Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Off to Marudi for the New Year

The long awaited trip is finally here. We booked tickets since August last year. Jon jon must go back every year as it is a once a year affair with his much loved hometown and mummy of course. I have not been back since the Chinese New Year of 2006 as Arielle was born at the end of 2006 and everybody reckoned that she was too young to fly. Her young fragile ear drums may not be able to take the pressure and the sound. You see to go back we have to take first a 2 hr 15 mins flight to Miri (Sarawak, East Malaysia), and then either a 2 hour boat ride along the windy Baram river, a rough jungle 4 wheel 2 hr drive ride through the forest, or a breezy 15 mins flight on one of those small twin engine planes. With a baby the flight would be the best choice but then the ear drums were at stake…so we decided to forgo my ticket last year.

We left KL on an early Saturday morning (2 Feb 2008) flight to Miri. Our Pastor offered to take us to the airport at 5.15 a.m. in the morning as he was sending his nephew who was going back to Sabah at abt the same time. Woke up at about 4 a.m., did some last minute packing, and grabbed Arielle on the way out.

Arielle had fever of 39 degrees C the day before due to a bad throat. Jon jon must have been feeding her too much baby bikkies. She had refused to eat her solids and wanted milk only. We took her to see a Dr. and her fever subsided after medication. However, on Saturday morning, while on the way to the airport her fever returned. My ever faithful crystal forehead thermometer showed her fever increased back to 39. Boy were we worried. Quickly gave her medication at the waiting lounge and prayed hard. She was good on the flight. Played a bit and then slept…guess she was really really tired. I don’t think she had pressure problem in her ears on that flight but she had on the other as she was touching both her ears then. She did not cry though..Good girl darling Arielle. She developed a slight diarrhoe after the 4th dose of antibiotic on Sunday. I really prayed hard for her healing and God placed His healing hands upon her. The next day which was a Monday..no more watery poo poo, and eating solids again. Thank God, He is forever faithful. Since then, she has a good appetite, poo poo well, play well and really sleep well even in the midst of the loud bang of firecrackers.

Marudi is still the same - the food, the people, the lifestyle. Thank God I have been kept busy with Arielle else I will really be bored to bits like that of previous trips and Jon jon will be hearing the City Girl nagging at the Kampung Boy for not entertaining her enuff. Hee hee. One thing I can’t wait is New Year’s Eve – the firecrackers and the reunion dinner, it just puts everyone in the mood. Then the New Year cookies and the visitations. At the moment I can sniff the prawn rolls being toasted by sis-in-law. My favourite New Year goodie!

Hey one thing new I learned about Jon jon…he has a skill which I never knew he had – slaughtering chickens. He helped MIL to slaughter 8 kampung chickens today, some to be sold and some for us to bring back to KL. Yippee. WY, teach me how to make Chicken essence ok?..
Well more updates later.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!!

2 comments:

Ann said...

hahaha.....you didnt take a picture of John slaughtering the chickens?? That would be one picture to show our young int he future....

When we ask them how a chicken looks like, it would be marvellous if they don't point to KFC fried chicken or the nice clean chicken in the supermarket!

Dini said...

No la...was still fast asleep...