LIVE LIFE.
ONCE YOU SEE RESULTS, IT BECOMES AN ADDITION;
A GOOD ONE.
LIVE LIFE TO IMPRESS YOURSELF, NOT OTHERS. WHAT OTHERS THINK, DOES NOT MATTER.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
IMPRESS YOURSELF
Travel
ARE YOU
AN INNOVATOR OR AN IMMITATOR?
ONE CREATES NEW…THE OTHER COPIES.
ONE IS A LEADER…THE OTHER…WELL…JUST FOLLOWS.
ONE ACCEPTS CHALLENGES AND LEADS THE WAY…
THE OTHER…SHIES AWAY FROM MUCH RESPONSIBILITY AND LOOKS FOR THE EASY WAY OUT.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
HABIT OF CARING
IF YOU WANT TO CULTIVATE A HABIT;
IT SHOULD BE TO CARE FOR OTHERS,
EVEN IF THEY HURT YOU MANY TIMES.
DON’T LET MONEY, FOLLOWERS, DEGREES, TITLES IMPRESS YOU.
BE IMPRESSED BY: HUMILITY, INTEGRITY, GENEROSITY, KINDNESS – THE GOOD STUFF.
THEN, YOU KNOW THAT YOUR HABIT OF CARING IS FOR
THE RIGHT REASONS.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
MALAYSIA DAY AT PORT DICKSON AND AN ADVENTURE
As we approached Port Dickson, the familiar over-bright glare of the sun was there to greet us. I think the reflection of the sun hitting the sea of the Malacca Straits, then bouncing back to the sun and coming back down onto P.D., causes the extra glare. Hence, it requires hat shades and sunglasses for comfort.
We, that is, Jeannie, The Batik Influencer and my wife; and I, wanted a short break from the hustle and hustle of city life. Did I type hustle and hustle? Yes, I did. We needed a break.It shows.
Jeannie got our daughter, Laura; to book us into a hotel. It was a long weekend holiday. After much thought and discussion on how to avoid the traffic jams to and from P.D., we avoided going down (since P.D. is southwest of us [South is “down / bottom of maps so it would not be too correct to say “going up south” ]) on Saturday or Sunday and planned to go on Monday and be back on Tuesday.
Getting to Port Dickson or P.D. was a breeze. Jams almost seemed like a myth and worrying about them was unnecessary. Since, we were fairly early, we stopped by at the Scottish eating place for lunch. Notice words like breeze, myth, fairly... all somehow related to the weather. Pun?
Anyway, the Scottish eating (no, we do not eat Scottish people) place was serving a samurai (because it had teriyaki sauce) burger (I know what you are thinking… Scottish and Japanese are poles apart). It was quite good. The burger patty size was what it used to be back in the good old days – big.
We checked in to our room slightly early. The hotel and the beach were crowded with people. Everyone was enjoying themselves on the long weekend holiday. Jeannie and I, we just wanted to relax and enjoy the seaside.
We went down to the beach at about 5pm, when the weather was slightly cooler. We walked the length of the beach which was about 500 meters in length. It was a slow walk as we had to maneuver between adults, children and tents (lots of tents were out, up. Most of them were set up further up the shore). There definitely was no shortage of enjoyment. It was fun…for these adventurers I guess. I’d opt for the less travelled part – air-conditioned rooms with comfortable beds. Not to forget clean toilets, too.
Jeannie had prepared sandwiches from home, which we had for dinner…the sandwiches, that is. We had coffee flowing throughout the evening (for me), while I figured some work out, including upcoming articles and what’s next for the next three months leading to the end of the year. Lots of ideas…our goals are quite on track. The fun part is to explore new ideas.
Breakfast was early for us. We sat on the terrace of the dining hall, to enjoy the cool breeze that came in with each wave of the sea that was washed onto the beach. We weren’t the only ones enjoying breakfast on the terrace. So too; were the crows. The minute food was left on the table unattended, these black birds came swooping in to have a go at the food. When we saw this, we moved to a table inside the dining hall. So much for eating on the terrace to enjoy the breeze and wide open spaces.
After breakfast, Jeannie went to the beach again to spend some time with the water; while I went back to the room to get more work done.
We checked out of our hotel at half 12, to our next destination – a sort of adventure to locate the house(s) my parents, my late sister, Jennifer; and I, stayed over 60 years ago when my father was in the army. My parents were very young at that time. Jennifer; was about 2 or 3 years old and I, a year 4 days younger than Jennifer at that time. The story in the next essay.
Jeannie and I wish all Malaysians, around the world, HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY.
PS: The location of our house is in the army camp. And another thing, no traffic jams on our way back home.
INDIVIDUALISM, LOOKING SCOTS, FLYING AND THE BEACHES OF THE PENINSULAR
It was not the usual, everyday weekend at Amcorp Mall today. You are going to ask the question. Come on… ask the question… Everyday weekend? Everyday weekend here means Saturday and Sunday…with the occasional Friday and Monday off from work (sometimes longer).
