Bonsai gardening... an update

In the past few months, I have rekindled my interest in bonsai gardening and have now added a few different plant varieties to expand my small collection. I have adopted a simple approach with regard to this latest pastime. I intend to develop my trees from small plants or new growth (cuttings or seeds) rather than buy a mature bonsai from a nursery. While this would take quite a long time before I can get a beautiful plant, the process of growing and shaping the trees is what gives me the most satisfaction. As the saying goes, it's not the destination but the journey.

With this in mind and after viewing a number of youtube videos of other bonsai enthusiasts, I had a closer look at the plants already growing in my compound. Unexpectedly, a large number of these can be developed or trained into bonsai. The plants were mostly planted by my mother more than ten years ago, some in pots and some in the ground. They include bougainvillea, orange jessamine (kemuning), ixora (jenjarum), hokiantea and premna (bebuas). Using these plants as a starting point, I bought a number of small flower pots and began the replanting process. I also scavenged a few varieties of ficus that were growing wild on wall cracks around the compound of my house.

As my knowledge of local bonsai species increased, I bought a few other starter stock (basically small shrubs or plants in polybag) from nearby nurseries and re-planted them in pots, usually taking the opportunity to propagate a few more trees by way of cuttings. My success rate in getting new trees from cuttings has been fairly average so far. This has spurred me to try other methods of propagation such as air layering. A continuous learning process plus many months of trial and error. Bonsai is a hobby that demands tons of patience.

My current collection of bonsai plants in training is as follows :

1. Bougainvillea (pink flower). Recently re-potted into a bonsai pot and pruned to shape. It is perhaps the first tree in my collection that can be said to have achieved the bonsai criteria. My next task is to increase foliage and reduce leaf size. This I'll do after the present crop of flowers has dropped off.

2. Premna (Malay name : bebuas). This bebuas tree was originally a shrub that we planted for its edible leaves. The tree grew up to 15 ft tall and had blocked the view from one of the bedroom windows. I chopped it down and even burned the stump. At that time, I had no interest in bonsai yet. Luckily for me, I found some shrubs growing at the edges of my compound, most probably from droppings of birds that ate the fruits from the original premna tree. I dug up these shrubs, pruned them and then planted them in pots. Other than ficus, premna cuttings seem to be the easiest to propagate.

3. Ficus. I have four varieties of ficus, two of which I know the names (ficus benjamina and ficus religiosa) while the other two I'm still unsure. There are hundreds of ficus varieties, so it may take me a while to correctly identify them. The religiosa (also called bodhi) was prised from a crack in a drain next to my house. I initially had two specimens but one died. The living one seems to be doing well.

4. Santalia. Scientific name - wrigthia religiosa. Also known by the local name of jeliti or anting putri. The starter plant was bought as a potted shrub from a nursery. The roots were totally pot-bound and I had to crack the pot to release the plant. I pruned the roots and branches and then re-planted it in a new pot. I used some of the pruned branches as cuttings and managed to get a few more shoots, although they took quite a while to sprout. On the other hand, the root mass which I had initially thrown away on a compost pile showed signs of re-growth after a few weeks. I recovered the discarded root mass, dug a proper hole in the ground at another location and re-planted it. Since then, the new re-planted roots have sprouted many healthy shoots and I now have a new source of future santalia bonsai material.

5. Louhansong (podocarpus). This plant was bought as a polybag specimen about 6 inches tall. I have re-potted it and made some cuttings to grow into new plants. But they seem to grow ever so slowly. Podocarpus is a popular plant used in roadside landscaping. I've seen mature trees up to 20 feet tall.

6. Aloe Vera. Now, don't be surprised. Aloe vera is a succulent and succulents are not known to be good bonsai material. However, I have seen bonsai veteran from Canada, Nigel Saunders (see my reference to him in an earlier post, link provided below) develop aloe vera as a bonsai. Since I already have a number of pots of the plant, why not try to create a bonsai version of one.

The above list is not exhaustive. I have a few other varieties which are still in very early stages of training. I'll mention them in the next update. As you may note, this interest in growing bonsai has made me learn the name of many plants. Even while driving, I am now more observant of the various trees growing around us, whether they grow wild or in a landscaped environment.

After reviewing my old posts, I'm a bit surprised that I have written about gardening only once (Do something green today - 16 Oct 2018). Perhaps it is now time for me to write more.

Attempt no.1 at turning a bougainvillea into bonsai. The 1st re-pot in Sept 2018

The 2nd re-pot with pruning and defoliating in Dec 2019

A view of my collection of really small plants. Still a long way to go

One Local Destination A Month : A Revival

In 2017, I embarked upon an initiative to do a monthly travel stint to a local destination that I've not been to before. It was an idea that came from an old school friend who posted about it on her Facebook wall on the final day of 2016.

I used that travel experience to write blog postings as a way to document the visits. The first post was about a trip to the Galeri Darurat Bukit Kepong in Muar, Johor which I visited in January 2017. Following that first entry, I continued to update the series for the subsequent months but only up till October. Although I had traveled to Perak and Penang in the last two months of the year, I failed to write the final two posts to complete the collection.

I am now using this opportunity to summarise my travel articles for 2017 which includes a brief mention of the two missing destinations.

