What have I been up to?

Recently?

Crocheting.

I didn't like crocheting in the past for a few reasons - the holey nature, the stiffness, the ties with amigurumi. Not sure how I got started again but I think it was something to do with DS' blanket. Last year or actually, year before last I started knitting a blanket for DD that took almost 2 kg and 11 months. Huge and heavy blanket that DD put aside because she said it was too heavy. She chose the pattern and the colours. I chose milk cotton yarn. Now that DD has hers, it was time to make DS' and he chose 5 shades of blue. Somehow, when the blue yarn arrived, I wasn't inspired. Perhaps dreading the next 11 months of knitting. (DD's got so big it covered me when I knit it). It was about this time that I chanced upon a yarn kit that had 10 different colours and almost a different colour for each row. This would negate the boredom, I thought. It was also about the time when they released some nice Korean dramas and what best to do is to crochet and watch dramas. I finished marathons and almost completed DS' blanket.

Back in a bit... the delivery guy just arrived with the yarn winder an I can't figure out how it works... LOL!

Malacca Travels

We've been to Malacca a few times, returning only yesterday from the most recent trip. I wasn't able to find much craft stuff there. There was a fabric shop or two, mostly selling either dress or curtain fabric. Else there is Daiso.

Just want to blog some points about Malacca.

• Cendol opposite the red square - they used to open at 9am, then 10am, now they open at 11 sometimes. They've also diversified and are selling watermelon with the inside juiced with a handheld blender.
• Claypot rice at the Mahkota Parade foodcourt - Just follow the smells or look out for the long queue. Value for money claypot cooked in a flash.
• Ee Ji Ban Chicken Rice Ball - we have eaten there every trip, sometimes a few times in a trip. DS and DD like the vegetables and the cincalok omelette. I prefer this to the Farmosa because the chicken rice balls here are hand formed and thus not so tightly packed like the golf balls in Farmosa. We chanced upon it while roaming near Hotel Equatorial.
• LW pineapple tarts - they have several outlets but we go to the one that displays the world record pineapple tart near the stage at the end of Jonker street.
• Banya Peranakan food - not too bad for the buah keluak but this is a halal restaurant
• Tastebetter durian puffs - stuff one into your mouth for a new experience. Get these from the shop near the stage at Jonker street and not from the basement outlet at Dataran Palawan which sells dried out puffs.
• Unicorn Cafe - recent find. Babi pongteh is a must.
• Brands outlet and Padini - DS' favourite shopping places
• Cotton On and Nichii - DD's favourite shopping places

We've always stayed at Mahkota Parade Hotel but we're not going back there anymore.

• Pros - huge room with 2 bedrooms and 2 toilets, sitting room and kitchenette
• Cons - crossing the road to Mahkota Parade, pathetic state of rooms (most recent stay)

Cost is around S$150 per pax for 3D2N F&E if you go through the agent but S$100 if you DIY. For this last trip I used bookticketonline.com and Expedia.

• Bookticketonline - I missed out on the Big Box trips because I wanted to wait for Black Friday deals. We ended up using Boon Lay shopping centre instead. Finding the unit to get bus details was a bit unnerving at first because I couldn't find the unit. The numbering of the units in the shopping centre is a bit odd. They are not in running order. The trip there had a stop for breakfast which didn't happen with the previous trip. Then we were caught off-guard with insufficient food. The return trip was also worrying and it didn't help that the lady at the counter made a comment that she was surprised that there was a Holiday Inn stop and asked me to call should the bus not appear. It did appear, but as a Five Stars bus (more comfortable than Konsortium) though I noticed the smaller travel agency sticker later. Both bus trips ended and started at Holiday Inn which is next to Mahkota because I couldn't get one that did.
• Expedia - so many deals available. Ended paying less for the room than the coach rides. Checking in was hassle free. I'd try Expedia again.

Changing of SGD there is also easy. It starts from S$2 but you'll get a bad rate. There are also credit card promos and DD's Popular card worked in Mahkota.

Tourist privilege card at Mahkota used to be much better but now we don't bother much. Perhaps for the bowling next time...

Getting local products is easy, either at the pink shop up north from the red square else at San Shu Gong which has outlets at Jonker Street and Dataran Palawan.

That's all for now. Have a safe trip always...