Happy New Year 2009...

Happy New year to everyone from Asmah and Me in Ampang Jaya, Malaysia. The image above was taken at the Columbus Park, Boston in July 2008, while holidaying in the US. May we all continue to prosper and enjoy life.

Have a nice day.

That birds @ Ulu Kelang...

Folks, from the time I could remember as kid who grew up in the rural area, where the house, the trees and bushes are part of my own world, I have always been fascinated by birds. It is all because it just could fly with ease and I could not. Before I could understand the science of flying it amazed me of how those birds could lift off the ground and defy gravity and fly into the cloud and then when the time comes it would just perch on the branch of the trees. At time it would get to the ground and feed on the tit bits that are all over and then off it would fly again. I often watch the birds made it daily ritual on one of the tree near our home and wonder at time in my little minds of why we could not fly. It would be interesting I thought that if I could get above the house and look down. Of course I could just climb the tree and look down but then it would surely not be the same like a Birdseye view of the ground. At time I would catch one of the bird and put it in a cage but been me who never like to see animals in a cage, I would let it loose again and see it fly away. It is really nice to see the bird would fly with it own kind and chatter the evening away. So as years goes by I would still enjoy the sight of birds flying free and would try to lure it to the neighbourhood by feeding it with foods.

Coming back to the subject of this posting which is related to the migratory birds of Ulu Kelang, it is about the birds that would perch on rows of the lamppost along the Elevated Highway near our house. Every time I drive in the evening on this Highway my spouse would pointed out to me the birds that perch on the lamppost along both sides of the Highway. And because there is only one Lamp on each of the lamppost, each bird would perch on one lamppost and as evening began to turn gray more and more would join the others perching on all the lamppost along the highway creating a unique line of lamppost with birds perching on it. The bird is the long legged birds, the Crane, a migratory bird that comes to this part of the world during the winter. Every time I drove and passed this part of the Highway I wonder when I would find the opportunity to take a snap of the scene. One could not take photo and drive at the same time, so for that while I would just enjoy the sight and hope that one of these days I would get the opportunity to be able to stop and take picture of these amazing birds.

And then one evening a few weeks ago as I was driving near the Zoo not that far away from the Elevated Highway my spouse again pointed out that there are more such birds here perching on the lamppost, it's last resting spot before returning to the Zoo for the night. I thought that this is the opportunity that I have been looking for, to take some photo of these birds. So on the way back I parked my car along the road and after finding a safe place I then took my camera and snap some images of the Crane enjoying its evening on the top of the lamppost here. Indeed a magnificent sight to watch these birds perching high above care less of the roar of traffics below. Above are some images of that wonderful moment in time that saw these birds enjoying itself before returning to the zoo nearby for the night. A wonderful sight indeed. Have a nice day.

Of Angels @ Merry Christmas...

As usual during this time of the year the shopping malls in the Kuala Lumpur and other cities all over the country would be decorated with a Christmas theme; turning it and the surrounding area into a riot of color that smells Christmas.

We made a visit to the new mall, the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and saw that the organising folks have added a new element to the atmosphere of the decoration. They have brilliantly introduce angels that mingle with the shoppers and willingly pose for picture with them, thus creating an atmosphere of joy and happiness among the shoppers. In the past the decoration was without a human face, the introductions of these angels create a new dimension in the concept of decoration for a festival. The presence of those lovely angels, smiling doing their part in creating an atmosphere of love do made the difference to the thousand of shoppers that frequent this mall. As usual shoppers which include tourists from other countries were happy to pose with those gorgeous angels.

I got them to pose for a snap and this includes a pose with Asmah my other half. Introducing these gorgeous angels are something new to a festival promotion in shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur. Indeed a new cultural element taking the promotion of a festival likes Christmas shopping into another level. Making the pomp and splendour of the Christmas decoration in this mall into another dimension. An atmosphere of joy and happiness for all. A great job indeed.

Merry Christmas to all from Asmah and me in Malaysia. May we all continue to prosper and enjoy life. Have a nice day.

Of Turkey and Eid Adha...

