Malaysia and Australia.

August 22nd, 23rd and 24th.

The first day of my three weeks long vacation to Malaysia and Australia began today at 3:30AM which was the time I got up to get ready to be picked up to make it to the airport by 4:40AM. Joel as always was more than gracious to drive me to the airport at that ungodly hours since he’s up at 4AM each morning. I can thankfully report that I did not encounter any problem whatsoever with the check in process. The reason why I could not check in online was because it was an international flight and they needed to enter some information from my passport. Duh?! The flights in and of itself were pretty uneventful and let’s just say it was an extremely long traveling day. I should say that I did sit next to this charming and cute girl who was headed to Korea to visit her sister and her kids. Her husband is in the army and based in Korea for three years and this was the first time she made an international trip and was a little apprehensive about it although she was happy to be visiting her sister, brother in law a niece and nephew. It helped to have someone who has made a number of overseas trips sit next to her. Actually, I had to move my seat twice (no, I did not finagle my way to sit next to her!) and it just so happened that I ended up next to her. She graduated with a Psychology major and just got done sitting her for LSAT which she will be taking again since she was not too happy with her scores. The trip to Korea provided her with some nice respite before she hits the books again. The flight to Korea from Atlanta was thirteen and a half hours long and the flight from Korea to Malaysia was six hours long. When I arrived in KL, I was more than happy to be done with my travels because for some reason or another, this time my flight just felt extremely long. I basically lost two days since I left at 4:30AM on Friday and arrived in KL at 11:45PM. At the arrival gate, I was greeted by dad, mom and my closest cousin names Chee Heng. He’s been an awesome cousin especially for my dad who calls on him for a lot of computer questions. Once we arrived home, I took a nice cold shower and after packing dad and mom off to bed, Chee Heng and I went out. We had a simple meal at roughly 2:15AM then he drove me around town to see some of the different changes that took place. My oh my, let’s just say there were quite a number of new corporate building that were built and they weren’t your small sized building. Malaysia is very much alive and prospering in my view. We drove around different parts of town and even made it to the entertainment district packed with tons of teenagers and young adults. Let’s just say I’m extremely happy I’m not a teenager growing up in Malaysia now. My cousin bought a new condo and he showed it to me. It’s located right across the street from where they are currently living. It’s a nice condo that would be perfect for him and his wife. We got back at roughly 4AM and chatted for some time. He left my house at around 5:30AM and that’s when I got situated with the new home. My comment to mom earlier when I first arrived at the house was that it felt like home yet it’s not home especially since this was not the home I grew up in, if you know what I mean. I took a shower not too long later to freshen myself up and before I knew it, mom and dad got up to get ready for Mass. It’s nice to know some things just do not change and the church that we have always gone to was exactly that. It was really nice to see the people who have always been there at Mass. I said my hellos and there was genuine interest from them wanting to know how I’ve been. The priest was a visiting priest who gave a wonderful homily. I had a little flashback when I saw the alter servers especially the oldest kid because many moons ago, I trained him to be a server. Now it’s his turn to be a mentor to the other kids and he did a fine job. After Mass, as usual a group of people headed for breakfast at the regular joint and this was the first time I joined up with the group – my mom calls them the crazy group! And boy oh boy they were a little crazy. The kind of conversations that took place were out of this world and I could not help but laugh out loud numerous times. Dad went camera shopping with his friend while mom dropped me off at a restaurant where I was meeting up elementary school friends for lunch. The luncheon took place at this restaurant that served Arabic cuisine and it was pretty darn good. A friend and her husband from Singapore who were not able to make it arrived just as I was about to make it into the restaurant. How cool was that?! It was so good to see them and I was more than happy to catch up with them. Other friends started arriving and it was so cool to see all my friends again. Words really can’t describe the feeling that went through my mind, but it was all so positive. My friend’s kid were asked to call me “Uncle” and they obliged me albeit a little shyly. They were all so darn cute and adorable. Out of the eight of us in attendance, only three of us were single. My, how times have changed. All in all, everyone had a fantastic time catching up with one another and just reminiscing old times. I had one of my friends give me a ride home since she still lived in the house where she grew up in which was not more than a mile from my house. It was interesting to hear her take on Malaysian politics especially since she works for the government. Like she said, working for the government does not necessarily mean you support anything and everything by the government. We had planned on eating durian – the king of fruits for dinner at home because dad wanted to watch the closing ceremony of the Olympics. It has been a good number of years since I ate durian and as soon as dad brought it in, the smell emanating from it brought back childhood memories. Durian stories are legendary and I’m not going to bore you with them. Suffice to say it has earned its reputation for being called the king of fruit! All in all, between dad, mom and I, we devoured the fruits and you could tell from our faces that we were more than happy campers! Ah, the simple pleasures of life. I was literally running on empty and mom suggested I take another shower to freshen myself up and stay awake as long as possible before calling it a night. I ended up going to bed at roughly 9PM which was definitely early, but if the only amount of sleep you’ve had since Thursday night was two hours, you probably would have crashed sooner.

