The world is simply too big for just ironing cloths!

Contributed by Rtr Harnniann

“The world is simply too big for just ironing cloths!”

That was what I thought after my friends had left my house after a simple birthday celebration.

Last night, I threw a party for a best friend of mine Andy to celebrate his 28th birthday. A few friends came to my house to get together.

After a few rounds of chit-chatting, the corkscrew was in action and wine was served.

The topics that centered the table were serious and heavy. We were toying with the idea of living oversea.

Among us, the most experienced traveler was Alice (a former Rotaractor of our club) who works as a tour guide. She shared with us the funny moments and experience she had while traveling abroad. Her stories seemed endless. Our focus was all on her colourful and vivid account of the many oversea trips of hers.

Alex, the guy who sat next to me is a qualified accountant. He is getting married in May and shortly thereafter he will be migrating to Australia with his wife as a skill migrant.

“What you gonna do there?” I asked.

“I don’t know but I think I’ll figure it out over there…”

Then we talked about our good friend Bom (also a former member of ours) who is now working in Shanghai. Alice met him in Shanghai recently and she made us all envy by telling us how good a life and how big the paycheck Bom is living now in Shanghai. "Bom said he wanted to buy a SMALL tv and he ended up buying a 31 inch and still claimed that it was a small TV!"


I was thinking, ten years ago if you tell someone you plan to go “back” to China, most probably people will think you are out of your mind. Going west like USA, UK, Australia or even Singapore was the trend then. Things change amazingly fast. Now, if you tell others you are going to work in China, a 5 digits monthly salary and comfortable working environment will pop up in their mind.

After we are done with Bom, Alice shared with us how she surfed in Gold Coast, Australia. Although I only half-believed her story (which I smelled exaggeration), it still left me stunned for a very long time.

I told Alice, “you know, while you were out there enjoying the waves and the cold seawater, thrilled by the likelihood of shark attack, I was in this house, here in Klang, ironing my white shirts for the next morning court works…”

Of course everybody burst into laughter. I was laughing at myself too. But something inside me was getting very uncomfortable and disturbing.

Is it time to venture out? I do not wish to list down all the things in Malaysia that are worrying me (that topic itself can be my thesis for doctorate). But I am pretty sure the Malaysian readers will understand what I am hinting.

Is it time to do something different?

Is it time to look at our future as citizens of the planet Earth and not only Malaysia?

Is it time to follow PN Lloyd Cheam for an adventurous but not so comfortable trip to the Golden Triangle?

Or is it time to stop ironing cloths but watching Astro? Speaking of which, do you believe I have not even installed an antenna for my TV? I must be from the Stone Age!