I know no other home but T.Intan. I was born in T. Anson (then), and grew up in that small town. I was a Convent School student through and through, and even attended my Lower Six in St. Anthony for several weeks. I left T.Intan after that to pursue my studies and have yet to come back to stay permanently. I will, one day. After all home is where the heart belongs ...
I was feeling nostalgic when I first saw the pic below. Many years ago, the town market used to be just opposite the jam tinggi, that's what we call it - the clock tower. My Opah always took me on the bicycle to go to the market, especially during the hari minggu. A trip to the market, and later to the pasar minggu & pasar tani. You know, I really looked forward to my pegi-pekan trips although I had to sit at the back of the bicycle. When I was in secondary school, she would allow me to cycle my own bike, that is, of course with her cycling in front of me!
Hmmmmm, the market. There were four entrance points to the market; two facing the jam tinggi, and another 2 facing the Ayam Dinding and the Kedai Wali. They had the stalls for the sayo2 kampung, which were among the first stalls that we would stop by. And then, the meat sections, and the fish. Near the other exits were the barang2 runcit, other vege stalls, the florists and the kedai buah. At the other entrance point from the jam tinggi, I still remember, my Opah would stop to buy ikan rebus from this one Chinese man. He was Chinese, but he spoke perfect Perak Malay - exactly, probably more prominent, than those from Kg. Gajah would. And of course, the ulam2, the tempoyak, even the pink round hard bedak (bedak batu sila, I think). And the ikan rebus man also sold buah nangka. At that age, getting some buah nangka from Opah was like my special treat to coming with her to the market. I love fresh buah nangka so much even until today. Somewhere close to the nearby entrance point was also the place for chicken slaughtering. My Tok, sometimes, was asked to sembelih some ayams. They called him Hj. Lope Cerut.
Next to the jam tinggi, there was also a row of small shops. I can only recall two of the shops - at the very end there was a record shop - WIRA Enterprise, and there was also a Chinese kedai ubat (that's where my Tok always got the medicine for us). Next to these shops was the ever famous kedai kopi - it was better known as Kedai Kopi Pak Ya. That's where my Tok and a lot of other T.Intanians used to 'lepak' for their morning kopi. Hehehehehehe. And you could get the best nasi lemak in town there. Trust me, they were definitely the best nasi lemak (bungkus in daun ok) in town, I think the nasi lemaks were made by Pakcik Baharom & Makcik Misah of Kebun Limau (that is if I'm not mistaken). Sometimes, we used to order from them for nasi lemaks to be sent to the surau if there were any kenduris or tahlils. The nasi lemak bungkus was quite big, and hot, but very very delicious! And I think there was also one bicycle repair shop along the same row of shops. That's where we'd park our bicyle before doing the marketing.
Those are the only shops that I can remember. The market street was definitely the busiest street in the small town of T.Intan. I would never forget my first time driving near the market. My driving instructor asked me to drive in the middle of the town and gosh - the engine became tersemput2 and stopped exactly at the crossroad junction, just steps away from the busy market. There were many, many motorists criss-crossing in front of me, and in T. Intan, those on bicycles and motorcycles were (and still are) the kings and the queens of the roads!. Can you imagine the the honkings that I got? Suffice to say, it was an embarassing morning for me. To make things worst, I was spotted by one of my neighbours of the incident, which predictably, was reported to my Opah. Aiya! So malu, I tell you, with the scoldings that I got from my driving instructor, it was enough to say that I only got back to driving in the town just days before my driving test. Hehehehe. Gabrak seh.
Those were the days. The town has changed a lot since then. The market was re-located to the former site of the hospital. Next to the sungai actually. The market now boasts more stalls and better layout. You can get almost everything there, especially dried and fresh seafood - with the udang galah, the ikan keli, you name it, they have it. The old market site has now been developed into buildings of shopping annex. I have yet to explore the place. The surrounding area near the jam tinggi has also been kept clear and made more presentable - undeniably the clock tower has always been the signature and the pride of the town. Probably someone ought to write or capture the development of historical T.Intan during its yesteryears. That'd be something worth reminiscencing.
Pic by Mr. Azlan H - (http://www.flickr.com/photos/friend_faraway/2296371778/in/set-72157603992977233/)
