Me vs. Jetlag vs. USA

Day one of our excellent adventure! I haven't slept for 2 hours last night, but I'm still as alert and awake as ever. The drive to the airport was painless,and everything went smooth in customs, up untill we were boarding in Kastrup Airport. The announcer informed that our plane was delayed due to technical difficulties with the business class chairs and the in-flight entertainment system. Kinda nervewrecking to be told about electrical issues with our plane prior to flight. But anyways, we got on board, took off and besides a little bit of turbulence the flight itself was smooth. Of course we got seated close to a family travelling with toddlers that enjoyed screaming for the whole flight, but that was almost expected. Stuff like that always happens.


In Newark Airport, the first thing I noticed was the big-ass sign that said "Welcome to The United States of America". No chance of getting confused on our wereabouts. The immigration process was as could be expected, we were photographed, and our finger prints were put into some kind of database. The gentleman in immigration, John Ross, was polite and entertaining without ever knowing it. When we got to the arrival area, the biggest surprise of the year awaited us. It was my sistah and her co-worker Mullé, who were there to meet us.

They had leased a car to drive us from the airport to Connecticut.


There was tears, sobbing and a lot of joy over being re-united. After leaving the airport we took a wrong turn, and ended up in a questionable neighbourhood, kinda like a rolling start to the US.


I was digging it, I've tried alike in Malaysia and Indonesia. Anyways, we found our way back onto the interstate and drove to a gas stop and grabbed a few cheeseburgers from Burger King. The entire time I could not help, but think how similar everything looked to Malaysia. I really got a big revelation there, understanding on what model the Malay infrastructure was built upon.


As we got back home to Connecticut, we pulled up at my sisters house, and it looked so American, that my mother couldn't help but saying "I feel like I'm in a movie". I know exactly where she was coming from. Before we got back to the house we had first made a quick stop on South Main Street, where my sistahs restaurant is. It was super nice to see it in the flesh for the first time. Also got to meet the danish chef Torben who was working there. Shortly after getting home, my sis and Mullé took me shopping at the local StopAndShop, and again I got a heavy Malay flashback. Incredible.

Later the same evening we all went dining at Match, a upscale place owned by a friend of my sis called Matt. I was so close to tears because of jet lag, that I really just wanted to go home and curl up in a corner in a fetal position and cry, but I smiled and showed my teeth, and we got through it.



After getting home, my head didn't hit the pillow before I was asleep. Everthing is big and ugly and very surreal.