My Trip Back In Hometown - Pulau Pangkor

Like to post something on this trip that happened only last weekend. It was last minute. My 大伯 was pronounced death around 7pm or 8pm on Thursday evening. Calls came in around that time, when I still in CG. So, this explained why I keep walking around and talk over phone during sharing time. :)

Very sudden. I only have this thing in my mind, "Must go back...", and call my two of my cousins in singapore, and confirmed the timing to go back together. I can conveniently make a excuse not to go back, but, I just wanna took the chance to go back and see my aunties and uncles, and meet with my cousins.. This kind of mindset like very 抱歉 toward my 大伯...

Another thing, I really don't know what can be done for him, he died not knowing Jesus. What can be done? What I learn here? I only learn that I must sieze every available opportunity to spend time with my family and intercede for their salvation.

Indeed thank God for what CC shared during the caregroup about unhurried lifestyle. CC, thanks for all the heart and soul you put in to grow this group.

So, I guess I was given the very opportunity to apply what I learn from CG, unhurried life... I knew the 2 days in hometown will be very relaxing... On thursday night, I just a bit worried how to relate with relatives with appropriate responses... I think since it is my 大伯's funeral... Should be still ok... So, my mind quickly drift to fastasy about the starry night sky... soothing sea breeze... and those nice food....

So, and, I "Clicked", **Time fast-forward to 10.45pm 18-Aug-2006. (Aa. those who yet to watch 'Click', must go and see... I already watched with a friend liao. Good laugh and good point... family is the priority...)

10.45pm, after 2 hours long wait around CitySquare.. my 表姐 had already called upon the fire of hell to burn some people a few time... the bus was late for 2 hours... =.=

very tired.. and imagine it already 15 hrs passed since the bathe in the morning... so, tired, and with a sticky body.. 很难受.. anyway, once i got onto the bus, sent sms, and i slept very quickly.

Next day is a eventful day..

Reach the ferry jetty around 9.30, after 20 mins ferry ride, another 10 mins motorbike to my 大伯 house... The 道师 perform the same routine... but, I was sure the thing he 念 is different... sick to death, accidental death, premature death, natural death... different kind of death got different kind of way to perform the ritual. The body was sent for 火化 around 11am...

Throughout the fenural service, I wasn't much involved, nothing there for me to help.. Most of the stuff is taken care of... All the neighbouring auntie and uncles just came to offer all the help... they are all expert in this area.. so, i just sit around observing the going-on... I wonder if I should talk to my dad about knowing Jesus. ha. I think better not. Next time ba...

Everything was settled by around 2pm... I not quite sure how is my father took it, he is very calm about it.. perhap he had already passed the emotional stage, and now is more just to take it as it is.. Talk to him, and he really just share about the condition of my 大伯 before he breathed the last breathe..

If not all, I would say 80% of us go back home with a normal condition.. the funeral doesn't hit the family much... again, perhap my 姑姑 and 伯伯 them already passed the sad stage...

By 3pm, I already can hear the mahjung noise from back of the house... and my mom took 70 ringgit from me to play mahjong... i am speecless... -.-

死，有重如泰山，轻如鸿毛.. my 大伯 maybe the 2nd one... But, I will still remember him. The oldman that always ride on his bicycle... a man that seldom talk much.. at least to me, but, a few words of concern and asking about my well being. I took a picture of his 遗照.

by 5pm, my parent and sibling already get ready to go back Klang. They stayed one night before. And my mom need to catch a flight to Bangkor. A trip fully sponsored by my rich uncle in Klang. Once awhile, my family got such treatment from him... but, I never benefitted from it.. Good as well, at least, my family got to travel once awhile.. I will not feel so burdened and so sorry..

After sending my parent off to jetty, all the 同辈表亲 suggest to go for sea activity.. anyway, one of my cousin-in-law is doing such business.. it will be free... so, most of us went along... it was really a fun and loving time spent together at the beach.. i just love to play with some very cute and loving bady gal...

After that beach fun time, we all go back home.. then, another good time of seeing all those 10 years plus old photos.. ho ho.. brought back so many lovely memories... and a lot of laughter look at those 老土 fashion... haha.. and those silly children look... haha. Anyway, just a very good time at home.

The next day, just lazed around in house... no church to go to.. so, just spend extended hours to eat breakfast and chatting with aunties and uncles... eat many good food.. afternoon, eat again.. 3pm, eat again.. i just ride the bike around the island find my favorite food to eat... haha... cheap and good food all around the island... by the way, it take only about 25 mins to make one round of the island... at average speed of 60 km/hr...

