Friends

I had heaps of fun hanging out with the girls last night.

We went out for dinner and drinks, before re-adjourning back to Bridget's place to talk and laugh into wee hours of the night.

That's the thing about childhood friends - no matter how far you are apart and how long you have lost touch, the familiar bond is never lost.

You might be leading different lives and playing different roles now, you might be living in different countries and in different stages of your lives, but it's is so easy, almost effortless dare I say, to reconnect with each other again.

And sometimes, it's almost scary when it feels as if they know you better than you know yourself, because they remember the person you once were before the harsh cold reality of life gets to you and gets you down.

For a brief moment, you remember those young and carefree days.

For a brief moment, you remember the person you once were and have forgotten all about.

For a brief moment, you remember that life can actually be as simple and as uncomplicated as how it used to be.

Old friends are like a favourite old coat, always comfortable, always warm, and always good to be reunited, especially when it's cold.

Argument

Barely a week into our so called "holiday" in KL, Bee and I already had our first argument yesterday.

Same ol' issue, caused by the same ol' people.

And now I remember why l decided to leave this place.

Woman

Today, I set out to fulfill some of our womanly duties.

A gynaecological routine checkup, followed by eyebrow shaping.

No, not by the same person, you moron. :|

I like my gynaecologist.

She is this really really sweet and nice lady, who doesn't make me feel the slightest bit uncomfortable or intimidated even under some potentially (very) embarrassing circumstances.

(You ladies would know what I'm talking about, right? And for those gentlemen who read my blog, yes all two of you, well, it's better if you don't.)

But I'm afraid I can't say the same about the beautician who groomed my eyebrows today though.

Out of convenience, I headed to Shu Uemura at Mid Valley, instead of the other outlet I normally go to at One Utama, only to discover that the level of service is a world apart!

I'm talking about both the attitude of and quality of service.

To avoid sounding like a bitch (more like I'm just lazy to go into details), let's just say that I'm definitely sticking to Shu Uemura @ One Utama from now on.

Shu Uemura has some serious work to do about their quality control when it comes to customer service, that's all I'm saying.

As a woman, there are certain things in life that we enjoy doing more than others.

But I gotta say that your day is gonna feel pretty weird when the gynaecological exam turned out to be more enjoyable than the beauty service.

Enough said.

Indulging

Despite the fact that I can no longer fit into some of my skinniest skinny jeans, I've decided to indulge myself with some of my favourite local food anyway.

And they aren't exactly the healthiest food around, to say the least.

But hey, what are holidays for huh? :p

Whenever Bee shoots me with that judgemental look of his, I'd pout and say, "But, it's my holiday! I'm entitled to enjoy and spoil myself on my holiday, no?"

He says I have an excuse for everything.

The truth is, I do.

*Evil laughs*

When I work, I say, "I'm stressed. I need comfort food!"

When I'm off work, I say, "I worked hard, so I deserved a treat."

When I'm happy, I say, "I'm celebrating!"

When I'm sad, I say, "I need to cheer myself up."

Haha.

In the past few days, I've had 8 gigantic bak-changs (Chinese rice dumpling with pork), many many serves of maggie goreng ayam with extra fried chicken plus teh tarik ais, and many of that chicken floss sponge roll thingy from Bread Story.

And they are just my snacks, ladies.

Those bak-changs headed straight for my waist and thighs, I'm telling ya!

I gained 3kgs in less than a week! @_@

I comfort myself by thinking that it might be water retention due to PMS.

Or that I can try to lose those extra kilos when I get back to Melbourne.

*Sighs*

Indulgence comes with a price.

And my price tag is reading "muffin top".

Revitalised

Bee has been down with a stomach flu for quite a few days now.

He's had to stay in bed, be a good boy, and stay on a light diet.

Which means that we haven't been going anywhere.

As a loving wife, of course I want him to get as much rest as he can so he can have a full and speedy recovery; but at the same time, the control freak in me is secretly panicking as well because we have been back for nearly a week now and we haven't gotten anything done yet.

Though this is "supposedly" a holiday for us to unwind and visit our families, it is actually more of a trip to get a lot of important things done.

Things that we couldn't "remote control" from Melbourne, and things that we have to be physically present in Malaysia to do.

