Trailer to Lydia’s new book “Do you wear suspenders”….

Toowoomba-The Garden City

The first time I heard about Toowoomba, it reminds me of the Mauri warrior dance. With spear in one hand and a shield on the other, the dancers with their painted faces, dressed for war stomped VOOM! VOOM! VOOM!”.  

Situated about 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level, Toowoomba sits on the edge of the Great Dividing Range in South East Queensland. That’s probably the reason why the air there is much much cooler than anywhere else in Australia. It is an hour drive from Brisbane or three and half hours drive from Coolangatta airport. With an urban population of slightly above 95,000 it has 100 over public parks and well-kept gardens scattered around, hence the name “The Garden City”.   Besides these, there are many architecture and historical buildings, shops, museums, theatres, wineries plus a hosts of other great attractions to make one’s stay enjoyable. 

  

 Toowoomba town

 

 

 

 

Below are some great places of interest:

Ju Raku En – Japanese garden - This place is a gem. Nestled within the University of Queensland, the garden was setup by the Japanese.

Brdige overlooking the lake

 

 

 

 

mystic bamboo garden

 Preston Peak Winery

  Some of the best wines are found here. Free tasting too. You can enjoy great steak outdoor, enjoy watching horses and donkeys gazing and a view of the TableTop mountain.

Preston Peak Winery & the BBQ garden

   

 Picnic Point – Another Scenic spot for outdoor ativities

The Good News amongst the bad

With all the gloom in the economy and more and more people losing jobs, amongst the bad, I received an email which reminds me of more pressing issues in life: Life itself and hope of better times.   “Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in mommy’s tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her. The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the Panther Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown , Tennessee . In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required? Finally, after a long struggle, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary’s  Hospital, Knoxville , Tennessee . The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst. Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for their new baby but now they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him see his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he didn’t see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket. The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, ‘Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed.’  The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse’s face, her lips a firm line.  ‘He is not leaving until he sings to his sister’ she stated. Then Karen towed Michael to his sister’s bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began to sing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray.’ Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. ‘Keep on singing, Michael,’ encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. ‘You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away.’ As Michael sang to his sister, the baby’s ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten’s purr ‘Keep on singing, sweetheart.’ ‘The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms’. Michael’s little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. ‘Keep on singing, Michael.’ Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don’t take my sunshine away…’ The next day…the very next day, the little girl was well enough to go home. Woman’s Day Magazine called it “The Miracle of a Brother’s Song.” The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God’s love” NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL. Life is good. ‘The evidence of God’s presence far outweighs the proof of His absence.’

Of cemeteries and neighbors

I have decided to link today’s blog to an article on “Quirkiness of life in Japan, even in cemeteries”, written by Sarah Mori, a fornightly Star columnist,  whom I got to know through blogging. Since it is in line with the tagline of my blog, I find it appropriate for my blog.

http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/9/29/lifefocus/2111408&sec=lifefocus -Sarah Mori  

 

 In Malaysia, the burial place has been commercialised into a big money-making venture. They created lakes with fishes and ducks swimming, moutains and bridges with water flowing underneath it. There are also figurines representing the dead, keepers of heaven and hell as they guide you through your journey into the other world.  Their brochures that they occassionally dropped into my postbox invites you to come and experience the peace and serendity as you take a slow walk around the burial ground. It reads more like a  holiday resort than a burial ground for the dead

 Another Malaysian quirkiness is NEIGHBORS.  These days most house owners install their solid metal gates to stretch from pillar to pillar. That means they could park their cars side by side. And when their children, relatives or friends come to visit, they were very considerate to the host but no consideration whatsoever to their neighbors. They parked on their neighbor’s properties, across the neighbor’s gate  and stayed for hours.   Being polite neighbors, we usually grind our teeth. But one neighbor got so fed-up he started to place cones in front of his gate to send the message across. One day, I came home and saw a cone hidden inside my gate. What ! Is my son also trying to send a message to our neighbor ? 

 Read some of Sarah Mori’s experience of Japan’s quirkiness.

 

Lost in Tambun, Sipping Tea in Cameron

Lost World of Tambun,Ipoh

No matter how many times I told myself I hate those long and winding roads but each time my company organizes a trip there or my sister-in-laws say, “JOM, Cameron Highlands? I’ll be the first to grab an overnight bag and jumped in. 

Is it the fresh air and mystical mountains, sipping hot tea  or the night market stalls with its mile long yummy food and fresh produce from the farm? I just love Cameron Highlands.

In July during our company’s trip, we made a short stop at Lost World of Tambun via the Ipoh,Sg. Siput toll, if you are taking the NKVE expressway, before we headed for the cool mountains in the later afternoon.  Akin to Sunway Lagoon Theme park, Selangor,  we were lost for words. Besides screaming our heads off with the rides, the indoor free train gave us a good view of the parks and its surroundings.

