Unwanted guests

Here's a new one for us urbanites buying land in Langkawi.

We received a report from the land surveyor over the weekend and discovered that our neighbour has actually eaten up a sizable portion of our property!

When we first saw the land, we were aware that the next door neighbour had taken the liberty to fence up a portion of our land as part of his garden. No matter, at the most perhaps it was a few feet.

But judging from the sketch done by the surveyor, it's a lot more than that!

This is a long-standing issue in places like Langkawi, where land often times has been handed down through the generations and split up between siblings and relatives. Sometimes, a person builds on a piece of land without the proper survey markings done, resulting in said person actually trespassing on other people's land.

From the looks of it, our neighbour will not only have to move his fence back, but also demolish part of his house.

The good news is, the person who built the structure is apparently a squatter. And the real owner of the adjoining property (whose land the house is mostly built on) is also trying to evict him.

I can't imagine having to do that in KL - it would be tantamount to asking someone to leave my garden!

Oh well. Lessons learned.

Bollywood Veggies!

A friend of mine pointed me to this site today. I didn't even know they had space for farms in Singapore!

Bollywood Veggies is such a charming idea I am amazed there aren't more like it here in Malaysia where we really do have the space, and you don't have to be a millionaire to get 10 acres of land.

They use organic fertilizers and I believe also have an "eco-toilet".

I was talking to my sister a few weeks back about possible businesses she could look into if she were to move to Langkawi. The idea of a farm, IMHO, is still not a bad one. If purpose built well enough, it can double as a tourist attraction and a source for food supply - reducing the carbon footprint of foodstuff that now typically travels from the mainland.

Building To Last

Last night, for Earth Hour, we turned off all the lights and fans in my parents' house.  Dinner was by candlelight - a feast prepared by the loving hands of Mom and her enthusiasm for a new grilled, butterflied leg of lamb.

The nephews and nieces played in the semi-darkness, the TV off for a change.  Noise was from ambient chatter and the sound of children laughing as they raced toy trains on a double track.

From the start, our intention with our little resort in Langkawi was to create something sustainable.  Something that would leave the lightest possible imprint, or at least endeavour to do so, on Langkawi island.

La Pari-Pari, named after the Malay word for "fairy", will, when it opens, be a magical place.  Built from the ground up with heart, and a goal to incorporate as many ecological conservationist measures as we can.

Already, in our discussions with the architect and between the two of us, ideas have surfaced.

Solar lighting for the outdoors at night, to save electricity.

Rain water catchment pipes, to help irrigate the landscape.

An organically-fertilised outdoors, with edible plants and hopefully fruit that will adron our breakfast table.

A linen reusage policy, perhaps with rewards to incentivise our guests to join in and help us in our efforts to save water.

And if we can, a small contribution from our profits each year to a local cause nominated by our staff and chosen by our guests.

In looking for ways to green La Pari-Pari, we've uncovered some information.  Yet some others still remain unsolved.  How do we find a commercially viable solution for cleaning materials?  Often, ecological cleaning solutions are expensive, mostly imported.  And how do we ensure guests turn off their air-conditioners when they leave their rooms?

More importantly, how do we create a space that makes sense to the community and environment in which it sits?  Building a building is easy.  But building one that makes commercial sense and acts as a catalyst for something greater, something longer lasting, takes time, thought and deliberation.

But, as I've always said, if we don't do it, who will?