Brunei - a note

Brunei is a land tucked away in the fringes of Borneo Island. A small country that, to most people, does not offer much treat to the eyes. It appears quiet and almost sleepy compared to many roaring Asian tigers. It is a tiger by itself, probably a quiet and tame type. Still, a visit will not be too much for the curious traveller.

Royal Brunei

We used a Malaysian Airlines code shared flight with Royal Brunei from Kota Kinabalu. The trip was very short. It took only 20 minutes, which was much shorter than the fight from Kuching to Sibu that may take 35 minutes. The service at Royal Brunei is a glimpse of hospitality about to be discovered by any traveller. It was good. It was friendly. The pestle upholstery in Royal Brunei Boeing 737 was warm and soothing. The air hostess was pleasant. They wore kebaya like uniform with the split in the sarong covered, allowing the hostess to remain mobile yet maintaining modesty.

It was odd to me that the planes seats in the economy class begins with 26. Seat number 26, in MAS and AirAsia, would be placed at the back of the craft.

As I had to travel with an infant, the stroller had to be left at the craft's door before entering. Logically, the stroller had to be placed again at the door when disembarking. The staffs probably had over looked us, so it was not done. Another staff was concerned, so, she went out all her way just to fetch our stroller and hand it to us while we were at the immigration counter and just before we arrived at the luggage carousel. That is what I call excellent people sensitive service. Bravo Royal Brunei!

There are only 36 taxis in the whole of Brunei

Before departing for Brunei, I asked a friend who is working in Bandar Seri Begawan about public transportation. Taxis are rare items in Brunei. It is not cheap either. That left me worried. I expected that most of my cash would have to be used to pay for transportation if we need to travel a lot.

At the airport, nobody was manning the taxi counter. But not for long, a man came to attend to us and pointed us to the next taxi driver in queue. We told him our destination. He referred to fare guide before telling us on the exact fare. No meter was used. Our driver was a friendly 50 plus year old man. Donning the skull cap or haji cap, he told us that there were only about 36 taxis for the whole of Brunei. Most Bruneians own cars. Cheap petrol price was one of the factors for owning a car. The fare cost about BND 25.00 for a 20 kilometre trip.

You do not crawl on the roads in Brunei

There were no traffic jams in Brunei. No joke! Probably we arrived when it was not rush hour. Even so, the driving was such a breeze. The road was too quiet, even to Kuching standards.

We were given a car to drive by a relative. Since we had to go to University Brunei Darussalam in the morning, I anticipated a typical KL-like jam. But no. The traffic crawl looks more like a normal traffic in KL.

I was warned not to honk. Even if the driver ahead is slow to respond at green, or, the indicator is not turn on at the junction, be very patient. The consequence of honking - a road rage could ensue.

About the cars here, I was tempted to note that there were no modified cars around until the last day, when I saw a "sportified" Toyota Vios in Yayasan Mall. Sporty skirting, spoilers and stickers were added to exude the sporty feel of the car. It looked like of the cars in the move "Fast and Furious".

Another observation that I noticed was, there were very few motorcycles in Brunei. The only place that I saw motorcycles were those used by students in UBD. When I mention motorcycles, what I meant was the small 100 cc - akin to the Honda cubs, commonly found on the roads in Malaysia.

Clean Bandar Seri Begawan

BSB is really clean. I never saw any cleaners by the road side, picking up litters. Even the supermarkets were litter free. I was impressed. Who else could have maintain the city's cleanliness if not for His Majesty's own subjects. They uphold the real teaching of Islam - cleanliness is part of the pillars of faith. The toilets were equally clean.

BSB was well maintained. The decorative trees and shrubs were well trimmed.

Shopping in BSB

I am not too sure if things are much cheaper in Brunei. I would expect that the products here is cheaper as the people here are not taxed. There was no government service tax applied to the food that we ate. I can confirm that cars are much cheaper here. A new Kia Sportage cost about RM 60K ++ here. That is almost the same price as the Proton Preve. Chocolates are cheaper here. Friends recommended us to buy home some chocolates.

The dominant supermarkets in BSB is that run by Hua Ho, a company ran by three brothers. All of them had different business designs that caters differently to different consumers - from the high end or premium items to the lowly cheap items.  I had the chance to go to Manggis Mall, which was exquisite and high end. It was no too bad and not too luxurious either. Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta or Kuching, for that matter offers better malls.

There are not many shopping complexes in BSB. Two of the famous ones are The Mall, located at Gadong and Yayasan Complex, located right smack in the middle of BSB. Both of them looks high end-ish. Between those two, I like Yayasan Mall better as there were more things sold in the supermarket. Further it was easier to drive to Yayasan Mall from our hotel.

The Tamu Kianggeh is a wet market located by the Kianggeh river in BSB centre. It is quite a usual sight as we are used to see jungle produce, traditional food and daily supplies in an open air wet market in Malaysia. Local Brunei cuisine, such as the Kuih Jala and Kuih Penyaram (mexican hat cakes) and Cakoi is not unfamiliar in Kuching. So, we decided not to stop by it.

Eating.

Before coming to Brunei, many blogs mentioned about the famous Nasi Katok in BSB. It was basically white rice with a piece of chicken meat and sambal (spicy sauce). Another reason for it being famous is the dirt cheap price, considering the number of items assembled in one packet. We did not work hard enough to look for this dish, nor did we think it was a must try one.

The thing peculiar to me was the abundance of restaurants selling Kolo Mee and dim sum. They are halal. You can easily find these two dishes in The Mall at Gadong and Yayasan Mall. The high end restaurants beside the Mall in Gadong do offer them too. In contrast, it is hard to find halal Dim Sum in Kuching. Renaissance  Hotel in Kota Bharu offers buffet dim sum on Fridays. I really miss that, besides the nasi berlauk.

Another food that may be unusual to non Borneans is the ambuyat - a starchy sago-based food. In Sarawak it is called linud. Linud is often associated with the Melanaus. Although ambuyat was mentioned in many travel articles and travel tv shows, it was not easy to find it at food courts. Probably, it can be found in village stalls. May be I did not look hard enough.

Fun

If you are searching for fun, Brunei is not the place. It lacks it. The nearest to fun in Brunei is the Jerudong Park. It was quite a hit in the early years - as it was free and has a multitude of games - before the park loses its charm due to the poor maintenance. The number of rides were reduced. But today, it has refurbished, revitalized and ready to charm again. This time, entrance fee is imposed to visitors.

The royal galleria in the city is an important place for historical buffs. A large part of the section is dedicated to the prizes, awards, and gifts from leaders all around the world to the sultan. Cameras are prohibited in a large section of the galleria.

Important historical documents relating to the gradual cessation of Sarawak beginning from Kuching to Rajah Brooke were displayed. Brunei was once a huge expanse of land mass, almost occupying one third of Borneo Island. Documents and videos of the Brunei independent day was also shown. The Royal Galleria is worth a visit.