Share some photos here. Taken in the beach... Many more wasn't captured... I had lot of fun that evening.. While having fun, also love to play with nephews. Ha. All call me "阿姑" (Hokkien for uncle...)

Mostly is my 同辈, those very small one is 小辈, the left 1st lady at 2nd row is my aunt. Really grow up liao.. I am now "uncle" to more than 10 kids... =.=

Left to right: 静宜 (something like that..), my cousin (i call her, 阿玲. mother of 3, 静宜 is her 2nd daughter), my cousin (丽丽, the one married to Singapore, the eldest in family, sister to 阿玲), 丽珍 (last one in the family), 燕婷 (something like that, 3rd daughter of 丽丽）, 巧云 (my 堂妹)

This is me. ^-^

I suppose she read too much model magazine at her age... -.-

静诗. i like to play with her.. The first day she is quite 怕生, then, overnight, she become very 热情, can play with her, and she will smile, and walk around you. just... too cute!!

More of her... :)

My 表哥. We had a very unforgetable fight when we still at kindergarten age. forgot we fight over what lioa.. he like cat scatch my face till a deep cut, i was bleeding... of cos, i also like a cat scatch his face... so, we both left a scatch in each other face... kind of sign of the childhood bond. When i look into mirror more carefully, i will remember him. just like when i look at rainbow, i will reminded of God.

古灵精怪的小女孩. Keep forgetting my name.. -.- Taught her about my Christian name, 彼得. haha.

imagine those are his daughter... he will not have worry about the growing tummy... definitely will slim down in 2 weeks time...

Play a sand bury game with her... haha. she eat too much sweet thing... look at her black bad teeth.. ho.

On the way back to mainland. Taken on the ferry itself. My cousin galfren. They are marrying the coming chinese new year...

The ferry that we take. Mostly this kind of ferry serving the people in island...

Sunset. 夕阳西下. "向晚意不适，驱车登古原。夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏。" 李商隐。

Yup.. that's all. :)

Updates (Part 1)

It has been a long time since my last entry.

Just like to do a quick recap of what I been doing… maybe I will just break into a few part series. Let me try to just type whatever come to my mind first… see how random my mind can be…

Two week ago. Yup. It was two week. I was in Penang and KL. It was a good time spent. It was good time not because of the great company, it was because the new thing that I experience during that brief moment interacting with people… and they don’t just talk about the sun, the moon, the star, the beach, etc. most conversation revolve around the local business and going-on. It make me again feel much more like a Malaysian. In Singapore, seldom conversation on Malaysia, at most, some speculation on Malaysia’s political soap show, and some report on the rocketing crime rate… little on the business activities and the people’s thought on local economic.. there I was. Able to catch a few good conversation and talk about such. Blessed. I would say. I see more thing and more potential in Malaysia. And there and then, I can’t help but to condemn the government on their lousy management. Not to mention the M authority, even the those in authority and polictics who is yellow in skin… those C in MCA is sleeping and running the show for M that keep surpress the other race. While the government said try to pull the gap between the rich and poor, what they do is in fact, just robe the rich and give to the poor. While it not just don’t actually work in long term, and create a more dependent M, it make more resentful C and I. anyway, I still will pray for my nation on the 31th Aug. i love Malaysia still, despite all this negative comment. 爱之深，责之切。

Talk about eating.

Myself, and my two ex-bosses. We took coach up to KL. Then, my principal supplier sales person, (I call him my friends, we been knowing each other for 2 plus years). He is Jasper. He drove us up to Penang from KL. After 2 hours driving, we stop by Ipoh, and eat the famous 芽菜鸡. Two thumbs up. No question about the taste. Then, from there another 1.5 hours up to Penang. Settle down in the hotel. Then, went for a Spa Massage. Some awful experience there. Skip this. Then, myself and Jasper and one of my boss went out for midnight supper, with another friend, SS, also from supplier office. Very hospitable friend. Buy us some really really really spicy bbq stingray.. it is really hot and spicy. No joke. That one if give Poy one bite, and I am sure he will sweat like raining and stick out his tongue one.

Then, some not-very-good 甜水, not very nice because the stall owner didn’t put the heart into making it. myself and Jasper agree on this. Anyway, that 甜水 is not origin from Penang, it is from KL actually. Orh. The Penang 炒馃条 is ‘没话说’, you will never find it in Singapore. Those who claim to be Penang炒馃条 locally still got blend with local taste to suit the population’s taste. The only good Penang炒馃条 I ever eat is in a 5 star hotel in Singapore. One of the buffer style, only serve Penang food. That one is not bad, and the price is NOT-BAD too, if I am not wrong, priced at 30 plus and then +++…

So, that’s about my first night, for this trip. It was a Monday.

