8 acres Raub Pahang

I think it’s important that every now and then we take a little time away and spend it with our besties, whether it’s just a meet up for lunch, or spa or bungee jumping.

It’s a time to reflect on one’s sanity with the person who knows one best.

So for this year, me besties and I decided on a trip to the outzone( out of mobile network zone). After much googling (who knew Bentong and Raub had SO many getaways) we all agreed on 8 acres in Raub Pahang. At a cost of RM250 per pax per night, we thought it was ok considering that breakfast, lunch and dinner is provided for and there is free flow of coffee, tea, biscuits and roselle juice. Also included are activities like board games, pony rides, petting zoo, chicken feeding, goose chasing(I might have made that one up, but you are welcome to try) and waterfall with tiny nibbling fish(if I am not mistaken, the fish are called garra rupa) which are all for free.

Getting there isn’t exactly a maze as long as you don’t turn off on the wrong road. After Bentong, head to Kampung Lebu. Go past the Felda land, turn left and then turn right into the Lembih Temir road. Here’s where you will start to loose phone coverage but worry not, there is plenty of signboards to 8 acres along the Kelapa Sawit and Getah road. The first part of the road was just tarred about 3 months ago, this will then open up to a more rustic-pothole- laden road and later to a road that can only fit one vehicle at a time.

First part of the road

2nd part of the road

The last part where only one vehicle goes through at a time

After about 6km, we reached the Lembih Temir resort entrance and less than a 1km further, we were driving into the gates of 8acres. The parking at the resort is limited, and everything is pretty much self service. There is a reception booth, but not exactly a receptionist, so there isn’t any formal “check in procedure”. Mr George, the friendly manager, happily greeted us, and showed us where our cabin is, then proceeded to  give us a dos and donts briefing and off we went to lunch.

Our room entrance sign. Named after the Mulberry Bushes planted around the rooms

Recycle your stuff! Note the green bucket on the left, thats where guest need to drop their plates and cups after food

Unsure where to go? check out the map at the Brick House

There were a couple of other families there and lunch was served in a buffet style with about 5-7 dishes and fruits on the side. After we had our meal, we went up Mulberry Place, our little home for next 2 days, changed and happily trotted down to the waterfall which is about 200 meters from our room. It was a cloudy day and the minute the drizzle started , we left the waterfall and went over to the Tatami room to check out that we could play. Some people were asleep, some were playing caroms and mahjong, so we settled on the white board and played Win Lose or Draw. Who was the winner you ask? Heh heh heh. (sorry pekster and diplodocus, better luck next time)

Waterfall

These guys were the first to greet us when we arrived

Petting zoo area, see the rooster at the front? got into a "fight" with him early one morning as he wouldnt keep it down..

Around 7, we heard a gong ring 3 times and some people started jumping “dinner, dinner”(ok that explained it). We settled comfortably with our simple dinner at a table behind some kids watching cartoon on the common TV. After dinner we decided to have a few, and though alcohol is allowed in the resort, it is off limits in the Tatami room and the common dining area.

Brought back childhood memories

This guy rings 3 times a day

The resort's little store that sells tee shirts, insect repellent and home made soaps and oils

Mdm Pony

Mr Ram

We spend the next day, taking walks around resort. Some parts of the land have a steeper elevation and there are smaller huts on these higher ground. We also paid a happy visit to the local pony and ram. There’s an interesting story behind this pair. The resort had initially owned a Male and a Female pony. The male had passed on and the resort had taken in the ram. Both became the best of buddies and the ram had assigned itself as the pony’s bodyguard. He does not go anywhere without her and no one can get close to her without his permission. Even we got headbutted to move 5 feet away, one morning.  Now if that isn’t a love story, nothing is.

nasi lemak on our second morning! Chicken and eggs from their own farms

Blue butterflypea drink. Supposedly good for memory

Rest of our 2nd day was spent eating, splashing about the waterfall, enjoying the serene-ness and in Pekster and Diplodocus case, enjoying the view of a “jalsaenggin oppa”.

nope, not a banana tree

The resort's Durian Trees didnt bear much fruit this year so they got us the seller from Raub to come in with some Musang Kings. At Rm45 per kilo, we bought 2 fruits and couldnt eat anything else until dinner. Surprisingly the same seller has a store at Sg Besi Indah, which is pretty near to my home.

