Storey from my sketchbook : Stranger in my own hometown, Kuching

In Malay words, Kucing (without the 'h') is a word for cat. Cats are gentle and graceful by nature. Soft-spoken and lovely. Kuchingites are happy and contented people. They take time to savour life and moments. There is something about the smiles of Kuching people, pure and comes from the heart.

Having working outside from Kuching for a long time, I truly miss the vibes. Time passed and life in Kuching goes on without me. I have been away for more than 7 years and sadly, I sometimes feel like a stranger back in my own hometown. Some things just look familiar yet strange to me. Some roads are still the same yet not quite the same. There are new food inventions that I don't remember having it when I was still growing up in Kuching. My classmates are embarking into parenthood. Conversation topics now revolving around children. Perhaps I got used to the hustle and bustle of city life, the laid back life in Kuching made me felt I have so much more time and space. Above all that, Kuching is still the old charming city. It taught you that the lifestyle can be slow but we still get things done fashionably well without sacrificing the soul factor. It is hard not to fell in love with this small city.

As the night is getting late, I can't help but reminiscing and thinking how my friends and family back there are doing. You know i miss you, i really do. I just want to rest on your comforting fur and forget about bustling cities and never-ending timelines.

Hello Kuching, how are you today ?
I hope all is well.
& hopefully I will be back for you again, soon.

Stories from my sketchbook : Yard behind my house

As I was documenting some of my earlier sketch works, it felt like I was walking down the memory lane, revisiting different moment at different time and place. It is a special feeling because the emotion attachment is stronger than photos. It is a record of you being there at that time, cherishing the moments, painting and penning down thoughts. I'm a big believer that sketch could only done when you feel like it (in my case). The moment could be very ordinary or special, but it has the effect that makes you want to sketch and pen it down and express yourself. The yard beside the kitchen in my house in Kuching is ordinary, but it has a special feeling, probably it reminds me of the image of my dog pooping at that area, the space is also where we always dry our clothes, dad weeding the backyard..etc. Earlier, dad also took extra effort to paved the yard with pavement brick so that it would not be muddy during the rain. The fact that I came back once in a while, a simple backyard sparked off many thoughts and reflection. The yard continues to be the space for daily activities for dad, mom, David (my younger brother) and our dog during my absense.

My parents love gardening. We have pepper plant, curry leave tree, and a Spondias Dulcis tree which we locally called it buah kedondong, ampula, ampra or mangkolong. The fact that the yard was not perfectly landscaped makes me love it even more because I realise that in life, we don't need everything perfect to make us happy. Happiness is when people and things exist just the way it is and that makes each and everyone of us special in our own way.