1. January 27 : Bukit Kepong, Johor
2. February 17 : Tanjung Kling, Melaka
3. March 24 : Lumut, Perak
4. April 30 : Taiping, Perak
5. May 24 : Jugra, Selangor
6. June 28 : Mersing, Johor
7. July 17 : Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan
8. August 25 : Pedas / Linggi, Negeri Sembilan
9. September 16 : Kuala Gandah & Temerloh, Pahang
10. October 10 : Ulu Rening, Selangor
11. November 30 : Ipoh, Perak
12. December 2 : Teluk Bahang, Penang

Part 11 : Labu Sayong Signature Restaurant, Ipoh, Perak

We were on our way to Penang at the end of November and had stopped for lunch at a restaurant in Meru, Ipoh. I felt that this place deserved a mention in my list because it is one of the few Malay restaurants serving authentic local cuisine in a fine dining setup.

Traditional Malay architecture

Interior setting. Note the `labu sayong' water pitcher that lends its name

Can't remember the name of this fish dish but the taste was exquisite

Part 12 : Entopia, Teluk Bahang, Penang

Many years ago, this place was simply called the Penang Butterfly Farm. Many constructive upgrades have been done and it is now re-branded as Entopia. Apart from butterflies, the exhibits also include other insects and reptiles. Truly a place worth visiting.

A rare pic of my better half

According to the information plaque, this variety is known as Leopard Lacewing

Tarantula

I plan to do another 1LD1M series this year, although I'll be a bit more flexible as to the places that I wish to write about. You can say that it is in the spirit of Visit Malaysia Year 2020. Again, I'm not sure if I can complete another 12-part chapter but we shall see. The first trip in January has already been done so the post shall be published soon, God-willing.

20/20 Vision...

As noted previously, the whole of 2019 has passed without me making any significant entry in this blog. Many things happened last year but somehow I could not push myself to put them down in writing. This disinterest in blogging has, of course, occurred before, so I shall refrain from making any excuses. Similarly, there is no promise that the new year 2020 would bring any improvement in the creative drive.

So we'll just get on with it. No need to express what my visions are for this year's blogging target.

Just to re-cap on two events of note that happened last year :

19 April 2019 (Friday) - My father, Hj Isma Yatim Bin Hj Ramli, passed away in early morning just before dawn. By the grace of the Almighty, the arrangement for burial went smoothly and the whole process was completed before mid-day. Innalillahi wainna ilaihi rojiun.

My mother, brothers and sister at my father's grave about a month after burial

2 November 2019 (Saturday) - Our second son, Harith Shahiran, tied the knot with a young lady from Kota Damansara in Selangor. The latest addition to our family is called Aisyah Bt Abdullah.

Harith & Aisyah

May good things happen this year that would be worth writing about...

Trivia : 20/20 Vision does not necessarily mean that you have perfect eyesight. It is a term used to express normal visual acuity (clarity and sharpness of vision) measured at a distance of 20 feet. If you have 20/20 vision, you can clearly see the eye chart placed 20 feet away from you, as what the average person would be able to see. If you have 20/30 vision, it means your eyesight is worse than average. At 20 feet away, you can only read letters that the average person can read at 30 feet distance.

Conversely, a person with 20/15 vision has sharper eyesight than most. At 20 feet, he is able to read a line on the eye chart the average person can see at 15 feet.

A quiet 2019...

Quiet... in terms of blog posting, that is.

I'm wondering myself, why the near total absence in writing. This is not good. Hopefully things will improve in 2020. 

Let's close this year with an update of my granddaughter. Maisarah was about a year old when this pic was taken. She's 15 months-old now and quite a handful.

Happy new year to all friends and readers. May the Almighty bless you with good health for all the 366 days of 2020. 

A new ride in the new year

In early December last year, my business partner decided that it was time to change the car that he had assigned to me. The Toyota Fortuner that I was using was more than 8 years old and was full paid-up. Actually, there wasn't much issue with the Fortuner. It had been regularly maintained, bodywork still in reasonable shape and drives well. Except that it had clocked a fairly huge mileage run and has a very thirsty engine.

The original idea was to trade it in for the latest Fortuner model but upon receiving feedback from friends who already own one, the new model petrol consumption figures aren't any much better. My business partner then asked me to suggest other alternative SUVs that are more suitable.

The first car that came to my mind was the Mitsubishi Outlander. It is not a very popular car... you hardly come across it as you drive along the highways. More likely for you to spot other mid-size SUVs like the Honda CRV or even the Mazda CX5.

I thought of the Outlander because of an advert I saw in a movie theatre. It showed an alien spaceship floating stationary over somewhere on Earth while facing a group of humans, presumably in telepathic negotiations. On being asked what the aliens wanted, a remote car key was lifted off the pocket of one of the humans by invisible forces. The man managed to grab the key before it floated out of reach. He then ran to his car and quickly drove it off. The said car was the Outlander.

Really good commercial. Talk about the influence of advertising. By the way, I tried searching for a video of that commercial but could not find it.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I went to a Mitsubishi dealer to check out the car and arrange for a test drive. Mitsubishi was offering an attractive rebate to the already competitive price. At the same time, I checked online for independent reviews from local motoring websites. Turns out that the Outlander was voted the best family SUV by the Cars of Malaysia for 2018.

I've been driving the car for a few weeks now and I truly like it. I hope it will continue to give me a good run.

