The Zoo

Taiping is called 'Bandar Warisan' for good reasons.The town has left behind many heritage besides being  a town with many  'first'.Examples are  the first railway, the first museum,the first jail,the first English school and the first Zoo.Although Taiping Zoo and Night Safari was the first zoo,the Zoo Negara happened to register first,but technically Taiping Zoo is the first Zoo.

In the beginning it was  named 'Megastua' zoo  by  the late Sultan Idris Shah the second in 1961 when he officiated it . Megastua is the name of an old rainforest tree.

"The location of the Zoo which is situated in the middle of the 220 acres of the Taiping Lake Garden is what makes it unique. ".said Hanim Ramly ,Head of tourism and media at  the Taiping municipal Council.Hanim has been with them for 22 years so she is well versed with the animals and the history of Taiping.  The zoo  is a natural jungle and is 34 acres in size.It  has the natural elements such as hills and ponds which are  suitable for the animals hence the 'open concept' for the Taiping Zoo.

"Dr.Kevin Lazares, the Veterinarian who is passionate about his work with the zoo is able to designed  the enclosure for the animals based on the strength and weakness of the animals.Therefore he is able to build a habitat that is similar to the animals' habitat."said Hanim pointing out that Kevin is against cruelty to animals therefore there are no fancy shows and tricks  by the animals.

"Animals are able to do gimmicks and shows by being trained.The training means harsh treatment such as making them hungry and only feed them after their stunts. "she said adding that the elephants which are meant for shows are beaten regularly from young so that they will lose their ego and follow the rules of the stunt that man made them do.

There are 1300 of 150 species animals in Taiping Zoo and most multiplied  in their enclosure. The zoo keepers are trained by Kevin to treat the animals with love so seeing how the animals react towards their keepers is a sight to behold.A hippopotamus by the name of April swam towards the keeper when he called her name.It is not an ordinary sight for a wild animal to reciprocate towards a man albeit seeing the dog or cat coming towards their owners when called which is common.A leopard called Hazel came towards her keeper and purred like a cat through the fence.It was unbelievable but true.Then there is the giraffe called Mas who loves to be touched and stroked.

The mascot for the Taiping Zoo is the Seladang because it is an authentic Malaysian animal which can only be found in our jungles.A handsome animal which may look like a bull but it is not from that family.

Since 70 percent of the enclosure are based on an open concept, people can see about 90 percent of the animals even from the moving tram.Some of the animals are not active during the day therefore it is a must for visitors to go on the night safari.We get to see the real characters of the wild life during the night. A pack of  wolves were seen running around and eating.These animals usually hide during the day.

"The animals that multiplied at the Zoo Taiping are assets and they are used to exchange with other species from other zoos around the globe.This is to ensure that no animals are being bought so as to prevent  animal poaching."

If you or your children are fans of the Harry Potter movie,then you will be able to relate to the owls at the zoo.It will make children use their imagination.

Bringing children to the zoo is a good way of introducing them to the animal kingdom.We should instill the love for animals in our children.

What yoga means to me.

I remember my first step in my yoga journey during which there were no yoga classes in Ipoh or maybe it's me that could not find a class.Anyway I was self taught in the beginning. I learned the art of yoga from dvds, magazines, books and finally I joined a class.

I remember those time when I would practice forward bend on my own  and it wasn't easy to touch my toe.That was 'the journey',trying to reach my toe,the pain which taught me patience.The day I managed to touch my toe and the floor was like as though I have passed an exam.I began to gain confidence.

My first yoga teacher was one of the best in Ipoh.She guided us ,her students well and you can tell that she's a yogini from her ways and her looks.She is very simple,that's what yoga does to a person.She has no make up on her face,yoga makes a person comfortable being in their own skin.

Yoga is a journey which is different for every person.Learn to listen to your body,my teacher often said."If you feel a sharp pain,back off from the pose" the words from my teacher which still rings in my ears.

After years of yoga,I realised that like the devil,ego would take over and I began to show off my yoga poses.What for? It was a silly mistake and now that I think about it, yoga is personal and the benefits are in me.What's the point of showing off my yoga skills,the poses are just preps for the real journey.Yoga is a way of finding Inner Peace.

Banjaran

"Bang the Gong" ,a ritual for guest to make a sound by banging the Gong to signify  that they  have just arrived at the 'Banjaran 'greeted by smiling staffs that will lead guest to  the chalet. Situated between the limestone hills and natural hot spring ponds and lake this luxurious spa and retreat  in Tambun seems like the most peaceful place.It's forte is health and rejuvenation as well as a yoga retreat.

"It used to be a waste land during the 70s with an old public swimming pool filled with natural hot water from the hot springs of the area.Then it was left unattended and no one bothers till Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah,owner of the Sunway groups bought over the 16.19 acres of the land which includes the hot spring and caves."said Raymond Koh,Director of operation.

"Banjaran may seems exclusive and expensive for Ipoh standard with chalets that cost one thousand ringgit a night but it is popular among people from Kuala Lumpur and international tourists."

