Ms. Adventurer's misadventure

Saturday 30th July 2011 started out like any other day. My wife had already left on her holidays to Australia and I was looking forward to joining her in a week or so. Without her, I had to make do with meals outside for a while as I didn’t cook. Don’t know how to actually. So on this day, I started out early by about 6am and proceeded to the only restaurant in Rawang selling decent Indian food for my breakfast. As I still had a lot of time in my hands, I flipped through the morning papers for a while before paying up and shooting off to work.
As I passed the railway station in Rawang, I noticed a fairly new but badly dented car along the left side of the road that was surely not there a while ago when I was heading towards town earlier. I noticed that the lamp-post that the car had ploughed into was so inconspicuously located at the very edge of the road that even if a seasoned driver were to aim to knock against it just for kicks, chances are that he would miss it! That was how far away the lamp-post was placed at the road shoulder that when placing it there, the authorities must have been convinced that there was no way any one could knock against it. In fact I was convinced that some drunken driver must have dozed off or in his inebriated state probably lost control of his vehicle before knocking against it and had come to an abrupt halt while doing about 50kmph……. I however simply brushed it aside and continued with my journey to office. Later that same afternoon, through a strange coincidence, I met up with the driver of the ill fated vehicle and was somehow relieved that the person had miraculously not sustained any serious injuries although I was told that the vehicle had to be written off.

This post is dedicated to my neighbor Bouncy Cat who complains that they don't teach multi-tasking at driving school….……like how to hold your hot coffee and move your phone to a safe distance from the coffee especially when negotiating a sharp bend, while steering with one hand...........!

New Zealand

When the idea of visiting New Zealand was first mooted by my wife sometime last year, my initial reaction was nonchalance. The main reason for my disinterest was that it was a long haul flight and I wouldn’t be able to smoke in the aircraft during the entire 10 or 11 hours journey. My recent trip to Nepal changed all that. I realized that abstaining from smoking for a while was no big deal and that I’d be able to endure it.
So off I went to NZ on 5th August. My wife had left a week earlier to Australia where she was to meet her elder brother Mano who lives there with his family. From there, she was due to meet me in NZ where her younger brother Rajah has made home, having emigrated about 10 years ago.
The flight itself was eventless. AirAsia flights are pre-booked months ahead; so there were a lot of no-shows. I got a row of 3 seats all for myself; so in that sense, it was comfortable. Decided in having light meals during the flight so I settled for sandwitches. Hem Raj had recorded some movies on my mobile phone to keep company. I managed to watch only one movie and realized that the battery was nearly drained! When I landed at Christchurch at about 11.30pm (NZ time), I was virtually dying for a fag. Walking out of the airport building, I stood at the designated smoking zone, delighted at the prospect of eventually being able to ‘quench’ the crave as chilly winds smothered me all over from all directions. It was a sensation that I had never felt in my life ………ever. Temperatures were below 7 degrees so you can imagine the ice-cold effect the winds caused on the body. I spent the next 5 hours or so in the warm main terminal before catching my connecting flight to Auckland where my wife and brother-in-law were waiting for me.
From Auckland, it was a one hour’s drive to Hamilton where Rajah lives. But I had one thing to do in Auckland and that was to meet up with my childhood buddy Lalitha who has settled down there. We had communicated prior to my trip so she was expecting us. Initially we were to meet for dinner but since I was on a lightning trip, she settled to play host over breakfast. This was the first time I was meeting her husband Navin who hails from Seremban. They live in an effluent part of Auckland in a well appointed neighbourhood with their daughter and 2 cats. We caught up with so many things past and present and spent about an hour and a half before bidding goodbye. In the excitement of the much anticipated reunion, I had totally forgotten to take any snaps with her. What a waste!
The next couple of days were spent at Rajah’s place in Hamilton who also took us to show the outskirts of North Island. The rolling hills and blue sky was picture perfect. The clarity of the scene made you feel as if you were not short-sighted anymore. Sheep, cows and horses grazing on the hills completed the magnificence of the picture. We made a quick stop at the mouth of the longest river in NZ at its source where the water flowed from a massive lake formed by the melting snow from the surrounding hills. It was a beautiful sight, with columns of fog and clouds shrouding the background like a backdrop. We made it up all the way to the snow-fields and saw people skiing down the slopes. My wife and I had to wear 2 winter jackets each to endure the cold. While my wife could afford to play snowball with her brother, I chose to return to the comfort of the car as I could not stand the cold any further. My hands were beginning to feel numb. But it was an experience that I had never imagined I would experience in my life. Given a chance I would probably have chosen to get a feel of winter in some theme park some place, just for the experience. Never in a real snow covered country. But it was all well worth it. The snow flakes steadily floating down to rest on your jacket was simply exhilarating. After spending a good hour or so at the snow-fields, we had difficulty maneuvering the car out of the snow covered road down the slippery slopes. But we managed to drive out slowly without incident.
The people in NZ are so approachable and friendly. It’s a completely different culture actually. It was so refreshing to see cars stop for you when they notice that you want to cross the road, people don’t honk at you on the roads, they adhere strictly to speed limits and road signs, they overtake only at designated areas on the highways, they don’t litter and they appear to have the greatest respect for the human race. This has been such a short vacation but I vowed to return next year to see the rest of the country. Rajah of course is hoping that we would seriously consider emigrating, a prospect that I have kept at the back of mind for now.
During my return flight, I couldn’t help reflecting on all the areas that we have had to compromise by choosing to live in Malaysia.
Thank you Rajah & family for the wonderful time that we had in NZ.