A lovely start to the new year.

Mitsubishi Outlander 2.4L at Masjid Taman Impian Emas, Johor Bahru

My first grandfather-granddaughter moment

Two days ago, we went out for dinner to celebrate the birthday of this little lady's mother. I had finished my plate early so I took turn to care for her while the other family members enjoy their meal. I held her in my arms and we had a stroll outside the restaurant to savour the cool night air. At first, her eyes were wide open with awe, looking at the bright lights of passing cars. As I softly chatted with her in babyspeak, she comfortably drifted off to sleep. Indeed... I could've held her all night like this and not feel any hint of weariness.

My first grandfather - granddaughter moment. Looking forward to more moments like this...

Pergi menyambut panggilan ilahi...

Semalam 29 November 2018, seorang sahabat kembali ke tempat abadi...

Nor'azah Bt Othman, berasal dari Felda Ulu Tebrau, Johor.

Saya mula mengenali beliau pada tahun 1991 semasa saya berkhidmat dengan sebuah firma perunding kejuruteraan. Pada masa itu, beliau memegang jawatan setiausaha (secretary) kepada Pengurus Projek expat. Saya banyak membantunya dalam mengarang surat dalam Bahasa Inggeris dan beliau pula banyak memberi tunjuk ajar kepada saya cara-cara mengguna word processing software. Zaman itu belum ada Microsoft Word for Windows lagi. Guna DOS software yang bernama Wordstar.

Bila dia berkahwin, saya dapat tahu yang suaminya junior saya semasa di sekolah menengah. Small world.

Setelah berkhidmat di firma perunding, kami sama-sama menyertai syarikat baru yang memegang konsesi perkhidmatan rawatan air. Kira kami ni pioneer staff.

Setelah beberapa tahun di syarikat tersebut, saya berhijrah ke tempat lain sementara Azah kekal bertugas di situ. Agak lama juga saya tidak berhubung dengan beliau sehingga Allah swt mentakdirkan kami bertemu semula pada tahun 2012 di satu majlis jamuan hari raya Aidilfitri.

Pada awal bulan Oktober yang lepas, saya menerima khabar yang beliau berada di wad Hospital Sultanah Aminah kerana rawatan kanser. Saya meluangkan masa untuk ziarah beliau. Semasa saya mula sampai di wad, saya lihat beliau di kelilingi sanak saudara. Jadi saya berdiri dan melihat dari jauh. Setelah beberapa minit berdiri dengan senyap, Azah ternampak saya dan tersenyum. Beliau meminta saya rapat ke katil sambil memperkenalkan saya kepada sanak saudaranya. Ini boss lama saya, ujar beliau.

Aduh... di saat begini masih mengingati saya sebagai boss.

Sanak saudara beliau memberi ruang kepada saya untuk duduk rapat tepi katil. Saya dan Azah rancak bersembang kisah-kisah lama sewaktu kami bertugas di tempat yang sama. Kenangan pahit, manis dan tawar.... semuanya ada. Dapatlah dia senyum dan gelak kecil buat seketika.

Semasa saya ucapkan selamat tinggal padanya, memang berat di hati saya bahawa besar kemungkinan saya tidak akan dapat berjumpanya lagi.

Awal pagi semalam, suami beliau menyampaikan berita sedih yang Azah telah menghembus nafas akhir di waktu hampir subuh di rumahnya di Felda Ulu Tebrau. Jenazah telah selamat dikebumi sekitar jam 11 pagi.

Saya sampai di Ulu Tebrau lewat sedikit, iaitu setelah urusan pengkebumian selesai. Jadi dapatlah saya duduk bersama suaminya untuk berbual dan berkongsi cerita tentang seorang insan yang sangat baik hati.

Nor'azah telah bertarung dengan penyakit kanser selama tiga tahun. Serangan pertama ialah pada bahagian usus. Dapat dikawal dengan rawatan chemo dan stabil untuk beberapa bulan. Serangan seterusnya lebih mengganas... kanser telah merebak ke hati, rahim dan tulang.

Innalillahi wainna ilaihirojiun...

Gambar di bawah ketika saya berjumpa beliau pada tahun 2012. Azah di sebelah kanan dan sahabat lama kami, Hanim di sebelah kiri.

Getting rid of the really bad and tough bacteria

Around three weeks ago, I noticed a small rash on my lower right leg. It was very itchy and I couldn't restrain myself from not scratching. Of course, that made the rash worse, but no worry I thought. I applied some cream medication left over from my last visit to the skin clinic. After a few days, the rash did not heal. In fact, it became much worse. The area of skin affected became reddish and grew to about six inches in diameter. It was horrible to look at. The wound had become infected.

I then went to see my regular dermatologist. He was quite surprised to see me after a lapse of more than one and a half years. I showed him the new ailment. Quite badly infected, he said. I may need to refer you to the hospital, he added. There is a risk that the infection may have gone deeper than just skin. But let's try some oral antibiotics and cream first. Come back in one week and we see if it gets better.

A week passed and the prescribed tablets have been consumed as directed. So I go back to the skin specialist. Tiny improvement, he said, but not quick enough. He asked if I'm willing to be referred to another specialist at a private hospital. Sure, I replied. The terrible itchiness was becoming uncontrollable.

