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People come and people go

This month of Syawal is not too festive for me and my family as we had 2 people whom we loved passed away.

My grandma passed away on the 3rd day of Hari Raya at a very ripe old age, very close to 100 if not passing that age already.  She died due to a bout of viral flu which she was just to weak to recover unlike other times that she had it before.  My late grandma, who was my mum's mom, was well taken care of by her children who brought her to PJ to stay so that we could take care of her health.  Staying in the kampung and all alone (my grandpa passed away before I was born) had much problems for us to keep track of her health because she was always busy upkeeping the kampung surroundings (she had a large land to take care of).

On Hari Raya eve, my mum told me to visit my grandma, as they have already anticipated that she won't be around much longer.  I went to my aunty's house, coz thats where she stayed and saw her.  She was very very weak from the viral flu which she caught a week ago, but was on the verge of recuperating.  I was told that my late grandma refused to eat anything, only sipping liquids from time to time.  She was extremely frail and was sitting down on the carpeted floor after spending days lying down.  She looked at me with an adoring look.  The kind of look that you know, would be the last.  I knew then, that it may be the last time I see her alive.  I was right.  The funeral was on the 3rd day of Hari Raya itself and tahlil followed thru 3 days in a row and weekly now.

Then last Monday we had another great shock.  My brother in law's father too had passed away in Jakarta in his sleep, most prolly due to heart attack.  Colonel (R) Zain was a small and loud fellow.  He had whittish silver hair and loves to play golf.  Though he had a heart bypass onced, it never detered him from continuing his golf games with his buddies.  He was in Jakarta to play around of golf with his buddies when he passed away.  Since he passed away in Jakarta, the body had to be brought back to KL for burials and the arrangements were done by a relative who is staying in Jakarta.  After the 'mandi and sembahyang jenazah' - prayers for the deceased had been done, the body was put in a coffin and boxed up to be sent to KL.  The body arrived on Monday night at KLIA MASCargo at 2130hrs.  My brother in law was hectic arranging for all the paperwork to be done and the procedures were a lot.  I arrived with my family to receive the body at KLIA MASCargo and the procedures were like this.

1.  Go to the main entrance gate of the cargo area.  Leave your MyKard and get a pass to get thru the custom's complex.  Each person entering the cargo complex needs to surrender their MyKard and get a pass.  You then drive your car to the cargo complex.  Go straight, take a right corner till you see a blinking amber traffic light and turn left into the underpass. 

2.  From there you will reach another security checkpoint to enter the cargo complex.  Since we didn't have transponders to open the automatic gates, unlike the cargo lorry trailers, we had to stop at the checkpoint, get down, produce a valid driving license and you will be given a car pass.  They will open the autogate for you and find your appropriate cargo hanger.  One thing I noticed, anything short of driving a small lorry, you will feel very much dwarfed in there.  The atmosphere was a systematic chaos.  There were forklifts busy buzzing around lifting boxes of good in and out of trailers.  There were huge 18 wheeler trailers everywhere, small cargo pullers pulling all the cargo stuff, smal vans, big vans, small lorries and huge trailers going everywhere with a crescendo of beeping sounds as the forklifts and lorries reversed and loads of flashing amber and red lights.  It was a sight to behold at 2200hrs.

3.  After making your way to the cargo complex where you need to be, and in my case it was Core 2 MASCargo complex (there are many many cargo companies there) we had to go up to Mezzanine floor to do the paperwork to release the body from the cargo complex.  Documentation purposes needs at least 2 family members to produce documents to show that they are families of the deceased and to pay for the cargo charges.  Onced that has been done, then you can collect the body at the cargo area.  It was a very sad sight, to see someone you loved in a normal wooden box on a trailer pellet.  It was the first for me to see such a sight that you are sent home, as a cargo in the cargo hold of a plane.  Onced the box was identified, we opened it up since there was a coffin inside the box and to transport the coffin with the box wasn't that appropriate.  Brought the coffin into the hearse and we said our doa (prayers) at the cargo area before bringing it out.

