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It is now 8.38pm, and we are sitting comfortably on the steps of the modern Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka building waiting for Cikgu Hasnah. The older building was the one we rehearsed in. It is quite decrepit. The toilets are currently being renovated, and there are packets of toilet seats and wide-open cisterns everywhere. The urinals have non-existent flushing systems (I pressed and pressed but water only trickled.)
It is 12.31am, and our movie is delayed! Seventeen of us are seated in the movie theatre of Times Square. We are supposed to watch National Treasure: Book of Secrets, but the aforementioned delay has dampened our spirits somewhat (and the rest of the theatre too).
"Sepuluh minit lagi!" the usher announces. There has been a problem with the brightness of the screen. In ten minutes the show would start!
In due course it begins. It was quite exciting, except for some of us who had already watched the movie. They dozed off halfway.
What, you may ask, are we doing here at 12.31am, of all times? Well, earlier we had an Adventure!
We were travelling to Bukit Bintang on foot when we saw a group of people spraying each other with party streamers and foam. "Nothing to be afraid of," we thought, "just get through this and all will be fine." We continued with some apprehension, constantly wondering whether we would get hit next. Then we turned a corner. The next street was a complete mass of People!
Sheer cacophony! A great din of blaring horns and enthusiastic sprayers! Even the cars were not spared. Abstract designs were sprayed onto them, and for the more unfortunate ones, a free foam wash! There was a huge traffic jam as well (what do you expect?) and human traffic fought against vehicular traffic. We made a beeline through the crowds, always ensuring that everyone kept together. It was supposed to exciting, but how to exciting when people are spraying at you from all sides?
We left Cikgu and Encik Harun (our guide) at a cafe and continued our journey.
The hordes had become more unruly! At one time we walked right through the line of fire of another group. No one was seriously sprayed, and only residual spray got onto some of us. Half of us were held up by the offending group.
(Hadis, didi & Shamil was here! =) *winks.)
After waiting for those caught up behind, we were called together. Then the half of us that were "held up" let loose a spray of foam on us! (Of the names stated above, Hadis and Shamil were among the Sprayers.)
What else--we fled the place! I strode briskly to the other side of the road.
Then the Sprayers caught up with me! I was ambushed from behind at a carpark near the end of the road.
Nadiah looked quite perturbed. She said she wasn't into these kinds of things.
The girls noticed Nadiah's plight and gathered around her, offering words of comfort.
We stopped at a hotel to use the toilet, then made our way back to Cikgu. All of us decided to watch a movie, and we carried on to Times Square, leaving Cikgu and Encik Harun at the cafe.
Pushing through the ever restless crowds, we emerged into Times Square, gathered everyone, and took the lift up to the second floor where the cinema was.
*That* is how we got to be here. End of Adventure! Merry Christmas!
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