What makes Banjaran different and special is the fact that it has natural hot springs in the massive tropical gardens as well as the 25 chalets.Every chalet has their own hot spring pool.There are two types of chalet, one is the garden chalets and another is the water chalets.Both type are charming.

The garden chalet is bigger and it faces the tropical garden and the water chalet is smaller but it overlooks a beautiful pond with lotus and waterlilies.

Nature lovers will love this resort because everything here is connected to nature. There is a jungle trek that leads guest to the Lost World and are allowed to use the facilities of the Lost World for free.There are four natural caves with stalagmites each  for different purposes.

Since Banjaran is also a yoga retreat, one can expect to do their meditation in a cave which is how meditation should be done.

The sauna at this resort is in a cave.Bubbly hot spring inside this cave which will make one sweat at the right temperature and then when you are done with sweating it out,you will be ushered  to a well with cold water dubbed the "cold dip" for cold splash of water

There are  spas and each spa specialises in different kind of massage and therapy.There is the traditional Malay massage, aromatherapy massage,Chinese style of massage and cupping.There is also a fish reflexology called Dr.Fish whereby one put their feet in a long pool with fishes that will bite off dead skins of the feet.One can be totally pampered at this resort.

There are health professionals to explain about what the massages and cupping are good for and also a yoga guru at hand.Whenever you want to practice yoga,the staff will call the guru and you can indulge in yoga outdoor with  a perfect ambience.

The chalets have a living room,dining room,a pool of hot spring and a huge room.It is really comfy and one won't feel like going out when you are in the room.

Near the chalets stood the library for guest to unwind with a book .They have a restaurant called the Pomelo which serves local and western food and it has a real Asian setting with courtious waiters and waitresses.

" The Cave is about 230 million old and long ago the Japanese used it for their hide out . There are still writings from that era in the cave."

One of the cave is called 'Jeff Cellar '.Here is where Jeffrey keeps his favourite wines and champagne. It is also a place for the guest to have a drink while listening to the music.

Impressive would be an undestatement.That surreal feeling you feel it is as though you have found nirvana.  That's how it is in Banjaran. The chalets are beautiful without a doubt,but if you have seen an exclusive chalet before,then you have seen it all.I really feel that the hot spring with its algae and the caves are their best features.

Cheap and tasty

Hotel Sri Malaysia is known by everyone for it's cheap rate and good location around Malaysia.
So I was invited to try the food at Hotel Sri Malaysia Ipoh and I must admit that it is a good place to eat if you are into food and not the hipster culture.

The hotel is ordinary,nothing to shout about but if you are going to just 'sleep' and spend your day outdoor,it is a good bargain.

Yours truly was there by an invitation from the new Manager, Salahuddin Shiyamuddin.It had been a while since I step foot in there but the place have not changed.

My friend from Copthorne,Rose was there too and actually it was she who asked Salahuddin to invite me.

We were served the 'cucur udang' which was so 'sedap' and it cost only RM 5/ a plate with 'teh dangdut'.

Then we had rice with 'asam pedas' served in a clayport.It was divine! The chef also served us 'mee kicap' with fish ball soup.Truly delicious and the set of rice with asam pedas is only RM12/

I am definitely going there for lunch or tea again.

The Japanese Lady

I met this Japanese lady at a cafe in Ipoh.She was alone and so was I.Then we started talking and I found out that this lady is a cartoonist who chose to make Ipoh as her 2nd home.

Satoka Murayama, 38 and single chose Ipoh because of her dogs.Strange but true."I brought two dogs from Japan and Ipoh is  suitable for dogs.I can take them for walks because this is a  cosy neighbourhood.  The cost of living is low too.I cannot live in a condo in Kuala Lumpur because my dogs need to be free."she said.

Satoka is a talented cartoonist and she has many comics sold in Japan and are translated to Thai  and sold in Thailand  too."I have been a cartoonist for 14 years and now I want to stop and do creative retailing online. I design background for cartoons and sell them. Most cartoonist find it troublesome to create and design the background like jungles,mountains etc.So they buy from me and they just add their own cartoon to the background. " she explained.

This talented lady is ambitious and intends to make more money through her creative design for cartoon magazines .To do one comic of 30 pages is very tough.The cartoonist have to prepare dialogues and create a story for the comic.Just drawing a cartoon character is hard ,let alone adding dialogues that are witty and catchy but if their book gets published she gets paid RM500 for a page and imagine the amount of 30 pages.Attractive indeed and Satako has done more than ten books."When people buy my books,I get paid a certain amount too" she said.She meant author royalties for her book.

Seeing is believing and she took me to her house.It is icredible and because she cannot read nor write in english,she has to do her online business in Japanese and for Japanese.There are too many cartoonist in Japan and it is a competitive market . Satoka does not consider herself as a professional cartoonist because there are many others that are much better and they get about a thousand ringgit per page.

