Nature Walk with PRIDE

Just this morning we have the prettiest blue sky, it rained in the evening as it has always been this past few days. Thankfully it only started raining at about 6 p.m. here, after I'm done with my activities for the day :)


I went for a nature walk at Bukit Gasing organized by PRIDE this morning. It was such a lovely morning and the trail is even more challenging than the ones at Kota Damansara Community Forest Park. This is the first time I went trekking at Bukit Gasing.


Someone from my photography group informed me about it but none of them turned up. Luckily I left my huge tripod in the car or they might have mistaken me as one of the official photographers for the event. But then again, nobody would believe I'm one of the photographers looking at the size of my camera hehehe... Only the tripod looks convincing :)


Anyway, I can still join the nature walk, which is a very good exercise. I'm thinking of going to a friend's house immediately after the event but looking at my dirty shoes and cargo pants, I better return to change and freshen up. If you're thinking of trekking there, I suggest you wear sports sandal instead of sports shoe. I would really love to wade the little stream and feel the coolness of the water... just not in my shoes.


Look at the lush greeneries and the clear water. I'm glad I went and I can see how important it is to preserve this area. No development here please. Not even as a man-made park. Nothing can replace this treasure.

Powerful Words

These are some powerful words that keep me going nowadays. Whenever the feeling of uncertainty or anxiety creep up on me, just remember these words to carry on.

"Besabar dan sentiasa berdoa. Bukan mudah menjadi luar biasa."

Yes... be patient and always seek guidance from God, words that can be easily uttered by everybody. Sometimes these words have been so overused it became a cliché that people will not take notice anymore no matter how true they are.

However, these phrases managed to conjure up a very profound impact on me. "Be patient and always seek guidance from Allah. It is not easy being different." Reassuring words befitting the circumstances that managed to touch me deeply.

Yes... it is not easy being different. The challenges may seem daunting or almost impossible at times. Only God knows the outcome. What we can do is just hang in there (click on the link to a brilliant entry by Francis of KuchingKayak in his old blog.).

What To Do On A Gloomy Sunday?

It was such a glorious Sunday morning today. The sky was blue with bright sunshine, coaxing people to get up and enjoy the beautiful day. I'm glad I did bearing in mind the weather can do a 180-degree turn towards the afternoon and evening. It already has.

The sky is gray and gloomy with the frequent thunder rumbling in the distance. Nak pergi jalan raya? In this weather? I don't want to get stuck somewhere in the highway like what happened in Federal Highway/ Shah Alam and some other areas yesterday. So here I am blogging in the comfort of my apartment.

My laptop fan died on me yesterday. I am now blogging from my office laptop, which thankfully is with me since I return from Penang. Normally I'd leave it in the office. The service centre is somewhere in PJ and I'd have to take leave if I want to go there. I'm not sure whether I can in such a short notice cause it has to be this week. By next week I'll be busy again. Would this count as 'emergency'? It is my 'baby' hehehe...

While I was doing my laundry earlier, there's a knock on my door. At first it sounded like someone hammering something into the wall. But the second time, I went near to the door and true enough it was on mine. Unfortunately I did not have a peephole so I did not open. Anyone who has any business coming to my house would call or give Salam or at least let me hear their voices. This one just knocks and knocks without saying a single word.

Once when my mom was at my house, the same thing happen and I was thinking of opening the door since my mom was around but she scolded me. Don't ever ever open the door to strangers. OK mom! I'm not being very neighbourly but that is how things are nowadays. I might consider if they said 'Hello' or give Salam. At least I know whether to expect a male or female. Otherwise, I'm not home.

It is raining and the thunder is getting louder and louder. I better logoff and shutdown everything quick. Hmmm... what is a good thing to do when it rains?

Who Are You? Poll Result

I put a poll question in my blog some time back. It is interesting to see who the readers in my blog are. This is the result...




I'm happy to see the majority of the readers are happy people :) For those who is feeling miserable, I'm sorry and hope things will change for the better. Sometimes we have to change our environment; sometimes we have to change our attitude because those are some of the things within our control. We can't change other people no matter how hard we try.

Sometimes we have to care for other things in order for us to feel better about ourselves. Sometimes we have to find one little thing we love and use it as an escape from life's demand even if for a short while, to keep us sane. Lets pray for happiness and I hope you'll find the best and safe way to be happy.

Another Piece of Penang

My previous Penang trip wasn't a blast so I did not have a very high expectation on this one but I love the hotel where they put me in. There wasn't a single dust on the bed sheet and the pillowcase, even the whole room. My nose would know immediately if there is any :) The sea view is a bonus. It's far but there's nothing to obstruct my view.


The very comfortable bed...


I sat here to enjoy the lovely morning and evening...
The buffet breakfast spread was boring and the room service dishes I ordered was lousy but I still love it due the its convenient location. There are many shops nearby and I wish I could be there longer so I can sample the many Nasi Kandar and Briani restaurants and write food commentary hehehe...


