Friday, October 21, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Summary of our route.
Our route from 2009 May to 2009 November:
Thursday, September 29, 2011
the days of a Singaporean.
$2.50.
Tuesday – Sunday. Morning and early lunch only.
Fresh, big bouncy fishball, not other starch ball. I wonder how she did it ensuring the whole fishball was cooked. Because of it’s size, if the center of the fishball is cooked, then the external part of the fishball will be overcooked.
Good!
Review from this web: http://www.myhawkers.sg/index.php?m=stall&c=view&id=3646
2) Then, somewhere near my house, Clementi, there was the famous chicken rice from Tanglin Halt. Sam and I walked down. While we were looking around the shop, we were hosted by a guy. He guided us to the cash counter. We were looking at the menu on the wall, looking for the cheapest meal that we want to eat but there were NO PRICE indicated. From our experience from eating chicken rice for 2 person, it would be cheaper to order 2 individual plate rather than to have one big plate to share. We paid first without knowing how much was it.
2 x $3.50 chicken = $7.00
2 x $0.70 rice = $1.40
total = $8.40
we took the receipt and walk to a table. We had our own water bottle. Another guy came and asked me if I wanted any drink and I smiled and shake my head. This guy shouted to the cashier:
They don’t want drink.
The food came…
We might be expecting too much from word of mouth and from the advertisment on the wall. I kept quiet and ate the food.
Towards the end, Samantha told me:
The one at Clementi central is better.
After the food, we walked back to the cashier trying to look for a proper menu, the one that they have was a drink menu. There were NO PRICES in it.
I guess it is a place for regular customer, not for poor citizen like us that is looking for cheap and good food.
3) Then, there was skyrise gardening and greenwall. garden being built on walls and roof to save space for greening in this dense city of Singapore. That day Samantha and i saw a roof top mobile garden! i wonder the LTA (Land Transport Authority) has approval to it.
4) Recently, i posted something on my facebook page:
LED or LCD TV better.
For the past years, i had never bought a TV before. Since young, my parent bought the TV, it lasted for a very long time. till recently we came back, the TV at home was a CRT type TV given by my sister.
when it was on, it buzzed for 1 minute to warm up before the screen is visible. There were also other reasons on why we wanted a new TV but the interesting part was to shop for a new TV.
We went to a big shopping center that opened for 24 hours. there were everything for sale. Electronics, jewerelly, food, clothes, bags, computer, accessories, watches. they had a wide range of selection. they sell at very low price because their customers were usually foreigners from other country. these foreigners wanted to buy things cheap and bring it back to their country. it may be about 30% cheaper than other shops because there are some 'export' models that were being sold without warranty. it is a very successful mall.
When we enter the mall, there would be a filter. this filter will scan all customer. if any of us is carrying a plastic bag and walk in, this filter will shout:
oei! OEI!
then we have to go to him, he will use a cable-tie to secure our plastic bag.
Then we browse the item on the shelf. the stuff wasn't very friendly. we witness a foreign worker wanted to buy a charger from the salesman behind the counter. the salesman spoke to this guy with his left palm resting on the display shelf at waist level and right hand tucking on his hip. He didn't have eye contact with his customer. the way he was pointing out on where to find the product to his client is like asking him to go away.
why is he treating his customer like that? is it because he is a foreigner that looked like a laborer? i supposed they come from the same country.
some time after, i went closer to looked at the things on his shelf and he looked at me and smiled: yes sir, anything you are looking for.
i smiled and shake my head.
The way he treated me and this foreign labour was different. This foreign labour did not have any reaction on how the salesman treated him.
anyway, one of the system in this shopping mall that worked out is that the salesman were not allow to collect payment. WHY? don't ask me...
when we have selected our product from the salesman, he would give us a written ticket and we were instructed to get this ticket to the cashier to make payment, by ourselves. Then, we take the payment receipt back to the salesman, he will verify that we had made the payment, do some writing on a big book and gave us the product.
it seems that every salesman in this mall is not friendly, and some of them were even RUDE and why they are so successful? Because they are selling electronic goods without warranty and it would be very cheap as compared with the outside market?
Why do we have our bags tied up with the cable-tie?
Why the salesman not allowed to collect payment?
Why is there a filter-guy at the door?
Why do they give different attitude to different customers?
why are they so popular?
5) good recommendation:
if your sink / sewage is stucked, you will call your plumber.
by the way, the plunger, the hot water, the chokage bio chemical didn't work.
i called the recommended contractor from the Town Council. A guy at about his mid 50s, seems like a loan shark, knocked at my door. he came in and looked at the situation. he said he need to cut the pipe and do something about it to clear the choke, then join the pipe back. the quoted $100.
I rejected.
then i called a neighbourhood contractor. he send a PRC man with a big machine and quoted $180, no less.
I rejected.
Thanks to my friend Jackson Goh, he recommanded someone and i got a number:
ISS Pest Management Pte Ltd.
They cleared the choke without any hassle.
They gave me a service report,
it was done by a local (not by FT or loanshark),
it comes with one month warrenty,
and it only cost $80!
Please note that they are not plumber. they specialized in clearing chokage. what is the name of the machine in the picture?
William Lim 92777106, 62681188.
6) This is one of the most grand chinese funeral that we have witness so far. it must be someone important to a society that had passed away. it's not a usual funeral.
All pictures above were taken by HTC Desire S mobile phone except for alibaba.JPG
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Diary on 17 July 2011
I learned 2 words today.
Diaspora.
