The Return Visit to the Central Vallye - Days 0 & 1 - Abang Handsome & the Red Kancil

Monday, 16th July 2007.


Foo Phiaw Chong came over to Penang Island, and I took him to Queensbay Mall, for what? Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix. Now this is the second time I watched this movie. Though personally I do not like Harry Potter but I kind of like this particular part. Many of Harry Potter freaks say that this part is very dull but it is my favourite among all Harry Potter stories so far.


Before going for the screen, we took a walk around the mall and had late lunch at the Manhattan Fishmarket. Well, thanks a lot to Phiaw Chong for treating me such a great lunch. KAMSIAH. Then after Harry Potter, we had tea in Old Town Kopitiam, sitting there gossiping for a long while before continuing walking around the mall and outside the mall. After that, we went straight back home without having ‘ninner’.

Tuesday, 17th July 2007.

Early morning we followed my father down to my grand aunt’s (Ah Poh Ee Poh) place as we were following my uncle’s (Ah Chooi/Kwang) car down to KL. We went to my uncle’s office first and stayed there until 12 p.m. before we hit the road. At first, I thought I was going to follow only Kwang and her girlfriend, Ah Wen, down to KL, but it turned out that Kwang went down to KL with two of his employees instead. One was around his 30s, another was younger, mid 20s I guess. And another twist was, I was to follow the younger man’s car instead of Kwang’s.

The younger man’s (lets call him Abang Handsome or Entau Koko) car was a Proton Waja, and I was to sit at the front passenger’s seat while Phiaw Chong sat behind. It was kind of comfy, and Entau Koko didn’t really drive very fast (I am not sure why though). We set off first and reached Auto City first. It was there Kwang asked Entau Koko to meet up as Kwang went elsewhere to get some exhibition stuff for the exhibition of his company down in KL. We waited near KFC. While Entau Koko went down to get something to fill his stomach, Phiaw Chong & I were gossiping a bit. He was saying that Entau Koko looked very ‘yeng’ with his hairstyle, the way he dresses, his sunglasses... suddenly... Teet Teet! A polyphonic Nokia phone... wow... when it comes to his phone, a bit outdated XD... We had lunch at a mamak place and after that, we set out from Auto City at around 1 p.m..

Along the way, we didn’t really talk much as we weren’t familiar, and I guess it’s because of the age gap. Phiaw Chong and I felt bad talking openly, so we SMSed instead. Stupid huh. Entau Koko did ask us where we were going to stay though and I said I would stay at my friend’s place and Phiaw Chong would stay at his friend’s place. Entau Koko was kind of surprised to hear that and said that we were really enjoying our lives. During the first half of the journey, I noticed some drivers of the opposite current flashed their lights. Speed trap I guessed. Mid way through the journey, there really was a road block by highway police.

“Shit! Don’t know whether I exceeded the limit or not,” exclaimed Entau Koko.

From behind, Phiaw Chong heard Entau Koko uttered something but didn’t quite catch what he was saying, so he SMSed me asking me what Entau Koko said. I told Phiaw Chong and we remained silent. The police asked for Entau Koko’s driving licence and said that Entau Koko’s car went at the speed of 145 km/h (highway limit was 110 km/h). Of course Entau Koko was shocked as well as I was too. He gave a shout of surprise and said that he didn’t go so fast. Then the police read out the number plate W-something something, KL car. OH! PLEASE!!! Entau Koko’s car starts with a P-something something. Of course the police re-checked the number plate then apologised and let us off. Very... amusing...

Throughout the journey, I noticed that Entau Koko was kind of tired. I wanted to ask him whether would he like to let me drive so he could at least rest but in the end I just kept quiet and let him drive. We stopped over at one of the resting sites in Perak as I needed to go to the restroom and Entau Koko also wanted to have a face splash. There, Entau Koko had a cigarette and then we continued our journey. The next halt was at Sungai Buloh (not the bridge restaurant though) to meet up with Kwang to lead the way to the hotel they were supposed to stay in KL.

KL was drawing nigh. I was getting excited. Somehow, my heartbeat rate increased. Things I never thought of started popping up in my mind. For a year I had not been in KL. For a year I had not seen the CB-Sakai Gang. Excited. Finally, we reached KL at around 5 p.m.. Sue Zin SMSed me telling me that their lecture ends at 6 p.m.. Wow, I couldn’t believe I was in KL already. The roads were familiar... The people, the crowd... The cars... The jam... The signboards... The buildings... Ah... I was back in KL... I couldn’t believe it... It was incredible... The feeling was unexplainable... I can find no words to describe it...

Memories crept back into my head. Pudu area – the place I ran here and there when I reached KL with Christopher and Jason almost two years ago. Town peripheral roads – the roads I used to simply bang with one of my ex about one year plus ago. Times Square – last late night hang out with CB-Sakai Gang one year ago. It’s all coming back to me now.

