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On last year’s Eid trip to Terengganu (6th Sepember 2011), my family and I visited a 19th-century fort in Kuala Terengganu called the Bukit Puteri Fortress.

The Bukit Puteri…

The description of the Bukit Puteri

Climbing up the stairs towards the top…

Bukit Puteri is a 200m-high hill with good views of the city. 

The view of the port from above…

The view from above…

Some of the cannons were still standing there. They were also once used to signal the time to break the fast during the month of Ramadhan. 

The river…

One of the cannon’s name is ‘Meriam beranak’ (The Cannon That Give Birth) because it have a baby cannon beside it.

The description of the ‘Meriam Beranak’

The ‘Meriam Beranak’

I also saw a ‘Genta’ (bell). The Genta was used to alarm the people of any mishap or disaster like a person running amok, fire or the country under attack by the enemy. 

The ‘Pondok Genta’

The description of the ‘Genta’

The Genta

Then, we went to the Kubur Sted Yasin (Syed Yasin Graveyard). Here lies the body of Syed Yasin, a nobleman during the reign of Sultan Zainal Abidin I, and his family.

The description of the Syed Yasin Graveyard.

The Syed Yasin Graveyard.

We went to the fortress…  Bukit Puteri Fortress was built by Tengku Umar on a small hill called Bukit Puteri to defend the town of Kuala Terengganu against Tengku Mansur in 1831, and against Sultan Muhammad I in 1839. The fortress was built out of bricks and a mixture of lime, fine salt, egg white and honey. During the first civil war of 1831, Tengku Mansur ousted Tengku Umar forcing him to flee, first to Besut and then to Daik. Tengku Mansur then ascended the throne as Sultan Mansur II. When Sultan Mansur II passed away, he was succeeded by the prince Tengku Muhammad as Sultan Muhammad I. In 1839, Tengku Umar returned to Kuala Terengganu to challenge Sultan Muhammad I for the throne. He defeated Sultan Muhammad I who retreated to Dungun. A few months later, Sultan Muhammad I staged an unsuccessful attempt to regain Kuala Terengganu.

The Fortress ahead…

The description of the Kubu Bukit Puteri

There was a flagpole in the fortress, standing in front of the throne… It was very sad to see that the board had been scratched by someone…

The throne…

We can see the palace from the arrow-slit in the fortress…

Another beautiful view from the arrow-slit…

The post office from the arrow-slit…

 Behind the throne, there were a gun powder hole…

Looking into the Gun Powder Hole…

The gun powder hole…

And  a lighthouse. The lighthouse was made out of concrete and metal. It is 35 metres tall…

The light house…

The description of the lighthouse…

Further description of the lighthouse…

The ‘Bikon Bukit Puteri’…

 I really enjoyed the trip to the Bukit Puteri. Especially when I can learn more about the history of Terengganu…

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The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 14,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

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As the clock strikes 12… Fireworks blast! A new year has come. With new goals set, hoping to be reached.

I wish all of my dear readers a Happy New Year. I hope that I can reach my goals this year…

Satellite Photo Shows New Island

A new island had just formed in the Red Sea, off the west coast of Yemen! It currently haven’t got a name yet.

(The following article is copied from Yahoo! News)

Rising from Earth’s Red Sea

By Brett Israel, OurAmazingPlanet Staff Writer Space.com | SPACE.com – 19 hrs ago

• 

  A plume rises from a new island in the Red Sea on Dec. 23, 2011 in this satellite view. The smoke plume and new island were created in a volcanic eruption in December 2011. CREDIT: NASA Earth Observatory

 

The Red Sea has a new inhabitant: a smoking island.

The island was created by a wild eruption that occurred in the Red Sea earlier this month. It is made of loose volcanic debris from theeruption, so it may not stick around long.

According to news reports, fishermen witnessed lava fountains reaching up to 90 feet (30 meters) tall on Dec. 19, which is probably the day the eruption began, said Erik Klemetti, a volcanologist at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

Ash plumes were seen emanating from the spot  Dec. 20 and Dec. 22 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites. The Ozone Monitoring Instrument  on NASA’s Aura satellite detected elevated levels of sulfur dioxide, further indicating an eruption. By Dec. 23, what looked like a new island had appeared in the Red Sea off the west coast of Yemen.

