Norwegian-Malaysian Christmas Dinner in Penang.

I was in Penang since Tuesday. A combination of chilling out with the kids and socialising with fellow Norwegian-Malaysians. 

There were not so many who were back in Malaysia for the winter holidays but those few that did, made it for the get together. My family and I sat together with the Mauseths. While waiting for the rest of the guests to take their seats, the kids started to fiddle with their party gifts. And the results were as follows:

 

The Christmas dinner itself was fun and we had a whale of a time watching the super light-weight crooner who had obviously passed his used-by-date but whose energy and enthusiasm kept him going until midnight. As he shook the maracas and shifted his weight from one foot to another, his butt wiggled suggestively to the largely Finnish audience. He sang the oldies and bellowed quite a few numbers that started my kids looking out for Michael Bublè. Oh! how he cha-cha-cha-ed all through *Sway*. His penchant for the golden oldies and all things cha cha cha was highly attractive. Had it not been for DH, I would have joined the old crooner on the stage :D

Half way through our dinner, Santa suddenly made his appearance. Missy asked *Why is Santa black? Why is he thin?*. I could have cooked up a very colourful story at that point but I do not trust my 5 year old to not blabber about the story to someone else later. So I simply told her that the real Santa was so busy on the North Pole that he outsourced his task in the East to these people here. Missy must have thought that it was an acceptable answer as she continued with her dinner quietly. I continued with mine, thinking that at least she did not have to see a Santa that was fattened up with cardboard boxes. A pitiful sight that I saw about two decades ago at one of the supermarkets. Anyway, it seemed like the financial crisis has hit Santa’s pockets too as this year he only gave the kids a single mint each but that was ok as many has already nicked the Christmas goodies from the buffet table!

      

The Penang Santa’s way of greeting was much similar to the Santa that ran on 4 AA batteries, except that the volume was 10 times louder. As he moved around at record speed from one mere mortal to another, he wished them Merry Christmas in a comically impersonal way. Naturally there were a few cries of fear in the hall!

 

The mesmerizing Ms Lee appeared twice, belly-dancing and causing all our food to go cold and untouched. The men was mesmerized for all the obvious reasons (the sequins! the sequins!), and the women for wanting to be as thin as her. For those minutes she was on stage, the food in front of us was more disgusting than delicious. As soon as she took her deep bow and disappeared behind the stage, though, we woke up and rediscovered that the food in front of us was really not that bad at all! In fact, I went for second helping :D

Good food, great company, contented kids…what more can I ask for?

A bed.

At 11.30, I was ready for bed :)

 

 

The overhaul

I was at the medical centre the whole of yesterday, doing a much needed overhaul. I had DH with me.  As usual, a mixed couple sans kids would invite speculations of some sort.

In our younger days, we would fight for our right to not be explicitly gawked at and we would return every stare with another stare. These days stares are met with smiles. I am much too old to waste my time on pointless confrontations now. With the smile-strategy, most of the times we get a smile back but sometimes we get the *who-do-the-hell-do-you-think-you-are* look.

On my bad days, though, which I have to add are not too many (hehe!), I would just ignore everything and everybody. God has given me the ability to hear well. Sometimes too well. So on days when I am just not in the mood for anything, I would sometimes hear things like *gah sangat lah tu!*. I was only minding my own business. You know, you just can’t win! At the end of the day, we can only be ourselves.

Anyway, I was referred to 4 different specialists yesterday for various types of routine tests. It was like meeting the four wise men in some kind of nursery rhyme.

The first one was so so,

the second one was thorough,

the third one was sensible,

and the fourth one was miserable.

(  Well, actually the fourth one was wise :D  )

The blood sample was taken by a SYT, who slapped my hand so softly to make the veins more visible. Slap! slap! slap! … nothing! More slaps … nothing! In the end, she just stuck the needle in. No blood still and she rotated the needle inside my arm in order to get to the vein! As I was reaching for my handbag (with the intention to fling it at her!), a senior nurse came and within a split second, everything was done. She gave me a sympathetic smile and whispered *new…*. I smiled back, nodded and should have said *get another guinea pig next time*.