She showed her wacom tablet and how she creates a background in the world of cartoons with the 2D method ."This is what I do every day after my morning walk with my dogs " she said.Although she is alone ,she loves her life in Ipoh and she has made a few friends that has taught her to speak in english.

2D art is often defined by its medium and composition. Media used to create 2D art may include anything that can make a mark on a flat surface. Each medium brings its own unique qualities to a work of art.
Composition of 2D art is critical. This includes line, form, color, repetition and balance, in that order of importance. Line and form shape the appearance. Color brings out shapes and contributes mood and depth, among other things. The two principles of repetition and balance impart subtle moods. These elements arranged in two dimensions can even create the illusion of three dimensions.

Does she make money by selling her image of backgrounds  online?

"Yes most of the cartoonist will just concentrate on drawing the cartoon but not the background. They have to hire another artist to draw the background and it can cost a lot.So they buy mine.They can get a background of forest,houses and many more from me online."

Satoko is an independent artist and how she makes a living through art is admirable. Hopefully Malaysians can try making money online like what she does.She only sells to the Japanese because of the language barrier. She hopes to go international when she master the English language.

Where is the love?

They say respect is earned but in today's world respect is just a word.No matter how hard we try to  instill good manners in our children,they will still witness bad behavior by our very own people and ministers.

What happened to the manners and sweet culture of our forefathers?We were admired by the Western world for our culture and that is to respect everyone especially the elderly.

I don't see it anymore.The media is full of hatred and fights.Our ex PM who is 90 yrs old is being called names that is horrible by our very own Ministers.

Then there's people on the street harassing a female government servant.What's going on?

We hear about the Palestinian plight and the Rohingya being killed and tortured in Burma.'Ethnic cleansing' they said.

Where is the love?

Too much hate and animosity in the air..Is the world coming to an end?

Bad Mom

It's a title of a movie.Very entertaining yet the message is clear.We can't be perfect mothers because it is a taxing job.
In my humble opinion,I feel that mothers should just be there for their children.Our presence as a mother is important in molding a child but we must never lose our own identity.Yes we are mothers but besides that,we too have our passion and hobbies.Some mothers have to work and that's fine as long as we do not neglect our children.
We must always celebrate motherhood because it is the greatest job.

Ngah Ibrahim

A beautiful white mansion stood in the middle of a huge land with some broken bricks that looks like a fort surrounding the area.

This white mansion was the home of Ngah Ibrahim, son of Long Jaafar who was the Chief of Larut.Long Jaafar was the man responsible for tin mining in Larut and he became the richest man in Perak.After his death, Ngah Ibrahim took over his role as Chief of Larut  and that was when it all began.Ngah was into coffee plantation, padi plantation and tin mining.So he was even richer than his father. During his era the Chinese groups that was brought into Larut by his father to help with tin mining started fighting.That was why he built the fort  in the 1870s at his private residence.

"It all began with the Larut Wars between the Ghee Hin and the Hai Sans who were fighting over everything.The third Larut War was fought because of a woman.Apparently these two group of thugs were enemies  from day one in China till they reached Perak."said Hanim.

As we enter the museum,we will see a man made elephant with mannequins of Malay men touching the elephant's leg which seems to glitter.Those glitters were meant to be tin ore and it was this elephant that was called Larut who made Long Jaafar aware of the existence of tin ore in the area of Larut.From then on history began to take shape.

"You may not learn about this in your history lesson but the biggest mistake made by Ngah Ibrahim , the chief of Larut was when he hired a British called Captain Speedy from Penang to help him with the fights between the two Chinese group or 'gangsters'."

The British intervention in Perak began when Speedy came to Larut although some argued that it started after the treaty of Pangkor was signed by Sultan Abdullah and the British. The British appointed J.W.W Birch to be the first Resident and Speedy became the Assistant Resident.

Speedy was a policeman in Penang and when Ngah approached the governor of Penang for help, Speedy was chosen but he asked for three things from Ngah and they were a house beside Ngah ' s house,to bring Indians from India to Larut and a high salary.His wishes were granted by Ngah and from then on Speedy started to manipulate Ngah."Ngah trusted him fully to the point that Speedy has access to Ngah's account and even during the engagement of Ngah ' s daughter,Speedy became the spokesman for Ngah ' s family."

"Speedy had his own agenda and that was to keep track of the wealth of Ngah and his mission was to get the wealth back to his country.This information was later gathered when Malaysian scholars went to England and gathered facts from there."

There is a mock courtroom upstairs and mannequins of Ngah and others on trial. His bedroom faces the river which is no longer there . According to the keeper of the museum,there are nights when his spirit could be seen sleeping on the bed.

After the murder of J.W.W. Birch, the first British Resident in Perak at Pasir Salak on 1 November 1875, the fort became a court for the trial of Birch's murder. Dato Maharajalela, Dato' Sagor, Sepuntum and Pandak Indut were kept in one of the room as prisoners.The room is still at the museum untouched and there are shackles and manequins of the prisoners to show us how they were treated.