4.  Onced the hearse is brought back out pass the 1st check point, where you took your pass, in which you need to return the pass back and retrieve your MyKard, another set of paperwork needs to be carried out and this is at the Custom's checkpoint to declare that you are bringing a body out of the cargo complex.   By then my brother in law's younger sister who was outside the security area at the parking lot taking care of my nephew walked to the hearse, opened it and broke down into tears.  She was the closest child to her late father.

5.  Now that everything  has been done, the deceased will be driven to Kelantan where he will be buried in his hometown.  Before that is done, a stop at Sepang Police Station is needed to declare the death and that a death certificate be produced.

It was a long and tiring night for us as we arrived back home at 1am.  This passed 2 years I am starting to see people in the family starting to go and that makes me feel distrubed.  First was my brother in law's brother last year, who passed away due to heart attack.  Then my uncle earlier this year due to complications, then my grandma and now this.  How I wish someone can invent a device or drug that can prolong people's lives or come out with replacement parts for heart, lungs, liver and kidneys just like how we can change parts from a car like engine, radiator, injectors, carburrator, batteries and other things.  I believe we are at the stage where we have the ability to produce synthetic parts for replacement purposes.  Why can't cigarette companies dump in money to research and develop artifical replacement lungs so that people who smoke don't die of lung cancer or beer companies who rake in billions of dollars every year R&D on artifical replacement liver.  Well whatever it is, those of us who are still alive and reading this, well take care of your health because you only have 1 body and 1 life.  Hope you had a good read.

Raya SMS Part Deux

Now that Hari Raya frenzy is starting to slow down, and what I meant by that is all the SMS-es that people usually send just a few minutes before midnite before Hari Raya.  A bit odd though that this year, I received very little sms compared to last year.  Prolly because I didn't reply to many of those who sent me Raya SMS last year but I have also noticed an influx of Hari Raya e-card surfacing again.  Those sent to Friendster or e-mails which have flashplayer graphics and music.  Imagine several years ago, when you received Hari Raya cards, it was just a piece of card with some writings.  Nowdays you get moving graphics, animated cartoons with Hari Raya songs.

This year, I did not receive many creative Hari Raya SMS-es.  Many chose to write mundane things like Selamat Hari Raya dari Abu dan keluarga kinda stuff.  There are a few worthed mentioning and here it is in random order.

1. BeTiK iS PaPaYa, RoCk Is BaTu, SkRg Da RaYe, SoRy ByK2 ye u...tHiS iS kUlIt KeRaNg, FiSh ThE iKaN pUyU, i CkP TrUs TrAnG, i Nk DuIt RaYa dr U...! Hehe - Linda GTi (very very original.  Haven't read anything like this coz it sorta rhymes but it doesn't)
2. Selamat Hari Raya, enjoy ureself tanpa gangguan dari canna - Mike Tay (straight to the point and I can't appreciate more)
3. Di pagi syawal yang mulia ini, kususun jari tanda kemaafan.."selamat hari raya dan maaf zahir batin" - Nazreen (okaylah, very slightly better than the standard Hari Raya SMS. actually shouldn't even be in here but heck..just to fill the empty spaces)
4. KATAK PISANG KATAK PURU, sembang bwh pokok kasturi, Jgn PErasAN ATau tERharu, Bukan nak UcAP Kata RinDU, cUMa nak uCap "Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri". - Wan & Siti (starts off really well and thought the ending would be better but...well Selamat Hari Raya to you too)
5. For things I did wrong, For words which might hurt, For jokes you can't take, For advise you can't accept & For all e madness + lame jokes + sarcasm, 1001 apologies..hope you have a gr8 hari raya!SALAM AIDILFITRI MAAF ZAHIR BATIN - Jihan (awwww...)
6. Pelita dpasang pnarik seri, ramadhan dignti c aidilfitri, msej pndek pganti diri, tnda erti sntiasa d ingati. Salam aidilfitri. Maaf zahir batin - Azlin (this one surely lazy to type the full word, either that or the handphone can only text 40 words max)

Okay those are some the Hari Raya SMS which are worthy of being mentioned.  The standard ones well, are just standard.  The best Hari Raya SMS for 2007 goes to...