“I am surprised about how quickly the island has grown,” Klemetti, who writes Wired’s Eruptions Blog, told OurAmazingPlanet.

The volcanic activity occurred along the Zubair Group, a collection of small islands that run in a roughly northwest-southeast line. The islands rise from a shield volcano (a kind of volcano built from fluid lava flows) and poke above the sea surface.

Scientists will keep a close eye on the new island to see if it has staying power.

“Many times the islands are ephemeral as they are usually made of loose volcanic debris, so they get destroyed by wave action quite quickly,” Klemetti said. But the volcanic activity could outpace the erosion due to the wave action.

Newly emerging islands aren’t unheard of. Other newly emerged islands include Surtsey off of Iceland, Anak Krakatau in the caldera of Krakatoa in Indonesia, and Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha`apai in Tonga in the South Pacific.

This story was provided by OurAmazingPlanet, a sister site to SPACE.com. 

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Malaysia won 4-3 on penalty kicks against Indonesia at the Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta for the SEA Games football final match yesterday! This means that Malaysia had won another gold medal for the football SEA Games after winning a gold medal on the last SEA Games at Laos.

The ‘Harimau Muda’ celebrates their victory after defeating Indonesia 4-3 on penalty kicks at the Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakartayesterday.

Indonesian Gunawan Dwi Cahyo headed the ball in the 5^th minute from a corner kick to score the first goal in the game. However, in the 38^th minute, Malysian captain Baddrol Bakhtiar passed the ball to Malaysian Mohd Asraruddin Putra Omar and with a sliding head, drew the game to 1-1. The result stayed the same even after the second half of the game and the extra-time play.

Malaysian fans celebrate Malaysia’s first goal by Mohd Asraruddin Putra Omar at the Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta yesterday.

In the penalty shoot-out, Titus Bonai, Egi Melgiansyah and Abdul Rahman scored for Indonesia while Gunawan Dwi Cahyo and Ferdinan A.S. failed to convert their attempts. For Malaysia, Mahalli Jasuli, Fandi Othman and Mohd Fadhli Shas scored while Ahmad Fakri Saarani failed to make good. The fifth penalty was scored by captain Baddrol Bakhtiar causing Malaysia to win the game a 4-3 over Indonesia.

Malaysia’s captain Baddrol Bakhtiar scored the last penalty, causing Malaysia to win the game 4-3 on penalty kicks over Indonesia at the Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta yesterday.

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It was the eleventh day of September and my family and I had just returned from our Eid holiday in Kuala  Terrengganu .

I went to our postbox to collect the letters. There were a lot of letters and when I tried to pull the letters out, some of them were stuck. So I pulled out the top half first. When I took out the second half, I saw three beautiful stamps pasted on top of the envelope that was on top of the pile. And to my surprise, my name was written on it. The letter is for me and the beautiful stamps are actually mine!

The letter is for me and the beautiful stamps are actually mine!

It was from my first and only pen pal, Mr. Paul Lecleir from Liege, Belgium. I ran into the house and told my father about the letter. When I opened the envelope, I found three envelopes full of stamps and two postcards. The stamps are all Belgium stamps and they happened to be the first Belgium stamps in my collection and the postcards are my first postcards. I love the Smurfs and the birds stamps, especially the owl the most. The railway station postcard is my favourite. Thank you very much, Mr. Paul Lecleir for the beautiful Belgium stamps and the postcards. I really, really love them.

My first postcard!

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This week (10th October 2011-16th October) is the Malaysia’s Stamp Week 2011! This year’s Stamp Week is held at the Sunway Pyramid. A new stamp series had also been issued on the 9th of October in conjunction with the Stamp Week. The series is called ‘Peti Pos’ or ‘Post Boxes’. It features the pictures of post boxes from Bukit Bendera (Penang), Fraser Hill (Pahang), Melaka, Seremban (Negeri Sembilan) and Kuala Lumpur.

