Eid Adha...

Selamat Hari Raya Haji, Hari Raya Korban, Happy Eid Adha to all. May we all are bless with happiness always. This is the last day of the year 2006, so good bye to the year 2006. It had been a great year for the country Malaysia. Life have been good and hope that the year 2007 would bring greater prosperity to all people all over the world. Have a nice day.

The chair...

I got this piece of furniture from Ikea. It is the most comfortable chair that I had ever have. It is a piece of art works of the Swedish. Elegant and yet functional. It is a place to sit and relax. To ponder and wonder. To day dream care less of what's happening in the world. At time with the newspaper on my hands, my mind just wonder endlessly. The comfort that this piece of art works gives to us human is simply superb. A comfort that one would only enjoy when one is there on that piece of furniture. Once you set down on it, it soon became part of yourself. Fascinating!!. Yes this simple chair did its jobs well, thanks to the many hours it's designers put to give comfort to those that need it most, like me. Well friends that is life and this piece of furniture did me good. Indeed a treasure, yet simple. I love this chair. take care.

Of earthquake and the Internet...

Yesterday, in the morning I was trying to surf the Internet and found that everything was slow. I thought that it is my computer that is slow, so I did the disk defragmenter and also did the disk cleanup. It still did not works as usual. I soon found that certain tools at my blog did not appear, so I try looking at the other blogs and found that it is the same. I then went to Project Petaling Street site where I often ping my blog and could read all the other Malaysian Blogs that are posted there. And it is here that I found others who found out the Why!, the Internet had been crawling all day long. The reason being that, it is because of the earthquake at Taiwan this morning which cause damages to some cables that link South and North East Asia to the other parts of the world. Well it look like that we all have to live with it for the time being and wait for the repair to be done.

Now we all know how bad is when our communication network, i.e the Internet is disrupt. Our life goes haywire and things seem to move rather slowly. It is rather frustrating that an earthquake could cause us so much hardship. It did not create the usual tsunami this time but a tsunami of another kind, breakdown in our communication network especially the Internet that we all just took for granted. Indeed it is a tsunami of a sorts. According to the local Telco, it would takes some two to three weeks before things would get to normal. In the mean time they would try to channel our communication by other ways and means.

Trying to open this page alone take a longer time then usual, so here I am trying to blog this and trying to get back my life back to normal. We are indeed venerable to such natural disaster and I guess that is part of life on this planet of ours. Let get use to this and carry on with life as usual. Have a nice day and take care.

2006 and the Bloggerhood...

The year 2006 has been a great year. Life have been good. The country continue to prosper with Malaysian living in peace and harmony.

Blogger among the other Internet users have been made the Person of the year by Time Magazine. It is indeed a great honour to us blogger.

As we go along we are seeing more and more blogger of quality in the Malaysian Blogger scene. The latest is that of Marina Mahathir, the daughter of our former Prime Minister, who have a column in a local paper. Her writing has made great contribution to the development of the Malaysian social cultural scene in this multi racial, multi religion, multi cultural country. A well known blogger Mack Zul have pull out for reason only known to him and I hope he would make a come back to the blogger scene. Another who also almost pull out decided not to do so. Aisehman has came back with a vengeance and a new look Blog. The new kid on the block that now gave us the latest political development is Rockybru, indeed a great blog to visit. And then there is this blog call Siber Party of Malaysian, where a gang of blogger continue to contribute great post that would live up the blogging scene. As usual we have Desi with his colorful posting of current events, in a way only Desi could do. Then there is Jeff Ooi with his usual knowledgeable and current affairs posting that keep giving us the latest of the happening in Negaraku. Liza is back with more colorful posting. Makcik is with her daily journal posting as usual and look like she would be doing a new job comes 2007.. These two Pak Blogger are with their usual charm postings, that only people in their golden age could think of. And many more... Well the blogging world in Malaysia continue to be as colorful as ever and I hope more would be coming in the new year.

On the other side of the globe Lynns a favourite blog of mine, continue with great posting and Dani a nature love is making a come back with her great nature posting. And of course there is Anasalwa, a Malaysian living in Boston with her personal journal live from Boston.

And in the UK, this blog by a British. Awang Goneng postings are indeed a gem in itself. Literature and History that brings back memories of the past in a country call Malaya.

