Sitiawan MYF: Mr. Ling KN's 60th Birthday Bash

This was the reason we were in KL during the Bersih 3.0 weekend - Mr. Ling KN's 60th birthday. Ex-MYF'ers came from far and near for this occasion. I've not seen many of them for many years though a forum set up by Daboss and FB have enabled some of us to stay in touch. And of course there've always been the CNY get-togethers too. But this one was different. It gave us a blast from our past....

Ah Hea and Alan put it together very well, the reason for the gathering. The reason for the celebration was we didn't want to wait for some wake service to eulogize our feelings and appreciation for Mr. Ling. We wanted him to know that all these years, all that he stood and worked for; we the ex-MYFers are in a way, his kids too, his family. It took a lot of love to do what he and a bunch of other counsellors did for us.

The oldest MYF batch came from 1962 (yes, there are now ancients among us) and the babies of the group were those born in 1978. Only one batch had no representative, 1967 if I'm not wrong. One would wonder how a group with such a big age gap can come together with such familiarity and warmth. I guess one only will if he went through what we shared together as a group, one that often times transcended beyond the limits of our own years. I met up with Lui again, 5 years my junior. She was my pianist at our wedding. Both Other Half and I wanted to spend as little as possible for our wedding (money wasn't something we had a lot of those days) and these younger MYFers pitched in and did almost everything for us! I will always remember their gestures of love.

And the man who brought us all together, Keng Neo. And this is how I've always remembered him. He hasn't changed much! He asked us to stop calling him Mr. Ling or Sir after we came out to work. But somehow, it takes a lot of effort not to call him that. So, Mr. Ling, he has remained to us. Some came from as far as Singapore. One even flew in from Indonesia just for the dinner. We were there because he meant something to each of us.

We are a blessed lot. Blessed by the likes of him... Mrs. Tay, Mrs. Tan, Ms. Ling, Ms Teoh, Ms. Tan, Mr. Leong and many others who enabled these people to be a blessing to us. They are the embodiment of grace extended to us because of their humility and a willingness, driven by a love for God. They challenged us, humoured us, gave us chances and ultimately changing our lives. Each one of us owed a little of ourselves in varying degrees to this outpouring of love from them.

As Alan, one of the organizers for this dinner said.... Each one of us who was there that night are where we are today in part because of him (and the others). The hours that he, together with the rest of the counsellors gave us.... They listened, imparted wisdom, became our sounding boards for so many issues including our choices of life partners for some and occasionally even our shoulders to cry on in those tumultous teenage years. Problems big or small, they listened and helped each of us struggled through, not just in words but presence too.

They provided us a place to hang out - the House of Grace. It was a place where we studied, played and hung out. Grace extended in a house built on grace. This was later continued when some of us moved on. In PJ, it took shape in the form of Happy Mansion, an apartment which became home away from home for some, back in those days when we were still looking for our footing. Having solid friends around in those years was good for us. I spent quite a bit of time there, at Happy Mansion. The apartment was always opened to anyone who needed a roof over their head in PJ, for various reasons. Bro was one of the occupants and hence my reason for parking myself there. And its occupants continued to help each other along, sharing as how we've always been taught and shown. Later on, when some of them moved down to Singapore, Peace Tower came about. So from House of Grace to Happy Mansion and then Peace Tower, a little bit of MYF Sitiawan went with us. And throughout the years, the spirit of sharing remained with most of us. In Bangi, a group of them rented an apartment and it too was always opened to visitors.

For most of us, MYF was a very big part of our lives. It filled our weekends with healthy activities. Friday afternoon meetings were followed by ice-kacang after that. We ran the meetings with their guidance. Games followed Saturday Bible studies and Sunday morning was for church followed by breakfast with friends after service. And throughout the week, games at the House of Grace or school field would be on. During the holidays, our time would be filled with caroling and musical practices. It kept us busy, with little time left for mischief. And not forgetting, preparations for our weeklong camp too, at places like Cameron Highlands, Fraser's Hill, Penang, Port Dickson and so on. We roughed it out on school tables, dormitories and floors. Comfort level was never much of an issue cos the company we were with more than made up for it. We argued, fought and made up. Crushes were aplenty too. Lol! But through it all, we were always reminded that we are God's children. And Mr. Ling was always around....

