The "Fun Side"

Living on my part of the island has been really nice so far, but it also has its drawbacks.

First, being such a happening place for tourists and beach-goers, it can get pretty congested during the holidays or long weekends. Especially when people are not skillful in parking their cars, driving or crossing the road. Talking about crossing roads, some people just dart out or strut across as if they are invincible. Either that, or they must think that they have some kind of super-power to stop traffic as and when they like. It is half-amusing to observe that the dogs in our part of the island behave the same. They even go as far as having their siesta in the middle of the road. They must have become bold after years of watching how the cars react to those road-crossers. Some kind of operant conditioning, perhaps. It's just my hunch.

Second, the one and only road leading to our world kinda reminds me of the road that leads to life (cf. Matthew 7:13-14). It is narrow, not to mention winding and pot-holey. The pot-holes are one thing ~ but we are getting used to dodging them. What we still cannot get used to: prima donna drivers. When a prima donna in front of the queue stylishly hogs the road that I could even overtake him/her on foot, he/she drives not only his/her vehicle ~ but he/she also drives his/her followers mad. We honk... and then we attempt to overtake at every opportune widening, while glancing at the driver. A lost and blur-looking traveller could be forgiven ~ but a prima donna talking gaily on the phone (or other variants of multitasking) while driving is much harder to pardon. It's a good thing that I have such short-term memory when it comes to offenders like that ~ after the initial annoyance and upon arriving at my destination, I would have forgiven and forgotten. And that's that. Thank God.

Third, I live, study, work and shop on this side of the island (the Northern side - ehemmmm, it's a little like the "Fun Side" in the movie, Madagascar). I've hardly driven further than Tanjong Bungah/Gurney Plaza for the past 4 months or so (save my trips to church) - partially because I dread getting stuck in traffic jams; partially because I am trying to skimp on as much petrol as I can so that my hubby, who sacrificially works on the other side of the island, can get more out of our monthly petrol budget; and partially because I don't have the time. HOWEVER... most of my Penangite friends live down south. As a result, I have been rather out of touch with everyone. (Thank God that I've got at least a few good friends on the "Fun Side".) And sometimes, it can be lonely. Like Lonely, with a capital L. *Sniff*

I need to make more friends in the Batu Feringghi/Tanjong Bungah area. Like for real.