Date:  Feb 7, 2019

My Hometown

The kids always learned a lot of things when they are back in my hometown.

Of course today, in their definition, “Singapore” is their hometown as they are born in Singapore.  That is why I need to use “my hometown” here.

But wait, I was born in Penang.  So, why do I called Setiawan my hometown?

Strange.

But because every year when I was young, my dad bring us back to “his hometown?”

Yes, my dad was born in Setiawan.  So, my grandfather and grand mother has a big house in Setiawan.  There is a road name after my grandfather.  The road that leads to the big house.  But recent years, due to new development, the entrance of the big house needed to be migrated to another side.  And sort of disconnected from the T.K. Liew Road.  But my uncle Simon still keep the road sign in his house.

And since my in laws also shifted their home to Manjung which is not far from Setiawan.

So, I conveniently call setiawan my hometown.

Coffee Tree and Coffee Bean

This is valuable Biology lesson for Jay Jay.

This is coffee tree.  And this is coffee fruits from the coffee tree.

When it is ripe.  It becomes like this.

When you peel it.  Wow.  There are fruits inside.

Peel further, you see the very thin fruit which is edible, and the same of this fruits looks like a coffee bean.

Here is a close photo shot.  (which is blurr)  hahaha

It’s a coffee fruit.

Let’s taste it.

From his face, you can tell how it taste.  Hahahaha

Coffee fruits.  And the seeds after you eaten the fruit inside, can be roasted.

Durian Tree Graft

This is a small trunk from a Mushang King durian tree.

As you can see here, my uncle actually graft them together to form a strong roots.

So, this Mushang Durian tree has actually 5 (five) roots all grafted together.  As explained, durian trees need many years to grow.  And it has to stay alive for many years in order to survive.  So, if you graft them together, they have five roots to make it very stable.  So, your durian will be nicer too.

Wow.  Interesting.  First time I learn this too.

Black Pepper vs. White Pepper

This is pepper tree.  Looks very cute.

When it become black, then, you harvest it.

So, we asked a question “what is the different between the white pepper and the black pepper?”

And the answer is… it all came from the same tree.  When it turn black, it is black pepper.  But the villagers usually will take this to the river, and let the river to wash away the outer skin, and it will some how turn white.  So, when you grind the pepper, it becomes “white”.

How interesting.

Cocoa Tree and Cocoa Fruit

We found a cocoa tree fruit.

Cocoa is used to make chocolate and Milo.

Do you know you can eat them too?

Let’s open it.

And as guessed, you can eat the cocoa fruit too.

Jay Jay, where are you?

Please taste it and try it.

Wow.  It is very sweet.

And it is very thin layer of fruits too, then the seed is used to make chocolate.

Chempedak

Chempedak and Jackfruits (nanga) is a distant relative to each other.

How you differentiate both trees of them?

Fruit of course we know it taste very different and the fibre texture is different too.

But if you see the tree, how do you differentiate?

And the answer lies here.  The chempedak tree leaves has thorns.  See that.  And it is quite painful if you not careful and touch it and all these thorns poke into your hand.

And we also learned Uncle Simon can easily “cross breed” both Chempedak and Jackfruit together.  And the taste of the result is not good.  too much fibre and you chew chew chew cannot finish chewing it.  hahahahaha

Pandan Flavour Coconut

We have a real treats.  Uncle Simon keep giving us fruits.

The pandan flavoured coconut.

OK, let’s taste it.  And it really has the pandan taste.

Well

This well has been with the family for more than 100 years.

There are very few well in kampung Koh (in Setiawan).

When my grand father learned there is a well here, he bought the big land here.

And this well has been used until today.

Still got water.  and the piping connecting to the pump.

Let’s take a nice photo of this well and me.

The well.

Let’s drink the raw water from the well.  Usually we boiled it la.  But let’s try it raw.

You know my wife la… anything also wants to try.  So, she drank it.

Make Jay Jay drink it too.

Wow.   It taste different.

No chlorines taste at all.

100% natural underground water.

Touring the old house.

I used to play here when I was young.  The mill.

I can remember this place.  Come here every year.

Good old memory.

Now, do you see the old wooden house at the back (right)?  I am that small little kid at the front row beside by my Ah Gong (T.K. Liew) in front of my mom.  This is a photo from 1974/75 may be.  Hahaha  And that house on the left has not change either.

That same tree in above photo becomes like this.

For my generations.  I don’t think any one knows any body in China.  But at least I can trace back my food step to that instant where I consider Setiawan, the old house on T.K. Liew Road as my home town.  So much memory.  And I want my children to see where I spent some of my childhood.  I am a Malaysian, and Setiawan is my hometown.