 

hotel cum apartment, overlooking the Cactus farm with night market just across the rooad

With the newly completed  Simpang Pulai exit where the road was  less winding, it took us only another two hours to reach our hotel cum apartment in Brinchang. The rain had just stopped, casting a thick mist over the mountains and a night market business in full swing. We couldnt wait to don our sweaters and jackets and had a great time bargaining for farm produce and eating delcious finger-licking food.

Bird’s eye view of Brinchang town

The next day, besides the cactus farm, we visited morning market and the bee farm and came away with some really good, pure honey. Take a tablespoon of pure honey, add some warm water and squeeze in some lime juice. It’s my mother’s  traditional cure for sore throat. It works wonders. Heading down home, we stopped at Tanah Rata, sipping hot tea with scones and watched some of our colleagues walked the tea trail .     

Cactus farm with self-picking of strawberries n greens

a good place to relax after a tiring walk

Sipping tea, overlooking the tea bushes

rows and rows of lushes tea bushes

 

  

 

 

A-night at the backpackers

Roughing out(thats what my two fellow travelers will say) at the backpackers is not everyone’s cup of tea, esp. if one is so used to the comfort of a hotel plus service. But with food and fuel hike at its peak, my suggestion to put up at the backpackers during our trip to Brisbane sounded like a smart move.

The first sign that it was not a smart move came from the cab driver. Before dropping us off, she shook her head with disapproval and asked us repeatedly whether we would like to go someplace better. We shook our heads and take what the devil has to offer. 

We were left to drag our 20kg travelling bag up a flight of stairs to the reception and check-in counter. An American African, called himself Moses greeted us with a wide smile and a set of white teeth.

  

 

    

 

Pretty nice looking right? Some travelers have been staying in this place for months, working for 3 hours daily to get their free stay. We were given a quad-sharing room,  just next to the reception.  There were two double-decker bed, that comes with mattress and pillow. If you need a blanket, just another AUD1.00. Especially with a fan just above your head, you need more than just a blanket to keep warm. 

A British girl, about 20 years of age was there before us. She left a visible shilling in the middle of the bed, slightly covered with a piece of her clothing, trying to test our honesty. We likewise kept our suitcase locked at all times. With all the going-ins and out and people talking in the wee hours of the morning, we hardly slept a wink. By then we had to be up to check-out and catch our coach to Gold Coast. 

Imagined us being picked up by some handsome young whites!!! Honestly, some young guys invited us for a night out when they found out we were staying at the same backpackers. If we were 20 years younger, hmmmmm……….. Anyway, I love Brisbane: the Botanical gardens, the famous Story and Victoria bridge where its opened to pedestrians; the Queenslander Clubhouse, the Treasury building, walk the famous Roma street or ride the free City Bus shuttle….. One day is too short to enjoy everything Brisbane has to offer. Definitely going back there again.

          

 

 

 

 

Boats anchored at Victoria harbour

          

  A Nepalese house nestled within the Cultural & Arts Centre

The 6-km city

Angkor Wat reflections

“I have wondered all my life, and I have also travelled.The difference between the two being this, that we wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment”-Hilaire Belloc.“

Now where was I?”, I wonder.  Oh yes… the 6-km city. Its not everyday I get a free flight and hotel stay with breakfast thrown in. In fact hardly, unless it’s some contests I’ve won.  Lucky charm must have crossed my zodiac star. I was  in Siem Reap with my boss and about 20 delegates from Malaysia for the Annual International Rubber Conference recently. One of the participants suffered a slip-disc at the last minute. Despite some earlier apprehensions as I was the only rose among the thorns, I threw caution to the wind. With so much being written and talked about, nothing is like seeing the place with your own eyes.  Don’t let the “long walk, the climbing, the heat” stop you from visiting this ancient ruins, a UNESCO heritage.  I called it a 6-km city because Siem Reap is such a small place but rich in histories, ancient sites, a shoppers’ paradise and handicrafts. From the tuk-tuk to riding pillion on a motorbike, to taxis or even public bus is at the snap of a finger. The commercial center from  banks, government offices, hotels or restaurants is confined within the 6-km radius. If you are going during the hot season, be prepared with masks or scarves to cover your nostrils. The choke-filled air is quite bad. But if it rains the night before, then going sight-seeing in the tuk-tuk for US$2 per ride or US$8-10 for a whole day, is a breeze. If you intend to enjoy your visit to Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, buy a three-day ticket. Some who went there with children finds it a drag. Under the shady trees, there are rows of stalls selling local coconuts or drinks to quench your thirts, food for your growling tummy or browse through the many well-crafted silk tablecloth, shirts/T-shirts and souvenirs if you need to rest your tired legs.In the outskirts, besides Angkor ruins, there is the Tonle sap (Floating lake), a heart-wrenching experience for me, the silk farm, Land Mine museum and the Cultural village. Besides these, the town has many things to offer :the National Museum, Royal garden, Asia craft and gems center along the Pokambor Ave. Many food stalls lined the roads. If you are in the vicinity of National Museum , drop in at the Borey Sovann or Chaopraya restaurant for your food. Most tourists take their meals here. There are a variety of choices, from local to western food for US$2.99 to US$5.99. From the Angkor Holiday hotel where we stay, it was walking distance to the Centre and Old market. After 8.00 pm. you can visit the night market where you find more handicrafts and souvenirs. Along this same street, Sivutha Ave, there are some night spots such as Jasmine Angkor or Blue Wave bistro for karaoke or enjoy a few drinks watching scantily clad dancers.

