10 June 2009

I squid jigging with a sarong




At the moment of writing, I am still in the holiday mood. The adoring taste of salty remnant on my sunburned skin and the thought of pure silky breeze embracing my face from the open sea have made it hard for me to swing the mood back into its full working gear. In fact, I am still wearing my sarung when I type this field report. Interesting enough I found the idea flows openly while donning on that customary keropoklekor nation costume - free flow of fresh air down under probably contributes to excite some dormant brain tissues. This has let me to think in the near future, if there is a brainstorming session were to be held for example, we should probably do the same : wear a sarung, let ourselves loose and put in something that is less restricted. More issues could be resolved this way perhaps, you'll never know.

The six blissful days shying away from the sophisticated and yet complicated civilization has at least given me ample time to unclog my mind and detoxify my body from the urban pollution. I have been craving for this cleansing retreat, back to my lovely hometown for months. The chance came and without any delay we packed our thing and head back East, zig-zagging crossing Banjaran Titiwangsa and cruising along the scenic coastal area along the way. Bolehland is one of the beautiful country in this world. I love my country.

The journey through the Lebuhraya Pantai Timur was a bit turn off however. Almost half of its stretch, the surface is quite uneven and undulating like killer waves during the monsoon season. This is a real test to any vehicle's suspension and my newly recovered back is really at its mercy. My ass almost became numb driving through this bumpy road, and people will almost without fail to notice that I walked like a virgin after her first night at our first stop after that. Probably this is one of the clever way from the local authority in telling you that you are now entering their coastal territory and perhaps those experience is a preamble to the more exciting adventure awaiting to be explored. In a country that has conquered the moon with the help of Russians and a driver whom will be penalized with hefty road tax for driving a car with an engine capacity bigger than a bottle of 'budu', I think it is a high time we have a road surpassing the famous German Autobahns. Captain Kirk will be very happy, traveling to Ganu kita will be at a blink of an eye.

As promised, I kept myself out from this world. No computer screen to stare at, no answering to the phone, no lengthy meeting but myself, my family and not to forget nasi dagang and keropok lekor. My kids really love spending time in the many stunning beaches lining the coastal area. We spent almost every evening exploring the beaches, with my significant half and me staring at the passing sea wanderers or fishing boats on the horizon. Initially, I have the plan to join the squid jigging activities but seeing the random bright flashes coming from sky and the recent news on the harrowing experience in the sea, led me to decide not to pursue the intention.

One thing that struck me most whenever 'balik kampung' is that I will overstuffed myself with load and load of delectable food. The supply of food in endless. My mother from time to time will 'force' me to eat this and that. She always stressed that not everyday I will have to eat like that. What a good charm she is. As obedience as always, I have no way in saying no to the request of a mother. Numerous and endless invitation to 'makan pulut' has invariably put some concern in me too. Luckily I have my elder son as an envoy to me, an excuse no to attend to the invitation in person was done in a much diplomatic way. Other traditional staple food like sata, otak-otak and numerous 'kuih muih' were fully consumed with full of eagerness. The only regret that I have was not having the chance to visit one of the stalls that selling local homemade 'lempeng'.

After spending six blissful days, the unthinkable has finally dawned on me . I am back again to this planet, joining the whole human race wandering endlessly in a big cycle. Looking at the growing number of rats, bumping into each other each passing days has really made me realized that the cycle has no ending. Time is really moving faster and faster each time we inhaled our breath. Time is no more as precious as gold. Time is priceless, technically speaking.


The cousins reunion which took place once in a blue moon. The congregation this time was not with a full corum, due to the unsynchronized timetables between the siblings.


My youngest son with his first kite flying lesson on the beach, closely monitored by his mother.

Gentle waves crashing on your feet can be a good therapy, even for the kiddies. My kids can spend hours playing on the beach and seeking the wash-off treasures loitering the coastal area.

This is one of the local delicacies, 'sata' that was sold along the stretch of of shops at Pantai Teluk Mak Nik, Kemaman. I thought this was the best sata in the whole world, but my younger sister Cendawanintim promised to show me another unknown spot where the sata is even tastier.

Another shop that sold local produces along the main road leading to Cherating (near Pantai Chendor, to be exact). Personally, I think the keropok here is more tastier that the one in Losong.



56 comments:

Encik Ariff said...

wah..
byk org crita pasal holiday.
jeles2..
hehe..

Fadhil said...

Doc,

Taste of satar vary widely from person to person. Personally, I like the one sold at Kuala Kemaman. Also I think the kopok lekor at Kuala Kemaman tastes better than Losong.

I stayed in Dungun for two years while working on a project there. I remember the late afternoons sitting at the warung by the beach, eating ikan and sotong celup tepung. Very tasty.

