31 January 2011

Stamp Inspiration of Cikgu Tan Pulau Babi

If it was not because of Cikgu Tan Pulau Babi, I might not continue my childhood passion of stamp collecting until now. In a way Cikgu Tan deserves the credit. Cikgu Tan was my mathematic teacher when I was still searching for the purpose of life at SMUSZA, Ladang. I didn't get to know him very well or even to notice his full name. In fact I didn't know where he came from or his place of origin. But what I knew was his usual lepak place called Pulau Babi hence the reason my friends and I called him Cikgu Tan Pulau Babi. In my days and among my small circle of friends, Pulau Babi was normally associated with Muallaf (a convert). The place was a desolated place connected by a dusty road leading toward Hulu Trengganu. At least that was my impression of Pulau Babi.

The subject of pulau in Trengganu is very interesting and until today this subject has never ceased to intrigue me. When one talks or refers to a place named after a pulau in Trengganu we have to be real careful. Unlike the real or true pulau such as the petite Pulau Sekati, or other popular Trengganu archipelago (Redang, Perhentian, Bidong, Tenggol, kapas, Gemia etc.), some of the pulau namely Pulau Kambing, Pulau Rusa, Pulau Kerengga and another pulau that denotes some of the sweetest people in the world i.e Pulau Manis, they don't resemble any floating island that surrounded by water at all. They are all part of Trengganu mainland. Probably these pseudo-pulau share similar fate as Pulau Duyong, which I believed many many Geography years ago was a delta, later connected with the mainland by years of sedimentation.

But lets us not indulge too much about the pseudo-pulau as this entry is meant to bring back my personal account as stamp aficionado.

Actually it was more to do with vengeance. Cikgu Tan was a no hanky-panky type of person. Whenever he came to our classroom, a thick arm-length rattan became his best companion he never left behind. The rattan was just like his twin brother. He was very serious with his job and he didn't tolerate much with people who didn't take him seriously in his classroom. That was what I did that one particular fateful day. In between one of his lessons, while my other colleagues struggling to figure out what was the answer to some of the given mathematical questions, I on the other hand was so busy showing off my first ever stamp collection to my other kaki. It didn't take that long before my first ever stamp album was confiscated by Cikgu Tan and I got one stingy reminder on my face. Weird this may sound, but that particular event was the one that triggered my passion. I think I deserved that fiery-palm reminder on my face too.

Since that day and with full of retribution, I started to gather more stamps and stamp albums. My main source of stamp supply was from Kedai Pok Loh Yunang and Pasaraya Hock Kee Seng (both places are now a history) which became my regular pit-stop before I continued my journey back home after the school hours. But that didn't satisfy my curiosity as most of the stamps were normally imported stamps and didn't feel quite real, not like the one I could peel off from the envelopes. Somehow, those stamps on the envelopes seemed to have their own feeling and very personal.

I then started to join pen-pal club. Those days pen-pal club meant you really have to write on paper (or tissue paper) and sent them in stamped envelope as a mean of communication - no e-mail or face-bug whatsoever. Then there was another joy. Mr Postman came only once in a blue moon to our kampung and whenever I saw this ever smiling Mr Postman came by and delivered bundle of envelopes to my doorsteps I became so excited. This meant more new stamps. I could spend hours, not reading the letter but peeling off the stamps from the envelopes, soaked them in water, dried them off in between pages of a book and waiting patiently for them to dry before passionately arranged them in the albums.

This passion with stamps dragged on and at one time I almost became angau with stamps. It was not the same angau feeling whenever you met your awek of sweetheart but those feeling was really fulfilling. The history of those stamps or the story behind each stamps or who was the last person handled those stamps or to whom and what purposes those stamps were for become more and more fascinating than ever. Perhaps those stamps kept the secret for one of the most beautiful love story ever.

Until today, I don't know what happen to Cikgu Tan Pulau Babi or my first ever confiscated first ever stamp album. That has now become another sweet history of my life and by writing this entry I dedicate my everlasting enthusiasm to Cikgu Tan Pulau Babi...wherever you are.

28 comments:

mirachantek said...

i never knew Pulau Babi exists...

DrSam said...

mirachantek,
even uncle Gooogle got confused :)

pal7 said...

DrSam..
hobi yg menarik..

*xpernah dengar Pulau Babi even ada few friends from Trengganu..hehe

Afida Anuar said...

