Driving with Tah-Koo-Mee

Yesterday was supposed to be training at Yishun. Last chance of vertical endurance training before the 'test' at Krabi.

Usually, it's an hour+ journey on the train to Yishun and a short walk to Safra. Although not exactly comfortable, our world-class transport system does have its merits; I do get to places I want without much trouble.

I wouldn't mind some entertainment along the way but no thanks, TV Mobile.

However, the journey to Yishun yesterday in my friend's car proved to be the break I might have been looking for.

My training partner - lets call him Tah-Koo-Mee; offered me a ride. He got his brother's car - a Hyundai Getz - for the day. In fact, we just drove to Yishun last week too.

"So how to go to Yishun ah?" Tah-Koo-Mee asked, when I got in.

"Huh? We just drove there last week leh. You don't remember liow?", I replied. You picked me up from this same bus stop dude!

"Can't remember liow lah."

Waliow, such short term memory. Gave him the directions and we went on our way.

- - - - -

Nearing Hume Park area along Upper Bt Timah, a number of barriers were put up on the sides and the road narrowed into 2 lanes.

We were on the right lane, when a truck in front, on the left edged towards the lane divider, without signals as usual.

Tah-Koo-Mee became edgy too. Our car slowed to almost a standstill.

"Hey don't stop!", I blurted.

"I don't know what he want to do!" Tah-Koo-Mee replied, referring to the offending truck.

"You still got your lane what!", I pointed out.

The truck did not cut in, another case of an idiot who doesn't keep to his lane.

"You slow down like this can cause trouble for the cars behind leh", I added. "Keep your speed and drive through lah."

"Don't want lah. I don't like it tight", Tah-Koo-Mee said.

TIGHT???? Please lah... You think you driving what? Hyundai Getz, you know?

- - - - -

We got on the BKE smoothly, got off at Mandai road and turned to Yishun.

Our conversations led to Initial D, Takumi (the real one) and his cup of un-spillable water.

"Your driving is so unstable, if I put a cup here, the water will spill all over." I commented. Following that, I placed my Nalgene bottle on the dashboard.

Bad move on my part, I realised.

We were running on a straight section and Tah-Koo-Mee was really focussed on getting the water in the bottle not to shake about.

Not a difficult thing to do, considering he was only going at 60km/h. But I soon found that Tah-Koo-Mee's eyes were on the bottle instead of the road!

"Eh better keep your eyes on the road lah", I quickly took the bottle off.

WHEW! That was a very very stupid thing for me to do.

- - - - -

As we neared Yishun, the weather took a turn and soon, it was pouring. Visibility was very low.

"Wah, so hard to see. So heavy rain and so dark." Tah-Koo-Mee said, as we tried to make out where we were.

I thought that comment was weird.

While the rain was indeed heavy, it was nowhere dark. I could still make out the surrounding traffic quite well. Maybe he needs to turn up that wiper speed. But still... I looked at him and understood why.

"eh, take off your sunglasses lah!"

"oh yeah hor!"

Sigh, we will make a Takumi out of you yet!

Peace offering

又到七月中元节了.

记 得以前这时的空中总是冥纸碎灰飞舞, 香烛漫烟飘绕. 家家户户都为一年一度从鬼门关出来阳间放假的"好兄弟"而忙碌. 这月份的空气污染指数飙升, 除了因邻国烟雾之外, 给"好兄弟"烧的零用钱也应该有些贡献吧? 邻里街边的歌台标会, 吵吵闹闹的嚷他一个月更是司空见惯.

小学时代, 中元节都去婆婆家, 和姑姑嫂嫂叔叔阿姨, 一大群人一起过. 供奉鬼使神差的食物福物, 在走廊上摆满两三桌, 物件上都插上小旗帜. 各路的好兄弟几时吃完我从来不知道, 因为当时心中只等着把小旗拿下来, 和表兄弟们一起玩武林大决斗.

高中时代, 工课的繁重让我渐渐疏远了婆婆的家, 和表兄弟们的距离也疏远了.

跟着当兵, 上大学, 毕业, 作工. 按部就班的生活次序一点也没乱过.

年复一年的节日年复一年的过. 学多了, 看多了, 经验多了, 感觉反而淡了. 好象生日会过多了, 蛋糕都越吃越没味道.

节日虽每年都过, 节日的气氛感觉却越来越蒙. 就算中元节的意义在于宣扬华人的孝道, 到了今时今日, 对我来说, 已起着几乎微不足道的影响. 当初童年简单的欢乐最多也只是回忆里的小插曲罢了.

今天看到妈妈忙了一个下午, 炸五香卷, 煮咖哩鸡, 炒香港面, 焖东菇鲍鱼, 就为了循着这老传统.

望着这一桌的菜肴香烛, 突然想问自己, 紧紧跟随现代生活的步伐的同时, 我是不是走的太快, 而忘了某些也应该一起带着走的东西呢?

Wrong side of the road

It was a long time since I have used my Fuji Finepix6900Z. There seems to be some fireworks show going on this evening, so I was thinking: why not take a walk to the Sheares Bridge, snap a couple of shots of the pretty fireworks exploding over the Shenton Way skyline? Shooting fireworks from high ground - it's a new angle for me and sounds fun.

I took the train to Marina Bay, skirted around the crowd@Celebrations hoohah carnival, climbed up the Sheares bridge and chose my sweet spot - overlooking the Durians, Fullerton and the bay. Time check - 6:40pm. Sweet. Plenty of time. I don't know what time the first shots will be fired but experience told me it won't be this early.

20 minutes passed. Crowds were gathering. A few drivers on the ECP stopped by to ask where would the fireworks be. No one seemed to have a definite answer. Everybody 'supposed' that it's gonna be over the bay by the Durians.

A small Indian community was chatting loudly while perching themselves percariously over the side walk divider, drawing the occasional angry horns from the motorists. A member from the group was yak-ing non-stop over his handphone while pacing up and down the side walk. Funny that he was wearing a polo shirt proclaiming "南大华乐" (NTU Chinese Orchestra).

2 photographers on my flanks had their camera & tripod all set - both were using DSLRs (Nikons I think). Had a conversation with the guy on my right. He was also wondering, like everyone else, where were the fireworks going to appear tonight. He was on the bridge last week when the NDP rehersals were happening. He said that the fireworks came from the bay below us but there were the Marine Police patrolling the area. He didn't notice any today.

Uh-oh. Don't tell me there's no fireworks today? Cannot be. The Singapore Fireworks Festival website say so. Hmmm, but there's no mention of the exact place... More uh-ohs...

Time check - 8:00pm. No sight nor sound of color explosions. The daughter of the PRC family on my left had long finished her dinner of sweet sour pork and stir-fried long beans over rice. When are those darn fireworks gonna start.

The answer came in the next instant - from behind. Yeah, 30minutes of walking, 1.5 hours of waiting. Only to find you were on the wrong side of the road.

虽然万事具备, 不过在东风还没有吹起时, 最好看看位置方向对不对, 不然就像今晚这样, 吹了一鼻子灰...