Quiet Morning at Sungai Lembing Town 27 Jul 2013

After we came down from the Panorama Hill, we reached the food court to have our breakfast. Unfortunately for us the famous ‘San Sui Tofu’ all finished, and we just managed to eat normal noodle soup with some ‘Yong Tau Foo’ only.

The crowds were huge and the queuing is long and have to wait for the noodles. I asked Ika to accompany both Issac & Annabelle find a seating place, while I and Esiang help to order and take the food. We were so rushing until all of us did not take any photo of our breakfast at all.

After our rushing breakfast, then we have a walk in the Sungai Lembing town. The town is so simple, it is actually just like cowboy town – one main street and have one more secondary street.

In the centre of the street, there is a giant old tree standing in the centre of the road. You can’t miss this tree as it is old and huge. It can be considered as a land mark of Sungai Lembing.

During its heyday, Sungai Lembing had the largest, longest and deepest subterranean tin mine in the world and was once the richest town and producer of tin in Pahang.

It was considered as the El-Dorado of the East in the then Malaya, as it contained a large community of white British people at Lembah Sungai Kenau ("Kenau River Valley").

When the British came to Pahang in the late 1800s, the mining concession area at Sungai Lembing was taken over by the British owned Pahang Corporation.

In its heyday, Sungai Lembing is equipped with some amenities such as schools, hospitals, shops, police stations, homes, good transport system and others. Sungai Lembing estimated population at that time was of 10,000 residents.

The fall of Sungai Lembing from 1984 by PCCL mining operations ceased as a result of the collapse of tin prices in the world market.

Furthermore, the global economic crisis in 1986 has caused many companies suffered losses. In 1987, this mine remained closed by PCCL following the expiry of the lease for 21 years, and the area was handed back to the State Government of Pahang.

Closure of the tin mines had many negative impacts on the Town of Sungai Lembing. It has changed the face of this city who had previously been silent noise. The population began to decline, and many migrate to other places to earn a living.

Sungai Lembing at this time the city became like dead because the atmosphere is so gloomy. After a long closed state government has taken over and handed over to local authorities, the Kuantan Municipal Council (MPK) as a tourist attraction.

We walked on the town, still can see the ages of the buildings, especially all the shop houses is made by timber planks and wood. Some of them have converted into the lodge or homestay. There are ATV to be rental too parking in front of the shops.

We re-visited the hanging bridges again this morning after our Sungai Lembing Museum trip. It is so serene and quiet place to live, of coarse for leisure.

During we were driving to the hanging bridges, at the road side, we did come across some places with a big hole at the side of the rocky mountain.

Esiang told us that, it were the mining tunnels previously where they used for mining the tin ores. It looks dark inside and big enough for a man to walk in. We just don’t dare to walk in.

Took a few pictures for Issac. I know they were having fun time too.

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Panorama Hill Sungai Lembing 27 Jul 2013

I woke up very early as at 5.30am because we wanted to see the sun rise at Panorama Hill. Surprisingly for me, when I called both Issac and Annabelle wake up, both of them too quickly took their jacket and wake up.

We drove out to the town and parked our car at the road side. Then, Esiang started to lead us walked till the staircase leading to the hill.

I asked him to look after Issac, as I need to climb up the stairs together with Annabelle.

It was really a steep staircase but of coarse with hand rail. The sky was still dark and we have to use our hand phones lights lighted up the staircase as it was really totally darkness.

Other than us, there were many people climbing the hill too.

Issac was fast and he did rest awhile at some of the small rest areas at the side. Annabelle really cannot take it, she kept on saying she cannot climb the hill.

She kept on asking me to carry her up. I just held her hand and told her that, “Annabelle, we are almost there. We just keep walking,ok?”

Actually, I really afraid that if I am going to carry her up to the hill, I might be leave no more energy to come down from the hill.

Further more, there were too many people were climbing also, I just do not want to be the obstruction of another hiker whom wants to go up to the hill top.

That was how, for almost 60 minutes I keep on telling her that, and lastly we reached at the top of the hill.

There is a small resting pagoda for the hill hikers to take a rest. We just finally sit there and took our sweet time to rest. Issac was there earlier than us, because he followed Esiang.

Later, Esiang brought us to a place where we can see ‘the sea of clouds’. It was really amaze to see the clouds before the sun rise, and it just like we are on top of heaven.

We see the sun slowly ‘pop up’ from the cloud. This was really our first time to see the sun rise together – Issac, Annabelle & Mummy.

It was a tiring but fun experience. When the sun rise, the sea of clouds just disappeared and we are able to see the small town of Sungai Lembing down the hill. Just gave us a feeling that we never thought that an hour of hiking can took us so high up at the hill top.

We were going down back from the hill, and both Issac and Annabelle were walking so fast till I have to chase at the back.

Some of the areas, the staircase really steeply. Both of them especially Annabelle was never ask me to carry her anymore.

What a good hike for all of us!

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Arriving Sungai Lembing Town 26 Jul 2013

This trip actually is organise by Auntie Jasmine together with Sia Chin. I was assigned for the booking and collection of the hotel fees from all the relatives. We are whole ‘Chong family trip’.

Due to the long journey, both Annabelle and Issac together with me, car pooled with Esiang’s car. Papa went together with Uncle Tat Lee’s car.

We supposed to arrive and meet at the Genting Sempah R&R Mc Donald’s. All others were there in the agreed time but only us!

As usual, Esiang would took his own sweet time to come out from the house, drove to our house and picked up 3 of us, sending off his dog to his friend at SS19 Subang Jaya for 3 days, filling in enough petrol for the journey.

We just asked the rest went off first and no need to wait for us. When we were reached Genting Sempah Mc Donald’s, it was almost 11.00am, and we supposed to meet there 10.00am.

