Flew in at almost noon to a rainy Kuching, the main city of Sarawak. Aunt fetched us from the airport and we dropped by a shop for brunch. Bought groceries in a nearby mall and bumped into an old lecturer lol. Also, the drive was interesting because the Aunts were talking about almost everything that was going on in Malaysia, so that was pretty neat. Found out later that most of the cousins weren't going to be spending the actual day here. To be honest this year a lot of them could not be home and that made this year really low key. It was really chill though, the grandma looks way better than the picture we saw on new years eve last year. She has a pretty good appetite, she showers and clothes herself. So I can say she is doing very well. She is amazing, and she is also the only reason, the only glue that holds our family together. Ask anyone, they would not disagree. The hardest thing was finding out that I wasn't going to be fetching Rami from the airport, and getting the cousin to meet her. Both unaware and total strangers of each other. But everything worked out - because wifi did not fail and Dad's unstable connection somehow made it. What else? Only day I did not sleep well. Guess it took some time to adjust to a new place - and it got really cold that night too.
Day two
Woke up at probably 5 ish because it was cold. Brushed my teeth and just roamed around the kitchen and chilled till everyone started getting ready for the day. Okay, fine, maybe I was nibbling biscuits lol. I cannot even begin to explain the constant space that is made in my tummy the moment I see something I have not ate in a long time. Which is crazy, cause technically I make this trip every year. Nevertheless, let me just assure you that everything was good. I barely ate meals and just mainly snacked, or took portions of the dishes. Lol. And the best part was that everyone made me their tester - I wasn't chased out from the kitchen, or asked to prepare ingredients, so I guess studying abroad has its perks ;)
Rami and the nephews arrived that night, they took longer than expected because of the Gawai eve crowd. She got a late dinner before dozing off. The aunts stayed up till past midnight prepping the snacks and stuff, I was wayy too tired and I just went to bed.
Day three
Gawai - Woke up early - again, so naturally. This time I actually had stuff to do. We planned to have the event at 8 am - which if you ask me, is ridiculously early, considering that people will be drinking that night and will probably need some hangover time. But nevertheless, by 8am we were actually ready, so this year we did something different.
Uncle wanted everyone to be more united and so they decided on doing some sort of an open house. So they called people to come at 8am but everyone came only at 10...... I cannot even. Okay, then he had his little prayer/Bible reading/speech and everyone started eating - finally. But things got crazy, cause literally, there was a free flow of alcohol, beer, vodka, whiskey. I have no idea who kept bringing it out, but the music was on and people just got drunk, drunk dancing, in the hot afternoon sun. Yeah it was shaded, but nah. No one really knows how to not get drunk, it is crazy, the day was not even half done.
So the funniest thing was that my 15 year old cousin got offered a shot, and she did not refuse it, why? I don't even know, but she took a sip and literally sprayed the liquor out. It was the funniest thing I saw all day. One of the best parts of the part below the house was the swing. Rantai built it, the kids who were visiting loved it. They were nice enough to take turns pushing each other on it. Hahaha Rami and Samantha were one of those waiting patiently to sit on it.
More people came, but they went into the house. More relatives I wouldn't remember. The day was long. But I made it till midnight ish? I don't know, but I can say that I wasn't the first to actually go to bed lol. And I survived without a nap! Also, probably the first time I washed at least a hundred or more plates, cups and cutleries. So, that was something.
Day four
Decided to visit my other grandmother. And so we did just that - visited the grandmother on my mom's side and coincidentally my cousin had a wedding to attend in the same town, So she and her mom came along. It was fun, but. Three words, so very hot. We got there at around lunch and by the time we were done grocery shopping for the Gma, we figured it was only 3pm, and Rami wanted to go to her first iban longhouse wedding. After much perusal, and knowing that it was so very hot in the home, we went to the store and bought dresses (lol we literally brought a pair of change, and nothing decent for a wedding) just for the wedding. Yah. Nways, it obviously started only one and a half hour after it was scheduled, or maybe that first few hours was for the guest to eat and mingle? I don't know, but by 10 ish I was exhausted and already nodding off. Of course they also needed alcohol to actually start having a good time.... so we left just before people got started. Not a bad decision, cause apparently my cousin was up till 5 am the next day.
