OL' SKOOL

BERANSUM.

Unfortunately i dont have any of DBP dictionary with me. Oxford's dictionary? U name it. There are more than 3 here in this house (shame on us). Not including Bahasa Indonesia and more on pocket dictionary on Korean, Japanese, France and Italian. Improvement? nah...dont you ever expect. at least...a bit. My English is not that bad huh? Hehehe...Im learning.

Beransum. Its pronounced "bghe-an-som". What the heaven was it? It is sounded like you doing something or else. Its like Bersanggah (since Im doing wedding photography, HALF of KLites dosent know what is bersanggah...shame on us). Oh, beransum?

Im writing this without an apropriate revisions and references. Its verbal refferal and mutual understanding. Here we go.

This word somehow sliped from my eldest sister who spending time here a few weeks for a wedding ceremony. Im always amazed with her stories of how hard is LIVING. Beransum is not an ordinary word. Years and years back, people used to be beransum in their life. A minimum timespan- a month.

Hehehe...what is it? its a simple task anyway. Nut not how its sounds. Beransum is buying a household stock for a month. Specificly, "barang dapur". Its more appropriate. Not Malaysian and "tak paham bahasa"? LOL. Barang dapur is grocery stuff.

From the story being told, it is hard to stock grocery in yesteryears. You have to travel far away from ur home, from ur local grocery shops even from ur nearest huge-have-it-all market. In this cace, im telling you a bit about my lovely hometown. Johor Bahru.

Eventough im labeled as "Johor Murtad",somehow the smells and feels are kept well in my heart.

My sister used to live in Larkin. If im mention some BRANDs here like Kicap Jalen, Kicap Cap Kipas Udang, Mat YOYO (DingDang tawkey) Azlee Senario?...yeah...its their neighbours and friends. How small JB is back then.

Beransum.Oh ya. Once a while, people in the 60-70s are used to be beransum. In this story told of beransum is "how special food it is called SPECIAL". In those years, Pandan is quite a far from Larkin. Have anyone from Johor remember or EVER known Sg. Danga (now DANGA BAY) and Estate Mt. Austin (Jusco Tebrau) ??? I know them quite well.

Anyway, Sg. Danga is a place across the DANGA BAY. Oh...not that way..not "dang-ga" its pronounced "danga" like "dengar" or "dengo" in Johor slang. Original Danga is across the Danga Bay, and Danga bay is nearby Larkin area. Mt. Austin on the other hand, was a rubber plantation estate. Its near Pandan area.

Since beransum will involved a huge quantity of stuff, they MUST take "kereta sewa" (rental car are more flexible than taxi) to Pandan. NOT the Pasar Borong Pandan! Its the original Pandan itself. Even people who live in JB dont ever know the place ever exist now.

After quite a journey (might be 15km of traveling within old JB road) to Pandan, there will be many kinds of "barang kering" such of garlics, onions, su'un, halba, herbs, bla..bla... and much more stuff (you know if ur always visit ur home's kitchen!). You bargain and spend!

Now, beransum is officially done!

Not yet! THE SPECIAL food not included. Have you remember the biscuits back then? Biskut kering, biskut gula, biskut bulat kecik yang tonjet2 manis warna warni tu...(learn malay ok?) how lovely...oh! Sultana! I forgot the sultana! Its really special for my sister...

At that time of conversation, all of sudden i can felt the sensation of having something SPECIAL. nowadays kids SPECIALs are Oreo and Tiger. Yet, they can have them anytime they want. SPECIAL huh?

On the positive side, world is spinning. Time is changing. Life is reflection. CHEEWAH...poyo.

Anyway, being a Malay is not to be someone who like to watch Yasmin Ahmad's reels or wear baju kurung on Friday and mengaji seminggu sekali. Its how u act and really understand the essence.

I prefer to be Muslim.