Cameron Highlandst

Took a short breakaway last weekend (real short one, just over the weekend, 2d/1n).  Before I find any time to update, it's now weekend again.  Gosh...  at this rate, I think 50 or even 80 not gonna be too far off.  Before I know it, I'll probably be at retiring age.  Mad crazy.

The short weekend away was good.  After two weekends of staying put in town, it's time to start moving again.  Lols... Like the birdpark tickets, I bought a promotional voucher from a friend when they participated at the recent travel fair.  :)  I think it was RM175/night (approx. US$60) for one night accommodation at Strawberry Park Resort.  The recently renovated/revamped rooms were really cozy and nice.

A short info on Cameron from Wikipedia: 

The highlands got its name from William Cameron, a British surveyor who was commissioned by the then colonial government to map out the are in 1885.  It was the late Sir Hugh Low, a resident of Perak, expressed the wish of developing the flat terrain as a "sanatorium, health resort and open farmland".

The highlands is one of Malaysia's most extensive hill stations which covers an area of 712 square kilometers.  It was first developed by the British in 1920s.  The temperature seldom soars above 25deg cel during the day and during the night, it can sometimes drop to as low as 12deg cel.  It has 3 main townships - RInglet, Tanah Rata and Brinchang, which nestled at an altitude of more than 1200m.

Yeah, this is the same place I went for the treasure hunt event with a bunch of friends August last year.  At that time, we never get a chance to go sight seeing around the highlands.  Just treasure hunted from KL all the way up the hill, spent the night, and back to KL the next day.

This time round, went with the husband and he was sport enough to check out all the flower nurseries with me.  The plants were all so pretty.  I wish I could bring them all back.  Lols... 

Of course I didn't.  Seriously, how many can I buy?  Actually, it is more like, how many would survive in our non-highlands weather?  I just bought some small cute ones.  Not too many.

I've been to Cameron quite a number of times and have tasted their strawberries before but this time round, they were never quite like what I've tasted all those times.  I always remember Cameron's strawberries as tiny and super sour.  I was quite surprise when I found some huge ones at the market there.  Even more surprise when they were all juicy and yummy when I bite into them!  Nice!  

We went to quite a number of flower nurseries.  Not exactly looking for anything. Just look see look see.    Basically that's what people do when they go to Cameron highlands.  Buy flowers, plants, vegetables, eat... lols...Yeah, I ate non stop.  Now that I work, I need the energy.  So it's absolutely alright to indulge!  :p

We were recommended by Florence to visit this Time Tunnel Museum while we were there.  It was really nice.  Feels like walking down memory lane.  The husband and I was so excited when we spotted and antique/classic stuff from 'our' time.  Lols... Yeah, our time.  

Sometimes when I thought about my childhood days, it doesn't feel like so long ago.  But when we started seeing these stuff from our childhood on display here, oh boy.....!  It looks like it was from a LONG time ago!  Hahahaha... Anyway, it's worth visiting. Just RM5/entry.  

Went for and early steamboat dinner.  Couldn't resist steamboat on cool weather like that.  There were many of them.  We simply picked the shop with the most customer.  One can never go wrong that way! Right?  The extra long funnel (if that is what you call that long thing) was because this particular set is using charcoal instead of running on gas.

After dinner we took a walk to their famous weekend night market nearby.  There were more goodies there.  This man is frying sweet potato balls.  I was so tempted to get some.  Unfortunately we were simply too stuffed.  Still, we bought some other food stuff - fried crab (super yummeh), apambalik (some kind of malay flour stuff), sweet corn (must try)!

The weather was rather nice throughout our stay until it began to pour while we were there in the market.  Though there were lots of umbrella for sale, we simply refuse to get one.  No, it was not expensive.  Just about RM10 each.  And rather wait out under all those canopies with chattering teeth.  Lols... I think the feeling of not-wanting-to-own-another-umbrella were rather overwhelming.  Especially not one with loud huge strawberries print (which we will never use again)!  

Next morning, wanted to bring the husband to Boh Tea Plantation (which my friends brought me the last time) for breakfast.  We got lost for a little while and ended up having lunch instead at the same place we had dinner the previous night before heading to the plantation for tea after getting better directions from the lunch waitress.

Though the tea & dessert were horrible, the experience was good for the husband.  He loves the place.  We also get to see how tea was processed.  Picture above is a tea grinding machine which was used since the plantation was set up a long long time ago and is still being used now.

