Thursday, December 20, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
Just a memory, now.
He was my neighbour, not immediate neighbour but a close neighbour. We chat, we talked, we laughed, we exchange news. We meet at the local Surau (Muslim prayer house) occassionally.
And he passed away on Thursday night last. And we all will miss such a good, kind, and unassuming man.
Our condolence to his wife and his family.
May Allah bless his soul.
--
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Rising waters
In the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, come October each year, Government and people will start preparing to reduce the effect of the North East Monsoon wind and rising waters causing widespread flooding. The monsoon season may last from 3 to 4 months. Normally the effect is not that much nowadays, unlike in the old days when there was widespread flooding. But once in a while, say in every 10 years, the flood can be devastating, creating loses to lives and properties. In such cases, the Government assists in bringing people to safety, and in providing them food and shelter until the worse is over, then the people return to their homes, or to whatever is left of what they once called home; and life starts all over again, untill the next monsoon season. This is an annual affairs so the Government and the people get used to such exercise.
There are however some people who look forward to the monsoon season floodings. Children look forward to them because that is when they can swim or play in shallow water close to home, if the water does not become too dangerous, while others to the expected Government helps if the water rises dangerously. And to some, making some money from the sales of fresh water fish.
The other day, I went to a place a few kilometers from where I live, where water was rising and many roads were closed due to the flooding. What I found were people catching fresh water fish and selling them by the road side. The flood water as the result of heavy monsoon rain has brought the fish from the surrounding small rivers and streams into the larger body of water, the flood that is, and these fish can easily be caught by putting fish net in strategic places in the flooded areas. All kinds of tropical fresh water fish maybe be caught, mostly small fish but some bigger fish may also be caught. And they sell these by the road side. There is a good demand for such fresh water fish caught in the flood water, they are fresh, clean and quite succulent, though these fresh water fish have many small bones in their sweet flesh.
Water has cut off this road to a small village nearby, but the villages take this in their stride, they have small boats to ferry them out, and they put up fish net to catch fish (those white floats in the top right hand corner of the first photograph & centre left in the second photograph).
In a bigger body of flood water, people really go fishing and sell them to passers by.
These people are waiting to buy fresh water fish to be collected from some fish net in the bigger body of a flooded valley.
And some youth taking advantage of the flooding, caught some fresh water fish in the nearby flooded stream and also sell them by the road side,
There are however some people who look forward to the monsoon season floodings. Children look forward to them because that is when they can swim or play in shallow water close to home, if the water does not become too dangerous, while others to the expected Government helps if the water rises dangerously. And to some, making some money from the sales of fresh water fish.
The other day, I went to a place a few kilometers from where I live, where water was rising and many roads were closed due to the flooding. What I found were people catching fresh water fish and selling them by the road side. The flood water as the result of heavy monsoon rain has brought the fish from the surrounding small rivers and streams into the larger body of water, the flood that is, and these fish can easily be caught by putting fish net in strategic places in the flooded areas. All kinds of tropical fresh water fish maybe be caught, mostly small fish but some bigger fish may also be caught. And they sell these by the road side. There is a good demand for such fresh water fish caught in the flood water, they are fresh, clean and quite succulent, though these fresh water fish have many small bones in their sweet flesh.
Water has cut off this road to a small village nearby, but the villages take this in their stride, they have small boats to ferry them out, and they put up fish net to catch fish (those white floats in the top right hand corner of the first photograph & centre left in the second photograph).
In a bigger body of flood water, people really go fishing and sell them to passers by.
These people are waiting to buy fresh water fish to be collected from some fish net in the bigger body of a flooded valley.
And some youth taking advantage of the flooding, caught some fresh water fish in the nearby flooded stream and also sell them by the road side,
Saturday, December 8, 2007
A day's outing
The monsoon rain is here, its December, and it has been raining for a few days now, not consistently but in short period of heavy downpours. And I was bored staying at home, doing nothing productive but just going through all the mails and arguing on the internet. So I decided, agreed by my wife, to go for a spin, rain or shine. We decided to explore a nearby town called Pekan (about 50 km away), which is called the Royal Town of Pahang. Why? The royalty of Pahang had for generations made that town their place of residence until of late where many have moved to Kuantan or even as far away as Kuala Lumpur. Yet the Sultan of Pahang has his office officially in Pekan.
It was pouring when we started, and along the way we saw water rising in many low lying areas. But they were not dangerous because the rate of rise is very slow, and not sudden, and the roads are now raised to a higher level than the surrounding areas. We drove on until we reached Pekan about 45 minutes to 1 hour later.
I had planned to visit the Farmers Market in Pekan, so we drove there first. Not much really, not as impressive as in Temerloh. Yes, there were people selling and buying but the crowd was rather small, probably the weather was of concern to them and not on their side, though the sun was shining at the location. The sellers, as usual, were selling clothings in bulk, fish and vegetables and some locally made delicacies. I was not impressed with the Market.
We left the place and I visited the Pekan Museum. While my wife and her sister, who came with us accompanied by her husbanad, went to the Sultans Polo Ground, near the Palace, in Pekan town. She said she was impressed with the upkeep of the Polo Ground.
I visited first the Sultan Abu Baker Museum, really some people call it the “Pekan Museum”.
In reality its the Museum showing basically the history of the Pahang Royalty. Not much, except that there were many photographs and souvenirs of the father of the present Sultan of Pahang and also those of the present Sultan. No camera was allowed in the Museum but I managed to take some photoes of the present Sultan’s father’s car using my hand phone camera.
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I was there for about half an hour, and there were very few visitors there.
And on coming out, I went to visit the Boat Museum across the road, on the banks of the nearby river. There I must say I was impressed. The Museum though not well maintained but has a variety of old boats for show. It brings me many memories of the boats I used to ride on as a young boy growing up by the Pahang River beside which I was born, upriver about 200 km from Pekan. I used to take rides on some of these boats.
The inverted V–shaped roofed boat looked like the first boat I ever went in to ride, downriver, on a first visit to Temerloh town years ago, my first ever visit to a real town. The flat board at the rear of the boat was where the outboard engine was placed.
The other boats which were then commonly used in my village were these dugout canoes. These were used to travel short distances by and along the river, for purposes of fishing for visiting friends and relatives across the river. The older version,
and the newer version.