In between consultations, I had to wait for quite some time. So DH and I went to the cafe. While I was talking to KG on the phone, DH went to get us some food. Upon knowing he was from Norway, the cafe owner started being very friendly and advised DH against taking the pastry puff as it was not good anymore. They wanted to know the name of his wife and I think they were disappointed when he pointed at me. While we sat down in our corner, had our instant cappuccino and bite our sickly sweet buns, an elderly Malay couple sat down at the opposite table.  They had the pastry puffs and some coffee. Apparently, what was not good enough for a Mat Salleh was good enough for those elderlies. DH and I exchanged looks. We both just took a few sips of the coffee and left right away. I don’t think we’ll go there again.

The overhaul included an ECG and a stress test.  I lay on the bed with all sorts of wires attached to my chest, my ankles and my wrist. When the nurse came and switched on the ECG machine , I was very tempted to simulate an electric shock complete with foam coming out from my mouth. That would have been a great prank, totally blog-able and could be talked about for generations to come. I decided not to do it because she was too nice and I was too sane (at least yesterday!).  Done with the ECG, I was taken to the next room where another SYT explained to me that she was going to perform a *stray (!)  test*. The test was not to determine your cohabitation status but rather to monitor the heart and blood pressure under stress. I love tests and I sat there in the consultation room raring to do my best in all the tests! We all have moments like that, I think. Wanting to see even the lowest line in those eye sight test posters, wanting to hear even the sound of cotton wool falling on the floor and so on and so forth.

 

I was made to run on the treadmill for 12 minutes at various levels of speed. Interspersed with *are you OK*-s, she kept taking records of blood pressure and pulse rate. By the end of the 12 minutes, I was ready for a shower. As I wait for her to prepare the brief report, I started seeing black polka dots on the curtain that was earlier white in colour!

I got my final consultation, which was a summing up of the whole day’s ordeal. I walked out of the doctor’s office feeling fine and relieved.

The phone had been ringing all the while I was at the medical centre. As we walked towards the parking lot, another SMS came in. The Spa people were keen to get their hands on me and into my pocket.

I’ve got to make time for them too… *sigh*

Tough life, huh? :D

 

Simply wonderful

Since I started blogging, I have been in contact with so many wonderful people  from all walks of life. It did not take long before they occupy a special place in my heart. I feel blessed.

In the rush to settle the logistics after my homecoming, we were set to spend our first Saturday afternoon in SP. It was an invitation that we got while we were still in Norway. It was K’s (Lyana’s hubby) birthday.

As we approached their housing area at the time they were expecting us, I called and informed that we were not coming after all. Lyana’s desperate *Haaaahhhh!* was too pitiful that I had to come clean almost immediately. Then, over the phone, came the direction to their house from where we were. Straight, left, right, wait!wait!wait!, straight, wait!wait!wait! left and straight on until the waterfront. Let me just put it this way, I did threaten her that I would turn back and go home instead!

Finally we saw K’s boat under their porch and Lyana came out to welcome us. A young mom with a dazzling smile. We hugged and giggled like two school girls skulking from school. We greeted the birthday boy (!) and handed him his gift and the plastic bag containing two all-Norwegian buah tangan. Like all perantaus, I think he was sincerely happy to receive something from the homeland. I was almost embarrassed that we did not get more stuff for him.

A very sweet but rather reserved Emil looked at us from far. I walked towards him and handed him his gift. I asked for Odin as he was nowhere to be seen. Missy pointed to the lace curtain and there he was, all drenched in sweat hiding behind his mother’s lace curtain!

 

Lyana and hubby were great hosts. As the men got to know one another, Lyana and I chatted along like old friends. I laughed so much that day. They say time flies when you’re having fun but that day, time was flying at supersonic speed. So guess how much fun I had?  Not to mention how big the slice of cake that Lyana cut for me. Pure torture! ;D

Oh! the kids… Spike enjoyed talking to K and all my three kids seemed uplifted that there is another family like us here in the north. Lyana’s Emil who was reserved in the beginning was soon running around, jumping up and down and  making as much noise as the rest. All was forgiven and forgotten regarding the circumcision that took place a bit more than a week earlier ;D

Just before we left, EJ decided to turn on the tap and spray Emil.  It was not much but it was enough. That was when the siren went on and we ran for cover, promising to meet the next day in Alor Setar!

