The National Heritage: "Beautiful Colours of Meranek"

Assalamualaikum, Guten Tag and hello to the readers. This time, the entry is quite long and if you were a lazy reader, just stop and don't read further because it's gonna be boring. Reallyyyyy boring. But, aaaaaaaaaaaaaI am just kidding. I'm sure it'll be interesting for you to read. Trust me. I am a good journalist.

 

Picture Credit: Kampung Meranek (Tentang Kami) WEB

Culture. How can you love me if you don't know and love my culture. I was blended into the culture just like a blended hash browns. Aippp.....? a blended hash browns? really? hmmm. I don't think so. Technically, hash browns is not blended. It's just mine mind made idiot idiom that's absurd and senseless. hahaha. Btw, hash browns or hashed browns is one of my favourite food. hehe. Now, back to the topic.

MERANEK. The name of a breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful, amazing and stunning place for you to go. I've spent a big part of my life living here. I am a part of the society and I know most of its culture, customs and traditions. Whether you like it or not, Das gehts dich nicht an(That's non of your business), I will share about it anyway. hehe.

The Flag of Sarawak

Let's start with the briefing first. Meranek village is one of the village in Sarawak. It's located in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia, under 197 parliamentary constituencies led by the Honourable Mrs Rubiah bt Wang who won the 2014 general election last year. Based on the Google Map, It's situated at 1°26'24"N, 110°27'40"E. The village headman Basuni bin Haji Seman appointed since October 1985. Only half an hour is needed if we are driving a car from the village to get to the Kuching city. The majority of villagers are Malays and their religion is Islam.

 

 Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)

 

 Universiti Teknologi MARA Sarawak (UiTM)

 Institut Perguruan Tun Abdul Razak

The best thing is, it's located near several higher learning institutions such as Universiti Malaysia Sarawak(UNIMAS), Universiti Teknologi Mara, Sarawak(UiTM) and College Tun Abdul Razak. Thus many villagers program with the staff of higher education is carried out every year. The main economic activities of the villagers are pineapple, rice plantation, freshwater fisheries and yeast companies.

Pineapple Plantation

Earlier, my family has 3 pineapple plantations all over Samarahan (Lubok Mata, Paloh and Marong) but the lands have been sold to another people because there's no one have time to take care of the lands. Our paddy field also sold out for the same reason. Now there're only a bamboo field and orchard left. Hurmm. Nanas nanas. Oh ya, my mom can make "sos cili nanas"=Pineapple Chilli Sauce and it is a fingers licking good. mamamammm. That sauce also once had been produced by KEMAS for small industry production but now I don't know why they are not producing it again.

Freshwater Fisheries.. ermm.. that lobster.. slurrppp

Lobsters? Of course this is the place where you can find a "billig"=cheap and big lobsters. "Sonderangebot!". hehehe. You can also catch it by yourself but "pass auf"=careful there are abundance of big crocodiles waiting for you in the water. I have an experience with those crocodiles whilst enjoying the lobsters catching and guess what?, there are really big and fat like a bass not treble. Better don't get into the water for the sake of your lives. Hahaha.

Collection of antique items.

My family still have most of the items shown in the pictures especially "Tar/Hadrah/gendang"(circular music instruments infront of the radio). I have unforgettable memories about the Tar. My Paknek(Grandpa) better known as "Yak Day" in the village was a "Guru Tar"=Person who teaches people to play the Tar. But unfortunately, I'd never learned how to play a Tar from him. When I was living with my Paknek and Maknek"Grandma", almost every night people came and learned the Tar beats. And I was the one who suffered from the loud noise of everybody beating the Tars. I can't sleep at night because of it. And the culture is, when the pupils came to learned from my Paknek, my Maknek will serve the food to celebrate the pupils that came. Guess what? I was suffered again in helping my Maknek to serve the food and wash the "tapaq"=plate for food. Hmm, how hard my life could be. "When my hairs all but gone and my memory fades, and the crowds don't remember my name. When my hands don't play the strings the same way but I won't forget those memories." Hahaha.

