What a `Tit Tar' experience!

Usually my dad has pretty good recommendations - especially when it comes to food. But this time, I hoped I hadn't taken his advice..

You see, because of my sprained foot that was getting move painful overnight, i was planning to go to a professional tit tar place which i went before in Sea Park, PJ when i sprained my foot/ankle two years back.

But then my dad said I should go to the one `near' our place. They are very good and professional and always have lots of customers (or patients?)

So I took his advise, thinking that PJ is a bit far to drive all the way.. but.. the whole tit tar experience turned out to be quite an ordeal..

First, it wasn't exactly near.. it's almost 20 mins drive (just 5 more I would reach that tit tar place in PJ! ) Can you imagine just to see a tit tar, I waited a whole TWO hours before getting treatment. When you enter the place, you feel you're in a time warp - that you've entered a 1950s Chinese shoplot. Maybe it was older even. And ya, the whole place was quite dingy andd run down.. they even boil their medicine (i guess its for application) in the toilet!

(I wished i had taken some photos!)

I know what made my dad think they're so good. Cos the place is always full with people. It's extremely popular among the local folks - especially middle age and elderly men and I guess for that reason I thought i was in the right place..

When we reached, we had to pick a card with a no. and then just wait for your turn. My no. was `26' and after quite a long while, someone came out from one of the rooms and a woman shouted `10'. I knew I was in for a loooong wait... and true enough..

After making some important calls, poured all through the Chinese papers my mom brought (good thing I have her company) and doing some sms, went to toilet twice, I began to feel impatient.. It was nearly 1pm and we had been there for almost 2 hours!!

FINALLY, my turn came.. I was greeted by a grouchy-looking man whom I figured out was the sifu going to treat me.. After taking my seat and as I began to relate what happened to me (I fell, and hurt my left foot etc) he just didn't seem interested but started doing some `massage checks' on both my feet, calves and even body.

Being the outspoken person I am, I just asked why was he checking other parts of my body but instead of replying he snapped at me and ordered me to turn around and even checked my back. To be honest, my intention wasn't to question what he did (he surely has a reason) but just want to know more. But instead, he just snubbed at me saying that I had no idea of what he does so there is no point he wants to answer me.. Now I can't remember exactly our conversation but some ppl may think we were arguing.. But I just wanted to clarify my point..

And when I said why was he so grouchy, he admitted it and said how could he be in a good mood just after a fight with someone. And I was unlucky to be treated next!!

Inside I was rolling my eyes big time. Ok, now I guess I know whey he was in a foul mood was pretty rude. Anyways, although we didn't get off in a good start, at least he took quite a long time to massage my left foot and leg.

However, as I tried to seek his advise, he wasn't being helpful and gave ambiguous answers. He didn't tell me what was wrong with my foot.. I said some ppl think it's better to go for x-ray then he would ask why I decided to see them. And whether I think I should need X-ray?

You can tell he was not professionally trained.. and he never admitted he was. In fact, he later disclosed he learned `tit ta' from his father-in-law and brother-in-law, who were the founders of this tit ta place. He also said their tit tar style is unique in that no one else in KL do it this way.. And that the amount of people who come to them is already a testimony..

Anyways, at least the `urut' part wasn't that painful. And after asking him again, he just said it wasn't that serious and I just should walk fast. But when I asked him whether he thinks I should go to Genting this Saturday (going for Michael Hui's talk show), he said just try to `adjust'.. he was saying I can walk and function normallly, but later he sorta contradicted himself and said I better rest my foot more..

At one point, another man (he said was the sifu of this place) came in and just touched my legs/feet and stepped on my left foot (where the swell was but surprising, it wasn't that painful)

He did spend quite a lot of time massaging my foot and leg. In the last part, I was asked to lie on my tummy on a bed - for him to urut the foot and leg form another angle. And there was a pillow there and I couldn't help wondering how clean it was but too late I was lying on it!!

I was given the `tit tar jau' and also some `tit tar pills' (even my dad said he was sceptical and didn't take those last time). And before I could say anything he said it's up to me as many of his patients couldn't be bother to put on/ eat medication at home. I said i wanted to heal fast so I will but he still said the same thing..

But finally, after paying (it was a reasonable RM35) the man suddenly softened and said he felt he was a bit in the wrong in the beginning.. To which I said no worries..

When we got home, it was 2pm. We left house before 11am. I could have done or rested with all those waiting time wasted!!

