Taiping Day Trip

As my birthday fell on Saturday this year and after planning my leave for the rest of the year, I decided not to take any leave before my birthday. This ruled out any overseas trip unless it’s SG and while I did initially plan to take the bus to SG and check out the sale, I subsequently changed my mind as I’d be heading there in end-November and I wasn’t keen to visit the island state twice in a year. I finally decided to go to Taiping by ETS train as the buses from KL go to Kamunting and not into the town centre itself. I then dithered if I should take the train on Friday evening and arrive late in the evening and overnight there and finally decided to just take the first train out on Saturday and return the same evening. My mind made up, I bought the ticket online a week prior to travel.

I reached KL Sentral at 06:45 on Saturday morning, 20 July 2019, and was surprised to find signs put up informing that there would be no train from KL Sentral but instead from Tanjung Malim. There was an announcement shortly after to inform passengers that a train had derailed and that we had three options: either to travel from Tanjung Malim, change our travel dates or ask for a refund. Buses were provided to ferry us to Tanjung Malim and after thinking it over, I decided to just stick with my plan.

There was a KTM official who then led us to the waiting buses (at the door of KLIA Ekspres departure) and I boarded the first bus. We left shortly after and I spent the time reading and alternately chatting with the lady next to me. We reached Tanjung Malim station after 50 minutes or so and had to wait a while. There were arriving passengers who had to alight there and board buses to KL and other destinations to the south so we had to wait before we could disembark and make our way to the platform. We then boarded the train and made ourselves comfortable.

The train left Tanjung Malim at exactly 09:00 and we arrived at Taiping station at 10:50, only 12 minutes later than scheduled. I climbed up the stairs to cross over the tracks and exited the station, crossed the road and walked through the Hospital to the town centre. I walked around for a bit then saw a bus stop and after determining it was the right stop for the bus to Kuala Sepetang, I sat to wait for the 11:50 bus. I waited and waited. 12:00 noon came and went and there were buses, just not the bus for Kuala Sepetang. Finally, I left the bus stop feeling disgusted and let down. I walked on, stopping occasionally to take photos (Taiping has quite a few lovely buildings) until I reached the Larut Matang Hawker Centre (food court divided between Muslim and non-Muslim sellers). I had a quick browse before continuing on past the market and the Clock Tower.

I decided to have my lunch at Bismillah Cendol, figuring I could still visit Ansari Cendol if I still needed more cendol fix. The tables were all full but I managed to get a seat after ten minutes. I had cendol with red beans and pasembur. I also ordered some laksa subsequently. Well, I didn’t have much of a berakfast.

Having eaten lunch, I continued walking in the hot sun (I brought my brolly and a hat so it wasn’t all bad) until I reached Taiping Municipal Council, a beautiful white sprawling building. There were some tourist buses parked there so it was definitely a photo spot. After taking some photos, I continued on to Taiping Public Library and then to the Lake Garden. I found a shaded seat and sat down to enjoy the view and read.

I left after 90 minutes and after some ice cream, made my way back to the Hawker Centre. This time, I passed the Tourist Information Centre and dropped by for ten minutes before continuing on. I bought some water at The Store and then had some leng chee kang at the Hawker Centre. I then walked leisurely back to the train station. I passed some stalls selling durian and was sorely tempted; however, it had been a hot day and I hadn’t drank as much as I should so I decided I should steer clear of the durian.

The screen at the train station informed the train would be delayed by 20 minutes so I sat down to wait. I did consider returning to the durian stalls but when I checked with the counter, I was told the train might not be delayed by 20 minutes, I decided to stay put. And it was a good thing too for the train arrived at 18:45. We boarded and the train left shortly after.

We reached Tanjung Malim and the KTM personnel ensured that passengers bound for Gemas, Seremban and Kajang boarded their buses first before boarding those bound for KL Sentral. I had a headache and tried to rest even though the seat was not comfortable and I couldn’t recline it. There was hardly any space between my seat and the seat in front of me and those with longer legs would definitely have a very uncomfortable trip.

We reached KL Sentral at 22:15 and I went to buy some ice cream before my ride arrived. It had been a long hot day but I still made sure I did some exercise and some reading that evening before turning in.

