【爱大自然。Love Nature】树下的Mamak。Mamak Under The Tree

如果你来到芙蓉要吃早餐，可以考虑来这间躲在树底下坐落在小溪边的mamak 。吃roti canai喝teh tarik的同时，也可以听听浠水声，听听鸟叫声，还有享受阵阵风吹。

它的名字叫Restoren Mydin。没错，和那连锁商场的名字一样。这家mamak已有至少20年历史。可能两个的创办人都那么巧有同样的名字吧？不晓得。

它的roti canai有一定的水准，teh tarik也是。没有太多的花样，保留了mamak食物的原始。现今社会，很多食物都搞创新，把原始的食物变来变去。有时会怀念一下食物最原始的味道。:)

也因为有至少20年的历史，所以它也成为当地的爱好吹水地方，时不时会看到一班年已迈老的auntie uncle在这儿聊天，好歇意。很有人间风情。

有空来这儿吃个早餐吧。

If you come Seremban and are looking for food, you can consider to have your breakfast at this hidden mamak under a big tree and beside the water stream. While you're eating roti canai and drinking teh tarik, you can listen to the sound of flowing water, listen to the  sound of bird and enjoy the morning breeze. 

The name of the restaurant is Restoran Mydin. Yes, it has the same name as the Malaysia chain of hypermart. This restaurant has a history of at least 20years. It might be both founder name are so coincidentally the same? Maybe. 

Both it's roti canai and teh tarik have standard. The food is very genuine without much innovative modification. It is good that at least there is still this kind of restaurant keeping the origin of the food, when there are many food out there born out of innovative idea on the original food making. 

Because it has at least 20 years history, it has become a gathering place for the local. One can sometimes spotted aging uncles aunties sitting in the restaurant chitchatting. The scene is very cultural, feel nice.

【旅行趣想。Travel Things Thinks】汗拿山。Hallasan

汗拿山有五个爬山路径，觀音寺探訪路(Gwaneumsa Trail)是其中一个。这路径估计来回需要八到九个小时。网搜成绩都显示这路径是最具挑战的但却最漂亮的。网上的汗拿山照片都好漂亮，所以好期待。

爬了以后，发现原来网上分享的漂亮景色都在山顶才能看得到。基于时间的关系，我们只是去到了离海平面1500米的山间，一路走的都是森林。我们没有看到一望无际的山顶风景，但是从离海平面1500米的山间看着离海平面1950米的山顶也是不赖。

依据南韩旅行指南网站，Eurimok Trail和Yeongshil Trail是最短的路径。它们只需要两小时至两小时班的时间就完成了。Google搜索显示这两条路径都有好漂亮的山景。如果赶时间的话，可以选择这两条路径。:)

There are 5 trails in Hallasan, Gwaneumsa Trail is one of them. It is estimated that it will need 8-9 hours to go back and forth for this trail. Internet surfing results show that this trail is the most challenging one but is with the most beautiful scenic views. The pictures in internet are really beautiful and therefore very excited to see it.

After the hike, it was realized that those beautiful scenic views are only view-able on top of the mountain. Due to lack of time, we were only able to reach the rest house located at 1500m above sea level. We went through trail in the jungle to reach there. We were not able to see the mountain view but the view of the mountain top from this 1500m above sea level spot was remarkable as well.

According to South Korea Travel Guide, there are two short trails. They are Eurimok Trail and Yeongshil Trail. Both only need about 2-2.5hours  to finish the trail. From the google result, both trails have beautiful mountain view from bottom of the mountain. If you are rush of time, you may consider to choose either one of these routes. :)

汗拿山 觀音寺 探訪路
Hallasan Gwaneumsa Trail

汗拿山 觀音寺 探訪路

Hallasan Gwaneumsa Trail

沿着觀音寺探訪路的河

The river where Hallasan Gwaneumsa Trail follows

觀音寺探訪路

Gwaneumsa Trail

夏天的开始
The starting of autumn

高高瘦瘦的树
Tall skinny trees

漂亮的阳光
Beautiful sunlight

在离海平面1500米的高度看到的汗拿山山顶
The peak viewing from 1500m above sea level

http://www.thesouthkoreatravelguide.com/hiking/hallasan_national_park.html

【旅行趣想。Travel Things Thinks】南韩人彼此的信任。South Korea's Mutual Trust

在首尔走到累了的我们，到一家咖啡店坐下来喝杯咖啡歇息。这一歇，让我们目睹南韩人对各自不偷自己东西的信任。他们可以很放心地留放自己的包包在座位上，到二十米外的柜台买餐饮。好震撼！如果是在马来西亚，包包早就被人拿走了，还要到警局报警。彻底地佩服这社会对彼此的信任。

We stopped by a cafe to rest after a long walk in Seoul. During the rest, we witnessed how Koreans trust each other for not stealing each other's belonging. They can leave their belongings on the seats while away to get their drinks from the counter which is 20meter away. This is extraordinary! Your belonging would have been stolen if this is in Malaysia. We are really impressed with this trust that they have for each other. 

