Best and finest memories of Malaysia
1. Saw a huge monitor lizard right there in the drain near KL old central station KTM.
2. Looking down from the bridge on the Klang River by Pejabat Pos Besar, it was so brown, so smelly, so foul. I am happy to say that not long after that the cleanup plan was started and the Klang river in that place now is not nearly as dirty as it was.
3. “It is going to rain. Better take an umbrella.” Well, Waihon thought we could walk to town before the rain started and he told Popo we didn’t want one extra thing to carry. It rained before we could unlock the gate. The best part of this story is the little, girlish giggle I remember from Popo.
4. At KLCS (old Central Station) we were waiting for the very last train home around 11 something. There were not many people there. I notice one man, very unkept, very crazy looking. I think he was homeless. But my heart almost stopped when I realized that this man, who had nothing at all, had an old towel and in it he was carrying a very small kitten which he petted from time to time. I had up to this point not seen such a vivid example of how compassion can live in the human soul. I learned that from a homeless crazy man.
5. Zainun, Marges Uncle and Auntie next door and sister Linda. My neighbors at Taman Nyior.
6. The chicken rice shop just outside Taman Nyior. If I had a little cash, I could walk there with Ellie and Joey in the sling. We usually had just enough to share one serving of chicken rice. Sometimes we had just enough for a little rice and a boiled egg. I think the neighbors thought I was crazy walking in the middle of the day. I think Waihon would have thought it unsafe.
7. The huge, really colorful lizard we met on the way home from the chicken rice shop one day. He reappeared one morning in Marges carporch! She thought he was charmed and wouldn’t dare go out and disturb him. I thought he was wonderful so long as he stayed off my carporch. She laughed at this.
8. The way Eunice would call up and say “You want to go Giant or anywhere? We are coming to fetch you ok? See you then.” When I didn’t know they were coming to fetch us. Ok! Have twenty minutes to clean up and get ready to go out!
9. Soo Hui’s father when he took us out to see the Parilament building (we didn’t have kids yet). He was so quiet, kind and polite.
10. Joanna’s big, round eyes the first time she laid eyes on me. She was four years old. She must have thought I was very strange looking, not brown like everyone else she had ever known. I won her over by playing folk songs on harmonica for her. Waihon wasn’t even with me the first time I met his family; he was in town getting his hair cut to be presentable to his mother! So I focused on the ones I thought might be more accepting-the kids!
11. When the Auntie next door was dying of cancer, she allowed me to help care for her and pray for her. Later was able to share with her family. My mother in law helped me interpret to cantonese what I wanted to tell them.
12. Top of my list of favorite places: Kong Ming, Tops, Curry Leaf, that funny japanese restaurant chain that the food comes out on a conveyor belt. If that isn’t entertaining nothing is. I like the food at Kong Ming best; I like Tops because they give you a lot to eat, I like Curry Leaf for the obvious reason that the friends I always found myself there with were good company.
13. The roti seller in our neighborhood always came around the same time and we would buy roti and then it was time to put the kids to bed. Just around dusk. Became a comfortable routine.
14. The way I would walk to Zainun’s house at the corner in the evening, stay longer than I intended, and then we would walk each other home a couple of times before saying goodnight. Still miss that.
15. I was shocked and amazed when I realized how much effort, thought and love went into Agape Heights. It was a nice place to be. I have never seen such a big bed before (in the first bedroom). And they chose fancy new dishes for the kitchenette. Which I was afraid to use because I didn't want to break them.
16. The kitchen in my house in Nilai…that was probably the nicest thing Waihon had ever done for me, let us build up the kitchen properly. It even has an oven. I miss my smiley mugs.
17. Those really centuries old trees near Allson Klana Seremban. Or were they near the children’s park? You know what I am talking about if you are from the area. Don’t they look amazing like something from Peter Pan’s imagination?
