Kedah – footsteps……..by atok vlog

JOM, CENDUL PULUT DURIAN

Dah semakin jadi sebutan pula Cendol Pulut Durian sebelah kawasan aku ni. Tak pastilah area lain. Mungkin ada juga. Tapi yang nampak dalam facebook just kawasan Utara Kedah je.

Cendol Pulut Durian ni hanya modifikasi dari cendol pulut, tapi dah ditambah dengan seulas dua durian menjadikan makanan ini mendapat sambutan. Disamping itu ada juga cendol pulut memlepam, tapi mcm kurang disebut-sebut pula. Ada lagi satu modifikasi cendol ni iaitu ada yang tambah dengan tapai. Namun tapai bukan semua orang suka makan, jadi kuranglah sambutannya.

Selepas melihat foto yang dipost oleh seorang kawan tentang cendol pulur curian, timbul rasa teringin nak rasa juga, walaupun harganya mahal sedikit tetapi memang berbaloilah juga.

Mula dulu pergi ke sebuah restoran berhampiran dengan rumah dengan tujuan nak rasa, ambil gambar dan buat posting dalam blog. Tetapi selepas Cendol Pulut Durian itu sampai, tengok presentation dia tidak membangkitkan ummph untuk post gambar itu.

Seterusnya pergi cari di sebuah restoran lain yang agak jauh.

Cendol Pulut Durian ni memang rasanya enak dan menyejukkan apa lagi di musim panas di kawasan Utara sekarang. Walaupun durian itu sendiri panas tetapi cendol, pulut dan ais itu mengimbanginya.

Salah sebuah Restoran yang ada menyediakan Cendol Pulut Durian ialah di Kepala Batas, Kubang Pasu, Kedah. Restoran ni juga menyediakan sajian lain berasaskan pulut seperti pulur durian dan mempelam.

Cendol Pulut Durian Head Road

Kedah – Where It All Begins

This description was published on Discover Kedah 2016 You Tube Page dated 23 Sep 2015

Kedah Darul Aman (Abode of Peace) is one of the oldest civilizations in Southeast Asia. Centuries before Borobudur and Angkor Wat… and long before Malacca, Kedah’s Bujang Valley was a thriving trading capital in this part of the world. Before Malaysia became known as ‘Truly Asia’, Kedah was already a destination that was ‘Truly Asia’.

Rich in history, natural beauty and tradition, it’s time the world fell in love with Kedah, Malaysia – Where it All Began.

In relation to the history of Kedah’s civilisation lets view this You Tube clip.

Lembah Bujang in Kedah was once a great port

There are lots of video clips on the early history of Lembah Bujang in Kedah which is believed to be the oldest civilisation in the Malay peninsular since it is located at the entrance of Malacca Straits.

Historical Sites Means Nothing?

English: Early Kedah's architecture - EarlyKed... — English: Early Kedah’s architecture – EarlyKedah001.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Archaeology Museum of Bujang Valley (Photo credit: Tianyake)

It has been circulating on media social about a heritage and historical site being demolished to make way for housing development. This is one site that has been detected, maybe there are more where some greedy housing and property developers who sees historical sites has no value compared to the money that they will gain after their projects gets done.

Lembah Bujang at the foot of Gunung Jerai in Kedah has been identified as one of the earliest civilization on Golden Chersoneses or the Malay Peninsular. It is believed to be earlier than the Malacca Sultanate. The news broke out (that I first read on social media) that A candi called Candi Sungai Batu in Lembah Bujang, Kedah was recently destroyed by a developer angering the Kedah state government, NGOs and netizens over the demolition of the candi that is known as site number 11.

The destruction of candi number 11, rebuilt on its original site back in the 1970s by an archaeological team, was chanced upon by a scholar who happened to be investigating the historical valley.

Malay Mail Online post : Prehistoric ruins at an archaeological site in Bujang Valley some 1,200 years old were secretly demolished by a land developer, a Penang lawmaker said yesterday, even as Badan Warisan Malaysia seeks to list the historical spot as a Unesco world heritage site.

Free Malaysia Today : The chairman of NGO Bujang Valley Study Circle said the developer had now demolished the most famous 8th century temple remnants known as Candi Sungai Batu estate or Bujang Valley site 11.

My Main Source for this posting

Homebound Overland – ByRoadtoMalaysia

A few days before I write this post, I was alerted by my relative who is working at the Consulate in Kunming about this Malaysian family’s homebound adventure who left Coventry city where they had been living for seven years and heading to Kubang Pasu in Kedah, where they originate.

