tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17667030578458526472024-02-21T05:53:39.479+08:00estungI am a journalist, now retired from full-time employment, to pursue another journey which I call visual journalism. I sketch life, live.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-45077262909430086062017-08-24T18:05:00.000+08:002017-09-10T21:41:04.439+08:00Fired up over Tanjung Api<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeXdo39vTP1CzH5tuVQTswQewNonRqEyjVKJ2W7brkYfPnSfEPSUCaPUm2p-23CnrcW8y4DaQJjwXVUa7wAVwHsFjZzOntaJKidbAatXHalMG6fw15pa8rk_2O0RY2z2CPd1klhq_OlA/s1600/Tanjung+Api+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeXdo39vTP1CzH5tuVQTswQewNonRqEyjVKJ2W7brkYfPnSfEPSUCaPUm2p-23CnrcW8y4DaQJjwXVUa7wAVwHsFjZzOntaJKidbAatXHalMG6fw15pa8rk_2O0RY2z2CPd1klhq_OlA/s640/Tanjung+Api+%25281%2529.jpg" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This piece was eventually translated into a large painting.</td></tr>
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FLANKING the Pahang's Kuantan Rivermouth and facing the South China Sea are two idyllic fishing villages that are slowly being swept away by the waves of development. Located on the northeastern side of the estuary is Tanjung Api, and directly opposite it is Tanjung Lumpur.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I have been to the Tanjung Lumpur fishing village many times through the years when visiting Kuantan. It is more famous for its seafood than Tanjung Api, boasting a number of big restaurants.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>However, I feel Kampung Tanjung Api, as it is better known, has more character, thanks to its wooden houses on stilts and makeshift fishing huts that dot its short coastline.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The evening I was there, the good weather and blue skies allowed me to do a piece on fishing boats in Tanjung Api. They were moored at the edge of the coastal swamp land after the esplanade, separated from the beach by a thick line of flotsam and mangrove saplings struggling to gain a foothold.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpjirpYvvp11s82LJQX6XJjQrDQvB02NVHKLP_g6OenLhArtHIgVCML8UjgrQrSKEDycIgix6SIAvSqr-932fDNCyldOzpx_O4F1WAiGEH7ILKqauLUiNuIKkUFDcbsTmHrQtmp2BSpU/s1600/Tanjung+Api+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="600" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpjirpYvvp11s82LJQX6XJjQrDQvB02NVHKLP_g6OenLhArtHIgVCML8UjgrQrSKEDycIgix6SIAvSqr-932fDNCyldOzpx_O4F1WAiGEH7ILKqauLUiNuIKkUFDcbsTmHrQtmp2BSpU/s320/Tanjung+Api+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A local fisherman looks for prey</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The sun was on its way down and the dissipating heat drew anglers to the concrete pier. Some distance away, children were seen diving in for a cool dip from boardwalks nailed to rotting bakau trunks.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Tanjung Api is the destination of choice for anglers although a few eateries are also drawing loyalists to their premises. According to one angler, anglers like this place because the water is deeper than in Tanjung Lumpur and chances of landing a big catch is much better. The esplanade here is also quite large and can accommodate many anglers without their lines getting entangled at each cast.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I was told that photographers and artists love this side of the Sungai Kuantan estuary simply because of its rugged geography. There are plenty of subjects in the form of wooden houses on stilts, debris from the sea, and rickety boardwalks reaching out to the boats moored at the water’s edge.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you are lucky, in the afternoons when the sea is too rough for boats to go out, you may catch sight of fishermen making fish traps known as bubu. I got acquainted with a couple who were also enjoying the outdoors painting that evening.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>At a small river at the end of the village, I met a local fisherman who was casting for fish. When I asked him what was he looking for, he replied that he was casting for a tilapia species that have adapted to the brackish water there. “Not big but enough for a decent meal tonight,” he replied, as his wife looked cautiously at my camera.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-XT4tjCMnakpdsUCEYRP8KdB00DeY37mAWzQtQrkrv5wueDYuYaK6lyjdETUBe8cU0xFsKdJM_mgg5nbYNz2fXfn6XRipwAoCjGXq_PW0b0oA5dCgTw-7A4gZHjd3HvN1socRYQ89rY/s1600/Tanjung+Api+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-XT4tjCMnakpdsUCEYRP8KdB00DeY37mAWzQtQrkrv5wueDYuYaK6lyjdETUBe8cU0xFsKdJM_mgg5nbYNz2fXfn6XRipwAoCjGXq_PW0b0oA5dCgTw-7A4gZHjd3HvN1socRYQ89rY/s320/Tanjung+Api+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspired by the scenery, this artist puts her inspiration to paper</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>From Tanjung Api, I could see that development is coming fast and swift to its riverine neighbour on the opposite bank. Two tall cranes were clawing at the skies on top of a huge complex; perhaps another hotel?<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As I left the place with a painting in hand, I was very sure that when I return again in a year or so, there will be fewer fishing boats to paint on either bank. I hope that Tanjung Api will not lose its charm.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>HOW TO GET THERE<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>From Kuantan town, drive to Jalan Teluk Sisek towards Tanjung Lumpur. At the traffic lights, turn right but do not go up the bridge to Tanjung Lumpur. Instead, keep to the left and turn in at Jalan Padang Lalang. Go straight for about 1.4km until you come to Jalan Selamat and turn right.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In about 500m, you will come to the junction with Jalan Tanjung Api. Turn left and look out for Lorong Tanjung Api 11 and turn in there. The esplanade is about 400m away. Look out for the Tanjung Api Mosque, which sits just at the entrance to the esplanade. You can use Tanjung Api Mosque, Kuantan, to approximate your search for its location on Waze.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-20678697763746805672017-08-10T18:08:00.000+08:002017-09-10T18:40:29.831+08:00Bagan Sungai Sembilang<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlS7jBDB8PB6OWUXrfOho3NJuRxoi0YvlnPtpm5Wgct1gVxOW6Dk6lbi8V0T_stblZU8lFNIhUIbgZU9G2r1PIwD7ra5HCdgkvH1FAGelf-NqFrVtnBmsAOBEHFFshwXITxn6eYWIy44/s1600/Bagan+Sungai+Sembilang+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; white-space: pre;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="600" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqlS7jBDB8PB6OWUXrfOho3NJuRxoi0YvlnPtpm5Wgct1gVxOW6Dk6lbi8V0T_stblZU8lFNIhUIbgZU9G2r1PIwD7ra5HCdgkvH1FAGelf-NqFrVtnBmsAOBEHFFshwXITxn6eYWIy44/s640/Bagan+Sungai+Sembilang+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bagan Sungai Sembilang beach is not as well known as its Pantai Remis counterpart</td></tr>
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BAGAN Sungai Sembilang is a small sparsely populated coastal fishing village a kilometre south of the more popular Pantai Remis on the west coast of Selangor, near Kuala Selangor. It is accessible via Klang from the south or the Latar highway from the north, off the coastal Kapar-Kuala Selangor trunk road.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I found this up-and-coming holiday spot quite by chance while exploring the area. The cluster of casuarina trees that were planted years ago on this stretch were a sight to behold the morning I was there. Their silhouette cast on the white sandy beach made the scenery picture-perfect.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Bagan (or Kampung) Sungai Sembilang got its name from the river that runs through the area, which is also used by fishermen to advance inland by water. According to my friend Radzi, the coastal waters used to be teeming with the marine catfish known in Malay as sembilang. They are still found here but not as many as in years past.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nHp2PqA1YvW8YH_aN7O5DVOhFEafco9WD1JWABgmvqD1LRF_S23QJIy8zaMuRoCcXX-PkLj3f915whlnDVE-NSMlu7cXAK49Kq2wTlVMTDeyd7K6i_oJKqflpT8aihDLq31vTwse6NM/s1600/Bagan+Sungai+Sembilang+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; white-space: pre;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="600" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nHp2PqA1YvW8YH_aN7O5DVOhFEafco9WD1JWABgmvqD1LRF_S23QJIy8zaMuRoCcXX-PkLj3f915whlnDVE-NSMlu7cXAK49Kq2wTlVMTDeyd7K6i_oJKqflpT8aihDLq31vTwse6NM/s320/Bagan+Sungai+Sembilang+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This wet market is a recent development to boost<br />the economic activities in this enclave</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>While painting this scenery, I noticed that many of the casuarina trees had been uprooted. Their trunks had been sawn off and the stumps left to rot. According to an army veteran (who watched me paint), the water-line was farther out at sea.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"There were even more trees those days but over the years, the sea claimed more land," he explained as he pointed to a line of rocks that ran parallel to the beach, 50 metres away. "Those are what remain of a sea wall built many years ago to prevent erosion and they are now submerged in mud. Who knows, one day, the area where we are standing now might be under water."<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This stretch of beach is relatively unknown and is usually deserted on weekdays though there are some makeshift huts built some time ago. Come weekends or holidays, the shady stretch under the casu arinas will be occupied by cars. The beach is relatively clean, thanks to "No Littering" reminders nailed onto the trees by the locals, a troop of macaques were at the beach the day I was there. I saw about 10 of them scouring the ground for food scraps.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The tide goes far out in the mornings, I was told, and the exposed mudflat is often filled with wading birds. The day I was there, a huge flock of painted storks and a couple of Lesser Adjutants were spotted foraging in the shallows, picking at morsels of food stuck between the barnacle-ridden rocks.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Several weekenders were also seen looking for gerimis, a small yellow-brown coloured bivalve that gave the neighbouring Pantai Remis its name. Oysters have also been found here. But if you are not keen on looking for your own fresh seafood, you may want to check out the two eating stalls nearby.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFO2b-Jo67IsJqnCj9r3uTG4HOkHUldQmmb_IGidl1cWVH4qVOD3ixr2jDv1nBPxD0GsdNCgGWrdjh9PhYRs5SosQDS931xsvj3s2Up7jOZ25PLZav5ovX_V_Oa07rQyWh5_hEVs9_xo/s1600/Bagan+Sungai+Sembilang+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; white-space: pre;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="600" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmFO2b-Jo67IsJqnCj9r3uTG4HOkHUldQmmb_IGidl1cWVH4qVOD3ixr2jDv1nBPxD0GsdNCgGWrdjh9PhYRs5SosQDS931xsvj3s2Up7jOZ25PLZav5ovX_V_Oa07rQyWh5_hEVs9_xo/s320/Bagan+Sungai+Sembilang+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted storks foraging in the shallows as the tide<br />recedes</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There are several holiday homes here, including a boutique resort.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A shout's distance away is the wet market run by the fishermen of Bagan Sungai Sembilang. There are two or three fish and vegetable stalls at this market, which sits on the banks of the Sungai Sembilang.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you are looking for fresh fish or bivalves, this is a good place to visit. The prices are not much of a bargain if compared to elsewhere along the coast but the freshness of the sea produce is undoubtedly very good as testified by the number of cars waiting for fishermen to land their catch.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The boats moored along both sides of the riverbanks also make for good photography, especially in the evenings. Just a stone's throw from the market is a marine fishing pay-pond. If you are itching to wet your lines and want to score some bragging rights, you can try your luck here for a fee.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>HOW TO GET THERE BAGAN<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sungai Sembilang lies a short distance off the Kuala Selangor-Kapar trunk road. If you are coming in from the south, Klang, keep a look out for the Petronas Sungai Sembilang fuel station. Turn left at the road a few metres after this station.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The road is named Jalan Pantai Sungai Sembilang. If you miss this, the next road to watch out for is Jalan Khailani, just a few metres from Jalan Pantai Sungai Sembilang. Just go straight and you will first come to the Bagan Sungai Sembilang wet market. The road to the beach is at right of the wet market which sits on the riverbank.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you are using the Latar highway, it is about seven kilometres after the town of Sasaran (or Sungai Buloh, Jeram). The Petronas Sungai Sembilang should be on your right, and the two beach accesses will be just before the Petronas station. You can search the location on Waze or Google Maps.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-37100354375884257212017-07-27T15:45:00.000+08:002017-07-27T15:47:27.627+08:00Lure of Riverine Living<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiUeWW88LhFJPI5TAqJJGPwqmNrRP18XFZG__2PVMkHJJwPBrz3BRbfzXDx3RFNRPZTzFGWJ8oA6mru8Uw2-b9ehbzgJKLQPRjFP9YFVp_sUCddW8b9Row1CdeigO0YI9sltccwmD5DM/s1600/Awie%2527s+Yellow+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiUeWW88LhFJPI5TAqJJGPwqmNrRP18XFZG__2PVMkHJJwPBrz3BRbfzXDx3RFNRPZTzFGWJ8oA6mru8Uw2-b9ehbzgJKLQPRjFP9YFVp_sUCddW8b9Row1CdeigO0YI9sltccwmD5DM/s640/Awie%2527s+Yellow+House.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
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A CLUSTER OF traditional wooden houses on stilts in Pulau
Duyung, Kuala Terengganu, is drawing a steady stream of visitors, mostly
foreigners, to its doorsteps despite not being promoted much.</div>
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Awi’s Yellow House, as this back-to nature-rough-it-out
accommodation is known as, comprises a cluster of 10 chalets of various sizes
built by seafarer Wan Osman Wan Abdullah (or Awi as he is fondly known) and his
wife Rohani Longuet in the 1970s. <o:p></o:p></div>
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According to Rohani, who is in her 70s, it was originally
built to house those who came from afar to have their boats built by the local
craftsmen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The chalets were added as more people came, both to build
their boats as well as to visit the island. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was there recently for an artist residency programme and
fell in love immediately with the Malay kampung-style riverine life. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJA0mvAkMkrHkSQm4XC_ePySBojvj0l0Ar6KHZu0kXpLag9KFDdJQ5A7EtHUOptXL1ti6iay7-BYZQ-8SJ4WdJpExzaZeC1f33RLnKiGV92gJEX9hv6F6P7YdTk8IS1EztcdN3NRae8hU/s1600/The+entire+resort+sits+on+a+hue+boardwalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="600" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJA0mvAkMkrHkSQm4XC_ePySBojvj0l0Ar6KHZu0kXpLag9KFDdJQ5A7EtHUOptXL1ti6iay7-BYZQ-8SJ4WdJpExzaZeC1f33RLnKiGV92gJEX9hv6F6P7YdTk8IS1EztcdN3NRae8hU/s400/The+entire+resort+sits+on+a+hue+boardwalk.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The entire resort sits on a huge boardwalk<br />
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While painting this piece under a huge mangrove tree, known
as the berembang, I was transported back to my childhood days when my family
lived in Kampung China, Kuala Terengganu.</div>
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The back of our house was also built on stilts over the
Terengganu river and when the tide brought in clear waters, a cool dip would
never be missed. Children living on riverine houses were born to swim, we
proudly told visitors.</div>
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Although Awi’s Yellow House is rarely promoted in tourism
programmes, it is well known among foreign visitors to Terengganu. Strings of accolades have been showered on it by grateful
