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A Year of Living Awesomely
  • Lynne Schroeder
  • Richard Schroeder
  • Lynne Schroeder
  • Richard Schroeder

A Year of Living Awesomely

In which we take our last big trip. SE Asia and Europe Read more
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  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Not Shopping

    January 29, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    The one thing we have had difficulty finding is places to shop for basic items. So we’re heading to a megamall to see what we can find there. We’re actually unsurprised to discover, well nothing. Oh there are plenty of boutiques, phone shops, cosmetics and the like. But something like a budget homewares store for instance, still remains an undiscovered mystery.

    Still, it is mildly interesting comparing differences and similarities to what we’re familiar with. Many familiar stores and brands and often quirky differences. And then we take a turn down a different branch of the mall and find ourselves in a labyrinth of completely different stores. Spice stores, food stores, clothing stores, all aimed at a completely different culture and demographic to the shiny, mirrored stores in the rest of the centre.

    We find the food during our exploration and decide to grab an early lunch. The chicken hotpot looks amazing and it’s only 9.50RM ($3.50) and large enough to share    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Monkeys at the Fort

    January 30, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Not very far from us but a little too far to walk, St John’s Fort straddles a hill. It dates from the days of the Portuguese and underwent a number of transformations with each occupation that ensued. Now the trees have grown up around it so the remaining guns no longer command an uninterrupted view in all directions.

    We had the place to ourselves, apart from a small group of lively monkeys occupying the nearest treetops. And they didn’t even try to rob us!

    For dinner we tried a different food centre we just discovered. Newton food centre is only about a 10 minute walk and has mainly Chinese and Nonya foods. We had barbecued chicken wings, satay sticks, rice and Portuguese tarts. A well balanced meal.

    Livestream of the fort: https://www.youtube.com/live/fqRbbD4AkCw?si=aPE…    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Being Guided

    January 31, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    I joined a free city walking tour today. Booked via the same organisation I was doing Sydney tours for, Guruwalk. I met Imran at the appointed location, beneath a tree outside the Christ Church in Dutch Square. We were joined by two young solo travelers, Rohim from London and Guel from the far north of Germany.

    Imran was fabulous, animated and passionate, he really helped bring context and clarity to some of the streets I had already walked along. We gained insights into distinguishing the Dutch built houses from the others, learned the reasons for some of the distinguishing features of the Peranakan houses and saw the remains of the bridge destroyed by the Australians to slow down the Japanese during World War 2.

    We finished, well I finished as the others were going on to climb a big hill with lots of stairs, at a cafe near the riverwalk with iced coffee. I may have gained two new fans for the beverage.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Ruins and Relics, Exploring the Past

    February 1, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    To say that Melaka has a colourful history is to state it mildly. Indications of former occupations can be seen in abundance, once you know where to look. We took a Grab to the district where there are several historic sites in a bit of a cluster.

    Porta de Santiago is the only remnant of the old city wall that remains. Beyond the gate a set of stairs leads to the top of the hill, Bukit Melaka atop which sits the ruins of the Church of Saint Paul. But before we tackle those we head for the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum. This is a full scale replica of how the original Sultanate Palace would have looked at the time of the Portuguese invasion in the early 16th century. It is home to artefacts that represent different eras since that time. There are costumes, hats, weapons, jewellery, porcelain and dioramas depicting different scenes from history. There is also a recreation of the Royal bed chamber and one of the Sultan’s meeting hall. A fascinating collection and the first entry fee we’ve paid since our journey began.

    We then head for the stairs and climb to the top of the hill.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Getting the Footage

    February 2, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    This morning was spent walking back over previously traveled paths camera and gimbal in hand, recording scenes I had failed to get previously. I was dropped off at the bottom of Bukit Melaka and made my way to the Stadthuys entrance. I walked down in Dutch Square, along the River Walk, along Harmony Street then down Jonker Street and managed to record about 90 minutes of footage. Now to put it all together.

    Dinner this evening was at a Chinese place around the corner from us. Chinese only menu. We chose from photos, a fried noodle and prawns, and a noodle soup with pork belly. Close, air conditioned and really good food all for about $13 with drinks.

