A Quick Visit to Yarm

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Had the opportunity to visit Yarm aka Yarm-on-Tees, when we were in England. Yarm is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England. It’s not far from where we were staying. We went there for an evening walk. Of course, we had to drive there.

Yarm

Just look at the architectures here at the High Street. Georgian-style old buildings with their red pantile roofs. It’s like you’re going back in time. Ignore those cars there hahaha!

At the back of row of shops, there’s River Tees. You can see the photos of the river in my Instagram’s post below.

Yarm

Here’s the two landmarks that you definitely won’t miss when you’re there. The railway viaduct (left) and the high street and the Yarm Town Hall (right) can be seen at the center of the High Street. The high street was voted as the ‘Best High Street’ BBC’s Breakfast programme on 19 January 2007.

That’s pretty much about Yarm from me. We’ll go to another town in the next post.

Driving All the Way - England, Going Places

Ayam Brand™ Community Care Campaign 2023

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Ayam Brand Empowers 1,000 Children For a Better Future
Supports 25 Local Children’s Homes with 2 Months of Healthy Meals, Free Eye Health Check and Prescription Spectacles for Those Who Need

Kuching, 9 November, 2023 – It is estimated that up to 5.6 million school-going children in Malaysia face the double burden of malnutrition[1]. The double burden of malnutrition is defined as the coexistence of both undernutrition and overnutrition in the same population across the life course[2]. In short, malnourished children run the risk of becoming obese adults.

Worryingly, vision issues are also on the rise among Malaysian children with myopia prevalence among children at age seven at 9.8%, rising to 34.4% at the age of 15[3]. While some eye problems are inevitable for various reasons, others can be attributed to a lack of proper care.

#AyamBersamaMu 2023

To assist with these issues, Ayam Brand™, the 131-year old household name famed for its wide range of quality, preservative-free, no added MSG, healthy, and convenient canned food, is back with its annual Community Care Campaign 2023. Themed #AyamBersamaMu with the concept of ‘Add Health with Ayam Brand™’, it will reach out to more than 1,000 children from 25 non-governmental organisations across seven states to provide a two-months supply or approximately 35, 028 healthy meals.

Going beyond the contribution of its products, Ayam Brand™ in collaboration with KPJ Healthcare Group will be running nutrition workshops to educate these children on healthier dietary choices following the 3S (Suku-suku Separuh) Malaysian Healthy Plate concept. To address vision issues among these children Ayam Brand is working with Focus Point Group to provide free eye health screening, and prescription glasses to children who require from these homes.

Each participating home products are high in protein, calcium, Omega-3 and fibre including Ayam Brand™ Tuna Mayonnaise, Ayam Brand™ Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce and Ayam Brand™ Soya Flakes Spread.

Benefits of Fish in Diet

“The risk of double malnutrition, and myopia among Malaysian children requires action from all parties who can assist including organisations such as Ayam Brand. This is why we stepped up to help. Ideally all children should have good nutrition from birth. Ayam Brand™ has a long history of contributing our healthy and nutritious products to communities, and we are continuing in that commitment. However, we believe that while providing our products is an immediate solution, over the long term, educating children on making healthier food choices is the key. Our fish products are high in protein, calcium, Omega-3, DHA among other vitamins and minerals that children need for good health, including eye health,” says Ms Teoh Wei Ling, A. Clouet (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.’s Marketing Manager.

Studies conducted by Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) found that Ayam Brand™ Sardines in Tomato Sauce was shown to have 7.1X more Omega-3 compared to home-cooked locally caught fresh sardines and Ayam Brand™ Mackerel in Tomato Sauce contains a whopping 7.6X more Omega-3 compared to an equivalent serving of home-cooked locally caught mackerel.

“Proper nutrition is important for children’s overall well-being, especially the consumption of protein for growth and development. One of those good protein sources is from fatty fish like tuna, saba, sardine, and mackerel, with good sources of Omega-3, which is vital for children’s brain development and eye health. Since our body cannot produce Omega-3 on its own, we need to obtain it from the foods we eat. One should consider to consume at least 2 servings of fatty fish weekly.” says Ms Yip Song Qing, KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital’s dietitian.

Ayam Brand Community Care Campaign in Sarawak

Ms Teoh Wei Ling also adds that “the Ayam Brand Community Care campaign which is now in its 16th year has contributed more than 2.1 million healthy meals for charity, providing nutritious food to more than 27,293 people from 610 charity homes and NGOs”.