We decided to take the complimentary walkabout on the last day with the very informative Uncle Kam whose son owns 8 acres. He informed us that the resort only sits on 2 acres of the land, and the rest are plantations and orchards. He gave a very detailed explanation on the types of trees that they have, both local and imported, and how to recognize the different durian trees.  Uncle Kam also shared valuable information on the 900 trees planted about the resort and the history of the land. Makes one think of the bond we each have with our Mother.

Ok, I think I am a little more sane now.

who dat on the roof? Duckies!

The fly swatter- Port Dickson Aug17

Man, I haven’t been to this space in AGES. What with a gazillion hospital visits ( I’m alive and well peeps!) and with the mounting pressure at work, it hasn’t been easy to get a breather to just let my thoughts flow here.

It’s during this downtime, I tend to appreciate a lot of things. Like the sea, for one. I think, with my super fear of all things aqua( looking at you Aquaman!) , I haven’t had the chance to be thankful for the body of water that surrounds our little haven in the world. So when my wound healing got more positive, I dragged Pbear out to PD.

Now , let’s be honest here. There are only a handful of people that actually APPRECIATE PD. I don’t think I did that much, but some of my most wonderful memories were carved at this little seaside town. See, I had the opportunity (if I may call it that) to see my tough-in-your -face best friend turn into a (shudder) meek “rabbit” , had tons of picnics with my extended family, here is also where I learnt how to steal a Mazda , how to swim in a pool like a turtle with a frog for a shell (thanks to my cousin),  and I got to learn how to eat while flies buzz around your head. The trick is-  look them in the eye(s)! If the flies see no fear in your eyes, they will leave you well alone.

So while I do like the tiny town, the mush in the sea always deterred me away. Though, speaking honestly, in my previous 2 visits, I noted that the sea seemed cleaner, and the beaches whiter. And I really actually enjoyed my stay.

If only they remained that way..

Unfortunately, things went a little awry from the time we arrived at Lukut. We had lunch at a chicken rice stall near the Jetty, and though I had the same food here last year, poor Pbear found something akin to a cicak poop on his plate. And It didn’t look delicious. Even the flies didn’t want to go near it. So we left the stall, disgruntled, and headed out to the waterfront.

It was a far cry from a year ago when the walkways were clean and there were plenty of tiny sampans docked nearby. It had just rained and though the wind was nice, there was a lot of rubbish on the sidewalk and cars were parked on WALKways. The cars didn’t have any feet, so I’m not sure why they were there. Disgruntled yet again, we stayed for less than half an hour before heading off to our hotel.

Managed a pitstop to have ABC with Pigeons. Only in PD!

This time I stayed next to The Grand Lexis. The glory beach resort is a “well-seasoned” hotel. It  has its own beach, a small petting zoo(with mainly rabbits), lots of turtle hatchery and ponds, and there is almost always an ice cream man present somewhere. The hotel comes with a adult pool and a kids pool. And if one is up for it, there is also archery and rabbit feeding at certain times of the day. The beach is very useful, especially if you have kids. Plenty of sand to go around into their pants and hair (kidding, mommies), I saw the kids having the time of their lives making sandcastles and sandworms. I believe the Sandworms were attacking the sandcastles.

But the water. Not, let me rephrase that. But the muddy scented oily slick of liquid. Urgh.  We thought maybe the neighboring beach would be better, but the water quality there was worse. One dip in, and your mother would not be able to differentiate between you and the swamp thing. Flies might mistake you for a lump of poop, no point with the eye contact then.

See the brown beach just north of the white sand? That one looked cleaner from afar, but its all a mirage

We had paid for a one bedroom apartment but were given the 3 bedroom. The master suite was upstairs with 2 rooms downstairs, and with only 2 of us, we barely went upstairs. Though I could swear that I had heard a man coughing and someone coming down the stairs, so maybe there was actually 3 of us staying there.

