How Poor Is Poor?

Most of the evenings when I was flying in Timor Leste I would walk up a hill behind my hotel. One of the evenings it started to rain so myself and another Vietnamese pilot Capt Binh decided to take a short cut to go home. We used to past this little wooden shed on the slope of the hill many times but had paid no notice of it. That particular day because of the rain we decided to go in for shelter.We were in for a surprise! Inside that little shed were about 21 boys . This was their sort of "hostel" and all of them were university students in nearby Dili University. Because of the war with Indonesia, they were quite old. the oldest among them was 26 years old. Their parents are from the districts all over Timor.This was the bed for one of the boys. Some of the students were just sleeping on the cement floor.There was no water supply nearby so it had to be brought up in jerry cans. You can imagine the hygiene standards of the boys here. As for food, their parents only share a sack of rice every month for ALL the kids. Amongst them they had a few dollars to buy oil, sugar and salt. These boys are expert at survival for I saw with my own eyes they were gathering leaves of some of the trees nearby to be boiled and eaten. There were a few chicken behind too.For their only meal of the day there was nothing much to be eaten. What I saw was only rice and some leaves.BUT these boys were cheerful and looks happy. To them they are waiting for a bright future after their university education.I had a look at their mathematics module. It looks like Form 2 work to me but these are for their university here. No wonder one of my engineering hand who had been teaching in a university do not even know the working of an internal combustion engine! He graduated as an industrial engineer from Indonesia.

I felt bad for they boys and next day I decided to buy some good food for them. The next time when you feel poor just remember how poor these boys are...both financially and spiritually.

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Our Garden of Eden

Our house is located at the bank of the Chukai River in Kemaman. It is the local laws that there must be a buffer before the river and any house. This buffer belongs to the government. Since my house is the last house before the river, I had the previlege of using this land to grow some fruits and vegetables fo our own consumption. It had been designed so that our house is about 3 ft higher than the plot so that from the house compound we cannot see the vegetable plotI had several bunds of Kai Lan, Lettuce and Spinach ( sawi). I do not need to buy greens from the market for about 8 months every year. Those bright looking vegetables sold in the market are full of chemicals . Greens from my garden esp the letuce are normally eaten raw or just stir fried. Home grown greens do not have a bitter taste.I make my own compost to be used as plant food from the grass cutting of my gardenWe have several lime and lemon trees to provide us with all the sour contents of our cookingBananas trees that we grow are the gigi gajah variety which is almost extinct now. It looks something like the pisang montel and is very tasty.These star fruits are the honey variety but I have to compete with the squirrels to get the fruits. My Alsation dogs will scare the monkeys away but they don't seem to mind the univited squirrel guest!Five dragon fruit trees provide us with fresh juicy fruits that are full of anti oxidantsThe dragon fruit flowers are real nice.However when taking the fruits one got to be careful. My wife just got ""stung" by the tree! Ouch!!I have also discovered that by allowing the weeds to grow in between the veggies I can actually have worm free veggies. The worm maybe like the weed more than the veggies.I got to report this new discovery to the University Pertanian!

Building my First Watercraft

Actually this was not the first boat that I built. Much earlier when I was a cadet in the Royal Military College (1975) I was drafted into the watermanship club and part of the project was to build a fleet of kayaks for some open day in the college . The sickening thing was it had to be done in our "spare time" ..a commodity that we NEVER so it was done over a few Sundays. Ten years later one of my friends, Dicky Cheah showed me a similar plan for a "Cnavas covered " kayak. I borrowed the plans and traced the full sized bulkheads. At that time I did not even have a jig saw but I know of a Dr Wee who had one. So after seeing the plans he decided that he wanted one as well. Over several evenings we cut the bulkheads and used cheap ceiling wood for making a basic frame. I got some old lorry canvas to be used as the skin of the kayak. Before long the kayak was ready. It was a very stable boat and I had a lot of fun with it. Sometime I would carry a passenger in the boat too. The total cost of building that boat was probably less than RM 100. So boat building need not be complicated or expensive! Just the will to do it!

Turning over the Second Hull

The second hull was actually completed sometime back but I was in no hurry to have it turned over as I was busy with the first hull.The opportunity to turn the hull came when I had a few workers coming over to paint my roof and to repair some section of the fence that had been damaged by the dogs.With the help of the three workers and another 3 friends I decided to get the hull rolled over. First I had to start removing the supports for the bulkheads.Removing the last few pieces of wood can be quite scarry as the hull can "move" slightly. If there were some external forces the hull can topple so removing the last two supports were risky and I decided that I have to do this dirty job.I briefed the workers and positioned three men on each side. I was to be the cheer leader from the front. Emergency procedures were briefed to the workers. You can get hurt if you don't follow my advice!I got them to lift the boat off the ground initially just to see how light it was. Indedd it was not too heavy!Now..on my command roll the hull to my right. Steady...Ok ..Ok start rolling. It is an easy job..Steady...Ok..now take a short rest. Already half done..These two big planks that support the hull will be put to good use in some parts of the boat later. It is strong and mature wood.

