Farewell tea and dinner broke my daily routine today. As much as I wanted to fight it the food won hand down. I was weak looking at my favorites scattered all over the dining tables. Also I did not want to upset or insult my hosts. Breaking my diet vow aside, my day was pretty normal to certain extent.
As soon as I was in the main atrium the announcer came on air to say that the Seremban train was arriving and I rushed down to platform 6. The train was already there actually and the time was 2123. The train was full with either service workers after their late shift, college students going home, couples coming back from a date, office workers after extended office hours or people like me who was just going home after business dinner and one or two long distance weary business travelers. That means you get a normal crowds on the train and when I say normal you get to observe the daily occurrence of Malaysian life. Almost 99.9% of the people on the train have handphone as you could see a lot talking into one, texting or SMSing their friends and colleagues or you could hear all sort of ringing tones. Lively Malaysian and I was, as always, enjoying the scene. It was dark outside and an advantage for an observer as the window now became a big mirror for me to observe without being seen as too obvious. You make the environment works for you.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
A Doa for Farid, July 29, 2006
As much as we want to admit or show it we drove back from BP with sadness. Seeing Farid unconscious with her support systems brought another perspective to our lives and I am wondering aloud why we want to postpone our visit further. Honestly, you may have not had the time but I pray to Allah this is not to be.
My family and I arrived around 11 am at BP hospital and I straight away called Abd Majid. He was actually 10 minutes away and we waited for him at the canteen. We ended waiting for quite a bit and not wanting to disturb him we waited for him to call and at the same time Ani Mat and her husband was on their way. We were on the road together but we were ahead by an hour. We decided to wait for them and at the same time I traced my network of friends in BP. Eventually one of them joined me at the hospital, thanks Jaru, and to make the network even more interesting one of my friends there actually is lecturing at the same Maktab where Farid is working and the one line story linked to become almost one complete narrative.
Farid historically has been having problem with coughing, flu and asthma, and has been going in and out of hospitals and clinics trying to find cure, to some extend the real course of her problem. Not to mention the amount of money the have spent. To this end I feel I have failed as a friend. A friend should know how a friend is doing and not when only at their worst. Her condition became critical after her office spring cleaning took place and she was in coma after her lung could not take all the pressure. The xray on her chest came back white. Not wanting for her to be awake and coughing the doctors decided to put her in a resting condition, sleeping, in the ICU. We were told her pulse stopped for awhile the night before but by the grace of Allah it came back which we hope a sign of more good news to come.
All her beloved husband and family could ask for is for all of us to recite doa for her. My friend told me her office mates have been having series of doa recitation, sembahyang hajat and the likes for sometimes now and in our own capacity I hope we can do the same.
So please do not wait
My family and I arrived around 11 am at BP hospital and I straight away called Abd Majid. He was actually 10 minutes away and we waited for him at the canteen. We ended waiting for quite a bit and not wanting to disturb him we waited for him to call and at the same time Ani Mat and her husband was on their way. We were on the road together but we were ahead by an hour. We decided to wait for them and at the same time I traced my network of friends in BP. Eventually one of them joined me at the hospital, thanks Jaru, and to make the network even more interesting one of my friends there actually is lecturing at the same Maktab where Farid is working and the one line story linked to become almost one complete narrative.
Farid historically has been having problem with coughing, flu and asthma, and has been going in and out of hospitals and clinics trying to find cure, to some extend the real course of her problem. Not to mention the amount of money the have spent. To this end I feel I have failed as a friend. A friend should know how a friend is doing and not when only at their worst. Her condition became critical after her office spring cleaning took place and she was in coma after her lung could not take all the pressure. The xray on her chest came back white. Not wanting for her to be awake and coughing the doctors decided to put her in a resting condition, sleeping, in the ICU. We were told her pulse stopped for awhile the night before but by the grace of Allah it came back which we hope a sign of more good news to come.
All her beloved husband and family could ask for is for all of us to recite doa for her. My friend told me her office mates have been having series of doa recitation, sembahyang hajat and the likes for sometimes now and in our own capacity I hope we can do the same.
So please do not wait
On The Train, Jul 27, 2006
I am on the 1916 train home as I do not wish to be late again. Furthermore my wife and Mar are not feeling well. I need to take them to the clinic. The train is packed as usual which makes me a bit angry at KTMB. The reason of the pack train is not so much of the increase in commuters but more due to the cancellation of the express train. I just do not know the basis of the cancellation. Economics, business strategy, or technical problem is everyone’s guess. You can see how unpleasant most people are and their faces give them away. Some try to make the best by talking to each other to out fox the unpleasantness and some just doze off, some in a standing position, into oblivion.
