Reminiscing 'cause it feels so good

I'm pretty sure this song comes to mind when quarantine is over and you start hugging all the people you know; like what I’d do with the people in the photo above:

"Reunited and it feels so good..."

Whether it's known as a lockdown, movement control order (MCO), circuit breaker, they all mean the same. We're stuck in the house and taking meeting calls in our pyjamas, but believe it or not, we're also saving the world. Gosh, what a great time to be alive!

Here's what I've missed since the quarantine: being together with the people I adore. Togetherness. I've always liked that word too.

This photo was taken during one of my most unforgettable road trips, just right before MCO began in Malaysia. A short trip away from the hectic concrete jungle back to nature; we went to a homestay known as Time Capsule Retreat. Although the place seems pretty much abandoned now, I was quickly reminded of the history it holds. It’s located in Sungai Lembing, Pahang, and it was once the richest town in the world because of the amount of tin it had! This country is really full of treasures.

We did some barbecue, explored an abandoned plane, hiked up to a place where we could see a rainbow by the waterfall. Beautiful trip with beautiful people. It was good ol' fun.

Maybe a little backstory to how this group was formed. You know that wonderful feeling you get when you meet someone for the first time and things just seemed to click? This was us. The girls were my ex-colleagues, my favourite drama queens, and my confirmed bridesmaids for when I get married! And the boys are well, just there to show equality and non-racism in the photo (haha! they’re our plus ones!). Malaysia is multicultural after all, and what better way to show the world how a 1Malaysia photo would look like than to use this? :)

It’s funny because even though we’re all very close, this was my first time travelling with the girls (not the first with my boyfriend, of course!) and I’ve missed all the silly laughter and nonsensical jokes we have had since. We had so much fun talking about everything, and I’m pretty sure all of us would do it again in a heartbeat.

I’ve been feeling very nostalgic about it all. And it’s not as though I meet up with friends every single day before MCO began, but the fact that it started, we all wouldn’t know when is the right time to meet up like how we used to.

So, treasure the people around you. At all times and at all costs.

Friends. The most valuable thing you’ll ever have in your life (but then again, dogs take the same spot too!). The quarantine made me realise how much I’ve missed them, all my friends to be honest, but thankfully, technology just really manages to still keep us together. In fact, stronger than ever. It’s the warm, fuzzy feeling one can get from being surrounded by the people dearest to us, because they keep us burning like the brightest of stars.

And that was normalcy then. At least what everyone thought it was.

Flashback to earlier this year during Chinese New Year (CNY), where every Chinese person I know will have the reunion dinner of all dinners with their families.

In the Chinese culture, the meaning of the word “round” symbolises togetherness. That is why most of us would eat at a round table for CNY (which is a.k.a. another public holiday!), pretty interesting info for the non-Malaysians, isn’t it? And which is also what I miss dearly because of all the good food and company! The nyonya mixed vegetables, poon choi’s, mountains and mountains of pineapple tarts and many more.

We would gather round and pay visits to the homes of relatives and close friends, shamelessly collecting red packets/angpao’s, and celebrating our victories from the gambling games we just won. Oh, such a joyous occasion. Looking back, the MCO had not only disrupted our daily activities, but also made our hearts grow fonder for the ones who are apart from us.

That… was also normal.

I am also reminiscing the times where I get to be up close and personal with my customers. As a newly emerging “fresh” jewellery maker, anxiety builds every now and then (even more so since I frequently question my decisions as an adult). But I’ve learned to calm myself while creating art and the rest will then follow. I especially love creating new designs and getting to engage with customers one way or another.

The process of setting up a pop-up booth can both be therapeutic and exciting too. Setting them up together with like-minded individuals really is an eye-opener and gives me a sense of accomplishment. That feeling is similar to when I’m surrounded by people whom I love and adore.

That too, was normalcy. That can only exist when social distancing is not a norm.

…until something known as the “new normal” came about and shifted all of our lives. But there is a silver lining to it too. I guess to put everything into perspective, what I truly miss most pre-quarantine is the time spent with loved ones. What I know for sure is that once all this is over, we’ll all be reunited and it’ll surely feel just as good.

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