Teluk Batik ... Teluk Rubiah .. memories of a lost playground

Showing off the place where I grew up in brings much sweet memories as well as heartaches .... sweet memories of the wonderful times I had in the place I grew up in ... heartaches to see what people do to destroy in the name of 'development' the natural beauty of the places.

I dedicate this blog to Teluk Batik & Teluk Rubiah ... the lost playground .....

I brought my guests to Teluk Batik .. to show off the beautiful beach in my hometown ... I always think that Sitiawan/Pangkor has the most beautiful beaches in Malaysia .. I have seen and been to many other beaches .... all kalah to the beauty and sand of the beaches that I grew up in .. till I went to Teluk Batik last week ...

It was in Teluk Batik that I was baptized ... by Rev. Hwa Chien as a teen ... it was in Teluk Batik that I had my 1st MIF camp ... in the chalets (right side of the beach) -- still there now ... and later we had it in the chalets on the left side of the beach ... but the place is now torn down ... perhaps business was bad ... it was in Teluk Batik that I first learned to kayak ... and it was in Teluk Batik that I had my 1st campfire and sleeping on the beach experience --- SMei and I were in the school band and the school band organized campfire night in Teluk Batik. We zzzz till suddenly we felt our feet cold and chilly .... low and behold ... the tide came to our "bed" and we had to shift our beds ... :0 .... the beach used to be bigger and longer ... my coconut trees which I used to sit under to enjoy the breeze is now all gone!

Looking at Teluk Batik now ... it looks the same as PD or Morib or Batu Feringgi or Teluk Cempedak ... Danga Bay ... Tioman Island ... Tanjung Bidara or Klebang Beach .. all the same ... commercialized! This is what 'development' and 'tourism' has done! Sad sad ....

As I googled on Teluk Rubiah .... --- the beach that we used to cycle some 20-30km to almost every Saturday mornings .... hike up .... through land (jungle path) or if the tide is low ... hike among the rocks till we reach the hidden beach .... we get the beach all to ourselves .... we sometimes hike from Teluk Rubiah to Teluk Batik ... and "shower" in the waterfall near Teluk Batik.... the jungle before Teluk Rubiah was the place where people who undergo OBS (Outward Bound School) training will be sent to for solo camping ... they are given few match sticks, canned food and a tent ... they are suppose to survive 2 nights perhaps on their own in this place.

When I was young, I asked the locals (people from Kampung Kamaruddin) why no one build chalets or campfire or zzzz in the beach -- and the legend of this place ... it seems this beach is haunted ... haunted by the ghost of the princess ... she was promised to be married but she waited and waited on the beach for her lover to return and he never did ....

Anyway ... the horrifying fact is that -- first, some goons came and build a golf resort on it and destroyed the beautiful tracks we used to hike from Kampung Kamaruddin to Teluk Rubbiah .... now, the resort is sold to an iron factory ... the entire place had been destroyed ...

The author of the blog seemed to be upset ... but as a local who grew up enjoying the place even before the resort was build --- its even worst the feelings ... i cut and paste the article and pictures of the place .... just in case this info go missing some day but I doubt the genuine concern of this article because the author seem to be promote Teluk Batik-Teluk Rubbiah hike at the end ... http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Teluk-Rubiah.html

The Teluk Rubiah Beach & Golf Resort or Teluk Rubiah as it was known, has closed its doors. The valley is sold to a Brazilian iron factory. From October 2010 on, the valley will be permanently closed to public, the golf course will be transformed in an iron factory.

Teluk Rubiah beach, from October 2010 only available for the
lucky 500 who will work at the iron factory.

The take over must have been prepared for some years as there is a lot of money involved (I heard RM20 million. And if it is not enough... a few kilometers at sea a new platform will be build for the huge cargo ships to dock.
What will be the situation for Lumut, Seri Manjung and Pulau Pangkor? Huge ships will come to bring raw iron and take the processed materials away. This will mean a lot more pollution to area and will have an effect on both Teluk Batik and Pangkor beaches.

Pangkor tourism will be affected.

• Teluk Batik beach will be polluted.
• Pangkor fishermen will find that their catch will be more polluted and have difficulties with finding the fishing waters.
• Marina Island project is doomed, who wants to buy a condo or apartment close to such a factory in polluted waters?
• Garbage and waste, already dropped by ships will increase and pollute the beaches all around including Pangkor and Teluk Batik (it is already a problem).

Regardless what the factory will do to try to reduce the effects of environment damage, there WILL be damage done. It's already begun.