    The Dutch Square and Riverside Walk: https://www.youtube.com/live/97l0mCSi14k?si=4Q8…    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Drums and Dragons

    February 3, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    We have seen posters advertising Chinese New Year events at a shopping mall with five different events listed for today. I have tried without luck to search online for times but came up empty handed. I have a livestream practice run at 9:30 for a tour I’m hosting tomorrow with another guide as my guest and then I head off in the hope of catching at least some of them.

    Arriving before 11:00 I immediately spot several dancers with telltale “lion” legs and conclude my arrival is timely. Making a bee-line for the information counter I notice the centre stage bedecked in red and gold with around a dozen lion heads lined up neatly in a row waiting for their legs to turn up.

    It turns out nothing is going to happen before 12:00 with the main show really not scheduled until 1:00. He neglected to tell me about the half hour of speeches in between those times.

    I kill an hour sitting, wandering, taking pics of drummers practicing and props being put together before claiming a position at a table in a cafe on the mezzanine level.

    It was a fabulous show with drummers, lion dancers, lion acrobat on stilts, face-changing opera. All in all, five performances and all I had to do was sit on two cups of tea for two hours to hold my table. Actually Richard arrived halfway through the speeches and we ordered a meal to share.

    We returned to the Newton Food Centre for dinner because it’s cheap and the food is so good.

    All the fun of Lunar New Year: https://www.youtube.com/live/CrXYOi7GsxY?si=jO0…    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Sabroso!

    February 4, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    First up this morning is a virtual meetup with Matthew, a fellow YouTuber and former Heygo guide based in Hong Kong. It was fun to get our combined community together and share our adventures and plans. I think our viewers enjoyed it. I did.

    We had plans to head in to Jonker Street for the night food markets tonight so knowing we would be eating later than usual we opted for the buffet lunch to see us through. When 7:00 came we debated the plan and weighed up the pros and cons. The cons included big crowds (we’re not fans), and closed roads meaning traffic congestion. And we have been in once before.

    So we opted for dinner at the Portuguese Settlement instead. We’d been planning to return but were going to make it our last night before shifting apartments. No big deal. To avoid the touters to the best of our ability we skirted around the perimeter of the car park and walked along the waterfront to the Jetty Bar first. Mostly successful.

    A pleasant drink watching the sky at sunset and then to the serious business of choosing somewhere to eat. We had read about the fresh shellfish stand so go over to investigate. Alongside the most enormous oysters I have ever seen were some unusual looking shells which we were told are a kind of scallop.

    We order six medium sized oysters fresh with just one of the gigantic scallops to give it a try. The oysters were beautiful. The scallops I wouldn’t rush back for.

    Still feeling hungry we decide to return to the place we went to the last time we came. The beer is cheap, the food is good and no harassment to get you through the door. While I was making a comfort call Richard got chatting with a guy at the next table. It turned out that every person in the place apart from us was friends or family of the owner, Kenny. By the end of the meal we had all their names, a group shot and a recommendation to return on Sunday for "Intrude", a festival where apparently everyone douses each other with water before the beginning of Lent. Thanks to Andy, Oswan, Karen, Leanne, Veronica and Catherine, and of course Kenny.

    Oh, and Sabroso? Means "tasty".    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Massage, Mochi and Malady

    Feb 5–7, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    A couple of days appear to have blurred into one here. About the only thing remarkable about Monday was going for another massage. This time she was a little bit brutal and although I realise I’ll feel better in a couple of days, I don’t have the same euphoria I had after the last one.

    On our way back from lunch we called in to the min-mart for some snacks and spotted durian ice cream. We decided now is as good a time as any to give it a try and put on our courage badges.

    Well I don’t know if it was the durian mochi or just a late adjustment to the region but by Tuesday evening my stomach literally exploded laying me out for almost 24 hours. We had walked the 10 minutes or so up to the Newton Food Centre when I felt a sudden desire to return to the apartment. Between multiple bathroom visits I spent the next 12 hours in bed.

    Today’s pic is just because    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Cruising. Inelegantly.

    February 8, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    Our new apartment is on the first floor of a resort style complex with palm trees and a series of pools at the centre. Part of the complex is a hotel which is currently closed. There is also a minimart, closed, and a gym, closed. We are across the road from a large mall, the one in fact where we watched the Chinese New Year events a few days ago. The apartment itself is actually someone’s home, vacated for our stay, so it’s very homey.

