Tjantek

A darling café! It is smack right in the middle of quintessential colonial shop lots along Jln Teluk Sisek, Kuantan city…in my personal opinion, everything bodes well for Tjantek in creating its rather unique ambience. Is it an exaggeration should I say that Tjantek really does come alive characteristically well in the evenings?

Its culinary choices are nothing to shout about. The only drink I probably recommend would be salted honey lime juice…..more or less like a concoction of “air limau ais” and wild honey juice.

Music is commendable. I have always had a liking for jazzy love ballads. Amongst many such soulful voices they had in their collection would include Jacintha. I thought they had a spectacular array of cd collections and interior design magazines.

Tjantek and I go a long way back. We had a history – not always rose pretty and yet not always sad and we emerged rather prettily well and we are both such darlings to the world, proud to flaunt the cracks on the walls and the rustic feel of historical events that sculpted us. No attempts to cover the nail markings on the wall, confident someone will appreciate the markings and our outfit makes you want to return because it has a comfortable soulness.

Many years ago, on a fateful Chinese New Year day, our family of over thirty people had a major eruption of anger that involved all the adults and three dogs! Us, being non-confrontatial, figured it was time for a smoke at Tjantek. And we bitched about the bore of an uncle and his family. We left feeling much better…more civilized….wiser….relaxed.

And then there was another Chinese New Year. This time I publicly cried in front of many Kuantan-ites because I was gently let down, informed that my parents are on the verge of a breakup. Instinctively, I knew it all along. Being non-confrontational, I was also scared to admit the obvious. My grieve was hard to handle. My tears were uncontainable. Yet, the support of my dear cousins, whom are the world to me, calmed my strung nerves. The sweetest thing that a congregate of cousins can do for you would be to shock you out of your depression by turning the tables around and revealing that you are the last standing virgin in this Round Table of Cousinhood! Shocker I tell you! And they managed to shift the loss of a family to the un-loss virginity of yours truly! Wonderful angels they are.

This year we came. I asked a question: What is love? I can’t qualify an answer. Gurl-you-love gave me her version: Do you want to call him all the time? Do you think of him all the time? Do you try to incorporate every conversation with a mention of him? Do you smile when you even remotely think of him? * nods to all those posed question* Then, that is what love is all about.

I come back to you every year and every year I go home loving you just a bit more, Tjantek

Dim lightings, interesting impressionist masterpieces by not-so-famous painters, pathetic effort in service, merely palatable food but your soul is what keeps me coming back for more comfort.