Yours Truly is now 30

Sunday 23 May 2010

Where have all the years flown to?? Seems like just yesterday that I was 23.. sigh.. yes, I've finally reached the big 3-0 and will it be downhill from now? Friends say 30 is the new 20 and age is just a number but I can already feel the effects. Recovery is not as fast as it used to.. but other than that, everything's like it always was.

I don't crave drinking and late night partyings like I used to in my 20s. Past birthdays have always been intimate dinners with the ones I love and this year was not going to be any different.

Horse riding is so darn expensive here. Seems like it's an activity for the rich so riding is not an often luxury. My birthday treat from Jerry was a gorgeous horse ride in the cool mountain air of Berjaya Hills.

Here we are at the top of the plateau.. you can just see Colmar Tropicale in the left corner

Explored the French-themed resort of Colmar Tropicale too

Daddy's birthday is 2 days after mine so we always end up having one dinner and one cake. But I don't mind sharing coz I my Daddy's cool :P (and he doesn't give a damn really. I suspect he's pretending to make a fuss coz his family expects him too). Dinner was at Courtyard, Damansara Heights. Food was good, especially the mushroom pasta yummm!!!!

Sis bought a green tea cake for us

Told Wifey that I wanted to have dins with my close friends and she said ok, she'll arrange everything. And boy did she arrange! Such a sneak! She told me she was taking me to Murni in SS2 for dins and no one wants to come for my birthday except for Ninja her cat. We ended up at d'Italiane in Sunway Giza, Kota D, where she invited over 20 people! Talk about a pleasant surprise! I love my wifey Susan Tan.

My bestest wifey in the whole world!!

TQ to Susan Tan, Edmund, Carolynn, Tyng Tyng, Redwan, Farshie, Jerry, Liara, Vern, Lilian, Deep, Henry, Max, Byron & Azim who made my 30th birthday such a memorable one. You guys are the best in the world. I am blessed to have such friends.

Susu, Farshi, Tyng Tyng & Carolynn got together and gave me the best birthday pressie ever - riding lessons at Bukit Kiara. Susu even got me a pink riding hat! I never felt so loved in my life. Had tears sneaking out as I hugged them. Susu, hat fits perfectly fine!

My pink hat for when I ride my purple pegasus

Continued the party at Boathouse in TTDI where Susu treated me & my astrological twin Azim to a flamin. Remind me never to mix wine, champagne & flamins ever again. Urgh... suffered whole of the next day for it.

Twins in da house..

Riding 101

Sunday 21 June 2009

Can you believe I forgot to take my DSLR? I brought its charger but NOT the cam. It's sitting on my beanbag at home. And my compact cam ran out of battery. Luckily Ivan's new Samsung is able to take pics.

Had breakfast and was hoping to have a riding lesson in the morn so can make it back for Father's Day dinner. Daddy was at the golf course when I called. The schedule was fully booked and the earliest was at 3pm. Should I wait? Yes, I really wanted to improve on my trot so what the heck. Watched a bit of CSI and had lunch.

Meet Jazz Malone, the famous champion ex-racehorse

3pm came and I was all ready at the stables. Lara, a student from UK, was my instructor. She thought me the basics first in the dressage paddock where I had to guide Jazz Malone (he's a champion thoroughbred race horse by the way - won the first race in Singapore and there's even a cup named after him) from one specific point to another. I learnt about changing the reins.

Lara thought me bout changing the reins

Did some trotting in a circle on a lunge. Was quite difficult to balance and rise with Jazz' rhythm but I managed it! Lara said I did amazingly well for a beginner (double beam!!) as most won't be able to trot on their own during the first lesson. Had to learn to control from trot to walk to trot to walk. I'm definitely taking lessons after this. Worked up such a sweat. My thighs and ass will be so sore the next day.

Had tea & scones in the evening before we pushed off for home. Adopted a beanie baby which I naturally named Jazz Malone. Farewell Riders Lodge. It was an absolute pleasure. Reached DP at 11pm.

Beanie baby Jazz Malone :)

Just like home

Saturday 20 June 2009

Woke up nice and early for a good hearty breakfast of scramble eggs, toast & sausages. Awesome food they got here. Met the owner, Filipino Agnes who owns the place with her American hubby & Janet Yeo's family. Everyone's so friendly and casual here it felt just like our own home. Most of the staff (mainly hospitable Filipinos) have been there since they opened 10 years ago. They knew us by name as Riders Lodge only has 27 rooms.

Breakfast at the terrace

Our lovely room

I really thought the place was at least 50 years old - used during the Colonial days for some English estate manager's home. The front of the mansion resembled the ranch in the 1978 Dallas TV series while the veranda looked like something out of the Australian bush. Agnes said she wanted the place to look like it has been here for a while and 'lived-in'. Well, she succeeded in doing just that. The place is beautifully maintained.

The front of Riders Lodge

The main house from the back

They even had deck chairs for those who wanted to catch some sun and a jacuzzi for those after-riding sore muscles. Most of the guests were expats from Singapore and Chinese Singaporeans. We didn't meet any Malaysians during the 3 days we were there.

The stables

The place has 52 stables and more than 30 horses. It was really clean too! No smell at all. The horses' bedding are changed daily.

Saying hello to the horses

Went for a trail ride through the plantations. I was on Kimba while Ivan was on Chester. Chester was getting fidgety as the skies were gloomy and started acting up towards the end of the trail. Kimba was stressed and reacted by rearing on his hind legs at a hill which I totally wasn't expecting. His actions caused me to loose balance and I slipped off the horse.

I remembered my last lesson with Lorraine of Berjaya Hills Horse Trails who told me to let go of everything if you happen to fall off a horse. All I saw were long legs and hooves from below. I quickly rolled out of the way. Thank god Kimba didn't accidentally stomp on me. I was lucky - I came out of it with only a small bruise on my knee.

Riding through the plantations

It wasn't Kimba's fault at all. If any, it was mine for not paying attention. We walked the horses back for the remainder of the journey.

Kimba

Had a dip in the jacuzzi before having a delicious dinner of Salmon and roast lamb.

Off to Sedenak, Johor

Friday 19 June 09

Worked the whole day and only pushed off for Sedenak at about 6.30pm. The roads were so congested that we decided to have our dinner at TTDI first. I drove the first half till Ayer Keroh and Ivan took over the wheel next.

Panic after the Yong Peng exit cause we were totally low on fuel. Called PLUS and the guy (they are extremely helpful & nice by the way) said that the next petrol stop is in Machap, 10 clicks away. Phew. Made it there. Here's breathing a sigh of relief at the Machap pumps.


Sedenak is such an obscure town that we passed the turning and went straight to Kulai. Had to patah balik to find that small signboard that says The Legends Golf & Country Resort. Riders Lodge is situated in The Legends' grounds.

We had to turn into a narrow dirt road on the left but it was really worth it. Looming ahead was a beautiful lodge, similar to the one from the 1978 Dallas TV series. It looked like some colonial mansion that was built back in those days for the English plantation managers. Just gorgeous. A long row of stables backed the paddock and open fields.

We checked into the lodge. Time : 11.30pm.

Ivan wasted no time lighting up at our room's veranda