We were brought by a distance family to The Empire, a luxurious 5-star resort that faces the South China Sea. I was interested to step into this hotel when it was shown in one travel documentary, which mentioned that the price in one of the higher premium suites could fetch up to USD 30,000 per night! I checked the website to look for the cheapest room rates. The cheapest was RM 600+. The Empire has housed important VVIP delegates on ambassadorial tasks. The US president and the Malaysian Prime Minister have stayed there before.

It was a good feeling being able to visit a neighbouring country - so much like paying a courtesy visit to the people who might share similar roots and genetic ties that run centuries old. I hope to visit Brunei again in the future.

AFF 2014: VN vs Malaysia

The lost was not an easy one. The flair and the amount of support in the Shah Alam Stadium was just tremendous. In the beginning, we won on emotion. The feeling was great. It looked like a party has already started even before the game begun. However, soon, it seems, a big turnout does not correlate with the outcome of the results in favour of the homesters. 

Winning requires a winning attitude. Winning attitude comes from the players themselves. Physically, the players had enough rest since the last game against Singapore. But mentally, who knows? The human mind is a very complex hardware. A misconnection anywhere leads to a change in behaviour - for the better or not. A tired footballers' mind leads to a tired and lackluster play.

They may have been overjoyed with the winning in Singapore. Or, they may be pressured to repeat the similar feat in their home ground. Worst, in front of the overzealous home supporters. Naturally, to the players, no mistake should be made. All these to please the home supporters.

These are all distractions. Thinking about it is tiring. It takes a toll on both the mind and body. The current situation may have been taxing on the mind and body of the players.

But, they are in a competition. When you are in a competition, more discipline routines need to be applied. Sleeping early, no junkies and no smoking. In the World Cup, some team managers even refrain footballers from sex. The pressure is heightened as you move up the ladder. The focus is to reach the top of the ladder, without having to worry about the tail winds and height. 

Being focus also means that the players cannot distract themselves with the anger within. Reactive response to anger will trigger off unnecessary actions on the field. The team does not need a red or yellow card. It is not all about self. Being yellow carded shows how desperate a team is to win unfairly. A red card is like throwing in the towel in expectation to defeat. It is unfair not only to the other 10 left fighting on the field, but also to the paying fans and the sponsors of the event. And there is nothing cool about it being seen by children.

The defends is all in disarray. Too much rooms were given to VN strikers to manoeuvre in the Malaysian half. The recovery from attack to defense is slow. Most of the time, half the team were still wandering in VN's half when the counter attack is launched.

Then the fans. The local newspapers reported the clash between the Malaysian and VN supporters. In an online portal, a VN supporter were shown bleeding in the face, possibly due to some hard objects thrown to him. Wonder what impression will it create to the rest of the footballing world? Hostile Malaysian supporters? 

We want to win. They too want to win. Nobody likes losing. The competition is intense. But supporters will need to know their scope - to support the team to go on. Not supporting violence. Responding to their provokes, if any reduces us to their level. Human being human, the tendency to revenge is always a possibility. Now, with the bloodied image of a VN supporter, wouldn't that be a cause for crusade from his countrymen to hit at ours?

Its important that Coach Dollah pick up the pieces, nurse any injury and rebound back in the returning match. As for supporters, let our chant of "ayuh Malaysia" be a spirit burner for the players. 

Causeway Classico

It was an exciting game. The derby clash of the causeway was always one of the looked forward games in the history of football in both countries.

Malaysia was lucky to be awarded with a penalty kick in the dying minutes of the games. All pressure was focussed to Safiq Rahim. What if he failed to convert it? Surely, he will remember the Kallang roar for the rest of his life.

I was nervous too. For a long time, I have not felt such palpitation. There was a premonition that the Lions would score should the penalty did not convert. And Malaysia out of the championship.

Safiq converted. The Stadium went silent. The Malaysian side Jubilant. I felt a sigh of relief. For a few moments later, the penalty were played again and again - forgetting that the match has not ended and Singapore went on an attacking frenzy.

The replay stopped. By this time, the Lions were given the free kick from the right side of the post. Sensing that this was a do or die mission and just before the final whistle, the Lion's goalkeeper went up to help. My relief short-lived.

The kick was taken. A few brushes among the defenders and the strikers of both sides ensued. The Lion's goalie clad in bright yellow-green were obvious in scuffle. A lion had to be a king.

Then the ball bounced out into the open, away from the Malaysian goal mouth. If I was not mistaken, Amri won the ball in a challenge and heads the ball to Indra Putra, who made a few more runs on the flanks before pushing the ball into the open goal mouth for the third goal. The goal was unguarded.

That sealed it. Malaysia into the next round.

We are all hoping that things are getting better and better for the boys. Meeting the face paced vietnam is no easy feat. If Malaysia can get the advantage from the clash, Malaysia has a chance to avenge the defeat to the White elephant.

Ayuh Malaysia!

Its the same kurap again

Fungal infection of the skin is called kurap in Malay.

The kurap can appear like white patches or ring forms on the skin. It does not look good. To some, it is an indicator of a person's poor hygiene.

The bad part is, it may be difficult to remove. Especially when the offending factor is still persistent - dampness. Damp areas are seldom dried. It may be difficult to reach, or a person is too lazy to get a dry towel and wipe off the excess water.

That is why the kurap are always persistent at skin creases - armpits, the back, the nape, the groin and the foot. These are far flung places - so much like the jungle of Borneo.

Here, another form of kurap thrives. The kurap that has robbed the hard earned money of people who worked honestly. This kurap steals money. It also widens the gap between the poor and the rich. The richer gets richer while the poor remains.

This form of kurap operates in a clandestine manner. It needs to. Just as kurap does - thrives quietly under the protective layer of the epidermis. It is there, but not obvious. Only when you begin to itch and it looks unsightly, you will begin to look for the remedy.

Some times, it is too late. The roots of the kurap has gone beyond the depth of the skin. Topical medication is unable to penetrate deeply to reach the deep end of the roots.

At least it is getting treated - like the news clipping here:

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has arrested 30 people in Johor and Sarawak for illegal logging activities and froze 30 bank accounts belonging to 10 companies worth RM18 million.- The Star 23/10/2014

That's a lot of money involved. Most people do not have RM 10 thousand in their bank accounts.

As for the kurap of the skin - the body is trying to rid it of. But this form of kurap reported in the paper, our own immune system is possibly committing an act of treason. They are turning autoimmune.

... they were also investigating several state Forestry officers for possible involvement in the illegal felling of trees which had put the forest reserve under threat of destruction.

The very people entrusted to take care of the forest were bribed by logging company managers. The amount ranged from a paltry RM300 to RM10000.

The same kurap probably cost our examination system dearly not too long ago. The rescheduling of the exam caused undue stress for many people, especially school children.

This disease seems controlled though. But, it could be just the tip of the iceberg phenomenon. There could be more integrity issues occurring subtly in our dealings, daily. The thing is, it is hard to obtain proofs. It is often concealed.

Whistle blowers can get harmed. And this is not helping at all.

Reading all these can be frustrating at times. People who work really hard and honestly are not paid accordingly. While those whose job is "sedentarily no-brainer" earns the big bucks.

Just how long should we keep quiet?

