Malim Nawar Rainbow Bridge is on MyStartr.com!

Sunset of Malim Nawar

It’s a community project aims at bringing hopes and energy to this village called Malim Nawar. Malim Nawar is divided into two since the KTM railway was built in 2004. The villagers find difficulty to go the other sides and less traffic and populated around this area. The livelihood of the residents have been affected. Thus, we wish to transform this little village with tourist attraction by this art transformation project. 

First, we will paint over the bridge with colour paintings on the walls and handrails. Then, we will install colourful mosaic tiles on the walk ways and staircases (only vertical side) with beautiful artistic designs. 

This project was inspired by a late Chile artist Mr. Selaron who devoted his life to make the Estarian Selaron to become a famous tourist attraction in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

The art works combine body,mind and spirt colour healing initiated by a village raised local artist ,the special meaning is added to the painting process of the skybridge in order to bring the positive effect to people and the environment.

We wish to see a boost of new energy into this small and ageing village. It is therefore we need your help to make our little dream comes true. Please support us as best as you can! 

Could you:

1) Provide a lorry and transport mosaics from Petaling Jaya to Malim Nawar, Perak?

2) Provide paints and brush for our student volunteers to do the painting jobs?

3) Provide tiles instalment materials?

Let us know if you could sponsor any of these! 

Our mosaics sponsored by MML is ready at Klang, and we need transportation fees to channel these beautiful tiles to our hometown. Your support is truly appreciated. 

请加入我们的面子书 Please join our group at: www.facebook.com/groups/MalimNawarRainbowBridge/

彩虹天桥瓷砖赞助商：MML (Malaysian Mosaics Bhd)

To support the project, please visit http://mystartr.com/projects/rainbowbridge

Mystartr.com is the first crowd funding platform in Malaysia.

How to support?
1. Register as user.
2. Pledge the amount you like.
3. Select the rewards you like.
4. Proceed to e-transaction.
5. Pledged successfully!

这是一座神奇的天桥。

很久以前，双溪古月只有一条大街，中间还有个历史悠久的火车轨道。就在2004那一年，新的火车轨道建成后却把这个连接着旧街场及新街场的唯一一条脉搏给切断了。取而代之的，是一座人行天桥以及另一座车行天桥来连接两边的市镇。可是，大街上的热闹已不复往日。。。

从此以后，来往这条大街的车辆迅速减少，因为他们都被接驳去另一边的甘榜去了。从此以后，传统咖啡店的生意、邮政局不再热闹，连镇上唯一一间的银行也关闭了。唯一可让村民学生往来对面的，就是这座天桥。由于镇上的商业活动不多，没有工厂及就业机会，双溪古月其实已经面临人口老化及失业汉增加的问题。

我们无法改变这座铁轨的存在，但是我们能够为这个小镇增添色彩及正能量! 我们希望为天桥成为双溪古月里的一个特色，带动其乡村生态旅游业，让这个小地方更精彩！这个点子的起源，其实是来自于笔者去巴西里约热内卢参观一个旅游景点阶梯时，认识这一位创作瓷砖阶梯的热血艺术家，Selaron.用瓷砖创作是非常特别，在加上笔者的姐姐活跃与身心灵彩绘，所以她结合以色彩能量学为基础的壁画彩绘，让来到天桥的人可以的体验到色彩带来的影响力和正面讯息，和让这座天桥给乡村注入灵气和提高地方磁场。这两种艺术结合可谓马来西亚第一宗。我们很想利用颜色的能量让这个天桥变得更活泼，也希望借此能够吸引游客来这儿寻找河婆家乡美食，到原野拍摄自然景色及候鸟，体验农家生活等。

贴瓷砖彩桥的功夫不易，我们需要义工参与瓷砖拼图和壁画彩绘。恳请大家踊跃支持这个圆梦计划。 感恩！

请问，你能否。。。

1）赞助瓷砖从吉隆坡至双溪古月的运输费？

2）赞助漆及油漆用品？

3）赞助贴瓷砖的材料？

若能够资助一点以上任何的费用就好了！谢谢!

如何以行动支持？

1. 首先，登记成为MyStartr.com 的会员 - 按Sign Up，输入姓名 (Name) 及电邮 (Email address)。

2. 接着，回来彩虹天桥的网页，按 右上角蓝色格里的 “Pledge Now"。

3. 请依您的能力或喜好输入或者选择捐款数目， 我们会依据您的捐款回馈一些小礼物给您。

4. 选择付款银行。

5. 输入款项及根据其指示付款。

6. 大功告成！

Malim Nawar Railway that cuts the town.

Random paint. It's no longer there anymore. 

Our shabby tools and materials.

Bricks XD

Kids started to enjoy the colourful bridge, it stimulates their sense of colours too!

Volunteer devoted his time and energy to paint under the sun light. 

