Sunday, July 16, 2023

Breakfast@Restoran Habib, Canning Garden

Old shop serving roti canai at breakfast. Soldiers from nearby camps getting their breakfast 

 One of the oldest mamak stalls that serves real good roti canai is undoubtedly Restoran Habib at Canning Garden. Its been run by two brothers Syed and Abu (don’t take my photo please) for decades. Probably was handed down by their parents.

This place is popular during breakfast because a couple sells nasi lemak and bihun but only at breakfast till it’s finished usually by 10am. This couple too has been selling here for over 20 years.  

This couple has been selling nasi lemak & bihun for 20+ years 

Old shop, regular customers ....


At this time the crowd can be seen queueing and waiting for their meals mostly takeaways. One thing about Habib is it is an old shop and with regular customers such as the soldiers from the nearby camps and old residents with their grandchildren patronizing the place.  

After 10am the place is less busy and the brothers prepare for lunch. I like this place, quiet, peaceful and where you can a get a genuine roti.  

JAG


Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Evert Van Breukelen’s Last Farewell And The End Of A Racing Family

Security guards at the Perak Turf Club salute Evert Van Breukelen as his hearse drives by the PTC

It was the last journey for Dutch-Malaysian horse trainer Evert van Breukelen as the van carried him on his final farewell the management and staff of the Perak Turf Club (PTC) staged a fitting farewell for him.

The management and staff, trainers, syces and security of the Perak Turf Club 

2nd from left are trainers Peter Lee and V. Sivan followed by Chairman of PTC Dato John Lim Ewe Chuan. 2nd from right is GM Mr Lai Hah Wan.


Standing in a straight line at the verandah the management, staff, fellow trainers and syces bowed and saluted him as his cortege passed by and proceeded to the stables the family had occupied for over 70 years.

Evert's request - to drive by the family stables one last time

The funeral mass was said earlier at the OMPH Church. It was a solemn affair and the mass was said in BM by Fr Patrick Massang and Fr Robin Lomangkok before proceeding to PTC.




It was a very solemn funeral mass 

Evert was the last Van Breukelen that has used the stables at the Perak Turf Club for training their horses. The family first started with the PTC when granduncle Marinus Van Breukelen first came though it wasn’t confirmed if he came before or after the war.

Later he brought his two nephews Rinus and Eddie to join him. Eddie had three sons Hans, Pieter and Evert who were all trainers. 

The Van Breukelen's. L/r: Pieter, Evert, dad Eddie Van Breukelen and Hans

Pieter and Evert at their stables celebrating Everts win circa 2010

Evert won the Rm1mil Yang di-Pertua Negeri Gold Cup, Penang 2009

Pieter took over the stable from his father and in 2005 Evert was handed the stable from Pieter. Since that time Evert has saddled 350 winners in 18 years. On the last weekend before he died Evert  scored a double win with Tilsworth Mali and Trinity Honor.

Perak Turf Club GM Lai Hah Wan said that Evert was a survivor. Horse racing in this day and age is a tough business. However Evert has toughed up to it and stayed in the game because he came from a racing family and had a passion for racing.

He was a fixture in the club and although he had physical mobility issues he treated people well and was generally well liked and was called the “Gentle Giant’.

In his later years Evert was very much a family man who enjoyed tending to his small garden after his workday. His birthday was due in September and his twin sister Manja, who lives in the US, had made plans to spend two months with him and the family come this August.

Left. Evert with his twin sister Manja. (R) The family man. Carl, Evert, Sonia and Margret.

But alas with the passing of Evert all has come to an abrupt end without any warning leaving his wife Margaret and family and the end of a Racing Family.   

Goodbye my friend. Gone forever but never to be forgotten.

JAG


Sunday, June 4, 2023

Celebrating Cave & Karst Day 6, June 2023.. While You Still Can.

Ching Boon Tat outlining the hills and caves in the Kinta Valley

Had a very fulfilling 2 Sundays ago when I attended Cave & Karst Day at Tin Alley, Ipoh. Kinta Valley Watch (KWV) that enthusiastic caving and karst group had organised a talk and exhibition on the ‘wonderful, though now being decimated’ Kinta Valley.

Limestone hills and quarraying throughout the Kinta Valley  

Central Kinta Valley in 2020 

Same place in 2023...Ching Boon Tat showing the audience the impact of quarrying 

The exhibition featured a video on the hills in the valley which was narrated by Ching Boon Tat of KVW.  For a clearer understanding KVW also included a talk on the location of the hills on a geological map of the Kinta Valley with the location of each limestone hill placed on within each respective district.

Besides the map they also had graphic photographs of the cave interiors. KVW members over the last four year had explored and collected alot of documentary evidence. 

Photos showing the 'treasures' of the Kinta Valley - cave paintings, fossils, karst land scapes and more 

Overall it was a great effort on the part of KVW. The leader Ching Boon Tat spoke only Chinese but there were volunteers on hand to assist with translations.

What I learnt from this exhibition was these hills were located in 3 districts and then there was the Geopark. I always thought the Geopark was a touristy kind of department and did not oversee the management of the districts which was for generating income. In summary i do not forsee any add value to the future of the valley. 

My main concern is for the future of Gunong Lanno. Lanno still has its remaining hill outcrop mostly intact. History has it that the pair of Charles Alma Baker and his Chinese partner Chew Boon Juan who mined the unlikely vein of tin in the hill had struck it rich in 1903.  They became rich and subsequently contributed handsomely to the British WWI war effort with a contribution each of $1,000 each.  

