Ramadan 1429/2008

Other than my weekly swimming session at the public pool once a week, the one thing I would really missed during the fasting month of Ramadan is the session at the hot pool bath.

See the picture above, that is where I go every week. That place is on a hilltop, way above the sea and almost touching the cloud. As I dipped my body in the hot pool jacuzzi, I looked below at small white-painted houses and green sugar cane fields. I just stare with empty thought. Clear my brains, washed my mind off all unwanted elements.

Clean my body, clear my thoughts and refresh my feelings with lots of love from memories of beautiful people, this I cannot miss every week.

Just yesterday, I had one of those weekly session. I was alone, looking at the sea so far away.
"Ufuk langit" at the edge of the earth.
Where does the sea drops from there?
Where does the sky rises from there?
These two, the sea and sky meet in the distance as our plain eyes see but the weird part is, our eyes are just playing trick on our sight.
While deep in thoughts about the "ufuk langit", I saw this women, maybe late 40s, sitting by the edge of the pool, near the glass window.
She has nothing on, she was also reflecting on the scenery. A long, deep reflection.
I looked at her and then looked again on the houses below and those cars that drove up the hill. Those people below would clearly see her as they drove up the hill.
I went slowly near her and told her, made her aware that some people can see her very clear in her bare element. She agreed and nodded her head a few times but never move away from the edge.
Never mind, I told myself, maybe people looking in her natural clothing is not a bother to her.

Ah, tomorrow is Ramadan.
I would miss that "ufuk langit", the white cloud swimming in the blue sky ever so softly, the deep blue colour of the calm sea, the pigeons that come to the glass window and cooing at us in the hot pool.

Ah, tomorrow is Ramadan....

Wishing all muslim readers, friends, relatives, even people who dislike me, ramadan al-mubarak (after edition), may Allah accept our sincere ibadah with rahmat.

Meals on the go

All the beautiful food I took while travelling in Msia and Spore, the last two months.

Casino Genting

Photo credited to: http://www.goldendays.co.uk/Images/DiscoverMalaysiaPics/Genting-Highlands-1.jpg

Link ke penulis asal Adik Aliff Mustakim: http://www.esasterawan.net/esasterawan/1_weblog.asp?uid=131

Dari Genting ke Hutan Rimba

Saya menerima permintaan agar haiku yang pernah ditulis oleh Lelahiro semasa berkembara di Malaysia agar disiarkan di blog saya. Saya tidak dapat menyiarkan kesemuanya kerana hanya satu haiku sahaja yang berjaya dimiliki(ini pun diberikan sebagai ‘hadiah’ daripada Lelahiro-sensei). Haiku ini saya anggapkan ditulis ketika Sensei mengembara di bumi Genting. Haikunya seperti dibawah ini;

Di Bukit Genting,
rimba menebus dosa,
tangan penjudi.

[halela-okinawa]
20 Julai 2008, KL Sentral, Kuala lumpur.

Membaca baris pertama sudah menunjukkan haiku menggambarkan latar Genting. Pada baris ke 3 dapat digambarkan ia mempunyai hubungan kaitnya dengan baris pertama iaitu kegiatan perjudian yang aktif di Genting(sangat mahsyur di Malaysia ini). Di baris kedua menyatakan bahawa ‘rimba (kigo – kata musim) menebus dosa’ ditamsilkan bahawa rimba atau hutan yang melata di bukit-bukit sekitar Genting itu seolah menebus semua dosa yang dilakukan oleh penjudi (baris 3 ‘tangan penjudi’).

Penjudi melalui hutan rimba yang menghijau sepanjang perjalanan pulang. Rimba itulah seperti berjaya menangkap dosa tersebut dimana mata penjudi menikmati panorama hutan yang luas seperti meninggalkan semua dendam, suka duka semasa berjudi kepada flora. Disini boleh dikatakan sudah ‘menanggalkan’ dosa-dosa tersebut.

Pada mulanya saya merasa baris ke 2 ini agak aneh. Mengapa? Sebagai muslim mana mungkin rimba/hutan dapat menebus dosa (erti kata lain dosa terhapus/zero kembali dengan mudah) sang penjudi walaupun sekadar menjamu mata pemandangan hutan tebal. Kemudian saya tersedar bahawa penjudi itu sebenarnya/seharusnya non-muslim. Lelahiro betul pada baris 2 dengan tamsilan yang logik. Dari segi kepercayaan tentulah si penjudi berbeza kepercayaan/pegangan dengan seorang muslim.

Dari segi ini kepercayaan non-muslim mungkin pada pandangan saya, alam atau sekeliling dapat mengawal pahala, dosa, nasib, kesihatan dan sebagainya. Contoh mengenai nasib, kaum cina khususnya terpengaruh dengan Feng Syui. Elemen-elemen seperti pokok, bunga, air, batu, warna dan sebagainya dapat mempengaruhi nasib mereka. Begitu juga dengan alam dan keadaan sekeliling mereka. Haiku ini memang berjaya mengajak kita untuk berfikir sebentar. Haiku ini mengingatkan saya kepada Basho seorang yang berpegang kepada konsep-konsep agama (buddhist).

