Jakarta trip, 16-18th Jan 2009

Sunda food
Monument
Sign at Sukarno-Hatta airport
Cengkareng toll
Tanah Abang complex
Colourful seats - Malaysian airlines
Sop Iga & Iga goreng (ribs)
Harvey Nichols
Dapur Sunda
Batik at Tanah Abang
Gen 2 in Jkt
Bajaj

Tanah Abang, Jakarta

4 guys testing our bargaining skills with the traders at Tanah Abang

Sana boikot.. sini marah....

Akhir-akhir ini sejak serangan di Gaza yang entah keberapa kalinya, banyak sungguh saya terima email dari teman, rakan, taulan yang seperti marah, cuba memberi kesedaran tentang zalim nya bangsa yang memang sejak dulu di laknat itu. Dalam usaha memboikot dan kemarahan yang meluap-luap jangan lupa yang ada benda lain yg lebih simple lebih senang yang kadang kala terlupa dan terlepas kita buat.

satu tulisan yang baik yang saya terima untuk bacaan, jika faham elok lah kita mulakan dengan yang basic dan simple dahulu sebelum yang lain lain;

Doa doa tu memanglah digalakkan tetapi pada solat harian bila kita ucap "....assalaamu 'alaina wa 'alaa 'ibadillaahis saalihiin... .." (lk: selamatkan kami serta para solihin dr kalangan hambaMu), adakah kita benar menghayati dan memaksudkannya atawa sahaja ucap dan ujar sbg satu kebiasaan ritual semata-mata. Jika satu kebiasaan ritual, malahan bangun terus tanpa bersalam dgn org yang bersolat di sebelah apalah ada makna doa bg kesejahteraan orang yg lebih jauh.

Bukankah firman ".... wa iitaa iii dzil qurbaa wa yanha 'anil fahsyaaa iwal munkar...." itu menegaskan bhw kita hendaklah bersedekah / berlaku kebajikan kpd mereka yg hampir/dekat/ karib dgn kita. Jika dmkn dan benar dimaksudkan maka tentulah doa kebajikan bg org yg jauh yg menderita akan dimakbulkan.

Jika di sini pun kita berkelahi manalah konon kita upaya berikrab seolah-olah seperut (silaturrahmi) dgn muslimin di loka dan kala/ketika lain.

Namun Allah masih menjanjikan seraya mendesak 'berdoalah kepadaKu kelak Kukabuli'.

Ya Allah anta laa tukhliful mii'ad.

Wallahu a'laam.

Pieces of history about mourning

I always like to read bits of history especially when its written by a certain person in my college mailing list. Some facts may not be known because it is not normally found in history books. He did mention in his writing that ..

"Much of the tradition/custom is not generally followed save those that have to attend the formal ceremonies, owing to lack of knowledge or concern or interest or just non-conformists for various reasons."

I honestly feel that I should reproduce it here, I hope he won't mind. This is in response to a question;

"Would like to know what is the white band around the songkok for and would one be refused entry if such white band is not donned."

I do not think you were in KK when the late S Yusuf Gahafarullah expired in 1962,about an annum post the demise of his consort RPTaayah in 1961. Perhaps you were around at the time of the demise of the last Rajabendahara of Perak, whose house was along Jalan Setesen near and opposite that China school close to theRlyStation. He passed away circa 1957 about a year before the late Sultan Badli Shah of Kedah in 1958.

The mourning for RajaBendahara was prescribed for 7 days. I remember being pulled up for not donning the white ribbon during evening prep hours. Yes a black armband on the left upper arm or a white band on a songkok was the order.I am quite sure Nana's father CCIsmail had to wear the black armband during the 14-daymourning for the late KingGeorge VI in 1952 as loyal servants of His Majesty's govt of Penang. But despite the adat and adab rule of the Lembaga Perak darul Ridzuan, during the funeral proper RP Taayah no black band nor white band were used by Kolet boys preceding the funeral parade from IstanaIskandariah to Royal Mausoleum at Mt Chandan.

Still on topic of toha/belasungkawa/ mourning/ kabung, Kelantanese who abide by the custom are supposed to cover their kopiah tops with a white kerchief while old Perakian custom stipulated a white headkerchief (tengkolok) now made substitutable with black songkok/kopiah, complete with all-black baju/seluar/ samping. Kedah's traditional form of mourning was/is black baju/seluar with white/offwhite plain samping but for courtiers who do not don samping they wear tetampan (kainsebai) or selempang (sashes) of white.

