My Ramadan 1440 Hijrah Trip: Part I

I had noticed the one working day squeezed in between two public holidays this month earlier in the year and after thinking long and hard, decided to visit Adelaide. I’d never been to Adelaide or anywhere in South Australia and I wanted to go somewhere where it wouldn’t be too tiring to fast. Any destinations north of the Equator would not only be too hard but also meant longer fasting hours. So I bought my ticket using Expedia and waited. I only applied for the visa a day before departure. You could apply for it online but it would cost AUD20 or so. You could apply for it at KLIA itself at the Ticketing Desk at the departure terminal and it would cost around RM30+. I managed to get the travel agent we use regularly to apply for it for me and the agent charged me only RM15. Alhamdulillah.

I had also managed to get my sister’s and my munchkin nephew’s agreement for him to come look after dad while I was away. I promised to pay him for his help. Well, I would have to pay for a nurse anyway and a nurse would cost more than double what I’d be paying my nephew. He received some pocket money while I paid less for the service that I otherwise would have to pay. So it was a win-win situation for us all.

Friday, 17 May 2019

Munchkin nephew sent me to the bus stop in the morning and I boarded the bus to work. I brought my suitcase along as I’d be heading to the airport directly from work.

I left the office just before 17:00 and took the 17:30 bus to KLIA. We hit the Ramadan peak hour though and only reached the airport at 19:15, 45 minutes late! I had something light to eat after freshening up and went to drop off my bag. Unfortunately, only a few counters were opened so we had to queue a bit. It took about 30 minutes before I managed to drop off my bag. I then cleared passport control and security check before taking the aerotrain to the departure terminal.

I had some noodles which I bought from the office café and it was extremely salty and just about barely edible. I threw half of it away; starving seemed a better option than taking all that sodium. I dropped by Hermès and came out poorer. Yikes.

It was time to head for the gate then so I made my way to C17. There were a lot of passengers but I was lucky to get the seat by the window and an empty seat next to me. Sure, it was at row 3x but at least I didn’t have to step over my neighbour to go to the washroom what with my wounded knees and all. Oh by the way, I had to wear my FitFlops for the trip. It was either that or Birkenstock as there was a wound on my foot next to my left big toe (from the incident on Tuesday) and I couldn’t wear covered shoes.

We took off on time and were shortly served supper. I chose pasta and almost regretted it. I then tried to sleep but you know me and sleeping in planes don’t go together. It also didn’t help that some passengers were noisy and restless, in particular the four women sitting across the aisle from me.

Saturday, 18 May 2019

We were served some sandwich and drinks about 90 minutes before landing. Oh boy, that wasn’t going to be enough for a pre-dawn meal surely.

We landed at 06:15, 45 minutes earlier than scheduled. However, the passport control took ages. There were only two counters opened to process us all and half an hour later, Singapore Airlines passengers joined the queue. After having my passport checked, I went to the carousel and was surprised to find only one carousel (at least I only saw one!) and that my bag had yet to appear after all that time. Thankfully, it appeared just a few minutes later.

I had declared that I brought in some medicines (more like my vitamins and supplements) and fruits (dates) and had to join a long queue to declare my food. The process was very slow too. I didn’t recall Sydney Airport being this bad.

I finally cleared the check and went out into the arrival level. After freshening up, I caught up with social media before making my way to the bus stop for the bus to the city. The bus came about ten minutes later and I paid the driver AUD5.50 for the ticket. It took about 25 minutes to get to the bus stop at Grenfell Street. I got down and walked down to Pirie Street tram stop for the tram. I had read that there is a free tram service within the CBD so I availed of this service and rode the tram for four stops to South Terrace (you need a ticket beyond this stop). I got down and walked one km to the Airbnb that I’d booked. It was an overcast start to Saturday morning and autumn was very much in the air.

