Organic Farm

            Last Friday, we went to an organic farm in Gombak. We took a van to the place. It took an hour to reach the place. We didn’t know the place, so the owner led us to the place. It was a big farm with lots of trees and animals. The place was at a hillside with forest surrounding it.

            The owner of the farm was a environmentalist. He led us into a hut. We sat on egg racks as chairs. He told us about his understanding upon the creation of earth. Firstly, he told us that Earth was created by itself and five elements helped to support the life of Earth. The five elements are plants, bacteria, fire, animals and humans. These elements progress their daily work. After few hundred centuries, the work of the elements started to move faster. This action started to annoyed the Earth, until now Earth has pollution and became ‘sick’. He told us now to stop pollution to save Earth. He also so said we have to bow down to ‘respect’ Earth and find ‘inner peace’ through ‘connecting’ with Earth. He also mentioned that we have to ‘connect’ with the nature.

   But to me , I don’t believe in these. According to the Bible in Genesis 1, God created the Heavens and the Earth. How could Earth just come out from nowhere? There must be a creator to Earth, and that's our God. Secondly, he said we could not destroy forest and jungles, or else that's call pollution. But if we don't develop, our country will have no income and low economy. He also said that we can find inner peace by connecting with nature. I tell you, it is not true. According to the Bible in John 20:21, it says: “Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” It is true, only God can give us peace.

After the sharing, He brought us to a place where food decay and become fertilizers to let the plant grow well. Then, we went to the place where compost are mixed with soil and decayed food to become organic soil. Lastly, he showed us the place where soil filled with compost felt like. Later, we went to a “hole” to see insects living in it. It was disgusting. Lastly, we went to feed cows that were in his barn. They were fat and huge. We fed them happily.

Later, we said good bye and drove back to school. This was not a really fantastic trip but it is an interesting trip to me. Today’s lesson about the organic farm that Uncle Ivan shared is also knowledge about unbeliever’s aspect about the creation of the Earth. Lastly, I would like to thank our beloved Ms. Amy who organized an interesting trip to an organic farm in a far place but also gained some knowledge that I never knew in my life.

Selangor Pewter Report

   Last Friday, our school went to Royal Selangor Pewters visitor center and factory. We went there in two vehicles, a car and a van. We were separated into two batches.The trip to the place was quite long as it was in Setapak.

 

  When we reached there, we were surprised as the visitor center was as big as a shopping mall. We went to a large tankard to take photo with it as it was Selangor Pewter’s landmark. The tankard we took was officially recognized by the Guinness Book Of Record. It was the World’s Largest Tankard. Its height is 1.987 m (6.46 ft) and it weighs 1557 kg (1.53 ton). It capacity is 2796 liter (615 gal). Royal Selangor Pewter is proud for its famous tin products.

 

We went into the visitor center. We entered into the visitor center through a large archway. Our guide, Edmond told us about Selangor Pewter’s history. The founder came from Shantou, China during the Qing Dynasty to Kuala Lumpur, Malay States. He showed us some picture of the tin mine. Last time, Selangor Pewter was only a shop. It was visited by the Sultan of Selangor. After that, he showed us the different forms of money being used and the founder’s utilities like his clothing, his personal notes. Surprisingly, the visitor center still has sample of ancient ignots and tin bars in display. The tin bars weigh 40kg.

 

   Then, the tour guide shows us swarf. Swarf means fine chips of filings of stone, metal, etc. It was the main ingredient to make these tin products. Later, we saw a dredger. We also saw the actual size of a dredging bucket. It was huge! In the tour, we saw a mini size twin tower made of 120 tankards. Later, we saw the the touchmark of Selangor Pewter. It wrote“玉和足锡(yu he zu xi). It means jade, peace, pure and tin. This touchmark was used by Tong Koon and his brothers from the late 1890s.

 

After the tour in the visitor center, our guide brought us to the factory to see the process of their tin products. Their factory is the world largest pewter factory. It is built by 5 shop lots. First, we went to see how they do pewter casting. They melt pewter at high temperature and boil it into pewter liquid. Then it was scoop and pour into a metal model to make a cup handle. The process takes about 15 seconds, as it uses 3 seconds to cold into solid tin. Average, they can produce 500 a day. Next, we went to see how they polish tin cups. The uneven cups produce pewter shavings. They are as soft as cloths. Then, we went to the pewtersmithing station. This process requires 6 months of training as well as concentration and speed. The process is to knock the cup to make small dots as design, so concentration is needed. We were all given a change to knock the cup, known as pewtersmithing. Lastly, we went to the place where they make Selebran jewelry.

 

  Before returning to school, we were brought to the souvenir place where we can buy Selangor Pewter’s product. Unknowingly, Selangor Pewter also provides trophy to the Ferrari competitions and the Shanghai Tennis Rolex Masters trophies. Later, we went back to school.
  

I learnt about the makings of Selangor Pewters and origin. I hope to learn more about it next time.