Saturday, January 28, 2006

CNY 2006 Balik Kampung Do

I've managed to get the dial-up connection up after all. Yay! The speed is teh slow, anyway it's better than nothing at all.

The journey back today (technically should be yesterday, anyway...) was pretty smooth. The traffic wasn't as bad as I thought. Err... at least for the journey from KL to Gua Musang.

We stopped in Bentong for quick lunch, and the rest of the passengers (my brother and two cousins) were dozing off for most part of the journey. Which I don't really mind and care.

I told myself to not speed over limit when I first started the journey, there might be speed traps along the way. I managed to hold fast to that just until Raub, which partly helps by the those "slow" drivers that I have to trail behind.

After Raub, I found that if I keep driving at that snail pace I will end up dozing off while driving. I need something to simulate and keep my brain active. Speeding works most of the time. And today I found yet another new trick. Trying to peel the skin off mandarin orange with one hand and at the same time trying to concentrate on the road seems to help me simulate my mind and keep it awake! (please don't try this stunt at home, I won't be responsible if anything happen to you.)

By the time we arrived in Gua Musang, I started to get all drowsy again. Stop to take a leaks, and since there is no more mandarin oranges left for me to simulate my brain, I asked my brother to take over the driving baton. It's my turn to doze off, yay! And sleep I do, most part of the journey. I only come into full consciousness when we were at Kuala Krai. It was almost 7pm by the time we arrived at my uncle place. Waited for a while for the dinner to be ready. And the dinner was the gud!!! Chicken tomyam, super hoot... yeah, everyone was sweating mad while having dinner. Kerabu chicken, equally hoot... and roast duck too. Yeah... ulam jering and petai with budu too!!! very long haven't had jering.

Actually the reason I was so drowsy was because I slept late the night before. Only hit the sack around 4 am, went out drinking with my boss and other manager. Woke up by my brother around 10 am, and ya... just start packing my stuff then and there. Cloths, took few bottles of liquor, and struck by a brief panics when I couldn't find my goggle and snorkel. Yeay, we are going to Perhentian Island on the second day of CNY and be back on the 4th day. 32 of us, one big family. Remember lent it to my cousin few months ago. Called him, and he told me he had returned in with another bag that he borrowed from me. True enough, found them in the bag. So my plan to dive with him back on track, and again only the last minute did I remember I left one more thing out. My wet suit, luckily remember. It's been like almost two years since I last did my dive. Technically, this is still in monsoon season. Pray that weather will be good.