I arrived at the Airbnb 15 minutes later and let myself in. The gate was unlocked and I took the keys from an empty flowerpot to open the front door. Check-in was later but the host had agreed that I could come and leave my bag in the living room. I wandered around the kitchen, used the bathroom and checked the bathroom up the steep spiral stairs (my room was at the basement and for that I would have to descend down steep spiral stairs and let’s hope I wouldn’t break my neck while doing that!). I even met Alice, the host, explained to her that I was dropping off my bags and then left.

I walked back to South Terrace tram stop but decided to walk on to the next tram stop. I walked on and on and before I knew it, I had reached Victoria Square Tarntanyangga. I crossed the road to take pictures of the fountain, met an elder Filipino lady who attempted to take pictures of me (she was the one who offered and insisted) and finally I told her it was OK just to put her out of her misery. I followed Gouger Street to Adelaide Central Market and was glad I did that when I discovered the market was closed on Sundays and Mondays. Say what? I would’ve thought people would want to do their marketing on Sundays too unless the locals are a pious lot and want to go to churches then.

I probably spent at least an hour there. Chinatown is just next door and I even visited two Asian supermarkets and bought some Chinese vegetables. I also went to Coles but decided to purchase my groceries later as I didn’t want to be lug them around. I also spent some time looking for honey to bring home for dad. Who knew there were so many types of honey?? In the end, I bought a bottle of honey from Kangaroo Island.

I walked on further until I reached Grenfell Street, turned right into the street then followed an alley that led to Rumble Mall, a wide pedestrianised street which is home to many stores. I walked into Myer Centre and wandered around. I didn’t want to enter the departmental store but browsed Chemist Warehouse. Then I spotted some benches and went to rest. I was already tired and sleepy by then from lack of sleep and even nodded off for some microsleep O.O

I got up and went to Woolworths and Coles to get some groceries. I wasn’t planning to cook much so I bought a long loaf of wholemeal bread, a two-litre bottle of milk, a box of cereal and a can of mushroom soup. Those are heavy enough and I already had a jar of honey but there aren’t any nearby supermarkets near the Airbnb unless you count the convenience store at the petrol station about 450 metres away.

I walked to Rundle Mall tram stop and waited for the tram back to South Terrace. I sat next to a Malay Singaporean student on the tram and chatted briefly with her.

Back at the Airbnb, I decided to fight sleep for a bit because I didn’t want to get up in the middle of night and not be able to sleep again. I made progress on my novel before finally succumbing to sleep.

To be continued

Shaken, Not Stirred

I left home for work earlier than usual last Tuesday morning, 14 May 2019, and as I walked my usual route, I thought it would be great if I could arrive early and leave early so that I could water the poor plants. I hadn’t managed to do that on Monday evening, no thanks to the horrendous traffic. As usual, I recited the usual prayers while walking.

I had walked about 400 metres when a motorcycle passed by me. There were two helmeted men on the bike and as they approached a T-junction, they debated whether to turn left or right before finally turning right. It occurred to me that they were not from the area as they didn’t seem sure of where to go. I turned right too and when I walked around the corner, I saw the men heading back my way. I had started getting a bad feeling when one of the men jumped out of the bike and advanced towards me, brandishing a stick. He shouted something to me.

For some reason, I felt like I was watching a real-life drama unfolding and of course, that was what it was: a real-life drama of terror with me in the midst of it. Not to be outdone, I raised my brolly but before I knew it, I had fallen onto the road (not again! You bugger!). I don’t know if he pushed me or if I lost my balance or both. My bags were flung out off my shoulders and the two thugs left just as quickly. It all probably took all of 30 seconds. I yelled out in anger and someone in the house nearby asked what happened. I replied that I’d been robbed.

I blindly made my way back home. I called out to dad and after grabbing a RM20 note, my driving licence, a book and a small bag, dad sent me to Ampang Point from where I caught the bus to the city.

I had my handbag snatched about 200 metres away from home and also on my way to work many years ago. What I did then was lodging a police report at Dang Wangi Police Station before applying for a new Identity Card at JPN at Pertama Complex (there was a JPN office there way back when). I also went to a private clinic (a panel clinic of my employer) and also the nearest private hospital. So I decided to do the same thing.

