Refreshing Rituals for the Body at the aVi Spa, Avillion

"Steam. Water. Scent. Touch. The essential elements of a spa experience have been the same since people flocked to public steam baths in ancient Sparta. The benefits of spa have remained constant, too. While bathing and pampering help to care for the body, the rituals of spa treatments also help to unify mind, body and spirit for overall well-being" - Leslie Wolski.

We need spa therapies for our active lifestyles, to restore our bodies, revive our minds and energise our spirits. Treatments may range from simple chair massages (in our homes, shopping outlets, even airports, etc.), to public steam baths, to full-day pampering at luxury spas.

The aVi Spa in Avillion Port Dickson offers the best of a luxury spa. Housed in a beautiful white floating building, we couldn't help checking it out when we stayed at a (Avillion) water chalet on New Year Eve recently. We wanted to 'experience their healing philosophy through the serene environment and the selection of rejuvenating and soothing treatments.'

The next day before leaving, we opted for their aVi Signature Rub and Malay Healer massages. After the hour-long session we came away quite refreshed and rejuvenated. We would definitely make return visits.

Ref: Spa/Leslie Wolski. The Body Shop, 2003. Ex Libris CNB 1653
           http://avispa.com.my

Ushering in the New Year at Port Dickson

We wanted to capture the last sunset of 2014 and greet the first sunrise of 2015 by the sea. To breathe the fresh sea breezes and feel the sand under our feet. And Port Dickson seemed the best location because it is near enough to Kuala Lumpur/Shah Alam. So it was a pleasant drive to the Avillion Port Dickson (at the 3rd Mile Jalan Pantai) on the 31st December, for a night's stay there.

Unfortunately, when dusk came, there was no sunset. The sky had been downcast for most of the afternoon although it did not rain. Ces't la vie!

We had dinner at The Verte, and joined in the countdown to the new year with other guests there. There were no fireworks and a minute's silence was observed for victims of our recent disasters. It was altogether a very low-key celebration, appropriate in these difficult times for the nation.

On New Year's day the weather was most pleasant and we spent our time walking barefoot on the beach, strolling around the resort's beautifully landscaped environment (complete with herb garden and roaming peacocks) and enjoying some of the facilities available.

There are two beaches, although the smaller one, Tumasek Beach, being the historic landing place of the Avillion founder Lord Avery (?) was closed. I will have to verify this (piece of local history) later. The three swimming pools cater for family, adults and children. A pet farm/mini zoo seems quite an attraction for kids (and the kid in us all).

We ended our pleasant stay at Avillion Port Dickson with a visit to their award-winning  aVi Spa. (More on this later).

31/12/14-01/01/15        P.S. Thank you B for the New Year treat.

NY@PD; Hello 2015

                                                   Happy New Year 2015
                                    Jumping for joy on the first day of the year at Avillion Port Dickson

Eating out in SA: Restoran Tunas Rohayu

This very unpretentious restaurant 'Tunas Rohayu' is located in the PKNS complex in the Shah Alam city centre. If I have something to do at the PKNS: Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor/Selangor Development Corporation (like making a complaint about what I think may be a sinkhole developing in front of our gate), then I time it such that I can have an early lunch (11.30 am -12.00 noon) at this restaurant. When the food is freshly cooked and laid out.

My dish of gulai kawah and sayur pucuk paku on white rice
 (CNB 2012)

The owner being from Negri Sembilan, so the food is mainly Minang/Negri Sembilan. My favourite dish is always the gulai kawah (reminiscent of my TKC Seremban days), with luscious lumps of beef fat floating in the kuah (gravy). Yummy! Now you know why one cannot eat here too often. But, as the owner said to me, 'Tak pe, makan lemak tu sekali sekala, lepas rindu makan gulai kawah!'  He knows I eat there often enough.

I always have a vegetable dish to go with my gulai kawah and there are a variety to choose from - pucuk paku, pucuk manis, rebung, taugeh, sawi, bayam, ubi, terung, tempe etc., etc. The vegetable dishes may be masak lemak, masak air, or goreng cabai. (Is tempe a vegetable? Are soya beans that it is made of, vegetables? I guess so.)

Other than the beef gulai kawah that I have gushed about, there are a variety of chicken and fish dishes. All delicious!

The array of food at Tunas Rohayu (CNB 2013)

*Update September 2014: This eatery was recently renovated and renamed Restoran Rohayu. The food remains the same - good!

Dining at Rebung

Rebung is the restaurant of Chef Ismail in Bangsar, KL. Although parking there is a bit of a hassle, I guess it is an inconvenience foodies sometimes have to put up with. We have dined there a few times and the food  is good. The buffet spread is just chockful of tempting dishes, so one has to go slow and easy.

Buffet spread at Rebung (CNB 2010)

The food is Negri Sembilan/Minang because the owner is originally from Rembau. The really delicious dishes are masak tempoyak daun ubi kayu, gulai daging salai, different types of kerabu, bergedil, etc., etc.

Once B & A took me there to celebrate Mother's Day and there at the restaurant there was the weekend 'cultural show' where we felt like complete foreign tourists invited to 'tepung tawar' the mock wedding couple.

A by the dessert table (CNB 2010)

On another occasion, we met Chef Ismail and his good friend Chef Florence. Of course the bibliophile in me had to add their cook books to my collection. So maybe I will not have to go to Rebung to savour Chef Ismail's array of dishes, but follow his recipes using my own air tangan. But then again, nah ...! Eating out is sometimes quite fun, really. Especially if someone else is footing the bill!

