Goreng

Masak tauge goreng lada
Lada ditumbuk lada putih,
Tuan menagih pada yang ada
Saya merajuk pada yang kasih...

(pantun dari halaman web DBP)

Dalam mencari maksud pada perkataan 'goreng', saya telah merujuk kepada Kamus Dewan yang saya miliki (edisi keempat tahun 2007). Terdapat dua (2) definisi bagi perkataan tersebut iaitu :

1. Yang dipanggang dalam kuali, yang dimasak dengan minyak.

2. Kecekapan memetik gitar mengikut tempo rancak (bahasa percakapan)

Maksud yang pertama itu adalah jelas dan tidak perlu dihuraikan. Maksud yang kedua pula adalah satu slanga (percakapan tidak rasmi) bagi aksi bermain gitar di mana petikan tali gitar itu dibuat dengan rancak dan nyaring, terutamanya pada bahagian 'gitar solo' dalam sesebuah lagu.

Para peminat muzik sudah tentu faham maksud kedua perkataan ini. Antara pemuzik tanahair yang pandai 'menggoreng' gitar ialah allahyarham M Shariff dan allahyarham A Rahman Hassan. Bagi saya, penggoreng gitar barat yang paling saya minati ialah Mark Knopfler.

Sebenarnya, rujukan yang saya buat ialah untuk mencari satu lagi maksud perkataan 'goreng' yang saya mula dengar ketika zaman persekolahan berpuluh tahun dahulu. 'Goreng' yang dimaksudkan ini juga digunakan dalam percakapan tidak formal. Tidak pasti pula samada istilah ini masih disebut oleh pelajar-pelajar masa kini.

Oleh kerana Kamus Dewan saya edisi lama, saya pun membuat semakan di internet. Manalah tahu, mungkin sudah ada definisi baru. Maaf... tiada definisi baru di laman web DBP.

Jadi, bagaimana ya untuk saya terangkan maksud ketiga perkataan 'goreng' ini (ikut pemahaman saya lah)? Mungkin saya boleh beri contoh pengunaannya.

Contoh 1 : Soalan karangan dalam kertas periksa BM tadi susah betul. Ceritakan satu keadaan yang boleh menerangkan maksud peribahasa 'Lalang ditanam, takkan padi yang tumbuh!'. Saya tak pernah pun dengar perumpamaan itu. Mana ada orang tanam lalang. Saya pun goreng je jawapannya.

Contoh 2 : Aku duk dengar dengan tekun mamat tu bagi ceramah tentang periuk masak yang terhebat di pasaran. Boleh grill, steam, air-fry, bake, smoke dan segala macam metode memasak. Dan bagaimana kalau kita jadi ahli, boleh tingkatkan jualan dengan hanya dapatkan tiga orang `downline' dan terus jana pendapatan beribu-ribu dalam masa beberapa bulan sahaja! Dalam bab menggoreng ni, tiada yang lebih hebat dari promoter MLM.

Kecekapan menggoreng cara ini kadangkala ada munafaatnya. Tetapi haruslah berhati-hati... terlebih goreng boleh jadi hangus.

Lima ratus negara tu memang sah-sah lah menggoreng. Tersalah sebut, katanya. Yang dimaksudkan ialah 500 peserta dari seluruh dunia. Ok lah... saya pun tidak pasti sebesar mana sesi 'video conferencing' yang dianjurkan oleh Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia. Mungkin talian sambungan mereka tersangatlah lancar dan jelas. Kami kumpulan rakan sekolah lama, buat panggilan video guna Google Duo, seramai tujuh atau lapan orang pun tersekat-sekat.

Panjang juga celoteh saya pada hari ini. Terima kasih kerana sudi membaca.

Gambar sekadar hiasan. Tempe dan tahu goreng. Enak di makan dalam waktu pergerakan terhad PKP.

Tempe dan tahu goreng dari Segamat Station Kopitiam

Getting a haircut is essential

Today 13 April 2020 marks the 27th day that Malaysia has been in lockdown. The restriction would have ended tomorrow on the 28th day (1st extension from the original 14 days). However, the government has decided that it is necessary to impose a second extension for another 14 days to fight this Covid-19 outbreak. The MCO will now be in force until 28 April 2020, for now at least.

