Malaysia 2005-2006!!!

Hi everyone!!! I'm back in Sydney after my 3 weeks away in Malaysia and it's really really good to be home! Sorry to those who've been checking my blog for new posts but found none cos I had really limited internet access over there and limited time really to update my blog from overseas. So I'm making up for it now!

Went back to Malaysia mainly for my cousin Joe's wedding to Isabel! It was on boxing day and as is Chinese custom over there, there were 4 wedding functions. First up was a prewedding dinner/open house put on by Joe's parents (my Uncle and Aunty) at their place. They had a nice marquee set up in front of the house and invited lotsa people! Second was a Chinese Tea Ceremony on the day of the wedding itself in the morning. Joe and Isabel had to offer tea to all their elders in return for red packets, whilst all those relatives younger than them (myself included) had to offer tea to Joe and Isabel (also in return for red packets hehehe!) The third function was the registration ceremony. This took place at the reception venue at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, KL. The ceremony was essentially an athiestic one, the type used in western weddings not held in churches, and this one was rather short! Finally the main function was the reception. The venue was decorated really superbly and all the cousins had roles to perform. Jon and I were part of the ushering team so we had to help people find their allocaed tables. The reception itself was fun as we enjoyed seeing photos and videos of Joe and Isabel, and heard speeches from relatives and friends. The food was the typical ginormous chinese wedding banquet and by the end of it none of us on our table could finish it off! So yeah congrats to Joe and Isabel on your wedding and thanks that we could be a part of it!

The rest of our trip in Malaysia involved a combination of sightseeing, visiting relatives, and of course eating the local delicacies (including my favourite Char Kway Teow) and shopping! We visited the cool Genting and Cameron Highlands, historical cities like Taiping, and bigger cities like Ipoh and Penang. Saw some amazing scenery and was reminded of what a beautiful place Malaysia really is! It was also great hanging out with relos and it was especially great hanging out more with cousins on my mum's side, 2 families of which are Christian! Going to church in Penang was an experience!

We spent 3 nights and 4 days in Singapore including New Year's Eve! Our days there were packed with activities including shopping at the famous Orchard Rd, visiting the Jurong Bird Park & Chinatown, and visiting Sentosa Island! We sang in the New Year at Clarke Quay, Singapore's trendy nightlife area, similar to our Darling Harbour.

So yeah that's a very very brief summary of my 3 weeks abroad! I have a 200 page or so travel diary that I was writing along the way with more detail in it! As much as I enjoyed my trip back to Malaysia, there really is no place in the world like Sydney and every time I fly back home, I get that shiver of excitement going up my spine! Also with all my friends here, how could I live anywhere else! But for now, it's back to the real world, and on Monday it'll be the start of working life for me - I'm excited!!! =)