STOPPING BY AT AL SHAHAB MOSQUE IN KEPALA BATAS, KEDAH

   11TH DECEMBER 2026    ~ The driver, Mr. Fakhrul, and the navigator, Puan Suhana Abdul Jamal, who took me to the wedding in Jitra [READ HERE], decided to stop by at a mosque along the way via Alor Setar. Masjid Jame' Al Shahab was located by the main road and we got to perform our Zohor prayer there.

I was glad that I managed to be in Kepala Batas in Kedah. It had always been the other Kepala Batas in Pulang Pinang a.k.a Penang.

The mosque looked new and it was well taken care of. Congratulations to the committee members and staff for the great effort.

STAYING AT SERI MALAYSIA HOTEL IN KEPALA BATAS FOR THE SECOND TIME

I chose to stay at Seri Malaysia Hotel in Kepala Batas for the second time on the 24th - 26th October 2025. For one thing, there was not much choice of accommodation available in town.

I was here for the first time last year, also when I went to attend a wedding reception of a friend's children in Kepala Batas [READ HERE].

I noticed the arrangement of the furniture in the lobby was no longer the same.

This time, another friend [of UPM TESL class of 1993], Puan Hanna Sheikh Mokhtar, her husband and daughter were also putting up the night there. We had our buffet breakfast at the hotel cafe before checking out.

There are possibilities I will be coming back to Kepala Batas a few more times in the future. I don't mind staying at Seri Malaysia again, unless there is going to be a brand new hotel coming up.

MEETING AN EX-CLASSMATE IN KEPALA BATAS

26TH OCTOBER 2025 ~ I first contacted my ex-classmate [of Budiman class] of SMS Muar, Mr. Ahmad Fadilah, one day before going to Kepala Batas. He is now residing there and will be home on weekends. However, ironically, he was in Johor Bahru when I called him for a family matter and I, on the other hand, would be going to his place. Fortunately, he would be returning to Penang before I made my way back to Johor Bahru so there was a possibility of meeting up. The last time we met was at an ex-classmate's son's wedding in Sungai Ramal Dalam, Selangor last year [READ HERE].

He was kind enough to pick me up at my hotel and took me to his house in Bertam for lunch.

Mr. Ahmad was going back to Medan [he is working there at the moment] with his wife right after lunch. That meant, I also got the opportunity for a free lift from the mainland to the airport in Bayan Lepas on the island.

It was just a short meeting but that it finally happened in Penang.with one the few classmates I am still keeping in touch with even though not regularly. Hope to see Mr. Ahmad again some other time possible.

THE BREAKFAST AT A MAMAK RESTAURANT IN KEPALA BATAS

   25TH OCTOBER 2025    ~ The original plan was to just have breakfast in my hotel room as I had bought some food items from 7-Eleven the night before. However, I still had a lot of time to kill before attending the wedding reception in Kota Kuala Muda in the afternoon and I ended up in the Mamak Restaurant called Al-Safaah which was just nearby.

There were two restaurants that were located near to each other but I chose this one as I saw more people were eating breakfast inside.

I got my Teh Tarik and Roti Canai fix in Kepala Batas that morning.

Here, visitor were given a glass for the half-boiled eggs. I had then to drink my eggs which was a new experience for me.

I guess the other restaurant would have to wait for my return trip to Kepala Batas, time is still unknown.