The Stories of our Daily Life (5) New Year Back home

There are public holidays; there are festivals, New Year, special occasions or others. No matter whatever reasons, there are public holidays, there are people movements. Some are going back home, some are going for holidaying, enjoying and resting.

Two days nearer to New Year, Peter started to prepare for home going, home sweet home. His financial, a little bit better than other, he owned a national built car, no need to book any tickets air, bus or train. Due to the nature of his jobs, he could not afford to go back frequently, only once or twice in a year. New Year was a best time for his home sweet home travelling, back home.

New Year eve, early in the morning, he packed all the New Year goodies that he bought a few days earlier. The back boot of his car fully packed, and the back seat, the passenger’s seat, no passenger, but only New Year goodies. He reserved front seat for only one passenger and he had already determined the passenger shall be female, the female must be ‘his cup of tea’ The female he had on his mind, someone he would picked up on the way back home.

Chinese New Year, it was a public holiday, and the festivals of other races, there were all declared public holidays. National expressways, state highways or “highway or no highways” were all fully packed with cares, luckily not many trucks around. Peter was driving along the national expressway, he was cruising not driving. Most of the times, whenever he needed to slow down his car, his mind were drifting away.

His parents were a small grocery shop owner; they were operating in a small seaside town. He spent the whole childhood in the small seaside town.  He was grouped with a number of small town teenagers. They could be seen along the sea side, swimming and catching fishes, shell fish and many other sea products with bared hand.  They could be seen nearby rubber estate, the drainage of the rubble estate, the drains were riches with fresh water fishes. Peter and Tom, Tom was one the group member; they were catching fish around the rubber estate.  Peter liked to tease Tom, he point out a direction, somewhere along the drains “There you are, Tom, go over there, you will have a good catch” Tom went over and stretching his hand onto the water ready to catch, before his hand reached the water, a snake jumped out from the water. Tom ran away and Peter was laughing.

Someone was knocking his window, he turned and looked at the girl, he was freshening and the tiredness was gone. The girl was very beautiful and riches with youthfulness.

Peter had a habit of cruising and tailing his front car while he was day dreaming. Especially during the time of highly traffic jam and cars were hardly moving. The front car stopped, he stopped. The front car overtaking, he did the overtaking. The front car slowed, he slowed.

When the girl knocked his window, he realized that he had stopped his car at the side of the expressway shoulder. The front car stopped in front of him.  The girl shown her Identification card, a police woman “Hey Mr. Why must you followed my car for as long as more than an hour!”

The first day of Chinese New Year, Peter was having a fantastic, energetic and happy mood to go over to the good old place. The place filled with all his childhood memory.

Most of his gang members were separated, each of them had their own life and posted at different jobs, different locations.  Once a year, the place was their meeting place. It was a seaside restaurant.  The restaurant was built on top of a huge and small rocks system. It was jet out from the seaside joined at one end of the coastal road. The other end jet out to the sea, it is a few hundred feet from the road, a few ten feet above sea level. Separating the seaside and the coastal road, there were coconuts trees, and the evergreen leaves trees. Surrounding the restaurant, there were, palm trees, coconut trees, flowers and many others. They were all planted strategically to form a beautiful picture.

The morning, the sun rise, the golden red morning sun ray, blanketing the whole area, the sea out there, the land out here.  At this time of the year, it was a north easterly monsoon, the cool strong wind, blowing from out there at the other end of the sea. The sea waves shone and reflect with sparkly silver and golden color.

Peter and their gang were enjoying the picture painted by nature.  They were enjoying each other’s company. They were enjoying each other for the re-union. There were enjoying after all those years that the place they were brought up was still there.

Next Topic (6) New Year Preparations

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The Stories of our Daily Life (4) New Year Atmosphere

New Year was around the corner, decoration was everywhere. Traditional New Year songs and music, old or newly composed, either broadcasting by TV and radio or individually played by residents or shops owners.

Shirley looked at John "They said, it is difficult to go back to those days" Both of them sat on the sofa at the resting corner provided by the shopping mall.  John's eyesight was at the far end of the shopping mall.  When he was a youngster, about quite some years ago, he could use only ten cents to buy quite a tasteful breakfast. He only played games of football, table tennis, basket ball, chess and others.  Presently the youngster were crazy about computer games, each of them were having a hand phone or other mini electronic devices at hand.