Well, friends, Happy New Year and Have a great day always. take care.

A plant....

Well I took this image the other day. My neighbour had planted this plant sometimes ago and now it has grown all over the roadside near our houses. This plant has a sharp tip on each of its leaves and not to be taken lightly. It prick and it is best to leave it alone. Anyway it makes a nice plant for a landscape. Have a nice day.

Agave

Merry Christmas

The above images are of the Christmas decoration at the KLCC mall, The Suria. As usual this year there is a tall Christmas tree at the centre of the Mall. It is very tall indeed, about six storey high. So it was rather difficult to get the image of the whole tree in one shot. I was there a few days ago in the evening and the images above are that I took while there. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. May we all continue to prosper and have a great life always.

Our genes... we are all numbers..

This is a very informative article from The NewScientist.com about our genes. It look like we are getting more and more answers as our scientists go on with their research. It is my hope that these findings would eventually lead us to a better understanding of the mechanism of how our species works. Well that would do for today. Have a nice day.

Time Person of the year...You

Yes We Blogger are among the others who have been made the Person of the Year by TIME Magazine. Great, that we all are having a part in making this world of ours a better to live and enjoy life. Thanks to the great minds who brought the Internet to us. Now that it is here to stay, life would never be the same anymore. No I do not believe that we could live without it. At least it is part of my life now. Never a day that I do not surf the net. From writing blog and visiting those great blogs all the over the world.

For Malaysian, Blogging gives them a total new avenue to share their thoughts with the world. Making disseminate of information no more the exclusive of the few but possible to all. All this because of the opportunity to blog. To all those blogger out there continue on blogging and may we all continue to contributes our thoughts in whatever ways we could, trying in our own way in making this country Malaysia a truly Negaraku.

Friends We are all being given the honour as the Person of the Year. Thanks to
Time Magazine... Yes, We are honoured... Have a nice day.

The Kenanga....

The image above is that of the Kenanga flower [cananga odorata] that grows in front of my home. It flowers all the times and it give a peculiar fragrant, a rather smooth aroma that is pleasant to smell. Not too strong but smooth and mellow. This is one of the traditional plant that the Malay love to have around the house. I had planted it first in a pot and as its grows I move it and planted it on the ground in front of my gate. Ever since that it has grown big and keep on flowering without fail. Since it is outside the gate, I have decided that the flowers are for the taking of anyone who appreciate and loves this flower. It is a sort of a wakaf from me to the public. Hoping that others may enjoy it as well..

The contented man.....

I took this image at a friend's house during the last Hari Raya. While everyone were having a great chats and enjoying the hospitality of the guest, I took a few snaps of the happening. On returning home I edited it and found this image turn out to be a very interesting portrait of the person concern. This person and his spouse are both friends and relatives of a sort to my spouse and me. He is a typical Kampong elder who have live all his lives in the same Kampong or village. Grew up there, married and had family. His village have been his world all the while, from the time of his youth, until now, in his golden age.

I have met him during his younger days and He always fascinate me for been just a simple man, contented with life. With just a little education, he live his life as had his father before him, simple and yet happy with the way life has brought him to his golden age. He rarely venture outside his village and whenever I am back at the village I would see him just like before. Always in a greeting mood and without fail invite us to his humble home. His spouse would prepare coffee or if I ever want to have lunch there, She would happily prepare one and as usual I would enjoy the simple meal that this village folks prepared.

Well, friends, the above images was taken with my cell phone, thus the paint like images. I love these images and am sharing it here for all to enjoy.

Winter in Beijing....

My spouse say that she wanted to visit Beijing, China and ask me whether I am coming. After some though I told her that I am not going and that she should makes the visit with our daughter. I had visited Beijing before and she did not accompany me at that time as the visit was an official one. Now with the children grown up into a young lady. It would be great if the two of them go without me. She love doing just that and off they went on a five days trip to Beijing at the beginning of Winter. It was just a six hours flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. They left at twelve thirty in the morning and arrived in the early morning at six thirty, in the cold of winter in Beijing. According to an email they send from Beijing it was snowing in Beijing when they set foot out of the airport terminal.

