Memories Of Taiping Aerodrome

I lived near the aerodrome for several years while growing up in Taiping. The young people of today might ask, “What is an aerodrome?”. It was an old name for an airfield or small airport. In the old British Malaya and Borneo, there were many of these aerodromes built around country. Some were large, some were small. Many of the large ones were develop into commercial airports (Bayan Lepas, Ipoh, Kota Bahru) while some became bases for the Air Force (Butterworth, Kuantan, Sungai Besi, Gong Kedak). However, quite a few were lost to development into housing or industrial estates (Tebrau, Val D’or). A few small ones became a mix of a local golf-course and for small aircraft to operate (Bidor). In Sabah and Sarawak, the remote aerodromes were the only mode of access to the outside world.

 

Why were there so many of these aerodromes built around the country? In the old days, remote towns and estates were only accessible by long and winding roads. The British authorities used these aerodromes for quick transport for government officials, medical supplies, mail, payroll and medical evacuation. During The Emergency, these aerodromes became the forward bases for the support of the army and police fighting the Communist Terrorist in the jungle. From these aerodromes, the Air Force transport aircraft and helicopters dropped supplies, transported troops and evacuated the wounded. The Taiping aerodrome was one of them.

 

When I lived in Asamkumbang, near the aerodrome from the late 1960’s until the early 1980’s, I saw several types of aircraft that flew around the aerodrome. These aircraft were the Twin Pioneers, Dove, Herons (end 1960s), the DHC4 Caribous, Dart Herald (1970s), Cessna 402B and the C130H Hercules (1980s). The helicopters were the Alloutte IIIs and the S61A Sikorsky (Nuri).

 

Of all those aircraft that I mentioned, the most common that I saw were the Caribous and the Alloutte and Nuri helicopters. They came to Taiping Aerodrome sometimes on practice runs or actual support operations. I would ride my bicycle to the aerodrome to watch all these activities. The practice runs involved the use of multi-colored parachutes or the use of a sling by the helicopters. These activities would go on every week. The Caribous sometime came with up to three aircraft. Sometimes, they were based there for actual support operations of the troops in the jungle.

 

The aerodrome was also used by the anti-aircraft artillery units for their practice on a few occasions. They would use the aerodrome for their practice for one or two days. Taiping would be rocked by the thunderous pom-poms of the anti-aircraft guns and the jets (RAAF Mirage and RMAF CL41G Tebuans) that flew by.

 

The C130H Hercules used the aerodrome for a while in the 1980s. However, on one occasion, a Hercules had its port-side wheels sunk into the ground during landing. It got stuck for a few days until the recovery team arrived from Kuala Lumpur. After that incident, the RMAF Hercules stopped coming to Taiping for practice runs.

 

I remember there were two major events that were held at the aerodrome in the 1970s. One was the show by the Rothmans Aerobatic team with their five Pitts Specials. The second event was the Taiping based Third Artillery Regiment anniversary celebration. The artillery regiment put up a splendid show of forward deployment supported by Nuri helicopters and a live fire support demonstration. That was my first and only experience of listening to the loud bangs of the 105mm M102 Howitzers.

 

During the annual Five Power Defence Arrangement exercise, a mobile anti-aircraft radar would be based at the aerodrome. For several days, I would see jets flew over my house during the maneuvers. The jets that I saw were the RMAF F5Es and CL41G Tebuan, RAAF Mirage III and F111 and RNZAF Skyhawks.

 

Ah! I just remembered one story. Sometime in 1969 or 1970, my late brother, Muhandes, had an interest in making his own boomerang. He had obtained the drawing plans from a magazine. For the wood, he had obtained several good quality packing wood crates which were easily obtained from shops. He diligently cut sawed and sand-papered the raw planks into the shape of boomerangs. To test those home-made boomerangs, we went to the aerodrome. The first few did not fly very well. After several more attempts, he made one that actually flew very well. He made three more based on the successful one. He gave two to his friends and kept two for himself.

 

The aerodrome was also used by the Army learner drivers who went there to practice driving in the “L” plated trucks. There were also civilians who used one end of the tarmac for driving practice. Also, there were a few regular joggers who actually ran around the whole perimeter of the aerodrome.

 

The aerodrome was also used by the Army Special Forces Regiment for parachute training. On one occasion, one commando landed into an old tin mine and was drowned. After that incident, there was no more parachute practice at the aerodrome.

 

After 1989, when the operations against the Communists Terrorists had stopped, the aerodrome was not actively used. Its old condition became bad to worst. The old main building and tower was torn down due to termites. Even the two concrete buildings had all its window panes stolen. Only the small section where the army based their guards were not spoilt which stands to this day.

