Sampah...hampeh..!!!

We had a sleepless night..Sufiya was having a bad day..badan panas..so we were rushing to the office today..and late..and the rubbish bag are still at the front door outside the house, the cleaning lady and neighbour must have a negative impression on us.....


But that could not be compared with condition in Seberang Perak, just imagine the so called Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar (tak sesuai...!!!) just provide three ...i repeat 3 numbers of small garbage bin, 3 but small size to accommadate not ten houses but hundreds of them..what are they thinking!!..its been like that since many years ago, the worst part is, the amount of garbage are increasing each day and they only collect what ever inside the bin, that means whatever left on the ground will be there for few days and scattered on the road..like nobody's business..they should have a better solution, or is it because this is not an elite housing area like Jalan Sultanah, therefore people here don't deserved all those better treatment...better ripped off those Bandaraya title...

They only provide 3 garbage bin at these location: not far from Flat Seberang Perak, one at junction nearby old madrasah and the other one is infront of shophouse adjacent to Sekolah Keb Sbg Perak (P)...

Maybe the new gov. should look at this matter, can't wait for people to voice out then only you will take action. Anyway who is the YDP now..?


Back then the resident used to throw everything..I mean everything into the river..used mattress, food, plastic bags, furniture, bodies, ..etc..you name it....buang s*al..buang han*u...that was then, when civic and environment concern were at different level..and now with the campaign Kedah Maju 2010 or 2020 or 2040..we want a better facilities...this is only about sampah...i haven't touch about the road....hampeh.....


So folks...which is better...sampah as garbage or sampah masyarakat..bukan yg ditepi jalan..tapi sampah yg 'kebal' tu...??

From Madras to Great Wall

I bought kuih lopes/loopis or Lopez last week during breakfast as a supplement or snack before lunch, but those kuih ended up in the dustbin..kiasu betul masa nak beli..sometimes it's not the stomach but the desire or maybe the feeling that made us like that.



Back when we were in primary school, there used to be mamak with kandar selling kuih made by nearby mak cik- mak cik, there were wide variety from tepung talam (the one with white creamy and a bit salty top with brown and sweet bottom), abok-abok (round and flat but fluffy with sweet coconut stuffing plus small particles on the outer layer- maybe thats how the name was created), kuih sagu ( commonly in red with grated coconut topping, also fluffy..comes in different shape depends on the mak cik), sagon (ahhh...who doesn't loves this as a kid, I'm not sure about the ingredient, but this sweet things are wrapped in newspaper cone), and masalode (Indian kuih..)....



This mamak are all from India and make a living by selling kuih on this portable kandar, it is round with cone like lid, they usually start walking around around tea time. Most of them were wearing white shirt and white pelikat, some of them have a head scarf or something..nearby our house, there were rows of room on the ground floor of a big house where those mamak stayed. It was dark and narrow, just a small room fit for one person with timber bench as bed, and no luxury at all, those were basic, the floor were still hard clay and there was only one small window. One common bathroom were shared by them, not far from the land lord's house.

These were mamak kuih with kandar, another one is what we used to called 'keling botol'..no offense ya..because they were buying and selling used bottles, the modes operandi are the same, using a kandar but with basket...they will yelled...'botol ! botol...!! with thick Indian accent...(now we have 'old news paper..'). Some women used to scared their naughty children by saying that keling botol will come and get them if they don't behave... :-)

Another type is mamak who run a grocery shop, at our place names like Musa and Mohamed were famous, Mohamed's shop is much nearer to my house, whereby Musa's is not that far but just across the road, we used to go to Musa's not to buy toyu or chikedes but to get stamps from India. At that time, whoever have an oversea stamp could show off a little bit..! :-)
Time passed by, Musa and Mohamed are no longer here in Malaysia, I've heard that they went back to India...the shops are still standing with new operator..it looks almost the same, but something is missing... One thing that reminds me of Mohamed's shop is Popinjay soap, whoever were born in the 70's or before might remember this...

The only street player that remained until now is Maknya Ais (Nyonya selling cold drinks on push cart), she have been selling sarsi and oren bancuh since I was in primary school, no assistant..She will start her business in front of Sekolah Lelaki Sbg Perak and by evening she will be at a junction not far from her house which is infront of Madrasah heading to Tongkang Yard. Maknya's family are originated from China, they are Hokkien but quiet fluent in Malay..even his father were called Awang by old folks here. Their house are different from Malay house, there are influence of Chinese architecture with painted red floor and they have proper perimeter drain compared to other houses nearby.

These are the essence of a place, it doesn't have to be perfect..they are the street performer in their own way....

Bunga Tanjung, Nasi Lemak & Market Lama

Sometimes its hard to get good food in KL and especially in Putrajaya, of coz there are many choices from Western, Italian, Chinese..you name it...but when it comes to local kampung food, the task is challenging..it is either you 'll stumble upon one but with bad taste or none at all..



