The boulder rocks, or Intertidal Boulders, near the shorelines in Tanjung Bidara is crowded with varied organisms that thrive on the wet and moldy surface, some sessile, some mobile. Sessile organisms on the rock surface include teritip, algae, basically living organisms that do not move.

While the mobile ones, as the name suggests, include snails, crabs and other crustaceans.  From far, the communities on the rock surface look like unsightly love handles hanging around the otherwise muscular boulders.

Growing teritip

The boulders by the brown sandy beach in the outskirt of Melaka are the source of side income for Pak Ramli, or more fondly, Haji Ram, a fisherman who harvests teritip, baby oysters – the ingredients for ‘O Jien’ or oyster omelets – during low tide season, when the boulder is not submerged in water.

Haji Ram

Haji Ram carries with him a metal rod that has a hook on one end, empty milk can, and a fork.

The dun-toothed old man picks a teritip that is more than 1.5” wide; otherwise, the flesh is too little for the effort. The wider part of the teritip is the face, where it opens up to feed when there is water, while the sharper end is the behind.

Knocking on the broader part on the teritip, Haji Ram pulls the grayish cover upward. The juicy larva is now exposed, which he picks out with the back of the fork.

On a good day, Haji Ram will do this for a few hours until the harvest fills up a milk can. On average, for two weeks in a month (during low tide season), Haji Ram would be able to fetch RM50 per day. If a specific request comes in, usually Chinese hawker, he would fill up the milk can and charge RM75 for the hard labour.

Promoting growth

When the larva is picked out of the shell, its eggs would drip on the rock surface and a new breeding cycle would take place, hence promoting growth. Besides harvesting the teritip for a living, Haji Ram is also regulating its growth, keeping the community on the boulder from dying. If left untouched, the community would reduce to mold and algae.

Life by the beach

On a good day, a fisherman would be able to pick up two loads of catch (dua pikul), approximately 120kgs. While that may sound a lot, it is hardly a daily celebration.

When the weather turns against them, they have to be patient and wait out the torrential rain and storm. Patience has to be virtue in this part of the world.

As I walk on the rock surface, stepping on layers of teritip beneath my feet, I am ashamed of my oblivion – folks here live a hard life. However hard life may be, everyone here still has a smile to spare.

After my aimless stroll on the beach, I met Shah, a 38-year old fisherman, who was kind enough to extend my adventure in Melaka to the sea. Thanks to Shah, my visit to Tanjung Bidara unfolds an all new adventure: we are going fishing for comel (squid as how the locals call it).

Shah, the anchor of my new-found adventure

Shah, when not fishing and not working on land, takes fishing groups out to the sea for fun-filled fishing trips. He knows exactly where the fish are waiting. The father of five have been out in the sea since the age of ten as a sidekick to his father.

Bhat, Shah's 4-year old son

Initially shy, this buddy soon becomes my pal on the deserted beach in Tg Bidara. Unlike other healthy growing child, Bhat’s growth is stunted by repeated surgeries to fix a serious birth defect -Imperforate Anus, also called anorectal anomaly. At birth, Bhat did not have anal opening. Since then, the minor has gone through four surgeries in General Hospital in KL. At such a young age, Bhat has been a patient in the hospital more times than he could endure.

Gerimis

Gerimis is a type of shellfish that the locals cook with soup noodles. It looks pretty similar to the lalas, only these are much smaller, and with patterns.

Girls digging for Gerimis

Girls spend their after-school time digging for gerimis for dinner. They will first wash the sand off the gerimis and cook them (with shell on) in soups, usually with mihun (rice noodles). This is literally cari makan.

Mee goreng special at Balai Nelayan

No travel experience is complete without a local favorite meal and the photos would have to be in color, of course. The scrumptious early dinner, mee goreng special, managed to stay where it should throughout my journey in the sea.

Shah gets ready his boat

After dinner and a little time thereafter to facilitate healthy digestion, we set out. The brand new engine is Shah’s new investment.  Together with the boat, the gears have cost him around RM10,000, an amount that is substantial enough for him to strike any holiday plan in his reality.

After all is set, we ride against the waves for Shah to make a day’s living and for me to be a speck in the sea.

A makeshift lamppost

After ten minutes, the engine is switched off, and the anchor is thrown into the seabed 100-ft below us. This is a battery-powered lamppost. The fine string that curls below is a fishing line. Shah hooks a dead squid on the fishhook as bait and lets it dip in the sea. Squids are generally aggressive by nature. So, when a squid sees another, either one will launch attack. Once a squid swims close to the bait, Shah will scoop it, with a net. A less hassle way to fish for dinner, otherwise, a huge net is usually deployed.

