To the upper reaches of historic Sungai Tembeling

We started at Kuala Tahan

Up river for the next four hours to Kampng Gusai

Final destination Gusai

Healthy water bufallo of Kampung Gusai

Sharing the planet

The only coffee shop at Kampung Gusai where I had nasi dagang in the morning

Orang bateq children

Who is staring at who!

The upper reaches of Sungai Tembeling in early morning where the air is crisp and cool!

Wonder what happens if this planet is rule by water buffallo!

The same river used by the Indian Sepoy employed by the British to quash a rebellion led by legendary Malay warrior Mat Kilau and his followers.
Mat Kilau harassed the British troops in the 18the century in Pahang namely around the Kuala Tahan area near the present day National Park, and Mat Kilau was chased by the British soldiers and the Indian Sepoy, but Mat Kilau fled to Terengganu using the now famous mountainous Mat Kilau Trail.
One day the British tricked Mat Kilau into surrendering, saying they were ready to accept defeat. As usual the Brits reneged on their promise and rounded up Mat Kilau and his followers and kill them.
I was there recently after twenty years, the last time I visited Kampung Bantal, Kampung Mat Daling and Kampung Gusai. Twenty years have not changed the villages for people still bathe by the river and they have to use long boat to get to Jerantut or to Kuala Tahan.
From Kuala Tahan we took a long boat to Kamping Bantal and then to Kampung Gusai. The trip by boat took us about four hours and how I wished there was a road from Kuala Tahan to these villages.
Along the way I took some pictures and would like to share them.

Obama: The next President of the world!

(This what I wrote back in January)

Hi!

I still remember my late father exclaiming in distress: "Oh my God! They shot Kennedy!" when JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. I was just a young kid then and I could not understand it, but I do now. I do now understand how a symbiotic relationships that is crucial to a survival of anything, especially between countries.
Malaysia could not have survive alone with Indonesia during the confrontation, if the Western power did not come to its aid. Malayan would speaking Japanese if it was not for the Allied forces defeating the Japanese, not that I mind if we speak any other language of colonisation, as it is today Malaysians speak English, but you know what I mean. We are talking about someone helping us to preserve our way of life.
Enough deviation already, but Barack Obama will bring fresh hopes for the world to live in peace, Republican right wing policy must be defeated. Like Kennedy, Obama is now touted as the future leader of the rest of the world, why? Because, America under any loony toon as a leader can just order the cruise missiles to be fired at anyone or at any country that is deemed as being "against us", to quote Bush Junior.
I just hope that Barack Obama will be THE candidate for the democratic party for the next US president comes the US presidential elections this November.

Good luck to you sir !

Weekend at my jungle retreat with my favourite people...twenty five of them!

My jungle retreat where twenty of my kinfolks gathered for a sleep over, barbecue, story-telling and a walk in the jungle!

Iman Azura and Ika, my nieces finally went to bed at three in the morning.

The early risers, two of my brattiest grand nieces Anis(in white) and Sarah (in red).

My other grand-nieces Faris and Shahira. Shahira asked: "Tok Lang what are you doing!" and I said: "Shhhhhh! I just want to embarrass you parents to the world!" She said: "Okay!"

The two brats again!

Spill over in a tents!

My cute niece Iman Azura and her favourite uncle!

Thats all we did eat!

It took me months to gather twenty five member of my family, including my 89-year-old mother Siti Awa Jaman, at our jungle retreat and finally two weekends ago I pulled it off. They came and they slept by the verandah on the kitchen floor and they love it.
One of my cute nieces, Roza, said just moved the coffee table and the sofas and "let sleep on the floor, as long as there bare no creepy crawlies," she said.
Five slept on the serambi using army cots and the rest in the kitchen, and many more in a pop tent.
So we barbecue chicken, beef, fish, hot dogs, corns, beef burger and we also barbecue vegetable such as aubergines (terong), ladyfingers. Oh yes we also barbecue one of littlest member of our family...no just joking!
At night we were telling stories and once in a while we ill jump when we hear strange noises coming at the back in the jungle. So the verdict? They all want to do it again. Enjoy the pictures!

Cheers!

Anaconda in Malaysia!

Taman Ular Sawa in Hulu Bendol, Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, an educational place to go for a visit. My grand-nephew Faris (in green) played tourist.

Emerald python from Timor Leste.

Baby anacondas! Like a bowl of spaghetti, don't you think!

Baby anaconda. Very aggressive at early age.

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Once the Canadian government imported a specie of grass carp, a type of fish, from China to be used to help control its fresh water lake environment from unwanted pest. Then many years later the carp became an environmental hazard when a full grown of about five pounds carp can easily gobbled other floating animals such as baby duck and other small creature.
So the story goes the provincial government placed signages at strategic part of the lakes and the signs read: "Wanted Illegal Immigrants Dead or Alive", in reference to the grass carp. Today the species is under control and has become part and parcel of the flora and fauna of Canada.
Then back to us, my home state of Negeri Sembilan has imported Anaconda from South America, and today 13 little babies have been born from one single "immigrant mother".
Anaconda is somewhat related to the python, although it is from the new world species.
They are now doing well and ready to procreate, if not controlled, at a recreational park of Hulu Bendol, about twenty minutes drive from Seremban.
This new snake center, mainly from the constrictor family namely python, is a nice place for an educational visit to learn more about snakes.
My only concern is, are we prepared for a foreign snake species that might have the chances to escape into our fragile environment and spread.
Cheers!

