Houston - We Go Mexican Mambo

We later walked towards the parking area and looked for his rented car. Thank god he was allocated with a car, and the car was a compact Pontiac, with GPS on board. I loike!

“Lapar?”

“Lapar sangat!”

“Ok, we go and grab some Mexican food.” Wah! That nasi goreng Mexican that he told me kah?

We headed to Mambo Restaurant, a Mexican place that served seafood. It was almost 10.00pm and it was not advisable to visit a Mexican place at night. They were renowned with gang fight and “kaki pau”. But hungriness was larger than fierceness, we went in and laid our butts on the chair!
A cute waitress came and spoke Mexican to us,

“El duro ni pacinto no hebre blablabla” she greeted rapidly.

“Err…English please?” we smiled at her.

“Owh…what would you like to have ma’am?” now we comprehend.

“One Mambo Combo…and 2 glass of water please…” hubby ordered as per written in the menu.

Yeah, we ordered one plate of stuffed crab, shrimp, oyster, fish, with dirty rice, and…when it came,

“YA ALLAH! BESARNYER!” I yelled.
“Ha tu la, I dah cakap…u bleh abiskan sorang?” Haha!
We shared and guess what, we scooped a spoon of rice, we found shrimps. We scooped a spoon of rice, we found fishes. We scooped a spoon of rice, we found stuffed crab! NASI ARAB KE HAPE NIH??? Haha!

The same waitress came for about 3 times, just to check on us, whether everything was in order or not. They really working for tips but I found it so pleasant for her to always keep herself updated. THAT’S what Malaysian should copy! Ni datang je makanan, salah itu salah ini. Haha!

I wondered why the waitress spoke Mexican to us. I looked around, and found a guy who sat with his family, ya know, his look, exactly like Malay. I looked again for another guy who sat behind hubby, I tell you what, his face just looked like “brader jual burger”. I looked at hubby, with his thin mustache and beard, HUH! MACAM Mexican! No wonder la…Mexican look, just not much different than Malay look lah! Ya ariba ariba andre!

We walked out from the restaurant, with a “to go” box (we had to tapau the food, can you believe it?) we saw a sheriff checking on one Mexican guy. The scene was similar to what we had in Malaysia, where our policemen always stop Indonesians and check on their legal paper. Kan? Sama la tu. Immigrants.

Reached Four Points Hotel by Sheraton around 11.00pm. I had to force myself to get cleaned before I went off to sleep. But hell no, I can’t sleep. I was too excited to choose which porn movie to watch, that later kill my joy since they were not free! Haha! Tipah tertipu!

Perghhh! So young so TIGHT!

Same old fantasy.

GAY??? COCKS IN PARADISE??? KAHKAHKAH!

Hubby and I later had a bigtime chit-chat-fight on what will happen tomorrow. He told me that his colleague, whom a HR Manager, a 40s years old lady, whom I STRONGLY thought as “mak bonda” person, wanted to follow us for the next 2 days! Can you guys imagine, I was on 28 hours flight, came across the globe, to be with my husband, and about to get my pocket ripped off at Houston Premium Outlet tomorrow, NEED TO SPEND MY TIME WITH ANOTHER LADY???

HELL NO!!!

Tell me that I am selfish for not letting her be with us. Yes, I am!

Tell me that I am jeopardizing hubby’s name in his company. Yes, I am!

Pick me, or her, or I call the day off!

Hubby finally pick me (I terjun balcony if he didn’t choose me) and what he had to do, he had to call the HR Manager with a VERY reasonable reason that I asked him to say,

“My wife segan la…”

KAHKAHKAH! Me, segan? Bagus…attaboy! I know how contemplated he was…he told the HR Manager before that his wife is friendly, luv shopping, luv photo capturing, talkative, and now his wife segan? I bet she had a cracked on me, but lantak la, janji aku happy dengan laki aku di States AND NO ONE ELSE CAN COME BETWEEN US! (Especially an older women whom salary twice than me and wears Chanel! Wah, exaggerate nyer!)
GUDNITE!

Houston - Lost In Translation

Until the sun shined so brightly that passed thru my window and spattered straight onto my face, I finally woke up.

