Beruas 2012

As expected during Raya period the market areas in Beruas is busy with shoppers. The wet market is in a new building built a couple of years ago and the small shops around it has also been rebuild so it's much much improved compared to the firtst time I saw this place more than 20 years ago. But the place is not exactly clean  but just tolerable and certainly much cleaner than it was a few years ago. By developed country standards this market area is definitely 3rd world but more fun! Many people use bicycles to come shopping to the market though they're mostly women. But they use none of the flashy shiny bike, they are all rusted single speed steel bike like the one in the picture and their 20" siblings.
Effort by the authority to tidy things up is visible and showing some improvement. There's now a board displaying waste collection days in almost every corner. In general they're collecting domestic waste 3 times a week. I hope they keep up to their promise and the people too should have some discipline and not put out their waste on non-collection days. That's not end of story though, a bigger problem is where do all the waste go?

Jambatan Putra New Look

New look for Jambatan Putra is quite pleasing though I thought the colours should reversed, dark on the inner lanes and red on the slow lanes.
No bicycle markings - it can only mean that bicycles have to go up on the pavement which is not a good idea.

Aidilfitri 2012

Aldilfitri was Sunday and its now Thursday. We've been to Gopeng, Beruas, back to Putrajaya and was in Labis yesterday. Lots of hrs in the car and my shoulder is now stiff.
Time moved really fast and the month-long fasting is now in memory. Lots of people especially young ones. Sign of the times - our grey hairs, mum passed away etc etc. In KGP dad is still in good health though not as strong, so days like this we would be coming balek kampong and there would still be visitors. Not so sure if that will happen when he's gone.
In Beruas both parents have long gone but luckily 3 siblings still live there so the place is alive though not really well cared for. We arrived late evening on HR and slept in the room where we spent our wedding night. That's a big change! And so the next day an operation started to clean up some corners that have not been turned for ages. The kitchen was extremely busy and by lunchtime we have about 15 cars parked in front as well as the neighbour's.
The house was crammed with people but there's enough food for everyone.
Things need to be done to the house before next HR:

• Tiles for the bathrooms
• Painting job (external)
• One new room (upstairs)
• Replace ceiling fan
• Old/unwanted things to throw away
• Seating toilet in the toilet downstairs
• repair/new fridge (urgent)

It was a memorable HR and for the first time everyone gathered upstairs for a group photo - the first time that happened. The house didn't creak a bit even though it's made of wood. 18mm DSLR wide angle is not enough to catch everyone!
Next day finally I got to ride the bike sent here a couple of months ago. I should have taken the bike out earlier for errands around town going to the market and shops.

No gold

London Olympic 2012 just ended. It's all over the news that it was a very successful event in all aspect, certainly from British point of view. It will be a hard act for the next host city - Rio - to follow. However the outing for Malaysian sportsmen were not encouraging at all. 1 silver and 1 bronze medals. Should have won at least two more - it just showed that we have made no progress at all.