The Batik Influencer (my wife, Jeannie) and I pulled up into a parking slot at Basement Level 2. Nothing out of the ordinary, so far. Started unloading our stuff, with Jeannie taking one batch first to our booth. Moments later, I get a call from her saying that there is a long line of upward travellers (1) because two of the vertical vehicle shuttlers (a bit of fun here) broke down. That meant that we had to ferry our things to our booth at a much slower rate. Anyway, we sorted out things pretty quickly – in about an hour (usually takes about five minutes).
The day went by pretty quickly with both the Batik Influencer and I, the Hatted Writer; having met multiple (American for the word “many”) numbers of people, who stopped by, chatted viewed the things we had to offer, acquiring some that caught their interest.
And speaking of interest, a Scottish man, wearing a kilt walked past. I called out to him and asked if I could take a picture with him. I mean, it isn’t every day you see a kilted (with proper bag, too) Scots walk by. His name, Matthew Crabbe. He said he isn’t really a full Scots. He is Welsh-Cornish, with some Irish and Scots blood; broadly Celtic. he grew up in a town north of Edinburgh.
One may be forgiven to think that this was a weekend of Scottish celebrations – I was wearing a red tartan (Scots) flat cap. Matthew donned a kilt because he wanted to express his individualism and not be lost in a crowd of same-same attire. I resonated with him as you can read in many of my articles. We had quite a few laughs. Matthew said he definitely will be back next weekend and catch up with me.
Another gentleman, Toh Beng Liong; while going through my book, SPARKS OF JOY -SEIZED THE MOMENT, came across a chapter: “Love Flying”. He was a former pilot, used to fly single and twin-prop planes. And that got us talking about his love for flying, too. Both his sons are pilots.
Beng Liong lives near the beaches of Port Dickson, and gets to walk along them everyday. That got Jeannie to talk about the beaches on the eastern side of Peninsular Malaysia. She hails from Kuantan, Pahang. The beaches in Pahang and Terengganu are beautiful. Beng Liong suggested we move to Port Dickson. That thought has crossed our minds. Will see.
NOTES:
1. Trivia
I thought I’d give A.I. or Artificial Intelligence a run for it’s money to see if it got the meaning of this short line. It bombed out! Did you get the meaning? Scroll down…further down…for the answer:
“a long line of upward travellers”:
“A long line of upward travellers” most likely refers to the interpretation of palmistry lines, specifically a travel line on the hand that is long and points upwards, indicating a strong likelihood of significant travel or foreign settlement and the potential for achieving success through these journeys.
Further details:
Significance of Length: A clear, long travel line is generally interpreted as a positive indicator of successful and frequent journeys.
Location of Travel Lines: These lines are generally found on the Mount of Moon in palmistry, but can also originate from the Life Line and extend towards the Mount of the Lower Moon or Mount of Ketu, or run parallel to the Life Line.
Upward Direction: When a travel line points upwards, it signifies an intense desire and probability for foreign travel and settlement.
Ambition Lines: Upward branches from the Life Line are sometimes referred to as Ambition lines, which are associated with personal achievements and can indicate a strong drive for success.
“upward travellers”
“Upward travellers” can refer to a few distinct concepts within the travel industry: increased interest and activity in travel, magazine publications catering to high-end travellers, or specific technical applications like upward-travelling lightning strokes.
Here’s a breakdown of “upward travellers” based on the search results:
Upward Bound (Aviation Focus):This term is also used in the context of the Middle East’s aviation sector, referring to its transformation driven by strategic investments and technological innovation, particularly in sustainability.
Upward Travel Trends:Multiple reports indicate an upward trend in travel intentions and activity across various demographics and travel types, including increased holiday travel, interest in cruises and international trips, and sustained popularity of city breaks for young travelers.
Upward Curve Magazine:This is a triannual print and digital magazine specifically for independent air travelers who use corporate or private jet charters, distributed in-flight and in VIP airport lounges worldwide.
Upward-Traveling Lightning Stroke:In a scientific context, this refers to a theoretical model describing the electromagnetic fields generated by a lightning stroke that travels upwards, often used in atmospheric and electromagnetic compatibility studies.
Answer: People wanting to get to higher floors of the building using the lifts.
CHEF WAN SEIZES THE MOMENT
Our dear friend (my wife, Jeannie’s and mine) of many years, Chef Wan; has got a copy of the recently published book, SPARKS OF JOY – SEIZE THE MOMENT for himself.. If anyone knows what a spark is, it is none other than Chef Wan himself.
Chef Wan is everything entertaining. When he gives of himself in whatever he does and commits to; you are guaranteed that you are going to gain way more than 100% from him.
I just realised that he put my book up on his Instagram feed. Interest in the book and readers getting a copy for themselves, has been growing. Will keep you posted with further positive developments, especially from readers and book-buyers, soon.
WRONG TURNS AND RIGHT TURNS
SOMETIMES,
WRONG TURNS ARE AS IMPORTANT AS RIGHT TURNS.
EVERY MISTAKE WE MAKE
IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CORRECT OURSELF,
AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW.
