I have been quiet for sometimes. For the last two weeks I was busy organizing my personal matters in the Kampung. In fact, for the last nine months, I have not drive my Porche Kubota around my farms. Equally paralyzed was my BMW 531i equivalent Kobelco escavator and all those Mercedes Toyota Trucks. All had lost my normal serious attention. Now these machineries are my new life and will determine my future fate. With all those whom are my uncles, cousins, nephews, and friends we have decided to be serious in developing our Kampung assets. I have this theory of managing our Kampung and assets along the corporate way. Let me slowly work on the Corporate Kampung Model.
(2) On the 25 Feb., 2012, with some friends I flew to Bandung. Upon landing at 17.30 hours local time, I quickly rush to the Aston Braga Hotel. Then by 2000 hours, I rushed to Ropih Art Gallery to join the family for a weeding reception at Jalan Siliwangi. This is a Sundanese Style weeding reception of Mbak Anne, the sister of Pak Ropih, who own a gallery next door to her. The place in fact, is an art studio of the late Pak Ropih's father ie Hj Marta, where one of his son now is teaching kids and arts lovers to paint as well as a community place for appreciating those Sundanese Musics and persilatan. A real nice Studio, place at the outskirt of Bandung, with lots of gigantic jati standing around.
(3) By no accident the concept fit into my effort in MyKampung to turn MyStore and MyHome compound into MyVillage Social Focal point for the development of an Art & Cultural Center. I have a MiniMart, a small Cafe, two gazebo one for a LiveBandPerformance and another for meeting, Quranic reading and guest entertaining place, surrounded with three water bodies which I hope to be the first Gurami Breeding Incubator in the State. Surely my aromatic plants add to all the scene. Latest were all those nice paintings and a small kids library which will add to the whole system. I hope one day, it is a place which carries my dream in my contribution to leave a trail to further enriching the Stylist Kampung Lives. The image of a KampungBoy I hope one day is a pride that every Malays will treasure. I dream to initiate as such.
(4) The breezing night made the whole occasion felt serene with all those urban jungle surrounding. My turned up at the weeding was in fact a surprise to all except my nice foster daughter Evi, the grand daughter of Pak Ropih. In fact, I told the family that I won't make it to the weeding, due to my intended traveling to Phnom Phen. But then, due to flight problem, I just diverted my travel to Bandung and by coincident was the weeding day for Mbak Anne.
(5) It was indeed a simple weeding function. Families and surrounding neighbors came in batches to wish the wed couple Selamat Pengantin Baru dan Selamat Sejahatera. Then they were treated to foods and drinks. Later the Ronggeng Sundanese start with the Chinese Opera high pitch singing lady entertaining the guests. The kecipir, flute, gendang follow into stream. My Canon EOS1Ds Mark III seem to be the official camera of the event with both Evi and Audrey aiming at every faces. Later, the guests were taken to the floor for the dangdut. Few ladies approached me, politely inviting me to dance with them, but I refused with care. I always, indeed having problem when asked to take the floor to dance in any occasions in my whole life. I'm not that easily socialize person for that matter.
(6) At the Studio, my eyes caught two paintings kept in one of the room. The painting was originally done by the late Pak Marta, the father of Pak Ropih or the great grandfather of Evi. Both were painted in 1972. One was about a lady preparing foods to recieve the coming relatives for the Aidil Fitri. All those pile of fire woods and cooking utensils at the back ground remind me of the 1950s kitchen of a typical Malay home. The second painting is a two ringgit durian trading scene at one of the Pasar Minggu in the old day of the Javanese community. All I would say have historical and cultural significant.
(7) I managed to convince Gina, Pak Ropih's daughter to negotiate with all her family member to let go both paintings. They had been holding the painting since the death of the old man. I suggested that I bought to loan the memory of the past and promised that Evi one day would return the paintings back to the family gallery. About 11 of them inherit the paintings, all are the late Pak Marta's kids and the wife. I have to pocket out at least RM60,000.00 for both paintings. With Allah blessing, I will have the paintings as a decoration to the Nusantara Restaurant that I might takeover soon in Kuching.
