CNY Picnic by the Beach

It's the 2nd day of CNY.

Instead of staying back indoor as usual, there goes the plan to have a picnic at Batu Layar beach.

It is somewhere near Desaru, 1 hour away from JB.

The long white sand beach decorated with uplifted black shale rock make it worth to visit despite the long distance away from city.

Beautiful geology at the beach.

The geology that makes great stage for photograph.

Blending in with the nature and get tanned.

Even a great escape for the old ones.

Some photography play and that's how you felt at the beach.

Watching bunch of kids playing with sand made me recalled my childhood! T.T

I used to have a bunch of cousins who build sand castle with me under the hot sun by the beach once upon a time when I was a small girl.

You must picnic by the beach!

Bring all the foods and utensils all the way from home and ...

Cut the cucumber fresh on scene...^.^

Heat your foods up on spot using the mini gas stoves! 

We even had the traditional Chinese tea hot from kettle.

(*The wind is just too strong. So, an umbrella would be great help.)

Have a sit on the thinly grassed and shaded area under the tree while enjoying the food!

Or you may bring your own comfortable chair...

That's the view you admire while having your meals.

Trust me, the more you ate, the hungrier you are. =)

Picnic was one of the often weekend activities for Malaysian as well as us when we were still small kids.

After the years, we had grown up and busy with all the academic studies or works, it became once in a blue moon activity.

But, the feeling and expectation never change!

That is Chang's family picnic style.

Relax and enjoy~

I wonder what kind of wonderful dream while napping by the beach.

大年初一续团圆。CNY Reunion Cont.

On the Chinese New Year Eve, every family would have the Reunion Dinner.
Reunion Dinner can be in any style, some conservative family would have all traditional prepared meal but nowadays modern people like steamboat.
Anyway, we the Chang family have our Reunion Dinner not only on the new year eve but 2-3 times for the consecutive days after 1st day of CNY. The reason is simple: "Nice foods couldn't be included in just one dinner! Keep it for the next day~"

This year, we had steamboat on the new year eve, 

then the traditional meals on the CNY 1st day dinner. Hehe...

The long table of all delicious foods and awesome family members.

We talk by shouting from one end to another end and pass the foods here there.

(*Selfie with family during reunion dinner is getting so mainstream.)

Menu of The Day:

芋头扣肉 Yam&Pork

绍兴酒香菇 Alcoholic Mushroom

清蒸斗底鲳 Steamed Fish

Rendang Chicken

蓝乳斋菜 BlueCheese Vege

五香春卷 Meat Rolls

蜜糖烤鸡翼 Honey Roasted Chicken Wings

猪肚鲍鱼汤 Abalone&PorkBelly Soup

The dinner prepare jobs were not easy but hours since afternoon.

There were people who goreng, steam, cut, wash, marinate, fried, decorate, etc...

.

.

Last but not least the dish washer team after dinner... (*some exercise after meal)

Lead by our beloved Grandma (the one wearing pink coloured DIY apron) and the Chang family granddaughters (one married, one booked, grab the another 3!) =P

(*It is a dish washing loop from rinse water-soap the plate-clean it-dry the plate.)

Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner is not limit to the part of eat and gather  but it meant to work together for the dinner preparation and share the happiness. Never rely on mothers only for the dinner, help out and join the aunties talk. 

Forget about my English or grammar...burrppsss...supper is coming soon. 

