The second part and the third part of the journey used to be just one long stretch when I was younger. But due to changes and developments that our area has gone through the years, I've divided it to two parts: the Boring Half and the Exciting Half.
The Boring Half comes up first, right after you pass the arc of our village. Whenever I walk to this part of the long road, things get pretty monotonous. There's just nothing going on here. There're just trees on both sides of the road, some fence for some lot that's got nothing in it. There's an entrance to another village, but that's pretty much it. But not this time. Not tonight.
9:47pm.
It's dark as fck.
I've never really paid attention to it since I usually walk during the day, but there's not a single light post in here! Come to think of it, it's my first time to walk up to this part of the road so late. To put it simply, I'm really scared. The sidewalk is uneven; rocks and twigs everywhere. The empty patches of land that were pretty insignificant to me before now causes me to panic. Trees sprouting from either side of the road now feels like potential hiding spots for crazy homeless people waiting for idiots like me that like walking around during late at night. I pulled out my cellphone and lowered my volume down. If someone's gonna try and abduct me, I want to hear him coming towards me and at least have some chance to run away. I upped my normally fast walking pace even more. I wanna get the hell outta here!
9:51pm.
Nearing the end of the now "Scary" Half, hope comes to view in the form of a convenience store signage. Lights from different stores brighten up the end of the road, forming an almost literal version of 'the light at the end of the tunnel'. Thank goodness I got through it without getting raped or killed. My pace slowed down as I got closer, back to my normal pace soon enough. I haven't really thought up of what to eat. I know I did say I'd go to McDonalds, but I had some extra money with me so I was thought back what stores were in the Exciting Half and what I could by on the way.
The Exciting Half came about only around my 2nd year in high school. Back then, there were only two computer shops and a 24-hour convenience store on that stretch of the road and only one side of was occupied. The other side was just like the Boring Half, with all those trees and such. There were a few small stalls (I think), but they were too insignificant for me to remember. We used to go to one of computer shops back in the day. Right after exams, we'd go there to play through the afternoon, blowing off steam. I wasn't particularly good in the game that we usually played, but I can hold my ground somehow. Afterwards, we'd eat at the convenience store. I'd usually get an sundae cone. They'd get different stuffed breads. After eating and chatting, we'd go our separate ways. Some would take the tricycle and go to the town proper, some would just cross the street, and I'd walk back to our village.
As time went by, we grew older, and so did the area. The earliest additions to the Exciting Half that I can remember are the dim sum house, the burger shop beside it, and the bar and grill just a few steps away. The most striking for me was of course the dim sum house. They had massive siomai in that store which always cheers me up. I only tried eating at the burger shop beside it once. Not because the burger was bad. I actually remember it being really good. Maybe I was just never in the mood for burgers whenever I go there.
"Hey, I feel like I'm in the mood for some burgers." Perfect.
For someone who hasn't visited in a long time, I notice what's changed more than anyone else. The vibe of the place is pretty much the same but at the same time, it's not. It's...fuller, richer. It's already pretty late, only a few stores are open, most of them are starting to close, but it's still livelier than what I remember it to be. The whole stretch is now packed with stores. Tutorial centers , milk tea shops, coffee shops, auto repair and detail shops, spas and wellness centers, stationary stores, cake shops, barber shops, meat shops, bakeries and a whole lot more restaurants and food stalls than ever before! Most of the structures have second and/or third floors. That's how much space they still need.
I slowed down my pace. It felt like time in this place moves so fast and I didn't want to add to it. Both sides of the road has some sort of structure built now. It amazed me, how much it has all changed, improved. More than ever, I felt proud that I grew up in here. I felt blessed that I got to see this stretch of land start as a construction site, to a somewhat commercialized-but-still-pretty-rural stretch, to the now bustling avenue that it is. But of course, like every other going-back-to-your-hometown-after-a-long-time-of-being-away story, there's a tinge of sadness. Of broken nostalgia. I walked past the computer shops we used to play in. One was pretty much the same, one was for sale. We used to play on the one that's on sale. Tsk. Close to it was the dim sum house. Thank goodness it's still there. Now for my burgers--
I stopped.
I walk up to it and read the sign.
Dental Clinic, open 9am to 5pm
"Huh."
After a few moments, I looked away and continued walking.
Tsk.
Just when I was in the mood for some burgers.
10:00pm.
I'm less than 15 steps away from the arc. Yes, there's another arc in this side of the road. I haven't really noticed what it said. But just like the previous arc on the edge of our village, this will also mark the end of another leg and will kick start the final stretch of my journey back to my school and to McDonalds. I stopped and leaned back to an abandoned food stall.
"I want to blog about this whole trip. Maybe I'd also write the song that's playing on my cellphone at each significant point. Lemme write them down...hmm. Ok, you know what, never mind. I'm sure I'd remember them when I get back. Next stop's already McDonalds, so I guess there won't be so much significant additions to the things I'd wanna write about."
I wish I wrote them down, since as you've noticed on my this entry and on the previous one, I wasn't able to write the "song that's playing on my cellphone at each significant point." At that time, I thought I was just gonna walk towards McDonalds, order some stuff, go back and write about how much the Exciting Half as changed. I didn't know that beyond that arc, the adventure has yet to reach its peak.
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