Kelantan Revisited

Star Q

i.  Petite Pink Pavlovas

ii.  English Camp for KRK Students

It's been more than twenty six years since I left this state.  The three years I spent there still lingers in my mind as if it was yesterday; well not exactly that crystal clear.  All those years there has definitely left an indelible mark in my life.

My visit to Kelantan recently was mostly to fulfill an invitation of a colleague who got married during the school holidays.  Passing through Pasir Puteh, Kota Bharu and finally to Bachok where the wedding reception took place, I couldn't help but gaze wide-eyed in total amazement at the development the state had undergone, especially the state capital.

I must confess that the development that the state had undergone did not really surprise me, because even during the three years I was there in Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bharu's development was quite rapid.  I recall, in my third year, the Pantai Timur row of shops were just opening and the much-sought-after fried chicken made it's inaugural opening in that town, much to our (the students of the college I was in) delight!

And now, after twenty six years, I found myself lost even in the center of town, just like the traveler from Amsterdam whom I met at Muhammadi Mosque.  He was asking for directions to the bus station.  I suddenly felt like a stranger in my own country because I could not give him the information he wanted.  But then again, like Amsterdam, Malaysia is a big country!  

The only landmark that I recognized was the Sultan Ismail Petra Arch and Temenggong Hotel, which surprisingly seemed untouched by the capital's development.  One more familiar thing that struck me as I left Muhammadi Mosque after the Subuh solat was the unmistakable smell of Nasi Kerabu wafting from somewhere nearby, I gathered!

Talking about Nasi Kerabu, I have not had my breakfast yet at the time this entry was written, and I had just bought a packet from the morning market here.  It will definitely not taste the same as the Nasi Kerabu sold in Kelantan even if the ones sold here are made my Kelantanese.  

It will be quite some time before I have another opportunity to visit Kelantan again.  But for now, I shall keep fond memories of the state, especially Kota Bharu, in the Nasi Kerabu I am about to have.  Bismillah.