In making the announcement on this so-called third phase of the movement restriction, the Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI) declared that a number of businesses would be allowed to operate, joining the other essential services previously mentioned in the first order. Among these are barbers and hair salons, although with the proviso of doing haircuts only. This little bit of news caused wide surprise amongst many. The Penang state government decided not to follow the federal government's move. Social media was rife with comments questioning the wisdom of uplifting the restriction for getting haircuts. The association for barbers and hairdressers came out with statements that they would see out the MCO. Even the Health Ministry requested the move to be reconsidered.

Hmmm.... one ministry requesting another ministry in the public domain. There is a disconnect somewhere.

Anyway, if I'm given the choice between cutting my hair or cutting the grass in the compound of my house, I would choose the latter. Because :

1. The grasscutter can do his work without the need to be in close contact with me.

2. A compound where the grass is neatly trimmed and free of weeds and 'kemuncup' is soothing to the eyes and calming to the nerves.

3. Sporting a long (but stylish) hairstyle is not alien to me.

Take care friends. Stay safe. Grit your teeth and wait for the sunshine.

With batchmate Rommel Abu Hassan, somewhere in the UK in early 1980s

Not all government advice is worth following

Failing in style is not always a bad thing

'If a thing is worth doing, it's worth doing badly.' - G. K. Chesterton

In July 2009, I wrote a post about Heroic Failures, where I shared a story from a book written by Stephen Pile. That particular book was bought when I was a student in the 1980s. After a lapse of more than 20 years, Mr Pile has produced another compilation of similar stories.

This latest book is titled 'The Not Terribly Good Book of Heroic Failures'. It is a collection of stories from all over the world about people who not only did not succeed in what they wanted to do but managed to do (or not do it, depending on your point of view) in some style. While it is hilarious to read of other people's bungling attempts, there are some inspiring stories too. Just goes to show that sometimes, if you're going to make a mistake, make it a big one, embarrassment aside.

I'll share two snippets from the book.
..........................

1. The Worst Moment for a Crime

Choosing the right moment is vitally important in any crime. Mr David Goodall of Barnsley, for example, set off in January 1979 to do a little bit of shoplifting. Once inside the Barnsley branch of British Home Stores, he had hardly stolen his first item when he was simultaneously seized by eight pairs of hands. The shop was holding a convention of store detectives at the time.

2. The Least Successful Equal-Pay Advertisement

In 1976, the European Economic Community pointed out to the Irish government that it had not yet implemented the agreed sex-equality legislation. The Dublin government immediately advertised for an equal-pay enforcement officer. The advertisement offered different salary scales for men and women.
...........................

On 30 March 2020, the Women's Development Department, an agency under the Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga Dan Masyarakat (a ministry I won't attempt to translate into English) published four (4) public advisory posters on their Facebook page. Each poster carried different tips on ways to improve family relationship during the Movement Control Order restriction. The posters immediately came under heavy fire from various sections of the community for being sexist and disrespectful to the role of women in the household. This prompted the head of the department to issue a formal apology and the posters were withdrawn the very next day. Even the apology was criticized for having a condescending tone.

In light of what happened, I felt that Mr Pile's book is somewhat relevant. I would like to suggest to the person/team from KPWKM who produced those posters to try get hold of this book (or any of the other Heroic Failure books) so that you may be relieved to know that you are not alone in making blunders. Your posters (although now retracted) are being quoted by many media channels over the world.

But what is past, is past. Take some time to chill and re-group. Come back with a better and knockout campaign to redeem yourself. Malaysia Boleh!

Poster No.1 : Work from home... but dress-up too

One local destination a month (2nd edition) - Part 2 : Kelip-kelip Sungai Cherating, Kuantan

Our visit to Kuantan was made in early February. At that time, the coronavirus issue was not yet pandemic. The daily numbers for new infections were still in single digits and life was pretty much normal. We still traveled to a few places in the weeks before the Movement Control Order came into force. I do have a post in hand for Part 3 of this series but anything after that is uncertain.

As mentioned in an earlier post, we drove up to Kuantan to attend the wedding reception of the son of a former teacher. Cikgu Hussain was a history teacher at MRSM Kuantan in the late '70s. I did not take history as an elective subject so, strictly speaking, I was not his student. But Cikgu Hussain was also a warden, so that makes all of us who stay at the hostel as his responsibility too. He was a very firm but cordial warden. Very well-liked and respected by most students, even the naughty ones. This is demonstrated by the large number of former students who made the effort to fulfill his invitation.

