Homecoming

It's the time of the year again, where the children will return to the family home for Chinese New Year..

And because of the long weekend, many will take the opportunity to jam up the roads in smaller towns and cities and void the nation's capital city of any traffic..

I was at work still today on the eve of CNY (as with previous years) because I don't want to be caught in the 200 kilometres jam on the North South Expressway.. It was too much to bear.. I find that travelling in the late afternoon on the eve of CNY is quite okay.. There was a year when I was caught in the jam so bad it took 8 hours to travel 200km, but over the years, despite the increasing traffic, things has gotten better, to 6 hours and of recent memory, 4 hours..

I was born in Ipoh and I grew up in Ipoh as well.. As a kid in the sleepy town of Ipoh in the 80s and 90s, traffic jam was not something I was familiar with..

Up until 2003, my family would go back to my grandmother's place in Paloh, Johor for CNY until she passed.. From 2004 onwards, it became then my duty to go back to the family home in Ipoh instead.. While my parents don't live in Ipoh anymore, we still keep our Ipoh family home..

This year is a little special - there's a grandchild in the family! Despite not married, I am duty-bound as the uncle to also give my nephew angpow..

I made it home today in 2 and half hours!

And oh... all the familiar faces in my Jack'D and Grindr in the Klang Valley, is also in Ipoh lol.. that goes to show how many of us Ipoh boys have since moved/migrated to KL and elsewhere around the world (like Singapore, for eg) for better prospects..

You can take me out of Ipoh, but you can't take Ipoh out of me..


Have a very happy and prosperous New Year! 

Gong Xi Fa Chai!