GETTING DESSERT AT MD2 BOTANIC CAFE IN CHANGLUN

  20TH DECEMBER 2024   ~ After the heavy lunch at Dusun Raffaa nearby, we decided to go to another place for dessert. We saw MDZ Botanic Cafe on our way to the restaurant for lunch earlier, so we already pre-planned of the venue for dessert.

MD2 Botanic Cafe was actually located in a pineapple plantation. We first thought the cafe would just sell pineapple based products like the pineapple ice-cream which we saw on the banner hung outside. There were actually ala carte food that was prepared upon ordering.

By the way, MD2 is the name of a type of locally produced pineapples.

For one thing, there were many Bromeliad plants inside and outside the cafe.

As planned, we had three small cups of ice cream of different flavours and they tasted just great for the hot weather.

That should conclude the reunion session with two ex-Jaafarians, the ex-colleagues of SMK Dato' Jaafar, in the northern part of the Peninsula.

I have to again thank Miss Siti Khadijah Ibrahim and Puan Salwani Ismail for the time spent. Hopefully we could do this again some other time when I go to Kedah or Perlis in the future.

[MY KEDAH/PERLIS/PENANG TRIP MAIN PAGE]

MEETING AN OLD FRIEND FROM KUANTAN AT JPO

25TH JUNE 2022 ~ Puan Aunillah Hilmi, was here at JPO, with her husband and other colleagues. My friend of UPM TESL class of 1993 was on her school trip to Johor Bahru and JPO being one of the stops in the itinerary. It was always my pleasure to meet up when someone informed he/she was in town, even just for a short while.

We chose a place to sit and I was lucky to be given a treat of sinfully chocolaty and creamy Godiva ice-cream in the Godiva Cafe. It was my first time there despite the fact that I had been to JPO many times before this.

We managed to feed ourselves with the necessary updates of the things that happen around us. It was time for the group to leave JPO by 6:30 p.m. and I had to bid Puan Aunillah and her husband goodbye. Hope to see both of them again, either in Johor Bahru or Kuantan.

THE SWEET SURPRISES THAT ARRIVED THE DAY BEFORE EID

One of the things that I missed the most during this month of Ramadhan was the act of kindness among friends. I used to get cookies, cakes and various other things a few days before Eid. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, movements had been restricted hence we could no longer carry out things we loved to do in the recent past.

Good deeds shall never be stopped though and today a Secret Recipe's chocolate cake was sent to my house by a Grab motorcycle rider.

I was already over the moon but my excitement had not yet ended. A few minutes after that. another Grab driver stopped by and handed over to me a Baskin Robbin's polystyrene container which housed two tubs of ice cream.

I guess I the best thing I could do is to thank my Chinese friends/ex-colleagues of SMK Taman Universiti for their kind thoughts and I pray may God repay their kindness. *tears of joy*

The literally sweet surprises have brought a ray of happiness and tomorrow, all these would be shared with others as well.

"Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy;
they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
~ Marcel Proust ~

THE WALKING TOUR IN TAIPEI - STOPPING FOR ICE-CREAM

[CONTINUATION FROM PART 1 AND PART 2]

After the long walk under the hot summer sun, we were taken to an ice-cream parlour which was situated on the first floor of a block of old shop houses building. Even the decor of the ice-cream shop was classic - with all the wooden benches, stools and walls. Even the shop counter was made from pieces of wood.

I opted for mango-flavoured ice-cream. We were told there were varieties of home-made ice-cream flavours here including ones which I had never heard before, like salty and chicken with sesame oil ice-cream. The girl from Amsterdam chose hibiscus flavour, while the Vietnamese girl from San Diego had pork floss ice-cream.

So did I rate my mango ice-cream? It was not too sweet and creamy, it tasted just like original mango. The best ice-cream ever. It was a bit expensive though. For a scoop, it cost about NT120 so it was like having Baskin Robbin's ice-cream.

The man who operated the shop even thanked me in Korean as we were going out because I was wearing a t-shirt with a Korean flag on it.

[MY TAIPEI TRIP MAIN PAGE]

THE VERY LAST DAY IN JEJU ISLAND

10th JUNE 2015 ~ On the last day in Jeju Island, before going to the airport in the morning, Miss Sakinah took us to this place called Yongduam Rock ~ the Dragon Head Rock. There was not much to see actually but the place was already crowded with tourists at that time.

Then we went to get our Korean breakfast from a small restaurant nearby (all the restaurants here were small). Miss Sakinah ordered bibimbap which means "mixed rice". We literally had to mix the rice with all the other content such as vegetables and fried eggs before eating. And as usual, there were different kinds of kimchi which could be eaten with the rice. Like Malaysians, the Koreans seemed to eat a lot of rice, but I could not find any obese people during my stay there.

And finally, we tried the curved ice-cream which could be found in many parts of the island. One scoop tasted sweet with vanilla flavour while the other one came with lemon flavour and was VERY sour.

Basically that wrapped up my 4D3N stay in beautiful Jeju Island and I must say that I was really glad to be there. Jeju Island is a place for people who love nature. Thanks to my ex-student cum tour guide, Miss Sakinah Omar, for helping to experience the life in one part of South Korea.

[MY JEJU TRIP MAIN PAGE]

[MY SEOUL TRIP MAIN PAGE]