Fort Utrecht

Captured by the Dutch in 1784, Tanjong Keramat Fort built by Sultan Ibrahim was renamed Fort Utrecht. Surrounded by granite blocks built all those years ago into the ground, they still remain standing.

Steps built into the ground still remain to this day.

This slab used to stand a cannon which now lies in the background saved from rolling down the hill by the bushes.

This gun of old may have been carted away by the metal scavengers were it not so heavy. Three of us couldn't budge it. We did not try further lest we two guys get hernia. Now that would be painful.

Head of the cannon. I could not find any insignia or markings on it.

All that remains of the cannon stand with it's metal parts stripped off by the scavengers. This is suppose to be a tourist attraction but this is the stark reality of Malaysia's guardians of our historical artifacts. The only thing they do it erect 'expensively priced' signboards and then leave the artifacts to rot or be stolen. Worse still is that some smart motherfucker will come up with a idea to 'recreate' the whole area and make more money for his own.

This is the sad state of our so called guardians of our history.

Recon 1

A wonderful place teeming with wildlife, water and muddy tracks. Above the canopy a crane or stork striking a kung fu pose or is it a mating dance?

Beckham hairdo monkeys clearly marking their territory and a water crossing with an iguana or is that a croc? Would the bugger chase you if you crossed his territory?

A well trodden path which has no ends in sight.

A hanging bridge over murky waters. Who knows what lies beneath?

And B52s chasing and biting the hell out of us soon as we stepped into their watery spawning ground. Tabard and shit can't seem to keep these flying buggers away. They kept coming and landing on our face, hands, legs and even on our clothes. They actually can punch thru our clothes and suck our precious blood. It was like a blood donation drive crossing this path. Give me a leech anytime. We ran through that path for dear life, cussing and swearing with arms flailing and smacking anything that landed on us.

We will have to face more of this till we decide on our desired location. The search continues...

Coming Together

Mar 22nd, 2008 marks the first recce for this year's Eco Comm Team. I have been involved in a couple of the Eco creation team creating AWLP's Eco Challenge for the past couple of years under our then chief...Tiger. He has since left to dedicated himself to climbing all of Malaysias mountains. Without him we have been bereft of our annual Eco Challenge meet last year.

It's scary as this will be the first time we will be without our fearless, crazy leader and mascot...Tiger to lead the charge. This time i will be leading the charge with my 2 trusty core comm members Hot Legs & The Biscuit Guy.

We have yet to declare the dates but we are looking at June at the moment. Part of the joys of doing a recce is to partake in the local flavor of the location we are cheking out. As usual this will be highly confidential hence no names of locations will be mentioned.

Location, location, location! Key to the successs of our challenge.

As the Dew Drops

As the dew drops, a new Eco Comm Team is coming into being. Borne of a common desire and passion to create fun and adventure and a little bit of madness to the elpee frat and friends of elpees. In the coming weeks leading to the event we will be doing a bit of exploring ourselves to find a suitable and challenging location to test the Iron Wills of the many elpees.

Don't bother asking where it is cos it will remain a secret till race day. So in the mean time...train yourselves physically and perhaps mentally too!

Legs

" This is a male spider" so says the kid with a note pad in his hand.

He is not much older than 7 we (core eco team 08) think. He was on a trek with his dad and learning along the way. We were looking as closely as we can as to where this 'big-as-my-finger-spider's' nuts were and we were also wondering how this kid who is way way younger knew that this spider was a male. Did he manage to see the spider whip out his willie and pee? After all it was early in the morning and the spider probably just woke up like most of us and pee. We all pee after we wake up no? The kid then explains to us, not too bright older folks, that this was a male as he is 2 and a half legs short...a spider has 8 legs if you didn't know. Apparently after having a romp with the female, the bitch up and ate the poor sod's legs. She gets hungry after all that action and needs the protein it seems. No wonder we guys always asks our dates...after the date, if they are hungry before sending them home. Just in case they decide to take our legs.

Speakin of legs...they can get this 'hot' if one were to trek regularly.

Dogs Day Morning

Last week on my weekly cholesterol burning, muscle toning and heart pumping trip to Gasing Hill with my Eco scheming buddies, we ran into a group of dog lovers. You can tell from the way they are with their dogs...all lurve!

