Of Soya Beans @ Tofu @ Tempe....

Soya beans have been around for thousands of years. In the East especially China the Chinese have turn this wonder beans into many kind of foods; solid, semi-solid and drink like the Tofu, Tocu, Soy milk and the like. On the island of Java the Javanese on the other hand has created a unique food that is known as Tempe. Tempe is a fermented soya bean originally wrapped in leaves especially the banana leaves. Now most are wrapped in plastic. Like all the creation of the Chinese the Tempe is a nutritious food. Our family love soy produce like Tofu, Tocu as well as Tempe and never a day that we are not without these wonder vegetables. Even the young still in its Green Pot is lovely to be boiled and enjoyed just like that. In short the Soya bean is one bean that is packed with nutrition which provides nutrition for a healthy living; a wonder vegetable indeed. 

Above is a bowl of the Tofu dish cooked with the Tocu; it’s not only nutritious but healthy as well. It such a simple food that could be done in minutes and goes well with a steam white rice. I love it. 

Have a nice day.

A Visit to Cameron Highlands...

It was a beautiful morning May 21, 2014. We had planned to visit Cameron Highlands a town which is 1268 meter above sea level, on the top of the main range in the state of Pahang. Just after 8am in the morning I drove the Honda taking the DUKE Highway into the North South Highway toward the north. I had planned to get into the Highlands via the Simpang Pulai exit 137 in the state of Perak, just south of the town of Ipoh. My nephew who lives in Kuantan came along to help in the driving. I drove all the way to the Tapah Rest and Recreation area and had a short break there while enjoying an early lunch and refreshments. Then my nephew took the wheel. This is the first time that we took that road toward Cameron Highland and found the road is less winding than the Tapah one. In the past there was only one way to get to Cameron Highland and that is via Tapah. Now there are three new roads; one from Simpang Pulai that we are taking that day and the other two are from Gua Musang in the state of Kelantan and the latest one is from Raub in the state of Pahang. Although Cameron Highlands is in the state of Pahang before the new roads was constructed the only way to get to Cameron Highlands from any other districts in that state was by driving through the state of Selangor and Perak before one get back into the State of Pahang where the district of Cameron Highland is. After a leisure drive of one hour from Simpang Pulai we reach Kampng Raja. Then drove slowly toward the Copthorne Hotel in Brinchang where we would stay while in the highlands. The road was winding all the way but was not as bad as the Tapah Ringlet stretch and sort of heavy with local traffic collecting vegetables and other produce to the market all over the country. Cameron Highlands is the biggest producer of temperate climate vegetables for the country as well for Singapore. [Above is the view of the Bharat Tea Plantaion]

We eventually arrived at the hotel, a sprawling complex which was the former Equatorial Hotel. We had book two rooms on-line and the checking in was in a breeze. We were given two adjacent rooms on the eleventh floor. On entering the room we found it has a splendid view of the countryside below. Had a short rest and then went out for lunch at Tanah Rata, the main town of the district. After going around we soon found a place call Hotel Titiwangsa that served food. We sat down and ordered a variety of Nasi Goreng and enjoy it at the lobby of the hotel cum restaurant in the cool comfort of the mountain air. After a while we decided to drive on toward the town centre to do a bit of sightseeing of the town and the greens around. We then got back to the hotel for a rest and refresh ourselves. Just after seven in the evening we went to the town of Tanah Rata again and had dinner at a Mamak restaurant there. The place was already thronging with tourists enjoying their dinners. I saw many backpackers’ tourists around, mostly Europeans walking around and enjoying their food there. Cameron Highlands has always been popular with foreigners because the weather is always cool. We ordered Tandoori and Chicken Tikka and sat to enjoyed it. After dinner since there were hardly any night-life activities we decided to get back to the hotel and call it a day.

I woke up early at about 4.30am in the morning because of the cough that I had been having for months already. My son in law who is an ENT specialist says it because of dry throat and give me some medicine for treatment; it sort of an old age problems. I could not sleep again until around 5.30am. Then I heard my spouse who had waked up saying that there is light coming out of the mountain range and it look like a sunrise. I woke up and went to have a look and sure enough it was the sun rising. I went to wash up and took my camera and wait for the sun to slowly rise against the horizon. Slowly the sun began to make its appearance with a spectacular display of light; Orange, Yellow, Amber and Red against the dark blue sky. It was indeed a magnificent sight to watch in that early morning. The time was just past seven in the morning. Soon the whole areas from the mountain range and the lush green of the lowland was ablazed with light, thus the morning begin with a wonderful display of light from our glorious sun. It was a wonderful welcome to us on our first day here in Cameron Highlands.

