Exploring Tongariro National Park, New Zealand

Matsuda MashimaruLeave a comment

I always dream of how I would wander alone in New Zealand.

Just immerse into the moment surrounded by nature, with my travel companion – my loyal camera, safely tucked in my backpack. New Zealand, the land of vast open space with beautiful landscapes.

I had my chance last year while on a quick trip to accompany my beloved daughter to register at one of the universities in Wellington. It meant to be just a sneak peek trip for me … send her off to the maturity land and as for me, the wandering mom would come back another year to embark on my own wandering trip exploring NZ.

The land of Lord of Ring with Dwarfs, Elves, the Hobbits, the Wizards and all sort of creatures wander around freely. Well … sort of lol.

Tongariro National Park

I could not contain myself though, once my daughter completed her things-to-do list I quickly purchased my Intercity bus ticket to the nearest adventurous place that I could hold on to, which is the Tongariro National Park.

The oldest national park in NZ, located in the centre of North Island and acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

Here sit Mt. Tongariro 1967m, Mt. Ngauruhoe  2291m (Mt Doom in the Lord of the Rings filming locations) and Mt. Ruapehu 2797m. One of the several locations where Peter Jacksons shot the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

I travel alone.

I like the idea of exploring and wandering alone. It is less noisy. More just do it moments and less “let us plan on what to do” moment

I booked my 2 nights stay at YHA hostel, National Park thinking that well … I should just hang around here looking at the mountains from afar.

The weather was not very good on the day that I arrived at the park. Raining with thick fogs surrounding the valleys. If you have just one-day you can do the Tongariro Alpine Crossing but if you have more days to spend then you can camp and track to several routes surrounding the park.

My plan was just to be here and enjoy the mountainous view.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing takes a maximum of an eight hours track to complete, it is insane to take up the challenge when you never walk further than a distance between your car and the shopping mall’s front door (am relating it to me, lol). The total distance of the crossing is 19.4km … insane.

Memang giler kentang … curiosity kills the cat. Well, guess what … yours truly completed the crossing.

Sharing a snippet story from my previous posting here on how bizarre was my experience doing the Tongariro National Park … walking by myself for 8 hours crossing mountains, volcanic craters and alpine forest on my own.

“As I continue for another 11.3 km trails to Ketetahi Carpak the weather started getting irritated. The fogs thicken, the temperature started to drop further down (9-12 degree) as the raindrops started to clouds my glasses … omg, I was standing on a narrow trail between 2 very steep craters while my feet were shaken due to lack of sugar aka energy and my glasses was clouded. The sulfur smell filled the air.”

“I nearly cried at the very last 6.3km … as my feet could not take it anymore. Other trekkers passed by me one after another leaving me alone struggling with my incapabilities. Oh, I hate that feeling of being left behind … but I kept my chin up and walk slowly imagining myself doing brisk walk at my most favourite park.”

For further reading about my story please click here at ➤ LOTR moment at Tongariro National Park

Picture of me posing at the midpoint of the crossing ↑.

Yeah! me too, I also could not “brain” the MYDIN plastic bag that I carried on my back during this bizarre journey. Out of all the bags that I have … that lucky MYDIN plastic bag was the chosen one. And, that plastic bag is a non-biodegradable type lol.

Gorgeous beautiful world we live in. I am now working on my 2020 traveling plan and the New Zealand trip would be in early autumn (April 2020).

Anybody want to join me for my next NZ trip? It will be a cost-sharing trip.

Please drop a message on the comment column if you want to join me.

Cheerios

MM

Madu Tualang of Tasik Pedu

Matsuda Mashimaru2 Comments

September 2019:

Haze has been invading my fresh oxygen supply since early last month and it gets worse every single day now. Never a miss for each year during the dry season that we Malaysians have to experience the smoky haze coming from our neighbouring country.

I got most of my asthmatic and flu symptoms during the haze season. I take honey to help soothe my phlegm and sore throat. Malaysia is cynically a 3 season country now. We used to have the dry and monsoon seasons but in the past few years, we kept having the haze season too.

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A year wiser

Matsuda Mashimaru2 Comments

Today is my birthday.

My goodness, I am nearly reaching half a century old.

