GEORGETOWN: If Daniel Tyler or Mat Dan is well known for his ability to converse in the Terengganu dialect, Rita Kalsom Rafi from England also speaks Malay, and is able to do so in the northern dialect.
The 35-year-old made waves online recently after several videos of her conversing in "loghat Penang" went viral.
Rita said her mother, Che Nu Buang, 68, from Kampung Perlis in Balik Pulau married an Englishman and had three children.
She said her other siblings, Yusef, 31, and Nadia, 38, were also fluent in the northern dialect and they enjoyed using it when speaking to each other.
"Everytime I come home from England to Balik Pulau, there were many things I wanted to tell my grandmother but she could not speak English, so I was determined to pick up Malay.
"In fact whenever I spoke to or asked my mom in English, she would reply in Malay, and it was from there I learned the language," Rita who works as a personal trainer said when met, here, today.
Explaining further, Rita said many wanted to get to know her after the videos uploaded on Facebook by her friend went viral.
Talking about having family in Penang, Rita said she enjoyed a variety of local food such as lemang, rendang, cendol and nasi kandar.
She also said she can cook rendang daging and ayam masak merah.
"I also prefer to return to Penang during the durian season because I am able to enjoy the king of fruits," she added.
This visit to Penang carries deep meaning for Rita as she was reunited with her adopted family which she hasn't met in years.
According to Noor Aliza Che Mat, 48, she knew Rita when she was going doing her practical as a teacher at Sekolah Convent Lebuh Light when Rita was 10.
Noor Aliza said they shared a relationship like mother and daughter but not long after that were separated when Rita's father took her to live with him in England.
Rita did write to Noor Aliza but her mail was returned as Noor Aliza had moved.
"We have been trying to track Rita down for a long time, until last November when I asked my children to look her up on Facebook. Thank God, she still remembers us and we met when she returned to Penang in April," Noor Aliza said.