Of course those unable to are expected to wear simplest dark/and/or white dress, thus not manifesting gaeity.Much of the tradition/custom is not generally followed save those that have to attend the formal ceremonies, owing to lack of knowledge or concern or interest or just non-conformists for various reasons.

I hv sent photograph showing Kolet SJAB and Kolet boys preceding the funeral procession of late RajaPerempuanTaayah without armbands or white ribbons.I am sending a photograph showing the royal hearse of then Regent of Kedah whose demise made way for Tunku Badishah to succeed him as Regent and later Sultan of Kedah. The picture explains the royal mourning attire during pre-war Kedah Darulaman. The Regent being taken to the Langgar (= RoyalMausoleum) was Tunku Muhammad.

Awat nak tahu pasal (Datuk) Seraja Imam ?

Saya sebut SerajaDiraja sbg kenderaan Perusungan Jenazah Raja-raja khasnya di Perak. Ianya serupalah 'MeruMas' tang KhrungthefMahanakor n Siam.Tang Kedah Seraja Imam adalah satu gelaran Orgbesar pd zaman Sultan Mahmud Shah (1505-47).Lani takdak kut dah gelaran dmkn. Ttp ada gelaran Datuk Seraja Setia yg mungkin berilhamkangelaran lama itu. Disebutkan bhw Datuk Seraja Imam wujud seera dgn seolah mualim bernama Sharif Azlan org Arabyang menikahkan Cik Tempawan. Kalu tak silap. Sila cuba tengok kalu-kalu ada diperihalkan dmkndlm Salsilah Nenggeri Kedah karangan / susunan TukKeraniArshad (KeraniRosiaRaja aka SUS lani).

Translate English - Malay - English

I found this site for English - Malay - English translation. Its free, can do some translation, not perfect but it helps :)

The site is at www.citcat.com

Flea Market at Amcorp Mall, P.Jaya

The flea market at Amcorp Mall is on every Saturday and Sunday. Quite an interesting mix of items you can find there. Over the years I guess some of the regular sellers at the flea market has taken up permanent shops inside the mall. The flea market vendors sell everything from antiques, handicraft to actual vinyl records (Gosh.. a Madonna True Blue vinyl selling for RM60? Old Rainbow LP for RM70? I think I should go through my old vinyls.. maybe I can find some hidden fortune there too hehehe) . Other items include toys, branded apparel, homemade food, knick-knacks and gift items.
Amcorp Mall Opening Hours
Weekdays 10.00am to 10.00pm
Weekends & Public Holidays 10.00am to 10.00pm
Going to Amcorp Mall
By LRT: Take the Putra LRT to the Taman Jaya station. Amcorp Mall is just within few minutes walk from the station.

Salero Negori at Amcorp Mall

Padang/Negeri Sembilan food in Amcorp mall, Petaling Jaya on the 2nd floor. tried the sambel ijo, duck's egg in garavy (masak lemak) and kikil but I don't have the courage to try the cow's brain... mmm delicious

Gaza March 2003: Rachel Corrie and Israeli bulldozer

Much has been written on the Gaza occupation but events in past few weeks reminded me of an American lady who was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in March 2003. She was a member of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) who traveled to the Gaza Strip during the Second Intifada.

She was trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian home. According to the other activists who were with her, she was in dialogue with the operator of the bulldozer. Rachel climbed up on the bulldozer to talk to the soldier in the cockpit. She climbed down. She sat in front of the bulldozer. The soldier in control of the huge machine drove it deliberately over her. He then backed up, and ran over her again.

They don't care who is in front of them, if they can kill an American, they can kill anyone, let alone a Palestinian. Murder seems to be a normal thing to do to anyone who tries to stop them. It goes beyond being brutal..cruel.

Read it here Photostory: Israeli bulldozer driver murders American peace activist







Corrie immediately after being injured

Perkara tentang Siam... yang aku tak tahu

Beberapa perkara tentang Siam yang saya tidak tahu sehingga di ceritakan dalam mailing list saya. Harap penulis tidak marah apabila saya letak tulisan beliau disini.

