Oliver's nickname is 'Gemuk' but it is not a deserved one. He is a slim man in his late 50s or early 60s and had a warm and ready smile. He showed me to my room which he normally lets out to families for RM150, but as I was recommended by Lili, would only be RM50 for the night.
It was a decent-sized room with a queen-sized bed, a bunk bed for two, and a spare mattress on the floor below that. A dressing table and wardrobe completed the furnishings. It opened into the living room which had a large TV complete with karaoke machine. On the other side of the living room were two more rooms. They were not occupied and I had the run of the place. A kitchen adjoined the living room and the toilet and bath were at one end of this. I was very happy to note the hot water heater. I had earlier made fun of the Tanjung Piai resort for having air-conditioners but no water heaters so was glad Oliver's place was much more complete.
The living room was bounded on two sides by a verandah and a walkway leading on to a number of other house was just beside this, separated by an open fence and a gate. Oliver gave me the gate key and said my bike would be safe. He declared Kukup to be safe and free from crime but I still chained my bike to the balustrades just in case.
After I unpacked we chatted for awhile. Oliver was full of positives about Kukup saying the people were nice, that the various races mixed freely - even the orang laut (the indigenous sea people) and it was generally a very nice place to live.
He told me I could get dinner until about 10pm or so and that the fishermen would likely go out about midnight when the tide was in. I made a mental note to try to go out then, but was not sure I could, considering the late night the night before.
I took a walk just before dinner time and wandered around Kukup town. I couldn't understand the need for a spanking new double-storey hawker centre in the middle of town - all the shutters were down and the stalls seemed unoccupied. Facing this was a series of well-patronised restaurants. I walked off in the direction of the bus station, past the imposing Immigration office and discovered some new development going on just behind the bus station.
I walked down a side-street, and realised there were a number of rows of brand new 3-storey shophouses. All the units had their shutters down too and looked as unoccupied as the hawker centre. Facing them on one side, and still behind hoardings upon which creepers were clambering up, was another slab-like row of uncompleted shophouses looking decidedly abandoned.
The whole development, like the hawker centre, seemed out of place.
I walked in to King's restaurant (can't quite remember the actual name, I'm sorry) for dinner but after sitting down for 5 minutes amongst other patrons, no one had come to take my order despite my attempts to attract attention. So I walked out and back to the lunch place - Causeway/Coastway. Here I was the only patron and paid RM20 for rice, a fried pork specialty dish, mixed vege and a can of Carlsberg.
After dinner, I wandered around the Kampung Air Masin - it's big! Everything is built on stilts of course and running through the centre of town is a large concrete 'road' on which plies human and bicycle and motorcycle traffic. Leading off the main road are numerous side streets, some short ones leading up to individual houses and others, like the one running along Oliver's, leading past rows of houses.
The place was busy with people everywhere. Kids zoomed up and down on bicycles, some of them merrily and fearlessly texting on their mobile phones. I discovered there were a number of other 'resorts'. There were also a number of very large houses which were as removed from the charm of the half concrete and wood single storey structures as was possible.
I noticed a few people pushing large carts about. Most carts were empty and I never found out what they were for. Rubbish collection, perhaps.
About 1 km in, there was a fork in the road and the left lead to a large school. I decided to turn around and headed back.
Oliver had given me the key so I let myself in an went to bed.
It was a decent-sized room with a queen-sized bed, a bunk bed for two, and a spare mattress on the floor below that. A dressing table and wardrobe completed the furnishings. It opened into the living room which had a large TV complete with karaoke machine. On the other side of the living room were two more rooms. They were not occupied and I had the run of the place. A kitchen adjoined the living room and the toilet and bath were at one end of this. I was very happy to note the hot water heater. I had earlier made fun of the Tanjung Piai resort for having air-conditioners but no water heaters so was glad Oliver's place was much more complete.
The living room was bounded on two sides by a verandah and a walkway leading on to a number of other house was just beside this, separated by an open fence and a gate. Oliver gave me the gate key and said my bike would be safe. He declared Kukup to be safe and free from crime but I still chained my bike to the balustrades just in case.
After I unpacked we chatted for awhile. Oliver was full of positives about Kukup saying the people were nice, that the various races mixed freely - even the orang laut (the indigenous sea people) and it was generally a very nice place to live.
He told me I could get dinner until about 10pm or so and that the fishermen would likely go out about midnight when the tide was in. I made a mental note to try to go out then, but was not sure I could, considering the late night the night before.
I took a walk just before dinner time and wandered around Kukup town. I couldn't understand the need for a spanking new double-storey hawker centre in the middle of town - all the shutters were down and the stalls seemed unoccupied. Facing this was a series of well-patronised restaurants. I walked off in the direction of the bus station, past the imposing Immigration office and discovered some new development going on just behind the bus station.
I walked down a side-street, and realised there were a number of rows of brand new 3-storey shophouses. All the units had their shutters down too and looked as unoccupied as the hawker centre. Facing them on one side, and still behind hoardings upon which creepers were clambering up, was another slab-like row of uncompleted shophouses looking decidedly abandoned.
The whole development, like the hawker centre, seemed out of place.
I walked in to King's restaurant (can't quite remember the actual name, I'm sorry) for dinner but after sitting down for 5 minutes amongst other patrons, no one had come to take my order despite my attempts to attract attention. So I walked out and back to the lunch place - Causeway/Coastway. Here I was the only patron and paid RM20 for rice, a fried pork specialty dish, mixed vege and a can of Carlsberg.
After dinner, I wandered around the Kampung Air Masin - it's big! Everything is built on stilts of course and running through the centre of town is a large concrete 'road' on which plies human and bicycle and motorcycle traffic. Leading off the main road are numerous side streets, some short ones leading up to individual houses and others, like the one running along Oliver's, leading past rows of houses.
The place was busy with people everywhere. Kids zoomed up and down on bicycles, some of them merrily and fearlessly texting on their mobile phones. I discovered there were a number of other 'resorts'. There were also a number of very large houses which were as removed from the charm of the half concrete and wood single storey structures as was possible.
I noticed a few people pushing large carts about. Most carts were empty and I never found out what they were for. Rubbish collection, perhaps.
About 1 km in, there was a fork in the road and the left lead to a large school. I decided to turn around and headed back.
Oliver had given me the key so I let myself in an went to bed.
5 comments:
Hey JZ, keep it up man. I'd come here for a daily dose of your novel...
Hallooooo, you went to Kukup, the place that Kiasulites drive miles to eat seafood, and you ate pork rice??? Did you fall down from your bicycle and bump your head along the way? 8-D
Good on you - to do what you set out to do while having fun (chee yok fun too).
Aiyah, already had the deep fried fish and the fried squid the night before - very yummy but too much for one person I think. Wasn't in the mood for too much seafood.
Kukup is very nice in many other ways though. :-)
Little Brother
I just learnt how to access a blog... never to late to learn, what? You're drinking the wrong beer, man.
Keep safe
Big Brother Tony
Good luck on your wonderful journey now that it has begun. I am looking forward to reading all you do and see. I love the mini albums. Even with my poor dial up ( I know, but I live in the hills, remember) they load at a decent speed for me.
Be safe my friend and have fun
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