All About The Quest...

Ever heard of “cham”? I’m referring to the drink. If you’re Malaysian, you should know which drink I mean. For the benefit of those not in the know, “cham” is basically a beverage which combines two mighty brews into one. “Cham” is the happy union of the “oomph” (instant rejuvenation!) of coffee and the aaaaah” (blissful sigh...) of tea. Get the sound effects? Good. They are crucial in conveying the feeling that this beverage invokes. The word “Cham” is Cantonese in origin. It also means “mix”, “combine”, “join”,.....you get the idea.

Well, I am on a quest for the perfect cup of “Cham”. Both literally and figuratively. Let me explain. A good cup of “Cham” is darn hard to come by. There are a couple of criteria which you could easily use to ascertain the potential of any cup of “Cham” served to you.

1. Colour - Too dark and you can probably expect it to taste like coffee. Too light means too much tea. It’s got to be in that warm brown tea-ish with a dash of coffee colour zone for it to even hold a hint of promise
2. Aroma – Whiff of coffee with a subtle note of tea. Sounds like a perfume ad, huh? In short, it shouldn’t smell too strongly of either brew.
3. Texture – Thick and smooth, no question about it. This is usually achieved with the right dosage of condensed milk and/or evaporated milk and/or sugar. Too much, and all you get is a milky mess.

Now comes the taste.... I am trying not to get too zen-like here but it is all about blend and balance.....”Cham” is about getting the right mix of strength and portions of coffee, tea, milk and sugar. The brews should complement each other, and yet be individual and distinct. Coupled with the right texture and sweetness, you’re in slurp and sip heaven. So, I’ve just got to say this again - a good cup of “Cham” is double darn hard to come by. In my many years of trials and tribulations at various kopitiams and cafes, I have enjoyed some promising mixes but alas, the results were never consistent. So, the quest continues....

How does this quest for “Cham” also apply to me figuratively? Trudging the usual walk of life would mean going to school, graduating, getting a job, starting a family, growing old... Well, I was about halfway on this walk (in other words, mid-life crisis) and I started to question – is this it? I’ve had some progress in my career. Family ties and friendships are generally in a good state. Health and fitness is not great but I get by (i.e. no heart attack yet). Yet, I was feeling restless and unfulfilled. I had a lot to be grateful for but there I was, mulling about in a layer of discontent. Sigh. Ever had one of those days?

To cut a long story short, I quit my job and took time off to chill out and travel. It’s been 10 months now. The break has been great but I’m still working at shaking off the blues. Should I go back to work and just pick up where I left off? The bank account is screaming “Yes!”. But has anything changed yet? After a bit of soul searching, I’ve decided that like a perfect cup of “Cham”, I want my life to be the right blend and balance of the right “ingredients”. So far, I’ve narrowed down the remedy to three factors. I hope that finding the perfect blend of this trio will let me live a darn good life.

1. Purpose. This is a huge huge missing piece in my quest but I am determined to find my life’s purpose one day. 
2. Passion. Even saying the word out loud makes me feel all energized and vibrant already (somehow an image of a matador in a bull ring keeps popping up in my mind as I write this...weird). I love variety in everything – books, music, food, activities, etc. Sadly, this also means I am sorely lacking in passion for anything specific. Passion will be crucial in helping attain purpose.
3. Pleasure. Remember Zombieland’s rule #32 ? Enjoy the little things...(great movie by the way – go watch it!) While life certainly has its distasteful moments, at the end of the day...I hope to sit back with a grin and say “It’s been an awesome ride!”

To help me focus on my quest, both for the perfect cup of “cham” and the perfect blend for life, I am starting this blog. Though I am totally out of the usual blogger age group and lifestyle demographic (not even on the borderline!), I reckon putting my thoughts to e-paper will put a lot of things in perspective. Will the quest ever end? Don’t know. But I guess the journey should be worth the while.

So, my friend, I hope you will join me on this quest and we can figure out things together. After all, what is a knight without a sidekick?