Leaving is never easy

I'm leaving for Taiwan very soon

Finally! My passport and my verified documents have arrived. The embassy was a little slow, but I forgive them, since it was Chinese new year. I was a little worried these days, that the mail will take too long and I will have to postpone the departure date and have additional costs as well as waste more time. You would not believe how much more time, money and stress this adventure has cost me so far. I used to go through a lot in the past months, but so has my girlfriend, who I want to thank here for supporting me so much with so many things, it's just impossible to name them all. She's been an angel every day. She's already made a nest for us in Taipei, she only needs this European bird to migrate to the East. And that's soon about to happen. Thank you, sweetheart, I love you to bits.

Every time I went on a big journey to the other side of the world, I felt that the days right before departure were passing the fastest. Maybe that's because I'm conscious of every day now, every hour. I have so many things to take care of, so many people to say goodbye to. I think packing my things and leaving my home here will be very hard. You have to know, I'm an emotional person and I get very attached to people and to an environment, where I feel safe and secure. I know I was living in a bubble for too long. Other people have had great careers in recent years, I on the other side was wandering around the world, exploring the Far East. I was never and nowhere really at home. When I lived in Malaysia and Singapore, I hoped to strike roots for a while, but I had to leave too soon. Same happened last year in Taiwan. I was just getting used to everything, things were starting to get better and better, but then I had to leave. Last year was really the best year of my life. I've seen and done so much and it was totally unexpected. Now I feel a little tired. I feel it's impossible to pull off another 2010. I feel old. At age 30. I miss the days of early twenties, where every experience was so fresh and new, so exciting. It's a big difference when you fly to Asia for the first or for the sixth time. And it's a big difference, if you're 24 or nearly 31. Sure, some people travel more times a year, but for me that 1 time a year was something special, something life-changing, reality-altering, something like flying to the moon and expecting to discover a new part of yourself or to just be someone else, but not by artificially changing or acting, but by finding that adventurous open minded explorer inside you, that finally had the chance to break out of the confines of your suburbia boredom. I loved to be that explorer. But now it seems he's gotten tired. Tired of being released and confined every year. I have to stop leaving. I'm not going to stop traveling, I love it. But I gotta stop leaving the people I love. I hope this is the last time I leave like this. I need a home. And I really hope that for the next years Taipei and she will be the place I can call it one.

I can't describe to you the mix of emotions I'm having these days. Excited about seeing the woman I love, excited to hold her, kiss her, talk with her. I want to see her eat and sleep, walk and smile, I want to hold her hand, tease her, ride the subway with her. She's really my soulmate, I feel so safe around her. Even when we argue, I still love her so much. And then there's that part of me scared of leaving my mum, my sisters, my cats behind. The stupid cats that only annoy me and always run away, when I want to cuddle them a little. Yet, I love them to bits, too. I love everyone here and I love my girlfriend there. I know I want to be there, but part of me will always stay here in this old house and in this boring valley surrounded by forest and with a small creak, that you never hear rippling. I'm Slovenian in and out and we're just not made for big cities. Most of us live close to nature, that's where we feel safe for over 1000 years. Life in Taipei scares me. It's fast, dynamic, it can eat you alive. Especially a foreigner. I know I will have my angel looking over me, I could not survive there without her. She's my lover, my best friend, my guide, my shoulder to cry on, she's my rock, my inspiration, she's everything I ever wanted. I will do the best I can to pay her back every tear and drop of sweat she wasted on me, on us. All I can do is be the best man I can be, the best man I ever was. I have to set the bar higher for myself, I have to surpass my own expectations. Only then I will be able to say "that I made it right", when I'll look back in a year from now.