Well what a change in the weather in just six hours. The temperature in Kuala Lumpur were thirty five degree Celsius and in Beijing it is five degree below zero..Winter in Beijing. They were prepared for the winter trip so it seem they really enjoy their visit which includes the Great Wall of China, The Summer Palace, the forbidden City and of course the Tiananman Square in the heart of Beijing. These are places that one had to be when visiting China. You get to walk on the Great Wall, be part of this ancients monuments, see it at close range and touch it with your very own hands and feel the excitement of these great works of arts. You may have seen it thousand of time on movies and TV or photographs but it is not the same as been there yourselves. It is a great place to be, a moment in times that is so different. And I have been there. Indeed one of the Wonder of the World that only the Chinese could offer us.

It is not visiting China if you do not set foot on any of these places. Well that is that. The Great Wall is China and no other countries have it and it is also one of the Wonder of the World.

As usual she never miss shopping. She managed to squeeze some times to do her shopping and brought back things Chinese and a VCD images of the trip. I watch the VCD and from the look of it they really enjoy their visit to China, without Me!!!...Friends that is live.. Enjoy..And have fun.

The Pope in Turkey...

It is indeed great to see leaders meet and talk. This kind of meeting would surely give more toward peace however difficult the situation be. Leaders should to try to take advantage of any situation to bring peace and harmony in our world. I found this blog when visiting Lynn., my favorite blog on the other side of the globe, that I often visit. Well...!!

A lady from Sabah...

A young lady from Sabah, a close friend of our daughter visit us just a few days during the fasting month. She spend two nights at our home. During the two days whenever she is at our home and when the opportunity arise I sat to chat with her on various subjects that of interest to us. She is working with an NGO that is involved in some social engineering projects, that take her around the globe. Actually the reason she is here in Kuala Lumpur this few days is because she in on a transit to catch a flight to her another destination, Bangladesh.

It is fasting month and she been a Catholic did not fast and when it is the time to break fast, we invited her to join in at the dinner table. At time continue to chat on subjects that came to our mind. As usual with me at time before the breaking of the fast, I would chat with her on various subjects. Mostly on social engineering that I did in my youth. She is actually doing what I did before, transferring knowledge to the needy in the rural areas, both in her home state of Sabah and overseas as well.

Just before a meal the other day the subject went from the wonder of Sarawak and Sabah Beat Artifact that her people did to the subject of traditional medicine, the wonder of our past knowledge of healing the sick using the traditional means. In today's treatment of the sick, most patients are treated for their illness but at time it did not includes healing, whereas in traditional medicine the focus is in the healing with includes treatment as well. It is this differences that make traditional medicine or alternative medicine unique by itself. It heals the sick.

This subject which sometime people say is related to the supernatural actually it is not so. To me it is a science of a sorts. It has to do with the way our medicine man do their job in healing the sick. In actual fact it is because of the service of those medicine man [ in our culture it is call Dukun, Pawang, and the like ] who had provided all the means and ways of healing the sick before the coming of modern medicine, that our society had survived to this days. Had it not been for the service of those medicine man, a respected figure in any traditional society, I do not believe our species would have survived.

Modern medicine is actually a recent developments in the history of man, so had it not been for the great works of our traditional medicine man, sickness would have finished off our species, especially here in Asia. These traditional medicine man had been part of the Asian society for thousand of years and surely they had great knowledge and wisdom. Working hand in hand with modern medicine would surely be a great advantage to mankind.

In my chat with this young lady, we seem to agree on many aspects of the role of the Tradition and the Wisdom of the old in our society.

Nature's best...

Nature always gives its best. Look at this orchid. It is not white but white with green. I believe this is the end product of the research of our scientists and technologies, who with their ingenuity and patience, experiment with nature's own and eventually came out with this combination of color. The color of orchid, always pleasing to look and admire. Have a nice day.

Life is beautiful...

Actually I am not that sure what to write at this moment in times. So I just sat here listening to the beautiful song on my TV and enjoying the moments as its goes. My cell phone beep and it was a short beep and before I could get to answer it, it stop. I look at the caller's number and did not recognized it, so I did not call back. A while after the I got an SMS message in Malay which say 'can we be friend'. I replied that it is OK to be friend and send the message to that unknown number. So that is what just happen. Interesting Eh!. Life is like that.

