FEBRUARY 2015 POSTING

Having been away from blogging for  months, it gets difficult to get back to the path or clicking to note down what you planned to do. Your attempts to find your dashboard also meet with failure. Memories and patience become the tester; you may easily give up when several attempts find no way out. You lose your blogs?

Thankfully there is a discovery and here you are typing away. The next best way to go back to your album and post photos taken in the past months. They recorded intact what memories may not recollect immediately while you grope for stories.

 At the home of a family friend near Batu in Kuala Lumpur, it was a surprise to meet up with an old friend of the teaching days. Only upon asking we found out the next person sitting near to us was  Abdul Rahman Yeop, a former headmaster and Pengarah Pelajaran Selangor in the 1970's.Forty years and more have passed by and thankfully recognition stays put and help us to be connected again.

Last month while driving to Baling that historical town where Tunku Abdul Rahman met Chin Peng, we saw again this building at Jeniang in the district of Sik Kedah. Astride a river, I stopped to take this photo from the bridge of an old police station dating back to the prewar days and still in service with its well kept grounds. How much longer will it stay there? Will it give way to a new police station? Badan Warisan Negara must take note of this building in Sik Kedah.  

A Visit to Langkawi took me to this site where the owner tended to his orchard while at the same time showed us this rows of tree trunks positioned as they were. He is a 'honey' collector but not derived from bees  but from 'kelulut'. Rightly there has been many enterprises set up to collect 'honey' from 'kelulut'. 

While many of the old timers may recognize this plant or creeper which naturally clings to telephone or electric poles and on fences in our homes yet one of many that has  disappeared from the local scenes,yet here it was and I am told its food for the 'kelulut'. It's name ... "ayer mata pengantin" . wow!!!

 Early February 2015 morning, as I tended to the small garden at home and upon looking up saw this beautiful sight. Our tall 'kuinin' tree has blossomed signaling that its the beginning of 'spring' in Kedah and like similar fruit trees we may expect a good fruit season.

 Alor Setar and Kuala Kedah as a estuary close by has a small port with ferries commuting between it and Langkawi. It too has a large LKIM building with fishing as a spearhead of the community here. What a surprise and a pleasant one too when for the first time I was here and discovered a picturesque site with activities that made you clicking away the shutters of your camera. The three pictures below speak better than words.   

    

December 2014, January and February 2015 have  caused us to continue with our works and at the same time allow us to discover activities, episodes and programs that helped to link us to the communities, neighbours and friends.Thankful that Allah gives us the energy and the opportunity to discover  and see more of His Creations and Magnificence.

NOVEMBER 2014 ROYAL BELUM VISIT

It has been several months since I am back here on the blog. Not that it escapes me to pen down the happenings and observations that passed by through the days of the past weeks but directions towards other obsessions perhaps divert the attentions.  By doing that I too missed out from getting close to other blogger and friends especially who continue to pen down their stories and observations. Never to worry since the writings are there and only a click will get you to read them.

Where do I start to reel back the past months that have been filled with activities? I guess several throw backs with pictures would do it. My camera at the ready helps to capture the activities, happenings , observations etc keeping the records which otherwise would be lost and erased the next moment. Here in the confined of the smart phone or the camera the vivid scenes or characters are kept intact. It helps especially when you need to recount or recollect as I am about to embark on.

The opportunity to be at Putrajaya fortunately allows us to meet with families. On one occasion my sister and her family joined us for a good morning walk by the lakes near the home. Added to that there was the opportunity to attend a wedding invitation of one of the members of Presinct 16,  a close knit group akin to being in our own kampong   

         With our sister and her family at an exercise station near one of the Tasik at Putrajaya

  The homes at Presinct 16 Putrajaya

           

    Would it dawn upon yourself to meet with a nephew, a former student of the school when I was the principal and friends who joined on a cycling trip to Perth at the reception? The linkages continue when the Precinct 16 community group organized a trip to Royal Belum Perak. 

                            

7-9 November 2014 found 25 seniors ( 5,6,7 Series) embarked on a boathouse for 3D2N adventure into the Belum Valley in Perak. It was a testing time for the 7th Series to keep in momentum with the younger group but the activities pushed all to enjoy what was programmed and Belum Valley is a place to be visited for those who care and love flora, fauna and the treasures of our jungles and lakes. It was also a return to the base where who had moved into a year and more ago when a tourism project under the Northern Corridor Agency was implemented.   Lakes, waterfalls, fishing and the comforts of the  'houseboat' with outboard motors for trips to the islands and places close by plus the warm serving of breakfast, lunch and dinner with fresh water fishes servings etc plus the camaraderie helped to make the trip a successful one. It makes us think why we would go visiting places beyond our shores when here it is the best of its kind. 

