A Day Trip

Kak Long finished her foundation year exam on the 18th. So hubby and I decided to fetch her on Saturday the 20th. Since it was only a day trip, the 3 other girls declined to follow us. We took the car instead of the van. Looking at the things Kak Long had accumulated in one year of study there, it was lucky that the sisters decided to stay home. InsyaAllah, next semester she will start her next level of study. Alhamdullillah also that she will be staying in a hostel rather than staying off-campus.

Hubby actually told Kak Long that we would be starting our journey from home after the fajr prayer, so we would reach there about midday. But, Friday night, I was too tired that I decided to take a nap after the maghrib prayer. Set my alarm for 2230 and slept I was for about 2 hours. I couldn't continue to sleep as I had planned to cook something for the girls for Saturday. So after the cooking and all, it was getting a bit difficult to go back to sleep after that. It was almost 2.00 am when we finally snored into lalaland :-), after a little nocturnal activity.

The next morning, hubby said he wanted to wash the car first before travelling, which is his usual ritual before a long distance trip. To make sure the car is clean, inside out, check the water, check the tyres, etc.etc. But after I finished preparing breakfast, I saw that instead of washing the car, he was sweeping the ground. After a week not being swept, there were a lot of dried leaves on the ground, what more with plastic bags and empty drink cartons just outside our gate. Those rubbish were made by passers by, there is a main road just in front of our house. There is also a night market nearby so, whoever walked to the night market most likely will drop something along the road. A bad habit but who do we blame if we see not who made the rubbish. It was also the public domain. When the wind blows these things may land into our compund. Once in a while we will need to sweep the ground outside our gate as well.

Looking at the work he had to do, I voluntered to wash the car. By the time I finished the car and he finished sweeping the ground, we were sweating profusely that we had to bathe again. We had breakfast and then only did we start our journey. It was already 11.00 am when we left the house. Stopped at Bukit gantang R&R to get some fruits, a mug of coffee, 2 packets of nasi lemak for hubby :-) and off we go again. Hubby said he was sleepy so I took over the driving from Bukit Gantang. I had the chance to daydream while hubby took a nap, (which I thought he did!). Perhaps, he could read my mind when he said that he had been thinking for sometime that he wanted to go cuti-cuti Malaysia, around the country one day with the family. It would really be very nice, but I wonder when we would be able to do that, perhaps next year, just before Angah entered the university, during the school holiday. We will try to take a week or two off for that trip. Maybe I can start making the list of places that would be interesting, how to get there and a list of facilities available. *Putting a mental note to include Taman Negara*.

We reached Kak Long's hostel after 3.00 pm. We loaded her things into the car boot, and off we went for lunch before heading back home. It rained very very heavily from Tapah to about Taiping. We stopped for maghrib/isyak prayers at Bukit Gantang R&R again and reached home about 10.00 pm. The girls were excited to see each other. They couldn't wait too be together again, so they spent their time together in my room, chatting and listening to music from the PC, I could hear their voices while I was watching the repeat of the Amazing Race 9 Finale. Syia had called twice during our journey to ask for our location. In the end she slept on my bed and I had to sleep in another room just as not to wake her up and moved.

Early Sunday morning, hubby had promised my Abang Long and friends to help out at the kenduri at hubby's nephew's mother in law. (Confused ?). Actually when hubby's nephew attended Mamat's (Abang Long's son last December) wedding, they were very impressed with the menu and the dishes. Since hubby's nephew's SIL planned to get married this year (i.e yesterday) they decided to hire Abang Long's catering services. So hubby went to help out. While I was on the YM with a friend in Oklahoma, my mak who went back to her home called to tell me she was was not well and needed some help. My brother who was staying at mak's home was also not at home. Mak needed someone to make her hot drinks in order for her to take some medicine. Being her stubborn self, mak would want to go home once in a while to check on her house. I have asked her whether she wanted to come back to my house but she was waiting for Kak Long to come home before she come back to my house. I see all the inconviniences that she has to endure when she was at her own house. My brother would buy the dishes, while I cook everyday for her. I have a water bottle (hot and cold) for her conviniences within reach for her to prepare hot Milo anytime. Normally, I would prepare a hot drink before I go to work, she would just need to top up with hot water whenever she wanted to drink. She likes her food and drink hot. It would be difficult for her to have all these at her own house. The room where she is staying with Ayin and Syia has an attached toilet. At her own home the toilet is near the kitchen while her room at the hall area. Whatever, I guess it is HOME SWEET HOME for her. It is never the same to be in another person's home eventhough it is your own child's.

Prepared a mug of hot Milo, poured into a container, scooped some Asam Pedas and sent Angah to maktok's home. Requested angah to cook rice for the grandmother first before she returned home. After zuhur all of us went for the kenduri. There was a life band playing at the kenduri playing songs from the 70's. With good songs entertaining us, delicious food, we ate as if we had not eaten for days hehe.

It is good to have Kak Long at home again ( I can relinquish some of my morning duty to her hehehe) and by next week the school holidays will start, my morning life will be less hectic for a month or so.