Our list of things-to-do is SO long that it isn't even funny.

But neither of us have been feeling very well since we got back, him with his stomach problems and me with my fatigue from jetlagging, so we have only been staying in all these while instead of running around getting those things done.

Knowing me, you can probably guess how that is making me A LITTLE nervous.

And needless to say, whenever I'm nervous, I get A LITTLE cranky as well. :|

So today, I decided to take myself out for a facial and massage at Aster Spring.

Dimmed lights. Comfortably tugged under a light blanket. Soft tranquil music. Soothing scent of essential oils. Relaxing massages.

For a brief moment, the world slows down around you.

All the worries and stress melt away, and you only have to concentrate on being pampered and unwind.

Best part is, you walked out feeling that your skin, body and mind have been rejuvenated and revitalised.

So when Bee picked me up, I was a much happier wife with healthier skin.

A pampered woman is a happier woman, yes?

Happy

I've been in an exceptionally good mood ever since Bee and I got back to Malaysia.

Not having to work and not having to put up with annoying people brightened my mood drastically.

It is as if a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can breath again.

I wake up with a smile on my face and music in my head.

Life just feels that much easier to cope and, um, better.

The new fruity tea tastes better. The fresh flowers smell better. My hair looks better. Music sounds better. Even lame jokes are funnier than usual.

Everything is just a little easier and not as overbearing when you're able to relax.

I'm even a much more pleasant company (especially to Bee) because a happier me is a more affectionate and loving person, rather than a cranky uptight biatch.

And it got me thinking.

Isn't this the same lifestyle that I chose to give up to go back to Melbourne a year ago?

How could a place that used to make me so unhappy bring me so much joy now?

What's changed? Me, or the circumstances?

Or maybe nothing has changed, but just my mentality?

Was it a mistake for me to leave? Would things have been different if I had stayed?

But would I still feel the same way I'm feeling now if I were to stay on permanently instead of just a brief holiday?

Why does the grass always look greener on the other side of the fence?

How do we choose which side of the fence to be on?

And most importantly, would I ever be truly happy with the decisions I make in life, be it here or there?

I don't know.

And quite honestly, I am afraid to know those answers.

Terrified, actually.

But let's leave those questions for another day.

For now, let's just try to enjoy this day and the beautiful sunshine outside our windows.

For now, let's just try to be happy.

Weekend

Bee and I decided to stay in and be lazy this weekend.

(Then again, what is new huh? Haha.)

We really shouldn't though.

We have a long list of things-to-do. Things to eat, things to see, things to decide on, things to submit, and of course, things to buy.

Both "official", and "unofficial". You get the idea.

Also, we have been missing some of our favourite restaurants and the shopping scene in KL for the past few months. I need to eat my heart out and shop till I drop!! *Shakes fists*

Most urgently, we really really need to do some grocery shopping because the maid was asked to clean out the whole fridge and pantry before we came back, so now there's no food left in the house.

I'm not kidding. There isn't a pack of emergency biscuits or instant noodles left in my kitchen. :|

But Bee and I seriously dread having to brace the crazy crowds in shopping centers on weekends.

I get a headache just from thinking about the noises, the people, the queues, and the amount of time one has to spend circling the carpark looking for a spot.

So, after much contemplation (ha!), we decided to give in to our lazy selves and stay in bed to be two happy slackers.

After all, this is the first weekend in a long time that I feel this relaxed and stress-free.

Plus, I'm still jetlagged.

Oh the excuses I can come up with. *Grins*

Tangled unwashed hair. Bee's oversized shirt. Greasy takeaway food. Favourite TV shows. Lots of cuddles and laughters.

And that's our very un-glam but homey first weekend back in KL.

Jetlagged

It's the 3rd day since Bee and I got back to KL, but I'm still jetlagged. :(

I've been dozing off around 8pm and waking up before 8am everyday. My body seems to refuse to adjust itself to the local time, even with the sleeping aid I'm using.

Another obvious symptom is fatigue. I pretty much spend the whole day drifting in and out of sleep because I simply do not have the energy to do much of anything else.

All I do in the day is to eat and sleep. I'd wake up briefly for food, and maybe a quick banter with Bee, then go straight back to napping for another few hours.