1. swas-dee (sebut swatdi) dari "wai" (=sembah Siam), depa melakukan 'swas-mon' (sebut swatmon) terhadap tu sami dan bg seruan hormat disebut swatdi (lk maknanya sembah-baik @ semoga bahagia dsb).

9. Memang bbrp nama sebelah Selatan Siam tu berasal/berasaskan bhs Melayu eg similan (=9), rian (=rial=ringgit) , tarutao (=teratur), satul/satun (=setul/setui/ ster), pulaudua dekat tepilaut tennaserin adalah disebut koh-songh bermaksud sama (iaitu = two-island)

10. In Thailand, both Father''s Day and Mother''s Day are celebrated on the birthdays of Their Majesties the King and Queen. Father's/Mother's depa bersamaan ulanghariterbit Raja/Rani? Tu nampak sangat depa kreatif, sbb Father's Day dgn Mother's renggangnya 9 bulan10 hari seyogianya.

11. Hingga selepas 1946 tiada Thai wujud sabit istilah tepatnya ialah 'Siam'. Thai/Thailand hanya direka dan dipopularkan oleh Gen PhibunSonggram yang berpolisikan perlenyapan jatidiri berbagai (khasnya Melayu-Islam) ) di Siam dengan menekan (=suppress) dan menegaskan (=emphasise) kesatuan bangsa Siam sbg kon Thai dlm PrathesThat (supreme-territory of the never-colonised country).

14. Bahn Kuok > Bangkok mungkin juga Bahn (=Kampung) Koh (=Pulau) selain drpd yg disangkaka sbg Kampung Zaitun.

15. MaeKhong benar bermaksud 'Sungai/Batang Khong' menjadikannya salah (redundant) bg menterjemahkannya sbg MaeKhongRiver. Ttp setepatnya Mae/Me itu maknanya 'ibu' dan Nam ertinya 'air'.Maka Menam/Maenam = ibu-air = sungai, cuma Siam meringkaskan Menam > Mae shj spt MenamChaoPhraya/ Menam Sot dll > Me Chaophraya/Mesot dll.

18. Wat Trymit diperihalkan sbg GoldenTemple bukanlah terjemahan sbb Trymit/trimitr bermaksud tiga-sahabat. Dmkn jugalah Nakorn Phatom tu Nakorn tu adalah sebutan ikut lidah Siam bg perkataan yang dieja dlm aksara (alphabet) Siam dgn huruf-huruf naw-khaw-raw iaitu sama maksudnya dgn 'nun-ga-ra-ya/ alif kita iaitu 'negeri/negara' Phatom. Cuma dlm bhs Siam 'negeri' bererti kota eg megapolis adalah 'mahanakorn'.

26. Bangkok memiliki nama terpanjang di antara ibukota ? Ya, namun yang direngkaskan pun sudah agak panjang mengikut piawai kita iaitu BahnKuok > Bangkok secara perihal Siamnya ialah Khrung-thef- maha-nakorn bermaksud City (Khrung) of Angels (thef=dev/dewa- dewi) Maha (great/raya) Nakorn (negeri/kota) yg boleh dialihbahasakan kpd LosAngelesthe Megapolis.

27. Adulyadej/adunjadet memang anak kelahiran Barat yg amat disenangi mereka sbg victors dlm Perang Dunia II dan kita boleh agak depa di Barat taksukakan abangnya yg memerintah sehingga zaman peperintahan. Raja itu putusnyawa secara mysterious dan tak diketahui hasil siaisatan kemangkatannya sejurus selepas Jepun menyerah kalah. Maka diangkatkan King Adunjadet sbg ganti.

From www.asiatour.com: 1946, Jun 9 - King Ananda Mahidol is found shot dead in his bed at the Grand Palace. His brother Bhumiphol Adulyadej is proclaimed King of Siam under the royal title King Rama IX.

Sunway Lagoon

used to be an old mining pool, now they have man made beach

"Water water everywhere, and all the boards did shrink
Water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink." (S.T.Coleridge)

Iron Maiden - Rime Of The Ancient Mariner lyrics

splash.. splash

you swing, you turn till you get dizzy...
BEWARE!! Tiger in the park

New year's night

A spot of BBQ with Pin n gang and the fireworks seen from the house

Cats in the cradle

Ugly Kid Joe

Cats In The Cradle lyrics

My child arrived just the other day
Came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
He was talkin fore I knew it
And as he grew he said,
I'm gonna be like you, dad,
You know I'm gonna be like you.

