Bought several books worth RM450 at half-price

Went to MIM (Malaysian Institute of Management) today to pay my membership fees for 2012. While walking past the MIM Bookstore, something inside me urged me to walk inside. I inquired the clerk whether they have any latest book by Robin Sharma in stock. Just my luck, she said "Yes". I picked it up and the Store Manager introduced himself. Henry informed me that they are selling all their "old" books at 50% discount. Reason - they will be moving the store to PJ. It seems that MIM will also be moving to Jaya33 sometime in May 2012.
Books on 50% discount? Well, after some look around, I picked 6 other books. They comprised titles on leadership, people relations and self-development.
Hmm. Book reading marathon, coming soon.

(By the way, the MIM Bookstore is for members only).

My family story#2 - My mother Part 3

Amongst my siblings, I lived with my mom the longest since I was the youngest child. Even when I began to work in Kuala Lumpur in 1983, I was the one who was the most regular to go back to Taiping to visit her.  My father had passed away in 1976, just a month after his 60th birthday. I was 15 years old , then. The death of my father was hard for my mother to take. Suddenly, the man that she loved and depended upon had gone. She cried a lot for several days after my father had died. During this time, I was the one still living with mom at the Asamkumbang house. All my elder siblings were either already married or working. Most were in KL and one sister in Sungai Petani, Kedah.
So, I became "man of the house" but being the youngest boy, my mom treated me like a little boy usually.

My mom did not suffer any financial troubles because she inherited my dad's pension. My monthly duty was to pay all the bills at the several government departments. Those days, all utilities were operated by government departments and central bill payment system was not invented yet. Water bill at JKR office, electricity bill at LLN (Lembaga Letrik Negara) and telephone bills at the Jabatan Telekom office. Then, there was the Cukai Tanah at the Pejabat Daerah Larut And Matang and the Cukai Pintu at the Majlis Bandaran Taiping. Usually, I would go to pay these bills on Saturday. Those days, all offices were open half-day on Saturdays. Yes, I rode the bicycle to town for all these errands. So, after errands completed, I would go to treat myself at the ice-kacang stall at Asamkumbang. Cannot spend to much time in town either or my mom will get worried. Those days once you were out of the house, you were not contactable. No mobile phones.

So, how did we do our shopping? Daily foodstuff (fish, meat, vegetables) was obtained from the local shop ran by Ah Leng. When Ah Leng closed shop, this was later supplied by one Ah Guan.

For heavier stuff like rice, chicken feed, we  would asked an uncle of mine (Ayah Long Darus) to drive my old dad's car (Fiat 124ST) to town. I was only 16 years old, then. In 1977, you must be 18 to get a driver's licence. Sometimes, I would have cycled to town for any stuff  that my mom required.

To overcome her loneliness, my mom turned to her hobbies. Her favourite passtime was attending to her plants and flowers. She attended to her garden with much loving care. Sometimes I felt that she loved her plants and flowers more than she loved me. Anyway, she recovered quite well, together with support from her close friends, like Mrs Chin and Mrs Pillay (all widowers).

From plants and orchids, we added rearing chickens, duck and guinea fowl. Those times, we had help from a weekly gardener and a stay-home maid (kampong girls of those times were willing to be maids before flocking to factories for work).
We even had our own vegetable patch.

Another "bad manager" to manage

When will this cycle ever ends? A senior manager is leaving the department and here comes a new senior manager to replace him. This chap is even younger and from the way he talks, reflects inexperience on his self. Comes to my mind,"Oh dear, another young, inexperienced guy appointed to the rank of senior manager that I have to managed".
A few briefings by the outgoing SM to the new SM was held but on certain subjects the new SM brushed aside as not very important. This new guy does not even have an interest in looking closely at what he has to manage (hardware wise) that is located in the Data Center.
Well, if he thinks he can manage his team and the equipment like in "remote control" mode, I wish him luck. I foresee I will have a rough time working with this newbie senior manager. Another one with the attitude of "I am the Manager. I talk, you listen" type. There will be another spate of resignations in this department in the next few months.

Holiday Amidst The Padi Fields

My nephew,Ezham, invited me for a 3-days/2-nights trip to a Homestay holiday at Sungai Besar. I have never actually visited Sungai Besar before(only passed through it a few times to Lumut). Since I miss the life of visiting the kampongs of my uncle/aunties of Bagan Serai and Parit Buntar during my boyhood, I agreed to join in.
We departed KL past 10.00 AM on Saturday 21 Jan. We used the LATAR expressway to Kuala Selangor. We were caught in slow but smooth traffic along the Ijok-Sg Besar road. We stopped for lunch at a restoran

that is famed for its Nasi Ambeng. It was a great relief when we arrived at the homestay villa at about 3.40PM. There were four chalets (2 semi-detached modern brick homes and two wooden kampong style homes). All four units have neat bathroom and air-conditioners fitted.

There were visits to the padi field and local industries (kerepek and nata-de-coco), fishing for the kids and feasting on the local delicacies.

Kids having a go at fishing.

We got to see the sunset and I caught the sight of a flight of the bangaus(cattle egret), a sight that I miss very much.


A flight of egrets.



Glimpse of sunset.

There is more to tell but since it is now 3.40 AM, I really need to go to bed.
Little that I knew, I had taken 297 pics and It took me quite a while to re-size a few for this post. More will be needed for the Facebook album.

So, if you guys would like to sample the life by the rice-fields, check out the homestays around Sg Besar/Sekinchan areas(the known one is Sungai Haji Dorani). But do go before the harvesting season. That is when the rice fields are green and birdlife is abundance.

Been a while...writer's cram probably

Hey, folks. It has been 13 days that I have not input anything in my blog. Seem to have lost ideas on what to write here. I know I still have to continue on "My Mother" story but I seem to have lost the "link" with that story. I have more to tell but I could not seem to find the reconnection.
Where have I been?  I am still in KL, busy with work, got flu, involved in a gotong-royong for the local community. Also, been trying to get a new car but seem a bit slow with getting a loan from banks. Perhaps they are worried about giving a 9 years loan to a 50 years old man.
What is the new car? Not a big one. After years of driving a Kenari, my next car is just a little bit bigger, a Mazda 2. Hopefully, I can get it after the CNY holidays.

Missing my hometown of Taiping but not able to get home yet. Will spend the CNY weekend at Kuala Selangor homestay by invitation from my nephew. Have not been to a house by the rice field a long time. I hope to enjoy this trip.

Calls of a Nightjar brings back memories

It was 02:35 AM. Hmm, dozed off in front of the TV while watching Discovery channel. After a warm shower, I heard the calls of a "long lost friend", the Nightjar (burung punggok or the tong-tong bird). Living in the sub-urbs of a city like KL, the calls of the Nightjar could seldom be heard. Even if I get to hear it, it would usually be for a short while, probably disturbed by those noisy motorbikes that passed by it.

Whenever, I heard its typical "tong, tong tong" calls, my mind would "fly" back to the times when I was a boy living in Asamkumbang, Taiping. The calls of the Nightjar could be heard almost every night. One bird could be seen on its regular spot which was the letter box along the road to my house. I would see this bird whenever I passed by the letter box at night, while cycling home after tuition from Kamunting (yes, youngsters of those days rode bicycles, unlike spoilt teens nowadays ride motorbikes). That is why I regard the Nightjar as an old "friend".

While studying in the late hours of the night, the calls of the Nightjar could be heard often, sometimes echoed by another bird somewhere nearby.

Oh...it is quiet already. The bird must have flown away, there was a noisy motorbike that passed by just now.
Bye-bye, my old friend. Do visit me again.