The Muddy Dolls Catching fish in the mud, Makes for priceless childhood memories. ......
Ikan Puyu A kid cycled past me, he gestured at me when he noticed that I was taking pictures. Kid: “Bang, mai tengok. Mai sini tengok! (Elder brother, come and see. Come here and see!)” I wondered what it was that the kid wanted me to see. I walked towards him curiously and saw about a dozen kids gathered around a ditch in the paddyfield. They were all very preoccupied with whatever that was in the ditch. FuFu: “What kind of fish is this?” Kid: “Ikan puyu.” FuFu: “Can it be eaten?” Kid: “Yes, they are delicious! I like eating them.” ...... Muddy Dolls The ikan puyu (climbing perch), a freshwater fish, can be commonly found in paddy fields, wetland or heavily-vegetated stagnant water. They are tough and can live on both land and water. Before and after every harvest season the kids would spend time catching these fish after school in the irrigation ditch nearby. My presence, a novelty, excited the kids very much. They were keen to show me their “strength” and waded bravely into the ditch. The water came up to their abdomens and they played happily. The ditch was their playground and they soon transformed into “muddy dolls” in their attempts to catch these ikan puyu. The fish was not big, the largest being about 15 centimetres long. However this was just an estimate as I could not really tell fish from mud when the kids placed them into pails. ...... Baby rolling in the quagmire The kids worked together using a pail and sieve to catch fish. One of them would run the sieve in a scooping motion through the ditch. If a fish is caught in the sieve, another kid would bring a pail to place the fish inside. The kid with the pail would continue to “stand guard” to ensure none of these fish escapes the pail. As I watched them play, I was simultaneously amazed and envious of their boundless energy and carefree nature. To spend their days with nature is such joy. The sun cast a long shadow ahead as it began to set. These kids headed over to a stream to clean their catch and wash the mud away from their bodies as they were done for the day. I waved goodbye to the shadows of mothers beckoning their children to come home. ...... Rice and Duck Farming Two ducks leading their ducklings soon crossed my path. They reminded me of the integrated paddy – duck farming method. Both paddy and duck were farmed on the same plot of land because the duck’s paddling movement stimulates the growth of the paddy. Their manure serves as a natural paddy fertiliser. These ducks also eat harmful insects and weeds thus eliminating the need for pesticides and herbicides. This improved farming methods facilitate the growth of agri-enterprises. ...... Rice in Malaysia Rice production is one of the main sources of income and livelihood of farmers in Kelantan. It produces 9% of the rice in Malaysia which comes third after Kedah (26%) and Perak (19%). Did you know that there are two types of rice planted in Malaysia – the wetland and upland rice, respectively? Wetland rice is planted on a large scale in irrigated fields in Peninsular Malaysia whilst upland rice is typically cultivated on a smaller scale in Sabah and Sarawak. The production of rice is only sufficient for approximately 65% of the Malaysian population whilst the rest of the 35% are imported from Thailand, Vietnam, India, etc. Rice comes in all forms and colours, long or short grain, white, red, brown or black in colour. Rice produced in Malaysia is generally the long grain kind. They are great for stir-fries as they have a light and fluffy texture and separate easily when cooked. They are also cooked with chicken broth, coconut milk or spices known as the flavourful Hainamese chicken rice, nasi lemak and nasi kunyit respectively. ......
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Diamond Candy Candies that sparkle as brightly as gems! ......
