The happening Sunday, May 11, 2008. It was a beautiful Sunday, with blue sky and patches of clouds here and there. Indeed a great day to take a slow drive to the rural area. Our niece had invited us to come over to her farm at Janda Baik for families get together. So as usual I took a lazy drive and got there just before three in the afternoon. The others are already there and I could see the women folks doing their cooking at the makeshift kitchen. It smells good and I could smell the aroma of grilled fish as well. I parked my car and then join the rest to have a good time in this beautiful enclave of Janda Baik. It was a time to sit and relax and chat while enjoying the foods and drinks. It was a day to enjoy living in such a beautiful rural environment.
These are some images of Janda Baik, scene that we would not be able to see in the urban area. In Kuala Lumpur open burning is prohibited, so there are no chances of seeing such scene which are common in the Kampong [village]. When I was growing up in the Kampong we would gather all those rubbish which includes the dried leaves and branches and make a bonfire of it in the evening. It would create smoke which would drive the mosquito away. As kids it was fun to get to light up the dried leave and branches and turn it into a bonfire. Sometimes such burning is done in the orchard to get rid of the unwanted orchard waste. At the same time it would provide the carbon dioxide that plant needs to grow. Coconut palm needs the smoke to grow well, so it is a familiar sight to see open burning done in such plantation. Now living the city the scene of open burning are no longer seen. So it is in a place like Janda Baik that we get to see such a happening, which made such scenes so special to us folks from the city. Yet it turns out to be another wonderful day with the families. Have a nice day..
These are some images of Janda Baik, scene that we would not be able to see in the urban area. In Kuala Lumpur open burning is prohibited, so there are no chances of seeing such scene which are common in the Kampong [village]. When I was growing up in the Kampong we would gather all those rubbish which includes the dried leaves and branches and make a bonfire of it in the evening. It would create smoke which would drive the mosquito away. As kids it was fun to get to light up the dried leave and branches and turn it into a bonfire. Sometimes such burning is done in the orchard to get rid of the unwanted orchard waste. At the same time it would provide the carbon dioxide that plant needs to grow. Coconut palm needs the smoke to grow well, so it is a familiar sight to see open burning done in such plantation. Now living the city the scene of open burning are no longer seen. So it is in a place like Janda Baik that we get to see such a happening, which made such scenes so special to us folks from the city. Yet it turns out to be another wonderful day with the families. Have a nice day..
10 comments:
Dear PI,
I think you have visited a great place in Janda Baik. Located beside a dense forest and with some fruit trees in the compound, overnight stays during the fruit seasons would be nicer.
From the way you described it, it is indeed great to be back to the kampung environment. Mmm, I like the smell of burning wood and leaves too. There, a kopi-o with just about any food would be heavenly. This always remind me of the joke on why work so hard when the end is just to lie down and enjoy simple life.
Have a nice day.
anonymous[12:03], thanks for the visit and the kind words, as well as sharing your thoughts on this posting.
Indeed Janda Baik is a great retreat for folks from KL. It is just less then thirty minutes away and you are in another world. A world of simple living. Well, it is only after going through the hard part of making a living that we began to appreciate this simple lifestyle.
If we had live all our lives in the Kampong we would have not appreciate its beauty. It is the come back to basic that made living so wonderfully colorful. Sure a cup of steamy kopi-o would be great to whilst the day and day dreams as well.
Have a nice day. Take care.
Hi Pak Idrus
I have never lived in a kampung but I was close to one (near my grandmother's house in Malacca). Although we lived in Bandar Hilir, there was a cluster of kampung houses behind grandma's place (that area was not gazetted for development yet). I used to like the feeling whenever I was there (in the 70s). Its simplicity gave me a sense of comfort.
Sadly, in the 80s, the kampung homes were torn down to make way for more brick homes. My cousins grew up, technology progressed. We left behind simpler times.
j.t, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on the subject of Kampong. Indeed a Kampong environment and atmosphere are different from the urban or suburban. To experience it one had to live and be part of the whole.
Well, they call it progress when beautiful Kampong house made way for those concrete building. It is a shame this had to happen but then that is the way now. To get that feeling I have turn my town house into a Kampong house, so we now live in both world just five minutes away from the KLCC.
As for Malacca I live and work there from 69 to 72 and love the rural area with its picturesque Kampong. Like you said most of the Kampong houses are no more there now. Bandar Hilir is a nice place in those days and I often went there to visit my Portuguese friends and organized the cultural activities. One thing great is that the Portuguese dance has managed to stay on and are performed till this day.
Have a nice day.
Pak idrus,
With such a place to run away to, its heaven on earth compared to the hustle and bustle of KL's city life. Above all it's just a short drive away from KL.
Wont you trade your Malacca apartmrnt with this resort like place?
Hello Pak Idrus,
Your posts on life in Janda Baik and earlier times in Malaysia make it unnecessary for me to write about my childhood in Trinidad in my blog.
Take what you wrote about gathering up the leaves and rubbish and burning them...this was a regular Saturday chore for me and my siblings. We would have to sweep up the fallen leaves which kept falling after we swept, often provoking a scolding from our parents that we hadn't done our job.
The one consolation for us was that we got to set fire to those piles of leaves :) I don't know how I didn't turn out to be a pyromaniac.
We also made smokey fires in the evenings to ward off mosquitos.
Small world.
zawi, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on this subject. True, it is heaven out there. So with that retreat we just need not plan. Just pack and go. Have a good time and back to our home in KL.
As for the Malacca apartment, we just keep it and maybe one of this day you would get to stay there.
Have a nice day.
Assalamu'alaikum
Pak Idrus Janda Baik as its name, is the retreat place away from city yet not to far. With the cool breeze and green environment Janda Baik should maintain its charm. Used to visit when I was at Bukit Tinggi in 1974 and when worked in Genting Sempah way back in 1987. Have a good time Pak
Thanks
mamadou, thanks for the visit and the greeting.
It was nice of you to share your thoughts on this enchanting place call Janda Baik. When you are back do get in touch and we may reminisced of the time @ JB.
Have a nice day.
louis, thanks for the visit. Your comment got lost in cyberspace and had just arrived. Nothing appear in my email but it just appeared at the dashboard. So here we goes.
Anyway folks of our generation are the same everywhere. All our toys and play grounds are mostly alike. It is only the places remain different.
As I had said before we are indeed a lucky generation. Saw the world progress and enjoying all the cultural changes that took place.
Have a nice day.
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