寂节

（根据 陶喆的《寂寞的季节》音乐 而填词）

任凭那海角或天边

是两极或地平线

纵然寻觅那一片噢

沧海和那桑田

梦醒来却是看你不见

黑暗孤单总相连

若让潮汐和你遇见

可否带我心缱绻......

我想要用心去感觉

你呼吸的每一瞬间

但总少了一点时间

在这寂寞的季节……

Apa Sri Lanka, Namo Namo Namo Namo Matha (Oh Mother Lanka! We salute, salute, salute, salute Thee!)

It has being a long time that I have not write a single post in my blog. I just got a new job and will be send to Sri Lanka for a few months tour of duty.

Yes, as a Singaporean, my friends around me have asked me, "Why? It's such a backward place!". I guess I have no answers for this. Singaporeans have been in their high class mindset all these while, triumphing in our clean environment, that going to a developing country is a no go to them, or rather, us.

Statue at Independence Square, Colombo

If you were to ask me, what is Sri Lanka like, all I can tell you is this.

1. The people here are extremely nice.
2. Colombo is like Malaysia to me, as in a Singaporean, going in Malaysia.
3. Food is is no different from Singaporean Indian food, except most are spicy.
4. The national anthem talks about Grace and Love, Knowledge and Truth, Wisdom and Strength. Instead of Singapore national anthem, whicch is all progress progress progress and prosperity. (Wiki Page of Sri Lanka National Anthem)

As I am working here for quiet some time (at least 1.5 months at a go) I am staying in apartment which I can cook. I could get most of the ingredients in Singapore except condiments which may not be available here unless importe which are pricy and taste rather weird at times. But spice is available everywhere!

Local market, that gives me the feeling of 80s in Singapore where I will follow my mum and grandma to the market!

Local supermarket, items are cheap for me, but pricy for the local

Home cooked food for me and my colleagues. Pan-seared luncheon meat from Singapore, Steam minced chicken with egg, and stir-fry okra with black fungus and carrots.

Of cause, woking in Sri Lanka, I will get bored at times, especially when I am a homely person who stay at home tending my garden, baking and cookng. Hence good thing I brought some videos to watch in my Mac. I was watching the series of Anime by Hayao Miyazaki (宫崎骏). I was watching this particular anime where the girl in it is singing a Japanese version of Country Road. Bored and thinking of home in Singapore, I wrote this Country Road, Singlish Bedok version (Probably only Singaporeans will know what is Singlish and Bedok). Bedok is a town on the east side of Singapore, where I stay.

Kampung Bedok (Sing to the tune of Country Road)

Almost heaven, East Singapore,

There's no mountain, but Sungei Bedok,

Life is cool here, cooler than the fridge,

big big tall trees, growing in the breeze

Concrete roads, take me home

To the place I belong,

Kampung Bedok,

Nasi Lemak, Char Kway Teow

Concrete roads

All my memories, gather round her

Rocket Playground, at Bedok Interchange

Dark and dusty, never on the sky

Misty taste of curry, teardrops in my eye

Concrete roads, take me home

To the place I belong,

Kampung Bedok,

Laksa Lemak, Bak Kut Teh

Concrete roads

I hear drum calls in the morning hour she calls me

Prayers at Masjid Al-Ansar reminds me of my home

Driving down Reservoir road I get a feeling

That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Concrete roads, take me home

To the place I belong,

Kampung Bedok,

Mee Soto, Mee Goreng

Concrete roads

Take me home, concrete roads

Take me home, concrete roads

********************************* End

Hell yeah, I miss home. And the food. And my TV programs. And my plants. And my oven.