Not a summary

There are some things that I can express my thoughts on this CNY. Not that it's a special occasion that renders the need for some summary.

People do reset. A leopard may not change it's unique spots. Bad habits return, ill-behaviours re-surface.

With determination and some discipline, certain things can be certainly achieved. I managed to swim 12 x freestyle laps this new year, up from 10 x breast stroke laps a year ago. Nothing to boast of, but is a tiny achievement for myself.

It is not nice to always be the OK man. While you might be concerned over a friend, s/he might just think you are another irritation, worse, a thorn in a flesh.

Opportunity do not always knock on the door. When you see a good wave, launch your board, instead of hoping for a higher and more ferocious surf, you might just get a tsunami that clears away all hopes.

Read in between the lines at times. However, just forget it for the rest.

Flaws

There flaws in life that I simply need to learn to accept; not that others' behaviours are necessarily flaws.

I need to know that there are mentalities in my friend that says - it does not matter that I am meeting you at a prearranged time, I will still go for a nap (sleep) and if I missed the timing, just too bad.

I need to know that no matter how badly you want simple helps from someone - and it does not matter you helped them before (oblivious to them); when you need help, you are the servant, they are the boss. You need to take their displeasure humbly.

Bintulu

I can never forget this town. This is a peaceful old town in the state of Sarawak, East Malaysia. I was there the last few days for a site meeting. Though the outcome of the meeting depresses me - and the depression was made worse by my coming back home - I was happy to have lived a few days of slow paced life, walking around with no real aims or purpse (well, I do have some work that needs to be done).

The old Bintulu town (the area Hotel Royal was located) - as the name suggests - was the former city centre of the place. The former Bintulu airport runway is situated no more than 300m from my hotel, and was in the Guinness for being the only airport situated in the heart of a town. Every time I passed the air strip, I was taken over by the rustic charm it exuded.

Life was slowed, not physically, but really, on the whole. Order a meal at a cafe and the eatery will take their time. One morning, I ordered a chicken porridge for breakfast and it never came until after 15 minutes - slow by Singapore standards. But within the 15 minutes, I switched between lazy gazes at the morning traffic (2 meters away from my seat) and the culinary act of the stalkeeper, who attentively watch the fire to my porridge and pinching in the right amount of salt into it. She then scooped a sample of the porridge and tasted it and was satisfied that it was ready to be served, and I was.

The next time I had to visit this place again, I do not know whether this kind of lifestyle will still be an available option to me. But this trip has been a real different experience for me.

Sense

I am not someone who need a sense of belonging. I can go anywhere, into any situation; drop me at any place and tell me to spend the rest of my time there, I can do it. All I need is to adapt.

I am not someone who can do without a sense of purpose. Tell me to do this, I want to know why, tell me to go there, I need to know why; when I do something, I would want to picture the consequence.

Spit all over

Before I start, I have to disclaim that I am not fully in the situation I am about to narrate, hence, what I mentioned, might not be representative of the actual.

I realised something about a certain type of human being. The ones that are often oblivious to what is happening on the mind and hearts of others, yet, they often shoot off and rant about much of how they are feeling. My friend was a victim of a spat that happened a couple of days ago. I witness a spit of ungratefulness on an act of real Samaritan concern.

I think I might be guilty of these at times. So recently, I have learnt to just keep quiet than to react to a situation. Why confront a situation when what you say means nothing?

Seminar, the lousy type

Before I forget, I need to have this recorded as the events created quite an impression in me. I went for a seminar a few days back. Three speakers - MOM, Safety Auditor Association and a certain Private Company.

MOM was focusing on trying proclaim how hardworking they have been; and how, despite their hard work, the laymen failed to live through dangers and hazards.

Safety Auditor was complaining about how the auditees did not made the auditor's lives easy by not producing the right document at the right time at a snap of their fingers. By the way, he did not test out the slides and had version problem as a result. He was also late when returning from tea break, as a result, the whole seminar floor was waiting for his grand arrival.

Private company's representative talk more humanely, but boastfully. He went about advertising his company and their products and how well they scored in the audit and also how every company should strive to achieve a certain level of safety.

I have no problem marking the whole session as 'FAIR', first speaker 'FAIR', second 'FAIR', third 'GOOD'. I have been quite generous with my marking if you ask me.

"She held on to my hands and pressed her head into whichever part of me within her reach, as we made out way to the clinic for the third time that day."

It has been a disturbing day the whole of yesterday. I see gore, blood, innards. It's not everyday that one can see what's usually on the big screens in real life. Ah Niu went into a fight somewhere with someone (or the plural of someone) and got himself a big nasty wound at the back of his head. The wound has not healed since and he refused to be taken to the doctor. He is now Rotted Niu".

Saima has been previously warded into the clinic for a dislodged rectum due to hookworms infection in her digestive system. The specifics of it shall not be discussed. The rectum got pushed back in and the hookworm got treated, and she was discharged in our second visit to the clinic yesterday. Lo and behold, within 3 hours of her discharge, what was pushed back into her, exited again. I would not say they came out of the anus because quite frankly, nothing really came off, its the same things along the same system that happens to be in a different place. I would think of it as a sock turned inside out.

Without a choice, we have to bring Saima back to the clinic, and she is staying there, again. We forgot to bring along her leftover medication from the last warding and told the doctor we will be returning later to get that done. Saima was slightly trembling - I don't know whether it's the air-con or her mood - throughout the journey. She held on to my hands and pressed her head into whichever part of me within her reach, as we made out way to the clinic for the third time that day.

We returned with the medicine in our final trip for the day and Dr Jemmy had to break to us a news that would crack our heart and shatter our wallets. Saima has to undergo a surgery. Her digestive tract has to be drawn inwards to toward the stomach and sewn there as the recurring problems no longer has a solution. We agreed to the procedure after some serious questioning by Seamonkey.

As I typed now, Saima is probably on her way to the medical centre at Nusa.

p.s. Saima will also be spayed in the same procedure.