July 2026

Sometimes the best family stories begin with a little mishap. This one started with Judy planning a surprise day out for Chris. Unfortunately, before I realized it was supposed to be a secret, I accidentally let the cat out of the bag! Thankfully, Chris took it all in good spirits, and we were all able to laugh about my unintended role in spoiling the surprise.

Early that morning, we set off together for an orchard in Hulu Langat, about an hour's drive from home. As we arrived, we were greeted by rows of tropical fruit trees - langsat, mangosteen, rambutan, and of course, the unmistakable king of fruits, durian. Surrounded by nature, it immediately felt like we had escaped the city for the day.

There was no schedule and no rush, just a day to enjoy each other's company. We wandered through the orchard, sampled fresh fruit straight from the trees, and gathered around to enjoy the delicious food and snacks that everyone had generously brought to share.

As the day unfolded, everyone found their own way to relax. Some tried their luck fishing, others cooled off in the nearby stream, and a spirited game of "Police and Thieves" brought plenty of laughter, while the rest of us simply found a shady spot to sit, chat, and enjoy the peaceful surroundings.

A passing rain shower offered a brief break from the warm tropical weather, but it wasn't long before the sunshine returned. By late afternoon, the heat and humidity had certainly caught up with us, and although none of us were quite ready for the day to end, we all agreed that a cool shower back at home sounded like the perfect way to finish a wonderful outing.

Some celebrations don’t need elaborate plans or grand venues. When we gathered at our home in Kota Kemuning for Luwinda’s birthday, the familiar faces soon arrived: Chris and Judy, Robert and Vivian, Gerard and Annie, Earnest and Luwinda, joining Ruky and me for the evening. Most of the food had been ordered in, with a few extra dishes brought to share, and before long the table was full and everyone had settled in.

Somewhere among the food and conversation, we did remember why we were there. There was cake, birthday wishes, photographs and laughter, but the celebration wasn’t confined to blowing out candles. Dinner stretched into drinks, and drinks into the kind of lively conversation our gatherings are known for. Opinions were offered and challenged, sometimes at exactly the same time, yet beneath it all was family — comfortable enough to disagree freely and still be sitting around the same table hours later.

Midnight passed, then one o’clock, then two. By the time the evening wound down it was nearly 3 a.m., so Robert and Vivian, and Gerard and Annie, stayed the night. Even then, the evening had one final chapter: at 5 a.m., Robert, Gerard and I were up again to watch England play France. After birthday cake, food, drinks, laughter and very little sleep, we somehow made it to kickoff. It was an unlikely ending, and exactly why we’ll remember it. Happy Birthday, Luwinda — and here’s to the evenings that refuse to end.

Sometimes a great day doesn't need much of a plan - just good company, plenty of food, and nowhere you need to rush off to.

The night before, Ruky and I had been in Kuala Lumpur celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of my cousin Laurence and Christine. Rather than make the trip home afterward, we decided to turn it into a little KL staycation and spent the night at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur.

The next morning, we invited my cousin Robert and his wife, Vivian, to join us for breakfast and spend the day together. With two Roberts in the family, we've appropriately named our WhatsApp group “The Roberts,” so a day together always comes with its fair share of fun and laughter.

We started with Le Méridien's wonderful breakfast buffet - and certainly didn't leave hungry. After breakfast, Ruky and Vivian headed for some relaxation by the hotel pool, while Robert and I decided we needed to work off at least a little of what we'd just eaten. We walked over to NU Sentral and spent some time wandering around the mall, catching up along the way.

Later, Robert and I made our way back to the hotel lounge, with Ruky and Vivian eventually joining us. With a generous 4 p.m. late checkout, there was absolutely no reason to hurry. We simply enjoyed the afternoon together before finally saying goodbye to the hotel.

But apparently, we weren't quite ready to say goodbye to each other.

Our next stop was The Social at 163 Retail Park in Mont Kiara, where we settled in for drinks, more conversation, and plenty more camaraderie. By then, after breakfast and our time in the lounge, none of us was particularly hungry, so instead of heading straight for dinner, we drove over to Desa ParkCity and took a leisurely walk around the park.

Eventually, all that walking did its job. We ended our day in Manjalara, where a wonderful street-food dinner finally brought our appetites - and our day - to a very satisfying conclusion.

There was nothing particularly complicated about the day. We ate, walked, talked, laughed, relaxed, ate some more, and simply enjoyed being together. And perhaps that's what made it so memorable.