It has been a good week with Hasan being around.
But all good things have to come to an end and just a few days ago, I had to reluctantly send him to the airport
But just before he was about to board his flight it dawned on me that he didn’t buy ANY SOUVENIRS his entire trip (apart from 87 DVDs from Batu Feringgi)!
I looked around desperately for a souvenir stand in the airport only to find a stall that sold FRIDGE MAGNETS!
I dragged Hasan over and started told him that I would not have done my duty as a local if I didn’t persuade him to buy a fridge magnet souvenir.
At first he was open to the idea, so I looked at what was available.. from the top down.
We could buy a fridge magnet of our Tugu Negara, our Penang Bridge, our PROUD PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS, our Becas and our…
At that point Hasan shouted
“WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE RED ROUND HAIRY TESTICLES?!?!”
I explained to him that it was a fruit called Rambutan and people eat them by sucking off the white ball inside.
I told him that I would take him to try the fruit the next time he was around but in the mean time he could settle for a fridge magnet of our wonderful fruit but he refused.
“NO! I AM NOT BUYING RED HAIRY BALLS… AND I WOULD RATHER EAT COW SH*T THAN SUCK THE TESTICLES OFF A HAIRY RED SCROTUM!!!”
Then it dawned on me… heck.. that is exactly what a rambutan looks like… and we’ve been eating it all our lives.
I failed to convince him to buy anything in the end.
I’m sorry Tourism Board Malaysia… I HAVE FAILED YOU… 🙁
Hasan says bye everyone.
He will miss all of you.
Until the next time Hasan…
Timothy Tiah – Co-Founder of Colony, Kuala Lumpur Co-Working Space