A place called home

My entry this time I just wanna write about home... I am so sad as we are still renting, not buying!! But!!! 'Count your blessing'!! There are a lot of unfortunate people out there that don't even own a shelter. To be able to rent a decent house with my husband, is a blessing from Allah.

InshaaAllah 1day I will consider to buy a house.. I hope I can give something to my children when I'm old.. At least they wont be struggling as much as I do. I would like to have a peace of mind when I'm old, knowing that I have something to give to my children before my time comes. ^_^

Actually, I grew up in a terrace house ever since I was born. I was used to it to the extend I felt so awkward & uncomfortable living in a flat or apartment house. In 2010, prior to receiving half of her EPF savings, my mom bought an apartment & we moved out from my childhood home. I was having a difficult time to adapt in a different environment. I had been living in a landed house for the past 22 years. Eventually I managed to adapt myself.

I will choose to live in a terrace house if I have the options to. But in Ampang & KL, this type of houses are very expensive and people like me will never afford it. That is why most people opt for other houses-flats or apartments. Why do I like terrace or landed houses so much?

First of all, it's convenient to wash the car. In apartments or flats, there is no place to wash the car. I still remember back in my childhood home, I would wash my car every day, the first few months getting the car :-)

2ndly, the thing I like about living in a terrace house is- almost everyday my mom, my lil sis and me, was excitedly waiting for something to buy in front of the house. There will be these uncles riding bikes and selling breads, foods, so many things. And everyone in the neighborhood will shout to ask this sellers to stop and kids will ran to chase the sellers. The joy of having a neighbourhood :-)

The Indian man is selling breads

A lorry selling mattress. Yes, there are these people :-)

And Ice-cream!

Unlike living in an apartment house, there's hardly anyone can be seen in the corridor. Most of us will only go out from the house to go somewhere or simply just to hang the clothes. No sales people,  no noises whatsoever, and that's too bad.

In Malaysia, all the terrace houses are very costly which many people can't afford.

These are just sharing some personal spaces with my readers, enjoy!

The view from my kitchen

My incomplete living room

My incomplete dining space

My cookings, hahaha

My Bookshelf

Can't wait to purchase more items for our home!!

Part 2 (Honeymoon)~ Redang Bay Resort, Pulau Redang, Terengganu

Continue my honeymoon story of Part 2, hehe ^_^

Day 1

Once we checked in at the resort, we placed our luggage & our food supplies in the room. As u can see, the room is very nice. I went to check out the spaces and every corner of the room out of my excitement ^_^ Ahhh... I felt so happy, this was perfect. So our 1st schedule was lunch at the cafeteria. My husband and I hurriedly went to the cafe to check out the food. Wahhh... They were all very tasty. I didn't expected they would taste that good :-)

The decent cafeteria. Even though its view is not something to brag about, the food on the other hand were very awesome!!

Fish, veggies and rice

Candid his photo while he had lunch

After lunch, we went back to our room & got ready for the 1st snorkeling session. I was so excited!! My husband had snorkeling experience before. He went to Tioman with his friends for snorkeling.

But me on the other hand had never snorkel before and this was my 1st time. I was really looking forward to it ^_^

A signboard of snorkeling destinations in Redang Island

His funny face while registering ourselves at the snorkeling centre. This was the place to collect your snorkeling equipment

Wehuu!! It was finally the time to search for some corals and fishes ^_^

Me trying to act tough and went a bit far from my husband all by myself. Hehehe...

He was all excited too!

During this session I didn't see much of fishes & corals, the water was kinda dark and not the best place to snorkel. We snapped some photos though but they are not worth sharing. The fishes & corals were nowhere to be seen.

After the 1st snorkeling session, we went back to our room & had a good rest. We went for dinner afterwards & it was a BBQ night!! The food was great & we really enjoyed ourselves.

The BBQ picture was not in my PC now, so this was all I got hehe

Day 2

As the usual schedule, we started off our day with breakfast at the cafe. I personally think their food was very tasty, clean & lots of varieties. Breakfast was provided with Coffee, Tea, Bread & Bread spread such as Strawberry jam & Peanut Butter, fried rice, fried mee hoon, fish balls and much more.

After breakfast we went for the 2nd snorkeling trip which was at the best place ever, 'The Marine Park'. I saw plenty of fishes and handful of corals. They were so beautiful.

