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Tourist's A-Z
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The T, U, & V Page
T is for...
Taxi - By Malaysian standards, the taxis in Langkawi are the most colourful. One reason being, there are two separate regulations for the livery on taxis.
First, all taxis with a seating capacity of more than 4 passengers are legally required to have this distinctive livery painted on them.
Second, there are no longer any colour restrictions on all the other taxis! It used to be a yellow top and white body, but this requirement, for reasons best known to the relevant authorities, has been scrapped.
Please be aware that there are no metered taxis, but the fares are fixed according to the journeys covered, which are listed. All taxis are required to carry this list, though many don't!
As there are no other forms of public transport available, taxis enjoy a monopoly. And, as with all monopolies, it is always the poor that has to suffer in silence!
Teak - The tall trees with the broad leaves, that you see lining the roads around the island are teak trees! It was a great idea to have them planted but, as with all great ideas, the task of implementing them is always entrusted to civil servants! Needless to say, some saplings were not given the chance to bloom - through neglect, of course - but the ones that do survive should be worth a small fortune in several years time. It is estimated that a ten-year-old tree could fetch up to RM 10,000.00!
Anyhow, there is yet another program that started in mid-2001, only this time it is to plant Casuarinas and Keranji along the roads in Pantai Cenang/Tangah. It is almost conceivable that they might have learned something from the previous episode (the reasoning here is that one can still teach an old monkey a trick or two) After all, they have been seen dispatching a team of workers, albeit intermittently, to tend and spruce up the saplings, however, the one thing these people will never learn is... why on earth must the trees be planted directly underneath the overhead cables?
Telephone - "Siapa tu?" or it's equivalent, "Who's there?"
Don't you just hate it when people ring you up, forcing you to drop whatever you were doing and answer the phone, and then demand your name!
In truth it does speak volumes about these callers because they don't even have the courtesy to say at least, "Hello," or wishing you, "Good morning," or something. And, in all fairness, it is too much to expect them to know about telephone etiquette, that they have to tell you their name first before you tell them yours! The logic here is that "it is you who called me so introduce yourself!"
Langkawians, however, do have the perfect excuse, in that, although Alexander Graham Bell applied for his patent in 1876, it was NOT until the early 1980s that telephones began to appear in their homes.
So, what is your excuse, then?
In general, the telecommunication system in Langkawi is good, and there are ample public phone-booths scattered all over the island. But, please be aware that all the booths in the Pantai Cenang/Tengah area only accepts phone-cards, which incidentally NOT all shops sell! And the ones that do... well, they seem to be perpetually out-of-stock! But, to be fair, it's NOT always their fault because the salesmen of these cards are a very "erratic" breed.
In any case, if you are fortunate enough to get hold of one, and have located a suitable booth to place the call, please dial "00" - which is the International Access Code, followed by (your country's code) + (the area code) + (the telephone number.) Simple, isn't it?
But, should you have any problems, please call: 101 - Domestic Assisted Service 108 - International Assisted Service 871 - The telephone area code for a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean!
Television - Almost every home has one! However, this has NOT always been the case.
Things have changed since the dark days (or should that be nights!) before electricity when the locals, each having to fork out 5-10 sen, crowded in front of the very rare TV sets for the luxury of watching broadcasts from Radio TV Malaysia, RTM. The money collected goes to pay for the fuel that powered the generators.
It is remarkable how television has overtaken the lives of the locals. As an example, there is this former fisherman who, these days, would never dream of going out to sea on certain nights of the week, lest he misses his favourite programm, which happens to be "The World Wrestling Entertainment." Oddest is the fact that he doesn't speak a word of English, but, it is an addiction that he can easily afford due to his fat, healthy bank account, which is posible from the sale of land a few years ago!
On the other hand, there is this bloke who does NOT even own a TV set. Either, he cannot afford one, or there is nothing worthwhile to watch.
Modestly, he claims the former!
Tennis - Game, set and match! If you happen to be staying in one of those resorts with "numbered-stars" then you'll be alright for tennis. Although, there is this particular resort in Pantai Tengah which has only one tennis-court, but due to complete neglect by their powers-that-be, it is now totally unplayable! But, don't despair because there are more courts at the Langkawi Sports Complex that are in the same sorry state!
