Back from the Beach

Irfan hitting the PSP as soon as he woke upWe spend the day relaxing essentially and organising some work at the apartment. There have been some leaking in the upper floor toilet for last few visits and it was about time we get the plumbers in. The problem was the management was pretty strick about the who and what kind of job that can be done. We asked one of the neighbours who recommended an Indian fellow from Seremban. He came  to have a look later in the afternoon.

Lunch at AvilionIrfan exploring the marinaHave to ask the skipper where he moored my yatchWe had breakfast in the apartment. We went to Avilion for lunch then went to do some shopping while waiting for the plumber to turn up. We went first to Teluk Kemang to walk by the beach. Then, we went into town centre for a stroll at one of the newer shopping area called PD Walk. It was located right next to Oceanic Mall if you are familiar with PD at all.

Waiting for Mummy to finish with her shoppingNow it was our turn!It was basically a row of roofed walkway, with a bazaar in the middle. There were a few kopitiam there, a computer shop and a few handphone kiosks. There was also a 7-eleven at one end.

PD WalkApparently they cater for all sizesI have just returned from the beach. Unfortunately it was low tide and the beachfront were full of debri. It was fun none the less. Unfortunately I will be missing the football later tonight. There was no ASTRO at the apartment.

Arriving at Port Dickson

I managed to reach PD right after work yesterday, just before the sun set. The plan was for a quick photo moment just as the sun was settin

On reaching there, Idlan was so excited that I made it just in time so he rushed to the door slinging my EOS 400D. The thing just went kabush on the concrete floor. He quickly realized what happened and ran back inside. He was afraid I might tell I might tell him off. After all in his eyes, I am the source of all his toys, with me in a bad mood, the stay over the weekend will be a miserable one. I was cool about it actually until I realised the kind of damage incurred! When the camera hit the floor, it has my main prime lens on it, the 50mm f1.4. My favourite lens. After trying it, the focus ring just stayed at Infiniti refusing to budge. I know I was in trouble.

The 50mm f1.4 stuck at infiniti. You can see it focusing on the background. You can tell the excellent optics from the sweet bokeh!Rest in peaceAfter I detached the lens, it soon made a clicking sound. One of the connectors or electronics may have become loose. The optics still looked perfect. When I tried another lens on, the focus motor was running but it was not giving a sharp focus. Oooops! I can cope with just he damage to the lens but with the focusing mechanism also going AWOL, I may need to send the body in to the shop for them to have a look at. Hopefully it was just somehing trivial. Otherwise, I will be SLR-less until I save enough money for the 7D sometime in June. I willthen have to invest another RM2000 for a replacement prime! All together it was a rather expensive drop!

Thinking about ..... Teluk Kemang

Can't help but thinking of the beach when I got to work today. Maybe it was reverse psychology thinking about the amount of work to look forward to, I instead focused on relaxing thoughts. For some reason it reminded me of the walk I had in Teluk Kemang during my recent visit to Port Dickson. Imagining how crowded it will be come this weekend, the long Chinese New Year weekend. I honestly can't imaging the rows of cars snaking towards the beach front with the narrow roads leading up to it, taking hours to drive the stretch of road.

The soon-to-be-crowded beachfront during quiet times.Rows of deck chairs to lay on ..... under the shade of courseLast year, we spent the CNY weekend in PD and the queue along the beach road was about 5 miles long. We turned back as soon as we hit the tail end of it and changed our plan. The beach was not really fantastic when compared to say Bayu Beach Resort where our apartment is located. The sand was not as good and fluffy. The beachfront was rather narrow and cramped. Anyone can get in - if you can find a parking space of course, unlike Bayu Beach where excess can be a problem as only hotel patrons and apartment owner had easy excess in. Hence it can get too crowded for a family holiday. 

Good clean fun but can be expansive during holiday weekends. The operators were known to charge through the nose. Negotiating skills essential here.Alternatively you can bring your own gearHowever, I like crowd. More to the point I like to observe crowd with a camera in hand. Unfortunately in Malaysia people get suspicious when you got long lenses in your hands unlike in Paris and London, or Kuala Lumpur for that matter. Even though you were taking pictures of buildings rather than people. Another feature that I love about the Teluk Kemang beachfront was the rows of colourful shops they have there, selling local artwork and gifts. Food was never a problem as there were many stalls nearby. Another pus thing is the public toilet there was very clean - at least it was when I was there, not during peak hours of course.

I don't think I will ever be keen to stay here, but this converted beach villa now offers toilet and shower facilities for a small fee.For all my apprehension, the day went without much drama. Day Care was busy but as many of the patients deferred their chemo until after the Chinese New Year, the ward duty was rather light. I was occupied with some Departmental and teaching duties in the afternoon, so the day just breezed by. Hopefully tomorrow will be the same. And I can look forward to another weekend break in PD in the not too distant future. My usual excuse is our apartment needed cleaning again ......

Muzium Tentera Darat, Port Dickson

Every time we pass by the camp area on the way to our apartment, we wonder what is there at the muzeum. Idlan always shouted about the big plane at the entrance. And the tanks there as well.

Since it was still early and we had already had our lunch, we decided to stop by. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Keeping up to the army tradition, everything was neat, clean and in order. Since it was very sunny outside, we did not explore much. There is an exhibit about the role of the Armed Forces prior and after Merdeka. There was also a tunnel exhibit on the cruelty of the Japanese Soldiers during the World War. Some details about the Communist activities. 

Outside there is a monument area with names of all the soldiers killed in line of duty since Merdeka. The last names were from 2005. Maybe I did not venture to much. Is it safe to assume that there has been no casualties for the past 4 years? A highly recommended visit should you are interested. The museum is opened from Wednesdays to Sundays every week. And it did not cost me a sen to get in.

The place has so much potential, but I think if the Armed Forces make a bit more effort, it can be more of a success. Take the picture above for example. Rather than leaving the exhibit to rot into a derelict in the carpark, it could've been modified and reconditioned into a stall, selling ice-cream for example. It certainly was warm out there earlier in the afternoon. Another gripe was the maintenance. Bearing in mind that my father-in-law is a retired Army General, my mother-in-law was appalled to find that the toilet was left unattended. It won't flush and the sink was clogged. She was furious. I think somebody need to look into that.

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An early start

Got up early. The boys made us promise them that we will take them to the beach early in the morning. Anita and the maids were also keen to go on the banana boat today. Me with my bad back had to stay at the beach babysitting. The weather is warm and we are bracing ourselves for some proper sunburn!

Idlan finally in the waterAnita and the maids on the banana boat

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