sOleiLian

After returning from my trip to Malacca, I rested for half a day at home before joining my course mates in Penang for a study trip to the East Coast state of Kelantan (or as they call it in Kelantanese Malay, Kelate). It was my first time visiting 2 Malaysian states that I’ve never been before in a mere 3 days.

I’d never really thought of visiting Kelantan prior to this. Thanks to the endless Federal Government-endorsed negative reports on Kelantan, my impression of the Thai-border state had always been those of a culturally and economically-backward society, with all kinds of ridiculous laws being imposed on the people by the state’s ruling Islamist opposition party, which has made Kelantan its unswayable stronghold for almost 2 decades.

We passed through the beautiful Temenggor Lake, Malaysia’s 2nd largest man-made lake on our way to Kelantan

And boy, was I wrong. Though Kelantan is undoubtedly Malaysia’s most socially conservative state, life in its state capital, Kota Bharu is not very much different from the prosperous cities on the West Coast.

Kota Bharu is essentially an Islamic city. As opposed to the rest of Malaysia, signs bearing the Jawi script جوي (an adapted Arabic alphabet for written Malay) could be seen everywhere, from American fast food outlets like McDonald’s to the quaint lil’ kopitiams (coffeeshops) run by the local Chinese. I even saw a large billboard expressing gratitude to the Muslim women for not exposing their aurat by dressing modestly and appropriately in accordance to the Islamic principles. Even in multinational hypermarkets like Tesco, gender segregation is imposed on the check-out counters. Yet womenfolk were spotted queueing in lines reserved for men and vice versa, so I guess the rule is never stringently enforced.

Jahar Palace; Sultan Ismail Petra Arch; Palace with the Great Hall (Istana Balai Besar)

After checking into our hotel, we went for some sightseeing in the city. A stone’s throw away from our strategically-located hotel stand the old palaces of Kelantan’s past sultans. One is now a museum while the other is used for official state functions. Despite being off-limits to the public, we somehow managed to sneak into the latter. Since the security officers were nowhere to be seen, we quickly took some photographs of the palace complex even though we were warned by an attention-seeking bright red sign placed in front of the main building.

A typical street scene in Kota Bharu

The heat was so unbearable that we walked to a nearby market to rest and have some lunch. Meanwhile, I took the chance to observe the people and their unique Kelantanese speech. One of my course mates is from Kota Bharu so he was of immense help in introducing us to the local culture that’s so distinct from the rest of the country. Many Kelantanese Malays have some Thai ancestry, and most of them are rather fair in complexion. Some even have relatives across the border in Southern Thailand.

Handicraft Village and Craft Museum

Kelantan is renowned as the cradle of Malay culture. One of the best places to experience this is at the Handicraft Village and Craft Museum. Beautiful Malay village houses were erected to showcase the splendour of traditional Kelantanese architecture. And oh, did you know that the Malay architecture of each state in Malaysia is different and distinct from one another?

Masjid Kampung Laut

In the next morning, we went to visit Malaysia’s oldest surviving wooden mosque, Masjid Kampung Laut. Built in the 1730s, the mosque was partially damaged in a huge flood 4 decades ago and had since relocated to the town of Tumpat, approximately 15km from the state capital. Non-Muslims were not allowed in the main prayer hall, but we were still able to catch a glimpse of the mosque interiors through its many windows and doors.

This Malay restaurant was reputed to have taken 20 years for its construction

The place where we stayed is on the banks of the Kelantan River. Though the river is murky, the views ain’t that bad at all…

The pole which the Brits hung the dead body of the Malay warrior, Tok Janggut; views of the Kelantan River

to be continued…

c a t e g o r y | life as a student . passport to nowhere
f l u f f e r p u f f | kelantan . malaysia . mosques & minarets . museums . palaces . travel . university life

42 sOleiLians

This is probably the one time that I managed to complete all the exam questions for all the subjects. Spanish was a breeze, the easiest of the lot. Others were quite okay, thankfully. And oh, a professor from my school has requested my help in organizing her writings which are to be published as a book. I’ll get paid for it, but that’s not the main point. What I’m lookin’ forward to is a task that will keep me occupied in my upcoming semester break as well as some extra knowledge to gain from her writings.

I shall now declare myself a free man.

Addendum: Just returned from a meeting with my professor. The book she’s working on is actually a collaboration effort with a former professor at Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde and is now a practising architect in New Zealand. I’ve also been told that I’d be credited in the book for my part. Oh my, that would be great since I’d have something nice to add on to my résumé!

c a t e g o r y | life as a student
f l u f f e r p u f f | university life

23 sOleiLians

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of my journey as a vegetarian.

Exactly 2 years ago, I vowed to stay away from the temptations of meat and fish forever. Since then, I never look back.

It’s probably the most courageous and startling decision I’ve ever made in my life. I truly understand that this would mean no more dim sum, bak kut teh, seafood, or Kenny Rogers Roasters sessions with my family and friends in the future. However, I have no regrets. In order to pursue a more meaningful life, I must somehow learn to make a sacrifice.

And I survived. For 1 year plus, I’d been a dedicated lacto vegetarian. I then switched to lacto-ovo vegetarianism a few months ago in order to better adapt to an environment where vegetarian food is not easily available, especially around the area where I’m studying.

And who says vegetarian food is bland, boring, and tasteless? Thanks to the evolution of today’s vegetarian cuisine and the creativity of vegetarian chefs, I’m still able to enjoy my all-time favourite dishes, which I find absolutely delicious albeit being vegetarian versions.

Even some of the world’s greatest and most illustrious personalities were vegetarians.

Look familiar? What about these…

And erm… Him.

c a t e g o r y | veggie me . yummylicious
f l u f f e r p u f f | food . vegetarianism

36 sOleiLians