P. Ramlee the Musical...

"Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power...” - Lao Tzu

Tonight we watched “P. Ramlee the Musical” at Istana Budaya. All tickets were sold out when we tried to book on-line but somehow hubby managed to buy two tickets over the counter.

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The two-hour musical, taking on the life story of Malaysia’s greatest and much-loved entertainment icon, Tan Sri P. Ramlee. starring Sean Ghazi in the lead and also Liza Hanim, Datuk Siti Nurhaliza, Melissa Saila among others.

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The songs were beautiful…

Langkawi - A long relaxing weekend...

“Travel turns all the fairy tales and stories into reality..."

Pulau Langkawi

(19 - 21 Oktober 2007)

Friday afternoon, after a short tour of the shops at Padang Besar, we drove to Kuala Kedah to board the 6 o’clock ferry to Langkawi island. The ferry was fast and bouncy. I was tired and slept the whole journey. Hubby complained of seasick when we disembarked at Kuah. We picked our rented car and drove to Pantai Chenang and spent a relaxing, peaceful weekend at Sri Kijang.

Pantai Chenang is one of the most popular beach destinations in Langkawi, known not only for its delightful sunsets but also for its long and sandy beach. We did not have time to hangout on the beach but we had a round of traditional massage at a nearby spa. Other beaches visited were Tanjung Rhu and Pantai Tengah.

The Langkawi Cable Car links the Base Station at Oriental Village to the Peak Station on top of Gunung Machinchang. The 20 minutes journey in a four-seater cable car ascends the height over a distance of 2.2 km. The peak offers a 360 º panorama of a breathtaking view of the islands, the rural lowlands and the seas as far as Thailand. You can have a bird's eye view of the Telaga Tujuh waterfalls. It was drizzling when we reached the top and we were caught in a thick mist while walking on the hanging bridge.

The Galeria Perdana is a unique gallery built to display and share with everyone the various awards, souvenirs and gifts the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir and his wife received from world leaders, statesmen as well as Malaysians during his tenure. The building displays the various exhibits in an ambiance of harmony and creative interaction. The extensive grounds around the building are also very interesting as they are specially landscaped and planted with local trees, shrubs and herbs.

On the last day in Langkawi, we went for a duty-free shopping spree and bought us a few sets of longchamp crystals…

Perlis - Cave of Darkness...

“A hopeful heart and an open mind are the best travelling companions..”

Gua Kelam, Perlis

My court case in Kuala Kubu Baru this week was postponed to a later date so I was able to travel with hubby to Perlis. During the short stay in Kangar and in between his scheduled meetings, we managed to explore Gua Kelam, did a little shopping at Padang Besar and had seafood dinner at Kuala Perlis.

(The entrance to Gua Kelam)

Gua Kelam is situated at Kaki Bukit, a 370-metre long limestone cave can be access by way of a suspension bridge. The uniqueness of the entrance and the experience of walking along the bridge, make exploration of this cave an adventurous experience.

(Pathway illuminated with lights)

A cool underground stream flows in the limestone cave for about a quarter of a mile long. The cave is clean and free of bats smell.

(Dramatic photo opportunity)

A wooden walkway hangs suspended throughout the length of the underground cavern leading to picnic spot on the opposite end called the Wan Tangga Valley.

We only stayed a night in Kangar and later spent a long relaxing weekend in Sri Kijang, Langkawi.

Eid Fitri Mubarak...

"Our Raya celebration this year, like any other year before this, was simple and nice..."

(Eid morning at our Putramas Apartment)

After the solat Eidil-fitri at Mesjid Wilayah, we went to Shah’s place where we had pot-luck lunch gathering for the family. Later in the afternoon, we drove to Melaka and had dinner gathering for my side of the family. Iwan and Ella came later in the evening and joined the kids to play the mercun and bunga api which Tok Abah bought earlier. Raya night was spent in the nearby chalet as all rooms in Mak’s house were fully booked.

The next day, we convoyed in 4 cars to visit all my uncles and aunties in Melaka and Johor. We had so much fun watching Abah’s siblings got together and reminisced childhood tales, recalling minute details, although all of them are more than 80 years old! There was so much to share, and I could sense that the two brothers and three sisters missed each others so much.

On Tuesday, it was very quiet back in the office and a good time for me to start the puasa enam. As usual I have not taken any leave but plan to take a few days off after everyone else comes back from their Raya holidays.

Prayer for the Dead...

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets..."

Earlier hubby sent sms to his siblings to plan to go to tanah perkuburan in Meru to clean up the kubur. This has been a yearly ritual before the Raya Eidil-fitri. We left our apartment very early in the morning and as usual, were the first to arrive. Ros and Mak went to look for daun pandan and flowers to make bunga rampai. Zin and Shah came later. The rest couldn’t make it.

This time I noticed that the kawasan kubur was not well taken care off. The grass has grown wild and the usual path that we used to take was covered by bushes. We even took a while to locate the graves as a big tree has fallen on top of them. Even the batu nisan has gone missing from some. It was a pathetic sight. That was then we decided to change the batu nisan and make a proper barricade to the area.

We recited the yasin and sedekah al-fatihah to all the arwahs……

Eternal rest grant unto them, Ya Allah;
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amin...

Charged on Bail...

“I regret that it takes a life to learn how to live…” - Jonathan Safran Foer

This is my second subpoena to the court in Shah Alam. The first was in May this year.

I was early and the court room was packed. But my IO was no where to be seen. It is learnt that he knew before hand that the case would be postponed and has taken leave the whole week for the Raya celebration. I saw a few familiar faces, celebrities and all. Even the accused for my case was there with his entourage but I learned that his lawyer was absent too. I decided to wait for the case to be mentioned and the postponement to be announced before I left court.

It was already noon when I arrived at the apartment. I called the office to take time off and slept on the sofa the whole afternoon.