Looking Back at the Stretch

In the final weeks before leaving Penang, I have had a tight schedule of Scrabble competitions, sudden boom in social life, and of course, pointless report-writing as I plough through them mindlessly.

In the final weeks too, you tend to look back at December and ponder. Yes, yes, invariably, there would be the experience. And yes, yes, I would be reminded that I had racked 138.5 overtime hours. And again, yes, yes, “at least” I have a lot of experience. And yes, to the uninitiated: speak not and advise not what you do not understand.

Period. I almost fell into the realm of ranting. *Phew*

Looking back, plenty of things have happened. Not all was a walk in the park butterfly farm.

There was the assault and battery. 3 months into the new year, I got assaulted. And batted. Bah! They were no match for me. *Slaps miniatures of them off the table*

There were triumphs humble beginnings at the novice Scrabble tourney.

There were losses new experiences as I succumbed to better players at the masters Scrabble tourney.

There were drive-around-Penang trips around here.

Up there at the Penang Hill.

And here at the Butterfly Farm.

And there at the Kek Lok Si Temple.

Those were the good times.

There were also the times when-something-will-go-wrong-it-so-damn-will. Like two hours before my final presentation, the network drive is down. And miraculously back to full swing when my presentation ended.

I have met many people – new acquaintances, Scrabble and tennis buddies, professional contacts.

Of course, also sneaky people. My parcel never arrived Kuching. Chances are that it did not even leave Penang. Screw those people.

And you get to look at things two ways: rose-tinted lenses or realistically.

And I choose realistically. Theft is theft. There are no two ways to look at it.

_______

And invariably, a question I get, quite a number of times, is: Will I come back to Penang?

I’ve always thought I’m just driving through.

But yes, I will. I have a good reason to.