Brochure Brouhaha

I love to collect travel guides or brochures of places and cities. I collect them at the MATTA Fair, and at hotels, restaurants and tourist information centres in cities that I visit. I pore through them, read the facts of the place, study the maps, make a note of the places I should visit and compare the recommended sites against those in my own list. I would study them when I sit down for meals and when I get back to my room and do so until I depart from the city. And I keep them all, I never ever throw any brochure away. To me, they form a form of souvenir in their own right and when I get home from my trip, I store them away either for future use/reference or to be lent to anyone who plans to visit the city. They have a sentimental value to me.

I have had three occasions to date where the borrower took so long to return back my brochures. I just don’t understand this. They are my brochures and when I lend them out, I specifically inform that I want them back (unless if I have multiple copies of the same brochure which I sometimes do). And I expect to receive them in the form I lent them out. Surely that’s not too much to expect? Surely it’s only reasonable on my part to expect my brochures to be returned to me intact? I mean, I don’t tear them up or crumple them or fold them the wrong way so surely I am entitled to expect the same treatment from those who borrow them? And surely it’s not wrong to expect some courtesy back? When I agree to lend out my brochures either upon request or voluntarily, I try to produce them promptly so the borrower will have time to study the brochures. I expect to be accorded the same courtesy from the borrower. So why do some people take so damn long to return my brochures??? So much so sometimes I feel like I have to beg to have my brochures back?? When you want the brochures, you want them in a hurry but you take so long to return them. Look, they may not mean anything to you but they mean a lot to me – otherwise why would I bother collecting them in the first place anyway?

I have a good mind never to lend out my brochures to anyone again. Spare me this bullshit already. How many times do I need to send reminders to be reunited with my brochures? How long do you need to take to return my brochures? Even libraries have a due date when you need to return the book(s) you borrow and sure I don’t run a library but what makes you think my brochures are on an extended loan period? This is getting so frustrating and annoying that, yes, I have to blog about it.

Of course there are also other people who appreciate the brochures so much that they even buy souvenirs for me and I really appreciate their gesture and thoughtfulness. I never asked for the souvenirs but would not refuse them.

I just want my brochures back.

Double Tragedy

Did anyone see last weekend coming the way it did? It started off in an explosive way – and I mean it in every sense of the word – when a gunman carried out twin terror attacks in Norway. My timeline had started flooding about the possibility of Al-Qaeda on Friday evening but I was oblivious until a few hours later when I woke up Saturday morning. Then it turned out that the gunman was actually a white Christian Conservative Norwegian. Wow, this was beginning to sound like Oklahoma City all over again.

In case you somehow missed the news, I’ll just sum it up briefly: Anders Behring Breivik has admitted to carrying out a bombing in Oslo (fortunately it was a holiday in Norway on Friday so the casualties were small) and a massacre on an island youth camp in which at least 93 people had died. And get this: he spent nine years planning Friday’s atrocity and three years writing his manifesto which he emailed to 5,700 people before he detonated a 500-kg bomb in Oslo. He even has an online journal documenting the steps he’s taken.

Then the world was rocked by the death of Amy Winehouse, whose cause of death is still unknown. She was a gifted singer who wrestled with her demons but didn’t manage to overcome them. They told her to go to Rehab but she said, ‘No, no, no’ because ‘You Know I’m No Good’. And so a life was cut in its prime, a life that was lived with self-destruction.

To me, it’s sad that while some promising people lost their lives unwillingly to a madman, some others choose to waste their lives through bad choices.

We all have our own demons. I’m sure we all have our own insecurities (I’ll be the first to admit that I suffer from the occasional bout of insecurity myself) because we’re not perfect. We’re just humans, prone to making errors and mistakes. What we do have is a duty to live our lives to the fullest and we owe it to ourselves and to God for making the most out of our short stint here on earth. And when I say living your life to the fullest, I also mean living it healthily by making the right food choices and not to over-indulge in food that will only cause you health problems later on. Get help if you’re troubled and help others who are. I’m sure we have our own share of caring family members, relatives and friends who are only too happy to help us (not to be mistaken with busybody nosy parkers who rejoice when you’re down and care naught about helping). If you don’t have any, get professional help: psychologists, psychoanalysts, voluntary counsellors, anybody. Of course, be careful who you befriend – as in the case of Amy, it was her former husband who led her through the world of addiction. In fact – and I can attest to this – keeping a diary and an online journal (not like Mr Breivik’s though) or a blog will also help you to express yourself: I know they help me a lot as they enable me to voice out myself.