DrSam said...

encik ariff,
Jeles saje tak jadi ni. Pack you bag and hit the road somewhere. dekat-dekat pun tak apa.

Oldstock,
Agree with you and we have the same preference too. The one in Losong is a bit salty nowadays. If they do not change soon, probably will extinct in no time.

Ah yes...ikan and sotong celup tepung, another favourite food of mine.

Zendra-Maria said...

The holidays have done you a world of good, Doc. You sound so relaxed, and kelakar too - down under lah, virgin lah - oh oh all that food must have aphrodisiac effect on you ler. Ish,ish,ish.....

DrSam said...

Zendra,
I think the mood is still in the jolly good mood or the after effect of having too much 'kepala ikan'.

Still could not get access to your blog though. No link.

gman said...

i need a holiday, pronto!!!

huhu
doc, seriously, did you write this thinking hmmm..."maybe i could write something that can make gman totally jealous...and let's put some pictures too!!"
ahaha...just kidding~~~

kopok lekor, sata, nsik dagang, sotong celup tepung~
ill be chanting that till the next holiday~~heeee

enjoy your holiday doc~~~
\n_n/

zafi said...

auch! the sata! gosh i miss that food now! how alluring...
keropok lekor... oh please! i wish i can be back now... Food! :)
anyway have a good holiday!

zino said...

seronok kalau dapat bercuti ke pantai timur, terutama kota bahru dan kuala trengganu.. bila cuti sekolah penuh sesak dengan manusia.. zino berkesempatan buat lawatan singkat ke KB.. dan masa balik jem sepanjang jalan hehe

Sally said...

DRSam,

hehe..meeting in sarong eh..hmm ladies should wear 'baju kelawar' lah i reckon!..

bestnya kan holiday with family, cut off from work..

dont tell me u've put on more kg!! tak pe bukan ssokmo dapat makang gitu!

DrSam said...

gman,
Out of many wonders, you could read my mind :) Start counting the days and chanting the mantra ASAP!

zino,
memang betul tu. Bila musim cuti umum aja, bandar KT penuh dengan rakyat jelata. Nak masuk pasar beli sayur dan ikan pun susah. Cuti baru-baru ni langsung tak singgah Pasar Kedai Payang sebab bila cuba nak masuk aja sangkut.

tchersally,
The idea sounds very interesting and probably will make the meetings more enjoyable. But if the ladies wear 'baju kelawar' I am sure Batman & Robin could not concentrate during the meeting :)

Puan Ninie said...

hye DOC...;)
da best part is tang makan2 tu...hehhen talk about LEMPENG..u make me hungry but today ninie puasa....

nway, im heapy for ur family...best giler umah dekat ngan laut...;p

owhh ninie pun nak lik kg gak weekend nie..hhheeheh

DrSam said...

zafi,
Probably I could open a courier services specialising with Sata and otak-otak covering only the UK :)

DrSam said...

mEiZAraNda,
sekali-sekala pagi-pagi pergi kedai tepi pantai makan lempeng panas cicah kelapa parut muda memang mengiurkan.

Selamat bercuti dan semoga perjalanan diberkati.

patungcendana said...

good day doc...

hehehe...best kan, balik kampung...

aku pun baru balik dari dungun...meeting relatives...then melepak at pantai teluk lipat...

tapi kuantan pun ok jugak...hehehe

Yang Benar, Kakak Perkara Rawak said...

cop2!!
sata tu ape sebnanye?mcm kueh koci je..tak pena makan pon...

ASH said...

Wearing sarong does give some pretty good ideas to your writing.

..ha ha ha..
geeee..

but don't forget to wear something too 'down-under'..if you go for a meeting...JUST IN CASE!!

besi said...

seronok balik kampung dr sam....hehehe...

Sally said...

akekekeke..Batman n Robin cant concerntrate on d meeting agenda eh..and u think all d ladies can concerntrate when u guys are wearing sarung???...lol..

Eliz said...

never heard of 'sata' but it sure do looks yummy!

Liyana Safra Zaabar said...

jeles tidak terhingga ...

JohnJenin said...

Bestnya school holiday bawa anak anak pulang ke kampung. i never try satar but lempeng pisang is my all time favourite :)

i wish i still have atok and tok wan in kampung. Sigh...

Zue said...

seronoknya bercuti...:)

Mencari Sinar Bahagia @ Tommy said...

Wow...
Welcome back,my bro...
I pun rasa ingat nak gi cuti BUT
I am looking for someone to accompany me...:)

Hope to hear fr U soon...

Hidup KOKA said...

" I walked like a virgin after her first night "......

wow doc.... I like the phrase!!!!

Putting on sarong (Kain batik!!! not sarong...) and hang around the wakaf reminds me of the old days of old east coast folks!!!
You can see they lead a peaceful life without any tense at all!!

The food... I really missed them!!

Welcome home buddy!!!

