Friday, November 27, 2015

Krabi - Haze escape

What better way than to get away from the Haze in Penang and fly over to Krabi (1 hr flight) with like minded mothers with their kids.  We only left for 4 days and other mums joined for the rest of the week.


Happy hour 2 for 1 drinks always puts a smile on my face...drink selection is so my family.....beer is me, chocolate milkshake is Seren and water is normally for Mark. (But in this case it was Seren and me).




Tuk Tuk..with a flat front tyre.


 This monkey was behind Serenity with the coconut and threw it on the ground and it splashed all over her.  Freaked her and me out...pack of girls! Chased it onto the rooftops..... this type of monkey is very aggressive and bad mannered.  Lots of them in Penang....scary.




Part of our pool at the hotel....it was huge (photo doesn't do it justice).







Off to Railay Beach via longtail..



Alot of people are here to climb. Very cool to watch and such skill.

Beautiful beach - lots of longtails. Spent time on the beach, chilling and went into Walking Street for a look around and sometime to drink and eat.






A very happy girl.  Can't beat a green coconut and a super healthy sandwich on holiday.

Back to the hotel for a 2-1....some of the kids and mums.


Off for dinner, quick route via the beach into Krabi Town.










Wonderful dinner and view.  Mums on one table and kids on the other.




Glynis

Haze - Pollution




















Though i would do a post on Haze we all suffered thru for 5 months this year... due to Indonesia doing their yearly slash and burn. This year was so much worst ...Indonesia  totally lost control of the fires which had implications for their neighbouring countries. Singapore and Penang were engulfed in Smog!

Just a bit of an indication on colour codes for the levels as follows:

Green - moderate 51-100
Yellow - unhealthy 101-200
Orange - very unhealthy 201-300
Red - Hazardous - more than 300
Blue - no indication for this ...as off the scale
Wine - no indication for this ...as totally off the scale

So Penang was sitting in the Red/Blue band.....





View from our front Balcony with Haze

















Same view but without Haze














View from our rear balcony with Haze














View from our rear balcony without
Haze







Conditions at the moment are back to normal.....as we are in Monsoon season and rain hits normally from 3.30 pm onwards.....clockwork.

Glynis

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Serenity's 8th Birthday Party - Harry Potter

















Serenity decided she would like a Harry Potter theme party.  So Mark and I set to work. Here are a few photos.

The kids entered via 9 3/4 platform and were given a train ticket, which they exchanged for a Report Card showing all the classes they needed to attend. (ie: games and experiments) which would be happening at the party.

They also had to put on  the 'black out' Harry Potter glasses and 'The Wand' selected them. (Made the wands with chopstixs, hot glue gun and paint).  The spell-book were also given.   Spells and wands were flying everywhere.



Dining table set in Gryffindor colours (colour plates should had been gold...but no one picked up on it except Seren).

Labelled everything. Had Professor Snapes pizza, butterbeer, pollyjuice, eyeball jellies (lychees with blueberries inside), Fruit Kebab and Vegetable sticks (forgotten the HP name).






Mark made the two dementors. Their eyes lit up.

This Dementor is guarding the potions table.






Kids pretending to be Dementors.







Potions Class - they got to try out an experience here which put them into the relevant house colours. Via using food colouring, baking soda and vingear. Fizzed everywhere.













The dementor was guarding the 'Potions Class table'......





Spells & Charms Class - Lined up the Harry Potter books and had balloons filled with notes or lollies and the kids had to use a spell from their spell books to levitate the balloons before popping them.

Lots of concentrate and fun.





Dark Arts Treasure Hunt - Mark is amazing at
Treasure Hunts...kids found the tricky clues. Along with the Spaghetti one..a bit messy and the kids couldn't believe how it got inside the full tin of Spaghetti....bit of magic!

This clue was the cue to sort out the Pinata!
















One super happy 8year old. The Dementor Pinata...(another of Marks creations) jammed filled with toys, candy.


Cake Time.....













All a bit frightening for Seren...as the sparkler 8 candle...was a blast.





HoneyDukes Candy Shop



After completing every class and game on the Report card and
smashing the Pinata, eating birthday cake then it was time to shop at
Honeydukes candy shop......and filling up their treat bags with goodies.



Fun making up some of the names..but full credit to Pin interest and the amazing people on there for lots of ideas and names.
,
We also had white balloons - with owl faces on them to give out to Serens friends as well.

Was a brilliant party and our friend Annette helped Mark and I.

Serenity reckons it was the best birthday party she has had ever! and is already planning her 9th birthday party at home.  We are up for it!.

Glynis