2015G |
Oct-Dec |
Sekelip Mata |
A Fly Away Home | Dated 2015G Oct 4 Sun 20 Z-Hijjah 1436H |
"...., today we're going home", "Yes ...., we're". Had not been by air for over a long time already, I don't remember (unless I refer to my notes) when was the last time. For sure this AKTGGKUL 2005 Oct 1 Thu 2120 is the first time in 2015. And at night, and for the first time disembarked in KLIA2 since its delayed opening last year 2014. MH which was always in my preference even for some bucks more, have had many bad times in 2014. MH370, MH17, re-engineering, being menaced, etc, had made the flag carrier fare-wise too unfriendly for the T&C applied. It turned away regulars like me, to even though more passenger-wise unfriendlier AK. In the meantime, img of the Sep 26 event were slowly unleashed. The info-archive was compounded by the ostensible posts by Mawar Merah, who for the first time, 2015 Oct 1 Thu 17 Z-Hijjah 1436H, made herself at home in Sg Merab, which was vacant since 2010 Jun 21 Mon. | |
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At Home | Dated 2015G Oct 16 Fri 3 Muharram 1437H |
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Unleashing the img of Sep 26 event continues. | |
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Oct 20 Tue 7 Muharram 1437H, conferred 12-th Datok, #12F#3M#1F, in HUKM, of Zidni #1F, while I was in Kemaman, accompanying NA in her CT matter. And this was the reason Zidni was unaccompanied on Sep 26 Sat event, with before and after were arrayed of event accompanying NA.
DRVTGGKUL - The Homes to Return To | Dated 2015G Oct 31 Sat 18 Muharram 1437H |
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Since 2015 Sep 26 Sat 12 Z-Hijjah, DRVTGG is no longer a leave, but a return, as much as DRVKUL. Both ends are now homes to return to. Unfortunately MHKULTGG is an has been. AK is too passenger-unfriendly to tag on. | |
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Oct 28 Wed 15 Muharram, the first time in a formal function since retired from UNIZA in 2014 Feb, accompany-ing NA, heading the TRG BAR table, attending the dinner of Yayasan Diraja Sultan Mizan 10-th year, in TH Hotel & Resort near the airport. Seen several people that we knew each other very well before. Well, that was before. Strange, the souls I expected to be there were not there. Weren't they invited? |
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The house of W-Tengah didn't inch much. Bought a mower just like in Sg Merab to start cleaning the surrounding, and a small chain saw to cut the fast growing gelam. The solo return drive back to KUL Oct 26 Mon 13 Muharram after ten days in TGG was in a cool weather, drizzling at the start, getting dry in both LPT, and wet on entering KUL. It was a downfall in the west of KUL. Jerubu subsided to a tolerable level, both in the east and west coasts. In some places the natural blue of the sky appeared. |
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At home in Sg Merab, life supposedly returned to go on, nonetheless entropically irreversible. FB posts were reorientated towards more global titles. I noted that the Sham issue was the most misled. They didn't realise that the img from virtuality were highly vulnerable to editing to mislead to lure to believe for their advantage. The actuality on the ground was never known because they felt the whole truth already in it. Poor men! 
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The Routine and Sub-Routine | Dated 2015G Nov 7 Sat 25 Muharram 1437H |
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At present we were in Bangi on the weekends like when I was a staff in KUZA. And currently manage and able to resume the routine and sub-routine as previously. The img of Akademi Walit was captured in Kuala Berang. It reminded me of the ICOTOS that we organised in 2011. 
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This was walimah of Jamil Ujang, in Jln-6, BB Bangi, a retired LA of UKM CHEM, all his life since Jalan Pantai Bharu and Sect-16 PJ, like all my life in UKM. A dependable laboratory staff, he discharged his duty with pleasure all the time, sunny or rainy. As always, meeting the old folks was the focus of the walimah, a stage set for the re-grouping, reminiscing the good old days which will never come again, carved in the stone of memory. 
