From Terengganu with love

Terengganu was the only playing ground that I knew for almost 18 years, until my first "hijrah" to Bangi, that was to discover my adulthood (and later my first and only love) in our local alma mater. I love this place so much not because this state has been dubbed as a "Little Kuwait of Malaysia", or her generosity for sharing its oil wealth with the Federal Government, but simply because everything here is simple. or at least it used to be. As much as my native friends will concur with me, this beautiful state with their inhabitants who eats nasi dagang as their breakfast and keropok-lekor as their evening snack has so much adventure and colourful activities to offer for the uniniated and season travellers. Even the local the kampung boy like me will always find something new and interesting thing to do whenever I pay a visit to my hometown.

Among the thing that still bemused me is our native dialect, which sometime will tickle even the hardcore Kuala Berang indigenous. For example one makcik describe a strong monsoon wind that hit her house recently "ambe dengor anging piung..piung..piung atas pale, beghooookkk cabut abis atap rumoh. Debok, mokcik terjun rumoh, mujo dok patoh ghiiok jatuh. kalu tidok mapuh bahang tanoh". (sorry could not find suitable manglish word for the translation, maybe Ganu bloggers like bro madredo1 or skatype can explain the phrase better than me :)

Food is another thing. I love to visit old market place like Kedai Buloh and of course Kedai Payang just to sample some of the traditional delicacies of which only endemic to this part of the world. Last time I went to this place, I introduced "rojok kateh" to my significant half. She loved it very much.

But now, as the state is now has been upgraded one class higher than her neigbours and showered with the status of "bandaraya", I can see the old charm is starting to disappear fast. So much to the modernization, that is the price we have to pay. This has really saddened me. In fact this rapid changes is happening everywhere. It is a matter of time. But we can still preserve the good old charm and nice memory in the form of photographic record and frequent visit to our old and rustic birthplace and walk the memory lane.

The transparent masjid, Masjid Kristal as part and parcel of Taman Tamaddun Islam. The masjid is situated not far from the infamous Losong, of which you can find Keropok Losong. But now I find keropok Losong is a bit on the salty side. Not to my liking at all.

Sandy beaches and its panoramic coastal lines are always my favourite stopover and regular picnic spots whenever I travel back to Terengganu. This one was in Kemasek.

My kids like to collect shell like this one that scattered with abundant along the sandy beaches.

Local fish produce like this "sata" is gastronomically irresistable. This particular one was mixed with crab meat, something out of ordinary. I was told by little sister (Cendawanintim), we can only find this variety only in Ramadhan Bazaar near Panji Alam. Life in Terengganu can be as colorful as this drinks.
Traditional marketplace with varieties of choices.
Masjid Tengku Tengah Zaharah or popularly known as Masjid Terapung situated not very far from my kampung. My favourite keropok 007 can be found nearby.