Everywhere we walked, the air was filled with aroma of tea.  Nice.  Just a pity that the tea served at it's cafe doesn't taste anything near the aroma!  Personally, I feel they should outsource their cafe to more serious cafe people who serve freshly bakes yummies like scones with fresh cream and strawberry jam, variety of pastries, cupcakes and etc instead of some soggy sandwiches, spongelike cakes, tasteless tea which they are charging RM0.50 for refill of hot water!  *shaking head*  Can see it was a half hearted effort.  

Visitors still throngs the place despite of the overly priced yucky food.  It's the environment that matters.  What a waste of superb location and beautiful set up. *Sigh* 

We head back home after that.  Though just a short getaway, it was good.  Rejuvenating enough.  The beauty of traveling not in a group.  Easy going.

Breakfast with the Birds at the Park!

One thought in my mind this past week.  

"Complications, problems, unresolvable issues, obstacles are all self created.  Meaning, we created them in our mind and let it grow.  If we don't perceived them as what they were but part and parcels of life,  how complicated can them be?  A problem will not be a problem if we don't see it as a problem."  

So, it's all in the mind.  Of course I understand that sometimes they are beyond our control.  Hormones and all are much to blame for this uncontrollable perception or emotion.  But, as long as we are aware of the contributing factor, we wouldn't be too far off.  Agree not?

Example: If you think your husband doesn't love you, no matter what he did, you will still think he doesn't love you.  When he brings you flowers, you would perceive that he is just trying to make up thus insincerity and that he is just doing it out of obligation.  As time goes, it will just escalate.

Or, many other instances which have been popping up in my head except for this very moment when I wanna blog about it, nothing pops.  Lols....  It's always like this isn't it?

Anyway, was out at the Kuala Lumpur Birdpark last Sunday and it was great.  That was until my camera's battery depleted.  After that, it was not so great already. :p Lols... I supposed to bring my camera bag which has a fully charged spared battery.  On the very last minute, decided to chuck them in my handbag instead of that cumbersome bag.  Naturally, I missed out the battery.  Sigh... what's new?  Well, at least this time round, I remembered the memory card!  Lols....

Gotten the ticket at half price sometime back when I visited Matta Fair (some travel fair).  Thought it would be good for some photography practice.  Never been anyway.  Nothing to loose.

We got there at 9:30am and had breakfast with the birds at their Hornbill Restaurant.  The food sucks but environment was nice.  This bird here was at first just perching on the grill looking cute.  The moment I leave my plate, it just walk towards it.  Lols.... Seriously.  No joke. Despite of there were another two human sitting on that table.  The husband was brandishing fork & knife threatening that he will eat it alive.  It and it just strolled away cooly.  *super cute*  

The only downside was, I should've paid more attention to the names of these birds.  I was too happy snapping away.  Now, I don't know what bird are these. :p some kind of stork?

Nevermind.  I really don't know.  All I know is, they are dangerous.  They will snap their long pointy yellow beak at you if you are too close to one.

My favourite - an owl.  Some kind of owl :p  I know, I am pathetic.  Lols... I have a thing for owl.  Most people think that they look evil & spooky.  But I think they look so adorable with those heart shape pattern face, flattened, small little pointy beak curving downwards... not cute meh?  In fact, I think they are very intelligent!  Don't ask me why I think that.  I just think that. :p

You may notice that my blogging has been pretty senseless these days and that's because, I really can't find a good time for it.  If I am not working, I am dancing.  If I am not dancing, I am out with the husband compensating for limited time spent together these day (of course all those cleaning after the doggies too which somehow has become his job these days).  Or sometime, catching up with friends.  So the in-between time would be like now, at midnight?  And even that, if I have not passed out.  Literally.  The moment I hit the bed, I would be gone in not more than a minute. :p

Honestly, there are so much happenings.  I just don't have the luxury of time anymore.  Just last night, a girlfriend invited me to this really nice Contemporary Dance Performance called 'Scissors, Rock & Shadow Box' hosted by the Dutch Embassy.  Decided to just skip my training for once to enjoy myself and catch up a little.  We had such a great time and enjoyed the performance immensely.  I am never much of contemporary dance appreciator but this one, I simply love it.  The dancers were so expressive and strong.  Totally enjoying myself.  Oh, bumped into another friend there too from the Mauritius embassy and we had so much fun joking about.