Unusual view over Teluk Rubiah from one of the surrounding hills

Teluk Rubiah has its own beach which will be lost for tourists too. One can only wonder why such a factory has to be build right next to a tourist destination as Pangkor.
The 29 traditional styled chalets will not be destroyed and be in use for staff and management.

Teluk Rubiah is sold for the sake of "progress". And the reason for the sale? Teluk Rubiah Beach and Golf Resort didn't make enough money. Actually, the resort made money, but it was the golf course that cost more then it brought in.

With the lack of decent promotion there were not enough investments to maintain the quality of the resort and went in decay. Am I exaggerating? For each chalet the last few years was only ONE set of sheets and towels available!!! It's a sad story and what is worse, it seems no one cares about here in Seri Manjung and Sitiawan. The decision has been made, the factory will come and Teluk Rubiah will be rebuild at a small beach close to Teluk Batik. And to serve the golf lovers, a small golf drive range is being build at Teluk Batik.

Am I a cynic to call this "progess"? Wasn't it possible to give this area which is so close to both Teluk Batik and Pulau Pangkor a more touristy destination? I can only hope the fishing industry at Pangkor will not suffer too much from this project. And as for Teluk Batik, there is already at some days more rubish drifting on to the beach from what the ships drop in the ocean. It will only get more and the water quality will get less.
But money talks, as always. I can only wonder who is making the money in this case.

This view will only available for the lucky 500 who will work at the iron factory

Hiking

There's a good hikes to do from Teluk Rubiah to Teluk Batik. It is unclear if this will be possible in the future as, which makes sense, Teluk Rubiah will be no longer assessable for public. I am glad I have been able to do many hikes in this area, so at least I can show you what a pleasure the jungle here is. Read more this hike from Teluk Batik to Teluk Rubiah

... Kampung Sitiawan ...

I took the opportunity to ronda (drive around) bit when I was the tour guide and driver for the Canadians ..... and this took us to Kampung Sitiawan looking for roti canai (seems it has a very famous roti canai stall there but it was closed when we arrived) ... cos its roti canai for brekfast, roti canai for lunch .. roti canai for dinner for no2 ... till eventually I heard no3 saying "m getting pretty sick of roti" this morning as they ate their final breakfast in Malaysia ....

This trip brought many sweet memories for me as I drove to Kampung Sitiawan. I recall even at a very young age .. Dad used to pillion both SM & I on his little palang bicycle to take us to Kg Sitiawan just to enjoy the breeze, fresh air and play around. I remember the swing that I played with -- but sadly its no longer there now ....

Then as I grew older ... I will cycle there with SM or friends to enjoy the river mouth by myself ... with friends ... We used to cycle through the muddy road through the rubber estate and cut through Sitiawan Estate as short cut instead of using the main road to get to this place ... I recall doing this with CK .... we had great adventures of walking on the wooden bridge (which is already torn down now) .. the bridge was narrow ... and rattles when bicycles or motorbikes pass by us ... and the part where we need to go thru the swampy area .... its scary cos its cooling (cold breeze .... ghostly feeling) ... and its creepy when thoughts of crocodiles surfacing clouds my mind .... cos there were stories of crocodiles in this river. The bridge did not only served as the link to Kampung Baru or Kampung Deralik (not too sure of the spelling) but also a meeting sport for the villagers in the evenings ... as well as a fishing spot during the night time. I also remember Dad used to go to this river mouth to collect clams when the tide is down .... We used to LOVE this clam ... we will wash it clean and boil it .... the soup will be used as soup base, we remove the meat from the clam to cook bihun soup. Very very sweet and tasty ... Now ... there is NO place to collect such clams cos their habitat is destroyed in the name of 'development' ..

Sadly ... we cant enjoy and relive this feelings anymore cos the entire river mouth is destroyed in the name of 'development' .... sad sad sad ....

Eventually, when I got to the point of riding motorbikes ... I used to fetch Mom on the motorbike or accompany her to visit her broker friend who happen to be living in the local Rumah Kesihatan (local government clinic) right in front of the bridge. She was living in the small government house with her Mom, husband and 2 boys ..

From those days, I recall stories told to me that this river mouth used to be a busy port ... long long ago ... and this was confirmed when we visited the Sitiawan Foo Chow Settlement Museum ... the girl in charge told me that the 1st group of Foo Chows from Fuzhou, China arrived in Sitiawan long long ago by boat near this river mouth .... the group was led by 3 pastors.

What took me by surprise this trip was I discovered that there was a chalet that we could rent for hols ... looks like a nice quiet place for a silent retreat ...

