Bukit Kutu

On the 13th of December 2008, MNS organised a hike up Bukit Kutu, Kuala Kubu Baru. We were all to meet at MNS HQ at 7 in the morning. Since I was coming from Seremban, I told Paul and Madinah to be at my place by 5.15 am so that we can leave by 5.30am. It would take us approximately an hour to reach KL and plus minus, to find the place, we will still have ample time should we lose our way.

We reached Sungei Besi at 6.20am actually. Thanks to Paul Schumacher! Anyway, as usual, I am really bad with directions and ofcourse led Paul to the wrong turning which took us on a 20 minute joy ride out of KL. We finally got back on the highway, exited Sungei Besi again, and this time I kept my mouth shut.

We found the place quite easily. We met up with the rest of the hikers and waited for the late comers to arrive. There were 5 Japanese from the university, 2 "kwai Lohs", many Chinese and 3 Indians. All in, there were 24 of us. At 7.20am sharp we left for Kuala Kubu baru.

(John, Tush, Me n Madinah)

John, extraordinaire, our nature guide headed the convoy of 9 cars. If you are familiar with the idiom "slow n steady wins the race"-this is it. What transpired for the next 1/2 hour was a slow agonizing drive to KKB. John must have been doing a 40km per hour. Ofcourse he denied vehemently at breakfast that he was doing a 40. 60-80 instead ,he lamented. Count your lucky stars John, for he escaped my fury because of the awesome roti canai that we had. Never knew roti canai could taste so good. And the nasi lemak that we packed for lunch was to die for.

We then proceeded to Kampung Pertam. Just at the foot of Bukit Kutu (even before u begin to climb) you will see a river on your left hand side with the cool cascading waters rushing downstream. It was a sight to behold.

John gave us our first lesson on survival for the fittest in the jungle. The wild ginger was supposed to keep you hydrated. He also warned us that on his last hike up Bulit Kutu, 4 hikers lost their way and spent the night in the jungle. All of us decided to pay 100% attention during lesson No 2.

We then started our trek up. In only less then 15 minutes, we were asked to remove our shoes for we had to wade through a river. So off our shoes went. We were still asked to keep our shoes off, for we had a really, really muddy path to take which would submerge your whole feet.

I decided to put my shoes back on only to be cautioned by John that there were more rivers to come. Ofcourse Paul kept his precious "timberland" shoes off.

The next phase was really fun because we had to walk in the river. So, with pants rolled up to our knees, with leech socks on, it was high -o, high-o, its Bukit Kutu from home we go!! It was absolutely fun walking in the river, the icy cool water rushing at your feet. I didn't mind being bitten by leeches because it will be my first time ever. Just as we were thoroughly enjoying ourselves, John announced that we were all indeed LOST!

For the next 1/2 an hour John rattled on how he has "tarnished his reputation"! I consoled John by saying,"it happens" but who's complaining? It was actually so much fun. We finally found the right path and proceeded to climb Bukit Kutu. It was up, up and up all the way. Some of the stretches were almost 60 degrees, I must say. The path was really narrow. Enough for only one person to walk. It was quite a challenging walk up, what with broken bamboo shoots, thorny plants and leeches, leeches, leeches everywhere!!

Tush, me n Paul

At approximately 2.30pm, we reached this huge, enormous rock (which was actually towering above our heads). It was a monstrous rock, protruding from the ground, sitting majestically among the clouds (ok, I exaggerate a little) and u are left breathless gawking at the rock. It was awesome. This was the exact place for us to devour our "to die for" nasi lemak. But it was not to be. John warned us that if we do not proceed to the summit then we will never make it back down on time.

"No time for nasi lemak now. I give u guys 2 minutes to decide. Either we continue to climb or we stop here."

"But......but.....what about the nasi lemak? The fragrance has been haunting me from the beginning of the climb! And Paul bought 2 packets!!"

One, two, zoom-continue with climb.

High-o, high-o its Bukit Kutu from home we go!

We had to climb another one and a 1/2 hours to reach the summit. My stomach was already growling. But I must reach the summit. Otherwise we cannot claim to have conquered Bukit Kutu. Half way through we saw another couple (must be same case as me and Tushaani) devouring their food. Tushaani told me she can walk no more. She needs food. So, we decided to join Soon and Anne and ate our nasi lemak. It was THE BEST nasi lemak in the world.

We gobbled our food whilst the mosquitoes tore at our skins (you dont feel them when u are moving) like savage beasts. With renewed energy, we continued with the climb. I believe we were another 30 minutes to the summit when it started to rain. The rain got heavier. Thanks to Paul who bought us good quality ponchos from Singapore. Tush and I donned them, not after we let the rain wet us a bit (supposedly to cool us down).

The rain got even heavier. I started to get worried. It's gonna be down, down, down all the way. It will definitely get very slippery. But yet, we decided -Bukit Kutu, here we come!! The rain continued to pour louder and harder. Just then, one of the hikers, Kevin came running down to tell us that he has lost the route. It was deciding time for me. I was worried about Tushaani, my 14 year old. Should we be lost in the jungle, my darling husband will never let me go on another hiking trip! So we decided to descent.

