Finally Hosted My First Gathering: Bringing My Favourite People Together

Today I finally get to slow down, take a breath, and sit down to write again. It feels so nice to come back here and share a little life update, like I have an audience waiting for me… haha. 😂

The past few weeks have been incredibly busy—the kind of busy where everything overlaps, and you don’t even realize how tired you are until it’s over. After coming back from a week-long holiday in my hometown, I only had a few days to catch up on my assignments, and right after that came my midterm exams.

Before I could even fully recover from all of it, I found myself preparing for my first-ever gathering. What started as a simple thought (to bring all my favourite people together, to sit in one place, share a meal, and finally meet each other) quickly turned into something much bigger than I had imagined.

Everything happened so quickly, one thing after another, and there were moments when I genuinely felt like I could barely keep up with my own routine. I was running on very little rest, constantly thinking about what needed to be done next, and trying to hold everything together at the same time.

Yet, somehow, in the middle of all that chaos, things slowly began to fall into place. Even though I felt overwhelmed and exhausted, everything worked out the way it was meant to. When I look back at it now, I still can’t believe I actually managed to pull it off.

And that gathering… omg, I’m still a little in disbelief. I was nervous at first because I had never hosted anything like this before, but somehow it came together beautifully—better than I had imagined, and more meaningful than I ever expected.

The idea itself didn’t begin as something big or fancy. It was simply about bringing my favourite people together. At first, I wanted to keep it small. Maybe around 10 people, a mix of my best friends I’ve known for years and a few good friends I met through different phases of life—whether through work, school, online, or mutual connections. Just my inner circle. The people who have shown me nothing but kindness, many of them have been in my life for years! Decades even.

But as I sat down and really thought about it, I found myself going deeper. I started listing the people who have been there for me. The ones who checked in on me, who stayed through every version of me, who spoke well of me even when I wasn’t around, and who protected my name despite my weaknesses. The ones who made me feel safe, supported, and genuinely happy in their presence.

Slowly, without me even realizing it at first, the list began to grow. Before I knew it, I wasn’t planning for 10 anymore… I was planning for 20.

That was the moment it all started to feel real.

What made it even more meaningful is that this idea had actually been sitting in my mind for years. I kept putting it off for the simplest reason—I didn’t have a big enough pot to cook for that many people. So it always felt like something I would do “someday.” Just not yet.

And then, during Eid, a friend casually asked, “When can I eat your laksa?”

Laksa has always been my signature dish, and somehow it became her favourite—she, along with a few others, had been asking me about it for a while. In that almost random conversation, I found myself thinking… okay, maybe it’s time.

With a little help from my mum—who got me the big pot, I finally started taking the idea seriously. I began planning the menu, sending out invitations, and asking for RSVPs so I could have a clearer idea of how many people to prepare for. I was careful not to overinvite or underprepare, especially when it came to food, and having a rough count made everything feel a little more manageable. Even then, the whole process felt like a mix of excitement and fear, because this time, I wasn’t just cooking for fun. I was hosting my people.

When it came to the menu, I knew I wanted it to feel personal. Since I was cooking everything myself, I chose not only dishes I was already familiar with, but also dishes that meant something to the people I was inviting. Of course, laksa had to be on the list. I also made masak lemak nenas ikan masin, which is one of my best friend Eqa’s favourites. From there, I added more dishes to make sure there was enough variety for everyone: rendang ayam, ketupat palas serunding daging, nasi with sambal belacan, sambal tempoyak, ulam-ulaman and ikan goreng, as well as kuah kacang with nasi impit.

Of course, no gathering feels complete without something sweet at the end. I prepared desserts like kek batik and agar-agar sirap laici, while my mum contributed a variety of Eid cookies and even brought a fruitcake. My friends also added their own touch—Nazrin brought an orange cake he made himself, Erni came with a butter cake, and Fera brought a salted caramel macchiato birthday cake so we could celebrate everyone together. On top of that, I prepared fresh fruits like mandarin oranges and grapes, along with rojak jambu, just to complete the spread.

The night before the gathering, I prepared everything I possibly could—ingredients, sauces, small prep work—anything that would make the next day a little easier. I went to bed around 1:30 am, and by 5:00 am, I was already back in the kitchen. It was exhausting, but I wanted everything to be perfect, especially because this was something I was creating for the people I love.

At one point, I honestly thought, “How am I going to finish all of this on time?”

Thankfully, one of my good friends, Hani, came early at 9:00 am to help. I can’t even explain how much that meant to me. Without her, I don’t think I would have managed to get everything ready on time.

By the time 12:30 pm came around, my friends had already started arriving—and of course, I wasn’t even ready yet. I panicked a little (okay, maybe more than a little 😂), but while I rushed to get myself together, my friends who arrived early simply stepped in and took over whatever they could. Some helped in the kitchen, some prepared drinks, and everything just… flowed. It didn’t take me long to get ready since I’ve been keeping things simple these days—less makeup, easy hair—and soon enough, I was able to finally step back and take it all in.

The house slowly filled with voices, laughter, and that warm kind of chaos that only exists when people who genuinely care about each other share the same space. Some of my friends were meeting for the first time, and I found myself pausing for a moment just to watch it all unfold—strangers becoming comfortable, conversations flowing naturally, and laughter echoing like they had known each other for years.

In that moment, I knew this was exactly what I wanted. Not just a meal, not just a gathering, but a connection—a space where different parts of my life could meet and exist together in one place.

As a small gesture, I also prepared gifts for everyone. Nothing expensive, just simple things—a set of hair ties (for the girls), a handwritten card for each person, and a box of Lego bricks they could keep as a little memory from that day. It wasn’t about the value of the gift, but the meaning behind it. I just wanted them to know something simple, but important: I appreciate you being in my life.

One thing I know for sure, this won’t be the last. Everyone who was part of this first gathering (including those who couldn’t make it) will always be part of the next one, because I want to keep doing this. I wish I could’ve invited more friends I care about, but I see this as just a little bit of trial and error, so that next time, it can be even better.

What made me happiest, more than anything else, wasn’t the food or the planning. It was watching my friends, who once didn’t know each other, begin to form their own connections. Seeing them laugh together, talk comfortably, and build something new among themselves made me realize that something truly special had been created that day.

I’m deeply grateful for each one of them—for their kindness, their support, and for being such constant, grounding presences in my life. These are the kind of people who stay, who show up, and who continue to choose you through every version of who you are. That kind of friendship is something everyone wishes they had, and I don’t take it for granted. I carry it with me in the way I try to show up for them, too.

To my partner… thank you for being the behind-the-scenes person of this gathering… for reminding me of things I would’ve definitely forgotten, for helping me stay organised, and for being there from the very beginning with the planning and everything in between.

I truly couldn’t have done this without you.