The many treatments of neonatal jaundice

All babies are bound to be yellow - or jaundiced. The treatment for these jaundiced babies depends on the cause. Most of the time, the cause is physiological - it comes within 2 days and goes off after about 2 weeks. Physiological jaundice is harmless.

The other 2 forms of harmless jaundice are breastfeeding jaundice and breast milk jaundice. These are diagnosed last if there are no other pathological cause that could be traced.

I would like to share some interesting perspective that locals have regarding jaundice - especially treatment. After talking to so many people who offered advice on how to reduce the "yellowness" in newborns, here are some interesting findings. Most of it needs some scientific explanation, which I was unable to do yet at the moment.

"Mother should avoid ginger"

from http://cancerbattlefield.com/functional-food/ginger/

This is the most common and prevailing. Almost all Chinese, Malay, Melanau and Iban individuals mentioned the same thing. However, there was no uniformity. Some individuals were surprised when ginger was blamed as one of the causes of jaundice. In the Chinese community, ginger is important to prevent the mother from being cold, which could cause premature soreness of the joints at old age. Taking ginger is believed to improve the "blood circulation" as a result of the dilated blood vessels. Among the Chinese, ginger is commonly added into a favourite post natal dish called "Kacang ma". Today, it is common for non Chinese Sarawakian to consume "kacang ma" as well. Wine, which is frequently added, is removed for those who do not consume it. As for the Malays and Melanaus, fried grated ginger or "serunding halia" is a favourite post natal dish.

"Grapes"

Amazingly, grapes, which is not a local fruit is believed to reduce the yellowness in newborns. From what I gather, grapes were belief to "absorb" the yellowness in the blood of the newborn. There was another version where grapes were believed to hasten the maturity of the liver, thus improve the serum bilirubin levels. Green grapes were noted to be more effective than the red ones.

"Glucose"

A granny in the clinic whom I met recommended "sugar water" or "air gula" to be given to the newborn. The mixture of water and sugar is guaranteed to bring down the yellowness in newborns. However, she did not offer any explanation of the possible physiology of the cure. 

"Plain water"

There was another section of the community who believed that plain water given to the newborn is the best treatment of jaundice. Their explanation is logical and simple. As the baby is dehydrated in the first few day of life - due to the adaptation process to breastfeeding - naturally the concentration of serum bilirubin is raised. To dilute the bilirubin, use water. 

"kurma" or dates

Dates: sidratul.com

There are some pregnant ladies who started consuming the dates in the belief that it could help with the maturity of the liver of the fetus. Mature liver in the newborn of the kurma eating mothers will prevent jaundice. In my opinion, this could be the result of the overzealous promotion of arabic dates as the prophet's sunnah, which could be mistakenly perceived as a form of cure. 

"Liver tonic"

Some clinics have started to promote a "liver tonic" given to newborns to "improve the health of the liver". Lay persons attending those clinics tend to accept it wholly without hesitation as it is given by a doctor. The scientific basis still elude me. If it was cheap and has the chance to improve the bilirubin levels from those newborns who do not take it, then it should be a standard treatment in hospitals nationwide - or worldwide.

"Bathing in coconut water"
Some locals believe that bathing the newborn in coconut water could reduce the "yellowness", Although there was no prescribed dosing or frequency the child should bath, it is recommended daily. The coconut water will absorb the "heaty" material from the newborn.

"Turmeric powder"
Turmeric is a part of the ginger family. This curcumin containing plant is known for its anti inflammatory and anti oxidant properties.  But, anti-bilirubinaemia? A few Malay elderly recommends rubbing some turmeric to the forehead of the newborn. Since it is yellow and belongs to the same yellow colouring of the newborn's skin, it will "attract" the yellowness and subsequently absorb it. Another version of applying turmeric to the newborn is by bathing the child in turmeric laced bath.

These are some really interesting beliefs in a multi racial society like Malaysia. Although most of it sounds absurd - at times too "magically" true, a proper study is needed. In fact, a few studies will be needed to prove or disprove the hypothesis. It is interesting to note that there are substantial beliefs that associate neonatal jaundice with the liver. There is also an idea that jaundice is caused by "something" in the blood -  that correctly points towards the high level of bilirubin.

It is interesting that exposing the baby to the early morning sun - the nature's equivalent to phototherapy - is regarded as a "hospital treatment" and not among the first few choices for treatment of neonatal jaundice. Exposing the newborn to the morning sun is currently not recommended due to the severe complications that it could have on the child when parents / caretakers lapse.

As for me, I would prefer the early morning sun exposure - with some modification to make it safer. At the same time, monitor the levels of bilirubin in the local clinic. God willing, all should be fine.

The leakage of integrity

The recent leakage of the Science and English UPSR exam paper created quite a stir in the country. 

“So what? It’s only a primary six exam. After all, pass or fail, student will move on to form one”, some would say. Well, it is not simple as that.

Even though it is only a primary 6 exam, a lot of efforts have been put in by students in preparing for the exam itself. The parents too have done their part – encouraging their children, helping them out in their studies and sending them to extra classes. The teachers too have done their part, I am sure.

As many Malaysian families would do, activities have been planned to fill up the vacuum after the exams. Holidays to somewhere must be one of the common things. Money have been spent to purchase tickets and book hotel rooms. Leaves have been applied by parents, everyone is excited and looking forward to the planned itineraries. 

And then, it happened. The news of leakage and the need to re-sit the papers must have hampered everybody. It was a shame.

It created difficulties for everyone. The mental torture the student have to endure, the rescheduling of planned activities and the burden of unnecessary work for the invigilators. 

It may look like a simple task but for the 12 year olds, but it is herculean. The size of mental torture for them is like having to sit for the final MBBS for medical students or the MRCP for physician candidate. 

Working parents, who have applied for leaves months back may not be able to reschedule their leave. They may have to apply for new leaves – and most of us do not have that kind of luxury. Even if parents have tonnes of leaves to burn, the approval is another hurdle to overcome.

It boils down to the big question, what is happening to the integrity of Malaysians? What had just happened befits the Malay proverb, “kerana nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga” or “seekor kerbau membawa lumpur, semuanya terpalit”. The negative effects ripples through all involved in the preparing and conducting exam. Financially, it will incur cost. 

What was their motives of leaking the exam? Was it money? Was it a “face saving” mode that parents adopted to ensure that their children’s result would not embarrassed them?

For one thing, it creates a sense of disbelief and distrust with the whole conduct of the examination. Back to the Malay proverb earlier, now it not only seeds distrust with the Education Ministry but also to the other government agencies. How can we be sure if the staffs working in another agency is honest enough when those entrusted in the exam syndicate blew it?

Strengthening the work flow and filling up the gaps in the work flow is always a constant exercise. Human will always find a way to overcome the loopholes to their own benefit. 