For many of us too, he wasn't just our MYF counsellor. He was our Chemistry teacher, a darn good one most will agree, our band master and role model. I think his greatest strength came from his humility. My greatest lesson from him was this... He said to us one day that for him to remain an effective teachers/counsellor, he has to remind himself to remain 17. Being one of us to understand us. Back then I didn't quite understand it but I do! now. He allowed us to try.... and fail. Mistakes and failures were tolerated. And we were continually challenged, to be better, more faithful.... They became the building blocks for the next stages of our lives. That I realize now is probably one of the best ways to learn in life. All these sterile learning that most of our kids go through today.... they give good appearance but lacks substance on the inside.

And so that night, even his sister was amazed by the turnout; the fact that so many from far and near attended because he meant something to us. Like Bersih, we went on our own accord. We wanted to be there. A meaningful weekend. In my life, I've only seen such a gathering twice, the first being Other Half's grandmother. When she celebrated her 100th birthday, people came from far and near too. And you know what, she was also a godly woman, one who gave her life to God's service. She once worked with the young ones too.... and she too was a teacher. Teachers are important. Good teachers make a great deal of difference. Teachers like Mr. Ling KN, Mrs. Moses Tay, Mrs. Tan YH, Mr. Leong CS leave indellible marks in the lives they touch.

As for the dinner, it's probably one of the best dinners we've attended.... cos we each received angpow from him! Alan and co and thoughfully planned everything. 8) For a brief moment a bit of our youth was relived. Food was good but almost everyone was busy taking a few bites every now and then and moving everywhere, catching up. It was a sit down dinner but felt like buffet instead. We sang some familiar songs... there were sharings from Ah Hea, Alan, Yee Hui, Teik Leong and Samuel. Wendy led in the MYF benediction before we called it a night. Many of us hung outside the restaurant after dinner was over, savouring the moment, still catching up. And quite a few continued over a yam-cha session at the hotel coffee house. Late night suppers, that's what the guys used to do....

My kids do not get to enjoy such kind of growing up years that we had. We were an inclusive group, always reminded not to be exclusive. Everyone was important. Usefulness was not measured by how much talent one had. Service was not indicated by how ready one was. Instead, we moved together, making sure that our weakest link stayed as steady as our strongest ones. And Mr. Ling played a huge role in that too, watching out for these 'else-who-would-have-been-forgotten-kids'. He made them feel special. And when they ran into trouble with their studies, he helped them. Many of us went through our school and university years doing that. The older ones would coach the younger ones who needed it. More often than never, it's not just the subject content that mattered so much. It's the coming together, and encouragement and knowing that someone cared that mattered more. Those things can make us move mountains, dig deeper into our reserves to get to the goal. Every time we went for our hiking session during camps - be it up Gunung Beremban, Penang Hill or Fraser's Hill, we were constantly reminded that we were only as strong as our weakest link. So we included and grew together.... I wish my kids can have that sort of experience.

And that is why so many of us are successful today.... And Mr. Ling has continued to live up to challenges. He retired from teaching and picked up accounting. He is now a CPA! How not to be inspired when you have a gung-ho counsellor who used to tells us everything is possible and he goes on to show us a career change after retirement! 8)

House of Grace, MYF Years

A comment on FB by my junior from school triggered fond memories of House of Grace. I first stepped into the first House of Grace in Form 3, after our 'promotion' to Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) from IMYF. It's like moving from junior league to the senior one. When you are 15, that is a big deal. And the deal gets bigger cos you get noticed by the bigger kids. You get friends who are older than us. It's like you know somebody important.

