Foodie Trail : Kampar-Penang-Ipoh

Not feeling well today and I'm still too tired physically and mentally to put together a satisfying post about the recent PBIM experience.  Instead ..I'm gonna flood your screen with pictures of all the yummy yummy food that we had in the two days up north.

Starting with Kampar, Perak  at the famous food court near the market:

One of the very few attap houses left in Kampar town

..as Lisa puts it..you can taste how much 'heart' the maker has put into making this good cuppa

Curry chee cheong fun, wan tan mee, glutinous rice, lai fun

Next up ..Penang of course:

Penang Bridge

Starting with lunch at Macallister Road:

You will find dozens of hawkers along this road

Oops..forgot to take pictures before eating :P

And these were breakfast after the run ..at Bayan Lepas..(forgot name of place)..but food was fantastic and cheap:

Excellent yam cake RM2

Curry Laksa Penang style

Hokkien Mee RM2.50

Peanut Pancake..price..unknown :P

We can't help but wondered if we will be like them in the future : /

These were for tea break at Swatow Lane

Yummy cendol

This rojak is to die for!

some kuih...not too bad.

Last stop - Ipoh : Restoran Kam Wan (Aneka Selera) a.k.a Tung Ku Teng

Fried Chicken Wing..the gals think these are better than Jalan Alor's Wong Ah Wah

Yucky..it's delicious..snail  :D

Plateful of snails..

Delicious delicious clams...

Bamboo clams..

Popiah!

Dessert - leng chi kang

Burp..

It was awesome

Food.Food.Rain.Lots of Rain.Fun.Fun.Pain.and more food.

Stay tuned :)

The Truth Unveils

Herewith, an in-depth conversation that unveiled the real reasons to why I have not moved ...






FY says:

eh.. u haven't moved yet?

wsl says:

nope

FY says:

you reno your house, got into credit card debt and still don't want to move?

wsl says:

get iphone 1st

FY says:

and then you said you are broke?

wsl says:

hahaha

FY says:

ha ha ha

wsl says:

cos new hse no int

dear streamyx needs one wk to activate

new line

or watever they nd to do

FY says:

excuse

nothing to do with moving

wsl says:

i move or stay..the cost is un-seen

i move or stay ..i stil hv to pay instalmt

no tthat..after mvg i get rental for old hse or pay less instalmet

FY says:

i don't think it is a pack-a-bag and move kinda thing.. it's really packing up the old house to move right?

wsl says:

move esentails lo

FY says:

so u haven't even pack right?

wsl says:

tv, frdge etc

i hv to make sure my father has his astro..taht is if he lets me move his TV

FY says:

and there's also the mental preparation..

wsl says:

ya

and i cant live without internet

FY says:

not if u have the iphone

no need to depend on tmnut

wsl says:

tas why i said buy iphone 1st :D

ya..NUTS

and i need a man too

to help me run all this

FY says:

ya.. u do

post in fb

wsl says:

sigh..only te mareid ones wil respon

i attract married men?

FY says:

u post something like "WSL is desperate for a man"

wsl says:

no way

FY says:

then when people ask u baru  said ' to help her move house'

LOL!

all the married men will be scared away

left the single ones

*ahem*

I'm still Michael

In September (blogged HERE) ....they sent me Michael's Shuffle..which I happily accepted.

Early October....some tele marketer called asking for Michael Wong...(blogged HERE)

On the same month, they sent me the redemption letter of the second Shuffle ..still. addressed to Michael!

Since then..I've became a regular but patient caller to the card centre...and many times..they re-assured ..that they will make sure I get my shuffle and more importantly..will make sure I'm still a Female..and not MICHAEL.


This letter dated 4th Nov..came in last week.

May be I should change sex ....
After all, Michael Wong sounds like a nice name..

Messed up post

I've been quiet....if you noticed...and I don't know why.

Year end approaching..as usual..I feel left behind by time : /

And yes.I have not moved to the new place! booo hooo...

Don't ask me why is it so difficult.
As ML said several times..she thinks I have excessive male hormones in me....that's why I have difficulty getting these things done.

The only one proud deed for me this year is that I started running.  Something I never liked doing..not that I am damn good at it now.... not exactly looking forward to PBIM this Sunday..but I know I will enjoy it although I'm pretty sure it will be my first and last Marathon...concluded that I'm physically and mentally not fit for serious running.

