|
Two whole weeks in the middle of nowhere!
But it was no use complaining. My parents had to go to Saudi Arabia on business.
Since it was the December school holidays, my brother and I were to stay with
our maternal grandparents in Cameron
Highlands. A couple of days before my parents were to fly off, my father drove
us to Tanah Rata where my grandparents live. It was not our first time there but
it was the first time we would be staying there. My grandparents were
housekeepers for the owner of an old bungalow. They lived in a small house in
the back garden. There were only two bedrooms and a tiny living-cum-dining
area. Other than an ancient looking television, there was nothing that looked
interesting. My brother and I prepared to die of boredom.
My grandparents were truly happy to see us. They soon made us feel at home.
We were surprised at our good appetite when it came to meal times. My
grandmother cooked us simple dishes of fresh vegetables harvested from their
very own garden. I never knew that vegetables could taste so good. We thought we
would be bored by day two but the day flew by for us happily. We went with our
grandparents as they went about their housekeeping duties. The cool, fresh air
seemed to make us more alert and energetic. We actually enjoyed helping with the
chores. We had most fun gathering twigs and broken tree branches for the
fireplace. Our grandparents' house had a real English style fireplace. When it
got cold at night, we lit a fire. It was easy to pretend we were somewhere in
England then.
One day, Grandpa took us to an Orang Ash village to visit his friend. His
friend belonged to the Semai tribe and he lived in a bamboo hut with his wife
and six children. We were told to call him Uncle Mai. First, he taught us to use
the blowpipe. Then he took us to a waterfall deep in the forest. His children
came with us and we ended up having great fun playing in the pool. We had the
place all to ourselves. Before the end of our holiday, we visited the waterfall
two more times.
It surprised us how quickly the two weeks passed. When our father came to
fetch us home, he asked us how our holiday was. With one voice, we replied,
'Unforgettable.' |
