Week Eight, Cardio

Woohoo! Finally a week of decent results. Today was the ANZAC day public holiday so I got to have a sleep in (till 6:30) and whipped out the scales and measured before breakfast. As a result the numbers may be a little artificial but I'm chuffed regardless.



A few odd ones there, particularly the increase in hips. Overall I think the rest of my numbers have been favourable. It's been almost a full week of running on the treadmill, jogging around Brisbane or a super walk while in Toowoomba so I was hoping to burn a few kilos off. Also need to buff up my stamina for a 20K walk that Alison and I will be doing with the family at the end of May. Should be good fun.

Responsibility

Well it's been a busy week, and not just because it's our first one back after a long holiday. While I've been away it seems there were a few things cooking at work with lots of new projects and shifts happening. To cut a boring story short ChrisP, my Team Leader, has moved to take ownership of another team in the company, which obviously leaves a spot open in our team. The IT executive committee have thus decided to give me another shot at the reins, making me responsible for a charming and well qualified group of three developers (soon to be four if all goes well). It's been a while since I last had to bear the real weight of leadership but hopefully it's just like riding a bike.

I guess this means I need to start acting respectable again...

Week Seven, the Comeback

First day back at work today. Made it through with a surprising amount of energy and wasn't that hungry, which is unusual after an extended holiday. Rocked on down to the gym at 1 in the afternoon and didn't expect to be able to do much. Only mustered up about 20 minutes on the treadmill and a pitiful stint with the skip rope. Imagine my surprise then when I hopped on the scales and measured up for the week.



This is the lightest I've been since starting the challenge! Still a little thick around the middle but I think four weeks of solid running will help shed the inches. My theory is that the scales in Malaysia were a biased towards the heavier side. Also might be retaining less water with the cooler weather perhaps?

Can't argue with good results either way. Now I need to tempt my taste buds with the Masterchef premier.

Back in Brisbane

It's a good thing that we came over to Malaysia with very little in our bags, because there's no way we would have fit our shopping for the return flight otherwise. All three of our bags were packed to capacity and if the airport scales are to be believed then we've accumulated another 7.5kg of clutter. As previous posts have indicated I'm also unfortunately carrying a bit more weight on my person for the trip back to Brisbane.



The flight back was pretty comfortable and I'm impressed with the service on Qantas. We asked and got upgraded to an exit row which was vacant so our legs got some much appreciated stretching room.

Got a little ripped off by the cab ride from the airport, but it was good to just get home without fussing with public transport and a walk up the hill. The house is still standing and the garden remains in good shape, with grass that's suspiciously short (no doubt thanks to John) and a rapidly spreading mass of courgettes that aren't content with remaining in the vegie patch. The grevillea and himalayan ash have grown tremendously as well, and we look forward to the shade they'll provide up front. We were especially pleased to see the progress our neighbours have made with the retaining wall and fences, looks like we'll be able to re-landscape that section of the house soon.

Read some rotten news about the iPad when we got off the plane. Seems like I'll be waiting another month before I can get my grubby mitts on one, due to lack of supply. Damn the iPad for being so darn popular.

Nice to be back home. At least we won't have to go back to work till Monday.

Week Six and the Floodgates of Food

The camel's back has been broken. I'm not even trying to pretend to follow a diet for the remaining days we have in Malaysia, as is clearly evident by the influx of food.

On Sunday we drove back to Subang to catch the last pasar malam (night market) of our trip, and everyone knows that a trip to the night market will no doubt involve food... lots of food. We took our time walking amongst the veg and fish stalls, stopping only to pick up two more bags of kueh, eat a bowl of Fa Sang Wu (a creamy peanut soup), two sticks of Lok Lok (sticks of meat and seafood cooked in a hotpot at the back of a truck) and a piece of Apam Balik (a thin, crispy, cream corn and peanut pancake, folded over like a calzone). I loved Apam Balik as a kid so I think I showed great restraint by stopping at just one piece.


