Malaysia Within America

Aside from my fluke of dropping my passport in the airport, I'm faring pretty well despite the fact that I'm currently jet lagging with a slight nausea. Well, well, just want to post a few pictures of interest. Here's some photos of the food in a Malaysian restaurant in Los Angeles called Belacan Grill. I happen to order a plate of Char Kuay Teow while Elena took on the Nasi Lemak. Don't even start with the prices -- they're an abomination!

Mine of course. No shrimps, lunch set with fried popiah. 8 USD.

Nasi Lemak USA?

Utterly an American invention, no doubt about it.

Food wise, it's no way as close to the ones we have in Malaysia. Even the worst Char Kuay Teow tastes better than the one here. Oh well, you really can't blame them for substituting fresh kuay teow with those dried nonsense variety -- but it makes all the difference having fresh kuay teow. As for the nasi lemak, Elena seems to like it, though I think it's for a very different reason other than the fact that it is supposedly 'Malaysian' food. Maybe she's just plain sick with Korean food in the airplane.

Fancy porridge with green tea? I feel like vomiting already.

Well, I guess that's enough to spoil my palate for tomorrow. I have my passport to worry about too, so food is not a priority anytime soon. Meh.

Travel Tip No 1: Never Lose Sight of Your Passport

What a genius that I am! I happen to have dropped my passport on my way out from LAX. Just when I thought that all the traveling was over, I'm baffled with the fact that I'm passportless. Thankfully, Elena's brother, Jeremy had an email saying that my passport is in the confines of the Korean Air office. Well, other than that, it's just the whole chore of going back to LAX that irks me the most. It's a 2 hour journey from San Diego to Los Angeles and not only that, I'm tired, nauseated and dehydrated. I'm EMOing right now. Dear God, why am I so dumb at times?

Walk Down Memory Lane

Just a few months ago, I walked down that narrow escalator leading to the customs security check. And it was just mere hours ago that I walked down that same escalator, bidding goodbye to friends I won't be able to see (and join for Mamak) for another year.

The tale of a guy who studies overseas... how tragic, if you think about it. Yet again, if I didn't go to the US in the first place, I wouldn't have turned out the way I am right now.

Nonetheless, I can't believe that summer break flew just like that and I cannot believe that I'm in Korea again for the third time of my life! And Elena's sick (but she's OK)...

Christina, I wished you were here!

It's rainy here and I have to say that it's been fun being back in Malaysia. Totemo, totemo tanoshii katta desu yo! And I'm glad for the mischief of surprising people with how I currently look like too. Uh, actually, I kinda got in trouble in the airport when I was about to board the plane. The flight officers asked me if I was using another person's passport. Haha, thank God that the mole on my nose was noticeable even in my passport photo.

As for now, I'm just going to sit around just spamming other people's c-box like babi. See y'all next year! 15 CGs, (Simon) Sim and I'll come back with vengence!

PS: Please pray for Elena. Airsickness is not the best thing to contract during times like these.

Thank God For Patient Mothers

OK, my last day here in Malaysia this year. Woke up at 7.30 am after sleeping at 2 in the morning. One word to describe me today: EMO. Yup, as much as you don't want to mess with the Zohan, you don't want to mess with me today. I'm grumpy, tired and annoyed. Coupled with the thought of going back to US, it's easy to conclude that all of these negative emotions could actually manufacture an atomic bomb.

So, thank God for Mom who was patient with me today. I wouldn't be half as prepared to depart if not for her stuffing me up with Bak Kut Teh and neslo ice this morning. You just can't deny it -- God's greatest gift is the gift of having a Mom.

Haven't Really Left, Now I'm Leaving

Looking back, the experience of leaving Malaysia again to the US now is far more emotional than it was the first time I sojourned. Though I've experienced it before, I realized that now it's even harder to leave home. The last time was easy -- much easier. I was a nobody, so saying goodbye was not that difficult but now, after really knowing people around me and allowing people to penetrate through me, it really changes the whole game.

Says a lot, doesn't it? (Ii Shan, why are your eyes closed!!??)

I never really left Malaysia last time. Now I'm really leaving. I really thank God that the 4 months that I was in US changed me and now I truly know how to appreciate Malaysia. Yeah, so to Adeni and my life group in US, thanks for praying for me.

O_o

Mission accomplished: I've grown closer to my home church and opened myself to love and to be loved.

Best Mamak experience this year!

To my brothers-and-sisters-in-Christ of SJGC, I LOVE Y'ALL!!!!

Monotonous

I was just in the Summit the other day bowling with a bunch of friends. It just happened that I took notice of two workers wearing T shirts, bearing a bold "May I Come Closer". To add insult to injury, these workers were forced to strap themselves with those seriously ridiculous wear-on-the-waist contraptions as if they were not already buff enough (No, actually I take that back, they looked buff but upon closer inspection, those devices perhaps are worn to hide their bulging tummies... Oh well, Ogawa need their workers to demonstrate how its device works, no?).

But what that happen to annoy me were those adverts that kept on repeating itself over and over again, droning into my mind. It was always the same 2 minute-ish advert screened upon a 20 inch TV in front of the tiny shop lot blaring away, in Mandarin, the benefits of the massage chair. Well, if it's bad enough for people walking around the shopping complex, just imagine how much worse it is for these two blokes with weird machines strapped on their waist and wearing T shirts that imply they have HIV while listening to the same advert replying itself every 2 minutes for a possible 8-10 hours of their job every single day? (No wonder the Ogawa of Subang Parade got rid of the ad and opted instead for a PS2)

I just hope that when I think about the monotonousity of life, I would try remember these two Ogawa workers.

Closer to You

I suppose it early to call it a day and throw in the towel, as if waking up in the morning spells life-is-meaningless. For all the things that I do, I thank God that He has been patient with me and His grace abounds even at times when I'm not seeking Him. Ironically, most of the times when I'm on that dry and barren 'spiritual' land, He draws nearer to me in unexpected ways -- constantly reminding me that even though I don't feel His presence, He has not forgotten about me.

Joshua 1:9
The LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.