Day One in Teluk Intan (Diamond Bay!)

3:40 pm, Grandfather’s Old Room

Events of the past week has left me with a gastric problem that in turn has left me in a rather ‘windy’ situation…if you know what I mean. If you don’t…well, you are probably better off that way. The long stretches of not eating and then pigging out on really spicy food has put a toll on my poor tummy. The problem is compounded by my ‘forgetfulness’ to pop a tab of pantoprazole (a proton pump inhibitor that aids in reducing gastric acid secretion) when my stomach starts growling.

I am the most non-compliant person when it comes to taking pills. The bottle of multivitamins (60 tabs) that I bought half a year ago is still sitting on my table (staring me in the face every time I sit down to work on the computer). The ferrous (iron) and vitamin b complex tablets from my last blood donation stint two weeks ago is also still somewhere on my table. When I remember…I double up the dose (disclaimer: these ‘stunts’ are performed by trained and certified drug pushers…do not under any circumstances practice them at home…EVER…seriously!). Which reminds me that my calcium lactate tablets are also also still somewhere on my table…and that makes me feel guilty because as Abbott never fails to reminds us ‘Bone Loss Starts at 30’…and I am the perfect candidate for osteoporosis because:

• I don’t drink milk. The only time I do (touch the stuff) is when adding the minute-ness of amounts into my coffee. Unfortunately, caffeine is not good for the bones and thus whatever good the little milk I consume is totally cancelled out by all the coffee I drink.
• I will be hitting the big THREE-ZERO at my next birthday and damn Abbott for making that advertisement that is pasted up outside the Kedai PharmUMMC. Not only is it pasted up for the world to see…it is pasted up in such a strategic window…a window I pass by each day on the way to Happy Corner for my cup of mojo. Isn’t it ironic…don’t you think…it’s like rain on your wedding day…a free ride when you’ve already paid…
• I can’t remember to take my calcium tablets (I can hear you guys going…in unison…”That good for nothing pharmacist!”) and I don’t see that improving as age catches on.

But I digress.

Teluk Intan…my kampung (hometown). Grew up here y’all. The first four years of my life and pretty much every other school break. The cousins (Andrew, Jess, Meng, Wen Wei, occasionally Yuen and Kit and then finally Jenna when she came along very much later) and myself have plenty of ‘growing up’ memories in this house. Our parents would dump us together during the said school breaks and we managed to entertain ourselves without the need of an internet connection or cable tv or a computer. Yup...the house is full of memories. I think that it's our get away...now...from the craziness of KL. No jams. Everything is five minutes away. Chee cheong fan. Hakka mee. Cheap bananas. RM 2.50 bowls of noodles. Shall I go on?