The first time I went there was for Bible Study. It was Ching Mooi who was teaching us. In the years before and after my years in the MYF, these dedicated teachers.... Mr. Ling KN, Mr. Leong CS, Ms. Ling KB, Ms. Tan Ching Mooi, Mrs. Tan YH and those who came into the picture after my time there; they left indellible marks in many lives.

House of Grace was a place for us, MYF'ers to hang out. It was also a place for us to study... a quiet place away from the cramped spaces at home and the noise of the neighborhood. It provided a conducive environment for us to study. There were rules that had to be strictly followed. In the early years, House of Grace had a 'resident' MYF counsellor living there full time, Mr. Leong.

House of Grace moved location too not long after I was in Upper Secondary. Mr. and Mrs. Tay offered their single storey bungalow for our use. This one had a compound big enough for a game of captain ball or even hockey. There was a table tennis too. The house also had a library filled with books. I read many of my first CS Lewis' books there. There was even a room with air-con, a luxury in those days. The house came alive with activities between 5.00 - 7.30 p.m. on weekdays. During weekends, Bible Studies were conducted there followed by games. All the other hours were study hours, except for the December school holidays when the House of Grace will come alive with Christmas preparations. December was the 'funnest' time at the House. 

House of Grace provided a safe sanctuary for us, teenagers to meet. It was where the older ones, those who had gone to universities would drop by during their term breaks and help out the younger ones who were struggling with their Add Maths, Chem or Physics. It was a place where we could hang out with our friends, seek out adults in our tumultous years. It provided a healthy environment for boys and girls to interact. And it was also a place where we were taught priorities. And I remember making kuih kapit there too to raise funds for our camp there too, one year.

Carrom games, guitar sessions.... one can always count on seeing a bunch of guys with their guitars strumming away, creating their own music as they went along, mostly self taught. Many of us could play the guitar as a result cos there was always someone ever ready to teach. Many of us saved to buy the cheap Kapok guitar just so that we could learn how to play. There was a sense of belonging and warmth of friendship. These days, I look at my surrounding... so much of everything but much less warmth.

It was through the dedication, commitment and generosity of our MYF counsellors and also the church that House of Grace was possible. I had many good moments there. We played, laughed and cried there. We quarreled and made up there too. It was a place where many aspects of character building took place through the interactions that took place. It was a place which played a big role in our growing up years. We always knew that there was a place for us in House of Grace. If you needed to find someone to talk to, you can always find one there in the evenings during the games time, an older kid, a counsellor sometimes or just your regular hang out friends.

It was also a place where we would have our gatherings... those little 'year' gatherings. When I think back of those years, truly there were many fond memories, defining and even tender moments. Friends from far and near, old and young... House of Grace provided us that meeting place.

The meeting of lives... grace extended to us in so many indescribable ways. We were truly blessed.... by the environment created in our best interest, by the people who committed their lives for ours. 

Restoran Michelin Star

In Europe they have these Michelin stars awarded to restaurants with outstanding quality.

This restaurant is not in Europe but in Sitiawan. We had our CNY dinner there earlier this year. Located beside the local retailer Econsave, which is along the road to Lumut; this is non-Foochow dining in 'Foochow-land'.

This is their pai-kut-ong or king of spareribs, cooked the usual way. They're soft and tender with just about the right flavours.

This is tofu stir fried with black fungus and petola. The petola or luffa tasted slightly deep fried and has this nice smell. I find this rather appetizing. This is one of my favourites for the night. I think this is tasty to eat with white rice.

Sweet Sour Star Garoupa. Sis and bro-in-law transported this all the way from Sabah. The restaurant chef didn't do a very good job with this one. The fish tasted a little over-fried and there seemed to be a tardy bit of lime overdose. And it was served an a chipped plate.

This is fish maw cooked ala-Sitiawan but didn't quite taste like the original. It was more subtle, more tomato taste with sweet enough broth. It was packed with quite a bit of seafood goodies like crabmeat (you can see one sticking out in the picture), sea cucumber and bite-sized crunchy pieces of all kinds of stuff. Daughter liked this a lot; better than the Sitiawan version. I too found it nice.

