Cameron trip - 3/9

3/9 – Saturday

1. About 6.30am, me can hear people upstair & downstair waking up. People start to take bath, going out for morning walk. Unable to sleep back although me tried, decided to wake up and go out for fresh air about 7am+. Me walked around the whole area, there were 16 blocks in total from A to P. Even played swing at the playground, singing as I swing… silly but it was so relaxing and me felt so free.

2. Around 8.15am+, Chai Yee called and asked me ‘where are you?’. Me left a small note on the mahjong table but guess no one sees it =)

3. Breakfast, our friend Addy & Foong Ling make great ones, scrambled eggs with potatoes, tuna, margerine with breads. Milo, tea or coffee? Cup mee? Also have =)

4. Today, going to visit uncle’s farm … Me told friends they will need to help to cut the vegetables & wrap them.. bad of me leh =P . We went to uncle house at Ringlet, uncle took all 8 of us in his ‘tutu’ car up to his farm. ‘tutu’ car is like a small open air lorry that people in Cameron use to carry their goods. It was quite bumpy ride ascending and descending slopes that are about 45degree to 60degree was exhilarating. Carmen even had tears from laughing =) the farm was usual but unfortunately it is not the flower blooming stage now. We eat ‘buah cinta’ (love fruit) and mini red guava pluck fresh from trees.

5. Uncle brought us to one of the BOH tea plantation. We had the opportunity to be briefed & view how tea leaves are processed. Some of us brought some tea packs. Was informed that there’s a better scenery tea plantation after Equatorial Hotel.

6. We had lunch with uncle, aunty and Mei Mei before proceeding to visit strawberry park … found self plucking farm, however rm40 for 1kg (min 1kg). We find it not worthwhile or downright expensive.

7. Proceeded to Butterfly Farm, Bee Farm and Rose & Orchid Farm. At the butterfly farm, we were introduced to many types of insects & snakes besides different species butterfly. We visited Equatorial Hotel too, using their washrooms, sitting at their lobby read newspapers and bench outside to enjoy the breeze. Cool weather is great.

8. Camilla is the heroine of the day when she displayed her prowess in negotiation .. price haggling. She’s great …getting the best deal for us .. the lady seller can only say ‘ok la, bolehlah’ =P. We were smiling non-sstop after she successful lower the price. None of us went back empty handed. In fact, we were spending as though we can print money =P but it’s alright because we are buying for our family & friends also.

9. Had steamboat for dinner .. tom yam & herbal soup. However, we thought it was a bit too costly ie. Rm15 per person (with the type of ingredients served). Make a quick round at the handicraft centre before we dashed to secret recipe for our supper. Bought 5 pieces of cakes ranging from chocolate mud, marble cheese, tiraimisu, chocolate banana and ‘I forgot’ flavour.

10. Back at apartment, we started calculating who paid for what and who’s supposed to pay who back. It was hard to really keep track and pasar malam traders don’t issue receipts =) In fact, we should have used the method we used for kuantan trip .. let treasurer pay all the money.

11. We gals had a interesting session of chit chat about marriage, about giving birth, about labour pain, about in-laws, about confinement, about scars, about problems, about a lot of things. As Hung Gee put it "last time, when go for holidays, people use to share ghost stories. Now modern already, gals talk about all these"

12. It was about 10pm+ when we played lanterns & candles (yes, you hear me right) and indulge in the cakes from secret recipes & mooncakes courtesy of Foong Ling =). We were not afraid of mosquitoes because Foong Ling & Carmen bought mosquitoes repellent plants =P

13. Mahjong session started after that, due to the addiction, me joined Carmen & Hung Gee at the table. 2 very experienced and smart players. Needless to say, my chips were gone after a few round. Carmen was very kind, she reminded me when I forgot to ‘touch’ new block. I felt very bad as it took me long to organize my blocks and know which to ‘dispose’. In short, when I don’t know how to win.

14. When Carmen went to sleep, Addy took over. Alamak, lagi cepat mati because earlier I was asking Addy when I’m in doubt. Now I got nobody to ask already. With my slow absorption rate, panic, poor probability skills, poor attention, poor understanding of basics all add up, chips were depleting like flowing water tap. Lucky the 2 gentlemen are not playing money, else I ‘hutang keliling pinggang’