The week in pictures

It was a great week of celebrations and meals. On Thursday, we watched Dirty Dancing at Marina Bay Sands. Based on a 1987 American romance film, the performance was a highly energetic one, with lots of sensational dancing. I particularly enjoyed looking at their fabulous bodies. 

Before the show, we ate at Daniel Boulud Bistro. They guys ordered burgers while EY had the seafood casserole. We shared a starter of crisp pork belly salad. The pork was rather dry. We all agree that my choice of duck confit was the best. The skin was perfectly crisp while the flavourful meat remained tender and succulent.

 

Duck confit.

The next day, I had dinner with CH and the kids at Momoya Restaurant, our go-to place for Japanese food. The buffet dinner menu is quite extensive and quality of food is good. At $32++ per head, it is good value for money. 

On Saturday, we celebrated Father's Day with a cake. The family also put together a scrapbook.

Someone gave me a bunch of home-grown bananas which began to ripen too quickly.  To use them up, I made a batch of banana choc brownies using this recipe.

 

On Sunday, we treated our German friend Christiane to the fabulous Sunday beer buffet brunch at Paulaner Brauhaus.

Christiane on the extreme left.

Patricia enjoying the apple strudel.

And we had a visitor during the weekend. This cute kitten strolled into our living room. We fell in love with it right away but had to send it back to the owner living just above us.

 CH's brother is in Sicily and his wife has been sending me photos of delicious food, granita and perfect skies. How I wish I can escape from the terrible haze here.

All about toes

I was searching for something in my blog when I chanced upon this silly post. Years ago, I had the habit of posting something everyday. Now I wonder why I have nothing to write about. You really need to be in the right frame of mind to find something amusing out of every situation. Here's one about injured toes from 2007...

My best friend’s mum fell into a hole last weekend which landed her in the A&E department when her entire leg swelled up. Feeling sorry for her mum, my friend massaged her leg to help reduce the swell.

Her mum, ever the stoic lady, said, “If you think this is bad, let me tell you what happened to Ah Soh, the lady who lives downstairs.”

Last weekend, Ah Soh went for a picnic at West Coast Park with her grandchildren. She tripped and fell so badly, most of her front teeth were knocked out leaving her with a mouth full of blood. That was some bloody picnic. Poor Ah Soh!

My friend’s mum is in a way relieved that her injury wasn’t quite as bad as Ah Soh’s. Of course by now I should keep very quiet about my injured toe but still I must tell you this story about my friend’s toes.

When he saw me with a bandaged toe, he told me about how he injured his, long ago. He was riding his bike to the barbers, carrying his cousin on the bicycle frame in front. They were going downhill, he tried to slow down but discovered the brakes were not working. A wall was looming ahead of them! In a state of panic, he used both feet to slow down. Boom! They crashed and he landed on his poor cousin who ended up dazed, and with 3 little stones stuck to the forehead. My friend’s shoes were totally worn out exposing 10 bloody toes!

We were both roaring with laughter when he finished his story. I know, I have learned to count my blessings.

Strawberry shortcake

When it comes to baking, I like to take the easy way out. I make muffins and cakes that use ingredients I already have. Needless to say, my creations aren't pretty to look at. As long as they're tasty, I'm happy.

YK, on the other hand, is totally the opposite. To him, presentation is paramount. When he feels like baking something, it means a trip to the supermarket to grab a basketful of ingredients. The amount of money spent can buy us a fancy cake from the patisserie but as long as he enjoys the entire process, I'm more than happy to eat cake.

Inspired by a simple Japanese strawberry shortcake recipe he saw online, he decided to bake one last Friday right after booking out from camp. Maybe it is his way of relieving stress after a week of army training.

I could not believe that he could make a nice sponge cake using just 2 eggs, 60g cake flour, 60g sugar and 20g of melted butter. No rising agent was used, yet the cake turned out well.

It was the whipping cream that proved to be difficult. We whipped 300ml with a tablespoon of sugar over a ice water bath until it was thick and glossy when it suddenly curdled. There was no hope of salvaging. It happened again to the second batch.

We ran out of cream and had to drive out to get some new ones. Luckily he managed to get it right this time and quickly slapped it on the cake. Adding the strawberries made a huge difference. The results were quite stunning. And the cake was delicious too.

Woes of a washer woman

The most important appliance in my house broke down last week after suffering years of abuse. I've shoved in mud-caked clothes and army packs, wooly blankets, comforters, curtains, stuffed toys and cushion covers. I've poured in vinegar, dish washing liquid, bleach and baking soda. I like to crank up the temperature to the boiling point to kill germs. I've made it run 5 loads of laundry a day. Oh, I can be such a slave driver!

