Everybody Hurts

Much has been talked and continued to be discussed about Covid-19 so I’m not going to do that. What I want to say is that almost everybody hurts and is hurting from it.

 

The healthcare personnel who are exposed to all sorts of diseases and now having to include this menace into their everyday battle. They have to leave their families behind and don face masks, face shields and thick skin to deal with patients including those who think they’re above the hoi polloi.

The public of course who have to observe social distancing, new norms, restricted movement, lockdown and whatnot.

The traders, be they small Mom-and-Pop set-ups, small and even medium-size businesses.

Those in the service industry.

Those in the hospitality industry. A number of hotels have already been closed and gone out of business.

Parents who now have to do home teaching to their children.

Children who are missing their friends, teachers, schools, the parks and their extended families like grandparents, uncles and aunts.

The senior citizens are already living on their own and who view the short trip to the restaurants as a small pleasure they look forward to.

The mosque-, church-, temple-goers.

The abused wives who now have to stay in with their tormentors 24/7.

The abused children who have nowhere and no one to run and turn to.

The fishermen and farmers who couldn’t sell their catch and produce earlier because of transportation restriction (hopefully all have been resolved).

Those sick and bedridden or dying alone who are robbed of the presence and comfort of dear and loved ones in their final hours.

The family members who are robbed of performing their last duty to their loved ones.

The factory workers and other low- and unskilled workers who are made redundant when the factories and construction works are stopped.

The sportsmen who cannot train and compete.

And the list goes on and on and on.

 

Every single one of us hurts.

 

Some say we’re all in the same storm but not in the same boat. And yet some say we’re in the same boat but not in the same storm. Whichever it is, we’re all facing Covid-19 at the same time but our experiences will be different. And while some have taken up new skills or explored new sides to themselves (some may have discovered they are decent cooks or gifted painters), some may not have taken up anything. No matter. Surviving this is already a feat on its own. Every one of us have our own challenges and trials that no one else knows about so getting through this trying times is more than enough.

One Hundred Days Of Solitude

Today is the 100th day of the year 2020. Who would have guessed what a difference a month makes? A month ago we thought Covid-19 was under control because while we did have cases, we had no deaths yet then. To those blaming the previous government, hey, look it up. The then Deputy Prime Minister chaired a meeting to discuss coronavirus on 26 January 2020, which was a Sunday and the second day of Chinese New Year. Sure we didn’t ban foreign tourists then but we did ban tourists from Wuhan and the Hubei Province. And just so you that you know, Italy banned all flight sites from China from landing from 31 January 2020 but that didn't help Italy, did it.

Then the second wave of Covid-19 happened and the cases and deaths started increasing. This second wave is the main cause of all deaths here, and not the first wave which was those brought in by Chinese tourists. This second wave is brought back by a Malaysian student studying in South Korea. So yeah, if you have to blame someone, you should blame Malaysians who are carriers and brought the virus back from abroad. Not the Chinese tourists! But of course certain people choose to believe and see what they only want to believe and see, not the facts.

The Premier League might have proceeded as usual if Arteta had not tested positive and even then, it took a while for the FA to decide deferring all matches. I for one feel that the season should just be ended now. Belgium is the first European league (I think) to make a decision: rest of the season cancelled, and effectively the most recent standings declared final. So Club Brugge are champions and Gent go into the CL as runners-up. Relegation is still to be decided.

I had such great hopes for this year. I usually don’t care much about starting a brand new year but this year is the Year of the Rat and also a Leap Year. I was born in the Year of the Rat and a Leap Year so this is my year (mind you, not everyone born in the same year is in the same Chinese Year; some of my mates whose birthdays fall early in the year were actually born in the Year of the Pig). Before Chinese New Year, I asked one of the Chinese uncles I had gotten acquainted to during our bus rides if the Chinese think this would be a good year. He said that as an analogy, rats have to work hard and so it will be a hard year at first but that the year will improve. The economy will have a downturn before it will improve (indeed, France has entered a recession and the Head of the World Trade Organisation has warned that of the deepest recession of our lifetimes in the wake of Covid-19). As a Muslim, I don’t believe in the Chinese kind of predictions but it so happened that Allah has decided that this year would indeed start out as difficult and challenging (and that may be understating it). This year was supposed to be a great one for me, as I recover from yet another failed relationship and as I ponder my career direction.   

I still have great hopes for the year. I have to be optimistic (I can’t say I’m positive, not in the context of things at the moment!) and I pray hard that this calamity that has befallen us all will be eradicated soon, InsyaAllah and ameen. Let’s not be afraid if the virus but instead turn to the One who crush it. Immerse ourselves in the Quran and perform ibadah and seek Allah’s guidance and blessings. Allah has a plan, far greater than what we can imagine. So let’s stop worrying, stop stressing and start placing faith in Him.