August 25th

It’s pretty amazing what close to ten hours of sleep can do to you! That’s the amount of sleep I got last night and boy did it help me. I kind of surprised my parents because they thought I would have needed more sleep to catch up on my lack of sleep. To their amazement, I got up before they did and was ready and rearing to go. The most important thing that needed to be done today was getting my Malaysian ID renewed. Let’s see, the ID I currently have is at least fifteen years old and renewing this ID was high on the priority list. Thank goodness the license renewal center was located real close to the house. Since everything is now computerized, it took not more than ten minutes to get it all taken care of. Yes, I said it right, it took not more than ten minutes to get it taken care of. Needless to say I was more than flabbergasted. Malaysia has come a long way in its efficiency. Once we got back to the house, dad and I started figuring and writing out who I will be meeting up with and when. Yes, we‘re both big organizers and let’s say it really helped. We started calling different people and booked then for either dinner or lunch. Thank goodness my friends were more than willing to meet up with me after my parents went to bed so I need not worry about catching up with them during the day. Later that morning, we visited an aunt of mine whom I’m real close with and someone who I would say lives the “high life”. My uncle, her husband is a man of few words but when he does say things, more often than not, it’s hilarious. They were there and it was good to catch up with them. She was close to tears when she saw me because it has been a long time. She asked the how things were going etc. and that’s when things kind of got a little personal for me. As she asked about my job and how much I was making, she basically told me in no uncertain terms that I am worth a whole lot more in the job market and I should just quit my job and find another one. Her comments literally threw me for a loop and it really stayed with me for a long time. Now, there were things I wanted to say to her but I just did not and could not out of respect. There’s still quite a lot that I’m not really writing down right now. Suffice to say, her comments did not sit well with me. After visiting her, we went to visit an old family friend. Their daughter and I were born in the same month and year and we’ve been in touch with one another for all these years. Actually, Adele made it back to KL not too long ago for an extended vacation and I really wished out paths could have crossed. We went out for lunch at a place that served a multitude of hawker food which was downright amazing. This may sound like a pretty darn petty comment, but it’s more an observation on my part. The price of food has definitely gone up over the years. By no means are they exorbitant, but I definitely noticed it. Yes, I’m sure in your mind you’re thinking that one should expect that in six years, but for some reason or another, I was not mentally ready for it. All in all, we had a feast and I ate to my heart’s content. We went back to their house and just sat around the table to chat for a couple of hours. For me, it felt like the good old times. The only difference is that this time, Adele and her younger brother, Andrew were not around. Dad needed his nap and took it while mom and I went out shopping for a pair of shoe for me. There were a couple of pairs I saw but they did not have my size. It’s too bad and I guess my search continues. Dinner was with my God-parents who insisted on taking me out and that’s when I got to order my favorite Chinese dishes. My, oh my, was I a happy camper. I also got to catch up with my God-brother Ben who is now unemployed after resigning from his job not too long ago. It felt a little weird talking to him about the working world and all its trials and tribulations because he’s always been a young kid to me. Nope, he’s no longer a young kid. After dinner with my God-parents, dad, mom and I went to meet up with my three nieces at my cousin’s house. My aunt (whom we visited earlier in the day) had invited over and said it would be a great opportunity for me to see the kids and my cousin’s house. Well, what can I say about my cousin’s house? It was a million dollar home and it looked its part. I was downright awed by its grandeur and from their bedroom, you had a clear view of the Malaysian Twin Towers. Needless to say, he’s doing very well. I was very hurt because my nieces did not remember me and in many ways it was awkward for them to see me because in their mind I was this foreigner and in many ways I was. I guess I’ll just have to cling on to memories of them when they were kids. Yes, it was sad. My other cousin, Rose was also present at dinner. Now, Rose is a highly successful lawyer who is raking in money I can and will only ever dream of seeing in my lifetime. She was extremely interested in what I was doing and asked me a number of excellent questions pertaining to my job. At the end of the conversation she told me to continue doing what I was doing since she could tell that I was definitely enjoying it and it’s few and far between to see people my age having the kind of feelings related to their job especially in this day and age. I could not resist telling her about her mom’s comments to me and she was more than a little shocked to say the least. Her advice to me was to nod my head in agreement, and not even try to explain to her what I did and why I’m passionate about my job. She truly felt that I’ve found my niche and to continue with it even though I’m not making a ton of money. In so very many ways, her comments really helped me feel better because it validated what I’m doing in the USA. Here she was a highly successful and financially well off person who is telling me to continue staying true to my call of helping others. It made a lot of sense to me. Later that night, after we got home, I met up with two of my oldest friends and it felt like time just froze up as we reminisce the old times and caught up with each other’s doing. One of my friends is a guy of few words but in the few words he says, a lot is spoken. The other is downright insane and we’ve been through so much up and down with one another yet have continued to remain dear friends – it helps that she’s this cute little Asian girls of mixed ancestry who is downright gorgeous so her stories more often than not involve men (or boys as she would put it!). I wish the night did not end and I’m happy that we’ll be meeting up at least once again before I leave. It was an extremely fulfilling day where my emotions ran the whole gamut.