Now just a bit more. we have to get the hull upright. Easy does it again..Get ready...lift..

See..it is quite easily done. My designer says he turned over the hull with just three persons. It can be done but will require more effort.


With the approaching monsoon in a few week's time there is not much that I can do on the boat except for the smaller bits and pieces. Now just one more problem. I don't know if the low loader can come over to my house to get the boat to the river.If not I will have to look for a site near the river to start my assembly in a few month's time.

Meeting some young Malaysian Bicycle Tourist

One of my hashing kaki Pretty Boy told me he is expecting some friends from KL who would be riding bicycles to Dungun from Chukai and asked if I would join them. Since it was my day off from flying I said I would lead them to Kijal following the coastal kampong road.At the appointed time of 0630 hrs I met the group which consisted of two young men and three ladies. They came in all sorts of bikes ..from a folder to a genuine touring bike.I liked the way they loaded their bicycles. This bicycle has just gone round the country in 63 days and the young man in this picture was the cyclist.This is a properly equipped touring bike which the owner bought in China. He took the bike back to Malaysia and then did a 70 days cycling trip to Shanghai via Thailand and Loas. The bike looks good and it is inexpensive.So I lead the pack through the backlanes of Chukai town and crossed the bridge to the Kemaman Supply Base through Teluk Kalong and finally to Kijal beach. The ride was nice and quiet.In Kijal I took the group to a small village shop for Nasi Lemak and roti Chanai breakfast. I had to leave them on their own as I was expecting some government Safety Officer coming to do an inspection on my shop at 1030 hrs,

After we took this picture I sped off back to Chukai. I felt nice that at least there are SOME people in Malaysia who enjoys bicycle touring. Keep it up!

Work inside the First Hull of my Gypsy Catamaran

Now that I have completed building the second hull (waiting to turn over) I started working on the insde of the first hull. Luckily I was adviced by the designer to add in the LAR keels later otherwise it will be more difficult to get in and out of the hull. I need two pair of ladders..one inside and one outside the hull.Each time I need to get something eg a saw or a piece of cloth I have to climb OUT and then climb in again. This is hard work and a lot of time is wasted. Now I have to cut the holes in the bulkhead so that it is possible to go across the hull.Then the bulkheads has to be glassed to the hull panels. Each time when there are dust or dirt created by the work I have to haul in a vacuum cleaner and get the area clean again.
With the bulkheads cut and trimmed I can get a "feel" of the spacious hull. There is full standing head room in the centre of the hull.

Glassing the 600/225 biaxial is hard work. I have to wear a gas mask to avoid breathing the smell of the polyester that is trapped in the hull. It makes work very fatigue. As this is the month of Ramadhan, my part timer is not around so it means more climbing in and out whe I am working alone.



This little fellow insist on coming inside the hull to be with me but it is not possible so she sits outside and makes a lot of noise!

How to be a Good Guest...........

I have been very fortunate that I had always been very well treated by my friends wherever I go throughout the world. Some of the people who welcome me to their home are people whom I have never met before in my life . They have always made my life interesting and when I am in some faraway land I always feel blessed to have such good people. If you have been following my blog you would remember some of the people who has taken good care of me.

Whenever I am at home I would not hesitate to take in some guest to my house. These people have also enriched my life in one way or another. Sometimes I have bad experience with lousy and selfish guest and I had to sleep in the dog house to escape from my wife's nagging!




From my experience, the Golden Rules when invited to stay with a family are:




1. Be considerate to your kind host. Do not expect the world from them. Most of the host has taken time off to be with you.


2. Do not mess up the house. In another words, clean your own shit!. Leaving coffee cups all over the place and leaving your fruit skins all over will annoy the host!


3. Pay for some of the meals when your host take you out for dinner at restaurants. Do not just sit there like a dumb fool. It is most annoying even your host can afford it.


4. I always try and fill up the host's refrigerator whenever possible. After all food and drinks in supermarkets are cheap when compared to eating out. These items always leaves a good impression of me to my host and they keep welcoming me to their homes.


5. If I buy any fruit or fruit for myself because of any special diet requirements I will make sure that I get some for my host's family. Just buying sufficient for myself is a big NO No!


6. If you have a sick or handicapped family member it is best not to bring the burden to your faraway host. It creates a lot of burden to them.


7. Try to google the local culture of the family that you are going to visit.For example it is taboo to leave your shoes on a table Or to wear your shoes inside any Asian house.


8. When you leave make sure you leave the room clean. Do not leave all your rubbish in the room and expect your host to clear it. Make sure the sheets are sent to the laundry to be clean. At least load all the dirty linen in the washing machine.


9. I have a habit of bringing a small present for my host esp to their wife or children. It works wonders. My Hash House Harrier T shirts are worn by my friends all over and they enjoy the dirty write ups on the shirt. Often on a visit a few years later I still see them wearing it. By not bringing any small gift it shows that you are unconcerned.


