My hometown

 
My hometown is Sitiawan in the state of Perak. The name is actually made up of two words
'setia' and `kawan' joined together. In Malay `Setia Kawan' means loyal friend. My great-
grandfather came to Sitiawan a century ago and settled down here. Our family still live in the
house he built in Kampung Koh.

Sitiawan is situated near the coast of Perak. It is near the port of Lumut from where
holidaymakers catch a ferry to Pangkor Island. In the early 1900s, Sitiawan was a quiet village
surrounded by rubber trees. Later, the rubber plantations were replaced by oil palm plantations.
Today, the town has changed into a more modern place with supermarkets and fast food
restaurants. The old wooden colonial style buildings are gradually being replaced by glass and
concrete buildings.

There are not many interesting places to visit in Sitiawan. The Sitiawan Settlement Museum was
built to preserve the history of the early Chinese Fuzhou settlers. What my hometown is famous
for in fact is food. Many people visit Sitiawan to eat the famous Fuzhou dishes such as rice
vermicelli in red wine, sweet and sour fish maw soup and fresh seafood. One other thing that
this place is famous for is the Kampung Koh chili sauce.

The population of Sitiawan has grown over the past century but it is still not as crowded as the
bigger towns like Ipoh. The people are a mix of Malays, Chinese and Indians who live together
in harmony. They are mainly involved in farming, fishing or run traditional business like sundry
stores and hardware stores. In the past decade, many locals have gone into swiftlet breeding.
Swiftlet farms produce birds' nests which is a valuable delicacy among the Chinese. If you come
across a concrete building that has only a door and holes in the wall instead of glass windows
and tiny birds flying in and out of the holes, it is a swiftlet farm.

I was born and bred in Sitiawan. Although it is not an exciting place, I love my hometown. It is
not overly crowded, the people are friendly and I feel a sense of belonging here.
    
fish maw  the stomach of the fish
    
swiftlet  a small bird with long wings that flies very fast
    
born and bred  born in a place and grew up in the same place
    
The usefulness of the mobile phone
 
Almost everyone has one these days. It is light. It can fit in your pocket. It keeps you connected
to people. It takes photographs. It is one of the most useful inventions of the modern age. What is
it ? It is the mobile phone.

The mobile phone, also known as the cell phone, is first and foremost a tool for communication.
It functions like a telephone. However, its small size makes it possible for us to carry it with us
wherever we go. Its portability allows us to contact others and allows others to contact us no
matter where we are. It makes it convenient for people to communicate for both social and
business purposes. This device is especially useful in the event of emergencies such as when we
get lost or when we need to tell someone something urgently.

Another useful function of the mobile phone is that it allows us to send and receive short
messages. To convey a message, we only need to type out the message and press `send'. The
message will be stored in the recipient's phone and he or she can choose when and whether to
read it. After that, the message can be kept for future reference, sent to someone else to read or
deleted. This feature is really useful for people to share information and to keep in contact.

Mobile phones today have multi-functions. They do not only function as telephones. Most
models of mobile phones now have another useful feature which is the built-in camera, so now
we can take photographs anytime we want. Cameras are bulky so people do not usually carry
them around all the time. A phone with camera function is handy. We can take photos of friends
we meet unexpectedly, or capture pictures of funny and unusual situations. Some mobile phones
even have a video function so we can record an event. Best of all, we can share these photos and
videos with others via the Internet.

In conclusion, the mobile phone is one of the most useful devices ever invented. It is useful for
communicating in normal circumstances and also in emergencies due to its portability. Its
additional features also enable people to share information and even photographs easily. Hence,
it is no wonder that everyone, from the young to the old, regard the mobile phone as a must-
have.
    
Festivals in my country
 
Malaysia is a multi-cultural country. The three dominant races in Malaysia are the Malays, the
Chinese, and the Indians. Each race has its unique culture and customary festivals. Public
holidays are declared on the three important festivals celebrated by the Malays, Chinese and
Indians, namely Hari Raya Puasa, Chinese New Year and Deepavali respectively.

Hari Raya Puasa, also known as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, is a major event for the Muslim
community. It celebrates the end of the month of Ramadan, during which all Muslims are
required to fast. The exact date of this festival is determined by moon-sighting. A typical Malay
family usually begins the day with a trip to the mosque in the early morning for prayers,
followed by a visit to their ancestral graves to pay their respects to family members who have
passed away. After that, they go on to visit the homes of relatives and friends. At home, the
young will ask their elders' forgiveness for any wrongdoing, and they will usually be given a
token sum of money called duit raya.

The Chinese New Year is the most important festival to the Chinese. The date changes from year
to year, unlike the Western New Year which is always on 1 January, because it follows the
Chinese lunar calendar. The festivities begin on the eve of the occasion with the reunion dinner,
during which the whole family will gather to have a feast. Chinese New Year is traditionally
ushered in with firecrackers and lion dances. Chinese families visit their relatives, especially
their elders, with gifts of mandarin oranges and New Year delicacies. During these visits, they
enjoy snacks like cookies and pineapple tarts. It is also the custom for married couples to present
children with money in small red packets called hong bao.

The Malaysian Hindu community celebrates a major festival called Deepavali, also known as
Diwali or the Festival of Lights. It is usually celebrated for five days around the months of
October and November. Before the festival, Hindus clean their houses and business premises
thoroughly. During this festival, Hindu families decorate their homes with oil lamps, along with
patterns of colored rice known as kolam. Families put on new clothes and go to the temple before
visiting their relatives and friends. Traditional gifts like sweets and dried fruit are exchanged.
There is feasting while children play with fireworks.

The festivals in Malaysia are similar in that they draw people closer together be it family
members, relatives, neighbors or friends. It is a time for renewing ties and showing respect for
one another. Learning more about these festivals can help promote tolerance and harmony.
    
 An accident
 
I usually go for a stroll round the neighborhood after dinner. And so, as was my custom, I went
for a stroll after dinner that evening. When I reached the main road, I saw a group of uniformed
police officers standing in a group. A side of the two-lane road was cordoned off and traffic was
allowed to move on the left lane only.

I walked nearer to the scene and saw that three cars had been involved in a terrible collision.
There were two seriously wounded men lying on the floor. A few people covered with blood and
bruises were sitting by the side of the road. I could se that the lone driver of the middle car still
trapped in the driver's seat. The front of the car was crushed inward like a tin can and the driver
could not be extricated.

In a matter of minutes, I heard the siren of the ambulance. The ambulance halted near the scene
and the paramedics attended to the injured people. The two men lying on the floor were
pronounced dead and were covered with black plastic sheets.

A few minutes later, the fire engine arrived. the fire fighters used their tools to free the trapped
driver. I could see that the man's body was badly mangled and looked as if twisted out of shape.
His whole body was covered with blood and his face was a mass of unrecognizable flesh. I could
see the white bones of his arms jutting out from beneath the flesh where there were deep cuts. He
was still alive.

Two lives lost, one in serious jeopardy, and a few others needing serious medical attention. I felt
sick after what I had seen and quickly walked back home. I had lost the mood for a leisurely
stroll.
    
cordon off put something around a building or area to stop people from
 
entering it
    
extricate  to set something free with difficulty
    
mangled  the original form of something is completely changed