I arrived at the office and rang up Maybank to report the loss of my cards before heading out to Dang Wangi Police Station. I was calm then but when I sat down to give my statement, I was overcome by a sudden sadness that it took some time for me to calm down before I could relate the incident.

After taking my statement, the officer typed in the report before asking me to read it. I read and suggested some minor amendments. The officer then consulted her colleagues before making a phone call to IPD Ampang Jaya. She then told me I had to go to IPD Ampang Jaya as the Investigating Officer wanted to meet me. She also filled up a yellow form and told me that I had to go for medical check-up at Hospital Ampang. I protested and informed that I’d rather go to a panel clinic. She said I could do that but I would still need to go to a government hospital as I had sustained injuries and in the event the perpetrators were caught, the police would need the doctor’s assessment of me. I don’t know why private clinics or hospitals aren’t good enough but I decided that if that was what the procedure was, I would only visit the government hospital. And had I known, I would have just gone to IPD Ampang Jaya in the first place.

So off I went to IPD Ampang Jaya. I had my statement taken again and the IO prepared her own report for her file. She then asked me to read it and sign it. I was then told to wait. It seemed that she wanted to get hold of a photographer and a car and driver to get to the crime scene. I must admit I didn’t expect them to take my case seriously.

It was a rather long wait and I asked where the bathroom was. I went to use the squat toilet and oh my, it hurt like hell. My injuries were starting to hurt alright.

The photographer finally showed up and took photos of my wounds, I suppose for the IO’s file. We waited a bit more before going down. So finally the IO managed to get hold of a car and driver. We returned to the crime scene and I gave directions. I then had to point where the incident happened and was photographed at the crime scene. The premises nearby had a CCTV; unfortunately, it was directed to the compound and not to the road and the premises owner confirmed that the CCTV wouldn’t have captured anything. So we left.

I asked the police to drop me off at the bus stop before they turned into IPD Ampang Jaya and waited for the bus to Hospital Ampang. I arrived at the Hospital at 12:35 and had to play the waiting game. When my name was first called, I went into a small room where the doctor took my blood pressure and temperature. When I came out, I saw my friend who was there to give some support. Then I had to wait again to see another doctor for a proper examination. The doctor checked my injuries and gave me three days’ medical leave as she said the wounds would hurt even more the following day. I had wounds on both knees, on my left toe (next to the big toe), a scar n my forehead, some scratches on my palms and on my head. I left almost two hours after I arrived after getting the medicine and pain killers and paying RM1 for the service.

We then went to UTC Keramat Mall so that I could apply for a new MyKad. I had to make a copy of the police report and fill up a form before the front desk issued me a number. There were five people ahead of me and my name was called after about 15 minutes. My application was processed and then I had to wait for my picture to be taken and yes, like it or not, I had to take a new picture. Ughhhh. I hate taking pictures of myself! And what more, I was sporting a scar on my forehead too! I had to don another scarf on top of my scarf as my scarf was light-coloured. I was told to wait exactly thirty minutes before getting a new number for the new MyKad collection.

True enough, I had my new MyKad about forty minutes later and yes, I looked horrible as expected. Well, no time for vanity. We continued on to join the Ramadan crazy traffic and headed for Avenue K as that was the nearest DiGi centre that could issue a new SIM card for me (I had called earlier to report of my stolen phone and SIM). I paid RM10 for the new SIM card and off we went to re-join the post-rain Ramadan traffic of Jalan Ampang.

I spent the following day recovering from my ordeal. Words can’t describe the pain and agony I suffered every time I shower and it was all I could do to stop myself from crying out loud because it was then that the wounds hurt the most. I had never eaten so much paracetamol in my life within a few days as I did last week too. And though some may advise me against reliving the experience, I couldn’t help remembering the horrors and fantasising and acting out how I would react next time (mind you, I do hope there won’t be a next time) but really, what chances do a barely 44-kg me have against not one but two able-bodied men. Oh I’m not saying it’s impossible but it’d be tough and I’d probably suffer even more injuries if I had really fought back.