The plan was to meet on 1230pm at the POSB, Toa Payoh Central for lunch. I was 10 minutes early but fellow supporters were there before me. Not long after, Mr Sindu came with his caregiver, Ms V R Sara, and friends. Ms Sara was a long time friend of Dr Tan Cheng Bock for more than 3 decades. With Sidhu's mobile disability, he would still encourage Dr Tan’s activity, not by mouth but to come on ground with us.
Almost everyone living around Toa Payoh would come to this place for a scroll in for lunch or activities. Looking among the crowd, I saw Dr Tan and his wife walked towards us. Immediately, the crowd turned their attention towards us, even the main attraction on the hall was the indoor kite flying exhibition.
Passerby stopped their routine and came to our crowd, trying to stretch their hands to greet Doc. Young family having their Sunday off scrolling the shopping center, saw us and wanted to take picture with President and First Lady hopeful, and would proudly post it on their facebook. Shop owners, hawkers and lunch crowds would place down what ever was on their hand, stood up to feel the texture of a President to be’s hand.
One came over and said,
I know you! I used to see you in your clinic when I was very young.
The lady was in her late 30s was very glad that she could see Dr Tan again.
Another one was an elderly man in his early 70s, limping on a walking stick. I saw him walking very fast from the rear, squeezing in between the crowd and appeared in front of Dr Tan:
Cheng Bock, nice to see you here!
I talked to this elderly and found out that he was Dr Tan’s senior when they were in Raffles Institution. I wondered it must be a very small school because after graduating half a century ago, this elderly still remembered Dr Tan even they were not in the class. Later he disclosed to me that they were living in the same kampong when they were young.
We also witness members of public came forward and told Dr Tan:
I know you, Dr Tan Cheng Bock. I used to stay in Teban Garden. You were my MP.
Some even step forward to greet him, even not staying under Dr Tan’s constituency, like Bukit Batok, West Coast, knew the existence of him. I could see that these people have something in common. They were very glad to see Dr Tan again on the street and want to come forward to greet him.
There must be something that Dr Tan did, leaving deep memories to these people. Either he had prescribed them with a wrong medicine or they had helped them in some way that they had remembered for life.
There was a key maker at Toa Payoh. He said,
Yes, last time I was staying at ‘Yung Toh Hng’ (Chinese dialect for Starfruit Garden,
which is the existing Teban Garden).
The journey from POSB to Mac Donald’s became an hour’s toddle, which I could walk in 5 minutes. It was these citizens that remembered Dr Tan that made him wanted to meet more. He told me he was a little tired because he spent 3 hours in the morning, walked the railway track from 10 Mile Junction to King Albert Park with his buddy, Chiu San.
He smiled and told me:
We were a little ambitious.
Chiu San laughed. I could smell that these 2 elders had a little adventure this morning.
I asked Doc why in Toa Payoh, he could meet so many people that had known him for good? This is not Teban Garden or Lim Chu Kang. Sometimes, even at Bedok, he would meet familiar people on street that were rejoiced upon seeing him. He explained to me about the word, Diaspora. Doc quoted that these people that he met were the diaspora from Teban Garden and especially Ama Keng, when this village was taken back by the authority.
What was the 2nd word that I learn? It came from the key maker.
After the lunch when everyone parted, Sam and I went back to the key maker and asked him why did he remembered Dr Tan? I watched him duplicating a set of key for an elderly and refused to accept his money. He then turned to me and said,
I remember in Yung Toh Hng, i studied at Huai Nan Primary School. I was primary 3. Yes, Teban community was well known and strong in supporting charity, with Dr Tan Cheng Bock. He was one of the good MP in Singapore that we could remember. He was one of the very few MP that can:
敢怒敢言
This was the second word that I learned.
It was my 6th time meeting Doctor Tan Cheng Bock and his wife.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
inspiration
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
How i healed and became a Singaporean again
How I healed and become a Singaporean again.
It has been a year when Samantha and I came back from our epic journey of our life time. For the past 2 years and 8 months, we had never feel so patriotic, able to fly the Singapore flag on our bike upon reaching Singapore land and to my house. At the same time, celebrating national day which the theme was:
Live our dream, fly our flag.
I wanted to contribute myself back to Singapore. The only channel I knew was to approach the RC (a neighbourhood community organized by the main political party of Singapore) chairman but he seemed uninterested about my approach.
When the General Election was near, I noticed that there was unhappiness shown over the cyberspace about being a Singaporean. Many lost their faith, trust and hope towards the nation that they belonged to. Our fathers had come from foreign land to Singapore when it was a 3rd world country. They were the ones that helped in nation building, to what we have now being the 1st world country.
Sam and I went to a few election rallies held by the opposition parties and could feel the anger from the people. The results had shown that about 40% of the qualified voters were unhappy. The 60% of the vote had secured 93% of the ruling party in the parliament.
Singaporeans have to go back to the same days again after the General Election. Nothing will be changed as we, Singaporeans, still carried the same disappointment, looking for opportunity to migrate and leave this heartbreaking relationship.
It was when Dr Tan Cheng Bock came into my life. I volunteered being with his team for this presidential election 2011. I could get to know Doc, close as a friend. When we were on the street, I witnessed commoners coming up to him, thanking him for what he had done for them personally. There were too much stories and testimonials to tell here.
Every time we met up, he would casually tell us about his plan for Singapore and what he wanted to do for us. We would talk Singaporean topics and visit heartland places. All these little gestures from Doc had started to seed the confidence of being a Singaporean when I was with him. It’s the good vibration around him.
