Growing with the Years

And that’s about four month old – first post of 2007 should be about ‘updates’ so I thought maybe I can start with the little star in my house, Jenn Yee.

Everyday all of us would kiss goodbye before going to work, and came home teasing her for a while before dinner. It’s amazing to see her growing stronger day by day, as slowly she aware and gains more abilities: turning her head, flapping her legs and arms, smiles, lock her eyes on you and of course, cry!

Sis and mum teamed up for a good reason: Sis is a nurse with irregular working hours so mum will substitute during her night shift. I remember months ago we were still discussing if we should left Jenn Yee to her grandmother – my in-law’s family hundreds of miles away – which I didn’t agree. So I am glad for sis, even though sometimes she would said to mum “this is how modern nurse do it” but I still can sense the essence and knowledge and tradition passed down to her, if not, to all of us.

But nothing can substitute this: Seeing your own child grew, crawl, walk and talk.

Back to myself it is already a busy year – at least for the first couple of months. Time flies when you are busy, unable to slow down to take a breath or take pictures – but sometimes when I’m with camera, I focus more on angles and ISO than ermmm, my guests, hehe.


Anyway it is great to start my year with Kyungsam and friends. For them this is one last trip before the gruesome 2 years in Korean army training/service camp. A place, in Chinese’s saying, living with monks (themselves!) and as Korean puts it, loosing your girlfriend. It’s a shame, North and South Korea are practically still in war: Kyungsam wouldn’t want to patrol the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) – higher possibility to encounter North army. "Ask me to shoot people? It's crazy!" I guess that's what most of us agreed.

But this doesn’t stop them from being creative, enjoying life. I should know better: Fortunate to join Kyungsam and friends in 2 Soju sessions (they were here for two nights) and learn their so-called “drinking game”. I need to wrote in down before I forget it: Baskin Robbins 31, 3-6-9, we-are-stupid-stupid-game, 007-bang, image game…Well obviously Malaysian do not have and drinking game, something they find it hard to understand, haha!

When I talked about taking that freestyle picture above, they take 2 second to understand what I want. Then thank you, I have my picture. I think they will be doing well, army camp or not, certainly. So Kambei!!!


Then came Marc.

We have been communicating for months before his actual departure date: Weather, advice on buying new backpack, travel schedule, souvenirs, about him about me, Malaysian and Dutch.

Like most Dutch (I met 3 so far, anyway) he is tall - not sure how he slept 2 nights on my single bed measured barely 6 feet in length. But that has been my principle: Depends on the numbers of people in my apartment, I can always host him for at least a night or two, let him settle down as I guide him through. After all, compare to my 3-room apartment, the world is bigger outside. One should meet other travelers: Somehow they know the city better, and they know how to go around.

Sometime if you stay static in a place for too long, it squeezes your mind and one become less creative and adventurous as how life should be. But I’m glad it is already a life-changing trip for Marc. As a working professional he has been traveling with many so-called tourist group – that “you have 3 minutes to take pictures in Giza” kinda experience. Not always bad and of course we need tourists and to be a tourist, but like everything else in life, sometime you need a break. Marc is enjoying every minutes of his trip, and I’m sure he will have a blast in New Zealand!

Compare to Marc, my travel plan is not that far, but equally exciting, I hope. I bought my ticket to Macau June last year, months after my parents visit our long lost relatives in Hainan Island, southern China. The plan is: Land in Macau 3 am on the first day of Chinese New Year, spend few days in Hong Kong, then travel to Haikou via Guangzhou, with train.

It all sounds great except I can’t get any direct flight from Haikou to KL, that I have to travel back to Guangzhou – Macau again for my return flight. It’s Chinese New Year and millions of Chinese (including me!) are traveling by public transport, especially trains. There is some uncertainty about traveling with public transport especially during festival season, but that’s part of the adventure, I guess. I hope my bosses will understand when I get stuck in China for one reason or another, haha!

It’s all set now – we human can only plan, but God decides. Or other people decide – For me one of the main purpose of traveling thousand of miles, is to, meet people. It can be my 80 years old grand uncle in Hainan, special-colored-panther (you know who) in Macau, Agnes in Hong Kong and many, many others.


Then, for the experience.

Like living in that old house where my grandpa once lived, in that old village of 30 households. Seeing coconut trees in year-long summer Hainan can be confusing, it’s like our east coast of peninsula Malaysia. Hainan Chicken rice in Hainan? It may not be the similar taste that we are so used to, I’m afraid.

Often we traveled, we returned, and it all felt like a dream. Nothing stays. But if you once lived there, even just for days, the feeling stays. It sounds weird but the truth is, most Asians (like me) do not have the luxury of traveling and you will take every trip seriously – up planning stage, that is. Because when you travel, you will let things happen. And things do happen!

One thing is for sure: I will not miss the Twin Tower outside of my balcony, haha!