This was the last order to arrive at the table and by then we were filled to the brim. I only had a piece of it but it was nice. We ta-pau this home cos everyone was too full to stuff anything more in. This is supposed to be one of their popular dishes, I was told.

We ended up here for dinner that night cos all the other places we wanted to go were either closed or had dinners. For people like us who go back occasionally, we'd actually prefer food we grew up on; the local familiar and comforting tastes. But this was quite good though rather expensive according to Mom (dinner was on my parents). Still it was a good time together as a family, something which I appreciate more as my parents grow older.

Weekend home..

Even though now home is where I have my own house in my current location... home in my heart in many sense is still the place of my childhood and teenage years, Sitiawan.

Made a quick trip home during the weekend and it was a weekend with a flurry of rushing and loose ends to see to. Also, sis and nephew were around plus nephews and niece from Other Half's side. So, there were many quickie things to do.

This was part of our lunch in Kg China... the fish and sea cucumbers in the ko-ru came all the way from Sabah. Mom had soaked the sea cucumber to perfection... and it went well with the fish maw... cooked in our favourite style, sweet sour; only in Sitiawan.

Fish was very good - shipped all the way in a polystyrene box from across the South China Sea. Dad said they call it the 7-Star Garoupa. This is an 'East Malaysian' fish! We had my favourite mixed veg, Sitiawan-style also.

This traffic light was one of many which we passed along the way home. The problem with this one is it faces the setting sun. With the sun shining brightly, you can't tell which light is lighted up unless you stare at it intently to catch the slightest change.

Also a first for Son... his first highway drive. LOL! He just got his license a fortnight back. His dad sat beside. I was behind... but it was a tense 100km for both of us for sure. I found myself pressing on my imaginary brake.

Already passed the half way mark of the hols... dread to go back to school. World Cup is on. In our household, there is no football fever. Read that in Bangladesh, fans actually went on a rampage because the power supply went off! The craziness of football - 22 men chasing one small ball all over the field and trying to net it. And the whole world goes into a feverish and mad frenzy when the World Cup comes on just to see the 22-men do that.

We caught the opening match between South Africa and Mexico while we were home. But that was viewed in between channel surfing and house-switching. LOL!

An Evening At Lumut Beach

.. to build sandcastle.

This was my sis-in-law's idea; one which the kids truly enjoy. And the enjoyment lasted longer than usual cos this is the time of the year when the sun stays up longer. So they played on the little stretch of beach (which belonged to the Orient Star Hotel) while we looked around.

This was the first day of CNY and was also Valentine's Day. People at my age cannot be blamed for forgetting that love was in the air. Took me a while to register as I stared at the tables with all the "RESERVED" signs.

But further down, this old block of houses still stand. Derelict buildings they are now, where monkeys play..... and for those looking for clandestine meeting spots. Free some more. Someone should have thought of converting this building into a tourist spot then leave them to the ravages of nature. The road leads to the former district hospital. I like this hospital a lot cos it's on the hill. When you come out of the outpatient clinics, a breathtaking view of the sea greets you. I supposed the Mat Sallehs must have thought it a good location for convalescence. It is now a naval hospital.... hospital for the young and fit.

The first sight that greeted us was this actually... the old windmill. I was a little excited when I saw it. Disappointing, though! The whole area was littered with rubbish. We used to play here a lot whenever dad took us here in the evenings. The windmill is all rusty and not working now. We seem to be building new things without realizing the need to preserve a bit of our heritage. Old things no class I supposed.... And Malaysian mentality of rubbish throwing... the world is our rubbish dump.

Broken pavement... infrastructure in a state of disrepair. We keep building... then we we let it fall into this state. Kinda sad, huh?

