Colmar Tropicale: Japanese Garden 2004

These are some of the pictures taken during a visit to Colmar Tropicale at Bukit Tinggi back in 2004, back when my daughter was still a few months old. I like mostly anything Japanese maybe because it is in my blood.

Husband Store

A store that sells husbands has just opened in a top-secret location where women may go to choose a husband from among many men. The store comprises 6 floors, and the men increase in positive attributes as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch. As you open the door to any floor you may choose a man from that floor, but if you go up a floor, you cannot go back down except to exit the building.

So a woman goes to the shopping center to find a husband. On the first floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men have jobs. The woman reads the sign and says to herself, "Well, that's better than my last boyfriend, but I wonder what's further up?" So up she goes.

The second floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men have jobs and love, kids. The woman remarks to herself, "That's great, but I wonder what's further up?" And up she goes again. The third floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good looking. "Hmmm, better." she says. "But I wonder what's upstairs?"

The fourth floor sign reads: Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking and help with the housework. "Wow!" exclaims the woman, "very tempting. BUT, there must be more further up!" And again she heads up another flight.

The fifth floor sign reads: Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking, help with the housework and have a strong romantic streak. "Oh, mercy me! But just think... what must be awaiting me further on?"

So up to the sixth floor she goes. The sixth floor sign reads: Floor 6 - You are visitor 3,456,789,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping Husband Mart.

Garage Sale!

Aku nak buat garage sale kat umah aku nanti. Sesapa berminat beli datang le ye. Dah sesak dan semak sangat kat depan rumah aku ngan mende nie, susah aku nak bergerak. So aku cadang nak jual je murah-murah. Pilih le yang mana nak.

The Boy and The Apple Tree

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow...he loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by...the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come and play with me" the tree asked the boy. "I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more" the boy replied.

"I want toys. I need money to buy them." "Sorry, but I do not have money... but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited "Come and play with me" the tree said. "I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?" " Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house." So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me!" the tree said. "I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?" said the man. "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy." So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time. Finally, the man returned after many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you ..." the tree said. "No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite" the man replied.

"No more trunk for you to climb on" "I am too old for that now" the man said. "I really cannot give you anything... theonly thing left is my dying roots" the tree said with tears. "I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years" the man replied. "Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, Come, come sit down with me and rest." The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears...

This is a story of everyone. The tree is like our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with our Mum and Dad...When we grow up, we leave them...only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could just to make you happy.

You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how all of us treat our parents. We take them 4 granted we don't appreciate all they do 4 us, UNTIL it's 2 late. Wallahi May Allah 4 give us of our shortcommings and may He Guide us, Insha'allah w Ameen Ya rub.

Please enlighten all your friends and your families by telling them this story,

Love your Parents and lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small."

Be Good To Your ParentsSay (O Muhammad SAW): "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to Al-Fawâhish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom Allâh has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islâmic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand. (6:151)

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. (17:22)

And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small." (17:23)

"Allah is pleased with the pleasing of the parents, and Allah is angry with he who angers his parents." [Saheeh al-Jamee (3500) ] So, take advantage of the opportunity to serve your parents before it is too late when you look at the chair that your mother or father used to recline in, or the bed they used to sleep on, but do not see them nor hear their affectionate voices.

THE END

Singapore Visit: 2003

These are the some of the pictures taken during the Singapore trip back in 2003.
Amir at the KLIA International Airport.

Arrived, in the morning around 10 am at the Changi International Airport and took a taxi straight to the Royal Plaza on Scotts (the Scotts Road). The hotel is located very close to the bustling and lively shopping area of Orchard Road.


Within a walking distance away is the Takashimaya Shopping Mall. You can get here either through the underground path or out on the street. Both pathways provide you with views of shops adorned with myriad colors of items on sale.

The Tang Plaza is located nearby the hotel where we are staying and only a stone throw away across the street. We can actually see the plaza from the lobby of the hotel. You can use the underground path at the Isetan shopping mall two buildings from the hotel or the bridge in front of the hotel. Wow! Shopping is really easy.

We had the chance to hit the Hard Rock Cafe both in the morning and at night, though not on the same day. The night was an outing for a last day shopping dash at Hard Rock. (Left pic: Myself in the foreground.)

The Wisma Atria where the Levi's boutique is located.

The John Little shopping centre where I bought a few shirts.

The shops around the famous shopping street of Orchard Road and its nearby streets.

This is the garden at the centre of the Changi Airport. There is even a koi pond running through the garden.

Finally the day to go back home however sad it is. It is not the regret of going back home that saddens us but rather the excitement and enjoyment of holidays/vacation are something difficult to part with. We will surely come back to have another round of great times.