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!


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. :(


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.


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.


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.