2014

Jan-Apr

May-Aug

Sep-Dec

2014 Diary

Tu Nahi To Teri Yaad Sahi

Dated 2014 Sep 1 Mon 6 Z-Kaedah 1435H

(Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi, Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi

Yaado ke sahare jee lenge, Hum zeher gumo ka pee lenge

Khud jaake girebaa see lenge)2x

Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi, Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi

Yun meri tarah koi na ujade, Na meet kiske mann ka bichhade

Yun meri tarah koi na ujade, Na meet kiske mann ka bichhade

Toda hain mera dil tune magar, Kisi aur ka mat karna tukade

Ilzaam wafa ke has kar hum, Ilzaam wafa ke has kar hum

Sar dekhana apne hi lenge, Hum zeher gumo ka pee lenge

Khud jaake girebaa seelenge

Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi, Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi

Kabhi tujhko chandani raato mein, Yaad aaye jo hum barsaato mein

Kabhi tujhko chandani raato mein, Yaad aaye jo hum barsaato mein

Nafrat hi se lena naam mera, Kabhi zikra mera ho baato mein

Roye ge sadda par bhule se, Roye ge sadda par bhule se

Hum naam tera mat bhi lenge, Hum zeher gumo ka pee lenge

Khud jaake girebaa seelenge

Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi, Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi

Inn pyaar ki sab tasveero ko, Aur likhi sab tehreero ko

Inn pyaar ki sab tasveero ko, Aur likhi sab tehreero ko

Ik raakh ka dher bana dena, Sab khwabo ki taamilo ko

Barbaad na apna waqt karo, Barbaad na apna waqt karo

Hum apni nayi lenge, Hum zeher gumo ka pee lenge

Khud jaake girebaa see lenge

Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi, Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi

Yaado ke sahare jee lenge, Hum zeher gumo ka pee lenge

Khud jaake girebaa see lenge

Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi, Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi

Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi, Tu nahin to teri yaad sahi.

Getting Tamer and Tamer

Dated 2014 Sep 1 Mon 6 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Getting Annoyed to Right-Turn

Dated 2014 Sep 3 Wed 8 Z-Kaedah 1435H

There is another one at two-hundred meters further up, and it is compounded with the oncoming traffic turning right too.

Monsoon is Knocking the Door

Dated 2014 Sep 4 Thu 9 Z-Kaedah 1435H

The rain is coming. At the moment it's a local since it usually comes at nigt, but perhaps a pre-monsoon. Thunderous and lightening, but sans wind.

The rain keeps many people at bay. And when at bay many people reflect to the past. It's wet and chilly cold. Falling rain used to bring a lot of fun. And later nourish a lot of creatures.

Been here Together Before

Dated 2014 Sep 5 Fri 10 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Dropped by after we were taken to view the land nearby on which I wished to build a house for her, so that she could be with her siblings for the rest of her life. To date, my wish was granted, but my calculation was all wrong. Destiny is very much more complicated than the simple quadratic.

The Street of Intelectuals

Dated 2014 Sep 5 Fri 10 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Not even in the so-called Academic District of Bangi-Serdang.

Rare Delicacy Fruits

Dated 2014 Sep 7 Sun 12 Z-Kaedah 1435H

The fruits soon to be forgotten by the next generation when they raze the land for buildings.

Batu-6, the Deswelling Market

Dated 2014 Sep 10 Wed 15 Z-Kaedah 1435H

The Sky Apple Juice

Dated 2014 Sep 14 Sun 19 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Metropolitan Kuala Lumpur

Dated 2014 Sep 16 Tue 21 Z-Kaedah 1435H

This was to inform that I was in KUL. The Sep-15 img didn't catch anyone, obviously because they didn't have the experience of paying "tunai" the toll. If they did, they would know that even with exact amount, it would take some minutes to get it over.

The first And the Last

Dated 2014 Sep 16 Tue 21 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Back to TGG on this date, by land. Returned to KUL two days ago on Sun only to fetch Asri who was on his mid-term one week break since last Sat. So that he would not be alone at home. In TGG, I could continue the task in W-Tengah, and CB could accompany him as well. And this would free up Alya for her UPM research concentration.

LTSM

Dated 2014 Sep 18 Thu 23 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Location-wise the airport is just a walking distance from where I stay. Tok Jembal, currently when I return to TGG. But on the back-side. The area for potential expansion of the airport when needed. Lining along the fence is thus a conducive way to watch the plane taking-off. Either way, land-wards, or sea-wards.

From time to time, spectators stops along the fence to watch the amazing flying machine in action. Especially those who had not been on a flight before. And especially during Haj season. In recent years several flights are arranged to take off directly from here to Mekkah without first going to KUL. Sending-off relatives waited for hours along the fence, after bye-ing at the departure hall, until the plane take-off.

Caught Khairil in Aberdeen with his recent trip to Portugal, but this one apparently was in Edinburgh. I have been to this place before. Twice, once in 1976, and another in 1983.

Ikan Bakar Bukit Tunggal

Dated 2014 Sep 19 Fri 24 Z-Kaedah 1435H

The eatery is a very small place along a rather busy access road, off-the main road after the bridge, very close to the school where I first learned 3R when I was a just a timid boy.

About a year ago, Asri, CB and I came here for a treat. We indulged with a snapper and a jack each. The next day we had "cika" from it. Diarrhoea. And lost altogether the apetite for ikan bakar. Sometimes worse with the feeling of rejection even a mention of it. Asri recovered about six months later. Tonight CB wanted to test his recovery.

The "Pingitan" Marketplace - Manir

Dated 2014 Sep 20 Sat 25 Z-Kaedah 1435H

The marketplace I would not miss on Sat morning whenever I am in TGG. It's the only genuine producers-consumers meeting place in the vicinity. Other markets are just the rendz between traders, mostly middlemen, and consumers.

Being authentic, the merchandise are normally small, and thus one needs to go there early for certain rare items before others grab. Nearly all traditional items are still available.

Accompanying merchandise had to follow the mood. Things here are thus reasonably cheaper. Fish especially is not excluded. The sellers compete among themselves for the roaming customers.

And the most interesting is probably the peddler items, mostly on bargain price, like car-boot sale. Watching the people alone is interesting enough.

The Appearance of Lembaga Putih

Dated 2014 Sep 20 Sat 25 Z-Kaedah 1435H

The day I was travelling back to KUL with Asri to catch his school re-start on 22 Mon, after a couple of days in TGG. The hit was actually on my TGG drive last Tue. Here, LPT2 north-bound end, in the evening. And Tue was Malaysia Day Sep 16 which was a national break.

The view is verbatim of the overbridge after Temerloh bridge KUL-bound, under which many small fish get the hit. I overheard one chat that if an object moves faster than 160, the gun would not be able catch before-and-after, and thus would not register the speed. The img, the chat said, appeared like the path depiction of speedy-gonzzales. Does the gun calculate ds/dt, or Δs/Δt?

When We are Sixty

Dated 2014 Sep 21 Sun 26 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Safe and sound in Sg Merab, to linger on for quite sometimes before resuming works in TGG. Alya needed the time just before Raya Haji for a full concentration on her first-ever public appearance in a conference on works she didn't do but was asked by her sv to present, which then needed me to tend fully to Asri schooling. And of course Raya Haji, the 5-th without Azizah. Without her, Raya in TGG is an has been. And in Sg Merab in whichever way, and whoever with, be it alone.