Rami; best travel buddy/older sister anyone can ask for. Of course the family loved her and the kids made a song for her. They loved being around her and talked fondly of her even after she left. Seeing a familiar face this year and last year too has been so so great.
Day five
We manage to find a shop that was open early enough for breakfast (since most stores were close for the Gawai week). Did a little shopping in the morning market - yeah for vegetables, kuihs and fruits. Soon we were on the road again, this time, we were going to meet up with an aunt halfway to take them back to the village. We missed the ferry, but we got to walk around for a bit. It was a really long ferry ride, but by the time we got there everyone forgot they were tired or hungry, the kids just started playing again.
That evening, it was the nephew's birthday and we got to celebrate him around the dinner table. Lucky guy, blessed enough to celebrate his birthday with the whole crew every year. We had a family gathering, before everyone headed their own way, and I captured a really cool time-lapse of that time. My favouritest night, because we three got to stay up late talking. Although they made me go out for a cigg break, and I obviously gave a long lecture about how starting at this age literally just worsens everything, I still love them to death. I cannot even begin to appreciate them - the two constants, two of my favourite men that I got to grow up with. I just love how we all feel so sad, whenever we go our separate ways and how we spend all year talking about what our next meet up was going to be like. I think it is crazy despite our differences, we just get along so well every year. ugh, their gf or future wives better be deserving of my fave men. They deserve nothing but the best.
Day six
Dad's, Tha's and Rami's last day. A few cousins were headed back to work too. It was a really weird day to be honest. Too many last minute plans and too many fickle decisions. All in all, no one missed their flight and everyone was home safely. What did I do? I spent the whole day moping about how I decided to leave later and yet the cousin and nephew all went out of town. They had prior commitments, and they told me... but.
Benjamin finally took us sad people out on a drive, bought us some ABC and we had a really good time in the end. Since half of the cousins left already, everything just felt weird.
Day seven
It was a Sunday and traffic was horrible, the Aunt wanted to avoid that and she left at freaking 7am, which was already like my 9am since I wake up at 5 everyday, but for real. That was too early, since the cousins were barely there for two whole days.. More fickle decisions later, we booked an apartment, and I was headed back to the city with the Aunts to head straight to the airport the next day - shortening my stay in the village and looking back, I don't even know if I made the right decision, since I could have stayed and spend the night with the guys. I think I made the wrong one, but it has already been made. Well, the journey was just super dehydrating and crazy dead naps. I was literally exhausted. It took a whole two hours just to get on to the ferry. We finally got to town and the kids still wanted to go swimming. Of course the adults left me in charge of babysitting while they were gone. They made up by taking everyone to have seafood for dinner and we had some really good sugar cane too.
Day eight
So the aunty cooked breakfast at the apartment and we headed out for breakfast no. 2 lol. Manage to call-in for the Germany meeting and sat in for the first half. Oh, back to breakfast. Had the best Sarawak Laksa. The Aunts waited for the malls to open, then we finally headed there. Helped out with more techy stuff. The Uncle dropped me off by campus to say hi to some of the old buds - since they were not done with their finals. But I had lunch plans with the church/school/rowing guys (who sadly couldn't make it to Gawai this year) and we barely had time to catch up but they were really nice about filling me on stuff and always so good to me. They paid for my meal and they dropped me off at the airport. AND MY PASSPORT MADE IT. Not like it wouldn't, but basically, it was not a problem at all. Every checkpoint was so cool with me not having it. Soyah.
As of right now, one day later I am still exhausted and definitely dehydrated. The mosquito bites have not stopped itching - I can only hope that I don't scratch them till they leave a scar. But the annual craziest family week is also the hardest to say goodbye to. Over the years, leaving still does not get easier, yet in some way, you are reassured that next year will be better. You start looking forward to next year, and you are reminded that you are thankful for constants like family. You thank God for constants when everything else seems to temporary. Most of all, at the end of the day despite the petty disagreement of imperfect families, every member, no matter how imperfect, miraculously, we temporarily are willing to look past all that just to celebrate each other. Growing up, despite the many things you've learned - family secrets, the past, the imperfections - it seems rather minute. Then you realize, that families are the real deal. It reminds you how real life is again - how real you can be.
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