I made this video to highlight the deforestation activities which are going on in Anjung Indah,Balik Pulau,Penang(along Tun Sardon Road).Much damage has been done,and I hope the Penang Government will take immediate action soon.
See it for yourself and be free to comment on what you think should be done.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
The Quest for the Missing Link
Northern hills- CONQUERED, Eastern hills-CONQUERED, Central hills...That remained a question mark. It was one of the last bastions where we had never set our hiking shoes upon. The largest hinterland on the island that we missed out in our tireless endeavour to hike every hill in Penang. Scrolling through the maps, this frontier land seemed equally elusive and exciting. The perfect cowboy country for any nature lover. And so we set, into this hinterland, a land of mysteries and stories untold, expecting adventure and some fun.
It began an early Saturday morning after breakfast. Dad and I, fully equipped with all our ‘’hiking gear’’ started our journey by heading to Anjung Indah, Balik Pulau on our Red Perdana. The mountain air was so refreshing and invigorated our spirits with new energy and zeal for the hike. As we bade farewell to civilization we were greeted by the pitiful sight of a forest being choked by the unscrupulous activities of man.”HUTAN SIMPAN KEKAL BUKIT RELAU” read the sign,gleaming in bright yellow, only to be surrounded by the sight of rotting logs and fresh tree stumps. Shatters the heart of any nature lover who sees it. Alas, the fate of the forest is sealed. A pitiful death in the hands of man.
Environmental concerns aside, our hike proceeded on through the thickets of Bukit Relau forest reserve, mainly on gentle hill ridges and occasional steep descents. To my surprise there is a large patch of Seraya(Shorea Curtisii) trees with their gleaming silver and golden leaves flourishing in the middle of what is now Penang’s main farmland country. Even after 100 years of agriculture in the area, there still remain virgin pockets of nature, tucked away in small valleys and hill tops.
After almost an hour through this biodiversity hotspot, we finally came to a place not many in Penang would know. Tucked away between the ridges of Bukit Penara to the east and lush verdant hills to the south was a valley, a valley of farms, right in the heart of Penang. I’ll call it Umm al-Farms, Mother of Farms. And there we were, in Umm al-Farms, seemingly awestruck by the sheer beauty of the topography in the area. Bukit Penara with its towering transmittion station rising gently in front of us and below were lush Bunga Kantan farms, a must have ingredient for the well known Penang Laksa. Looking up the steep trail to Bukit Penara, I wondered if ever by the slightest chance there would be a link,a link that took us from Balik Pulau to the northernmost town of Penang, Teluk Bahang. The thought itself brought a surge of adrenalin and my mind started going wild, pondering what such a trek would be like.
Soon, the sun’s scorching rays were just too unbearable for us and we decided to call it a day, ending our hike by following a motorbike track down to Paya Terubong.
Going down the hill, the thought kept coming back to mind. Where would the missing link be? The missing link to Teluk Bahang. I promised myself I’ll be back very soon in search of it. And so the quest for the missing link continues...
Friday, October 29, 2010
Guang Ming Bukit Jambul(BJ) Hikathon 2010
It has been quite a while since I last blogged here,I guess it’s because of the time factor and besides I dint feel that I had anything interesting to write about! Well now I do!
It is almost a week since Bukit Jambul Hikathon 2010 took place, but it’s still etched in my mind. Thus far, it has been the most successful run I participated in, after I first fell in love with this sport 4 months ago. All credit goes to Ooi Kok Hin, who took me for my first run which was of course the KWYP Penang Hill Run on the 4th of July 2010 after which I knew this was really my obsession. Credits aside, let’s get to the main story now!
It was a fine evening when my eagle eyes spotted a banner with the words “GUANG MING BUKIT JAMBUL HIKATHON 2010” near my college. Right away an adrenalin rush surged within me and my mind just kept telling me, “Rexy, you are so going for this!!”
So me and my dad signed up and we waited patiently, practicing and getting ready for the 24 of Oct 2010,the day of the run.There were only 2 categories, Men’s category and Women’s category ,unlike other runs which had at least 4 categories.The first 70 men and 30 women to finish the race were to be awarded medals.So,I set my goal to come within that 70 men perhaps somewhere like 40th or 50th placing,but little did I know the surprise G-d had in store for me.
I still vividly remember the night before. Rolling on the bed, I couldn’t get enough sleep as the excitement and adrenalin rush started building within me.I kept on waking up from time to time at night thinking that it’s time for the race! Worst still, I even had a dream of myself struggling up the steep slope of the hill that night!The alarm rang at 5.00am and I jumped out of bed to get ready. Soon, all stretched and warmed up, me and my dad were at the Bukit Jambul foothill, with almost 2000 others getting ready for the hikathon. As usual there was an Aerobics session just to get all those stiffened muscles loosened up before the run began.
