3 Papaya Fest - Baked Fish and an Ice-Blended Smoothie

"Whoaa..that's one big papaya!" The papaya, eaten over many days Two days went by. The papaya sits on my kitchen table, untouched by human hands (eeww..I saw a baby cockroach making itself at home on the skin of the papaya). I am glad this fruit does not have the traits of the annoying orange. I would have been driven to chop it to pieces immediately and gulp it all down. It bodes ill for my expanding waistline. I am, of course, talking nonsense. I was only moved to do something about the papaya when it started to rot (you lazy bum!). Waste not, mom would have advised if she were here. So I baked it (Just knew I couldn't stay away from...

0 The Attractions - Felda Residence Hot Springs, Sungkai

I heart this place. See? Err...and all that's in it .. ? Hot water fountains? Sssssmokin'! Man-made I wouldn't test the waters if I were you Mmm..where does this bridge lead to? An escape route There are warning signs along the way. It's a river of natural HOT water and there are spots where it bubbles..danger, danger Stay safe, stay on the bridge Stop here for a natural sauna experience Off the bridge! Picnic tables! Tap water in the great outdoors Tree planting is encouraged Mmm.. I'm hungry. Boiled eggs, anyone? Haaa?! No more eggs!! Whose eggs are these? May I have it, pretty please? There...

0 The room at Felda Residence Hot Springs, Sungkai

We arrive, finally. The one and a half hour drive was peppered with awesome songs from the radio, particularly this one, which became sort of our holiday anthem. The laid-back tune conveyed our mood for the duration perfectly. The small tarred road leading into Felda Residence is well maintained, unlike those in the city which are pothole ridden and uneven. I sometimes close my mind to things around me and imagine I'm driving through gravel roads in the great green outdoors surrounded by big trees in the freshest shades of colour. Of course, what really lies before me are mundane grey structures. The check in process was smooth. A down-to-earth...

0 Journey to the center..(oh, stop it) Felda Residence Hot Springs, Sungkai, Perak

A short trip out of town with a couple of close friends. Just one and a half hours drive out of Kuala Lumpur landed me amongst rows of the lesser appreciated palm oil trees and flat lands of fresh green grass. The gloomy weather did not reflect my positive spirits. I was as calm as the windless sky and contented in my company. I had been so buried in Aunt Em's post-surgery recuperation that I had not realised how tense I had become. A sense of peace overwhelmed me as a smile escaped my lips inadvertently. Aaah..this has got to be what life is about - serenity ...in heart and in mind. We turned into the Sungkai toll exit. It was an easy drive...

0 A Cousin's Birthday

We celebrated my cousin's Birthday twice - once when her mom flew down from Sabah and later again with our aunt who had just been discharged from the hospital. It's not that we're cheapskates. We've learned a valuable lesson from all the years of celebrating Birthdays, that is, "Don't buy a big cake". There's usually no stomach space left after a heavy celebratory meal and oh dear, can we eat! My cousin made a wish and blew the flames out of the large candle that stood unsteadily on the soft mooncake, which her mom bought for her. Technically, it IS still a cake.. Happy Birthday, J! That's one huge candle! A couple of weeks later, cousin...