Eat to Live? I Live to Eat!

Saturday, September 12, 2009 Neddie
I cannot recall where they were from, but I've read quite a number of sources mentioning Malaysians' favourite past time is indulging their taste buds with both local and international foods. How can we not? With a plethora of delicacies available throughout the nation, looking for a place to fulfill your very basic need can sometimes be a thought-provoking quest. As a matter of fact, the easiest question of "Where are we having lunch today?" can even pose some difficulty to answer and a long pause! As for myself, my effortless reply would always be: "You choose. Anything goes with me!"

Photo: It helps being a non-finicky foodie!

Along with sharing my travel experiences, I'm going to start featuring my gastronomical adventures and discoveries on this blog. In the meantime, why don't you feast your eyes on my Facebook album?

Labels: 2 RESTLESS FEET | edit post

MATTA Fair, Oh, MATTA Fair... You're Tormenting Me!

Sunday, September 06, 2009 Neddie
If I were to come up with a list of Places I've Been Dying To Go, it would be endless! Never mind the places I've been before; either locally: Sarawak, Terengganu, Penang; or internationally: Singapore and the United States of America (San Francisco, Florida, and Las Vegas). Below is some of the places I've never had the chance to leave my footsteps on yet that are currently on top of my list:

MALAYSIA
1. Sabah - Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre; Turtle Islands Park; Tabin Wildlife Reserve.
2. Perlis - Gua Kelam Recreational Park; Harumanis Plantation.
3. Terengganu - Pulau Perhentian; Pura Tanjung Sabtu.
4. Johore - Endau-Rompin National Park; Desaru.
5. Pahang - Malaysia National Park; Tioman Island; Bukit Tinggi.
6. Sarawak - Mulu National Park.

OVERSEAS
1. Provence, France - To see how L'Occitane products are made. Ah, lavenders!
2. Sydney, Australia - To be part of the Sdyney Writers' Festival from 17th to 23rd of May 2010. And while I'm at it, Sydney is also known as the Sin City, no? (*evil grin*)
3. New Zealand - To visit my cousin in Wellington and my university friend in Auckland. Oh, and to try bungee-jumping in Queenstown! (Weeeee..!!!)
4. La Marche, Italy - To witness for myself the setting of Meg Cabot's Every Boy's Got One.
5. Egypt - to watch the real bellydancers perform this ancient dance from where it is said to be originated from.
6. Bali, Indonesia - To go to heaven and still be alive. Need I say more?

Of course, I can go on and on about this...

Photo: Me and Anwar before going into the halls.

Photo: The Tourism Malaysia booth.

So, like a starving person being presented with an array of various delectable meals, I was salivating over the tour packages all around the world that were so hard to resist at the second annual MATTA Fair 2009. Held at Putra World Trade Centre, this 3-day event began on the 4th of September and boasted itself as the biggest travel fair in Malaysia with hundreds of exhibitors going all-out promoting their products and giving us the best deals they could offer!

Photo: The mad crowd - like ants to sugar! Because of the H1N1 epidermic, the organizers had prepared a face mask in each bag.

Photo: Busy, busy, busy!

Photo: Too many good deals to pass, you might end up making more trips than you initially intended!

As much as I wanted to put down some amount of deposit here and there, I had to think about the upcoming Raya celebration. There are still some items to buy... some moolah to give out to siblings and nieces and nephews...

Photo: Korean soup being served at the exhibition stall. Just look at the queue!

Photo: People don't care about the long line-up!

Photo: Fancy going to Western Australia?

Photo: Or Hong Kong Disneyland?

The only thing I gained out of this is the 3-day 2-night voucher from Swiss-Garden International Vacation Club for participating in their 45-minute presentation on their vacation programme. Initially I was reluctant to, because I'd been called to listen to their product presentation at Swiss-Garden Hotel Kuala Lumpur a few months back with the promise of the free voucher, even if I declined to register for the membership. But at the end of the day, the sales representative (I shall not mention name here) said the voucher would only be ready in the next two days. The day came, my calls were not returned and the voucher was not given. Somehow, this time at the MATTA Fair, I decided to give it a try and dragged boyfriend to sit along together. Again, I had to say no to signing up. The instant they handed me the token of appreciation, my negative perception that I'd been having all this while turned to positive. Tell me, who can refuse freebies? All I wanted was a free-of-charge accomodation at Damai Laut, Perak for another post on my travel blog. No more broken promises, yeah?