As soon as our own Batu Uban PKR Strongman S Raveentharan flagged off the race everyone started running downhill along the road in front of INTI and then turning back up a steep road back to the Bukit Jambul trail head,before heading into the Bukit Jambul forest.Early on,my mind kept on reminding me “REXY,you listen here!Go fast,only the first 70 will get a medal!What if you turn out 71st?Wasted effort right?”These fears crept into my mind and kept me going at full speed.
Soon, i realised that I was quite far ahead.The number of people ahead of me seemed to get lesser and lesser.First top 30,then top 20 and soon among the first 10 runners leading the race!Seriously even I myself couldnt believe it!My mind was “Wow,Rexy this is cekap la!!Or are these guys delibrately slowing down to reserve energy for the steep slopes of Bukit Jambul and Bukit Kukus which were to come?”This thought made me slow down a bit but i kept going at a good pace so as to not get left out.
Soon the tarred road ended and we were met by the trees and the bushy undergrowth of the forest.The slopes of Bukit Jambul and Bukit Kukus looked daunting as they were equally rocky and steep.I kept pushing myself, picturing myself at the finishline.I kept telling myself “Rexy,you’ve come this far,you are never gonna stop,go on!go on!”.The trail snaked up Bukit Kukus Hill,a little known 418metre hill beside Bukit Jambul,before going down to Bukit Jambul Hill(Bukit Jambul is shorter).
After the uphill climb to Bukit Kukus,i dashed down the steep hillside.By now I had lost much pace and was down to the 13th position,instead of the top 10 initialy.I kept on pushing not losing hope even with my legs aching and my energy zapped.
As I reached the final 200 meters of the run,the running officials gave us Malaysia flags to wave as we ran to the finish line.
It was a steep decent down and I knew this was my grand finale .I accelerated and dashed past the 12th and 11th persons in pack.Joy awaited me as I reached the finish line.As I was awarded my medal at the finish line,I knew I had done it!11th placing,WOHOO!!I was overjoyed and raised my hands in the air in a show of personal victory.Praise the Lord!The gruelling training sessions I subjected myself to,being drenched by the rain and even vomiting during trainning were all worthwhile after all.Finally I was able to prove myself to all those who belittled me and said things like “Your running a losing race” that I indeed could achieve something in this sport.As I held on to that medal of mine,I knew in my heart that where there is a will there will always be a way.
Just give running a chance and once you get that blood moving,its show time!-Wilfredo Melendez,US ARMY
Thursday, January 14, 2010
A glimmer of hope for Tolerance
The recent events in Malaysia have triggered a form of sectarianism like never expected before in this nation. A court verdict which gave the green light for the usage of the term in the Arabic language to describe G-D by the Christians triggered an uproar of anger within the religious majority of the nation. Though at first the anger was confined to non-violent methods like demonstrations and blog articles it soon turned violent when extremist elements within the society brought the simmering conflict to a different level.
A day after the killing of 6 parishioners outside a church in the intolerant nation of Egypt, Malaysia was seeing its own share of religious intolerance. The Metro Tabernacle Church in the periphery of KL city was arsoned. Soon more attacks followed and in 5 days almost 9 churches nationwide were attacked. As Christians nationwide thronged the gates of heavens with pleas and prayers, a whirlwind of thoughts overwhelmed me. Is our fate sealed like that of the Mustaarabi Jews who contributed so much to the Arab nations but were at last disowned by their own governments? The semangat perpaduan which I upheld as my principle in life was almost at the brink of shattering. Am I supposed to leave this beloved land, the only place I call “home” just because of my religious affiliation? Questions ran in and out of my mind, bringing me to a standstill.
These notions of mine were silenced when I read the “Star” paper yesterday (13/1/10).I was filled with surprise when I saw the picture on the first page. There right in front of me was a photo of Muslims in their traditional Baju Melayu and headgear called the songkok standing in front of a church which I presume was a Catholic church guarding it against attacks from extremists! I was so surprised and overwhelmed with joy. I immediately showed the article to my mom and it too invoked the same feelings in her. Awe and surprise. I flipped through the pages and I saw another picture which caught my attention. It was about a middle aged Indian Muslim blogger who raised RM8500 for the rebuilding of the Metro Tabernacle Church. I felt joy and awe when I read the article and saw the great responsibility the Muslims in the nation felt towards the Christian community even though the attacks were not perpetrated by them but by extremist elements.
