Stolen but Proud

Recently in May this year, a Facebook friend from Hong Kong messaged me all of all sudden and said that she had seen Ryan and me in one of their newspaper! No way!

There were only two occasions that I was ever on the newspaper and that was work related years ago and I do not recall going for any particular photo shoot or event with Ryan that has any such publicity, all the more that we have been in Beijing since November 2012.

So, I asked her whether she was certain that it was us. She said she was dead certain because she has seen that picture before on my Facebook. She was kind enough to take a picture of that particular page of the newspaper and emailed to me.

 Can you spot us in the article above?

Yes. That picture was definitely us when I was having my first 9 hole golfing experience with Ryan when we were holidaying at Club Med Bali in 2011. I remembered posting that picture in my Facebook and writing a post in my blog then about our trip with that picture.

 Our first 9 holes of par 3 together as father and son at Club Med Bali in 2011

Someone sitting behind a desk in Hong Kong with the assignment to write an article about Club Med must have been surfing for pictures and stumbled upon us because I definitely could not recall anyone giving me a call for approval to use that picture.

My first reaction was of anger because our privacy has been infringed in a way and that the picture was used without getting our prior consent. I wanted to know which newspaper it was and wanted to write in to demand for an explanation. After a moment to calm down, on second thought, since no reference was made to who we were and was just a random picture included as one of the many activities that one could do at Club Med, I felt that minimal harm has been caused.

Putting up such pictures in the first place in my blog or Facebook for example will automatically opens up the risk or opportunities for others to gain access and in this case, used one of such pictures although without prior approval.

Looking back, I am rather proud that our father and son's first golfing experience had impressed someone enough to `use' it to capture the wholesome family experience that one could gain at Club Med. We certainly did enjoyed ourselves.

So, yes..the picture were `stolen' but I am proud that someone saw it worthy to be `stolen'....

Charmed Lives

I remembered my first photograph taken with me riding on a horse. It was taken in Batu Maung, Penang, one of those rare family holidays with my parents made during Hari Raya. I still remembered staying at the then Merlin in Penang, with our room overlooking the sea. I remembered being overly excited with the soft drinks in the mini bar that I spilled the Fanta Grape I had all over the carpet and got a good scolding from my dad for it.

I remembered playing some arcade games (which I rarely had the chance to do since my parents are extremely strict when it comes to parenting) while my parents were chatting away with their friends.

And of course, there was this opportunity to sit on a horse to have my picture taken. I remembered distinctly two such black and white pictures. One was me sitting on the horse while another was with my mother standing besides me. I have been trying to locate those two pictures but to no avail. It is probably in one of the boxes we left behind in Malaysia.

Anyway, when I looked at this two pictures of Ryan and Chenya sitting on the horse, taken at the Kangxi Grassland, it reminded me so much of mine, especially the one of Ryan. The only difference is that mine was in black and white and taken by the beach and his was taken in color and in the vast grasslands of Kangxi in China.

Ryan is definitely leading a life much much better than I do in my childhood. I get to ride my first horse when I was in my primary school and he got his first ride when he was only five. He has been to so many places that I could only dream about when I was his age (in fact, I don't even think I know that those places exist in the first place, like the malay idiom "Seperti katak in bawah tempurung.")

And if you think that Ryan is having a good life, I think Chenya would probably surpass that very soon. She got her first taste of horse ride when she was only 2 and had her first aeroplane ride even before 2. I remembered taking my first flight to Perth when I was closed to 25!!

I am sure if we had our way and if things worked as planned, Ryan could be well be riding a horse on the vast grasslands in Inner Mongolia next summer, something that the daddy of his has to do it as part of his bucket list.

What charmed lives these two had and I wish that when they read this post sometime in the future, probably in my absence, that they will know how fortunate they are and to value all these experiences that we are trying to give them as much as we possibly could.

Breakfast with Minnie Mouse

Disneyland is famous because of her STARS! Yes. There would be no Disneyland if there was no MICKEY MOUSE to start it all years ago. What is Disneyland without the lovable Minnie Mouse, the amusing yet irritating Donald Duck, the pretty Daisy Duck, the ever faithful Pluto and of course the forever goofing around Goofy!

 Pluto got hold of Mommy and Ryan ...

Ryan goofing around with who else ....GOOFY!

Over the years of course, we grew up with the seven dwarfs (Can you name all seven??), the charming Snow White and her wicked step mother. Then there was Dumbo the flying elephant and the ever youthful Peter Pan and his arch enemy, the sinister Captain Hook. Of course there was the tiny Thinkerbell.

 Ryan managed to `cornered' Captain Hook as he made his round from table to table

We grew up with so many fairy tales in our childhood and they all live happily ever after. Never mind if that is far from the reality that we lived in but these are the very stories that formed our childhood dreams. As a boy, we dreamt of being that hero, while the girls dreamt of being Snow White, being swept off their feet one fine day by their Prince Charming riding on his white stallion. 

