Malacca Trip 2011

 Rachel Knutson , this is my journey which i mentioned to you during our chat via my mobile netbook on Saturday. We were chatting while on the  highway to Malacca via Celcom Broadband. Thank you, Celcom Malaysia. 

Let's the journey begin.......

Last Saturday as the sun rised in the horizon we started our journey to Malacca to refresh ourselves and taste the famous Malacca's Nyonya food.

As we are unfamiiar with the road in Malacca, we followed this particular car which belong to our friend, Pang Wee Seng. Mr. Pang is from Malacca but worked at DKSH Malaysia. During this journey, I am on Facebook using Celcom Broadband.

In Malacca, this big signboard which is translated as "WELCOME TO MALACCA" welcome us.

Our first stop for breakfast was at this place where we took our breakfast....coffee and Malacca Noodles with fish ball and meat ball.

After breakfast, we drive on and after many twists and turn in the street, we came to this Tai Chi Nyonya Restaurant. Nice location, good setting and delicious food. I will come here again next time.

Glutinous Rice wrapped in Pandan leaves dumpling

Nyonya Assam (Sour) Curry Fish Head

Nyonya Laksa Siam

Having ourselves half full, we drive on and follow the same car. We can see an old Methodist Church in front of us and our journey goes on.

An old Methodist Church

 After we parked our car nearby the School, we walked on foot and met our friends at a Chinese Temple. From there we walked along an old street where there are alot of old building heading to Malacca River.


Malay House Model

Along the street we see an old Malay House model.



Old Chinese Temple

Next we see an old Chinese Temple....

And the street itself looks colourful and unique.The old buildings that we came across are:


An Old Mosque's Prayer Calling Tower

An Old Mosque



An Hindu Temple

Another view of the old Chinese Temple

A colourful mode of Transport



When we reached the Malacca River, we met this Golden Man and Agnes is happy to take a picture with him.

Malacca River

A Bridge cross the Malacca River

In the blazing hot sun, we walk on and go across the Malacca River.



Red Building



There again, we met this Golden Man.



Old Church



When we turned back we passed this Handcraft shop.



An Old Man busy cutting his sugar candy by the roadside.



Ops! Sorry, Sir. I do not see the notice. The hats are beautiful though.



Sweating all over and real thirsty, we grab some fresh coconut for some drink.

Then we met up with the rest of the group and we joined Pang's car. He brought us to a Satay Restaurant.


Malacca Satay, slice chicken meat and pork meat.



Cucumber and onions with a bit of rice but we are more interested in satay.



Satay with it's special Malacca Satay Sauce

After finished our Satay, we drive again and stop at this stall. According to Mr. Pang, this is also Malacca's special delicacy.


Mobile Stall



Snap a picture for memory of this special stall.

We walk on along the shop pathway and we saw this mobile stall with different delicacies.


Pick and Eat Mobil Stall

After that we drive off to another Malacca's special namely 'Coconut Shake'.


Coconut Shake stall by the roadside.

As we parked our car,someone is shouting from the coconut shake stall, "Sudah habis! Sudah habis!" meaning the coconut shake had finished. I wonder what so special about this coconut shake which attracted so many people to come.

We console ourselves with this putu piring ( A pounded Glutinous rice with Malacca Sugar and a bit of coconut flesh)


Putu Piring Shop



Putu Piring eating session.



Now is dark and time to head home

Before we split for the day/night we have some noodles and the Malacca Special ' Fried Oyster(below) in an old Malacca Coffee Shop and the waiters are also very old. After this we split our way and three of us headed for Tangkak, Johor and stay a night in Tangkak as we are having a wedding lunch on Sunday in Tangkak.



Fried Oyster...............................................>

See you all in Tangkak.

Accident at Puncak Alam Expressway

Today is a normal Friday but as the evening come, a tickling in my heart leads me to send out SMS to my sisters which includes Irene Aik and Azura Ibrahim and also called my sisters back in Sarawak and Sabah just to say, "We love you."

As we turn into Puncak Alam Expressway, I gave a call to Rose after I have spoken to Nor. Rose has just arrived from Kota Kinabalu where she is having her meeting today. According to her, she always stop at the roadside as she felt very sleepy while driving. I told her that driving while sleepy is very dangerous.

Then she mentioned about my three blogs which are not regularly update. I told her that i can not write anything without any event or incident in my blog http://johnragai.blogspot.com. She laugh at me. As for the other blog http://johnofjesus.blogspot.com i need an experience with Lord Jesus.

We keep on talking but the line cut off when we reach the mountain road after the UiTM kampus.

We drive on and we can see the Puncak Alam UiTM Main Campus up ahead in the mountain. The traffics were moving slowly and I wonder why.