I’d been pick-pocketed, snatched, had my house burgled, attacked from behind as some scum tried to rid myself of the necklaces I was wearing while working outside the house gate and now robbed. So enough is enough is enough already.

Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, remember to exercise caution and be aware of your surroundings at all times and yes, this is a reminder to myself too. Know the procedures you have to follow following an attack like the one I endured.

Perhaps it’s time for me to start learning some self-defence moves. I did invest in pepper spray and a whistle but everything happened too quickly for me to do anything. I should just wear a whistle around my neck for good from now on so I can blow on it and draw attention. But like I said before, I do hope this would be the last time ever I would encounter such evil act.

A Short Trip to Penang

I have been planning a trip to Penang where I would indulge in the local fare (but no nasi kandar for me, thank you very much) and finally decided to go last weekend. I decided I’d take the coach this time instead of flying. I did consider taking the ETS train but the train going all the way to Butterworth is not that frequent. I also had a meeting which I had to attend on Friday morning which I remembered in time just before I purchased the ticket. As I didn’t fancy taking the coach from either TBS or Jalan Duta, I decided to travel by Plusliner from the old KTM building. I then booked a unit of TheOffice’s penthouse.

I rushed out of the office and made my way to the old KTM building. The coach was already waiting and I decided to seek refuge in the coach company’s office before boarding the bus. The office was quite shabby from age, I was sad to note. Still, it was not bad enough to convince me to travel to TBS or Jalan Duta.

We left at 13:10 and the coach was very empty. A fellow traveller informed that she and a few of her friends boarded the coach from Putrajaya Sentral at 11:45 and thought the coach would depart KL at 12:30. So if you’re from that area, this coach operator is an option for you.

We stopped at Petronas Simpang Pulai rest area two hours later to use the facilities and resumed our journey about half an hour later. There was the occasional crawl along some stretches of the highway, probably because it was almost the weekend. We finally crossed the second bridge to Pinang Island around 17:30 and oh my, it was a long crossing all right. We hit the evening rush hour immediately upon exiting the bridge and crawled along until we reached Terminal Sungai Nibong at 18:15, 45 minutes later than I expected and hoped.

I waited a while until bus 304 came. I took the bus to Jelutong. The fare was RM2.00 and I got down about 30 minutes later. I walked to Laksa Mamu stall next to Hyundai showroom. I've read good reviews and decided to try it out.

Well, I finished my laksa in seven minutes and was disappointed. There was no fish flesh at all and the taste was just average to me. I really don’t know what the fuss is all about. I left and walked to Komtar. It took about 30 minutes before I reached the bus stop for the CAT bus across from Komtar. I was not amused to see the CAT bus flew past by without stopping so I decided to follow it and wait for the next one at the next bus stop. There was a strange character at the next bus stop however, so I continued on to the next bus stop. I asked two teenage boys and they confirmed the CAT bus stopped there so I sat down to wait. Penang is so humid even at night!

The bus finally came and I boarded. It looked different but I thought it was some advertisement. However, the bus soon took some route I was not familiar with. I checked Google Maps and was surprised when I found the bus was heading back to Komtar. I got up and went to the driver and he said the bus was a different bus. Turned out there's another CAT bus in Georgetown. I checked Rapid Penang website and found there were a few other CAT services. The CAT bus which I usually took no longer stopped at the stop across from Komtar. The driver then pointed out the stop for me and after thanking him, I took my bag and got off.

I finally reached TheOffice’s accommodation at close to 22:00. It had been such a long tiring day and after a quick shower, I hit the sack.

I woke up way too early on Saturday and took a walk around the rooftop before changing and heading to the market at Jalan Kuala Kangsar. Once there, I had vegetarian wan tan noodle soup with a glass of lukewarm barley. After my simple breakfast, I browsed the market before walking to Lorong Macalister for some chee cheong fun. It was then when I realised I was there just 12 hours prior, walking from one bus stop to another. Strange how the place looked unfriendly the evening before.