Folks for wanting to have something different on that auspicious day the Eid Adha that falls last Monday December 8, 2008, the kids and grand kids decide to prepare a totally different menu for the family. So with their ingenuity they come up with that wonderful spread that you see in the images about. It was indeed a great meal and we all did enjoy it. Have a nice day.

An evening in Malacca...

From time to time we would drive to Malacca and stayed at our condo there. The resort is now under a new management and has been rename as the Bidara Putri Beach Resort Malacca. As the deputy chairperson of the resort I have to visit it from time to time to see how things are there. So last week we decide to get there and stay for a night, as well meet the folks who manage the Resort. For a change try their buffet and found that it is indeed good. This resort was once the four star Mutiara Melaka Beach Resort. The original management group has left the place and the association of the owners have been running it. In a way just to see that place is not vandalised. After trying with a numbers of companies to manage we eventually sign a 15 years lease with a IIUM* company; a company set up by the IIUM to do business in the hospitality industry. With that it look like the management of the place is improving but as yet to come to the standard of its hay days. As it is the association is happy and hope that the resort keep improving as years goes on.

That evening whiles there I walk the stretch of beach in front the condo, a mere 50 meter from the lobby of the hotel and took my time to wonder the beauty of the beach and the activities along it. It was nice once a while to be at the beach alone in the evening watching the sun making its way down the horizon. Yonder I could see many ships that ply the Straits of Malacca. All kind of ships big and small crossing the narrow straits all the time and a few would dock at the Petronas refinery just nearby. At the beach front the fishermen has erected a shack of sort for them to rest after coming back with their catch. A nice place to sit and relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the evening. I sat there for a while and took a few snaps and above are some of the images of the wonderful evening in Malacca. The large images showing the evening sun was taken from the balcony of the condo. The low position of the sun cast a long shadows on the trees in the compound of the resort. I love to watch the sun from this vicinity and the scene has never been the same. Every evening it is a different scene altogether. Sort of a mystic sight indeed to watch and wonder from the balcony of our condo.

Have a nice day. [*IIUM is International Islamic University Malaysia]

Rain in December....

It always rain in December. When I was growing up in the forties on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia it was a time when the rain would bring the annual flood. And as usual it would be fun to play in the rain and enjoy the day care less of what was happening to the world. Now at this age I would just enjoy seeing the rain and the rain drop pattering on the translucent roof of my patio and at the same time would wet the leaves of the plants around it. It is really nice to see the plants enjoying in the rain and look so fresh after the rain has stopped. I believe that like our species the rain means very much to the other species especially the plants around us. I took some snaps of the plants after the rain and these are some images that I took on closeup. Have a nice day. [click on image to enlarge]

The mystic of ceramic...

It was a Sunday and we decide to take a slow drive outside the city. Off we went to PJ for a change and eventually stop at the AmCorp building where there is a flea market that opens only on Sunday. It sells not only antiques but other things of contemporary arts as well. There are even cakes and cookies and flowers sold. Turning the whole mall into a large junk store. I love to browse into such places. Looking at all those antiques do bring memories of my past. Indeed nostalgic.

I was looking for some old 78 vinyl records of those bygone days and eventually found some which was relatively cheap. Nowadays 78 vinyls are very expensive. It is now a collector's item. I bought a few pieces and then browse along talking to some of the traders who seem to be enjoying the day as well. I then found a young Chinese boy selling colorful pottery of all shapes, sizes and color. The one this young chap is selling are those that are of Japanese designed ceramic pottery. I am told that it is made in China for the world market. All are new and not antique. It was an array of colorful works of art. How can one resist buying it and we did bought a few set to take home to use or just to keep it as a gift to friends.

These are some images of the pottery that was displayed. The way the Japanese saw the beauty of clay in the hands of artisan. Indeed a works of art that enhances the quality of our lives. For us it has been an enjoyable day. Have a nice day as well. [click on image to enlarge]

The healing power of water...

