As a young girl, I spent every weekend of mine in Lumut, which, back in the 1980s, probably had a population of less than 500. It was a town where everybody knew each other. Back then, there was only a single petrol station, 2 gardens by the beach, a broken windmill, lots of greens everywhere we went.
There were many sundry shops which sold several types of knick knacks, the kind where little kids love to go every evening, just to buy some snacks to munch, tops to spin around, and colourful glass marbles which came in all shapes and sizes. The shopkeepers even sold rubberbands in boxes, which little girls could purchase and tie them into skipping ropes and hoola hoops, just for fun.
Beside the station, stood a Chinese temple. Every major Chinese festival, the whole town would practically throng to this temple to pray to the Gods and Deities, praying for the wellbeing of their family members, their grandchildren's studies, and the rolling in of thick wads of cash. Every lantern festival, there'd be a local troop, performing the long lost Chinese art of opera shows, re-telling every story of fairies and devils in history. Sometimes, we'd listen to the history of the Monkey God, the 7 fairies, and the Butterfly Lovers. On the actual day, we'd all take part in a procession down the street, carrying our self-made, brightly lit and decorated lanterns, singing songs, having mooncakes, admiring the moon and coming up with poems by our ancestors.
Just before the sun set, the mosque down the street would air their Azan prayers. The only street into Lumut town were always packed with people at that hour. Some turning into the mosque, some walking into the temple, some taking a stroll in the only garden in Lumut with a clock tower. During then, there were practically very little cars. As kids, we could always cross the streets blindfolded, safe and sound. In the evenings, my naughty cousins would be running by the beach, wading in the salty sea water, digging in the sands for horseshoe crabs, just for the fun of it.
Life, was simple back then. There weren't so many hotels erected by the beach. Tourists trickled in. It was easy to differentiate between locals and tourists. As children, we could mingle around with each other freely, without worrying about being kidnapped or murdered. Everybody looked out for each other all the time. If one of the neighbours found us gambling, we would have been punished the moment we came back. Whenever we, the little kids, walked around town, we'd be identified as our parent's kids, and get things at a cheaper price. When I was growing up, There were only about 2 ferries, which belonged to the same company, to transport passengers to and fro across Pangkor to Lumut.
Today, Lumut is a very different town. It has been developed into a town which has diversed industries. Fabrication yards, exportation hub, industrial area, even a tourist destination! In fact, now, there are at least 6 ferries from 2 companies, ferrying passengers every 15 minutes. Streets are so much wider. Both sides of the roads are lined with cars all the time. There's even a waterfront at the jetty! The beach, it's no longer there. It's been replaced by a stone wall and brick tiles. There's even a KFC and a 7-Eleven and laundry service in the town. There are more than 8 different hotels in the disrict which has high occupancy rate on any given day. The only reminder that it used to be the town that I played in and spent my childhood, is the black and white windmill by the seaside. It has survived the test of time, strong winds, torrents and rain, albeit looking rusty and worn down.
Somebody once told me, "the only thing that is constant in life, is change." How true! Whenever I return to this small town every once in a while, there'll always be little monuments that surprise me. Yes. Without change, from whence come progress?
There were many sundry shops which sold several types of knick knacks, the kind where little kids love to go every evening, just to buy some snacks to munch, tops to spin around, and colourful glass marbles which came in all shapes and sizes. The shopkeepers even sold rubberbands in boxes, which little girls could purchase and tie them into skipping ropes and hoola hoops, just for fun.
Beside the station, stood a Chinese temple. Every major Chinese festival, the whole town would practically throng to this temple to pray to the Gods and Deities, praying for the wellbeing of their family members, their grandchildren's studies, and the rolling in of thick wads of cash. Every lantern festival, there'd be a local troop, performing the long lost Chinese art of opera shows, re-telling every story of fairies and devils in history. Sometimes, we'd listen to the history of the Monkey God, the 7 fairies, and the Butterfly Lovers. On the actual day, we'd all take part in a procession down the street, carrying our self-made, brightly lit and decorated lanterns, singing songs, having mooncakes, admiring the moon and coming up with poems by our ancestors.
Just before the sun set, the mosque down the street would air their Azan prayers. The only street into Lumut town were always packed with people at that hour. Some turning into the mosque, some walking into the temple, some taking a stroll in the only garden in Lumut with a clock tower. During then, there were practically very little cars. As kids, we could always cross the streets blindfolded, safe and sound. In the evenings, my naughty cousins would be running by the beach, wading in the salty sea water, digging in the sands for horseshoe crabs, just for the fun of it.
Life, was simple back then. There weren't so many hotels erected by the beach. Tourists trickled in. It was easy to differentiate between locals and tourists. As children, we could mingle around with each other freely, without worrying about being kidnapped or murdered. Everybody looked out for each other all the time. If one of the neighbours found us gambling, we would have been punished the moment we came back. Whenever we, the little kids, walked around town, we'd be identified as our parent's kids, and get things at a cheaper price. When I was growing up, There were only about 2 ferries, which belonged to the same company, to transport passengers to and fro across Pangkor to Lumut.
Today, Lumut is a very different town. It has been developed into a town which has diversed industries. Fabrication yards, exportation hub, industrial area, even a tourist destination! In fact, now, there are at least 6 ferries from 2 companies, ferrying passengers every 15 minutes. Streets are so much wider. Both sides of the roads are lined with cars all the time. There's even a waterfront at the jetty! The beach, it's no longer there. It's been replaced by a stone wall and brick tiles. There's even a KFC and a 7-Eleven and laundry service in the town. There are more than 8 different hotels in the disrict which has high occupancy rate on any given day. The only reminder that it used to be the town that I played in and spent my childhood, is the black and white windmill by the seaside. It has survived the test of time, strong winds, torrents and rain, albeit looking rusty and worn down.
Somebody once told me, "the only thing that is constant in life, is change." How true! Whenever I return to this small town every once in a while, there'll always be little monuments that surprise me. Yes. Without change, from whence come progress?