August 26th

Today was about visiting family and family friends. This morning, dad and I went out for breakfast and it was kind of nice for the both of us to spend time together since mom was still asleep. Dad updated me a little about the family especially his brothers and my cousins whom I will be visiting later in the morning. The three of us, dad, mom and I went to my cousin’s shop to meet up with my uncles and they would be my dad’s first, second and fifth brothers. Their wives were there too and it was really nice to see them once again. Only the fifth uncle speaks English while the rest of them do speak Cantonese and at least two other languages. Whenever they spoke Cantonese, I understood them. However, once they starting mixing up the languages, I was a little lost. The long and short of it all was the fact that they were all very happy to see me after all these years. My cousin’s son was taking care of the shop while my cousin was out at a business meeting. I approached my nephew and asked him if it was him and his brother I saw early Sunday morning outside the bars/clubs. He insisted it was not him but could have been his brother because he was at another neighbourhood playing computer games. I kind of fumbled my way speaking to him and told him that I’ll speak to him in English and thank goodness he understood me! He was an extremely respectful young man and it was very good to see him all grown up now helping his dad’s business. My second uncle and his wife are vegetarian so we ended up having a vegetarian lunch which was pretty darn good. Now, I’m not saying that I’ll be giving up my steak, but this vegetarian meal was more than tolerable. To see the brothers chatting with one another and just shooting the breeze was a cool experience. In this day and age and with everyone having different schedules, it’s extremely tough for them to catch up with one another and the only opportunity for them to do that would be at a relative’s wedding. Coincidently a cousin will be getting married the end of September and I’m sad I’ll be missing it. The weather has been pretty typical which means it’s been hot and humid during the morning and raining in the afternoon. When we left my cousin’s shop, it was raining cats and dogs which made the drive home a little long because in KL, the weather has a significant influence on traffic. We made it back home for dad to take his nap. Mom and I sat around and confirmed our plans or she informed me of things that we’ll be doing in Melbourne and Sydney. The more we talked about it, we decided that instead of spending a day in Singapore, we’ll be coming back to Malaysia and making a half a day trip to visit my fourth and sixth uncle at dad’s hometown. I thought it was only appropriate. For dinner that night, we met up with another dear family friend whose daughter I’ve known since we were babies. She’s now working in Singapore and will be getting married next year to this guy from Spain. Her parents are such fun people and some of the fondest childhood memories I’ve had were our families spending time with them traveling or discovering the new and latest food trend. We’ve been known to get a call late at night and asking us if we would like to join them for a snack and the location could be found a good hour or two away from where we lived. We never batted an eye and just went along with them. When I called them up the night before to ask if we could meet up with them, they asked me what I wanted to eat and I pretty much blurted out crabs. They knew exactly where they wanted to take me. Let’s just say the food was, “Shoot me now and I’m ready to die because I’ve had one of the best meals in my life” experience. It was that good. Was I stuffed? Not quite, but after dinner we went to a shop that they owned to cap dinner off with some traditional desserts. The restaurant is called Uncle Lim’s and it has since expanded to three different locations and is booming. I kind of got a chuckle because we took a photo near to a sign that showed the restaurant. It was indeed a fantastic day just meeting up with them and having some amazing meals. Life really can’t get any better than this. I was supposed to meet up with a friend from high school but ended up rescheduling it to tomorrow since I knew timing wise it was not going to work out. She was glad I rescheduled because she had a couple of friends from Singapore who wanted to meet up with her that evening. Things definitely worked out for the better.

