Morning at Carter Road Promenade

What prompted the morning walk at Carter Road Promenade  was the extra weight gained from being well-fed in our cousin's home in Mumbai. Also by then, 14 days had flown whereby the great Indian hotel hospitality in Delhi, Amritsar, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur had thoroughly spoiled us!

So, up with the birds and the sun, we made our way to this local morning and evening hangout for the Bandraites. It was a different kind of bustle. The incessant honking of vehicles had barely crept up to us as it is a much quieter part of north west Mumbai.

Walking benefits all.

A walk further down to  a shrine

Was I glad to see the Rotary Logo and End
 Polio Now poster.  Yes, Rotary  is worldwide.

A  children's playground is being upgraded.

A good mix of people of all ages were there to loosen their bodies and minds before the grind of the day began. The dense mangrove swamp is a prominent part of the coast. As it was low tide, not only were the roots and trunks exposed but clinging onto them were plastic and rubbish that had been strewn with nary a care for such a natural ecological gift.

Mangroves with plastic and rubbish entangled . 

IF only the beauty of India is not marred by litter.

Dogs seem to rule in this promenade and they were doing their own thing,well- mannered. I  saw only one cat during my entire 20 days in North India. The puss was found in Joggers' Park next to Carter Road Promenade. My eyes seem to tell me that dogs owned tend to be overweight.

Netting  the best view!

He decided his walk was over and hopped to the bench to plonk himself. Looks so much like my dog Robbie, albeit fatter.

Soaking in some Vit D  and having some urban space to himself

The dhobis were already offloading their wash from the bicycle. One dhobi was already spreading his laundry  to dry on the uneven terrain.

The sun is up and the dhobi has clothes to dry .

What excited me most was to find children and teenagers occupying a section of the promenade under some tree shade - at work on mats that lined the walkway. Looking closely, they were divided into small groups. The sign ,' Needed... Volunteer Teachers. .. Morning 7.30 - 8.30...  Navjot Foundation' says  it all. I was told  these were schoolchildren from disadvantaged background having further tuiion to give them added boost to face the school curriculum. A couple of younger kids  were receivng individual attention. Their focus was 100 per cent.

A simple  call for much -needed help

 A,B,C s coming along nicely with patience, dedication and love.

All attentive

A few minutes' distraction from the morning routine. The teacher is a Management professional who is giving time to help in the education of these kids. They were revising for their exams.

Volunteers with their charge for a better world with education in their grasp

Under the supervision and guidance of this young lady, the children were learning history. That morning it was about the Indian Constitution.

Older youths focusing on Maths.

How heartwarming to see volunteers working patiently with the kids of different age range.Maths, history, reading and writing in English and Hindi were covered.

Our cousin enquired about the needs of the Navjot Foundation from one of the trustees  who was chipping in his share of commitment.

Hands- on, one of the trustees of The Navjot Foundation talking to our cousin, Viju

We didn't tarry as we wanted to acquaint ourselves with Joggers Park as the closing hour was 9am. For 2 rupees each, we gained entrance to a well laid and beautiful park which is a feast for the eyes and soul.

Then it was back to a well- earned breakfast of juice, fruits, oats and nuts, toast and egg- a  treat for not being a lazy bum lying in!!

Celebrate with hues of orange and yellow

Time has just zoomed past me. Already it's March. I guess the year end  festivities and family celebrations of birthdays, including one  biggie 70th birthday celebration that lasted for 4 days, reunions all wound us up so much that we just enjoyed like forever. And then, thud, back to the daily grind.

So before March passes by without my remembering this is my 3rd year blogging, I best celebrate again. Hope these hues of orange and yellow will perk your day. They are found in my garden. These and other colours are there for me to cherish. They paint bright moods and they bring smiles as long as the sun shines. Why, a flower in my garden has a timeless name like 'Yesterday -Today- Tomorrow' - seems like an eternal clockwork reigns even with plants!! Hail the evergreen shrub, Brunfelsia!

Thank you for popping by, dear regulars and all. You keep the blogging alive in me! Do keep blogging yourselves and we stay connected. Till my next post, enjoy . Am off to soak in the colours and scents of India.  

Happy 3rd  Blogesvary to me!

Stalking my Dog

Let it be known I'm the grandaddy of the house. I've heard many tales spun, not least one of a certain German Shepherd, Czarina who lived to be 12 years old. Poor Suzie the dashchund, something  happened to her. Then, there was Ninja, also a German Shepherd. Well, wish me luck. Wish me more years. Thanks to my Scottish ancestry, I'm 13 and pushing on. But did my dear doc openly tell me sir, not to push our luck?  

They say let sleeping dogs lie. Whatever! This is my spot and where I like to lie. I own this spot. Much to the chagrin of me missus  (fierce one!!) and the others (hardly fierce!), they hop over me to get out of the kitchen into the terrace. Call me BodyGuard. 

Tip toeing around as I think I smell a rat. Heard the missus say she spied a small rat in the kitchen. but that's not my problem. Let the cats that come to pee and poo here take care of that.

