Sunday Morning Rides -29th Edition

 Siniawan Old Town Bazaar - Sun 10th July 2011

Road turning off from the highway to Siniawan

A prelude for better things to come, Siniawan Old Town Bazaar was a 43.5km ride to & fro from my house. Nestled between Kuching and Bau, it is a stepping stone for me to eventually reach Bau one fine day.

Bau is another major town in the Kuching Division famous for it’s gold mine, lake and limestone formations such as wind cave, fairy cave and limestone cliffs which dotted the countryside. But consider this; Bau is 10km from Siniawan. A round trip would add 20km to the 43.5km ride. That adds up (yes I can count) to a staggering 63.5km. Hmmmm… I need more carbohydrates.

  

As it turns out, the ride to Siniawan via the old Bau road was up to my expectation. Positive expectations always allow me to enjoy things more. Rather than expecting nothing, in the end, it might be all we will get. So I saw a lot of little, little things which will never be seen by most people.

Two rows of wooden shop houses

Road kills; Fascinating as it seems they represent the fallen wildlife of the local area. I saw flatten reptiles such frogs, snakes & lizards and mammals such as rats, cats & dogs. Some were fresh but most of them were dried & enticing.

Road blocks; I came across a Police road block on the old Bau road. I was wearing yellow representing the Bersih movement, my palms became sweaty. Just yesterday, those poor buggers were hit by water cannons and tear gas while rallying for Electoral Reform in Malaysia. I did not carry my Identity Card either. I was doomed. But then again this is Sarawak; Land of the Hornbills where everything is relaxed and impossible is nothing. Even our 75 year old Chief Minister is able to remarry a young Lebanese flight attendant less than 20 months after the death of his wife. Do you think he use Viagra? Anyway, armed with an innocent smile, I rode past the road block pretentiously waving to the Police. They smiled back amused without stopping me. Sucker!

Path to the river

Hills; I hate those hills. There were 2 major ones on this hilly & bendy old Bau road going into Siniawan. I wonder how any more pose to torture me if I ride down to Bau town. Sigh!

Part time farmers; I past quite a few working on their vege patch early in the morning. I doubt they own the land but mostly borrowed Gov’t gazetted land under Section 42 of the land title act.

The same old ferry/boat

As I arrive at the old town bazaar of Siniawan, the 2 rows of wooden shop houses were still the same as when I last saw them during my teenage years. Frozen in time, there was hardly any development to the wooden shop houses. In this classic cowboy town, I could see coffee shops thriving with their brisk business during breakfast hour and was tempted to stop & have breakfast. Nearby, a pork butcher chopping spare ribs out in the 5 footway amidst eager customers. I got off my bike & took a stroll down to the river and was met with the ferry/boat which plies across the river. This was the same ferry/boat which I saw earlier but then I was on the other side of the river (see SMR 27^th Edition). I retraced my journey back after soaking some countryside rejuvenating ambiance, ready for the crazy week ahead at work.   

Sunday Morning Rides -28th Edition

Matang Jaya - Sun 3rd July 2011

It was almost a month since my last ride. I caught the flu, the kids- chicken pox and the wife flew away to Chiang Mai for a holiday. Luckily everything is back to normal now; the pox left scars which could be connected with a marker pen, the wife came back with lots of Chiang Mai souvenir T-shirts (yes, all i got was the bloody...) and my flu bugs died a miserable death. But really why did Dr.Chong give me antibiotics if the flu is viral? Hoping for a placebo effect, Dr.Chong? %#@#!!!!. 

My route to Fabian's turf and back

Anyway, I was happy to be up & riding again. Without much thinking, I headed straight towards the direction of Batu Kawa bridge as soon as I got out of the house earlier this morning. Destination cousin Fabian's house in Matang Jaya.

22 km to Fabian's turf via Batu Kawa

Have any of you guys tasted warm nasi lemak before? The nasi lemak packets that you get off the normal breakfast stalls are usually cold and soggy. They taste great but lack the smell of freshly steamed coconut milk rice and the aroma of crispy fried salted anchovies. Today my 22km ride to my cousin, Fabian’s house at Matang Jaya, paid off with warm freshly made nasi lemak. My cousin’s wife, Nik also makes the best tasting chili sambal to go with the nasi lemak. I must admit, it is the best tasting condiment in this part of the country.

