A refreshing difference!

 

The Red-Eye flight out of Singapore was as eventful as it should be. There was a change of the Boarding Gate and I joined the queue for boarding. We inched slowly to get our hand luggage and our bodies electronically scanned.

Lunch with cousin Malcolm and his wife,
Yeen, upon my arrival in Sydney

I paused to repack my laptop into my bag and saw a few men nearby, struggling to get their belts back on, hopefully before the trousers dropped to their knees.

 

Cousin Malcolm told me about this inconvenience on his recent visits from Sydney to Johor via Kuala Lumpur, so whenever he travelled now, he will wear trousers that do not need belts.

 

After a long, long time since I last travelled, I was heading out to Sydney, Australia, where Malcom and his wife, Yeen will host me in their home for the coming weeks.

 

Lunch upon arrival

I later learnt that this arrangement was made by my brother when he was with them, on their recent visit to Malaysia. Little did I know that it was agreed that I should go to be with them for a while with the flight ticket, a generous gift from my brother and eldest sister.

 

It was a pleasant surprise but as it was an unplanned trip early in the year, during the pre-Chinese New Year and pre-Ramadan season, I had no alternative but to politely decline the annual invitations to food previews and celebrations.

 

Malcolm and Yeen started a WhatsApp chat group entitled, Peggy’s Holiday, and asked me what I would like to do, visit places of interest, a road trip or what?

 

I have been to Sydney twice and already visited the must-see landmarks with a road trip from Sydney to Melbourne on my first visit. My second visit, however, was to pay my last respects to Malcolm’s mother at her passing some 20 years ago.

 

It will be good to visit Sydney again to see the changes there and meet Malcolm and Yeen’s children, Alexandria and Benjamin, again.

 

Old photo of their son, Benjamin,
at Legoland Malaysia Resort with me in 2015

During their family visit to Johor in 2015, they left their children with me to take them for a Legoland experience. Some 11 years have flown pass, as now Ben and Alex have careers of their own and in 2024, Alex married Dexter.

 

Meanwhile, cousin Gillian and her husband, Michael, who are also based in Sydney, were already hosting her parents’ stay since December last year.

 

Aunty Polly and Uncle Steven who live in USJ, Selangor, were settling into the Dee Why neighbourhood in the Sydney suburb and were sharing photos of their walkabouts.

 

From their outfits, I guessed that the weather was much cooler than what we are used to. Their long-sleeves and double-layered T-shirts in the photos reminded me to pack suitable clothes to keep myself comfortable in the cooler temperatures.

 

While I gave more thought about what I wanted to do, the short answer to their question was, I just wanted to chill out – do nothing or something to relax – like reading, eating desserts and shopping.

 

And then, I knew what I should tell them: I would very much like to take in a live theatre show, preferably, a musical. Each time I was in the UK, I would try to get a live theatre experience, at least once or maybe twice, if possible. So why not do the same in Sydney?

 

So Yeen sent me online links to theatres in and around Sydney for me to review and pick the shows that I would like to catch. After studying the lists closely, I made my pick for Yeen to book tickets for herself and Aunty Polly to join me for the show.

 

This visit to Sydney was a timely and refreshing break for me, to do something different with family in another country, and to seek inspiration for my next chapter.

 

In the days ahead of my departure, I received a message from my sister in the UK, who expressed her excitement about my impending travel Down Under. Then she told me that she had transferred some pocket money into my bank account for my travel treats and theatre shows.

 

God is indeed, always faithful and good. I am truly blessed. First, the flight ticket. Then the home hospitality. Now spending money too. Thank you, all.

 

“One more sleep to go! All ready for your flight tomorrow night/Friday am?” read the WhatsApp message from Malcolm.

 

I must confess that I was careless about the travel date and time, and was grateful for the reminder that I should get to the airport on Thursday night for the Red-Eye flight in the wee hours of Friday morning.

 

Malcolm's Kawasaki Ninja 1000
[in the carpark]

Then a cheeky message from him, “If you don’t have too much luggage, will pick you up from airport with this…” He and his crazy sense of humour. I could not help but smiled when I saw the photo he sent of his Kawasaki Ninja 1000, his Big Boy Toy which he prefers to ride into the city, to avoid heavy traffic.

