The floral in my garden....

The wooden fence in the background is made of Cengal wood, one of the hardest woods that could be found in Malaysia; a tropical wood that could last a lifetime and often use for constructing the mainframe of a wooden house and fences. It is now also use for making some traditional furniture.

Whereas the image of the fern is that of a wild plant that often grows on its own, in crevices and pots and a very hardy plant indeed. All such fern that are in my garden are the one I found growing on its own. I replanted it into pots and nurtured it. And it would, over times grows to a huge plant. It is very easy to take care of. It needs no fertilizer and only occasional watering.

Have a nice day.

That little blue flower...

The above flower is from my little garden in front of my patio. This plant with many small green leaves is often use in a landscape gardening since its flower bloom all the year around. Because the flower is so tiny, it is hardly notice. Folks, enjoy this image of that little wonder. Have a nice day.

Teh Tarek @ KLCC...

I was at the KLCC the other day. Asmah my spouse was attending to her appointment somewhere in the complex and was on her own for some one and half hours. So I had plenty of times to kill. I went to the bookstore Kino and browse along. Thousands of books are everywhere one look and I felt good among books, the other love of mine. I have been reading book since the age of eighteen and then henceforth I am hooked and since then never without a book. Last week I was here and bought two books and reading one of it now.

After awhile I decided to move out of the store and went to have a Teh Tarek at the RASA Food Court nearby. I sat there enjoying my Teh Tarek while daydreaming careless of my surrounding. The Teh Tarek is just RM1.50 and this is at KLCC, the posh shopping complex in town. So who say that this place is expensive. One could enjoy a Roti Canai for RM1.20 or a Mee Mamak for just RM4.50 plus Ice Kosong [Plain water with ice] for just 50cent. So as you could see it is dirt cheap to have food here at this Food Court. Of course there are other foods there, the Nasi Dagang from Kelantan, the Nasi Padang where for just less that RM10.00 one could have hearty meals. And there are those expensive restaurants where you could indulge yourselves to a fine dine if you want. Asmah and I did that from time to time and enjoy the food as well as the cozy ambiance. For that one had to pay extra which to me is OK, since it is of one's choice. While sitting there enjoying my Teh Tarek alone, I could hear folks talking just like in the Pasar or a market. And because everyone seem to be talking and at time giggling, actually I just could not understand of what transpired among them. It was just noise to me and I continue to enjoy my Teh Tarek and at the same time feasting my eyes with the mystic surrounding of the complex. Through the translucent roof I could see the gleaming Twin Towers; a magnificent sight indeed.

There are many tourists from the Middle East as well from China lingering around the sidewalk near RASA, talking among themselves. And at the same time admiring through the translucent roof one of Cesar Pelli greatest creation, The Petronas Twin Towers; still the highest Twin Towers in the world. There are other higher towers in the other parts of the world but this tower in Kuala Lumpur is still the highest Twin Towers since all the other towers are single tower. Dr. Mahathir was smart in seeing that not one tower was built but two and he got the best and famous architect to design it. With it now Kuala Lumpur has an icon of its own that is unique not only to the country Malaysia but the world as well.

Have a nice day.

Misai Kuching @ Cat whisker....

Folks, this is an herbal plant that has been with us for generation and now it has been commercialized as an herbal tea. We have planted this plant in a pot and from time to time it bloom with that unique flower which looks like the whisker of the cat. Thus I believe the Malay call it the Misai Kucing [Orthosiphon stamineus]. Here are some images of the flower which bloom beautifully behind our house. Enjoy it as much as I had enjoyed photographing it. Have a nice day.

It came visiting... the iJump...

It is another beautiful day in May and while my friend the iDad in Seattle is toying with his new toy the iPad, I am here enjoying my day with just daydreaming at my patio. The iPad has yet to come to our shore and it would be sometimes before we get to see this new toy that my friend is having fun now.

Well, this place in front of my house is facing west, thus it is rather cool in the early part of the morning. And today it is such a day. There is this little garden that I had developed over times and the little bushes has matured and it has now became a sort of an ecosystem where insects and birds love to come by from time to time. At time I could see the small birds chirping and jumping from twig to twig in the early part of the morning making melodies that is so soothing to the ears. It seems happy and that often made my day.

A few days ago I saw a grasshopper clinging to the small bamboo poles that I had pro up for the vine to climbs giving my little garden an exotic look. And yesterday I found a butterfly that could no longer fly. It has fallen down and lay there helplessly on the ground; giving me a chance to take a closer look at this colorful flying insect. If left unattended the ants would cart it away slowly and would feast on it. In the Fishpond nearby if ever a fish die and not removed from the pond, it would soon be eaten by the other fishes. So as one could see there are lots of activities going on in this little garden of mine.

