Artist : Creed
Title : Don’t Stop Dancing
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“Hello bro, I rase dah sesat la! Risau ah. Stesen minyak langsung tak jumpe. Minyak tinggal 2 bar je! Dari tadi jalan kiri kanan sawit jer!”
“You dah sampai kat mane?”
“Tak tahu. Ade rujuk map ni tapi jalan kampongnyer tak jumpe pon. Haih.”
“Yang pandai sangat gune map tu naper? Kompom la tak jumpe. Jalan kampung tu mane ade dalam map! Ok skrang you kt mane?”
“Oh ok. Ntah ar. Dari tadi ade lalu bulatan sebelum masuk Negri. I dah masuk Negri lepas lalu Sg Rembau.”
“La. Jauhnyer gi. Kampung tu kat Melaka da. Patah balik cari Balai Polis okay.”
“Arr?Balai polis mane plak ni. Mana la kita tawu. Takper ar. Saye nak stop ni kt rumah orang ni. Blasah jer ar tanyer orang sini. Call you back later k.”
There goes me in the middle of the road, lost going somewhere. A little bit of worry, mainly because lack of fuel, started to squirrel in my whole body which had made me raised my voice. The map doesn’t help that much when you looking for a road which doesn’t appear on the map but instead only shows state and federal route. I walked down towards a house without gates. I don’t lock my car because there are no people around. There goes the sense of secure of no bad people around. You even hardly meet any vehicle along the road as if you could just lie on the road. I saw an old couple sitting and waiting time passes them. With them is a cute girl standing looking and a man probably her dad looking at me from afar.
“Smekom.”
“Walaikumsalam.”
“Achik, nak tanyer bleh? Owang rase cam dah sesat ar. Nak carik kampung ni”
“Oh kampong tu den pogi dokat Ramuan Chino Besau sano. Beloh Melako sano. Sini ko doh sompai Lubuk Cino. Kat Nogori dah ni.”
“La. Yeker? Kite dah puas mencari jalan ni. Minyak dah nak abes ni. Patut la silap kat name rupe nyer. Ramuan Cina Besar, bukan Lubuk Cina. Owang keliru ah. Lupe nyer pasal. Haih.”
“Ko pogi terus jalan ni, pusing kanan, ade roundabout kocik, pastu ko amik pukul 2. Dopan tu beloh kiri ko jumpo satu Petronas. Amik ko kiri den sampai la Ramuan Cino tu.”
I could feel the tiredness but the bitter sweet of meeting local people that wanted to help us really compensate it. I get back on the wheel, stated off with some fuel that could last another 30 km. Human tends to make silly mistakes when they are fatigue. Due to my tiredness, I simply made a mistake which leads me to the other side of the state. It’s already involving the border between Negri Sembilan and Melaka. Finally I made it to the destination. It was evening, greeted by all those people I met before. It was during Desa Wawasan that we have this so-called ‘Anak Angkat’ program between Rakan Muda and Belia. We get to do different activities there. One of them which I still remember back in my university time was cleaning the cemetery there and at the same time helped to burry after a death reported coincidently. Long story short: I get to know the local people there.
I am almost ready to make a move day after. All the goods have been loaded. I like really like the ‘sambal udang’ that Ummi cooked for me. The prawn was from river not the sea. So it tasted really nice, much tenderer and sweet compare to sea prawn. I told her and she packed for me some to bring back. The morning they still cooking ‘roti jala’ for a school dining hall. I followed them just before I make my move to KL. I called my officemate to settle some emails which require some fast action. If this kampong has internet connection, maybe I could have settled my work last night.
When it comes to work, what I learn after they advice me as a newbie, you should know which one to make priority and what’s not. Meaning: if you sum up all, of course you feel the burden of lots, lots of work which leads you to hypertension. Better write it down, state there first thing first which have the nearest dateline. The rest which not yet or still far from dateline, you just follow up. After you jotted down, forget about it. I mean you jotted it down in a way so that you don’t have to remember. Too much work which make you say, “Sure I will look and check it later” but for sure ending up you forgot to check, right? Oh yes, what do I do I don’t mix work and my to-do-list. That one needs you to find an empty slot or easy during the lunch time if your to-do-list requires you to go somewhere such as banks, grocery whatsoever. Don’t you agree with me? So far it works for me! Or maybe you have better way or so?
Few days before, I went to Kuala Sg Baru, Melaka. I wasn’t very experience in this inspection. I called my colleague and he redirect me which part to inspect. It was and easy job when you know what to. Otherwise you end up blur. Then in the evening, I was brought to Palong 5, Negri Sembilan; another site to inspect. Along the way we did have chat. It was awesome to find out a guy who used to catch problematic student back in university days.
“Cik dulu dok kt BBI gak ker? Asal kite tak penah jumpe eek?”
“Saye dok Jalan 6. Awak dok jalan bape?”
“Saye Jalan 7. Eh, dekat gile. Takkan kite tak pernah jumpe? 5 tahun tau saye dok situ. Group cycling ade pernah nampak? Tahu rumah yang ade Volkswagen kaler oren? Tu la umah sewa saye.”
“Ade perasan budak-budak main mountain bike. Volkwagen kaler oren? Oh itu rumah awak ker? Tahu tahu. Jalan tu kurang skit. Yang selalu saye tangkap buat kes ni rumah Jalan 6. Memang ramai awek melayu ngan laki melayu dok skali. Tak masuk kes Pak Arab lagi.”
