Yop Ber ‘ Kecek’

I’m 23 in 6 months and l’m feeling the pressure…I’m
getting OLD! 4 of my friends are getting married, 1 of them is pregnant (I’m
going to b a godfather!). Some of my batchmates from Bainun are already
working…Where am I now? Still just a student. Just as I’ve been for the past
16 years…and not a good one. Still waiting for that distinction!! Doubt that
I’ll get 1 with the way I’m studying. Not much of a bookworm.

 Let’s
revisit my ’singlehood’ status. It’s been almost a year since I made the
decision to go solo. I’ve mentioned why…and I have no regrets. The 1st 3
months was difficult. I didn’t really let people know. Some even thought I was
kidding…couldn’t blame them coz I’ve always been a joker. A few years back
some1 spread the word that I was getting engaged and people actually believed
it. Of course people who knew me thought that it was crap.

 Fortunately
I have great friends that helped me overcome my grief. I was never in denial
coz I was the 1 that made the decision but there were some moments that I felt
depressed. Did I make the right decision? Was it fair? Am I supposed to be
single all my life?…all sorts of questions came to my mind. In the end I
applied the philosophy that ‘what hurts you but doesn’t kill you, makes you
stronger’. I’m not dead, so I guess I’m stronger than I used to be. In some
ways I am a better man.

 Now, I’m
enjoying my single life. No worries, no responsibilities. It will be a while
before I get into another relationship. I’m just not ready yet. The next 1
should last till ‘jinjang pelamin’…ideally.

 In the
meantime I’ll just be me. I have nothing to prove to any1 except to my family
& God. A girl may come into my life any time in the future. I wish the best
to my ex. I’ll just wait for the right time…Life is like a box of chocolates.
You never know what you’re gonna get.

These past
2 weeks has been very interesting. Exams sucked. At the end of the posting I
still have’nt changed my impression on IM - totally not my stuff. Things could’nt
get any worse last week.

 On the night b4 the exams, it
blacked out…xde karan. It did’nt help that I had tons of notes in my PC that
I have’nt read. Worse still it was damn hot. I was sweating like mad. I had no
choice but to bare it all….except my shorts-not a pretty sight. Too hot, cant
study. Next best thing 2 do is get supper. Went out 4 roti nan with some lads .When
we got back, it was raining ‘tigers & hyenas’ – can barely see the road. Lightning
everywhere. Being a ’safety 1st guy’ I thought it was best 2 just stay in the
car. It was a wise move…we saw @least 4 lightning bolts strike buildings
around us. Ended up staying in the car for 45mins.

 Woke up early the next day (by my
standards)…7.30, only to find my bed sheets wet, no…I did’nt pee during sleep
-I was sweating. STILL NO KARAN. Eventually had PNP papers postponed to
afternoon bcoz of the blackout. In the mean time, life had to go on. Had to
live kampung style - studied at 1 of the pondoks with ‘minimal clothing’.
Fortunately electric supply came back by

noon

.

 EXAMS: pnp was rather difficult - SLE,
pulmonary embolism & HIV…@least that’s my dx. MCQ was a bit better. Skip
a day & it was CLINICALS: dengue for long case, hepatosplenomegaly for
short case. No more comments on exam…just have to wait for the results.

 After exams, packed my bags for
family road trip. No post exam party this time. Bid farewell to my faithful AFH
121. For the next 4 days I drove ADE 8328, for a total distance of 2900km.This
would be my 1st time driving a 2.0 liter auto long distance. No drifting or
rallying this time. Had to drive as smooth as possible…fragile passengers on
board (my parents,uncle&aunt).

 Spent the 1st night in Kuantan. Annexe
rest house is not a bad place to stay in for RM80 a night. I recommend it if
you’re on a budget. Of course

Swiss

Garden

& Hyatt is much better…for
over RM150.

 Kuantan is not a bad place after
all…for a tourist. There’s actually lots of places to go to, especially
nature lovers (definitely not a place for a particular ‘pharmacist’ I know).The
river cruise seems cool & a walk along the riverfront with a loved one
would sure be romantic (sob…sob).

  Enough with Kuantan – have 2 more years to
explore. Next stop, Mersing via Pekan. The road to Pekan was horrible. Construction
everywhere. Did’nt even bother to stop at PekanFest. Too many people. Just
stopped for lunch&prayers. The road to Mersing was beautiful. Road surface
was OK, not much traffic. The

South China Sea

was on my left,& the beach stretched for
miles…just beautiful. Great to just turn on cruise control & enjoy the
scenery. Reached Mersing in 3 hours. Checked in at Seri

Malaysia

…a crappy hotel for RM130. But the
view was great, its next to the beach. Mersing’s a cool place. I’ll definitely
come again…and take a boat to Tioman.

 Next stop, Malacca via Kluang, Batu
Pahat & Muar. Went to Batu Pahat just for a plate of Nasi Beriyani! Dont
know what all the fuss was about. Not the best food I’ve tasted…never liked
Beriyani anyway. Stopped in Muar for a rest at the riverside mosque.

Malacca was surprisingly interesting. It has changed so
much. I’ll have to come over another time to enjoy Malacca. The problem with
bringing the elders (old people) is they never want to walk. They want to park
the car right next to the entrance. Spent the night at a relatives house in
Melaka.

Last stop…Seremban. We took the LOOONG way from to Seremban.
Instead of heading towards the highway, my dad wanted to use the coastal road,
via Port Dickson…it was worth it. The houses in Melaka are really something.
They still retain the original architecture of Malay houses…I’m not such a
‘traditional’ person but I felt compelled by how these people continued the
Malay tradition. Cheesy sentence but that’s what I felt…how Malay am I?…Maybe
I need to search deep within me.

PD…OK. Too many people. Did’nt like it so much. Did’nt take
too long to get to Seremban. Was there by lunch. The next 2 days was ‘quality
time’ for my family. Stayed at my cousins house. Had BBQ that night. Got all my
siblings, uncles, aunties, and cousins together. It was great…nothing can replace
family! Loved the kids…11 of them. Did’nt mind them jumping on me. Just had to
be the best uncle….before becoming the BEST DAD in the world.

So what have I learned so far:

1. 

Malaysia

is a great country. Sometimes we
tend to forget how great this country is. This is my 2^nd road trip
so far. I’m proud to say that I’ve been to all the states in

Malaysia

…but it still amazes me how much

Malaysia

has to offer. Yes, I love

Hong Kong

…but nothing beats

MALAYSIA

.

2. I’m no lelaki Melayu terakhir, but I think it is time for me
to actually appreciate the Malay tradition.

3. We tend to focus on what we don’t have and forget what we
have. The best thing you can have is a FAMILY.

Wow…this is
the longest blog I’ve ever written…do give comments.