August 27th

Dad and I went out for breakfast this morning and I accompanied him to look at some shirts at the mall which was having a sale. I knew I had to buy a pair of black formal shoes before leaving for Australia tomorrow. Lucky for me I did manage to find a pair of shoe for a good price. While walking towards the mall, we came across the rehearsal for the Independence Day parade that will take place on August 31st. I snapped a couple of photos for memory sake. Later in the morning I met up with a dear friend from college named Adam. We have been tight with one another especially during our college years in Malaysia. Adam had informed me a couple of months back that he had a stroke and that blew my mind. He was unable to speak for a full year and lost motion in his right hand. It’s been a rough journey for him but he’s made it back and is definitely on the road to recovery. Words do not come as easily as they once did which he said was an OK thing because he does not waste his words. He still looks the same which is great but I can tell that he’s had difficulty speaking. I could not imagine him not speaking for a whole year. Like he said, both he and his daughter learned to speak at the same time. In so very many ways, I’m glad I got to spend as much time with Adam as I could. He’s a dear friend to me our friendship has always meant the world to me. After meeting up with Adam, I took the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) back home and on my way, snapped a number of shots of KL in all its grandeur and glory. Dinner was one of most favorite food ever – Satay! A family friend took me out for dinner and my, oh my was it good. I can’t believe how commercialized it’s gotten over the years, but it was darn good and I just ate it all up. Later that night I met up with Carol, a friend from my high school years. We’ve known each other for the longest time and I was so happy to meet up with her and her girlfriend. They both looked so cute and adorable together. Another friend was there and the three of us just had a blast chatting with one another. I think I ended up providing the most entertainment to all three of them which tends to happen quite a lot. Before dropping me home, I looked at their condo and it was really nice. Carol did a great job decorating it and there were a number of arty stuff that were intriguing to say the least. It was a good time shared by all.

August 28th.

A family friend took me out for breakfast then it was off to meet some of dad’s hiking friends. They were a friendly bunch of people and it was the first time I met them. Dad has been on this hiking kick for quite some time and it’s definitely given him an outlet that he enjoys and I’m happy for him. I’ve always said that once you’re retired, you need to find your niche. In dad’s case, it’s something he likes doing, but he also knows that he won’t be able to do it for that many more years. Another thing I learned about retirement is the fact that you need to be flexible with your plans because plans will change as you age so you need to go with the flow. After breakfast, mom and I visited another family friend then headed out for lunch and it was a meal of a certain type of noodles and beef I’ve not had in a long time. The lunch was very good. We then came back, showered, and got ready for the trip to Australia. The airport limo arrived to pick us up to the airport. We ended up taking the limo because it was the best bang for the buck not to mention it was hassle free. The drive was uneventful and we made it to the airport with a lot of time to spare. We are dinner at the airport and the food was not too bad at all and the price more than decent. The flights were all fine and there was not a problem.

August 29th.

