il@l@ng

Thank you, great leader George W. Bush.

Thank you for showing everyone what a danger Saddam Hussein represents. Many
of us might otherwise have forgotten that he used chemical weapons against his
own people, against the Kurds and against the Iranians. Hussein is a
bloodthirsty dictator and one of the clearest expressions of evil in today’s
world.

But this is not my only reason for thanking you. During the first two months
of 2003, you have shown the world a great many other important things and,
therefore, deserve my gratitude.

So, remembering a poem I learned as a child, I want to say thank you.

Thank you for showing everyone that the Turkish people and their parliament
are not for sale, not even for 26 billion dollars.

Thank you for revealing to the world the gulf that exists between the
decisions made by those in power and the wishes of the people. Thank you for
making it clear that neither José María Aznar nor Tony Blair give the slightest
weight to or show the slightest respect for the votes they received. Aznar is
perfectly capable of ignoring the fact that 90% of Spaniards are against the
war, and Blair is unmoved by the largest public demonstration to take place in England in the last thirty years.

Thank you for making it necessary for Tony Blair to go to the British
parliament with a fabricated dossier written by a student ten years ago, and
present this as ‘damning evidence collected by the British Secret Service’.

Thank you for allowing Colin Powell to make a complete fool of himself by
showing the UN Security Council photos which, one week later, were publicly
challenged by Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector in Iraq.

Thank you for adopting your current position and thus ensuring that, at the
plenary session, the French foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin’s anti-war
speech was greeted with applause – something, as far as I know, that has only
happened once before in the history of the UN, following a speech by Nelson
Mandela.

Thank you too, because, after all your efforts to promote war, the normally
divided Arab nations were, for the first time, at their meeting in Cairo during the last week in February, unanimous in their condemnation of any
invasion.

Thank you for your rhetoric stating that ‘the UN now has a chance to
demonstrate its relevance’, a statement which made even the most reluctant
countries take up a position opposing any attack on Iraq.

Thank you for your foreign policy which provoked the British foreign
secretary, Jack Straw, into declaring that in the 21st century, ‘a war can have
a moral justification’, thus causing him to lose all credibility.

Thank you for trying to divide a Europe that is
currently struggling for unification; this was a warning that will not go
unheeded.

Thank you for having achieved something that very few have so far managed to
do in this century: the bringing together of millions of people on all
continents to fight for the same idea, even though that idea is opposed to
yours.

Thank you for making us feel once more that though our words may not be
heard, they are at least spoken – this will make us stronger in the future.

Thank you for ignoring us, for marginalising all those who oppose your
decision, because the future of the Earth belongs to the excluded.

Thank you, because, without you, we would not have realised our own ability
to mobilise. It may serve no purpose this time, but it will doubtless be useful
later on.

Now that there seems no way of silencing the drums of war, I would like to
say, as an ancient European king said to an invader: ‘May your morning be a
beautiful one, may the sun shine on your soldiers’ armour, for in the
afternoon, I will defeat you.’

Thank you for allowing us – an army of anonymous people filling the streets
in an attempt to stop a process that is already underway – to know what it
feels like to be powerless and to learn to grapple with that feeling and
transform it.

So, enjoy your morning and whatever glory it may yet bring you.

Thank you for not listening to us and not taking us seriously, but know that
we are listening to you and that we will not forget your words.

Thank you, great leader George W. Bush.

Thank you very much.

"Now I realize the secret of making of the best person, It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth…"~Walt Whitman~

07apr07

Left the house heading to ERL station Salak Tinggi. On the way I have breakfast Teh Tarik and roti canai at kedai Kak Long. Take the 0830 train to KL Sentral and drop off at Bandar Tasik Selatan Station. As arrange before, Akyna’s friend name Atan will pick me up at the station. I grab a newspaper, a bottle of mineral water and a pack of chewing gum then wait for him. He arrive at 0945. After a quick introduction we heading to Cameron Highland with his jungle Feroza. Cameron Highland, the land of the land rover here we comes.

