I've delayed this one too many times now, always procrastinating till the last minute. Too many times I've put this aside and let it slide, but not this time. This time will be different for I will, I will write. Yes.
It has been a while since my last post and I have to admit that I have plenty to say during my disappearance, only failing to form it into words or jotting it down safely before the thought fades away. A lot of things, good things, have happened since I left and it is in my greatest delight to write about it, for I have not even bothered to ever since it began. I will try my best to conjure up the words and recall as many stories as humanly possible.
The trip back to Ban Kuan (Kg. Bukit) was good, with many crazy jokes and loud singing in the car to the songs we all adore, from Bryan Adams to Dire Straits to M.Nasir. Always, long car rides such as these give me such joy, as we bond and laughed and joke around till our energies depleted. The traffic wasn't as clear as I had hoped; I should have known better, it was a Saturday, the beginning of the school holidays. It was a long drive upstate but a good one nonetheless although we have to remind ourselves never to drive during the day to avoid the hotness of the sun. Apparently it seems that the air-conditioner does not function so well under the hot sun, even more that it has to cool 6 people stuffed in a car that is a tad too small, especially for us at the back seat.
The wedding was great itself with the gathering of families and friends and other distant relatives you may never even heard of. I had quite a ball trying to remember the names of my relatives (grandchildren?), I sure have a handful.
Supposedly, the bride is the daughter of my cousin Cu - of which side I cannot remember, be it my late Tok (grandmother) or Wan's (grandfather's) side - who is about say, 70+ years old. An older cousin indeed, but they both address my father as
Pak Li. So to say, the bride is my niece (
anak buah sedara) and the children of my other nieces and nephews may well be, by rank, my grandchildren (
cucu). Yes, I am one young
Tok Long. But of course they don't call me that, not now not yet :)
Surprisingly enough, I found out that the groom was my schoolmate's direct cousin, which now meant that we are, as they say
"bau bau bacang". Interesting really, I am constantly amazed by how small the world can be, every time. Wonders will never ceased ;)
We left for Langkawi the morning after, a slow ride to Kuala Perlis as we cruised along the highway looking at the beautiful paddy fields and well, enjoying another drive to the jetty. After meeting up with Abe and his wife, we board the 11.30am ferry, only to depart from the jetty at 12.15pm.
Janji Melayu, true enough. It was hot and stuffy, even in the ferry. It felt as if we were in a can of sardine, if that is even the right idioms/proverb to describe it. Mind you, my memory of such idioms and proverbs are a little rusty. I dare say that even Abah agreed to take the plane next time around, if we were to come back to Langkawi for another visit. It's worth paying a little extra to have some comfort while travelling, especially when you're carrying 6-8 luggages. No, seriously, try not to consider the ferry if you can help it. After failing to haggle the cab price to a lower rate, we gave in and paid a hefty RM80 for a ride to The Andaman.
I must say, although it was our third visit at The Andaman, the anticipation and excitement was all the same. How relieved we were to see the familiar place we'd all like to call, our second home. The building still stands tall, its entrance still as magnificent as it was four years ago. Back then, we were awed by its great columns and space and even now, the feeling is still the same.
It drizzled almost every morning during our stay but only for a short while. We went jet skiing and parasailing at Pantai Cenang, drove around the island and visited a few hotels; Pelangi, Awana and Tanjung Rhu. Abah said I was being such a harsh critic, failing almost everything that did not please me or was not up to my standards as I keep comparing them to Andaman. Pelangi,
FAIL. Awana,
FAIL. These are not the places I'd want to visit, not with all the noise and large crowds. Even after visiting Tanjung Rhu, I was less than convinced to stay there if we ever decide to come back to Langkawi again. The beach was far too wide with no shades to hide under. I believe it suits those Europeans and Americans and avid sunbathers better than me. And unlike Andaman, the place was slightly compressed to one area and it didn't look too family-friendly as The Andaman.
The beach
I do sound pretty biased but based on the reviews I've read on
TripAdvisor and my own personal judgement, it is understood that The Datai, Four Seasons and Tanjung Rhu caters more for couples while The Andaman is more suitable for families and children. Perhaps you don't believe me; see it for yourself. Book a flight to Langkawi and get a room at Andaman.
It will not fail you. Well, it didn't fail me and my family for that matter, for if it does, we wouldn't have stayed there for the third time. Yes, third, three.
Sunset at Pantai Cenang
So to say, we enjoyed our five day stay there; the food, the hospitality, the breathtaking scenery, the ocean, the beach and even the gift shop was up to par. We even shopped at the gift shop every day, Ma buying a few things for herself and the rest of us getting little Andaman souvenirs for our own friends, and loved ones back at home. We even had a run in with a few mishaps and funny stories, like the experience at The Japanese Restaurant which costs a hefty bill even with such a small serving. Five days was more than enough to make me miss home, and my poor cat. All and all, it was another great getaway; great money spent on a great holiday, a great time altogether :)
We arrived home safely on Friday night, only to find the electric to be out and our two refrigerators smelling like rotten fish. Yes, all the food in the fridge were rotten, gone. We had to clean them up and restock the morning after. What a mess it was, but we made it through.
And so it comes to this, a Monday afternoon spent only to update blogs and write reviews on
TripAdvisor. Ma insisted that I do it since it was our third visit and I myself felt obliged to spread the good word. (I will post up the link later)
Initially, I wanted to jot down every wee bit of detail but I find that too tedious for my liking. And so, the short and simple review.
On a different note, Semester 1 2008/2009 will soon begin, in two weeks time, plus minus. Good lord, you can't possibly imagine the joy after hearing the news. Such great news! This means that I will be out of this house in two weeks, or less! Not that it was a terrible experience staying at home for three months but, it is high time that I have my freedom back. Ho yeah baby! I'm delighted :) Friends, I will see you again :) Going back to campus also means getting my allowance again which means I shall be rich! (if only for a little while before I run out of money).
Duduk rumah memang miskin, I only had RM100 to live with for three solid months! Rejoiceeeee ahhhhh (Geli Mat style fufufu).
Another good news, the four of us, sisters, Ma and I are now so much, much more open to talk about these teenage things freely. We had a good talk while massaging Ma and I said more than I thought I would. We talked, laughed and shared our stories with each other. Bonding moment. It seems that she is cool about Shafiq and I, which is a big deal as she detests the ex more than words could say. Another thing to be happy about.
Well, now that every thing is said and done, allow me to retire as I need to have my lunch, take a shower and do the laundry.
Till the next post,
auf wiedersehen.
