View from Bukit Melawati

This place has a lot of history. When I was doing my tourist guide course, their historical stories were at my fingertips. I know all the stories behind the items, buildings or artifacts on display. For example the old cannons that sit majestically on the brick wall, rightly position on top of the hill to thwart an attack from the enemies down below. The Portuguese, the Dutch and the British all had at one time or another been on this hill, not to mention off course the local chieftains.

In Shah Alam

I wanted to upgrade my will and also do another one at Majlis Agama Islam Selangor in Shah Alam yesterday. Unfortunately, nobody was in as all the officers were away attending a course. So looks like I will have to come back next week. My will needs to be upgraded as some of the things inside it has changed. For example I have sold the house in Seremban so I need to remove it from the will. As for the other will, it has to do with my land and house in Sg Buloh. When I bought the acre of land many years ago, it was only seventy nine thousand  ringgit. Now I heard the going rate is almost a million ringgit. Add the house to it, the value will increase definitely. Anyway, its all academic. I will pass the land and house to my four children. That's why I need to do the will.

Pondok Merbau

My 'Pondok Merbau' is coming on nicely in sha Allah. I'm happy with the progress.

Jogging

Decided to go jogging yesterday despite not feeling 100%. Maybe the jog will do me some good. As expected, I couldn't finish the round but it was not that bad, considering my situation. I was satisfied to say the least. A year ago, while jogging, I do speed running in between the jog. Seven times in all. By the time I finished, I will be flat out, tired but satisfied. However, these days, I have stopped doing speed running. It is just too tiring for me. Its slow jogging only now for me. Complete the round and I will be happy.

Its been a year.......

Its been a year (1)

So fast, a year is gone. When they started in January, November seems a long way away. We were wondering if both of them will survive their first year. Alhamdulillah, its November already. Yesterday was their last day. It means they have completed one year of pre school. There have been trial and tribulations like Maisarah refusing to go to school. We had serious thoughts of pulling her out of school, such was the severity of the problem. In the end, we didn't. She changed as well. Waking her up became as easy as ABC. Akid, on the other hand, loves going to school. Even when sick, he wants to go to school. He was never a problem.

Ramblings

It rains everyday now. Usually in the afternoon. It will stop for a while then it will rain again. It will  go on like this till night. I have been feeling under the weather the past few days. Don't know it's because of the weather or because of other things. Not really lying in bed but not feeling 100% okay either. Maybe tonight I will take the medicine before going to bed. Hopefully when I wake up in the morning, things will be brighter. 

For two straight mornings, I have not been able to be on time for the morning prayer. Just too tired I guess. At the same time, after more than three years being the imam, the weight of responsibility is weighing heavy on me. Its time for a change but I don't see it happening anytime soon. I can only it happening when I move house, that is when my new house in Kg Bukit Cerakah is ready, in sha Allah. But then again, you never know. I never expected to be an Imam when I moved to my present house but I became one. God work in ways you never expected. I can only be grateful,and I must be, all the time.

Fun with monkeys at Bukit Melawati

Little by little

Can see the big bungalow in the background from the first photo.  Slowly but surely, the little house on the prairie is coming along nicely.

Bukit Melawati

Scary

There have been too many accidents lately involving motorcycles and cars within the area where I live. Some involving loss of lives while others causing serious injuries. The problem with motorcycles is that in any accident, its the motorcyclist that will be worse off. A slight knock by a car will cause the motorcyclist to fall and for sure, will be injured  while the people in the car will not be affected at all. Last night a neighbour's son was badly injured in an accident. A few days ago, a motorcycle was knocked down by a car right in front of me. Just last week, I saw a blooded motorcyclist lying motionless on the road. His motorcycle was a complete wrecked. What really happened I do not know. All these within the vicinity of my house. Hmm..... it is really scary thinking about it.

Pre school holidays

Its the last week of schooling before the long holidays. Most kids don't go to school anymore or even if they go, only sparingly. That's the situation with Akid amd Maisarah. After all, they are only at preschool level. After their grand event at Masjid Wilayah a few weeks ago, we have not been strict with their schooling. Like last Thursday, we took time off to go to Pusat Sains Negara. Then there were days when they were not feeling a bit under the weather so we just let them sleep on. Previously, we will still ask them to go unless they are really really not well. Next year they will go to another preschool where the fees are much much cheaper. That's all I can afford at the moment.

Pusat Sains Negara

We went on Thursday thinking that there would not be so many people but as it turned out, we were wrong. There were so many people that the first problem we had was looking for a parking space. I don't know where all these people came from. Don't they work for a living? I am a retiree that's why I can come on a weekday but them? Young couples with small kids in tow, hundreds of them!

Pusat Sains Negara 1

Pusat Sains Negara 11

In Ijok

Was in Ijok this morning to have a look at my house project. Work started on last Monday and is expected to take about 3 months. Its a small project, i.e. small house single storey only so I hope there will not be too much problem encountered as we move along. Nearby, just a stone throw away, somebody is building a double storey house, seven rooms seven bathrooms. Wow! That's real big compared to mine. Also took the opportunity today to do a quick survey of a mosque nearby. Did that before of another mosque. That one is towards the right while this one is towards the left from my future house. One thing for sure. No more walking to the surau anymore. I will need to use my  motor.

