Saturday, February 28, 2009

Wait?

As the amber and gold fade into turquoise and sky blue, a new day unfolds. Bringing with it pocketfuls of mystery and adventure, a new day is for us to unravel into memory. And with much of what me remember of life, it is filled with bittersweet moments.

Listening to the shrill calls of the hummingbird that comes daily to drink nectar from the flowers hanging off the pergola, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. It has been two months since I put my foot down. I look back not to ponder on whether my decision was wise but to re-establish my forward journey. Like the hummingbird that tirelessly flutters from blossom to blossom, life is passing by and does not wait.

So why do people wait for the world to become a better place? Why do people wait for money to duplicate itself? Why do people wait for a fat paycheck to land in their laps? Why do people wait for lady luck to help them strike it big at the lottery? Why do people wait for others to provide better service, cleaner environments and less toll gates?

Why wait at all? There are things to be done in this world. Maybe not for others but for yourself. The patches of white in the sky will fade away whether you like it or not. The rain will stop but the water will flow away into oblivion.

So wait you say? I'm sorry but waiting takes too much time off of my hands.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

CNY in Bukit Rimau

And where's that?

Initially, I had no idea as well. It sounded like it was a world away. I mean, I'm sorry but anywhere considered near Klang is a world away from where I am. Surprisingly, it took me only 30 minutes to arrive at this gated community situated next to Kota Kemuning.

I was impressed with the facilities around the area. It wasn't as nicely planned or as beautiful as Gita Bayu but it wasn't all too bad. There is a huge Buddhist association there, as well as a purpose-built kindergarten (envy betul...). There is plenty of greenery coupled with proper walkways and parks for recreation. In fact, on the way in, I noticed people with fishing rods at the waterway.

Jenny's house is right at a corner and is tastefully furnished. Well, if your family is in the construction material business, your house would have nothing but the best, ey? Her doors are solid wood, not just wooden panels! Oh, and the fish pond flows into the house, under the main stairs. Wah, so grand... My house is I think, a third of what her house is and that's only the building. The land outside is.. hmm.. incomparable.

I was worried that I might be out of place but hey hey, Angeline and Chee Sing came to save the day!


I couldn't stop serving myself friend rice noodles with chicken curry. Oh, and not the mention I greedily gobbled up two big pieces of 'yong brinjal'. If you're a foodie, you'd know what it is. Uncle Tan was busy serving us wine and sparkling wine juice. Made us wonder if he was trying to clear his cupboard of hampers.

As the night grew older, more familiar faces trickled into the fenceless house compound. There was Michelle (who gave me such a huge bear hug I nearly fell over);


there was Galven, the other Macquarian;


and there was Puei Yan, Josh's friend.


It was nice to meet up with Sydneysiders in KL. Felt a tad weird but somehow, the time in Sydney tied us all together and made the atmosphere comfortable for us.

CNY... would be nice if we could maintain the CNY mentality throughout the year. Then, we would always make the effort to meet up with friends and kin, know what is going on in each others' lives and care just that little bit more. Life is too short for us to just turn a blind eye and think 'oh, there's always tomorrow or next year'.

How was your 15 days of CNY? Hope you had a blast. Happy CNY to everyone and may you face the coming year with a positive outlook and a smile on your face.