And society really should do something about people with addiction (alcohol, drugs, over-eating) instead of mocking them from afar or watching them spiral down their path of self-destruction. Society should also try to do something about people who have dangerous obsession and phobia like Mr Breivik (although there are countries which encourage and promote hatred and fear among the citizens).

P.S. There are many other tragedies in this world that happen every day and not just weekend. My omission of them here doesn’t mean they are any less or more important than the above.

Getting It Off My Chest

Bro no. 3 called Abah when we were travelling the weekend before to inform that bro no. 1 was not doing well recently (I have four elder brothers, well, half-brothers actually. One passed away last year). Eldest bro i.e. bro no. 1 apparently has some form of cancer and last week, he was down with fever for four days. Abah then suggested visiting him and my bro-in-law offered to drive us last weekend. Akak and I looked at each other and made a face.

Bro no. 1 didn’t grow up with us; his grandparents deemed Mummy unsuitable to raising their grandchildren and wanted to look after bro no. 1 themselves. As a result, I am not and never am on good terms with bro no. 1. I barely speak to him when/if he comes to visit. For his part, he’s never treated me like a kid sister ever anyway so before you pass judgement on me, consider that fact (nor has he treated Abah like a father). In all my life, I’ve never received a single sen from him on any of his odd, rare visits to Abah, never mind if it was during Eid or otherwise. Not a single bloody sen. I suppose I am unworthy of being treated like a sister and I have long since accepted the fact but I cannot accept it if he ignores Abah. And before you ask, no, he’s never given Abah any money or brought anything over from Johore for Abah either – and we all know that Johore is well-known for its food and food products (banana chips, tapioca chips and other tea-time snacks). In other words, he is a miserable miser who never cared for Abah to even bring the old man anything whenever he comes over. The thing is, he’s good at requesting others to do something but not himself. A good example is when he asked Akak to buy a hand phone for Abah. Why not just buy it yourself, you miserable old git?

So as you can guess, neither Akak and I were at all thrilled with the idea of visiting him.

And yet we found ourselves in a car travelling down all the way to JB. I can think of a million other things I could do on a Saturday but that. He looked alright to me, he certainly didn’t look like he was suffering from cancer. I didn’t know really listen hard to what it was that afflicted him, nor do I care to find out. If you think that’s sad for two people who are related, well, you’re right. It is sad that we’re related because for all that we are to each other, we’re practically strangers. He could have been matured and wise and chose to treat me like a kid sister like his other siblings have done but he didn’t and any attempt would be simply too late now. He could have treated Mummy better but he didn’t. Heck, he still has the chance to treat Abah better but he doesn’t. And don’t give me that crap about him not feeling affection for Abah because he didn’t grow up in our household – it wasn’t Abah’s fault, nor Mummy’s or his. It was circumstances. And besides, my paternal granddad didn’t look after Abah either and yet Abah could save and scrimp and yet feed our extended family (what with my aunt and my cousin also living with us then) and at the same time, send my paternal granddad for Hajj. So, please, spare me that bullshit.

He’s also one the main reasons why I was contemplating drawing up a will earlier. Why should he be entitled to inherit anything, should I die an early death, because I’m single (yes, because I’m single, my male relatives will stand to inherit first over my sister)?

Because he doesn’t deserve it. He doesn’t deserve anything for treating Abah the way he has all these years.

Now, you may think I’m exposing all the skeletons in my cupboard and washing my dirty linen in public and you’re probably right. But I don’t feel any compulsion to protect what he’s done (or rather what he’s not done). I’m sorry to say that I dislike him but he’s not endearing himself to me at all. And I’d rather tell that truth than pretend that things are all fine and dandy.

Arsenal Asia Tour: Part II – Malaysia XI vs Arsenal Friendly Match

I left the office after 1 on Wednesday afternoon and headed for Akak’s. Had lunch there, performed prayers then got ready to go to the stadium with my nephew, el niño.