Ok, I know I should give them the benefit of the doubt.. maybe the urut and the medication really work.. But, even so, I doubt very much I would ever go back there shall I need a tit tar agan!

Festival of Incidents

What a trip!

It was a truly unforgettable first `Rainforest World Music Festival' for me - well, not for all the right reasons unfortunately. And some of the incidents would probably be stuck in my mind..

Maybe because I've heard such raves about it and had conjured some kind of expectation.. Or maybe I'm not a true lover of world/ethnic music after all.. But what really put a damper on it was our choice of accommodation..

Living in the long house was a terrible experience for me. So I ended up forgoing the second and third night stay (which was paid) and checked into Tune Hotel in Kuching instead.

To post the whole account of the three days would probably end up like a loooong article that no one will read.. So I shall just share some highlights here:

The Dampers:

• The shuttle from Kuching to Sarawak Cultural Village (where the RWMF was held) was pretty badly organised - the staff could not speak English and worse, gave different instructions everyday making things so complicated and frustrating! Sometimes we were told to book beforehand while other time just buy tickets at the bus.
  

• Since my friend and I are virgins at Kuching, we did a boo-boo ended up taking a cab from a hotel to another that is just opposite side of the road!! And the sly cab driver charged us RM8 for that ride!

• It started pouring just before the shows began on the first night - we ended up watching more than half of it on the screen at a sheltered place. The ground in front of the stage was so muddy and hadn't dried up by the 3rd day!
  

• This would take the icing of the cake - the deplorable condition of the Iban longhouse! - we're charged RM120 a night for a double room - and what we got were

1. really basic (read: primitive) room with just two beds - a hard pillow and thin dirty-looking blanket, a cupboard and a wall fan that could not even rotate..
   
2. a wet, dirty-looking toilet downstairs to be shared by four rooms. Cold-water shower, tiny basin and a WC. what's worse was there was NO water during `peak periods'! The first night, most of us bathed by scooping water from a a big pail - while the second night there was no water from 9pm to 3am - but by then I was gone.

• There was an opening that overlooked the common area and a large group of people were chatting and laughing away till about 4am! Sleepless first night for me..

• Staying in three different rooms for the three nights! Well, at least the second and third nights were in the same hotel though different rooms.

• Not used to oily food, I suffered stomach ache on the first night - causing me to miss the finale which is one of the best bands!

• My friends' room next door was `broken into'. Thankfully they didn't lose anything - we still unsure if it was a drunkard guest from outside or the longhouse who claimed to see that who was the culprit. They lodged a report and since I was the witness - who saw the worker coming out of their room - I went with them and also missed a good band playing.

• There were more incidents but better not rant on...
  

The Delights

• The Cultural Village was pretty - with a lake, mountain and forest, and the two concert stages had tall trees of rainforest as back drops. In the night with lighting, it looked romantic and surreal in a way.

• The atmosphere was quite vibrant - it had a multi-national, multi-racial crowd, there were craft bazaars and various activities and festivities going on. Managed to buy something for mom and my nephews and niece, and even had henna done too!

• Got some time to explore Kuching but just around the Waterfront touristy area and ate some local food (but suffered stomach problem :(

The photos by themselves are pretty interesting and `exotic' though..

Two other longhouses up for visits

Outside our Iban longhouse

the activities that go on in our longhouse

Our very basic room

The pathetic toiletMy room for the 2nd and 3rd night at Tune Hotel

Finally, if the music had been awesome, I think that would have cheered us up a bit.

Unfortunately most of the music, especially by Malaysian and Asian bands, were so monotonous - perhaps something you see in a cultural show! But there were some pretty good ones too - like the French, the NewZealand and Hungary were some of my favourites. The Tanzania group's bongo dance was a riot though music there was hardly any.

Overall I think I only enjoyed less than 30 per cent of all performances.. the final night was the best of all and our Malaysian band from KL - Akasha - was great and most enjoyable! :)

The finale show

nb. wanted to upload more concert pix but Blogger fails me!! maybe later..

Family Holiday in Wuyishan

Wuyi Mountain in Fujian, China

Gorgeous scenery ya.. This is where I'll be going for a family holiday this weekend till early next week. Don't really know much about it and plan to read up a bit before flying off on Saturday!

It'll also be the first time since our studying days that the four of us - dad, mom, sis and me - go on a holiday together! Since she got hitched quite soon after and it's always with bro-in-law and then the kids too.. it'll be kinda dejavu hehe..