    We been left an assortment of bakery items as well as a rather impressive cake topped with fruit in the fridge. The bed has been attacked with kitsch, including rose petals and balloons.

    All of this of course was discovered yesterday on arrival but as I am still recovering from gastro I barely managed to watch a bit of TV and crawl into bed. We are relieved to learn that the Airbnb listing inaccurately described the property as having no wifi.

    I rise early to deliver a less than perfect livestream and we head out for a breakfast I have no enthusiasm for. Still haven’t found a neighbourhood fruit market.

    Our plan for this evening is to head across the road to the food court for an early dinner before making our way to the river to join a sunset river cruise. It’s all walkable, just two short legs.

    After trying four places I manage to get a chicken and vegetable soup which was exactly what I needed. Light and gentle on the stomach.

    We head off in the direction of the river cruise ticket office, cross the busy road, weave our way through a car park and a park, step down onto the road to avoid an obstacle and down I went! Well this good, isn’t it! I test my ankle which is ballooning beautifully and decide I can walk on it. It’s about 200 metres.

    We did the river cruise which was lovely, then take a Grab back home. By this time I’m in a fair bit of pain and barely hobbling to get from the car to the apartment. All we have is a cold tin of iced coffee. It will have to do.

    Melaka River at Sunset: https://www.youtube.com/live/gzcg944qgNM?si=AIf…    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Going Up

    February 9, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    So I really did a good job on myself yesterday! Not only have I sprained my ankle, I have seriously jarred my knee as well and experiencing pain even just rolling over in bed.

    We take a Grab to breakfast and then another on to the Menara Taming Sari, the tower with the observation deck. But this is no ordinary observation deck. It is boarded at ground level where everyone is seated facing outwards, the whole deck is raised to its full 110 metre height slowly rotating as it does so. It’s called a gyro tower and there aren’t all that many around, mostly in the US I believe.

    We spend the remainder of the day doing very little. I have an ankle to nurse.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Intrudu Festival

    February 11, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    After a video call to Lauren who was out in the middle of nowhere on a work site in WA, to wish her happy birthday, we head out to breakfast. I felt like a change today and chose the Roti Tisu, an impressive looking conical crepe that is slightly sweet but still served with the usual dahl.

    We are off to the festival called “Intrudu” today, a cleansing festival before lent. Everyone sprays water over each other and there are big containers of water conveniently placed so that refilling of armoury is accomplished easily.

    Bumped into an Aussie couple who had previously lived in Malaysia for 12 years mostly under the MM2H program.

    Had a video call with Natalie later in the afternoon before heading out for dinner.

    See highlights from the Intrude Festival: https://youtu.be/Pcm2-47SyA8?si=3B3a5Nj-fPhEcpzQ    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Travelling North

    February 12, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Today is a travel day. We leave Melaka for Ipoh. We have tickets for a train from Kuala Lumpur but we have to get there first. We have booked a bus from Melaka Sentral that leaves at 9:15. It will arrive in Seremban around 10:30 - 10:45. We could have taken a bus through to KL but there are no toilets on board so we decided to break the journey. Our onward bus is scheduled to depart at 12:00. It arrives late and doesn’t leave until almost 1:00.

    By this time I am becoming a bit anxious as I have it in my mind that the train leaves at 3:00. The bus will arrive at KL airport around 2:00 and we still need to get a train to KL Sentral, another hour. I double check the ticket and am elated to discover our train isn’t until 5:00.

    We arrive in KL Sentral at almost dead on 3:00 (we would have definitely missed that train) and go in search of food. There is a huge shopping mall attached with something like four floors of eateries. We dive into the first one we see.

    A bit of a wander around and before we know it, it’s time to board. Our journey is uneventful. We arrive and are accosted by taxi touters. “How much?” “15 ringgit” A Grab is 8 and we book it.

    Checking in is straightforward. We reach our room and, hell no! Richard has misplaced his mobile phone. We go into strategy mode. It must be in the Grab car. Since he used his phone to book it we are stumped there. We try to out all the ways to contact Grab or the driver and in the end I send a message to the phone asking the finder to deliver it to the hotel. Richard puts a temporary lock on the credit card and we head out for food.

    Just as we are exiting the hotel the driver appears in front of us. “Is this your phone?” I think Richard may have actually kissed him. He definitely hugged him, and tipped him.