No fancy poems and no funky pics, but just a simple 'Selamat Hari Raya' from me, the one and only Maharedza. (very original, direct and so him.  appreciate the SMS bro)

And to all those who have SMS-ed me and I never reply...thank you.  All your SMS-es are treasured and thank you for making Maxis, Celcom, Digi richer by the day so that they give us better call and SMS packages.  Hopefully next year MMS with video will be FOC so we can send Video MMS-es with Raya Greetings.  Cool idea huh?  Hope you had a pleasant read and Selamat Hari Raya to all!

Food Therapy For The Soul

Lemon grass has long been used for its therapeutic properties.  Some massage oils contain essence of lemon grass, there are also tea with lemon grass and lemon grass drinks. Lemon grass is also used in cooking due to its sweet and soothing smell it eminates.  Its soothing and calming oil properties help the human body to invigorate itself and rejuvenate the senses through the blood.  Lemon grass too have been traditionally used to fend off flatulance in one's body.  It is no wonder that in Thailand, warm or cold lemon grass drink mixed with sugar is a common drink in hotels to welcome guests.  Even their cold towels are dipped water mixed with lemon grass as the aromatherapy of it, soothe the senses and relaxes the mind.  Almost everywhere you go in Thailand, lemon grass is used in many ways to relax and calm the body and mind.

        That is why not far from Kuala Lumpur, lies a quiet restaurant that extensively uses lemon grass and it is located in the bustling beehive area that serves great food.  So good is the food, I would dubbed it as the "Food Therapy for the Soul".  At first, your mind would be active in absorbing the ambiance and interior of the restaurant.  When the food is served, it is an orchestra of fantastic smells and fireworks of taste that blends together for an orgasmic finish which leaves you just...breathless.  This fantastic restaurant is called BumbuBali.  BumbuBali is a Balinese concept in food and decoration. 

The Restaurant
BumbuBali doesn't just feed your sense of smell and taste but also your eyes and ears.  The over all ambience of the restaurant is totally Balinese, from the decoration the moment you step in, to the authentic Balinese gamelan music that is played.  One may think that they might have stepped into a spa by mistake as the soothing gamelan music is heard throughout the restaurant.

Merchandise Items For Sale As Soon As You Step In

There are 2 levels of dining area for dine in guests at BumbuBali.  The lower level holds a long bar but lesser tables for diners as it too houses some authentic Balinese merchandise which you can purchase and the prices are reasonable.  The merchandise items range from simple ornaments to hand painted small sized surfboards to reflect that the island of Bali is also a surfer's paradise.  Some of the items would be worth getting such as the cloths and hand crafted wooden items. 

        After making your way up through the wooden spiral staircase, you will be welcomed by several large paintings.  Right at the top of the staircase you will get to see numerous newspaper and magazine clippings regarding the restaurant.  BumbuBali has been featured in many food and culinary newspaper and magazine sections, just to show that the said restaurant has a good reviews and credibility in the food and service given.  The level above features a larger dining and seating area.  It has the same airy feeling as the dining area on the ground floor as the windows are widely open and there is mistyfier all around the openings of the windows with large fans blowing cool air into the dining area.  The level above is dotted with many large plants and pictures and frames of the island and wood carvings on the walls.  Also a point to note is the clothed salamanders stuck to the walls as though it is crawling towards the ceiling.  The all wooden furniture just adds to the atmosphere of the restaurant and those seated next to the windows have higher tables and chairs for them to look out of the restaurant.  Onced inside, the surroundings and decoration will make you forget that you are actually in Kuala Lumpur.  The restaurant has the aire to make you feel relaxed and unwind, very much like a spa.