As fate would have it, I got to meet Ada from Leisure Holidays Berhad face-to-face. She was the one who contacted me last month, selling the same timeshare programme thing. I turned her down at first, after much persuasion on her part, I thought, 'Why not?' and gave it a go. Still not registering myself as a member, for this one, I choose to stay at Leisure Cove in Penang amongst the five resorts available. (Actually they have eight altogether, but three are under reconstruction. Too bad I can't pick Desaru Impian Resort in Johore!)

Photo: Ada and I, in front of Leisure Holidays Berhad exhibition square.

The Swiss-Garden voucher is valid for three months from the date of issue, while the Leisure Holidays is six months. Which means, I'm going to have to go to Damai Laut first. Have I been to Perak? Indeed, I have, more than three years ago. Visited the Taiping Lake Gardens, Taiping Zoo, Perak State Museum, and Commonwealth War Cemetery. Taiping, nevertheless, is up north and even the locals have adapted the northern accent in their daily speech. Damai Laut, on the other hand, is down south. What activities do you do there? Where can you find food? What to buy and bring home?

Alright, folks, if you'll excuse me... I've got some homework to do!

Labels: 0 RESTLESS FEET | edit post

Cameron Highlands: "I Want Those Rosy Cheeks!"

Saturday, September 05, 2009 Neddie
For as long as I can remember, I've always had this belief that we, the people who live in the lowlands, have a lot to be jealous of the people who reside in the highlands - specifically in Cameron Highlands. With fruits and vegetables being cultivated in abundance due to the high rise temperature, they are the first to get their hands on the freshest strawberries and corns and cabbages. And with those hard-to-beat prices, they can even have roses for their house every day! (I remember buying four stalks of roses in Petaling Jaya for exactly RM10, when with less than that amount of money, my boyfriend bought four bouquets in Cameron Highlands - two for me; two for his mum!)

Our first destination on the second day was Cactus Point. Coming there up from Brinchang, you will see a huge billboard at the side of the road. Such a massive premise that houses different types of cactus, as well as other plants and flowers, namely tomatoes and chrysanthemum.

Photo: This one or that one? Why not take one of each type?

Photo: My sister, Nabilla, and cousin among the big cacti.

Situated in Brinchang, Rose Centre is said to be the biggest rose growing centre as it is the home of not only all the colours of this charming flower, but also other types of plants. My mum who loves gardening would definitely know most of the names, but I could only distinguish the familiar ones. Though I must say, being surrounded in the full-blossoming flora, it was difficult not to appreciate. As if you were in your own secret garden! Adults go in at RM5; children 4-10 years old at RM2.

Photo: A different kind of flower in Rose Centre.

Photo: Nadhirah, rosy-eyed!

Photo: Nabilla, the most beautiful flower of all!

Still in the Kea Farm area, we made a stop at Butterfly Farm. Adults entry fee is RM3 and children RM1.50. The kids were getting in the parents' hair to see the butterflies, and because I was among the elder sisters, I had to look after them. I wasn't complaining, though, for I had anticipated that visiting these gentle creatures in the enclosure would be a wonderful experience. I mean, I don't remember the last time I saw a butterfly flying in the open. Not even in my mum's garden full of flowers! And here you have hundreds of playful butterfly flapping their wings right in front of your face and teasing you. The friendly ones would hop on your head, your nose, and your dress!

Photo: Safuan, my second-cousin, taking a snap of the gentle creatures.

Photo: Can you spot the butterfly?

Photo: One tame butterfly!

On the third and final day, we rose early to drive to Sungai Palas BOH Tea Centre. The road that would lead us there, however, was extremely narrow. You just had to keep on honking as a signal, and it got especially scary when you had buses and lorries coming from the other direction. Nonetheless, it was worth braving it all once you reached the lot to park your car and walk all the way up amidst the dramatic rows of tea plants that stretched as far as the eyes could see. Unless emergency, you're not allowed to drive up to the hilltop. We enjoyed our breakfast of freshly brewed BOH tea and some tuna sandwiches with the panoramic view, the morning breeze gushing all over our faces.

Photo: Tea plants stretch as far as the eyes can see!