 

In the 1990s, the aerodrome had some life return to it when the Police Special Forces (Vat69) began to use the aerodrome for the parachute training and practice. Later, when the Fire and Rescue Services formed their own Air Wing and Parachute unit, they would also come to Taiping Aerodrome for the training and practice. With the newer and latest square parachute, no life has been lost due to drowning. The Police and the Fire Rescue Services are the regular uses of the aerodrome until today. 

Also, the local RC modelers are the regular users every weekend.

  

KL Old Edwardians Reunion Dinner 30 Nov 2013

The old boys association of the KL charter had organised a reunion dinner on the 30 November 2013. It was held at the Mont Kiara Equestrian Club.

Invitations were sent out some two months ago and some 12 "boys" of the 1978 batch registered.

I went to the dinner with Lt Col Sanuddin and Ikram, who are my neighbours.

Approaching the entrance of the function area, I was greeted by a junior whom I have not met since I left school, Noor Suran. Suran is now a Police Officer and he appeared very much differnt from the that "small boy" when he was with the School Band many years ago.

Another junior who greeted me was Roslan, who played the clarinet.

My cousin from Matang, Din Majid, was also there.

There was a counter selling T-shirts and a special designed short-sleeve shirt with the school badge (made to order). I made an order for the short-sleeve one. I was told it will be delivered to me in one month time.

After the opening speech by the KL president, Organizing Chairman and the new School Principal (himself and OE), we began to makan.

The food was a mix of Western and local - spaghetti, fried rice, lamb chops, satay, fried calamari, grilled fish, salads and vegetables.

The entertainment was by a Police band from Seremban, courtesy of SAC1 Wuzir. We were all allured by the hottie songstress. As usual, the audience were called upon to participate.

The night was further filled with laughter from the jokes by Professor Joginder Singh. Only, this time he look a little bit frill unlike the previous years.

Several of the "boys" who came from out of town will be driving back home that very night. Azman and Sham (Zamzam's brother) were to drive back home to Taiping.

After the dinner function ended at 12.00 midnight, some of us went for tea or coffee at a stall near Sri Hartamas.

We chatted right until about 1.30 AM at which time we bade our farewell.

Feeling Homesick of My Good Old Taiping

Lately, I feel really homesick, remembering of my good old home town, Taiping.

To cure the blues, sometimes I would google for images of Taiping in the net. Anything of Taiping that I could think of, I would google, Bukit Larut, Maxwell Hills, the Lake Gardens or the Matang, Port Weld/ Kuala Sepatang.

I found there are many images of Taiping in the net shared by many people, whether they were residents, former residents of Taiping and visitors or tourists.

I only have two and half days of my Annual Leave left for 2013.

When 2014 comes, I will take one week leave.My plan is to travel around Perak, Penang and Kedah.

Perhaps, I would drive through  Batu Gajah, Parit (stay one night) than to Ipoh (stay one night), to Penang (stay one night), to Gunung Jerai, Kedah (stay one night), stop at sister's house in Sungai Petani (stay one night), then, to Taiping (stay two nights), finally return to KL.

Got to put this plan on paper.

Cinemas In the 1960s and 1970s

Recently, I purchased a DVD of a very old classic movie by Disney, “Mary Poppins”. Why buy a DVD of such an old classic? You see, “Mary Poppins” was one of the first movies that I watched in a cinema. The cinema that I went to was an old one in Sitiawan. There was a local live band that performed a few songs before the show started. That old cinema, unfortunately, was destroyed in a fire. My dad drove me and my brother to watch. We saw fire-fighters were still dowsing the smoldering ruined building with water. It could have been in 1968 but I could not remember exactly.

During the 1960s, when we were staying at the medical staff quarters at the Taiping Prisons Department Housing compound, we used to watch movies at the Prison Officers Club badminton court. I am sure many of the older generation still remember the experience of watching movies at the padang at the kampungs or government quarters. For many of us in the old days, going to the cinema was not that very common. The only other movie that I watched in a cinema was James Bond’s Thunderball. It was at the Lido cinema in Taiping.

The olden days cinemas back then had no air-conditioning, only ceiling fans for comfort. The seats were separated into four classes – 3^rd Class (the few rows nearest to the screen), 2^nd class (middle), 1^st Class (back rows) and the Reserved Class (balcony above the 1^st class).

The 3^rd and 2^nd Class seats were made of wood while the 1^st and Reserved Class were cushioned seats.

What about the price of the tickets? The 3^rd Class was 65 cents, 2^nd class was 85 cents, 1^st Class was at 1.50 and the Reserved Class was at $2.50.

Back then, while TV shows were in “black and white”, movies in the cinemas were in “techni-color”. Color TVs entered Malaysia in 1979 and they were big expensive TV sets.

