Amir 5th Birthday...

"Life should not only be lived, It should be celebrated!"

(A birthday cake for Amir)

Wish you a very Happy Birthday. 

May life lead you to great happiness, success 

and hope that all your wishes comes true! 

Happy 5th Birthday Amir!

(Cheeky siblings, Hana and Amir)

(Celebrating Amir's birthday at Putramas Apartment)

Beautiful morning walk at Taman Botani...

"True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body..."

(The mountains and the lakes, a serene atmosphere)

The Kepong Botanical Garden is located behind Taman Ehsan Klinik Kesihatan where the FRIM second entrance is situated. There is a guard house at the entrance and one need to pay RM1 entrance fee to enter the park. There is ample car park in the compound but you have to pay RM5 per vehicle.

(The second entrance to the park)

(Neat beautiful landscape)

(Many hidden path leading to the hills)

(Rare fruits of Malaysia)

The park is developed to be the center for living plant collections mainly for Malaysian plants. This garden will create research opportunities in botany, horticulture, landscape and other related fields. Plants from the wild will be systematically collected and planted in the garden for display and as a center for ex-situ conservation. Horticulture and landscaping education, research and development will be another strong feature of the park.

(A path for jogging and walking)

(A garden of Ginger family)

(A smaller lake with lots of tortoises)

(A bridge crossing between two lakes)

Taman Botani FRIM Kepong is a place for people who loves nature. This place is vast and well-maintained but it can get pretty crowded. From as early as 6.00 am, people come for their morning walks or jogs there. There are gazebos and shelters for picnics too. You’ll get the chance to admire varieties of blooming flowers or watch fishes or tortoises swimming in the clean lake. There are a few herbs and spices gardens. There are choices of walking paths within the park with one leading into the hills where people can hike up the mountain and if you are on the right track, you’ll find beautiful waterfalls in the vicinity.

(Conifers, Cycads, Ginkgo, and Gnetophytes)

(Many picnic areas around the lake)

(RM1 entrance fee to the park)

(The detail map of Taman Botani Kepong)

My hibiscus is blooming again...

"Nothing you do is going to matter that much in the long run. Don’t take yourself so seriously..." - Naval Ravikant

(A 3-tone hybrid)

I randomly bought a few hibiscus trees from a local nursery. They have done very well for a while until the point when they started to drop leaves like crazy! The leaves would turn yellow and then drop. I started spraying fertilizer and insect repellent to no avail and decided to place the plants under quarantine and totally forgotten about them.

(A shocking pink with a tinge of white)

(Orange red)

A couple of weeks ago, lots of flower buds started to appear, and the trees have become bushy again! Surprisingly the colours have some what changed into a deeper tinge. For now I am going to let them bloom and enjoy the beautiful vibrant colours.

(Light pink)

(Beautiful peach)

(A bright orange, a new addition)

(Beautiful radiant yellow)

A relaxing day by the pool...

"I enjoy life when things are happening. I don’t care if it’s good things or bad things. That means you’re alive..." - Joan Rivers

(Nursing my frozen shoulder)

Last night, the two grandchildren, Hana and Amir stayed the night with us in our Putramas Apartment. Because of the unpredictable weather nowadays, and most often than not, it will always rain in late afternoon, we decided to bring the kids for a swim early.

The weather was fine around noon and there were not many people in the pool. We had lunch at the Club House cafe before allowing the kids to have a go at the playground.

(Hana and Amir with grandpa)

(Shivering cold after an hour of swimming)

The Bliss of Nature...

“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave…” – Mary Tyler Moore

(Kepong Metropolitan Park)

My hectic life often gets in the way of a regular exercise…

Lately, I have been experiencing spinal disc related problems, spondylosis, slipped disc, coccyx, pinched nerves and whatever conditions related to aging. I was given muscle relaxant and pain-killer for medications. Most often than not I put them aside, just ignore the pain and go on with my routine.

(Forest Research Institute in the background)

(Jogging and cycling path)

My doctor had on so many occasions advised me to undergo a physio and a regular exercise program. Exercise gives many positive health benefits and helps our aging muscles from dwindling. It is good for the body and mind too. At our age, a brisk walk of 30 minutes a few days a week is good enough.

(My brisk walking 5 km route)

We have done better. For the past few months, our exercise routine is an hour of brisk walk, four days a week!

Kelas Talaqqi Muslimah Masjid At Tayyibin...

“Yesterday I was clever, so I changed the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself..." - Rumi

(Learn as if you were to live forever)

Since beginning of the year, if time permitting, I will join activities and classes organised by the muslimah Masjid At-Tayyibin. 

Classes are held almost every day in the Masjid or the nearby surau under our qariah. I attended a few but my favorite is the Quran Talaqqi class held every Monday morning. The class is designed to allow muslimah to have more chances in correcting and refining their Quran recitation going through the chain of sanad.

Although the class is opened to everyone, muslimah for this class should have some pre-requisites such as fluent in reading the Quran, basic knowledge in Makharijul Huruf for proper articulation and pronunciation of the Quranic verses and understanding the rulings of the tajwid.

Without the basics, one will not be able to benefit much...

(Ustaz Junaidi of the Talaqqi Class)

(Easier way of capturing notes)

Kepong Metropolitan Park...

"You can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them." -Shonda Rhimes

(A routine morning walk around the lake)

Walking is a refreshing alternative to complicated aerobic routines and gym workouts..

Recently, we try to make an hour of morning walk covering a distance 5 km our routine exercise regimen. After sometimes, walking for exercise will no longer be something of a chore but it has become something that we look forward to doing twice or three times weekly.

(The start of our brisk walk)

(A climb up the steep hill)

(A relaxing walk in the wood)

(One of the many viewing towers)

(A new high rise condo at the edge of the lake)