A colorful scene at the Kuala Lumpur Lake garden....

Garden in the city...We live in a sort of a link house in a housing garden call Ampang Jaya...Not that far away from the city centre...Actually it is just a three minute drive from the KLCC by the elevated highway..Before this new road was built, it would take sometime up to forty five minutes to get from our house to the center of the city...We had to take the Jalan[road]Ampang and if you use the road in the morning or after office hours, then it would takes hours to get from the city center to Ampang Jaya...Now with the new elevated highway it is just simple, you pay a toll of about fifty cents[US] one way...And you could drive straight to parking lot under the KLCC [The Patronas Twin Tower]... Since the elevated highway was open a few years ago, getting to an fro the city has never been that easy...It has been smooth all the way...Well that is progress, with proper planning and enough fun anything is possible in this country...This morning I start to redo our small garden, a sorts of re landscaping the small area in front of our house....I had the plan in my mind, so this morning it was just easy...Start with what I had planned...Clean all the small pots that I had water plant in it, rearranged the whole area and after about three hours of sweating... Voila I had a new look of my small garden...Living in the city one had to be smart in using whatever space we have, so as to get the maximum benefit from it, thus improving the quality of our living space... I tried to do this from time to time, so that the scene of my small garden is not that monotonous...Well life is like that...things had to be change from to time to time, so as to give us a better view of things....That is the way to live and enjoy life...Things should never remain the same...A little changes here and there makes lots of difference, with ingenuity and some sweating the outcome could be wonderful....Have a nice day...

Well we are at the end of September and the weather is getting a bit cooler, with rain from time to time...But then in the tropic it is always like that...It cool for a time but it is humid as usual...Humidity is good to a certain extend, it keep your skin moist, that is why Asian skin do not wrinkle fast...People look younger then their age if one compare to those of the same age that live in the temperate. Being in the tropic one do not have to bother to have heavy clothing to keep them warm, for the temperature is all the time constant ranging from twenty six Celsius in the early morning to thirty five degree Celsius in the mid day....It is hot and humid but then if you had live all your life in this condition, it is just second nature to live and enjoy the atmosphere...The vegetation are always green, in all the shade of green, and flowers blooms all the year around, so the tropics in a word is all the time colorful and have that gay atmosphere....Soon the northeast monsoon rain and wind would start to blow from the northeast and some places on the east coast would be flooded, an end of the year affair with the rain and wind, it has been like this all the time and where I grew up in the coastal area of the east coast, when it rain and flood...It became a sort of a festival for us kid...We would play in the rain and enjoy the rain like there are no tomorrow..It is always fun to bath in the rain and at time play in the poodle of water makes my the monsoon rain...For at that time there are no such thing as a swimming pool, our pool are the river and the pond that came about by the heavy rain during the monsoon....Life is like that in those day and since there was no pollution, the rain water is always fresh....But now it is not the same anymore, because of development, rain would bring flood and would disturb the life of the local population, unlike before where the rain bring a festive mood to the population... While writing this I am thinking of my friend that live in the California desert, what has happen to her, has she got a new home that she was looking in Arizona and had start to settle down or what...Anyway no news is good news...I wish her well and hope that she found a new home and continue to enjoy life in her golden age... Have a nice day....

Last Friday I went to the Great Eastern Mall to get some fruits for our dinner and while there I visit an exhibition by our local artist...'Arts Fest 2004' "Melting Pot of Cultures" that started on September twenty forth and would end on October the tenth... There were many paintings on display at the exhibition.. A good collection in various categories, all for sale, from the very expensive to the price that are affordable by ordinary Malaysian...I love works of arts and with an opportunity like this,I usually would linger on to look at all the paintings on exhibit...I had always wanted to meet the painter in person, but it seldom happen but on this occasion after enquiring, I met one of the painter, a charming young Malay lady, whose works are on display.. She introduce herself as Zila and soon we got into talking about the arts....A fascinating lady indeed, very bright and broad minded... She had travel and had taken her paintings for exhibition to a number of European countries and in the process had learn much to improve her world of the arts....According to her, the traveling had expose her to many new ideas, thus making her world of culture more interesting and educational...In that her painting of the typical Malaysian scene of her parent's days are much appreciated by those in the countries she visited...I saw a few of her painting on display and it is indeed unique...It is one of a kind and I believe if she continue with her kind of painting and stick to the uniqueness of her present painting, she would eventually be one of a kind...A special in her own right...In a category of her own... With the Malaysian life style progressing toward a more affluence society, good paintings of the local scene would eventually be in demand....Malaysian now has started to make their house into a home with a special touch, where more and more Malaysian get to do interior decorations, which at one time was only found in the home of the rich....With the Malaysian middle class growing and the per capital income increasing, Malaysian now could afford to upgrade their dwelling into a beautiful home to their liking...A good painting hung on a wall would surely enhance the home atmosphere, thus making it a very exclusive place to be in a home...I told Zila of my travel and the love for fine things including my appreciation of good painting and hope that she would continue to paint, because a good painting, like any other works of arts in a home always brighten up the home, thus bring happiness and joy to the family, as well as to the guests that visit such home... Her exhibit in the images below:[Some paintings by Zuzila Zain] 

