All that glitters is not gold in Kampung Melayu, Johore

Indeed, all that glitters is not always gold as what the gold-panners found out at Kampong Melayu, a village near Pontian in Johore, the southernmost state in Peninsula Malaysia.

According to Wikipedia, Panning for gold often results in finding pyrite, nicknamed fool's gold, which reflects substantially more light than authentic gold does. Gold in its raw form appears dull and does not glitter.

Worthless glitter: The shiny stones that created a frenzy in Jalan Mewah in Kampung Melayu. They are believed to have come from a quarry in the Gunung Pulai area near Pontian.

For the past five days, villagers in Kampung Melayu have been digging for these supposed gold deposits on stones along Jalan Mewah.

According to Associate Professor Dr Md Radzuan Junin, head of the Geology Depart­ment of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Faculty of Petroleum Engineering and Renewable Energy, the glittering stones had always been mistaken for gold.

The shiny stones are known as ‘fool’s gold’. They glow in the dark and shine under the sunlight due to its iron sulphide or pyrite content.

Since the stones came from a quarry in the Gunung Pulai area near Pontian, they are actually granite stones embedded with iron sulphide. The stones were dumped in the area together with earth by City Council for a drainage and road-widening project two weeks ago.

“Gold deposits in Johor can only be found at Gunung Arong in Mersing and Desaru. Commercial gold mining activities took place in Mersing several years ago,” added Dr Md Radzuan.

Proprietors of several goldsmith shops in the city centre revealed that the stones do not have any value. One said, “It is not gold at all and I have no interest to buy because it has no value. They can keep the stones as decorative items.”

The road that has recently been widened and paved is now riddled with potholes due to the digging. The area in Kampung Melayu has since been cordoned off by Johor Baru City Council to prevent unnecessary disruption from trespassers although one housewife is determined to "try my luck again and continue until I strike gold.”

In Malaysia, rich gold deposits could be found from Raub in Pahang to Sokor in Kelantan, while gold deposits could also be found in Mersing, Johor, according to Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd (RAGM) director Datuk Seri Andrew Kam.

The high price of gold has been cited as a factor that led to a gold rush at this Johor village.

Here's a Google map for an idea of its location. The area in question is the 'B' area which you can enlarge map for a better view.

View Larger Map


Sources:
- Expert: It’s just fool’s gold
- Village still crowded with prospectors
- ‘High price fuelled gold rush’

Orchard Road is World's Top Shopping Street

A trip to Singapore is incomplete if your itinerary does not include a visit to Orchard Road.

The Lion City, even with the new attractions like the themeparks and the two new casinos, the Casino at Resort World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands Casino; the night safari, the various landmarks and attractions, Orchard Road is certainly not to be missed. Christmas decorations along this stretch in Singapore attract throngs of visitors every year.

With the Chinese community gearing up for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration on Jan 23, I can imagine Singapore would now be bustling with activity and beautifully-decked in Chinese New Year decorations.

Singaporeans would be happy to know that Orchard Road has been named the world's top shopping street beating 29 other premier shopping belts including Paris' Champs Elysees and London's Bond Street.

The verdict comes from a mystery shopping survey conducted by a French marketing consultancy, Presence Mystery Shopping, in which 90 mystery shoppers were sent out to nearly 400 retail outlets in 30 cities around the world.

Four categories were the focus of the survey - cleanliness of the streets, and retail outlets, quality of retail staff, and friendliness of passersby.

Orchard Road scores highly in all the judging categories and garnered a total score of 89 points out of a hundred. Luxembourg's Avenue de la Liberte came in second with 85 points and PC Hoofstraat in Amsterdam, was third with 83 points.


Source: DailyChilli/The Straits Times/ANN

Best iPad Apps of 2011

Shopping these days does not involve just clothes, make-up, sports equipment, furniture. Shopping nowadays include buying of non-tangibles such as iPad apps.

New York Times compiled a list of the Best iPad apps of 2011. Check them out..Best iPad apps of 2011, from the perfect magazine to photo app to Jamie's recipes to music creation, etc..

Image source: NY Times

FA Cup Third Round - Man United beat Man City 3-2

After a 3-0 lead at the end of first-half, it turned out to be a nail-biting second half at the FA Cup match between Manchester United and Manchester City last night our time. Man Utd won 3-2. (Phew!)

Source: Man Utd website

Manchester United is drawn to play Liverpool in the Fourth Round.

