SENI DAN BUDAYA PELANCONGAN

Kopi susu kalau ditambah pula dengan krim tentu sekali lebih lazat. Sesuai dengan itu kesempatan melawat Mae Taman Valley dan seterusnya beberapa tempat lain semasa di Chengmai menjadikan kunjungan kami sangat menarik.

Bila kita berkunjung ke sesuatu tempat yang baru, tentu sekali akan menikmati yang menarik samada merangsangkan atau sebaliknya. Kerapkali yang pertama itu menjadi tumpuan kita. Lawatan kami ke Chengmai selain dari terhibur dengan gaya dan keistimewaan gajah-gajah di Mae Taman Valley, mendorong mengenali keindahan dan kesenian orang-orang di wilayah ini. Kami sedar banyak perubahan telah berlaku di kota Chengmai apatah lagi Perdana Menteri Thailand (2005), Thaksin berasal dari sini dan memiliki gudang-gudang dan keistimewaannya tersendiri. Salah satu gudang sutera yang kami lawati sebenarnya merupakan rumah keluarganya. Saya pernah ke kota Chengmai dua puluh tahun yang lalu (1974). Perbedaannya sangat ketara.

Keistimewaan gudang-gudang perniagaan di sini tidak pula meniru atau mencontohi amalan yang biasa kita lihat di Malaysia atau di bandaraya lain. Ya, ada kompleks perniagaan tetapi 'exclusivity' tertumpu kepada bangunan- bangunan tradisional yang di rekakhas dan kaya dengan unsur-usur kesenian Thailand. Ramah tamah peniaga dan pembantu-pembantu kedai dari awal lagi mengikat para pengunjung. Kita dilayan dengan mesra. Samada tetamu itu membeli belah atau tidak layanan serupa sahaja. Sebaik saja tiba disambut dengan senyuman dan ditegur dengan ucapan "Sawadee" sambil dua belah tangan bertemu memberi salam secara Thai. Tetamu didatangi dengan minuman merupakan air halia,air mata kuching, air serai atau air teh seolah-olah mereka menyedari kita haus atau ingin disegarkan. Hiasan dalaman dan susunan bahan-bahan jualan menarik.

Kami singgah di satu tapak perniagaan berdekatan 'Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi', gudang penginapan enam bintang dan kagum melihat bagaimana rumah-rumah lama dijadikan kompleks khas dengan sausana senitaman yang menggalakkan tetamu melapangkan masa lama sambil menjenggok pula ke kafe atau restaurant yang disediakan khas. Lihat sahaja gambar yang diiringi dalam halaman ini dan bayangkan kalau rumah-rumah tradisional kita boleh dikelompokkan menjadi satu tapak istimewa untuk kediaman 'homestay' atau pusat belibelah. Di sini kita boleh merayau tanpa diganggu atau dihindar dengan kesibukan lalulintas. Udara segar. No airconditioning, no blaring music. Aman dan tenteram. Penginapan istimewa menanti kita di Mandarin Oriental terletak dalam lingkongan tembok kota lama. Itu pun kalau saudara memiliki kad kredit platinium dan tempahan dibuat sebulan dua dahulu. Kami kesempatan juga meninjau sausana di gudang enam bintang ini melalui appointment dan ikhsan pengurus jualannya.

Kompleks kraftangan di Jalan Conlay dengan usaha Kementerian Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara boleh dianggapkan serupa tetapi ia terlalu besar dan 'artificial' tidak melambangkan suasana semulajadi atau asli. Kami berangan-angan mewujudkan satu tapak seperti ini. Insya'Allah.

Mengindah dan menyegarkan halaman rumah sebenarnya ta'susah. Lihat sahaja apa yang disediakan di perkarangan satu lagi gudang penginapan enam bintang di Chengmai. Kali ini di 'Four Seasons'. Pulau Langkawi pun ada jenama ini. Dulu milik MAS. Sekarang dah ubah pengurusan. Bunga raya dalam pasu biasa tetapi betapa menarik sekali; menunggu tetamu diruang hadapan. Bunga melor pula disediakan. Kami dikalong sebaik sahaja tiba. Bukan untuk menginap disini. Pesanan melalui telefon hanya tiga puluh minit terdahulu untuk kami meninjau hotel ini diterima. Kami dibawa melawat sekitar kawasan yang luas oleh seorang 'guest relation officer' dengan menaiki buggy. Tak tahulah kalau boleh dapat layanan seperti itu kalau di RasaSayang ( Pulau Pinang) atau Hilton ( Kuala Lumpur) tanpa berutus surat.

