Sunday, January 18, 2004

A trip down Chinatown
Started our day with breakfast den came back and moved my hamster into his new home - an aquarium tank.
Later in the afternoon, we had Chicken Rice at Boon Tong Kee before getting down to Chinatown for a feel of 'Chinese New Year'. There was this shop which goes by the name of 'Chinese Heritage...something' and apart from being retail, they had this section decorated in the most chinese retro possible decor serving light snacks, eggs and toast. What caught my eye was this Chinese tear-away calendar hanging on the wall. Its year read 1962. I miss those tear-away chinese version calendar. Tmr I'll try shop around for them. My parents told me shops that sells joss sticks and incense etc might sell them.
Tonight I downloaded the song that caught my fancy while listening to Gold 90.5FM. It's a jazzy slow lazy number soothing to my ears..


MISTY - Johnny Mathis

Look at me
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud
I can't understand
I get misty just holding your hand

Walk my way
And a thousand violins begin to play
Or it might be the sound of your hello
That music I hear
I get misty the moment you're near

You can say that you're leading me on
But it's just what I want you to do
Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost
That's why I'm following you

On my own
Would I wander through this wonderland alone
Never knowing my right foot from my left
My hat from my glove
I'm too misty, and too much in love.

Sunday, January 04, 2004

Mere 3 days, 2 nights
It was end of the year, with some vacation leave to clear, my friend sugested I follow her back to her hometown in Malaysia for the vacation. We took the night bus for the journey to and back. Did I mention I would stay away from Malaysia if I could help it? Its the same reason I wouldnt settle down in Australia even though I was there for 3 years. I'm uncomfortable with the idea of being the minority. All it takes is a different skin tone and language to set u apart from the rest. Throw in a history of hostility between the two countries, and u wouldnt go around flashing that bright red passport of urs. Once crossed the border, I feIt vulnerable and I could say I was afraid. I dont have the power of language. They dont speak English. Ask me anything, I would appear like a dumb duck. I depended on my friend and she gladly took charge. It was 4am when we reached Trengannu. We were the only 2 to alight as the bus's final destination is furthur up. The plan was to reach and call her dad who's at home expecting our call. 4 public phones- 3 not working with the last only for emergency calls.Great. 4am in the dimly lit canteen with not many pple around - malays and looking at us. We comtemplated waiting till her dad came but that could be another hour or so. She decided to ask the driver for his mobile and made the call.
Her suburb's at Kemaman. At daybreak, her brother brought us around. Had breakfast at this small scale hawker centre. If there's any rating of cleanliness like they do in Singapore, I would think most stalls there would display a 'D' or 'E' rating. But it's ok cos I ate and there was nothing wrong.
Being in a small town, everybody knoes each other. We would travel around and she'll see friends walking around doing their thing. As we eat, she'll tell me stories about the hawkers or customers whom she'll have heard stories from. It's nice in a way having pple who knoes of ur existence but like she say, once u do something wrong, the whole town would know of it.
Tmr the pics would be developed and I'll try putting some up in this blog and blog my journey through.