Routine

2 years in UKM. Sounds short, right? Not too short though to enjoy the lighthearted life of an undergrad or the illustrious, glamorous and carefree life of orang KL. After the struggle to adapt myself to that once alien environment, now, I have to re-adapt to another not-entirely-new environment which is so much easier.

The role-shift is quite demanding. Back then, I was really spoilt by the plentiful hassle-free hours. It did not matter if I woke up at 10 or 11 in the morning or even at 2 pm every so often. It did not matter if I slept at 2am or 5am. I have so much free times.

Here at home however, everything is poles apart. Everything is routine. I could no longer enjoy the comfort of frosty morning under my comforter. By 6.30 a.m. I am occupied with household chores. I need to mop the floor, clean up the dishes, do the laundry and drive my mum or my sister to work.

Later in the afternoon, if anyone comes back home for lunch, then I have to prepare the table and sponge down the dishes. Soon afterwards, I need to pick up the clothes, fold them and placed them neatly in their respective wardrobe.

Shortly afterward in the evening, I need to re-heat or sometimes prepare the food for dinner. Everything must be ready before 5.30pm since everyone is definitely hungry and tired after long hours at the office. Again, the kitchen routine would be repeating itself. I need to wash the dishes and get the kitchen sparkling and possibly leave it spanking new. While I enjoy playing with water and bubble to get everything in the kitchen unsullied, I turn the washing machine on. By the time the laundry is done, I am also done with the kitchen clean-up.

However, I am far from complete. I have to hang all the laundry outside. I would also need to press my parents’ working apparel. Only then, I could spend quite a generous hour for myself. It is already 8 at night. Sometimes, if my mum works for the afternoon shift, I would have to pick her up at 9pm. If my father has to return to his workplace for overtime, I have to drive him over.

This explains why it is rare to see me available on Facebook or on the net. After a joyful hours playing with my nieces and an eventful get-together with the rest of my family member over a light set of snack. Only then, I’ll hit the shower. But before that, habitually, I’ll turn on the air-conditioner first in my room. When I re-enter my bedroom from the bathroom, I feel so welcomed by the freezing sensation that will freshen me up after all the hard labour. Ceh.. Hehehe... Then, I grab a novel, or maybe watch a movie or listen to the music from my laptop or my mp3/4 player. By 11 or the latest 12pm, I am already soundly asleep.

Though some might be chickened out to swap places with me to get a taste of my purported hectic life, I do have an ample time to dine outside, to go to the cinema, to watch TV, to take a nap, to do some workout or even to go out shopping. Life is so good I can’t complain so far.

-THE END-