from Leaving Sydney to Eid al-Adha

Dec 13

A farewell gathering was held for us Cohort II. It was nice to talk to our lecturers one last time; to had the chance to tell them how much we loved and enjoyed our learning experience with them.

Some memorable parting words:

Ilija Casule - "We'll miss your unique presence on campus. You girls brought something else to Macquarie" [girls in hijab]

Jean Brick - "You have to write a book about Malaysia, not me. I'll be your editor (!)" [Jean wrote a book entitled China: A Handbook in Intercultural Communication]

Rod Lane - "You'll make a great teacher"

Dec 14

Alhamdulillah, we all got through check-in even though our luggage were grossly over the weight limit. It was a pleasant 8-hour flight. Glad to have Tasha sitting next to me. We shared our lunch. I chose the Beef Rendang while Tasha chose the Chicken Pasta. Tasha finished my salad for me :) The food was really good!

Arrived at KLIA around 9pm, Malaysian time. The Arrival Hall was full of people, mainly Malaysian athletes who just got back from the SEA Games in Thailand.

Caught sight of Mama. She was waving wildly. She looked so happy.

It felt good to be home.

Dec 15

It was a difficult day. I was having a hard time adapting. It seemed my eyes had turned very critical. I found fault with a lot of things:

-The city is dirty. There are litters everywhere
-The waiters/waitresses are brusque and unfriendly
-The buses look shabby

I felt like going back to Macquarie right then and there.

And another thing: It felt weird blending in with the crowd. I felt exactly like what V. S. Naipaul wrote in his book The Writer and the World:

"An Indian, I have never before been in streets where everybody is Indian, where I blend unremarkably into the crowd. This has been curiously deflating, for all my life I have expected some recognition for my difference; and it is only in India that I have recognized how necessary this stimulus is to me, how conditioned I have been by the multi-racial society of Trinidad and then by my life as an outsider in England. To be a member of a minority community has always seemed to me attractive. To be one of four hundred and thirty-nine million Indians is terrifying"

Dec 16

Thankfully, common sense prevails. Talking to friends who are going through the same phase helps a lot. I find that focusing on all the good things about being home is a great comfort.

Here is my I'm lovin' it list:
1) Mum's cooking
2) Playing with my cats, who are all shameless attention seekers
3) Live Azan from the Masjid instead of from the computer
4) Kenduris!, which equal good food
5) Talking books with Kakak. There are so many books to read at home that I'm all set for the whole year :)
6) There are proper praying areas at public places. There's no more need to crash in at any parents room or fitting rooms!
7) I get to eat Roti Canai + Teh Tarik for breakfast instead of Nutella on toast

Dec 17, 18

Did settling-in stuffs:

- Bought a SIM card
- Registered as a voter
- Cleaned up room
- Retake my driving license ... with my dad of course!

Dec 19

Helping Mama with Eid al-Adha preparations. Took a break to write this entry. Better stop here and make myself useful again.

And yeah, my air-freighted things will be available for pick-up today!

Eid Mubarak people!
Wishing you all a very happy Eid al-Adha.
May Allah the Compassionate bless us all on this festive occasion :)