In Sarawak, a total of 183 children from Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Pendidikan Nur Murni, Kompleks Kebajikan Laila Taib Kuching, Pertubuhan Kebajikan Baiturrahmah Kuching and The Salvation Army Kuching Children’s Care Centre  participated in the Add health with Ayam Brand #AyamBersamaMu workshop that was held at KPJ Kuching Specialist Hospital. 

Children learned about making healthier dietary choices through an informative and engaging session with  Ms Yip Song Qing. Next, each child put their new knowledge into practice by preparing themselves a healthy snack following the Suku-suku Separuh concept, guided by the KPJ and Ayam Brand team.

The children also participated in memory matching and ball toss games, which allowed them to practise their visual recall and hand-eye coordination as a way to reinforce what they had learned at the workshop. Members of the winning team each received a medal, while all participants received gift bags.

Representatives from the charity homes expressed their gratitude for Ayam Brand’s continued support, and for the transformative impact it will have on the lives of the children.

To find out more about the #AyamBersamaMu community care campaign, visit https://www.ayambrand.com.my or https://www.facebook.com/ayambrandmalaysia.

References

[1] The 2022-2030 National Strategic Plan to Combat the Double Burden of Malnutrition Among Children in Malaysia
[2] https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/01ea4a07-39f9-55c6-a16b-298f6a77d869
[3] Myopia: Is it a problem? And how to control progressions: Malaysian Society of Opthalmology, MSO Express Issue 12, November 2019

Health is Wealth, Interesting, Take A Break

A Half-Day Trip to Holy Island

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Our first stop after entering England’s border from Scotland was Holy Island, also known as Lindisfarne. It was a half-day trip. The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the northeast coast of England. I was curious with how it is possible that you can drive to an island. Now that I’ve been there, I understand how it works. I didn’t do any research prior to the trip as I wasn’t the one planning. All I had to do was to get my parents and myself to Newcastle, England from Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia ;p

Holy Island
Expensive rescue!

The timing to reach there and to leave the island must be right. So you have to properly plan your journey there. You must check the tide times and weather carefully. Tide tables giving the safe crossing periods are published by Northumberland County Council. You don’t want to get stuck in the water, it’s not cheap to rescue you! It costs over £2,710 or more for sea rescue while £5,710 or more for air rescue.

Holy Island
Little Island with Small Population

Surprisingly, there were less than 200 people living on this island (27 March 2011 according to Wikipedia). When we were there, the place was filled with summer holiday tourists. It was a bright sunny windy day which was great to spend the summer here.

Holy Island

Only those with permits can drive in the town. Otherwise, you have to park at the designated public parking space and pay for your parking. Then, you will have to walk all the way to the main area where you will be greeted with scenic views. It’s a place for historical tourism and birding trip.

Historically Interesting
Holy Island

You will certainly be greeted with the view of Lindisfarne Castle when you’re there. How can you miss it? We did walk up to the castle but we didn’t go into the castle. This island has a recorded history from the 6th century AD. It was an important centre of Celtic Christianity under Saints Aidan, Cuthbert, Eadfrith, and Eadberht of Lindisfarne. From here, the Christian message flourished throughout the world.

Angel of the North

After the Holy Island, went to do a bit of shopping in Newcastle, and early dinner, we stopped at Angel of the North before heading home. It stands at 20m (66 ft) tall with a wingspan of 54m (177 ft). It is larger than that of a Boeing 757 aircraft. The sculpture is indeed huge! You can feel how big it is when you are under it. Amazing!

The Angel of the North is a contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England… Completed in 1998, it is believed to be the largest sculpture of an angel in the world…

Wikipedia

We were lucky to have good weather and nice sunset when we were there. The wind on top of the hill was very strong and chilly though. We took some photos and left.

So that’s the end of the day. We returned the rented van the next day.

Driving All the Way - England, Going Places

A Day in Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland

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On the third day in Scotland, we went to Edinburgh Zoo. The zoo is formerly the Scottish National Zoological Park. The 82-acre non-profit zoo is located in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It lies on the south-facing slopes of Corstorphine Hill. You can get extensive view of the city from here.

The zoo is the largest zoo in Scotland with over 1000 animals from around the world in there. Many are rare and endangered. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the pandas in action. They were sleeping in the enclosure. The pandas are going back to China in December 2023. I didn’t get to take any photo of them as the glare of the glass made it impossible.

The following are photos from my camera that were not in my Instagram post. Enjoy!

Ediburgh Zoo

Do make sure you wear comfortable shoes when you are here. It’s an up-hill and down-hill walk. You might need to go on a bit, just of a bit of rugged road. Aside from that, do have your windbreaker with you as it can get really windy up there. Also, having a cap on would be a good idea on a sunny day.

