MODE

Frankly, I'm not really into put my camera's dial to A mode. I'm always stick to my usual partner in crime, the M mode. But I have to learn not to be always in my comfort zone. So, this is my recent A.

This is one of the oldest building (I think so) in Johor Bahru, Johor. Lovely hometown of mine. For specific location, its in the end of Jalan Trus. The strip of shop lots where lies my family's 'coolest' memories. Not many of closest friends of mine or even my families know or even remember that my family have a stationary shop here. It was named after my brother's byname Pustaka Hanif.

The legacy lies beneath the skin and grow in the bones of Salleh's Family.

MAAF

KERJA tanam kurma sampai saiznya membuak sebesar remote kereta dan wang RM50.00...

Kemudian berhadapan pula dengan Qiamulail dan duedate KERJA...

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Gwa pedulik hape..walau aku Johor Murtad, orang Joho tetap raya SEBULAN!

Maaf Zahir & Batin...saya tak dapat beraya di Johor tahun ini :(

Tampoi

It’s funny when u had a note from someone you haven’t heard for a quite timeline. Its kinda weird. I dunno. It was. Really.

This is how it sound:
“perliz...ni su wife razif aka montel
juz viewed my wed pic kat entry 12..heheh..
now we already stay at jb..
i have wedding shop kat taman dahlia...
leh promotekan..heheh
http://ayied1809.fotopages.com” <<<PROMOTION TU!

CHECK THIS OUT! They even have classes!

This is Razif and Suhaida. One happy client back in my manual days.

Unbelievable. The tingling feeling at the corner of ur heart really feels weird. Its like looking back down at memory lanes and thinking of yourself “whats next?”.

I have a little story about Razif. My dearest father was a teacher in small town of Tampoi since the 80’s. Way before highway, Angsana and BBU were there to make JB as most congested roads of the southern region. Razif's father is a handsome guy (trust me) in the town and made his living by tailoring. Both of our fathers are from the same place. Parit Jawa. That’s how the bonding come all together. I must say, Johorean are quite “rasist”. LOL.

Unfortunately, Cikgu Salleh was handsome a little less than Pakcik Mansor. To be fair, he became one of Mansor Tailor’s loyal customers. From head to toe. Cikgu Salleh must have one good looking before off to school after a long school holiday. Oh, I forgot to mention that at the same venue, there is a partner in crime. Pakcik X (I really lost his name now), The Barber. Trust me, I forgot his name because its quite a while since I grew myself a facial hair and didn’t find any signage of Johor Bahru around LDP,MRR2 and PLUS highways =p

The story continues when im growing up and schooling at the small town for a while. It’s a walking distance from my primary school, to Mansor Tailor, and sekolah agama. This is like ages. Oh, man… The bonding with Mansor Tailor was passed to both of me and my brother. Since 1987.

You can count it and guess my age now. Ouch!

Those days, there are NO LONG PANTS for primary school’s students in supermarkets, Hangkiu Jaya and/or Kedai Tong Ai Lim. Im among the 0.2% of my batch to wear the long pants those days. Its like you wearing tudung (hijab) in the 1970’s (trust me, people were looking girls in hijab back in 70’s was like a Caucasians looking at terrorist. Ask AB for being a beard guy in Aussie after 911).

Me and my classmate, Najib Abdullah (now he is at UK being a proud father and overqualified engineer-low paid whatever he do there.God bless bro.Hell to terrorist!Thank you freaking caucasians) are the only two pupils geared up with long blue pants. Not to forget, all buttoned up till ur neck, without a necktie. Imagine how cute I am back then.

You know the solution. Mansor Tailor! <<<PROMOTION LAGI TU! CHECK IT OUT!

The story didn’t end that way. Hehehe…since couple years later, me and my brother’s appetite on eating my mothers cooking was tremendous! Imagine, im being in the small town with average kampong boy as friends, having couple of home-made pizzas are uber cool to those people…and yet, sharing is better. I never forget that. It’s a good habit to share a portion of food with ur friends, even a bite each. Now I realized. Why our Prophet Muhammad SAW is “berjiwa rakyat” [please,learn malay]. Oh! The pizzas…yeah…actually, it’s a typical bread with mix veggy and sliced frankfurters baked in ovens…simple as that. Oh ya! That’s how we were getting “oversized”!

You already know the solution! Mansor tailor!

He is the most reliable person to make both of us a nice custom made school uniforms. Not because we were rich, it just us being oversize! Hahahaha…

If you read this Su, this is me that you never known, and maybe. Maybe Ajip does not have much time to explore me since we were kids. Yeke? Hehehe…This is (again) an official THANK YOU to both of you to be among the earliest client I ever had *sob*sob (this supposed to be the ‘touching’ part la...)Poyos. That is the real word to describe me when come to this part. Ur sms was right Su,hehe…

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.