2 hellos and 3 goodbyes

While at the Mall the other day I decided to have some sushi. The waiter casually asked if I was from Mal@ysia. I said yes I was and asked if they had any M@laysian staff. Turned out there was a M@laysian cook. The waiter persuaded the cook to say Hello to me. To my surprise it was Nizam. He's been here for 6 months now and has decided that enough was enough and he wants to leave the country. He can't survive here any longer he said.

"I just wanted to perform my umrah and since I did that already, I think its time for me to leave." He told me.

"Why don't you perform your Haj as well?" I asked him.

Thats another 4 months. Seems like eternity.

Hello 1 - Goodbye 1


Ix called me to asked me if I heard that DN was leaving. What? They are my neighbours and yet I didn't hear anything about it. DN just came back three days ago and they are leaving next Wednesday.

Apparently DN's MIL persuaded them to return. Her MIL was nervous about the goings on in Leb@non. DN's husband got an oppurtunity to return and so he said yes and tendered his resignation here. He's only been here a year, and she 8 months.


He told his employers that he simply could not adjust to life here. And DN told me that he was sick all the time.

Perhaps it stems from being home sick.

Hello 1 - Goodbye 2

Nia is leaving for good. The packers are coming next Saturday.

I will lose my gossip pipeline. Not that I miss the gossip pipeline part but she has been a very good neighbour. She understood when I needed to hibernate and left me alone. And when I was ready to get out, she'd keep me updated with the goings on. She's one of those people who has all her cards out in the open and she keeps it very real all the time. And I like that.

I don't like the pretenders who try to put a nice and smiley face in front of you and say all sorts about you once your back is turned. But its her time to move on. She's been here over 7 years and she is looking forward to the move. And I am happy for her.

Perhaps I will visit her in R@bat or P@ris one day.

Hello 1 - Goodbye 3

Met Tina at a friend's house. It looks like we expats have a checklist of questions we ask each other when we meet.

1. Where are you from?
2. How long have you been here?
3. How long are you planning to stay here?

Tina told us she's only here for the job although her position back home is still open for her when she gets back.

For us, Q1 is easy enough, even though people do get confused sometimes. Q2, is rather straightforward also I am surprised at how long we have been here. But Q3 is rather complicated. We've been asked that so often and yet we don't even know the answer. I have come to say:

"It all depends on the Allmighty's will. If he decides that we could stay here we stay. If he gives us oppurtunities elsewhere we'll move on."

My dearest sometimes say, "Depends on how the day in the office has been. When things are going smoothly its okay, but when the politics gets too frustrating I just feel like moving on."

Only time will tell.

Hello 2 - Goodbye 3

Thats just for this week. Its tiring and sometimes sad but that's just life I guess.