Frankly, I have no idea what I will write on this blog in February 2012. I'm not sure, if I will be alone and in tears like now or surrounded with laughter and lots of people. I have no idea, if I will be able to survive Taipei's fast-paced reality and meet my own expectations and the expectations of all the people I am about to leave and meet very soon. I worry about finding a decent job, I worry about whether I will be able to learn proper Chinese, I worry about what problems I may face in Taiwan. I'm a very experienced traveler, yeah. But I always left, I always returned to where I was born. But this time it's for real. I'm leaving for real. The stamps on all documents are official and final. I will be able to stay, I will be able to strike roots and live. How all that will be, that's written in the stars. I wish I knew... but then again, better I don't. Whatever will be, will be. I'll try to make the best of it, like I always did. I need to shift my mind away from the melancholic tendencies and back to her. Back to her sweet kiss and warm embrace.

I just want to be happy.

What I'll miss in Taiwan

And what I'm looking forward to in Taiwan

Image: Where would you rather be now? At my home or in Taipei?

My departure to Taiwan is closer day by day and you can imagine that I have many things on my mind. Some of the most essential questions are how will I like it there and what will I miss from here. And by here I mean my home in Slovenia. It's hard to say, really, but since this is not a scientific blog, I'll try to speculate a little. It's my 5th big trip to Asia, so by now I pretty much know what to expect. On the other hand, it's my first trip to Taiwan, so I can only assume some things. So far everybody says it's a great country and that I will have a lot of fun. But we'll see.

Let me tell you first about the things I will definitely miss while going to Taiwan:

1 My mum and my sisters: I'll definitely miss my family, which is small, but we only have each other. I know they'll miss me, too. They're used to me being in Asia, so it's not a new things to them, but it's still not easy to them and to me. I'm happy that my mum just recently got a new boyfriend and I know he'll take good care of her. My sisters are busy with their boyfriends, so they already don't have time for me. I'm totally fine being so far, if everything here is alright.

2 My cat Miša: This little kitty is 5 years old and ever since she was born, I claimed her as my own. I gave her the name and I was the only one who liked her first. She didn't like to cuddle with others, only with me. At that time, we had 5 cats and my mum and sisters had their own favourites. 5 years later we only have 2 cats and my Miša has become everyone's darling. Now she cuddles with everyone, but I must say we have a special bond and she knows that. I know I will break her small heart: Sorry Miša, but there's a girl waiting for me. I need to leave and I know my mum will take good care of you. Soon there will be spring and you can catch mice and birds and enjoy the warm sun. I will think of you and miss you and I know, you will miss me, too.

3 Some food: I generally love Asian food, especially Chinese specialties, so I won't really miss anything from home. Maybe some of my mum's dishes she makes so well. The pizza is better here, the chocolates, too. And we have different kinds of juices here, but well, I miss so many Asian things like soy drink and all kinds of noodles, that's a real compensation for everything I might not be able to eat or drink in Taiwan.

4 German TV: I'm used to watch German TV since I was a little boy (we didn't and still don't have Slovenian TV, because of the weak signal). I know all the things that are going on in Germany, be it politics, sports or entertainment, so I'm used to watch some of those channels daily. Switching to Taiwanese TV won't be so easy. I've watched Taiwanese channels while staying in Malaysia, so I know what they're all about: Drama, talk shows and music shows. Not bad, but I need to improve my Mandarin significantly to be able to enjoy them.

5 My mum's coffee: I almost forgot about the coffee I drink here sometimes three times a day. We cook Turkish coffee at home in Slovenia, which may not taste good to most of you, who are used to Starbucks or Italian coffee with all its variations. So I really need to find a good coffee place in Taipei. If I don't, I'm gonna make my own at home.

6 My car: I inherited my car from my grandpa, who [by the way] died exactly today one year ago. I know how he loved his car, he always washed it and took good care of it. I didn't really use this car a lot, but I really cherish it. It's a Renault Clio 2002. It's small, but cosy and reliable. Recently my little sister is using it much more than me, because she rides to school every day. I think I'm gonna leave it to her, if I really manage to stay in Taiwan permanently. I don't have the heart to sell it, she really needs it and it would be unfair. I hope she keeps it well.