Sebagai tambahan saya mahu mengajak pembaca fikir-fikirkan tentang hal ini;
Bolehkah alam menghukum kita?

Terminal 3, Singapore Changi Airport

This is Terminal 3 of Singapore Changi Airport. It was officially opened in July, 2008. The best part of this terminal is the immigration checkpoint. Its all glasses, see-through for visitors and waiting people.
The Singapore-Garden-City theme is admittedly strong. Tall, palm trees lining up, orchids blooming everywhere, creeping plants over stone walls, spraying, cooling fountains and shops, shops, shops...
It is huge, walking completely around it within all the 3 levels would take 1hr.
Singapore Airlines is the main anchor tenant, so I noticed.

I dont know where this feelings come from but when I'm in places like this, I feel rich. Maybe that's the point here...you are made to feel rich.

*point cursor at foto to see caption.

Bedok, Ansar Gardens

Tempoyak

If you are eating 20pcs daily of durian for the past 2 weeks and you are sort of bloated in the tummy, sort of having some slight headaches, be at peace.
Those of the after effect of too much durian, the shitty smell that the stomach have to work on.
So, after the pulut durian, bubur kacang durian, wajik durian, pengat durian...what do you do with the rest of the durians?



You peel the shitty, vanilla-flavoured, mellowing, yellowing pulp in a bowl, throw in some salt...



Keep in tight bottle, refrigerate...
Anytime of the year, any place in the world, give myself some good company and a dash of the shitty tempoyak and I am the happiest person on earth.

Bedok, Ansar Gardens.

Padang Sebang

The landmark that will tell me that I have reached my station,coming from the south.
Everytime we watch out for this, when this comes, we would dragged our luggage near the entrance to be thrown out during KTM very short stop.

Dari tingkap KTM, papan tanda baru. Kampungku Padang Sebang.

When I was 5, I used to watch trains passing by here. The dusty bus would stop at his traffic junction. I would wonder, where the trains would go. Would I be able to be on that trains someday, where does the trains ended?
This time, when this picture was taken, I was on that trains. Having not enough time to stop here, my kampung. I have to go back to my sick mother.
This time I wonder, how are the people over there, is my mother's house still standing strong, when will I be able to visit there again.


Ah, would time erase the name from this board, would they take away this old board to be replaced by the new, blue version?
Would you stay as you are, as when that 5 year-old girl pictured you when she waited to cross the light on that dusty, old bus?
Would you still be there, waiting for her to come back?

Found some more link:

http://www.esasterawan.net/esasterawan/1.asp?uid=131

Bedok, Ansar Gardens

Trains

Previous to this trip, my vacation time in Malaysia were short intervals. I would come in for 5 days and left or come in again and left.
Friends would ferry me everywhere in the cars. I would be passed from one house to another. I would sit in the car and looked out. Not knowing my position or the place I was in. My sense of direction is like going to the toilet from a food court. Further than this, I would be lost. I would turn around and get back to the same place, swearing inside quietly.
Its easy for anyone to torture me mentally. Just take my cash and put me on any pavement of KL roads and I would sit on the kerb, staring...not going anywhere, not thinking anything.

This time vacation in Malaysia gave me wider experience. The trains.

I prefer travelling by trains overland, rather than bus. Express buses give me the urinary stress. The feeling of not being able to have the toilet, would create anxiety stress, would create a chain of uretha cramps that leads to another chain of more phobic nervousness.
Just give me trains and I am happy to travel alone.

The first day, my feet step in Malaysia was at KL sentral station. I came by KTM from Spore, supposed to arrive at 2.40pm but ended up at 4.30pm (is that typical or what? 1 hr. 40 mins late).
Some dear friends greeted me. When up the main level and was surprised to see a small bazaar-like atmosphere.
Most of my meetings with friends from day one, were at KL Sentral. I would say happily with confident,
..."ok kita jumpa depan KFC kat KL sentral".
...Or "kita duduk sembang depan Nile Bookshop at KL Sentral".
...Or kita makan di Food Court at KL Sentral.

I saw the express and local bus terminal, bought some big, juicy Korean pears at the fruit shop there. Took light meals at the food court, some gatherings at KFC, browsed through some reading materials at Nile Book shop, did solat at the surau and best of all, the taxi services. You tell the counter staff your destination, pay at the counter, give the payment slip to the driver and he just carry you off. No hassling about meter or payment. No talking, peace.

If I am not mistaken (correct me if wrong), there are 5 lines going through KL Sentral. The lines that is ever too familiar for me is the KLIA transit to the airport. I port up at Putrajaya. This line is fast, clean, smells nice too and best of all, always empty. Mostly, I see people aboard with luggage, airport staff with their smart uniform, MAS fligh attendants and Putrajaya cyber-clone.
If any of you notice, the platform has only two kinds of writing on the signboard, Bahasa Melayu and Japanese!

