ANOTHER CHINESE NEW YEAR REUNION MEETING WITH AN EX-STUDENT

Last year, the gathering was held in Kuala Lumpur [or was it Selangor?] [READ HERE] as Mr. Ng Ching Kai did not go back to Johor Bahru. This year, however, he was in town to celebrate Chinese New Year with his family so we had our annual reunion.

The chosen venue this time was Lavender Cafe in Taman Pelangi, and we chatted over bread, pastry and coffee.

We tried to do some catching up and update of the latest news. Surprisingly, we both had lost contact with most of his classmates of SMK Taman Universiti.

Glad that we still managed to keep the tradition that had been going on for quite some time. The time will come when Mr. Ng would be more occupied and busier, but as for now; Carpe diem!

Thanks Mr. Ng Ching Kai for the time, company and the treat as well.

HAVING SOFT ICE-CREAM FOR DESSERT IN PETALING JAYA

29th DECEMBER 2024 ~ After the Pizza session at The Stories of Taman Tunku, we then went to get dessert. This time I was driven to this shop called softsrve, somewhere in Petaling Jaya. One reason, it was still too early for Mr. Haiqal [my ex-student of SMK Taman Universiti] to send me to the airport. It was still about 6:00 p.m. and my flight would be at 10:40 p.m.

So people came here just to get the ice-cream I supposed. There was no other food that could be seen here. Or perhaps there were cakes too.

The ice-cream arrived at our tables with smoke coming out of the cups. There was a kind of liquid at the bottom of the cups that produced the billowing smoke. Dry ice could be the chemical substance that came into my mind. We were still amazed by the foggy ice-cream and we could enjoy it once it had thinned away.

That should conclude my string of gastronomic adventure with Mr. Haiqal and his girlfriend. We used to do this back home in Johor Bahru but to get to see him in Kuala Lumpur despite his bust schedule was an accomplishment. He then dropped me off at KLIA2 and we said our goodbyes, hoping to see each other again in 2025.

MEETING AN EX-STUDENT IN KUALA LUMPUR FOR THE FIRST TIME

   29th DECEMBER 2024    ~ An ex-student [of SMK Taman Universiti], Mr. Haiqal Johari, contacted me after seeing my check-in on Facebook when I was in Kuala Lumpur. We had actually planned a meeting in the metropolitan city but he was busy all the time.

After the lunch session with my TESL friends in Klang, I took a train and Mr. Haiqal picked me up at one station. We then went to this place called The Stories of Taman Tunku, which was located in Bukit Tunku.

My first impression of the place: the venue where rich people go to. Most people I saw there looked fashionable and wealthy.

We finally sat at the restaurant called Mokkys Pizza despite the fact I already had had a heavy lunch before this. It was not nice to reject a meal especially when someone was about to give you a treat.

The dining area was actually quite small and the tables were placed very close to others. Definitely not the place if you are looking for a private conversation, so you just go there to eat and chat with the possibility being eavesdropped.

Once pizza session was done, we met up with Mr. Haiqal's girlfriend and drove to get dessert.

VISITING MASJID JAMEK CINA MUSLIM IN KLANG, SELANGOR - PART ONE

   29th DECEMBER 2024    ~ The activity carried out by the few members of UPM TESL Class of 1993 was to visit Masjid Cina [TRANSLATE: Chinese Muslim Mosque] that was newly opened to public. This time we ventured out a bit to Klang to visit the Muslim's holy building for worship.

The building does not look like the conventional mosques with most of the time influenced by the architecture of the Middle East countries. From afar, one might mistake this building as something else. The mosque is actually a copy of the design of another mosque in Xi'an, China.

I was deeply impressed by the design and physical features of the whole place. It was as if I had been transported to another Muslim country on another land.

We basically walked around the place and took as many photos as possible.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART TWO