Only then I remembered that I had written a post about their challenge to come home overland on my blog HERE. You can visit their Facebook Page to read about their journey written by Sofinee, wife of Jamal Ismail, 44 who drives their campervan. Together on the journey are their four kids.

Click on their Facebook Page to read the diaries of their journey and see beautiful pictures throughout their journey. The family is expected to reach Bukit Kayu Hitam on 14th December 2013. Well wishers can greet them at the border to congratulate the success of their feat to drive home overland on their 1998 Mercedes Sprinter motorhome, that has been their home since 13 July 2013.

Note: All photos on this post was taken from their ByRoadtoMalaysia Facebook Page.

Alor Setar – Tat Nasi Ayam

Hari ini singgah makan nasi kat Tat Nasi Ayam di Taman Pandan, Alor Setar. Orang cakap sedap dan terasa nak mencuba.

Semasa tiba memang nampak ramai juga pelanggan dan ada ruang tambahan di bahagian luar kedai yang menandakan ramai pelanggan.

Selepas makan memang dapat di berikan 4 bintang dari segi rasa.

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Alor Setar Waktu Malam

Aku bersama keluarga balik ke Alor Setar semasa cuti panjang sempena Tahun Baru Cina. Walaupun dah banyak kali balik ke Alor Setar kerana itu kampung halamanku, tetapi kali ini nampak sedikit perubahan, khususnya di malam hari di kawasan yang dahulunya lengang.

Kawasan sekitar Balai Nobat dan Balai Besar biasanya tidak ada apa-apa aktiviti pada waktu malam setelah kawasan air pancutan Mahkota di hadapan mesjid Zahir hilang seri dan kemeriahan sejak tahun 90an.

Apa yang menghidupkan kawasan Balai Nobat ialah dengan adanya pokok hiasan berlampu seperti yang terdapat di IT City Shah Alam. Di sekitar perkarangan Balai Nobat itu telah dipasang beberapa pohon pokok dengan daun berwarna warni dan orang ramai mula tertumpu ke situ untuk berehat bersama keluarga ,kawan-kawan dan bergambar. Majlis Bandaraya berjaya menghidupkan malam di Alor Setar yang memalui akhbar arus perdana, Kedah dilaporkan secara negatif sekali sejak berada di bawah pentadbiran Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat.

Tidak jauh dari Balai Nobat itu pula telah dibina replika pintu Kota Istana Tengah yang telah dirobohkan apabila Bangunan Wisma Negeri dibina pata tahun 70an dulu. Sejak akhir-akhir ini nampaknya kawasan sekitar Mesjid Zahir itu akan menjadi hidup semula. Peluang ini boleh diambil oleh pihak mesjid untuk menyampaikan mesej agama melalui ceramah-ceramah di dalam mesjid yang boleh didengar sehingga ke kawasan pancutan Mahkota, Balai Nobat dan Balai Besar. Walaupun orang ramai tidak memberi tumpuan, sekurang-kurangnya ada usaha untuk menyampaikan mesej.

Replika Pintu Gerbang Kota Istana Tengah berlatarbelakangkan Balai Nobat dan Menara Alor Setar

Siapa kata Kedah tidak membangun di bawah Pakatan Rakyat?

Apom Lenggang Kg Berjaya, Alor Setar

Apom Lenggang adalah merupakan salah satu kuih tradisi masyarakat Melayu yang boleh dijadikan sebagai satu sajian untuk bersarapan. Semasa masih di zaman kanak-kanak saya ingat ibu dan nenek saya selalu buatkan apom lenggang untuk sarapan. Ianya mudah dimasak dan tidak mengambil masa yang lama seblum boleh dimakan.

Kuih ini boleh dipromosikan untuk bersaing dengan roti canai dan nasi lemak yang sudah menjadi menu sarapan utama masyarakat berbilang kaum di negara ini.

Gambar penjualan apom lenggang ini saya ambil di Pasar Mergong di Kampung Berjaya, Alor Setar, Kedah. Memang amat jarang kita lihat orang menjual kuih tradisi ini. Gambar-gambar di bawah ialah sekuens bagaimana apom lenggang dimasak.

Bancuhan tepung dituang ke dalam kuali yang sudah panas dan kemudian kuali itu dilenggangkan untuk membolehkan tepung itu menjadi leper dan bulat mengikut bentuk kuali. Gambar pertama dan kedua di bawah.

