People From The Sun,People To The Sea

There was a deluge of people of some fashion at the surau tonight. Many unfamiliar faces were present. Most of them were boys at early teen. Probably it's a long weekend at most boarding schools which explained their presence. A refreshing change since only the pakciks and the really nuisance boys are the main frequenters of the place.

Akak left for the UK tonight. He's probably on the plane now, waiting in great agitation for the flight to take off and whisk him to a faraway place. A whole new dimension is going to open before him after this. I wish you all the luck in finding your footing there. Tyra and Hay-Z will join you shortly. So, fret not 'cause you're not the only AKY there though you'll be the first!

Which leads me to my latest dilemma. My Visa application hasn't gotten through. So is Wan's. Inevitably, we have to delay our departure to an indefinite date. Which means that we're gonna miss the first few days of the Fresher's Week. We do not know the magnitude of damage caused by not attending the 'compulsory' (yes,they plainly stated it in our offer letters) programme but we sure as hell know that VFS has failed to keep their policy. Although it's understandable that this is a peak season when many apply for Visa, it's close to unprofessional to exceed the deadline promised. Heck, this is the seventh working day after we submitted our applications yet, there's still no decision from them! We're praying hard for an answer to be made latest by Monday.

The extra days at home can be considered as a boon for me. I've got additional time to spend with my beloved family. Heck, I haven't even started ringing people to inform them of my departure. With this extra time, I hope I can let my extended family members know of my leaving the country.

Of course, this also means that I have more chances to start learning how to cook. Yes peeps, I haven't so much braved into the kitchen than to get food from the fridge or to do the morning ritual of washing the dishes. Learning the culinary art is actually as hard as comprehending NMR in a stuffy lab to me. Oh well, I think I can list down the reasons why I'm still tangled in the ropes of cooking. Speaking of list, I notice that, of late, I've taken to posting my blog in this form. List is convenient to refer to. It also eliminates the need to write in long paragraphs which can be a tedium to readers. I still remember this Mercedes commercial (or was it BMW?) which explains why we make lists on a myriad of things.

Again, a digression. Here are a few reasons why I don't feel like venturing to the kitchen:

#1: My flat is at the mosque's kitchen doorsteps where Halal food is available and it's dirt cheap. So did Aqtar tell me. This is an excuse to eat out. Tesco is a stone's throw away too.

#2: I have this phobia of knives. It still marvels me to see people chopping onions or vegetables at a furious speed with the knife barely a hair away from their fingers. I always have this vision of me losing the tip of my fingers while handling a knife. Remember the Raja Bersiong tale? Say, I eat the vegetable smeared with trickles of my blood. Then, I'll develop an insatiable liking for human blood. How many people will I kill to keep me satiated? Hahaha. WTH! Anyways, I can't, for the life of me, understand why I have this fear since I'll be handling scalpels to cut people up. Please pretty please let it be a different experience!

#3: DoE has taught me more than how not to cuss or bite people's heads off when walking under the unforgiving Sun. It introduced me to Brahims and the wonders of express food. Although it's a hopeless plan to cling to this invention throughout the course of my stay there, it is nonetheless invaluable in helping me to settle down. I've been so ensnared by the promises of convenience conferred by it that 4 kg of my baggage comes from any number of instant food packets.

#4: Let it be known that it's not that I can't cook for peanuts. My proudest accomplishment is cooking chicken sauteed in oyster sauce (ah crap,the name isn't that fancy!). Although the meat went 3/4 cooked, it was still delectable. I didn't get an upset stomach after consuming it so I guess it's safe to consume not properly cooked chicken. Hey, the Japs do it on daily basis! Also, I can boil water, cook rice, fry eggs (with bits of sausage and cheese),boil eggs,and make French toast. Oh oh, I can prepare spaghetti provided that I have a can of Prego! Lol.

Cook-A-Rama, do hire me as a guest chef, ASAP.

But the raison d'etre of my reluctance to learn cooking is the fact that I'm lazy. It's as simple as that. If anyone plans to visit me, don't expect me to whip a gastronomical blowout. Wan, I'm counting on you to provide me with sustenance. Lol.

The idea of traipsing around the continent has already been conceived. Initial plans, although sketchy, are starting to take shape. Pretty ambitious for someone who hasn't got his Visa...