The Charm of Nepal

It was my first trip to Nepal last week on 19th July. In fact it was my first trip to anywhere out of the country by flight. Until then I had only ventured out to Singapore and Thailand. Although I was excited about the journey, I was apprehensive at first about the prospect of not being able to smoke during the entire flight. Way back in the 70s as well as the early 80s, people were not so health conscious as yet. The awareness and their rights had not been cultivated yet. As soon as the ‘no smoking’ light went off after take-off, I would immediately light up a cigarette. And no one bothered about it. Back then it was an acceptable part of co-existence. But not anymore! So the fact that I would have to refrain from smoking gave me sleepless nights preceding the trip.
It was a transit flight on Thai Airways to Kathmandu via Bangkok. I have had much experience in flying, so the journey itself was sort of predictable. I sort of knew what to expect. All went well until we were nearing Kathmandu when all of a sudden, the aircraft went into free-fall for at least a good 4 seconds or so. It seemed so long though. And not once but twice. The Captain came on the air saying “we are facing air turbulence!” I thought then that he could have done a better job in pacifying the passengers, many of whom I noticed appeared to have gone into a state of shock, including my colleague seated next to me. My age didn’t afford me the luxury of displaying fright, at least not to my colleague. So I simply forged on a brave front, comforting him that it was just ‘airpockets’ that had created vacuum in the atmosphere. I still wonder if he saw through me to notice that my heart was by then somewhere between my navel and my lower belly!
We finally reached the airport in Nepal where my Nepali agent was waiting for us who took us straight to Annapurna Hotel that we called home for the next 4 days. I had not looked up the net for details on Kathmandu, so apart from the fact that Everest lurked somewhere near, I didn’t know much of the city. The temperature was like Camerons and therefore bearable but I was told that November to February are very cold as it snowed around the mountains. Couldn’t get a view of Everest though due to the heavy clouds.
What greeted me during our drive-around was a bit unsettling. This was a city without any form of traffic control. Cars, lorries, buses, taxis, vans, bicycles, motorbikes and every form of other vehicles that come in odd shape and sizes, fight for space on the narrow roads, probably originally intended only for 2 vehicles. I would not be far from wrong if I add that they very nearly ‘nudge’ each other as they pass, so to speak. I particularly found the deafening sound of horns blaring for the slightest of reasons, often for no reason at all, annoying and amusing at the same time. The only traffic light I came across near the former King’s palace was on permanent red mode. Traffic police standing on elevated platform at road inter-sections appeared more ‘ornamental’ than to serve any real purpose. I didn’t wait long enough to notice if motorists paid any attention to them.
The next morning I awoke at about 7am as I usually do back home in Rawang and noticed that it had already dawned. The 2 hours and 15 minutes time difference meant that it was only 4.45am in Nepal. After freshening up, I walked out to the main road outside the hotel hoping to see a tea stall like what they show in Indian movies. Not one soul was in sight……just an occasional lorry passing by. Returned to the hotel and was told that breakfast would be served in 2 hours time. It was then that I realized that although it had dawned, people don’t start work until it is about 8.00am in Nepal. And the shops would open only at 10.00am (12.15pm in Malaysia).
Later after completing some tasks at the agent’s office, I went out with Sumon (agent’s driver) to look for interesting things to buy. Looked around for some nice belts for myself but couldn’t find any with my waist size. It is interesting that Nepalese are generally not fat and most of them are just the correct weight and size. The people manning the shops along the road didn’t speak any language that I could understand but Sumon was there to help out. So that didn’t pose any problem. Through him, I managed to get some nice clothes for my family at reasonable rates.
Evening was interesting. The agent (Mr. Rudhra) told me that he wanted to take me to some watering hole to chill out. What greeted me was beyond my wildest expectation. Walking in, we were ‘namaste”d by extremely beautiful saree clad Nepalese damsels. They had a stage at one end of the hall where about 15 artistes were seated with their musical instruments. Each one then took turns to render a Nepalese number that was accompanied by lovely Nepali dancers performing their traditional dance. It looked like a slightly faster version of our own joget. But it was soothing and immensely relaxing. The pretty girls waited on you while you enjoyed your drink. The language they speak in Nepal is a corrupted version of Hindi……..at that moment, I regretted not knowing Hindi.
Requested for a couple of Hindi songs that the singer obliged. He sang very well. I joined him during his rendition of Kabhie-Kabhie, a 70’s song, punctuating it with Amitabh Bachan’s dialogue that I had memorized during my younger days, being an ardent fan of the legendary actor. It was well received. This was live music at its best unlike in Malaysia where they use pre-recorded music from keyboard for the main instruments. I truly enjoyed the night and made sure that I went back the next day to continue with the fun and festivity. On my last day, a deep sense of melancholy seized me when I realized that I wouldn’t be able to see them anymore and worse, that I would not even be able to communicate with any one of the lasses over the phone because of the language barrier.
On the last day of our stay, we took a trip to the largest and most significant Sivan temple in the world that was constructed sometime around 400 a.d. It was a spectacular sight to behold, I must admit. Walking in, you get goose pimples just looking at the place. But of course I didn’t realize the significance of the river that meandered alongside the temple as I nonchalantly flicked my cigarette butt into it only to learn upon my return that this was the Bagmati River that eventually flowed into the Ganges! What a pity that I didn’t snap any photos of it.
After spending a couple of hours, we were chauffeured to the airport for our flight back. As I turned to say goodbye to my host Rudhra and his driver Sumon, I vowed that I will surely return for another visit of this only Hindu Kingdom (now Republic) in the world. My wife would love this place.

