a fleeting stay ...

It has been said that a holiday in Penang would be incomplete without an old fashion ride in Penang trishaw. The beca, as locals call the Penang trishaw, allows visitors to explore parts of the island at a leisurely pace and in an eco-friendly fashion. But all is not well in the beca sector. A chat with beca riders revealed that the current economic recession is affecting business. Fewer visitors to the island are taking the vehicle to see the sights. Time was when hordes of tourists from all over the world particularly Taiwan, Japan and Europe would go for a drive. Beca riders made between RM30 and RM40 daily before the current downturn. They consider themselves fortunate if they took home between RM10 and RM30 today. For many riders this is their only source of income and they are saddened by the situation now. These days beca riders have plenty of free time.  Plastic flowers such as this one add colour to the beca.

"You are most welcome to my humble abode." If I wish really hard, maybe the owner of this traditional house on Jalan Sulaimani, Chukai, Kemaman, Terengganu would invite me to his or her home with these words. I chanced upon this traditional Malay house on a recent trip to Terengganu and its blue windows drew me to it. It represents country living at its best and the simplicities of our old way of life. This structure on stilts reminds me that human life is temporary. Just when it seemed life was going well, we were blindsided by disasters. Abu Bakr said: "Our abode in this world is transitory, our life therein is but a loan, our breaths are numbered and our indolence is manifest." We have been warned!