Flashback

A picture says a thousand words...

I was (still am) wading through a hundred pages of a document I'm translating when I came across a photo of the guides at the park. The immediate thought that flashed into my mind was - looks like a bunch of thugs. But then something warmed up deep in my deepest memories and into my heart - and I remembered - these people are probably the most genuine people you could ever find.

I had realised that they look exactly like my friends from my university days. The point is, outdoorsmen are probably the kind of people I'd trust most. People can fool you while having a cuppa in Starbucks, but you tend to catch the hidden self after 3 days out in the wilds. Climbing up a mountain takes stamina and mental strength. It strips you of all pretensions. A guy could look like "pijak semut pun tak mati", but on a trip, you can quickly see who likes to take advantage, who does his daily prayers and who are the real deals. So Taichee, I envy you. I really do.

I remember our favourite Abangs from our camping days - Ajie, Anjang, Star, and ntah sapa2 lagi i dah tak ingat. Especially Ajie, who was THE MAN at that time. He's been to more places than we knew existed, he rode a hot superbike (Cagiva, not Harley. Cagivas are WAY hotter than Harleys), he had this irreverent manner, but we knew he has a heart of gold. I wonder where he is now...

Ah.. those were the days... Climbing a mountain or a camping trip is not just an adventure thing. It's bonding, camarederie, doing crazy stuff together, through thick and thin, experiencing hardship and laughter... Life's different for me now, but the memories remain forever :-)