A ONE-NIGHT CAMPING TRIP AT BATU LAYAR BEACH - 24 YEARS AGO

If I am not mistaken, this was the camping trip that was done in 1997, 24 years ago. It was a joint venture activity between Puteri Islam and Kadet Remaja Sekolah, two uniform units for co-curricular activities in SMK Taman Universiti. While Puteri Islam consisted of all girls members, KRS at that time was only opened for the boys.

It was a short trip of one night to Batu Layar Beach. The girls [or the teacher advisers] chose the accommodation at the chalets while the boys who wanted something more adventurous, opted for camping by the beach.

The activities: a lot of swimming [okay, not really swimming but enjoying all the time in the water] and spending time on the beach, climbing and exploring all the big rocks there and striking as many poses as possible. It was the time when digital camera was not yet in existence but amazingly there are quite a number of photos that are still preserved even though the quality has deteriorated.

It was only a short trip but I think the boys had enjoyed the time being away from home for once. Actually, I couldn't remember what did the girls do during the trip. We seemed to be separated from each other at the resort.

Unlike today, organizing school trips or any activities outside last time was much simpler so teachers could easily take the students out once in a while. I must say I used to be an outdoor-ish person so I tried to get my students out from school as I know they enjoyed all the excursions without the spying eyes of their parents. Unfortunately, this is almost impossible when one is assigned the post of an administrator and I sure miss the old life I had so much.

Those were the good old days. I had not slept in a tent for quite a long time. It would be nice to do that again, especially by the beach with friends. Perhaps it is high time to start planning when time permits i.e. MCO [lockdown] is over.

AN UNEXPECTED PARCEL THAT ARRIVED AT HOME

Lady Luck must have smiled today as an unexpected parcel arrived at home when I was in school.

It was a gift for Eid ul-Adha from a friend of UPM TESL class of 1993, Puan Zarinamahnum Haji Alias. Thanks a lot my friend for the sweet box of fruit cake that travelled all the way from Kuala Lumpur/Selangor. I will always remember your kindness with every bite I take.

"When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully,

everyone is blessed."

~ MAYA ANGELOU ~

SPOT THE ERROR 161

MY VERSION:

Only 5 people allowed in the shop at one time.

MY TEXAS SAGE A.K.A SILVER PLANT IN FULL BLOOM

My Texas Sage a.k.a Silver Plant is in full bloom again and from my observation, this only happens when the weather is extremely hot. This time round, I find the petals are dark purple but they were in a lighter shade before this.

This is a kind of plant that does not produce flowers regularly. Unfortunately, after all the joyous spring of colours, the flowers do not last long. By tomorrow, they will all be scattering on the ground. Until the next bloom, let me enjoy the beautiful sight while it still lasts.

A GROUP OF COLLEAGUES CAME VISITING

 A group of friends from school paid me a social visit today. School had been closed since May due to the pandemic so we did not have the chance to see each other and chat as we used to. I guess once in a while the needs to talk to someone who is not a family member living under the same roof arises.

However, the visitors had to make their moves as it was nearing the Maghrib [dusk] prayer time or else we would continue chatting. We are all patiently waiting for the time when people are allowed to dine in at restaurants so we could see friends during our leisure time.

 

VISITING AN EX-COLLEAGUE IN TAMAN NUSANTARA

21st JULY 2021 ~ I was making a home visit at a friend's house at Taman Nusantara in Gelang Patah. It was not because of Eid ul-Adha but I just wanted to pass some rambutan fruits to the family. It is customary for the host to invite the guest in for a drink so that was what happened - but only for a short while. It was great to see Puan Rokiah Junoh, an ex-colleague of SMK Taman Universiti and her husband, Mr. Abdul Rahman again. We just cannot wait for the time when people are allowed to sit in a bigger group for a social gathering.

EATING DURIANS IN THE AFTERNOON OF EID UL-ADHA

20th JULY 2021 ~ I was not expecting any visitors in the afternoon of Eid ul-Adha but an ex-student suddenly arrived at my house bringing durians. I am not an avid durian fan actually but I do eat the fruit in moderation. It must have been a very long time ago since I last ate one until I could not remember when.

Since he was here, I had the chance to force him to help me get the rambutan fruit off from the tree behind my house using a long pole. We managed to get a bagful of rambutan to bring home to his mom who happens to be an ex-colleague of SMK Taman Universiti.

Thanks Mr. Mohd. Afif Farhan for the kind thought. I don't remember anyone who had brought durians to be eaten together before so this should be something I will remember for a long time.

WELCOMING EID UL-ADHA 1442H

Eidul Adha was here again, another religious celebration for Muslims. Unfortunately because of the C-19 pandemic, a lot of activities had to be put on hold like the customary house visits and the slaughtering of animals in public area. However, people were still allowed to attend the Eid prayers in the morning at the mosques and "surau" [small mosque] but with the limited number of congregation. I had the chance to attend the Eid prayer at Surau Nurul Hidayah near my house. It had been a long time since I last performed prayers or attend activities since the MCO 3.0 [movement control order] was imposed - for the third time.

With the rising number of C-19 cases every day, the best thing we could do besides adhering to all the SOPs outlined is to pray for things to get better.

Happy Eid ul-Adha every body!

WHAT DID I WATCH ON NETFLIX: "THE ENDLESS TRENCH"

Higinio had to go into hiding in his house as he feared of being killed because of the political conflict he was involved in during the Spanish Civil War. First he had to seek refuge in a small hole dug under the kitchen floor in his house. After that, he managed to find a small room behind the wall of his father's house. With the assistance of his loyal wife, Rosa, he was able to survive even though he was physically cut off from the outside world. At one point, when the political scenario in Spain had already changed, Higinio still refused to go out and meet people because he still believed people were still hunting him down. However, Rosa and his son already got tired of the drama and lies they had to live and finally, after 33 years, Higinio stepped out of the house and realized people didn't even recognize or care who he was after all.