Macro Magic

I read about this macro "hack" for mobile phones from docfiles. Finally found a suitable lens thanks to bigfish who had an extra loupe.

It works pretty good! Here are some examples. The trick is to hold everything steady and guess the focus.

Dome in August

It's the month of August and the Malaysian flag is proudly displayed in most establishments. SP and I are more frequent at Dome, at least when we've collected enough points to redeem a Dome voucher.

I like their Macchiato. If I remember correctly, that's 2 shots of espresso and milk. I pass on the sugar packets. Delicious with biscotti.

Spotted: Adidas kampung

These are quite possibly the elusive Adidas kampung shoes that Mount Kinabalu porters use when climbing up the steep slippery slopes every day.

The whole shoe is made from moulded rubber. The amount of detail is pretty good for a RM5 shoe. There's no fancy shock absorbing midsole, or special rubber compound on the sole. Initial impressions were that the shoe was comfortable, flexible and has good grip. Since it's made of rubber, the whole shoe is waterproof.

SP will be donning these Adidas kampung when we make our trip to Mount Kinabalu this Sunday.

The alley that time forgot

I don't know where's this place... it's a medan selera in the area where there are lots of banks. And it's a medan selera that has WiFi. Very modern. But right next to it is a passage way, an alley, that time forgot.

The alley is right behind these doors, and inside is a cool, almost quiet alley with long tables and chairs where old timers and a few young executives, take a break from the maddening crowd.

IIII or IV?

I thought the Ikea clock in our home was unique since its Roman numeral for 4 is IIII instead of IV. Then I found out it's normal! There are many theories why clocks with Roman numerals use IIII to represent 4... except the most famous clock, Big Ben that uses IV.

The theories range from reasons of symmetry, reference to Roman gods, kings, balance, etc. This site is an interesting read about why 4 is IIII and not IV, on clocks with Roman numerals, that is.

Waiting

The last hike...

before we head for Mount Kinabalu. shutterjam and bigfish were supposed to join us for this hike but they backed out at the last moment. Tsk... tsk...

We joined SP's friends at the hiking trail entrance in Botanical Garden. I've been to this trail before - a long steep flight of stairs is what hikers would encounter. The last time I was there, a few people had to stop midway to catch their breath. However, this time we were all confident after surviving the 6 hour hike at the longest forest trail in Penang. No problems going up that flight of stairs. Quite an achievement considering I was the oldest member of the group.

I was hiking with my brand new shoes after my old pair fell apart during the last hike. These are Bata shoes and they're cheap at RM60 a pair. They're a little light on padding and the sole is quite soft, but I think they should be enough to get me up Mount Kinabalu.


We ended the hike at the 84 rest stop. No one was there except monkeys. Click on the image for a better view. A quick break and we headed back down and had a satisfying dimsum breakfast at a popular spot in town.

The next hike... Mount Kinabalu.

Hammer Bay

It was Friday, and also the worst traffic congestion along the coastal road in a very long time. SP suggested we try the ikan bakar restaurant near Gold Coast. I've seen lights and cars from a distance, but I never ventured to check the place out.

It was almost 8pm when we arrived at the ikan bakar restaurant - Hammer Bay. There weren't many people. Maybe they were still stuck in the jam. There was ample parking, but watch out for indiscriminate parking by people who don't know better.

Venture deeper into the restaurant and we saw several cozy huts beside the sea - for those who want a more private and personal dining experience. Then there are the canteen-styled tables and benches for those who want to savour the gastronomic delights without being distracted by delicate decor or fancy tableware.


We ordered ikan pari, fried sotong and belacan kangkong. The ikan pari was pretty good. Cooked over a charcoal pit, the chef managed to keep the ikan pari moist and the sauce was very tasty and generously lathered over the slices of ikan pari. But best of all, I could detect the mild taste and aroma of the banana leaves that were used to wrap the ikan pari. For me, that's the purpose of wrapping fish or any other ingredients in banana leaves.

The fried sotong and belacan kangkong were merely side dishes.

I'm hoping we'll revisit Hammer Bay, but next time we'll bring more people. That's the best way to enjoy ikan bakar dishes.

Big Tree Foot or 大树脚

shutterjam, bigfish and I headed to town during our lunch break for a very special rendezvous - bigfish's first VR glass!

But first, we got to fill our tummies. So shutterjam suggested a new place to us. It's literally called Big Tree Foot in Chinese. It's near the ferry and near the Customs building. I'm not sure if I can find the place again, but look for the interesting designs on the sidewalk. Then you'll find a place with a huge tree growing right in the middle (and through) the entrance.

The place is surprisingly cool, a stark contrast to the weather outside. I guess the water that's running along the rooftops helped to cool things down. There is quite a spread of seafood, vegetables, even some western looking bits, all very fresh and very tempting.

shutterjam ordered for us some soft-shelled crabs, vegetables, sweet and sour fish and fried squid. Marvellous! And cheap too. Before the food arrived, we were given appetizers that looked like pappadums. These came with some curry. They were ok, but the main dishes were the highlight of the meal.


Big Tree Foot. Highly recommended for it's unique name and delicious food.