Freshly cooked nasi lemak with anchovies & chili sambal

With two servings of nasi lemak in my tummy, my ride back was a major challenge. For obvious reason, I took the shortest possible route home passing under & over the Satok bridge instead of Batu Kawa bridge. 

View of the old Satok Suspension Bridge tower

In the end, I clocked in a miserable 33 km on this Sunday morning. It felt good to be out on the road again but as a dear friend of mine puts it; “Let's see...22k bike ride = 1000 calories, 1 nasi lemak = 700 calories. Nett 300 calories. Could have lost this just watching TV dude!”. Obviously he didn’t know I need to do another 10km back and…(Drum rolls pls) …. I did two servings of Nasi Lemak & the anchovies, roasted peanuts & boiled eggs were on buffet. Hahahaha……

View from underneath Satok Bridge

Sunday Morning Rides -27th Edition

Kampung Siniawan - Sun 8th May 2011

Today I woke up around quarter past six to another beautiful Sunday morning. Not a single rain cloud in the sky and the sun was already up shining. After some gearing up and making some loud noises in the toilet, I left my house around half past six. I decided to ride down to Kpg Siniawan in the Bau district, some 20km away. Of course I did some Google Earth the night before, like I usually do before any inaugural rides.

My route to Kpg Siniawan

The first 15km was on open highway, so it was quite challenging with huge trucks passing me by at speeds in excess of 100kph. I fingered a few for passing me with inches to spare. Others just have to turn into the highway in front of me from dusty construction sites. Eat my dirt why don’t you.

Kampung Melayu Siniawan

Waiting for the "Ferry"

The "Ferry"

The last 5km was a rather pleasant one as I turned left, off from the highway and into Jalan Sungai Pinang. I felt a sudden step function change of atmosphere from Anxiety to Serenity, from Singapore to Kuching, from Def Leppard to Lionel Richie, from Dan Brown to Mills & Boons, from…. What the hell, I guess you got the picture. After a few minutes of blissful riding, savoring the tranquil & equanimity of it all, I arrived at my destination, Kampung Melayu Siniawan.  

Ferry arrives at Siniawan Bazaar

A scenic spot

A scenic spot with my bike

Most of the village people (no,… don’t do the YMCA please!) were still asleep or beginning to wake up from their slumber as I arrived. Free range chicken scurried everyway or was it? Never mind. At the end of the road was a jetty. A wooden “ferry” plies the span across the river. An old man told me in their local Malay dialect, RM0.30 for one person or RM1 for one person inclusive of motorcycle/bicycle. No wonder there were a lot of motorcycles parked along the jetty. I was debating with myself whether to take the boat ride or not. On the other side lies Siniawan Bazaar, which really are 2 rows of wooden shophouses. Breakfast was beaconing and I was sure that there were Kolo Mee or Laksa stalls. After breakfast I could take Jalan Bau out to Kota Sentosa and subsequently Jalan Penrissen back to my place. Naaahhh… I am no Ironman doing the triathlon thingie. After about 15 mins rest and exploring the river bank, I retraced my path back home.

Carvery at Abell Hotel in the city

The mummies & kid

Me Dad & kids

Today is Mother’s Day. We did lunch at the new Carvery Restaurant @ Abell Hotel in the city with me Mum & family.

To all the mothers in this world… Happy Mother’s Day!

Sunday Morning Rides - 26th Edition

Sinar Serapi Eco Theme Park - Sun 1st May 2011

Plagued with a series of disappointments the past few Sundays, today was an exception. My ride earlier this morning was as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

It was hardly the case two weeks ago when I suffered a tyre puncture 18km into my ride. I had to walk like a duck (stupid cycling shoes) out to the main road before calling my wife to pick me up. She was still asleep when I called. I must have dialed her number 10 times before she picked up. She gave me that stare of death as she drove me home that morning. I am just thankful to be still alive. Last weekend then was another major disappointment. I was all geared up, opened the main door of the house and the thunder said hello. I was furious when it rained a few minutes later.    

My route to Sinar Serapi Eco Theme Park

Various Activities Available

Entrance of the Theme Park

This morning was beautiful so I decided to be adventurous. Spiked my drinking water with glucose and I was off for a 2hr ride. I ended up at Sinar Serapi Eco Theme Park at the foothills of Gunung Serapi. The park was not opened yet when I arrived. But from the main entrance I observed that it was a rather "budget" theme park. Personally I think the place looks half done. I was quickly on my way after a few minutes of rest as it was starting to drizzle. Fortunately it was just a passing cloud. I reached home and clocked another 43km to my odometer.