The next day we were at Megamall again for more shopping and spotted these cute dessert buns on the menu at lunch. Alsie just had to order them. They're filled with red bean paste and were actually quite tasty. I would have thought that pork buns would be more appropriate...



Not satisfied with the mountains of kueh we've already consumed, mum picked up a tin on kek lapis (spekkoek) which is a dutch-indonesian baked layered cake. Another morsel that I'd stuff my face with as a kid, as you can imagine I was/am a very fat kid. This was a very good batch, so smooth and buttery and I definitely experienced that "just one more slice" feeling. My love handles were quivering with pleasure.



One last nostalgic dish, waffles with ice-cream from A&W. Not exactly fine cuisine but it's a staple for our trips to Malaysia. It's also proof of my fall from grace. Alison and I went to a A&W at the start of our trip and I comfortably abstained from waffles back then. Now here I am with a double scoop of ice-cream. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.



So what's the damage after all this self destructive behaviour?



Not brilliant, I've basically knocked my progress back by three weeks. I picked up a new pair of running shoes and a Nike+ sensor on this trip so I can see lots of cardio in my near future to help burn off all this fat before the end of the challenge. Still, it was worth it I think.

This will likely be the last post from Malaysia as we're flying back tomorrow. It's been a great two and a half weeks and we wish we could stay longer, but it's probably a good thing for the pocket and waistline that we're forced to return to work. Lots to look forward to still with an upcoming Australian iPad launch and a Christmas visit from Mum and Uncle Wing. That'll certainly help me deal with the rising swells of homesickness that I'm already beginning to feel.

Sights To See

After a week and a half of indulging in a life of gastronomic and retail consumerism, we stepped into the travel portion of our holiday. It's been a busy three days but we've managed to see so much that we've hardly had time to feel tired.

Taman Negara

Mum booked a trip to Malaysia's national park (which is what Taman Negara means in Bahasa), reportedly the world's oldest tropical rainforest. Alison and I drove mum and Uncle Wing up to the resort which took about four hours on the road, with a short stop for lunch at Jerentut. Roads weren't too bad, though I had to dig deep into my Malaysian roots to find the courage to overtake slow moving cars and trucks on the narrow tracks that snaked through oil palm plantations. We reached Kuala Tahan late on Thursday afternoon and were told that the first of our activities would start shortly after dinner.

This turned out to be a short night trek through the rainforest, with our guide pointing out interesting flora and fauna. We didn't get to see any snakes or large animals aside from some sambar deer that were attracted to a popular salt lick. Apparently if we'd waited another hour or so then we'd have seen some sun bears. We may not have seen much I thought the walk was pleasant, albeit rather hot and humid even at night. The main highlight I thought was when Saberi, our guide, teased out a malayan scorpion from it's hole with a short stick. Nifty.

The next day we donned our "jungle clothes", ready for a full day of wilderness adventure. I'm glad we got these as disposable apparel because I'm sure we committed more than a few fashion crimes here. I guess they might make good garden wear if Alison lets me take the shirts home to Brisbane.



To start things off, Saberi took us on a moderate 2km walk through another part of the rainforest and focussed his explanations on the local trees and plants. Should have been paying more attention as I've clear forgotten what this tree is. I do remember that the Orang Asli (natives) use it to communicate by hitting it with a hard stick or rock. The soft wood, large base and tall trunk allow the tree to reverberate and produce a loud beat that can be heard from a distance. We just thought it was a cool tree to pose under, darn city dwellers.



At the end of the walk we climbed a short stairwell to enter the world's longest canopy walk. At least it would have been if half the walkway weren't closed for renovation, apparently deemed unsafe on account of termite activity. The first half seemed fine when we were up there, about 30 metres off the forest floor. We managed to see a black giant squirrel on one of the canopy platforms and got a great view of the surrounding tree tops.