Who cometh?  I recognise those legs but no one is opening the gate. Truth be told, my legs can still run and fast. Only a tad slower these days. Nobody knows FREEDOM like I do. Can't an old boy have some fresh air and scenery?? 

It's a bit of a maze here - heliconias, hydrangeas, tunerias, erythrina purpuras and pinks, and the newly grown passion fruit, all under the canopy of the erythrina glauca which has  garden -hump roots. Never let obstacles in your path deter one, I say.

Where's the goodies??  It's me feeling hopeless. See my tail hanging straight like a stick? Seems like  looking for a needle in a haystack!!  The gardener has just been and piled mountains of cut grass. Drat! Can't find the food scraps hidden well under.

It's the itch. 10 rounds under the phyllanthus is just so  heavenly.

This my daily workout  and it's only half way round my world ! In fact, just behind me at the wall ledge, I used to have free food from the neighbour who kindly kept some helpings of dhall. All 'forbidden fruit'  stopped abruptly when my sir came to know about it. 

Handsome wins hands down! She loves me and blows kisses all the way from Suffolk!

Who loves ya, Kopi Luwak?

Between 2 coffee drinkers, my  daughter's present from Indonesia to her father of the authentic Kopi Luwak was shared with his nephew visiting from Sydney.

So what's the verdict? Come on, out with it! After a couple of sips, both men offered : smooth. Did I hear 'Interesting' muttered . I wonder if it referred to having  a chance to taste the 'gold' from the civet? But I was too occupied to quiz them nor interested in 'civet coffee' . Also, I did not hear anyone asking for another cuppa! Well, there's more coffee to be drunk as the golden package sits in the pantry barely done.

We were in Georgetown, Penang, over the Xmas season. At lunch in a popular tourist centre, after our order of kueh, we were asked,' Kopi Luwak anyone?' No one jumped to it. But we were jolted out of our skin when told it was RM 65  per cuppa!

The bushy tailed and cat-like civet, Luwak ( local name for the Asian Palm Civet) is the darling of the Kopi Luwak. The half - digested cherry berries  found in the dung are reputed to produce the Kopi  Luwak. The animal eats the soft outer part of the coffee berries and excretes the undigested beans which the local gather. Voila! the world's most expensive coffee is in their hands.

But rising demands  have prompted producers to cage the animals  and feed them on a regular diet of coffee berries. Experts say the cage- bred ' civet  coffee' is not the same, its flavour is not as unique as those produced by civets that eat berries in the wild. Why? Experts say the civet's finicky feeding habits and varied diet creates enyzmes that enrich the fermentation of the beans.

'The coffee does not appeal to everyone - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono took some as a gift to former Australian  prime minister, Kevin Rudd, only to find local media dubbing it 'crappucino'. - Reuters.

Attractively packaged Kopi Luwak

At Teluk Cempedak

The sun, sand and sea beckon

The Sampan Bar  tells  many broken dreams of the Vietnamese refugees

This is part of their story

Climb every rock...

Tousled by the breeze

From the  Kampung Restaurant which enjoys a wonderful beach front

If someone tells me to 'go fly a kite!' I'd do just that. Ignore whatever message the person intended. I'd know where to head to - Teluk Cempedak.  There the breezes will just lift your spirits. Hold on to the kite string and just let the kite catch the wind. You've got a winner!

Over the Chinese New Year holiday, we had a mini escapade to Kuantan. During lunch at the Kampung Restaurant at Hyatt Regency facing the white sandy beach  and the South China Sea beyond, already the breezes were welcoming us. A few kites were  in the air and dancing in the late afternoon sun. So while the rest of  the family gang wanted to chill out in the air conditioned rooms, I walked the beach. The sun did not bother me. The sea breeze delighted me and I wasn't sweating. How nice.

The long uninterrupted stretch of beach is ideal for kite flying. Even in the evening as we sat at the Coals On The Beach, the balmy breeze just made it so right  to be sitting out and dining. As we sat waiting to be served, a young lass was delighting us with her nifty dancing on the sand. The breeze swirled  the hem of her lovely evening dress and billowed it. She was in her element and while dinner waited, it didn't matter to her. A kid nearby was flying a kite. Further up, where the fast food giants of Big Mac, KFC and Burger King are located, there was gaeity in the air. That part does attract  locals and tourists who just want to 'makan angin' ( Malay literally meaning 'eat wind'), sit around and watch families at play. The colourful  kites danced and twisted, swooped and climbed again and again, their tails always swing merrily along. The wind was just right to give the lift.

How mighty is the rock!

Rocks as hideaways for beachcombers

Inviting waters. We didn't see any red flags as that is a warning  not to tempt fate and play  as the waters can be rough . There are rip currents that endanger lives.

The Water Dragon visits Teluk Cempedak

A different feel on the beach at night

Take a stroll and enjoy  

On the boardwalk -  nice view that looks over rocks and the forest is just so close by.

People flock  to the beach parade  for fun 

Hear the swish  and swoosh of the waves as they hit the rocks

Hyatt Regency  by night