View of Gunung Serapi from the Theme Park

Sunday Morning Rides - 25th Edition

Live Your Children’s Childhood

Somehow I still remember the first time when I saw a road bike. A shining blue contraption on two wheels. It was my uncle Bernard’s new toy. Knowing my uncle, he must have been raving about it day and night. I told myself then, how could anyone ride this thing? It was so tall and flimsy and if I sat on it, my legs could hardly reach the pedals and the handle bar looked weird as if somebody made a mistake in fixing it the wrong way round. And then there was the pressing question of why only two wheels and not three? I clearly remember my uncle “B” lifting me up onto the saddle. I felt like 10ft off the ground, teetering like a spinning coin as it comes to the end of its uncertain outcome. I was as young as my son then.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Check. Never put off happiness for the sake of achievement. Check. Live your children’s childhood. Errrr… this one, I am still learning but it does not require an MBA, right? I will definitely miss my son’s inquisitiveness, my eldest daughter’s tit-for-tat temperament & my youngest daughter’s giggle. Very soon they all will inevitably be off building lives and families of their own. My children’s childhood will soon be a thing of the past and I will one day without a doubt, look back and feel melancholy, but I still have the time to vow never to regret.

I remember when I was young, my dad, sister & I would occasionally sneak off early Saturday mornings to go jogging just before the sun was above the horizon. The street lamp in front of our old house would still be shining. When I was young, I used to benchmark whether it is early or late in the day just by looking at that street lamp. Lights on, go to bed. Lights off, time to get up and out of bed. Most mornings when we start our jogging escapade, that street lamp would still be shining. It gave me a sense of mystique to be able to be up and about when that lamp was still shining. Anyway, we would savor the morning freshness as we jogged and walked through the neighbourhood. It’s amazing what you can discover early in the morning which could hardly be seen later in the day. Flightless birds walking briskly across the road only to scurry off into the bushes with our presence. Dew collecting on spider webs during the night, only to be seen sparkling like diamonds on a rolling stretch of grass as the sun’s rays were refracted onto them, giving false hopes to the unaware. Unfortunately, this experience, I have no recollection with my children, yet.

Maybe I should have at least helped my son onto the saddle of my bike instead of telling him off, every time he comes near. He loves to fiddle with the pedals. Crank the pedals, wheel will spin. Fun. More and more I realize that we have been conditioned by our past experiences that we fail to see the NOW of living our children’s childhood but jumped straight into the negative of what the future holds. In this case, fiddling with pedals, bike collapse, boy injured. No fun. But really I could hardly imagine the lifestyle of the person who created the expression “better to be safe than sorry”. Might as well die, right? Such irony. Have you ever wondered how when we were young, the sky was our limit; we dreamt of going to the moon and the funny thing was that, we actually believe we can. Then we grew up. Society tells us that this cannot be done, that cannot be done, this is not the right way, that is not the right way and then ultimately some idiot came in and created ISO. So now we have standards to conform to and if there were no standards how on earth do we know how or what to improve upon…. but that is another story. Sometimes it takes an eccentric to change society. If every one conforms to society, then there will be no progress. But I have digressed and my point is really, we need to get back to the NOW. The NOW that is telling us that happiness is a journey and the destination is secondary. The NOW that is telling us never to put off happiness for the sake of achievement. My happiness is living my children’s childhood (and of course to own a Ferrari). What is yours?

I feel like I am going bald soon, like Stephen Covey or Robin Sharma so I better stop this gibberish and leave it to the bald people. I leave you now with the story of Peter & the Magic Thread. I read this in one of Robin the bald Sharma’s books. Here goes.

Peter was a very lively little boy. Everybody loved him but he did have one weakness. Peter could never live in the moment. He had not learned to enjoy the process of life. When he was in school, he dreamed of being outside playing. When he was outside playing, he dreamed of his summer vacation. Peter constantly daydreamed, never taking the time to savor the special moments that filled his days. One morning Peter was walking in a forest (why does it always have to be a forest) near his home. Feeling tired, he decided to rest on a patch of grass and eventually dozed off. After only a few minutes of deep sleep, he heard someone calling his name. “Peter! Peter!” came the shrill voice from above. As he slowly opened his eyes, he was startled to see a striking woman standing above him. She must have been over a hundred yrs old and her snow-white hair (typical fairy tale) dangled well below her shoulders like a matted blanket of wool. In this woman’s wrinkled hand was a magical little ball with a hole in the center and out of the hole dangled a long, golden thread. “Peter” she said, “this is the thread of your life. If you pull the thread just a bit, an hr will pass in seconds. If you pull a little harder, whole days will pass in minutes. And if you pull with all your might, months – even years will pass by in days”. Peter grew very excited at this discovery. “I’d like to have it if I may?” he asked. The elderly woman quickly reached down and gave the ball with the magic thread to the young boy.

