Down the Seremban memory lane...

24th July 2011 was a day of nostalgia of sorts. It was a day down the lane of nostalgia. After working in Kuala Pilah (1989-1991) and Seremban (1991-1992), I never really went back. 1989 to 1991 was a time of life with lesser complications and responsibilities - before marriage (KP) and the time of euphoria just after (S'ban). 20 years later, Seremban looks less green, more 'exposed' and 'brighter'.

Starting ill-prepared after dealing with post-Standard Chartered Marathon malaise and inertia of restarting training (having reached the big one!), nursing a low backache and being pulled into a turmoil of the supra-tentorial type, I started the early morning low budget 21km, run.

This time around, only Suresh and I partook in this regatta. Raj, who was gung ho in doing his maiden half, had to pull out due to irresistible work commitments (or did he really chicken out?) In spite of being of low budget, the run was well run. It started promptly at 6.45am. The same familiar faces were seen again amongst the crowd (die-hard running fanatics). 

Starting at the council grounds in the heart of town, bordered by a temple and gurudwara, it took us along the roads of Seremban...So did my mind, just as I do in most runs, jogging down memory lane...

Life in the late 80s and early 90s was blissful. Having graduated from varsity and starting work, given a lot of responsibility and respect, finally settling down in matrimony after a rough patch, I thought that was it. Of course, there was the desire to pursue to further my career via post-graduate studies; that was okay!

From the starting line, we strolled down Rahang Road via various newly constructed highways and made ourselves to the Paroi area. This Paroi area was familiar as through these roads, I used to speed to make it to punch in after a long locum session in KL through the weekend, feeling tired but happy with money jingling in my pants!

In my mind, I was chuckling at the names of buildings. I was wondering whether Klinik Rahang was a dental clinic or medical clinic as Rahang in Malay meant 'mandible' or 'jaw', and Rahang was also an area in Seremban! That lame joke, my son would say.

Amy Winehouse - Rest her soul!
Back to the Maker (not Rehab)

Taman Rashidah and Taman Guru... What used to be an army camp is now an open-air exhibition ground. Here we turned towards Ampangan. What used to be a sleepy Malay neighbourhood had transformed beyond recognition with residential and commercial buildings. A short while later, we turned off to the Kuala Klawang exit, entering the tarred but old dual-country carriageway. Enjoying the loud, energetic music of FlyFM (no reception for BFM) and enjoying the early morning scenery of the countryside, I almost tripped over when I heard the bad news. Amy Winehouse was found dead! Holy cow! Didn't I just hear a couple of months earlier that the curse of the 27 was to strike soon (over the internet)? Many a great musician has succumbed to the curse of age 27. This includes Jim Morrison (The Doors), Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain (Nirvana). The article had actually predicted Amy Winehouse to join the 27 Club!

All this while, I was just running at my own relaxed pace, oblivious and not ambitious of improving my time. At 1h 1m, I had covered the 10km mark, regularly sipping my self-made concoction of cordial drink with tonic water (with quinine -cramp buster).

Somewhere at Taman Kayu Manis (what a name but sounds 'high class' as 'Cinnamon Garden', though), we turned towards Sikamat. The route was undulating but manageable. The last 3km were, as usual, the 'longest'. And were painfully obstructed by casual and love-struck 10km jaywalkers! From Sikamat, we made it back through Lake Gardens back to our starting point in one piece at 2h 22m. Suresh was in cloud nine after breaking the sub-2h barrier at 1h 57m! Congrats. The last time I heard, he was still flying high!

We celebrated our success by indulging in banana leaf thosai but too early for mutton as the cook had not started cooking yet. Probably still running after the goat to slaughter!