My first post!

I am sure you are all surprised that Deb has finally succumbed to blogging. :) The only problem is - what do I write???

My time home has been pretty eventful so far. It started even before I left Adelaide. At 11 a.m. on Saturday I was all packed and ready to go, and getting a bit impatient. So I thought I'd lock up my bag. Which was when I suddenly realised I had forgotten the code! I'm not sure if you've seen my bag but it has one of those locks where you have a 3 digit code you have to enter to lock and unlock the bag. The last time I used the bag was in Dec 2004 and I tried every combination number I thought possible with no success. So I had to do it the long way... starting with 000, 001, 002, 003 etc... and then to 010, 011, 012, etc. You can image the panic setting in.

When I went up to 499, I thought to myself this is absolutely ridiculous. At any rate, it was highly unlikely I would start the code with 5, so I tried starting from the back, i.e. 901. Thankfully, the lock opened at 921. That number doesn't even stand for anything! But I don't know how to change the code so I guess it will have to stay that way.

The good thing is at least I had something to do to pass the time - it was now 11.40 a.m.

Then... my flight. After a long journey stuck between big people (yup I was the one in the very middle of 5 seats), I arrived at KLIA to find out that my KL - Pg flight was cancelled and I was put on a later flight (and the MAS people in Adelaide didn't inform me, I might add). AND of course I didn't have a mobile phone with me to inform anyone. It was at times like this that I thought maybe I should have listened to Esther's advice after all. ;) Even worse I had no Malaysian coins to make a call. It was a good thing I accidentally met Patrick (from OCF UniSA) and Janice (from OCF Ade Uni) at KLIA and used Patrick's phone. Didn't want my parents to start panicking when their darling daughter didn't appear at 11.15 pm as planned. (Incidentally I phoned my dad during the evening service so the whole church heard his phone ring - :) well he should have switched off his phone!)

It is a strange thing but at KLIA it seemed everyone was going back to Adelaide. Apart from Patrick and Janice, we met Debra Gonzago and a few other people I have unfortunately forgotten. Anyway I finally got onto my connecting flight and arrived in Penang.

THEN I went to wait for my luggage. And the longer I waited, the more I panicked. I had this strange sense of dejavu - felt just like the first time I came home in 2001 and my luggage went missing. And of course it would be just the only time I did not label my luggage with my name and contact details!

Thankfully, my bag finally appeared.

THEN I walked out and whadaya know, the customs guy decides that I look really suspicious. I was asked (in very fast Malay I might add) to go to the corner where another guard promptly took my bag and put it through those scanning machines. By this time I was so tired (it was past midnight in Malaysia) and not a bit annoyed so you can excuse my slight twinge of "I told you so" when the guard expressed surprise at finding my huge bag was so light.

And finally, I could get out of the airport and meet my family.

Apart from the little glitches on my journey home I have had a wonderful time so far. Been eating lots and reading lots and shopping. :) Of course I've knocked over a cup of teh peng all over my 2nd of the three pairs of clothing I brought home - so had to go shopping quickly. Haha. And I knocked over a bottle of cold water too. And I've forgotten how to count in Hokkien - which is really important when the hawker stall guy asks for money. But it's great being home. Feels a little weird, but great anyway. :)

Haha - and I thought I wouldn't know what to write. ANYWAY. Don't hold your breathe for the next blog post. :)