The repairmen came and gave me a lecture before hauling it away. One look and he knew I've been up to no good. Only a pro like him can tell from the soapy residue on the floor. He asked to see the washing detergent and said, "There is something else you use..."

He was right. My secret weapon is dish washing liquid. I use it when I wash greasy floor mats, dish cloth and apron.  "You shouldn't put dishwashing liquid in here. The foam will overflow and spoil your machine."

Now that the washer is gone, my life has been miserable. I dread getting out of bed every morning because the first thing I see is the big pile of clothes in the bathroom. It gets worse when YK brings home his bag of stinky and muddy army uniform.

I have no time to exercise because doing laundry takes up too much time. All the scrubbing, rinsing and wringing can be more tiring than a 5-km run. Hand washing is harder than you think. The clothes will smell if not washed thoroughly.

I've sent out a warning to the boys to stop wearing heavy jeans and sweaters because these are the hardest to hand wash. SK has offered to take over the washing because he knows it works wonders for the abs and arms.

Before he can even get started, the repair shop has called to say they're sending the washer over today. Thank goodness! I promise to treat it well.

The Father's day project

This year, we celebrated Mother's Day by making mom a scrapbook. All her children and grandkids jumped in and contributed photos and mushy notes. Needless to say, mom was delighted to receive the gift of love from us.

Fueled by the success of this exercise, my sis-in-law proposed making one for Father's Day. Our reaction was less fervent. I was quick to declare that I'm not going to write any mushy stuff. It's not that we love our dad any less, but the thought of putting our admiration for him in words is rather overwhelming, for me at least. Years ago, I penned him a heartfelt message on his birthday and couldn't bear to look him in the eye after that.

Finding photos of dad poses another challenge for he's not the type who enjoys posing for the camera. As I was about the search through the family albums, mom pulled a tattered album out from the cupboard like a magician.

I had never seen this before. This album, which is filled with black and white prints of my parents and their classmates, was a project they did in school. It must be about 60 years old!  An old friend brought it here recently. Leafing through the album, mom pointed out some familiar faces and others who had already passed away.

The photos of my dad as a young lad blew me away. With his good looks, he could have been a star. According to mom, he was a quiet guy who only had his heart set on her!

This photo of him reminds me of SK. He must have been around SK's age. They have that same shy smile and physique. I'm quite curious to see my father's reaction when he receives the scrapbook. He's not the type who likes people to fuss over him but who knows, he might enjoy it.

I found some old photos of me with chubby cheeks and chunky thighs. Black and white photos keep really well. In this photo, I must have been about three. Studio shots like these were popular then.

Lata Berkoh

Initially, I thought spending 7 nights at Taman Negara was overly excessive as people normally stay for only 3. Strangely time passed quickly when we were there.

The hotel prides itself in being minimalistic by not providing television, telephone and internet access in the room. The dimly lit room smelled musty, the floor was always sandy and walls dusty, but nobody seemed to mind. We even had a huge gecko sharing our room.

After an exhausting day in the jungle, I slept like a log except for one night when I heard something scuttle up the wall. The sound of rain pelting on the roof at night took some getting used to at first but soon became music to my ears. We woke up to the boisterous chirping of birds every morning and went to bed hearing wild boars roaming just outside the door. One almost barged into our room when we were eating.

With no work distractions, the blissful week flew past just like that. It was a rare opportunity to get away from it all.

One of our favourite spots in Taman Negara is Lata Berkoh which is accessible on foot (8.5km walk from the park HQ) or by boat. We found it easier to take the river boat which costs RM160 for a return trip.

 

I was there with my friends in 2001. The place hasn't changed at all.


With May Ling in 2001.

 

Lata Berkoh in 2013.

Back again in 2013.

The boat journey from HQ to Lata Berkoh takes about one hour.  The scenic ride along the shallow Sungai Tahan, lined with huge, leaning Neram trees which form an archway over the water, is very therapeutic.

 

The boat comes to a stop by the riverbank and it's another 1.2km trek through the forest to the cascade.

The boatmen will stop at the river bank and wait for your return.

You might even see butterflies along the sand bank.

The short hike through the forest is a pleasant one. The well trodden path flanked by large trees and bamboo clumps leads straight to Lata Berkoh. Be prepared for some uphill climbs along the way.

 
The water here is cool and clear with a brownish tint released from the tannin of the trees. Due to the strong undercurrents at the cascade, swimming is discouraged.

