031: Godfather Blaze

A lot has happened since the new year began. I’ve been wanting to update for a while now but finding the right words to type up has been incredibly difficult. I wanted to write about a lot of events however, I will refrain from doing so in this entry and only talk about two of the most important.

The Burning

Taken from NST.COM

I was abroad when I was informed of the fire that burned our residence in Kuala Lumpur down. An electrical malfunction occurred in one of the second floor rooms causing a fire that burned half of the second and all of the third floor of the three-storey house.

Source of image unknown.

My father tried to put out the fire but by that time the blaze was too big. He was hospitalized for about a week.

He was visited by many people, including those who flew in for a day or two just to meet him, despite the doctor’s orders of no visitors allowed. My father is, by the way, well. He is now back home until early next month.

The Godfather

The passing of a great, humble and energetic man have had a huge impact on so many people. A family friend whom, we jokingly made up to have been one of the godfathers of a syndicate, has an amazing network of contacts of different occupations.

The first time I could ever remember meeting him was at the immigration department where I made my identity card. He made me skip queues and had it done by the day when it usually took weeks. It was the same thing with my passport. He brought me to the back, got my picture taken and my details too, and by night time he sent the new passport to my house personally.

He was out with his family before complaining of a headache. They were driving somewhere (or back home) then he blacked out. He passed on that night at the hospital.

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

I’ll end the entry here.

028: Malaysia, Truly Asia (I)

October 19th

I flew from Bander Seri Begawan that day towards Kuala Lumpur. My eldest sister was the only person who came over to send me off because everyone else was either busy, unavailable, abroad or too lazy.

During the flight, I received the biggest shock of my life. It was my first time ever traveling on a plane when I had a blocked sinus and a blocked ear. The plane took off and as it went higher and higher, the pressure in my nose and ear was cleared. I could hear again and I was glad… That was until it flew over 25,000 feet. My sinus got blocked again and my ears continued to pop and squeak like crazy. By the time we hit 30,000 feet, the pressure in my cranium was incredibly painful. I felt like dying. Two hours with a pressured cranium with no way of relieving it even when I pressed on some spots on my body that had helped before. I felt like my head was going to literally explode.

As soon as I arrived in Malaysia I was glad for the return of the normal blocked sinus and ear. I thought I was going to go straight home however I had to wait for my mom who was stuck in traffic for almost two to three hours. My mom tells me that when it rains in the city and it's a Friday, the traffic jams are the worst. So what did I do to pass teh time away? I read Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy which Peach got me the other day. When I got bored of that one I fooled around with the camera…

My mom finally picked me up after an hour waiting. It wasn't that long but long enough for me to get uncomfortable. All the pressure I had to endure during the flight had exhausted me and I was getting dull headaches, sensitivity to light and really dry throat.

October 20th

I had breakfast with the parents and was still feeling a little woozy. The bags under my eyes are super evident. My dad asked me to go with my mom to wherever she was going that day. I think he just wanted me to accompany my mom and not to help her do the shopping. I watched a bit of TV with him before my mom and I left with my cousin and his wife and child who were staying over at the house. My mom and I went to a mall while my cousin went to another place. We looked around the mall before my mom went to a photo shop and I to a clothes store. I got myself a pair of jeans and my mom ordered a photobook to be printed.

Once all that was done, we went to grab a massage while waiting for this guy who was going to help fix my mom's contraption. It was so deliciously goooooood. I want it.

We bought groceries right after and went home after circling around traffic. We weren't done there, though. We went out again after lunch and visited a shop that sold containers and cups for the bazaar my mother is going to sell in. Got some local veggies and even a corn on the cob that was cooked with open fire.

On our way home, I took pictures of the building conditions and small shops by the road.

And this concludes the first part of Malaysia, Truly Asia series!

// I should write up a draft for the next post! Well…!

0012: The August - September 2011 Summary

The Now

November was a weird and lazy month. Did my work for university and had a few ups and downs. I think my best highlight was my haircut and the double piercings I got, all in the same day! It was something I'd been thinking about doing for a while now. I've done double piercings on my left ear but after a talk with a parent, I had to take them off. I did them again, though this time on my right. I just really like piercings… on my ears. And this short hair is the shortest I've ever gone! I'm quite happy with how it came out!

Probably not the best image but what the hey~

August - September 2011

The air train used to go from one terminal to another at
Kuala Lumpur International Airport

I spent a few days in the beginning of August in Malaysia with the parents.  When I say a few days, I mean a few short days. Approximately four. I was going to stay longer but my mother had already bought me a ticket to go to Brunei on the 5th. I didn't do much during my stay in Malaysia. Went out a couple of times and then I got sick because the people I sat next to during my flight there were coughing and sniffling in my direction.

The view of the house from the third floor

I landed on Brunei soil in the morning, picked up by my very pregnant sister and as soon as my other sister found out I was back she put me straight to work that day. Most of my days in Brunei was spent working in my sister's boutique. By the time August ended, I had yet to meet up with my friends who were hoping to see me that month. My days working at the shop was both great and annoying. Some of the times there were moments when we had more than five customers coming into the shop and I was the only one working.

Chanel, left, is the shop's cat and Bubu, right, is a gay male

Brought work home



A photo niece took when we were at the palace

The niece playing with her dad

Came mid-September I decided to stop working at my sister's shop and spend some actual holiday time.

Watched Fright Night with little sister and 2nd eldest in the mall in Kiulap

 

A cousin's wedding

A cake at Secret Recipe

A couple of days after I stopped working, my little sister and I decided to go to The Philippines. We spent about five days in Makati City. During our time there we met up with our brother-in-law's friend who happened to use to work in Brunei. He's there working as an estate agent but he hopes to return to Brunei one day. I can understand. Brunei is an easy place to live in. It's so small and although crime is slowly rising it isn't as bad as most countries.

The Ayala Museum

Brother-in-law's friend

Around Makati City

Waiting at the airport for the longest of time

We returned to Brunei at around one in the morning. Later that night, I met up with my friends who have already left England after finishing their studies there. We had a bit of a laugh, drank and ate. It rained heavily that night and since we were sitting outside the main area of the restaurant, we were flooded up and cut off from the place. We felt like we were sitting on an island with a single roof above our heads.

Stranded

Left, Aziz. Right, Mardhi.

With Ry

Last person to arrive, Faris

A few days later, I returned to Malaysia. This time, it was for a lesser time than previously as my flight back to England was at the end of September. I met with my uncle and aunt who happened to be visiting my parents that time as well as my cousin who I haven't met for the longest of time.

Going out with uncle and aunt, at a mall that sells expensive things

Cousin on the right and her friend (or HER cousin?) at a fast food restaurant

During my stay in Malaysia, my parents left the house in my care for two days. Nothing to do so I spent most of my time drawing and watching a whole day of reruns on the television. I left at the end of September with my mom sending me off as my dad was working that day.

Bored, felt girly, girly time

The view I see when using the treadmill in the mornings

Well, that' it for this post! Will have the month of October and maybe November, too, some time!