Myself in Cameron Highlands

I’ve always liked Cameron Highlands. The fresh air, the cool temperature (and it was really cold!), the lush vegetation, the many fruits and vegetables to buy, the good food and many more.

But – it’s not the destination. It’s the journey there. The road up from Simpang Pulai is a drifter’s paradise. Sharp corners, hairpin loops, uphill curves – wow! It’s certainly a good getaway from the stresses of the modern world.

As you ascend Cameron Highlands from Simpang Pulai (40mins leisure drive), you’ll get to see many fascinating sights like the Orang Asli (aborigine) huts and many hydroponic or strawberry farms.

Orang Asli hut by the side of the road. These abrogines usually sell fruits or vegetables.

Strawberry farm

Yes, Cameron Highlands is home to Boh Tea, Malaysia’s very own tea brand. The vast Boh Tea estate with its miles and miles of tea plants as far as the eye can see. You can even have tea, scones and other cakes at the Boh Tea education & recreational centre.

Have a bite of delicious muffins and down it with hot tea!

Apart from that, there’s a speciality tea shop in town, or Brinchang. Yes, the two major towns are Brinchang (at the peak) and Tanah Rata (translated – “Flat Land” about 5km away from Brinchang.

Food wise, Cameron Highlands give you an array of delicious foods. You can go for traditional Chinese, Malay or Indian fare. In Tanah Rata there is a German restaurant that serves non-halal (non-kosher) food.

Vast selection of teas from a specialty tea shop in Brinchang

For me, I’d rather go for the “steamboat” accompanied by various freshly plucked vegetables and meats (halal and non-halal are available). The thrill is in placing the ingredients in yourself and waiting patiently for it to boil. Tanah Rata has a bus station and opposite it is a row of shops that offer really delicious foods whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And yes – they also have nice “mamak” shops for you to enjoy good tea on cold mornings or nights.

If you enjoy nature, you are sure to enjoy the plants! Indeed, there is a Rose Garden here with a rich showcase of roses, orchids and other plants. Not to mention peculiar vegetables too!

Colourful plants, rare orchids and peculiar vegetables

Accommodation is a plenty here. In Brinchang alone, you can find many hotels, motels and affordable night stays from as low as RM60 on weekdays and non-peak season. The Century Pines Resort in Tanah Rata is not bad. For slightly over RM200, you’ll get a nice, clean stay but I can’t say much about the breakfast though. It’s just short of being pathetic. The Country Lodge resort is not bad too. Its been refurbished recently and the good thing about it is its proximity to the town centre. The downside is you’ll be hearing the noisy hustle and bustle of the activities, be it construction work-in-progress or from the noisy morning and night market.

The Country Lodge Resort in Brinchang

Good food, nice getaway and cool highland atmosphere is what you get here in Cameron Highlands. Although I still prefer Fraser’s Hill for its tranquillity, Cameron Highlands has its attraction and there are more things to do here than Fraser’s Hill.

Freshly cooked vegetables from the Water Cress Restaurant, Brinchang

Then one night, he chanced upon a singer who according to Sung Bong – sang with sincerity. That changed his life and he wanted to pursue a singing career. His passion for singing brought him to a kind teacher, Mr Jung So Park who gave him once a month singing lessons for free. In return, Sung Bong helped out with the household chores.

His first audition touched the hearts of the audience and judges on “Korea’s Got Talent”, and nearly 11,600,000 viewers on youtube. He was clearly slated to win but alas – he managed to secure only the 1st runner up. All expenses to the competition was borne by him and after the contest, he was left with a mere US 40 cents, Tinnitus (a ringing in the ear disorder caused by an earlier accident).

That got us to embark on a Facebook Campaign –> /www.facebook.com/groups/nellafantasia/ to help him out.

This is a brand new group page.

We were parked in an earlier Facebook Fan Page. Somehow, our postings went missing and spammers, seeing the popularity of that page started coming in.

The "Hands across the world for Choi Sung Bong" campaign

I felt I had to help in the way I could – through my writing and video editing skills. You can see some of them on the Facebook fan page.

I was pleasantly surprised that Sung Bong took the time to write me a personal thank you note. Was I happy to receive it!

Sung-Bong wrote. "Hello, Mark Kay. Thank you for your thoughts and cheering for me. If there's a chance , let's meet!"

