Lydia's Journey to America: 2012

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Photos: Ice Cream Motorcycle, Batu Pahat

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Here comes the ice cream motorcycle!

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The ice cream vendor opens his cooler to get the ice cream that SiowFong and Fei Ling selected for Lydia.

Note: Both of these pictures were taken on January 8, 2011 just outside Ma Wee's home in Batu Pahat, Malaysia.

Photos: Restoran Sy

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Family picture

(left to right: sitting): Ma Wee, Isabel Wee (on Sook Lee's lap), Sook Lee Wee, Lydia (on Say Sang's lap), Say Sang Wee, MayNah Wee

(left to right: standing): Fei Ling Yap, Lin Li Yap, Fei Ching Yap, Tom, and SiowFong

Photo note: Taking the group picture before the meal is served is preferable since the table is clean, neat, and orderly.

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Appetizer plate

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Steamed pomfret with tofu, tomatoes, and scallions

Note: The Chinese in Malaysia like steaming fish using tofu, tomatoes, and scallions in addition to using the traditional ginger and scallions.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 8, 2011 at Restoran Sy in Batu Pahat, Malaysia.

Photos: Fei Ling Helping Lydia Color

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Fei Ling Yap, one of Lydia's many cousins on the Wee side of the family, carefully helps Lydia to color a drawing.

Note: We traveled from Malacca (MayNah's home) to Batu Pahat today to Ma Wee's home.

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Lydia concentrates as she draws while Fei Ling observes.

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"Artists' Hands"

Lydia's right hand is holding the red crayon while her left hand holds the paper while Fei Ling's right hand is holding the blue crayon.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 8, 2011 at Ma Wee's home in Batu Pahat, Malaysia.

Photos: January 7, 2011: Downtown Malacca

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Fei Ling Yap (one of SiowFong's nieces), Lydia, and Tom

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Sign for Durian Cendol

Note: Durian is the name of a smelly plant that many Malaysians love. Cendol is a desser drink made with a variety of ingredients. "The dessert's basic ingredients consist of coconut milk, a worm-like jelly made from rice flour with green food coloring (usually derived from the pandan leaf), shaved ice and palm sugar. Next to these basic recipe, other ingredients such as red beans, glutinous rice, grass jelly, creamed corn, might also be included." (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cendol)

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Baskets of durian fruit

Note: "The durian ( /ˈdjʊriən/)[2] is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family[1][3] (although some taxonomists place Durio in a distinct family, Durionaceae[1]). Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.

The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks. The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.

The durian, native to Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines and Malaysia, has been known to the Western world for about 600 years." (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian)

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Downtown Malacca is a popular tourist destination, particularly for Western visitors. Bicycle-modified rickshaws are prevalent to give tours.

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Lydia, Fei Ling, and SiowFong are resting outside a restaurant after we ate lunch there.

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Store that exclusively sells Chinese New Year's paraphernalia

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 7, 2011 using SiowFong's digital point and shoot, Canon G11 camera. SiowFong took all the pictures except for IMG_5495.

Photos: January 7, 2011: Malacca Zoo

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Family picture at zoo entrance

(left to right): Tom, Lin Li Yap, SiowFong, Fei Ling Yap, and Lydia

Note: Lin Li and Fei Ling always give us, particularly Lydia, the royal treatment when we stay with them in Malacca. Although both had seen the Malacca Zoo a number of times, they were enthusiastic about showing it to Lydia.

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Macaw

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Lydia, Fei Ling, Lin Li, and SiowFong are leisurely walking on a path at the zoo. Because today is a weekday, the number of zoo visitors is minimal, so we did not have to contend with any crowds.

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Water buffalo

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Tiger

Note: As Tiger is Lydia's favorite animal, we made sure that during our tour of the zoo, we saw them.

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Family picture

Lin Li, Lydia (smiling as she loved this experience), Fei Ling, and Tom

Photographer; SiowFong

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Fei Ling, Lydia, and Lin Li are standing outside the tiger viewpoint.

Photographer: SiowFong

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Fei Ling, Lydia, and Tom

Photographer: SiowFong

Note: All of these pictures were taken during the morning of January 7, 2011 when we visited the Malacca Zoo.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Photos: New Jusco

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Lydia and Isabel Wee, her niece, are enjoying the play area inside the department store.

