I'd rather be home now

New Year’s Eve ‘reunion’ dinner was at Jean’s place. She had organised a reunion dinner for ‘orphaned’ people like myself.

I installed myself as the de-facto knife handler. 1.5 bulbs of garlic, half an onions, one capsicum, 2 cans of fruit, 2 bunches of choy sum, 3 chicken hind quarters, 1 chicken breast, 1 box of tofu, ~500 g of fresh salmon and 3 large strips of char siew passed under the blade.

She cooked most of it, and they were quite fantastic. I also learned how to make chicken rice.

While buying pandan leaves for the rice and barley tong sui, a Hokkien CNY song played over the shop’s speakers. I looked at Jean, and she had a “what?” look on her face too.

When a bunch of Chinese Malaysian students talk about their previous schools back home, discussion will inevitably turn to the education system, leading up to racial (in)equity and social-political issues.

I got to drive a brand new (~1500 km) Toyota Corolla and a slightly older 1.8l manual Corolla. The manual box sucked, nothing like Corollas and Civics of the 90s.

That brings the count to 79 cars driven.



The First Day was horrible. Temperatures went to an evil 38 C, and I mostly hid at home packing things into boxes.

Graphite on paper

The restaurant had their CNY dinner on the Second Day at a Shanghai restaurant. If T and R did not go, I think I would have died of boredom.

The delivery guy, who appears to be still going steady with his existing girlfriend, is having an affair of sorts with the new waitress.

R summarised the situation with a succinct “men are really detestable,” while glaring at me.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“That’s because you are a man,” remarked T.
“He’s one too,” I replied, pointing at D. D is homosexual and occasionally flirts with gay customers.
“Nah, he’s different.”