I guess the rain had mercy on us. The downpour only lasted about 45 minutes. But boy, was the ground real slippery. Of course, yours truly tumbled down like humpty dumpty much to the delight and laughter of my daughter!!

We reached the base, and with all those whom we lost contact with, it was a happy reunion at the river. Many of us decided to jump in for a swim. I didn't bring extra undergarments (big mistake) so I couldn't drown myself in the river waters. I had a long drive back to Seremban and didn't want to shiver all the way back.

Paul, Madinah, me n Tushaani

We sang songs, chatted, took photos and annoyed each other in the river. After a gruelling 7 hour climb, the river cascade was a welcoming treat, blissful. I wish I had a nice chill beer to drink!!

We said our goodbyes to each other and met some orang asli. They were really tanned and most of them reared dogs. One of the orang asli stopped to talk to Mr Soon. Later on Mr Soon told me that he was a famous blogger. Now who said that orang asli were backward???

One thing for sure, I must go back to Bukit Kutu. I didnt reach the summit, remember?

Civet Cat-Dead

This civet cat was found a couple of metres away from my house. I live in a golf resort surrounded by jungle. There are many wild animals here.My husband found it on the road, apparently a hit and run victim, fresh after the accident.

He parked his car and went to the cat. It was still breathing and warm. He held the cat in his hands (almost in tears) when seconds later it heaved its last breath. He put the cat at the side of the road and then came home to inform us.

We went to the site and it was such a sorowful sight. The civet cat was AWESOME. It was still warm when I touched it. I said a little prayer. We carried her to the river nearby and deposited her there.

Time and again I have reminded all my residents to drive slowly but some "Schumachers" are real "Scmucks!" They dont listen. I once almost knocked a squirrel and ever since then, I drive at 30-40 km each time I enter the resort.

This is the second civet cat to be knocked down this year. The first one was much bigger. There have been countless squirrels, kingfishers and mynahs who have lost their lives here. I have put up signs that read, "Drive Slowly, Wild Animals Around" but to no avail. Truth is, many of us do not appreciate animals.

RIP dear civet cat.

One Night In Yacht Club With RPK

I wasn't supposed to spend the night in PD last week. I had scheduled a 4 hour hike up Cape Rachado on Wednesday 26th of November (this will be my 3rd time) for my kids and their friends and was supposed to do a day trip.

But when my good friend Angela said that RPK is going to be at the Port Dickson Yacht Club for dinner, how can I not meet him? I had missed RPK in Dataran Seremban- the day he was released from ISA. His first venue was Seremban. And every Tom, Dick and Harry was going except yours truly. Why wasn't I going? Because my hubby wouldnt let me!! He still thinks I am 23 (that's when he married me). Incidently, I WILL BE 42 IN FEBRUARY DEAR HUBBY!!!

Anyway, as I sat and brooded at home, approximately 300 people were having 'the time of their life' in Dataran Seremban. Ah, what the heck!

Little did I know that I was going to have the opportunity to meet RPK so soon.

So when Angela told me that he was going to be at RPDYC, I knew this time nothing was going to stop me. Steve wasn't going to join me in PD for he had to meet some business associates in KL.(Praise the lord for that!!) And I can just happen to be at the club to have my dinner with the kids, right? Mere coincidence!!

Being the ever so brutally honest and dutiful wife that I have been (I need a kick in the arse) I had to tell Steve that RPK was going to be at the club. In return he said,"Have fun, girl." You see, it pays to be honest, I tell you.

The kids and I spent the afternoon cooling down in the pool after the hike and by 6.30pm, I chased everyone out of the pool. A quick shower and I wanted to be at the club by 8.00pm. I was there slightly pass 8. As I entered, I enquired if RPK was already there but no one knew. Then I had the honour of telling them that RPK is indeed in the house. Some nodded and others said,"Oh". Man, I wasn't going to let anyone burst my bubble.

I looked around the club and was convinced that he hadn't arrived. Just as I turned back to return to my table, I SPOTTED HIM. RIGHT THERE! The table next to me.

"Ah......its you!! Its you!! (RPK just smiled and everyone on his table did)

Perhaps it was my enthusiasm and plain honest school girl glee that did it. I really felt like a teenager. But who the hell cares? He is my hero and I have the right to be sooooooooooo excited to see him. He was about to finish his dinner and so I told him that I will be back to take some photographs.

Alan, who was seated next to RPK asked if Steve was around. I told him its mommy's day out.

Anyway, I returned to my table, smiling from ear to ear, still reeling from the shock that I just saw and shook hands with RPK. When I came back the second time, only then did I notice Marina and I called out her name and said, "You are here,too!!"

Marina looks so much nicer and prettier in person. She was so friendly and warm. No wonder RPK loves her to death. RPK looked very tired but he still had his million dollar smile. They were on transit to Chung Hwa School where 4 speakers were going to give a talk. I thought I saw Cikgu Bard as well.

Anyway RPK and Marina were so obliging and took around 10 shots with me and the kids.

I guess I broke the ice, because after that more people came forward to take photos with them. What's wrong with some people? Why are they so shy? If you like someone, show it. If you are honest and sincere about your feelings and have no personal motives or agenda, then why shy away. Reveal yourself. You will not make a fool of yourself because the person on the receiving end will feel your warmth and sincerity.