The Food
What makes BumbuBali special is their food.  Balinese food differs from the all too plenty Padang type of cooking which is widely available in KL.  It is richer in flavour and the usage of spices is more abundant.  The first impression you get when you open up the menu that the restaurant offers is, the difficulty to choose what to eat and to understand what each dish is about.  They have an extensive variety of food and drinks to choose from with exotic Indonesian names tagged to it.  The drinks section itself is divided into alcoholic and non-alcoholic where the latter has a wider portion to choose from.  Beware, as food portions served in this restaurant is huge and if you are a small eater, ordering a dish may require 2 or 3 people to finish it.

BumbuBali restaurant's speciality dishes are simply fantastic.  When you are there, these signature dishes are worth a try:

• Campur Campur Tiga - very similar to Triple Play dishes you would find as entrees at TGIF, HRC and Planet Hollywood, this dish comprises of Satey Lilitan, Cumi-Cumi goreng and spiced up chicken wings with different dippings.
• Nasi Campur BumbuBali - a small portion of Nasi Uduk with fillet of marinated grilled fish, a choice of rendang ayam or daging, grilled prawns and squid which is  lightly marinated, 'rempeyek' a sort of Javanese keropok which my grandma always make to accompany her tea time and small  bowls of sambal, chili padi potong dipped in oil and acar.
• BumbuBali Famous B-B-Q Combo meals - they have chicken and lamb, chicken and fish, fish and lamb, beef and chicken and the combination goes on.  This combo comes with garlic mashed potatoes and refreshing coleslaw.
• Nasi Ma Pasih - basically similar to Nasi Campur BumbuBali but with less dishes.

        Okay those are some of the signature dishes which you just have to try when you get there.  They also cater a wide variety of western food, but cooked Balinese style.  That means that the flavours and marinate used is Balinese which makes the food, more authentic and goes well with the environment.

Food Review
I was there with some friends for Buka Puasa and this is what I ordered. After ordering we were served with a small plate of kuih and a small bowl of dark suspicous looking liquid.  Immediately I thought, that this is the brown sugar sauce for the kuih as the kuih looked sinisterly similar to what I have eaten before at hotels and restaurants.  I was informed that the liquid is actually for us to drink!  I was suprised, as the dark looking substance had to be dark brown sugar or gula melaka that you pour over the kuih.  To my suprise, its actually cool sugared lemon grass water with cincau.  It was indeed a great thirst quencher as the properties of lemon grass and cincau instantly wetted our parched mouth and soothed our dry throats.  The kuih served had some grated cocount over it and taste very similar to some of the kuih you would buy at Pasar Ramadhan.  The drink which I ordered is somewhat unsual for a place like this.  I had the Mojito with Lemon Grass.  The real Mojito drink is alcoholic and is popular in Latin countries especially Cuba.  The real Mojito would contain rum, Sprite or 7-Up with mint leaves and lime.  It is a refreshing drink.  Here in Bumbubali, the Mojito is of course, non-alcoholic and is concoted of soda water, a bit of sugar, essence of pandan, green coloring, lime and mint leaves and of course, 2 sticks on lemon grass.  It offers the same thirst quenching properties as the real Mojito but without the alcohol.  Great, tho it could use Sprite or 7-Up instead of soda water because the essence of pandan would just go great with it and the sweetness of Sprite or 7-Up would be more quenching.