Anyway just let me tell this story of my friend the elusive squirrel, the brown one that had been my friend of a sort for some years already. We had not really met but have seen each other. Still a stranger. It is like this, I know for sure that there is a family of squirrel living in front of our home as well as in the backyard. Since its always come and run around I decided to feed it with fruits like apple and almost every day I would cut a few piece of apple and place it on a plate. I then put the plate between some flower pots at the patio of my house. This particular squirrel would come and eat or take it home. At time I would notice it coming over and because it is rather shy I would not make any noise but watch it comes and goes. It is fun and I love this relationship as for me it is part of the equation of our lives on this planet, that we share.

The demise of a patriot..

Yesterday Mohd Khir Johari was call to the Lord and was accorded a state funeral. Part of the team that work toward getting the country independent from the British and later served in the first cabinet under the able leadership of the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra. He was indeed a patriot that served the country well. Condolences to his spouse and the rest of the family. May God bless His soul and that He may find a place in heaven. Alfatihah, amen.

Of the Malay and business...

The debates and rhetoric at the Assembly has ended. As I had often said rhetoric alone would not solved problem but would create problem instead. The only way for the society especially the Malay to be successful in the economic fields especially in trade and commerce is to gain knowledge and with it put these knowledge into practice. We are a capitalist country and only those who think as capitalist would be successful in doing business. Successful businessmen not only help themselves but the country as well. They create jobs and opportunities for others, thus help the country as a whole to prosper.

In order to acquire knowledge especially in Business, one must have the ability to get it. And this could only be done by knowing and mastering a language of knowledge such as English and Mandarin. The Malay language [Bahasa Melayu] with due respect is yet to be a language of knowledge. There are hardly any books of knowledge in the Malay language. The Internet is full of knowledge but then the language of the Internet is also English. So to those who need to acquire knowledge and upgrade their know how especially on Business or on any subjects they need to know either the English or Mandarins or both. There are no other ways for any group of the Malaysian society to be smart except to acquire knowledge. It is through knowing what to do only would they be successful in Business, thus would help to contribute toward the percentage of their share in the Malaysian Economic Cake. Rhetoric alone would not help. I notice that in the recent Assembly no one talk about the need to learn English or Mandarin, which I felt is the basic thing that would help the Malay especially to acquire knowledge and from there would help them to be successful businessmen.

I agree with the thoughts of the writer of this article Race is not the issue and hope that the Malay would realized and stop those rhetoric but be more realistic in their approach in wanting to gain more percentage in the Economic cake of the country.

To Me the Malaysian society has no choice but to Master the English language first. And Mandarin if possible. With that the rest would be much easier. This is the real world and we all have to be realist about it. Nationalism in the world of globalization would not help us to prosper. Thinking and acting global would and for us to be successful in the local and global enterprise knowing one or more international languages is the only way toward success.

A reflection...

I thought that I would just snap this for a change and it turn out to be a wonderful images of a reflection. Just take some times to ponder and enjoy this piece of floating pieces of orchids in a pool of water in a clay pot. When snapping this images I never thought that I would get to see the translucent roof of my patio with its wooden frame so clear in the reflection in this bowl of water. Well that is photography the invention that gives us the opportunity to immortalized such scene and share it with all to enjoy. At the same time appreciating what nature had to offer in this wonderful world of ours. Friends have a nice day. Have fun.

Gorgeous Pink...

For years we waited for it to bloom. Yes more then two years we waited with patience. My spouse nurtured it tenderly all throughout the years and some time we would just talk about it. Like when are these orchids going to bloom. Like all those lover of flowers especially orchids knows too well that it take lots of loves and tender care to get this wonderful species that share this planet with us, to show its true color. And eventually it did give us back that love we had all those years showered it and Voila!! When the time come its just bloom, giving us that joy that only flowers could give. Well friends just before the Eid Fitri this orchid bloom and to ensure its immortality I took the about image and am now sharing it with all to enjoy as well.. Have a nice day.

Of harmony and the open house...