travellers who have walked through its doors.</div>
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In recent years, it has also received rave reviews in travel
portals such as Lonely Planet and Virtual Tourist. Awi, who is in his 60s, has been often praised for his
friendly hospitality. The rooms
here are basic and the beds come with mosquito nets.</div>
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If you have not slept under one, perhaps this is one of the
few places you can give it a try. Some of the chalet units have attached
bathrooms equipped with basic facilities. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jEINeZl_IL476-YSeomGosvQER-1aeLUd1mZsZJHYUXLVLOrjIyBe9bj_58-1FVokkVk4-6CPbcb0aIJaNK1GxHsU7dgT6tSBDkeDlZTTY5DU7gvwmWe0KjjqWFDrbSRuffCyH8X37g/s1600/Rustic+feel+under+the+attap+roof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jEINeZl_IL476-YSeomGosvQER-1aeLUd1mZsZJHYUXLVLOrjIyBe9bj_58-1FVokkVk4-6CPbcb0aIJaNK1GxHsU7dgT6tSBDkeDlZTTY5DU7gvwmWe0KjjqWFDrbSRuffCyH8X37g/s200/Rustic+feel+under+the+attap+roof.jpg" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rustic feel under the attap roof</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a common shower and toilet, and a common kitchen
area which have the basic utensils if you decide to cook. If not, a walk around the neighbourhood will take you to
some stalls where you can have a decent and affordable meal rich in local
flavours. There is also a sundry shop at the entrance to Pulau Duyung
where you can get your supplies if you need some. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The entire chalet area is a huge boardwalk constructed from
tropical hardwood. It is built around mangrove trees that rose from the
mudflats. When the tide is in, the water’s surface is just a few metres beneath
the floorboards.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mullets and small riverine can be seen darting off just
below the surface when startled by human presence. I caught a glimpse of a family of otters foraging at the
water’s edge during one of the mornings while I was there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKn4cRaX3QDfWDFd4K_d-TKzIpITTuHicS3UKtQQ8j3qIbb1fHkAcsMo6WYakxN73FxOYztBY2NyhNceyk-OAjt8qzdPCpODUI0beNKbcKh72VvjiKRUAQcflCwvvfJI6Oy73TYYeLdWQ/s1600/Moments+on+inspiration+at+the+Yellow+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKn4cRaX3QDfWDFd4K_d-TKzIpITTuHicS3UKtQQ8j3qIbb1fHkAcsMo6WYakxN73FxOYztBY2NyhNceyk-OAjt8qzdPCpODUI0beNKbcKh72VvjiKRUAQcflCwvvfJI6Oy73TYYeLdWQ/s400/Moments+on+inspiration+at+the+Yellow+House.jpg" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Inspiring moments amid nature</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The foliage of the towering berembang trees keep the area
decently shaded and cool even on the hottest of afternoons. The chalets are built is such a way that there are plenty of
natural light for you to curl up with a book or sit and paint the riverine
scenery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is certainly no lack of greenery here, both of
decorative flowers in pots around the chalets as well as the indigenous nipah
palms and more mangrove flora rising from the banks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How to get there</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
AS the Yellow House is strategically located on Pulau
Duyung, you can also check out the main attraction that made Duyung famous —
the traditional shipbuilders who are famed for huge seafaring vessels based
just on the experience imprinted in their minds. There are a few within walking
distance of the Yellow House. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Call 09-622 2080. Awi will be happy to take your call. Ask
why the chalet is named so and he will be more than happy to share interesting
stories behind it.<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-50722727586799655892017-07-13T17:55:00.000+08:002017-09-10T18:20:40.226+08:00Kampung Air Jernih’s hidden charm<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxo6kHrhx1j9Y9OquqaI7ZkPCAw4NCG3mlnTS7OHbhkUTik8WZESHrTuyFNRaUER_1qfutw2ZrN3tAl21cGX5WwJteJQAz_XvlsayWR_nn4w1UISdlv-dEazSJE2H5Uz1UzUWYUZFLe_Q/s1600/Air+Jernih+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxo6kHrhx1j9Y9OquqaI7ZkPCAw4NCG3mlnTS7OHbhkUTik8WZESHrTuyFNRaUER_1qfutw2ZrN3tAl21cGX5WwJteJQAz_XvlsayWR_nn4w1UISdlv-dEazSJE2H5Uz1UzUWYUZFLe_Q/s640/Air+Jernih+%25281%2529.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick sketch of Kampung Air Jernih's entrance.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
HIDDEN from the coastal thoroughfare that runs through Kemasik, Terengganu is an old Hainanese village where time seems to have stood still. Said to be at least a century old, Kampung Ayer Jernih was believed to be founded by a group of Hainanese migrants who made their way from Hainan island, China, to Terengganu in the early 1900s.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>During its heyday in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, the story has it that there were no less than 1,000 Hainanese families living here, making it possibly the largest Hainanese settlement in the country then. Today, there are only about 400 to 500 families left, according to a village elder I met while doing a painting of one of the old houses opposite the Hainanese Association.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A gleaming steel arch carrying the village’s name greets visitors at the entrance, which is on higher ground. A police station and a Chinese primary school flank the single road that runs in a curve round the village.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Two rows of quaint doublestorey shophouses, reminiscent of those in ancient China, some say, stand on both sides of the road just wide enough for two small cars to squeeze through. Many of the houses, especially those at the upper end of the road, appeared abandoned and dilapidated.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I was there, on a Friday afternoon, with a long weekend ahead, the street was deserted. The silence was broken by the distant strains of Chinese songs from the ‘60s. The doors of the occupied homes were either half-open or shut. Most of the coffeeshops, including the most popular one named Yeen Her, beside the Hainanese Association, were closed, or about to.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqjTFn87mQ0Rle_crSUhR9gv0s2WkRWawjR-Kp1bvLlVBcrolSKSBkZHn7uF1Xc01A_0vOT31xnfl94CNgekVs7jxL8y-B2WBIBwa8Gxbo5zcEsVwAZFbtI1lNUPsmG_b5VWt2QGfxUk/s1600/Air+Jernih+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqjTFn87mQ0Rle_crSUhR9gv0s2WkRWawjR-Kp1bvLlVBcrolSKSBkZHn7uF1Xc01A_0vOT31xnfl94CNgekVs7jxL8y-B2WBIBwa8Gxbo5zcEsVwAZFbtI1lNUPsmG_b5VWt2QGfxUk/s320/Air+Jernih+%25284%2529.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The owner of this house was wondering<br />what attracted my attention and decided<br />to close its doors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A villager later told me that most of the residents had gone down to Kuala Terengganu to join the Mazu Festival, a celebration of the community’s patron saint.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The early settlers were farmers who mostly cultivated pepper and other cash crops. During the 1950s and ‘60s, they turned to rubber and oil palm. Today, rubber appears to be the main income earner as can be seen from several scrap collection centres operating from the old shophouses. Two big ones are located at the back of the town, with sacks of stinking dried latex clumps awaiting transportation. There is also an oil palm fruit collection centre 100 metres away from here.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“This village is in its twilight,” a 60-yearold tells me. “Most of the descendants of the original settlers have moved on to seek greener pastures in bigger cities. Many have shifted to the new village nearby to live in brick, instead of the timber, houses here. Only the older generation remains and some of the houses have been left empty for years or rented out to outsiders who came to work in the plantations here.”<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>During my trip there last year, while taking a break at the coffeeshop next to the Hainanese Association, I learnt that life in Kampung Ayer Jernih has not changed much over the decades. I remember eating some local cakes, presumably made using recipes passed down over the generations. One was a steamed rice cake that I had not seen elsewhere and another, steamed brown tapioca cake. This time, though, I did not get the chance to try these delicacies.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I also learnt that the Kampung Ayer Jernih has been identified as another tourism attraction for Terengganu but this being Visit Terengganu Year 2017, I did not sense any signs of the winds of change - save for the lanterns that were hung near the archway. I wonder if they were lighting the way to the village’s new beginning or were merely decoration left over from Chinese New Year. I will return again to enjoy the rustic charm of this quaint village.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>HOW TO GET THERE<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iVFb0K4PoC_9PcrbcYDs6w0wRwEYUseeyiWwRwVFEjoL9WeV6ohwY34znw2P1fYQbSb305fGS1QCZIqW5R2IQ5N1iif7KbBWmAatGvqoXbUaIvc5m6Kkp_3Oo9osuzBJ1J6Qaz-Dmm8/s1600/Air+Jernih+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5iVFb0K4PoC_9PcrbcYDs6w0wRwEYUseeyiWwRwVFEjoL9WeV6ohwY34znw2P1fYQbSb305fGS1QCZIqW5R2IQ5N1iif7KbBWmAatGvqoXbUaIvc5m6Kkp_3Oo9osuzBJ1J6Qaz-Dmm8/s320/Air+Jernih+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This traditional glutinous rice cake<br />was made from hundred year old recipes,<br />I was told </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kampong Ayer Jernih is 8km from Kemasik town. If you are driving along the East Coast Expressway, exit at Kijal Toll Plaza. From here, Kampung Ayer Jernih is 9km via Jalan Jabor- Penghantar and T13. There are signages showing you the way. Drive slowly as some stretches are uneven and littered with pebbles.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you are driving from Kuala Terengganu in the north via the Jalan Kemaman-Dungun coastal road, locate Mesra Mall just before Kemaman town. Two kilometres south of Mesra Mall, turn right at the junction to T13. The village is 9km from here.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kampung Ayer Jernih, Kemasik, is well-positioned in Waze and GoogleMaps but access to the networks can be a pain, so switch on your GPS while there’s a connection.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-46296187162847467672017-06-22T18:00:00.000+08:002017-09-10T21:26:39.624+08:00Drawn to Cape Rachado<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLhFPI1N1pbz4NDvtgmp91m7s4_GtL7lI__jloDfaI66qEd71J1Tfa5ALck-_WsMvaAaJT9-CMBCTIkygQ5nwDg7Y5VZTPX55PjpxXk0U7k8ladDPVqE1knMuZiWHFFqA6myifZs1Cy8/s1600/Cape+Rachado+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLhFPI1N1pbz4NDvtgmp91m7s4_GtL7lI__jloDfaI66qEd71J1Tfa5ALck-_WsMvaAaJT9-CMBCTIkygQ5nwDg7Y5VZTPX55PjpxXk0U7k8ladDPVqE1knMuZiWHFFqA6myifZs1Cy8/s640/Cape+Rachado+%25281%2529.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To access the lighthouse, there is a short walk up the hill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I HAD never gone up Cape Rachado (or Tanjung Tuan), Port Dickson, to view its famous lighthouse despite having passed by its vicinity every drive down to Melaka using the coastal trunk road.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This time, I decided to drop by as it happened to be the site for the annual Raptor Watch that takes place on its grounds. The lighthouse is believed to be the oldest lighthouse in Malaysia, said to be built in 1863 after the original was destroyed in a war between the Portuguese and the Dutch in the 16th century. The structure is made of masonry and whitewashed. The second tower, which houses a Measat radar, is made of concrete and was built in 1990.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Parameswara, the founder of Melaka, and its first sultan, is believed to be buried in the area. Visitors are allowed only up to the compound but not into the premises of the lighthouse.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The 800m road leading to the lighthouse is well tarred, and flanked on both sides by the original flora of this coastal rainforest. The presence of giant trees like the mata keli (Gynotroches axilliaris), mengkulang (Heritiera simplicifolia), and meranti tembaga (Shorea leprosula) provide a cool respite even on hot afternoons Living under the shade of these trees are a diverse fauna population, including over 50 species of indigenous birds, as well as primates such as macaques and the rarely spotted silver leaf monkey.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSgL1O_MusIrO9cWroRRG63KdnXHp8rppavUHjJOW6fqWilOatMZC44nS4LV90KPXEZGZKUw38hj78bY5WPQXqnSNiRfiy5wGf3L_YZZhkzcNuyqI4B0_ANfD2qyxnfbhFrg40FeBak4/s1600/Cape+Rachado+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="600" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSgL1O_MusIrO9cWroRRG63KdnXHp8rppavUHjJOW6fqWilOatMZC44nS4LV90KPXEZGZKUw38hj78bY5WPQXqnSNiRfiy5wGf3L_YZZhkzcNuyqI4B0_ANfD2qyxnfbhFrg40FeBak4/s320/Cape+Rachado+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bird watcher looks out for the raptors flying in from<br />
Indonesia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>During Raptor Watch Week, which takes places in mid-March every year, bird lovers and ornithologists zoom into Tanjung Tuan to catch sight of thousands of birds of prey as they ride the thermals to cross the Straits of Malacca from Indonesia on their return migratory leg.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I was there to do a painting of this structure, I met several bird watchers armed with binoculars and long-range cameras. They were perched along the lighthouse's perimeter wall keeping a lookout for the raptors. The previous day, one of them told me over 2,000 raptors had been spotted. As we were talking, another chap alerted us to two Chinese Sparrowhawks which were coming in from the seas.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>OTHER ATTRACTIONS<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There are several other attractions in area. About 100m from the lighthouse, on the left side of the road, a concrete-stepped trail leads to the beach where an abandoned Dutch well, a piece of rock dubbed the footprint of Hang Tuah, and a Perigi Keramat or "mystical well" are located.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Unfortunately, I did not manage to get down to the beach because of a sprained ankle sustained halfway through the trail. There is another jungle trail that leads to a rocky outcrop known as Batu Puteh but this one has been closed due to safety concerns. There is another stepped trail just beside the lighthouse that one can explore.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlL_oHmVorWHT0C1fXZjDRs5Lg5QazyqA6ik48K5vj1YK6mJ35Z96HisJdINp1LH5nNyA8X8l5x4w9z4oTEVibUQ6ZNURA9cxEf26P-lcX_RJ8Dzyt2cWlqYlSp2G-a7bLkF7gZ3gZuKU/s1600/Cape+Rachado+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlL_oHmVorWHT0C1fXZjDRs5Lg5QazyqA6ik48K5vj1YK6mJ35Z96HisJdINp1LH5nNyA8X8l5x4w9z4oTEVibUQ6ZNURA9cxEf26P-lcX_RJ8Dzyt2cWlqYlSp2G-a7bLkF7gZ3gZuKU/s320/Cape+Rachado+%25283%2529.jpg" width="244" /></a> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>On my way down from the lighthouse, a chance encounter with a park sweeper revealed an interesting side to Tanjung Tuan. According to the man, in the days of old, the jungles surrounding the lighthouse were considered "magical".<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"When I was young, my parents told me and my siblings that the area is inhabited by invisible beings known as `orang bunian'. These beings rarely disturb humans but sometimes, if they are offended by mischievous visitors, they would make their presence felt. When they cross paths with humans by chance, they would transform into creatures of the jungle to hide their identities.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"I also remember tales of a huge white crocodile that inhabit the waters off the coast and which had been spotted sunning on the rocks. That crocodile is believed to be a 'keramat' (a mystical guardian) of the coastline," he said.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Visitors to the lighthouse are charged RM1 at the foot of the hill. The best times to visit is during weekdays. The road leading to the lighthouse is clean but the incline can be challenging if you are not fit. There are several rest huts for you to catch your breath.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Raptor Watch's humble beginnings<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>RAPTOR Watch began with a group of birdwatchers who were enjoying the sight of raptors making their annual trip across the straits off Tanjung Tuan during their migratory season. When they heard of plans to develop parts of the Tanjung Tuan Forest Reserve, they realised that the survival of the raptors would be jeopardised as it depends on the preservation of the coastal rainforest.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Efforts to raise awareness on Tanjung Tuan as a prominent bird migratory site led to the organisation of the first Raptor Watch in 2000, with two small tents set up by volunteers from the Malaysian Nature Society.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Two nature guides were also roped in on the spur of the moment to take people through the jungle trails to learn more about the flora and fauna of Tanjung Tuan.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Raptor Watch has not only brought people, nature and birds together but it had also led to the conservation of Tanjung Tuan's coastal rainforest and turned it into an ecotourism attraction.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The annual event has put Tanjung Tuan on the map for birdwatchers and nature lovers around the world, so much so that the cape has now been recognised as an important raptor site by BirdLife International, National Geographic and Hawk Mountain Raptor Sanctuary.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-49631855318425007732017-06-08T17:57:00.000+08:002017-09-10T18:52:30.539+08:00Scenic Pangsun <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy5TRlgV7aqt2DNruDLSr3bwzf5USio6S3VMDgI_jm-7I2ENiTOCkm-f2iB7pIend4Qcm56m8KKaAXz4x4aeJoGeR6f-xt0sIHCqkMPzTM8WOixx4PvPLmZQ76GXbzzDAEZjJGgYl95A/s1600/Pangsun+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="600" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjy5TRlgV7aqt2DNruDLSr3bwzf5USio6S3VMDgI_jm-7I2ENiTOCkm-f2iB7pIend4Qcm56m8KKaAXz4x4aeJoGeR6f-xt0sIHCqkMPzTM8WOixx4PvPLmZQ76GXbzzDAEZjJGgYl95A/s640/Pangsun+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the two hydro electric stations in hulu Pangsun</td></tr>
