First Days in Terengganu

I have been here in Kuala Terengganu (KT), a small coastal city on the Terengganu river, since Tuesday. The state of Terengganu is about 95% Muslim, which is much higher than most other parts of the country. Above you can see several mosques lining the bank of the Terengganu river on the edge of town. There is a Muslim prayer house across the street from where I am staying and they broadcast the five daily prayers over a loudspeaker starting at 6am. But on the same street there is also a Hindu temple and a Presbyterian church!

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend a buka puasa (breaking of the fast) banquet here in KT. Everyone sits down with their food and waits until the announcement of the official end of the fast at sundown. Then they break the day-long fast by drinking and eating dates before starting into the rest of meal. I got a traditional baju kurung to wear to the buka puasa. It's very comfy to wear. The woman attending the dressing rooms told us it was the first time she had seen a white person wearing baju kurung! Here are the TCC ladies: Pelf, Dr. Chan, and me, all dressed up for the dinner.

Two days ago I paid my first visit to Kampung Mangkuk, the village where the Turtle Conservation Centre's Mini Turtle Museum is located. Mangkuk is on a narrow spit of land between the Setiu river (home of the turtles I will be studying) and the South China Sea. Goats, cows and chickens are all running around, and the houses are scattered among coconut palms like these (below, seen from the TCC building with the sea in the background). There is a large group of elementary school aged boys who like to come hang out in the Mini Turtle Museum whenever we are there. They are so full of energy and were excited to teach me Malay words and to learn the English ones.

I have found a place to live in the village and will be moving there in the next couple of days. There were a number of people eager to rent me a vacant house or room, but I ended up deciding to rent a room from a family who live near the TCC building. They are two grandparents, two parents, and four kids. The mother understands some English, but none of them speak it, so my first few weeks with them will be an intensive introduction to Bahasa Melayu, the malay language.

I am looking forward to immersing myself in the language and getting to know TCC's neighbors in Mangkuk. Internet in Mangkuk is VERY SLOW at best, so though I will be online only occasionally, I'll be sure to update when I can.