I was able to walk and breathe again in the public where I used to dislike going out of the house for leisure. I felt the importance of being a Singaporean and what I have to do for the nation.
As a president, being above politics, Dr Tan Cheng Bock is the person to let us, Singaporean feels the sense of belonging and unity. He will be bringing back the lost sheep that have drifted away because of the previous relationship, because of the lost hope in our country.
Thank you Dr Tan, you made me proud being a Singaporean again. From being a fallen angel and become a citizen that is able to sing the national anthem with pride.
I would like to fly the Singapore flag with the same feeling that I had flew it everytime we set a new record for Singapore during our round the world trip:
Argentina (Ushuaia, most southern end of the world),
Alaska (Artic Circle, most northern end of the world),
Top Villarrica volcano (Chile),
world largest salt flat Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia) and of course,
upon reaching back to Singapore.
I would like to take this opportunity to send a message to all fellow Singaporeans on this national day 2011:
We are one united people and there will always be Hope Too.
Monday, August 1, 2011
365 days since we are back.
Exactly 1 year anniversary that Singaporedream Team has been home, a place where they had always wanted to be.
1st August 2010, Goh said:
外国的月亮比较圆，家里的月亮比较明。
The moon at home is clearer.
There is a saying : The moon in other countries is rounder, which means it is better or there will be more opportunities being overseas.
But Goh countered this by saying:
The moon may be more round in other country, but it is covered with clouds. The moon at home may not be perfect but at least it is bright enough to light up the path in the night.
Goh started his landscape and arboriculture work since day 3 when they are back. He had been setting up his company again and trying to go back to work. But after some time, the passion for greens is no longer in his blood. Landscape and arboriculture had become a job for him, rather a passion.
At one time, he was in need of about S$20,000 to purchase a truck. Two friends wanted to give him a personal loan. He only chose one. This is the kind of support that his friend has given him.
Goh and Samantha wanted to set up their little family, living happily ever after and had forgotten the feeling of being homeless from the 2 years and 8 months of travel. Thou it is just a 3 roomed government funded apartment, living with Goh’s father, they were happy about not to worry where to stay tonight.
During the trip, they would be happy to save S$10 a day just for lodging. Being back in Singapore, they have the privilege of saving about S$300 a month on lodging and the convenience of local food, which their stomach has been always craving for. It solved the daily issues of their trip by being at home.
Both of them wanted to meet their friends badly since they had left. For the past one-year, they had not met many friends on their list. Why?
He was hesitating for the best moment to meet. Then, one got stroke at the age of 30, passed away. The other relative had stomach cancer and passed away. This was the two devastating moment for them, especially Goh.
Being home sick during their trip, they had met with some Singaporeans living and settling overseas. They can’t understand why these people got out of Singapore and harbor at a new country for new life. He thinks that these people are loser and was being thrown out of Singapore. Like being exiled? Until they came back to Singapore, they understand why these people left a place call home.
Thus, the day they cured their homesick, he mentioned the moon ideology to the press and it puzzled a lot of people.
Goh has always wanted to come back to serve the country but he was not able to take the culture shock that Singapore had changed so much. He believes in helping people. Helping people from home, then to the neighborhood, to the society, to the country than to the world. At the same time, he sees the problem on policy that the government had implemented and wanted to seek justice to the commoners Singaporean. Goh is too weak to challenge the powerful government. He has no qualification, he has no monetary back up, he has no professional friends that understand law and worst of all, Goh and Samantha were struggling with their finance, especially they had just came back home with nothing!
The Singaporedream Team set off in the name of the country, spreading words around the world, showing off Singapore to the rest of the world and making public awareness of what Singapore is, to the world. When they came back, there was no recognition of what they had done. This young couple went on this trip on their own fund but in the name of the country. Their most important equipment (the operational ready bike) was stolen 2 months before the set off date. They received NO help from the 60 letters (that was seeking sponsorship) they send out to the local companies. But they still carry on with the remaining deprived fund.
When their engine broke down in USA that almost ended their trip, what the nation did for them is to do an article in the Chinese newspaper, saying:
This is what happen after spending so much money for a round the world trip.
What a great encouragement?
Yes, they made it back. Trying to get use to the new Singapore. This simple living young couple wanted to share their experience with fellow Singaporeans, encouraging fellow Singaporeans to see the world. Corporate companies out there actually made use of them to do ‘free advertising’ for own profit and they were so simple minded that they let them ‘make use of’.
‘I just want to share my experience with fellow Singaporeans’
Goh mentioned in an interview.
His next objective is to complete the journey by writing it into a book. Staying in a government-funded apartment, he often faced disturbance and noise that interrupted from his writing. It was a different atmosphere as compared to the couple spending quiet time in the Patagonia where they can do much of self-realization, and writing a good article. At the same time trying to recall the factual of their trip and put into writing, he needs to think about his business. I wonder how he juggle his inspirations.
As a person that had always wanted to get justice done, he volunteered into politics and had experience the front line of the political battle in Singapore.
Goh and Samantha are so different. They could pack up and leave Singapore since Singapore has given them nothing during the round the world trip. They could have gone to Brazil, have a happy life and retire in Brazil. Why didn’t they leave Singapore?