It is a beautiful Sunday morning, the last Sunday of September two zero zero four, the sky were clear blue.... The week had been wonderful, for last Friday evening we organized a dinner for a couple of friends and it turn out to be successful...And yesterday I was invited to a prayer secession tahlil at a friend's house at Taman TAR, we Moslem do have congregation prayer secession from time to time, either at the mosque or at one's house, a day to pray for those love one that had been call to the lord .. It usually end with a feast....At such occasion we usually meet friends who live in the vicinity...Well it was great and hope that the week a head would be great as well...

We love entertaining friends, it is one of those things that we love to do from time to time, and enjoy doing that ever since, so last evening we invited some friends, two couples that we know to have dinner at our place....I told them that I would be doing the cooking and that it would be something special....One thing that I know well that my spouse is a real good cook and together we planned to organized a simple dinner and entertain our guests with something special and as usual I would help her to do the cooking .. When inviting our friends, I told them that we would have a sorts of a simple dinner, not the usual kind but something different....Actually I was just trying to find a excuse for a get together among old friends, to chat, yarn, just for the fun of it all... We folks are still full of energy to enjoy life, so a small gathering among old friends around a dinner table makes a wonderful evening...The invitation was for eight in the evening...So after all had been prepared, I start with grilling the lamb, the way I always like to do, the chicken was to be lightly deep fried so that it would be just right and tasty as ever....So just after seven we start to do the grilling and by eight everything had been organized...The last item being the French loaf cut to pieces and spread with garlic butter were place on the small oven to bake just right, so that it could be eaten still hot.....Since the dinner was among friends, there were no protocol and it makes thing simple....And just before eight they arrived, we welcome them and sat to chat while getting things ready for our get together dinner.... We had prepared something different, sorts of a western dinner and non of those traditional foods......There were grilled lamb, lightly deep friend chicken and the special chicken wings. And salads to go....So we all sat at the dining tables and enjoy the dinner while we chat along, everyone seem to enjoyed the food and I am pleased that it is so...For my real concerned was that the foods would be enjoyed...We continue to eat and chat along, many subjects that came to our mind at that time, including stories of old times in our youth, it was nostalgic and some events tickles us and everyone laugh their heart out.... One of our guests is a former QS and the other an Engineer, who were trained in the UK in the sixties.... The few that had to opportunity to further their education in foreign land and came back to their homeland to give their service, thus had contributed to the development of the beloved country, Malaysia.....The retired engineer love western food and I believe he is really going to enjoy the spread tonight...And when he saw the spread he was delighted..We talk about old times in the government services and then later on their own trying to make a living, where along the way, like any journey it was never smooth, with hiccup from time to time, but eventually everything went right and now be able to retired in peace and harmony and continue to enjoy life..... I use to tell the youth of today that they must continue to work diligently, smart and with sincerity and take everything or events that comes along as just a part of life and not to fret but instead take it in strike and continue on using past gain or failure as an asset rather then a liabilities.... By doing so would makes one face the world with confidence and would eventually succeed in life, just like us who had been on that road before....Life is like that and remember it is a journey of adventure and in every adventure, the are pot holes on the way....And it is this small events that unexpectedly happened on the way that makes the journey an adventure...... Well time passes and we continue to chat and then after the main course end, we served them with fruits, varieties of it, some like the curtard apples are fruits that are quite rare, thus some of my friends had not really taste it before , they tried and enjoyed it... Then we had coffee just brewed and of course there are the odd one that preferred tea instead of coffee, but me nothing like a good cup of coffee after a hearty dinner.....It is the taste of coffee the makes the dinner a complete one...... We continue to yarn and then one of our guest told his charming wife that it is already twelve....And she replied... Are you one of those character in the story of the Cinderella..... The Mrs like all ladies do were exchanging notes as well and enjoy each other company, with us man intrude from time to time to get included in their chat....Her husband smiled and continue to chat and then He says that we all should call the night off since it is already pass twelve....See how times flies, when you are really in the mid of enjoying the evening.....With that we end the great evening get together, with everyone in a sorts of festive mood.....Happy with the evening and to us the host it was indeed a really a happy moment, for like our guests we really did enjoyed the evening....We bid good night, happy that everything went right tonight.....What an evening..... We would plan another event some other time.......God willing.....Thanks my friend for making our life so wonderful.....Have a nice day.