Hopefully I’ll get to reach Kuala Sepetang next time and have a bowl of prawn noodles or two! InsyaAllah.

If It’s Over

Won’t you talk to me

This is so out of hand, out of hand

Something’s gone wrong 

With the life that we planned

Won’t you look at me

You’re avoiding my gaze, yes you are

And it seems like you’ve changed

In so many ways

It isn’t fair

It isn’t right

If it’s really gone

Then tell me tonight

If it’s over

If it’s over 

Let me go

Won’t you speak to me

I’m just here holding on

‘Cause baby I really don’t need to wait around

Oh no, if the feeling is gone

It isn’t fair

It isn’t right

‘Cause if it’s really gone 

Then tell me tonight baby

If it’s over

If it’s over 

Let me go

Don’t you know, I don’t need no apologies, no

I’m not looking for no sympathy

All I’m asking for

Is for your honesty

Won’t you give it to me

Give it to me now

It isn’t fair

It just isn’t right

‘Cause if it’s really gone

You’ve got to say the word tonight

If it’s over

If it’s over

Baby if it’s over 

Won’t you let me know

Baby if it’s over

If it’s over

Over, let me go

Scoliosis Diagnosis

I have always known that I have a ‘condition’: that my back is not aligned or symmetrical but I didn't know what it was. In my darkest hours, I always thought I was some kind of deformed and wondered if any man would like me for what and how I am. But following my recent medical check-up, I now know for certain what it is. It’s called scoliosis. If you look around, you’ll probably notice (usually) older women walking around with a hunched back or something that looked like a lump. They would end up bent to one side and in some cases, would have one leg longer than the other. This is scoliosis but because the condition worsens only when one is old, we may have dismissed it as osteoporosis or ‘something normal that happens to old folks’. I won’t talk much about what scoliosis is as you can look it up on the Internet and I’m by no means an expert anyway. I just want to share the start of my journey towards treating my scoliosis.

As fate would have it, I just noticed a physio centre at Ampang Point. I must’ve walked past it a million times before but only really noticed it after dad started sending me to Ampang Point in the morning following my attack in early May. See, I used to just walk to Ampang Point before that and would take a route that didn’t pass the centre. I noticed the centre after my mate shared that her brother had a stroke - also in Ramadan - and I recommended the centre to her. It was only in Syawal when the centre added a banner on scoliosis above its door. So yes, I feel that Allah is guiding me to seek treatment at this centre.

I went to the centre and asked a few questions about scoliosis. The physiotherapist promptly scheduled a session for me and, when I asked, confirmed that PMCare covers the physiotherapy session costs so I then went to a panel clinic and asked for referral. The locum doctor who told me he’s an orthopaedic at PPUKM asked why I wanted to try doing physiotherapy and I told him that I thought it was high time I did something about it. I sure didn’t want to end up like one of those women I mentioned above. In fact, I think Mummy had the same thing but we didn’t know any better then and scoliosis was (and still is) pretty much an unknown thing in Malaysia. Well, I was determined and the doctor agreed to write out a referral letter.

So I went for my first physiotherapy session on 3 July 2019. I had decided I would attend her last slot on any day (she works on Saturdays too but her schedule is already full so I have no choice but to attend sessions on weekdays) so that would mean me taking an hour off work. I’m allowed to take up to 2.5 hours for time-off but I don’t want to take time much time off work. I’m already aware that July and August are busy months at work but hey there’s never a good or bad time to start anything. At my first session, I was told to change and the therapist then measured my back and lumbar and made some notes. I had a file opened to monitor my progress. She proceeded by showing me some exercise steps while lying down, standing and sitting. She showed me how to stand, how to position my hands while standing and sitting and what I should do (open my right armpit, place my left arm on my waist and slightly curve in, etc.). She also showed me what I should stop doing (bending backwards, looking back without turning my body, and standing on one foot which I used to do while brushing my teeth among others). The first session was supposed to be for an hour but lasted 1.5 hours (so much work to do because it’s gone quite bad) and the second session on 8 July lasted 1.25 hours. I feel good after the first two sessions and feel I’ve put in time and effort to help myself. I have also been doing the exercise daily at home and at work. I had my third session yesterday and felt like I was taking one step back for every two steps forward as I may have positioned some limbs incorrectly.