Being at the seaside and all, we decided to look for ikan bakar that night. Found this place by chance, were happy that our order of ikan kembongs  turned out to be very fresh and yummy. Surprisingly no flies were at the shop. But fate is cruel. We were instead bombarded with ants and fat cats. Eye contact don’t work with this species. Trust me. I tried. More noteworthy though, was the drive to the Ikan Bakar restaurant -  PD roads are mostly just 2 lanes and I wasn’t driving fast. And though I never expected it, I got run off the lanes a couple of times because some drivers( all with Wxx number plates!) just couldn’t wait to get to their tomyum and nasi goreng joints. I felt like I was back in SK with the honks, flashing and cucuk-king. Pbear is much calmer with all this and I think next time, I’ll just hand him the wheel. (I consider myself a suburban now: slow drive, empty roads, greet hello to my neighbours)

The meteor shower was happening that night, so we stayed up trying to catch that mystical streak in the skies. But the moon was happily shining and the clouds were happily rolling so though we didn’t catch sight of them, Pbear did manage to get beautiful shots of the lightning and the moon. At least me losing sleep wasn’t totally wasted. And our friendly neighbor said hello to us. Ok, to be fair he was actually shouting the hello out to the world from his balcony, but since we were the only 2 people awake at that hour, I guess it counts.

I may have visited the same town and the same shops, but I find that everytime I go again somewhere, I experience different things. But then again, maybe I, and the people around me, am different today too.

If only the flies were different too. Swat!

Dont be fooled at how pretty it looks, thats pretty mucky

The Waiting Game

I know we are so attached to google these days, and that every little thing we don’t know, the answer is just at our fingertips. LITERALLY.

So it didn’t come as much of surprise to me, when I noticed that I was goggling “what to do while my friend arrives”.

It seems so far away today, but I did come from a generation that actually sat and waited for their friends with no FB,Twitter or Insta to check every 5 minutes. And it seemed like memories from another planet, while I tried to remember what was it that I did while waiting in those days. I tried to imagine myself 15 years ago, sitting on the roadside mamak while I wait for Geetu to show up…and…what did I do?? Come to think of it, I might have been doing a couple of things(some of which surprisingly were suggestions from google today):

1. People watched.
I admit I still do this till today, sometimes it gets interesting. Like this one time a mom and child were walking through a mall, and then out of the blues, the child turns to a T-rex and starts running amok and the poor mother starts chasing him. It was a short scene but the hilarity of it? Priceless. Or that girl waiting for her blind date, who keeps checking both her phone and her make up every minute until he finally arrives. Awfully shweet! But again, it’s not always the case as most times, people just have their heads downcast looking at their mobile FB or taking selfies.

2. Listened to others' conversation.
Ok, maybe this sounds a bit kepoh, but I admit I did this too. Sometimes you get to hear the darnest things, and if there was any positive note to it, you get a moral lesson on what not to do in your life/in your kitchen/in your office etc. Or in a restaurant, when someone remarks another shop has better food, can that be counted as eavesdropped advice?

3. Learn Patience.
This, is SO true. I learnt how not to murder someone who left me waiting for 2 hours. Should probably take up Yoga in that waiting time..

4. Read Road Signs.
I think It wasn’t just road signs. One instance, I had memorized the entire menu off a restaurant, read all their waiters names and even devised a master plan on how to get past the shop’s laser beams at night to rob their secret roti canai recipe, Oceans 11 style! All while waiting for my friends Ultimate arrival.

5. Talk to a stranger.
Well, my momma told me not to. But I did it anyway(yeah, I’m the rebel!). Talked to waiters at the restaurants, to cashiers at newspaper stands, to people at the bus stop, and sometimes, to the cats on the staircase of Kotaraya.

6. Read the newspaper.
The difference between the then and now would be that the paper has become electronic. I have always been someone who lugged their story book wherever they went, so I would sometimes just sit by with my tea and start reading. Sometimes, my books don’t fit my bag, so I hope e-books count in this category too.

7. Get Lost
Not in the literal sense. But I have this itch that I can’t sit in one place for too long, just waiting. Back then, I used to meet my college friends in Petaling Street, which to my young eyes was just a maze ( To my adult eyes, Hanoi’s 36 Streets surpasses that) and it was just wonderful being lost in that maze and finding small knickknack stores around the corner. I would just time myself to be back to my original spot in time to meet the Teh Tarik geng. I guess I still do it, when Pbear is late, I tend to drive around the area we are supposed to meet, checking out new stores or a new street. Only difference is that I don’t wear a watch now, so my curious-drive-away ends up with him waiting for me instead.

