everything changed

19th December 2009 (Saturday)

Im back for almost 3 weeks. It was planned that I would come back to lots of good food and fun. As life teaches us that things don't always go the way we want it to be. yes i agree. because i was lucky to join a big corporation for my internship, i passed the interview and started work the following week i got back. since then, there wasnt much time left for fun or food hunt.

It seems that there isnt much to do for the holidays besides work and spending time with loved ones. maybe im not utilising my time. not managing it well enough. instead of complaining on the lack of time, i could have done something after working hours like catching up with friends and so on. is it just me or i really like just chilling at home after work, surfing the net and catching up on a few episodes of series seems like the ideal thing to do.

Occasionally, i wouldnt mind that casual dinner or mamak session. but when im willing to, the others might not.

When you're around, you don't seem to realise the changes around you. Being away for months then come back to a place that i've been living in for the past 21 years allowed me to take a step back and see the changes.

Starting with the place, i see new buildings and new highways. the roads that i used to take to Monash Sunway are now coated with a new layer of tar, covering those pot-holes that used to be so familiar to me that i naturally know when to avoid it. Roads are getting a wee bit complicated due to the opening of new highways. Thank God for sign boards.

Then came the people i know.
Whether i admit it or not, at some point, they've changed. There is only that limited of things that a person can tell you through the phone, msn, skype, email etc etc. What they tell you are main points of an event. But sometimes, it is the little things that matters. Just on the family, i've been asking things like 'eh, when did this happen?' 'why is this here and not there?' over the phone, my dad used to say that everyone is still the same, that the family is still doing the same routine and all. but now that im back here, no, it's not the same anymore.

On friends, hmmmmm, all of them look the same, except for a few who may have put on some weight. haha. love you still :p even i stacked on a few kg's when im away. so, what im trying to say is, i may still be part of the group like how it used to be, but things certainly have changed one way or another. often when a change happens, people get used to it as time goes. Sad to say but 10months is enough to create that awkward feeling, like a stranger walking in to a close knitted community. hey, dont get me wrong. of course, it's hard to say that i don't feel a tad bit upset when the friends i grew up with dont feel as close anymore. but i also understand that everything changes with time and sometimes, it's a matter of getting used to it, again.

Im sure i've changed too.
The way i think, the way i see things, the way i approach things. It's definately different from how i would 10months back. Suddenly, i find myself not being able to accept the driving trend in malaysia. malaysian drivers appeared to be very ignorant, not stopping on pedestrian crossing, not putting the signal light when making a turn or cutting the line, not following the speed limit... what used to be alright in my eyes dont seem so ok anymore. in malaysia, it's not a culture for everyone to be polite. suddenly, some people here appear to be very unfriendly and hard to approach.

On the other way round, 10months ago, i myself was adapting to the new environment and starting to see changes around me. from the way i should greet and treat people, to the way i should oblige to the rules and culture in that country.

Im not trying to boast about the changes.
Just trying to point out the changes that can happen in a short period of 10months. Judging by the changes, i don't think 10 months is a short time afterall huh?
Apparently, 3months away from melbourne, i'll be seeing changes already. eg, Kowloon (restaurant) has closed down.

Everything changes. We learn, we improve and we adapt.