Lift Ignorance

In July 2005, I wrote about a lift confusion. This time it is lift ignorance.

It was the first time I visited the Specialist Center and the first time using their lift. I got so used to pressing the button of the floors I wanted, and walking out of the same doors that I went into. This afternoon, the doors that I walked into remained shut upon reaching the in-patients' floor. I pressed the ‘open door’ button – the doors remained shut. I pressed ‘G’ floor – the doors remained shut also.

Being alone in the lift, I was getting panicky. What is wrong? Before I got to press the ‘Emergency’ button. I heard ladies voices inside the lift. Looked up the walls on my right, my left and in front, but there wasn't any video cameras. Where are the voices from? I could not make out what they were saying until a few minutes have passed when I realised that they were saying “behind, behind”.

It was then I turned around to the back and realised that I was supposed to go out of the doors opposite to the doors I came in. Nobody was using the lift, except for me, for that few minutes and the doors had remained wide open, waiting for me to get out! I noticed there were no control panel board on this side of the wall.

When I walked in, I should have just walk straight and wait at the other side and not turn around and wait at the same side I came from!! Lesson learnt - next time, look to the back if nothing happens in front.

There were 2 female nurses & 2 other female hospital assistants behind & in front of the reception counter all looking at me and smiling. I can’t help laughing at myself for being so naive to lifts!

It is okay

I know! If I brought the watch to the shop, they would have dried up any moisture trapped inside with a blower or something. It was just not my luck that the technician was out when I visited and still out when I returned a while later. Anyway I am happy it is still working. Even if it is not working, that is okay too because it is not lost. Thanks to the heat from the sun and the car. I think leaving it inside the car under the cover on the front panel, for the past days, had done the job.

Surprise Hug

Sunday, 18 March 2007

How would you feel if a 5 year old boy rush to you, put his arms around your legs and bury his head there for a minute or so? If it is your son, your grandson, your nephew or someone you played with often, maybe you wouldn't be taken by surprise.

I have been away for 5 Sundays and it was indeed a pleasant surprise, coming from him, a boy that I occasionally sent home, together with his elder sister, after the block meetings.

Have he mistaken me for someone? Or he just has a liking to me and missed me?

My 'Camy' Watch

Saturday, 17 March 2007

Forgetful me! Where was my wrist watch? It was not on the shelf - that was where I would home it! Gosh! Thursday night I had removed it from my wrist and slipped it into the pocket of my skirt! Friday (yesterday) morning the skirt was soaked for 2 hours, then machine washed and spun. I didn't checked the pocket before I soaked it in the pail neither did I checked it when I hanged it up to dry! As I feared, it was in the pocket.

It is an old mechanical/automatic watch. It wouldn't sell in the market. There is no monetary value in it, but it is of sentimental value to me because my mother gave it to me.

I pulled out the winding knob and turned the minute hand to when it should read, pushed back the knob and winded it. The second hand moved! It was still working!

As time passed, water vapours appeared on the inside of the face glass. As advised I buried it in the raw rice grains and left it buried overnight. There were no water vapours when I retrieved it this morning but they appeared again when I wore it on my wrist. I dried it under the sun. I placed it near my gas burner while food was cooking on the stove. I wonder when it would be dry completely and I hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooope and pray that it will continue to function.

Kumquat Tree

Tuesday, 13 March 2007



What a beautiful kumquat tree! So many fruits! I saw that at the patio of my friend's house in Kota Kinabalu.

People like to buy these plants to decorate their house during the Chinese New Year.

The fruits look like small oranges. They can be eaten but I don't really like the taste.

Exhausting Intercity Bus Rides

Monday, 5 March 2007

What a weekend, starting from Thursday midnight to Sunday midnight! Travelling by train, express bus, ferry, car, shuttle bus, cable car and boat. I went with Lian, Yean and Aisah to Langkawi. I have created a different blog on the visit. You can read them also in Lian's and Yean's blog.

The bus ride from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Perlis and vice-versa was an experience indeed. It was cheap fare-wise but it was tiring time-wise.

It didn't take as long as the bus ride that I took last May from Miri to Kuching. That was 14 hours while these weekend bus rides was 7-8 hours. We got to stop at various bus terminals along the way and stretch ourselves during the 14-hour ride while yesterday night's 8-hour ride stopped only at 2 bus stations and 1 rest station. I sure felt very exhausted, and by the time I arrived back to the condo, I felt like I was floating.

I didn't dare to drink too much either whenever I use the express buses because there were no toilet in the bus, so that is my problem.

I am not sure I would like to go on the bus ride again to Langkawi. Maybe after a few years, I may be in the sport to do that again.