They were found guilty and were sentenced to death by hanging at the court on 21 January 1877. Ngah Ibrahim, Sultan Abdullah and 40 others were exiled to Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. Ngah Ibrahim died on 1887 in Singapore and was buried at the Masjid Al-Junied cemetery. However, on 7 September 2006, Ngah Ibrahim's body was brought back to Perak and reburied near his house.

The truth of the matter still remains blurry because there were arguments saying that Ngah was framed by the British and that Speedy betrayed Ngah when he took over the fort while  Ngah succumbed to the accusations.

During the Japanese occupation in 1941, the Japanese Imperial Army made the fort its headquarters and war strategic operations centre till 1945.In1987, this fort was taken over by the Perak Museum Department as a state historical site known as Kota Ngah Ibrahim Historical Complex.

Being inside the museum,I felt the sadness of the building for it witnessed the downfall of the  owner and death of those linked to the owner.I was told that Ngah Ibrahim cried everyday till his eyes became blur and he wrote 'puisi' while waiting to be exiled.His son too wrote a sad poetry which is still available in one of the local university.

All these can be found in the museum and the sad part was nobody question about Birch.He was a notorious man unlike Speedy who was subtle with his actions and was sent back to England because he was slowly turning into a Malay.There will always be  two sides to a story and what we learned in our history class were the ones from the British point of view.

Ngah Ibrahim was a hero to the Malays because he fought for their rights.He was a good administrator but his weakness was he trusted too easily

Social Business

Happiness is not about making big bucks for the new generation.The generation  Y so to speak are more into fulfilling their dreams even if it means that they cannot afford fancy cars. They lead a healthier lifestyle in smaller towns and are put off by the rat race.

We see most of them completing their professional courses in engineering, accountancy and law but most of them prefers to indulge in the arts scene.They are so much into poetry and literature as a way of expressing themselves and they are happy just making end meets.

These youth are those who earn their living through 'social business .'Unlike traditional business, a social business operates for the benefit of addressing social needs that enable societies to function more efficiently. Social business provides a necessary framework for tackling social issues by combining business know-how with the desire to improve quality of life.

Two young men from Ipoh seems to strive on social business and the duo have successfully made their presence felt in Malaysia 's arts and music arena.

"I found Projek Rabak with Seyn Jukey  and  and we love Ipoh so much that we want to promote Ipoh as a new hub for arts be it poetry,spoken words or music."said Mohd Jayzuan who has his own style of reaching out to the youth.

Projek Rabak, incidentally, is an art collective formed in Ipoh in January 2011. The organisation consists of musicians, writers, poets, painters, filmmakers, theatre activists, mime artistes and others.

According to Seyn Jukey of Projek Rabak, Ipoh needs an art platform where talented individuals can show the world what they are capable of.​ “We want to promote Ipoh’s art scene as a tourist attraction,” he added.

Jayzuan and his team owns a social place called Rumah Khizanat which is under Projek Rabak at Canning Garden. This house is a cafe,bookstore and an art space where they serves cheap and tasty food plus they often hold events of all kinds at this place

"We bring in poets to showcase their talents to those who are into arts for free.Not all youth can afford to go to kl and watch performances so we bring the performers to Ipoh.We do not charge for our events but we expect them to buy our food and drinks and the books if they can afford it. Sometimes I allow those who have hidden talent to perform in front of the crowd and this helps the youth to be exposed to the public."said Jayzuan

A popular poet from Indonesia, Aan Mansyur came to Rumah Khizanat recently and did a recital and talks for free.Aan is popular because of the movie "Ada apa dengan Cinta." since the main character uses puisi written by Aan.

"Saya jatuh cinta dengan Ipoh. (I fell in love with Ipoh)" Aan confessed adding that he do not like Kuala Lumpur because everyone is too busy with themselves.

"Ipoh is more intimate to us and we can just walk around the town if we do not have any transportation.I can easily write poems in Ipoh " said Aan with a promise to come back to Ipoh.

Pundi Kacang

Fay Rhatmanee,21 a henna artist recently introduced her Cafe called Pundi Kacang to Ipoh.A name that people had forgotten because kids these days do not play seven stones like before.

Fay's dream of owning a henna cafe cum art space became a reality on the 29th October 2016.Deepavali day saw the opening of a retro henna cafe in Ipoh.

"It's actually based on something that happened. I had created this list of names where i wrote down every single object, event, whatsoever that was from my childhood while waiting in the car  for my baby sister. I wasn't really happy with the names I had on my list. They didn't really stand out or they're probably too common. I looked around in frustration and  noticed that there were these two girls  playing batu seremban. I miss playing that! I remember back then we didn't need to have a smartphones or whatsoever to entertain ourselves. Simple seven stones can make us so happy. We used to "battle" batu seremban from class to class for the whole month of November back in primary school as we were done with exams.

