Be Amazed with Kuala Lipis (Part 2)

I guess my last line in the previous post was a total lie. It wasn’t a moment at all. Days to be precise. I need to become a thief of time for today’s post. Ah yes, one thing I didn’t lie is about to tell you the beauty of Kuala Lipis—a town where I constantly mocking it. Well, that’s the beauty of criticizing. You can argue from every angle to any perspective.

Straight to the point, the beauty of Kuala Lipis, is, its people. They are wonderful creature. Hospitality is best suit to describe the people of this town. I do not really know the exact dialect used by the people here because Pahang is one big state and it contains lots of culture in the perspective of the Malay culture itself. Either you may know or may not, Pahang has a lot of dialects. I mean, for example, people from Temerloh speak, pronounce, and construct sentence structure slightly different from people from other part of this state. However, people of Kuala Lipis switch their tongues to speak with me (a complete stranger and a fat Kelantanese boy) just to build the comfort and trust of the conversation. They were trying to speak Kelantanese dialect even it didn’t sound quite right but who cares. They showed me a great honor, modesty and respect. Usually, people who come from other places need to suit with the environment but it seemed here, in Kuala Lipis, that’s not a case. Unlike the old saying, here, you do not really to uphold the sky from the earth you stepped into.You can speak your mother tongue freely. Amazing.

Look at this picture below. What a place! Yes, it may look hollow and deserted but it was during daytime—where people rushing to fetch their children or crawling away from schools. Rush doesn’t exist here. People are cruising through the town without any hesitation. To me, this is a place where you can run from hustle and bustle of city life without throwing yourselves into some tiger and elephant infested jungle. Your mind will be as empty as blank paper.

The last beauty of Kuala Lipis perhaps the most beautiful of all was I hang out with my father. Is that a beauty moment? I guess yes, if you have a father like mine. We do talks, discuss, joke and laugh together but to lepak with your father only, and no one else, is a very rare occasion. World Cup is just a mere platform and excuse for him to get along with me—something he never did since my mother brought me to this God forsaken earth. I was astonished. Having just a simple lepak, with two glasses of iced tea, watching the greatest tournament in the world was simply marvelous. I can feel his acceptance as an adult and not a young boy. We talk nothing but criticizing the game and the projector. It was plain and ordinary daily conversation but it meant a world to me—an acceptance towards adulthood.

Kuala Lipis truly is an amazing town!!

Be Amazed with Kuala Lipis (Part 1)

..What is Kerambit anyway?? Nice name, I like it though..

Some people find it very easy to amaze to certain things. Things amazed to one but ordinary to other. It actually depends to one’s perspective and internal cognitive thinking ability. Honestly, I don’t run very fast to catch up with amazing things but to tell you the truth Kuala Lipis is one literally amazing place. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to promote this hollow town but only to share my experience here and what this little town has done to make me amazed.

Well, if you haven’t heard this town before, you may google it but it’s just a small town that once the state capital of Pahang before they moved it to Kuantan. In fact, Siti Nurhaliza, Malaysian’s most adorable and well known singer came from here. Yes, Kuala Lipis is a historic town with all those ‘ancient’ landmarks and civilizations. Nonetheless, I rather doubt that UNESCO would choose this town as a world heritage. Enough said.

I went there with my family to send my little brother to his school. I have been there before several times for the same purpose (I don’t see other reason to be here). Let’s start with the basic need of life—the need to feed! I must say this place provides with a lots of un-scrumptious food. I’ve tried so many restaurants and countless of kedai makan and amazingly, none I repeat NONE of these food-provider outlet give something I can even eat of. I’m not really fastidious when it comes to food. I’m not Anthony Bourdain but rather Andrew Zimmern. He always said, “If it good, eats it”. Hell yes, but, I’m afraid the foods look not pretty let alone to be tasty. I know Kuala Lipis is geographically located in the middle of peninsular Malaysia, but it’s a rubbish excuse if you said you are lack of salt or salt shortage. Sugar shortage is common but salt? Come on! If you know where’s the best soup, or famous chicken rice, or crunchy turmeric grasshopper or anything that is good to eat, please let me know. I really mean it. I guess you will not find something to eat to your heart’s content here!

Honestly, my visit to Kuala Lipis is one hell of rare incident. Fever of Fifa World Cup is like a virus crawling through your vein; it affects your daily life. Your family, your work, your lives come to a stand halt because of this once-in-four-year-tournament. No, I will write about World Cup after it ends but not today. But here, World Cup doesn’t change anything. It’s like it doesn’t even exist! Weird, very weird indeed. I tried with my father looking all over this town to find a restaurant that has tv to show world cup matches—the hotel doesn’t provide my room with Astro. In desperately need of tv, we looked, we searched, we find the right spot. Yes, there are restaurants with tv but no Astro installed. Un-believe-able-ly, there is a kedai makan with 40’’ LCD tv with Astro installed to it, but amazingly, there’s no sport package! Hell yes that is one hell good marketing strategy if you ask me! No sport package! To add to my amazing moment’s list, we found a group of young men, around 20’, lepaking in bus stand, during the football match. Mengumpat pasal anak jiran Meon, Tipah, that her boobs are getting bigger, and talk about how to upgrade their motors when the pocket is kosong. I don’t know about your places, but, in my place, that is one rare moment. Finally, after all those hard works, we found it. Even it needs to look obtuse to see the match like when you go to pawnshop for mortgage. At least we made it to watch it.