Traditional Candy An elderly lady was drying colourful candies, it turned out that she was responsible for making them. These candies came in different shapes and sizes such as stars, circles, squares and flowers. Some were shaped like roses complete with the most detailed petals. They sparkled like crystals beneath the sunlight. Granny: “Where do you come from?” FuFu: “Kuala Lumpur. These candies are special!” Granny: “Are you a student? Did you come here over your school holidays?” It amused me that the lady had mistaken me for a student. I told her that I had completed my studies a very long time ago. She graciously invited me into her home to have a closer look at her candies. These candies are called beleda kering or agar-agar kering. They are popular amongst kids during the Hari Raya after fasting for a month. These candies obtain their vibrant hues from both artificial and natural colourings. The bunga telang (butterfly pea flower) produces blue colour and pandan leaves green colour. Fruit extracts give these candies their distinct flavouring. Sometimes palm sugar is added to the sugar syrup, further enhancing their flavour. ...... Like diamonds, like gems These candies come in soft and hard versions. The soft ones are made of agar-agar, sugar and rock sugar whilst the hard ones are made of glucose and white sugar. Once the sugar syrup is prepared, colourings and fruit extracts are included into the mixture before they are poured into various moulds. They are placed on a tray upon becoming solid and left to sun or dry in a well-ventilated place until completely crystallised and hardened before finally being packaged into a jar. Making beleda kering is not complicated; the key is to ensure that the sugar is properly dissolved. As the temperature rises and the water evaporates, different concentrations influence how hard or soft the candies will turn out in the end. Be careful not to overcook and burn the sugar syrup! ...... My first candy My first memory of candies were ones from when I was a child. Whenever I had a scratchy or sore throat my mother would give me a Hacks drop. It would dissolve slowly in my mouth and provide some soothing and comfort to my throat. The original Hacks were black in colour and tasted bitter and spicy to me. Tears were shed whilst they melted in my mouth. Back then I didn’t know that these drops contained herbal extracts expressly to relieve coughs and sore throats. As a child I just recognised them as black candies packaged in red wrappers resembling tiny bombs. I don’t think any children enjoyed them as candies! ...... The story of candies There is a special place in my heart for candies because I grew up in a grocery store. Though that does not mean having free access to the candies despite my parents owning the store. My mother only allowed me candy as a reward only if and when I finished delivering goods to customers for her. Later, when I was old enough to man the cashier in the store, I would suggest rounding up a customer’s payment to make additional sales via candies instead of returning their 10 or 20 cents as change. Sometimes regular customers would catch up on neighbourhood news in the store. They would usually buy a bar of Sugus (fruit flavoured) candy as they chatted. It was really enjoyable to sit by them and listen to their chatter as they would also share the candy with me. Sugus was my favourite candy brand as a kid. Later on, when I studied in Japan I grew fond of their desserts and enjoyed many of their sweets as well. When I did my masters in Germany, I discovered my penchant for Haribo, their local brand of gummy candies. ...... Heart Bottles Oceans cannot withstand the irresponsibility of humans, Every action compounds irreparable damage over time. ......
Rumah Botol is a gallery that showcases the bottle collection of Pak Ali. I learnt so much about bottles in my time there. Pak Ali was busy clearing some bottles when I stepped in. He asked me where I was from. Upon learning that I came from Tanjung Malim, he shared that he spent some time there when he did his military training in the Kuala Kubu Bharu barracks nearby. After his military service, Pak Ali worked as a driver at a hotel in Marang. Later on, he decided to retire in his hometown, the most beautiful place in his heart. Today, he feels that his hometown is like a bottle that has been crushed into a thousand pieces due to human pollution. It is absolutely heartbreaking and gut wrenching. ...... Some of the garbage has accumulated into a few “garbage” islands in the Pacific Ocean. These “garbage” islands are constantly expanding, rendering serious damage to marine ecology. It is a sobering reflection of humanity’s selfishness and irresponsibility. Pak Ali: “In the past 10 years, humans have been increasingly damaging the planet. The number of fishes caught and turtles returning to lay eggs along the coast of Terengganu decrease year on year due to marine pollution and climate change challenges. The coral reefs are also dying. If we don’t prescribe the right medicine to solve these problems in time, there will come a day when there will be more garbage in the sea than fish. Humans pay the price sooner than they imagine!” ...... Pak Ali worries that shards from broken light bulbs or bottles may harm those enjoying the beach thus he decided to clean them up to keep his children and tourists safe. As he cleaned, he came across bottles in different and unique shapes, most of which he had never seen before. He felt reluctant to throw them away and this was how his bottle collection started. He walks an average of five kilometres a day along the Penarik beach to pick up trash into his sack. Sometimes he even drives to other nearby beaches in Kelantan and Pahang to do the same. Treating trash as treasure Collecting bottles turned into a daily