The other boats are the ones I only see pictures of but have never taken any ride in. Very decorative, and I am sure these decorations have some purpose. Looking at those high bow, these must be boats used in the sea.
And the racing boats ……..
Regret though they never showed the ‘house’ boat where the late Sultan of Pahang (Sultan Abu Bakar) used to ride on when he visited the riverine villages when he was the Sultan. He used to visit (if my recollection is right) those riverine villages almost every year, to see and to listen to his subjects. And the ‘house’ boat was a the only mean he could go to these villages then, and at that time the Pahang River was still quite deep, unlike now where there are a lot of sand banks. It was complete ‘hotel’ for him, his ‘joget girls’ (dancing girls) and a set of boat crew. The house boat had no engine, so it used to be pulled by another boat, a diesel engined boat I think.
On going back we decided to leave Pekan after lunch; the food that we had at a small Malay restaurant in Pekan town was just to keep our stomach full but not really satisfying. We decided to go by a more rural road along the Pahang River, the road going upstream. It was a good road, but one cannot help but see that the folks living by the river banks are not that well off. And they rear fresh water fish for a living, at least as one of the means of earning a living. Probably they also tap rubber as well, I would not really know. The houses were good and close together as we started the journey from Pekan town but gradually became more far apart and more dilapidated as we moved on. Then about one-half hours to 45 minutes later the houses were less apart and more well built again, mostly of brick. Untill we reached the bridge crossing the Pahang River along the Kuantan – Segamat Highway, and we have to cross that river via that bridge to get back to Kuantan, about another half an hour journey to reach Kuantan Town. And we saw this young man with a big catfish which he just caught, in his net he said.
And by the time we were on our way to Kuantan, the rain had stopped and the sun was shining again until we reached Kuantan Town.
It was pouring when we started, and along the way we saw water rising in many low lying areas. But they were not dangerous because the rate of rise is very slow, and not sudden, and the roads are now raised to a higher level than the surrounding areas. We drove on until we reached Pekan about 45 minutes to 1 hour later.
I had planned to visit the Farmers Market in Pekan, so we drove there first. Not much really, not as impressive as in Temerloh. Yes, there were people selling and buying but the crowd was rather small, probably the weather was of concern to them and not on their side, though the sun was shining at the location. The sellers, as usual, were selling clothings in bulk, fish and vegetables and some locally made delicacies. I was not impressed with the Market.
We left the place and I visited the Pekan Museum. While my wife and her sister, who came with us accompanied by her husbanad, went to the Sultans Polo Ground, near the Palace, in Pekan town. She said she was impressed with the upkeep of the Polo Ground.
I visited first the Sultan Abu Baker Museum, really some people call it the “Pekan Museum”.
In reality its the Museum showing basically the history of the Pahang Royalty. Not much, except that there were many photographs and souvenirs of the father of the present Sultan of Pahang and also those of the present Sultan. No camera was allowed in the Museum but I managed to take some photoes of the present Sultan’s father’s car using my hand phone camera.
.jpg)
I was there for about half an hour, and there were very few visitors there.
And on coming out, I went to visit the Boat Museum across the road, on the banks of the nearby river. There I must say I was impressed. The Museum though not well maintained but has a variety of old boats for show. It brings me many memories of the boats I used to ride on as a young boy growing up by the Pahang River beside which I was born, upriver about 200 km from Pekan. I used to take rides on some of these boats.
The inverted V–shaped roofed boat looked like the first boat I ever went in to ride, downriver, on a first visit to Temerloh town years ago, my first ever visit to a real town. The flat board at the rear of the boat was where the outboard engine was placed.
The other boats which were then commonly used in my village were these dugout canoes. These were used to travel short distances by and along the river, for purposes of fishing for visiting friends and relatives across the river. The older version,
and the newer version.
The other boats are the ones I only see pictures of but have never taken any ride in. Very decorative, and I am sure these decorations have some purpose. Looking at those high bow, these must be boats used in the sea.
And the racing boats ……..
Regret though they never showed the ‘house’ boat where the late Sultan of Pahang (Sultan Abu Bakar) used to ride on when he visited the riverine villages when he was the Sultan. He used to visit (if my recollection is right) those riverine villages almost every year, to see and to listen to his subjects. And the ‘house’ boat was a the only mean he could go to these villages then, and at that time the Pahang River was still quite deep, unlike now where there are a lot of sand banks. It was complete ‘hotel’ for him, his ‘joget girls’ (dancing girls) and a set of boat crew. The house boat had no engine, so it used to be pulled by another boat, a diesel engined boat I think.
On going back we decided to leave Pekan after lunch; the food that we had at a small Malay restaurant in Pekan town was just to keep our stomach full but not really satisfying. We decided to go by a more rural road along the Pahang River, the road going upstream. It was a good road, but one cannot help but see that the folks living by the river banks are not that well off. And they rear fresh water fish for a living, at least as one of the means of earning a living. Probably they also tap rubber as well, I would not really know. The houses were good and close together as we started the journey from Pekan town but gradually became more far apart and more dilapidated as we moved on. Then about one-half hours to 45 minutes later the houses were less apart and more well built again, mostly of brick. Untill we reached the bridge crossing the Pahang River along the Kuantan – Segamat Highway, and we have to cross that river via that bridge to get back to Kuantan, about another half an hour journey to reach Kuantan Town. And we saw this young man with a big catfish which he just caught, in his net he said.
And by the time we were on our way to Kuantan, the rain had stopped and the sun was shining again until we reached Kuantan Town.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Sunday, November 11, 2007
You want the votes? Bloody earn it.
This write up does not belong to me, it belongs to someone else, to the original writer. I am blogging it down here, for keep sake, for the future, for anyone interested to read what had happened on that cool rainy day in Kuala Lumpur, when the Malaysian Government of the day decided that its people should be contained, and democracy is only a word.
mylias
Saturday, November 10, 2007
And soon, You will not be able to Breathe: My report from the Bersih Rally
Rashaad Ali
This is not some second-hand story; this is an account from the front line.
These are not borrowed photographs (not shown here, but one probably can be obtain them in YouTube or some other write ups); these are pictures from the epicentre.
Because that was what the situation descended to in the city centre this afternoon, where my entire view of the present government was shattered the moment I saw those first gas cannisters fly. You can read it in a paper, on a website, in a forwarded email, but the magnanimity of the brutality will never compare to the panic that infiltrated into my being, and the fear that I now harbour for the government.