Getting a personal note from such a humble person like Sung Bong was wonderful! Thank you, Sung Bong – for knowing that you have me and many, many others around the world to support you. We want you to get better, come out with a CD and you’ll never have to walk alone again!

Sung Bong has a PayPal account which you can help contribute towards his needs. Please help ensure that he never has to go back to selling gums. The account is:

sung-bongchoi@live.co.kr

Below are some photos Sung Bong taken with his mentor and teacher, Mr Jung So Park. He was about 14.

My contributions to promote better awareness for Sung Bong:

An ethereal setting befitting a Nella Fantasia

A fantasy that will become a reality soon

By the way, the PayPal promotion works. Check out our Facebook page to hee Sung Bong’s letters and appreciation — /www.facebook.com/groups/nellafantasia/. Here’s the proof:

Choi Sung who? If you don’t know who am I talking about then chances are you must be living in Pluto. 11,000,000 people have heard and seen him sing on “Korea’s Got Talent.” He was rooted to be the champion but things usually don’t happen much as we expect them to.

I have always believed that everything happens for a reason. When you’re number 2, the road ahead to being number 1 makes it even more exciting, more rewarding. I take it like me on my mountain races. I don’t like being in the lead because of the tremendous pressure I’ll feel having another car pushing me ahead. You’ll need to go faster and faster until you reach a burnout point.

I am not going to delve on Choi Sung Bong’s sad story. You know that already. What I am going to say here is: what are we going to do about it. How are we going to help him. Visit www.facebook.com/pages/Choi-Sung-Bong-Fan-Page/ and you’ll find just about what you can and should do in the deepest recesses of your heart.

That’s what Wikipedia says.

Ever since when I was young, I was taught to hold three joss sticks when praying. Whether to the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin) or Buddha, it was always with joss sticks. Or the better term is incense.

When I demanded the rationale for this, I was simply told that the ‘sweet’ aroma will carry along with your ‘wishes’ into the air, and directly presented to the Gods themselves.

How true is it I don’t know. In my later years, as a Buddhist and learning meditation – I discovered that we don’t need joss sticks or incense to ‘carry’ our wishes. The Chinese practice of using joss sticks to pray is the result of the intermingling of Buddhism with Taoism. And when the devotees pray, you can be sure they’ll be asking for favours from the Gods. Some pray for health. Some for wealth, while some pray for earthly achievements.

Some also go to the extent of making an agreement with the celestial beings. A barter trade of sorts. Like “if you make my wishes come true, I will buy a goat or other offerings for you”.

In Buddhism, we believe in mental energy. It is that state of mind that materialises your aspirations. Simple – if you think you can achieve it, you certainly can. It is a fact that the powers of the universe are there for your taking – provided you know what to do. ‘Wishing’ has a probability of both success and failure. A positive state of mind has a higher rate of success. No one can help you but yourself, and only you yourself can tap into the powers of the universe – not greed or delusion.

What about the burning of effigies or paper money, mobile phone or house for the departed? Does it work? I won’t comment but one thing I can say, action begins from a seed of thought. Mental thoughts are energy and ‘ghosts’ (I rather use the term “unseen beings”) are products of the departed beings’ Karma. Like living beings, they need help too but help is not dished out materialistically. It is through mental energy, through aspirations that the unseen beings can receive help.

Many years ago my meditation master was meditating alone in the jungle. Inside his mind, he saw a couple with their two children prostrating in front of him. He tried to dismiss the image by acknowledging it as a thought but it wouldn’t go away. He then shared his good merits — by good actions of his past – - donating to charity or meditation — to the unseen beings. To his amazement, the beings prostrated three times to him and disappeared.

Buddhism is a journey towards discovering the truth by yourself. The Chinese tradition of praying with joss sticks has been handed down generations after generations. I can’t and won’t comment whether it works or not but I know the power of positive thoughts, actions and as for unseen beings – they do exist and I have taken a picture of them (yes, THEM). You can find that post on this blog.

Mr Chong Yoon Yen

At first glance, you’ll be amazed at Mr Chong’s frame. He’s well-built (kinda reminds me of a Wrestler or body builder) and his fingers are humongous!

According to him, his healing methods are simple: Qigong with in-born healing powers and a keen understanding of the human skeletal structure.