   

John pulled himself back "It is true, but then, we are enjoying the NewYear atmosphere which is more than we had enjoyed before.  The New Year atmosphere is different for this year and it is one year better then another year" Shirley said nothing and quietly enjoying old New Year songs with new environment. Dragon dance were everywhere, especially on the first few days of The Chinese New Year.  Usually the shopping malls were having dragon dance annually, when there were shows of dragon dance, there were always fire crackers around. Those dragon dance and fire crackers added the traditional Chinese New Year atmosphere. The Chinese New Year started day one of the lunar calendar first day of the lunar calendar until the fifteenth day which was the last day of Chinese New Year and all celebration would end at that day.

Shirley talked to John “I still like those old days, even though, nowadays there are so many new additions to the New Year atmosphere, the technology is so advanced that things are so much more beautiful than those days. But then, the feelings I am having is not quite the same.”

John shared the same feelings, the dragon dance, it was so common, and it was so friendly and caring.  It was the first day of the New Year some years back.  John was so eagerly waited for the day break of the first day of New Year. His mother would place four oranges at the bottom and one more on top of the four; the five oranges were placed on a plate that was on a stool.  The stool would be on outside, at the front door of their house, an ampow (Red packet containing few ringgit) was at the side of the plate. Their neighbor would place a string tied up an ampow containing a few ringgit and hung it a few feet high. Their other neighbor would tied up a string of fire crackers and hung it up a few feet high.

The team of dragon dance would go over each and every house, they would dance and the drum beats would went along. Different way of displays attracted certain pattern of dragon dance.  Year after year, they would go around each and every house, each and every shop house. They would collect whatever the house owner offered, be it the ampow only contained one ringgit. Their purpose of visiting, it was to wish each and every one a happy new year.

Right now and would be in the future, a dragon dance would only be at our house by pre-booking, pre-arranged and ampow would also pre-determined the amount.

This is what they said our new way of daily life. The old song will not be sung as the old days should be; it has to add something here and there. 

Bye bye and bye bye, good old days, see you only in those days.

Next Topic (5) New Year Back Home

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The Stories of our Daily Life (3) New Year Shopping

Day in day out, year in year out, once again it is the end of the year, the festival mood spreading around, all over the glove.  End of the year festivals, be the solar calendar end of the year festival, lunar calendar end of the year festival or any other, end of the year festivals, the mood were the same, be it now, in the past or in the future that will be.

One month before New Year, New Year shopping activity not around.  Getting nearer to the New Year, it is three weeks nearer, shopping activity still not there.  Small talks set in, Peter said " It looks like, economic situation for this year was not very good,  you see, we are going to suffer next year, or may be from now on"  John looked at him and said "Looks like you are repeating yourself. Year after year"

Two weeks nearer, the shopper mall, patronage increased, shoppers of all races, all ages and all sexes, all of them were very busy.  The usual daily life of other times, they were also very busy except the mood and the nature of busyness were not quite the same. They smiled; they joked and teased among themselves at this time of the year.  Shopper talked to his friend "Have you noticed that the patronage this year were not as many as last year" His friend echoed "It looks like, it was that way" Then after, they walked and passed by.
Peter looked at John and said "You see, you see, what I mean"

One week nearer, the time was 9.30pm; Peter went over to the hypermarket nearest to his house to look for something to fill his stomach.  The patronage at this hour, it was truly having festival mood, all payment counters were opened and it was also having a long queue at each of the cashier counter. Usually at other times of the year, at this hour, the practice of most of the hypermarkets, they were having discounted items for sales.  The perishable goods, the near date of expired items and many others, sometimes they may have sliced up to 90% discounts.  There were times that Peter had bought some dragon fruits for as low as ten cent per piece.  Tonight, he was disappointed; he could not get his price cut of snacked, sushi or others. There were not many items left for price cut. There were some, price were cut for a miserable discount and also the items were not to his favor.

Peter had no choice; he went to the food court and killing his hunger by taking some donuts and coffee.  His mind was drifting away from the present noisy and near chaos scene. Those other normal days, patronage of the same hypermarket were not so many and only one or two payment counters were opened.  He used to enjoy the discounted snacks.  He used to feel happy that when he became one of the members of discounted items grabbers.

Usually the normal price of an item would remained and until it was re-tagged for a discounted price tag.
He was there once; there were some roasted chicken about two kg. Offered for sale for one ringgit (Ringgit or RM. Note1) and it was grabbed by others the moment it was re-tagged.  One of the other night, some roasted chicken were wrapped up and ready for a re-price tagged, when Peter was there, it was already a small crowd surrounding the counter.  Peter squeezed in and this time he holds the wrapped up chicken with normal price tagged of twelve ringgit.  Others noticed his way of trying to own the discounted item, they started to follow his way and hold those items they favored.

The supervisor came and re-tagged the re-tagged price of chicken that Peter was holding. It was ten ringgit!

