September has come around again, which means, it’s mom & dad’s birthday!

It’s the month where I annually surprise them with a trip back home – but wait a sec – If I return home every year for their birthday without fail, guess that’s not so much of a surprise anymore, eh?

Anyway. I booked a trip back a few days ago but guess what? I missed my flight.

Yep. Don’t ask why or how. Meh.

I began racking my brains on how to go back on such a short notice. I didn’t want to miss being home for mom & dad’s birthday for the world!

Being the Malaysia Day long weekend + school holidays, I can bet my bottom dollar that the highways will be full if I decide to get on a bus. Thankfully, buddyEdwin & his brother was scheduled to visit Penang the next day at 2am (to avoid the traffic I suppose?).

I immediately hopped on for a ride. Phew. At least I didn’t need to waste the flight back to KL. Thanks Ed!

Throughout the long journey, I was prepping this blog post for the birthday celebration – only to realize I haven’t shared the pictures FROM THEIR BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR!

Drats. Yes yes, just so you know, I have at least 2 years of backlog for this blog. Forgive me, time isn’t a luxury for me at all  🙁

Anyway, speaking of which, here’s what went down during their birthday in 2013!

 I took them to Flamingo Hotel in Batu Fehringgi for a Seafood Buffet.

Flanked by mom & dad. From this picture. I can safely guess what’s going on in your mind.

Yes, I am tall. I know.

But… believe me, being a tall Asian girl in an Asian country really sucks.

One day, if time permits a lengthy rant of a blog article, I will tell you why.

But that’s another story…

Back to the birthday last year. It’s us – and dearest kakak in tow!

The hospitality of the waiting staff was commendable, while the restaurant was large, brightly-lit and spacious.

Just one of our favorite meals at the seafood buffet spread!

Cheese-baked mussels and scallops.

 Daddy was a very happy boy that night.

Judging by the amount of prawns, crabs, and shrimps he took, I think I’m pretty sure he was. He also went back for seconds and thirds! Hurrah! Mission accomplished 😛

My beautiful parents – say hi to mom & dad!

 And of course, yours truly.

 The buffet spread was so extensive that they even had more choices at the patio by the swimming pool, which mostly consisted of barbequed choices and roasts.

 So glad kakak enjoyed herself too – she stuffed herself silly! Hahaha.

 Momsie and I always have room for dessert…

 Then again, don’t we all?

 Birthday cakes do count as dessert too! 😀 Happy birthday dearest mom & dad!

Big hugs! Love you to the moon and back mom!

After dinner, we decided to unbuckle our belts and unwind with a short stroll around the vicinity of the hotel.

The al-fresco and poolside area was looking pretty magnificent at night, so why not?

 All lit-up at night.

 The trio by the poolside bench.

Too fantastic a night-light scene not to take a selfie!

Can’t deny how serene and breathtaking the ambiance was.

Seeing that typical ‘official’ and rigid family photoshoots taken in studios with a wallpaper of meadows and bookshelves as the portrait background with results so overly contrasted and flawlessly airbrushed, isn’t my thing at all, I came up with a random idea.

It’s time for some fun, unofficial and an impromptu family photoshoot!

 Which reminds me, I actually want to get these printed,

blown up into an 8R and framed in my room.

 Take two!

One last shot for Instagram and for the road! That’s a wrap for le folk’s 2013 birthday celebration.

Thanks for sticking around with me during the long car ride. It’s fast-forward to the year 2014 now.

We’ve just arrived Penang. Did you forget that I was still on the North-South Highway heading back home? 😛

Dolled up for brunch for mom & dad’s birthday!

Needless to say, I didn’t have even a wink of sleep, but I didn’t want to fall into slumber upon arrival because the time taken for my snoozes could very well be used to spend time with le folks on this shortened trip.

And I know it’s gonna be worth it.

This year, mom, dad and I  went to our all-time favorite buffet place, Coffee Garden in Hotel Equatorial, Penang.

I don’t remember how many millions of photos we took here in our lifetime.

My family has  been regularly patronizing this place ever since I was a toddler, to a kid, to a teenager, and finally, to the young adult I am now.