Akak dropped us off near the stadium – I’d rather walk than sit in the car and endure the building traffic – and we walked to the green gate. As Audrey put it, a humongous crowd was already there waiting to be admitted in. We *ahem* cut queue looking for Audrey and Zack but couldn’t locate them. So we waited to be admitted, deciding to look for them once inside.

The gates finally opened and after going through security checks (dear guards, why disallow water bottles but not ciggies??), we rushed in and went to Block 104. It didn’t provide a good view as it faced the edge of the pitch so we rushed out again and re-entered Block 106. Ahhh, much better. We finally met Audrey and Zack and went about to find the best spot to sit. I must say we chose very well, our seats faced almost the middle of the pitch and there was a railing behind our seats meaning no excited fans could kick us from behind (I hate it when that happens in the movie theatres). We settled in and braced ourselves for the long wait (it was just after 6 and kick-off was scheduled for 2045).

Akak had insisted that el niño bring his homework along and after much drama, he finally packed it. I persuaded him to do it and he obliged. I supervised him while taking in the atmosphere around. Then we went out after 7 to have a look around before heading for prayers. There were some Gooners who performed their prayers outside, good on them for not forgetting their religious obligation ;’)

The stadium had filled up somewhat when we came back and at around 8, the Malaysian team came out for their warm-up. We, being the classy Gooners that we are, greeted them with cheers. Unlike ManUre fans who booed the local team when ManUre came two years ago. One of the banners inside the stadium summed it up nicely – ‘Gunners in my heart - Tigers are my soul’ (the local team is also known as Harimau Malaya; harimau means tiger inn Malay). It gave a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘club vs country’; we just chose to support both. I did say we’re classy, didn’t I?!

The Arsenal with the ‘Gunners in my heart - Tigers are my soul’ banner at the background during the training session
Most of us supporters were rooting for both teams

Then the Arsenal squad came on and we cheered for them as well. There were some fans who were determined to make their mark (and deafen everyone else) with their horns and the noise went on continuously. Then both teams left the pitch to get ready before re-entering the pitch. The giant screen showed the team sheets (thank God for that because like the day before, I had trouble hearing the announcement) then the teams came marching in, Arsenal wearing the 125th anniversary away kit for the first time ;)

They faced the grand stand (royal audience and all) – we were sitting on the opposite side – shook hands with the Yamtuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan then shook hands with each other (must say I expected to sing the national anthem but strangely we weren’t asked to. I wouldn’t have minded). Then the match began!

It was only five minutes into the match when Wilshere was felled by Aidil. Our own Rambo took the penalty kick and slotted it neatly into the left side. 1 nil to The Arsenal! The Malaysian team didn’t let this intimidate them and continued to defend; in fact I thought the defence was pretty good. It’s only the attack that let the Malaysian team down. Then in the 37th minute, Rambo picked Theo from the middle of the pitch who lobbed the ball in. Beautiful. 2 nil to The Arsenal.

Then it was half-time. El niño wanted to buy some drinks and I was too lazy to accompany him so told him to go on his own. He didn’t come back until the match almost got under way again which worried me so I left to look for him. There was a brief period of panic when I couldn’t find him outside but he came back shortly after. He did get lost but soldiered on. Bless my little nephew ;’)

Arsenal made eight substitutions with only the new kids on the block, Ryo and Carl, and Rambo remaining. Then in the 57th minute, Rosický fed Vela the ball and in true Vela style, he hoisted in a cheeky chip in (even Cesc commented on that!). More of that please, Vela.

Arsenal made four substitutions in the 66th minute, bringing on Robin and Nasri (for Denilson and Rambo), Arshavin for Ryo and Sagna for Carl, to loud cheers from the crowd. Oh I must mention that there were misses too, in typical Arsenal fashion: Rambo and Rosický who shot the ball well above the bar and Vela whose shot hit a defender. Rosický made amends when he headed in Shava’s pass at the death.

The match ended all too soon (as at the Emirates, there were quite a few who left early to beat the traffic…) but we stayed on for the prize ceremony (cheers to @gunemall) before we left.

The Arsenal left Malaysia yesterday and continued on to China. They will play Hangzhou Greentown tomorrow. When will we see you again?

