More LIKES for Taiping !

Gosh! it's 2016 and there are no posts. Thanks for popping by. Well, the reason being my fb  is more active!

As of today, in our midst, it is the 3rd day of the Chinese New Year. It is the Year of the Monkey.  Before the 15th day comes and signal the end of the celebrations, let me get some news in as it appears on my fb page. Taiping, my hometown, here we come!

1. Reunion dinner in Taiping . Never mind the traffic crawl as the whole country seems to be on the move! Pandu Cermat ( in Bahasa Malaysia = drive safely) - just aim to arrive safely in the bosom of your loved ones.

2. Meeting up with  my extended family after a long, long time - my god sister who got me a place in Primary 1 of CHIJ ( Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus) when she was a teacher. Glad to know she is a fit 78 year old grandmother with 11 grandchildren.

3 . Hello Taiping Lake  Gardens, 1885 - your fame and charm  is everlasting as long as Taipingites care enough to preserve your beauty.

4. Perak Museum, 1883. So many firsts in Taiping. This is the first and oldest museum in our country.

5. Perak Jubilee Lodge is under the English Constitution. We had a tour of this Lodge to gain an insight into this Masonic fraternity. Come 2017, UGLE ( United Grand Lodge England) will be celebrating its 300th anniversary.

6. Kueh-mueh  to titillate palates but we missed the famous cendol. So much to taste of this and that but my children know  I'm not a foodie. Alas!

7. Taiping New Club,1894 has the distinction of having the first golf club in the FMS ( Federated Malay States). It was closed  in 1995 to the public  because of the hazards posed. Looking down on to the Esplanade, it reminds me of the many parades and the hockey matches I played.

8. View of the Titiwangsa Range at an evening with my brother-in-law at his friend's house. The dark night sky was suddenly  illuminated by fireworks of a neighbour.

All these and more and driving round the 'Town of Peace', a town that is  growing, growing.. ..
It's time to head for Kuala Lumpur. We loaded two big bags of rich soil among our luguagge amidst protests from the kids! No worries, lah! The car suspension will be ok and my plants will be happy too.
Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my friends who are celebrating Chines New Year. 

Visit Taiping

Seemingly, time is elastic in Taiping. How did we manage to squeeze doing a few things amidst  the busy Chinese New Year celebration? The 3 days spent there were more than fruitfully spent :

1. We visited The First Galleria/  Galleria Pertama - the 121 year old building, formerly the Topo and Survey Offic was restored by the Department of Heritage Malaysia  (JWM) in 2009 - 2010 at a cost of nearly RM 2 million, is now a private town museum of Taiping.
The visit was extra special as an exhibition , The Role of Sri Lankan in Taiping  since 1883 -1963,  recognised their contributions to the growth and welfare of Taiping and her citizens. The Acting High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Major-General S W Lalith Daulaga officiated the launch on 13 January, 2013. It was just coincidental  that we were there while the exhibition was on, even during the CNY. It made us proud  as the grandchildren got to witness  their paternal grandfather's esteemed place among the other noble citizens of Taiping. They saw his pictures and read about their grandfather's achievements.
Do pay a visit to Galleria Pertama - there's much to know about Taiping's many firsts. No town/city  in the country can ever  hold this grand record.

2. We made a 40 minute drive on an evening to Port Weld or Kuala Sepetang, as it is now known, to enjoy seafood. The salty air lets you know you have arrived!

3. I would say a morning walk in the Lake Garden  rewards you a thousandfold.  The serenity and beauty  of the place makes it a popular venue for the locals to exercise and meet up with friends.

4. We paid a visit to our family oil palm estate and were briefed by the mandor on the happenings there - such as ' invasions' by water buffalos as evidenced by their tracks on the mud, frequent encounters with pythons as they hide among the clusters of fruits on the oil palm trees to ensnare their prey.

5. No kidding. We even made a visit to a shopping mall, Taiping Sentral and had to battle with the traffic to park! Also, as it is sited next to TESCO, another giant outlet , looks like all roads leads there!!Thought we had left all that behind in KL and not bemoan jams and more jams! We trooped into a frutti yoghurt outlet  looking for dessert. We came to the conclusion that Taiping folk have much disposable income judging by what we paid for the yoghurt, and toppings, all weighed! Do not fret for your cuppa Starbucks etc, you'll get to enjoy it there too!

One of the oldest clubs in the country-  has the distinction of the 1st golf course in the Federated Malay States.(FMS)

The District Officer's residence on a hillock - built in the 1890s.

The white on the head and the ring round the eyes makes this monkey so attractive.

Taiping's beloved  Lake Garden.

Dawn breaking through as seen from the reflection .

Happy to see Rotary Corner in the Lake Garden.

Galleria Pertama - do head there to get to know Taiping town better. Many firsts - a heritage town.

In the  Study of Galleria Pertama , we watched a video which explains  the room and its history.

A visit to an oil palm estate. The mandor showed us the water buffalo tracks .

Port Weld ( Kuala Sepetang ) - we came for the sea food.