Fraternizing with Future In-Laws...

I recently went on a long-overdue vacation from work. Took a road-trip with my fiance and his sister to the East Coast. We were visiting his family who were staying in Kota Bharu, Kelantan (the famous 'opposition' state). My friends were apprehensive about this little trip of mine. They coaxed me to take a 'proper vacation', which in their mind does not include hanging-out at my future-in-laws. Apparently it sounded like a bad idea and not much of a 'relaxing vacation'.

"You'd have to be on your best behavior and act like a proper anak dara, you know!"
"Are you insane? Your idea of curing your work-related-stress is by going to visit your mertuas? You're sadistic"
"Good luck, babe. Hope you get home alive."

These were the kind of farewell greetings I received before embarking on my little adventure.
But being the stubborn woman I am, I ignored their prophecies of doom (well-intentioned though they were) and with my parents blessings, I went on my much-anticipated vacation though with a little smidgen of apprehension.

It was a long but beautiful journey. We took the new high-way and had originally planned to stop by at Cherating. But a wrong-turn dashed those plans and we went straight to Kota Bharu, reaching there quite late in the evening. From the moment I stepped into their home, all my apprehension vanished. They were very welcoming and took us straight out to supper where we had a fantastic feast of fragrant rice and delicious seafood. (Note: Food in Kelantan is truly fabulous... truly truly truly.)

All through my trip (I was there for 5 days), I was lavished with fantastic food and gracious hospitality. I didn't feel like a guest in their home, I felt like part of the family. Though I was missing my family, watching their family interact was a balm to my homesickness. There was no pretention, no superficiality and no hypocrisy. What you see is what you get. And I saw a friendly, sincere family - a family I am proud to merge with my own.

They say you can tell a man's character by his family... Obviously I made the right choice.

It started out as a road-trip, but ended as a journey of remarkable discoveries.