Beside that fact there was a pipeline which "should have been constructed by Osborne and Chappel" through Gua Gatsch, G. Lanno to pipe water to the open cast mines west of the hills.

The jewel that is Gunong Lanno. A tin mine within at Gua Gatsch, evidence of industrial heritage

...the pipeling through the cave ......

Kinta Valley Watch members exploring Gua Gatsch. The pipeline had long been removed.

Now the hill is slowly but surely being encroached and that is so unacceptable to all except the quarry operators. Can the state do anything out-of-thebox to preserve this very historical hill and leave a legacy of this Tin Mining heritage of a wonderful industry in the Kinta Valley.  I guess the fate of the Gunong Lanno is slowly a goner sooner if not later.

KC  


Friday, June 2, 2023

Repaired … Steel Grating at Busy Junction 6 Weeks Later

The steel grating over the manhole at the junction of Lebuh Bercham Selatan / Lebuh Perajurit 3 has been repaired. The grating was replaced on 28 May 2023 ..6 weeks later. It is a very busy junction and glad it has finally been repaired for the safety of all motorists.


The problem earlier at the busy junction 


KC

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

MBI Takes One (1) MONTH To Repair Steel Grating At Busy Junction - Irresponsible

 Why does MBI take 1 month to fix a steel grating at a busy junction of Lebuh Bercham Selatan / Lebuh Perajurit 3. The plastic barriers have been up since before Hari Raya and till today the STEEL GRATING has not been fixed...i month later.

Why, why why!!!


Why Ah?


Friday, April 28, 2023

Datin Janet Yeoh’s Raging Soul Birthday Party Together With Michelle’s Homecoming ... Was A Blast

Datin Janets birthday L/r. Kelvin Yeoh, Megan Yeoh, Bobby Yeoh, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh, Datin Janet Yeoh, Jean Todt, Vikki Yeoh and Max Yeoh

Last Tuesday 18 April when Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh had finished meeting and greeting her fans including showing off her Oscar Award at the Pavillion Mall she headed to her mum’s, Datuk Janet Yeoh’s birthday party.

At her press conference at noon of the same day she had said ‘she specifically returned to celebrate her mum’s 84th birthday. The pandemic had prevented her from having a celebration for a few years “so we are going to throw her a big party this time”.

Datin Janet’s birthday event was themed “Raging Soul, Datin Janet Yeoh Live Birthday Concert’ and a large poster showed Janet sitting confidently on the sofa. It was held at the banquet hall of Berjaya Times Square Hotel.

Janet was taking photographs with her guests in the foyers of the hall when Michelle walked in with Tan Sri Vincent Tan and her entourage of Jean Todt, Vicki and Max Yeoh.  More photographs ensued before the VIP’s were led to their seats.

Michelle's is met by mum Janet on arrival. l/r Bobby Yeoh Lam Jit, Megan Yeoh, Michelle Yeoh, Datin Janet, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Jean Todt, Vikki  Yeoh

...proceeds to the dining table. Michelle helps mumto get seated while Jean Todt looks on

With the presence of Michelle Yeoh in the hall the entire evening was such a buzz with guests wanting to take pictures at every opportunity with Michelle and mum.

The scenario at the banquet hall resembled Michelle’s ‘Meet the Fans’ session earlier at the Pavillion Mall where the fans literally swarmed to take a selfie and get a glimpse of the Oscar winner, the first Asian to win the prestigious award. The MC announced later that everyone would have an opportunity for a photoshoot onstage with Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh.

The scenario earlier at Pavillion Mall ....

...it was similar at the banquet hall ...everyone wanted a photo with Michelle and she obliged

For Datuk Janet’s “Raging Soul’ billing was most apt as her three songs performed was wonderful. Her guests who performed with her were as sprightly and clicked spontaneously like her duet with relative Lim Keng Hoo singing ‘Beautiful Sunday’. It really was a Raging Soul Concert.

Datin Janet sings a Teresa Teng classic ......


....while the family enjoys the show

A costume change and ......Lim Keng Hoo and Datin Janet sang ....

Beautiful Sunday ....

Happy birthday Mummy....Megan 

Michelle like her mother was ever ready to smile for the camera. From the time she stepped into her mum’s event she was ever ready to flash her sweet smile.  As for Datuk  Seri Jean Todt all throughout the night he was a picture of calm and patience always by the side of Michelle.


For the members of Yeoh, Lim, Chew and Oh (YLCO) family who attended from Ipoh and Singapore it was definitely an event to remember where they got together for a very historic event.

YLCO family members take a group photo ...

(l) Chew,Yeoh and Oh among foreign dignataries, (r) Michelle and the Japanese ambassador Takahashi Katsuhiko who said "Winning of Oscar by Asian lady is such a historic achievement" on his IG page


Before it started ...Ignatius and Pauline Chew 



Early birds .....





Yeoh and Chew



Yeoh amongst the Lims

Girls wanna have FUN...Datin Janet Yeoh and Lim Lam Peng
                           L/r. Toh Puan Lim Keng Yaik, Regina Lim, Max Yeoh, Lydia Voon and Lim Keng Hoo

L/r. Bobby Yeoh Lam Jit, Puan Sri Sandra Lee, Megan Yeoh, Puan Sri Vincent Tan, Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Datin Janet Yeoh, Datuk Seri Jean Todt, Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh 








Friend song .....

'I Love You All, Thank You' ...Michelle


JAG