Car service

Recently hubby took my Toyota Wish MPV to service at Sunday Motors. The services included engine & filter oil change and brake job. Before the service was completed, both of us were estimating how much the repair cost would be. If only there is such service here in Malaysia like the one provided by RepairPal (which gives us independent and unbiased repair estimates, user ratings and reviews, plus advice one can't get anywhere else) one does not need to worry about the repair cost when sending their car(s) for service whether it's a Toyota Wish like mine or Acura TL.


For a person who only drives and knows nuts about car repair & maintenance of the car engine, this recent car service had given me some pointers to learn about:

1) Engine oil lubricates and removes heat from internal engine components. The oil filter removes harmful deposits from the engine oil, preventing them from being circulated throughout the engine. As a general rule, engine oil should be changed every 3,000 miles to keep the engine healthy and to prolong its life. For more facts on best practices about engine oil & filter change, you may click here.

2) Brake pad material wears out over time. Brake pads should be periodically inspected for wear and must be replaced before the friction material is worn away completely. If it isn't, metal-to-metal contact will occur between the brake rotor and the worn-out brake pad. If metal-to-metal contact occurs, the brake rotor will be damaged, and it will need to be resurfaced or replaced. For best practice tips on Brake Pad and Rotor Replacement , click here.

Jalan-jalan Cari Japanese Food- Akamomiji

Those of you who fancy Japanese food, I would like to recommend this place to you with good value for money Japanese food.

I've been twice to this Japanese Restaurant called Akamomiji. Once with some old classmates and second time with my family & mom dearest.

Some of the recommended orders are as follows:


1) " Men Thai Spaghetti"



2) Japanese lou sang



3) Potato Salad



4) Tori Teriyaki


5) Akamomiji Bento



6)Unagi Bento


7) Dessert: lemon ice -cream (great for digestion)



4) My kids with the beautiful background in our enclosed room.

The restaurant ownner/directorMr. Tan is very warm & friendly. He would personally recommend you some orders to try especially if you are 1st time there & not sure what's worth trying
.
If you are in Ipoh near the North South highway going to KL, you may wanna try out this restaurant. Here's the contact:

AKAmomiji Japanese Restaurant
36-38 Medan Ipoh 1E,
31400 Ipoh, Perak

(between the Mc Donalds/ Petronas and TESCO Express, behind the row of shoplots facing the main road)

Contact Mr. Tan to prebook your personal room: 01 2516 3998.

Enjoy your meal!

Jln-jln Cari Babi Hutan in Kamunting

Some Malaysian residents are seeking fortune by touching and feeding wild boars

Sun, May 23, 2010
Sinchew Daily/Asia News Network

KUALA LUMPUR: Ampang residents are following the footsteps of Taiping folks, seeking fortune by touching the wild boars.

Three months ago, some twenty wild boars came down from the hills to look for food. They were fed by the residents of Taman Ampang Jaya.

These boars seem to know how to reciprocate the kind gestures of local residents, and one of the residents who touched the head of a wild boar has subsequently won a lottery prize of more than RM10,000 (S$4,293).

After the news has spread around, local residents are amazed and the area has since attracted hundreds of people who come to touch the wild boars for fortune.

Local residents told Guang Ming Daily that the actual location the wild boars appeared was the 9th road of Taman Tun Abdul Razak in Ampang Jaya near to the woods of Hulu Langat Range, where local residents are used to feed the monkeys in the evenings with some peanuts and bananas.

Three months ago, a herd of wild boars seemed to notice that they could get some food from local residents too if they follow the monkeys by looking for food at the same place.

Tame and unaggressive

According to local residents, the wild boars would divide themselves into two groups while looking for food.

The average weight of first batch of wild boars is about 80kg and the biggest female boar among could weigh over 100kg. There are 12 boars in the second batch, each of them weighing almost 70kg.

In general, wild boars are fierce by nature, not friendly towards humans and would attack when agitated.

However, this herd of wild boars is tame and would accept the food offered to them and allow the residents to touch their heads or bodies.

A couple of months ago, a resident happened to win the lottery on the same day after touching a wild boar.

The news spread around and has become a hot topic among the locals. Many people have since come to feed the wild boars with the hope of getting some unexpected fortune as well.

However, some of them are disappointed as they have not spotted even a boar after waiting for an entire night.

These wild boars seem to be selective in allowing residents to touch their heads. People with poor luck are unable to get near to the boars as they would resist aggressively.

Violating boar assaulted

Prior to this, wild boars did not seem to get along so well with local residents.

It was said that the leg of a little wild boar was broken by local residents for fear that it would attack humans.

Two months later, the aggressive wild boars began to put down their defence and began to learn to get along with local residents.