I landed at Doha Airport about 5.30am and believe me or not, it was as shiny and warm as 12.00pm in the midday! Lucky I was not allowed to go out from the airport, or else, I would have stripped my cloth and rolled over the sand. Haha!
I tried to get my lappy connected, but as what I’ve expected (considered I was lucky since hubby went there first and I just followed his trail), there were no available ports. Lazy to walk around, I sat at one side, and stared at the monitor that showed the current time at Doha. Hmm…another 3 hours to get boarded.
I looked around and found that, almost half of the place was occupied by Indians. Ya know, original Indians from India. They were actually waiting for USA flights (or I was the one who had a wrong flight to Goa, India, perhaps? Haha!) Husbands, wives, kids, parents, grandparents (yeah, seriously, those old ladies in white sarees, who needed wheelchairs). The WHOLE family was going to the States??? Damn rich huh? How come we, Malaysians, can’t afford to do that?! So I continued watching jet took off over again and again.
The monitor later showed 8.00am. I stood up and walked to the officer, right in front of the USA Immigration entrance. She told me that Houston flight wasn’t opened yet. The one that people were queuing was, for New York.
About 9.00am, I queued for Houston, and passed thru the first immigration officer, who peeped at those Indian chicks’ butts and boobies WHILE checked my passport. Heaven huh? Haha!

I later queued for the most stringent area, where all passengers need to take off their jackets, shoes, watches, and emptied their pockets. Laptops, handbags, hand-carry luggage were run under the scanner and officers will throw ANYTHING that they feel like throwing. Say adios to those thrown items.

There was an old Indian “patti” (grandma) in white saree, in front of me. Whenever the officer asked her to take off her jacket, she looked at me and said,

“Yenna teini patte wonnge tanggani blablabla” while showing her hand with “don't understand” sign and shaking her head like asking for my acknowledgment. Pity her. But I can’t speak Tamil la pattiiiiiiiii! Just take off your jacket! Haha!

She later understood and took off her jacket. Then the officer asked her to take off her shoes. Owh god, not again! As predicted, she looked at me and said,

“Unggal le patte ni blablabla” and again, showing her hand with “don't understand” sign and shaking her head like asking for my acknowledgment. Gosh! Where the hell was her son or daughter??? How did she manage to get her Visa approved? Haha!

Well, she did take off her shoes. I run thru the body scanner and picked all my things. Waited for about 20 minutes and sat next to an Indian lady, who I guessed an IT chick who was on business trip. Quite a chaos, when an old Indian grandpa tried to persuade the officer to check for his wife’s pendant that went missing during the checking. Hmm…pity him.
I later went down to the waiting area, where a shuttle bus took me off to the plane. It was A330 again, but the seating was 3-3-3 (earlier was 2-4-2). I got a window seat but the other 2 seats were occupied by a Mexican guy and a Filipino guy.
During take off, I saw something that I don't quite understand what it was. But it was so eye-catching la. See this below image and what do you think? I've googled for this image and found that it was The Pearl of Qatar! An artificial island that once completed, it will form a string of pearls. It's freehold...so you do the math! Gile kan?
Ok, then the same thing happened, I slept. The Mexican guy even slept harder. Ewww, bad breath! He took a sip of wine before he slept just now. Stupid! I woke up twice for breakfast and lunch, where the foods, again, vegetarian. (It’s all hubby’s fault! Qatar Airways served HALAL food lah!)
I managed to watch another part of Avatar and 2012. Again, I cried. But this time, I didn’t wipe my tears with that pepper-ized tissue! Haha! Clever…clever!

What I didn’t like throughout this journey was, I had to wake both guys up, whenever I needed to go to the lavatory. Damn. That Mexican guy was so arrogant! (Ok, he didn’t say anything but he gave me a very sour face). The Filipino was better! He even smiled in his sleepy face at me and comprehended very well that I had to go for a pee. Thus, I had to limit down the water consumption, JUST to avoid from going to the lavatory all the time. Damn!
16 smooth but tiring hours. I touched down at 6.00pm, USA time. I passed through the immigration and get bombarded with more than 5 questions from the officer. Went through the security check with flying colors, and yet I was sent to the left (to the left, to the left, just like Beyonce).
“How long have you waited?”

“More than 45 minutes, that’s for sure…” a French guy answered.

“That's ridiculous!"

There were four counters, but only one left opened. The officer was struggling scattering people things with his gloves on. 2 bagpacks in 45 minutes??? The next coming passenger had 4 BIG bags with her!!! How long should I expect that??? To add the madness, the system was suddenly not working. SHIT!

I knew hubby was out there, waiting for me. There was no flight delay, and I was pretty sure that he worried of me. Another officer later came and opened the next counter. Thank god! They still now what does “efficient” means. He later called me up and checked my hand-carry luggage.

As expected, there were no suspicious items found! For god sake! Why didn’t you guys just let me go?! I spent 2 hours in this place, and the Exit door was just next to my right!

I walked out from the Exit door and there he goes…my hubby, in his work shirt and lappy on hand. Pity him. Lucky he was very well aware of the USA custom. He kind of expected that I was having difficulties in ‘that’ area.

