I planned to post a thought a day (except weekends) when I started blogging, but didn't manage to do it yesterday. I had ideas but was hardpressed for time. The reason for not wanting to write on weekends is so that I will spend more time with AHS. Already during weekdays we have so little time for each other. Another reason is so that AHS doesn't get hooked on the internet and writing and where would that leave me?
I managed to accompany AHS for his daily walks a couple of days last week and again today. I love the school hol as it gives me the chance to go out to work later than usual. We mostly walk around the neighbourhood, making a big loop when there's more time. We would zig-zag the rows of houses and plan our route so that we have to climb an incline. There are many walk enthusiasts in the area; some walk very early in the morning, and some even after 8 p.m. Now that's something we haven't tried. But no one is crazy enough to walk in the heat of noon, as they do in Perth, even in summer. One of the highlights of our walk for me is meeting people around the neighbourhood and picking the beautiful, red biji saga. There are about four saga trees along Jalan 2. I plan to either make a bean bag out of them or to put them in a clear glass bottle for decoration.
There's a downside to the walk too. Dog poo. I hate them. We always have to steer away from them and they are almost everywhere. The owners of these creatures should be fined. Honestly. They'll gladly take the dogs out for a walk (thank God they are on leashes) and happily wait for the dogs to do their businesses and just walk off without an ounce of conscience. And others would be having a nasty whiff of the glorious pile. And they are simply heaped on the road! Sorry to be writing about this but the owners just amaze me. They should be educated, speaking in English and all that... (I know that's not a fair assumption). There's only ONE lady who walks her dogs with a plastic bag ready -- a Caucasian lady. Nope, I guess the other dog owners who walk their dogs have not noticed the mess nor have they taken any hint from that Caucasian lady.
I lived onced next to a family who owned a dog and tied it up at the back of the house. There was no kennel nor shelter for it. On rainy nights the creature would howl and whimper until I could not take it any longer. I complained to the MPPJ (as it was then). The MPPJ must have sent a notice to the neighbour and the next thing was they let the dog out at night. As simple as that. I wonder why people keep pets.
Tuesday, 29 May 2007
Friday, 25 May 2007
2 sen Friday
I'm going to write about Kuala Lipis, Pahang, in Malaysia. It used to be the capital town of Pahang for 57 years before Kuantan (the current capital).
Kuala Lipis is my father's birthplace. He was actually born in Jeransang, a hamlet along the main road to Padang Tengku, Kuala Lipis. Jeransang is, I would say one of the first signs of civilization after the long, winding, forested quiet road. One can really admire the trees-- the different types and sizes. So, one really has to focus on what little sign there is to get to Jeransang, else you miss it. I remember it being on the left at that corner where there's a wooden shop selling bottled Sunkist drinks: all lined up in stacks on one side of the wall. The shop belonged to my father's uncle. It was almost the life of the kampung -- where you would get your provision, and letters posted to and from.
We didn't visit Jeransang very often when we were growing up, spending most of our time in Kuantan, my mother's hometown. The few times that we went were when I was a teenager, to weddings. I found the accent (or is it dialect?) amusing; but now I know it's fascinating. Not many Malysians know the Pahang accent. Even when Pahangites meet, they seldom use it -- the total opposite from the Kelantanese. It is a lively, lilting, very fast moving way of talking. I myself can sometimes get it wrong. Another reason why Pahang accent is not well-known is because there are quite a few of them, being a huge state. People around Kuantan, especially in Beserah area speak mainly with Terengganu accent and dialect. In Pekan, the twang is again different: it has a royal grace to it, I would say. As you get towards the central part of the state, the most unique sound, not unpleasant to the ears would be distinctly heard. If you visit AZ Shell station in Batang kali on your way up to Genting (from North), talk to the proprietor -- he's from Pahang. But his accent is a little 'diluted'.
I went back to Kuala Lipis, in September 2006, this time with AHS, who had not been there in years. My last trip was 5 years earlier. We drove there from Kuantan on the new highway up to Temerloh and branched off to the right after the Temerloh toll gates. We followed this state road all the way. I recommend travelling to Lepeh (as we would call it) using this route and taking it easy. Stop by at any of the roadside stall for a cup of kopi kampung and you'll not be disappointed. And the people are just so friendly. If you happen to be there during fruit season, you will be simply rewarded with plenty. We passed Jerantut (a big town now!), Damak, Dong, Benta and Lepeh.
It was a Sunday, but I didn't think that the whole place would be deserted. I had wanted to show off Kuala Lipis to AHS, and share with him how the big colonial bungalows used to excite me, conjuring in my mind the events that these bungalows must have witnessed, every time I pass them by. Lipis is a very historical town. Why, Hugh Clifford is still remembered -- 'lending' his name to the school that is still perched on the hill. However, what we experienced was a real anti-climax. We wanted to get lunch so I suggested the Rest House atop Bukit Residen: disappointment again. The driveway was lined with lalang. We walked to the reception: further disappointment as it was no longer a lively place I used to know. Now it is reduced to a dark, sombre corner.
