Went to Pasir Penambang with Nor and Fuziani to buy fresh seafood. The fishing village still looks pretty much the same compared to 2 decades ago when I used to bring my Mother who liked to buy her fish from her facourite fat fisherman. Most of the wooden shacks are still there. The village still has more bicycles and motorcycles than cars. The old Hainanse bread shop which makes the nicest fresh coconut bread and kaya jam is still operating.
We stopped at a coffee shack for a drink and a little bite. There were groups of men there, with their feet on the stools in typical village fashion, gulping down crabs, prawns which they downed with tall glasses of beer, loudly chatting, laughing with not a care in the world! Ah..the simple life!
This reminds me of a popular story: A happy and Simple Life
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, "Only a little while, Senor." The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos ."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."
" But what then, Señor?" The American laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time is right you sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions." Millions, Señor? Then what?" The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
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