Hungry Ghost's Daily Diet (TM)

And I blame Dato' Siti Nurhaliza for this - even if being a Dato' now the guards would let her into the resident parking areas back home. But I digress. Of late, have felt the need to listen to music from home because it's been cool in my apartment, and I want sun and warmth. So in some way, Siti = Malaysia = Tropical sun (even if it's landas season and so probably rained out right now).

Anyway, Siti once recorded a medley of songs by Sudirman (a most prolific and very popular singer/songwriter in the 70s and 80s) of which Basikal Tua was one, and I smiled broadly. Then I went back to the original version which I found on a set of 4 discs of classic Sudirman that Dr. K had given me a while ago and am now caught in a time warp.

Which is fine by me. Because, I've come to some vague, hazy, indeterminate conclusions*** about where I'm headed with my posts, and one of them has to do with mining the mists of antiquity for memories.

***Digression: It doesn't matter whether you believe like Julian Barnes that memories are inherently flawed because we forget once we remember, or that memories are a crystal clear record of your life experience. I tend to side with Mr. Barnes on this (well I would wouldn't I? He ain't half-clever, that bloke). I do like tortured intelligence, but that's by the by. Some memories are very clear (like getting a pat on the back by my peers in a meaningful way), others are certainly inaccurate in their details, but sum up the feeling of the time.

I should perhaps explain better, no, not explain because that would be presumptious of me in thinking that you even care or were mildly curious about the direction in which I'm going. So, not explain, just some ground rules for my own benefit.

1. Reports of my daily activity will be minimized - too boring and mundane for the most part, and I'm tired of spicing them up.
2. Reports on the activities of others will be also be minimized - not my business to report on them, and besides 2009 is about me, me, me.
3. Introspection will be encouraged - this is a result of Double T's comments, so blame him.
4. Daniel Craig pictures will continue.
5. Reports on work will go private.
6. Old memories (>5 years) will be recorded in some detail.***
7. Keep length of posts to 800 words or less - not likely to happen.
8. Read over, leave for 15 minutes before posting - also not likely to happen.

***Digression: Something I've been wanting is a record of my past memories. Various things trigger them on a daily basis and I'm going to start recording some down. Will be useful when dementia hits. This idea was also inspired in part by someone going round the circle at a recent dinner party asking people to describe a childhood trauma of sorts. Anyway, being put on the spot like that unleashed a veritable host of memories so here I am now.

But back to old bicycles. When I was still living in Sandakan, I remember bombing along on my old bike, going too fast, and putting my foot down to slow myself down. Whereupon, my slippers flipped up, my big toe was caught on the road and I ripped my big toenail in two. Blood everywhere, pain everywhere. Mum and dad had visitors so they didn't pay attention to my wails until someone saw my bloody footprints on the cement. Consternation. Maybe that's why I have so many problems with my toes now.

Another old bicycle - Aunty #1 gave my sister and me her bicycle (an old Raleigh with a basket in the front). We painted it, and the paint didn't dry well so the bike looked very wrinkly and for years, we'd pick away bits and pieces of paint from the frame. Maybe that's why I wanted folding baskets on my present bike. And finally, FINALLY, I have support for these baskets. During the New Year's Day run, I mumbled something about finally changing my baskets for panniers, and a statement of astonishment was espoused:

"Whatever for? Baskets are great! Panniers are a pain, you have to pack them, they're awkward to carry, and they also have this nasty, sharp hook on the bottom which always scratches your leg. Stick with the baskets."

I will.

My sister found another old bicycle of mine - purchased from the Dunbar Bike Store - a combined birthday and Christmas present from the family when the green bike I bought from D's sister in Kelowna, and which BD damaged when he borrowed it for a summer when I was in Shawinigan Lake, was stolen during a late night session at the NMR machine during graduate school - recently when they emptied W's storage locker. I had to store my bike when I left in 1997 for home, and we somehow lost track of it. Well, it finally showed up. This one was a dark purple with gold swirls on the frame.

Well, well, well. How interesting. Who knew that I would remember all this - and the ancillary memories as well. There's so much more here - Sister had a bike, it was stolen, and SL saw who took it but didn't think anything of it. I called 911 to report this - well, I was only a child then - and was lectured quite nicely by the policeman who answered. I guess that makes it four times that I've dialed 911 now.

I haven't thought of BD in a while too - L had a huge crush on him, and when she found out I knew B - who was an old squash partner, she tried to broker a meeting with him, but alas, he'd already met C - although their union didn't last too long. And one time when B had me over for dinner, he used a salad spinner to distribute the dressing - some creamy Kraft thing, I remembered - for he had no idea what a salad spinner was used for.

And playing squash with B, there was the one time a photographer asked permission to enter the court with us and take photos as we were playing. What a stupid thing to do in retrospect - he could have been badly hurt, but we told him that it was his responsibility to stay out of the way.

Oh yes. I think I'm on the right path here.




Things Done Recently (TDR):
December 26th - run in snow storm, cancel leftovers dinner party due to inclement weather.
December 27th - lovely dinner - thank you Ms. Hostess for including me in the guest list - and unexpected circle of truth.
December 28th - Discover source of tart frozen yoghurt
December 29th - Grim day, one of the grimmest.
December 30th - Perspective came flooding back.
December 31st - Not so lovely dinner, but very pleasant gathering with friends. Horrifed to see what's happened to Dick Clark though. Buy snowshoes and immediately have buyer's remorse
January 1st - drag neighbour for a 60 minute run through snow, ice and icy-cold puddles to clear cobwebs - this is an annual event - the run, not the dragging of a neighbour along.
Today - Mum's birthday, set various things in motion for the rest of January, heard from JJ.