The past two weeks...

....have been great. I remember the anticipation I had riding on the MRT to the airport in the middle of the night giddy with excitement and then finally seeing Brian walk through the arrival gate, my suitcases in tow. We explored, ate and bitched our way through a three nation cultural and gastronomic tour in 14 days flat and avoided the tearful spats and over dramatic apologies we were so used to back in DC.
Brian was a great sport and my family marvelled at his willingness to try the various spicy, smelly, sour and sweet cuisines of the region. I learned as much from his trip here as he probably did, visiting sights in Penang that I took for granted on previous trips to the island. Of course it was nice to have an ever available lunch buddy and we sampled food from a few restaurants I had been meaning to try but never knew who to go with. We had foot massages and hair cuts but stopped short of the manicures and aromatherapy massages. I took pictures of him with famous landmarks in the background for his benefit and for my memories. He met my friends and family and they got along well. We went to the gym.
I would like to think that Brian enjoyed himself despite a few tense moments. I'd also like to think that like the sunburn on my shoulders that is just beginning to heal, we are both trying to get used to not having each other around for a hug or a kiss, an understanding ear or a voice of opinion and most importantly a professional critic of hot men.