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.

WHAT CATCHES THE EYE AND THE CASE FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Recently I happened to visit a shopping centre at Jalan Mat Aroff in the Bangsar area of Kuala Lumpur with my wife and curiously walked into a store that pulled our attention. The shopping arcade obviously cater to the discreet customers, obvious from the displays and decorations as seen. This store especially had a fine display of ornaments and jewelery products imported as well as locally assembled.

 It wasn't the articles or the precious items that caught our attentions, though there were by themselves of exquisite quality and design but the manner and arrangement they were displayed. Take a  look at the pictures and you will notice the approaches to display all the items in a unique way. I stood amazed at the arrangement made to show case the items. Old trunks and drift woods collected by the owner become centre pieces.Never- the- less they were crafted beautifully and stood as objects of arts rendering a richness of their own.

I have often admired people who collect drift woods especially washed by the sea. But here the owner, I was told ventured all out to collect the pieces. Rightly you would want to purchase them rather than the better items that stood on or around them.

I was glad that I was permitted to  photograph the collections and thus able to share with friends the beauty of wood or the craftsmanship. We must likewise keep our eyes opened and perchance come across pieces that will become collection pieces of our own. 

Brown and black were the dominant colours, with white sand forming the basic layer. Notice also the strips of wood, tree trunks or branches that make up the decoration of the showroom.

Our track into the Belum Valley recently exposed us into the varieties of timber pieces that are often washed away or gathered as a result of on going projects. Sadly we threw the opportunities away never realizing or caring to reap the golden harvest that were presented. 

Last but not least I am sure friends who lived by the sea, similarly cast the opportunities away, giving no chance to become entrepreneurs, craftsmen, artists or designers by collecting such throw backs until they themselves come to terms with the beauty and exquisiteness of drift woods. 

Given the opportunity that you are in such a place as above, then you will be happy to survey what are available and collect the necessary treasures of the forest.

Friends Came Visiting

 After a good morning ride near Alor Setar, the group arrived at TT Gajah for breakfast and they had a hearty one at that.

A

 All cheers for having made it to Alor Setar and TT Gajah especially after all the planning.

 Dinner at Citarasa TT Gajah. The plates are ready on the tables and the dishes have yet to come.

 Before that light conversation was in order with them discussing the plan for the next day

Help yourselves! Surely these are not the shy types when it came for what are served for dinner.

Now these two bikers found themselves at the Haadyai Food Market and especially at this solely petai shop.

They are bikers, not youth but seniors in the range of the 5th and 6th series . Sometimes even the 7th series may be in too. They came from Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur. Not necessarily on their bikes i.e cycling right from the the two cities but carrying their folding bikes in the car boot and ready to do exercise upon reaching terracotta of Alor Setar.Three members flew to Alor Setar and the bikes made available to them. Several of them were members who cycled at Perth a few months back. It was a get-together as promised and it came through meeting again and now in the north of the peninsular with them having a magnificent sight of the rich Kedah rice-fields at this time of the year.

The vast greenery of the Kedah Plain near Gunong Keriang and where our visitors absorbed the view as well as visited the Padi Museum. Come a few months later it will be a golden field when the padi ripen.

No doubt feeling tired and a restful break with a good cup of coffee helped at Hj Salleh Kedai Kopi did wonders.

The nine magnificent in front of the gate to Istana Anak Bukit with seven folding and two mountain bikes for the ride in Alor Setar. Many would remember how we rode our bikes in the 50's and 60's. Even school boys and girls cycled for more than 10 miles to get to schools and back. It would be thought as a tragedy now. Thankful that cycling has come back.

DID YOU GRADUATE FROM THE OLD DRIVING SCHOOL?

The motorcar with its auto parts to learn and know. Learning to drive would require you to know how it works too. Helping you when there is a breakdown. No doubt quite often too

     Do we ever learn about the motor engine now? We have complete trust and therefore why bother to know how it works.