Second day, we went for breakfast serve by hotel. I can tell you, those 3 or 4 star hotel never serve good food, at least in Malaysia. So, not a good food, I regret to eat in hotel. I should just go out to nearby hawker stall to eat some 地道的 local food.

So, the meeting at factory start at 10am. After 2 hours brief meeting. Not much thing there. Boss and boss in meeting room normally is quite boring. And, this trip to Penang, I just sit in and listen only. Nothing much.

About 12.30pm, there we go, and, we eat again. This time the bill on Penang’s boss. Eat very very good seafood and some dish. So good that I can eat two bowl of rice. Appetite is big when food is good. And this seafood lunch, is CHEAP. Only RM108 for 5 adults. Ha.

Ok. Then, another 2 hour ride to Ipoh that’s about 4pm. And then, eat again. =.= at this point, and I believe this is the point that I became sick. We each eat one bowl of 怡保鸡丝河粉. Not question asked as well… so good. So nice. I never regret even the food already stuffed to my throat level…

6pm Reach KL. This time the hotel is either 4.5 star or 5 stars. Very comfortable hotel. Rest for 2 hours. And, then, eat again. Where we go this time? Another seafood restaurant. Now together jasper’s wife. Ha ha. I knew what he planned, anyway the bill is going to company entertainment claim, so, he just bought along his wife. Smart move. Lucky thing is that not all his family members turn out. So, here, in 水上人家 (restaurant name), we eat again. After the meal, I felt something strongly. I felt that my stomach is rebelling… this is the point of my painful night.

Went back hotel at around 10.30pm… touch up some presentation material for next day meeting. Lay on bed… but couldn’t sleep, the stomach is 隐隐作痛. I will need to visit a doctor on this. I suspet I got problem with my diaphragm, I felt excruciating pain that night, partly because it pain when I breathe at certain posture... And even now, it is also 隐隐作痛 at some occasion... Keep me in prayer.. if you are stil reading till here) So, that night, got the whole 1 or 2 hour of painful time, finally I slept, and without clothe on top… This is one of the mistake this trip... I underestimate hotel aircon, or, I have too much confident on the bracket, or, I overestimate myself... either one of them is the reason for the next day suffering...

Next day wake up… feverish… get a quick shower. And go out.

Reach KL office. Impressive office building. After the 1 hour presentation, I already feel quite weak.. but still, went for lunch together at Japanese restaurant… eat again.. but, this time round, I only manage to finish up my portion of fish, and leave half bowl of rice.. a sick person should refrain from eating too much heavy food. I always have this philosophy in mind. So, tight through the day, in a freezer like office tower, a normal office aircon is a freezer for a patient. :)

Evening came, KL boss want to bring all of us for dinner… this time, I excuse myself liao. Ha. The blessing of rejecting the offer was that, I not just spare from heavy food, but also free visit to nearby clinic, and the visit to clinic was accompany by one of the lady secretary there. Ha. Consider a blessing ba. So, this lady and the other colleague also very hospitable, after accompany me to clinic, and suggest to bring me to nearby restaurant to eat porridge. And afterward, send me back to hotel.

Never been so ‘cared-for’ after I leave my home to study and work in Singapore… I still can recall one dreadful evening in NTU hostel, alone in room, high fever, no handphone (stil pager era for me in first year), one pair of wet shock to cover my forehead to keep my head cool-down. I thought I will be called to be with God. Ha. That was first my near-death experience in Singapore.

Ok. After reach hotel, eat the medicine, and I thought I already half dead, and not going to go out with friend. (I got pre-arrange a meet-up with a PJ friend). He came back, and talk to me for awhile. I was contemplating if should go out and walk walk... I prayed for a prayer of healing that point. Strange. As I walk out the room and walk toward my friend car, the fever is leaving... perhap it is my desire to go out that overcome the virus, or, the medicine is really effective.. but I believe God was healing, though it come only after I see the doctor.

Got another good session with fren just talk talk talk about what is going on around in JP. talk politics, talk about relationship, talk about education in Malaysia, talk about the death of one student because of robbery.. talk about an attack and robbery case on a female friend of my friend.. this is why I so scared of KL and Johor. those crime report on news not just happen on newspaper, it happen so close to every malaysian... Police, time to do something solid, and stop talking rubbish... I mean Malaysia's police.

Till now, it is only the 3rd day of my trip in Malaysia. Still got 1 more day to go… Still haven finish… I think I have to stop here… night is not young for a working person…

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