2006 - SE Asia

Arrived in KLSentral, knackered. All shops were still close; but this is the meeting point with my sister, and her schedule was to arrive at 10.30. at this time she hasn’t leave Jakarta yet I presume… and I have been on the road for 34 hours and another 4 hours to go before I could checked in to our so called hostel.

This is really a very long waiting time, from 6.30 to 12.10 pm. Before finally she arrive. I don’t have any energy to get mad at her, there are other factor that make things like this, the cheap airlines as well as the fact that she arrive not in KLIA but LCC, the domestic airport and force to take airport bus instead of the express train that transfer her from the airport to KL Central

We met each other after another delay for another 2 hours. Check in straight away to “Casa Embon”, the best located Hostel (at least to my view) in KL. Unfortunately, the place was crap. I was disappointed for this place. The place was dark and dirty… but then again what do you expect, what you get is what you pay.

Arrive in Singapore, a bit tired but happy as this is the place I always knew for a long time, and it’s really a nice place to stay, even though I could have never stay here for a very long time. However, this a civilized place for me, after more than 6 months in the desert.

What I like from Singapore is I knew the place, how to get going and how things are worked here; I could function well without having the need to ask help from others. The other things is that I have friends here who would always welcome me and happy to show me around. Just like any other Indonesian who always likes to see each other.

The feeling of Singapore, with all the hassle dazzle of city life. It was just like what I had expected. The airport was as usual, not really represent the city yet, but everything I need to travel was there, communication card, internet access, as well as superb public transportation.

Dump my travel bags in a friend’s office and move around the city was the next thing I had to do. However, to get to her office was not easy, as I need to walk more than 2 km from CityHall to our meeting point; and I was already tired of carrying my backpack as well as may rucksack. What makes things worse was that that the weather was so warm and humid.

To my surprise, her boss wants to meet me and turns out that he was keen to hire me to join the company. Well, I think my Middle East experience given me some new opportunity as they are looking for somebody with my qualifications. Sad to say I am not looking for a job now, but maybe yes later this year.

She send me to the train station, near Tanjong Pagar. I asked her to buy me one ticket with KTM – Kereta Tanah Melayu to take me to KL by rail. It was an idea as well to travel all the way to Bangkok by this train. As a true adventurer maybe this is an interesting option, but I don’t think I have the energy and the time to do so, as this require more energy, stamina as well as flexibility in time. I don’t think I am ready for this, and I don’t think I will.

As I need to give my back a break, I was a bit disappointed when she told me that she only bought me a second class train ticket; but it turns out to be a terrific coach; a wagon lie… or in English the term is sleeping coach. The worst part was only there is some body snoring and it was louder than the sound of the train and it went on till the next morning.

I start my trip by hoping to a flight from Doha to Singapore after my golf class, and a farewell party for a colleague who leaves the company for good. This is supposed to be an overnight flight to Singapore, where I was schedule to arrive at 13.45 the next day.

There is nothing new about this trip, and not too exiting for the usual back packer. I thing the difference between this trip and other trip is that I come from Doha – the Middle East and will meet up with my Sister from Jakarta in KL.

We both have different activity and different timing as well as different working days; as I have Friday as the weekend, and she had the common weekends, Saturday and Sunday. Except for my plane ticket to from Doha to Singapore and back, we do all the booking through internet; without going to the travel agent at all.. so much for today's technology. There are so many things to be done in Singapore, as many things I forgot to do it before I left Doha.