I have a few more holidays in plan after this.. Hong Kong end of next month to celebrate Miu Miu and Sean's birthdays; the Rainforest Music Fest, and hopefully Bali too.. before a one-month missions work stint in Kunming, China in September. More on that later..

Meanwhile, am looking forward to the fantasy-like scenery of Wuyi Mountain.. hopefully i'll be inspired enough to blog about it too!!

Dad's birthday dinner at `Bali'

Last year we were in Bali for dad's birthday and he loves the place we stayed in Ubud so much.

And this year we went to a psuedo-Bali - in the form of a very unique restaurant called `Tamarind Springs' in the far off side of Ampang.

Dad and I went to visit it one afternoon a few weeks ago and fell in love with the Balinese architecture and ambiance. The restaurant uses lots of wood and the decoration was totally Balinese, but what's more impressive was that it's built amidst nature and green forest. Dad was joking that we're in Bali and so I suggested we should celebrate his 68th birthday by having dinner there!

Just a day before yesterday, I was getting worried because it has been raining like EVERY day especially in the evening! So plan B was go out to a restaurant in a mall - likely The Gardens at Mid Valley - if it rains. But voila, the Lord was good to us all, especially dad, as the sky was really clear yesterday evening having already had a downpour earlier in the day. So we set off as we planned.

At the main entrance into Tamarind Springs

The place looked quite different - in fact, the atmosphere was even better - at night. Mom was very impressed. We had to walk through an open walkway to the restaurant building (which consisted of three different restaurants - Indochinese, Italian, Malay/Thai). Since dad hasn't tried Indochinese cuisine, we went for that.

Well, just say the food - saved for the spring roll starter - was really very mediocre. So ordinary looking too that i didn't bother with photos! We were quite disappointed but at least the ambience was great.. I was a bit surprised why the place had so many people - but mainly are expatriots and foreigners. But dad said maybe that kind of cooking suit their palatte!

Look at how lovingly they looked into each others' eyes while toasting the wine! ;)

There was a small `hiccup' and I actually wonder why I'm still giving publicity to them - but again, my blog has such low hits so it doesn't make much of a difference I guess. You see, we were taken to a corner table which was actually very nice - only problem was the next table was a huge party of about 20 `Matsalleh' men - and they were having a merry time laughing and chatting very loudly. It really spoilt the atmosphere!! The waitor said they would leave soon but no, they didn't. we took our time to order food and wine and already completed our starter but they looked no where near leaving the place.

As I went to the washroom, I realised the other side (which was smoking area) was very empty saved for a few tables. So I requested us to be moved there. The waiters or captains were not very obliging but nevertheless said they would check it out and let us know. So we waited. And waited. Till I had to walk out to speak to them. I asked one of them (not the one I asked but he was just next to him) and he was so unfriendly and bothering rude to me - saying things like well, you have to wait because you gave us such short notice, bla bla.. and then he pointed to one table saying it was being set up - but it was not in that area I asked.

And when I asked him why, he said ALL the tables in the smoking area were reserved! Then I asked `at this time?' as it was well past 9:30pm and there were like at least 10 tables there! And he said: `yes, we must honour our reserved guests by keeping the tables till they come!' I sorta rolled my eyes and didn't want to argue on as I needed to tell my parents about the change of table..

But the more I thought it, the more unhappy I was. As we were finally led to our new table which was not that great cos near the stairs but not noisy any more, I told that particular waiter sternly and sarcastically that I would sit around till closing time and see whether ALL the tables were occupied. And if not, i will write to the management about this incident.

He kept quiet. of course, what else can he say!

Anyways, not letting this small hiccup ruin the night, we finished our food and wine and then proceeded to the Italian restaurant downstairs for dessert and coffee. The atmosphere was actually even nicer downstairs and mom said we should have eaten here! Well, maybe next time?

our `four variations of chocolate' dessert which dad and mom enjoyed very much.

Then, dad `perform' candles blowing - only it's not a cake but the candle-holder! ;)

The set up, decoration and ambience of Tamarind Springs is really quite out-of-the-world, a beautiful haven to enjoy the nature in a luxurious environment.. however, the food and the service (of some particular waitor) at the Indochine restaurant - needs to be improved. FYI, when we left at 11-ish, still no one came later into that section where I requested to be re-seated!

Ahh.. nothing is perfect, aint it?