Arsenal Asia Tour: Part I – Training Session

I went for the training session Tuesday evening (the one in the morning was a closed-door session). It was scheduled to commence at 1900. I arrived early and browsed the stalls but didn’t feel enticed to buy anything. I made my way to the gate then remembered I should head for the green gate (I was following the crowd to the red gate) so I turned back and headed for the green gate.

There were guards at the gate and they searched our bags before letting us in. I had to leave my water bottles behind (boohoo) before I could enter the ‘turnstile’ (not sure what it’s called). Hunted for the female prayer room first before I sought out the best block to sit at.

I joined the other Gooners clad in red-and-white, blue away, custard and redcurrant away jerseys and sat down. It was bloody humid but of course; thankfully the haze seemed to have lifted so it was a good clear typical tropical evening.

We saw a bus pull up and got excited but it was some time before an announcement was made. I must say I don’t think the PA system was that good because I could hardly make out the names that were announced. Arsène came on the pitch at 1850 to loud roars from the crowd. He walked around and waved a bit. Then some other club officials came on, Pat Rice included. They had a kick about then Gunnersaurus came on. I had to laugh when he made his entrance. Didn’t realise he travelled along too (hmm, did he sleep in that during the flight too?). He must be cursing the humidity.

Then the players came on at 1905 one by one. Again, I wasn’t happy with the PA system because I couldn’t make out what was being announced at all. I had to squint hard to make out the players (dang it, left my binoculars behind). I was pleased though that the session started on time and not on Malaysian time. The lads then donned blue and yellow bibs before doing couple of laps around the pitch (we tried to distract them) followed by some stretching and ball passing/juggling. After the light exercise, the players engaged in a match. Ryo was the nearest to where I was sitting and I must say I was pretty impressed with him. Unfortunately, the yellow-bib side didn’t score though they hit the bar a few times (either that or shooting the ball up into the sky). The blue-bib side managed to score (Chamakh slotted it in). After 20 minutes, they had a short water break (yes, it was so humid) then started the ‘second half’.I left at a quarter past at 8 to perform prayers and it must have been then when the players threw their caps at the crowd (boohoo, missed that!). The training match was over when I emerged from the prayer room (sob sob) so after re-entering the stadium to be sure.

I left the stadium with the roar of the crowd ringing in my ears, feeling very happy that I came so close to the Arsenal squad.

Road Trip

I had an early start to Saturday (I get up early on Saturdays so that I can enjoy and make the most of my weekends. I reason that if I get up late or sleep in, half of the morning would be gone and what a waste that would be. But seriously, the times I get up on Saturday of late have been simply sacrilegious!). After performing prayers, I did the usual chores: house-cleaning and a bit of ironing (another thing I believe in is delayed gratification).

Abah and I left for Akak’s at 8.30 am and we reached her house in 30 minutes - no roadblock whatsoever. We left at 10 am and my brother-in-law drove us to the Silver State. We reached MRSM Lenggong at 1 pm and picked up my niece. After she signed out for the weekend, we drove to a nearby restaurant for lunch before driving on to Banding Lakeside Inn. Our rooms overlooked Temenggor Lake and you can enjoy the view from inside the room or out at the balcony. The standard room costs less but faces the man-made cliff.

I was feeling knackered and after prayers, I took a nap and woke up just before 6. My bro-in-law’s parents came over from Kedah and brought durians, mangosteens and rambutan. I just love durians and mangosteens and ate my fill.

We had dinner together at the hotel restaurant (there weren’t that many eateries in the area) before retiring to our rooms.

On Sunday, we checked out after 11 and crossed the bridge to check out Belum Rainforest Resort at Banding Island. This resort is beautiful and embodies the rainforest/lake environment. However, there are a lot of online complaints regarding the food and restaurant of that resort. I’m not trying to put it down just to alert you of the shortcomings that other visitors encountered at this resort.

After checking out the resort, we returned to our vehicles and drove to Gerik where we had lunch. Then we dropped off my niece at her boarding school and drove back to KL, stopping by outside Kuala Kangsar to perform prayers. We had an early dinner near Akak’s place. Abah and I left after prayers and we reached home at 8.30 pm. Hey, that’s 36 hours after we started!