The next day, Peter was sitting in the classroom feeling restless and bored. Suddenly, he remembered his new toy. As he pulled a little bit of the golden thread, he quickly found himself at home, playing in his garden. Realizing the power of the magic thread, Peter soon grew tired of being a schoolboy and longed to be a teenager, with all the excitement that phase of life would bring. So again he pulled out the ball and pulled hard on the golden thread. Suddenly he was a teenager with a very pretty young girlfriend named Elise. But Peter still wasn’t content. He had never learned to enjoy the moment and to explore the simple wonders of the every stage of his life. Instead, he dreamed of being an adult. So again he pulled on the thread and many years whizzed by in an instant. Now he found he had been transformed into a middle-aged adult. Elise was now his wife and Peter was surrounded with a houseful of kids (Idiot! He missed the fun part). But Peter also noticed something else. His once jet black hair had started to turn gray. And his once youthful mother whom he loved so dearly had grown old & frail. Yet Peter still could not live in the moment. He had never learned to ‘live in the now’. So once again, he pulled on the magic thread and waited for the changes to appear. Peter now found that he was a ninety year old man. His thick dark hair had turned white as snow and his beautiful young wife Elise had also grown old and had passed away a few years earlier. His wonderful children had grown up and left home to lead lives of their own. For the first time in his entire life, Peter realized that he had not taken the time to embrace the wonders of living. He had never gone fishing with his kids or taken a moonlight stroll with Elise. He had never planted a garden or read those wonderful books his mother had loved to read. Instead, he had hurried through life, never resting to see all that was good along the way.

Peter became very sad at this discovery. He decided to go out to the forest where he used to walk as a boy to clear his head and warm his spirit. As he entered the forest, he noticed that the little saplings of his childhood had grown into mighty oaks. The forest itself had matured into a paradise of nature. He lay down on a small patch of grass and fell into a deep slumber. After only a minute, he heard someone calling out to him. “Peter! Peter!” cried the voice. He looked up in astonishment to see that it was none other than the old woman who had given him the ball with the magic golden thread many years earlier.

“How have you enjoyed my special gift?” she asked. Peter was direct in his reply. “At first it was fun but now I hate it. My whole life has passed before my eyes without giving me the chance to enjoy it. Sure, there would have been sad times as well as great times but I haven’t had the chance to experience either. I feel empty inside. I have missed the gift of living”. “You are very ungrateful,” said the old woman. “Still, I will give you one last wish”. Peter thought for an instant and then answered hastily. “I’d like to go back to being a schoolboy and live my life over again” (Not fair! We here will never get a second chance in life). He then returned to his deep sleep.

Again he heard someone calling his name and opened his eyes. “Who could it be this time?” he wondered. When he opened his eyes, he was absolutely delighted to see his mother standing over his bedside. She looked young, healthy and radiant. Peter realized that the strange woman of the forest had indeed granted his wish and he had returned to his former life. “Hurry up Peter. You sleep too much. Your dreams will make you late for school if you don’t get up right this minute,” his mother admonished. Needless to say, Peter dashed out of bed on this morning and began to live the way he had hoped. Peter went on to live a full life, one rich with delights, joys and triumphs, but it all started when he stopped sacrificing the present for the future and began to live for the moment. 

Sunday Morning Rides -24th Edition

Lijiang & Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Continues..... 

What do you do when you wake up at 6am on a Sunday Morning eager to go for a ride when, as you step out of your house in full cycling gear, it started to rain? The Law of Attraction tells us to keep a positive mind and think sunny skies….. That was like 2 hrs ago, it is still bloody raining & I am still in full cycling gear. FML.