Apom yang sudah masak dilipat seperti dalam gambar di bawah.

Inilah harga apom lenggang Kampung Berjaya.

Alor Setar- The Rice Bowl Capital

Alor Setar is the capital of the state of Kedah. The name derived from the activities concentrated on a small river tributaries which in Malay named as Alor. At the place there are Setar trees hence the combination of both names give the place her name Alor Setar. Its difficult to find the Setar tree nowadays. Back in 1982, the Sultan of Kedah Tuanku Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah planted the Setar tree at the town square opposite the Mesjid Zahir to commemorate the opening of the square and to symbolically represent the name of the town. But since the actual tree planted by the Sultan did not grow as expected and a replacement tree was planted. I took the picture of the actual tree a few days after it was planted but not sure where the album is after I transfered and work in Kuala Lumpur.

This monument was erected at the place supposedly where the Alor town was first born.

Monument marking the official declaration of Alor Setar town to city status in 2003. the building in the background is a two unit double storey building with a date on it as 1324. Maybe its one of the oldest building in Alor Setar. The unit on the left house Thean Teik Printer and is still in business. As far as I can remember the printing shop was there and until today.

Monument marking the history of 250 years of Alor Setar in 1985 (1735-1985)

Going to Alor Setar

Alor Setar is accessible by air, road and rail. Malaysian Airlines and Airasia fly daily to the town from Kuala Lumpur. Express buses also ply from Kuala Lumpur daily. From Penang one can go to Alor Setar on Transnasional and the service is povided hourly from morning till night. KTMB also connect the city to Kuala Lumpur.

The city centre revolves around the Setar Walk where Holiday Inn is situated. The hotel is on the same building of City Plaza, the most popular shopping centre in the city. Staying at The Holiday Inn , one can have easy access to the popular Pekan Rabu for local and traditional foodstuffs. A walking distance away around the Hotel are banks including Maybank, Bank Simpanan Nasional, RHB and CIMB. The Railway station is also situated just about 5oo metres away.

What you can do in Alor Setar?
Pekan Rabu is one place tourist must not miss. Mesjid Zahir, Balai nobat (where nobat musical instruments are kept) Clock tower, Balai Besar are all situated at the same location. Don’t forget the Menara Alor Setar for a birds eyeview of the city and on a clear day one can even see the Straits of Malacca. From a top the tower you can see the breathtaking view of the Kedah plain and know why it is called the Rice bowl of Malaysia.

What else?

Go to duty free island of Langkawi and travel into the legend of Mahsuri. The highest peak in Kedah is Gunung Jerai (1200 m) and feel some adventure going to the top. At the foot of the mountain on the south is Lembah Bujang, a historical site where it is believed the first Hindu settlement started. So if you are into history, do not miss this valley.

Shopping will usually be on ones itenary and if you want to buy football jerseys of any popular soccer team in the world or corporate uniforms of the F1 teams, drive up to the border town of Bukit Kayu Hitam, about an hour away using the PLUS Highway. Of course its not the original but imported from over the border and ad a glance nobody will say its imitation. Oh, you want to buy imititation apparels? Hmmmmm…..its individual taste and preference. Theres also a Duty Free complex at Bukit Kayu Hitam. See the online album here

Wan Mat Saman Canal -Kedah

The Wan Mat Saman Canal use to be an important waterway from Gunung Jerai to Sungai Kedah in Alor Setar. Of course it is not as popular as the Panama Canal or the St Lawrence Seaway in North America but it has contributed to part of the development of the Kedah plain especially along the canal and for irrigation of the paddy land.

The canal or aquaduct was built in 1885 and named after Wan Mat Saman who was the Menteri Besar or Prime Minister of the Sultanate of Kedah during the reigns of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Syah and Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Syah.

According to my history teacher, the canal was mainly built at night because they can use gasoline lamp lined up in a straight row as a guide so that the canal is dug straight. If you travel along the Federal route 1 from Guar Cempedak to Alor Setar, you will realise that it runs parallel to the canal and the road is almost straight all the way.

However today the canal is in a neglected state and turned into monsoon drain and dumped with rubbish by irresponsible people.

However upon reaching the Alor Setar city, you can see that the canal has been ‘modified’ by constructing concrete walls which can turn the canal into something beautiful if the City Council of Alor Setar were to maintain its cleanliness.

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