The floating restaurants at the river in Kuala Tahan, we had dinner at one of these restaurant....It was indeed an experience to enjoy an evening with love one and friends at such a enchanting place...Oh! What a way to live and enjoy life... 

[continuing the trip to Taman Negara]..... Since the road end at the river front, we decided to look for our accommodation at the Rainforest Resort..... When I made the booking the night before the receptionist who took my booking, told me that there are road sign showing the where about of the Resort and he said that we could drive straight to the front of the Hotel.... So how do I get to booking this hotel....Well the story is like this, actually I do not have any clue as to the existence of such resort.... My first choice was the Mutiara Hotel, that was recommended by our daughter who made the visit to Taman Negara recently.....She say that we should stay there so I check the internet for the hotel site and learn more about this, it is a four star hotel and the rate is not that expensive, so I tried to book two rooms for the duration of our stay there, but when I made the booking, I found out that if I did not take the room reserved I would have to pay for the reservation.....Well....What if I had to cancelled at the last minute....One can never tell...And not to take the risk I decided not to book through the internet and since it is not a holiday period, my spouse say that there would be plenty of rooms, so it would advisable to just book it a day earlier.....So a day before leaving for Kuala Tahan,I call Mutiara Resort and was told that for the days that I requested, the hotel are fully booked.....Well.... What to do, we planned to leave tomorrow....I then ask for advise from the receptionist and was kind enough to give me the number of the next best resort that I could enquire..... Thanking him...I call the Rainforest Resort and was told that there are rooms available for the days requested.....So I made a booking and hoping for the best...... The receptionist at the Rainforest Resort even told me that we could drive right to the front of the hotel......Well luck was on our side and on arrival at Kuala Tahan and after looking for a while we found the hotel, a sprawling complex of new buildings and an imposing reception hall and awaiting our arrival are a set of fine young man and woman smiling, providing us wary travelers a sight of relief....Our two room was just waiting and after looking at several other rooms we decided to take the room that was assigned to us....A great room with all the modern amenities and well done washroom......We settled down and took a rest and then at about six in the evening decided to go out to look for more adventure and perhaps a great dinner by the riverside......We were rather surprised to see the floating restaurants, that many and throng with European tourist enjoying their dinner, across the river is the Mutiara Hotel and the National Park's management office, so we decided to get across and it cost just fifty cents one way to cross the river by boat, it is just a two minutes crossing and yet we had the difficulty of boarding the small boats, for the spouse of my friend had a phobia of boats and was reluctant to get into this small boats...It was a hilarious occasion.., I thought at first when the ladies were talking about not taking the boat were just a joke and would eventually passed, but then when it came to the real thing, it was a difference story altogether....My spouse was willing to try but the other lady was real afraid..... She was so frighten that only after some gentle persuasion, would she board the boat...It was indeed an exciting events, but then it is one of those thing in real life, that happen to people who had never been on a boat crossing a river before.....As for me I enjoy the river boating for in my youth I had done it many time and enjoy it like any adventure in our youth.....After getting four of us into the boat....The boatman took us across the river and then we had to climb steps, pretty high to get up the top of the bank of the river, where the Mutiara Hotel is situated, among lush forest trees, the hotel was built to accommodates all those old forest trees, the floral and fauna intack, making the setting of the hotel complex such a picturesque sight, like a well designed setting in a play....Well blend with its lush green forest surrounding....We walk around the resort complex and enjoy the evening wondering under the lush canopy of forest trees, that had been there for million of years...It is just like going back in time, the air were so fresh... Living in the city for so long, we sometime forget the real smell of freshness and what it is like to live in natural surrounding, like these area in the National Park.....Seen at the chalets are many western tourist, sitting at the balcony enjoy the wonderful atmosphere and quietly reading books, passing the evening like those Rich and Famous that one see in the movie.....We wonder a while and then decided to get back across the river and look for a place for dinner.....[to be continue]

A picturesque scene on the Tahan river as we move upstream and watch the wonder of the world's oldest forest...The scene all along was spectacular, the lush jungle touching the base of the river with a reflection making a beautiful mirror images...A panoramic view like those seen in the postcard, but here it is for real, you could touch and feel the cool flowing water, so clear that you could see the rocks at the bottom and the fish that makes this its habitat, the atmosphere were fresh and you could feel the freshness of this virgin forest, a forest that had been there for million of years..... To my wife and me it was a ride of a life time in our golden age...What a day...To witness nature in its greatness, unspoiled by the progress of time..Anyone that visit Malaysia must makes it a point to visit Taman Negara, the Malaysian National Park.....