Dengan harapan gambar berikut memberi gambaran tentang pelancongan di ibu kota kedua terbesar di Thailand

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Adding Cream to the Milk

When we go on a trip, each one of us has his way own way of seeing and enjoying the break. We would normally search for the common attractions that pull tourists to the place and yet at the same time try to visit places that are special and related to what we do professionally. We chanced on the 'elephant santuary' but planned to visit several hotels, spa facilities, shopping plazas and popular tourist destinations. SPA business is expanding and growing. Kuala Lumpur too does not come short of offering excellant spa services. Competitiveness in the industry comes from the services offered to the international clients. Sites, locations and above all ambience play their roles in marketing a spa's speciality. We walked away from several sites visited with admiration because once again skills, craftsmanship, dexterity and friendliness go a long way to make services what it should be.

Hopefully the photos help to bring you closer to Chengmai and maybe look forward for a visit to an ancient yet modern city. Should you wish to visit these places and require a guide don't forget to give us a call. We will be obliged to assist.

The colorful hibiscus in an earthern ware container ( pasu) is a welcome sight

In the compound of the traditional wooden house complex early in the morning. Workers busily tidying and keeping the place clean. Our guide JJ standing on the right facing camera.

The House is transformed into a showcase. Both floors are used.

Another timber house on stilt is adopted and turned into a display center
Note the container at the staircase for washing your feet

Wooden staircase with ornamental carvings added the finery to this
shopping zone. Wide corridors allow for uncongested traffic.

Red painted building with a linkway and the upstairs is a restaurant
Bunga Melor for the guests

Having a guided tour of the Four Seasons

The ambience of the Four Seasons Chengmai. One of chalets in lush tropical setting for guests looking for the extraordinary.

JUMBO ARTISTRY

By its very nature something 'jumbo' would denote largeness. As such children and adults alike would go for jumbo burger promising a full appetite. A jumbo aeroplane will of course take many more passengers than a 'Dakota' or a 'Cessna'.

During our visit to Chengmai, the second largest city in Thailand, a two hour flight from Penang, we discovered reasons that make the northern city in the hills a much visited tourist destination. Its cooling weather is a far cry from the hot steamy summer months of Bangkok and November to March rewards the visitor with near temperate coolness. Yet it is not the weather that warm us to the city but the jumbo artistry and richness of the northern hills. JJ our friendly Thai tour guide whom we came to know, guided us around the city and surroundings in his own car, visiting many parts of the city, which would naturally escaped us if we were left on our own. He is a Thai and married to a Japanese woman and had lived in Japan. As such he was positive in wanting to show the finer parts of his city.

The highlight of the visit would naturally be a 50 km drive north of the city to Lampang an elephant nature park situated in a river basin. As logging in Thailand has been halted and elephants as beasts of burden or at one time machines of war became redundant and unwanted, a sanctuary was founded to care for them. Here at Lampang in the Mae Taman Valley elephants came to be rehabilitated. The sanctuary grew to become a popular tourist center.

Jumbo artistry as implied speaks profoundly of the elephant's genuineness at absorbing the training and guidance of its mahouts or trainers. At this absorbing sanctuary where you will see herds of elephants wander along the natural trails or perform acts or games for the unexpected throngs of visitors you can only marvel. You wonder how man has been able to train the jumbos or perhaps how the elephants have made man discover their true realities. Here elephants as a team play football. A bull perturbed that others failed to score goal, promptly pulled a ball aside and nonchalantly kicked a ball with its right hind leg into the net followed with a trumpeting of its trunk. Claps from the hundreds of spectators echoed.

More surprise. Mahouts handed painted brushes to their respective charges. Holding the brushes with their trunks, they deftly painted works of arts within minutes. Yes these are photos of artworks accomplished by the elephants, promptly exhibited on easels and offered for sale to the visitors. Framed artworks are also offered for sale. Don't be surprised that they are priced at a few hundred Ringgits Malaysia. A visit to this elephant sanctuary and more so if you volunteer to work at the camp and care for the elephants would be a rewarding experience. We understand the camp would take volunteers who want to work and care for the elephants.