The Fortune Goddess is visiting us on feet. 

Our volunteers and the background is getting colourful!

Tambun the Lost World

It was a Sunday that Clement brought me to have a day trip to Tambun the Lost World.

6th April, we travelled from hometown after helping mom to make "Choyban"(菜板). 

We travelled to Tambun which is not so far from Ipoh city, surround the Tambun hills.

Though I don't really like theme park, but not bad to have an exposure with what this theme park is likely to be. 

Entrance of the gate, feels like we are entering the Giant Gate at the Skull Island with King Kong living inside. 

It's a beautiful scene - green rocky hilly view. It's incomparable to the men-made entrance gate and play ground facilities. 

Nature's work is totally amazing as human can't copy it.

An artificial Ipoh Street that sell Ipoh famous snacks. 

The dry and wet facilities inside the theme park are not many, despite there are a some water ways for us to play with. It's good for children to play with water for the whole day. However I was not feeling comfortable with the kids pool area as the water seems to be not so clean.  The moving water in the river cruise and water slides are just cool. I have had great time with Clement to play along with the 5 water slides.

The compound in this theme park is so huge that they also have an amusement park and some sort of zoo they called Tiger Valley. They keep animals such as Siberian tigers, wild cats, pony and porcupine. Too bad that these animals are kept in the cage, being tamed or being used for show. The caged tigers eat at feeding time, sleep, swim and walk around their little compound and let visitors take pictures of them. The zookeeper seems to be enjoyed showing us their feeding skills but I bet the tigers are bored with their games. What can they do is to compromise with the feeding show otherwise they will be punished, I guess.

In the petting zoo, you can see these animals are so obedient in listening to the zookeepers' instructions. They will always be staying in their designated areas, follow every instructions in order to be fed... It is like a modernised little circus to entertain the visitors.
dd

One of the very disgusting show: tiger feeding. 

African Crane Crown finally opens up its wings. 

Spectacular!!!! Trapping animals in the aquarium. 

A closer look of the world largest alligator snapping turtle in the world. 

Extending its petting zoo area into the hills. I think these wild animals are scared to stay here. 

Red-Green Macaw is cleaning itself. Being tamed and it won't fly away. 

The Theme Park has open a Tin Valley as their latest attraction that aims at education young generation about the Tin mining industry in Malaya. Many cities had been developed due to the rise of tin mining activities such as Ipoh and Kampar and therefore they are building this Tin Valley for us to remember. However the content in this valley is pretty simple. If you want to know more about the tin mining industry, you had better visit the Tin Museum located at Bandar Baru Kampar. The facilities and information are pretty rich and real. 

Tin ore washing. Those times women worked so hard under hot sun and extract the tin ore from the river sand.

Next to the water park is this hot spring area. This pool area is very clean and well-managed. The feeling is like sitting in a hot water bath. It's weird bathing in here under the hot sun.

The hot spring area and temperature is just nice. 

 Finally the sun is nearly set. People start getting up from the pool and shower. We managed to take a panorama view of this water park. Parents, I hope you can bring your children into the wild and nature, instead of visiting artificial nature park with plastic and human made amusement parks. Those things are just going round and round and can't bring real fun to the kids. Children can find games to play with the nature with their imagination I am sure.

I really love the hills in Ipoh. Please, don't destroy the nature we have, because we cannot afford to build a man made hill.

Panorama view of the Tambun Lost World Theme Park.  

Rio 2 Talks about Amazon

Photo source: wikipedia

Recently we went to watch movie "Rio 2". 

The story evolved when the family of Blue and Jewel took a journey to Amazon forest. It brought up the facts of illegal logging in the Amazon forest which has destroyed life of many. Macaw tribe have to hide themselves deep in the jungle before the bad people hunt for them, meanwhile they were also threatened by the destruction of their habitat. 

The story of this movie highlighted the birds are planting the seed of Brazil nut - the source of their food, in the Amazon forest. They can even have war with the red macaws for their "brazilian nut tree farm". Which means, if they want to survive, they gotta plant their own trees! 

The film has revealed that the greediness of human who would rather cut the trees down than protecting the animals living in the forests. They can do all harm on to tree-huggers to prevent themselves being stopped from digging the treasures out, and do agricultural and cattle pasture activities. It is reflective to our current situation. The voice of environmentalist is too weak before the rich developers and multi-national logging companies who ruled with power in this game.

Blu played a hero part by leading the birds to fight against the human destroyers. The sad scenario in this real world is our birds and animals are too fragile in the hands of the bad. 

I hope the kids who watched this in the cinema theatre could realise the situation of Amazon rainforest now.   

"During the past 40 years, close to 20 percent of the Amazon rain forest has been cut down" - National Geography

Read:

Last of Amazon

Save The Amazon

10 Terrifying and Informative Facts about Deforestation and the Amazon Rainforest

Explorer wants to settle down in the Forest

Today is the anniversary of me and my significant half, Clement David. 

