How Do We Live Our Life

Yesterday my family visited my wife's cousin who is in a bitter battle with cancer. Looking at her, brought sad memories of my good friend who died due to cancer a few years ago. Really, really sad to look at someone you know who was in good health years ago now has become weak and frill.

This morning, more sad news. I heard on the radio that Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, had died. Why or how could this man be associated to my life?

You see, the Apollo 11 Mission, the first man's landing on the moon in 1969, that year I was 8 years old. I was in school Primary Two when this historic event took place. I am sure to say that many boys dreamt of being an astonaut, to fly space-ships and to fly into space.

My father bought a special issue of Life magazine that contained a lot of pictures of the Apollo 11 mission. I regret very much for not have kept the magazine in prime condition.

News of other people's death and knowing someone would die soon reflects on my own mortality. Sadly, human beings inevitably die.

I remember to have read in Robin Sharma's book, something about questioning yourself,"How would you live your life if you know you would die tomorrow?".

There was another line he wrote, "Who will cry when you die?".

In his book, Robin suggested one to make a list of "100 Things To Do Before I Die". I tried writing up the list but I think I reached less than twenty items. Eighty more to think of.

Man, I got to Think, Act, Live.....

Visited An Old Friend This Hari Raya

On the second day of Aidil Fitri, decided to visit a very old friend that I have not seen since the 1980’s, Roslan Hussein Merican. I first knew Roslan in 1981 when I was posted to Kwong Yik Bank Wisma Central branch. I was a new staff to the bank and Roslan was the first person to befriend me. Not only he treated me like a new colleague but I felt like he accepted me like a cousin.

At Roslan's house near Ampang Hilir, 1981.

After my transfer to SImpang, Taiping branch, Roslan was posted to the branch as relief Chief Cashier twice. On both occasion, Roslan stayed at my house in Asamkumbang.

On one weekend, I took Roslan for a walk up the Maxwell Hills together with my friends.

Maxwell Hills trip, 1982. Roslan in white t-shirt.

We lost touched after I left Kwong Yik Bank in 1986. By that time, Roslan was promoted to an Officer position and was transferred out of KL to other KYB branches in Terengganu and Kelantan.

It was this year (2012)that I got back in touch with Roslan through my daughter. It happened to be my daughter, Nina and Roslan’s daughter, Ika, were in the same college several years ago. Nina mentioned to me that Ika’s father is a very senior staff with RHB Bank ever since the KYB days. So I ask, what is her father’s name. Nina answered,”His name is Roslan Hussein”. I asked again,”Roslan Hussein Merican?”. Nina replied in positive. I mentioned to her that “uncle” Roslan is indeed my friend. I took out those few pictures that we took of the Maxwell Hills trip many years ago.

When I got Roslan’s mobile number from Ika through Nina, I sent an SMS to him. To my joy, Roslan replied in positive that he remembers me and my old model train set (Many years ago, I had a model electric train set on 8 feet x 4 feet base).  Ah! After all these years, we are able to get reconnected.

On this year’s Hari Raya, I decided to pay him a visit. It was great to finally meet Roslan again. I had intended for a short visit but we stayed for 4 hours.

We bade our goodbyes but rest assured, we will meet again soon.

My Hari Raya Memories

What was Hari Raya celebrations like when I was kid? I had fond memories of those years. What I enjoyed most was helping my mother baking cookies. Yes, my mother baked her own Hari Raya cookies when she was younger. As usual, she would also bake two butter cakes for the occasion. My help involved beating the eggs in a large bowl using a spring-coil like beater. Then, I would beat the dough too. For a young boy that sure took a lot of effort. That stopped when my sister bought her the motorized baking “assistant” which could be used for “beating” eggs and to mix dough.

If she needed coconut milk (santan), I would be the champion to scrape the coconut flesh using the old style coconut scraper. You know, the type that you had to sit on it with the sharp scraper protruding forward. In the later years, we would just buy the scraped coconut from nearby grocery store in Asamkumbang (Kedai Ah Leng).

 On the baking part, I was told to stay away from the hot gas oven. My help here would be to store the cookies in the tins. Usually, a few burnt ones would be given to me as a reward.

Approaching Hari Raya, my elder siblings would be home to spend a few days of the fast before the big day. My sister would “shanghai-ed” me to help with other chores – clean the brass wares with brasso. Sometimes, I would be asked to help with changing of the curtains.

One task I dislike most was when I had to prepare the kerosene lamps to be put along the fence and around the house. I would have to collect all of them the next morning.  Because we lived in house with large compound, there were so many lamps that I had to handle.  There must have been 80 to 100 of those lamps. These lamps were a mixed of ready made ones bought from the shops or home-made from old Brands Essence of Chicken bottles. It was a messy job after mending the lamps and pouring of kerosene into them.

Come Hari Raya, the most enjoyable moment was getting “duit raya” from my parents and elder siblings. I also enjoyed the visits to my other relatives who lived at Pokok Asam, Kampong Pinang (Kamunting), Matang, Bagan Serai and Titi Serong, near Parit Buntar.

Ahh! Sweet memories ….

My Train Journeys - Part 2.