Image above show a scene at the Raya Open House at our home on the first day of the Hari Raya [Eid Fitri]. Malaysian of all faiths were there enjoying the Eid festival. It is normal in this country for people of different faiths celebrating each other festivals, like Diwali, the Chinese New Year, Christmas, Gawai Dayak and the like. There are even a National Open house for each festival hosted by the Government with the Yang dipertuan Agong and his consort [King and Queen] in attendance. That's my friends is the Malaysian way of life. Have a nice day.

Its Hari Raya today...

Selamat Hari Raya or Eid Fitri to everyone. Enjoy and have a nice day.

The Pak Lah and Dr.M meeting...

They met as schedule on Sunday afternoon and this is what Dr.Mahathir, the former Prime Minister had to say after the meeting as reported in
the Star online. Have a nice day.

Its Diwali today...

Happy Diwali friends. I believe everyone are having a great time on this Hindu Festival of the Light. Above image shows our grandchildren trying their hands in making the Kolam with the help of their auntie. Indeed a work of arts. They are just having fun after the breaking of the fast this evening. Have a nice day.

Windows Internet Explorer 7

Friends, I have just download the Beta version of Windows Internet Explorer 7. It is fantastic and works well. I am now trying to get use to this new tools by Microsoft. Try it at this site. It is fun too. Have a nice day.

The happiness that comes...

As time passes in this golden age, many things happen when you least expected. Like the other day one of our granddaughter after completing her PMR examination [Lower secondary examination] call and say that she wanted to follow me to the Trawih prayer. Grandma could not go, so I told her that I am glad to take her. So just after eight in the evening I drove to her home which is not that far from ours and pick her and off we went to the local mosque for the Isya and Trawih prayer..To me bringing along this young lady to the mosque for the Trawih Prayer is real special, in that thinking of it alone bring tears of joy to me as the old man of the family. Her younger brother Anwar who is just nine years old had been accompanying me from time to time to attend the congregation prayer on Friday. He love to follow me. and even if He come home late from school on Friday, He would rush to change his clothing and then follow me to the mosque. His mother says that He always look forward to that Friday prayer at the mosque come Friday. Personally I had never force my children and now my grandchildren to follow the teaching of the religion. This is because of my strong belief of Surah 2.256 of the Koran. In short its says ' Let there be no compulsion in religion ' There is no use forcing as it would just be superficial and not accepted in whole by one's heart. I believe that education is the best tool for the young to learn about the real meaning of life which includes their belief. To me it is important for us to be reminded of the true teaching lest we forget. We should at least look at this Surah and take a pause and ask ourselves why it is important not to force one's norm and value on others.. Give as much love to everyone and Loves would grow well and in return would benefit everyone, thus would create peace and harmony among mankind.

Another very enjoyable events that happen in this month of Ramadan is that at weekend starting from Friday, the grandchildren and their parent would come over for the breaking of fast session and at time stayed over night. To me and grandma this is an event in our lives that is so wonderful and beautiful in that it is not that easy to explain the beauty of it. It is so beautiful and heart feeling ..Seeing the scene of those little tots breaking fast and the elders of them helping grandma in the preparing of the spreads and then help in the cleaning up of the mess. Personally I love to have them around, playful as usual, their cry and joy that only children of this age could create. At time it bring me back memories of my past, in the villages where we live and go through the same ritual when Ramadan came. But then it was different, we were then the children unlike now we are the grand's...Friends it is so wonderful to be surrounded by those loved one especially now in our golden age. For those young do have children so that later on in life you may enjoy what we are getting now...A wonderful moment in time, so beautiful and memorable, full of love and affection..Happiness that only comes in such a moment in times. Indeed such a treasured moment. A wonderful moment in time. That my friends is the happiness that comes as we continue to enjoy life in this blue planet of ours..

Flowers....

Flowers they say is the keeper of our joy.. It would always bring joy whenever we see flowers. The images above are flowers and green that grows in our garden. Images taken with my new digital camera. Enjoy.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri...

This is the last week of fasting and next Tuesday October 24, 2006 Moslem in Malaysia and all over the world would be celebrating the Hari Raya or Ei_ul-Fitr. So here I am wishing all a Great Selamat Hari Raya or Happy Aidil Fitri. May we all continue to have a great life and Malaysia continue to be as prosperous as ever, with the Multi cultural Malaysian society continue to live in peace and harmony. Have a nice day. [Maaf Zahir Batin]

Happy Diwali....

