Danau Wall Climb Challenge #4

We had a new climber in Adillah last Friday. Not bad for a first timer, she managed to get past tile #5, the average height of our climb on the first week. Perhaps she would try again this week. For the rest, there were some improvements but no major breakthrough. Too bad, we may try something else this week or back to the wall again.

Danau Wall Climb Challenge #3

It is no surprise to find us at the wall again this week and today is the third consecutive week of our visit. No major achievements for all of us today and as expected Ikram (the climber on the right in the picture above) is still at tile #5!

Next week will probably be our last visit before we try something else there. It is definitely not boating!

Danau Wall Climb Challenge #2

We were at the wall again last week seeking to improve our last achievements. Individually we made some progress. Azim managed to hang on to the horizontal tile, which is the hardest point to pass before getting on to the two final vertical tiles at the top. The other top climbers, Azmin and Thony were slightly behind Azim.

Azim, at the most difficult point.

And yes we will be back again this week in another attempt to reach the top of the wall. This challenge seems to have rejuvenated our interest in our after-work outdoor activity after badminton became a bit too routine and progressively less challenging.

Danau Wall Climb Challenge #1

Our challenge, the static wall climb at

Ayer Keroh Lake Recreational Park

After months of regular weekly visits to the Badminton court, it was time for us to try new things, something more challenging, and with a different kind of excitement - the static wall climb. The venue was the climb wall at Ayer Keroh Lake Recreational Park.

After a short safety briefing by the instructor, Azim was the first to ascend the 30 feet or so vertical wall. He only managed to get to the top on second attempt, and subsequently on the third attempt. Nevertheless, Azim, with only about 45kg of personal baggage to carry up with him, was the first to get to the top.

Azmin and Thony on the way to the top and down on
the second attempt. They did not have much personal
baggage to carry with them too!

Not so successful climbers were Ikram, Razif, Hasanah, Shida, Azie, and yours truly. It looked like these people had any of the following reasons for their failures - too much weight to carry up the wall, legs not strong enough to push the body upwards, or fingers not strong enough to grip the wall insert and pull the body upwards, or all of it.

Ikram (red shirt) almost at the limit of his climb.
Razif failing to clear the hardest part of the climb.

Hasanah and Ikram attempting another climb.

The more successful climbers had a go at the more challenging section of the wall. Only Thony managed to climb the furthest. But, all of will be back again next week to conquer the wall. I guess there will be a few dumbbells and hand grippers in the office next week to strengthen the arms and legs, and the grip! We will also have another challenge next week - to get Hajar to climb the wall.

If you are looking for a relaxation of a different kind try I would certainly recommend you to try the wall climb. It is not as physical as it may look but you will certainly discover your level of fitness very quickly. It should be quite fun when you come in a group like us. It only costs about RM5 per person (we had many tries).

2008 Company Trip - Bangkok

2008 has been a truly defining year for all of us at Danau but more so for me personally as a person heading the company. Not only did we manage to deliver all of our 2008 projects successfully but most importantly I was able to see the direction in which the Company is heading more clearly now. As the saying goes "The future belongs to those who can see the future". When the road ahead is always under construction it makes you feel a bit better knowing that you have a clearer view of the future! So this trip to Bangkok was a reward for all of us for what we have achieved in 2008.

Grand Palace, Bangkok

DAY 1. Our first stop is the Grand Palace, one of the most recognizable tourist destination in Bangkok. Although not as big as the Forbidden City in Beijing, the experience is certainly more intense, well for me at least. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the buildings are huge and very close to one another. Plus, the color is also a very striking color.

Azim, Hasanah and Hajar at the Palace entrance

Ramayana as depicted on the walls of one of the building in the Grand Palace

The next stop is the boat ride on the Chao Praya River. This is probably the most exciting and adventurous experience we had during the trip considering that we did not make it to the 'Thai Girls Show' this time! The one hour trip has many facets to it. When you consider that the boat operator does not provide you with any life jacket, traveling along the Chao Praya River with your eye sight almost at water level will certainly make your heart beats faster. Things get a bit more relaxing when the boat enters the canals connected to the Chao Praya River. That is when you will get to see the 'staged floating market', fish feeding, etc.

Boat ride participants not paying attention to the floating market lady,
rather, anxiously looking at a dog which is about to jump into our boat!

The boat is powered by a car engine!

The Jim Thomson House Museum

DAY 2 begins with a visit to the Jim Thompson House Museum. The museum consists of many small Thai houses, all of which are different. There is no single camera shot that can capture the ambiance of the place. You simply have to be here to appreciate the museum. This place is a must for me.

Azim and Thony finding it difficult to concentrate
on what our guide says!

