Parked the car at Carrefour's basement for Lawrence or Cathryn to drive back when they come home after work and made my way lugging the company's laptop and my luggage to the KTM station some 400 meters away. Heck, 400 meters felt like eight hundred as the bag, though only half-filled with mostly clothing, was heavy and bulky. Suffice to say it's going to be even heavier when I return in February.
Arrived at KL Sentral at around twelve and made my way to the Skybus for immediate boarding that made its way on the road to the airport after half an hour. The only notable thing to happen on this trip is having an Air Asia stewardess on sitting next to me whom I'd imagine had a good night out with her friends as she had no trouble falling asleep sitting straight, hairs all falling in front of the head and occassionally using my shoulder as a side cushion. I marvel at how people could actually sleep on a trip that move the passengers all about with the turns et al while sitting up straight. My neighbour later that evening pointed that on long haul flights that is how they rest so I suppose it makes sense.
No, we didn't talk and I didn't get her number as I myself was feeling pretty sleepy after staying up the night before until 5:00 am traversing the Great Wasteland of DC fending off Super Mutants and Raiders after waking up from a three-hour nap the night before.
The flight didn't delay in any sense but the efficiency of the Air Asia crew made it feel like a delay as we boarded the plane on the stipulated time before departure but had to wait for some twenty minutes while bags of five passengers who won't be making the trip would have to be removed from the cargo as per procedure. I don't know why they won't be making the trip - all guesses go from being arrested for something, a medical emergency etc.
We took the sky later and for the rest of the two and half hours of flight I was sat next to a middle aged fella who doesn't seem to speak anything at all. Even to the air hostess he just pointed to them what he wanted and paid. He doesn't seemed miffed that I had to go out to the loo (just) once throughout the whole flight or that I had the window shutter pulled down to block out the bright sun outside when there's nothing to see but the bright blue sky and the blinding sun.
The landing was pretty smooth for one done in turbulence as the weather was pretty gloomy here in Miri for the past two weeks with water pouring down the from the heavens almost without respite. It was cold and wet throughout the evening even as my neighbour and I were having supper at the well known Servay Jaya eateries.
"Ah, you're back"
I planned to get a haircut the day after of which I asked my father if the old barbershop is still there in which he said there will be but I would have to be there soon before the renovate and expand the place which is a good thing for their generations old business I suppose.
Sadly though, the old barber who cut my hair since I was a wee lad - try five years old - was no longer there to ply his trade of trimming and shaving tresses. Every year, except the ones when I won't be celebrating the Lunar New Year in Miri or if I already had a haircut before I made my way home, without fail I'll visit the barbershop in the morning and be greeted with "Ah, you're back" from the man with long sideburns in his usual low and friendly tone.
I didn't believe it at first when my dad told me about his demise but was eventually proven when I asked his colleagues, all whom also cut the hair of my brothers and my dad for 'the other guy'. They knew whom I was looking for as they worked with him throughout those two decades, replied me "He's no longer around, how can he cut your hair?".
My brother mentioned that he grew some sort of tumour on his spine, not very disimilar to the one that afflicted my late brother in 1999. He eventually lost functions to his legs and was bedridden. Slowly his eyesight gave way too and all he could do was cry in despair. On August 2008 he finally breathed his last.
His ex-colleague barbers are all just as good, but this guy knew how I want my hair done and does it speedily and properly but at the end of the day it's just different. He's the more talkative one, asking my family about how things are going and catching up on times, for over twenty years on my head of hair alone.
I had my hair cut as I planned to and left the place feeling a tiny tinge of sadness that another one of my childhood connection back to my hometown is no more as I reflected on how times has changed. I wasn't devastated by it though a little sad that the good old man would no longer be the one doing my hair for the coming new years and the ones after.
I glanced at the photo placed on one of the shelf of the four guys who worked the place and he stood there on the leftmost side with that almost Japanese-like face smiling at the cameraman.
That's how I will remember him.
Festivities
That night we made the usual trip to Old Town to take in the carnival-like atmosphere of the annual New Year market. Much like your pasar malam everywhere this one was setup just for the purpose of the celebrations. The main roads were closed to traffic, allowing tents to be setup from one end to the other with the permanent eatery in the middle serving those who are looking for food.
IIRC, this is the oldest town area of the city where all the businesses began when this place was still a fledgling oil town so it is only fitting to have them here amidst the backdrop of refurbished old commerce buildings. A big God of Prosperity doll was erected in front of the Chamber of Commerce, pretty much one of the main attractions of the the market alongside food, ornaments, clothing and plants. Even my dad had a photo taken in front of it with my uncle.
As usual, being the anak merantau I went to look for the usual food that is either hardly found in KL or not as well done as it is in a less-commercialised environment while my brother is onto decorations for his house. My dad and uncle walked around to soak in the festivities whilst comparing prices of goods as they normally do.
As we sat at one of the permanent eateries built between two streets for some tea and coffee, my uncle asked me the very question that is done almost exclusively by my mother's siblings.
"Do you have a girlfriend?".
"No".
"Why not?".
I couldn't bear to tell him the reason that I am recluse spider that is highly resistant to loneliness so I told him about my daily schedule of which he seemed to understand.
"I take the weekends off as the weekdays are busy enough".
He worked in KL before so he knows about how life is over there.
"How about your co-workers? Aren't there any pretty and attractive ones?".
"Of course there are but office mates, well, it's not recommended - you see one another every day, the other person's mood under scrutiny etc".
Again, he seemed to understand very well.
"How about client sides?".
"I work with system admins, network engineers - I have only met two of them whom are female and even that was unusual".
"Well they have secretaries, the admins etc".
"I work with technical people, I hardly meet with the rest".
First encounter, done.
Second encounter soon, my aunts which would probably happen when we make our trip to Kanowit next.
Bring it on!