Almost two decades have passed and we still love this place to bits.

  I’m genuinely amazed how the food standards are impressively maintained (if not better!) and even more so, how this place can remain this evergreen after all these years. Thumbs up!

Greeted to this upon entering the restaurant!

Here are some of the choices from the continental and local spread.

Didn’t manage to snap all of them as hey, tummies were a priority here.

See Kor Theng – a Chinese delicacy that I’m not to familiar with

The Hungarian Beef Goulash was fabulous!

Nasi Lemak table with lots and lots of condiments!

Yum yum!

Appease the oriental side in you.

More mouthwatering delights!

The sashimi & cold cut table – one of my favorite platters of the buffet!

Equatorial Hotel certainly has a breathtaking view of the residential bungalows, the condominiums in the near distance and of course, Bukit Jambul Country Club’s golf course.

Aerial shot of mom & dad’s selection.

More random choices!

Just HAD to snap this picture of mom & dad with the superb view behind them.

Hi! Mom & dad aren’t the only people enjoying the food. Hehe!

Satay tops my list!

Fruits! Fruits! Oh, glorious fruits!

You’re probably wondering… where’s the meat?

Well here it is! Tasty and succulent no doubt!

Happy tummy today! #cheatday

Here’s some more of my fave picks!

Can’t be more blessed to have parents like them. Also, I was really glad I made it back despite the circumstances.

We had a very intimate family lunch and shared lots of banter as well as deep-diving into serious discussions of life, love, politics and other general knowledge. Such a gathering between the three of us is indeed priceless!

Okay, dessert time. How can anyone not have space for desserts?

Ice Kacang!

Happy mama at the dessert table!

Oh my goodness, they serve New Zealand Natural ice cream. Love it!

Our favorite dessert of all – Bread & Butter Pudding!

No idea how they made it THIS IRRESISTIBLE!

*mental note to self: gotta attempt making this one day*

Family selfie to end the celebration!

Happy birthday again, mom & dad. May you both stay young at heart and brilliant in more ways than ever!

Hi lovelies! How was your weekend?

Mine was incredible, as you shall see in a bit!

But hey, let’s start from the beginning first, shall we?

First of all, if you’re reading this, you’ll probably realize that you are now looking at the brand new facelift of my blog. Yup, it was relaunched last week during my birthday month but we’re only at Phase One for now!

Credits go to my awesome sponsor, Haze Long of Virtual Misfits!

Will blog  more about this and share our journey towards the launch.

Gymtimes as usual

Shot before circuit training Tuesdays.

My usual post-workout meals (yeah I was told that I eat rabbit food LOL)

Oh and due to popular request, I remember I promised you peeps to make a gallery of all the healthy and clean meals that I often make once the new blog is up.

So I guess its time to fulfill that promise, eh? 🙂 Will be working on that soon!

Weekday midnight runs and chocolate/coffee times with my girls at Mukha Cafe, TTDI.

Ramadan month traffic jams! It took me more than an hour to get to 1 Utama via the LDP highway.

I forsee an equally, if not worse, traffic congestion on our roadtrip to Penang

this weekend due to the festive season of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

For those in the know, the past few weeks had been pretty arduous for me. It’s complicated.

In a nutshell, I was distraught and drained, both emotionally and mentally, due to a personal dilemma that left me especially confused, frustrated and troubled. For those following me on Twitter, sorry for the torrent of emotional tweets! 🙁

It didn’t help that I had so much work, blog notifications and so many emails to reply.

As it was already the beginning of the weekend, I decided to screw it all and not open any one of them.

It can wait. I need my break!

Which was precisely why I packed my bags and left for my favorite island up north – Penang.

Ergo, my weekend was a perfect respite from the exasperating times and everything I’ve been going through in the city. I needed that break and it helped me to re-evaluate life with a calmer mind.

And for that I thank you for everything, Marc.

Checking out the awesome view of the beach from the 6th floor!

Aug 2, 2013 | Hello from #Penang! ❤ by imthejessicat on Keek.com

Went to Flamingo Hotel’s poolside for an early morning swim.