Whether or not I will still run for fun in 2011...is to be known.


Other than that..nothing much has happened to my life.

Work's been a tad bit busier. So much so that I may have to miss my best friend's ROM :(

sigh. not too happy about that.


Oh..Dad has been recovering well.  His arm's still weak but....we are very thankful that he is still able and helpful instead of being difficult.  In fact, we find him less grumpy compared to when he was working. That's good.


Christmas' approaching!  Time to shop! shop! shop!  The three little one's pressie.  Angie's birthday too..
I need money.


K..that's all for now..a bit of a mess up post.  Just how messed up my mind is right now :P Had such a funny dream last night about me working with one of my friend.  It either reflects..how I think about her or..my mind's really messed up.

New Adventure?

http://www.penangdragonboat.gov.my

Someone invited me to try this :P

Shall I?

Nah....unlikely...although..it's quite tempting :D

Dethroned

This is Bentong Kaya Puff bought from Kampung Bukit Tinggi (Restoran Foon Lock) 

80 cents each. RM8 for a pack of 10.

I blogged about it (HERE) when I discovered this gem recenlty.

This was from Kampar taken in September 2009.

I was a big fan of Kampar's kaya puff, blogged about them several times (recent posts HERE and HERE)

It cost RM1 each... then

This was from the same shop in Kampar.

Fresh from yesterday's trip.

Now priced at RM1.10 each.

Do you see the difference?

I do! And it tasted different too!

I've just taken this 'item' out of my favourite food album in Facebook.

Dethroned!

It will be replaced by Bentong Kaya Puffs..*hmmph*

Never short change a foodie I tell ya....WE CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE!

*gulp*

Will be wearing this in about about 7 days from now..
It's gonna be 21 km..double the normal distance that I ran in previous races.

I'm so not ready!  

I'm so gonna walk half of the Half Marathon.

I have almost not trained at all since the Nike run in 10th Oct.  Where has the time gone to??  

Well, I ran a bit here and there..at the gym, at the park....may be about 5km ?!
Thought I could make up for the lack of running by going to RPM classes two days in a row.  Monday this week and then Tuesday but went totally flat -.- had to leave my favourite combat class half way..for first time ever -.- -.- -.-

Sigh~
Haven't been very fit lately..wonder why~

Don't think I will train much this weekend too..planning to dedicate whole of Saturday to Dad who had been home bound since the fall.  Sunday...may be just a short one in the morning...I still prefer evening runs..somehow. sigh.

Gan has already scolded me a few times for talking her into signing up for Half instead of Quarter Marathon :P  What was I thinking?

A comment on my fb status said something in the likes of.."athletes.. don't normally think straight when it comes to sport"

I don't consider myself as a full blown athlete..so I should be thinking straight.... no?

Why did I opt for Half again?
..........reading thru I'm thinking PBIM


One of the main reason was that I didn't want to go all the way up north to run a quarter of the Bridge ...sounds sensible what....


Ok..no matter what I'm now a proud owner of this and shall earn my worth by finishing the distance within the qualifying time ... \o/

3.5 hours it is. *gulp*

Keep it Simple folks..

I just got RM120 cash back from my PBB card! Genuine reward for using the card! It's that simple..and that's what we want.  I went out of the way to increase the credit limit of this card just so I can use it to sign off the cabinets and wardrobes with Kian. For that effort, I'm rewarded with cash...real cash :)


Which card do you normally reach out for when you make a purchase? and why?

I used to be very loyal to HSBC..cos it was my very 1st card.  Not anymore.....the SCB card gives a 0.5% rebate on all purchases.  Spend RM10, rebate is  5 cents.  Spend RM100, I get 50 cents..if total bill is RM1000...RM5 rebate that is.  No doubt, it's very little but when other cards do not offer anything...why not use this right?  With that thinking..I started using this card more and more.

Then it came out with the Ipod shuffle guaranteed giveaway with a minimum RM2500 spend in month.  It's not about the worth of the gift, these kind of promotions gave me a very good reason to reach out for this card instead of other cards who offer nothing


HSBC had some complicated promotions at around the same time.  But it was soooo complicated I didn't even bother to participate.  Something like, spend certain amount on certain hours of the day..etc etc.  It's so complicated..I didn't bother to understand..let alone participate.