It has been 1 year and a good recharge for them. What’s next?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
老人铁到！
今早11点左右，我听到楼下传来很大声的喧哗声。我走到走廊旁看到楼下有位老人头和手流血，身边有几位老人扶着他走进组屋。我心想他应该有得到帮助因为我有看到楼下有很多年轻人在停车和走过。不过我心里还是有点担心，还是去关心一下，我拿了钱包想顺便去买午餐。走到楼下，我看到那位老伯的头还再留血，身边一些长辈和缅甸人不知要如何帮助只有一直给他纸巾。缅甸人想帮忙可是语言不通，不能和老人家们沟通。老人家们，没有医药常识还想要他移动去别的椅子。这时，我建议一定要找医生，不能移动。因为移动太多他会流血更快。有位阿姨因为她不会讲英语，拿起电话打去警察局然后要我跟警察说明。警察要我打995叫救护车。我便随手帮他叫了救护车。在等待救护车的同时，我了解到老伯和她太太的年龄大概是七十左右，行动不是很方便，走路还要拿枴杖。不过这位老伯每一次都会在楼下等他太太去巴刹回来，然后帮她一起拿东西上楼。今天也不例外的，老伯看见太太拿着一大包东西要上楼。想要去帮忙。一时，脚提不起力，失去平衡。从楼梯上滑下楼。头和手都敲到地上。她太太一面和我讲述刚才的情形一面责怪老伯为什么要去帮她，然后铁到。我可以看得出她其实很担心，心里很内疚老伯是因为她而铁到。我便提醒她一定要带老伯的身份证去医院。她才想到放在家里。我连忙先帮她跑去先按电梯，好让她不用紧张可以慢慢的走去达电梯。
回到家，我照着她吩咐先拨了一通电话通知她女儿。这时，救护车来了，我拿了老伯的身份证要达电梯，可是电梯刚下楼。我们的组屋只有一架电梯，要等下一趟电梯需要几分钟的时间。我马上从八楼跑楼梯下去把身份证交给救护人员。幸好当救护人员问到有没有家人可以一起去时，有位邻居出面陪同。这样她太太就不用去因为她的耳朵不好，不会说英语和华语只懂广东话。当他太太看到救护车要走时，她很担心说她现在没有带钱。不知道，医院会不会帮她医治她老公，医药费会不会很贵。我告诉她，不用担心老伯是新加坡人一定没有问题。
我写这遍文章的目的是要和大家分享我从这见事上看到什么。我看到没有新加坡年轻人伸出援手，让我开始怀疑新加坡年轻人的同情心。我家楼下不时都有人大老远特地驾车来吃砂锅饭。当我走去咖啡店打包时，看到店里是满座的。这些人刚才在那里？老伯就坐在咖啡店入口不远处。这么多老人围着看他，我不相信不会引起他们的注意。请大家下次看到同样情形一定要帮帮忙。想想我们也有老的一天。
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
why live?
i quoted an anonymous from:
http://www.temasekreview.com/2011/07/19/ex-singaporean-in-australia-act-fast-if-you-want-to-emigrate/
is this what living is all about? ermm, but why Australia?
"Well said! Singaporeans are obsessed with branded clothes, branded cars, branded sounding names for condos. In short, many Singaporeans have been brainwashed by the Fapayas’ ‘cheaper betterer faster’ ideology and the equally nonsensical ‘upgrading’ mentality (upgrade from 4-room flat to condo, enslave oneself for another 30 yrs of debt, plenty of daft ones out there doing this, which says it all).
I would think the writer’s point of view is fantastic – a place like Australia gives a person FULL SPACE to develop as an INDIVIDUAL. not to just function as machines and just work for the money. We do need to discover our passions, look more at ourselves instead of what defining ourselves based on what others HAVE, and most importantly, ask ourselves what LIVING is all about."
Saturday, July 16, 2011
New Age religion?
I extracted this from a webpage...
Don’t trust a missionary man, don’t trust a Buddhist man, and don’t trust a Bomoh man.
What had religion done for mankind?
Did you see how Israel loved to quote the book; this is our land, that is our land. You know that book is 5,000 years old; many kingdoms had come and left, my friend.
What had religion done for mankind?
Did you see how Spanish force others to convert
What had religion done for mankind?
Did you know how Tibetan monk refused a pregnant woman to deliver a baby; nobody can leave until the chanting is over. Of course, both the baby and mother died after hours of chanting rituals. This is a documentaries show from CCTV4 Mandarin. What about Guan Yin, what about Buddha, they had become a symbol of power & influence over commoners used by the Monks.
What had religion done for mankind?
Hindus prevent different class of people from rising to the top.
What had religion done for mankind?
Stop the Charles Darwin theory, Big Bang theory…from now all study Creationist Theory. No to stem research because GOD said so.
What had religion done for mankind?
Women that taken bread with fungus started acting in trance. So the people burn them alive, this was call “Witch-hunting”
What had religion done for mankind?
Women cannot drive a car, you need 5 witnesses, or we stone you to death. Women got drinking in Malaysia receiving canning.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Man seen in Times Square holding sign protesting against Singapore
we? child sex singapore? what is this guy trying to say?Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
2011 June short travel Day 6-10 out of 10
Tight curve, windy road, sharing it with bicyclists, sedan cars and tour buses was along this 45km, descending from 1000m above sea level down to the actual land. There wasn’t any rest station along this road except for a touristy waterfall halfway. Something was grinding in my stomach as soon as we set off from Teoh Yong Meng Nursery. I tried all ways to dissolve the pain using all methods I could think off. Looking at the narrow curves, the bushes available were along a deep gradient downhill.
The pain comes and goes. I told Sam about it and she had the same pain.
It must be last night dinner, the coconut curry at the Indian restaurant. The accusation towards the dinner would make us better, it didn’t. After turns and turns, the only hide out was behind a big rock along a flat road by chance. We did it there.
Wait, did I mark a waypoint on my GPS?
