The plan was to go to Seremban, meet my Finnish friend, stay overnight then leave the next morning for K.L. to meet up with my Finnish friend's Finnish friend and go shopping at Ikea. That was the plan.
So, I woke up, got ready to go and called my taxi-driver. He said his taxi was rosak (broken). Ok, let's see, I think I have another taxi phone number. Yep. Found it and called. That driver was in Ipoh. Ooooh. Not so easy to get a taxi in Kampar. I could call my friend. Called. He was at work! Ouch. I'll have to walk it outta here.
Walked out to the road and flagged a very, very slow taxi but managed to get to the train station in time for the LRT. Went to buy my ticket.
"The LRT is rosak." WHAT? She said I'd have to take the "old train" which she said will take 4 hours or so...
"I should have taken the bus," I thought out loud. "Ok, I'll take the old train." It was only 20 ringgit and leaving in an hour. But, I was already hungry and really couldn't think of how to get any food. (The little food kiosk was closed as it always is at the train station which means somebody is missing out on a lot of business.)
On board the train, the dining car was the next car beside mine so I went along to find FOOD. I saw a lady order nasi lama, so ordered that. He said, "So sorry, they are sold out." Of course they are. All I could find was a pack of Oreo cookies. Breakfast. (Again, someone is missing out on a lot of business selling food on this train full of captive people who will be here quite a while.)
Well, I got to Seremban and the next morning, my friend and I ate breakfast before heading off to K.L. After we finished our breakfast, we got in the car, and it would not turn over! The battery was DEAD.
No problem, we were able to buy a new battery at the repair shop and were soon on our way to Ikea. It was great! Gotta love those Swedish meatballs! We found reading lamps, looked at curtain material, picked up a few odds and ends and headed to the specialty shop where my Finnish friends could get their berry jam, Finnish chocolate and Finnish sausages.
There was no berry jam, no Finnish chocolate and no Finnish sausages! My friends were disappointed.
On the other hand, I was able to find Organic coffee, to my joy.
I decided to spend another night in Seremban and when my friend dropped me off at the train station after lunch, it was 2:00 pm. I was told that the "old train" was leaving at 2:30. It would go all the way through to Kampar. Hmmm... decisions. Do I go to K.L. and change trains or get the one that goes all the way through?
I bought a ticket on the old train. They told me it could take 5 hours, but I thought they probably were mistaken because I'd taken it before and the trip was only about 4 hours. Boy was I wrong!
Before we arrived in K.L., the train came to a halt. Fifteen minutes later, the chattering around me is heating up. I can tell people are wondering what's going on and what will happen next. Thirty minutes later, we're still sitting there. I pull out my tablet, plug in my ear-phones and listen to soothing music. But, find it hard to concentrate.
There are three races of people on my car. Across from me, two Muslim ladies sit quietly. Beside me, a young Chinese boy is quietly listening to music. and two seats in front of me, an Indian man is doing most of the talking. Nobody is upset. People are smiling and chatting. I'm listening to my music.
An hour later, we are still in the same place. They make an announcement that anyone going to K.L. should get off the train. Everyone else stayed on. It took another hour and we were on our way, slowly.
But, it seemed the train was moving unusually slowly and when it passed Kuala Lumpur, it stopped again! This time, there was an announcement. The boy beside me translated,
"There is a technical problem with the train and it will be moving in about 15 minutes." Not so bad...
Still, I noted that the passengers were quite patient and calm. (Not like you'd see in my country.) Then, the stewards passed around free banana cake and water. I was glad to have some supper.
Well, by the time I arrived at Kampar, it was 10pm! 7 1/2 hours! Phew! By the time my taxi got me to my house, the trip that should have taken 4 hrs had taken 8!
Next time, I'll take the BUS!
Saturday 19 October 2013
Sunday 13 October 2013
Tin Mining
I may have mentioned that Kampar used to be a tin-mining town. In fact, my house is one row of houses away from an old tin-mining pond. I call it a pond. (Need to research this whole subject.) Now, apparently, people who worked the tin would sit in the water ALL DAY LONG. Can you imagine? And what was in that water?
These days, you know, there'd be all kinds of regulations if that were happening in the West. In fact, they probably wouldn't even allow it to happen. So, there were fatalities. I guess some people even drowned in the water. Maybe they fell asleep and just fell in and nobody noticed?
Anyway, there's this huge dent in the ground behind my house where the water used to be sitting. Now it has grass growing over it. And, for some strange reason, I never see anyone go into the park. Maybe a dog or cat, once in a while. It sort of gives me the creeps, actually, thinking about the slavery that went on here.
My house is only a decade old or so, but where my house is used to be the home of tin-miners. It was probably more like a shack. It's doubtful that they had electric fans in those days. We still don't have street lights on the narrow paved road that leads to my street. That road passes by the "water buffalo field", as I like to call it-- especially since my encounter with the angry water buffalo.
Speaking of water buffalo, I looked out my back kitchen window this evening to see a light coloured buffalo sauntering along through the alley! Just taking a quiet walk all by itself. I guess, since it had been raining, it was a little cooler and a nice time for a bit of a jaunt through the neighbourhood. Funny things. I just don't enjoy coming on them unawares!
