Rider's log No. 54: the Sawah Padi Ride

Ready to roll. 30 riders altogether, including children and a few ladies

MBA and the gang, steady does it. I'm right there at the very back la!

My brother Man with Jo at the last stop before home stretch

Jef leading the "break-away gang" on an "unofficial route". Nice view.

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Note: All pics courtesy of Dr Taufik. The top one by Kolonel Azudin.

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Our lives are filled with experiences which we look forward to, but perhaps, with some anxiousness. Things which we just can’t wait to happen, and yet give us a sense of trepidation as well

You know, things like getting hitched and experiencing the malam pertama as pengantin baru. Or, taking your driving test.

Since taking up riding mountain bikes there have been few milestones (at least for me) which I had waited anxiously to do. One, was riding in my own kampong, starting off from my Emak’s house crossing the railroad and taking the less-taken route close by eerie Gunung Helang (story here).

The other is going on my first full-fledged mtb ride away from the all-too-familiar and comfortable surroundings of Putrajaya.

This, I finally experienced yesterday on the Sawah Padi Ride (SPR) organized by my PERs gang.

The ride took place in the beautiful padi field areas of Sungai Sireh, Tanjung Karang, a good two hours drive away from home. All members were to group at Elmina (North) R&R on the Guthrie Corridor Expressway at 6.00 am for solat subuh before moving in a convoy to Sg Sireh. But being overly excited, I was wide awake at 4.30 am and already at Elmina at 5.40 am!

The riding distance was planned for around 30 km. So, this would be my longest ride. Could I make it under the hot sun? After all this is padi field country. No trees for shades. Its all padi. Would I succumb to cramps? Would I get dehydrated? These are thoughts that ran through my mind beginning a few days before the fated day and right up to just before the ride.

But, alhamdulillah things went smoothly. And I can safely say that the SPR is my most interesting ride so far.

Altogether we had thirty riders. A good turn out. The weather was, hmmm… a bit hot, but otherwise perfect for riding. The cool, refreshing , and sweet smell of the kampong air as we rolled off was invigorating.

And the scenery was just exhilarating too. The padi fields in this part of the country are very large in size and well-tended that they remind me of those seen in Japan. Plus that with the site of flocks of egrets (bangau) flying over the green padi field and you get some awesome views.

I reached back home at around 1.30pm with my (already dark) complexion a few shades darker and slightly tired, but otherwise happy. No doubt there would be many tales and stories to be told by all, especially Dr Azmi who "lost" his son for a while.

Thank you to the gang for organizing this ride, especially to Dr Taufik and wife who worked hard putting this event together. Thank you also to all who joined: the Gedebe reps (including two “power” ladies), the Bkt Jelutong gang and Btg Berjuntai gang.

Summary:

Date: 8 March 2009 (Sunday)

No. of riders : 30

Set off/finish time: ~ 8.30am – 10.30am

Total duration: about 2 hours

Starting point: Sg Sireh Homestay, Tg Karang, Selangor

Distance covered: 30 km (almost 40km for Dr Azmi's son??)

Trail condition: Road plus gravel batas trails

Uniquely Singapore

I had the opportunity to join a study tour of Singapore recently. It served to give me a new meaning to the tagline “Uniquely Singapore” as far as urban planning is concerned.

We all know Singapore. And everyone of us has certain perceptions and stereotype views of this small nation at the tip of the Malay Peninsular with a population of only 5 million. You know what I mean: the spats and little quarrels that we continue to have over petty issues and some not-so-petty issues. It’s a love-hate relationship, if you like.

But when it comes to urban planning and landscaping, we can’t find a better city to benchmark against so close to home.

To be sure, Singapore is city-state. Its easier to control, manage and plan a small area, you may say. But therein also lies the biggest challenge for Singapore planners – scarcity of land for development.

But hey, not to worry. This is Singapore!