I'm not too into doggies apart from their styles, was wondering if we should walk thru them or cut a path way off them. See... i have a thing for dogs since my first race with them many many years ago. It was when i was 9 or 10 i reckon when a bunch of us in my Taiping neighbourhood of Taman Aun Say was mucking around during the school holidays when this big black dog barked so ferociously from the last house on the row. It shocked the shit out of us, and boys being boys we barked back. There were 8 of us i recall, we barked louder than the dog and i think he was pissed. He started jumping up and down and banging the gate which was a good 6 feet high. We were laughing and barking and then time stood still...

Our laughter and smiles turned to screams and our faces ashen as the BIG BLACK DOG manage to squeeze out of the fucking gate! Ahhhh....we turned and ran. I ran as fast as my short legs could carry me. The rest of the gang didn't hang around either. I must have ran the fastest end-to-end of the block (that's ten houses) race in my life. I never looked back. I faced straight ahead and I was hell bent on getting my ass away from the jaws of Cujo. It seemed like the longest minute till i heard the screams of the rest of the gang to stop. We had a good laugh after but during the moment it was scarry as shit! I don't hate dogs, I just stay clear off them.

Even dogs need markers on their trails just so their owners/masters don't get lost.

What's Wrong???

A couple of days ago while having breakfast with my moms and Jesse at our regular place behind my house a curious thing occured and is still having me thinking.

Whenever Jesse and i get together we have lots to chat about. It used to be birds and butterflies then and for a time it was Spiderman. Now he has expended to Batman, Superman and his latest craze...Chow Sing Chi. He used to show me silhoute of 'butterflies' with his hands and then during the Spidey phase he would shoot imaginary webs from his wrist. He wasn't so much a Batman fan but when it came to Superman...he would bare his chest as Clark Kent would when ripping of his clothes to show the 'S'. I'm glad his parents didn't get him a trench coat. That would be disastrous no? Now with Chow Sing Chi, he would get into various kung fu stances. The day will come when he sits on a stool with one leg up and eat his rice...just like Chow and ah por. What will he be in to next?

So as we were chatting away and i was having my breakfast, suddenly he pops me the question!

"What's wrong uncle Jeff?"

I was taken aback and i was surprised at his question. Kids don't ask such questions. Their favorite questions has always been..."Why?" but this was strange. I told him nothing was wrong but i think he was skeptical. Well...nothing was wrong or did he see or sense something that i am unaware off? I do know one thing. Kids don't lie!

Since his question a couple of days ago, i have been 'In the Question'.

Maturity & Change

Maturity & Change is the new favorite word of the press, politicians, uncles sipping kopi 'o' at the kopi tiams, cafes, pubs, bars and the emergency staircases the world over.

It's happening all over the world. Senator's Obama, Clinton & Mc Cain is advocating change. Russia is having a change with Medvedyev taking over the helm from Putin. Malaysian's are demanding for CHANGE! Exhibited here by the recent elections where many Malaysians have voted for unheard off candidates from the Opposition Parties just to deny the ruling party a two thirds majority. All races are voting in parties that are traditionally taboo to them. Parties which they deem as the enemy to put it drastically. Why? B'cos Malaysians want... Change!

Me...I'm experiencing a change too. I have been reading about the political happenings in my country since the elections. Something which i never gave a fuck about. To me politics is a dirty word and politicians are fuckers...whoever they are, but they are a necessary evil as a friend once pointed out to me. I am learning...still. So my dear politicians (Ruling party & Opposition Alliance), as much as i abhor the shit that you do sometimes, I admire the balls you have to take office and stand to be judged by the likes of me. We have given you the mandate to run our beloved Malaysia...so take good care of her so that we will see her turn 100 peacefully and in prosperity.

Perhaps I too am maturing...finally.

Spring is in the Air?

It's been a almost a whole month since i last blogged. Time has passed or should i say...passing rather quickly these days. Birthdays to attend (Princess Caitlyn & Steve's), weddings (Nats & Raymond's) and our recent 12th general election has just passed us by.

Change is in the air and has been begging to happen for a while since. The political scene of our nation has matured as the analysts' writes and the lives of my friends, Nat and Raymond has matured to ' just married' status. Congrats my beloved friends! Putting this down is gonna attract lotsa flack from my 'ardent' fans...you know who you are, with regards to 'my' status change. Shaddup and wait for my announcement! When it is written, it shall be done. At the moment it ain't written yet so be patient.

Change is already in the air...

*This is by no means a declaration, just an observation.