And I ran to get him just like Tom Hanks missing Wilson in Cast Away.

Houston - I Love Inflight Food

“Ayang, I am needed in Houston.” He emailed me.

“WHAT??? WHEN???” jumpy, panicky, and worried, I was.

“In 2 weeks time…” he replied.

I was trembling and shacking…yet figuring…how I go about of following him to States. Badly! (Yeah, I’ve sworn before…if he ever goes to States again, I WILL FOLLOW HIM!)

With IBM letter in hand, I managed to get my Visa approved. (Trust me, IBM never forget to slot in a line “she will bear all the cost”, duh!)

Then, what’s next? It was the ticket buying moment.
I swore to God, hubby and Na were really down on their knees (Na was more on jumping I guess), just to get me a return ticket! Haha! They were awesome! From MAS, KLM, Singapore Airlines, to transit at Moscow, Seoul, LA, I ended up getting a transit at Doha, Qatar, with Qatar Airways, that cost me a month of salary! (Fook! Jelly drinks, wall stickers, anyone?)

Visa, checked! Flight ticket, checked! Leave? Err…I purposely make myself unconscious. Haha! Hmm…how many days I should take? Or shall I say, how many days do I have in balance? (Minus Cambo and Beijing…Raya…hmm…) Argh! Go to hell with the balance!

And so, I took a whole fine week, to the Lone Star State, Texas. Which part? Houston! Why Houston? Ask my hubby. Why hubby? Coz his company sent him there, not LA, not NY, not DC, a-ah, none other than Houston, ya’ll.

I was so sleepy that day, but I didn’t dare to sleep. Terrified of the jet plane will leave me, not I’m leaving with a jet plane. Haha! Watched tv, starred Kiki, sighed, sighed, and sighed at the wall clock.

A-hah! The time has come! Deb was good enough to pick me up and send me to KLIA. She in fact, have waited, and told me a trick, where I can actually request to get an upgrade seat from Economy to Business. Really? Just by being single, lost, and pretty dumb but actually smart Blondie. Hehe. But I didn’t get one. I just got a seat next to the window, and next to a lady. Well, thanks to the hormone-pregnant-lady at the counter. I’ve waited around 1 hour before boarded. Met an Algerian outside, who then smoked 2 cigarettes, just to have a chat with me. Same to another Algerian that hubby used to know, this guy was about the same in communication. He was not fluent in English, but really damn fluent in French and Arabic. Ok, not interested.
I went in and left him behind. I headed to the train, to the departure hall, where I boarded into a very nice A330, but not so nice looking stewardess. Haha! Serious! They weren’t the same as per advertised in the paper, and totally different from what I’ve seen in Air Asia or MAS. Inflated tummy like mine? Hmm. Then I can be one of them. As world’s 5-star full service airline, a set of amenity kit, headset, blanket, pillow, were already placed on the seat. I had no interest to watch any movies or listen to any songs, as I was too damn sleepy. (Hey, it was 2 o’clock in the morning. Should I be singing?) Lucky they provided everyone with stickers, on what we wanted them to do. “Ma’am, would you like tea or coffee?”

I woke up gradually. “Orange please…” I was asking for a juice??? Haha! What on earth (no, I was flying) was I thinking of?
She gave me a glass of orange juice and a box of chicken puff. I forced myself to eat with both eyes closed. Hell yeah, I finished my food and continued sleeping.
“Ma’am, your breakfast?"

Blank.

Huh? I just finished whatever puffy she gave me earlier. Do I have to eat again?

Dot. Dot. Dot. Oo…it was 4 hours ago. Damn.
She served me with nasi lemak rendang, orange juice, fruits, and bread with butter. So I asked for a glass of water. (It’s a free flow, as long as it’s under the complimentary items. And yeah, the liquor too.) I ate and ate and ate.Argh. What should I do next? Should I watch a movie? Ok. I touched the 9” screen, and chose Avatar. MY GOODNESS! I cried! It was so amazing and touching!I took out a ply of tissue from the cutlery plastic, and wiped off my tears.

“SHIT! PEDIH! PEDIH!”

I just got to know that the cutlery plastic had a pack of salt and PEPPER! Wasn’t that GREAT?
And so I slept…again.

Mising The Lone Star State

I'm back from Houston, Texas!

NOT Yea-ha at ALL!!!

Howdy Ya'll From Houston, Tx!

I'm off to Houston, Texas!

Yeaaaaaaaha!

Houston, Texas Trip Cookbook

It's official! My visa is approved! My leave is approved!

What else...? 'Buku Hikmat' timeeee!

Front Cover

Back Cover

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