Ng Joo Pong ~ a national hero

Venue: Petaling Jaya (Sunday May 30th 2010)

We were having breakfast out when this man ‘parked’ his bicycle and walked in. Well, people cycles ya… but this one is special. At 64 years old, our twice Olympian Mr. Ng Joo Pong was still at it. ‘Just for the exercise’, he said. We invited him to sit with us where he ordered ‘Teh cam kurang manis satu!’… that’s one coffee, mix with tea plus creamer and unsweetened; means… no sugar or less sugar. (Malaysian’s and their food delicacies)

We started talking or more of getting ‘his-story’ out. How he trains and qualifies for the Olympic games back then. He went for the first Olympic games when he was eighteen and the second in Mexico despite being warded for three months after a collision with a lorry during training that broke his jaw. sheesh... and even that, made it as top qualifier during the qualifying meet which was to cycle from north (Alor Setar) to south (Johor Baru). He has so many experiences and tricks on how to make it out there. I kept telling him to give talks and pass his knowledge down to budding cyclists but he declined. Politics in sports… well, Malaysian sports sad to say. Maybe those really interested should seek this man for ‘hand-me-downs’. Such a waste if no one taps it out of him for good use.

In the older days where our sportsmen/women lack technologies and facilities like how we have today, only with sheer determination, energy and brain… they make it to the highest level in sports competition. Despite the hardship and the many setbacks… these are things that youngsters of today should listen, and make good example of. 

We sat and he told us stories of “the good old days”. However, time was not with us. It was getting hot, old man ya… let him go back. He will need to cycle all the way back in the hot sun, I believe easily nearing fifty kilometre. God! ask me to cycle five and I’d choose… my bed!

I salute this man…. he has broken bones on both legs, his jaw and God knows what other injuries, now suffering from back pain… he doesn’t even walk straight… and yet.

With his old bike and shoes… there he goes… an honour to know you uncle Joe…  hats up!

 

 

 

Full name: Ng Joo Pong, Joe               Gender: Male
Height: 5'6" (167 cm)               Weight: 141 lbs (64 kg)
Born: June 19, 1946 in Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Country: Malaysia            Sport: Cycling

Results

Games	Age	City	Sport	Event	Team	NOC	Rank	Medal
1964 Summer	18	Tokyo	Cycling	Men's 100 kilometres Team Time Trial	Malaysia	MAS	32
1964 Summer	18	Tokyo	Cycling	Men's 1,000 metres Time Trial	Malaysia	MAS	24
1964 Summer	18	Tokyo	Cycling	Men's Team Pursuit, 4,000 metres	Malaysia	MAS	AC h9 r1/4		DNF
1968 Summer	22	Ciudad de México	Cycling	Men's Road Race, Individual	Malaysia	MAS	AC		DNF

Men's Road Race, Individual

 

Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit	Rank
1968 Summer	22	Ciudad de México	Cycling	Malaysia	Final Standings		AC	DNF

Men's 100 kilometres Team Time Trial

 

Games	Age	City	Sport	Team	NOC	Phase	Unit	Rank		T
1964 Summer	18	Tokyo	Cycling	Malaysia	MAS	Final Standings		32		3-11:47.02

Men's 1,000 metres Time Trial

 

Games	Age	City	Sport	Country	Phase	Unit	Rank		T
1964 Summer	18	Tokyo	Cycling	Malaysia	Final Standings		24		1:20.68

Men's Team Pursuit, 4,000 metres

 

Games	Age	City	Sport	Team	NOC	Phase	Unit	Rank
1964 Summer	18	Tokyo	Cycling	Malaysia	MAS	Round One	Heat Nine	AC	DNF

What do you want from me?

Just don’t give up
I’m workin it out
Please don’t give in
I won’t let you down
It messed me up
Need a second to breathe.
Just keep coming around.
Hey!
What do you want from me?
What do you want from me?

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What Do You Want From Me lyrics found at elyricsworld.com

What do you want from me?

Masjid Klang ~ The Golden Dome

Klang Town… I pass this township occasionally and as I drive pass, my eyes will always look towards the golden globe, no no… golden dome by the river. I saw it from far while under construction and was fascinated by it. Maybe one day… ??

Today, I was driving through the town again and I thought… why not stop by today… now (that was thereabout 5pm). So, I took the turning and drove slowly towards it. Oh wow…. such a beauty.