Our objective for the day was to attend the presentation from Simon and Lisa Thomas in Shah Alam. We wanted to see them as we had many friends in common inside Facebook, also, would like to hear them sharing. Why not wait for them to come to Singapore? I know that it is not an easy task for other non Asian riding their bike into Singapore. Other than the usual document the have, they will need produce the following at the customs/immigration of singapore:
1) international Circulation Permit. Can be processed at the Automobile Association of Singapore. (How are they going to produce this document where they have not entered Singapore? Most of them parked their bike in Malaysia, take public transport to the Automobile Association of Singapore to purchase that piece of ICP, then take it back to Malaysia, then they ride their bike over to Singapore with that paper. That is absolute nonsense and not travel friendly!)
2) To produce certificate of insurance. ( motorcycle insurance in Singapore is expensive. These companies does not sell 1 or 2 week’s insurance duration. They only sell a ONE YEAR insurance. Or even they sell the 1 week insurance for our foreign friends, they will charge at a ridicules price.)
3) Buy an Autopass at the custom office. Does that covers the ERP charges in Singapore?
4) If any overseas bikers stay at my house, they have to purchase the $16 season parking or $0.60 for half day parking.
The reason for international bikers to come to Singapore is to ‘mark attendance’ or to get their bike repaired or to get their bike shipped out, usually to Australia. Do you think they want to ride the famous Orchard Road, 99 turns @ south buona vista or take a picture with the Merlion and their bike?
So, knowing that high chances of them not coming to Singapore, Sam and I went to look for them and attended their 2-3 hours presentation which they were doing it for free.
One of the most rewarding part by attending their presentation was meeting up with someone that had always given us encouragement and support during our 2 and half years round the world trip. We often contacted each other via Internet because he had been following our blog.
---Amzah, it’s our real pleasure to be able to meet up with you.---
The fruitful presentation ended around 1130pm and we will try to arrange Simon and Lisa Thomas to come to Singapore for a presentation… thou up to date, those guys weren’t very keen. Will try our best mate!
Not knowing where to stay at Shah Alam, we traveled as fast as Hope Too could, to the south, about 150km. It had been a long time that I had not ridden in the night. I had little confident. Looking at the mirror, I couldn’t guage how fast the vehicle behind me was coming at the speed. If I were to over take the slow truck in front, I need to consider Hope Too’s capability, even we were at our max speed of 120km. I do not know when will the engine oil be emptied. Sam was real tired. The seat is killing us. We need a place to secure Hope Too, good shower, air conditioned, clean and affordable. After 2 hours, we reached:
Fairwell Hotel
N2 11.318 E102 15.526
RM$64 at weekends, RM$54 at off peak seasons.
The next day, June 12, we wanted to feel about staying in a ‘funky’ hostel like other back packers did.
http://www.discovery-malacca.com/?Welcome
Discovery Café and Guest House
3 Jalan Bunga Raya, Melaka, Malaysia. Tel: 06-2925606
GPS:
N 02° 11.779’
E102° 15.053’
If you gonna check in on a high season, make a reservation and ask to stay at the same building as the café is. Our room is the best: room 6 at level 3. If not, the bike will be parked securely at the café office and will be lead opposite the road to another shop house that turned into hostel. Option B will be good if you mind the daily live music at the café.
Generally, it is clean and the facilities were up to our standard of living. Hope Too was parked in the compound and in the night, dogs guarded it. We tried coming back very late in the night and no way we could get near the bike within 5 meters without the dogs barking. Then the caretaker woke up and minded the situation.
The Nepalese receptionist was friendly, helpful AND understanding. This place truly has a taste of Malacca. In the daytime, it is two streets away from the touristy area. In the night time, it is along one of the many food stall street.
We visited the Zheng He Museum. Recommanded. For RM$10 person, there was a free short guide by them and lots of things to see. Zheng He actually sailed from China 7 times out, to the furthest is Africa and Middle East. They brought back some Giraffe to China. It was a gift from the Africa king. Zheng He sailed way before Columbus did. When we saw the ship of Zheng He as compared to Columbus, we laughed our tummy out!
---A Chinese type writer. There are so many 'Alphabets'. Never seen one before in my life.---
---The night of Malacca. All these photos were taken by Samantha's Mobile phone: HTC Desire S.---
---the 'Lok Lok' stall. it is a mobile food stall. the platform on the picture is actually the back of a truck.---
---the view from our guest house.---Whenever we visited Malacca, Crystal would always be mentioned in our story.
The first night, she wanted to bring us to a Portuguese settlement and have some Nonya-Portuguese food. It was closed on a Sunday. The second night, we went again at 6pm. It was closed but she managed to call up.
Papa Joe came a few minutes later on his scooter. It was a restaurant cum bar. Bar has only a long table and behind the long table is where the bartender, Joe, works. His wife was in charge of the delicious cooking in the restaurant but was on leave that day. So we ordered the almost similar food from his neighbor and were brought in to the bar.
The Portuguese came to Malacca in the 1500s and were considered the very first few immigrant of Malaysia. They lived from then till now in this settlement, being part of Malaysian. The perks that the Portuguese descendant has are almost equivalent to the Bumi Putra of Malaysia. Now the state of Malacca had declared this settlement as a heritage area.
