Describe an enjoyable weekend you have experienced.

One weekend during last year’s year-end holidays, three cousins of mine from Australia visited my family. They were here from Friday to Sunday. Born and bred in the land of the kangaroo, they had never been to Malaysia. We had a great time with them and took them sightseeing around Kuala Lumpur.

On Friday morning, after their arrival, they rested at our home as they were a bit tired after the long flight. We also had a lot of catching up to do as we had not seen them for quite a few years. When they had recovered from their jet lag around noon, we took them out for lunch. After a 30-minute drive, we arrived in Kajang, the city renowned for its ambrosial satay. My cousins remarked that the satay, which is rare down under, looked appetising and tasted scrumptious. They also found it palatable when taken with the peanut sauce. They did not find it surprising to learn that the savoury food is one of the national dishes of Malaysians. After lunch, we returned to Kuala Lumpur and took them to a few tourist attractions such as the KL Tower and the Petronas Twin Tower, among some other skyscrapers. They were excited to see the breathtaking views of the city. After the tall-building tour, we had dinner at a Nyonya restaurant. It was a long and tiring day. They had really enjoyed themselves and looked forward to more fun.

The next day, all of us woke up early and had the standard Malaysian breakfast - nasi lemak. It was a little spicy for them. Nevertheless, they enjoyed the food and was happy about the new experience. After taking the most important meal of the day, we took them to places of interest like the National Museum and the National Monument. We also visited the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, which is the largest free-flight walk-in aviary in the world. They had lots of fun learning about the different varieties of bird species as well as new things about Malaysia.

On the last day, they were treated to an Indian breakfast, which consisted of dosai and chutney. They loved the food very much and kept asking for more. They took so much that they were too full for lunch. So we went to shopping centres - the Pavilion and the Berjaya Time Square, where they bought some souvenirs for their relatives and friends. For dinner, we brought them to Chinatown, where they savoured some of the famous and delicious dishes of the Chinese cuisine, like bak kut teh, wonton noodles and claypot chicken rice. After having the delicacies which they had enjoyed thoroughly, we took them for a walk at the nearby night market. We bought some dried barbecue pork for them to bring home at the market.

The aeroplane they were catching was scheduled to depart at 10.30 that night. All of us arrived at the airport with heavy hearts. We wished they could stay longer. Before they entered the departure lounge, we hugged and bade them farewell. They thanked us for taking them around Kuala Lumpur and also for our kind hospitality towards them.

This is one of the most enjoyable weekend that I have ever experienced. Through the experience, I learnt that the best time is spent with family. As the saying goes, ‘blood is thicker then water’. As such, I am thankful for my family members, whom I love and treasure. Hopefully, I am able to spend more time with them so as to further strengthen family ties.