Inspired by this book ' The Hidden Messages of Water by Masaru emoto ' and reflecting on my long journey of life, I am writing this so as to open up our hearts and minds to the power of water on our lives. It all start with a conversation I had with Steven some months ago. We, that is my spouse, me and Steven were enjoying Teh Tarik and Roti Canai at a Mamak store and the subject of this book was brought up by Steven. He say that I must read it and that he would send a copy to me when he gets back to the UK. When he return to the UK he send me the book and I start reading. As usual with me I analyse the content and after some soul searching I found that what the good doctor [Dr.Masaru Emoto] say in this book is actually nothing new. The only different is that this good doctor did many experiments with water to proved to the scientific world that there is more to the water than its looks. By itself it is indeed a simple cure for all illness as well give us the quality of life that we have always wanted. He has proven with scientific evidence that water is alive and that it reacts to command the we give and by that could react to heal or cure sickness. You would understand more if you take the trouble to read this wonderful book. I am in no way promoting this book. I am doing this just to satisfied my curiosity as to the why water works in our body and its healing process. Now I am no longer sceptical but believe for a fact that waters do have the power to heal.

Let me give some of my experiences when I was growing up in the forties. At that time modern medicine was just beginning to take root in the society. There was very few doctors in the government hospital and one of two GP clinic in the town of Kuantan and I believe it was the same in other towns. In the rural area there was none at all. For thousand of years we as a society had survived without modern medicine and relied only on our Shaman, Dukun, Pawang, Bomoh or for the Chinese their Sen Sai. Every time someone get sick in our house we do not rush him/her to the hospital which is some kilometres away but we treat it on our own. In the case of our family there is the Dukun who live opposite our house. A respected man, a simple man who works with the local council for a living but at the same time he often act as our Medicine man. I was just a small boy then and only know this man as Tok Yek. So every time someone get sick I would be ask to call Tok Yek. I would ran across the road and get to his house and told him to come over and tell him that someone is sick and need his help and then I ran back to the house. In the mean time at the house my mother had already got ready the peripheral for the use of the Dukun. Which consist of a bowl of fresh water, some lime fruits, some pop rice [bertih] and incense burner and of course the Tepak Sireh. After a while Tok Yek would arrive and after checking the patient, would take the bowl of water and did the ritual of cutting the lime into two and placed it on the water with the pop rice. He then ask for a glass of water, crystal clear water that come from the well near our house. He recites some words softly into the water and then ask the patient to drink. After that he would take leave with some words of advice. He did this voluntarily and no payment is made. Mostly of the time I notice that the patient got cured.

So coming back to water, what the Dukun give is just to drink the water and usually is the only treatment given to heal the sick or for the cure. Only after reading professor Masaru Emoto book that I realised and understood that the water indeed has the power to cure if treated with love. They say Love cure all and in this case it is love that had been transmitted into the water that provided the cure or heal the sick person.

Even in religion water is used in so many ways to purify, to heal, to cure or just for ablution before a prayer. In Islam whenever a Yassin session [the recitation of chapter 36 of the Koran] is held, jugs of water are placed at the centre of the doa session and later the water would be used for healing the sick or other uses for the goodwill of the family.

Folks non of us would have survived before the coming of modern medicine had it not been for the wonderful service of these Shamans or Sage. Surely they had some means to cure or heal that we do not really know. When modern medicine arrives from the west some of these Dukun, Bomoh were ridicule and eventually it fade away form the need of the society and Modern Medicine and the Doctor took their place. Of course there are the Dukun, Bomoh who still practice. I believe the failure of most modern day Shaman, Healer and Sage is because they have added a monetary value to it service, whereas in the past it was just a service toward humanity. In a way they do not made a living on it but use their gifted knowledge of healing/curing the sick as a sincere contribution to the society. It was not a mean but an end by itself. In the case of modern day Shaman or Sage most of them do it as a mean to an end which is to made a living. This is why these folks who call themselves Dukun, Bomoh or Pawang in most case was unsuccessful in their treatment and some folks get cheated.

I am a strong believer in science. I am sceptical about myth and the supernatural but I know as a Homo sapient that I am a spiritual being as well. There are so many things that we have yet to know and understand. Maybe this book would open our mind to more possibilities that would give a better quality of life to us all. I am indeed in depth to Steven for the gift of this book, that has is some ways open my mind to the new science of water and its power of healing. Some scientists are still sceptical about this finding so let us have an open mind on this as well. Now that science has proven that water does have in some ways a healing power we should use Water with love and give more respect to it.