Diwali the Hindu festival of light is approaching. In Malaysia as in other parts of the world this year festival fall on October 21, 2006, just three days before the Moslem festival of Aidil Fitri. Like all the other Religious Festivals, in Malaysia Diwali is a national holiday. To All Malaysian I wish them all a Happy Diwali and hope that we all would continue to prosper together. Let us all have only LOVE in our heart. May everyone be blessed in this Festival of the Light. Have a nice day.

Seha...

The demise of a great Malaysian performer and artist, Seha, the lead singer of the Malaysian band Freedom. She pass away today and was buried at the Moslem Burial Ground at Ampang. May God bless her soul. Amen.

In the New Straits Time

Another toy....

Well, we never really grow up, do we!!. So I just got myself a new toy. A new digital camera. I went scouting for several days, window shop at a few malls as well as surf the Net, trying to make up my mind as to which one to buy. Actually it is not that easy to select one within one's own budget. What with so many models and ranges available in the market now.

Yesterday I went to the KLCC and drop at a one of the Camera store on the top floor of the KLCC. Ask to have a look of a camera, an Olympus that I had somewhat seen of the Net. The salesman was good at his job and explain whatever I need and eventually got me hooked on this toy. I bargain for a good price and additional free Add on. And in the end bought it for a price much cheaper then as advertised.

Friends I got myself this Olympus SP-350, a gift for my birthday this year. So with this new toy I have plenty of times to be toying around and learn to get the best images from this latest technology in Imaging...Have a nice day..

Traditional Kueh [cake]...

I love traditional cake. In the Malay world it is Kueh. Kueh is a sort of cake. I am not sure whether it is a right translation for the Malay word Kueh to mean cake, like the western cakes. Traditional Malay cakes are mostly made by boiling in water or by frying in vegetable oil. Only a few like the Buah Hulu are made using the traditional oven. The traditional Malay oven is actually a copper pan with two parts, where at the bottom fire is lighted and above on the cover hot glowing amber are placed to create the heat needed to cook as in an oven.

Above are two of my favorites Kueh, the green one is the Buah Melaka [loosely translated it is Malacca Fruit]. This cake is made from glutinous rice flour. The glutinous flour is made into a soft dough. Pandan leave is use to create the green color. Small round dough with a piece of coconut sugar in it are made and then boil in hot boiling water. Once it is cooked, it would float. It is taken out and then dunk into freshly scrap coconut. The other in slightly red in color is the Kueh Sago or Sago cake. It is made from small bead sago which is colored as you like and then slow cooked and after that it is cut into small pieces and then dunk into freshly scrap coconut, just like the Buah Melaka. And Voila!! It is ready to eat. It is sweet and make great desserts. We had these homemade traditional Kueh for the Buka Puasa this week.

Buka Puasa..Breaking of the Fast...

Well, Fasting during the month of Ramadan, to Moslem is real special in that unlike the other four of the Pillar of Islam, Fasting is between you and the Lord only. No one except You and the Lord know about what actually happen. You can pretend to fast for you simple can cheat your good self and like the teaching says God knows all. You could pretend to others that you are fasting but although other could not see whether you eat and drink during the days, You know what is happening. Fasting is not confined to just not Eating and Drinking during the day only, it include other values, like you have to be a good person always and never ever to think of evil. If for some reason you do not practice all the good value and norms, then your Fasting from not eating and drinking would just go to waste. In actual fact you had to fast Body and soul.. Fasting during this month is made easy if you set your mind to do just that. Fasting Body and Soul all the way until the time you break the fast.

The time of breaking the Fast is the most interesting, happy and look up time of the day. It is the time that you gather with the family to sample you first food and drink of the day. The waiting, especially to the child is as exciting and a moment in time you just love to be, to enjoy the meals after a whole day of fasting.