On descending from the canopy, we met mum by the river (she didn't join us for the trek) and were whisked up the rapids to a native village. The tribe we visited were of the Bateq people, where we got to learn a little of their culture and were shown how to start a fire, make poisonous darts and use a blow pipe. Ah how silly we must have looked. Most of us anyway, Alison proved to be a natural at the blow pipe and was the only one in the group that scored a hit on the target.



After lunch we headed up the Tahan river to see the cascades at Latah Berkoh. While the cascades weren't all that impressive (far too many people and the water was pretty stained from trees and debris during the dry season) we were absolutely smitten by boat ride up the river. We've seen lots of tourism ads about Malaysia that showcase river cruises through the rainforest and this was just like it. The arching trees, calls of wildlife and uncovered rock formations on the river made every bend a tantalising treat. We couldn't keep ourselves from running our hands through the rushing water or reaching for low hanging branches.



On the way back we were caught in a heavy downpour, which would normally be a nuisance to most Malaysians. In the middle of a rainforest however, and trapped in an open river boat, we found the experience oddly magical. We even stopped by a local fish sanctuary to feed some kelah that are being conserved in the Tahan river. By the time we got back to Kuala Tahan we were absolutely soaked to the bone, which must have seemed odd as the town hadn't seen a drop of rain that afternoon. Drenched but utterly satisfied with our excursion. Uncle Wing even picked up a walking stick as a souvenir from the forest floor.

Genting Highlands

On Saturday we left Pahang to drive back to civilisation, stopping on the way the antithesis of a natural peaceful sanctuary; the congested commercial peaks of Genting Highlands.

Alison has heard me rabbit on about taking her to Genting for years now so it was a good to finally cross this one off the list. Not that I'm a huge fan of the place, but because it's such a famous landmark. Rather than nurse a building sense of nausea in the winding car ride to the top, Alison and I opted to take the cable car from Gotong Jaya. The queues were pretty crazy, but after about 40 minutes of waiting we finally got into a cab on the way to the summit. It was a pretty misty day so it was a treat to see the towers of Resort World appear among the clouds. At least until we got closer and the grot became readily apparent.



It's been close to ten years since I've been to Genting, and aside from the new First World hotel it seems like it's hardly changed. The price of food and a penchant for gaudiness certainly has remained consistent with what I remembered. We had a walk around to take in the sights but didn't feel the need to pay for any of the attractions.



The weather was a nice change from the heat, but we couldn't understand why more of the cafes weren't outside to take advantage of the cool air. We would have been quite happy to pay an extortionate amount to enjoy a beverage with a cool breeze and view but all the restaurants and cafes overlooked carparks or indoor rollercoasters. I guess that's what the local market wants.

Batu Caves

Last stop on our return trip was to another KL landmark that we've somehow missed on previous holidays in Malaysia; Batu Caves.

I've only been to the caves once and that was on a school trip back when I was five or six years old, so aside from the energy sapping 272 steps to the entrance, I remembered very little of the place. Given how young I was I don't think I would have been able to appreciate the majesty of the lime stone formations and the sheer size of the idols. The front statue of Murugan is 42.7 metres tall and is the highest in the world.



Once inside the cave we were shocked by the height of the ceiling, stretching 100 metres with pin holes of daylight streaming through openings at the top. With so little natural light we had to rely on lamps affixed to the cave walls, which bathed the streaked formations with a beautiful amber hue. Just gorgeous.



Monkeys were pretty common throughout the caves, unabashedly accepting (or stealing) food from tourists before rushing to higher ground to enjoy their spoils. We weren't accosted thankfully but I spotted a few handbags being ransacked by simian hands. They seemed quite comfortable with humans and I managed to get close to this one to take a few photos before descending to the carpark.



Altogether a great mini-holiday within our holiday. It does mean that we're coming to the end of our stay in Malaysia though, so what once seemed so far away is just around the corner. Best to make the most of what's left.

