there was once --

-- a place called home.

Echewah...

I mean like - seriously.  Not exactly like home lah -- but a place where I grew up, and when friends are truly friends.  Opening up these multiple pages of books of wisdoms at the wee hour of the night -- err, morning -- really reminded me to the bitter sweet moments at the Science Foundation Centre back in 2001.  The best-place-ever!

The place for the first-timers.
First-time duduk kolej.
First-time masuk lecture hall yang bertingkat-tingkat tu.
First-time pergi kelas tak payah pakai uniform sekolah.
First-time pegang telefon bimbit -- yer, permainan Snake adalah yang paling 'in' at that time.
First-time basuh baju sendiri.  (yer -- i am spoiled).
First-time pergi Sogo beli walkman warna hijau.
First-time main mercun dekat tangki air.
First-time simpan duit semata-mata nak beli kaset Linkin Park.
First-time main cinta dengan classmate -- bodoh betul.

The place that opens up possibilities, makes you feel like your dream is indeed achievable, a place where you met people who open up your inner core making you realise your true potential underneath those shells.  I am indeed fortunate to be surrounded with amazing people back then.

It is at that place I realised that I am actually a night person -- the one who are more susceptible to new inputs at the wee hour of darkness.  Stayed up to early Fajr is the norm for me and my friends for the entire study week.  I have a big round table booked with my mounting notes in the discussion room.  We would arrange 3 chairs in a row and that would be our bed of the day.

What is so great about staying up back then is that the people closest to you are doing the same thing as you are.  Penat re-writing all those notes and exercise, we would hang out at the veranda or the stairs, letting the cold morning breeze wash our face.  Night-morning air is so amazing -- so fresh, so reviving-- and so cold.  We would just sit back and talk about the funny things that happened earlier, or the new guy my friend is dating, or about our own self-inflicted discrepancies.  Kalau tidak pun, would go down to the kafe and had a late Nasi Ayam USA at 2 o'clock in the morning while imitating abang kafe's style of calling out the order (which explains the drastic weight gain at that time).  Life is so full of possibilities back then.

Tak tau nak explain macam mana -- but it is the place yang kau rasa everything is possible.  Everything is OK-one.  Every single bloody thing is freaking amazing.  All those struggle really paid off.

Dan bila waktu-waktu gini, you really misses that place and the people.  I really do.  Takkan sama dengan the giddy hour dengan Mr B, reunion dengan classmates masa degree, or even Secret-Recipe-ing...  The first time will always be that one special thing.