Closer to home, it is a super start for Datuk Lee Chong Wei as he downs Olympic champion Lin Dan in a thrilling three-setter 12-21, 21-18, 21-14, in the US$1.2mil Korea Open Sunday.

Datuk Lee Chong Wei(L) and Lin Dan
Source: thestar

Sodomy II: Anwar not guilty

Looks like I'm a little late in wrapping up the post. At time of writing, this came through on The Star's running commentary:

9.25am: High Court acquits and discharges Anwar of sodomy charge.

High Court judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah acquits and discharges Anwar of sodomy charge

Let me share what I had put together anyway.

Today, Jan 9, is a high-profile day. It is the day of verdict of Opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II trial. Datuk Seri was alleged to have sodomised his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, then 23, three years ago.

The public is able to read a running live commentary on The Star. Here is the link to the running commentary but some pictures and comments in the meantime.

Jalan Duta Court Complex in Kuala Lumpur. -KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star - 9 January, 2012

Traffic entering the Jalan Duta court

A rally participant at the jalan Duta Court Complex

Tian Chua, PKR VP, tells the crowd that Anwar is expected to arrive at 8.30am


Crowd gathers at court complex

A man dressed as Justice Bao arrives at the Jalan Duta court complex

8.30am: Anwar has arrived at the court complex. The crowd breaks out into frenzied cheering and chants of "Reformasi".

Anwar, dressed in a blue long-sleeved shirt and black slacks, is in the courtroom. His wife Wan Azizah is dressed in a floral baju kurung. Anwar goes around shaking hands with lawyers.



Commotion at the main gate as people get worked up. Police have closed the gate and opened a small door on the gate to let Anwar through.

Reporters allowed into courtroom, which is packed.

S'gor MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim also arrives with aides, heads upstairs to court room.

According to a police source, the crowd has swelled to about 10,000. About 100 policemen deployed at the gate.

For more, go to the link.

Related articles:
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has indicated that he would take a trip to India after the court verdict today.
We want Anwar as PM, says DAP again


Source: The Star

Water pump to the rescue

A lot of things in life we take for granted. It is mainly because most if not all times, everything works without a hitch. Recently, we had a water disruption in the office which was inconvenient to say the least. A change of a water pump put water supply back to normal.

It is often said that we don't appreciate something when it's taken away. The water disruption episode drives home this point. A lesson to take away here is to appreciate what we have, even the smallest down the value chain, and give a thought of thanks and appreciation to the people who get things going for us.

Hot air balloon accident in New Zealand killing 11 people

Every fun activity is enjoyable provided it ends on a happy note. Opened The Star online this morning and was instantly hit with news of an accident of a hot air balloon which burst into flames and crashed in New Zealand killing all 11 onboard - five couples and the pilot.

Image source: The Star

According to the article, Police said the balloon appeared to have caught fire before crashing into farmland near Carterton, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Wellington on New Zealand's North Island.

The accident occurred just before 7.30 am in calm, clear weather in a region well known for hot air ballooning.
More on Hot air balloon crash kills 11 in New Zealand..The Star

Rio de Janeiro hit by floods and mudslides

Source: The Star

Rio de Janeiro was hit by floods around this time last year, which left 903 people dead. The same happened in April the year before in 2010. This year again, news around the world is reporting floods and mudslides in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state.

Emergency teams are on maximum alert as heavy rains that have displaced 35,000 residents were forecast to continue, reviving fears of mudslides and flooding that killed more than 900 people early last year.

Related articles:
Brazil is flooded once more.. Aljazeera

Part of a highway in Campos, 230km from Rio de Janeiro, was washed away after several days of heavy rains [Reuters]

Burst dike forces thousands to flee Brazil town..MSNBC

A girl stands on the top of the roof of her house, where her family has gathered belongings in Campos, Rio de Janeiro State, after floodwaters burst a nearby dike on Jan. 5, 2012. Leonardo Berenger/Parceiro / AFP - Getty Images

4,000 Brazilians evacuated as dike bursts after heavy rains..CNN

People watch water run through a washed-out road Thursday in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state

According to The Star,
Residents scrambled to gather their belongings and flee in the Tres Vendas district of Campos de Goytacazes in the north of the state, after a dike ruptured, sending water rushing through the streets.

Emergency workers said more than 1,000 families from Tres Vendas were evacuated to shelters. More..Rio de Janeiro on maximum alert as towns flood

A video posted by Reuters of the flooding so far.


Rio de Janeiro will be hosting two major football tournaments - the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.