In planning for the trip to Kuantan, I decided to include a visit to the firefly conservation area at Cherating. My blogger friend, Jehan Bakar had posted about it on her Facebook page a few times. I sent her a whatsapp message asking if it was a good time to take the boat trip up Sungai Cherating. She promptly replied that is was okay and offered to make the advance booking for me since she personally knows the tour operator.

Kelip-kelip Sungai Cherating is located about 35km north of Kuantan town, on the coastal road to Kemaman, Terengganu. I've traveled on this road many times during the years I worked at a water treatment plant project in Dungun. I never knew that there was a firefly conservation area at Sungai Cherating. I had never been on a boat trip to watch fireflies before. Now is a good time as any.

From our hotel in Balok, we took a leisurely drive towards Cherating and reached the jetty a few minutes before 7pm. After registering and paying for our tickets, we were asked to wait in the briefing room. The tour is run by a gentleman named Hafiz who gave an introduction of the particular species of firefly that has made the mangrove banks of Sg Cherating as their habitat. There are thousands of firefly species in the world, he says, but the one found here is unique to the area. A Japanese researcher has identified the species as pteroptyx bearni. They are the non-synchronous type, meaning that they don't flash their lights in tandem. As a comparison, the fireflies at Kuala Selangor are the synchronous type. He told us that he would be calling the bugs to fly down from the trees towards us in the boat. It is a skill he has mastered after years of observation and study. The bugs are of the size smaller than a housefly but larger than a mosquito. His final request to us before we headed for the boats was not to catch (or kill) any firefly and not take photographs. Just enjoy the experience.

It was a cloudless night that evening. Thousands of stars were brightly shining in the sky. Since my knowledge of astronomy is practically nil, I could not name any. But I enjoyed the sight nonetheless.  The moon was nearly full and it was quite bright. Hafiz assured us that the brightness would not hamper our sight of the fireflies.

The tide was rising and the current was coming in swiftly from the sea. The high water level meant that the overhanging branches of the mangroves were very close to the water's surface. The boat traveled upriver for about an hour or so. At certain locations, Hafiz would slow down the boat and indicate to us where some of the fireflies are congregating. Right side at about 3 o'clock. Or on your left, 10 o'clock about 2 meters above the water. Here and there he would call out such directions.

Af first, we couldn't see anything. Then Hafiz would flash a pocket-light while lovingly calling upon the bugs as if they were his sweethearts. The tree branches would suddenly glow with hundreds of tiny pinpricks of light. These lights would then fly down towards the boat passengers who mostly watched in awe. I don't exactly know how Hafiz does it; the pocket-light could have been of a specific wavelength or he could have flashed it in a certain sequence. What he mentioned in the briefing about his skill was there for us to see.

Some of the bugs would land on us, seemingly unafraid. I managed to guide one into my hands which were cupped so as to create a dark hollow. Indeed it was a tiny creature and magical too. After watching it beam out a few pulses, I let it go and watch it fly back to the trees.

It was truly an experience to remember. Nature and its beauty.

The only drawback throughout the tour that I can think of is that we could not remain stationary at any one spot with the boat engine switched off for too long because of the fast-moving current. To experience the scene in relative quiet of the night would have been perfect.

Kelip-kelip is the Malay name for firefly. Visited on 08 February 2020

Sungai Cherating upstream view before dusk

Briefing room is reasonably sized and has information posters

En. Hafiz conducting the briefing prior to the boat tour

MCO Day7

We are into the 7th Day of the Movement Control Order, imposed by the government in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. Another week to go, provided that the restriction order is not extended. It looks to me that a further extension of the lockdown is very likely because the rate of new infected cases is still on the rise.

I've found that the best representation of the Covid-19 infection curve is given by Bernama. Yesterday 23 March 2020 saw the highest single-day increase since the first discovery on 25 January 2020. There were 212 new cases, bringing the total to 1,518 persons to date. The so-called 'flattening of the curve' has not yet happened.

Infographic from  Bernama

After two consecutive days of being totally at home, I had to pop out to the supermarket because our grocery stock has run low. This time I drove alone to AEON Mall at Bandar Dato' Onn, about 15 minutes from where I live. As expected, the traffic on the roads is very light, surreal even. The open-air car park at the mall was perhaps only a quarter full. AEON had designated only a single entrance and a separate exit. At the entrance, a security guard used a thermometer to scan my temperature while another squirted hand sanitizer before allowing me to stand in line. The floor is marked with tape at regular intervals to designate the distancing requirement as advised by the health authorities. AEON controls the number of people in their store by allowing some to enter only after the corresponding number has left. Generally, most shoppers came alone and went about their business in a calm and quiet manner. No standing close to each other or clambering for stuff on the shelves. I could be having a bad BO problem and nobody would notice, hehehe. Most edible items on the shelves are adequately stocked. Only fresh eggs seem to be sold out.