I wasted no time in telling them that I was Angela's friend and neighbour and that Angela keeps me posted all the time. RPK lamented that Angela has joined his camp because she was arrested. I told him Angela is so dynamite and not many would put themselves up front like that. I also told him that I am ashamed for not being able to do so. But I applaud her for her bravery and courage.

RPK nodded his head in agreement and flashed that infectious killer smile!

MNS Open Day

Vesha, Kim& Albert, Tush, Me,Netz n Paul

I woke up at 5am today. After having my coffee at the patio, I woke my three girls up and we all got ready for our trip. Yup, we are going to drive up to FRIM (Forest Reserve Institute Of Malaysia) in Kepong to participate in Malaysian Nature Society's Open Day.

Its kinda embaressing to tell you that after having lived in Seremban for 35 years, I have never been to FRIM.

My good old friends from Port Dickson, Albert & Kim and Paul joined us. Deal is, I drive to and Paul drives fro. The journey to FRIM took us approximately an hour and twenty minutes. Albert & Kim and Paul arrived at my place on time. We left in my NAZA which could easily accomodate all of us. We left exactly at 7am. It was drizzling.

We reached FRIM at 8.15am. After registering ourselves it was time for a hearty breakfast.

We were scheduled to take the canopy walk at 9.30am. Having assembled at the auditorium, our MNS guides, Steven and (sorry I can't remember the other dude's name) started our journey up the hill. Up, up and away we climbed. It was just a 30 minute walk but the last ascend was kind of steep.

The canopy walk was the first for my girls and I. Yeah, yeah, simply lame,huh? It was really exciting!! We had to walk in single files and 5 feet apart. The whole suspension bridge would sashay according to the rhyhtm of your gait. We were warned not to look down for too long but what the heck, down we did look. I guess we would have been about 30-40 feet above sea level. And that's peanuts!! I wished the canopy walk was much longer. It is such a treat having to trek up the hill and then you are treated to this wonderful canopy walk. I now want to try the one in Taman Negara. The canopy walk was a 2 hour walk. What a breeze!!

Anyway, just as we were beginning to enjoy the canopy walk- IT ENDED! I wanted to go for round two but no one else wanted to join me. We then decended through a different track and my,my,my, we were greeted by a tiny waterfall. The water was so cool and inviting that I could not resist taking my shoes off and soaking my feet underneath the stones and pebbles. After sweating it out on the canopy walk, this was truly refreshing and not to be missed. We lingered here for 20 minutes before resuming the walk down.

There was so much time left before our next walk at 3.00pm. Albert wanted to change his tees so we went to the car. We took a short tour around the Malay Tea House which had a very elaborate decor. The wood work was good. Paul bought some Malay Ginger Tea and I am sure to grab some when I am in PD in the weekend.

Tushaani painted her face and I had "half a daughter and half a zebra." Vesha had a chinese character on one cheek and a little tiger on the other. There were ample games, quizes, and documentaries for visitors to enjoy.

It was time for lunch at the canteen next to the auditorium and we had 3 hours to kill. So after lunch we had bananas and finally ice-cream. At 2 o'clock we walked up the hill again.

We were entertained by this maestro on drums and there were about twenty other people who were invited to bang on the drums. Thing is, these people were picked up at random. If you'd watch them play you would think that they have been rehearsing for some time. How they blended the variuos drum beats together? Your guess is as good as mine. It was the leader, the maestro who pulled everyone together and played for a good half an hour. I couldn't resist the beats. My daughter, Tushaani and I went to the centre ring and danced the noon away!

The last agenda was the Rover Walk. This was indeed an educational walk and we were guided by John Chan. He showed us how to survive in the wild. For water, we can either chop down a bamboo or vine tree. To make fire, splinter wood from a certain tree could be used. And if you are lost and hungry, the fruit of the (I forgot the name of the tree) can be eaten. So much for survival for the fittest. You bet I will be the first to die in the jungle!

The walk ended at 4.30pm. It was time to head home. John said that he will be emailing us the MNS itinerary for 2009. Can't wait to go on my next trip.

Thank god Paul was driving back.

