Tequila Sunrise

As I turned away from Uncle Ben
to make my way into the 4X4, one the elder ladies in the village turned to
embraced me. Crushing my body she said out in simple Sarawakian Malay telling
me to come back soon one day. That scene was more than enough to make the tears
swell in my eyes. I’m not sure when I will get the chance to come back but all
I can say reassuringly that I would come back.

That concludes my Mercy medical
relief mission to Long Bedian.

For 4 days and 3 nights somewhere
during the festivities of Deepavali, I was spending time in the jungles of Miri
exploring the minor indigenous settlements found scattered over the north
region of Sarawak. My journey to Long Bedian took me
through a notoriously bumpy 5 hour ride in a 4X4 that had seen better days. All
the time when I was in Miri, I heard a great deal about the small settlements
found within the Miri district but I could not imagine what they would look
like. I had stories that some villages are really isolated that it looked like
an island in a sea of greenery if viewed from above. Now I know…

So anyway, what am I doing in
these places you might ask? Well, I signed up to do some voluntary work for
Mercy Malaysia for more than a year ago but I’ve never got the chance to
experience what it is like to do a relief work in a really small and isolated
area. Unlike the other relief missions that I have joined, the previous ones I
had the luxury of staffing, medicines, etc, etc. This one I only have just
barely and have to make do with what I have. So, after a year of packing
medicines and advising on technical things, I finally joined the field. The
experience has truly been an eye opener and it is one I will always remember.

During the first day of my
journey, we had a short stopover at Long Lama which was supposed to be the
biggest settlement in here parts. I always imagined as some cowboy town with a
few watering holes and sundry shops where everybody knows each other. And was
my imagination dead on target. Long Lama is indeed a cowboy town…hehehe. But
there is no denying that life here is really on the easy pace. There is no
hurry, no urgency, no what-so-ever. But in a way it is good. It is such a
contrast to the normal day-to-day chaos I see. I think if anyone from the city
ever come here to stay will require a lot of adjustments. Leaving Long Lama, we
continued on for another 2 or so more hours through more granite laden dirt
road and end up in place we intended to go, Long Bedian.

Long Bedian is considered a model
village by the government so most of the basic facilities are found there. I am
speaking of proper toilets and so on for basic daily use. There are few long
houses amounting to about more or less 150 homes and about 2000 people living
there. It is something taken out of an old western movie. Long Bedian…Populating
2000. Majority of the people here are Kayan. One of the few ethnic groups I do
not get to see often when I was in Kuching as majority of these people lived in
the north division of Sarawak.

We set up camp immediately after
we reached. The mobile clinic just needed some basic equipment to keep it
running. What we do not have, we improvise. The people were curious, coming in
to see what we were doing. Kids were very shy as they peek through the nooks
and corners spying on our activity and when we notice their little stares they
turn to flee. Generally people here are good hearted and welcome our presence
with open arms. Part of the reason is probably due to the fact that they know
of services from the previous visits.

The first day of clinic was a
fairly good. I was expecting to be overrun by patients but it turn out to be
modest affair. Basically the first day I had only about 200 patients. The
medicines are also simple stuff. Nothing fancy…chronic medication, we didn’t
bring with us. The reason being that this stuff requires follow-up and that
would require a proper hospital for it. The stuff I have a minor pain killers,
cough and cold meds, simple short term antibiotics, topical agents and a whole
lot of vitamins. The people here are generally grateful as they would hold
dearly to the medications although I know that it nothing much. Our clinic is
broken down to a few sections to handle the patient load. Registration at the
front, MOs on one side, dentist on the other, pharmacy catering for both units,
PAP smear team for the ladies and eye team for those needing glasses. The rest
would just help out here and there.

On the first day itself, I paid a
visit with the dental team to the kindergarten and school to de-worm the kids,
check for scabies and pump balloons till my arms hurts. But it was good clean
fun. The sight of 200 kids going about waving the balloons was just satisfying.
I’ve handled children before when I was back in Taiping so it wasn’t a big
problem coaxing the kids to come forth for de-worming and scabies checking. Oh
by the way….when I say de-worming I don’t mean it literally. I mean it by
giving them anti-worm medications. Anyway, the pandemonium of happy children
running about just brings a smile to face. I think I know what the meaning of
fulfillment is.

