Trip to Sandakan

Fri 8 Aug 2025

We were at the airport early for our 1.55 pm flight to Sandakan. We landed at 2.30 pm and checked in to The Elopura by 3.20. While waiting for Beh Ling's arrival, Bikia and I took a short walk at 4.30. Then at 6 pm, we had another walk with papa. We also had a look at the rooftop of the hotel and its gym.

At the waterfront

After Beh Ling arrived and kept her bag in our room, we went out for seafood dinner at the Sim Sim water village. 

Sat 9 Aug 2025

We had buffet breakfast which was more than we expected as the hotel room was RM150 per room. We are not complaining :)

Breakfast 

Papa's swollen left foot didn't get any better and he couldn't walk much today. While he took his usual morning nap, the 3 of us went out to check out the nearby shops. We bought 2 pairs of slippers for papa. They are much lighter than his old Bata slippers. Beh Ling bought Chinese medicine for overall health and to help with her phlegm.

Before lunch, we visited St. Michael's church and took a few photos. Entrance fee was RM20 for the 4 of us. 

For lunch, we went for seafood bah kut teh outside of the town area. The fish and prawn bah kut teh were surprisingly tasty. 

We had cream pastries for dessert, bought from a shop near the BKT place. We had it at the Elopura café area. After dessert, we went to Harbour Mall next door where Beh Ling bought a pair of sandals.

In the late afternoon, the 3 of us went for a 45 minutes Heritage Trail walk consisting of the 100 Steps walk and had a peep of Agnes Keith house.

For dinner we had seafood at Aroma Borneo, which is the buffet breakfast place. 

After dinner, we went for short walk with Beh Ling as she had not walked along the waterfront.

Sun 10 Aug 2025

Beh Ling woke up at 5.35 to catch her 7.35 am flight. At 6.15 am, the pre-book Grab car arrived. She was on time for her flight back to KK where she will transit for a few hours before boarding her Scoot flight. 

The rest of us had another satisfying buffet breakfast. We visited Central Market which consisted of vegetable, fruit, fish and prawn stalls on the ground floor and food stalls on first floor. After another seafood lunch at a restaurant near the airport, we waited for our 4.30 pm flight which was delayed to 5 pm. And that concludes our short weekend trip to Sandakan.

July Birthdays

Wed 16 July 2025

We were at the Club at 4.05 PM as Barnabas wanted to have a beer with papa for his birthday. I had agreed with uncle Vincent earlier that we will pick him up at the Club at 4.30 PM to go to Taman Kinabalu. Both of them were chatting with uncle Chin Liang when we arrived.

As we were still at the Club when Yuenie called, we decided on a change of plan. Yuenie and uncle Chen came over at 5 PM and we celebrated at the Club instead of having it at the Chen family residence. The durian birthday cake was a crowd pleaser. For dinner we had satay, watan hor, chi kiok, sawi and rice. 

(L-R) Papa, me, Yuenie, uncle Chen, uncle Vincent

L-R: Meghan & mum, Barnabas Leong, Malcolm Wong, papa, Charlie Pang (in blue shirt), Yuenie, Amy Teo, uncle Chen, uncle Vincent Chung

Uncle Barnabas mentioned that there were photos in Lodge group chat for papa’s birthday wishes. Found these 2 from his group chat.

Papa during one of his Lodge meeting

Papa with Spencer Kan

Sat 19 July 2025

We had lunch and birthday celebration with uncle Vincent at the Club. With his healthy routine of exercising daily (40 minutes at the treadmill), eating and drinking moderately, he is in good shape.

Sat 2 Aug 2025

We went out at 11.30 am to pick up aunty Jocelyn and Su Lee for lunch at the Club. Aunty Su Lee likes the prawn (from seafood hor fun), brinjal, fish dishes and even asked for more rice. We left at 2 PM and drop aunty Su Lee and papa at Hoover, for hair-setting and haircut.

We were at Suria at 5 PM, to get Uniqlo vest and reversible parka for papa. His sweater from 1965 has holes and yellow stains and it was time to part with it. He agreed on a dark green reversible parka and dark grey vest (each costs RM99 and were on sale). The new clothing items for papa is in preparation for our upcoming trip to Germany :)

We had bak kut teh dinner at Sarah’s shop (gym friend) at Beverly Hills as we went out for shopping and did not plan on cooking dinner.

June Outings

Mon 2 June 2025

At 11.15 AM, Beh Ling and Bikia went out to fetch aunty Jocelyn and Su Lee for our Club lunch. I went out at 12.40 PM after papa finished his lunch and went upstairs. He was still recovering from last week's gout attack.

Turns out aunty Kim and Jocelyn were confused and thought Beh Ling was me. Aunty Kim brought ginger chicken and panettone. Aunty Jocelyn brought Hershey cholocate. Beh Ling had bak kwa, sweet potato chips and red date longan drink. After the main meal of rice with brinjal, omelette, ikan tenggiri, veggie and ginger chicken, we had our dessert and snack items. The sweet potato chip is a crowd favourite.

(L-R) Kim Chan, Beh Ling, Jocelyn Chung, Bikia, Pang Su Lee, me

Mon 16 June 2025

At 11.30 am, we picked up aunty Jocelyn, then drove over to the Ark. Traffic was congested due to after schools hours. We arrived at aunty Kim's Fairway Mansion apartment at 12.30, half-an hour later than intended. We had a fabulous spread for our Nyonya lunch consisting of chicken feet with mushroom and chestnut, asam fish, pucuk labu, ginger chicken with local basil, rice, noodles and red bean soup. We contributed yong tau foo and pineapple, mango cut fruits for dessert.

(L-R) Papa, Bikia, aunty Su Lee, Kim, Jocelyn, me

Nyonya dishes for lunch

Family Photo 2025

The family photos taken at AAL Studio are ready !

(L-R) Me, Anica, River, Abi, Rain, papa, Bikia, Beh Ling

Papa with Austin family

June Photoshoot

Fri 6 June 2025

All of us were on time for the 9.30 AM photoshoot. This year the theme is blue or denim outfits. There were new backdrops since our photoshoot last year. We took a few photos when AAL photographer Jeffrey Wong was answering a phone call. 

Rain, Beh Ling & River

The photoshoot went smoothly and we left at 10.40 AM. Bikia sent Abi & family for dim sum brunch at Lok Tian while Beh Ling, papa and I went home as Beh Ling had a flight to catch.