I took his referral letter to an orthopaedic specialist at KPJ Puteri Specialist Hospital (the nearest private hospital to where I live). That's when I learned that orthopaedics is not limited to skeleton and bones but to the related muscles and tissues as well.

The ortho doctor read the referral letter, asked me a few questions and then suggested intravenous antibiotic treatment. This required me to be admitted.

So here I am for my second stay at Puteri after being warded the first time about two years ago for dengue fever. Today is my second day and so far I've had three doses of fluid antibiotics (unasyn) being injected into my bloodstream via an IV needle stuck into my right hand.

I'm trying to kill some of the boredom by using the hospital's wifi to do some mobile blogging. Wish me a speedy recovery..

Enjoying a tasty hospital dinner

World Psoriasis Day 2018

The state-level event for the 2018 World Psoriasis Day in Johor was held yesterday at the AEON Tebrau City shopping mall. Unlike previous years when the event was held at government hospitals, the public venue gave the occasion a joyous and cheery feel. It also allowed the organizers a wider outreach to spread the knowledge of the skin disease.

Apart from the standard booths and displays relating to the disease and its various treatment methods, there was also a blood donation drive, free health checks and a lucky draw. My better half and I were there for short while to offer moral support and renew acquaintances with other patients and medical personnel.

This year's event was jointly organized by Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Sultan Ismail, Hospital Pakar Sultanah Fatimah, Johor Doctors Association and the Psoriasis Association of Johor.

Thank you to all involved in this wonderful effort to create better awareness of psoriasis to the general public.

On stage, just for the photo. No presentation involved :-)

Do something green today...

The title of this post is a phrase often used by a veteran bonsai enthusiast from Canada, Nigel Saunders. I have been watching his youtube videos quite frequently for the past month or so because I've decided to try my hand at growing bonsai plants. Of the thousands of videos about bonsai planting on youtube, I find the presentation by Mr Saunders most useful and interesting because of his clear explanation, good quality recording and consistency of producing updates. At the end of each video, he normally close with this simple advice... `Do something green today.' Plant a tree, or ride a bike, or recycle your trash.

I would list gardening as one of my hobbies and I credit this interest as coming from my mother. My preference is growing plants in pots, especially the green leafy kind. Somehow, the flowering varieties do not thrive under my care. I guess this is due to my inconsistent attention. There have been times when I totally ignore my garden. No watering, no pruning, no weeding and surely no nourishing with fertilizer. When I hit this rough patch, most of my plants die. The few hardy ones that make it would be revived when I somehow find the passion to go green again.

While I may say that gardening is one of my pastimes, I cannot be called a keen gardener. I grow many types of plants but I can only name a few of them. Starting this month, I'm trying to change that. I've been reading up more about the plants and trying to remember their common names (the scientific names would take a bit more time to learn). I browse Google search images to identify plant types and watch youtube videos for gardening tips.

Why am I trying to grow bonsai? I have actually made an attempt at it many years ago but the plant died on me and I subsequently lost interest. Totally my weakness because I dived into it without proper reading of the subject.

This time around, I'm trying it again but with proper advice and guidance from the experts. As to answering the question `why?', I guess it's because of patience. Something that I find myself sorely lacking of late. I hope bonsai gardening would help me recover that trait.

Last month, I re-potted one of my bougainvillea plants which has the shape to become a good bonsai. Actually, I did not do the re-potting entirely correctly as I had not discovered Mr Saunders yet at the time. But we'll see how it goes and if need be, I'll re-pot it again next year.

I'm not sharing a photo of that first bonsai attempt but rather of another shrub which I'm in the process of propagating via stem cutting and later grow into a bonsai. I learned of its common name today. What I initially thought as a species of jasmine is actually something else. Orange jessamine (murraya paniculata), locally known as kemuning. Wish me luck...

Small white flowers with strong, pleasant scent

Maisarah...

My first grandchild's name is Maisarah Bt. Arshad Khalid.

Before she was born, my wife asked if I had any suggestion for the baby's name. I decided that I would not suggest any but rather allow the honour to be given to my daughter-in-law's parents.

In the end, the name was decided upon by the baby's parents. It was a name that I would have chosen too if I was to have a daughter of my own, many years ago.

For sure this little lady would be growing up fully pampered by her two grandmothers...

Maisarah at 4 days

An old man in the new year

Today is 11 September 2018 by the Gregorian calendar. It is also the first day of the new year in the Islamic calendar, otherwise known as the 1st of Muharram for 1440 Hijri. I have previously written in earlier posts about the difference between these two calendars; the main one being that the Hijri year is shorter than the Gregorian by about 10 to 11 days. However, I don't think I have mentioned of another notable dissimilarity.

In Islamic tradition, the beginning of a new day occurs at dusk, i.e. when the sun of the preceding day has set. This means that the new Hijri year began yesterday evening at around 7.07pm (sunset time for the district of Johor Bahru, Malaysia). I am highlighting this fact because a significant event took place last night.

Our daughter-in-law, Nor Hanida Bt Elias, gave birth to her first child, a girl, at around 9.20pm at Sultanah Aminah Hospital. Both mother and baby are doing well, alhamdulillah. They have been discharged a few hours ago. Our first grand-daughter arrived in this world on 10 September 2018 but by the Islamic calendar, she is a new year baby. By coincidence (or the Almighty's design, depending on your point of view) the baby's father, my eldest son Arshad Khalid, was also born on 1st Muharram exactly 30 Hijri years ago.

