from sunrise to sunset

I love the sunrise! I love the sunset! and everything in between – sand, scuba, snorkel, surf and sea. There you go, all the great “S”es. You may noticed that I’ve been blogging eveything about nature lately, all from my recent east-coast trip. Nature, in all its beauty, is one thing that excites me and brings out the WOW factor.

One that morning that I stepped out from my KL-K.Trengganu bus to go to Redang, I was stunned! There was a glow in the outdoor that I had never seen before. It definitely took my breathe away. And my first thought was, “Wow, and this is just from the mainland … it will be even more dramatic if I’m at the island” The colors were vivid. It was bright and full.

I do get excited about nature. I love to walk in parks. I love to sit, swim, run, cycle or just do nothing in the outdoors. It just goes to prove that the simple pleasures in life bring the most joy. And it also reinforces the bold statement of “The God’s Creation”. Maybe that’s why I feel the rush of excitement when I see the many faces of beauty in nature.

 

SUNRISE

 

SAND

 

 

SUNSET

 

 

and we even SNORKLE at night!

Well, we had with us several underwater torchlights, and were lucky enough to spot some shrimps, crabs and groupers. We even spotted a dead lady (and she’s naked) lying on the beach ..

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hahahah … gotcha! Have a good week!

coral bleaching

I’ve blogged in previous posting how beautiful and healthy the corals and marine life are in Redang. Unfortunately, not all dive sites are like that. Some of the sites surrounding Redang are closed down as the coral reefs at these locations have been adversely affected by a phenomenon called coral bleaching. True to its name, it describes the whitening of coral reefs due to increased sea water temperatures. If the water gets warmer, the tiny algae that give color and nutrients to corals, and help build their skeleton, disappear. The coral then turns white. Perhaps unsurprisingly, GLOBAL WARMING  is the culprit.

 

 

Matang Mangrove Forest

How to go to the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve:

The Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is located in the Larut Matang District, in Perak, Malaysia. To get there, exit the North-South Expressway at Exit 146 Changkat Jering for members coming from Kuala Lumpur, and Exit 148 Kamunting/Taiping for members coming from Penang. Take the road towards Kuala Sepetang (Port Weld). Ask for directions if necessary. The Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is about 2 km from the pekan of Kuala Sepetang.

running up Bukit Apek

After three months of marathon running and training on road, I decided to shift my last Sunday run to an off-road running. Alternating the training surface is one of the ways that I did to strengthen other ‘under-usage’ leg muscles. Yesterday, Cheramiche and I decided to recce Bukit Apek (near Bukit Saga) in Cheras. I think it was my first off-road run this year, and glad that it was also one of the steadiest trail runs I have done so far. I also noticed that my uphill running/hiking has improved tremendously. Come and see some of the pics;

How to get to Bukit Apek :

Use the Grand Saga expressway from Kuala Lumpur to Cheras. Take a left exit to Taman Cuepacs right after Petronas (before the first toll plaza). Follow the road to Econsave Segar Perdana. Upon reaching the T-junction near Econsave, you will see Shell on your left. Turn right and park your car along the road. This is the entrance to the trail of Bukit Apek.

The hike is interestingly very well marked with Level 1 (Station 1), Level 2 (Station 2) and so on until you reach Level 5 (Station 5) at around 386m. There you have a choice of going to the waterfall (steep descend) or continue on to Station 6 and the summit of Bukit Apek. As expected, we opted for the steep descent to waterfall.

We really had fun and hope to share this trail with others. Look out for our Progressive Outdoor Run (POR) sessions (Bukit Apek is definitely in the list), scheduled to start right after Raya.

sunset dinner

Recently, I was invited to a family dinner at Medan Ikan Bakar Pantai Jeram, Kuala Selangor. The restaurant faces the lovely water of Straits of Malacca. I had never been to this part of the area before and when I arrived at this place, I was almost overwhelmed with the beauty of the landscape. Come and have a look.