Sure enough, they’ve found a way around it. Singapore has on-going land reclamation projects. As a result, Singapore’s land area grew from 581.5 km² in the 1960s to 704 km² today. And may grow by another 100 km² (38.6 sq mi) by 2030!

It is with these “new land” that the government has (since the 1960s) developed new residential towns in outlying areas consisting mainly of high-rise public housing. As a result, coupled with good and practical landscaping exercise, Singapore has managed to develop high quality urban environment which is not only pleasant for living, but also conducive for their economic growth needs.

Singapore has an excellent landscaping program started about 30 years ago. It is now reaping the results of those meticulous planning and proper pruning works. Its streets are well-shaded and pleasant for walking


Bus stops and footpath well-shaded



The Urban Redevelopment Authority established in 1974 is responsible for urban planning. It boasts the Singapore City Gallery, an extremely interesting urban exhibition center


Not all is prim and proper, though. You can still find this in Singapore - reminds one of home?

Putrajaya Critical Mass 27 Feb 2009

This was my second ride in the PCM. By the look of it (except for the start-off time), things are turning out for the better.

First, the RV was shifted from the Food Court area of Precinct 9 to the Dataran Putrajaya in Precinct 3. With this, things became more orderly as riders could congregate in the middle of the Boulevard without causing disruption to traffic. The Dataran is also well-lit by the special flood light. So now, the claim that “safety of all riders is a main priority” doesn’t ring hollow anymore.

No doubt in a Critical Mass we want to claim the roads for cyclists. But we also want to do it right – and responsibly.

Second, there was ample parking space for all to park their cars on the yet to be developed plots close to and around the Perbadanan Putrajaya Complex and the Palace of Justice. Very convenient for everybody.

Third, the Dataran Putrajaya is also the venue and starting point for Le Tour de Langkawi and the Putrajaya Cyclefest. So, as an extension to those prestigious events, it is only befitting that the Dataran also hosts PCM. Yup, Dataran Putrajaya is fast becoming a major destination on the world cycling map (wow!).

As a town planner, I’m thrilled. After all, this is what the Dataran was built for. It is a public realm purposely designed for public usage and enjoyment in mind.

I rode with the PERs gang. Having laid off riding for two weeks, I was huffing and puffing a bit on my mtb trying to stay in touch with the rest of the gang.

This is especially because many of the PERs members are now “converted roadies”. Last night many turned up with their road bikes. Bedesup!!

Real Madrid 0 - 1 Liverpool

Liverpool beat Real Madrid 0 -1 in the Champions League after an unmarked Benayoun nodded past the helpless Real keeper Casillas. As always, the Champions League brought out the best of Liverpool under manager Rafael Benitez.

Now to get back to winning ways in the English Premier League and overhaul Man United’s seven point lead. Impossible? Don’t bet on it (not yet, anyway).

What do you think, Syafiq? Can we do it?

Pantun nasihat

Posting kali ini ditujukan khusus buat anak-anak Abah yang disayangi.

Mula-mula, kita berpantun dahulu.

Buah cempedak di luar pagar
Ambil galah tolong jolokkan
Saya budak baru belajar
Kalau salah tolong tunjukkan.

Pantun ini ialah sebuah pantun Melayu klasik. Abah percaya semua anak-anak Abah pernah mendengar dan mengungkapkannya.

Sebagaimana lazimnya pantun-pantun Melayu, ia membawa maksud dan tunjuk ajar yang cukup baik dan indah, dengan cara yang ringkas dan padat.

“Saya budak baru belajar” menggambarkan sifat Melayu kita yang berbudi bahasa dan beradab. Ini adalah sifat yang mulia yang perlu kita berpegang teguh kepadanya.

Namun, pada Abah, apa yang lebih penting di sini adalah ayat keempat iaitu:

“Kalau salah tolong tunjukkan”

Ayat ini membawa maksud yang amat penting sekali.

