Travelling takes a great strain on many people, myself included. And in the past five days, I've been moving between Penang and Kuala Lumpur. All that I can say is, I'm darn
blardy tired!
Last Wednesday afternoon, I flew down to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with the Malaysian Chess Federation's honorary life president. Then, it was dinner at Yut Kee Restaurant before I crossed the road to the Wilayah Complex to drop by the Dato Arthur Tan Chess Centre. The DATCC chess league was in session and Hamid was expecting me. But of course, most of the other players there were surprised to see me. Stayed there until 11pm or so before adjourning to Kampung Baru for a late-night
nasi lemak supper and thence to the CitiTel at the MidValley.
Flew back on the first available Firefly flight the next morning to resume work in the office. A full day's work. Felt rather tired because my back was giving me problems. It was either my muscles or my nerves going ... or both! I could hardly move without pain shooting through my back. Had to see the doctor and she recommended an injection in my
derriere. Ouch! Now I have a pain both up and down, and it's all your fault, I told her. She simply laughed.
The injection worked. By nightfall, the pain had subsided and by the next morning, it was all gone. Thank goodness for that. But I wonder what was in that injection...
My wife and I left the house at about 9.30am. Took a slow, pleasant drive all the way to The Curve to meet up with Eric for lunch at Paddington's. Please remind me not to go there again, whether at The Curve or here at the Queensbay Mall. After lunch, spent time at IKEA to look at furniture and finally checked in at the Radius International Hotel at Tengkat Tong Shin. That's just a stone's throw from the Bukit Bintang area. My daughter arrived to join us at about 7.30pm.
Saturday was her
Big Day at the UTAR convocation ceremony. We're so happy for her. We sat through the four-hour ceremony without falling asleep and then it was all photos, photos and more photos. Also went to the photo studio for a family snapshot. Nightfall...a mini-celebration of sorts at the Ichiban Boshi Restaurant at the Pavilion.
Bintang Walk. The whole place is full of
blardy Arabs. Boorish Arabian tourists. Dunno why the federal government treat them like gold and are so beholden to them when it's so obvious that they look down on their fellow Muslim brothers here. They are all so full of themselves, rude and possibly the stingiest people in the world. I saw a few of them haggling over the price of goods in places where prices are fixed. And in the shopping malls, holding up the queue at the payment counter. They are all
blardy nuisance, as far as I'm concerned. And only yesterday, one of my colleagues in Penang complained that she was rudely pushed into the lift by an Arab. She glared at him but he just laughed. At least she got off lightly enough with a bruised dignity. Another person I know related that his brother in Kuala Lumpur was roughed up physically after he had his mobile phone snatched by an Arab who then had the temerity to accuse his brother of being a robber. His brother protested but who would believe him? A local's word against a seemngly rich Arab tourist? Of course, in the confusion, the Arab slipped away with the mobile.
Sunday rolled along and we had to leave. I dropped by Yut Kee again to pick up their
kaya and a Swiss Roll. Then made a surprise visit to the chess centre. This time, nobody expected me to turn up! Not even Hamid. But there was a small surprise awaiting me too. Dato Tan Chin Nam was there concentrating on a chess game. So great was his concentration that probably, he wouldn't be aware too if a whirlwind had passed through the chess centre. That's him, Mr Concentration himself, and it's not a posed photo!
Then off we went to the MidValley for a hasty lunch and some last-minute shopping. We tried the Portuguese Grill Fish at the food court. Despite all the acolades and people ehthusing about the food, I think the fare is only of average quality. Anyway, we left Kuala Lumpur at 3.30pm and reached Bukit Mertajam just in time for dinner.
Five days of travel. Enough to make me all tired out. Will I declare surrender to more travel? Nahh, I don't think so. Come this end of the month, I'll be going to Kuala Lumpur again and this time, it's to witness the last few rounds of the IGB Arthur Tan Malaysia open tournament and the opening rounds of the ASTRO Merdeka rapid chess team tournament. But I've still two other invitations to consider: the Malaysia open dinner this month and the Kuala Lumpur open tournament next month. Do I want to risk walking around like a zombie because I enjoy being with my chess friends?