                                At Sg Rouk Waterfall, one of several to be discovered at Belum

      Members of Precinct 16 Putrajaya who traveled  by bus to Belum and the two of us joined them after our drive from Alor Setar.

         The house boat which can take up to 40 passengers complete with the amenities you would find at home. The owner and guide Sdr Abd Mutalib an ex-army officer familiar with Belum would assure comforts as well as safety and guidance.. 

          BELUM ( land before time) sits astride the East -West Highway as you drive from Jeli to Grik and crossed the two bridges at the lakes. It also joins to the Temenggor Lake at its southern and eastern part.   

 

  They had their fun and excitement fishing in the lake.

  Not necessarily being in a Jurassic Park but you will admire the giant growth of existing trees at Belum

  You may choose to stay in the Boat House or stay in the several chalets built for Northern Corridor or the Royal Belum Authority

An opportunity to visit a 'Kampong Orang Asli' is possible since there are several in the Belum Valley. You will notice their homes are built of natural materials found in the jungles.

Now should you need or feel that the adventure into the Belum Valley is your next program for a family visit do feel free to contact if you should need a helping hand. I can assure you even the family would love and enjoy the short trip.

LET'S CONTAINED IT FOR A TRY ....

This picture may be familiar to many as it appears in the local  press to herald the opening and current show piece of Putrajaya Flower Show when it was opened to the public in June 2014.The colorful umbrellas along the main entrance pathway helped to cover the visitors from the noonday sun especially but the colorful display of "fluoride 2014" .in the show area cast away any fear of the scorching sun. 

Our attentions however were glued to the container home on display. Not that we have not seen containers used as offices for the construction industry however hats off to the planner and designer of this project who realized the potentials of the box as a home and a very beautiful and homely one at that. It's a double storey one with garden landscape added.  Imagine collecting branches and harnessing them as fences. Unique and indicating what we too often forget the ability and durability of materials around us for many purposes.

 "The main entrance to the container home, arrange in a T formation"

     

"Possibly not many look at this fencing, but when you do then realize the potentials of the discarded materials around us... wood especially. Most important the 'idea' that it threw. I would guess 'Robin Hood and his group or Tarzan' would have barricaded their camps in similar style."

                  

 " The bottom section with added flooring and designed side walls. On the right is the small courtyard with stairs to the top floor.

    

'The top section opening to a garden landscape view'

                           

'The courtyard and the stairs to the top floor'

                                           

'The view from the upstairs box'

"It gives a thought of doing something like this. Then again it has to be a 'gotong royong'  to collect the branches and arranging them in the manner as seen. Nevertheless 'SALUTE' to the designer and grateful that we are made to realize the potentials"

        

     ' From the upstairs box home'

   "Yes even the side wall can be organized to look like this. Yes truly a GREAT idea and if you have a piece of land somewhere along a flowing stream and right in a fruit orchard, why not get on to organize one like this. I am sure you could get old containers to come to your aids. But a group of friends to assist that would be another question. Good luck to those who succeed. 

It would be a great HARI RAYA CELEBRATION FOR THE FAMILY if you succeed.

Below three pictures of other designed products on show at the 'flower show' held at Putrajaya recently. We were there on 17/06/2014. You contribute RM1.00 for entrance and the ticket will allow you to reenter again if you visit the show ground again on the same day. You would have to pay 'tons' to enter the Chelsea Flower Show in UK.

SHAABAN NEXT TO RAMADAN

 As the days come closer to a much awaited month, we keep ourselves active in the normal way, meeting friends, visiting them where and when possible and in between  do what is possible to keep the momentum and be motivated. For sure an open house would permit friends and families to call at your place but it would not be possible to have open house all through the year. A solution comes naturally when we started and opened the restaurant. Much as we expected customers to visit and patronized, it hits the jackpot when friends and colleagues  come visiting too. Many of our friends have called and it has been a pleasure to meet them, unexpected mostly.  Neither we ourselves or them expected us to be in this business, though the business is managed by our son and his team. Unexpected it was when Dato Professor Abdul Halim Othman formerly of UKM and his family came for dinner last week.  It was an opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to each others family and struck the comradeship of our early youth and school days. Both my wife and I have enjoyed such meetings in the months passed and we are sure to continue meeting friends at our 'open house'.

