CHANGI

We took a 10-minute walk down to Changi Sailing Club and met Derrick there. He was going to be our skipper for the day. Some thoughts and time were taken into considering whom will go on the yatch first. I was assigned to the second group as Nie Nie (one of the first aider) was going first.

After posing for some pictures, they took off. Ager and I went for a swim.

SINGAPURA

We arrived at Johor Bharu checkpoint around 6:30 a.m. and white cards were distributed. Some of them didn't get because they were still sleeping. So, Aida and I went out to the station to get some. Going out of the train was easy... but getting back on was another matter.

We did not manage to get any white cards but we met Miao (boarded from Seremban) in the station. She was leaving us because she forgot to bring her passport. We chatted a bit and bid farewell.

We were not allowed to leave by the main entrance because of the officers were checking on-board, so we had to queue to get our passport checked at the counter. Luckily, we brought down ours. Lined-up we did.

Then we came up with a brilliant idea of sneaking out... Didn't happen because the door was locked. Hahaha!!!

Then we stuck around with some other people at the kandang. We were 'cell-mates' for one moment there. Something to tell your kids about, huh?

Away we went again onto the train... this time to Woodlands, Singapore.

Another checkpoint 45 minutes later.

That's that and soon we arrived at Tanjong Pagar and met up with some Singaporeans. We took a cab to Changi Village to have our breakfast. Had a cheese roti pratha. They don't call roti canai here. Probably it the word canai which means to knead... I mean to 'work' the dough with 'bare'hands... a bit icky for clean-clean Singaporeans.

THE TRAIN RIDE

Last Friday, it was raining. I went home by cab although I did not have enough money. I was glad that Agnes borrowed me some. So, my parents was home when I go back. Had dinner and watched a little tv before heading off to KL Sentral to catch my train to Singapore.

It was still early when I got packed and ready... so, I called my good friend, Sean and chatted a bit. It seems that everyone important to me was there in the house that day, I told him. And the air after the rain was very invigorating.

I left the house around 7:30 p.m. and met up with my friends an hour later. I was tired from the week's work but I was really looking forward to this trip.

So, we boarded the train at 9:50 p.m. after a session of group photos and toilet dashes.

We were going to Singapore. I was thrilled...

DUALITY

My computer broke down last night. I was diagnosed with gastric; that was the last thing that I thought would never ever happened to me. Had a lot of drowsy-inducing medicine... pratically slept the whole day yesterday. And back in college today... washing plates.

Life does not get any better... but it sure gets worse.

But let's give it some time... this period will only prepare you of what that will happen. Sean's saying of 'up' moments. We need 'down' moments to let us appreciate the other side.

This weekend I am going sailing and rockclimbing in Singapore, may be coming back only on Monday as it is a long weekend, hopefully be getting my things started up again... so, not too bad for this week that nearly sucked the rest of my life with despair and gloominess!

Let's go 'up'!!!

A LITTLE BOY

This week started off quite well. Especially after knowing that I can survive by just 2 hours of sleep. But throughout the whole week, I' ve been getting hints that I should relax, lighten up or simply just smile.

Am I too serious? Early of the week, Mr. Oliver asked me to relax in the kitchen... to stop being so tense. Then with Ming-Fei, she said I don't have to worry too much of what people might think about me. Phee Lip then pose the question of what do I really want?

So, it's really what I really want that will determine my course in life, my core principles, my attitude towards others and myself.

I didn't go to class on Thursday because I cannot stand Mr. Oliver and Mr. Teo. But life is not avoidance.. It's about facing the problem right in its face and say, "Shit, I don't like you but I will try to make the best out of you!" It makes no sense.

But I went to college on Friday, and I felt okay when I spoke up a bit. Really need to work on that! Anyway, it's great to be heard.

Today, I fell off my bike and scraped my knee. It's okay. I can now remember what it feels like to be injured, to be fragile... I have to write that somehow.

I need to find out what I believe.

I need to be more bold.

I need to stand up to what I believe.

I need to start drawing again.

I need to play an instrument again.

I need to be silent, not serious.

Basically, to be a man. Not a boy

BOUNCE

"For both excessive and insufficient exercise destroy one's strength, and both eating and drinking too much or too little destroy health, whereas the right quantity produces, increases or preserves it. So it is the same with temperance, courage and the other virtues...

This much then, is clear: in all our conduct it is the mean that is to be commended."

- Aristotle, 4th century B.C. Greek philosopher from The Nicomachean Ethics

It was Saturday. And it promised to be one of my busiest day I have been through.

The day started with banner painting for our H & T school with Shalini, Dolly and Steph. We began working on the cloth around 8 o'clock. Measuring, plotting and marking on the white piece of cloth. We were touching up the letters when Estella called.

I had to pick something up in Section 17, so I conveniently asked her to drive me there. After which, we had lunch in SS 2 and went to Mid Valley to purchase the things that I needed for tomorrow's outing.

On my way back from Bangsar, I was in a sort of a traffic jam. Getting to SS3 by bus seems very long, I thought. So, I got off at Asia Jaya bus stop. To my amazement, the seer amount of cars reminded me of the Sentinels from the Matrix.