Photo: Dad and Mum having a brekkie.

To know is to love, and when we were ready learn more about how tea leaves were processed, we followed the Tea Appreciation Tour. This guided factory tour took us from one stage to another, and from there we learnt that in Cameron Highlands alone, there are three tea plantations. One in Bukit Cheeding, Selangor, and that's where they do the packaging and flavouring. Still, the final products can be purchased at the tea shop and various flavours to choose from - mango, vanilla, passion fruit and cinnamon, among others!

Photo: The new workers?

Photo: This man works hard every day to give us a nice cup of tea!

What's the point of going to the Salad Bowl of Malaysia without paying a visit at the local markets? Good thing about coming on a weekday is that you don't have to polish your bargaining skills, as when the supply overcomes the demand, the sellers won't give you a hard time to charge you a low price for the local produces.

Photo: Me and a local strawberry seller. I want those rosy cheeks!

Photo: Siblings Nadhirah, Azmil, and Nabilla enjoying the chocolate-coated strawberries at the local market.

Buying in bulk, my mum and aunts had already planned what to cook for dinner!

Labels: 0 RESTLESS FEET | edit post

Bukit Lowick: Wait a Minute! Is This England or Malaysia?

Saturday, September 05, 2009 Neddie
Photo: Welcoming you to the majestic bungalow!

At the risk of sounding like a tourist attraction brochure, as my friend Barry Lim referred to my album description posted on Facebook, Bukit Lowick is the perfect holiday getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city living. A home away from home... perhaps, better - the big bungalow with English architechture, the well-kept garden full of blooming colourful roses, and the hospitality of the caretakers that you will never forget!

Photo: What could be better than having blooming roses to greet your arrival?

I must point out that one perk of being a staff of Asia-Pacific Videolab, a subsidiary of Syarikat Pesaka Antah, is the 50% waive of the original rate imposed on the public for each night stayed at Bukit Lowick. Now, for those who haven't heard of this place before, this Colonial-styled bungalow is situated in Cameron Highlands, Pahang. Specifically it's in Tanah Rata, one of the two towns in the highlands; the other being Brinchang.

After weeks of oggling at the photos on SPA website, 17th May 2009 was the date when my families (three families in all) and I got to actually witness the breathtaking in front of our very own eyes. The road up above the hill was steep and winding, and you might want to be alert as not to be confused with another bungalow on the left side, which my Dad thought was the one we were staying. The moment we headed straight to the top and saw the majestic house, we were practically gawking!

Mrs. Wong, the warm caretaker, was already standing at the door and greeting us with a smile. She asked for me. All of us walked into the house, everything looked just like the images on the web - only better! We were shown around every corner of the house; the rooms, the kitchen, the bathrooms, and even where to find extra mattresses! I knew she was referring to my 12-adult-and-2-children clan...

Photo: Azmil, my brother, chillaxing at the front porch.

For the next one hour or so, we were too engrossed with roaming inside out of the bungalow, snapping pictures, jumping and running around like little rascals. Taking a break for a while, I updated my Facebook status, saying that I was feeling as though I was in a different country. Within 10 minutes, friends were asking where exactly Bukit Lowick was, for none of them had heard of it. Who could blame them when, as far as I know, Bukit Lowick only goes by word of mouth. And, of course, by travel bloggers like me!

Photo: We put this picture as our pc wallpaper for weeks!

Due to the fact that we came in a big number of people, we didn't order meals to be served by Mrs. Wong. Made her life easier, eh? Astro is also available for your viewing pleasure, as well as Wi-Fi that enables you to instantly upload the photos taken and make your friends green with envy!

Photo: The grass is, indeed, greener!

Is Cameron Highlands your next holiday destination? Make a reservation via Syarikat Pesaka Antah website by clicking here. But I must warn you; weekends are hard to get, and a colleague of mine even had to book for months to check in on Friday and check out on Sunday.

Days after I came back to work, I was pestered by my family members to check with SPA on the next availability and make another reservation. Kak Sham, the one who was in charge of the booking arrangement, couldn't contain her suprise.

It won't be too long until November!
Labels: 0 RESTLESS FEET | edit post

Cherating: Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Monday, August 31, 2009 Neddie
When your next holiday plan has the elements of sun, sand, and sea, it's hard not to pack your swimsuit in the bag and fantasize about hitting the beach first thing when you arrive. But what happens when you've got it all right, but got the time all wrong? That's what happened to my colleagues and I when we decided to have our New Year 2009 celebration in Cherating. Bad timing; it was in the monsoon season!