I decided to take the CAT bus back and went to wait near Chowrasta.

Back at the penthouse, I rested before taking a shower. I left at 11:15 and took the CAT bus to Chowrasta. I got down and walked to Jalan Burma and waited for the other CAT bus. It was such a bright hot mid-morning. The bus came after ten minutes and I got down at Hotel Royal. I had bought a coupon for lunch buffet at the hotel earlier.

The buffet spread was limited and did not feature Penang laksa or prawn noodles. The food was alright. I stayed about an hour before going up the stairs to the link to Penang Plaza just next door. After a quick browse, I returned to the hotel and waited for the CAT bus. I then rode the bus to Komtar. The building has had an exterior facelift but didn't look like the interior had any facelift. Some groceries and household were on offer and I bought some crisps before going down to Popular bookstore where I bought five books. Then I exited Komtar and walked in the afternoon heat to the putu mayam stall. They were only setting the stall up so I continued on to Times Square to seek some relief from the intense heat and humidity.

I returned to the putu mayam stall and after buying some, returned to Komtar and waited for the CAT bus. I reached the penthouse at 16:20 and decided to have a nap at 17:00. My dad would disapprove of sleeping after Asar but the heat made me drowsy.

I woke up to a darkened bedroom and after blinking a few times and checking the time, realised it was past 19:00 (!). I dragged myself out of bed and went to Hameed Pata stall to buy some fried noodles. I queued for ‘only’ 30 minutes before I was served. I had a plate of noodles and asked for another order to be packed. That would be my breakfast the following morning.

I returned to the penthouse and along the way, saw a Caucasian woman bent over like she was crying with a man next to her comforting her. Two policemen stood over them so I didn’t stop to ask. I turned on the TV but nothing interesting was showing so I went back to the bedroom and read my book.

I woke up at least twice during the night. The first time, I thought I had overslept and was starting to panic, thinking I’d miss the coach home. I checked the time and was surprised to see it was only past 3 in the morning. I woke again some time after 5 and decided not to sleep again or I'd really miss my coach. I heard people talking and some music and went to investigate. Turned out the noise came from the esplanade. Gosh! I don’t know why they needed to play music that loudly!

I left at 08:15 and waited a bit to check out. Took the CAT bus to Komtar and waited at least twenty minutes before bus 304 arrived. It took about 40 minutes before we reached Terminal Sungai Nibong. The coach came just before 10:00 and only then did I realise it was a double decker (didn’t realise it when I bought the ticket and chose my seat). My seat was on the upper deck but when the bus left, I went down to check and there were two empty seats next to each other so I moved down.

We stopped at Petronas Simpang Pulai to use the facilities and arrived at the old KTM station at 14:45. I reached home at 16:05 and immediately unpacked.

I was not well after the trip. Penang has always felt hot to me but it felt even hotter and more humid this time. But I suppose that’s the case with tropical islands and they remain the same throughout the year. In any case, I don’t think my next visit will take place anytime soon.

Earth Day 2019

Warning: disturbing images below

‘It’s just one straw, it’s just one disposable cup, it’s just one plastic bag.’ - 7.4 billion people. WRONG. It’s NOT just one straw, it’s NOT just one disposable cup, it’s NOT just one plastic bag.

This Earth Day, can we please change our mindset, behaviour and attitude already?

Butterfly

My dad has told me not to take any more trips several times now. The first time he said that he reasoned that he didn’t want the neighbours to be talking about me going off gallivanting somewhere seemingly without caring that he’s at home. When he first told me of this, I retorted back and asked if he meant that I should no longer utilise my annual leave but just work and work (unless he meant for me to utilise my leave by just staying home). I added it’s not as if I left him all alone but I made efforts to find him a male nurse and pay mega bucks for their service (I’ve had three male nurses come to look after him so far).

