.jpg)
Memories of 20 sen Mee Rebus and the Vanishing Landscape of Padang Pasir in Alor Setar #BackInTime
By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright January 2024
In the quaint town of Alor Setar, time has woven a tapestry of change, especially within the sandy expanse known as Padang Pasir.
Two decades have ushered in transformations that blur the lines between nostalgia and progress, leaving us to reminisce about the days when a humble plate of Mee Rebus was but 20 cents.
Venturing into the linguistic nuances of Kedah, where desert translates to Padang Pasir, the currency of choice was once the kupang, a humble mussel shell. This historical currency tells a tale of an era long gone, where value was measured in the simplicity of everyday life.
Today, Google searches for Padang Pasir in Kedah lead us to locales like Padang Terap, Padang Serai, Padang Sira, or even Padang Besar on the Thai border, but not the Padang Pasir of Alor Setar.
This unique plot of land, situated across from the Royal Theatre, was once a bustling hub of food stalls set against an open sandy backdrop.
The heart of this culinary landscape was the celebrated dish of Mee Rebus—yellow noodles bathed in a thick, spicy sauce crafted from mashed sweet potatoes, dried shrimp, and tender beef. Served with an array of condiments—chillies, bean sprouts, fried bean curds, a boiled egg, sliced beef, sauteed calamari in chilli mixture with plenty of fried shallots—it was a taste of tradition that lingered long after the last reel of the movie at the Royal Theatre.
The metamorphosis of time, however, has altered more than just the landscape.
In the 1960s, a plate of Mee Rebus, rich in flavour and history, could be savoured for a mere twenty cents—symbolic of a simpler era.
Fast forward to the present, and the same plate, laden with escalating costs of ingredients and labour, demands a staggering RM6.50 at the well-known Mee Abu of Teluk Wan Jah or even more in high-end stores.
Inflation, like an insatiable force, has eroded the value of our local currency, leaving the vendors of Padang Pasir struggling to adapt.
The phenomenal increase in the cost of living, as measured in plates of Mee Rebus, paints a stark picture of the economic shift from the 1960s to the 2020s—a journey that wipes out not only the padang pasir but also the cherished vendors who once thrived in its sandy embrace.
As we navigate the evolving streets of Alor Setar, the echoes of Padang Pasir linger—a poignant reminder of the fleeting nature of time and the ever-changing landscape of life in this sleepy hollow.
#BackInTime, when a plate of Mee Rebus was not just a meal but a cultural artefact, the vanishing act of Padang Pasir leaves us pondering the cost of progress.
Submit your #BackInTime stories that revolve around the theme of nostalgia and stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM8,000! Find out how you can participate here.
Mihar Dias is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
