I was born in a small town in Malaysia.
A small town named Taiping.
A town that is given the name that symbolizes eternal peace.
Ironically, the name was derived
after peace treaty between two warring triads.
I am lucky to be part of this historic town.
I learned street negotiation skills,
I learned how to protect myself on the street,
I learned multiculturalisms in pure boyhood innocence.
I learned the hardships and flexibilities of small town environment
I learned to be resilient as a small boy.
I grew up there for the next 18 years,
and lived in the same house with the barest necessity.
I went through 2 primary schools, and two secondary schools.
I have my primary education in Chinese language medium school.
For my secondary education,
I was assigned to English Language medium school.
The experiences in changing languages of education were traumatic.
Imaging trying to adapt to control the muscles of your tongue,
to produce acceptable pronunciation of words in various languages.
But, I am lucky to be in this unique educational process
I learned the Chinese dialects of Mandarin, hokkien, and Cantonese.
I learned to write and speak in English language
I learned to write and speak in Malay language
My only regret is,
I never have the opportunity to learn Tamil language.
At 19 years old, I ventured out beyond Taiping.
Like they said, dari sebuah desa,
membawa sebuah beg penuh dengan harapan dan cita cita.
I ventured into Toronto, Canada as a teenager to attend my high school there.
Later in the same year, I enrolled into the University of Guelph.
As most young men said, it was the most dramatic and New phase of my life.
For the first time, I felt and saw the changes in seasons.
I saw the leaves turn golden yellow, red, and brown in romantic Autumn,
I saw the freshness of flowers and the renewal of life in Spring
I saw the extremity of winter, and the outward bounds spirits of Summer..
For the first time, I can feel the temperature below freezing level.
For the first time, I can feel and see snow falls.
I met friends from different countries with different language capabilities
I learned to be independent.
I learn to appreciate different levels of intellectual cohabitation.
I learned to appreciate the values of tolerance and and patient.
I learned the beauty of diversity and differences.
I learned to be a scholar and a man.
I learned to be a renaissance man.
With a degree that I can roll-up to look at the end of unemployment line,
I was lucky to miss flight 007 that was shot down by the Russian,
I arrived safely in the old KL International Airport in Subang Malaysia.
I secured my first job in the Pear of the Orient.
With my first pay, I bought myself a brand new Nissan Sunny.
I married and start my family in Penang.
In the eve of Christmas, my son was born in Adventist Hospital.
However, in cerebration of new life, I also suffer setback.
I lost my job. On the optimistic side, it was a blessing.
It was during those difficult times,
I know who are my true friends.
Out of life unavoidable necessity, I took a train down to Kuala Lumpur,
In search of financial security for my family.
I was lucky, my brother provide me with free accommodation,
and I secured my first job, and my wife followed me later.
A new beginning in the fertile muds ( lumpur) of the river mouth (kuala).
More than 20 years since I left Taiping, I am where I am now in Selangor.
With a comfortable family and a comfortable business of my own,
looking back, I did indeed have a successful career.
Thank you God, for your graceful protections, encouragements, and enrichments.
Now, life is but a funny retrospective memory trip...
I feel the comforts and warm of my home now,
but I miss those comfortable years of my parents home in Taiping.
I have the financial comforts to buy what I want now,
but I can't buy back those bygone simple nostagic life in Taiping.
With confidence, I can plan for the future in great details,
but I can't relive my past in Taiping in the simplest of requirements.
It is just not the same feelings anymore !
God, how much Malaysia has changed.
But, my root is still in the nostagic simple old Taiping,
I left Taiping as a young and innocent man,
I left my soul there as a young man,
I need to make a journey back into my pasts,
to rediscover and rejuvenate my inner most feelings,
and to reassess my priorities in life.
Home is where my heart and my past is.
I need to make a sentimental journey home to reclaim my soul.
I leave it to God to decide the timing of my homecoming.
From now own, In spirits, Taiping shall be my springboard
to be a more compassionate man, a man responsive to his surroundings,
my spirits shall reveal what my eyes can not see.
I shall be able to listen what my ears can not hear.....
Looking back, I realized !
How foolish I was !
Life is not a race of material and wealth accumulations.
Life is path that has been destined by the almighty.
It is up to us to enrich this destined path
with sights, smells, sounds, and tastes.
It is up to us to nourish this path
with our faith in the Almighty.
Today's sorrows, pains, triumphs, and tribulations
will always be tomorrow's past.
Follow your heart and look forward to tomorrow.
It is up to us to walk this path with our head held high.
It is up to us to make this path an enjoyable passage of life.
a life of no regret !
Life is not about dreams, or about reaching for the sky.
Life is, after all, not a destination, but a journey of purpose.
Om mani padme hom. Om Namo Amithaba Buddha.
