KOTA BHARU - AN ISLAMIC CITY

Recently I had an opportunity to visit Kota Bharu, the capital-state of Kelantan. I arrived at about 4.30 p.m and returned to Kuala Lumpur at 4.20 p.m the next day. The lastme I visited the town was about twelve (12) years ago when my sisters were staying in the state (kak Izar at Kuala Krai and Adik Rushda at Tanah Merah). Since then I had never been to the state.

As I had barely spent less than 24 hours in the city, I only managed to have a quick tour around the city. Thanks to En. Rashdan from JKR Elektrik Kota Bharu who drove me and two other Electrical Engineers from JKR HQ during a night heavy rain before stopping by at Yati Ayam Percik for our dinner. I could not snap any photo during dinner as I have to leave my camera inside the car due to heavy downpour. After dinner, I returned to KB Renaissance Hotel where I put up the night.



The next morning while picking the engineers before going to JKR Elektrik Kota Bharu office, I manage to snap some photographs for my diary/blog.

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY (1)

This morning I took an Air Asia flight from LCCT, KLIA to Johor Bahru at 0755. The Airbus A300-200 was airborne at about 8.00 a.m and the steward informed us that the flight would take 45 minutes. As the plane was ascending through a thick morning air and patches of cloud, I noticed that there are some familiar features on the ground. I immediately took out my camera and started my aerial photography session which I used to do quite sometime ago during flights.
FYI, I did not attend any class on aerial photography but I could only guess that some of the features I observed from the sky are familiar. As the plane pierced through the clouds, I managed to snap some views using my Nikon SLR from my seat.

Append below are some of the photos I wish to share with those we visited my blog. Hope you would appreciate some of the aerial photographs from a beginner aerial photographer (Note : please click the photo to view a larger size).

Something that is worth mentioning is that we can feel how small and minute we are compared to other objects when we are up there in the sky so do we really think that we could go against the Creator Who has created all those items in and on the ground and in and above the sky ??
Subhanallah ...

RISDA PALONG 2 PALM OIL ESTATE

Small creatures need to survive too ... looking for food..

On the 4th. of Ramadan, 1429 I drove to Risda Palong 2 Farm/Estate, Negeri Sembilan. I departed from Bandar Seri Putra with my mother-in-law (MIL) and wife at around 3.15 p.m. in a heavy down-pour towards Kuala Pilah via Bukit Putus (Broken Hills). My trip was to break the fast (iftar) at my brother-in-law (BIL) house in Palong Estate and also sending my MIL who want to continue fasting there.

After passing through Kuala Pilah town, Batu Kikir and Pekan Buku Zaaba, we reached the destination at about 6 p.m. Normally, in a good weather and road condition, the journey will just take about two hours. Anyway, that will also depend on the no of lorries you met or have to over-take along the road from Senawang-Kuala Pilah road, road conditions (pot holes, repair works, etc.), your car and of course the driver. Anyway, we reached there when the day is still bright and the rain has stopped somewhere before we reached Kuala Pilah.

As usual, after reaching the estate, I will normally roamed around the Manager's Bungalow (my BIL) looking for objects to see through my lens. Although my BIL said to me there's nothing different from my trip last time (I can't remember when??), I still think I could still capture subjects that I had not fully captured before.

So, testing object on my 55-200mm lense is 11-years old Haikal, my BIL's only son..


So, other items that went through my AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm & 55-200mm lenses just before breaking of fast that day are shown here. These are some of the potted plants around the house. My BIL wife is a fond lover of orchids ...



Ladang Palong 3 ..

Flash Flood Between Taiping & Selama

Taiping-Selama Road under water at Pondok Tanjong (8.45 a.m.)

Two days ago I attended a project site meeting at Selama, Perak. I had put up a night at my sister's house in Kampong Jambu, Taiping.
Early that morning, I started off to Selama to attend the meeting. However, when I was approaching a small town of Pondok Tanjong, I saw many cars and people gathered by the road side. To my surprise, I found out that they are road-stranders as they could not pass through a low-lying part of the road which was under 450mm of water due to heavy down-pour the previous night.

Selama-Taiping Road under water at Pondok Tanjung (6.30 p.m.)

As my car suspension is also low, I had decided to turn back and travelled to Selama via Batu Kurau, Rantau Panjang and Ijok. That was my maiden route to Selama via Batu Kurau. Alhamdulillah, although some parts of the roads are really errie, I had no choice but just drive and drive. I reached Selama at about 10.15 a.m.

On the way back from Selama to Taiping, one of the project site staff informed me that the flood water has subsided and cars could pass through. So, immediately after the meeting, I started my trip back to Taiping.

To my surprise there were cars which could not cross the area due to flood water. I was fed with wrong information.
This time, I had to retreat and pass through Kubu Gajah and Bukit Merah and proceeded via North-South Highway to Taiping.

I reached Taiping at about 6.30 p.m and getting ready to drive home to Bandar Seri Putra, Bangi. I reached Bangi at about 11.45 p.m.