HOW WE SPEND OUR WEEKENDS.

Hi! Everybody!

It's the weekend again.....for the school-going kids and teenagers, it's "merdeka" time again for the next 6 weeks or so..but do spare a thought for those currently sitting for their SPM and those who are going to sit for the STPM very soon.

For those of us, the regular office workers, it's another long awaited two or one and a half days (depending on your "miah lee") of rest and recreation to recharge your batteries.

So...what do we normally do during our weekends??

Since I stay in Penang, my observation and analysis will be based on the local context.
Basically I can safely say that our weekends are centred around these three activities, i.e. SLEEP-EAT-WALK routines.

SLEEP. For the many of us who are nine-to-five workers, every working day is a sleep deprived day....we have to get up early either to prepare and send the kids to school or to beat the early morning traffic jams in order to clock in on time at the office. During the evenings, it will be another cycle of having to do the cooking, household chores, sending the kids to tuition classes etc. For many of us, it will be a rare occasion if we can hit the sack before 12am!

So what do we do to compensate during the weekends?? We try to sleep in a bit later in the mornings and hopefully try to get in extra longer "siestas" in the afternoons.

EAT. Due to time constraints and the "boss wants it yesterday" work scenarios, many of us will be happy to settle for a quick bite at the corner coffee shops or mamak stalls near our working place for breakfasts and lunches during the weekdays. In the evenings, it will be most probably "ta pau" dinners for the whole family from the "chap fun" stalls on our way back from work. Maybe a few of us will have the little luxury of preparing some quick simple dinners at home some days. In short, we just eat to live.

So what do we do to compensate during the weekends?? We look for better food... less we are accused of wives / husbands / kids "abuse"!! So you now know why the favourites eating outlets are packed during weekends!

WALK. By "walk", I mean walking or "lepak-ing" in the various shopping malls. It's a pity that Penang lacks places where families can really enjoy wholesome activities be it cultural or educational or physical for that matter. Our art, music and drama activities for the masses are limited. Art museums are miserable and exhibitions limited. Music and cultural performances are too few, conditions of parks and beaches are deplorable and unsafe..So what choices are left for Penangites to spend their weekends after their Sleep, Eat therapy but to swarm the various shopping malls to round off their weekend on the Walk part! So now you know why the shopping malls are packed during weekends!

HAPPY SLEEP-EAT-WALK!