Baby steps

Monday morning

My body is aching all over. Been this way since last night after the evening prayer. Walking back from the surau was a struggle. Took medicine before going to bed. Was ok after a while but this morning, is feeling sick again. Must take another round of medicine after breakfast. Akid was coughing non stop throughout last night as well. Alhamdulillah it stopped after he fall asleep. This morning he looks alright. Can go to school in sha Allah. There's only two weeks left before the long school holiday begins. Next year we are sending him and Maisarah to another preschool. The costs will be minimal this time. Then in May/June, if everything goes according to plan, we will move to Ijok.

Follow the mother

Maisarah and Munirah praying with their mother while Akid watch the TV.

Dream home

My pondok to be in Kg Bukit Cerakah, Jeram, Kuala Selangor. Small by comparison but should be comfortable enough for the five of us. Anyway, there's still plenty of land area available for future expansion but that's another story. For the moment, I make do with what I am capable of financially.

These days

These days my time is spent mainly staying in the house. After all, I have nothing much to do outside. I'm retired. Once in a while, I will go out to meet friends who are like me, retired but that's few and far between. Then there's the monthly visit to the clinic for my medicine. There might be a few errands here and there but that's all. Gone are the days when I would go out in the morning everyday except weekend for work. Rain or shine, I would be on the road before seven. Nowadays, its to the surau for the morning prayer. After that I'm back at the house. That's how it will be for the whole day unless I have something to do, which is very rare.

Post meeting - my dreamhome

A fruitful meeting with Hanafi at the Curve. He is going to build my little house in Ijok. He has come up with the drawings to show me. A little bit of discussion and finally its all agreed. I hope this time everything will go on smoothly in sha Allah. My previous experienced of renovating and building houses have not been a pleasant one. Sure there will be hiccups but I hope its nothing that we cannot overcome.

Flooding everywhere

The rain has been relentless the past few days. Penang island suffered the worse. Other places in Kedah and Perak also suffered but not as bad as Penang. It seems the rainy season will be for the whole of November and might even continue into December. I worry about the land I just bought in Kg Bt Cerakah, Jeram. The place endured a terrible time in 2015 when heavy rain brought water that came and stayed. Well, not exactly where my land is but nearby. Its too close for comfort. Although it has not had another flood since then, it can always happen again anytime.

Its so cooling

The cool weather has brought problems to my household. All the three kids developed fever. I think its because the air conditioner gets very cold at night, especially in the early hours of the day between 2am to 7am. With the natural temperature dropping low at that time, the air condition will get even colder. Sometimes I shut the air condition as early as 2am in the morning. When I go for my morning prayers at the surau, I usually put on double clothing i.e. a singlet and a shirt. Otherwise the cold will get to me.

Jogging by the lakes

Went jogging this morning at Titiwangsa as usual. Not much of a crowd as it is a working day. The weather was cool making it a pleasant jogging experience. Running by the lakes make it even more enjoyable. Last week I wanted to go jogging but my bike refused to start. This morning, alhamdulillah, there was no such problem. I'm feeling a bit tired at the moment although its refreshing as well after the jog. What I need now is a good sleep but that seems an impossible thing to do now. The kids are already up and about!

Graduation day

At Masjid Wilayah last Sunday. Akid and Maisarah having their graduation day after a year of Tadika classes. Its a yearly event for the group of Tadika Amal schools. They have seven or eight branches in and around the Gombak and Keramat  area, more than five hundred students plus over fifty teachers. Its big business actually.

More photos

Munirah had to be woken up early as well in order to attend the event. A bit unusual for her but I think she enjoyed it.

Cool days are back

After the hot days just about a week ago, its the cool season once again. Rain has been coming down almost daily since a week ago. At night, the temperature is cooling. With the air condition on, it gets really pleasant sleeping night time after the steaming hot days when the clothes gets all wet and uncomfortable. After her ulcer experienced, now Munirah is refusing her mother's milk. She refused to be breast fed even after the ulcer has long gone. Its been two weeks already. So, at one year seven months, she has stopped breast feeding unlike Akid and Maisarah. Both continue breast feeding well after their second birthday. We had a hard time breaking with Akid and is having a hard time now with Maisarah.

It's that bad

Managed to bring my motorcycle to a nearby workshop for repair. Somebody from the workshop followed me to the house on his motorcycle. Then he asked me to get on my bike while he rode his bike behind me. Using his foot, resting it on the foot rest of my bike, he pushed my bike with me on it. We managed to get to his workshop that way. At the workshop, he cleaned the carburetor, changed the spark plug and voila! the bike roared with just one kicked. According to him, water got into the carburetor. That was the problem. Anyway, for me, its back to normal for without the bike, its like I don't have my legs. Its that bad!

Changing the skyline

The condo in the picture is another of the many condos being built in and around Gombak. Due for completion in June 2018. It is walking distance to Kg Sungai Merali, where I'm staying now. When it was first marketed about two years ago, the price was on the high side. Later, they dropped the price to a more reasonable value. This condo plus many others that have and are coming up are changing the skyline of Gombak. In ten years, I believe most of the 'kampong' in Gombak will be gone, victim of development. What it will be like in twenty, thirty years, only God knows.