Chorus
And the cats in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man n the moon.
When you comin home?
Son, I don't know when. well get together then.
You know well have a good time then.

Well, my son turned ten just the other day.
He said, thanks for the ball, dad. come on, lets play.
Could you teach me to throw?
I said, not today. I got a lot to do.
He said, that's okay. and he walked away and he smiled and he said,
You know, I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him.

From Wikipedia
"Cat's in the Cradle" is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album Verities & Balderdash. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 in December 1974 and was Chapin's only #1 hit song. The lyrics to the verses of the song were originally written as a poem by Chapin's wife, Sandy Chapin, who is credited as the song's co-writer.[1] The poem itself was inspired by the awkward relationship between Sandy Chapin's first husband, James Cashmore, and his father, a New York City politician.

The story

The song is told in first-person by a father who is too busy to spend time with his son. Though the son repeatedly asks him to join in childhood activities, the father always responds with little more than vague promises of spending time together in the future, which is peppered with images from nursery rhymes. While the son longs to spend time with his father, he continues to admire his father as a role model and tells him that he will be just like him when he is an adult. The third verse shows the son now having his own life in college and the father now wants to spend time with him. However, like his father, it is the son who now ironically does not have time for his father, pursuing his own life.

Years pass and the lonely, aging father, who is now retired and free from the constraints of work, desires yet again to spend time with his son, who by this time is a family man himself. Hoping to make up for lost time, the father reaches out to him again. The son however has his own life and family to worry about; he warmly responds that he is now too busy with his own work and family to spend time with (or even see) his father. Like his father once had, the son promises that someday in the future they will spend time together. The last verses end with the lines "I'd love to dad if I could find the time/You see my new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu/But it's sure nice talking to you, dad … And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me/He'd grown up just like me/My boy was just like me …". The father realizes that his son is now giving him vague promises exactly like he once did to his son. The final line also says that the son's prediction about growing up to be like his father came true, although not in a way the father would have liked, but rather that the son is now making the same promises for future quality time as his own father once did to him.

To reflect the promises that the two men make to each other, the first two times the chorus is sung, it uses the concluding lines "When you coming home dad?/I don't know when/But we'll get together then/We're gonna have a good time then...", and the last two times, it replaces the word "dad" with "son" and also contains the slightly-altered line "But we'll get together then dad".

The Ugly Kid Joe cover of the song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the UK singles chart

A very considerate driver

We were in JUSCO tonight and when we walked to our car this black Harrier was blocking a few other cars. Yes, we went in and paged for the driver to move his/her car.. and the security guards at JUSCO made a few more further announcements and still no sign of the driver. After more than 40 minutes waiting, the security personnel jacked up the car and moved it away.

Thank you JUSCO guys.... for the driver, just imagine if it happens to you... and you are late for some emergency.

Clive Burr (formerly of Iron Maiden)

I just found out that he is suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and its good to know that his former bandmates in IRON MAIDEN is doing their bit to help him out.

“The Clive Burr MS Trust Fund was founded in 2001 when it was learnt that original Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, who performed on their first three albums, Iron Maiden, Killers and The Number of the Beast, was suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Through previous Iron Maiden performances at Brixton Academy and Hammersmith Apollo, and some amazing fund raising efforts of the fans, the trust has improved the quality of life with financial support to Clive and other MS sufferers. Reflecting on the forthcoming show Bruce Dickinson commented, “We added this final date to help continue the great work that the Clive Burr MS Fund has done. We’ve had an amazing time on this tour so far and the summer shows are shaping up to be something quite special in their own right. It promises to be a fun and special way to celebrate the end of the tour with all our friends who have supported us and Clive over the years.” notes from www.easier.com

He was famous for his drum playing style which match the guitar (adrian Smith and Dave Murray) and Steve Harris's bass riffs during his Iron Maiden days. You can sample it if you listen to Phantom of the Opera, Wrathchild, Prodigal Son, Purgatory etc. Personally I find his playing style more suited to Iron Maiden better than his replacement Nicko McBrain.

