88 km to Tanjung Sepat!

Life as a sales person can be truly interesting or boring depending on the person itself. The good thing is, you can choose to be an interesting or boring sales person. A boring sales person chases sales day in and out and always wonder why he or she ended up as a sales representative. More than ever, they get bored traveling alone along lonely roads for hours or hectic cities with heavy jams. They get depressed, tired of working alone all the time. I was on the verge of becoming THAT sales person…it does tend to get lonely after some time. But I have since then found ways to keep myself entertain. You see, people may consider sales representatives to be jolly happy people because they don’t get stuck in the office for 8 hours straight. That may be true, but keep in mind either we are stuck in jams for 1 hour straight or driving to outskirt places for 2 hours! Although I am a city girl by birth, by heart and everything else…I didn’t get the luxury of covering big city places like KL or PJ where I can enjoy the views of tall buildings and shopping malls which are all oh-so familiar. Instead, I get areas like Klang and lonely outskirt places like Sg Pelek, Morib, Sabak Bernam, Tanjung Malim and Tanjung Sepat. So, other than keeping myself occupied by munching away chocolates in the car and listening to the radio or chit chatting over the phone with my other kakis in sales…I decided I should at least try to enjoy my journey to these lonely places.

88km to Tanjung Sepat. That was all that was written on my mileage chart. The only indication of what I should be expecting driving all the way there. Other than knowing it would take me a good 1 and half hours drive, I really don’t know what Tanjung Sepat has in store for me as this is my first time there. With no map or address in hand, I drove on anyway from Banting. Brave or just plain silly huh?

Anyway, the drive there was Booorriiing. The long lonely roads didn’t helped either. Makes me feel sleepy instead.




And scared. Veeerrrryyyy scared. I proceeded anyway thinking of the work I have to do there anyhow.

When I reached there, I found a decent restaurant to fill up my empty stomach after a long drive. I pulled up to this seafood place called Ban Joo Hing.



When I stepped inside, people were giving me the weird eye look. Probably by my dressing, they knew I wasn’t a local. Hehe. And also, I was the only girl there who dines alone. Other tables were filled with people who came in a big group to enjoy the seafood. Anyway, I was traveling alone anyhow so better make the most of it.

Being alone, I resist myself from ordering seafood as I probably couldn’t even finish the meal myself. I ended up just ordering a plate of fried meehoon. Pity, I REALLY love seafood you see. While waiting for my food to be served, I entertain myself by listening to music on my Walkman phone while enjoying the scenery of the beach front as people from other tables couldn’t stop looking at me- either showing me pity for dining alone or simply just amused with my dressing. Either way, their stares were making me uncomfortable.

After a good 20 minutes of waiting and 5 songs later, my food finally came. Lo and behold, my plate of fried beehoon.



It looked good. After savouring the taste, I came to conclusion that it tasted normal. Probably the seafood might have tasted better but that is a different experience for another time. For a seafood place, I expected the ingredients to be fresh and big. But look at the tiny shrimp in my plate of beehoon!


Oh well, I should probably blame it on the recent petrol price increase as this hearty meal with a cup of ice tea only costs me RM4! Something you would probably not find in the city. The portion was big too as the taukeh was generous enough to prepare me a serving for 2 eventhough I asked for 1 at the price of a single serving! A girl can’t ask too much I guess.

After the lunch, I walked out from the restaurant and was greeted by a lovely beach which was too inviting to resist! Without any further thoughts, I let myself be seduced by the sound of the clashing waves and wind blowing through my hair…I immediately felt the calmness of the sea.


This is the jetty that leads to the sea. According to my friend and colleague, Stephen, this is called “The Lovers Bridge”. I certainly did not see any couples hanging around the jetty but probably it would be a different story during nighttime or even the weekends.

I mean, look at the view! So breathtaking. I would certainly love to be taken to a place like this!


I don’t know about others, but being a city girl I get excited easily when I get close to nature.





There was another seafood restaurant which had an even better view of the sea which probably explains why it was more crowded.





I gathered the folks here knows how to enjoy themselves too as this might look like it is a popular hangout place for nightlife.


After enjoying the sea breeze, it was well past lunch time. Time to work. Assuming the town was as lonely as the sea, I was taken aback when I reached the town. Although the town look every part weathered and ancient old, the town folks certainly wasn’t! I expected it to be a sleepy town. How wrong was I.




The folks here seem to go about their daily routines calmly, without the need to rush to another destination. Everybody seem to knew everyone else. Many rode bicycles and motorbikes and waved at one another when they passed by. There were even a few shirtless uncles with hanging beer bellies riding casually on their motorbikes. And even one WHOLE family of four riding on a bike. The shops here were unassuming but brought back many interesting memories. Like this one.



Remember the time when these were popular? Rows and rows of biscuit tins filled to the brim with many delicacies? Biskut telinga lembu, muruku and gula kelapa?



Or this? The kereta sorong minuman. Filled with carbonated drinks like coca cola that is still bottled the old fashioned way. Certainly bring back childhood memories when I would pled my mom to buy me a bottle of coca cola.


There is even a place for folks to get together for activities like playing Chinese chess which I observed is a past time favourite here.

The ALL TIME favourite can also be found here!

The folks here seemed really friendly. Everywhere I go, people seem to be smiling. Whether they are selling durians by the road side or wan tan mee in the shops. I come to really enjoy the trip here. There was even a shop selling beer by the cartons! This is such a sweet place with ancient time charm. Visiting this place can certainly bring back a smile on your face and reminded you of how life used to be 20 years ago---laid back and relaxed.

After my work is done, I bided the town goodbye and headed back to the stressful life of the city---with a smile on my face.

The drive back was long. Well, at least they have proper sign boards. Like this one reminding you to look out for cows crossing the roads.



Like this fella over here!