Day 2 - Our trip to Ipoh

I seldom travel to Ipoh unless I had too....like attend relatives wedding or so forth. This time I want to go to Ipoh old town and search for the 7 wall art mural drawn by Ernest Zacharevic. We found the location map but it isn't easy as it may seems to be....frankly speaking we can never win an Amazing Race challenge, me and my other half that is....!!

Credit to www.emily2u.com - We parked our car at Jalan Mesjid which you can't see in the map...and decided to walk.  It was a good idea though because we were surprised to find other wall murals done by local artist along the way.  I will share more of the pictures in my next posting.  However, the below was only 5 of the 7 murals we manage to find.  They are numbered accordingly to the map above. These wall murals were drawn by Ernest Zacharevic, The murals depict a sense of nostalgic events related to Ipoh's heritage and culture.

Mural # 2 - 2 boys on Paper Plane. I went through so much anger looking for this since my other half was not being cooperative. It's like he totally gave up. Kept on saying, "I don't know where we are?" Duh! how big can Ipoh old town be? Come on, you can travel across the world alone and you gave me such lame excuses? Puhleeezzzz!!I had to stop at RHB Bank and asked if they can point me to the right direction. Of course I had to withdraw some cash at the ATM machine to 'cover line' and with my expensive handbag and scarf (if anyone would noitce...hahaha) I trot myself to this young lady sitting on a stool next to a ticket number dispenser machine. Thank you mam, I wish I had asked for your name. You were very helpful. 

Mural # 3 - Kopi 'O' to celebrate Ipoh as the birth of the famous white coffee. I was lost but I never gave up walked and found two chinese Uncle who manages a private carpark behind Maybank. They too were very helpful and told  it is just located next block. 

Mural # 4 - the Humming Bird.  Here was where I got lost and stuck. So I decided to stop at a small convenient store at an alley and bought 4 bottles 100 Plus. Hey why not ask the lady behind the counter.... and her son was very helpful instructed us where to turn after a coffee shop across the street. Finally I found it but  I was expecting a huge tree next to the mural just as what I saw in the internet. Then I realized now the car park vendor has chopped down the tree. The bird was flying towards the tree in search of food. Now, with no tree, it seems the bird has no purpose being there.

Mural # 6 - The girl and the bird cage. Hahaha....this was located in a really an unexpected spot.  I wasn't looking for this mural and all of the sudden as we turn to this corner ....taa daaa....well, there was supposed to be a red stool where the girl was tip toe-ing but gone missing.

Mural # 7 - A man collecting rubbish and recycle items on a trishaw.....but not the boy ya....This was the last one and I gave up after the clock showed almost 2 pm....it's lunch and we want to have dim sum at Greentown Dim Sum Cafe.

You can actually surf for more information about the mural at http://www.kenwooi.com/2014/07/7-ipoh-wall-art-murals.html In my opinion his information was very helpful especially with Google Maps. It was just me who did not take the advantage to benefit this form of free information.

I had a great time....I was not worried about work ...well at least during the day time....Not worried about the haze as there was none in Ipoh. I missed 2 other murals which I will conclude one day...and the next plan is to conquer Penang where Mr Zacharevic first started his wall mural works. I need to do more research...I know Penang old town very well....but then I got shock when I found the map below.....which one is his....???

credit to www.penang-discovery.com - ooohhh myyyy,.....berpeluh Mak tengok!!  My other half may not like it but our vacation has to be educational and full of adventure. 

Day 1 passed by.....quietly.

ookira97oo.deviantart.com

We didn't do much on Eid Mubarak. The boys went for Raya prayers at the mosque and my mom was busy preparing Nasi Arab, Ayam Masak Merah and Dalcha for the celebration meal. Once the boys returned from prayers we sat and enjoyed my mom's dishes. It was a quiet celebration. Just the 5 of us. My sister came back the previous weekend to settle some property matters and I cannot imagine my mom alone during Raya.....so I was glad that my other half didn't mind going back Parit.

Nothing much happened except the boys went missing twice. I heard they drove to Beruas!

At night I worked on my cases and watch a hilarious local drama called Sawasdee Mok Cun.

Selamat Eid Mubarak 2015.

The day before Eid Mubarak we went to Ampang. The house was quiet except for my other half's youngest sister and niece who were preparing some food for Eid celebration. We stayed for lunch and soon after left for Puchong. We want to rest before our journey back to north tonight.....

I was recently diagnose with Vertigo and I wanna have a good rest before I resume my work next week. How I got it? Only God knows....stress, age, inner ear problems...could be anything...will need to go for further check-up at an ENT,...soon.....

But knowing myself better, I carry my work everywhere I go be it in the form of paperwork or my precious external drive, which I'll be lost without it.

After packing our suitcase, we started our journey and for sure it was a busy and heavy traffic night heading north. We decided to stop at Main Place in USJ for dinner and resume our journey around 10 pm....