1. Saw a huge monitor lizard right there in the drain near KL old central station KTM.
2. Looking down from the bridge on the Klang River by Pejabat Pos Besar, it was so brown, so smelly, so foul. I am happy to say that not long after that the cleanup plan was started and the Klang river in that place now is not nearly as dirty as it was.
3. “It is going to rain. Better take an umbrella.” Well, Waihon thought we could walk to town before the rain started and he told Popo we didn’t want one extra thing to carry. It rained before we could unlock the gate. The best part of this story is the little, girlish giggle I remember from Popo.
4. At KLCS (old Central Station) we were waiting for the very last train home around 11 something. There were not many people there. I notice one man, very unkept, very crazy looking. I think he was homeless. But my heart almost stopped when I realized that this man, who had nothing at all, had an old towel and in it he was carrying a very small kitten which he petted from time to time. I had up to this point not seen such a vivid example of how compassion can live in the human soul. I learned that from a homeless crazy man.
5. Zainun, Marges Uncle and Auntie next door and sister Linda. My neighbors at Taman Nyior.
6. The chicken rice shop just outside Taman Nyior. If I had a little cash, I could walk there with Ellie and Joey in the sling. We usually had just enough to share one serving of chicken rice. Sometimes we had just enough for a little rice and a boiled egg. I think the neighbors thought I was crazy walking in the middle of the day. I think Waihon would have thought it unsafe.
7. The huge, really colorful lizard we met on the way home from the chicken rice shop one day. He reappeared one morning in Marges carporch! She thought he was charmed and wouldn’t dare go out and disturb him. I thought he was wonderful so long as he stayed off my carporch. She laughed at this.
8. The way Eunice would call up and say “You want to go Giant or anywhere? We are coming to fetch you ok? See you then.” When I didn’t know they were coming to fetch us. Ok! Have twenty minutes to clean up and get ready to go out!
9. Soo Hui’s father when he took us out to see the Parilament building (we didn’t have kids yet). He was so quiet, kind and polite.
10. Joanna’s big, round eyes the first time she laid eyes on me. She was four years old. She must have thought I was very strange looking, not brown like everyone else she had ever known. I won her over by playing folk songs on harmonica for her. Waihon wasn’t even with me the first time I met his family; he was in town getting his hair cut to be presentable to his mother! So I focused on the ones I thought might be more accepting-the kids!
11. When the Auntie next door was dying of cancer, she allowed me to help care for her and pray for her. Later was able to share with her family. My mother in law helped me interpret to cantonese what I wanted to tell them.
12. Top of my list of favorite places: Kong Ming, Tops, Curry Leaf, that funny japanese restaurant chain that the food comes out on a conveyor belt. If that isn’t entertaining nothing is. I like the food at Kong Ming best; I like Tops because they give you a lot to eat, I like Curry Leaf for the obvious reason that the friends I always found myself there with were good company.
13. The roti seller in our neighborhood always came around the same time and we would buy roti and then it was time to put the kids to bed. Just around dusk. Became a comfortable routine.
14. The way I would walk to Zainun’s house at the corner in the evening, stay longer than I intended, and then we would walk each other home a couple of times before saying goodnight. Still miss that.
15. I was shocked and amazed when I realized how much effort, thought and love went into Agape Heights. It was a nice place to be. I have never seen such a big bed before (in the first bedroom). And they chose fancy new dishes for the kitchenette. Which I was afraid to use because I didn't want to break them.
16. The kitchen in my house in Nilai…that was probably the nicest thing Waihon had ever done for me, let us build up the kitchen properly. It even has an oven. I miss my smiley mugs.
17. Those really centuries old trees near Allson Klana Seremban. Or were they near the children’s park? You know what I am talking about if you are from the area. Don’t they look amazing like something from Peter Pan’s imagination?
18. And many more precious memories that I think of usually around…3 am…..especially when I’ve had too much kopi O…..so funny me, when I was in M’sia, I spent so much time thinking of MN…
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1 comment:
I know what you mean! I still think of the short time I spent at your parents' farm. And your mom's food! Delicious!! Yum! Yum!
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