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TO hikers and climbers who have scaled Gunung Nuang in Hulu Langat, Selangor, this building must have brought back fond memories of their trip. It is the lower station of the Ulu Langat Mini-Hydro Electric Power Plant set up in 1927.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Located at Ulu Pangsun, at the foothills of Gunung Nuang, the mini hydro plant is the second oldest in the peninsula and the oldest in Selangor until it ceased operations in 2001.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I painted the lower station building from under the shelter of a bus stop, which happened to be the last terminus of the RapidKL, from the city.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ulu Pangsun, located about 38km south of Kuala Lumpur city, is a favourite getaway for city folk as well as those just across the border in Negri Sembilan.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Very near to several recreational forests such as the Sungai Gabai, the Sungai Congkak and the Tekala, Ulu Pangsun is accessible by car and RapidKL bus although the road towards the upper reaches are just enough for two vehicles to squeeze through.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>My attention was drawn to this building because of the contrast of its shape against the verdant hills in the background.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1IDgFpbtnq-QayorPaAdMh05Kl4kdim6iiFJqWdRBa298xLDxLhoi0gMrLfpkvygDVwHoOkH9MancIqqXZTNbrR__SkJmmLxZ79XklQIKpszOarF-ZPpQu19UX2puF9-DrHUUUZLvPk/s1600/Pangsun+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1IDgFpbtnq-QayorPaAdMh05Kl4kdim6iiFJqWdRBa298xLDxLhoi0gMrLfpkvygDVwHoOkH9MancIqqXZTNbrR__SkJmmLxZ79XklQIKpszOarF-ZPpQu19UX2puF9-DrHUUUZLvPk/s320/Pangsun+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the old houses left abandoned here</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There is a row of dilapidated whitewashed buildings believed to be the quarters of the staff of the power plant. Not far from this building is a small tarred road leading up to the base of Gunung Nuang and the Sungai Langat dam.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>According to a teenager who was waiting for a bus to go to school in town, the place is usually crowded during weekends and public holidays. It is from this point that hikers could mount their assault on the 1,439-metre high Gunung Nuang.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For the less adventurous weekenders, however, they can find plenty of picnic spots just beside the main road into Ulu Pangsun.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The meandering Sungai Pangsun provides many shady spots for a picnic or a quick dip in the crystal clear waters.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Some of these had been developed by the more enterprising land owners by providing sheltered huts that can be rented from as low as RM10 for a day.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There is also no shortage of resorts for those who want to enjoy the quiet of nature or do some jungle-trekking activities.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Many of these, including Kem Lubok Manggis, Impian Rimba Resort and Nur Lembah Eco Resort, are well known venues for corporate team-building events because of the proximity of their location to the city.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There are several other places worth checking out if you are visiting Ulu Pangsun.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Among them are the Sungai Chongkak Recreational Forest, the Lubok Manggis picnic grounds, the waterfalls of Perdik and Sungai Lepok, as well as the Tekala and Gabai recreational forests some distance away. There is also an Orang Asli village in Ulu Pangsun.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As I was driving out of Ulu Pangsun, I stopped by a patch of sweet potato plants by the main road. An Orang Asli chap was plucking them.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I asked if he planted them, he laughed and said that the plants grew wild.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>“Anyone who wanted to eat them are welcomed to pluck some,” he said with a grin. I refrained from asking him how much these would have cost, stir-fried, in a restaurant in the city.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>If you have daylight on your hands when visiting Ulu Pangsun, take a drive along Jalan Sungai Lui towards Semenyih.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The journey of over 10km will take you along the perimeter of the beautiful Semenyih Dam and enjoy the sights of its verdant hills.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>HYDROELECTRIC STATION THE<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Ulu Langat mini hydroelectric plant is believed to have come about in the early 1920s when the tin mines sprouted up in Kuala Lumpur.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>According to early records, the beginnings of the Ulu Langat plant could be traced back to Cornishman George Simms, a prospector who ran the Sungei Besi Mines Ltd. Simms was said to have scoured the hills of Ulu Langat on horseback to look for streams to power a hydroelectric station after hearing about the successes of other mines using hydroelectric power.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>After overcoming strict government regulations, the Sungai Besi Mines was granted a 42-year licence to operate the power plant, with the condition that the government had the first option to purchase the excess electricity.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Upon the plant’s completion, electricity was supplied through 29km of transmission lines running through the jungles. In 1933, the government bought over the plant for 200,000 pounds (RM1.1 million).<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When the Japanese Army invaded Malaya in 1941, all power stations were ordered to be destroyed under the retreating British Army’s “scorched earth” policy.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The Ulu Langat stations were also incapacitated during the war, only to be rehabilitated when the British returned.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-57229256831311316162017-05-25T18:04:00.000+08:002017-09-10T18:57:41.259+08:00Bagan Tengkorak's ominous name<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyy25CU1gfshosanuBC-1WBph73iF6hL8Ct_qjAHtFdOyBZk4cLT8VI721WPI-OEhsBM6SZILczyV0_o2YYaCeK32hMy7DPdxXzOu_iVnfZ6LJcwelNZuP_iHuuzOatoeWeq6Ub6bObg/s1600/Bagan+Tengkorak+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEyy25CU1gfshosanuBC-1WBph73iF6hL8Ct_qjAHtFdOyBZk4cLT8VI721WPI-OEhsBM6SZILczyV0_o2YYaCeK32hMy7DPdxXzOu_iVnfZ6LJcwelNZuP_iHuuzOatoeWeq6Ub6bObg/s640/Bagan+Tengkorak+%25281%2529.jpg" width="566" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This river has a scary past</td></tr>
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I WAS introduced to Kampung Bagan Sungai Tengkorak many years ago when a friend took me to a little known seafood restaurant there.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>At the time, I did not think much about Bagan Sungai Tengkorak and had forgotten about the restaurant was or how to get there, let alone how the fishing village's ominous name came about.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In fact, I had earlier thought that the fishermen's enclave, seven kilometres north of Tanjung Karang, was probably a pirates' hideout, hence the name.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Recently, while heading for Sekinchan to look for scenery to paint, I passed Kampung Bagan Sungai Tengkorak, better known as Bagan Tengkorak, again.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This time, a sign by the road that read Jalan Jepun (Japanese road) caught my curiosity, which took me on a detour into the village.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Jalan Jepun, which ran parallel to Jalan Bagan Tengkorak, looked more like an orchard or plantation of sorts, with traditional houses spread out far apart amid patches of oil palm, tapioca and banana trees.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The 1.5km tarred stretch was just enough for two cars to pass each other. The only indication of the road's identity was that lone signboard I spotted earlier beside the Kuala Selangor trunk road, plus a couple of address signboards just outside some houses.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I drove all the way into the village amid more oil palm holdings to find myself in a small settlement of houses on stilts along an almost hidden river bank. Most of the folks here were Chinese families. The houses along the riverbanks, which were built on stilts, were linked with a timber boardwalk that also led to a few jetties.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I spotted a Johor-registered fishing boat that was moored nearby. Curious, I asked a man who had just returned from sea at the jetty. The man, who was in his 40s, told me that the fishing boat was brought from Johor and is currently undergoing maintenance work.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I asked for the man's permission to paint the boat set against estuarine scene from the jetty. The man, who introduced himself as Chia, said I was welcomed since the jetty was not busy as big waves had prevented the fishermen from going out to sea.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ATTRACTIVE SKULL<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>As I was working on this scenery, a few locals came to watch. One of them was a Malay man about 70 years old.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Having struck up a conversation, I asked if he knew why the river received its fearsome name.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>According to him, his grandfather told him that the name came from the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army during its occupation of Malaya between 1941 and 1945.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Prisoners were beheaded along the river and their heads were spiked on stakes to be displayed there.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>For years, before electricity arrived, he said, people claimed to have seen apparitions of soldiers marching to the river during the wee hours of the morning.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAk0XbY6BnR85Uv6gRDeXnDsVJ_AXN19-2qlXcPXfg2kPNv_WRMbmZxNx_rfhYUFIOSy2wV0yqzwXC5-f2NdjN_qf-gOR5JHt8COxEkieDKPQFIyvaBC_sk9HzceuL1bneko2NfxLf0s/s1600/Bagan+Tengkorak+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAk0XbY6BnR85Uv6gRDeXnDsVJ_AXN19-2qlXcPXfg2kPNv_WRMbmZxNx_rfhYUFIOSy2wV0yqzwXC5-f2NdjN_qf-gOR5JHt8COxEkieDKPQFIyvaBC_sk9HzceuL1bneko2NfxLf0s/s320/Bagan+Tengkorak+%25282%2529.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This village is mostly inhabited by<br />fishermen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Jalan Jepun, he added, was called such because it was there that most of the Japanese soldiers were located.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Later, when I spoke to the headman of Bagan Tengkorak, Heng Seng Soo, a different story was unveiled.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Heng said that the village had been almost a century old. According to his story, the name Sungai Tengkorak was given by the early settlers in the area, which comprised the Malays and Chinese.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Those days, the only way to get to the village was by boat and according to a story, he said, when the boatmen were about to enter the estuary, they saw skulls along the beachfront.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"Because of that, the river was nicknamed Sungai Tengkorak and the village, Bagan Sungai Tengkorak, and bagan meant "quay" in English.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kampung Bagan Tengkorak is today occupied by about 40 Chinese families, with most of them living along the river banks near the jetty. About 95 per cent of them are from the Chia clan," he said.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"Unlike the old days, however, only a few families remained as fishermen today. The fishing fleet, which was much bigger many years ago, only has six fishing boats now."<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Despite its ominous name, Bagan Tengkorak has over the years become is a very popular destination for weekenders looking for some quiet.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Seafood lovers also flock to the only restaurant here on weekends.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Just a short distance away from the restaurant is a Chinese temple which comes alive during the resident deity's festival.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A cockle grading factory is also a stone's throw away from the restaurant but unfortunately, when I was there, it was closed.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Sungai Tengkorak also attracts anglers, particularly prawn hunters. Within the river are lairs of giant freshwater prawns or udang galah that will make heads turn, so I was told.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Some of the more enterprising fishermen, instead of depending entirely on fishing, also organise fishing charters to take the fishing enthusiasts out to sea.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Between November and January annually, the mangroves of Sungai Tengkorak becomes temporary homes to visitors of the feathered kind.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Migratory birds such as sea eagles, herons and other sea birds make their stopover in the swamps to meet and mate.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>FOOLED BY ARECA NUTS<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPvkVi6e_8oc8ab-Dtm66kN1QfsXpuKu8PlNqr9ZS8wDMFEpUSBDejUpnLw3zAF5h5561gZX0jC7deviPLS7cgiCm0fpBzB6lGa95s5ZwPOgSN92za3meGKXrPrznBNrfuZin3M0gMlA/s1600/Bagan+Tengkorak+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="600" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPvkVi6e_8oc8ab-Dtm66kN1QfsXpuKu8PlNqr9ZS8wDMFEpUSBDejUpnLw3zAF5h5561gZX0jC7deviPLS7cgiCm0fpBzB6lGa95s5ZwPOgSN92za3meGKXrPrznBNrfuZin3M0gMlA/s320/Bagan+Tengkorak+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mudskipper takes a suntan</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ACCORDING to a story some years back, the Japanese army, during its invasion of Malaya, chose to set up camp at Bagan Sungai Tengkorak because they had mistakenly believed that the area had abundant food supply after noticing areca palms growing wild in great numbers there.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Thinking that the fruits of the areca palm were edible, the soldiers forced villagers to gather the areca nuts (pinang) for them. However, when they found out that the nuts were not only hard but also bitter and could not be eaten, raw or cooked, they punished the collectors.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A story has it that the prisoners were stripped naked and tied to areca palm trunks. Fire ants' (kerengga) nests were thrown at them, unleashing the fury of the ants. Some of them, who did not die from the ordeal, were beheaded and their skulls thrown into the river.<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-59228141247196468112017-05-11T18:02:00.000+08:002017-09-10T20:40:54.993+08:00Ayer Salak's historical past<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe9UZ28jD4V5TMFOspyu8g7_MxbPYO6c7_Vq2tfuYZ-oOa27VGzkT94GGoh92dZtVQDolukx78WQYDYBvMNH4nM2wMiZjeWZ1o-8LACGLqPShB_SeA9XoVBIuidcm22QsK2YKDb7ArR0/s1600/Ayer+Salak+St+Mary%2527s+Church+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="978" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPe9UZ28jD4V5TMFOspyu8g7_MxbPYO6c7_Vq2tfuYZ-oOa27VGzkT94GGoh92dZtVQDolukx78WQYDYBvMNH4nM2wMiZjeWZ1o-8LACGLqPShB_SeA9XoVBIuidcm22QsK2YKDb7ArR0/s640/Ayer+Salak+St+Mary%2527s+Church+%25281%2529.jpg" width="392" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> This is Ayer Salak's St Mary's church that was built some 130 years ago </td></tr>