DrSam said...

patungcendana,
hari tu on the way balik KL singgah juga kat Sura Gate, isi minyak kat shell tu.

Pantai Teluk lipat lama sangat tak jenguk. Last tahun 1975 masa darjah satu kat situ.

penjenayah merah jambu,
ingat ke cop apa tadi ;) bab nak describe rasa ni payah sikit. Rasa sata tu macam rasa ...apa ye? Ada sesapa boleh tolong kawan kita ni.

ashley,
That is the only way I think, that work with me efficiently to cool me off in this hot and humid country.

besi,
seronok tidak terhingga!

tchersally,
ha...ha... good one!

Eliz,
Do come to Terengganu and get your first sampling there. The original one.

DrSam said...

Liyana Safra Zaabar,
Sabor...sabor...

JohnJenin,
Ketika masih ada mak ayah dikampung ni, peluang yang ada tu tidak disia-siakan. cucu pun gembira, Atuk dan nenek pun suka sokmo.

zue,
Jom kita gi jalan-jalan cari makan sekali lagi. Hari-hari dapat sms tawaran tambang murah dari MAS dan AirAsia. Teruja juga ni.

Mencari sinar Bahagia @ Tommy,
Hi Tom! Maybe can plan something. A short holiday at a not-far-destination.

hidup KOKA,
Spot on mate! Kain batik alright (saje bagi glamer sket kain batik - Sarroeng)

Are you in KL now or still outstation? Mengeteh.

Like a virgin...teringat dulu-dulu. Bila ada aja orang kahwin. Keesokan harinya adalah suku sakat yang saje je lepak kat rumah pengantin baru nak tengok dan menilai gaya berjalan orang yang baru berkahwin tu. Nakal sunggoh :)

pal7 said...

doc..
memang seronok balik kg..
mak mesti suruh makn byk2..
smpai x muat2 perut nih..

minggu ni nk blik kg..
lama x jenguk mak ayah..hehe

MariaFaizal said...

Hi Doc,
Finally I get to place some comments here :( [due to ie problem]

And how i missed being on the beach.The wind, the smell, the sound of waves. It's a beautiful snap of Meen & Sis Zayda (with the kite) facing the ocean. Can't wait for my next holiday :)

P.S: Good for you (and other male species) that you can wear sarong minus any support anytime without worrying about gravity :D

DrSam said...

pal7,
pabila ada ruang dan peluang, memang selalu ternanti-nanti untuk pulang ke kampung halaman.

Selamat bercuti.

MariaFaizal,
Same predicament here. I am using Zayda's laptop at the moment. Mine has probably infected by H1N1 - rebooting itself everytime I turn it on. Now in ICU.

I supposed your rendezvous at HRC recently with Faizal was just a prelude to your next honeymoon. High time before you resign as a fulltime huousewife presumably soon?

p/s: anything that defy the law of gravity is magnifique :)

Inah said...

i spot few things : keropok lekor, kite flying session, kids, reunion - these are what i'm missing the most :)

i just wish we can bring keropok lekor in aussie :P

have a good break doc :)

Anonymous said...

that sata looks so delicious..yummy

DrSam said...

Inah,
Inah Keropok Inc. should be established ASAP over there, so that the Malaysians in the Kangarooland won't be left in a disapointment.

Dino,
yummylicious indeed!

theblabber said...

tq for whatever reason :)

Fly said...

Cuti-cuti Malaysia ye Doc. Banyak mengimbau kenangan 2 lama tika melihat photo2 doc :)

Meen Eunos said...

DrSam.
Kawan saye dari Terengganu
bagitahu yang kopok lekor
dari Kelulut, Marang pon sedap jugak!

balqissy said...

qissy kat ganu ni ;)
btw, doc, 1st pic tu mengingatkan pasal candat sotong plak. ahaha

Memorable trails... said...

Salam Doc,
Holiday refreshes the body and mind..so you must be in high spirit now to join back the rat race world.
Kat Kelate n Ganu ni,org pakai kain sarong di mana-mana..Cuba try doc pakai kain sarong n kain semutar gi KLCC ke ..mesti banyak mata memandang..

Naddiea said...

Salam n morning Doc..

It was true that kepok lekor from Cherating was even tastier from Losong.But most outsiders know about Kepok Losong rather than other places.Like in Seberang Takir we have one kedai kepok which is very famous because u have to take a number to be entertained.The long queue x payah cerita la kan.Siap ada parking spaces provided lagi sebab nk menunggu mmg lame.hihii...

Doc,sata in Kemaman mmg sedap tp I selalu missed kedai tu.my hubby bawak keta laju x sempat nk suh berenti.huuuhu..

bspotgurl said...

Salam Dr Sam - it was a very nice holiday trip nampak.

SRISUFI said...