I guess tennis is NOT that overly popular here!
Ten-pin bowling - "Strike three, and you're out!"
Ooops... wrong sport, but "strike" is the operative word here. Anyway, if wish to indulge in this sport, then you are in luck, as there is a place that offer the opportunity. It is near the pier.
Latest... too bad, the bowling alley has been "struck-out" which means the building has been demolished to make way for "new" projects!
Toilet - Not the most interesting subject to deal with... unless, of course, you have this sudden urge to ease yourself.
If you happen to find yourself in the toilet of any of the smaller restaurants/chalets, please be prepared to squat rather than sit! Also, don't be too surprised to find out later, after doing your business, that there is NO toilet paper around... use the water hose, or that pail of water!
Another "embarrassment" is the state of the public toilets in general. "Yuck!" is the only word that succintly describes it. (Thanks, Ryoko.)
Traffic-light - The world's first electric traffic light signal was installed almost 80 years ago in Cleveland, Ohio, but it was less than 8 years ago that "one" was finally introduced in Langkawi, which is located at the intersection of Jalan Persiaran Putra and Jalan Air Hangat! Needless to say that during the first few weeks, it caused more problems than those it tried to solve! Also, it was a classic case of too-many-too-soon when our suddenly "over-efficient" civil servants saw it proper to install 4 sets of lights within a distance of a mere 2 km!
Turtle - Once upon a time, the then secluded beaches of Pantai Tengah was the preferred destination for turtles on their obligatory oviparous pilgrimage.
Gone are also the days, when people used to camp out on the beaches to await - with no other night activities available on those dark electricityless nights - the "treasures" that come with these reptiles. For you see, their eggs have always been a delicacy, therefore very much sought after, and could command a decent price if ever they make it to the markets. But, so highly prized are the eggs that, when found, local culture dictates that they first be distributed among the closest family members. Alas, with extensive family ties, there is hardly any leftover to sell; even though turtles are known to lay over 100 eggs at one session.
Apparently, the female green turtle sheds tears as she lays her eggs on the beach, but this is to wash sand particles out of her eyes and to rid her body of excess salt.
Anyhow, turtles are wily creatures because they always "choose" the quietest nights to oviposit. But, most uncanny is their ability to individually home in on the very same spot where it had laid the eggs the year(s) before. They also cover their tracks well, with the intention of concealing the eggs until they hatched.
And, it has been noted that the gender of a sea turtle - as with a crocodile - is determined by the temperature of the sand during egg incubation. Temperatures of 29° C and over, produce more females; cooler temperatures of less than 29° C, produce more males.
Incidentally, it wasn't too long ago that the group of turtles, or more specifically "a bale of turtles," stopped coming to these shores. It all went wrong for these turtles, from the mid-1980s onwards, when electricity "came" to these parts!
Maybe, it's a blessing in disguise, because the Malays (read Muslims; by virtue of its definition by the Malaysian Constitution) aren't supposed to be consuming reptile's eggs!
 U is for...
University - A few of years ago, in a bid to artificially boost up the population and the ailing tourism industry, the central government encouraged the setting up of universities on the island. There were ambitious plans, but in the end only one of the local universities established an affiliate campus at the former premises of a 1,000-room resort.
Latest... the university has since been relocated somewhere in Negri Sembilan!
Utility - Click electricity, and -- if you can't wait to go to the next page -- click here for water.
 V is for...
Vegetarian - There are vegetarians who do it for religious reasons, and there are some who do it for health reasons. But, there are also those who become vegetarians because it is in vogue. Irrespective of your faith, inclinations or taste in fashion, there are a couple of joints that serve vegetarian dishes. Since I'm neither of the above... I'd be the last person to ask for a "recommended" list. Maybe next time!
Visa - NOT that plastic "money" but the paper kind that allows you to legally enter a foreign country. In the case of Malaysia, except for the following nationals; North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam and People's Republic of China, all others do not require a visa to enter and remain in the country for a period of between a week to 3 months.
However, to be on the safe side, please consult the relevant authorities!
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