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I CAME to know about Kampung Ayer Salak from a fellow traveller heading south during a recent trip to Melaka. He told me of a very old church that was built some 130 years ago in a predominantly Chinese-Catholic village. Guided by Waze, I was brought right to the grounds of the St Mary's Church in the village.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Although the morning sun had cast wonderful shadows on the main premises, the old church building on the western end of the field was more interesting as a painting subject.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This old church has two spires, each with a cross at the apex. It is a small but sturdy building constructed of rust-coloured laterite rocks similar to those found in old forts that I had seen, such as the A' Famosa and Fort Supai in Kuala Linggi.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kampung Ayer Salak lies about 30km off the North-South highway from the Simpang Ampat exit.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The village was a jungle in the mid-1800s, according to a story in a magazine published by the Church of St Francis Xavier, Melaka.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The 1995 publication mentioned of a French missionary named Pierre Henri Borie who built a settlement here in the late 1850s.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When Borie went home to France in 1867 because of ill-health, another missionary Ludovic Julil Galmel carried on his work. The latter built this old church and two schools in 1886. When Galmel died in August 1899, he was buried here and a tombstone was carved by villagers to remember his contribution to the village.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The population of Ayer Salak was given a boost in the 1920s when Chinese Catholics (mainly Teochew) from China migrated to this village to escape war and natural disasters in their homeland.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Joining the original settlers, they worked their farms and tapped rubber for a living.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Today, there are about 200 households in this quiet enclave in Melaka. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the state's tourist belt, many of the houses here are still in their almost-pristine condition, built with timber and had large front yards. There are also quite a few brick houses.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Places like the old church and an old fort-like house - dubbed by visitors as "red stone house" - just opposite the church offers a glimpse into the Ayer Salak's past.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO_shVV-i_kxMWvorCiNIQAX95Jwxa_dplMtPtvN_G33jICLshv-xTEwXFwFiinD1FDULFamIXMo5yOHjBpomckO4KlyKj4l5NveL4TDyyJvmSzK75f8XoNN_gsHriZDKrr-wosNx1bk/s1600/Ayer+Salak+St+Mary%2527s+Church+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQO_shVV-i_kxMWvorCiNIQAX95Jwxa_dplMtPtvN_G33jICLshv-xTEwXFwFiinD1FDULFamIXMo5yOHjBpomckO4KlyKj4l5NveL4TDyyJvmSzK75f8XoNN_gsHriZDKrr-wosNx1bk/s320/Ayer+Salak+St+Mary%2527s+Church+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The red-stone house </td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The "red stone" house was believed to be have been built about the same time as the old church and was used to house the church's caretakers. It is now closed for repairs.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>When I was there, I noticed a fundraising banner announcing efforts to raise money to refurbish the old church, as well as the red stone house.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>A short distance from the church, half a kilometre up an incline into the heart of the village, lies the St Mary's Gloriette which was built by villagers in 2007. Religious services are held here on Tuesday and Friday evenings.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Down the road from here is the compound of what used to be the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Primary school until the late 1990s. It is now the Montfort Youth Centre which offers vocational training to poor and underprivileged youths.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6aS_Vqri_N36_8Kn5uT3iivZIAwApttpJPcvP5sI5eREoRtc_yQvh7gHFCyybqJ8OYbtAJ9sfLKJUgf9n5WGvJhX82sLgSRPiSBMYLYKU6FLVVKSLntNYhijsNqPSJDas554z85EKEU/s1600/Ayer+Salak+St+Mary%2527s+Church+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6aS_Vqri_N36_8Kn5uT3iivZIAwApttpJPcvP5sI5eREoRtc_yQvh7gHFCyybqJ8OYbtAJ9sfLKJUgf9n5WGvJhX82sLgSRPiSBMYLYKU6FLVVKSLntNYhijsNqPSJDas554z85EKEU/s320/Ayer+Salak+St+Mary%2527s+Church+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rare find at Cheong Huat's</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Not far from the St Mary's Gloriette, by the road junction, is an old sundry shop operating from a single-storey timber shophouse.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This family business, I was informed, is being run by a fourth generation member. Owner Woon Boon Siang, 75, inherited the business from his grandfather and he has since passed the baton to his 50-something son.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Stepping into the shop, which was named Cheong Huat, is like stepping back into time. Goods from a forgotten era such as the China-made Eagle brand shavers, Ve-Tsin food flavouring and Gold Coin brand face powder cakes can still be found here.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Speaking to Kampung Ayer Salak village headman Lim Khen Hong, 54, I understand that plans are afoot to promote the village's tourism potential.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One of the efforts undertaken recently was to beautify this very clean village and illuminate the main road into Air Salak using decorative lanterns during major festivals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkRS3q7FpXs5mZrexRzL1xmHVS12NHvejU27n1sZ7wb_Am0M9iS7ntgArtZs0mOh5zYlnSeEMZKZQiJK3bJq_E2re_VZH76HwGIUYAFJ9siiOZSDUTQA0G_QY1BNbfTHaFEHVptscFnI/s1600/Ayer+Salak+St+Mary%2527s+Church+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="600" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkRS3q7FpXs5mZrexRzL1xmHVS12NHvejU27n1sZ7wb_Am0M9iS7ntgArtZs0mOh5zYlnSeEMZKZQiJK3bJq_E2re_VZH76HwGIUYAFJ9siiOZSDUTQA0G_QY1BNbfTHaFEHVptscFnI/s320/Ayer+Salak+St+Mary%2527s+Church+%25284%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the villagers still farm</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Wandering around the neighbourhood, I come upon several vegetable farms, orchards and even a fish farm that rears giant snakeheads (toman) that will be sold to restaurants. All of these, including the quiet charm of the village, are yet-to-be discovered tourism products.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"In the past, most of the villagers operated small-scale farms and tapped rubber," Lim tells me.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"Today, most of the younger generation prefer to work in factories nearby the Bukit Rambai area. There are some who still work on their farms and oil palm plantations but these are mostly the older generation. The younger generation prefers to work in bigger towns that offer better pay.<br />
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BACKGROUND<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>KAMPUNG Ayer Salak is probably the only village in the country populated entirely by Chinese Catholics. It owes its origins to French missionary Pierre Henri Borie who set up a mission station named Dusun Maria in Rumbia (Rembia) in 1848, according to the Herald Online.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In 1857, its Rumbia settlement of 23 newly baptised indigenous people (known as Orang Mantras) had grown to almost 400.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>That year, the British (who were the authorities of the day) wanted the land to be turned into a plantation and Borie was forced to look for an alternative settlement, large enough to accommodate his community.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In February 1858, Borie found a piece of land in Ayer Salak. Seven months later, Borie and his community moved to their new home which he renamed Maria Pindah.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Two years later, he obtained 202 hectares of land from the Governor of Singapore and this became the permanent location for Maria Pindah, the foundation on which the modern village was built. Borie returned to France in 1867 and died four years later of malaria, at the age of 91.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Without a priest, Borie's congregation began to leave in stages over the following decade. In 1885, another French missionary Ludovic Julil Galmel arrived in Ayer Salak. Failing to gather those who left, Galmel turned the settlement into a model farm, with Chinese workers and the remaining Orang Mantra forming the village community.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>SOURCE: "WHERE IT ALL BEGAN -THE FIRST COMMUNITY", HERALD MALAYSIA ONLINE, OCT 6, 2014.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-42173925469414742132017-04-14T17:32:00.000+08:002017-07-27T17:35:19.241+08:00Tree houses of Pantai Redang, Sekinchan<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvnlq2n5RQywg63TP25sq89M0cGuA8nu_eE_yUTlvpevoeChhIL-Gyl5WHOtVdxUwsC6xfDSfoRQN9mBVMZPVM5XBrNAFdWStbyTzoazD0b33pAoNfsWgGKZci9AbDET-49i6Ht8p96k/s1600/Pantai+Redang%252C+Sekinchan+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="600" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijvnlq2n5RQywg63TP25sq89M0cGuA8nu_eE_yUTlvpevoeChhIL-Gyl5WHOtVdxUwsC6xfDSfoRQN9mBVMZPVM5XBrNAFdWStbyTzoazD0b33pAoNfsWgGKZci9AbDET-49i6Ht8p96k/s640/Pantai+Redang%252C+Sekinchan+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the tree houses that has been shaped from an old fishing vessel.</td></tr>
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THE first thing you will notice when you arrive in Pantai Redang, Sekinchan, is the number of tree houses peeking out from the gaps amidst the foliage. These structures were pieced together by the villagers, using driftwood and bits and pieces of timber salvaged from old fishing boats.<br />
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According to a trader, the tree houses were originally built for the villagers to relax in and enjoy the breathtaking tranquility of the beach in the evenings. The structures also served as a playground of sorts for the children. However, they soon began to attract visitors who stopped by at Pantai Redang, soon popularised through social media.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57o5YU09he9mhazEtNA26ygXS_Y8Q7CuIZYzVemz6DYFLDa7XU2bvMT2bBmVQDz__lxlS_9rmf2Q5x1g5JJxK8ONQ4OPp0cMSrHy9E6IIdXaWJbkwGspoXy2aYRfIWo89kEvVVicOEy8/s1600/Pantai+Redang%252C+Sekinchan+%25285%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg57o5YU09he9mhazEtNA26ygXS_Y8Q7CuIZYzVemz6DYFLDa7XU2bvMT2bBmVQDz__lxlS_9rmf2Q5x1g5JJxK8ONQ4OPp0cMSrHy9E6IIdXaWJbkwGspoXy2aYRfIWo89kEvVVicOEy8/s320/Pantai+Redang%252C+Sekinchan+%25285%2529.jpg" width="241" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another tree house there</td></tr>
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Today, Pantai Redang is a bustling tourist spot, especially among seafood lovers who stretch their legs here after having had their fill in the fishing town. Busloads of visitors can be seen swooping down what used to be a barren strip of sandy beach. This has, in turn, sparked off economic activities among the more enterprising locals. They have set up base underneath the trees, some just below the tree houses, selling anything from tidbits and kites to simple meals and drinks.<br />
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I did a piece of one of the play structures crafted from the shell of an abandoned fishing boat beside a hawker stall. Shortly after I finished, a drizzle drove me to seek refuge under a tree house to paint another scenery, that of the hawker stalls under the trees. Behind me was a stretch of mangrove swamp.<br />
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The tree-houses are popular with visitors to Pantai Redang.<br />
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As I was about to finish, I was alerted to the presence of another group of visitors, that of the feathered kind. My presence had startled a school of nesting grey herons, and some other seabird, and they objected with raucous cries. Some took flight only to return to their nest to keep an eye on me.<br />
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I do not remember seeing any the last time I was there. A local told me that these birds were mostly local species that can be seen around mangrove swamps and estuaries. Once a year, they gather along Pantai Redang to build their nests and mate, foraging for leftovers from the fish landing jetties or stealing a crumb or two from uncovered trashbins.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjXcrx2KdcoRWCfw0KV79Qy_S2WZ_PraP0yACMWMoGI-0QFxR_lKALd9JMkjENzxRE0VKDihf55iTHN2-r4JJ9xMxYyu7WzN0oHsN6EUpacUStsd0-qK0Uzm4wl5Se4PW2WLIhEpqI-E/s1600/Pantai+Redang%252C+Sekinchan+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjXcrx2KdcoRWCfw0KV79Qy_S2WZ_PraP0yACMWMoGI-0QFxR_lKALd9JMkjENzxRE0VKDihf55iTHN2-r4JJ9xMxYyu7WzN0oHsN6EUpacUStsd0-qK0Uzm4wl5Se4PW2WLIhEpqI-E/s320/Pantai+Redang%252C+Sekinchan+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love birds? Catch sight of them during migratory seasons here</td></tr>
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Pantai Redang’s star attraction is perhaps the “red” tree beside the Chinese temple. It has appeared in many social media posts as a background subject in selfies, sparking similar replicas in coastal enclaves that are trying to attract tourists.<br />
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This red tree literally holds hundreds of handwritten wish streamers on its branches. To make a wish, one writes what one desires on a strip of red ribbon and hurls the streamer into the branches. If the ribbons are caught by a branch, the wishes will soon be granted. If it is not, you just throw it back until the tree accepts it.<br />