We arrived in Sydney without any problem and while on the transit bus, met a couple from Iowa who live in Iowa county. She told me she graduated from Drake and I shared with her that I too graduated from Drake! What a small world we live in! Dad and I had a little disagreement/miscommunication while at the airport café in Sydney. I’ve noticed that dad tends to have a scowl on his face like he’s angry with the world that something is not going right all the time. I on the other hand tend to be a very happy go lucky guy and take things really easy. Evidently in one of the comments I made, he was not happy with it because all I wanted him to do was to lighten up and enjoy things and not get too worked up about the slightest thing. It proves that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Sis and Ram met us at the gate and that was such a nice surprise. I’ve not seen sis sin six years and Ram in more than eleven years. Both of them looked good. Rarm’s hair is all white now which is kind of funny considering he’s only fifteen years older than me! My first trip to Melbourne was to the factory outlet – not by choice. Dad wanted to have a look around. As much as I have a disdain towards shopping, dad wanted to shop and that’s what we did. After showering back in the apartment, sis, Ram and I went around Melbourne city. We did a lot of walking, and I had a good time discovering the city. Melbourne city definitely impressed me. I like the layout of the city and it’s what I would call a very accessible city. There’s nothing like jumping right into things and getting the feel for the heart and soul of the city. I walked to a couple of places that I’ll be visiting in a number of days. I’m more than pumped for some of these places. After we got back, it was dinner at Crown Promenade – a casino. The dinner was buffet and we had the amount of food no sane human person should eat! The food was amazing and the fresh oysters divine, but all the same, it was way too much food. All of us had a wonderful evening just enjoying the meal, each other’s company and catching up with one another. After dinner we walked around the promenade and witness a “fire” show that’s put on by the casino. It’s the casino’s take on Bellagio’s water fountain. The light show was impressive. Oh while walking through the casino, I got carded! Mind you, in Australia, you need to be 18 years old to enter a casino. I could not believe the guy thought I was younger than 18!

August 30th.

Today was spent traveling a lot. We went on a ferry ride and it was a very nice and relaxing ride. Oh, I should comment about breakfast. We all know Americans eat a lot of food. I cannot believe how much food was served at breakfast – it was a lot of food even for me. I was more than floored by the sheer amount of food. I tried to capture the sheer portion of it on my camera. I can see why it was a little expensive because after having that breakfast, there’s no way you’ll be able to eat lunch. Back to the ferry ride, we had a nice time taking in the late winter/early spring weather. I love the water. So, get me on or close to water/ocean and I’m like a kid in a candy store. After the ferry reached across, we headed to the Great Ocean Road. It was an amazing ride and there’s nothing like looking at the ocean by the side of the road throughout the entire drive. Words can’t really describe the drive – you really have to see and experience the drive to fully take it all in. We stopped a couple of times to take a couple of photos. I even took a shot with two surfer dudes. I just could not resist it. The drive on the Great Ocean Road lasted a couple of hours, but it was more than well worth it. We then headed to the “Twelve Apostles” and that was an inspiring sight to behold. I took a number of great photos. Throughout the time we were at the “Twelve Apostles”, it was raining although it was not a heavy rain. The rain did let up a little bit when we got out of the car to walk around the location. Sis got into a verbal disagreement with a guy and there was some name calling. Like father, like daughter. In many ways, they are very much alike. We headed back to Melbourne to have dinner with a family friend from church who migrated to Australia a good fifteen years ago. His daughter is my age and we were in the same religious education class. Dinner was at this Malaysian restaurant and the food was scrumptious. It was good to see Stephen after all these years. We were the last to leave the restaurant and even had complimentary dessert from the owner.

August 31st.

We went to Mass at the basilica and it was a nice Mass. It could have been more traditional like other basilicas but it wasn’t, and I was more than happy with it. We then had Dim Sum for brunch which is one of my all time favorite cuisines. My cousins treated us and it was definitely one of the best Dim Sums I’ve had in my life. These cousins are on my mom’s side and one of them is doing extremely well. Whenever mom makes it to Melbourne, he makes it a point to visit or treat mom. His parents live in KL and they are such nice people.I was dropped off at the National Gallery of Victoria for an afternoon of art. I had a grand time looking at the different art exhibits. The collection was not huge, but they had a good selection. I took a ride on the visitor shuttle which gave me a tour of a couple of other sites that would be of interest to me. I’ll be spending all day in the city tomorrow and pretty much know what I’ll see and do. The rest of the family did not do anything too interesting. You see, mom and dad have been to Melbourne a number of times and they really did not need to do as much as me. Considering this was my first time, I wanted to see and do as much as I could. I took the train back to the apartment without any problem. My family was concerned that I would be lost. I did play a prank on sis which was hilarious. Dad and Ram were in on it too. I got sis worried but it was all in jest. I basically told her that I took the wrong train and did not know where I was. She was almost in a panic and started acting all older sisterly on me which just cracked me up beyond belief. You should have seen the look on the face when I was in the car to pick sis and mom up from the movies! Dinner was at dad’s friend’s house. They’ve known each other for many years and it was good to reminisce with them. I met up with his sons who were all grown up. I probably have not seen them in twenty years. I do believe everyone had a great time catching up with one another and seeing what each other is doing. Dad had a very good time with his friend. It was definitely a fun evening had by all. When we got back, everyone except me spent time on the Wii fit which provided more than enough entertainment for me. I spend time journaling but also was able to watch everyon’s antics on the Wii.