Though technology had made us almost inseparable from our mobile phones, I guess the waiting for my kawan has taken a new turn now. We don’t really do what we used to , but then again- somethings do stay the same. Like I am still here, with google open and my friend is still LATE. Another 5 minutes and I am going to have to re-learn Point 3..

How it feels..

The 7th Wonder

I keep thinking of this gazillions of topics I want to write about, but always, I would forget to write them down. I find that without writing down stuff, sometimes, I cant remember a list. Its not just things of yesteryear that seems to be a bit of a muggle but also something simple like a grocery list. To be honest,  When I was younger, I could remember any topic and any date without having to write it down somewhere( sometimes I do write down stuff, and then I forget just where I did write them). Back then I was proud to be able to remember meticulous details , sorta like that anne in the mamak when he takes our order for 16 people and gets it right down to the correct milo-ais-tanpa-susu-tambah-milo.

Speaking of Milo, my milo- monster nephew’s memory reminds me of that. One weekend, he hides his Hot Wheels behind the sofa, and 3 weeks later(how do you even remember such things?) , we see him digging around, and voila- there is a hidden car where we have been sitting everyday. Maybe I have some princess and the pea syndrome, or maybe the cushion is just too thick. Hey, at least I still remember where my keys are. Anyway, being an adult, I guess this forgetfulness needs some excuse story.

Speaking of stories, remember a time when we loved all those fairy tales? You can remember every line Ariel sang- and in Diplodocus’ case, every line Ariel said. Fairy tales being pushed aside, my nephew’s latest craze is Shah Rukh Khan. To the point that even his birthday cake had the movie Dilwale poster on it and he refused to allow anyone to cut out SRK face from the cake. I mean, I loved the Backstreet Boys in my hey-didley days but I don’t think I wanted to have their faces on my cake. Orrrrrrr maybe I might have, it’s hard to imagine yourself 15 and Howie-crazy again. Just like how I knew all the lyrics to “As Long as you love me” , my Nephew can remember all the songs+moves of his favourite movie. Even his hair is the exact replica of Mr. SRK . I don’t even recall the last movie SRK made, though while watching the subtitle-less Dilwale couple of weeks ago, I had to literally translate the entire movie for that milo chugging monster, and  in some parts, I even needed to make background stories to what was happening on screen. Kids today, they need to know everything! At least, I still have my storytelling up to speed.

Speaking of speed, what is with kids and running? I am pretty sure Nancy Regan said “This Boots are made for Walking”. And if running wasn’t enough, lilmonster recently bought a pair of skates and that’s how he moves around now. He basically got the whole “how it works” within 2 hours of getting the skates(a much thank you to YouTube too) And here I was, trying my hand at making  an origami crane for the last 10 hours. I mean, come on! You know what, deep down, I think I could have learnt those skates in 5 minutes . Yeah, I am pretty sure of it. Unfortunately, they could not fit my feet.

Speaking of feet, how is it that the smallest feet can make the most noise? I mean the monster-kid nephew is just 7..and you can hear him running from a mile away. He doesn’t seem to mind the noise even when you are sleeping. Like every Sunday, at exactly 8am, when birds are chirping gently and the world is still cradling in the off-day, there will be this sudden crash and tsunami like wave hitting my bed and the next thing I know there are these 2 feet stabbing into my back forcing me to wake up and face the Hot wheels, Lego and Shah Rukh Khan laden weekend. So I drag myself out of bed in my quiet feet, and the pitter patter of the monster would have reached the playpen long before you can say “where’s the coffee”.

But through it all, sometimes you just want to slow the time down and watch them play and sometimes you just wonder where is the time gone.

Speaking of gone time, I suppose this entry should have come in 2 months ago, and though it is a little bit late, I wish my little baby nephew (I have aunt rights to call him baby FOREVER) a happy 7^th birthday.

To Tote or not to Tote

Half the time. I am quite happy to be known as a suburban. I take trains to the city and back(hell no, not the komuter!) and somehow I am still charmed by the chug-a-chug and squeals of the brakes on the tracks. Well, maybe not so much of a chug a chug from the ERL, but the squeals are definitely there.

