This Christmas Give Big, Save Much Bring out the Santa in you with S&R's great holiday gifting ideas. Club-priced to make you save like Scrooge! 

Whether looking for a Christmas gift for individuals or for groups, the options at S&R are endless. Some of their Christmas gift baskets overflow with copious amounts of gourmet snacks and foods. Whichever Christmas gift basket you ultimately decide to give, they are sure to be enjoyed by all.

Share the joy of Christmas with the sweetest gift for your holiday indulgence. Cinnabon, the world’s famous cinnamon roll, together with Lotus Biscoff, the original caramelized biscuit, is offering a fascinating treat that’s going to fire up this season!

I love shopping online, most especially at Ensogo because they have a lot of nice things at a great price. I can spend hours browsing through their website while just relaxing comfortably in bed. Here are some things that I love to buy for our home.

I was both emotional and energized on the last day of our Malaysian adventure. It was the final day to complete the challenges and everyone was so competitive to reach the finish line of the race.

We were welcomed by these colorful trishaws. They were similar to our customary tricycle and pedicab but they looked more like a carriage from a kid’s fairy tale book to me with all the flowers and other decorations. The Hello Kitty embellishment made me merrier to ride one of them. Riding the trishaw along Jonker Street was extremely thrilling, especially with the gorgeous sceneries of Melaka.

Well, you guessed it right. I’m a Hello Kitty fan!

I knew that day was going to be amusing. My young-at-heart self was ready for the Trishaw Hunt and Jonker Street Photo Hunt contests. I wish we also have our version of the trishaw with our tricycle and pedicab here in the Philippines.

Again, it was one of the interesting ways to learn more about Malaysia and the must-see places. It was mentally and physically stimulating. We were given sheets to answer some trivia questions, and locate the printed pictures from actual items in different retail shops. Oh I wished I went there for shopping because there are quite a lot of lovely items I could take home. There were several food stalls as well. I couldn’t help but admire the places while we were looking for clues to complete our task.

We were mid-way through the hunt but I needed some refreshing because it was so hot. You have to try their cendol drink. I didn’t know if I was just thirsty that I finished my cendol quickly or it was just because it was super delicious!

Cendol is a traditional Asian dessert that is made from shaved ice, coconut milk, rice flour jelly and palm sugar. The green worm-like jelly is jendol in the native language which means “swollen” or “bulge”. 

Next stop was the Stadthuys Hunt.

Stadthuys, that means “city hall”, is a historical red-painted, mostly Dutch, structure located in heart of Melaka. The museum was grand and a replica of the olden times of the place. It was the premier  location of artifacts and costumes that will tell you how rich the culture is in Malaysia. You can also find the Christ Church and the Clock Tower in the compound of Stadthuys.

We wrapped up at the eminent Clock Tower. We were all cheering for each other and hugging each other for a job well done! It was no joke to run around, be under the sun for a long period of time, conquer our fears, strategize and exert a lot of energy completing the tasks assigned to us since Day 1.

Finally, it was time for lunch. I was so excited to try something new today after my memorable ostrich omellete meal during Day 4 (see post here). Malaysia, as always, did not disappoint us. 

The Awarding Ceremony was surely gratifying. Although Team Philippines didn’t win the race, we were all cheerful for Team Brunei. It already took a huge amount of effort to be part of this adventure; it meant more sweat and strength to win it.

Remembering the fulfillment I felt at that very moment makes me want to go back to Malaysia. The air was definitely filled with success and gaiety that we all made it. We didn’t plainly complete the race; we made great memories and friendship out of it. Indeed, places are mere locations in the map until you let yourself be in it and have fun. That’s the only time places become special.

And just when we thought the celebration was over, the host prepared a feast for us. Our dinner was at the Grand Hibicus Ballroom. Truly rewarding! It was like a special wrap for the already special gift from Tourism Malaysia.

For our Day 4 challenges, we headed first to the Ostrich Farm to meet some members of the bird family. 

Our first mission?

We must take a picture with this enormous feathery creature! No, my new friend is not alone.

There were a lot of them!

But the challenge was not to merely take a picture with an ostrich; we had to get some eggs too! Well, I wasn’t terrified at first, but to our surprise, these birds were really up for the hunt as well. Before they discover what we were going to do with their eggs later on, we fed them first. I love birds, in general, and I liked that I got to feed an ostrich on the palm of my hand.

Just when I thought the chasing was over, the next challenge was to catch a goose!

It was really exciting and fun, however it was equally difficult to go after this group. I managed to catch a duck but, unfortunately, had to let it go. Thanks to my partner we completed the task of each having a goose in our arms. Whew! That must have been the most tiring activity that day as I couldn’t help laughing while running to get one of them.

My tummy was screaming omelettes just by looking at those huge eggs we took from the poor avian. I was imagining big breakfast meals out of it while taking a quick breather admiring some views in the mini zoo. Then, I heard someone announced it was lunch time! 

I almost couldn’t believe what I saw. I mean, I was just literally thinking about it.

Yes, that’s how you make omellete from an ostrich egg. I know seeing a serving of scrambled egg on an oversized plate can be considered usual when you have a dozen of regular chicken eggs. However, when you know you are in Malaysia and you just experienced being in the same pen as those ostriches stealing their eggs, having scrambled eggs for lunch is definitely an unforgettable moment. Plus, it was also my first time to try the ostrich satay and ostrich burgers. 

I was absolutely satisfied with my meal! When you get the chance to visit Malaysia, do not forget to drop by the P.D. Ostrich Farm to get the opportunity to race with the ostriches and try their distinctive recipes.

Our next stop was at the Mini Malaysia and ASEAN Cultural Park Melaka

The audience got to participate in the dancing as well.

After watching the colorful and splendid cultural performances, we were down to our last mission for the day. Our artistic sides were tested when we had our first-hand experience of the traditional batik painting.

It was certainly another day of memory-filled adventures! I couldn’t wait to crash in our new home at the Swiss Garden Hotel and Residences in Melaka.