I stayed a few days in Seremban and going to KL Sentral from here, I have to use the only line, KTM komuter. I can always get seat from Seremban because its the line starting point but as we get to KL Sentral, some people were hanging on the holders squeesed to the bones.
One time, on a Sunday, (I thought its not a working day and this train should be less crowded...I was wrong), I stood at the platform with people around me pushing left and right. I was just standing to get my queue right.
I was thinking, how would I get on the train without queueing. In that crowd, my mind went to the scenario at Mina in Mekah during the 250m walk to "lempar batu". I didn't moved, the crowd moved me.
I missed the first train. People were pushed in like boiled, red sardine in tightly packed tin.
I am not strong enough to withstand that battle, I have all the time in this world to wait before it became dark.
I waited for the next train, it came...but I couldn't get in. I was at the door. Imagine at the door of the train yet not getting in. I was stranded at the door. Can you imagine, at the door yet not getting in? Go, figure that out.

Anyway, wonderful thing was, I GOT A SEAT!
In that crowded coach, I got a seat! I must have done something good in this life to be able to get reward like that, masyaAllah.
Every stations on the KTM komuter, remind me of friends staying at those stops.
A lady with bad eyesight at Tasik Selatan, a top cyberman at Kajang, a very pious single girl at Bangi and many more.

Ah, those memories and good friends, I would never exchange any gold coins for it.

Alamanda

Image from Wikipedia
That is alamanda, a trumpet-like flower, yellow sometimes pink and I've seen blue one.
Most of my friends in Malaysia, be they from the bloggy society or from the writing group or from the in-course working classes, are young, career ascending, full of vitality in life and most importantly, they are girls.
I stayed with girls. Single and young. Its the freedom in the house that I prefer with these girls. No covering the hair in their houses, just loose butterfly one-piece in and out of the rooms.This trip to Malaysia, I made one of the houses at Putrajaya my port. Presint 9.

I came to love Putrajaya. Everyday, for about 3 weeks, I was alone in the daytime.
One time, after alighting from the bus by Alamanda Shopping Complex, I waited at the crossing for the green walking man to cross the road. Eventhough the road was cleared, I still waited for the walking green man, didn't come, waited again, didn't come, waited again....

How do I ever cross this road? I paniced!

I felt like my culture standard was broken when I dashed across the road, imitating some locals.There were long time alone in the house, I felt cooped up. I should just go out by myself and explore the area.

I did. I ended up in Alamanda Shopping Complex.Bought myself coffee-flavoured soya bean milk (cannot get this in Japan) and a piece of Roti boy with a book in my hands. Precious hours just went looking at people walking by. The book on my lap. The clean environment, the cultured surroundings, the peaceful air, the quiet manner everybody conduct themselves remind me of Naha, Nishihara, San-e, Jusco in Okinawa.
I can sit at Roti boy eating rotiboy by the buckets while people-watching for hours. One time, I went in Burger King, studied the menu and tried hot dog with minced meat (cannot get this in Japan). Again my people-watching session with that one hot dog for hours.
There was time when I wanted very much to open my blog but after inquiring, I found that there wasn't any internet cafe at Alamanda. That is strange. No internet cafe at Alamanda!This is about the only dissappointment for me. The Cyber hub of Malaysia and Alamanda do not have any internet cafe at all.

I ended up going into the Cinemaplex watching "Sepi" alone. Good plot, talented people acting, humourous, some poetic inclination, some heart pinching sadness when I cried at the ending minutes.

If, only if, I intend to buy a property, I wouldn't mind buying a piece in Putrajaya. Make it my home base. Once in a while vacationing in Malaysia, I can use it as my loading and unloading port.

Bedok, Ansar Village

Ambulance

This is the reason to cutting short my visit in Malaysia, my mother. All my siblings are working and I am requested to attend to my sick mother. Since my mother is totally bed-bound, I have to call on the service of an ambulance to transport her to the hospital for her check up yesterday.

I was thinking that she might be given another CT scanning to confirm the spread of the cancer cells but the doctor confirmed it without the scanning. I was told that by giving her the chemo treatment, it would take her life within a week and so it was decided that chemo is out for her.

There is no medication for her and this puzzle me, nothing at all.

When the doctor saw my worried look, he suggested some kind of mushroom extract that would slow down the spread of the infected cells. There is not much to be done to what has already been spread around her organs but the mushroom extract will slow down new infected cells from infecting new sites.

All we have to do now, says the doctor is to make her as comfortable as possible and let "nature" take its course.

Please, be my friend, make doa for my mother. My doa for her to go without pain, comfortably and easily.

Yesterday her appointment time to see the doctor at Spore Cancer Center was 4.20pm but we came early at 3pm. I was engrossed with "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini and forgot all about the waiting. I was holding my mother in one hand and holding the book in the other hand, while rubbing my mother forehead, I kept on reading.

My mother's helper was saying something, more to grumbling but I ignored her. Then, I realised we had waited for 2 hours in the cold, comfortable room , all by ourselves.

No wonder the helper went to the toilet two times, no wonder she was taking a nap on her arms on the table behind me. All this time, I was so engrossed in the reading!

But where is the doctor?

Thats it!

I put the book down, with quick steps to the reception and standing still, staring at all the counter staff. Effectively, they all kept quiet and paid attention to me standing there, quiet.

