SPOT THE ERROR 239

❌ c h i p m u u k

✅ c h i p m u n k

FOOTNOTE: I googled and did not find such idiomatic expression. I could not even relate the first half [great things start small] with the second [like a chipmunk in the mound].

Thanks to my friend, Mr. Norazman for sending me the feed found in Batu Arang, Selangor.

You can find a similar error HERE.

OF A REUNION DINNER AND A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

23rd SEPTEMBER 2026 ~ After the first meeting during tea time [READ HERE], we were ready to meet up for a more serious meal. Dinner session took place at Zaituna Restaurant and we had Arabic food this time. 

This time, another UPM TESL [Class of 1993] had already arrived from Ipoh. [She flew all the way to get here].

The last time I was at this restaurant was in March 2024 [READ HERE]. The place was empty when I arrived before 8:15 p.m. but the dining area was filled up after 9:00.

It was at first a reunion dinner but then there was a surprise at the end of it. We had a one day belated celebration for one of the girls. I managed to get the joyous occasion recorded on my phone.

my advanced birthday brownies

This was a rare moment for us to get together - 2 people from Kuala Lumpur/Selangor, 2 from Johor Bahru and 1 from Ipoh. We had to excuse ourselves as it was already past 10:00 p.m. but the ladies had booked an accommodation for a slumber party past midnight. We planned to meet again the next day for lunch before they left Johor Bahru.

 

WELCOMING TWO UPM TESL FRIENDS TO JOHOR BAHRU

Two UPM TESL Class of 1993 friends were in town. They came all the way from Kuala Lumpur on ETS Train for a short one-night staycation trip with other female friends. Someone else was taking the role as the main host so I happily followed with her plans.

Puan Fazilah Abdullah fetched them at the train station in Kempas Baru and took them to Kacang Pool Haji Restaurant where I met them. This was like the warm up session where we had Kacang Pool, Mee Rebus and Lontong Kering for tea.

All the food should suffice before meeting again later for dinner. And there would be another participant joining.

EXPLORING THE SOUTH GATE OF XI'AN CITY WALL IN THE EVENING

buying the entry tickets

   3RD SEPTEMBER 2026    ~ There was no activity for the group in the evening so people could have a lot of rest. For one thing, the group comprised mostly of senior citizens and people who were above 50 years of age. Approximately 21/28 were the veterans and experienced ones, if I counted correctly.

A few of us decided to go somewhere as we reached the hotel quite early in the afternoon. Four of my friends and I decided to visit the City Wall and the tourist guide helped us book the e-hailing cars to and fro. They didn't have Grab or Uber in China. People had to use a similar service called Didi to get from one place to another.

We made our entry via the South Gate. We had to buy tickets to enter the City Wall. When we arrived, a theatre show [which we did not know about] had already started in the middle of the tower building.

Going up [and down] the stairs to get to the higher level of the structure was literally an uphill task for me who had knee problems. However, as the saying goes, determination is the key to success.

The first thing we could observe was the bright Xi'an city from a higher level.

The second thing was to admire the beautiful Chinese traditional buildings lit up with colourful lights.

The lights around the area were dimmed because of the cultural/historical show which was still in progress in the centre court. The photos taken at this time might not turn out beautiful because of the lack of lighting.

Because of the show, the pedestrian walkways were also closed so moving around the place was limited. Nevertheless, once the show was over, the area got brighter and they opened up the roads that linked people to the other gate.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART 2

MY BANDAR PENAWAR GASTRONOMIC ADVENTURE - PART 4

  17TH SEPTEMBER 2026   ~ The short staycation in Pengerang had come to an end and we decided to get lunch before leaving. This time it was another restaurant in Bandar Penawar that was featured on TikTok.

We were already outside Kaffelbait a few minutes before 1:00 p.m. We officiated the opening of the restaurant on that day and were the earliest diners checking in for lunch.

We had Fried Rice and Char Kuew Tiau that afternoon and some fancy drinks. I just realized I did not have a photo of myself or a selfie because the friendly chef came out of the kitchen and chatted with us.

THE REVIEW: The food was good and the portion was big. You could also opt for western food for your meal. Now I know of a good eating place if I am to get to Bandar Penawar after this.