As all this happens, the boat is rocked and buoyed by ripping waters. My head spins and my stomach churns. I feel my early dinner rises up to my throat, but it managed to stay in. My only regret during this trip is that I did not catch a single comel. I should have taken the anti motion sickness pill long before.

We move from one spot to the other for a couple of times. The movement helps ease my sufferings a little. To not waste my early dinner, I stay out of the action. I fall asleep, a couple of times but wake up in time to catch the action.

Patir with his 2 kilos garoupa

As we move to another spot, we stop to check on other fisherman’s catch. Patir fishes with gawai, a 2ft by 2ft round plastic container, that night.

The more rewarding catch would be Jenak/Jehanak (John Snapper). In the market, a Jenak below 10kg fetches a decent rate of RM28 per kilo, heavier than that, the price goes down slightly to RM22 per kilo. Shah had caught one that weighed 12kg and 800g once with a fishing line. The biggest one known to the locals was 20kg. The catch, when cut open, had 17 fishhooks buried inside its stomach. It is time to give in when you have no stomach for more fishhooks.

At midnight, lightning pierces through the clouds, the fierce veins threaten us with much aggression. We return to shore shortly thereafter. I hear from Shah the next day that after the rain has stopped, a turtle has come onto the shore to lay eggs.

Malam tadi, ada penyu datang. Dalam pukul 3 lebih lah. Kalau Joey tinggal kat sini, Shah boleh panggil Joey tengok.

(Yesterday night, a turtle came (to the shore) at around 3am. If you stay here, I can call you so you can see.)

How I wished I had stayed. Just a couple of nights before, Shah had seen a turtle on the shore which laid 181 eggs. The eggs were later transferred to the hatchery center in Padang Kemunting Turtle Management Centre. The turtles visit on a regular basis, apparently and usually, after rain.

If you are a fan in fishing, Shah is possibly your best guide and Tanjung Bidara has more to offer than you can stomach. Stay over at RNC Challet or Tiara Chalet (though basic) and hang out with local fishermen at the Balai Nelayan. Join the locals for a truly localised experience. Shah will wake you if there is turtle visiting the shore.

If you want a fruitful catch, there are a few local terms you need to know about the sea. Knowing them also helps you to prepare better for a fruitful catch.

1. Bani Terang a.k.a Spring Tide – strong tides that occur during the full moon.
2. Bani Gelap or Neap Tide – tide’s range is minimum and result in less extreme tidal conditions.
3. Air Besar – though I still couldn’t grasp the science behind it, but this generally happens during the first four days in Muslim calendar. The best catch during this period are prawns and shrimps, especially geragau that is used in making sambal belacan and cincalok.
4. Air Kecil – this generally happens during the last four days in Muslim calendar. The best catch during this period is fish.

Tiara Chalet or RNC Chalet

Shah – 016 – 622 3752

Weekday – RM80/room/night, Weekend – RM90/room/night

Jalan Bukit Tinggi, 78300 Masjid Tanah.

Coordinates: Lat: 2.298059 Long: 102.082798

These are the exact coordinates for the Balai Nelayan. Once you turn into a Jalan Bukit Tinggi, you will come to a narrow road overseeing the beach, you can only turn left. After turning left, the chalets will be on your left, and Balai Nelayan should be behind you. Ask the residents nearby for permission to park your vehicle and walk in reverse direction to go to Balai Nelayan. Don’t ask me how I remember.

In addition to this pictorial post, visit THE STORIES BEHIND for a more detailed account of my experience.

Next up is a story on how teritip (baby oyster) is harvested.

Getting lost is part of the agenda in this home traveling series. While I did not actively seek to be lost, it happened when I was in Tanjung Bidara.

Compared to other beaches in the east coast of Malaysia, Tanjung Bidara hardly strikes an impression on travelers. Its cloudy water and fishy aroma is hardly soothing for vacationers to begin with. I come here to see one thing: How teritip (baby oyster) is harvested. The locals call the harvest, ketuk teritip. Teritips, as we hardly know, are the main ingredient in oyster omelets.

On a sunny and humid late afternoon, I reach Tanjung Bidara but see no beachfront that warrants this mostly deserted place a worthy mention. I drive through arch that welcomes its guests to this faraway edge of Melaka. However, there are no road signs to facilitate navigation thereafter.

Off the beaten path by a couple of kilometers, I think. That side is where the resort is.