With a quiet but killing voice, I asked for the doctor and I have waited, my dying mother have waited for 2 hours for him. Every other waiting people in the room were listening to me.

Where is the DOCTOR?

I left the room with this question. Later, 5 minutes later, the doctor came. Young.

I am Dr. Poh, or something like that. I wasn't listening anyway. I was screaming inside. But I keep my cool. I just give him the stare and kept my face straight, staring at him, hopefully he felt some guilt. But never do I expect an apology from him, which is wise of me, as it never would come, anyway.

Just 5 minutes of touching my mother here and there, maybe 3 minutes, said those few words and left.

I am good at waiting. I wanted to see somebody, waited for two years and I have seen this person at last, my reward for the patience.

What is 2 hours for me? I have all the time in the world to wait. But where is the work etiquette in the doctor?

Going home was rush hour time. Let me tell you the experience of going through rush hour in Spore in an ambulance. Feels real good.

Felt like some VVIP on the road, all vehicle giving way, what with the siren blaring all the way.

At rush hour and the ambulance blast through at 90kph all the way, with other cars giving way.

That took all the anger and frustration out of my system. I am alright now and kissing my mother all the time.

Bedok, Ansar Village.

Silaturrahim

I am back in Singapore now. Yesterday, I took KTM from Seremban to Singapore and for this trip, that would be the last visit to Malaysia.

This time, I have met so many writers. People that I've known for years and had no chance to meet before, bloggers that I still keep in touch and friends that have known me for years.
It was so beautiful to see such happy faces, remembering the times we had together before and feeling such closeness to be able to be together again.

For the next few days, being with my mother, at my own brother's house, would find me updating so much photos, so much meetings with people I admire, so much writings of their warmth and I have to do it slowly. I have to let my emotion flow ever so smoothly with the memories of those beautiful people, beautiful hearts and beautiful faces.

I feel a pinch in the heart to leave friends in Malaysia. My friends, you know who you are (the list would be long but the names are already embedded deep inside me),
thank you for taking me as I am. You are treasures in my heart, memories that will stay forever, no value in money, no measures in gold can I compare your kindness, your acceptance, and your friendship.

Only one word when I think of all of you...BEAUTIFUL.

Bedok Al Azhar, Singapore.

Some links that I found.

http://ibuika.blogspot.com/2008/07/jumpa-orang-jauh-jumaat-lepas-zar-resah.html#comments

http://annyss.blogspot.com/2008/07/umbara-sastera-2.html

http://sakurasa2.blogspot.com/2008/07/9-julai-2008-jam-5.html

http://sakurasa2.blogspot.com/2008/06/20-june-2008-kenangan-yang-indah-tetamu.html

http://abdullatip.blogspot.com/2008/07/pertemuan.html

http://www.esasterawan.net/esasterawan/1.asp?uid=131

Bedok Al Ansar

Puan was discharged yesterday. The 10 or more days she stayed in hospital was just to monitor her fever and infection. She was on antibiotic and when the course is done, she is given the green light to go home.
I am with her at Bedok Al Ansar, another one of my sibling's home.
This apartment is 25 storey high, I can see all the southern part of Spore. The harbour front, the hub of making money at Shenton Way all the way to the north, near Woodlands which is touching Johor Bahru.
Two of my brothers children are in the primary school level. They are awaken at 6 in the morning to prepare for school. There are two helpers in this house. One to handle Puan and another to handle the house. Both my brother and his wife are working.
Here I am with the last child in the house still sleeping and the helpers doing their things.

Spore people are very strong and hard working. They work leaving the house early in the morning, before the sun is up and coming home when the sun is already buried deep. On public holidays (thats the only day they don't work), they sleep thier tiredness away. I feel so sorry for them.
Where is life, where is the sweetness of life?

I look at Okinawa and I see my Otto doing his gardening, watering the plants around the house, feeding the birds, pulling out some peria and petula to cook for lunch.

Two days ago, my siblings without the small kids, went for a 5km walk at Kent Ridge Park. They built it like a bridge-way on the hills, way above the tree top, for people to walk. Just walk. As we walked, I saw the low hill of Mount Faber, (how sad, the island is so low, even the British called a small hill a little less than 200m as a mount(ain).
Anyway, as we passed some trees, there was this very tall durian tree full of fruits. I stayed in the corner of the bridgeway to hear some remarks made by those walking passed it.
What fruit is that? (some Cina from Mainland maybe).
Wa lau, that must be durian! (some yuppies).
Mommy, is that the thing we ate last night? (some specky nerd-child).

I told my brother, if you want some real original taste of durian, grown from spore soil, go wait under that tree.

My siblings were admiring the views, with some original thick growth still left (and they thought that was the jungle!) mixed with tall commercial buildings and beautiful, clean 10 lane expressway. I felt quite sad for them. This is their tempurung, so small, so clean and so happy.
If only they have the chance to see what I have seen, those small lonely track, those beautiful valleys, those clear water pond by the quiet hill with tilapia and gold fish swimming. Just two of them in the pond on top of a hill.