Dr Sam...If im not mistaken la, Pulau Babi name was changed to other proper name. Pulau Kambing.. was it? errrr...

oh Pulau Rusa pun ada!..hehe

PS: Those are some of your collection Dr? With a kind of serial number tuu:D

Abd Razak said...

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله

At one time, i did a lot of stamp collection tapi sekarang ni dah kurang minat...

DrSam said...

Waalaikumussalam ustaz. mungkin kesibukan kerja dan kesuntukan masa kot ustaz...

Anonymous said...

Masa kita mula-mula pindah ke Ganu ni, sibuk nak ajak suami ke Pulau Duyong,(nampak signboard). Sekarang ni dah cantik sikit pulau Duyong tu, ada resort lagi. Dah 2 kali kita pergi, masa mes night.

Kita pernah juga collect stamp masa kecil, ingat nak suruh anak sambungkan, tapi, mereka tu tak minat laa... ayah mereka yang sibuk-sibuk bawa balik stamp.

Pulau babi tu dah tukar ke nama lain ke ? Pulau Musang ??

DrSam said...

pal7,
saya pun hairan, bila saya tanya beberapa kawan Ganukite pun ada yang tak pernah dengar cerita Pulau Babi ni...mushkil...

Afida Anuar,
Bila diamati, banyak pula nama tempat di Trengganu yang guna nama pulau dan bersangkut paut dengan binatang :)

p/s: Dulu-dulu zaman kumpul setem ikut mana ada aje, sekarang cuba ikut thema pula.

DrSam said...

kayteeze,
Sebenornya saya lebih suka Pulau Duyong original ketika kurang pembangunan (terutama era Monsoon cup). Hilang 'charm' Pulau tu...

Minat rupanya tak boleh dipindah milik ya Tie :)

zino said...

saya pun suka kumpul stem.. saya ada dua album stem ni.. sampai sekarang kalau jumpa stem yg menarik saya masih simpan hehe..

besi said...

pnh dengar nama pulau babi..
tak sangka lak ada...?

setem...mungkin dah berkurangan sekarang ni..org suka email je

acctualy good hobby

DrSam said...

zino,
sama lah kita. Bersepah setem sana sini (dalam sampul surat, celah laci etc.) tak sempat masuk album :)

besi,
zaman baru hobi pun banyak yang baru-baru. tak ramai yang lekat pada hobi lama (mungkin orang lama-lama juga)

yohteh said...

...yes..! Pulau Babi...

...some friends above says it was changed to Pulau Kambing... and Pulau Musang... and they might be thinking of some other Pulaus...

...no folks..! no..! your thoughts will never never correct..! Pulau Babi does exist and staying still, although casting only behind its changed names (which taken place in the era of Tun Razak as a Minister of Rural Developments when nation's Rancangan Luar Bandar was launched, way back to fifty years ago in the early 60's..) comprising portions of Mukim Manir and Mukim Serada, Pulau Babi was onced occupying adjacently facing both sides of Terengganu River... look at the link here... (just steadily enlarge the sattelite view to grab my points..)

...and it's my scribbling memories which I'd penned down here... from the South bank of the river, the point where I stood, that may describe it further...

...yes, Pulau Babi... the name had changed... but neither to Pulau Kambing nor to Pulau Musang... and me myself, humanely, is one of the "produce" of Pulau Babi... cheers.!

DrSam said...

yohteh,
really yohteh...! ha...ha...ha...what a pleasant coincidence...

sebenor-benornye ambe sendiri pong dok kenal mane Pulau Babi ning. Cume dengor-dengor oghang ceghite je.

Thank you very much yohteh for a very well researched and detail explanation on this mysterious place.

Send my warmest regard to Cikgu Tan Pulau Babi then...

little ain said...

never knew the existence of pulau babi in terengganu. heeee :D

but i live near to pulau kerengga. hihi :)

do come to pasir puteh (merhang) and have a taste of jagung rebus and roti paung, here at my place.

Syed said...

That's the different between you and I, masa tu you dah start searching for the purpose of life [very philosophical], I was busy searching for a girlfriend... hehe :)

"Perhaps those stamps kept the secret for one of the most beautiful love story ever" - such a romantic notion lah doc :)

CAHAYA said...

You collect stamps too? Ahh, nice.

It's like trip down memory lane when I read this entry. I remember when I used to list my hobbies in my KOKU card. 1. Mengumpul setem 2. Membaca 3. Bersukan.