Right now the train is flowing at a good pace towards UKM and is still full. I guess it would only be almost empty when I disembark at Bangi.
Right now the train is flowing at a good pace towards UKM and is still full. I guess it would only be almost empty when I disembark at Bangi.
On The Train, Jul 26, 2006
Due to the workshop that I had to attend I was late out of the office today. My stress level remains the same forcing me to thing a better way to manage it. Writing and reading have been therapeutic so far but I need to pick the right topic to read and write. Now I am having problem with both. Nothing seems to be flowing as far as my writing is concern and my readings have been patchy. Compounding the fact is my current inability to cutoff from work. I used to be very good at this but now I am not sure.
Tanjung Piai, Dec 21, 2001 (Friday)
I wrote this piece in 2001 when we visited Tg Piai for the first time and now I am planning another trip there to see if anything has changed
How do you feel to be at ‘the southernmost tip of mainland Asia continent’? Well! Honestly nothing. We are at the Tg Piai Resorts now and we are supposed to feel something special. I do not know about my family but I do not feel anything different. Although this is our first time here as well as the first time on the sea resorts it is just like any other places. The only different there is water below us.
We arrived around 1.30 pm at Tg Piai via a wedding in Pontian and expectation was high. As usual my children were expecting swimming pool and all, my wife non-committal and myself, just expecting that it would be a good place to relax a bit. So far I have discovered a bit of both.
The place?
I really have sympathy for Malay businessmen. The resort could be a swell place but the maintenance is appalling. Let me sum up;
• The lock in the bath room is missing
• There is no towel
• No complimentary tea and coffee
• No proper food facility
• No kettle to boil some water
• No hot water
• The seafood restaurant which suppose to be the other main selling point is not well organised and maintain
• Not a resort as resort supposed to be
With the official designated titled as the most southernmost tip of mainland Asia continent marketing is a bit wanting. They could have really banked on it but as far as I know unless I scan the Internet really hard I do not really know this place exist at all. The tourism brochures hardly focus on Tg Piai with that tag line.
However, when I woke up in the morning it was a bit different. I walked on the wooden platform with my camera in my hand and my son Baqir, and later Taherah, tagging along I observed a different perspective of the place. It boiled down to what you really want to do. To just relax, cool off or just do nothing this is not a bad place to be.
We were the only guests staying at the resort and that was good and bad at the same time. Of course good we have all the facilities, which were not much, to our selves and bad because there weren’t much activity. When we reached there I was thinking of staying for two nights but thought otherwise. So, before lunch we packed up, checked out and drove up towards Pontian as we did yesterday evening. We played tourist in Pontian and soon decided to head for home via JB.
How do you feel to be at ‘the southernmost tip of mainland Asia continent’? Well! Honestly nothing. We are at the Tg Piai Resorts now and we are supposed to feel something special. I do not know about my family but I do not feel anything different. Although this is our first time here as well as the first time on the sea resorts it is just like any other places. The only different there is water below us.
We arrived around 1.30 pm at Tg Piai via a wedding in Pontian and expectation was high. As usual my children were expecting swimming pool and all, my wife non-committal and myself, just expecting that it would be a good place to relax a bit. So far I have discovered a bit of both.
The place?
I really have sympathy for Malay businessmen. The resort could be a swell place but the maintenance is appalling. Let me sum up;
• The lock in the bath room is missing
• There is no towel
• No complimentary tea and coffee
• No proper food facility
• No kettle to boil some water
• No hot water
• The seafood restaurant which suppose to be the other main selling point is not well organised and maintain
• Not a resort as resort supposed to be
With the official designated titled as the most southernmost tip of mainland Asia continent marketing is a bit wanting. They could have really banked on it but as far as I know unless I scan the Internet really hard I do not really know this place exist at all. The tourism brochures hardly focus on Tg Piai with that tag line.
However, when I woke up in the morning it was a bit different. I walked on the wooden platform with my camera in my hand and my son Baqir, and later Taherah, tagging along I observed a different perspective of the place. It boiled down to what you really want to do. To just relax, cool off or just do nothing this is not a bad place to be.
