Masjid Tuanku Mizan, Putrajaya

Jalan-jalan Cari Makan in Putrajaya this evening.
Destination: Taman Warisan Pertanian in Precinct 16.

We had tauhu bakar, sate Kajang, sotong kangkung, and roti John. The Mem Besar had a bowl of mihun sop all to herself. Watered them all down with ais kacang and laichee kang.

Before heading back home we stopped over for maghrib at the Masjid Tuanku Mizan in Precinct 3.

The beautiful mosque had just been graced and officially declared open last week by the Yang Dipertuan Agong himself last Friday.

With a capacity up to 20,000, this is the biggest mosque in Putrajaya.

Kite flying in Morib

I'm in Morib with the family for the weekend. Had a spot of kite flying with my kids. It's been ages since I last flew a kite.

It felt great.

But it was cut short when our kite escaped and got flown away by the sea breeze.

Good fun, though.

Aksi juara Summer Camp

Inilah gelagat Syafiq and geng semasa konsert di Summer Camp Sg Lui, Hulu Langat, 2007.

Tahniah kepada anak Abah, peserta Summer Camp Lelaki terbaik :-)

Taman Botani Putrajaya ride

Today's ride is just a short one and I was accompanied by Nadiah.

Taman Botani Putrajaya is now almost ten years in existence. It is the first park to be developed in Putrajaya and one can see how the trees are maturing nicely.

Besides the trees and beautiful flowers, the botanical park is also home to a collection of plants including some rare species.

Worth a visit.

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My new EPL team

Bloomfield Road Stadium, the home of Blackpool FC


Blackpool are in the Premier League! Their promotion came following a hard fought and stunning 3-2 Championship Play-off final victory over Cardiff City at Wembley yesterday.

Finally, I have two teams in the EPL to support: Blackpool and Liverpool.

Which is just as well. With Liverpool looking highly unlikely to be able to kick out the American owners in time for the start of next season, no new owners can be expected. And with that, there goes any hope for meaningful and situation-changing purchase of new players.

My endearment to Blackpool is by way of my two year stay at this lovely seaside resort town in the North West of England from 1979 to 1981. For this is where I did my GCE A-Levels all those years ago as a teenager

I must admit to – due to financial constraints – having not set foot inside Blackpool FC’s stadium at the Bloomfield Road. But my friends and I did make it a point to check out the team’s results from time to time on match days.

Blackpool FC dates back to 1877. The team have eight Football League and fourteen cup honours to their name. The most notable achievement of course is winning the FA Cup Final in 1953 when they beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3.

Come next season of the EPL they’ll be slugging it out with the big names of English football. That in itself is already a big achievement for the Tangerines. With a home ground capacity of just 13,500 (all seated) it has got to be the smallest ground of any Premiere League team.

Come on you Seasiders!!!

Blackpool FC Info
Ground Name: Bloomfield Road
Capacity: 13,500 (all seated)
Address: Seasiders Way, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6JJ
Pitch Size: 112 x 74 yards
Team Nicknames: The Seasiders or Tangerines
Year Ground Opened: 1899
Shirt Sponsors: Carbrini Sportswear
Home Kit Colours: Tangerine & White
Away Kit Colours: All White With Tangerine Trim
Kit Manufacturers: Carbrini
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Bunga kemboja for our garden

We planted the pokok bunga kemboja in our garden this morning. Bunga kemboja, or frangipani (pulmeria) as it is commonly called in English are tropical plants which produce big flowers with nice fragrance.

It is said to be native to tropical and subtropical Americas. But as far as I can recall, there have always been many frangipani trees in Malaysia even during my childhood days.

I remember spending many happy hours playing under the shades of these trees at my Ashby Road Primary School in Ipoh (now Sekolah Rendah Seri Kinta). In fact one of the games we used to have was to play keep ups using an improvised “ball” which was actually a handful of frangipani flowers tied together with a rubber band. Just goes to show how creative kids were those days.

Being about five feet in height, our frangipani tree is quite huge. So it took us quite a while, and with a lot of hard work, to dig the hole in the ground and then heave the plant it into place.

According to my friend who got this plant for me this particular variety bears bright red flowers. Which is just as well, because the Mem Besar had fore-warned me that the common white-flowered variety is a big NO, NO for the garden.

The tree doesn't have any flowers as yet. So I'm kinda looking forward to see it bloom soon. But the flowers had better be bright red in colour, or else I'd be in trouble with the Mem.

Bulbs of lilies which had to make way for the kemboja


Bright red roses, doing well

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Why I ride in Putrajaya

Putrajaya was planned to be a garden city.

It was deliberately designed to see greeneries in abundance and where its citizens would have nature at their doorsteps, so to speak.

Such planning has seen Putrajaya developing into a city where nature is woven seamlessly into the urban fabric. The lake, wetlands system, the wooded areas and endless green corridors, as well as the promenade all add up to an urban nature sanctuary bar none, dare I say.

This means that Putrajaya has - inadvertently perhaps - turned into a heaven for cycling.

For, besides the Putrajaya Challenge Park which is now well on the way to becoming a "must ride" venue for every mtb enthusiast worth his salt, you also have the trails in the wetlands and the kilometers of promenade which offer interesting rides within cool, shaded environment with the sounds of insects and birds chirping in the background.

And, by the way, Putrajaya also hosts the monthly Putrajaya Critical Mass.

Enjoy some pics taken during my morning ride in Putrajaya Wetland today with three of my riding buddies: Pak Adib, his son Maher, and Maher's office colleague Henri.


Pak Adib and gang preparing for the ride

Cool, crisp morning air - fresh air!

The lone rider: being one with nature

Lake side wakaf stop

Tranquil, serene place for respite


Wildlife in the wetlands

Macho riders

Putrajaya Lake/wetland

Pak Adib: he walks, he cycles, and now he wants to sail too! Seen here looking longingly at a boat

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