1. My son-from-another-mother turned three this week, in San Diego!
As part of what soon became a customary tradition, I have been sending him his birthday outfit, each year! It's my own way of being a part of his big day, without being physically present. Perhaps one day I might end up delivering the outfit in person to him!
This year too, he wore the pants and the shirt that I sent over from Singapore. And I was all smiles when the Bestie (his mom and my sister-from-another-mother) gushed over the phone that he looked just like 'Amitabh Bachchan' - our common shared idol (hers and mine), the hero-of-all-heroes as we've thought of him ever since we remember! Of course, a big foundation of this adulation lies in our upbringing, on behalf of both our mothers - also big Bachchan fans in their own right. And now the two of us, the bestie and I, are unabashedly passing this craze on to our respective children.
For instance, the little one at home, chants the lines of "My name is Anthony Gonsalves..." as clearly as she does any other poem/ song taught to her in school, making me a very proud Mommy!
Here's wishing our dearest little jungle-boy Akash aka Mowgli a Very Very Happy Birthday and a wonderful year ahead, filled with a lot of cheer, madness and new tricks! Can't wait to see him in a few months!
2. In true Singaporean fashion, of NOT being able to meet-up with friends easily enough, due to ever-colliding travel-schedules, a friend and I have successfully failed to meet, ever since I have moved here - which was in October 2012!
To date, we've made countless dates - to grab drinks or even just see each other briefly when in the same neighbourhood at some point. All our attempts have failed! Of course a big part of this is due to the fact that he (the friend) lives between Jakarta and Singapore and when he is in town, I am often out travelling myself.
Another classic Singaporean expat trait, this one - always calls for making plans weeks in advance with friends, based on mutual travel schedules, since everyone travels around a lot. And God forbid, you have to cancel a pre-set date, last minute! The next-available date that you both will be in town, will easily be at least a couple of months away or after your fellow-expat friend has moved out of the city-state altogether. Something I believe may happen in the case of my friend and myself, if we don't set a date and stick to it, in the last few weeks that I have left here.
3. We took off to Malaysia - yet again - this weekend. This was our third trip to the country, thus making Malaysia our most-oft visited Asian-Pacific country! This time we were going up in terms of altitude - about 1500 metres above sea-level, to a popular hill resort called the Cameron Highlands.
Located on the Titiwangsa range, the Cameron Highlands is the smallest region in the Pahang district of West Malaysia (The part of the country that is connected to Singapore by road or rail, unlike our last weekend's destination Kuching, which is disconnected being in East Malaysia).
Once a popular British hill-station during colonial times, the Cameron Highlands were frequented by British officers posted in SE Asia. It has managed to still retain that quaint charm of an English village, inspite of massive development in the last decade or so.
We were staying at a charming old Tudor-style colonial hotel called The Lakehouse in the Cameron Highlands. Situated on a beautiful sprawling property, The Lakehouse is a comfortable retreat if one wants to soak into the charms of what life might have been, in this Brit hill-station of yester-years. Wait-staff dressed in butler-and-maid costumes, tended to the needs of all the guests over an especially fresh, hand-picked assortment of produce, from the hotels own vegetable/ fruit and spice garden, that was only one small aspect of a large breakfast spread each morning. Considering we've spent a lot of weekends this past year, at a variety of breakfast spreads all over, this one did stand out in terms of the home-grown freshness of its ingredients. In true hill-station fashion, we sat devouring our goodies, to a magnificent vista of sprawling tea estates in the background.
4. The Cameron Highlands are a relatively small region, linearly stretching North to South. One approaches this region (by train or road from Kuala Lumpur) through the Ringlet road, after a breath-taking one hour long drive through a beautiful rain-forest. As one drives all along to the northern end of the region, one encounters sprawling tea-plantations and estates that alternate with vegetable farms, strawberry fields, natural waterfalls, butterfly farms, flower markets, cactus farms and lavender fields, with more tea estates capping off the region's northern border. A total sensory stimulation overload of the best possible kind, if you ask me!
The drive through the meandering road, from the South to the North, is absolutely refreshing and a treat for all the senses, as one constantly meanders in and out of the rainforest. Vistas of regulated green tea leaves that sit soldier-like on manicured landscapes, give way to endless haphazard yet ordered fields of lavender and peonias that bring forth a vibrant colour-palette, most pleasing to the eye. The many strawberry farms dotted all along the route, lend themselves to fun, family-friendly, strawberry-picking experiences (Our first time ever) and rose and flower gardens also found along the way, proudly show-off the largest-ever blossoms that one may have seen to-date (Before this trip, it was in Alaska where we had last seen such huge flowers/ vegetables, on account of the highly fertile soil there).