The second day of clinic was
relatively as easy as there were a few Penan villages that could not come down
to Long Bedian to visit our clinic due to a heavy rain causing a landslide somewhere.
Word of visit to Long Bedian spread far and wide to the neighboring villages.
So people will usually come in droves. Some of them would even make the journey
a few days earlier as they come from really, really far places. Part of the
afternoon was spent washing the village kids’ hair for lice. I am not sure how
many heads I scrubbed that day but it was good fun anyway.

We finished our clinic was before
schedule as the patient load was almost zero. I spend most of my time undoing the
dentist work by giving out candy to the children. Prior to the mission I had
with me two big bags of candy which was meant to coax children. I’m sure the
dental team must be shaking their fist at me…hehehe.

I don’t know when I will come
back to this place. I do wish to come back. In fact, I do wish to come back for
more missions. Like what Uncle Ben told me, the expression and the gratitude of
the people is something money cannot buy. This is fulfillment to me…I finally
know why I came to Sarawak for.

**Once in a
lifetime,
You have seen what I’ve seen
You will always swim for shore**

The past month I’ve been flying
in and out of Sarawak pretty often. All these flying
around has invoke a certain nostalgic feeling in me. I still remember the first
time I flew to Sarawak back in mid-June of 2005. That was one sure mix-up
moment for me. To leave to a new place in search of adventure and things to see
but also enduring the stinging pain of leaving everything else behind. Sounds
corny? But hey its my story anyway. Adventure…..yeah some adventure that was.
That was more than 2 years ago since I board that flight with Eric. Now….I’m
quite sick of air flights. I had flown so many times to experienced so many
delays, flight re-timed and so on and so forth. The problem with air flights is
that the waiting is just so long. You have to be early to check in….and then
you wait. You wait to get into the departure hall then you wait some more for
the elusive plane. Once it is here, you wait for it to clear off its load, then
you wait to board it, you wait to get your seat, you wait for the plane to fly
off, you wait and you wait. Sounds like a broken record. Oh yes…security and
safety! That’s what they always tell you. And I’m not talking about if there is
a delay.  Some of the delay are quite
crazy….lasting for hours stretch into the dead of the night. But it’s all an
experience. I’ve met some really good air staff and some really bad ones. And like
most human being, I tend to remember the bad ones more vividly and try to stay
clear of them in future. I even familiar to the faces, that with much authority
will stamp down hard on my passport. I’m tired of cloud-dancing. But it’s the
only way in and out of this state. Unless, of course, I don’t mind swimming all
the way home.

It was good to be home. If fact,
it’s always good to be back home. Every time I get back, I can’t help feeling
nostalgic over what I left behind and I’ll be going like, “Oh this change ah?
That change ah? OMG, who got married? Ack! He/she is going out with him/her?
All those stuff. It is because I wasn’t there to see any gradual changes. There
some people who I have not seen for years and when I do met them it would be a
double shocker for the both of us. “ABC! You’ve became so thin! And they would
say, Daniel you became so fat! Haha….metabolic syndrome. Well….it has been 10
years since SPM, so I guess these kinds of sentiments are kind of profound.

Recently, I went back for a
friend’s wedding and it was sort of a reunion for the CF. I do miss the CF. Oh,
sure we have our misunderstandings and bickering but ultimately we were like a
family. I guess at every point of life, there must be something where we can
fall back on. Be it a support group, family, a friend, society or something
everybody needs it. It is one of the one few things that can keep you sane. I
left home after form 6 and it was no turning back then. But along the way I
realize that at every point I have some sort of support to keep me moving. My
problem is that I tend to dwell in the past too often, that’s why I always feel
attached with things that already happened. Can’t help it, a habit I find some
how unsure to break. Just like the way I relate memory to a certain tune or
melody. But I must say I blessed that all the way of my life there has been
support one way or another. It must be God’s way of keeping me in check. I
don’t enjoy being far away from home although I do long for new things and
experience. I happy to say that, I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone and looked
what lies beyond that. I know some people didn’t even set foot out of the main
door.