On our way to the Marine Park

The Marine Park

Corals

Another type of corals

Fishes

Close-up picture

The snorkeling experience was very memorable and I was so glad I experienced it. At first I thought I would drown, but my husband guided me on how to use it & breathing was not as difficult as it look. We just need to control our breathing technique using the equipment but it was not something to be afraid of. It's very easy to use, no rocket science!

After the snorkeling session in the morning, there was supposed to be another session in the afternoon but unfortunately I was very tired and slept the whole noon & missed the session. My husband persuaded me to wake up & join the next session but I was so exhausted & couldnt make it. He then continue to sleep too.. Heeeheheee...

As soon as we woke up, we went to the beach and we swam like crazy :-P

Me did that on the sand :-)

Lying by the beach looking at the cloud, was one of d most relaxing feeling I experienced here ♥ Redang is beyond awesome

Later that night we went for dinner as usual & we hanged out some more by the beach...

We listened to the music & hold hands together

Day 3

It was the time to go back home.. :-( I was so sad to leave Redang!! It was one of the best time of  my life.

We again started off our morning with breakfast & packed our bags. Before we went back we had the chance to drop by at the resort's souvenir shop & brought some for our families.

These cost us quite a lot.Their souvenirs are very expensive!!

Snapping his picture in front of the souvenir shop

It was time to be boarded once again in the boat and back to the Jetty. Goodbye Redang!! See you again some other time!!!

I am very much looking forward to our next honeymoon which will be in Indonesia, Jakarta & Bandung for 8 days and 7 nights in the upcoming February!!!

Part 1 (Honeymoon)~ Redang Bay Resort, Pulau Redang, Terengganu

For our 1st honeymoon- we chose a holiday destination in Malaysia. It was due to our tight budget (so sad). But that was okay! My husband said he will bring me to Indonesia on February next year for our second honeymoon!!! ^_^ So this time I am okay to just spend time in Malaysia, my lovely country!! :-D

The first thought that came to us was a holiday by the beach. But question arose, which beach to go? To me, it's not a problem, as I am already more than happy to be with hubby :-)

I suggested Pulau Langkawi to hubby but he doesn't fancy the water; he said they are not clear blue. According to him, oceans at Malacca Strait are not as mesmerizing as the oceans in South China Sea. Whatever~ (What he said turned out to be true, I had to admit to him later)

Indeed, oceans in South China Sea are so captivating, beautiful clear blue waters. When South China Sea pops in our head, we think of Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Lang Tengah.

Being famous with its clear blue water and breathtaking view, we finally chose Redang Island in Terengganu for our honeymoon getaway. There were so many resorts to choose from and we finally settled for Redang Bay Resort. 6 months before the big day, my husband and I had prepared everything for this trip. So, we were finally off for our honeymoon just a day after the event. Just like our wedding, we also made an advanced preparations and plannings for our honeymoon getaway. It's true, it ensures smooth journey.

We bought this package at 'Matta Fair' earlier in March 2012 which cost RM700+ per couple. I thought this price was okay, and it was within our budget. The minute you set foot in this fair, you will be so captivated by the choices lay before you. All the travel agencies are unquestionably unique & good.With the affordable prices offered, there is nothing to lose.

These are how the prices look like

Our agency was 'Sedunia Travels'. Rest assured all agencies are good and trustworthy as our government had inspected them before they are permitted to join this fair. So, do not worry on this part.

What are the things included in our package?

1)  Full meals throughout the stays (Including 1 BBQ night)

2) 3 days and 2 nights accommodations - Twin Bed Sharing ( 1 Queen sized bed & 1 single bed)

3) 3 Snorkeling sessions (Including Marine Park entrance fee)

4) Free flow of drinks (Coffee, Tea, Sky Juice)

5) 2 ways boat transfer (Boat bring us from Jetty to the beach and return to Jetty)

Snorkeling equipment was not included. That part we had to rent with a cheap price (About RM15/RM20 each)

Initially we had chose Redang Kalong Resort, which bedrooms were facing the island itself. We could not resists the idea of opening our door to an island right before our eyes.

We had booked a place in that resort and paid for it actually but luck was not on our side. Back in my office later the agency sent an email to cancel our package deal as the resort will not be operating in October due to the Monsoon season.

Luckily, a few other resorts were still be operating till middle of October. So, they offered other options and that was why we ended up with Redang Bay Resort which were not bad after all. In fact, we were very satisfied with the changed of course. We love Redang Bay resort.