As for me, I’ve decided to also be grateful. I thank Allah every day. I thank Him that I’m staying in a proper house with dad, never mind that the house is 51 years old this year. I’m thankful that our old house, while a single-storey terrace, is a corner house with a lot of space that enables me to still go outdoors and commune with nature (yes I have to endure the bloody bloodsuckers but they’re an inevitable evil presence, aren’t they) or stay indoors. I’m thankful that even though we are both bachelors with no small babies, toddlers or kids around that we have to worry about, that we have to keep occupied and care, and shop specific things for. Thankful that we live in a proper house and not in a condominium or a cramped apartment where you can hear the neighbours and feel there’s no escape. Thankful this housing area is still a green zone and not a red zone and that we can still move freely about (I see some foreign workers walking up and down every morning and evening coming back from or going to work. And I sometimes see some people taking an early morning walk too). Thankful that Allah has granted dad moderate health and that He has granted me this opportunity to spend more time with dad and to look after him. Thankful that I still have a job. Thankful that my sister sometimes have some ready-cooked dishes delivered to us and that she and family are doing fine too. Alhamdulillah.

I still pray that this Restriction of Movement Order will end soon because I’m not sure if I can endure another twenty, thirty days of being confined to the house. And I know others hope and pray for the same too. Even then, I doubt the situation will return to normal for some time. We’ll probably had to don face masks for a while but that’s a small price to pay. As for me, I’ll have to go without lipstick and rings for a while for how can a girl wear lipstick under a face mask and rings when she has to constantly sanitise her hands. Small sacrifices that I can live with, after all it’s not as if I have to go and fight in a Great War.

Pandemic Pandemonium

I’m sure everyone is already well aware of the current buzz word which is Covid-19 and has read (and is sick to death with) all the information (and disinformation) on it. The numbers were pretty manageable in Malaysia until last week when a massive tabligh gathering came to light. And I’m sure the numbers will only spike following the Masi Magam festival in Teluk Bahang, Penang, and the ‘Rumpun Silat’ trainers state-level assembly at Penview Convention Centre in Kuching, both held last Friday. Yes, Friday the 13th.

I have heard of people saying those who travel during these uncertain times are selfish and inconsiderate as they may unknowingly contract the virus and spread it on to unsuspecting people. Well, let me tell you, travel history is no longer a main consideration. Of course you should restrict travelling for a while (I won’t say stop travelling altogether because you don’t even need to travel abroad to be contracting or spreading the virus now) but there are other things that we have to do and role we have to play too. And we don’t have to wait for the government to do something before we initiate our own action.

We should practise social distancing as far as possible. I say as far as possible because there are those among us who rely on public transportation. I myself leave home early these days and try to get a less crowded bus to work. Social distancing doesn’t mean self-isolation. I just love how the Italians rally through the lockdown, they have a nationwide flashmob at 18:00 to boost morale.

We should always sanitise, disinfect, wash your hands and practise good hygiene. I know of someone who carries her handphone to the bathroom (and even have conversations while sitting on the toilet) and who used to exit the bathroom without washing her hands (over a number of occasions, not a one-off observation). I shared the same bathroom with her last week and was glad to note that she actually washed her hands then. As for me, I wash my hands with soap and then sanitise again regularly. I have stopped wearing my rings to work from today as I personally feel they get in the way plus I’m not sure if contact with sanitiser is good for gold rings.

Verify news and information. Check with the Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia’s Facebook for the current status and to verify news.

Do not panic buy things, do not hoard toilet papers (I don’t get this at all), do not be greedy and stock up on hand sanitiser and masks such that you are depriving others. Please cover your mouth when you cough and not just during these uncertain times either but every single damn time you cough. If it’s not Covid-19, it’s something else you’re spreading. If you’re coughing, then wear a face mask.

 Jesper and Kasper say everyone needs to take responsibility to stop the infection

Jesper and Kasper also wonder why some people are stressing about and buying toilet paper for

If you have respiratory tract symptoms (cough, running nose, sore throat, shortness of breath) do not go to the hospital if you have no history of close contact with someone tested positive with Covid-19 and have not travelled to any of the countries (China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan, Germany, Spain, France and Denmark – please check with the relevant parties on this list of countries as they’re subject to change), please do not visit the hospital to for screening just to be sure. Our healthcare system is already overwhelmed. Do show appreciation and have consideration on our overworked healthcare workers. Our healthcare workers have been working tirelessly and are already stretched and they need our support and understanding.

