December 28 - Asiatique, MBK : Part 4

Zahra' very much want to visit Asiatique. After breakfast, we went to the pier to take the boat to Asiatique. These are just scenes from the pier while waiting for the boat to arrive.

As we passed along the Chao Phraya, I couldn't but help take photos of the scene that we passed through. These are just some of them.

We were greeted by a huge sleeping Buddha when we embark the pier at Wat Worachanyawat.

We walked through narrow alleys that were dotted with many little shops to get to Asiatique. When we got there, we were disappointed because the entire area was closed. Asiatique is only alive from evening onwards. Not to be deterred, we decided to look around the quiet surrounding. There were many little shops and other attractions as well.

December 27 - Old Palace and Boat ride : Part 3

Today we decided to visit the Old Palace and the surrounding areas. After breakfast at the restaurant, we decided to walk to the Palace rather than take the bus or Tuk-Tuk. This is what we had for breakfast. Fried eggs with all those condiments and Roti Phrata.

As we walked towards the Old Palace, we stopped to look around us. I couldn't help but take a picture of this old fort.

This Fort can be seen from our Inn actually. We took a slow walk and when we were nearing the junction to the Old Palace, we came across this Marble Statue.

Further up the road, we were greeted with rows and rows of Tourist buses. Three of the buses caught my attention because of the Graffiti.

Remembering the Esplenade the night before, we decided to explore it a little. Really beautiful.

After that we proceeded to the Old Palace. I noticed the roundabout was not spared of decoration.

Elephants seem to be given the highest honor after Buddha and The King.
When we reached the entrance to the Old Palace, we told that we could not enter because the local Thais were having a sacred ceremony and not to be disturbed. We can come again around 2:00 pm. In the meantime, the guard suggested we take a boat ride down Chao Phraya and told us to pay local price since it was a Saturday.He flagged a Tuk-Tuk for us and told us to pay the amount that he informed the driver.
Riding the Tuk-Tuk was an experience in itself. The driver really drive the Tuk-Tuk at hair raising speed and has little regards about safety. In my mind, I could feel that the driver was taking an exceptionally long distance to the pier. The night before we walked to the pier and there don't seem to be much twists and turns.As long as he stuck to the negotiated price, I don't mind.

At the pier we had to negotiate the price of the boat. the guard had already told us that if we were asked to pay more than 1500 Baht for the three of us, we have the right to decline.After much negotiation (my hubby is good at that), we paid the said amount. I felt that it was a bit too pricey but I just went along. We got into the the Long-nosed Boat that will take us a tour of the Chao Phraya. The following photos were the sights that beheld us.
Oh, while in the boat, I couldn't help but ask the couple in front of me how much they paid for the boat ride. When the lady said she paid 800 Baht per person, the 500 Baht that we had to pay was reasonable; but still not to my liking.

My husband would like to visit Wat Arun and even though I wasn't keen on the idea, I kept quiet.

Train ride to Bangkok - December 25 to December 26. Part 2

This segment focuses on the Train ride only.
Since there was so much dilly-dally on booking the flight, more to the timing of the holidays, we end up taking the train to Bangkok.Unfortunately, when hubby went to book the train to Bangkok, he was told that there was no booking for return trip to Prai or Kuala Lumpur. The return ticket can only be bought in Bangkok itself.
On the morning of December 25, we went out to have breakfast and get hubby to search the 2 banks to pay the housing bills. When that was taken care of, we return home to pack the bags into the car. By then Amir was already up. Around 12:30 pm, Amir drove us to Prai Station for us to catch the train at 3:30 pm. We had to be there 30 mins early.

Trust Zahra' to capture this photo. Well, at least there is something for me to remember

Since the station and surrounding areas were under construction, we had to take such a long walk to the train. Good thing I only had two backpacks with me.

Along the way Zahra' managed to capture some photos. Here's a few of them.

The general view of the station at the time

Not sure where this is

The Eastern & Oriental Express Train. Zahra' and I planted a dream of one day riding this
 train to Bangkok. I know it is going to cost us a bomb but it will be a good experience

Our train - 2nd Class with Berth

Route - Butterworth to Bangkok

After boarding the train and taking our seats, we find that we were near the door that connects to the next coach. This location proved to be 'fatally' annoying as the journey proceeded after our stop at Hatyai. I shared my seat with hubby while Zahra' shared hers with a stranger. Throughout the journey no words passed between them. They both were lost in their own worlds and their books.

Two strangers lost in their own world

We stopped for Immigration checks at Padang Besar. As hubby had done lots of investigation, most bloggers wrote that the food on the Siam train is not Halal. Since we had a two hour stop at this check point, we took advantage of the situation by doing our prayers, had a light meal and buying some food for dinner and breakfast.