September 1st.

It was a packed day of plain just doing visitor stuff. I took the free shuttle and went to a ton of places and also took a ton of photos. The highlight would have to be the Shrine of Remembrance. It was captivating to say the least and awe inspiring. I spent the most time there. The free shuttle was extremely efficient and to have it be so accessible was awesome. For dinner, I met up with a dear friend whom I’ve not seen in at least eleven years. I knew her from some church camp then later we hung out with the same group of people and went to the same college back in KL. We reconnected through Facebook. When I told her I was going to be in Melbourne, she was gracious enough to meet up with me. It felt like yesterday when we saw each other and as if time had stood still. We had Japanese food for dinner and the meal was delectable. We walked and talked for a number of hours and it was wonderful to meet up with Jessie. I was supposed to meet up with her at her birthday celebration in a club on Friday, but that did not happen which ended up working for the best because she shared that there were a number of things that did not go right during the course of the evening. My family ended up staying in and Ram cooked dinner for them. All in all we each had a good time doing our own thing.

September 2nd.

All of us got up a little later than usual which was out of the ordinary. We did not have anything planned for the morning so it was a very leisurely morning. We met up with my fourth grand aunt for Dim Sum at the same restaurant a couple of days back. It truly has been eons since I saw my grand aunt and I was more than happy to see her once again. Two of her daughters accompanied her and I remember one of them, but not the other. After Dim Sum, we went back to my grand aunt’s house. I had the time of my life listening to her tell a bunch of stories in Cantonese. I understood almost all of what she said which totally cracked me up. There were tons of stories that were shared with all of us. I could tell she was having a jolly good time reminiscing the past. It’s things like this that I miss being away from home. Granted she was tickled silly that someone my age would be interested in her stories, but I do work with the older population and there’s a lot of wisdom there. She treated all of us and two of her kids to a sumptious ten course dinner at this Chinese restaurant. Every course had it’s own symbolism and meant something in Cantonese. We all had more than our fair share of food to eat. Today was definitely one of the most memorable days of my trip in Australia thus far. There’s something to be said about paying one’s respect to one’s elders. I’m not sure if and when I’ll see her again so even though I’ve spent a good eleven years in the US, I still have not forgotten my roots.

September 3rd.

Today was the day to say goodbye to Melbourne. It was kind of sad yet at the same time I knew the Sydney adventure was about to begin. The flight was uneventful and we all made it to Sydney without any problem. It’s really a short flight – kind of like flying from DM to Chicago. We did not find a problem locating the hotel and it was a boutique hotel – just the way I like my hotels. There was concern with the family that it would be a dinky hotels. On the contrary, it more than met our needs and for the price of $30 a night, no one was complaining. I love the fact that I got to sleep on a bunk bed. The last time I did that was at Drake. After settling in, I broke away from my family for the rest of the evening. I went to the Art Gallery of NSW. The collections were downright amazing and I must say that I was impressed especially with the Asian collection. There was a special “Lost Buddha” exhibit and that was more than inspiring. Taking public transportation was definitely the way to go and Sydney is a very accessible city. For dinner, I went to a very nice tapas restaurant called Kika recommended by the staff at the hotel. Later that night, Sis, Ram and I went walking around the King Cross area where the hotel was located. King Cross has a reputation for being a red light and extremely seedy neighborhood. They’ve cleaned it up a lot and we felt safe walking around by ourselves.

