Photo by Wuan.

Wuan has been feeding Cheeky steamed fish for a while now. He loves it very much. In fact, he prefers it over wet kitten food and kitten biscuits. This is a shot of him resting after a very full meal. His tummy is all rounded. He usually has a good appetite. I am happy to see him growing up nicely.

There was a time when I accidentally rolled on him with my wheelchair. It was just a few days after we took him home with us from Ipoh. Like the other kittens before him, Cheeky liked to climb onto my wheelchair cargo net to rest. I was going to the toilet when he suddenly jumped out. I knew I had rolled on something when I heard a squeal and saw him scampering away in a flash to hide behind the sofa. There was cat poo on the floor too.

He did not come out when I called out to him. I was distraught because I thought I had mortally wounded him. It was a relief when he finally came out from hiding when Wuan got home a few hours later. He was mewing away as if to complain about what I did to him. He did not seem to be injured and ate well after that. The vet has also checked him and gave him an excellent bill of health. It took him a while before he dared to climb onto the cargo net again. I have also learnt to be more cautious whenever he is around.

Just yesterday, he learned to climb onto my lap when I was at the worktable. He would climb onto the sub-woofer box that was just beside the wheelchair and then onto my lap asking to be stroked and pampered. He did this again today. This little fur ball is getting more adorable by the day. It is especially a joy to watch him play with Fei Por where he would pounce on her while she would ignore his playful attacks and groomed him.

400 more Scania buses ordered: StarMotoring - 5 October 2008

SBS Transit, Singapore’s leading public transport company, has ordered another 400 Scania buses in addition to the 500 units ordered in 2007.

All the buses will have bodywork produced by Gemilang Coachworks in Malaysia. Deliveries will begin early next year.

The buses are of the no-step low-floor type for quick and fast boarding/disembarkation; as well as allowing full wheel-chair access.”

SBS Transit of Singapore announced in 2006 that they are pushing ahead with the plan to make all new public buses low floor and step-free for the convenience of senior citizens and wheelchair users. For that year alone, 150 new non-step buses would be rolled out. Now the bus company is ordering another 400 non-step low floor buses that will be delivered beginning early next year.

Syarikat Prasarana Negara Berhad (SPNB) of Malaysia rolled out 100 low-floor non step buses some time in mid-2007. Until now, wheelchair users are still unable to ride in those buses. The reasons being that most of the bus stops in Klang Valley are not suitable or are inaccessible. No effort has been put in liaise with the municipal councils and other related agencies to renovate all the 4000 bus stops in stages to make them accessible to wheelchair users and suitable for the buses to deploy the ramps.

The thing with Malaysia is that the Ministry of Transport has very little say in legislating land-based public transport. The Ministry of Entrepreneurial And Co-operative Development through the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board issues permits to public transport operators. The Ministry of Finance Inc. owns SPNB. SPNB is the asset owner of RapidKL and Rapid Penang’s buses. All in all, thirteen agencies are involved in one way or another in governing the industry. It is no wonder the public transportation system is such a havoc in Malaysia.

Why does a man who has not walked for 24 years and probably never will walk again need a pair of sneakers? Actually four pair of shoes and one pair of sandals to be accurate. There is one pair of black slip-ons, one pair loafers with velcro straps, one pair of laced shoes and one pair of sneakers. As I do not walk, the soles do not wear out. None of the shoes I owned since my spinal cord injury had worn out soles. On the other hand, the linings usually give way after two to three years.

The pair of Hush Puppies sandals is the oldest of the lot. It has outlived its lifespan but I am still keeping it because it is the easiest to wear and most comfortable on the feet. The pair of black slip-ons was acquired for my trip to Tokyo to keep my feet warm and dry because it was right in the middle of winter. It is also beginning to show signs of wear and tear. I still wear it to official functions and sometimes for shopping. It is fully broken in and a joy on the feet. The next pair is Clarks suede loafers with velcro straps. I bought it to replace the sandals. I have not worn it much lately because it is a little tight at the broadest part of my feet.

