JE's birthday - Part3

The next day, on to the makan place she selected which was Haidilao hotpot. Come to think of it now, very 'adult' choices of first tiramisu and then a hotpot.  The younger JE would have picked, oh, a cartoon cake and fast food.

Our first time at Haidilao, which isn't the type of place you just walk in as and when you like.  First I sourced out the online queue.  You can't book until the queue has opened.  I didn't want it too early (you only have 30mins before you table is given up) or too late (our family isn't good at waiting) so I got into line just before we left the house.  It was early and we got a table while still on the way there.  No worries, we arrived before the 30mins were up.  The famed manicure services are no longer available - I can't imagine being in queue long enough for that to happen anyway!  

We walked straight in and had a friendly waitress who explained how things work.  So there's a flat charge of RM8 per person for free-flow sauces and appetisers.  Our waitress didn't charge for the kids.  The sauce bar had many ingredients which was great as JE LOVES messing around with sauces.  And having the apron to wear was fun as well.

Mix this mix that

Soups aren't free.  It's about RM15 per quarter-pot and almost 4 times that for a full pot.  We chose tomato, 3-treasure and szechuan (this turned out to be mala and very spicy).  We inadvertently stumbled upon a good combo as the 'water' option (the fourth quarter-pot for us) is free.  For future visits, to be frugal 2 soups and 2 waters would be sufficient.  

Let's test out the taste

Sometimes request hubby to take photos or I wouldn't ever be in

Everything tasted good!  Appetisers were mala peanuts and king mushroom slices which were yummy.  We barely touched the szechuan soup but it was actually flavourful and fragrant so I imagine it would have a fan base.  Over-ordered as I didn't factor in the free-flow appetisers and ice-cream.  

If it's your birthday, they will come and sing you a cheerful song and deliver a piece of cake. 

Free cake

Overall loved the 'fun' factor - the sauces, the noodle performance (if you order noodles, you can request it with or without the dance!)  Grabbed some junk food packs and ice-cream (it was the stick type selling for RM2) before we left.  A solid thumbs up!

Oh for future reference, it cost us over R50 a head.  Hubby and the kids are very small eaters though so this needs to be scaled up for normal eaters.

JE's birthday - Part2

The following weekend was the celebrations!  The plan was to go out for lunch on Sunday.  On Saturday, our maid cooked a special meal on her own initiative.   I had expected a normal dinner so was pleasantly surprised.

Roast meats and vegetables, shell-out style prawns

Good dinner and then it was CAKE time!  JE finally got the tiramisu one.  She had been eyeing it previously but figured that SE wouldn't like the coffee taste.  Now SE is bigger and not as opposed to coffee.  

With my fav toys

And Yaya 

(which is what she calls SE)

And Papa and Mummy

The cake tasted good but it had too much cream compared to cake.  JE liked it though.

JE's Birthday 2023

JE is now 13, officially a teenager already!  Her birthday was on a weekday.  She was greeted with this sight when she woke up....

What's this around the Moomin?

Oh a little note saying 'Happy Birthday'

SE had left this for her.  I didn't notice SE making this and thought it was such a sweet gesture!  SE goes off earlier to school while JE is in the afternoon session and will just continue sleeping.

Take a picture with Blobby

Since it was a school day and I wasn't sure if I could make it back from work early, we didn't have any celebration.  Fret not, those are coming...

Eggdogs

At SE's exam earlier this year, those eggdogs appeared again. These are the creatures SE draws at the end of all her exam papers.  Well I'm not going to be too stressed about it - her BM is still bad but her marks have picked up.  The other subjects are all right.  We think that this is a private school so they probably arrange it so students are not too discouraged. So just documenting down these eggdogs.  Of which there are quite many haha.

Exhibit A - the 'oh dear's:

Not getting the 'C', but getting the 'D'

For science, apparently the teacher isn't too good at teaching...

Always read its science book and still doesn't understand

She says she has already cleared the things she doesn't know, either by the teacher or by her personal tutor, Ah Kong aka my father.

Exhibit B - the good subjects:

Ending with a 98% for English.

Picnic

Posting on the family picnic we had at the TTDI park.  Hubby skipped this since he didn't sleep well the night before.

Let's put all the food in the middle 

Everyone comfy? Let's eat!

This is JE being her father's daughter.... using umbrellas and bringing a special cup containing a big ice ball.  These people would be so bad at living with nature hmfff.

What?

Love this picture my SIL took of me and my sibs.

Just the three of us

And where would the others be?  Mostly messing around in the nearby stream.

Fish? Prawn?

Gold?

The four girls in the family. The background is definitely postcard-worthy!

Hi!

Picnic was breakfast so after that we adjourned to Taco Bell for lunch. My first time - liked the chicken quesadillas, thought tacos were so-so only.  Found it strange that a 'set' isn't enough to fill the tummy for lunch (like, say, a McD set).  What, need to buy 2 sets with 2 drinks?  Haha.

Take a nice civilised photo

Overall, a pleasant outing indeed.
 

Secondary school

What else... JE has started secondary school.  

Impressions so far:

Since her primary school was a Chinese one, there are obvious differences compared to the new 'kebangsaan'/national school. Now the students are predominantly Malay, over 90%.  Religion takes quite a centrestage - 'doa'/prayers are offered at the start of announcements and assembly, there are dedicated time periods where Malay students go off for prayers e.g. before recess and before school dismissal and of course there are the usual 'agama'/religion classes.  I'm not sure if the focus on religion is more intense due to the fasting month which started 3 days after the first day of school.  

Discipline is more lax.  One of her classmates apparently spends a lot of time in the toilet, meeting friends from other classes.  From the whatsapp group, quite a number of students miss class each day due to medical and other reasons.  

Most students came from the feeder primary school down the road.

JE seems ok so far considering her old friends aren't in this school. I imagine it's tougher to make friends due to the language barrier as her BM has never been strong and spoken BM is different as well.  There are a few students from her previous school but apparently she doesn't like them haha.  Hope she will have enough friends not to be lonely. 

Pics below are from the Form 1 orientation session which was held in the morning.  SE was sleepy and not keen on being photographed.

Me with Penguin and Duck

And Yaya 

(which is what she calls the small sis)

My birthday cards

I must post on the birthday cards my girls made.  They tend to relate to the "current topics" in our lives, which is good as it means they put thought into designing the cards and not just making generic pretty ones.  From SE, who has been drawing this 'you as a baby' series (I still don't know what this trend is and I keep saying the drawings look like gnomes) came a Gnome Baby card.   

Gnome card

Happy birthday mama, from the gnome babies. 

Spot the set of twins

From JE was a card featuring her 2 current fav toys - Blobby and Monkey.

Happy birthday, from Blobby and Monkey

Rascal Monkey

Rascal Blobby

Quite a good likeness actually. :)  

Take another photo of my soon-to-be-teen, since she was willing to pose.

 

Happy birthday to my mummy

Good effort this year from the girls. :)