---Not sure about this Restoran De Lisbon, never visit.---
Joe is about 70 years old. He is dark looking and if he has not told us about his genes, he
looked as ordinary as any other Malaysian. Joe has his own entertainment team, which perform Portuguese culture dance and music. If there were large group of tourist coming to his restaurant, he would perform for them. It was a cozy chat with Joe. He showed us some old photos and of some special visitors that came to his restaurant. One of them was Singapore’s ex-president, late Mr Wee Kim Wee. Joe is so famous in this settlement and news about the presence of these intimate Portuguese descendants in Malacca alarmed the present day Portugal in Europe. Portugal invited Joe over to visit Portugal and got to understand more about the descendants in Malacca.
More people joined in. Andrew De Mello, a musician, would looked much like an American Red Indian if he were to be in the costume, especially with his long hair and tattoos. Papa Joe’s son came in too. He looked exactly like a Chinese man in his mid 30’s as Joe married a local Baba-Nonya lady. An Indian doctor sat at the other side of the bar talking to Crystal, a regular couple just to drop by to chill out with everyone and a fisher man that would speak his heart out to everyone in the bar. Except for the couple and the Indian doctor, all of them could speak Portuguese.
Mid of June, the settlement will have a festival similar to the Carnival of Latin America, Fiesta San Petro.
Most of them were Catholic.
After I had 8 mugs of beer and was about to order my last beer, Joe took the guitar and sang, just for the few of us. The moment he open his mouth and the first phase of Portuguese song came out, the notes did not went into my ears but it vibrated me on every hair on my body. My eyes looked at him with his passionate love for music and life while he was singing. My nose wanted to breath more of the Portuguese air created in this small litter pub. I was certainly very touched by his singing, his character and of course, the beer. There is no technology on this world that can record or express my feelings at that time to you.
I asked Joe:
So many things had happen and you are such a famous person. Do you have any dreams?
Joe paused for a while, looking at the air and he shook his head:
No, or maybe, yes, I want to live happily, like now.
After drinking the beer at Papa Joe’s, there isn’t any more place i
n Asia that we can taste a true, cold, fresh beer, not even in Singapore even Papa Joe served Tiger Beer.
---From the left to Right: Joe, Joe's son, Me, The Fisherman, Samantha. They are all Malacca Portuguese. The Fisherman said: if many of us, we are Portuguese, if me alone, I am a Portugoose.---
I wonder if they do the Siesta.
N 02° 11.026’
E102° 16.022’
Our 10 days trip ended shortly after Malacca. We drop by the police station at Kluang and I visited the police inspector. As soon as I entered his room, he remembered me, which we last met 4 years ago. This young inspector is still at the same office, same desk, same position and same post but he got married, had a baby and gain much weight. The same story as any police inspector would tell me about my stolen Hope.
If we find, if we find, we call you. This number ah?
I asked in English if there is anything that we, the bikers from Singapore, to help them solve bike thief or syndicates of vehicle thief. I don’t think he understand my sentence. 4 years ago he quoted to me that everyday there are about 80 motorcycles stolen in his district, not state, not nation but just in that district! Do we see any improvement? Maybe 75 bike per day now. He told me that they suspected some syndicates stealing my bike. Oh, so that is what he has found out after 4 years, suspecting that some syndicate stole my bike. Well, that is an improvement and some results. Maybe 4 years later when I visit him, he would say that they had confirmed these syndicates were around his district.
There is still no Hope around.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
New movie trailer!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
2011 June short travel Day 1-6 out of 10
View 2011 june travel part 1 in a larger map
Day 1.
We set off from Johor Bahru on a lazy morning where the sun is hiding behind the cloud. After a rice dumpling breakfast, loaded our luggage onto Hope Too and started the journey to the end of Malaysia. We decided to leave the digital camera at home.
It was the first time Hope Too went on a trip without his aluminium side panniers. Instead, it was replaced by 2 saddle bags which was previously tied to the front crash bar. It contained 2 sets of heavy duty rain coat, engine oil, chain lubricant, pad lock, and a spare rear tube. Hope Too finally got his front wheel bearing, steering cone bearing and front suspension oil changed from a proper mechanic at Planet Motors, Joemac’s recommendation. Thanks to Joemac who accompanied me through out the servicing. We had a tank bag and a top case with some books, lots of battery chargers, and the usual travel bag. So this time Hope Too is less bulky and I have to pay lesser attention on the side clearance.
Traveling the first 100km along the north south highway to Yong Peng was a stress for Hope Too as he was cruising at 110km/hr and at times had to reach 125km/hr to over take slow moving vehicles. We detoured out of Yong Peng and roll on for the country road up north, till Segamat. At 1130hrs, we had our rm$21 lunch at the clay pot bak kut teh restaurant. We wheel locked Hope Too, brought in our tank bag and the GPS. The fears of loosing our belongings are still around. Restaurant comments: food could have been less salty and the price…but it is a good rest station as it is situated at the North of the town and right side of the road. I am missing my Airhawk as my backside is aching much.
This is the first time ever in my life traveling the country road after North of Segamat. We went pass Gemas and reached the state of Negeri Sembilan (the 9th state). It clearly feels that this state is being administrated differently by looking at the environment. The next off our butt stop is the only Chinese shop along the road. I saw it on the right side of the road, applied the brakes, made a U turn and parked at the slope in front of the shop.
It was a hut made of wood with zinc roof. The door opening was facing a slit road and only 4 meters wide. The floor of the shop was built one foot lower than the road. We knew that if it rains, this shop would be a good water collection center. Inside the shop, there was a tall counter on the right with a young Chinese man sitting, looking at his computer screen. There were only 5 tables. We sat at the table nearest to the door and with my hand reach distance, I could knock at Hope Too to wake him up from his afternoon nap. Next to us was an elderly with a rugged looking face and untidy hair. He seems to be drinking his Chinese tea from the pot after lunch.