In line with the government directives, only the supermarket section is open. The general merchandise sections plus all the other tenants are closed. Overall, I believe that we Malaysians are a well-mannered and compliant lot. Of course, there are few jerks who are too stubborn for their own good. God may have created all men as equals but unfortunately, some chose to be stupid on their own accord.

Take care everyone. Covid-19 is now a worldwide problem. It has become more difficult to name a country that has not been affected by it compared to those that have.

Standing in line before being allowed in

Update 25.03.2020 @ 3.00pm : The MCO is extended by another 2 weeks to 14 April 2020.

After Day 1 of Movement Control Order (MCO)

In the previous post two days ago, I mentioned my intention to drop by Larkin Sentral Market on the first day of the MCO. I changed that decision. Instead of going to the largest wet market in Johor Bahru, we went to Mydin Hypermarket at Taman Rinting to see if the situation is different from our experience at Tesco.

Before I describe the situation at Mydin, let me first briefly recap my Day 1 MCO :

1. Our youngest son safely arrived home around 4.00 am after driving from Shah Alam. He was previously working at a restaurant and had resigned before the government announced the partial lockdown. I was slightly worried that he might face problems in getting home due to the inter-state movement restriction.

2. A message came in my MRSM Kuantan alumni whatsapp group confirming that one of our friends has been infected with the coronavirus. He was part of the group we call Kuatagh Pioneers (the first batch of students enrolled at MRSM Kuantan) who held a reunion at Jakarta the weekend before. Among those who attended the reunion were some former teachers. The implications of this bit of worrying news are still being contemplated. Nonetheless, my prayers for the infected senior and that no other participants of that event had been affected.

3. My wife and I went to do some grocery shopping at Mydin Mall in Taman Rinting. There was very little traffic on the road, indicating that the MCO does have some effect. The situation at the hypermarket was calm and orderly. Apart from the hypermarket itself, the other tenants within the mall were closed. A few stalls in the foodcourt were in business but only for takeaways. The number of shoppers, I would say, is about average on a normal weekend. The hypermarket was well-stocked. There were no empty shelves although some essential items have a purchase limit for each customer. I did not see any shopper hoard stuff into his trolley. Overall, I applaud the Mydin chain for managing their business quite well in these trying times.

4. On the way home, we stopped by one of our regular restaurants that sells nasi campur. They had a large array of pre-cooked lauk pauk, all for sale on takeaway basis only. I was happy that they were open for business because, judging from the number of customers, they are providing a much-needed service too.

Another 13 days to go unless the Prime Minister decides an extension is required if the outbreak does not reverse its upward trend. Let's hope and pray that this pandemic ends soon.

Enough toilet rolls at Mydin for everyone

Panic buying

Yesterday 16 March 2020, the Prime Minister of Malaysia announced a Movement Control Order that is intended to curb the Covid-19 virus outbreak. The Order would be effective tomorrow 18 March 2020 and last up to 31 March 2020.

I do not intend to go into details of the restrictions contained in the order. Just to note that it did spark a spree of panic buying among some citizens in this country. While the government has gone to great lengths to assure the people not to panic (provision stores and markets would be allowed to operate), there is no way to prevent certain segments of the community from hoarding stuff as if the world is about to end. In some ways, that is understandable. For the majority of Malaysians, it is a situation they have never faced before. Uncharted waters. Unknown territory, We are human beings after all... we fear the unknown.

Earlier today I decided to drop by a local supermarket to see the situation for myself. I chose to go to Tesco at Setia Tropika which is actually not our normal place to shop for groceries. I thought that maybe this relatively smaller supermarket would not be a target for hoarders. How wrong I was.

The rows and rows of empty shelves were quite astonishing. Many of the essential items are sold out. Tesco had run out of stocks to replenish.

I picked up the few items I need that are still available. At the checkout counter, I asked the cashier when the panic buying happened. She said that it was yesterday evening. It was crazy.

Well, the actual 2-week restriction period will start tomorrow. I'll probably make a quick trip to Larkin wet market to see if there are some people still in panic mode.

