...for a friend's wedding! More food, adventure, & friendship stories will be brought to you soon!! Stay tuned ;)

p/s: I didn't take any photos as my camera was loaned to a friend for her trip to Hong Kong

- Ruth