My family and I went to the stamp fair yesterday. We bought the new stamps, the stamp booklet, the first day cover and also the folder at the Pos Malaysia’s booth. After buying the new stamps, we went to Uncle Haji Mohamed Abdullah‘s booth to buy some more stamps. I enjoyed going to the Stamp Week, which is the first Stamp Week that I’ve ever went to.

For stamp lovers, please make a trip to the Sunway Pyramid for the Stamp Week before the Stamp Week ends.

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On the 2nd day of Ramadhan 1432 H, my family and I went to our favourite place to buy bubur lambuk… ‘Bubur Lambuk Kak Sham’ in Kampung Baru. The bubur bambuk at Aunty Sham’s stall are cooked by Aunty Sham who is a good friend of my mother. The stall sells the best and the tastiest bubur lambuk in Kuala Lumpur.

Driving along Kampung Baru during this holy month, we will be be greeted by bubur lambuk stalls on both sides of the road. But some may not be very tasty and there are others that does not taste like bubur lambuk at all. So, if you are wondering how tasty the famous bubur lambuk from Masjid Jamek Kampung Baru is but do not have the time to join the very long queue for the free bubur lambuk, just drop by at Aunty Sham’s stall. Aunty Sham and her family are some of the main chef cooking the bubur lambuk year after year at the mosque.

Here are some pictures that my father took:

Aunty Sham stirring the BIG pot of the extremely tasty Bubur Lambuk...

Aunty Sham allowed my little sister and I to stir the BIG pot of Bubur Lambuk! Isn't that grand!

Aunty Sham also allowed my sister to stir the BIG pot of Bubur Lambuk!

The BIG pots with Bubur Lambuk.

The unbeatable Bubur Lambuk...

Packing...

The packed Bubur Lambuk...

Aunty Sham's stall's banting.

Aunty Sham's stall is located infront of the Al-islam Specialist Hospital...

RAMADHAN MUBARAK!

O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,- (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew. Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. God intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful. Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. God intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful. When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments. God knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what God Hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) God: Approach not nigh thereto. Thus doth God make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint. And do not eat up your property among yourselves for vanities, nor use it as bait for the judges, with intent that ye may eat up wrongfully and knowingly a little of (other) people’s property.   (SURAH AL-BAQARAH, SECTION 23 ON FASTING; VERSES 183-188) (TRANSLATION BY ‘ABDULLAH YUSUF ‘ALI)

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On the 15th day of July, 2011, my family and I went to Penang. Pak Cik Burhan went there with us too. We went there for the SEMINAR MENDAULATKAN  ISLAM –AGAMA NEGARA  (SEMAIAN). The seminar took place at the Dewan Dato’ Ahmad Badawi in Butterworth, Penang.

We left our house at around 9.10 am in the morning. It was a four hours drive to Penang. On the way, I saw lots of beautiful and interesting things. I spotted three scarecrows standing in a cornfield on a hill slope!

We stopped at a restaurant named Restoran Aur Gading for lunch. The restaurant was located by the Sungai Dua river. There were people fishing at the river. My parents and Pak Cik Burhan had the Penang’s famous food, ‘Mi Udang’ for lunch. My sisters and I had fried flat noodle while my little brother had flat noodle soup.

After we lunch, we went to the Palm Inn Hotel. The Palm Inn Hotel was located on the opposite side of the Dewan Dato’ Ahmad Badawi in Butterworth.

In the evening went to another restaurant in Sungai Dua named Aziz Mee Pak Ngah Sg2 for dinner. My parents had ‘Mi Udang’ again. My mother prefers the ‘Mi Udang’ at the Restoran Aur Gading. My sisters and I had Char Kuay Teow. Char Kuay Teow is also one of the Penang’s famous food. I really love the Char Kuay Teow. It was delicious.

On the other side of the restaurant was a huge paddy field. The sun was beginning to set when we left and it caused the clouds to look reddish. The combination of the purplish sky with the red clouds and a green, green paddy field formed a remarkably beautiful scenery.

Later in the night, at around 10.30 pm, we heard the sound of fireworks. We looked through the windows in our room and found out that there was a fireworks display. It had been a splendid day. I was very excited to see the scarecrows because it was the first time I had ever seen a real-life scarecrow in Malaysia!