Monday, December 29, 2008

Cherating Revisited



Papa visited Cherating for the first time in the late 1980s, before he met Mama, and instantly felt like a modern day Robinson Crusoe, far from the maddening bright lights and big cities. He stayed in a spartan beachfront hut, and spent most of the day sleeping on the beach and daydreaming with eyes wide opened. The beach vista and the refreshing sea breeze induced him to sleep effortlessly. The night was spent listening to reggae music at the local bars scattered around the paradoxically conservative yet hip village, and at the countless cafes sipping Nescafe or teh tarik whilst flying on the magic carpet of Pico Iyer’s spellbinding Video Night in Kathmandu. That travel book singularly made him want to experience One Night in Bangkok, and the wild, wild world on the Prospero’s Isle of Bali, and more. But let’s not digress.

Back then, Cherating was popular among the globetrotting backpackers and hippies and local couples, married, soon-to-be married or unmarried. After he met Mama, they went there again and again, without and plus the kid(s). Although Cherating is now dotted with modern hotels and boutique villas such as top of the range Villa Tab, one can sense that the place has lost the magic that prompted Club Med to open up its first holiday destination in Asia.

We arrived here from Kuala Terengganu late into the night, and had to leave for Kuala Lumpur the next morning. So it was considered obscene to be splashing money just to have a modest bed to rest our tired bones, and not using all the other facilities including a well-maintained beachfront. My family decided to stay in a budget motel in Kampung Cherating Lama that provides the basic amenities such as clean bed, attached bathroom, air-conditioning and a TV set, which remained off.

At the crack of dawn the next day, while the others were happily dozing off, Papa strolled along the beach and later had breakfast at the stall located opposite the horse stable belonging to the Penn Endurance Equestrian Club, and across the private road leading up to Villa Tab. The stall is run by Mak Cik Dah, with the help of a lady assistant who was overly decorated so early in the morning.

Mak Cik Dah is a chatterbox and a repository of all the comings and goings in Kampung Cherating. While preparing the orders from the diverse customers, she engaged in small talks which led to who, what, when and where. By listening to their conversations, one is drawn, albeit unwittingly, into their dramatic little world; who are involved in the latest road accidents, who are tying the knots, etc. Alas, no tittle-tattle on local or national politicians.

A group of small boys and girls stopped by to order their breakfast of nasi lemak, nasi dagang and nasi minyak, with their specific likes and dislikes ”Jangan boh timun”; “Hok saye, boh telo mata kebau”; “nasi dagang lauk ikang, bukang ayang”; etc etc and concluded with a collective “Sipang dulu Cik Dah. Kite nok gi pata belake”. Mak Cik Dah, noticing an unfamiliar face among the kids, asked “Ni anok sape?” and his cheeky friend tartly replied “Anak Bangla”. Makcik Dah told him off “Sedaq ngata oghang teh. Kena keja anjing kak pata baghu pade muko”.

Then a group of lithe young surfers parked their car, and ordered their breakfast to be consumed at the stall. Although they hardly look Malaysian, but they all spoke in Terengganu Malay. The one with the darkest complexion and Bob Marley hairdo wore a t-shirt that screams “Horror unleashed, Terror unmatched. The ultimate in human agony”. Mak Cik Dah asked them “Tak main ombak pagi ni?”.

After serving them, Mak Cik Dah asked her assisitant “Ah sudoh la weh. Tok ingat budok-budok hok gi pata tadi orda lauk gapo”. Her assistant with lips painted so garishly, just shook her head.

Before continuing our journey to Kuantan, my other family members had their breakfast at Mak Cik Dah’s happening stall too, whilst I was busy doing tawaf round and round the stall, like a spinning wheel.

11 comments:

Kak Teh said...

aah what a pity masa balik dulu tak pergi Cherating - lalu saja! But thanks for this travelogue!

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

Kak Teh
Next time when you come back to Alor Setar, you will realise that the cinema near Pekan Rabu is no longer there. They are now constructing a fast food restaurant on that site.

elisataufik said...

Your papa didnt let you take a pony ride at the Penn stables ke? They let you have a ride if you pay the stable boys a small tip ;)

damn.. now I crave for nasi dagang.

p/s Taufik and I selalu pegi dating kat Cherating dulu-dulu.. when there were not that many chalets dotting the beach.

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

No, he did not. Perhaps because all we saw there were stallions. But we did chase the tiny tiny crabs. And he also regretted leaving Kampung Cherating Lama so early before the craft shop that sells tikar and bakul mengkuang opened for business.

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

Aha, Bonda Izani berbaby-baby di Cherating ya dengan Tuan Haji Taufik. Mwah Mwah.

Elviza said...

Dear Kiddo,

You mention Villa TAB. Few years ago my husband and I, coupled with lots of friends, went to stay at that villa. The view from the wooden anjung is so breathtaking, I still dream about it from time to time.

But as they say, that place is way overpriced to be at Cherating.

Happy New Year kiddo and regards to your farther. You should come visit us so that you could play with Luke's new Thomas & Friends set. What say you?

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

Set. I can bring my Thomas plus friends. Alas, they are not brand new, but look new. Will find a suitable date and let you know in due course. Promise.

elisataufik said...

jangan jeles.. bonda izani and tuan haji taufik pegi cherating membonceng Honda rider lagi... ha ha ha

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

I guess you must have written something about biking to/in Cherating aka the Drifters Enclave. Anyway, will search. By the way we just had a mini gathering in Seremban 2 recently. Met Malaysians in Riyadh, including Datuk and Datin. So many new development. How time flies.

The Ancient Mariner said...

Have never really been to Cherating but only passed the place a couple of months ago on my way to Tok Bali in Kelantan. But my youngest boy Hisham worked briefly at the Club Med some years ago as a 'minder' to Japanese kids. He had lotsa fun.

Happy New Year!

Wan Nordin Wan Hussin said...

Thank You Captain. May your robust health allows you to continue doing all the good things you have done last year. Your son used to work in Club Med Cherating. A lucky chap indeed. When my mum in law was around, we used to buy fresh seafood in Tok Bali for a feast in Pasir Puteh.