It looks like another road trip may materialise sooner than I would have liked, to visit someone I’d rather not meet. Don’t worry, if it happens, I’ll tell you all about it.

~~~~~~~~

But there are many people I want to meet instead and most of them are already here!!! Except for my baby, Cesc ;’( Tell me you’re recuperating nicely back in London, Cesc, and that we’ll see you leading the squad in August and not slowly inching your way to FCB. My heart sinks and I die a little every time I read that.

No Mere Weekend

I bought a Firefly ticket to Miri in early March when Firefly was promoting its Borneo routes. Subsequently though, they cancelled the KUL-MYY route and we got bumped to MAS instead. At the March MATTA fair, I looked for tour packages - I was quoted around RM240 for a trip to Niah National Park (trip + single supplement charge) - and hotels in Miri (and had even paid a deposit for a hotel and tour – only to be informed subsequently that I had to pay a single supplement, which I can assure you is not at all cheap).

Undeterred, I went online and booked a single room at Dillenia Guesthouse. The owner, Mrs Lee, was very helpful and advised me the following options to get to Niah:

Option 1: Take out a tour package with a local travel agency at RM160 per person which includes return transfer, guiding, park fees and lunch.

Option 2: Rent a car and drive yourself there. Direction to Niah is pretty clear and straightforward.

Option 3: Take public bus from Miri’s long-distance bus terminal also known as the Pujut Corner Bus terminal. Buses from this station head to other towns/cities in Sarawak namely Bintulu, Sibu and Kuching and Niah junction is along the way. Bus will only take you up to the Niah Junction and from there on there is no bus service to the Niah headquarters which is about 15 km away. Bus fare is RM12 per person. From the junction to the HQ, the only means is by private car or taxi which is limited to 4 passengers per car and may cost between RM30-50 one way depending on your negotiating skills.

To get to the long distance bus terminal from Dillenia, you can either take a taxi for RM15 one way or take public bus.

If you prefer to take the bus, walk to the bus stop (about 15 mins walk from Dillenia) at Jalan Bintang Jaya 1 near Bintang Megamall Shopping Complex (refer to the Tourist map of Miri city). Bus no. 33 A takes you directly to the terminal. If bus 33 A is not available, you can also hop on any bus going to your left (assuming you are waiting at the bus stop facing the road). Ask to be dropped off at the Boulevard Shopping Mall marked as I in the Miri tourist map. From there take the overhead bridge to cross over the road to where the Petronas gas station is. Ask the attendant for direction to the bus terminal.

Option 4: By private transfer. There is a driver who takes guests right up to the Niah HQ, waits and takes guest back for a reasonable price of RM60 per person, minimum 2 pax. The rate of RM60 also comes with a light lunch comprising a small bottle of drinking water, a bun and an apple or an orange. Dillenia can help you to book the transfer if you like.

Other info: The park has guides for hire at RM150 for 1-5 persons although it is possible to visit the cave on your own i.e., without a park guide. Park office closes at 5 pm but the boatman at the river crossing ferrying passengers stop at 7.30 pm. Park entry is RM10 per person and river crossing is RM1 per crossing. You will need to bring with you, a cap, hand gloves, powerful torch/flash (also available for hire at the park), rain coat or a change of clothes in case it rains and proper walking shoes, no flip flops or slippers. For food, there is a canteen at the park headquarters serving simple meals like fried rice or noodles. The walk from the park headquarters to and inside the cave is approximately 2 hours one way.

I told her I would consider either Option 1 or 4 and if I chose Option 4, I would pay the fare for two people (it still works out cheaper than Option 1).

My flight out was last Friday morning. We took off at 0830 and landed 2:15 hours later. There is a Visitor Information Counter at the airport after you exit the baggage area but there was no one manning it so I waited a while before the airport bus came along. The fare to the city (yes, Miri is a city) is RM2.80 (it costs more than Rapid KL but hey, still much less than a taxi) and it took us 30 minutes to get to the city with the numerous stops along the way.

At the city bus station, I waited for the bus to get to the guesthouse but after an hour of waiting, I decided to ask someone for the actual time table. Buses are not frequent in Miri and they run every two hours *gulp*. Two men at the bus station ‘office’ told me I could walk there and I did exactly that. I arrived at the guest house 15 minutes later.

