Kitab Atok: tuturan alambina

Bekwoh

Bekwoh in Kelantanlingo means 'kenduri', and kenduri raya it was earlier today for Malaysians in Reading, Royal County of Berkshire. About 100 people attended the hugely successful gathering, co-sponsored by Petronas. Hence, no short of jong ka ko during preparation and cleaning up. As usual, the top dish satay was first to clear the table. Brrppp...alhamdulillah. Kids had fun with various games and went back with presents. To the hard working committee > well done!!!



Till the next makan-makan....

posted by Atok @ 11:46:00 pm (0) comments

Laugh in Transliteration

When I logged into Pok Ku's Di Bawah Rang Ikang Kering yesterday morning, as I normally do since discovered this wonderful Terengganuspeak blog a few months ago, he posted a poem by the great Chairil Anwar... and translated it into his usual colourful Terengganu lingo. Then, he asked his many readers to have a go. So I did.... whilst sipping my early morning caffeine dose in front of my computer, looking at the long list of detail construction drawings needed attention for the on-site leisure centre we are refurbishing nearby.

Later, Pak Adib (The Reader) suggested that I should have published my transliteration (in Kelantanese lingo) of Chairil Anwar's AKU. Okay Pak Adib... I agree (pasal malas nak tulis entry lain, hehehe).

The original:

AKU
Kalau sampai waktuku
Ku mau tak seorang kan merayu
Tidak juga kau
Tak perlu sedu sedan itu
Aku ini binatang jalang
Dari kumpulannya terbuang
Biar peluru menembus kulitku
Aku tetap meradang menerjang
Luka dan bisa kubawa berlari
Berlari
Hingga hilang pedih peri
Dan aku akan lebih tidak perduli
Aku mau hidup seribu tahun lagi
(copyright: Chairil Anwar)

Mine:

KAWE
Kalu tibo gleghae kawe
Kawe toksae sesapo takwel
Demo pong jangae
Toksoh jjeghik lah
Kawe menatae gedebe
Puok toksae d'oghe
Bala keno bede aco
Kawe teghuh ngamok beghona
Nnelah biso kawe ungga
Ungga
Sapa tok segho
Kawe koho meto
Kawe nok idok pah k'bilo-bilo


For other transliterations and comments, please go to marvelous Pok Ku's.

posted by Atok @ 1:05:00 am (0) comments

Cuti smeta

Kawe cuti updating smeta; tok beghapo sehak.
Esok masyarakak Msia di Reading ni bekwoh ghayo; ghama nok maghi... makanae pong blana kokna.

posted by Atok @ 10:44:00 am (0) comments

Selamat Hari Raja

Alhamdulilah, last night the marriage vow ceremony (aqad nikah) between Tengku Mahkota of Kelantan and Tengku Zubaidah of the Malay Kingdom of Pattani went smoothly as planned at Istana Negeri Kubang Kerian, under the guidance of the State Mufti. About 1,000 guests from the Kelantan Royal family and 500 of Pattani delegates attended. Though only siblings, aunties, uncles and cousins were allowed to witness the aqad nikah whilst the rest waited in the banquet hall. Wedding reception will be held in Kuala Lumpur later.

Hopefully, with this tie, some wealth and helping hands especially from the Royal Court could be extended to the much-needed Pattani Kingdom. In addition, may it bring some joy to the sorrow situation in that neglected region. InsyaAllah. Amin.

To TM:
"Tehku semboh ucak selamak berbahgio pado Ku."

[ I've not been in touch with my many relatives from Yala and Narathiwat for ages].

posted by Atok @ 2:00:00 pm (0) comments

SELAMAT HARI RAYA
MAAF ZAHIR BATIN

UK raya on Saturday 13th.

addendum:

Just spoke to the erudite young M'sian scholar Sheikh Muhd Afifi al-Akiti of Oxford Islamic Centre. He explained that in actual fact, The UK Ruiyate Hilal Committee (jawatankuasa rukyah UK) has announced that Raya will be on Sunday 14th, based on review of its moon sighting criteria. This is actually the preferred method in Shafie mazhab (as we experience in M'sia). However, as most of UK muslims are of Hanafi, they normally follow the Saudi's rulling, including London Central Mosque.

Nevertheless, he said, it's still okay to follow one's main local mosque. Just that it would be better (afdal) to follow the correct Shafie rulling. So...

esok boleh (jugak kalau nak) rayaaaaaaa

posted by Atok @ 8:59:00 pm (0) comments

Pnamo Ghima?

Pnamo ghima? is a Kelantanese slang for 'what (on earth) is that!?’. It is, however, widely considered as a rough slang commonly associated with oghe daghak* (orang darat = village folks) or sometimes used in a jovial conversation among friends.

Centuries ago, when keris, lembing, pendekar and penyamun (dagger, spear, warriors and robbers) are the norms of life, one of the essential survival skills is to posses ilmu batin (mystical powers) . We often found in Malay legends and epics things such as flying dagger, invincible warriors, and unseen friends among great names. In those days, the lacking (or rather non-existence to the present standard) of road network did not, however, hinder communication and movements of the people in the Tanah Melayu. Men walked through the thick and dangerous tropical jungle and mountains from one side to another. A person, for instance, from Kelantan travelled to the west coast states via these torturous trails, encountered and defeated many great challenges, both from the nature and its inhabitants, as my great grandfather often did.

