So I am moved out of my apartment and am ready to fly back to Malaysia in less than 24 hours. It seems like reality has finally hit after some chaotic weeks I had prior to this — graduation, conference preparations, and a trip to San Antonio just two days ago. I am feeling more than ready to get home and finally see my family and friends after two good years.

I am especially excited to meet my sister in person. Mandy is almost 16 months old and she is the newest member of the Tham clan. We have met on Skype but she hasn’t yet seen me in person. So, I anticipate our first encounter to be quite significant.

Other than spending time with my family and friends, I have made myself a list of things to do when I am in Malaysia since 1) I haven’t been doing a lot of the following for a long time, and 2) I don’t think I will be home after this year, for at least another 2-3 years.

Food

• Lou Shu Fun
• Pan Mee
• Curry Mihon/Mee
• Hokkien Noodles
• Sam Gan Zhong Pork Noodles
• Sliced Chicken Hor Fun
• Rojak
• Nasi Briyani
• Nasi Kuning
• Asam Laksa
• Curry Laksa
• Beef Rendang
• Char Kuey Teow
• Bak Kut Teh
• Fish Head Curry
• Char Siu
• Fried Tofu
• Popiah
• Some special Roti Canai
• Chatime Milk Tea
• Oldtown White Coffee
• Teh Tarik
• And whatever new/fancy in town

Movies

• X-Men
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2
• Maleficent
• The Fault in Our Stars
• How to Train Your Dragon 2
• Transformers 4
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
• Planes by Pixar
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Lucy
• (Probably) Guardians of the Galaxy

Things to do

• Visit Pesta 2014 in Perak
• Volunteer at 1st KL, and celebrate their 60th anniversary of founding
• Do design work for Survive and Thrive
• Write a book review for Social Media: Pedagogy and Practice
• Revise a journal article for resubmission
• Possibly co-author a journal article with a friend from MN
• Compile an Ebook for the op-ed I have written in the past
• Plan for fall semester’s university writing course
• Do readings for first semester PhD coursework

Of course, there will be other stuff to do, such as finding a temp job to make sure I can feed myself over the summer. But, the main thing I really want to accomplish this year is to enjoy Malaysia, and the blessings of being around my family and friends. As much as I love being in America, Malaysia has her own unique charm that I cannot deny.

So folks, see you soon in the tropical land! All good thoughts and prayers will be appreciated as I will be on the plane for more than 20-some hours.

Cheers!

Images (top to bottom): Curry Hokkien Prawn Mee, Maleficent