Just For The Sake Of Writing . . . .

It has been a long time since I last wrote: too many hindrances along the way. The main obstacle had been a long paternity leave by my Network Administrator – his kids are in the exams year. The hindrances are over but then I felt like I am being out-dated : antiquated. Well, how not to feel so when flashing back to all those years gone by. When I started schooling, I need to go to ‘kutubkhanah’ for reference books or to borrow a book. Later I need to go to ‘perpustakaan’ for those things. And, years later it was known as ‘librari’. Then there is the item on spellings (in Bahasa Melayu, and later still in Bahasa Malaysia) – the way spellings are adjusted and readjusted along the years and then of course the problem of ‘E’ and ‘E tanda’. And, the unthinkable of all is the change of ‘air’ to mean water! In B.M. it was ‘ayer’ for water and in English ‘air’ is air. Now in B.M. its ‘air’ that means water. And, along the way too, the rename process took place: in my early years 7.00am is 7.00am. Later 7.00am came to be called 7.30am (time adjustment/time change or something?).
Things then are called differently too. In my early years our English teacher told us that the front part of the car (normally the engine compartment, except for a VW beetle) is called the “bonnet”. The rear end where spare tyre, begs, tools, etc are kept is known as the ‘boot”. Now, it seems the then ‘boot’ is known as the ‘bonnet’ too.
Figures increases and changes to new numbers. The 2-mile distance I use to cycle to school is now known as 3km. Height and weight changes too. Those pound and feet and inches gave way to kilogram, meters and cm.
Going global is the order of the day (not in any of my antiquated years). All seem to be trying to go global. Wonder when “the car for sale sign” (you know, the one where you find cars park along the roadside with empty plastic containers on the roof with scribbled phone numbers) is going global? Should we patent this unique ‘for sale sign’?
Yes, time really flies. But when ask what with 4 wheels that flies, do not say it’s a plane or helicopter. It’s the garbage truck.
Antiquated or not, one should keep on writing – not so much for others to read, but for the sake of writing itself. . . .