Pantai Minyak Beku

In the morning after breakfast before we flew off from Sinai Airport back to KK in the afternoon on 13 September 2023, my SIL took us to some of the places frequented by locals and tourists.

Pantai Minyal Beku where I last visited in February 2013 (Read here) has undergone much improvement and upgrading.

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At Dataran Penggaram of BP Town Centre where we visited the previous night, there is a sculpture of a pair of hands chiselling a rock. This is now a prominent landmark and symbol of Batu Pahat.

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From Pantai Minyak Beku, we drove south for 2Km to reach Kampung Segenting, an old fishermen village.

This village is proliferated with many small Chinese temples. The most prominent one which attracted the bulk of the tourists is the Chong Long Gong Temple.

Chong Long Gong Temple.

The locals are never short of ideas to attract visitors. Some are drawn here to see this giant Araipama fish kept in a man-made pond next to the temple. It is sad that people who manage to touch it would be rewarded with good luck and fortune! How nice if life can indeed be turned around by such simple gesture :)

The Lover's Bridge, another attraction thronged by many visitors.

Caught a glimpse of Pulau Sialu from Kampung Segenting. This tiny island with a lighthouse is just a mere 300m from the nearest main land coastline.

Mini Family Reunion in BP

Taking advantage of our trip to Aenon Heath Care Centre, my wife took the opportunity going to Batu Pahat and to spend two days with her mom.

My SIL was kind enough to pick us up from Sinai Airport in JB immediately after we landed at around 2.45pm on 1 September 2023. She earlier drove from BP with my MIL as her companion for the 120Km long journey to the Airport.

In BP, we never failed to visit Sri Gading to see my wife's old home. This is where she spent her childhood till the university days or more precisely till she got married. For more than half a century, it appearance remains practically the same just as the very first time I visited in 1973.

I have lost count of the number of times my family had spent holidays in this house.  The swing which conspicuously still occupies the front porch corner has been a favourite spot where the children gathered and spent significant time chit-chatting, laughing...... Gone were those days! (Read here).

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At night after dinner, we spent some time exploring some of the interesting night spots in BP. At the Dataran Penggaram, my MIL were accompanied side by side by her two daughters, a very rare opportunity for her!

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In BP which is well known for the very many delicacies and goodies, it's impossible not be indulged in some of them during our breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Unfortunately, I did not capture the many dishes we had tasted but a few of them only.

Tiny shellfish served in Samurai 280 and lontong at another outlet. 

Ice kacang at Happy Lucky Ice, a Dessert Shop in BP town.

Reunion with Ex-Uni Friends

During the week-end "off-day" of our stay at the Aenon Health Care on 9 September 2023, we drove from the Centre to Malacca to meet up with old friends and to do some purchases.

In Malacca, we had lunch at Botanist Cafe, a vegetarian food outlet with Patrick and his wife Jenny. A day earlier on 8 September 2023, they dropped by to Aenon and joined us for lunch at the Centre (Read here).

After lunch, Jenny took us to visit our ex-uni friends, Dr. Pang Chok Wang and his wife, Yoke Cheng at their Malacca home. Just over three weeks ago, we met them when they visited KK after their trip to Kuching (Read here). 

At this stage of our lives, meeting old friends is always very much valued. This is considered both a bonus and a gift!

Back to Aenon - 2nd Time (Part 2)

Aenon Health Care Centre in Tambin tucked in forested and hilly terrain is an ideal place to refresh and re-energize. We met all kinds of people. Some simply come to relax. Some come to detox after consuming both healthy and "unhealthy" food over a long period of time in their normal daily routine. But for some cancer patients, this is where they seek alternative cures after failing to recover through the usual treatment at the hospitals.  

The daily routine "enforced" in the Centre is indeed helpful to promote healthy living. Fixed times for the three meals. Fixed time for exercise and fixed time to bed.

Morning exercise at 6am before the daily morning walk of 2.4Km.

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Aenon has a number of Kachin people working as helpers and staff. They are refugees who fled Myanmar and came to Malaysia to get away from the on-going conflict in the northern region of Myanmar. Many of the young Kachins who came to the Centre are first trained at the Training Centre. They are taught the skill of massage therapy, infra red light therapy, carbon treatment and other forms of treatments offered by the Centre. Many are waiting to be re-settled in another country. Australia and USA are their favourite destinations.

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Second round of exercise in the afternoon starting normally at 5pm.

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At the Centre, we met first-time attendees as well as repeat attendees. We met a lady who first attended sixteen years ago when the Centre was then at Malacca. She is now in her late thirties. Among friends we got to know at the Centre are cancer patients and cancer survivors who are now in remission. While some of their stories are heart wrenching but their determination to survive is equally heart warming.

David and his wife are repeat attendees..

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A familiar figure in the Centre is the Chaplain, Anne Chew, wife of one of the the Resident Doctors, Dr. Chew. She is easily spotted sitting in the lounge during morning and afternoon breaks. Anyone who makes eye contact with her is likely being invited by her to spend a couple of minutes with her. She would either share the Gospel with the non-Christian attendees or say a prayer or introduce a book to those who profess the Christian faith.

Back to Aenon - 2nd Time

It was just over a year ago when we first signed up for a 10-day program at Aenon Health Care (Read here). It was "tough" initially. But by the end of the program, we began to enjoy the program and were convinced of the benefits.

Our second 10-day program from 3 September to 12 September 2023 was joined by my SIL from Batu Pahat. Initially, she was a bit skeptical about the program. But toward the end of it, she has become a strong advocate of the program and she even managed to convince two of her friends to join her for a second 10-day program early January next year.

The types of food served daily in this Centre continue to be a draw to both new comers and returnees. After our first program a year ago, we find it much easier to adjust to the zero-meat meals served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

This time, both my wife and I had mild headache, decreased energy and decreased alertness in the morning after breakfast in the beginning of the program. The doctor suspected that it could be due to caffeine withdrawal syndrome since our normal daily morning routine is a cup of coffee during breakfast. Occasionally, another cup in the afternoon if we choose to have a tea break. Fortunately, this phenomenon disappeared after four days into the 10-day program.

We continue to be fascinated by the creativity of the kitchen staff in preparing all three meals purely by utilizing nuts, vegetables and fruits. The varieties of food served are both tasty and visually attractive. 

Aenon advocates eating breakfast fit for a prime minister, lunch for a king and dinner for a beggar. But occasionally, the Centre does top up with a additional bonus portion if indeed you find the portion served is slightly inadequate!

Breakfast (Medium Portion)

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Lunch (Large Portion)

Dinner (Small Portion)