Contemplated with Alya the schedule after Raya Haji. CB would return by AK for the Raya, after which we would return-drive to TGG. I would stay there to resume the task in W-Tengah. Then in mid-Oct return to Sg Merab again, and again with CB for his mid-sem break. He then would fly back to TGG to resume his second half of his 5-th sem. And to take up later after that.

In the meantime there are a lot of things to do in Sg Merab. Things what Alya termed House-Audit. The house was neglected for the past four years.

Dropping-in for a Poke

Dated 2014 Sep 23 Tue 28 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Just to test the acidity of the water. And tried to read the mind after the poking. The img was captured forty years ago, when I was twenty-three. I was on the first outing since arrived in Salford, visiting colleagues in Reading. They were doing better than us in Salford although Dr Noramly had made quite an effort in Salford. Our contention then was that UKM CHEM was known too much to Salford that they see the univ rather than us as the students. Friends in other places such as Sussex, East Anglia, London, Leeds, Wales were all on bona fide basis, including those of non-science.

It was at wee hr when the img was posted. Four hr later the front was painted with a text-post. Seeing no new post after the text-post, I decided to delete the img-post two days later when it was safely archived in my webpage. The second img was posted soon before all were deleted which remotely was in the evening, and far past m-night locally. It was to make a concluding remark. But I still wasn't sure that I've read it correctly.

Mawar Malu

Dated 2014 Sep 24 Wed 29 Z-Kaedah 1435H

Originally it grew wild after it settled among others. The yellow Alamanda was one of the others. Then it was neglected, but not abandoned.

Rejuvenated the plant. Freed it from all others, making it a solitaire. And trimmed all the branches, leaving just the stump as the re-beginner. And it worked marvelously. It flourished, and kept on branching to give the blossoms, non-stop. And was maintained like that ever since.

An attempt to re-start a new stump had failed. The branch cut-off from the original stump, simply didn't grow next to the original stump. On the second thought, this is a great idea to start a rose-farming-breeding.

A Noble-Cat

Dated 2014 Sep 26 Fri 1 Z-Hijjah 1435H

A cat, owner-less perhaps, but very reluctant to call an alley-cat for its gentleman-ness in picking up a place to rest. The cat was absolutely sure that it was a place no one would bother, and it would not bother no one.

One of the Rare Fruits

Dated 2014 Sep 28 Sun 3 Z-Hijjah 1435H

The fruits of the big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) are large, light grey to brown capsules that measure almost 40 cm in length, containing 71 winged seeds, 7 to 12 cm long.

The fruits are called 'sky fruits' (buah tunjuk-langit) because they seem to point upwards from the tree. The 'sky fruit' concentrate is sold as a natural remedy that is said to improve blood circulation and skin. Consumption of the sky fruit concentrate is approved by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia. Source: FRIM.

Pipeapple ia a majestic compound fruit, also pointing upward, displaying its elegant crown. Banana cluster is fruiting downwards, but individual fruit turns to point upwards on maturing. Compare the sweetness of parts of the fruit from top to bottom among normal fruits, e.g., a papaya, to a pineapple; cf its stalk position on the tree.

It's So Artistic Nothing To Do With the Food Technology

Dated 2014 Sep 29 Mon 4 Z-Hijjah 1435H

Sun morning Pasar Tani off-PKNS BBBangi. Practically another version of mobile market. It wasn't the farmer themselves, still the distributors-retailers. But lacking was the actual farmers produce in quantities. Instead stalls and stalls of processed foods.

Who Care?

Dated 2014 Oct 1 Wed 6 Z-Hijah 1435H

An advert selling a very simple dress, for female only, invoking the Amighty. For that particular market niche thus in BM.

Twice reading followed by a comprehension, and a discourse, it's well understood. The ultimate is buy the merchandise. But the priory, supposedly to take care that, and to do that one needs the ultimate intention.

But, who cares? Nobody cares about the language anymore. The language is no longer a beauty of literature. All beuaties nowday are tangible. Language is only a mean to make understand, not a beauty to appreciate.

Let It Be, Here I Come

Dated 2014 Oct 2 Thu 7 Z-Hijah 1435H

The night I drove to KLIA-2. For the first time there since its opening early this year.

Coincidentally along the way, down to KLIA, all petrol stations were swarmed by patient motorists q-ing to fill their tanks. The next day petrol price was to hike. The annual affair. The annual pre-budget exercise to give the traders legitimacy to exercise their 'divine' right of hiking the price of their merchandise.

Selamat Hari Raya Idul Azha

Dated 2014 Oct 4 Sat 9 Z-Hijah 1435H

Fb-wise, it appeared that other places, including in UK, the Eid was celebrated today, meaning one day earlier. And the Arafah day was yesterday. Apparently M'sia did not adjust the lunar dating from the sighting. It followed the calendar which had been fixed since early this year by calculation.

The Eid was flavoured with vitriolic feeling of the effects of fuel price hike commencing on last Thu. But it's a deja vu. It's like a torrential rain. Very soon when people are busy with their daily routine, things would return to normal, naturally. And this country would be hailed a heaven again. Cheapest fuel (compared to countries with higher fuel price).

By the way in Vanezuela the rakyat pay USD0.01 per litre, perhaps the cheapest on the globe. The highest perhaps is in Norway, USD2.38 per litre. In USD, 1 litre of petrol in M-sia is 0.58. Our nearest northern neighbour pay USD1.37 per litre, and the southern neighbour pay USD1.71. Next neighbour Indonesia USD0.89, and Brunei USD0.41. In the USA, its rakyat pay USD0.93 per litre.

Idul Azha 1435H - 2014M

Dated 2014 Oct 6 Mon 11 Z-Hijah 1435H

It was 2014 Oct 5 Sun. The 5-th time without Azizah. And plus the congener five Shawals, through the time, it was a manageable day. Except the first shawal in 2010, when it was a trial into the unknown that we had not even a faintest idea on how it would be going. The lessons then had taught us a lot, and had made our selves to go on.

The day passed by like it was a yesterday that will never be, and a tomorrow that has never been. Life in reality is altogether an unreflection of virtuality. An imagination is just a permutation, just like a rythm which is an harmonious permutation of noises.

The Heat Lasted Only Five Days

Dated 2014 Oct 7 Tue 12 Z-Hijah 1435H

After five days, the fire died down, as always, self-extinguished.

While Waiting

Dated 2014 Oct 9 Thu 14 Z-Hijah 1435H

Originally it was shared from Alya's post on Oct 8. But there was no reaction for a day. It was perhaps invisible on the netters wall. It was almost true when I copy-paste-ed on my own wall, verbatim.

MH KUL-TGG

Dated 2014 Oct 11 Sat 16 Z-Hijah 1435H

As info-ed. Being there on the Gold ticket which will expire in six months time, after then it would fall back to Silver, or Blue. And since the last six months, a lot of changes had taken place.

For a start no one in the place knew me, and I knew no one. The place itself was renovated to put more seats, the front desk being right after the entrance, on the left which used to house the business centre. But most of all the foods were a lot less than before. All were of in-situ consumables. All canned items were replaced with dispenser type. And there are nothing on the shelves in the washroom. It appeared that a resuscitation centre was made available at a cost at the back of the area.