You could feel the stillness in the air, the sudden descent of tension into the atmosphere. Ominous signs paraded before us, my younger brother, my sister and I, before we even left the house. We headed toward the city via the Putra LRT, where Shaz managed this almost candid shot of policemen in RapidKL uniforms being briefed by a senior officer.
Once we exited the station at Masjid Jamek, we were greeted by the ever heart-warming sight of riot police. Here they call them the Federal Reserve Unit, but they are nothing more than mercenaries in uniform. Zealots armed with batons and gas launchers, completely apathetic to the growing crowd, swollen by passer-bys and passionate Malaysians. The police sprayed preliminary water-cannon fire on the crowd, which I wasn't to concerned about. It was only upon reaching home that I found out they were contaminated with chemicals.
Now there is something of great importance that I need to stress; in no way, absolutely none, did the demonstrators aim to incite the police. There was lots of chanting, of slogan shouting, of crowd rallying, but there was no hatred or contempt hurled against those in power. In short, we did not merit the treatment we received. One may say, "But it was an illegal gathering anyway." How can the executive issue a decree banning the people in a democracy from voicing their opinion? We are not looking for a riot. We're not looking for impeachment. We're not looking for a revolution. We want clean elections. After all, if the government did its job efficiently, without corruption,racism and wanton aggression, why would we want to vote for the opposition? The demonstration today was truly a model demonstration. A peaceful, passionate crowd standing defiant, in a completely passive manner. It was a moment to remember, the solidarity on the faces of others as we stared down the threats in the hope of a better tomorrow.
All until the police became violent.
And then God played his hand; the heavens opened as it started to pour. As the precipitation flowed down my skin, a sickening sight developed before my eyes. If you notice in the above picture, the corner was crowded with people, having made some headway, only for cannon fire to push us back to the aforementioned corner. That's when the police formed a line, and fired tear gas at the crowd.
Fellow Malaysians, firing on their countrymen.
It wasn't so much as the actual shooting which was horrendous, but seeing them take their line of sight made my stomach turn. These uncompassionate robots, protectors of the society shooting against the people they swear to protect. Here they are, ladies and gentlemen, "dispersing crowds", while paedophiles run riot, pun very much intended.
When they fired, they shot directly infront of the crowd. Shaz and I happened to be caught in between a mass of bodies and a drain barrier. Just like some bad war movie, everything seemed to happen in slow motion, as the cannister rolled to a stop barely 10 feet away. Time sped back to normal as the people around me started scrambling into the nearby station. Shaz and I were stuck outside, but fortunately, my brother was pulled in by a fairy-tale hero.
"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death", but don't give me tear gas. The following account is in no way dramatisation, it is, as it is. Maybe it was my severe underestimation of the pain, both physical and psychological, that caused my hesitation. If not for the rain, I shudder to think of the potential pain. Had I known...
Completely immobile and covering our faces with wet cloths, we were powerless for a good 45 seconds to the gas. Initially, you feel a sting in your nose. As the pain increases, it ignites your eyeballs into blindness. As the pain mounts unbearable, tears streaming uncontrollably out of your eyes, the gas enters the pores on your face, the sensation acid to the pH. As you try and escape the gas, running literally blindly, with your skin aflame, the gas enters your lungs, constricting respiration to almost nil. Every inhalation you take is void of oxygen, and soon you will not be able to breathe. More than once the thought of death surfaced in my mind, as I moved with, not fought against the crowd to clear the area. Shazee later told me she thought she was as good as gone as well. Tear gas brings you to the edge of death, only for you to be resuscitated back into Hell.
Finally, we broke into the station, where the gas was less. The stations themselves had all been shutdown, effectively freezing all those in the city centre, as the station officials looked on with barely masked glee. The three of us huddled in a small corner, tears, mucus and saliva smeared all over our faces like a child's hand painting, resisting the temptation to throw up. We sat there recuperating for much of the time, before continuing down the street, away from the uncivil servants. We lingered on the corner, based on utter foolishness, that the police wouldn't shoot again with so many ordinary civilians. Around us were myriad characters, women and children, to armchair politicians raised to a fury.
And then they fired again.
Now I'm unaware in the ensuing panic whether they fired two volleys or one, for as we moved away from the gas (by the way, huge kudos to all BERSIH chaps for ensuring people kept cool) we turned into the corner. The shots were similar to the first episode in that they were fired infront of the crowd, however, as we entered the corner there was ANOTHER canister on my right barely 10 feet away. What luck.
As we scrambled yet again, in my mind I was still able to ponder, as the familiar pain returns, "Are they aware of how devastatingly painful it is?" I question the tactics of the police. Why fire so unbelievably close to the crowd? The gas is supposed to deter and disperse, not to cause chaos and anarchy. How would they have liked it, that fatalistic sensation creeping upon themselves?
We were able to move quicker this time. The crowd pushed and heaved past empty buildings, knocking over motorcycles carelessly parked. An entry point of one office building, and we all rushed in, taking to the stairs, and as the sensation died down the sight in the stairwell was one to behold. Like some kind of urban warfare, there were people slumped against the wall, faces in disarray, completely broken in spirit, trying to regain some semblance of composure. Around went a saviour passing out salt, which miraculously rid us of the worst effects almost instantly. Resigned to painful defeat, we decided to walk back home, with public transport at the mercy of the government.
Funnily enough, we found ourselves walking towards Istana Negara, where the memo was to be passed to the king. And i've just learned from dad that as we left the city, people lingered on as a decoy, while a mass gathering took place at the Istana. Ingenious, when you see the size of the crowd. Once again, hats off and big kudos the the organisers who did a fantastic job of keeping everyone calm, orderly, help direct traffic, etcetera etcetera.
At the Istana, it was a normal looking sort of demonstration, one which did not look like it was gonna get ugly. Cheers as I presume the memo was handed over, and the crowd slowly dispersed. As quickly as the tear gas hit, it was all over.
Even now, as I write this, I feel a mild headache coming on. It may or may not be a side effect, but surely the worrying thing is my willingness to believe it is born out of injustice. For now, I have come to a deeper understanding as to why private security is still employed despite the police, and I may cower everytime I see smoke or smell something foreign in the air.