Haha. I wrote the same hobbies for 6 years although I hardly do no. 1 and 3.

DrSam said...

little ain,
the road that passes through your kampung always makes passersby salivating. And the smell is nice tu. The kampung should be named kampung asap wangi :)


Syed,
In an almost all-boy school, I have to readjust my priority right le. Not much choice what... :)


CAHAYA,
me too...actually I (and probably others tooo) have redefined the term 'collecting'...yes we do collect them, but almost all of the collections are dumped into boxes, drawers, envelopes etc... :)

Pn Kartini said...

Salam:)

Masa zaman budak2 lagi dah dengar pasal Pulau Babi ni..:)
Kalau tak silap..dah tukar namanya pada Pulau Bahagia...:)
Moga bahagia selamanya org2 di sana ya...:):)

zafi said...

Oh When I look at the title.It's already intrigued me!! I think Ive heard about this island before ... probably they change name ke? :D

DrSam said...

Pn. Kartini,
Waalaikumussalam Pn. Pengalaman saya pun sama. Ingatan yang kelam-kelabu kerana mendengar perbualan tentang pulau tersebut, namun pada masa itu tidak pernah menjejak kaki di situ.

zafi,
To know more about the history and secret of Pulau Babi, we have to really ask Yohteh. He has a really personal and intimate experience with the used-to-be Pulau Babi.

Afzainizam said...

… ....Gong Xi Fat Coi……..
┏〓〓┓┏〓〓┓┏〓〓┓
Wish you healthy always
┗〓〓┛┗〓〓┛┗〓〓┛
....lllllll........ lllllll .......lllllll....
Salam dari kami…
http://firestartingautomobil.blogspot.com
http://bukandoktorveterinar.blogspot.com/

uihhhhh hobi masa kecik tapi aku jenis hangat hangit tahi ayam ajerrr....

uihhhhh pulau babi kat Johor pun ader

catz said...

salam,

entry ni mengingatkan hobi kumpul setem zaman sekolah.
i got 2 stamp albums. kedua2 album hadiah sempena dapatg no 1 or no 2 dalam kelas.now tataw tah kat mana.
now zaman internet ni, ada tak lagi budak2 berhobi kumpul setem nih??
hiks...

happy holiday!

Sir Pök Déng said...

Pulau Babi? Never knew it exist! In Dungun, we got Lemongrass Island. Pulau Serai. It's not suitable for those who suffer angin dalam badan.

I didn't collect stamps during my childhood days. Instead, I collected pictures of sport cars. They were ripped from newspapers. I glued them in my buku latihan sekolah.

Funny thing is, when I reach adulthood, I don't have much interest into sport cars. People my age normally talk about car's modifications -- like turning a Kancil into a Mira, or a Proton into a Mitsubishi. I don't have interest in that, really.

Afzainizam said...

۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞
Saya menyeru kepada semua sahabat untuk sama-sama kita berdoa bagi keselamatan dan kesejahteraan para pelajar dan rakyat Malaysia di Mesir.Semoga Allah swt melindungi mereka semua dari segala malapetaka dan bahaya
http://firestartingautomobil.blogspot.com/
http://bukandoktorveterinar.blogspot.com/
۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞

DrSam said...

Afzainizam,
WSM. Banyak juga rupanya nama pulau yang bersangkutan dengan haiwan di tanahair ni.

komen #2: sama-sama kita berdoa dan memohon kepada Allah S.W.T agar saudara seagama kita selamat dan mendapat perlindungan dariNya.

catz,
tu le catz...anak-anak saya pun tak berapa minat mengumpul setem. Zaman sekarang ni banyak sangat pilihan untuk mereka jadikan aktiviti. tak macam zaman dulu-dulu...

Sir Pok Deng,
If you notice according to yohteh description, Pulau Babi, Pulau Musang and Pulau Rusa situated very closed to each other. So we can imagine long time ago this place is just like a Serengeti...Trengganu style!

arsaili said...

wowww...stamp collection my hobby too..masa kecik..now lama dah tak pegang the album...but stamp sarawak wif pokok lada tu ada dalam my collection...

DrSam said...

arsaili,
sekarang kalau nak aktif semula, lenguh-lenguh habis bahu (sorting, separating, archiving etc). Kalau ada collection bolehlah tukar-tukar macam zaman muda-muda dulu...

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