The First Week

So 2009 came and went just like that. In what was considered a tougher year than the rest of my teaching years, 2009 ended quietly and almost unnoticed. No crazy countdown in KL and Sunway like years before and definitely no dancing the morning away at clubs like years much earlier. A sign of old age perhaps?

As much as I wanted the year to pass due to the difficult challenges I faced, coupled with the disappointments in my love life and the pain that often comes along with it, I didn't really want 2010 to come so soon. This year, I will face a host of new challenges and with it, I'm sure disappointments as well. I just hope my love life stays trouble-free. Especially with what happened last year. Phew!

The first week, as every year is, has been a week of uncertainty. There's the need of getting used to a new schedule (remembering it more like it!), the need to prepare new lessons and schedules and the need to search high and low for books; and I do mean, high and low. Some of the bookstores these days stack books up to the roof!

Then, there's the uncertainty of who will show up for class. Over the years, I've learnt to accept that former students might not return for class just as some new ones will show up but this has got to be the first year that NONE showed up! I hadn't gotten any confirmation from any prospective Form 3 student to begin with, so I was more or less prepared to see only one or two brand new faces but I ended up sitting there in class on Tuesday, waiting for no one. I guess that famous saying from Forrest Gump comes to mind, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." (which in this case is none). Haha! Well, I guess I'm still sane enough to laugh about it sadly, if that's possible.

After a rather interesting and surprising first week came to an end, I took the opportunity to unwind during the weekend. So, I headed to an old favourite - the fish ball 'kuey teow' shop under the old Klang bridge. When I reached the shop, I was told by the 'bah kut teh' lady that the two brothers had retired. 'Deeply devastated' doesn't even come close to describing how my stomach felt. I'd been craving so much for that bowl of 'kuey teow tah' that I was almost about to cry. I want my 'kuey teow tah'! Boo hoo hoo!

Sad and lonely, I took the long walk back to my car but not about to give up, I curiously went in search of my 'kuey teow tah' along the old colonial shops. To my surprise, there was an uncle who sold something similar. Actually, it wasn't similar at all. But heck! I wanted my 'kuey teow tah' and I was gonna get it!

After finishing my less than satisfying bowl of 'kuey teow tah', I walked to my car sad and lonely yet again. How I wish I had gone back sooner so that I could have a taste of 'kuey teow' heaven one last time. If only I had known...

That's just how life is, isn't it? We're so busy living our lives that we sometimes take things for granted. We forget the things we cherish and when we want a little piece of what we long for, it's gone before we even know it.

I want so much to post a picture of my favourite 'kuey teow tah' here so that I can share it with you and perhaps, so that I can at least stare at it. Sadly, in all those years of eating it, I never took a picture... and now it's all gone - how delicious it looked, how wonderful it smelled... all gone. Now, all I have is the memory of it, just like all the things that have disappeared in my life. Some things in life... they just don't last.