 Abdul Halim Othman and his family

Gleneagle Hospital in Penang with a view from its 10th floor: a part of the sea frontage of Padang Kota Baru can be seen. The hospital is situated close to the Kelawai area, a busy hub with many high rise buildings around it. Below is a kiosk selling refreshment at the hospital. In the government hospitals canteen and such like kiosks would be away from the public zone.

Just behind the front apartment you see above would be one of the old Malay Kampong along Burma Road in Penang. Development that comes to this zone in the early 1960's has transformed the area into what it is now. I remember the Malays around this area would frequent the only mosque at Kelawai Road. Stopping at the the mosque after leaving the hospital I was surprised to see that the old wooden mosque has been pulled down and a new modern one built at its place. Certainly a far departure from what it was before, For the Asar prayer the jumaah was much to be expected for the constituent's position. Nevertheless I believe Friday prayers would get its full attendance especially as the 'Curry Kepala Ikan' restaurant is just a few yards away.

Having coffee at the Hospital's kiosk

        

In Penang you should try the 'Pasembor' served with fresh sea concoctions . The stalls at the corner of Kelawai Road and next to Padang Kota Baru have all kind of hawkers' food for your choice.

As the date shows, we seriously thought the days of seeing weddings as portrayed by P. Ramlee in his films have died. Imagine our surprise and pleasure to see a wedding function at Putrajaya graced by such display. The parents must have given the children their best

Wishing all visitors the best of Shaaban and more so in the month of Ramadan

BALI INDONESIA VISIT

We are at it again... traveling to places around the peninsular. This time to the island of Bali. No this is not our first visit to the island since there were two previous visits though the first one was more than a decade ago. However on this occasion I was the tour organizer for the thirteen pax in the group  made up of friends and seniors.

Yes it was another exposure to become an organizer, tour guide and involved in the  tourism business.I may say it has added more experience and know- how re organizing such a visit. The planning had been arranged at least three months ago with prior reservation and booking for the airline tickets thereby to get the best offer and contact for reservation of the accommodation facilities. With all expectations hopefully ready and completed the group departed from KLIA on 17 of March 2014 for the 4N/5D visit. Our flight on Malindo Air took three hours to reach Den Pasar Airport. 

I had expected to experience a long walk to the vehicles after clearing Immigration and Custom as we had found several months ago and was surprisingly surprised that a new airport terminal was ready to welcome visitors to Bali. Dato Baharuddin Marji and wife were members of our group and I had requested a wheel chair facility for him upon disembarkation. However that was not necessary as now it was only a short walk to the vehicle terminal. However our drivers for the requested vehicles were ready to assist. One vehicle was reserved for the luggage and bags and the thirteen of us climbed on the two other cars ready to take us to our next destination. It was to be another hour before we reached the place for our stay for four nights, not without stopping for lunch at a Nasi Padang Restaurant on the way. The noon arrival surely made everyone craved for a good lunch. I guessed the Nasi padang proved satisfaction because of the great array of dishes.

    The 13 pax group with senior Dato Baharuddin Marji and wife plus 8 former Kirkby friends, two neighbours from our Putrajaya home and the two of us. Seriously it was easy organizing this vintage group. It may be said that it was a Kirkby Group visit since Dato Baharudin and wife were Kirkby students as well though later he was our Malay lecturer.   

Our stay in Bali was not at the normal hotel sites, though there are plenty on the island offering all the facilities you would like to choose with all the comforts but I chose to stay at Siyut an area close to Ubud and north of Den Pasar close to the traditional and cultural centre of the island. Below you see part of the home and the swimming pool with its greenery and flowering shrubs.

It is not often you get to experience a stay as this especially in a  homely atmosphere with all the comforts and services. By a stroke of luck we have come to know Pak Jim and Ibu Paula ( both Dutch and Indonesian) in our earlier travels and they have allowed us to be guests at their home in Siyut, especially when both are away in USA and we had the services of their house staff to help when we were here.

                                       

        Part of the home with its garden, the swimming pool and facilities

 

   Hj Omar and Azudin did not miss to jump into the swimming pool

                                            
                 

  

               They dig into the breakfast dishes prepared by the girls at Villa Flora, a far cry from the normal hotel buffet in the morning.