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Another place of interest in Pantai Redang is a factory producing salted fish located just behind the temple. If you are lucky, you can catch sight of workers preparing fish to be salted. However, ask for permission first before entering the premises.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-xmw0R6E6C0ZpQdQGk1ODBFcb5oheTTjusat3GP2xTtm1KuLM-5UvLRzIKlDavwGjT9UosXybquDoC6uh9EEoCeK8fxm2bvhCeb86q56LikBNYs_acHpAFxSJv-TrZzzwZz-5sf_9Uo/s1600/Pantai+Redang%252C+Sekinchan+%25284%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy-xmw0R6E6C0ZpQdQGk1ODBFcb5oheTTjusat3GP2xTtm1KuLM-5UvLRzIKlDavwGjT9UosXybquDoC6uh9EEoCeK8fxm2bvhCeb86q56LikBNYs_acHpAFxSJv-TrZzzwZz-5sf_9Uo/s320/Pantai+Redang%252C+Sekinchan+%25284%2529.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the famous wishing tree of Sekinchan</td></tr>
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<b>WHERE IS IT</b><br />
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PANTAI Redang is located in the coastal side of Sekinchan town. As you reach the village side of Sekinchan from the Kuala Selangor main, turn right at the T-junction into Jalan Bagan. Half a kilometre from here, you will cross a small river with fishing boats moored to your left. Turn left immediately after this road into Jalan 12. Pantai Redang is located about 1km from this point.<br />
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There are signboards all the way, but chances are you will spot some tour buses and vans heading in the same direction or coming out. Be alert for lorries carrying fish as well as villagers riding their bicycles or motorcycles without helmets.<br />
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This popular spot is also registered on Waze and you can search using Pantai Redang, Sekinchan. There are also many seafood restaurants along the way from the town right up to Pantai Redang.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-53584811149230157922017-03-24T17:37:00.000+08:002017-07-27T17:44:27.729+08:00From former tin mine to park<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPos9duv4kv2DI9Z3jlMxf96ANpARUdhfeuwFNCWxVB3JcUfuA14UjPm5ipSlZxWngGF4YQ3Lw73tpkTuNg-yMF-fFVtvJ7Tzw5bAjyEemavsnKwu7O4tzBYnVFxg-FQdt5rZTU8O3BGY/s1600/FRIM+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="600" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPos9duv4kv2DI9Z3jlMxf96ANpARUdhfeuwFNCWxVB3JcUfuA14UjPm5ipSlZxWngGF4YQ3Lw73tpkTuNg-yMF-fFVtvJ7Tzw5bAjyEemavsnKwu7O4tzBYnVFxg-FQdt5rZTU8O3BGY/s640/FRIM+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would you believe that this water lettuce-filled pond used to be a mining pool?</td></tr>
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LOOKING at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia’s current landscape, it is hard to imagine that a 100 years ago, the area was just an old tin mine, stripped of forest cov<br />
er, or turned into farmland by residents in and around old Kepong.<br />
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In 1926, after consent given by the Selangor Regent for a forest research institute to be set up, a research nursery and experimental station was established by Dr F.W. Foxworthy, the first forest research officer. Foxworthy’s name now lives in one of the roads in this popular park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdGrcDQj4SpzV9KG5tazNVqNi1tYpUrOnLstUFdAy4NZcgM0-3Iksw27fl8YI9A-5HM9dCAfxjWxE41DKmksLGOwnC1avNVGEStaAayU4xgXbNTUsksVahjcwVrWnVZH_crQfg2QW5u4/s1600/FRIM+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsdGrcDQj4SpzV9KG5tazNVqNi1tYpUrOnLstUFdAy4NZcgM0-3Iksw27fl8YI9A-5HM9dCAfxjWxE41DKmksLGOwnC1avNVGEStaAayU4xgXbNTUsksVahjcwVrWnVZH_crQfg2QW5u4/s320/FRIM+%25282%2529.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the inhabitants of the pond coming to feed</td></tr>
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The water lettuce-filled pond is one of the mining pools from Frim’s past. It is located near the administrative block. Looking at the well-landscaped garden surrounding the pond, and the wooden foot bridge across the upper portion, one would never think that tin mining had had anything to do with this place.<br />
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In fact, my attention was drawn to it by the sight of visitors who were clapping at the lower end of the pond. They were calling out to something in the waters and only when I asked did I learn what the excitement was all about.<br />
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Beneath the calm waters are three giant arapaimas. These giants, native to the Amazonian jungle, would surface from time to time to showing themselves to the lucky few who knew how to coax them from their lair.<br />
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According to a Frim staff, during feeding time, park staff clap their hands to summon the fish. Once the gentle giants surface, they would throw them their meal. By Pavlovian conditioning, these gentle giants now surface whenever they detect clapping sounds.<br />
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That day, I briefly caught sight of one, about 1.5 metres long, which lingered a while near the feeding platform as it responded to visitors’ claps. There were several golden carp, each about a metre-long, making their rounds just below the greenish water.<br />
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A squirrel was busy munching away in the angsana tree overhead, not at all bothered by human presence.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dd6bTsI9iXrBL67Wu1E2YYYZVzd-1UBYT4j3RC5Wfz8nN_hmuLZh6kx9_wNmzi6GDuAkVGKo9Pqgh7EMsCrYMmGSp2SpOQQDzvowdLxkZGo3t59s4XaoUz4vMVZPTf9v1S_rng3dnbw/s1600/FRIM+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="866" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dd6bTsI9iXrBL67Wu1E2YYYZVzd-1UBYT4j3RC5Wfz8nN_hmuLZh6kx9_wNmzi6GDuAkVGKo9Pqgh7EMsCrYMmGSp2SpOQQDzvowdLxkZGo3t59s4XaoUz4vMVZPTf9v1S_rng3dnbw/s320/FRIM+%25283%2529.jpg" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sight for fore eyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>HOW TO GET THERE</b><br />
<br />
Frim is a very popular getaway for city folk. There are well-paved roads here that lead to various attractions within its undulating forest conservatory.<br />
<br />
These places include the arboreta, a canopy walk, camping grounds, a small waterfall and even a picnic area beside an eatery. There are also nature trails, a research centre, a museum-cum-research gallery and a library.<br />
<br />
FRIM charges a nominal entrance fee per person, at RM1.05. If you are driving in alone, the charges are RM5.30.<br />
<br />
It’s RM1.05 more for any additional passengers. On workdays, vehicles are only allowed in after 8.30am. The roads here are a little narrow, so please drive carefully and watch out for cyclists.<br />
<br />
Cyclists should be alert for joggers and trekkers. If you do not like insects, especially mosquitoes, get a repellent. For those who would like to stay for a night or two, there is a guesthouse, and camping grounds are available for rental. Call 03-6279-7000.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-60809822992627946902017-03-09T18:01:00.000+08:002017-07-27T18:10:17.406+08:00Pieces of history repackaged<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlo3h2MGhqe7hfFJKIIKG3vujsuuO53jMTb4u8a-iuYuvsbmNMSbJiDR3Cg1RCHIWNygpDE3anTA4i2_ZuJQ82DyplAKzNVAjpMACsecLIFoQ39SPwid-zrJQkb0ro6xOIfm6fDhm1EE/s1600/Malacca+Submarine+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="600" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlo3h2MGhqe7hfFJKIIKG3vujsuuO53jMTb4u8a-iuYuvsbmNMSbJiDR3Cg1RCHIWNygpDE3anTA4i2_ZuJQ82DyplAKzNVAjpMACsecLIFoQ39SPwid-zrJQkb0ro6xOIfm6fDhm1EE/s640/Malacca+Submarine+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The SMD Ouessant, which now becomes the country’s first submarine museum.<br />
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ALONG the stretch of beach where Dataran 1Malaysia is located, which is also known as Klebang Beach in Malacca, an old naval training vessel has been given a new lease on life. The decommissioned Royal Malaysian Navy training submarine, the SMD Ouessant, has been turned<br />
into the country’s first submarine museum. It was opened to the public on Nov 22, 2011.<br />
<br />
This French-made Agosta 70-class submarine, built in 1979, measures 67.5m long, 11.7m high, and 6.5m wide. It weighs 1,300 tonnes and housed a crew of 54. The submarine was used for training submariners between 2005 and 2009 following the purchase of two submarines by the Ministry of Defence.<br />
<br />
Today, this submarine serves as one of Malacca’s many museum attractions. Open daily, the museum allows visitors to get a feel of what it is like to be a submariner. Outside the museum, under a sheltered enclosure, visitors can get a closer view of two decommissioned Royal Malaysian Air Force fighter jets — a RMAF Skyhawk and the Northrop F5.<br />
<br />
I sketched the view of the submarine from one of the recently completed pavilions just outside the gated compound of the museum. Work is undergoing to spruce up the surrounding area and new facilities such as a surau, toilets, and an air-conditioned eatery have yet to open.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpwdkvmrOOwpg4m39TTT0LzvGrek5whu6WAPCfkoiIICOIOix4pfkPolIH3DEv9EaBw816yogJ5mgSW0XpBK2HMPQKPYTVihtlrdm5SqUsNUB0PGpf4xJP6Sqv98IVp78Z8U24ZmqLyE/s1600/Malacca+Bus-hotels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="600" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpwdkvmrOOwpg4m39TTT0LzvGrek5whu6WAPCfkoiIICOIOix4pfkPolIH3DEv9EaBw816yogJ5mgSW0XpBK2HMPQKPYTVihtlrdm5SqUsNUB0PGpf4xJP6Sqv98IVp78Z8U24ZmqLyE/s320/Malacca+Bus-hotels.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old buses becomes hotels in Malacca</td></tr>
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A kilometre north of the Submarine Museum is another popular recreational spot where picnickers have direct access to the sea. Here, an empty field populated by more than 50 stage buses, gives an impression of a bus terminal when viewed from afar.<br />
<br />
Upon closer inspection, these are decommissioned public buses that had been converted to serve new roles. Thirty or so such buses have been turned into Bustels or bus-hotels, each equipped with two air-conditioned rooms with beds and other accommodation facilities. According to the clerk manning the Bustel office, the rooms are priced at RM90 each per night on weekdays, and RM130 on Fridays and Saturdays, and public holidays.<br />
<br />
Not far from the Bustel enclosure, lined up along the road are old buses that have been turned into souvenir shops and foodstalls. One bus had even been converted into a reasonably clean public toilet.<br />
<br />
I decided to sketch this row of buses after being told that their days were numbered. According to a souvenir trader here, there were plans to close down the area as the location had been earmarked for development. However, she could not tell me if the entire fleet of buses would be discontinued or moved elsewhere.<br />
<br />
I recall the first time I visited Malacca some 30 years ago. The water’s edge was much nearer to Jalan Klebang Besar, the coastal thoroughfare. A trader at a hawker centre by the road had complained to me about the erosion that was slowing eating into his trading spot. He said it would be a matter of time before the hawker centre tumbled into the sea if the authorities did not act.<br />
<br />
I suppose his wish was fulfilled when the sea was pushed back more than a kilometre with a land reclamation project carried out over the past one decade.<br />
<br />
In fact, so much land has been reclaimed along Klebang beach that the new coastline now probably qualifies as a new township.<br />
<br />
<b>HOW TO GET THERE</b><br />
<br />
THE Submarine Museum is 8.5km from the Malacca city centre. It is open daily from 9am to 5pm, Monday-Thursday, and 9am to 6.30pm Friday to Sunday. (It is closed from 12.15pm to 2.45pm on Friday.) Fees are RM2 per adult and RM1 per child.<br />
<br />
To get there, look for Dataran 1Malaysia, off Jalan Klebang Besar. There are signages showing the way to the museum. There is also ample parking just outside the museum’s gated compound. For details, call 06-282-6526 or 283-0926.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-4527584395214911942017-02-23T18:07:00.000+08:002017-09-10T20:34:03.224+08:00Blue Lake of Kundang<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt16grhQUpXEMdDCCQyFrvdbdnM-cBI82xqX33tcfK5pRVrjnFgw-t2wScfO4b9vJF43KSsWwDd8TqyhwhtxJYSOcAf44vajbHjplySKlYkThUu94RxGRggUavXnDY46oll5kUyAL8sgc/s1600/Tasik+Biru+Kundang+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="600" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt16grhQUpXEMdDCCQyFrvdbdnM-cBI82xqX33tcfK5pRVrjnFgw-t2wScfO4b9vJF43KSsWwDd8TqyhwhtxJYSOcAf44vajbHjplySKlYkThUu94RxGRggUavXnDY46oll5kUyAL8sgc/s640/Tasik+Biru+Kundang+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jet skiers and water scooter enthusiasts will remember this body of water known as the Tasik Biru Kundang</td></tr>
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CITY folks who are into watersports such as jet-skiing, wind-surfing and even waterskiing would have known about Tasik Biru or Blue Lake in Kundang. It's 20 minutes' drive from the city centre of Kuala Lumpur via the Latar highway, which connects Gombak to Kuala Selangor. Although the lake lies in the district of Kuang, it is more well known as the Kundang lake.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>In the mid-1990s, jet skiers and windsurfers would descend upon this lake to go for a spin, raising the ire of local anglers. Frequently, there would be an exchange of words as each justified their presence. I remember also the tales being circulated about giant snakeheads said to have attacked people.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One famous story was about a 1.5m giant snakehead which bit a chunk of flesh off a jet skier's buttocks when he fell into the lake. There had also been stories of arapaimas spotted swimming in the lake, but no one had actually captured photographic evidence of any. I often wondered if the tales had been concocted by anglers to drive away the jet skiers and windsurfers so that they could enjoy fishing in peace.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>According to local knowledge, this lake was a disused tin mine, abandoned in the late 1950s. Back then, because the depths had yet to be overgrown with vegetation, the crystal-clear waters and sandy white bottom reflected the blue skies on cloudless days. This was how the 20ha lake probably got its name.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJugRH3wiPOmtnYo-uyLUOpmeTn7hR3kuEGEoIv9YPVNxJUHq3m9emgz2SQ6RbOqwzwcgGPTinaXuirjUlfLnhK0CYO7h_GfMQNfJjO0AKswa5P_ZZtxJaMLgjHogQAzmWc6hYXNaJrAg/s1600/Tasik+Biru+Kundang+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="600" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJugRH3wiPOmtnYo-uyLUOpmeTn7hR3kuEGEoIv9YPVNxJUHq3m9emgz2SQ6RbOqwzwcgGPTinaXuirjUlfLnhK0CYO7h_GfMQNfJjO0AKswa5P_ZZtxJaMLgjHogQAzmWc6hYXNaJrAg/s320/Tasik+Biru+Kundang+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenic Kundang Blue Lake</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Another source stated that a palong was used to mine tin here. In this mining method, a strong jet of water is shot at the side of the quarry to loosen the tin-rich soil into slurry which is then sucked up the top of the palong and allowed to run down troughs equipped with riffles. These riffles trap the heavier tin ore and at the end of each day, miners would shovel the ore into heavy canvas bags. The tin tailings, sand and slime were dumped at the other end of the quarry.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The island on the southeast end of Tasik Biru, where I was painting, was believed to be the mound of this mining waste. Apparently, some years back, one could just wade through the waist-high water to get to the island. However, when I was there, I saw that the water was too deep to take that suggestion seriously. The island was apparently one of the locations where the Malay movie Merah, starring Ziana Zain, Awie and M. Nasir, was shot in the 1990s.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>It is not known how deep the lake is, but an angler who was fishing nearby estimated it to be about 30m at the deepest part. He cautioned anyone against swimming in the lake unsupervised because of the many lives that had been lost in its depths. In fact, a newspaper cutting recorded 34 deaths over the years due to accidents in the lake.