Making toys from used material 16 December 2010

We attended the Eco 3D Creativity workshop at PSN by chance.The registration was full but someone didn't turn up. :) The next session is on 28 December 2010, 9am and it's free. It was conducted by sensei Saki Sasamori, turning an empty juice carton into a toy.

Instruction 1. Cut the bottom and top cover of the carton 2. Flatten the carton and cut into 3 pieces with the same size.

 3. Use your hand to peel away at the joint area 4. Turn it over and staple the joint area (so the white part is outside) into a chain.  

5. Join the loop of one side to the middle one. Then, slot the last one into the middle loop, making it into a dice.  6. Draw a shape(circle) onto each surface. ta-da ! a DIY toy. 7. Dismantle the dice. Try to merge it again with all the circles hidden in the interior part.

Sensei gave instruction on  the second craft. Material needed - two pieces of drawing art block, scissor and pen.

1. cut into 5 same size flaps. 2. lift open  for weaving.

3. use the other piece of drawing art block, cut two rectangular pieces (look at the picture) and 4. weave it thru the first piece. 5. draw a circle. (pink circle drew by Hui) 6. fold both side to the back and pull.

the circle is gone!

I admire how Hui listened intently and wanted to work her piece out independantly.

Run run as fast as you 15 December 2010

En's gingerbread woman deco for dad whereas Hui ate hers without leaving a crumb, while singing 'Run run as fast as you can....."

Taman Tasik Menjalara 14 December 2010

Tuesday afternoon.

We have not been here for almost a year. Hui used to watch En, each time she climbed up this frame. Today, without a second thought, she scaled it at ease.

wheeeeee En on the 'flying fox'. A grown-up Hui took this swing with no help. Previously, I had to carry her up.

Ethnobotanic Garden, FRIM 14 December 2010

Tuesday 9am

A visit to C1, Ethnobotanic Garden, requires an approval letter. Send an email with a formal letter of request to Pn Hasni , nurhajarul@frim.gov.my  Tel: 03- 6279 7649. By doing that, a nature tour guide will be appointed and the charges is RM80.  This is my first time having a guide at FRIM and I was a bit reluctant in the beginining. Our guide, Zaidi a.k.a Addy, is a pleasant man who is patient and loves nature so much. Our field trip turned out to be a FUN and educational one.

Our group of 7 mothers and 11 children, aged from 1 to 8 years old.

The pond next to D6 Customer One-stop Centre, where you can spot arapaima as long as 6ft!  Addy said 'Usually, the water in the pond is clear. Today, the pond turned muddy after the rain.'  

What flower is this? Aunty R said ' It's like those in the Avatar movie'.

Although, we have only asked to visit the Ethnobotanic Garden, museum was included in the trip as well. I like it, that Addy allowed the children to explore freely when he talked. The children could join in, as and when they were interested.  :)

Ethnobotanic Garden is closed on the weekend.

Herbs nursery.

The moment En saw the bridge, she ran towards it. Unfortunately, the area after the bridge is closed for now and we could only visit a small area of the garden.

Tongkat Ali and ???  this plant consists of leaves with different shapes and colours.  

Addy took us to a nature trail after the Ethnobotanic Garden, which we didn't expect it to be included as well. We came unprepared with no mosquito repellant, EnHui were wearing flip flops and I didn't bring my Ventolin inhaler ! :) 

He took us to the Keruing Trail, which is located next to the museum. Take the left lane and go straight.   

Left- Addy said 'this is the most expensive tree in the world'. Right- 'Kacip Fatimah', the female version of 'Tongkat Ali'

Left - milipede home. Right- Without much hesitation, En let the giant ant crawled on her palm. I saw how anxious Addy was, telling En to not hurt it. We could see he is passionate of his work and adores nature.   

When it started to drizzle, we took shether by the hut. En broke the ice by getting the kids to play 'London Bridge is falling down'.

Addy said 'Ghost- hand leave' and  giant bamboo which grows up to 20cm per day. The bamboo was located at the beginning of the trail.  

The best thing about this trail, was knowing 'Kapur' tree. Take its leave, crush it and smell. ehmmm.. It is used to make 'Tiger Balm and 'Mopiko'. When you look up, WOWOW

this is what you see. I finally knew where this breathtaking view is taken, after seeing it on the leaflets or brochures. I'll surely blaze Keruing trail again.

19th century English Costumes 13 December 2010

Monday night.

The dance doesn't suits the costumes at all :(  , at GF Centre Court, One Utama Mall, old wing.

this one is better, a village dance at LG Oval, One Utama Mall, new wing.

Concert Rehearsal 13 December 2010

Monday evening.
En and her concert rehearsal  at Anne Musikschule. :)

Hui told her " I dont want you to dance on stage, sis" when she found out about the concert. She stood by the glass door, watched her sis, and repeatedly asked  "En, what are you doing? ". Sisters!!!

Steamboat 12 December 2010

Soup for steamboat.
Sengkuang (yambean), corn, turnip, onion, carrot, chinese herbs (yuk chuk and mo far kor) goes well
with fish ball, fish tofu etc and not forgetting monkey head mushroom from Tanjung Sepat.

