Surviving the 'Ganu
Certain survival skills are required to survive the east coast state especially if you’re coming from anywhere else in the world. Simply because there’s no place quite like it on the planet. If you’re coming for a visit then this wont apply to you, so carry on with your life. But if you’re here for more than a week, be warned.
Here’s a shortlist of what to expect and what you should prepare for.
1) Ever-changing traffic flow:
The one major road that connects all the towns together is undergoing some serious refurbishing. It’s been ongoing for a couple of years now and from the looks of things will continue to for a couple more. You thought the roads in Penang were tricky. Well, the course you took to work today may not be the same tomorrow.
2) Back to the dining halls:
Remember how the dining hall menu was on a 2-3 week rotation with the feeble hope that we wouldn’t get sick of it? Well, the phenomenon rears its ugly head here again as the variety of food available here is nothing short of pathetic. Every eatery run by a local offers pretty much the standard repertoire of 5 kinds of fried rice, 4 styles of cooking meats, tomyam and 2 styles of vegetable dishes. Sadly both your heart and wallet wont let you have McDonalds every single day.
3) The monsoon’s only fun for the Cup contenders:
For about 3 months in a year the state is perpetually wet. With the poor irrigation system and only one road linking the locals and their livelihood, the one reason why people prefer to work here rather than KL had just been obliterated. Also, be prepared to find an entire ecosystem living in your closet. Stock on mothballs….lots of mothballs.
4) 2 hours drive for a movie?
No wonder piracy is so rampant. Would you take a 2 hour drive to the next major city to catch a movie? Kuantan happens to be the one and only movie destination of the east coast. Locals got their hopes up for a new cinema at the Rantau Mall in Kerteh, but GSC decided not to bite after a feasibility study told them it was not economical. It’s just a cover up to appease the conservative locals who are appalled by the idea of having people of the opposite gender being in close proximity to one another in a dimly lit room. Why hasn’t there been a cinema in the state until now?
5) Penny wise pound foolish landlords:
So your rented house sprouts out little sawdust tunnels from the ceiling. You tell your landlord. The next week he shows up with two Siamese guys and two aerosol cans of mosquito repellent. Two months after the safety, health and environmental nightmare, you beg him to enlist a professional exterminator, but he says it’s “too expensive”. He tries to appease you with a different kind of chemical. This time, this one has pictures of termites on the label. Hey, anyone else have a house available for rent?
6) Leave the Lexus at home…..NOT.
It was after I got my car that I was suddenly overcome with fear of possibly having a very “eye-catching” vehicle. It didn’t help that a survey last year estimated that 95% of the cars in the east coast were national cars. My fear was allayed after arriving. Apparently the employees of the national oil company aren’t afraid to show how prosperous they think they are, especially around the month of August when the big fat bonuses are awarded. FYI, my steering lock has been relegated to a self defense weapon.
7) What are drive thru’s for?
The local McDonalds has a drive though facility which is supposed to be a privilege for those who want to have a quick meal. Unfortunately, like everything else here (excluding motorcyclists), the drive though lane goes at a snail’s pace. You’d have better luck standing in line. But do avoid lines with women and children.
Here’s a shortlist of what to expect and what you should prepare for.
1) Ever-changing traffic flow:
The one major road that connects all the towns together is undergoing some serious refurbishing. It’s been ongoing for a couple of years now and from the looks of things will continue to for a couple more. You thought the roads in Penang were tricky. Well, the course you took to work today may not be the same tomorrow.
2) Back to the dining halls:
Remember how the dining hall menu was on a 2-3 week rotation with the feeble hope that we wouldn’t get sick of it? Well, the phenomenon rears its ugly head here again as the variety of food available here is nothing short of pathetic. Every eatery run by a local offers pretty much the standard repertoire of 5 kinds of fried rice, 4 styles of cooking meats, tomyam and 2 styles of vegetable dishes. Sadly both your heart and wallet wont let you have McDonalds every single day.
3) The monsoon’s only fun for the Cup contenders:
For about 3 months in a year the state is perpetually wet. With the poor irrigation system and only one road linking the locals and their livelihood, the one reason why people prefer to work here rather than KL had just been obliterated. Also, be prepared to find an entire ecosystem living in your closet. Stock on mothballs….lots of mothballs.
4) 2 hours drive for a movie?
No wonder piracy is so rampant. Would you take a 2 hour drive to the next major city to catch a movie? Kuantan happens to be the one and only movie destination of the east coast. Locals got their hopes up for a new cinema at the Rantau Mall in Kerteh, but GSC decided not to bite after a feasibility study told them it was not economical. It’s just a cover up to appease the conservative locals who are appalled by the idea of having people of the opposite gender being in close proximity to one another in a dimly lit room. Why hasn’t there been a cinema in the state until now?
5) Penny wise pound foolish landlords:
So your rented house sprouts out little sawdust tunnels from the ceiling. You tell your landlord. The next week he shows up with two Siamese guys and two aerosol cans of mosquito repellent. Two months after the safety, health and environmental nightmare, you beg him to enlist a professional exterminator, but he says it’s “too expensive”. He tries to appease you with a different kind of chemical. This time, this one has pictures of termites on the label. Hey, anyone else have a house available for rent?
6) Leave the Lexus at home…..NOT.
It was after I got my car that I was suddenly overcome with fear of possibly having a very “eye-catching” vehicle. It didn’t help that a survey last year estimated that 95% of the cars in the east coast were national cars. My fear was allayed after arriving. Apparently the employees of the national oil company aren’t afraid to show how prosperous they think they are, especially around the month of August when the big fat bonuses are awarded. FYI, my steering lock has been relegated to a self defense weapon.
7) What are drive thru’s for?
The local McDonalds has a drive though facility which is supposed to be a privilege for those who want to have a quick meal. Unfortunately, like everything else here (excluding motorcyclists), the drive though lane goes at a snail’s pace. You’d have better luck standing in line. But do avoid lines with women and children.
posted by Mike Ng at 6:26 AM
2 Repercussions