The whole leakage thing may have been around in the education sector for many years. The use of easy communication such as WhatsApp may have detected it earlier. I remembered from my schooling days that teachers coming from the high performance schools or “selected schools” were the ones who will vet the questions that will be used in public examinations. Some of the teachers would use the questions they prepared as practice questions in their “selected schools”. They even exchanged questions among themselves for the benefit of their selected students. We thought that the students in selected schools were lucky. But, actually, it defeats the whole purpose of conducting an examination. So, all this while we thought that students who came from the elite schools were bright – the reasons they were selected to go to such schools. No wonder, the elite schools always get a 100% passing marks compared to other national schools – with a little help from their teachers. 

Nevertheless, there are teachers from these elite schools who are very determined and hardworking to ensure that their students succeed in exams. 

Not only it breeds distrust in the government functioning, we are basically telling the young people that it is ok to leak a secret a bit here and there – all for your own benefit. Such malpractice becomes a norm. When they become part of the working force, this disease will perpetuate. We are seeing the effects now – a spate of suspected bribery among custom officers, building structures that disintegrate as a result of cost cutting and many more.

The steps that TPM took was commendable. I hope it is just not for show only – that the government is taking some actions. For visibility purposes. And I hope it will not just stop here. It should be extended to the other government agencies as well. God save Malaysia.

What A Rat!

What a rat! Or rather, rats.

In the last few months, regrettably, out house was infested with rats. Or mouse. Rats or mouse, both are different to the animal biologist, but surely, both are disease carriers.

Just two months back, we saw a huge female keeping still on the gutter. Though we saw only the back side of it, it looks big and round - a lay man's tell tale that it could pregnant - and a female. A potential treat, we thought then. It was quickly forgotten, without any preventive actions taken.

And in the last week or so, the nights were not still anymore. Small little nimble feet begun scurrying on the plywood ceiling. Obviously, the litter had emerged into young, active and hungry mice. In a few occasions, spots check in the open kitchen revealed 3 to 4 mice running, single filed, on the counter top and the oven. Once, a little one rushed out suddenly from underneath the drying rack, charging towards me, making its way through tight corners and spots to escape. It created a scene, and my heart beats faster. I was nearly panic. 

This had to stop.

I bought a mouse trap at the local store. Thinking that multiple traps would yield higher chances to trap at least one, I even bought the glue trap. The guy at the store had a funny recommendation when it comes to the type of baits to use. He recommended sim cards based on the hypothesis that his phone sim cards had bite marks made by the little pest. Sim cards as baits worked in the traps that they set in the shop.

In Malaysia, cheese may not be enough. The good old pusuk (anchovies) and sesar (dried prawns) are the best bait. No domestic mice would be able withstand the lure of the pungent smell from this time tested bait.  Surely enough, just leaving the traps one night, the morning after was a pleasant surprise. 

4 rats/mice caught in just one night. 

They must be really hungry. The bait worked! We caught another 2 mice in the next preceding days. You might want to know how did I carry out the capital punishment for them? To be as human as possible, I just put them in a bag and leave them out in the morning sun. They will not last long and no vigorous cleaning is needed because of the bloody mess. I remembered amma used to pour hot water over them while still in the cage. I thought it was cruel. Just throwing them in the rubbish bin is risky - who knows if they still could escape with the help of their comrades out there. Nature - we never know.

Though this was quite a success, the female mouse or the litters' mom is still scot-free. As a mouse can deliver up to 10 litters per year, there is still a chance that this menace might return next year. The hunt continues...

Labour's day in Pasir Pandak, Kuching

Labour's day is always marked with a sense of thanksgiving within the working-class group. Thank God, it is a daybreak from having to rush to the office, zig zagging some clueless roadsters as we are already late to the office. Thank God for keeping myself from having to swear another motorist for being another person like me on the road. Thank God that I spend the day, entirely with my family.

A picnic to a beach would be good to spend quality and productive time with the family. A picnic?! I have not done that in a long, long time - especially in this town - now a city since 1988. It has been an unheard word. A word full of bliss memories attached. Typically, a picnic would mean going to Damai Beach, Damai Puri, Pasir Panjang in Lundu or may be to Ranchan Pool in Serian.

Nah, we aren't going to neither. We are heading for Pasir Pandak - a midway point between Kuching and Santubong.

Pasir Pandak used to be a hidden gem in Kuching. But that perspective soon changed upon reaching there. Lots of structural improvement were seen. There used to be nothing on the beach - just the plain but clean pristine beach. A few houses of the locales peeped among the coconut trees and native seaside bushes. Picnic in those days used to be a quiet affair.

As I can see, a commercial establishment stood in the middle of the enclave, on the rocky part of the beach, giving just adequate space for beach goers. It tried to look contemporary with its crescent shape. Otherwise, the structure is just a plain mortar sealed bricks without flavour.

Not too far away from it, a row of stalls - shoddy and gloomy - stood u unwelcoming in contrast of the beauty of the whole area. The back of the stalls was quite dirty and unkempt. Used packet drinks and coconut husk were littered at the back of the stalls. The sands there soggy and black with putrefied materials.

It was very unfortunate that the place has come to this. Youngsters and children were having fun nearby the dump site. What could easily be done was to put all rubbish into a bag for later disposal - not creating a dump site at your own peril! I reckon the Japanese have a better sense of responsibility towards the environment than us.

Just next to the crescent shaped storefront, terraced rooms were available for rent. It looked like a mini resort, with a pool in front of the rooms. The mini resort is off bound to non-guests.

The nice part of Pasir Pandak is its clean beach. It sits in an enclave, protecting itself form the harsh waves of the South China sea. The wave rolls in gently, which was just nice for children to hang out at the fringes of the waters. Although it may not be very blue, the bluish tinge against the yellow reflection from the base of the seabed may indicate that the beach is acceptably clean. The mangrove near the surrounding area may have filtered the mud before it silts in the area.

More people filled the beach approaching noon. Families, teenagers and friends just hung out, soaking the pleasures of the moment. Cars made their way right to the sandy fringes, parking in the shades provided by the trees.

The serenity of the place was disturbed temporarily. A pickup, tried to squeeze between cars to get the best spot under the tree. Two groups of families were just sitting nearby. Though the driver thinks that he may be careful, accidents can happen. A certain boundary should be erected to limit the movement of cars to the beach. Despite having improved facilities, it is a wonder how basic things like a parking space can be missed. A proper parking space prevents haphazard parking of vehicles - thus reducing the risks for any untoward accidents.

The trip was nice. We headed home just before noon. We stopped by a fish stall on our way to the junction meeting the main Kuching - Santubong road.

Let's Buntal!

In the previous post, I have spoken about the new kid on the block of the food scene in Kuching - the Mee Udang Gumpey, found exclusively served with huge fresh and juicy prawns. So famous that it attracted an entourage of about 30 people, lead by the former Governor of Sarawak in one of the Sundays.

For some of us, we find pleasure in such events, eating out, trying new things, especially with family and friends. 

April 18 is a public holiday for the state. It is Good Friday. The long weekend allows families to plan for longer and adventurous activities. Otherwise, the weekend is just enough to break from our daily routine, by just staying at home or buying groceries, which is just a short trip to the nearest mall. 