The img of the river, despite its true-ness, was a cover for one ca 3 min before that, which I used to capture on a day-time MH KUL-TGG, on which I deliberately opted for the F-row. On A-row it would not be visible, and the Nerus river would not be as posing as this.

The river is now a typical river in the country. It no longer become the life-line of the habitat on the basin. The water is muddy, not even nourishing to the aquatics. It's no longer a play-ground for the children. Nearly all children in the basin have no swimming skill any more.

The river appeared dead, but occasionally it swallowed strangers. Happenings which were unheard of during my childhood time fifty years ago, even during monsoon time when the river swelled to the houses along both banks.

Manir - the Last of the Marketplace

Dated 2014 Oct 11 Sat 16 Z-Hijah 1435H

This is going to be the first of a series of faces and colours of Manir marketplace. The place I would not like to miss on every Sat whenever I am in TGG. Somehow I missed today in priority for other tasks.

In the while, behind the posts were tasks to accomplish in W-Tengah house. Bathrooms acc were procured today, as always in Insamadu, Jln Bkt Kechik. Cermin Jaya in Padang Nenas was contacted to furnish the panes of the windows. And PokPin msg-ed that he would come in the evening to deliver the grill for the 4-pax windows near the side stair. When these last two items are fitted, the inside of the house is secured, either for safe-keeping of things, or PokSid to start seriously the wiring and plumbing of the house.

Sutung

Dated 2014 Oct 11 Sat 16 Z-Hijah 1435H

The locals name them all by squid-prefix. Traditionally many delis were made from squids, depending on the types of the squid. Nowadays, they are known in mass by battered-fried.

In the while, the glass-pane people came over to measure and quantify the glasses to be cut. And the grill were delivered by the evening. I told PokPin to let me put them up later, by myself, since the pane had to go before the grill. Beside I wanted to polish the window locks as well for smoother use.

Bona Fide Faces and Colours

Dated 2014 Oct 12 Sun 17 Z-Hijah 1435H

Both img invited further discourse on the figures themselves, as I saw it. Their steadfastness perhaps made them enjoy doing what they were doing. In ernest honesty for a descent living. They are just among others of similar nature. One more I noticed were the tobacco sellers. These people deserve a separate folio. They had been here for a very long time, the saw the evolution of the market itself, since the market was a makeshift. Even the small creatures not excluded.

A Simple Research in Sociology

Dated 2014 Oct 12 Sun 17 Z-Hijah 1435H

Getting a poke again, this time by Dr Nalini in Tembila. I could no be more than being an onlooker and see the thing hilariously.

Of course there is an exact explanation for the phenomenon. For sure ant society is a complex integration of individuals of specific function. And they are professional in carrying out their task, and dedicatedly unselfish.

Herbal Nutraceuticals

Dated 2014 Oct 13 Mon 18 Z-Hijah 1435H

In W-Tengah, with all panes fitted, the day was spent in polishing the latch-lock of the windows. As always some final touch-up needed. Some of the panes were too loose, and needed silicone-seal, but this could be done later.

In the mean time, from Manir collection was this herbal nutraceutical seller. The first time I met her was in Pasar Payang in post-2007. Her specialty is the staying-power she said she was media-ed many time already. But my interest was her the perfume she said she made by herself from karas. It is really perfuming. She, a 03, apparently moved her spot from Pasar Payang, to Manir.

Nenas Chalok, Aye Selasih

Dated 2014 Oct 13 Mon 18 Z-Hijah 1435H

The info, had lured Sue into text. Being a Setiu native she was excited because she knew it very well. But bait-ing her to lure Hajar was unsuccessful. Perhaps Pasar Manir was not imbibing enough. Nonetheless, Yati in Reading text-ed, picking up other item in the img. Another fruit. And some interactive followed.

But on the aye, she could not resist the temptation. The img was captured in Sandakan last year. Psychologically she corrected it with an asking that the fish is selasih. She was very sure with that, that had broken her resistance.

I actually am not sure. Both words, seraya and selasih, plus hitam and kurik, are in my mind from my mother who was very familiar with the names of the fish. Admittedly I conceded.

The Crustacean and the Amateur Signature

Dated 2014 Oct 14 Tue 19 Z-Hijah 1435H

The crabs and prawns available in Manir were not in so variety. They are just the common variety. Md Soot in Bakar Baginda started the text in a piercing meaning. What followed were the explanation. Noted that others were watching with interest.

In W-Tengah, I got help from Llah. With him available, took the opportunity to lay the bowl. All three were done in a short time. With that all the four washrooms are bowl-ed.

Next is to fit the delivery pipes fom g-floor to the sewerage line. But that would take some times to find the correct PVC fitting to negotiate the turning around the columns. Continued with putting up the rest of the doors. Started with the u-floor store. And even though it was just a plywood door, it took longer than the hardwood door.

The trimming of the door, and making the hinge-slots were time consuming even though the door materials are from soft-woods. The trimming was cumbersome, the planer just didn't want to bite to make a smooth surface. The sandpaper helped a lot. The sandpaper helped a lot. Five plywood doors altogether to be done.

Asam Gelugur - Garcinia

Dated 2014 Oct 15 Wed 20 Z-Hijah 1435H

Garcinia, despite its goodness, is not yet domesticated. Its uses in the traditional recipes had not waned out for many generations already. Only that the supply, available in the supermarket though, is getting more and more foreigned, where there are plenty of original non-domestication.

This one however, is believed to be local, and in the vicinity of Manir it wasn't an imposiblity.

In W-Tengah, the day was spent with putting up the u-store door. Done by late afternoon, before the break. It was time consuming to get it trimmed.

Continued with Bath-1 door. And it wasn't so time consuming for this one because the trimming was minimum. Done just before the sun-set.

Bye TGG, for Now

Dated 2014 Oct 18 Sat 23 Z-Hijah 1435H

Thu and Fri were with CB who arrived from Tembila since Wed late evening to commence his mid-sem break for a week, to be in KUL.

On Thu, a full day in W-Tengah, putting up the bath-2 door. It was an unprecedentedly long. It took nearly five hrs for trimming and slot-chiseling, and only a few minutes of screwing to the frame, but the result was very satisfactory. Two more such doors are to be fitted.

Fri morning, moving some of the ex-unisza papers from Tok Jembal to W-Tengah for archive, or for their natural evaporation, to free up Tok Jembal for a proper house attire.

Fri evening, put up the grills on the critical windows nearest to the side stair. With that the house is theoretically secured for the internal safety. Left the SWEETHOME for a leave in KUL.

Fri night, PokSid popped-in, told him it's time for him to embark on a full-scale operation of wiring the house, and get the electricity connected as soon as possible. Plumbing is not so urgent. Plumbing would be accelerated when the power is available. And also other touch-up things inside the house. Tiling could be extended to the stairs. PACKED to leave for KUL.

This is the last of the series of the faces and colours of Manir. Stopped by first thing in the morning for some provision, en route to KUL for a rather extended leave.

Re-Kelaut

Dated 2014 Oct 21 Tue 26 Z-Hijah 1435H

Sue started. Reacting to the post of May 30. Followed by others. Perhaps fb re-rolled the post which appears at the front wall in the public.

This post is thus a re-post to clear it. And surprisingly many, in fact more than the May 30, reacted. In excitment.