We have known each other since last year January, and we get along with each other very well since then. 

Early this morning (actually it's midnight) he was so serious in giving me this present, a photo book compiled with our photos together for the past 365 days. 

The feeling was very special, I read the words with my eyes teary, until the last page of the album, which showed a photo of him holding a ring, and wrote "Will you marry me?" I was stunned and burst into tears again. 

It's a happy journey we have been together. I find no reasons to reject him, he is such a dear, adorable person. He did many things just to make me happy, or happier. I know in every decision he made he has already include me as part of his consideration. 

He is the person who make his words, fulfill it and rarely let me down. Relatively I am imcomparable to his efforts. He would spare his time to do many tiny handicrafts, handwritten books n letters to me. He really earned my respect. 

He is very special man I have ever met. We both aware that we are just clicked and feel happy and comfortable with each other. Aside from the good virtues I look up on him, I just love he himself. A true man.

Thanks for his love again, though I have nothing to give him, nor nothing worth for him to love me. 

I am really lucky to have him in my life. 

Would it be too soon to get into marriage? Sooner or later would still get married, cos I can't run away from him anymore! 

I think it's a sign from the universe that I should settle down first while moving on in search of my path. There is some truth in it though. 

MenMen, happy anniversary. :) 

African Crown Crane human bird dance!

Last Sunday, my boyfriend and I went to Tambun the LostWorld for a one-day trip.
We saw a bird and we had a fun dancing time there! Watch the video till the end for a surprise!

Farewell, Irene Fernandez!

On 31st March 2014, Dr Irene Fernandez has left the world. 

I was a nerd, I didn't know about such an Iron Lady a famous figure who fought for right of estate women and migrant workers in Malaysia. 

Only when I read about a project on migrants' right violation in Malaysia posted on Loyarburouk, I met the founder of Tenaganita, and I was granted the opportunity to work with this NGO. 

I have joined the project team for only two weeks before I heard about her hospitalization due to heart failure, it was shocking but I was sure that she will be fine. However people in the office had already smell something. Many were worried about her condition, including me. 

The day before she fell, I went to her office and talked to her about the cases that I came across while working this project. She was happy that I am opened with a new window and am able to see the sufferings born by these migrants. She agreed we must do something to stop these violations, but takes time. She is wise enough to tell me migrants right violation is not just happened overnight. 

It was the time for sending off. The 2-hour mass was performed at Catholic Church of Divine Mercy in Shah Alam. It was my first time participating in a Catholic funeral. Big ensembly hall, many statues, prayers in the form of standing, sitting, and singing. 

I'm sure we all felt calming, comfort and consoled after the mass. She is back to the Kingdom of light and peace. 

Looking at her face lying in the white colour coffin, she looked calm and smiling. I said 'thank you' to her for bringing me into this project and opened my eyes. 

Dr Irene, your journeys shall not stop here. There are many of us to be your fighters, for justice and truth. 

May your soul rest in peace. 

Ching Ming grave-sweeping

April is the month for visiting our ancestors/late family members' graves. A moment to remind the children and grandchildren to visit them. 

I like this festival as we get to bring the family members together once a year - who travelled from various parts of the country back to this village where they free up together. 

Not only that we prepared their (our grandparents') favourite food as offerings,   Burning some paper money and daily items for their usage in another world. 

According to Chinese tradition, only by burning they can receive the money. Of course, that has it's own story that triggers Chinese to practice later. 

Last time I have a friend clement to accompany my family to go for tomb sweeping, this year I have him, a friend-turn-to-be-boyfriend, to accompany us to the graveyard again, even though he doesn't practice it as a Christian.

Mom was happy that I came back to join the family annual practice, that I was able to accompany her to see my grandparents. Some young kids who never follow their parents to tomb sweeping could never understand why we have such activities. It's actually a sign of reunion. In the old times my father's side siblings had disagreements and they were studborn enough to disconnect with each other, the only opportunity to get together is visit their parents on the Qing Ming festival. 

I told my mom that I will be cremated and my ashes will be thrown into the ocean. Let everything goes back to the earth. How people will remember me? I don't think I need a place in memorial park... Just hang a picture of mine in the house is good enough. Haha. 

 

There is a tomb abandoned for many years. The wordings on the grave stone were faded, the prayer platform was buried with a think layer of sand and hide some words. While we have done repaint the red paint of our oldest aunt's name on her grave stone, we helped to repaint the neightbour's and found out that this faded stone belongs to an uncle of 台山 (tai Shan people, from China) with surname 'yu' (余) and named 'kui' (魁) whom passed away on the same year as my aunt. 

We gave some offerings and thanked his accompany with our aunt. 

The entire ceremony ended in 2 hours.