Post-retirement Reminiscing

In about 2 weeks will be my first anniversary of retirement. Alhamdulillah I was bestowed with good days throughout. Hope and pray to be in the Rahmah of SubhanAllah hul Adzeem always.

The career that started of on 16 August 1984 ended on 5th February 2017. A span of more than 32 years. During those years, I was given the opportunities for a few in-service overseas stints.

1. Cuti belajar bergaji penuh (Kursus Jangka Pendek)
    from 14.6. 1992 to 27.6.1992 at CPSC (Colombo Plan Staff College) Manila Philippines.
    with the title "Technician Behaviors in Industrial Development'
- masa ni anak 4 orang, the youngest Mohammad Hirzan at 11 months. I was serving Politeknik Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

2. Cuti belajar bergaji penuh (Melanjutkan Pelajaran)
    from 3.10.1993 to 22.10.1994 at Dundee University, Scotland, United Kingdom.
    doing my MSc in Mechatronics.
- masa ni Md Zahar is also doing his MBA in Project Management and we brought all our 5 boys along. the youngest was Mohammad Hannan at 9 weeks old. I was also serving Politeknik Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

3. Lawatan Kerja Perolehan Peralatan Marin di Oslo Norway
    from 8.12.2000 for 2 weeks.
- masa ni I was attached to Bahagian Perancangan dan Pembangunan JPTek and the machinery is under the scope of Mechanical Engineering - so I was chosen.

4.  Cuti belajar bergaji penuh (Kursus Jangka Pendek)
    in March 2002 for 2 weeks in Nova Scotia, Halifax Canada.
    with the title "Smart School". I was attached to Bahagian Pengurusan Kolej Komuniti JPTek. Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia.

5. Awarded an attachment program under Skim Latihan with collaboration in Duisberg Centren
    Germany for 2 weeks. From 28.10.2006 to 11.11.2006.
- 1 week in Cologne and another week in Wurzsburg.
- masa ni menerajui Kolej Komuniti Selayang, Selangor.

6. Awarded a JICA program, fully sponsored by JICA.
   from 11.1.2010 to 19.2.2010 (39 days) in JICA Yokohama, Japan
   with the title 'Seminar on Training Management in Vocational Training Institution"
- masa ni berkhidmat di Politeknik Sultan Idris Shah, Sabak Bernam, Selangor.

7. Student Attachment to Industry, a link with Western Digital Bangkok
    in 2015
 - masa ni berkhidmat di Politeknik Sultan Salahudin Abdul Aziz Shah sebagai Industrial Liason Officer/Industrial Collaboration.

Alhamdulillah.

Acheh Indonesia

Assalamualaikum dan Selamat Tahun Baru Masihi 2018

Sudah 19 hari kita berada di tahun baru. Syukur Alhamdulillah masih dikurniakan kesihatan yang baik untuk terus menikmati keindahan dunia ini.

Pengembaraan yang pertama untuk tahun ini telah dimulakan dengan 5 hari 4 malam di Banda Acheh pada 30 Disember 2017 hingga 3 Januari 2018.

Memandangkan bulan Januari kita banyak menguruskan perjalanan mengerjakan umrah Tetamu2 Allah ke Tanah Suci Mekah dan Madinah.. jadi banyak duduk di rumah dan pejabat sahaja.. sambil membina itineri2 baru untuk tahun 2018. Alhamdulillah.

We took off with Airasia flight at 4.15 pm and arriving Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport at 4.45 pm. Harga tiket was RM363.80 for both of us.

We took a taxi to Hotel Medan where we were staying for 4 nights at 410K per night (1,640,000 rupiah). Taxi costs 100K or RM30. We just had a walkabout around Hotel Medan. And had dinner of Bakso (2 mangkuk) and air carrot & air mangga semuanya 61 ribu. Di Malaysia I never had the desire to eat bakso.

Acheh's bakso

Day 2 : 31 December 2017 Sunday

Halte is in Dutch meaning Perhentian. Most halte tinggi bertangga... I wonder why..

 Walkabout in Peunayung, started off with the market where the locals get their foods. The area is quite vast. The people are so humble and friendly. We wanted to buy buah sawa or ciku but has no knife to open it. The lady gave one of her penknife just like that. Ambil lah... ambil lah...What a good soul she has. With little she has, she is willing to give away.

datang rasa insaf di hati...

rambutan is in season. 10 ribu 1 ikat.. rm3 tak la murah sebab 1 ikat tu tak la banyak sangat

Roundabout Simpang Lima

 We walked a little bit further to Masjid Raya BaitulRahman yang selamat semasa tsunami 2004 dan telah banyak dibuat pembaikan. Very beautiful Masjid dan sentiasa penuh dengan jemaah.

Still in the mood of walking, we walked to Museum Tsunami.. which actually was quite a distance from Hotel Medan. The weather was cloudy not so hot..being Sunday and New Year weekend, Bandar Acheh agak tenang.

 Balik ke Hotel kami naik beca (20 ribu). Lenguh gak. perut pun dah lapar. We asked the beca to send us to Kedai Mi Razali.

Kalau ke Acheh should give this a try. Mi Razali x2 (56ribu) & Mango x2 at 30 ribu

Inside Masjid Raya BaitulRahman

 Day 3 : 1 January 2018 Monday

Buccheri is Indonesia's leather product. I used to buy shoes and handbag in Bali in 1996..now 22 years after, the bag is still in good condition. Worth buying and the price is reasonable.

 We hire a transport for 5 hours (400ribu) from 10 am to 3 pm at 80 ribu per hour. The first itinerary was Kapal PLTD Apung.

Then to Masjid BaitulRahim that survives the tsunami, but the people that took refuge inside perished. Belakang nya sungai.

Masjid Baiturrahim

Then we went to Pantai Lampuuk for ikan bakar, 3 orang makan at 428 ribu... mahal jugak. Kampung Turki (the rehabilitation of the whole kampung was funded by Turkish Government) this area was wiped out totally. Padang jarak padang tekukur, the only structure that survived was Masjid Rahmatullah.

428 ribu for 3 people

Masjid Rahmatullah, Lampuuk

 Then the driver took us to Pantai Ulee Lhea, punya banyak sejarah dengan cubaan Belanda untuk menakluki Acheh, sampai sudah tak berjaya.

Next we went to tempat Kapal Nelayan Atas Rumah Hj Misbah di Lampulo. I bought a few of their books.

Balik ke Bandar Acheh, we walked about by the river and watching the world goes by. On New Year's day, there is no celebration, all are quiet and serene, eventhough its a holiday.

this is the symbol of Pintu Acheh

 Day 4 : 2 January 2018 Tuesday

Since it was quite a distance, we took beca (20ribu) to Muzium and Rumah Acheh.

beca we hired to go to muzium

Then we walked to Gunongan Putri Pahang.

Nak balik ke hotel dah letih, cuaca pun panas. We stopped a beca of Pak Saifullah and asked him to take us pergi makan dahulu. We ate together with Pak Saifullah.. until today I regret not to tapau for his wife.

hidangan nasi padang at 175 ribu for 3 people

This is where the locals had their lunch.. full house.

after lunch Pak Saifullah sent  us to Hotel Medan

                                                 Day 5 : 3 January 2018  Wednesday

We took an 8.35 flight to Kuala Lumpur reaching KLIA2 at 11.10 am. We request a taxi from Hotel. One his staff doing the transfer and charged us 120 ribu. Mahal and smelly pulak tu. Not worth it, eventhough the driver was a nice young man.

Acheh is like Kota Bharu... really? You got to experience it !