Intoxicated in His Ocean of Mercy

Apong @ Nipah @Sea Coconut

This, my friend, is an 'apong' tree... 'apong' to the Sarawakians, 'nipah' to the West Malaysians.


Remember those crystal jelly you had for desert? This is where you harvest them. Sarawakians call it 'buah tematu'. This fruit can grow to the size of a football.



Below, is what it looks like at its juvenile stage. And the corn-like thingee is the 'mayang' or flowers.


So, what do you do with an apong tree? You harvest the 'air sadap', a clear sometimes slightly murky sweet liquid .

You harvest it with a recycle plastic bottle, than you pour it into these bamboo containers.



You boil it, and stir till the liquid thickens



And you 'll get this gooey muddy substance, poured in tins, or clear containers




So... what do you do with 'gula apong'?


Sarawakians make various deserts with it, such as this kuih celorot...

or fried gula apong-coated kuih cincin

or this kuih perahu...

or you can order "teh c special satu"! This, is Heaven.

Ngoang

If you ever visit the coastal areas of Sarawak, you might encounter patches of small 'volcanoes'.

These are the abodes of the local 'ngoang', or crayfish.

Locals believe it is a cure for athma patients.

al Fatihah

Ustad Awang Pon, 17 July 2009.

His posts will still echo thru muallimawang.wordpress.com as advice for us and generations to come.

We'll be missing a family friend...

What 1 may find in the Sri Aman's Sunday Market

Where is Sri Aman? It's Sarawak's second out of 11 Division.


View Larger Map

Don't miss the Sunday market. One may find:

Local yellow spotted catfish... tasted better than the commercialized African breed.


Varieties of Sarawak local riceLocal pineapple... this 1 weighs 3+kg tagged at RM4 (not the dude)

Original Sarawak terubuk hailed from Lingga

Edible buntal or pufferfish (yellow)... the Empirang (orange) is a local delicacy

Keluangman! Selling at Rm18 each. Goreng pun sodap.

IAT 2009

These are some snapshots on some kek lapis sold during the Expo Industri Asas Tani (IAT) in Kuching Waterfront last Friday. Kek lapis entrepreneurs have gone a long way from just taking orders for Raya to now exploring market in Semenanjung and abroad. A 6 figures annual income is common to the main players. With improvements on packaging and armed with the manufacturing practise and food safety certification, kek lapis entrepreneurs have carved a niche of their own.

snippets

some update on kek lapis soon!

Soul Delite

All the precious words
you and I have exchanged
have found their way
into the heart of the universe
one day they'll pour on us
like whispering rain
helping us arise
from our roots again

Maulana Jallaluddin Rumi

Angels and Demons

The Vatican after Sunday Sermon, 2004

What was I doing in the heart of the Catholic world?

It was a beautiful cloudy Sunday and the previous Pope had given his sermon. Security procedure was similar with the airport's when one wants to enter the Vatican. The vicinity was awesome, and the inside was lavishly decorated with priceless mural and relics of gold. It was dark inside, so I couldn't snap any good pictures.

There were some unexplained yet similar emotion that I felt when I was in the 2 Holy Cities upon entering the Vatican...

"They (the Vatican) know so many things and they hide so many things", Syeikh Muhammad Nazim al Haqqani, 30 July 2007

When Truth speaks, it reaches the deafest Heart.

Chatty chat chat and Kek Lapis Blogs I recommend

Salams,

itz been a while since I post something. Things been hectic with my new job but it's all for the wealth of knowledge and the opportunity to serve the people.

As the Khatib always remind in the Friday sermon "The best among you is the one who do good deeds to his brothers".

So my good friends Usop and Lebai, how are you guys doing? Yup, been a twilight zone kinda reality after the course in Kolej Insaniah. A peek into the 4th dimension can be mind blowing for a normal going person like me you know.

Ah ha, quit the ramblings. I received an inquiry on the kek lapis oven. Guys, I really recommend you to go to Kuching yourself or place an order from my fellow kek lapisians. Believe me, a 3days 2 nite escapade to Kuching and Serikin (plus the oven) will be the same amount that I'll charge you guys if you order 1 from me.

Therez 1 kek lapis blogger that I recommend:

dayangkek.blogspot.com


Photo taken from Puan Dayang's blog

You can order from her. She's a pro.