In 1981, I began to work as a Bank Clerk/Teller in a bank at Kuala Lumpur. I left my beloved hometown, Taiping, on the Express Rakyat on a fine Saturday morning and arrived KL that afternoon. I went to my brother’s house in Taman Permata. It has been agreed that I stay with him for that few months until my transfer to Taiping some months later. I got the job primarily due to the bank needed people from Taiping to staff its new branch to be opened in Simpang, Taiping. During that few months while I worked in KL, I made regular trips home by train. Those days, we had to work half-day on Saturdays. Therefore,  I would take the Express Rakyat Northbound (Singapore-Butterworth) on Saturday afternoon and arrived Taiping that night. Sunday, I would return to KL with the Night Mail and arrived KL Monday morning and went straight to work. I would wash-up myself at the Wisma Central toilet before I start work. After I passed my probation period and  was qualified to use my Annual Leave, I would return to KL with the morning Express Rakyat Southbound (Butterworth- Singapore). That time, the Express Sinaran services were not yet available.

Sometimes, I would use the express buses but I always preferred to use the trains. Perhaps, I just enjoyed the train rides more than travel by bus.

So, what were the memorable moments in those train travels?

One, I met up with a my former school-mate, Wong Tat Weng, on one train trip from KL to Taiping. Tat Weng was working with an accounting firm in KL. That evening, our Express Rakyat journey had to end at Kuala Kangsar station. There was a goods train that had derailed near Bukit Berapit. We were informed that passengers will continue the journey by buses. Since the arranged buses had not arrived yet, some of us walked to KK bus station to ride the KK-Taiping express bus. I have not met Wong Tat Weng since.

Two, on one of my trip to Taiping, one passenger played the “newly released” 1981 Air Supply cassette on his portable cassette player over and over again. Remember, those were the years before CDs was invented.

Three, I enjoyed the view of the marshlands along Batu Gajah-Lahat- Ipoh line. Once in while, I could spot the Weaver Bird’s nest among the trees by the trackside. Hmm, I wonder whether this marshy area still exist now.

Four, the track-side vendors were still in existence only they could not board the express trains because these trains only stopped at the main stations for a short time. However, I could remember one pakcik who sold curry-puffs(big sized and full of filling whether beef or chicken). This pakcik would board the train from Malim Nawar until Kampar station or vice versa. Each curry-puff cost RM2 (1980’s). I would usually bought two. Oh, yummy!

I was transferred to Taiping sometime in the middle of 1981. While working in Taiping, I made monthly trips to KL, sometimes by express bus mostly by express trains. Why the monthly trips you might ask? Alright, the trips were to visit my girlfriend who live in KL (she still does. She is my wife now). Ah! What a young man would do for a girl, eh.

This went on until mid 1983, when I got the job in the Bank’s EDP (Electronic Data Processing) Department and moved back to Kuala Lumpur. This was the time that I had begun to be permanently located in KL. It was a sad day when I left  my Taiping home in my old Fiat 124ST (my late father’s car). I still remember my sad mother’s face waving goodbye from the house front door.

Thus, from then onwards, I made my monthly trips to Taiping to visit my mother and my beloved hometown. As a Systems Operator, I had to work on shift. Between the weekly shift cycle change, everyone was entitled a two days off. So, after every payday, I would travel to Taiping. Usually by train, sometimes I drove in that old Fiat but it was tiring (no PLUS highway yet) and sometimes by express bus.

If I went back home by train or bus, I would move about in Taiping by my old Chopper bicycle. That time, I was still a young (and slim) man. So, to ride a Chopper bike was not strange (my mom sold away the Chopper bicycle when I had grown “older” and bigger. My bottom got achy because of its slim seat).

When I was working in Citibank in the 1990’s, I even took the night train to Butterworth and visit Penang first. After an on overnight stay, then, I would go to Taiping to visit my mom. On these few occasions, I was able to meet up two of my school friends, Ban Heng (who works in Penang) and Karunamurthy (who studied at USM).  The most magnificient view on this journey was when the train passed through the Bukit Merah Lake, between Parit Buntar and Bagan Serai stations. By this time, KTMB had added the Sinaran Express services. Another beautiful sight is the swing railbridge near Prai.

This monthly trips went on right up until the year 2001 when I had to go to Singapore to work. In the 1990’s my mom had become quite weak due to her age and she needed someone to help her collect her monthly pensions at BSN bank. Of course, this monthly trips were usually by train. I just enjoyed the trains rides compared to riding the bus. It was more relaxed too, especially when I rode in the sleeping berth of the Senandung Malam trains.

In 2001, I went to work in Singapore for three years. The first trip down a day before I reported for duty, I rode the Senandung Malam Southbound train on the Second Class Sleeping Berth.  While working in Singapore, I travelled weekly to KL to visit my family. The trips were mostly by express bus (cheaper) and sometimes by train when I am not in a hurry.  However, several times, the Senandung Malam trains had encountered delays. I remember once due to another train derailment and two occasions due to floods near Gemas.  KTMB transferred affected passengers by local buses to the next station, where we would continue our journey to Singapore by train.

In 2004, I returned to Kuala Lumpur to work. By these time, I resumed to visit Taiping every month but usually by driving my car. Sadly, my mom had reached a frail state due to her age. It was easier for me to drive home because I had to collect her pensions on her behalf.

So, here it ends of my travels by train. I have yet to take a train ride right to Bangkok. Future plans will include to travel Europe by train and to ride the AMTRAK in North America.