settling back
We've been back in KL for two weeks now and I have been enjoying the warm weather a lot after those cold winter days and nights in Europe. I was slightly nervous about how Imran would cope with the drastic change of atmosphere in KL, but I have to say he has coped very well. In fact I think he loves it here with all the attention he's getting from the family and not forgetting all the new and interesting food he has been exposed to. He loves the mushroom chicken rice from Madam Kwans, unagi and sushi from the japanese restaurant and all the tropical fruits which he now calls 'congo' (supposed to be mango!)
His vocabulary is building up day by day, and it is just so amazing to be able to communicate with him now. He might also be a footballer in the making as he never tires of kicking the ball and shouting "goal"! The grandparents just can't seem to have enough of him so we have been going back and forth from both houses to make everybody happy.
As if having two houses is not enough, we have decided to get our own place too which is probably going to be make things even more complicated! But after some rather hard work convincing the parents, we are now looking forward to have our own base, our own sanctuary and a place we would truly belong to.
provence and the new year
After Dino's graduation and saying goodbye to INSEAD and friends, we spent one week in Provence together with part of Dino's family. I've always wanted to experience the south of France, so I guess it was the perfect time to do so. We rented a house in St Remy for a week and used it as a base to explore the areas aound it like Avignon, Marseilles, Cannes, Nice and Monaco.
The house is very provencal, made even more so with its setting amidst olive groves and majestic hills as the backdrop. I could only imagine how beautiful it would be in summer with the swimming pool and gorgeous garden.
Provence is just stunning with its own flavour. As we drove around the area, I never got tired of the view from my window. They flash like picture frames, much like the famous paintings of Van Gogh and Cezane. It is no wonder why the great artists got so much inspiration from the region. And it was then that I understood for the first time what they meant by the translucent light that the region possess, making the scenes irresistable from being captured on canvas.
It was a nice time spent with family especially to see them enjoying Imran's company. In fact I felt that he grew so much in that week. I almost felt emotional as I sat and realised that he is no longer a baby, but truly a toddler as he trots along, walking up and down the house with its open plan. His personality and independance has come out so much since he started walking confidently. He even pushes open the door to his bedroom while waving and saying goodbye to all of us when he is ready for his nap!
I really can't wait now to get home, especially to let his other grandparents enjoy him. Today is the first day of the new year, and although it will be sad to leave Fontainebleau for good tomorrow, I am eager to move on with life and start fresh in KL. But before that, we are spending a few days in Paris before heading home, so I am looking forward to that too!
