langkau fiction

I wanted to write a proper post (if such thing exists) before this year ends, y’know, the kind of post that make you pee in your pants because it’s so damn brilliant! In fact, too bloody brilliant to be printed on this blog! But of course, in line with wishes of the gods that created eggs and small teacups, I can’t write such a post. I don’t think such a post even exists.

Oh well.

This year’s been great, okay, so-so lah and things like that. Next year is going to be what it is, next year. My walls seem to be crumbling a bit, so that should bode well for the coming year, I think. Oh, I still need to get that rabbit out of the pink bag with black polka dots and tell the world that there is some sanity left in us. To be us.

I’ll probably see you once I get out of this jungle of mine. Probably.

This is the second time Ruai bar changed location since leaving the Green Hill area. The new premise is now stationed in a wooden shed 15 feet away from the Telang Usan Hotel building. There’s more space in this new establishment compared to the two previous pubs and it has good ventilation (there are no windows and no doors). It’s definitely better than the Old Kuching Town kopitiam, which I thought to be a kedai kopi that sells overpriced beers.

Speaking of overpriced beers, the Ruai bar only sells beers in stubby bottles…but they don’t have Tiger, which I think is a disappointment for my demented kanid. His species is what I call handicapped beer drinker i.e. the ability to drink only one brand of beer. A Stella stubby would costs RM6.00 which is RM1 more expensive than beer in cans.

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I don’t think people are supposed to work in December. Why, you ask? I don’t know. It just doesn’t sound right, working in December.

I’ve just finished what I’m supposed to finish this year. I am referring to my work. What I can’t finish this year, I will consider it as ‘finished’. Off. Cukup. Life is more important. My vulnerable physical condition which primarily lies in my fingers does not permit me to work beyond what my brain is capable of doing within a certain time frame. That explains my constant need for beers. *cough cough*

Next Tuesday, I’m going to hitch a ride to Miri. By this time next week, I’ll be on the airplane flying off to Lawas. I just can’t wait! My initial plan this year was to walk from Bario to Ba Kelalan and end up in Long Pasia, Sabah. I estimated the whole trip to be around 7-8 days. But due to some unforeseen circumstances — procrastination in planning, not enough money, don’t fancy the prospect of meeting gergasi bermata lapan belas along the way — that plan was shelved.

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That highly anticipated talk on climate change or popularly labeled as COP15 in København started yesterday. It’ll will go on until December 18th, during which I will be walking through what remains of the rainforests between Kalimantan and Sarawak.

Like the ugly bearded pig, the screaming cicada, the blood thirsty leach, the lurking viper, the hooting owl, the occasional otter, and of course, the horny-looking catfish that I will probably encounter along the way, I will be oblivious to what’s happening in København. Also, I doubt if the people in the deep interior settlements of Sarawak or Kalimantan would know what the COP15 people would be talking about in København. Ironically, it’s their lives that will be determined by decisions made during the meet by the world’s governments, NGOs (includes greenies, naughty social activists, vegans, etc.), and huge corporate institutions. Countries started making pledges even before COP15 begins.

Anyways, I won’t want to rave on COP15. Personally, I’m not really convinced with the pledges and I’m sceptical with what’s going to come out of it at the end of the day. I have good friends living in low lying islands of Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tokelau and Niue. I don’t know what’s their take on this COP15. Some of my friends are also concerned with the polar bears losing their natural habitat with the ice melting and drifting away. I have friends who are just really…er…into trees. There’s just too many agencies with their own interests to take care of.

Oh well, before my friends (some who are in COP15 already…) start throwing rocks at me, shouting “What have you done to improve the situation, eh? Stop writing your stupid blog and do something about it!” I will just leave this post with an interesting satire on that climate change talk. I like Gort and Klaatu’s take on COP15. I copied this cartoon from The NewInternationalist.

Enjoissss….

One of my favorite bands of all time! Up the Irons!

Just in case you’re wondering about the lyrics in the previous post and probably want to sing along too…

The Trooper

You’ll take my life but I’ll take yours too
You’ll fire your musket but I’ll run you through
So when you’re waiting for the next attack
You’d better stand there’s no turning back.

The Bugle sounds and the charge begins
But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run
The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall.

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground
And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won’t live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight
When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky
My body’s numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan.