Ramadan Bazaar

It's been 10 days into the fasting Ramadan month, and there's just so many food bazaars going around town! I'm not too sure whether it is the same in Cameron Highlands or not. But is liken to their night market food section! I'm pretty sure all around Malaysia there will be many food stalls set up all around to cater for the breaking of fast for Muslims doing their fast.

Food, food, glorious food, aren't we gluttons when it comes to food? Plenty of choices around. Not only that, it is highlighted in the local newspaper. It is crowded and the queue is just so long, especially for popular dishes!

Fortunately for me, one of the bazaars located in Section 14, PJ, is just around the corner from where I work. To get a good whiff at the wonderful aroma, all I need do is just open my office window. From my vantage point, I get to gauge which are the more popular stalls, and thus plan my food buying spree.

The crowd gets really heavy from 5 o'clock onwards, as many offices begin to close shop for the day. For some of the popular stalls, you will need to go there early or else be ready to be disappointed when it is all sold out! I think it is very disappointing if after queuing for a long while, and it just got sold out when it is about to be your turn to make your purchase! Too bad, try again another day.

Still got some time to try out the various food offerings as the bazaars will go on till 2nd of November, the last day of "puasa" fasting month. After that, it is a celebration of completing the Ramadan with the Hari Raya Puasa holidays. That's when almost the whole of Malaysian people will be on the move for the "balik kampong" phenomena where outstation folks will go back to their hometown to be reunited with their family members and have big celebration! Traffic on the highway will get into a snarl as the whole Malaysia becomes one big traffic jam!

Till then, enjoy your "makan" (eating)!

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If you are around Petaling Jaya, these are some of the areas having the Ramadan Bazaar:

AREA                 Stalls
Section 17/1A        = 100
Section 14/27        = 100
Subang               =  40
Desa Mentari         =  20
SS8, Sg Way          =  80
Damansara Damai      =  60
  (Vista Biz Centre)
Jln Othman           =  20
Kg Baiduri, 51A      =  40
SD 13/2              =  60
Sect 6, Kota D'msara =  50
Kg Sg Kayu Ara       =  50
Sect 7 Kota D'msara  =  50
D'msara Damai        =  50
   (Idaman Apt)
SS6/1, Kelana Jaya   = 200
PJS 8                =  20
Pelangi Damansara    =  50
Taman Medan          = 150
PJS 6/8 Kg Lindungan =  50
Taman Sri Manja      =  50
Kg Taman Dato' Harun =  26

Water Woes in Cameron Highlands

The irony of it all! October being the rainiest period in Cameron Highlands, and guess what? Water shortage! Just came across an article in the Sunday Times, where a group of motor bikers went for a trip to Cameron Highlands. Despite the rain, the group of intrepid bikers went up the winding slippery road.

Upon checking in the hotel, they were informed that the hotel swimming pool was closed due to water shortage. It seems several other hotels including the 5-stars hotels are facing the similar problem.

How could this be despite the rain? It seems “excessive development was the cause for the water shortage” as explained by one hotel manager. “Excessive development” indeed; the many times that I visited Cameron Highlands, I never failed to see some form of construction activities going on here and there. I don’t quite understand the logic for the ongoing construction of buildings; isn’t there sufficient buildings already?

Granted that upgrading of the old roads should make it more safe for travelers to use, but plastering the hillside with cement reinforcement does makes it unsightly and makes it out of place with the surrounding tropical jungle.

Much of the appeal for visiting good old Cameron Highlands besides its cool climate weather, is its greenery and lush tropical jungle stretches. Imagine if all this were to be replaced with concrete jungle instead; I may as well stay put in Kuala Lumpur.

Development of an area by frenetic construction does not always equate with progress if the preservation of environment is not taken into account as well.

Here’s hoping the authorities would come to their senses and limit the amount of construction. Already the Sultan Abu Bakar Lake opposite the Lakehouse Hotel is one of the casualties not to mention the lessening cooling climate weather. And now with the addition of water shortage woes, the powers to be should take note because ultimately tourist will shy away and where will this lead to?