As more Disney's movies rolled out over the years, we have Shimba and the wise baboon Rafiki from the Lion King, the characters from Madagascar and Winnie the Pooh and his friends.

 Ryan with Rafiki, the baboon from Lion King

On nights that we were lonely, how many of us secretly wished for a visit from the ever doting Fairy God Mother, who would take away our tears and make all our wishes come true.

 Ryan getting his hug from the Fairy Godmother ..

Therefore, it is not surprising that a visit to Disneyland would NEVER be complete without hugging one of your favorite characters.

How about having your breakfast with them as they drop by one at a time, giving you a hug and taking time for you to pose for a picture with them.

 With the bouncing and ever joyful Tyger from Winnie the Pooh.

Ryan even got the Big Bad Wolf to practice Chinese Kungfu with him ..

With Pinocchio, the mischievous puppet that always wanted to be a boy

Yes, we did exactly that. We had a breakfast with Minnie and her Friends at the Park Inn within the theme park. Although the price for that buffet breakfast was rather expensive, at USD35.99 (RM120) per person, but it presents the opportunity for the little ones to hug and interact with the different Disney characters that drop by. Expensive it might seemed, but if you are thinking of doing this, you got to ensure that you make your reservation as early as possible because the restaurant is constantly packed to the brim.

 Even mommy can not resist the temptation and the chance to realise her childhood dream, having her picture taken with Minnie Mouse ...

 Getting a hug from Dale, one half of the ever joyful to watch chipmunks, Chip and Dale

This probably has to be one of the most expensive buffet breakfast we had but judging from the smiles, grins and laughter we all had, especially from Ryan, I must also said that this is also one of the HAPPIEST breakfast we had.

And of course, how can Ryan leave Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth without having his picture taken with the that one iconic STAR who had started it all, MICKEY MOUSE himself.

 And he is, the main STAR of Disneyland, MICKEY MOUSE himself in person and this is the icing of the cake as far as the trip to Disneyland is concerned ...

Ryan is already asking when he is going back to see his `friends' and Chenya is asking when she is going to "Ikneeland" to see "mikey moose".

I am foreseeing another trip to the happiest place of earth somewhere in the horizon and honestly, this daddy is looking forward to, to once again walk through her magical gates and be transformed and transported yet again .....

Halloween in Disneyland

We were travelling quite a fair bit last year and with our relocation to Beijing, I have had little time to update my blog then. On checking, I actually discovered that I did not update much of Ryan’s first trip to USA, especially his trip to the happiest place on earth – DISNEYLAND.

 Disneyland at Anaheim, LA was decked with Halloween decorations when we visited last year

So, here I am, just to add that post into this journal, both for myself (to refresh my fading memories as I grow older) and for him to relive his childhood fun when he grows older too.

Before this trip, the furthest we have brought Ryan out of the country was to Beijing. Hence, we were initially apprehensive as to how he would cope with this 20 over hour flight. He quickly put our apprehension to rest, when he excitedly settled down quickly on the plane with the in-flight games, movies, his iPad and chatting up the air stewardess!

Our first stop was in Seattle where mommy has to attend to her business meetings while daddy was left with the job to keep him occupied. More of that in the next few posts.

But he was eagerly waiting for, was the trip to DISNEYLAND, the place where every kid dream of, not to mention many adults too, including yours truly.

 Bright orange pumpkins were everywhere, truly reflecting the spirit and atmosphere of Halloween

When we were there, Halloween was just around the corner and DISNEYLAND went full steam to capture the spirit a Halloween. The entire Disneyland at Anaheim, LA was decorated to reflect Halloween. The sight of bright orange carved pumpkins was EVERYWHERE! It was simply amazing. They even had a special Halloween night where guests were encouraged to go in their full Halloween costumes. We did not opt for that because, firstly, it was held on the first day that we arrived and secondly, it was rather expensive and we gathered that it would be so overly crowded that it would not be worthwhile paying that amount to fight with the rest for the rides.

 The main street in Disneyland, Anaheim, LA

But we had fun nevertheless, soaking in the Halloween atmosphere, on all the three days were there. Yes! We were there for three days and to Ryan, it is still NOT ENOUGH. Who could blame him, when DISNEYLAND has been branded as THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH and if you immersed yourself in all the fun and activities, she actually is.

 Standing in front of the icon of Disneyland, Walt Disney and his star creation, Mickey Mouse against the backdrop of the Magical Castle.

Posing in front of the GIANT Pumpkin Mickey Mouse, at the start of MAIN STREET USA

There is simply a special MAGIC in the air the moment you entered through her gates and you are transformed magically into this fantasy kingdom where cartoon characters that I grew up with comes alive! YES YES YES! There was Goofy, Minnie and Donald. And out of nowhere, apparently, CHIP and DALE popped up to say hello. And of course the STAR of the kingdom, MICKEY MOUSE himself.

 His best Halloween ever !

More pictures of that in the next post. For now, my dear son, you must be one lucky boy. I have to wait 49 years before I could see my dream coming true and there you were, cuddling Mickey Mouse at the age of 4!