More Food and Shopping

Shopping in Malaysia is great fun when you convert everything back to Aussie dollars. It just seems so cheap! So far we've bagged about four pairs of shoes, over ten shirts, three bags and a bunch of other bits and pieces. To round off our wardrobe, particularly for the upcoming trek through Taman Negara, we needed to find some basic t-shirts and shorts for hiking. Jaya Jusco had a crazy sale on so we fought our way through the mob to find a good deal, coming away with far too many clothes of questionable style and quality but with irresistible savings.



I've been wearing the same pair of glasses for the past nine years, so this trip seemed like the ideal opportunity for a style change. My old Silhouettes have been really light and comfortable, but I picked a heavier hinged frame this time. Still getting used to the darker frame but I think they suit my face... although I'm worried that I might look a little too HK now...



The food continues to roll in. Meeting up with Teoh for dinner brought us to another seafood restaurant with a view, perched on a hill in OUG. The owner of the establishment is a family friend so we were greeted warmly and well looked after, with the tea pot refilled constantly. We left the responsibility of ordering our meal to Tezza and were very impressed with the results. Assam fried fish, kang kung belacan (yet again, I know), pork ribs marinated in red fermented tofu and another dish of tofu with roast pork. Great food, and to top it off the whole meal only cost 46 Ringgit (about 15 Aussie dollars). What more could you want?



At home, mum's been treating us to some classic Teochew dishes. I used to have Tau Suan for breakfast whenever the family returned to Johor for Chinese New Year each year, but haven't had a chance to eat this in years. This is a sweet split green bean soup with cut up pieces of fried bread. Keen to share another childhood meal with Alison, I asked if mum could whip up a batch of this and she happily obliged.



Mmmm... reminds me of my childhood.

As another treat we've also had a few nights of Mah Jong with mum and Uncle Wing. Good fun, we really do need to find some people in Brisbane to play with.



Heading off to Taman Negara for four days tomorrow. Hope we don't encounter too many leeches while we're walking through the jungle. Probably grasping at straws here, but with luck there'll also be a WiFi connection so I can keep tabs on what's happening with the iPhone OS 4.0 event tomorrow. If not I'll just have to catch up when we get back on Sunday, fingers crossed for some funky features.

Week Five and Growing

*sigh*

Not that surprising, but the numbers have not been kind to me this week.



Here are my excuses for the shoddy results:

• It was a hot day of shopping and I was feeling quite bloated
• I weighed myself in the afternoon after a heavy-ish lunch, when I normally check my weight in the morning
• Alison was not available (occupied with the massage bed) so I had to run the tape measure myself
• Er... I've been doing lots of pushups... therefore building muscle... which weighs more than fat
• Ahem... I've been eating far too much food...

Just bought a heap of new clothes which I hope will still fit by the time we get back to Brisbane.

See Food, Eat Food

Lots of food has been consumed over the last week, and much of it was marine in origin. On Thursday we were left in the hands of a Japanese chef at a restaurant owned by one of Mum's tenants. The initial courses didn't bode well for our evening meal but I feel the kitchen lifted their game by the third course in. We figured they were trying to impress when they brought out this huge boat of sashimi, with a plate of toro (tuna belly) as the centre piece. The other large cuts of milk fish, scallops, salmon, yellow tail and prawns didn't go unappreciated either.



The following courses continued to rise in quality; a mammoth plate of slow cooked tuna jaw with meat that slid off like a lamb shank, cold soba noodles coloured with sakura flowers and finally a gentle but surprisingly complex scoop of sakura flavoured ice-cream. Great stuff.

On Sunday we drove for over an hour to the port of Klang, where we hoped to find some good food at an authentic fishing village. Unfortunately the restaurant we were hoping to eat at, which came very highly recommended by a friend of Uncle Wing's, was closed for lunch. Bummer.