 

 We spent hours by the shore right by Lata Berkoh. While the guys kept themselves busy documenting rare butterflies and bugs, I was more than happy to enjoy the solitude, which in my opinion, is truly rare.

Canopy Walk @ Taman Negara

I had suspicions that the Taman Negara Canopy Walk was not going to feature anywhere in YK's itinerary for he had other things to do. So when I announced on day 2 that I was going to do the walk myself, they tagged along rather reluctantly just to be sure I would be safe.

 

I knew that deep down inside, they wished they were somewhere else because the forest trail leading to the canopy walk wasn't teeming with the kind of butterflies they were anxious to shoot.

Trail leading to Canopy Walk.

Huge tree in the forest.

 Situated 1.5km from the Park HQ, the Canopy Walk stretches 530 metres in length and 40 metres above the forest floor. Originally built for research purposes, it has become a major attraction at Taman Negara and a popular place for bird enthusiasts.



This beautiful Black naped monarch female built her nest on a low branch hanging along the boardwalk. She and her male partner take turns guarding 2 eggs.



If you don't like walking, you can take a river boat to the jetty near the Canopy Walk. 

 

There are lots of steps to climb of course, in order to get to the tree top walk.

If you have sharp eyesight, you can spot creatures like skinks and insects such as this interesting one below.

We paid an entrance fee of RM5 to enter the canopy walk. Luckily there were only a couple of visitors around that morning.  During the weekend, we were told that there was such a long line of people, the waiting time was 3 hours!

It was first built in 1993 which makes it as old as YK now. Stepping on the worn out and sometimes uneven and shaky platform made me nervous. Even though we're protected by the netting along both sides, the bridge swayed as we made our way across, I did not even stop to survey the tree tops around us.

 

There are 9 platforms constructed on the tree top which provide a bird’s eye view of the rainforest's 5 main canopy layers. Only 4 people are allow on each platform at one time.

One of the platforms along the walk.





View from the top.



I don't know if it's a blessing to be on such a long canopy walk  because after walking stretch after stretch of narrow swaying platform, my legs became wobbly. The second leg of the walkway was cordoned off due to damage. While I was happy to end the misery, the guys lamented that they should get a 50% discount!

 

Then there is a steep descent to the base where you can continue trekking deeper into the forest or make your way back to the park HQ.

 

After spending the entire morning here, we decided to break for lunch before going to other areas in search of butterflies. Losing copious amount of sweat in the morning made us crave for ice cold drinks instead of lunch. At the floating restaurant, my noodles wrapped in fried eggs turned out to be disappointing.

 

The weather was particularly hot that afternoon, still the heat didn't stop the guys from running out of the restaurant to shoot butterflies frolicking under the sun.

 

Lubuk Simpon

Having traveled to many places, I've realized that you're bound to make some wrong moves when you've arrived at a new destination, whether it is paying too much for a meal, a ride or whatever.

It happened to us this time in the form of river transportation. We wanted to begin the trip with a visit to Lubuk Simpon, a beach along Tahan River. What we didn't know was it was merely a short walk away. We paid RM60 (USD20) for a one-way boat ride that took less than 5 minutes.


We soon found out that we could walk back to the hotel in less than 15 minutes. We were literally taken for a ride! For the rest of the week, we walked there every day because the forest trail is home to some rare butterflies. And that was the whole reason why YK was there in the first place - to take photographs of the butterflies in Taman Negara.

Indeed there were lots of them puddling at the spot where a group of people had just finished their picnic. The butterflies must have been attracted to spilled drinks or sweat. It was a beautiful sight to behold!

Butterflies puddling.

Shooting butterflies.

 Over the week, we walked to Lubuk Simpon many times. While it is only 800m away from the hotel, the trail is quiet on most days. We only began to see more people during the long weekend.

The trail to Lubuk Simpon begins behind the park headquarters. After the camp site, just follow the  boardwalk that takes you through a forest.

Campsite at Mutiara

Boardwalk.

If you keep your eyes peeled, you'll be able to see hidden gems like ginger flower, monitor lizard, skinks, squirrels, caterpillars and millipedes.

Moth caterpillar.

Ginger flower.

Monitor lizard.

It's extremely humid in the tropical rainforest. Every step you take will send sweat oozing out of your pores. There were steps to climb and thorny branches to dodge, but we were too engrossed with the surroundings to complain. It certainly was a good workout for me. I returned home with toned muscles and a lovely tan.

Up and down...

Surveying the riverbed.