He repeated his request/advice just before I went for my trip to Africa in December and again after I went to Bangladesh. He said that I can consider resuming my travels when he is no longer around. I didn’t say a word either time but fumed silently. Yes, I know I should heed his advice but in my defence, it’s not as if I left him all alone. And I think it’s unfair and unreasonable to expect me to put my life and my travels on hold because of him or anyone else. Never mind that it’s unfair to expect just me alone to take care of him. I’m not and should not be the only person responsible for him. My other siblings especially my brothers should play their role too. Sure, of course I can travel after he is no longer around but does this mean that I’m to just stay put until then? What if he’s blessed with a long life, what if he lives up to 90 or beyond? Am I expected not to live my life until then? Am I expected to put my life on hold? Is it fair to prohibit or prevent or forbid me like this? And what do I care about what the neighbours say anyway? It’s not them who accompany him to the hospital and clinic appointments anyway. They can say what they want. They will say what they want anyway no matter what I do or don’t. Anyway, I should think they have other better things to worry and think about than to care about where I go and what I do or don’t do.

Dad seems to forget that unlike him, I will be all alone when he goes. That all his fears will be my fears except that I don’t have anyone who’ll keep watch on me. He forgets that I have my own life to live. As it is, I rush home almost daily to run errands and tend to him. I don’t stay out, I don’t even have dinner with mates or anything. I take care of everything from outside to inside, from sweeping the porch and leaves to cleaning up after the incompetent Indo cleaning lady WTF, from getting dinner ready to ensuring dad doesn’t choke on some fish bone, even getting his medication ready and putting in his eye drops) and my annual leave is something I look forward to utilising. He overlooks that it’s unfair of anyone to ask another person to put his or her life on hold. If you love someone especially your own children, you should let them live their own lives and let them make their own mistakes. You can dispense advice and make requests but don’t blackmail them by saying if they don’t do something you want, the neighbours will talk and think badly of them. Doesn’t dad realise I need a break occasionally - from work, from household chores, from all the worries, from the constant demand on my time, energy and attention? Sometimes he asks if I don’t get tired from travelling and he would say that he gets tired from watching me travel. Well, surely that is the whole point of it all: to travel while I still have the energy, passion and time to do it all and not wait until I’m weak and helpless and dependent on cane or walking stick and on others to only start travelling then.

I try to do my best, I try hard to be a good daughter. But sometimes, with requests like this, I just get angry at the demand and the unfairness of it all. So I have to be a good child, a good daughter, but my brothers can neglect their filial duty? Is that fair? Of course it isn’t and yes, before you say it, I do know that life is never fair anyway. Why can’t he stop and think about the unfairness of the situation? Why doesnt he demand the same from my other siblings? Does having a family absolve them of their responsibility to dad? I won’t stop doing my part of course; if I’m around, I have no problem taking care of dad. But do understand that I want to have an occasional break too. Surely that’s not to much to ask for or expect or understand? It’s hardly unreasonable after all.

Life is too short to be holding grudges and to be putting your life on hold. Life is too short to spend it waiting for someone to do you any favours, to expect anything from others. And life can just be easily be snuffed out, be taken away, be cut short, so it’s stupid and senseless not to seize the day and live each moment to the full. And travelling is part of my life. It is unfair, unreasonable, inconsiderate and selfish to ask me to stop doing it altogether; it’s too much to say it’ll be like cutting off my oxygen supply but yea, it’ll be like cutting off a limb. More precisely, it’ll be like clipping off the wings of a bird or a butterfly.

‘The only time you really live fully  is from thirty to sixty. The young are slaves to dreams; the old servants of regrets. Only the middle-aged have all their five senses in the keeping of their wits.’ -Theodore Roosevelt

If You Only Knew

You made the effort of finding the timing of prayers.
You somehow learnt that Fridays are the days where men go to the mosques for their congregational prayers.

You thought killing 50 Muslims would stop Islam.
But you didn’t know that what you did probably made them martyrs.
Bet you didn’t know that you had single-handedly raised the statuses of our brothers in the eyes of their beloved Creator with his actions. And how, through your actions, they will be raised as the most righteous and pious of Muslims.