Joseph, My Alchoholic Friend Part 1

Last Monday, when I was on the internet, I got a call from Maddy that our dear friend Joseph who is 65 years old had collapsed on the floor in his condominium and could not pick himself up. He had soiled himself in the process.
Apparently there was some miscommunication between his friends Johnny and James that led him to wait for them at the airport for over 3 hours earlier in the afternoon.
Anyway, all through out the 3 hour wait at the airport, Joseph had nothing to eat or drink but his good ol' friendly Moskovi vodka. Finally, Joseph decided to head back home-minus his friends whom he was supposed to pick up. Upon Joseph reaching home, only then did his friends land themselves at KLIA.
Joseph was real lucky because when he collapsed, his friends had just arrived at the condo. His wife Joanne was away visiting their children in Kuala Lumpur.
Joseph is approximately 6Ft 2. And he is quite a big guy. His friends tried to give him a hand up but was unsuccessful. They managed to clean him up though. Joseph is really lucky because at the very same time another two friends, Peter and Robert happenned to drop by too. Robert is a doctor by profession. Looking at Joseph's condition, he was quite sure there was some extensive damage to Joseph's liver. Joseph was having jaundice too. A sign that his liver is in some sort of trouble. Joseph seemed disorientated and incoherent. His friends finally managed to haul him to a chair. He looked ghostlike, a hugeVodka belly - a skeleton with skin and bones. James was appalled when he saw Joseph's condition. The last these two met was a year ago and James vouched that Joseph looked so much better then.
They decided to call the ambulance but none of them spoke Bahasa. Joseph is one hell of a lucky fella. Thank his lucky stars for Maddy was around. She called for the ambulance.When the ambulance arrived, Joseph refused to go to the hospital. He said he was alright. If in the morning he felt sick again, then he would go to the hospital. The ambulance attendants could not force Joseph to go with them. In the end, they left with an empty stretcher.
When Maddy related the whole incident to me, I was devastated. Imagine how his friends, James and Johnny would have felt? Here they have travelled a thousand miles to visit their buddy and he is in such a deplorable condition.
Maddy then told me that Joseph is an alchoholic. That hit me like a brick.
I immediately called Peter and as we spoke I could feel the desperation in Peter's voice. Peter and Joseph have been friends for a very long time too. It was too much for any of them to find their good friend sprawled on the floor like as if clutching on to dear life. I told Peter that I would come down the next day and pay Joseph a visit.
Actually, I have known Joseph for slightly over a year. In this time, we (Steve & I) have spent every weekend together with him. We shared lots of barbecues, dinners and yes, drinking sessions (most of the time). Little did we realize that Joseph is indeed an alchoholic.

Caught Buck Naked

I have this ritual of exercising every morning. I did not get any exercise the last 10 days, what being Deepavali which is synonymous with butter cookies, muruku and MUTTON!! So, you can imagine, with no exercise for 10 days, 'aunty' (yours truly) put on an easy 3 kgs!!!

When I golfed yesterday, I felt I was carrrying more pounds than my golf bag. Then I realized I have "extra baggage".

So, it's the moment of truth that I have to resort to my 1,3 5 cereals- for- dinner- programme. But now I shall have cereals for dinner "twenty four seven" until I lose all 3 kgs and go back to my desirable weight of 60 kgs. Anything lesser than that will make my already threatening -to -sag boobs, sag for real!! (Incidently, I passed the pencil test,ok.) Hey, come on, I will be 42 in February! And I am loving it. We can't keep everything UP all the time. Remember, whatever's up must come down. It's the law of gravity.

Where was I? Yes, so today, I decided to swim. I usually do 30 laps non -stop in the pool. Okay, okay, I am pushing it . I stop after every 10 laps, stretch for a while before I continue with the next set of ten laps and again until I finish 30 laps. Each lap is about 60m. So I swim close to 1.8 Km which takes me approximately an hour to complete. Not bad wa-a-at for a 42 year old lady!!

Anyway, I usually drape a towel around me and head for the shower room where I relief myself of my swimsuit, dry myself up and put on a slip dress and head home. I prefer to lounge in my very own private bathroom and have my shower. The pool is only about 5 mins walk from my home. Since I head there right after I have dropped the kids off at school, I am usually swimming by 7.30am.

I was sitting on the bench, in the shower room for ladies and proceeded to peel my swimsuit off. Then I dried myself and quickly put on my slip dress. Eventhough I am always alone in the ladies shower room, I am still very conservative when it comes to changing. Occasionally, I see some Korean lady golfers who stand around the bench-BUCK NAKED oblivious to any other lady who walks in. Infact, I feel embarressed when I catch them naked. But they don't seem to care. I feel embaressment for them because all I see are raisins and pancakes!!!

Anyway, as I was pulling my dress down my legs, I heard the shuffling of feet. Imagine my shock when I saw a man trudging into the shower room smoking a ciggarrette. I shouted at him.

"Oi! Ini bilik air perempuan. Apa u buat kat sini?" (This is the ladies shower room. What the hell are u doing here?)

He very nonchalantly replied,"Oh, really" (Ya,ke ) and then proceeded to walk out.

No way man, I am not going to let him off that easy! I walked out of the shower room after him.



I asked him,"Who are you?" (Siapa kamu?)



He did not reply.



I asked him again, "Who the hell are you,damnit!"



"Ah, I work at the back." (Saya kerja kat belakang)



"Back? Where?" (Belakang mana?)



"Are you a staff of this resort? Who are you?" (U kerja kat sini? Siapa kau?)



The joker just carried on walking out of my sight to the corner where the men's toilet was. He had an accomplice with him. I asked his accomplice if this guy was with him. Pindrop silence.

That's it. I lost my head. I went up to reception and started shouting and relating what happenned. The lady at the reception said, surely the signage indicating "ladies" was big enough for him to see. A few marshals were at the reception too. I alerted them to go find the man in a red T Shirt and jeans. I want to know who is he. If he is a tresspasser who has no business in the club then I am going to give the management HELL!

My good friend, the Pro Shop owner joined in the chase. I called the security as well. Now everyone was looking for the guy who has no respect for women or is illiterate.

I raved, moaned and groaned, yelled and screamed, huffed and puffed and was short of spewing fire from my nostrils because MY PRIVACY WAS VIOLATED!!
I went over to my Volvo, retrieved my cell phone and poured my heart out to my husband. He was very calm on the phone. This is what I love about my husband, when I am shooting my top, he remains cool and collected. Steve was still at home at that time.

