I’m back in Kuching, Sarawak. Nothing much to say except everything up to this point was very hectic. I had not had a proper sleep for 2 days, and my body was overdosed with Red Bull. My last few days in Perth was spent selling off everything that I can’t bring, packing everything that I can bring, helping Nicole move to her new place, driving Nicole’s parents around, and removing 8 years worth of junk in the house so that the new owners can move right in.
The amount of junk in my bedroom
Nicole’s parents are such a cool bunch. They were in town to attend Nicole’s graduation on the 26th February. Funnily, her parents seems to be happier on that day than Nicole herself. Her mom and dad are ever so ready to pose for my camera, whereas the graduation girl would hesitate like its no big deal. “Its just Curtin Business School, not Harvard Business School.” Sheesh, KL girls! 🙂
Curtin University of Technology Graduation Ceremony
The graduation ceromony was held outdoors in the courtyard on campus grounds. The weather that evening was cool and soothing, which makes it ideal to hold such event outdoors. The ceremony itself followed the SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) – boring speech, give out some awards, inspirational speech, give out more awards, one more trying-to-be inspirational speech, the end.
Fireworks! Oooooh…. Ahhhhh….
Probably the funniest moments during the ceremony was listening to the ang-moh MC trying to pronounce the long and complicated Indian and Thai names with great difficulty. The ceremony concluded with a spectacular fireworks display.
Maybe the Asian food here was meant to be for the Kwai Lo?
There were several foodstalls serving international cuisine later that night. Here’s the photo of the Asian food stall. Pardon my rusty Mandarin, but I think the Chinese word on the stall said Gui, which means literally – Ghost. Whoever designed that food stall must be a very disgruntled employee. 😉
Perth Cityscape on the 28th February 2005
By Sunday evening with a few hours left to board the plane, we managed to clear everything out of our house. Without a bed to sleep on and reluctant to rent a hotel room, Nicole and I went on a car ride around the city and ended up in King’s Park where we had a brief heart-to-heart talk. I took one last photo of cityscape of Perth.
The taxi to take me away from my home to my home
When we returned home, the taxi was already there waiting for us.
I arrived at Perth International Airport, still relatively calm. Perhaps I was sedated by the fact that I did not sleep for 2 days. Ignoring calls asking passengers of MH126 to go through the gates, Nicole and I spent our last minutes drinking coffee at Dome Cafe. I was still calm.
Perth International Airport
We hugged, and I walked through the sliding doors into the departure hall. Then I remembered how long it was going to be before I see her again, and all of the sudden I just lost it and cried. Say what you want about men crying, but I teared and wept even when I presented my passport to be stamped. What made it even worse was that Nicole’s parents were at the departure hall as well waving at me happily like nothing happening.
Kuching International Airport
So now I’m back in Kuching. Hot, wet, humid. And for someone like me who have been away for 8 long years, I’ll probably experience reverse culture shock. As much as I try not to, I’ll probably inadvertantly try to compare Kuching with Perth. Well, things are more or less back to normal now, and kennysia.com is more or less back in action.
Only this time round it’ll have more of a Malaysian laksa-flavour.
Perth is indeed a beautiful place. Saw it on the picture of your post.
I know how it feels to say goodbye like that 🙁
Try to cheer up, take your mind off things.
glad u’re well and safe. hope everything at home’s fine. wishing you lots of courage and strength when u’re at the lowest. exploit your blog and manifest your creativity to the fullest. no matter what happens, u should never stop blogging. somehow i bet, blogging does sort some of the jumbled up thoughts doesn’t it?
Sorry, but couldnt help but notice your ATX case. Nice Thermaltake case 🙂
Aw you silly boy you *ruffles hair*.. it’s okay to cry hey..considering that i travel to KL three times a year, for 4 years now..and i cry every single time i do…doesn’t say much for the place does it? *grin*
Could hurl a dozen chinese proverbs on parting and meeting..but they’ll be pretty much useless in your current state of heart. So will just say..