The following post of the day was to ride on the excitment, but surprisingly poorly. The img was captured in 2010, but the weather was the same. Rainy, and it was raining since returned from TGG on Sat evening. In real time, the background was with very high grassed, in the angle, would hide the dark sky.

Enterprising

Dated 2014 Oct 22 Wed 27 Z-Hijah 1435H

Packaging is a vital element in entrepreneurship. It would raise the perception of the quality of the object it packed. Ironically in the brightly awareness of the public that the contents are similar.

A similar concept is applicable to human presence. They may appear very intelligent in a regalia, no matter how dudely they are. And oral performance is one of the regalia that the public judges, no matter how dumb they are.

Hijriah New Year 1436H

Dated 2014 Oct 25 Sat 1 Muharram 1436H

A Precedence is Starting

Dated 2014 Oct 26 Sun 2 Muharram 1436H

Decided to take Alya-Asri for a good time, like we used to before. And the host, En Othman of Kajang JKR, is a good fellow, hp-ed me all this while to come, and never missed to on every of his walimah.

Making Fire

Dated 2014 Oct 27 Mon 3 Muharram 1436H

Lacking of materials humorous enough to imbibe the netters. Noted the lack of reaction.

Posted to archive the matches. The 'cap-lada' was captured in Kota Campus in 2009 Jul 9, unsure what they were delivering in the univ cafe where smoking is an odd scene, and no one uses this kind of matches anymore.

October End

Dated 2014 Oct 31 Fri 7 Muharram 1436H

It was quite a pause in FB for the last few days. Deliberated, until Md Soot poked, which ended up in Asam Pedas off PKNS. But despite his sympathy, it wasn't other than the past. And another followed later of the night. It was about patching the cracked windscreen, made by mixing rubbing alcohol (methanol perhaps), buggicide, and water, and painted on the cracked line.

Incidentally, I had a cracked windscreen, on WLU caught at Bukit Goh junction about a year ago. But would it work? For sure it would not make a glass. Perhaps it just forms a thin layer of liquid mixture with a refractive index similar to of a windscreen.

The intended posting for the Oct end was the Mary Hopkin's 'Those Were the Days'. The montage was composed from img collected online. It didn't catch many, it wasn't an hilarious object I guessed.

Oct 31 Fri 7 Muharram 1436H 2005, wasap-ed, in Sg Merab, that Malini had born another son in Az-Zarah. Our #9M#2F#4M.

Rain and Rain in November

Dated 2014 Nov 1 Sat 8 Muharram 1436H

In fact it had been so since the end of Oct. Late afternoon to mid-night, nearly a must, almost every day. It was very wet almost every morning, dry a bit in the afternoon. When it rains, the place appeared deserted and abandoned.

And so was my alma mater of both as a student, and employee. The entity had lost its original reason d'etre for the existence. And thus ticks with only sporadic kickings.

Leg-Wrestling

Dated 2014 Nov 4 Tue 11 Muharram 1436H

The img was screen-captured from a movie as info-ed, while searching for materials to make the folks tickle, noticing of late that the ticking was very slow.

The leg-wrestling wasn't too expected, but the next one, the monopod was. However, the air, perhaps was too cold for the ticking. It was slow too.

Gearing Up for a DRVTGG

Dated 2014 Nov 7 Fri 14 Muharram 1436H

It's time to be in TGG again for two reasons. One to see the progress of wiring and plumbing in the house of W-Tengah which PokSid sould have started seriously by now. And two, Asri's long pause of school days before the eventual end-of-the-year school break. In TGG I could put a hand in W-Tengah, with or without his participation. In either place, he would spend the time with Mac, wastefully.

Started with the img of very strong torrential rain, one was on the 6 Wed. In fact it's been torrential rain every late afternoon for the past many days already. After I took Asri to Alamanda for fresh air. Collecting some provisions, and settled Celcom bills, and of course a makan2 treat.

The VW pancake was captured from a movie - "Outsourced India", a romantic comedy. The movie depicted nearest to the real life in India, and how the west took advantage of the situation. What they didn't expect was the hospitality of the people, embedded in life even though the life is a misery.

Incidentally the pancake was casted from old VW rim-cap, utilised to the most by the local.

The plan for the drive was hatched many days ago.

A Pre-Monsoon to TGG

Dated 2014 Nov 8 Sat 15 Muharram 1436H

The post was in real-time, by mobile on iFoon, ca half-hr after passing the bridge, on refreshment break at Gambang, en route to TGG. And from the img captured by iFoon. The mobile was very slow indeed, I was not sure it was uploaded or not. Only when reaching at home in TGG then I realised by on Mac, that it was uploaded in real time. It was at night then, and text-ing with Nor Kamisah in Temerloh.

Yes, it was a pre-monsoon. It rained heavily from after Gambang right to KTGG, especially in Kemaman area. There were sign that the rains were for a few days already.

Bracing for the Monsoon

Dated 2014 Nov 9 Sun 16 Muharram 1436H

The coconut img was from Alamanda ex-Carrefour captured while gearing up for the DRVTGG a few days ago. Been observed this a long tome ago, especially those delivered in 'special' van to satay stall in BBBangi. Coconut, unlike rice, is a pure-original of m-yu, not c-na. Unfortunate! The coconut trees used to be one of the scene-mark for TGG together with sandy-white beach, sawah-padi, and people with islamic-class hospitality. It used to be, but now not any more. They have evolved.

Yes, last night DRVTGG was covered with wetness, and was very wet along the eastern coast. Kemaman was especially very wet, as it is known. KTGG was slightly drier, but at night it was raining all the time.

For the first time covered all the available sections of LPT2 because of the rain at the expense of 6-hr bench mark time. The first part Jabor-Chenih, then at Paka took all the rest of LPT2 to Bkt Jong. It was dark at Bkt Jong, after more than 7-hr drive, one of the longest in DRVTGGKUL.

An Object-Mark of TGG

Dated 2014 Nov 10 Mon 17 Muharram 1436H

Only until quite recently the pair budu-ikan-singgang became an object-mark to TGG, after the state is flooded with non-native, and the native were trying hard to show that they are alive with all the accents. Words, deeds, and possessions, without realising that nobody actually cares because on the other side of it they try very hard in anticipation to become like non-native who they think are more sophisticated. The food especially.

Tuned to the Accent

Dated 2014 Nov 11 Tue 18 Muharram 1436H

The img was of an outlet in Giant Padang Hiliran captured on 9 Sun. (Giant GB has been closed - unsafe by water-logged soil - it was the Kolam after all, nobody told them?). The figure was arbitrary, but real when vocalise, especially by the girls cashiers. And they arrogantly proud to say it, again and again, that way when pushed to repeat. They were very proud to work as cashiers, especially in a shop belonging to c-non-native, they work very hard.

Salmah chipped-in with the video, perhaps to complement the 10 Mon posting. It wasn't that funny, the lyrics wasn't poetic enough.

Exotic Local Fruit

Dated 2014 Nov 13 Thu 20 Muharram 1436H

The tampoi img was of 2007 in Kalang Arang setting. The fruit was brought back by Ani from her school in Bukit Wan. Noted that Azlina was right, they called it NGEKE, but as info-ed, TAMPOI is the bench-mark name. Incidentally Tampoi is a place in Melaka. Or was it PULASAM that was called PAHIT/PAIT?

Later that night, posted the img of kerisi-goreng to lead the wall. And it caught quite an interest.