As we lingeringly stepped out of the elephant sanctuary, we could not help wondering why pedagogues continue to grasp with theories and techniques and yet do not achieve success in the classrooms. Probably we can learn from the mahouts who display truly jumbo success.

The following photographs best describe what you will see at Mae Tham Valley.

Mahouts ride on the necks of the elephants said to be much stronger than their backs.

The elephants simultaneously greet their visitors by bowing.

The elephants with the help of their mahouts hold the brushes with their trunks and deftly paint their art pieces

Six art pieces were displayed. These were painted by six elephants in front of the spectators who exclaimed excitement and surprise. As they are displayed guests gathered to take photos and some offered to buy the art works.

In the verdant valley, two bull elephants are frolicking in the arena to the delights of the spectators. Put them up against My Team and it will be intersting to see how they fare.

Of course this is not the only artistic masterpiece that we came to know at Chengmai.

SHOES, SHOES EVERWHERE

One of my grandchildren, Danish came running into the kitchen crying out "Mama! Mama! Eeee....! Banyaknya kasut. Nak buat macam mana ni..... !!! ".

That was last Saturday.

My wife and our daughter Djasriza, Danish's mother were busy preparing dishes for Buka Puasa as we had requested the family staying around the city to turn up at our home in USJ Subang Jaya. We too had just arrived from Alor Star one day earlier. It would be marvelous if they could turn up and break fast as a family.

So as the hour moved closer to seven o'clock and nearer to the time of breaking fast more guests arrived. Brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, grandchildren thronged in after escaping from the confine of the motor vehicles with their fathers earlier at the wheels. In all excitement and total abundance of inhibitions, they stepped into the home. Of course flipping off their slippers and shoes outside. That was when Danish came rushing in from the door. He had welcomed them as a child would but I supposed he was surprised to see what I had also taken the liberty to record on film.

That spurted him to rush in crying for his mother's solution. Why did he cry out and insist on something to be done?

Danish just like his grand dad is quite fastidious, neat, tidy and for a lack of a better word may we say 'CEREWET'. I have often also insisted my children to be tidy and more so when entering homes. As we take off our shoes, slippers, sandals or whatever items we wear please place them together neatly rather than allow them to be scattered and displaced as more joined in the merriment. Just imagine the chaos whenever we leave after a khenduri or any function organised inside a home or hall. It would be a miracle when none come out exclaiming that he or she could not find his/her footwear.

Danish has been 'trained' because 'insisted' would smack of forcefulness, to arrange his shoes and that of the family members whenever he enters the home. However on Saturday 15 September 2007 it was beyond his comprehension. So " Mama please help. Macam mana ni ...Kasut banyak ni ...... "

Notice the row of shoes neatly placed by the side of the wall. He had placed them there earlier. When there was this invasion it must be too much for him. I suppose he could not find a solution at that very time. He needed help.

There he was screaming for help and what do we do?. Only to laugh aloud at his 'dire strait' and only later to appreciate his acquirement at a tender age of four years. Maybe I will give him a special gift for the coming Hari Raya for stepping into my footsteps. Ha! Ha!

By the way, do you observe any trend or nature of placement of shoes as caught by the camera? It is an interesting 'order' or may you say 'disorder'

OUR HOME, OUR TRADITIONS, .......... (CONTINUE)

Surprisingly I seemed to receive accolades from unknown blogger, who read my stories. Thank you and they are sights/notes admirable. Cause it helps to link me and you and especially through my eldest daughter who takes the extraordinary name of 'Queen'. Not that she controls the home but certainly oversees like other hard working lady the household and the kids and grown up in the house. That she only learned of my spirited writing just now, goes to show that as daughters and sons, they have much more to fathom about their dad. Would you agree?

Terima kasih for all your encouragement. Really not many seniors get to do blogs. Many reasons. Time, experience, attitude and reason for wanting to write itself. If they do, it helps as I have discovered. Through musings of Queen I found many hidden corners in the closets. Adult children seldom talk to their dad. But they convey ideas through other media. This is one good way. This is just a brief by the way.

Now back to my previous story of the house in Langkawi. Just a few extra photos to make you realise what we are missing cause we abandon out natural and traditional homes. Still not too late and as many of you, so much favor the good old days and the rustic homes please do something. Dream, Will, Get a small piece of land anywhere, and Get cracking before all are taken up.

The largest house that they are building. Note the tall mango tree kept and trimmed to accommodate its branches through the living room. Already new buds are growing. Tembusu timber pillars are used for this particular house.