  

We should also work together as a nation to halt this epidemic. Give the health services time to cope. Offer help to our old, fragile, weak neighbours with getting their groceries, etc. Limit our activities, yes, I know it’s school holidays now but it’s better to be at home than having to care for your close family members in the hospital, right. Let’s all play our part to prevent its spread and take necessary steps and precaution. Don’t panic, don’t panic buy, don’t spread fake news.

For Muslims, there are prayers that you can recite. More importantly, place your faith with Allah, trust that He can help us while at the same time observing all precautions.

Last but not least, sanitise, wash your hands and practise good hygiene. May Allah help us out through these challenging and difficult times, ameen.

My Leap Year Weekend In Belitung

On Singles’ Day (11/11) last year, I decided to check out Belitung, a new route which was launched by AA on 19 August 2019 and commenced on 2 October 2019. After pondering, I decided I would go on the last weekend in February just before my passport expired. Yup, my last trip on this passport.

I departed on Friday, 28 February 2020, amidst the Novel Coronavirus fears. I stood guided by TheOrganisation’s and World Health Organisation’s travel advisories. Indonesia is not a high risk country yet (although questions arise of course on its detection methods and accuracy) and we can still travel as long as we exercise the necessary precautions.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when I saw bus fares to the airport slashed (to RM5 if I saw it correctly) but I had already bought my return ticket online so that was that. We arrived at KLIA2 at 09:51 and I rushed through the terminal, through baggage check, passport autogate, the trek to the gates, security check and finally reached my gate within 20 minutes of arrival. KLIA2 was pretty deserted by its standards.

Our flight departed slightly later than scheduled and we landed at Tanjung Pandan airport at 11:45 local time, 15 minutes later than scheduled. I was surprised to find a light drizzle greeting us as we walked down the airplane and across the tarmac towards the small terminal. We had to queue and hand over the yellow health alert form and indicate our plane seat number on the form. Then we had to join another queue for passport control.

I also had to have my bag subjected to inspection as they spotted some object in my bag. So I opened it up and after poking around, I opened the outer zip. It turned out that the object was my brolly. Meh.

I tried finding WiFi access to order a Grab car but couldn’t get connected so when I exited, I approached tfhe information counter. I was about to ask if the chap could help contact Grab for me when he said the taxi fare was standard to town (IDR95k) and that Grab would cost more. I asked if there was an angkot or even a bus and was told I had to walk out and it’d be far to walk out. A cabbie had approached the desk by then and when I said I had read that someone got a Grab to a hotel in town (about one km from my hotel) and he paid IDR55k, the annoying cabbie laughed and jeered at me. I gave him a look and commented to the chap at the info counter that I had done my homework and knew what I was talking about. The stupid shit! The chap said I could try the Grab counter and pointed me to the kiosk so after picking up two brochures, I headed for the kiosk. The stupid moron was there and when he saw me pass by, he loudly told his friends about me wanting to get to my hotel for IDR55k and I yelled back, yeah, I did my homework, I knew what I was talking about and that I heard his annoying comment the first time. You prick first-class jerk!

I was not pleased to find the people at Grab kiosk quoting me over IDR100k for the fare. Suddenly, a cabbie appeared next to me and offered to bring me for IDR80k. I thought quickly and accepted. In the car, he told me if I had approached the taxi counter (I didn’t), they would quote me IDR95k. However, passengers could approach a cabbie (or likewise) and negotiate the fare. Hmm.

It took about 25 minutes to reach Rahat Icon Hotel at Jln Depati Rahat. I had made a reservation via Booking.com and at the point of booking, there was an option to pay then at a lower cost so I chose that. My two-night stay cost me only MYR74.17. We arrived at the hotel and I paid the driver before taking pictures and then the stairs up to the reception on the second floor (first floor to us). I was told check-in was at 13:00 (it was 12:56 then, duh!) so I sat and filled in the check-in form and paid IDR100k deposit before being given my room key. I had read that WiFi is only available in the lobby so I sat and checked my emails and social media before going up to my room. There was a water dispenser in the lobby and it was so breezy sitting there. There was a dining area also to the side and I glanced at the menu. The prices looked reasonable too. I don’t know why hotel reviews mention there was no lift when I found one that goes from the ground floor to fourth floor (first to fifth floor to them).

I went up to the third floor (second floor to us) and after depositing my bag, I walked to find lunch. I had read about Mie Atep Belitung so I walked along Jl. Sriwijaya to the small restaurant. I only realised the restaurant was Chinese-owned but I had lunch there anyway, assured by the halal signs around the restaurant. It was a hot sweltering walk to and from lunch and I returned immediately to the hotel after lunch. After a brief check with social media, I had a nap.

