Firstly, sorry to our biggest blog fan (Grandma Crossley) for the lack of posts in the last week or so, I would love to be able to say we have been too busy to write or that we have not been able to get close to an internet connection.....In actual fact, it is more a case of us (me, Leon in particular) enjoying the slow passed lifestyle of KL living a little too freely, which has led to a week of general sleepiness and inertia. Alicia calls it laziness, I prefer catching up on 10 years worth of lost sleep, needless to say the 7am wake up swim on day 1 in Malaysia has not been recreated since.
I begin my long overdue update on the morning of Friday 18th December, in much the same way every day seems to start at Alicia's parents house, with one form or another of gastronomic breakfast delight. If it is not dining out at one of the local street restaurants feasting on Roti Cannai (a delicious savoury, slightly crispy fried bread similar in taste to a Naan from an English Curry house) with accompanying dishes of Dahl (a mild to medium thin vegetable curry which is mainly sauce) chicken curry (slightly spicier to the Dahl and a darkish red in colour again devoid of any chunks of meat and more a dipping sauce for the bread), and fried chicken and fish, it’s a carefully prepared sit down breakfast by Alicia’s Mummy Noraini of fresh local tropical fruits including papaya and mango or a fry up of some description…This particular morning starts with freshly squeezed apple and carrot juice (courtesy of Alicia’s father Ariffin), fresh seasoned beef sausage and egg on toast….yum yum…..
Post a much needed lie down to help the breakfast settle we dress the Christmas tree, (a perfectly shaped conifer that lives in the gardens until Christian guests join around this time of the year) take some photos and head off to Alicia’s friend Sarah’s for a brief spurt of girly gossip (I choose to read my book at this point) sunshine and swimming followed by a trip to one of the countless shopping malls, in this instance Banksa Village 1. At this stage, I feel I must apologise in advance, as shopping malls will be featuring quite heavily in my excerpts of the next few days overview. Being in a hot climate and in what still feels like holiday mode as apposed round the world trip mode and having never been away around this time of the year, I hadn’t really given much thought to Christmas. Being the token white boy (and therefore excuse for Christmas festivities) it appeared we would be having a traditional “Leon English Christmas” for which the giving and receiving of a bounty of gifts would feature heavily (hence a last minute shopping frenzy in many, many, many shopping malls………great)…anyway I digress. As Alicia and Mummy settle in to a few hours of manicure and pedicure pampering, I set off in search of adventure and Christmas pressies in Banksa Village 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc etc……….2 hours later and a little lighter in the pocket I make a few observations about my first Malaysian Mall experience. Firstly, if you enter a shop, any shop, expect to be accosted immediately and hounded by over zealous assistants, deep breaths and courteous leave me alone smiles necessary. Secondly, there seems to be a disproportionately high number of provocative ladies underwear shops for the size of the Mall and the number of other outlets. My favourite is creatively named, “Brutal”, I am presuming the owner didn’t reference the Oxford English dictionary literal translation before choosing. On picking up the now perfectly manicured mother and daughter we head of back to the Prima residence for tea before dinner with Alicia’s oldest and best buddies from her schooling days in Malaysia, all of which now live in various parts of the UK but have jetted over to be together for the first time in a long time for the first major wedding within their peer group.
We take a taxi to “La Bodega” (a tapas restaurant in Bangsa the area next to where Alicia lives) for sangria and refreshingly cool lager with Zara, Sian and Pete, Sara, Nathan and Derren all of whom (apart from Pete who is the other token boyfriend) went to school, and in some cases dated, one another at some stage in the last 10 years. Dinner was provided by the restaurant next door and girls old haunt, Chilli’s , whose menu is similar in style to TGI’s ie, fajitas, steaks, ribs etc…..as well as quality, the slightly over cooked steak and soggy chips not really hitting the spot. Following a free chocolate fudge pudding on account of the fact it was Zara’s 30th birthday…..she is 26, tut tut…….we go for a quick drink in a bar next door and then retire for some much needed beauty sleep for the big wedding!!!
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