After a whole night of driving, we finally arrived at Kuala Besut, where the jetty is. Caught the first boat out at 7am. Captured a beautiful sunrise over the horizon.

What a beautiful morning.

Ikan Singgang Terengganu

One of the most simple dishes and yet one of the most delicious. Have this with steaming HOT rice. 

You will thank me.

• 
  

• Bahan-bahan ( untuk 2 orang makan )

• 2-4 potong ikan tongkol/kayu/aya / tenggiri
• 1 cm lengkuas
• 1 cm kunyit hidup
• 3-4 ulas bawang putih
• 1-2 keping asam keping
• Garam secukup rasa
• Cili padi ikut citarasa
• Air ( agak2 - kalau suka kuah banyak, lebihkan airnya)

Cara-cara

1. Masukkan air ke dalam periuk dan masak sehingga hampir mendidih.
2. Kemudian, masukkan semua bahan - ikan, lengkuas, kunyit hidup, bawang putih yang telah dihiris/diketuk, asam keping, garam dan ajinamoto ke dalam periuk tadi.
3. Rebus sehingga ikan betul2 masak, seterusnya campakkan cili padi ke dalam periuk. that's all. Selesai sudah satu masakan yang simple. Boleh terus hidangkan. Makan semasa panas - sedapppp!!!

Food food food

Can't really be abroad for more than 10 days and not missing my Melayu food.

These are traditional Terengganu food served during buka puasa just a couple of days before Raya. We all ate together, on the floor.

Buak Puasa can't be better than this.

The spread

Ulam

Telur dadar

Timung Cina

Sambal Belacan power

Ikang Kembong

Kerabu Mangga

Kapas from Kelulut

I asked my sister in law, Sue to stop the car on the way to my brother's place to shoot the view of Pulau Kapas from Kpg Kelulut.

The storm was approaching.

I thought we would have a wet raya, but I was wrong.

CINTA SONGKET

I just got back from berbuka puasa at my friend’s place, SR. A businessman with a lovely wife and very talented child. I have photographed the family twice and the results were apparently outstanding.

I had to have lunch with the family to present my work. The smiles in their face were magic. It was a major satisfaction to me.

Anyway, SR is an art collector. Havent been t the house for a while and I notices new pieces that caught my eyes. Syed Ahmad Jamal’s and and italian bust of a lady, sculptured in glass. Solid glass. Beautiful pieces.

I am not really in touched with any art scene but I do appreciate great works of art.

When I returned home we were exchanging gratitudes on the dinner and he also sent me a series of photos of his songket collection. Seriously, he is a serious collector.

He sees the work of Terengganu art. I do to, of course. But it’s very nice to hear such remarks made by someone who is not from Terengganu but passionate about songket.

I myself have always been impressed by the work of art and I do recognize not just the effort but also more importantly the talents of songket designers and weavers.

The work of art in some culture are very fine and of the highest quality from the people and most of them give their best to give to their respective gods - like the ornate carvings on their buildings of worship - mosques, churches, wats etc. Human dedication tho their creators - what ever their belief, irregardless.

Sonket is different in that sense. It has got NOTHING to do with you devotion to God. It is just art expressed beautifully with endless passion. If you understand how long it is to complete, intricacy of its design, color scheme, and various other factors, you woud understand what I mean.

Not unlike the carpet weavers. Traditionally it is an individual expression of his / her work of art, again with deep passion and pride.

I personally know a songket designer, YM Tengku Ismail Tengku Su. A person I admire in term of his deep knowledge in Terengganu culture and its sultanate. Unfortunately Tengku Ismail (fondly known as Ku We) is currently is not well, suffering from a serious heart attack and under life support in London. I am very sad and worried that we might lose him - meaning to say, we would lose a part of Terengganu culture.

My prayers - may he recover and come back to the beautiful Pura Tanjung Sabtu.

It would be very sad to see the disappearance of beautiful skills in our culture which has been with us for centuries - no doubt worth preserving as it is part of our identity we are proud of.

Unfortunately I do not see serious effort being done to ensure the continuity of this skill.

My ambition is to produce a coffee-table book on Terengganu and of course songket will be one of the highlights.

INSYAALLAH.

Fun Spin to the East Coast

I ended up in Pulau Kapas - last beach holiday before the holy month of Ramadan. At the same time, my nephew was scheduled to get engaged during the same weekend so I guess I could kill 2 birds with one stone.

Unfortunately (or may be fortunately) my car took longer time than usual to be serviced due to unavailability of a spare part. My last resort was to call my friend and exchange my Jeep over the weekend for his Mini Cooper.

I love driving the Cooper. Not as quiet or as comfortable as my sedan, but definitely more fun to drive.

It’s like driving a relatively more comfortable version go cart. It sticks to the road like glue. I like to flirt with the max when negotiating a bend.

The usual ritual, of course, we have to stop by Hai Peng Kopitiam in Chukai, Kemaman for a cuppa, kaya buns adnd half boiled eggs. Yummy!