Rapunzel, rapunzel let down your hair 12 December 2010

Both watched "Rapunzel" with dad. And I heard they were emotional and cried during the movie.
En commented, "The story is different. They didn't steal the vegetables"
Hui said 'It was the old woman who fell and not the prince'

Tanjung Sepat & Bagan Lalang (where Sepang Gold Coast is) 11 December 2010

Saturday 815am

Tanjung Sepat, a small town and yet, fill with informative & educational excursions. 

Direction - Kesas Highway towards Klang. Exit at Klang. Turn left to Banting. You will pass by Teluk Panglima Garang, Jenjarom, Banting,Tlk Datok, Tongkah, Pantai Morib, Tanjung Layang, Batu Laut, Tanjung Sepat, Bagan Lalang.

Follow Morib signages and you will arrive at Tanjung Sepat. At Tanjung Sepat, go straight till you see police station on your right, turn right before it. (Jalan Barat)

  

Go straight (Jalan Barat) till T junction. Turn right and look for Gano Farm signage, to turn left. Visit the Vita Agrotech mushroom and lingzhi farm. The courteous and hospitable worker is ready to explain and  answer to queries. There is a store which sells mushroom and lingzhi products as well. Lot 700 Jalan Laut Membiru Taman Pelangi. 03- 3197 5600. Do take a free Tanjung Sepat map from the store and all the places of interest are listed on the map.   

Lingzhi

Monkey head mushroom is harvested once every 6 months, with medicinal properties of anti cancer, anti ulcer, anti inflammation, improving muscle/motor response.. etc etc. but eeyakk, it doesn't taste good. 

They sell this poster of 'edible mushroom' for RM6. Shall I buy? Shall I not?

Follow the map to Hai Yew Heng Pao, at Jalan Pasar, Lorong 4(which is the first left turn from police station) to buy unbleached & no peservatives pao. It's selling like hot cakes. Business hour 1pm-6pm. Weekends & PH - from 10am. If you wish to buy and bring back home, you can order beforehand. Contact 012 272 9009. The steamed pao can lasts for 2-3days in the fridge or 2-3 weeks in the freezer. Steam for 5 minutes.

You can also opt to eat the pao at the coffee shop opposite, with a cup of coffee.

The 12 years old boy, mending the 'pao' shaping machine where the dough is fed from the top.

Flatten the pao with hand. This lady is extremely patient and kind enough to let the kids lingered around, watching the whole process from the dough to a ready steamed pao. She offered En a day's work with a pay of 3 steamed pao and a glass of Milo with ice.  

Putting the filling. Red bean, the only type I take.

stamping the red bean pao for easy identification. Right- sponge soaked in red food colouring & the stamp. 

Delicious. I tried both the red bean and kaya. GREAT. very authentic. fresh and tasty.

A row behind Hai Yew Heng pao, is Joo Fa trading, where you can see how the coffee bean is processed. There is a coffee tree at the back yard. The owner is a man who is so passionate about coffee and more than happy to share his knowledge. 356 Lorong 5 Jalan Pasar 012 972 2886.

Coffee fruit and its bean. There are more than one seed in a fruit.

Oohh lala the smell of roasted coffee. bye bye sleepy head.

The tools and wood used to roast the coffee beans.

Sun dried coffee beans.

Along the lanes, there are so much vegetables plantation and fruit trees.  

The moment En saw the sand, she jumped right down from the lover bridge(that's the bridge's name) and hopped freely about. :)

Fishermen boats parked at the end of the lover bridge. Some tan looking children, scooping cockle. They said 'lokam' when I asked what they were doing.

At the fish ball factory.  To go there, head back to Jalan Barat, and turn right to the direction of Bagan Lalang. Look for Tanjung Sepat Market on your left side and turn left and immediate right. Take the first left turn. Then, right again. Fish ball factory in on your right, located in a shop lot. 019 278 5521.  

Fish ball machine-maker.

wrapping an ear-shaped fish paste with thin fish skin. bring an ice box if you wish to buy some home or purchase the box at RM2.

At Arowana Tapioca factory. There were two women peeling tapioca skin and after which, it 's fed into this machine where it will slice it.  Drive towards to Bagan Lalang from Tanjung Sepat and watch out for Arowana signage on the left, to turn left. Drive straight towards the end of road. 019 345 5777

Fried tapioca is spinned in this basket to alleviate the oil. The oil used for frying, is changed daily.

Weighing and packing area.

Bagan Lalang beach where the Sepang Gold Coast is. The sand is exactly like in Gold Coast, Coolangatta, soft white sand. The difference would be some area at Bagan Lalang is grassy and there is no big waves for surfers. It is breezy at Bagan Lalang and great for flying kites.

The water is much cleaner than in PD.

The grassy area with shady trees where picnickers frolic.

We returned to Bagan Lalang for dinner before heading home. Ocen Seafood restaurant was chosen instead of Baywatch (which is more famous) because of its location which is next to the lover bridge where we could catch sunsetting.

To arrive at Bagan Lalang beach, follow Sepang Gold Coast or Golden Palm Tree Resort signage. You will pass by Hotel Sri Malaysia before you arrive the beach. 

I didn't see any changing toilet at the beach, but according to a friend who has been there, she said ' There is a public toilet that charges RM1.20 per entry'. EnHui enjoyed the beach and we will certainly make another trip in future.

There are other fruit farms(longan, dragon fruit, pulasan and durian) and a bird nest ecology park that we didn't have ample time to stop by.