Whiteqube: January 2011

It is very strange and daunting to be recording about a place that is very close to home and heart. But that's OK, we will skip the home part and go somewhere not so far from 'home' - Parit Jawa. This sleepy town is approximately 1.5 hours drive away from my hometown of Kluang, depending on who is driving.

fishermen village

Essentially a fishing village, P. Jawa is quiet, unassuming and generally classified crudely as 'dead' to most Malaysians. You do feel as if you have stepped back in a place where time stood still for a while.

shacks

mending fish traps

fisherman

idleness

P.Jawa is a special place for my family and I, as we tend to go there very often. I would not call it an attractive town, but somehow, every holiday sees us pack ourselves in a car and endure the journey just to have a meal there. This is a typical Malaysian syndrome. We do not mind driving far far away for excellent food.

P. Jawa is very famous for its seafood with the main contenders being Ikan Asam Pedas (fish head braised in sour +spicy stock) and Otak-Otak (grilled marinated fish paste, hints of kokonut milk). It is so special, so sour, so tangy, so delicious, so simple, so appetizing and truly unforgetable. Any restaurant in P. Jawa serves these delicacies. Unfortunately we were too engrossed for photos, but you get the 'picture'.

To do the dishes justice with limited resources, the smile of the model below will justify my comments.

one very satisfied customer

Of course, besides food for the tummy, P. Jawa also offers food for the soul.

spiral coils

altar

The majority of the population are Chinese fishermen and the temples reflect their believes, rituals and way of lives. To be in an age-old profession where you are constantly under the mercy of the elements - that would be a big reason to indulge in divinity.

offering

raising red lantern

P. Jawa and Muar have much more to offer for nature lovers / bird watchers / sunset watchers. For me though, the fisherman culture and their living arrangements are quite fascinating. It is interesting to note how the community live, play, work and pray. Again, not much quality images.

from land to sea

They build their concrete houses almost haphazardously on stilts, over the sea. It is more poignant, rather than pretty and the houses look as if they sprout out of necessity. They have residentials, shops, stalls, temples and general communal areas clustered around each other in a maze-like layout, and you seem to get a surprise at each bend.

houses on the edge of earth

Image below shows a 'weird' space. It is an open air corridor that links the houses to each other, and outsiders use it to access the beachside. *Beachside here is not your powdery white sands. Think muddy edges. Walking through these walkways, you probably need a brolly and some discretion. *Privacy is obviously not an issue. Their houses are usually open and their activities exposed to nosy passer-bys. There is a comforting uniformity in all the houses that I stared into. They all have - 1 big telly, 1 low coffee table, 1 giant red altar for the gods among other things.