MERDEKA.... last night .... fireworks.... life ..... living///

My kids wanted to see the firework display at midnite. Being a 'caring father' that I am, we made a deal. Bed early and I'll wake them up just in time for the show. An woke them up I did, at 11.50pm. Initially we planned to drive around but then from the front gate I could see throngs of people walking across to the viewing area *. Thus we decided to join the crowd and walked. All went well.

Next day, 1st thing in the morning my 5 year old son asked, "Abah, do we only celebrate merdeka by watching the fireworks?**.

That's the sort of questions he likes to ask ***. I was still half-asleep (or is it half-awake?), needed a quick answer. "Why don't you watch the TV, there'll be parade."

Watched TV, he did & merdeka we are... or are we?

* There's a viewing area about 50 metres from our place that gives a superb view of KLCC (when the haze is not around, that is).

** This is the first time ever the word "merdeka" as an event means anything to him... still wonder what it is though.

*** Others being, "Why is it that we we ride the car, we move?" or "Why is it that yesterday (which can be any time in the past), when I look outside I saw the clouds that look like a house?"

What if......

I've been doing most of my surfings now from airports. Bored and tired.
Looking forward to get home, and sleep on my own bed again.

Best bed in the world.

Changi Airport. One of my favourite. Efficient, quiet, comfortable and with a lot of facilities.

BTW, am tying this standing up. Yup, one of those free internet access points but quite fast and efficient. Though not as fast as the one in LAX.

Am in Singapore. Kota Singa.... been here since Monday night. Actually reached here after midnight. What a flight.... sendiri cari... hati punya mau...

Anyhow, Singapore is a great city though people are less friendlier than most other places I normally visit.

Tired and will be tiring..... on going.... non stop.

I've been diagnosed with 'Tension Headache' on Monday, 6/6/05. Started with a headache on Saturday that turned very severe on Sunday and persisting till Monday.

What a life?

What's life if full of care?

Am I wasting my time here?

Am I wasting my precious life?

I don't really know what I am doing?

Day in, day out, I'm wasting time doing something I dislike....

And it stresses me out.....

Forgot to mention abt my destination last week. Jakarta and frankly I've been there too many times (this is my 6th in 6 months). Hectic and chaotic but at the same time, if you know your way around, it is quite nice. The good thing with Jakarta is, food is not a problem to me and that's a great thing to have instead of having to be temporary vegetarian like when I was in the States the week before.

Will write more abt this neighbour of ours. Got to go as they are calling the flight and I definitely do not want to miss it.

I nearly did on the way here where the traffice was horrendous from home to KLIA and in the end I reached KLIA 3o mins before departure time. Good thing that Malaysia Airlines provide telephone check-in nowadays.

I'm in the lounge at the TSN airport, Ho Chi Minh City and insya-Allah will reach KL in abt 2.5 hrs. Lounge is nice and decent with a good spread of food. Interestingly, instant noodles are very prominent.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (previously known as Saigon). Despite all the movies I've watched depicting it as an unfriendly place, the real thing is simply the opposite. HCMC is a vibrant city where motorcycles rule the roads - with the rider not wearing any head protection (helmet). To me it reminds me of my kampung folks going around on their trusty ''kapcai'' around the kampung road, a long the ''batas ban'' (the paddy field dividers), and once in a blue moon, a trip to nearby town. Leisurely ''drive'' here is a stroll on motorbikes along the main roads in the city totally oblivious to everyone else.

Anyhow, I also discovered a wonderful restaurant, Satay House - serving wonderful, very authentic Malaysian food and everything is Halal. It's a big yellow frontage unit with unmistakably Malaysian touch throughout (I lost count of the number of Malaysian flags in there). The satay (we only had beef), was wonderful. The fish curry (tenggiri) was nice with the right balance of spices. The sambal udang was also good though slightly hot fare would have given it the oompph. Kangkung belacan was just like home and they''ve ran out of the beef rendang (and we thought we were early - got there at 7pm).

Anyhow, it's at 35 Mac Dinh Chi St, Dist 1, HCM City. Tel no. 8221 727 (and they do deliver to Dist 1 and 3).

I was staying at Sofitel Plaza Hotel and it was only a short walk away.

I'm in LAX. LA Airport.

The Golden Lounge is like a 'canteen' to quote a friend.

Worst ever lounge I've been in.

Though it has got the fastest internet connection in the whole wide world (to me that is).