Hana’s swimming day…

"I have so many things to be thankful for and to look forward to, that it would be a shame to lose sight of my good kismet..."

(Nasi lauk and roti canai @ Putramas Cafe)

I have been having severe whooping coughs lately. And sleepless nights had spoilt the rhythm of my dreams and caused me to be restless and stressed.

(Hana and her tweeties)

So this morning I woke up very early and swallowed a mouthful of cough syrup and would not let stress or drowsiness cloud my day. As I was not cooking today, we decided to have lunch at the café and later let Hana had a dip in the icy cold swimming pool and we only let her out when she started to shiver and turned blue.

(splashing fun with her grandpa)

(Grandma watching from far)

This afternoon I promised to meet up with a few of my friends at Dwi Sri Spa for a 2-hour traditional body massage. But with my drugged head and uneasy tummy caused by consuming too much cough syrup, I think I may need to break a promise...

Perak: Riding pass the leaning tower...

"Every now and then, I need to indulge in whatever makes me happy. And I am due for such an indulgence again..."

(Leaning Tower @ Teluk Intan)

The plan to ride very early in the morning was dashed for the lack of discipline to wake up early. Or maybe for the lack of sleep too.

(A lonely deserted road)

We started riding late at noon heading north with the intention of reaching Lumut before the sun sets. Lunch was at Sutra Bayu Restaurant, a cosy eatery overlooking the Teluk Intan leaning tower.

(Teluk Batik lovely beach)

We reached Teluk Batik around 5.30pm to look for accomodation at Pak Man Chalet but changed our minds and headed to Lumut and stayed a night at Putra Hotel instead.

(Resting under the Sultan Yusuf bridge)

The next day we started riding at noon and stopped for lunch at the R&R under the Sultan Yusuf bridge. We continued riding towards Klang and as it was too early for dinner, we stopped to rest and took a tram up Bukit Malawati and stayed there till dusk.

(The light house @ Bukit Malawati)

(Scenic ride in a colorful tram)

(A cute golden baby monkey)

We later had a sunset dinner at Aroma Seafood Restaurant at Pantai Jeram...

Thailand: Riding across the border...

"I don't regret the things I've done. I regret the things I didn't do when I had the chance..."

(Malaysia-Thailand border check point)

Despite the recent and ongoing troubles in the South of Thailand I have to say it is still very safe for us to visit this small border town of Betong, nicknamed 'A Town in the Mist with Beautiful Flowers'.

(Disciplined reliable Marshalls)

On 15 January 2011, we joined the convoy of more than 50 bikers and crossed the Malaysia-Thailand border for a one-night stay in Betong. Betong is in a district of Yala Province, situated in the southernmost Thailand in Sankalakhiri mountain range. It borders the Malaysian states of Kedah and Perak. Its terrain is mostly mountainous and hilly with forested plateaus. About 1,900 feet above sea level, 140km from Yala and 1,224km from the capital city of Bangkok.

(The lady bikers - pretty & tough)

(Lunch break @ Tasik Raban)

(Close convoy via Nenering)

(Getting ready to ride home)

(Group photo in front of Butterfly Princess Hotel, Betong)

(Mishap of two young bikers)

My Overseas Travelogue: Betong Trip

Life was a gift...

"Soon we would all know the true meaning of life and death..."

The whole day of doing nothing at the apartment, I found I had no reservoir of energy left.

I was resting and watching TV when I received a short message in the fb chat. A cold ball of anxiety had formed in the pit of my stomach when I heard the sad news. Another one bites the dust. Our mutual DAHP friend, Abd Razak Rahman (Razak Kuda) has passed away on Friday in Kuala Terengganu.

Rest in peace, my dear friend… Al-Fatihah.

(A photo shot from Razak's fb)

There are not so many words to say

But I’ll try to put them the perfect way

No farewell words between us were spoken,

Before we say hello again, you were already gone

I couldn’t recall the times when we fight

Nor forget the good times that we had...

Barrier of time...

"It was hardly surprising that their views would make any difference to me now..."

Today I met with my former colleagues, ex-bosses and ex-subordinates for lunch at Restaurant Muhibbah, a Chinese muslim eatery in Sri Penchala. 

While savoring our meals, there seemed to be two conversations going on simultaneously, as if we were in different worlds, living in different eras. We recalled the contrast in our practical and emotional experiences with the former management which I am more familiar with and the present one, and the more we shared, the further apart we seemed to get.

My mind, usually as calm as a lake, jumped around from memory to memory, recalling the many pleasures and pressures of my working life. These memories, reaching across the permeable barrier of time, had ensnared me in their web.

Suddenly, for a while, I miss my job and my friends…

(Buttered prawns - all time favorite dish)

A new year, a new chapter...

"Making New Year resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment and repentance..."

(Angels or demons?)

For all the wrong doings that I have done throughout the year, forgive me. Blame the devil. He made me do them. Honest... And the good deeds that I have done were all from this humble self. No bluffing... For this new year my wish is the same like any other new year. I wish for life fulfillment, lots of happiness, abundance of wealth and of course the best of health.

I am no Nostradamus. I can't predict what will happen in the future. But it's going to be a new chapter of my life, a new journey to be taken. Turbulence or not, I'll stay on course....

God willing...