The prawn season is in - that was what the folks in the coastal villages has been saying to us. The landing sites at Telaga Air, Buntal and Santubong will be busy with fishing boats docking and landing their catch of the day. These catches, bought by middlemen, will end up in the wet markets in Kuching. Although it may still be considered fresh, by the time it reaches the market, the freshest and the best catch will still be hauled up by buyers on first contact with the fishermen at the landing site.

We can say that those out on display in the market are already second stringers.

Knowing that, it would be a great idea to "ambush" the landing sites on our own. Hopefully, we can get a good catch ourselves on a Good Friday. So, since the past 48 hours, we have been marking Buntal as the target site. 

There are some member in the family who had been a fishermen before their life changed for the better in the city. They have been a good source of encouragement and facts of life to the young - such as time like this. According to them, the landing time for the boats can be quite early, as early as nine in the morning and at four in the afternoon. We have to time ourselves well, to be in the right time and place to get the freshest catch. 

And so, we set out in at around nine in the morning and reached Buntal at around 10. 

The many stalls selling sea produce dots the sides of the road of what seems to be a cul de sac of Kampung Buntal. A few seafood restaurants, wooden in structure squeeze in between these stalls and village houses. As they were mostly run by Chinese businessmen, Chinese calligraphy adorned the facade. The red lanterns, dull red from the many years of use, hung precariously at the sides. Such is the scene of a multiracial Malaysian life- harmony in diversity.

There were not many cars hogging the roads into the village. We parked our vehicle infront of one of the closed restaurants and walked to the many stalls. Crabs strung together, heaps of prawns, squid and Ikan kembung not only attracted us, but also the flies. A few siakaps were displayed too. The clarity of their cornea erased our suspicions about the freshness of these fish.

We moved from one stall to the other - just like the caroling team during Christmas, moving from one house to another. We haggled till we find the right price. I would say, the price here may be slightly cheaper that those in the city markets. It is not that dirt cheap either. Surely, it may not be worthwhile to drive all the way to Buntal to get your source of fish stock if not for a holiday like today.

A bundle of crabs, with really huge and angry looking claws cost about RM 80 - RM 104. I reckon a bundle weigh roughly 3 kilos. Not wanting to miss it, we settled for a smaller bundle - about 8 - 10 crabs costing RM 32. 

We moved on. We bought 2 kilos of fresh prawns amounting to about RM 30. They were thumb sized. Then the tenggiri, about the size of my forearm, scaled and sliced, costing about RM 15. I even saw an adult sized shark, in one piece at the counter of one of the stalls. I thought it was illegal to sell sharks. Or the fisherman and the middlemen did not know that it was illegal to buy and sell them.

We brought some of our catch - the prawns and the crab to the nearby kopitiam - to get it cooked. Even the most humble boiled prawn and crab added with a lemongrass, garlic, salt and pepper is pleasurable to all of us. The rest of the stock was kept in an insulated carrier. It will be our supply of sea food in the coming two months.

While partaking in our eating session, the owner of the shop managed to snip in a chat line or two. According to him, the owner of Jong's Crocodile farm, frequents his place weekly to indulge in "kentucky fried" ikan lumek. Although not many people here can exactly pin point where Kentucky is, Kentucky is synonymous with a fried chicken franchise in Malaysia. Crispy teriyaki styled food is always associated with Kentucky - hence the Kentucky fried Ikan Lumek.  This should be one of our menu in one of the cheat days on Saturdays.

We ended at noon, just in time to catch the Friday prayers in Kampung Buntal. By this time, more cars came from Kuching, possibly stopping by for the fresh catch while on their way to the resorts in Santubong. 

Thank you Buntal for the nice treat.

Kg Entanggor, Sebuyou

Simunjan, a name that even some Sarawakian may not know. What more if I mention the name of the village that sits approximately 100 km away from Kuching city - Kg Entanggor. It's sounded like Bintangor, a town located hundreds of kilometers north of Kuching, in the Rajang Basin. But Kg Entanggor is not like Bintangor. It may not even compare with Kg Sungai Gemuan, which is more populated, located in Bintangor itself. It is just a small Iban village, with a longhouse anchoring in the middle of it, surrounded by wooden houses. The number of houses seemed to swallow the presence of the longhouse. It was odd in the beginning, considering that the first image that appears in mind is a longhouse when an Iban settlement is mentioned. The longhouse was not long with only 4 to 5 pintus. The headman lives in the longhouse.

We were received with a warm welcome - a treat to hot tea and lemang. The lemang was commendable. It was made from fresh glutinous rice planted, with pride, by the villagers themselves. Soon, our entourage of 10 were like long lost extended families of Mr Albert, the head of the household of one of the pintus of the longhouse. His was at the end. Somewhat like a corner house.

Conversation soon exchanged. Our reasons, our background and other pleasantries began to unfold. On the walls, were some introduction to the family heirlooms. There should be. The longhouse was about 100 years old and it lived through three generations under the reign of the Brooke's family. Old skulls, three of them, were placed in a coarsely made rattan basket. The creases and depressions blackened through the years. Whose were those? Why were they there? What could the story be behind those skulls?

There were old photos as old as the person in it. The colours were over saturated - an effect created in the 70s when coloured photo was a rare item. The face of Jesus Christ adorn a major portion of the feature wall, a sign of the major religion that was held by the majority here. "Though most of us are Christians, we have relatives who have became Malay," a common misconception among many when a person embraces Islam. "We have nephews and nieces whose spouses are Chinese, Indian and even a Sabahan," said the lady, who is the sister of Mr Albert.

Banners and flyers decorating the ruai, were proudly attune to the 1Malaysia branding. Next to it was a flag showing a logo of a steelyard in blue background. The picture of our honorable prime minister was prominently placed at the entrance and on the walls with a spacing of about 10 meters between them. Again, this is odd. We came in the middle of a land ownership crisis. Their land of about 3000 hectares, with an NCR status, were given a provisional lease to a palm oil plantation company. Kg Entanggor sits in this land. It's inhabitants are in danger of becoming homeless.  The company's lawyer had issued a notice of eviction to the villagers. As visitors, we empathized them. We understood their predicament. Who wants to be homeless when we are not illegals in our own land? This is odd, when there are foreigners posing as students in private colleges who are comfortably living in apartments masterminding the black money scam. And yet, they are still free? The eviction would surely come as a big shocker for the elderly who had been staying there since young. What wrong had they done to deserve this punishment? Being homeless in the golden years?

We settled in an open space just above the ruai. That will be our sleeping place for the night. The girls will sleep at one end, behind an old bed that serves as a barrier. Dinner was served at around 7pm. The chicken was guaranteed halal as it was bought from a malay muslim trader. Stir fried vegetable, made simply were sufficient to fulfill the hungry stomachs. Some of us, still hesitant, refrain from taking the meat dish, but took the vegetables. Feeling full, but still in respect of the house members.

Hot tea was again served after dinner. We waited for the villagers to gather at the ruai to allow us to explain our reasons for coming. "Puji Tuhan," said the bishop cum assistant ketua kampung to me when I greeted him. In 15 minutes the ruai was filled with people, mostly sitting at the far end and lining the sides. Tonight, it was an important session for them. Besides us, they were going to sign a protest note to be given to the plantation company. In a speech earlier by the protest leader, he mentioned that each pintu had to donate a thousand ringgit to pay for the lawyer's service. Loans can be arranged.