The old cinemas in Taiping were fitted with air-conditioning only in the end of 1970s. Cathay Taiping was the first to be air-conditioned, followed by the Lido. The seats were all cushioned and the ticket prices were increased. The Cathay was also the first in Taiping to be fitted with Dolby stereo and “Sensurround Sound”. I remember I watched the movie “Battle of Midway”, the cinema seemed to shake with the sound of the aeroplanes and the rumble of battle.

Cinemas in Taiping faced the decline of movie goers when the age of VCR came. By the time VCDs came into being, all the cinemas in Taiping were closed. Some were converted to game centers while the Lido became a furniture store. Others were torn down to make way for new shopping centers.

With the new age cinematic technology of today, to watch movies in cinemas is very exhilarating experience compared to the yesteryears.

I still enjoy watching movies in the cinemas today, especially of the action movies genre. However, I would still remember what it was like to watch movies in the old days.

 

Balik Taiping 13 Oct 2013

To cure my Taiping blues, I made a quick trip to Taiping recently. Stayed at the Flemington Hotel but I was not able to get a room facing the lakes this time.

Met a few of my old school mates after dinner - Karunamurthy, Ban Heng, Kok Wai. Ban Heng brought a junior of ours Joe Woo (alias Ext Pow). Knew this guy in the OE Yahoo forum and Facebook. Finally got to meet him in person.

After breakfast the next day, took a walk at the lake gardens. Good to see that the frequent rains have brought back the water levels to normal. However, my walk was cut short due to approaching rain that morning.

Checked out from the hotel at 12.00 noon and return to KL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My New Almera Got Scratched - Arrghh!

I had started this day with a little bad feeling this morning but I went to work anyway.

At lunch time, while I drove out approaching the exit gate of my office basement car park, my car front lower spoiler scraped the mid-divider a bit. That was still alright.

Went to mid-town KL to settle an errand and had a sandwich for lunch at O'Briens.

Upon exiting out of the narrow winding slope of the parking ramp, my right rear side had scraped the edge of the parking lot wall (the spiral kind of parking ramp). Oh no! What a stroke of bad luck today.

I reversed my car into a vacant parking lot and tried to catch a breather. I really felt like crying out loud. Why oh why?!

After 10 minutes, I began to drive out the car park and returned to office.

Oh! My heart still hurts when I look at the 8 inches of scrape lines on my new Almera. Just only one month, already got scratches on its body. Arrgghh!

Mini Re-union Of Old Edwardians At Hamdan's Daughter Khenduri Kahwin

Hamdan Azmir's daughter wedding reception dinner was held on 28 September 2013 at Taman Melawati. I went for the dinner with a little expectation that I would be able to meet a few old school friends.

Upon being greeted by Hamdan and his wife at the entrance, he pointed to the direction of four tables which had been reserved for Old Edwardians. He said, "Go there and you will find a few OEs". As I walked to the buffet table near the "OE Corner", I saw Patmanathan waving at me. I joined him at the queue line near the buffet table. Patma said there were few other guys were already there.

After I took my food, I went to seat at a table. Jalil (my senior) called me to join him. Jalil introduced me to his wife and two kids. Later on, more and more "Old Boys" turned up.

There was Zulkifli, Tajul, Fauzi, Yeop Kamal, Kamaluddin, Shahrir (Hamdan's brother), Tapa Otai, Captain Badri, Kamarul Baharin and a senior of my elder brother Mahathir's batch, Ni Yeop Nordin. There were a few other seniors who I could not recall their names. In a group picture taken that night, there were about 20 of us.

The khenduri was like a mini reunion dinner for us. We talked of the good old school days and what we have done or gone through the many years after. I felt happy to have met quite many of the older guys who I have not seen for many years.

How Did I Meet My Wife

For my two kids, well, how did I meet your mother?

During one of my Certified Professional Trainer classes, I was asked this question “How did you meet your wife?”. So, here it is, the full story of how did we meet.

In my earlier blogs, I mentioned that I had pen friends (those were the era way before the existence of the internet, emails, Facebook and whatever people nowadays use). Those were the days when you had to write letters to people faraway. I had two pen friends from England and a number from Malaysia and Singapore. The ones from England, I received their addresses from my classmate. How did I get the ones from Malaysia and Singapore? End of 1976, I had sent my picture and my address in a local entertainment magazine. It was published much later in early 1977 when I was in the Fourth Form in secondary school. Several of my friends mentioned “Hey, Muz. I saw your picture in that magazine’s pen-pal column”. Well, I had forgotten about that already. A few weeks later, I received several letters from KL, Negeri Sembilan, Kuching and Singapore.

One letter was from a girl in Kuala Lumpur. She wrote that she had lived in Taiping before her family moved to Kuala Lumpur and she asked “Can we be friends?”. I thought, why not. That was how our friendship began. Along the years, we exchanged pictures, sent birthday and Hari Raya cards.