Fancy yourself swimming to this mesmerizing view:

I know bliss when I see one 🙂

Swimming and chilling in the warm, bubbling jacuzzi over fantastic conversations on a weekend.  I could get used to that 😉

Candid shot on the deckchair while I was just about to take a dip in the pool

After swimming, Marc and I headed for some extreme sports. Yup, it’s time to bust out the adrenalin!

As terrified as I was of jet-skiing (no more terrified than I am of roller coasters!), I absolutely love the high-speed, plunging depths of either skyfalls or underwater madness as well as experiencing death-defying moments.

It’s an exhilarating rush, you know?

Except from the fact that I screamed and held my breath 50% of the time, I loved it.

A second time jet-skiing ever, it was no doubt, the ride of my life.

Having the luxury of owning a car, I realized that I have overlooked my surroundings and all the buzz around Penang – especially in Georgetown! It’s relatively easy to jump into your car and look at nothing but your destination.

But as Marc rented a scooter to get us around town easily, I had the wonderful chance of exposing myself to what I would deem the ‘real’ Penang.

Aug 3, 2013 | Scootering ’round #Georgetown, #Penang this #afternoon! Yeaaaaa boi. by imthejessicat on Keek.com

The strong wind blowing against my face, the weathered-walls of British architecture, the scorching rays warming me up (a stark contrast to the comfort of my air-conditioned car), the loud chattering of age-old men reminiscing their youth, watching a close-up of locals bargaining on the street markets and more. It was indeed all new to me.

Georgetown was a hive of energy and true camaraderie, between locals and tourists alike!

By one of the many comical trivia.

Since Georgetown was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage Site status, lots of interesting metal rod caricatures had been erected around town, bringing life to history via art.

I love how humour is injected in educating tourists (and locals!) on Penang’s rich history, community stories and culture.

We visited the Camera Museum along Lebuh Muntri.

It was a wonderful gallery of all vintage cameras, photography information, a store of all things camera-related and more Check out this adorable handmade crochet Instagram pouch!

Blog feature soon.

Look du jour.

Mythical creatures and religious icons dot the spacious compound of this 200-year old sacred enclave. Unafraid of the myriad of chimeras and chinthes guarding the temple grounds, here we are at the only Burmese Buddhist temple in Penang!

Dhammikarama Burmese Temple.

By the feet of the Reclining Buddha/Sleeping Buddha

at Wat Chayamangkalaram, a popular Thai Buddhist Temple.

We also headed to Air Hitam, where the Kek Lok Si a.k.a Goddess of Mercy Temple was housed atop a hill.

Aug 6, 2013 | Bringing a foreign buddy around Kek Lok Si temple, #Penang! #Malaysia #tourist by imthejessicat on Keek.com

Wishing ribbons hanging atop a Wish Tree in Kek Lok Si Temple.

Caught sight of an adorable statue of a pig.

I tried to replicate its expression – rather successfully, no?

Sunset on the horizon of Batu Ferringhi beach.

Had dinner at the beautifully lit Straits Quay by nightfall.

There’s so much more that we saw and so many places we headed to, but I’ll leave that for a full blog feature, aight?

Admittedly, I’ve never experienced Penang Island the way I just did.

I was born and bred on this very soil; practically knowing every nook and cranny this island has to offer. Such often breeds a sense of neglect and disregard after a couple of decades, eventually being unappreciative of Penang’s heritage and splendours.

After all, familiarity does breed contempt.

But this weekend, on the contrary, was highly opposed  from “going home”. This weekend, it was as though I had traversed to a different island; an island I embraced with open arms and a fresh panorama from my mind’s eye.

It was an actual holiday, for once.

So proud to be an island girl!

You’ll never know life like the way you know the ocean waves of home.

I left Penang with a heavy heart and twice the knowledge of my beloved island.

It is only when you show another around that you begin to see this little notion called ‘home’ from a completely different perspective. One of a traveller’s; armed with a ravenous thirst of the unknown and starving for the thrills of adventure.

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The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest, share my personal thoughts, and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places! Some photos were posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & my LIVE Blog. Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!