Fresh vegetable section

Canned food

Total wipeout of toilet rolls. Only kitchen towels left

Just a few bags of rice remain

Frozen foodstuff all but gone

Online impostor

Social media can both be a boon or a bane. Very useful at most times but can be dangerous too.

A few days ago, I received an early morning whatsapp message from a friend. He's checking to see if I had actually sent him a Facebook Messenger request to connect. I quickly replied that it was not me and thanked him for letting me know.

I then went to my Facebook account to put up a status informing friends that my account has possibly been cloned and for them not to respond to any message from this fake account. A few minutes after that status update, some friends replied that indeed, they had received message request from someone suspicious. I then did a Facebook search on my own profile and true enough, there was another account using my name and photo but without any personal details. It was created about 12 hours earlier.

I made a report to Facebook about this fake account and my report was acknowledged by them via email. The next day, I did a similar search and found out that the fake profile is no longer there.

What do such impostors do with these clone accounts? From the feedback that I got from friends who had been similarly cloned, one trick that these impostors use is to send messages to other friends on our list with request or appeal for financial aid. Some trusting friends would mistakenly think that we are actually in need of such help and therefore would send the money.

Anyway, it was a good thing I managed to act quickly. I again sent a whatsapp message to the friend who gave me the heads-up. It's good to know that I have friends who check up on me once in a while.

Whatsapp and Facebook. Two social media platforms that I depend too much on.

Screen capture of the impostor's attempt to connect with a friend

One local destination a month (2nd edition) - Part 1 : Tikam Batu, Kedah

Once in a while, I take the rural roads rather than the highways when traveling. This is especially true if I'm in no particular hurry and have no fixed duration to reach my destination. In such instances, I would be on the lookout for interesting places to stop.

We were in Penang in early January to visit our besan (my daughter-in-law's parents). While up north, I decided to make the short trip to Sungai Petani in Kedah to visit an old friend whom I've not seen since our student days in the UK. This friend is recovering from some ailments and had been out of work for a number of years. I had actually visited him a few years earlier but at that time, he was in the CCU of Sungai Petani Hospital so I did not actually manage to speak to him at all.

From Penang island, we took the ferry across to Butterworth. I decided to head on to Sungai Petani on the old Federal Route 1. The main objective was to make a stop to see a rice harvester machine that is being used as a prop next to the welcome signage at the Kedah border.

Mesin Padi Tikam Batu is located just after Merdeka Bridge that spans across Sungai Muda. This river forms the border between mainland Penang and Kedah.

According to media reports, the rice harvester and signage was erected by Majlis Perbandaran Sungai Petani in February 2019. It is quite a novel idea and I appreciate the council for making the effort. The location is perfect, with wide paddy fields in the background. Although not quite a tourist destination, I hope the council would maintain it well.

I stopped by the location only for a few minutes and regretted not looking at the machine in detail. I would have loved to know the manufacturer and specifications, even though the harvester could be just a mock-up. Online searches have not yielded any details.

Welcome to Kedah, the premier rice-growing region in Malaysia. Visited on 02 January 2020

Rice Harvester

Maisarah and her grandfather...

What does a doting grandfather do when he gets to meet his adorable granddaughter?
He takes selfies with her...

And what does the grandfather do when he has a collection of selfies over a period of a year?
He compiles them into a still video which he would repeatedly view without feeling the least bit bored...

Tempat jatuh lagi dikenang...

We made a short trip to Kuantan the previous weekend. The main purpose was to fulfil an invitation by a former teacher to attend the wedding reception of his son. As always, we took the opportunity to visit other places as well. It was a packed weekend of activities but truly a memorable one.

I am not going to write about the whole trip but just an initial short post. A visit to Kuantan would almost always mean a stop at my former school, Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Kuantan. Although I spent only two years there, it was my first experience of boarding school. A lot happened in those two years. The many friendships that began there have seen the test of time and most relationships have grown stronger till this day.

It has been 40 years since I completed my secondary education at MRSM Kuantan. The students there today call me `Pakcik', which is actually nice to hear. The school has evolved too, although at one time, MARA had plans to re-locate it or shut it down but the dedicated effort of some alumni managed to make the authorities change their mind.

I believe the school still produce quality graduates with respectable attitudes. I am proud to have been a product of this school and I hope they are equally proud of their former students too.

This signage structure had been erected for some time now but it took me a while to realise that "MRSMKU' has two meanings

At the main entrance signage wall. The motto on the school badge is not the original one as coined by a former student

Footnote : My first post on MRSM Kuantan was in August 2008 - An east coast education

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.