Turing 360 degrees around, standing in the cloud, the mist blinding my eyes. On top of Mount Fuji. Looking down at deep pine trees, unpenetrating to human and feeling on top of the world. This is my richness, I am rich, beyond what money can count.

Ah, life is beautiful, my mak is beautiful...what more can I say.
My mak is beyond treatment but she is so strong.
Alhamdulillah.

Bedok al-ansar, Singapore

Pertemuan dan rezeki

Sudah hampir sebulan saya di Spore and Msia. Waktu menulis ini, saya di Pasir Ris, di rumah adik dan berulang melawat mak di hospital setiap hari.
Doktor dari awal-awal lagi sudah berkata keadaan mak saya itu sebagai "let nature takes its course". Mungkin mak saya tidak perlu menjalani kimoterapi sebab keadaanya yang lemah itu. Pada saya asalkan mak tidak menderita kesakitan dan pergi dengan senang, itu sudah amat mententeramkan jiwa ini. Pergi itu memang takdir, hanya Yang Maha Kuasa menentukan ajal saja menepatkannya. Jadi selama mak masih boleh melihat, biarlah dia tidak diganggu lagi dengan berbagai jarum dan proses rawatan yang menyakitkan lagi.

Sudah hampir sebulan saya di sini tapi belum lagi dapat rasa roti canai. Entah kenapa? Saya duduk memikirkan, benda itu sudah dekat, bila-bila masa saya ingin makan, saya boleh dapatkan, apakah yang melarang? apa kah yang menahan rezeki ini?
Hanya Maha Kuasa yang memberi segala rezeki saja dapat menentukan itu.

Sama juga dengan pertemuan, banyak lagi teman-teman dan kenalan yang saya ingin sangat bertemu dan berbual, bertanya khabar, mendengar suara mereka, melihat senyuman mereka tapi belum lagi dipertemukan.
Ada juga pertemuan yang tidak disangka, tidak dijadualkan tapi terjadi dengan senang. Seperti bertemu dan berkenalan dengan sdr wan a rafar. Sungguhlah sudah saya faham, apa yang saya sebagai manusia kecil tidak boleh menetapkan yang dirancang, yang dijadualkan. Apabila Dia memberi rezeki dan pertemuan itu, sungguh anehnya, ia terjadi dengan senang sekali.

Inilah sdr wan a rafar, seorang penulis yang tinggal di Pasir Mas, Kelantan, bersahabat baik dengan sdr darma mohammad. Hanya satu panggilan pada sdr wan dan kami diberitahu dia sebenarnya berada hanya beberapa stasen saja dari kami di Hentian Putra. Lalu kami berjumpa pada hari itu Jun 17, 2008 dan berbual tentang berbagai topik, di antaranya haiku. Inilah masanya sdr wan menanya dan mengulas segala topik tentang haiku.
Masa saya menulis ini, sdr wan membuat kerja dakwah di Athena, Greecia.
Yang anehnya, saya dipertemukan dengan beliau hanya beberapa hari sebelum beliau berangkat ke sana.

Pada teman-teman dan kenalan yang belum sempat saya temui, saya berdoa agar kami dapat dipertemukan apabila saya membuat lagi satu pusingan ke KL minggu depan, insyaAllah.

nota kaki: sdr wan a rafar telah memberi izin menyiarkan gambar ini, harap jangan dipindahkan ke tempat lain tanpa kebenaran.

Pasir Ris, Spore.

Trengganu

The Masjid Kristal


Penarik, wild periwinkle with tall coconut trees

From Pasir Mas back to Putrajaya we have to take the coastal route to visit the new masjid, Masjid Kristal. Masjid Kristal was opened by the King and Queen Of Trengganu (I'm hopeless at remembering their titles) on Feb 8, 2008.

After a beautiful breakfast prepared by Mr. Darma's wife of nasi lemak and tapai nasi, we packed and head for the sea, leaving behind Kota Bharu, Pasir Putih, Jertih and straight into Trengganu. As we cruised, from Permaisuri onwards, I noticed every 3-4 km on the main road, were huge and beautiful masjid. Every masjid I passed, my heart ached and I doa that the people of Okinawa would get a masjid one day, even a small masjid will do for us. This luxury of beautiful masjid in Trengganu is the greatest gift of this coastal country.

We stopped at a sleepy fishing village in Penarik and saw the local cottage industry. Rows of ikan bilis, ikan tamban being dried up in the sun. There were some cats wondering around but they don't bother the fishes in the sun. I was told that those cats don't prefer those dried up fishes, its too common for them, they prefer those wet and flashy catches from the sea.

We passed Sitiu and then we saw the Masjid Kristal from the highway. We had to make a big turn going towards the masjid ground.

Its more like painted glasses and most of the building are glassess.

We can do solat in this masjid and the neighbouring land is called Pusat Tamadun Islam where there are miniature copy of famous masjids of the world.

Kuala Abang beach
We saw a beach at Kuala Abang that is exactly like the beach in Okinawa. Clean, clear water, beautiful rocky beach stones and deserted, noone is around.

