NO PAIN, NO GAIN

  At 32 degrees Celsius, it was a hot humid morning for gardening. But gardening I did. A simple task of just trimming my potted plants put me into a mass of sweat and itch from mozzie bites. I trimmed and chopped from 8.30am to 11.30 am and ended with 3 huge bags.

 Science says solids cannot be compressed but I proved science wrong as I squeezed, crushed and squashed a whole garden of waste. The plants finally looked refreshed just like how we look better after a good trim at the hair dresser. 

 Today is Monday, pick-up day for garden waste by the PJ City Council trucks. I worked fast to catch the trucks cos' I did not want the waste rotting outside for one week. 

The sun had no pity for me today. But I was too busy to bargain for Mr. sunshine to hide behind the clouds.

 I just slapped on more sunblock (SPF 50+ for maximum protection!) and my eyes stung as the sunblock mixed with sweat dribbled into my eyes. OUCH, but there was no stopping this intrepid busy bee.

As there was no peace for the wicked, I just ploughed through. 

Sadly, my forever faithful companion Thory abandoned me as he sought refuge under the bed. 

You really cannot get good help these days!

BREAKFAST FROM THE KERB

 Pak Cik (Uncle) sets up his stall by 6.30 am. He is meticulous in laying out the pink table cloths and getting his plastic containers of food from his car boot.

    A large variety of dishes are available - from noodles, rice, chicken to kuih (Malay cakes). He tells me his wife and him starts cooking by 4am.
  His customers are mainly students from colleges and schools close by. He also get his regulars of people just driving past on their way to work. Note his large red tub of warm freshly cooked rice.

Motor-cyclists and ordinary folks on their way to work will stop when they know the food is good. They da bao (pack) for breakfast and some for lunch.It is s a Help-Yourself service. Pa cik gives you a container with half or full (depending on how hungry or greedy one is) rice and one just picks the favourites from his "gourmet" selection of dishes.
Breakfast for most Malaysians isn't quite the same as in the West with cereal, fruit, toast or eggs. We kind of love our rice and noodles and we like it spicy hot with lots of chilli. Just as many Westerners have breakfast on the run, we have adapted our lives to start each day fed and happy from "kerb food." We get our complete breakfast from the many stalls that just "mushroom" from the kerbs in the mornings and disappear by 10am. Under tress and umbrellas, enterprising housewives and men too set up their "instant stalls." These "instant stalls" do supplement family incomes as the owners can make between RM100-150 in a morning.

Another stall under a shady tree by the kerb. Note the car parked just next to the stall for easy transport of goods and equipment that includes umbrella, tables and chairs.

Mak Cik (Aunty) only sells "nasi lemak" - rice in coconut milk, fried anchovies, boiled or fried egg, cucumber slices, roasted peanuts, chicken and "sambal ikan bilis" (anchovy chilli paste).
My breakfast all wrapped up in grease-proof paper.
All of this for RM 6.00 (US $1.43 cents)! What an economical way to kick-start the day. I can't vouch for high work efficiency after breakfast as all the blood gets drained from my brain to the stomach to digest this.

Yawn...wake me up for lunch, don't tell the Bozz. 

Oh cactus, what BIG flowers you have.

Big fruits must have big flowers to start with. This is the dragon fruit flower, a biggy that I found growing in the back lane of my neighbourhood. 

If it was not so lovely, it could be one of those carnivorous plants big enough to swallow a baby! The fruit starts with this "little" tight green upright bud with red tips. 

which unfolds while reaching for the sky.

Then, the flowers open wide for pollination

 before it sort of bows to the ground, looses its petals and fades for the upright fruit to form at the base.

Fruits wrapped in netting go from green to red.

One bud starting out and another reaching full bloom (about 21 days from bud to flower).

 The other flower fading away to give us the dragon fruit (another 30 days from flower to fruit).  

Living in the city, I was fortunate that I could follow their journey over the 50 plus days.

LUCKY ME in Langkawi.

 

     We were here for only 3 days and the sizzling weather brought amazing sunrises and sunsets. My first time seeing such brilliant oranges and reds at sunset. We were one of a small crowd taking in the dinner view at Coco's Bistro, a quaint eatery run by an Irishman and his Malaysian wife. 

     Lucky we made a reservation as it is a smallish place with no frills right on the beach. 

The menu was not extensive but delicious. Food was incredible value for money with the max meal at RM 50.  We ate under spiraling coconut trees

and a broad swing to seat 3 persons provided some "entertaiment" between courses.

      For starters we had freshly fried prawn fritters with large fresh prawns in a crunchy batter for RM16. Most prawn fritters come with lots of fritter and teeny prawns one can hardly taste, so these were a delicious surprise. I ate four fritters, hubby had two but he insisted and I did not put up much of a fight. I reckon he was trying to make up for making me walk 4km the day before.  

I ordered fish and chips and GizmoMan had the Irish stew with garlic bread.

 I am a creature of habit. I often order fish and chips or pasta when eating out. BORING and PREDICTABLE! Both dishes were just good, and my stomach increased from mini to maxi.

It was a fitting end for out last night in Langkawi. 

COCONUTS IN LANGKAWI

and then home to a hectic two weeks of happenings. Gismo Man had some meetings in Langkawi so I went for some chilling on the beach. When we returned home, Savvy Girl was admitted to the hospital for some tests and procedures. She is recovering now and life has returned to a normal pace. 

We flew out on a hot morning. I admit I was a bit spooked looking out as I had not been on a turboprop aircraft for a very looong time.

 I had quite forgotten these aircrafts are still in operation. I was glad Inspector Singh accompanied me on this trip and kept me well entertained. 

After checking into the hotel, Gismo Man decided we should walk to the popular beach, Pantai Cenang. I am a walker but the beach was 4.4km away and it was in the afternoon sun. 

Oh NO, there was NIL negotiation with him! With the UV index at extreme, he lead the way while I melted behind like a candle. I can understand why husbands are sometimes murdered by their wives.

After an hour of squeezing sweat from my bandana and cussing why we could not take a taxi, we arrived. Pantai Cenang was crowded with sun worshippers on jet skis and many took to the sky parasailing.

 The sun was still high but was preparing to settle for the day. 

We order a small dinner of fish, kang kong and one bowl of rice to be shared. My stomach had not recovered from that arduous walk. I mean my legs did the walking but the whole body is connected, right? 🤣 😂

The setting sun did not deter the parasailing activities. In fact, more went up as I imagine it must be fantastic to be with the glowing sky.

But the sun must set and it did around 7.30pm. Incredible how a blazing bright sky turns golden at dusk and then closes to beautiful peaceful hues of blue.

My first day in Langkawi.

 If you all must know, we took a taxi back to the hotel!