I try my luck and steer through narrow trunk roads at a cautious speed of 10kmph, passing low but well-kempt village houses along the strip of elevated tarmac. The quaint little kampung (village in Bahasa Malaysia) hardly seems like the place I intended on going.

As I approach more and more winding lanes, I pass by an immense farm on my right. At this, I believe I am lost. More houses rise before the windscreen as I drive on. Turning left or right seems to lead me to one place: nowhere.

Soon, I find delight in meeting a group of children who have gathered in a circle among themselves.

‘Dik, kak nak tumpang tanya. Pantai Tanjung Bidara kat mana?‘ I asked.

The school-going age children chirp and point to a doubly narrow road that is almost on par with the roof of the house next it, on  my left: ‘Kat situ.’

‘Kereta boleh masuk ke, dik?’ Five of them nod in unison: ‘Boleh!’ And beam.

I did just as directed. Carefully, I maneuver into the lane. More huts and houses, that are tough and ready, ahead of me; quite a change from what I have driven passed earlier.

At the turn of a sharp corner, I finally see the ocean – waters rippling and waves beating the shores – that is about 50 meters from me.

Away from the coastline, few elderly men and women put their feet up below a shabby-looking hut.

They turn from each other and stare at the moving mobile. Hostility starts to taper off as I smile and nod at them.

To my delight, I pass 2 blocks of chalet facing the beachfront. Both have a renewed look with a fresh layer of yellow and brown color paint. I am not that lost after all; people do come here.

I continue to cruise on the narrow path until I reach the end of the tarmac, a dead end. I examine my surrounding and look around to find my bearings.  I see huge boulder rocks thrust on the coastline and the rocks’ belly has rough deposits grown around it. I figure they must be the teritip that I am looking for. A man is sitting on top of the boulder with a fishing rod in hand. No one else is there.

No one else is there but a man with his fishing rod

Boulder rocks has teritips growing on its belly

An empty shell of a teritip. Its flesh has been harvested recently.

After twenty minutes of aimless strolling and pacing up and down along the brown-sandy beach, I get back to the car and contemplate my next move. I entertain the thought of giving up as it flashes across my mind.

In a place where I thought I was lost, I ended up making friends with Shah, Hussin and Pak Haji Ram, fishermen who have not only turned my adventure around but have widened, perhaps a little, my knowledge in fishing.

When you are lost, giving up, sometimes, may not be the best idea. Instead, you may find more than what you have come for. That particular day and the following day are my most memorable days during my stay in Melaka.

Tomorrow, joeygan.com will share an account on the author’s experience in fishing for comel – squid – as how the locals call it, with Shah. Another account will follow, the next day, to expose how teritip is harvested, with Pak Haji Ram.

The glory of yesteryears, despite dim and subdued, still lingers at the front yards of the centuries old buildings in Heeren Street today.

It is now named after Tun Tan Cheng Lock, the founder of Malayan Chinese Association (MCA). Named by the Dutch during the latter’s colonial era. It meant Gentlemen Street or, with airs, the Millionaires Street.

As I browse through the ancient architecture at almost 38°C heat, I reach a 250-300 years old house, now called The Baboon House. It is a western café that is operated by a passionate art lover, Roger Soong, 31.

Formerly an industrial engineer, the Melaka-born Soong now devotes his time to reviving this antique house while honing his craft in art. The passion is, according to the 31-year old, a love for every living thing.

Judging by the money and energy involved, despite noble, the idea appears to others utterly ridiculous, which inspires its present name – The Baboon House.

In his knee-torn jeans and simple tee, the bespectacled Roger leads me to the backyard of The Baboon House called the Baboon Garden. Retaining as many original details as possible, Soong has transformed the backyard into a mother-earth-like garden, where mankind and nature coexist in harmony.

Soong and his faithful companion, Roro, a 12-year old Golden Retriever

“We try to salvage as much as possible and to create an ambiance of nature. That is why there is only wood and no plastic,” he quips.

The expansive wall is patchy and moldy, the crack lines form wrinkles on its face. We sit by the wooden pavement as I venture deeper into Soong’s noble passion.

A rustic Baboon Garden, the sphere that connects present and the past

“The building has a lot to tell us. First, it starts from the wall. When a new generation takes over the house, a new layer of paint is applied to give it a fresher look. The most basic restoration method is to scrap the old paint off to the core, until the bricks surface. This should allow the wall to breathe,” Soong said.

“Each layer tells of changes and transformation of each generation. There are already almost five layers on the wall and you can imagine the heritage that the building inherits,” he added.

