It's been an eventful week for pretty much everyone in the family; with most of them ubiquitously sequestered across the globe, amassing three continents. With Aiysha going about her classes back in Malaysia and with me here Down Under, the other party of four embarked on the business of welcoming a new graduate in the exclusive party of MDs;
Congratulations, Dr. Mas Afzal Masarudin. The journey has been equally arduous and trying, but rest assured that all of us are very, very proud of you. I know you'll make to be an excellent practitioner in the future, so may this be the start of much greater endeavors in your life.
Word has also come to me that they've just concluded their Old Trafford visit in Manchester, and looking forward for their 'Le Tour de France' soon - so looks like they're all having fun prancing Europe at the moment.
Speaking of whereabouts, last Saturday another cousin of mine arrived for a weeks' visit to Victoria. Imran is a cousin on my father's side of the family, and we are rather close cousins although we rarely do meet unless on special occasions. He currently studies at Marquarie Uni in Sydney. It's their semester break so they took this as an opportunity to get to know the Southern coast better.
Thanks to my latent flummox of thinking they had touchdown in Tullamarine - instead of Avalon, we ended up in an idiosyncratic mishap of driving all the way to the airport and back for nothing. Good thing Imran and his entourage came prepared and had precariously opted for car rental prior, so with the help of GPS technology they found their way into Mews at about 15-mins shy of 1am. Showed them their nests for the week to come shortly upon arrival, and then left them to their slumbers; in anticipation for an orientation of the city upon daybreak.
On Sunday I decided to take them on a brief tour of the city, and show them whereabouts of places to visit. What was at first planned as an outing of just me and the five of them around the city, quickly turned out as a guy's day out - with Yusry, Fendi, Mahathir, Jimin and Shariman tagging along for lunch.
Under the courtesy of another good friend of mine - Omar assisted in becoming their tour guide into the city.
Of course, being an advocate for Melbourne city - it would be an umbrage to start the tour on an empty stomach. We quickly opted for lunch at one of they city's best (few) Halal establishments - Es Teller.
Imran told me that Halal food, yet alone Malay food was a bit of a scarce and expensive option in Sydney. So they were very much impressed on how much more affordable these esculent treats are here. Es Teller is known for a number of their signature dishes, and that included their fried oxtail and oxtail soup which is conveniently becoming one of their must-haves on each visit.
It was a succulent affair of the tastebuds, and fast forward a fairly decent hour later - we made way through the streets of Lygon into the city. Omar and I played tour guide while the rest of the pack headed for Savers to get some stuff for our upcoming Buller trip.
We then became the official photographers for Imran's entourage, and had a fun time bringing them around the city. And forcing them for conspicuously speculative poses.
Their tour had consisted of the usual trifecta - Swanston St, Fed Square and the Shrine of Remembrance. Somehow this arrangement conveniently beleaguered our schedule, and we also had the time to show them Etihad's AFL stadium as well, as sunset beckons.
To end their 1st day in the city, Omar and I joined the rest of the gang for a cuppa Teh Tarik at Lygon's Lazzat Restaurant. Spent a good hour chatting and hanging out, sharing lots of laughs and gossip - before leaving for Bundoora at half past 6pm.
We may have covered a great circumference of the city, but there were more for them to explore and luckily they still had a day to spare for this. These kids have their week all planned out - yesterday was gold-mining at Ballarat, today skiing on the slopes of Buller. I've asked them for a free day tomorrow so that they can tour the city some more - before the long trip of Great Ocean Road and Philip Island proceeding on Thursday and Friday. Something tells me by the end of the week - they'll have their knees at their ankles and shoulders on their waist. But this regardless, would be preceded by lots of fun and new experiences of course.
As for me? I'm very much looking forward for the coming of the week after this. They say waiting is a game of agony, and I now find the chiasmus is surely an opus that tries the soul.
If only I had Hermione's time-turner.
-JeP
Congratulations, Dr. Mas Afzal Masarudin. The journey has been equally arduous and trying, but rest assured that all of us are very, very proud of you. I know you'll make to be an excellent practitioner in the future, so may this be the start of much greater endeavors in your life.Word has also come to me that they've just concluded their Old Trafford visit in Manchester, and looking forward for their 'Le Tour de France' soon - so looks like they're all having fun prancing Europe at the moment.
Thanks to my latent flummox of thinking they had touchdown in Tullamarine - instead of Avalon, we ended up in an idiosyncratic mishap of driving all the way to the airport and back for nothing. Good thing Imran and his entourage came prepared and had precariously opted for car rental prior, so with the help of GPS technology they found their way into Mews at about 15-mins shy of 1am. Showed them their nests for the week to come shortly upon arrival, and then left them to their slumbers; in anticipation for an orientation of the city upon daybreak.
On Sunday I decided to take them on a brief tour of the city, and show them whereabouts of places to visit. What was at first planned as an outing of just me and the five of them around the city, quickly turned out as a guy's day out - with Yusry, Fendi, Mahathir, Jimin and Shariman tagging along for lunch.
Under the courtesy of another good friend of mine - Omar assisted in becoming their tour guide into the city.
Of course, being an advocate for Melbourne city - it would be an umbrage to start the tour on an empty stomach. We quickly opted for lunch at one of they city's best (few) Halal establishments - Es Teller.
Imran told me that Halal food, yet alone Malay food was a bit of a scarce and expensive option in Sydney. So they were very much impressed on how much more affordable these esculent treats are here. Es Teller is known for a number of their signature dishes, and that included their fried oxtail and oxtail soup which is conveniently becoming one of their must-haves on each visit.
It was a succulent affair of the tastebuds, and fast forward a fairly decent hour later - we made way through the streets of Lygon into the city. Omar and I played tour guide while the rest of the pack headed for Savers to get some stuff for our upcoming Buller trip.We then became the official photographers for Imran's entourage, and had a fun time bringing them around the city. And forcing them for conspicuously speculative poses.
Their tour had consisted of the usual trifecta - Swanston St, Fed Square and the Shrine of Remembrance. Somehow this arrangement conveniently beleaguered our schedule, and we also had the time to show them Etihad's AFL stadium as well, as sunset beckons.
To end their 1st day in the city, Omar and I joined the rest of the gang for a cuppa Teh Tarik at Lygon's Lazzat Restaurant. Spent a good hour chatting and hanging out, sharing lots of laughs and gossip - before leaving for Bundoora at half past 6pm.
We may have covered a great circumference of the city, but there were more for them to explore and luckily they still had a day to spare for this. These kids have their week all planned out - yesterday was gold-mining at Ballarat, today skiing on the slopes of Buller. I've asked them for a free day tomorrow so that they can tour the city some more - before the long trip of Great Ocean Road and Philip Island proceeding on Thursday and Friday. Something tells me by the end of the week - they'll have their knees at their ankles and shoulders on their waist. But this regardless, would be preceded by lots of fun and new experiences of course.
As for me? I'm very much looking forward for the coming of the week after this. They say waiting is a game of agony, and I now find the chiasmus is surely an opus that tries the soul.If only I had Hermione's time-turner.
-JeP
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