We were the only guests staying at the resort and that was good and bad at the same time. Of course good we have all the facilities, which were not much, to our selves and bad because there weren’t much activity. When we reached there I was thinking of staying for two nights but thought otherwise. So, before lunch we packed up, checked out and drove up towards Pontian as we did yesterday evening. We played tourist in Pontian and soon decided to head for home via JB.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
On The Train, Jul 25, 2006
Life purposely is slowing down for me now as I need to be. Things have been put in perspective where work, education, health and family have their own rooms. A sad news on my friend being in ICU arrived today. She had just woke up from coma and now recuperating in Batu Pahat hospital. I know we have to visit her and we could not wait as we may not have a chance. I am not good at this kind of thing but for my friend I have to learn.
On The Train, July 24, 2006
Someone asked me when and where my next Cuti Cuti Malaysia 5 is. Well, I have few options but I am not sure whether there is going to be one already for 2006. Looking at my other action items for the rest of the year it looks unlikely. But as always you’ll never know as at the end of the year I have got to finish my leaves and opportunities could present it self. As I said in my last major posting I’d love to do the south again, albeit this time going ‘budget’. My initial plan is to drive early down to Segamat via Gemas for the sake of my wife and sleep for a night at Gunong Ledang. The next day we would drive across to Muar for the lovely asam pedas and proceed to Batu Pahat along the coast to stay a night there. BP is big enough town worth checking out for a night. Furthermore I have a lot of friends there. The third day we will drive down as far as Tg Piai just to look for any new development there. The same day we will back track to JB via Pontian Kecil, Pekan Nanas to JB to stay a night day. The next day we would be driving east to Mersing to stay another night or two and come back via Jemaluang, Kluang, Ayer Itam and the Plus highway.It would be another six days trip but only covering one state. Of course I have an option of going further to Rompin and come back via Muadzam Shah, Bahau, and Kuala Pilah. Or I could do the whole thing the other way round. As always stopping at several interesting places along the way is expected. How many days is that?
I am in the mood to write my daily commute on the train again. However, apart from one or two exception, the thing that I would be writing would remain the same. The first indication came when we were at approaching Serdang when the whole coach heard one Chinese man talking to his handphone so loud that I just could not resist laughing. Some people just couldn’t careless or simply oblivious of what they are doing.
I am in the mood to write my daily commute on the train again. However, apart from one or two exception, the thing that I would be writing would remain the same. The first indication came when we were at approaching Serdang when the whole coach heard one Chinese man talking to his handphone so loud that I just could not resist laughing. Some people just couldn’t careless or simply oblivious of what they are doing.
On The Train, July 10, 2006
I have a slight headache today and I just boarded the 1846 train going home. My headache is compounded by the fact that Italy won the World Cup. Nothing personal and know it is not rational but somehow I was born with a gene that hate Italian football no matter what. The office crowd already on the train and a lot more trying to push their way in at KL Sentral worsen my headache.
The World Cup has ended, to some a bit earlier, but a lot of people are still talking about it. About Zidan’s red card, how boring was the final and how Italian supporters enjoying themselves. My personal assessment:Most teams were playing too defensive with 10 players behind the ball that made most game boring to watch. As a whole the standard of this world cup was the lowest.
The World Cup has ended, to some a bit earlier, but a lot of people are still talking about it. About Zidan’s red card, how boring was the final and how Italian supporters enjoying themselves. My personal assessment:Most teams were playing too defensive with 10 players behind the ball that made most game boring to watch. As a whole the standard of this world cup was the lowest.
On The Train, Jul 6, 2006
I was on holiday of sort from writing my usual On The Train piece. Partly because I seems to experience mental block when I was on board looking at the same characters everyday. To make it worse KTMB had been it‘s usual incompetent self. Also I am still writing my last Cuti Cuti Malaysia 4 travelogue
Ever since my last Dr appointment I have been going home a bit early than before. Early means I have to join the crowd and most of the time the train was packed like today. Of course KTMB make it worse by cancelling the express Seremban. Being early also meant that whenever we got to Kajang the coaches will be filled by noisy Indian school children going home to Bangi. I mean just like any children they just could not stop talking, louder that the sound of the train. Just imagine like sitting in a can with full of them ha ha ha
Being a world cup season you get more sleepy heads on the train now. Both on the morning and on the way homes I could see commuters, especially men, were taking their nap and in one occasion one almost had and accident because he almost drop on the floor sleeping. The guy was actually sitting just next to me in the next cluster. I knew a lot of people wanted to laugh but managed to refrain themselves. Honestly I was laughing hard inside. So the final would be boring Italy against old French. Oh you know, that I am jealous and a sore loser? LOL my world cup ended a week earlier with the lost of Brazil. But I love to see Zidane gets the big one for one last time.