But this is the second year in a row, Daughter had a sandcastle building fix... 8)

Sitiawan's Taman Paya Bakau

... or the 'monkey place' as the children would call it. It's full name is too much of a mouthful for them to handle.

Took my kids and nephew there for another look-see. My last trip was a couple of months back and construction and painting were still underway then. There were still some work going on, mainly repairs of the street lights.

This was the first sight that greeted us. So human-like in their behaviour, these monkeys!

The mangrove swamp... though muddy and dirty, is a haven for creatures; water and land alike.

Life thrives here! There were swirls of fish in the muddy water! I saw some kids fishing there. Been a long while since I did that!

There is a short canopy walk there. It's our first time on it. Nephew has been to the park before but dared not walk on the canopy walk... this time I supposed since Daughter went on, he had to also. 8) Kids need other kids to spur them. Adults too!

From where the canopy walk ends or begins... depends on which side you started! 8)

You can walk through the swamp on walkways such as these. Because they are relatively new, they're quite nice still. Only thing is the rubbish everywhere... partly by man and animal. The monkeys rummaged through the rubbish bins for 'food' and throw their contents everywhere, quite a sore to the eyes!

That's the ma and daughter testing out the feel of the river water. Should be salty cos the sea is really close by; plus my feet were so sticky after that. A dip in the sea water leaves us sticky even after we are dry... that's what I remember from my sea swimming days. Son refused to cos he says it's dirty! Our kids are too clean for their own good, sometimes.

Sitiawan ACS Primary Revisited

More than a century of history here! This is the ACS Primary Hall now... used to be shared with ACS Secondary in the old days.. but these days, the demarcation lines are clearly set by the fences which surround the perimeter of 'both' schools. Used to be 2 schools but felt like one. Now it's still 2 schools and looks clearly 2. Took a walk 'outside' the primary school compound in my last trip home.

The old school hall.. where I played my first indoor badminton. There used to be a roundabout there. It's gone... with all the greeneries and trees that dotted the place. No wonder temperatures are rising everywhere. We're chopping too many trees and replacing soil for tarred surfaces.

I must have been in Std 5 then. 8) I joined ping pong for co-curricular. Saw my friends playing badminton and fooled around with them... teacher saw me play and told me to switch to badminton. Then my dad saw my interest and he started playing with me almost every evening. By the time I got to Std 6, I was actually quite good... good enough to beat many of the boys! LOL! All because of my dad! So, parents, the interest that you show in your kids can help them go far.

The 'newest' block then.. still is now, I think. During my days, it housed the office, library, kedai buku and dental clinic... we had our own dental clinic!!! Had 2 HMs in my 6 years there - Mr. Khew Khoon Thong (I think) and Mr. Lim Kah Cheok. I used to fear the blue cards that came calling for us to see the dental nurse.

The library was a place I loved to be. Because dad was a teacher there, I got to all the new story books before they hit the shelves. That's how my appetite for Enid Blyton's books was satisfied. *grin* Dad would take back the whole set for me to read during the hols and I'd finish them in a jiffy! Hours and hours of hols would be spent on those books... and also the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Bobsey Twins and so many more. Through those books, my hols were spent wandering the plains of Africa, tasting the life in England, be wowed by the freedom in America... gave me quite an active imagination up there!

Std 6M, my class, was up the stairs. It was also known as the haunted block.. agama classes used to be at the back of my class. So we'd see other students streaming in from the back, through the narrow 'alley' into the classroom at the back. We used to frighten each other with tales of ghosts wandering around the school. The classrooms in this block used to be the interrogation rooms during the Japanese occupation. Many met their deaths here, it seemed. The school field was supposed to be the unmarked graves for some of these poor souls. Some people swear they could hear and see unnatural things at certain times of the day.

Std 6 was a fun time. I remember this young temporary teacher.. we called him Cikgu Asri. He taught us how to berbalas pantun and we would look forward to his classes just to balas pantun with each other... we had good teachers throughout our schooling years there, save for one or two like Mrs. Gong. But these days, it seems the opposite... more like Mrs. Gong and less like the former.

