Oh! The Weather

It had been raining without fail every afternoon for the last could of weeks and from what I heard, it would continue on until the end of the month. Wanting to confirm that rumour I asked Siri what the weather going to the like for the rest of the week. And Siri duly obliged. It must be true. As Siri said so .....

Cousin's Wedding at Istana Bambu

The weather was unforgiving tonight. This to a certain extend put a dampener to my cousin's wedding reception. A lot of guests turned up late, due to the combination of poor driving condition, and difficulty of finding the venue.

The reception was held at Restoran Istana Bambu, a Malay restaurant with a twist. The whole place was build up from bamboo, from the structures to the decor. Even the pelamin was made of bamboo. An open area, with small little eating areas in huts, where the patron would sit on the floor to enjoy their meal. A novel concept.

My sister had been there before, during daytime and better weather and attested to how good the place was. But for this evening's event, the food lacked selection, and being a buffet format, the spread was limited.

Anyhow, the ceremony pressed on on time despite the heavy downpour. Nice ambiance, but I didn't know that many guests as the majority were my cousin's work colleague. I went there with my sister and Dad. Anita was feeling under the weather. I didn't mingle for too long, and had to return to the hospital as a couple of patients came to Casualty that evening. The rain slowed down by the time we left.

I may visit the place again at some point. The restaurant was located by MRR2, but getting there was a bit tricky. One has to take the Keramat roundabout off MRR2, take the 5 o'clock exit if you were coming from Ampang. Unfortunately the place was not blessed with signposts however.

A Smooth Start

After a whirlwind start to the morning, sorting out the admissions, I had a breather at the Lounge while waiting for the clinic list to start.

As I mentioned, it would not be a typical Saturday today. Straight after clinic, I would be driving across town to a mini conference, before attending a meeting after that. Then, for dinner, it would be one of my cousin's reception. That would not be a problem as it would be near my house.

What I was worried was the traffic when it rained. This being a Saturday, I hope things would be kind even if the heaven opened.

Among all that, I couldn't find a slot for Skyfall. Hmm! Maybe Sunday matinee. Puan Anita, are you game?

And Then It Was Dinner

I managed to reach the hospital just before prayers, saw my patients before going off again. By the time I finished the afternoon clinic, I was right tired.

As soon as I reached home, Irfan asked to go to The Curve. He wanted the pizza at Marche. Idlan seconded that. And I was pushed to a corner. Decision was made. And off we went to Damansara in the middle of the rain.

I want my pizza!That's a lot of potatoThe place was not as packed as it usually was. Parking was easy. As we were all tired and starving, we went straight to Marche. For some reason, I didn't feel in the mood for any meat. It was vege all the way for me. And some pasta.

So, what was after dinner. Maybe a quick walk around the mall to ease the food down ..... Good night!

And It Was Done

It was a longer wait than expected, and should I need to apply or the visa again I would be sure to arrange for earliest appointment. Even though I was slotted for 10am, it was more or less first come first served basis.

I arrive at the embassy 45 minutes before the appointment time, queued up for security and then again for my number. Then I was called to hand in my passport, and my photographs were taken away then.

10 minutes later, my fingerprints were taken. And waiting for the third time to be called was the longest. It was close to an hour, but at least the TV was on. We weren't allowed electronic devices or phones, so that was may be the reason I felt the wait was longer.

The third time I was called was for the interview. Very direct and to the point. I stated the reason for going, and after a few more questions, I was told my visa was being approved.

Since it was Friday today, I would be able to pick up my passport with the visa stamp on Monday afternoon. Looking at my schedule, it would likely be Wednesday morning for me.

All in all, it was not a problem at all. The staff there were courteous and we were informed every step of the way what was going to happen next, which makes a lot of difference. Even the local security staff employed by the Embassy seemed to be nicer than your typical jaga. They must be paid well then I supposed LOL.

So, I guessed I could start packing then ......

More on my Atlanta trip here.