I’m back in Miri. I don’t think
I’ll be doing any cloud-dancing for awhile now. Besides, cloud-dancing leaves
me very nostalgic and airline food is not something I would want to sing about.

*How does it feel to know you
never have to be alone,
When you get home…..home,
There must be someplace here that only you and I could go,
So I can show you how I feel*

August is my sacred month. Every year when August comes about I always feel like I’ve been imbues with some sort of renewal or zest of life. But anyhooo….since this is the month of encouragement for me I would like to share an inspirational piece that is hanging up on my wall. Every once in awhile I’ll just look at it in order to remind myself of cause, purpose and duty…and yeah of course it helps me stay focused. Oh by the way, it doesn’t rhyme much but still it’s a nice touch.

Promise yourself,

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind,

To talk of health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet,

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them,

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true,

To think only the best, to work for only the best and expect only the best,

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own,

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to greater achievements of the future,

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile,

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others,

To be too large for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

~Christian D. Larson~

I especially like the 5^th and last line the best. I hope this little piece will be an aspiration to all as it is to me. In the spirit of the moment, please enjoy the month of August!

**Nothing’s gonna stop me, only you can stop me**

Today, I finally receive my confirmation letter to attend NADI. NADI stands for the National Diabetes Institute and it holds its annual symposium roughly around September yearly. I missed the last year’s symposium due to, well…..topsy-turvy management within the pharmacy. Anyway, this year I was dead set to attend this at all cost. And boy did it cost me. The major lop side was that I get no funding at all both from own department and state. In fact they told me to take my own leave if I am so keen. Well so much for personal development. Yippe-kay-yeh…..to the state! But like I said earlier, it’s kinda pricey…must remind self….it’s for a good cause. Over time I took a personal interest over diabetes. I don’t know why but I feel it is a big field heading for a lot of development. Besides, progressively, diabetes is a big problem in Malaysia. Asian diet is just so wonderful…everything is fried or soak in oil or made from coconut or so sort of stuff that taste good  but sure as heck not good for you. Haha…who am I kidding, I indulge in all those stuff…goes with the majority of the people too. Can’t see myself as a vegetarian. That would be so bizarre. Okie…I know I am crapping away. I blame it on the coffee I just took. Mistake…big mistake…tonight sure can’t sleep early…

Today, I saw another MO from my medical side leave. That got me thinking; in about roughly over a year plus I have seen 3 MOs leave and my specialist gone to further study. Now this may not seem like a lot of people but it is cause the team is really, really small. For my ward (female med), 3MOs and a SP is a full team! I am practically the only person left from the original group and I am not even the main player, just an external member to the team. Only our foreign SP, who we fondly refer to as ‘boss’ is still around. Hmmmm….’boss’, that sounds so much like a Tamil movie. Oh yeah, I heard recently in the Tamil movie industry there was a huge bru-ha-ha over this movie which literally means ‘Boss’ when translated. Seem to cause quite a pickle back home in the West when it wasn’t screen on time. Oh no, I am crapping again! Damn coffee, damn……

Back to where I was, turn-over rate in Miri is very high. Nobody stays long enough. But I know how that feels. Everybody has a certain limit to how long they can stay. A friend of my told me that given the situation, you’ll leave once you know your time is up. It will happen when you know there is nothing more you can do and it is time to move on. I don’t know when my time is yet. Until that day comes, I know I still have a lot more to do here.

After…..being here for awhile, I realized that a little comfort can go a long way. Some of my patient’s are familiar faces. You will see them get admitted on and off. It came to a point that I began to get to know them better. But I still put a barrier as I am not supposed to be in any way attached to any patients. That would be very bad ethics. But some patients, as I began to know about their history, their story, their experience…I can’t deny there is some sort of bond. I also question deeply why God allow suffering…but answer to that I already know it will take a long time to explain it. The bottom line is….all this had taught me to be more connected to people. To know the nature of being human and to know what care is all about. Okie….once in a while there are some crank patients. But all in all…most of the people are good people….maybe a few with some personal agendas of their own. Most of the people I meet are old. It’s sad to hear some stories about their children do not care for them or how really poor their background is. And the thing is to their limited understanding they put a lot of faith and trust to those of us in the wards to help them. I can imagine how that is if I was in their place. Most of the time, listening is the best thing I can do for some people. I would end every conversation by holding their hands. Sometimes a little prayer would just slip in. For some reason I find that this soothes them as well as myself. I guess it care can be summed up to one thing and that is human touch. We get to mechanical some time from day to day. Initially I couldn’t take it. I used to come back and pour it out to God for strength to go on. But I realized that this is one of God’s reasons for sending me. And I know He would not give me give a task He know I cannot do. I want to go back, knowing that I did something. That I had a purpose. That I went all the way. That along the way….I learn to understand myself, just a little bit more. So…that’s why I am still here.