Handicraft

Tudung Penyarang(to cover the food), Jakin/Takin(as a bag), Nyiruk(to "tampik"=isolate the rice from coated paddy seeds) are the handicrafts that the previous generation passed to us. My Maknek is a talented handicraft maker. Just tell her, what handicraft do you want to have and she will make it for you. One of her specialization is making variety of "Sarong Ketupat"(Ketupat Wrappers). I have mastered more than 15 shapes of Sarong ketupat from her. These are my favourite shapes:

 Ketupat Burung (Bird)

 Ketupat Kucing (Cat)

Ketupat Kambing (Goat)

*Ketupat is a glutinous rice that cooked with coconut milk and a little bit salt inside the "Sarong Ketupat".. sometime it uses regular rice(nasi himpit)

 Hmm.. yummy Ketupat Palas.. Picture credit to: Fiza's Cooking Blogspot

Growing the Fatty Acid.. lol.. Picture credit to: Dari Dapur Ummi Blogspot

The paddy plantation is one of the economic activities in the village, therefore, there should be equipments in processing the harvest. In the picture shown below, we have Jungkar(A platform that made of bamboo and rattan to dry the harvest), Cerindak/Terendak(A coned-hat), Tikar(mat) and Guni(Jute/sacks/Gunny).

Earlier, we have known that the villagers are 100% muslims, so there is a special event for those who have Khatam The Quran(Finished Reading 30 Juzuk of Quran). It is called "Majlis Khatamal Quran". The person who has khatam will be walked in a parade surround the village until reached the stage to recite the Quran in public. In this parade, there will be beautiful creative handmade accessories. Pictures of the items brought in the parade:

 Ships replica filled with "bunga telur"and "ketupat"

Creative

 Traditional Bunga Telur(Egg with flower decoration)

Modern Bunga Telur

*Bunga Telur will be given to the villagers who came in the parade . The egg will be eaten and the flower you can keep it as souvenir :)

Bunga Manggar.. Picture credit to: Arni Yusnita Ahmad Blogspot

Last but not least, I would like to thank for your willingness and excitement to read about this entry. Now you have seen a little part of our diversity in tradition and culture. I know, of course there will be some similarities that we shared together despite of differences. I hope we will altogether to preserve our own tradition and culture from lost in time. Not going to talk more, below is the last picture for this entry.

Antique bicycle with "gat"(used for carrying the harvest) at the back.

 p/s: For other pictures, special thank and credit to KLakar Orang Meranek Facebook Group

 “You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”
― Ray Bradbury

Peminat Misteri (Istimewa Ramadhan)

Malam raya. Ibu mengetuk pintu bilikku. Menghulurkanku sepucuk surat.
“Apa ni, mak?”
 

“Ada orang bagi tadi. Untuk kamu.”
Ibu berlalu pergi ke ruang tamu, menyambung kerja menghias rumah dengan adik dan kakak.

Jam sudah menunjukkan hampir pukul 1 pagi. Dengan cermat, aku membuka sampul berisi surat. Ku teliti tulisannya. Kemas. Tulisan siapakah ini? Tidak ku kenali. Bersila di atas katil. Ku amati bait-bait tulisan di helaian surat. Ringkas saja isinya.
“Assalamualaikum. Maaf mengganggu. Sebenarnya sudah lama saya memerhatikan awak. Awak boleh panggil saya stalker kalau awak nak. Sebelum puasa lagi, saya nak sangat jumpa dengan awak. Awak tahu tak betapa saya berkenan dengan awak?”

Hatiku mulai berdebar-debar. Rupanya aku ada peminat dalam diam. Mesti awek ni. Kembang kuncup sekejap hidungku. Tersipu-sipu. Tak sabar-sabar lagi, terus aku membaca perenggan yang seterusnya.
 

“Sejak tahun-tahun dulu lagi sebenarnya saya dah lama follow awak. Awak saja tak sedar kewujudan saya. Saya intai di facebook awak, status awak, awak kata awak suka ke masjid dekat rumah awak ni bila nak solat terawikh. Saya buat keputusan untuk ke masjid yang awak sebutkan. Namun, hampa. Saya tak nampak kelibat awak di situ. Saya tunggu dan tunggu, awak tak datang-datang juga. Selama dekat 9 malam saya tunggu awak. Kecewa sendiri. Saya decide untuk meninjau-ninjau masjid dan surau yang berdekatan dengan rumah awak, tapi hampa juga. Awak juga tiada di mana-mana. Lalu, saya tekad cuba ke rumah awak. Saya dapati awak ada saja di rumah. Tak ke mana-mana. Saya nampak awak sibuk dengan laptop dan henfon awak. Fikir saya, mungkin awak ada seseorang yang sangat istimewa. Bila habis saja orang bersolat terawih, awak keluar lepak dengan kawan-kawan makan-makan. Begitulah rutin awak setiap hari. Saya cemburu. Padahal awak tak tahu, andai awak kenal saya, awak akan tahu saya lebih istimewa dari orang yang awak suka tu. Awak tak tahu, perasaan saya pada awak jauh lebih dalam berbanding sesiapa pun yang awak kenal. Lebih anggun dan menawan dari gadis-gadis yang awak kenali.”

Aku berkerut kening. Dalam hati, dia ni menakutkanlah. Syok sendiri ke minah ni? Aku menyambung baca.
 

“Saya sedih. Sangat sedih. Saya tetap menanti awak di pintu masjid yang awak katakan. Setia menanti. Cuma nak melihat awak. Di malam ke-18, awak muncul akhirnya. Awak tahu tak, betapa saya happy sangat dapat tengok awak? Walaupun awak tak perasan saya, saya tak kisah. Tapi, gembira saya tak lama. Awak hilang lagi. Tak datang lagi ke masjid. Saya pergi ke masjid itu tiap kali masuk waktu solat. Dengan harapan awak ada sama berjemaah. Tapi, hampa bertubi-tubi. Bayang awak pun saya tak nampak. Di siang hari, ada saya ke rumah awak. Saya dapati awak selepas Subuh,
tidur sampai Zohor. Selepas Zohor, tidur sampai Asar. Andai tak tidur, sibuk dengan fon. Malam kadang-kadang awak tidur, banyaknya berjaga. Tak habis-habis dengan internet dan gajet. Kadang-kadang saya terfikir, awak tak bosankah menghadap benda-benda tu? Apa penting sangatkah mereka? Saya tunggu seperti biasa di masjid. Tiap malam tanpa jemu. Hinggalah malam terakhir terawih. Awak tak hadir juga. Saya kecewa. Saya sedih. Malam itu saya menangis cukup-cukup. Biarlah tumpah seribu air mata sekalipun. Pedihnya hati ini. Betapa awak tak peduli. Tak pedulikan saya. Tak pedulikan kehadiran saya. Tak pedulikan kesetiaan saya selama ini. Tak peduli yang saya sayang awak. Sayang awak sangat-sangat. Tak peduli yang saya ambil berat tentang awak sangat-sangat. Jauh di sudut hati saya sebenarnya, saya nak tengok awak jadi pemuda yang soleh. Sebab itulah tanpa jemu, saya tunggu awak di masjid tiap masa dan ketika. Tinggalkan dosa, tinggalkan benda-benda lagha. Namun, hajat tak kesampaian. Cukuplah sampai sini. Saya ambil keputusan untuk pergi. Tak mahu ganggu awak lagi. Biarlah awak dengan hidup awak. Siapa saya di mata awak? Sesuatu yang tidak bermakna saja pada awak. Biar berjauhan. Awak kenal siapa saya.”

Aku menggigil sedikit membaca baris terakhir. Kugagahkan diri jua.
“Saya Ramadhan. Jaga diri, jaga iman. Selamat tinggal.”

 Aku terkedu. Kelu membisu. Air mata mulai menitik ke atas warkah misteri itu. Ya Allah. Ku tinggalkan surat tadi, berlari keluar untuk bertanyakan mak siapa yang bagi. Mak menggeleng tak tahu. Bila masuk kembali, surat itu telah diterbangkan angin melalui tingkap. Hilang. Melihat orang lain beraya, aku juga mahu sakan beraya dengan orang tercinta. Tapi, selama ini aku buat semberono ala kadar saja pada Ramadhan Allah. Air mata mengalir tak tertahan lagi. Aku pendosa yang lupa Allah Maha Memerhati. Kesal 150 juta kali.

Jgn biar ending kisah anda sebegini TRAGIS !! Jangan biarkan ramadhan pergi dengan tangisan sesalan tapi tangisi pemergian kerana bimbang kita tak bertemu lagi dgn nya...