Tuurbo PBN 2315

Recently I made a trip to Penang. Its been donkey years since I have been there. The last time I practically 'lived' there was in 1988-1989 during my studying days. The most recent was years back with my dive buddy Amin...a day trip just to view a Land Rover TD5 for sale. So the trip I made was also a trip down memory lane for me. CaTz also tagged along and I was determined to show her that I know Penang inside out. How wrong I was...embarrassingly so.

I tried to find the Nasi Ayam place behind the Penang General Hospital....didn't find it. Then tried to find the Mee Udang, Balik Pulau....didn't find it. Then tried to find the Char Kway Teow stall in Gurney Drive....dint find it. Then my favourite Kari Kepala Ikan restaurant near Komtar area...didn't find it. In fact I didn't recognize most of the roads anymore...couldn't even find the road to Gurney Drive from the bridge without the help of my trustee GPS. How things have changed so much.

I tried taking CaTz back in time by explaining the different spots (the one that I recognized that is) and the things I did there...like for example how me & my friends used to ride our bikes at midnight making a complete round of the whole of Penang through the winding roads of Balik Pulau, how Udini Highway was partially completed and was a favourite place to 'test' our bikes, how we use to race through the crowded Gurney Drive.

Back then, people knew me as Turbo, or spoken with the northern slang..Tuur bo. I was a 'rempit' fella back then (hard to believe ain't it). In those days, the 'rempit's were not violent people. We don't abuse other road users or conduct acts of gangsterism. We just enjoyed street racing. I was the only dude in a university there with a newly released RXZ 6 speed. Oh ya...the locals also know me by my number plate..PBN 2315. I used to 'pegang' Gelugor area coz I defeated Shim Race, the part time bike mechanic, who was the local hero. How I did this? Read on....

Me with my TZR, 1990, Swansea, UK

One fine day, as me & my friends were eating, suddenly this dude came and made a few spins. Suddenly he stopped across the road and 'challenged' us by ramming his bike. It was all my friends fault coz they are the ones who like to 'show off' in that area. I passed my keys to Man Tandok..he declined coz the day before he crashed a Suzuki Panther smack into the back of a car. Then I passed the keys to Syeh...he declined. S**t.

By then the locals were taunting us...saying things like "haa apa lagi, dia dah pangge tu"..or "kalau nak taw, tu la Shim Race yang pegang area Gelugoq ni". OMG I was so embarrassed. All eyes were looking at us. The pressure was mounting. At last I couldn't stand the humiliation. I took the keys, looked to the warung owner and said "ni biaq sini noo", and mounted my bike. I heard laughter..as if ridiculing me. Anyway, we did 3 laps...on every occasion I overtook that dude sitting upright while he was prone in a racing position. He tried to cheat each time we made a u-turn for the next lap, he didn't wait for me to start fair and square, but just bolted away. He wanted those people at the stalls to see that he's a winner...but I showed him.

I then rode back to the stall, sat down and continued eating my food. The locals who were jovial before just kept quiet. You can even hear a pin drop...so quiet. Ever since that day, when I came to that stall, they would 'prepare' my table and treat me with respect. This time, they tell their friends "Tu la Turbo...". Haaa baru depa ada mata cek oi....