Home Sweet Home (180808 ~ 200808)

I had a training in Malaysia....and it presented me the opportunity to go home.....My KL-bound flight left DXB at about 100am. I brought with me one large luggage, two hand luggages and a box full of souvenirs from Amin and Laila for their relatives.

I got out of the KLIA arrival hall at about 300pm....my brother was waiting for me there. He said that my parents were at the prayer rooms. I saw my mother just when I was exiting the wash-room....After more than 3 months away from my family, I felt very relieved when I got to kiss her hands and hug her.....I went to the prayer room before we headed back to my house in my brother's brand new Vios.....

I had my lunch, before going out to the factory......It was my mother's Nasi Lemak....man!!! it's ultimately out of this world.....the first time I tasted my mother's cooking after more than 3 months. After lunch I rushed to work....

I was greeted by the familiar sight of the SOEM factory......I went in without needing to get a pass......because the people at the guard-house were my friends.....hehehehe.....

It happened that the training was postponed to the day after.....so, I grabbed the opportunity to go to the production lines to meet my old friends.....Fortunately, they still remembered me....and bombarded me with a lot of questions....the most popular one was "Are you on leave?"......and "Can you speak Arabic?", "How's the family doing?" and "Has your family followed you to Dubai?" were also some of the questions asked. I would love to meet everyone but my time was limited.....I have only until the Wednesday night to be in Malaysia. I have so many thing to do.....My wife had been making a list of things I need to bring back to Dubai......Click here to see the partial list. My sister arrived at my house with my nieces.....they spent the night there......(I stayed at my house in Sg Merab the whole trip.....they obviously wanted me to save Sony some money by not staying at the hotel.....what a bunch of crap....)

The next day....the training started...but don't wanna write about work here.....so, let's skip to the afternoon. After sending the two Egyptian engineers who were training with me, I went home.....telling my mother that I was planning to go to PD to pick up some foodstuff from my sister-in-law......So, the whole family went with me.....We took my wife's Honda City and my brother's brand new silver-colored Toyota Vios. It's good to see the "other half" of my family....And it's just blessed with another member....my brother-in-law's wife in Shah Alam had just delivered a baby boy. My mother-in-law was taking care of the mother and the baby....

At my sister-in-law's house

My sister-in-law's going to get a PJK from the YDB of Negeri Sembilan....a great honor and recognition for her contribution to the society through her frozen food business....We all shared her joy...

We headed back to Bangi at about 1100pm via the Seremban-PD and KL-Seremban highways. We stopped by the North-bound RnR to eat and then headed home....That night I decided to sleep downstairs, in front of the TV, with my brother.....The night before, I slept in my room but couldn't close my eyes until about 300am.....don't know why.....maybe a change of air would help....and it did....I slept like a baby that night......my last night in Malaysia......Ayah woke us up for the Fajar Solat.....I had to pick up my Egyptian colleagues at their hotel.....so, I had to go out early.....

Having supper at Seremban RnR

That afternoon, I went to Warta after work...and after bidding farewell to my friends in SOEM......I had to buy some things before going back to Dubai....my wife's contact lenses, Lina's head-scraf and some PS2 cds.

We went to KLIA at about 1020pm.....I'd bringing back to Dubai two hand luggages, one big check in luggage, 4 boxes (including one containing 5 screwdrivers that I have to bring to Lahore next month). When the check in clerk weighed them.....my luggages were 25kg overweight.....and I had to pay about RM2.5k....luckily, my old friend....Master Card, was there to help me......Now I just hoped that the luggage wouldn't create problems for me at the Dubai Customs.....

After hugs and kisses....I bid farewell to my mother, father and brother.....I told my brother to take Ayah to see a doctor as he wasn't feeling very well.....I felt bad as I couldn't stay much longer....but I promised that I'll bring the whole family back next year for my brother's wedding.

The Emirates' Boeing 777-300ER landed in DXB at about 330am......I was so anxious waiting for my luggages......After colecting every one of them....I cautiously pushed the trolley through the Customs.....but I was ushered to the check point.....Fortunately for me they didn't ask me to open the boxes....or else my RM2.5k would go down the drain, just like that. I brought some "daun kesum", "bunga kantan" and "daun pandan".....which I think were one of those controlled substances.....(fresh vege products usually have to go through a quarantine period...or in some cases, banned at all...).

My wife greeted me at the door......I performed the Fajr Solat and unpacked most of the stuff (most of them are frozen food from my sister-in-law)....Then I slept until it's 1000am.....Went to the office....feeling jaded.....

Can't wait until July next year.....this time...the whole family will come back with me.....InsyaAllah.....

For more pics, click here