TO KNOW THE LOCATION OF THE HOUSE, PLEASE COUNT THE NUMBER OF LAMP POST FROM THE JUNCTION.

The house is located at the 30th lamp post from the mamin road.

My mother in-law's house

My fanily and I spent my holiday in Johor. We stayed at my mother-law's house in Kampung Parit Sempadan, Batu Pahat. We stayed there for 3 weeks. The house was located about 3 km from tthe main road. Inorder to go to the town, we have to get somebody to send us to the main road by motorcycle or car. If not, we have to go on foot. My brother in-law have a motocycle. So each time I want to go to the town, we asked his help to send us to the junction. Coming back from the town, we get a taxi. The taxi fare per trip is RM 20.00. The taxi driver will ask for the location of the house. he will never ask for the house number. Instead, he will ask for the lamp post. aHow many lamp post from the junction to the house. The first time, I ws a bit puzzled. Please do not expect me to count for the number of the lamp posts. It is not my job to do so. When I reaced home I started to look at the lamp post just in front of the house. There is a number printed at every lamp post, starting from the first lamp post at the junction. So, my mother in-law's house is located at the 30th lamp pos.

One morning, on November 28, 2009, I went to the Hot Spring Pool in Gersik Muar together with my brother in-law and our children. Here are some notes about the history of the hot spring wchich I goot from the information board at the entrance.

Sejarah Kolam Air Panas Sungai Gersik Muar

Menurut sejarah yang dapat dikesan dari Pejabat Pendaftaran Tanah dan cerita orang tua-tua, pembukaan Kampung Gersik ini bermula pada tahun 1883. Peneroka asal kampong ini ialah Orangkaya Ali dari Muar dan para pengikutnya yang menyusuri pantai Selat Melaka setelah berlaku perselisihan keluarga.

Penemuan kolam air panas Sungai Gersik merupakan satu-satunya yang airnya sentiasa panas secara semulajadi terdapat di Daerah Muar khasnya dan negeri Johor amnya. Kolam air panas ini mula ditemui oleh Tuan Haji Abd Rahman bin Haji Irsad atau lebih dikenali dengan nama Haji Abdul Rahman bin Getu pada tahun 1911. Ketika ini Kampung Sungai Gersik telah diterokai sejauh 2.5 Kilometer ke pedalaman dan kawasan sekitar Kolam Air Panas ini masih lagi hutan belantara. Pada suatu hari, Haji Abd Rahman telah masuk ke hutan untuk mencari linau dan anak kayu untuk dijadikan bahan membuat pondoknya. Setelah linau anak kayu diperolehi menjelang tengah hari, beliau telah ternampak sesuatu yang aneh menyerupai sebuah tasik kecil bergais pusat kira-kira 3 meter dikelilingi oleh lembah berlumpur serta semak. Airnya menggelegak dan berasap mengalir ke lembah di sekitarnya. Setelah itu, Haji Abd Rahman berasa seram dan takut lalu terus meninggalkan tempat itu tanpa mengambil kayu yang dikumpulnya tadi. Malang sungguh nasib Haji Abd Rahman kerana beliau tidak Berjaya mencari jalan pulang, sesat hingga ke senja. Haji Abd Rahman pun pulang lantas menceritakan kiisqah penemuannya itu kepada penduduk kampong. Anehnya kolam yang menjadi cerita hangat di kalangan penduduk kampong itu tidak pula ditemui apabila dicari. Kira-kira 3 bulan kemudian, haji Abd Rahman bersama Rajikan pergi ke hutan untuk mencari anak kayu dan rotan menemui semula kolam air panas yang diceritajan itu, beliau terus merintis jalan serta membuat tanda pada pokok-pokok sampai ke jalan keluar dari tempat yang tidak dapat dilupai hingga sekarang. DARIPADA PEJABAT DAERAH MUAR JKKK SG. GERSIK TEKS INI DIPETIK DARI PAPAN TANDA YANG DIPAPAR DI PINTU MASUK KOLAM AIR PANAS SUNGAI GERSIK, MUAR.