While we were busy with customs, the two coaches acquire additional family members. Yes, the original two has increased and our coach remain the last coach. At about 6:00 pm we started our journey and cross the border to Thailand. As it was customary, the Thai authorities wasted no time in doing their rounds. They asked us to show our tickets and checked that the seat number on the ticket correspond to the seat we sat.

The journey started slowly, then it went very quickly and slowed again. There were a couple of stops where passengers either alighted or get off. At every stop, there was bound to be mobile hawkers selling their wares and even though I find this a bit irritating, I decided to ignore them for most part. This is their livelihood and the only way they know how to earn money. 

Hawker stall at Hatyai Junction

But the annoyance is nothing compared to the two neighboring families that kept going to and fro one coach to another. I was already seething with rage so I chose to look out the window. I noticed some parts of the rubber plantation were under water, prove that southern Siam really was flooded.

Rubber plantation under water. Blurry image taken from a moving train

What saddened me most were the houses. All along the river past the rubber plantation, the stretch was dotted with wooden houses that were in shambles, tiny or in a very sorry state. That's livable to the family's standard. I believe our squatters are even better. Couldn't take any photos as the train was really going fast.

The next picturesque scene was the padi fields. Nearly all flat land.

Padi Fields

By now the sun is almost set and in the train, almost everyone was busy having their meals. We ate our meager food and this is more for survival than actually filling our tummy. I am happy with what I have and so to my hubby and Zahra' After relaxing for a few minutes and freshening up we rest for a while until our Coach Guard started his rounds of getting the berth ready for us to sleep. The following pictures showed the Coach Guard in action.

This how the final work looked like

By 9:00 pm everything start to be quiet. Hubby asked me to sleep upstairs while he slept downstairs. Zahra' had made a sleeping arrangement where she slept downstairs and the seat partner slept upstairs. Somehow I dozed off until I felt the train rocking and swaying and I got up. I looked at my watch and it said 2:00 am.I pushed the curtain aside and I saw that my neighbour was up and she was inspecting her children and husband. Slowly I get down from my berth and as mother would do, I checked on Zahra' and my hubby. Both were sound asleep, like all the rest of the passengers. sleep eluded me completely. I then climbed the stairs to my berth and lay down hoping to sleep. I could feel the train slowing down and then stopped. I heard announcements so the train had reached another station. I looked at my watch and 15 mins later the train moved. Half an hour later it stopped again and I strained my ears to hear anything for the stop. It seemed like a long time. My eyes was glued to my watch and I hear another train passed by. This was more than 30 mins. for the next 2 hours it was the same scenario. I stepped down again and find a comfortable sitting position on Zahra's berth. Not knowing what to do except Zikir, I took her camera and started shooting these:

My Berth

Hubby's Berth

Zahra's Berth

This must be boredom to the 100th degree. slowly, my mind went back to 1981. Yes, I was on 2nd class train with berth going to Bangkok with my KESUMA (University Malaya Cultural Group) to perform at various Universities, Colleges and Schools around Bangkok and Chieng Mai. It was lively then. The boys were up making so much noise and playing musical instruments to remain awake. At 4:00 am, I chose to freshen up, then climbed back to my berth and then lie down again. I must have fallen asleep because I suddenly heard "Li, Li, wake up. It's already morning". I searched my watch and saw that it was 7:30 am. I cleared my berth, climbed down and joined my husband. We thought Zahra' was still sleeping. When she got up, she showed me the video she took of dawn breaking.

Pre-preparation to Bangkok - December 23rd to December 24, 2014. Part 1

I was getting things ready for our trip to Bangkok. I thought I was giving the final touches; but I end-up doing more than I should. The night before I packed and re-packed my tiny backpack with clothes to make sure that what I brought was sufficient. Zahra' did her own packing and I am not so concerned about her because she is a veteran at packing. On top of that, she had prepared a checklist whereas I only created a mental checklist. Hubby packed his own backpack, too.

Today I pack another backpack with my camera, note book and pens and a book to read. This will be for the daily travelling as I don't plan to bring my handbag. At the same time I completed my packing for another bag for our overnight stay at my in-laws in Behrang and also at my sister's in Sg. Petani.
Once everything is packed and placed into the car, I went on another round of the house to make sure the plugs were switched off and unplugged; the doors were all properly closed and locked and everything else were in order. At least when we come home, we will be certain that we had left things as they were. These are safety measures I had picked up from my late father and my late grandfather who were strict disciplinarians.

Before embarking on our journey to Behrang, I told my husband I need to go to two bank to settle my bills. At the same time he had plans of his own, too. Eventually, his plans materialized while mine was forgotten. Off course I was seething furiously but I decided to remain silent.
My in-laws were surprised to see us on a weekday. When hubby told the why, they kept quiet. We spent the night at their house. The next day we left Behrang for our 2nd leg of the journey - to Sg. Petani.

