'the young becaman, not the pakcik'
'fun in the pool'
'the Lion Dance''on the top of the hill!'
Oh well..where should I start? Hmm...I had a great Chinese New Year vacation! We took the kids to Malacca for a new experience. Of course for us it was to relive our past. It was so..so long ago when my father took me to Malacca. I remembered going for a swim in Tanjong Bidara..but the rest of the trip was just a blur now. In those days, we didn't have a camera. So there were no pictures to remind us. We relied more on our memories. Today, we are so blessed with the technology. It is easier to remember things that you can see, isn't it?
Although we were stuck in a traffic jam for a few hours, the excitement on my children's faces was clear. The Equatorial was at the heart of Malacca. That made it easier for us to wander around. The walk to Mahkota Parade, Dataran Pahlawan, A'Famosa, St Paul Church, etc. just took us only a few minutes. My daughter, Kamalia, seemed so happy when we went out for a walk that night. Perhaps, for her it was really a new and breathtaking encounter. She couldn't really describe her happiness in words, but her many smiles just said it all.The next day we rode the tricycle rickshaws (beca in Malay)..just for fun. I kept telling my husband to get the older becamen. Called me 'sensitive' if you want, but it really depressed me to see those pakcik-pakcik working very hard. At their ages, they should have proper rests, not spending their days under the hot sun, cycling around town with passengers. I asked that pakcik, 'tak penat ke?' (aren't you tired?) and he said, 'apa nak buat, dah terpaksa. Anak pakcik sorang jer yang dah kerja. Lagipun pakcik dah biasa.' (what can I do, I have to. I have only one kid who has just started working. Anyway, I am used to it.) Who says life is fair, eh?
Ooh..I forgot to tell you..the hotel had a Lion Dance show in the morning. I was so excited because I had always wanted to see a Lion Dance from beginning to end (kungfu movies are always my favourites..and kungfu movies almost always have those Lion or Dragon dances). I practically forced everybody to be back at the hotel on time and stayed at the lounge until the dance finished. I wished Jet Li was the one doing the dance. Hahaha. 'Not in a million years,' said my husband. Ooh, he was just jealous. My daughter managed to get an orange from the lion and she eventually became excited too. I whispered to my husband, 'trust me..the feeling was contagious, and people tended to become more and more excited as the music grew louder.'
Later, in the evening, we went to the zoo and we visited the ocean the next day. Then, suddenly ..poof..everything was over. I guess, when you had fun, time always seemed to fly very fast. Your life reluctantly turns back to its ordinary nature, following similar routines day after day...but silently it waits.. patiently..for yet another chance to become extraordinary once again!!
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