Gomo Kelate Gomo

I’ve been busy this month yet again. I now became to realize what Spiderman had told me before.

“With great power, come great responsibilities.”

When you know more of something, the more work they put onto you. When I was small, the teachers loaded us with tonne of homework to do during our month-long school break. I remember that was Chinese New Year break for one and half week. The teacher dumped us with hundred pages of homework to drill. You know what? The moment the teacher finished her last question on the blackboard, we embarked on a mission to finish the homework right away. If I’m not mistaken, by the eve of CNY, I’ve finished up all the homework. Efficient, heh? But that time, the scenario was I get to enjoy the next couple of days without even have to worry the homework anymore. I can play all I wanted during the festive break.

However, this enthusiasm can’t be replicated to our working life nowadays. The earlier you finished, that doesn’t guaranteed you will be able to spend the next couple of day free. The “homework” is never-ending. It will keep on adding and adding until you have to raise the white flag. Having said that, the reality of working life does not dampened my once-believed philosophy. Last weekend, I went into the office. One Japanese staff came to me and says,

“Wow, you look certainly a busy man, huh?”

“In Chinese, there is one saying which goes, today’s work, must be finished by today, because tomorrow will have its tomorrow’s work that need to be done”, I replied.

But writing this blog makes me eat my own words. It’s been quite a while and I still haven’t finished my blog on some of the adventures I’ve been through. The last one was on Sungai Lembing, which I went there on February this year. So much to my today’s-work-today-do-thingy, huh? Now let me pick up from where I left out.

On March, I was shocked to see one yellow envelop on my desk upon my return from work in Thailand. Secret admirer?!! Who else in this company aren’t married yet?! Upon opening it, it was a “bomb” encased inside the envelop. Well, this “bomb” if put inside your pocket, will blow a hole out of it. Normally, it might cause a damage of RM100. But then again the scenario is a bit different. Attached with the envelop is a first class flight ticket to the venue with shuttle from airport to the hotel itself. That would add another couple of ringgits into the red packet. Red packet aside, even my left side pocket isn’t spared as it was a one way flight ticket only. Well, anyway it’s still an enjoyable trip to another state in Malaysia which I will only mention in my Geography lesson all these while. Kota Bharu, here I come!

Chinese wedding is a typically the same everywhere in Malaysia. It’s not like those days when the bride will be carried by 4 servants to the bridegroom’s house. Then, the bridegroom comes out to give a Bruce Lee-kick on the palanquin door. The sweet-talked big lady who speaks auspiciously every time she opens her mouth will piggyback her inside the bridegroom’s house. During the whole period, the bride’s face is covered with red cloth.

Jumping back to modern wedding, it’s the bridegroom who goes over to the female side. Of course, you won’t be unleashing the kungfu kick on the metal grill door. It’s locked. The worst part is ‘petals’ guarding the doors. Petals! You know the ‘petals’ of the flowers that are meant to make the rose looks beautiful. In this world, there is nothing that can’t be solved with money. They are there for business. No money no talk. Don’t be surprised in the future, credit cards, ATM cards, Western Union, bank draft, checks or even an internet-equipped laptop connected to any internet banking are offered as an alternative. Daytime robbery. If you are lucky, you get to meet your bride after that.

Those who are not so lucky might need to be physically, mentally or gastronomically strong. 50 push-ups, wear girls’ bikinis or draining down 1 liter of bittergourd+durian+whatsoever-item-you-normally-won’t-put-inside-your-mouth juice is a norm. Those days, it’s palanquin to fetch the bride, nowadays sorry. It’s no longer BMW anymore. To some, it is just another Bus Mini Wilayah. The latest trend it ATR aircraft!

Chinese wedding ceremony is not catered 100% for the couple of that night. It’s catered for their parents. The more well-known your father is especially those who involved in business, the more not-familiar faces you will see in your wedding dinner coming up to congratulate you. How about my colleague’s wedding that night? Grand. Nice food. Pretty girls. Handsome guys. Torturous 50s to 80s karaoke session by those who have been longing to unleash their bathroom singing talent.

P/S: Out of the 30 songs sang, I managed to find 3 songs that are to my generation.

The next day, we went for a day trip at this PAS conquered states to see how different it is from KL. We headed to the Siti Khadijah market in town center. We couldn’t find any Siti or Khadijah there. What we remembered most was turtle eggs still being sold and there were young school girls who bought it. Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo, I’m so sorry for you guys.

As for food, you just can’t miss out nasi dagang or trade rice. The next one is of course the famous Yati’s Ayam Percik or Splashing Chicken. To be frank, I have absolutely no idea why they called it percik/splashing. The chicken is not that juicy enough to splash out any when you take a bite. Trust me, the stall is so famous that it got linked to Wikipedia search for the nicest food in Kota Bharu. Another treat is the Khao Jam, which we missed out the Axian recommended stall. It was closed on that day. Nevertheless, we managed to find the second only Khao Jam rice stall. Nope, no peanut butter or strawberries jam. It’s infused with strong herbs and coconut shred rice plus a few anchovies. Simple yet delicious.

Although Kelantan is an Islamic state, don’t be surprised here is one of the states with the most temples you will ever find. Longest leaning Buddha, standing Buddha or sitting Buddha. I understand these influence came from the fact that it’s near to our Buddhist neighboring country, Thailand.

Even though Kelantan are ruled by PAS government, the town is just like any other towns I’ve been to in Malaysia.

Except for the sea!

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