It is situated by the river, right in the center of town. Across the road is Klang Digital Mall which has not begun it’s operation yet. Pretty convenient. Anyway, since I have the camera with me, I started taking pics, but I am also shy eh… so, I hid the camera and went in. Oh wow! I am even more fascinated but dare not take pictures… too obvious? hehehe. I quickly did ablution and went to the ladies quarters for the Asar prayer. When I’m done, I took a peek… hmmm.. I cannot waste this! Only God knows when will be the next time I will be here. Plus, what is wrong with sharing it’s beauty?

 

Top: the interior from the ground floor (the main prayer hall). That’s the view from the ladies quarters. I believe when there is a huge crowd, the ladies will have to move to the upper floor. I was curious… so I went to the side of the mosque and I saw the newly erected Indian Muslim Mosque on the other side of the bridge. Also very grand.

bottom left: is the corridor, door opens to the main prayer hall. Lots of glass panel which makes it brightly lit, naturally.

bottom right: it’s the stairway leading to the ladies praying quarters on the first floor. It reminds me of… Spain?

The mosque took 6 years to build. A lot of controversies it seems. Thank God, it’s all over and was first used in August, 2009. I can’t find much on the history of this mosque in the internet even as at today, maybe someone will update one day eh?

Well, I have an appointment on the other side of town and I really do not know this place, better move on before it gets dark… 

passing by Presinct 5 n 6 Putrajaya…

to continue on Putrajaya…

From the Iron Mosque  I passed the Palace of Justice which was across the Perbadanan Putrajaya

and I drove to another area I’ve never been to; the International Convention Centre…

 

which is in Precinct 5, Putrajaya.

left n bottom left: Pullman Putrajaya Hotel in view. right: Boat Docks bottom right: the high rise in progress

from the boat docks, I see the other side of the hotel, the swimming complex in Presinct 6, the tower where you watch the water sports activities (Water Sports Complex) and on the right, I spotted young and new photographers with their model… (I am even newer at this). It was really funny to watch. I see many young married couples, Chinese, Malay and Indian in their wedding gowns with their professional photographers and make-up artist at work too. Well… the background scenery is something else eh…

it’s getting late.. I can’t help but to quickly stop and snap.. this was taken at the end of the Seri Gemilang Bridge on Heritage Square.

now driving out of Putrajaya altogether, passing the Seri Saujana Bridge. Driving out, you’ll see the Iron Mosque on the right hand side. Picture on the right is the highway that takes you to the express links back to  Kuala Lumpur City.

colours…

DSLR!! when wishes comes true…

                                         

 

 

… and this is just basic.

    so much!  ooppss… I promised to continue with pictures taken in Putrajaya…

next change eh!!

Iron Mosque

Today, I visited Putrajaya. As it was almost time for Asar, the evening prayer, I decided to drive to the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque, or Iron Mosque. See it thru my eyes ya…

top picture: the mosque. I was running late, it’s so huge, I was everywhere… upstairs, downstairs… I needed to do ablution (wudhu) and had to rush up to adorn the prayer cloak (telekung). So, no time for pictures!

from the prayer hall; bottom left: the front (Asmaul Husna Calligraphy) on a glass panel; bottom right: no doors!! open concept. That’s why it says the mosque was designed based on three concepts; wind, simplicity and transparency. Not like you can walk out that way, they have man made pool all around it and if you decide to cross it anyway, you’re on a higher floor with the lake waiting at the bottom… wanna swim? or drown yourself… you’ll probably be in the news the following day…

yeah, I was using the DSLR. Not enough lighting, need to invest in an external flash… anyway, I just need to ‘get to know’ the camera first.

top left: view from the left; top right: view from the right of the main prayer hall. Lovely eh?

In any mosque… it’s the architecture of the dome that becomes one of the main attraction.. they didn’t call it the Iron Mosque for nothing.

Walking out from the left side of the building… (it has more to attract me), I snapped these four. The garden before entering the main prayer hall, the view overlooking part of Putrajaya from a patio at the corner of the mosque.

As I walk out the gate I realize it was a walkway made to link the offices to the mosque. Below it is the road that links from other Presints… and when I turn 180 degrees round, I see the garden and landscape that was adapted from the ancient castles of Alhambra.

top left: the view from the other side of that walkway. Again my lighting.. and top right: the Palace of Justice that you see through that arch.

I will put up more in my next posts. Other spots that I went to. I didn’t cover much, it’s just that I have read about this new mosque and I wanted to see it myself.