Preparing For the Coming Eid

I normally bought cookies for the Eid.  This year Zoey insisted on baking our own cookies.  I remembered when I was small, always helping my mother (with my sister) baking all kinds of cookies for the Eid and it was fun.  So, I guess I'd let Zoey experience and enjoy the fun too.

 The first cookie is the Dahlia Cookie.  So I asked her to cut some cherries.  Since I only had the green ones, they'd do just fine.

 Then I taught her to press the dough.  After a few attempts she gave up and I had to finish everything!

 Her job then was to sprinkle some chocolate rice - because the green cherries were not beautiful.

Done and baked!

 The next day we baked some Cornflakes Cookies.  She diligently helped me, again.

Watching the Barbie Playhouse video on youtube.  This time she stayed until the end.  Good job Zoey!

After that we decided to prepare some Maruku - as requested by Papa.

A simple but time-consuming favourite.  I started around 10am and finished by 4.00pm.  My right arm still hurts today from 6 hours of rolling and cutting the thinly-rolled dough into strips like these.

Oh ya! Zoey decided to not help after about 2 hours into it. Hahaha....

The burnt oil that was used for frying.  I forgot to switch off the burner while rolling and cutting the next batch.  So, I had to wait for it to cool off before using new oil. *Sigh!*

While I was preparing the Maruku, Nina made these Chocolate Chips Cookies.  They taste like the ones sold by Famous Amos!

After about a week now, the cornflake cookies and the chocolate chip cookies are down by half.  So today, after work, I have to make some new ones to bring back to Maktok and Tokwan.  It's quite a fun feat baking them with the girls.  Asha didn't join us because she's busy polishing her guitar skill.

We'll do this again next year.  Eid Mubarak to all.  We'll go back to Kedah tomorrow night.  Mami informed that they're preparing the house.  Yay!  Pak Chaq also agreed to a BBQ on Sunday. Another Yay!

Chendor Beach

We passed this stretch every time we go to Terengganu but we always missed the turn because it looked like an alley going into a village.  Since we're driving slowly this time around, we didn't miss this.  However, I was not really into going there at first but relented since Papa said it's just for the fun of finding anything new.

The beach was actually filled with a handful of people - not on the beach itself but under the shades of the trees.  Most were relaxing and eating at mobile hawkers like the one in this picture.

She's fast!  She couldn't help it every time she sees  the sea.

As she was approaching the water, she started to slow down a bit. Taking her time and checking my facial expression - to go or not to go.

As I didn't say anything, she slowly stepped into the water.

Getting excited but I had to remind her that we didn't bring any extra clothes.

The water was shallow and clear.

 A wide expanse of beach.  At the foothill on the left sits the famous Club Med.

Many beach-goers were under the trees but you can't see them here.

Another view of the beach.

The view from the sea.  The beach sloped down towards the sea so we couldn't see anything or anyone up there.  It's also dangerous if parents let little children wander off to the sea without guidance.

I couldn't stand the heat.  So she had to follow me back towards the shades with pouting lips.

Purposely walking slowly, taking her time and enjoying the sands.

 Her next venture - a nearby tree.

Happily relaxing on the trunk.

We were enjoying some fish satay and keropok lekor in front of the tree trunk.

Overall, the Chendor Beach was beautiful.  During the pre-monsoon season, the sea is a bit rough, but not too dangerous.  It's a haven for surfers.

*Image taken from google - for more info, visit here

We'll definitely go there again for a picnic - and maybe a bit towards the late afternoon when the sun is not too hot.  

Dating Night at Burger Bakar Boss

Papa and I went out on a date without actually planning it.  We took Tareeq out because he hasn't bought anything in preparation for the coming Eid.  The town was busy!  We couldn't park the car near any shopping malls.  So we left Tareeq at the mall and decided to wait for him somewhere.  After managing to get away from the traffic jam, we found this place.

A small cafe with only 2 patrons inside - the main reason we decided to enter.