Workwise was equally good too.  Began to mingle with other colleagues, feeling more comfortable at work, and every lunch time seems to be an 'updating' session or laughing senselessly with senseless jokes.  Looks like working life is fitting me rather well. :)  yeah, work fits me.  Not me fits work.  Lols.  Switching of perception. :)

Though I've no MSN nor FB connection at work (which, the thought of it used to be a nightmare), it was good too.  Some friends would always send me a 'good morning' email which never fails to add a little cheer to my otherwise maddening crazy hecticness at work! :)  Yes, my work are all those words described.  Even my mom thinks that I lost some weight few weeks into working.  Lols...  Well, the only downside would be, I can't communicate with mom as and when I like.  Even though we don't chat all the time last time, but at least I knew she was 'online'.  Now, I don't know.  So, it's a little weird.

Anyway, here's me, with an owl perching on my shoulder praying hard that it won't go crazy and start pecking my eyeball out.  :p  It's name, Kitty.  Love how it's feather swing outward above it's eyes.

With another smaller one on my wrist.  This one was a quiet one.  Shy little bird. :)

And last but not least, till I find another micro slot to blog, is a photo of us, shot with all those colourful birds.  Basically, we just sit ourselves on the bench and not move.  The workers then decorated us with those birds...  Hehehehehehe.... Nevertheless, another great photo, another great outing, another great week! :)

Cheers!

Have a great week people!

A photograph shot this morning to share before I find time to update my blog :)  Have a great week ahead people!

Celebrating 3 Years of Bliss

Our 3rd anniversary came and gone without much fanfare.  We never really celebrate.  Actually, we not exactly sure which day to celebrate.  

You see, we registered our union on 12th March 2008 (civil ceremony).  Had our wedding only on 30th May 2008.  In the eyes of law, we are officially husband & wife on 12th March 2008.  But we only start living together after 30th May 2008.  So, tell me, do we celebrate :

1) the day we register our marriage? or

2) the day our actually wedding took place?

Year in and year out, we faces the same dilemma.  Not knowing which day to celebrate, so we usually just let it be or just let it pass with a simple 'Happy Anniversary!' :)  Lols...  If we are free, and we remember, we'll go for a nice dinner.  But then again, we have nice dinner every other day too.  How nice would it be nice enough for an anniversary celebration?  Lols...  :p

We celebrated our 1st Anniversary on 12th March cause we were in Bali and the husband got me a pair of delicately crafted silver earrings to mark the occasion.  Our 2nd Anniversary was celebrated in advance to the date of 30th May cause we were in HongKong and the husband got me a really nice Swarovski pendant necklace from The Peak.  

This year, we were both too busy to do anything.  Lols.  I was at work till 7pm followed by dance training at 8pm and got home only at 11pm, all drained.  And he, not too good a day either.  Our car decided to act up and he has to get the tow truck in to tow it back to the workshop and catch a cab back to office. :p

Anyway, things has been rather crazy around here lately since I started work.  We'll probably find something to do the next couple of weeks to mark the occasion.  

I guess, for us, we just celebrated our anniversaries by convenience. Hehehehe.... But then again, as long as we are happy and in love.  Who cares about the anniversaries.  ;)  We have certainly come a long way...

What about you guys out there?  Which day do you celebrate?  What do you do usually to mark the occasion?  Do you get a gift for your other half?  What do you get?  What is suitable as an anniversary gift?  What happen when your other half forgotten about it?  Share with me :)  

When colleagues around me starting to go on MC one by one, I got panic.  Virus these days are very contagious.  True enough, I caught it.  Bout of cough-till-can-die kind of cough.  Tsk tsk... I don't remember virus being so contagious just few years back.  It has been horrifyingly passable since last year. It is because the virus strand is getting stronger?  Or, I am getting weaker?  Hmm.... lifestlyle wise, I've never been healthier as far as I can remember.  *question mark*

Anyway, the clinic being just another floor makes it easy to get medical care.  So easy that I don't feel I am sick at all.  Lols... Last time, it used to be, sick until like dog, crawl home from work, wait for the husband to get back, then head out to the clinic.  Not only that, it was so expensive.  Now, I don't need to worry a thing.  Just get into the lift, and voila!  *super like*.  Doesn't mean I gonna get sick always ok... Choy!

0 Expectation = 0 Disappointment

A conversation with a friend who recently threw a lavish party lead to these and I wonder....

1) When you throw a birthday party, do you expect your guest to bring presents? 

2) When your guest brings a present, does value of the present have to be more or less the amount you spent per pax on the party?

3) When you throw a wedding banquet, do you expect to make some money out of it?  Meaning, total angpow received will not only be enough to cover the banquet but hopefully, enough to cover for a little honeymoon too?

4) When you gave someone Christmas presents, do you expect them to give you something in return?

5) When you buy dinner/lunch, do you expect the next time it would be them buying?