The project leader was called up to introduce the team and himself. I was pestered to go up front to give a little advice on health. Although unplanned, I immediately commented on smoking, which was too obvious in the village. A few questions ensued, asking about breast cancer, the recent implementation of HPV vaccination and hypercholesterolaemia. It was tough. Since Iban was the main language, speaking in Malay was helping little to get them to understand. A few nods of approval seemed to give some hope.

The peak event of the night started with me being invited to sing a song. As I am a bass, something slow and deep should be suitable for me. A Bob Tutypoly song - widuri - was just nice. "Sandarkan pada Kenangan" was too fast and high pitch. "Tenda biru" was a good choice, but I could not figure out the melody.  So I settled with Widuri in the end. I do not know if I mesmerized the crowd with my rendition of widuri. The students were bewildered. Only their cheers could be heard in the beginning of the prose. Probably they never expect that a teacher can actually hold a mic and sing, besides giving a lecture. The crowd was still sane. Some men were still in small groups while puffing away. The womenfolk were just absorbing the whole thing, enjoying the sight of outsiders being themselves - or not. Children at this hour - 10pm - are still awake. Someone ought to tell them to go to bed. But events like that are rare. With all the audio and visual stimulation penetrating through the wooden walls of the long house, what sleep would they get.

That was the challenge that we had at two in the morning. The planks that I slept on still vibrated to the beats of "bekikis bulu betis", chinta sabun mandi and many more Iban hits. Andrewson Ngalai - an iban recording artist - must be really proud.

Then the students were persuaded to take over the mic after me. The rendition of "aku anak kampung" open the floors even wider. A love song such as widuri may be appealing for lovebirds, but not hard rocking party goers. It's a song that put them to sleep. The catchy beats of "aku anak kampung" quickly got the crowd cooing and clapping. A few ladies and men, who were all dressed up started to dance to the music of the live band. Their joget movements quickly reverberate through the crowds. A few rhythmic head shakes started to appear. Soon the floor of the ruai were filled with more people doing the a-go-go. The singing students did not expect this. They

thought it was just a karaoke session with a live band. Nothing more. The expanding revelry caught them unprepared and they were in awe of the whole experience.

We had to retire early for the night. Our actual mission was the event in the morning. I sought permission from the councilor who was the master of ceremony and he gave his consent. But it was not easy to fall asleep. Most of us tossed and turned, trying hard to outdo the music. The sound from the crowd seemed to get wilder. Soon, the the weariness of the eyes caved in to allow a bit of rest despite the thumping beats of the band that was just below us.

At five AM, thanks to Amin, I woke up the sound of his snore. Besides that, the surrounding was still calm and quiet. What ever happened to the music, which was too loud a few hours ago? I got up and felt my way to the toilet, which was located outside at the hind ruai. In the dark I could see a few bodies logging around the sitting room, all huddled in coldness.

At the ruai, the atap roofs were gone. It was all pitch black. With the sprinkle of very bright stars spread across the pitch black sky, it was a wonder. The absence of city lights and other light sources enhance the natural beauty as it looked like diamonds plastered to the black sky.

Soon, the cocks made their call. Breakfast was again simple, a remembrance from those simpler years of childhood in Kuching. Fried rice with crispy anchovies and hot coffee were served. The morning was an opposite of the night event. The rattan mats were still unfold at the ruai. Dogs were seen roaming freely, curious of the things that happened the night before. It was quiet.

We gathered our tools and made our way to the community hall. The hall looked like any of the houses, on wooden belian stilts. Except that it has a stage with handwritten wordings of the Gawai closing ceremony on the tattered backdrop written two years back. I just hope that the party and merry making last night did not take a toll on the commitment of the villagers. By 8 AM, the sun was already up. The sun shone through the windows, landing on the rubber mat on the floor. It was getting to get warm. Soon, an old couple appeared at the door, knowing their purpose that met our intention. We were relieved.

By 10, more people had came - most just returned from their morning mass at the nearby chapel. It was quite risky to take blood samples at that time. I would predict that most of them were  going to be hypoglycaemic. In research, this could be a risk to the methodology. Some how or another, we hope to seek consistency in the timing of blood collection in all future works.

The day was slightly hectic. Most members of the team had little experience in collecting data from the community. Approaching noon, we packed our tools and head back to the headman's house. Its time to bid farewell. We thanked them for their hospitality and wished good luck in their quest to remain in their rightful land.

Things to reflect from a missing plane.

For the past one month, it must be harrowing for the family members of those on board MAS MH 370. Everyday is another hopeful day, waiting for news that somewhere and somehow there is a glimpse of hope that those on board the plane will survive.

The most glaring question on hand right now is, "WHY?". Why did anybody who took control of the plane flew out of its intended path, into one of the world's most isolated places? A lot of theories have been churned from this simple question. And, it does not bring any respite to any family members associated with the ill fated plane.

Communications seems to be very important in times like this. From the first day of the missing plane, a lot of miscalculation and poor coordination were quite obvious. But it was managed somehow, and was swept nicely under the carpet - temporarily till the person with the bin came and removed it.

In such environment when the eye of the world is looking directly at us, professionalism must be at all times high. In no way that we are supposed to answer, "we do not know", when the most correct answer should be "we will find out". Both these answer draws a different perspective by the receiver. If you do not know, it means that you are incompetent or ignorant and you are not within the reach of the people under you. It also shows that you are not doing anything at all to finding a solution to the case. If you say that you are still working, well, at least it gives some hope to the listener that you are not lazing around while people's life are at stake.

Some news portals and blogs quite evidently pointed to the ineptitude of our high ranking servicemen to speak well to the media, especially English. Somewhere, it was suggested that, though the suggestions may not reach them, the speaker should correspond in Malay and leave the translation part to the medias to decipher.

When the whole world is looking for the missing plane, the shaman suddenly appeared at the airport. I think his and his groups' intention to help search should not be looked down upon. To him, looking in those pipes, holding coconuts etc are the only ways that he think he could do to help locate the missing plane. But, the action involved can generate may types of responses from the crowd. And by crowd, we are not talking about those who happen to be in KLIA during his appearance. We are talking about the whole world, from different system of beliefs and different cultures. Your responses depend on which perspective that you are using. In most people, those are stunts that do not deserve any attention especially when Malaysia is priming herself to be developed by 2020.

How technology seems to still eludes us. Malaysia rightly and responsibly dished out all hardwares to look for the missing plane. Fishermen were even employed in the east coast to scour the vast South China Sea to look for any evidences related to the MH370. In the end, we still depend on the brains of the Americans, the Britons, the Australians etc to search for it the unconventional way - doing mathematics complexities at its core. We still need their satellites. We still need to outsource our data to them to calculate the final location. For theory mongers, wouldn't that give people some ideas on our defense capabilities? Obviously, its a room for improvement. And it needs to start with English in school.