MBB? Nothing from them..I'm so gonna discontinue this card!



So..my dear banks..keep things simple will ya.

Wabbits @ Bukit Tinggi

Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills - Malaysia 
KM48, Persimpangan Bertingkat Lebuhraya Karak
28750 Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, Pahang
Malaysia 


Visiting the rabbit farm is only one of the many things you can do at Colmar Tropicale.
Click on the Website : http://www.berjayahotel.com/berjayahills/recreations.asp for more info.

What'cha looking at!

Are you sure we will find gold in there? 

Come here wabbit...!

Please do not disturb me.

Yea..so what I have droopy ears...!

Kampung Bukit Tinggi

We strayed to Kampung Bukit Tinggi after giving up on looking for farms in Janda Baik.  This little village was a pleasant pleasant find.  I like!

Liked it so much I left a comment in foursquare.

http://foursquare.com/venue/1323925

It's located off Karak highway..just exit when you see the sign.  Easy peasy.

Police Station

It's quite tiny ..but we did loads there :D 

First..I would like to highlight the happiest find.  Yummy yummy freshly home-baked Bentong kaya puffs!

Only found this when we went back for dinner but it's such an 'important' find that I must put this up fist so that no one misses it.  They are soooooo nice. RM8 per pack ..get it from Restoran Foon Lock.

Dinner spread at Restoran Foon Lock..total cost RM100.80 inclusive of 4 packets of kaya puffs.

 Freshwater fish...very very fresh but priced about the same as KL.

 Vege..somehow I find it tastier here..

The dish that I refused to continue eating after trying some..it's Turtle -_-

Just google for Restoran Foon Lock..there are a few other blog intro about their yummy food..fresh water rpeawns with tong fun, stuffed tou foo with vermicelli, etc etc...omg...they looked so good..I wanna go back right now!

I have a thing for small towns or villages.  Somehow everything seems nicer.

Coffee was great..eventhough it was only a very small and quiet coffee shop.  It was so good that Dad took away another packet of iced coffee.

Even simple margarine and kaya toast were so nice.  Dad said it's because of the kaya.

Next up - fruits!

Passion fruit!
But I don't really like it.

But..banana I like :)

Janda Baik

It was an impromptu plan.  My sis was in a rare form of adventurous mood. So..off we were to Janda Baik.  Didn't do much..only some quick reference on web.  One of them was THIS which mentioned water falls, streams, birds, etc.  Sis also heard that there were farms..my nephew loves farms.  So..farm was the main destination.

It wasn't easy at all searching for 'attraction's within the town..there were no clear sign boards and indications.  All of the roads looks like this :

No signs of farms.  Fortunately we came across a picnic area where we finally spotted Cars and people.

It's called Riverside a picnic spot.

The little one had fun.  Probably the highlight of the day..cos we didn't find any farm.

There many signs that says Pondok Pak Habib.  We got very curious about this place..mainly because we kept seeing the signs,..and the signs are newly made.  So we thought it must be some new attractions.

Cool? 

This is one of the many architecture found in the Pak Habib compound.  

Very interesting indeed.

There is also a riverside for picnics and relaxation.  The compound's very big. We were told that there is also a hall for functions.  Pantry area for cooking.  Chalets for changing. Bathrooms etc.

The amazing part is ..everything is free for use...only on One condition.....visitors are to keep the place and environmnet clean!

Who is Pak Habib? Go HERE and HERE is a good article from The Star.
I've not read the whole site..rushing to finish this post....before I leave for badminton.
From the little I gathered..Pak Habib = Syed Hussein  Al-Attas a very popular Malaysian writer!
I think I read about him in the history books! omg.

Fill me in if you know more about Pak Habib..and also what else to do in Janda Baik.

What's this by the way ?

Diwali Weekend Ahead

The gym reception staff asked how was my workout and I replied with a resounding GOOD.  In return she said..." yupe, it shows in your face"

Hmm...that got me thinking a bit.
I've never replied so convincingly  whenever someone asked me..how I am, how was my day, etc.  Most of the time I'd just say..."okay la" a typical Chinese-Malaysian kind of answer.