TO KNOW OUR LOCAL FRUITS AND PLANTS 10

Scientific name: Artocarpus odoratissimusFamily: MoraceaeCommon names: Marang, Tarap, Green Terap, Johey OakOrigin: Malesia, Borneo, Brunei Marang, or Tarap, is one of the most delicious tropical fruit and beautiful exotic tree. It has lobed leaves, as large as 2-4ft long and 1 ft broad, similar to the Breadfruit's, but a little less lobed. It is native to Southeastern Asia. In a wild, is found extensively in Brunei Darussalam and parts of Sabah and Sarawak. Fruit As indicated by the scientific name, the fruit has a strong scent. It is delicious, soft flavored and can be appreciated from the first bite. The fruit is considered superior in flavor to both Jackfruit or Chempedak. It is oblong, 10-12" long, and can weight up to a few pounds. The appearance of the fruit can be regarded as an intermediate shape between the Jackfruit and the Breadfruit. The fruit color turns from a light green to a deep shade of brown when mature. The skin is covered with soft spines, and has an appearance which is close to that of the Durian or the Jackfruit. The thick rind is covered with soft, broad spines. They become hard and brittle as the fruit matures. The fruit does not fall to the ground when ripe. It may be harvested while still hard, and left to ripen until soft. The ripe fruit is opened by cutting the rind around. Twisting and gently pulling the halves complete the operation. The interior of the fruit is somewhat similar to the jackfruit's, but the color is whitish. The core is relatively large, but there are fewer "rags" and less non-edible parts. Arils are white and the size of a grape, each containing a 1/2" seed. Once opened, the fruit should be consumed quickly (in a few hours), as it loses flavor rapidly and fruit oxidizes. The pulp of the fruit is eaten fresh, has delightful fragrant aroma. It is sweet, nutritious and has been used in many food preparations. Young unripe fruits are sometimes eaten as vegetables. The seeds are also valuable. Roasted, the seed has firm texture, nutty, not too oil and has a taste reminiscent of chestnut. These features hold tremendous potential for Tarap fruit and seeds to be developed into food products. This versatile tree has served the needs of the rural communities well providing food, nutrition and many other uses to people. It is cultivated in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Southern Thailand. The fruit is grown for local consumption, but the short shelf-life of the fruit limits its wider use. The fruit ripens quite quickly, and once it's ripe it deteriorates in less than a few days so exporting is a problem. There are no commercial plantations cultivating this fruit and thus availability is dependent on prospectors who venture into the thickets of jungles to retrieve them. When the season starts, truckloads can be found by the roadsides hawking Tarap. Ripe or not? Ripening takes only a few days and most tarap cannot be kept longer than a week. The fruits can be picked and stored in the refrigerator though but still shelf life is not too good and best enjoyed at once. To determine if the fruit is ripe, use the smell test first, and mind you it does smell although not as bad as famous "stinky" Durian. When ripe, the smell will be a sharp pungent aroma even when the fruit is unopened, the stronger the smell the riper the fruit is. The best is when you can detect a faint whiff and not too overpowering before you open it. The other indicator is how you feel the fruit. Grasp both your arms around one and gently rub and squeeze the fruit. As it ripens, the hard fruit will feel a bit mushy in you grasp. If fluid is dripping profusely from the fruit it could mean that the content within is already spoiling and should not be considered. Over ripe fruits would give your mouth a strong taste of fermented alcohol. To open the fruit, just press your thumb into the soft skin and pry the pieces away and you’ll be greeted by a nicely arranged array of white "fruits" that looks like pale miniature chempedaks. They will be wrapped in yellow tendrils extending from the husk and stuck to the main stem of the fruit found in the center. To eat, just twist the fruit and pop it into your mouth, the center of the fruit consists of a single oval shape brown seed. A single Tarap can hold as much as 150 to 200 little "fruits" within. The taste varies according to fruit. Fruits not fully ripen will have a starchy bitter taste while an evenly ripe one has the taste of rosemary with custard. Growing In tropical climate this evergreen tree grows to 60 ft tall, in subtropical areas it won't grow as tall and can stay under 20 ft. Marang can be grown in container inside a greenhouse, where it will enjoy high humidity. This tree is sensitive to freeze and requires protection below 45F. It needs regular watering and fertile well-drained soil. High air humidity is always a plus.The seedlings grow rapidly, first fruit can be expected within 3-4 years.

from:http://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/plant_wk/artocarpus_odoratissimus.htm

Alek, my new pet

Date of birth: 19th May 2009

2 weeks after born, her mom went out and never returned, we suspected of food poisoning, because the time she went out, our gardener sprayed the compound with weed killer. She left her 5 kitties. My 3 daughters looked after them. They tried their best to make the 5 kitties survived. However, 4 of them died. Only Alek survived.

TO KNOW OUR LOCAL FRUITS AND PLANTS 9 NIPPLE BRINJAL, TERUNG SUSU

Solanum mammosum, Solanaceae.

This species ia a semi-woody herb from Central Africa and South America. It grows into a small shrub with large leaves of serrated margin. Thorns are found on the leaves and stem. The flowers are rather small. The fruits are orange in colour, smooth and conical in shapes with rounded lobes at the base. The fruits can be used for flower arrangement for indoor decoration. It grows by seeds.

(from "Malaysian Fruits in Colours" by H.F Chin & H.S Yong)

to know our local insects 1

the rhinoceros beetle

The rhinoceros beetles or rhino beetle are a subfamily (Dynastinae) of beetles in the family of scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae). They are among the largest of beetles, and their common name refers to the characteristic horns borne by the males of most species in the group. The male beetles use their horns in mating battles against other males. Their larval stage is long, several years in some species. The larvae feed on rotten wood while the adults feed on nectar, plant sap and fruit. Rhinoceros beetle larvae are sometimes fried and eaten as a bush delicacy. However, their greatest economic importance is as pests: Oryctes rhinoceros especially can de-foliate and sometimes kill coconut and oil palms in the SE Asian and Pacific regions. Biological controls heve been developed, based on entomopathogen viruses and the fungus Metarhizium majus. Rhinoceros beetles are popular pets in Asia. They are clean, easy to maintain, and safe to handle. In Asian countries, male beetles are also used for gambling fights since they naturally compete for female beetles with the winner knocking the other off a log. Rhinoceros beetles are also the strongest animals on the planet in relation to their own size. They can lift up to 850 times their own weight. to know more, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_Beetle

SIAPA YANG PERLUKAN DUIT?

saya tak perlukan duit. saya tak perlukan duit? ya..memang betul. apabila saya ke stesen minyak untuk isi minyak kereta, mereka minta duit daripada saya. apabila saya ke pasar ikan untuk membeli ikan, mereka perlukan duit saya. apabila saya ke kedai gunting rambut, selepas rambut saya digunting, mereka perlukan duit saya. jadi, sebenarnya mereka yang perlukan duit, bukan saya, kerana apabila saya dapat duit, saya berikan mereka duit untuk mendapatkan barangan atau perkhidmatan mereka. any way, selamat menyambut hari guru kepada semua warga pendidik di seluruh negara.

muhddamine in his 20's

Muhddamine in 1982.

24 years old.

At that time, he was a trainee teacher in Batu Lintang Teachers' College (BLTC), majoring in Malay Studies and History. He only taught History for form three classes in 1988 (Bintulu Secondary School). In SMK Serian he taught form two classes in 1994 and form three in 1997.