Thinking about this, I remember our must-have Popia Mahkamah in Alor Setar, the taste is so yummy and the popia skin is fresh and they are cheap too..maybe the sauce that make it good, the cart was situated near Mahkamah building and infront of junction heading towards Jalan Putra.But the famous popia is no longer at it's original place, the descendant of this popia seller could be found at Jalan Pegawai..his son is continuing the legacy of Popia Mahkamah..the taste might be slightly different, but I just love the thought of having something that reminds me of the past...


When we were in primary school, going to pekan (town) is either by bus, trishaw or just walk from our house which took us only 20 minutes or less depends on the weather and the company..on the way back after shopping spree..there is one place that was in our list..Restoran Bunga Tanjung..this is the old one on the other side of the road, a small restaurant with green laminated seat back to back. I remember back then, we would ordered ais kacang, satay and mee rebus and always be greeted by the owner Pak Mid himself..It was kinda stuffy but we don't mind at all coz that was a highlight of the week..

Another famous eatery is Nasi Lemak Ali which famous among outsiders as well, there are always long qeues everyday..it has been there as long as I could remember...

Modern lifestyle has influenced our eating habit too..even though there are K*C and M*D..we still go for street burger..it's not mainly because of the price but due to its taste..Burger Gemilang is run by few anak muda, and the stall is just near a junction at Medan Kota...not far from Pak Musa's. They are very generous with their ketchup, mayo and other ingredient and the bun is always fluffy not too dry like others...I've started feeling homesick....

Alor Setar is growing slowly now, few things has changed but some place never and maybe would always be there as long as there are demand and there are people who would countinue preserving the old charm of the place.

Flat Seberang Perak...dahulu

Satu-satunya flat kos rendah yang terdapat di kawasan ini adalah Flat Seberang Perak yang mempunyai 2 blok (A & B) dengan ketinggian empat tingkat, dua bilik tidur, ruang tamu dan ruang makan yang sempit, dapur yang kecil serta tong sampah yang 'wangi'. Flat ini mudah dicari kerana kedudukannya di jalan mati, sekiranya kita dari simpang berdekatan Restoran Bunga Tanjung lama, hanya teruskan perjalanan dan sampailah ke flat usang ini.



Flat ini dibina pada tahun 70an di atas tapak yang asalnya kawasan memproses papan. Menurut ceritanya, banyak kejadian aneh semasa kawasan ini digunakan untuk memproses papan, ada yang terlihat kelibat manusia yang keluar dari lapisan kayu-kayu.. :-()



Flat ini kebanyakkannya dihuni oleh golongan berkeluarga, pada masa tersebut tinggal di rumah yang sedemikian tinggi merupakan satu kelebihan jika dibandingkan dengan kami yang tinggal hanya di rumah papan. Flat ini mempunyai kemudahan laluan masuk yang minimum dan jumlah tempat letak kereta yang hanya sedikit dan padang permainan yang disediakan juga adalah hanya ala kadar.

Tetapi pada masa tersebut aktiviti kejiranan di kawasan ini amat menarik, dimana Persatuan Belia 4B agak begitu aktif dengan pelbagai aktiviti seperti lawatan (biasanya ke Tanjung aka Pulau Pinang), ceramah dari jabatan polis serta pertandingan nyanyian yang semestinya mendapat sambutan hangat dari bakat-bakat yang terpendam...:-) Salah seorang yang selalunya akan menyertai pertandingan ini adalah Bakar Pulut, dan lagu pilihannya semestinya lagu-lagu 60an... Disebabkan banyak aktivit seperti ini serta gaya hidup masyarakat pada masa tersebut, boleh dikatakan penghuni disini saling mengenali...siapa yang tidak kenak dengan Pak Hitam, dia bukannya tua, bahkan masih remaja tetapi terkenal kerana perangai dan sifat nakalnya..malah sanggup menaiki van yang membawa mayat berbangsa Cina semata-mata untuk mendapat upah....

Seorang lagi penghuni yan dominan adalah gadis bernama Farid yang agak kurang siuman, beliau tinggal bersama keluarga di Blok B dan setiap malam akan melambai dan menjerit memanggil ...'abang.....!!!!' kepada kapal terbang yang menghala ke lapangan terbang Kepala Batas, tetapi satu perkara yang menarik mengenai Farid adalah sifat baik hatinya, tetapi kerana seringkalil diganggu oleh budak-budak kecil yang nakal, Farid dilihat seperti ganas apabila beliau membaling batu... :-(

Korban Sungai

Mengikut sejarah perbandaran di negara Eropah dan juga di negara kita, sungailah selalunya menjadi titik permulaan sesebuah bandar, lihat sahaja Seine River di Paris yang masyhur dan banyak lagi bandar di dunia yang semuanya bermula dipinggir sungai yang merupakan nadi pengangkutan.

Sungai Kedah juga merupakan laluan utama pengangkutan pada masa dahulu, bukan setakat itu sahaja sungai ini berfungsi malah turut menjadi 'death zone' buat mereka yang patah hati, mabuk dan sebagainya yang tidak dapat dijelaskan.