        Next came my dish of Nasi Campur Bumbubali which was served on a woven rattan plate layered with banana leaf.  Almost all their signature dishes are served this way to bring out the flavour of the food as it is served traditionally on banana leaves.  Now this Nasi Campur BumbuBali is strictly for those who have a large appetite.  What comes with the plate is something that needs a large stomach to digest.  It comes with Nasi Uduk.  Nasi Uduk is a boiled rice prepared with some tapioca.  You can even opt for Nasi Kuning which is yellow glutinous rice.  On the plate comes with grilled fillet of fish.  The fish is succulent and cooked to perfection.  It has the perfectly grilled aroma and almost has a hint of natural sweetness to it.  My option of rendang chicken is also another dish bustling  of wonderful spices and taste.  Not your typical dry rendang, this wet chicken rendang is not hot but filled with herbs and spices.  The grilled squid is another thing.  It is marinated before being grilled thus won't give you the tastless rubbery feeling and so goes with the grilled prawns.  Somehow, there is a hint of charcoal after taste which makes me wonder if they actually grilled it over a charcoal pit.  If that is not enough, they even give you a stick of Satey Lilitan.  Satey Lilitan is actually fine minced chicken with herbs and spices, wrapped around a stick of lemon grass and grilled.  The chicken meat is infused with the flavours of the lemon grass from the inside out as it is being grilled.  To help achieve a more mouth watering sensation, 3 small bowls accompany the large rattan woven plate which is the sambal which is red but not spicy, the acar which produces a stronger sweet sour salty mix that goes well with the Nasi Uduk and the cut chili padi suspended in oil.  I like this the best.  The oil would give a sorta of basil like flavour just like what olive oil would do to pastas.  Very unfamilar that such Asian cooking more over Balinese cooking would require the usage of additional oil, like what the Italians do.

After such a large portion of food, to while away the oils and spices I decided to order the Cincau Jelly with Rambutan in Iced Lemon Grass water.  Was I in a suprise that it too came in a large soup bowl and the pieces of cincau was enormous.  It had slices of rambutan in it covered with ice cubes on top in sugared lemon grass water.  Very similar to what I had in the beginning in the small bowl but in a very large portion.  Just sipping through it is like drinking another glass of cincau water with rambutan and lemon grass.  It did though cool me down a lot tho and wash away the oils and spices of the food.

        I did manage to sample some of the Cumi Cumi Goreng (deep fried squid) on my friend's Campur Campur Tiga plate.  The batter they used for the cumi cumi is simply outstanding.  Not dry but tasty and the aroma of seafood sticks to the batter.  Another sample I had was the a portion of the large Famous BumbuBali B-B-Q Combo of chicken and lamb.  I have never seen a piece of lamb shoulder that large.  It is larger than the palm of my hand and there were 2 pieces of it.  The B-B-Q lamb is cooked until tender and the spices used made it taste very much like stewed lamb.  Perhaps if they went easy on the gravy, it would have made the lamb's taste more prominent instead of the gravy.

    There were other food which I did not manage to sample it as my belt was bursting at its seams.   The food portion is just huge and there are too many things that looked extremely tempting.  I heard the Fudge Brownie served with ice cream was delicious but I had to resist the tempation of sampling it over the fear of passing out from over eating.  One definitely had to do repeated visits just to taste all the dishes they have there.
                                                                                            A sample of Campur Campur Tiga - Triple Play

   

Location
BumbuBali is located in a bustling beehive at Bandar Puteri, Puchong.  Its location is somewhat hidden from the main road thus you won't be able to spot it from there.  The area itself is food haven with numerous restaurants at almost every corner shoplot from KopiKau cafe, Ketam Stim Seafood, Steamboat, Nyonya restaurants and so many others.  If you have no idea where to go for your dinner, just take a drive there and you will end up eating at one of the eateries.

To get there, take the LDP from Sunway to Puchong.  After paying the RM1 toll at Sunway, keep right to take the flyover towards Puchong, Cyberjaya, Putrajaya.  Go straight till you pass IOI mall and TESCO on your right.  Just after TESCO, standby to keep left as there is a flyover to turn left to Bandar Puteri.  As soon as you turn left at the flyover, keep right immediately to turn right.  Giant would be on your left.  After you turn right at the traffic light turn right again in the shophouse area and proceed straight.  Just before you exit back out towards the LDP there is a turning to the left.  That should be Jalan Persiaran Puteri 1 and BumbBali is no 18, a corner lot double story shop.  Here is a Google Earth map to help you align yourself to the location.  Hope you had a pleasant read.

   
Click any of the images to enlarge.  All pictures except Google Earth were taken with Samsung SGH D600 mobile phone.