We wrote to each other for several years and we had not met at all. I first met her in the end of 1980. She informed me that her family will move to their new house at Taman Permata, Ulu Kelang. Two of my brothers had also bought their houses at the same place. When I made a trip to KL to visit my brother, I made a point to visit this female penfriend of mine. I walked to the front-door grille(the gate was open) and I saw a glance of a girl inside. I recognized her from the picture she had sent me and I said “psst psst”. She turned around and asked “Yes, who are you looking for?” It seemed that she had not recognized me. I introduced myself, “Hi. I am Muzaffar from Taiping”. Only then, she recognized me. That was really the first time we saw each other.

When I got my first real job as a Bank Clerk 1981, that was when we met regularly, usually on Saturday afternoon (those were the years we had to work half-day on Saturday). She was doing her STPM back then, at TAR College, if I am not mistaken. We could only meet on Saturdays because her parents would not allow her to go out on any other days. Our regular meeting spots were A&W near Ampang Park, KFC or A&W Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and sometimes at Bukit Bintang or Sungai Wang Plaza. Back then, Jalan Ampang would have the worst of traffic jams on Saturdays due to the races (the Selangor Turf Club was located there, where KLCC Twin Towers are now located). People of KL were thankful for the existence of the Mini Bus, who the “dare devil” drivers would squeeze through traffic jams to get to their destinations.

When I was transferred to the Bank’s branch at Simpang, Taiping, I would make monthly trips to KL to meet my girl. Ah! What a young man got to do for his girl. This monthly trips went on until 1983 when I got a job as Systems Operator in the Bank’s EDP Department in KL. Then, we would resume dating on Saturdays. At this time, she had already got a job as a Clerk in a company called The Yellow Pages. Sometimes, we would meet for lunch or we would go to the movies. The regular cinemas that we went to were the Federal (Jalan Ipoh), The Rex (Foch Avenue, near Petaling Street) or the Cathay (Bukit Bintang) and sometimes the Odeon (Campbell Road).

On several occasions, I would even visit her at her home at Taman Permata. On one of the visits, her father hinted when would we get married. Hmm, marriage? I answered in positive of my intentions to marry his daughter but I would need some time to save up some money.

In June 1985, we got married with the usual Akad Nikah ceremony followed by the khenduri a few days after. Many of our relatives and friends came to our khenduri. It was a simple celebration held at her father’s house. Please do not laugh where we went for our honeymoon. We spent several days in Taiping, visiting my side of the family. We also visited the “KTM 100 Years Anniversary” exhibition that was held near Taiping Railway Station. After, Taiping we spent a few days visiting her relatives at Sungai Siput and Ipoh.

When we returned to KL, we began to look for a rented house to stay. I was fortunate to be able to rent my brother’s house at Taman Permata (he was transferred to Ipoh for several years).

So, that was the new chapter of my live as a husband to the girl I never expect to meet. What started as pen-friends, writing letters to each other and then, got married.

 

Our marriage has been blessed with two wonderful children (who are now young adults). I am thankful to Allah for this wonderful chapter of my live.

 

 

My wife, Asmah binti Hamzah.

Weekend At Taiping 17 Aug 2013

View from my room window

To cure my Taiping blues, I made a trip to my hometown for the weekend. This time, I got a room with a view facing the Lake Gardens at the Flemington Hotel.The lakes were dried up a little bit due to the dry season in the past two months but the view of the greenery was just beautiful.

I contacted a few friends to meet up after dinner that night but only Karunamurthy was available. He came by the hotel to pick me up and we went to A.Rahman Restaurant near the Land Office . There was a crowd at the restaurant due to the Arsenal vs Aston Villa soccer match on TV. We chatted over drinks until almost midnight.

 

I woke up in the morning with an aching back. Age must be catching with me with regards to long distance driving. After breakfast, I took a short walk around the Lake Gardens near the hotel. Just before that, my wife rang me up to inform that our daughter’s boyfriend and his parents will be coming over to visit at her mother’s house in KL. I made a quick decision to return to KL soon after my morning walk.

 

 

 

 

Despite my aching back, the walk took me an hour. I also took some pictures. In spite of the dried up lakes, the gardens just still look beautiful. There were several groups of couples having the photo session around the gardens. I sat at one of the park bench not far from the hotel to rest and to soak in the serenity and the view. My brief peace was disturbed by one of the couples who asked permission to use the bench for their photo shoot. I obliged after telling them that I have a backache and just needed awhile to rest. The young couple said thanks as I got up to return to the hotel.

Upon reaching my room, I packed up my bags and checked out from the hotel. Well, that’s my brief stay in Taiping and I will be coming back home again. Now, got to go back to KL to meet the parents of my daughter’s boyfriend.

 

Weekend Trip To Taiping

Just booked a room at Flemington Hotel. Requested for a room that faces the Lake Gardens.

