Baraya Laut, The Hidden Paradise

Miri is a coastal city situated at the north of Sarawak. It is a booming city that has a lot to offer. From exquisite local handicraft, delicious local delicacies, and the astounding natural wonders.

In this post, I would like to share the wonderful experience I had during my visit to Baraya Laut. Baraya Laut is a beautiful retreat located approximately 90km (to & fro) at the south of Miri City.

There is one privately owned resort, Baraya Laut Resort. Guests may book the place. It offers several types of accommodation; bungalow, chalet, and hostel. It is a blessing to all nature lovers that the place is made accessible through the generous effort of the land owner who had decided to turn the beautiful piece of land into a private resort rather than making the land as an oil-palm plantation.

A lot of activities can be done here, paragliding (the wind is extremely forceful), surfing (the waves can be very voluminous depends on the season), excursion (a heaven for young geologist), nature photography, or simply for the sheer fun picnic.

In my personal opinion, the serene seashore is a haven as it is the nearest private resort available within reasonable driving range.

Baraya Laut is truly a well kept gem and a blessing.

How to Get to Baraya Laut (Map is courtesy of MNS Miri Blogspot. Thanks to Google)

As we can see, immediately next to the resort is a privately owned oil palm plantation.

One of the chalets that are available at the Baraya Laut Resort. The chalet is facing the Baraya cliff and the view during sunset is breath taking.

One of the local vegetation, I have no exact knowledge of the name but the tree really looks like an overgrown pineapple tree.

The fruits look like overly ripe pineapple fruits.

The cliff is the route to the shoreline. It is advisable to wear hiking shoes due to the challenging terrain of the slope.

The gorgeous terrain (any avid rock scientist will marvel at the sight of it).

The breath-taking natural beauty of the open sea.

Looking back, I am thankful I managed to descend the slope safely.....

... As I was wearing my ballet flat.

The seemingly endless north shoreline....

....The south shore line.

Some of the free-spirited birds I saw at the haven.

Sharing of 6th Ramadhan 1432H

Doa Nabi Nuh

Surah Nuh merupakan surah ke -71 dalam Al-Quran yang terdiri atas 28 ayat. Surah ini termasuk surah Makiyyah. Sahabat Rasullulah SAW mengatakan bahawa keselamatan kaum Muslimin berada dalam tiga perkara. Salah satunya adalah doa Nabi Nuh AS. Doa Nabi Nuh AS ialah pada ayat 28 Surah Nuh[2]. Doa ini boleh dibaca selepas solat fardhu.

Terjemahan Ayat [1]:

Dengan Nama Allah Yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Pengasih

" Ya Tuhanku, ampunilah bagiku dan bagi dua orang ibubapaku dan bagi orang mukmin yang masuk rumahku dan bagi orang mukmin lelaki dan perempuan. Dan janganlah Engkau tambahi orang-orang yang zalim, kecuali kebinasaan"

Petikan:

[1] Tafsir Mahmud Yunus Al -Quran Nul Karim Rasm Uthmani

[2] Majmu' Syarif Kamil

My Pearl Obession

My first encounter with pearls was when my mother handed to me a piece of heirloom. Two beautiful perfectly round shape yellow colored pearls set on gold stud cast. I was so stunned by the pearly luster. Even after more than 20 years in keeping, the pearls are stunningly exquisite!

When I put it on, it accentuates a woman's beauty in a way that a diamond could not. The subdue glow that enhance the elegance of the wearer, the feeling of the understated glamor. I fell in love with pearls instantly!

I personally feel that women can never have enough of pearls. Pearls are gems that do not cost a fortune on the wallet and the versatility transcends beyond time. Unlike diamond that are hard set on a metal; pearls can be re-strung, re-designed, and re-polished to create a new set of accessories. From bracelet to necklace; Pearls allow the proud owner to play with her creativity.

Pearl truly is an exquisite creation of the sea. It is something that can be handed down from generation to generation and never to lose its charm.

My wish now is to be able to hand down these beautiful little treasures of heirloom to my children and hopefully to my children's grand children. In Shaa Allah.

Have a pearly weekend!

Nasihat Al-Qamah

Nasihat al-Qamah: Lima cara pilih sahabat
Nasihat yang boleh diikuti dalam membina persahabatan ialah sebagaimana pesanan al-Qamah (seorang sahabat Rasulullah saw) kepada anaknya:

§Pertama, pilihlah sahabat yang suka melindungi sahabatnya, dia adalah hiasan diri kita dan jika kita dalam kekurangan nafkah, dia suka mencukupi keperluan.

§Kedua, pilihlah seorang sahabat yang apabila engkau menghulurkan tangan untuk memberikan jasa baik atau bantuanmu, dia suka menerima dengan rasa terharu, jikalau ia melihat kebaikan yang ada pada dirimu, dia suka menghitung-hitungkan (menyebutnya)

§Ketiga, pilihlah seorang sahabat yang apabila engkau menghulurkan tangan untuk memberikan jasa baik atau bantuanmu, ia suka menerima dengan rasa terharu dan dianggap sangat berguna, dan jika ia mengetahui mengenai keburukan dirimu ia suka menutupinya.

