A Little Get-Away

My eldest sister, Lee Lee, phoned me from Johore and asked me to visit her and her son. My nephew, Samuel, a specialist engineer, has been transfered from Kuching. As I no longer operate the restaurant, Rialto, my time as a real estate agent is now more flexible. I can chose to take off from work any time. I also wanted to use the opportunity to teach my eldest sis how to write letters via email and how to start her blog. She writes very well in Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia and taught these two languages in the secondary schools before her retirement.

I asked the bus driver which would be the best stop to get down as I wanted to choose a station that is not so crowded. He suggested "Kota Raya". When I reached the station, I tried to use the public phone. Strange! The equipment was faulty, but it could still "eat up" my ten cents coin!

When I reached my nephew's rented condominum in Plentong, I was very impressed. Beautiful building! However, my heart sank when I heard that the phone line had yet to be installed! Hence, it meant my nephew could not even use his computer, even though he had already paid for the telephone line in January! Plentong is only 30 minutes drive from Johore Bahru. I thought perhaps I might teach my sister at an internet cafe, but there is no such cafe in Plentong. I am so sad that although Johore is so close to Singapore, yet the authorities are so slow to emulate their friendly neighbour. Please do not misunderstand me, readers. I do not wish to have that "mightier than thou attitude", but it will bring me great joy if I could also share in my neighbour's progress and well being. When we see our neighbours doing well, we also want to rejoice with them in their success.

Never mind. Since I could not use the computer, I spent the time learning how to cook new dishes from my sister who is an excellent cook. My nephew has a huge collection of videos, and we watched a number of movies - Pride and Prejudice and movies by Jacky Chan. I also danced along with my sis and her four winsome, little grandchildren.

In all my travels, I have learnt to adapt and to get the most out of every visit. I try not to complain what I cannot find, but to make full use of what I can find in all the cities I had visited. In China, it did not bother me that the CAAC (Civil Aviation Authority of China) often cancelled or delayed the flights.... I would go around the airport and look for people that I could chat with. Jokingly, I said that CAAC stands for "China Airlines Always Cancel".

In Nepal, especially in the remote villages, we had to learn to use "toilets without walls" and despite the cold, mud floors, I could sleep soundly. The mountains are so lovely and the locals are so warm and friendly. Although the Nepalis have little, they are so generous and hospitable!

I enjoy travelling. Each time I come back to Singapore, it makes me more appreciative of the privilege of living in this efficient, well-planned, clean and green city.

Gan Chau