We reached KLCC around 5:45 p.m. and we thank and bid farewell to Kwang and Entau Koko for bringing us down to KL. Now, we were on our own. Journeying to the LRT station of KLCC, we passed through the lake garden... hence, another memory... New Year’s Day countdown with Zen Chia, Geok Im, Hoay San and Yoon May one and a half years ago.

Reaching the KLCC LRT station, it was time for Phiaw Chong and me to part ways. He was to take the train to Wangsa Maju station to get to Qi Xian’s place while I had to take the train to Masjid Jamek then switch to Star Line LRT to Bandar Tasik Selatan station to get to my dear friends. Upon entering the platform of the station, as usual, people mountain people sea... Gonna be sandwich-ed again. Since Wangsa Maju station and Masjid Jamek station are in the opposite direction, we had to go our separate ways. I thought I wouldn’t be able to get in the first train, so I called Soon Yee and told her that I was at KLCC LRT station and I would be late. Soon Yee told me that they were going to have steamboat although I told her I was not feeling well. How would I have known that I managed to squeeze in the first train that arrived. I later learned from Phiaw Chong that he had to wait until the third train.

After sandwiching for a few moments (thank God it was only a FEW moments), I switched to Star LRT going to Bandar Tasik Selatan. I called Soon Yee telling her that I was upon reaching the station already and asked her to come and fetch me. In Star LRT, when I was looking out of the windscreen, familiar stations and sceneries my eyes rested on. Plaza Rakyat... Pudu... Chan Sow Lin... Cheras... Salak Selatan... Bandar Tun Razak... BANDAR TASIK SELATAN... Wow... I’m one step closer to the place where I learned a lot and the place I found my own self...

I was carrying my light blue Body Glove bag upon my bag with another dark blue Body Glove ‘pouch’ strapped upon my chest with another medium green bag which I carried with my hand and my shoes on top of it. At the stop, I rushed out of the train alongside with other passengers. Typical KL scene. Quickly, I got out of the tracks and looked for the Red Kancil... Super Lenglui’s Red Kancil... SOON YEE!!! I looked around and finally found Soon Yee’s car waiting right in front of the station’s doorway...

How delightful I was to have just spotted the car, I couldn’t find a word to describe. I could see Soon Yee the ‘driver’ and two other people’s silhouettes. One of them must be the White Lady Sue Zin I guessed. I opened the door of the back passenger seat and saw that Super Lenglui Chow Soon Yee, White Lady Wong Sue Zin and Ms. Tang Sia Chin were there. Everyone looked almost the same but there were variations, notably their hair. Super Lenglui seemed to have gone for a hair-cut. Sue Zin seemed to get cuter and cuter and her body size seemed to have shrunk a little. Sia Chin’s hair had gone back to how it looked like how her hair looked during first year, and that was like more than one year ago.

I was indeed very happy to see them. I am not sure about them but I am very happy to see them. They were already on their way to the place to have steamboat first when I called Super Lenglui and told her that I was reaching the station, so (sorry yeah) she turned back to the station to pick me up. We talked a little bit on the way to the place we were going to have steamboat, exchanging news and life stories among both sides.

Super Lenglui squeezed through the traffic despite the jam on the road. Typical KL situation. Typical KL driver. Typical Jay Chow. On the way there, I felt as if I was driving through the roads long, long ago. Finally, we reached the steamboat’s place at Taman Taynton. There, Sing Shia, Wen Chian, along with Joycee, Selyn, Mei Mei, Mun Kit, Chun Wei, and Jason. Sadly, Kuan Poh wasn’t there. Wen Chian’s hair got way shorter and she looked more ‘woman’ now. Sing Shia, =.=” no comment... Others, err, so so la... I chose to sit in between Super Lenglui and Sia Chin. The situation was a bit stiff that night as not much conversation took place.

Since I didn’t really feel very well, I only drank three small bowls of clear soup with some vegetables and minimal meat. I did not de-shell the prawns like I did a year ago. Funny. No urge to do so. So, after ‘ninner’, we went back. Super Lenglui sent Sing Shia, Sue Zin and I back to their place, Angkasa Condo. Since the following day they only had lectures in the morning and no lab in the afternoon, they dated me out. I was to stay over at Sue Zin’s room while she went over to Loges’ unit. (Sorry yeah Sue Zin... very sorry... and thanks a lot... very very much)

I followed Sue Zin down to get some water and to meet her boyfriend, Choo. Her housemates were a little bit cool, but I didn’t really mind that much since I should be thankful I had a place to stay in KL. Phiaw Chong already was at Qi Xian’s place. That night, I slept quite early since I wasn’t really feeling well. The fan was blowing. I felt comfortable, suddenly very comfortable. Darkness...