Facebook, Miza and KB (Yes, In That Order...)

Anybody can read the al-Quran whether one is a Muslim or a non-Muslim and the al-Quran is not owned by the Malays or the Arabs. ~ Nik Aziz (Chief Minister of Kelantan)

I don’t know what to make of Facebook nowadays. There are days I regard it with disdain. I mean, who cares if you just bought a Coach bag. There are days however, I regard it with such esteem. I mean, meeting an old buddy after losing contact for 15 years because of Facebook is downright amazing isn’t it? And I’m not talking about those old school or childhood friends who didn’t waste time adding you as a friend but never made any effort to say hi or reply your message.

Recently I was invited by an old buddy to come over to Kelantan. She is none other than Miza, my housemate back when I was doing my matriculation. We got along well, I think. After all, she was the one who introduced me to nasi kerabu. Hehe. After graduation we went separate ways but that image of a petite, tan, long-haired girl in baju kurong never slips my mind.

I think we became friends on Facebook sometime this year. As the norm in Facebook, we were friends but never said hi or anything like that. I looked at her profile and pics but it was kinda difficult to guess what kind of person she has become after all these years. I could see that she’s teaching somewhere in Kelantan and is wearing a tudong but that was it. So when she asked me to come over to her place, I didn’t know what to make of it at first. Is she bloody serious? But my doubts quickly disappeared when I thought of the happy-go-lucky and unassuming girl that I once knew. Oh, and I’d never forgotten her contagious laugh. Miza, I hope you’re still the same person that I knew, I prayed.

I didn’t hesitate to buy plane tix to KB. In fact I bought it weeks before the day I was supposed to depart. But as fate would have it, she had to attend a meeting in Putrajaya a few days before I was supposed to fly to KB. So we met in Putrajaya. I did the honour of picking her up. It was then that I found out she’s actually a lecturer – teaching linguistics, for that matter! OMG! Linguistics??? And she still loves to see movies! Hehe.

So to cut it short, I went to KB and had a blast! Her bedroom is awesome. It has a balcony!!! I’ve always had a fetish for balconies. Hehe. I don’t know what is it about her room but it is always temperate. No aircond is needed. Perfect for a mid-afternoon slump. Hehe.

Food in KB was awesome! I’ll never forget that keli percik. Oh, did I tell you that I was so besotted with that brass kuali Chef Wan had used on his TV shows? Miza drove me all the way to Rantau Panjang to look for it! But since the price is ridiculous, 270 is the cheapest, I decided not to buy it. My flight tix to KB didn’t even cost that much!

I could see a lot of development projects going on in KB. Miza told me some wonderful stories about politics in Kelantan. Yup, about Nik Aziz and the Sultan of Kelantan and what not. You know, the kind of stories that are never covered by mainstream press.  If what she told me is true, then long live Kelantan! God bless Kelantan! There’s something about Kelantan that simply exudes simple life. I like that. KB is quite laid back. I like that, too.

Miza is still the same person. Cool. Funny. But I think she’s more spiritual now. (I prefer the word spiritual rather than religious.) Which is good. She’s spiritual but still unassuming. That’s wonderful! Til we meet again, buddy. I just realized that I’d forgotten to take any pics whilst I was in KB. But that’s okay. I don’t need pics to remind me of the wonderful time and company that I had :).