  

 Our first tour for the day included the rice terrace at Tagalalang. Be prepared to meet large numbers of visitors or tourists at this favorite place

The home comforts more or less would like to tie you down rather than release you to travel out but since arrangements have been made and the drivers with the two vehicles have reported at the time designated we then proceeded on the the tours for the second, third and fourth day. Bali has many places to offer each challenging your time and endurance. So we need to choose what is best to see and visit. Good comfortable cars with two drivers who are tour guides by themselves are credits for the visits

 This clean footpath actually brought us to the coffee plantation where we had a taste of the ('musang') Luwak coffee and observed its processing as well as become introduced to the fertile volcanic soil of the area where fruit orchards and other plants grow at their best.

Hj Omar took a look at one of the cages, with the cockerels  ready to be taken to their destination for the fights of their lifes. Yes cock-fighting is one favoured past-time here though we did not meet up with its participation.

The Kintamani tour took us for lunch at the peak overlooking an active volcano and the lake. The large wooden table, a piece of a tree trunk  constitutes a common furniture at many outlets and one would like to cart one home if possible. Wonder whether it is possible to export one. 

You wonder what has happened to our quality tree trunks. Why not a semblance of it appear as dining tables in its natural condition and size! Small size furniture yes and even than good timber pieces are hard to find unless you cart home imported versions.

The next day tour included a visit to the village stage performance to see the traditional dance. Bali offered several traditional dances at locations that began their show at 10.00 am. The village folks including the musicians, actors and dancers presented a colorful show lasting an hour. Several premier hotels do similar shows which come with your dinner. 

The group on the elaborate stage after the show.

Bamboo  especially for furniture seems to be a favored choice. The auditorium for the stage show had seats made from bamboo. Our group was the first arrival and therefore had the front seats. 

 At Villa Flora similarly the garden furniture were from bamboo too

A visit to Mas Village met us with this craftsman who elaborately curved the object of a bird. The establishment distinguished itself with a large collections of wooden art crafts.

Craftsmen were around at work and you could stay if you like to observe them doing their pieces.


An accidental visit a day earlier to  "Bale Udang' a restaurant

that advertised itself in the local newspaper as being newly opened brought us here for dinner the next day. Specifically to see the building and its environment plus of course to savour the dishes served. Again the surprise to see the total construction of this establishment made from bamboo. It even has a second level. Set in a padi field environment, we were welcomed when we arrived with the majestic view of the setting sun beyond the padi fields and the western horizon.  

 

The main hall of 'Bale Udang'

 bamboos along the corridor

The setting amidst padi fields make us wonder why we do not realize this grandeur and don't we have padi fields too in Malaysia! Maybe it's a challenge. 

There are many tours that you can take to see Bali, either via tour agencies or by your own planning as we had done. Motor cars with their drivers can be arranged with the stipulated price. You are advised not to drive yourself when in Bali since regulations for accidents if happened can be heavy for the driver or even direct imprisonment.  We had two good friendly drivers who speak Bahasa and English and excellent guides too. My arrangement for the vehicles and drivers were made much earlier and 'Made' being their names waited for on our arrival with 'placards' at the airport and were with us throughout the tour.  

Your visit Bali would not be completed as part of the itinerary  of your visit unless you make a visit to the 'pasar seni' where crafts of the locals are sold at a bargain price. Besides clothing, paintings, various handiworks could be bought at a fair price if you bargain rightly.

Here I caught the lady placing the flower offerings as commonly seen almost every where while customers are welcomed by the shop assistants even before they enter the premise.

A sign which attracted my attention. " Kalau anda bukan orang sembarangan janganlah buang -buang sampah SEMBARANGAN" Though Bali is populated with 4 million people,  the people observed road regulations and cleanliness is a plus factor.

There was an interest to visit the beaches in Bali. Kuta being one but traffic into the area was heavy in the evening and we could only make our way to Sanur. With the hotels by the beaches and the tourists in its vicinity it was quiet and yet clean.  

Again I caught this picture of the table made from a piece of a tree trunk. A treasured piece if you could have one in your home. Guaranteed you will never get one again in years to come.

It was a good visit, exposing us to many aspects of Bali and especially allowing one to know the modes of planning and organizing a conducted tour and allowing oneself to travel as part of the team.Maybe getting someone involved in the business itself for an opportunity to visit places ..... 

You may be surprised to learn as we have that on the 31 of March 2014, the Balinese will observe a religious day called Hari Raya Nyepi Tahun Baru Caka, the day of total silence throughout the island. We are told there is no activity, no traffic at all on the roads and no fire may be lit for 24 hours . Notice were given that the airport is closed and no flights would land on that day in Bali. Visitors to Bali must come before that date or later. Now would you like to be there that day?