Sorry la Man United fans (5)

Things were rather quite at office today. I guess many were mourning Man United's loss to beautiful Barca.

But to me the defeat was only to be expected. After all, if Liverpool (which only reached the quarter-finals of CL) could thrash Man United 4 - 1 (at Old Trafford, some more ma...) then surely Barca could finish the job off far more easily.

The blank stare on Ferguson's face says it all. Man United just lost the plot this time.

Ipoh 'revisited'

The grand Padang Ipoh

Ipoh Town Hall building

St Michael's Institution

I had the chance to spend the early part of this week in my hometown, Ipoh, to attend a budget review retreat.

Staying and working in KL, it is not very often that I get the opportunity to be in Ipoh during weekdays. Usually, when I go back to visit Emak, I would set off from KL early Saturday mornings. Then by the Sunday afternoon it’s a rush back to KL.

The three days I spent there this time gave me the chance to see Ipoh a bit more and reminisce about old times. The times spent there during childhood.

You know, I may be biased (obviously) but seriously I think Ipoh is the best city in Malaysia to stay in. Ipoh still has that laid-back and relaxed atmosphere. It has lots of greeneries – the biggest parks being the Taman D.R. Seenivasagam (or the Coronation Park as it was originally known as) and of course the Padang Ipoh (with a field that is so green and well kept till today). The traffic is still manageable. The locals are still friendly enough and have time to spare to chat with strangers. And I should add that the streets are clean and tidy, too.

Ipoh has a great history. Located right smack in the middle of tin-rich valley of the Kinta River, it was a town that tin built, so to speak. So much so that during the British Colonial era, Ipoh was the second city of Malaysia. Many rich and famous (mainly rich) must have rode their gleaming British-built cars up and down its grid-iron laid-out roads in those days.

Up until a few years ago, if you were to arrive into Ipoh from the south (from KL direction) via the Federal Highway Route 1, as you approach its outskirt (just before reaching Sungei Rokam/Sungai Raya) you would have noticed a very big, three-pointed Mercedes Benz star atop a limestone hill from afar.

There you have it…the ultimate status symbol of Ipoh.

The city boasts some awesome buildings and architecture from the colonial period which further adds to its grand stature and ambience. These include the magnificent St Michael's Institution, the Ipoh Railway Station, and the Ipoh Town Hall.

Perhaps a special mention is in order also for the not-so-grand but equally significant Masjid India. For this is where I used to visit quite a number of times with my Tok Hussein for prayers. I really looked forward to such trips. Why? Because after prayers To Hussein never missed to treat me to the nice, tasty cendol at the mamak cendol’s kiosk just across the road from the mosque, in front of the Padang Ipoh.

Things haven’t changed much in Ipoh from the 1980s. Not even from the 1970s, I would say.

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Sure some new buildings have sprung up here and there. Road systems have been changed a bit (more one way streets now). Some roads have been renamed too, including Ashby Road, where my alma mater (Sek Ren Jenis Kebangsaan Ashby Road) was located. But otherwise, it’s more or less the same old Ipoh as aptly captured by Lat (a local boy himself) in his comics.

Aahh, Ipoh…what a great place to retire, eh?

Towards a cycling family

Pelicans at Putrajaya Wetland

Syafiq (the tall one on the right) listening to comments on his recently-acquired bike

The whole gang's bicycles lined up outside a restaurant as we enjoyed our after-ride drink

This morning I left home for my weekend cycling a little earlier than usual - at 7.00am to be precise. But this time I wasn't alone. I was accompanied by my son Ahmad Syafiq.

More than a year after taking up cycling - and enjoying it thoroughly - I'd always wanted my family to join me in discovering the joys of cycling and experience the health benefits it affords. However budget constraints have hindered this from happening much earlier.

My early outing today was to pick up a mountain bike at Kolonel Azudin's place so that Syafiq could join me in our group's ride at Putrajaya Wetland.

Once we had gotten the bike, we drove with it straight away to our start-off point for today's ride. I had wanted Syafiq to give it a try before we set off for the long ride that was to come. I must admit to being slightly worried that he might not feel comfortable with the bike. If so, then may ambition of him in joining me in future rides would be in tatters.

To my relieve, he took to riding it like a duck to water.

So once the whole gang had gathered, off we went on an off-road 24km ride within the wetland. How delighted it was to see Syafiq enjoying it all along. And for a first timer, there wasn't trace of tiredness and fatigue - except for a complaint on sore butt. Which is to be expected, I might add.

Welcome to the world of riding Syafiq. I look forward to more long hours of riding enjoyment together with you, Anas and even the Mem Besar, too (if I dare to dream big).

Labour Day blues (Maintenance Day)

Asset maintenance is, to put it simply, the culture and practices of maintaining or keeping assets and properties in good shape. It is an established culture in most developed nations.

Here in Malaysia we just build and build, but we never really think of how the properties and assets constructed would be maintained to ensure that their usage would bring about the optimum benefit as intended and (most importantly) be hassle-free and do not endanger the public in any way. After all, who would want to own or use a building with piping which leaks continuously or ceilings which fall down on peoples’ head.

The spate of problems at public institutional buildings last year served to highlight this lack of maintenance culture in Malaysia. First there was the embarrassing leakage at our iconic Parliament Building. And then this was followed by leakages (again) at the Immigration Department Headquarters in Putrajaya and the ceiling fall-down at the Ministry of Entrepreneurs and Cooperative Development building, also in Putrajaya.

Hopefully, these high-profile cases would bring about the much needed change especially after all the hues and cry by just about everyone from the former Prime Minister Pak Lah, to parliamentarians (yes it was debated in Parliament forcing certain male MPs to apologize for their un-called for sexist remarks – only in Malaysia) and down to the men in the street.