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The day I was painting at the lake, I saw local council workers sprucing up the banks on the east end. A lakeside restaurant, with a beautiful view of the lake, is a recent addition. It was as a result of the refurbishment of what used to be an underused pavilion for watersports activity built by the council. Today, the restaurant attracts locals as well as travellers passing through Kuang in the evenings, to enjoy a meal while taking in the tranquillity of nature.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XebUeTuH6pD7VOG8z8JIHnN-sINUZyp6CSl8EAiStrx0wObFKfObqdSmiQSkfwSZIayKJ2W40A5sD1nlmWAyGZKXLj7Qkor1d06l1YZfvpk1j8yj7srnvmnF0kgsrtI6jxSB2jvJsgk/s1600/Tasik+Biru+Kundang+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="600" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XebUeTuH6pD7VOG8z8JIHnN-sINUZyp6CSl8EAiStrx0wObFKfObqdSmiQSkfwSZIayKJ2W40A5sD1nlmWAyGZKXLj7Qkor1d06l1YZfvpk1j8yj7srnvmnF0kgsrtI6jxSB2jvJsgk/s320/Tasik+Biru+Kundang+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Word has it that huge carnivorous fish like<br /> the giant snakehead roam in the depths of this lake</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ANGLERS' HAVEN<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJugRH3wiPOmtnYo-uyLUOpmeTn7hR3kuEGEoIv9YPVNxJUHq3m9emgz2SQ6RbOqwzwcgGPTinaXuirjUlfLnhK0CYO7h_GfMQNfJjO0AKswa5P_ZZtxJaMLgjHogQAzmWc6hYXNaJrAg/s1600/Tasik+Biru+Kundang+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Kundang is synonymous with freshwater fishing and has been an anglers' haven since the 1990s when they find their bounties of snakeheads (ikan haruan) and tilapias in several disused mining ponds in this area. There were also some commercially operated fishing ponds here that have gained a loyal following.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>One of these ponds is located just beside the Latar Highway, adjacent to the Kundang Lakes Golf Course. Known as Tow Foo Sportsfishing, this was one of the earliest commercially operated ponds with an emphasis on fish conservation with its practice of catch and release, as well as lure fishing using artificial baits like spinners and poppers.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This fishing pond is still operating after so many years. There is also another fishing pond just beside the road not far from the Blue Lake.<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-48397360806366653152017-02-09T17:56:00.000+08:002017-07-27T17:57:12.055+08:00Majestic Rumah Terengganu <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FNowOGGTYSBGsKLk5KApxvMkhBnCr0TgSAFPN6O6E10Hyd1U0vuVGCNiXQ33kbo3OrkbPE4lHTZx_-ONO3tptEu3f3_64pvM8Yh13q2AWzX_8L54wrbZ7QIhkTGvzddmh5YIW4pTUz8/s1600/Rumah+Terengganu+FRIM+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="841" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FNowOGGTYSBGsKLk5KApxvMkhBnCr0TgSAFPN6O6E10Hyd1U0vuVGCNiXQ33kbo3OrkbPE4lHTZx_-ONO3tptEu3f3_64pvM8Yh13q2AWzX_8L54wrbZ7QIhkTGvzddmh5YIW4pTUz8/s640/Rumah+Terengganu+FRIM+%25281%2529.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No nails are used in traditional houses like this one, only wooden pegs. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
MY attention was drawn to this traditional house by the sparkle of sunlight caught on its orange-coloured roof tiles when I visited the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong.<br />
<br />
I used to see these tiles, called atap genting singgora (singgora clay tiles), in my home state of Terengganu when I was a child. The morning sun had cast long shadows on the subject, as if calling for it to be painted, and I obliged.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPT9rY04zlLKsQ6oxIziLVTU9p63_aPJWrNKA6gtxDr4_tIJgyPUn8dA81nJeSFRhBZx6O5b3pi4oaHbnrsQpytNngsSqDNeiZ65bIoZwvj5YiXxq_-gQD2Gqx7A6fs3c2-WwB2f3ATc/s1600/Rumah+Terengganu+FRIM+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPT9rY04zlLKsQ6oxIziLVTU9p63_aPJWrNKA6gtxDr4_tIJgyPUn8dA81nJeSFRhBZx6O5b3pi4oaHbnrsQpytNngsSqDNeiZ65bIoZwvj5YiXxq_-gQD2Gqx7A6fs3c2-WwB2f3ATc/s320/Rumah+Terengganu+FRIM+%25282%2529.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close-up of the clay roofs. See <br />the lichen building up under it?</td></tr>
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According to a faded information board at the staircase, this traditional Terengganu Malay house originated from Pulau Rusa in Terengganu. When it was dismantled and brought to FRIM in 1987 to be reassembled, it was believed to be already over a century old. It was bought from the original owner for about RM1,500, according to another source.<br />
<br />
Made of cengal wood (Neobalanocarpus heimii), this house belonged to the Rumah Tiang Dua-Belas category in which the main structure is supported by 12 timber posts (tiang). Save for a few broken roof tiles, the house still looked quite sturdy. I would have gone in to check it out had I not spotted a pack of wild dogs which sought refuge inside.<br />
<br />
A friend of mine told me that this type of house is also known as Rumah Bujang Berselasar, the Terengganu traditional Malay house in its simplest form — with only two areas: the main house area (rumah ibu) and the verandah (selasar or serambi), connected by a small staircase.<br />
<br />
Guests are usually received at the verandah, which also serves as a place to relax on a hot day or carry out chores such as making handicraft or teaching children to read during the day.<br />
<br />
The roof tiles used in this house are said to be similar to the atap singgora used in Thailand. In fact, the term Singgora refers to a place in old Thailand where roofs are tiled using these. Each tile comes in a long pentagonal shape, with a hooked end on one side. They are made by using the foot, dried in the hot sun, and then fired in a kiln. I believe these tiles are still being made in some remote villages in Kelantan.<br />
<br />
To install them on the roof, each tile is hooked onto the rafter and arranged side by side. Each ascending row of tiles sits on top of another on the lower rafter. Each piece is placed to overlap, top over bottom, so as to cover the gaps to prevent rainwater from seeping through.<br />
<br />
Singgora tiles are very brittle. Roof-tilers had to be extremely careful of their steps when mounting these tiles on the rafters as they cannot hold the weight of a person. The Singgora tiles are also lighter and porous, and they absorb moisture during the night.<br />
<br />
During the day, the moist tiles are able to keep the house cool. Usually, moss will grow on them and add to the cooling property of roofs using these tiles. Of course, for the occupants, the interior of such houses can sometimes be quite damp, especially during wet spells.<br />
<br />
Like most traditional Malay houses in Terengganu and the east coast of the peninsula, the timber posts of this house stand on stone piers. The high posts keep pests like ants and snakes from entering the house and the structure free from flood waters. The space beneath the house allows further cooling of the structure. This area is often fully used for storage, sometimes to rear poultry, or even to air-dry clothes during rainy seasons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilm1hxu9GrMLYqwMcKfUNLzFE7076Xd9vA60J-SXNNwN6OyWbAalf_sVErHj7Tmra13dY383lNWA1NZ6W-8lLUflnBOJw4_nL7_igxfPyVw-wb3u3dPDABClLL9V1b7lb-gfwm-8MbMFw/s1600/Rumah+Terengganu+FRIM+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilm1hxu9GrMLYqwMcKfUNLzFE7076Xd9vA60J-SXNNwN6OyWbAalf_sVErHj7Tmra13dY383lNWA1NZ6W-8lLUflnBOJw4_nL7_igxfPyVw-wb3u3dPDABClLL9V1b7lb-gfwm-8MbMFw/s320/Rumah+Terengganu+FRIM+%25283%2529.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just hardwood, assembled very expertly</td></tr>
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The stone piers on which the posts stand prevent dampness from seeping into the wood. They also serve to deter termite attacks. In case of an attempted attack, the termite mud-tubes (trails left by the insect whenever travelling through exposed surface) would have been spotted first before damage is done.<br />
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<b>HOW ATTAP SINGGORA IS MADE</b><br />
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CLAY obtained from the river is first processed to the right consistency. It is then slapped onto a slanting wooden mould shaped like a longish pentagon and compressed by using the feet. The depth of the mould gives the tile its thickness. Excess clay is removed by dragging a bow with a wire across the face of the mould.<br />
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The Singgora clay roof tiles are believed to be similar to those use by Thai traditional architecture. They are porous and can absorb moisture and cool the house down during the day.<br />
The soft sheet of tile, like plasticine in texture, is then peeled off from the mould and arranged side-by-side on an open ground to be dried under the sun. Here, the hooked end is folded manually, using a small block of wood as a guide to ensure a uniform height.<br />
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Once the tiles are sufficiently dried, they are then fired in a kiln, turning their colour from grey to orange-red.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVYbXy-QOykmKSr6vFd_ucCEt4FVtIw5F5AwDaYIWPox7lf-sdXHDNybijqHZxDIKGWhdn4ep2owZm2SROgvxRGyb2Lovqq6XEieijxKvvYGrZHqwZ1id5c0SyKhcEgVFkqBDjDyIhh4/s1600/singgora+tile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="361" data-original-width="600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdVYbXy-QOykmKSr6vFd_ucCEt4FVtIw5F5AwDaYIWPox7lf-sdXHDNybijqHZxDIKGWhdn4ep2owZm2SROgvxRGyb2Lovqq6XEieijxKvvYGrZHqwZ1id5c0SyKhcEgVFkqBDjDyIhh4/s320/singgora+tile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>This is the writer’s impression of a single piece of Singgora clay tile turned upside down. The hooked end is folded at right angles so that it can clasp onto the rafter when put in place.</i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-54195138881887491942017-01-26T18:11:00.000+08:002017-07-27T18:16:30.913+08:00Labour of love than spanned the decades<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4EfxRdKQoS4JTcXG5T1cq0wmuDk-S3fZ2RqmYcdMOaogMrw_5gB2-iFhqP55v-_1ZNqljNzLxERLnSHRLin2yfH0ym3_JjEfPg9M4o_V54zPBl85StL6WDseMWEBgTicWslC6azv-as/s1600/Lake+Sydney+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="671" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4EfxRdKQoS4JTcXG5T1cq0wmuDk-S3fZ2RqmYcdMOaogMrw_5gB2-iFhqP55v-_1ZNqljNzLxERLnSHRLin2yfH0ym3_JjEfPg9M4o_V54zPBl85StL6WDseMWEBgTicWslC6azv-as/s640/Lake+Sydney+%25281%2529.jpg" width="572" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bamboo grove could well be the oldest in a public park in the capital</td></tr>
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THIS is probably one of the oldest bamboo grove in the Perdana Botanical Garden. There are two clumps actually, if viewed at an angle of 90 degrees to where this was painted. In fact, this is one of the features of this public park that has not changed over the last three decades.</div>
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In the 1970s, when I was still in my teens, I used to visit the Lake Gardens (as it was then known) during the school holidays.</div>
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This was because in those days, there were few such places that has several attractions within walking distance of each other. It was also one of those places accessible by public transport.</div>
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Those days, there was only a clump of bamboo trees on the circular man-made island. At the time, this lake was known as Sydney Lake.</div>
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According to G.M. Gullick (Kuala Lumpur, 1880-1895), the parkland was originally a valley of secondary forest irrigated by Sungai Bras-Bras.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFthT_ITPUhgrdy8XC-aD-NZU_sJk1COoIhBvPvdCRZMl7SWeJhEvIRfOZ0tlIMXBpFpD71h89rtin3W8GoHQKSWEhyB3Ld-UPqYWOZIRHL0khWBfHMCowg0PFnDRgaQldp8nJ7QTyx98/s1600/Lake+Sydney+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="949" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFthT_ITPUhgrdy8XC-aD-NZU_sJk1COoIhBvPvdCRZMl7SWeJhEvIRfOZ0tlIMXBpFpD71h89rtin3W8GoHQKSWEhyB3Ld-UPqYWOZIRHL0khWBfHMCowg0PFnDRgaQldp8nJ7QTyx98/s320/Lake+Sydney+%25283%2529.jpg" width="202" /></a>Then, Selangor State Treasurer A.R. Venning had proposed to Swettenham that a botanical park be built in the roughly 173-acre land. </div>
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Venning’s labour of love spanned 10 years and sparked public interest and received support.</div>
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Cantonese community leader Chow Ah Yeok was said to have contributed 100 white cempaka and orange trees to the project in 1888. A contractor named Gordon was engaged to dam the river and turn the lower part of the valley into a lake.</div>
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On May 13, 1889, Governor of the Straits Settlements Sir Cecil Clementi Smith declared open the Lake Gardens. Mrs Swettenham was given the honour to cut the ribbon and the lake was named Sydney Lake, after her maiden name.</div>
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However, the original man-made lake was short-lived. Two years after the opening, the bund that held the man-made lake collapsed and had to be reconstructed.</div>
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In 1975, the Lake Gardens was renamed Taman Tasik Perdana, (Perdana Lake Gardens) by then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. The lake became known as Tasik Perdana. Boat rowing facilities were also introduced after the re-launching ceremony on March 1, 1975, starting with colourful oar-powered skiffs, and later pedal-boats.</div>
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The fee back then was one ringgit for an hour’s spin around the lake. On popular days such as weekends and public holidays, long queues could be seen waiting for a ride.</div>
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The Perdana Lake Gardens was again renamed the Perdana Botanical Gardens on June 28, 2011 by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.</div>
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Over the few years, many other botanical attractions have been added to enhance this tourist attraction. They included sections containing indigenous fruit trees, local herbs and even a garden dedicated to the ginger family.</div>
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Much care has been taken of the lake as well, as seen during my recent trip there. Several aerators are placed at the lower end of this lake, which holds a few common species of local fish, to increase its oxygen level. There’s also a boat mounted with a cleaning sieve in front that was used to clean up the flotsam of broken twigs and leaves.</div>
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According to the signages, a huge part of the park is also a WiFi zone.</div>
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On the island, under the bamboo grove, I spotted a family of local ducks preening in the sun. I was told by a park worker that they were released by the council.</div>
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However, I also spotted a couple of what I thought to be crows flying out of the bamboo grove until they swooped down to forage by a small drain about a 100 metres away.</div>
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Imagine my surprise when my camera’s zoom lenses revealed the identities of the birds which I later found out to be a species of ibis, possibly Hadeda ibis, which is not indigenous. I was even more surprised when I called the park office to find out about these birds. Apparently these birds were not local nor were they released by the park authority.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-61113951158906954662017-01-12T21:03:00.000+08:002017-09-10T21:04:44.777+08:00Tranquillity in Bagan Hailam<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8tcR-zIRCrNazShcR4jjrrFBvtQbQQ-xztabtFzfX9KBuiQA-K7ULLo_ZjRgTxoesWqwPgZxQxyUDuZgPr1CsqjNlWrSoW3seOmMSdfI1ktprQwwFVauYcrRtRQ_OgsiheuGPS1sEf0/s1600/Bagan+Hailam+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8tcR-zIRCrNazShcR4jjrrFBvtQbQQ-xztabtFzfX9KBuiQA-K7ULLo_ZjRgTxoesWqwPgZxQxyUDuZgPr1CsqjNlWrSoW3seOmMSdfI1ktprQwwFVauYcrRtRQ_OgsiheuGPS1sEf0/s640/Bagan+Hailam+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hailam Choon is Hokkien for Hainanese Village. This one sits on stilts by the banks<br />of the North Port of Port Klang.</td></tr>