September 4th.

Today was dad’s birthday. Ram and I got up earlier so we got breakfast from a French bakery that I passed by yesterday. There’s nothing like fresh French pastry from a bakery. We got a bunch of pastries for breakfast to appease everyone and went to Bar Colluzi to get some coffee. It’s THE place to go for amazing coffee in Darlinghurst. After breakfast, we walked to the “Rocks” and took the ferry over to Darling Harbor. There’s some history abot the rocks and it’s not like you’re looking for rocks per se, but more a location where Australia kind of all began. The ferry ride was very nice and relaxing. Oh, prior to going to the Rocks, we spent a good amount of time taking in the Sydney Opera House. Now I know why it’s called one of the seven modern wonders of the world. It’s truly a sight to behold. In Darling Harbor, we walked to the Sydney Fish Market where we gorged ourselves silly with seafood caught that morning. It was truly a seafood feast and I don’t ever recall eating seafood this fresh. Trust me, it was that good! I’ve been feeling ill a couple of days now and finally called it a day for the rest of the afternoon. You know things are not well when I need to sleep/nap in the afternoon. For dinner, we went to Nick’s Bar and Grill since dad wanted steak. The food was really good, but since I had no appetite, I had a chowder as my entrée and it was good. Dinner was very nice and relaxing and all of us took all the sights in. Everyone more than enjoyed their meal and we had a nice leisurely walk to train station.

September 5th.

Today was raining all day which pretty much put a damper on the whole day. We went to Queen Victoria Building which is now a mall. The building itself is an old ornate building. After QVB, we went to Paddy’s Market which is a covered market that sells tons of Australian stuff in addition to being a fresh fruit market. Everyone got some stuff except for me. Since the weather was pretty darn crummy, we went back to the hotel where Ram and I enjoyed a couple of rounds of pool before I got ready for my “date” with mom at the Opera House. The tour of the Opera House was more than impressive. The building is an engineering wonder to say the least and you appreciate it so much more after the tour. I was awe-struck. Dinner and the view during dinner was amazing. I could not recall the last time it was just mom and I having a meal. It’s good to chat with her. Sitting down in the opera hall and listening to the Sydney Orchestra play has got to be one of the most memorable life experiences ever. I always thought that the hall itself was huge, but in reality it’s not. It still impressed me. Talk about a very memorable day. Gabriela Montero was the soloist and she played Grieg’s famous piano concerto. For the encores, she asked the audience to hum a theme and she played her own variation of the themes on the piano. It was mighty impressive to say the least.

September 6th.

Once again it rained pretty much all day. We did not have anything planned, but a luncheon with my third grand aunt. It too has been ages since I saw her and apart from growing older, she looks the same. Two of her daughters came along, but I only recognized the youngest daughter. The other daughter spent some years in New Zealand. We all had a good time catching up with one another. We spent at least four hours chatting in the restaurant but it never felt long. They live in the outskirts of Sydney and it took them a while to get to the restaurant because of road diversions and detours, but they made it and I’m glad they did. I too felt that I’m not sure if and when I’ll see her again. There was just not enough time to catch up with each other. Later that evening, Ram, sis and I went out for dinner at the same tapas restaurant I went to a couple of days back. Dad and mom decided to stay in since they were full from lunch. Ram and sis had not had tapas before, but they thoroughly enjoyed it. Can you believe we did not do anything spectacular on the last night in Sydney? Well we didn’t. Everyone was tired and there was nothing wrong with calling it an early night. It must be a sign of old age!

September 7th.

Bye bye Sydney and Australia. Today was the last day we spent in Australia. It was bittersweet in very many ways. The family vacation was indeed a pleasure for all of us. Speaking on behalf of everyone, all of us had a grand old time. It was sad to leave everyone but we can all look forward to another family vacation in a couple of years. The cab got us to the airport without any problem and the flights were all A OK except for the fact that dad left his camera bag at customs and only realized it when we were ready to board the plane. He was in a slight panic, and had given up hope that the bag was gone when he saw it held by one of the air stewardess. He informed them that it was his and had no problem proving it by the ample family photos be took while on vacation. Phew. Everything else was smooth sailing. We were picked up in Singapore by a family friend and since we had not eaten, we were taken out for a late night dinner. We ended up in Singapore because the originally scheduled flight was cancelled which sucked, but at least I got to see Singapore. I’ve not been there since I was probably 14 years old.