"I remember back then I wanted to play batu seremban with my cousins in my grandma's house. She wasn't too happy as we were leaving scratches all over the pretty marble tiles. She then decided to make us 'Pundi Kacang'."

Reminiscing all those moments and Fay finally got a name for her studio.

"Everything here is a DIY so I do not have to cough out so much of money to set up this place."said Fay

The cafe is on the top floor of a shop lot and there are murals on the wall as one goes up the stairs to the cafe.The murals were painted by Fay and her friends.The decoration is simply "retro". Drawings of P.Ramli and his Bujang Lapuk friends are painted on the wall and a drawing of girls playing  seven stones are painted on the door.

What about the food?
"My mom and I are the ones cooking. She'd cook the oriental dishes and I would do western, dessert and light food."replied Fay

" I've always pushed my mom ever since I was 17 to be a food caterer or at least delivery you know cause her food wasn't just like any other mom's. The authenticity is there. Especially when it comes to Thai food and we hardly get that in Ipoh no matter how "Thai" they claim to be. Now, it's like a dream come true. I get to work with my mom closely, she's finally cooking to sell and not just serve at home." said Fay with pride

Their speciality are "Laksa Siam" and Nasi Lemak Kampung

The concept. .

"I came up with this henna art, cafe and event space all in one single place because I think it's really special and you don't have it anywhere. Not that I know of, at least hahaha. I am constantly surrounded by a lot of creative people and it hit me that if I were to open up a place of my own, I'd like to also showcase their talents at my place."

" Some of them are just emerging in the entertainment and art industry, some of them are already famous. Either way, I love to celebrate art. Their talents are a gift from god and it shouldn't go to waste."

"It's refreshing for henna art lovers to actually get their favourite henna art stained while having some good food, drinks, music and company in a very cosy retro setting. I really hope that my studio will be one of the stops for cafe hoppers/tourists. It's worth it, I can guarantee that."

"I finally got everything in one place and I'm more than happy now to be able to share it with the community. I really hope this studio lasts because it's a very refreshing concept that has to go on."said Fay with determination.

Having heard all that from this Ipoh lass,Perak which was voted by Lonely Planet as the 9th place to visit in the world is proud to present a unique place for tourist and locals alike.

Bukit Berapit

The world is revolving fast and with that comes new technologies and mode of transportation. Gone are the days of  slow moving 'Choo Choo train '.Some have fond memories of the good old days where taking a locomotive  is not a rush for tickets because not many wants to take the slow ride and enjoy the sceneries.

Currently Malaysia have fast moving electric  trains  that will take passengers to their destinations in a short span of time.Going to Kuala Lumpur  from Ipoh is only two hours by the new ETS (electric train service ). Choo Choo train is outdated.People are buying time and most are not keen to watch sceneries through the window of a slow moving train.We have yet to experience the bullet train in Malaysia.

However,everything in life has its pros and cons.Going at the speed of light may be good for those who are travelling on a working trip but as for the oldies who are only going on a trip to visit their grandchildren, they would prefer to take an idyllic train rides.

Nostalgia often hit us as we reminisced and we wished to go back in time.Alan Bligh, former Radio and TV  Announcer recalled his special train rides to Penang from Ipoh with his grandmother when he was in Primary school.

"I can still remember those happy days when train rides was a treat for the kids.At that time we do not bother about the long hours spent on a train ride because of the sceneries. My favourite was the ride to Butterworth from Ipoh." said Alan with a chuckle.

"I look forward to those train rides to Butterworth because of the tunnels at Bukit Berapit.I remember feeling excited when the train reached Bukit Berapit and the train would move slowly as we entered the tunnels and as it crossed the Bukit Merah lake."

"It was so beautiful, the water was so close to the moving train on both sides because the track was at ground level and sometime the water would rise and cover the track."

Although the sight was magical, it was not safe and reliable. So the latest electric train uses a new double track on a high bridge that crosses the lake.

The new bridge called the Marine Viaduct is a two lane railway track that is higher than the old bridge.It is safer and more convenient in case of flood.

According to the group members of 'Jom naik Keretapi ' on Facebook  which includes Datuk Lat and Alan himself, the old rail track had made way for the new ETS track that goes to Padang Besar.The new tunnel is the longest tunnel in South East Asia and it was built  below the old tunnels. The old tunnels are still there,a reminder of the past.It was where the Japanese and Communist used during the war.

The old railway bridge which looks like the ones in the movie 'Indiana Jones ' is no longer there but the Bukit Berapit station is still there.Those who are game for adventure can still go to the old track and take a walk to the old tunnels.It is advisable to go in a group because it is a lonely place and some say that the tunnels are haunted.

Ex workers claimed to see ghost and 'pontianak' at the old Bukit Berapit tunnel but then again this is normal for any abandoned building especially tunnels.

The  railway track from Bukit Gantang to Taiping was built in 1902 and it began operation in 1903.There were four tunnels and a high bridge along Bukit Berapit. From the bridge, passengers of the train could see the beautiful surroundings ,ravines and the waterfalls.The train had to run at a low speed here because of the winding track and the height of the bridge.