10. In area where I cannot bring the family out for a good meal before I depart, I will always buy some food and use their kitchen to cook some good Asian Cuisine(as my French Friends say) for us to eat. Of course I can bullshit my way through and I tend to behave like a celebrity chef as seen on TV .....very often teaching my host on my cooking!


11. After meals clear up your own mess. Leaving the plates around is bad. I would often help to clear up any mess that was made in cooking the food.


12. If the family that I visit loves pets esp dogs I will make sure that I respect their pets too. I had one guest who behind my back used a chair to hit my lovely poodle . Really "sakit hati"


13. Do not hoard the family TV with your favourite program . If this happens my wife will be very angry as she has her favourite serial soap operas that she does not want to miss.


14. Try to organise activities for yourself or ask the host for some recommended activities. By doing so you are giving the host a chance to relax .


15. Be prepared to spend some money because it is your holiday .



If you follow these golden rules I can assure you that your host would love you and you will get a second or third invitation to their homes. Flouting these Golden Rules means it will be difficult to get a second invitation!

Building the LAR Keels for my Gypsy catamaran

In between building the hulls I had to build the LAR Keels. LAR is Low Aspect Ratio . The plan says I can either build the keels from flat panels OR make a small mould. Considering the keels to be quite narrow I would have imagined that it will be difficult the lay up the few layers of 600/225 matt. ( I do not have small hands!). So it was decided that I would make the flat panels and then shape it to the required profile. BUT BOTH THE KEELS MUST BE IDENTICAL! And I do not want to mess around with the keels as both these small keels should be able to take up the weight of the boat when beaching!First the shape and size of the panels are marked on the melamin chip boards. A releasing agent is applied to the surface so that the sheet produced does not stick on to the wood.. To speed things up I made a double sized panel so that it can be cut later and becomes two panels.Next gelcoat is applied. This was followed by the required number of layers of appropriate glass as per Richard Wood's plan.The flat panels are then clamped together and shaped using pieces of wood at the correct positions. The dimensions are given in the plans.After that the required layers of 600/225 biaxial are glassed inside the panels.As added security, I added another two layers of 600 gm CSM on the outside for some extra reinforcement. As you can see from this picture both the keels are almost ready. Maybe a layer of PU paint will complete the job.
This is another tick on my plans. A tick indicates a completed section of the plan.

My Friend Trevor, the Traveller

Trevor Hinwood hails from Tin Can Bay, Queensland, Australia. One fine day in June 2000 I met him at the waterfront in front of my shop. From his looks I knew he was a yachtie so I went up to him and asked if he was from the sailboat anchored in front. I was still in my white shirt and blue pants and looked very "official". Trevor looked up and enquired if I was the local harbour master coming after him for anchoring fees! Well he looked friendly enough and I invited him to a coffee shop for some toast and coffee. I told him I am a sailor as well and that I will be sailing to Pulau Tenggol over the weekend. Well, he was going to Tenggol too but will be a day ahead of me.When I reached Pulau Tenggol he was already there with his boat " Blueswift". About an hour before my arrival I radioed him on VHF and he prepared a lovely breakfast for me and my crew. I did not even anchor on that trip but just rafted next to his boat.We went shore Pulau Tenggol with his dinghy and had a good time at Tenggol. I remembered paying for lunch at the resort (cost me a bomb!)I sailed back to Chukai in the evening and Trevor continued his journey up North until Koh Samui.

Somewhere around end October he returned to Chukai and decided to stay until the monsoon is over. His 35 ft Blue Swift aqlmost looked like a town feature, being anchored in front of my shop for the next 3 months. At the end of the 3 months he decided to engage Bruce the Goose to sail his boat back to Australia.During his stay in Chukai I invited to my house and we became family friends. I was forever digging his brains as he has a wealth of experience on boats. He came sailing with me and taught me the best Man Over Board drill. So much more practical and easier to the textbook drills.At that time I was still the owner of a Maxi 77 named Cakra Mada. After Trevor returned back to Australia we kept in contact and he went round Australia two time by campervan (an old Toyota Coaster bus conversion). Towards the end he felt he needs the good Asian food and decided to come over to Malaysia to stay on a tourist permit. So in 2009 he came over to Cherating to stay at Kampong Inn. From here he wanders around the country by bus and train. One fine day he met a Thai lady and he decided to go and stay with her. So after that it was the Thai adventure. I believe Trevor is a SIGNtist as the Thai lady does not speak English and Trevor does not speak Thail...so it has to be international Sign language!

While he was with me managed to create a blog for him but unfortunately he did not master the skills required to maintain a blog so there were only limited entries. Visit http://trevortravel.blogspot.com/

He was my support driver when I did a solo cycling trip fron Sg Gawi round Kenyir lake to Gua Musang

Trevor is now in Vietnam with his Thai lady friend underrgoing some prostate treatment. Till today he blames meeting up with me as the downfall of his life!