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PORT Klang's Hailam Choon (or Hainanese Village in Hokkien) is a century-old riverine village at the North Port of Klang. Known locally as Bagan Hailam, this village comprising cluster of wooden houses built on stilts and linked by concrete walkways, sits on the banks of the Klang Riverover looking the estuary.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBk7qIQ2kXoyY6tqfgT1VEMFLivgqOWJzhlfpixVEmbW0f0u2T4yKp0sZw4_OQMVcb1UvcR9dcepUpbumD3359pzJroL0i7ntS808qaPGGmn0r6y9qXW2vreQrTRwR0c-AWKaWtQEbCM/s1600/Bagan+Hailam+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRBk7qIQ2kXoyY6tqfgT1VEMFLivgqOWJzhlfpixVEmbW0f0u2T4yKp0sZw4_OQMVcb1UvcR9dcepUpbumD3359pzJroL0i7ntS808qaPGGmn0r6y9qXW2vreQrTRwR0c-AWKaWtQEbCM/s320/Bagan+Hailam+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is one of the temples in the village. The concrete<br />structure sits on a boardwalk of timber</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Built along the swampland that was once filled with mangrove trees, this village is believed to be set up by the Hainanese immigrants in the 1900s. It used to be accessible only by rowboats from the opposite bank, where the Royal Selangor Yacht club now is. However in the 1980s, with the development of the North Port, tarred roads were built in to the area to cater to the logistical needs of the many industries set up here.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>According to a villager in his 60s, who came to watch me capture this tranquil estuary at the back of one of the temples here, Bagan Hailam was a thriving fishing community from the 1960s to the 1980s.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"There were many houses here those days," he lamented. "We have three temples and come each festival to mark the birthday of their resident sages, people would come by the boatloads to pay homage or watch Chinese opera." He pointed out that during its heyday, there were almost 2,000 inhabitants in the village. Bagan Hailam even had its own Chinese primary school, SJKC Wu Teck, set up about a centuryago. The school had since moved to Bukit Tinggi in 2011, leaving an empty shell of the asbestos-roofed timber building as a stark reminder of dwindling populace.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I was told that most families who had made their fortunes during Bagan Hailam's better years had moved on. Some of them had either sold "ancestral homes" or rented these homes to mostly immigrants working in nearby industries. Very few of the descendants of the original families still fish for a living.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>"Even the children of those now staying here have moved elsewhere," the man said.<br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>There are several seafood restaurants operating at the back of the houses here, fighting for survival with the bigger eateries that sit along the esplanade. I was told that the prices in Bagan Hailam are quite reasonable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMSvXbLz5tkePa46Jnyxfvxi4cx2LPn7dS3VfZQiDfWby54hGAP7bCD4cl1P7eQW8SuUI8w0BZV-qG9HJHcIgxRqI8kM8Q_AvvGRssTaQJAAyDAU09O-UN-R0st1-UT8AkgGEwelj254/s1600/Bagan+Hailam+%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="600" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMSvXbLz5tkePa46Jnyxfvxi4cx2LPn7dS3VfZQiDfWby54hGAP7bCD4cl1P7eQW8SuUI8w0BZV-qG9HJHcIgxRqI8kM8Q_AvvGRssTaQJAAyDAU09O-UN-R0st1-UT8AkgGEwelj254/s320/Bagan+Hailam+%25283%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the Selangor Yacht Club at right</td></tr>
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Along the lower reaches of Bagan Hailam are commercially operated fishing ponds that draw a good crowd of anglers, especially during the weekends. On the other side of Bagan Hailam, along the road fronting the channel, is a recreational esplanade area known as Tanjung Harapan or Cape of Hope. This stretch is very popular with weekenders, particularly recreational anglers who are just happy to wet their lines.<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The currents along this stretch can be very strong and unpredictable, an angler friend says. At certain times of the year, the king tide can bring the waves right up to the road, he warned. Perhaps this was why Tanjung Harapan was once known among boatmen as Tanjung Gila, to describe its unpredictable temperament.<br />
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ALMOST RAZED<br />
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<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>BAGAN Hailam was thrown into the limelight on June 20, 1992, when a chemical tanker MV Chong Hong III, caught fire and exploded while discharging xylene at a chemical complex nearby. The incident, which claimed 13 lives, took place about 100m from Bagan Hailam and this had caused a mass evacuation of the villagers. The villagers were relocated temporarily by the authorities in case the fire spread to a fuel depot nearby. However, a number of villagers braved the fiery threat by staying back in the village to guard their homes from potential looters.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-71150417902537129772016-10-18T21:22:00.000+08:002016-10-18T21:22:36.152+08:00Guardian of the Flame<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
GUARDIAN OF THE FLAME<br />(300MM X 410MM)<br />Available</div>
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I was in Kuala Sepetang, Taiping, not too long ago and whenever I am there, I would pay a visit to the charcoal factory lying just outside the town that was once known as Port Weld. This is the picture of the guardian of the flame tending to the fire at the kiln during the second stage of charcoal baking.</div>
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The entire process of making charcoal takes about three weeks with several firing stages. This is in its final week when the door of the kiln will be sealed shut using bricks and the temperature gradually brought down. It takes an experience person to gauge the temperature. Too high and coal turns to ash. Too low and the coal will be smoky.</div>
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The job is back breaking, the surroundings smoky, hot and even hazardous. But for someone of limited education, this is the only option in a town where high-paying jobs are few and far in between. And for the sake of his family, the guardian of the flame has to keep the fire going.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-37100847288214119642016-10-07T09:02:00.000+08:002016-10-07T09:02:03.281+08:00Mood and Atmosphere in Watercolour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjMi3dp0nzI0AlZIJ9UT5YgmWvOvjCxRZycv67trm7ahHMk52Kp-EHA4xDqTk4I925SQwmsVsKDLI75H17x2SZvACZGd3gEvXoEfHQr5R-ZIIgHe2W5EmoOd_rF7N0ljobNwSn_cyWwk/s1600/IMG_8714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjMi3dp0nzI0AlZIJ9UT5YgmWvOvjCxRZycv67trm7ahHMk52Kp-EHA4xDqTk4I925SQwmsVsKDLI75H17x2SZvACZGd3gEvXoEfHQr5R-ZIIgHe2W5EmoOd_rF7N0ljobNwSn_cyWwk/s640/IMG_8714.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I may be biased but I think watercolour, as an artistic medium, can depict mood and atmosphere no other medium can. I did this piece after reading about the homes of the Orang Asli in Kelantan that have been ravaged by uncontrolled logging activities. It features an Orang Asli watching two others on a raft going downriver. It was done with a combination of browns and blues, in various tonal values.<br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-11476057270218817892016-10-02T19:24:00.001+08:002016-10-02T19:29:25.441+08:00Self-Portrait Should Be Approached Without Inhibitions<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just for the fun of it. This is like a jigsaw puzzle. Drawing from a photo is not tough but getting into a messy picture can be trying. Thankfully I managed to complete this self-portrait in wastercolour with the dots and dashes and washes, keeping as many elements in the picture. I'm quite happy with the foreshortening of the legs and the skin-colour. Self-portrait is a tough subject to approach, one that should be tackled with reckless abandonment, I think. If you are restricted by any inhibition, self-consciousness will end your artistic journey before you could lay the first colour.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HN6057csh6u7F_oy1HX-102DzCJmKpY3OPrG1VfPAoMRtJAVhhkpAXIZKBlq2b3dBjn60gZGl828yBLlJCwGoj2fKvPlKutUnyxQ_HhSc4uBxvna1rZFQWBCGCBCoRn1-PXD7js5ByY/s1600/IMG_8702a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HN6057csh6u7F_oy1HX-102DzCJmKpY3OPrG1VfPAoMRtJAVhhkpAXIZKBlq2b3dBjn60gZGl828yBLlJCwGoj2fKvPlKutUnyxQ_HhSc4uBxvna1rZFQWBCGCBCoRn1-PXD7js5ByY/s400/IMG_8702a.jpg" width="287" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-9065540217485769932016-09-26T20:17:00.000+08:002016-09-26T20:17:10.208+08:00TESTING COLOURS: Keeping Visual Information to Minimum<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">How do you paint water? How do you know that what you are painting is water? Using three primaries again, I did a quick sketch of a tethered dinghy on calm water. How do you know there is water? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Well, the reflection is one dead giveaway. But the second clue is the boat itself - what do you think when you see a boat? Unless indicated otherwise, chances are that you mind will be looking for the boat's support - the water that it is usually sitting in. Whether it is a lake or a river, or even the sea. And when you find a reflection beneath the boat, your mind will confirm what you are seeing is a boat on water that you are seeing. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5w6cdfmn7J5apTKL7b9yVZaek2G_1PdAlLrpChHPYqaj_iBPULXx5LReuHxAkCHjE13-xyjmVIomffmvntwj6kYCSGBnQvQF_EyrdwBL47aUeCqBYNuqjT-x2IVXjXFK8IJQY6TJycwk/s1600/PRIMARIES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5w6cdfmn7J5apTKL7b9yVZaek2G_1PdAlLrpChHPYqaj_iBPULXx5LReuHxAkCHjE13-xyjmVIomffmvntwj6kYCSGBnQvQF_EyrdwBL47aUeCqBYNuqjT-x2IVXjXFK8IJQY6TJycwk/s640/PRIMARIES.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">So in sketching, the trick is to keep your pieces simple, with just enough information to let the viewer fill in the rest.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-44139517981788047472016-09-25T17:53:00.004+08:002016-09-26T10:16:55.679+08:00TESTING COLOURS: The Power of PrimariesAlthough it is well known that the three primaries of yellow, red and blue make up a host of other colours in the spectrum, few of us prefer to have premixed secondary colours because it is easier to get the colours right every time. I feel that if we are to learn to use only the three primaries, we can train our minds to pick out the right mix every time too.<br />
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This cluster of vegetables, a cauliflower, two tomatoes, a cucumber and two chillies were painted using only three colours - yellow, blue and red - which are the known primaries. When mixed in varied proportions, primaries give a stunning variety of colours under the rainbow.<br />
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The cauliflower was created using blue + yellow and a tinge of red; the tomatoes using red + yellow and a trace of blue; and the cucumber two shaded of green using blue + yellow and overlapped; while the red chillies were created using red + yellow with a bias towards yellow. The shine on the tomatoes and chillies were created by lifting off. The patterns/texture on the cauliflower were created by natural pigmentation - happy accidents, watercolourists call it.<br />
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WHY IT WORKS: In strict sense, you dont need a full set of colours in a 12 or 16-plate palette to do a good representation of your subjects. Understanding the power of primaries can give you that advantage of creating harmonious compositions as can be seen here. Every single colour placed shares a component colour of the other. How can that be not harmonious?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53BFu0qp-x7r-z71wKqB6SNtzt4CDJmbmpgW33ZaI-1H7nGgi6yrP_cb3NIvBDpTJRjpgIBm7eYOgv4Ce6lbh9H7PsT8niCo9y-b2qFFlmdt77q5pCjM0YiGinzShULUzDRx8VQ_A74I/s1600/IMG_8616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53BFu0qp-x7r-z71wKqB6SNtzt4CDJmbmpgW33ZaI-1H7nGgi6yrP_cb3NIvBDpTJRjpgIBm7eYOgv4Ce6lbh9H7PsT8niCo9y-b2qFFlmdt77q5pCjM0YiGinzShULUzDRx8VQ_A74I/s640/IMG_8616.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-20262153385906334312016-09-10T21:00:00.004+08:002016-09-10T21:04:20.128+08:00National Monument @ Kuala Lumpur<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q24OMl3pJGsYPgA0sxtkbCnqxRc7NAfz_lPA89Ad6IODto6e6vmouRuwoSzwfXuId98WdMb_y1vQ-9y0Ehu8Qb52MJEdi5gM1l6qg7ugPhqtrG3xDRLz7qVYL6djrG7IzLNtQSrxY-o/s1600/IMG_8141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q24OMl3pJGsYPgA0sxtkbCnqxRc7NAfz_lPA89Ad6IODto6e6vmouRuwoSzwfXuId98WdMb_y1vQ-9y0Ehu8Qb52MJEdi5gM1l6qg7ugPhqtrG3xDRLz7qVYL6djrG7IzLNtQSrxY-o/s640/IMG_8141.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was in a hurry to get away from the tourists that I forgot to sign this work!</td></tr>
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I have always wanted to sketch the National Monument but had always been intimidated by the figures, the sheer size of them and the various poses that make up this bronze structure which marked the nation's struggle towards Independence. Finally today, armed with a simple Kokuyo watercolour set and a Rotring sketch pen, I decided to grab the bull by its horns. This above is the result.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPSYJmJiUYVOGfqChCGNeg_9KMM0bd4eUZphgrA7t79HnoeFE4y1y9lHx-x_OQv5bPCzQ4AsiJQ_dsnpBqg3G8ht39Q31TWAcNURKtoy2tdCOKfMpJKL4kJ_NUGV6wrAFGifY_tyhTJo/s1600/IMG_8134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPSYJmJiUYVOGfqChCGNeg_9KMM0bd4eUZphgrA7t79HnoeFE4y1y9lHx-x_OQv5bPCzQ4AsiJQ_dsnpBqg3G8ht39Q31TWAcNURKtoy2tdCOKfMpJKL4kJ_NUGV6wrAFGifY_tyhTJo/s200/IMG_8134.jpg" width="152" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drawing took me<br />
less than 15 min</td></tr>
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The National Monument is located within the Lake Gardens area, just behind the monolothic Cenotaph. It is surrounded by a moat and fenced up. I decided to only keep to the monument because of the challenging conditions - getting the proportions of the figures right and deal with foreshortening. Instead of trying to draw what I knew, I decided to allow my experience in countour drawing to take over. And this drawing technique came to my rescue.<br />
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Colouring was much easier, with two layers of paint to depict the different tones and a combination of earth colours and blues aided in showing the greenish-brown disposition of the oxidised bronze statues. The flag was simply painted with stripes of red across the white paper. It would have been great if the day had been windy as I could capture the flag full blown.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDBFzBTbkReFlnJFqyhYhpQpovn8WTahjyTqcjNK6IUyiRQmhw8FoHxNwRvMJBLlEHJNITIzp5sTuNDxKbox-3mTo0fsLJhsWAP5dshIgfEmJKPwHOEkNFg-Uw6WV6wELbDa2bzyVdJw/s1600/IMG_8139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDBFzBTbkReFlnJFqyhYhpQpovn8WTahjyTqcjNK6IUyiRQmhw8FoHxNwRvMJBLlEHJNITIzp5sTuNDxKbox-3mTo0fsLJhsWAP5dshIgfEmJKPwHOEkNFg-Uw6WV6wELbDa2bzyVdJw/s200/IMG_8139.jpg" width="174" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was preparing to shoot<br />
when my photographer snapped<br />
his picture first. He left.</td></tr>