Today serves as a landmark for my patriotism. Today serves as a landmark for the nation's patriotism, for in the face of such cruelty and opposition we prevailed and were crowned victors of the day. I also hope, that with the events of today, change shall, God willing, be effected. The people have spoken, the people have risen, the people have taken action. The onus passes to the King as a test of strength, and to the government to clean up its act.
You want the votes? Bloody earn it.
RASHAAD ALI
mylias
Saturday, November 10, 2007
And soon, You will not be able to Breathe: My report from the Bersih Rally
Rashaad Ali
This is not some second-hand story; this is an account from the front line.
These are not borrowed photographs (not shown here, but one probably can be obtain them in YouTube or some other write ups); these are pictures from the epicentre.
Because that was what the situation descended to in the city centre this afternoon, where my entire view of the present government was shattered the moment I saw those first gas cannisters fly. You can read it in a paper, on a website, in a forwarded email, but the magnanimity of the brutality will never compare to the panic that infiltrated into my being, and the fear that I now harbour for the government.
You could feel the stillness in the air, the sudden descent of tension into the atmosphere. Ominous signs paraded before us, my younger brother, my sister and I, before we even left the house. We headed toward the city via the Putra LRT, where Shaz managed this almost candid shot of policemen in RapidKL uniforms being briefed by a senior officer.
Once we exited the station at Masjid Jamek, we were greeted by the ever heart-warming sight of riot police. Here they call them the Federal Reserve Unit, but they are nothing more than mercenaries in uniform. Zealots armed with batons and gas launchers, completely apathetic to the growing crowd, swollen by passer-bys and passionate Malaysians. The police sprayed preliminary water-cannon fire on the crowd, which I wasn't to concerned about. It was only upon reaching home that I found out they were contaminated with chemicals.
Now there is something of great importance that I need to stress; in no way, absolutely none, did the demonstrators aim to incite the police. There was lots of chanting, of slogan shouting, of crowd rallying, but there was no hatred or contempt hurled against those in power. In short, we did not merit the treatment we received. One may say, "But it was an illegal gathering anyway." How can the executive issue a decree banning the people in a democracy from voicing their opinion? We are not looking for a riot. We're not looking for impeachment. We're not looking for a revolution. We want clean elections. After all, if the government did its job efficiently, without corruption,racism and wanton aggression, why would we want to vote for the opposition? The demonstration today was truly a model demonstration. A peaceful, passionate crowd standing defiant, in a completely passive manner. It was a moment to remember, the solidarity on the faces of others as we stared down the threats in the hope of a better tomorrow.
All until the police became violent.
And then God played his hand; the heavens opened as it started to pour. As the precipitation flowed down my skin, a sickening sight developed before my eyes. If you notice in the above picture, the corner was crowded with people, having made some headway, only for cannon fire to push us back to the aforementioned corner. That's when the police formed a line, and fired tear gas at the crowd.
Fellow Malaysians, firing on their countrymen.
It wasn't so much as the actual shooting which was horrendous, but seeing them take their line of sight made my stomach turn. These uncompassionate robots, protectors of the society shooting against the people they swear to protect. Here they are, ladies and gentlemen, "dispersing crowds", while paedophiles run riot, pun very much intended.
When they fired, they shot directly infront of the crowd. Shaz and I happened to be caught in between a mass of bodies and a drain barrier. Just like some bad war movie, everything seemed to happen in slow motion, as the cannister rolled to a stop barely 10 feet away. Time sped back to normal as the people around me started scrambling into the nearby station. Shaz and I were stuck outside, but fortunately, my brother was pulled in by a fairy-tale hero.
"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death", but don't give me tear gas. The following account is in no way dramatisation, it is, as it is. Maybe it was my severe underestimation of the pain, both physical and psychological, that caused my hesitation. If not for the rain, I shudder to think of the potential pain. Had I known...
Completely immobile and covering our faces with wet cloths, we were powerless for a good 45 seconds to the gas. Initially, you feel a sting in your nose. As the pain increases, it ignites your eyeballs into blindness. As the pain mounts unbearable, tears streaming uncontrollably out of your eyes, the gas enters the pores on your face, the sensation acid to the pH. As you try and escape the gas, running literally blindly, with your skin aflame, the gas enters your lungs, constricting respiration to almost nil. Every inhalation you take is void of oxygen, and soon you will not be able to breathe. More than once the thought of death surfaced in my mind, as I moved with, not fought against the crowd to clear the area. Shazee later told me she thought she was as good as gone as well. Tear gas brings you to the edge of death, only for you to be resuscitated back into Hell.
Finally, we broke into the station, where the gas was less. The stations themselves had all been shutdown, effectively freezing all those in the city centre, as the station officials looked on with barely masked glee. The three of us huddled in a small corner, tears, mucus and saliva smeared all over our faces like a child's hand painting, resisting the temptation to throw up. We sat there recuperating for much of the time, before continuing down the street, away from the uncivil servants. We lingered on the corner, based on utter foolishness, that the police wouldn't shoot again with so many ordinary civilians. Around us were myriad characters, women and children, to armchair politicians raised to a fury.
And then they fired again.
Now I'm unaware in the ensuing panic whether they fired two volleys or one, for as we moved away from the gas (by the way, huge kudos to all BERSIH chaps for ensuring people kept cool) we turned into the corner. The shots were similar to the first episode in that they were fired infront of the crowd, however, as we entered the corner there was ANOTHER canister on my right barely 10 feet away. What luck.
As we scrambled yet again, in my mind I was still able to ponder, as the familiar pain returns, "Are they aware of how devastatingly painful it is?" I question the tactics of the police. Why fire so unbelievably close to the crowd? The gas is supposed to deter and disperse, not to cause chaos and anarchy. How would they have liked it, that fatalistic sensation creeping upon themselves?
We were able to move quicker this time. The crowd pushed and heaved past empty buildings, knocking over motorcycles carelessly parked. An entry point of one office building, and we all rushed in, taking to the stairs, and as the sensation died down the sight in the stairwell was one to behold. Like some kind of urban warfare, there were people slumped against the wall, faces in disarray, completely broken in spirit, trying to regain some semblance of composure. Around went a saviour passing out salt, which miraculously rid us of the worst effects almost instantly. Resigned to painful defeat, we decided to walk back home, with public transport at the mercy of the government.