Yesterday the whole family was in our home, three generations Us, the Grandma and Grandpa, our daughters, our in law's and our great grandchildren were there to enjoy the breaking of the fast. To me it is one of the most beautiful moment of my life to have all the loves one around you when the time comes to break fast. Surrounded by the grandchildren was indeed a moment in time that only people who have grandchildren knows. Having everyone in the family together at the breaking of the fast is to me indeed a great moment. Such a beautiful moment. Happiness beyond description. A moment in time that I shall cherished all my life... Friends that is life...Selamat Berpuasa [Happy Fasting].... Have a nice Day...[The image above is Roast Chicken right from our oven,one of the many spreads that is served at the Buka Puasa]

Ramadan food bazaar....

Pasar Ramadan or the Ramadan food bazaar. Yes, food bazaar that comes only during the month of Ramadan, the Moslem fasting month. Now regulated, these bazaar sprang up like mushroom after a raining night. It is usually organized at the parking lots or empty spaces at housing estate. There are everywhere all over the country comes Ramadan. At our place there is one, every year without fail come Ramadan at the parking space at Jalan Satu, Ampang Jaya. The place would be crowded with stalls selling foods and drinks ready to go. The selection are unbelievable plenty, the range of delicacies are just not that possible to count during one visit. There are the already cooked one and there are one that are been cook or grilled. The smell of those wonderful food is simply overwhelmingly tempting!! The spread of foods are laid to tempt anyone who visit this food courts of a sorts. Malaysian love this bazaar and they would throng the bazaar which usually open for business after four in the evening and would end just before the time of the breaking of fast. For that short period of time these bazaar became a sort of a carnival, with cheerful people buying their needs for the Buka Puasa [breaking of the fast]. In turn its make those vendors real happy..Indeed a real win win situation, in this auspicious month of Ramadan.

Yesterday I decided to take a short drive to the bazaar and look around of the happening. With my camera I took a few images of the scene and above are some of what I saw on that evening. The couple that create the wonderful Popia, the making of the famous Roti Canai, The Ikan Bakar [grilled Fish], the Makcik's Kueh [Mom's traditional cakes], the Mamak with it's Nasi Biayni, the crisp fried chicken. The varieties of foods and drinks are endless which makes the Ramadan Food Bazaar, famously know as Pasar Ramadan, something real special.

I did not come to this bazaar to buy anything but as usual end buying. With that I head home to wait for the time of the breaking of the fast, which at my place is at seven minutes past seven in the evening. Well life is like that. Have a nice day.

Kuantan 1912 and 2006....

Well, here is some images of my home town Kuantan, the capital of the state of Pahang. That colonial building which once house the administrative office or the District Office of Kuantan, now a museum is still there when I visit Kuantan last month... The black and white image is a copy I found at a restaurant in Kuantan and the one in color I took during my last visit to Kuantan...Enjoy...

Ramadan, the fasting month..

Ramadan in Malaysia start on today Sunday the twenty forth of September two zero zero six. As usual it start with the Trawih prayer session at the local mosque after the Isyah prayer on the evening of the twenty third [yesterday]. It should be noted that Moslem calendar start from the evening prayer [the magrib prayer]. The Magrib prayer is the first prayer of the day and not the suboh or early dawn prayer. So from today Moslem all over the world would fast during the day. That is from the moment of sunrise to the moment of sunset. Fasting is actually the state of the mind. Once the mind is set to fast during the day, then it would be just easy, a sort of a second nature. Once Magrib time comes, it is time to break the fast. I would just take some sweet liquid and dates for a start and then do the Magrib prayer. After that I would sit to enjoy the first meal of the day. After a short break I would go the local mosque and do the Isyak prayer follow with the Trawih Prayer. Trawih Prayer is a congregation prayer done only during the fasting month. In today's term it is a sort of a recreation for the physical body and the mind. In a way we get to meet others of the community to socialized as well. The trawih session is for all, the young and old, the man and women and the children. For Moslem it is a change from the normal ritual of everyday life activities to that of the special Ramadan ritual, fasting during the day, eating and drinking during the evening only and the social events in the mosque. Well, surely change in the normal ritual would do good to our species. It would not only do great to our physical body but to the mind as well... Friends Have a Great Ramadan this year..On this auspicious month I wish that everyone have only LOVE in their heart... Have a nice day.

The Tenun Pahang, a works of arts....