After lunch at Makyah Muslim Restaurant, next stop is the MBK Shopping Center. The laddies just have to do what they do best, shop!

Thony, Azmin and Azim at Siam Square

Day 3. Chatuchak Market and the Children Discovery Center is the order of the day. I did not go to the market so I can't really comment on it. However, the discovery center falls short of my expectation. Lonely Planet should revise it's recommendation in my opinion.

Azim and Azmin inside a soap bubble at the discovery center.

The rest of the day is spent on shopping, again, and doing other things

Adillah, Anas and Adlina taking the Tut-Tut to avoid traffic jam.

The kids looking different in Bangkok.

Day 4. All smiles and it's time to go home.

Before check-in at the airport

Thony preparing to view partial solar eclipse from the plane
in case our flight is delayed. Azmin with our GPS needing to
find out when the plane travels over his hometown Taiping.

Final note:

Adillah at The Gift Shop @ Jim Thompson House

Last but not least, we say thank you to Adillah for taking time to understand Bangkok before we even had the time to think about Bangkok. Where to go, eat and stay, hotel booking, flight booking, how much money to bring, where to shop, ... you name it. You are the most efficient travel agent we ever had. Will definitely engage you again next year!

Zaharim

1 Jan 2009

Adlina, 1 Jan 2004 @ Equatorial Hotel, Melaka

The coming of the new year is special to me not only because it is a new year but more so because 1 Jan is our wedding anniversary. 1 Jan 2009 marks the beginning of another year of extremely blissful partnership with Adillah, insyallah. 2008 had been a very challenging year for me and Danau. We would not have been where we are now without Adillah's help. Thank you darling. More of you will be needed in 2009!

On a completely different note, I strongly urge couples who are planning to get married to find a 'good' date to tie the knot. Of course the date of your wedding anniversary will always be special no matter what date it is. However, to have it on a public holiday makes it easier for you to celebrate because nobody else will be in your way. Preferably you wouldn't want to have your wedding anniversary fall on a Monday when you have to present weekly sales report, or on a day when you have to fight for a very nasty and messy case in the court of law.

When Adillah and I were considering wedding dates towards the end of 1993 we immediately saw the benefits of choosing 1 Jan 1994, which happened to be a Saturday. We are grateful to our parents that they agreed to our proposed date. What a difference it has made to us and the kids!

2007 New Year's dinner under the tree @ Danau Kaseh

The final two weeks of December has always been a very special time of the year for me and Adillah especially since our kids have become a bit more matured now. Work wise, the last few days leading to Christmas and the days between Christmas and the New Year have always been 'slow' days. Most people are on holidays and clients don't usually demand our attentions. That allows us (and the kids) to self reflect on things and events which have gone past us during the year, to take stock of what we have and have not achieved, and most importantly to set our targets for the following year. Usually, by our wedding anniversary day, 1 Jan, most things would have been planned and waiting to be executed.

Hakim and Adlina doing the easiest part of
Finding Nemo jigsaw puzzle, the borders, in 2003

Perhaps the only thing we have missed doing as part of our year end tradition since 2003 is a jigsaw puzzle. None of the jigsaw puzzles which we have framed has gone on the wall so I guess there is no harm taking a break from doing one this year!

Happy New Year to all and may Allah grant you peace and fine health in 2009 (1430H).

Azmin's Birthday

Today is Azmin's birthday. It is also our first day at work after the long Hari Raya holiday.

Selamat Hari Raya

Salam Aidil Fitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin

Happy Birthday - Nur Nadilah

I would like to wish "Happy Birthday" to intern Nur Nadilah Mansor (aka Nad) who is celebrating her birthday on 29 September.

Happy Birthday to My Dearest Ila

Dearest Ila,

Wishing you a very happy happy birthday!

You have been the source of strength and inspiration to me,
to the kids and to a lot of other people.

We are truly blessed by your presence.

Zaharim

A Day of Disorientation and Unwanted Incident

I normally have "non work-related" things to do on Saturday, either playing golf or doing things together with Adillah. But yesterday I did not have any "non work-related" things to do so I felt a bit disorientated. The night before I stumbled across something interesting and exciting which I have been planning to do in the future. That got me really excited. At the same time I have a dateline and an important task to complete before the middle of the week. However, they are not as exciting as building up the concept for the future project. Objectively I should just continue to work on the dateline but my heart says otherwise. That made me feel a bit disorientated.

Just before noon I decided to go to office to download a few large files from the net. I left office at about 3.30pm. However, as I got to the bottom of the lift, I realized that I had left the thumb drive which contained the files I had just downloaded at my computer in the office. I was not so sure if I should get the thumb drive knowing that I may not use it at home at all. Somehow, I decided to go up the lift again to get the thumb drive. Finally I was ready to go home.