Funnily enough, we found ourselves walking towards Istana Negara, where the memo was to be passed to the king. And i've just learned from dad that as we left the city, people lingered on as a decoy, while a mass gathering took place at the Istana. Ingenious, when you see the size of the crowd. Once again, hats off and big kudos the the organisers who did a fantastic job of keeping everyone calm, orderly, help direct traffic, etcetera etcetera.
At the Istana, it was a normal looking sort of demonstration, one which did not look like it was gonna get ugly. Cheers as I presume the memo was handed over, and the crowd slowly dispersed. As quickly as the tear gas hit, it was all over.
Even now, as I write this, I feel a mild headache coming on. It may or may not be a side effect, but surely the worrying thing is my willingness to believe it is born out of injustice. For now, I have come to a deeper understanding as to why private security is still employed despite the police, and I may cower everytime I see smoke or smell something foreign in the air.
Today serves as a landmark for my patriotism. Today serves as a landmark for the nation's patriotism, for in the face of such cruelty and opposition we prevailed and were crowned victors of the day. I also hope, that with the events of today, change shall, God willing, be effected. The people have spoken, the people have risen, the people have taken action. The onus passes to the King as a test of strength, and to the government to clean up its act.
You want the votes? Bloody earn it.
RASHAAD ALI
Friday, November 9, 2007
Vietnamese
Walking through a side road of Kuantan (Malaysia), in the bushes near the Chinese Graveyard area in Jalan Bukit Ubi I saw this.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Just a local tourist in Kemaman, Trengganu, Malaysia.
Thursday 8th Nov. 2007, being a public holiday, I decided to take a trip to Kemaman, a not so big town just across the border of Pahang, north, in Trengganu, also close to the sea on the east coast. Every time I go to that town (and I go there often in the course of my work, past and present), I have always been impressed with how clean the town is, and hedges on the road dividers so well trimmed. What the secret? The Town Council workers work very hard to maintain that condition. Morning and evening one sees them working; I have actually seen them working before, and today I also saw them even at about 3 pm under the hot sun. And how is the town kept clean. FINE!, that is why, the notice board says so.
Kemaman is an old town but rejuvenated by the finding of oil and gas off its coast and by the PETRONAS oil and gas plants in another town just north of it. The economic spill over has created wealth in Kemaman. And one can see the old and the new in the town, the coffee house (Kopitiam), the Bank, and a car park full of cars among the old buildings with old tiled roofs, old fashioned and new fashioned windows, and a board showing that a lady must cover her head. It’s a town of contrast.
And a curry house. This curry house serves very tasty and succulent curry dishes. The owner looks Chinese, but he is actually a Muslim, with a Chinese mother and a Malay father.
And at the Kemaman River mouth is where all the fresh fish is landed. Saw a lone lobster among all the fish.
And local folks, mostly fishermen just came back from the sea, killing time playing draughts.
And shells for sale.
It’s a peaceful little location with development just about coming.
Kemaman is an old town but rejuvenated by the finding of oil and gas off its coast and by the PETRONAS oil and gas plants in another town just north of it. The economic spill over has created wealth in Kemaman. And one can see the old and the new in the town, the coffee house (Kopitiam), the Bank, and a car park full of cars among the old buildings with old tiled roofs, old fashioned and new fashioned windows, and a board showing that a lady must cover her head. It’s a town of contrast.
And a curry house. This curry house serves very tasty and succulent curry dishes. The owner looks Chinese, but he is actually a Muslim, with a Chinese mother and a Malay father.
And at the Kemaman River mouth is where all the fresh fish is landed. Saw a lone lobster among all the fish.
And local folks, mostly fishermen just came back from the sea, killing time playing draughts.
And shells for sale.
It’s a peaceful little location with development just about coming.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Bright days ahead.
The sudden demise of my good friend on Monday last week was a sad moment for me and for all my other 'still alive' classmates. But the living has got to go on living, and I traveled back to the East Coast set to go to work again. And the bright sky and the rainbow ahead changed my mood to looking ahead for better days.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
A Grat Loss!
Monday 30th Oct 2007, a friend, a classmate, my personal Cardiologist, Dr Nik Zainal, died in a vehicle accident in late afternoon. And he was buried in a cemetary in Kuala Lumpur on the late Tuesday morning 31 Oct 2007. He was a great loss to me personally, to all those who knew him, and to Malaysia generally; he was a renowned Cardiologist of the country.
My last blog on him was in http://mckkpatikan.blogspot.com under the title AUGUST 31st.
And I mentioned him in my blog http://kiss-met.blogspot.com under a series of blogs on "My Heart" in Nov 2004.
May Allah bless his soul and be with him always.
(More blogs and article will follow on this friend).
My last blog on him was in http://mckkpatikan.blogspot.com under the title AUGUST 31st.
And I mentioned him in my blog http://kiss-met.blogspot.com under a series of blogs on "My Heart" in Nov 2004.
May Allah bless his soul and be with him always.
(More blogs and article will follow on this friend).
Saturday, October 27, 2007
a bad experience
A letter I e-mailed to a hotel in Ipoh (Malaysia).
I want to share some bad experience I had with Syuen Hotel Ipoh.
My wife and I were guest at the Hotel in Room 641 on Monday 22/10/2007. The problem may seem small, but it just shows how inefficient the Hotel is.
When I checked in into the room late that afternoon, all seems well. But a few hours later when my wife tried the room phone, it was not working. I contacted the Hotel by my handphone reporting the problem. A Technician came but he could not resolve the problem (I presume that he could not resolve the problem as he never came back and never gave us the feedback, neither did the Hotel management gave us the feedback ). And the room phone never got repaired even untill we checked out the next morning.
When it was getting dark, my wife wanted to order Nasi Goreng for dinner, ordering for delivery to the room. Again I had to use my handphone to contact the Hotel (as the room phone was never repaired). Who I told the person (a Hotel staff) at the other end that I wanted to order Nasi Goreng (delivered to the room) he straight away connected me to the Restaurant (I presume). I spoke to a lady and told her what I wanted and I also told her my room number. After about 1 hour, the Nasi Goreng did not come, we went down to the restaurant downstairs to have our meal,. (By that time we were no longer hungry, the thought of the inefficient hotel service was too much for us).
I related this experience that my wife and I went through to your Duty Manager that evening.