Trains could only go at 40 km per hour  along that stretch of old track therefore the new ETS that is in operation now are a blessing for travellers to Perlis and from Perlis to Singapore.

"The old track had seen tragedies of train falling off the bridge into the ravine  during the old days.One was a train that carried boxes of medicines and stuff in the 70s." said a member of 'Jom naik Keretapi.'

History has it that the fort of Long Jaafar,the first Malay tin miner and his grave are situated along the vicinity of the old railway station of Bukit Berapit.There were suggestions of having the Bukit Berapit station be preserved but it has yet to see the light of day.The station was shut down  during the year 2000.

The old railway track was dismantled sometime in 2013 but people can still walk along the the site for photography and adventure.'Jom naik Keretapi' group is a platform for all train lovers to discuss and exchange views regarding the past and the latest.

Rumah Kutai

Raja Khalidatul Asrin 
12 / 5 /16
Kampung Gajah.

There are moments when people forget their roots which is a crying shame because our ancestors have left behind so much beauty to be unfold.

Rumah Kutai which can only be found in Perak is one good example and the management of iGrow has done a good job by showcasing it and their desa warisan is an eye opener.

There are two rumah Kutai at the desa warisan iGrow. One has become a home for the management and another one is a show house.Kutai means old,though some believe that is an Achinese word.The oldest Rumah Kutai in Perak is about 200 years old and is still standing strong in Pasir Salak.It is said that the house was built in 1800 by Penghulu Anjang Padam Pelita.

The Rumah Kutai at iGrow is 150 years old and it was left behind in a  village about 5 km from the desa warisan complex."We bought it from the ancestors of the house and we rebuild it at our place in order to preserve our heritage.Everything about the house is as it was.Nothing was removed or changed. " said Nordin Abdul Malik, Executive Chairman for iGrow.

The house is made from bamboo and tepas and  are pegged together without using nails. Inside the house is just like how it was.Walking up the tiny stairs and stepping inside seems magical.The kitchen with the wooden stove and everything seems surreal.

The complex are used by students of architecture from Uitm and other universities to study the structure of the old house.

The other rumah Kutai  is used for students to spend the night so as to let them get the feel."The students were taken back on a journey back to their grandparents era.They love the idea of sleeping on  matresses on the floor in a group." he said.

"When we dismantled the house to move it to our complex we found a shilling dated from 1870 underneath the pole of the house.That was their identity so to speak and that's how we know their age."said Nordin

The chalets at the complex are made of woods that are more than a hundred years old and they try their best to preserve the Malay heritage for the new generation.It is also part of   a history lesson for students that goes to iGrow.

"The woods that are used for the chalets were taken from Bukit Tunggal a long time ago.Back then the woods were down by buffaloes. "he said

The chalets are simple kampung style,with wooden floor and a double bed and a single bed.It is really a Malay heritage sort of place.The guest will be shown around by the students.Food are served by students too.

There are about 400 students at iGrow and they learned about culture and hospitality.  Some of the students are from Sabah and Sarawak and so tourist gets to see the traditional dance from Sabah and Sarawak which is very impressive. The students are mostly  from form four and above that has taken lessons in vocational studies.

The farms at iGrow have herds of goats and of course they are surrounded by palm oil trees.Everything  about the place is naturally beautiful and the chalets and 'rumah Kutai ' are true Malaysian identity . International tourist should visit and stay in this place in order to get to know and learn Malaysian culture.

Ends

Guangzhou in my mind

Today my article on the cancer forum which I attended was published in the papers.Although it was not as detailed as I wrote,yea they had to edit it because of space constraint,the message was clear.

I went to Guangzhou for the first time on the 1st July.I was sponsored by the Fuda Hospital of China as a journalist to write about their world forum on the latest treatment for the big C.

I love Guangzhou.The people are nice and contrary to what people say,it is a clean city.Maybe I was lucky cos where I stayed was the new city area.Tianhe area.The hotel was a 5 star hotel called Soluxe and my room was on the 36th floor.It faces the lake of the Tianhe park which was right beside the hotel.

Ofcos it was all about work.most of the time we were at the hospital for talks and all.But the Chinese treated us so well.Took us on the pearl river cruise at night and they even gave us shopping money.

The best part for me was the fact that I had the room all to myself.No sharing and it was a plush room.As an introvert i welcomed the privacy.

4 nights in Guangzhou and I still think about the city with fondness.To be able to go there was a gift from God and I will always remember that things cant be bad all the time for us.To think that I have been down and out,God lifts me up and gave me hope.

Sarang Paloh

Raja Khalidatul
Ipoh

What does staying in a hotel of a heritage building and that was once a pawnshop sounds?Interesting of course because it is one of a kind and rare in Perak.