Real Kelantan food

After a beautiful spread of food for breakfast, we made our way to Pantai Cinta Berahi, which has changed to Pantai Cahaya Bulan recently. There were rows of small stalls selling coconut water. We sat by the beach and slowly sipped the coconut water with the South China breeze blowing from the sea.
We popped in the Bazaar Buluh Kubu but I didn't buy anything at all. I saw some tudung bawal but the materials for the scarf are too transparent and thin. I am worried, with the uncultured way I fashion my scarf, some part of this hair would show in the see-through material.

Then, I stepped in Pasar Siti Khadijah, which to me is like any wet market, only the things sold are quite new to me, like pickled sukun fruits and turtle eggs. I couldn'd stay long at the market because the most sensitive part of my body is my nose.

I had to run out of the market, practically. From there we went to Rantau Panjang, took some beautiful pictures at the Customs Point but I am too tired to upload now.



This is the lunch that Mr. Darma Mohammad's wife prepared for us.
Nasi kerabu with solok petola and lada, celur buah beko (very new to me). Buah beko reminds me of snake, with flat body, a head and a tail.

This is something we had for dinner, pulut durian and rice tapai and some keropok lekur. I can feel the heat building up in my body as I wrote this entry. If unavoidable, maybe I need to take a little shower before going to bed to night.

After the rest and the good lunch, we head to Kampung Geting. Mr. Darma said this village is designated officially as the cottage industry of dried fish like ikan bilis and salted fish. We saw rows of ikan selar kuning being dried in the salty air and sea breeze.

Dangar, Pasir Mas.

Pasir Mas

Sakura and I made our way to Putrajaya sentral early to avoid the early morning rush hour to be in time for our express bus that depart at 8.30 in the morning.

We needed to change to another bus at Hentian Putra in KL and at 9.30, we were on our way to Pasir Mas.

Our journey took us to Bentong, Raub, Gua Musang, Kuala Krai, Machang, Tanah Merah and at last Pasir Mas. Stopping for lunch at a deserted nowhere in the world sort of place named Merapoh for 45 mins.
The stop was good for my legs, we sat for 4 hours in the bus and walking during this lunch break was a relieve for me.
Anyway, after the rest we had to sit for another 3 hours to complete the journey.
Mr Darma was already there to meet us at the station and we were all taken to his house.
He has such beautiful home. First thing I did was to go around the house to pick some ilang-ilang blooming (bunga kenanga), some cempaka telur and some limau purut. He has many varieties of flowers and fruit trees growing all around the house.
For the first time in my life, I took burung puyuh(quail) for dinner, fried version.
Maybe the people here take burung puyuh like us in Japan take chicken everyday.
While we were at the taxi station, taking our luggage out, I saw something so beautiful. There was tamarine tree, (pohon asam jawa) and on the main dividing branch of the tree, grows a small variety of white, wild orchid.
Very white and small, fully bloom hanging down, spreading like an umbrella.
Have to finish up this entry now , its late at Mr. Darma's Resident.

Pasir Mas, Kelantan

Ziarah Putrajaya

Maafkan saya, saya sekarang berada di salah sebuah sibercafe di Putrajaya - Pusat Siber JFAI. Rumah teman yang saya menumpang tidur sekarang tidak punyai laptop dan rasanya dah lama benar tak menjenguk blog sendiri.

Rindu pada teman-teman siber sangat kuat sampaikan saya paksa kawan ini bawa ke tempat ini.
Terima kasih pada semua komen-komen dan maaf sekali lagi sebab saya tidak dapat membalasnya.

Saya sampai di KL dengan KTM dari Singapore pada Jun 16, 2007.

Malamnya saya menghadiri majlis perjumpaan dengan dua orang pendaki FUJI (MBA dan Aahar), selainnya yang datang ialah ahli-ahli forum BashoHut. Mereka ialah sdr ep dan isteri,
sdr Darma Mohammad, sdr TabirAlam, sdr sakura, sdr teratai dan sdr erisya.

Hari kedua (Jun 17, 2007) di Putrajaya, saya memziarah ITNM (Institut terjemahan) untuk sesuatu tugas rasmi dan terserempak sdr Wan A. Rafar, seorang penulis dari Pasir Mas. Sempat juga kami bergambar.

Hari ketiga (Jun 18, 2007), saya dibawa ke DBP untuk pertemuan dengan salah seorang pegawai di sana atas urusan peribadi. Sempat juga kami bergambar lagi. Tapi gambar-gambar itu saya tidak dapat upload sekarang.

Esok, mungkin saya akan adakan perbincangan haiku dengan salah seorang ahli di Putrajaya.
Di sebelah malamnya, saya akan bertolak bersama 4 orang teman lagi menuju ke Kelantan.
Hari Jumaat, Sabtu, Ahad (Jun 21-23, 2008), saya menziarah tempat-tempat indah di Kelantan dan Masjid Kristal.
Kami juga dijemput menziarah keluarga sdr Darma Mohammad di Pasir Mas.

InsyaAllah, saya balik semula ke PUtrajaya dan hari isnin (Jun 24, 2008) saya akan bertentang mata dengan Mak Andeh dan Kak Yan buat pertama kali sesudah beberapa tahun mengenali mereka dalam blog.