THERE ARE MANY DRIVING SCHOOLS NOW. All guiding and teaching learners to ride the motor-cycles or to be at the wheels of lorries, buses and motorcars and pass with flying colors in quick time. Technologies and no doubt the schools with all the facilities have made learning to drive an easy accomplishment, just as in many other approaches too.

Recently, while rearranging my collection of books, I found " Odhams Motor Manual - How Your Car Works and How to Service it' a fourth edition copy printed in 1960, a hard cover book with 320 pages. Noted on the front page " Bought in Singapore 25 March 1961. The price (Ringgit) $ 9.00  This is one habit which I practiced even currently allowing me to trace through the years all the books that are in my collections and realizing when and where I bought them.

Pretty sure we do not refer to such signage now though a few may be standing still in many parts of the world

That reminded me that it was within that time that I took to driving. First a motorcycle and later the motor car. I got a 'D' licence for the former allowing me to ride a 500cc big bike and a B for the latter.I used to ride an BSA, a Triumph  and a Norton.Not my own of course. While for the motorcars, the likes of Ford, Triumph, Rover, Austin, Morris, Worsley and VW would be familiar names.

It is to be reminded that driving in the 1960's and earlier is far different from what it is today. Now firstly the vehicles are modern with automatic facilities. Secondly the road signs , road conditions and traffic regulations are a far cry from what they were before. 

MANUAL would be the order of the day. No automatic gears. Especially NO air conditioning. Road signs have to be given manually. You stretched out your arm if you want to turn left or right and giving the correct signal. When stopping, you held up your arm giving another version. .

  How the arms give instructions when auto signals were not yet designed

     The policeman on duty.Characteristically you would still obey his signals when he is on duty Notice however currently they are casual

Yes sorry no traffic lights. No red, orange or green. At main junctions you looked out for the policeman on duty. He would give directions. 

Imagine when you had a traffic light failure now. Everybody rushes making a hell of a jam until a person or a traffic policeman comes to sort out waving his  arms left and right. Traffic policemen are still trained to move vehicles when such situations occur.

Much as it would give me fine moments to remember the way we drive before, maybe you could look at the illustrations from the book I mentioned earlier and see the differences of then and now.  

Most of us, road-users and not necessarily car owners would have to learn the basics of the cars. So such a book as above  became a collection piece. We need to know about the vehicles especially the engine and other parts of the vehicle. It came down at weekends for us to open the car bonnets and look at the engine and do the servicing ourselves. Timing chain, carburetor, spark plugs,petrol pump, battery etc received our attentions. We were not machinists but circumstances made us learn the simple aspects of the engine and how it works.   

At modern launching of brand new cars, you may notice some differences in the observation styles or techniques. While a great majority will get into the car, appreciate its interior, its dashboard and cozy feeling plus the sound system etc, there will be a small majority who would open the bonnet and look what's under it. This would normally be the seniors. They would also like to look the undersides of the vehicle too. Well what are your preferences? How do you choose your new car?

I am happy with what is in the 'stable' as it is reliable like the old horse.  

Hoping this article triggers some past episodes.

PART OF A HERITAGE

IT JUST HAPPENED THAT THIS IS A TEST PHOTO, in an attempt to load a picture in the blog. Not that he is a young soldier but this grandson of mine seemed to be carrying my old  gun. Many senior persons in the country had permits to purchase shotguns or rifles in earlier time for reasons to protect their properties or plots of lands against destructive animals. Try going to a police station in May /June each year you will find this brigade of senior persons with their prized possessions lining to renew the gun permits. With strict control, it has become difficult or indeed impossible to transfer permits to our younger generation. Very soon most of the old guns would be absorbed back by the police force who in the first place issued those permits.

It is interesting to compile a story or account of the seniors who held these prized and treasured items and their adventures of times a half century or more ago when hunting was a possible pastime.The makes of the guns themselves would disclosed where we imported them from and perhaps tell the history of the world's gun makers.