Looking forward to wake up in the morning with a beautiful view and go for a walk.

Hopefully, it will not rain.

Final Teen Year - Nineteen in 1980

My idle (and quite dull) life spilled over into the year of 1980. I took up driving lessons with the help of a Chinese shopkeeper whom we knew as Ah Guan. My old dad's Fiat 124ST was the car that I learnt to drive with. We went to the one end of the aerodrome where it was safe to learn and practice (the one which lead to Kampong Tekkah and Aulong). I noticed that there were one or two other cars with learner drivers there too.

After several weeks of practice, I gained confidence in how to drive the car. However, Ah Guan suggessted that I enroll at a Driving School to get proper lessons, especially on how to park. My mom agreed and he took me to register with a Driving School in Taiping. Upon registration, I was informed by the elderly woman clerk that I will have to prepare to sit for the Road Regulations Test first. The test will be held in one month time at Ipoh JPJ. I was given a book to read and understand all the Road Signs and the safe driving guides.

With nothing else to do, I studied the Road Signs booklet and was able to identify every one of them by heart. The test day came and I was prepared and confident. I boarded an old Datsun 120Y (the early, boxy one) with two other young chaps and the instructor drove us to Ipoh JPJ. When we arrived, we were ushered to wait for our turn at the two or three rooms for the test. My name was called and I entered the room. The method of the test back then was, the testor opened a page that had 20 road signs, pointed to each of them and the candidate had to describe the rules in detail. I got them all correct and passed. Two weeks later I received my Learner Driver's License.

The following week, I began the actual driving lessons. I was scheduled to one hour of driving lessons per week. My instructor was an elderly Chinese man in his late 40's and he usually had a toothpick in his mouth. His breath always smelled of cigarettes. I got bored to be learning the street drive around the Taiping Lake Gardens. After my third lesson, I asked the lady clerk that I would like to learn how to park and the uphill drive quickly. I request so that I could get my Driver's License quickly. That gentle old man of my instructor changed into a very abusive, cussing man. Wow! Just because I asked to expedite my driving lessons.

For all the heaps of abusive cussing he threw at me for whatever mistakes I made in the Parking and Uphill sessions, I just kept quiet. I was determined to pass the driving test on my first attempt.

After eight weeks of lessons, I registered for the Driving Test. That old man instructor expressed his doubts, that I would not pass. The lady clerk said something in Chinese, "Let him try. After all, he is paying for the lessons and the test. Not you". That comment made him madder still.

When the test day came, I was in a confident mood. I did all the tests smoothly, the parking was good, the uphill was perfect and the emergency brake was tight. Hell yes! I passed all the tests on my first attempt. That old man just kept quiet after he saw my results. In two weeks time, I received my full Driver's License.

Those were the times, if you pass, you would get a full drivers license, not a two-year Probation one. I felt proud to have that Driver's License.

Finally, I could drive my old Dad's car without fear. I became my mother's chauffer after that. I would drive her to the market, visit her friends or our relatives around Taiping, Ipoh, Bagan Serai and Parit Buntar.

This went on until I got my first real job as a Bank Clerk in Kuala Lumpur in 1981.

Approaching Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 2013

For many, this day of Eid would be a very happy celebration. For me, well, not to very happy one.

Just missing my mother very much still.

For the long weekend, I just feel lost of what to do. Thinking of going back to Taiping for a short visit would sure cure this blues.

Perhaps, I would be able to meet up with some old school buddies.

What I missed about Taiping?

Even though I have been living in the city of Kuala Lumpur since 1983, my old hometown of Taiping is still in my heart. I used to go back home at least once every month for several years. Since my mother had passed away in 2009, I seldom go back now and I missed Taiping very much.

 

What is that about the town that I miss very much? Plenty! Let’s see if I can list them all down.

1.       The walks at the beautiful lake gardens.

2.       The serene Bukit Larut (Maxwell Hills).

3.       The easy-going life of the town.

4.       A dip in the cool waters of Burmese Pool.

5.       Ansari’s cendol and rojak.

6.       Food at the Casual Market – satay, popiah, murtabak, nasi campur, pasembor and the nyonya kuih.

7.       Eat roti canai at the Bismillah Restaurant.

8.       The Matang bakau forest.

9.       Seafood at Port Weld.

10.   The ais batu campur and bobo caca at the Bangunan Larut-Matang.

 

Well, that’s my list of 10 things that I miss about Taiping.

KEVII School Old Boys Reunion Dinner 22June2013

That hazy Saturday morning, I drove to my hometown, Taiping, to attend the King Edward VII School Old Boys reunion dinner. I was glad that the hazy condition was cleared after I passed Ipoh. I arrived at the hotel by about 3.30 PM. After a short rest, I went to the school field to watch the Annual Sports Day.