Monsoon is Here Already

Dated 2014 Nov 14 Fri 21 Muharram 1436H

The rain actually started since Wed. But Fri was the peak. It was dark every where. We camped-in in the house in Tok Jembal, 3-beranak. CB came from Tembila since Wed evening.

Some how it was a lull in the afternoon, perhaps for going for Fri prayer, and it extended to past three when Alya landed in AK from KUL to join us for two days weekend. CB left for Tembila, targeted to arrive there before dark.

Rain, Rain, Rain, and Rain

Dated 2014 Nov 15 Sat 22 Muharram 1436H

Very wet. Low-lands started holding the excess water. Dry drains were filled up. Noted that aqua-lives were springing-up in festival. Un-missed were the carnival sounds of bull-frogs at sun-set.

Home-ward Bound

Dated 2014 Nov 16 Sun 23 Muharram 1436H

DRVKUL in Nissan with Alya, and Asri, leaving the monsoon for a while. The fb-posts were in real time by iFoon mobile, both img capturing and uploading.

Nursing a Baby Palm

Dated 2014 Nov 17 Mon 24 Muharram 1436H

Safe and sound at home, reflected on the last ten days away in TGG. Been seeing the view every time passing the road Jabor-Bkt Besi, where re-planting is in full scale. And kept on asking what were they.

The Lost Opportunity

Dated 2014 Nov 19 Wed 26 Muharram 1436H

Running out of imbibing img, dig-ed and mine-ed whatever available in the archive.

A Monster in the Flood

Dated 2014 Nov 21 Fri 28 Muharram 1436H

As info-ed. The flood in TGG was at peak. Worse than last year.

Amateur-vs-Professional

Dated 2014 Nov 22 Sat 29 Muharram 1436H

I was half-way done mowing my lawn when a team of professional arrived to do the same for the next plot, and used my lawn as their operation base, which afterwards littered the area with discarded drinks and pax-lunch containers and plastic bottles. For that I deferred the resumption the next day.

With all the pro skill and gears, alas, my and Asri's amateur was much professional at the finishing. Even Alya made quite substantial contribution. Netters didn't catch this though in the posting.

A Weekend of Rainy and Congestion

Dated 2014 Nov 24 Mon 1 SAFAR 1436H

It had been raining, most of the time torrentially with thunder and lightening, almost every late afternoon, and sometimes through to the night, for the past many days. A congener to the east coast monsoon that at the moment had anti-climax-ed its first wave.

We were on the move to Shah Alam to visit SB who had not been home for the past two weekends. The congestion was in the vicinity of MAEPS where MAHA 2014 was held. And at the same time the new shopping mall, IOI-CITY, on the opposite side of the multiple-lane carriage-way, part of LDP, was for the first day opened to the public. It wasn't fully ready, a lot of constructions were seen around it, but perhaps they were impatient to start collecting money from the public.

And on the way back, before the rain torrentially fall, I managed to capture the much needed scene of the Robosepien at work around the HICOM, the much seen objects in LPT when I was on the weekend TGG-KUL-TGG driving in early days in UDM in 2007-2009, after which the hoppings were more by air than by land. It had been a lot of humour of the Robosepien during the LPT time. They were dressed like homosepiens, complete in working high-tech gears, amd made to behave like homosepiens. On occasions, especially early in the morning, they missed to dress the lower part of the sepiens.

CB chipped in the wall with a much shared vid-clip of an ambulance in LPT, speeding on the carriage-way in counter-current. It was later explained by the authority of its necessity, apparently hauling a biker accident victim.

Nasi Dagang, Nasi Ayam, and Burgers

Dated 2014 Nov 25 Tue 2 Safar 1436H

The nasi dagang was from the vicinity of INTEC on Sun visiting, a 03 type, only SB felt like having it. The burger was as info-ed, screen-captured when it was posted on the wall of fb. The authenticity is opened to any one comprehension. Nasi ayam which was preferred by Asri was more imbibing.

Dated 2014 Nov 26 Wed 3 Safar 1436H

Dated 2001 Dec 20, a Shawal visit with all my family, sans #2-Malini and #3-Zidni who were in UK and US resp. Last family visit to Pok-Long was in 2010 Sep 11 afternoon, a Shawal visit. It was glaringly without Azizah, unlike many previous visits before that.

Currently, my eldest maternal cousin is Abang Awang (Othman), Pok-Long's son, the eldest. Pok-Long has only another daughter. My eldest paternal cousin is Mek-Lah, the daughter, the eldest, of Mok-Ngah, my father's elder sister. Mok-Ngah had only another son.

The last time I saw Pok-Long, my mother's only sibling, an elder, was 2013 Mar 1 Fri ca 330 pm, with my #6son Syarbini. We were on the way back from seeing the FPB Family Day site in Merang. During that visiting, PakLong first thing wanted to know about me was that whether I have re-married or not, and after getting the answer he insisted that I should. We were on the wall-less, very airy 'lambor' of his hut, listening to him reminiscing his childhood time with my mother, being orphans, without father and mother. How he, at the early teen, hustled to bring up my mother, who then having all day to go out to the sea, had to let my mother being adopted by other relatives. He himself at the same time was adopted by a nice family. When we talked about time, he contemplated, with mark-events along, that he was about a hundred. He was in a very well being when I left about an hour later.

The following day, my other three of the four lower kids, #5-Alyani, #7-Ashbihani, and #8-Asrizalni arrived on the Family Day the next day Sat. And my #3-Zidni arrived in the evening for an aborted arrangement in Besut the next day Sun.

Pok-Long passed away this very early morning, 1230 am, in his home in Mengabang Panjang. I was in Sg Merab, three days before my schedule re-visiting Terengganu to overseer the progress of the house in W-Tengah.

Pok-Long was the last of my uncles and aunties, both maternal, and paternal, inluding in-laws. And thus one whole generation of my fore-blood had passed on. And life would go on in the absence of elderly-overseeing.

A Prelude to Coming

Dated 2014 Nov 28 Fri 5 Safar 1436H

The img was composed from the archive with the few that PokSid wasap-ed on Nov 22 during the peak of the flood in TGG. I was in KUL then. The idea was to pre-warn my coming to TGG. The img, with the flood already receded, served as though I was in TGG already.

Naturally of course I would wanted to see how bad was the flood in the area. It has not been this bad since the house was built in 2013 Mar. Monsoon 2013 was not too bad, the site was not yet reached by water although other neibouring sites were, especially of PokNor. During this time, it was the stage of roofing, a nearly two months delay from that I expected.

DRVTGG - Lost in the New Stretch of the Highway

Dated 2014 Nov 29 Sat 6 Safar 1436H

The advertised new stretch of LPT2 was from Chenih to Kijal. On exit, we lost our way in the darkness of the early night, and unfamiliar with the sign boards, that we ended up in Kemasik town. And thus re-took LPT2 at Paka. We lost one hr of the drive.

Started with Food - Nasi Bajet

Dated 2014 Nov 30 Sun 7 Safar 1436H

Safe and sound in TGG, and well-informed, and acknowledged. In my student days, this nasi-bajet could simply be 40 sen only. Those days the fish was cheaper than any meat. The days, in early 1970's, when gov estimated a student monthly allowance was 120 rm. With current estimated allowance of 450 rm, the nasi-bajet shoiud cost only 150 sen.