Our room come with breakfast for two. Since the breakfast is served from 6.30am to 10am we decided to get ready to enjoy the breakfast at the Coffee House downstairs. Just after 8am we went to enjoy our breakfast. As usual with Malaysian hospitality industries the breakfast come with a large buffet spreads.  So it is always wise when making booking for room at the hotel in Malaysia to see to it that it includes breakfast as well. We take our time to enjoy the breakfast. I found that the local spreads including the Nasi Lemak are as good as home made. After enjoying that breakfast we then got back to our room and refresh up before going out to play tourists. The weather outside the hotel was cool and not normal to us who live in the lowland so we have to wear light jacket or sweater. And I like it, it felt really good; cool and fresh.

With my nephew driving the Honda we took a spin of the town up to Ringlet, then make a turn back to Tanah Rata. On the way we stop for tea at the Tea House of the Bharat Tea Plantation, the second largest tea plantation in Cameron Highland. From the tea house one can see a sprawling tea bushes, green, green and greens as far as the eyes could see. We ordered tea and sat at a table with a view of that sprawling tea bushes below. It was a panoramic view of lush green like a postcard. Magnificent indeed!

I felt real good sitting there enjoying that peace and tranquillity of the place, atop the world with the lush tea farm below. I was at peace with myself and felt so nice that I wanted to stay there forever. It was a feeling that touches my heart; a special feeling indeed. It felt so good. And the Teh Tarek was heaven! I had brought my camera and the necessary lens to do photography and had a field-day photographing the scenes around the tea house.

After a while we left and got to our hotel in Brinchang to freshen up. Flowers grow well in the highlands. The hotel that we are staying took advantage of this and landscapes its front with colourful flowers thus enhancing the approach of the hotel. I love to see such display of flowers and took some image of the scene. On the morning of May 23, 2014 after having a hearty breakfast at the hotel we check out and on the way to Ringlet we bought the local vegetable and Strawberry to take home. We were thinking of taking the new road that would take us back to Kuala Lumpur via Bentong but could not find the exit. Since it was only less that 50 kilometres to Tapah where exit to the North South Highway is we decided to forgo going back via Bentong but instead chose the Tapah route. On the way we stop at the Lata Iskandar to watch a Water Fall there. As usual the place was throng with tourists making a stop on the way up to the highlands or going down toward Tapah. We left the place and soon got into the highway again. We proceed south on the highway and make a stop for lunch at the Tapah Rest and Recreation area  Then proceed on and reach home at just 4pm in the afternoon.  All in all our short holiday was a colourful one indeed. We did enjoy it.

Have a nice day.

Respecting the Plants...

We all need energy to survive on planet earth and that energy come from the Sun. The only specie that could convert the sun's energy into foods is the Plant. Without the plants all other species could not survived on this planet. And of course the oxygen that is vital to our survival. Our specie now takes all kind of meat other that vegetable to get the sun's energy. By taking meat mean that we get the energy from a second-hand source. Remember the animals first have to eat the plant in order to get the energy from sun. It is ridiculous for our specie to go to the third party to get our energy when we could easily get it from the second party; the plants. We can get all the nutrition we need to live a healthy life if we just consume vegetable. I am trying to do just that slowly, one step a time. Now we consume less meat. We now take mostly white meats and vegetable and hope in due course we could do away with meat all together. So folks do give due respect to the plant that give so much to enable all to live a beautiful life on this planet.

Have a nice day.

The Ulam....

It was a beautiful Saturday I decided to go to the wet market at Datuk Keramat to buy fish, seafood, vegetable and  poultry. I do that once a fortnight. This time I did not drive but instead ask our daughter's driver to take me there. At nine on that beautiful morning he drove me there. While he looks for a parking spot I went to get those things that I have come to buy. Since most of the folks who sell here are now my friends I had just to go to each stall and order the fish or other seafood or the poultry rest assured that those that I bought are of quality. I went from one stall to another and made the order and then move to buy some greens and herbs that my spouse has ask me to buy. Array of the Ulam [local salad] and other vegetables and herbs are beautifully arranged for sale. I bought a few and collect the fish, poultry and the seafood that I had bought and put it in the boot of the car. And went home happy with the purchases. Above are some of the Ulam and herbs that are displayed for sale at the market. An interesting array of  fresh vegetables and herbs indeed.

Have a nice day.