When I think back on my SJI days, one thing stands out immediately. I wonder, if not for that incident, where would I be know? What would I be doing? Would I have taken the path I walk on now?
Would I have known the people I know now? Would I have met better people? Would I be happier?
Sometimes I feel like I was supposed to fulfil some kind of vague prophecy, you know, destined for achievement of some sort, if not greatness. Maybe it's just too much ego on my part, or an over-emphasis/awareness on who I came from, etcetc. But I'm constrained, in a way. Noting my constraints, there has nonetheless been one thought, one fantasy, one distinct impossibility that has been replaying doggedly in my mind's eye. Wondering whether 6 years' worth of lost time can be erased with a single-minded pursuit of what seems hopelessly out of reach. Wondering if this is the stuff of dreams, and nothing more.
But my daily routine corroborates none with my vision. I've always been like that. Always dreaming, never doing. Hell, what makes it so frustrating is I can imagine myself writing this article and then going back to my same habits all over again. It's self-fulfilling and perpetuating, it is. It's a bloody virus.
But it would be foolish to keep bawling. It would be wise to start doing. I've gone the first step, which despite what everyone says, is really the easiest. The most difficult step is always the next.
And remember kids, you're only ever as good as your last match.
From being afraid of bad things happening to themselves, parents who were unsure, lack of finances, even pure skepticism (and we're still only talking about me!), it was a half-miracle that the plans for the trip didn't implode. The other half was due to L's work and perseverance. Good on ya L! Without you (and of course Peter) this trip would never have happened.
Logistics suck, and maybe that's why all these travel agencies are thriving. We got on a bus and reached the place like at 4.15am. geez. And already there were people lingering there, the coffeeshop was alost full, that street was lined with taxis and the accompanying touts, and there was even a full family sitting around. Amazing scenes. =) So we spent more than an hour trying to orientate ourselves and find our way to the Hotel (we made it in the end, by asking a very shady-looking bloke for directions). Slept in the lounge, got chased out, proceeded to the pool to resume our snooze and then finally went to Sunway to have some fun on ice. Some of us were naturals, but for some of us the propects of even a chilled drink would be daunting henceforth.
Making our way back to our hotel (KL plaza suites... it was kinda 3-star) we lazed around a bit, playing Boggle before going to Dinner with peter's family for his sister's birthday. The dinner was a bit stifling, but in the end we unexpectedly got a free stay at Genting. We were nothing short of ecstatic, but alas I had to go back to @£%%&*!^ing work so I couldn't stay for one more day, as all the others did. Monopoly at night was a bit crazy, it was scary how Jas slowly strangled and killed us off. :P Of course I made a lot of noise and smoke but in the end I was the second one to be bankrupted. Inami gave up first, that wet blanket. At first it seemed that he thought he had no chance, but it turns out he decided to ditch monopoly in favour of his sex novel. What can I say, that man's got his priorities right!
After a good night's sleep, the Alarm clock woke us all up. Bloody loud it was. And turns out L really wanted to shop at FOS too. =) Imagine the look on her face (and adel's) as well as the noise when we realised there was an outlet AT our bloody hotel. Spent a good part of the day there, I myself actually bought something for myself. Shock horror, as someone I used to know would say. :D
Shopped at Time square(or smth like that) and then went to Starbucks with L and adel. Turns out they charge $1.50 for whipped cream in M'sia. Can you bloody believe it? Taking into account the service charge and all that, methinks the next time I wanna get ripped off I'll visit a Singapore Starbucks, thank you very much.
That night saw many of us quite tired, and a few things happened. But none was hilarious as the whole cake debacle. How that whole incident started out, noone will ever know, least of all Inami and I. All I know is that sometimes you can have your cake and laugh like shit for a good 15 minutes. Of course there was a lot of nonsense, jumping around on beds and all that. Juvenile. Tsk.
Last day was a bit of a farce, but it turned out okay in the end. It was raining and fogging in genting like crazy, and we ended up wasting our free all-day all-access to all-rides tickets (complimentary of datuk godpa-in-law-of-peter) in the rain, with almost all the rides closed. Poor Peter was freezing cos he had no jacket. Brave little bugger soldiered on anyway. He was a great host. :D Went Daytona-ing with Inami and Peter while the girls went shopping. Was fun, didn't get to win any of the rounds though. Piiiish!
Free drink at The Olive, read an interesting book about Horses. Snigger. Waited for the girls, but we got so fed up we left. They all took a nap, and I did for a while. After realising that my time was almost up, took a nice, long soak in the tub. Felt like a lobster afterwards.
So at 7.30 I realised that the last bus from Genting to Puduraya was at 8. Rushed down, said really quick ( but equally heartfelt) goodbyes to everyone and zipped off.
I felt really sad leaving Peter, Inami, Adel, L, Jas and Joy, to be honest. Can't think of many better people to spend a trip with, besides my family of course. Wished I could have stayed another day. Bus ride home was really shitty. What to do?
On a lighter and closer-to-home note, the residents of my block rock! Some idiot left their fridge out in the lift lobby of the 15th floor, so today when I took the lift, guess what I saw. A big bold felt-tip marker written note which went like this:
"Only a brainless idiot who never goes to school will leave a fridge out here.
Feel so sorry for you."
Phwoar!
So all in all KL was really fun. But it was the company that made it special.
Murder, he wrote. At
1/16/2006 12:15:00 am
.I AM
. Gabriel
. OUT of the Army
. Waiting to prove himself
