Reminising - Respecting the Sea...

Above is the scene of the beach at Teluk Cempedak in Kuantan in the early hours of the morning. Images in this posting was taken while I was waiting for the sun to rise on a visit to the place some years ago. The weather was cool and the beach was almost empty of people but already heavy with activities of the little crabs digging holes all over the sandy beach. Small birds seen picking food on the shore careless of the bashing of the waves. 

When I was growing up in the forties the beach was pristine with golden sand, a crystal clear river, lush jungle of greens all over making it a great place to whilst the day away and enjoy nature at its best. Then it was considered far from the town since there was no road leading to it. To get there one had to hike using a narrow path flank by dense jungle on both sides. One could see birds, small animals and creature like monkey and iguana or large lizard running loose here and there. There was no man-made structure around except a well that had been dug up by someone for the source of clean drinking water. It was an ideal place to go camping on weekend and enjoy a good swim in the crystal clear water of the sea. On most weekends we would hike there and camp for the two nights before returning home on Sunday evening. 

The first time I went there to swim was I believe when I was just seven years old then. Together with my classmate we would hike there and enjoy swimming in the sea of crystal clear water. It was sort of my introduction to the sea. Henceforth the sea around Kuantan became my many playgrounds. As I grow up Teluk Cempedak soon became our regular camping ground on weekend. We would hike there along path starting at what was the Tok Sira area at that time. In those days the land around Tok Sira was flat with shrub of wild berries. As one approach the sea the land became hilly and dense with greens of various shades. We had to climb a small hill and follow a narrow path that had been carved out in between bushes by folks who try to get to the beach the other side of the small hill leading to the bay. On both sides of the path are dense green mostly inhabit by monkey and other small animal.  As kids we were never afraid of animal that lurk in those bushes. We would enjoy the hike until we could see the sea up front. It was always nice to hear the wave bashing the shore as we get nearer to the sea as well get to smell the saltiness of the atmosphere. On a hot and humid day we would be sweating before we arrived at the cool place under the shade of huge trees near the beach. We would normally pitch our camp near the river or at the far end of the bay near those rocks where we could get fresh water. When the weather was good we would just sleep on the sandy beach under the glittering star up above. We would build camp-fire throughout the night to scare animal coming near to our place of sleeping. It was always fun to camp and enjoy the camp-fire in the evening where we would cook our food over open fire. One morning we woke up and found all our utensils were missing. We were indeed surprised as to how all the items were not around where we had left before we goes to sleep. We search and search and eventually found most of it dented. Obviously the high tide in the night had cause all the utensil to float and as the wave bash the shore all those items float with it were bashed and scattered all over all the night long until the tide subside. We collected what remains of our utensil and that experience taught us not to store anything too close the beach. We can never tell how high the tide would be from time to time. With that happening we learnt not to take thing for granted when camping beside the sea. As we get older we learnt many new things about the sea. As member of the Boy Scout moment we soon got training on first-aid and jungle survival which later became useful when we went hiking and camping in jungle, thus wiser whenever we go camping whether in the jungle or the beach. We go with enough information of the area and never would take things for granted. In one instance we saw a person drowning. We acted fast as a group and save that person's life. It was a memorable event that I could still vividly remember till these days. We learnt that every flora and fauna has it purpose in the scheme of thing and must be respected as well. We only take what we want and use only and leave the rest in peace and undisturbed. We always see to it that no fire or amber is left at fireplace whenever we left a place after camping or a picnic. We would clean the beach of debris and always kept it clean before leaving it. It soon became the norm of our group to see that things are left as it were whenever we leave the place. 