Local residents said the wild boars would appear three to four days a week between 7.30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A weird phenomenon is that they would arrive in two batches, around twenty in each batch.

Naming the boars

They have given names to some of the wild boars such as "Easy Money" and "Bobo".

Some unscrupulous profiteers have suggested to hunt down on the boars for a fee but they have been rejected by majority of residents who think it is cruel.

Crowd puller

These wild boars have become famous and have lured visitors from as far as Kuala Selangor to come and see them.

While some have come with a purpose, many say they bring along their families just to take a look of wild boars as they have not seen one previously.

Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%...21-217658.html


How It Began (source frm another blogger http://mytomyam.blogspot.com/2009/05/lucky-wild-boars-pigs-at-indian-temple.html :
According to a local resident, the phenomenon started a few years ago when a local Chinese electrician carried out some electrical work at the isolated temple. He stroked the wild boars and won numerous four-digit number prizes. With the prize money he had won and saved, he donated RM5,000 to the temple.

At that time there was hardly any visitor except for those who came to pray at the temple. On hearing this, many local Taiping residents who came to touch the wild boar for good luck also reported to have strike it big. Soon words spread like wild fire with visitors from as far as Thailand and Singapore thronging the temple daily in hundreds and could swell into thousands on weekends and public holidays.



Personally, I've been there once.
When we arrived near the temple, one Indian boy approached us on a motorbike asking us "Ah Moi, Lu mau pigi Tokong Babi kah?" (Girl, you wanna go to the Wild Boar Temple?). Then when we said yes, he gave us a plastic bag with 3 packets of nasi lemak in it. I told him I didnt want to purchase nasi lemak but he insisted that I need to buy that nasi lemak to feed the wild boars. It costed us RM2 for the 3 packet of nasi lemak(the money supposedly to be donated to the Indian Temple). Out of curiosity I opened up the nasi lemak & was taken in by the smell and look of the "wild Boars' nasi lemak".

That Indian chap lead us to the temple in his bike. Upon arriving, this is what we saw and what we did:

1) The wildboars





2) My daughters were particularly afraid compared to my twins:




3) The Nasi Lemak being sold at the temple


4) That's me & my sis trying to lay our hands on those beasts for good luck.


Sceptical at first but actually strike numbers (bought frm Magnum) 3 days in a row after we came back. Not much winnings though coz I'm not a Big Gambler.

However , recently my auntie who stays in Taiping told us that the place mentioned above has been closed down by goverment authorities.

Is it true? Would appreciate some feed backs.

Jalan-jalan Cari Hutan Paya Bakau at Matang (Matang Mangrove Forest)

After the visit to the Charcoal factory (written in previous post), we proceed to the next destination: Hutan Paya Laut Matang.

Mangroves offer a different experience than rainforests.

The Matang mangrove forest is a good place for anyone to get a natural education. An easy side trip from Taiping, take the time to explore this coastal habitat that supports waterbirds, fisheries and charcoal production.

Boardwalks take you into the mangrove swamp for close observation of the forest structure. Boat rides along the river at night showoff the sparkling splendour of fireflies.

Visit large kilns where freshly harvested mangrove trees burn into charcoal (see pics in my previous post). Or ask the Forestry Department to provide a nature guide to explain how the mangrove ecosystem functions.

Mangroves are special habitats. They protect the shoreline from erosion and tsunamis, provide shelter from wind, provide habitat for fish and shellfish, serve as stopover sites for migratory birds, and provide natural medicines and wood products.

For over 100 years, the Matang mangrove forest have stood out as a premier example of Malaysia's sustainable forest management. Trees are harvested after 30 years and extracted only with wooden wheelbarrows.

Mangroves are not spectacular, but they are interesting in many ways:

* Watch Long-tailed macaques clamber about the boardwalk and mangled tree roots.

* Try to figure out why trees develop leg-like stilt roots and air-breathing roots.


* Practice your bird and plant photography skills amid the serene silence of the forest.
* Bring the group or class for an ecological education on the adaptations of mangroves.

Here are some of my snap shots I took when I was there with my family of few adults and 9 kids:









Some facts to share:
Matang Mangrove Forest is one of the world's best managed Mangrove Forest.
This mangrove swamp should be one of the main attractions for many visitors scheduled to Larut.

Covering an area of more than 40,000 hectares, it is recognised as one of the most well managed expanse of mangrove swamps in the world and Perak has received various international awards for it.

Within this mangrove swamp are found multitudes of tree species, birds and marine life which is a haven for nature lovers.


Being next to the sea, mangrove plants evolved to adapt to harsh conditions. On your next trip find and explain some of these marvelous modifications?

