The Seahorse makes An Impression

Travelling eastwards hasn't been without its difficulties. Even the bureaucratic hassle of getting the plane ticket itself was frustrating enough. And I haven't even come to the complexity of transferring my belongings ( car, furniture etc. ) across the sea in a container.

But I figured I could rough it out for a month or two.

So I packed all I could the night before leaving. Two boxes. That's all I could come up with. In less than an hour, my mother and I had cleared up my room, tossed away the detritus of my old life away and packed everything else into two convenient boxes. Tagged as books and clothes. Amazing yeah?

Charming Calvin offered to tag along ( after much arm-twisting and verbal threats ) to show us around his lil town of Homosex-oil. Otherwise known as Miri. Or the Seahorse City. Though the mind boggles why anyone would randomly pick a mascot that boasts of nothing in particular. Seriously. Think of a seahorse. Any distinguishing characteristic come to you?

Apart from being particularly crispy after being barbecued on a stick in China.


Time to move!
My first impressions of the place?

Certainly not - as we die-hard urbanites fear - the uncivilized back of beyond. Though it's not very far from it :)

Quaint lil town ( and it's a town no matter how you put it ) spread generously across an expanse of sandy coastline with rolling hills and vales to break the monotony. Sparsely populated town centre with a few hulking SUVs ruling the wide empty roads - hence no traffic jams! Happily the annoyingly buzzing motorcycles aren't as common here. Quite evident that the younger locals have fled the area seeking greener pastures elsewhere. I don't blame them much. Unless you desperately crave the peace and quiet of the countryside, this dull, humdrum Pleasantville life here ain't for everyone.

But just like the infamous kolok mee, I believe the place grows on you.

Or at least that's what I'm hoping. Been out hunting for native decorative items in the endless rows of sundry shops but they are seriously hard to find. Seems the local gentry prefer the generic IKEA stuff instead. Fortunately I've been assigned a lovely semi-detached with a vegetable patch attached ( odd, I know! ) so I'll probably have my hands full! More than cosy with three bedrooms for lil ol me.

Maybe I need to rent out some rooms. Starting to wonder if any sexy hot-blooded Kelabit paramedics are in need of a spare bed.