Perhaps you didn’t know that doing what he did, at the time and place he chose, it actually meant that the last words that escaped the victims’ lips were probably words of remembrance and praise of Allah. Which is a noble end many Muslims could only dream of. 
And perhaps you didn’t know, but what he did would almost guarantee them paradise as they died a shahid death.

You didn’t know you unwittingly showed the world how Muslims welcome, with open arms, even people like yourself into our mosques, which is our second home. 
And that you showed that our mosques have no locks or gates, and are unguarded because everyone and anyone is welcome to join and be with us.
And that you let the world see the powerful image of a man he injured, lying on back on the stretcher with his index finger raised high, as a declaration of his faith and complete trust in Allah.

And oh you brought the Churches and communities together to stand with us Muslims with rallies, vigils, observances of silence.
And you made countless New Zealanders come out of their homes to visit the mosques nearest to them with flowers and beautiful messages of peace and love.

Sure you have broken many, many hearts and made the world weep. You left a huge void.
But what you did also had also brought us closer together. And it has strengthened our faith and resolve.

In the coming weeks, more people will turn up in the mosques - a place you hate so much - and show more sympathy to Muslims and refugees whom you hate so much, fortified by the strength in their faith, and inspired by their fallen brothers and sisters.
In the coming weeks, more non-Muslims will turn up at the gates of mosques with fresh flowers and beautifully handwritten notes. They may not have known previously where the mosques in their area was. But now, they do. All because of you.

You may have achieved your short-sighted aim of intended destruction, but you have failed to incite hatred, fear and despair in all of us. 

And while I understand that it may have been your objective, I hate to say that after all of that elaborate planning, and the perverse and wretched efforts on your part, you still failed to drive a divide among the the Muslims and non-Muslims in the world.

For that, I can’t say that I’m sorry. I can only feel almost sorry for you instead for failing.

Because the Quran was recited in the New Zealand Parliament.
The azan was called across the country.
The Khutbah (sermon) was aired on television and also attended to by others.
The Hadith was read by the Prime Minister.
The hijab was donned by New Zealand women.

The cowardly act you committed only brought all of New Zealanders out as a nation which stands together with the Muslim community in time of need and made everyone united, stronger and more loving.

Now, if only the rest of the world can emulate the New Zealanders and treat others who consider their country as their adopted home no matter their religion, race, faith, colour as one of themselves. The little Kiwi nation can shame the rest of the world.

The Trip That Almost Didn’t Take Place

I had planned to visit my niece in Kota Bharu and after pondering over the calendar and asking her schedule, decided to visit her on International Women’s Day. I reluctantly decided to fly cattle airline because of the cost factor and decided to fly out on Friday afternoon.

I had to bring dad to Hospital Ampang for yet another check-up (February had been a challenging month. Maybe I’ll share that in another post) and it was a long drawn-out wait, first for the doctor, and then at the pharmacy. I was even told to go have a drink at the cafeteria first as the pharmacy was still waiting for the doctor to key in the medicine in the system before they could dispense it out. After some time, our number was called only to find that they wanted us to go up and inform the clinic that one medicine had yet to be entered into the system. I was not best pleased and hurried up to see the clinic counter where I was directed to see the doctor directly. All in all, it took way too long.

We finally left the hospital and I reached KL Sentral at 12:15, in time to board the 12:30 bus to KLIA2. We arrived an hour later but ditsy me overlooked to notice the boarding time. I knew my flight would depart at 14:20 and thought I had ample time to perform prayers. Well, when I left the prayer room, it was close to 14:00 but what with the queues to check our boarding pass and security clearance, it only dawned on me that I was running late. I ran to the gate and my goodness, the gates never seemed so far before (and my gate was changed from K12 to K18 so it was even further down wtf) but of course by the time  I reached the gate, the door was all locked and the boarding gate was empty.

