Gregory's first piano lesson
He's getting so big! Here's a little clip of Gregory playing the piano with Granny.
Friday, June 30, 2006
Friday, June 09, 2006
Cameron Highland - Bungalow Blues
I've wanted all my life to go to Cameron Highlands, never had a chance as a kid as my dad was not very keen to drive up the winding roads. It didn't help that he lost a cousin to an car accident up on the CH road.
Several items actually peaked my interest in recent years. I was in a quilters' list at onelist ( this is pre yahoo group days ) when one of the quilters in US wrote me and said she used to go to Boarding School in Cameron Highlands.
After the advent of Google I finally found out that the boarding school she was talking about was now Bala's Chalet. It used to be the Tanglin School for expatriate children. Check out its history here and here .
The School was closed in 1948 because of the increasing danger from communist insurgents surrounding this area.
Arriving at Bala's at drizzly late afternoon gave the whole cottage a serene cosy feel. We were tucked under the big umbrella, having hot masala tea and scones on iron wrought benches surrounded by the sweet smell of honeysuckle and jasmine.
The garden sported a moss sampler, different moss grown on little tiles
and a unique birdbath
Unfortunately I have lost touch with the US quilter who use to go here but I would be grateful if anyone has any memories or photographs of the school until its closure in the 1940s.
---------------------------------------
Cameron Highlands has the one of the highest numbers of well preserved colonial bungalows. Being a hill station established in the 1930s, many colonials would take this arduous journey up the montains, in elephants first then motorcars, to partake of the fresh mountain airs. The journey is still as arduous even in this modern day and age, but well worth it.
One of the bungalows that evokes the most sense of mystery is Moonlight, the bungalow Jim Thompson was staying in before his mysterious disappearance in 1967.
Many malaysians now will remember Jim Thompson as a premier brand for Thai Silk, never realising that he was a man with a quite sinister past. In fact his disappearance sparked a huge search by local and international jungle experts including many psychics. For a great read on his disappearance including a blow by blow account - you have to go to this site and read this forum thread . It's pretty old but in the later pages there are excerpts of the Book SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Thai Silk King.
I'm unable to get a hold of this book and have written to the author but will update when I do.
Now when I arrived at Moonlight I was greeted by a very grumpy looking caretaker who did not like us looking around. he gave us 5 minutes and said - no photos. Fair enough! Looks like I might have to pay the RM 750 + for rental to justify the some serious investigation in to the place.
It was a bright sunny day but when I was walking in the garden, the sun went behind the clouds and it seemed to get darker. It was so quiet, almost as if the place was blanketed by time. Such an old place with so much history, I could almost see children playing in the garden and women have tea on the terrace. A peek through showed a parlour with an open fireplace where once men had sat and smoked their cigars and drank their brandy.
I wished I could catalogue the history of this place, the families who owned it and the people who lived here.
I'll just leave you with some bungalows we managed to snap - from afar as they're privately owned. Thank God for zoom lense.
Several items actually peaked my interest in recent years. I was in a quilters' list at onelist ( this is pre yahoo group days ) when one of the quilters in US wrote me and said she used to go to Boarding School in Cameron Highlands.
After the advent of Google I finally found out that the boarding school she was talking about was now Bala's Chalet. It used to be the Tanglin School for expatriate children. Check out its history here and here .
The School was closed in 1948 because of the increasing danger from communist insurgents surrounding this area.
Arriving at Bala's at drizzly late afternoon gave the whole cottage a serene cosy feel. We were tucked under the big umbrella, having hot masala tea and scones on iron wrought benches surrounded by the sweet smell of honeysuckle and jasmine.
The garden sported a moss sampler, different moss grown on little tiles
and a unique birdbath
Unfortunately I have lost touch with the US quilter who use to go here but I would be grateful if anyone has any memories or photographs of the school until its closure in the 1940s.
---------------------------------------
Cameron Highlands has the one of the highest numbers of well preserved colonial bungalows. Being a hill station established in the 1930s, many colonials would take this arduous journey up the montains, in elephants first then motorcars, to partake of the fresh mountain airs. The journey is still as arduous even in this modern day and age, but well worth it.
One of the bungalows that evokes the most sense of mystery is Moonlight, the bungalow Jim Thompson was staying in before his mysterious disappearance in 1967.
Many malaysians now will remember Jim Thompson as a premier brand for Thai Silk, never realising that he was a man with a quite sinister past. In fact his disappearance sparked a huge search by local and international jungle experts including many psychics. For a great read on his disappearance including a blow by blow account - you have to go to this site and read this forum thread . It's pretty old but in the later pages there are excerpts of the Book SOLVED! The Mysterious Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Thai Silk King.
