A Perfect Day...

It was Monday the 10th of February 2014, a hot and dry day. It has not rain, the grass on the roadside has turn brown for lack of water. It has been a cool week before this and now the heat is unbearably hot.  Since all the bills have arrived I decided to go out and pay all of it at the ATM that the TM authority had at Ampang Point. Ampang Point is my township about 2 kilometres away from my house where I could get everything done. Since they installed the Bill paying ATM like they did with the Cash dispenser ATM I had to get use to paying there. There is no longer a human interface. It all machine now; for folks of my generation it not that easy to get used to using machine to pay bills. Since its introduction last year I had always got help from the friendly staff there who would help me get the paying done. To get it right one had to key in the bills number right. It the number that is important to getting the bills paid properly. It actually just takes a few minutes to get all the bills paid using the machine. We all have to get used to this mode of payment and I am learning it fast. It’s the era of electronic where one could pay the bills on-line or go to the nearest ATM.  

On that fine day at around 10am in the morning I went out.  First I send some bedding materials to the laundry then walk to the adjacent shop to buy two meters of hose for the filter pump; after that went to have Roti Canai at a Mamak shop nearby. I then went to have a haircut at the regular barber shop there. Then I remember I had to get some grocery. I found that I forgot to bring the list so I drove back home to pick it up and then went to have the car wash. While the car is been wash I walk to the TM store at Ampang Point to pay the bills and got it done at the ATM there. Then walk back to the Car-wash and pick up the car. On the way home I stop at the supermarket nearby and bought some grocery. With that I completed my errand for that day and got back home around 12.30pm and its Lunch Time. It ends as a very productive morning; a perfect day indeed.

Have a nice day.

A Petite Batik Artist in Rantau Abang...

We were on our way to Kuantan from Kuala Terengganu on May 29, 2011, on see a signage that shows a sort of a Rest Area we stop to have a look at shops that sell Batik there. As I was about to enter the first shop someone from inside the shop say that I had to first take out my shoe if I want to enter. Well since they are more interested in what I wear rather than the money in my pocket I decided not to enter that shop.

I then move to another shop next to it which looks more like a shack than a shop. Anyway I decided to enter the shop. As I approach it I saw a lovely piece of Batik hanging to dry. I have a quick look of it and found that it is a beautiful piece of the work of art, which let me into buying it.

I then move on and saw a petite lady working on a piece of batik material. I seek her permission to take picture and she with a smile say it is OK. With that I then took some images of the happening while she diligently paints the Batik.

Meanwhile my spouse and our nephew arrived at the shop and start looking at the batik that are been sold there and end with buying many pieces of Batik textile and Batik T-Shirt. This part of the shop is managed by the elder sister of that petite Batik artist.

Enjoy the image folks. Have a nice day.

A Little Gem in Kota Bharu...

In Kelantan on May 26, 2011. Playing tourists while in Kota Bharu, I did it my way. I look at things differently from the other tourists. I always look for the uniqueness of the happening. So while in the Craft-center in Kota Bharu recently I wonder along the row of small shops that made the complex and eventually found one that I like.

I went in to have a closer look and then seek permission from the owner of the shop to take picture of the happening in his small shop. While doing so I talk to the artisan who were diligently doing their work of art; giving me the information that I need to understand what are they doing. I need information to write so those who read later on would have a better idea of the shop that I visited. In this case a shop that specialized in Silverware belonging to an artisan family headed by the father Mohd Maliki and the shop known as Seni Kraftangan Timur.

During my visit I saw three youth, two of whom are his kids were doing their works with ingenuity in creating their work of art. Both these kids have tertiary education which to me is a plus sign for good business. I often told parents that getting a college education does not mean you became a wage earner, it should be look at of getting more knowledge to improve one's quality of life. While there I saw them working on the ornamental part of the Kris and other fine silverware. Not everyone could create such a fine work of art.I was fascinated with the way they create fine jewelry and other aspect of turning a Kris Sheath into a beautiful piece of a work of art. Such Kris is often given away as present or just for keep as a mementos, to remind folks of its past glory in the once-glorious past of the Malay Kingdom. I saw the ornamental part of a Kris been meticulously created in front of my eyes. Only skilled artisan like the person in the image could do that with such confidence. The finished work done by hand continue to be a special work of art and there can never be two of a kind unlike craft that are produce by machine.

The image on the left show that part of the Kris sheath been crafted into a fine work of art. It was such a beautiful creation. Later at the hotel I thought that I would go back to the shop and place an order. Unfortunately all the shops closed for business at 6PM and the next day was a Friday. Thus I was unable to buy one. Most probably I would do that on my next visit there. So folks if you want to buy anything in Kota Bharu do remember that all shops closed for business at 6PM and that Friday is a holiday in the State of Kelantan.

Have a nice day.[Please click on image to enlarge]

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.