That's about it when it comes to things I may most definitely miss when I'm away. Now let's see some things I definitely look forward to in my upcoming trip to Taiwan:

1 My dear girl: She's really one of a kind. I haven't blogged about her much, so let me tell you few things about her. She's everything I always wanted in a girlfriend: She's intelligent, hardworking, kind, polite, beautiful, funny and sweet. She's flexible and adaptable, open to new things. And she always keeps her word. That's what impressed me most. Ever since we realized that we like each other, which is quite a long while ago, she chatted and still chats with me every day at the same time. Imagine that! If she couldn't make it, she'd apologize. I'm same like her in this regard, so I also always kept my word and always talked with her at the same time, too. And we grew closer and closer, as close as two people can be by meeting only online and living in two different continents. I must say, it wasn't always easy. We had our ups and downs and days, where we were lost. But we faced all our challenges and we always sorted things out. And the past two months were some of the happiest for me in a long time. We're so close now and we're strong and excited. All we can do now is to wait. But luckily time flies. And so will I, soon. And I know that she's really worth every penny I invest in this trip and every second I spend chatting with her. It's a pity that I won't be flying to her on Valentine's day, because then it would be the most romantic thing a guy could ever do on that day, don't you think? ^_~

2 People: I really look forward to meet many awesome people in Taiwan. I hope I can make a lot of friends, be it locals or foreigners. I will be there with an open mind and with the valuable experience of my previous trips. I may need some time to understand all the local customs and rules, but I have my girl to help me out with that. I hope that major blunders won't happen. Oh, and I might add you in this group of 'people'. Yes, I'm talking about so many of you dear bloggers/readers, who said you'll come to Taiwan this year. If I'm there and you have spare time, I'd definitely be happy to meet you. We'll keep in touch and discuss the meetings before you come. Looking forward to that.

3 Food: Everytime I say I will go to Taiwan, people tell me: Oh, you'll love the food! The food is amazing! We'll see, hehe. I wonder how the stinky tofu will taste and other Taiwanese specialties. I wonder, if the food is really that different than what I ate among the Chinese Malaysians in Penang and Batu Pahat. We shall see. But all this food talk makes me very excited, hehe.

4 Nature: Taiwan is a beautiful island with a breathtaking landscape. Ok, lets be romantic and forget the typhoons and earthquakes and focus on the beautiful mountains and beaches. I hope to make some unforgettable memories with my girl there.

5 Climate: Taiwan is hot most of the year. They have a winter now, but there's no snow and it doesn't go below zero Celsius. That's enough for me to make me happy already, hehe. And I expect not to have that horrible hay fever I have here every spring. It will be so much better for my health to skip another spring here, which would have been yet another unpleasant time of sneezing and itchy red eyes.

6 Mandarin: I love Mandarin and I hope I can learn it well. I need to be around Taiwanese and then I'm sure I'll be speaking it well by the end of year. It's my dream to speak Mandarin (besides Slovenian, German, English and a bit of Swedish, Italian, Croatian and Malay), because I'm awesome like that ^_~

----------------------------------------------

Ok, I'm gonna wrap it up here. I could go on with much more things, but it's ok for now, these are the most important ones and the post is too long already. Before you leave, please check the short video of me and my kitty Miša. You'll see how close we are and how she likes me.

Ok, one last thing before I go. My dear friend Wenny wrote such a touching post about me, if you have some spare time, please check that post, she wrote a brilliant piece about me and my love story with the name: My Bubble: Where is Slovenia? Thank you so much, sis! ^_^

• How do you like my things I'll miss and look forward to?
• What things would you miss or look forward to?

