31 October 2010

From Teng Teng Teng to Wan Toteng - Halloween Or Monsoon ?

Yes, from Teng Teng Teng ( 10.10.10) we move to Wan Toteng (01.02.10)

Pakcik Googled to get what Halloween is. Here it goes:

Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday observed on October 31, primarily in Canada, Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holiday All Saints' Day, but is today largely a secular celebration.
The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth
.’

I am not in the least interested in the Haloween. But during my younger days I happened to be among the community who celebrated the Halloween night., the end of summer and the beginning of winter. So in a way Halloween is not altogether something foreign to me.

Right now, however, I want to write about Monsoon, the end of a hot spell and the beginning of rainy season with wind and salty air. That is as far as the similarity goes between HaloWEEN and MonSOON – from summer into winter, from hot spell into wet season.
------------------------------

Just past midnight I woke up from my sleep last night hearing the sound of window panes vibrating in the wind, and the continuous droning sound of waves hitting the sand. I knew too well what that meant, the arrival of monsoon ( musim tengkojah )on the East Coast of peninsular. If tonight is the Halloween, last night seems to herald the arrival of our wet season.




True to my expectation the sun never showed its face all day today. The sky was totally covered in layers upon layers of grey clouds and the rain came down in drizzles all day long. In between the drizzled I ran out through the gate of my backyard to take some shots of the grey sea. Waves, moving with increasing speed, unrolled themselves onto the sandy beach spreading sheets of white froth far and wide. I turned to look to the tops of coconut palms lining the beach. As expected their leaves were being swept landwards in the wind which was blowing hard from the north east direction - the forerunner of the famous North East Monsoon, my winter without snow.






While I now enjoy the cool wet weather of monsoon my heart bleeds for the men whose livelihood depends on the generosity of the sea. I know for sure some of them are fathers of my pupils. It is a painful time for them. And tonight, after more than nine months of hot weather, I will not have to switch on the aircon in my bedroom to enjoy my sleep. And the ghosts of Halloween are enjoying themselves playing and singing in the rain.

Such is life.

Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan



19 comments:

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Dear Pakcik,
Where we are, people in general do not celebrate Halloween, except for some silly TV personalities who go about prancing in silly costumes. End of Oct/early Nov is best known here as the Melbourne Cup weekend (people in Victoria gets a day off too) where the best horses and two-legged "filly" congregate at Flemington for the annual races. I've been trying to persuade Mama to take me to the races but she always come back with: Don't think you'll look good with a hat on your head. What does she mean? purrr....meow!

Wan Sharif said...

In Duyong,some 40 years back, I would be hanging around the wakaf to watch the elders ( some of them were fishermen that could not go to the sea) spending their time playing checkers(read: dam haji)during monsoon. Time would be hard for fishermen families.. they would be digging for ikan kering and budu to replace the fish for their meal. There is not much things for them fisherman to do except to work part-time with the boat maker.. for a pittance..
I got down to crack my head on this issue for quite sometime..
I guess without exposure to "thinking big", how other homosapien succeed in life.. these
Duyong bred fishermen might have little clue as to how to get out of that dire strait. The "rancangan tanah pinggiran" a noble government initiative to get foor fishermen to change their livelihood.. could not do much as Duyong people have never been involved in tilling the land..

GUiKP said...

Salam Pakcik,
Where we are, it hasn't stopped raining since last night. We don't have a hot water shower, and this morning taking a shower was like mandi air perigi. Mengigil kesejukan. If it continues to rain hingga ke petang, I may have problem driving home from work this afternoon. The higway may disappear and turns into a waterway.

Al-Manar said...

C-i-S.,

It is time you tell your Mama,"With due respect, Mama, do you think you look that good with without that silly hat on?". Ha ha ,serve her right...

GUiKP said...

Salm Pakcik,
Just an update. At 11am, abruptly ended an animated PhD discussion I had with my Yemeni student to rush home. After several detour, arrived home safely before noon. At 10 past 12, our Unit Komunikasi Korporat issued this email:

ADALAH dimaklumkan laluan utama keluar dan masuk ke kampus terpaksa ditutup kerana dinaiki air. Sehubungan dengan itu, semua warga Universiti dinasihatkan untuk menggunakan laluan alternatif ...

My heart goes to all the parents, guardians and graduates who are attending their convo now.

Al-Manar said...

Kotastar,

Without rain the fishemen are happy but the padi farmers are not. With rain it is the reverse. And if there too much rainnevery one is unhappy.

Skali lagi, selamat pergi dan kembali.

Al-Manar said...

Ayah Wan,

It is the same problem when we cannot change their attitude on top of not willing to see how others survive. I am seeing a worse scenario when their children do not follow them to sea to learn the trade at least, not taking education seriously, but being pampered with motorcycles, handphones etc.

Wher are we haeding for Wan?

Al-Manar said...

GUiP,

I was lucky with a litle more hot water left of the soalar heater. There are only two of us using it. From tomorrow we have to see whether the stand-by electric one works. We save on aorcom and pay for electric heater - can never win.
I am suprised the monsoon weather seems to have gone west coast. Klang valley area had bad weather all day yesterday as well.

Your blog has had no fresh input - must be busy planning for another 'coup' seminar presentation somewhere.

ninotaziz said...

Dear Pakcik and all blogger friends who visit ninotazizpurplemusings from time to time,

Thank you for all your kind wishes during a time of responsibility and letting go for our family.

Incidently, it was gently drizzling in Pekan Pahang when we put Grandma to rest for the last time. Perhaps the beginning of the monsoon season...

Pakcik, you mentioned the need to learn the trade from our elderlies. Honestly, I feel blessed I had the guidance of my grandma for so long and that all my five daughters got to know her. By observing how we took care of their Moyang(and how some did not) my elder daughters pronounced solemnly that they will take care of their mother and grandmother when and if the time comes. Inshaallah.

