the wacky wombat weblog

I was back in PJ last weekend. Just a short trip to escape from the claustraphobic island (and to regain my sanity), and also to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with my family.

Since I usually have a lot to say about my trips back home, I shall systematically file them under The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

Let’s start with The Good…

1. Mid-Autumn was good, except I didn’t actually taste a mooncake until after it was over, haha. And with the haze, the moon was sorely missing. However, since the government has failed to inform us to stay indoors away from the haze, my family then decided to embark on a new concept of mid-autumn festival celebration – haze-coated BBQ (yummy), and recycled lanterns back from the years when 6 paper lanterns cost only RM3.60 (it’s a good thing my mom kept them, doesn’t feel so bad when they burn up heheh.)

2. I enjoy being back at home. Feels good to live in a space that has a proper garden (Ok ok it’s just a square of grass but it makes a difference when you don’t even have a balcony to put your potted plants in SG. Plus potted plants die in my care, so it’s no good).

3. Food Food Food. It is only in PJ and KL where I’ll eat 5 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, supper.

4. I just found out by chance that 2 of my friends from completely different social circles of mine, actually know each other! This has happened so many many MANY times, I am now damn convinced that anyone born between 1970 - 1990 and live and studied in PJ are somehow connected to everyone else. And it’s not like PJ is some small kampung, it’s a freaking ‘officially a city’, jam-packed with people who only have one objective on Sundays: to drive to 1Utama and create a traffic deadlock several kilometres long just so they can shop and eat. Anyways, I love surprises like these, to know that my friends are all one big happy family LOL.

5. I got to play with my lanterns. whee! (bonus points for salvaging the one and only green lantern. I like green lanterns.)

6. New hair cut! Chopped off my old curls, and got a cute hair-do. Except it’s not looking quite as cute as when they first finished it since it’s started to curl on its own accord.

And now The Bad…

1. Traffic jam in Seremban on my way back on the bus to KL. What the heck is there in Seremban that could cause a jam? It’s a sleepy lil’ town! >.< But since I slept through most of it, so I'll let it go this time.

2. The LRT broke down!! Right when I needed to take one back to PJ from the icky puduraya bus terminal! It’s bad enough that the ticket machines were spoilt (they perpetually are anyway). But when I went downstairs for the train, OMG, the whole place was full of people! Apparently trains were delayed for so long, the crowd just got bigger and bigger. And for the first time in the history of KL, people were actually made to queue up and be courteous to others and wait for the trains! Rare sight I tell you.

Then I started to freak out a bit when one of the trains before me went bonkers and suddenly stopped in the tracks seconds after it pulled off. But good thing the train that I got on to was alright, except someone stepped on my feet, and idiots behind me kept pushing their way through. Ugh. Remind me again why KL sucks. Next time I’m gonna take a bus that goes direct to PJ from SG, so I don’t have to step into the smelly city at all. Everytime I travel to KL, I’m sure to encounter a transportation crisis: last trip was the KL flash flood that left me stuck in floating garbage for 2 hours in the city, and now the ‘high-tech’ train breaks down.

3. And my adopted stray cat sort of forgotten me. She had this blur look on her face when I came back, and went to hide at the back of the house. >.< But after a few nice rubs, she's happy again. Stupid cat.

Ok, now the Ugly…

Don’t have a picture with me, but the haze in KL is terrible. I couldn’t even see KL Tower when my dad drove me downtown back to the bus terminal on Sunday. >.< And the worst thing is how no one is doing anything about it. The government is very clearly not pushing for any actions to solve the problem for real, which is seriously annoying. Now’s probably the best time to promote holiday getaway packages to places like Genting and Cameron Highlands — untainted by haze.

So yup, summary of my rare trip back home. Wish I have more chance to do that. No matter how tight my schedule to meet people is when I am at home, I still feel very relaxed. Now I can only pray that all my projects go well, and soon I can go back and chill again in December.