The road used to be known as Hugh Low Street but now it is called Jalan Sultan Iskandar.There was a popular goldsmith shop beside a bank that was first known as Bank of Malaya and was founded by Leong Sin Nam in 1920s.Due to the recession it was liquidated  and was then bought over by  the Oversea Banking Chinese Corporation. (OCBC).This iconic building has withstood the test of time and the world war.It is a testament to the wealth derived from tin mining of the local Chinese tycoons.

"This hotel used to be a goldsmith  which later turned to a pawnshop and our event hall used to be the bank." said Peggy Lim.She was talking about the heritage hotel that belongs to her family.It is called "Sarang Paloh."

Peggy,27 may be considered as the new kid on the block for hotel players but she certainly knows what she wants.She did not change the facade of the hotel,the name of the goldsmith shop is still there.The beauty of the hotel is the fact that it maintains its looks and yet is modern enough to make the guest comfortable.It is not a replica of Bali or Thai nor is it of the Baba and Nyonya style.It is just plain Ipoh Chinese style during the 60s.

The buildings were restored using recycled timber and it has not lost its charm.The facade of the event hall is still very much the Gatsby style which reminds us that Perak was a colony of the 'orang puteh'

The concept  of the hotel is truly unique.Using the theme of minimalism, they use only simple Chinese style chairs and a Chinese antique reception desk.This ex goldsmith shop is approximately 100 years old and it's equipment are on display  in the lobby.

There are eleven rooms and each room are decorated differently.It is very inviting and cosy and you know that they did the hotel with passion.The floors are made of wood and nostalgia hits me as I walked up the stairs.The stairs are spiral  and I remembered my childhood days..Old buildings does that to me.The three old buildings that are now the hotel,event hall and a kopitiam are connected through a side door which was originally there.

Why is it called Sarang Paloh?

The name Sarang  Paloh  is a tribute to the history of the town and its people.Ipoh used to be known as Paloh.The origin of this name is symbolic reference to the dams that were constructed along the Kinta river for fishing purpose.These dams were referred to as Pa-lo in the Cantonese dialect.
"My grandmother still call Ipoh especially this old town area Paloh so we decided to use that name.Sarang means nest in Malay and since my father travels all the time,he would come back to his nest,added Peggy with a laugh.

Ipoh is proud to have hotels like 'Sarang Paloh' because it still preserves it's heritage.This hotel has a lovely indoor garden with water features. "My mother did the garden," says Peggy.Some rooms have the old wooden window that opens to the sight of the garden.All the furniture are simple antiques that are preloved from local Perakians.One has to see for oneself to truly appreciate the concept.

They don't serve food because the hotel is situated where all the food joints are close by.Infact the Lim family also have a kopitiam called Lim Kopi beside the event hall.So eating is not a problem.

The young Peggy Lim is also being help by Paulynn and Sharon who have years of experience in the hospitality industry and Peggy's mother also help with the management.The hotel is not a back packer hotel..It is for the middle income people ,she said.

For those who want to stay in a reasonable price yet pretty hotel,this is the place for you.

The Keris

We seems to be chasing the unknown, the latest technology and everything futuristic that we have forgotten about our past glories which are our heritage and legacy.

Dr.Fawazul Khair Ibrahim,58 who is a senior lecturer at the the faculty of built environment, University Technology Mara and holds a PhD in topology hulu keris hilt (dagger ) held a campaign with a theme called 'one house,one keris' for he fear that this Malay heritage may come to the point of extinction if the elderly neglects it."If we do not champion our own legacy,then who will?" said Fawazul or Prof (I call him prof)."To me,the keris is our legacy" he continued and should be valued by the Malays.

Fawazur who is also an artist hope that his campaign which he does through his art work will make the society realize that the subject of keris (dagger) is not just a symbol to be be used during convocation and installation of the Sultans.It is a legacy for all Malays and we should keep this legacy alive.With that in mind,it will also help the few remaining 'tukang keris' to heighten their unique profession and perhaps pass down their knowledge to others.

"I am not a "tukang keris" therefore I paint and draw the hulu keris tajung as a subject matter hoping that my drawings and art will attract the younger generation to the keris." he said

In ancient days,the keris was said to have supernatural power.They can fly out from their sheath and kill their enemy.Some can even kill their enemy by shoving the dagger into the footsteps of the enemy.These are just myth and folklore. Myths are meant to entertain the listeners.

Abdul Mazin Abdul Jamal is a professional keris maker.He is 65 and he belongs to the fourth generation of the 'tukang keris' (keris maker )He resides in Padang Changkat ,Kuala Kangsar.

"Long ago the Malays in the Peninsular  used spears (lembing)till one day a woman decided to shorten the spear and turned it into a dagger called 'keris' so that the women of that era could hide it in their 'sanggul'(hair bun)."said Mazin . According to prof,this is subjective because it is not written in any book.

The keris is a double edge blade and there are straight blade and curved blades.Everything about the keris has  meanings.There are three types of keris,that is the 'keris anak alang' 'keris Sempana' and the keris hukum.We do not have to delve deep into the names unless one is going to pursue a PhD in this field.