【旅行趣想 Travel Things Thinks】在汉江边演出。Performing by Han River

在汉江边，有一群年轻人轮流上台唱歌为大家演奏。感觉这是这班年轻人一起在大家的陪同下来个大胆尝试，在这乐闹的地方用合力的力量大胆地为大众演唱。他们的努力好棒！又可以娱乐大家，又可以让自己吸取经验，一石二鸟。真的好棒！

他们的表演虽然没有那么专业，但是至少他们敢敢地为他们自己的喜好漂亮地做一个尝试。我看到舞台不远处有架照相机，我猜他们有将自己的表演录起来。如果是的话，希望他们会回去看带，把自己不够强的部分好好地增强。

从他们的演出，我也体会到这一点。在舞台上，一定要把自己的最好表演出来，敢敢地把一首歌用感觉好好地诠释出来。如果舞蹈可以让歌的诠释带到更好的境界，那就跳吧，不要犹疑，不要害怕别人笑你自跳自爽，要别人因为你的舞台享受而一起跟你跳。我们做任何事，都应该这样。;-)

There are a group of youngsters performing one by one by the Han River. If not mistaken, they came in group to support each other in public performing as it could provide them with more courage. Their effort was great! It could bring entertainment to everyone in the park and also could help them gather some experience. One bird kills two stones, really great!

However, their performance was not quite professional. It was quite explanatory. At least, they courageously gave it a try. I believed they were recording their performance as I saw there were a camera standing there. If it was, I hope they will identify their strength and weaknesses after going back to continue improve themselves to a step more closer to professionalism.

From their performance, I realize something. If you are given a chance to perform in a stage, whether or not it is for free or with wages, you must give your best all out and courageously show your emotion when sing your song out. If dancing could interpret your song to a higher level, then dance it shamelessly. Don't hesitate, don't be afraid other will laugh at your ugly dance, don't bother if other think that you are narcissistic. You should focus enjoying your moment on the stage and let other to be influenced by you that they want to dance with you too. We should apply this not limited to performing on stage but other aspects of our life too. :)

【旅行趣想 Travel Things Thinks】轮回 Samsara

This picture was captured when I was on my way back to KLIA2 airport from Japan Kansai airport in a airplane. It was a time filled with heavy feeling thinking of my love one who was in serious illness. It was unsure if she could fight the sickness and survived. The death seemed so close.

I looked at the cloud and thought of samsara. Cloud is formed by evaporated water from the earth. Water from the earth is formed by the rain dropping on the earth. The rain is formed by the condensed water from the cloud. And cloud is formed by... So, it forms a circle. From where I work, people would use the term 'circularity'.

If each cloud represents a person, there would be my sister and all of us among these clouds. I thought to myself if my sister was to fall and leave us, where would she be going and would she be joining us back as the same old her?

When she fell, she would become plenty of droplets and then landed at multiple places. It could be sea, mountain, house swimming pool, crops, open lands, etc. She would be everywhere. Each droplet of her might be evaporated together with other droplet from other cloud, rose up to the sky and formed a new cloud. This new cloud wouldn't be the whole her but the whole cloud would have some of her.

She would be ended up everywhere and it might took years before she was one piece again. Till then, I might be separated into many clouds also too and wouldn't be whole me for some times. It could really take many many years, might be centuries before we were together again.

However, she was not a cloud but a human. If she was to forever to sleep beneath the earth surface, she would slowly become part of the earth and would most likely be providing nutrients to the earth to grow plants. She would be in many plants. Those plants might slowly be the food to human and she would ends up in human bodies. She would be nutrients to grow babies in mommys. She would end up be part of many human and she would be whole her again after many cycles.

If there is samsara, I guess that's what it is.