We had our breakfast there, then we took off to Sungai Lembing. By the time we reached Sungai Lembing was almost 3.15pm. The rest of the families, like Ah Lee Ah Q, Ah Chua uncle and Er Yi families they had visited Kuantan town already.

I asked Esiang to stop the car aside, and took some photos with the kids as officially we had came to Sungai Lembing ^^.

Then, Esiang straight away drove in to the town, as we need to climb the hilly roads and passed by the forests at both sides. We need to drive through a bridge to cross the Sungai Lembing, in order to reach our resort.

We were staying in Lembing Riverview Resort. I managed the checking in and all the hotel fees. Due to we have a big group, we almost occupy the big house and the chalet house. I had taken the double bed as only 3 of us, is sufficient for us.

After we had settled down ourselves in the room, Esiang, Ika started drove the car out and asked us to follow them. We starting our adventure and wandering around the Sungai Lembing town.

The first place that Esiang brought us to was the hanging bridge. He had been here twice, to climb the Panorama Hill, thus he is quite familiar with the small town here.

Esiang just brought us to one of a few hanging bridge in Sungai Lembing. It was really fun and thrilling to walk on the bridge.

Issac was so excited and want to walk through, I just asked Exuan to accompany him to the other side. Annabelle was so afraid, thus I have to hold her hand and walked to the other end.

The houses that are across the river, looked fabulous at the other side of the river. Unfortunately the shops were all closed, thus we walked back again.

Next, Esiang brought us to an area where the Pahang Consolidated Company Limited (PCCL) old tin mine factory site.

The only thing which can be seen is only the debris and broken walls of the so called factory. There is a signage there written “Tapak Injin Besar PCCL”.

The place just gave me a feeling of sadness, as the place once was the centre economy of why the town exists, and now what is only left is the broken parts and pieces.

Not far from there, across the road there is a huge barrel made in iron. It was almost evening by the time we left the place, and headed to the town for our dinner.

It seems like not much of choices, we can only see 2 restaurants in the town. Our group of families occupied about 3 large tables and chairs.

All of us were so hungry, I cannot recall what have we ordered and we finished the food on the table in less than 30 minutes! It was not to say the food is nice, but the tastes just like the village home cook taste.

We just took a stroll in the town before all of us drove back to our resort.

I just chit chat with them for a while, then went back to our room have a sleep as tomorrow need to wake up early climb up the Panorama Hill and see the sun rise!

 

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Issac’s New Hairstyle ^^

Lettuce Salad with Egg, Sweet Corn & Crabsticks #OTH

For the reason of healthy delicious meal that I can can prepare in under 15 minutes. As a mother of two, I am always on the go and  I know that it's not always easy to find time to cook a long, elaborate dinner. Most of the time, I would rather dine outside near the food court at our house after fetching Annabelle from Aunty Joyce’s house and Issac from school.

For both the children, I preferred them to have meals with rice, so that they would be more full instead of soup noodles. For myself, I would want something simple as dinner, I do not want something heavy and I will be getting ‘fatter’ due to late and heavy dinner everyday.

I made this relatively simple salad last week, but I don’t make my own salad dressing, then I do buy a bottle of Kewpie Roasted Sesame and Kewpie Sesame Dressing each. I guess there is no rule as to what you can put in your salad. For this salad, I just put together a few things which I like eating such as sweet corn, crab sticks, sausages and hard boiled eggs! If you like, poached egg would be great too!

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1/2 can of sweet corn (you can also use frozen sweet corn)
2 eggs
2 pieces of chicken Frankfurt sausages (I used the frozen)
2-3 lettuce leaves, thinly sliced
4 pieces of crabsticks filament (I used the frozen)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Kewpie Roasted Sesame Salad Dressing

Preparation:
1. Boil the water, and soaked the chicken Frankfurt sausages and leave for a few minutes to defrost. Drain water and place in a bowl, and cut into 1 inch size. The same goes to the crabsticks filaments as well, and set aside.

2. At the same time, you can cook your poached or boiled egg. To poach an egg, fill a frying pan with 4cm barely simmering water. Break each egg into a cup and lower into the water. Cook for approximately 2 minutes (you will know it's cooked when the egg white has set). Use a slotted spoon to remove.

3. If using frozen sweet corn, then pour boiling water over the sweet corn and leave for a few minutes to defrost. Drain water and place in a bowl with the butter. Mix well.

4. Toss the lettuce with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

5. To assemble, place lettuce, followed by sweet corn, chicken Frankfurt sausages, crabsticks filaments and finally top with poached egg or hard boiled egg. Drizzle with some salad dressing will do.

Issac loves the salad I made ^^

Heart to Heart Conversation

Thank you for today heart to heart conversation. Kids and I really miss you and love you a lot, and hope you can come back one day... Especially kids, this is sometimes our bedtime conversation and their wish. But as a mum, I have to think rational, which I have to protect them from disappointed again from someone they love the most in the world...

Because I can see into Issac's eyes whenever he think of you. The decision of moving to new home by this year if possible, at least that is the thing which I am trying my best to do for them, giving them a better environment. I am not trying to show off to you. If ask my heart, I really want you to come back, but will you? Or another round again, which I am trying to avoid, because it will hurt the kids as well...that is why I said, just let the God shown us the way...顺其自然...

Issac did ask me, “If we move to the new house, how about the old house? I am a bit sad la, mummy.” I know this is because this old house got all his memories of his childhood with his dad..

I really do not know this afternoon conversation, will it happen or not, just let HIM shown us the way...

Thanks for drop by seeing the kids. Issac and Belle got 1 request, “Please ask daddy next time come, can we have something else to eat, and not every time Bak Kut Teh?   

Creation 30 Jun 2013

This is another creation by Issac last night! He is so creative and innovative!