At top is the image of a grasshopper [iJump] that is enjoying its meals and perching quietly enjoy it peace with nature and below is the image of that blue and black and white color butterfly that had fallen down. After talking some images of it I pick it up and move it to a higher ground and it eventually flew away.

Have a nice day.

The Little purple flower...

Folks, It is just a little flower that grow at one corner of my little garden. Enjoy it and do have a nice day.

The Fisherman...

It was a beautiful Sunday morning with clear blue sky. We were in Malacca last week. On that cool Sunday morning I decided to take a drive out of the condominium complex at Tanjung Puteri and on the way back stop at the Fisherman shack along the beach. I parked my car and went to look around. There was not a single fisherman around. They must have gone back home to rest after a hard day at sea. The life of the fisherman is not easy. They had to wake up early to go out to the sea. If they leave for the sea in the evening they had to be at sea all nightlong and back to the land in the early hours of the morning.

In this case it is the Straits of Malacca where the border of Indonesia and Malaysia is not that clear. Stray away into the international water one might get into the Indonesia water and get caught for illegal fishing. Then there are those huge tankers and big cruisers that ply the sea all the times and if one is not careful especially in the middle of a dark night one could easily collides with those ships. At time there are the dangers of pirates on the high seas that one had also to be careful and not to get into a fight. There are so many risk that fisherman had to go through whenever they went fishing. But then that is their lives and perhaps the only way they could make a living.

I walk out at the beach which was calm at that early hours of the morning and look at all the small fisherman boats now lay idle on the beach. This is the west coast and the rising sun is on the other side of the nearby hills. The reflection of the morning sun could be seen glittering on the surface of the calm sea; like little diamond sparkling everywhere. There was not a single fisherman there but the nets and other equipments for the fishing lay there all organized for the next trip out to sea. I could feel the quietness as I browse along those boats and the fisherman's gear including the nets. Only the buzzing of the flies feasting on the dead fishes that were left to rot on the beach breaks that peaceful feeling of the place.

There was no wind and the seashore nearby was calm as well. I took time to look around and snap some picture. It was indeed a rare and unique assort of fisherman's things that could only be found at such a shack along this beach. Actually I was mesmerized with the serene of the scene at the shack and for a while forgot about the world around me. It was the sudden bashing of the shore by the wave that jolted me back to reality. I then remember as a small boy on the beach at Tanjung Lumpur in Kuantan where I would wait for the fisherman to come back bringing their catch. And I would get to buy fresh fish whenever we go camping on the beach. At time we just got the smaller fish for free. The smell of the salty sea is still the same and it does add color to the memory of the boy in me. Actually I do enjoy this moment in time at this fisherman shack.

Here today I did not see the fisherman. But still I could imagine their presence when they had arrived as they hauled their boats to the beach for safekeeping; taking the day catches to the market for sale and some for home to their family. All wet and sweating they would take their time to do whatever needed doing in the same fashion of ritual that had been going on for generations before them. Contented with their day taking they would move on perhaps smoking a cigarette, the only luxury that they could afford and head for home to be with their family and take a good rest.

Tomorrow it would be the same ritual again. That is the life they had chosen for now so that the next generation of their family would have a better day. The irony of all this is the fisherman never gets rich although it is their catch of quality fish that get to the table of the rich and famous. Well folks, that is life.

Have a nice day.

[Please click to enlarge]

With Deng Xiaoping - a page from my archive....

The happening was in 1981. I was among the four officers selected to accompany the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Malaysia to go on a diplomatic mission to the Republic of China. The visit in the spring of that year was among the first visit of Malaysian to that country. I was indeed lucky to be selected to accompany the Minister on this visit to China where then not many Malaysian visits or allow to visit China. China was just opening up and this visit by a Malaysian Minister was given an official status by the government of China. We got to China by means of Hong Kong where we took the train to Guangzhou. At Guangzhou we flew to Beijing where we were welcome warmly by a Chinese Minister and Diplomats. While in Beijing we were put up at a VIP Guesthouse in Beijing and were taken to visit various historic sites which include the Great Wall of China. One of the most important aspects of this visit was the opportunity to meet Deng Xiaoping, the leader of modern China after the death of Chairman Mao. As usual in a visit of this nature we were just expecting a short visit; to just meet and shake the hand of the great leader and exchange greeting. But instead the meeting with Deng Xiaoping in an atmosphere of friendship lasted for an hour. Before we left the meeting The Minister of CYS Malaysia presented a gift of a Malaysian Silver craft to Deng Xiaoping. Above is a group photo of that historic visit.