Ia mengajar kita supaya sentiasa belajar dan mempunyai sifat ingin tahu. Bukan itu sahaja. Malah ia mengajak kita supaya, dalam kita hendak belajar itu, janganlah sesekali takut untuk membuat kesilapan. Jauh sekali berkecil hati sekiranya ditegur.

Buat kata orang putih, “it’s okay to make mistakes”. Ia bukanlah suatu dosa yang tidak boleh dimaafkan.

Apa yang "tidak okay” adalah sekiranya kita tidak belajar dari kesilapan yang lepas. Dan, yang keduanya, jikalau kita tidak berani untuk mengaku kesilapan yang kita lakukan - malah merajuk atau berkecil hati pula bila ditegur.

Kesimpulannya: Janganlah takut untuk membuat kesilapan dalam kita hendak belajar. Sentiasa bersikap optimistik. Sentiasa berfikiran terbuka kepada teguran. Beranikan diri untuk bersoal, dan beranikan diri juga untuk disoal orang lain. Takda hal punya!

Itulah cara terbaik untuk belajar. Sekian dahulu ya.

Nota: Gambar cempedak yang cantik di atas ehsan Pak Teh. Gambar dirakam di halaman rumah Opah di Kampung Kepayang.

Rugby: the gentlemen’s game

If there is one sport which continues to mystify me, it’s rugby.

I have never played the game. Nor ever came close to doing it. For, my boarding school in Perlis back then didn’t have a rugby field. In any case, Perlis was too small a state to have a proper inter-school rugby tournament.

But during my student days in the UK, during the rugby season, rugby match highlights received a lot of coverage. International matches between England and Scotland (traditional rival) and Wales (arch-rival?) could make the streets empty.

What intrigues me is the sight of burly, heavily-built men sprinting across the field as if they weigh half their actual weight. That, and the fact that these seemingly violent game manage to never invoke violence on and off the field.

Etiquette, it seems, is a large part of the game. Unlike what you see during soccer matches, the referee's judgment is never questioned.

The honour of the sport and mutual respect between teams is upheld regardless of how rough a game may be. Thus, the saying “rugby is a beastly game played by gentlemen; soccer is a gentleman's game played by beasts; football (American) is a beastly game played by beasts”.

May be this has to do with the origin of the sport. You see, rugby originated at an English public school. Perhaps a misnomer, ‘public schools’ are actually fee-charging private independent schools (read: schools for the rich, lah...).

It was said that in 1823, during a game of soccer at Rugby School in England, a 16 year old William Webb Ellis in disregard for the rules (or bored, perhaps) picked up the ball and ran with it. Apparently everyone must have agreed with him that it was much more fun. Soon the whole school adopted the new rules and word quickly spread. And so the game of rugby was born.

Since then it has spread to all over the world. The game enjoys its greatest popularity in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and France. And of course, it is the forerunner of American football.

Malaysia, being a commonwealth nation, is one of the earliest nations to play rugby (see here). In fact we host the world’s premiere rugby 10s tournament which is the COBRA 10 (see here).

The pics below show my son Syafiq during a match against his current college team (MRSM KKB) recently. His team comprises seniors presently waiting for their SPM result.

Being low on match fitness, as expected, the seniors were trounced 16 - 0!!! (maluuu...)

The Gaza Holocaust 2009: history repeated

They say that “history repeats itself”. And so it has.

Witness the recent Gaza Holocaust. The grandchildren of the holocaust survivors from World War II are doing onto the Palestinians exactly what was done to them by Nazi Germany.

Just look at the pictures below.

Ironic isn't it?

The question that begs to be answered is this: why do the Palestinians have to pay for what happened to the Jews during World War II?

Beats me. Can anyone figure?



Building walls and fences to keep people in prisons







Checkpoints everywhere to not allow the people their basic freedom and movement





Arrests and harassments







Destruction of homes and livelihoods



Killing of innocent civilians, including children