The other day, a dozen of them decided to take a walk in the middle of the road, back and forth and wherever they pleased, nibbling here and there on the roadside growth. And the cars were stopping and waiting for them to GET OUT OF THE WAY. MOVE! And driving around them (carefully) so as not to get a horn in the windshield. Never in Canada. (Well, we have unruly moose, it's true.)
Then, you have the "meadow muffins" left plentifully by the well-fed cattle. These things grow like wildfire. After a couple of days, you get a whole garden in a muffin because I guess all the seeds are in whatever the buffalo eat.
And, when they move on, the grass is evenly trimmed. Yep, we have free gardening here in Kampar. Maybe I should open my gate once in a while and let the buffalo weed-whackers at my mess of weeds. I usually just pull it up by hand myself. Thorny stuff.
These days, you know, there'd be all kinds of regulations if that were happening in the West. In fact, they probably wouldn't even allow it to happen. So, there were fatalities. I guess some people even drowned in the water. Maybe they fell asleep and just fell in and nobody noticed?
Anyway, there's this huge dent in the ground behind my house where the water used to be sitting. Now it has grass growing over it. And, for some strange reason, I never see anyone go into the park. Maybe a dog or cat, once in a while. It sort of gives me the creeps, actually, thinking about the slavery that went on here.
My house is only a decade old or so, but where my house is used to be the home of tin-miners. It was probably more like a shack. It's doubtful that they had electric fans in those days. We still don't have street lights on the narrow paved road that leads to my street. That road passes by the "water buffalo field", as I like to call it-- especially since my encounter with the angry water buffalo.
Speaking of water buffalo, I looked out my back kitchen window this evening to see a light coloured buffalo sauntering along through the alley! Just taking a quiet walk all by itself. I guess, since it had been raining, it was a little cooler and a nice time for a bit of a jaunt through the neighbourhood. Funny things. I just don't enjoy coming on them unawares!
The other day, a dozen of them decided to take a walk in the middle of the road, back and forth and wherever they pleased, nibbling here and there on the roadside growth. And the cars were stopping and waiting for them to GET OUT OF THE WAY. MOVE! And driving around them (carefully) so as not to get a horn in the windshield. Never in Canada. (Well, we have unruly moose, it's true.)
Then, you have the "meadow muffins" left plentifully by the well-fed cattle. These things grow like wildfire. After a couple of days, you get a whole garden in a muffin because I guess all the seeds are in whatever the buffalo eat.
And, when they move on, the grass is evenly trimmed. Yep, we have free gardening here in Kampar. Maybe I should open my gate once in a while and let the buffalo weed-whackers at my mess of weeds. I usually just pull it up by hand myself. Thorny stuff.
Saturday 5 October 2013
MSG Epidemic
Ok, I understand that MSG is not a disease. But, if it were, it would be a fatal disease. It's EVERYWHERE.
For example, I decided one area I could eliminate MSG was in my regular use of coffee creamer. Everyone knows that coffee creamer has MSG in it, as well as a lot of other chemicals that are probably just as bad. But, I wanted to zero in on the one that I am focusing on at the moment.
So, what did I do? I went out and bought some milk to put in my coffee, of course. Nice, natural, whole milk. I got the "Dutch Lady" one in the blue box that says "full cream" and "susu penuh krim berkhasiat". You know the one. On the front it also says: "Protein, Kalsium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2". (Why only B2?)
Anyway, it tastes pretty good. NOT as good as Coffee Mate, but, I figured I was doing myself a huge favour by avoiding all the MSG in the creamer, right?
WRONG.
It suddenly popped into my mind that I should probably read the ingredients in the milk, just to make sure there is no msg in it.
Here are the ingredients: Milk solids non fat, milk fat, calcium and vitamins (A, D3, B2). Contains permitted stabilizer (of plant origin). THERE IT IS. HIDING OUT RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM. "PERMITTED STABILIZER (OF PLANT ORIGIN). That's a fancy way of saying "Mono-sodium Glutamate", in case you didn't know. Or, angino moto in Japanese and sorry but I can't spell in Japanese.
Yes, folks, IT'S EVERYWHERE! Even in your MILK!
For example, I decided one area I could eliminate MSG was in my regular use of coffee creamer. Everyone knows that coffee creamer has MSG in it, as well as a lot of other chemicals that are probably just as bad. But, I wanted to zero in on the one that I am focusing on at the moment.
So, what did I do? I went out and bought some milk to put in my coffee, of course. Nice, natural, whole milk. I got the "Dutch Lady" one in the blue box that says "full cream" and "susu penuh krim berkhasiat". You know the one. On the front it also says: "Protein, Kalsium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2". (Why only B2?)
Anyway, it tastes pretty good. NOT as good as Coffee Mate, but, I figured I was doing myself a huge favour by avoiding all the MSG in the creamer, right?
WRONG.
It suddenly popped into my mind that I should probably read the ingredients in the milk, just to make sure there is no msg in it.
Here are the ingredients: Milk solids non fat, milk fat, calcium and vitamins (A, D3, B2). Contains permitted stabilizer (of plant origin). THERE IT IS. HIDING OUT RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM. "PERMITTED STABILIZER (OF PLANT ORIGIN). That's a fancy way of saying "Mono-sodium Glutamate", in case you didn't know. Or, angino moto in Japanese and sorry but I can't spell in Japanese.
Yes, folks, IT'S EVERYWHERE! Even in your MILK!
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