My grandmother was in pain but the last few days, all was calm. Alhamdulillah all was settled as per her wishes.

For my reflections on yet another phase in our lives:
http://ninotazizpurplemusings.blogspot.com/2010/10/ode-to-my-grandmother.html

http://ninot-s-herbs-in-pots.blogspot.com/2010/10/patah-tumbuh-hilang-berganti.html

http://lapoesieparninotaziz.blogspot.com/2010/10/ma-grand-mere.html

The reason why I have included the links here is to share how I personally appreciate the elders in my family, as I am sure we all do.

And who knows, perhaps there is a chance someone out there was an old student or friend of hajah Rahmah Haji Nik, and this news would have reached you.

Al Fatihah.

Al-Manar said...

Ninotaziz,

Tell me
What words
Which words
How many words
Just
What heart feels.

ALFATIHAH

kaykuala said...

Dear Pakcik,
It's not that bad in K. Lumpur not the way the pictures you took of trees in the wind.It would be a problem here only if there's a downpour just preceding rush-hour, just madness! There would jams galore.

Halloween? They ( read: my cucus) brought back weird and frightening rubber masks and candies from their 'outing'.

kaykuala said...

Dear Ninotaziz Ma'am,
Alhamdulilah everything went smoothly on your late grandma's last journey. Al-Fatihah

Anonymous said...

I like very much to read what you wite here.

Al-Manar said...

Kaykuala,

Over here this weather is normal this time of the year. The worst is yet to come. We have to wait and see how things are. It is not that bad. I kind of enjoy the cold for a change.
Salaam

Al-Manar said...

Anonymous,

Keep visiting us. Leave a name for Pakcik to address you.

Awang Goneng said...

Muséng jo'ong mari döh O Mèk,
bila burong ciök dök bbunyi cèk-cèk
pasir rebih ttepi pata, ömbök parök
Ikang pong takdök ssèkör d'lauk

Döh nök wak guane O wok aku sayang
Kita makang pucok je lah cicöh garang
Takdi Mök mung gi ppasör Keda Payang
Cari ikang takdök ssèkör sebutér harang

Tohok gök ubi setököl ddalang bara tu Song,
Biar garing ddalang api ceröh museng jo'ong
Kita minung kawe denge ubi cicöh gula
pah tu kita dengör bangsawang d'udara

Ggininglah bila hujang turong ssining
Habis ketör anak beranok, laki bining
Mung batok köh-köh, aku pong bereséng
Dengör sayu anjing nyallok Ppula Kambéng

Nök ccöcök ttanang pong aku dök reti
Badang letéh aku dök rök göhék tèksi
Kita gi ppanggong Sultana bila malang
Ada nasib buléh tèngök cerita hindustang

Ggitulah le ning basöh jjerok
Dok ngökkör bbawöh atap nipöh burok
Nök bèkki takdök ppitih setarang habok
Tunggulah bila ikang mari balik d'lauk

Al-Manar said...

Awang Goneng,

Mi,thank you for the poem. Like it or not I feel obliged to respond poutically as well, be it ametuerish.

Aer panah taki sola hiter dah habih pasal matehari dok nnyusut balek awang. Kena paka baju busuk Kak Mak bbasoh tok leh kering dah.

Salaam to all at home.
Kak Mah & Abang Ngah

Anonymous said...

Salam, Tuang Al Manar.

Ning ambe nok antar ke deme 'Pantung Awang Goneng' tu yg ambe tulis semule.

“Musim Redup”

Musim redup sudah tiba, o Mek
Apabila burung ciak berbunyi cek-cek
Pasir rebih di tepi pantai, diparut ombak
Tak ada seekor pun ikan di laut.

Dah nak buat macam mana, o wok ku sayang
Kita makan sahaja pucuk, cicah garam
Tadi mak dah pergi ke Pasar Kesai Payang
Cari ikan tapi tak ada barang seekor pun.

Campakan lah seketul ubi ke dalam bara, Som.
Biar garing di dalam api ceroh musim tengkojoh
Kita minum kopi dengan ubi cicah gula
Lepas itu, kita pergi dengar siaran ‘Bangsawan di udara’.

Beginilah keadaannya bilan hujan turun di sini
Habih gementar anak beranak laki bining
Kamu batuk berdekah-dekah, aku pula berseng,
Terdengar sayu bunyi salakan anjing di Pulau Kambing..

Mahu bercucuktanam pun, aku tak mengerti
Badanku naik letih, selepas berkayoh beca
Jom kita pergi ke Panggung Sultana, bila malam nanti
Kalau bernasib baik, dapat menonton filem Hindustan

Begitulah …. Dan ketika ini dalam keadaan basah keseluruhan .
Sedang terketar-ketar di bawah lindungan atap nipah buruk
Nak perbaiki … masalahnya tak berduit langsung
Kena tunggulah masanya musim ikan kembali bermain di laut.


- Kesimpulannya : Musim redup telah memberi kesan yang ‘menyusahkan kehidupan’ keluarga nelayan miskin yg tidak dapat pergi kelaut menangkap ikan, dan utk sementara waktu terpaksa berkerja sbg pengayuh beca. Kehidupan harian sekeluarga pun terjejas disebabkan keadaan rumah tempat tinggal mereka sekeluarga itu terlalu uzor.

Sekiang, Wassalam.
- ajidul (pinisgobel@yahoo.com)

Al-Manar said...

Tuan Ajidol,

Terima kasih banyak banyak. Saya akan buat posting baru menunjukkan kedua dua pantun itu untuk bukan orang Terengganu memahami.

Salaam hormat dari saya