[continuing the trip to Taman Negara].....Since the area around the toll plaza is new, there were no shaded area for us to take a rest...They only had a washroom and a small prayer hall, we call surau....So after ending the chat with the security man....I sat in the car to cool down with the air condition comfort of the car...My wife had all along sat in the car and took to reading the morning paper... In a while my friends arrived and say sorry that they a are a bit late....Not to worry I say....We had plenty of time to start the adventure....His wife took his car and drove off with her mother to do an errant while He jump into my car and lead us to a relatives house nearby, so that I could park my car and we would just go in one car, his, a Japanese four wheel drive.....We drove on and soon arrived at the relative's house at Kerdau, a small town out of the main road to Jerantut that we seldom get to, but with the new Highway this once sleepy town and village became nearer then before and easy to get to...At one time the only way to get to this small town was by river....Well time has change and we are now in a new Kerdau....I drove in and met the relative...He asked me to park the car under the garage and then went into the house to rest and as usual chat while waiting for my friend's wife to finished her errant......While waiting my friend took me to see his orchard which contain many fruits trees of various varieties, like most orchards in the country side, it has been left unattended, for the old folks are no long there to tend to it and their children, like my friend now live in the cities....It is what we call progress....Well life is like that....After a while his wife came back and without much a do, we depart for the National Park....She took the wheel with my wife sitting in the front seat and us the man at the back seat...Oh! What a change....We are now being driven by a lady driver all the way..Normally in this country the man would drive and the Mrs would just sit and enjoy the journey...But today..It is a different story all together...The lady had taken over the tradition and with confidence...Like what has happen in the west...The lady in the east are joining the route of progress like their sister in the west...Some years ago you hardly see ladies drivers but now it is a familiar sight...But for today it is special, we man got the opportunity to sit at the back seat and enjoy the ride...Amazing the changes that is happening in this country....With all the confidence she drove on this unfamiliar route....For non of us have driven on this stretch of road before..the road from Jerantut to Kuala Tahan....We first had to get to the town of Jerantut....After a while of driving and us enjoying the trip...We arrived at Jerantut and surprise..Oh! What a surprise, the once sleepy hollow, a small town in the rural area has sprang up so big with many new buildings and as busy as ever, with its own traffic jam, just like those towns on the west coast...Personally I am surprise to see this town...It has grown so much since I visit it some years ago...Well one can never tell what are happening in rural Malaysia....With the booming economy, prosperity are everywhere and its shows....We passes slowly through the town of Jerantut and then proceed on to look for the road to Kuala Tahan, where the National Park is situated..... With the opportunity to just sit in the car,a rather rare opportunity to me...We chat along and enjoy the scenery all along the road, amazing the development that has take place all the years, the Kerdau Jerantut road were wide and well maintained and straight all the way to the town, there are no more forest along the road.. Instead there are plantations of Rubber and Palm oil...Some of the primary export of Malaysia to the world.... Just after the Jerantut bridge we saw a large saw mill and the sign of the road leading to our destination, Kuala Tahan....The road look good, so we proceed with caution as non of us had travel this road before... The lady driver were good so we just relax and enjoy the journey, punctuate with small talk of the great scenery of Palm Oil estate all along the road.....There were patches here and there of the Malaysian jungle, the forest with all the shades of green everywhere....We proceed on and at some places the road wind it way around the hills and at some place there were patches of damaged road, probably made by the timber lorry or those lorry that carry the produce of the plantation such as palm oil fruits to the factory for processing.....So we now knew that we had to be careful of such lorry and drive slowly....We soon encounter patches of the bad parts of the road...But not that bad that it is not possible to drive through...We were expecting the worst but the bad patches were not that bad and our journey was rather smooth all the way....After about a hour of driving we arrived at Kuala Tahan and drove straight to the end of the road and beyond us lay the Jelai river, a tributary of the Pahang River......We had arrived at our destination by road.... What a day....History is made.....I had never dream that I could get here by road and today we did it....Great....Happy.....We look for our accommodation, The Rainforest Resort......[to be continue]