Have a nice day.

Blogger bash - the longest lunch...

What would happen when you put some 30 blogger in a room!!!. We blogger know too well that even with just two blogger the chat would be endless. So with some 40 blogger/spouse it sure would turn the event into a riot of sorts. With everyone talking all the time on every subjects that come to their minds, at that moment in time the session would just explode into a frenzy of exchanges of information and ideas. I believe no other species on this planet could generate so much energy in such an informal gathering then this new species that we call blogger. This species live both in the physical world and cybersphere. Hence they have developed a new culture of communication that no other species have done before. First they just communicate in cyberspace and then when they meet in the real world it became an encounter of a different kind that only blogger know best. Even strangers seem to know more about one another and then when they meet in person, it is just to complete that relationship that had been nurtured in cybersphere. The atmoshpere of such meeting became cordial in mere instance.

Well folks, Starting with a SMS, a blogger meet/lunch was plans on November 29, 2008 at the Royal Bintang Hotel in Damansara Mutiara. The hotel is situated at the Curve shopping complex. The last time we gather for such a do it was held at the cafe nearby. But this time for wanting to have a large enough space the organiser MatSalo decide that the lunch be held at the Coffee Terrace of the hotel. So here we are in a great Coffee Terrace of a four star hotel where buffet spreads are aplenty and the price is not that expensive especially with the free flow of the Teh Tarik and Coffee.

After picking Pok ku and he acts as the GPS I drove the Honda toward the Curve. The route is not the usual one that I take to get to the Curve but with the experience of Pok ku, this part of the world been his territory; it was indeed an easy drive for I hardly had to think, leaving Pok Ku to tell me to turn left or right until I got into a familiar route as we near the Curve. We arrived just before 12:30PM as planned. On arrival I saw Elviza and Mat Salo were already having their chat. We greet each other and for the first time met Pibani, that charming lady blogger from Ipoh. I took my seat at the same table and then tried the buffet spreads. As I sat to enjoy my food more and more blogger came from as faraway as Penang, Ipoh and Malacca. By 1:30PM one section of the Coffee Terrace of the hotel was crowded with blogger enjoying themselves more on the chat rather then the foods. In the midst of the confusion I met Fauziah Ismail whom I had only known in cyberspere. As the time goes by I began to get to know more and more of the new faces. It would be just impossible at this juncture for me to name them all in this posting. With so many blogger tuned to their kind of communication time passes by fast indeed.

At this event I met more blogger then I had expected and some are complete strangers, whom I have not met even in cyberspace. With everyone so cheerful and full of love the introduction just comes easy and then we all set down and talk as though we have known each other for a long time. The chemistry among blogger was fantastic and everyone talk with ease and most seem to be thinking on the same wavelength. I just could not remember all the names for the memory chip of folks of our age is somewhat rusty. Anyway I would just summarised but a few like those three strangers from Ipoh [Alhusseyn, Azizul, Zainal] Now strangers no more and the familiar faces like Kerps, Shah, Dr.Zul, Nuriana, Raden... Kadir Jasin the vateran blogger drop in for a while and had a tt with the blogger. We even have a retired judge, though not a blogger as yet joining in to share his thoughts of the recent happening especially so on the changing political scenario of the country.

The greatest thing about such meeting of the minds are that the flows of information and ideas was just endless. I am indeed fascinated with the world view of the blogger of my children's generation. As usual with me I would just narrate some of the history so that they know that the country is in the process of change, and it is their generation that is going to be in charge from now onward.

Well, like any gathering of such nature time was not on our side and soon Pok Ku signal that his head is sending him a message of sort and that we have to move. On looking at my watch I notice that it is already 5:30 in the evening. Sure it was time that we move from the Coffee Terrace; for the lunch had been the longest that I had ever attended and we are getting tired. With that we parted, with a promise to meet again, perhaps with a bigger group.

This is Pok ku takes on the event and MatSalo's is here. This is from Elviza. Have a nice day.