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Extended Adventures | Dated 2015G Nov 18 Wed 6 Safar 1437H |
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DRVTGG on Nov 9 Mon 27 Muharram was with Asri to expose him to a more adventurous school break, including a trip to Pulau Panjang Nov 12 Thu 30 Muharram and overnaight. And he apparently adaptive to the new family. And for the first time Asri returned to KUL on AK, ON HIS OWN, Nov 14 Sat 2 Safar. 
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Strolling the backyard of Pulau Panjang home, there are plenty of this delicacy fruit. Katak puru, which is said to be etnobotanically medicinal. 
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Monsoon had been knocking the door many times already. Several full-day rain had befallen which started keeping the locals indoor. At about this time last year, the land was very wet already, water logged every where, and in new places, added during the dry season by the so-called development. And flooding in some interior low-lands. This morning however, it's particularly bright, the sky was very blue, with clouds parading into the interior. NA recorded in her camera, and Alyani responded with a congener in Sg Merab. 
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Strolling Kuala Terengganu again. The old bus station, probably the most memorable place for the senior citizens of Terengganu, perhaps more than the market-place of Kedai Binjai, and Kedai Tanjung, both of which had been erased from the land of Kuala Terengganu. Fortunately this place was just converted into a car park for public convenience, not a high rise building. But being in the city centre, its vulnerability is glaring. And while strolling, NA read the text that I prepared for her. 
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Two others were of interest while strolling the market-place Kedai Payang. One, the banana. The market has lost the traditional abundant supply of banana, those days come in boatfuls by the river from downstream. And more, the market has lost the exotic varieties of banana. And even the sellers has lost the proper name of the bananas. Indeed we have lost one of the nature blessing of simple and easy to grow food. Two, the trishaw. Previously, in those days this was the intra-town transport, which for the town visitors would eventually end in the bus station, or the boat jetty. This was possible because the town was sufficiently small to be covered by the energy of the riders. With the expanding town, and into a city in 2008, the riders could not catch any more. Plus the effluent-ness of the visitors with their own more agile transport. Now the livelihood of the riders, generally of aged citizens, depends on tourism, and foreign tourists, but there's nothing attractive enough in here to imbibe the foreign tourist to come to support the trishaw life. 
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Gearing Up | Dated 2015G Nov 30 Mon 18 Safar 1437H |
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For the first time, Nov 20 Fri 8 Safar, DRVKUL together, NA said a new experience for her. During the RR break I no longer need to read the resuscitating motorists and the passengers. NA understood very well our itinerary, and thus gearing up to each of them. This one is planned for 2016 Mar, during the school break. 
A typical view these days. 'Infestation' is every where. The land is being 'sold' by our own to them - perhaps for a few dollars more. This one is in Temerloh RR Nov 20 Fri ca 930pm. They were seen very at home among themselves. And serve with their own usual. |
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The fish stalls of Pasar Payang, KTrg, I visited on Nov 17 Tue. "Lengang" in local lingo. Many vacant stalls, and those taken were only with a handful of fish. Not much choice of variety. It wasn't as merry as even five years ago. It wasn't because of no customers, but because of no fish to be customised. The escalation peaked at the top with too high price of the fish for the locals. The happening appeared in many more markets. The vacuum was filled partially by tiny traders by the commuters road side. 
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Of recent I went to Manir, Nov 28 Sat 16 Safar after a pause since after Ramadan this year. Predictably it's merry-ness of sparkling is getting dimmer and dimmer. Market-place is no longer a place of people gathering to 'barter' their daily needs. Plus escalating cost of things which other things could equally, if not better, substitute. In developed places, shopping malls replace market-place. 
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Started the Move | Dated 2015G Dec 14 Mon 2 R-Awal 1437H |
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I was in TGG, accompanied by Asri, DRVTGG from Nov 27 Fri to Dec 3 Thu with a DRVKUL return, accompanied by both Asri and Umi, the latter on her way for a Council meeting Dec 4 Fri and 5 Sat respectively, and for the second time on DRVKUL. 
