Greetings from the East Coast

Salaam Pantai Timur
Finally made that long overdue trip to Kota Bahru, Kelantan. My dad is taking our second car (my wife's) and we (Me, my wife with Rahil and Imaan in tow) drove all the way. It was my first time driving there.

For those who don't know, there are two ways to get to Kelantan from Kuala Lumpur. The first is the shorter hilly route via Gua Musang and the other is the long coastal route though the East coast highway and Terengganu.

We choose the later, mainly because my wife wanted to see her old school in Terengganu.

To cut a long story short (again) the trip took us nearly 11 hours with three short breaks on the way. Passed by some really scenic places but it was really tiring. My wife took over from me at Jerteh, Terengganu.

We also stopped by the sea at Dungun, Terengganu where my wife's old boarding school is located. Though she promised a friend to spit at the gates, she didn't do it. Some of my wife's old friends have very strong feelings about their old school and they are mostly negative. One guy even said that he would burn down the school if he had the opportunity. Don't ask me why. A lot of bitter memories is all I can say.

Anyway, finally reached my parents house at around 10 pm. They were overjoyed to see the kids (and me too).

Tags: Kota Bahru Personal Terengganu

Last Day

Signed out for the last time from work on the 11th of September this month. That was 3 days ago.

It only seems like yesterday when I first arrived in Kedah for the first time and started working with the organisation (which will not be named).

Four years quickly flew by and unlike the past, I really loved my job. But now I have to move on. Hopefully for something better.

It was a wonderful experience and what I will miss most of all are the friends I leave behind. I will miss you guys.

Tags: Personal

Worst Journey

Last Thursday, I had one of the worst journeys of my life. Like every week, I took a bus back home from Kedah to KL. However, this time I was going with a bus company called Gung Gunung Raya for the first time.

Here is the whole story in brief:

Left around 2 pm. It was a hot day and realised that the air conditioning was not working. Started sweating.

Driver stopped on the side of highway twice - first to buy some Pomelos and another to buy a drink from stalls by the side. Still seating.

Driver takes his own sweat time to leave Alor Star.

Dozed of to an uneasy sleep.

Started raining heavily.

Water seeps in and start flowing down the bus aisle.

Someone complains.

Driver gets mad, stops the bus somewhere around Juru Toll gate and gets out.

Passenger calls the company boss. Company says that they are sending a new bus.

Wait for several minutes but bus doesn't show up. We ask the bus to move ahead and stop at some rest area. A lot of the passengers want to take a leak.

Along the way, notice that there is a bulge at the side of the bus where I am sitting. Press it and I go OMG. Realise that there is water inside. I was thinking to myself " I will be really wet if this bursts".

The bus stops at a rest area and the replacement bus catches up.

We all get into the new bus and settle down.

The bus stops at Bukit Gantang rest area. The driver says that we will move after 20 mintues - they take 45 minutes.

I finally arrive in KL around 11 pm.

A journey which normally takes 6 hours took nearly 9 hours.

Bloody stupid bus company.

Tags: Bus Gunung raya

The Crocodile Hunter

Yesterday, I was really shocked when I read on the MSN website that one of my most favourite TV personalities, Steve Irwin, had passed away. Popularly known as the Crocodile Hunter, this fearless guy with his chirpy nature and his "Crikey!"

I didn't blog about it yesterday because I wanted to make sure the story was true.

He was fatally pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb while filming some shallow water shots for a segment in a TV program. This was in Batt Reef (part of the Great Barrier Reef), off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland, Australia. He was videotaped pulling the barb from his chest moments before losing consciousness.

He was just 44 years old and is survived by wife Terri and two young children: Bindi, aged 8 and Robert, aged 2.

When I checked the Crocodile Hunter website was still down because of the huge traffic to the site.

My sincere condolences to his family.

Related Links:
1. Wikipedia: Steve Irwin
2. Animal Planet

Tags: Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin

Car sold

This afternoon I finally handed over the keys of my Wira to the new owner - a lady colleague. As she walked away with the keys, I felt some sadness. Guess I am too sentimental sometimes.

It was raining heavily in Alor Star today morning as I drove to the bank and handed the lady in their hire-purchse department the signed JPJ documents and the car grant. I didn't bring along my umbrella and used the car shade for cover.

I am happy that I now have one less thing to think about. The car dealers were offering too less for the car and I was really happy when she agreed to buy the car for RM22,500, a profit of a few hundred ringitt.

However, it was sad to see someone driving away with the car that was mine for nearly four years. Maybe I am worried about who I am going to 'tumpang' (take a lift) tomorrow.

Tags: Moving Personal Selling car

Merdeka

Tonight, when the clock strikes 12 midnight, Malaysia will celebrate 49 years of independence. I will be on a bus back to KL.

For those who are not aware, Malaysia officially became independent from the British Empire on August 31, 1957.

The New Straits Times Press Resource Centre has put up a nice collection of old photographs published in The Straits Times in a website titled 1957: Road to Nationhood. Check it out.

Really feel lucky to be living here in Malaysia. Do you feel the same too?

Wishing all Malaysians a very happy Independence day.



Tags: Merdeka Malaysia

Being Charitable

I have seen that some people have no problems with friends and family borrowing their clothes. Not me, however. Simply hate people borrowing my clothes. I was really annoyed and severely scolded my sister once, for borrowing my pants and coat for a school play without my permission. I know each and every piece of clothing that I have and can tell when I have a shirt or pants missing.

And it’s not just clothes; realize that I am quite possessive about all my stuff. Though I do lend stuff to people, I make it a point to write it down – ‘who took what’ and on ‘what date’. Like the time a colleague borrowed RM50 from me (he has still not given it back yet). Not sure why, but I notice that a lot of people have a habit of borrowing stuff from people and not giving it back.

Marriage has changed me a lot. My wife keeps pinching my T-shirts and I have no option but let her wear them. She’s totally different from me and she’s not at all possessive about her stuff – apart from me I guess.

Anyway this post is not about possessiveness, rather the opposite. As most of my regular visitors know, I am leaving for UK soon. It was amazing how much stuff that I had accumulated over four years I had been here in Kedah. Have been able to sell off most of the items but I still have loads more including shelf full of books, both in my office and house.

A few days back I came to a very painful decision – to give away most of my books. It was hard and I went through them for the last time and found some great stuff that I had bought sometime back but had not even read. It took me some time but I finally separated them out into groups – ones close to my heart/ hard to get books and others. From the later, I gave some to my close friends and today I donated the rest (three boxes) to my nearest library. I have a habit of writing my name on the first page of my books but the guys down at the library said that it would not be a problem.

I have also separated all the clothes that I don’t want or can’t fit and put them into one old big suitcase. Tried one of my old jeans but it was too tight. Yeah, I must come to terms with the fact that I won’t go back to a 30 inches waist anytime soon (if at all). One of my friends said that he could pass them to some charitable organizations.

Thought I would be sad but I am not. Never realized that giving away stuff could feel so good.

Tags: Charity Moving Personal