The Adventures of the Little Indian Girl

One of the ladies in our First-time-Moms-to-be group is now in Hawai'i. And for whatever reason, it makes me so happy (I am literally doing a dance!) and yet makes me so sad. I want to go!! I want to be there!! I have never missed a place like I miss Hawai'i. It would seem so "duh! Who wouldn't miss Hawai'i?!" of course. But believe me, I have met many number of people who hated the place - I can see why but I don't understand them.

I enjoyed going back to see Brazil, I loved being back in Rome and seeing it through adult's eyes, I looked forward to going back to Singapore - but never got a chance, even though I lived next door in Malaysia for four years. But if you give me a ticket, I will be the first in line on the flight (and hey, now I have a baby and I would qualify to be first on the flight! Oh the benefits of being a parent are really starting to pay off!), to Honolulu. We have been saving up to go. And my best friend is back in town (another condition I had before we thought of going for a visit). And that time can't come sooner! 

I guess this answers the question, "which place did you like the most?" The thing though is for most it seems like the obvious answer. It's Hawai'i for goodness sakes! But it really is home. I just love the place, the people, the spirit. It fit me so very well! If only it didn't sit 2000 miles from any body of land, but maybe it is what it is because of that distance. But mostly it was the place where I spread my wings. I picked the college, I arranged everything, I flew there on my own from Singapore, I grew up there! I don't think I ever will get the kind of life I had there ever again. It was a huge challenge that I overcame. I was someone who was timid, afraid of everything, and for me to overcome that and love it, was a huge achievement.

If anyone asks me to suggest places when they are going to Rome, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur - I share a few suggestions. But the excitement, the joy doesn't come through the way it does when someone tells me they are going to Hawai'i! I can't wait for the day I get to take my husband and little one to show them my home. Until then, I have to live through other people's visits.

And those malasadas at Leonard's bakery are just to die for! The day to visit can't come fast enough! And you know, I will never think the time I will have there would be enough. But I will take what I get.

What a week it has been. It flew and yet I can remember each hour that passed through. My uncle & aunt, aunt's brother & sis-in-law and their son (three whom we met for the first time) stayed with us for three nights and left early, really early this morning. We walked and we walked miles in the two days we were out. It was really great and at times frustrating and at times amusing, and at times all mixed in one to see my uncle and aunt (who are in their early 60s) who have never been abroad before this trip interact with the many cultural and behavioral differences here. Uncle made a comment on how now he understands who I am better now than before; understands better the choices my parents had to make in my sis and my upbringing. There's a history behind us, that's for another day. But we really had a great time! It was sad to see them go. Really it was.

So, many times I also wished mom and dad were here. Wondered how it would be if they did come. I realist I wouldn't be able to walk miles with them as I did with the uncles and aunts, but we would have fun nonetheless in our own V family style.

And as the uncles and aunts and their son/nephew are reaching NYC, I am sitting in the living room that needs a thorough sweeping, the kitchen that needs cleaning (although the aunts really helped maintain it well), and mostly a quiet apartment. These are the moments I wish we were closer to family and friends. But hey, with today's break the schedule starts again. Tomorrow we will be out all day, Sunday N's friend is visiting us from New Mexico and the life carries on.

It's funny like that.