To know more about Clive click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Burr

Find out about Clive Burr MS Trust here www.cliveaid.com

In the photo you can see; Adrian Smith, Clive, Tony Iommi, Bruce D and Janick G in front of Clive white drum from his time in Iron Maiden at Hard Rock cafe London

Man Kidal in top 100 greatest guitarists ever

from http://www.the-top-tens.com/lists/greatest-guitarists-ever.asp

I was browsing the net looking for guitar heroes and I found this list of greatest guitarist ever and my man Man Kidal (a.k.a. Rahman bin Mahmood) is on the list.. wow. Come now guys, vote for our man.

Maaaaan Man, I still remember going to Red Rooster in Medan Tunku back in mid-80's just to watch him perform with SEARCH

65) Man Kidal, Lefthanded

“man kidal is the best guitar performer..vote 4 man kidal”

» more comments on Man Kidal, Lefthanded

Full name: Rahman bin Mahmud a.k.a. Man Kidal
Born : 2 March 1963, Malaysia
Fan Page : http://mankidal.cjb.net
Guitar : Fender Stratocaster 1978
Amplifier : Marshall
Style: Speed, Neoclassic, Shredd
Previous Band : Search, Lefthanded

Look up here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buTzLyKas4g for Man Kidal Cover 'Adagio' Yngwie Malmsteen

Some info taken from http://www.gitaris.com/musisi/ManKidal.p

X-mas deco at P Jaya Hilton

Fukutei, Bandar Baru Klang

I think the Fukutei at No.11 & 13 , Jalan Tiara 2C/KU1 Bandar Baru Klang, is a decent Japanese food outlet. The owners are there most nights and very friendsly talking with the patrons. I find the service quite decent ande the food itself is decent and fits the food bill which is quite affordable in the RM20-35 range for a bento or set meal. I prefer the sashimi combo with either sushi or tempura.
Full detail of the restaurant; Fukutei Japanese RestaurantNo.11 & 13 Jalan Tiara 2C/KU1 Pusat Perniagaan BBK, Bandar Baru Klang, 41150,Selangor Tel: 03 - 33431882

Aidil Adha - Qurban in Pulau Indah

After the Aidil Adha prayers the family drove down to my grandmothers home in Pulau Indah as our family will perform our annual Qurban ritual. This year we have 5 cows ready for slaughter.

Is this true? US has shipped $800 Billion of a new currency to China?

This is scary man.. I read this guy Hal Turner post in his blog and if its true I guess it will scare the shit off everyone's pants. He said;

The US Secretary of the Treasury has informed the China Development Bank that the US has shipped $800 Billion of a new currency..the Amero, ..merging of the economies of The United States, Mexico and Canada into .. The North American Union.

The current American debt obligation to China, based on the US Dollar, estimated to be$2.5 Trillion, and which this new Amero will be exchanged for $400 Billion of this debt as the current American currency is set to be devalued by 50 percent before the end of the year.

Virtually unknown to the American people is that the US Department of Treasury, Henry M. Paulson, Jr., has been tasked by President Bush to lead the efforts to join the economies of the US, Canada and Mexico and is also the head of the North American Development Bank, the bi-national financial institution established by the United States and Mexico to further the merging of their economies, and the leader of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC), the organization created by the governments of the United States and Mexico to further the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

.. American economists have been warning about the replacing of the US Dollar with the Amero, due to pressure from China, for nearly two years, and as we can read in this December, 2006 report titled Analysts: Dollar collapse would result in 'amero',

(Bob Chapman, who issued a reconstructed M3 estimate to the 100,000 subscribers to his newsletter, "The International Forecaster", agrees. )"Creating the amero," Chapman explained, "will be presented to the American public as the administration's solution for dollar recovery. In the process of creating the amero, the Bush administration just abandons the dollar.”

He explains it in his video here :

http://video. google.com/ videoplay? docid=1954933468 700958565&hl=es

About 2 years back another article was written regarding this, THE NEW WORLD DISORDER Analysts: Dollar collapse would result in 'amero' where analysts predicted fall of USD to be replaced by the Ameros.

As I see it there is a good chance that the Ameros will replace the dollar, and what will happen to dollar dominated trading? loans? bank accounts? Will it go down in value or worse will it follow the same line as the Japanese Banana money when Japan left Malaya in 1945?

Bukit Bintang at night

Its been a while since we visited KLCC

Looking for a reason to go to KLCC, supposedly the Mega Sale is on but we spent most of our time in Kinokuniya instead and of course eating...