It looked like a ghost town. Dark. Doors shuttered. Quiet. There was barely anyone around.

My husband and I walked around and looked for places that were open. It was, after all, 7.30pm on a Saturday. Time for dinner, yes. We found three outlets that were operating. Number one served food, and the club’s band came on after 10.30pm. Number two mumbled something about doing repairs and for us to return later.

We stopped at number three. A familiar Irish pub that we had visited before the pandemic with nephew number 4 and niece number 3, when the opening hours, as we remember it, were at sunset. The Irish pub served a good grub of fish and chips and smoked duck. We discovered from the server that life at TREC, one of KL’s largest entertainment and F&B centres, these days, began at about 10.30pm-ish, hit its peak at 12 midnight, which was when the Irish pub closed, and clubbing continued until 5am or thereabouts.

And true it was. The centre did come alive, later. As we had dinner, a gradual transformation took place around us. People, who worked there, arrived. They opened doors. Switched on lights. Arranged chairs and tables for alfresco drinking and dining. Music played from various venues. TV screens, on a loop, showed DJs and party goers partying. People, the mostly young and ready for some fun, dancing, and clubbing, arrived like clockwork. Not at 7.30pm like we did but around 10.30pm-ish. With the energy and enthusiasm to be out and about until the next morning. Yay to them.

I couldn’t help but reminisce. That was me. Many, many years ago. My husband and I frequented discos, not clubs, in Manila, where he first worked, before moving to KL. We’d hang out at various establishments till the wee hours. This is true. Once we woke up in the middle of the night. Felt hungry. Found a Mongolian barbeque restaurant that was open. Yes, Mongolian. How can I forget. Ate, and went disco/pub hopping. We both had full time jobs at the time but somehow managed to work our work around commuting between KL and Manila, visiting places and staying out in the evenings.

It was quite similar with my friends/colleagues in KL. We’d go out after work, usually on a Friday, and occasionally on a weekday. To nightspots like Betelnut and Modesto’s. Stay out late. Go home. Sleep. Wake up and be back to work the same morning. This is also true. Once, my mum was up waiting and genuinely upset with me. She was angry and worried that I hadn’t called to say I’d be home late. I didn’t call because I didn’t want to wake her in case, she was already asleep. We made up quickly enough. Yay. Henceforth, the colleague who dropped me off that night/morning never failed to remind me to call my mum whenever we were out. He thought it was funny that my mum was actually waiting up for me when I was already in my twenties. Well, she’s not anymore.

Back then, time seemed almost expandable. I did more of whatever, whenever, without too much thought or planning. Now for instance, while it’s not rigid, and while my husband and I are beginning to do a few more interesting things, elements of preparation, organisation, timing and routine seem to prevail.

Which brings me to my mum. She was a planner, organiser and stickler for time and routine. When she was the queen of her condo, and before she became reliant on others, she was a certified clock watcher. Her number one complaint was she was running late. She was late even before she started her day. Which was mighty early at 5.30am. Older and slower, she needed more time to manage all the things she wanted to, not have-to, get done in a day. Like sweeping the floor, and putting the rubbish out. Cleaning her dentures and having a lengthy shower that involved scrubbing off dirt/skin from every inch of her body. I’m not sure where this dirt was/went when I showered her in her latter years. Wearing her 6ft long saree and combing her wiry, thinning hair into a bun. Walking up and down between the kitchen and bathroom and gargling (kopli) her mouth. Praying for hours, which included dozing on and off in her wing chair. And, that was just her morning. Hmm.

Correction. I take it back. I don’t think time was expandable back in the day. I think it was me. I was younger. I had more energy/interest and was able to pack a lot into my day/life. People, places, and things were newer and more exciting. I had a ‘get up and go’ mindset. Now, it has sort of ‘got up and went.’  

So how? I guess do what you want/can do when/while you still can.