Works of Arts comes in many forms. Textile is one of the many. The one that are hand woven are unique in itself for they can never be two alike. If you own a piece of this hand woven material especially the traditional one, you would surely have one of a kind. Just like the Tenun Pahang or The Pahang Weaving textile. A sarong of a sort now made into textile that could be turn into a fine lady dress and other apparels as well as table clothes, tie, handkerchief and other souvenir items. It is actually a part of a tradition that had evolve in times. The Tenun Pahang, once the exclusive for man has now became a designed fashion textile, that is unique. It still retained that traditional Malay sarong touch. It is a textile that is made famous by the Royal House of Pahang in the Royal town of Pekan, Pahang...

While in Kuantan the other day we decided to visit the house that churn these intricate piece of traditional sarong that had been use with pride by the Royal House of Pahang for centuries and now with the government getting involved more of these once exclusive sarong are made available to the public. There is this little house at Kampong Soi, just off Tanjung Lumpur where a group of young ladies sat to work weaving the sarong the traditional ways. They still use the traditional wooden weaving hand loom of another era. Patiently they works manually with their hands and feet to woven the cloth with intricate design. At the end of the day turning it into a gorgeous piece of materials. Another works of Arts. Keeping the tradition alive...

This intricate woven cloth in the past could only be got at Pekan, the Royal Town of the State of Pahang. History has it that the art of making this special textile that are only worn by the royal came from faraway land of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Sulawesi is the home of the seafaring Bugis who had travel all over the Malay archipelagoes and one group that is lead by a Bugis aristocrats reach the shore of a new found land on the east coast of then Malaya and eventually settled at the royal town of Pekan. Today these fine textile could be got at the state own gallery at the Teruntun Complex in Kuantan. [ to enlarge the images above click on it ]

Meriam and Norlela, the ladies entrepreneurs...

It was yet another beautiful day..Without thinking much, after dressing up I told my spouse that I am going out for awhile. I drove the Honda Accord and just take its easy. In my mind if there is a parking lot at Ampang Point I would just browse along at this shopping mall but after cruising along I just could not find a lot to park my car. In that situation I decided to drive on and eventually got the Great Eastern Mall. Parked my car at the basement and took the lift up to the lower level and then went up one floor to see if there is anything exciting at this level, a sort of a lobby where exhibition are held from time to time. I saw that there is a interesting exhibition of Arts of all sorts on exhibit and sale there. Since I love works of arts, I browse along and eventually got to talking with a group of young ladies entrepreneur, one of whom is an painter and were selling her works of arts. There is another lady who works on small items of metals turning it into items of beauty and a works of arts, the like that of cosmetic jewelry. They were real articulate in English so the conversation soon became more interesting, the subjects seem to change as we go on. Indeed these two young mother in their forty something were the new emergence entrepreneurs who decided to turn their love for arts into business. I got their permission to take some snaps of their works of arts and above are the images that I took using my cell phone. Its really do look great...

I am indeed proud that these ladies with grown up children and from the look of it had themselves good education decided not to be employed but instead to go on their own, turning their interest or hobby into a business venture. As a person who had trained many young entrepreneurs before when I was working in a government agency, I gave whatever advise I could and encouragements to them hoping that they would continue to enjoy success in their enterprises.

These ladies that I met today are from the generation of my children and I am glad that they are on the way toward success in their business venture. In a capitalist system that the country practice, the future of a good living standard with a great quality of life depend very much on the individual. I believe that these young ladies entrepreneurs that I met today are among the many young people that makes the new Malaysian business people that would herald this country to a new height in the future. So to Meriam and Norlela I wish you well and hope that you both would continue to prosper and enjoy in whatever you are doing. Have a nice day.

Things of the past...

They say that the things of beauty is a joy forever. I believe this is one of those things...I took this image of a mode of transport in the bygone days. The Rickshaw, a transport vehicle that makes its hey day in the late nineteen and early twentieth century. The about image was take at a location in the city of Kuantan on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

Just take your time to ponder and admire this works of arts. The most modern means of transport at that time in the period of our history. Amazing how we had progress from this manpower vehicle to that of the Jets of today's, the would whisked us in mere hours from one location to another location in this wonderful planet of ours.. I live throughout these developments and am happy that our species had progress that far in such a short period of time in our world modern history of communication.. Have a nice day.