Honeymoon RingRings

I don’t know why, but suddenly memories of my honeymoon, almost 6 years back keep coming by playing peek-a-boo with me today.

Perhaps it’s because on the way to work today, N and I were discussing on the remote possibility of us going for a whirlwind holiday this end of year. The discussion was a letdown. Mainly because, at the very mention of going for a holiday, N said, “Cannot go. Busy!”. Of course, as I work in the same outfit as N, I understandably understand the predicament he is in. But I understandably do not want to understand him.. Understand?

"Busy", from previous experience means that, although he could probably physically afford not to be present in the office, it would mean that the holiday, if we went, would be disrupted somewhat, by phonecalls every other hour of the day and thus rendering poor N, unable to enjoy what holidays are supposed to be. Rest and relax. Fun and excitement. Stress and headache free. You know, all things nice that will not happen in the office?

Which brings me to the honeymoon.

There we were, two-day-old newlyweds. One very excited N, and one dazed Anedra touched down on the 1st February 2000 at the Cairo International Airport. N, excited that he’d be seeing the pyramids and visiting the National Museum in Cairo soon. Anedra, dazed that she was married, with no clue on how to behave as a wife and wondering whether her newly acquired husband would allow her a ride on a camel in the desert, to live out her childhood dream of becoming an Egyptian Princess!

Of course, after watching enough Hollywood movies to be convinced that a honeymoon would and must be all sugar-coated and dripping with honey-like lovey-dovey-mushiness, my expectation was nothing less. If we could, we'd have walked in the clouds, as well...or rather, I would have. Well, that didn’t really happen for us. It did, during the 10 hour flight, cos we weren’t contactable by phone. But once we touched down..it was ring-ring a few times a day at the most inconvenient hours. Nak pegang tangan je..Rrring! Nak romantic dinner je..Ringring! When about to whisper sweet nothings to him, he was responding not so sweet stuff to the phone on the other ear. Oh, and let’s not even get to the other stuff that honeymooners do on honeymoons, which were interrupted with ringrings!

honeymooning me

Thank God, for the exotic beauty of Cairo and the Nile which served as good distraction from the ringrings for me and for blessing me with patience when it comes to my Ns ringrings. And thank God to Hollywood for sort of setting my mind into a honeymoon mood no matter what. Also, Thank God for N, despite the ringsrings, he never once showed any sign of stress, although he must've been somewhat annoyed by it all!

I never did get my camel ride in the end; it was almost winter, and very cold at times. I would have been crazy to pay, just to freeze my not-so-large-bum-then on a camel! However, the honeymoon as I remember it, was, nevertheless beyoootiful beyond words and for me romantic anyway, with warm fuzzy memories and the sound of distant faint ringrings of the phones attached. And I am pretty sure, as much as we were disturbed by the calls, N had his share of fun, there in Egypt.. only that, it could have been better if headaches from KL didn't have to be shared across the oceans all the way with us in Egypt, I'm sure.

So, I do want to be selfish and persuade N to be a bit wreckless and say "sod it" and go for a holiday anyway. It would do him good. Over time, unlike N, I have been able to shut out and ignore the ringrings when they come (but then again, I'm not paid to answer ringrings, so I can!). The ringrings are anyway, inevitably, a very large part of our everyday life. I suppose, it shall be so, for as long as he does what he does for a living these days. And therefore, I suppose phone ringrings should not deter us from having a life, and from us going for that holiday. Makes sense, doesn't it?

All I am asking for is a getaway, even if it has to be extra short. I know he needs one too, even more than I do, really! Even if it isn't somewhere beautifully breathtaking and exotic with camels or handsome Italian men. Even if it's not romantic (which will not happen with our kids in tow). Even if it's not a second honeymoon like we oh-so want. Even if it's just

Bagan Lalang at Sepang!

And, even if N's phone ringrings all the time. I think we can manage that. Afterall, they invented the "on-off" button for a reason, didn't they?