I’m going to Malaysia on Wednesday.

I’ve spoken to dad a couple of times in the last week and he sounds pretty excited that Nick and I are coming.  It will be good to see him again...but...I always laugh when I see the Malaysian Tourism posters and ad campaigns touting Malaysia as this fantastic holiday destination.  Because for me, it has never been a holiday.  First of all, there’s the complicated extended family element, with aunts and uncles and cousins and Mama and trying to work out who is feuding with who and trying to navigate through the wilderness of bruised egos and histrionics. 

Then there’s the lack of independence element.  I was saying to my counsellor earlier this year that when I go overseas usually, I do the research, I work out how to get around on public transport, I work out all the places I’d like to go.  But even though I’ve been going to Kuala Lumpur since I was a baby, I know absolutely nothing about its geography, how to get around, what to do or what to see.  It just doesn’t make sense to me as a place.  We normally go everywhere in a Jee family pack, from mama’s place to an uncle’s place to an eating place to a mall to a market.  But I have no idea how any of these places fit together.  Where is the centre of KL?  I have no idea.

I’ve been swinging between calmness and mild panic when I think about this trip.  Thankfully we’ll be staying at dad and Janice’s new house so we’ll have our own rooms (not like the last time we went when Nick, dad and I all shared an un air-conditioned room at my grandma’s place (actually Nick and dad had to share a bed because there were only two beds, so I should be grateful I had my own bed that time...blurgh)).  Apparently we’re going to go to Pulau Pangkor for a couple of days, which will be lovely I’m sure.  But then there’s the great unknown - two weeks of...what?  Dad’s probably going to be working most of that time...what will we be doing?  Shopping?  I don’t have any money and there’s not much I want to buy there.  Once you cancel out the counterfeit luxury goods and DVDs as an option, you can get most of it back here in Australia for a similar price these days.  Hmm.

My counsellor suggested that this time I research KL like I would any other city, and kind of take control of the trip.  It sounded like a good idea, in principle, but I know that with any Jee family holiday, you have to hold your plans loosely.  I’m kind of nervous.