Working Class Heroes

Woke up in the middle of the night and I couldn’t get back to sleep. Decided to look for this song in my head. I like this song. I caught it on cable and with the help of google managed to find it. There’s a particular verse which is pretty well written: 想念是泪水的重量. These people write beautifully… I can write in Chinese but I am hardly the literary kind so I especially appreciate when people can.

I’ve been hit by a bout of flu bug lately and it has put me in quite a bad shape. 3 days of on and off fever and never ending stream of mucus till now. Left me feeling really lethargic and tired. I have no motivation to write here since I get tired so easily most of the time I land up watching tv on my bed. Haha. Total sloth!

Anyway personal life wise it’s been fine. Prancing around as usual. Some personal matters have made me more busy than when I was actually employed. Haha. Grandfather is finally discharged from the hospital. God bless him. It is really difficult to see an old person so close to you go through so much pain. Sometimes the only way I can handle it is to not think of it. Lousy method but it works I guess…

I haven’t been feeling my best. I hope this streak of unhappiness will end soon. My heart is dying.

I haven’t had the time to update recently, been really busy with personal matters… Well it caught me at a right time since I am on a hiatus. Time is aplenty. Haha. The weather has been stifling these couple of days. Make me wanna escape to somewhere colder.

On a more serious note, I finally got my resume done. Pushed away 2 job offers from friends due to personal commitments as well. Hope I get around to finding something I like. I must be more resolved this time round! Anyway this seems to be a time when a lot of my friends are looking for jobs too, let the workforce merry-go-round begin!!!

Last weekend I headed back to Pahang for the annual 清明节 (Tomb-sweeping day). It was a really long trip back but I got to meet up with my cousins along the way so it makes up for the lack of internet resources… I guess. Haha. I think this is what it is about isn’t it? As much as it sounds like you are doing things for the dead, it is really about the living. When you get together and reminisce about old times, when everyone is around. It is really more of bonding.

I decided to take some pictures along the way so you guys have an idea of my trip. Food is definitely a big part of it. It is amazing how everything is yummy over there. Well I guess my uncles know their way around the makan places well! You can see our typical breakfast fare. Simple stuff like noodles and rice rolls but done to almost perfection. I think I gained some weight on the way man. But well, eat first and worry later!

Have any of you tried wild boar meat before? I had a taste of it this time when I am back. It is pretty common over there and you can ask for it to be stewed, deep fried, or done in rendang style. It is slightly tougher than pork and the taste is stronger. It is pretty good haha. My ang-mo friends talk about it like it is foie gras, haha. It is good, but not THAT spectacular after I tried it.

Pahang is a place where you can find a lot of game if you want to. I always hear uncles talking about restaurants that sell dog meat, or snake, or some random exotic stuff. But it is not openly available, you gotta know some people to eat them apparently. Not like I am interested. You will have to kill me to eat those things… No. 1, I dont eat pets. No. 2, anything that deserves a spot on Discovery Channel is out of my list too. It is just beyond my imagination.

So as you can see, that is my house in Pahang, it is a big single storey house my dad built when he is very young. He didn’t get an education because they were dirt poor, and he started working when he is 9 years old. Well, he has come a long way man. Unfortunately he died young. So every time I am back it is really to remind myself how lucky I am to have parents who slog to provide me with a good education and a good life.

The pace of life there is really s…l…o…w… Good for those who wants to escape from the hustle and bustle. Most of the young people find jobs in bigger cities like Kuala Lumpur, JB and Singapore. So what’s left are the really young and the old… which explains the lack of exciting activities. We used to have our own vegetable garden but since none of us stay there now , it has run its course haha. The pictures you see are from my neighbour’s little garden, haha! They are pretty self sufficient as you can see.  Another neighbour of mine keeps chickens, duck, geese, turkeys, fish, birds, pigs, dogs, turtles, eels, etc. Of course not all are for consumption, haha! But you get the drift. Life is simple in Pahang and very different from Singapore. I like it once in a while. It’s like a farmstay…

Most of the time when I am there I just seriously miss my dad. I used to live there with him before I come to Singapore . He has been gone for 18 years now and I still miss him as much. Dad… wherever you are… I hope you are doing well! I haven’t made a mark in life yet, haha but you can be rest assured I am trying… and hey at least I am not a robber or something. I am somewhat a good citizen… and I pay my taxes on time! Haha! So… see you when I see you…

p/s: who wants to go HK/Taiwan soon?

Happy April Fools!