January's Homecoming Trip

"Because you're a great source of pride to us. 

That's why we were so glad to see you come back, 

to welcome you back to your birthplace."

Lenny,

The Homecoming (1973)

Regular readers of my blog should have read about me making the trip back to Malaysia a couple of months ago, as both my parents were hospitalised due to some health complications. Mom is back kicking to her usual self, while Dad is still on the way to complete recovery. The trip was so short and hectic, that I spent most of my time in Taiping throughout the ten days.

However, just like any other bloggers, camera is a must-have item every time I leave the house; so here are some random photos taken during my time back home.

 

Does this scene look familiar to you? This is where lots of heart-warming stories about Malaysians were made on July 9, 2011.

 

Kitchen was out-of-order as mom was still in hospital. So, we were like nomads, either eating in grandma's or aunt's place, or outside.



Grandma's famous home-cooked Thai laksa. I very much prefer this over Penang's asam laksa.

The black soup above is bak tin soup (八珍汤 ), a dish originally a Foochow medical broth which has noe become a specialty in home-cooking ot restaurant. The dish's name varies according to different dialects; it's called bak cheng in Cantonese and bek ting in Foochow. The name literally means "eight treasures soup", normally cooked with duck which gives a good fragrant and strong taste. This is definitely a healthy soup which is commonly served with rice or mee sua.

It is called "eight treasures" because the soup is a combination of 4 herbs soup with another 4 different herbs soup, namely ginseng, ba shu, liquorice, poria, dangui, rehmannia, peony and chuansiong.

Look who's eating at the casual market below the old Larut Matang supermarket food court? Macam kenal-jer, kan?

The Prime Minister was in Taiping for a few hours on January 14, 2012, as part of his nationwide tour.

For over more than five decades since Independence, this is the first time a Prime Minister visited Taiping. Perak was among his early stops, as he tours each states in Malaysia to turun padang and meet the rakyats, while offering sweet goodies and promises. When you see this, you know that the election is just around the corner.

His tour kicked off with a morning exercise session (Senaman 1Malaysia) at the Esplanade in Taiping's Lake Garden, followed by a tour around the food court in town. He had breakfast with some of the local folks there, as the people of Taiping caught a first glimpse of the person they only usually see on the TV. He was supposed to visit the wet market after his breakfast; however due to some protest by several individuals, he immediately board his bus and head home; leaving his officers (read: policemen) doing the cleaning job (you know what I mean).

Personally, that action puts his leadership very much debatable, as a leader who chooses to escape from a problem instead of trying to solve it. How much ironic it is when we consider the purpose of the visit, which is to turun padang and listen to the problems faced by the people. Those individuals were merely staging a peace protest, without uttering any vulgar words or trying to be aggressive, which was light years in contrast to the one happened in Penang recently.

Sorry-lar Ah Jib Gor, you didn't help us, how can we help you-ler?

Grandma and Mom, with her singa hair style lol!

Okay-lar, I better put a proper photo of her; otherwise she is sure to ask me through Skype, "Boy-ah, why-lar the photo you put in your blog so ugly one-har?" hahaha!

With grandma, who was damn funny when I asked her to take a photo of me and Mom. Holding my digital camera, she held the camera close to her face, 
and tried to look through the tiny hole, like what you do when you use an old camera haha wtf!

We were on a short half-day trip to Penang, to apply for Japan visa for the two of them.

The visa application process took less than ten minutes and it was ready in three-working days.

It appears that the applicant doesn't necessary need to be present there, as anyone can bring the documents there, and once the visa is ready, anyone can take it from them. One thing about that guy who dealt with us, he was super lansi. Hidung damn tinggi, in fact, even taller than Mount Everest! He couldn't even speak politely to us, yet showing some smiles throughout the application process. What a shame for a person who works in a Japan General Consulate, but doesn't know how to behave like a Japanese *tsk tsk tsk*

I digress. As my aunt is working nearby, we asked her out to have lunch together before heading back to Taiping.

Lunch was at Passions of Kerala at New World Park in Swatow Lane.

Banana leave rice; simply irresistible! Food was good and the price is also reasonable.

Requested a random guy to take a photo for us, whom himself ended up in the photo as well haha wtf!

Posing around the New Year decorations at the food court.

Back to the hospital; here's my breakfast on one of the mornings - nasi lemak, ban chang kuih (peanuts pancake), and chai tao kuih (raddish cake).

Magnificent view from the sixth floor of Ward C.

My primary school (yellow building to the left of the field) is also visible, as it is just opposite of the hospital.

When it gets dark, you get this wonderful view.

A typical lunch served at the hospital for the patients. Dad usually prefer to eat either Mom's food or outside food; so I will be the one eating these food.
But guess what, that chicken kurma was super nice, I almost wanted to ask for second serving lol!

A sign at the ward which I find it kinda funny. "This is emergency!!!" hahaha!

Mom sending me off at the bus station as I head to KL to take my flight back to Tokyo.

Cinnamon bread and apple pie, bought from Penang, which Mom tapao-ed for me to eat in the bus.



Brought back a few boxes of Tambun biscuits.

Wanted to stay longer, but various commitments were waiting for me in Japan.

Nevertheless, I shall say hello to Malaysia again very very soon.

Dinner With YB Dato' Seri Chor Chee Heung

Try to go as high as you can; the higher you climb a mountain, 

you get to see things in a wider perspective."

words of advice from Kim senpai

This is my first time flipping through the menu of the restaurant after so many visits.