It has been a great weeks, first last Tuesday, the seventh September we went to the hinterland, in the heart of the Malaysian forest, that is said to be some one hundred and fifty million years old....It is the Malaysian National Park, locally know as the Taman Negara...It was in nineteen thirty nine that this part of the Malaysian forest was gazette by the then colonial government as the National Park ....Thanks to those people that at the time saw the need to save this great hinterland, a piece of the good earth that was never touch by the ice Age, thus all the floral fauna have been preserved for million of years...Going there is like going back in time...What a place to visit and enjoy the adventure of a life time....I have been there some forty years ago in my youth, at that time it took almost the whole days to get by road and by river upstream, on the great Pahang river, where there are many rapids that had to be cross to get to our destination....At that age of our youth it was always an adventure to ride on those slow boats and then when the boat encounter the rapids crossing and could not get through, we all had to get down into the river and help to push the boats across those fast flowing rapids....But then it was fun all the way.....It was then but now in our golden age,some forty years later..It is a different story all together....My wife had not been there, and want to make the trip but then she did not want to venture on by going by boat upstream,so the going had to be postponed many time....And then another couple, a close friends, says that they wanted to make the trip to the National Part and that we all should go together...He said that his friend had got there by road....What? I said...It is not possible....Well according to his friend it is now possible...The had made the trip by road...And tell the story of the holiday at this wonderland of Malaysia....In Malaysia the development are going on all the time and sometime if you do not follow the news, you are lost as to what happen...In this case a road had been built and I did not know it exist,....Well that is good news, for now my dear wife would be able to make the trip....So together with another couple we went on the trip by car.....I drove all the way from Kuala Lumpur taking the new Highway and while our friend who at that time live in Kuantan, left Kuantan for our rendezvous at the Temerloh toll plaza.....We left Kuala Lumpur at just past eight in the morning, the weather was fine but a little bit hazy, anyway it did not bother us since we are heading to the hinterland, where the atmosphere are different for the city, out there the weather would be just cool and the atmosphere clean of any man made pollution...The place we are heading is the National Park, a large stretch of land covered by dense jungle, with river flowing all along, the water fresh as the mountain dew.....We arrived at the rendezvous site at just past nine thirty in the morning and after paying the toll, I drove the car to a parking lot and wait for our friends to arrived....This toll plaza is new, one of it kind on this part of the country....It is an interchange to get out of the highway to the towns and villages nearby, for the highway do not pass through the town like the old road, it bypass all the major towns like all Highway do....I waited there and soon got into a chat with the security man, a local who must have just got a new job at this place..... Like any new development projects, it created jobs, now that the road is ready....Other jobs are available, like the security man I was talking to, there are jobs for those toll collectors and other odd jobs to keep the toll plaza a pleasant place to stop....With the Highway came the opportunity to do business for the local at the various roads R & R, where the wary drivers would stop for a rest for refreshment or to have lunch or dinner....It is now a sorts of a culture for all those that frequents the Highway to stop at the R & R from time to time, to take a rest, to fill the tank of their cars or to take their breakfast, lunch or dinner whenever the time they makes their stop, for on a long journey it is wise to stop from time to time, the least is to take a short rest before proceeding on....It would refreshed oneself up making the journey safer.... I always make such stop and it has became a ritual to me when I travel on the highway.....Since I love to drive....The Highway make its more fun and enjoyable to travel.......I continue to chats with the security man while I wait for my friends to arrived.....[to be continue]

A river trip upstream at Taman Negara [Malaysian National Park] at Kuala Tahan in the state of Pahang.....The boatman was real expert in getting us upstream throught the many rapids....It was indeed advanturous journey all the way....an advanture of a life time....

September Eleven, the happening was three years ago....But then the events linger on, for its jolted the human history and with that... The happening of September Eleven two zero zero one, soon became a turning point in the world history.....For from that time onward....the whole world has changed.... For all of us who treasured life, it was a very sad day indeed but then it happen and no one could stop the happening, I believe if it had to happen it would happen, perhaps for us to take a close look at ourselves as human... Take pause and think hard without prejudices, as for everything that happen, there must be a reason or reasons...... Whatever reason one think would not undo that tragic event..... I would rather look at the positive side of the event......Surely there are some positive side, how small it is, we all still could learn a lesson and act accordingly so that such event do not recur......I believe there must be a cause for anything that happen....For as we all know that every action would create a reaction and so on...... We all have to look back and find the cause of why it had to happen, for surely there are answers as to why it happen, we might like what we get or just do not like it....But then we have to be realistic about the whole things... The human species have progress that much in all the field of science and other fields, surely we could find the real answer as to why it happen.... As for me I want to look at the positive side as far as Islam is concerned, for too long we have left the so called preachers to do what they like to the true teaching of Islam....We should not allowed this to continue...We all should revert to the Koran and look for guardian and just follow the true teaching, which we all know too well, that it is a religion of peace....Anything that are contrary to the peaceful coexistence of us human of all religion are again the true teaching of Islam....Peace and harmony are the true teaching.......Let us in a small way practice what are taught, be good all the time and goodness would prevail.....

