Starry, Starry Night.

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colours on the snowy linen land

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds and violet haze
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue
Colours changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artists' loving hand

Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They did not know how
Perhaps they'll listen now

For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you Vincent
This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you

Like the strangers that you've met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow

Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen
They're not listening still
Perhaps they never will...

By the time we left Shenandoah, the sun had set. While driving from Shenandoah towards Richmond, one of my friend asked us to look up the sky. Wow, a clear sky it was, with uncountable twinkle stars. So peaceful, so serene.

Instantly, I got struck by homesickness.

Ahh, starry starry night. A scene like this will remind me of the myriad journey travelling to and fro between Kuala Lumpur and Alor Setar I used to have with my family. Alor Setar was the place where my paternal grandparents used to live. Needless to say, it was my father's kampung (Malay, meaning hometown). During the previous decades, we would travel back to Alor Setar during the major holidays in order to celebrate the festive seasons with grandparents. In fact, I had a lot of cheerful memories that is related to Alor Setar.

Oh, did I ever tell you that my grandparents used to live in the same neighbourhood with Lee Sin Jie? Okay, that will be in another post in the future.

Anyhow, stop digressing and back to the main topic.

Just FYI, the driving distance from KL to Alor Setar is roughly 5 hours. Whenever we would travel, we all preferred driving during the evening hours. We would normally leave KL around 7pm, and arrive Alor Setar around midnight. This way, the weather would be a lot nicer (as opposed to the bright sunny day time), and just the right time for supper when we arrive at Alor Setar. Hey, Alor Setar has the Keh See Mee 鸡丝面(Chicken Shredded Noodles) to die for, ya know? As well, the Yin Yong (another style of Wat dan hor, but in Alor Setar they add in dark soy sauce, so the colour is a lot darker) is another divine food ...

Ahh, I got distracted again!

If you've travelled on the Highway from Ipoh towards Thailand before, you'll know that right after you get passed Penang State, what comes into view will be rice paddy field that is endless and boundless. The view is simply breathtaking. If you are seating at the back of a vehicle and you have your head lean against the seat, the entire skyline is like a hemispherical dome, an experience very similar to sitting in a planetarium. It was during these journeys, I fell in love with starry nights, and star-gazing.

As for now, whenever I get to have a moment to look up the starry sky, I am prompted to think of home.

They just come in a package.