We both know that my sister was still in Melaka and the only person to greet us will be my brother-in-law. Unfortunately, he has a performance that night and we were told where to find the key to the house. Since Amir will not be home by the time we arrived, hubby decided to try the 2nd bridge, the Sultan Abdul Halim Muazzam Shah Bridge, to Penang. As soon as we exited the bridge, we were greeted with snarled traffic. After all it was Christmas Eve. Eventually, we didn't get to the destination that hubby had in mind. To pass the time, I took a some photos.

This view was taken from the moving car. I was clearly upset because the
Bridge was not photographer friendly. It simply means there was not a spot
to stop for photo taking. A real waste.

The view of the Sultan Abdul  Halim Muazzam Shah Bridge taken from the car by my daughter, Zahra'.

The high rise building that is now doting Penang Island.

 Since traffic was at a crawl, hubby decided to find the route to the ferry terminal. It was a relief to be on the ferry once again after so many years and as soon as hubby parked the car, I was out of the car in no time at all. Zahra' followed suite and together we stood on the deck overlooking the sea. I still have problem taking night shots and I end up more frustrated.

An eg of badly taken photo. Must learn the settings to improve myself.

These two are inseparable - father and daughter. 

It was sheer luck I got this right and after 4 attempts.

This is the best I can do with my night photography. A total failure. I know I can do better next time. All I need to do is try and try.

When we exit Chain Ferry, I showed Zahra' my former school, the Chain Ferry Convent School. Since it was dark, we could not see much except the form of the school.

We were hungry. hubby decided to have Prawn Mee at Sg, Dua. At least I still remember how to get to the restaurant. All Zahra' had to do was to read the sign board. I must admit, I find the price per plate of RM12.00 was much too high and there were only 4 prawns. The serving was also smaller and many ingredients were pulled out. Things are not the same as the last time we had Prawn Mee. Either the price has really hiked up or we were not at the same restaurant. Either way, we were not fully satisfied.

After dinner, we slowly made our way to Sg. Petani. After taking the key from its location, we let ourselves in. We were just too tired to really notice the condition of the house. Before going to bed, I helped my sister fold the clothes that were on the carpet. I really don't know at what time Amir arrived home then.

U Raise Me Up

This layout was supposed to be for the 13Arts Challenge. Then again, I was distracted by other things so the last minute became no minutes at all. Still I decided to complete it even though it is not exactly how I want it to be.
When my cousin tag me this photo, I was really very, very happy. For years I have trying to get some of the old family photos from another cousin but to no avail. At least I still have this photo to work on. This is a photo of our grandma holding her only surviving son (my cousin's father). To her left is my ever beautiful mother and to her right my two aunts. Judging from the date on the photo, my mum was 12 years 9 months old. Look how pretty and ladylike she was. She still is being ever so well dressed and hair properly coiffed despite her ailing condition.
It is really so nice to have a photo of my grandma to work on. This is art of a heritage album that my daughter, Zahra' has been asking me to do. In the photos are my Grandma (Hajjah Che Noh), my mum (Sity Khatijah), My aunts (Zaleha and Hamidah - the smaller one) and my only uncle (Haji Baba @Salleh).
The title of the layout is from a song You Raise Me up. Yes, all five of them raised me up to be what I am today. I really love you all. May Allah bless you always.

Location: Batang Tiga, Melaka
Supplies - White Cardstock
Gesso
Acrylic Paints
Micia Inks
Micia Stamps
Doily
Momoyo Brads
Momoyo Flowers
Martha Stewart Stencils

Just Be Yourself

It's been months since I blogged and create layouts.This is my first layout since the retirement of my Supervisor 5 months ago. After that it was work, work and work and nothing could entice me back. I am grateful to my sister, Asmah, for never giving up on encouraging me.
This layout is for Kreative Koncepts Sketch challenge #30.
To kick start my Mojo, I decided to create this layout using this sketch. It is lovely to be back into the rhythm of scrapbooking once again.

Location: Mini Stadium Bukit Jalil
Event: Adni Main Sports Day
Supplies: Kaiser Craft, Coredinations
Buttons
Micia Stamp
Micia inks
Pop Arts Sentiments and Embellies

xoxo


Lili Sulastri

Our Beautiful world - Signage

It's been three months since I viewed my blog and update my feed. I was totally out and my creativity was temporarily blocked. Since photography is the only way for me to be reconnected with the world, here I am. The best way to refresh is with photography.
At Beautiful World, the theme for Week 60 (wow! is that how long ago I was there?) is Signage. To all photographic enthusiasts, please visit this blog. You will not be disappointed.
On the Go is the latest eating venue by Traders Hotel. As the name suggests, we will stop by to buy our breakfast or lunch here and walk back to office or occasionally we will stop by and eat-in here. A very convenient stop center, as I will call it.
Here's my take for the Theme:

On The Go - the latest eating Venue by Traders Hotel.

By the way, I now have Instagram. Please feel free to view my photos over there. Find me at Lili_Sulastri. Thank you in advance.