Photolog : Tiramisu from Italiannies

I love desserts... Tiramisu from Italiannies - an italian chain of restaurants in Malaysia

Scratching in Malaysia

Its Dengue Fever season in Malaysia – the Aedes mosquitoes are out in full force and I’ve been bitten mercilessly, since I arrived…. i’m keeping an eye on possible Dengue fever and so far, there’s been no signs.

Photolog : Sunset in PJ, Malaysia

A view of Malaysian sunset, from Damansara Utama, PJ

Sense of Safety and Security

I returned last Sunday, to a wet Malaysia.  My last trip home was in January, so it’s been about 3 months since.  On returning home, I became troubled by one thing.  Maybe because it was one of the first thing the client talked about or that I’d received a forward mail on a similar thing…. what am I going on about?  The increasing crime rate in Malaysia.  Now I don’t want to alarm all non-Malaysians reading this, because it is not as bad as in Thailand or Indonesia. But I’d forgotten how bad it has and can get. 

The client cautioned against driving alone, because he knew of people who were ambushed and robbed by Mat Rempits. Coincidentally the next day, I received a forward mail from someone who had been attacked by Mat Rempits, in broad-daylight.

These stories have made me somewhat paranoid and then it struck me, maybe because of time spent in HK, i’ve become somewhat comfortable, confident and rather complacent with my safety. I know how easy it is to take things for granted, but the reality is I am now in a country that is probably not as safe as HK.  This means that I should not be walking alone at night, should keep away from quiet and dark places, be armed with loud alarms and pepper spray and finally wear comfortable shoes, in case there is a need to run.

While in HK, i’d met a few foreigners who had visited Malaysia and had rather nasty experiences with being cheated by cabbies and robbed. Naturally I felt embarrassed but still tried to assure them that they are just plain unlucky.  Thankfully so far, I haven’t been harmed for my money but stories of such violence are increasing.  Can we hope for the Police to protect us?  If not them, then who else?  Will Malaysia end up like Mexico or Columbo, where people need to hire private security to ensure their safety?

This is my country – was it always like this or am I only now looking at it without the rose-tint glasses.  Am I now, seeing what alot of foreigners experience when they visit Malaysia?

Photolog : Western Market, Sheung Wan

This is Western Market, located in Sheung Wan, HK Island.  Picture was taken using Canon EOS 350D, my first DSLR camera.

 

Off the beaten track : Chuen Lung Village & Tai Mo Shan

I went off-the-beaten track and came to Chuen Lung Village, up in Tai Mo Shan - HK’s highest mountain.  This Village is well known for 2 things : old-style Dim Sum and Watercress farm.

There’s 2 shops selling dim sum and when I was there, it was packed with people.  The unique thing about these dim sum shops is the way it is sold.  Totally DIY- the food is laid out and you take the ones you like, you need to even rinse and take your own tea cups, tea pot, utensils and pour your own tea.  The food was alright, regular dim sum fare but it was very cheap, definitely cheaper than those sold in the restaurants.  I liked the fact that I don’t have to try to explain what I want and instead could just look and take the ones that caught my fancy.

Old-Style Dim Sum at Chuen Long Village

It was quite a journey to get to this Village, you’ll have to take a Green Mini bus no. 80 from Tsuen Wan town centre.  The bus ride itself is quite an adventure, as the route is winding and uphill + a crazy bus driver = vomit-inducing ride.

Near the dim sum shops, is a watercress farm.  Someone told me it’s the largest such farm in HK.  I guess if you’re interested in watercress, you’d appreciate this fact.  Along the way, I passed several farmers selling their fresh and organic produce. 

To work off the dim sum, I decided to hike for 3-hours along Tai Mo Shan, coming down near Ting Kau.  It was a foggy day, so visibility was poor.  However the views from the mountain top was still WOW.  I could see TsingYi on one side and Ma Wan Island on the other. 

View of Tsing Yi from Tai Mo Shan