Salam DrSam...

apa khabar dr.?

seronoknya dapat makan...oh nanti nak ke Terengganu juga lah rasa..indahnya

Nite Garden said...

Hmmmm... Guys in sarong are so adorable! I akan pengsan dulu hahaha

Abd Razak said...

Salam DrSam, nice article...seronok pergi bercuti ni cumanya kadangkali ianya amat memenatkan badan, take care then & safe back home

patungcendana said...

pantai teluk lipat dah agak membangun sekarang...dah ada arked makanan dsb...:-)

re:...macam lagu rod steward lak...hehehe

DrSam said...

miezi,
no bother mate!

Fly,
sekali sekala dapat meluangkan masa yang ekslusif bersama keluarga memang saat yang dinantikan. Nostalgik bahagian yang mana tu bro? Bercanda ditepian pantai dulu-dulu ke :)

meEn,
Betul tu. Memang ada kedai yang jual keropok disekitar pantai kelulut yang boleh tahan sedap. Area pantai kawasan tu pun cantik. boleh nampak Pulau Kapas dari situ.

balqissy,
Selamat bersantaian di Ganu. Jangan lupa makang nasi dagang.

Ida BorneoLove said...

would love to try any kind of shell food from the sea.

but.... tak cukup byk peluang *sob sob sob*

DrSam said...

madam gold,
Normally after coming back from a good and blissful holiday, it will take few days to get back to the reality!

Ha...ha..good idea :) Mesti kecoh satu KLCC.

Naddiea,
Salam n evening,

You're right. Keropok lekor/gonde is very synonym with Kg. Losong. we went to Seberang as well, I think I know which place you are refering to. The Q was quite long that day so I didn't bother to stop.

Wah...hubby you bawa kereta F1 ke? Lain kali bila dah lepas aja jambatan Kemamang tu, cakap aja rasa nak terkocil ke, sure dia berhenti kot :)

bspotgurl,
salam, yes everybody enjoyed the trip and the adventures. Looking forward for the next visit.

SRISUFI,
Salam Sri, semuanya alhamdulillah.

dengan adanya lebuhraya LPT, perjalanan dah jadi cepat sedikit berbanding dulu. Sila-silalah ke negeri Penyu tu ye. Pasti ada kenangan manis.

Nite Garden,
Hi....hi...hebat betul penangan kain sarong.

Razak,
Salam. Penat memang penat. Tapi berbaloi. Alhamdulillah perjalanan hari tu selamat pergi dan selamat kembali.

patungcendana,
arus perubahan dimana-mana. mungkin ziarah seterusnya akan singgah disitu.

re: :)

Ida Athanazir,
God will, Insyaallah.

wahdi said...

Hello, My 1st time here, luv ur photography, and the pic of the boat is so nice!

kucingorengemok said...

baiknya budak².. duduk dpn tv, makan, minum, nampak well mannered (as opposed to manjat, berlari, mengecahkan toys, hehe). unless ni bukan dpn tv tapi tgh dengar ceramah atok?! LAGI lah baik!

DrSam said...

wahdi,
Hello there. Thank you for dropping by. do come again and share your experience with us, the virtual friends.

kucingorengemok,
If you look carefully, the boys were actually refreshing themselves at the pit stop for a short while - before start chasing each other hysterically around the house again. Boys are boys!

Unknown said...

Salam,

bro your sata pic make me nak pi geliga balik... lapar! lapar!

Zareda Norman said...

Zar sendiri pun baru balik dari Kuantan dan singgah sekajp di Kuala Kemaman.. beli keropok dan sata.

memang bes disini even lebih sedap dari di losong..

satanya yummi.. rasa ikan.. pemandangan cantik..

next week akan konvoi beramai ramai dengan motor ke Cherating.. pasti tak akan lepaskan ke Kuala kemaman

DrSam said...

Penoreh,

Memang bergeliga orang-orang Kg. Geliga tu. Mungkin makang banyak sangat Omega 3.

Banyak kali ke ofis Jalan Jelatek, tak ada pula no HP you nak hello. Email me pls. Orang dari Perth tu pun janji nak jumpa. Boleh buat reunion kot.

Zareda Norman,
Alahai kesian lah pulok kat orang Losong. Tapi memang realitinya begitu.

Aha...dah lama tak dengar cerita you berkonvoi. Selamat berkonvoi!

Nobody said...

Best nye dok tepi pantai...
Lama x jejak kaki ni ke pantai..
jeles sih!

CATZ said...

DrSam,
sata tuh favorite catz..
kalau ingat ganu..ingat SATA..
hehhe....
pernah makn kat kemaman..sedap meletops...lama dulu.
tah bila sampai lagi...

Zue said...

Bercuti bersama keluarga memang merupakan antara saat2 indah dalam hidup kita :)

Claudia Paiva said...

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