Happy Depavali ..... Memories from Sitiawan Estate

I currently live next to an Indian family house whom I saw busy preparing for Depavali - painting the house .... cleaning the garden ... and late last nite the lady was washing porch .... and then .... firecrackers ... loud and lot .... this brings back memories of growing up in a multi-racial community - which becomes even more interesting during festive times ......

I remember getting excited over Depavali more than CNY as a child ... why .. because of the excitement of my neighbors ... Depavali is a bigger thing for us living next to an Indian community than Chinese New Year .... :0

Baby's sister and Prema's mother will be busy making the Depalavi cookies and muruku a month before Depavali -- and like many other households in the estate I grew up, they will paint their house or even buy new furniture for their homes... they will paint/draw or use colored/dyed rice their front floor with images of flowers etc. Surround their house / fence .... they will place little lights that is lighted over kerosene oil or place candles .. Depavali is a celebration of lights .. so on Depavali eve, they will light up these lights .... for perhaps a week or so ....

My Indians little friends will be thrilled because its the time of the year where they will new clothes ... this is the only time that many of them will get new set of clothes ... but there are some unfortunate ones that will not get them .....

On Depavali evening ... the air is thicken with the festive mood .... the final touches in their homes, final shopping .... by 6-7pm .... our neighbors (my friends -- all of them are kids like me) will be coming to our house ... with a round tray in their hands ... they will yell my name on top of their voices at our gate ... cos the distance from our gate to our house is very far away ....

Yes, its tradition that our neighbors will come to our home bringing their goodies (kuih raya) on their trays ... and we in return will put a palm full of sugar on their tray as a gesture of appreciation. On the right season, we may even give them rambutans or cempedak from our orchard .... so, what do they give us -- LOTS of yummies .... different types of muruku ... round2 dono what small balls (2-3 types of flavor or types of flour) ... and ah-ci-muruku (beehive) ...

In the morning, we will start our home visitation as early as 9am ... we will go from house to house to "bai-nian" ... hahhaha ... this is where we will enjoy our dhall curry .. mutton, chicken curry with tosai or idlis served on banana leave ... and we eat with our fingers .... eeemmm .... interesting .... yummy ....

Well, Happy Depavali to all my old friends back in Sitiawan Estate .. wonder if they still live there ... wonder if they are still around ....

p/s : Mom called me ... and wish me "sin-nian quay-lerk, sin-nian-huak-chai" (translation : happy new year .... new year prosper) ... pengsan!!! Yeah .... its Depavali .... Indian New Year!

The Koci Story

I discovered kuih koci that is super nice in JB .. (actually not I discover la ... Lan Nguk introduce it to me.... made by her primary school classmate) Its the koci that will melt in your mouth as you take a bite .... eeemmm ...yummy ... the fragrant of the gula melaka .... wahh .... super nice .... but super expensive ..... rm1.20 for a small one. During buka raya, I can buy 3 kuih for rm1 ... hahaha ... its very nice .... but a little expensive ....


The koci can be found in Bkt Indah .... Nyonya Joy Restaurant ... this restaurant serves nyonya food but ... its not cook by nyonya ... but two sisters who is from Spg 5 ... the elder sis (married a Baba learned cooking from an old Nyonya from Malacca) manages the kitchen ... and the younger sister (LN's classmate) manages the kuih2 .... everything is handmade .... the younger sister claims that the recipe is 100years old ... she learned from an old old nyonya who learned it from her mom ... mom's mom and the list goes on ....

I brought Pris, a full flash nyonya .. she said that the koci is nice --- so is the cendol .. and kuih ketayap ... (pulut rice with prawn shrimp sambal)


Loving the koci reminds of how we love the kuih koci sold by a man who comes round our house (Sitiawan Estate) at about 1130am. The man paddles his bicycle with a wooden box at the back and this is where he places his kuih. As he paddles, he shouts "Kuih Koci ah" .... and we will run out of our house ... calling "koci -- koci" ... if he does not hear us ... we will shout "oooii .... ooii" LOL .... those were the good old days where we have paddlers going from house to house to sell their goods .... Actually there were 2 men who will come around the same time ... both are brothers ... and they collect the kuih from our neighbor to sell.


The man sells very nice kuih koci as well ...from our house, the kuih is fresh from the oven because the man collects the kuih from our neighbor ... who happens to be Ong Siew Chu's aunty. Siew Chu's aunty also makes very very nice ang-ku kuih as well ... and I do recall fullmoon celebration of Nee and maybe even Wen .... we ordered direct from her .... in those days ... one kuih koci will cost rm0.35 I think ... and for that, we already say its expensive .... :0 ....