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WRONG TURNS ARE
MORE IMPORTANT THAN RIGHT ONES.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
SOMETHING’S BREWING…IT IS READY
so are the red shoes…
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: MAY 3d & 4th
Keep these dates and times for this exciting and fun time.
https://leatherpotato.com/2025/04/25/somethings-brewing/
These dates have arrived.
You are all warmly invited to come. Come with your families. Come with your friends. Come with your neighbours.
There will be multiple x multiple x multiple people visiting us throughout the day. It looks like everybody who knows everybody will be there. All with the intention of getting their copy of the book, SPARKS OF JOY – SEIZE THE MOMENT signed.
I will be having a special launch and book-signing time on Sunday, May 4th, 3.30pm – 4.30pm
We are excited. Can’t wait to see all of you. 😁😁😁
TIME TICK TOCKED WHEN A MOMENT SEEMED LONGER
It all started when I read somewhere (where? The memory escapes me now) that there is a place south of the state of Johore in Malaysia that is the southern most tip of Asia.
You’d probably think it to be Singapore, further than that is one of the islands in Indonesia…. To some in the western world, they have heard of Indonesia because of its holiday island of Bali; they’ve heard of Thailand because of Bangkok, possibly through multiple songs composed about the life there; they’ve heard of Singapore because only rich people live there possibly because of its near prohibitive property prices…you know where this is leading to…Malaysia? Where is that?
Now, with it’s second tallest building in the world – Merdeka 118, and it’s iconic (yes, iconic, and beautiful, too) Petronas Twin Towers, Malaysia is noticed. The Petronas Twin Towers officially held the record as the tallest building in the world. Now, several, new, taller buildings have come to the forefront.
Coming back to the topic of the tip… I was intrigued by the fact that the southern most tip of Eurasia is in Pontian, a district of Johore. I thought to myself, how nice it would be to visit this “tip”. Thinking… thinking… the thought drifted and was gone. That was it.
Recently, my wife Jeannie (who is the Batik Influencer), and my cousin Dato Ronald Gomes’ wife, Datin Debbie Gomes; and my cousin Christopher Nalliah’s wife, Evelina Nalliah; got together and were making plans for a holiday in Vietnam. It was a ladies only trip. The plan was firming up…until the earthquake in Myammar and the surrounding countries.
They still continued with the trip plan until another earthquake hit again. They decided to put their plans on hold. However, (not as a consolation), our plans on a weekend trip to Malacca, which is coming up real soon; is on. Keep a lookout for the news and articles / essays to come about Malacca, where the Portuguese, Dutch, English and everyone else wanted a piece of this state. There are canons and forts, hundreds of years old, as proof.
Spur of the moment.. more exciting.
Jeannie said that she still needed a holiday… that we should go somewhere soon. Out of nowhere I said, “let’s go to the southern most tip of mainland Asia. It is located in Johore”. Jeannie immediately agreed and set out to chart our holiday. I suggested we go for a couple of days, and got our daughter, Laura to book our hotel online. All this took place less than a week from the start of our holiday.
The day came. We started our journey on time. We planned to have a leisurely drive along the almost 5 hour trip. The last time we took a leisurely trip down south, heading to Singapore, to watch and support Laura as she represented Selangor and compete in The Singapore National Swim Championships Open, we together with a couple of parents; made about 10 stops along the way to indulge in the amazing food the south had to offer. The trip down took us over 10 hours. We did the same thing on our return, but to different makan places. This was back in 2018. By no means did we exhaust the list of eating places because in Malaysia, we are simply spoilt for choice.
Jeannie and I are more conscious of how much of food we consume nowadays. Hence, we only made one stop this time. We decided that we wanted to stop at Maxims in Yong Peng because this was one of the places we stopped at when we were on our food extravaganza to and from Singapore. Why we stopped by here in 2018 was because Maxims had good reviews about its food.
We ordered some kuih. Jeannie ordered a hot coffee, and I had a Kopi Ais Kosong (Iced Coffee with no clothes on [Black – no sugar, no milk]).
I am not too sure why it is named a snack shoppe. I guess because of all the takeaway biscuits, cookies and cakes it has to offer, However, this time round, it did not seem to have too wide a variety, Perhaps, it was a Monday morning, with less people coming in when compared to the weekends or holidays.
It was not as how we had expected it to be – crowded, with customers flowing in and no tables free. It did have people coming in, but most tables were empty. It was Monday morning. People were working. Perhaps, some people have still not gotten used to the idea of the weekend switch, where Johore has switched to Saturday & Sunday being its weekend from the previous Friday & Saturday.
We soon were back in our vehicle, to continue our destination, to say “seen this, done that”. 😁
NOTES:
1. Johore is one of the largest states in Malaysia. It has a thriving economy.
SOMEWHERE NEAR MAINLAND ASIA’S SOUTHERN MOST POINT
It all started on this (type) not so very long ago.
Lots of stories on our adventure here.. I dare say than a large motorcycle population here is electric.
Keep a lookout for the stories to come.
Now, my wife, Jeannie, the Batik Influencer and I, the Hatted Writer, am going to revisit the Southern most tip of mainland Asia. Catch you later.