Mahmud or Bob was a schoolmate from almost 30 years back at MRSM Terendak. I used to catch a ride from him to KL those days, as well as hanging around at his house during holidays, spending hours playing computer games. Those were the days.
After SPM, he joined a flying school and now with AirAsia, captaining an Airbus A320. He married a Sabahan, and had settled in Kota Kinabalu for many years. His parents still lived in KL.
I tried to hook up with him on Saturday night, but he had to fly to Canton, returning in the early hours of Sunday morning. The only way we could meet would be if he we can have breakfast on Sunday morning before I catch my flight home. And that was what we did.
And on the way to the airport - which was only around 10 minutes from my hotel - we stopped at his bicycle shop. He only opened last months and some of his orders had yet to be delivered. All the fittings should be ready in a month or two. None the less, the place was impressive. And the bikes weren't cheap!
We spend about 15 minutes at the shop where I had a nice look around. In fact, I might just buy a bike or two from him. A particular hybrid bike caught my eyes. Maybe taking up cycling may not be a bad idea after all. There were a few of my friends organising weekly night ride in Bangsar. It was also a good way to get fit, and to do other things outside work.