Pasir Putih

March 8, 2010 at 7:50 pm (Bahasa Melayu, education, Food, Kelantan, language, Malaysia)

The train from Hamburg from Luebeck was quite full yesterday. I guess everybody was coming back from their weekend holiday to the reality, Monday. I sat beside my friend. We keep talking to each other to kill the time. 45 minutes is relatively long if you are alone and did nothing. We discussed about our future plan, life, football and stuff. During our conversation, I saw through refection from the train window, a woman, mid forty kept observing us. I lowed my voice a little because I thought our conversation annoy her. But when you have so much to say, you will never notice how loud you are. Damn this woman still observing us. There are only two possibilities, 1: We were really loud. 2: She like me. I kept on talking with out paying not much attention to her.

After a while holding her horse, she asked my friend whether I speak Kelantan dialect. What the heck? It is weird enough if she asked him whether I speak Malay language. A German woman can smell budu in my Malay language. I don’t know what to say, it is a compliment or insult?

Actually this woman lived in Kelantan in early 80. She lived in Pasir Putih. I said to her, my house is in Bachok. We are like neighbor and stuff. She laughed. She kept saying good thing about Kelantan people. Very nice people, very good food, very beautiful place and stuff. When she said you come from a land of nicest people make my heart leap with joy.

She also kept asking about Kelantan to refresh her memory. Story about places like Pantai Cinta Berahi, Kota Bharu and Bandar Pasir Putih really make her smile wider. She said she was closed to marry Kelantanese man but what to do, neither of them will not tolerate with their religious believe. I asked her whether she miss Kelantan. She said only God knows how much she misses Kelantan. With commitment and stuff she has no opportunity to travel again to my beloved state.

The train then arrived at Reinfeld Bahnhof. That was her stop. Before saying good bye, She asked us whether Search is still there. We asked back “what Search?” She said “ Search the band, Amy?” Wow. I was amazed. She then asked about Wings too. But last but not least ” Is May also still there?” I and my friends kept looking to each other. It was a dream or what? A Blondie asked about Amy and May? What is the odd? 1000:1? You answer.

My friend said to me when she leaved. Once he met an Italian in Swiss, speaking kelantanese better than him. The same thing, miss Kelantan a lot, he even miss Tuan guru Nik Aziz and budu. But he converts to Islam though.

The conclusion is maybe KLCC will made people know us but our sopan-santun and beautiful culture made people remember us. If we follow what our old people teach us about religion, respect, lembah lembut, sopan santun, kiro caro, food, art and stuff every human in the planet who know us will put us in their heart, feel blessed, remembering us as a gift from God for them.

Hafzan Lazim