When Metrojaya at Mid Valley Megamall had a sale earlier this year, I got a pair of laced suede that was being offered at a greatly discounted price. It is the on the feet and fitted nicely. I have been wearing this often. My hands are not functional enough to tie the laces. Wuan does that for me. That is my first pair of shoes with laces in a long while.

When Wuan and I were in Ipoh a couple of months back, I got a pair of maroon sneakers at the Nike shop at Kinta City Shopping Centre. The sneakers are called the Tiempo Guri IC. They sport Ronaldinho’s stamped signature on the sides and his Brazil jersey number 10 on the tongue. It was not so much the brand that piqued my interest. It was the design. That pair of sneakers just looked right. I had wanted to buy that same pair when we were in Penang just two days before that but the shop did not carry my size. This shop in Ipoh had my size and was even cheaper by RM10. I simply had to have it. Wuan paid for it as a present to me.

So, back to the question of why a wheelchair user like me needs to own a pair of sneakers? For the very same reasons why people wear shoes. They provide protection against accidental bumps to the feet. This happens very often especially when turning tight corners and opening doors. They prevent my delicate skin that has poor sensation from being nicked while I am transferring from the wheelchair into the car and vice versa. They keep my feet clean. They also to keep my ugly toes covered and away from prying eyes of curious onlookers who never fail to wonder why a man with a pair of legs is using a wheelchair instead of walking.

More importantly, I wear that pair of sneakers to make a fashion statement. Wheelchair users want to look presentable in public too. Wearing them makes me feel sporty and casual. They remind me of the time when I was active, sporty and fashionable. Even now, with them adorning my feet, I feel like I want to just go out there and live it all over again. In short, they make me feel good. Never mind that it is difficult to find clothes to match this shade of red. I love it anyway because its colour matches the theme colour of my blog. Yes, this pair of sneakers is to celebrate the hardcore blogger in me attempting to live life to the fullest. Viva la vida!

Wuan and I have been trying out Thai food on and off lately. Amongst our favourites is the Thai Mango Salad. Lime juice, fish sauce, cooking oil and sugar are added to a mixture of roasted peanuts, dried shrimps, sliced onions, chopped chilli padi and julienned unripe sour mango. This unlikely concoction titillates the taste buds with a tangy blast of sourness from the mango, a dash of sweetness from the sugar and some saltiness from the dried shrimps and fish sauce.

The mango salad is an appetiser that can be eaten just like that. Sometimes, I like to have it with white rice and nothing else. This dish is simply a pleasure to savour at any time of the day. One of the places that we like to go just for the mango salad is Rak Thai at The Gardens in Mid Valley. We would just drop in for a helping of the salad and then continue with our window shopping after that.

Once upon a time, one of my favourite Penang hawker food is chee cheong chuk. It is Cantonese style congee with pig intestines as its main ingredient. The intestines are either deep-fried or boiled. Chopped char siu (roasted pork) is usually added to the porridge with spring onion thrown in as garnishing. I prefer the deep-fried intestines for its aroma and crunchiness. The boiled intestines can be a little chewy at times.

Photo by Wuan.

The taste of the porridge differs from hawker to hawker depending on how the intestines are prepared. I was told that the better tasting intestines are those that are not thoroughly washed so as to retain its natural pungence that reeks slightly of urine. I am not fond of that smell. That is why I am selective of the hawkers I get my chee cheong chuk from.

When Wuan and I were in Penang recently, Suanie and her friend Pinky incidentally was there too. So we arranged with Bryan and Reallybites to meet for dinner. We went to New Lane which is famous for its hawker food. This area has been a hawker food heaven in Penang for as long as I can remember due to its strategic location that is smack right in the middle of town.

Photo by Wuan.

At the mention of New Lane, the only thing that struck my mind is chee cheong chuk. There are other nice food there but I have always related New Lane to chee cheong chuk. It is actually taboo food now but I have not had it for at least a decade already. I have forgotten how it really tasted like before but it was something that I wanted to try again. Inside the mouth, the crispy intestines were a stark contrast against the smooth texture of the porridge. After years of eating bland food due to my kidney problems, I found the taste too strong to my liking. I did not finish eating it. Nevertheless, I was contented that I had finally gotten the opportunity to taste the porridge that my taste buds have been pining for a long time now.