Edinburgh Zoo
Entrance Fee

The entrance fee isn’t cheap after conversion. Well… Just don’t convert the currency hahaha! You know how weak our currency is.

Edinburgh Zoo

We bought our tickets online as it is cheaper. Here’s the entrance fee when you book online on their website (correct at the time of publishing):
Adult (£22.50), children 3 to 15 years old (£14.25), concession (£20.45), children below 3 years old (free). Prices quoted are without donation.

Edinburgh Zoo

If you are buying it at the door, it will be more expensive. Do check the zoo’s official website for the ticket prices and other details.

If you are driving, the parking will be charged £3.00 per vehicle.

Edinburgh Zoo

I personally feel that it’s a nice place to visit for the young and old. Plenty to see and learn here. This is a great place to be added in your itinerary if you are in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh Zoo

If you would like to visit Edinburgh Zoo, do allocated at least 6 hours here. There are so many to see and experience. It is no doubt a place for the whole family to spend time together. The zoo opens 7 days a week except on Christmas Day.

Edinburgh Zoo
Food & Drinks

There are eateries in the zoo. Hence, there is no need to worry about not having food. You can also do a picnic there. We did bring some snack with us. We also bought some food from the kiosks. The kiosk, Ròst, that was located at the Dinosaurs! area at the hilltop has nice loaded fries. You can see the photo on my Instagram’s post above. However, the kiosks around the zoo are open subject to weather conditions and visitor numbers.

Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo

I have a video uploaded on my Youtube featuring the giraffe and common moorhen in actions in the zoo.

Thanks for reading this post. We headed back to England the next day.

Going Places, Land of Unicorn - Scotland

Half-Day in Edinburgh, Scotland

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In the morning, we spent it at Seton Sands Holiday Park. In the afternoon, we drove to Edinburgh. It’s a 30-minute drive from the holiday park. Edinburgh is a windy and hilly city. The sun was very bright that day. Meanwhile, the wind was quite chilly at where we parked.

Calton Hill

Our first stop was Calton Hill. It’s a well-known and a must-visit tourist attraction in Edinburgh. Otherwise, your trip to Edinburgh won’t be complete. Furthermore, it’s a UNESCO Heritage Site. The wind was strong but it was not cold at all on the hill.

Edinburgh

You can see the overview of Edinburgh city from here. The weather forecast said that it was going to rain. However, we were fortunate to have a fine weather. Do wear a cap or hat if you want to protect your head from the sun. Umbrella is not recommended. However, do make sure it’s securely fastened else it will surely fly away!

This popular landmark on Calton Hill has a rich history of its own just like all the other monuments or buildings there. This is called the National Monument of Scotland also known as “Athens of the North”. The structure is unfinished. It’s meant to commemorate Scots who had died in the Napoleonic Wars.

Next, this is the view of Arthur’s Seat from Calton Hill. It’s the highest point of the city. We were greeted by it when we arrived in Edinburgh. Arthur’s Seat can be seen from many locations in Edinburgh. We had a good view of it from where we parked. It’s an ancient volcano which was erupted 350 million years ago.

If you want to go for a hike, go ahead! If you are used to rugged terrains, this is a piece of cake. Just need a pair of comfortable walking shoes is all it takes. Of course, do bring some snacks and drinks with you. You’ll be rewarded with a great view of the city at the end of the hike.

A Walk through the Streets of Edinburgh

After the walk and taking photos at Calton Hill, we walked back down to go back to the street. There’s no need to rush. A leisurely walk is good enough. It’s a hilly city walk with many interesting centuries-old architectures to discover.

However, there were so many people in the city due to the festival. Certain sections were quite crowded. I could not admire the architectures with such amount of crowds. If you want to have a better look at the city’s architecture, it is best to come before or after the festival. When we were there, all we wanted was to get out of the crowded streets as fast as we could.

It was a sight of relief once we got out of the crowded streets. There was no crowd near the Edinburgh Castle. The castle itself has quite an impressive history of its own. You can go in for a visit but it’s not free. It is recommended to buy the ticket in advance as it tends to sell out to avoid disappointment. We did not visit it as we only had half a day to spare in Edinburgh.

Mussels for Dinner

We continued walking down the hill to go back to the city centre for dinner. Our early dinner was at Mussel Inn (61-65 Rose St, Edinburgh EH2 2NH, United Kingdom), an award-winning seafood restaurant in Edinburgh. We tried mussels in other parts of the UK/EU before. This is the best so far.

After the early dinner, we went for a walk in Primark. It was just opposite the restaurant. Then, it was time to go back and call it a day.

Food Porn, Going Places, Land of Unicorn - Scotland