News Trend I Will Bake You A Pie|Actual

Jurie's profile pic on the day I met him: August 4, 2008.

Today is a red-letter day on my calendar for two important reasons:

1. Exactly eight years ago, I met my first and best Malaysian friend, Jurie.

Dua. Just before midnight tonight, I am leaving on a trip to Cuba.

Now let me be perfectly clear. These are not independent events.

They are cause and effect.

Jurie's aunt currently lives in Havana, Cuba, and I am going to visit her family there.

I could never have guessed - all those years ago when a random Mob Wars player read my status that said, "I will bake you a pie," popped open a chat window, and took me up on my offer - how my life would be changed:

I discovered a new best friend.

I made friends with literally hundreds of Malaysians.

I came to know the ins and outs of their daily lives.

I learned about their government, their history, their culture, their religion.

I visited them and stayed with them in their homes.

I folded their laundry, played with their babies, swept their kitchen floors.

I explored their beautiful country.

Then, through a lovely coincidence, Jurie's cousin decided to attend university here in Seattle.

I spent time with him and we've become friends too.

I got acquainted with his mother, Nor Abdullah, who invited me to visit her in Havana.

And now I am about to hop on the plane.

Honestly, I can't believe this is happening to me. I never even thought to dream of making friends with Malaysians and traveling to Cuba. It's almost too fantastic to believe.

But this is what comes of offering to bake someone a pie. And I'm certainly glad I did.

My friend, Nor Abudullah, awaits me in Cuba. See you soon!

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To read the full story of how I met my Malaysians, read this:

My Love Letter To The Kelantanese

To learn more about my first and best Malaysian friend, go here:

My Friend, Jurie

To hear about one of my dinners with a Malay college student, try:

An Invitation To Dinner

And to check out all the details of my visits to Malaysia, check out:

Me In Malaysia

Coming soon: My adventures in Cuba!

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Check out these stories about my once-in-a-lifetime trip to Cuba and my wonderful friends who lived there:

I Will Bake You A Pie

Cuban Makan

Cuban Economics

El Malecon Cloudburst

A La Playa

Creepy Cuban Kudzu

Plaza De La Revolucion

Old Havana

Poolside in Havana

A Cuban Sunset Story

Sunset Chasers, Cuban Edition

The Puppy At The Castle

Old Havana On The Eve Of Fidel's Birthday

An ASEAN Celebration

Nayli's Bedroom

Varadero, Cuba

Winding Down

Dear Cuba

Aqil's Chicken

The Gentle Art Of Reframing

My Cuban Home

Tickled Pink

Full Circle

Chicken Drumsticks