Ever since my last Dr appointment I have been going home a bit early than before. Early means I have to join the crowd and most of the time the train was packed like today. Of course KTMB make it worse by cancelling the express Seremban. Being early also meant that whenever we got to Kajang the coaches will be filled by noisy Indian school children going home to Bangi. I mean just like any children they just could not stop talking, louder that the sound of the train. Just imagine like sitting in a can with full of them ha ha ha
Being a world cup season you get more sleepy heads on the train now. Both on the morning and on the way homes I could see commuters, especially men, were taking their nap and in one occasion one almost had and accident because he almost drop on the floor sleeping. The guy was actually sitting just next to me in the next cluster. I knew a lot of people wanted to laugh but managed to refrain themselves. Honestly I was laughing hard inside. So the final would be boring Italy against old French. Oh you know, that I am jealous and a sore loser? LOL my world cup ended a week earlier with the lost of Brazil. But I love to see Zidane gets the big one for one last time.
On The Train, Jun 14, 2006
I was a zombie walking towards Bangi station and all because of the Brazil vs Crotia game early this morning. As predicted I slept all the way through to KL Sentral. However, before I went ‘under’ I saw the mother and daughter that I used to write about today just remained only the mother. I saw it yesterday so I thought it was just one special day. Today I guess confirmed that we would not be seeing the cute girl with her mother every morning anymore. Probably she grew up or her parents decided to get a maid or something.
I got down at KL Sentral today because I was going to our PJ office for training. Once at KL Sentral I had to do something with my zombieness and decided a cup of coffee would do it. While walking trying to decide one where to go I realized that I forgot so many things today and one of them was I forgot to put on my belt. Let’ blame Brazil for it. After much effort I decided the second level medan selera. My choice was actually for a reason that I did not know until I was paying for my coffee. Across me walking was my old colleague from my old work place. So we had breakfast together and got to catch up on each other. At that moment also I got to know about the bad new development on Bursa and SC. Pity for library profession and community in Malaysia. On the bright side however it would mean a bigger opportunity for us. While talking I kept looking at the monitor above in front of me that was showing the KTM intercity train schedule. Once again the travel bugs hit me and I knew then I have to do it sooner then later.
I boarded the Putra LRT at around 0800. It is always a different feeling riding on anything other then the KTM Komuter.
I got down at KL Sentral today because I was going to our PJ office for training. Once at KL Sentral I had to do something with my zombieness and decided a cup of coffee would do it. While walking trying to decide one where to go I realized that I forgot so many things today and one of them was I forgot to put on my belt. Let’ blame Brazil for it. After much effort I decided the second level medan selera. My choice was actually for a reason that I did not know until I was paying for my coffee. Across me walking was my old colleague from my old work place. So we had breakfast together and got to catch up on each other. At that moment also I got to know about the bad new development on Bursa and SC. Pity for library profession and community in Malaysia. On the bright side however it would mean a bigger opportunity for us. While talking I kept looking at the monitor above in front of me that was showing the KTM intercity train schedule. Once again the travel bugs hit me and I knew then I have to do it sooner then later.
I boarded the Putra LRT at around 0800. It is always a different feeling riding on anything other then the KTM Komuter.
Monday, February 26, 2007
CUTI CUTI MALAYSIA 4: June 6, 2006 (Tuesday)
Tanah Merah – Jeli – Banding – Grik – KK – Bandar Seri Putra Bangi (Home Sweet Home)
As most morning now immediately after I got ready I went out first to start the Ranger. I took it out for a spin but only today I have ultra motives. Since I knew for sure nobody else care to have a Kelantanese breakfast I wanted to do just that at the Pasar. But I stopped at the Maybank first to meet my good friend Kawanku. I was still very early because when I got to the Pasar most of the meks were still opening the shop for the day. I observed but could not take any photos as I left mine at the chalet. Obviously most of the people there knew each other and the people that came for breakfast were also their regular customers. It was just like watching Cheers albeit in a different setting and environment. I enjoyed it very much actually. Life in a small town taking shaped where many years ago on my way home to Pasir Mas on a train I always wondered about when the train stopped at Tanah Merah. Of course It was a totally different life then still it was still different compared to other town in Malaysia. I had nasi dagang and Nescafe tarik at one of the warongs on the second level of the Pasar. Accompanied by the ‘noise’ around me I ate the real nasi dagang and sometimes was amused by the conversation happened around me. Chinese, Malays and even Indian would converse in Kelantanese slang.