My better half and I are now grandparents.

In previous posts, I have acknowledged many times that I am a senior citizen by virtue of the numerous grand-nephews and grand-nieces in our extended family. Even the Oldstock nickname (first applied when I was still a teenager) is a reflection of this. And now, with the arrival of our first grandchild, I am a confirmed `Datuk'. An honour not bestowed by any king or nobility.

An old man in the new year...

The new baby in the arms of her grandmother

A different birthday occasion this year

It is already the month of August 2018. A lot of things has happened but I have not had the inclination to write about them. So I'll just post a short note about my birthday this year which actually was last month, on the 6th of July. It is more of a personal dedication to a very important person.

Some years ago, I came across a good suggestion from someone who said that the person whom we should congratulate first on our birthday is our mother. It is she who went through the pain of childbirth, the trouble to clothe and feed us, and the responsibility to raise us to become decent human beings.

I count my blessings to be fortunate enough to still have my mother with me. Syukur alhamdulillah. This year, both parents came to stay at my place for the Aidilfitri celebration. By design of the Almighty, my mother had a fall in the early morning of the 2nd day of raya. Her left upper arm bone (humerus) was fractured and is now in a plaster cast. Her extended stay meant that I can have this special pic taken with her on my birthday. A very rare occasion indeed.

Hjh Aduwiah Bt Haji Mohd Rashid who gave birth to yours truly when she was 21 years old.

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.

Overdue...

It is the last day of the first month of the new year. I did not post anything in the last month of last year. I would be good to give excuses but that would be too boring I guess.

I did make visits to two interesting places in November and December 2017 that would complete my One Local Destination A Month Series but then things happened last month that sort of put a hold on blogging activities. So I'll try to make it up by writing about those places in the next post after this one.

But not today. I've read that something special on an astronomical level is happening tonight... something that happens once in a blue moon. So I'm popping outside to see if the skies are kind enough to be clear for me to see it.

One local destination a month - Part 10 : Huda's Haven Resort, Ulu Rening, Selangor

I have to start this instalment of my local destination series with an admission that it is a biased post. The resort that I'll be writing about belongs to a good friend of mine whom I've known since university days. Having said that, I'll invite readers to have a look at other independent reviews that can be found on Facebook and Google Maps.

Huda's Haven Resort is a rural holiday venue located amongst hills and green jungle in a quiet little village called Kampung Ulu Rening near Batang Kali in Selangor. While the place is next to a jungle, it is only about an hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur, making it an ideal place for that quick getaway from the bustle of city life.

There is a cool and clear stream along the resort's boundary where you can enjoy a refreshing dip. If you prefer, you can also relax in the swimming pool where the water is fed naturally from the stream. The pool has barrier hoarding around it, so it is possible to restrict access for certain duration and make it muslimah-friendly.

Other facilities that are available include a small field suitable for futsal, a fishing pond where you can catch some patin or talapia and a multi-purpose hall which doubles up as a karaoke room. If you fancy some rugged riding, get on an ATV and explore jungle tracks that lead to a waterfall.

The resort presently has 12 rooms in different configurations and sleeping capacity. All rooms have a/c, attached bathrooms with hot shower and TV. You can also opt for a more adventurous digs such as gazebos and tents. Overall, the place is ideal for large groups, family gatherings and team-building stints.

I am not a beach or island guy. Which is why beach resort holiday destinations such as Bali, Perhentian or Tioman have never appealed to me. I prefer adventure locations and eco-resorts. Huda's Haven suits me nicely. I have been here a few times but those were short visits only. I hope to come again and spend a longer time. I have yet to take that ATV ride and explore the waterfall.

Huda's Haven is accessible by car. If you come from Kuala Lumpur, you can use the North-South Expressway (exit at Sg Buaya/Serendah), use the old Federal Route 1 (the new Rawang Elevated By-pass now open) or use the Sg Tua - Ulu Yam road via Selayang. The resort is also marked on Google Maps but if you are navigating using Maps, then please set your destination to Klink Desa Hulu Rening and follow the resort's signboard from there on. The last kilometre to the resort passes through private land and therefore not indicated in the app. A short stretch of this track is unpaved but still drivable for most cars.

Further details of the resort (rates, availability, meal options etc.) can be found on the resort's website and Facebook page at the following links :

- Website : Huda's Haven
- Facebook : Huda's Haven Resort

Standard rooms in a 2-storey block. Visited 10 October 2017

Standard rooms on a single floor

Dining hall and multi-purpose hall

View from new chalet units under construction. ATV parking in the foreground

Cool and refreshing Sg Hijau beckons you

Time to savour nature

Waiting game...

I wonder what percentage of our daily hours awake is spent on waiting?

Waiting for the bus or train...

Waiting for the monthly paycheck...

Waiting for someone to make a decision...

Waiting for politicians to make good their promises...

Waiting for medicine to be dispensed...

Mobile blogging while waiting at HSA Polyclinic pharmacy

One local destination a month - Part 9 : Kuala Gandah and Temerloh, Pahang

The Malaysia Day (16 September) public holiday fell on Saturday. I decided that it was a convenient time for us to drop by two places I have read about before but never had the opportunity to visit.

1. Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre

Deep in the Krau Forest Reserve in central Pahang, there exists an animal sanctuary run by the Wildlife & National Parks Department (more famously known by its Malay acronym Perhilitan) dedicated to saving the lives of elephants. While it may be located deep in the jungle, the conservation centre is surprisingly quite easily accessible. Kuala Gandah is only about a two-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. About 80% of the distance is on a tolled highway and the remainder on a narrower rural state road.

On that Saturday morning, we left Shah Alam after breakfast and took a leisurely drive to Kuala Gandah. Traffic was initially heavy on the Gombak-Bentong section of the highway but once we passed the Karak Toll, the drive was smooth and easy. We exited at Lanchang and from there followed the road signs to Kuala Gandah. The drive on the rural road was even lonelier. We did not pass many cars and it crossed my mind that the sanctuary might be closed on public holidays.

When we reached our destination, I needn't have worried. The elephant conservation park was open. It was still quite early and visitors were only starting to stream in. There was ample parking space when we arrived but later on in the day as we wanted to leave, the large parking lot was packed to the brim. It showed that the place was much more popular than we first thought.

Entry to the Kuala Gandah National Elephant Conservation Centre is free but visitors are required to register at the reception. They do however welcome voluntary contributions, which are properly recorded in the registration form.

This elephant sanctuary is a very good effort by Perhilitan. Apart from taking care of orphaned or displaced elephants, their work includes relocating elephants that encroach and cause damage to oil palm plantations. Perhaps it is more accurate for me to say that it is the plantations that have encroached into wildlife habitat. Anyway, it is good to know that the world's largest land mammal is being given proper protection here in Malaysia.

This preserve is not meant to be a tourist attraction but allowing the general public to come visit is a good step in educating people on the plight of these animals. Each afternoon, visitors can watch a group of elephants taking a bath in the river that runs through the park. Tourists can join in the bathing fun by paying a nominal fee. After the river dip, the elephants then parade to a performance area where the mahouts show some skill in handling their charges. At the end of the show, the audience is given the chance to feed the elephants with fruits and sugar-cane sold by the park's staff.

This simple show is not to be compared to the full-fledged tourist events held in other countries. The chance to be close to such huge and gentle animals is well worth the half-day spent.

Lovely welcome billboard at the reception lobby. Visited 16 September 2017

We saw this young bull munching on the bark of the tree

The juvenile pachyderm enclosure

A cool dip on a hot day

Mahout or elephant handler

Feeding time

2. Pekan Sehari Bandar Temerloh

From Kuala Gandah, we took the old Federal Route 2 towards Temerloh where we spent the night at a simple but comfortable budget hotel in the middle of town. The purpose of visiting this town by the Pahang river was to experience the weekly Sunday market that's purported to be the longest in Malaysia. It is held every Sunday morning from 7am to noon along a stretch of street next to the river bank. It is where the local farmers and smallholders from the surrounding areas come and put up their products for sale.

The hotel where we stayed was just a few minutes drive from the market location. Online tips suggested that we get to the market as early as possible because parking would be difficult to find. We left the hotel just as the day was breaking and found a very convenient parking spot. However, only a few stallholders were just setting up shop, so we spent a few minutes walking by the river bank to enjoy the early morning light. We later stopped for breakfast at a food stall which had just opened for business. We were literally the first customers. The stall had a decent selection of food on sale which included nasi lemak and nasi dagang. Taste wasn't too bad at all.

As we sat for our meal, other customers came and quickly occupied the adjoining tables. Apparently, most are regulars of the stall and the cheerful banter between the stall owner and his local patrons was a delight to hear. I had a hard time straining my ears to understand the local dialect.

After finishing our breakfast, we began our stroll along the weekend market. There were so many varieties of local vegetable produce I've never seen before. Some of them with names that I've never heard. Of course, being an inland town and by a large river, there were many stalls selling freshwater fishes. Temerloh after all, is famous for ikan patin.

My better half bought some of the greens which we would not be able to find in Johor Bahru. These include a few types of pucuk and cendawan. We were tempted to buy some udang galah, which, at RM40 a kilo, was way much cheaper than what we can get down south. In the end, we stuck to buying vegetables and other less perishable items. The famous sambal hitam Pahang was one of them.

We did not cover the whole length of the market because by then, I reckon we had walked more than two kilometres. My arms were already aching from the multiple purchases my better half had made.

It was an interesting morning in Temerloh. I hope to be able to come and visit again soon.

Early morning at the edge of Sungai Pahang

Different types of freshwater fish on sale

Petai, jering, pucuk paku, cendawan and many other greens with names I know not

Bunga kantan in bloom

Smoked, dried and salted fish

Swedish wash bag

Self-service laundry in Malaysia has been in the news for the past few weeks. A laundry operator in Muar decided to cater his business to Muslim customers only. Somebody picked this piece of news and decided it is worth spreading, or to use the latest cliche, to viral it. It became a source of debate between Muslims and caused some degree of animosity. Which sadly to me, is a bit of pity.

Anyway, this post is not about that issue although I admit that it's worth an in-depth discussion at another time. I'm posting a simple observation of a laundry I frequent when I stay at my brother-in-law's house in Bukit Jelutong, Shah Alam.