Our itinerary for the entire weekend entailed farm and field hopping, sampling fresh produce/ wares and some yummy culinary delights as we went along.
This was a trip of many firsts, for all three of us -
- the first time we went strawberry picking, much to the delight of the toddler who loved 'snipping' the strawberries off the vines, into her little basket;
- our first bee-farm and butterfly farm visits - again fun experiences for the little one, who chased butterflies all over and almost did the same with the bees, much to our alarm;
- our debut trip to fields of lavender, where we made many a photographic memory and then indulged in the BEST EVER lavender scones to be washed down with more goodness in the name of lavender tea and
- our first visit ever, to a tea-estate and a tea-factory, where we got to pick a few tea-leaves, sample and (shop) some soulful concoctions. Safe to say that the 'tea-rack' in my larder is now bursting with Cameron Highland goodness, of all kinds!
5. Asia, as is known to most, is renowned for it's night markets - something that I have mentioned many a times, in my previous suitcase-updates as well. The Cameron Highlands were no different. And with their fresh-off-the-farm goodness, one can see a range of farmer's markets here, especially on weekends, with an array of fruits and vegetables for sale. The sucker that I am for farmer's markets, I almost bought the next week's worth of groceries there but then decided against it, considering it would be a task to carry them back on-flight. In Singapore, farmer's markets are naturally rare to come by, since nothing is really grown here.
Most Asian street markets also come with a parallel food-market in tow - where one can sample off of the streets, delicacies that are inherent of the region. As we went snacking from one stall to another, dinner on our last night on the trip was an assorted melee of sorts - one which included deep-fried foods like breaded plants, mushroom balls, spicy chicken with rice, locally-sourced honey served in sticks (that the daughter could not have enough of) Assam Laksa & the finest Char Keow Teow (Noodles with a variety of vegetables and egg served with spicy sambal on the side). No wonder then we've returned to Malaysia thrice in a row already - the food more than anything pulls us back!
6. Our hotel had a small Jungle trail - that set off as an offshoot of a larger trail in the rain-forest wilderness. On our last morning there, we decided to take this trek with the local forest ranger - who could may as well have emerged straight out of a Southie film, what with his large gumboots, large jet-black moustache and a HUGE sickle that he said he brought along, in case we encounter wild boars, panthers or troublesome monkeys en-route.
Oh well! Not to be hampered by this, the three of us armed with our own hiking-sticks made way, trudging and stamping over twigs/ shoots/ leaves, on the trail, to explore the inner offerings of the rainforest. The toddler was a sport, for the most part, considering she did not insist on being carried at all. However, half-way through the trek, as we walked smelling wild-ginger plants, wild banana trees (producing inedible bananas. Who knew there was such a thing?) identifying carnivorous tube-flowers and dodging massive spider-webs, we came upon a steep climb that was wet and slippery, on account of the morning rain. So unfortunately, we had to turn around and give up the trek half-way through. Hopefully someday if we return, we'll have the chance to pick it back up, from where we left off this time!
The drop in temperatures, the high altitude, the olfactory and visual overload of vistas and colours, not to mention the delightful element of taste, simplicity and the savouriness that came in every meal that was had on the trip, all added up to make the Cameron Highlands the highlight and a perfect ending to our three-part series of Malaysian vacations.
From wandering through lavender fields to trekking through rain-forests, from watching orangutans at breakfast to being awestruck at seeing the world's largest flower, from bohemian murals on the banks of the Melaka river to plucking tea leaves atop the highlands, we can safely say that this is perhaps the only country, of the dozen or so that we have travelled to in the recent past, where we may have done some justice, in terms of the time spent there. Yet, if you ask me, we've only barely scratched the Malaysian surface, so to speak! There is so much more to see, to do, to experience and to savour!
With this trip, our three-part series of Malaysian trips ends. We do not know when we will get a chance to return to this fantastic nation again, but until then we wish it well! And hope that we'll see it again, some time soon!
The following week is a short one, as Singapore's National Day comes up on August 8th, thus making it into a 4-day weekend. This long weekend sees us taking off to yet another new land, so stay tuned!
