While I was under the weather and feeling sorry for myself, I realized that a year had gone by since my trip home to Malaysia. Where on earth did that year go? I asked Babe to upload the photographs that I’d taken when I was there. I was getting all teary eyed as one does when reminiscing something so memorable. So a stroll down memory lane seemed in order even though, insya’allah, I’ll be making another trip again next year.
As usual, I spent most of my three weeks with my elderly parents, enjoying their company with lovely food cooked by my father. He asked me what I wanted to eat and I gave him a very long list :-). Aah… so many dishes and so little time. It was lovely to be pampered. Relatives and old friends called daily for long chats and promises to meet. I called Babe everyday to make sure he’s ok and we had long chats of what each of us had been up to. My camera was never far away and there were so many things to focus the lens at. There was so many wildlife about because there were pockets of rainforest dotted around the housing estate.
Home is where the heart is
And my heart is anywhere you are
Anywhere you are is home
I don't need a mansion on a hill
That overlooks the sea
Anywhere you're with me is home
Maybe I'm a rolling stone
Who won't amount to much
But everything that I hold dear
Is close enough to touch
For home is where the heart is
And my heart is anywhere you are
Anywhere you are is home
Maybe I'm a rolling stone
Who won't amount to much
But everything that I hold dear
Is close enough to touch
For home is where the heart is
And my heart is anywhere you are
Anywhere you are is home
~Elvis Presley~
I also made a trip to the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park with my niece, Emil, and youngest nephew, Eris. The sprawling bird park was a 8.5 hectare public aviary. It housed more than 3000 birds representing more than 200 species in an enclosed aviary where 90% were local species. It was one of the world’s largest free-flight walk-in aviary and we spent nearly 4 hours wandering among the free flying birds in the ambience of lush tropical rainforest. We’d an amazing day watching colourful sights and melodic sounds of birds perching and flying about freely enjoying the natural and beautiful landscaped surroundings. There were miniature gardens, pools and water cascades, bridges, flowering plants, fruit trees and bird-feeding stations at every corner.
The birds roamed freely which closely resembled their natural habitat and thus were able to breed naturally. The verdant valley terrain was divided into 4 zones to prevent them from going after each other. One bird can become food to another :-). Zone 1 and 2 were the free-flight zone; zone 3 was the Hornbill park and zone 4 were mini aviaries. We also attended a bird show at the amphitheatre. Then we enjoyed a rustic Malay gastronomic experience at the Hornbill Restaurant overlooking the bird park. We were quite fortunate because as soon as our food arrived, the heavens opened. We could see a lot of the visitors getting soaked because the rain shelters were quite far apart.
A free bird leaps
on the back of the wind
and floats downstream
till the current ends
and dips his wing
in the orange sun rays
and dares to claim the sky.
But a bird that stalks
down his narrow cage
can seldom see through
his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and
his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own
But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied
so he opens his throat to sing.
The caged bird sings
with a fearful trill
of things unknown
but longed for still
and his tune is heard
on the distant hill
[a lovely butterfly spotted fluttering in the garden]
for the caged bird
sings of freedom.
~Maya Angelou ‘Caged Bird’~
[Definitely not a bird but a monitor lizard spotted in the grounds. They eat bird’s eggs and will be destroyed if caught]
I also planned my trip to coincide with the Hajj. It was lovely celebrating the festival with my family again. A few days before the big day, my sister and tribe gathered and the house was noisy again. The house was swept, carpets beaten, windows cleaned, grass mowed, trinkets dusted, curtains and bed-linen washed. Vases of fresh flowers and orchids dotted everywhere. The table was groaning with delicious, home-coked food. It was one hell of a celebration. Relatives, neighbours and friends popped over all day long. 
My sister and I plus the children also checked out the famous night market which was beside the sea and just 10 minutes away from the house. We’d a wonderful time choosing soo many different kinds of hawker food. The children were given some money so that they could choose whatever that took their fancy. We brought the food home and shared it with everyone. Then we nipped over to a concert to celebrate the Malaysian army 80th anniversary and also the declaration of Port Dickson as a City of the Army. The city of Port Dickson was named after a senior officer of the Federated Malay States Sir John Frederick Dickson who established the Malay Regiment on March 1, 1933.
Earlier during the week, my parent’s neighbour Cikgu J.S. invited me out for a day. We’d brunch at one of the seaside stalls and had a wonderful time catching up. I am very grateful to her for keeping an eye on my parents. Then she took me to check out the Army Museum down the road. The museum displayed written and pictorial accounts of the early Malaccan sultanate, the arrival of the Portuguese, colonial rule under the British, the Japanese invasion, Communist insurgence and everything up to the present decade. And of course, the history of the Malaysian army.
Home of my youth! with fond delight,
On thee doth recollection dwell;
Home of my youth! how gaily bright,
The scenes that childhood loved so well.
Cot of my fathers! well I know,
The spot that saw my infant dawn;
Near the green lane, the old elm row--
The village spire--the grassy lawn.
O! sweet to me the laughing hours,
When earth seemed gay, and heaven was fair;
When fancy culled her thornless flowers,
And pleasure reigned, unknown to care.
Home of my youth! this heart away,
Recalls those moments dear to me;
Often in dreams will memory stray,
Home of my youth--to weep o'er thee.
~ William B. Tappan (1794-1849)
Since my parents house doesn’t have wi-fi, my eldest nephew, Eriq, and I would spend hours at the various fast-food restaurants in Port Dickson. I hated fast-food but beggars can’t be choosers. Every 3-4 days, we will be either at Pizza Hut, McDonald, A&W, Domino’s or KFC just for the free wi-fi. Of course, you have to get something to eat, too. When I met one of my best friends in Kuala Lumpur, JJ, and her adorable daughter, SS, for lunch, I asked them not to choose any fast-food restaurants. Luckily, they knew what I liked and treated Dee and I to a traditional restaurant with authentic Malay cuisine called Rebung. It offered a wide range of finger-licking Negeri Sembilan dishes, from where I came from. I am definitely going to come here again whenever I’m in Malaysia. The impressive spread was super amazing. Later in the week, I also met another close friend, CY at a food court in one of the major shopping complex and it was another glorious food tasting session. Here, there were many small hawkers under on roof and you choose what you want to eat. Thanks a million, guys.
After 3 weeks, it was time to say good-bye. It went too quick but I know I will be back, insyallah.
This posting is also in memory of the missing MH370 and the crashed MH17. My prayers and thoughts are with them and their families.
I have only used Malaysian Airlines about half a dozen times. Now, I fly Emirates because they were based in Birmingham which was just 30 minutes drive from Coventry.
~
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