Numbers building up each year but surprisingly I don’t feel old at all. Another year wiser I think. Still, I don’t feel wiser either lol.

Except for this aching pain on my shoulder that I had from a fall with my camera early this year. I have to take a long rest from my hyperactive life for at least 6 months.

Treatment after treatment, I discovered that healing my muscles would take longer with age.

And the grey hairs that keep on popping out of my scalp. While the sensitive moody mood swing I kept experiencing lately is another sign that old people usually have lol.

I am glad that I am growing up just fine all these years. Except for some broken heart here and there … I am well taken care of by the Al-Mighty. Yep … blessed as always, alhamdulillah.

What did I do well? How did I manage to work out my life well other than the excuse of being so damn lucky and blessed by the Al-Mighty. I stumbled a few times in life but managed to stand up tall after each fall.

1. Being independent

I have a good father who taught me from a very young age the importance of being independent despite being a girl.

My father allowed me to stand on my 2 feet and respected my decision. Being a girl is not a weakness. I was treated fairly among my 4 brothers which gave me the confidence to carry myself along the way.

2. Good education

My father was a teacher. Education is important to him and he makes sure that his children are well educated regardless of their gender.

My curiosity helps me explore more about my surroundings and having a good education helps me to understand better. The more I understand about a puzzle the less scared I am about the uncertainty.

I learn to evaluate risk and take my own chances. When I was young, I see education as my ticket to get out of my house and explore the world.

3. Manage your finance well

Yes, money is not everything but money can bring you everywhere. Financial planning is very important. Work hard and learn how to properly manage your finances. Save your money for the thing that you really want to do in your life.

I want to be financially independent during my golden age and I make saving as my number 1 habit.  Don’t forget to buy an affordable health insurance policy when you are still young as you’ll save a lot on the lower monthly premium.

I had mine when I was 30 years old. At my age now and working as a freelancer, I am very thankful that I am well insured, as anything could just go wrong.

4. Choose to be a good person

Be a good daughter or son to your parents. Be a good father or mother to your children. Be a good lover.

Be a loyal husband or wife to your spouse. Be a good friend. Be a good girlfriend or boyfriend. Be a good member of your community.

Just be a good person because karma has a way to creep back into your life, what goes around will come around.

5. The power of strong faith in Al- Mighty

Have strong faith in Allah. Be a strong believer. He is the best planner. Trust him that everything would work out excellent according to his plan. He is indeed the most gracious and the most merciful.

Strong faith gives you strength when you are at your lowest point, gives you compassion and humanity when you are at your highest point.

حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ

Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us).”–Surah Al ‘Imran (3:173)

Age is just a number.

Oh God! and I need to always remind myself to keep on doing things that I love the most in life without limiting myself with my AGE. Stop listening to the uncles, aunties, makcik and pakcik bawang … who keep on reminding me to act like my age.

Not dead yet … I am still breathing fine, Alhamdullilah.

Jom … let us continue living the best life that we could create. Keep on contributing and inspiring others.

I am done babbling like an old auntie, lol

Cherios!

Sallymatsuda, 21 September 2019

To stay honest

Matsuda MashimaruLeave a comment

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me in my space ~ Pedu Lake

I struggle.

As I age every day with my own lifestyle, doing just the thing that I want to do in my life, I struggle.

I struggle to stay honest. As honest as I could be. It’s a daily struggle.

To act honestly towards friends and people around me. To talk honestly about how I feel about things. To stay honest in my writing and my artwork and at the same time, to be honest to myself.

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this is what i want to always see ~ Pedu Lake

That cringe feeling each time I crossover the honesty line is depressing.

“You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter.”

All due to peer pressure.  Of wanting to be accepted by my chosen group of well-minded people, so I thought.

With maturity, staying honest with my own self is seldom a problem. Maybe because I spend most of my time with me and myself … comfortable being alone exploring life. Simple mind and less complicated life.

But new people that I stumble upon this few years are very challenging.

I wanted to try something new. Open up myself, meeting new people and work on new projects but our personality doesn’t match. A sweet talker vs a doer does not belong together, a potential of a free rider.

Sweet talkers path their own runway with words and sweet promises to climb the highest mountain but when it comes to hard work building up the runway itself, they chickened out. The burden goes to ‘do-er’.

