We took a drive to Muar yesterday. About 150km along the North-South (NS) Highway and another 24km from the exit of the NS to the town centre proper.
Attended the funeral and burial of a colleague's father you see. Although I myself felt like dying since I'm down with a really nasty bout of the flu. I don't get sick easily but when I do, oh boy its a pain...:/
Anyway didn't have the mood to take any pictures since the purpose of the trip was pretty sombre and all that but still managed to snap a few pathetic ones in my pathetic state just to keep myself occupied.
The drive was pleasant enough, save for the scorching sun. Certain stretches of the NS Highway are actually quite scenic although I know this pic doesn't do justice to anything =))
The town itself looks like any other big Malaysian town with a sizeable Chinese population, shophouses and
Kedai Makanans (eateries) lining the streets. OK while taking this pic I nearly got run over by the yellow pick-up crossing the road =))
This
Bandung pink building houses the Yong Sheng Confectionary. Muar's answer to the Tan Kim Hock of Malacca. You know all the pastries, tid-bits, crackers and stuff. But more than all these, we scouted for this place because they have excellent
Otak Otak. And we promptly lugged back RM60 worth! =))
Before taking the drive home, we spied this road-side
Wanton Mee pushcart. Yes the noodles were soaked in black gravy just like how the Malaysians like it.
Anyway would have loved to show you guys some pictures of the Chinese Cemetery cos I thought the old-style tombstones (you know the really big, grand-looking arching ones)were pretty cool. Plus of course I haven't actually attended a burial before. In modern Singapore, who buries their beloved these days anyway?
I actually took along my camera from the car but the wifey advised me against snapping away in a place like this. And thankfully I heeded her advice. Because on the way back to the car after the coffin had been placed underground, I stepped on a plank over a deep 30cm-wide drain and it broke into two, sending me plummeting into the
longkang. Thankfully I didn't break or sprain anything as I broke the fall using my hands and elbows. I shudder to think what would have happened if I took some pics =/
But I felt more eerie than pain actually. Knowing perhaps that the spirits were probably a trifle miffed and were teaching me a 'lesson'. Moreover when we got back to the car, the driver's door was wide open when I could have swore that I shut and locked it when I got out. Yikes! :/
So apart from this close encounter with the Nether World kind, it was quite an enjoyable road trip. Won't be in Muar anytime soon though...
Labels: Places