A Produce from the River in Flood Time

Dated 2014 Dec 1 Mon 8 Safar 1436H

Those days it wasn't just during the flood time. It was all the time. Temerang was the trap. Temerang-lambak were placed in one spot of the river, sometimes fenced. They were made from leaves-less branches. Temerang-gantung were placed along the river bank, and were made by bundling branches.

Modern version of temerang. Temerang gantung (left), and temerang lambak (top). In those days, the boats were row-boats, and the river was highly natural. The bakul which was used to scoop the temerang from below was made from woven bamboo blades.

The Wheel Barrow

Dated 2014 Dec 2 Tue 9 Safar 1436H

Azizah's father told us to buy the building materials from this store whenever we want to build the house in Tok Jembal, or anywhere else because the owner of the store was his young-days friends in Seberang Takir. So I did, letting the store operator, the owner's son-DIL, know Azizah's father's words, and all Azizah's brothers and sisters who had built the house in Tok Jembal. Tukang ordered, or fetched by himself almost all things needed from his store, and I settled it every week. The nails, the sand, the cement, the gravel, the steel, the sink, the pipes, and especially the timber for the roofing frame. Minus only the paint, the tiles, and wiring matters. And eventually the house in Tok Jembal was ready.

Then I do the same for the house in W-Tengah. When my friend Ripin took over the building, he went to the store to procure some cement. And he overheard that knowing that the materials were procured for me, the billing was a bit different from theirs. Higher. Ripin relayed it to me. Since then I never went to the store again, and Ripin too never went to the store again for any material for any house he is building.

The Fun With the The Giant

Dated 2014 Dec 3 Wed 10 Safar 1436H

This is the fun that I began to have when going to school from 1958. It was during recess time under the school building which housed the head master's office. But he was rarely in his office in the evening when we have our recess. He came only during the morning session. When I moved to the morning session in Std-3, the fun of going to school was not this fishing any more. It was stampede football.

Herding in a City

Dated 2014 Dec 4 Thu 11 Safar 1436H

Kuala Terengganu is a city since 2008, its border extended throughout the former district of Kuala Terengganu, not just the town. A large fraction of the dwellers are still far even from being a town-dweller, and in abslute alien in term of city dwelling. Those at the far end are still very much farmers, coexisting with their plants and animals, especially cattle and goat, except with some upgraded motorised assistances such as motor-bikes instead of pedal-bikes.

When the city status was declared the law enforcers were impatient to change the country-ness to city-ness. The enforcers swarmed out. And naturally they were welcomed with the resistance to whom the city laws are meaningless to them, that if they didn't back out they'll regret personally for the rest of their life. And thus with a little bit of an oxymoron act, life returned to normal, and peace prevailed in the city the dwellers didn't asked for.

They Would One Day

Dated 2014 Dec 5 Fri 12 Safar 1436H

They are not near here though. The fish-mongers in the market concern because less buyers come to them. MBKT concerns since roadside makeshift stalls is not a city character. Kusza also concerns because it's beside its never-finished fence.

As arranged, after Jumaat in Tok Jembal new mosque, I took the lower 4-beradik, Alyani, Syarbini, Ashbihani and Asrizalni, to visit Mengabang Panjang, in a tribute to the passing of Pok Long last week. We met both of his survivors, 2-beradik a son elder, and a daughter, just like Pok Long and my mother, the 2-beradik survivors to their parent, but when they were still very young, soft, and brittle.

A Hectic Saturday

Dated 2014 Dec 6 Sat 13 Safar 1436H

A very hectic Sat. The weather was fine since yesterday. Cloudy, but only some cooling rain at night. The sunny day-light was just fine and fresh.

The fishing img was captured yesterday on the way back from visiting Mengabang Panjang. It was on the beach of Mengabang Telipot. Apparently all along the beach up to Mengabang Panjang, or perhaps Merang too, the contemporary afternoon was fishing the gelama. I didn't see that it was such a merry activity, it was more of beach leisuring.

Being on Sat, it's Manir time. I took 3-beradik in the early morning to Manir, in a marketplace frolic before they take an MH flight tonight back to Kuala Lumpur. CB had returned to Tembila since yesterday. I wanted to buy more of kitchen-ware for Tok Jembal, but especially the kuali was not available. The fish was rather cheaper, but the supply was abundant in the fridge. The posts about fish, and the local produces were a lot already in fb, so the gathering people was the alternative. Home-wards drive was by Kebur and Banggol Peradong.

At night I was tagged by Adziem in FB. He was deliriously happy I guessed, eventually conferred with his PhD in Unisza Convo-6, the viva of which I chaired in Jan?, and it was my last official engagement before my contract was non-extended.

A Delicatessen-Mark

Dated 2014 Dec 7 Sun 14 Safar 1436H

Alone at home in Tok Jembal. The img, another food-mark, was from the archive, captured rather a long time ago in Tembila near the FPB campus, but per se is relevant, currently well associated with 11 and 03. Studied had not been made in depth with regards to its biochemistry. Protein from fish is undoubtedly indespensable for human body, and is especially so since it's from the whole fish.

In here the stuff is available throughout the year. The price is apparently independent on the season, but on the packaging.

Telur Rampas

Dated 2014 Dec 8 Mon 15 Safar 1436H

Literally translates to 'snatched eggs', it's a local idiom referring to (usually) chicken eggs which are just laid but not intended to be hatched. They're instead for eating, or to be sold in the market. These eggs are picking up in price. Recently they were 5rm/7pcs. With the farm eggs have already been hiked, the petty selllers could mark up to 5rm/6pcs. And thus by next year it could be 1rm each, starting with the large size first.

Out of courtesy I was tagged by Rakan Emas Ada aka Muzammil, my ex-staff, informing of the continuing pioneering of FPB. The first UniSZA post graduate degree conferement, an MSc - Zarizal, was from FPB in convo-2 2010, and the first UniSZA PhD graduate was from FPB, Dr Lokmal, in convo-4 2012. The former is a staff, and the latter is a FRIM staff. I chaired the viva sessions of both.

A Belated Wish

Dated 2014 Dec 9 Tue 16 Safar 1436H

This is one of the assets for milage in TGG for the past many years. No one had missed to ride on it. And it was very true as info-ed. And the riders never bothered to improve. As per se is very good enough, free as free as the breeze to breath.

Perhaps the citizen are well in that level only. In the old tag, "pah semilang", didn't matter the grade, because it would make them a 'kkaning' in government offices already, well beyond a teacher in a primary school which required 'pah tujuh' only. The secondary schools were so foreign to the general masses.

The RON 97

Dated 2014 Dec 10 Wed 17 Safar 1436H

Oil is the object of the world game. And very contemporary. It has no superior dependant. It's the ultimate. It depends only on the trump-card holder. Alone. Unlike other merchandise which ultimately depend on the oil price. RON 97 is in concert with RON 95 and diesel, the former being a lot more demanded.

What had happened to RON 97 since after the retraction of RON 95 subsidy and floated it in the market? In the background was the stumbling of world crude price, which was also fiddled by the trump-card holder.

The common sense explanation beyond any reasonable doubt is that it run out of stock because of a sudden demand by the motorists even though it's costlier. But strangely why the demand suddenly surged? If it's because of much better performance, then it's been so since its introduction many years ago. Why now?