Slot untuk hari selasa dah penuh dan saya balik ke Spore pada hari Rabu. Tapi cerita di KL belum habis lagi, saya akan kembali ke KL buat kali kedua, insyaAllah.

Some pictures http://mba.fotopages.com/

Presint 9, Putrajaya, Pusat Siber JFAI.
Jun 19, 2008

Thumb print

Had to cross over to JB today to update some stuff, to activate some cards. My brother-in-law didn't want to send me since the filling up on gasoline at Johor stand is not worth anymore. I took the JB-Spore taxi. Getting in, I immediately asked for the "white card" and to my surprise, no more white card is needed.

Ini semua pasal itu satu orang sudah lari keluar jail, the driver tried to explain. What orang?
what jail?
apasal dia sudah lari?
that were my questions.
Kakak, apa pasat lu tak dengar kah? Kakak mana mari?
I kept quite, don't want to tell anything but the talkative driver still carried on talking.

Then at the immigration point, the thumb print scanner was passed around in the car for each of us to scan. Well, I like this thumb print thing, at least I don't have to scribble on that white card and sometimes misplaced it on the return trip.

The driver dropped us at some designated drop-off-point and immediately I took the local taxi. Its about 1km away to my designation but the driver told me the fare is rm10 and the meter is broken. Suka hati engkaulah.
He overshoot the bank front entrance and told me he didn't realized it...hey brader, you are the local driver, don't shit me.
Maaf ye, saya tak perasan tadi...
malas aku nak layan...
get out and bang the door.

During some fund-transferring at RHB, this counter girl, sweetly tell me.
Kakak boleh tak tulis cepat sikit, saya nak keluar makan!

I, too with my sweet voice told her,
"awak nak makan, pergilah makan, takkan orang lain tak boleh ganti"?
I cannot even swallow this situation...a bank counter girl telling me, the bank customer to hasten the form writing.
Of course, nothing would change my life and when I turned to the counter again, I still see her there.
With some sarcasm, "kata nak keluar makan, kenapa ada lagi"?
Feeling guilty, she said, "saya tunggu kakak habis"...
tahu pun-tolol!

I observed and I am happy to have the chance to compare, only after comparing do I know how beautiful the other side of midnight is.

Taman Pelangi, Menara Pelangi, Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

Ho Fan, Rojak Mamak.

Hari ini, Ahad, seperti biasa, anak dara dua orang itu menghadiri kelas ugama di Darul Arqam. Selepas kelas itu, kami berjalan menuju ke kedai makan Teh Tarik, sebuah kedai makan yang diiktirafkan oleh MUIS (Majlis Ugama Islam Spura) sebagai kedai menyediakan makanan halal.
Ho fun, ho fun...apakah ho fan itu saya berfikir sebab kedua-dua anak ini sibuk mengatakan saya mesti merasa hidangan ini.
Bila ho fan dihantarkan dan saya rasa. Kuih teow goreng berkuah kicap dan dulu-dulu mereka panggil dengan nama mi Hong Kong.
Ada juga saya terlihat keropok lekur panjang. Dapat juga rasa lekur dari Spore.
Sepinggan ho fan sudah cukup untuk menyegahkan perut ini sampai ke malam masih kekenyangan juga.
Ada satu lagi yg baru. Air batu dengan sepihan buah durian belanda bercampur sea-coconut (kelapa laut). Apa benda sea-coconut itu saya tak pasti tapi selepas makanan yg berminyak, rasanya air batu durian belanda diperah dengan limau kasturi, rasakan membersihkan tekak.
Ini no handset di spore 94295176.
Saya jarang buka laptop ini sebab banyak urusan luar yg perlu dilakukan.

Hari ini dapat juga rasa rojak mamak, yang berbagai fish cake, sotong, telur bercecahkan kuah merah secawan. Kuahnya tidaklah berapa sedap sangat. Saya masih ingat masa kecil, setahun adalah sekali dua, bapa bawa balik rojak ini. Saya suka sangat dengan kuahnya sampai esok harinya saya campurkan dengan nasi. Tapi tadi pagi kuah rojak itu rasanya macam boleh masuk longkang.

Yang saya rasa pelik, masa makan itu ada berbagai orang datang meminta duit menjual ayat-ayat suci. Yang pertama datang, saya belilah dalam satu dua keping tapi selepasnya yang lain datang berturut-turut minta duit.

Bukannya apa, bila masukkan ho fan dalam mulut, tengah menunduk dan mulut penuh, mereka datang. Maka apabila saya mengangkat muka waktu-waktu begini, semuanya dalam mulut bertempias ke muka yang cantik bermekap. Nak marah pun tak boleh sebab makanan penuh di mulut. Nak layan bercakap, saya tengah sedap menikmati makanan, jadi terpinga-pinga juga dibuatnya dan terputuslah rasa kesedapan makanan di meja.
Nak marah pun ye, rasa kasihan pun ye, meluat pun ye...berbagai rasa dalam satu pandangan.