[Photo on top: by MKL 2009, Lily 2009, Miša photo: MKL 2010]

Road to Nowhere

[I took this photo on 31st October 2009 at 14:26]

This road takes you to my home, which is a good kilometer away from the spot I made the photo. The bus station is here and in the past, when I used to take the bus regularly, I needed around 15 min by foot to come home. I have so many memories of this road: I remember the icy cold February mornings, when I walked to the bus station by foot in the blizzard or the romantic summer walks with a lovely girl under the scorching sun... It's been nearly 3 decades. I've cursed this road and I missed it, when I was abroad.

But it will always be part of me. Because there's an old hidden house at the end of it, that I call my home. And even, if one day I won't live here anymore, it will always remain home in my heart. Yes, I'm sentimental like that.

Do you have a special road in your life?

Batu Pahat: Memories of my 2nd home

I dedicate this post to all the nice people I've met during my stay in Batu Pahat, Malaysia (2008-2009)

I miss Batu Pahat. I want to dedicate this post to this Malaysian mid-sized town in the state of Johor in the southern part of Malaysia, where I stayed 3 months and to all the people who made my stay there an unforgettable experience.

Batu Pahat - first encounter

Batu Pahat is not a beautiful town at first glance. But it grows on you. I remember when I first came to this part of Malaysia (in 2007), I was a bit shocked. I came from Penang, the so called Pearl of the Orient, one of the most beautiful Malaysian cities. I drove 9h from to Batu Pahat on a bus and reached there in the early morning. I was all groggy and sleepy. It was one of the toughest rides in my life. In the early morning Batu Pahat looked like a ghost town to me. Wide streets with run down facades, it seemed dirty and neglected. It was so different from any other Malaysian town I saw before. I only stayed 2 days there, so it couldn't really grow on me. At that time I was in love with Penang (but that's another story I may post one day).

Batu Pahat - second encounter

And then came 2008 and my second visit to my girlfriend's hometown: Batu Pahat. I spent 3 months there, although I didn't know at first how long I'll be staying.
So at first, I had same feelings about Batu Pahat. I felt lost, had no orientation. Batu Pahat has no real centre of town, but many small ones spread all over the place. It seems as a small town, but it actually has around 150.000 inhabitants in the town area (if you include the suburbs 450.000). When I found out about that, I thought that's a lot of people for such a seemingly small town. It has even more inhabitants than our Slovenian capital Ljubljana. But I never heard about Batu Pahat before, it is not very well-known. Not even in Asia. But currently it's one of the fastest growing Malaysian towns. That's certainly true, because I could see a lot of progress since my 1st visit in 2007. They put new asphalt on the all main roads, but most of them have no sidewalk. Batu Pahat sometimes looks like an American town in the Midwest with wide (and not pedestrian-friendly) roads, that are only made for cars. And that's another thing typical for Batu Pahat. People only walk in shopping-malls. Everywhere else they're driving - either in cars (mostly Chinese) or on motorbikes (mostly Malays).
And now we come to the best thing that Batu Pahat has to offer. People. (Second one would be food). There's a lot of Chinese there, maybe 40%-50%, that's why you'll see a lot of shops, as the the Chinese traditionally have small businesses, while the Malays work in factories. Chinese in general in Malaysia, have a higher standard of living, better salaries, drive cars, send their kids to private (own Chinese) schools and go to the private hospitals. Besides that modern Chinese usually have 2-3 kids, while Malays can have 5 or more. Chinese overall make 1/3 of the Malaysian population, but in future that may change. Regardless of the race, I always encountered friendly people in Batu Pahat. I didn't have so much contact with Malays this time. I did go to some Indian hawkers that had very delicious food. Yea, as I said before, food is the second best thing in Batu Pahat. Well, most of the time I was in a Chinese environment. I lived in a Chinese family, everywhere I went was Chinese, in shops, cafés, hair saloons... Chinese have everything for themselves. Only policemen, construction workers and factory labour are predominantly Malays or Indians.