The first thing I saw after stepping in was this door.  I loved it!  I had a feeling that this was going to be one quirky cafe.

While Papa was ordering at the counter (self-service), I ventured the corners.  There were only two people manning the cafe.

There were many post-it notes on the wall.   The notes were written by the customers about the cafe.  There were also some photos, also of the customers enjoying food there.  Again, I loved it!

Loads of comments!

The cafe's logo.

The cafe's logo behind the counter with 'grilled hamburger' written in many languages and shaped into the cafe's logo.

This was Beef Burger.  The bun was black in colour. 

Review: Too garlicky for me. The meat was okay.  The dressing and sauces were also okay.  The bun did not have a distinct taste that can set it apart from other normal buns - other than the colour.  The overall presentation was okay.

Coffee.

Review: I loved it! (Who doesn't?)

I would recommend this cafe to friends.  While eating, other people started coming.  We may come back again.  It'd be nice if the lighting was a bit dimmer.  It'd give the cafe a sense of mystique.  It's too bright like any other mamak restaurants.  Oh ya! The price was also reasonable.

That's how we ended having a date that night.  Then we took Tareeq home.  He didn't buy anything because everything was expensive.  It's good that he acknowledged it.  So, he decided to go somewhere cheaper the next day.

And yup! It was one quirky cafe and I loved it.

Re-Visiting The Turtles In Cherating

This was 2 weeks before the fasting month of this year started.  We decided to visit places near the seaside before hibernating at home.  The fasting month is not the time for me and Papa to venture outside.  We're always tired after work and the weekends are always for relaxing at home.

Stopping for lunch before finding the places to visit.

So this time we decided to venture up north.  Since we didn't have any particular place to go, we decided to just stop at the first place encountered on our way.  And that place was the Turtle Sanctuary of Pahang.  We've been here before but this time around we got to enter the hatching ground!

An old house converted into an exhibition hall.  There's no entrance fee but visitors were encouraged to donate any amount and I put in RM10 into the box.

  Visitors were greeted by this large picture of a turtle.

Some corals on display.

There were a whole lot of other things on display but since we've been here before, there's no need to snap the same pictures over and over again.

After a tour inside, we went outside to watch the turtles (again!).

 There were a few small pools outside housing different types of turtles and fresh water turtles.

These hatchlings were not set free to the sea.  Maybe the authority wanted people especially little children to enjoy them.

 This was at the second pool housing the fresh water turtles.  Of course one had to endure the smell. It's not that bad, really. I just have an aversion towards the smell of animals including cats. They gag me.  So, I wouldn't speak and tried to hold my breath for as long as I could. Ya! I know! I'm vain!

Then somebody asked whether we (us and other tourists) wanted to venture to the sands outside where they have the hatchery.  And we're not gonna miss that!

The day was hot so there's a lot of heat on the sand but we're not allowed to wear our shoes there for reasons unknown.

 The area where they kept the turtle eggs was fenced.  We could only take pictures from outside.  The eggs were gathered and kept together in the sand based on dates.

Some eggshells.

Listening intently to the explanation given by a freelance guide.  He was trying to get us (everybody in the picture) to go and watch the turtles laying eggs at night (between March - August).  Anyway, we got a lot of firsthand information from him. Since Papa had another engagement that night, we decided to go after the fasting month.  So we just took his phone number.

Meanwhile, nearby....

I'd love to have one of this cool swings.

And Papa was teaching and helping Zoey to climb the rope.

Managed to hang there for a few seconds.

And finally succeeded!

A yatch in front of Club Med - off-limit to the locals and non-patrons.

Shelters along the seaside and still within the compound.  For now the beach is off-limit as the state government is upgrading and beautifying the site.

A small entrance behind Nina leading to the hatchery.

On our way out, we saw a large glass cupboard.

We'll definitely contact the tour guide to go and watch the turtles laying eggs after the eid.