Family's visit/vacation 2009 - Day 4 (27 Dec)

We woke up early in the morning, as we were headed to Lantau Island to take the cable car experience and visit the giant buddha.

First of all, we had breakfast at a cha chan teng near our hotel, and then proceeded to the MTR station to catch a train to Ngong Ping.


Ahyee and Kenny Uncle


Calvin and Shawn in the MTR


Cousins chatting away


Walking to the cable car station. I had already started to lose my voice, and was coughing very badly and lots of phlegm. Got Marcus to buy me some face masks the night before.


Cable car crystal cabin mascot


Me in the cable car


It was soooo hot with the mask on, and I couldn't stand it and so took off the mask


Our family all in one cable car


Somebody else's car


Arrived on the island, and it was too foggy to even see the statue!!


Took a family picture


Proceeded for lunch, and then, it started to rain, and it was really too foggy to see even two metres ahead of you!!

Thus, only part of the group went in search for the tau huey stall to have dessert, and then it was back to the cable car station to go home.. yes, 2,400 HKD cable car ride just to have a vegetarian lunch. lol...

Family's visit/vacation 2009 - Day 3 (26 Dec)

Well, the plan for today was to make our way over to Hong Kong by train. Not many pictures were taken today....

Marcus and I met them at the dimsum restaurant across the street from their hotel, and we had our brunch there!



The view of the sofa area in our private room.


Marcus and myself...


All gathered around to sign their immigration forms

And then, it was to the bus for a 1hour journey to the train station where Marcus went to buy our train tickets, and we had almost 2 hours to kill, so we went to shop at Jusco and Uniqlo...


Song Sian in the train


Marcus and Kenny Uncle chatting in the train

Upon arrival, we checked into our hotel and then proceeded for dinner before doing some shopping in Tsim Sha Tsui and finally back to hotel for some much-needed rest!

Family's visit/vacation 2009 - Day 2 (25 Dec)

It's Christmas Day!

We picked them up for morning breakfast, and brought them to this restaurant which Marcus had gone to (when he was part of the brothers' team for the wedding of his colleague, this was where the brothers had their breakfast).

The food is not the best here in Foshan, but the atmosphere was truly one from the past.


This is the view from the veranda in our dining room.


The table in the veranda. This used to be the bean grinder that's used to grind soyas etc to make milk in the past.


Settling down in the room


Daddy, Mummy and Calvin


Quickly get your seats!


Busy eating!


Mummy had finished eating, and here she is feeding the kois and enjoying the scenery.


Posing for a picture after feeding the kois


Family picture. So sweet


Cousinly love!


This is one of the decoration items placed at the entrance of the restaurant. This is a bridal sedan used many many years ago to carry the brides on the wedding day.


Mummy can't shake off her occupation hazzard! She went behind the counter, and promptly asked "yes, what you wanna order?" Haha.

After breakfast, we brought them to 西樵山 to view the giant Kwan Yin.


On our way up the hill


This is what we came to view


So sweet and compatible right, this couple? haha


Lots of love...


All the grandkids posing with grandparents


Notice the two idiots playing a fool in the background? haha


Writing our wishes to be thrown up on the tree. Our wish is billingual. Half in English, and the other half in Mandarin. Haha. Some more I needed help to write the correct words in Mandarin!


We spotted some people lighting firecrackers, and it was super loud! This is a shot of when it just started.


The grand finale


The cleaner sweeps majority of the debris into the blackened hole in the wall


Kenny uncle decided to buy a firecracker and light it too. Here they are discussing the best way to light the fuse.

And after that, it was off to 上下九 for lunch and a bout of shopping before returning to the hotel to reset.

Family's visit/vacation 2009 - Day 1 (24 Dec)

Our family came over to visit us plus make it a holiday vacation over Christmas and New Year. It was no easy task considering that we had to plan their itinerary, accommodation, logistics and transportation and everything else! Plus, it was not a small number of people mind you!

We had:
- Sheryl's parents (aged 53 and 54 years old)
- Sheryl's grandparents (easily 70 years old lor!)
- Sheryl's auntie and her hubby (at least 40 years old)
- Sheryl's cousins (5 of them, age ranged over a huge gap. We had a 7yrs old, 11yrs old, 13yrs old, 15yrs old and 20yrs old!)
- Sheryl's brother (22 yrs old)

And added, we have both of us, aged ahem.. a secret.. LOL no la.. 27 at the time of the holiday.

We booked buses to ferry the entire entourage of 14 around when we were in Guangzhou. But when we were in Hong Kong, we relied on the MTR and our legs :D


This is me in the bus on our way to the airport to fetch them.

Immediately after arriving in Foshan (about an hr's drive from 广州白云机场), we checked them into the hotel, and then brought them back to our place.


I ordered 外卖 from this 24-hour dimsum delivery restaurant, and this was what we had to eat. Surprisingly, everyone felt that the food was rather good, although maybe it was due to the fact that they were hungry. haha.


Having their late lunch

After lunch and Christmas present opening, I brought everyone over to a shopping centre near our home, which is actually a Capitaland mall with Walmart as its anchor tenant. There, Song Sian bought some Wii games, and Ah yee bought a China topup card to use. It was then back to the hotel for everyone to rest and wash up before Marcus meets us for dinner.


Waiting for them to place an extra table in the room. We had booked the biggest room in the restaurant, but apparently, they gave our reserved room away. It was a bit unhappy but then after some persuasion (aka scolding), the staff agreed to place an extra table in our room.


After eating, it was over to the next door to bring them for leg massage (aka 洗脚).


Grandparents enjoying their massage


And even the youngest in the group was hooked!

Attending wedding dinners

Over the course of three days, we attended two wedding dinners here in Foshan. It was definitely an eye-opener for me, as they were the first local weddings which I attend. For Marcus, it was also a unique experience, as he was part of the brothers team (兄弟团) for the second wedding. And he was tasked with the responsibility of .... setting off the fire-crackers! Definitely an experience which NONE of us back in Singapore will have the chance to encounter!


This was the stage setting for the first dinner we attended. Notice that there are two tables on the stage? Both red VIP tables are actually placed there, and the immediate families (for the bride and groom) are seated there.


This is us at the first wedding dinner.


The stage with laser lights and effects preparing for the bridal couple to march in.


The emcee hosting the dinner while everyone else is eating.


This is how their bridal car looks like. Really 花车 right? :D


These are how the firecrackers look like before you lit them!

It's really an eye-opener attending the local dinners. It's a way to absorb the local culture, and understand better how the Guangzhou people celebrate the major milestone in their lives.