Batu Pahat - being in a Chinese environment

So, there I was, in this Chinese environment in Batu Pahat. I saw almost all shopping malls and temples. My girlfriend drove me around whole town, I saw everything. And one day I even walked. When I came home, my girlfriend's mum was really worried, because I was probably the only white guy walking in Batu Pahat and she was afraid that I could be a possible target for some muggers. People there are always afraid of criminals. Luckily I never experienced anything bad, I felt safe all of the time.
The best part of my Batu Pahat experience was the Chinese new year. I was never part of such a wonderful celabration. I met so many people, my girlfriend's relatives and friends, I visited so many places during that time. It was awsome. I even collected many red packages with money inside (angpao) given to visitors during Chinese new year for good luck. I made many new friends and I was a great 'uncle' to my girlfriend's nieces and nephews. They all loved me. And I loved them. They were sometimes unbearingly naughty, but then again, so many times they wanted to play with me, talk with me, they shared their stories, shared their food with me, even bought ice cream for me. That's why I want to write a little something about them.

Michelle (Ah En) - a special bond

I really miss Michelle, she's a 11 year old niece of my girlfriend. We had a special bond. She was not always very liked by everyone. She has a sad story of a neglecting father and mother. So maybe she brought up some fatherly instincts in me, but her story touched me. She opened up to me and loved to spend time with me, even taught me some Chinese, while I helped her with her English. She's a very loving girl, that just seeks attention by being naughty. If you spend time with her and if you show her that she's appreciated, she will give you love and affection in return and even tell you she loves you. It was a very touching moment, when 2 weeks before I had to go back, she would come to my room and tell me:"Uncle Nino, you have to go back to your country soon. I will miss you." And the more the day of my departure was coming closer, the more she reminded me how she'll miss me and how she'll cry when I go. It was tough to leave. I remeber the last few days she was so nervous, even calling me when I went to cinema with my girlfriend: "Uncle Nino, what are you doing? Are you coming home soon?" So cute and unexpected. I guess she really liked me. Even now, she would sometimes send me a text message.

Bubuleh - everybodie's darling

Besides Michelle, there was her little sister, the 2 years old Bubuleh (her nickname). She was such a cute little Chinese girl. Very smart for her young age and already a strong character. She would surprise people sometimes. I remember one moment, when my room's door was open and I was doing something on my laptop sitting on the floor. I said: "Bubu, lai la. Wo yao ni de bao bao!" (Bubu come, I want your hug). She was obviously headed somewhere or to someone, but suddenly stopped, came in my room and hugged me and then went back to where she was headed. What a touching moment. She loved to stay in my room. She loved to touch all the things and ask: "Zhe ge shi ni de?" (Is this yours?) "Zhe ge shi si yi de?" (Is this fourth aunt's? - her fourth aunt was my girlfriend). I always had to tell her: Don't touch, this is mine or fourth aunt's. Then she would let go. One day when she was in my room, she suddenly said in English: "Uncle Nino, I love you." Someone taught her this phrase, but who knows if she understood what she was saying, but it was so unexpected and cute, that I won't forget that. Her Chinese was better than mine. But I could communicate with her. Sometimes she would take my hand when we walked in the shopping mall or I would carry her. She was as light as a feather. But she also had a bad side. When she was moody, she could be very stubborn. She would start crying instantly if she didn't get what she want. Well, regardless if thatm the cute side prevailed.

Ah Teng and Vivian - the other two kids

Besides Michelle and Bubuleh, I have to mention Ah Teng and Vivien. They are brother and sister and Michelle's and Bubuleh's cousins. Ah Teng is a 7 years old boy and can be very naughty. He's sometimes hyperenergetic and can't stand still, but he has his moments when he's very calm and polite. He loves to play games. Vivien is the shy 12 year old, but she looks much younger. She's smart and her English is excellent. I could communicate in basic English with her normally, which was helpful many times, as she would be the translator between my girlfriend's parents and me. I liked her temper, it was usually very calm. Only if she felt she was treated unjust, she could show some hot temper. I think she will be a very successful girl later. And I miss her and her brother a lot, too.