As a I walked to the school padang, I heard someone called my name. I turned to look and realized it was my old classmate, Karunamurthy. I thought we could hang around the padang together but Murthy said he was about to leave. He also apologized that he would not be at the reunion dinner that night.

After Murthy left, I went to the school hall to have some refreshment that would be served to guests and visitors as usual. While picking the Roti Jala and Mee Rebus, I looked around for any familiar faces. I saw one old guy that looked very familiar but I could not recall who was he. As I went over to get a seat, then, I recalled that he was my former English teacher, Mr Foo Eng Guan. He was with another former teacher, Mr Maniam (who taught in the school in the 1980’s). We were joined by a few other former students and chatted for a while. It was good to have met Mr Foo again after all this years.

After we parted ways, I went to the stall that was selling school t-shirts which I bought one. I watched the sports events for a while and left the school field by 5.00 PM.

The reunion dinner was held at the same hotel where I was staying. This year, many of the regular blokes from KL did not come to attend, except for Ramli. In fact, only very few of us from the 1978 Fifth Formers attended the dinner. Other than myself and Ramli, the others were Ban Heng and Illengoven. I noticed that the largest age group was from the boys from the 1990’s batch.  Of course, the remaining major group was those above age 65. The entertainment for the evening was by a “one man keyboard band” who strummed up many good oldy tunes of the 1970’s and 1980’s. Those old songs brought back many fond memories of our old school days like – Santana’s Black Magic Woman and Broery Marantika’s Widuri.

I was glad to be able to attend the reunion dinner despite meeting just a few of my old friends. I just hope more could attend this function in the next years to come.

Perhaps, people are just being too busy to realize that old friendships are hard to find. We should cherish old friendships whenever such an opportunity comes rather than have much regrets later when we reach our deathbeds.

My Europe Holiday - London 26-29 April 2013

Paris To London -

After breakfast, we checked out from the hotel in Paris and Martin drove us to Paris North Station for our train trip to London. We bade our farewells to Martin and checked into the train station. The process of boarding the Eurostar to London was similar to boarding a flight. After having our baggage and passports checked, we waited at the lounge until boarding time. The trip by Eurostar train from Paris to London took 2 hours.

 

We arrived at St Pancras Station, London and were greeted by our coach drivers Michael and George. We boarded the coach for our ride to our hotel which was near Bayswater Road. Along the way to the hotel, we passed by Bakers Street, which brought to mind of two things. One, the song titled “Bakers Street” by Gerry Rafferty and two, Sherlock Holmes. We also passed by Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. In about forty minutes, we arrived at our hotel at Leinster Gardens by 1.45 PM. Since our rooms were not yet ready, we waited for a while at the lounge until we got our room keys.

 

After we had checked into our room, we had lunch of “nasi himpit”, bread with rendang (sister Eliza seemed to have loads of “nasi himpit”). After lunch, Emil and I decided to explore London, mainly the main shopping street, the Oxford Street. We walked passed Malaysia Hall along the way to Queens Way Underground Station. Emil greeted some Malaysian students there to enquire about the way to Liverpool which he planned to go on Saturday afternoon. At Queens Way station, there was already a crowd of people being Friday evening after work.

We exited Marble Station to make our way to Oxford Street. The afternoon sun was shining bright but the air temperature was around 10C tops. I did not have any gloves, so, I tucked my hands in my jacket pockets. Emil and I walked almost the whole length of Oxford Street. We stepped into several shops that have sports attires or souvenirs. My son, Zharif, had asked for a Chelsea FC jersey, I had to get one for him. While we were walking towards Marble Arch station, we passed by several kiosk that sells T-shirts and souvenirs. One vendor seemed to recognize the two of us as Malaysians and greeted “Mari beli. Murah. Murah”. We just smiled and continued to walk until the next kiosk, a girl hailed “Mari beli. Murah. Satu Malaysia”. Really, are we that obvious as Malaysians? She showed us a RM10 note with a “One Malaysia” pin displayed prominently. A man (her brother, I assumed), came over and greeted “Welcome, brother. Choose which one you like, I give you good price”, gesturing at the collection of t-shirts and souvenirs. Then, I noticed my sister Eliza and her friend were also at this kiosk.

 

I was short of English currency (I had only GBP100 with me earlier. GBP50 already paid for Stonehenge/Bath tour, GBP20 already spent on Zharif’s jersey). I noticed an HSBC Visa ATM nearby. I tried to make a withdrawal but was denied due to “link not available”. I made a call to Maybank Helpline and was informed that it was 12.15 AM Malaysia time. Due to batch processing, the link will be available in another one and half hour time. I decided to return to the hotel and would check for again tomorrow.

