Not all was lost

As early as 7.30AM my three friends and I were already standing at the jetty of Kampong Samariang Batu ready with our cameras waiting for some crocodiles to surface. In fact a day earlier two of the four of us were at the same jetty and later went paddling along the river hoping to bump into some of these reptiles. But luck was not with them as shortly after they left the jetty, the village folks sighted a crocodile mercilessly caught and dined on a monkey that was taking a stroll along the river bank just opposite the jetty.

After hours of waiting none of the reptiles surfaced. Later I asked one of the village folks, who was busy cleaning his net, when would the crocodiles surface. He said normally the crocodiles would surface every day or every alternate day during high tide in threes or fours at one time. No wonder none surfaced as at the material time the water was low.

Quite disappointing to the four of us. But then not all was lost. Instead of the crocodiles our cameras were aimed at the eagles and other birds and also other things that we considered subjects of interest. One of them was the rare portrait of Queen Elizabeth II hanging on the wall of a humble canteen next to the jetty.

Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

(Looking at the picture I believe it was taken not too long after Her Majesty's Coronation in 1952) 

Some of the boats ready to take hirers to the sea or a stroll along the river

 The humble canteen ever ready to serve customers.    

The man whom I talked to about the crocodiles of the river

    

A sad jalan jalan cari makan journey

A very sad Jalan Jalan Cari Makan journey I had on 27 November 2010. Three victims of road accident in a family and one of them was a very sweet little girl of about 4 years old. I personally carried and hugged her to another car to be sent to the hospital. Her sweet face is still fresh in my mind. I pray that her mother who complained of very severe chest pain is okay.

Plants at the foot of Mount Singai

Descending Mount Singai yesterday afternoon I stumbled upon some plants at its foot. They may be common to some people but their beauty was quite appealing that I was irresistibly enticed to take their photos. 

Hill Padi Planting @ Nugal in Brayang

'Nugal', literally means making or creating a hole or holes on the ground or soil using a piece of stick called 'tugal'.. But in the language of the hill padi planters it means making holes on the ground of the already-burnt farmland that would be filled with padi seeds. In other words it simply means hill padi planting. The menfolks would create holes with the tugal at an approximately regular distance or interval of one and half foot per hole as seen in the pictures below whilst the womenfolks would put the seeds into the holes or termed as 'menih'. 
                      The container for putting the padi seeds is called "seluk". For long time keeping and sentimental reason, tugal stick is usually made from tapang tree or other hardwood. But many a time, like our modern disposable folks and spoons or chopsticks, tugal stick is just simply made from any available wood found nearby [like the one in the picture here]. Once the nugal season is over, the user is also done with the disposable tugal.
  

Putting seeds into the holes [menih] 

Menih

Punching holes on the ground [nugal]

Nugal

Hibiscus: same name different appearances

These photos prove me wrong. I never knew there exist so many types of hibiscus. A friend of mine told me there are a few hundred types of hibiscus around the word. All photos were taken on 30 October 2010.

Bomb Found in Lutong

An undetonated bomb, believed to be remain of WWII, was found on 9 October 2010 near SMK Lutong by a certain individual while doing some excavation work. The following day Police Bomb Disposal Unit from Bukit Aman detonated the bomb. I arrived at the scene @ 5PM and took the following photographs that speak for themselves.

The Police Vehicle Transporting the bomb

Man-dug hole for detonating the bomb

Police on duty Aftermath the detonation

The Bomb after detonation

 Picking the detonated bomb from the hole

And into the Police Land Rover it went

Blue Lake and the Junk Regatta

Remote control power boat race

Some of the crews on duty

The sailing boats [junks] race

View of Blue Lake and the surrounding hills

The blowpipe shooting contest

By coincidence I was in Kampong Buso on 30 October. When one lady saw I was holding a camera she informed me that there was a great happening in Blue Lake. I immediately rushed there and amidst scorching sun took some photos of the events of the day.  

The Mighty Rajang

 The 350-mile mighty Rajang River, the longest in Malaysia, is the sole hope of the people in the Rajang River Basin. What took place on 7 October this year, that has been loosely termed as 'logjam', has worried every folk who depends on the Rajang for transportation, water supply and other activities associated with the river. The logjam blocked the Rajang waterway for a distance of about 50 kilometers, right down from the mouth of the Baleh River by massive drifting logs previously felled by timber logging companies in the upper part of the Baleh River. Besides the felled logs there were debris too. Baleh is one of the main tributaries of the Rajang joining the main river just a few kilometers above Kapit town. It has been reported in the local newspapers that some senior civil servants and senior politicians attributed the logjam to the act of God. I was made to understand the Baleh Dayak will perform the "Miring Ceremony" [literally means offering sacrifice] to appease the Gods for what some local senior politicians termed as 'unprecedented phenomenon'.

Harmony with yourself nature will offer it

With a group of five amateur photographers I visited this place, somewhere in Pueh, Sematan on 11 November 2010. Set at slow speed I took this photo with Canon EOS 400D Digital at around 2:00PM

Nature in its pristine form

I visited this place on 17 October this year. This stream is the tributary of the Krian River located at the upper part of the river. The water is clean, crystal clear, beautiful and ideal for picnic.

Lun Bawang hat

This paraphernalia is usually used by the Lun Bawang @ Murut women folks to protect them from rain or the scorching sun. Today it's more for decorative or ornamental purposes. This one was given as a memento to me by the family of YB Henry Sum Agong during my visit to Lawas.

Kuih Lapis Sarawak

Many of my friends from Peninsular Malaysia are crazy about this cake. In fact they have plenty in Malacca but it is Kuih Lapis Sarawak that has the commercial name. 

Do Re Mi

The inseparable Three: Do Re Mi. Shining example of loyal friends. But it also reminds me of Brutus and Julius Caesar.

Sayok @ Mike Tyson of Kampong Bajong & his gang members

Not even mud hinder these boys from enjoying themselves catching fish in the monsoon drain. 

Go and tell the mountain you're coming

Seen from Pueh Beach, so mighty and majestic