So we drove back down and took a left. The stadium looked promising, maybe Siti Norhaliza can bring in throngs of people to liven things up around here. The circular road brought us to a line of new buildings. We turned the corner to the bus station, where there should have been some kind of life: none. We had nasi goreng and stayed to have teh tarik. There were very few buses and people. I remember the eating places around the station used to be so full of activity, what with the railway station so close by. Before we left, we visited the toilets (not royal enough to say the lav) and they were clean! A relief! There was this man who cleaned the place -- almost non-stop. We then proceeded to the older section of the town where there used to be a floating hotel on the river: gone. We drove up to the main road again, turned left, and I looked up take a last look at Bukit Residen. It used to give me romantic ideas of plantation managers and their family members having their tea and play tennis there. AHS used to compete in tennis competitions there many, many years ago. (The tennis court is still there).
In the end I didn't get to show the big bungalows to AHS. I wanted to search for Siti Nurhaliza's house but AHS wouldn't hear of it.
Next time I must get my father to go with us. Even a dreary place like that would be livened up by his anecdotes. He has quite a few and most willing to share them.
Well, I haven't lost hope for this little place rich with history. I feel the local government should do more to keep Lipis. Visitors (foreign and local) do not always want to go to places with modern facilities.They want to see history and culture too.
Kuala Lipis is my father's birthplace. He was actually born in Jeransang, a hamlet along the main road to Padang Tengku, Kuala Lipis. Jeransang is, I would say one of the first signs of civilization after the long, winding, forested quiet road. One can really admire the trees-- the different types and sizes. So, one really has to focus on what little sign there is to get to Jeransang, else you miss it. I remember it being on the left at that corner where there's a wooden shop selling bottled Sunkist drinks: all lined up in stacks on one side of the wall. The shop belonged to my father's uncle. It was almost the life of the kampung -- where you would get your provision, and letters posted to and from.
We didn't visit Jeransang very often when we were growing up, spending most of our time in Kuantan, my mother's hometown. The few times that we went were when I was a teenager, to weddings. I found the accent (or is it dialect?) amusing; but now I know it's fascinating. Not many Malysians know the Pahang accent. Even when Pahangites meet, they seldom use it -- the total opposite from the Kelantanese. It is a lively, lilting, very fast moving way of talking. I myself can sometimes get it wrong. Another reason why Pahang accent is not well-known is because there are quite a few of them, being a huge state. People around Kuantan, especially in Beserah area speak mainly with Terengganu accent and dialect. In Pekan, the twang is again different: it has a royal grace to it, I would say. As you get towards the central part of the state, the most unique sound, not unpleasant to the ears would be distinctly heard. If you visit AZ Shell station in Batang kali on your way up to Genting (from North), talk to the proprietor -- he's from Pahang. But his accent is a little 'diluted'.
I went back to Kuala Lipis, in September 2006, this time with AHS, who had not been there in years. My last trip was 5 years earlier. We drove there from Kuantan on the new highway up to Temerloh and branched off to the right after the Temerloh toll gates. We followed this state road all the way. I recommend travelling to Lepeh (as we would call it) using this route and taking it easy. Stop by at any of the roadside stall for a cup of kopi kampung and you'll not be disappointed. And the people are just so friendly. If you happen to be there during fruit season, you will be simply rewarded with plenty. We passed Jerantut (a big town now!), Damak, Dong, Benta and Lepeh.
It was a Sunday, but I didn't think that the whole place would be deserted. I had wanted to show off Kuala Lipis to AHS, and share with him how the big colonial bungalows used to excite me, conjuring in my mind the events that these bungalows must have witnessed, every time I pass them by. Lipis is a very historical town. Why, Hugh Clifford is still remembered -- 'lending' his name to the school that is still perched on the hill. However, what we experienced was a real anti-climax. We wanted to get lunch so I suggested the Rest House atop Bukit Residen: disappointment again. The driveway was lined with lalang. We walked to the reception: further disappointment as it was no longer a lively place I used to know. Now it is reduced to a dark, sombre corner.
So we drove back down and took a left. The stadium looked promising, maybe Siti Norhaliza can bring in throngs of people to liven things up around here. The circular road brought us to a line of new buildings. We turned the corner to the bus station, where there should have been some kind of life: none. We had nasi goreng and stayed to have teh tarik. There were very few buses and people. I remember the eating places around the station used to be so full of activity, what with the railway station so close by. Before we left, we visited the toilets (not royal enough to say the lav) and they were clean! A relief! There was this man who cleaned the place -- almost non-stop. We then proceeded to the older section of the town where there used to be a floating hotel on the river: gone. We drove up to the main road again, turned left, and I looked up take a last look at Bukit Residen. It used to give me romantic ideas of plantation managers and their family members having their tea and play tennis there. AHS used to compete in tennis competitions there many, many years ago. (The tennis court is still there).
