It all started a couple of months ago when Bella, who I work with invited me to her village for Christmas... I was planning on diving somewhere amazing like Sipidan to make everyone at home insanely jealous but I couldn't pass up this opportunity. As it got closer to Christmas and time for me to plan my steps after the Cameron Highlands Deera asked me if I would like to go to her village and I couldn't say no to her either! So I formulated a plan, three nights in Deera's village, a night in Tapah, meet Bella there and go to her village for two nights to celebrate Christmas.
I woke up at the ungodly hour of 7am on Dec 20th, got the last of my stuff together and went down to the hotel where Deera works to get the bus. We went to the bus station and ended up waiting a good hour for the bus, this is Asia after all! I slept most of the bus journey down the mountain, waking up just in time to get off the bus, otherwise I would have ended up in KL... We got some food, onion roti for me, and then got the bus from Tapah to Kampar. Quick shop around Kampar, including a cake for Deera's family then we got the bus from Kampar to Chenderiang. The conductor on the bus started quizzing me about how the buses work in England, do we still have conductors? What do the tickets look like? How much does it cost? How modern are the buses? Considering the tickets on this wooden floored bus were distributed from a wooden rack the questions were rather pertinent!
When the bus dumped us at the last stop, pretty far from anywhere I got slightly freaked out and panicked, but not as freaked out and panicky as when Deera's brothers turned up with two motorbikes to take us the rest of the way to Batu Sembilhan, the kampung. I was slightly concerned with a heavy bag on my back, another one across my body, a bottle of water in one hand and my hoody in the other but I made it alive and was so happy to get to the village. It's a pretty modern village in alot of ways, the vast majority of the houses are concrete, some with wooden extensions, electricity, running water pumped from the local river, a shop in someone's wooden extension, roads...
However, there aren't many Westerners who come to the village and I was a bit of an attraction. Loads of kids were walking past the house peeking through the windows, one of Deera's cousins was really freaked out by me and started crying when I went into her Auntie's house and her youngest brother followed us everywhere! I was really made up that I was the first Westerner a lot of the younger kids had ever seen, what an introduction to white people...
They are always cooking in the houses, definitely one thing I noticed. I had to check with Deera every time I was offered food if it would be rude to say no, and every time it would be so I had two meals within four hours of being there. Normally I struggle to eat two meals in a day so I was so stuffed. The food is amazing, basic rice and fried chicken but the flavours are amazing, really well spiced and the meat is so juicy. The second meal I had they had barbecued a chicken for me and although I had some misgivings as to whether it would be cooked I figured they had been cooking that way for so many generations they were unlikely to kill me with food poisoning. Deera's mother was always smiling, I couldn't really talk to her because my Malay isn't very useful outside of being able to insult people and express some emotions, but a smile really does say a thousand words. I asked Deera and apparently it was a privilege for them to have me staying. I went to bed for a nap at about 7pm and only woke up at 8 the next morning!
The hustle and bustle of the house woke me early, along with the cacaphony of chickens, geese, ducks and other assorted animals! Food was already cooked by the time I was awake and it was predictably delicious. We watched a film with the family, more aunts and cousins turned up to see the Western girl in the house, more kids peering through the windows and running away giggling when I smiled to them, and then Deera wanted to go and see her godmother.
Her godmother's house is amazing, it's in the style of a Balinese longhouse, set in 18 acres of jungle including a stream that runs right through the land and it's so peaceful. I could see Deera was instantly at ease when we got there and she seemed relaxed and happy. Su Win taught Deera how to speak English and I made a point to tell her how proud she should be, Deera speaks better English than I do! We hung around the house, played with the dogs and just chilled. Food here was also immense. When her Uncle Phillip arrived there ensued a discussion of politics, religion, the Malaysian legal system (he's a lawyer) and the work they do with the Ornag Aslis in the village. Phillip and Su Win help them with their English and even sponsor some of them to go to university. They are also building a football field and playground for the kids and want to get them playing in a league. They are amazing people and seem to want to really help those who are happy to take it and see the opportunity they are getting. That night I went back to Deera's home feeling really happy that she had such amazing people to support her as she was growing up and somewhere to find some peace.
Day three and we were picked up by Su Win and taken to Tesco in Kampar. I felt so Western in there and spent a good ten minutes contemplating buying the most expensive block of cheese they had. Any backpackers reading this should appreciate how terrible the plastic cheese is here, but I came to the conclusion that even the most expensive cheese in a provincial Tesco in Malaysia would not compete with even the most mediocre cheese I would get back home. Off to the local school next where one of Deera's friends was getting their exam results. She did really well getting B's and C's and she was really happy. I spent the afternoon falling alseep in front of the TV watching Wipeout with Deera, humour that translates to any culture! Another interesting conversation with Phillip and Su Win, along with Johnnie Walker Double Black Label and 1904 Gold Medal Winning Jack Daniels, and it was time to sleep in this jungle mansion. Just a word about the shower. Amaze. You have a view of beautiful and dense jungle as you take a shower, I was gobsmacked.
Last day, Su Win took us to Tapah so Deera could get the bus back to the Highlands and I could get checked into a hotel. I had a brilliant time with Deera and her family and I like that for some kids I'm their first taste of what a Westerner looks like. The food was brilliant, everyone was so hospitable and I couldn't have been made to feel more welcome. I've been invited back to the village for a wedding which I think would be immense so I may try and get back there at the end of March. My advice to anyone - if you get chance to spend time in a real Orang Asli village in Malaysia grab it with both hands because it is a fantastic experience. These people don't have much but they're happy, they have a great sense of community and family and get on with life no matter what is thrown at them...
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