It was hillarious for both the husband and I as we listen out his laments.  Probably cause he is a Mat Salleh (Caucasian) and not familiar with our culture here.   Then he asked, "Does this kind of things happened to you?  Do you have friends like that?  That don't bring anything attending parties?".  The husband & I just blurted out 'plenty' without second thoughts and we laughed.

1) We have invited friends for birthday dinner who not only didn't bring presents but added remarks like... "Do we have to pay for the dinner?!" (Though they are not expected to, but harlow?  Do you speak like that?).

2) Our wedding event was a deficit of RM100k.

3) Year after year, we gave Christmas presents but we hardly getting anything.  That's ok. Cause we wanted to give.  Really, I couldn't resists.

4) When come to dinners/lunches, miraculously, we are always the one fastest with our wallets.  We are so tired of this kind of crap that we decided to split the bill there and then however uglifying that is.

So, this Mat Salleh friends of ours was so surprise!  Lols... The next thing he said was, "You should stop all that.  You are being taken for granted!".  Lols... The thing is, I think it is like this in this part of the world.  People simply don't understand the term 'give & take'.  They only understand 'take & take'.  Hehehehe...  I even shared with him an experience when I put in a little less effort, a friend got disappointed.  Lols.... His eyes almost pops! Hahahaha....

Life is just like that la... there are so many different kind of people in this world, how can we expect everyone to respond or react exactly how we expected them to be?  Don't worry, there is remedy to this. And this is, DO NOT EXPECT ANYTHING IN RETURN.  Then we would not be disappointed. :)  Like what I posted on my FB status yesterday... '0 Expectation = 0 Disappointment.  It's happiness all over again!".  There you have it. :)

So, how is it like for you guys?  What's your expectation?  Do you get something in return when you give?  Or like us, you have friends that conveniently forgets? :D This is one interesting topics.  Let me know!

p/s: It's 11:30pm now, and the husband said this.. "Go to sleep. It's your bed time." o.O.  All because he wanna watch how a cobra swallow a rattle snake on tv which I refused to see. :p  I have this thing about reptiles.  They give me nightmares and goosebumps.

Our Normal Saturday!

We have been so busy and travelling so much for the past few weekends and we decided to just stay put and not go anywhere this weekend.  Though staying put, we still did lot of stuff and gone to quite a lot of places just today alone

1) Breakfast nearby.

2) Kota Damansara to buy dog food, bring a blouse I bought last week back to the boutique to have it's magnetic tag removed (they forgotten last week), some shopping for daily stuff.

3) Check out the construction site of a house.

4) Head down to Pet's Exhibition in MidValley to visit Aunty Suzi (a pet artist) who have a booth there.

5) McDonald for lunch.

6) Car workshop to check out a new paint work on my car.

7) Groomed and bathed Rumba and Sunshine.

8) Took Husky out for a walk.

9) Updated blog.

10) Head down to Pavillion for a pair of shoe the husband desired.

Mad crazy huh?  We certainly need to tone down those activities.  Really miss one of those lazy weekend that we do nothing at all.  Or those afternoon of movie marathon at home.  Sigh....  But then again, it feel sort of normal too.  Just like how it used to be when I was working a long time ago.

Other than all those craziness, today also marked a very important occasion.  After watching an episode of 'Dog Whisperer', we finally managed to take Husky; our monster dog, out for a walk!  :)  You see, we have been facing some problem with him for quite some time.  Remember he was transferred to the never never land of our backyard?  Well, since then, he has been off leash, off collar, off everything and gone a little crazier.  As time goes, he began to snap.  Not only were we not able to put a collar on him, we were not able to leash him or stroke him.  He would simply aim to bite our hands off.

The husband has taken upon himself to patiently train Husky for the past one month.  Those ordinary stuff ~ sit, stay, left paw, right paw... good boy!  And it went on and on... just to get him comfortable with human touch and oh boy, he was learning fast.  Very food & touch motivated.  He learned all that in no time.  Still, he wasn't quite comfortable with the leash/collar.  And the poor husband suffered quite a number of scratches along the way.  We were joking about it the other day, he said if he gone a little crazier, it could be from those scratches.  Mad dog disease.  Lols...

We accidentally caught an episode of 'Dog Whisperer' being aired over Astro last week and that gave us a new inspiration on how to handle our monster.  Following the technique shown on tv, we finally succeeded in leashing Husky and managed to take him out for a walk.  He was rather excited and at the same time, wary.  But ok.  Almost set off chasing after cats when he spotted one!  Luckily I had the leash rolled tightly on my arm.  Nevertheless, it was a great attempt.  What an accomplishment.  I certainly hope he will get used to it soon.