While waiting for me family to wake up from their great slumber, I am bored to death. I picture myself having breakfast at the Spring (shopping mall in Kuching) as soon as they wake up. Dragging myself window shopping would definitely be my only form of exercise for the day. Such is the weekend life when one is staying in sleepy Kuching (especially when it rains). Let’s escape back to Suhe Old town in Lijiang where life is simple and carefree.

An alley leading to Lijiang Palace

My encounter with Suhe Old town that summer afternoon was a rather pleasant one. Earlier in the day we visited the Lijiang Palace. To get to the palace it was a long walk from the road side through a maze of back alleys.

Shops with profound names littered the narrow alleys. The best of which, and I love this one…. “Wait For Self’s Lover In The Night”. Profound or what? Well, where does your mind takes you?

Profound Signages

We had to climb up a steep hill. Nestled on top lies a temple with a majestic view of Lijiang. Grey roof tops stretched to the horizon which was surrounded by a mountain range encircling the town. It was a natural wall which fortified the town in ancient times.  

View of Lijiang from the hill top temple

After the palace visit we were mostly exhausted especially from the climb and so we were looking for a place to chill out & have lunch. We found our Utopia in Suhe Old Town. A cozy outdoor restaurant next to the “water supply system” (frankly, I would call it a D-R-A-I-N) was a welcoming beacon nevertheless.

Horse Cart Ride through Suhe Old Town

To reach this Utopia, we had a horse-cart ride…. or was it, cart before the horse. Errrr… I stand corrected; it is still possible to put the cart before the horse. I guess that in itself is another story (….if you are still following me, great. If not, never mind).  

View from Horse Cart Ride

Chow-Chows which I met along the way; Love them!

Le Petit Paris

We had of all things, western food for lunch at Le Petit Paris in Suhe Old Town. Another establishment with another cranky name. The food was good but the Chinese beer was better. 

Le Petit Paris

Tsingtao Beer : Taste better in China

Ham sandwich

Onion Soup

Above all, the tranquil environment was just perfect. Imagine this, it was a sunny afternoon, sun was overhead and yet it was cooling, having western for lunch, outdoors next to a “stream” (I said imagine OK), with live music soothingly blending into the calm of the midday siesta. With your eyes closed, it is not difficult to imagine that you are in a European country. Well, ya…. except that the soothing music was in mandarin and not forgetting the alcohol which helped with the translation.

I can hear footsteps of people getting out of bed. Back to reality folks. Cheers mate! Ta!

Sunday Morning Rides -23rd Edition

Lijiang & Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Treasure Harbour International Hotel

One of the more exotic places that i have visited last year (without my push bike) was to Lijiang and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in China. Another of UNESCO's World Heritage Site, the world famous Old Town of Lijiang is situated in the Yunnan Province. Famous for its old town architecture & ancient water supply system it is fast becoming commercialized. I saw Pullman Hotel under construction when I was there. We stayed at Treasure Harbour International Hotel which was quite nice but is not within walking distance to the touristy old town area.

Dayan Old Town

Dayan Old Town

I quickly learned that there were two, not one but two "Old Town"s in this place namely, Dayan Old Town & Suhe Old Town. What is the difference? Well, one is newer than the other. Dayan is older and i guess, more genuine. We visited Dayan Old Town in the evening and it was just beautiful. A lot of things to see, buy, eat & of course drink. It was an experience like no other to be able to walk through a town whose streets were made of cobblestones which were centuries old. Alongside those narrow streets where ancient water supply system which could easily be mistaken for drains. I saw people brushing their teeth in them which i thought was weird and somewhere downstream next to a pub, they put bottles of beer into the "drain" to chill them. 

Dayan Old Town

After a late dinner, we went pub crawling. And this was really weird... out in the sticks, in an ancient town, pubs were sprawling with their loud music drowning the sound of the natural night. We were like spoilt for choices  in settling down to a more happening pub. We did eventually but as we got settled in, the music stopped. It was a minute past midnight and what do you know, closing time. Unbelievable! If I were in another part of the world, at this time of the night, the party just started but here, its the end. Police started to flood into the pubs one by one tell people to go home after finishing what was on their table. I was flabbergasted.

Dayan Old Town

One of many eating places at Dayan Old Town

Dayan Old Town

One of the many pubs in Dayan Old Town

Water Supply System or Drain? (Dayan Old Town)

Those are all tourist. (Dayan Old Town)

Dayan Old Town

We went to Suhe Old Town the next day after going back to the hotel feeling very very sober the previous night, but that is another story.