Seeing Sembilan I: Tranquil Titi

Taking advantage of the Malaysia Day holiday, my BEC organized a day trip to Titi and Seremban in Negeri Sembilan. Just MYR60 per pax to cover the food expenses. Transportation by chartered bus was covered by the BEC's fund. We were lucky enough to be accompanied by a priest. Boarded the bus at OUG. That location was strategic because it was central and the parishioner's home had a vacant field which we could use as a car park. Breakfast was provided-- a couple of buns and some bottled water. During the drive to Titi, we brought out the guitar and had a rousing praise and worship session. Turns out that the priest is a good singer specializing in golden oldies. Also prayed the rosary and by the time we finished the last decade, we arrived at St. Augustine's Church.



The 114-year-old church is located on a hill. At the back is the church cemetery located on an even higher hill flanked with trees. The design of the church is simple with a single belfry and a wooden altar. The confessional is an antique wooden partition with a small rattan mesh window. Mass was celebrated and we were joined by some of Titi's Hakka Catholics. After mass, the local parishioners talked briefly about the history of the church. Seems that many of the more elaborate features of the church had been lost along the years.



Next it was time for lunch at Sin Wong Kok Restaurant located in town. The bus couldn't navigate the narrow roads, so we just walked in, soaking in the tranquil, old school vibe. Although it was just a short walk, we were seduced by the many street vendors. Bought yellow wine chicken pau and chou yip pan, with its characteristic black colour and use of the chou yip leaf as a base instead of the common banana leaf. Sin Wong Kok serves many Hakka specialties. I loved the Yong Tau Fu which had a lovely smoky flavour, and the Hakka fried pork with black fungus was also extremely fragrant. Perfect accompaniment to steamed white rice. The famous 'Puppy Duck' wasn't too shabby, but the steamed Tilapia was the black sheep. Didn't try the 'Flying Fishball' which is another signature dish there. Guess it's a good excuse to revisit the place to try the other Hakka specialties.







Last thing we did at Titi was to camwhore at one the many murals in town. We chose a mural that graced the wall of a shop lot. According to locals, the shop lot belonged to the town's biggest land owner and they made their money from the rubber industry. No longer in Titi, they now live large as the founders of Top Glove, one of Malaysia's biggest players in latex manufacturing. From the mural, I assume that one of the main crops of the town is pineapples. Funny thing was, that we didn't see a single pineapple being sold in town. Hmmm.

To be continued...