Outstation... To north with my cousin brother! Day 1... (Monday 25/9/06)

Last night my girl came to my place stayed overnight. She was left alone and her parents took off to China. They'll be back in another 10 days. While i was informed to go outstation with my cousin brother for a week, she's in vain to be left alone. Due to her plannings, she could only get her temporary companion starting Thursday onwards...

What'll she do when she's alone at home? I'm freaking worried, though she's independent enough. But still...

Yeah i do miss her, and even missed the opportunity to stay at my place, like what couples used to.

In the morning at 7pm, we woke up and i companied her to fetch her car and she went to work. Yesterday i tried to send my laundry and it's closed on Sundays... Usually i thought it's essential for them to open for public during weekends too... What a disappointment, but i managed to wash some of my working clothes. Then again, i forgotten about my working socks... Just in luck, Pasar Pudu just nearby, i walked there and the stall was right at the last corner of the shoplots.

My eyes glancing hardly at the price, stated '4 for RM5'... Damn, i've expected 5 for RM10 or something. Back to logic sense, i bought 8 pairs in medium thickness. Fucking enough to use for another 5-8 years, if it's really durable to last that fucking long...

I came back, rushed myself ironing my clothes and slacks...

Wonder why i never did the ironing job last night? Oh well, it's personal, and another reason will be, the clothes were still not in condition to be ironed... Yeah yeah, excuses...


I reached the office 5 minutes after usual. My cousin brother still haven't come. I just ate Rotiboy bread and a cup of Milo, then clean up the office a little, then he came.

He looked at me and asked, "Where's your luggage?" "I'm prepared but the things were left at my place, just standby..." i replied. He said with his eyebrows stretched up, "You better get everything ready cuz i'm running late for the day!"

It's about twice i came back and forth. Once i got everything, we left. And just as you could imagine, i forgotten my casual belt and my shampoos... Damn... Even One Piece comics, that i supposed to return either Sunday or Monday, and i left 3 books to finish. What i've brought only portable cd player and few cds to ease my mind before bedtime.

We went to Bangsar. My cousin needed to use the bank's services there. Just as i came last night and today i'm here again. With daylight's view, i could see the old long stretch of mamak were shifted to another place. And the place was developed a shopping mall, bigger, competitive than the current one (damn, i even forgotten the name!). Then we left to Ipoh.

We had a stop at Rawang's R&R. Since we haven't had our lunch, it's best to take it then or else we're in vain to find a convenient place to dine in. I ordered the food and paid before it ready to be served. Once i got the seats, a man from my behind was sitting there quite sometime and he approached me. He was in quite a distant from me asking me, "Ada satu ringgit?" maybe i was intimidated with these beggars, i never looked at them and turned my head on the other way. He went back to his place and sat there. Then my cousin brother came back with drinks. After the meal, we both smoked cigarettes. Then again, the beggar came and stood with the same distance showing smoking signs at us. Still, i did the same and my cousin brother never noticed him, until the beggar left, i told him then only he realised!

One question... How the hell the beggar got here?

In such long journey (maybe not for those veterans) the weather changed to dark, thick, dark clouds spreading widely upon the mountains along the highway. My cousin brother was so paranoid of the rain. Maybe he's worried that the rain could cause the vision blurred during the journey, or maybe he's like a cat, afraid of getting wet... Neither one could possibly judge his paranoia reason... Duh...















We took the Simpang Pulai's exit, there's a client to visit. The whole place of Simpang Pulai just like Yong Peng, the shops were rare from one stretch of road lead to another. I can't remember much of the road cuz it looks almost the same as others. After meeting the client, we went another place nearby to visit another client. It's a town and many used cars dealers along the stretch. We were there just a moment and headed to...




Actually i wasn't sure, but i'm very excited to be at Penang cuz i love that place.

Eventually, my cousin brother was all the while busy at his calls. I don't mind of where's he's taking me but i'm just curious of when i'll be meeting my friends at Penang.

He turned into Bandar Baharu, headed to Parit Buntar. One last client visit for the day, and i was totally tired of plain sitting in the car. Yet i did drove, from Rawang until another R&R stop before Parit Buntar.

We spent quite some time at client's place. I was there looking here and there, nothing much to do but listened to the conversation between client and my cousin brother. It seems the place was peaceful, not as happening as Teluk Intan. Everyone spoke Mandarin here, before here was Cantonese. Soon, all Hokkien, and i only managed to listen but not in verbal. Yep, i was born and grow up in Klang, this dialect won't lead me blank.

About 7pm, we left to Alor Setar (that's when my cousin brother mentioned when he bid farewell to the client)... The whole stretch road was totally dark, and rained some more. My cousin started to story out about the rain thingy and he's very cautious at the weather during the long trip. I know, i know, i've been through all these and it's not really intimidating me. Of course, being eldest it's ought for him to get worried, not as he mention it repeatedly. Sigh...

As soon as we arrived Alor Setar, we dropped by at the nearest restaurant, which my cousin brother recommended, the best fish ball soup in town. Unfortunately, when he tried to make the order, it's out of order. Seriously, i'm quite fancy of good food, as a gourmet, i do like to taste something famous and delicious but fish ball soup... Hmmm... Well, it's quite usual dish. Yes, it's famous, but i can't even tried it out, and i don't feel it's delicious, and the famous thingy faded out from my mind.

Thus, we ordered normal ones to fill our hunger.


Within distance from the restaurant, we reached the hostel... Hmmm, it's a 2-storey shoplots, two merged in one, renovated with rooms and living rooms, below and above. I was at the car fetching stuffs while my cousin brother went to check in. I saw lots of dogs (very nice and tamed, various types like poodles etc, valueable animals...) laying at the front door, that was at the right side. The left side was for the residents. Our room's at left side, once i got into it, man... The room's small, with 2 complimentary bottles of drinking water (RO) on a small table, 2 single beds and 2 gang power supply, just right for both of us to charge our cellphones. I'm glad my room's bigger than this. The bathrooms were publically used, and it's very clean. I like the hot shower, especially the shower head, you could change the flow at your desire.


My cellphone was low at batt, due taking much notes during visits on clients. My girl was waiting for my call and i reached the hostel after 9pm. I took bath, called my girl and started to write this post. After awhile, my cousin brother asked me to follow him out for a drink, perhaps with a newspaper.

During 10pm onwards, the whole place was a silent. The lights decoration were not repaired as though its left just as without turning it on, you could even count how many was lighted... I counted 6 was lighted. See how bad it was without any careful maintenance? It's in publicity and people might mistook it as a joke.


Yeah, i did. How you gonna expect when you saw more than a thousand lights and only 6 are functioning?

I had a beer, read newspaper and look around the places. Everyone's the same, and the environment just like Kota Baru's Chinatown. One thing weird was it's almost 11pm and the comic bookstore still opens. Once we decided to go back, the comic bookstore finally close. It reminded me of my comic's dues.


Nothing much, we took early rest and see what's happening tomorrow.