Technology has been so simplified - it has become more humane. We find ourselves at ease running through the multiple apps on the interface of our smartphone. We execute it by tapping and in a few seconds, we get excited with he answers that we want. In olden days of computers, that kind of execution may involve computers the size of a warehouse. Even then, it is still called technology.

We think that we are at the brink of a cutting edge technology when we are able to locate ourselves using GPS and satellites. And we easily come to conclusion that since this tool called "technology" has made the world smaller, a whisper here can be heard yonder. What more a missing plane. It is just impossible that "technology" can miss this big metal bird. We just have to accept that there are limitations in everything. The ease of locating ourselves does not equate to the effort of locating a missing plane. The principles used here are different. One size does not fit all.

That is what science is all about. Limitations creates ideas. Ideas has helped human to prosper and evolve in the past centuries.

The effects of social media can be devastating. Family members in faraway Beijing in China, away from the press conference in Kuala Lumpur seemed to get updated via the social media - verified or not. News spread like wildfire, especially the untrue and sensational ones.

The dilution effect of information caused it to be treated equally like the verified news. Therefore, rumours can be equally accepted as true when in effect it is false. Readers who are not careful can wholly accept it as true - creating a hysterical reaction reflecting the mental responses to the received news.

When those physical reactions are displayed in public, with zooming cameras and limelight, the stage is created to depict to the world how certain news - still unverified at that moment - has now become verified by the actions of the people and the crowd. The officials were just removed from their hands the privilege to make the call - and it just gets difficult.

I must also praise the effort to handle the psychological well being of distraught immediate family members. When the plane disappeared, a father, a mother, a sister, a brother, a son and a daughter to someone is lost too. It is important that affected family members lands softly as they go through the stages of grief. The workers, some of the many unsung heroes, are working quietly behind the scene.

It is no doubt that this episode of MH370 is truly unprecedented and bears the weight of one of the greatest mysteries of aviation history. It is quite unthinkable at first that this event can occur in Malaysia. But now, it is slowly accepted for most people. As a friend say, life is short. What we make and do in this short life that matters most.

Let's Gumpey!!

Eating places can be viral. Its presence can be known like wild fire. Or it infects a whole lot of people like an novel virus - with the effect of gastronomical satiety.

The famed TopSpot or the Buntal seafood areas that serves quality and rich sea food that ignites the rarely used taste buds are not unfamiliar to Sarawakian or Kuchingites. The cost, however, may be prohibiting for some and does not allow for frequent sinful indulgences.

Yet, once in a while we would just love to experience something out of the norm. Something simple and affordable that remind us of the much simpler ways of yesteryear. Something that our mom used to cook with love when we were sick. The juicy yet tasty piece of meat that our fathers used to bake in those makeshift grills made of used oil drums. 

That is what Kampung Gumpey (pronounce "goom-pay") has to offer. Located in the Simunjan district, about 1 hour drive from Kuching, it recently became the words of mouth among Kuchingites. The reason - a simple dish of Mee Udang Gumpey or Gumpey Prawn Noodle. Do not be mistaken, the village or the prawn noodle do not have any connection with Forrest Gump or Bubba Gump Shrimp Co, although they might share the same syllables.

To get to Kampung Gumpey, you will need to pass Serian town, drive a few kilomteres more before you meet the junction that leads to Gedong. Turn left at the junction, and drive straight on till the small town of Gedong. From there, ask around from the helpful locals for the direction to Kampung Gumpey.

If you have very tight lips, try locate Klinik Kesihatan Gedong. You cannot miss the prominent red crescent sign by the side of the road at the town "centre". Turn left at the clinic. Maneuver a few junctions till you get into what seemed to be like a village. You are not in Kampung Gumpey yet. Go on, till you meet a junction. The It-Taa'bin mosque is the main landmark at the junction. Turn right. A few kilometers down, you will pass a few houses. The Mi Udang Gumpey restaurant is on the left side of the road. Here is the structure of the building.

The shop.

The facade.

At this juncture, I just remembered that you will need to book the Prawn noodle. A walk in may leave you frustrated as all the prawn noodle may have been booked by yet to come customers. The "Supergrade A" cost RM35.00. The Grade A cost RM20.00 and Grade B cost RM15. "Supergrade A" consist of one piece of very large prawn, Grade A is slightly smaller and you are given three pieces of prawn to accompany your noodle. 

Grade A Mi Udang Gumpey - RM20.00.

Huge and freshly caught.

The dish surely is a huge challenger to the Penang Prawn Noodle. The only thing that might jeopardize its chance of beating the Penang Prawn Noodle is the noodle used. For me, its a bit soggy and not springy. The gravy works well for me. You might not like its gravy. But the best part of course, is the huge prawn. Its fresh, its tangible and oozing with fresh prawn "sweetness". 

So tempting was the meal that I over heard a daughter from the neighbouring table say "today, Ma don't have to think about the cholesterol. Just enjoy!".

Just the next day, the whole shop is booked by the former Head of State (Yang Di Pertua Negeri) of Sarawak to sit his 30 member strong entourage. Now, just imagine just how this place got so famous that it reached the ears of the previous Head of State? This place? Out of no where?

Closed on Monday.

This place is closed on Mondays. It has a Facebook account. The contact numbers are all listed on the site. Just Google them up for your next great Sarawak experience.

Bali

Bali, bali, bali!

Say a few times more and you will accidentally slip your tongue and pronounce 'beli' instead. Beli, in Malay means 'to buy'. And that is what you really do when in Bali. To enter Bali, you need to 'beli' flight tickets and book hotel rooms - for a start.

I would like to share some of the experiences and tips if you are planning your next holiday in Bali.

MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT OCCUR DURING NYEPI

Nyepi is the beginning of a new year for the Hindu calendar. Unlike other cultural celebration that is full of revelry, merry making and hoo haas, Nyepi is really a very quiet occasion, literally. It is the opposite of Bali in other time of the year. No one is allowed outside, and according to a balinese, there is no tv program aired too. The airport is closed during this period.

YOU NEED AN EMBARKATION CARD.

When you are a foreigner, remember that you are not entering a country called Bali. You are entering Indonesia. For that, you will need an embarkation card and a customs declaration card filled up before passing the immigration counter in Ngurah Rai Airport. That was what the Airasia flight crew failed to dispense on board en route to Bali. 

Never mind about that, just make sure to look for one when you are in the airport building. The embarkation cards are placed on a counter. When things get crazy, remember to look for it all strewn on the floor.

If you don’t, you will be asked to fill one, at the same time, wasting time and got skipped over by the next person in line. It does not look good when you have to re- enter the line again. 

REMEMBER TO BRING A PEN, ALWAYS.

The pen is important at least, right until you reached your temporary abode. You will need to fill in all sorts of forms as required by the country's regulation. You cannot expect to borrow one as other people, like yourself, are rushing to get the immigration part over with. In addition, the pen is a great help to entertain the bored child with some doodling, while allowing the parents to settle some world issues.

PLAN AN ITINERARY HERE

The whole island is worthy of a visit. There are activities ranging from the sea till the highlands. Unplanned, you may end up visiting mainly temples.

