Pak Idrus's Blog

December is a wet season on the east coast of Malaya. Although it always rains I still love this time of the year. It the time of the year when the weather is cold and we get to wear the sweater. A rather rare scene in a tropical country where the weather is always hot and humid. A bachelor I live at the government quarter near the Kuantan river and work a short distance away at the government office, a huge wooden complex at Jalan Gambut. During this Monsoon period which stretch till the end of January I would carry an umbrella and a raincoat to work. Today in the evening I walk along the road towards the Metropol cinema to go and watch a movie. I am alone. For this period of the month the weather in the evening was considered as good,  only a slight drizzle. On the way I saw an old man pushing a bicycle instead of riding it. Perhaps he has a reason, anyway I just walk and looks at him, thinking he is probably a relative that I seldom see. He did not look at me and kep...

It past 4pm on Sunday 8.2.20. As usual I am at the Serambi whiling the times away and these thoughts came to mind. During the colonial era it take the whole days to get to KL from Kuantan. Since only a few have cars getting around anywhere are by bus. It a bone shaker ride all the way. You take the 7am bus at the Kuantan Bus station along the Main road near the Rex cinema. It normally full and the window open wide unless when it rain when the window are up three quarter to a void folks getting wet. The air inside is as hot and humid as can be expected. The bus move on and when it reach at Tanah Putih near the Kuantan river it stop waiting to get on board the Ferry that ply from one side of the river to the other side and get on the road again. The bus move on at whatever speed it could. Then the bus conductor would go around from one passenger to another to check their ticket to see that no one get a free rides. The bus does not stop because of the communist terrorists lurking in ...

I was born in Kuantan in the state of Pahang on August 17, 1939, a period during the colonial era. Thus this Saturday August 17, 2019  I am 80 years old. The kids had arranged a Birthday Party at our eldest daughter's house nearby. So we all gather there during lunch time; surrounded with the loved one who are around that day and had sort of a family celebration with Birthday cake and the special Nasi Kunyit [Yellow Glutinous Rice] that I had requested my spouse to make for this special occasion. In those days Nasi Kunyit is always cook and served at a special occasion. It a tradition that we have had for thousands of years. So it was only appropriate that I had this done when I reach my eightieth birthday. Above is a  photo of my wife and me on that auspicious day at our daughter's house. A wonderful moment in my life indeed.  Have a nice day.

Memories kept coming back. The year 1945. The month probably July, the month the Japanese surrendered in Malaya. Me just about six years old. All the time during my growing up period I watch the red and white Japanese flag flying everywhere but suddenly I saw none. One piece of memory that is vivid that happens just before the war end is the day my my dad holding my hand and run to take cover under the rubber trees near the house when we saw a Japanese plane flying overhead.  I still remember this happening as clear as though it happened yesterday. Another incident is a time after the war when I went to see my uncle who live at Batu Sembilan, near the Kuantan Airport. On the way I saw a small Japanese Air plane that had crashed on the roadside still with the remains of the pilot in the cockpit. Amazing these two incidents are etched in my mind as vivid as ever. [Image on the left is taken from the Internet.] Have a nice day.

During my youth in the sixties the only way to listen to songs and music was to buy a Vinyl and play in on the turntable. This is a Single given to me by my girl friend at that time. She was a Nurse working at the Kuantan Hospital who I came to know. She is not a local but came from Segamat in the state of Johor. On a visit in November 1960 to a record shop she bought this and give to me as a gift that I still kept till these days. I still play it on my Turntable from time to time and every times memories of those good days came flooding back. Sort of a sad and sweet memories of our friendship. We actually planned to get married but her parent had other plan and we parted when she went back to her hometown of Segamat. The last time I met her was in Segamat in 1967 when then I was working in Johor with my office in Keluang and I from time to time visit Segamat.. Well folks life is like that. Have a nice day.

I grew up watching this flag until the Japanese was defeated in 1945. All my senior went to Japanese school. I did not. I start schooling at a Malay School when the school was reopen after the war in 1946..  Before this during the war and during the British colonisation we would watch the Union Jack every morning and sing God save the King. There was no Malaya then; all the states in the Persekutuan Tanah Tanah Melayu have their own flags and state anthems. In the state of Pahang where I was born and goes to school there was already the Pahang state flag; the Black and White flag. It was only after the war and the Federation of Malaya was formed that we have a flag, the Jalur Gemilang with the eleven pointed star and the eleven white and red strips as seen in the Malaysian flag today where the pointed stars are now  fourteens and the strips are of the same numbers as well.  Anyway up until the declaration of Independence on August 31, 195...

Whenever  I do not go out and lepak at the mall I would just sit at the Serambi and read a book. It was one of those day. It just 3.55 pm and the sky was cloudy, darker than it usually is at this time of the day. It looks like it may rain. I love the rain. Coming from the East-coast of Malaya, at this time of the year it rains cat and dog for days thus it kept the atmosphere cool. Folks had to wear sweaters to keep warm. I believe the temperature must have gone down since the coconut oil solidified. For me it was a nice time of the year where we get to wear cravat to work. I like wearing cravat and kept a few till these days. Well folks just daydreaming of the memory of my youth in Kuantan, my hometown. Ha ha!  Have a nice day.

It the first day of December 2016. It rain all night and continue to drizzle till this morning. Felt real good waking to the cool weather of the monsoon rain. Nostalgic indeed of my childhood days growing up in Kuantan. It rain and rain cat and dog for days without the sun insight. Folks had to wear sweater to keep warm. Umbrella and raincoat is the order of the day if one venture out of the house. It school holiday time and for us kids it was playtime care less of the world. Folks when I was thinking of umbrella, at that moment in time I could smell the umbrella which at that time is made of waterproof paper. Amazing that the smell came back from one's memories. And now it smells rain! Have a nice day.