This was a bad experience, and I am writing this so that the same situation will not happen to other future Syuen Hotel guest.
I want to share some bad experience I had with Syuen Hotel Ipoh.
My wife and I were guest at the Hotel in Room 641 on Monday 22/10/2007. The problem may seem small, but it just shows how inefficient the Hotel is.
When I checked in into the room late that afternoon, all seems well. But a few hours later when my wife tried the room phone, it was not working. I contacted the Hotel by my handphone reporting the problem. A Technician came but he could not resolve the problem (I presume that he could not resolve the problem as he never came back and never gave us the feedback, neither did the Hotel management gave us the feedback ). And the room phone never got repaired even untill we checked out the next morning.
When it was getting dark, my wife wanted to order Nasi Goreng for dinner, ordering for delivery to the room. Again I had to use my handphone to contact the Hotel (as the room phone was never repaired). Who I told the person (a Hotel staff) at the other end that I wanted to order Nasi Goreng (delivered to the room) he straight away connected me to the Restaurant (I presume). I spoke to a lady and told her what I wanted and I also told her my room number. After about 1 hour, the Nasi Goreng did not come, we went down to the restaurant downstairs to have our meal,. (By that time we were no longer hungry, the thought of the inefficient hotel service was too much for us).
I related this experience that my wife and I went through to your Duty Manager that evening.
This was a bad experience, and I am writing this so that the same situation will not happen to other future Syuen Hotel guest.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
my place of birth
its great when I can show the whole world my place of birth.
kampung lipat kajang: the kampung (village) is an old Malay kampung, the old folks have passed away, and young folks have migrated out. its like an abandoned kampung. old wooden houses are still standing, empty. but new houses are being built, mostly of bricks now, but the rate of re-population is very slow. plots of land (rubber trees, abandoned padi fields, orchards) are left unattended mostly.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Hari Raya (Eid) eat.
One of the traditional ways of celebrating Eid is to have an 'eat'. Of course the religious traditions are always practised, but the eating part is a must.
At my friends house,
and some cookies (in jars),
And then they came to my place (picture taken before an 'eat' at my place), watching TV whilst waiting for food to be served on the table.
At my friends house,
and some cookies (in jars),
And then they came to my place (picture taken before an 'eat' at my place), watching TV whilst waiting for food to be served on the table.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Eid
Eid al-Fitri fell officially on Saturday 13 Oct. 2007 this year. But there was always controversies on the actual day.
http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143975978
Why Idd is pegged on the sighting of new moon
By Athman Amran
Some Kenyan Muslims celebrated Eid on Friday before the official announcement by the Chief Kadhi, Sheikh Hammad Kassim.
But the majority marked the day on Saturday following an official statement from Kassim.
Prophet Muhammad commanded his followers to "start and end the fast (Ramadhan) with the sighting of the moon. Picture: Tabitha Otwori
Year in year out, controversies mar the start and end of Ramadhan, when Muslims fast and pray.
Ramadhan falls in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar.
It is the time when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. It is followed by Eid-Ul-Fitr holiday, which was officially observed on Saturday. Ramadhan is also the month of prayers when Muslims believe the holy Koran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
Because Ramadhan is the most revered event in the Muslim calendar, the day it starts and ends is important to the faithful.
In recent years, controversy has erupted over when the event should start and end.
The controversy is because it has been impossible to predetermine when a new month begins, as this can only be known when the New Moon is spotted.
It is only when the Crescent Moon is seen that Muslims mark the new month.
The Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar with 12 months (354 days) in a year. It is about 11 days shorter than the ordinary calendar (Gregorian calendar), making Islamic holidays shift each year.
The Islamic calendar is also called the Hijri calendar. This is because the first year was during the Hijra, when Prophet Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina, fleeing persecution from Meccans who were against his new religion.
The calendar is used to date events in many predominantly Muslim countries. It is also used by Muslims to determine when to celebrate holy days.
This strict observation of the moon, to start the month has made it impossible to know the exact date when Ramadhan begins and ends to usher in Eid-Ul-Fitr.
This scenario has brought controversy not only among Kenyan Muslims but others worldwide.
Muhammad stressed the strictness of observing the New Moon more than 1,400 years ago.
The prophet is quoted as saying: "Start and end fast (Ramadhan) with the sighting of the moon and if the moon cannot be sighted on the 29th, then count the days to 30".
The New Moon, in astronomical terms, is the lunar phase that occurs when it lies between Earth and the Sun in its monthly orbital motion around the Earth.
The illuminated half of the moon at this time faces the sun and its dark portion faces earth. The moon would thus be invisible from earth.
National Council of Crescent
The first visible crescent moon appears over the western horizon briefly between sunset and moonset. The precise time and date of the appearance would be thus influenced by the geographic location of the observer.
Most Muslims check with local mosques or other members of the community to see if leaders have sighted the moon.
The National Council of Crescent has been put in place to observe the New Moon and ensure that Kenyans begin and end fast simultaneously. The council was created on September 9 after a meeting of 41 Muslim scholars.
Chairman of Majlis Ulamaa Sheikh Khalfan Khamis chairs the Nairobi panel while the Chief Kadhi chairs the Mombasa panel. The Nairobi panel liaises with the Mombasa panel, as it is the Chief Kadhi who officially announces the beginning and end of Ramadhan.
"We want to ensure that the confusion on days to start and end Ramadhan is a thing of the past," Khamis told The Sunday Standard.
Khamis says scholars from Tanzania and Zanzibar are in the Mombasa panel as the two countries co-operate in ensuring that Muslims mark Islamic holidays concurrently.
But Uganda has opted to follow the Saudi calendar, which depends on "astronomical" calculations.
The Chief Kadhi and other kadhis all over the country usually provide their telephone numbers to be contacted by any Muslim who observes the New Moon from any part of the country. This information has to be strictly verified to ensure it is not a hoax before the Chief Kadhi makes an official announcement.
Kassim says that there is now less confusion among Kenyan Muslims as to when to begin and end Ramadhan.
The council has representatives on the ground who get information and confirm when the New Moon is sighted in their respective regions.
The representatives are from Majlis Ulamaa, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya among other Islamic organisations.
"We got information from all the regions on Thursday evening that the New Moon was not sighted. In majority of Muslim countries they had also not sighted the New Moon on that day," the Chief Kadhi told The Sunday Standard.
