Final checks off my list

I'm leaving tonight(technically on Saturday but it's at 1am so I still have to be at the airport tomorrow) and am frantically trying to find time for all my friends who I want to catch up with or meet again. Many people would probably say, why busy myself so much doing all of this in my last days here? I'm supposed to be chilling and packing up instead of heading out at all hours and arranging several meet ups in one day.

But the people who say that to me simply don't understand that this is an annual thing. I know I will not come back often and next time I do come back on holiday, who knows how long I can stay for. It's just that since I'm not working right now, I can afford the time to come back for a month. So many people whom I will not be able to meet for a long time, so many good things to eat that I will not be able to even sample once I'm back home. So of cos this frantic search for people and food is important to me. The the ENTIRE reason why I came back and for so long. Many assume it's because of Hari Raya...but tell you a secret...it's really not.

I doubt I'll come back for Hari Raya next year, heck I wasn't even planning on coming back for Hari Raya this year. But the timing just worked out that way. So anyway, with my final day in sight, I have been able to check most of the things on my list. My all important, Things to Eat list. I may have gained a couple of kilos in my quest but it's a small price to pay to release some of that sense of loss I had from being deprived of my beloved hot and spicy food.

Food or food places that I can finally strike off:

Nasi Lemak

Roti Prata (plain AND egg)

Laksa

Mee Siam

Nasi Padang

Hari Raya dishes and cookies!! (good time to come back)

Swensen's ice-cream, calamari and FISH & CHIPS! (amazingly, very difficult to find in Sweden)

Fish & Co seafood platter FOR TWO (for one is just NOT worth the money)

Thai Express

McCafe and cheesecake

Starbucks

KFC (this was THE fast food I was looking forward to most. No fried chicken place in Sweden!!)

Sambal fish and prawns

Fried Kway Teow

Hor Fun

Hokkien Mee

Maggi Noodles that's NOT Tom Yum (Tom Yum's the only flavour I eat back home)

Marriott's Crossroads Cafe Breakfast Buffet

Fried Wantan

Fried Sambal Kangkong

Wonderful soft soft bread (The breads at home are SOO hard!!)

Kaya

Ayam Masak Merah (The love of my life...in terms of food of cos. Must put disclaimer ah if not KENA)

McSpicy Burger

BK's Turkey Bacon Double (doesn't exist in Sweden!)

NYDC desserts

Sambal Stingray

Cereal Prawns

Indian Fried Bee Hoon

Teh Tarik

Chrysanthemum tea

Bandung

......

My list is actually much longer than this but these are the most important mentions. to me.

I will certainly miss all of that when I have to fly back in a few hours time. But most of all, I will miss the companionship and the long talks of all my near and dear friends and family who have kept me so occupied. The comfort of old friends is something that cannot be created and can only be enjoyed when the opportunity comes. I have yet to make my own social network and until then I hang on for dear life to the network I have in Singapore. This is my life line and part of the reason why I sometimes don't just run amok down the quiet streets of Askersund when I'm at my lowest.

Settling down in any new place is tough but without friends, it's always tougher. So thank you to all my friends who took the time to make my day, my week, my month. You have no idea how important you are and how grateful I am to you guys for your listening ears.

I'll see you next year, I just don't know when. Until then, I'll keep on posting my ramblings on this blog, to keep me safe, sane and most importantly, to keep me me.