The security at the main entrance was alerted and they managed to stop the lorry on time. Apparently, the guy is a despatch for Atlas Ice Cubes. Little did he realize that soon he is going to be iced.

I went home shortly after, still fuming. I called 103 and got the number for Atlas Ice. I identified myself and asked for the manager. A Mr Yong answered the call and apparently someone from the club had already called him and he was aware of the incident. I told him that it was ME in the shower. He listened to me but was not really sympathetic. So I had to press further.

"Imagine if it was your wife standing buck naked and a man enters the ladies. How would you feel?"

It worked. He got paranoid. He suggested I make a police report. He promised to severely reprimand his man. He agreed that his man was stupid and should not have entered the ladies restroom. And then he started firing his man. All because I said it could have been his wife.
Anyway, I told him that I am not interested to lodge a police report because it would be a hassle and our dear police can't even control the current crime rate.

They hauled up the guy. The man apologized, something he should have done when I confronted him. Not just snigger at me and walk away. If he had immediately apologized to me, I would not have blown this issue out of proportion. I would have just blasted him to kingdom come.
He held my husbands hands , cried and begged for forgiveness and that he "accidentally" entered the restroom. Steve did not spare him. Ofcourse Steve had a field day with all kinds of accusatory words levelled at him. Steve said that he cannot accept the man's explanation of not seeing the signage. It's a poor excuse. It should not happen.The club manager was present too. The manager told the guy that he is very lucky that Steve did not beat him up.

Half an hour later, the club manager called me and apologized on behalf of the management. Another 10 minutes later, a letter of apology from the management was hand delivered to my home.

Now the truth. I was not buck naked when the man entered the restroom. I had put my clothes on. Thank God for that. I would die of embarresment if I was seen like that by anyone else. Actually, every time I changed my clothes, I do it very discreetly, even when I am in the cubicle. I never take all my clothes off. I worry about built in cameras etc.

But one thing for sure. The man must be taught a lesson. I believe for the rest of his life, each time he enters a public toilet, he will look twice, thrice , four times before entering it.

Comments on "Never Touch Another Ass"

These are the comments sent to my e mail. Though I cried and begged them to comment on my blog, as of today I see zilch!!



Hi Nirmala,

Your stories made my morning thanks, hope some sensible news paper picks it up, “kid” you have talent, just keep it going and surely I end up with a rich and famous friend, being selfish as I am. When and if I get around to write something about my, now ancient history escapades, I would be honored if you would be kind enough to publish it on your site.

Best wishes: George Viczena




Hi Mala,

Its a great blog and the stories are very cool. I like the ones of you being mad and losing your best friend. I think I know this 'friend'. I'll check your blog every chance I get. some pics when I was in malaysia.

take care
Guna




Dear Mala,

I have read your blog. I am so sorry about the incident. If it had happened to me I would certainly not be scared but furious and would have probably given him a tight slap and probably hit him with my shoe. What is becoming of our young people. They seem to lack manners and respect for the elders.I shall be in PD tomorrow. Hope to see you.

Lots of love,
Madinah





Hey Mala,

"What is this world, it is full of care - we have no time to stand and stare". That is a famous line from a beautiful poem I love.

Unfortunately, losers have too much time on their hand. An idle mind is a devil's workshop - who knows what goes thru someone's minds. You may have done him a great a great big favor for the rest of his life. May he be respectful - to be honest I have never understood when guys stop and gawk at a woman's ass AFTER she has walked past them. Isn't the face and the bust so much worthier looking at ;-)

Fantastic article - good writing and the moral lesson is the worthiest of it all.

Impressed and admire your guts and what you did!

Cheers,
Wacko Jacko




Dear Mala,

Addictive reading! I admire your guts!

I am on a rare visit to an internet facility, so this will be brief. We are still not working but start next Sunday. The teachers are Egyptian, Jordanian, Palestinian mostly with a few Qataris. Full of fun, motivation and lots of charisma. The Qatari female teachers are fully veiled so that is a little strange talking to someone whose face you cannot see. But they seem very feisty. Off to some schools tomorrow to see the wild little Bedouin boys they have to teach. Hope you are all well and have enjoyed Deepavali celebrations or is it too early for that? Any more news on the condo? Thank Steve for all his hard work getting things settled for us . I miss all the stories about John and his dog!


love from Geraldine



Hi Mala,

Hope the exams are going well for the kids.

Good to hear you are not taking any shit from some young punks. I’m sure you did him a favour by shouting at him…who knows where they will draw the line if they keep getting away with obnoxious behaviour!

Anyway, hope the attached movie clip puts a smile on your face…very relevant! English humour!

Have been suffering from a bad cold since yesterday and can’t get much sleep.

