This picture was taken during my trip to Awana Kijal...it reminds me of my childhood days when we used to play our traditional games...back then, there was no internet, ps2, psp, etc...so, we always end up playing this traditional game...

this is called a 'congkak'...it's usually played by the girls since it can be played indoor...the hole on the wood will be filled with marbles @ stones...each hole containes 7 marbles @ stones...



'congkak' is played by two players simultaneously...on the first round, the two players will start the move together until one of the player is 'dead'...a player is considered 'dead' when his/her last 'buah' (the marbles @ stones...) end up in an empty hole...when a player is 'dead', the other player will take turn until he/she is 'dead'...the winner will be the ones with more stones in the 'ibu'...(an 'ibu' is the last hole at both ends of the 'congkak'...) it represents the amount of 'buah' a player has...

A player can also get more 'buah' by taking the other player's 'buah'...it is called 'tikam'...this only happens when a player end up in an empty hole, but at the opposite of the hole, (that is the other player's hole), is filled with 'buah'...all the buah than hv been 'tikam' by a player will be put into the 'ibu'...usually this game will end when one of the player didn't hv enough 'buah' to even make a hole...

well, it's kinda sad thinking that my 2 days holiday is over...huhu...back to work now...when i posted the picture of the terrapins last saturday, there were some comments asking about the species...so, i decided to put more information about the terrapins...

The river terrapin in the picture was taken from an 'in situ' nest in Pasir Kumpal, Dungun, Terengganu...all the hatchlings from the hatchery there will be brought back to my university, (Universiti Malaysia Terengganu @ UMT)...here, we hv 2 species: the Batagur baska and the Callagur borneoensis...rite now, we're doing some conservation programme on this species...basically, what me and my colleagues are doing rite now is trying to headstart the painted and river terrapins...the study is conducted at the Terrapin Headstarting Facility in UMT...

Both batagur and callagur are listed as critically endangered species by the IUCN Red List:

"Considered Endangered in peninsular Malaysia and Indonesia; Critically Endangered in Bangladesh and India because the subpopulations are all very small and declining. It is Extinct in the Wild in Thailand (considered CR in OEPP 1997). There are no recent data and it is therefore presumed to be Extinct in Myanmar, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Singapore"

source:
http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/2614/all
http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/3543/all

more photos of the terrapins:

Hv u ever wanted to do something, but then being told that u can't do that...??Or if u ever feel like an idiot when u hv to do something that sounds really stupid to u just to 'chase away' ur bad luck...??

well, in malay costum, we hv so many 'don'ts' or 'pantang larang' in our life...all the taboos were created long before us, and some of them are still being practise today...but, to me, there are certain things that u don't hv to follow because it's not relevan anymore...(that's why my mom always said that i'm 'degil' (stubborn)...)

here are some of the 'pantang-larangs' that we hv in our costum..:

1. Do not open ur umbrella in the house - in will 'invite' the tiger to 'visit' ur village
   
2. Do not whistle in the house - it will 'attract' the snake
3. Do not walk under hanging clothes - it will 'take away' all ur knowledge
4. Do not put back the rice in the pot on Tuesday - it will 'sweep away' ur 'rezeki'
5. Do not hit the younger person on the butt - it will give them worms
6. Do not turn back when u go out of the house - it will bring bad luck to ur journey
7. Do not sing in the kitchen - it will give u an 'old' husband
8. Do not cut ur nails at night- it will caused u to die early @ sooner than anyone else
9. Do not talk about ur dreams while eating - it will bring bad luck
10. Do not take photo of ur cats - they will die

Some of the taboos are quite ridiculous...( in my opinion la...) but my mom always said that there are certain things that we don't know...so we hv to consult the elders because they knew better than us...they hv experienced life before us...in malay they called it 'lebih awal makan garam'...(hmm...if translated into english, it will be 'they ate salt long before we did'...) so, if they said, u can't do that, it means you just can't do it...


******
but, i'm thinking...what's the connection between hitting somebody's butt and causing them to hv worms...???
that's why i always had a fight with my granny when it comes to this taboos...