Mrs Lee was already there (check-in is after 1 pm) and after checking in, I went out to search for lunch. I had Laksa Sarawak at Jasmine Café next door and feeling more energised, crossed over to Imperial Shopping Mall where I bought a head light for the trip the following day. Then I walked out, checking out Miri Handicraft Centre on the way to Bintang Megamall. I don’t know why I spend a lot when I travel to Borneo; this happened when I went to KK in April too. I left just as it started getting dark and walked back to the guesthouse.

Shortly after entering the guesthouse (which is located in a shop-house block), I heard screams and shouts which seemed never-ending. I wondered if a neighbour had gone into a hysterical fit and even went out to see. Deciding it might be anything from an owed rent to domestic dispute, I went back in. The racket persisted and when I next peeked out, I saw two women fighting off each other with one pushing another out the door (the one being pushed out had a baby in her arms). There was a guy too. Then I heard the woman moan, the guy trying to pacify/calm her down, repeated slaps... repeat for twenty minutes. I wasn’t sure if I should call the Police or just mind my own business. Finally, half an hour after it started, the noise died down and I headed back to my room to shower. Dinner was had at Jasmine Café. (I later found out on Saturday that someone did actually call the Police and they came but didn’t turn on the siren, hence I didn’t know the Police came to bring all three down to the police station).

On Saturday, I was awaken by the call for morning prayers from a nearby mosque (Suboh is at 5 am!). I woke again at 7.30, showered, had breakfast and waited for my driver to come. Joseph came at 0850 and we left for Niah.

The journey took 1:15 hours (Joseph was determined to stick to the 50-km speed limit throughout). He dropped me off at the Niah Park headquarters where I bought entrance ticket. I then walked to the jetty and joined a boat to cross the river. There was a nice trail leading all the way to the cave entrance about 3 km away.

I met up a few other tourists in the cave and chatted with a trio of auditors (two ladies and one bloke) who would be in Miri for the next three weeks (they’d just finished a week) auditing one of the petcos. I met them again at Gan Kira (Moon Cave) and we walked together to the Painted Cave. Sadly, most of the cave paintings have faded over time. We spent about a quarter of an hour there before retracing our steps. And this is when something embarrassing happened: my left shoe decided to do a ‘crocodile stunt’ and separated itself from the sole altogether. I had quite forgotten about this when I packed them (shows how long I’ve not worn them eh) and of course I didn’t want to bring my new pair of Skechers on my cave trip.

Anyway, my new friends helped patch my shoe up temporarily. The bloke came well-equipped (he hikes regularly) and after that ‘shoe job’ was done, we introduced ourselves. Heh.

We walked together until we exited the cave and I took my leave then. I walked the rest of the way back (took me 35 minutes), crossed the river and met up with the waiting Joseph. We drove back to Miri and I dozed off a couple of times. The heat and humidity really got to me.

We arrived at the guesthouse at 4 pm and after cooling down, I took a shower. I must have lost gallons of fluid in perspiration alone. Perhaps I needn’t have bothered showering this morning. Oh well...

After performing prayers, I went down to ask Mrs Lee the best place to buy Sarawak layered cakes. She advised me to check out a stall by the river about 100 metres away. There were two women there preparing the rolls and I watched them for a while before making my purchase.

I then walked a bit around the area before returning to the guesthouse to store the cakes in the freezer. Then I ventured out again for a massage at a centre just next door and emerged two hours later. Unfortunately, Jasmine Café was already closing for the day (you would have thought it’d stay open for a bit longer on weekend nights) so I had to walk to the main road to find dinner. It was unsatisfactory to say the least.

After dinner, I returned to the guesthouse to rest.

Woke up at 5 am for morning prayers on Sunday and up again at 8.30 a.m. It’s not often I get to sleep in so don’t judge me. My driver came just before 10 and drove me to the airport. Perhaps I could have taken the bus back to the airport but I wasn’t prepared for the bus – the buses there don’t really stick to schedule at the bus station. It cost me RM20 (RM22 if you take proper taxi) to get to the airport. We reached the airport in 15 minutes and I immediately checked in. Of course I had to get the very last row but no complaints.

We landed at 1.30 and I performed prayers before rushing to catch the 2 pm KLIA Express train to the city. I even took the LRT to KLCC to check out the Isetan sale but left empty-handed - which was just as well considering the amount I spent in Miri.

Until the next trip to Borneo, then.