I think I must stop now; the next part will be in a moment. I promise the next part would be the beauty of Kuala Lipis. Amazing!

A Waiter’s Life

Yeah, life of a waiter … Like it sounds, it doesn’t the best job in the world or any planet you ever visited. The job is done for one reason only: to sniff the paycheck. I don’t think one’s soul to become a waiter as his or her ambition. Honestly, when you were a child, playing sand or biting your classmates’ flesh, did you ever come across someone told your teacher that he or she wanted to be a waiter?

Actually, it is not my intention whatsoever to insult or to underestimate the job of a waiter. It’s good and most importantly it’s much better than begging and stealing. I was a waiter before—way years back. I have a lot of experience dealing with all walks of life. That’s the reason why this post is posted—as a reminder to us whenever we’re dealing with waiter. Another reason is I was triggered by my friend, Brother Bear, who wrote his experiences working with fast-food outlet.

Well, there were so much painful, agonizing, tiring experiences while I was working as a waiter in one of the most famous restaurant in my small town. Yet, it was a memorable experience when I found the beauty of a waiter. I guess that’s why they call it as bittersweet. But, for today, I would like to tell you, my dear readers about funny moments of when I was a waiter. Please allow me to write the events in both Malay and English.

Scene 1

Customer A came with his girlfriend I guess (Customer B).

Me: Nak makan ape bang?
A: Erm….saya nak western dua kurang pedas…bungkus eh western tu!
B: ……………..
Me: (Jawab dalam hati) Ape kau cakap ni setan!! Aku tau la awek kau hodoh, tapi tak payah nak bajet stylo ngan aku..Kau datang kampong mane eh jakun sangat ni?
Me: Errr…..western eh bang? Kita ade chicken chop, lamb chop, t-bone steak dan macam macam lagi lah..Nak yang mane satu?
A: Kan saya da cakap saya nak western kurang pedas 2 bungkus…
Me: Ye la bang….(Dalam hati: ko ni bodoh ke atau memang bangsat nak marah aku. Haish..belajar bertingkat tingkat tapi bodoh macam tongkat)
B: …………… (Bisu agaknya)

Scene 2

C: Dik, bagi kak chopstick 1..kuah nak black pepper.
Me: Haaaa…..???
C: Chopstick kuah black pepper..Cepat sikit tau..

Sesungguhnya wujud manusia sedemikian pada zaman ini..

Scene 3

A man with his wife and his son

Wife: Adik nak makan ape?
Son: Adik nak makan chicken chop….
Wife: Ooo, nak chicken chop..nak chicken chop tu nak yang ayam ke daging?
Me: Watta hell? (dalam hati; mak cik dulu belajar inggeris ngan cikgu jepun ke)
Son: Ayam…
Man: (Dalam hati berfikir macam mana aku nak bunuh diri)

Scene 4

G: Dik, tolong potong kicap pastu tuang lada..
Me: Ape la ko nak berbelit cakap ni, cili potong la.. Ko ingat aku ni bebal sangat ke sampai tak paham cili potong . Confuse abang!

Scene 5

Awek: Kat sini ade rojak ape ek?
Me: Semua ada kat sini, rojak ayam, rojak buah, rojak jemput jemput, rojak udang…. (kemain lagi aku promote)
Awek: Erm…nak rojak awak, bley x?
Me: Rojak saya tak de la (malu malu)
Awek: Alaaa…nak rojak awak jugak..
Me: (dalam hati; eh awak ni, saya bagi betul rojak saya, kang menangis plak)

It’s freaking funny. Believe me, when you are working in a place when you can meet all kind of people under one roof, it is very weird how human can be. Well, there were many other interesting encounters with these kinds of people. You need a very good mental and great public relationship for you to qualify to become a waiter. See, it’s not easy as it looks a job of a waiter. As an ex-experienced waiter, I suggest you, to treat waiter with respect because they too, a human being who deserves respect and dignity. Every time you go to mamak or other restaurant, it is easy to comfort the waiter by simply saying thank you or terima kasih or whatever appreciation utterances that suit with the waiter. They will feel much respected and appreciated by you. If you throw them shit, they will put that shit into your cup of tea. Just a piece of advice from a citizen of humanity.

Pressing the Play Button from Pause/Stop Button

First and foremost, I would like to thank Valen for literally pushing me, to write or continue what I left before—to write blog. Honestly, I’m not always fond of writing things plus I’m not a good writer. Apparently, I just write it. To my own utter shock, some people really follow my blog. Nevertheless, with all the requirements of the world wants me to be, I end up pausing this blog from moving on. It almost one year now since I started blogging. Well, I must say after few blogs I wrote, the exuberance is running away and left me behind with a swollen brain.

Yes, I know writing blog is like writing a diary but to me writing blog is about expressing yourself in words. While diary is for personal secrecy, blog on the other hand, is telling other what is in your mind. I do read many blogs way before I jump into the pit of blog and so far I have quite a number of blogs I always read almost on regular basis. Thus, I create my own favorite list of blogs. From politics, foods, places to travel, to daily life experiences written by my friends and others.

I have so many things to share all this while, it’s just my spirit to write is shrunk but I will try my best to write many things that cross my mind before, now, and future. As a starter, I just write this ‘brief’ post as a sign to come back in the field of writing blog. True, like Valen said, it’s freaking long since I last updated the blog. Mesmerized.