To get to Cherating was quite a breeze for us KLites. McDonald's for breakfast at 10 a.m., stocking up much-needed energy before heading to East Coast Expressway, which takes about four hours to reach Cherating. The highway also took us to the capital city of Pahang before reaching our final destination.

Slightly after lunchtime, we checked in to Holiday Villa Cherating, a strategically located resort facing the beach. Weather was still too hot to come out and play, so we decided to pass the time by taking some rest in our apartment. I would have to agree with my colleague, Safuan, when he remarked that the photos on the official website looked better. The apartment, in our opinion, was just okay. One thing that made it up was the view from the balcony, which is overlooking the swimming pools and the inviting ocean.

Photo: I felt like jumping into the swimming pool from the balcony!

Tummies grumbling, at tea time we went out in search of local delights. We stopped at one of the stalls, in the border of Pahang-Terengganu about 15-20 minutes away from our resort, that served the freshest keropok lekor, otak-otak, and satar. My main focus was keropok lekor, because since I went to Terengganu with my family more than 10 years ago, I hadn't been able to find the "real" keropok lekor. Not that they don't sell it here in KL, but the best can only be found in where it originates from. Only in the east coast can you find the juiciest keropok lekor ever!

The otak-otak was simply as delightful! You could just see the white fish/crab meat pieces when you unwrap it. I didn't know such food existed, so it was my first time eating satar. Both were barbequed to perfection!

Photo: Otak-otak - literally means brains. Fish is good for your brain, no?

Photo: Satar - the name reminded me of Aziz Satar, our local veteran actor.

Photo: Where else can you find fresh keropok lekor?

The boys shed off their pounds by playing beach volleyball, while Adilah (Anwar's sister) and I were happy clicking on our cameras. Little that we know that it was the first and the last outdoor sporting activity we managed to have, because when darkness of the night took over the sunny day, the rain had been pouring non-stop until it was time to pack our things and go home.

Photo: The boys playing beach volleyball.

Our journey to look for dinner brought us to Ombak Restauran. Seven of us decided to take one of the sets offered, and for a good price, they brought to our table: a bowl of rice, kailan veggie, telur dadar, seafood tomyam, Ikan 3 Rasa, fried calamari, and a plate of watermelon slices. To gulp it all down with, we had a jug of orange juice.

Photo: Ikan 3 Rasa - sweet, sour, and spicy.

We were previously told by the resort management that there would be a celebration to welcome the new year at night. Just in time before the clock struck midnight, all of us came to the ground to catch the sight of the fireworks. Awesome! But we didn't stay that long, because the sky was still drizzling.

The next day, in fulfilling our gastronomical needs, we drove to Kemaman and stopped at an eatery with a big white banner inside that read: Nasi Kukus Ayam Berempah. The heavy droplets of rain and the strong wind only triggered our hunger pangs. As a matter of fact, it was the delicious smell coming out from the kitchen that made us go, "This is it! We're having lunch here!"

Photo: Makes a good appetizer!

Photo: That darn good thing!

Photo: Me with Adilah and Anwar.

Forget about swimming in the sea, surfing, and yachting. The Holiday Villa Cherating management even had a white board to record the frequency of the rain, and when doing water activities seemed impossible anytime soon, my colleagues opted for indoor game - ping pong.

Photo: Still raining?!

We checked out pretty heavy-heartedly on the third day, especially me, I suppose. Being an outdoor person, I regretted not spending as much time as I wanted to the beach and bask under the sun and get myself tanner. On the sunny-side perspective, I absolutely enjoyed the delicacies, particularly the fresh seafood - something that I would definitely miss when I got back to the city. We pulled over to the side of the street, quickened our moves to the shelter of one of the shops that sold seafood products, avoiding the rain. We bought fish crackers, raw keropok lekor, and dried salted fish to bring home. One stop at Kemaman, where the Warung Aziz Satar: Nasi Putih Lauk Kampung was, and had one last meal.

Photo: Adilah and Fizzy - full-bellied. Check out the huge plates!

Labels: 0 RESTLESS FEET | edit post