【旅行趣想 Travel Things Thinks】古时理发屋 Barber's Shop

I was visiting a residential flat in Padang Tembak. I parked my car by the roadside as what the residents would do. Out of my car and walked into the market which was just surrounding the 16th-floor elevator-equipped flat. The flat is comprised of few buildings, I lost count as there are many of them.

My first feeling was how convenient it is to stay there. Whenever you need food or anything, you could just take the elevator to ground floor and you would find what you need out of the elevator. How convenient! You seldom get this convenience in modern properties including flat and condo.

Second feeling was that the neighborhood bonding is quite strong here.  I bet all the stall owners are from this flat or this area, opening stall to earn some living. Walking pass the market, I could see few old folks sitting here and there having tea and chit-chatting together. How relax.

This barber's shop is one of the hang-around place for these uncles. It was a corner commercial lot of the flat located under a big tree. When I passed by this barber's shop, I couldn't help it but took a picture of it. There are the heritage barber's shop chairs and heritage barber's shop design with simple big mirror. Yeah, these are the necessaries and so not as special.

So, what are so special that it caught my eyes? Do you realize this is a open-concept barber shop? Two sides of the shop are wide-opened which allow natural cool wind to blow in especially when it is shedded under a big tree. The wind acts as the "air-cond" for this barber's shop. I bet no customer would ever complain about how hot they are sitting in there. Second, do you see there is a set of home sofa in the shop? It feels very homey for me, it feels like a living room. The feeling is stronger when there were uncles sitting there chit-chatting.

This flat and this barber's shop definitely is a heritage to Penang Island. I hope this place could continue to exist and maybe has its surrounding improved/repaired/beautified enough to be sustained as a heritage location. Really love this barber's shop!

[Garden] Taman Saujana Hijau @ Putrajaya

Our plan to cycle in KL city during Sunday morning had to be postponed because of work, but we had free time on Monday. Then, we found this public garden located within Presint 11 of Putrajaya which is apparently famous for cycling as well. So, on Monday, we set off to this garden.

This garden is surprisingly beautiful and well-maintained. It is "hanging" on a hill, like a garden in the sky. Since it is on the hill, the views are spectacular with Puchong city view, Serdang city view, Putrajaya view and the residency views surround this hill. The experience is quite like standing on the Mount Eden at Auckland, New Zealand looking at the surrounding cities. [NOTE: Stay tune for update on Mount Eden @ Auckland]

It felt like we were in New Zealand when we were in this garden. The walking, jogging or cycling path is in perfect conditions, smooth and clear of weeds. There are pine trees, cypress trees, beautiful flowers and other attractive plants planted along the path. Each plants is labelled to educate the visitors about who they are, it is very educational. Pines and cypresses, those could be few reasons why we felt like in New Zealand.

Aside from walking, cycling and jogging, visitors can also do some simple hike with readily made wooden staircases. Starting from the bottom of the hill, with some walking distance and then to the top of the hill. Then, enjoy the city views at the top of the hill as well as the European garden. 

There are simple seats available in few spots with beautiful plants as background for visitors to enjoy the views and the breeze. There are also special rest stops with fresh flowers/plants as decoration. Couples can come here for nice memory photos or even for wedding photos.

There are three themed garden here. Europe, English and Oriental. People can choose to come here for a leisure picnic with one of those as their choice. It would be a different experience in this unique garden. People will definitely love it. Totally envy people who lives nearby who get to enjoy this garden as often as they want. 

English themed garden

Oriental themed garden

Taman Saujana Hijau

[Travel Things] Time Table

[Travel things] Philosopher's Walk of Kyoto City

According to Japan-Guide.com, Philosopher's Walk gets its name due to Nishida Kitaro, one of Japan's most famous philosophers, who was said to practice meditation while walking this route on his daily commute to Kyoto University. Refer to link below for more information.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3906.html

It was slightly earlier than Sakura season when we traveled this walk. The Walk was with a row of nearly 100% flower-less and leave-less trees. He randomly saying below sentences for the random nonsense.

'I am thinking about what is the meaning of life. It is about the journey, but not the destination. Destination is death and it is inevitable.'

Although it is just random rumours, but it is full of wisdom for me. It is very true. Life is started on one's birth time and ended on one's death time, the duration in between will be what we call life.

It was so coincidentally that I came across similar topics in a mandarin TEDx talk around the time. She, a 8-year-experience doctor, illustrated life with a marathon journey. When we are tired on the run, we rest but we won't stop. After the rest, we will continue running till the end as the end is our destination. She shared that luckily life has an end that make life more motivating.