Monday began in monochromatic shades of greys that is almost cinematic. A pronounced picture of Kuala Lumpur City heaving with emotions, but silent. All the unspoken that sleep in my brain, now bleed from the tips of my fingers and onto this odd page of the world wide web. This city is beautiful, I told myself; this city is a gaping hole –its economic challenges, its political element at every nook, its contrasting communities that live within one another–, this city is a floodgate of opportunities.
Marina once told me that because Malaysia is not a squeaky-clean country that we have so much room for growth. We love our land, for if you dig the sense of earth (no pun intended), differently but all the same.
I sit myself down, trying to drink the world through my viewfinder, hungry for some colours in the black and white city on this breezy morning. I ordered a three-quarter latte. The barista, later I found out named Jimmy, took my order, with a smirk. Maybe he was looking for some colours on this cold morning, too. I watched the people around me and then this woman spoke. Her cheeks tinted salmon pink, her wrinkles deep espesh her smile lines, her hair soft and sleek, her voice tender yet strong pierced the silence like a hot knife slicing through Christmas turkey. I lowered my camera and braved myself this odd conversation with a stranger.
How was the coffee? Smooth. Good body. Lacked in aroma. I told Jimmy to use non-stick pitchers because they always make better milk, and even better pours. He scrambled from behind the counter to hold up a non-stick. I wonder if it is a Teflon. Nevermind for now, I will return to find out more. We shook hands and bade to meet again.
Conversations make my world warmer.
for well you know that it’s a fool who plays it cool
by making his world a little colder
A whirlwind, I’d say. In a mere half a week’s time, I’ve –if I were to just name the big three things that happened– quit a job, scored another and discovered a new industry I have passion for.
Many fortunate things happen to me all the time and they are usually surprises that unfold themselves. I wouldn’t say that I worked hard for all of them because they would be totally unrelated, so I guess I’m that lucky bastard I’ve accumulated a lot of good karma. That said, I do work hard, very hard.
Moral of the story: be nice.
A Michelle Chan PSA
FaceTiming with Mabs at her university library in Boro when I was in Melby 
Or when I get off work, I plug into my earphones and start strolling the city with cameras in hands. 
IT WAS SCORCHING HOT. We traipsed back to have dinner… 