About four days before

I am reading Sunday Times at KLIA and at the back of the paper I saw 2 guys and 1 woman leaning against gold Landrover. I read the article and find out that it’s about Daniel from the LOnewolf transglobal expedition. The woman is Alyna, an offroader and also secretary for LROM (Land Rover Owner Club of Malaysia). LROM gonna have 10th anniversary bash on April 7-8. On the bottom of the news they put Alyna’s number for anyone interested to join them. I just dialled the number without knowing what to expect, hahaha….
When I heard her number I just knew that i’m gonna have a wonderful time to join them. Alyna is very friendly and said it’s more than ok to welcome me and ask me  afew question about my activity. So, it’s settle then, I could join them, a group of land rover owner that i never knew and the lonewolf. I’m very excited about this…

back to 07Apr07

Atan is a quite interesting guy. He is a photographer for outdoor activity especially for 4×4 adventure. Because we have same passion about outdoor so getting along is not a problem. He’s one of the core team for Rainforest Challange. The long trip approximately four hours doesn’t seem long. Although we have a bit jam while going out from KL Highway. We arrive at Cameron Highlands around 0200 and  we  try to find  Rose Cottage to see Alyna and have ourselves registered. Cameron Highlands is a nice place. The air is fresh and the surrounding is very green. It’s like Puncak in Bogor or Lembang in Bandung. I see what Atan said that Cameron Highlands is land of the landrover. Everywhere i look there’s landrover. It becomes there daily transport and vehicle as the people are farmer and landrover is very suitable for they use.
After few talk with Alyna we go to the fun drive site as atan need to take photo. The site for fundrive is just nearby and the trek is not long. We could see the whole trek from the start point. Some of the participant have problem with the mud on the first challenge point. They have to use winch to help the car. One of he car got stuck at a hole. They have some effort to move the car. But, generally the fun drive is great and everybody happy.
After taking picture for the fun drive, atan have to take picture for the coloring contest for the kids as well, so, we headed back to Rose Cottage. When we arrive a lot of kids already busy with their coloring pencil and the paper. It’s so interesting how very serious they are with the work. The parents are helping them as well. It’s quite heartwarming to see the family get together in the outdoor .
Around 1900 the fun drive finish and we start clean up and prepare for the party. The lamb already on the grill since morning with Loren managing it. I really can’t wait to taste it.
After everybody clean up and feel fresh again, we started the party at the back of the cottage. They put the video about LROM activity for the past 10 years. It’s really good to have a hobby club last that long. I find it interesting to watch the video about expedition, the people, the charity activity and others activity.
After the video finish, someone start the ceremony. There are some opening talks from the President of LROM and the founder of the LROM. Before we continue they decided to have a dinner first then continue to the next activity.
Well, we couldn’t more agree as we all starving. So, everybody line up to take the food and especially the lamb.
After we all quite full and don’t know what to eat anymore we continue with the giving prize for fun drive, honorary prize and door prize as well. I’m quite lucky that i got Rainforest Challange hat. The one who won the fun drive is a local offroader from Cameron Highland.
I’m having a really great time as the people really welcome me. I met the Geduut Club from terengganu. I met journalist from 4×4 Wheel Drive. I met Daniel the lonewolf. I met Richard and Dwyer from antipodean adventure. I met keith and his wife from UK. I met families that bound together with the same passion over a landrover. But, I think it’s more than that. It’s about loving the nature and cherish them for the sake of our children. Keep the faith!!

08apr07

The wake up call is 0930 and I’m ready at 0800. The plan is we going to see the Orang Asli settlement to do some charity program. But, Atan and En.Azhar and Bg Ayub from 4×4 wheel drive can’t join because they some other thing to do. So I follow them going back to KL. We have some interesting happening while heading back to KL. We stopby at few places for taking picture. The problem having trip with photographer is they always have something interesting for them. But, i’m not complaining, because i like their company and the place we visit is interesting for me as well. We stop at Gn. Brinchang. It’s nearby and quite easy to reach as for the last camp can be reach with any kind of car. We try to climb a bit but find it quite long to climb all the way up for it takes 3 hours and it’s very cold in the forest. The vegetation is very damp and wet. It’s not easy to find that vegetation on that very reachable forest. I’m content with it.
We start to move again around 0200. Going back to KL. The trip is a lot of laughing and a lot of teasing for the guys are quite funny. And we have these walkie talkie for each car to have some teasing and to do some berbalas pantun along the way. But, the pantun are not right and the rhyme are all over the place. Like  I said, It’s a laugh… Going back home feeling really happy and recharge again…