“Ahaha. Itu la kawan-kawan saye kalau acik nak tahu. Tak sangka baru sekarang kite bersua muke. Ade gak lepak, tapi tengok time la. Tak ramai yang same course ngan saye. Biase kalau buat activity tu baru saye gi umah derang. Time berseronok kite orang gi Melaka Raya. Rumah saye kiri kanan umah family. Agak nyer sbb tu cik terlepas pandang kot. Wakaka.”
“Hoho. Terlepas ko ek. Tapi ok la. Janji ko dah grad. Budak-budak yang aku tangkap tu pon sume studi kantoi. Admin ‘U’ ko tu mmg siap ade tunjuk rekod derang lagi. Bagus la ko dah keje skrang.”
It was a very frank conversation. I believe more secrets more lie. And I am not very good at telling lies. Why should you lie? One way or another people will find out sooner or later. We both share a lot of things regarding to work, experience and university days. With inside lingo had me at hello, I did ask a lot questions. Sometime you won’t meet any people for no reason. And God has his own way of making certain individual to meet at the right place and right time. It is not a curse; it’s a destiny to where the reality goes. Palong 5 is a small place that belongs to Felda. They have another Palong 1 to Palong 4. It’s on the way to Gemas, Negri Sembilan and add another 45 minutes you’ll reach to Muadzam Shah, Pahang.
We had our lunch at Gemas at a shop which famous for its Nasi Ayam Gemas. They served the chicken shared in one whole plate. I still remember the taste. Yummy! After that, we continue and pass Kampong Tengah, Gemencheh. I remember an old friend of mine introduce herself from there. Now I know how her place looks like. The place is simple just like her looks but her mind is boggling complicated. Hahaha. I slept behind until we stop by for tea time in Alor Gajah, Melaka. By the clock strike at 5:30 pm, I quickly took my car back park at an exchange we’re off to next stop: Kluang, Johor Daruk Takzim.
Kluang is very well known with its railway coffee. The original railway coffee shop is just a stone’s throw from Kluang exchange. On the day I arrived for a site survey itself, I already brought there for a breakfast by the locals there. I remember a morning:
“Cik Saifudin nak tahu, sini la original Kluang railway kopi tu. Kan kite biase nak old town white coffee mane-mane, sini la first skali yang ni la original die. Order la kopi die. Mesti rase kalau dah datang.”
“Oh ade pernah nampak old town tu. Ooo..sini la ek first kedai die? Kat SJ biase gi lepak ngan kawan-kawan. Tak tahu plak asal kluang. Bole tahan ar bisnes die sampai bleh bukak banyak cawangan nih. Agaknyer owang Kluang kompem suke minum kopi. Hehe.”
“Ahaha. Ye kot. Tempat lain pon ade gak kan kedai kopi, tapi sini yang boleh sampai merebak ade cawangan sampai ke KL.”
“Kirenyer Kluang ni trademark die coffee la ek?”
“Ye betul. Kalau keje ni kalau banyak berjalan, memang kene rase makanan tiap-tiap tempat.”
I checked out from the hotel next day. This time it brings me to Renggam, a 20 minutes journey from Kluang. Also, don’t be confused with Simpang Renggam, another place little further up to the west. Until evening, I think my work here is done. It’s time for everyone would likely love to do when working: going home. Entering exit J241 into the E2, short term for express 2 which represent the South Expressway (E1 is for the North bound), I speed up towards the raining clouds above which eyes can see from a distance clear.
That’s where the time you make an unplanned stop which made me lost on my way to kampong that you closed with. You are welcome anytime. Sometimes you don’t need any appointment to come. No matter the people there is busy with they daily work, they will find a time with you. Their life style really reminds me of Kampong Boy written by Datuk Lat. I believe that is that only drawing material documented about traditional Malay lifestyle back in kampong days. I believe those who from kampong making a living in the city would eventually keep one copy. I never grew up in kampong but I’ve tasted how it is like. I thank God for such opportunity.
I continue my way back to the metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, basically the place where I belong to. With Creed – Don’t Stop Dancing song sounding up in the car, these all go, meet up places are the all-time celebration. Sometimes it got me feeling so free. Let’s do it one more time! Thank God it’s Friday. I just got a call from my old friend thus I exit through Putrajaya off KL-Seremban Highway into LDP which leads me to my next unplanned stop: Sri Hartamas.
Sunday, November 2nd, 2008 
What else should I do? Should I off to my dreamland? I guess it’s too early. I can’t live alone. It’s not an issue but me, myself and I hate being alone. Maybe I was brought up like this; prefer to be in the center, prefer to be attended. It’s dumb to ask, cool to ignore but to be frank: I felt one kind being alone in this hotel room. As if someone is watching me. God knows He’s watching me 24, 7 as I bare in my mind everywhere every time. But the truth is I can’t be alone. I can’t stand for just even one day & even more I don’t understand how could some of my friends including my own sis could rent a house or an apartment alone. Yesterday when I checked in the evening, it is destined that my colleague is also on his way to the south. He called me and dropped by midnight before proceed his journey later in the morning. I already slept at 10 pm but welcome him to my room. We had a chat before I fade out in my dreams. It is good to have a companion. The bottom line is I can’t be alone all the time. There’s this instinct telling me to find, to bother pursuing me to make a call, or message perhaps, or ask to go for a yamcha. Now while writing this, I feel like the walls are staring at me one kind. Eyh, stop staring at me-lah! Haih. >_<