    Phew!    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    A Street Named For A Mistress

    February 13, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    A new city and a new opportunity to explore the neighbourhood, hampered somewhat by my slow to heal ankle and knee injuries. We strike out in the direction of Concubine Lane located in the old town. Google maps indicates a 10 minute walk which will be more like 15 at my pace. We find a place just a little shy of the famous laneway with a setup that’s a little confusing. It seems a number of vendors operate within the one space and once we have that figured out the rest is easy. Particularly the freshly made Portuguese tarts.

    Concubine Lane doesn’t wake up until a bit later so we have it and it’s closed shops to ourselves but all the better for some early street art finds.

    The rest of the day is spent quietly. We make some small purchases; tiger balm for me and a lanyard for Richard’s phone.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    We Found the Pubs

    February 14, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    My first livestream in Ipoh could have gone better. The feedback I received indicated the video was blurry so the wifi signal is likely to blame. Disappointing although I still have a fair bit of work to do to get more footage stream ready anyway.

    We head to the tourist information centre to find out about going to Kuala Kangsar. There is a guide there and we work out a price and itinerary with him. He’ll pick us up in the morning. We then go off to explore the old town a little more. It is later than we were here yesterday and a lot busier. We dive into Platf9rm Cafe for cool drinks. This cafe is Harry Potter themed without making any direct reference to the franchise.

    Our plan for dinner is a Hainan Chicken Rice place we’ve seen. On our way there we take a detour and suddenly find ourselves in a precinct of pubs and bars. It’s early still but the Irish bar is open and we enjoy a cold Heineken each.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Day Trip to the Royal City

    February 15, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    Our guide for today is Fazli, a cheery fellow in a hat. We head out along firstly city streets and before long hit the motorway. Fazli gives interesting information about landmarks as we pass them.

    The trip takes 45 minutes and before too long we start to ask questions about language, demographics, and the government system. We learn that although it is recognised as an important language, learning English is not required in schools. It is not uncommon for a Malay speaker to also have a knowledge of Cantonese or Mandarin as well as Urdu. The King is not a hereditary position and the role changes from one regional Sultan to another every five years. The present king is the Sultan of Johor.

    We reach the Masjid Ubudaiah and are blown away by how breathtaking it is. We understand that we will only be permitted to view it from the outside and look into the prayer hall, not actually enter it. Fazli has brought a head scarf for me and a sarong for Richard and helps us put them on correctly. As we are about to start looking around the custodian, Iskander tells Fazli that we can be permitted into the prayer hall, possibly because there is no-one else there right now.

    Adjacent to the mosque is the royal cemetery and we spend some time looking around before leaving. We stop at a small coffee shop for cool drinks before heading to the old Sultanate Palace.

    Made from bamboo, the wall panels are woven and painted in black and yellow giving an illusion of gold from a distance. It is now used as a mausoleum for the royal family before final burial at the mosque cemetery.

    Our next stop was to the last blacksmith still making the traditional keris sword. Truly fascinating.

    We then had lunch of laksa in a village where the food is all local and traditional

    Inside the beautiful Royal Mosque: https://www.youtube.com/live/YGUGcY1tcBo?si=ZFr…

    Personal Tour of the Blacksmith’s studio: https://www.youtube.com/live/Efgg-qWCAko?si=QDI…    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    In Search of Wifi

    February 16, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    Still mindful of my injury we are limiting our excursions for the next few days. We booked Fazli for another half day for next Tuesday and in the meantime plan to take things easy.

    We decide to check out the old town white coffee Ipoh is meant to be renowned for with the added bonus of free wifi. This would allow us to get out of the hotel room and do some computer work with a change of scenery. We also take the opportunity to check out some more murals. Old Town White Coffee turns out to be a chain and reminds us of Starbucks. We feel there are better places to get coffee.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    In Search of Wifi Part 2

    February 17, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    Once more scouting for free Wifi we head to the library. There is a lovely fountain out front and some beautiful murals adorn the exterior walls but the Wifi is atrocious so we cut our stay short.