When I asked for the toilet, I was led to a storeroom. They were very certain that I had entered the toilet. They kept their agriculture equipment in the toilet. It was about the same size as my room in Singapore. There was a basin to wash hand and a portable showerhead. I was asking myself that where am I going to aim my pee at. Where will the pee goes? Shall I do it in the sink or the small broken opening between the floor and the bottom of the wall? I guess this is how the locals did it… and I did it. Hmm, what if I need to do the squatting, release solid waste?
I went back to Sam and had our cold fizzy drinks, at the same time managed to glance everyone in the shop. I passed by the mother washing vegetables. I passed by the sister and brother looking at the lap top screen. I passed by 2 topless elderly man, each sitting at their own table with reading glasses and 2 girls of aged 5-7 years old trying to read a cook book that is about 100 pages thick. All of them had something in common: they were all concentrating in what they are doing and all we hear was the motion of the desk fan circulating the air in the shop.
There wasn’t much traffic along this road. We left the tank bag and the GPS with Hope Too. It was so peaceful and simple being here. No phone ringing, no music, no roaring traffic but just birds chipping and conversation of the elderly with the little girls.
I imagined just by cutting these people by pressing ct-X, and then paste them in Singapore by pressing ct-V, they just looked exactly the same as any ordinary people around us.
I really wanted to start a conversation but I was a little shy as they were concentrating in what they were doing. They don’t even looked at us where we dressed like alien and rode a spaceship. After the sore on our butts had cooled down, we dressed up and get ready to move on. I took this opportunity to break the ice by asking them about the direction to the next town. All of them started chatting as in an online forum. Telling us how far is the next town, in miles. They became very friendly and asked where we came from and where we will be going. I guess they have been waiting for us to start the conversation.
This is the place where Samantha and I met real people with sincerity and welcoming heart. We would not be surprise if they would let us pitch a tent by their back yard. They do not serve first class beverages but the feel is there.
Want to get the feel?
N3 07.125 E102 13.446
The road got winding through the oil palm plantation. Traffic condition was light. It ended at Karak junction and we wanted to de-sore our butt terribly. If we carry on for 2 and half hour from Bentung to Gua Musang, we may not ride in peace but to rush for the last light. So we checked into an rm$55 hotel by chance and requested to park the bike into the lobby at night. The owner was looking at me with big curiosity and I explained to him that our bike had been stolen before in Malaysia. He was very kind to let Hope Too sleep in his hotel lobby without extra charges. Hope Too drank 350ml of engine oil that night.
It was a tiring day. We set off at 0930hrs, ended at 1600hrs and only did 400km. we need a butt massager badly. After dinner, Sam and I took out our books to read and gave up after half an hour of struggle because words that seems to be flying around the pages.
N3 30.739 E101 54.767
Day 2
Clouds overtaking nearby mountains seen from our window greeted us. I smelled durian in the breakfast dim sum and assuming that it is not very fresh. But the day was made good when we wanted to start the journey, chatting with the elderly sitting at the next table. They started using Cantonese with me and I replied with Mandarin because I had D8 for Cantonese.
The morning ride was welcomed by the perfect morning weather. This road to the north had turnoffs to the few important famous hills in Malaysia: Genting Highland, Bukit Tinggi, Bukit Fraser and Cameron Highland. Our objective was to ride this route to Gua Musang. Indeed, Gua Musang was surrounded by random rocks, as big as a shopping center building. These mountainous rocks seemed to be placed in position artificially or being thrown down to earth from the other planets.
Gua Musang is an important center for transportation from East to West coast. Many traders would come here also because of the railway station. If you intend to stay in Gua Musang with a proper parking space, Hotel Usaha would be the choice.
N4 52.869 E101 57.847
We reached here at noon, took a chicken rice lunch and continue the highway 8 to Kota Barhu, Kelantan.
At 1600hrs, we reached Ideal Backpackers Inn.
N6 07.866 E102 14.545
It used to be crowded here. Chang, the owner told me. Business had been declining. I see that backpackers now stayed in air-conditioned hotels. Being cheap will not be the most important factor now. The air in this guesthouse was heavy because Chang and his family were mourning over his mother’s death, 2 weeks ago.
Leukemia.
I shared my story about my mum fighting with Leukemia with him and we had a deep hearted conversation. I understand.
The street outside the hostel is an eating paradise for us! We didn’t go much walking the tourist sites but to eat and drink. At the food center, we made new friends with a Swiss couple traveling in Asia, Sascha and Eveline.
Day 3
Sleep, eat, slack, rest our butt, eat, read and do some writing. Our day was made wonderful when we spoke with Chang’s father. He had political sense of humor and good social perception. Kelantan state had always had negative impressions from people outside this state or those had not been here before. Also it is a ‘dangerous’ state because they hear stories of Kelantan from those that had not been here before. Kelantan state is under the opposition party rule for 20 years by an Islamic party. Chang’s father, a local Chinese, praised the party for the good that they had done. He also compared the previous ruling party that tried to rule this state for a season and commoners were suffering and the state had been messed up. We walked on the street, we went to Muslim stall to eat, chatted with local non Muslim citizen and everyone was happy, polite, easy going and their conversation was not about complaining the government but of other daily bread and butter topics.
Chang’s brother mentioned that once a foreign biker came to Kota Bahru, he locked his expensive helmet fitted with an intercom microphone on the bike along the street and went off to buy something. When he came back, someone cut the intercom microphone and had stolen it. This foreign biker went to report to the police and guess what….