I woke up at 17:00 local time and went out at 17:20. I walked all the way to Tanjung Pendam and got there just before sunset. I didn’t stay long as I didn’t want to walk back in the dark. The locals had told me it was a safe place and even motor owners leave their keys in the engine but I decided I should still exercise precaution.

I went to a bakery across the street from Barata Department Store just off the Satam Square roundabout and bought some buns and bread for the following day. Apart from one or two convenience shops, I couldn’t locate any supermarket.

I had chicken noodle soup for dinner at a small restaurant across the road from BW Inn. It was surprisingly tasty and was so cheap too.

I returned to the hotel, had a shower and rested.

On Saturday, I woke up early and ventured out to find breakfast. I decided to turn right at Jln. Sriwijaya and found a Chinese shop selling Malay and Chinese kuih. There were a lot of varieties but the food was uncovered and exposed to the dust and flies so I walked on. I passed an abandoned cemetery and then a man selling chicken porridge. I even passed the hotel I had originally booked and subsequently cancelled.

I was about to give up when I spotted a Malay shop across the street. There were some kuih left and this time, the seller had the kuih all covered up from the dust and flies. I bought one each of three types and returned to the hotel.

I had booked a tour with Belitung Taxi to East Belitung (Belitung Timur or Beltim) minus two sites, i.e., Kampung Ahok and Vihara Kuan In and replaced with Tanjung Kelayang and Tanjung Tinggi. I was quoted IDR650k (including optional trip to open pit mine). It was a good thing I reminded the company the evening before as the person who responded to my message seemed unaware of my booking. For my tour booking, I had to call the number on the website two days before my departure after my query via the website went unanswered for more than a week.

The driver, Udin, was already there before 08:00. Tours usually start at 09:00 but I requested an early start. First thing I asked Udin was if he had been waiting long and if he smoked. We drove east and stopped first at the Kaolin Lake, a man-made lake that resulted from kaolin mining activities. We stopped there for about 20 minutes before driving on to the replica school of Sekolah Dasar Muhammadiyah which was used in the shooting of Laskar Pelangi movie. I had to pay IDR5k for entrance. There’s a lake nearby; unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good picture of it due to the surrounding trees.

After that, we drove to Dermaga Kirana just across from the replica school site. Again, I had to pay IDR5k for the ticket. There are conch-shaped buildings on a platform which overlook a lake. It was tranquil and peaceful there with lovely breezes blowing every now and then. I spent some time here before leaving. Next, we drove to Museum Kata Andrea Hirata,a structure with a colourful exterior. I was content to just snap photos and told Udin I didn’t want to enter.

After that, we drove on. The day was alternating sunshine and clouds and we drove occasionally into drizzle and rain and sunshine. It was drizzling when we arrived at Burung Mandi beach and it was deserted. There were many colourful fishing boats there all along the beach. We stayed for about 20 minutes before leaving. We drove, heading for Tanjung Tinggi beach. Lulled by the quiet calm driving (no one rushed or sped there, not even the motorcyclists!), I started to feel sleepy and even dozed off (!). When I woke up, we were passing some granite boulders.

We finally reached Tanjung Tinggi beach. There are a lot of granite boulders and seaweeds washed upon the beach there. There are also a lot of food stalls there. We headed for the boulders and climbed some of them. It was noon then and hot. There were a lot of people about taking photos. We spent about half an hour before leaving.

We then drove to a Chinese-owned restaurant and had lunch there. I didn’t want to linger so we left after lunch and headed for Tanjung Kelayang beach. There is a port here for those who want to go island hopping. It was too hot so I was glad to return to the AC comforts of the car. Udin then brought me to Samoos, a souvenir shop. I wasn’t planning to shop and only bought a packet of coffee crisps as I thought it was unique.

Our final pitstop was Bukit Berahu beach. We drove up a hill and I paid IDR10k for entrance (the ticket includes a cup of tea, coffee or mineral water at the restaurant). The restaurant is on a hill overlooking the beach and some small islands. I walked down the steps to the beach and there were about half a dozen chalets there. Those who stay there must really be fit as you need to climb up and down just for your meals. We spent close to an hour there before leaving. Udin brought me to another souvenir shop and some things (like the coffee crisps I had bought) cost less at this second shop. Grrr.

Udin wanted to bring me to Tanjung Pendam but I told him I had already gone there the evening before and to just bring me back to the hotel. A solo passenger like myself took less time to bring around as I took shorter time to take photos compared to a group. There was also shorter waiting time compared to a group and we did start early. All these meant it wasn’t surprising that we were able to conclude my tour within ten plus hours.