The next day, we stood waiting for our guests at the base of the Alor Setar Tower. I spotted Kak Ezza and Abang Aziz @ the old rascal (!) walking towards the tower. I walked halfway to meet her. We hugged and we both simultaneously expressed how fortunate we felt to be able to meet each other that day.  After 15 minutes of waiting for the Mauseths, we decided to take the lift up to the restaurant first. There we were shown to the table that I have reserved earlier that day. A few minutes later, Lyana arrived with her family.

As we waited for the meal to be served, I was pleased to see our small group consisting of people who had never met one another before were talking freely across the table about all sorts of stuff.  We shared a lot of good laughs that day.

The kids were strategically seated at the next table where they practically ran their own show. They were quite well behaved for being 4, 5 and 7 year olds. I think they got along very well with one another. They chatted and laughed, gesticulated wildly, dipped their keropok in their chicken soup (!) and mixed each other’s drink. I had to go to their table a couple of times to remind them that a surprise was coming if they behaved well. 

Our meal was peaceful and the ladies got to chat uninterrupted almost all the time. I interjected some questions across the table to signal to the husbands that we acknowledge their existence…still! The rotating restaurant was causing somebody to be a bit scared so I did what any good host would do, I asked the waitress whether it is possible to turn the speed a bit faster!

When the waitress brought in the desserts, the kids were so impressed with their banana splits. I love looking at them giggling, admiring all the colours, fruits and biscuits that served as decoration.

EJ ate up his love-letter biscuit and headed straight to DH, who was busy talking to Abang Aziz. Without the father realising, he took the father’s dessert biscuit. Only then did he (EJ) realised that all the ladies and K were looking at him. I waved to EJ, signalling that he should take the biscuit and return to his seat asap. As all of us laughed, DH realised what was happening and blurted out *You little rascal!*. I couldn’t help pointing out that he was actually talking to *the old rascal* just a few moment ago before he got ‘mugged’  by *the little rascal*!!

Once the meal was over, we went down to the viewing level. The kids were running around and  looking into the binoculars. Missy spotted the Buddhist temple and insisted that everybody had a good look too. Lyana’s Emil who was a bit on the small side was lifted up by Missy.

*Be careful, he might fall down* I said.

*He’s small still but he MUST see this, Mama!*

Since I have written so much about my growing up in Alor Setar, I pointed out my childhood home and St Nicks to both Kak Ezza and Lyana. Those to me, are special places and I would not be me if I did not point them out. It was very windy up there that day. Another minute there, we might just be parachuted down with the help of our baju kurung-s. DH insisted on taking a few pictures of the blogging sisters before we headed down.

The bullet @ glass-walled lift was not everyone’s cuppa tea. As Lyana strategically pushed the children in first so that she could stay closest to the metal door (thus avoiding looking out and down!), little did she realise what she had created. Soon we had four kids shouting:

*Oooooo we’re falling into the hole!!*

*Agghhhhh! we’re going to crash! HELP!!!!!*

Once down, we said goodbye to Kak Ezza and Abang Aziz, with a promise to meet up again soon in KL. I was so pleased to get the chance to meet them that day and I look forward to seeing them again soon.

The two NorMal families stayed on for an hour or so more. None of the kids were willing to go home just yet. So we let them play for a while longer. EJ caught a small lizard and came straight to me and Lyana. Bad move! As the two mothers were trying to recuperate from the shock, the kids rushed to the fathers and not long after that, they took turns to hold the tiny thing. Hmm.

We finally said goodbye at around 8pm. I hugged Lyana just like I would hug my younger sister, had I had one and I hugged her two toddlers, promising to see them again soon and that we’ll have a lot of fun together.

When we drove home that night I had a smile on my face and such a good feeling in my heart.