 

This was followed by more messages with his tips for my travel as (they are all aware!) I have not been travelling for far too long.

 

“We are excitedly waiting for your arrival this Friday afternoon. We caught the same flight back on our last trip… We’ll be having lunch straight after we pick you up from the airport,” said Malcolm.

 

“You will take approximately 45 minutes to clear Immigration and Customs. With your new passport, you should be able to use the Smartgate (auto) which will be a lot quicker that queuing up to be cleared by an Immigration Officer.

 

At the corner of Majors Bay Road
and Trafalgar Parade

As there is no public Wi-fi in Sydney airport, one of us will meet you when you exit from Customs in the arrival terminal. Have a safe flight,” he added.

 

While travel procedures may have changed over the years, in my travel assignments, all travel arrangements were handled by the event organisers and I only had to turn up. Now I was simply on my own.

 

Also ahead of my travel, my niece Amanda who completed her higher education in Perth, Australia, reminded me about the strict Customs regulations. She shuddered to think that I may be featured in the Border Control television documentary, among the crazy Asian women whose luggage was full of restricted items.

 

Thankfully, nothing of that sort happened to me. When I went through Immigration and Customs at the airport, the officer politely asked me, “Travelling alone?” and when I replied, “Yes!” he said, “Take Lane Six.” I followed his instruction and walked out of the terminal smoothly.

 

A breezy balcony with a view

Just outside the exit, I spotted Yeen, waving wildly to get my attention. She told me Malcolm was waiting at the pick-up area, a few minutes’ walk from the terminal.

 

We walked outside under the bright sunshine, whipped by cool winds – ahh…natural air-conditioning – a short distance to the pick-up area. I was prepared to sport a wild, wind-blown look, and it was indeed a refreshing change from our hot and humid tropical weather.

 

As agreed, we headed off for our late lunch at Marrickville. Malcolm chose a simple meal of Vietnamese cuisine that included his favourite beef broth noodles, Pho.

 

This suburb is populated by a community where the Vietnamese made up the majority so there were a number of Asian provision shops in this neighbourhood. 

 

I observed as Yeen chose fresh fruit and vegetables to prepare dinner. I know I will be well-fed with homecooked meals as Yeen is an excellent and versatile cook who can whip up fantastic spreads in her well-equipped tiny kitchen.

 

Then a drive to Concord, and a warm welcome to their apartment located on the first floor, my home base for the next few weeks. I unpacked and settled into their guest room, ready for a refreshing change from my regular routine.

 

This low-density apartment block is situated at the corner where Majors Bay Road meets with Trafalgar Parade, and commands a panoramic view of the street which is bordered by tall trees, shops and cafés, with a Local Coles and Post Office nearby.

 

Dinner with Alex and Dexter, Mal and Yeen

At dinner, we were joined by Alex and Dex, who were staying with the parents temporarily while their home was undergoing the final stages of renovation. Ben came over later, after his karate classes, where he is Karate Master, a sinseh, Black Belt with three dan (Ahem!)

 

It was lovely to meet the family again, to renew our acquaintance and to get to know Dex, the newest addition to the family. While daylight hours are longer here, I could not tell that it was a “late” hour as the excitement and new experiences were keeping me awake.

 

After a homecooked dinner of pan-seared wagyu beef wrapped in seaweed (among other yummy dishes!), Malcolm and Yeen said we would take a walk to Coles to pick up some groceries. So off we went in the cool night air.

 

It was fun to join the neighbours in late-night grocery shopping and to discover the wide range of fresh fruits, cheese and ice-creams. Malcolm had to decide which ice-cream flavour he favoured, and when he picked his choice, declared that he must eat it right away.

 

So we walked across the street to sit on a bench under a bush, lit up with fairy lights, to enjoy the taste of my first ice-lolly in Australia. A fitting, cool and sweet start to my holiday adventure Down Under, hosted by Mal and Yeen.

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesJanuary 2026