Nasi goreng ikan masin + ayam percik + terung sambal = RM150

For the first time in our lives, we had a long Easter weekend, all thanks to the public holidays we have on Good Friday, followed by the Monday and Tuesday after that. So while our fellow Malaysians were toiling away at work, we were sleeping and relaxing! ;p

It all started on Thursday night, when we had a farewell dinner for Kees and Wendy, who were leaving for Indonesia for another two years at least. It seems they have found their place in life, serving among the Indonesians to improve their education. Both of them have played a huge role in helping us settle down here. We hope that they will continue to be a blessing to the Indonesians, as much as they have been a blessing to us.

We almost missed Good Friday service, thinking that it was at night (as it usually is in Malaysia, since we don't have public holidays). Fortunately, we checked and found out it was in the morning, and that was how our Good Friday morning was spent. After church, we had some tea at Perry and Judy's, with the customary hot cross buns! Apparently, having hot cross buns on Good Friday is an old tradition in Western countries, and we're glad to be a part of it!

On Saturday morning, with Agnes as the navigator, we headed up into the Swan valley - not for their wines - but just to look around and try some of their food. Kevin enjoyed his chicken foccacia and chips, while Agnes had a nice waffle with ice-cream.

Then we went East to the Perth hills, to spend some time with nature. We enjoyed driving amongst forests, walking along the Mundaring Weir, and snapping photographs at scenic lookouts with views of the city. And we did it all in our old and hail-dented Corolla (which thankfully survived the trip!).

We ended the day with a nice dinner at a Malaysian restaurant. Agnes ordered a nasi goreng ikan masin (which was not in the menu, but the kind chef agreed to cook it for her!), while Kevin had plain rice, along with Ayam Percik and Terung Sambal which we both shared. All this for a total of about AU$50 - equivalent to more than RM150!!!! But what to do... we miss Malay food!

On Easter Sunday, it was church... followed by more relaxing. Then it was more relaxing and time wasting on Monday. Kevin tried to finish reading his book on cosmology (his idea of relaxing) while Agnes did a bit of knitting. On Tuesday, we went shopping at IKEA and Westfield Whitford City. We bought a few more things for the house, and spent the last day of our long weekend cleaning and tidying things up around the apartment.