CRUSH MMA new location

This is the latest location for Aikido training for kids (refer previous post)... itz still in Kota Damansara Dataran Sunway... the new address is No 32 Jalan PJU5/21... itz in the same row as CIMB Bank

Community Service : Sumbangan Untuk Rumah Anak-anak Yatim/Miskin

A note passed by a friend...

RUMAH ANAK-ANAK YATIM/MISKIN TAMAN BAIDURI

No. 11A, Jalan Baiduri 2, Taman Baiduri, 43800 Dengkil, Selangor

Rumah Anak-Anak Yatim/Miskin Taman Baiduri (nama ‘Taman Baiduri’ digunakan untuk sementara sehingga nama sebenar diluluskan oleh ROS) akan dibuka pada Mac 2009 di sebuah kediaman yang diwakafkan di No. 11A, Jalan Baiduri 2, Taman Baiduri, Dengkil.

Rumah ini bertujuan membantu anak-anak yatim dan miskin lelaki yang terbiar, tiada tempat tinggal, tiada waris yang sudi menjaga, tercicir dari alam persekolahan dan buta huruf mendapat jagaan yang sempurna terutama dari segi pendidikan, tempat tinggal, makanan dan pakaian. Anak-anak ibu tunggal yang memerlukan jagaan sementara kerana kematian bapa atau perceraian, adik-beradik ramai, ibu berpenyakit kronik dan hidup dalam kemiskinan juga diberi perhatian oleh rumah ini.

Rumah ini diwujudkan atas keprihatinan dan usaha untuk melihat anak-anak ini melalui zaman kanak-kanak dengan sihat dan sejahtera, memberi peluang kepada mereka membesar dengan sempurna dan menyelamatkan mereka dari sebarang bentuk gejala sosial akibat kesengsaraan dan tekanan hidup.

Dalam hal ini, kemampuan kami agak terbatas. Jadi, kami memerlukan sokongan semua pihak untuk menjayakan usaha ini. Sehubungan itu, kami amat berharap dan berterima kasih sekiranya Tuan/Puan dapat menghulurkan sebarang bentuk bantuan yang mampu demi anak-anak ini. Berikut disenaraikan barangan keperluan untuk anak-anak yatim/miskin dan rumah tersebut:

Item Kuantiti
1 Al-Quran resam Uthmani 20
2 Muqqadam / Iqra’ 20
3 Surah Yasin 20
4 Sejadah 20
5 Rehal 20
6 Kain pelikat 16
7 Songkok 16
8 Buku cerita dan buku latihan
9 Rak buku 5
10 Pakaian sekolah (Baju, seluar, stokin & Kasut) 16
11 Peralatan sekolah (beg, bekas bekal & alatulis) 16
12 Pakaian harian 16
13 Almari pakaian 16
14 Katil double decker 8
15 Tilam 20
16 Bantal 20
17 Selimut 20
18 Kipas dinding 8
19 Lampu kalimantang 10
20 Dapur gas 1
21 Pinggan plastik, senduk, sudu & gelas plastik 20
22 Ampaian kain 1
23 Beras, gula, tepung, minyak masak
24 Barangan kering & rempah
* Kami juga menerima barangan atau pakaian terpakai yang masih elok untuk digunakan.

Rumah ini akan mula dibaikpulih pada pertengahan Januari 2009 untuk membaiki paip dan dinding yang bocor, lantai yang pecah termasuk membina tempat wuduk dan tembok di bahagian belakang rumah sebelum anak-anak ini masuk pada Mac 2009.

Sekiranya Tuan/Puan berhasrat untuk memberi sumbangan atau mengetahui lebih lanjut tentang rumah anak-anak yatim ini, sila hubungi:

En. Mohd Shukry Md Latar 019-6539701 shukry_latar@yahoo.com

Ust. Helmi Jamaludin 012-5774873 solehin_ioa@yahoo.com.my

Dr. Haji Lukman Z. Mohamad 012-2904873 lukmanzm@hotmail.com

Segala sokongan, sumbangan dan bantuan yang diberikan oleh Tuan/Puan dalam menjayakan usaha ini didahulukan dengan ucapan jazakullah khairan khatiran dan berbanyak terima kasih.

Hanya Allah sahaja yang dapat membalasnya.