This little corner was where I used to have Bible Study with my friends from MYF. BS would be followed by a game of captain ball on Saturday evenings. Funny how we didn't seem to mind the heat or the discomfort of having to sit on the floor near the drain back then. BS was a time when we learned more about the Word of God. We were allowed, even encouraged to question and speak our minds. I am appreciative of that for it helped to ground me in my faith. I got all excited when I walked past this little 'corner' the other day.

A wall with many fond memories.. there used to be a line drawn on the wall, for us to throw balls at. I was in Form 2, I think. Was picked to play in the baseball team cos of my arm strength. My position - pitcher. This wall was where I threw the baseball at, hundreds if not thousands of times.. till my arms ached so much.

And right across.. from the wall above is this view. The epicenter of the town's activities... the Moksu-lau or parsonage. Next to it is the Methodist Pioneer Church. ACS, a school set up by the missionaries to cater to the insatiable desires of the Fuchows for education and also a reflection of their love for the people of Sitiawan. And both these have blended well cos the sons and daughters of these 2 schools (primary and secondary) are today found even in the far flung corners of the world, successful in the fields of their choices. I salute the spirit of the founding fathers (and mothers) of this school, for their dedication, commitment and love. For many of them came from far away (like the MacGraws from America) and dedicated a good part of their lives teaching those kids in those early years. And their legacy lived on in the generations after them!

CTA1 in as many days...

In 2 weeks I've gone back to Sitiawan twice... This time around, I brought Other Half to the ais kacang stall at the Kg Koh market. He agrees that the loo-mien is nice... plenty of good stuff in it but the rest are just so-so.

One can still literally 'hang' around the market area on this and watch the going ons... this is just beside the ais kacang stall. Life can still be idyllic despite the frenetic pace here.

'Old-old fren' dropped by with the whole family before they left for a weekend away. It was good to see her and her Other Half again.. and their boys, more so for my Other Half as he did not make the trip with me last week. Conclusion... 10 years haven't change us much.... except for some receding hairlines and 'failing' eyesights, somewhat. LOL! And of course, Son was hardly a toddler when they last saw him... He's now taller than old fren's Other Half.

We had a nice dinner with my parents at a small dilapidated looking Indian stall at Gandhi school, near Intan Hotel.

During the day... void of activity and people, it looks like any other shed; uninviting.

By evening it becomes a hive of activities. Mom says it's a popular makan place. And it sells really good mutton curry! You can either have it with tosai, chapati or rice. And it's cheap. I supposed it comes with the low overhead costs! LOL! The only snag eating there was the pesky flies.

Apparently flies are the talk of the town now. Recently there was a news report about the invasion of flies in Simpang Tiga (Pekan Gurney). It seems the flies have taken over the makan places. Come to think of it... I do feel that there are more flies around these days. Other Half says it has to do with the chicken rearing industry there.

After dinner I was able to help mum with her little vegetable patch outside the house. Did some digging and lugging of bricks. Other Half and Son went to catch a movie together later in the night.. father-son-bonding time. LOL! Daughter decided to play with her cousins while I decided to hang around at my parents' place. Showed mom some old pictures.

Tucky Restaurant @ Sitiawan...

We tried out Tucky Restaurant, just after Gandhi school, on the way to Kg Sitiawan... the place with supposedly the best 'kampuan' in town now. That's the general perception.

The restaurant was full of people even though it was only 7.30 a.m. People in Sitiawan arise early to go to work. In Alor Setar, the early birds at the stalls and restaurants are usually those retirees on their way back from their tai-chi, line dancing, aerobics thingy. Here, it's full of people on their way to work.

Noticed too that the restaurant operators worked super fast. The proprietor's son for example was multi-tasking - clearing tables, serving, collecting bills, putting the filling into the wantan... time is money, one can see. He seemed to be literally gliding from one table to another with the tray of bowls of mee in his hand. Kinda dizzying to watch him work. Empty tables were filled within the minute, with another line of people outside doing the take-away. Business is really roaring.

