Bits & Pieces of Me

                                       During the time when there was no television, people went to the cinema to enjoy a film show. But since there was no transport that went into the villages to take passengers, people have other source of show to watch.                                      We called it Wayang Pacak.Why was it called as such ? because the people from the broadcasting department came and pitch the screen on the field. They used a big generator to generate power.                                      Before the show the broadcasting people would come in a van and announced it. At my place it was usually shown at ...

                                    I was on my way home after my quran class. I was 10 years old then. I was living in the village near my grandmother's house then before we moved to a place along the streets of Telok Kacang , about 3/4 kilometer from Kangar.                         It was around 5pm . No one was in sight .I was walking fast.One thing I was afraid of the bushes.I got the idea there were snakes in the bushes.My mum always told me frightening stories so that I would always stay at home and read my books..                                ...

               Empire cinema as I told you earlier was one of the oldest cinema in Perlis. Normally showed old films usually black and white.Sometimes cowboy fighting the red Indians. I hate to watch this because the men liked to shout and shriek loud enough to blow your ear drums every time the hero did not realize the presence of a red Indian behind him ready to snap his arrow..                They would shout" belakang ! belakang ! as if the hero could hear them..And then when the hero turned at the nick of the time, and shot dead the Indian, they would clap their hands as if they saw money flying down from the sky.                 Then Capitol cinema was built , Indonesian films started to flow in like rain. P.Ramlee films went down into the drains.Teenagers saved their pocket money just to see...

                                             Nowadays children love ice creams.Real creamy, top                                     up with chocolate or other flavours. Long ago during my time                                     we had 'ais kepal'. Ice was grated and compressed into a                                    handful size.                                     ...

                                                                 New born Sara                                      Born on 30th April.2010. Named Sara Zulaikha. My precious                                 grand daughter  was born in a private hospital in KL.She is fully               ...

                      To organize a wedding was a tough job.In spite of having no experience at all, we were ready to take the challenge.                       Finished with the marriage course( get certificate), registration, HIV test, and other documents,permission from Majlis Agama Islam Perlis and Penolong Daftar Nikah....done.                       Then wedding tents, wedding dresses, makeup artist, invitation cards, pelamin, bilik pengantin, food catering, door gifts, photographer, DJ, PA system and also a homestay for the guests from my inlaws side..so many things to cater for.                ...

                         People in my village always spent some time growing vegetables .My father was no exception .He had this small plot of land ( very small indeed ) which he planted only chillies and cucumbers.                 Around 5 or 6 in the evening we (including mum and my brother ) would be in our small garden. I would help to pull the weeds or water the plants.There was no watering cans then.Instead I used pails to do the job.When the cucumber was ready to pluck we would collect them into small basins.A few would be given to neighbors.                 But one thing I will never forget was how I ate the cucumbers.There was no chilli sauce then.So my grandma would pluck some fresh chillies, pounded wi...

                             One day when I was in year five my father brought home a merbuk (peaceful dove).My two brothers were excited about it.He put it in a small cage and hanged it by the kitchen window.                               He fed the bird with small paddy grains ( specially for birds ).Every morning before going to work , he would snap his fingers near the cage and went 'kru,kru,kru' .I just looked at him.He looked happy. He loved the bird.Saw him stroking it's feathers...                               Two months passed by.One afternoon after...

                    A long time ago people dug up wells for water supply.Usually they did it on gotong-royong basis.A well was shared by many in the neighborhood. No bathroom for privacy.Everybody sort of could not be bothered about each other.What you wear while bathing...nobody cares..                          Then water came through pipes.A tap was installed by the roadside.The old folks were astonished how clean water travelled through pipes and there it was by the roadside.Everybody was excited.Wells were left untouched.P`1eople flocked to the tap by the roadside.Bathing, washing are all done there.                      Peak hour was early in the morning and after school in the afternoon.We always went around ...

               .       I used to see long ago mostly at every house there was a 'jelapang'.A small hut which acted as a store to keep the paddy grains. Mostly all the villagers were paddy planters.         My dad told me if you wanted to check who was the richest man in the village , then look at the size of his 'jelapang'.The bigger the jelapang was, the richer the man.It referred to the amount of paddy stored there.Below is Mr Adnan sitting at one of the jelapang found here in Perlis. Jelapang is not many now  since paddy is no more stored .It is sent to the rice factory as soon as it is harvested...                                                   Mr Adnan is a reporter here in my place.