Aunty Aini's

Out in the boondocks way away from 'civilization' lies a small and very quaint 'kampung' style restaurant called Aunty Aini's.  When I first heard of the place and where the location was, I went "Huh?"  Never knew there was a such a restaurant with such a name.  The usual names for such restaurants in that area would normally be called ' Something something Tom Yam ' or ' Restoran XXX Masakan Thai '.  To hold such fancy restaurant name in that area was somewhat peculiar for me and you would know why after I tell you.

My first thoughts of Aunty Aini's, was some way out place in the kampung but with a modern twist.  I mean, just imagine, in the kampung somewhere you have an English name for a restaurant where the community predominantly is filled with Malay folks.  I had the chance to sample some of Aunty Aini's just last week, after our Satria GTi Club's track day session in Sepang International F1 Circuit.  It seemed very logical to have our break of fast there after such a tiring and sweltering day at the track during the fasting month.

The Restaurant

Aunty Aini's restaurant has this laid back feeling of being back in the kampung.  To those who stay in the city and hardly go back to their hometown, one can relate to the kampung ambience where the restaurant is surrounded by trees, chicken and cats roaming freely around the restaurant.  True to the name, Aunty Aini's setup is very rustic and rural.  Guess that is what 'em city slickers would like.  To get away from the normal high flying attitude like restaurant and go back to basics.  A place where they can remember home.  That is why it is called 'Kampung Cafe'.  Aunty Aini's couldn't hold such a large crowd.  Full capacity would prolly be around  80 pax.  There is an area where you sit under the open clouds and another that is sheltered plus a special area, where you sit cross legged around a very low Japanese like table ala kampung style.  So, imagine having your hot rice with authentic kampung dishes served to you on a very low table with you sitting cross legged feasting on such delicacies would just be bliss.  After a heavy meal, sit back and relax and listen to the slow and soft jazz and R&B tunes being belted out the speakers of the restaurant.  Although the restaurant may look small and it is filled with plants and trees and the birds and bees, you can be sure of a place to sit to have your food.  This place would remind you of other restaurants where the location is in town, but they try to have the setting with a kampung mood like Naili's in Ampang and Sentul.

The Food

What is served at Aunty Aini's?  Well thats the special part.  Aunty Aini's speciality is the kampung cooked dishes.  Some of these authentic home cooked dishes would just whet your appetite.  Dishes such as ' Daging Salai Masak Lemak Cili Padi ', ' Ikan Jenahak Asam Pedas ', ' Sambal Tumis Udang ', ' Ayam Kampung Goreng ' would just send some city dwellers making a beeline to the restaurant.  Apart from having authentic kampung styled dishes, Aunty Aini's also belts out local dishes like Tom Yam and other stuff and also Western food.  Yup, when I was there, I saw huge portions of steaks, chicken chops and even pizza being served to patrons.  So if you have a sensitive tongue to the taste of chillies, you can opt for the bland western food.   If chillies are your thang, then to cool you off, Aunty Aini's has an assortment of blended drinks.  I had the Lemonade Freeze and let me tell you, it is guaranteed to wake up the sleepy eyed after a heavy meal and cleanse your pallatte.  Aunty Aini's also has this cute little hut that looks like a bar where they serve ice cream from.  Well sort of your ice cream hut instead of a beach bar.

The Location

Now trying to find Aunty Aini's on your oen may be a little bit hard as it is a little way off from any town.  The restaurant's location is infact, just beside a busy little trunk road that heads towards Salak Tinggi.  I'll try my best to describe to you how to get there.  There are actually 2 ways for you to approach the restaurant.  One way is through the North South PLUS highway where you exit at Nilai town while the other is from KLIA airport.  I'll describe the one from the airport as that was the route that I took to get there.