Love,
Shweyta
As part of what soon became a customary tradition, I have been sending him his birthday outfit, each year! It's my own way of being a part of his big day, without being physically present. Perhaps one day I might end up delivering the outfit in person to him!
This year too, he wore the pants and the shirt that I sent over from Singapore. And I was all smiles when the Bestie (his mom and my sister-from-another-mother) gushed over the phone that he looked just like 'Amitabh Bachchan' - our common shared idol (hers and mine), the hero-of-all-heroes as we've thought of him ever since we remember! Of course, a big foundation of this adulation lies in our upbringing, on behalf of both our mothers - also big Bachchan fans in their own right. And now the two of us, the bestie and I, are unabashedly passing this craze on to our respective children.
For instance, the little one at home, chants the lines of "My name is Anthony Gonsalves..." as clearly as she does any other poem/ song taught to her in school, making me a very proud Mommy!
Here's wishing our dearest little jungle-boy Akash aka Mowgli a Very Very Happy Birthday and a wonderful year ahead, filled with a lot of cheer, madness and new tricks! Can't wait to see him in a few months!
2. In true Singaporean fashion, of NOT being able to meet-up with friends easily enough, due to ever-colliding travel-schedules, a friend and I have successfully failed to meet, ever since I have moved here - which was in October 2012!
To date, we've made countless dates - to grab drinks or even just see each other briefly when in the same neighbourhood at some point. All our attempts have failed! Of course a big part of this is due to the fact that he (the friend) lives between Jakarta and Singapore and when he is in town, I am often out travelling myself.
Another classic Singaporean expat trait, this one - always calls for making plans weeks in advance with friends, based on mutual travel schedules, since everyone travels around a lot. And God forbid, you have to cancel a pre-set date, last minute! The next-available date that you both will be in town, will easily be at least a couple of months away or after your fellow-expat friend has moved out of the city-state altogether. Something I believe may happen in the case of my friend and myself, if we don't set a date and stick to it, in the last few weeks that I have left here.
3. We took off to Malaysia - yet again - this weekend. This was our third trip to the country, thus making Malaysia our most-oft visited Asian-Pacific country! This time we were going up in terms of altitude - about 1500 metres above sea-level, to a popular hill resort called the Cameron Highlands.
Located on the Titiwangsa range, the Cameron Highlands is the smallest region in the Pahang district of West Malaysia (The part of the country that is connected to Singapore by road or rail, unlike our last weekend's destination Kuching, which is disconnected being in East Malaysia).
Once a popular British hill-station during colonial times, the Cameron Highlands were frequented by British officers posted in SE Asia. It has managed to still retain that quaint charm of an English village, inspite of massive development in the last decade or so.
We were staying at a charming old Tudor-style colonial hotel called The Lakehouse in the Cameron Highlands. Situated on a beautiful sprawling property, The Lakehouse is a comfortable retreat if one wants to soak into the charms of what life might have been, in this Brit hill-station of yester-years. Wait-staff dressed in butler-and-maid costumes, tended to the needs of all the guests over an especially fresh, hand-picked assortment of produce, from the hotels own vegetable/ fruit and spice garden, that was only one small aspect of a large breakfast spread each morning. Considering we've spent a lot of weekends this past year, at a variety of breakfast spreads all over, this one did stand out in terms of the home-grown freshness of its ingredients. In true hill-station fashion, we sat devouring our goodies, to a magnificent vista of sprawling tea estates in the background.
4. The Cameron Highlands are a relatively small region, linearly stretching North to South. One approaches this region (by train or road from Kuala Lumpur) through the Ringlet road, after a breath-taking one hour long drive through a beautiful rain-forest. As one drives all along to the northern end of the region, one encounters sprawling tea-plantations and estates that alternate with vegetable farms, strawberry fields, natural waterfalls, butterfly farms, flower markets, cactus farms and lavender fields, with more tea estates capping off the region's northern border. A total sensory stimulation overload of the best possible kind, if you ask me!
The drive through the meandering road, from the South to the North, is absolutely refreshing and a treat for all the senses, as one constantly meanders in and out of the rainforest. Vistas of regulated green tea leaves that sit soldier-like on manicured landscapes, give way to endless haphazard yet ordered fields of lavender and peonias that bring forth a vibrant colour-palette, most pleasing to the eye. The many strawberry farms dotted all along the route, lend themselves to fun, family-friendly, strawberry-picking experiences (Our first time ever) and rose and flower gardens also found along the way, proudly show-off the largest-ever blossoms that one may have seen to-date (Before this trip, it was in Alaska where we had last seen such huge flowers/ vegetables, on account of the highly fertile soil there).
