Saturday, February 24, 2007

Balik Kampung - Episode 1

Sudirman really did a great job with that song. It's on autoplay in my head everytime I or someone else mentions "balik kampung" (...woahhh balik kampung! hati girang!)

And how was your New Year celebrations?

Mine was pretty unproductive. Lazy. Hazy. Quiet. ODing on CNY "specials" and reruns on the local tv network.

I haven't balik kampung in YEARS, it's changed quite a bit. Don't know when I'll go back again.

So here's a three part pictorial record of the kampung my dad grew up in.... just something for me to remember it by.

...... and also an excuse for some major camwhoring - The Balik Kampung Edition.

I don't understand why when I resize them, the photos go blur. Can one of you geniuses please explain this stupid phenomenon. It's really getting on my nerves. WHYYYYYYY?!?~?!?~?~?!

With my very limited photo-editing skills using some obscure photo-editing software, I modified the tone of the pictures to give an old school nostalgic effect. I know it kinda sucks, but I don't really care what you think.

On with pictures!

1
Harro Batu Gajah (that's in Perak, yo) ! On the left is a Chinese sundry store, an Indian sundry store, and an Indian family house, and my granduncle's house respectively. On the right, it's the old school Chinese coffeeshop, grandpa's house... and the bakery. When I was younger firecracker residue from the first and second days of new year would cover the ENTIRE street making it look like it was paved in angpow red bricks. They don't do that anymore. :(

18
Here is me in the cement kitchen of grandpa's house, pretending to stir a potful of grub, in all my Chinese New Year Angpow Ahlian Red glory because I'm quite the sucker for keeping to Chinese New Year traditions. Camwhore.

19
The vegetarian grub for the First Day. Ingredients include brains of dog, liver of iguana, cartilage of a hobo, skin of monkey and a headful of baby hair. No lah, siau meh. Just boring stuff like several types of mushrooms, fu chok, fatt choi, black fungus, cabbage, lotus stalk, and tau pok. Tastes better than it looks. My brother loves this stuff. Once when he was much younger, he walloped about 5 full bowls of this shit straight. Then he got sick and puked from eating too much. Until this day, eating this still reminds him of puke, but he still whacks it anyway. Sick bastard.

20
This is what Chinese New Year reunions gatherings are all about! Unfortunately not everybody came home this year. There are seven children on my father's side. This year I only saw two of them while the rest are scattered around the globe. Noise is like the main element of a proper Cantonese family reunion, at least for this family. It was too quiet this year, not like I'm complaining too much, but the lack of noise somehow feels like a lack of the new year spirit. Oh well! Bring out the goodies! Makan!


to be continued....


P/s: ... and for the 172th time, I'm NOT from Ipoh.

22 comments:

  1. I see fish bones at your bowl. HEh.

    How did you get fatt choi? Thought it was banned or some shit like that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I guess what they say about Ipoh girls are quite true after all.

    FA: What DID they say about Ipoh girls?

    ReplyDelete
  3. For me to know, and for you to find out.

    FA: It's okay. You can tell me straight up. We Penang girls are very open minded.

    ReplyDelete
  4. What they say about Ipoh girls are not insults lah. It's all mostly complements. Jangan marah..

    But still, for me to know, for you to find out.

    FA: Hahaha. whatever lah.. I don't really care mah. I'm not an Ipoh girl also. Not even from the state.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Umm, I think its (รข€¦woahhh balik kampung! Hati Girang!)

    FA: And I think you're right! THanks for the heads up! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Now you really break my heart, it does bring back great memories. Wish I made that trip.

    ReplyDelete
  7. look like scholl sandals you're wearing....

    FA: Wah. GReat observation powers, Sherlock.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I didn't know you were a Penang girl? I lived there first though. :-)

    Good to see some nice vegetarian grub! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice to read about the feeling about going back to hometown for CNY. Dun really understand it as we din really look forward to the festival here in SG.

    At least now I know where is Batu Gajah. May ride up there during my next bike trip.

    Waiting for episode 2. Keep it up!

    ReplyDelete
  10. *gasp* omg is someone hitting on someone here? :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. 2nd pix take the cake! Small town. Good for retired folks and relaxation...Bliss! So when is FA doin a cook out for everyone here???

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wah, never knew ur a fellow Penangite FA :). Way to represent gal!

    ReplyDelete
  13. well well well, ipoh girl huh......... i'm still in my kampung now, surfing the web from taiping. only will be going back on monday. same same state kakis... kakakah...

    FA: Haiyah.. I'm not Ipoh girl lar

    ReplyDelete
  14. Didn't enjoy myself this CNY. Fucking asshole lecturer gave us a big assignment to do. Fuck him. Fuck him good til his entrails fucking fall off. Wiener.

    Anyway, nice pics. Am an Ipoh-an myself. What they say about Ipoh girls? Well...

    Because of the surrounding hills and water (Cantonese: yau san yau hoi), Ipoh girls are supposedly the best looking ones in Malaysia. But sadly most of them have gone to bigger cities like KL, Penang and JB to seek employment...

    So Ipoh no beautiful girls anymore. :(

    Loh tiu. Literally means find fuck. I'm so fucked up right now I can't think straight... with all the cussing. Fuck as hell.

    FA: I'm not an Ipoh girl omg.

    ReplyDelete
  15. it's always good to have tuin lin fan eh.... wonder how long the tradition will last.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hey FA! Long time lurker here, 1st time posting a comment!

    Anyway.

    Whatta coincidence! I am from BG. That's MTD!

    FA: OMG? Next time you balik kampung tell me lar.. I come over and collect angpows. Wahakakak

    ReplyDelete
  17. I'm not from Ipoh either but ended up spending the rest of my CNY there .. hahahaha

    ReplyDelete
  18. 2 things...

    1 The software you are using to resize could be using some cheapskate form of resizing, like directly downsizing and adding a cheap blur to mask the resulting jagged edges.

    2 your JPEG compressor could also be at fault, this is especially true of compressors designed to be fast (i.e online server side ones) rather then optimized for accuracy.

    :D

    FA: Thanks! So how to fix?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Consequence - I know an Ipoh girl who is quite stunning. But, you'll have to keep your hands off her! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  20. It really depends on the software you using, (ACDSee? Photoshop? Other?)

    FA: Something that came with my Canon camera

    ReplyDelete
  21. Cools! :) Dad's from Batu Gajah too. I always balik kampung every CNY but this year I left for uni so I missed out. Though I never really have much fun there - my cousins are way older so it's quite sien. Every year only go to Kellie's Castle. Haha...

    Don't worry, I get a lot of ppl thinking I'm from Ipoh also, dunno why. Just because Batu Gajah's in Perak -_-

    Sorry for the belated wish but Happy Chinese New Year! :)

    FA: Thing is, I'm not even from the state of Perak. :)

    ReplyDelete
  22. oh my, looking at the picture makes me feel like gone back in time, school bus used to pass by there on the way home from SYS. There's a noodle stall opposite the bakery, yum yum. If I am not mistaken, the noodle stall belongs to your granduncle.

    ReplyDelete

I disclaim all comments.