will i am's delayed diary

On our last day in Gopeng, we had another adventure-- spelunking at Gua Tempurung! We were herded there via the lorries again. Equipped with helmets and headlamps, we headed into the limestone cave. The first part was a walk in the park, with flood lights, proper walkways, and stairs. A great way to admire the numerous natural rock formations, and the huge caverns. Ironically, the large caverns felt stifling, whereas the small caverns were cooling. Think its because the air flows near the cave walls. The next section was more treacherous and required guides. Some of the sections required us to slide down from a height of nearly two-storeys high, and also crawl into holes to drop to lower floors. Not something one can do safely without assistance. At one point, we had to do a claustrophobic crawl through a cave filled with water only to emerge into a pitch dark cave. Really quite an experience. When we came out, we were actually below the walkways of the first part of the cave. We were ...

Enjoyed a long, quiet breakfast at the mess hall all by myself. Before long, my colleagues had returned from their tree-planting activity. Next up was some light team-building activities at one of the halls. The usual ice breakers, some IQ questions, a team dance-off, and finally a kind of treasure hunt that had us roaming across the whole compound. The highlight of the day was a barbecue dinner, and a birthday celebration for the October babies ( that's me! ). Some colleagues also lit Kong Ming lanterns, but I stayed back. As the night drew on, we started snacking, drinking, and gossiping. The hottest topic was the supernatural event that happened the night before. The owner of the resort actually organized a night jungle walk. Strangely, after the group had left, one Malay colleague returned. Turns out that the resort owner strongly advised her not to join. According to the story, the resort owner sensed a spiritual presence around her that would not have been compatible with th...

Birthdays are always marked by meals with family and friends. Simple food as I wasn't feeling very well. Been incubating some germs for a week. Gratitude to SK, CK, Lifebook, Bless, Lifebook, Jaded Jeremy, Bunny, and SimonLover for celebrating with me. Goes without saying that KH is highest on my thank you list. And it also goes without saying that SimonLover added more sexy gear to my collection.  About a week after my birthday, I headed to Gopeng for a company team-building trip. A total of two buses made the trip north. Our first stop was at Nasi Bamboo Sungai Klah for lunch. The food wasn't extraordinary, but it gave me the chance to try Ikan Pekasam, a pungent fermented fish that repulses many of my Malay colleagues. At Gopeng, we ditched the buses because the MyGopeng Resort is not easily accessible. We boarded two lorries like how you see pigs being transported to the market. The ride was uncomfortable and bumpy. I was so tired of standing, that I ended up sitting down ...

Once inter-state travel was allowed, we made a trip to Teluk Intan on the weekend of All Soul's Day. KH hitched a ride but it was kind of a mistake because I miscalculated how many people could fit comfortably into my BIL's Serena. So it was kind of a squeeze for a couple of hours since my nephews are now the opposite of scrawny. Our routine is always to have breakfast at the food stalls at Lorong Maharani, and then hop over to the wet market for flowers. Sad that we couldn't find anyone selling Liew Kee CCF. This year, I had Little Monster recite the rosary at dad's grave. He nearly made it through the whole decade before he started to complain. Made a short stop at St. Anthony's Church too. The construction of the community center was finally completed. Before leaving Teluk Intan, we raided Sin Joo Heong for some heong peah and kaya puffs.   Our next destination was Ipoh. Stopped by at Asow Eatery Station for lunch. The cafe is actually located beside a large pla...

When traveling with family, it is wise to wake up early to slot in morning skank session. And of course, muffle those moans when your mother staying next door! Once we started our day right, we freshened up, and went out looking for breakfast. Just a short walk away was Cafe Makan Nyonya . The cafe is decorated with Peranakan antiques and serves Baba Nyonya cuisine. Thankfully it wasn't too crowded although it was one of the few eateries open in the area. Tried their Kapitan kari mee, shredded chicken hor fun, nasi lemak, and Penang prawn mee. The shredded chicken hor fun was the best among the lot. Together with The Tribe, we drove to the middle of town. Traffic was horrible. We managed to get park near Masjid Sultan Idris Shah II. Right opposite the road was the Birch Memorial Clock Tower, built to commemorate J.W.W. Birch, the first British Resident of Perak. As hated as he is in the Malaysian history books, the clock tower is in surprisingly good condition. Even looks lik...

One of my colleagues was born and bread in Batu Gajah. Her alma mater was SMK St. Bernadette's Convent located just beside a Chinese cemetery. Imagine all the stories. Anyway, I buzzed her while I was at the chapati shop, asking her about things to do in Batu Gajah. Strangely, her recommendation was for me to go to Pusing ( just 5 KM away la ) for some delicious kuih . Wing, an ex-colleague of mine, was nice enough to volunteer as my official Pusing guide. Picked him up from his aunt's home, and he directed us to the stall. The famous stall wasn't open, so the competitor stall was enjoying brisk business. All sorts of kuih were sold, and of course fried stuff. KH was also on a road trip of his own, and he met us there. Can't believe we actually loitered by the roadside, chatting, munching on kuih , and sipping cold soy milk. Moving on, Wing brought us to Papan, a small town that looks like it's on it's last legs. Papan is a historic tin mining town, o...

Qing Ming is coming soon, and here I am blogging about last year's Catholic Qing Ming . True to our routine, the first thing we did in Teluk Intan was to have breakfast at Pusat Penjaja Maharani . Nothing like a plate of yellow glutinous rice topped with charsiew , accompanied by a cup of kopi o . Even added on some fried crullers. Yummy! Also bought some of my dad's favourite foods to be offered at the grave, for example the famous Liew Kee CCF. Flowers were bought at the nearby wet market. My sister let Little Monster to decide on the flowers. At the grave, we did some cleaning up before putting an array of food and fruits on the grave. The finishing touches were the flowers, candles, and incense. Then we all prayed the rosary, and poured tea for dad. And like past years, we went around lighting incense and saying some prayers for some of dad's neighbours. St. Anthony's Church was undergoing major renovations after managing to raise enough funds to upgr...