cameron highlands 07-09 Sept 2007 and on ramadhan food

The first weekend of September, we had our department Colloquium and Family day in Cameron Highlands, Pahang. I was the treasurer for this program. All the committee members led by Prof.Dr. Abdul Amir and Assoc.Prof.Dr. Zahira have been working really hard in realizing this program, which we didnt manage to do last year due to budget constraints. Although it was meant for our department academic and supporting staffs, it would not take place if it wasnt for the commitment of the committee members and the full support of all the department staffs in general.



This Cameron Highlands trip was the second trip ever for me there. The first one was way back in 1990, thats 17 years ago, when i was in form 2. I joined our secondary school excursion but unfortunately, that particular cameron highlands trip wasnt the joyous trip for me. I went because i've never been there before and I know I will have to wait for a long time before i could go there with my family. We were already a big family of 10 and obviously we could not fit into our old small proton saga car that time at one go. Therefore, i decided to ask my parents for some extra pocket money to join this school trip and many other school trips organized by the school.


Anyways, this second trip, I had a really wonderful time. Even though we didnt really get much time to spend touring around this popular tourist temperate-climate destination due to our packed program and short weekend, we managed to enjoy whatever moment we had together be it the colloquium program, family day sports carnival or those short trips around some of the places around town. I tried to remember what I did and where i went 17 years ago, but most of the memories seemed irrelevant to me. All i could recall were this passion fruit discovery, some english roses, staying at some cheap hotel along the shophouses and met with two very friendly Pahang policemen who went on chatting with me nearby the cheap hotel lobby for whatever reason i couldnt really remember much except some funny and not so funny stories on their experience working with the pahang sultan.



This recent trip, we stayed at Century Pines Resort, Tanah Rata. It was not the plushest hotel (rated 4 star) but one of the (uncanny) things i could remember the most was my little encounters with this cute Burmese hotel caretaker/room service fella. He was just about my height ( 5 ft 5 inches) but he sure has this cute, innocent, kuning langsat flawless skin face. IN the first few times he came to my room sending some items i asked for, i couldnt tell whether he was local or not. He has this pahang-terengganu sweet look, couldve been some bit of japanese takuya kimura looks, too (or saper2 la cute japanese actor with lovely big, slanting eyes, and nice thick lock of jetblack hair) . Wa takde la crush or jatoh centa, beb, saje suka2 cuci mata gitewww. Then on the final night (saturday night), I called the room service again to check the shower head in my room and they sent him (again). He took a look and check the faulty (loose) head and told me he had to get a new set of washer to tighten the grip. He came back after like 10 minutes and began working on the shower head. As he was not that tall, i asked him to just step into the bath tub instead of struggling to stretch his feet up. He didnt speak much but i thought (dengan gatalnya sikit) whats wrong with having some short conversation (on the technical aspect of the shower and maintenance of course) with him and somehow he replied in some mixed malay-funny accent. I took it as my cue as I straightforwardly asked him where is he from. And he said in a casual yet monotonous answer: Myanmar. Those short communication i had with him kinda ease up any usual awkwardness especially that I am a single (goodlooking) woman occupying the room on my own and he is a dude. It's like showing him my own prerogative and my own prowess (?) that sort of sending him the message that hey i am ok, u just do your work and be gone.

I dunno some myanmar/burmese dude would look cute like that. Thai guys i know, but burmese, besides those monks struggling against those Junta on the rally for democratic myanmar and campaigning to free Aung San Su Kyi, i havent a clue much on the "cuteness" level there. But now that i found one who is far from the typical burmese dark sawo matang looks, i rest my case on burmese men (on the not so goodlooking indochinese looks part). No offence to any burmese around, but it's good to know that cute guys do exist there, i jer yang tak perasan.

Special nursery area for flowers at MARDI cameron highlands

Saujana mata memandang at Bharat Tea plantation

I am doing my best "belilah Cameronian Tea" promotion attempt

I've got my MOJO (and grooves) back!

I knew that I need to get away from Malaysia (or away from klang valley) and go somewhere fun or exotic to reinstore my mojo and grooves back. Why is it mattered so much to me? Hell yeah it does. It's to do a lot with refreshing one's mind esp in those places I visited , i get a good relaxing moments, enjoying breathtaking views and some bit of a good old chitchat with some goodlooking fellas....no, i am not gatal or anything....but some little flirt and attention from the opposite sex does something to my self-esteem hence my mojo and grooves! It doesnt do much around here but when it comes to holidaying, it kinda give me some spiced up effect? Light-headed, laughing, no work stress....no wonder i feel so much healthier (and lighter due to lotsa walking around) everytime i come back from a delightful trip.

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I must confess that I still owe a few tags to do but since this is a call for ramadhan food (and only during ramadhan), I reckon i'll have a go at it. So, Ija, here are the list of foods that I would drool over definitely eat during Ramadhan. Mind u that i no longer am that big eater or having lotsa food cravings...My taste bud gets more and more exclusive and my tummy gets less and less expanding power and with somewhat low level of kepedasan threshold/endurance.



Name 5 food that you feel like having for iftar la, but not on the same day:


1. McDonald’s beef foldover (sama la kita. Somehow, I have become a beef lover this year, I'd go for beef anytime over chicken and I do not know why)

2. Good old ikan bakar (siakap (seabass), or tenggiri (kingfish) or even the humble ikan kembung (mackarel) cicah sambal asam

3. Beef lasagna

4. Meehoon bandung muar (must be with beef)

5. KuayTeow Kerang (i just had it during our iftar today, my mum cooked it)



Name 5 food you would like to have for breakfast if you could (as in sahur, ok):


1. A 1/4 plate of Nasi putih with sambal sotong and sayur kailan/sawi goreng kicap

2. Hot Baguette sandwich with tuna, mature cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and butter

3. Rich-fibre bread sandwich with cheese and tomato

4. Good old creamy Greek yoghurt with dollop of honey and a cuppa hot choc

5. A 1/4 plate of nasi putih and tomyam campur.



Name 5 food you would most likely buy for berbuka today:

1. Tau foo fa

2. Tepung pelita

3. Air tebu or soya

4. Chicken/beef murtabak

5. Air kelapa muda straight from the coconut, together with its soft white flesh.