Paul Langlois

Golfing Eagle

It was just another day. Another round of golf with Val and Jess .I drove my tee shot past the 150 marker and positioned for a 3 on, in this par 4 of 367m. Using a 6 iron for my second shot, I reckon I could easily chip with a 9 iron and let it roll onto the green and to the pin. If today was my lucky golf day, then I could par the hole. Otherwise I don’t mind a bogey.
As I was walking to my ball which was a little left onto the rough, I was petrified to see white baby birds dead on the grass. They were not nestlings but of pretty good sizes. There were 2 of them. I approached them only to have Jess and Val say, “Watch out! Bird flu!”. Well, that’s how ludicrous my golf mates can get!
I proceeded to use my 6 iron to turn them over and to my horror it dawned on me that these were no ordinary birds but they were indeed a species of eagles called the” white belly eagle”. Curiosity got the better of me as I wanted to see what injuries they had sustained. Suddenly I heard an ear piercing, high pitched wailing sound. It was the mother eagle. She actually flew a wee bit too low over my head - probably yelling and calling me a murderer for having the audacity to hang around there. I ducked and ran off from the scene and desperately tried to continue with my game which was not to be.
The mother eagle continued to cry her heart out the way only she knew. She could not believe her babies were dead. She could not endure to see the carcasses of her beloved babies lying helplessly there on the grass. She could not stomach the fact that some predator had the heart to kill her little babies. She circled the area where her babies lay and continued screeching and screeching and screaming and screaming. Her loud protests pierced the morning sky and alerted my husband. Apparently, my house faces the 1st hole of the 3rd nine.
In vain I tried to focus on my game but it was impossible. Throughout the game she continued to defy the inevitable. I could hear her from hole to hole. Upon glancing up to the sky I noticed she was joined by other white belly eagles who also screamed in unison with her. The deep penetrating sorrowful cries of the mother eagle and her peers never relented.
These eagles are a sight to behold. They have grey and white feathers, their beaks are a stunning yellow and their eyes are blood shot red.You would catch your breath if you had come into eye contact with them. They are simply awesome.
I told my kids the plethora of events of the morning. The mood was somber as they started to imagine the catastrophe that had befallen the eagles. These eagles were our companions as we drank tea on the patio every evening. They swooned around the forest area right behind my house- father, mother and their babies. And today 2 of them are dead.
I took them to the location of the babies, but we could not venture too close because the mother eagle was still circulating the area- trying desperately to accept the cruel twist of fate that had befallen her babies. It was already noon, but for her, time had stood still the moment she discovered the bitter truth of her babies’ massacre. In utter disbelief and anarchy the mother eagle continued to scream and screech till dusk. Only when the sun was completely submerged did she stop her hysterical cries.
It was a day of reckoning for me. I actually felt the mother eagle’s excruciating pain. I felt her melancholy. I felt her loss. I felt her desperation. I felt her bewilderment. I felt her confusion. If only she could speak then the world will know that animals feel pain too.

Never Touch Another Ass

Last Sunday,I was in one of my lazy moods and decided to buy Asia Laksa from the famous Asia Laksa Restaurant in my neighbourhood. No tosai, meehoon goreng, mee goreng or American Breakfast today. Just hot, spicy curry laksa.
On a Sunday, the restaurant is always jam packed with people. I always have to wait at least 20 minutes before the lady "ta pau" for me. As I left the house, I saw the flyer"City Explorer" on my Volve windscreen. So, I picked it up. Aha, this will be my reading material as I wait for my laksa.
The restaurant is only about 15 minutes away from my home. As I parked my car at the back of the restaurant, I noticed the crowd already beginning to swell. A van with 10 people emerged next to me. I quickly got out of the car and made a quick dash through the side door. Yup, I beat them to the laksa lady! After placing my order which was a meehoon and a mee laksa, I proceeded to flip through the flyer.There were many,many advertisement for slimming, tucking, firming, boosting etc. My. my, my, this might as well be a flyer for females!
As I was curiously flipping through it, a group of young Indian boys around the age group of 20-25 walked in. I was dressed in a t-shirt and knee length jeans. These boys gazed at me, with the same old cheeky frown, making some small noises etc. The usual stuff, you know. I did not pay much attention to them. But it dawned on me if they realized that they were cooing a 40 odd year old lady? I am twice their age. But perhaps they were just having a cheap thrill or were in the habit of cat calling women , I dont know. But as they started sitting on the table next to me, the number of boys that joined them grew. One of the boys who was walking towards my direction actually stopped just a few feet away and smiled at me. I ignored him and continued to read my "Nip N Tuck" magazine. And then he came much closer to me and said,"How R U". I just dismissed him with a look and continued to read. Then he went behind me to take his seat at the table.
The next thing I knew, I felt a finger fiddling my ass!! I quickly turned around and since all I had in my hands was the magazine, with all my might, I slammed the magazine at the back of his head. He flinched as the magazine hit him on the neck and head. Since he was much taller than me, that was the only part of his anatomy I could reach. Supposing he was facing me, I would have kicked him on the crotch!
He proceeded to take his seat as if nothing happenned. I started shouting at him. Being an ex teacher, let me tell you that my voice is pretty loud. I called him a bloody fool and idiot and how dare he touch me. He pretended not to hear so I went over to the table and looked him in the face and said," You idiot, bloody fool. You got no mother, no sister. How would you feel if somenone touched their asses. And do I look like a young girl to you? I am old enough to be your mother, you idiot, bloody fool. You must be building a carrer going around touching ladies asses. And most of them would have just run away. How dare you touch me. Who the hell do you think you are.You messed with the wrong lady. Idiot, bloody fool!"
My whole body was shaking, not out of fear but anger. I was boiling inside.
Just then his friend beside him began to apologize. I told him,"Shut Up! An apology is meant for something that you did not do on purpose. This was planned by your friend. So you don't apologize. You educate him. Teach him how to behave himself."
Then I turned back to the other boy and said,"Idiot,bloody fool!"
By this time the whole restaurant was in pin drop silence. Everyone was looking at us. I slammed my fist on their table before I left the restaurant, raving mad and close to tears. As I walked back to my car fighting back the tears that had welled in my eyes, I told myself that I came here to buy laksa and Goddamnit I am going home with the laksa. I drove my Volvo around and parked it right in front of the restaurant. I got off with the engine still running , walked up to the lady and said,"Make my laksa now". She quickly packed for me. One of the boy's friends said, "Sorry" to me again. I said,"Shut Up!"
I got into my car and drove off seething with anger.
One thing for sure, I bet he will never touch another ass again.