Very soon, driving on LPT1&2 would not be an alternative, since the toll is going to hike. And LPT2 would be more expensive than LPT1. The overall optimisation, including time-wise, would be more unprofitable even in comparison with an MH flight. The only advantage is for a pax-ride, and a loadful of multitude of belongings. Or, perhaps one may reverts to the original route TGG-KUL, except Karak-Gombak. The 6-hr bench-mark would likely hike to 8-hr. The longest sectors would be Kuantan-Jabor, and BktBesi-Ajil where the traffic would be rather heavy as both cross a section of fully inhabited areas. |
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I was tagged with a question while being away. As I always said, I'm a trained researcher, and gathering info is always my favourite, even since the hard-search time of the 1980's in the library. |
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I finally made the move. Dec 7 Mon 25 Safar 1437H, visited RAYHAR in its office off-PKNS after an hp-call to book an UMRAH package. Opted for 2016 Mar 13-24 for 5, with NA, Alya, CB, and Asri at an estimated 7.5k a piece. And subsequent deposit payment on Wed afterwards to confirm it. Following the ticking clock is to prepare the documents. NA was informed to vacate the dates. 
A missionary visit to MH ticket office on the same 9 Wed. Is my enrich still good? Yes, the desk-lady said. And in full courtesy, unsure for being the gold, or being in the golden, the ticket was issued in ten minutes. And the tax, which was at an AK hop, is not an MH matter, and was based on the contemporary price. |
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Dec 14 Mon was the results day. PT3, which Asri (second batch) sat last year. Alya and I accompanied Asri to SMKJ-2 for the results. And Asri unofficially went into F4 by taking the core subjects textbooks. Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) evolved from Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) in which the rest of my children sat (SB the last in 2010). During my time (1966) it was Sijil Rendah Pelajaran (SRP). |
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A Revisit | Dated 2015G Dec 31 Thu 19 R-Awal 1437H |
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Dec 15 Tue, an infrequent MHKULTGG, after quite sometimes not been on MH. And it was on enrich, and for the first time with NA to TGG. And thus re-visited the lounge. The place wasn't as merry as before. On this particular visit, I met no one I knew, except later, as et seq, who in a flashing moment I thought of a beneficial to selfie with, which I managed in the departure gate just before boarding. Apparently NA and his mem had met each other before. But in the plane I was hi-ed by Nurhana, from whom, when landed, I was updated. 
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It was an enjoyable experience when I did my PhD. It was less so during my MSc. The difference was obvious. The family. |
The thing I did for two years in Lab A201, Cockroft Building, Salford University, England, 1974 Sep - 1976 Oct, working on CD75 (Gum Ghatti - in an effort to replaced Gum Arabic) courtesy of Nicholas Pharmaceuticals; on Haake Rotovisco RV2; Some times in lab in Tower Block for some accessory experiments. My colleague Aslam worked on Gun Karaya which has a gelling property on mixing with polyvalent ions.
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A re-visit to Tembila Campus of Unisza. I don't remember the last time I was here. And equally un-sure I came here or not since non-extended in 2014 Feb. We were from Jerteh, homewards to Tok Jembal. It was decided only a few hundred meters before the detour entrance. Weather-wise it was unprecedentedly blue sky by Dec scale. But the campus was very quiet, very much like deserted place. A later commn, it's that the students were in the last leg of the first sem exam. Viewed up to the hostel. Surprising. The car park was filled to the brinks with students 4-wheelers. Unlike last time I was around, when the students depended so much on the Univ commuter bus. 
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The posting et seq, including the eventual new year wish, were, between the lines intended to reflect Unisza evolution, in view of it's verge of NC change effective the new year 2016. Clearly none saw the writing between the lines. 
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Been in TGG since Dec 15, for sure the house in Sg Merab had missed me. Ank2 joined in TGG for four days Tue Dec 25 Fri - 28 Mon, on the x-mas break. During which Alya and NA organised a makan2 Dec 26 Sat just among adik-beradik, especially those of Azizah's who happened to be all-neighbours in Tok Jembal. Perhaps this is the longest stay in TGG since 2015 Sep 26 event. 
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This is another clue to my implicity for the "Monsoon", coupled with the new year 2016 wishes. My very last jot is very explicit. |
2015G |
Oct-Dec |
Sekelip Mata |