September 8th.

We left Singapore by coach at 8:30AM and arrived in KL right on the dot at 2:30PM. A family friend was gracious enough to pick us up from the LRT station and gave us a ride home. I paid a visit to godma and godpa and that was nice. I’ve always loved their garden and took a number of photos of her flowers and plants. I told them that I would be visiting them after we got back from Australia. For dinner that night, a dear family friend cooked “Kuching Laksa” which is a hot and spicy noodle soup that is very native to the people of Sarawak. This meal was something on my list of must eat food and I’m so glad she obliged me. I “only” had four bowls and was stuffed beyond belief. Oh, it was an oh so good a meal! Other family friends came for dinner and everyone had a jolly good old time. Anthony Bourdain of the No Reservations fame loves Kuching Laksa and it was one of the meals that was featured on his trip to Malaysia. Cool, eh?!

September 9th.

The goal was to renew my passport this morning, but that did not happen due to some paperwork snafu. Oh well. Dad and I had another disagreement right outside the passport office and it was a good shouting match. I was getting a little tired with his lack of patience and the way everyone needs to be at his beck and call. I pretty much told him how I felt and I think for the first time he realized that I’m no longer a kid but an adult who is more than capable of standing up to him. It kind of surprised him and he knew he was in the wrong, but in dad’s mind, apologies are few and far between. Breakfast was a little awkward, but things clamed down and we then drove back to dad’s hometown to visit two of his brothers and a cousin who still lives and run the family business. I have not seen all of them since the last time I was back in Malaysia so it was definitely good to meet up with them. Everyone was glad and happy to see one another. My fourth uncle treated us to a seafood lunch which was really good. We then made a whirlwind trip back to KL and on the way back picked up my Malaysian ID to the relief of my parents. That pretty much meant that I would be able to apply for my passport. Later that evening, I met up with Jaime, a dear old friend from childhood. We had dinner at this spectacular Korean restaurant. The food was amazing and the conversation stimulating and engaging to say the least. There’s nothing like reconnecting with an old friend. We both had a blast. After dinner, we met up with Jaime’s boyfriend as I’ve heard a lot about him. It was good to put a face to the name. Loke’s colleagues joined up with us later that night and Jaime dropped me off at 1AM. It was indeed a very good evening spent with her. That says a lot about the level of our friendship after all these years.

September 10th.

I did not feel too well after I got up this morning – my tummy was giving me some problems. I did get my passport renewed without a problem, and that was a very good thing. I spent the afternoon souvenir shopping and was very happy with my purchases. I’m pretty sure I did not forget anyone, but if I did, I’m pretty sure I have more than enough extra goodies. After coming home, I took a nap and for someone who does not nap, it pretty much tells you that I was not feeling well. I spent the first night at home later that evening which was nice. Some time was spent looking through old photo albums and it brought back so many memories and much of it was fond memories. Mom too had a good time looking at the photos.

September 11th.

My last day in Malaysia. We had Dim Sum for breakfast and that was good. It was at a restaurant where dad had celebrated his birthday a number of times. Later that morning, I visited godma and godpa. Actually, I spent different times visiting people and saying my goodbyes to them throughout the day. I could not believe that I had not taken any photos of the Petronas Twin Tower and I made sure I took more than enough shots of the tower. Talk about a fitting finale before leaving for DM. John and I chatted before I headed home to finalize my packing and take a shower. Satay at my all time favorite shop is where I had my last meal in KL. It was so, so good! I even remembered the guy who helped with the serving. The only thing that’s changed is that he’s gotten older. Before leaving for the airport, we visited my cousin and his wife at their home. A great way to spend the last night. Carol, her girlfriend and another friend met up with all of us and everyone ended up at my cousin’s house. The drive to the airport was not too eventful, but we did miss a couple of turns here and there since we tried a new route. I got checked in with more than enough time to spare with my new passport. I’ll be going back to Malaysia in four years to celebrate dad’s 70th birthday if not sooner. A three weeks vacation has come to an end, but the fond memories continue to live on.