However, as I entered my car I heard a loud 'bang' just outside of the K-Economy Incubator car park where my office is located. To be precise, at the junction between Jalan Business City and Lingkaran MITC. It was the kind of noise that happened in an accident. Rightly so, an accident between a van and a motorcycle had just happened. I waited for a few seconds to see if the motorcyclist could get up from the accident but he did not. So I decided to get to the scene of the accident and to my horror I saw a lot of blood on his face. Worse still I saw a huge cut on his chin and it looked as though his chin was dislocated. He was struggling to breathe and looked a bit unconscious. I seriously thought he was going to die as 'thick' blood was flowing out of his face.


The two guys that knocked him over with the van were extremely horrified to see the result of their reckless act. They asked me to call the ambulance but somehow I was not sure what number to call to so I called Adillah instead. I was panicked and horrified too! Somehow I felt that calling the ambulance was not the best way to get him to the hospital. It took me a few minutes before I realized that the center for Melaka Integrated Rescue Squad and a police station is just about 100 meters away at the junction between Jalan TU 1 and Jalan MITC. So I ran as quickly as I could to the center and within a few minutes they were at the scene of the accident. I was there when the rescuer attended to the guy but I just could not bear to look at his. Within minutes they were off to the hospital.


I guess I would have missed the incident if I had not gone back to my office to take my thumb drive. Worse still, the two guys that knocked the construction worker over wouldn't have a clue of how to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible. Putting that aside I just hope that in the end he will be allright. I left the scene of the accident feeling more disoroientated!

A Walk Along Singapore River

I was in Singapore at the beginning of the month to attend a seminar and workshop on story telling. The event was held at The Arts House which is located near the Singapore River. Although I had been to Singapore many times, that was the first time I visited this part of the Lion City. The instructions from the organizer said I should take the MRT (Singapore's underground transport) to either Clarke Quay or Raffles Place. I decided to disembark at Raffles Place because it would be nearer for me to walk to The Arts House from there.


The walk from Raffles Place MRT station to The Arts House was relatively short but it was a very revealing short walk for me. As I strolled along the river to a 140 year old suspension bridge (Cavenagh Bridge) that would get me across, I encountered a few sculptures along the river bank, a museum known as the Asian Civilizations Museum, and a very scenic view of restored old shop houses located along the river.


The Singapore River, like many other rivers in the world, has a very long history. Archaeologists have found evidence of settlement and maritime commerce which can be dated as far back as the 14th century. To understand the history and the importance of the river to Singapore, a visit to the Asian Civilizations Museum is a must.


The museum has six thematic galleries. A visit to the museum begins with the Singapore River Interpretive Gallery which tells many stories about coolies and Chettias, the indegenous Orang Laut (literally translated as the sea people), and the newly arrived Europeans. Other galleries will bring you further back in time and across the myriad cultures of Asia. The museum also uses the latest technology to help visitors explore and experience the subjects and objects on display.


As I walked further towards the river mouth I came across an area known as The Esplanade. From there I could see the theaters known to Singaporeans as "The Durian", and the giant ferris wheel known as Singapore Flyer. I did not walk far enough to catch a view of the Merlion (a fictitious animal with the head of a lion and the body of a fish) which is located the river mouth.

If you are planning to spend a few days in Singapore then a walk along the Singapore River is something you should not miss.

The Malaysian Batik Extraordinaire

Batik painting on ceramic tile

My journey through the jungle trail of Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve two weeks ago brought me to the Malaysian Timber Board Craft Center which is located at the end of the trail at the foot of Bukit Nanas. It was raining quite heavily so I made up my mind to browse around the center slowly.

The craft center has many interesting stuffs mostly derived from Malaysia's rainforest timber and plants. You will be able to find Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) root and chipped root, a traditional medicine which can be used as remedy for fevers, fatigue and high blood pressure, or as it is famously known for to overcome impotence, kind off the traditional viagra. You will also find many beautiful wood carvings at the center.

However, the thing which got me interested was the application of batik on wood and other stuffs that batik is not usually painted on. As I looked at the artwork intensely, I was spoken to by this guy in a nice batik shirt who introduced himself as Aziz. So I asked him why do batik on wood? He said it has not been done before in Malaysia (perhaps not in Indonesia as well) so why not take the challenge. In the spirit of Malaysia Boleh I couldn't agree more!

Aziz during our conversation

Aziz talked a lot about batik as a form of art and fashion. He was obviously very enthusiastic and passionate about batik and his new form of batik experiment. I ask Aziz what got him started. He told me that he was working for a business organization for too long. Work became too routine and boring. He had his own food business before but that too became less and less interesting. So a few years ago he decided to quit the boring stuffs and went to Indonesia for a few months to learn batik painting. He had also learned the art from two award winning batik artist in Malaysia.