If he was in some other XYZ state, it would be the same old story. To our very surprise, Chang’s brother said that the police took short time to arrest the culprit and got back the stolen intercom microphone.
So, don’t listen to what other comment about Kelantan State where THEY HAVE NOT BEEN HERE BEFORE. They only hear from the blind and read the sarcastic newspaper.
Day 4
Chang’s brother drew us a map on getting to a nice and easy route towards south.
The first 120km from Kota Barhu along highway 3 to the South was a road to ride. Somehow I think that this road is designed for bike travel and traffic was lesser. There were many chalets, beach bungalows and small eatery along this stretch. Recommanded!
Our objective was to ride to the touristy beach resort of Cherating and stay for a night. Many Singaporeans came here for holidays due to the nice beach and resort type of lodging. It was our first time coming to Cherating and it was built like the beach town of Phuket/Koh Samui of Thailand. There were various lodging for us to stay and we were so ‘lucky’ to stay in this resort by the name of Riverside Holiday Resort.
The ground was nice, sandy pit and Hope Too was able to park 5 meters away from our room door. There wasn’t much vehicle here and it seemed that only 4 rooms were occupied out of 30.
We had a RM$40 room with: fan, attached toilet with natural shower system, retro but moldy sofa that grew million of micro mushrooms, sleeping pillows used since world war 2, mosquito that couldn’t be seen when lights were on, free music till 4am, , free security watch by group of unknown people around the car park until 5am, free natural wake up call by real rooster at 430am and carpark was fully occupied by non guest coming here to look for paid adult entertainment. It was so different as in the daytime and now Hope Too was situated as closed as 0.3 meters away from the vehicle next to him.
There was a nice ‘little Bali’ pub in this resort by the river and live band every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It is a very good place to stay for those that want to look for night entertainment in Cherating, get drunk and numb then talk a 20 steps walk back to the room to sleep. Maybe the next time we will stay again in this place only if we have different intension.
N4 07.640 E103 23.536
Day 5
We woke up only at 10am and want to leave this place as soon as possible as there wasn’t a proper place to have breakfast.
We took a new toll way to the west, exited Temerluh, traveled about 50km to the north on a trunk road towards Jerantut where we had our Chinese chicken rice breakfast at 1300hrs.
N3 56.398 E102 21.904
Recommanded.
The next 60km road north of Jerantut to Kuala Lipis was wonderful, like a roller coaster ride! It was built parallel to the historical river and along the valley. Situated at the south of Taman Negara, the world oldest rainforest, that is about 130 million years old, the surrounding is the closest road navigable near to Taman Negara. Else, one has to walk and trek into Taman Negara.
Recommanded!
Our initial plan was to ride the same highway 8 to Gua Musang again and turn west towards Cameron Highland till we saw a signboard near Kuala Lipis, it has a turn off towards Cameron Highland. I checked my map and GPS. No road linking to Cameron Highland. Anyway, it’s an adventure. We follow the signboard and the ‘Cameron Highland’ direction disappeared after the next junction. We rode on aimlessly hoping for miracle until we reached a critical junction at Sungai Koyan. Sam seeked direction from a local pump attendance and we looked at the map, there wasn’t any thro road.
Ok, just try, maybe, perhaps, we should trust the local sense rather than technology.
The gas station is at:
N4 13.805 E101 47.895
The turn off is at:
N4 13.266 E101 47.849
This 80km of new road was well built but unofficially announced to the public. We were the very first few to travel! It does not have much traffic and we managed to passed through some of the aborigine communities. What’s more, this new road led us straight to our friend’s (Teoh Yong Meng Nursery) office in Bertam Valley. There wasn’t any prior arrangement to meet Joyce and Joe but their father hosted us for a meal and good chat.
We carried on to our best lodging in this trip at Cameronian Inn, settled down, and walked towards our dinner location. It had been years that I had not been a tourist in Cameron Highland. It had been much developed and even Starbucks had set up a branch here. We sat by the Indian Shop and had our first and last try of the food here. What made our dinner special was a couple sitting beside us. They looked like Indian, but fairer in color. Both of them looked like bollywood actor. They did not speak English, Malay, Tamil, Hindi, Punjabi or any language that is used in Malaysia but we always hear the ‘Z’ sound in their conversation. I winked at Samantha if they were from Iran.
Bingo! They were working professionals in Capital of Malaysia for some years and going to migrate New Zealand soon. They shared with us about the situation in Iran and were surprised that we had traveled in Iran so well and also to their ‘no go region’: Zehedan. I was so ashamed when they shared their experience with the Custom officers of Singapore when they visited Singapore.
Ok, not to mention what happened, someone is watching over what I am posting.
Day 6
Wonderful cool morning in Cameron Highland and we had breakfast with English Tea and Scone in a peaceful English garden! When we were about to leave, we had an unusual request for the owner of this inn: to provide us ‘red packets’ as we were on our way to visit Joyce and Joe’s new baby. He patiently went back to his room and dug out all the packets he had. We took two of them and found out that there was actually real money in it! Of course, politely, we returned the money to him and took the packets.
We had a nice chat with each other just by standing beside our bike and he share with us why he wanted to stay in Cameron Highland in this small Inn, instead of managing his another business in Australia.
Cameronian Inn is clean and quiet place with an English garden. Sam and I could easily spend another day here to chat with the owner and read a book but we have to set off, meeting Joyce and Joe for a quickie and to meet 2 riders from UK that had been traveling around for 8 years.
http://www.thecameronianinn.com/index.html
Tanah Rata
N4 28.103 E101 22.444
