Cycle Malaysia Day 13 - Sg. Petani to Kulim

I have changed my route for Day 13, I was supposed to cycle to Kupang but I decided to go to Kulim where I can meet my friends there. As I was cycling out of Sg. Petani from Laguna Merbok I met a new friend. Thank you Azni Hassan for your continuous encouragement on Facebook while I was on the road.

The route I took was new to me which was basically going through Kg. Pinang Tunggal. As a young boy when I was staying in Padang Serai I used to hear this name from my late dad. Thank you Yong Lim for helping me out on the route.

Using Jalan Lecongan Barat by passing Sg. Petani town at the south and going through a tunnel underneath the north south highway which Pinang Tunggal is located and the boundary between Kedah and Penang is close by.

At km30 of my ride I have reached at the kampong kampong of Padang Serai and popularly known as Kg. Sidam.

I dropped by my 5th Uncle house in Padang Serai.

Everyone of us is getting old that is a fact of life that can not be deny. All the best to my Go Chek.

Continuing my journey passing by Lunas like I used to pass by this house in the school bus every morning. It is still there but being used as a commercial premises.

The other reason why I decided to come to Kulim was to visit my school, Sultan Badlishah School. I was glad to be allowed to enter the school compound by the guards.

Terima kasih to this man for escorting me in the school.

The padang of Sultan Badlishah School, so nice to be back here though there are some changes with new buildings and also a few missing blocks.

My wife's grandmother used to stay at this corner shop which was a barber shop, she and her sisters used to come here during their school holidays

As I was taking pictures of the mural I saw Simon & Chris on their bikes, they were looking for me.

It was lovely to have friends cycling together again in a familiar town.

Ping Ling & Co has indicated to meet at this place which I told Simon & Chris. Immediately they took me there and they are regular patrons of Anak Kulim.

They really know the place well, we went in from the back as what Simon & Chris normally do when they cycle there.

With all my secondary classmates and it was so wonderful to meet up again.

I was excited that Hamzah could made it for the meeting. We were friends since primary school and so happy to know that he will be retiring soon.

Thank Simon for introducing me Hotel Zin, it was a good recommendation indeed.

In the evening, Yen Ling fetched me to this interesting restaurant called 老爷车饮食休闲馆 Lao Ye Che Restaurant at Sg. Lembu for a sumptuous dinner. Thank you to Ping Ling and Kim Beoy for the dinner. My decision to come to Kulim was definitely a right choice. With me were Gunes, Kim Beoy, Ping Ling, Prema & Yen Ling.

Day 13 was nostalgic. I truly enjoyed the day with my old buddies. 

Back to My Birth Place Padang Serai to Send off Tony Lew Hoy Siong

Life is too short. Tony has left us too sudden I just could not believe it.  He was one of my best buddies during my teenage years.

It has been a long time I have not seen members of the Lew's family I was close to them as if I was one of their family members. I would cycle to their shophouse almost everyday and spent most of my time with them.

Tony's last journey at Jalan Bagan and may his soul rest in peace forever. Exactly at this spot on the left was a wooden shop where I was born 56 years ago.

Here am I with my friends since teenage they were classmates of Tony and I was glad to meet them again.

One of the many wooden houses at Jalan Baling and it is a matter of time these houses would not be seen anymore.

It used to have a huge telecom cable drum made of timber sitting over the drain exactly where these stuff as seen here and it was one of our meeting places in this cowboy town.

Old Lee commonly known as Lau Lee, a Teochew Tai Chow stall that serve delicious food. My late dad used to cater meals from them as there no one to cook for us when we first returned to Padang Serai. Me and my brother Yong Lim spent most of our childhood days in this town.

Wow! the telephone booth is still around I used to try my luck for shillings by pressing the coin release button and sometimes I get lucky.

One of the two hardware shops in Padang Serai the other one was ours but has ceased business for a long time ago. Tan Boon Chang now runs by my primary classmate, Tan Eng Kim.

Next to Kim Eng's house was Hung Meng's. I remember seeing how taugeh (sprouts) is produced at his home.

Mr. Khoon you were the one who helped me get my driving license and that was 1976.

The Sim's 'family a prominent trade name in this town "Aik Hwa". Everyone in this town knows them.

These houses have a lot of nostalgic memories for me, as a kid I used to hang around these areas.

Everyday when we open our shop we will see these shops standing right across us. Theirs are still around where ours has been demolished and developed into new ones. I use these old shops as my reference point to get the orientation of my birth place. One of these old shops were selling Vespa scooters and electrical appliances.

It was really nice to see you again my dear old friends.

Down Memory Lane to Padang Serai, my Birth Place.

I love this town.

This is the cowboy town where I was born and spent my childhood days here with many memories.

There were only three main roads in Padang Serai, where I would cycle around the town freely and no worry whatsoever. The roads are Bagan, Baling & Lunas but the town has mushroomed tremendously with many houses and shops towards the nearby kampongs.

 Though I did not study here in this school called Shang Cheng but I spent a lot of time here especially my for favourite sports like basketball, volleyball, football and Sepak Raya (now known as Sepak takraw). The front wing now is a newly built building which I am glad for the people in Padang Serai. I miss the old design of the front facade of the school as compared to this boxy design.

This must be my favourite fruit stall at the bus station where I would empty all my shillings of the day for drinks, jelly or fruits before I would walk back home after school.

The big trees are still standing majestically at the bus station, I remembered I enjoy watching road side traders peddling selling traditional medicine & magic shows or snakes handling and many more.

One of the few old shops in town still around and nostalgic but slowly they will be replaced with new ones. This shop belongs to my primary school classmate he has stayed on and took over from the older generation.

The few more oldies further down Bagan Road. 

This market is new to me, it used to be a Sunday Market. I missed the Sunday market.

Another case of old shop that have ceased business, I like the Bihun soup cooked by En. Azmi, I wonder where is he now?

Somewhere along this block of shops used to be our house, a wooden hardware shop and also my birth place. I am still hunting old images of them.

Opposite our house I used to see this view daily and it is still standing there today for me to see.

Just in case you do not know where is Padang Serai, these are the neighbouring towns.

I attended my Aunty Gosim's funeral and had a chance to meet old friends and old places....time flies...