That's how tired I am.

I'm exhausted, from doing absolutely nothing at all.

The thing is, I've never even suffered from jetlag before.

(And c'mon, let's face it, it isn't exactly that long a journey to travel from Melbourne to KL.)

Is it a sign of aging? I wonder.

Many friends have complained about the same thing.

In the past, to make the most out of our vacation, many of us would maximise our time away by heading straight to the airport after we finish work on the last day and only return to Melbourne the day before we have to start work again. Heck, some of us even went straight back to work barely a few hours after we landed.

Not sure if anyone else does this, but this has been a common practice among my circle of friends. Or are we just a weird bunch? :|

But as we age, most of us are starting to find that it has become increasingly difficult to continue doing so. Our bodies seem to be taking longer to recover from the trip and to adjust back to resuming our daily routine.

Whilst we used to only need a good overnight sleep to feel fresh and ready to start work again, now we might need a whole week to awaken those dormant brain cells and get into the swing of things again.

*Sighs*

Oh well. We only get older, right?

Maybe I should admit that our young carefree years are over and follow the footsteps of my friends, to allow a longer cool-off period before and after each trip for our aging (such a sad word!) bodies to rest and recuperate.

*Shrugs*

Bee and I still haven't booked our return ticket to Melbourne yet, so maybe that should be taken into consideration when we do.

For now, I shall join my (even older) husband for another afternoon nap before we head out to dinner.

*Yawns*

Have a good weekend, people!

Nothing

I did my favourite thing to do today - absolutely nothing!

I stayed in bed all day, ate, slept, surfed a little, watched some youtube videos on my laptop, and that's ALL I did.

And boy, did it feel good!

Though Fridays are normally my off days in Melbourne anyway, but this feels different.

Being so far away from the work place (like a-different-country away, man!) and not having to go back to work anytime soon did wonders to improve my mood.

I feel like a different person!

It is as if even the last strand of invisible stress that work poses on me was lifted. The feeling is, um, liberating.

And I guess clearly knowing that I won't be seeing D* and her super annoying boyfriend, C*, for the next few weeks plays a significant part in uplifting my mood as well. Oh you have no idea how happy that made me!

No work, no unreasonable customers and ignorant colleagues, no annoying friends and their even more annoying boyfriends, no running around like a headless goose, no stress from car shopping and house hunting.

*Exhales deeply*

Life is, once again, wonderful.

Home

Bee and I arrived in KL early this morning.

His parents picked us up from the airport, and took us to a quick breakfast before sending us back to our place.

Bee and I would normally plonk ourselves on the bed and snooze off to dreamland straight away, but today, we were too excited to.

We were both terribly tired from the awful flight, which was probably one of the most uncomfortable flight I've ever been on, but for some strange reasons, we were simply too hyper to sleep.

It's a really weird feeling.

To be honest, I dreaded this trip to start with.

As a creature of habit, I dreaded breaking away from the routine in Melbourne that I'm just starting to get used to. I dreaded the long list of things-to-do on this trip. I dreaded the hot and humid weather in Malaysia. I dreaded pulling myself out from my comfort zone. I dreaded the emotional roller coaster when we have to leave friends and family once again at the end of the trip.

I honestly thought I wouldn't enjoy this trip one bit.

But as usual, all those bad feelings went out of the window the moment our plane landed and we stepped out to breath the familiar (polluted) air of our homeland.

The sense of belonging was especially intensified when we got back to our own house, where we are free to do whatever and whenever we want because it's just us and no one else.

In more ways than one, Bee feels the same.

Before we came back, he was excitedly planning all the things (read: his beloved toys) that he wanted to bring back to Melbourne since he's slowly taking liking to the city and planning on calling it home for the next few years.

But merely a few hours after he came back to his original playground, from the way he is now pacing around the house like a proud king screening his castle, I can tell that his new beliefs are being shaken to the core, and my dear husband is, once again, doubting if he can ever love another city the way he loves this place.

There goes months of effort and brainwashing by yours truly. *Sighs*

Well, I guess that's the thing about home.

No matter how many bad things you have to say about it and how long you have been away, it will always be where your heart is.

There is no place like home.