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Friday, November 5, 2021

Wayang Kulit Kelantan | Preserving Culture


A little bit about Wayang Kulit Kelantan yah guys.


There are few types of Wayang Kulit perfomances in Malaysia, namely Wayang Kulit Jawa, Wayang Gedek, Wayang Kulit Kelantan, Wayang Purwa and Wayang Melayu. Wayang Gedek is said to based in Kedah whereby northern dialect is being used, and obviously Wayang Kulit Kelantan uses the Kelantanese dialect. Wayang Purwa (which is new to me too) is using Javanese language and last but not least, the Wayang Melayu is performed using the Malay language (with Javanese influences). I attended and event in Kuala Selangor where they too have their own Wayang Kulit and it is using Javanese dialect as well however I’m not sure whether it is the same as Wayang Purwa. A little bit of digging is needed, Lily!

During our trip to Terrapuri, Terengganu we were brought to watch the Wayang Kulit Kelantan or Wayang Kulit Siam. It was performed to the public in conjunction of Terengganu Cultural Festival 2021, the objective is to create awareness and encourage the younger generation to be involve in sustaining our wondrous heritage. Performance are conducted in public area such as museum ground, malls and halls for easy public access.


Not many of us know that Wayang Kulit Kelantan is actively performing in Terengganu (there is not Wayang Kulit Terengganu it seems)

Wayang Kulit Kelantan is also referred to as Wayang Kulit Siam, and it is believed to originate from Cambodia and brought it to Peninsular Malaysia via Patani in Thailand. It is practiced and performed commonly in Kelantan and Terengganu. Hikayat Seri Rama or Ramayana is the epic story in Wayang Kulit Kelantan and it is performed as a form of entertainment ceremonial and official event. The leading characters involved are Rawana and Siti Dewi (protagonists), and Seri Rama (antagonist). Wayang kulit or shadow puppet theater portrays how the society feels back then, being represented in a form of art and music. Not only as a symbol of entertainment but also describe values, life, beliefs norms and heart of the locals back then.

One interesting thing that I learnt is that the dialect or language used in Wayang Kulit Kelantan is both Kelantanese and Sanskrit dialects hence making it not comprehensible to audience outside Kelantan but also to the younger generation. Thus, making preservation of this old art form even more difficult.


You can also watch the Wayang Kulit Kelantan performance in Terengganu, I suggest that you liaise with trusted local agency - Ping Anchorage and get them to arrange for you to visit and experience cultural performances and heritage sites in Terengganu. You will be overwhelmed with Terengganu rich culture and abundance of natural beauty.


 
GTN x Terrapuri Fam Trip is in collaboration with Ping Anchorage and Terrapuri and all its sponsors with #GayaTravel as media coordinator.
#GayaTravel #Terrapuri #CutiCutiMalaysia #BeautifulTerengganu #TerrapuriHeritageVillage #PingAchorage


Tuesday, November 2, 2021

Hike to Blue Pool at Lata Payung, Terengganu



Yup! I climbed and reached the Blue Pool at Lata Payung, Terengganu!

When I first got the invite I was excited, the 2 years pandemic got the best of me. I need to travel, waima in Malaysia sekali pun (cis… I sounded so riak and poyo [eyes rolling]). But you guys DO know what I mean kan, we as a human (gitewww) can only go XXX much being stuck at home. I am good not travel out of Malaysia and what not, sumpah I ok jer… but being cooped up at home for 2 years?!??! Serious boleh jadi giler, makanya….. sebelum I terus jadi giler, I decided to join Gaya Travel Magazine to Terengganu. After all, I do miss Lina of Terrapuri, A LOT!


Panjang nye intro… (sebab lama tak blog ke, Lily)
 
Anywho. I saw the itinerary, jeng jeng jeng… 2 rigorous outdoor activities – Hike to check-out the Blue Pool at Lata Payung and standing in the eyes of the world at the peak of Bukit Kluang. To be honest, I was rather worried with this Lata Payung bit but all game for Bukit Kluang (demi sebuah content, so they say).
 
For those city girl (like moi) who is forever and ever scared of pacat (senang cakap takut insect or anything that crawls lah) then let me tell you that Lata Payung ok jewww… My biggest concern was the hike and kepala air cos when I did a little desktop research, I found out some not so nice news on kepala air here. Hence I decided to share some tips to assist you guys.


#TravelTips
DO NOT LITTER/JANGAN BUANG SAMPAH MERATA-RATA

1. There are parking space available, however come early lah 🚙
2. Make sure your car tank is full
3. Facilities such as toilet and shower room is located by the roadside/parking 🚻
4. Bring towel, change of clothes and toiletries (ni bukan hotel iyea idok) 🛀
5. Wear proper shoes if you plan to hike to the Blue Pool, and slippers too 👟
6. Those that are not ‘that’ fit (like me), I highly recommend you to bring a hiking stick. It helps!


7. Bring easy to pack and throw snack example : sandwich, cucur, cake/kuih, nuggets, sausages and water as the journey to the Blue Pool is kinda long (unless you suka hike angkat barang berat)
8. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT wash your cutleries or utensils in the river (jangan cuci sudu/ garfu/ pinggan bagai dalam sungai, lap ngan tissue and bawak balik cuci. Kalau tak, I tak mau kawan) 🚯
9. Follow the track, it is an easy hike with big trees around jer 🌳
10. Take some time to learn about nature and breath the fresh air 🌹
11 Avoid coming during monsoon season, be wary of any indication of kepala air 🏊
12. The blue pool is rather DEEP, I do not recommend for you guys to jump in if you don’t know how to swim. Best is to bring live jacket, safety is you utmost PRIORITY.
13. Take loadsa photos 📸


Dah habis baca tips? Now gonna share my experience pulak.


The hike was fairly easy, a typical jungle hike. The path is easily seen maka jangan risau ni bukan Amazon and also, there is not steep path until you arrive at the blue pool whereby you need to climb down the boulders – licin so masa turun tuh kena turun baik-baik. Along the way, you get to see herbal plants, squirrel, wild orchids and many more. But please not to pluck them to bring home yah, that is a big no-no. Oh yah! I brought along a hiking stick this is due to my long-ago-knee-injury hence I need to be extra careful especially when going down a slope. In general, you guys do not need a hiking stick pun for this hike. The hike took us 40 mins or so sebab asyik stop ambek gambar and the guide taught us about the herbal plant, showed us wild orchidand introduce to us the native trees. You can view the hiking video HERE.




 
GTN x Terrapuri Fam Trip is in collaboration with Ping Anchorage and Terrapuri and all its sponsors with #GayaTravel as media coordinator.
#GayaTravel #Terrapuri #CutiCutiMalaysia #BeautifulTerengganu #TerrapuriHeritageVillage #PingAchorage