He said they even received reports from Tanzania and Zanzibar that the New Moon was not sighted on Thursday.
He said Uganda was the exception as they follow Saudi Arabia since the days of former president the late Iddi Amin Dada.
Other Islamic countries, too, have committees for observing the New Moon, for purposes of observing important Islamic days.
At times, there have been regional differences in the exact date of Eid, with some Muslims fasting for 29 days and some for 30 days.
In Malaysia, they use sighting of the moon and astronomical calculation to verify the date. But the calculation is only used to verify the sighting of the moon (the exact time the moon is spotted).
Saudi Arabia has adopted a calendar based on astronomical New Moon, which has been controversial. The calendar has been adopted to create a predictable structure of dates linked to spotting of the moon. The Saudi authorities, knowing that this would be against the command of the Prophet, insist that the calendar is only for administrative purposes and has no role when it comes to determining religious dates.
http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143975978
Why Idd is pegged on the sighting of new moon
By Athman Amran
Some Kenyan Muslims celebrated Eid on Friday before the official announcement by the Chief Kadhi, Sheikh Hammad Kassim.
But the majority marked the day on Saturday following an official statement from Kassim.
Prophet Muhammad commanded his followers to "start and end the fast (Ramadhan) with the sighting of the moon. Picture: Tabitha Otwori
Year in year out, controversies mar the start and end of Ramadhan, when Muslims fast and pray.
Ramadhan falls in the ninth month of the Muslim calendar.
It is the time when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset. It is followed by Eid-Ul-Fitr holiday, which was officially observed on Saturday. Ramadhan is also the month of prayers when Muslims believe the holy Koran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad.
Because Ramadhan is the most revered event in the Muslim calendar, the day it starts and ends is important to the faithful.
In recent years, controversy has erupted over when the event should start and end.
The controversy is because it has been impossible to predetermine when a new month begins, as this can only be known when the New Moon is spotted.
It is only when the Crescent Moon is seen that Muslims mark the new month.
The Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar with 12 months (354 days) in a year. It is about 11 days shorter than the ordinary calendar (Gregorian calendar), making Islamic holidays shift each year.
The Islamic calendar is also called the Hijri calendar. This is because the first year was during the Hijra, when Prophet Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina, fleeing persecution from Meccans who were against his new religion.
The calendar is used to date events in many predominantly Muslim countries. It is also used by Muslims to determine when to celebrate holy days.
This strict observation of the moon, to start the month has made it impossible to know the exact date when Ramadhan begins and ends to usher in Eid-Ul-Fitr.
This scenario has brought controversy not only among Kenyan Muslims but others worldwide.
Muhammad stressed the strictness of observing the New Moon more than 1,400 years ago.
The prophet is quoted as saying: "Start and end fast (Ramadhan) with the sighting of the moon and if the moon cannot be sighted on the 29th, then count the days to 30".
The New Moon, in astronomical terms, is the lunar phase that occurs when it lies between Earth and the Sun in its monthly orbital motion around the Earth.
The illuminated half of the moon at this time faces the sun and its dark portion faces earth. The moon would thus be invisible from earth.
National Council of Crescent
The first visible crescent moon appears over the western horizon briefly between sunset and moonset. The precise time and date of the appearance would be thus influenced by the geographic location of the observer.
Most Muslims check with local mosques or other members of the community to see if leaders have sighted the moon.
The National Council of Crescent has been put in place to observe the New Moon and ensure that Kenyans begin and end fast simultaneously. The council was created on September 9 after a meeting of 41 Muslim scholars.
Chairman of Majlis Ulamaa Sheikh Khalfan Khamis chairs the Nairobi panel while the Chief Kadhi chairs the Mombasa panel. The Nairobi panel liaises with the Mombasa panel, as it is the Chief Kadhi who officially announces the beginning and end of Ramadhan.
"We want to ensure that the confusion on days to start and end Ramadhan is a thing of the past," Khamis told The Sunday Standard.
Khamis says scholars from Tanzania and Zanzibar are in the Mombasa panel as the two countries co-operate in ensuring that Muslims mark Islamic holidays concurrently.
But Uganda has opted to follow the Saudi calendar, which depends on "astronomical" calculations.
The Chief Kadhi and other kadhis all over the country usually provide their telephone numbers to be contacted by any Muslim who observes the New Moon from any part of the country. This information has to be strictly verified to ensure it is not a hoax before the Chief Kadhi makes an official announcement.
Kassim says that there is now less confusion among Kenyan Muslims as to when to begin and end Ramadhan.
The council has representatives on the ground who get information and confirm when the New Moon is sighted in their respective regions.
The representatives are from Majlis Ulamaa, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya among other Islamic organisations.
"We got information from all the regions on Thursday evening that the New Moon was not sighted. In majority of Muslim countries they had also not sighted the New Moon on that day," the Chief Kadhi told The Sunday Standard.
He said they even received reports from Tanzania and Zanzibar that the New Moon was not sighted on Thursday.
He said Uganda was the exception as they follow Saudi Arabia since the days of former president the late Iddi Amin Dada.
Other Islamic countries, too, have committees for observing the New Moon, for purposes of observing important Islamic days.
At times, there have been regional differences in the exact date of Eid, with some Muslims fasting for 29 days and some for 30 days.
In Malaysia, they use sighting of the moon and astronomical calculation to verify the date. But the calculation is only used to verify the sighting of the moon (the exact time the moon is spotted).
Saudi Arabia has adopted a calendar based on astronomical New Moon, which has been controversial. The calendar has been adopted to create a predictable structure of dates linked to spotting of the moon. The Saudi authorities, knowing that this would be against the command of the Prophet, insist that the calendar is only for administrative purposes and has no role when it comes to determining religious dates.
Friday, October 12, 2007
just about 3 years ago to the day
just about 3 years ago to the day, I had a major heart operations.
I wrote all that in my blog,
http://kiss-met.blogspot.com
under a series of blogs called "My Heart", which I wrote in about mid-November 2004. Just remembering.
