Post Padang

As we flew over Malaysian airspace, 10 minutes to touchdown, Simon looked out the window and said "Shieet, kelapa sawit, man! Where's the wave?!"- jokingly of course.
I sniggered but I understood the feeling. Back in KL now- to the traffic, the noise, the pollution, impersonal relationships, chasing money, waiting for weekends....
I celebrated my birthday just the way I wanted to....on the board and in the ocean and thankfully enough, the surf was awesome that evening- everyone was super stoked! I had switched to a smaller, more proper board as well, so no thigh rashes and if nothing else, that was enough reason to be more joyous. It was so much easier to stand on that board, surprisingly, so I think I will get myself both a mini-mal and a longboard.
Pantai Air Manis is part of a small kampung so everyone basically knows everyone. I love it that the kids approach us from curiosity, for some light banter and simple conversations. It's nice to be remembered and accepted, though I still need some time to get used to being called "Om Ali". Some of the kids are as young as 12 and already surf like pros! but it's a shame that they aren't given the opportunity or proper exposure. Ideally, I would like to give something back to them. Help them to help themselves, to create their own opportunity and I think that will give me a greater sense of accomplishment.
I took a walk by my solitary self around town whilst everyone was asleep one morning (the surf was a bit choppy then) and had a tiny taste of things to come. Of course, I wasn't treated much differently by virtue of how I looked, but having never set foot in town before, I still felt like a tourist. I bought praying paraphernalia for my mom, which impressed this old woman who was there buying something as well. She said "Bagus, anak yang soleh. Sorga itu di telapak kaki ibu nak" which translates to "What a good son you are. Heaven is at the sole of your mother's foot" or something like that and I couldn't help but feel a little flattered. Maybe flattered is the wrong word for it, but it made me feel warm inside, elevated, knowing that despite being miles away from my family, a stranger could relate to the most sincerest of acts.
I'm blabbering..haha
Point is, I did not do much on this trip.....surfed, ate (great food), talked and walked....and I've never felt happier. It's always the small things that matter most....