    We decide to reward our frugality with a trip to the pub and have our first encounter with a local afternoon downpour. We reach the pub soaked and end up reversing all our good spending efforts sitting out the rain.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    A Trip Down Memory Lane

    February 18, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Sunday is antique market day and we are half a block from where it is held. Each end of the street is marked with an arch and the street is lined with everything from brass and silver alloy curios to second hand appliances and cheap t-shirts. There are some beautiful teapots, interesting hot coal irons and even a stall with cut bunny kittens. For dinner we head to the nearby food centre where the Nasi goreng is really good.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Wash Day and A Dietary Variation

    February 19, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    We had sandwiches today. Now normally that might seem unremarkable but we have eaten almost exclusively, rotis and curries, noodles and rice for six weeks now.

    So it went like this; after the wash was done we headed out for coffee. The only place we found was a bit trendy and the drinks were pretty expensive, almost Sydney prices!

    While waiting we took a closer look at the menu and discovered that the lunch special included a drink and a serve of ice cream free. The cheapest meal was a toasted egg and cheese sandwich. So for $1 more than we paid for drinks earlier we had lunch with drinks and ice cream. And it was exactly what the doctor ordered. A nice change from our usual.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Temples in Caves

    February 20, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    We weighed up attempting to see the three most well-known cave temples ourselves versus calling on Fazli again to take us there. If we were to do it ourselves we would do each one on a separate day which would require six separate Grab rides. Taking this into account it isn’t all that much more to use a guide.

    We arrange an early pickup and put ourselves in Fazli’s hands for breakfast. A fantastic place with great food and great choices.

    Then on the cave temples. The first is called Perak Tong Cave. This cave has numerous grottos and alcoves and all contain Buddha figures in a variety of representations. It is also adorned with murals over many surfaces. Richard made a donation and the bell was struck three times. Once we had finished viewing the temple we were presented with a cup of tea.

    The second temple is Sam Poh Tong. At the entrance is a detailed model with karst formations and bridges and figurines set in a pond with large koi carp. The temple is beautiful and opens out to a small tunnel leading to a garden with an enclosed pond which is home to a large group of turtles. We are given tomato pieces to feed the turtles. On the way out we see several macaque monkeys and are given fish food for the koi carp.

    We stop in briefly at a third temple which is very bright and even a little garish before heading to Mirror Lake.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Exploring Little India

    February 21, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Another low-key day. We take a Grab to Little India. It’s a very small district just beyond the old town and most of the shops aren’t open yet. We do a circuit of the block the stop for iced coffee and Indian sweets.

    Before ordering a return Grab we pick up some snacks at a Chinese cafe to take back to our hotel for lunch.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    A Most Beautiful Cave Temple

    February 22, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    Today we made the trip to the temple we missed on Tuesday and we are so glad we did. This cave has superb limestone formations and beautiful statues. The entrance is watched over by the goddess of mercy Guan Lin on a pedestal at the centre of a koi pond. Passing through caves and exiting on the other sides reveals a large parkland with a series of ponds.Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Foot Care

    February 23, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    With my ankle on the mend and my walking greatly improved I decide to go for a foot massage which turns into a pedi plus.

    For lunch we discover another area we hadn’t known about previously and go for char siew pork and hainanese chicken rice. DeliciousRead more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    When Going for a Walk has its Rewards

    February 24, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    With only two days left in Ipoh we finally tackle the river walk we’ve been to do for days. My ankle feels much better and I credit the massage partly for that. We get up early before sunrise and order a Grab to take us to the Japanese Gardens as our starting point.

    We had to walk around the perimeter wall to find the entrance and expected to have a bit of a wait for the gate to open. Luckily it was open already. What a delightful serene place. We had it to ourselves. We saw some interesting birds, we saw little turtle snouts popping out of the water, water lilies and lovely reflections.

    Continuing on to the river walk we passed groups of early morning exercisers and walkers. The walk is lovely. We saw some interesting bridges, a water monitor and a family of otters! 🦦

    We went on to a rainforest restaurant, Warung Tempuah, a very Balinese or Indonesian style place.    Read more

  • A Year of Living Awesomely

    Two More Chinese Temples & Market

    February 25, 2024 in Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    It’s our last day in Ipoh and we’re taking a leisurely approach. A short walk along the river, breakfast at the rainforest cafe again and another stroll through the market.

    Our final dinner is in another part of town very near to our hotel just in a different direction from where we’ve been going. This one is Chinese fried noodles in a dark sauce. Very tastyRead more

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