There is still much to do. I would encourage all those who are in healthcare to ponder about the meaning of their work.

**If I could I would, I’d change everything cause I can’t  forget you though you  don’t believe me. Now I can’t walk back, I can’t leave behind where does it
go, all the light that we had?**

Of late, I have been very quiet. As usual, I have to pin the blame on work. Well…it’s not all that hectic except a few sporadic episodes. Perhaps it’s the minor transition period my department is experiencing. I’m still hoping for some major changes though. This department has been through a lot and it seriously needs a complete overhaul. Recently I have been getting a lot of feedback from friends telling me that I paint a negative picture of the East to them. Err…its not that I want to discourage anyone who wants to serve here but for those who plan to come here for any long term obligation whatever it may be…..be sure to pray hard and prepare yourself. The mistake I made was to pray hard but didn’t prepare well enough. Perhaps…I was just praying hard not to come.

But anyway, since I am here, best I keep the record straight. I love the East because of its charm, history, culture, ethnicity, diversity and so on. But I dislike the East because of its politics & policy, in-fighting, complacency and crime. I find it hard to adapt sometimes as I always tend to want progress. Can’t keep still I guess. But I believe everything happens for a reason. I am in Borneo for a reason. At this point I can see some logic to that reasoning but I still hoping for more to happen.

Lately, I have a few friends that want to join the government service and I have not been very good moral support to them. Don’t get me wrong. Service to the government is not something everybody will get the chance to do and I think it is good if one feels that joining the government is good experience. It is anyway. You get to see both the good and bad about it. The pay is not all that great but it pays the bills. But there is a lot of opportunity to learn, however that varies from individuals to another. So for those who are going to join the service or just got your call-up, I wish you all the best. What you do from here is entirely up to you. I believe that how bad a situation you are in, you still got a choice. Sometimes the choices are just plain bad ones but they are still choices.

I’ve been looking for a lot of songs recently. The trigger and thrill of hearing a familiar song from the past which keeps playing in my head is like hearing the voice of someone you know from your past. I have a strange habit of associating a certain song with a certain time frame of my life or a certain event. I don’t know why I do that. Subconsciously, it helps me remember some stuff. I love listening to Garbage. No, I don’t mean garbage as in trash but as in the group Garbage, its just one of those peculiar music I grew up too. The other day, I heard Run Away Train which was the song dedicated to all the people who are missing because they just left home. Made me think a lot why about the things people do when they are under pressure. I was a big fan of Smashing Pumpkins…that was before they fell apart with personal problems. Disarm is still my favourite song from that band. From DC Talk to Toad the Wet Sprocket, I just wish I had a huge memory stick that I can store all the songs from my past.

**Well all these times they come and go alone don’t seem so long, over 10 years have gone by. We can’t rewind, we’re locked in time, but you’re still mine. Do you remember?**

