TRAVESTIES

A few days ago, I read the crawler headlines on TV and there was a headline telling me that the Terengganu State Government has appointed a consultant to tell them (the govt.) what infrastructure is required by the state.This was followed by another headline telling me that Kuala Nerus might be turned into a district.

The problem with crawlers is that it doesn't tell you much. Terengganu folks would say dak tau pala ekor (Wouldnt know head or tail). Was the consultant appointed to determine what infrastructure Terengganu needs? I am not sure. So I searched BERNAMA. Typing "Terengganu Appoints Consultant" and "Terengganu Infrastructure" did not come up with any news item that assuage my curiousity. Typing "infrastructure" gave me the news that Bukit Besi Iron Mine would be reopened. I heard that 2 weeks ago at a dinner. The only relevant news I could dig up was this.

Ok, they are studying the possibility of setting up a new district and they have appointed a consultant for that purpose. Asking the people in the soon-to-be-new district what they want is not mentioned. I guess the consultant will do the asking. I can only hope and pray that the consultant would not recommend the razing of historical mosques and other buildings just for the sake of development. It happened in Kuala Terengganu, let it not happen anywhere else. If you do not learn from your mistakes, you are a bloody fool and it takes a wise man to know what are your mistakes.

Another travesty that I discovered, albeit one that can be forgiven (over time) is to mess with nasi dagang. There is a spanking new restaurant, The Tappers in The Sphere, Bangsar South (where Kampung Kerinchi used to be) where you can have nasi dagang with gulai ikan aya (tuna curry Terengganu style) or with chicken (Kelantan style). The travesty? The chef added boiled egg and kerepok to the dish. The nasi dagang purists would choke on the kerepok and the egg. The rice is nice though and so is the service, the ambient and the price.
Go and try and see if you can forgive them. It would be easier than forgiving all those idiocy being done in our beloved state in the name of progress or tourism.

Labels: Bukit Besi The Tappers, nasi dagang, new district

SAME RIVER, DIFFERENT WATER

This is Sungai Keluang in Besut, Terengganu snapped just a few yards from where it meets The South China Sea. The river is almost at the end of its journey from its source deep in the heart of Bukit Bintang. You read right. Terengganu does have a Bukit Bintang although the debauchery (if any) is considerably less than the other more well-known Bukit Bintang. The streets around THAT Bukit Bintang will be closed tonight so that all the merry-making (and maybe the debauchery) will not be marred by the screams of merry-makers being run over by the assorted Kancils or other lethal vehicles.

Back to the river. When I viewed the pictures of the river as part of the test for my new wide screen monitor, I did something that I do not do often. I began to think. The river is as old as Terengganu itself. The water is not. Same river, different water. You can prove this by pouring some eco-friendly dye of different colours into the river at different intervals. Then you run to the spot near the kuala (river mouth) where I took the photograph. Watch the dye being swallowed by the South China Sea, one colour after another.

Terengganu, I hope, is like the river. The ever-changing water refreshes the river. The water also nourishes the banks (no puns intended). We hope there will not be any undue erosions and the river will never be stagnant. Let the crocodiles remain benign and out of sight.

You are welcome to add your metaphors, whatever either for Terengganu or for Malaysia (either 1 Malaysia or 3 in 1 Malaysia). Thinking gives me a headache.

Labels: Bukit Bintang, river, water

ROKOK ARAB

It is always sobering to realize that you do not know or do not remember everything.
I always thought that rokok arab (see pic above) is a rolled up version of apit-apit or kuih kapit (love letters). Boy, was I wrong.

I bought the rokok arab at the bazaar in conjunction with the launching of Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage. The launch was a resounding success although some might want to complain about JW Marriot's version of the Terengganu nasi dagang and the "diving midwife" older MC's lack of teeth. This Christmas, he would want more than 2 of his front teeth.

Anyway, the rokok arab is softer than the rolled version of apit-apit. I suspect that the minyok sapi (ghee) used had something to do with that. While the apit-apit is hollow inside, the rokok arab has a sweet filling. Coconut maybe? You, the rokok arab expert would have to tell me. Tell me too where in KL can I get a regular supply of rokok arab because this batch is fast depleting and I need to replenish.

