SUNGAI CHOH (21) : Once Upon A Time | Really Unsympathetic

Really Unsympathetic

(Action Speaks Louder Than Words) 

Unsympathetic

Wouldn't Hesitate

Something Wrong

Action Speaks

Louder Than Words

We rather turned back when we heard Cikgu Mansur's voice. Really unsympathetic to our ears. He wouldn’t hesitate to take any action if we had done something wrong. To him words were wasting time. That’s true, “action speaks louder than words”.That's why we nicknamed him "Cikgu Rimau", because anger would turn his voice to a roar. When he was not in a good mood, we had to be very careful not to annoy him. So we just kept quiet or might as well let the "tiger" alone.  But once he was angry, we all trembled to the bone.

Most Popular

English Teacher

Beyond Compare

Too Ramantic

A Cat Walk

Anyway, If we were to vote for the most popular teacher, surely "Cikgu Rimau" was out of the list. Of course,  the popular vote was in the hands of Teacher Halimah. Our English teacher,  whose beauty was beyond compare. Her smile could subdue the courage of young people as well. But I liked her because of her  pleasant voice and her curly hair. Her voice was too rhythmic and romantic, so pleasant and promising. When she walked she looked like a model walking down a catwalk.  Her hair looked wavy, so attractive to my eyes. So that’s once upon a time story at Sekolah Umum Sungai Choh. Was I too imaginative by then?

A Goodd Luck

Handicraft Subject

Without Mercy

Unexpected Dream

A Win-Win Situation

However I still remembered the incident that brought me a good luck. So to make it a destiny, that morning I forgot to find fresh bamboo for handicraft subject. Fortunately  a burnt  bamboo "lemang" was available at my backyard. But then, unfortunately I raised the blood of "cikgu Rimau" in the class. So without mercy I was beaten to bleed. To my surprise he suddenly embraced,  and persuaded me not to tell my parents. I  simply nodded. Surely it was  unexpected dream then. Yet from that day,  I was the right-hand man of “Cikgu Rimau”. Might be this was a win-win situation.

SUNGAI CHOH (20) : Once Upon A Time | Burning Firewood

The Aroma Of Bengkulu Cuisine

(Firwood Was A Necessary Commodity For The Kitchen)

Smoky Haze

Floated Gently

Bengkulu Cuisine

Rhythmic Message

More Delicious

Sometimes my elder brother and I had to collect firewood from a rubber plantation. Only a hearing distance from my backyard. Those were the days, when firewood was a necessary commodity for the kitchen. No firewood meant no food to eat. Of course at noon, the smoky haze from the kitchen floated gently. Sooner or later the aroma of burning firewood and the aroma of Bengkulu cuisine filled the entire room. By then our stomachs sent a rhythmic message to our ears. What a mouth-watering aroma. Indeed, the food cooked by firewood was more delicious. Even sometimes as words of joke, the old folks would say; "you are unaware when your father-in-law is walking behind you". Meaning, how appetizing the meal was.

A Bowl Of Rice

"Sambal Tempoyak"

Meeting Room

Nutrition Information

Even though the dish was just a bowl of rice, a slice of small fish and a plate of vegetables, nevertheless everything was appetizing. Especially, when "sambal tempoyak" and "kicap" were avaible, "ladas nian". Usually we ended up with sweat all over our faces. Then lay on the wooden wall with eyes getting smaller and smaller.  By then the taste was what mattered most. So it was true that the kitchen was a family meeting room and the taste was a family bond back then. However we  did not really care about nutrition information or serving size whatever. Even the words of energy, protein, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins were rare to the ears of our mother.

Puntung Berasap

Floating Smoke

File Of Firewood

Latest Equipments

Modern Touch

However “zaman puntung berasap” have gone for ever. No floating smoke fill the kitchen and no pile of firewoods can be seen in the corner of the kitchen. No more sitting on the floor, “duduk bersila makan bersama”. So the culture of eating together that Bengkulu people practiced in those days can no longer  be seen anywhere. On the other hand, the kitchen nowadays is provided with the latest equipments in line with the modern touch such as refrigerator, washing machine, microwave, dishwasher, rice cooker, water heaters, you name it.

SUNGAI CHOH (19) : Once Upon A Time | River Expedition

A Place Of Interest 

(We Began Our River Expedition)

A Rendezvous

River Expedition

Wading Upstream

Amazing Beauty

Musical Sound

During the weekend I had a rendezvous with my good friends, Ud and Enol. So that morning we walked down the road. We passed Sekolah Umum Sungai Choh and continued to the bridge of Sungai Choh in Kampung Tanjung. The bridge was actually a place of interest for young people of Bengkulu to chat as they sat on the bridge fence. Sometimes they teased the girls who passed by the bridge. So then under the bridge we began our river expedition. Though small, the river winded its course through fruit orchards and bushes. Occasionally we came across women washing clothes and bathing. However we went on wading upstream, as far as Hulu Waterfall. Hulu Waterfall was once an amazing beauty to the eyes and a musical sound  to the ears.

Really A Tragedy

Lost Its Beauty

Touch Of Nature

Recreational Retreat

Heartbreaking Phenomenon

However in the course of time, Hulu Waterfall then became nostalgic to the feelings. Recently my friend Sameon HT ex penghulu of Batang Kali sent  a pathetic message about Hulu Waterfall. It was really a tragedy to the waterfall. No longer as it was in the mid-fifties. It had lost its beauty and wonder. Even the touch of nature had gone for ever. No more recreational retreat for the family, no more dating place for the youth and no more honey moon venue for the newly married couple. What a heartbreaking phenomenon. It's no longer sustained and maintained its beauty and wonder. It is left in the bushes, abandoned and deserted. Nobody visits it and no one else enjoys its beauty. Not  even  a shadow to see and no even a trace to follow.