As we approach the the junction to Saujana, I see a lot of people parked their car by the road side. There must be an event or accident ahead, i tell myself. I take out my camera Olympus U Tough810 and set the ISO at 1600 with light compensation at 1.7 but poor me still can not take clear picture in the dark. I really have to get my hand on Nikon D7000 or Nikon D5100.
I look around and click click while Agnes is driving. I can see one policeman is standing in the middle of the road and broken glasses are everywhere on the road. On the left side of the road, I see two human legs with the body covered by a green canvas. May God bless his soul. Agnes do not stop as the policeman waves the traffic to move on. On the other side of the road, my eyes catch a glance of a Kancil with a front damage. I am still clicking when my eyes turn to the left side again and see a badly damaged motorcycle which i assume belong to the victim.
Then I see one man laying on the road with two men attending to him. I hope he can make it to the nearest hospital but i do not see any ambulance around yet.

My heart is trouble as we drive on. ( I should have stopped and give some help.)

Surprise!!

Our normal route home blocked by a sign which says, "Road close due to FLOOD on the Road."

Agnes said, "why so many thing happen tonight?" I can not answer her but only God knows better.

Whatever it maybe my message still remained..."We love you. Have a safe journey."

Good Friday 2011

The sun is blazing hot as we head for St. Ignatius Church, Kelana Jaya.

When we arrived at the Church, the car park were full and Agnes used the same the words on me when ever she can not get the car park.
"Can you pray for the car park?"
I make a short prayer, "God, we need a car park. Thank you."

She drop me at Loong Foong Restaurant and she drives off looking for car park. Later in the church, she informed me that she is very lucky as she managed to parked her car in front of the Mamak Restaurant. According to her, one car came out of the parking lot after she left me.

For those who never have a chance to experience following the Good Friday's procession for Station of the Cross, you may follow my lead.

All images taken with Olympus  mju-T8010

At exactly 1.00PM, we start our Station of the Cross procession with Father Lucas Ng and Father Philip Tan.

First Station: Jesus condemned to death.
 Prayer: O Jesus, so meek and uncomplaining, teach me resignation in trials.

Passing of a friend - Caroline Lily Uchang

Light in the horizon...for some it's the beginning of a new day or a new journey but for others it's the end of the night or the beginning of new life. Yet others still look at it as an end of light and beginning of darkness or the end of a journey in this world.
This morning at around 5.41AM, I was awaken by a SMS signal and as I turned around my mouth whisper,
"O God, Good morning, I love you."
I search my hand phone in the darkness and the message blink....

I activate the SMS and it's from my relative, Brother Lawrence Uchang.
My heart said, "She is gone!!" Sadness filled my heart.

I read the contain of the message and it says: "My sis Caroline Lily passed away 5am".

I can't sleep any more and I forwarded the message to all my relatives on my phone contacts.

Deep within me, I know that she has given a good fight over the pass few year. She has suffered but the sickness made her strong in faith and trust in the Lord.

She was the star of St. Kevin's Primary Second where she always get the First in our Class. The four of us always got the top four...Lily, Julita, Murni and Ari aka John.

 She was a cheerful, brilliant and helpful child. Loved by teachers and friends.

Then we lost contact until she saw my picture in a Tae Kwon Do Tournament in Borneo Post and that time she was working with Hock Hua Ban, Sibu.  During one of our meeting, she gave me her number.

Then we lost contact again when I moved to Selangor.

Years passed by and I am married then convert to Catholic.

In God's grace as i was sitting at the grotto of Mother Mary at St. Ignatius Church, Kelana Jaya...there is a prompting in my heart to get in touch of my friends. God's love filled my heart and I have to share these love. I know w from my pass experience that I will not be at peace until I share this love.

I sent all my friends on my hand phone contact list with a message, " I love You."

(Friends, now you know why sometime you received this message "I Love You" from me out of the blue. I must let it flow.)

One of these message was to the late Caroline Lily. She responded and thanks me for the message and she added that she was sick with cancerous disease.

Once awhile after that i contacted her and she sound like a lady of God who really trust and believe in God's mercy and goodness. I am amazed and thanks God for bring me in contact with her again.

Years passed again until last Chinese New Year, I met his brother Lawrence in Dalat on his way to Bintulu.
 His brother shared with me her condition. Subsequently, I gave her a call and she sound very weak and tired. We didn't talk much and that is the last time of my contact with her.

Now she start the new journey in the spirit with the Lord where there is no pain and suffering. Yet we pray for her soul that she may rest in peace.

For those she left behind to carry on their journey in this world, we pray that God may grant them strength to live on without her and comfort to ease their sadness of losing her.

Last but not least, please pray for those who suffer with the same cancerous disease around the world that God may grant them strength and courage to fight on till the last breath. May their sickness will not be in vain but will bring people together and amend the broken relationship. In Jesus Name, we pray. In God we trust.

Peace be with you.