It’s not going to be an easy journey. The therapist told me that for a start, I would have to attend a session twice weekly and after I have shown improvement, she will reduce the frequency to once a week. I know I will face challenges and I will have my up-and-down days, days where I feel like I’ve lost my mojo and feel listless, but I am determined to do it. I’m determined to beat this scoliosis or at least arrest it before it deteriorates further (the therapist was honest enough to let me know that my condition will not be completely cured). There’s no choice: I have to either get down and do it or I will suffer the consequences later and I don't want to suffer the consequences later. The therapist told me yesterday that my sessions now are for the ‘beginners’ and that a more intense (intermediate) series of sessions would follow. Yikes. Oh well.

Still, I am thankful that there is alternative treatment available these days, that I happened to notice the centre, that I did my medical check-up when I did and had my path cleared for me to do the sessions. I am thankful that I have an understanding boss and colleagues who accept that I have and want to do this, and I am thankful that my employer is covering the expenses (it costs RM120/session so if need be, I guess I’d have to be prepared to fork out my own money otherwise and why not when it’s for my own health anyway).

So if you see my standing or sitting in strange positions and positioning my hands and adjusting my body in funny poses at my workplace, in the bathroom, in the lift etc., it’s because I’m in the midst of some exercise. I have a lot on my plate what with taking care of my elderly dad with his own medical problems, taking care of two households and juggling work at the same time so I have to be smart and snatch any free time whenever I get it. And if you wonder about my frequent time-off, it’s because I have to attend my physiotherapy session.

No pain, no gain: that’s my motto. And as Shakespeare said, ‘Self-love, my liege, is not so vile a sin as self-neglecting.’

Birthday Musings

So I reached another milestone over the weekend. I was at first counting down to it then didn’t want it to come too soon and then thought I might as well get it over and done with. No trips for me this time around but I hope to make up for it on another week.

Thank you, Allah, for everything. For letting me live another day, another year in this world. For letting me reach another milestone. For the rezeki You grant, the knowledge You bestow on me, the time You gave me, the opportunity to perform more ibadah. I only hope I will be wise enough to use my time well in the little time I have left in this world and that I will reduce committing sins and transgressions. I don’t know why I keep disobeying You who have given so much to me. I keep telling myself that I want to be a good Muslimah and yet. And yet.

Thank you also, Allah, for my relatively good health. I do have to cut down on seafood and control my cholesterol *yikes* and undergo physiotherapy session to correct something but other than that, alhamdulillah, I’m generally healthy. I want to have low blood pressure and be hypertension- and diabetes-free etc., etc. Of course as a Muslim, I pray for a long life so that I can perform more ibadah and charity but if I can have my own way, I want a life well-lived, I want to live a healthy life and I don’t want to live a long life if it means having to battle illnesses. I know it’s not in my place to choose and that you have to accept what Allah has planned for you but if I have the choice, I want to choose a meaningful life full of quality. When I look at my dad, I wonder if a long life is really such a big deal and worth the hype. A long life is not worth it if one is suffering from all kind of sickness and lying on a bed with tubes sticking into the body (not that my dad has those!). Nobody wants that surely. Oh, I don’t want to be ungrateful and unthankful and it's not in my place to demand or expect something but I pray that I’ll be able to strike a balance. Riddled as my dad is with his health problems, he doesn’t stop living – and that’s how it should be. He still continues to carry out light exercise. But I know he is ready to go because he sometimes remarks that he's already had everything and is thankful for what he has. If it’s something I’m afraid of, it’s to be sick and suffering and being bed-ridden with tubes coming in and out of me and to die all alone. Sure, I know we all have to be alone in our journey after we depart this world but if it’s not too much for me to ask, I would like to have my loved ones around me to see me off. OK, enough about all this morbid talk but hey, we’re supposed to remember death, aren’t we, because we sure aren't going to live forever.

Thank you, Allah, for everything: my parents, siblings, family and the challenges they present; my education; my career; my travels; my worldly possessions; my passion and enthusiasm to still learn even if it’s through reading novels. In short, thank You, Allah, for everything.