Modern Retreat

Modern Fantasy

Touch Of Nature

Feeling Of Blessing

Gift Of Nature

However, nowadays our grandchildren  lose themselves in the joy and excitement of the modern retreat. A place of recreational activities  for pleasure and amusement, such as Water World I-City, Sunway Lagoon, Legoland, A’Formosa Resort, Sunway Lost Word; you just name it. They seem to float in the realm of modern fantasy, followed by the cries of joy. However there is no touch of nature and no feeling of blessing. The kids only get the excitement of merry-go-round but they never ever feel the gift of nature. There is no cry for astonishment, only laughter for pleasure. And there is no wild calls from the jungle, only the deafening noise from merry-go-round. Everything has changed. Sometimes these changes make grandpa and grandma lonely and isolated. Only past memories give them a bit of happiness.

SUNGAI CHOH (18) : Once Upon A Time | Really Challenging

 Competed Against Each Others 

(As Jihadists Who Faught Against Lust)

It was really challenging during the fasting month. Anyway, my friends and I competed against each others. Not to miss even a day, meant “gerot nian” for a small boy. Full fasting was a success Then. By then we would be in the list of honours, as jihadists who faught against lust. However, during the day I had to undergo the challenge of the senses. The mouth, the ears and the eyes had been indoctrinated for fasting. That’s not to see, to hear or to say anything bad. So I had to fight against my thirst and hunger by all means. Yet there was nothing I could do. The first week of fasting month, the days seemed to be moving too slowly. The more I looked at the clock the more I felt time moving backward. Sometimes hunger made me dreaming about food delights.

Just imagine,  how every day we looked at the kitchen as if there was food on the table and as if the appetizing  aroma came from every corner. Especially when looking at Junas’s coffe shop, so tempting. So it was true that fasting was an all-out fight against appetite. It felt like a real challenge to suppress our appetite. That's why breaking the fast was a moment that has long been waiting.  My appetite was suddenly increased significantly as if  I could finish three plates of rice and 5 glasses of syrup. However, how fortunate  the boys of today are. Nowadays our kids have a lot of gameplays from handphones and series of entertainments from TV. Just to distract them from feeling hungry and thirsty. So time passes without them realizing it.

Anyway the scenario turned lively at night, together with the sound of bamboo cannon  from various corners of the village. That night was actually the highlight of the day. Houses were decorated with kerosene  lamps from unused cans milk. Some were quite creative to make bamboo lamps in various forms. Here and there children of my age celebrated the night,  playing car lamps made from bamboo. We enjoyed the night as far as Kampung Ulu. In the meanwhile, the girls played candles to join the celebration. As for the old folks, they usually gathered at Junas's  Coffee Shop after terawih prayer. Chatting over  cups of coffee before listening to Musabaqah Al Quran from the radio.

SUNGAI CHOH (17) : Once Upon A Time | Worthy Of Effort

Once Upon A Time

(The Boys’ “Warriors” Explored Every Corner Of The Jungle)

Section 17

Long House

Wooden Shop

Jalan Tanjung 1

Junction of Jalan Tanjung 1

We didn't know who started  firing the first bamboo cannon. However he was the first to declare the battle of sound. Whatever, it was just a matter of time. Only the first to finish  the homemade bamboo cannon had the opportunity to unofficially fire the first round.  By then it was worthy of  effort. Actually the explosion of a bamboo cannon was a sign of Ramadan. It meant Ramadan was just around the corner. However the bamboo cannons begun the battle of sound when fasting day was declared. So all the boys from each Village: Kampung Padang, Kampung Hulu, Kampung Lembak, Kampung Baru, Kampung Sekolah, Kampung Hilir Terendam and Kampung Tanjung would struggle hard to make their cannon the loudest of all. It was not surprising when the boys' "warriors" explored every corner of the jungle  to find the best bamboo for their cannons. Thus everybody tried to be at one’s best.

Sungai Sarawak

Sg. Choh Stesen

Sister's Wedding

Jalan Tanjung 1

House By The Road

You would be the honour of your village, if your cannon met the expectation of all “warriors”. That was an homage to the tradition of bengkulu “warriors”. So of course my eldest brother and I made our own cannon. Only to find the bamboo from a nearby river. For sure the bamboo was not as “wild” as  the bamboo from the thick forest. Anyway we couldn’t  bother much, as long as we were together in the battle of bamboo cannon. After all we could claim the title of bamboo canon “warriors”. By then, it was really an excitement. “Arok nian” when the explosion broke the silence of the night, and then repeated after each explosion. It was like a relay of explosion, never ending until late at night. The more late the night the stronger the blast.  So the bamboo cannon battle continued until early in the morning. Only occasionally heard in the morning when many of the bamboo “warriors” had gone to bed, It had been a hard day's night,  so they slept soundly. 

Lonely Counryside

Reality Of Kampung Life

"Di Balik Kedewasaan"

Homestay In Kg. Tanjung

Surau Al-Idris Tulis Tanjung

However  today’s boys only find themselves in the jungle of the bricks. They never have experienced the heart beating adventure of a lifetime. Even more, they never experience the real warriors of bamboo cannon. In fact, we experienced the hardships, and the pain of wandering through bushes and forests in search of bamboo. We felt insect bites, pierced by shrubs and thorns and scratched by thorny forest trees. So they are no more and no  less, keyboard warriors. Thus they manifest their  warrior nature in a safe environment, only fighting in virtual battle. Anyway It's just the invention of technology without any adventurous life or any fighting spirit. Actually it doesn't make any difference, either they are the winners or they are the losers. In the end, they have to  experience from a long  mental fatigue.