菜粿&白果腐竹薏米汤！

Oh yeah~

手痒痒搞团圆锅

一年一度的团圆饭，其实是懒洋洋玩火锅，省时即省工。

虽说约好了的七点锅，其实早在今日天空破晓前，伯母就开始把汤头熬好了。

*殊不知，入口甘甜即好喝的汤头是用尽天下极好料熬出来的，

当中包含了鸡骨，猪龙骨，大黄豆，沙葛！

准备功夫也不乏，搭长桌，排椅子，摆碗筷，设大锅。。。

待大家把众多山珍海味买齐后，众伙即七手八脚开炉下料。

*所谓的山珍海味：鲍鱼，干贝，大虾，猪， 鸡，鱼等等，还好没羊肉。哈哈。

乐融融，你滔我夹他吞。

年迈的公公，每年都坐在一家之主席上，欣慰的看着子孙们围坐在长桌，忙碌不停的碗筷，有说有笑吃着团圆饭。

废话不多说，狼吞虎咽前，来个超级自拍！

今年的团圆锅集合了六个大炉，一大桌的自助火锅料。

                                                                今年的新成员！

吃完团圆锅，清理碗碟后，接着就是年轻人的自制甜品啦～

蜜瓜西米露。

众人现在可是饱到撑了，心满意足的聊着天等跨年，再进夜宵。=P

这就是曾家的团圆饭STYLE。

懒洋洋，手痒痒，嘴扬扬，庆团圆！

铅笔与笔削

是有那么一只铅笔和一只笔削，同时摆在一间书店。
铅笔和笔削，日谈夜谈，聊不尽的无聊，情同手足，称兄道妹。
那只铅笔和那只笔削总是卖不出，各持原因。

有一天，铅笔被摆到别处去卖了。
此处只剩那只笔削，话题完了，也嫌少有聊，到后来也不无聊了。
日子还是一样，个忙个的，偶尔会看看书，留意下彼此新闻。

他日，笔削听说那只铅笔遇见了对它非常有意义又喜爱的另一只笔削。
铅笔为何没有坦然介绍笔削？
笔削当然替铅笔感到开心咯。

笔削向来嫌少过问他事，一直保持你若说我既听，不说无妨。
近年来，大家书看多了。
许多友情也似有若无，石沉大海的感情，还有若隐若现的爱情。
通街都只剩下‘拇指友情’。

感慨。。。

Rock Climbing FYP Fieldworks in Gua Sai

The ultimate  FYP topic required me to do fieldworks all way far in Kuala Lipis.
The topic "Geology & Petrography of Gua Sai, Kuala Lipis, Pahang" SOUNDS simple and normal at first to me, until I went to the 'Gua Sai' last months and find no way to get closer or even touch any of the limestone wall. Everything is hidden behind thick bushes and disappointed me.

The main goals of the topic is to find the still yet to be found Permian-Triassic Boundary in Peninsular Malaysia. Obviously, heights of sampling matters as well as structural geology.

And so I have no choice but to visit the Gua Sai again with a real helpful technician to walk in front of me, make all the way through the bushes that grows up to waist high  and climb all the way up vertically on slippery limestones boulders (left over from previous quarry activities).
*Despite all the hard process to get all forms signed for approval to bring technician as well as transport just the day before we depart!

(Left) The "Gua Sai" in my imagination:                                 The Reality!(Right)

 

Started by walking/ rushing through the bushes for a distance about 200m (the initial plan), spotted babi hutan 'bed' and to find the way to climb up the outcrop. I have no idea why am I so brave and determined to go up the almost impossible hills, perhaps since we had came so far to Pahang already. All the way up, I don't have any mood or any hand left to take photos of the dangerous climb except gripping and climb like a spider. I do slipped for few times and get some bruises + scratches. 

Scratches like that is all over my hands and this is my butt.

Honestly, my stamina wasn't really good but I really respect the technician, Abg Bob who managed to climb till the peak just because I say so 'Is there any way up there? If yes, let's go up somemore' all the way. When we finally up there, he told me for years as technician in UTP, never did any lecturer that would ask him to go up that high, this was the first time and because of a girl student like me that never thought of giving up and so tough. I answered, "I thought it was my responsibilities to sample from top to bottom of the hill." haahaha..."It was a must climb unless I cracked the result."

Finally, I get all the necessary samples for my FYP. At least, I think so. =P

*I was told by the technician, if it was other technician, they might not willing to climb this crazily, instead they will sounds and I would have to pick on boulders at ground floor for samples.

This is how steep the slope looks on the other side of the limestone hill.

Some rocks are just unreachable unless I can fly. 

(Don't even thought of taking strike & dip reading.)

My conclusion: "I won't climb again unless I am paid 1000$ or more!"

After the hardcore Gua Sai, we had some lunch and head off to Gua Bama which belongs to my classmate, John's area of study. That place was actually one of the tourist spot with nice staircase builded all the way up the limestone hill. However, the maintenance is totally zero perhaps, bushes grew up to stairs and pathways, trees falls here there and blocked the walkway. Finally, we were lost in the bushes or 'almost' jungle.

We were actually finding what had been mentioned by the locals, "Dalam ade satu gua yg ade 'Gendang', ade 'Muzium' dalam situ lagi. Lepas turun, belok kanan je."

Every locals told the same things and therefore John say 90% sure that way should be easier and ok. In the end, when the staircase no longer to be seen, we traverse like hell just to find a way out. 

When we finally out, we met a mak cik whose house just behind the limestone hill, she again told the same thing and showed us the real road to the gua. But, before we left, she admitted that she too listened to what people told, and never been to the gua actually. What?! Hahaha...

*Real friendly and good mak cik kampung, treat us orange juice while we rest at her house. Only in Kampung you observed neighbourhood even to strangers like us. 

Conclusion: 

"Sometimes people tells what they never seen with their own eyes but told by others."

"For the first time ever and may this be the last please ~"