| Friday, November 23, 2007 |
| My Wo |
What naturally triggers your mind when you think of your childhood? I remember Sungai Durian and my beloved Wo.
 This was where my Wo - my mother’s mother, my grandmother - used to spend her last remaining years of solitary life. Don’t be so surprised, because for Wo, this was a perfect station for a final ride to an after-life destination. And for her, it was a right terminal for a soul-searching retreat and a religious haven.
This was also where I spent most of my childhood weekends with my family. Oh yes, of all places in the world, my parents chose this seemingly shattered place to rejuvenate my brothers’ and sisters’ lost spirits, and most important, to strengthen our family ties.
 Today, Sungai Durian is one of the oldest pondok institutions in Kelantan that still stands tall against the mainstream system of modern education. As a young boy, I used to be so excited to be here, not because I wanted to be part of the pondok community, but because there was a river nearby where I could join the other religious pondok men and women for a free public bath. A swim in a river – isn’t it an exciting thing to do as a kampong boy? Haha.
Together, all of my family members would enjoy this natural lagoon, oblivious of the possible existence of wild crocodiles along the river bank, and unashamedly overjoyed by the flow of the muddy water. It was at this very place that my whole family would always gather without any personal conflicts or resentment. We were a proud Hamzah family. We were then one family. One big happy family.
 Looking at this place, we might think of poverty, underdevelopment, and third-world hell. Right, these would be the politically correct terms to describe Sungai Durian. But hey, who needs all the material richness in the world when all the people here need is a modest, stoic way of life to attain a passing grade for Heavan? Poverty can be richly defined in a very lucrative perspective, can't it?
 With Wo’s presence, there was no need for modern luxuries.
There was no electricity, but Wo’s warmth provided the light for us.
There was no TV, but Wo’s stories kept us filled with exciting imaginations.
There was no cooking gadget, but Wo’s wisdom gave us enough food for the soul.
There was no shower room, but Wo’s gentleness showered us with everlasting comfort.
There was no concern for hygiene, but Wo’s kindnesses cleansed and moisturized our spirits.
 Sungai Durian might be seen as one of the typical poor sections in Kelantan, but for me, it is so rich with fond memories of Wo.
May Wo rest in peace. Labels: cekmi's memory lane |
| mused by cekmi @ 10:34 AM |
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| Tuesday, November 13, 2007 |
| Stong |
 This is the highest waterfall in Southeast Asia. Er, do you know where it is? Oh please, don’t tell me that you know it because, argh, it would be a great shame and a total embarrassment on me. Of all places, this amazing waterfall has long stood right under my nose. Thanks to my classic ignorance. Yes, I never knew about its existence until recently when one of my Kelantanese friends talked about Mount Stong. I was like, What? What? Stong? Oh my dear Cekmi, fuck you, sorry for the language. It is in our beloved state - Kelantan!  Let me bore you with a little bit hard info. This one-of-a-kind wonder is located in Mount Stong National Park. With a height of 1433 metres, Mount Stong is one of the highest peaks in Kelantan. Remotely situated at the Dabong Forest Reserve, its flora and fauna are still untouched by the mainstream development (well, politically speaking, ehem, Kelantan is always underdeveloped). Okay, all the nature freaks, listen very carefully. Mount Stong is claimed to be one of the most famous eco-tourism spots in Malaysia. There are seven waterfalls in this area. Seven, my dear. Seven. Jelawang Waterfall (yes, the one in the pictures here) is 303 metres above sea level, and ladies and gentlemen, that makes it the highest waterfall in Southeast Asia! Wow, doesn’t it impress you?  One more fact: Those nature lovers can view the spectacular sunrise from the Amazing Peak of this Mount Stong. Isn’t it something? What else do you guys want? Take a good look at that natural pond above. Isn’t it irresistible? Who doesn’t want to feel this fresh and cool resource freely provided by the Mother Nature? But hey, too bad, this place lacks promotion and publicity. I wonder if the Kelantanese themselves know about this place and appreciate it. I hope that the famous project of East Coast Economic Region will commercialize and put Mount Stong in its right place among the major tourist spots in Malaysia.  As an ex-linguistics student, I had a wild speculation over the origin of the name ‘Mount Stong’. It goes like this: a white man who got lost in Dabong found a high waterfall with huge rocks and stones. When he finally met a local man, he asked him: “What’s the name of that waterfall! Yes, the one with huge stones!” “ Gapo dio? (what is it?)” asked the local man. “Stone! Stone!” “Oh, Stong. Stong” Haha. Labels: cekmi's inspiring adventures |
| mused by cekmi @ 1:51 PM |
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| Friday, November 09, 2007 |
| Nutty English |
We'll begin with box, and the plural is boxes;
But the plural of ox should be oxen, not oxes.
Then one fowl is goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a whole lot of mice,
But the plural of house is houses, not hice.
If the plural of man is always called men,
When couldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
The cow in the plural may be cows or kine,
But the plural of vow is vows, not vine.
And I speak of a foot, and you show me your feet,
But I give a boot--would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?
If the singular is this and plural is these,
Why shouldn't the plural of kiss be called kese?
Then one may be that, and three may be those,
Yet the plural of hat would never be hose;
We speak of a brother, and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
The masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!
So our English, I think you will all agree,
Is the trickiest language you ever did see.
I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble, but not you
On hiccough, thorough, slough, and through?
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps
To learn of less familiar traps?
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead; it's said like bed, not bead;
For goodness' sake, don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat.
(They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.)
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother.
And here is not a match for there.
And dear and fear for bear and pear.
And then there's close and rose and lose--
Just look them up--and goose and choose.
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword.
And do and go, then thwart and cart.
Come, come, I've hardly made a start.
A dreadful language? Why, man alive,
I'd learned to talk it when I was five,
And yet to write it, the more I tried,
I hadn't learned it at fifty-five! Labels: cekmi's linguistic fever |
| mused by cekmi @ 5:55 PM |
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