Not to be discouraged, we asked the locals for an alternative and were directed to another nearby restaurant which was serving. It was a frighteningly dishevelled shack, with laundry draped on any available surface and a toilet (I use the term very loosely there) disturbingly close to the kitchen. That's not necessarily a bad thing though, some of the best food can be found in the grottiest of hovels, so we ordered a few dishes and hoped for the best. We were to be sorely disappointed.



Leaving with a bad taste in our mouths, quite literally, our palate keenly awaited salvation at a little place Yvonne knew of in Hulu Langat. Heaven knows how she found out about it as it seemed to be hidden in a valley off the main road, but I guess word travels quickly based on the horde of cars parked for dinner. The place, a small Thai fishing village, may have been unimaginatively named the Veg Fish Farm, but the aroma from the grill and the frequent happy clatter of plates certainly helped whet the appetite of eager patrons. We amused ourselves by looking out for the occasional fish that jumped out of the surrounding lake.



One thing that can be said about Malaysians, they'll drive anywhere and wait, if not always patiently, for an unbelievably long time if good eats are to be had at the end of it. Our timing was impeccable as this is what the carpark looked like ten minutes after we arrived.



Thankfully after a reasonable drive (compared to the earlier slog to Klang) and what would have been a 15 minute wait, we were treated to incredibly good eats. Pipis, steamed and salt baked talapia, calamari covered in salted egg yolk, spinach leaves coated in a salt and pepper batter and the most fragrant seafood tom yam soup I've ever had. We also had chilled coconut milk with a treasure trove of jellies, red rubies and fruit to round off the meal, flanked by that ubiquitous Thai dessert; fresh mango with sticky rice. I was absolutely stuffed by the end but managed to cram in a few mouthfuls of glutinous rice, saturated in velvety coconut cream. My diet has officially gone to hell.



Going to pay for this on the scales.

Food Adventures

Haven't done much over the past few days aside from eating with friends and family. A pretty typical Malaysian holiday I would say. Normally Alison and I would have char kuey teow for breakfast on most mornings but we haven't felt the usual craving this trip. Probably for the best as all that fat and oil isn't especially good for you. We had it yesterday and our tummies were pretty tender for the rest of the day.



Instead we've opted for comparatively healthier options like claypot noodles. A filling and sustaining breakfast, and tasty to boot.



Caught up with Rudi the other night and had the good fortune to meet his lovely girlfriend, Twink. It's always nice to see childhood friends match up with likeminded people, in this case a devoted foodie. We were treated to dinner at the Bombay Palace, where we had a fabulous time discussing the assortment of curries and breads available. Superb palak paneer.



Today we hopped on a train to Midvalley Megamall to do some proper shopping and sample more local cuisine. We had a little more success this time (an earlier trip to Sunway Pyramid was pretty ineffective on the retail front), and Alison and I both came away with a pair of shoes each, along with some shirts.

Another reason for our trip to the Gardens was to check out a recommendation to try the Xiao Long Bao at Din Tai Fung. To be brutally honest, I'd have to say that while we thought this was really good, they still paled in contrast to the heavenly parcels we had in Singapore. I did however jump on the opportunity to have Alison try her culinary challenge of the holiday... the oh so misunderstood Century Egg



It took me a while to work up the courage to eat this when I was younger, and I've got the asian advantage, so there was a feeling of great pride when Alison overcame her aversion to the idea of a "preserved egg" and slammed it down the hatch. It's not as bad as everyone seems to think, though this plate of century eggs did seem a little milder that what I'm used to. I wonder if they toned things down to help make it more palatable.



As a reward of sorts, we found a nonya shop serving kueh and bought a bunch to chow down on a nearby bench. Probably a little overpriced when compared to what you'd pay for this at a roadside stall but the quality was pretty good. I love talam (the green and white pieces) and this definitely satisfied our dessert stomach.



Well done babes. Tonight we're heading out for Japanese food, omakase style, so hopefully the chef won't try to be too adventurous.