Even MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association),a political body offered its support by letting the Pentecostal faithful of Metro Tabernacle Church use MCA’s hall for worship services.As a Christian Malaysian seeing this outpouring of concern from Malaysians of different backgrounds, I felt that my fellow citizens of different races and religions were treating me and the wider Christian community as one of them,as part and parcel of their family, as a Malaysian.
Indeed this incident has shed light on the fact that we Malaysian are united as one. We do not see each other as Malay, Chinese, or Indian but ultimately as Malaysians only. We love each other and cherish the differences which make us uniquely Malaysian! So I guess the flame of tolerance which is embedded in every Malaysian’s soul will continue burning for generations to come. No one,no matter who it may be can extinguish this spirit of tolerance which has propelled our nation for this long. Malaysia Boleh!
A day after the killing of 6 parishioners outside a church in the intolerant nation of Egypt, Malaysia was seeing its own share of religious intolerance. The Metro Tabernacle Church in the periphery of KL city was arsoned. Soon more attacks followed and in 5 days almost 9 churches nationwide were attacked. As Christians nationwide thronged the gates of heavens with pleas and prayers, a whirlwind of thoughts overwhelmed me. Is our fate sealed like that of the Mustaarabi Jews who contributed so much to the Arab nations but were at last disowned by their own governments? The semangat perpaduan which I upheld as my principle in life was almost at the brink of shattering. Am I supposed to leave this beloved land, the only place I call “home” just because of my religious affiliation? Questions ran in and out of my mind, bringing me to a standstill.
These notions of mine were silenced when I read the “Star” paper yesterday (13/1/10).I was filled with surprise when I saw the picture on the first page. There right in front of me was a photo of Muslims in their traditional Baju Melayu and headgear called the songkok standing in front of a church which I presume was a Catholic church guarding it against attacks from extremists! I was so surprised and overwhelmed with joy. I immediately showed the article to my mom and it too invoked the same feelings in her. Awe and surprise. I flipped through the pages and I saw another picture which caught my attention. It was about a middle aged Indian Muslim blogger who raised RM8500 for the rebuilding of the Metro Tabernacle Church. I felt joy and awe when I read the article and saw the great responsibility the Muslims in the nation felt towards the Christian community even though the attacks were not perpetrated by them but by extremist elements.
Even MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association),a political body offered its support by letting the Pentecostal faithful of Metro Tabernacle Church use MCA’s hall for worship services.As a Christian Malaysian seeing this outpouring of concern from Malaysians of different backgrounds, I felt that my fellow citizens of different races and religions were treating me and the wider Christian community as one of them,as part and parcel of their family, as a Malaysian.
Indeed this incident has shed light on the fact that we Malaysian are united as one. We do not see each other as Malay, Chinese, or Indian but ultimately as Malaysians only. We love each other and cherish the differences which make us uniquely Malaysian! So I guess the flame of tolerance which is embedded in every Malaysian’s soul will continue burning for generations to come. No one,no matter who it may be can extinguish this spirit of tolerance which has propelled our nation for this long. Malaysia Boleh!
The island paradise in the Carribean
The unspoilt queen of the Carribean.Saba an island,the smallest in fact of the Netherlands Antilles is a paradise of its own.I have never personaly been there before but judging from the photos on the net and the travel videos I am more than sure this island of 1500 inhabitants is indeed paradise.Take a look!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Last Day At School
What started out as a day I never anticipated on the 19th of November 2009 was at last coming to an end. The countdown ran from 3 digits to 2 and at last 1 digit. Hey wait don’t get scared because its not the countdown to SPM but instead the countdown to the last day of SPM!!Take a moment and read this experience of the last day of SPM from the perspective of a Penang Free Student.
It started out as another day at school with an early morning breakfast, prayer and not forgetting my SUCCESS chemistry book The road was clear as we headed to school in Mom’s Kancil.It seemed ideal that blessed morn as though it was just another day at school. However this was not, it was the last time I was officially wearing this white and green uniform of mine. I felt so proud wearing it as though it was the Scarlet robe of a great nobleman.
Thoughts ran through my mind as I walked through the silent corridors of school that morning, glancing at my Chemistry book from moment to moment. At one end of my head were atoms and Sodium Chloride. At the other end it was memories in school. Oh that moment!!Felt so disoriented!!