They are Here Already to Stay

Dated 2014 Dec 11 Thu 18 Safar 1436H

Their presence is a typical signature that there are already a plenty of the non-natives in this place, just like they were in newly opened townships.

Such as this one, and many others which flourish in Bangi, Selangor. The natives here would get netted as well by the nature of the problem inherent to them.

In the Business of Herbal Expertise

Dated 2014 Dec 13 Sat 20 Safar 1436H

It's Sat, it's Manir-mania, but I skipped today, resources are already in plenty in Tok Jembal. These img was from the archive which are also plenty of them.

A 03-lady, when I first met her, in pre-2010, in Pasar Payang, she claimed that she travelled through out the country selling the herbs. A copy of MASTIKA magazine in which an article about her devoted life was published, was on the table for the gatherees to see.

True or not, but I trusted with one of her merchandise. The karas-perfume, she said she home-made, which I subscribed. Since then I always get 3-pcs per 10 rm, instead of 2-pcs. She knew automatically her offer to me when I put on her table a 2-pcs of 10 rm notes.

Home-Ward Bound

Dated 2014 Dec 14 Sun 21 Safar 1436H

The DRV was preluded with the img of Mydin Air Lilih, claimed to be the largest of the chain store, and the story was a humour with CB yesterday about Mac and Mek, valid only in TGG.

An opportunity opened to test the 20 sen dearer RON 97 at 246 sen/lit on Nissan for the long distant performance.

The drive was in wet roads, it was raining, very heavy in some places throughout K Trg and Dungun area. Dry roads were when leaving Dungun. And it was dry in Pahang, but not too hot. In KUL however, another rain welcomed. Just about end on MRR2 start, but beginning from Sg Besi PLUS toll.

Bleeding for Health - Bekam

Dated 2014 Dec 15 Mon 22 Safar 1436H

Been noting this advert since a long time ago while waiting for Asri from his school. It's at Jln 1/4, one of the the pioneer area in BBBangi in 1980's. It was a clinic with a woman dr who Azizah was very upset with, a video rental outlet during VHS time, several groceries, the first pasar malam site, and the first medan selera.

To day all those have died, including the clinic. What survived is, as always, all c-na shops who came as renters when the original operators closed their business. The medan selera is idle to rot with barely a life that could be noted. Even the wet market which was built very much later is not very lively as a marketplace. The dwellers preferred shopping malls with non-traditional eateries.

The Word Has Lost Its Charm

Dated 2014 Dec 16 Tue 23 Safar 1436H

The word "computer" has lost its charming, many had not realised and thought that they had made a break-through. There is no part of current daily routine that does not use computer in one way or another. The essence of computer is even in the cellular that very rare one does not have, like the wrist watch.

The mother of hardware itself is no longer customary in the form of what is known today as 'desktop', instead it is in a mobile form known as 'laptop', and in smaller version with limited capability as 'tablet'. The word 'computer' is socially used in the context of methodology, not in the context of technology since using a computer is no longer a technology, but a routine daily.

A Very Easily Deceived

Dated 2014 Dec 17 Wed 24 Safar 1436H

It wasn't a dish at all. It was tobacco. Closed-up. The img was captured a long time ago at home in Tok Jembal after it was bought in Manir. It was a cottage produce of Terengganu, a traditional merchandise in Manir for as long as one remember. One known 'brand' at that time was 'Tembakau Tasik'. Apparently the quality of tobacco is very much dependent on the soil, and climate where it is grown. Once, tobacco was a luxurious produce in Terengganu and Kelantan, and the country has its own national authority. Lembaga Tembakau Negara.

What's left in Manir today of the 'endured' tobacco producers/sellers, on the makeshift of their own tables along the unused corridor. Nonetheless, it was a strategic place.

Occasional Triplets

Dated 2014 Dec 18 Thu 25 Safar 1436H

Azizah planted the rose a long time ago, I could not remember when. It had been trimmed, and pruned many times. After each time, branches sprouted out and quickly produce the flowers.

At any time there are always flowers, or at worst, buds of flowers, ready to full bloom in a few days.

Blooming roses are very delicate, and short-lived. The m-lay proverb, "Bagai kera mendapat bunga" in E-lish usually transliterates the bunga (flower) to a rose because of its delicateness, and vividly describe it in the hands of a monkey.

A Time With Daddy

Dated 2014 Dec 19 Fri 26 Safar 1436H

Friday morning, when I was at this age, and older, perhaps until I was about ten, and every now and then, my father shaved my head. And, together with my elder brother.

Getting the hair cut in the shop was expensive at that time. And my father didn't have the skill. He didn't have a hair-scissor either, but he has a very sharp knife that could shave the hair. My mother has only the fabric scissor which she would not loan to my father to cut our hair because she said that would make her scissor blunt. And a scissor was not normally sharpened at that time, unlike a knife.

Generation-Z

Dated 2014 Dec 20 Sat 27 Safar 1436H

Poking the netters about the future generation after the current so-called generation-Y which is after generation-X. The img was captured in 2002 and was published once, 2011 Aug 30 Tue 1 Shawal 1432H, the second time Shawal without Azizah.

Apparently the message could not get acrossed, no one was initiated by the img, and discourse on the next generation.

Extrapolating from the current trend, generation-Z would consist of largely single-parents, and non-married males and females. Family values is no longer in terms of human relationship, relatives are just by registration, personal success means independent from fellows, all cooperations are quantitatively valued.

The Creature That Was Always Around

Dated 2014 Dec 21 Sun 28 Safar 1436H

The creature was here before we came. It's its tanah-air. When we settled here from 1987-88, we reared some chicken. And the chicken 'proliferated' very fast, that they provides us with sufficient eggs for the whole family.

One day we saw a chick leg wiggling between the jaws of the creature. Then we lost six of the chicken at one time, by just one python. It took four bomba-men to hoist the python in a gunny into their vehicle for safety.

Since then we stopped rearing the chicken, the creature and the python became too tame. Our supply of chicken and eggs then were from the market.

Off-Season After the Rain

Dated 2014 Dec 22 Mon 29 Safar 1436H

Noted these rambutan while mowing the backyard. They were really good, with the size I remembered similar to those of their grandfater in the 1960's in front of our house in Pengkalan Arang.

And dokong too, a few bunches among the braches. Somehow off-season dokong wasn't as good as off-season rambutan.

A DRVTGG

Dated 2014 Dec 23 Tue 1 R-AWAL 1436H

A re-run of the trial on RON 97, a reverse drive of the last DRVKUL which didn't meet the expectation of fuel saving. Apparently Muzamil had made an accurate measurement on his Myvi. I felt the same on Nissan 1.8.

The full tank was only good exactly to Bukit Jong, the LPT2 end, from BBBangi, when the amber light was turned on, which is not superior than RON 95. However, the drive was on a wet road, almost all the way from Bangi to Tok Jembal, and especially on LPT2 which was very wet.

On RON 95, on normal drive, and weather, a full tank usually takes Nissan from Bangi to Tok Jembal, and vice versa without the amber light turned-on.

Here They are Again

Dated 2014 Dec 24 Wed 2 R-AWAL 1436H

Road-wise, the DRVTGG yesterday was an adventure. The rain had catalysed the emergence of potholes, oven on the tolled h-way. The rain was just the beginning. The hinterland had begun to sink.