Wide blue sky... I use photo stitch to get a wider view of the sky.
(Larger image at Flickr)
I took a flight there so I don't have to worry about roadwork on the highway and the frequent heavy rain and thunderstorms in the evening recently. The whole time I was in Penang there's only the occasional light shower. One evening I saw a beautiful rainbow outside my window. I can see its a full rainbow too by craning my neck and pressing my face as close to the window as I can but I was still in my praying gear and waiting for Maghrib so have to pass the chance to take its photo. I just took a partial photo because my digital camera is not as flexible as my neck :D


I know I wouldn't have the energy to walk after my training started so I reached early and did some sightseeing. Upon seeing the camera I hold in my hand, many 'beca' guys offered me a ride around the city but I decided to walk and take my own sweet time. This time, I can feel the atmosphere that brings most tourists to Penang again and again. There is a sense of peace in the hustle and bustle of the area or maybe it was just me enjoying my own quiet time walking and sightseeing.




The lovely blue mansion. The tour for the day was over but the guards allowed me to take some photos from the gate.


A different kind of green house.


I'm not sure what temple is this.


Take a pick... your choice of public transportation on the island.


Photo taken from a moving cab...


Also taken from a moving cab... a contrast from the town.

My only regret was I did not try any cendol or ais kacang while I was there. I was so tempted but thinking about the 4-days training ahead, decided against it or I might risk having a sore throat. The cab driver was a very nice old Chinese guy. I didn’t say a word to him about cendol but out of the blue he offered to stop so I can buy the cendol. I declined though because I might mess his cab and I wanted to reach the airport early. Maybe I can change my flight to an earlier flight. Not so much because I miss home already but I'm hoping to get sunset pics from the plane. Such a sacrifice for photography opportunity :) I managed to change my flight and could get the window seat but the cloud was very heavy so I only manage to get some photos where there are interesting colors on the clouds before it gets too dark.


Multi-colored sky
I love its beaches... (entry on my trips to the beach here and here), now I have another piece of the charming island.

What Kind of Dreams Do You Normally Have?

I was reading Atenah's blog entry, which led me to think the kind of dreams I normally have. Most of the time, I don't remember whether I dreamt of anything while I was fast asleep and even if I do, I don't remember what it was exactly. Only rarely do I remember what I dreamt - the sequence and story of the dream or just the feelings it invoked.

I always dreamt of running away from something. My steps are big, I can jump very high and sometimes it feels like flying. I will be jumping over buildings or running on the rooftop, almost flying over any obstacles that come before me. It was just like in Kung Fu movies accept I don't need wires. Normally I can't remember the reason I was running or who is chasing but I'd woke up feeling very tired.

Another dream that I always have is about snakes. A few that I still remember...

I was in a room that looked like an archeological site in Tomb Raider with stonewalls, creeping vines, tables made from rock and snakes all over the place. I was tiptoeing and sometimes jumping from table to table to avoid the snakes. My aim is to get to the doorway. Thank God the snakes didn’t bite me.

Someone was holding my wrist, preventing me from moving and either the same or different person holds a snake near its head, pushing the snake's face on my hand, forcing the snake to bite my hands. I can only see my hand and someone holding my wrist and the snake's head with a hand holding it. I was struggling to free my wrist and the snake was trying to free itself too. It was a real struggle. Fortunately, the snake refused to bite me.

Quite recently...

I was face to face with a big black cobra. It slowly raised its head almost to my shoulder level and we only stare at each other. I remember it was very black I couldn't even see the shine on its scale. Its head had expanded too. We were only like a meter away from each other, staring and not moving. I remember feeling very frightened but that's the end of it.

I was in a stadium, watching someone running away from several snakes that are chasing her. The snakes were as fast and I can see her legs touching, almost intertwining with the snakes that have raised their head while running. Sometimes it felt like it were my legs. I wanted to shout and gave her warning and encouraged her to run but I couldn't find my voice. I can only watched helplessly from the seat, standing with both hands gripping the steel barrier that separates a section of seats with another. (Related entry here)

These are only a few that I can remember. Not a very pleasant one isn't it? So do you remember what kind of dreams you normally have?

On Adapting and Being the Best You Can Be

While I was away on a long Raya holiday (sans internet connection), I had an overdose of Worlds Apart and National Geographic documentaries. One of my brothers is into sitcoms, the other into war movies and documentaries, my mom chooses Malay dramas/movies and I'm into CSI, NCIS, Monk and the likes.

The compromise was either Worlds Apart or National Geographic documentaries - Mega builders, tornado chasers, pyramids and tombs, etc.

There are many things we can learn from these shows. One of them, there are many fields in Science other than medic, medic and medic. One very important value is to be passionate about the things you do and be the best you can be in your field. You'll get the satisfaction and the recognition from your effort. It gives me the motivation to be the best in my field :) Beware job, here I come hehehehe...

In Worlds Apart, people can adapt and grow to love their new surroundings. Maybe because they know they have luxury at home to return to and wouldn't feel the same if they're stuck there indefinitely. But it doesn't matter if they're in Timbuktu or deep in Borneo jungle, the reaction is similar when it's time to leave. The love developed between the two diverse groups of people, with different culture and background, is very heartwarming.

I was just like in Worlds Apart too hehehe... I learnt to live without internet connection but now that I'm back, I'm enjoying the ability to have information at my fingertips, not to mention blogging, email and instant messaging :D