Anyways, it was during one of these train rides I noticed something peculiar. Getting off the train, a man and woman, presumably a married couple, was walking about 10 steps ahead of me. The woman seemed unwell, she was swaying slightly and had on a thick jacket. The husband was walking next to her and asked her if she was tired. She said she was, and he offered to help her.

How would you help someone who was tired? Probably offer an arm for her to lean on? Direct her to the elevator instead of standing in the crowded escalator? Or maybe gently support her back on the escalator up(she seemed to almost double over anyway)

No, not this man. He instead, takes her 0.2kg handbag from her shoulder. Slings in on his shoulder and continues walking.

Correct me if I am mistaken in the scenario. How does carrying off a load of 200grams (it was a VERY tiny bag) help the poor woman?

It’s probably some sort of trend, but I did notice a lot of men carry their women’s handbags for them in the malls too. Imagine this, here is this tall, hunky man, in his levis and a Polo tee. With a mint green Furla bag on his arm.

Don’t get me wrong,  I am all out for the gentleman who carries bags for ladies, but I mean grocery bags, shopping bags,or bags from Ikea. I just don’t think chivalry and coach tote go hand in hand.

Having said that, I still am of the opinion its socially acceptable for a man to carry a bag, but one designed with a man in mind. Maybe, just maybe, there should be more promotion from Radley For Men. I know some people would say its still a bag, but I suppose a manbag would look better than a C&K bowling bag.

Just my thought, no pun intended to any man or handbag.

Orlando Bloom looks hot with his man-o

Hanoi Winter- Feb 2016

Hanoi has got to be one of those crazy amazing places where chaos rules the day.

The people are everywhere, the food is sold in every corner, hidden coffee shops just waiting to be found, and the best of all, the traffic.

There are no rules to the traffic in Hanoi. One has to just close eyes(ok, don’t do that literally), say a prayer, keep your fingers crossed, check your rabbits foot, and step off the curb. Keep a steady pace and you will get to the other side in one piece. Hanoi is 95% bikes and they will just zoom around the pedestrians. Does it make me wonder though, was the term “why did the chicken cross the road” created in Hanoi? Though I can imagine the chicken owner asking his wife this in bewilderment, no sane chicken would take that journey.

And PS. Don’t cross by this rules on Malaysian roads.

Food in Hanoi, is a plenty, every corner you turn, you can find a peddler or café. The first day we were there, we did get a bit lost with the food. I mean this literally, we went Into a restaurant, and they placed a plate of a few items and we had no idea that the items are supposed to be joined and rolled into a popiah and eaten with the sauce on the side. But as all good things go, once we learnt our way around the Vietnamese food, we were enjoying it massively. Fish with Dill (Cha ca thang long), Pho ga/bo(which we had in different shops, trick is to add extra lime and spicy chili, and then it’s better than our local kuey teow soup!), Bun Nem(basically popiah), Bun Cha(Bun Cha Ta), and my absolute favourite, Banh Mi. Fruits and Desserts are also all great, with peddlers all over Old Town. In fact the fruits seller outside our hotel (Gia Thinh) sold the best, RM5 for a cup of mixed fruits with yogurt, milk and coconut milk.. it should be called heaven in a cup.

Bun Cha

heaven in a Cup

Coffee cafes are in every corner. A specialty of Hanoi, we had to go into the maze of Old Quarter with our guide to try the EGG-celent Egg Coffee(Giang Café). First time in our lives did we have to sit on stall tiny stools(not very easy as I am a baby elephant as compared to an average viet lady). Hanoi people love to sit on this little stools , and they are placed very close to one another and the best part. All coffee drinkers eat kuaci with their coffee. I kid you not, it’s a cultural thing to do here. Anyway, the egg coffee is made by whisking the egg till its frothy and is poured over the coffee. Drink It hot if you don’t like the eggy smell in your coffee. There are loads of coffee cafes strewn all over Old Quarter and beyond, and we were excited when we found a hidden spot- a rooftop café overlooking the lake. We almost missed it and had to round the street few times before we found it..we needed to go through a fabric store, down a small alley which opens into a courtyard and up flights after flights of stairs until the rooftop(Café Pho Co)

Tired of Coffee? Try the Hot Choco

Crime in Hanoi is there, be it in any country. So do beware especially when leaving the bank or the money changer. The banks opposite the lake do change RM to VND, but it’s still best to carry USD and change it there. On Sundays the banks are closed, but you can exchange at most goldsmith shops in Old Quarter. I would recommend the Money Changer at No 9, Hang Bac(Gold Smith Shop), a stone throws away from Gia Thinh. Taxis tend to overcharge here, the Mai linh cabs are ok, but on our last day, we travelled by Uber which was pretty easy too.

