WORDS FOR LISA

Dear Lisa,
You must be missing home of bit, maybe missing me too because you asked me to blog about a few Terengganu words namely bas tunjal and ikan lebong.
I am not proud to say that I have not heard of bas tunjal before. This is not unusual since buses were not around yet when I was born. Not in Merang anyway. I understand that bas tunjal means walking or "leg power" because tunjal or tunja in Terengganuspeak is kicking your feet up and down like a piston. Whoever coined this word is creative and he/she wants you to know that he/she is not taking the bas kompeni (at one time, The Terengganu Bus Company. RIDA buses came later, and only in the boondocks) but moving around using leg power. (Has any of you heard of bas tunja? Let me know, please.)
As for ikang lebong, I must confess that this is another of my created words. When I showed you my Abu Killer, a funny plastic fish with a vicious stainless steel hook attached somewhere near the tail, I could not find the Malay word for "lure". Umpan is simply the bait and not a lure. So I came up with ikang lebong. Lebong in Terengganuspeak means a white lie, a falsehood nonetheless. So ikang lebong is a false fish.
But then, fathers lebong their kids all the time. Remember when you or your siblings banged your head on the furniture or each other? I used to cure your "headache" and the bumps by reciting my jampi which went
Niat inseng mataaa kajji.......
And you guys instantly stopped crying and felt better. Now you know that it is from a P. Ramlee movie. Now I know that it means someone is going to the toilet. Kak Long's maid translated it. Ican't use it on my cucu anymore.
I guess I have to find another jampi. Next time you go to the souks there looking for another veil, shop around for a new jampi for me ok?
My hugs to you all,
Love,
Papa