Our check in date was on the October 8th, 2012. So, our plan was to drive from KL to Terengganu during the night of the 7th and reach jetty by the next morning. As part of their employee benefits plan, my husband's company will lend a car to their staffs for first marriage. My husband picked Honda Jazz ;-) I absolutely love it, I thought it was perfect ;-) We started the trip on the October 7th at 10pm, and I was awake most of the time throughout the journey. I was busy talking to my husband to keep him awake and I didn't feel sleepy at all. Luckily we made sure we had Nescafe (coffee) in stocks and some finger foods to keep us 'on the go'. He was the only driver as I still don't possess a driving license although I've been driving for the past 3 years. (Let's hope there are no police traffic readers around, he he he .... )

My husband didn't bother to stop for toilet breaks and I was struggling to keep my pee, haha. It was about 7 hours drive when we finally reached the town of Kuala Terengganu. It was very difficult to find the Syahbandar Jetty, but after experiencing a wrong turns and dead-ends road, we finally reached the jetty. We were fully depending on Google Maps.

The minute I set foot at the place, I grabbed my husband to find a toilet & later dragged him for food. The boat wasn't expected to depart until around 8.30am so we had some time to rest during the waiting and it was still 5am. I was in a deep sleep despite the amount of caffeine consumed. And my husband snored in the car. I guess we were both so exhausted.

Our boat departed at 9am and we started to snap photos for our memories ;)

  The SyahBandar Jetty

In Syahbandar Jetty's office. My husband went to collect the boat tickets at the counter. They provide clean toilets and decent waiting area.

All the guests were waiting for the boat to start its operation hour.

This was the pathway leading to the boat, we walked through this path with our luggage and the boat was waiting at the end of it.

The Boat

This was the inside of the boat. It was provided with facilities such as a TV and toilets.

They played some movies on the TV but I didn't watch them. I was too preoccupied watching the view of the ocean and snapping more photos ;) It was my first time riding a boat. The seat was comfortable and the whole conditions of the boat was quite decent ;) 

Earlier that morning, I had taken a pill to avoid sea-sick. I figured out later that this wasn't necessary as the boat was very advanced built, it only produces a distant sound and less bumpy rides. Seriously it wasn't necessary to take those pills!

Plus, those sea-sick pills could caused some dizziness and it happened to me. I was feeling really weak after a few minutes of consumption and my eyelids kept on drooping till I eventually fell asleep. So I told my husband I wont take those pills on the return trip back to the Jetty 3 days later and I didn't. Luckily I was awake and happier during the return trip. And I snapped a lot more photos.. He he;)

The minute we reached Redang Island my husband woke me up and I was so surprised to see the clear view water. It was so crystal clear that you could actually see the corals and the fishes.

Instantly, I fell in love with Redang Island. I was captivated by the beauty of it.

This was the view of Redang Laguna Beach Resort, the most expensive resort here in Redang Island. Perfect, isn't it? ;)

My husband looking all tired but still managed to pose in front of the camera ;-)

We emptied the boat and walked towards our resort which was very near to this Redang Laguna Resort

At the shore, agents from each resorts were presented there waiting to bring their guests to their resort respectively. We followed our agents to our resort.

A picture of my hubby in front of the resort's main entrance. It was quite decent and nice-looking although it surely could not compete with Laguna Beach Resort ;-) 

I made my husband carried our luggages and bags. He he he... That's a gentleman responsibility ;-P

The view surrounded the accommodation's area.

This was the front view of our exclusive room ;-)

This was the view from our room's door. There was a small pool right in front of our room. Not very clean though. I didn't see anyone uses it. I didn't dare to use it either, better not. Look at the greenish water.

This was our bedroom. It was provided with a queen-sized bed and a single bed, a decent cupboard, few towels and clean bathrooms.

This was in between the toilet and the bathroom. A nice big mirror with a washbasin for its guests use.

A picture taken from a different angle. This was the cupboard I mentioned.

Another picture of our warm and cozy bedroom ;-)

I really liked this place. It's nice, isn't it? :-) It's very decent and really comfortable. But during the night, there were noises which came from the rooftop. I thought it was so scary. But my husband said it might be just rats or cats or monkeys. I couldn't sleep tightly on the first night but then later I got used to it. I couldn't ask for a better place. This was perfect ;-)