What I've seen is that the majority of customers bring their dirty laundry in those unmistakable blue over-sized Ikea shopping bags. I'm guessing that this observation would hold true at other self-service wash stations in Klang Valley. You can't fault the Swedish furniture maker for producing a truly versatile bag.

Such a scene is not yet evident in laundromats in Johor Bahru. But with Ikea opening a new store in Tebrau sometime next month, it wouldn't be surprising to see more JB folks using those familiar blue bags to haul their laundry.

Swedish laundry bags in blue

Tie the bag handles to the washer door

The last race has been run...

The final race for the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit was run last Sunday. The race was won by Dutch driver Max Verstappen for the Red Bull Racing team.

I watched the full race on television, which was something I have not done for a few years now because my interest in F1 racing has waned. However, I thought that it would be nice to view this so-called finale just for the memory. As it turned out, Max won his second victory in F1 on the day after his 20th birthday. That was something of a feat. At that age, I still had not possessed a driving license. Of course, that's not a reasonable comparison. Max comes from a racing family. He started driving go-karts when he was just four and a half years old.

Max is trained by his father, Jos Verstappen who was a Formula One driver himself. Jos was relatively unsuccessful in the sport, having achieved only two podium finishes (3rd place in the Hungarian and Belgian GPs in 1994) in a total of 107 races. His drive for success did not diminish and he turned to mentoring his son to achieve what he had not managed to do. That takes some dedication.

I have not actually watched a live GP race at Sepang before. The tickets are too expensive for me. Furthermore, I think there is more knowledge to be gained by watching the race on TV where the informative commentaries tell you plenty more than you get by sitting in the grandstand and looking at speeding cars running around in circles. But that's just me.

Nonetheless, I can tell you that I have been to the Sepang Circuit once. It was at the official opening ceremony of the race track on 9 March 1999. A friend of mine who worked with Malaysia Airlines had managed to get some free passes from his friend at Malaysia Airports Berhad (who at that time, was the owner of the project). The ceremony was held in the evening, around 9pm if memory serves me right. Having said that, I can't remember much else of the event except for the final fireworks at the end. It was quite an impressive display, as fireworks shows are meant to be. I was seated in a reserved area of the grandstand together with some employees of MAB.

As the fireworks sputtered the final flashes of lights, I overheard an MAB staff next to me wistfully mutter, 'There goes our bonus for this year. Up in smoke..."

With the final F1 race run after 18 years, let's see what becomes of the Sepang Circuit from now on. Let's hope that the whole investment does not go up in smoke.

The sticker pass that's still stuck to my car's windshield to this day

Whisper to the sky

"Kata orang tua-tua, jaga lembu sekandang lebih mudah dari jaga anak perempuan seorang."

The literal translation of this Malay idiom is that taking care of a herd of cows is much easier than taking care of one daughter. I personally wouldn't know about that because I have three sons and no daughters. But I guess there could be a grain of truth in it, otherwise our wise old folks would not have mentioned it.

It has been a few years since I last watched a Malay movie at the cinema. There are not many locally-made films that spur my interest. In a way, I'm not an ardent supporter of the local movie industry, which is actually a sad thing. I hope to put things right in this respect from now on but at the same time, I really wish Malay filmmakers would correspondingly improve their product too.

Bisik Pada Langit is a beautifully touching movie. It tells the story of a father's unconditional love for his only daughter, perhaps at the expense of the other male offspring. The plot is simple, the dialogue uncomplicated and the scenes are short and crisp. The efficient use of flashbacks to tell the background events help sustain interest.

The lead role as patriarch of the family is played by Jalil Hamid. While more well-known as a comedian, I truly like to watch Jalil's skillful acting in dramatic roles. In this movie, he shows his ability through a whole range of emotions : joy, affection, impatience, anger, despair and sorrow.

Go watch this film at the cinema and support our local films. Be prepared to shed a tear or two...

One local destination a month - Part 8 : Kedai Makan Pak Raub, Pedas / Linggi

Sometimes things that you have planned for, do not turn out the way you wanted it to. Not all factors are within your control. So when things don't go according to plan, you either adapt, modify or abandon it altogether.

The 8th part of this series was another trip to Negeri Sembilan. We were on our way to Kuala Lumpur and I had intended to make a detour to visit the Rembau Museum located in a small village known as Kampung Astana Raja. The museum is built in the Minangkabau style and is said to be a replica of the palace of Raja Melewar, the first king of the state. However, I had miscalculated my travelling time from Johor Bahru and arrived at the site when it was already closed for the mid-day break. Since it was also a Friday, the mid-day closure was a little longer than normal to allow for Friday prayers. It was also raining during the latter part of my journey which caused me to drive at a slower pace.

With the museum closed and the bleak weather not permitting me taking a decent picture even from the outside, there was nothing much I could do but to proceed to find a mosque and stop for prayers. Before doing so, I searched for the grave of Raja Melewar, which according to Google Maps, is located within the same vicinity. I easily found it since it was just by the road side but I was very surprised when I saw it. As viewed from my car (I did not step out due to the rain), the cemetery is not as grand as the other royal burial sites I have been to. Maybe I'll explore and elaborate on this if I do stop by this location again in future.

This entry therefore has been revised to write about a particular eatery that I first discovered in May this year. I know it seems a bit off-tangent to be writing just about a makan place as a destination to visit but I've had it my mind to introduce this restaurant for quite some time now. The original idea was to write about a few good makan places located just off the North-South Expressway that are worth making the detour. However, I'm so satisfied with this place that I've decided it merits a blog post entirely on its own.