Another batik on ceramic

Today, apart from experimenting batik painting on different kinds of tropical wood, Aziz is also busy conducting batik painting classes for the locals and tourists visiting Kuala Lumpur. According to him, not many Malaysians appreciate the art.

Aziz has appeared in local newspapers and television so some may have known him already. But what many may not know is that in pursuing something which he is so passionate about, Aziz had taken on the 'road' many of us dare not take. When asked if he is making more money now than before, his answer was "No but I am much much happier in life now than before". I can certainly relate to that.

Happy 51st Merdeka to all Malaysians.

A Journey into Rain Forest

Last Thursday my work took me to the jungle trails of Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve. The forest reserve was established in 1906 as Bucket Weld Forest Reserve. So it has remained untouched for at least 102 years. If you have not been on a jungle trail before then this one you should not miss. My task was to find out if the constituents of the forest including it's man-made facilities fits the criteria of an outdoor activity which I am proposing to a client.


I started my journey into the forest from Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower) which is located on top of Bukit Nanas (bukit means hill in malay). So from where I started, most of the trails were downhill trails. To get to the bottom of the hill at the point where the Malaysian Timber Board craft center is located (near the junction between Jalan Ampang and Jalan Sultan Ismail) I had two options. Follow a jogging trail all the way down (about 600m) or follow the jogging trail half way down and then take the natural forest train (either the Jelutong Trail or Merbau Trail) to the foot of the hill. I took the second option through Jelutong Trail.

Pokok Limau (Citrus Tree)

So did I find anything interesting? Well, I found this lime tree (pokok limau) which looks exactly like the lemon tree at the back of my mom's house except that it is huge, at least 30 meters tall. I never knew a lemon tree can grow so big! The other is a tree which has fruits on its bark (above). I have seen it before in pictures but not in real life.


If you have not been on a jungle trail before, as I said earlier, then this one you should not miss. This rain forest reserve is probably the most accessible to you especially if you are staying in Kuala Lumpur. Although it is not very dense, there are a plenty of flora and fauna for you to see, touch and appreciate. There are walking and jogging trails, activities field, lookout platform, huts as well as toilets. I was also informed that there are guided tours at 11am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 4.30pm subject to weather conditions.


The best way to get to the forest is through KL Tower (Menara Kuala Lumpur). There are plenty of car parks there and if you are a tourist staying somewhere near KLCC or Bukit Bintang then you are within walking distance to the forest. From KL Tower you can enter the forest through two different gates. There are maps available at KL Tower for you to use as guide. From thereon, will be walking all the way downhill.

Enjoy you journey into the rain forest...

Happy Belated Birthday - Nor Hafizah

Happy belated birthday to Nor Hafizah who is currently doing her internship at Danau Digital. You have the same birth date as Anwar Ibrahim!

Graduan Baru

Tahniah diucapkan kepada Thony, Azmin dan Azim yang telah menerima ijazah Sarjana Muda Sains Komputer daripada Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) pada hari Ahad, 10 Ogos 2008. Tahniah juga kepada Shahrir yang pernah menjalani latihan industri di Danau Digital pada tahun 2006.

Adillah A Nordin, the Firm

Next Friday, 1st of August 2008, is the 6th Anniversary of Adillah A. Nordin, the legal Firm. Many congratulations to all of you at Adillah A. Nordin. You have worked really hard as a team to bring the Firm to a different level. The beginning was certainly not easy for you. In a profession which is highly regulated, legal firms, old and new, cannot exert their presence in the in the market like companies can. So there was no billboard advertising to announce the birth of Adillah A. Nordin!

I am extremely fortunate to be able to enjoy the growth of the Firm, as do other spouses. More often than not the Firm has been able to organize 'family trips' abroad, the last two being Beijing and Cambodia in 2006 and 2007 respectively. I must say that I have enjoyed the trips tremendously. The pictures below are constructed with Azim's help.


My memories of our trips are still vivid. The sense of unity and understanding that has developed over the years that the Firm and their spouses have traveled together is certainly unique, special and difficult to describe.

Adillah is still busy packing your 'goodies' just as I am completing this posting. I was told that my presence at your 6th Anniversary function tomorrow is somewhat compulsory so I feel honored to be invited. To Hamidah, Faridah, Eyta, Long Chek, Zurina, Farah, Faizah, Mas, Saad and Cherryl, many congratulations!

To Adillah A. Nordin, the person, may I say that I am extremely proud of your leadership and for what you have achieved in such a short time. You are truly 'The Special One'.