Soon I was greeted by Lim Peng Chew’s ‘golden’ students ,Dev, Ooi and Vincent all having Lim Peng Chew’s secret ‘tips’.I knew it was off limits to outsiders like me who did not go for his tuition. However, I also did not come unarmed for battle. My arsenal was Mr Baskaran’s Seminar Spot Questions.100% accurate and deemed reliable-according to him. However the moments before the exam were so hectic that none of the input from the books entered my brains.
Soon we were called in to the hall and exams began. Paper 1, Paper 2 and soon it was Paper 3.Paper 3 was the surprise. It was as though it came out of a dream. Alas none of the spot came out!!The exam hall seemed to be very tensed and everyone around me were like in a state of awe not believing the contents of the paper in front of them. Even I myself pondered whether I was in a dream!!Soon it was 3.30PM.
All around everyone seemed like a erupting volcano of excitement waiting to erupt at the final whistle. The examination invigilator, a funny Indian chap tried his best to keep everyone at bay. Soon he had to say the final words…..”Pelajar boleh meninggalkan dewan…”.At this the euphoria erupted and the hall was filled with the sound of joy. Even I myself could not believe it!!!End of school? No more studies? No more skema peperiksaan?This is overwhelming!!
The joy knew no bounds. Armed with my Nikon Coolpix we took endless photos not wanting to forget that most pivotal moment. Then 4 of us Jagath,Ooi,Saathish and me proceeded to walk the whole length and breadth of school. We looked at almost everything both great and small that defined our lives for the past five years. Even the insignificant stone suddenly had an underlying meaning to it. Though it was sad my heart reassured me that this is part of life’s journey.”Stay strong, don’t look back and move forward”. But Penang Free School and all the friends I met there, you will always have a place in my heart!!
It started out as another day at school with an early morning breakfast, prayer and not forgetting my SUCCESS chemistry book The road was clear as we headed to school in Mom’s Kancil.It seemed ideal that blessed morn as though it was just another day at school. However this was not, it was the last time I was officially wearing this white and green uniform of mine. I felt so proud wearing it as though it was the Scarlet robe of a great nobleman.
Thoughts ran through my mind as I walked through the silent corridors of school that morning, glancing at my Chemistry book from moment to moment. At one end of my head were atoms and Sodium Chloride. At the other end it was memories in school. Oh that moment!!Felt so disoriented!!Soon I was greeted by Lim Peng Chew’s ‘golden’ students ,Dev, Ooi and Vincent all having Lim Peng Chew’s secret ‘tips’.I knew it was off limits to outsiders like me who did not go for his tuition. However, I also did not come unarmed for battle. My arsenal was Mr Baskaran’s Seminar Spot Questions.100% accurate and deemed reliable-according to him. However the moments before the exam were so hectic that none of the input from the books entered my brains.
Soon we were called in to the hall and exams began. Paper 1, Paper 2 and soon it was Paper 3.Paper 3 was the surprise. It was as though it came out of a dream. Alas none of the spot came out!!The exam hall seemed to be very tensed and everyone around me were like in a state of awe not believing the contents of the paper in front of them. Even I myself pondered whether I was in a dream!!Soon it was 3.30PM.
All around everyone seemed like a erupting volcano of excitement waiting to erupt at the final whistle. The examination invigilator, a funny Indian chap tried his best to keep everyone at bay. Soon he had to say the final words…..”Pelajar boleh meninggalkan dewan…”.At this the euphoria erupted and the hall was filled with the sound of joy. Even I myself could not believe it!!!End of school? No more studies? No more skema peperiksaan?This is overwhelming!!
The joy knew no bounds. Armed with my Nikon Coolpix we took endless photos not wanting to forget that most pivotal moment. Then 4 of us Jagath,Ooi,Saathish and me proceeded to walk the whole length and breadth of school. We looked at almost everything both great and small that defined our lives for the past five years. Even the insignificant stone suddenly had an underlying meaning to it. Though it was sad my heart reassured me that this is part of life’s journey.”Stay strong, don’t look back and move forward”. But Penang Free School and all the friends I met there, you will always have a place in my heart!!
The Forgotten Refugees
We are always alerted about the atrocities Israeli settlers do in the Holy Land. Illegal housing, endless barricades and the list goes on. However we only see part of the story. Heard of the Arab Jews? The Yahudee Arabi?You may think i’m out of mind to say such things but the truth is there were 1 million Musta'arabi Jews in the Middle East,50 years ago. Yes,in Syria,Iraq, Iran, Egypt and even tribal Yemen. This video will highlight the fate of this once prosperous minority which were an invaluable asset to the Arab states.So every time you go out to protest against Israel remember this video.They are the forgotten refugees of 1948.
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