I visited him for my third treatment. My back is getting better. No more pain and no more tossing and turning around on my bed due to the bad back. According to him, the discs at the back (L1 & L2) are somewhat off alignment and all he did was to align it – using the healing powers of nature.

Consider this: no surgery, no pills to pop. No side effects. Only RM40 per session. And it works. Ahh yes – you’ll have your injury plastered with a herbal concoction and that’s it.

My eldest son’s coccyx or ‘tail bone’ was hurt when his school mate pushed him against a wall. He had been complaining of a stabbing pain when standing from a seating position. And only after one visit – he was healed completely. Amazing!

And testimony to this are the number of people waiting patiently for their turn – some who have been waiting as early as 9am. You’ll have to take the number once inside his clinic. Better yet – give him a call to make your appointment.

So if you’ve been complaining of back pains, dislocated bones or sprains and are seeking a proven, natural way to treat your pain – do contact Mr Chong at 019-336 6718.

Here’s the location & address:

Directions to Mr Chong's clinic in SEA Park, Petaling Jaya

The address is:
37 Jalan 21/17, SEA Park, Petaling Jaya.

I think I’ve blogged before about various Traditional Chinese treatments but this one takes the cake.

I first heard about Mr Chong Yoon Yen from a couple of my good buddies. They told me he is good, and better than the physiotherapists in modern day hospitals. When I heard about his treatments – no acupuncture, no herbs, no needles… sure I was sceptical. But I needed treatment, and I was willing to go it a go.

MY AILMENT
About three years ago, I felt this pain in my lower back. I’ve subjected myself to many traditional treatments – massage, acupuncture, acupressure, F.I.R (Far Infra Red) light therapy – nothing worked.

You may remember I blogged on an acupuncturist from Klang. Well – that did offer temporary relief and the pain came back again.

Mr Chong examined me and told me that lower lumbar discs, L1 & L2 were slightly off  or misaligned. That accounts for the pain especially during sleep.

WHAT HE DID
Mr Chong used his Qi (Chi) to push the discs back into place. While doing it, I could hear him breathing in & out rapidly to distribute Qi into the affected part. I felt a tingling sensation and warmth spreading throughout my entire back. After that he used a plaster with traditional Chinese herbs to cover the affected parts.

Total time taken: 10 minutes

But to wait for your turn could take you hours as there are many patients from all walks of life, all races waiting for their turn.

HOW I GOT TO KNOW ABOUT MR CHONG
My supper buddy Terry suffered a stroke about 2 months back. He went home one day feeling exhausted and dozed off in his armchair. Then his mobile rang and woke him up. He reached out for the phone but couldn’t even lift his arm.

He was warded in a local Specialist hospital in Sunway and was told to rest and go for physiotherapy.

After spending 3 days in the hospital he decided to seek Mr Chong’s help. In just 3 therapy sessions Terry could regain control of his arm again although the skin on his palm (on the affected arm) peeled off.

CONCLUSION
Invasive treatments and popping medications are not for me. I believe in holistic treatments and after my second session I could already feel the relief.

I cannot guarantee Mr Chong’s treatment nor can I say he is a quack. At RM45 a treatment session – I can safely say that it worked for me.

WHAT ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM?
Mr Chong’s business card says “bone setting, sprains, dislocation” but he does more than that. If you are seeking for traditional treatments using Qi and proven ancient Chinese methods – do give it a try. So far I’ve heard people suffering from slipped discs, stroke, bone dislocation giving positive reviews about him.

HOW TO CONTACT HIM
Call Mr Chong at 019-3366718 to make an appointment. Be forewarned that you have to wait your turn as there are many patients right from 9am till 11pm.

Address: 37, Jalan 21/17, SEA Park, PJ.

Opening hours:
9:00am – 6:00pm (Mon-Fri), 9:00am – 2:00pm (Saturdays)
Closed on Sundays & public holidays.

That’s a rather vague comment but nonetheless I’d like to instead say “do not allow your emotions blind you into thinking you’re doing good.”

Years ago I saw a beggar who asked me for money. I gave him RM1.00. I thought he needed the money for his lunch as he kept rubbing his tummy. The next thing I knew, he was seated in the same coffee shop as I was, with a small bottle of Guinness Stout on his table.

