back home in malaysia

19th Dec 2005, I safely arrived at KLIA after a long but not so very boring journey from London thx to the english bro and sis who sat next to me on the same seat row. They may be english but they are born and brought up in France. Good thing they can still speak english english minus the french accent.

3rd January 2006, i began my duty in UKM. Those people at the Faculty of Engineering, particularly my own dept, i.e. the Dept of Chemical Engineering & Process (JKKP) gave a warm, cordial welcome to me....That actually helped me a lot coz i was nervous for i dunno whatever reason back in london...maybe subconsciously i dunno what kinda reception, response and so on i wud get and the feeling of uncertainty of how to mingle with the "malaysian" environment. Now i found out that it's all in my mind....that whole psycho thingies....I shouldve known myself SO much better that I am naturally flexible when it comes to a new territory be it malay-speaking countries, english speaking countries or elsewhere around the world...hang on, that was such an exaggerated statement since i havent had much of a challenge yet staying and surviving in those countries with their own writings like China, Japan, India, etc apart from short hols in south Thai. I wont count egypt or any part of the arabic league as part of the challenge much as i could not only speak their language to a fairly good extent but also understand much much better. Thats because hmm....because i do understand that arabic language a great deal esp the egyptian informal lingo but i do not practice communicating in it much except it sort of becomes intermingled in our family. Lotsa arabic words used in our own unique family language that only we could understand it.

(OK, enuf about that whole lingo talk)

Today, 16th January 2006, monday, it's been almost a month since i came back. Needless to tell the changes i've seen or had to go through so far....i am still clueless about a lot of things....but alhamdulillah, family, frens, colleagues are all quite helpful in one way or another....this is what i call a transition period where i have to listen, observe and learn whatever new system it is around me including how to wear tudung malaysian style. There is INDEED a lot to catch up.

Nevertheless, I do miss london and uk soooooo much! It's like my 2nd country, my 2nd home....a place where i can somehow breath easily and felt far from alienated...a place a lot like home i must say....Malaysia is and always has been my 1st home but there are always some aspects of which i had to consider my 2nd home a haven for me. I guess i am not alone when it comes to finding our own solace. But whatever it is, I am soooo thankful to Allah for allowing me opportunities to make me what i am now. Speaking of the city, that Red Hot Chilli Pepper song: Under the Bridge came into my mind. Right now, i am taking my own sweet time so to speak to learn about my country once again....to be able to appreciate more even though there are always a lot of things that are quite disputable and arguable. Personally i think malaysia, esp my area Bandar Baru Bangi and the klang valley itself is getting much much better compared to few years back. A lot has been improved...Slowly but steadily....