Kelong Paradise Waterfront Resort, It was a nice break!

Fishing village of Bagan Nakhoda Omar or BNO!

Another view of the frishing place!

Rec room with pool table, and Astro, Yes!

Just imagine the view of the Straits of Malacca!

As we approach the unknown!

Fish anywhere you like!

A group of us took the North-South highway and turned left at Behrang then we had lunch at this quaint little town, then cut across towards the coastal plain to Sabak Bernam then to Bagan Nakhoda Omar and straight to the jetty where we took a boat to this nice kelong, about 10 nautical miles in the Malacca Straits.
Basically this kelong is a nice concrete resort built by the previous Selangor state government, a place where you go fishing and to relax. Relax I did , and a fish I did not catch, infact none of us caught any. We ended up buying some at the nearest fishing village!
The thing that strikes me about my room is there were no bugs, the quilt was dry and no musty smell and I had the best sleep of the century. The we woke up had breakfast, then we had lunch and played some cards and then we ate, then we had dinner.
The place is only about two hours drive from KL. Head for Kuala Selangor then to Sabak Bernam. Before you reach there you will see a sign that says Bagan Nakhoda Omar or commonly known as BNO. The people at the jetty front off rice are very friendly you can just go without a booking or you can call:0376257838, 016-6662466, 016-2333219, 0162333215, or FAX at 0376257840; or check out the website at: http://www.kelongparadise.com.

ends

Trail of destructions, yet developers and local government refused to spare Ampang Hills!

Residents are against irresponsible developments.

This stretch of green will be strapped bare leaving the hilltop apartment building to fate! and soil erosion!

Residents are actively campaigning against the development.

Local politicians hoping they are more powerful than developers!

They are adamant to win these resident association against the hill development! I am with them!

Local assemblywoman, Elizabeth Wong, making some pertinent points vis-a-vis errant developers! I am with her also!

These house owners paid with their blood sweat and tears and it takes only handful of corrupt people to destroy nice surrounding!

Forgotten yet many misplaced "residents" must also be taken into consideration! They have no where else to go for heaven sake!

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Here are some real "statistics" on the trail of destruction and landslides in Ampang-Hulu Klang areas. Yet development in such sensitive hill slopes is still allowed and when will be ever learn!

- Forty-eight people died on December 1993, when a 12-storey Highland Towers hill slopes apartment collapsed. - On May 15 1999, several landslide forced the evacuation of 1000 apartment dwellers at Bukit Antarabangsa. - On November 20, 2002, eight people died when a house of a retired general was swept and crushed by a landslide. - On 31 May 2006 four people died when three blocks of longhouses were swept by a landslide in Kampung Pasir, Hulu Klang.

And yet today a massive mixed developments project were allowed on a 61.54 acre site near Ukay Heightsl where all of the trail of landslides took place.
The residents of the Ukay Heights area are protesting over the mixed development project that will see a massive retaining walls will be erected behind their apartments and houses and are trying very hard to tell the local and state government to help.
"It will be like a huge wall that you see in the Gaza Strip that separate Jews and Arabs, and on top of that any development along that ridge is by far one of the most dangerous project ever to be attempted or undertaken by any idiot developer," said Mr Eng, a resident.
The fear is if a massive landslide that will surely impacted residents living down below.
At today's meeting it6 was attended by Selangor state government exco member, Elizabeth Wong, who said while past green light given on any development by the previous government could not be rescinded, but the matter will be looked into properly.
"We cannot simply cancelled previous decisions made, but we are going to look into the matter properly," she said.

One resident said developers in Malaysia are like drug pushers, they do not care how many people will die as long as they can develop and make money.
Ends

Gimp is a diabetic and we are taking care of him!

His normal routine to sleep on our bed!

His other routine: to bask under the sun!

Gimp is our beloved feline friend and we have been looking after him f0r the past 14 years now that makes him about over 60+-year human age?!
For those of you who know him he is now a diabetic. It happened one year when we were away when five people came to look after him and feed him. We came back he was so fat we had to put him on a very strict diet. He acted very strange for a while after we came back from Canada. A test showed he was diabetic, sigh! So now the routine is one of us has to get up at six every morning to give him the insulin jab, and then again at six-thirty every evening. We now, Marion and I, cannot go on holiday together for one of us has to stay home, we cannot send him to the Vet for a prolonged period for he will be stressed-out if one of us is not around. It would be a miracle if someone among our friends and who love cats and who can stay at our place for the duration of our holiday, if we were to take a holiday, to take care of Gimp. Of course it will not be for free I am willing to pay! Gimp is a very gentle creature, he is a Leo like me.

Cheers!