So long in my life, I don't remember I ever have a conversation with a stranger...really a total stranger to me, it's my 1st and my last (the conversation that makes me feel good).
It's normal for those who stays in the city and it's part of a journey in life that, at one point you will move to school out from your house, from kindergarten to university. During the learning process, you will come to group discussing where, each and every one shares their points and views. From there the friendship builds, some will last long, some will just end there.
It was a fine Thursday, I finally decided to collect the vests & bibs for the Siemens run this coming Sunday. I was thinking in my mind that it will be a mess like what happened during Standard Chartered collecting days. As what I did the last time, I went there by STAR LRT, stopped by Masjid Jamek station and walked to Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka Square).
However, it turned out better than what is expected, where there were this man who will not stop from asking whether everthing is alright in every 5-10 minutes to make sure, the collection and distribution is doing well. I would like to thank the Siemens run organizer for haherving such man. Besides, there were 2 tables ready with Men & Women vests & T-shirts samples for us to see before we make decision on the size. The tables also served as a place for us to double check, make sure everything is collected especially the bibs.
First, I went to the F category, to collect my brother's bibs and t-shirt. The things were efficiently handed to me :)
Then I moved to bulk collection, where there were another 22 pieces of vests & bibs to be collected, 11 for (Men Open) A category, and 11 for (Women Open) B category.
This was where the waiting started, this man in front of me were waiting to collect vests, t-shirts and bibs. I guessed he have been waited a few minutes ago, while I was still looking at the vests size for the men category. It's just difficult for me to decide what size to take for them.
Just a few seconds after I passed my collection paper to the person in-charge, the conversation started. This man is helping more than 30 people to collect their things, should be double of the amount that I'm collecting, that's why waited for quite some time. He looks pleasant in his office attire. The person in-charge seeing me waited for a while offered a chair for me to sit, so kind of them (big applause to the Siemens Run organiser).
While waiting, this pleasant man started to asked me whether I went for the previous BHP run, as he saw me taking the bag to collect the vests, etc. I asked for repeat, because I could get what he asked at the first time. Then, I answered, "Yeah, I went." Then, I replied, "How about you, do you?" Then he nodded, started to asked when I started running, I said 2 years ago. "Wow, you are my senior then!" he exclaimed. I was shocked. As the conversation still going on, while waiting for the vests distribution, he asked about the coming running events and whether I'm participating. And I asked him the same thing. Seems like he's joining most of the running events, he shared a good testimony to me. He was a 80 kg weight man, he said he was scolded by doctor, because he is not having the right weight for his height. I don't know how tall he is (about Albert's height, 165-170 cm?), obviously is taller than me. That's why he started to join marathon, he was dragged by his friend and in one year time, he has changed. He looks fit in his office attire, if I remember correctly, he mentioned his weight is 60 kg now. I was amazed, for he has changed so much just by joining marathon. He even went for the Sundown 42 km night run in Singapore, he said he still prefer morning run. Night run was more difficult and tiring compared to morning run. He is used to morning run. He did asked where did I normally practice, I just said Bandar Tun Razak. So he shared that he always practise with the pacesetters people in Bukit Aman every Sunday. Man with much passion for run than I do. I did but, just that I seldom practise, always rely on the weather. Then, he mentioned that his car window was broken once in Seremban during one of the run. Well, it did happen in Malaysia every now and then especially during running event. I guessed he joined as the pacesetters members since he talked about the website.
So, the conversation ended when his collections arrived. It's time to wait for my collection. He still checking his collections at the table provided.
Then he left after finish checking all the collections, while I was checking mine at another table, there he bid good bye. There gone the pleasant looking man. He mentioned that he's going back by train. Well, me too, but we are going separate ways (I guess). Well, I would say it's a good conversation, I guess I seldom meet people like him who talks about himself (I did, but it was online during chatting session). It's so much different between talking face to face, and communicating online.
I slowly walked to the station with the collections, while sms-ing people to collect the vests and bibs from me.
Then, the night I went for the NS camp in Semenyih for visiting and doing the Youth Alpha course. I was taking the ice-breaking session. The NS participants are total strangers to me. Help me! I was screaming inside my heart. In midst, Rachel and Kah Heng did helped me in calming down the NS participants. They are young, active and naughty, hardly calmed them down. I supposed to scheduled a few games, however, it turned out that I only have time for one type of game. Anyway, I hope they enjoy themselves.
It really took a lot of courage for me to start and kind of leading one of the group during discussion. My group consists of the people from East Malaysia, Sabah & Sarawak. It goes on well during the discussion, obviously the ladies take charge of the group, 4 of them plus 3 men who were shy and quiet most of the time. Maybe is because I'm leading, I guess it would be the other way if a man is leading the group. There were 2 young men who doesn't know what is Alkitab (Bible), also were the quietess men in the group. Both of them are from Sibu, Sarawak (they are Ibans, as I saw some tatoos on their bodies).
The rest, 3 girls from Sabah, one of them from KK, while another girl and a man, both from Kuching, Sarawak. This Kuching girl is planning to work afther the NS (don't know what field). And the KK girl is planning to study Management. The men in my group are too shy, or is it me? I only managed to talked to this man from Kuching, he reminded me of one of the man in my secondary school (who was much matured than him, just that they look alike). He just said he sleeps during free time, because not enough sleep and tired, he did miss his family though. Unlike those staying in Subang who can go back home every now and then, during holidays.
The girls shared with me their activities in NS camp. They did enjoy themselves, meet new friends. Usually in the morning they will attend class, then towards the afternoon/everning they will start to march 'kawat' and play flying fox. (So nice! I haven't try flying fox, while they are doing it almost every evening!) It should be fun. I missed it! They did go to church on Sundays.
The facilities are not really good or bad, just slightly better than orang asli's house. I wonder why the lighting in the toilet not functioning at night, where they need to depends on the natural sunlight. Maybe only one of the toilet is like that.
There is one rule where we (visitors) are not supposed to step on the ground, the place where it is meant for them to march. This brings me back to my secondary school memories, where we have to wear the soldier attire every Wednesday and stay back for marching in the afternoon. At least I went through those difficult times, it's really a once in a lifetime thing that I appreciate.
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