Sep 23: On Wasp Stings and Other Things

I had lived the past 35 years of my life without ever getting stung by anything.

That won't be the case when I turn 36 because I stung thrice by wasps while hiking.

What made it even more ironic was that this unfortunate encounter took place at our regular hiking spot, a place where we had explored countless times without any such incidents. Just weeks earlier, we had embarked on an even longer hike up Bukit Lagong, which took us almost six hours, and returned (relatively) unscathed.

This is us halfway up Lagong

The halfway point of Lagong has a nice-ish view of Batu Caves

In other, happier news, Lily turned two. 

We can have full conversations now and it won't be long before she argues with me just like her elder sister does.

A couple of days later, we spent our Malaysia Day at a carnival at the neighbourhood masjid. Probably the longest I've ever spent at a mosque. Really liked the idea of opening the mosque for these kinds of events (which are open to people of all races and religions).

I also had the opportunity to participate in the Standard Chartered Marathon this year (not the full one, just the 10KM one). It was an interesting experience, primarily because of the incredible atmosphere generated by the sea of people who joined the event. Easily the biggest run I've ever joined. My timing was quite shit, though, so let's just leave it at that.

What made this marathon even more memorable was the chance to stay the night in the Masjid Jamek area, something I had never done before. Stayed at a decent hostel with zero sound-proofing from the noises outside, which gives one a sense of how Kuala Lumpur doesn't really go to sleep.

Lastly, a quick word about work. It's been a month since I started at my new place, and so far, everything feels under control. The learning curve hasn't been overly steep, but it's challenging enough to keep things interesting.

The excitement of doing something new has yet to subside - long may this continue.