§Keempat, pilihlah sahabat yang jikalau engkau meminta sesuatu daripadanya, pasti ia memberi, jikalau engkau diam, dia mula menyapamu dulu dan jika ada sesuatu kesukaran dan kesedihan yang menimpa dirimu, dia suka membantu dan meringankanmu serta menghiburkanmu.

§Kelima, sahabat yang jikalau engkau berkata, ia suka membenarkan ucapan dan bukan selalu mempercayainya saja. Jikalau engkau mengemukakan sesuatu persoalan yang berat dia suka mengusahakannya dan jika engkau berselisih dengannya, dia suka mengalah untuk kepentinganmu.

Dalam memilih sahabat kita hendaklah memilih sahabat yang baik agar segala matlamat dan hasrat untuk memperjuangkan Islam dapat dilaksanakan bersama-sama sahabat yang mulia.

Sucikanlah 4 hal dengan 4 perkara :
“Wajahmu dengan linangan air mata keinsafan, Lidahmu basah dengan berzikir kepada Penciptamu, Hatimu takut dan gementar kepada kehebatan Rabbmu, ..dan dosa-dosa yang silam disulami dengan taubat kepada Dzat yang Memiliki mu.”

From A Hill To A Valley

I always drive pass through the piece of land, now that I am living and working in Damansara, and since I am an avid user of the NKVE highway, I can see the area almost every day. I remember passing through the piece of land when I was still a small girl, about 11 years of age. It was a large and lush area of greenery. A hill with trees as tall as it could grow, of primer jungle not a secondary jungle. Everything was so picturesque, if I have a talent like Monet, I could have drawn the breathtaking scenery on rolls and rolls of canvas. But, everything was left to my heart and memories to picture it now. Yet, it was 12 years ago, at present the development really takes it toll on the mother earth’s precious treasure.

Development monstrously consumes the hill. It is, at present, a valley, a bare land with hardly any trees left and the only color one can see now is the brownish color of the earth. Soon it will be a ‘paradise’ to hundreds or families. It is now a housing area under construction. Yes, I know I can’t be this melodramatic over a destruction of a hill, by the way it is only a hill.

And Malaysia has endless mountains and hills. People need houses to live in. So that is how the hill and mountain come into the picture; we need granite and cement and marbles to build houses. We end up consuming excessively on the prime resource discounting the facts that it took billions of years for the nature to form a mountain. I strongly believe that hills are to be viewed and marveled at not for us to live on it and annihilate the ecological structure.

Let me re-phrase, NO, it is not that I am against the development.But I do think that in developing the nation it should be done in a more structured manner. I have been observing this trend which is healthily practiced everywhere: the developer wants to develop an area, they uprooted every tree, flattened every hill and Walla~~ once the houses are raised, they will plant new small twigging little trees. This explains why mostly new housing area is always so humid and comprise excessive ray of light. Despite, the slogan, “Nature at its best” when promoting a real estate property, it actually looks more like an abandoned town.

I realized that unstructured development is not the only reason why more and more hills and lush greeneries are disappearing from our country geographical map. It is also closely related to people mindset and attitude. Usually, after buying a house, some people blow half the structure of the house and build up new structure. Renovation: that is supposed to give the house a more stylish design. This process sometimes goes on and on until one acquires the satisfaction of having the so called dream home.

Sure, I have no right to comment on this, as it merely a personal choice. I myself would consider doing renovation once I have the chance of buying my own house. But the most important thing is not to go overboard with the idea or activity of renovation. Excessive renovation is only a total waste of resource. What make we think that we own the mountain and the jungle, that it gives us the right to demolish the precious treasure in order to make way for our ever escalating material desire? We all should think that our act have consequences. All of us need to realize that it is also a habitat, a home, a sanctuary, to other co-habitant on this planet. We all should be a protector not a selfish consumer of the precious treasure.

As more and more hills and mountains are disappearing, all left are memories which bring solemn to the heart. What can I tell my child in the future is that: “Dear, there used to be a high and scenic mountain once on this piece of land but it is no longer here, I wish you could see how beautiful it was”. Well, I think it will make a great bed time story for my kids, or when my husband and I are traveling, as we pass along the road it sure going to be a journey of good long nature talk for the children.

Original Entry was made on November 24th 2005

In The Maze of the Minds

In the course of my MBA study, I had the chance to sit for the MBTI test. What is MBTI test? It is a short name for Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. MBTI is a set of psychometric questionnaire that assess an individual psychological preferences. There is no right or wrong in the answers. There are 16 types of personalities and by answering the questionnaires, an individual will be able to understand more about oneself. Although there are many free personality test, MBTI is a test that is administered by a certified practitioner. In the MBA program, we've gone through two semester that is using MBTI as a key input. First, in the Organisational Behaviour and second, in the Managerial Effectiveness.