When you are trying your best to stay honest and genuine, these people showed me the other side of the perspective. That people can be reckless with their words. That word is cheap. Words and promises are just irresponsibly splurged to built trust.

Once they gain your trust, they’ll see and treat you as their donkey.

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a survivor ~ Pedu Lake

And, I decided to move on with my own way. Struggling every day to live life as a loyal, an honest and a sincere human being.

It is better to stay alone than to lose your self-value.

“And in the end all I learned was how to be strong… Alone.”

Cheers,

MM

 

ps: … throwing words out of my congested chest, letting it all out.

 

 

Ramadhan 1440 H/ 2019 M

Matsuda MashimaruLeave a comment

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25th Ramadhan 1440

We are in the last 10 days of Ramadan. Out of the 30 days of a blessing month of Ramadan, the last 10 days is the most blessed and anticipated nights. Believers take extra effort to increase their prayers and devotions toward the Almighty during these nights.

A month of self-restraint against food, drinks, wrongful desires, bad habits, negative temptations etc.

Fasting for 30 days in Ramadan month is one of the 5 of Islamic pillars. Fasting is just 1% of the effort while the other 99% is the extra effort that believers need to perform to strengthen their bond with the Al-Mighty.

Fasting is very hard for me with this Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) that I had for almost 20 years.

With my health condition, to be able to fast during this month is a blessing.

I don’t want to miss my train. It’s my personal journey and I hope to fulfill my duty through my own pace. With a strict diet and the right amount of medications, I manage to fast without me ended up injuring myself.

Understanding that every deed of the son of Adam is for themselves except fasting; fasting is solely for Allah. Allah will reward it according to him.

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Indeed your Lord said: ‘Every good deed is rewarded with ten of the same up to seven hundred times over, except for fasting.’

I was assigned to write about Ramadan for my photography article in the News Straits Times this time around. Ideas on what to capture with your camera during this holy month.

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having dates of odd numbers during iftar. It is a sunnah food

Ramadan Bazaar is the most visited place in Malaysia, you could find it at every corner of the town. Operating between 4pm to 7:30pm. Food heaven where you could get food for iftar in one place. Because of my strict food diet, I don’t frequent Ramadan Bazaar that much anymore.

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a food stall selling murtabak, a famous dish for iftar

I decided to skip the food part of Ramadan and focus on how to capture the spirit of Ramadan through close-up photos. A close-up photo adds intimacy or relatable feeling onto your images. Sharing my article here for reading pleasure.

60456304_1098852406967468_2524450161610981376_n How do I spend my Ramadan month this year?

I tried to discipline myself to be closer to the community of the mosque.

Tried my best to have my iftar with my family and friends at the mosque every day, sharing food in one big tray, eat together, perform our Maghrib-Isyak-Tarawih prayers together, read certain surah from the Quran together.

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sharing food during iftar

As I sit quietly at my corner observing my surrounding, I saw one big group of orphan of different ages occupying another corner of the mosque while some corners are filled with believers of different races, different level of lives, poor or rich sat together sharing whatever food served during that day.

I feel humbled. Being broken, I have this unrealistic pride I tried so hard to overcome. That feeling of pride that I should rely on my own, that I am the sole provider for my own needs. Accepting others gratitude is not something I am used too. I am trained to give but not to accept.

Accepting food from others is something that I am not comfortable with. Here I learned to let down my pride and tone down my expectation. Feeling grateful with whatever food served in front of me and not complaining.

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sharing food during iftar

Praying together as one big ummah create strong bonding between us. I personally need the motivation boost to excel during the last 10 days of Ramadan. The late-night prayers, the almsgiving aka sedaqah, trying to read as many surahs from the Quran as possible and rushing for suhoor.

Doing all these spiritual activities together within a group make it achievable. I could not do that alone, am a dreamer that would drift into my own cave if I am left alone … cruising in my own world.

The divine journey to get closer to the Al-Mighty is the essence of Ramadan. It is not easy to achieve but it sure is joyful, spiritually joyful.

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Arissa reading her Quran

A few more days before the month would end. Still feeling that I am not putting my best effort, yet the clock still continuously ticking.

Will I be able to experience another Ramadan again next year?

In Sha Allah, if Allah permits.

Cheers

MM