Hiatus

It has been sometime that I submitted my last posting. I have been taking a rest from the normal chores and did a little travelling.

I missed the “Perayaan Hari RTM ke-64” (RTM’s 64th Anniversary) on 1st April 2010, as I was away in Kota Bharu, Kelantan for a marriage celebration. It was an interesting trip. We stayed at the Pantai Sri Tujuh Resort in Tumpat, a stone throw from the Thai coast. The chalets were in the water of a bay. It is popular with the local and Kelantanese. Much could be done to improve the facilities. I found the distance a bit tiring.

On 8th April, my son Azri took his family to the Sungai Klah Hot Spring Resort near Sungkai, Perak for a two night stay. We were taken along as the Villa rented has 2 rooms. It was an enjoyable stay for the kids jumping from natural hot water spring to the cool mountain water pool. The package came with breakfast and dinner. I found the sulphur in the hot water was good for the boil that I was nursing. I strongly recommend this place for those who needed a change in scenery and the usual fare. Just take the PLUS Highway and exited at Sungkai Toll Plaza. Take a left turn on the old federal road and about a kilometre away make another turn to the left. The place is another 12 kilometres away in the midst of the Klah Felda scheme.

The other thing that I did was to follow my old friend and former classmate at Anderson School, Ipoh, who was into “Mandi Wap”, sort of sauna laced with herbs in Tanjong Karang, Selangor. I don’t know how Zainal Abidin Imam discovered this place. He stays in Kuala Kubu Baru and commute almost daily to Kuala Lumpur where he frequented the “Institut Jantung Negara” IJN, Kuala Lumpur Hospital HKL and Selayang Hospital for his heart problem. He is one guy who like driving and can never stay put in one place. He convinced me that “mandi wap” is good for the health. So for old time sake I tagged along. I find our conversation along the journey interesting and we stopped in so many places along the way to enjoy the good Malaysian culinary. Time pass by unnoticed. After sometime I find it’s affecting my finance and daily routine such as going to the surau and surfing the internet. So now I am determine to limit the visit.

The owner of the place is Mr Jabbar. He is a local and very popular with his customer. I find him very outspoken and called a spade a spade without hesitant. At the same time he is a kind and generous person. He seem to be a well travelled man when he was young having resided in Taiping, Kluang and many more places in the country. He introduced me to his customers as “Che’Gu” having thought as temporary teacher in 1960 at the King Edward VII Secondary School, Taiping (KE) where he was schooling at the primary school near the town.

I have been to Tanjong Karang often in the past. When asked of the best place to get fresh fish, without hesitation Jabbar mentioned Ah Seng whose stalled we frequented since 20 years back. So my wife and I went to Ah Seng again who still recognised us from the old days when the road to T. Karang was bumpy. The fish were really fresh and the price reasonable.

I was disappointed at not being able to be at the 64th Hari RTM celebration at Angkasapuri. I wish to record my thanks to RTM and RTM Veteran Association (PVRTM) for extending me an invitation to the event. I was told there was a good gathering of past RTM luminaries. It would have been nice meeting past colleagues and updating ourselves.

I was disappointed that the PVRTM subcommittee responsible for the Association activities at the celebration did not appoint someone among its member to do a write-up on it in the PVRTM website. I was told many were snapping away happily with their digital cameras but not willing to share the sight at the website. However it was generous of the Secretary-General Tengku Ali to share his photos with us.