The Waslam Family Visit
The following day after we came back from Johor Bahru, 22 June 2006, was a very hectic day. It was the day Frieza’s brother A Yusan and his family and the entire big family of his wife Teh Lina went to visit us in KL. We were aware of the plan since long. We knew that despite they are staying at the hotel, they wanted to see our apartment. What we didn’t realize until that morning was that not only A Yusan’s family who was coming to the apartment but the entire group (16 people consisting of 8 adults and 8 children). It’s not that we don’t like visitors, we always love when friends and family come and visit us. It’s just that we never actually received that many people in our apartment and we only have a couple of hours of preparation. Panic attack !
The night before I stayed up late, washing all the dirty clothes and other dirty stuffs caused by Radit’s vomit. Then I woke up early to eat sahur, still sticking to my plan to pay my feast debts (hmm, I don’t know what the exact term is), considering that it’s already late June and soon it will be Ramadhan again. And also the fact that I have 14 days of debt and I only started feasting again last monday. After sahur I coudln’t go back to bed, the house was a mess. Then I had to prepare breakfast for Frieza, wake up Radit, bath him and send him to school. Afterwards, dropped Frieza at the office, who intended to arrive late at the office today for he was still exhausted from yesterday’s travel, in a dirty and smelly car. From KLCC my destination was Jalan Raja Alang. I missed the right turn to Yap Kwan Seng because the traffic was heavy and I couldn’t merge right. So I turned right at jalan Sultan Ismail and then missed a turn and got carried by the traffic flow up to dataran Merdeka, Dayabumi building and heading towards I don’t know where. To make it even worse, I left the map at home. So I just followed my instinct and tried to get back to a familiar territory and alhamdulillah found my way back and finally reached Jalan Raja Alang. Bought some teh botol & went to Chow Kit market to buy fruits and vegetables. Then went to wash the car and went back home. Tried to order sate from Lorong Kramat 13 but the phone was not answered. Finally ordered sate & martabak from Malindo.
Radit came home from school around 11.40 as usual. Fed him lunch while cleaning the house and washing the clothes and did a little re-arrangement with the furnitures. Around two o’clock we went to Jusco to do some shopping. Parked at the wrong place, causing the newly washed car re-washed by the rain.
From Jusco we went to Jalan Raja Alang again, this time to Maju Garuda to buy fried chicken. The traffic was congested and we couldn’t find a parking space, even after circling the area. Finally gave up, time is running. So we went to Malindo to get our orders. Radit slept since we left Jusco, I would have slept too if I didn’t have to drive. From Malindo to Nasi Kandar Penang in front of Corinthian to buy the Malay flavor sate, cooked vegetables and tomyam (I’m glad I bought tomyam because then they enjoyed eating it). I had to carry sleepy Radit from the car because the car was parked rather far. Frieza called informing that the man sending minerala water is in front of our apartment and because nobody’s home, he left the bottles in front of our door.If it weren’t for the heavy traffic we would’ve been home by now. It was already five o’clock so we then picked-up Frieza from KLCC and went home to prepare the house and food. I wanted to stay home and prepare the servigs but Frieza wanted me to come and go to the hotel to pick up the Waslam Family. So we rushed the preparation and went to Crowne Plaza. It took two limo taxis and our car to bring the Waslam Family to our apartment. They were hungry but I guess I ordered to much because there were a lot of left-overs. But they were also tired because of the journey, they left Jakarta early in the morning with a stop over at Changi before arriving at KLIA. Around 10 o’clock everybody left in 3 taxis. Then we called Udin and Sekita to help finish the food.
Radit was very excited to meet his cousins and having so many people at home, he cried when they went back to the hotel. ‘Why don’t they stay and sleep here in my room?’ ‘why are they staying at the hotel?’ and all other ‘why’ questions.
I’m just glad it’s over and everything went well.
A Yusan left his camera at our place, so on Friday 23 June 2006 morning, me and Radit drop Frieza at the office and then went to the hotel to deliver the camera. At the hotel lobby the rear left tire bumped into something but I didn’t realize until a car over took us in the highway to inform that we have a flat tire. We stopped after paying at the toll gate and the man in the car who informed us even stopped his car to check on our car. There was a big tear in the tire, no wonder it’s flat, but how come I didn’t realize it ?! Unfortunately he was in a hurry that he coudln’t assist us in changing the tires. No problem sir, we’ll just find somebody else to help us. Thank you very much for your attention !
Changing tires is something I know theoretically but never actually performed it alone. Fortunately a man (I guess it was a toll gate office given by his uniform) came and help me in changing the tire. Thank you very much sir !
Went back home, took a bath and then went to Radit’s school to meet with his teacher. She said that Radit is doing well in school except in communicating. Well, that is a family disease..hehe…both his parents are the types of people who would rather avoid talking to stangers unless necessary and now it has become a hereditary. Radit is an obedient student, he follows what the teacher tell him to do, he likes to sing and do sports but he just don’t want to talk. even with his friends, he just call their names but then talk nothing else. Well, we got to fix that problem, starting by fixing ourselves ..hehe..
Our original plan was to follow the Waslam Family to Genting Highland after we go to Radit’s school, but due to the torn tire, it’s goodbye Genting. So we went to buy new tires and went back home and rested. It was a good thing we didn’t go because then we could rest, I only realized then how exhausted I was.
In the evening we met the Waslam Family again at KLCC to have dinner at the foodcourt and then they wanted to buy souvenirs. Buying souvenirs in KLCC is not a good idea, for there were limited choices and high prices. It was getting late, around nine o’clock, but we just drove to Bukit Bintang, hoping for more choices. Fortunately there are and they’re still open. Not so many choices compared to the Central Market, but I guess this is ok. The prices were not much different from Central Market and much lower than at KLCC. Then we walked back to the hotel. Radit again is very excited, running around with his cousins, not a single time did he asked to be carried.
From the hotel, the three of us went to Hard Rock to buy t-shirts for a Yusan & Teh Lina. Radit was dancing by himself listening to the music while we were selecting t-shirts. From there we took a taxi to KLCC because our car was parked there. Another exhausting night. Radit slept all the way home.
Saturday morning is the usual badminton day. Around noon we met the Waslam Family again who were having luch at Malindo after going on a city tour. It was time to say goodbye again, they were going to Singapore and Radit was crying again watching his cousins leaving on a bus. Back to the three of us again.
