Genting Highlands

Took a trip to Genting Highlands over the last weekend and wow, the place had changed so much I couldn't recognise!

The last time I was there in 1984, there was only one hotel and it was mostly forested. I also recalled a huge lake that had an arch formed by two giant brontosaurus. The lake and the brontosaurus are not there anymore. Today, there are so many hotels, theme parks and the place is so so bloody crowded! And I'm not sure if it's me or it's true - that the place is not as cool. One of the deepest impression I had of Genting was waking up in the morning to see thick clouds below the hotel. It felt magical, really like we were in the heavens. But I don't see such sights today, possibly because my hotel this time round was not right on top of the mountain.

Anyway, it was an eye opener and I supposed what I saw and experienced are signs of time. I mourn the lost of all the calm, peace and unadulterated nature.

Bad Road Behaviours

I really suspect this bad road behaviour is only found in Singapore, judging from the frequency of me experiencing it - it's rushing forward to deny someone from filtering when he/ she signals his/ her intent, or worst - bullying a person after he had successfully filtered. It's very frustrating. And whenever it happened to me, I will never give up the chance to respond to the person. This uncle is ok to take the challenge. Here's what happened today... 

I was on the expressway heading home. I was in the middle lane and as the car in front of me was a tat slow, I decided to overtake it. I checked my rear mirror and noted there was a car a distance back. The car was travelling at a speed that was about the same as mine. I decided it was safe to filter and signalled my intent. And once I did so, the driver of the car increased his speed. As he was quite a distance away, I managed to successfully filter out. He was still a couple of car lengths behind me. He must have felt unhappy for he started flashing his high beam at me repeatedly as he picked up speed even more and began tailgating me. He continued flashing his high beam as he did so... wtf! 

I didn't take such behaviours lightly. It was not like as though I had filtered and cut into his path dangerously at near proximity. And after filtering successfully, I was not even road hogging - I was going at slightly more than 100kmph! So I did what I thought would make him stop his bullying - I stepped onto my brake hard (hard enough to scare the person but in a controlled manner to avoid a collision). My action was aimed at startling him and I knew I achieved my aim for his car pulled away from me very quickly. But once he recovered from his startle, his bullying continued.  He picked up speed again and kept quite close to me. I continue tapping my brake and, in the process, slowed down to almost 70kmph. By now, he knew I was not to be messed with. I suspected he panicked as he slowed further and now kept a considerably large distance behind me. I waited for him to overtake from my left but he didn't. It was clear he was afraid.

I continued at 70kmph at the outermost lane for the next km or so and he kept a far distance behind me. When I eventually filtered to exit the highway, he gingerly increased his speed and drove pass me. I stared at him but he didn't dare look at me. He's a young nerdy-looking bespectacled driver no more than in his late-20s. And he was driving a new car no older than a month or two old, judging from his car's registration plate. WTH, bloody ball-less road bully trying to play the fool with me. I would have played with him till he ended his journey, but no... it was not worth it. Enough just to make him panic and teach him a lesson. 

(as I typed the above, I also concluded that I myself was not behaving well... heh heh)

Qingming 2019

Over the last weekend, I observed the Qingming festival. This is the annual tomb-sweeping festival and I had been doing it for as long as I recalled. As a kid, I would head to the cemetery with my mum and since my mum's passing, I had observed this event with my aunt and her family. This year, however, it's a little different.

For the first time, my Uncle didn't come along. That, to me, was not normal. He's an old person in his mid-80s and observing such traditions has always been important to him. He’s aged significantly when I last met him during the Lunar New Year. So I hoped his absence over the weekend was simply cos the weather was too hot (as my Cousin has shared) and not a sign of more serious things to come.

Housing Loans

I resolved to clear my housing loan by this year. Will be rather stretched and will mean possibly not being able to undertake big ticket items like getting a new car, renovating the house or having a major holiday or for that matter, changing my job. But it's ok, I want to clear it soonest. Been 3 decades plus. Too long.

Pet Peeve

One of my pet peeve was having a family splitting up and queueing at the different queues at the supermarket. And all would give up their queues once whoever reaches the cashier first. This, to me, is very inconsiderate (although admittedly, I had been guilty of such behaviours too). Anyway, here's what happened when, by chance, I broke up such a mother-daughter pair yesterday.

I was at the supermarket and after getting what I wanted, I made my way to the cashier. There were 2 counters and there were 2 queues. It so happened that left queue ended with a trolley. A lady had her hand on the trolley and she stood next to a younger girl who was queuing in the right queue. And they were both chatting happily. Behind this girl, there were a few others and it looked like after the girl, there was only one queue.

Being a little confused, I walked up and asked the lady if there was one or two queues. She looked at me and answered, a bit rudely, that there were two. Once she did that, the empty-handed young girl quickly walked away from the right queue and pretended like she had never queued in the first place. This, apparently, was greeted with huge smiles from those queueing behind the girl and the distinction between the right and the left queues became clear.

I looked a little closer at the queues and realised that on the left queue, there were two persons in front of the mother and each person has a full basket-load of groceries. And for the right queue, there were four persons but their baskets were only half full. It was then that I realised they were a mother-daughter pair and that the daughter had been in the other queue hoping that it would go faster. Anyway, I didn’t bother, I simply joined in the right queue.

Sighs...

(for the record, I managed to pay for my purchases before the mother did... heh).

Ma!...

I came home early from work last afternoon totally exhausted. I headed straight to my bed and just collapsed in it, whole body still wet from my perspiration from the hot afternoon sun. I fell into a deep momentary sleep, or more appropriately, a nap, although I was struggling to keep awake. It was just not normal for me to do afternoon naps but I was just too exhausted. After what might have been a 5-min sleep, I woke up, and in my drowsy and confused state, I called out “Ma!...”. I thought my mum was watching tv in the living room. The realisation that my mum died 3-plus years ago sank in as I slowly gain consciousness. It was not a good feeling. I felt really sad. 

Some things just do not leave your subconscious.

Sighs.