           .       Long ago when people found that their house was not suitable to be in one place, they just moved the house to another .Normally on Friday (where the men would go for their Friday prayers) the Imam would make an announcement if a house was needed to be moved.After the prayer all the men would flocked there.              Long big bamboo stems were used to act as a lever put under the floor of the house.  A leader was appointed to lead the event.He would shout at every single instruction so that everybody could hear.              Using their shoulders the men with all their strength would lift up the house slowly to where the leader instructed them .Usually only a short distant from the old plot.              When the house w...

   .                 My grandma used to tell me if they need to buy anything in Kangar during her teenage years her mum would prepare herself some rice and ikan kering to take along and eat along the journey.My God ! They walked to Kangar...No transport then.Normally they would stop on the way.Rested, ate, then continue the journey..                  Then people had bicycles and motorcycles. If you could still remember in my older post I told you how boys crumpled papers into a ball and kicked it all the way home from school..Remember ? Well its because cars were so scarced.You can even treat the roads like a playground.                  Then came the buses.Old haggard looking buses which passed by our houses everyday.I seldom board any because my old house...

                           Women like to look beautiful no matter when or where or how. Yesterday's women were the same. In those days the one sought after face powder was none other than 'bedak nyonya.'                It was a bar of white hard powder.You only need to spread it gently on your face and working gently with your fingers...                My mom for all I know is still using this all her life.And look at her complexion, hardly any freckles on that skin of hers .And there were still shops selling them around Kangar  owned by old shop owners too..I would buy it sometimes to put on my face.Most of the time I would use it to polish my watch...try it, see how your watch shine .I am not kidding ..

                     As far as cooking was concerned my mum would used firewood .There were people who earned their living selling firewood.They would tie the firewood into small bundles for 30 sen each.My mum would buy many bundles to keep for a rainy day.            After I finished form five my mum used a better stove to cook using kerosene  like shown below.                     Cooking became easier and hygenic too.I did not have to blow hard at the firewood just to make the fire bigger.The most important thing the bottom of our pots did not change to dark rusty colour... Cooking was fun .I learned to cook many traditional Malay dishes like asam pedas or curry, not to forget the lepat pisang or cucor celup... .

  .         Long ago when there was no electricity ,everyone would try their best to be at home before dark.At 8 or 9pm it was already quiet.People just stayed at home .Mostly everyone used lamps to lighten their house.          I remember arguing with my second brother when we had to do our homework, especially when we need to draw maps.We would grab the oil lamp to be right under our nose to define the lines on the map we drew.         Then we started to be more advanced.People used gas lamp like the picture below.It was brighter than the old lamp, but it was still blur when I wanted to read my story books.My mom used to scold me because during the day I was busy playing 'kawin2' then when it was getting dark then only I would search for my books.         Electricity got into my village when I was still a young girl.Suddenly it was fun to do ...

                        It has been many days .Today I have the chance to update my blog.Yesterday was the best day .God blessed me and answered my prayers.I met Mariyani ! She is the lady I talked about in my blog entitled the same.                We enjoyed Harum Manis mangoes I brought from home. Its hard to find harum manis in KL.Fortunately it grows well on Perlis's soil.                She was as cheerful as ever.Lots of fun.And a good story teller as always. Physically not much difference except she wears glasses now.Flawless skin just like the old days. We spent the whole evening chatting.Lots of stories to tell after all the years.It took her quite long to finish telling about her siblings.What a productive father .She has 20 siblings altogether...!      ...

       When I thought of him it is always memories full of fun and humor.He was one of those pupils who attended my English tuition class when he was in year 6.        He was my neighbor living a few meters away from my house.His parents are very respected people in the neighborhood. His father was an ex Dermarian.( a school where Hafizin was a student too, in the secondary)        If u want me to be frank , he was quite mischievous as a boy.After tuition class was over he would be the last one to leave the class.He used the time to tease and bully Faten my third girl, two years his junior. They shared a very happy time together anyway.        And then suddenly he was lost under my very eyes.They have shifted to another place not so far away.For years I only heard about him from his mother during kenduri time or at community gathering in my place.I heard he was doin...