54 long years...!

(Granddaughter is similar attire)

In retrospect, it has been a long and arduous journey this life, and I’ve just reached the 54th milestone today. There were more downs than ups so to speak but the joy in the ups sort of overshadowed the regrets in the downs. But it had been indeed a long, long journey. No one told me it would be this long……..though I hadn’t expected a bed of roses either. But nevertheless when I look back, I can’t help but wonder how I succeeded in managing it all along.
The happy moments I cherish and rejoice at the joy and fun that accompanied each of those moments. The friends I kept, many of whom are still with me….and time passed.
The not-so-good memories and the sadness and sorrow that I suffered with no one to care or console….and you realize you have to go it alone……but time still passed to heal those wounds though some scars do remain that don’t hurt as much anymore.
Priorities changed when situations changed. Things considered important then are not so anymore. And I still wonder why or how it is so. They tell you that you are wiser for the experience but continue in the very next breath that wisdom is relative. So I can’t tell what is real and what is not anymore.
I do not crave for a long life like some people do. I just want to be around during my healthy years to be able to enjoy it all in the company of those I love dearly who mean everything to me at this point in life. In that context, my family beats them all.
My darling Kalavitha takes the icing providing me with the much needed joy to go on for now, giving me new reasons to continue looking forward to each new day.
Its one more year to retirement………….and the counting starts now!

Good Bye Mum!

From left to right : Standing around Mum are daughter Priyanka, wife Prema, sister Susi, daughter Praveena carrying my grand-daughter Kalavitha)

I still remember when Mum was first diagnosed with having diabetes. It was in the year 1969 and I was about 12 then; being 12 didn’t afford me much information of what the disease was all about. I used to see Dad checking out her sugar level every other day with litmus paper dipped in Benedict’s solution (I think). But she took it all in good stead and survived intact for another 42 years. Of course, along the way about 18 years ago, she suffered her first stroke that left her partially paralyzed.
Ever since then, she had been dependant on Dad who would religiously attend to her every need. It would have been difficult for both of them especially since they were both past their prime. But somehow, they managed…….
Then when Dad passed away 1 ½ years ago, I suppose my Mum lost her will to go through life. She must have felt extremely lonely as she was living with my sister in Kulim while the rest of us were all scattered all around the country. She has become so frail that we didn’t even disclose to her of my brother’s death early this year, afraid that it might worsen her condition.
Two weeks ago, I visited her when she was admitted to the BM Hospital for some complications. The deadly disease had taken its toll. It was heart wrenching to realize that she had suffered total memory loss and could only stare blankly at me when I spoke to her at her bedside. I knew then that the worst was in store.
So as all good things must end someday, she breathed her last on the morning of Thursday 12th May 2011 at the ripe old age of 80.
Good bye Mum! May your soul rest in peace!

