A very nice family day.

Last Saturday, I thought I was getting another vertigo attack. I was alone at home and the weather outside was wet and dismal. Went down to the market and bought lunch home. A packet of mee pok with duck drumstick and kailan vegetable. Tasted nice from my usual stall.

Sometime later, I began to feel strange. Felt my head floating. Staring ahead of me, I did not notice any turning or spinning motion, or any nausea, the vertigo warning signs. I decided to check on my blood pressure. My reading was 167/70 with a pulse rate of 52. A high reading! I rested and an hour later, checked my reading again which had fallen to 156/71 with a pulse rate of 45. I then laid down on my bed and after about half an hour, my reading went down to 142/62 with a pulse rate of 54. Taking no chances, I took a pill against vertigo attack. Almost immediately, I began to feel better. My head cleared and the sensation stopped. My subsequent blood pressure fell back to normal and the rest of the evening was alright. Thank God for that.

Sunday, 11/11, was my grand daughter Samantha's birthday. Having given her a book entitled 'Magic Show'. containing 12 built-in tricks, I took the family for buffet lunch at The Churchill at Tanglin Club. Except for my son who was in Bali and on his way home, and my son-in-law, Ben, who was in KL working, we sat down to lunch. The usual fine spread of good food, I started with sashmi salmon and worked my way to the roast lamb and other delectable. Did not take much to fill me up and I finished off with ice cream and crepe with chopped almond, and decaf coffee. I could see everyone including the kids enjoying the good food. There was a short magic show by a young magician and the kids sat in front enjoying it.

From the club, Jason drove to Marina so that the kids could go fly a kite. By this time, Emma had fallen asleep in the pram. With Jason and Karen chipping in, it was discovered that it was not that easy to go fly a kite! The ground was muddy and there was a lack of breeze. The kites kept crashing to the ground. After the futile efforts, we adjourned for a drink. Moral of the story, it is not that easy to tell someone to 'go fly a kite'.

Leaving Marina, Jason decided to have Korean BBQ, and drove to Takashimaya. By this time also, my son and Ben were arriving back from their trips with SMS and calls on the mobile. And so we gathered at the Seoul Garden for BBQ dinner. Occupying three tables, we sat down for our second buffet. I ate very little meat, and cooked up a vegetable green noodle followed by a big helping of the different fish balls, unfortunately loaded with MSG. Drinking plain water, I finished off with three flavours of ice cream. By then I could not eat anymore. My son and Ben arrived late and their ravenous appetite coupled with that of Jason was clearly formidable. It was so nice to see the whole family sitting down to dinner, laughing and bantering each other.

Outside the restaurant, we gathered to watch the funny antics of Emma. My son had bought a plastic boat kite from Bali for Timothy (I think) and something for Sam and Emma. Emma was racing down the corridor ahead of all of us, when suddenly one of the stores closed the shutter with a terrific crashing sound. Emma stopped at her tracks and looking scared, raced back to Jason, crying at the commotion. She recovered quickly and was soon running again.

After a prolong good night and hugging from Emma, it was time to disperse and head for our various homes. All good things must come to an end and ended a very nice family day. Thanks be to God.

Till then....