routine that Pak Ali could not miss. Many people think that he is crazy, but there are some like-minded locals who clean up the beach with him. Upon learning about his hobby, his friends and relatives began gifting him with bottles to add to his collection. Soon heaps and heaps of bottles filled up his store room. With the encouragement and support of his wife and friends, Pak Ali decided to transform the small wooden hut next to his house into a gallery to showcase the “garbage” he had picked up over the years. His collection comprised bottles that used tohold local carbonated drinks, beer, oyster sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce and ketchup. He also has exotic bottles from all over the world including China, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Korea and Mexico. ...... Message in a bottle Suddenly, Pak Ali remembered that he had once picked up a bottle with letters! They were a form of ancient communication where a message in a sealed bottle is released into the ocean carried out by the Greek philosopher, Theophrastus. Some believed that a wish written in a bottle would be carried by the waves to the sea gods and that wish would be materialised. Others would write their thoughts in hopes that someone across the ocean may understand their feelings. I thought messages in bottles only ever existed in movies. I did not expect to have the opportunity to see one in Rumah Botol. In the past few decades, a group of people started to throw bottled messages in hopes of finding a pen pal across foreign shores. Sometimes miracles do happen and these friendships blossom into love and finally a lifelong partner. The notion of finding a friend or a lover through a message in a bottle is deemed as romantic or at the very least, a fun activity to some. However, do consider the consequences of your actions on the environment before participating in such activities. ...... The Grocery Our memories of the past were once the present, As everything in this world disappears, Keep in mind only the good times. ......
Kampung Kolong Pahat Next, I came to Kampung Kolong Pahat with its absolutely charming scenery. It has a suspension bridge at the beginning and at the end of the village that serves as a shortcut for the locals to Sungai Lembing. This bridge is only accessible to smaller vehicles like motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. The suspension bridge sits between two scenes. On one side, a coconut tree and its reflection upon the river and on the other were children skipping flat stones across that same river. They were competing to see whose stone could bounce and skim across the river furthest. Whilst Kampung Kolong Pahat is famous for its handmade noodles, it was the grocery store that captivated me. Seeing all the sundries lined up against the wall reminded me of home. It made me think of my parents and the grocery store they used to run. The lady boss with her warm smile, made me think of my mother. I was drawn to her, so I bought a tofu pudding and sat down to chat with her. She shared interesting stories about the village. One of them was about how Sungai Lembing was abundant in tin reserves back then. However, the river bed became damaged due to the over-exploitation of the British colonial government and Chinese miners. Every time there was heavy rain, the river flooded and devastated the village. Across different festivities, be it small or big, the villagers would pray to the gods to bless their village. Despite that, the flood still occurs every year. She keeps the bottom part of her shelves in the grocery store empty to prevent the goods from being soaked when they are flooded. ...... Drinking a boy’s urine The lady boss told a story about how a kid became seriously ill after a swim in the river. He did not recover despite many different kinds of treatments. His parents sought help from the gods in the temple. They were told their child was ill because he had angered the gods. The cure was to drink the urine of another boy below the age of 12. The parents took this advice and lo and behold their child healed rapidly. This tale may sound incredulous today but to these locals, it was a miracle! The world is full of mysteries, believe in this tale as much or little as you see fit. ...... The old ledger The sweet lady boss is in her 70s and has a maid to help her in the grocery store. Her customers are long term regulars, and they are allowed to take goods on credit and pay later. Even when the store is closed, anyone could knock or call upon her should they need something and she would open her door to them. Midway through our chat, she showed me the ledger that records the amounts credited to her customers. Her handwriting is neat and beautiful. Every line, clearly written in brush, details the customer’s name, what they bought and the amount owing. ...... Small store, big heart I remember mom’s grocer in my memory as clear as day. Her regular customers loved gathering in her store for a chat. It was merry like a community hall. Every day they chatted about various things and shared bits of news through the grapevine that way. Some even sought advice on the problems they were facing. She also operated the place based on trust as she allowed the regular customers to take goods on credit. It was a “convenience” store in the truest sense. I always feel that a grocery store has and needs a lot of human touch to operate. A business that runs without humanity is like a bowl of porridge without salt, tasteless. Customers just come and go today in those nationwide hypermarkets. Their transaction feels very cold and sterile – lacking warmth and personalisation. What do you think? ...... Flowers In The Chinese New Village Window grilles of yesteryear A timeless masterpiece in both form and function. ......