It was just slightly after 0800 when I left the place and drove back to the chalet. Most were up already that prompted me to announce that we were checking out. With the trademark photos taken we checked out and drove out into town at around 0900. When I was at the Pasar I noticed one restaurant that I thought would be suitable for the rest I went there to let them to have a proper breakfast. You guess right, with all variety of selection in front of them most just went for the normal diet of roti canai.
We left the restaurant and drove towards Jeli on Federal route 4. I always love to start my long distance drive early in morning, the earlier the better. Although it was not that early when we were on the road it was still early in the morning by our standard. Early was a deception at this time of the year in Malaysia as by 0900 hours the heat was already unbearable to some of us. Cooler in the Ranger but I could feel the heat on the outside especially when I looked at the hood of the Ranger. One good thing about this journey and route was that we would be passing mountain area and it would be a bit cooler. Also, the journey was ultimately a journey home.
My wife kept mentioning a possible shopping place along the way and I knew just what the place was. It is another place, Bukit Bunga, a kampong rather then a town, next to the Thai border. I knew we were not going to get a good bargain as in Rantau Panjang but I stopped anyway when we got there. At least we can check out the place and satisfy few curiosities. I let them walked the length of the bazaar and sat myself under a young garden tree to wait and observe. It didn’t take them long to realize what I knew already and I could see them turning back halfway. We just bought small trinkets and some fruits before we continued our journey.
When we reached the foot of the mountain I floored the accelerator climbing fast maintaining the same speed as before. You should know by now I just loved climbing terrains with my Ranger. That is one of the reasons why we loved the Ranger. Tariq was long gone behind me by then. I left them behind as I knew there was no possible way for him to get lost on that route. I was happy pushing the Ranger climbing and taking corners at decent speed until we reached the peak of the road climb. I immediately noticed a small rest area with scenic viewing platform on my right. I looked at the view mirror to see if there were any cars directly following behind and when I saw none I jammed the break and turned right into the rest area. It was a wide open space enough for 100 cars to stop at once. So that Tareq would not missed us I parked the Ranger in the middle of a small field next to the road. Mar was sleeping so with my camera I disembarked and walked towards the viewing area. The place was not that proper but the view still breathtaking but not as good as the views in the Kinabalu. When the other car arrived at the rest area naturally a photos session took place. We were behind schedule already and left the area around 1230 to start our drive down towards Banding Island – another place where I wanted to stop. What a stop it was.
We crossed the bridge into Banding Island and I noticed the old army post had become some sort of jetty for tourism to go to the other part of the island or lake. I did not think much of it but I saw a big crowd waiting for the boats. Since I mentioned to Tareq that I wanted to stop at the Island it crossed my mind that he might thought that was the place and stop there. He was by then way back behind me again. I was right as we waited for them at the entrance of the Banding Island Resort we received a call that they were there. And that was not all Kak Cik who was on the other end of the line actually said that Mak Su, my sister who were teaching in Kulim, were there as well with her family. Surprise, surprise. I turned back and headed for the jetty.
My sister and her family, minus Ain who is allergic to leaches ha ha ha)) and Nabila who was coaxed to remain behind, were actually on a school camping trip to the other side of the Island. I felt jealous immediately when I heard that. If I had a few more days I would have joined them. All of us just stood there waiting with them. The first group of the school children already left in two boats so they were waiting for the boats to come back for them. We did not wait that long though as by then we were really behind schedule. I said behind schedule because I will be taking the holiday merry makers along a route that I myself have not taken before. So as a buffer I need to make certain schedule and at that time based on my mental calculation we were late already.
In the end we did stop at the Banding Island Resort rest area to have our lunch. My reason for stopping there was again nostalgic. The first time we were there having lunch and also enjoying the view was middle of October 2003. Mar was just few months old then and now she is already 4 years old. Of course it was already Zohor then but I decided to Jamak our prayers at Grik, a town that we never had really stop before. We left the place way past 1400 hours.
