POST HARI RAYA VISIT

Aliff and Ariff in the house

Someone came knocking on my door this evening and here they were at last, the brothers, Aliff and Ariff, who did not manage to come during the month of Syawal. They and their parents were one of the regular visitors for Eid and it was really a pleasant surprise to get to meet them again after more than one year. Aliff is now studying in one of the polytechnics while Ariff in MRSM in Negeri Sembilan. If I am not mistaken, Aliff is from SPM batch 2007 and Ariff is going to sit for his SPM this year. Hope to see them again in December after the exams are over.

DEEPAVALI HI-TEA IN THE STAFF ROOM

food, food, glorious food

In conjunction with the recent Deepavali, another pot luck was held in the staffroom. But they called it high-tea because the food was prepared by our Indian colleagues so we did not have to bring anything. So this time, we got to taste Indian cuisines like idli and putu mayam which was eaten with either brown sugar and grated coconut or curry, and not forgetting muruku. That was my first time eating idli, which was tasty. The taste was similar to tose but instead of being fried on a hot pan, it was steamed. It had this tender and smooth texture like vadeh, best eaten with curry and then you could savour the melting taste of it in your mouth.

happy faces

with Miss Indra

So thank you to Mr. Narasimman, Mr. Punithan and Miss Indra who had prepared the hi-tea for us. I guess we still have time for one more pot luck before the long school holidays.

BOOK REVIEW 4 - "PATHS OF GLORY" by JEFFRY ARCHER

I bought this book when I was in KL recently. I was reading it during breaks in between meeting sessions and managed to finish it within five days, which was actually a record for me.

This book is a totally different genre from Archer's previous works. No twist in the tale this time, it tells a journey of George Mallory, the first Englishman who was believed to have successfully reached Mount Everest. However, some thought that he did not make it because he was found dead at the end of the expedition, so there was no evidence he had set foot on the peak of the mountain. The book was written with careful description of a mountaineer based on true historical facts but yet it was quite exciting to read through until the end. Nevertheless, as the conflicts were not that intense and the story was very straightforward, it makes the novel a bit dry if compared to his other masterpiece. Still a very good read though, and that has proven that I am now addicted to Archer's.

PREFECTS' ANNUAL LUNCH 2009

I am not sure whether it was an annual lunch or farewell gathering for the school prefects but the most important thing the event was held in Naza Hotel. I had never been to the prefects' function before, either I was not invited or it was held during a school day in the afternoon. Good food, fun people - an afternoon well-spent. So let's just see some pictures of people who were there. And many of them have grown into handsome and beautiful looking teenagers already.

FROM ALOR STAR TO KUALA LUMPUR

My short escapade had come to its end. It was time to start work again. However, I was always looking forward to this meeting because it was time to see a few of my friends. It was an annual affair when we could exchange updates and gossips among ourselves.

busy at work

The hotel is situated somewhere near Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman so we I walked to Sogo for two days in the evening but on the third day it was raining so I had to stay in the room. The next day, my friends and I went to KLCC because it was not good just to lie down on the bed all evening after all the hotel food you have taken. And furthermore, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

with Mr. Hamidon at KLCC

with Mr. Asrol, my roommate

So five days spent there, and luckily the food was quite tasty. And now I am ready to work again. *sigh*

my friend's room, overlooking KLCC...

...and my room, nothing interesting in the horizon

FROM LANGKAWI TO ALOR STAR

going home on the ferry

So after spending two nights in Langkawi, it was time to go home but not after having a short stop in Alor Star, Kedah. We first went to the Paddy Museum, an educational site for you to learn everything about paddy. Going to the upper level of the museum, you can observe the beautiful surrounding of a paddy field seen from atop of a hill which is actually a very large painting drawn on a wall. You just have to stand on the rotating platform and watch the process of paddy planting until it is harvested. The exhibits of paddy-related things can be found on the ground floor.

welcome to Muzium Padi

a picturesque scenery of a paddy field painted on a wall

it is already dusk

good buffalo, good buffalo...

Pekan Rabu, Alor Star

We had lunch at Pekan Rabu, a place where you could get traditionally produced goods and food like salted and pickled fish, dodol, bahulu, preserved fruit etc. And the price is much cheaper here. So that was the trip to Langkawi for this time. Actually, while the rest were heading back straight home to Johor Bahru, I had to stop in Kuala Lumpur because I had to attend a meeting the very next day, but that was another story in another update.

17 OCTOBER - 2nd DAY LANGKAWI

[NOTE: Sorry, I could only update the blog only after I had arrived home from KL. In fact, too many things to write and yet too little time]

members of the excursion group in front of the hotel

We started the day early on the second day as there were many places to be visited. We first went to Telaga Tujuh but just stopped just for a short while.

A more exciting stop would be the Langkawi Cable Car, for me at least. This time I managed to go up the hill or rather known as Gunung Machinchang. I went here twice before but was not allowed entry for certain technical reasons. The best thing about the ride was the spectacular view that you could see from the gondola or either from the observation deck or the bridge. And we managed to pet the rabbits in the park before we went out from that place. We just bought a small packet of sliced carrots (which cost RM1) to lure the cute furry animals.

you could find burned rice here, if you were lucky enough

it is believed that Mahsuri was killed at this very spot

a new PM in the making

Then we went to Padang Matsirat to see whether we can find any burned rice on the ground before stopping for lunch. Right after that, we moved to Galeri Perdana, where the presents received by Tun Dr Mahathir were put on display for the public. I definitely need more time if I have to really feast my eyes on the large collection of things you could never imagine could be presented as gifts. I am thinking of having a gallery for my Teachers' Day gifts but will there be people who want to see?

love the carpet!

it's a bird...

The trip to Langkawi would not be complete if photo was not taken in front of the eagle monument in Dataran Lang. Then only we went for a shopping spree in Kuah town.

I was lucky enough because I got to meet Zanariah, my ex-coursemate from UPM, who is now residing in Langkawi. She was kind enough to take me to a seafood restaurant for dinner with her parents and four kids. Thanks, Ana! ... And what a long day for me, really.

BLOGGING FROM LANGKAWI

I am glad that I have the chance to go to Langkawi with the school trip again during the long Deepavali weekend. My fourth time actually there but as usual there are a few things in mind that will be worth buying. We started the journey at about 9:00 p.m., and then stopped at Gurun at about 6:15 a.m. for Subuh prayer and breakfast.

breakfast in Gurun

Padang Besar

The next long stop was at Padang Besar just to kill time while waiting for our ferry to the island at 2:00 p.m. But who could contain oneself from not buying anything there?

welcome to Langkawi, again

with a few of the group members in front of the Aseania Hotel

with the penguins

After stepping foot on the island, we checked in at Aseania Hotel. As it was already quite late, the only place that we went this evening was the Underwater World. Thank God, some upgrading had been done before so the place was much better than the last time I went there last year. And after that, we had dinner and called it a day.

the hills come alive, with the sound of music...

dinner time somewhere in Chenang

[note: If I have the time and energy, I will update my travelogue tomorrow. The cyber cafe is just a walking distance from the hotel]