About Nude Not Naked

I finally arrived home at 1:30 a.m. after a nice supper with mum and dad. The journey was made hellish by the fact that we had to sit in the taxi area for 2.5 hours because some smart person checked his/her luggage into the hull but failed to show up for the actual boarding. Security checks were inevitable, prompting the airplane to lack the adequate fuel it needed to fly the 13 hour journey to Singapore. Which only meant we were all punished to sit in the plane even longer while they refueled. The stewards and stewardesses were excellent though and the journey was fine as soon as we took off.

On the opposite aisle sat this elderly couple. We exchanged smiles occasionally while on the 13 hour plane journey but we broke into laughter when we saw each other again at the Gate F52, to board the connection flight to KL. We soon warmed up into a lovely conversation. They were gentle and warm, extremely maternal/paternal, which was really nice while one is travelling alone. I found out that they were Burmese and so I related the story of how I have relatives living in Yangon. The man then said that I looked Burmese and I smiled.

It is a compliment. Burmese and Thais have about the prettiest girls in the world. Vietnam too, from what all the travelling tales I had heard. While waiting for the skytrain to arrive, a man asked me for directions. We chatted when the train arrived and I told him that he could follow me as I was going towards the baggage area. By luck or chance, we were actually on the same flight!

"So where are you from?" I asked. From his accent, I knew he was not British.

"Italy," he said.

"Oh? My ex-boyfriend recently started work in Milan."

"Milan is a beautiful city."

"That, I knew," I said, as I turned towards him and smiled. "My ex-boyfriend made sure I knew it."

He was chuffed.

I love conversations. I enjoy great conversations with the most unusual people. Like the elderly couple from Yangon, who are now professors in IMU. Like this new man, who asked me for directions. Needlessly to say, he flashed his business card when we walked through the immigration. Perhaps he was pleased that I really waited for him, when I said I did.

"So (are) you going out any time in the next four days?" he asked.

In my mind, thoughts of drinking with YC and new Italian blonde haired Francesco (that's the second Francesco from Italy that I know) flashed through my mind, like the neon lights and pyro. It is hard for a leopard to change her spots.

Rolled in my bed and as I had expected, I fell asleep right after the Muslim first call to prayer. It was my bodyclock working right on time. At least something worked like the clock! This morning I got up to 8 emails from Alex. Seven of them were facts about Malaysia. Alex and I were discussing about power generation in Malaysia before leaving. But seriously who cares about the second, third, fourth or fifth email? I only cared for the first, which was a private love letter.


First email on the first day back home in Malaysia.

Hello there. Was strange driving back. Charged with emotion, made listening to ipod songs more interesting, as if hearing them for the first time. Ate the other half of the chocolate tart, now feeling bloated. Got 8 mini scotch eggs from Tesco for 18p on my way back... Quiet when I woke up this morning. I remember it took me a while to get used to the noise when you first got here, now I have to get used to the quiet.

Love,
Alex