Aikido for kids

Kanji from umnaikido.files.wordpress.com

Aikido is translated as "The Way of Harmony". This Japanese art of self defense finds its roots in Aikijujitsu, an unarmed martial arts practised by the samurais. The techniques against hand holds etc originates from the threat the samurais faced when he is refrained from drawing his sword.
Photo from Secrets of the Samurai, Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, Tuttle Publishing

While Aikijujitsu deals with bone breaking, tendon tearing and joints dislocating, Aikido is refined by one Morihei Ueshiba into a "gentle" art, where one is expected to respect his/her opponents life at the same defend oneself. Well, it appears to be "gentle" that one may perceive it as a form of a dance. The black "skirt" (a baggy pants) or hakama image adds to the perception. I have met some people who opined that Aikido is too "gentle" or "girly-like" to be effective as a self defense. And, I have met a 70 year old man and a girl in her 20s who threw me off the mat with little effort. That, says it all.

Morihel Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. (photo from www.aikidomosaic.com)

Aikido has gained popularity all over the world when "Above the Law" was released in 1988. The film starred Steven Seagal, a real life Aikido expert who employed various Aikido techniques in life threatening situation in the movie. The movie really opened the eyes of Aikido skeptics.


Above the Law. You can catch it on Astro.

Frankly speaking, Aikido goes beyond self defense. It involves character building. Aikido centered on harmonization of the mind and the body, its practitioner and his/her surrounding, one's responsibility towards his/her creator and humankind. Aikido is about managing one's ego. To me, Aikido serves as a good venue for kids as they can learn the value of self discipline and responsibility which will greatly serve them in later years.

Photo from musubidojo.org. In Western countries, Aikido for kids has long enjoyed its popularity.
Photo from www.pugetsoundaikikai.org

And oh, Aikido is fun too :)

Back in Malaysia, there are only a few Dojos that offer Aikido lessons for kids aged 7-12 years old. There is one in Seksyen 9, Bandar Baru Bangi sharing the same block with Pusat Rawatan Zahrah. There in another in Seri Kembangan (you can get the details from www.shudokanmalaysia.com).

The latest was just opened last Saturday in Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara. There are approximately 10 kids attending the first lesson and boy, adults too can feel the fun and lively vibes throughout the session. The class is conducted by Abang Ariffin Sensei, who himself learn Aikido from an early age of 10. With 27 years of experience in Aikido, he has taught the police, lectured on personal safety awareness in UNITAR and is one of the core member of Nurin Alert. All that and he himself is a practising lawyer while managing his legal firm here in KL and in Kuching.


Abang Ariffin Sensei featured in Seni Beladiri magazine in its March 2003 issue.

Martial arts background of Abang Ariffin Sensei.

Below is some snippets from last Saturday.

1 small step for Man...
Lemme see your teeth...
Thatz correct!

Hey! If you are free on Saturdays, why don't you bring your kids to the Dojo. I assure you it will be fun for both kids and parents too. There's an area where you can hang around and watch your kid. I'd suggest you guys to go the Curve (which is nearby) in the morning and then take a peek on the class in the afternoon.

Here's the adress:
CRUSH Mixed Martial Arts, No. 8-3, Jalan PJU 5/10, Dataran Sunway, Kota D'sara, 47810 Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya

CRUSH MMA is on top of the 99cents supermarket.

Class: 4-5 pm, every Saturday.

HOW TO GET THERE : Check out the google map below. Enlarge the view to see Jalan PJU 5/10.


View Larger Map

Kuching Flood! Banjir oh banjir!

My maternal grandparents house

Bridge that leads to my paternal grandparents house. Beyond that is the Sarawak River.

Submerged Jalan Dato Ajibah Abol

Parking in high area

Jalan Haji Taha
Still Jalan Dato Ajibah Abol

Kuching is experiencing a double whammy-continuous torrential rain and one of the highest King tide over the years reaching up to 10.9 m. resulting in flood havoc across the city.

Photos are courtesy of my aunt, Dayang Sofia on our Kampung Bintangor (to the Otai aka Old Timers) @Kg Dato Ajibah Abol (to the X generation) and its vicinity which is located right in the middle of Kuching city near the Division mosque.

I urge fellow Kuching bloggers to upload photos of the flood as there are only a handful in the WWW.