I drove into Grik town proper slowly looking left and right observing. My first impression it was a white washed concrete town with no soul and character. It really was a disappointment really. My sense was telling it was not worth stopping and only to stop to pray. My disappointment grew as I could not see any mosque, Grik main mosque, along the route. So I sped on towards Lenggong. The good condition of the Grik – KK highway persuaded me to allow the Schumacher in me to come out. I was happily speeding until I saw the sign that says Masjid Kg Lawin, I looked up at the rear view mirror and jammed the brake to enter the mosque. Of course we stopped there just to pray and rest a bit but Allah knows best and we got to fulfill our needs. The mosque was built next to a nice cool river and there was a nice step built to the river. An open invitation for the children and I did have any good reason to say no. In fact I joined them to cool off ha ha ha. The water was really nice and I was really tempted just to lay there under the water for a while. Instead I let the children enjoyed the water a little bit more and came out to pray. I was a bit tired and sleepy hence after I said my prayer I dozed off for a few minutes.
I had one more stop to make before Kuala Kangsar (KK) and I was really going to make it. I was not sure if we could but I called out to the children and the rest to get ready to leave. Refreshed and awake we left the Masjid towards Lenggong at around 1515. The Anthropology Museum is somewhere in Lenggong even though I did not know where it was the sign said Lenggong was about 20 kilometres from where we were. Again the road was good and I drove carefully knowing that I needed to be consistent with my speed so that in a worst case scenario we could get to the museum by 1600.
The sign board only lead me to as far as the main junction. I guess Malaysian do not have a clue as to the basic idea of what sign board suppose to do. It was the same in Ganu, Kelantan and Perak almost all the signs were meant for show and decoration, and NOT to show direction. I really did not have a clue when I got to the traffic light. Was I supposed to turn left, right or drive on? I gambled to drive straight on passing through housing estate that did not indicate that a new museum would be there in the vicinity. Again I gambled and drove a bit further up. We were lucky as not long after that there was a sign directing us to the right into a palm plantation. I was skeptical but felt I should trust the sign board as it was pretty decent and new. About 200 metres from the road on our left was the museum and you cannot miss it as it was the only new quite modern complex within a mixed of rubber and palm plantations.
The reason I wanted to stop there so much was three-fold. First I really wanted to learn about Malaysian anthropology, second to inculcate appreciation of museum to my children and third to also make them learn about Malaysian heritage and history. The Perak Man was the main attraction at the Museum. I was glad to see my children enthusiastically went through the exhibits especially at the Perak Man himself. Few questions were raised, good questions, which indicated their understanding of the subject matter. My wife could not stay inside too long as she was not comfortable. We explored the rest of the complex and stayed around at least one hour. As a whole the complex is still very new and a bit secluded. I guess they want to preserve the environment bringing some authenticity to the atmosphere. Also, they do not want to move the Perak Man away too much. Architecturally the complex is not that beautiful as it looks like your usual government training institute. Somehow indicating a rush job. But, in the end I could not avoid feeling that this place would not be having many visitors. What a pity if it was.
We drove towards KK slowly knowing that our holidays and endless journey would end that night. It was not a nice feeling anymore even when we reached KK. We stopped to have, what else, laksa KK at the usual place then went around window shopping at the bazaar. Just to delay the inevitable even more we wandered around KK walking in and out of several shops along the main street. After we got tired doing this we left KK around 1915. While in KK I already decided not to go to the office the next day as I could not delay sending the Ranger in for repair. This meant that I did not have to rush home. Having ridden the highway so many times already it became somewhat routine to me. The feeling in the Ranger was somber so much so everything seems to come to a standstill. It was raining a bit as we passed Ipoh so I drove slower then I used to. The plan was to stop at the Tapah R&R to pray and maybe to have dinner. I said maybe because we had eaten at KK but having children like mine you never know. It was still raining when we reached the rest area which gave me another reason to stay there a bit longer. We prayed and sat down for dinner at one of the food stalls. Again we took our own sweet time there talking; subconsciously all of us just did not want our holidays to end. Of course end it did and we were safely home around 1 am.
When I planned for this journey I planned it to be adventurous and left a lot of rooms for the unexpected as well as flexibility. The Ranger broke down was unexpected because one week before the journey I sent it for servicing. More often then not during the holidays I reacted to situations that we were in and improvised. Flexibility also meant I added few additional things within the itinerary. All in all I think everyone enjoyed the holiday and would want to do it again sometimes. Hey! We are going south next.