With Chef Florence and her book (AB 2011)

A Favourite Eatery: Salero Negori

Whenever I find myself in Amcorp Mall, PJ, lunch would inevitably be at this 'old-style' Malay restaurant. Since it is Salero Negori, the 'taste of Negeri' (Sembilan), so the food is Minang/Padang. Some of the dishes are on the pedas side for me, but their masak lemak cili padi and gulai of a variety of ingredients are quite delicious.

Pick your dishes at the counter (CNB 2012)

Masak lemak ikan, Tempe goreng, Bergedel, etc. (CNB 2012)

Gulai perut & rebung, masak lemak pucuk ubi (CNB 2012)

Sotong masak pedas & gulai as above (CNB 2012)

Port Dickson, N9

While at boarding school in Seremban in the 60's, we had the occasional outings to the nearest beach - at Port Dickson. It is a mere 32 km away and I remember we thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the beach and the sea too. I guess being young and in the company of good friends helped to heighten the senses in the appreciation of the natural environment.

A b&w photo of PD

From Kuala Lumpur, PD is 90 km away; an hour along the North-South highway. It is near enough for a weekend retreat, but you do have to brace yourself for the traffic jam on the way back. The 18 km beach front from Tanjung Gemuk to Tanjung Tuan seems to be a popular holiday destination. There are many international standard hotels and good seafood restaurants, though you cannot compare the beauty of the beach now with that in the (good) old days!

My sister-in-law's kampung is conveniently located in PD, with the beach just across the road. We have visited and stayed with her family and would all go down to lepak by the seaside and take dips in the (not so clear) waters. During a couple of Christmas breaks too, we spent the time at a nice beachside resort in PD (can't recall the name, its been changed), and dined at sumptuous seafood restaurants (can't recall names again; must be getting nyanyuk!). Anyway go to PD for the nearest beach getaway/holiday. 

The mangroves at PD, previously called 'Arang' 

You may or may not know this fact - this port town is also an 'army town' (officially), with a few camps of the Malaysian Army stationed here. So if you need a break from the beach, then visit the Army Museum!

Note: The above re-photo'd black & white photos of PD by Gary Q were a gift from a friend during X'mas 2008.

Gemas, Negri Sembilan

Gemas railway station was built in 1922 and is the railway junction that connects the west coast/main line (Padang Besar - Singapore) with the east coast line (Tumpat - Gemas).

In the early 60's (1960-1962), we lived at 109 Railway Quarters, Gemas, up a hill served by 2 flights of stairs of about 300 steps each. I remember going to school (the Tuanku Abdul Rahman) with my siblings, trudging up and down the hill and crossing the railway bridge as well. We donned 'coolie' straw hats in the hot sun to get educated. Only when our father Ba had a day off (which was not often) did we enjoy a ride to school in his shiny black Morris Minor, plate number PA7078.

I have fond memories of my childhood in Gemas. A shop near the railway station was a source for my collection of Schoolgirl comics. The end of year prizes for class achievement were beautiful pop up books that I treasured. The school sports, talentime and concerts were most enjoyable; I remember singing Linda Scott's Every little Star at one talentime and emerging champion (ha ha)! But I also remember not winning at the state level later (sob sob).

Me and my Talentime trophy (1961)

With the 2nd (Kamal H) and 3rd (CY) place winners (1961)

In sports I qualified to be in the school relay (4x100m) team, both for the primary and secondary. As for lessons, I enjoyed the subject General Knowledge the most, and we could identify all the flags and rattle off all the capitals of all countries in the world. Hence the interest in travel?

Primary/Std 3, Tuanku Abdul Rahman School, Gemas (1960)

Then there were boys! It was co-ed, and at that age it was a like/hate relationship with the opposite sex. There was Barun KG, Dennis X, Kamal H, Martin, James, and others whose names I can no longer recall. Overall the boys were mostly nice, but sometimes they teased a lot, and as partners during sports day dances, some were 'mean'; they pinched the girls' hands that they had to hold!

A Concert at TARS. I am standing leftmost, CY rightmost. (1961)

I was quite the tomboy still, in those days (despite the boys!). I quarreled with anyone who said anything mean or derogatory to my friends or family, I climbed the tallest jambu (guava) and wild cherry trees to get at the fruits (my fellow climbers being Mazidah M and her siblings) and even grappled with a dog to save my sister CY from being bitten by this savage beast (though CY remembers the incident differently, I think I was a hero then!)

Primary/Std 4, Tuanku Abdul Rahman School, Gemas (1961)

On the family front, I remember Ba having to go to work at the unearthly hour of 2 or 3 am. A railway messenger (I guess) usually comes by to ensure he does not miss his train! But then Ba was a very disciplined man and never missed a train in his life, for work or otherwise. He was never off sick either. The only time he did not work was during the railway strike. My mother meantime had my brother AW, the only one to be born in Negri Sembilan. One sibling, ZA fell off a swing when I was supposed to be babysitting him (oops, sorry ZA, also for 'threatening' to throw you out the window in Teluk Kumbar)! I was one lousy babysitter.

The Gemas railway community then, also enjoyed weekend movies on a large screen at the padang (field). As we gravitated towards this padang, I recall the signature Hindi song that beckons... Barekenade... but I cannot remember any of the movies I saw then. I wonder why?

A significant event in my young life in Gemas was a trip to Singapore in 1962 by train, of course. Ba took my siblings SP, MN, CY and me there for a short weekend holiday. I think we stayed at a (Chinese) hotel in a busy part of the city because I recall being up late listening to the vehicles going by. My brother MN remembers it as the Asia Hotel. We went to see the aquarium, and to Arab Street where Ba bought blue, black and silver sandals for CY and me. We also visited the Tiger Balm Gardens/Haw Par Villa, the famous tourist attraction then. In June this year I revisited Singapore by train in memory of Ba and the very first family trip from Gemas.

1960-62