Friday, December 5, 2003

01:32 a.m. Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Angry Love

Tonight, he told me he really appreciates that I take the time to tell him I love him even when I'm at my angriest with him. I told him that saying I-love-yous is a lot more important while fighting or sulking or being plain bored with each other, than when we're cuddling or kissing or being happy with each other.

Never ever withhold love. Withhold company, withhold smiles, withhold money, withhold presents. But give your love even more when you're punishing them for displeasing you.

I think, should I ever break up with Tariq, even at the moment of dumping, I'd tell him I love him. I'll always love him.

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #20031205

Thursday, December 4, 2003

09:59 p.m. Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Poor Male Suffering

I object! I object! I object!

However, I have no reasonable argument for objecting.

Tariq is just male, annoying, and thoroughly without sensitivity. I told him, despite the fact that he doesn't have enough testosterone to grow a proper beard, he still has way too much testosterone.

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #20031204

Tuesday, December 2, 2003

12:59 p.m. Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

my to-do list this week

I have to get my hair cut. I have to narrow down all my friends to the ten people that I'm allowed to invite to my parents' open house. I have to decide what to do with my Eid money. I have to get the venue for the bookswap event confirmed. I have to pester the people who are supposed to deliver my bookshelf yesterday. I have to go figure out what books I'm supposed to have for summer semester of college and start reading a few pages.

All I wanna do is go back to bed....

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #20031202

Sunday, November 30, 2003

11:03 p.m. Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

No End to Eid-ul-Fitr!!!

I notice that lots of my phlog posts didn't make it online either. Alas.

I might actually update you with proper highlights of Eid events. Then again, I might not.

It was, however, an excellent, enjoyable, exciting Eid. Mwahahaha. It felt like Malaysia decided to make up for the five years I missed Eid here.

I hope that Adik will have a very good Eid when she comes back too!

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #20031130

Sunday, November 30, 2003

Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Eid Day Six

00:54:19

We're now finally eating dinner. Then we will go home. This will be my last Eid phlog. Come back for a proper blog post after my travelling recovery!

00:28:13

Woot! I can see the twin towers! They're far, far away, but I have never been gladder to see that stupid pair of buildings before! Home! Comfort! Light! My computer! Cable TV! And best of all, my own bathroom...

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #30-11-2003 00:28:13

Saturday, November 29, 2003

Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Eid Day Five

23:59:59

The last time my family did this late-night long-distance thing, I was less stressed about it. But then, it was more than five years ago, and I wasn't a driver then. I just didn't realize how many ways you can die in a car... But ignore me. I'm just too aware of my mortality tonight.

22:12:35

I'm much happier when my Daddy is driving. 'Bang Mir, my cousin, is a dizzying driver. Daddy's calmer and in more control.

20:42:12

Miracle on the stretch between Gua Musang and Kuala Lipis. First, millions of cars, but no one was over-taking each other! Then all of a sudden there was a Pesta Bukak Bonet (Open Bonnet Festival) on both sides of the road. People just pull over in droves, opening their bonnets. We guess their cars overheated. Our car just keeps going like the Energizer bunny. Sorry, traveling for 10 hours does things to your mind.

17:18:56

We stopped at a mosque to pee and pray. Hmm, sounds like an American reststop. It was a beautiful place littered with soiled diapers and other assorted rubbish. It's horrible that Muslims have no concern for their brothers and sisters, or at least their places of worship. There was even a trash can just a meter away from the damned diapers on the ground. It's just terrible.

16:27:20

"Mommy got duit raya (Eid money)! Mommy got duit raya!" My mother has been saying that very, very often today. Both Kak Mi and Akak gave her Eid money, complete in green packet. After years of giving out Eid money, I'm not surprised she's excited about getting some. She's as cute as a kid.

13:35:48

Very, very heavy rains. The main road we originally planned to take has been closed due to flooding. So we'll have to take the long way, and most likely find a hotel to sleep over in. And me with diarrhea and nausea, being stuck in a car for 10 hours.

10:51:32

We have just passed Kampung Seberang Kastam, which in English would be the Village Across from Customs. A name that gives me wonderfully needed hilarity while suffering diarrhea. I miss my Adik. She pampers me when I'm sick.

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #29-11-2003 10:51:32

Friday, November 28, 2003

Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Eid Day Four

23:57:25

I definitely have serious bathroom issues. FOUR ants are crawling within the bristles of my toothbrush. Sigh. Goodnight, HANIfans. Check your toothbrushes!

21:52:16

I'm in trouble. I have diarrhea. That's not something good to have when you're going to travel, which is what I'll be doing tomorrow. We're heading to Terengganu to visit more relatives. During Eid, relatives are never-ending.

13:54:39

High adventure in Kelantan: The lights failed while I was bathing! Honestly, I think I have serious bathroom issues...

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #28-11-2003 13:54:39

Thursday, November 27, 2003

Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Eid Day Three

23:52:09

I don't bother bringing story books on trips. I read most novels in about three hours, and once read, they're just a lot of deadweight in my suitcase. So I picked up cross-stitching. It's amazingly time-consuming and mind-occupying when you have nothing better to do. Especially when you've been stitching incorrectly from the eve of Eid. Then you spend a lot of time UN-stitching.