Now let’s take the case of fake Buddhist monks. They stand outside in crowded places with their alms bowl asking for donations. In return they give you a trinket or maybe a ‘blessing.’ What would you do if you found out the so-called ‘monk’ needs the money to support his drug habit? Buy a bottle of beer perhaps?

Whatever it is – giving them money is actually ENCOURAGING them to be there tomorrow, the day after and month after month. They have normal hands & feet. They can walk. They are in no way physically challenged. So why not get gainful employment?

Remember most of these people are illegal immigrants, much like the infamous Nigerian scammers that prey on you online.

I’ve said it before that I won’t blog about Sepang Goldcoast. Looks like I need to bend the rules a bit this time. My blog stats show that the most read posts are about Sepang Goldcoast.

I’ve written a lot of positive reviews about this place but that was BEFORE the villas were opened to the public. I was writing for them for a while, and decided to give it up when the person in charge of A&P didn’t even know whether he was coming or going.

So, is Sepang Goldcoast coming to be what it claimed to be. Or is it going to be just another hype?

Truth to be told, it certainly is a great place to go visit. I have not spent a night there. Somehow the management didn’t see fit to allow me to spend a night there for reasons best known to them. In my opinion, you want good reviews written, you just have to let writers or bloggers experience a night’s stay.

What I’ve written in my other posts are from first hand experience. Visiting the original site before the villas were officially opened to the public. A time when the people there were much friendlier, and more professional.

The sea water is nothing much to shout about, and that’s just about how much I can say. But if you really want crystal clear waters, you shouldn’t be here. You’d be better off going island hopping – Redang or Perhentian Islands. No kidding, you can see right through the waters until the sea bed, a distance of about 30 feet below. I’ve been there and I know.

Sepang Goldcoast is for you to relax and unwind. It has its own unique attraction. Its natural setting is beautiful. Just look at the picture above sans photoshop. The evenings are really beautiful here. And I think that’s where the compliments end.

I guess Malaysia has still a long way to go before they really can embrace true hospitality the way Thailand does. From proper etiquette, manners, politeness – we are light years away. Sincerity is missing, along with true hospitality. The hotel staff needs to go for a course in human relations, and proper English lessons if they want to be a hotel that boasts 5-star ratings.

So… is it really worth going?

Yes, if and only if you intend to visit the resort, maybe grab a bite or two and hit the road back home. I think what you will be paying for a night’s stay doesn’t really justify your expectations. Food? I’ll get better food at Tanjung Sepat, about 20km further. It has old world charm and the food is really value-for-money.

Do go to Sepang Goldcoast if you haven’t been there. If you have, I’d still encourage you to go there again. It’s really a great place to spend the day with the family.

Don’t expect blue sea water and compare it with the likes of Redang Island. This is the Straits of Malacca, mind you. Don’t expect the sort of service you get from the likes of JW Marriot or the Ritz Carlton.

Expect the unexpected and you’ll do just fine.

Maybe I should go bug the management for a night’s stay to really write what I think I ought to. Maybe.

In Asia, there are some wealthy Chinese businessmen who can trade the price of a new Mercedes for a really old Thai Buddhist amulet. Some say these amulets do have protective powers. The notorious “Botak Chin” who terrorized Kuala Lumpur in the late 70s was said to have many Thai amulets worn around his neck. These, according to people who knew him – ‘protects’ him from bullets. So much for bullets. In the end, he died in the gallows.

When I was a very young boy (maybe 4 or 5 years old), my family home was situated just next to a rubber estate in Segamat, Johore. That rubber estate has since made way for development. It is now Taman Hijau if you care to know.

Anyway – way back then, for a couple of nights in a row in my room – I’d cry the moment my mum turned off the lights and left the room. Weird sounds of the Malay “kompang” would fill the air the moment my mum left the room. No kidding! And when my perplexed mum came back into the room, turned on the lights – the sounds would just mysteriously disappear. And so it was like a cat and mouse game. Mum turns off the lights, sounds come on & vice versa.

The next few days, my mum brought me to see this medium who went into a trance. Apparently, the rubber estate where I’d love to go a-wandering in the day was home to the “datok’s” grandchildren (for the uninitiated, a “datok” is like a guardian spirit. Its other form is said to be a white tiger spirit). And somehow, the grandchildren took a liking on me and decided I’d become their playmate. Their presence is usually accompanied by the sounds of the Malay ‘kompang’ (traditional Malay drum with shallow frame drum with a goat or cow hide skin nailed to the wooden frame by metal nails).