Friends, It has been a wonderful year of blogging...Today is the Anniversary of my blogging and thanks to Blogger for providing the tools for making blogging that easy.... Thanks to all those good people at Blogger for the help all the way ....It has indeed enrich my life..... I am one of the folks that are from another generation, a generation that start schooling using slate as a tool to write......I went to school in the forties and at that time book have not make its appearance in my rural community , the slate is the only tool we had at that time and that my friend how I learn to read and write.....And somehow with the help of friends and my children.... I am now somewhat literate in the computer world....And now with the internet it is another world altogether , but then I would not be able to blog the way I did now without the help of those great people at Blogger......To them all I say thanks you for without your help from time to time I would not be able to come this far in the blogging world.. I am now in my golden age and on the seventeen of August this year I celebrated my sixty fifth birthday in a small ceremony surrounded by my family members, my spouse, our children and grandchildren..... It was indeed a hilarious occasion when it was the small grandchild that was eager to cut the birthday cake of their grandpa....For friends small things like this that makes life so wonderful and colorful..... The grandchildren....Careless of the world enjoying a special moment in the life of their grandpa......It is indeed a touching moment in the day of my life as I continue in my journey of life........ Not many of my kind especially in my country Malaysia that took to the cyberspace as a means of getting through our thoughts and sharing it as a contribution to the world.....Hoping to make it a better place to live and enjoy life.... I am glad that during the year of blogging I had made many cyberfriends from those that respond direct to my writing or that wrote directly to my email address.... I also know that out of curiosity many visit to my blog and I hope that they found something of interest in my writing, and in doing so had enrich their life as well...Much as it has enrich mine, for I love to write.... The appreciation shown by those that visit my site, has make me happy thus contributing toward my quality of my life. Making live so wonderful.... I have written on many subjects in my blog and most of it are from my life experiences as I pass in my journey of life and I believe that in some way it is also the experiences of most of us who live through the years and have seen the progress of mankind from one level to another, the achievement of our species in science and technology that had made our life so rich in culture, never dream of by our forefather..... We live in a very challengingly time, where war and peace seem to be just managed to coexist, but then my friend whatever it is we are going,this century had been a great century for my generation....Especially for me who have seen it all.... My country Malaysia once just a poor country in Asia had quantum leap in just forty seven years to become a prosperous country and its population enjoying a high standard of living and a great life style, that their forefather never dream of.....I would continue to write and hope that my contribution would help others to enrich their life much as I had in writing my thoughts in this Blog.......Have a nice day.....

I was away for another getaway holiday, much more adventurous then before, this time we decided to go on a holiday to the National Park in the hinterland of the country, where the forest are million of years old and getting there is an adventure itself....I shall write the adventure we have had during our visit to this wonderland we call Taman Negara.... In the mean time....I would just take a rest for a while... just for the fun of it all......

