Breakfast meet @ KL Sentral...

“Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend...”  - Albert Camus

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(Nong, Sidah, YB Ubai, Bee and Adilah...)

There's a saying: If your friends won't make time for you, maybe it's time you make new friends...

But having a date with new friends is not always as gratifying as meeting up with 'old' ones. Although  I am now retired and with lots of free time at hand, my life evolves between having to go back to Melaka looking after my emak three days a week and travelling, biking or 4x4 whenever we have free time especially on weekends. The diary is often full and the days get more hectic. Keeping up with friends, old or new, grows increasingly harder to do.

Last week when Ubai put up a message in whatsapp that she'll be in KL on Sunday and free for breakfast meet, I was thrilled for I am also free that weekend, which I reserved for a few kenduri kendara. That Sunday morning, we managed to gather a few and had a heavy breakfast at Swiss Oven in KL Sentral. If Sooka Sentral was opened on Sunday, we would have indulged in Kelantanese food in one of the restaurants there instead.

That day I returned home with the warm and fuzzy feeling you can only get from spending time with those you care even only for a few hours. And I didn’t want the feeling to end...

(Delicious Lamb kuzi with baguette @ Swiss Oven...)

(Big 5 minus Ani and Kid...)

Family get together @ Country Homes...

“While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about...” - Angela Schwindt



(The theme for the night was RED...)

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Tonight we had a family get together at Noh's house in Bandar Country Homes, Rawang.

As usual, food was pot-luck style where each family brought one or two dishes and we ended up with a spread of delicious food to be consumed. And tonight we celebrated the birthdays of February-born babies with a chocolate moist cake from Secret Recipe. 


(Hana with her parents...)

(Hana with her grandpa and grandma...)

Put my worries aside...

“Life has enough troubles. Why would I put my life at risk for more?...”

I’ll die sooner or later any way…

My anxiety shows up unexpectedly when I think of my next medical check-up.

It’s apparent that I am unfit. In the past months, I have been having high fever, cough and cold out of the blue, at times shaky with no appetite and some nausea in the morning, sick and dazed. Then I slowly return to normal, feeling great, eat a lot and putting on unwanted weight and then a little off again. It’s a strange new pattern and I am worried.

But I get it now. I understand why so many people don't visit a doctor for decades. It's easier to live in ignorance. Living in happy naiveté about your health is less stressful. And I decided that I am not going to postpone my appointment with my doctor any more.

So early this morning I stepped at the 7th Floor of Pantai Hospital and braced myself for a series of tests listed on the executives screening schedule. For now, I am going to put aside my worry until I see the results of the tests next week…

Rest in Peace Ben...

"The death of a friend leaves a hole in your heart forever..."

(Ben and Mus during Krabi 3-nation ride...)

This morning I was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of Ben, one of our bikers friends.

To Ben's family, please accept our sincere condolences and our deepest sympathy for your loss. Ben was a jovial person who infused everyone around with his candor. Good memories with him will always be in our thoughts.

It was really nice to know you Ben. RIP...

Relaxing tired muscles...

“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds...” - Laurell K. Hamilton

(Having hot bubur kacang @ Restoran Haslam...)

I need a rest. My tensed muscles and my bad posture are wearing me down.

Last week we spent the weekend at Bidara House doing nothing in particular. We mopped the house, and cleaned and changed the water of the fish pond. I am glad that our 5 Japanese Koi are still healthy and active. I guess they are getting used to only eating weekend food and not complaining much.


(Relax, and stop monkeying around...)

While dear hubby did the heavy work, I managed to catalogue half the story books in the library. I may need another weekend to complete the rest. While we were there the TNB people came to replace the old meter. We still need to get TNB contractor to relocate the meter to enable it to be read from outside.

It's good to hear the familiar ice cream bells and the shouts of children from the kindergarten across the road. It reminds me of the din made by voices of our three kids when they were young...

Selangor: Ride to Ulu Bernam exotic food...

“Silence make the real conversations between friends. Not the saying, but the never needing to say that counts...” - Margaret Lee Runbeck

 

(Bikes parked in a row...)

(Hungry bikers having late breakfast...)

Rv with the bikers gang at R&R Rawang. Tayar golek almost after 10 am and we headed towards Tanjung Malim and had our late breakfast of nasi lemak and lontong at Restoran Hijau Daun situated in the middle of town.