Jika sesiapa anak jati dari sana pasti sinonim dengan cerita-cerita korban sungai pada hujung tahun pada lewat 80an dahulu. Ada yang kata 'sungai nak cari orang'...apa-apa pun yang pasti setiap hujung tahun ada sahaja mayat kembung dijumpai di permukaan sungai, di bawah jambatan atau dibawah rumah yang menganjur ke dalam sungai.

Pada suatu hari di tahun 80an, anak jiran kami (Cikgu Mara) memberitahu ibunya bahawa ada patung terlekat dibawah rumah mereka, bila diperiksa rupa-rupanya mayat seorang lelaki India yang sudah kembung..cerita tersebut heboh dalam sekelip mata, dan kami budak-budak yang tidak berapa berani ini dengan pantas menjadi P.I untuk memastikan sendiri bahawa patung tersebut adalah sebenarnya mayat..dan kami sanggup menunggu jip polis dari Balai Polis Alor Setar mengangkut mayat tersebut, masih terbayang sehingga ke hari ini kakinya yang kejung di atas jip polis...ada yang membuat andaian bahawa mungkin si mati mabuk..seperti mangsa yang lain....

Terdapat satu lagi kisah tragis yang pastinya akan diingati sampai bila-bila bagi kami disini, apabila enam orang pemuda menjadi korban dalam masa sehari, kisahnya bermula pada tahun 80an juga, enam orang anak muda menaiki sampan menyusuri Sungai Kedah pada waktu petang, entah macamana sampan yang dinaiki karam dan salah seorang penduduk di Flat Seberang Perak (Allahyarham Jit) tampil membantu, tetapi malangnya yang dibantu bukan lagi bernyawa, kelima-lima mereka telah lemas...tetapi syukur seorang lagi sempat diselamatkan..Ajal Maut Di tangan Tuhan...orang yang membantu juga menjadi statistik korban pada hari tersebut..maka terjadilah hari yang Tragis di Seberang Perak apabila enam mangsa terkorban dihujung tahun (ini menguatkan lagi mitos tentang korban di bulan Disember)..

Keesokkannya ramai yang memenuhi kawasan ini meratapi pemergian mereka, kami hanya memandang dari bawah pokok sukun yang besar bertentangan dengan surau, melihat satu persatu keranda diusung ke tanah perkuburan..memang menyayat hati...

Tengkujuh

Musim tengkujuh sekarang sudah tidak menentu, tidak seperti 20 tahun dahulu dimana Ramalan Cuaca boleh dipercayai, tapi zaman sekarang semuanya boleh berubah dan berbeza-beza, 'global warming'...atau dah akhir zaman.

Seberang Perak adalah bersebelahan dengan Sungai Kedah, tetapi sepanjang 33 tahun (?..that old..?) hanya sekali kawasan ini dilanda banjir, itu pun semasa banjir besar melanda negara. Pokok-pokok nipah masih lagi menjadi penahan tebing dan pokok - pokok kiambang masih bertaut di permukaan sungai. Pada malam tersebut, dengan berbekalkan lampu suluh berwarna kelabu kami keluar meninjau kepantasan air sungai mengalir ke darat...dalam masa lebih kurang satu jam, air sudah memenuhi seluruh rumah dengan kedalaman 2 inci...mujurlah air tidak berganjak naik lagi, jika tidak habis semua barang perlu ditong sampahkan...

Dan itu merupakan pengalaman pertama dan terakhir banjir di sana, walaupun hujan lebat berjam-jam, Alhamdulillah jarang susah berlaku banjir disitu tidak seperti di Kuala Lumpur, yang kerap sekali dilanda banjir kilat.

Setiap kali hujan lebat pintu air di Empangan Jajar akan ditutup atau dibuka bergantung kepada situasi semasa dan isipadu air laut, kadang-kadang air Sungai Kedah meningkat tinggi dan dikhabarkan kerana air dari Siam (Thailand) mengalir banyak ke sini...

Mukadimah

Assalammualaikum,
Niat dihati hendak mendokumentasi sejarah tentang tempat kelahiran ini sememangnya telah lama ada, bahan sedang dikumpul tapi masih belum mencukupi ..dan cara yang terbaik dan mudah adalah dengan menghasilkan blog seperti ini.

'tempat jatuh lagi dikenang, inikan pula tempat bermain....'

Jika dilihat sekali lalu, tiada apa istimewanya tempat ini, Seberang Perak hanyalah sebuah perkampungan dipinggir bandar Alor Setar dan bersebelahan dengan Sungai Kedah yang mengalir lesu (meminjam tajuk buku Sasterawan Negara A.S Said). Sungguhpun begitu ia mempunyai sejarah serta kenangan buat mereka yang pernah lahir, tinggal, dibesarkan atau singgah sebentar...Disinilah lahirnya tokoh negara, penggiat seni dan pelbagai jenis manusia dengan pelbagai masalah dari ekonomi, masalah pendatang, masalah dadah dan gam serta masalah sosial remaja.

Blog ini bukan hanya mengungkit cerita lama, tetapi bakal mengetengahkan isu semasa untuk tatapan dan rujukan bersama.

Jika terdapat sebarang cadangan serta komen-komen membina, silalah dihulurkan untuk kebaikan semua pihak.