The Day I Lost My Best Friend

Today I realised something. It came as a huge blow to me because I never expected it. I have this friend whom I have known all my life. She is like a sister to me. When her marriage of 30 years came crashing down, I was devastated. Devastated not because I didnt see it coming. Devastated because she married this guy at the fresh age of 17. He was her first love, her first boyfriend, her first crush. Talk about a greenhorn. Her husband never wanted children but she conceived just one kid- a daughter. So when she told me that she had walked out on her husband of 30 years, I cried for her for all the years she had lost. Her youth, her beauty, her energy, her passion, everything. She had put it all in her marriage and it came to an end. Now that was devastating. Everyone knew that her husband was a womaniser. Once a womaniser, always a womaniser. She was his thirdwife.

I still remember the day she called me to tell me that her marriage was over. Actually it was over a long time ago but she kept up appearances.I dropped everything I was doing and rushed to her place. She didnt look as dejected as I thought she would be. Well, that was a good sign. Perhaps she was so numb with the endless affairs her husband had that she did not know what to feel anymore. And then she dropped the bombshell. She had been having an affair with a married man for the last 15 years. She said that her lover is going to divorce his wife and marry her in 6 months time. Why 6 months? If you want to marry someone why wait?

I told her her lover is the typical man who wants the cake, the whole cake and he wants to eat it all by himself. But she believed in him and his empty promises. I would call her everyday and tell her to leave him because it is a relationship that would not last. She had no future with him. He is a married man with children. I reminded her as to how she felt when her husband strayed and why is she now doing the same. Apparently, her lover's wife found about the clandestine affair and lost no time in harressing my friend. My friend instead told her to try to woo her husband back and that it was her lover who was after her and not the other way around.

Once when I was at the movies, her lover's wife hurled abuses at her in full view of everyone.She just smiled and walked away shaking her head. I was quite disturbed with Grace's attitude. I realised then that maybe I dont know her all that well. We have been friends for upteen years and I see a side of her which I cant comprehend leave alone accept. I spent the next one year actually trying to talk her out of this relationship with this married man which she had no fututre. I cried nights after nights thinking about where Grace had put herself. Everytime I called her I would implore her to leave him. One day, I realised that it was not my call. Maybe she was happy being a mistress. Maybe it was okay for her to be with a married man. And then I stopped calling her for about 6 months. I actually became a foe because we had nothing much to talk about accept for me nagging at her to leave him. I just couldnt help it. Eventhough I tell myself that I would not brooch the subject it just came back everytime we talked. So I stopped calling and in the process, she started hating me. She told me that all I wanted to do is to get her away from this man. And she hated me for it.

How I Damaged My Own Daughter's Self Confidence

You know, I am always boasting to everyone I know, including the teachers who teach my children that I don't send my kids for tution.(Probably my hubby is blabbering the same thing too). I would go on and on about how I have never sent my kids for tution except for a specific short period of time (about 1-2 months) when I felt I could not cope with the syllabus.

I spend most of my mornings, preparing what to teach, making notes and yes, I do lots of math. How can I teach if I dont practise the math! Many people tell me,"Wah!!!!! You soooo good,ah!" Ofcouse, remarks like this set be gloating to the sky.

When my kids entered secondary school, I thought I would definitely be lost. I gave myself a chance to study the secondary school syllabus and "abacadabra" I actually grasped a lot. Now I wish to sit for PMR and SPM again- straight A's for sure!

But alas, at 41, probably I will be the oldest candidate and people would actually say,"Wah!! Soo dumb ah, that woman!!"

Anyway, my little one is in Standard 4. When my other two girls were in primary school, they were always top students. My eldest girl, Tushaani was a star student-coming out first in the standard year after year. Ofcourse the mother would love to attend prize giving ceremonies and whisper to everyone around her,"My daughter, my daughter!"

My second girl, Netusha did not excel as well as Tushaani but she too brought me to prize giving ceremonies every year. But alas! my little one is keeping me away from prize giving ceremonies!

My darling Veshalini is the opposite of the other two. She hates to study, grumbles when I teach her, doesn't finish her school work or the work I give her. In short, fights with me all the time. At the beginning, she still did well in school despite all the grumbling. But as of this year, her results got from bad to worse. The last semester exams, she did not even score an A for English. We speak English at home,hello!!