We normally go to Bagan Lalang for our grilled seafood. But still our family’s fav. is still Serkam Pantai or Sg. Duyung in Malacca. But honestly, nothing can beat Kang Guan restaurant at Carey Island for the best seafood ….. it’s definitely on top of my list  So, what’s your favourite seafood restaurant ?  

a curious case of Cassava

 

Back in old days, we had fried ubi kayu, ketuk-ketuk (boiled ubi kayu mixed with sugar and kelapa parut then deep friend in gold-ball size), boiled ubi kayu and sambal tumis ikan bilis, ikan masin goreng and kelapa parut for breakfast. For tea, we had bingka ubi and air gula ubi. These dishes seem unhealthy but they sound fitting to shore up depleted energy after we have to do some serious ‘tug-of-war’ pulling them out the grounds!

However, if we wondered a little bit on how our forefathers and mothers could survive on ubi kayu during “Zaman Penjajahan“, living life unmechanically improvised, we would realise that this plain, starchy ubi kayu is their real deal energy bar!

Thanks to Dr. Joseph Mercola, who unveils his new Energy Bar called Organic Cocoa Cassava today, I finally found answers to my curiosity.

“Tapioca is the third largest source of carbohydrates in the world and is a staple food for more than 500 million people. Among crop plants, the cassava plant provides the highest yield of food energy per cultivated area per day, next to sugarcane.

A recent study conducted in the Philippines (one of the countries where cassava is an important crop) looked into the effects of root crops and legumes in lowering cholesterol levels among humans with moderately-raised cholesterol levels.

The study showed that cassava significantly decreased total cholesterol levels, decreased low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (considered as “bad” cholesterol), and may help lower triglyceride levels due to its high total dietary fiber content.

Other studies show that cassava may help support the nervous system and help alleviate stress, anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome.

 Cassava flour does not contain gluten, an allergenic protein found in wheat, barley, oats and rye. It can be used by gluten intolerant people to replace wheat flour.

Cassava can also be used for French fries instead of potatoes”. This made me thinking why we opt for fibreless, nutritional deficient, chemical laden fries when we could always go for a fresher ubi kayu fries!

So, how about their leaves, that taste heavenly, cooked in rich coconut milk along with boiled mung beans, tinged with spicy bird eyes chillies, ikan bilis and shallots pounded together, or plainly appetising when they are boiled till tender and then dip in peanut sauce (uncooked sambal kacang)?

I found one research paper on their nutritional values. Surprisingly, they are high in proteins, minerals and vitamins, compared to other vegetables, Healthy-wise, they could be used to treat and prevent anaemia, protein and Vitamin A deficiencies.

My curious case of cassava has been answered and I hope you could see them in brighter, healthier light now.

How to Plant Tapioca?

• Tapioca can be planted at the end or at the beginning of the rainy season.  Tapioca planted during the end of the rainy season has less steady growth than that planted at the beginning of the rainy season especially when the long-stored stem is used.
• Tapioca grows well in land with depth and loose soil, with minimum weeds.
• Most varieties are recommended to harvest in 11-12 month maturity stage.
• The recommended spacing is 1 x 1 meter. Close spacing results in smaller roots and poorer yield.
• The cut-stem for planting has to be 20 centimeters long with more than 5 nodes, preferable from the middle of the original stem. When cutting from the original stem into planting stems, it should be made carefully - avoiding the damage of the nodes.
• When planting, the cut-stem should be put vertically at half depth of the stem into the ground. Make sure not to plant it upside down! (our Trainer Ian did that once!… ….).

 “Ms. Doolittle accidentally started her first garden at 4 when she saw little green sprouts emerged from the spot she pounded her Mak’s rotten red chilies weeks before while playing masak-masak. Since that Eureka moment, she finds her perfect self in a garden that feeds one’s soul, mind and body. For passion or ration, she believes gardening is life-changing.”

