End of summer

Summer holiday coming to an end, I met few friends at the airport. This is the proud moment to see their son and daughter went abroad for their tertiary education. Amat, Danial, Yusof , Atika and others are going back to their college in UK. Some study in London, Hull, Lancaster, Southampton and Kent.
Asiah (my niece) and Azman are newly married young couple. They are both 22 years old. Their moms wanted them to tie the knot before they go abroad. Azman got a place to study in Sheffield university. As neither their parents nor they themselves have had any experience studying and living overseas, Asiah a bit worried. She asked me..."Kat sana (Sheffield) ramai Melayu tak?...ada belacan, rempah ratus tak?”…ini zaman bila punya soalan! I said. Anyway, I understand her feeling as I remember my own experience going abroad back in 80’s. I remember I asked my husband the same question. he said.."semua ada….. , cuma mak bapak saja takada kat sana”
To my niece I answered…."kalau nak cari Melayu saja kat sana, tak payah lah belajar sana duduk saja di Malaysia!”
Asiah remember I told her once about my whole experience living oversea. Being the only Malay living in a remote English village and as a post graduate student's wife, it was not easy. Everyday I was left alone with my baby as my husband had to go to college. It was only two years later, I met one or two Malays in town. And few came study at the same college...the rest was history..." Nape dengan Melayu di sana aunty?"...Like I said...It was not an easy plain sailing...but it was worth travelled..