In fact, I dont only remember goods sold like this ... but also services ..... my 3rd aunty goes round on his motorbike to perm and cut hair! Staying in an Indian community ... brings along the experience of fortune seller who comes all the way from India .... on foot he will go from house to house to sell his service -- telling fortunes ... and he uses cards and with the help of two little birds which he carries them in a cage.


Well, I thank God for giving nice koci to enjoy ... as well as sweet memories that comes along with it .... :0 ... made a journey back to the my childhood days ...

Memories of Mooncake Festival

Coming back from Gelang Patah prayer meeting ... I saw many groups of young people and children carrying their lantern walking around the housing estate ... and as I drove into the street I live ... my neighbor lighted a row of lanterns and hang them over a poll the place between the gate and fence.

Here in Taman U ... one can really feel this festival .... the festive mood is in the air ... kids are outside their house at almost every Chinese house ... it has been a long time since I see groups and groups of young people and kids carrying their lanterns ... :0

When I was young, I remember the celebration of Mooncake festival .... perhaps I was about 6 or 7 years old ... we were living in Sitiawan Estate and we used to hang out with my second cousins who lived in the mid way along the road that lead to Sitiawan Estate.

So, that evening we went to their house .... they made lanterns from Milo and Nestum empty tins because our parents will not buy us lanterns that is made of colorful plastic papers. So, we need to make our own lanterns if we want to play with them. All you need to do is to cut the bottom of the tin, then cut stripes on the walls of the tins, lastly you press the tin downwards that made the tins roundish in shape. Then at add a wire to hold the candle at the bottom. Actually, this is the best lantern because you will not set them on fire .... :0

With these homemade lanterns, we will carry then along the road ... to the house that is a home keropok factory ... while we carry the lantern ... we shout .... "niang-teng ah" "niang-teng ah" ... literal translation from Foo Chow -- lantern display ... lantern display ....

Simple fun we had as kids .... :-0...

Off course, not too long later, we had paper lanterns which is cheaper than the colorful plastic paper lanterns ... and the Milo/Nestum tin lantern slowly fade away .... what is left is just memories of it ....

In Foo Chow tradition, we do not only have mooncakes during this festival ... we also have 2 other type of delicacy ... one is small square biscuit ... made from flour and lard ... and another .... small hard sugar coated biscuit .. which is called "lor-chu-piang" -- literal translation from FooChow ... rat's tail .... actually when I was in Fu Zhou 2 years ago, they sell these type of biscuit all year round in the supermarkets. Guess, in Sitiawan, we can only get it during MoonCake Festival ...


This is my memory of Moon cake festival - what is yours?

"Cell Group" ala Kampung Style

Hearing hymns sung in Mandarin at SM's neighborhood for wake service somehow reminds me of how I grew up having Mom's church members coming over to our house to have "cell group". In Foo Chow, we term those meetings "prayer meeting".

Fond memories of having people crowd into the living area and porch of our semi wooden old house in Sitiawan Estate. Our old house used to be a 5 room bungalow seated on a fruit plantation and coconut/cocoa plantation. As early as my primary school days I could remember Mom inviting her pastor to arrange for such a meting. Our duty was clean the house, arrange the chairs and then ... prepare refreshment ... drinks and maybe simple things like sandwiches, coconut candy, jelly (agar2), we will buy keropok from our neighbor who runs a small home industry of frying keropok .... I don't know ... what can a 9 or 10 and a 12 or 13 year old girl prepare? ... ;0 ...

People will start to come in their church van and maybe 2 other cars and motorbikes. They armed with the church's plastic stools, song books and even bibles. By 830pm, the session will start by a time of worship - all the songs are in Mandarin or Foo Chow, and then prayer .... free style .. ie, anyone can pray for any items (usually for the family, neighborhood etc) then the Word will be shared by the Pastor. The Pastor will share in Foo Chow and he can share for 1 whole hour!!! By the time the meeting ended .... it will be about 10pm and .. makan time!!!

When we moved to Tmn Berpadu and Tmn Muhibbah, Mom still continue this tradition but not as regular but I remember that when I come back from outstation, Mom will organized one ... even on a Sat night ... guess she believe that it is good for the family to come together to be prayed for.

Guess in small villages, in small communities, this is the way of community support from the church and when the pastor calls for such a meeting ... the attendance is about 30people.

So, what is your fond memory from your childhood that has impacted you? I thank God for Mom's consistent arrangement for such meetings as the prayers had indeed kept our family string through the storms that we faced and gave us also an opportunity to give thanks to God for what He has done for us. Our family does not have a family altar and in a way ... this served as family altar to us.