My Cutie-pie

My cutie-pie is 2 ½ now and dominates our lives in more ways than one, entertaining us with her antics, giving us new hope and joy in our twilight years.
Life has suddenly become worth living.....again!

Heaven & Hell

I reproduce below an excellent piece from one named Shanker that appeared in The Malaysian Insider that I found both amusing and thought provoking. Enjoy it.
Parable of the man who chose hell – by Shanker March 16, 2011
MARCH 16 – Once upon a time, a man died and was met at the Pearly Gates by an angel. The angel then explained that the man had arrived on a day of special offers: today, he gets to choose whether he wishes to spend eternity in heaven or hell.
“We’re going to let you have a day in hell and a day in heaven and then you can choose whichever one you want to spend eternity in.” The man then replied, “Why not? Ok, I’ll take the offer.”
And with that the angel put the man in an elevator and it went down straight to hell. The doors opened and the man found himself stepping out onto the putting green of a beautiful golf course.
In the distance was a country club and standing in front of him were all his friends – they were all dressed in splendid evening attire and cheering for him.
They ran up to him and they talked about old times. They played an excellent round of golf and at night went to the country club where they enjoyed an excellent steak and lobster dinner.
He also met the devil who was, surprisingly, a really nice guy and he had a great time telling jokes and dancing.
The man was extremely excited! He was having such a good time that before he knew it, it was time to leave. Everybody shook his hand and waved goodbye as he got on the elevator. It went up and opened back up at the Pearly Gates and he found the first angel waiting for him.
“Now it’s time to spend a day in heaven.” So the man spent the next 24 hours lounging around on clouds and playing the harp and singing. He had a great time and before he knew it, his 24 hours were up. The first angel came up to him.
“So, you’ve spent a day in hell and you’ve spent a day in heaven. Now you must choose your eternity.” The man paused for a second and then replied, “Well, I never thought I’d say this, I mean, heaven has been really great and all, but I think I had a better time in hell.”
So the angel escorted him to the elevator and the man went down back to hell. When the doors of the elevator opened, he found himself standing in a desolate and dark wasteland covered in garbage and filth. He saw his friends were dressed in rags and screaming in pain. There were hot flames all around and it felt slimy and the smell was awful.
The devil then came up to him and put his arm around him. “Wait a minute! I don’t understand,” stammered the man. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and a country club and we ate lobster and we danced and had a great time. Now what I see instead is a dark wasteland and all my friends are in misery.”
The Devil looked at him and smiled, and then he explained: “That’s because yesterday, you met our marketing team.”
Moral of the story?
Well, I heard that the detained Bibles have been ordered for release.
Hmmm. Makes you wanna go “whoopee” and kiss a 1Malaysia logo.
Or the hand of the DPM.
Whatever.
So, now you can’t wait to rush in and deliver your votes to BN, right? (I can almost hear the SUPP President go, “phew!”)
But then again, for the past 30 over years, we have been hearing the BN marketing team give their pitch to us… No …?
They promised us “Bersih, Cekap Dan Amanah”; but what we get instead is a languid civil service mired in corruption and wastage.
They promised us “Bangsa Malaysia”; but what we get instead is Perkasa.
They inspired us to “work with me”; but what we got instead was someone who slept on the job.
They promised us an efficient system from privatization endeavors; but what we get instead are traffic jams, and a mess of a public transport system. Not to mention that our utility and toll bills keep going up.
They promised us that the new MACC will be modeled after the reputable ICAC of Hong Kong; but what we get instead is a dead body, an unsolved “mystery” involving the death of a fine young man, and an agency that attracts more ridicule than its predecessor.
They promised us that they would get to the bottom of the VK Lingam “correct, correct, correct” saga and take action if there is sufficient evidence; but what we get instead is a file which is rubber stamped, “No Further Action”.
So my dear friends, you decide whether you still want to buy what Barisan sells.