Jul 5, 2005

Penang rediscovery

from "The Star"
Thursday July 7, 2005 North Why surnames dominate
highlighted "Weld Quay" another underrated tourist attraction in Penang..
updates so far:
  1. Pangkor with family cancelled: bcos my sister’s leave application was rejected. change of plan to watching "War of the Worlds" tonight at MPV Prangin Mall, because my dear dad commented "I din go watch movie for more than 10 years liao" plus coincidentally heard about this movie from this mamat
  2. Planning to visit the War Museum at Penang… another unknown penang attraction..
  3. Having all the trips cancelled indeed was making my holidays really a holiday… where I can sit back and relax… and continue rediscovering the sparkle of Penang…

hidden sparkle of pearl

Can you hear wolf cried to the blue corn moon?

or ask the grinning bobcat why she grinned?

Can u sing with all the voices of the mountain?

Can u paint with all the colours of the wind?

This was the view from one of the hills at Ayer Putih(white water), Balik Pulau. Being the ‘X-generation’, my life was being too preoccupied by Ayer Itam (black water as opposed to Ayer Putih) and all the other busier faces of Penang island that I had totally neglected this part of the pearl of orient.

Lkp_070305_023

I still remember vividly how my coursemates and I was awed by the shadows of the clouds fallen nicely on top the hill in front of our hostel in Hua Lien, Taiwan. I thought I would never ever again have this amazing sight on local soil. I was wrong and there it was, this amazing view smiling naively at me.

To all penangites, more precise, to all penang islanders… it is time we get to know penang, the WHOLE of the pearl….

not just the clubs n cafe at pulau tikus…

not just the sidewalks of gurney drive…

not just the beaches of batu ferringghi…

not just the penang laksa of ayer itam market…

not just the durians and rambutans of balik pulau…

not just the char koay teow of lorong selamat…

P.S. next time, one wanted to hike up… do ask me to tag along, ya?

Jul 4, 2005

X Generation?

Lkp_070405_002 Updates so far:
  1. Finishing up my development blocks - spraying rather punkish blue, red, green, with some numbers on them 1 to 12.
  2. Sunday: morning - went to park for senamrobik with my dad, then rushed to go for dana with Bhante Javana
  3. Following the dana, went to hiking with Bhante & brothers sisters of dhamma to few high places - Dhammadipa Vihara of Ayer Putih, Balik Pulau and the retreat land further up from the Kek Lok Si temple.
  4. Thailand trip - "cancelled due to insufficient participant" sms by kee seng
  5. Pangkor trip - sister can’t find a package, dad rather go to cameron highlands…. well, back to the drawing board

The young generation, or more explicitly, the X- or Y- generation, as one of our lecturer called it, is a metropolitan lovers. The X- or Y- generation is defined by him as the generation where our parents were not born or dread through the era of wars, battles and occupation. Therefore our parents living in comfort, or rather relative comfort, will pour more and more ‘necessities’ for us to enjoy lying cuddled up in the lap of luxury. And the developments, the cities and the technologies in our metropolitan life presents as a challenge to the people who are too blind to see.

As Prof Lucy, my respected paediatric tutor, once commented to us that it is so common to have a maid to do everything that the children fail to do even the simplest of task at home. Imagine a child with lots of maid at home, going to summer camp, and when given a simple task of washing his own plate, is taken aback "I never done that before, I am not sure I can do it". It may seems like a joke or a comedy, but this is the hard, cold fact of life.

Listening to her, it reminded me of how ignorant I was back then, too. In my primary school, I had never ever taken a public bus before. Main transport is usually car, car, car and car. Then, when I stepped into Form 2, my co-curricular activities necessitates me to have longer period of hours at school and this is the time when I learn to take a public bus. My sifu: my classmate Wei Kong, an old friend who I had lost contact with. My biggest or rather disturbing shame at that time was I don’t even know how does the ‘bell’ looks like, looking all around the bus like a fool, when it was an obvious button in front me of me. I had a rather good time laughing at myself after this incident, and since then, I decided to be more adventurous - trying new things… correction… trying new healthy legal things…

Now, look around at the comfort you are having now, are you sure they are helping you, or they had been so far creating more disability in you?

I had a friend who took bus home regularly, but did not bother to remember the way home. Sleeping throughout the ride probably. When she first had licence for her motorbike, she took an easy ride to school but could not recall how to get back home. And guess what she did?

She followed the bus that she took everyday.

P.S. I may not be cool but travelling in the bus around penang is a sure must as one of my future family activity.

Jul 2, 2005

Pali glossary

Pali is ‘d’ original language for Buddhism as this is the language used by Lord Buddha in preaching His wise teachings. In contrast to Sankrit, it is a language without words, only pronounciation, originally used for the upper caste to communicate to the lower caste, and between the lower caste. Words were given and created in roman alphabets so that everyone can understand them globally. Comprehend? Chiao..

bhante [bhante]: Venerable sir; often used when addressing a Buddhist monk.
dana [daana]: Giving, liberality; offering, alms. Specifically, giving of any of the four requisites to the monastic order. More generally, the inclination to give, without expecting any form of repayment from the recipient.

holidays begins

Yes… COWABUNGA!!! as ninja turtle would have said it. 1 week of pure holiday. Finished off paediatric posting with a short case with Prof Lee with nutritional assessment. Rather difficult as I was given the direct instruction "You wake him up, I fail you!!". Still, the baby cried spontaneously and I had to pacify the baby for few seconds and he calmed down. No so much of a nightmare to me as Prof Lee was a cool examiner, despite the rather indifferent images that my fellow coursemates are trying to paint about him.

travelling plan so far…

1 go thailand with my coursemates - penangites & kedahans

2 go pangkor with my family

Despite rather uncomfortable ride from KL to Penang, I had a fruitful day today. In the morning, after being invited by Sister Koon Wei, I went to the Island Glade Buddhist Society to do Dana to a Bhante. Plan to do it again tomorrow together with the hill climbing expedition with Bhante. Sister Koon Wei going back to Kedah today with her family.

Went back home and assisted by my dear dad, started on making the cubes for my development assessment for my future paediatrics short cases. Sawing, measuring, painting… phew… so tired… got lots of carpentry pointers from my expert dad…

Then, my noisy sis came back home, and sinisterly we discussed about making sushi.. and actually started making sushi today… booked the whole kitchen… cooking orders went wild all over the place "you cut this" " you cook this" "not too much water" "wrap harder" "more mayonnaise" Neighbours may start to think we are going to kill each other shouting so loudly…. But i was fun, though. Even my father who originally doesnt really agree to this sushi making ordeal, started to enjoy the sushi, because he did request one additional thing into the sushi - the tau hu….

That’s all for now… COWABUNGA!!! to all my coursemates…