And don’t forget to taste their French loaf. One of the best. Can be found in most of the food stalls. That must be a legacy inherited from the French, who occupy Cambodia in the 19 Century.

 

  

       

Bas reliefs on the South-West gallery

boat people in Tonle Sap, “Floating Lake”

Raya in Tawau

      

Tawau is a coastal town on the south-east coast of Sabah. There are a mixture of migrants from Indonesia, majority Bugis.  Despite sounding like some backward state(sorry for the pun), we visited Semporna with its famous floating restaurant, pearls and fishing wharf. It is a  gateway to the numerous islands, in particular Sipadan island.  We were cautioned  against going for safety reasons unless we get a tour guide.Aside from that, we visited their Palong houses,wooden stilt houses on water at Tanjung Batu(the name was derived from the hills with rockfalls). It has made a Chinese man into a millionaire. The hills are still standing.  

Many families have been living there for years. Despite their “unhealthy way” of doing business, most of the houses are well-maintained and furnished and the people live peacefully despite many who are migrants, having made their home here years ago.

   

On our way back from Tg. Batu, we enjoy the breeze of the sea, with a fantastic view of the Perairaan Toulson, an entry & exit point for those from Indonesia which is about 10 minutes drive from Tawau town.

 Our hosts  feted us with their local specialties, namely soto(chicken soup served with nasi impit, chicken meat, fried peanuts, cutlet and coriander) and gado-gado, a mixture of blanched & fresh vegetables, eaten with sate sauce.

 Tawau town boasts of the famous Central market where there are fresh seafood and assortments of cheap, dried and wet foodstuffs and their Sabah kopi with tongkak asli(not ali). Then there is the famous Sabindo Seafood Court Centre where you can feast your palletes with fresh prawns, sotong, fish…….at very reasonable costs.

One thing is sure. Fresh and cheap seafood. Tawau lives up to its name.

 

The Best of Tunku Halim-44 Cemetery Road

I love Tunku Halim’s stories – eventhough it is fiction but many aspects of his tales can say to be taken from situations around us. Some we hear but never really seen with our own eyes. He makes it so real and frightening that I would not want to dabble in, even if I am very much tempted. There are so many good ones but here it is, my 3 favorites:

44 Cemetery Road

It’s so common to hear the young people say, ‘It still don’t know what to do” or “I’m undecided”. They are at the prime of their life, death seem so distant. But when we crossed the 50s, 60s or 70s time is precious. Sleep elude us, sometimes comes unexpected and you find us nodding off at odd hours of the day. If only I could be young again, if only I could live forever, never growing old. If someone offers you the magical potion for the exilir of life, would you take it? Tunku Halim offers you that if you follow him up that hilly road……..

Four numbers(5328) for Eric Kwok

I don’t know about the Indians and the Malays, but I can vouch for the Chinese people. They can be obsessed with NUMBERS. When it comes with buying a car, the number plate is very important. Why? My boss drives a BMW, his wife drives a Peugeot. “If someone is tailing me”, he says, “the first thing he will read is “my number plate”. So imagine if your number plate has numbers “444” that rhymes like “death” or “9” that could mean “dog’s life”? Sooner or later, bad luck sure come lah. When it comes to the date and year of one’s birth, your house number, date for one’s wedding, the Chinese tends to take this seriously. It could make or break your success in life. But when it comes to buyng empat ekor all races are the same. Their purpose is “to get rich”. Find out whether Eric’s number came out in the draw…..

Night of the pontianak

 

Tunku Halim’s book “44 Cemetery Road” brings back so many tales I heard and watched when I was growing up. Among the toyos and orang minyak, one of them was the Pontianak show I watched over at my friend’s place. The black and white T.V screen makes it scarier. When the show is over, usually around midnight, I run home for my life. That is what Azman did. Got into his car and drove like a lunatic to get away from ………Pontianak is coming, pontianak is coming. And don’t think the cross or amulets you wear or the Quran you hold can ward of Tunku’s Pontainak.

 

 

Enchanting Malaysia-Tioman Island

 

Mersing Jetty, Pahang.

 

My colleagues and I cruising to Maritime Park &Pulau Renggis for our snorkelling experience

For R5 you can camp here, surrounded by sand and sea and sunshine while enjoying a round of drinks.