Today is Dec 31, the last day of 2003 and on Jan 2, 2004, I will fly back to the U.S. I have a sneaky feeling that my mother will be glad to see me go. She has been really busy, cooking different dishes for me to eat. At the same time, she is having a new kitchen built for her and that is a major chore. It is interesting to see how she manages the workmen, this mother of mine who is 73 years old. She definitely has her own ideas of what she wants. I have learnt not to impose my ideas on her and hence has done a little more this time NOT to add to her stress level (hehehehe .....)

I will be sorry to leave my daughter, Wena, again but like my mother, I am sure she will also be glad to see me go. Three strong willed women under the same roof is not always a good thing for a long time. The years have added to my slow growing wisdom and therefore, we get on better during this visit.

I am updating this blog from Kuching, Malaysia. I am visiting my mother and this is within one year. Wah, the flight was too long although I had an empty seat next to me and I had an aisle seat as well. I was really fed up with sitting in airports and on airplanes. Of course, having my flight from DFW leaving late and then arriving in LA to find that my Malaysian airline flight had been changed to leave two hours early was not a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say. When I arrived at the checkin counter in LA, the line was reallly short. I was so sookoo, I thought that I was really early!!!! Maybe I should have gone to the transfer counter. Of course, my two bags did not arrive in Kuching with me. They came two days later and guess what, we had to return to the Kuching airport to pick them up. At least Northwest airline delivers missing luggage to your home when they find them!

Kuching has grown tremendously and continue to grow. Buildings are popping up everywhere, and there are restaurants at every corner of each street. Colours everywhere. Guess what? I find myself eating with my fork when I am here. Then I find myself eating with my spoon when I am in the U.S. Those of you who eat with a fork and spoon in Malaysia know what I am talking about. Also, the way the Brits handle their silverware is slightly different from the way the U.S. do. Little things but big things when in a crowd.

So far, I have eaten durians, Sarawak laksa, Penang laksa (in KLIA and darn expensive), kueh tweo fried with ketchup, chicken rice, ice kachang (ohhh, I love this), prawn cakes, etc. Best of all, is eating with my mother and brother, Cyril. They let me order for them and share what they have--more variety that way. The food is so cheap here. I am going to put on so much weight on this trip.