In the end I didn't get to show the big bungalows to AHS. I wanted to search for Siti Nurhaliza's house but AHS wouldn't hear of it.
Next time I must get my father to go with us. Even a dreary place like that would be livened up by his anecdotes. He has quite a few and most willing to share them.
Well, I haven't lost hope for this little place rich with history. I feel the local government should do more to keep Lipis. Visitors (foreign and local) do not always want to go to places with modern facilities.They want to see history and culture too.
Thursday, 24 May 2007
Then and now, here and there
A friend just got back from a trip to China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou) and came back telling of how hospitable the people are. She went with her tour guide brother who has made friends with a number of people there. They were invited to the Chinese friends' houses for meals and were taken out to visit museums and interesting places. She was totally awed by their friendliness and welcome.
A relative, whose husband is Algerian came to visit recently. He was going back to Algeria for a vacation and the wife lamented on how they had to do the shopping for gifts for (almost) everyone at home! I mean, the whole village. Her husband, H, explained that neighbours were really close knit, even closer than one's own flesh and blood. What Islamic spirit! If there's death in one's family, the neighbour will make sure your meals are taken care of, at least for the day. If there's a wedding, your neighbour will vacate his house for your faraway relatives to stay in -- don't think about booking a hotel. Aww, so nice. I even received an invitation to a khatan ceremony in December, lodgings included!
But I remember not so long ago (go back 30 years) when my grandparents 'threw' a kenduri, practically the whole kampung would turn up to lend a hand. One person would be the main organizer, and others would simply fall into their roles, literally. I suppose it wasn't as simple as that; but that is how I remember it to be. So in the end it wasn't really someone 'throwing' a kenduri, but always 'organizing' a get together where everyone works for their meal, so to speak. Some, however, would just turn up to give moral support and make merry, not lifting a finger. But these were accepted roles as well.
I guess their sense of belonging was a lot stronger then, and one certainly does not want to be the odd one out and be a social outcast. Will we live to breathe that day?
So, we were China and were were Algeria and possibly a lot of other places, that still treasure that way of life that when we experience it now, it seems alien to us. There may be a time when there are more webkenduris than virtual ones.
A relative, whose husband is Algerian came to visit recently. He was going back to Algeria for a vacation and the wife lamented on how they had to do the shopping for gifts for (almost) everyone at home! I mean, the whole village. Her husband, H, explained that neighbours were really close knit, even closer than one's own flesh and blood. What Islamic spirit! If there's death in one's family, the neighbour will make sure your meals are taken care of, at least for the day. If there's a wedding, your neighbour will vacate his house for your faraway relatives to stay in -- don't think about booking a hotel. Aww, so nice. I even received an invitation to a khatan ceremony in December, lodgings included!
But I remember not so long ago (go back 30 years) when my grandparents 'threw' a kenduri, practically the whole kampung would turn up to lend a hand. One person would be the main organizer, and others would simply fall into their roles, literally. I suppose it wasn't as simple as that; but that is how I remember it to be. So in the end it wasn't really someone 'throwing' a kenduri, but always 'organizing' a get together where everyone works for their meal, so to speak. Some, however, would just turn up to give moral support and make merry, not lifting a finger. But these were accepted roles as well.
I guess their sense of belonging was a lot stronger then, and one certainly does not want to be the odd one out and be a social outcast. Will we live to breathe that day?
So, we were China and were were Algeria and possibly a lot of other places, that still treasure that way of life that when we experience it now, it seems alien to us. There may be a time when there are more webkenduris than virtual ones.
Tuesday, 22 May 2007
Boom time?
Good news for all Malaysians: the salary increase for civil servants. Actually it is better news for the traders, big and small. They've already increased the prices of things and services. Servants of the private sector? They'll surely get their share in terms of bonuses, at least. Malaysians in agriculture are getting better incentives. With the right connections, they'll get big bucks; if they haven't already. People with the 'extra' coming their way should stash the 'extra' away for a rainy day (in unit trusts? how about gold?: any comments please?).
Monday, 21 May 2007
A beginning, a challenge.
Quite a stressful week that was. Had to relocate staff to a new site, about 45 kilometres away, and they were informed last week. A lot of sour faces, teary eyes and angry retorts! Not to mention 'minor' threats. If they work at any other places, they would not have an aorta of a chance to tweet any disagreement ... or else! Some, I might say, are quite complacent with the way things have been and thus the reaction. Anyway, I see it as part of the job; but it was still stressful.
Blogging is a beginning too, started around two weeks ago, had a break as I was getting nowhere. Even found difficulty relocating my blog! It's good to have a break; as they say: come back with a fresh breath of air.
Blogging is a beginning too, started around two weeks ago, had a break as I was getting nowhere. Even found difficulty relocating my blog! It's good to have a break; as they say: come back with a fresh breath of air.
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