My Trip to Marudi - A Flashback



I have been in Marudi for two days, submitting myself to the simple charm of this quiet little rural town. There are no traffic jams and milling crowds as in Miri. Located non-strategically along estuarine mangrove forest and nipah swamps, the town easily gives the impression that it has remained frozen in the 1970s. 

Amidst well-kept greenery, old buildings, the likes of wooden shops and stilted houses, constitute much of the townscape. No buidings, including the newest architecture, exceed six storeys in height. Poor road conditions make the town relatively slow in catching up with progress. Many view this situation negatively, but I find it a blessing in disguise. We do not get to see many places like this today. The trip seems to have been planned especially for me. I received the appointment letter a day before the trip. And I was shocked; the thought of being chosen as a divisional scrabble player had never crossed my mind. 

The town springs into activity as early as 5.30 a.m. The air is filled with the hum of traffic and the clanging sounds of shopkeepers pushing up the roller shutters of their shops. After a quick shower in my hotel, I have breakfast in the downstairs coffee shop. After eating, I nurse my cuppa with half-closed eyes and listen to the chat of patrons, whose table topics evolve around both local and international affairs. Relaxed, I am grateful for such an indulgence and hope the lack of stress will continue unspoilt. I was so stressed out at school and the tranquillity and laid-back nature of Marudi make me forget about my worries. On my way back, I purposely take a longer route, enjoying the fresh air and the calming, bucolic surroundings. Stress, be gone!

In the afternoon, I practise scrabble with my teammates. We coach each other on scoring strategies, taking pains to look up uncommon double-letter words in online dictionaries. The more double-letter words we know, the more we have an edge over our opponents. Out of the five practice sessions, I win only two. The upside is that I learn many valuable lessons. Three seasoned players are extremely good at scoring bonus points (from a 66 to a whopping 112—the most I can manage is a 44). Nevertheless, my team does not look likely to win the meet. Due to unforeseen circumstances, four veteran players could not make it on the trip, and those ones replacing them are inexperienced. Given that each participating team should compose of six pairs, we automatically lose two points in advance by letting the other teams score two byes. 

Marudi is almost in slumbering mode by 7:00 p.m., with most locals retire to the comfort of their homes. There are only a few people coasting by the roadside. Life is indeed calm here. Even strangers greet you with a smile or with a bob of their heads. Oh, and my tinnitus seems to have become less annoying, and I can sleep for eight to ten hours without a problem.

We resume our practice after a satisfying, and very reasonably priced dinner. Although I don’t wish to be reminded of the things that stress me, when my teammates talk about their workloads, I have no choice. They seem to moan about them with relish. I guess some people are addicted to stress. Wherever they go, they bring it along with them and compare the multitude of their misfortunes with each other; they enjoy the pain of misery. Perhaps they are masochistic. I will try to stay positive throughout my stay in Marudi. A positive mind can see me through adversity and give me the mettle to face my opponents tomorrow. Wish me luck!

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