Come the 15^th of this month it will be exactly 2 years since I first touch down in Sarawak. Two years…another two more to go…sort off. That is if I don’t check out early. My experience so had been fluctuation from one extreme to another. It made me curious that how are things back in the west. I am sure on some level it would be much better off than here. But then again, I’m sure back home has its own share of weird problems. Anyway…my concern right now is more of leaving a mark. I’ve already spent 2 years here and I’ve met some interesting people and some I just wish to forget as soon as possible. Honestly, the way things has been going I’m still very undecided what my future plans are. Every since I was asked to come here, all my earlier plans are in quandary. I told myself that I would come up with another master plan while I am here. But the very thought that I am already here for two years without anything much solid leaves me wondering. Apart of me wish to go back studying. How appealing that sounds to me, I still feel I am way pass the studying period. Rather than studying I feel like I should set foot out of government service and find my own way out in the world. There is a limit of one can learn from a certain place. For instance, sometimes I feel that I learned all I could from Miri, I do long for a bigger hospital. Now I am practically learning newer things which is not entirely related to me. Not that I am complaining about it. Its just that its not entirely what I want to do. I do wish to leave Sarawak one day knowing I accomplish something. No offense but Sarawak is certainly a backwater state. The problem is that it has so much of resources and potential but a) people just don’t care or know how to utilized it b) it is fully monopolized by a certain group/faction. For a lot of reasons this really hampers my stay here as I feel this place began to look like the land of the dumb. I understand why there is such a high turnover rate of people here. Nobody wants to stay here. When I first got here, I expect that, hey maybe this place can be a good place to expand or make contacts or even carve a piece for myself. But who am I kidding. I am going to be one of those countless faces that will join the exodus out of here. Still…I didn’t say I am throwing in the towel. I still intend to make the best of my time here. Tonight there was a small gathering for those leaving on the Mercy mission to the interior of Sarawak. I was suppose to go for this but as fate had her way, I’ll just have to wait for the next mission. I had a crazy plan once that if I did medicine, I would quit my day job and join the Medicine Sanz Frontiers and go on some humanitarian work or maybe work for the UN…haha. Sounds like weird dreams right? Anyway, I am not too keen to stay long in Malaysia too. Sometimes when you know its time to leave, you’ll leave. So Mercy…never thought I would actually join them. Well it is an experience I would say. I’m also in WWF as I felt that animals are by far much more ‘human’ than human beings. The one thing I hate about being away is that, distances in the long run will take a toll of my relationship. I feel that being away too long from my girlfriend is bad. Especially when you get older, the issue that comes up requires more communication. Also, I am so out of touch with people who were a part of my childhood or school days. Not being there is a pain. Well anyway, thanks for the memories…

I admit that my entries are getting very, very irregular despite the fact that I told myself I would like to cultivate a habit of punching wildly on my keyboard about the ’stuff’ that goes about in my current daily life. But I failed, sadly, to keep the time. Time had been really compacted for me for about a month or so. Never a dull moment. Except for the time during Gawai. Ah….Gawai the most important festival in Sarawak where virtually everything comes to a standstill. Unlike last year, I got to experience Gawai close-up ie; tuak, long houses and all those stuff. By the way, tuak is really some nasty stuff. It can tasty really good but one too many of it and you are out cold…flat. Anyway, this year Gawai for me was a very quiet affair. I didn’t had any traveling plans nor neither was I keen to go anywhere. Maybe it’s the state of affairs happening to my department that put me off doing anything energy draining. Basically…I slept a lot during Gawai. Haha…I really felt like I’ve been awake for ages.
Sooooo…..the recent events of late. Hmmm…did  I mention that there was a jazz festival here about a month ago? I must say it brought something different to plain old Miri. Well it was fun but I wish I had a bigger circle of friends to attend it with. Still it was good to have a wind of change. The Miri Jazz Festival this year is the second one so far. Some people told me that the first one was better but to me I felt it was alright. However halfway through I couldn’t help but feel that it was not jazz at all but more like fusion music or even a cultural performance-cum-jamming sessions. There were more foreigners than locals…as usual. It looked like some pre-RainForest festival! Gee…I guess when it comes to this kind of stuff, I still find it hard to get any authentic showcases. You usually get what pleases the crowds. Up-tempo drum beats, catchy guitar-riffs and all those stuff.
Speaking of music, Maroon 5 launched their latest album. Hmm…I was very excited when they announced that their sophomore album would be infectious. But then again after listening to their album, I felt there were some hits and misses. Songs about Jane is by far their best works so far. Think I’ll just go back to listening to Fall Out Boy…haha.
Ok now work wise. There has been some changes, some good, some pretty bad. For starters, something good. My boss is finally taken out of Miri Hospital. Due to the current state of affairs and all the bullshit he causes to happen, some drastic measures were taken by us and HQ to rectify him. But my only qualm is that it took a long time for HQ to act. The joys of government service….
On another note, my daily work just got heavier. I lost two senior MOs because they are doing their masters and need to transfer out. Right now, I’m trying to find ways to lessen the obstacles in my ward. But I am getting tired for this is a thankless job. I guess everybody deserves a break. Its been 1 year since my movement to Miri. Wow…one year just went by just like that. But due to the circumstances I will that one year was a waste coz there so much more I could have done if not for the nonsense I just faced. Well…it looks smooth sailing a bit from here on. I really hope I can leave Miri one day knowing that I did my very best and I left with a efficient system or mechanism. I do hope I am able to train out more capable pharmacists in my time here. My only fear is that I won’t be able to do all this and my time here are just wasted years. Its no fun when you so full of ideas but can’t put it into action. Yeah, I would like to leave in an accomplish mode. I’m not sure if I will still be in service after this but I want to give my best shot.