A couple of talismen seemed to do the trick. The taoist talismen are usually small pieces of yellow or green paper with words written with a Chinese brush by the “god” that is temporarily inside the medium’s body. These talismen can be worn on you (rolled into a small object, placed inside a metal holder and worn around the neck), or consumed. Yes – you need only burn it, add some water, and drink it like tea. It is said to give you ‘power’ over the spirits that roam near you.

Fast forward to the early 90s. I was a beginner in Vipassana meditation. My parents went to Northeast Thailand and brought me a talisman with an image of a revered Thai monk. That I wore around my neck.

And this is where the teachings of the Buddha come in. Logical, straightforward and makes you feel like a fool sometimes. My meditation master saw my talisman and decided to rattle my brains.

“What are you wearing that for?” He asked.
“To protect me against ghosts and spirits”, I replied.

“So you have must have seen a ghost and other spirits before?” He asked again.”
I replied in the negative.

“If you haven’t seen any ghosts or spirits before, then how do you know this talisman can protect you against things that you have not encountered?”

Good question. Good answer!

I hastily replied, “errrr… to bring me good luck”. I somehow knew what was coming.

“So you are going through bad luck now, is it?”

The fact is, we don’t need amulets, trinkets and charms or whatnots to protect us. These are inanimate objects. The true protectors of ourselves ARE simply, our selves! Good luck? Try thinking positively and the law of attraction will come into play. Ghosts? If you are walking through a deserted, haunted looking place in the middle of the night – and you think there are ghosts around – THERE WILL BE GHOSTS around. What your mind creates, your mind will also help materialize!

For good luck, try the metta sutta or in English, the loving kindness sutra. It calms your mind, brings tranquillity to your surroundings and attracts good “Qi”.

Hang on there – normal? What’s normal anyway?

Autistic children experience the world differently from the way most other children do. They find it difficult to express themselves and talk to other people using words. Most of the time – they keep to themselves and can’t communicate without special help.

Normal sounds may also bother the austistic child, and even a mere touch may make them feel uncomfortable.

In our ‘normal’ world – we look at these children with sympathy. Some even go as far as to label them physically or mentally challenged. How I deplore these terminologies.

They are not, I repeat – ARE NOT mentally or physically challenged. We are born as a result of our karma. But it’s not my intention to dwell on Buddhist theories here.

All children are born special. And all are born precious. Some opine that autistic children are the result of dysfunctional genes. Others, especially the superstitious believe in the hocus pocus. Whatever theory they may form it doesn’t matter. Really.

What really matters is what are you going to do about it. Period.

The interesting fact is this revelation I got from a learned monk and after hours of scouring the Internet:Wikipedia postulates that autistic children are claimed to possess special, unusual and/or supernatural traits or abilities. The New Age concept developed by Nancy Ann Tappe in the 70s suggests that these autistic children are simply the next stage in human evolution, possessing paranormal abilities. They are more empathic, more creative and have a role to play in our world, our time.

Enter the 2012 prophecy. These children are thought to be instrumental in leading us into the New Age, after the so-called ‘end of the world’.

These are just theories and again, without substance.

What we must do is to emphatize with these children. To reach out and give a helping hand. It doesn’t cost much really. Think of how much we have wasted on ourselves. In our homes. Our cars. Now think just how much we need to do just to bring a smile to the faces of these special children.

My hometown is Segamat in the state of Johor. We experienced the worst flood in late January. Houses and roads were submerged under water. Economic losses were substantial. But these ‘normal’ people have the resources to build back what they have lost.

Not the autistic children.

The NASOM or National Autism Association of Malaysia in Segamat’s centre was literally wiped out. Everything has been damaged by the floods. Associations like these depend very much on charity. These children need beds, food, warmth, care and most of all – education. Readers who want to know more about NASOM can visit www.nasom.com.my.

If you can help, no matter how mig or small your contribution is – in cash or kind – that small gesture can make a big difference to these special children.

They didn’t choose to be born this way. But we can choose to make a difference to their lives.

If you are interested to know about indigo children, and are they here to save the world, do read http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/12/fashion/thursdaystyles/12INDIGO.html?ei=5088&en=277fb750ad762ed9&ex=1294722000&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all