The younger people in Hanoi do speak English, so trying to speak to an older person would just include finger pointing, sounds of monkeys and tons of head nods and shakes. We had taken a tour with Hanoi Free Tour Guides, we had one guide in the morning. He shared with us Vietnam’s culture and heritage and gave us his honest politically correct views of the “socialist party” leading the country today. He is an engineering student learning English and German with hopes of furthering his education in the west, and it was interesting to share and hear his young opinions. The second half of the day we had Dung, a medical student studying locally. Though a little more reserved, he was more than happy to talk and teach us about the Vietnamese cuisine and left us with a few much needed pointers on what to eat and where. I would definitely recommend this Guides for anyone visiting Hanoi, as there is no fee apart from a donation made to the organization.

Guardians to the One Pillar Pagoda

The truth is spending 5 days in Hanoi is just not enough. Some people were a little surprised that we would spend that many days there without visiting Ha Long Bay, but I found there was much to do and see around Hanoi without the rush of travelling to another place. Take a stroll around the Hoan Kiem lake, (though end of winter, the flowers were blooming)the weather is perfect for walking. I could have just sat there for hours with a book, the water is just peaceful. The women’s museum and the prison are both worth a visit, teaching us of the times and tirade this beautiful country went through during the war.  Seep in the knowing and enlightening aura of the  Temple of Literature, wonder at the actual size of the Old Citadel, where does it end? Say a prayer and the oldest Pagoda, Have a coffee on a ferry turned-café by Highway Coffee near the Pagoda.

Unique Bonsai Gardens of Hanoi

Ferry Coffee

Sit by the Cathedral, enjoy a coffee at La Place while the church bells ring during mass(btw, visit during Mass on Sunday, church is closed on other days).Get lost in the maze of the 36 streets that make up Old Quarter. Its always surprising where the next corner might take you. Buy a ticket, grab your seat and enjoy the unique water puppet show.

La Place Coffee and Toast

Shop,eat, relax, unwind and let the Turtle tell you it’s tale.

"do you trust me? " ~ Alladdin~

I believe one of the hardest things to do is trust. But yet, it is the foundation of having  a sound relationship, be it between parents, friends, or even with your ice cream man. And therefore it is the most crucial part of our everyday interactions.

But recently I learnt that trust is not something so straightforward. Its not just about trusting someone with an object, with your secrets, or trusting them to catch you when you fall. Its an interwoven piece into the streams of the rope that binds us, it is of you trusting that I will not make a decision that will hurt me.

Odd statement? Probably. But it didn’t come by, if not out of a situation. Since, you insist, I will share it with you.

Couple of years ago, I had met a man named Sloth. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) around me thought him to be a caring and wonderful person and I should be so lucky to have him. I followed through that thinking and after a lecture or two on giving him a chance, I decided to do it. I had a million doubts, but I took a chance, thinking maybe everyone else saw something I didn’t. Probably I’m partially blind. That man, ladies and gentlemen, turned out to be the biggest loser sloth I had ever laid eyes on. And that made me realize. I probably was not blind.

Now coming back to the present, I admit that I have been making decisions in the past 10 months without consideration of anyone’s opinion. After all, If I fall, you will be there to catch me, so what worry should I have? But one decision is lying in front of me. And your point of view, this time, is way off the line of trust.

Handle me a spatula, Ill bake you a cake. Hand me a knife, ill whip you a dinner with drinks, hand me a book, I will tell you its hidden messages. Trust me, I will find the truth hidden in every sentence, I will find the emotion hiding behind that heart, I will care and cherish my own feelings, but trust me to do it. Allow me to make that decision and tell me your opinion without treating me as a child. As I have treated you.

For only In that, can our rope stand.