I sat to assess my options. OK, there was another cattle flight after 16:00 or so but it would cost a whopping RM404 or so. And there was one by MAS costing RM434 or so. I next checked Malindo and there were two flights, one at 16:00 and another at 17:40. But my, the website was crawling. I then decided to return to the city and make my way to Subang Airport and buy my ticket on the way.

So I headed back (and maybe it was just me but the trek across the terminal seemed shorter compared to when I was trying to get to the blasted gate) and took KLIA Ekspres (gulp, karchinggg again!) back to KL Sentral. I finally managed to buy my Malindo ticket online. I chose the 17:40 flight as I doubted I would reach Subang SkyPark in time (I still had to check in at the airport and couldn’t check in online as the flight time was less than four hours). From KL Sentral, I decided I had enough time to take a bus which I did. It took a good hour to reach Subang SkyPark and I quickly went to check in for my flight.

I overheard the lady in front of me commenting about her flight being delayed to the bloke at the counter so when my turn came, I asked if the 16:00 flight was delayed. He said yes and I was relieved that I chose to fly the 17:40 flight. I only had some cereal for breakfast, a curry puff in the cab travelling from the Hospital and a small cereal bar thus far so decided to have some burger at KFC.

After that very late lunch/tea, I cleared security and went in to the boarding area. I was shocked to find that it was pouring torrentially. It was a good thing I arrived at Subang SkyPark when I did. Any delay and I would have to run in the rain from the bus stop to the terminal building. And similarly, I was glad I didn’t fork out money to ride SkyPark Link as there’s no shelter from the train station to the terminal.

My 17:40 was delayed to 18:00 then to 18:30. The rain raged on. A few other flights were also retimed. Finally, there were two flights to Kota Bharu: the first leaving at 18:20 and mine leaving 10 minutes later. The rain eventually eased and stopped and we were able to board. We finally took off at 18:50 and landed at Kota Bharu airport 65 minutes later. My niece was already waiting and we called for a Grab ride.

We had dinner at one restaurant near the market. I had eaten there twice before but was less than satisfied with the food this time. We then walked to ParkView Hotel, a budget hotel about ten minutes’ walk away. There were a few stalls set up along the road, something like a night market but mainly selling clothes.

We reached the hotel at about 21:30 and after checking in, I freshened up, performed prayers and hit the sack. It had been such a long day after all.

On Saturday, I woke up to find the tap dry. There was no water in the hotel! I went out and one of the staff confirmed the water supply got cut off since around 04:00. She offered to get me a bucket of water for me to perform ablutions. Funnily enough, the house below the hotel had water supply. I told her to just get a half-pail of water as it would be too heavy to lug the water up the stairs.

There was still no water at 07:45 so I had a quick bath with the water in the pail (now a quarter-full) and then my niece had her turn. We then had breakfast sans hot drink as there was still no water. We checked out at 09:15 and went to Mydin to get some water. Then we headed to the market. I wanted to look for some prayer attire and meat floss while Akak wanted some fish crackers. We spent more than an hour at the market.

We walked briefly around the ground floor of the market which sells local produce before going to a restaurant to have early lunch. After lunch, we walked to the bus station stopping en route at an alley where there are colourful murals spanning the buildings on both sides of the alley. Funny that I never noticed this alley before in my previous trips.

We reached the bus station at 12:45 and waited and waited. 13:00 came and went and no bus no. 9 came. I finally asked the bus counter and was told the bus broke down. So we sat on until the 14:00 bus pulled up at a quarter to. My niece went down first and I got down at the airport about two km later. I went out again to get some mineral water at a grocery store across from the airport before re-entering the terminal. I went through security check and on to the boarding area – no way was I going to miss my flight again! I performed prayers and then waited for about 20 minutes before we were called to board.

We landed at KLIA2 at 17:01, about 15 minutes earlier than scheduled, but the passengers sitting in the seats before me sure took their time getting up. I hurried through the terminal and boarded the 17:30 SkyBus back to KL Sentral.


Until my next trip to Kota Bharu then.