Jie Fu - the pub and snooker buddy

I also have to mention my two buddies, Jie Fu and Kenny. Jie Fu is the first sister's husband, Kenny is second sister's husband. I went out with Jie Fu a lot. His English was not as good as Kennie's, but we could communicate and have fun. And he treated me ALWAYS! Never saw such a generous person in my life. Wherever we went, pub or snooker, he would always pay, even if I begged him not to. He said: "When I'm in your country, you treat me." I remember we went to that Soho pub, where you usually order beer in small buckets with ice cubes. Usually there's 4 Tiger beers inside (0.33 bottles) and it's quite expensive. I think it was 50RM for 4 beers (10€). We went there early, maybe around 8, it was almost empty. So the waitresses, who were Malay or Chinese, were dressed up in skirts and high heels and they would come to you, open the beer bottle and pour the beer for you and also chat with you. I remember I met a Malay girl named Anna. We chatted about her life and where I'm from and what I'm doing in Malaysia. It was a nice conversation and her English was great. Unfortunately I never met her again. I think she was 30+. Later the pub really got crowded and people danced and drank, the music was awful though. Mostly some dance or trance and too loud for my taste. You couldn't talk, only scream into each other's ears. I remember I really got wasted at that time and even danced with one girl: Ah Jia. Jie Fu called one of my girlfriend's sister and she came to the pub with her friends and introduced me to Ah Jia, she's around 19 years old Chinese girl. She loves to dance and she kept pulling me to the dance floor. I guess I was wasted enough and gave in. But in the end it was fun, I won't forget it (btw, Ah Jia got pregnant few weeks ago and is now married... That goes fast sometimes). Another time me and Jie Fu went out was an outdoor bar with some karaoke screen where people would drink and sing. You have a lot of these places in Batu Pahat. Jie Fu and me were early there and a Vietnamese girl sat at our table, looked mid twenty, with high heels and skirt and spoke perfect Chinese. So Jie Fu talked with her and she asked about him and me and some other things. I forgot her name. But she was really talking a lot (and lying as well, as Jie Fu noticed). She kept pouring our beer, I could make one sip and she poured some more. My glass was always full and I really don't like when they do that, but it was my first experience of that kind, so I just let it be. She loved that kuaci (a seed, eaten like peanuts in the West) and while she was talking, she kept eating it all the time. When there was more people coming to the bar, she had to leave. After she returned, she said she wanted to play a game. She brought two dices and said if the number is even, I have to drink, if the number is odd, she has to drink. Of course she drank our beer, but we didn't mind. I liked to compete and it was fun at first. I lost many times and had to drink a lot. Suddenly her luck changed and she had to drink a lot. I saw on her face that she was not very pleased with that. She went to tend another table and soon after that, we left. Besides pubs and bars, we would love to go play pool billiard or snooker. He was a very good player and it was many times very even. We played until 4 wins, it was usually 4:3 either for me or him. It was a lot of fun. I miss hanging out with him. That was my great time with Jie Fu.

Kenny - the thoughtful friend

Kenny is different. His English is excellent and we would sometimes talk a lot about everything: about Malaysia, about life, about movies and gadgets, business and family matters. He invited me to two cultural events. I saw the best dragon dance in my life and many other excellent performances. Kenny is a very deep and thoughtful person, a mix of modern and traditional Chinese. The one who's proud to be Chinese in general. And he loves movies and American series like Prison Break and 24. I remember few days before I had to return to Europe, we went to the movies with him and his wife (the second sister a.k.a. Er Jie) and saw Underworld 3. It was not a bad movie, but more of a special effects flick than something plot-driven. Anyway, I had a nice time with Kenny.