I wrote all that in my blog,
http://kiss-met.blogspot.com
under a series of blogs called "My Heart", which I wrote in about mid-November 2004. Just remembering.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
ugly scenes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI8381T6dI8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdDBcpge4QI&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq7PxjTlLto&NR=1
When you see ugly scenes like these, you wonder what is actually happening in our lives, forget our country for the time being. How could this have happened? What started it? One never know what really happens really, the Govt. will try to tell their side of the story and the rioters theirs. In the end there is no solution, no action and and ............... it can recurr again anytime, any where.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdDBcpge4QI&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq7PxjTlLto&NR=1
When you see ugly scenes like these, you wonder what is actually happening in our lives, forget our country for the time being. How could this have happened? What started it? One never know what really happens really, the Govt. will try to tell their side of the story and the rioters theirs. In the end there is no solution, no action and and ............... it can recurr again anytime, any where.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
halal
http://www.halaljournal.com/
The above is an interesting site for those interested in "halal" issues.
The above is an interesting site for those interested in "halal" issues.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
wild
I have photographs all sorts of flowers of Malaysia, and I even had published a small book on it (http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=). But nothing in my mind can beat this wild orchid which I photographed a few months ago in a durian plantation of an old friend. And the orchid plant thrived on one of his durian trees. I thought that the flowers were really beautiful, pure white and wild.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
a sports complex
Imagine having a sports complex almost right next to your doorstep. Its happening. The spot was already earmarked for a sports complex, which was supposed to be built about 15 years ago. But for the change of hand of the land title and beauracracy, it was delayed untill now. The Sports Complex now being built by the Malaysian Sports Council.
Imagine them building facilities such as an Olympic sized swimming pool, a few futsal courts, a grandstand, a football field, and a 6 lane synthetic track. Surely the resident nearby will benefit from such facilities, even if we have to pay to go in or utilise them.
I live on the outer fringe of Kuala Lumpur City and there is no sports facility near our housing estate. But with this sports complex now being built, we are very close and within reach to a very well equipped sports complex.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Two extreme ends
Its early Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. The streets of Kuala Lmpur are busy with shoppers. But among the happiness, there is sadness, even in the early part of the month. Shoppers are busy queing up at the paying counter of the Carrefour hypermarket, these people are the rich ones. There are 42 paying counters in all, and all are full of waiting customers.
.jpg)
But a few kilometer way, near another shopping complex, I spied this old lady waiting, begging with her empty bowl, earning probably a few RM for the day to feed herself (and probably her children).
.jpg)
Its a stark extreme in this country of paradise.
.jpg)
But a few kilometer way, near another shopping complex, I spied this old lady waiting, begging with her empty bowl, earning probably a few RM for the day to feed herself (and probably her children).
.jpg)
Its a stark extreme in this country of paradise.
Monday, September 10, 2007
a moth?
A moth? or an angel? The body was just about 1.5 inch long.
Saw this on the floor under my apartment when I got back last week. A beauty, something that I have never seen before, and I doubt if I ever will see it again. Its now gone ........... forever.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Roti canai
One of Malaysia favourite breakfast is a sort of pancake, made from dough of flour, condensed milk, and egg. The soft malleable dough is 'thinned' by thrown it about in the air (a special skill is needed here) and folded and cooked over a hot plate, lubricated with oil, cooked untill almost crisped. And mostly eaten with curry, or any gravy that you wish to have it with, or even with sugar (in some parts of Malaysia). You normally have the pancake with 'teh tarik' (tea sweetened with condensed milk and sugar, thrown about in the air from one cup to another, the mixture not spooned stired. Here again a special skill is needed to make the concoction).
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
A Treatment System.
These 2 pretty ladies,
were at an exhibition, which I happened to walk into yesterday, they exhibiting a traditional treatment system. Maybe that is not the correct name, but for the purpose of this blog is good enough. But if anyone is interested then the interested party can always e-mail: Aniza
What caught my eyes were these two products, namely virgin coconut oil,
and honey, from wild tropical jungle tree top bees.
I thought they were special, and reasonably priced. And now I know where to get them when I or anyone else want them.
were at an exhibition, which I happened to walk into yesterday, they exhibiting a traditional treatment system. Maybe that is not the correct name, but for the purpose of this blog is good enough. But if anyone is interested then the interested party can always e-mail: Aniza
What caught my eyes were these two products, namely virgin coconut oil,
and honey, from wild tropical jungle tree top bees.
I thought they were special, and reasonably priced. And now I know where to get them when I or anyone else want them.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Thai but outside Thailand.
I have been told that it was there, but I have very little idea on how to find it. They say that the place serves very good Thai dishes, its outside Kuala Lumpur, in a village somewhere, Sungei Buluh the name is. They say that the place is called De’ Chiang Mai. Sounds exotic. They tried to give directions but I have by then found it difficult even to understand the direction they gave.
And today, I was quite near the place they mentioned and I asked somebody I know nearby to give me a more specific direction. It was still sketchy but as it was only late morning, so I drove around to find it. The challenge being that to get to the place there are crossings of highways nearby and if I miss one turn I might hit one of the highways and may end up at a far distant place. I was lucky, and I found it in a little village full of other ‘copied’ Thai food restaurants, nurseries and cheap cement tiles workshops worked by probably Indonesian immigrants.
A very impressive, place,
Impressive internal decorations,
Impressive dining tables,
Impressive food,
And impressive owner.
Nearby within the same facilities they have their own vegetable plots where they plant ’pandan’ and all other plant ingredients for good Thai tasting food.
The price is quite reasonable for the facilities that one gets, but the distance from town is not conducive for quick lunch. And they open from 12 noon to 10.30 at night only. And no hard liquor is served, the owner being a Muslim.
And today, I was quite near the place they mentioned and I asked somebody I know nearby to give me a more specific direction. It was still sketchy but as it was only late morning, so I drove around to find it. The challenge being that to get to the place there are crossings of highways nearby and if I miss one turn I might hit one of the highways and may end up at a far distant place. I was lucky, and I found it in a little village full of other ‘copied’ Thai food restaurants, nurseries and cheap cement tiles workshops worked by probably Indonesian immigrants.
A very impressive, place,
Impressive internal decorations,
Impressive dining tables,
Impressive food,
And impressive owner.
Nearby within the same facilities they have their own vegetable plots where they plant ’pandan’ and all other plant ingredients for good Thai tasting food.
The price is quite reasonable for the facilities that one gets, but the distance from town is not conducive for quick lunch. And they open from 12 noon to 10.30 at night only. And no hard liquor is served, the owner being a Muslim.
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