Disclaimer :
This entry was written at 2.40 am after a full-on binge of ice cream, satay, chee cheong fun and burgers. Coming from a bloated, tired but too-full-to-sleep young man, the entry may be as dry as week old bread. Sesame burger buns to be exact…(groans from indigestion)

I’m back. None the wiser.

Before this summer began, I’ve promised myself certain things. Summer resolutions if you must. None of them were fulfilled.

This summer began with kinda a lame-ass bang. Coming straight back from my examinations, I was hoping for a much needed vacation with friends. There was a small kink however; Albert refused to leave his house. “Graduate examinations coming up” or so he says.

Right up to about the time Lun Yao was back in Penang, was when this i-have-to-prepare-for-my-all-important-examination faded away as suddenly as it appeared. In other words, before the LY phenomenon, he wasn’t that keen on going out with just us. Anywho, Dinesh so deliciously sums it up as being “favoritism at work!” So we went out more frequently during that time frame, what with Ali and Gavin being back too.

Fast forward a few weeks and Albert finally got done with his examinations. However, right about then was when Dinesh’s final presentation was due. However Dinesh being Dinesh, he still went out with us, although occasionally slipping into a semi-depression mode. The work he did not do while being out eating, dota-ing and plain driving around with us finally caught up with him. Thus the night before he was to hand in his project, we all stayed up all night at his place helping him to finish. We did not :)

The highlight of summer must be when Albert’s friend, Hiro “Herro New-Yorke”, from Japan visited for a week. That week was filled with daily excursions to tourist places in Penang and gourmet meals at restaurants, hawker places, Bon Odori!, etc etc. Being the perfect host, Albert went all out with hospitality and graciousness (much to our delight). Hiro was a much needed addition to our threesome. His “ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh…..s” are legendary. So is his preference to call Albert, “Ennnnng Keeoong”. And his Mika story, Kaminari and Asagiri included.

After that, a slew of stuff happened and before long, it was time for Albert to leave Penang. Eating Mcdonalds at BJ (I know, BJ?!) we wrapped up this summer. As I was to leave in only a week later, it really felt like this summer was coming to a close.

So I leave this summer, not any better with my Mandarin, still unable to pluck the guitar to “Whole Wide World”, carrying around more weight than before the summer began, oblivious to the beauty of the other Malaysian states. But still, I am happy.

For summer is just that. Unfulfilled promises and an unplanned three months of life.