The father - cared like a real father

The third male person, that really liked me, was my girlfriend's father. I couldn't hang out with him, because he mostly spoke hokkien (a Chinese dialect) and I spoke English. So we used sign language or sometimes he would say few words in English and surprise me. He's an almost 60 year old Chinese man, he's very skinny and loves to be shirtless, because it's so hot. That's why his skin is dark brown (almost like Malay). He loves to smoke and drink coffee. Since I like coffee, too, he would always make some for both and just bring it to me or he'd invite me out for coffee. Aside from that, he'd bring me fruits and sweets and food and drinks. He would always offer me something, even bring me somewhere out to eat. People sometimes said we were like 'chicken and duck'. It's a Chinese saying, implying that 2 people spend time together who don't speak the same language. Anyway, if I'd speak some of his language, I'm sure we could bond more and have some conversations. I remember when I got sick around new year, he would always check on me, if I'm ok, if I need something. That showed me that he really cares about me. Even if sometimes was hard to tell him that I wasn't hungry or thirsty, I still thought better a possible father-in-law that cares too much than too little. He was also the initiator of the big surprise the sisters staged when they bought me the new Nokia E66. I will never forget, how he gave me the Nokia in a box and I was totally astonished. Since I wanted to buy it with my own money, I didn't expect that they will surprise me with a farewell present of that kind. That's still unforgettable for me and thank you all and special thanks to the father who had this idea.

The Chinese sisters

And now to the female part. My girlfriend had 7 sisters! No a single brother. Then it's no wonder that it was sometimes loud and messy, but if they didn't argue, it was tons of fun. I really felt that all of them became my sisters, from the smallest (Xiao Mei, 17) to the eldest (Da Jie, 30). I had fun with most of them. The ones who spoke English were easier to approach for me. Among them were Da Jie, the big sister and Ah Wen, the 7th sister.

Ah Wen - the funny sister

Ah Wen is 19. I really like her. She's the most funny of all the sisters, her English is sufficient to have a nice chat. And she's a very warm and approachable person, who loves to chat. It was the easiest for me to ask her, if I needed something. She would always bring me some food from the hawker. I don't know who payed, but I'm sure she treated me many times, although she didn't have a job and was usually short on money. I wanted to giver her the money for the meal, but she always rejected it. I remember when I ask her: "How come you always bring me food?" she replied: "You are my future bro-in-law, you are part of my family, so it's normal that I will do that." That was very touching for me. I know she will be very successful. She's pretty, very outgoing and smart. She dreams of being a stewardess, but wasn't lucky so far. I hope her dream will come true. I'd be so happy for her. I miss her a lot. She is still texting me sometimes and I'm very happy about that.

Da Jie - the big sister

Besides Ah Wen, there was Da Jie, who chatted with me a lot. Her English was just enough to communicate. Even though she struggled with it, I always felt very comfortable talking to her. She's a warm person as well. She had 2 kids (now already 3) and is married over 12 years. She's the big sister and I can understand her role, since I am the big brother to my two sisters. She cares about everybody. She likes to be involved. Some didn't like that, but to me she was always very kind and would always help me, be there for me. I really like her. I remember we had many conversations during some trips in the car. That was fun.

Xiao Mei - the little sister

The other sisters weren't fluent in English so much, that's why I couldn't communicate with them as much as with Ah Wen and Da Jie. I could ask something in Chinese and would understand their answer, but was hard to have a good conversation. Regardless of that, I knew they liked me. There was Xiao Mei. She would be my guide when we went to temples or shopping malls. If I wanted to buy shoes or pants, she would be my girlfriend replacement. She would help me out find stuff and telling me if it looks good. She's the 'slow sister'. She likes to enjoy everything slowly and her sisters tease her that she's too slow and lazy. She loves to watch TV, mostly Taiwanese shows and reading Chinese novels. She's very cute and popular with everyone.

Ah Ling - the 6th sister

The 6th sister, Ah Ling, is 21. She has a boyfriend who would always drop by at the house, his name is Ah Juan. He's a very funny guy. They mostly spend time together. She was the one, who rarely spoke with me, because she was shy to speak English, so I really didn't get to know her until Chinese new year, when we played a lot of mahjong together. She opened up and I think she's a very nice girl.

