Of Pineapple Tarts and Drug Cocktails

It is the end of my trip back to Malaysia. I am well and truly depressed and sad that I have to go back to Hong Kong.
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Reasons for not wanting to go back:-
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1. I am sick. I feel ill within 24 hours of landing in sweet Malaysia and spent the entire holiday junked on drugs and sleep. It is not funny. I have not felt so lethargic in ages and I am sure there is something sinister going on in my feet. The clinics were closed and I managed to see a doctor on Monday and was told to 'eat more papaya' and 'drink less coffee'. I have not drunk more than one cup of coffee since I landed. I heard papayas were good for the boobs, but I didn't know they were good for when you are ill?

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2. I only managed to eat one bowl of kuching kolo mee and one plate of tomato kuaytiaw. All the food traders do not believe in working for the duration of the Chinese New Year period. We should all limit the number of times we eat out so that they don't earn so much and take long breaks on public holidays. What a letdown.
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3. It is nice and spacey in my house of 3000+sf compared to my measy room of 230sf including my balcony. The feeling of being at home and with the family no matter how annoying they may get is priceless. Besides I have all my shoes and perfume and handbags.

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4. I get fed and watered and I don't even have to cook! It sure beats my steamed and microwave cooking the past 6 months. My grandmother is of the opinion that I am suffering from lack of proper nutrition there and I am not going to dispell her notions. My aunts have been feeding me pineapple tarts while my sister has been clearing everyone of their prawn crackers and acar.

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5. There are so many people I want to see, so many things I have yet to do and so many shoes that belong to me that I have yet to bring home from the shops. I need to find the motivation to shop in Malaysia. I have only entered 2 supermarkets since I came back; Duty-free in unappealing and I was too tired to go out.
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6. I need to get my braces adjusted.

I think these reasons are enough for me not to go back. I realised in my interaction with the people that I have not seen in years, that most people are inherently curious about what I do. My grandparents are as proud of my measy achievements as my parents. My relatives think I am making good money. My parent's friends think I have a bright future ahead and can only do better; my primary school teacher whom I have not seen in more than 10 years told me that I am an inspiration and a comfort to him in that I managed to be what I am today. I came out feeling awed that I can inspire so much hope in people, that I can be such a pride and joy to the people that mean so much to me. I also notice that my siblings are growing up without me and that I am no longer a constant influence in their lives. However, with my inpending departure and with no inkling when I next come back, I feel that Miss Lamby is well and truly feeling the loss as much as I am.

This trip has been an emotional experience. I see my grandfather with all the signs and symptoms of chronic illness yet I am unable to do anything about it. While my professional training rings the alarm bells I am only able to give advice and hope for the best. We know the prognosis is poor, yet we want to make sure he is not wallowing in self-misery and is able to live happily and eat all the durian he wants without my grandmother stopping him. I see my elderly relatives either made on the success of their offspring or still struggling to keep them. I see my father for what he is in the eyes of my relatives - a leader and an inspiration to work harder and strive for success without relying on the aid of others. It has brought home the fact that we are molly cuddled to such an extent we don't appreciate the sacrifices our parents make for our comfort. What I take for granted may have been at a great sacrifice for my parents. I am humbled by the humility and the hardwork of my parents and am thankful that I never had to scrimp and save for every penny to pay for the upkeep of the family. I am more determined than ever not to squander my money on unneccessary expenses.

Which, unfortunately is a resolution I didn't manage to keep for more than 24 hours. I landed in ShenZhen with a 14.8kg suitcase of maggi curry, mee daddy, kaya and slow-roast lamb chops. I know, I am such a sucker for food I even brought 'ma ni cai' from home. I went straight to the spa for a seven hour session of pampering. Needless to say, I am now much poorer but better rested. I did a bout of shopping too for the benefit of the Chinese economy. I will now live on bread and water for the next two weeks, or find some kind souls to feed me. Anyone want to feed me birds' nest? I should milk the Hong Kong guys for all they are worth.