As most morning now immediately after I got ready I went out first to start the Ranger. I took it out for a spin but only today I have ultra motives. Since I knew for sure nobody else care to have a Kelantanese breakfast I wanted to do just that at the Pasar. But I stopped at the Maybank first to meet my good friend Kawanku. I was still very early because when I got to the Pasar most of the meks were still opening the shop for the day. I observed but could not take any photos as I left mine at the chalet. Obviously most of the people there knew each other and the people that came for breakfast were also their regular customers. It was just like watching Cheers albeit in a different setting and environment. I enjoyed it very much actually. Life in a small town taking shaped where many years ago on my way home to Pasir Mas on a train I always wondered about when the train stopped at Tanah Merah. Of course It was a totally different life then still it was still different compared to other town in Malaysia. I had nasi dagang and Nescafe tarik at one of the warongs on the second level of the Pasar. Accompanied by the ‘noise’ around me I ate the real nasi dagang and sometimes was amused by the conversation happened around me. Chinese, Malays and even Indian would converse in Kelantanese slang.
It was just slightly after 0800 when I left the place and drove back to the chalet. Most were up already that prompted me to announce that we were checking out. With the trademark photos taken we checked out and drove out into town at around 0900. When I was at the Pasar I noticed one restaurant that I thought would be suitable for the rest I went there to let them to have a proper breakfast. You guess right, with all variety of selection in front of them most just went for the normal diet of roti canai.
We left the restaurant and drove towards Jeli on Federal route 4. I always love to start my long distance drive early in morning, the earlier the better. Although it was not that early when we were on the road it was still early in the morning by our standard. Early was a deception at this time of the year in Malaysia as by 0900 hours the heat was already unbearable to some of us. Cooler in the Ranger but I could feel the heat on the outside especially when I looked at the hood of the Ranger. One good thing about this journey and route was that we would be passing mountain area and it would be a bit cooler. Also, the journey was ultimately a journey home.
My wife kept mentioning a possible shopping place along the way and I knew just what the place was. It is another place, Bukit Bunga, a kampong rather then a town, next to the Thai border. I knew we were not going to get a good bargain as in Rantau Panjang but I stopped anyway when we got there. At least we can check out the place and satisfy few curiosities. I let them walked the length of the bazaar and sat myself under a young garden tree to wait and observe. It didn’t take them long to realize what I knew already and I could see them turning back halfway. We just bought small trinkets and some fruits before we continued our journey.
When we reached the foot of the mountain I floored the accelerator climbing fast maintaining the same speed as before. You should know by now I just loved climbing terrains with my Ranger. That is one of the reasons why we loved the Ranger. Tariq was long gone behind me by then. I left them behind as I knew there was no possible way for him to get lost on that route. I was happy pushing the Ranger climbing and taking corners at decent speed until we reached the peak of the road climb. I immediately noticed a small rest area with scenic viewing platform on my right. I looked at the view mirror to see if there were any cars directly following behind and when I saw none I jammed the break and turned right into the rest area. It was a wide open space enough for 100 cars to stop at once. So that Tareq would not missed us I parked the Ranger in the middle of a small field next to the road. Mar was sleeping so with my camera I disembarked and walked towards the viewing area. The place was not that proper but the view still breathtaking but not as good as the views in the Kinabalu. When the other car arrived at the rest area naturally a photos session took place. We were behind schedule already and left the area around 1230 to start our drive down towards Banding Island – another place where I wanted to stop. What a stop it was.
We crossed the bridge into Banding Island and I noticed the old army post had become some sort of jetty for tourism to go to the other part of the island or lake. I did not think much of it but I saw a big crowd waiting for the boats. Since I mentioned to Tareq that I wanted to stop at the Island it crossed my mind that he might thought that was the place and stop there. He was by then way back behind me again. I was right as we waited for them at the entrance of the Banding Island Resort we received a call that they were there. And that was not all Kak Cik who was on the other end of the line actually said that Mak Su, my sister who were teaching in Kulim, were there as well with her family. Surprise, surprise. I turned back and headed for the jetty.
My sister and her family, minus Ain who is allergic to leaches ha ha ha)) and Nabila who was coaxed to remain behind, were actually on a school camping trip to the other side of the Island. I felt jealous immediately when I heard that. If I had a few more days I would have joined them. All of us just stood there waiting with them. The first group of the school children already left in two boats so they were waiting for the boats to come back for them. We did not wait that long though as by then we were really behind schedule. I said behind schedule because I will be taking the holiday merry makers along a route that I myself have not taken before. So as a buffer I need to make certain schedule and at that time based on my mental calculation we were late already.
In the end we did stop at the Banding Island Resort rest area to have our lunch. My reason for stopping there was again nostalgic. The first time we were there having lunch and also enjoying the view was middle of October 2003. Mar was just few months old then and now she is already 4 years old. Of course it was already Zohor then but I decided to Jamak our prayers at Grik, a town that we never had really stop before. We left the place way past 1400 hours.
