SATURDAY Drive Around (Shah Alam and Beyond!)

We're off on another drive!

A week on and my lower back, although much better was still feeling a little 'pinched'.

We made plans this Saturday morning to drive to Plaza Damas for my month haircut, and at the same time have breakfast with my sister Imm. Alas she was feeling under the weather this morning and took a rain check.

We had breakfast at Banana, I had the Thosai (Dosa, or Dosai?) while Cat had the Roti Canai. Together with a round of drinks our breakfast came to RM11.80 (approximately USD/EUR2.50). 

I then headed to the barber and after a short wait (I was second in line) Santosh tackled what little hair I had left. The haircut was RM20.00 (approximately USD/EUR4).

We then took a leisurely drive south to Shah Alam. I had meant to take this short trip for a while now, and revisit places I knew from thirty years ago. 

I also wanted to search for an old friend (Zul) who used to be my drummer. Together with Gerald (the brother of my girlfriend at the time) and Wan Kelly we would often frequent the jamming studio at Seksyen 6 nearby.

I remembered Zul staying with his parents during our late teens at Jalan Rata 8/1F in Seksyen 8, Shah Alam so we drove there first. Unfortunately, I could not remember which house he stayed along Jalan Rata 8/1F. For all we knew they could have even moved away.

We then drove a short distance to Jalan Puncak 8/1H where I used to spend every evening playing football (or soccer) at the field there. In fact I have reason to believe an old friend Zuraidy is still here (or at least his parents are).

We then drove to Jalan Landai 8/2C, where I had lived with my girlfriend (at the time) and her family at the top floor of Block 3 to be precise. After a few years I moved out to Block 4 along and stayed with a couple of friends. One of them was Muhaya Sulaiman, a fellow Terengganuan who unfortunately lost his life in a road accident in the early 1990s. May he rest in peace.

We then headed to Seksyen 6 and parked at the 7-Eleven while I took a stroll along the Commercial Complex here. Gerald, Zul, Wan Kelly, and I would spend countless hours here at the jamming studio honing our skills while dreaming of making it big in the local music scene.

While we eventually got on with our lives Wan Kelly actually made it big as a musician. Sadly he passed away some years ago due to heart failure. May he too rest in peace.

I came across RedBrick Studio but for the life of me could not recall if it were the same jamming studio we went to all those years ago.

We then drove to Medan Selera Prima 2 in Seksyen for lunch. We wandered around for a while before settling on Eizayus' stall number S28 that served fried dishes. After perusing their menu we settled on the:

• Tomyam Campur [Mixed Tomyam] for RM8.00
• Ayam Goreng Halia [Ginger Fried Chicken] for RM6.00
• 2 servings of Omelette for RM1.00 each
• 2 servings of Plain Rice for RM2.00 each
• ABC [Air Batu Campur] Special for RM6.00
• Coconut Juice for RM5.00

What was the damage? Our simple spread came to only RM31.00 (approximately USD/EUR7). 

We then got into Puteh and drove a short distance across the Federal Highway to Seksyen 16 and visited a can making factory that I used to work when I was in my late teens.

I worked the night shift at the Hock Joo Can Factory (now the site of AEX Systems) for about six months while waiting for my A-Level results. An apprentice to the machine operator I worked from 8pm to 8am six days a week. 

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

We then drove back home as my head swirled with memories from my distant past.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Plaza Damas - https://goo.gl/maps/MiR8gqfXTiRNfgco9
BANANA CURRY HOUSE @ DAMAS - https://goo.gl/maps/xkaQonqD6MKvX4zQ8
Jalan Rata 8/1F - https://goo.gl/maps/V6hcBLp3srDRVsX66
Jalan Puncak 8/1H - https://goo.gl/maps/SDnWLg5vNAzJzyR48
Flat PKNS Seksyen 8 [Blok 3] - https://goo.gl/maps/kYXgqZgBSiuJvNTD8
RedBrick Studio - https://goo.gl/maps/RGHXin6BLkfDAWgAA
D'Bubbles Corner - https://goo.gl/maps/pXNumxPHDKeYQPof8
[formerly Hock Joon Can Factory] AEX System - https://g.page/aex-system?share

Saturday Drive Around (Tanjung Sepat, Mimi Dragonfruits, Sin Hock Heng Huat, Lover's Bridge)

Hello again!

We do apologise for not posting anything in a while. October 2022 had been an unbelievably bad month. I first sprained my lower back, then caught Covid-19 again which meant I spent a week from the 11th to the 17th at home in self-isolation. 

Cat was thankfully spared, and this time around I caught the Omicron variant, which was nothing more than a bad flu, nothing like the miserable Delta variant we had caught in November 2021.

Having sufficiently recovered from both the back sprain and Covid-19 this weekend we decided to take another long drive to our favourite seafood place in Tanjung Sepat. Along the way we stopped by Mimi Dragonfruits to stock up, before heading to Tanjung Sepat.

The seaside town of Tanjung Sepat used to be a fishing village but due to the slow but systemic pollution of the Straits of Malacca, this activity has become less intensive, but still an essential part of daily life here.

Usually a sleepy seaside town during the weekdays it is inundated with tour groups by the bus loads.
We had been to Tanjung Sepat last month, but an unfortunate incident meant that we had to delete the video from that trip. No matter, we move on and learn from our mistakes.

We arrived early and decided to have brunch but instead of Baywatch we decided to give Sin Hock Heng Huat Restaurant a try. It being our first time we took our time perusing their menu before settling on the:

• Sambal Fried Squid
• Sweet & Sour Fish
• Sizzling Bean curd
• 2 servings of white rice
• 2 glasses of Iced Chinese Tea

What was the damage? Our seafood spread came to RM88.60 (approximately USD/EUR19). And what was our verdict? Truth be told our tastebuds was more suited to Baywatch next door.

We then got into Puteh and drove a short distance to the fisherman's wharf, where we walked along what's known as Lover's Bridge. The blisteringly sweltering day however made sure our visit was short, and after reaching the end of the jetty we doubled back hastily. As we headed back to Puteh we chanced upon an extremely cute mural of an elderly couple taking a wefie.

We spent the next two hours or so stuck in traffic as we attempted at first to have a drink at ZUS Coffee in Bukit Tinggi, then at Shah Alam. We failed to find parking at both branches, and we eventually ended up having a drink at a Petronas station.

We continued on and after another half an hour arrived at Guitarlicious to pick up a guitar that I had been eyeing for an awfully long time. With that we end our post for today and promise to bring you more in the days to come when we visit Brickfield for Deepavali (or Diwali), so stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Mimi Dragonfruits - https://goo.gl/maps/oytKmnXJzmuDWbhg9 
Sin Hock Heng Huat - https://goo.gl/maps/mGkfwWGNag8W8CHo8
Tanjong Sepat - https://goo.gl/maps/ancirPNBnKPs3gtp6
Baywatch Restaurant - https://goo.gl/maps/pZhUP5dG8T3PAZQJ6
Lover's Bridge - https://goo.gl/maps/UiVmiiJZ2eiFefBD9
GUITARLICIOUS.MY - https://goo.gl/maps/KtfJSfPQMnUDofS96