We started off our day with a beautiful Dim Sum breakfast. I expected already a good meal while the place was full of Chinese. Beside the green tea we enjoyed several dumplings, steam rolls and other sumptuous small dishes for just 16 RM(3 EUR) for 2 persons.Today Dave expected a lovely cyclist couple from Australia, Rowan and Kate. As fellow Aussies we had much to talk about and they came on an impressive tandem. Rowan loves spicy food and seems to immerse very quickly in the Malaysian culture. Kate has been to numerous countries in Europe and SE Asia; she is even raised in Hong KOng.
Beer games a la Malaysia
Dave's friend invited us to join them for a beer competition. His nickname was the "Mafia boss" and naughty David bragged to him that I would drink him under the table:-). The Malaysian beer is very similar to American or Australian canned beer, low alcohol level but contains large bubbles. I can drink German or Irish beer very well despite of their higher alcohol percentage but the gas bubbles are really fine. So after just drinking half of the pint my stomach was so bloated that I couldn't finish most of the drinks.
The locals must have considered me crazy because it is still considered not normal for a lady to drink in this culture. So I was standing in front of the restaurant offering free beer to every male who passed by:-))). They were so generous, invited us to braised pork leg and ocra vegies. I tried nearly forcefully to put money into their pocket but apparently they were not drunk enough to put it back on the table.
Being still a bit bloated and dead-tired we visited Dave's friend who owns a bike shop and he showed us his huge collection of classical old bikes.
Visiting Dave's family in beautiful Laketown in the Taiping area
This was probably the highlight of the day and Dave invited us three to his family to join the Thaiponggol celebrations. We felt a little bit like intruders because we didn't find time to bring anything nice for them as a token of appreciation. Dave was very good at making us more comfortable and told us they would look forward to meeting international travelers. Indeed we hoped that the best present we could bring would be our presence and stories.
We drove into the more mountainous area of Bukit Merah into a small town called Laketown. It is a beautiful place by the Lake, quite expensive and the recreation area for local Malay people. I think it wouldn't take too long until tourist managers will market this place to a more international target audience. Dave's family rented a beautiful townhouse directly by the lake.
What a lovely family and so welcoming! Dave's brother is very well-read and therefore a fountain of information about what happened in the Malaysian history. He told us interesting facts about how the Indians came to Malaysia in the early 19th century. We shifted to the more current affairs in Malaysia but at the same time he was very curious about what happened in other countries.
Of course they prepared delicious food for us and just name it: homemade nasi lemak with pandan leaves, chicken curry, egg curry which was basically just the entree. While they were preparing chicken for the BBQ, Dave took us to Laketown which would not be half as interesting if I came with a tour group. Coming home the BBQ chicken was ready and they served a hot Tom Yam soup. Yummy and thank you for your hospitality and lovely company. The memories are unforgettable!!!
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