So, I was on her case. I have tution with my children everyday from 3-6. Everyday, I would make her cry-because I keep yelling at her. She drives me up the wall by staring at her book. I would jolt her back only for a few seconds before I raise my voice again. She takes 2 hours to complete 10 sums. Talks about irrelevant stuff when we are studying. She would push me to the max and then all hell will break loose and I start yelling and shouting.

Before I start the tution everyday I would tell myself,"Mala, don't shout at her,ok? Keep your cool." But Vesha's lackadaisical attitude always wins. In the end, I will shout at her. And she will cry. I always tell her that today I am not going to shout at you, so please help me not to do it. But I guess she can't help it. My other two girls will keep reminding her to do her work but she talks endlessly. They would call her stupid, dumb etc(among siblings this is quite common).

There came a point where I did not feel bad anymore when I scolded her. I told myself that it is her fault that I scold her, not mine. So the yelling got worse because now I blame it on her. I would tell her so. But one thing for sure, before I went to bed, I would hug and kiss her and tell her that I love her. But it wasn't enough because the hurt she was feeling everyday was far more greater.

Among the punishment I gave her was, first, I forbid her to play "Oblivion"-it's a pc game. She used to play it in the weekdays and weekends. I took the weekday away first. I told her if she shows some improvement in her behaviour towards her studies, then she can play. But there was no improvement. So I took the weekend away to oblivion. She was very obsessed with this game.

I told her if she finished all her work continuosly for a few weeks then I will let her play again.
Then I took away our evenings walks with the dogs. If she doesn't finish then she can't come.
Once she simply answered all the questions in a haste because she wanted to go for awalk.

And her results became even worse.

Vesha is actually a very intelligent girl. She speaks very well and her choise of words and expression will blow anyone away.

Of late I noticed that she was withdrawn. The moment she sees me she would freeze. She scored all 50's in the last exam-something none of my kids did. I knew, I had to change my strategy. Yelling and scolding her and taking away things she likes to do is not helping her.

The only way was for me to stop screaming at her, treat her with respect and dignity.I had to give her back her self esteem. The only way is to hold my tongue.

So guys, yesterday I scored a miracle. Through out the tution session, I did not raise my voice at all!! Our tution sessions are longer now because she has so much of catching up to do. I was many times on the verge of loosing it but I managed to control myself.

When I tucked her to sleep last night, I told her,"Vesh, you taught me a lesson today. You taught me patience."

And she said,'Mom, you teach me and I teach you."

I promised her that I will never ever yell, scream or scold her anymore. I pray I keep my promise. Help me God!

I Am Mad

So I am mad. Really, really mad. Why? Because my maid decided to change the container of my fish and meat curry powder. I have very cleverly put the fish curry powder into a bottle with a blue cover. Blue as in sea, ocean - fish. Get it? And the meat (chicken & mutton) curry powder was put into a bottle with a red cover. Red meat??
So all my life as a corporate housewife, I never got my curries mixed up. Never! But alas today, I cooked mutton curry and I realised that both my curry powder container covers were red. So I asked my maid why did she change it.
And she said," Itu yang biru, sudah pecah."
"So now which is which", I asked her. She very confidently pointed to one of the bottles and swore that indeed that was the meat curry powder.
You didnt think that I trusted her, did you? I sniffed it for myself but unfortunately, I couldn't make out which was which because they both smelt and looked almost the same colour.
Anyway , judging from my instincts, I proceeded to cook my mutton curry which I really don't have the appetite to eat today. Probably I will have my cereals. I am on a 1,3,5 cereal nights. Supposedly to loose weight! And yup, its working.
Coming back to my maid and swish swashing my cooking ingredients. You know how maids are. They slowly creep into your kitchen and change the setting, your cooking utensils, the position of your electical appliances etc. Ladies beware! This is the first sign of them trying to take over. They start from the kitchen. I always tell my maids. This is my kitchen. Only I and I will change anything around here, understand?
A friend of mine once told me that if he doesnt eat by 9pm, there will be no dinner for him. I asked him why and he said after 9pm, the maid puts everything into the fridge and goes to bed. I asked him what was his wife doing? He said that she follows the maid's orders. WoW! That will never happen to me. Over my dead body!
One thing for sure, I never taught any of my maids to cook. I have very well trained them to prepare the ingredients for cooking. But I do the cooking. They do the cleaning and washing afterwards. My maids are so well trained that when I tell them I want to cook chicken sambal for instance, everything is reading from the ingredients to the wok and ladle- on the stove. I would don my apron, make an elegant entrance in clear Nigela style and cook the meals. In 30 minutes its all done and I exit.
Well, actually I have this mantra about cooking. I belief the mother of the house should do the cooking. When a maid cooks, she is merely wanting to finish her job. But when a mother cooks, she makes sure the consistency of the curry is correct, the taste, the presentation etc. In short not only is she feeding you with all the necessary vitamins and minerals but she is also feeding you with her love. A lot of care is given whilst cooking and a mother puts all her attention and thoughts into it and through out the cooking procedure all she is thinking is for the food to turn out delicious. And that precious thought permeates into the air and into the food that is being cooked. That is why when some people cook ,even a simple meal tastes so yummy!
Now where was I? Oh God! There's something fishy going on in my mutton curry. Wish me luck!!