Nothing better than having this view just a few steps away from your door.

This boat is actually damaged, sunk from a heavy storm the night before. I have never experienced such a strong storm - reminded me of the sandstorm in Morocco.

Several boats were damaged but the resorts were all ok.

Terengganu Ku

I actually asked my nephew to make a u-turn just to capture this image. It’s an idyllic kampung scene with typical Terengganu architecture.

2008 - VISIT TERENGGANU YEAR

Besides credit cards, I normally bring my camera whenever I travel – holidays or work.

I hate incidents:

Man, I wish I had my camera with me.

I still do have those moments once in a while, but camera phone can be handy.



Between meetings in Kuala Terengganu last week, I drove around Seberang Takir – a fishing village. We used to come here before to visit one of my uncles who has a grocery shop.



I always wanted to go on the fishing boats but my parents never allowed us. Actually I told my mom once that I want to follow the fishermen to the open sea – of course she didn’t allow me.



Last week I was in Seberang Takir again, to kill some time between meetings and to get keropok lekor for some friends in KL.


This time I went to the fishing jetty, on to the fishing boat.

Yeay!

A fisherman, (fisherboy?) volunteered to show me around from one boat to another.



I now know where they cook, what they eat, where they pray, different parts and compartments of a fishing boat. Very self sustained for days at sea. One thing missing – the toilet. I guess they have the biggest toilet in the world – the open sea. How they do it? I didn’t ask.

Friendly bunch of people.


Why aren’t they fishing?

Is it because it’s Friday?

No.

Not because it’s Friday.

Angin Tenggara (North East or South East – I wonder as my Geography is rather rusty) is blowing wild. It's unsafe to be out there in the open sea.



A couple of the fishermen were just chatting and smoking and eating some watermelon (timung cine). They actually offered me some. I politely declined.

A couple of guys were sleeping.


Another guy was praying on the rooftop of the boat.

Another one was chatting on a handphone.



There were kittens and ever a seagull.



I jokingly said to the fisherboy – Ini macam kapal Nabi Noh! (It like Noah Arc!)

He looked clueless. Obviously he didn’t get my joke.


After snapping away some pics (the sun was too strong to my liking, but the experience was fantastic!), I politely dismiss myself and thank the fisherboy for showing me around, answered my curiosity since I was small.


At the end of the jetty, a Pakcik stopped me and asked me the regulars: what am I doing, working for a magazine, where I am from...... He looked quite surprised when I responded in Terengganu lingo and that warmed up things very easily.

The departing “discussion” was about the price of diesel. How difficult it is nowadays for the fishermen to cari makan.



Sometimes, their catch are too little, they can’t even cover the cost of diesel. With the current price, things are worse. And when the weather is bad, things can be WORSE than WORSE.


I can’t help but to notice the physical contrasts from this side of the river to the other side where in a distance I can see Kelab Teluk Warisan and marina for luxury yacths, a Monsoon Cup yacht passing by and in not far distance a long the same river Masjid Kristal lurking near the bridge….. which cost the taxpayers BILLIONS of RINGGIT.

2008 – Tahun Meliwat ooops sorry, Melawat Terenganu.

Medicine for the Torchlight

I visited Pura Tanjung Sabtu again, on the way to Perhentian. As usual, at night Pura can be quite dark and it’s rather hard to move around without a torchlight.



TITS is a Terengganu boy to the core. Born and raised in the palace of Terengganu - apart from years gallivanting in Europe during his “student” days (he couldn’t really remember he actually studied or passed his exams…)

The Terengganuspeak terminologies he uses are very pure or old and I get very excited to relearn all these terms.

The torchlight he had was out of battery.

M, could you please stop by seven eleven

Why?

I want to buy obak lapu

*IN and TITS are exchanging notes on kraton and istana.


Then I remember in Terengganuspeak, we call battery OBAK LAPU – UBAT LAMPU

I can’t really figure out why do we Terengganu people call the battery UBAT LAMPU.

Why would a torchlight need medicine?

Enroute the Coastal East - Pulau Perhentian

Since my guest, IN is also a diver, I took him to Pulau Perhentian to enjoy the island and the dive sites.

We only had a bit less than 3 days and 2 nights hence, we only have room for 2 dives. Oh well, the visibility was not that great either as it rained the night before.

The highlights were an encounter with a shark,  and also cleaning shrimps. The black tip reef shark was not that big and it is a resident shark. Quite tame, so far. The cleaning shrimps were really interesting. Put your hand as close as possible to their little but very colorful habitat, then an army of little shrimps came out to clean your finger - free of charge.

In Pulau Perhentian we ordered water melon juice during dinner. IN needed refill and confidently ordered jus semangka. The islanders were puzzled like

HUH???

What’s that?




It’s watermelon juice. In Malaysia, mainly it’s called tembikai. In Terenganu, exclusively I think, it’s called timun cina, literally translated: Chinese cucumber.

Please don't ask me why it is called timung cina…


Oh by the way, this is the view that I have while having breakfast on the beach. I can certainly get used to this...