Moments in My Mile-a-Minute Weeks

Last week flew by so quickly, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I hope every week leading up to my flight back to Malaysia goes by just as swiftly. It was also incredibly productive! At work, I discovered an issue with my project. Instead of getting overwhelmed and overthinking it, I approached it like an experienced engineer and tackled it head-on. It's amazing how much stress overthinking can cause. Here's to more days like that! 

On Monday, Don and I went cycling. Initially, we didn't expect to cover much distance, but this time we went the farthest compared to all our previous rides. My favorite part was cycling on an actual road for half the route; it boosted my confidence riding on the road. Wednesday was tennis day, and I'm starting to really enjoy it because we had our own dedicated coach. We focused on drills to improve our ball-handling skills because I still can't keep a rally going. Friday brought us badminton and a game of "7Wonders" at Meriam's and Don's. 

Saturday was undoubtedly the highlight of my week (tbf, it can be any week and my favourite day would still be Saturday). I headed to London for Tube Sarong to celebrate Malaysia Day. I've always wanted to attend the ones in Kuala Lumpur, but I've been abroad since the first time they started them. I was thrilled they hosted one here. Semangat patriotik, ye! I met up with Faten and her flatmates, Ain and Atiqah, at Kings Cross. I loved how we instantly clicked – it's quite rare to find people you feel so comfortable with right from the start. 

It was another hot day, reminiscent of Malaysia. We grabbed the Malaysian flag and made our way to the tube to head to Battersea. There was meant to be a tube singalong, but that didn't work out because everyone ended up in different carriages, and when we were in the same one, the screeching was too loud to sing through. We basically 'berarak' to Malaysia Square from the station, singing patriotic songs that weren't Negaraku. We sat around Malaysia Square for the performances, which concluded with a flash mob. 

Ummu was also at the event and it was lovely seeing her again after years! It was also nice meeting each other knowing that our GEL friends are having a reunion in Malaysia soon. We parted ways and I continued to explore Battersea, and when boredom struck, we headed to Harrods to check out their food hall. Ain and Atiqah went home after that, but Faten and I decided to continue the day with a picnic at Hyde Park. Later, we headed to Holborn and ended up having a night out, which led to me staying over at Faten's. Sunday was dedicated to recovery and getting my life in order. 

this week

Monday through Wednesday was a marathon of almost all-nighters to prepare for a history test on Thursday. Ironically, I chose engineering to avoid history, but here I was, studying it. My work friends were incredibly supportive during my last-minute cramming, going through questions with me during lunch and providing reassurance when I felt anxious. Except for Kamel, who remained skeptical throughout – but hey, we don't need negativity in our lives, so he's *cancelled*. On the morning of my test, I arrived at the train station only to find that none of the trains were running. So, I called Wael, and he came to my rescue! He drove me to Reading, waited for me to finish, and I felt so blessed to have friends like him here. I also passed the test, as I had expected and we all celebrated with Krispy Kreme.

After work on Friday, we played badminton. Georgia and Sophie joined us for the first time, and they played remarkably well! After badminton, we headed to Hall & Woodhouse for dinner. The ambiance was lovely, and I couldn't help but notice how nice it was outside. I didn't bring my coat, but I'm thinking I might head there on one of these evenings to just chill by the river. 

On Saturday, I missed my train but still managed to get to Cobham before Faten and Ain. The five of us – Faten, Nurul, Ain, Faiz and I – went to Painshill, a garden (more like an estate) that Nurul found on TikTok. We strolled around the entire park, making sure to visit each of the attractions. We had a picnic at one of the spots on the hill, and it was a fantastic day out, well worth the entrance fee. When we got back to London, we went to Mr. Fish for fish and chips. I tried skate for the first time and enjoyed it, although I wished I had it with sambal. Not ready to go home yet, Faten, Faiz, and I went in search of live music, checking off one of Faten's bucket list items. 

This time, I took the last train home and managed to wake up for the Japanese Grand Prix (it was at 6AM). I don't think I'll be watching any race live once I move to Malaysia, it's too much dedication for someone who loves her sleep. Quite pleased that Red Bull won constructor's not that anyone was surprised. But I did get upset with Checo's performance, although people should really cut him some slack and ease up on the criticism. I had my lunch/dinner out on the balcony because I felt the need to be outside. It was one of those days when I wished I had a garden because I would've loved to be outside without venturing too far. 

And now we're onto another week, with just 10 more weeks until Malaysia. As a closing note, I hope I can keep reminding myself to let go and let God and that if something is meant for me, it will come to me.