 

London Day 2(Saturday 27 April 2013)

We had our breakfast at 8.00 AM to get ready for our city tour of London. Since I was unable to access an ATM that morning, my sister loaned my GBP50. We boarded the coach for our half-day tour. Our female guide, an elderly woman named Kate, reminded me of Miss Courtney of the old “Mind Your Language” TV series. The tour covered the famous landmarks of the city – London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London and Saint Paul’s Cathedral. The highlight of the tour was the Changing of Guards at Buckingham Palace. There was a very big crowd of people (with reminder from the guide “Beware of pick-pockets”). I managed to get pictures of the marching troops, by holding the camera with my hands out-stretched high above my head.

 

After the Changing of Guards, we re-boarded the coach to be taken to the Parliament Square, where we could take pictures near Westminster Abbey and the Big Ben in the background. I could not remember at which point but I did took a picture of a place called The Sherlock Holmes Restaurant. Kate mentioned the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, usually had his meals there. She also remarked that, there is a room upstairs of the restaurant that exhibits some of Sherlock Holmes memorabilia. There was a loose crowd at the front of Westminster Abbey, all busy posing and taking pictures, especially with the Big Ben in the background. Thus ended our half-day tour of London and we bade farewell to Kate.

 

We were taken to a Malaysian owned restaurant called “Melor Restaurant” for lunch. After lunch, we had to decide where to go for the rest of the afternoon. The options were either to Madame Tussaud’s or Harrod’s. I actually wanted to go to Oxford Street again but decided to go to Madame Tussaud’s first. So, the ten of us were dropped off at Madame Tussaud’s while the remaining eight proceeded to Harrod’s. There was a very long queue at the front of the museum but fortunately for us, we could register as group. For the group tickets, the row was shorter but the ticket price was still GBP30. Our time in Madame Tussaud’s was 1.5 hours. There were many people and the popular exhibits would have a big crowd around them. I was able to get a pose by three exhibits. A fee of GBP10 would enable you to get a picture with the Royal Family exhibits, taken by a staff photographer. The picture would be handed to you in a calendar package format. There was a long queue for this, so, I passed.

 

As I reached at the level of the 4D exhibit, I felt difficult to breath because of the crowd. I asked the staff there for the way out. I walked quickly to get out of there. As I exited the museum, I really felt a great relief to breathe fresh air. Our time of 1.5 hours was almost up anyway and slowly, the rest of the group came out to join me. We waited for our coach which arrived 15 minutes later.  We were all to be taken to Harrod’s but I asked Michael (the coach driver), to let me off near Oxford Street. When I got there, I went to the Visa ATM to make a cash withdrawal. Again, it was declined due to something like “contact your bank”. So, I called Maybank Helpline and was informed that I need to activate the option for overseas withdrawal first. Fortunately, this could be done immediately upon verification of my personal details.

 

After successfully withdrawing some cash, I was able to make my intended purchase of some t-shirts and souvenirs. Then, I walked to the Marble Arch station for the trip to Queens Way station, the nearest stop to my hotel. When I reached the hotel room, my nephew was preparing his bag for his trip to Liverpool that evening. Sis Eliza passed to me more “nasi impit” for my dinner. After shower, I went to bed early since we need to rise early the next day for our optional tours.

 

London Day 3 – Optional tours. Most of our group had opted for Bicester Village while my sister and I chose to go to Stonehenge and Bath. After early breakfast, we were picked up by a shuttle to be taken to Victoria Bus Terminal. There, we boarded the tour coach designated for our optional tour for the day.

 

Our tour guide was a funny, elderly gentleman named Paul. He began his introduction by asking us to forgive his accent because he was Irish. The journey of two hours to Stonehenge was made lively with Paul’s funny stories or remarks about a certain building or location. As we arrived at Stonehenge, the air was breezy and cold. Since it was a popular tourist site, there were many people. Our time there was an hour and we were limited to the designated path for visitors, which went around the perimeter of the site.

 

We re-boarded the coach for our next destination, the city of Bath. The journey to Bath passed through the Salisbury Plains. Paul narrated that the plains was a regular training ground for the British Army and pointed out to us the signs of tanks crossing. As we approached Bath, he narrated the Roman history of Bath and it’s later Georgian history. Our time allotted for the tour of city was three hours. From the bus stop, we were guided to the Roman Bath museum. The visit of the old Roman Bath gave visitors the insights of how the Romans lived there many centuries ago.

 

After exiting from the museum, sis Eliza and I walked to Parade Gardens by the river Avon for a picnic lunch. After lunch, we walked around the garden to take some pictures with the famed Pulteney Bridge in the background. We were joined by young woman who asked me to help to take some pictures of her. After some introductions, I found out that she was from Malaysia and works near where I am at Bukit Jalil. Ah! What a small world. Since we had about 40 minutes to our departure time, we bade farewell and walked back to the bus pick-up point. We had a cup of coffee in one of the shops near there while waiting for our coach to arrive. 