I drove into Grik town proper slowly looking left and right observing. My first impression it was a white washed concrete town with no soul and character. It really was a disappointment really. My sense was telling it was not worth stopping and only to stop to pray. My disappointment grew as I could not see any mosque, Grik main mosque, along the route. So I sped on towards Lenggong. The good condition of the Grik – KK highway persuaded me to allow the Schumacher in me to come out. I was happily speeding until I saw the sign that says Masjid Kg Lawin, I looked up at the rear view mirror and jammed the brake to enter the mosque. Of course we stopped there just to pray and rest a bit but Allah knows best and we got to fulfill our needs. The mosque was built next to a nice cool river and there was a nice step built to the river. An open invitation for the children and I did have any good reason to say no. In fact I joined them to cool off ha ha ha. The water was really nice and I was really tempted just to lay there under the water for a while. Instead I let the children enjoyed the water a little bit more and came out to pray. I was a bit tired and sleepy hence after I said my prayer I dozed off for a few minutes.
I had one more stop to make before Kuala Kangsar (KK) and I was really going to make it. I was not sure if we could but I called out to the children and the rest to get ready to leave. Refreshed and awake we left the Masjid towards Lenggong at around 1515. The Anthropology Museum is somewhere in Lenggong even though I did not know where it was the sign said Lenggong was about 20 kilometres from where we were. Again the road was good and I drove carefully knowing that I needed to be consistent with my speed so that in a worst case scenario we could get to the museum by 1600.
The sign board only lead me to as far as the main junction. I guess Malaysian do not have a clue as to the basic idea of what sign board suppose to do. It was the same in Ganu, Kelantan and Perak almost all the signs were meant for show and decoration, and NOT to show direction. I really did not have a clue when I got to the traffic light. Was I supposed to turn left, right or drive on? I gambled to drive straight on passing through housing estate that did not indicate that a new museum would be there in the vicinity. Again I gambled and drove a bit further up. We were lucky as not long after that there was a sign directing us to the right into a palm plantation. I was skeptical but felt I should trust the sign board as it was pretty decent and new. About 200 metres from the road on our left was the museum and you cannot miss it as it was the only new quite modern complex within a mixed of rubber and palm plantations.
The reason I wanted to stop there so much was three-fold. First I really wanted to learn about Malaysian anthropology, second to inculcate appreciation of museum to my children and third to also make them learn about Malaysian heritage and history. The Perak Man was the main attraction at the Museum. I was glad to see my children enthusiastically went through the exhibits especially at the Perak Man himself. Few questions were raised, good questions, which indicated their understanding of the subject matter. My wife could not stay inside too long as she was not comfortable. We explored the rest of the complex and stayed around at least one hour. As a whole the complex is still very new and a bit secluded. I guess they want to preserve the environment bringing some authenticity to the atmosphere. Also, they do not want to move the Perak Man away too much. Architecturally the complex is not that beautiful as it looks like your usual government training institute. Somehow indicating a rush job. But, in the end I could not avoid feeling that this place would not be having many visitors. What a pity if it was.
We drove towards KK slowly knowing that our holidays and endless journey would end that night. It was not a nice feeling anymore even when we reached KK. We stopped to have, what else, laksa KK at the usual place then went around window shopping at the bazaar. Just to delay the inevitable even more we wandered around KK walking in and out of several shops along the main street. After we got tired doing this we left KK around 1915. While in KK I already decided not to go to the office the next day as I could not delay sending the Ranger in for repair. This meant that I did not have to rush home. Having ridden the highway so many times already it became somewhat routine to me. The feeling in the Ranger was somber so much so everything seems to come to a standstill. It was raining a bit as we passed Ipoh so I drove slower then I used to. The plan was to stop at the Tapah R&R to pray and maybe to have dinner. I said maybe because we had eaten at KK but having children like mine you never know. It was still raining when we reached the rest area which gave me another reason to stay there a bit longer. We prayed and sat down for dinner at one of the food stalls. Again we took our own sweet time there talking; subconsciously all of us just did not want our holidays to end. Of course end it did and we were safely home around 1 am.
When I planned for this journey I planned it to be adventurous and left a lot of rooms for the unexpected as well as flexibility. The Ranger broke down was unexpected because one week before the journey I sent it for servicing. More often then not during the holidays I reacted to situations that we were in and improvised. Flexibility also meant I added few additional things within the itinerary. All in all I think everyone enjoyed the holiday and would want to do it again sometimes. Hey! We are going south next.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)