The missing link

Okay, first I have to announce that this is my 200th post! Yippee!! It comes out to about one post a week for the past 4.5 years. I used to be very diligent in updating my blog but I guess the writing muse hasn't been very nice to me lately. I promise that I'll dive right back into my writing groove in no time. There are just simply too many political affairs out there to be commented on.

But for now let's talk about missing, or rindu in Malay/Indo. It sucks ass to miss somebody or something, and I hate that feeling. Having lived and been to many places around the world I do miss quite a few things in my life. People I've met, things I've experienced, places I've explored. For now I just want to list things and people I miss in the US, where I've spent a good chunk of my life.

1. Decent cheese: I do consider myself a transplanted Wisconsinite and cheese is to Wisconsin is like what tempe is to Indonesia or durian is to Malaysia. I terribly miss the locally-made Wisconsin sharp cheddar and fresh cheese curds from the factory. And they are impossible to find here in Malaysia.

2. Independent coffeeshops: People who know me knows how much I love coffee and how I detest the mainstream coffeeshops like Starbucks but I have no other option but to patronize them here in Malaysia. I miss my favorite coffee joints like Rochambo, Fuel Cafe and Brewed Awakenings in Milwaukee and Espresso Royale, Indie Coffee, Steep and Brew, Fair Trade Coffee and Ancorra in Madison. Here's the review I wrote a while ago about various coffeeshops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

3. Neighborhood bars: Let me say that life in Wisconsin revolves around alcohol, especially beer. It's steeped in German tradition and bars constitute as a place for the community to gather, socialize and discuss various issues of the day. I miss local neighborhood bars where everybody knows everybody and people can chill and relax shooting pool, playing darts, foosball and airhockey. In some places there are open-mic nights, slam poetry, etc. Even after I quit drinking a few years ago I still go to my local bars regularly just to hang out with friends.

4.Bike-friendly cities: I miss riding my mountain bike in places where riders are respected on the road. Madison is a very bike-friendly city with extensive network of bike paths and trails. People can also put their bikes on the bus or in DC, you can bring bikes on the Metro (subway) during non-rush hours. I used to ride my bike everywhere and all year round even deep in the winter season and it's something I really, really miss right now.

5. Hiking: I miss hiking in parts of the Appalachian trails in the East Coast of the US, the Kettle Moraine trails in Wisconsin, the Glacier National Park in Montana, the Blue Ridge Mountain in Virginia, the Petrified Forest in Arizona or simply trails in the urban forest reserve like the Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC or the Central Park in New York City. I do wish that I had the opportunity to hike in some of the National Parks in Alaska. Hopefully someday I'll get the chance.

6. Music scene: I don't just miss all the big concerts in the US but also smaller gigs in some cramped, smoke-filled clubs. The first big concert I went to in the US was Oasis but they were still not that big at the time (it was right after the release of their "Live Forever" album) and it was held at Milwaukee's Eagles Ballroom. Many countless rock concerts to follow after that including Metallica (twice), Green Day (twice), Pearl Jam (twice), Red Hot Chili Pepper, Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden, Alice in Chain, Beastie Boys, The Offsprings (four times!), Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistol, Foo Fighters, Pennywise (twice), NOFX, Nine Inch Nail, Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Social Distortion, Sonic Youth, System of A Down, Pantera, Anthrax, Def Tones, Bob Dylan and many, many more. What I regret the most is not having the opportunity to see Nirvana live in concert. I'm a hardcore Nirvana fan and damn you Kurt Cobain for killing yourself before I get to see you on stage!!

7. Freedom: I know the word "freedom" here is very broad but I feel so stifled living here in Malaysia. I really hate it when people tell me what I can do or say. I cannot express myself fully in Malaysia without ruffling a few feathers in the process. For example, I almost lost a few friends in Malaysia just by having heated discussions about Malaysian politics. Yep, I've been called by some of my supposed friends pengkhianat bangsa, Melayu tak sedar diri, munafik and other unsavory epithets just for speaking my mind about the political situation in Malaysia. This NEVER happens to me in the US. I have a few conservative, right-wing friends in the US and we engage in civilized political discussions all time and ultimately agreeing to disagree. The same goes with some of my Jewish friends who are hardcore Zionists. Heated, yes. Respectful, yes. Childish name-calling, NO!

8. Cheap stuff: Yes, most things are cheap in the US, and I really mean it. I remember always going to the supermarket and filling my cart to the brim, which later amounted to only 50-60 dollars. That's like a month worth of grocery for me! In Malaysia, a cart full of groceries can easily set one back a cool 300-400 Ringgit. That's just plain crazy! Another example: a pair of Levi's 501 jeans costs around 20-25 dollars in the US but in Malaysia it goes for over 200 Ringgit a pair! Now that's highway robbery if you ask me. Seeing the price tags of some of the stuff in Malaysia almost makes me want to fly back to the US!

9. People I miss: Being away from my real family in Malaysia has allowed me the chance to make new ones in the US. In Milwaukee I miss Diane Conrad, my mentor and the toughest woman I know (the first woman in her army unit to drive the Abrams M-1A tank); Mario and his racially-diverse family for always having me in all their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners; Julie Enslow of Peace Action Wisconsin for showing me the principled life of a peace activist and to always fight against injustices; Brad Montgomery, my comrade-in-arm and the calmest person I know; and Tony Perez, my old Puerto Rican boss, who is one of the smartest and most eloquent guy I know despite the heavy Spanish accent. In Washington DC I miss my brothers Craig and Spooner, with whom I spent a lot of time in the backyard barbecuing, smoking pot and listening to Bob Marley's Roots Rock Reggae played in infinite loop. In Madison I miss the people at my old office, the UW's Center for Southeast Asian Studies, especially Mary Jo, Dr. Mike, Sinae, and Pak Andy (my gamelan teacher); Cisco and Jessica for being true and dependable friends whenever I need them; Indonesian PhD students like Amelia, who makes a kick-ass ayam rica-rica from her native Manado; and Pak Dustin, who teaches Arabic but also speaks fluent Indonesian, for his warm hospitality and friendliness.

10. The New York Times crosswords puzzles: Okay, I'm a crosswords junkie and I've been solving them for the past ten years or so. I admit that I can still do the world-famous NY Times crosswords online but the feeling is not the same as actually solving it in the newspaper itself. One secret: I used to tear out the NY Times crosswords from the coffeehouse's newspaper and do them later at home. Yes, it's bad but what can I say? I'm a crosswords addict!

Of course this is just a partial list of what I miss in the US. But it's enough to make me think about going back there again... to visit, at least!