Konbawa!! It's been like almost a year since I last wrote. So much has changed and it feels like only yesterday ... I met up with the DC girls at one of the terawih homes. It feels like only yesterday I skipped my usual terawih just so I can get my weekly dose of The O.C. which sadly to say, I don't follow anymore.

I'm embarassed to say this but I almost forgot how great life was back in DC. *sigh* . The fasting month sure has a way of bringing us all back together . I miss you guys!! Raya this year will be totally different. I mean.. this year there'll be no more embassy gatherings, no more open houses with all that crazy good food...and of course, no more cursing the snow. Remember how we'd wear sandals in the freaking snow only cos we wanted it to match our baju kurungs? How stupid were we? LOL . Those were the good ol' days. I guess I'll have to get used to the fact that ramadhan and raya will forever remind me of the best times in DC.

I won't say much here...because knowing me, once I start rambling, I won't be able to stop. So might as well just make it short and sweet.

Below are pictures of the local DC crew's (yes we have managed to establish a local branch) trip to Genting Highlands. We wanted to take Alyssa somewhere special. Well.. I wouldn't call Genting special but it was the only place that wasn't fully booked.  

The view of KL from our hotel room floor. If you look real hard and squint, you can actually see the Twin Towers.

Tea-break. We wait at Coffee Bean before checking-in.

There might be a problem with Adi's car.

Everyone studies Adi's car engine.

"Seriously guys!! What is the problem?"

"Aaahhhh! So that's the problem..."

Problem solved! Hooray!!

The Crew..minus Syam the photographer.

This picture is stupid but I like it. Nobody's ready and you can see all the different antics. I have no idea why but I'm looking at the floor. Mybe I'm getting too used to the whole "chin-down" thing. Totally candid!!

Syam and Boni show their true selves.

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I'll post the Jogoya pictures soon.

Selamat Berpuasa, everyone!! Cheers!

My last entry caused quite a bit of rift from my KL friends . Don't get me wrong, people. I love you guys and I love it here. There are just some things that I love more about DC that you can never ever ever ever find in KL. OK? Puas hati, Seha??  Hahahhaha.   

~ I've forgotten how much I hated motorbikes until I started driving in the city again. Ughhhh!! It makes me just wanna drive them off a cliff  . Stupid no-good-useless motorcycle drivers  !!! 

~ Everytime I see a Green Wira, I'm reminded of Billy  ...and trust me, there are a lot of green Wira's. How's the Wira doing there, Bill? Try not to get into anymore car troubles, ok?

~ Sent melor off to the airport on Saturday. I'm going to miss that chica and her daily random text messages .

~ Syam comes home in 2 weeks. I can't wait. I kinda miss that smelly dork. I wonder what he'll get me from India? (Hint! Hint!...Syam!!  )

~ How are all you DC folks doing? When it's freezing cold and you're about to die of frost-bite, think of me out here in the sun  . I'm sure the envy will keep you warm.  

If someone had told me a year ago that today I'd be on the 28th Floor of Menara Tun Razak in KL working, I probably would have slapped them. I guess I'm the one who deserves the slap now. Hahaha. So here I am back in KL. Today marks my 1 month anniversary away from DC and my life has turned a complete 360 degrees. It's amazing how 1 minute you're raking leaves while complaining about the weather being too cold and the next minute you're standing in the middle of severe congestion with temperatures of up to 90 degrees .

KL's not that bad. I have my friends around me and easy access to whatever it is my throat feels like consuming. I'm also starting to remember all the old roads again. It's ok but I'm going to have to give DC the edge cos there are just too many things I miss as oppose to what I have access to here.

There are a million things I miss like my friends and all but it's the little things that I usually take for granted that has affected me most. I miss complaining about the weather (I still complain here but it's not the same!!). I miss going to CVS. I miss being able to log on to Mapquest whenever we want go somewhere (you need exceptional road skills to get around in KL). I miss my crazy shopping sprees. There are good malls here but come on, nothing beats the American shopping malls . I miss all the 500 channels we get back there cos let's face it, Astro sucks!! I've totally lost touch with all my shows . I miss going to the movies there (Subtitles take up half the screen here  ). I miss IHOP. I miss Lebnan Zaman. I miss my old house and my room especially (my closet's so small here  ). I even miss my stupid exercise machine that's left in the basement. I miss Circle Woods. I miss Mosby Woods. I miss H Mart! I miss Dupont Circle. Heck.... I even miss the lady who sleeps in front of the White House!!. I miss driving to Potomac Mills and then complaining about not finiding anything nice to buy only to end up with a trolley full of things. I miss waking up at 3.00am to get ready for the mall on the day after Thanksgiving aka Black Friday.

You may think that I'm only missing these things cos I've only just parted ways but I'm sure that 3-4 years down the line, I'll still smile at the thought of these things. Life's too short to dwell on the past but it's always nice to reminisce. It helps keep you up when you're feeling down.         

Cheers!

Tuesday - November 8th 2005, Washington, D.C.