But I digress.

Coming back to the topic of this posting, I just want to highlight how much I’m ‘enjoying’ this one-day break afforded by the Labour Day.

You might be thinking that I would be lying in bed or just sprawling in front of the television in the living room. Fat chance!

For it has been ordained by the Mem Besar that Labour Day equals Maintenance Day for the Azizi household :- (

You see, there are a couple of leaking taps in the house. It has been so for the past few weeks, I might add. And then there is the railing for the langsir pintu bilik air to be put in place (the Mem bought that last month). The pokok dedap in front of our house needs extensive pruning to prevent the thorny branches from poking some small kids in the eyes when they play under it. Finally there is the staircase parquet waiting to be varnished. Hmmph…I must have bought the varnish paint two months ago now, and this is my own project. So I can’t complain much there.

So, despite it being Labour’s Day it’s a slogging day for poor old me.

Doesn’t the Ministry for Human Resources have some law or something to protect a worker from being forced to work on 1st May?

Taman Negara: being close to nature

A boat full of foreign tourists going for 'rapid shooting'

A boat full of merry-men cruising along Sungai Tahan

The small, rustic chalets on the edge of Taman Negara in Kuala Tahan

Feeding fish at the Kelah Sanctuary, Sungai Tahan

Spiritual obligation. Boarding a boat which will take us to the Kg Kuala Tahan mosque for our Friday prayers

I had the good fortune of joining a trip to Taman Negara two weeks ago. I’d heard so much about it. And I've seen it so many times on TV too, especially in tourism advertisements. But this was my first trip to Taman Negara in Pahang.

The Taman Negara National park sprawls over 4,343 sq. km. For comparison, that’s six times the size of Singapore! It is one of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest in the whole wide world as it has never been destroyed by ice ages.

Legally declared as an area for conservation in 1938, the 135 million year old Taman Negara is a haven for flora and fauna. It is said to be a sanctuary to hundreds of species of birds, butterflies, insects, fish and plants.

Okay, so I didn't manage to catch any glimpse of tigers, elephants nor rhinoceros. But, as we traveled by boat along the rivers I could not help but be awed by what Mother Nature has to offer deep into these jungles. Gigantic trees line along the river banks, some almost straddling across the rivers with trunks so huge that it makes you just wonder how old these trees must be.

The greenery from the leaves of trees come in all shades and hues. But occasionally you’d notice a few trees with yellow or orange foliages which make them stand out from the ‘crowd’. Just gorgeous.

The river waters were not as clear as I had imagined it would be, though. Sungai Tembeling was like teh susu. Sungai Tahan was more like Nescafe ‘o’. But if you are into fishing, then this is the place to be. Popular species like the kelah and sebarau abound. But in the National Park they are protected. So it’s a catch and release affair here.

But if you like to be close to nature, this is one of the places on earth that you’d want to experience first hand. And it’s right here in Malaysia.

Genting Sempah conquered

Pak Kamad "scolding" me to ride faster

The whole gang taking a breather and enjoying the mountain views (pics courtesy of Jefri)

Azizi conquers Genting Sempah!

Those words could well have been the headlines in the newspapers last Sunday.

Oh, yes. Not many riders can lay claim to having rode to this iconic hill station. It sits atop the Banjaran Titiwangsa at the highest point (about 600m above sea level) along the old (and new) KL-Kuantan link by road. However, before I get too euphoric with this achievement, let me bring myself down to earth.

Sure, I reached the top. But not after a lot of huffing and puffing. Not before some excruciating pain and physical suffering (full report here).

The fact is, I’ve never been big on stamina. That’s why I played volleyball at school as opposed to fast-paced hockey. And when it comes to football, I prefer to watch only (Liverpool of course) and avoid playing it. So when you consider the fact that this ride will be a long and winding 16km up-hill climb all the way to the top, I should have known better. I should have thrown in the towel and cabut!

But because I was “volunteered” by my so-called riding mates to organize it, there was just no way out of it.

However – and at the risk of sounding a bit crazy, here – I have to say that I’m glad to have gone through it if only for the experience in camaraderie, as well as, a lesson in what the power of positive, soothing words of encouragement can do to one’s spirit and self-belief.

You see, due to the extreme physical stress, barely half-way up the climb my heart rate was already past the maximum level and things were not looking to get any easier. So, resigning to the fact that I was just not up to it (what the hell am I doing here?), and not wanting to spoil my friends' ride, I decided to discontinue the ride and asked them to proceed without me.

Which they did reluctantly. But barely 10 minutes later they returned for me. Ethics-wise, they said, it was just not right to leave a fellow rider behind all by his own.

Henceforth began a patient, selfless act of coaxing and motivating me all the way to the top. This was led by Pak Kamad, supported by Dr Taufik, Jefri and Prof Sani. They talked to me, they cracked jokes and they teased each other along the way. They even had time to comment on my riding techniques. And before long we had reached Genting Sempah.

I was elated. I had made it after all.

Thank you so much guys. Despite the aches and pain, with your encouragement, I managed to grasp victory from the jaws of (almost certain) defeat back there.

Errrr…so when is the next ride up to Genting Sempah? ;-D

Modem pc kaput lagi!

Alahai TM Net....you all punya modem ni asyik rosak je. So this week's blog posting tak sempat nak buat a proper one.

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So here I go blogging from my office!! (hopefully the boss doesn't read this). Just a pic taken during our Sunday ride di sekitar Putrajaya - Cyberjaya. Photo taken in front of Tun Dr Mahathir's house in Cyberjaya.