Ah Juan - the second funny sister

And then there's Ah Juan! She is the one who can be very loud and funny, usually both at the same time. The first days she was a bit reserved towards me, but she soon warmed up and I had a lot of fun with her, especially when we played mahjong during Chinese new year. One time we played almost all night and she and Ah Wen were so funny, that we were laughing out loud in the middle of the night, while other's were sleeping. That was some crazy time I won't forget.

San Jie - the third sister

Then there is the 3rd sister, San Jie. She's Michelle's and Bubuleh's mother. She didn't live at home anymore, but she would visit a lot. She didn't speak English, but she treated me food many times or invited me out. Thank you for that, I won't forget. She had the Nokia E66 and when I saw it, I checked it out and decided that this is the cell phone I want. And in the end I got it, thanx to all the sisters (read this post). Amazing.

Er Jie - the second sister

The last one of the sisters is the 2nd sister or Er Jie. She is the tallest and skinniest of all of them, but also the loudest. She really has a hot temper I never saw before. You have to experience it to see what I mean. She's Kennie's wife and sometimes I really felt bad for him. But on the other hand, he was really a lucky man, because when she was happy and relaxed, she was such a sunshine and fun to be with. She really has 2 sides and you better stay away from her when she's under stress. She fetched me and my girlfriend from Changi Airport, when we returned from Hong Kong and she also accompanied us to Kuala Lumpur airport when we left. I remember I snapped a photo with her when we waited for my plane back to Europe. She's a nice girl and I wish her well.

The mother - a great mom

I have to say something about my girlfriend's mom. She's really such a dilligent hard working woman you'll seldom meet anywhere. She has a small food stall that keeps her busy every day. She cooks for everybody, cleans the house, washes and irons. And everybody loves her, especially her grandchildren. She is a traditional Chinese woman, but she allows her daughters more than the father. She's the centre of the family. When the girls have problems, they would come to her and tell her what's on their minds. She would never tell or gossip, she would listen and advice. And the girls really love her for that. She is such an amazing lady. She always cooked such a great Chinese food, which I really miss. She always looked after me, asked me if I needed something. She would just ask me in Chinese and when I learned some more, I replied in Chinese as well. Even if we had communication issues, I always felt welcome. Thank you, auntie. I miss you.

A great girl

And to round up my Batu Pahat experience, I have to write something about the girl whose family hosted me, the girl who was the reason I came to Malaysia, to Batu Pahat. She is now my ex girlfriend, but I am not used to this ex when I'm talking about my time in Batu Pahat. She was my girlfriend at that time and that's why I dropped the ex until here. Well, if you follow me on my blog, you have noticed we broke up recently. Nevertheless, that won't tarnish my fond memories of that time. It was one of the best times I ever had and I'm really thankful to you. You are a great girl and I always had tons of fun with you, when I was there. You were busy a lot, but when we had some free time, we mostly enjoyed it. I won't forget our happy days and unforgettable nights, our trips to KL, Singapore, Hong Kong, Genting, Kluang and Muar... We really had many ups and few downs, but it won't change how I feel about this time: I feel happy and filled with unforgettable memories for life. That's why I had to let these emotions out here on my blog. Whatever will happen in the future, whichever direction our lives will go to, I will always cherish this time, our time, and everything that I recieved. I felt being part of a big family. At least once in my life I was that lucky. This gave me strength for the future. All the kids and all your sisters, who liked me, gave me something money could never buy: love, care and true friendship. I can't thank you enough and I can't tell you enough how much good luck I wish to you and to your whole family, to the all of the people I've met and learned to like and appreciate. I miss you all very much. 谢谢你们!

[My MALAYSIA page][My BATU PAHAT page][All photos by MKL, 2008/09]