How to destroy a chicken house?

To destroy a chicken house you will need the following:
1. Glove
2. Hammer
3. Hoe
4. Machete
5. Strength

I have none of the above except No. 5 - which is good enough.

Why I need to destroy the chicken house?

My Bunde in front of her castle

My Bunde's old chicken house was built to close to her house. At night, especially after rain, the smell of chicken shits was too overwhelming to sniff. My Bunde made a new chicken house a little bit further to the back of the house, but the chicken refused to move even after the eviction notice was served. Therefore, it was my task as The Chicken House Destroyer to ensure the work is done.

This is the old chicken house partially destroyed by The 'amazing' Chicken House Destroyer.

This is the chicken house destroyed by the power of The Chicken House Destroyer. The leader of the chicken (pointed with the big red error) also known as The Cock, tried to intervene with the destruction process with no avail.
The newly built one sided brick wall chicken house with natural air condition and automatic door (automatically open - all the time).

Introducing : Kampung Jerung Atas

Kampung Jerung (literally translated - Shark Village) is a small village located between Sungai Petani and Kuala Ketil, Kedah in the north west of Malaysia. The village is separated by two side - Atas (Upper) and Bawah (Lower). The upper village is so small that they don't even have a sign board except the one above provided by a political party. The village was opened by Indonesian settler of Mandaling background. This is my late father's village. This is where my Bunde (auntie - the last of my father's sibling) stay. This is where my cousin and I was last weekend. Balik Kampung (back to village).

I was told the actual name of the village is Kampung Jurung Atas. Jurung is name of small river fish in Mandaling language. Somehow the name (and language) lost in translation by the younger generation and the village is now known as the Shark Village. Maybe bigger fish name will make the village prosper.

The small road into the village is currently framed by palm oil trees. It used to be rubber trees with untarred road when I came to visit years ago.

There are still a few houses here that maintain the traditional wood house built on the stilts, but most of them now opt for the brick house like my Bunde little castle below.


The problem with this kind of houses is when its flooding the water will flow inside the house. Fortunately my Bunde house is on the hill. The source of the flooding is from the small river that runs through the village.


Most of the younger generation either migrated to the city or work in the factory in Penang. Some still work with the palm oil or rubber plantation in or near the village.


The older generation still work the land or rear cows like the welcoming committee below.

This is my kampung. Small, yet surviving.

Been There : Bangsaen Beach

Bangsaen beach is located in Chonburi province of Thailand. I have visited Bangsaen more than a month ago and today (the last day of my 25 days holiday) is the best time for me to blog about it.

My visit to Bangsaen was a weird one because it started as a visit to Pattaya. Somehow between the confusing waiting period, the forgotten bag, the misunderstanding and the speeding ticket, we (Nan and I and a few other people) ended in Bangsaen beach.

This is how a 1000 Baht for 145km/hour (with 50% discount) speeding ticket look in Thailand

Bangsaen is about long white beach

quality time with family and four legged friend

Cool inviting water suitable for multiple dipping in the hot hot sun

Convenience food stalls

Delicious and exotic seafood

Excellent Gai Yang (barbecued chicken)

Single or tandem bicycle ride that will leave impression on your behind. The pink one is a must.

Colourful umbrellas

Banana boat with people beside it

Banana boat with people on it

Banana boat with a jeep and jet ski

Banana boat with other banana boat and a tractor that want to be a banana boat

A jeep that wish it can swim

Did I mentioned banana boat

Last but not least, Bangsaen is about night swimming, firework and midnight beach party

In Loving Memory: Kitten 2

My beloved cat, Kitten 2 a.k.a. Nownow1 is dead. Born on Nov 24, 2004, she breathed her last on Dec 21, 2007 because of complication on her kidneys.

She left behind a mother, Putput, a brother, Mok, a sister, Nownow2 and a carer, me. She was so young with so much life still ahead of her, so many dreams to achieve and so many tails to chase. Unfortunately, she used up all her 9 lives.