One car with only one driver. What happened to car-pooling? It's really pathetic, I thought. Will we ever see a greener Malaysian attitude towards the environment? I think not.

So, that's that. I reached home just to go out again to Mid Valley to get tickets for a late night show with Raleighers. Never go watch movies with them unless it's comedy. They just can't stop giggling about everything and anything.

People died. 'giggle'

Lovers kissed. 'Uhhh'...'giggle more'

One of lovers died. 'Yeah'-guys... 'Ohhh..no- gals'... 'giggle
even more'

Oh, yeah... there were some live 'scenes' too... if you know what I mean.

Morning came around 4 after our teh tarik drinking session in Brickfields. Had a sweel time with them but have to go home to make more jellies... So, I only had a couple hours of shut eye prior to 2 home visits in Puchong and Taman Melawati.

What a day! I mean '2-days'...

KELONG LAUT

A kelong is a fish trap. This particular one is made out of a ring of bakau trees. Conveniently enclosed with a fishing net for catching fishes. We were told that it is also used to farm cockles. I thought in my head, “Yeah, killing two birds with one stone, huh??”

So, the quest for cockles began! Our first harvest was very small cockles and hermit crabs - about ½ inch in size. These were still growing, in the seabed muddy floor.

Bigger ones, the size of a golf ball came later that hour. We tried our hands on the cockle scoop. And man, was it heavy???The boatman said something in Hokkien which I didn't really understand but roughly translated into- a kilo of these cost 85 cents. A real bargin!

Their orange-yellow crunchy flesh tasted fabulously sweet despite its dirty shell and bloody interior. It is kind of like having a sunset in a shell. Many who didn’t eat were icked as we chow down a handful of these ocean-fresh shellfish.

We bathed in the sun for a while and exchanged stories of sea adventure and things alike. When we ferrying home, it was raining inland. There was a fractured rainbow up above the coast. I was at awe...

We took some photos and enjoyed the wind.

I sat on the upper deck of the boat and my face was salty from the high-blown sea breeze. It is immensely peaceful here.

That night, I turned 21 again! This time, a cake and Siaw Ling, who is also a January baby.

We got up early the next morning, had some breakfast and met up with the Malay villagers. We made our second boat trip to another kelong and had some good time harvesting MORE cockles from the tofu-like, black slush of the seabed.

We were like little people with huge orange life-jackets pushed all the way up to our necks. A real runny sight... funnier when we started to wade. Like dumb-asses, wey!

On our way back, playful seafaring gulls tailed our boats. I asked Pn. Halizah, why were the birds following us. She said that they are catching surfacing fishes as our boat disturbed the water. Hmmmm, very smart birds!

The rest of the day passed by very slowly. We left later that evening, driving through the green oil palm estate that stood as still as the day we came in. Passing the yellowing paddy fields, the fruiting stalks waved goodbye to us as we drove out. Or were they beckoning us to come back soon?

PUNCTUAL BUSES IN MALAYSIA?

Last week I find myself going to Kuala Gula again. We embarked (this time with Audrey Foo and Vig) on a slow Thursday morning.

I was in Kuala Lumpur by 8:30 a.m., finding my way to Puduraya to get a bus ticket to Taiping.

Ticket cost : 16.10 RM.

This is my first time buying ticket to a town of another state. Quite an experience!

I called Audrey later to tell her I've gotten a place. She asked me to wait for them at the mamak in Central Market. It was tranquil, despite the building traffic flow. I ordered a teh ais and began working on the materials for the site visit.

We missed our 11:00 a.m. bus. Somehow... I don't know how but we missed it. So, we bought another ride up at 1:30 p.m..

Ticket cost : 8.10 RM. Half the price, not too bad.

We went to McD's to have a drink. Well, we managed to catch this bus. Both of them sat together as they have a lot to talk about. I sat by the window and watch K.L. during her hectic lunch hours.

On the highway, I started staring at the road whiz by; the green grass against the black tarred road with the white line that stretched on and on.... I noticed how my eyes are not fast enough to see everything that passes by.

Looking but seeing. I mean, it's kinda hard as well because the bus was traveling at top notch of 110 km/hr.

Stereotyping is looking but not seeing. You think that, just by looking you know things to its very core. I don't really fancy people who jump to conclusions.

Judging things that they do not understand or comprehend...and worst of all branding them with tags of some sort. I feel a lot of people do that. Well, by saying that it would include me.

However, I do do my best to give people second chances, a second impression... or that I try not to jump to conclusion too fast, too soon. These I always do. But who can, at all times see the big picture?

I didn't see the big picture when I subconciously tagged Malaysian buses with the 'LATE'-tag.

So, I've learnt.

DESTINATION

We checked into our 3-room villa... actually just a normal house, we made our way to the fishermen's village. Diesel smokes filled the air as we board the wooden boats powered by small engines. Under the blazing afternoon sun, we headed out for the open sea! Whooooaaaa!

I was happy to get my tan while others slapped on sunscreen lotion. On the way out, we saw fish farms guarded by a dog or two. They were barking furiously as we passed them as if they really taking good care of the floating fish houses. Or maybe they just want a ride along on our boats?

The sea turned silvery green as we slid into deeper waters.

Finally reaching our destination, a kelong