Malaysia here I come!!

I'm getting really excited, I have approx 3 weeks before I'll be hopping in a plane and heading to the other side of the globe to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia....MY hometown! I'm sure everyone of you can point it out on the map but just in case you "forgot" here's some info on Malaysia

It has been almost 4 years since I've been back and I'm really excited to be able to meet all of my family and pig out at all the different kinds of foods, YUM :D I hope this trip will be a good one, especially since this is the first time I'll be going home since I got a "real" job and plus the last time I was home it was not exactly the best trip.

Recall to Malaysia trip 2001:
It was in 2001 and I had just graduated from University of Arkansas and had just moved to Dallas, TX and was looking for a job when I got an urgent call from my family at home that I need to get home ASAP, Mom was not feeling well. With not much $$$ I got on the first plane home. The day I arrived Mom was happy that her baby boy was home but I could tell something was not right. The next day she had to be admitted into the hospital, and that was when her condition started getting from bad to worst and within 3 weeks she had passed away from Chronic Myleoid Leukemia on August 31, 2001, coincidentally it was Malaysia's national day. While everyone else was celebrating, we were all grieving. At that time I was only 24yo and had never lost anyone close to me, I had no idea how to deal with it and it was incredibly hard. My friends were all in the US so I didn't really have anyone to talk to. I just behaved like nothing had happened but deep down I was crushed, I have always had this image of being successful and being able to spoil my Mom, take her out, travel and give her anything she wanted but it was too late. I don't think the feelings ever go away, one just learns how to deal with it and gets used to it as time goes by.
As if things were not bad enough 11 days later (9/11) I saw the twin towers collapsed on TV and could not believe my eyes. I was glad to find out my friend Lin was safe after talking to her Mom. A month after that I had to get on a plane to head back to Dallas, TX. I was worried about everything, I didn't feel safe on the plane, I wasn't sure if I could get back into the country with no status, if I could find a job etc etc. But things worked out eventually. I got back and and got hired at my present company on Jan 15, 2002, I want to think that my Mom had something to do with that. She was definitely looking over me.

So right now I'm just making all the necessary preparations for my trip home. I have so far spent way too much and I am not even done yet. Bicycling jerseys for bro#1, Coach hand bag for sis-in-law#1, shoes for dad, jeans for sis-in-law#2, shoes for aunt, misc for bro#2, all other friends and relatives. To top it all off, I had just purchased a new cell phone and a new bedroom set so you can imagine what my credit card statement looks like **eeekk** I think that my trip home will definitely set me back around $3K-4K but I'm sure it'll all be worth it so no worries about that. I've worked hard all year so this is the time to CELEBRATE!!! yeeeaaah...

OK now this trip home, I definitely want to relax, eat, and shop till I drop. Every $1 here is worth approx RM3.50!!! So things will definitely be cheaper there. I also want to go back to Penang where my parents are from and touch base with all my relatives. Besides the food in Penang is to die for :P I will also be attending my 2nd bro's Wedding on Sept 25th which yours truly will be the bestman (which reminds me I have to get a speech ready) so that will be absolutely awesome. Aside from all the fun I'm going to have, I do have some concerns. I have been living a relatively "out" life here in the United States but no one in my family knows. I am seriously contemplating coming out to my Dad and 2 brothers and I totally have no idea what will come of that. I mean it's about time they find out, I'll be 28yo this October. I'm sick and tired of them asking me if I've got a gf yet or when am I getting married or Nick it's time to settle down. I mean come on, they have to have an idea...I'm 28 and have never had a gf and never talk about girls the way straight guys do! It's not like I'm a toad, I'm cute, smart, outgoing, friendly and successful and not one gf, is that like the biggest red flag ever, you tell me. And besides, may I say a very good dresser and have excellent taste ;) They should know by now!!! I just hope and pray that they can see that I'm still the responsible son/brother they have always had and that I lead a very "normal life" (whatever that means) working, saving and investing from day to day with a good set of friends with good values and morals AND not someone that they feel they don't "know" anymore. Well...I guess I'll just have to wait and see!