(8) By 2200 hours, we returned to Ropih Art Gallery to celebrate Pak Ropih's youngest son birthday party. It was very touching indeed, when Gina, the elder sister, as well as the mother of Evi announced that the party was indeed to signify the birthday of three persons ie Evi, the daughter which falls on 1 Feb., myself 18 Feb, and her brother 26 Feb., what a coincident indeed. I really felt totally accepted into the family.
(9) Next day, as early as 0800 hours me and my friends was busy visiting a cloth dying factory on the outskirt of Bandung. A huge factory using the Switzerland technology. The only problem, the factory was built not to the standard EIA requirement and thus all those toxic wastes had to be slowly discharge into the neighborhood. A pity!
(10) What really interest me is not about the factory, but the three triplet daughters of the factory owner. All age six years old and attended SD. All differ in body size, height, and characters, but all are sticking together as triplets. The elder is the mother daughter, whose seem to have control over the younger sisters. She seem to be the great protector and spoke person of the mother especially to control the smoking habit of the father. The second one, was normal in size, and she loves to read. She reads anything. The youngest, a quiet, small, skinny I would say, a slow mover. She seem to love thinking. From the beginning I set eyes on her, she kept drawing Map. She drew routes with homes and all sort along the way. I then told Donny, the father that this kid may want to be a planner. I presumed the messy neighborhoods of Jakarta and Bandung that she sees may had influenced her thinking process. Unfortunately, the parent seem to ignored her signal. Adult always took kids' view passively!
(11) In this visit, I really enjoy eating especially in the accompany of the triplets of Donny's. They really can eat. They ate anything the mother gave them except for the youngest whom struggling to swallow what place into her mouth. The parent had been complaining that she has difficulty to eat and in many circumstances, she may takes hours to finish her dishes. As she was sitting next to me and her maid, I whisper to the maid to make her asam pedas and suggest as such to the mom as well. The maid in fact agreed with me as she used to make special asam pedas for her when the parents are not around, but unfortunately, the mom brush my observation with the explanation that, it was the same with her second daughter and now she is fine. Again I would say, what a fallacy parents have over their kids!
(12) Dony's wife took us to Rumah Mode a nice factory outlets that sell quiet good quality and designed clothing. F&B that sell all those Indonesian traditional food in a better packaging occupied about 30 percent of the Complex. The developer nicely use water bodies to create the Taman Desa feel of the whole Complex. Except for the traffic flow and parking problem, I would say this Complex could be study and implemented in Darul Hana Project in Kuching.
(13) Later she took us to the Paris De Java Mall. At the outset, this doesn't look like a Mall. I had frequent the road much earlier, but only notice all those fast food outlets ar the frontage. This is a nice mall with a the adoption of contemporary and traditional layout and Interior Design. Nonetheless, to the international standard, it is very handicap unfriendly. Again I would say, good to look at this layout thoroughly as a model that can be adopted for the Darul Hana Commercial Center layout. Here, we enjoy Tahu Goreng. It taste real great. Hot and milky. If one dare, one can start with 3,5,7,9,11, 13, 15 anf more than 15 cili padi ingredient. I just managed to deal with three cili padi and that had turned me into lidah bergoyang.
(14) I can't figure out what make the Tahu so tasty. But later, as I have my meal in Golok, Thailand, I have the idea of blending the fried tahu and eggs added with Kelantan or Siamese style sauces, would give a greater lidah bergoyang effect to the customer. The cheese, tomato and garlic might also give a greater effect. May be I should start to work to beat Chef Wan!