Our itinerary for the entire weekend entailed farm and field hopping, sampling fresh produce/ wares and some yummy culinary delights as we went along.
This was a trip of many firsts, for all three of us -
- the first time we went strawberry picking, much to the delight of the toddler who loved 'snipping' the strawberries off the vines, into her little basket;
- our first bee-farm and butterfly farm visits - again fun experiences for the little one, who chased butterflies all over and almost did the same with the bees, much to our alarm;
- our debut trip to fields of lavender, where we made many a photographic memory and then indulged in the BEST EVER lavender scones to be washed down with more goodness in the name of lavender tea and
- our first visit ever, to a tea-estate and a tea-factory, where we got to pick a few tea-leaves, sample and (shop) some soulful concoctions. Safe to say that the 'tea-rack' in my larder is now bursting with Cameron Highland goodness, of all kinds!
5. Asia, as is known to most, is renowned for it's night markets - something that I have mentioned many a times, in my previous suitcase-updates as well. The Cameron Highlands were no different. And with their fresh-off-the-farm goodness, one can see a range of farmer's markets here, especially on weekends, with an array of fruits and vegetables for sale. The sucker that I am for farmer's markets, I almost bought the next week's worth of groceries there but then decided against it, considering it would be a task to carry them back on-flight. In Singapore, farmer's markets are naturally rare to come by, since nothing is really grown here.
Most Asian street markets also come with a parallel food-market in tow - where one can sample off of the streets, delicacies that are inherent of the region. As we went snacking from one stall to another, dinner on our last night on the trip was an assorted melee of sorts - one which included deep-fried foods like breaded plants, mushroom balls, spicy chicken with rice, locally-sourced honey served in sticks (that the daughter could not have enough of) Assam Laksa & the finest Char Keow Teow (Noodles with a variety of vegetables and egg served with spicy sambal on the side). No wonder then we've returned to Malaysia thrice in a row already - the food more than anything pulls us back!
6. Our hotel had a small Jungle trail - that set off as an offshoot of a larger trail in the rain-forest wilderness. On our last morning there, we decided to take this trek with the local forest ranger - who could may as well have emerged straight out of a Southie film, what with his large gumboots, large jet-black moustache and a HUGE sickle that he said he brought along, in case we encounter wild boars, panthers or troublesome monkeys en-route.
Oh well! Not to be hampered by this, the three of us armed with our own hiking-sticks made way, trudging and stamping over twigs/ shoots/ leaves, on the trail, to explore the inner offerings of the rainforest. The toddler was a sport, for the most part, considering she did not insist on being carried at all. However, half-way through the trek, as we walked smelling wild-ginger plants, wild banana trees (producing inedible bananas. Who knew there was such a thing?) identifying carnivorous tube-flowers and dodging massive spider-webs, we came upon a steep climb that was wet and slippery, on account of the morning rain. So unfortunately, we had to turn around and give up the trek half-way through. Hopefully someday if we return, we'll have the chance to pick it back up, from where we left off this time!
The drop in temperatures, the high altitude, the olfactory and visual overload of vistas and colours, not to mention the delightful element of taste, simplicity and the savouriness that came in every meal that was had on the trip, all added up to make the Cameron Highlands the highlight and a perfect ending to our three-part series of Malaysian vacations.
From wandering through lavender fields to trekking through rain-forests, from watching orangutans at breakfast to being awestruck at seeing the world's largest flower, from bohemian murals on the banks of the Melaka river to plucking tea leaves atop the highlands, we can safely say that this is perhaps the only country, of the dozen or so that we have travelled to in the recent past, where we may have done some justice, in terms of the time spent there. Yet, if you ask me, we've only barely scratched the Malaysian surface, so to speak! There is so much more to see, to do, to experience and to savour!
With this trip, our three-part series of Malaysian trips ends. We do not know when we will get a chance to return to this fantastic nation again, but until then we wish it well! And hope that we'll see it again, some time soon!
The following week is a short one, as Singapore's National Day comes up on August 8th, thus making it into a 4-day weekend. This long weekend sees us taking off to yet another new land, so stay tuned!
Love,
Shweyta
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