* Roots That Anchor -- To keep strong against water currents, cable-like roots buried in the mud grow deep to hold the trees steady.
* Roots That Breathe -- With trees submerged in water, hundreds of pencil-thick roots grow upwards to take in oxygen and avoid water.
* Leaves That Take Out Salt -- Living in salty sea water means that leaves must take out the extra salts for trees to grow.
* Fruit That Floats -- Fruits stay longer on the parent tree before dropping into the mud or have air-pockets to float until it reaches soft ground.
* Thick And Leathery Leaves -- To conserve water in hot and salty conditions, some species have thick or waxy leaves for protection.

For more info, please contact:
Matang District Forest Office
Matang
Jalan Muzium, 34000 Taiping, Perak
Tel: 05-807 2762/5324
Fax: 05-806 7743
Website: www.perak.gov.my
Email: phdlm@perak.gov.my

jaLan- jaLan Cari popiah

Those residents in Canning Garden Ipoh would be
familiar with this popiah stall by the road side at the lorong opposite a busy junction heading to a traffic light ( a few metres opposite Ipoh garden Mother of Perpetual church.



The old man is well knwn for his "cockiness"/ "stuck up"/ "arrogance"!!.
Dont state your orders and preference untill you have been asked by him.
Just Stand there and wait your turn to be asked or else be prepared to be sarcastically sound by him.


On 1 wooden platform he could prepare 14 popiah at one go!
Used to cost rm3 for a pair but today it's rm4 for 2. If u buy 1 it's
rm2.50 ech .


Cocky or not, people are still willing to queue in rain or shine to taste his wholesome popiah so generous in ingredients like boiled turnip, fried egg, cucumber, taufu, n his signature crab meat n deep fried crunchy homemade crushed prawn cracker , all rolled up in popiah skin n spreaded with chilly n red sweet sauce (Tim cheong).




Then comes the next question " Oi chit mou??" ( wanna cut or not?)
Some love to eat it like handroll without cutting. Most would like it cut by him (less messy)!

How many of you local Perakians have not tried it?
Even those who come back from abroad to their Ipoh hometown would still frequent
this stall for the yummy unforgetable taste envied by those locals who are abroad
and can't get to taste it like before!

Jalan-jalan cari Kilang Arang at Kuala Sepetang

During the recent Raya Aidilfitri holidays, hubby took us to visit a local charcoal factory in Kuala Sepetang (arrangement courtesy of his business friend).



This charcoal factory belongs to Mr. Chuah Chow Aun. He is the second generation in the family who own a charcoal factory since the 1930's. Mr. Chuah is a gifted story teller and it is hard not to listen to his passionate explanations of the charcoal production process.


Here are some photos taken during our visit to Mr. Chuah's charcoal factory - with 8 kids (4 are mine, their granny & my hubby, my sis & bro in law.


Mangrove logs waiting to be processed


the barks





The kids trying their hands to shave the tree barks.



Imagine a bakau minyak log weighs over 25 kgs per log and Mr.Chuah & wrkers carry then to and from the boat and then unload and carry all the way to the igloo-like kiln (pics below)!!


These furnace or igloo-like kiln are made from stacked up bricks and cemented with clay in a diameter circle of 3 meters.




The height from of igloo-like kiln is about 7 meter from top till bottom of dome.. There is only an opening for a man to carry the bakau or green wood log. We noticed some small hole openings on the middle of the kiln. We were told that it aids as air vents and opens and closes to help in the combustion process. The choice to use clay made sense as once the process is over, it is easy for the workers to break down the charcoal factory.



The drying of bakau minyak logs before baking in the igloo-like kiln .



We were inside the kiln..see the charcoal on the ground?




Mr chuah explaining the wonders of the "charcoal water" from the combustion process.

The moisture from the green wood baked inside the kiln were collected via a pipe to the barrel. The locals would come and collected these "charocal moisture"water as they believed it has healing properties e.g for mosquito bites & arthritis.

The finished product: Charcoal



Charcoal ready to be packed and

those packed & ready to be exported to mainly Japan.

Do you know some of the uses of Charcoal?

The Asian mostly uses charcoal for BBQ and steamboats. While the Japanese uses it for filtering the air and water. Even cleaning their teeth.

Cleaning the teeth with charcoal was also practiced by the Chinese. Some Chinese even tie two pieces with red ribbon and place them on the doorstep. It is very symbolic for Chinese to ask for blessing or prosperity.

We had a great time though the kids were too busy being occupied by other things like the mother dog & her puppies in the factory and the ice-cream man (who left after we came out of the visit, making kids soo disappointed!)

AFter the factory visit, we proceed to the Mangrove swamp


before going for seafood lunch.

Stay tune to my next posts on "Jalan-jalan Cari Hutan Paya at Matang" & "Jalan -jalan Cari Seafood at Kuala Sepetang:.