The mee?? Portions are big. The taste is okay but I can name some other comparable ones in Kg Koh as well. Kampuan is served in bowls here with another smaller bowl of clear wantan soup. We met Alfred and his Other Half as we were leaving the shop, still full and with a seemingly endless trail of patrons.

And the early to rise thingy... we took a drive down the main road. It was only 8.00 a.m. Many shops (all kinds), clinics, restaurants were already opened..... In Alor Setar it would be hard to find a hardware shop opened at that hour. Yet I saw a couple along the same road and sundry shops such at this one....that's my dad's friend.

But I feel this will slowly change some more in time to come. Sitiawan is a town built on rubber. I can still remember vividly, men and women cycling at the break of dawn, coming back from the rubber plantations. And their work would not be done yet still... the Fuchows of earlier gen were a very hard working lot, used to hardship, hard work, long hours... still can see that in the remnants of that generation and the generation after.

This is the old market in Kg Koh; a pale shadow of its former glory. The road beside it leads to Pasir Panjang. My friends and I used to cycle there for fun. The market has shifted to a new location along the road to Simpang Dua; near New Village. Mom used to cycle to this market every morning. Before 8 she'd be out of the house, after cleaning the house, and be back just after 9. In our teenage years, her coming back from the market was something my brothers and I would look forward to, for she would buy back for us our breakfast made up of kampuan and loo-mien on Saturdays and during school breaks.

Ley peah... Foochow version

This looks like a piece of mini murtabak. But it is not. This is 'ley peah', a Foochow biscuit, though mom said it might be Hockchian. Drove past the kuih seller near my parents' house in Sitiawan during my recent trip home and decided to stop to have a look. I was actually looking for the peanut bread but since they didn't have, I decided to give this a try. Trips home these days also give us the opportunity to eat all the food that we miss.

Been so many years since my last bite of this particular biscuit. It's quite okay. However it's not as sweet as I remembered. Maybe people are more 'health conscious' now. The filling is made up of a mix of stuff... tang gua, porbably lots of lard (which gives it its signature smell) and other stuff which I am not sure. Made Son try it also.

Mom tells me this is one of the stuff they send as 'hantaran' during weddings in the olden days. Anyway, it was nice to be able to eat something from my childhood that particular trip. 8)

Lumut At Night

We were out looking for dried seafood stuff at night in Sitiawan... but most of the shops in town were closed; so we ventured to Lumut. This is the place to go catch your ferry to go over to Pangkor Island. As kids, my parents used to take us here to enjoy the evening sea breeze. Such kinds of trips were treats to us those days and we would look forward to it, usually during weekends when dad was free. Over the years Lumut has changed a lot. The old shops are still there but there are many new ones now. It has a very 'touristy' feel and look too. Gone is the rustic charm.

The night was still young but Lumut was quite empty. But the car parks were quite full. Guess many people have gone over to Pangkor Island. I was told that the hotels in Pangkor are fully booked for this hols. Guess more people are holidaying locally now that bad times have also hit our shores.

Anyway, since we were there, Other Half and I took a walk around the town. This is the Bazaar. But like everything else, it was quite, quite dead. The place lacks the vibrance you get in other places like Penang. The town planners should look into bringing more life to this town!

Some of the souvenirs sold in the Bazaar.... all made of shells and colourfully painted. But we saw only one forlorn foreign tourist walking along the Bazaar and a handful of locals.

But generally, Lumut is much nicer than Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis. The place is clean; you hardly see any rubbish. The shops are well organized and their walkways comfortable to walk on. In the cool breeze of the evening, it was actually quite nice to take a stroll around and look-see.

I finally manage to get my salted ikan tenggiri papan. But I realized that it was a tardy bit more expensive than the one I got the next day in Simpang Ampat. Tourist spot = tourist price. Must bear that in mind.