“The building has aged but it is now coming back to life and the building is growing with us,” Soong remarks fondly.

A wall of history. Left is original and right reveals layers underneath, after scrapping

A section of the balcony wall before the paint is removed.

After the top coat of paint is removed, it reveals a painting. According to a student from China, this is a classic single-stroke painting drawn on the wall just 30 minutes before the cement dries. The single-stroke technique tells a lot about the skill of the painter as there is no room for mistakes. The color of the paint, since its first application, is still fresh until today, despite being buried underneath layers of paint for so long.

Unlike his more business-minded counterparts that capitalize on its Unesco World Heritage Site status for monetary gain, Soong occupies this ancient house with an objective to restore its original façade and most importantly, reviving its vibes, thus creating a space for the present to connect with the past.

The Baboon House’s principle is not to be commercially bonded with any entity – a tough call for a new setup in the commercially competitive street.

Despite the challenges (mostly monetary), Roger stands by his call. His restoration activities are making promising progress, albeit slow. Funded by the café that occupies the front section of the approximately 200-feet long house, the café churns out sufficient profits to sustain a team and its dream.

“The owner is pleased with the restoration idea. Hence, our rent, as compared to the market rate, is much lower. The team members get by with a moderate income. The profit is put back into the restoration work such as buying paint, wax and working tools,” Soong explains.

Soong notes that The Baboon House emphasizes on its identity rather than its commercial offerings.

If you share Soong’s passion, do drop by The Baboon House and get acquainted with the past. The homemade beef burger is what would make you stay longer. For like-minded art lovers, sit with Soong over a cup of Hazelnut-fragrant Vietnamese Coffee, and explore art and history.

Homemade Beef Burger with wholemeal bread

Hazelnut-fragrant Vietnamese Coffee

Soong's sketch of his grandmother, a second generation Peranakan

The Baboon House

No.89, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200, Melaka

+606 283 1635

Stay tuned for more posts in the quest of A Stranger at Home Travel Series in Melaka.

I have been planning a series of road trips within Malaysia, just to get to know my country a little better. The usual tourist attractions seem a little stale; their charms are waning in the name of tourism. It is perhaps time to hit the less trodden byways in the country, and be a stranger, at home.

The planning took more than a month, longer than expected, and it had not been easy. What an irony for someone who claimed to be a Malaysian, born and raised in the country in the past three decades. One more irony for the record, I bought a copy of Lonely Planet – Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei – to get me started.

My first destination is Melaka. I will be meeting a long-time friend, and her family. Melaka is familiar enough for anyone to trot about on his own but for me, I would like to find a sense of place and get to know the intricacies of its history and heritage, its buried and hidden charms in the 21st century setting. I am due for a visit to the Baba Nyonya Museum too.

Then I will be checking in at a guesthouse in Jalan Kampung Pantai – Oriental Residence – which is run by a couple of non-oriental lineage. On Sunday, I will be moving to Apa Kaba Home&Stay for 2 days in Kampung Banda Kaba.

There is something about taking the less beaten path. The guesswork in finding your ways in an unknown place is a quest in its own right. It gets you talking with the locals, especially when you are asking for direction.

If you are chatty and readily open-minded enough, there is even space and time to exchange some stories over a cup of teh-tarik. These unique experience and encounters are not listed in the guidebook. In my trip that is to begin tomorrow will include the following itinerary: to explore places, to meet people and to write stories.

Over and above sights and activities,
traveling is an engagement of the mind and the heart.

I have not have anything planned out from Tuesday until Thursday. I will leave the days open for the locals to fill them up, as they say: the best usually comes unplanned.

A stranger at home is a debut travel series on JoeyGan.com that documents the quest in discovering parts of Malaysia that are unknown to many. The destinations in the planning include:

• Finding a sense of place in Melaka (May)
• Trekking and getting lost in the wonders of nature in Pahang (June)
• Celebrate the Anniversary of Declaration of Penang as a World Heritage in the food haven, Penang (July)
• Tasting, and hopefully cooking, some of the greatest native buka puasa dishes in Kelantan and Terrenganu (August)
• Hoping 64 islands and stamping foot prints on shy sandy beaches in Johor (September)
• Embark on a jungle railway journey up north to Kedah and Perlis (October)
• Getting back to the far-from-mind and far-from-sight places in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur (November & December)

As often as possible, JoeyGan.com will recount encounters and stories of everyday during the trip in a 500-word journal. If you don’t want to miss out the odds, subscribe to our FEED now.

Our first post should be up either tomorrow evening or the morning of Friday.

Have a good day.