Charming Kg Kepayang Fair Park

A traditional village it might be, but sleepy, laid-back Kg. Kepayang Fair Park - my birth place - has its own rustic charms and attractions.

Enjoy some pictures from my recent trip back home.



The kampong's padang

Plentiful wild flowers near the railway line

The railway line which now has double-tracking. Quite a lot has changed here, compare this picture with the one at the top of this blog (masthead) which shows the same spot about 40 years ago



The bridge over Sungai Kinta - it links "Kepayang Dalam" and "Kepayang Luar"

The famous Sungai Kinta, after which comes the name of Kinta Valley which was once the richest tin mining area in the world

Façade design from Makkah?

Whilst in Wakaf Che Yeh, Kota Bahru recently I came upon a few rows of shophouses with façade designs resembling buildings one would more often find in Makkah and Madinah.

I thought it was quite clever of the architect to 'copy' the facade design and adapting it to our local shophouse design, what with Kelantan fondly referred to as Serambi Makkah.

Kembara Putrajaya hari ke-3

Approaching Tok Bali

Beach at Penarik with beautiful green sea

Approaching Kuala Terengganu

Masjid Kuala Ibai (Masjid Terapong)


Hari ini konvoi Kembara Putrajaya bertolak dari kota Bahru ke Cherating melalui Tok Bali (tempat Sakinah menyertai PLKN).

Jarak perjalanan hari ini adalah yang paling jauh dalam sehari, iaitu sejauh 300km lebih dan saya menjadi pemandu - sangat memenatkan.

Konvoi menyusur pantai Terengganu yang indah sepanjang perjalanan. Di K Terengganu, kami berhenti di Masjid Terapong Kuala Ibai untuk lunch dan solat. Tiba Cherating jam 5.40 ptg.

Esok konvoi akan sambung perjalanan ke Kuantan dan Temerloh sebelum pulang ke Putrajaya.

Saya stay on di Kuantan untuk dua hari lagi bagi menghadiri Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Perundingan Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan.

Kembara Putrajaya hari ke-2

The driver and vehicle owner, Hj Razaob

The co-pilot and second driver, yours truly


Hari ini konvoi Kembara Putrajaya bertolak dari Gua Musang ke Kota Bahru. Perjalanan amat mencabar kerana jalan ini sibuk dek kerana petempatan di kiri-kanan jalan.

Hentian pertama hari ini adalah Maahad Tahfiz di Kg Lak Lo', Kuala Krai.

Konvoi tiba di Wakaf Che Yeh, Kota Bahru jam 12tgh untuk program bersama anak yatim dan ibu-ibu tunggal.

Selepas itu ke Maahad Tahfiz Daril Naim, suatu petempatan pondok untuk pelajar tahfiz. Di sini juga terdapat pondok-pondok yang disewa kepada mereka yang ingin tinggal bersama untuk mengaji ilmu agama.

Kembara Putrajaya 2010

Kereta marshall konvoi beratur di belakang (Proton Perdana berenjin twin turbo!)

Kereta peserta konvoi


Sedang menyertai Kembara Putrajaya mulai hari ini 11 hingga 13 April. Program mengembara sambil beramal - program sosial Perbadanan Putrajaya.

Seramai 80 orang pegawai dan kakitangan Perbadanan Putrajaya menaiki sejumlah 30 buah kereta akan melawat rumah-rumah anak yatim, mahad tahfiz dan rumah warga tua di Pahang, Kelantan dan Terengganu dengan membawa sedikit sumbangan.

Perjalanan akan diiringi marshalls dari Kelab Proton dan kenderaan polis dari setiap daerah yang akan ditempuhi.

Bertolak dari Putrajaya 8.30pg tadi. Sekarang berada di hentian pertama iaitu Rumah Anak Yatim Bentong.

Japanese maple in Sg Buloh?

On the way back from Tg Malim, after sending Sakinah back to her polytechnic, we stopped over at the Sg Buloh plant nurseries located close to the old Leprosy Hospital.

It has been quite some time since we were last here. The area has changed a lot. Most noticeable was that the number of nurseries have dwindled. To make way for new developments in the area, many nursery operators have moved to new locations I was told - Subang, Damansara etc.

But the place still continue to delight me, nevertheless.

This time I came upon a plant of about 7 feet in height with foliages which seemed rather familiar the very instant I set my eyes upon it.

It was a Japanese Maple tree.

''What? A Japanese Maple tree, in Malaysia, so far away from the Land of the Rising Sun?'' I thought to myself .

So it was.

Japanese Maple, or ''irohamomiji'' as it is called in Japanese, is native to Japan, Korea and China.

It has attractive leaf shapes and wonderful red colors during autumn, so much so that it was one of my favourite subjects for autumn season photography during our three year stay in Japan.

Fancy seeing it in our own backyard.

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New F1 season begins

The Lotus Formula One's new car: The T127

With Liverpool languishing below the top four placing in the league table, and showing no signs of improving, my weekends have become all dull and nothing much to look forward to nowadays.

So, what to do?

Fear not. For the F1 season has arrived. And this season promises to be an exciting one, too.

First, Michael Schumacher, statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen, is back to rock the circuits. Secondly, my favourite McLaren team seems to have a more reliable car this season (if Lewis Hamilton himself says so, then who am I to question).

But more interestingly, there are two teams with the Malaysian connection this season.

Petronas now is the major sponsor for team Mercedes Grand Prix, with Schumacher of course, as one of its drivers.

And then there is Team Lotus F1. This team, a reincarnation of the legendary Lotus team of yesteryears, is now totally Malaysian owned and managed.

The race kicks off today at the Sakhir Circuit, Bahrain. Happy viewing.