Through the front of the house with the uncompleted roofing.

This is a largest house and with only ONE bedroom. It will cost a bomb if you were to stay for a night or more so for a week here.

Andre giving us a briefing of this worker's house which is temporarily their home. That's not me behind Andre. Observe their liking for allowing the 'petai' tree to shoot through the roof

An archaeologist discovering this house say ten centuries from now would be wondering how this mural with coconut palms, buffaloes in the field and a Malay house came to be built here near Makam Mahsuri. He may wonder though how a dolphin come to be on one of the wall at the gazebo near a swimming pool. He would be hard pressed to know that the couple were Dutch who sailed into Langkawi back in 2006. Still as we remarked to Andre and Ria. 'Welcome back' since the Dutch were in Malacca in1624.

Notice the rafters and colored glass used. Fan from the high beam and spot lights added color at night and even daytime while giving good ventilation and fresh air.

Andre showing the wood design of the window looking into the rubber land at the back. Mrs, being an architect herself just marvelled at the couple's painstaking love and care for their home. We would too.

All that beautiful splendor come from building their wooden home ( except) for the large house from old homes abandoned or sold off at dirt cheap price because we never realise or never want to accept 'recycling' or whatever term you may want to use when we refurbish. So if you come across any beautiful home wanting to be pulled down or discarded PLEASE call us. We would appreciate.

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Coming: ' In Search of Old Homes ........ '

Let's LOOK at some abandon homes. Imagine what you can design or articulate from its present form. Throw your imagination wild, and see what you can get from the richness of timber etc . Preview these two photos. Dream on and we will achieve what the couple have done at Langkawi.

A abandon building we saw at Kota Bharu Kelantan. Enlarge and you will notice the richness.

Another abandon home at BalikPulau Pinang. No it is not only famous for durian but there are many old Malay homes here. Take a drive there and you will be glad you did.

There is even a large wooden house cum hotel in Alor Star where once P. Ramlee and Saloma came to stay and perform their musical talents. We will share that with you. It must be over 90 years.
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OUR HOME, OUR TRADITIONS, OUR ARCHITECTURE WHERE IS IT HEADING?

On this first morning of Ramadan when Muslims wake up earlier than usual to partake in the activities of Islam holiest month and we in Kedah Malaysia are blessed with a day off I would like to look back at the query or intimidation registered as the topic for this chapter.

Obviously we see new housings litter our landscape with the grandeur of roofs camouflaging whatever available open space. Driving into Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur from the north and approaching the Jalan Duta exit point, the left side view from the right hand drive vehicle confront us with large housing zone. The bright red or other colored tiles roofing stretching as far as the eye can see vouched that inhabitants find their comforts under the protective tops. Yet are they as comfortable as wished or don't they wish for something truly Malaysian, traditional and domestic? Are their homes comforting as they would have hoped ? They would have been intimidated or perhaps swept off their feet by being in circulation around kampong or housing zones with names that chanted the like of 'Sentul East', 'Grandmarie', 'Kota Kemuning', 'Damansara Heights' or 'Villa Balinese'.

This prevailing situation stretches throughout the country. Be it in Arau, Kuantan or Sempurna. Sadly all the homes are concrete partaking shapes and sizes almost identical. Building materials varying from bricks, concrete, steel, iron bars, aluminium, glass, plywood, cement boards etc make up the resources used. Wood in its natural setting and identity is almost absent.

Coming to the crux of things, we are missing our true and natural homes. Fifty years ago almost all of us live in wooden houses. Pillars, walls, floors, doors and windows were all wood. The roofs with wooden rafters support attap as cover. The houses stood alone and not hemmed by neighbors unless yards away. Earth warming and timber restrictions came as excuses. Timber is expansive and hard to get. Are these true?

Two days ago we were in Langkawi, a pearl of the east and now being promoted as a 'Geo Park' recognized by UNESCO. We often crossed the short sea route from Kuala Kedah to Kuah by ferry and more often than not returning the same day though we have a place to stay on the island. We are aware that foreigners have their homes in Langkawi. The international yachting fraternity with their yachts and boats anchored at marina bays on the island justify its reality. We know some became owners of apartments on the island. This time we found that some have invested on property and built their dream homes in the most indomitable way. A husband and wife from Holland dropped anchor one and half year ago and were mesmerised by the island's charm and friendly people. They became landlubbers and built their homes near Makam Mahsuri. Yes I meant 'homes' because they built not one but four TRADITIONAL homes.