A New Comer

Dated 2014 Dec 25 Thu 3 R-Awal 1436H

This was in Tok Jembal, on the sandy eastern perimemeter of the house. When observed, the two pairs were ca two and half meters apart.

Per se they were in pair, one is shorter and smaller than the other, and is partly shadowed by the bigger and taller. The colour is slightly whiter than the edible 'kulat-kawan', except with splashes of black spots on top.

The plant disappeared after two days, reason unknown, and no trace of them.

The Blessing Flood

Dated 2014 Dec 26 Fri 4 R-Awal 1436H

At this time Kelantan hinterland was sinking by a very unusual high flood. And in Terengganu the coastal was added by a wash of high tide. Nonetheless to a lesser degree than in Kelantan. (Pahang followed suit a week later).

Apparently, both are blessing. The beach of Terengganu was re-rich-ed with the coastal life that I used to frolic with when I was a little boy on vacation in my mother's relative places of Mengabang Panjang, Mengabang Telung, Pengkalan Maras, and Mengabang Telipot.

And in the hinterland, experiences reminded us that the following harvest season, the crops would be a bumper. The padi would not need chemical fertilizers. The soil is so abundantly mineralized by the water carrying dissolved salts from the hills.

The Re-Rich-ing of the Beach

Dated 2014 Dec 27 Sat 5 R-Awal 1436H

For the past 50 years, these beaches have had a minimum disturbances by human hand. They would thus grow naturally.

For the last few months, they were re-rich-ed by the washes of waves carrying small soil creatures. These creatures would abode the beach over many years to come, imbibing the bigger grazers.

The young inhabitants never know the skills to gather them, thus they grow free of scavengers. There have been missing education of skills for the past twenty years from the elders to their generations.

Geter Mek, Geter

Dated 2014 Dec 28 Sun 6 R-Awal 1436H

This is the prelude to the drive back to KUL. The weather was showing a very wet drive. And the worst to come was that LPT1 was closed at two points. In Temerloh, and Lancang. And the equivalent points on the non-toll road. Which meant the drive would be by Gambang-Muazam-Keratong-Bahau-Seremban-Bangi, which is not going to be six hrs, but could take as long as 12 hrs.

BTW, the img was from the archive, captured long time ago. At this time, the business was at an early stage. every process was manually carried out, except the fish, which came in already bone-less. Somehow, over the time, it had grown out of proportion. It was its luck. But I stopped going to this place simply because it didn't worth the wait. The taste, the price, and the very basic 101 customer service. Many other places are more superior in the world of keropok, even in the vicinity of its growing place, Seberang Takir. Originality was of the most.

An Epic Journey - The Longest TGG-KUL Drive

Dated 2014 Dec 28 Sun 6 R-Awal 1436H

The drive started in mid-day, to be exact 2110 refuelling at petrol station in Padang Air. All possibilities were anticipated. But the most is that from Gambang, it would be a detour towards Segamat, catching Seremban at Keratong to Bangi.

The sunken spot on LPT2 which closed BukitBesi-Ajil stretch for the past few days was re-opened. The rain started right after Bukit Besi ITC. And it was raining all the way.

The spot. North-bound Dec 23 Tue (top), south-bound Dec 25 Thu (below), Dec 28 Sun (bottom). Elswhere, the flood was rising very fast.

LPT2 was cleared, longer than the bench-mark two-and-half hr. Kuantan was covered by a thick clouds, and blanketed by the rain which didn't appear to stop any soon.

It was very wet when we stopped for a break at Kuantan LB to ease ourselves bracing for the Muazam detour.

All were set. Exited LPT1 at Gambang, heading Muazam. The route was also known as Lebuh-Raya Tun-Razak. It is a B-class single carriage way, built in 1970's. It was called lebuh-raya not because of its h-way standard, but because it connected two towns in two states, just like the lebuh-raya Jerangau-Jabor.

And another break at Pusat Perhentian Gambang for a refreshment. The rain still didn't ease off. I don't remember (it could be searched, academic-way in my notes) when was the last time we passed here. Perhaps this is the first time in the 3-rd millenium.

On to LR-Tun-Razak, ca 430 pm. Crawling. Imagine all vehicles heading for Kuala Lumpur had to detour through here, plus the locals. All kind of vehicles, sans though the back-hoe. It was raining, very wet. Some motorists were still uncivilised to cut the line by overtaking from the left side, especially SUV. Fortunately, it didn't start a frenzy.

Eventually we arrived in Muazam, ca 810 pm, and settled at one of the petrol station. Refuelled. Many others did the same. It was still raining. Imagine those at Gambang and Temerloh RR's were converging here, and another petrol station. And the Q for the washroom was phenomenal. Somehow some civilisation existed here.

Proceeded on the LR-Tun-Razak, ca 9 pm, after nearly an hr of lingering, heading for Segamat. The traffic eased off. The speed could be maintained. But it was dark, and drizzling. Apparently the drive was in the palm plantation, just like Muktafi-Jabor. 928, left the lebuh-raya at Keratong junction. Heading west to Bahau. The road was getting drier, very dark, narrow, but non-potholed. The commuters could have their own speed. Both ways.

Then Jempol, in N Sembilan, ca 1015. Alya was too tired, and sleepy. She had been behind the wheel since we set-off at mid-day today, and had to give the wheel to me. In the dark night, with minimum street lights, Jempol seemed to be a rubber town. The sleazy town would realise the sudden happening tonight with their good tarmac being roamed by all sorts of vehicles in both ways.

Kuala Pilah was next. By then the Nikon was exhaustive of all batteries. iFOON was the back-up, and the tool was not at all a driver-friendly, in fact a driver alien. Many moments were uncaptured due to the clumsiness of the much-talked-about tool.

A street I thought I remember passing through many years ago, in Bahau or Kuala Pilah. It's hard to reckon at night with life almost stand still at 1110 ca. Alya re-took over the wheel, and And Asri accompanied, and steered through the Sri Menanti to Seremban. And eventually the lights of the arrival h-way. The PLUS. We took the slightly off-road Senawang toll entry to avoid cutting through the middle of Seremban. And with all the cheers, eventually, we took a break at Seremban RR, 213 in the morning. It was only half-an-hr away from HOME though.

A Specifically Design

Dated 2014 Dec 30 Tue 8 R-Awal 1436H

The img was from the archive, captured in Kuang, perhaps in 2011 on a visit to an organic small-holding chicken farm in a mission to address the escalating cost of chicken-feed.

Note how the daughter-plants are arranged in the order of age, and fall off one by one in the same order from the tip of the mother leaf. Many other vegetative plants are interestingly designed for their function and propagation.

DONE 2014

Dated 2014 Dec 31 Wed 9 R-Awal 1436H

It started with a sunny morning, and lasted to the late afternoon. The evening was cooler. That sunshine dried some of the water-soaked gears for the past several days. NISSAN was one of them.

The img was from the archive, dated 2009 Nov 21 0752. Surely, it was Azizah's deed in the kitchen for a nostalgic b-fast. It was Sat morning of the home weekend, before I drove back to Terengganu in the afternoon with Dr Abdullah. It was raining heavily in Terengganu.

Conceded the final hr of the year to a deep info-archive for the year, learning every tick and kick in the destiny.

2014

Jan-Apr

May-Aug

Sep-Dec

2014 Diary