We learnt too that never to take the sea for granted. Always make sure that one knows the depth of the sea whenever one go swimming. The sea at Teluk Cempedak been a bay have strong undercurrent and in some places very deep. One must be very careful when swimming there. We can only enjoy the sea if we respect it as a great force that could be calm or wild in just mere minutes. So understanding it is very important for us to enjoy it for our benefit. It is here at an early age that I learnt to respect the sea. I kept going back to this enclave whenever I am in Kuantan. Even in my golden age I would still wander there in the early morning and wonder at the mystic of the rising sun. Except for the instruction of buildings and the polluted river the beach is still the same. It golden sand and the crystal clear water is still the beach of my childhood that always brings back memories of joy of those wonderful years of my childhood. The call of the sea is always close to my heart and Teluk Cempedak is mine forever.

Have a nice day.

Your One Vote [Malaysia 13th Election]...

The 13th General Election for Malaysia would be held on May, 5, 2013.

Folks, in a democracy it is the vote that put a person in charge of the country. Anyone who gets a majority, even with one vote would be elected to be a Member of Parliament or the Member of the State Assembly. So it is important that we as citizen of this country Malaysia understand that the one vote of ours does made the difference. So in an election, be it the by-election or now the General Election that happen once in four or five years we must take our vote seriously and vote with wisdom.

In the March 8, 2008 the citizen of Malaysia showed that they do understand that their votes does made the differences. In that election they voted for change. As can be seen at that election and the other by-election your votes do made the difference. Folks we are going through a changing time and as usual some people like change and some does not want at all. It is the same in a democracy. What we want is a democracy not a dynasty where leadership is pass down from one person to another but a person that is elected by the people. Only in a true democracy that we get to see the person whom we elect became the leader.

Our founding father found this country as a secular democracy and it has work so far. It does brought prosperity to the rakyaat but since it is the rakyaat money that are been use to develop this country surely we want accountability and transparency in it uses. To get that we must elect the right person to provides the leadership. A person of integrity to the nation leadership; whether it is at the state level or the federal level. In this coming election it is for both the federal level as well the state level. Only a person with integrity would provide us with good leadership. So this time you go to the poll do use your vote wisely. Remember that one vote of yours does made the difference.Your vote and my vote make two votes and that goes on and on until the polling is closed. 

So come this May 5, 2013 do go and vote wisely.

Have a nice day.

The Kitten....

We love cat. Since we start a family way back in the early sixties of the twentieth century we always had cats running around in the house. It was always sort of a family member that brings cheer to the kids and a good therapy for us. In those days we just fed the cats with food that we ate and it would do it things outside the house so there was no real budget when keeping cat at that time except the occasionally Veterinary service. Everywhere we went and live we always have cat. At time we kept more than one cats and it always bring happiness to the family. Even when working in Sarawak we had two cats. It was a stray that we pick up. When I got transferred back to the mainland state of Pahang we decided to bring along the two Sarawak's cats. To take it along we had to get documents since it is illegal to take animals and plants from the Borneo state to Peninsular Malaysia. We took the then Ferry Malaysia to go back to the mainland. The journey to Kuantan in Peninsular Malaysia start from Kuching, Sarawak; with stops at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and the port of Singapore before proceeding to Kuantan. On the way to Singapore we ran short of sands for the litter box and had to rush to the city of Singapore to get it. We got it and managed to catch the ship just hours before it left for Kuantan. We arrived in Kuantan and took the two cats in our car to a cousin's house at Batu Hitam. It was indeed a historic journey for us where we brought along our cats all the way from Kuching, Sarawak to Kuantan, Pahang. For the first few months we stayed at our cousin's house in Batu Hitam where the cat spends their first few months in Peninsular Malaysia. Later on we rented a house at Alor Akar and live there until I decided to retired from the Government service. While living at that house in Kuantan where there was a large compound and jungle nearby both the cat die mysteriously one by one, probably cause by the stings by insects or beaten by poisonous creature. We did not know what really happened.  It was a really a sad occasion for me. Actually I cried when both the cat died; sad indeed. A neighbour gives us a little mixed Persian kitten. It soon became the charm of the family. When we move back to Kuala Lumpur in 1990 after I retired optionally from the government service we took the cat along. It adept very well to our own home in Ampang Jaya and its surrounding. We call it Tina and as we move on over the years she too grow old and died after two week when we left to live in the United State in 1998. From that henceforth we decided no more cats for us but cats have always been in our heart. 