It's a public holiday eve and a long weekend eve and I was also on the way to meet some friends for dinner.  Who wouldn't be in a good mood \o/


But yeah....I had a good work out.  This week has been real good.   Weights+RPM+BC on Tuesday. BC+Run+BB on Thursday.  Fabulous work outs indeed.


Will take a break next two days.   Going out with Sis and Dad on a day trip on Deepavali Day which means I have to give the two fun open houses by Minx and Geetz a miss.    Thousand apologies...  Dad has been a darling..taking care of himself, the house and my dinner..despite his injury.  I have duties.

 Will miss the fun and the murukus though : (

On Saturday..may be wake up early to have a good breakfast with dad ...and have not decided what I will for the rest of the day. I have to put down the breakfast part as a reminder to myself..I have pea brain these days.

November December will be interesting!  Stay tuned to see why :)

RM2

Was real hungry in the evening. Gotta get something to fuel up before I pass out *drama*.

http://www.fusionview.co.uk

A wadeh and a curry puff cost RM2 from the mall near my working place.

Stomach satisfied..detoured to get a loaf of Gardenia bread for home.

A standard loaf of Gardenia Classic white bread's retail price is RM2.30 but the neighbourhood shop charged only RM2, equivalent to my earlier snack of curry puff and wadeh.

A loaf of bread can feed a whole family and lasts at least 2 days...for RM2.

Something's not right with pricing of snacks like curry puff and wade?

Or..indulgence is costly?

Dad is Great.

I meant to take a pic of the pot of soup that he made for our dinner today.  Too bad I've forgotten.  Why is it so special?  He's been cooking dinner for us everyday for many years now.  Simple dishes...nothing to shout about..but hey..it's hot home cooked food...cooked by a 70+ yr old man.  How's that?


So..why is tonight's pot so special? Because..he made the soup despite only having one strong arm.


Isn't that great?


Someone suggested that..we could have easily buy something put in the fridge and heat up when need to eat.  Huh...how can that compare to a pot of freshly made soup!

Only one strong arm..

It's been two days since the little accident.  I'd still classify it as a minor one...as it really could've been much much complicated if he had hurt is head for example.  An arm injury..and nothing else is really really a blessing in disguise although.. now the injuries do not seem as simple as we thought it was.

I did believe and made it sound like dad will be on a smooth way to recovery after the othopedic's successful procedure in putting the posterior dislocation back into place.

Hmm...


While he is in much much less pain now, it looks like it will be a long slow process to full recovery e.g regaining full use of the arm.  The shoulder is intact alright but..the upper arm area near the elbow is still swollen.  The thing is..everyone..doctors inclusive were concentrating on the dislocation..partly because he claimed he fell on the shoulder...so no one paid attention to the other part of the arm.


I'm being very careful with what I am putting down here as I don't particularly want to appear to be blaming any of the doctors.  Should I? Don't know.


Don't think so...?

Anyways..so we decided to start with TCM treatment on the 2nd day itself instead of sitting around till the next appointment with the othopedic.  We've always believe in a 2-pronged approach.

Progress made..after 2 sessions at the TCM but they told us to keep a close eye on the swelling ...,if it persists, he may need another x-ray to rule out fracture : /


Sigh,..

These little mishaps...happen for good reasons..it serves as a reminder to us on how lucky we are that he ..despite being close to 80 is still fairly independent and physically fit all these years.  I've been taking for granted that it is because of him that I can stay out ..doing whatever that I enjoy doing without worrying about needing to come home early.  Yes..I'm so lucky..to be able to have food (cooked or non cooked) waiting for me..everyday.

With this 'minor' injury for example..I'd to think about whether he is able to prepare meals for himself, do I need to prepare ingredients before I go off in the morning, is he even able to cook rice with only one strong arm, etc etc.  Just imagine how inconvenient it's gonna be if we only have one strong arm..you will see what I mean.


He just told me..that he can make do.  Even told me what he plans to cook for dinner tomorrow!  Oh..he even wanted to get back on the bike to start work ..*faint*  
FYI..he was having difficulties eating with both hands : s


And,,that's only one weak arm.

So..my friends...be grateful of your good arms, good legs, good health.  Not only yourselves...your old folks and all loved ones.


Just....be thankful.
Look around you..and count all the good things you have right now. And say Thank You :)