The beauty of the keris lies at the hilt (hulu) because of the intricate carving and decorations. Look at how beautiful the "Taming Sari " is . This keris was presented to Hang Tuah by the Sultan of Malacca and it was a powerful dagger.Many stories were told about the Taming Sari but it is now part of the royal regalia of the Perak Sultanate. How it came to Perak remains a mystery. The logical explanation would be because of Sultan Muzaffar Shah, the first Sultan of Perak. Since he was from Malacca,it must have been brought along by him.

Legend has it that the 'Taming Sari 'was thrown into the sea by Hang Tuah because he killed his best friend Hang Jebat with that keris and somehow when Sultan Muzaffar reach Beting Beras Basah in Perak,it appeared,floating beside his ship.So that was how Sultan Muzaffar got the most talked about dagger in Malaysia. Then again it is a legend so lets leave it as it is.

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Ho Yan Hor

The Ho Yan Hor tea museum which is located at Jalan bukit timah right beside Han Chin Pet Soo museum was built to honour the man  called Dr.Ho Kai Cheong.His father was Ho Sin Leong from China and he came to Malaya and was stationed  in Kati,Kuala Kangsar. 

Therefore Dr.Ho was the first Chinese to be born in Kati. His father runs a kopitiam and that was how he cultivated his interest in tea making.

The museum was the orginal home of Dr Ho who initially rented a room for his family in 1941.After his success, he bought the building and the rest is history.

From the Ho Yan Hor herbal tea business, Ho set up the Ho Yan Hor Medical Hall, later renamed as Ho Yan Hor Sdn Bhd.
Today, it is known as Hovid Bhd, a public listed company.

"At the age of eight his father took him back to China and after six years he returned to Malaya.At 14 he decided to venture on his own telling his father that he no longer wants to work in the kopitiam. "said Ng Chen Yuan, the museum manager.

So he found a job in a Chinese medical hall."He was hardworking and was an avid reader.He learned about Chinese medicine through his books ."

" He managed to open a medical hall at the age of 17 and runs it for a year after which he was called  back to China to join the army .Later he went to Hong Kong and took up medicine at Canton University and graduated in 1940."said Ng.

He came back to Malaya and became a Chinese physician in Malim Nawar. Not long after his stint as a physician, he was caught by the Japanese because they thought that he was a spy for the British. He pleaded stubbornly to the Japanese saying "I am a doctor, not a spy  and my job is to treat the people." So by luck,he was set free.

He ran off to a Malay village and started planting padi in order to hide from the Japanese. He moved to Ipoh after the war and met his wife.At this point,he was totally broke but he had a mentor .

The mentor adviced him to sell his herbal tea on a small scale. With four dollars in his pocket, he started brewing his first pot of tea.Ho sold his tea within an hour.So happy he was, that he started his tea business from 5pm to 10pm and everyday he sold 1,200 cups. Lady luck was on his side and he started making money .Every night his hand shook while counting his money.

Ho was also known as a cycling entrepreneur.He cycled all over  Malaya to sell his tea and it took him three weeks to reach Kuala Lumpur with blisters all over.He made it and took half a year to get back home.

In 1948 he bought his first car, and in 1951 he bought his first Ho Yan Hor van for his business.

The museum shares the amazing stories of the founder and provides the discovery of the origins and evolution of the heritage herbal tea, including the 24 herbs used by Dr Ho to make his herbal Ho yan hor tea.

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Little by little,we are loosing it

I was searching for children who plays traditional games like what I grew up playing  for my photography but not a sight.None of the kids wants to play those games of hopscotch ,seven stones (seremban ) anymore. I would be lying if I were to say that some mothers still encourage their kids to play those games.Perhaps not within my vicinity, I don't know. I feel sorry for these new era kids because most of the traditional games teach us teamwork, interaction,hand and eye coordination and creativity.

With evolution ,everything is gone.Children are lazy,they go to cyber cafes and spend money on games on the net.They follow rules of the net and all they do is sit.Then they become fat and we complaint about obesity. Who is to be blame?

Some parents doesn't want to be considered not modern enough to allow their children to play with ipad and tablets.Gadgets are expensive but even kampung kids have gadgets these days.Then the parents complaint about not having enough money for food.Who is to be blame?

To say that we are loosing our identity as Malaysians now is not correct.We do not have real identity because we were ruled by the orang puteh.Back in the 60s the youth were into the 'flower child' era.They listen to rock music and not dondang sayang.In retrospect we never dress as Malays but we were wearing jeans and tshirts. We idolised the orang puteh ways so much that we do not bother wearing our baju kurung.Who is to be blame?

Back to the issue of games.We played those traditional games because we do not have the net at that time.So we used our mind and created games that has now come to the point of extinction. The good thing about  'our game' is that we were healthier than the children of today.Why won't they play the game that we played?Let us ask ourselves ,why won't we listen to dondang sayang like our parents did?