Dear Diary

Dear Diary,

Hello everyone in Malaysia. It must be sunny over there. Is getting really cold here and I had a fever last week. I couldn't find any doctor around. What am I talking about, I can't expect any clinic to be open at a moment like this. Thank god that my beloved mother packed a huge amount of medicine, I think if i stay healthy those medicine can last really long.

I suppose this my only way to contact my family and tell them, their baby Steph is really safe here and I am married, and please not to worry he is a very kind person. There is no ceremony or anything, it was done in a rush.

I really miss home. I wish I am with all of you.

27th of July 2016

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

Dear Diary,

Terrius, my husband finally found a job and we have moved to a better place last week. It was a miracle to get a job at a time like this and most importantly, he is not a local here. The place we are staying now is at a suburb that is quite far away from the city. The place is bigger and air is fresher as well. The only reason for moving away from the city is for safety reasons of course. However, Terrius has to wake up really early to get to work in the city.

I wonder how's everyone home doing. Must be really good eh? I received a letter from my mother and it was opened. I guess the people in the post office checked the content in it. No matter what, it was really great to received letter from home.

27th of August 2016

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

Dear Diary,

Autumn is almost here. Is getting a little cold now. We went shopping for some clothes yesterday. I bought a lot of them as I didn't even notice how long did I took in the fitting room. I felt a little bad after paying that I only realized it was half past three and we had not have our lunch yet. However, Terrius didn't complain anything about it. In fact, he was surprised that I smiled that much while shopping. That's what a girls does isn't? For a girl like me who has trapped at home for 3 months, and first time ever went shopping for that long, of course I would smile like crazy. :)

Btw, Happy belated birthday, mother. I am not sure did you receive my letter, but i am sure you wil be able to read this. I love you.

27th of September 2016

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

Dear Diary,

This entry is dedicated to my father. Happy birthday. Thank you for everything. Thank you for giving me the chance to study aboard even though I did ended up here, married and not finishing my studies. If it wasn't me wanting to be prove myself that badly I wouldn't ended up here, making all of you back home worrying about me. I am very sorry. I hope your health gets better. I love you, you are the best father ever.

27th of October 2016

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

Dear Diary,

I am working now. I am getting some part time graphic job from all over the world though internet, Yes, finally, we got our internat fixed. After for waiting for so long from the old apartment to this house. I have set up a website on doing all the graphic stuff to kill some of my time. Surprisingly, most of my client are from Malaysia and I found it very comforting.

After both of my parents birthday month, this is my birthday month. We went to a Turkish Restaurant to celebrate. It was a very nice place, even though is not the best Turkish ever, but is very clever of Terruis to found such a nice place during this time. I was very happy really.

27th of November 2016

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

Dear Diary,

Hello Malaysia! Christmas just passed. Did you manage to booked your tables or turkeys yet? I recall that Isetan always have very nice turkeys and not to forget Sun Moulin's cakes. Talking about cakes, which bakery do you prefer in Malaysia? San Terri in Bangsar Village or Sun Moulin? Both of them are my favorite bakery but if I really have, I mean really really have to, I will go to Sun Moulin's fruit cake for sure. Nevertheless, San Terri's green tea cake is a bomb as well. Aww... I am missing those wonderful pastries now.

We bought a plastic Christmas tree. It was my idea to get a plastic one because it is cleaner and it can be use again next year. Terrius had no object on this since I am the one who cleaning the house, so plastic wins.

Merry belated-Christmas everyone.

Even though most of us are not Christian but I know most of us celebrated Christmas in Malaysia. Me? I am a buddhist with a Christian husband, so is a must to celebrate.

27th of December 2016

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

Dear Diary,

I had a wonderful time this month. It has been six months in here, it seems like the most frightening time has passed and everything is getting back to normal. Since the city seems to be safer than before, shops and restaurants are getting back to their business as well. Nowadays, we eat out more frequently compare to before especially on weekends. We saw the news on the paper that international workers are allowed to register for lost passport, I can't tell how happy was us. We immediately when to our own respective embassy to apply for it. We have submitted the form but the officer from the embassy told us, there is no promise when could we get it.

27th of January 2017

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

Dear Diary,

It has been a year here. I have got used to the country lifestyle. Last week was our first anniversary. We never plan to celebrate it, after all there was a secret between it. Both of us was well aware that it has been a year but we didn't mention.

At late night, I was alone drinking beer at the balcony and Terrius silently joined me. We didn't talk. It was a very awkward day for both of us. We didn't talk much on that day. However, is very obvious that there was something bothering us. After his third can of beer he hugged me. It was the first time, we were so close to each other that I could hear his heartbeat. Unwillingly, I teared. I know what did the hug meant and I was very delight. everything happened so quickly and both of us are not even prepared. We been thru a lot.

It has been a tough year. Hopefully, it will be a brighter year ahead.

27th of May 2017

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

Hi, I am Stephanie Tee. I worked for The Moon, a respective Malaysian newspaper. I submit my monthly diary entry to and they will publish it at the Moon Metro section. I am originally a Malaysian. Four years ago, I was trapped in Middle East and I am married to my husband, Terrius Dryburgh, who is Scottish. We are now settling down in Melbourne, Australia. My husband is a lecturer in Monash. and me? I owned a very unique cafe at Spring Street.

Below shown was my last entry to The Moon:

Dear Diary,

Finally, We have booked our air tickets home! I can't they you how thrilled I was the moment I got my passport from the embassy. There is someone I really want to thanks and if it wasn't him, I don't know where would I be now or will i be alive. He is my husband.

Thank you for telling a such a huge lie to those people for not taking me away. If wasn't that lie, I don't know where will I ended up be and I will not know what will I be doing right now and will I be alive.

Since this is my last entry, I will tell you the secret that I have been mentioning all over my previous entries. I was a student at that time. I came to Middle East with both of my lecturers (Terrius and Bradley) and Bradley's wife for a competition. The country was in peace when we was here and suddenly things changed for some political reason. We never expect for this to happen and the airport was shut down. We were trap in the country and there are a lot of snatching and robberies going on at the time. Both of our passports were missing.

One day on the street, a middle aged man spoke some language I don't understand and brutally draged me. At the moment, Terrius stopped them. I didn't know what ere they talking about and all I heard from Terrius was "she is my wife". The middle aged man stopped and stared at Terrius and asked for prove. Bradley qiuckly added "They are suppose to be married in two weeks time". The middle aged man insisted us to get married on that day or he is going to bring me to some horrible place so we di what he wanted, that's the only solution of that time anyway.

I have never dream that we would be married and not to mention how much I hated his classes. I always taught that he has a horrible taste and is one of the most boring tutor/ lecturer ever. Yet, we are now married and it has four years.

Sorry to be a bit wordy this entry. This will be the last from me for sometime. I hope all of you will be happy forever and best of health.

ps. A very happy Chinese new year!

27th of February 2020

Stephanie Tee Dryburgh

:) story inspired by a song from SHE's Selina.

I thought of expanding it more. what do you think?