We love her and she will forever be missed.

I am BACK

I am back in Malaysia. I am blogging from my own sofa in front of my television with my washing machine spinning in the kitchen (with too much suds). It is good to be home... and on holiday.

To prove I am back:

No. 1: My sleeping cats on the sofa. The other one still with the vet with kidney problem :(

No. 2: A snowman in KLCC. I took this while waiting for my sister to finish her interview.

No. 3: A postcard sent by Nan from Pai last week.

I AM REALLY BACK.

Thank You and Goodbye

Dear Shoes

The time has come for me to say thank you and goodbye. Thank you for your services of protecting my feet. Thank you for beautify my feet for the last few months.


Good bye for having to let you go as your parts was hanging by the thread. Good bye as you are not being able to provide the services required. Do not be sad because it is a law of nature. A law of nature that everything has to go sooner or later.

Thank you and good bye on my last day in the City of Angel - Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit - Bangkok.

Forever missing you,
Pygmy

Its a Countdown

1 more day to an official 2 weeks vacation.

:)
2 more days to Chiang Mai and Pai.
:) :)
10 more days of not sleeping on my own bed.
:)
11 more days to be back in my own house.
:) :):)
11 more days to sleep on my own bed.
:):):):)
11 more days to see families and friends (whether they like it or not)
:):):):):)
12 more days to see my cats again.
:):):):):)

Day 1: Welcome to the blogging world, Rachie.

What is Loi Kratong?

Loi Kratong is a Thai festival that is held on the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai Calendar. Since last night the moon was full and now is the 12th month, we (Nan, Rose, Jean, Leon and I) celebrated.

Full moon over Chao Phraya River

To celebrate, we took a sky train from Chongnonsi station to Saphan Thaksin. There were so many people on Saphan Thaksin and we had to queue for ferry to Memorial Bridge (Saphan Poot). The ferry was sardine packed, but we got a good view of the busy rivers with the decorated boats.

Busy Memorial Bridge Pier

Rama VIII Bridge from Suan Santichaiprakarn Park

We stopped at the Memorial Bridge pier, and walked across and back of the bridge with view of Wat Arun on the background.

Wat Arun from Memorial Bridge

From the bridge, we took a 40 baht tuk tuk to infamous Khao San Road. We walked through the road with banana roti, spring rolls and fruits in hand. Nice place for people-watching activities.

Lively Khao San Road

We walked from Khao San Road to Soi Rambuttri to Phra Arthit Road to Suan Santichaiprakarn Park. This is the happening place for Loi Kratong festival with people, food and live music.

Brightly lighted Suan Santichaiprakarn Park

According to Nan and Rose, my 'expert' on all things Thai, the Loi Kratong festival is to thank the river for providing water and to ask for the river forgiveness for throwing rubbish into them. The accuracy of this information is arguable.

'Loi' mean float. 'Kratong' mean decorated raft. Kratong was made of banana tree trunk and decorated with flowers, incense sticks and candles. Some of them were made of Styrofoam and flour.

Kratong on sale

We selected and bought four flour made kratongs for fishes to eat them. We lighted the candles and put some coins for good luck.

Our kratongs with candles and coins

We queued and passed our kratongs to the kratong guys. Kratong guys have long pole where he put the kratongs at the end of it, lower it down to the river and let the kratongs float in the river.

Kratong guy with long pole

We sit here for a while watching people cerebrating and enjoying the festivity.

The flight of a Lantern

We end the celebration with a trip to Bangkok Chinatown in Yaowarat Road for some sweet desserts.

Chinatown own durian and bo loi nam king

All I can say is "Loi Kratong's rock".

In Memoriam: Jeremy Yap

My colleague, Jeremy Yap, passed away this morning Monday Nov 12, 2007 at 2.00am.

