Cloudy day at Cameron Highlands

For the past month, the rain has been incessant, bringing back old nolstagia of my childhood days where end of the year monsoon will cause floods (not that it's a good thing but it sticks in the mind as part of the experience), dampness and wetness everywhere and clothes have trouble drying up, and stocking up of food for the pantry...well, as far as Cameron was concerned, the recent mudslide and flash flood didn't deter the tourist as it was still jammed all the way from Brinchang town to the KEA farms as usual, a path necessary if one wanted to visit Sungei Palas...as usual, many inconsiderate and uncivic minded day trippers parked their vehicles everywhere, yellow lines and road corners included, contributing to the jam. As we snaked our way through, thinking it was a bit clearer than usual, we were met by hordes of local tourists at Sungei Palas, even more so than usual. Lucky us, we managed to get a table and after a hurried snack, we went to the tea shop to buy some tea for some friends in France for my next visit...

The BOH Plantations at Sungei Palas have arguably the best scenic spot in the Cameron Highlands but tourists (hordes of them anytime of the year) really killed the charm...noise, rubbish, big vehicles, etc...

 At the exit of the Sungei Palas in-road are two butterfly farms - Totally NOT recommended unless you like to see dying butterflies and unhygenic conditions for the menage. Sadly, this is what tourists pay to see, and contributed to the degradation.

Nurseries are all selling poinsettias in anticipation of the festive season ahead...

1/4 day at Dijon

After half a day spent at a friend's in Arnay-Le-Duc this summer, we went to see Dijon a bit before going back to Besançon. It is quite a busy and lively town in summer but due to the lack of time, we went straight to its local attractions - the old Dijon town center...

 A famous product of the region, pain d’épices (like a fruit cake).

 Artisanal sweets, jams and concoctions...too many choices, too little time.

 Façade of the Maison Maille

 Mustard in all its possible incarnations, seasonal flavours like fashion trends are being offered in the house of Maille, one of the most recognisable Dijon mustard brand...bought atrio of summer truffle, raspberry and champagne (methinks)...

 A carousel in every French town...

 The street was lined with flags - tomorrow would be Bastille Day.

Beautiful church at the background but helas, pas de temps....

"Ho Chien" in Melaka

Recent trip back to Melaka - we had pangs for some good "ho chien" or oyster omelette but the regular shop at the other end of Jonker Street was no longer making any -  a chat with the speciality shop owner (selling belacan and nyonya cookies) revealed that the ho chien lady has had a stroke - so end of our hope...however, my FIL knows another one at Jalan Kampung Pantai in the same neighbourhood (I get confused with the intertwined roads inside the old Melaka town) and so we managed to find it after a few minutes of driving around the crowded streets. Eating out or even visiting the old town center of Melaka in your own car is a very tricky thing because of the narrow streets coupled with some of the most confusing and intriguing road signs in Malaysia, not to mention the severely overcrowded narrow streets (where all the shops are) without parking. So if you need to venture to town to try some gastronomique adventure on your own, act early and do some reconnaissance work before being let down by lack of parking and of course, the traffic police is ever ready to write a summon so DON'T park illegally in Melaka!

 The restaurant has an unassuming name, like any other chinese resto...

Besides ho chien, they also serve fried soft-shelled crabs.

The lattice-work of the entrance.

The side entrance.

 They still have some original marble top tables left...

and some old-fashioned wooden chair usually found in Hainanese coffee shops, kinda pre-war feel to it...

 Star of the gastronomique adventure du jour: the Ho Chien. A batter of tapioca or sweet potato starch is pan fried with eggs, garlic and spices to form an omelette and the oysters are added on last with the chives. It is usually served with a simple chilli sauce.

 Some simple fare to go with: garlic fried baby cabbage and cantonese fried rice. Not bad.

A peek at the flat-bottomed wok used for the ho chien...