Labels: apit-apit, Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage, rokok arab

PULUT LEPA

Long long ago when I was young and growing up in Terengganu, I had to walk to the only 2 cinema halls in town - Capitol and Sultana. My cousins and I usually caught the afternoon shows. Our route would take us through Kampong China. When we reached the titian (the short bridge) that spanned the big drain and the river, we would often came across a balding middle-aged Chinese man in shorts and Pagoda singlets carrying a bamboo tray on his head and crying out "Pulut lepa juak juak!".

One of my cousins insisted that "juak juak" is the Chinese equivalent of "jual, jual" (for sale). Indeed the man was selling pulut lepa because we saw him stopping at several shops along Jalan Kampong China/Jalan Bandar where hungry customers were waiting with fistful of coins. Later on, when I got to Merang, I found out from my Tiah and Ee (they sort of adopted me) that "juak, juak" is the Hokkien equivalent of the Malay "panas panas".

Most food should be eaten hot. But chances of getting pulut lepa hot off the grill in KL is quite remote. It is a different story if you are in Terengganu. There is a place in Sungai Rengas Kuala Terengganu, near the jurunikah's house where you can wait for the pulut lepa to be grilled. And what wonderful pulut lepa they are. The generous filling is made of fish. The colour is whitish. If it is orange, it is not Terengganu's pulut lepa. There is ginger in the filling but never turmeric. Do not confuse pulut lepa with pulut udang or even pulut panggang. The filling should be fish and not some curried coconut. Note too how the daun pisang (banana leaf) wrapper is fastened. The real MacCoy uses sharpened lidi NOT the office staples.

If you are curious to see and taste the real pulut lepa, you are in luck. Come to the foyer of Mayang Sari Ballroom, JW Marriot KL on Sunday 20th Dec between 11 am and 5 pm. There will be limited pulut lepa for sale as well as rokok arab. Awang Goneng and Kak Teh will be in line to get rokok arab, which, in spite of the many Arabs in London, are scarce. There will be songkets and other Terengganu stuffs too at the bazaar in conjunction with the Official Launch of "Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage". Come and enjoy yourself. Get the book and get the tastes of Terengganu too. Admission to the bazaar is free. A handshake with Awang Goneng is free too, if you smile nicely.

Labels: Awang Goneng, Kak Teh, Kulit Manis Launch, pulut lepa

KULIT MANIS: PRE-LAUNCH PREPS

To lovers of Terengganu dialect who drop in and go away disappointed, I must apologise for being a little bit obsessed with this book. I must remind you that this blog is not just about Terengganu words but about everything that is in Terengganu and about Terengganu. So is Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage which I feel is a must-have for any anak Terengganu who loves his state.

Yesterday I had the honour of meeting the Design Team from Singapore responsible for the look of the book. If Kulit Manis was a bride, these lovely ladies would be the Mak Andams, the Image Consultants and to some extent, the midwives. Award Winner Sylvia Tan (Design and Art Direction) and May Chua (Project Coordinator) were busy designing the booths and the exhibition panels for the preview in Pulau Duyong and the launch in JW Marriot KL and we did not have that many opportunities to talk and I did not have the chance to learn much about layouts and fonts. They did tell me that they use Adobe InDesign©, a software that I am using to design newsletters etc. for friends (and for free). They told me that after more than 30 years (and I guessed countless fine books) of work, they are taking life easy. They are semi-retired now and they work whenever they choose to. Kulit Manis was a project they were passionate about and when you see the book, you will know what passion and dedication can produce.

As for the book, the special preview will be at the Ri-yaz Heritage Marina and Exhibition Centre, Pulau Duyung, Kuala Terengganu for the whole duration of the Monsoon Cup (2-6 December). Time:10 am to 6pm daily and it is open to the public. Copies of the book can be bought at a discounted price of RM225 per copy.

Before the anak-anak Terengganu and fans of Terengganu in Kuala Lumpur scowl into their nasi dagang or Gulai Rebah Bangun (both are in the book), the book will be offered at the same discount on launch day (Sunday December 20th, Mayang Sari Ballroom, JWW Marriot, KL). The recently installed DYMM Tengku Ampuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Darul Khusus, Tuanku Aishah Rohani (from Terengganu) has graciously consented to launch the book.