We have been working, on and off, since year 2001. A few weeks ago I was informed that he is not well and need to have heart operation. We have planned to visit him when I went back to Malaysia last weekend, but it was not meant to happen.

We are not close, but I was surprised by his passing as he looks healthy all this time. You can never tell about people from the outside. My condolences go out to his families and friends.

A funny thing happened on the way to the forum

While reading this blog please remember that:
Forum is airport
Funnier is dangerous
Hate is hate.

What I really hate? I hate to do my claim and I have not submitted my claim since July this year. I also hate the waiting time in the forum. I will wait until last possible moment to get to the forum to ensure I will have as little waiting time as possible. Today, I have to do both with flight scheduled at 9.00pm.

My fake cats watching me do my claims while my real cats in the boarding.

I spent 6 hours from 11.00am to 5.00pm submitting my claims. 2 hours searching for receipts, 1 hour on denial that I have to submit my claim, 1 hour swearing to myself for not doing it sooner like yesterday and 2 hours actual keying-in the claim in the system.

After that I cleaned up the claim's war zone, showered and prepared to leave the house for my mom place. I managed to get out from the door at 5.40pm. On the way, I had to detour to my colleague house to drop my claim forms so that it can be submitted to finance. By the time I get to my mom house it was already 6.15pm.

Since I did not have lunch and the airline food will be S.U.C.K., I ate at my mom place while helping with my sister with her final year thesis. Since the time taken to get to the forum from my mom house is about 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the speed), I was planning to leave the house at 7.00pm. That time will enable me to get to the forum by 8pm for the 9pm flight's check in. That way I don't have to wait long for the flight. As usual, plan and actual is two different things. By the time I began my journey, it was already 7.15pm.

So, I have too and was speeding with my sisters and my mom in the car to the forum. I was doing well at 120km to 140km until about 10 minutes to the forum when the car starts pulling to the left. What is the worst that can happen while you speeding? Flat tire. Front left tire. That was what happens. Fortunately the car did not flip on high speed. Lucky us.

Here I was, late for my flight and stranded on the highway. What could make it funnier? There is no spare tire in the car. The spare tire was used to replace the front right tire when it goes flat 2 days ago.

What to do now? The sensible things. Call my brother to bring another tire from my sister car, get a taxi to the forum and ditch my mom and my sisters in the middle of highway. That was what I did and I managed to get to the forum with barely enough time for check in.

Wise cat say what?

For those who wonder, my brother saved the day and got my mom, sisters and car back home safely. What is funniest? My brother and sister got stung on the face by caterpillars while changing the tire. Right now their faces are swollen.

What a day. Good nite.

Drained

The Secret

Jatukam Oh!! Jatukam

Last Thursday when I walked out from the meeting room that was our office for the last 7 months, I was surprised to see so many people standing outside the door. My busy body-ness instinct kicked in and I have to find out why.....why.....why....

There was an altar, a table, two buckets of water on the floor and 3 guys in white on the middle of the people. The 3 guys in white than proceeding to presides a prayer with 7 other while the rest looked on.


After the prayer, they poured some kind of liquid into 2 glasses and the leader of the 3 guys dipped matches into a glass and the matches flamed. Then he dipped a chicken leg into the glass and the skin of the chicken burned. I was told that the liquid was a skin burning acid.


With a Jatukam in his palm, the leader of the 3 guys dipped a finger into the glass. When he pulled out his finger, one of the assistance wiped his finger with a tissue and the tissue burned. His finger was fine. Then, one by one, the 7 others follow suit sticking their finger into the glass with a Jatukam in their palm. Their fingers were also fine and work as finger does after that.


Their fingers were protected by the Jatukam amulet, a magical talisman that among other things has the power to protect the holder/wearer. A popular amulet in Thailand with many power variations includes instant wealth, health, love or whatever you want.

I was told that the Bank will get some people to produce the amulet and give it to their customer for protection. There is another Thai Bank that is giving away condom to their customer. Condom = Protection = Jatukam? Interesting.