Why understanding personalities is very important? First, in order to understand other, we have to understand oneself first. Second, by understanding what make oneself ticks and what make the other ticks, will eventually bring us to an equilibrium point that will ensure the relationship ( be it working relationship, friendship, personal commitment) is in a constant harmony. And even, if there are glitches, the effect is temporary, as both parties are able to find solution that is working for both parties. It is not only important in maintaining a harmony relationship but it is also a key input in identifying the preferred learning style as well as determining the job that suits you the most. As by identifying what are your preferences, you can actually be in the career that utilize your strengths the most.

This study of temperament is not new, Socrates has studied this thousands of years ago. David Keirsey and other renowned researchers have also popularized the Four Temperaments theory. Florence Littaeur wrote an impressive book titled 'Personality Plus' about the four types of temperament: Choleric, Melancholy, Sanguine, and Phlegmatic.

Retracting to MBTI, The MBTI assists a person to identify the four main areas of preferences: how do you use your energy, how do you acquire information, how do you make decision, and what type of environment do you prefer. If I am to write a lengthy discussion on the steps, I will be writing a literature review altogether :). The information found on this website is a good summation of what MBTI is about http://www.personalitytype.com/ and there is a fairly reliable free online test from http://www.mypersonality.info .

In the real life, there are many conflicts arising from a trivial issue such as misunderstanding each other. There are also cases, where a person who is not in touch with one's own belief system ended being miserable in the entire life by choosing the wrong companion, tied in the wrong job, and worst; thinking that oneself is a damaged good. Thus, understanding what is one's preference style will help in many areas. In some companies, the employees in a work group share their profiling with each other. This will help them to know each other better and therefore work together better.

So, maybe, just maybe, that you are curious about this, just take the free on-line test. Find out about which personality type are you. Embrace the beauty, welcoming the good and the bad together. And don't be shy to share it with others. There is no right or wrong. And certainly, there is no personality type that is superior than the other. It is just who we are, and we will realize that we are complementing each other to make the world a better place.

My Jungian Personality Type is:

"INTJs are introspective, analytical, determined persons with natural leadership ability. Being reserved, they prefer to stay in the background while leading. Strategic, knowledgable and adaptable, INTJs are talented in bringing ideas from conception to reality. They expect perfection from themselves as well as others and are comfortable with the leadership of another so long as they are competent. INTJs can also be described as decisive, open-minded, self-confident, attentive, theoretical and pragmatic."

Car Battery S.O.S

Wouldn't life would be so much easier if we can predict the lifespan of our car's battery?

I am not too sure how is it with highly sophisticated car, they probably have a light indicator signalling when the battery should be changed.

But what about a normal entry level car? Fortunately, we have a solution and it is very easy as it doesn't require any extra gadget to be installed on the dashboard. I learnt this from experience, and this tried and tested has proven to be of a saviour tonight ( as the car died at the car park).

We can actually rely on the internal digital clock. Since the digital clock is very much dependent on the battery, thus, as the battery weakens, it will also affect the accuracy of the clock. So, let say, the clock is adjusted to be ten minutes early than the exact timing.

As the battery wears off, the clock will regressively be as the same timing as the wristwatch.

For example, in practice, I set my car's digital clock to be 10 minutes early than my wristwatch i.e. 10:10 am on the car's clock, it is 10:00 am on my wristwatch.

Five days back, I noticed that my car's clock is already showing 1 minute late than my wristwatch. Changing the battery earlier is a bit of wasting the resource as the battery is not fully used up, moreover, in this part of the globe, there is yet a structured battery disposal management properly in place. ( Unless there is a planned road trip, then it is wiser to replace the battery with a new set)

When this happens, it is a good thing to start preparing for the moment when the battery will eventually be flat:

1) Ensure there is a jumper in the boot. Make sure a pair of gloves is in there too :)

2) Carry the number of the towing service. For Proton owner, register for the EON members, call the 24/7 emergency number, then they will come to your stranded spot carrying along the replacement battery.

3) And better yet, keep a spare battery in the car boot. ( Make sure one is fully trained to replace this. I remember when my father taught me how to replace car battery, basic engine check, change flat tires before he actually let me drive a car)

It is also a good practice to drive only within the acceptable vicinity. Such as driving along the road that is heavily populated, so we can call for help in case of emergency.

Although the car battery has a lifetime of two years the minimum, we can try our best to prolong the lifespan by practising these simple steps:

1) Try to minimise switching on the radio without starting the engine first

2) Try to minimise using the power window button without starting the engine first

3) On weekends, if the car is in dormant mode, it is advisable to start up the engine and drive the car around the neighbourhood at a constant speed of 40mp/h. This will help the battery to charge up.

4) Clean any acid build up on the battery post using wire brush. ( My father call the brush 'berus sabut')

There must be other tell-tale tips for detecting the deterioration of a car battery but I hope this easy tips could be useful for other female drivers too. And most importantly, whenever on the road, always drive safely. Be defensive yet courteous at the same time. Safe trip each time!