The Minister of Housing and Local Government, Y.B. Dato' Seri Chor Chee Heung was in Tokyo recently with a group of delegates to have several meetings with the Ministry of Environment and some agencies in Tokyo. Accompanied by his wife, Datin Seri Cheong Guek Mee, a group of Malaysian students and those who are currently working in Japan were invited for a dinner with the minister and his delegated at Rasa Malaysia Cuisine Ginza last night.

There has been a lot of different kinds of experiences from my several dinners with the Cabinet ministers who came to Tokyo in the past. Some brought mooncakes for us during a Hari Raya gathering, while some put us airplane at the last minute. I wonder if it is my curse that whenever I arrive late at the dinner place, the whole delegates will be there already, but when I am early, they will be there late; that even sometimes, didn't come at all in the end haha wtf!

The main table, where Dato' Seri had talks and ideas exchange with the students.

A table which was occupied with mainly Malaysian businessmen who has made it big in Tokyo.

So this time, I decided not to arrive earlier or later, but to be there on the dot, although in the end I was late by two minutes. Sorry-lar, there was some human traffic jam inside the station lol! Like always, my curse will always be there. The delegate only arrived there almost one hour later as our stomach were already started to growl like Malayan sun bears.

We noticed that somebody were missing from the delegate when they were in the restaurant; Datin Seri, the minister's wife. The restaurant is right in the middle of Ginza - Japan's number-one destination for luxury shopping, and the wife is late for the dinner. Hmmm, I shall let you think of the hypothesis and make your own kesimpulan haha!

The students who had a great time having casual conversation with Dato' Seri.

Each students were given a couple of little souvenirs from the Fire & Rescue Department. As I was the unofficial photographer (like always lol!), I wasn't seating on my table and I guess one of the staff of the delegates must have thought that I work in the restaurant or something. So, I didn't get my souvenirs.

Wanna ask also quite paiseh, so I just sat down after that, until Dato' Seri noticed the emptiness on my table haha!

Finally got my cute key chain (yang sedia menyelamat) and USB thumb drive. By the way, that time on the key chain has always been 
4:25 and 55 seconds until now lol!

The delegates had a meeting with the Minister of Environment, Mr Goshi Hosono and discussed about the waste disposal management in Japan, and how the system, especially how the rubbish are separated in Japan, can be applied in Malaysia. Like what the CEO of Alam Flora, Datuk Haji Mohd Zain Hassan who was among the delegates in this trip, it will take some time before the system can be fully implemented back home. It requires a strong commitment both from the government and the communities. Having multiples of laws alone is not enough if the enforcement is not carried out and civil awareness of the people is still absent.

Alam Flora has just recently signed a 22-year contract with the government, in which they will revitalise the rubbish management in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang. Each household will be provided with a rubbish bin, and all the lori sampah will be replaced with new ones. As for the other states (except Selangor and Penang) in the Peninsular, it will be managed under two other companies.

Satay with peanut sauce and cucmbers.

Seafood tom yam kung.

Air bandung cincau.

Fried chicken with spice.

Stir-fry mixed vegetables with scallops.

Fish curry with brinjals and ladies' fingers, sweet and sour soft crabs, black pepper chicken with capsicums.

The two chefs behind the kitchen who prepared the sumptuous dishes.

Born and breed in Alor Setar, in the northern state of Kedah, Dato' Seri Chor Chee Heung continued his studies in law at Lincoln's Inn London in 1975. As much as he loved the life in London so much, his parents insisted him to return right after he completed his studies. So, the only way for him to stay longer there is by doing his post-graduate studies in Business Law at the same place.

Knowing that it is not an easy thing to bertikam lidah with the ang moh in courts over there, he decided to returned to Malaysia in 1980, and commissioned as a Member of Chartered by Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, where he practised law for the next fifteen years. It was during this time he met his wife, who was then working in an insurance firm.

Sharing his experiences during his student years in London.  

We talked about various stuff - current political scene in Malaysia, his thoughts about studying abroad, and even some personal stuff like his hobbies, etc. He has been a Member of Parliament for Alor Setar for the last five terms, since 1990, which prompted me to ask him if he is contesting in the coming general election. It was a negative reply from Dato' Seri, as he plans to take up his doctorate course after he retires from politics. It is inspiring to see the enthusiasm he have to improve himself despite age. At the same time, his believes the younger generations should be given chance to shine as well. Only if more MP shares the same sentiment. And by the way, he feels that the GE13 will be in June.

We also talked recent hot topics such as AUKU (Universities and University Colleges Act 1971), Lynas controversy and the many lubangs here and there through corruptions, in which I shall spare the details. However, I appreciate his readiness and transparency in not trying to deny that it existed in the "past", and "lesser" now. Anyway, it sometimes makes us wonder when one minister has one opinion while the other has a different idea on a certain issue. But I guess it is merely their personal view, which doesn't reflect the party of the coalition's stand.

At the end of the dinner, we spent some time talking to the working Malaysians who were at the dinner too. One of them was Kim senpai from Kangar, who has lived in Tokyo for the past 24 years! It was a nice conversation with him, a very bubbly, funny sometimes, and down-to-earth person. Talking to people like him, listening to his wise words of advice, sometimes makes us feel that there are still so many stuff in the world out there, yet to be explored.

A group photo with Dato' Seri and his delegates with the Malaysians outside the restaurant along the busy street of Ginza.

And just like how he put it, whenever there's an opportunity, grab it as soon as possible.