Windows, a glimpse into homes I stood by a house, enjoying the rendition of One Little Umbrella streaming from within. I noticed various kinds of windows here in Kampung Suria Mentakab. There were casements, louvres and even mosquito nets used as windows. ...... Iron grilles on doors and windows The iron grilles on the gates, doors or windows of every home I encountered were a charming features in my walk around the village. These unique classic iron grilles display aesthetics across different eras. Functionally, the addition of iron grilles to doors and windows means an added layer of protection against intruders. Aesthetically, they enhance the beauty of a building as a feature piece. As the sun casts a shadow over these grilles, geometric patterns form against the walls or floor. This shadow, a living “art”, changes its form with every movement of the sun throughout the day. ...... Iron grilles in Malaysia Malaysian iron grilles were initially simple. Their designs were either in grid, horizontal or vertical lines. However, during the British colonisation, grille designs were influenced by Western architectures as those on colonial buildings and churches. Dignitaries and wealthy businessmen slowly gained awareness and appreciation towards these grilles. Gradually these grilles were used in the homes of the common people. Their designs grew more elaborate to include patterns such as flowers, squares, circles, and “S” shapes, beautifying neighbourhoods all around. Every part of these grilles are made manually in a series of complex steps. Iron plates are first cut and bent individually. They are then welded together according to their size before being installed onto a window or door. Every step is time-consuming, labour-intensive, and painstakingly handmade; its craftsmanship truly is a work of art and skill. ...... The cycle is vicious as grilles dwindle in popularity due to the time and cost taken for its production. In turn, the industry wanes due to consumers favouring modern designs and cheaper mass- produced grilles. This then reduces the number of Malaysian grille craftsmen as the younger generation loses interest in this trade. Editor's Note It was a rainy evening when I met FuFu at his My Journey By Bus exhibition in 2020. He animatedly shared about his years studying and working on public transports abroad. However, a health complication that rendered him bedridden temporarily was the catalyst that spurred him to quit his job. He was determined to spend his second chance at life travelling on and writing about these buses he loves so much. After reading his book, I reached out to recommend some revisions. FuFu graciously thanked me for my feedback and welcomed more. I am by no means a particularly good, let alone a perfect writer/editor, but my desire was to afford him a better version of his book as best as I can. FuFu struck me as a tremendously passionate person. It showed in the way his face turned steely with determination when talking about his dream. There is so much purity in his desire of just wanting people to know about Malaysian buses. His conviction is humbling, to quit a comfortable corporate job to pursue writing and self-publication is to go against the grain of society and life as most of us know it. He is the epitome of what one would do if one does not fear failure despite having every odds against them. This is how I came to invest the past two years working on this book with FuFu. It is my sincere hope that you derived some joy from these stories and will invest in FuFu's dream by sharing My Journey By Bus to others. Carmen Looi |
AuthorLam Ching Fu Archives
January 2024
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