Home cooked meal

We do quite a bit of cooking at home. Normally I'd avoid vegetables, but not when SP prepares them. She knows the kind of vegetables that I like, and I don't even know their names!

Recently I got cravings for sweet corn. Maybe we'll steam a few tonight. Yum...

The longest forest trail in Penang

6 hours later... we made it to the end of the "longest forest trail in Penang".

The 6 hour hike

The highlight of September will be our hike to Mount Kinabalu at the end of the month. SP has been training hard for months in preparation for the hike, while I subscribed to the "sink or swim" philosophy - either I make it to the peak in a blaze of glory, or I collapse midway with barely a whimper.

SP's friends decided to have a pre-Mount Kinabalu climb to gauge their fitness level. "OK," I thought, "I've climbed Mount Kinabalu before, and I've lived to tell others about it. How hard can it be?"

We were told it was a three hour hike. That didn't sound so bad. I did a little research based on what little information that was given to us and found this from the Tourism Penang website:

Penang Hill Forest Challenge
(11.3 kilometres, 8 hours, 10 station stops
between Recreational Forest and Penang Hill) - Trail 5


This forest trail, called the Penang Hill Forest Challenge, is developed by the State Forestry Department. It starts at the Forest Park, winds through eight stops before reaching Bukit Laksmana and the permanent forest reserve. After reaching Western Hill, you continue your hike on a tarred jeep track until you reach the Upper Railway Station. From there you can use the jeep track to descend to the Botanical Gardens or Air Itam town (via Hye Keat). If you are too tired to walk down, you can always use the funicular railway. Apparently there are two ways of tackling this challenging trail. One is the tough version, which starts from the Forest Park and involves an uphill climb all the way. The other is the easier version, which starts from Western Hill and goes downhill until you reach the Forest Park. The distance between the Forest Park and the Penang Hill Top Station is approximately 11 kilometres.

Hmm... the website says the trail takes 8 hours. Something doesn't add up. That was the first warning sign that I missed.

So yesterday we met up with the rest and I had my first look at the organiser. He had calves like tree trunks. That's when warning alarms rang in my head. This wasn't going to be a simple 3 hour hike. I was already there, and I couldn't chicken out. There's male pride involved. There's my reputation as the guy who's been to Mount Kinabalu at stake. It's sink or swim time.

The first two hours of so was a gruelling uphill hike. It didn't seem to end! I didn't fare too badly. I could still joke around and keep up with the rest, at least past the first station.

There's a strange blue thingamajig sticking out of the ground. Don't know why it's labelled "14" because we didn't see any more after "11".

Then it started to rain. I didn't bother taking out my raincoat because I was already soaked in sweat. It rained, and rained for another 2 hours. The trail was a little more forgiving. Some downhill trails were very steep, and the rain made it all the more slippery and muddier. My clothes were soaked, rain was pelting my glasses and that was very distracting and uncomfortable.

Several times I felt like giving up. Sure I was tired, but not so tired until I couldn't continue. It was the rain, my wet clothes, my aching back (the cause of which I'm still uncertain) and no clear indication of our progress. Every hour we walked, we'd pass a signboard showing the distance to our destination and everytime we passed one, the distance never seemed to diminish. An hour's hike, and the signboard would indicated we'd only hiked a few hundred meters. It was very discouraging for me.

SP was quite the trooper. She didn't look tired and was the source of motivation for me to keep hiking. One last uphill hike and we finally reached Penang Hill! But the hike wasn't over. We still had to walk to the Upper Railway Station to take the funicular down to where we parked the cars. Fortunately the rain had stopped. 30 minutes later and we rested at the food court near the Upper Railway Station.

I was so thirsty. We really didn't bring enough water for the hike - a 3 hour hike that turned into a 6 hour hike. I downed a can of 100+, a cup of iced Milo, a bowl of Ais Kacang and a can of Coke, all in that order. *burp*

Before we boarded the funicular, I stopped to capture a pretty clear view of Penang. Click the image for a larger version.


I'm still tired from yesterday's hike, and I'm still taking lots of fluids. SP seems to have recovered from the hike. She's been busy cooking and I've been busy eating. Ah...

The difference between a boy and a girl

Pumpkin flowers aren't created equal. There's a girl flower (see the bulge?),


and a boy flower.


The pumpkin comes from the girl flower. The bulge slowly grows larger and finally forms the fruit.

Highland kittens

These kittens made their home in Genting.

They were very playful and their mom kept a close eye on them. You can't see her in the photo, but she's hiding in the shadows.

Happy Birthday Pa!

The whole family was in Genting on 31 August to celebrate, not our National Day, but something even more important and dear in our hearts - our dad's birthday.

There's something very refreshing and revitalising being home with family. Then there's the cool and fresh weather at our little sanctuary, far far away from the madness that is modern living.

My dad's got a green thumb. Anything he grows will flourish. - pumpkins, dragon fruits, roses, etc. I think my sister's got a little green thumb as well. Me? I'm all thumbs and none of them are remotely green.

Maybe I'll get a taste of the pumpkin on my next visit.