From Business to Bow-tie...

Well it look like Malaysian are going places.. Look at the business of Building Road in faraway land of Jamaica and the new way our Members of Parliament dress, using Bow-tie instead the usual tie. Making our Parliament as colorful as ever...Indeed an interesting development eh!!... Have a nice day.

Bali..AirAsia Malaysia...

This advertisement appear in the New Straits Times Malaysia on October 10, 2004. It say that AirAsia a Malaysian no frill airline are giving away five thousand free tickets to the holiday resort of Bali, that was hard hit by terrorists recently... Thanks to Tony...The CEO of AirAsia...It shows how concerned Malaysian are to the plight of our neighbor... Consistence with the policy of sharing our prosperity with our neighbor...May Bali continue to prosper...We all have to help Bali, for the good people of Bali depend on tourism for their living..I am indeed glad that the AirAsia are offering their contributions in this time of needs of a friendly country and neighbor....We have visited Bali two years ago and did enjoy our stay there...So do visit Bali and enjoy while helping the good people of Bali.. Have a nice day....

The AP's things...

It look like the AP [Approved Permit to import cars into Malaysia] is still a hot issue...It has taken much of the times of our Members of Parliament debating this issue...So I would like to suggest to the all the good members of our Parliament that they get the approval of the Parliament to give AP's to all Senior Citizen.. So that these people in their Golden Age could all import cars of their own choice...It would be great to see all those Senior Citizen in their golden age, who have contributed so much in the making this country to what it is today, driving happily in their imported cars...Come on surely they deserved this little luxury like those good members of Parliament that we all elected to office...

Lets concentrate on the economy..

I was just thinking aloud...Why must they talk so much about politic and religion...You switch on some of the TV channels and you hear talk about either politic or religion...I think personally I had enough of both...Come on.. We have been an independent nation for forty eight years already...I think all the talk about politic have gone too far, we are just wasting our resources and energy...So why not concentrate on the most important aspect of the country development...Economy, it is the economy that really make the country, It is commerce and trade that make the country prosperous...With that would come national unity and national harmony...It is the ingredient that what make the culture of the society.. The Malaysian society...For without economic developments, all the talk about politic and religion would not help to unite the society...It is economy that would do the job of uniting the Malaysian Society...Remember the two prong strategies of the NEP [National Economic Policy]...That just ended...It was to restructure society and to eradicate poverty...I believe we have done that and in a way been successful..The Malaysian society, of whatever race, have more money in their pockets now they ever before and now are more interested of improving their quality of life then get bogged down with politic and religion..So I would like to suggest that we put all our resources and energy toward achieving the economic objective of the country. A prosperous Malaysian would be able to enjoy living, thus would ensure peace and harmony at peace time and a great defense force at time of war...If the society are happy with the country, they would love the country and would surely work for the benefit of their motherland, no matter whoever they are...They would continue to be patriotic to their motherland... But if they are not happy, then it would indeed be a worrisome to the society at large...As a person who have live through from the day of the British rule and the beginning of an Independent Malaya and then Malaysia, I know for sure that we would succeed in our endeavors, if we play less politic and religion but instead concentrate of our common need, that is to live a comfortable lives together...Let religion be a personal issue and practice it well,so that we all have a balance life and with that a good citizen of the country...For now let us all focus on the economic aspect of development for I believe that with success we all would have more to enjoy living in this land of plenty...Malaysia.

They say that if you want to buy a property, like a house, a kondo or whatever, there are three factors that you have to take into account if you want to make a right decision, the first factor is Location, the second factor is Location and the third factor is Location, so as can be seen, Location is the factor here, I quite agree with these factors. Let me give an example here, the place I live is in Ulu Kelang, Ampang Jaya is the proper name, it is one of the oldest housing estate, developed in nineteen fifty nine, so it is rather old compare to the other development in this area, well in the early eighties came the development of a housing estate call the Taman Tun Abdul Razak and in short it is Taman TAR, well this taman tar is just a short distance from where I live, actually the nearest boarder is just five hundred meter only from my house and the boarder is marked by a monsoon drain and beside is the road that lead to the Kelab Darul Ehsan [ a recreational club ], You know what, a house in Ampang Jaya which is slightly bigger then in Taman TAR cost, let say Ringgit two hundred thousand and an almost the same type house in Taman TAR, guess what, it would cost three or four time that of the house in Ampang Jaya, so what is the rational here, it is the name Taman TAR, it is an elite name of a sort, with club house nearby and rich or cooperate people live, even a semi detach house with land of four thousand square feet would cost less in ampang jaya then in taman tar, one could get a semi detach house in Ampang Jaya for six or seven hundred thousand ringgit, but one could only get a link house,corner lot for that price in Taman TAR, so that what I meant Location, Location, location, it is the location that determined the price of the property and not the house itself.