We were aghast that here a Dutch couple have managed to create a Malay kampong in its pristine beauty with 'petai', 'mempelam'. and coconut palms gracing their open spaces. Their frontage gives them the panorama of vast padi fields reaching as far as the Mat Cincang range in the west, while their backyard neighbors a rubber estate. Pride because Andre and Ria have found our traditions and culture; built and adopted upon them. Beholding its beauty nevertheless harbors sadness and anger. We lose out. Why can't we continue to build our traditional homes as our forefathers have done before? Why must we give away precious scenery and landed property?Why must we move into concrete building? We choose instead to live in barracks or 'terrace' or 'affordable' homes.

As we celebrate Merdeka the 50th time, I cannot help wondering how much more will we lose while others appreciate and treasure all our worth. Not only have the early British pioneers written about our legends, history, beliefs etc and taken away treasures from the land and yet in modern times we continue to suffer the same fate. Our friendly gesture inviting wealthy visitors to our country to make Malaysia their second home is applaudable. To whom? Now our traditional homes have become treasures, assets to them. They invite visitors from all over the world to stay in Malay 'palaces' to feel the invigorating lifestyle of bygone days. Click through your search for home stays etc in your web page , you will discover the trends.

Truly the homes they helped to build again would have been lost, discarded and left to suffer the ravages of our tropical climate. They bought old homes and with love and affection, no doubt with the grace of their bank account. reuse the timber with all ingenuity to construct the homes as you see in the attached photographs. The chanced visit nonetheless helped to register a determination to participate in the same direction too.

Really, we have come across an Australian family who built up Malay traditional homes as a hotel and a Swiss who occupies a hillock overlooking the vast stretch of Langkawi's southern shores a sight so precious that it is priceless.

Wake up my fellow Malaysian. Move away from the concrete jungles Get back to basics. Come. inhibit and retire in our own traditional homes. Look at these pictures. Would you not be mesmerised too? When are you making the move?

to continue

Kenangan Sempena Tiba Ramadhan

पेर्तामा kerali dalam tempoh kurang dua minggu selepasnya kita umat Islam akan menyambut Ramadhan।

Ramadhan kali ini seperti tahun-tahun yang lalu akan menghimbau kenangan sedih dan pahit. Ramadhan bulan suci dimana kita dipanggil untuk merapatkan diri dengan Allah dan memunaikan berbagai ibadat malangnya tidak boleh diberkati dan dirasai keindahan dan kesuciannya oleh mereka yang telah meninggalkan kita. Jesteru di masa ini kita yang hidup terkenang kepada keluarga terdekat yang telah pergi, air mata tertitis, hati sebak kerana mereka tidak lagi bersama kita. Mereka tidak dapat turut merasi sausana istimewa siang dan malam sepanjang Ramadhan. Kita kehilangan meraka disisi kita. Aku merasai ketiadaan isteriku Wan Khadijah yang pulang ke Rohmatullah tujuh bulan yang lalu. Ia isteriku yang pertama. Genap mula Ramadhan ini beliau sewajarnya menyambut ulangtahun ke 70. Apa dayanya tidak sempat menemui jadual itu. Tuhan lebih sayanginya. Aku juga merasai kehilangan dua orang anak yang amat disayangi; juga pulang lebih awal lagi. Anak bongsu Shahriful Ridzi Zainal Abidin dari aruah ibu Wan Khadijah dan anak bongsu Nor Atikah Zainal Abidin dari ibu Wan Fatimah. Ayah Mohamed Abdul Raoff dan Ibu Mariam Mohd Jelani juga tidak lagi bersama.

Kita yang berada hanya berdoa untuk mereka agar senang bersama Allah dan dirahmatiNYA.

Untuk kita sehendaknya Ramadhan ini akan dimanfaatkan dengan lebih sempurna dan penuh bererti bersama keluarga dan rakan yang disayangi.

Bekas muridku Abu Bakar Omar ( Bakar bolong) seorang pelakon terkenal tampil dikaca TV1 setiap malam dalam siri iklan mengenali Ramadhan. Iklan yang penuh syahdu itu membawa erti yang tertentu.

Berdoalah kita bersama agar Ramadhan kali ini memberi sebesar rahmat kepada kita semua. Amin