For some reason I feel like I
want to bang on some drums at the right now. Maybe I’m just plain bored to
death. I could do some read up but I think my head just can’t take anymore information.
My life is really getting very routine. Get up, go work, deal with some crap,
come back, do my own stuff, hit they hay and do it all over again. Sometimes
when the weekend comes I get a bit lost as my routine is broken. At times I do
look forward to weekends as I really do need rest. But there are times where I
just don’t know what to do on weekends that I go back to the hospital. Crazy….?
Sometimes I believe that.

My adventure this week revolve
around 2 things, make that 3 besides dealing with my shit-for-brains boss. One
of them is a very fat man and the other is condition where I can’t do anything
but watch a certain condition robs the life an individual. I know it is not
ethical for me to mention and post what I see on the internet but what I want
to share is here is understanding one’s limitation. Two different problems but one
same thing persists. The fat man is really a whopping large person with a body
weight of 3 digits and it’s not in the first 100. So you know how bad a
situation I’m talking here. He is the sort of person that you only thought
exist in story books or movies…like Norbit, or Nutty Professor or something.
Hey here’s a thought, why does most black comedy have to revolve around plus
size people? Fat = butt of all jokes, no pun intended. Anyway, because of the
fat man being so overweight whatever medicine I use will not work as I have to
push it the over the maximum dose. And this still don’t guarantee me any
results. I realize there is a limitation with my trade. Should I push for the
over the advise dosage? I pity our friend for having this genetic disorder that
made him a freak. Sigh…..

Second limitation, I have a
patient who have an acquired bleeding disorder. Basically she can’t stop
bleeding and the tricky part is she became resistant to all clotting factors I
can give; my only chance is to try something that might not even work. But I
don’t seem to have much of a choice. If all fails I can only watch her bleed
her life away. I am saddened by my limitation but I know I can’t perform
miracles. Still with modern medicine, fate is not my choice to decide.

Which brings me to point on just
how much we actually value our lives? The air you breathe, the food that you
take, does it all matter? God has His reasons. What really pisses me off are
some people who just waste their lives away. Vice, recklessness, arrogance, all
factors that blinds one from not wasting oxygen. Most of my male patients get
admitted because of one of these reasons. Sometimes plain stupidity also plays
a part. I really don’t how to feel for those who try to take their own life and
were not successful. Who knows what their reasons are, perhaps it’s their breaking
point or maybe they need attention. Whatever their reasons may be, I don’t
think it’s justified. There is another group of people who thinks the world
owes it to them to keep the planet spinning. Plain bullshit. I never understood
how some people’s ego can precede over their tiny brain. It’s as if their
immortal. We are all just human, you and will bleed. Nothing special about you.
Here’s a thought, go get a knife and make a small cut on your hand. You’re
bleeding right? Well good for you, so quit the ego and think about your life.
Oh, the bleeding stopped eh? Good for you….my patient can’t even she wants to.
Appreciate your life yet?

Another week, and more tragedy at
the work place. I have to put it down frankly, my boss is an idiot. How many of
you read Dilbert? Does the pointy-hair-boss ring a bell? Well if you think that
that character only exist in the comic strip then please allow me to rectify
that thought. I have a splitting imagine of that person running the pharmacy
here. Clueless about management, checked! Stupidity higher than the cow can
jump over the moon, checked! Ego the size of China,
checked! Lazier than a sloth is being filmed in slow moting, checked! Throw in
some vices ie; chain smoking, excessive drinking, porn addict, womanizing, chauvinism
and all that God forbid and you will have my boss. Am I exaggerating? No…I’m
being very serious here. Hard to imagine such a person exist…..but well there
is one bona fide one here. Pointy-hair-boss technically makes life difficult
for everybody and this really makes my colleague very dishearten to work here.