(Deciding on which route to take...)

(Passing through Felda plantations...)

We took the inner route to Sabak Bernam, crossing railway lines, Palm Oil plantations and scenic paddy fields. The road is quite good but there are a few stretches where the road is a bit undulating and bumpy.



(Open from 11am - 5pm only...) 

(Menu of exotic dishes...)

(Dessert of tapai pulut/ubi and coconut jelly...)

(Spread of varieties to choose from...)

We reached Restoran Lembah Bernam just in time for lunch. The hungry bikers ordered variety of exotic dishes of rendang landak, arnab black pepper, rusa masak lemak, udang galah goreng, masak asam ikan baung, crispy ayam kampung and ulam with sambal belacan and tempoyak.

(Stopped at one of the many mentarang stalls...)

(Fresh mentarang, ready to be cooked...)

After performing our solat at the restaurant surau we rode towards Tanjung Karang and stopped at a roadside stall for mentarang bakar and apricot coffee.

(A photo shot of the riders gang before we headed home...)

After refueling, we split ways and some of us took the Latar highway to KL. It was raining heavily just about when we were about to reach our apartment.

Tonight we drove to our Bidara House and will spend the weekend there...

Total mileage: 262 km

Route taken: KL - Tanjung Malim - Felda Gedangsa - Sekinchan - Ulu Bernam - Tg Karang - Kuala Selangor - Latar Highway - KL

Bikers gang: Mus/Mun, Din/Yati, Munawar/Ros, Rozlan, Tawfik, Syed, Pali and Khairul

Pahang - Chinese New Year family outing...

“Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time...” - M T Curtin



(Misty and cool drive to Genting Highlands...)

(A lot more cm for the roller coaster rides...)

(The kids and grand-kids on the carousel...)

(Watching the stage show...)

(Lion dance shows...)

(Beautiful and colorful CNY deco at Citta Mall...)

(Sharing nursery rhymes on the i-phone)

Selangor - Family picnic at Batang Kali waterfalls...

"It is predicted to be stormy and wet today, but weather forecasts aren't always right…"

(Sara, Fitri and Ella with Alia...)

When we woke up this morning, the sky was cloudless and the sun was shining brightly. We agreed to go for nasi lemak breakfast at Tanglin and later drove towards Genting Highlands to look for streams or waterfalls for a family picnic.

(Grandma with Hana...)

When we reached Awana Genting we took the alternative road to Batang Kali. This is a major and a second main road to Genting Highlands for those who travel from the North. Along the road there are many streams flowing through the Batang Kali Forest Reserve and a number of them have waterfalls and very popular among the local and foreign tourists.

(Alia out of the cold water...)

We passed a few crowded picnic locations along the Batang Kali river and decided to settle for a nice location, easily accessible and safe for the kids to swim. Bathing and soaking in the calm Batang Kali stream was very refreshing but the water can be very strong during rainy season.

(Ella and Iwan's cup cakes break before another dip...)

Batang Kali streams and waterfalls are wonderful places for family outing, camping and day picnic. Unless you are driving a 4x4 or willing to track a little further upstream the place can be a little crowded during the weekends and public holidays…

(Hana warm and comfortable...)

(Grandpa and Alia warming-up...)

Alia Ashran's 1st Birthday...

."You will soon start a new phase of life! But that can wait until you are older..."

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(Happy birthday Alia...)

(Delicious cake from BR...)

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Tonight we celebrated Alia's first birthday in Putramas Apartment. Earlier we had chicken rice for dinner and later had Baskin Robbin's ice-cream cake for dessert.

As usual, cousin Hana helped to blow the candle for Alia...

Momento from the United Kingdom (2002)

"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive..."

(Brass Big Ben Bell)

The Big Ben of London

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is usually extended to refer to the clock and the clock tower The tower is officially known as Elizabeth Tower, renamed to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 2012; previously it was known simply as the Clock Tower. When completed in 1859, it was, says clockmaker Ian Westworth, “the prince of timekeepers: the biggest, most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world.” The tower had its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place.

A British cultural icon, the tower is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and is often in the establishing shot of films set in London.

I was in the United Kingdom in April 1995, January 2001, February 2002 and May 2017.

My Overseas Travel Blog: munmus.blogspot.com