One of the great tales among these mighty travellers is their secret friendships with invisible tigers (harimau jadi-jadian) of which they normally used as their 'vehicles' in crossing the jungle and keeping them company, in addition to dwarf any trouble encountered. These tigers, said to be very big and fierce, only emerge at night and would come to their masters’ abode for food. They remained unseen to the naked eyes of the normal joe public.

These invisible tigers were often given (pet) names by their keepers. Some owners, for some reasons, sometimes kept their mystical friends under their houses (traditional Malay houses are on stilts), chained to one of the posts, normally the main, i.e. tiang seri. Actually, they were not completely invisible. Most owners could actually see each others pets lurking under the timber floor, staring to the outside world with their fiery eyes, stretching their claws killing their off-duty periods.

So, when these owners went to visit each others, they normally greet their friends’ companion whilst washing their feet from the tembayan air + chebok (water urn and scoop) commonly placed next to the front steps.

Semae Tok Ddeka (Seman Tok Pendekar): Guano weh Pok Mud, lamo tok napok, kuano? (How're you Pok Mud, haven't seen you lately, where have you been?).

Pok Mud Kaki Gajoh (Pak Mud the Elephant Feet): Tak dok guano, po skalo jah. Baghu kelek kemagheng dulu. Gi nnebah utae alek Peghok. Oghe puteh bbuko estek. (Nothing much, just normal. Just got back a day before yesterday. Went to do some jungle clearing in Perak. Englishman is opening a plantation estate).

Semae Tok Ddeka : (Looking under the house) Oh, chome weh hok demo... pnamo ghima, ambek duano? Sehak molek. (Oh, yours looks so great... what's his name, where did you get it from? Looks healthy).

Pok Mud Kaki Gajoh : Hehehe... kawe keleh demo ambek gak, nok tra getek. Ambek ddenung la jugok... Utae Melitae, oghe kato hok ni maghi daghi utae Yala lagi. Ambo panggae Awe Loh Misa Lebak. (Hehehe... when I saw yours, I wanted to have a go at having it as well. I took it from the same place, Hutan Melintang. People said this one came from jungle of Yala. I call him Awang Lah the Handlebar Moustache).

Hence, “apo namo ghima (demo)?” (simply means ‘what’s your tiger’s name?’) was the first common question. Consequently, as many other captions and expressions, it become shorten into “pnamo ghima?” … and the rest is history.

Selamat Ber-Ramadhan & Bersiap-siap Nak Raya

* orang darat in Kelantan does not mean 'orang asli' (aborigines) as commonly understood in other states. orang darat in Tanah Serendah Sekebun Bunga simply means uncultured people, commonly associated with the rural inhabitants. though it can also be applied to the urbanfolks with rural traits, languange and behaviour.

... sedak jugok slogho nnungu ssaho ni...

posted by Atok @ 11:58:00 pm (0) comments

Dilemma

As mentioned earlier, Kakak was offered a role in The King & I UK Tour, and late last week we received the details. She will start her 2-week rehearsal in January 2005 and start her tour after that. The tour would be 1 week in a month for the next 4 months and a half. She'll be staying at a 1st class hotel, chaperoned and provided with academic tutor.

Her school reopened after a 10-day half term break on Wednesday and I wrote a letter informing and asking the school to give a support letter as required, in order for Kakak to obtain her Performers license and go ahead with this big break.

The headmistress then called my wife voicing her utmost concerned about all these. She stressed that although the children will be provided with academic tutors in groups, because students of Kakak's school are about one year advance compare to normal state school students, Kakak might be bored and dragged down (in term of standard) by the rest in her entourage. [Kakak attends one of the top independent girls schools in the UK]. On top of that, it would be academically quite disruptive to miss school a week every month for such a long period. She agreed that it's not a simple thing to decide, and it is a great opportunity that even adult would be tempted to grab. Though she said, she will write that letter of permission.

It is indeed tough decision. We have to work out a win-win programme for Kakak to go about this matter.

posted by Atok @ 5:13:00 pm (0) comments

Berbuka

Macam biasa, bulan puasa maka cerita pasal makan berbuka menjadi topik bualan.
Hari Sabtu, kami berbuka di Lagenda Restaurant, Holiday Villa London. Fuhh... ramai betul orang, penuh. Nasib baik dah booked awal with my friend the manager. Kesian Chef Syawal, tak cukup tangan. Mee mamaknya cukup popular; tak sampai sekejap replenished, dah habis. So, after 3 loads, terpaksalah Chef bawa keluar mee hoon pulak. Kena beratur panjang lak tu. Macam biasa, Kakak buat macam rumah sendiri ke sana sini berkaki ayam (pasal kami dah selalu ke sana dan dia dah kenal semua staff).

Jumpa pula (for the first time) Dana, adik Dona (whom we first met when we were back in Msia in August). Obviously she recognised Kakak.

Later we were taken on a guided tour by the manager to the basement. They used to have a small swimming pool there, not anymore. The whole place has been converted into a nice calming aromatic heatlh suite or spa, named Amoeras. It embodies the famous concept of Balinese spa. Worth a try.

Italians admirers
Kakak & Ku Ya (a family friend)

-----------------------------

Sunday berbuka was at friends place nearby - ikan percik, peha kambing bakar, (+ budu of course), ayam goreng, tortila wrap, etc. We brought murtabak. Brrpp... had 3 pinggan.

Then, had to accompanied Kakak & friend's daughter for their tricker treating around the neighbourhood.

posted by Atok @ 1:48:00 am (0) comments