Cycling home

While having lunch just now, I chanced upon yesterday's newspaper. One news item caught my eye - about a young man who graduated from university and is riding his bicycle home. Pretty normal, one might think, until you explore the article to find out that he graduated from Duke University in North Carolina and and he's cycling home to Taiping from USA. He pedalled off from Los Angeles, reaching Washington DC in 38 days, covering a distance of 5,625km. He started his European leg early this week, with about 15,000 km to go. He gets to hop on and off airplanes, of course, since he cant pedal his way across the oceans.

His journey reminds me of a book that I read last 2 years: the Memory of Running by Ron McLarty. Smithson 'Smithy' Ide is a 279-pound, hard-drinking, chain-smoking, 43-year-old misfit who works in a G.I. Joe factory putting arms and legs on the action heroes. After his parents died in a car accident, Smithy finds a letter to his father about Bethany, his sister, stating that, "Bethany Ide, 51, died from complications of exposure... and she has since that time been in the Los Angeles Morgue West." Bethany, given to taking off her clothes in public places, holding impossible poses for long periods of time, responding to voices that only she can hear, and disappearing for no known reason.

When he reads the letter, he is drunk and alone. He goes out to the garage to smoke and have another drink and spies his old Raleigh bicycle. He sits on it, wheels it to the end of the driveway and started pedaling. He ended up cycling across the country from Long Island all the way to California. On the road he meets the good, the bad, and the really bad. He frequently calls Norma, the Ides' neighbour, confined to a wheelchair for years.

Nothing I say can do justice to this book. It's a simple story, told with simple words, yet the author managed to paint the picture of Smithy's trip and I could see all the colors, feel what the people in those stories were feeling. It's not a sappy story, eventhough I did shed some tears reading it (but then that's just me - I can weep just from watching some TV commercials LOL). Far from it - it's about unconditional love that travels across thousands of miles through the telephone line and the strength that it brings. It's about fun stuff too, and how life is made up of all sorts of experience and stories.

I highly recommend it. Great for vacations or even for that afternoon at home.

Oh ya - to find out more about young Law's cycle home, go to http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/longwayhome

That deathly hallows book

Got it. Spent half the weekend with it. Finished it. Not too crazy about some of the parts in the middle. Got caught up in the excitement near the end.

One newspaper report kind of sums it up for me: "when was the last time we were excited about a book?"

To prepare for the final book, I read book 6 again. By the time I finished, the momentum was there and my journey into book 7 began nicely. Took it along to Gaby's house for dinner (with Evie and a few others) and it kept me company while they played mahjong. Continued after arriving home at midnight and finished it about 2 hours later.

What a story.

The water slide is here

Y mailed me photos of our Rawa Island vacation. I'm already thinking of my next trip there...

Here's my fav spot to read and relax.

Watching the sunset with a cold drink - the best thing to do there.

The water slide - favored by kids and adults alike!

Recharged, rested, browned ;-)

I finally went on a short vacation. Every year, me and Y, my college buddy, would go on our Cuti Cuti Malysia trip. She's a snorkeling fanatic, and learning diving as well. As for me, I'm just happy to tag along and enjoy quiet times by the beach where I'd be going through the same routine cheerfully:

1. before leaving the room / hut / chalet, I'd slather sunblock / tanning oil (depending on whether I feel like I want to marinade myself with cream or oil
2. pack my canvas tote with my book(s), sunblock, tanning oil, mineral water, small change (for ice cream yum yum), shades (not the Combat head teacher, but my sunglasses hehe), notepad / journal, beach towel or face towel
3. find my spot on the beach and make myself comfortable on the sand or on the deck chair
4. wave to Y occasionally when she sees that I'm out already
5. take a dip in the sea
6. come back and return to my reading / writing / snoozing
   
7. repeat steps 4 to 6 as often as I like

What I didnt know about Rawa Island is the fact that it looks exactly like the pictures. Many times I have seen places that made me think "which angle did the photographer take the photo from?" because they have no resemblance WHATSOEVER to the brochure pictures promoting the place.

The water was clear and the beach was clean. We could snorkel right in front of the beach, much to Y's delight. We started our journey at about 7:00 am and we drove down to Mersing. The boat ride took about 35 mins and I was relieved to find the island jetty to be of the higher version, where I wont have to wade towards reception with my knapsack in tow (I was prepared for that, anywho). Walking along the jetty, I saw how the jetty's function was expanded: there was a water slide built into the jetty infrastructure. There were already kids screaming in delight when we arrived. Did I mention that the water was so clear we could see the corals and the fish swimming about when we look down from the jetty?

In the evenings, after dinner, I'd walk along the jetty. I'd look up and see the stars and recgnize one or two constellations. Even though I have very short hair, I could still feel the breeze ruffling them. Looking out, I could see yellow and white lights from other islands and fishing boats blinking in the distance. The guy who takes care of the sea sports hut told us that if the water's cool enough, black-tipped sharks would swim up right until the spot where the water slide is. I didnt see it when I was there even though I kept a lookout for the 2-metre fish.

I definitely will return to Rawa Island. I promise.


Images courtesy of rawasfr.com