22:06:59

Yay! We now have buckets in our bathrooms! This means that we can pour hot water into the pail and not suffer too miserably while bathing.

19:49:48

After dinner at some distant relative's, Mom, Akak, Kak Mi and I have gone to the Bazaar, to shop. Not many shops are open, but we've managed to pick up a few things already.

15:48:51

We have just come back from visiting a few relations. Now Dad is letting the TV watch him, Akak is holding a book, and everybody is napping for the afternoon. Me too! Right after this message...

11:46:27

I have discovered the evil flaw of our Kelantan house. Freezing cold showers! No hot water! That's completely wrong and evil. Johor has two lovely water heaters in the bathrooms. Water heaters are a necessity if you're going to force me to bathe at six in the morning.

00:50:18

I've been getting text messages from various people wishing me a happy eid. I'd like to make a general thank you to all of them, though I replied to each one. My worry is that some of my messages aren't getting through, due to unstable service. Strangely, when I get such text messages, I feel panicked. Oh no! Now what do I reply? I'm really dipping into my phone credit this week...

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #27-11-2003 11:46:27

Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Eid Day Two

22:55:24

Our house in Kelantan is right next door to our uncle's. It was actually our grandmother's, but she passed away some years ago. So now the house is Mom's. After my grandmother's house came to Mom, she started renovations, and it's just completed, in time for Eid. Having one's own house is very comfy compared to cramming at the Johor grandparents' with the whole extended family. And it's not too flooded, after all.

21:10:07

I feel old. Half the people in Kelantan are kissing my hands instead of me kissing theirs. Okay, that happened in Johor too, but most of those were teenie weenie kids, not people taller than me. And to think I deliberately wore knee-length shorts to denote my youth status.

17:54:49

We're in Kelantan! The congestion is quite bad, so we're still no where near our house. Lots of paddy fields being plowed. Mom whined that they weren't using heifers anymore.

15:17:04

We're in the car, driving. It'll be for several hours still, as Kelantan and Johor are some distance apart. So I have to entertain myself with nonsense. We're taking small roads, so mobile reception is atrocious.

08:24:26

Finally figured out the problem with Touch N Go toll paying: No one to shout "Selamat Hari Raya!" to. Oh well. I have no siblings to shout it with anyway. Akak's in her husband's car. Adik's in Princeton. Babang's with his family. Poor lonely me. Heh.

07:51:32

We have left the grandparents' and while the parents pulled over at our nextdoor uncle, I thankfully remembered that I had left my cellphone at the grandparents. So I ran back and forth on foot to rescue my one and only form of mobile communication.

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #26-11-2003 22:55:24

Tuesday, November 25, 2003

Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Eid Day One

20:11:34

I've changed clothes. Before, I was wearing a beige kebarung with a black, beige and yellow Bali batik skirt. Now I'm wearing a black kurung embroidered with gold beads. Yada yada. Who cares what I wear?

18:54:43

Akak asked Suria, "What do you think if I have an open house for us cousins, and I serve only fruits and water?" Asks Suria: "Can we order pizza?"

15:49:11

I checked the contents of my Eid money packets. These people give funny things. Akak gave me RM10 in one ringgit notes. Mama gave Adik and I RM500 each. Her monthly salary is only RM900. So we're going to give back RM800. Mama just gave too much.

14:34:37

I feel old. There was a kid whose eyes I could see was hoping for Eid money from me. Me! Who's still hunting Eid money myself! Then again, if I'd been a proper good girl, I'd be working by now. But I think I'll be stingy and give everybody 50 sen.

13:12:54

We have left the grandparents' finally, to visit two sets of grandparents-in-law. I am utterly groggy, since I slept late and woke early.

10:35:14

I'm tired. Had to pick up Eid money for Adik, and all three of my nephews. My brother and his family went to his wife's for Eid.

01:09:18

So far, there doesn't seem to be much change to Eid celebrations in Johor. But then again, it's not yet Eid. We'll have to confirm tomorrow. Not all the cousins are here tonight.

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #25-11-2003 15:49:11

Monday, November 24, 2003

Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Eve of Eid

13:21:29

I am at my grandmother's now. My little cousins are running around making strange noises. I think they're very weird.

03:29:39

I never thought I'd use phlogger again, when Maxis increased the international SMS to fifty sen. But I got some roll-over credit to blow....

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #24-11-2003 13:21:29

Sunday, November 23, 2003

09:19 p.m. Kuala Lumpur Standard Time

Happy Eid!

I'm dreading going to Kelantan. It will be flooded. Worse, there will be frogs and things swimming around in the water that I'll be forced to wade through. I have fantasies of buying myself one of those big plastic floating boats so I can row between our house in Kelantan, and my aunt's without ever stepping foot into frog-filled water.

But at least, there will be phlog, and I will continue blogging throughout the week I am away.

I beg forgiveness from everyone, as you all have mine, no matter how difficult it was to give it to some people out there. Heheh! Have a happy Eid, HANIfans!

Be honest.
Link to the start of entry: #20031123