What Freedom Looks Like So Far.

Okay, it's been about a week since I last finished my first semester of my second year in university woohoo and all that. Whatever really. 

Sorry I haven't posted since then because first of all, right after exams (last paper was my Japanese Studies module; damn that module. Hated it so much but hey, that's just me), I straight away balas dendam tengok K-drama, i.e. The Heirs. Lee Minho, kenapa handsome sangat. Kim Woobin pun. Hais. 

So, ended my exams on the third, right? After watching dramas and slacking (exciting life huh), I met up with Selasih, Nabilah and Syafiqah at Orchard on the fifth for some sushi and doughnuts. Sad to say (or not), it felt so weird going to places other than school and home. At the same time, it feels so good to be somewhere other than school and home. Padahal negeri ni kecik je tau. 

Talking about small countries, one thing that I've recently discovered from my recent travels (cheh like real only) to Korea and Indonesia is the different sense of time/temporality that the people of those countries have as compared to us in Singapore or other small countries. What I mean is that their definition of a far distance or a long journey is different from our definition. Personally, anywhere beyond Woodlands and Redhill is far to me (I live in the West). Anything more than 20 minutes on the train or bus is a long journey to me. But when I was in Korea/Indonesia, their definition of far is on a larger scale. And what I deem far is near for them. I think the different sense of temporality/spatiality can be attributed to the different sizes of our respective home countries and I find that just so amazing. That your environment, that geography, that just by being where you are can affect your ways of thinking. 

Moving on, shall I talk about Surabaya? I went there for a bit before my exams for my cousin's wedding. It was a simple affair yet fascinating because it showed how some places still hold on strongly to their adat despite the coming of Islam. My cousin lives in Surabaya, which is in Java (East or Central or what, I don't know), and they still practise Javanese traditions in some parts of their lives like weddings. My cousin's Boyanese but her husband is Javanese and she does live in Java afterall so the whole affair was pretty Javanese. Or it may seemed like so to me because I've never seen half of the things they were doing. There was this part where my cousin, the bride, was waiting for her husband to come and when he did, she knelt in front of him and washed his feet with air bunga. Afterwards she walked around him for a few rounds and that strongly reminded me of the Hindu solemnization practice but it was the man that was in place of the fire. Hmm. 

Anyway, Surabaya was good because FOOD. My cousins and relatives who actually reside in Boyan also came over for the wedding and they brought loads of Boyanese goodies with them. *cues in heavenly voices* I grew up eating Boyanese products only on occasions when relatives who visited Boyan brought some home. Never everything at once though. It's stuff that everyone's eaten before but only that they're from Boyan. Boyanese rice, Boyanese dodol, Boyanese rojak (made with ikan tenggiri petis; definitely one of a kind), boiled Boyanese peanuts (it's a newfound love affair) and Boyanese mangoes. BOYANESE MANGOES ARE TO DIE FOR, I KID YOU NOT. I ate mangoes every day, it's a wonder my tummy didn't protest. Then my relatives packed us kemet (preserved sea cucmbers aka gamat and salty as heck but just heavenly with celok bendeh), Boyanese sugar (brown/red sugar from Boyan are just a different league altogether) and more Boyanese dodol (I love this more than I love KPop. Now you know.) 

Wow. I'm not even gonna think about the amount of fats I have accumulated. 

Anyway! Fast forward again to after exams. I set off for KL with the usual suspects on the sixth. That is, last Friday. But without Syera this time round because she has exams. Well, last time Syafiq and I couldn't make it for Genting because we had exams so hehe. Actually, instead of KL, we went to Sunway Lagoon. And we stayed ensconced in the whole compound for three days straight, just binging on food and chillaxing like nobody's business. The first day, after checking in, we walked around the mall (I swear that place is huge and has EVERYTHING YOU WILL EVER NEED), satisfying our food cravings. Simply put, Krispy Kreme, Auntie Anne's and Subway became our daily staples for the three days. With a side of Baskin Robbins, Starbucks and apa-apa entah lah benda-benda edible yang sungguh tak sihat. Like I said, I'm not even gonna think about the amount of fats I have accumulate. Teehee. 

We also watched movies late into the night. Or Mai and I did anyway. Watched Thor 2, came out, bought tickets and went in again to watch Battle Of The Year. Me likey. 

On the second day, we went to the waterpark and themepark and tried most of the rides out. Everything for RM120. Kind of expensive, considering the choices of rides on offer (nothing outstanding to me; none of them made me want to go for a second round) but the current exchange rates, which were/are working in our favour, fortunately, kinda evened it out so it wasn't too bad. Dragged Maira and Nabilah to Dubu Dubu to eat Korean food for dinner afterwards. Balas dendam (yet again) with the soft tofu stew, green onion pancake and spicy rice cakes. Made me reminisce about Seoul. Summer 2013 was definitely an experience I will never forget ;) Anyway, second night was full of merepek activities. Standard lah eh kira. Hahaha. 

So yeah, currently preparing for the Magetan trip on the sixteenth and I have a busy weekend ahead right before the day of the trip. My cousin's getting married plus there's Naufal and Syafikah's majlis as well. 

Only the start of the school holidays yet why do I feel so much dread for the upcoming school semester? Gotta plan properly for this upcoming one. 

Hais.