You can also hire the "Pak supir" or driver to bring you around to places of interest. They usually have an itinerary prepared for you, which can be customized. The taxi driver who brought us from the airport to the hotel offered IDR 600 000 per day. That is way too expensive. We managed to get another Pak supir who offered us IDR 350 000 per day. Prices ranging from IDR 300 000 - IDR 350 000 per day are quite reasonable.  

Depending on the type of traveler you are, here are example of places that you must visit when you are in Bali. 

The northern area:

Kintamani - there is an active volcanic mountain here. Its previous eruption created a cauldron that is now filled with water to create a majestic looking lake. Have a meal here while enjoying the view. There is a halal restaurant here serving buffet meals at IDR 100,000 per head.

Danau Batur, Kintamani

On the way up to Kintamani, there are many temples. Different tour operators will bring tourist to different preferred temples. You might be brought to Goa Gajah temple, which has a rock formation that looks like an elephant, and Tirtha Empul, which has a spring water that makes it sacred. In my opinion, skipping the temples is fine. The man made temples are all similar. What make the temples different is the natural attractions each temple provides. 

Goa Gajah Temple

On the way down, you will see lots of fruit stalls as the district is the main producer of various tropical fruits. Stopping at any one of the fruit stalls may not be part of your itinerary with your operator. If you wish to sample a local fruit, ask for a stop by. 

While in an agricultural area, you will be brought to the 'kopi luwak' farm. For the uninitiated, kopi luwak's coffee beans are taken from the poo of the civet. At the farm, you can see the main star that defines "luwak" in kopi luwak - the always sleeping civet. Be sure to taste some of the coffee here as a cuppa can cost hundreds of ringgit in Jakarta. Here, pay IDR 50,000 to taste a cup and get free samples of other variants of coffee - bali coffee, coffee infused with ginger, lemongrass infused coffee, lemon infused tea - you get the idea.

Rejoiced and refreshed from the after effect of coffee, you will now head to the beautiful terraced paddy field. You will most probably stopped by Tengalalang area for this rustic view. 

Tengalalang terraced rice field

Ubud:

There are many shops in Ubud. It looks uptrend with shops selling various artworks - paintings, decorative lights, woodcrafts. According to our operator, the things there are quite costly. It is ok if you have money to burn. 

We were brought to a souvenir warehouse. It is cheap and you can buy in bulk. Name it, key chains, I love Bali tee, fridge magnet, wood craft, paintings - there are aplenty to pick and choose for family and friends back home. There are many souvenir warehouse in Bali. The other one I frequently see in the local itinerary is the 'Sukawati' market. 

Souvenirs sold in the ubiquitous souvenirs shop.

Southern Bali:

Tanah Lot: it is yet another temple. The unique thing about it is the location it takes - perched on a piece of rock outcrop at the seaside. The sight is unbelievable - a must visit. 

The temple at Tanah Lot

Uluwatu: it is a temple located strategically embedding itself with nature. This is a cliff overlooking the blue sea of the Indian ocean. Like Tanah Lot, this is a must visit. But beware, there are a lot of monkeys hanging around, oblivious to human visitors. Do not provoke them though. Their mischief caught a visitor when the monkey took her glasses away. These little fellas do not go bananas  over bananas. So it was of no use to coax them with your bananas. Local workers there will entice them with a different food instead - nuts. Luckily she got back her glasses. 

Uluwatu view

Both Tanah Lot and Uluwatu are better visited in the evening, in time for  sunset. 

Dances: the two dances that you should not miss are the Barong and the Kecak dance. It will complete your visit here. The Barong dance has been made less serious and more fun for tourists. If you are with children, I will have to forewarn you that some of the acts are for adults only view. You might want to leave the children out.  Kecak dance is conducted at 6 in the evening in Uluwatu.  

Carriage horse ride: Well, this may not be the thing to do for bachelors. The horse ride is a must if you are with a kid who would benefit from experiential learning on what a horse is and what it feels like riding in a horse driven carriage. It may provide a quality time for the family and for the burgeoning lovers too. If you plan to ride on one, you can easily flag them down. The opening price is IDR 700 000, again, which is very expensive. In another blog, it mentioned that the ride should cost only IDR 130 000 to IDR 150 000. We managed to settle at IDR 150 000 for a ride from Kuta to Legian and back to Kuta.

The eduational horse ride. Photo credit: www.balidiscovery.com/

PREPARE LOTS OF MONEY

As 80% of the island's economy depends on tourism, be sure to bring along enough cash. You will need to pay upon entering Kintamani highland district, into Tengalalang subdistrict, into Tanah lot, all tourist sites entry point and to the unofficial guide - if you accidentally engage their services. And it is not cheap either. A few ways to solve this issue. One, is to be dependent on your operator who drives you around for the explanation. If he has a heavy mouth, but you think that he knows lots of stuff, probe him. Another way is to get a book on Bali and bring it along as you tour. Lastly, just pay for the extra services on site, although you have paid the entry fee earlier. 

You will need small changes for the taxi ride as well.

BEWARE OF THE MONEY EXCHANGERS

I found that the exchange rate in Bali is better than home. You might want to change some here. But beware, not everybody is in for an honest business. There is a syndicate operating along Bakungsari road who will try to scam unwary tourist. The modus operandi, first, they will lure you by advertising a too good to be true exchange rate. In the shop you will notice one thing, the counter top is very high and there is a reason for that. After they have showed you the amount of Indonesian rupiah and you are satisfied with it, instead of you taking it away, the exchanger will pretend to take the money on the pretext of handing them over to you, but while doing that, he will drop some notes into the open drawer. The high counter top is to provide some cover up of their short change tactics. 

To protect yourself from being a victim, always count and recount the exchange given to you yourself. Never be in a rush when exchanging your currency. You will also have to be wary when you notice that the exchange rate displayed is way better than the others. If the differences is too marked, it should give you a hunch.

TAXI TO THE RESCUE

One particular thing that I really like in Bali is, there are lots of taxi available. Stopping one is easy, the drivers will take you anywhere and the charges are according to the meter. As far as I can recall, all the drivers are well mannered. There is no haggling, no grumbling, no venting off frustrations to the unwilling ears - unlike the taxis in KL. 

FOOD

Bali is a food haven for foodists. But for muslims it is a bane. Almost all "makanan Padang" is halal for consumption. There are many more, but if you wish to go for better and slightly luxurious food, try Bale Udang Mang Engking along Jalan Nakula, in Legian. Any recommendation by locals - go ahead, try them. Jimbaran area is famous for its seafood. But as I have discovered in many blogs, it can be quite expensive. Further, their halal status is questionable too. 

STAY

The best place to stay would be near the beaches. The reason is, you will not be at loss of activities when you have completed your itineraries. Beaches provide a hive of activities to see and do. Go for a massage, a swim in the sea, a stroll or just simply hang around on the beach. Back home - these are rare things. 

Kuta Beach

So, these are some of the reflections that can be converted into tips when one goes to Bali for a holiday. Hope these accounts help.