Some months ago a stray kitten with collar attached to her neck came around and because it was raining we took it into the house and give it shelter. She was so charming and adorable. We thought that it belongs to someone who love cat so we start looking for its owner through Facebook, asking around and even put posters of it on lamp-pole around the neighbourhood. After weeks without any respond we decided to just keep it for a while. We did fell in love with that kitten but as yet to decide whether to keep her or not. As time goes by we heard of a young couple, a friend of our daughter Lin was looking for a kitten for their two kids. So we decided to part with it. We were actually sad to let it go but then we found it was happy to be in a new home with kids around. So we are now had gone back to square one without a cat in the house. But lives go on as usual. There are two cats in our daughter Lin house nearby so whenever we go there we would play with the cats. 

Just before her mom's birthday our eldest daughter calls and told me that she wanted to get her mom a kitten as a birthday gift. I told her that it was OK but remind her that it would not be easy of taking care of cat. There is the daily chore to be done, the food to be bought and the litter bin had to be clean and of course the expenses of the Veterinary services. The next day she took her mom out and came back with a little Persian kitten as seem in the image above. So folks here we are with this addition to the family. We named the adorable kitten as Mei Mei. With this kitten it looks like we have gone full circle. Now we have a cat in the family. Well folks, life is like that. 

 Have a nice day.

Reminising - Cultural shock...

Today is the last Saturday of March 2013. It is a beautiful day. I decided to clean the patio and my little garden. After that had breakfast and then surf the Internet and start blogging; Nothing much just reminiscing these thoughts of mine.... In April 1971 I was send to Australia to attend a course under the Colombo Plan. It was the first time I had ever gone overseas and this trip excites me. At that time not many Malaysian goes overseas thus we were delighted to have been selected to go overseas; Australia. I was in my early thirty working in Malacca with two small kids. My spouse at that time was working at the Telecom Department there. It was difficult to leave the young kids and their mother but attending the course is very important to my career. I had no choice but to go for the three month course in Australia.  So with heavy heart I went. Three of us young officers arrived at the Perth Airport in the early dark morning. The weather was cold and the smell of the atmosphere was different. We are indeed in a strange place that personally I had never dream of been but here am I in Australia, a white man land. While waiting for the local representative to take us to the hotel we sat to have coffee. I look at the board at the back of the counter and saw they have Black Coffee and White Coffee. Not sure what a White Coffee is we decided to be on the safe-side by ordering Black Coffee. I notice that all the shopkeepers are white man and more white man are seen sweeping the floor, collecting trash and one even open the door for us. I was shock to see the white man doing all these things since back home during the colonial era they were the Tuan [Boss] and this is the first time I saw the white doing any manual works. I was shock to see the white or  MatSaleh were doing works just like us back home. Four hundred years of colonialism did that to our mindset; thinking that all white-man are Boss or Tuan. That was the first time I went overseas thus my reaction to that happening at the Airport. Anyway after spending three months in Australia I learned that we are after all are the same except of the knowledge we have. So it teaches me a very important lesson that knowledge is very important for us to stay independent and progress likes those in the west. At the course I learn as much as I could of how the Australian handle their rural youth. And of course while there I saw the developed country with modern  amenities at close range and that I learn too. On my return I use that knowledge I learned to introduce new Youth programme for the benefit of our young in the rural area. During the period of the course we were taken to almost all the cities in Australia.  The image on the left show us on a street in Melbourne, Australia.

Have a nice day.

The Young Greens...

Above are some images of young shoots and greens from my little garden. It is the beginning of the process of growing. Indeed a wonderful moment to watch and wonder nature at its best. There are so many wonderful happening in nature to watch and enjoy if only one care to look. Remember without these green there would be no life on planet earth. It is only the plants that could convert the sun energy into food so that other species on planet earth could consume as food and obtain that sun's energy to enable all to enjoy living. Without that energy all lives on planet earth would perished. Be thankful to the plants for that. So think about it folks and do give due respect to these humble specie; the plants.