Another great day...Monday,the Six of September ...I went out as usual to pay those bills that does not seem to stop comings....Well that is life in this modern world of ours....We keep spending and we keep paying...So what else do we talk about other the paying bills that have becomes a sorts of a culture to us the modern men...I guess life would be rather dull if we have no bills to pay.... So after doing the ritual of paying those bills, I went to the shopping mall to browse around and with plenty of time on my side, I decided to shop for book at the Great Eastern Mall, where there is a good collection of books at the book shop there.. After parking my car at the basement I took the lift to the LG floor and there at the lobby there are exhibition many stalls selling all sorts of goods with a sale pitch... With such fine things on display I decided to delay going to the bookstore and browse through the many stores displaying varieties of product that includes works of arts for interior deco and the tit bits of arts that you can live without but would add color to your life style if you had....And in the process would makes live more interesting and colorful... Knowing what I wanted to get at one of this stall and postponing the purchase for a while, I decided to proceed to the book shop and straight away went to look for some new books.... After a while of browsing I found two books that look interesting and without much a do I paid the cashier and went down to the lobby again to have a second look at all those fine crafts on display for I Love to take a close look at all those works of arts on display there and being a lover for anything 'arts'...I would sometimes spend considerable times looking around and at time make purchases to add to my collections of the works of arts...This time I want to have a much closer look.... On looking I found one that attract my interest... A complete range of crafts for home deco...Some unique pieces that I had not seen before....I had a look at a collection of the varieties of fruits done on wood and left plain, unlike the usual one where the artificial fruit are colored to look just real...In this case it is just plain wood...Interesting concept eh!....I wanted to buy a few, but then I did not carry much cash at that moment in time and had just enough to spend on a few things before going home....While browsing I came in contact with the owner of the stall and as usual with me, we soon began communicating in a common language of the love for those things of beauty and the works of arts....One thing leads to another and there we spend a considerable time, exchanging small tall about living and the fine arts of living.... He say that he had spend a numbers of years working in the UK and after a while came back to a place he call home...Malaysia.....Work for a while and then went into business of the things in/of arts, that related to the new Malaysian life style..... Well we talk the small talk and enjoy the cordial atmosphere of our meeting..... To me it was indeed great to meet someone, a stranger that happen to be there with the same interest like me, in arts, to enhanced the quality of our life as well of our fellow countryman, a society that are in the process of becoming lover of the arts in all its forms and size... The house has been transformed into a home, meticulously decorated with the fine of things arts, from furniture, to accessories, to music, to the color schemes, introducing a life style of it own.. The Malaysian way of life.... A new Malaysian culture in the making.....A generation of Malaysian that benefit from the hard working of their forefather from the day this country gain independence in ninety fifty seven..... It was nice to talk to this gentleman, who seem to be full of energy and ideas and wanting to share it with others....To continue making this beloved country a great country to live and enjoy life.... We seem to share many thoughts that span's time and agree that the country has progresses much beyond our expectation,in such a sort period of time...... As usual many things came to my mind when talking to such fine people whose appreciation of the arts are in tuned to mine...... We all love those beautiful things, even the tiny one, the work of arts of someone gifted with a creative mind, transforming something that simple to a work of art...The would eventually bring delight and enjoyment to million of others that get connected with it....Just like a straw hats or a mats or a wooded fruits or whatever item made by someone in places that we had never heard of, that bring joy to someone that possess it and with it enhanced his or her quality of life...... I believe that arts in any forms always bring happiness and a joy forever..... What a life without those fine things, we call the works of arts....Dull I supposed!....Lucky for us all, that we are all the times, are never short of those great people that love arts and the artists that created it..... For our pleasure and enjoyment,thus improving the quality of our life in this wonderful country of ours...... Thanks my friend Ng... For those great small talk we have had......It was indeed great meeting you and I enjoy every minutes listening and talking to you..... Have a nice day....My friend's website is

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To know more about Bon Ton....do visit this site Bon Ton

A splendor scene at the Bon Ton Resort at Langkawi, it is worth a visit, great food and a scene of a sorts of a paradise, with wonderful people managing the place....It is a must visit when in Langkawi.... We had lunch at this place and met the wonderful people that managed this place.... At this resort one could still see the traditional Malay houses of bygone era, still in its grandeur and splendor...I love this place and would sure makes a return visit sometimes in the future....