Buka Puasa Time!

Ramadan sure brings out the appetite in you! With fasting month for the Muslims means that many food stalls are set up to cater for the breaking of fast. Yep, whether in Cameron Highlands or anywhere else in Malaysia, we will get a good variety of goodies for a yummy feast!

Now, these stalls aren’t just for the Muslims only, even for us non-Muslims, we get to savour these mouth watering foods as well.

Ramadan is the period where the Muslims do their obligatory duty to fast. Fasting is not just abstaining from food only, drinking water is also not allowed, no smoking and a few more other rules among others. Of course there exception for people who cannot fulfill the fast, such as sick or traveling people where fasting will aggravate their hardship. But they must replace the missed fasting on another day.

Fasting starts from sunrise and ends by sunset. As the time draws near to break the fast, starting by about 4 o’clock, the traders start setting up their food stalls. Smoke rising from the charcoal grill can be seen from afar! Fortunately there’s no haze about, so you can’t blame it on the grill! But the area does take on a hazy look, but this haze smells good!


The kinds of selection available would surely make Alain Bourdain want to come here and try them out! We got the usual assortment of curry chicken, beef rendang, that goes with white rice. Ikan bakar, nasi lemak, roti chanai, murtabak, satay, kuih-muih, otak-otak, etc. The list goes on…

Definitely spoilt for choice here!

And the aroma… Just breathe it in and smell it, smoke and all! Just can’t stop yourself from drooling! Excuse me; pass me the tissue please…


Before the office closes for the day, the people already start to come out to pick out their selection before there is not much choice left. And yes, the ever popular popiah store, the queue is so long! And long queue means it must be tasty, right? Every year I see this same stall with its ever long queue. Just my colleague luck, she wanted to try some one day, so she wait patiently in the queue. When it was her turn to take her order, it was all sold out! Just too bad.

Ikan bakar (translated literally: burn fish!), just about everybody’s favourite. Choice of seafood can be stingray, squid, or fish; marinated with spices and sauce, placed on a banana leaf then cook over a steel hot plate. Sizzling away, while you wait for your turn to take the order. Mmm… just can’t wait to take it back home and ‘makan’ (eat)! This is good and should not be missed!

Satay, yeay! What is it about food grilled over charcoal fire that makes it so yummy? These are diced chicken or beef pierced on a bamboo stick and grilled over charcoal fire. Order as many or as few sticks as you wish in any combination. Though the meat is marinated, the satay sauce is what makes or breaks its savoury taste.

And after a main meal, it’s time for dessert! Assortment of kuih-muih (cakes) to try, or how about apam balik, which is something like pancake with nuts & corn added? I like this, and can be very filling.

And after that, wash it all down with crushed sugar cane juice. Ugh, I think after Ramadan is over, I will need to go on a diet!

Wet Month for a trip to Cameron Highlands

October month being the wettest month in Cameron Highlands, it means the incident of potential landslide occurrence will be more frequent. The roadworks (JKR) department will be very busy working hard to clear the road should there be any landslide occurrence.

If you are driving up, well, you could give a call to the hotel which you plan to stay and ask them how is the condition of the route to Cameron Highlands. As there are now two ways to go up, IMHO, the newer road from Simpang Pulai would be the better choice with the sheer hillside well reinforced with unsightly concrete reinforcement and the jungle cleared away from the main road. The chances of landslide might be less on this new route.

Oh, and don't forget to bring along your brolly as the Brits would say it and well, have a hot cup of tea in the shops and chill out (as though it is not cold enough already!) while waiting out for the rain to stop!

Working on my new PC

Everything grinds to a halt when your PC is down these days. Yeah, haven't been able to work on my Cameron Highlands webpage for the past few weeks. With my new PC up and running, purring away like a cat (actually, sounds more like the washing machine as what my wife says, boy the cooling fan sure is noisy!), hope to work on my articles and improve some of the pages.

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