 

 

The return journey to London took about three hours. Along the way, Paul introduced to us the history of the origin of the name of “Pennsylvania” state in the USA. The name had originated from a very small town of the same name in that area, about 20 minutes drive from Bath. As we entered the expressway, Paul excused himself to be quiet to allow us to nap during the journey to London. As we arrived near London, Paul woke us up to inform us of the various Underground station stops that he would make to allow some of the passengers to find our own way back to our hotels. Sis Eliza and I were let off at Queensway Station which was walking distance to our hotel.  We stopped by at an Arab restaurant to purchase our dinner.

 

After dinner and shower, I packed my bags to prepare for the journey home to KL. My nephew Emil, arrived at our room from Liverpool by 10.30 PM.

 

Day 4 London. After breakfast, it was Free and Easy for the morning until our departure from the hotel at 1.00 PM. I did not have any idea where to go, so I stayed at the hotel. At the designated time, our coach arrived to take us to Heathrow Airport.

 

Of the four cities covered in this tour, London was my favorite. Furthermore, there was the beautiful English country side and the short time was not enough to cover all the splendours of Britain. I will definitely visit Britain again.

 

 

Europe Holiday - Brussels and Paris

 

Day 3 – After breakfast, we boarded the coach for our trip to Brussels and Paris. The whole journey by road would take 5 to 6 hours (2 hours to Brussels,  then, 3-4 hours to Paris) depending on traffic condition. Along the drive from Amsterdam, Martin made some commentary regarding the history of Belgium in general. Martin also commented that since the formation of Eurozone, travelling between the countries that are members of Eurozone do not require the checking of passports. Our route to Brussels via expressway would pass near Antwerp.  I remember this city in the story titled “The Dog of Flanders”. 

As we entered Brussels, we stopped briefly at the landmark of the city called The Atomium, just enough time to take some pictures. Then, we were taken into the heart of the city, The Grand Place. Our tour leader informed us that we were allowed 2.5 hours to visit the area and have lunch there. Since it was the lunch hour, the many eateries and the parks were filled with the local workforce having their lunch. Since this was early spring, The Grand Place was quite bare except for two or three local artist promoting their work and one or two selling the flowers. In the peak of spring, The Grand Place would be a huge flower market. We took some pictures here and as I walked around, I spotted a Godiva Chocolate outlet housed in one of the many old but sturdy shop buildings. We then walked to an open park and picked a spot at the fountain there to have lunch. Similar to many of the locals, our lunch  was sandwiches made of bread with canned tuna. When the time was up, we boarded our coach for the almost 4 hours ride to Paris.

 

 

Just as we were leaving Brussels I dozed off(which I regretted) and missed the Belgium countryside. When I woke up, we were already on the expressway in France. After over two hours of driving, Martin announced that he would stop for a 45 minutes break at the next R&R area, Aire d’Assevillers-Quest. All of us got off for much needed toilet break. We spent the time browsing the shops here or for tea at the food outlet. As I was walking to the coach, my nephew and I noticed a large poster depicting a World War One Museum located near that area called Peronne. It was another two hours drive until we arrived at Paris. We had to go through a very busy traffic upon entering the city. By the time we reached our hotel (Holiday Villa Paris), it was already 6.30 PM. We checked into our rooms and I took a warm shower. After a dinner of “nasi impit” with beef rendang, I fell asleep.

 Paris Day 2. After breakfast, we had our city-tour of Paris. Our French guide, Catherine, introduced and narrated to us the history of various landmarks and buildings as we passed by them. Most of the pictures that I took were from the moving bus. We were allowed to stop for 30 minutes to get down from the coach to takes pictures near Le Invalides and the Arc de Triomphe. Our ultimate tour of the day was going up the Eiffel Tower (level two). By this time, the temperature was quite warm and I could remove my jacket. The view from Level 2 was spectacular.

 

 

 

The day tour of Paris was completed by 2.30 PM. The afternoon was free and easy. My nephew and I decided to walk to Gallery Lafayette. We arrived at a building that have the sign but we noticed it was quiet. A kind security personnel asked us what were we looking for and we informed that we were looking for the shopping gallery. He replied that this was the business office and the shopping gallery is another 20 minutes-walk from there. We thanked him and continued to walk until we finally located the real Gallery Lafayette. That shopping mall was crowded with tourists. I was only interested to buy some souvenirs and I found them of the 5^th floor. After my purchase, I walked back to the hotel which took me 20 minutes. I decided to have my dinner at the hotel restaurant since the menu was “Halal”. I ordered “Malaysian Fried Rice” and it was good. Later, I found out that the chef is a Malaysian.

After dinner, I spent the evening packing up because we will be leaving Paris for London early after breakfast. Time to bade farewell to Paris.
 

 

(Next – London).