Well, good news, my friend from the California desert is back and kicking...But she is still looking for a home after living a her suitcase for a while....She sent me a Birthday Card with touching words....Thanks Mary for the card....You makes my day....I hope that you get lucky finding you new home.... Like I had said before we human are in a way nomad and love to move around and never satisfied with living at the same places.... We keep moving, maybe sometime just for a while....Like go on to another places and live in a motel or hotels and then move on and then return to your own habitat that you call your home....That's us human... Now we seem not that satisfied living on this planet we call earth only and are on the way searching for a new habitat among the haven.... I am sure in not too distance future we human would sat up a colony on Mars or some planet.... The latest report from the scientist that are looking at the haven is that we have a twin of a sorts like our planet earth, some fifty light years away.....Well that is something to think about....May be we have our twin on that planet...Who knows or some alien being more progressive than us and do not have war or evil in their vocabulary..... And I hope that when we migrate to these planet we would not bring the evil part of our gene, so that we have love all the time in the new planet....It would be really a Haven for all mankind......Like those people that love traveling, I love going around on a holiday or a sorts... Or is it really a holiday.... So how do one define a holiday, having fun and care less about the world and enjoy the real good life....I guess that is what holiday is.....I found that if you go on a holiday at a place that you own., like a condo somewhere, you actually do not really go on a holiday....Especially my dear spouse.....On arrival she would take the task of cleaning the place, vacuum it, clean whatever she touch, I guess that women are like that when they are in their own habitat.....So in another word she did not take the rest that she is supposed to do.....So one day our daughter told me that when you both go for a holiday,do not stay at your own condo....Just stay in those hotel and forget about other things except enjoy....True what she said......So now whenever we go for a holiday, we would not stay at our own condo or friends places.... And I found that it is an excellent idea proposed by our daughter, now mom do not have to clean and makes the bed in the morning, like she used to and have all the time to relax and enjoy....We just leave the hotel room as it is and then wonder around as a tourist and back to the room which by that time has been splashed clean and bed made, with new linen and everything in the room are perfect including the bathroom spot clean....What a life... That should be....If we had stayed at our own places or at a friend's apartment, we would have to do all those things to get the place as it is....But at the hotel, we just pay the bill and voila we get a great room all beautifully done and left us with plenty of time to enjoy....... So my friend the next time, just do like we did...Stay at a hotel and forget about everything else and enjoy..... One thing about hotel though, we are a bid fussy, we love those that kept to the standard of cleanness and good service.. Especially the bath room and the room it should be those at the no smoking area........It is a bid expensive....But then what is money if you do not spend it.....And at this golden age, it is time that we do the spending to enjoy the whatever that we had missed when we were busy working for a living..... Have a nice day....And Mary I hope you got the new home you are looking round.....And start all over again.... That is life my friend..... Enjoy....

Oh! What a day.... It just had to happen..It is about having a cup of coffee, my favorite drink. And today things does not seem to go right at all on the subject of having a cup of coffee....I love coffee, I take it black with a little sugar, just to taste.... I love the ritual of making a cup of steamy hot coffee every morning for my breakfast.... It is the first hot drink I had in a day.... It is just one of those thing that you would not want to miss when getting up.... Enjoying your first cup of hot steamy coffee..... Today I have a story to tell about coffee...Oh! What a day... It all start like this... I was away on the Volvo Merdeka Run to Bagan Lalang, a beach side resort for a day get together of club's members.... While there after lunch we visited a local three star resort hotel, the only one there and sat down at the Coffee House to have a drink and as usual l ordered a cup of coffee....And when it came, to my surprise it is Coffee with Milk already mixed.... I am rather surprised for I thought that at an establishment such as 'Sri Malaysia' when one order coffee, one would be served with black coffee, hot and steamy, with the sugar and milk are served separately...It is like that when one ordered hot drink of coffee or tea at standard hotel in town and cities.... It is always served separately....What surprised me most here is that it is served with milk as in milked coffee..... Well not to make any fuss, I just drank in without enjoying it..... For I am now confused..... I know for sure that in this country when one order hot drink in a rural area or at traditional coffee shop, when one order coffee,it is meant to be coffee with milk, the same goes with tea....And you say Kopi O or Teh O when you just want coffee without milk......That is well understood by all Malaysian,but at major hostel establishments or coffee houses in town it is different....When you mention coffee or tea to the waiter, then you are served with just black coffee or tea without the sugar, cream or milk....So when I ordered coffee at the Sri Malaysia Hotel in Bagan Lalang, I just ask for coffee and assumed that it is like usual, it is served black accompanied with a try of sugar and milk.... And in this case it is not... Why the change I just could not understand...In this case I did not make a mistake in ordering coffee at this coffee house....So it end that I did not enjoy the coffee at all.....So after paying the bill we proceed on our way back home and this time I took the Nilai Highway and eventually stop at a gas station where there is a small kiosk that sell refreshment and snacks.... We sat down and since it is a self service system....I went to look for coffee, for that Hot steamy Black coffee that I missed having at Bagan Lalang.....There are a few of automat coffee making machines and after scanning around, I place my cup under one of those tap at the machine and press a button and out came a steamy coffee....Happy I took it to the cashier to pay.... And sat to enjoy it..... And guess what..... Again it is not Black coffee, it is a sort of a cappuchino blended coffee with cream.... Well I gave up....I told my wife about it and she say you should read the instruction and take the coffee from the other machine..... Well true enough there is a machine that served Black coffee that I did not notice before.....What a day.....So I set to drink the cappuchino that I had and fret at not having my real coffee, black coffee or Kopi O in our language....This time it is my mistake....Well sometime things just do not get right.....What can I say....It happened....It is not my day... So on getting home the first thing I did is to make myself a great cup of steamy black coffee and this time it is really black coffee.....Great to taste and to my licking.....Oh! What a day...Well friends life is like that and I guessed sometime incident like this that makes life interesting or just colorful...