I'm unable to get a hold of this book and have written to the author but will update when I do.
Now when I arrived at Moonlight I was greeted by a very grumpy looking caretaker who did not like us looking around. he gave us 5 minutes and said - no photos. Fair enough! Looks like I might have to pay the RM 750 + for rental to justify the some serious investigation in to the place.
It was a bright sunny day but when I was walking in the garden, the sun went behind the clouds and it seemed to get darker. It was so quiet, almost as if the place was blanketed by time. Such an old place with so much history, I could almost see children playing in the garden and women have tea on the terrace. A peek through showed a parlour with an open fireplace where once men had sat and smoked their cigars and drank their brandy.
I wished I could catalogue the history of this place, the families who owned it and the people who lived here.
I'll just leave you with some bungalows we managed to snap - from afar as they're privately owned. Thank God for zoom lense.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Land below the wind
I'm off to Cameron Highlands this weekend to pursue my passion of photographing old houses.
Meanwhile I'll leave you with a video I took in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
We were walking down Tanjung Aru beach to pass the time before departure when we happened to catch a dance troupe at their rehearsals.
The bamboo dance is native to this region and there is a similar dance in the Philipines. The Sabahan variety uses 2 beats while the Filipino one use 3.
I think Sabahan dance is much faster by far.
Meanwhile I'll leave you with a video I took in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
We were walking down Tanjung Aru beach to pass the time before departure when we happened to catch a dance troupe at their rehearsals.
The bamboo dance is native to this region and there is a similar dance in the Philipines. The Sabahan variety uses 2 beats while the Filipino one use 3.
I think Sabahan dance is much faster by far.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Random conversations around the office
Amber Dives
Amber Chia, the darling of the Malaysian modeling scene is about to skydive at the Malaysia Skydive 2006 showcase in July.
What happens if she freezes??
RL suggests a follow up headline ..
Amber Kia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Da Vinci Code review is up
Lighten up, it’s OK … just OK
I had confessed to RL earlier that I was intimidated by DA's review Brake the Code. To which he answered, "it's ok .. nothing you ever write will be comparable to the Great DA." Hence the title and format.
Another colleague suggested another cool title "Opie's Dei Out" but I somehow couldn't work the review around that theme since I didn't think he ( Opie) "outed" anything at all. Sorry CT.
Check it out.
Amber Chia, the darling of the Malaysian modeling scene is about to skydive at the Malaysia Skydive 2006 showcase in July.
What happens if she freezes??
RL suggests a follow up headline ..
Amber Kia
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Da Vinci Code review is up
Lighten up, it’s OK … just OK
I had confessed to RL earlier that I was intimidated by DA's review Brake the Code. To which he answered, "it's ok .. nothing you ever write will be comparable to the Great DA." Hence the title and format.
Another colleague suggested another cool title "Opie's Dei Out" but I somehow couldn't work the review around that theme since I didn't think he ( Opie) "outed" anything at all. Sorry CT.
Check it out.
Monday, May 22, 2006
why this blog exist
I've been thinking of setting this place up for ages. Thinking that there needs to be another place to deposit my random thoughts and photoes. Also to allow some of my non crafty friends to catch up on my life without their eyes being too glazed by the knitting or other craft related posts in that other place.
What really spurred this on is this blog post on The Star's Citizen Blog. The Citizen's blog is an outlet for malaysians to post about, well, everything. It is fast becoming a complaint station, an ethics calssroom and an outlet for victims of road rage and assinine behaviour by Malaysian drivers. Amid the earnest and serious post about malaysian mentality, Mother's day and father's day musings and various relentless "ciri -ciri kewarganegaraan" ( Reader beware= I have been known to make up words as I go along), here is an incongruous post about the dangers of poking oneself with a keyring.
if I may paraphrase
OUCH!!
literally.
What really spurred this on is this blog post on The Star's Citizen Blog. The Citizen's blog is an outlet for malaysians to post about, well, everything. It is fast becoming a complaint station, an ethics calssroom and an outlet for victims of road rage and assinine behaviour by Malaysian drivers. Amid the earnest and serious post about malaysian mentality, Mother's day and father's day musings and various relentless "ciri -ciri kewarganegaraan" ( Reader beware= I have been known to make up words as I go along), here is an incongruous post about the dangers of poking oneself with a keyring.
if I may paraphrase
"..
Whenever I accidentally hit my thumb to something or touch something whether it’s my towel or books, there is this indescribable PAIN. I felt it till my whole body tremble and I can’t help screaming,” PAIN! PAIN! VERY PAIN!” It has been two weeks now and there are still no improvement after applying few types of ointment. .."
OUCH!!
literally.
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