Low tide in the Strait of Johor

The tide was very, very low this morning. It was quiet and the lone fishfarmer on his way somewhere looked so serene. The photo actually does not do justice to how beautiful it really was.

Sunset over Johor Bahru again.

I thought this a beautiful replacement for a card to send to my mother for Mothers' Day. I took this picture tonight. I don't think I'll easily get tired of taking photos of the sunset.

Green socks for Cucu

I think this is a better size. I bought a pair of baby socks at Jusco and these cute sock moulds were inside them. So I figured they would make a nice gauge for me to use. It looks ever so cute.

I knitted these socks Turkish style. I did the figure of 8 cast on for the toe - 4 loops on each of the 2 needles. Then I knitted each needle 2 times and then to the tail. I use the tail as a marker for the centre front of the toe. I then started adding stitches between these 2 needles every second row till I had 4 + 8 + 4 + 8 sts. I rearranged the sts to 6 sts per needles, using 4 needles. The footpart is 15rows long. I did the waste yarn for holding the place for the heel which I did afterwards. The legpart is 10 rows and then I did mock garter st for the rib at the top - 1 row plain, 1 row purl, 1 row plain, 1 row purl. My cast off was as follows: Knit 2sts, knit them together, knit 1st, knit the 2 together, and so I continued till the end. It gives a much more elastic cast off, which one wants on a sock. I knitted with the cotton yarn I have. It is not my favourite yarn to wear for socks, but I don't have anything else to use now and I just needed to make socks again. The too-small sock I made earlier this week is now dangling on my backpack for a bit of decoration.

Cucu was born on 27 July 2011 and has long feet and the socks actually fits. On the photo he is a day old.

Friends in Malaysia

Food and friends always go together well. These are some of my friends I made at church.

The Birthday Girl!

I don't know why my mother taught me not to eat with my hands!! Now I do it in good company!

I must admit I also taught my children not to eat with their hands. I will make very sure my grandchildren will get to know the pleasures of eating with one' hands. The only rule is to eat with your right hand. I have been told more than once here in Malaysia: The food tastes better when you eat with your hand. Now didn't my dad tell me that way back when whenever we had a braai? In Malaysia you get good friends and good food. 

Sunset over Johor Bahru

Too beautiful!!!

Holiday Plaza, Johor Bahru

Today I went with 2 friends to the Holiday Plaza. The Holiday Plaza is a much older mall than the ones I've been to. I found some really nice shops there and can see I'll will have to take my daughters there when they come and visit.

This shop is a must for my daughters when they come and visit. So nice, so different.



 This is the one bag shop we went to. The owner was walking around without his shoes. A strange sight to my Western eyes. He invited us to go into a little backroom to see more designer bags.

The little back room.

At this shop one can buy the most beautiful things for your hair. Here I found the hair 'chopsticks'. Now I don't have to use the disposable chopsticks that are too long.

This is a nail studio with all the customers' shoes outside. To my Western eye this is still so unusual. There is no way I'd leave my shoes, good or bad ones, outside a shop in S.A. Especially not in a mall where I don't see security guards around.

I have not seen someone's hair being washed without the use of a basin before. And to have one's shoulders massaged too! Bliss.

In my country a sweet shop is a sweet shop and not a place for savouries and NO chocolates! There were no chocolates in this place!! There is a huge difference in the definition of sweets between the Western and Eastern cultures. Very interesting.

Is not now cute or what!? These are the tiniest and smartest little shoes I've ever seen and then they have a name brand in them too!! I don't know what they cost, cannot be cheap.

I probably said it a hundred times, but I enjoy Malaysia. On the way back, the teksi driver was caught by surprise when I tried my hand at Bahasa Malayu. I told him his teksi was sekit when it sounded very rickety after going over a bump. We had such a good time trying to talk to each other after that. He tried to teach me, and I tried to understand. It must have been my best effort so far at trying to have a conversation in Malay with someone. There is hope for me to master the language.



Jaro

I went to Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation today. They make beautiful basket weave articles, sewing goods and also bind books. They offer employment for the disabled and their work that they sell, is really value for money. One can go to their shop/workshop at Jalan Sungai Chat. It is worth going there and also taking friends and visitors there. And of course, take money as you will most definitely find something to buy and so support them.



A small version of a kampung house. Very well made. One can take the roof off as well. It is too pretty to use as a doll's house.

Some items to buy. The prices seem very reasonable in general.

Rocking chairs for adults and children.

A little bag I bought for my sock knitting. The bags are very neatly made and most close with a zip as well.