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Not making it any easier were the hordes of tourists who were there. Some just looked over my shoulder without commenting; others complimented. There was one Chinese tourist who decided he wanted a close look over my shoulders when my photographer decided to take a snap of him, and when he realised this, he decided to keep his camera and walk away.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDBFzBTbkReFlnJFqyhYhpQpovn8WTahjyTqcjNK6IUyiRQmhw8FoHxNwRvMJBLlEHJNITIzp5sTuNDxKbox-3mTo0fsLJhsWAP5dshIgfEmJKPwHOEkNFg-Uw6WV6wELbDa2bzyVdJw/s1600/IMG_8139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-90319933990187333962016-09-03T16:38:00.000+08:002016-09-04T16:38:52.288+08:00Capturing the icon of Alang SedayuThis red bridge was built across the Alang Sedayu's Sungai Pisang to link the main road to the Jungle Lodge side of the forest reserve. The water level of the river is low even though it had been raining almost every evening. I arrived here this morning and managed to get down to one of the large boulders in the middle of the river to paint this scene. Usually it will be waist deep and there is no way to place my stuff.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Sg2-IG_U18TKD8JyKFFyt7s_6Q8_AANyEdReZ04I96rktim7ZZ6ghJRbb6U1A-lcKZFtFznOknKQistcNMduEQFtCSxgyDJ0AqHUmL6UpAZPnzwpviY7AFlo4357ZIO7geThwvvHdI4/s1600/SEDAYU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Sg2-IG_U18TKD8JyKFFyt7s_6Q8_AANyEdReZ04I96rktim7ZZ6ghJRbb6U1A-lcKZFtFznOknKQistcNMduEQFtCSxgyDJ0AqHUmL6UpAZPnzwpviY7AFlo4357ZIO7geThwvvHdI4/s640/SEDAYU.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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<br />Surprisingly this river is still clean. It's beginning is from the Sungai Pisang waterfalls, a couple of kilometres away, across the Karak Highway. This recreational forest north of Selangor, on the Gombak-Bentong main road, was opened in the 1990s and despite its proximity to the city, it is still not much frequented by locals. Only groups here are those doing their team building and school events.<br /><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-19524448925746974442016-08-26T09:27:00.000+08:002016-09-01T09:35:47.464+08:00Rail knowledge at Kluang railway station<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgg0e9eJUZBLMYS4C4NIqvkhiUZ4xxwIGkzXR3EfjdvUBiHdNzhbIl9qOtcabKS5l_GfAWT5B5CcYnuxgvFrhqnUGtFjRLo1qtS3Fu9FzaA-VNigmlzsUjo9Gkoqp9AgzpDNlvL1FXLvc/s1600/Kluang+Railway+Station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="443" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgg0e9eJUZBLMYS4C4NIqvkhiUZ4xxwIGkzXR3EfjdvUBiHdNzhbIl9qOtcabKS5l_GfAWT5B5CcYnuxgvFrhqnUGtFjRLo1qtS3Fu9FzaA-VNigmlzsUjo9Gkoqp9AgzpDNlvL1FXLvc/s640/Kluang+Railway+Station.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kluang Station, a view from Platform 2, showing the location marker <br />
and a tamping machine on the tracks.</td></tr>
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Sending my daughter to her friend's home in Kundang Ulu yesterday took me south to Johor and my wife and I visited Pagoh, Yong Peng, and finally ending up in Kluang. I had been to Kluang before many years ago but had never put up the night there. I remember, the only thing that attracted me to the town, was the famous railway canteen whose nasi lemak, coffee and toast were one of the best in the country.<br />
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This time we arrived on Thursday, and unfortunately for me, the canteen was closed. Since I could not do much there, with the station less crowded, I was able to sit and sketch from Platform 2 of this station. This is a major stop for the KTM trains heading to Singapore or the Northern regions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUxNuK5ofU57MubM8baZEf9gOiOv2m_RtlLszL5muAP2QFQb4boiU4Q6ZCqC0-e9QGp4akr5SBP98vNex089ss42miIXBner_cAY92RBl1SqJHiLCh_f8j56beA8qz1z9N3R1IfT3YFU/s1600/IMG_7887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlUxNuK5ofU57MubM8baZEf9gOiOv2m_RtlLszL5muAP2QFQb4boiU4Q6ZCqC0-e9QGp4akr5SBP98vNex089ss42miIXBner_cAY92RBl1SqJHiLCh_f8j56beA8qz1z9N3R1IfT3YFU/s320/IMG_7887.jpg" width="320" /></a>Since the station building was crowded with cars parked haphazardly, I decided to paint the scenery across the tracks, of the location marker and the locomotive-like machine on its tracks. This is actually a Unimat-Compact universal tamping machine by Plasser-Theurer used
to maintain railway tracks. It helps to raise the rails, compact the gravel beneath, and levels the rail off mechanically.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-4110918572615801142016-07-14T08:47:00.001+08:002016-07-14T10:15:38.926+08:00Finding coal in Kuala Sepetang<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V1bM7BDsTnEQx_8cdPGG202jslqSCku97rPYPrkerAyjohUaqRwn5Z_Lg8s-ObrvFzL3vBRvNjP86tIN3pylFsYo-HXtOt9LlDFyBCA3mjYchFskPmpg3LRiD3oZEfJEAvp168X8MTc/s1600/IMG_3983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2V1bM7BDsTnEQx_8cdPGG202jslqSCku97rPYPrkerAyjohUaqRwn5Z_Lg8s-ObrvFzL3vBRvNjP86tIN3pylFsYo-HXtOt9LlDFyBCA3mjYchFskPmpg3LRiD3oZEfJEAvp168X8MTc/s640/IMG_3983.jpg" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was done in the kiln shed, which houses several other igloo-shaped kilns. This kiln has been<br />
sealed at the end stage of charcoal baking. The pungent air within, although not captured on camera,<br />
makes the eye teary. I had to quickly finish this under low-light conditions.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">IN the days before cooking gas was available, charcoal and wood were the preferred fuels for cooking. There were two types of charcoal sold in sundry shops – soft charcoal, which is cheaper and usually made from any type of wood, and the hard charcoal, made from mangrove logs. The latter is denser and much more preferred as it produces fire that burns hotter and longer than the soft charcoals.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Located in Kuala <span class="il">Sepetang</span> (or Port Weld as it was originally known) along the coast of Perak, some 17km from Taiping, the charcoal factory owned by Khay Hor Holdings is one of the few remaining ones in the Peninsula that produces the higher quality mangrove log charcoal.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I was fortunate enough to be allowed into the factory to sketch one of the igloo shaped kilns made of bricks. Unfortunately the charcoal was still being made and not ready to be removed, so I did not get to go into the kiln.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Khay Hor Holdings business development manager K.Y. Chuah informed me that the entire process of making charcoal takes about 30 days. Mangrove or bakau logs are stripped of their bark, cut into approximately 1.6m lengths, and arranged upright along the walls of the seven-metre high kiln. A fire is lit and the entrance to the kiln, which is about the height of a man, is gradually sealed over a period of time.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Heat control through gradual sealing of the aperture is very important so that the charcoal is not reduced to ashes because of too high temperature. The heat had to be built up to produce a high quality charcoal that burns efficiently.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">“There are two stages of fire which we create. The first stage is the ‘big fire’ and the second, we call ‘small fire’. From the ‘big fire’, we will partially seal the entrance to create a ‘small fire’.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgr44EseuifChUYHCMNqNcgokK__p9t4njcP74jngOmHN0c8Ma8VBpuQo9JB9T_-oCouDg0ehRbiZ0TynqXeSMOgG-AHhFQqGs3vqRWOHKm0h2DLxWRRBffYeDb1qk6qXu89zUeOc9NA/s1600/IMG_3994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgr44EseuifChUYHCMNqNcgokK__p9t4njcP74jngOmHN0c8Ma8VBpuQo9JB9T_-oCouDg0ehRbiZ0TynqXeSMOgG-AHhFQqGs3vqRWOHKm0h2DLxWRRBffYeDb1qk6qXu89zUeOc9NA/s320/IMG_3994.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group UTAR students who were visiting<br />
asked to see my sketches. </td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US">“During the first stage, the ‘big fire’ will be allowed to run for approximately ten days. The temperature is raised until it reaches 85-degree Celcius,” added Chuah.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">“Subsequently, this ‘big fire’ is converted to ‘small fire’ and this is kept going approximately for 14 days. The temperature would now be between 230- and 250-degree </span><span style="background-color: transparent;">Celcius, after which the fire is extinguished by sealing all the apertures of the kiln.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">“Once the fire is extinguished, it takes about a week for the charcoal to cool down before they can be removed from the kiln,” he added. The job is done manually.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">During the process of firing, steam is released from the mangrove trunks escapes from the kiln through a vent on the roof. This steam condenses into a smoke-smelling dark brown liquid which is believed to have antibacterial properties and is sought after for medicinal application. In the past, kiln workers collect this black liquid to treat skin diseases and remove odour from shoes and old socks.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Today, this charcoal maker has taken a step further to refine the extraction of this liquid by a filtration process, with the end product marketed as mangrove vinegar. According to Chuah, the vinegar can be used to freshen up stale air in a room, as mosquito repellent, and even used to treat certain infections of the skin.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">“Because it has strong anti-bacterial properties, you can use it to remove the odour from your shoes. Just spray it into the shoes and leave them overnight to make your shoes smell like brand new.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUB4Nn65bUfHYBM7l_kH6mp1CC57iPnrAXwZN9KyjwuEPcGu_0AUY740Jn2AEfAT00034yubykrSUc2ae5xzAziwEby6o0pHaIKbs9fMIRJC72vcTdgeo0W6IU4HsdtnsXetjM4Xf4JI/s1600/IMG_3959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinUB4Nn65bUfHYBM7l_kH6mp1CC57iPnrAXwZN9KyjwuEPcGu_0AUY740Jn2AEfAT00034yubykrSUc2ae5xzAziwEby6o0pHaIKbs9fMIRJC72vcTdgeo0W6IU4HsdtnsXetjM4Xf4JI/s320/IMG_3959.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mangrove vinegar bottled as<br />a spray to be used as<br />insect repellent.</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US">“Since this is an organic product, you can also spray it on your pets, like dogs and cats, to repel ticks and fleas,” he added.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Apart from the mangrove vinegar, his company has also produces charcoal soaps for bathing and cleansing purposes. “This black soap is most effective in removing blackheads and cleaning the skin,” he said.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Mangrove charcoal blocks too are sold at the factory grounds for use as an air purifier as well as décor for the home. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1766703057845852647.post-38169708627441939972016-06-30T09:13:00.000+08:002016-09-07T09:24:19.284+08:00Papan in peaceful slumber<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1NENuywPW53h0cKm8C1cCE3eWTdYFKXyNuF81WeAaWhUWjibKpC8XjtT1ISvw9Mf7EX0hJy07tbY9rGxGLlwd7JoPQ4lmx2OWXDK-I667JnAbljiRQ2CCPbfw31lmuyLjMR741CvVw0/s1600/IMG_4496.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1NENuywPW53h0cKm8C1cCE3eWTdYFKXyNuF81WeAaWhUWjibKpC8XjtT1ISvw9Mf7EX0hJy07tbY9rGxGLlwd7JoPQ4lmx2OWXDK-I667JnAbljiRQ2CCPbfw31lmuyLjMR741CvVw0/s640/IMG_4496.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the old houses that remind visitors of Papan's rich past.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Located about 17km from Ipoh off the Ipoh Lumut highway, about three kilometres from Pusing, Papan used to be a bustling town in the late 1800s. It is believed that the Chinese had named it “ka-pan”, which means wooden plank. Word has it that in the past, the “cengal” hardwood that were harvested from the neighbouring jungles had to be brought to the town to be sawn into planks. Incidentally, its new name, Papan, also meant plank in Malay.</span></div>
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However, Papan did not owe its fame to timber but rather tin, according to an elder who saw me painting this old house at the entrance to the town. He said Papan prospered during the glory years of tin mining and when the industry collapsed, the town’s relevance was reduced to only a soon-to-be-forgotten mention in the history books.</div>
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During the Japanese Occupation, when Ipoh was bombed, people from the town sought refuge in Papan and its population grew. It was also during this period that Papan earned its “black area” reputation for insurgent activities against the Japanese, and later for communist activities during the Emergency. In 1984, Papan was again thrown into the limelight when its residents staged protests against the storage of radioactive waste in the hills not far from the town.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CCbGcCQd6lpxt3Md01CGTotDY4KeOwsGZUg7kw0HA-CzwpB5TLMuyezlBDCJaVIzmoyfbjThOauZDT-ENA3jdJP5rwcLJ1B83s1PQhUt7KvOFBiYPU_UaWpOm_s-PuTzIEqqfuk1VQ8/s1600/IMG_4598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CCbGcCQd6lpxt3Md01CGTotDY4KeOwsGZUg7kw0HA-CzwpB5TLMuyezlBDCJaVIzmoyfbjThOauZDT-ENA3jdJP5rwcLJ1B83s1PQhUt7KvOFBiYPU_UaWpOm_s-PuTzIEqqfuk1VQ8/s400/IMG_4598.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the right is the temple, behind which is the cemetary.</td></tr>
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Today, Papan is a sleepy hollow that only comes to life only during the Qing Ming Festival or Tomb Sweeping Day when families who used to live there come to the cemetery just outside town to pay their respects to their dearly departed. Many of the old buildings that lined the main street have been abandoned and are slowly inhabited by wild vegetation. There is very little visible economic activity here as most of the younger generation have moved to nearer towns in search of better prospects.</div>
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Many descendant families of the early settlers here have also moved to the new Kampung Papan Baru, located a kilometre just outside the old town where there are better facilities. If there was any sign of activity, it would be in the mornings and the area near the community hall or Balai Raya Papan, and at the two old coffeeshops along the main road. Locals meet here to have a cuppa, a meal or just to catch up.</div>
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The most modern structure must be the SJKC Papan Chinese primary school which has only 80 pupils comprising 45 boys and 35 girls. This school sits by the main road next to house No. 74, a prominent landmark which once housed the clinic of Sybil Kathigasu, the Malayan-Eurasian nurse who worked with her doctor husband to support the resistance during the Japanese Occupation. Sybil received the George Medal for Gallantry, instituted by King George VI in 1940. The GM was presented to those performing acts of bravery meriting recognition by the United Kingdom and Sybil is said to be the only Malayan woman to have awarded the medal. There is a Jalan Sybil Kathigasu in Ipoh, named after Independence, to commemorate Sybil’s bravery.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXPOgerzUm7MjbuY8Sh004dfZ6cQYubtXkkrS1FqUnN356dWOtR9j7kO-0b8NfyOeXlovI7IOAhnv8E07EVPRGwqNUlEkwf79Y26pMaZe9BJnTsXYuIuamqvd1oT8P3zkg7zs6U-c8P4/s1600/No+74%252C+Main+Road%252C+Papan%252C+was+the+former+house+of+Sybil+Kathigasu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXPOgerzUm7MjbuY8Sh004dfZ6cQYubtXkkrS1FqUnN356dWOtR9j7kO-0b8NfyOeXlovI7IOAhnv8E07EVPRGwqNUlEkwf79Y26pMaZe9BJnTsXYuIuamqvd1oT8P3zkg7zs6U-c8P4/s400/No+74%252C+Main+Road%252C+Papan%252C+was+the+former+house+of+Sybil+Kathigasu.jpg" width="337" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The historical edifice that was once Sybil Kathigasu's clinic, <br />
left to the mercy of the weather and time. Newspaper cuttings<br />
pasted on the doors tell a little about its history.</td></tr>
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Another historical structure in Papan is the Istana Raja Billah, a stately mansion which is also the town’s largest building in its heydays. Slowly being swallowed by tall grass but still visible from the main road, this mansion belonged to Raja Billah, a Mendailing nobleman from West Sumatera who settled in Papan with his family in the late 1800s. A merchant and tin miner, Raja Billah was also the headman for Papan at the time.</div>
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Istana Raja Billah is a pale shade of itself today although it was once refurbished and turned into a museum. It was even used as location for the movie Anna and the King, according to a local who lived nearby. However, neglect in the recent years, he added, had reduced this stately edifice to its derelict self, with parts of the wooden panellings and tiles having been stolen or vandalised.</div>
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Just a stone’s throw away from the Istana is the Masjid Papan. Completed in 1888, the mosque sits on land donated by Raja Billah. The structure is made of local hardwood such as cengal, merbau and damar laut. It was designed with one pyramid-shaped zinc-sheet roof sitting on top of another, separated by air vents. The entire structure rests on brick-cement piers. The mosque also did not have a tower and calls to prayer those days were made by hitting a drum known as a taboh.</div>
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