I have a copy of the book, duly autographed by To' Puan Rosita and so far I have read and slowly savouring 10 pages. There are 242 more pages to go, so excuse me while I take my leave.

Labels: Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage, launch, preview

THE BOOK IS READY!

Saturday was pretty hectic for me. I had to be in IPTAR. Angkasapuri from 8.30 am to 1 in the afternoon to enlighten my fellow-veterans on the workings of the Internet, how to use the browser, set up and use an email account and other stuffs that you now take for granted. Alhamdullillah everyone was successful at doing what was planned except one friend who gave up temporarily. Google Mail refused to register him in spite of half the class extending help and encouragement. Razally, who volunteered to help me with the class wanted to learn how to download torrents. He followed me home to take down some necessary urls and fielded some questions.

At 2.30 pm I caught a cab to get to the Marriot, Bukit Bintang for the food tasting in preparation of the launch of Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage. When asked to take the Smart Tunnel, the cabbie shook his head, telling me that it would be too expensive. I was too harried to argue. We got stuck at the Dewan Bahasa junction for more than 20 minutes. Later we discovered a row of Traffic policemen blocking off Jalan Hang Tuah and we had to detour towards Jalan Loke Yew. I arrived at the hotel past the appointed time and the fare was RM22. Like some unmarried ladies, I hate to be late. After some profuse apologies, I got to taste the food and more importantly, finally got Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage in my hands. Even after already perusing the unbound pages, the finished book awed me. It is a book worth having. The recipes alone (all 88 of them) will be worth the price of the book (RM 250 per copy). How good are the recipes? Let me tell you. The chefs from Marriot were picking To' Puan Rosita's brain during and after the food tasting. Copious notes were taken. Everyone wants to make sure that the food served during the launch lunch is as authentic and as Terengganu as the Api Lat atop Bukit Puteri as possible. I chose the nasi dagang that To' Puan Rosita cooked as my late lunch that day. I think the Marriot chefs preferred that too. They persuaded To' Puan Rosita to cook some selected recipes from the book at the Marriot so that the chef can watch and learn.

The official launch will be at the Marriot on the 20th of December. There will also be a bazaar of Terengganu stuffs throughout the whole day. Do come and do spread the word.

For those attending the Monsoon Cup (2nd to 6th December), there will be a photo exhibition and the preview of the book open to the public for the duration of the Monsoon Cup, not just on the 6th as previously posted. You can buy a copy of the book at a discount of 10%. The books will be available in selected bookstores soon. If you cannot wait, send me an email and I will tell you how to get this one of a kind, collector's item book and at the same time lend a helping hand to Yayasan Prihatin, a charity worth contributing to.

Labels: Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage, Marriot, To' Puan Rosita

KULIT MANIS- AN UPDATE

A few of us lucky ones had the privilege of eyeballing the complete pages of Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage last week. The pages were not cut nor bound yet. Neither were they uv-coated like they would be in the finished book. They were impressive nonetheless. It would be worth the wait.

The good news is you do not have to wait long. If you are in Kuala Terengganu for the Monsoon Cup, look out for the preview of the book on the last day. Watch this space for details. If you are not into monsoons or boat races, fret not. The official launch is slated for 20th December at the Marriot, Kuala Lumpur. A day-long bazaar of Terengganu stuffs is planned in conjunction with the launch lunch. Awang Goneng and Kak Teh's fans have a good chance of meeting this illustrious couple at the launch, insyaAllah.

Kulit Manis: A Taste of Terengganu's Heritage would not have seen the light of the day without the generosity of Yayasan Prihatin (Caring Foundation) and a number of corporate donors who, together, provided the major part of the seed money to get the book off the dream stage. Even the book designer and the printer, knowing that the book is done for a charitable cause slashed their bills to the bare bones. Those involved in the book would like you to be as generous as those before you. Let the spirit of Christmas move you to buy several copies of the book as presents. The needy school children under Yayasan Prihatin will greatly appreciate your gesture.

Labels: Kulit Manis, the launch, Yayasan Prihatin