Hari Raya = Trip Back to Manila

Tweet Living in KL means learning new things -- new culture, new holidays. It is the first time that I learned the true meaning of Ramadan and Hari Raya... apart from realizing it's an added holiday which you can get (when I was back in Manila they declare it a holiday but I didn't bother to know why).

Being among Malays at work made me realize the importance of their fasting. And even my single experience of Buka Puasa with a colleague made me appreciate the whole thing even more. It's such a great thing to understand the meaning behind what they are practicing.

The icing on top of the yummy cake is of course the added holiday we got. I was able to fly back to Manila for a 2-nights stay via Cebu Pacific (of course, what else?) Thank God for the Cebe Pacific flights which have made going back home so much more affordable.

The short stay in Manila surely made me realize many things (here I am again with my realizations....)

Yes, I do miss my family. I do miss my pedicure and massages. I missed grocery shopping in Unimart plus my "tiangge" shopping at Virra Mall and Shoppesville. One thing that I don't miss though is driving in Manila. Oh my ... the traffic in Ortigas was even worse than when I left! I wonder when will the government take all these things seriously? They are not putting permanent solutions in place. Plus all that never-ending digging on the road... when will they put a good road in place?

I tried not to complain about my hometown.... but really, the traffic and honking will get to you.

Apart from the heavy traffic, which will only get worse as December Christmas shopping fever comes, everything else was pleasant. I was able to visit the new Serendra strip which was bustling with new shops and restaurants. I had an overdose of sweets at the nice cupcake shop and the Miss Desserts place which served good cheesecakes. My sister showed me her new Serendra unit which was already handed over but going through some renovation before they move it. It seems pretty impressive -- so far one of the best projects in Manila.

I showed my other sister pics of our unit in Malaysia -- both the one where we are living in now and the one we bought. She was quite impressed with the layout and quality. I guess she sees it differently from typical people as she analyzes from the real estate agent point of view.

I still feel that we have made a good investment in KL, and I have good feelings about the years to come. There is potential growth in Malaysia, and as I said before, this is our new home.