Simply wonderful…

   

 

Coming home from home

In the course of four days, we travelled from our island home in Western Norway to our home in the north of Malaysia. The kids were good all through the flights. Two rows ahead of us was a family with two toddlers who despite all the attention they were getting from parents and grandparents, cried almost all the way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur. Poor parents! So needless to say, I spent my time on that stretch of the flight watching movies back to back. I have not watched so many movies in the whole of 2009 like I did that night on the flight bound for Kuala Lumpur. As I watched Julie/Julia, the poor Dad was standing in the aisle, trying to calm down his screaming toddler. We exchanged sympathetic smiles as he continued bouncing the toddler gently to put him to sleep.

Upon arrival in KL, we headed straight to PPacific and had the much needed rest, stretch and snooze. The kids were happy to come home. The warm climate and the warm welcome we got was a great start to our homecoming.  They had a thousand and one ideas on how to spend their time in Malaysia this time, cunningly avoiding the topic of homeschooling of course! They only realised how tired they were once the heads hit the pillows. The next morning, DH and I dragged 3 jet-lagged kids down to breakfast.

The waiters/waitresses greeted us with the *palm placed across the chest*-gesture and I thought *they really do that? I thought it was only in TDC promotional brochures!* It was kind of strange anyway because somehow Star Trek came to mind. I got myself a cup of cappucino and woke Spike up. Upon seeing the size of my cup, his reaction was priceless!

 

By the time we were on the flight up north, all of us were so tired and were so ready to have another round in snoozeland. Shortly after take off, the stewardess (something something Hoey) came to offer us some salted peanuts. I did not want to have any but was in the middle of asking Missy whether she wanted any when something something Hoey simply threw 3 packs onto my lap! I almost blurted out loud *What the …* and she hurriedly moved and said *Oh! it’s OK…it’s OK* . What she was referring to, only God knows.  All the rush so that she and her friends could return to the back of the plane and continue yakking again. A letter of complaint is therefore on its way to MAS and I hope something something Hoey will get her ears pulled hard!

As we begin our descend and the green, flat plains of Kedah came to sight, my heart was filled with so many different emotions. Only then did I realised how much I really missed my homeland. Looking out, I told myself that soon everything will be just like the way it used to be. As I looked at the clouds, Spike called me from across the aisle, *Ma, something for Mak Tok?* :) He remembered my story about collecting clouds for my Mak’s pillows.

We flew above the city and I got excited when I spotted Mak’s house. A few months ago I sat in my living room looking at it via Google Earth and now there it was. Amazing!

We headed north of the city, towards the airport and again the green Kedah plains were a feast to my eyes.

Waiting at the airport were my sister and my sister in law.  I hugged them so hard that I forgot there were many people around us. We headed straight home to another sister’s house and there she was, waiting for us.

As I kissed my Mak’s hands and hugged her as if I never want to let her go again, both of us cried. The tears of longing and the tears of joy all mixed up…

It is good to be home. It is.

I would have liked to go on writing tonight about the small party at Lyana’s and the first bloggers’ meet-up yesterday but oh! this jet-lag…

 

In transit

After so many hectic weeks at work and at home, we finally left the island at 3pm. A decision that left my mil shaking her head. The drive to Oslo would normally take around 7 hours but what with the bad weather condition, it would take much longer.

Saying goodbye was as difficult as always. As they prepared for Christmas, we packed our bags and fly to the other side of the world. One doesn’t need to be Einstein to figure out how a mother would feel. That is one thing that our mothers had to deal with for the last two decades or so. We were always leaving one to be near the other.  It is not easy.

Looking back now, I am amazed that I did not get any panic attacks during the past few weeks. If juggling is a game that I would readily do, I would characterized the last few weeks as juggling, cartwheeling and doing somersaults … non stop!

I finally felt the exhaustion - of co running the circus all these time -  last night during the drive to Oslo. I was happily listening to some music when suddenly I was climbing a mango tree. I woke up feeling very  dry in my throat. I actually fell asleep with my mouth wide opened. Fortunately I have been married for quite some time and nothing scares him anymore.

We arrived in Oslo close to midnight.  I slept like a log as soon as my head hit the pillow and woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, thinking that the cat my kids were asking for has arrived and was hungry for some pancakes with maple syrup.

HUH?!!!!

It was Missy, scratching my pillow in her sleep :D

 

*image from stanzapub.com