KUCHING – kimmik, kueh chap, kueh tiaw, kolo mee
PERTH – no kimmik, no kueh chap, no kueh tiaw, no kolo mee
SCORE – Kuching – 4, PERTH – Nil.
take good care 🙂 i heard kuching has the best kolok mee and tomato kueh tiow.. gonna visit later this year! 🙂
Kenny, jia you!
welcome back. =)
hey kenny. its okay to cry, u know. men dont usually cry, they suddenly cried bcos they had to lose somebody/someone for de mo. hang in there, buddy!
hm, at least now i know a little of how perth looks like. cus i might be going there for my finals. im gonna miss all my frens here in my hometown.
and oh, im surprised they name de food stall ‘gui’. y did they named it like dat? funny, cus we always called ang mo ‘guai lo’. hahahahaha.
hey pretty sad to leave a place that u’ve been staying in for the past years. but i guess starting fresh again wouldnt really hurt. i guess there’s always pros and cons bout the two place.
mrkiasu – I know. Somehow the Swan River just cannot compare to the Sarawak River.
Izuan – Haha! My Thermaltake computer case is one of the few things that still manage to cheer me up! Its my pride and joy.
Kher Ying – Looking at how much I’m addicted to this thing, I doubt I’ll stop anytime soon. 🙂
Kimmik – This Kim! Well, you’re not in Kuching yet, so its Kuching: 3, Perth: Nil. 🙂 Then again, Nic is in Perth, so…
MunKit – Heh! Kuching has the best food in the whoooolllllleeeeee Malaysia lah! If you come here, you might not want to leave you know?
Hsin – All the ‘you’ is in my tummy.
Victoria – I know you’re gonna miss all your friends in Miri when you leave for Perth, but guess what? You’re gonna miss Perth too when you leave Perth!
Chrissie – There are pros and cons indeed. Pros: Lots of kch food. 🙂 Cons: Lots of unhealthy food. 🙁
Hi Kenny.. Cheers.. Hope u’ll feel better soon..
Atleast ure with your family right?
Hmm.. My mandarins kinda rusty too.. but dyu think they might have been trying to put ‘dong’, as in ‘east’?
(cant remmember how is it exactly in traditional chinese.. hehe)
u noe.. if they didnt curl up the ‘su hen gou’..
=P
I had a very similar experience to yours, except for the fact that I moved from Malaysia to Perth instead of Perth back to Malaysia. ^^
Man i miss Perth…Curtin looks great with the fireworks display..haih…I miss Perth
I think for that asian stall, they meant to put the word “dong” (east)? 🙂
I had culture shock the moment I arrived back at KLIA from Melb 🙁
Read the whole memoir.
Very touching. Few can communicate the way you do. Especially coming from KCH.
I left KCH roughly about the same time as you did – for London. Am still here. Beginning to wonder whether it’s time I get myself home…Partying, travelling etc’s been great but sometimes you need your family around ya.
Maybe tomorrow….Have fun in KCH! Love it to bits especially your entry about dolphins in KCH – got my brother to confirm. He said there are dolphins! Can’t wait till next I’m home and I can bully him to take me out for a look!
ALa. Perth is a ridiculously boring place. Been there and hate it. Notihng to see. Just plenty of Kwai Lo’s bar and pub, drinking every single night. Just a King’s Park that is a must go. Others, just a Murray street and Hall Street, a little less than 1/8 of Midvalley. And lots of multicultural Japan girls, chinese and Koreans, with occasional blacks and plenty of whites. Oh, yes! Food is a variety, Vietnam in most places. Nothbridge and stuffs.
welcome back to malaysian earth man !
where the heck have you been all this while ??
hee hee
just kidding ???
You know that i was pulling your leg,right ???
By the way, who’s Nicole? Ur g/f kah?
*sigh* i miss my past year in perth..the chilli mussels, hay street, kings park..ahh….a new beginning in melb…miss kuching too btw
I just discovered this post, u made me cry as well…so touching and so poignant so immense so pure.
I go to Perth once a year to see my girlfriend. I just got back last Sunday, and seriously, walking through the Departures archway was one of the most heartwrenching feelings I’ve ever felt.
It wasn’t any easier on the recent trip either, so I can roughly guess how you felt. But it’s good to see you still have your sense of adventure and are enjoying life.
ouch i bet ur missing perth so much now tt u’ve left perth for quite awhile.. anyway dont drink so much red bull lah.. not like u dunno its harmful for body, right