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Satays galore

"Note: Satay ( /ˈsæteɪ/, /ˈsɑːteɪ/ sah-tay), or sate, is a dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce.[1] Satay may consist of diced or sliced chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork, fish, other meats, or tofu; the more authentic version uses skewers from the midrib of the coconut palm frond, although bamboo skewers are often used. These are grilled or barbecued over a wood or charcoal fire, then served with various spicy seasonings.

Satay originated[citation needed] in Java, Indonesia. Satay is available almost anywhere in Indonesia, where it has become a national dish.[2] It is also popular in many other Southeast Asian countries, such as: Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, and the southern Philippines, and also in the Netherlands, as Indonesia is a former Dutch colony.

Satay is a very popular delicacy in Indonesia; Indonesia's diverse ethnic groups' culinary arts (see Indonesian cuisine) have produced a wide variety of satays. In Indonesia, satay can be obtained from a travelling satay vendor, from a street-side tent-restaurant, in an upper-class restaurant, or during traditional celebration feasts. In Malaysia, satay is a popular dish—especially during celebrations—and can be found throughout the country.

Close analogues are yakitori from Japan, shish kebab from Turkey, shashlik from Caucasus, chuanr from China, and sosatie from South Africa. It is listed at number 14 on World's 50 most delicious foods readers' poll complied by CNN Go in 2011.[3]" (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satay)

Note: SiowFong took both of these pictures at the new Jusco department store in Malacca, Malaysia.

Photos: Lydia Helps Lin Li Wash His Car

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Lydia wipes Lin Li's car with a damp cloth.

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Lin Li Yap and Lydia are cleaning Lin Li's car.

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Lydia raises the wet cloth from the pail of detergent and water.

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Lydia waits as Lin Li washes his hands with the hose.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 6, 2011 in front of the Yap home in Malacca, Malaysia.

Photos: Lydia and Isabel Playing Bubbles

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Lydia is preparing her small bubble wand while Lin Li Yap, one of her cousins, observes.

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Lydia and Isabel Wee are blowing bubbles in the carport while Sook Li Wee chaperones them.

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Lydia and Isabel blow bubbles through the gate of the carport.

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 6, 2011 at the home of Yap, MayNah Wee, Fei Ling Yap, and Fei Ching Yap.

Photos: Lunch at Bei Zhan Restaurant

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Lydia is standing beside the large Christmas tree in the restaurant.

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Family photo

(first row, seated, left to right): Lydia, Fei Ling Yap, Ma Wee, Say Sang Wee, Sook Li Wee (holding her granddaughter, Isabel Wee)

(second row, standing, left to right): Tom, Lin Li Yap, SiowFong, Fei Ching Yap, May Nah Wee

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 6, 2011 at the

Bei Zhan Restaurant in Malacca, Malaysia.

Photos: January 6, 2011: Nilai Memorial

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Pa Wee's final resting place

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Ma Wee is standing beside her late husband's

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Lydia is pulling Fei Ling Yap, one of her cousins, as they walk on the sidewalk.

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Isabel Wee (one of Lydia's nieces), Fei Ling, and Lydia

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Family Picture

(first row, left to right): Fei Ling Yap, Lydia

(second row, left to right): Tom, Lin Li Yap, Fei Ching Yap, Isabel Wee, Say Sang Wee, Ma Wee, SiowFong, MayNah Wee, Sook Li Wee

Note: All of these pictures were taken on January 6, 2011 at the Nilai Memorial Park near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Photos: Westin Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

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Front entrance of the hotel

Note: This picture was taken on January 5, 2011 at the Westin Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Photos: Dinner at Greenview Restaurant

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Family picture before dinner

(first row, left to right): Choo Wee, Ma Wee, SiowFong, Lydia

(second row, left to right): Tom, Jason Wee, and Sam Wee

Photographer: One of the restaurant's servers

Note: After a busy day of touring Kuala Lumpur, we ate dinner at one of the Wee's favorite restaurants near the home of Bernard, Choo, Sam, Chris, and Jason in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.