Trip’s end

Well, I’m home now and feeling a bit flat and tired.

Friday
Aunty T and Uncle S lived up to their promise and took me out to brunch – some of the nicest wantan noodles I’ve had in a long time! The restaurant, 享记 (Heong Kee) was in the city, and a bit of a drive away from their home (and my hotel), but Aunty T and Uncle S love the noodles and the roast pork and barbecue pork served with them so much that they brave KL traffic for them. After the meal Aunty T took me to the Central Market and we had a wander, looking at the souvenirs and kitsch on sale. Aunty T is quite a shopper and is something of a regular at these markets – she could tell me which shops to avoid, and which would “give you a good price”. I wanted to buy souvenirs for my colleagues, but I think I was more successful at getting things for myself!

After we’d done the rounds at the Market we took the train to Mid Valley Megamall. This is a HUGE shopping centre and not somewhere I would normally go on a holiday – it looks too intimidating and too much like any old shopping centre anywhere – however, with an expert guide like Aunty T, who could tell me which shops were worth visiting, and where they were, the expedition was quick, relatively painless, and even enjoyable! When she heard about how I took a trip to KLCC just for Kinokuniya, she made sure we squeezed in a trip to the MPH bookshop in the centre. I even managed to get all the little souvenirs I wanted.

Dinner was very nice. Uncle W and his wife Aunty I. took me and D (my colleague) to a restaurant called Fatty Crab, where we had an amazing meal. We had sweet and sour crab and steamed crab (complete with crab roe) as well as tasty chicken wings and fried rice. Not much conversation during the meal as we were too busy with the crabs – using the supplied mallet to extricate the moist crab meat from the huge claws. I think D was a little unsure what to expect initially, but he really enjoyed the meal.

Saturday
The trip home was uneventful. The pilot warned us that there was a bit of high cloud and clear air turbulence forecast, but the flight (9:40am to 3pm) wasn’t particularly bumpy. The two seats next to me were empty so in the middle of the flight I lay down and had a nap, and when I woke up, there was only an hour left before we were to reach Perth. According to my calculations, this means I must have dozed for almost two hours! I’m not sure how I managed it – the three seats weren’t that comfortable!

I kept M waiting for almost an hour after the plane landed, because I had two wooden items to declare. Note to self: next time I go overseas, don’t buy any souvenirs that must be checked by customs.

I don’t know if Baubles the Cat was happy to see me. Her attitude was more like: “So, you decided to come home, then, did you?”

I was so tired that I was ready for bed at 7pm. Or maybe it was the KFC dinner that did me in.

Sunday
Didn’t get out of bed until around 9am.

Had a nap at 11am, and another nap at 4pm.

In the evening, watched Seniman Bujang Lapok on vcd. I found a shop selling P. Ramlee films in KLCC and just had to buy a few (I got three).

Today I’ve been home on a TOIL (Time Off In Lieu) day, lazing around, not doing much. I have to get back into the frame of mind for work tomorrow!

Categories: travel