Experience The Malay Traditional Kampung's Lifestyle

                                                                                         

Most the Malay Traditional Houses can be found in rural area (kampung - village). It is built with Malay creativity and their affective bond with their nature and environment.

The climate made a Malay Traditional House raised on timber stilts or piles to elevate the building above the ground level. It is due to heavy rainfall that sometimes brings flood.

Although it use timber as main structure, amazingly it is build without a single nail, instead the Malays used pre-cut holes and grooves to fit the timber building elements into one another, effectively making it a ‘pre-fabricated house’. There are handcrafted panels, holed carvings and slatted panels around the walls.

Traditional house roofs are very steep and always have wide overhangs for shading and protection from heavy tropical downpours. In many cases, they have beautifully carved timber eaves to decorate the ‘visual connection’ between roof and sky.

On the lawn, there are local flower plants and the usual daily used spices and herbs such as ginger, lemongrass, pandan leaves and ulam (local salads).

We can also find the pangkin (long low bench) under the shade of mango or coconut trees, which is used to rest after a long tiring hard work. The women also use the pangkin to have their friendly chats with neighbors as well as enjoying raw mango dip with rojak sambal belacan! (A mixture of local sweet and spicy dip)

On the backyard, we can find a small orchard planted with local fruits trees such as durian, rambutan, langsat and manggis. Oh, have I mention that they raise chicken, duck and goat for personal use? Yes, they animals are let loose on the territory being fed by surroundings resources and leftovers. Indeed, what a wonderful life it is!

Early Malay Traditional House has the toilet and bathroom outside, - on the backyard. However, it is uncommon to see the scenery nowadays but there are some rural areas that still use natural water supply from nearby stream or a self-digging, self-maintaining well. Picture this - a cool, fresh and pure spring water bath….Surely, it is the most breathtaking bath you ever experience!

About the author:
Miss Doo Ree
http://www.durianfolk.blogspot.com

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