Last Wednesday afternoon, I flew down to Kuala Lumpur to meet up with the Malaysian Chess Federation's honorary life president. Then, it was dinner at Yut Kee Restaurant before I crossed the road to the Wilayah Complex to drop by the Dato Arthur Tan Chess Centre. The DATCC chess league was in session and Hamid was expecting me. But of course, most of the other players there were surprised to see me. Stayed there until 11pm or so before adjourning to Kampung Baru for a late-night nasi lemak supper and thence to the CitiTel at the MidValley.
Flew back on the first available Firefly flight the next morning to resume work in the office. A full day's work. Felt rather tired because my back was giving me problems. It was either my muscles or my nerves going ... or both! I could hardly move without pain shooting through my back. Had to see the doctor and she recommended an injection in my derriere. Ouch! Now I have a pain both up and down, and it's all your fault, I told her. She simply laughed.
The injection worked. By nightfall, the pain had subsided and by the next morning, it was all gone. Thank goodness for that. But I wonder what was in that injection...
My wife and I left the house at about 9.30am. Took a slow, pleasant drive all the way to The Curve to meet up with Eric for lunch at Paddington's. Please remind me not to go there again, whether at The Curve or here at the Queensbay Mall. After lunch, spent time at IKEA to look at furniture and finally checked in at the Radius International Hotel at Tengkat Tong Shin. That's just a stone's throw from the Bukit Bintang area. My daughter arrived to join us at about 7.30pm.
Saturday was her Big Day at the UTAR convocation ceremony. We're so happy for her. We sat through the four-hour ceremony without falling asleep and then it was all photos, photos and more photos. Also went to the photo studio for a family snapshot. Nightfall...a mini-celebration of sorts at the Ichiban Boshi Restaurant at the Pavilion.
Bintang Walk. The whole place is full of blardy Arabs. Boorish Arabian tourists. Dunno why the federal government treat them like gold and are so beholden to them when it's so obvious that they look down on their fellow Muslim brothers here. They are all so full of themselves, rude and possibly the stingiest people in the world. I saw a few of them haggling over the price of goods in places where prices are fixed. And in the shopping malls, holding up the queue at the payment counter. They are all blardy nuisance, as far as I'm concerned. And only yesterday, one of my colleagues in Penang complained that she was rudely pushed into the lift by an Arab. She glared at him but he just laughed. At least she got off lightly enough with a bruised dignity. Another person I know related that his brother in Kuala Lumpur was roughed up physically after he had his mobile phone snatched by an Arab who then had the temerity to accuse his brother of being a robber. His brother protested but who would believe him? A local's word against a seemngly rich Arab tourist? Of course, in the confusion, the Arab slipped away with the mobile.
Sunday rolled along and we had to leave. I dropped by Yut Kee again to pick up their kaya and a Swiss Roll. Then made a surprise visit to the chess centre. This time, nobody expected me to turn up! Not even Hamid. But there was a small surprise awaiting me too. Dato Tan Chin Nam was there concentrating on a chess game. So great was his concentration that probably, he wouldn't be aware too if a whirlwind had passed through the chess centre. That's him, Mr Concentration himself, and it's not a posed photo!
Then off we went to the MidValley for a hasty lunch and some last-minute shopping. We tried the Portuguese Grill Fish at the food court. Despite all the acolades and people ehthusing about the food, I think the fare is only of average quality. Anyway, we left Kuala Lumpur at 3.30pm and reached Bukit Mertajam just in time for dinner.
Five days of travel. Enough to make me all tired out. Will I declare surrender to more travel? Nahh, I don't think so. Come this end of the month, I'll be going to Kuala Lumpur again and this time, it's to witness the last few rounds of the IGB Arthur Tan Malaysia open tournament and the opening rounds of the ASTRO Merdeka rapid chess team tournament. But I've still two other invitations to consider: the Malaysia open dinner this month and the Kuala Lumpur open tournament next month. Do I want to risk walking around like a zombie because I enjoy being with my chess friends?
1 comment:
Wahh, what a week. Take care SS. :)
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