After Friday prayers at Masjid Dr Hj Mohammad Eusuff Teh, we proceeded along Route N9 towards the Pedas/Linggi interchange of the NSE. Just before the interchange, we stopped at our favourite `nismilan' restaurant known as Kedai Makan Pak Raub.

I first got to know of this place in a Facebook posting by a group calling themselves Anak-anak Negeri Sembilan. Since our first visit, I have now planned my northbound trips to include a lunch stop at Pedas/Linggi whenever possible.

Kedai Makan Pak Raub serves traditional Negeri Sembilan kampung-style dishes that are simply delicious. Nismilan cuisine is generous in its use of coconut cream (santan) and is hot and spicy to boot. All the well-known dishes are there, I'll just name a few : daging salai masak lemak cili api, ikan keli bakar, kambing gulai kawah, telur itek masak lemak, gulai ayam kampung plus a whole host of veggies cooked in santan. I have yet to come across a dish that does not agree to my taste.

To quench the fire of the spicy dishes, you can help yourself to the iced rose-syrup drink offered for free. Drink as much as you want. If you cannot take iced drinks, plain warm water is available too at no charge. I don't actually know if they sells other drinks because I've never found the need to order them.

In my view, what makes this place so special is the man himself. Pak Raub is an amiable old man who greets his customers cordially, invites them to self-serve the dishes on display, encourages second helpings at minimal charge and really want customers to enjoy their meal. While I've been his customer a few times, I doubt he remembers me but his greetings and welcome make me feel like I've known him a long time.

Kedai Makan Pak Raub is a simple, no-frills family-run eatery located by the roadside. The food taste marvellous. Seating area is clean and comfortable enough. Price of meal is still at kampung-level, which is to say, ridiculously cheap when compared to Johor Bahru or Kuala Lumpur. If you are coming from the NSE, exit the highway at Pedas/Linggi interchange (Exit 223) and turn left after the toll plaza. The shop is only about 2 minutes away on your left. Try to come before noon if you wish to avoid the crowd. Closed on Mondays.

The shop is alternatively known as Kedai Kuih Kak Wok and they even have a Facebook page. Why this alternate name? Because they sell a variety of kuih as well.

Simple roadside stall. Visited on 25 August 2017

Daging salai, pucuk ubi and labu, all cooked in coconut cream

Kambing gulai kawah

Ayam kampung masak lemak cili api plus a portion of chicken liver

Ice-cold rose-syrup drinks prepared in jugs and placed at each table. FOC

An old name for Great Britain

In the English Premier League football competition, I support Liverpool Football Club. I first became an LFC fan when I studied in the UK in the 1980s. Last Saturday, they played against Manchester City and got the worst drubbing that I can ever remember watching. After the exhilarating game against Arsenal the previous fortnight where the Gunners were trounced 4 to nothing, last weekend saw Liverpool on the receiving end of a City goal-scoring spree.

Damn it hurts... but I guess if you are able to dish it out, then you should be able to take it too.

The only other team in EPL that I would consider myself a supporter of is West Bromwich Albion, although I cannot call myself a die-hard fan. I became a supporter of WBA much earlier that LFC, when I was still in secondary school. The main reason for my attraction to Albion was a certain player named Bryan Robson. A stylish and hardworking midfielder, Robson later transferred to Manchester United where he enjoyed a successful career. He also became captain of the England team.

After watching the horrible Liverpool team display on Saturday, I then switched to watch the later game of West Bromwich Albion versus recently-promoted Brighton & Hove Albion. As it turned out, the new boys BHA defeated WBA by 3 - 1. A rotten Saturday of EPL football for me.

Anyway, the item that caught my interest was that two teams with `Albion' in their names are playing against each other, the first time I've come across it. This caused me to look up what `albion' means.

According to Wikipedia, Albion is the oldest known name for the island of Great Britain. The name is ancient Greek in origin (as opposed to Britain, which has Latin roots).

Okay then... enough of rolling in sorrow and looking forward to next week's game.

Barely alive

In some of my responses to social media comments from friends, I often use the Malay idiom nyawa-nyawa ikan to describe the present political career of a certain minister. The phrase has a graphic impact and apply to a condition (life, career or business situation, for example) that is barely alive or in its last gasp of breath before expiring.

As usual, after using such a phrase, I often wonder how it originated. Sad to say, all my online search for Malay word or phrase origins have revealed very little. Apart from telling us what the idiom means, no website has provided information on how, when or who created the phrase. There aren't any websites whose authors or administrators are even willing to offer a theory on how such sayings came to be.

This pales in comparison to websites that offer the etymology of English words and origins of the most popular and common phrases. Malay language and literary scholars still have a long way to go, it seems.

In the absence of such theories, I guess I'll offer one of mine :

Nyawa-nyawa ikan ~ when a fish is caught on a hook and pulled to the river bank or into the perahu, it would flop here and there, gasping for water and struggle for a bit before finally reaching the end. The duration from the time it is taken out of the water and the time it stops moving is not a terribly long one. Some wise wordsmith of old then thought that this situation would aptly describe someone who is in his final throes of survival.

Not a nice situation to be in...

On sale at our local fishmonger at the central market