The South China Sea- here I come.

Yesterday morning at sunrise I  was floating on my back swayed by the waves on the East Coast where I stayed atmy twin brother's house by the sea in Marang, Terengganu. I drove with my daughter  leaving Penang at ten on Thursday night,we rented a car online and I was very impressed at how easy it all seems and all depending upon mutual trust and respect for the users. My daughter insisted that  we wahed and vacuumed the car when we left it back at the parking lot; I was impressed that my daughter has learned much about life in this dayb and age, she is a survivor. She took care of all the strategics and logistics and my copilot It was fun driving a relatively new car that drives smoothly and most important well lit;  i enjoyed my Kancil having driven that little car ten times back and forth across the mountain ranges of the Titiwangsa,  the spine of the Malay Peninsular,that diivides the East from the West Coasts; I miss my Kancil. I kept telling myself its alright to enjoy the  small compensation to make up for the age,at least from the Safety perspective. So the latest Viva gets my rating as a safe and comfortable car to drive long or shrt distances, there I did a commercial! My way of saying thanks from both my daughter and ; it was like driving an upgraded Kancil.

It took eight hours to reach  Kuala Terengganu, from Georgetown, Penang at a decent speed, I drive decent. Driving through the East West Highway from the town of Grik, in theState of Perak located just at the edge of where the the East West begins heading towards the East Coast States of Kelantan and Terengganu along with the State of Pahang has some of the most beautiful sandy beaches there is, facing the South China Sea. The Malay folks are charming and
take pride in their cultural heritage in Arts and Craftsmanship. They make good food in their own style and are famous for their own fish products of Keropok. I hope I can see a little bit more before time cuts short my mental and  physical will to drive for eight hours through the night  across the thick forest of the Titiwangsa Range. I am grateful to Allah for the safe journey, Alhambullilah! I enjoyed well still do enjoy driving especially driving a car you are most comfortable with, your own. I would sing or zikr or i would entertain nasty thoughts, my mind kept me entertained as i drive, then every now and then I would take a deep breath and let it out and do a litlle meditatio on the road; I am the car and the car is a part of who I am, we become one just like good horse rider becomes one with his mount. Meditate on the road and at nothing in particular but just forms and emptiness zipping by you, you just follow the lines and stay between the lines no matter what cause its darkness all around you otherwise. Mindfulness Driving I call it. We all do this all those who enjoy long drives through the dark.

When you drive eight hours straight through the night you are sitting in meditation, doing Zazen or sitting meditation focused on your breath and watching the mind body works in-sync,  watching the breath rise and fall, trying your damnedest not to fall asleep on the wheels. One of the ways of being in spiritual solitary,like seeking a cave or a quiet hut is to drive alone in the night and watch  your mind for two or three hours at a time while asking yourself the ultimate question; why do I keep doing this to myself? and the answer would always returns to, this is who I am,  at the moment, enjoying one of my practices in life, being comfortably alone yet exhilarating in my mind and body as it involves danger and risk to the car and me. I do not invite death but I know death is not too far away from me and I have lived a life worth taking; surrender my self to the universe and the unseen and my faith in my what I am capable of; I cannot say I am not afraid but if death lurks around the next bend, I will have to embrace it willingly, this is the risk I take upon myself, body, mind and spirit.

I you are looking for laid back place where the beaches stretches as far as your eyes can see and the sea is still green, visit the East Coast States of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang,  lots of sunshine and good food no doubt and a spiritually uplifting experience you will have whether you like it or not when you wake up to the call to prayer from the mosques around you to start your day as the sun rises from across the horizon of the South China Sea, revealing in  blazing colors,  the Isand of Kapas ,you meditate on it. As the gentle warm sea breeze blows through you, you surrender to that state of peace in mind body and spirit...and this too will pass!






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