Didn't really feel like I was celebrating merdeka on the eight month this year (but then again I haven't been for the last few years in university after leaving high school). I was hoping it'll be an independence of difference sorts, maybe a sprititual one or some kind of "break free" moment.
I guess one on the best choices I could make was to put down the phone and stare at it much less than informally would. Not just to mindlessly scroll through Facebook but even to whip it out and snap photos. I've done that plenty in the past, and what I find with the numerous photos I take with the phone is that I miss out on the joys in being in the moment, the time spent with the kids and just looking at their caricature.
A few things i remember about the trip is when we were driving up to the dairy cow farm. There was this girl who was frantically shouting "Tolong! Tolong!" (Which meant help, help in Malay). She was diving her Kancil car up the super steep slope and I guess the car just gave up. So we stopped a little further up and got out of the Hilux. Papa took over the wheel from the terrified and panicking young lass as I stood behind to push the car UP with another 'quite buff' guy... But the car just wasn't budging. Little did we both know Papa was helping her to reverse the car and make a u-turn around and not go up. Well I guess when an adult makes the call to not continue on despite the desire to do so by younger people, the earlier has to be the word taken into action.
I thought we could fetch them up I the bucket and drop them off later on as we were on our way down. But we didn't and thank God so, as it gave us the freedom to roam the hills further.
A second thing was that, shucks, I can't really remember, let me try to recall.
"All is fair in love and war". Played a game of Catan with Fiona, Joel and Shuk Lan. It was her first time. Hence I decided to "give face" as in not taking the upper hand in games at the start thinking it could be a turn around. Not so, later on it got harder to come back up. And people rarely remember the goodness shown in the beggings of games after they've progressed forwards (well not everyone forgets, a friend remembers me standing behind the crouched character to watch over in a game of counter strike). But yeah, point is... I guess we beat ourselves up too much over things that only we ourselves hold onto grudgingly, while others have long ago moved on.
Oh and our steam boat kept overflowed twice. I knew it was going to happen. There was some predicament of future events if I did not take any action. But I just spoke the word. Sigh, if I knew the better of something i should have acted on it and not brush the thought aside.
I bought a "mosquitoe chasing away" plant for 10 bucks. I shouldn't have. As it was growing and freely available at the place we were staying, Sosodikon farm stay. Pleasent Aunty. Who gave us dishwashing liquid to use, I wanted to leave it out in the common area but Joel had insisted we brining it it for safekeeping as it was entrusted to us and we should give it back to the Aunty first hand. Sigh, I guess not everyone is comfortable with sharing as freely as others are.
Oh, how friendly the sabahans are. We were taking so many selfies and trying to squeeze everyone into the picture win the majestic mountain in the background, but could not do so. The lady offered us to use her selfie stick. A totally random stranger seeing others in need. Wow. I have not seen this act of kindness for ages. But we declined as we were already done. I still feel we should have accepted although we didn't need too anymore just for the approval and encouragement it gives to the lady for her courage to offer help.
There was a time we were at the poring hot springs and we went for the canopy walk. We didn't pay the initial rm5 for hand phone photography and could have just sneakly snapped some pics. However I guess with Fiona and Shuk Lan around, also the Holy Spirit, it was better to do the right thing. Integrity is this: what we do when others aren't looking. Hence we decided to but the ticket, as there was a guy sitting at one of the platforms actually selling those tickets as if they already knew forehand that many would actually change their minds halfway and buy camera tickets.
All I all I guess there are many things to learn, from looking back and reflecting and writing a blog post about. Which I haven't been doing for some time. It's nice to write once again. I miss wiriting. I feel sometimes I don't tell stories as good with my mouth vocally then I could if you just read my words. Could you do that? Find out about my day through a blog post then through a phone call?
Sigh, I love you. Have a good trip overseas.
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