Oh what if he reads this? Frankly
I don’t give a damn; it’s not as if I’m lying here. Besides, there is nothing
he can do about it, but the same goes for me. I can’t do a damn thing about it
too. Death to the pointy-haired one!

Last week I had a pretty rough time at work. Not regarding
my work in the wards but work in the pharmacy. Sometimes I don’t understand why
I put up with all that crap. Anyway, due to stupidity at the work place, I
decided to drive down to Kota Kinabalu for the weekend. Yes, it is time for
another crazy adventure. My initial plan was to head on to Labuan but due to logistic and time factor, the original plan was aborted. Okie…I know
I was supposed to call up a few people when I was in KK but I was on a very
tight schedule. So Lin Fui and Lee Choo, if you are reading this, sorry ya, I’ll
find you guys another time.
But anyway, going back to my unplanned adventure, driving
for Miri to KK is no piece of cake. It’s about 500 odd kilometers and the roads
are not in mint condition. All except when crossing through Brunei,
twice, the roads were race track like. I went there with my housemate and one
of my houseman and we were doing pretty fast on some weird village roads. We
had too anyway because we wanted to gain as much time coz we will waste time at
the borders checking in and out. My passport was stamped 16 times just to
travel to and fro! What a way to use up all those blank pages huh? Apparently,
I’m not a Malaysian in Sarawak. I don’t know why but Sabah welcomes me just fine.
KK is a nice place to get away. I was amazed at how KK
looked. It was not as what I imagined it to be anyway. In KK, it is very
obvious to see that the people there are divided into those who got money and
those sadly could use a break in their lives. The wealth gap can be see right
in the town where we see throngs of people peddling all sort of odds and ends
next to big malls parading commercial brands like the kind back in KL.
Sabah was touted to be the poorest state and it is sad to see a portion of the
inhabitants in KK living below a proper standard. However, all the glossy malls
and stuff is mainly to cater the tourist that visit the place. I can’t blame
them, as I was in a tourist mode too myself when I was there. KK does have its
charm though. The one main factor that makes KK much better off that Sarawak is that it focuses heavily on tourism. The have beaches to die for. Sad to sad Sarawak has nothing as such to offer. That is what Sarawak really lacks. Beaches! No pun intended.
I took a boat ride out to sea to one of the islands nearby.
The one I went was call Marukan and it was really a beauty. Clear water and
sandy white beaches. That is what I really pictured Borneo to look like. Not the backwater and gloomy waters of Damai. Although I did have
some good times in Bako, Damai, etc…but beauty is so different. Any of you guys
ever been to Cherating, Kemaman and all those place would know what I mean when
I say beaches in Sabah is just beautiful. There was really a lot of tourist
around. I’m not too sure where most of them come from but it was surprising to
hear Cantonese spoken there. That’s one dialect I rarely hear spoken in Borneo.
So after a glorious day soaking up the sun and sea, it was
time to make another 8 hour drive back to Miri. In just 3 days I had another go
at this land and sea expedition. I don’t think back in the Peninsular I had
such a chance. Oh by the way, KK has 3 or 4 cinemas including GSC compared to
Kuching which has only 2 and no GSC. Standard wise….I need no say, think you
know which one is better. I do wonder what about the other parts of Sabah looks like. I heard some parts are pretty rural. Well that is for me to find out
next time. I already dro
ve from Kuching to Miri, one day I might just feel
crazy enough to drive all the way to Tawau and claimed that I traveled halfway
around Borneo by land. I still got some pending stuff
while I am here to do such as scale Kinabalu, explore Mulu, flying to the
highlands, visiting Sempoerna and so on. I would be lying if I said I’m not
enjoying myself in Borneo, I only wish work wouldn’t
such a pain and development picks up here. Until then, I’ll have to switch off
my tourist mode.