Hmmm.....semua nak balik kampung or go for a short vacation up north.

From where we were, it was like no end to the heavy traffic on North South highway.

As we got off Guthrie Highway in Rawang, traffic have built up and moving in a slow pace....and according to WAZE it will be all the way right up to Tapah. So we diverted to Behrang and took the old trunk road. Though there were lesser car, one can get very nervous when over taking another car in such a small lane.

We passed Slim River, Trolak, Bidor, Sungkai and feeling tired we stopped in Kampar for coffee. It was already 1.30 a.m.

This Mamak stall in Kampar was such a happening place....I've never seen sea of people 'lepak' at 1.30 a.m.
We had to stopped to answer nature call and refresh ourselves with coffee.

Alhamdulillah, everything went well and we arrived Parit about 2.30 a.m. Selamat Hari Raya Korban or Happy Eid Mubarak.

Short Trip to Ipoh - Preview.

A short vacation coming up this week. Interesting plan to explore Ipoh town and several 'special' landmark. Insya Allah.  Leave approved and I hope things will fall according as pIanned....smoothly.

Guess??

Last year we went a round up north heading Ipoh to locate towns with unusual names. You can read here http://shs-shark.blogspot.my/2014/12/part-two-white-water-rafting.html....my son said my actions embarrassed him because he had to get out of out the car by the roadside just to take picture with signboards. Maybe he didn't understand the whole idea and its benefit. He is still young. Anyhow, with heavy heart he participated.....

And there is plan to travel further north to Penang end of the year......who knows.....

Another day, another wedding.

Off to Malacca last Saturday to attend my other half's nephew wedding right after Subuh prayers. My other half asked which car should we take and I replied, "Whichever....does not matter to me". I know he doesn't want to drive my car since its air-conditioner broke down and only after my pay day will I be repairing it. So he said, "then I'll drive my car."

Barely half an hour later, we headed Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi. When we made a left turn we sense the car was wobbly....we stopped by the roadside and yup,...the right rear tyre was flat. My other half stepped out of the car and got all his equipment out and replaced the flat tyre with a spare....in less than 15 minutes......pheewitt.....there and then! That I have to salute.  If it were me at 6:30 am with my 2 kids......only God knows.....who should I call????

.....and we stpped by the road side....according to my spouse Petronas is just a head.
 Parking just right after a turn can be quiet dangerous......hmmmmm true,...good observation.
Safety is a priority.
We also did not want to risk damage to the rim.....we stopped.......
If it happened  to me,....isshh cannot imagine la!
But my whole life I know one female person whom I work with can change a tyre.......Datinnnnn....

Funny all unfortunate things naturally happen to me either going to a wedding or at a wedding...,hmmm...weird?

We continued with out journey and we reached Ayer Keroh around 8am and began looking for a place where we can stop to grab breakfast. Found a small stall somewhere in Bertam Jaya. And soon after we headed to Bertam Perdana...finally we reached Along Enal's house.

The plan was to reach early so that we can leave early. My other half has other plan later at 4pm. By 11:30am guest started arriving  and we enjoyed the food very much.

Typical Malaccan dish - Asam Pedas Tetel

Gulai Lemak Nangka

Don't exactly what this is called but it has tempe, tofu and glass noodles.

Kerabu Taugeh

and, this brought me the appetite to eat - Sambal Belacan dan mangga with ulam2.

We left soon after the bride and groom arrived in their formal attire and sat gallantly on the main stage. Alhamdulillah we arrived home safely at 3pm.

Souvenir from the groom family.

My Treasure.

I will treasure this forever. I felt very sentimental whenever I look at this photo. To me it's irreplaceable.

My dad's family.

Standing behind from left to right : Lope, Nyah (dad), Yang, Umai

Front row from left to right : Zan, Hj Nordin (my grandmothers' father), Acik, Tok Din (my grand father), Acu, Cik Nin (my grandmother) and Limah.

The best picture anyone could asked for....not even the four of us could pose that well in a family photo session!

The picture is also a reminder at the family is getting smaller and smaller. Only 3 remain alive.....

A Wet Wedding Day

That weekend we attended Along's wedding. He is a friend of my other half. After a failed marriage he met a nice lady and he decided to get marry for the second time.

I could not exactly remember where the house was but I think it was somewhere in Jalan Puchong.

I was dressed in a baju kurung Kedah's top and an Indonesian Batik Lepas....yes, we were properly dressed and how unfortunate it rained the entire experience. But we made the best out of it.

We helped ourselves with food from the buffet table and found a table to seat. The only seats available was in front of a huge fan. I am not worried about my hair this time since i had it clipped up. But it rained heavily!

It keeps on pouring and pouring. I can't do anything to save my kain batik lepas as I was already half drench in rain........hahahaha......Sitting in front of the fan....shivering a little.

Well I didn't do my hair instead basah lenchun kain batik jawa akak....huhuhuhu........epic.