Rupanya tandas di spore ini memang sudah bersih. Orang awam pandai tekan butang selepas menggunakannya tapi mana datang bau yang rasanya boleh melekat ke pakaian. Saya perhatikan bersih tapi bau yang pekat masih ada lagi. Lagi pun mereka pakai air dan air itu melimpah-limpah ke lantai, sepatutnya disebabkan air itu membersihkan lantai, hilanglah bau pekat tapi masih sepekat-pekatnya.
Inilah yg saya tak sanggup.
Sejak saya sampai sini, hari ini sudah masuk 5 hari. Cuacanya dingin dan mendung. Sungguh sedap seperti awal summer di Okinawa.

Kalau buat panggilan itu, berilah tau nama dan kenalkanlah diri. Kad prepaid ini saya tak gunakan lagi selepas saya kembali ke Jepun, itulah sebabnya saya rasa tidak perlu untuk merahsiakan no itu.

Geylang Serai, Darul Arqam, Teh Tarik, Spore.

Nangka sulung

Inilah lada hijau dan lada merah yang berhasil di kebunku.

Nangka perantau
semaian benih itu
terhasil sulung
nikmat manisannya
kanku sabar menunggu.

*********

(Ini tanka, sejenis puisi Jepun.)

*********

Inilah nangka yang mengeluarkan hasil pertama.

Ia akan dijaga dengan kasih sehingga kukembali, insyaAllah.

Kejora di Kaki Langit-Darma Mohammad

Gambar ihsan dari sdr wan A Rafar

(http://jendeladankemeja.blogspot.com/2008/03/kejora-di-kaki-langit.html)


When I held this novel “Kejora di Kaki Langit” written by Darma Mohammad and published by Creative Enterprise Sdn Bhd (540 pages), for the first time, immediately the word “kejora” pulled my eyes. Looking it up, “kejora” is a term use to group stars that flow in the “Rivers of Galaxy”. Some people might refer to it as the “bimasakti” or “amanogawa” that the Japanese like to use in haiku writings. But I opinioned it nearer to “Subaru” like the title song in the video below.
I have known (not personally) the writer from a couple of years before, when he often made constructive comments in my blog writings. After knowing only his name, I am exposed to some of his free-style poetry that was often published in papers, bulletin and journals and more, of his creative writings scattered in the cyber world.
The story line of the book are easy issues, not thought-provoking, brain-smashing, heavy material. It tells a career-minded heroine, unsuccessful in love relationship and finding a comfortable path in building up her career thereon. The common term for this type of theme is Chick lit novel. Often with this story line, we find the writer to be commonly lady but as a man writes this novel, it should be more of an eye-opener. Readers should be able to see some perspective from a man’s point of view.
As I have anticipated, coming from a writer who has ample experience in free-style poetry writings, this novel is scattered with famous quotation of wise words and lines from many books that the writer is familiar with.
In addition to this, for readers who are inclined to puisi (Malay-style poetry), there is a little bonus thrown in.
The puisi, “Kaki langit ditusuk karang” is the writer’s eloquent ness, word precision, colorful vibrancy and depth of emotional current.

Three of the verses as appetizer:

Pertemuan ini menjadi sejarah,
Kenangan manis menjadi abadi,
Namamu melekat di hatiku,
Pesan dan sindir menjadi ingatan.

Bertemu, bermesra dan berpisah,
Lumrah hidup lumrah alam,
Keharuan ini harus ditelan,
Berat lidah mengucap selamat tinggal,
Untuk tarikh bila berkumpul semula.

Esok, kita akan berjalan jauh,
Penuh liku panas dan berdebu,
Masing-masing berlainan arah,
Membawa pulang pengalaman diri,
Membawa pulang lara sendiri.


Again, with the solid background of a poetry writer, see this picturesque scenery written as metaphor,
jari-jari angin,
wajah malam yang legam,
suara hujan,
tamsil senja,
menyeri langit di batin,
sekeping mimpi yang melayang-layang di atas awan,
sayup di hujung bimasakti,
terus menyala di dapur hati,
deru kereta membelah rambu-rambu senja,
suara dari sejuta lidah awan,
rintik-rintik senja bertaburan,
kehitaman bertaburan di langit…
and many more.

Even readers without any poetic sentiments would be pulled by the word attractiveness.
On top of all these, the writer also managed to insert wise word from famous Japanese proverb and some lines from Confucius powerful thoughts. There are mentioned of famous books like “Laa Tahzan”, “Men are from Mars, Women from Venus”, “Di dalam lembah kehidupan” by Hamka and much more. Evidently, this shows much research, footwork, homework done in preparation and writing.
Appropriately, making the story line more in tune to the latest worldly event, some contemporary songs are added to spice up the flavor as in
“Don’t wanna lose you” by Gloria Estafan,
“When will I se you again” from the singing group The Three Degrees,
“You raise me up” solo singing of Josh Groban.
Thought reflection of lifetime experiences shows in these lines made me rewind some memory buttons (quote page 364).

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I…
I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference.”
Next book,

“Derai-derai debu” by Darma Mohammad

Coming up.