Headline News.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The traditional Winchester rifles carried by pioneers, movie stars and Wild West lawmen will be discontinued in March, a Belgian manufacturer said Wednesday, confirming the end of an American icon that became known as "The Gun that Won the West."

DAMANSARA PERDANA, Selangor. - Unless Aunt Su shrinks to a midget next week the shelf that I've fitted should stand just at the right height to enable her to reach for all the laundry things. The shelf is meant for detergent, softener and some trinkets that she bought from a trader in Jalan Masjid India. It wasn't difficult to have it fitted to the wall. All I have to do was ask Aunt Su to stand by the washing machine, hold out both her arms so the tip of her hand touched the walls right behind the machine. She stood like this for less than a minute, long enough for me to mark the drill points, about six inches lower from the tip of her fingers. She said I should be a contractor. Why? She said a lot of women won't mind to stand by the washing machine, holding out both arms if I were a contractor. Yea, a lot of women but not the woman in question.

We finally found the place that we both agree is a nice service-apartment on the seventh floor overlooking a set of hills. The kitchen is built in a corner where you can have the uninterrupted view of the swimming pool. Slightly to the left you can see a popular shopping mall. It's a convenient location.

DUNGUN, Trengganu. - There was nothing much to pack except for the clothes which crammed nicely into three suitcases. I lungged these into the trunk of the station-wagon, all ready to go because we have no business to be in this house anymore. We have no business to be in Dungun, spending day after day staring at the South China Sea as if we are paid good money by the state government to report any changes in the color of the waves on hourly basis.

I know Aunt Su didn't like the idea of leaving the house to live in an apartment in the city. I know she likes Dungun very much. She likes to sit for hours on the veranda staring at the sea but the house is making me very uncomfortable. It's just too big for both of us.

KUANTAN, Pahang. - From the lobby you have to take the stairs going down to the restaurant. It's not a big deal for people my age but for Aunt Su, it's a tricky thing trying not to trip over in a somersault that can break your neck. We could have had our lunch at a restaurant in town but she insisted on this place because she obviously has fallen in love with the setting that I said I'd buy the place for her if only I had as much money as Bill Gates, or Donald Trump. Who are they? My long lost uncles. Pak menakan hang oghang putih ka, ish ish ish.

PETALING JAYA, Selangor. - We have to put up in this hotel for at least a couple of days before the papers are ready so we can finally move into the apartment. We are going to be doing a lot of shopping for kitchen things and bed things to make the place our home for at least three years, or four. It's a new life for both of us. Pretty scary though, to start a new life without a job, and my bank account shrinking to the last coin. Oh well, whatever will be, will be.

NEXT ENTRY: How we came to this decision and how sad it was for us to leave the house in Dungun to migrate to this fine city. I have a few appointments to keep with several people at UIA to see if I qualify to enrol as a student to pursue a degree in something that I haven't quite decided. I have to do this. I have to re-invent myself.