What better way to burn off all those Nasi Empit and Lemang calories than to spend a day walking around DC  ? In all the years I've been here, November has never been this warm . I kid you not. Well, don't get me wrong, though. I'm not talking Malaysia weather. By warm, I mean -no gloves and heavy coats necessary. Must be an Eid blessing or something. Well, whatever it is, I didn't want to take it for granted . So the girls and I decided to take up the entire Tuesday by doing the whole tourist-y thing.

Yup, we did it all. We embraced all the Memorials, went up the Washington Monument , did the whole Capitol Hill thing, museum thing , walked across The Mall (for those who are not familiar with DC, The Mall is not a shopping mall. It's a large stretch of land set in the heart of the Smithsonian.), the usual "lunch at the Union Station", and of course, Dupont Circle .

I swear to you... I really felt like a tourist. People were asking us where we were from. Some even took pictures of us . Nobody stopped us to ask for directions. It was weird but I kinda enjoyed it. We didn't bump into any Orange hat ladies but Tati sure got herself a new admirer .

Tati and I with a Washington Monument guard. We were so excited to finally be able to go up the monument   

The view from the top of the monument (500ft high). That little white building with the pillars is the Lincoln Memorial. We actually walked all the way there if you can believe it.

Jaja et moi.... at the fountain from the top picture.

Wait up, people!

   At the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Behind us is the Washington Monument and if you look carefully, you can see a glimpse of the Capitol Hill touching the Monument on the right.

Right in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

The Abe Lincoln statue that sits in the Memorial.

Something for the wall!

Ugghhh! I wish the leaves would stay like this forever it's just too beautiful

Me, Tati & Marina outside the Union Station.

some bell.....

The Postal Museum . They actually give out free stamps there .

The sign says it all

Thanks, guys for making the day what it really was. A beautiful sunny day  !!

Currently Listening Plans By Death Cab for Cutie see related

Selamat Hari Raya   to everyone especially to those I have yet to greet .

1st Day Of Eid - Thursday, November 3rd 2005

On the morning of Eid, we all gathered at the Embassy to pray, seek for forgiveness , eat  and socialize  . It was great to finally be able to eat again but there was just so much food , it was sinfully wrong to even be around it...I'm telling you. We are just so blessed to be around such luxury. Syukur Alhamdulillah! (Whoa! Am I turning over a new leaf here?)

I wasn't expecting much this year seeing that there really wasn't much to look forward to anymore but honestly speaking, I had a blast. Everyone was feeling upbeat and the usual annoying faces have all gone so it was just a big sigh of relief. Thanks to everyone who made my Raya what it has been .

Tati, Me and Gina..makan mcm tak ingat dunia.

Tati, Me, Hafidz (somewhere in the back. Sibuk!! ), Jaja & Farra.

Gina, Jaja, Farra, Nedj, Tati et moi.

Nedj, Aunty Baidura, Jaja ( yes..there are 2 Jaja's) and me..

Nassrul with the girls! Sukalah tu, Nassrul.

Tati and I with mom, Aunty Ada and Aunty Nab.  

What's left of the original clan minus Melor. Eka... we miss you!

Then it was off to the open houses. 5 houses and I couldn't even walk by the end of the day.  

The parking space outside Jaja & Marina's house. Don't you just love Fall .

Mom, Amir, Aunty Rod and Tati pose with a tree.

Mom and Dad with another tree and in the background you can see Aunty nab trying to pose with another tree. Nie pergi beraya ke apa?

Official Embassy Hari Raya Function - Saturday, Novemver 5th 2005

On our way to the Embassy, Mom and Dad still found time to pose in front of our house. Cantikkan? Looks like a studio picture. Hehehe.

Takkan Mom & Dad je. Anakpun nak jugak amik gambar . For November, the weather was so nice, we seriously didn't need a jacket.

Students and Embassy people all gather around the food. Kesian student2 semua. They ate like their life depended on it .

Harvard and Yale students gather for an all Ive League ONLY picture. Don't believe me? Read our name tags

Jun, Me, Rock and Kak Anis at the Embassy's backyard.

Students lingering around the Embassy backyard. Nasib baiklah the weather was slightly warm.

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Thought I'd just add some other pics while I'm at it...

Halloween - October 31st 2005

Jun and I with the kids. We took them to Burke Lake Park to ride on the Annual Halloween Ghost Train. I was a volunteer ghost 2 years ago. This year it was Jun's turn.

Last year Tati was a witch. This year she invented her own costume. Telekung + talcum powder + red lipstick. She's nuts..I'm telling you. $5 to anyone who can guess the person under the tiger mask.

Yard Sale in our backyard - sometime in October.

It was high time we hosted a Yard Sale...what with all the junk we have at home. We managed to sell everything from Syam's boom box and Syam's bed. Then it was off to Potomac Mills to spend the Yard Sale money on more new junk. Sigh! Sometimes I just don't know what to say to my folks.

Mom and the stuff for sale.