From KLIA toll heading towards the KLIA airport, take a left towards the Sepang International F1 circuit.  Once you have turned left, you will head towards a roundabout and go straight which is 12 o'clock.  Go straight all the way until you see a traffic light and take a left.  From there proceed straight till you see another traffic light and take another left towards Salak Tinggi and Nilai.  You will see a small traffic light that turns slightly to the left and right.  Take the RIGHT.  Proceed straight and you shall pass several more traffic lights and also a Petronas petrol station.  Aunty Aini's is some  few kilometers on your left after the Petronas petrol station by the side of the road.  I would advise that you travel slowly as Aunty Aini's restaurant is partly hidden and if you travel fast on that trunk road, you will definitely miss it as you would mistake it for another person's house.  Parking is a wee bit hard, so you have to make do by parking by the roadside.  Make sure you are well inside the dirt road and not to park haphazardly as that trunk road is busy with vehicles plying it.

Summary

Aunty Aini's is a great restaurant to get away with that special someone.  It is some sort of a getaway restaurant away from the hustle and bustle of the town.  You can take your time to eat and relax in a nice kampung environment.  I would suggest you bring a few of your close friends, get the area where you sit cross legged on the floor and order your hot steam rice with authentic kampung dishes.  You may even get to share your dishes with the local cat that roams the restaurant to give you an even more authentic kampung feel.  Try it, and I guarantee, it would be a great place to unwind.  Another one of those, 'well kept secret' restaurants.

Hope you had a pleasant read.

All pictures were taken with Samsung SGH-D600 phone

Why the haze?

Everyone is talking about the haze again.  I mean, it happens every year and I knew that the haze is bound to happen again since last week and I have proof how it started.  I was at one of the hotspots of the cause of the haze.  Check it out:
I was in section 14 Petaling Jaya a week ago.  I was walking minding my own business when I suddenly realized that the horizon was getting more and more opaque.  I can hardly see the tall buildings nor the trees nearby.  I knew that haze is coming back and for sure, my gut feeling was right again.  From this picture, you can clearly see that the tall building was about to be obstructed by the haze.

As I walked closer to the area, I noticed I was in the midsts of one of the hotspots, the cause of the haze.  I mean, it clearly shows where the haze which everyone is complaining is coming from.  For years and years, we have blamed our neighbouring country Indonesia for indiscriminately burning their crops and soil which will make for better earth for next year's crops or the runaway bush fires in Sumatera and Kalimantan.  Now the truth has been exposed and it is the fact.

As I approached closer to the scene, yes, you can clearly see, where all the haze is coming from.  It comes from this fella grilling fish with sambal on it.  As you can see, the haze is pretty thick as you get close to it.  People run away from or take the longer route from the delicious smoke that he is emitting.

Just look at his face.  Grimacing from the clouds of smoke coming out from his grill.  So just imagine, you have 1 pasar Ramadhan that sells grill fish, ayam percik, satay and other lovely dishes.  1 pasar Ramadhan can emit such smoke and haze.  Now I ask you, how many pasar Ramadhans do you know that is within your area?  Just in Petaling Jaya alone, less than 2 kilometers away is another pasar Ramadhan in Section 16, near the International Islamic University.  That area too, emits so much smoke from the cooking and grilling of satay, grill fish, grill chicken, honey bbq chicken wings, otak-otak and ayam percik.  Not only that, just 3 kilometers from there in Taman Tun Dr Ismail is another Pasar Ramadhan that also has the same items which emit smoke and haze.  Now that is 3 pasar Ramadhans within a 10km radius.

There you go.  This picture details that even the cook couldn't take the smoke thats coming out from this deliciously grilled sambal squids and fish.  So there you go, with hundreds of pasar Ramadhans spewing smoke from bbq pits and grills, no wonder we are having the haze.  Don't believe me?  Go head towards Taman Melawati in Ulu Kelang and I can guarantee that you won't miss one stall that emits the most smoke - Ikan Bakar Nelayan.  If you can stand there near the stall while you wait for your fish to get cooked, I salute you!  Hope you had a pleasant read.

Puff, the magic dragon lived by the sea

All pictures were taken in Section 14 Petaling Jaya pasar Ramadhan with Samsung SGH-D600 Mobile Phone.