215: 14.8 Why I love him

We were walking home from a friend's house the other day - the couple just had a baby and we were eager to witness how much she had grown. For months now, A has spoken about this fried chicken place called Sam's Chicken. Every time we visited these particular friends, we would pass a branch of this chain, but every single time we would not go in and try. We were either too tired, or too full or weren't in the mood for fried chicken - so we have put off trying it for a very long time.

But this time, it was an ideal time to tuck in. We had had dinner, but that was a while ago - we had physical gastric room to spare. Our friend even offered us a lift to the station, which we politely declined in order to visit the shop on our way back. All this time, we have hyped this experience in our minds - the juiciness of the chicken, the hot spices of its marinade married to its crisply, fried skin. Needless to say, we were really excited to finally complete this foodie mission.

In our purchase, we were modest - only ordering six wings to take away. Thankfully our gluttony didn't overpower us that day. They packed it in a takeaway box and brown paper bag. Still hot in our clutches, we happily walked to the station - mission accomplished.

A yard away from reaching the trains, there were two men who approached us. "Assalamualaikum brother and sister," one greeted. "We have been walking everywhere for a bite to eat, can you please help us, we are really hungry." They were thin, tall and looked like they were from the Middle East. Behind the desperation in their voices, there was kindness in their eyes. It was obvious that they were genuinely seeking help.

Without missing a beat, A handed our brown paper bag of chicken wings to them. So fast, in fact, that it not only took me by surprise, but also the two men. "The whole bag? Are you sure?" they asked. In which, A answered, "Yes, please, take it." Instant smiles were plastered on their faces, and they even fist pump the sky. "Thank you so much," they said as they hastily walked away to enjoy their rezqi for the day. 

There and then, I was reminded why I love A. It was in his ease in helping others, in his willingness to share what he had with complete strangers and his unattached nature to material things. He could have thought that after all the anticipation and wait, we deserved to enjoy our purchase. That that purchase was ours, and ours alone. But he didn't, in an instant, he must have thought, we have waited this long, we therefore can wait a little bit longer.

In the end, we didn't have to wait too long as a few days after that encounter, we ordered a delivery from Sam's Chicken to our house. The verdict? It really is nothing special. Good, but not great. So I am doubly grateful that A did what he did that day. 

214: 8.8 Athens

There is so much to be said about our two week adventure through Greece and Italy. My original intention was to write about it everyday - but we found ourselves completely exhausted after each day's expeditions. I also needed time to process it all - it was one thing to take in all the sights and sounds of the country, it is another to sit down, ponder and reflect on what we had been fortunate to see and experience.

My first impression of Athens, was boy, was it hot! Even with two fans at full blast with every possible window open, our Airbnb apartment was a sauna at every hour of the day. We joined a free walking tour on the second day - our guide was a comedic young woman, whose name she shares with one of the Greek goddesses. She taught us about Plato and Socrates, how ancient temples were slowly transformed into churches, and how some Greek myths were actually rooted in reality. For instance, she mentioned that Hercules was an actual man! Who knew?

We visited many places during our short stay in Athens, but one that impacted me most was when we stepped foot into Acropolis. What once used to be a thriving city filled with temples for Athena and marketplaces and places of law and theatre, is now reduced to rubble. Shells of buildings they once were. Acropolis is sat perched on top of a hill top. With a majestic front entrance made almost exclusively of marble, we actually had to watch our steps carefully in fear of slipping off. 

We walked closer to the Parthenon and I thought, "How could they have built this?" It stood tall, elegant and strong. "And how could they have destroyed it?" They didn't have machines back then, how did the Persian army manage to destroy such a majestic structure? In my ignorance, I thought maybe elephants? But we soon found out that they used bombs back then too. 

It was strange to witness the skeletons of what once was many people's homes. I wondered whether if my town in Malaysia was destroyed, would I have wanted people to visit it in the future. I felt uneasy thinking that some tourists may be posing for pictures next to the rubbles of my house - somehow seeking fame or joy from my loss. 

With that in mind, we explored the site with humility and respect. These walls have seen things that our small imagination can't fathom. They have seen life and death in many cycles throughout the years as it has gone through many transformations and rebirths. I felt the weakness of my being - the fragility of my physical self and the palpability of my mortality. However mighty or powerful a community or township is, there is always the chance that it could be completely wiped out in a mere second. Subhanallah. Truly, how small we are in the grand scheme of things.