Have a nice day.

Rambling 3.1...

Good Morning folks, it is a beautiful day in March. The sun is shining bright with white clouds scattered up above. I thought for today I just ramble whatever I am thinking now. One of it is about  about paying bills. Yes the bill that we pay every month to keep our home running. It cost me not less than RM800.00 a month to pay all my bills. Yesterday I went to the TM Point at Ampang Point and paid it all. Just imagine for my house alone it cost that amount. Without that kind of money my house would be dark without electricity, no running water, no Astro[Paid TV], no Unifi[Broadband], no Phone, no Cellphone and life would be just unbearable; what with the weather now. It is always hot and humid and air conditioning looks like has become a norm rather than a luxury likes before. In the forties of the twentieth century when I was growing up in a Kampong [village] in Kuantan there was no bills at all to pay. Water was from the well, we did not have electricity, no running water, and telephone was a luxury that no one could afford. Life was simple and folks get on with their lives as usual without thinking about paying utilities bills. Money was only for buying foods and clothing but now it looks like the money we need is more for paying bills other that for foods and clothing. I walk to school to and fro everyday so it is free too. If it rain we would cut the huge leaves of the Yam plant and use it as umbrella since we just could not afford to buy one but it was all right and looking back it was fun too. I had only one pair of shoe and that was used for schooling only; once back home we would either use a clog or just barefooted. Computer, Radio or TV was unheard of and for game we invented out kind of games like Hide and Seek, Playing Marble and whatever that we could play around. An old bicycle wheel without the tire would be a toy to play around the house. What is needed is a long stick and it kept the wheel running. It was fun. Come the monsoon we would enjoy the rain. At weekend as we get older we would go camping in the bush or near the beach. Telok Cempedak a beautiful bay beside the sea which was still jungle then was one of our favourite camping grounds. We all had fun and most of the time money was not part of the equation. Folk’s life was like that and looking back it was indeed an enjoyable time of our growing up period. 

Have a nice day.

Bauhinia Kockiana the brilliant flowers...

Above is the flowers in front of my house where I had planted varieties of greens and flowering creeper plants. The bright and brilliant flower in the image is call Bauhinia kockiana and it bloom all throughout the years. I hope to plant creeper plant with blue flowers, adding more colours to that area of my house. At present I have the Yellow Allemande, a bright yellow flower and many colours of Bougainvillea as well the Kenanga flower.

When all these plants bloom at the same time it turns the front of my house into a riot of colours in all the shades of greens and the colours of the rainbow. 

Have a nice day.

Raptor watch @ Tanjung Tuan...

Raptor the migratory birds from North Asia, North-eastern Asia, Eastern Siberia, Kamchatka, North-eastern China, the Korean Peninsula and Japan where they breed are here now in big numbers. Every year at this time of the years these migratory birds would fly to Tanjung Tuan [ Cape Rachado] on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and would stay there for about two months before going back to their natural habitat in the northern atmosphere. When the weather is hot it would fly in groups above Tanjung Tuan sky taking advantage of the thermal column of rising air where it could fly easily with little energy needed. It is a yearly happening at this part of the world from March to the end of April. For the purpose of highlighting this happening NGO in Malaysia have organised a Raptor Watch activity. This year it would be on March 9 - 10 at the vicinity of the Ilham resort at Tanjung Tuan. Read this. 

I had wanted to go and watch it for myself so last Saturday March 2, 2013 with my spouse I drove all the way to Tanjung Tuan to see for ourselves the Raptor there. On arrival we got out of the car and saw many birds circling above flying in formation against the blue sky of the midday sun. It just looks like flying dots against the blue sky. I snap as many images with my Nikon using a telescopic lens. Had it not been for that telescopic lens I would not be able to see the colour of that bird. Above is an image of one of a Raptor that I spot flying above the Ilham Hotel compound at Tanjung Tuan; an amazing sight indeed. 

Have a nice day.