Terengganu - Kerteh: Hubby's Rubber Holding

About two years ago, we were presented with an opportunity to buy a small rubber plantation.. We grabbed it and therefore we have 6 acres of 'em.

Rubber tree up closed. To get rubber, the tree bark is sliced thinly and the rubber milk will run down the cut to a rubber milk collecting cup. Nowadays with the petroleum price rising steeply, the commodities prices such as rubber are also effected. About two years ago, rubber milk costs about RM2.60 per kg. Last week it was RM5.20 and expected to rise again. Rubber is of course one of Malaysia's traditional export whether in the primary form or processed forms such as latex rubber gloves, condoms etc.

Terengganu - Kampung Labohan Terengganu Tea Time Snack

For authentic Terengganu snack, you should stop at this stall right after Kampung Labohan (and about 2km before the Petronas Petroleum Complex). Situated at the roadside, this stall serves Air Tebu (Sugarcane juice), Satar, Pulut Lepa and can also order Keropok Lekor.. yummy...

Satar ingredient before wrapping in banana leaf.

Grilling satar. Yummy smell.

Kimi with air tebu and some pulut lepa (glutanious rice with fish sambal)

Satar up closed - ingreadients are fish, coconot milk, chillies and some flour. The price is also reasonable. For 2 plates of satar and pulut lepa, a plate of keropok lekor and a plate of otak2 and 3 sugarcane juice cost us RM12.60.

Terengganu - Kerteh's Oil and Gas Processing Facility

As I am now living in Kuala Terengganu and my son & hubby in Kerteh, I usually commute home once every week. The journey took about 1 hr and 45 mins (for 80 - 90 km/hr driver like me) esp. as the Terengganu road is currently in the midst of major reconstruction. Along the way is the Petronas's Oil and Gas Processing Facility Complex. Nice view ain't it. It is also one of the highlight or Terengganu signature as Malaysia's Oil Producing State.

I worked in two major O&G projects before joining the public service. The first one was right after graduation in McConnell Dowell Kelana Malaysia as Assistant Accountant in GPP5&6 Gas Processing Pipeline in 1997 - 1998. Secondly was with Foster Wheeler (M) Sdn Bhd as one of the Cost people from 1999 - 2002 for CUF (Centralised tility Facilities) and Ammonia Syngas Project). Had very good times working with these two firms - great bosses (Hiya Bob! and Bernie!).. casual clothings.. great collagues.. nice working experiances.

Visitor - Australia

Hmmm.. saw from my visitor location counter that some of my visitors are from Australia. Good Day mate!

Have to say that I have a deep affection with Australia.. I went for my B.Commerce (Accountancy and Finance) in University of Tasmania, Hobart from 1995 - 1997. Had a very nice time there... really love to walk around cz Tasmania's weather is very nice. Went to tour a bit on the Tassie countryside. Love the fish and chip shop at Hobart.. yummy yummy.. During my time was also the massacre at Port Louis (need to check again.. such a long time ago - 10 years).. And I still having fondness to Australia's Woman's Day Magazine esp. during the Princess Diana era.

After graduation, I actually worked at McConnell Dowell Kelana Malaysia - a subsidiary of McConnell Dowell Australia around 1998 - 1999 at the GPP 5 & 6, a gas piping project linking Kerteh Petronas Refinery to their Santong part. Also had very good experiance there.. going to the side - rounghing it out with the guys.. Aussie guys are sooo nice. Hiya there to my ex-boss Rick Boreham, Richard Gorkowski and others.. hope you are all well and happy!

The last time I went to Australia was to Brisbane, in August last year for a Malaysian Business Mission. Nice city.. love the coffee and the seafood. Went to Gold Coast as well, just a short trip due to having so much things to do workwise...

Terengganu - Santong Road

The Santong road is the access road linking the jungle road Jerangau - Jabor to the main coast road of Kemaman - Kuala Terengganu. Here it links Santong and Paka.
Spooky ain't it. Foggy at 8am. Thruthfully I found this road too spooky to travel at night as it cut across acres of palm oil plantation without many residence in the middle of the road. Hubby is a regular user of this road as he would use it to travel to his kampung (village) in Kuala Berang.

One of his funny experiance is that if he was caught to be using the road at night, he would wait for other motorist to enter in before following them. Once, he waited and waited but no car was around for nearly an hour, so he decided to just go in by himself. It was raining and foggy, but he persevered till one of the junction, he saw a white figure alongside the road. So, being a scarity cat like me, he jam the car and sped home - at unbelievable speed. He confessed later that figure might have been a stone or boulder he he he....

Terengganu - Kerteh's KAPRIMA Goat Project

Right before arrival, construction busily under way for the second phase of the East Coast highway from Kuantan staright to Terengganu. Can see our goat farm from the highway once it is completed.

Going up the goat enclosure. You can see some other goat enclosure on the right. This is an integrated project by the Terengganu government to support the Malaysia national plan in reviving its agriculture industry. Malaysia aims to become a net exporter of meat esp. Halal meat. Currently we are importing meat from countries such as India and Australia.

The grass for the goat. Took about a year for them to be lush and green as now.

Goats up close. My dad's are mostly prime goats some from Jamnapuri but mostly are Boer bred. Now, we got around 90 goats from the 45 goats that we got last year (my dad only started last year).. When the pic was taken, my dad actually sold about 10 young goats to one of our relatives who are keen to start goat farming as well. He sold it around RM450 per goat (cheap as we're selling to relative, the current market price would be RM550 - 600.

My dad feeding the goats with grass (think Napier grass).. shredded and if possible kept in the barrel overnight to make it a bit softer, the goat like it more that way) but usually my dad gave to them fresh. Think he's a bit more wiry and healthy than when he was a policeman (retired last year).

Kimi surrounded by goats. He likes to chase them around.

Terengganu - Kuala Terengganu: My New Temperory Office

This is my new office. Just basic table and chairs.. no computers yet for about two weeks. The space is too big, we are using about 25% of it. I supposed I can do aerobic sessions here he he he...

The view of Kuala Terengganu from the office balcony.. not bad eh.. on the right is Wisma Darul Iman - administrative office, in the middle is the police station. Guess you can see that Kuala Terengganu is not that big - not many tall buildings, but without all those KL jams.. heaven!

Malaysia - Lebuh Raya Pantai Timur (LPT) East Coast Highway

Thruthfully I really missed blogging. After two weeks of no internet, I am going to indulge myself silly again.. This was taken during my journey home from KL to Kerteh, Terengganu. It takes about 4.5 hours (if you drive slow like me.. around 100km - 110kn and slower in the local road)... This time I took about 4 hours - maybe cz I do not stopped at any R&R - too many things in the car!

From my home.. around 6 am straight after Subuh (dawn prayer).. The pics a bit blurry.. bit like me.. to blurry in the morning.

Start of the journey - Karak highway around 45 mins drive with exits to Genting Highlands and also Colmar Tropicale. The toll is about RM3 (in the beginning) and RM4.50 (at the end)

Beautiful... beautiful dawn...

Temerloh - this is where I usually mark my journey is half ending..

Temerloh R&R (Rest and Recreation Area).. I like the curry noodle served by the stall about 3 doors from the far right of the R&R area.. it wasn't open yet too early that morning.

My usual snack for the jouney - Milo and Rocky biscuit.

Ah... Jabor exit at last.. the toll is about RM20.60

Ext road - still a bit like the highway, crossing the palm oil and rubber plantation...

Ah, Terengganu at last! Home Sweet Home...