(15) 27 Feb., 2012 I and my friends flew back to Malaysia and headed straight to Kota Bharu. We then cross to Golok, Thailand to have the feel of the Cow Boy City. Veronica, my friend's wife was amazed with the clothing fashion available in Golok. There are much versatile and suit to a much broader taste as compared to those in Bandung. I have been telling many people of these, but most would preferred Badung to Golok not because of anything but Sense of Place. As my earlier notion, taking the Golok River, the rich cultural mixed of the Pattani, Siamese and Kelantanese, with all those huge border trading, Rantau Panjang, which I called Long Beach, can do as great as Venice, St Anthonio, and even Portland. Mixing the concept of Religion, Culture, Foods, Fashions, and Border Trading, Rantau Panjang the Long Beach could make Kota Bharu a New Castle.
(16) In the early morning of 28 Feb., 2012, we went to have Nasi Berlauk Mahal at Tumpat. In almost everywhere in Kelantan, one will only have to pay about RM3.00-5.00 for the NNasi Berlauk but here, one has to pay for RM8.00. But said to note, last 1 March, at about 0400 hours, the shop where the lady tumpang to do her business was burned down. I was with my old buddy from Kuala Krai, drove all the way there to have the Nasi Berlauk and discovered the devastated burned down place.
(17) On the 29 Feb., 2012 to 2 March, 2012, I made a detail tour to few places which I believe where me and my friends could initiate an Islamic City Development. Rantau Panjang, Bachok, Tanah Merah and certainly some urban infill in Kota Bharu would fit into our interest. My very interest to develop such concept in Kelantann was mainly due to the fact that I just want to answer my wonder: Why did Allah sent me to study and grew in Kelantan? I was badly separated from my three little siblings, whom when my mum in the verge of her departure, had entrusted me to care for, and my lonely dad. It was there and then in the 1970s, at such hard and difficult time. Did I not step into Muhammad SAW childhood trail as an orphan in his childhood? Secondly As I have many times pointed that Nik Aziz Nik Mat, had infused the roh of Islam into the Kelantanese community but this roh is without the jasad. To me it is easier to start the concept of an Islamic State where the roh is there just as Muhammad SAW had migrated to Madina to respond to the invitation of the Al Ansar. I want to build that jasad as much as I wish to infuse the same in Darul Hana Kuching and Kg. Baru Kuala Lumpur. Nonetheless, it is not going to be easy, but my initial life in Kelantan was also not easy, but then I made it!
(18) As me and my friend roaming Bachok and Pasir Tumbuh, on our drive back to Kota Bharu, I came accross this notion: Islam is about sustainability, which is termed barakhah or pahala as the reward. The Malays, they are Muslim. Anything that they do, it must be something that is barakhah. As such, anyting that we must do for them it must also be something that is barakhah. Say, we take their land for commercial purpose, under the normal Free Market practice, the concept of Willing Buyer Willing Seller applied. But, in the long run, due to their weaknesses in managing their economy, the compensated value will perish over time. Thus, there and then they will be a social burden toi the State. In this regard, I proposed, a Free Market concept can't be applied but the Concept of a Welfare State must be seriously developed.
(19) For Darul Hana for instance I have mooted to the community to think seriously to take the Government Pricing as an immediate return but the price different between the Market (after improvement) and Government must be invest and manage on a Corporate basis. The Economic doctrine of Sayyidina Umar Al Khatab had spealt out the layout of such premises. Here, the Muslim Malays must realize the meaning of hemah, sabar, and syukur from the economic-religion rather just merely from the spititual-religion basis. I hope, I could elaborate on this idea soonest.
(20) I would say, the Concept of an Islamic Community must be finely define. Just as all creation are created by Allah, I do believe, the non-Muslim has a strong significant in the Islamic Society Built. We need probably to take them into the totality of the Islamic Society then probably gave us much easier fitrah, wisdom, Plan to build such a society. Islam is for all, and what does that mean?
(21) SubhannaAllah help me and all the others whom are willing to be Yours in our way!
Kota Bharu, Kelantan, LCCT-Kuala Lumpur
2-3 March, 2012
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