Peter looked at it, smiled and put the discounted item back to the counter:

Two days nearer, Peter and John went to the hypermarket. At this time around, the competition among hypermarkets were at the peak. Price cut items were displayed every corners of the hypermarket. Promoters were also here and there.  The hypermarket they were in, this evening, it was nearest to their house, and some of the discounted items were the lowest among the hypermarkets. Peter bought some on behalf for his neighbor.

Peter talked to John " The can drink I have just bought, it was twenty five dollars, normal price was thirty five. But then do you know that last year, the discounted price was thirty dollars, the normal price for last year also thirty five!" John answered "Apparently it did indicate something, it may have some other reasons" He continued "Peter, compare the price, not just only this year and last year, why not five years ago and now,  or ten years ago and now. You will see some other different picture"

Note1. Malaysian currency, ringgit (RM) and sen (cent) or RM means Ringgit Malaysia. About three ringgit = One US dollar.

Next Topic (4) New Year Atmosphere

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The Stories of our Daily Life (1) The morning business.

Early morning, I woke up not from my bed, from the floor beside my bed.  It happened sometimes and most of the time, am woke up from my bed sweet bed.  This morning like any other morning, brushed my teeth, halfway brushing, I needed to go to make cake, and however there was something else this morning.  While making the cake, my hand phone rang and my customer needed something from me.  I told her that I was busy and told her I would return her call.  She refused to wait for my return call and willing to be on line and waiting.

Some minutes passed, she started to make conversation to kill the bored time of waiting.  She asked "what are you doing by the way" I said “I am making cake" she asked “what cake are you making, Early in the morning? You must be taking your breakfast with some cake and coffee." I said "no ... no, I am truly making cake, I am not taking!”

Silence for a few seconds, she exclaim “Please, make it bit faster!" I said "Truly sorry, I won't be able to make it faster, I don't know what happen to me this morning, the cake I am making is watery with bubbling and very smelly!"

She choked, he smiled and giggled.

Next Topic (2) The Habitual

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The Stories of our Daily Life (2) The habitual

Day in day out, day after day, morning once evening once, he would go to the same cafe, sat at the same corner, on the same chair and the same table, As usual he expected the same breakfast would be forwarded to him.  Patiently waiting, he started to look around; the cafe had nothing which is different from yesterday.

The breakfast was served, he looked at him and he had a slight mood disturbance.  The one who served him was not the one who served him before.

He was wondering, why must he be disturbed?

He walked out from the cafe, looking at the sky.  The same old sky liked yesterday and the day before yesterday.  Light blue cloud passing by, the sun shown her charm, bathing mildly over the houses, the trees, the grasses and padding lightly on each of us, we, the children of the world.

He admired the sunny day with cool breeze, he took a deep breath and started to look around and enjoying the surroundings.  Children were playing at the small play yard, residents were walking around, some were going home, and some were going to the shopping mall.  A short distance away, a commotion, an elderly women felled down, her handbag snapped away by motorcyclist. He stared at the incident and felt disturbed.

He wondered, what made him felt disturbed.  Was it a crime? Or something that was not his daily routine?

A loud horn he could recognize it was a car horn, another short and loud horn, it was a second horn.  He went out from his house; he saw a car parked at the drive way of the honed car owner's house.  The time now clocked at 8.00 pm, he believed that the owner must be tired after one long and tiring working day. The honed car owner was highly needed a refreshing bath and had his dinner. When someone was tired, hungry and exhausted, temper would be easily getting flared. No movement and no indication of moving away the blocked car, it was predicted, loud and continuing horn started.

He wondered why he was not disturbed.  Was it a daily routine of such an incident?

He sat at the same old corner of the cafe.  He said to himself, the daily routine of his life. Was it made it that he was someone to whom predictable.  Looking at the waiters and waitress, they were also predictable, doing the same old serving, doing the same old cleaning and doing the same old smiling and taking orders. Looking at the shoppers around the shopping mall, they were doing either one of three, window shopping, buying and looking around enjoying the environment of the decoration of the mall.

He wondered, the habitual, the one doing the same old daily routine, are they considered predictable? Predictable is good or bad!

He was on the way back home, passing by the neighbors.  Neighbors asked "Going home ?"  He answered "yes" Another neighbor asked “Going home right on time!"  He answered "yes" Voiced out "Have you finished the same dinner?" He turned and stared at the one who voiced out and voiced out again at different source "Yeah, the answer is yes and also 'Yes' he was counting his own footsteps back home"

He wondered "Huh, don't they know human has feelings, animal too, even a tree, a flower, a grass, not surprising, a rock may have feelings too"

Next Topic (3) New Year Shopping

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