A Drive That Turned Out To Be A Day Trip - Ipoh

Last last weekend was Penang.  And last weekend, was Ipoh, Perak ~  Just a day trip though.  The guys had planned it weeks ago.  It was supposed to be Malacca initially (changed to tomorrow).  Not sure why the change.  Either way, it will still be good for me.  I am missing 'dim sum' in Ipoh!  They have one of the best dimsum I ever tasted!  And no, we are not joining them for Malacca tomorrow.  We are just too tired and needed some rest desperately!

Dressed in a simple short dress and slipper, dragging along my camera and a shawl, groggily, I got into the car  last Sunday morning at about 7ish and continued zzzz while the husband drove.  I was under the impression that one of the guy in the group needed to test his car, thus the trip.  And so, I expected that we would just drive 200km there, have dimsum breakfast and be right back to KL again.

Wikipedia:  

Ipoh developed into one of Malaysia's main cities around the turn of the 19th century due to the booming tin mining industry.  During the British colonial era, Ipoh was Malaysia's second city for administraative purposes.  There are several notable buidings from the British Colonial era such as the railway station and the town hall.  70% of Ipoh's population is of Chinese origin. 

There were altogether 16 of us in 5 cars.  We arrived at our first destination at 9:30am - Restoran Yoke Fook Moon, for our favourite dimsum breakfast.  The place was packed to the brim with the weekend crowds.  Taste wise, hmm... I thought it was tastier the other time we were there. :(   I wonder, could it be my tongue was still asleep?  Lols...

I thought we were good to go home after our little dim sum escaped.   Little did I know it was a whole day eating trip o.O. 

After dimsum, it was the Ipoh White Coffee at it's Original Coffee Shop.  All 16 of us, adult and children alike, were packed to the back alley.  The coffee was awesome.  Probably cause the weather was super hot.  An ice cold white coffee would be a real treat!  

Comparatively to all the Ipoh White Coffee outlets here, this one in Ipoh tasted slightly better.  Less heavy if you now what I mean.  

Half boiled eggs' pot, coffee pots, gas cylinders at the back of shop, nearby where we were seated, baking under hot sun.  To all my blog friends over in 4 seasons countries, don't be deceived by this nice ray of sunshine.  It is REALLY hot.  Not just some sunshine with cool breeze.  It was easily 40 deg cel.  Blazing hot!

Some flats nearby.  Packed like sardine.  So packed that I can hardly breathe just by looking at it.  

After coffee, it was the 'Perak Cave Temple'.  Despite of having been in Ipoh numerous times, never once had I visited any of these cave temples.  There are plenty of them in Ipoh.  

The husband and I donated a piece of roof.  It was hillarious when the temple operator asked how to write our Chinese names.  Yes, we can write our names, can read some characters too.  We simply just don't know how to explain to another person how it is written.  Lols.... After some chicken & duck talk, we finaly got it right!

The ceiling inside the temple.  Natural formation of a cave.  But I think it might has been smoothen over the years.  The edges were simply too squarish to be natural.

We also lighted lotus candles. :)

Check out the inside of the temple.  Rather interesting right with images of Buddhist god painted onto the wall of the natural cave.  Though it was super hot outside... inside the temple, it was so cool and nice.  As if there was an air conditioner! Such a relieve for all of us who had been baking under the hot sun the whole morning!

A temple dog enjoying the cool floor.  :)

This shot was taken from inside of the temple facing out.

It was more food after that.  A trip to Ipoh would not be complete without a meal of it's famous Ipoh Beansprout Chicken Rice.  Sorry, no picture of the food for this one.  Cause I thought the presentation of the food were not so nice.  We didn't go to Lou Wong but the one next to it.  I still like the other one near Excelsior Hotel.  Unfortunately they only open in the evening. :(

The other famous thing in Ipoh - pameloes.  Somehow, the pameloes from this city is really nice and sweet.  Not just pameloes.  Even their beansprouts were extra fat and nice.  

And their soya bean milk too.  Though has a funny name - "Funny Mountain", it's extra delicious and yummy.  Not only were there a long line of people queueing up right outside the stall under the hot sun, there were also a long line of cars queueing up outside as if it was a drive thru counters like that.  Madness huh?  

They said it was the Ipoh water.  Spring water that is.  Even their girls are fairer and prettier.  Really.  So if next time, someone walked up to you and ask.. "Are you from Ipoh?".  Take it as a compliment.  Ipoh are know for it's pretty girls!  :)