Growing Children Growing Garden

My Farm Fitness’s co-owner, Ms. Doolittle will be my guest-blogger this week where she will post various interesting stories on organic farming and gardening, including her own experience of growing the vegetables in pots. She is very concerned that the public should have the knowledge of where their food comes from.

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a radiant sunset in kapas

I hardly been to this part of the island before. Most of the time, I ended up at bigger resorts near the main jetty of Kapas Island.  And when I arrived at this place, I was almost overwhelmed with the beauty of its seascape fronting our humble Makcik Gemuk Chalets.

I was very happy to be there, to capture a most radiant sunset that appeared quite surreal.  It’s always a great feeling to be in the right place at the right time with camera in hand.  Kash, Kabus and me exchanged hands taking shots of this radiant sunset using my Olympus miu Tough. Enjoy!

A visit to Organic Day

Past few weekends, I went to SS2 Petaling Jaya to attend an Organic Day carnival organized by the Centre for Environment, Technology and Development of Malaysia (CETDEM). Founded in 1985, CETDEM is an independent, non-profit, training, research, consultancy, referral, and development organization. It is committed to improving environmental quality through the appropriate use of technology and sustainable development.

Organic farming is gaining popularity in Malaysia today, partly due to the effect of CETDEMs Organic Farm which operated for some 10 years at Sungai Buloh. What began as a one-acre experiment in 1987 grew well enough to be a proven venture. The small farm was growing vegetables and fruits, without the use of any chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. CETDEM decided that with its limited resources, it has to spread the good philosophy and practice of organic farming and kitchen gardening. The practical experiences learnt need to be shared, more so when there is an urgent need to increase the quality and quantity of organic produce in the Malaysian market. It also has become a learning environment, where many classes and workshops are offered to adults and children, as well.

There were many stalls at the carnival. Both, wifey and I had great time buying many great products and listening to free talks on organic farming, sustainable development and such. Please enjoy this little tour.

Note : Next Organic Day is scheduled on 4 July 2010.

Aside :

My Farm Fitness’s co-owner, Fisha a.k.a. Ms. Doolittle will be my guest-blogger next week where she will post various interesting stories on organic farming / gardening, including her own experience of growing the vegetables in pots. She is very concerned that the public should have the knowledge of where their food comes from. This is the best time to ask her questions and she’ll try to answer it.

 

CA supports Earth Hour

You can VOTE EARTH by switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour. That’s  tonight (Saturday), March 27, 2010 at 8.30pm.

See your world in a whole new light

www.earthhour.org

Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of climate change issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a voice on the future of our planet and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future for our planet.

Why Should I Vote Earth?

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s second global election, between Earth and Global Warming. People of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference. This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against Global Warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2010, and this number is growing everyday. We all have a vote, and every single vote counts.

Corporate Athletes supports all ‘green’ efforts to ensure that the place that we live-in will be a better place for all of us, and for future generations. CA will continue its campaign to  reduce its carbon footprint as much as it can, especially in its PT programs (and also other CA’s products).  One of the ways that it can be done is through the use of  parks (already very common to my clients) as opposed to big gymnasiums with high electricity usage. CA has also shared the idea of exercising outdoor through one of its projects; The Wild Gym.

As training will never come complete with nutrition, CA is also promoting organic living (and fitness too) through its very own Farm Fitness. Our seeds collection are packed in 100% recycled papers. Do make sure that you check out on the updates of these projects to learn more on various ways to ’stay closer’ to nature.

I am committed on these campaigns, and I really hope that you are too . Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations. Save Earth !

NOTE : To those who are participating in the Energiser Night Race (ENR) and Kenyir Triathlon this weekend, good luck to all of you. I’ll be bringing a collapsible cup to the ENR tonite to avoid consuming too many polystrene or paper cups at the water stations. Run yourself ‘green’ and have fun!

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