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.
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.
2 comments:
love the punchline at the end !!
;-D
lalalalal terangganu kite!!!!
Post a Comment