...there's something about Malaysia that I can't quite put my finger on. Call it loyalty blinded by my childhood years of growing up this hot, extremely humid, food-in-abundance country. Call it naivety (given how our country is progressing) and a sense of deluded hopefulness (given how corrupted our politicians are), every homecoming feels poignant! Touching down on Malaysian soil gets my heart a little lightheaded.
I'm home a little early, due to a personal family emergency. I left my man and my wedding dress back in London (but no fear, they will both be present at the wedding!) but otherwise, I pretty much managed to chuck everything into my bag. The crisis has been avoided and I am still trying to find time to finish up my work so that I can concentrate 100% on relaxing (and yes, getting the final details right) for the wedding.
Few things that I usually go through when coming back home that I wish I could do away with in lieu of my wedding:
Jet Lag
The past couple of days have been a blur between extreme jetlagged-ness from 12noon to 5pm, and wide-eyed wakefulness from 5am to 7am. Night 1, despite having only slept 2 hours on my 12 hours flight home, I slept less than 4 hours. Night 2, 4.5 hours. But Night 3, 7 hours...great progress. Let's hope tonight I manage to sleep past 530am. I'm a strong proponent of not giving in to sleep because it is just not right to go to bed at 12 noon however, there are others who question the value of fighting off sleep. I've been better in the past at getting over my jet lag...gosh, maybe it's old age?? Trust me to forget my herbal remedies for sleep as well. My eyes are glazing over as I'm typing this...stay awake!!!
Total Health Self-Destruction
Let's face it. It's difficult to stay health-conscious in a country that thrives on the variety and sheer volume of food. At any time of the day, you could be munching on a different cuisine that tantalises the tastebuds. In the past, it's been total self-destruction i.e. less exercise, more eating = more fat! Unfortunately, this CAN NOT happen this time around. Why? Because my dress would be extremely pissed off at me if she can't have a proper showing just because her owner has been unable to stuff her face with food. Hmmm...
Malaysian Drivers
Queue-cutting, finger-showing, horn-honking, impatience galore...all part and parcel of driving in Malaysia. Hate it but at the same time love the fact that I can get into the car and go anywhere I want to go. A far cry from reliance on the public transport in the UK. Mamak at 11pm? Cannnnnn....guess there are pros and cons to anything and everything!
Bad Traffic
Slightly related to the above but deserves a category of its own. Traffic jams. Wow. EPIC traffic jams. Especially when it rains. Everyone suddenly forgets how to drive properly. Chances of it raining in November/December? High. Chances of accidents when it's raining? Even higher. Chances of getting caught in a horrific traffic jam when it pours? Absolutely no escape.
Smokers & Smoking in Public Spaces
Smelling like an ashtray after a mamak session with friends? Check. Subjected to 2nd hand smoke and increased risk of lung cancer? Check. Dry eyes due to smoke in enclosed spaces? Check. Smelly hair? Check.
Other than the above, yippee do!!! =)
welcome home!
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