I checked social media in the lobby before returning to my room to rest. I ventured out after dark for dinner and had it at a stall diagonally across from the hotel. I had tekwan (a local dish of fish pieces cooked in noodle soup. I made the mistake of adding a miniscule amount of chilli and it turned out to be super spicy) and then fish bakso (I’d neither heard nor had that before). I then took a short walk around before returning to my room.

On Sunday, I woke up early again and after breakfast, after pondering, I made my way to the traditional market. It was an overcast morning which made for a pleasant walk. The market was bustling with people doing their marketing. Motorcycles are allowed to pass through the market so you have to make way and watch out for them as you go about your business. I walked on to the river and from there, I could see part of the port. Then I turned back and walked back to the hotel.

I checked out at 09:50 and collected my deposit. The cab was already waiting for me and we left before 10:00. It took about 15 minutes only to reach the airport and I went in after browsing the restaurants outside the airport. I sat down to read first before going through security and passport control. I went in at 11:20. The plane from KL landed at 11:40 and we boarded at almost noon. The plane was quite empty and I changed seats before take-off.

We landed at KLIA2 at 14:45. I had to wait a while for the bus back to KL Sentral. There was a haze when I emerged from the terminal and even with my face mask on, I could smell smoke. It was sunny and bright when we reached KL Sentral though.

So that was my trip to Belitung. It was my last trip with that passport as my passport expires on 7 September 2020.

My Chinese New Year Weekend

I was contemplating where to spend my Chinese New Year holidays this year and upon checking AA site, was surprised to find Surat Thani listed as a destination again. So I bought a return ticket and then booked Airbnb (which I subsequently changed to a lodging on Booking.com). I decided not to go to any islands as I wasn’t keen to take any boats and besides Surat Thani was already hot enough. My last proper trip to Thailand was during the Malaysia Day weekend back in 2012 but I didn’t feel any hankering to return to Thailand.

Friday, 24 January 2020

I left home just after 08:00 and made my way to KLIA2. I had received email from AA advising travellers to arrive early in view of the potential crowd at the airport and was surprised when the bus from KL Sentral took only 45 minutes to reach KLIA2. I immediately headed to the departure area, went through passport control and security check and walked to my gate. I had enough time to check my devices, went to perform dhuha and musafir prayers and fill up my water bottle. We boarded at and the plane took off at 12:15. The flight took about 90 minutes and we landed at 13:00. We were handed landing forms as we walked into the terminal (really, why couldn’t the Thais let the airline hand out forms during the flight?) and I hurriedly filled up my form before clearing passport control. I then headed outside to the bus area.

We were only allowed to board one of the buses after ten minutes and sat in the bus for 50 minutes. I didn’t see what the problem was. If the schedule was hourly, we didn’t leave at 14:00. Nope, we only left at 14:18. The Caucasian couple sitting in the front row was also getting restless and irritated. I was getting famished. After all, it was close to 15:00 in KL and I hadn’t had lunch. In fact, my last meal was breakfast which I had before 08:00. I went down and fished out a cereal bar from my bag while waiting. After a while, a lady came up the bus and sold us the bus ticket (THB100). The trip to town took 50 minutes and I got down at the last stop and walked to Jae Tom Vegetarian Restaurant for my late lunch. After lunch, I headed to the hotel and checked in. I performed prayers then rested.

I ventured out again at 17:30 local time and walked to Surat Thani Central Mosque before walking towards Ta Pi River. I walked along the river until I reached some food stalls. There were three Muslim stalls, one of them selling food, one selling drinks and the other selling roti and gravy. I continued walking until I reached the other side of the Ta Pi bridge before turning back. While I passed a halal restaurant, I decided to return to the stall by the river. I ordered dinner and it turned out to be noodles. I waited a long thirty minutes for the noodles and was disappointed that it tasted only average.

After dinner, I walked to the night market. There were not that many people at the market. I found a halal stall, one stall selling fried fish balls and another stall selling steamed fish. I decided I would purchase my dinner the following evening at the night market.

On my walk back to my lodging, I decided to walk to Sahathai, a shopping complex just up the road. Google Maps shows that the operating hours are 09:00 to 21:30 so I was surprised to find it almost deserted when I arrived just before 21:00. It turned out that the shopping complex actually closes at 21:00 daily so I hurriedly went to the large supermarket and bought two bottles of water.

I was back in my room by 21:30. I had a shower, laundered my clothes, performed prayers and hit the sack.

Saturday, 25 January 2020

I woke up for morning prayers and didn’t sleep thereafter. I went down for breakfast at 09:20. There were some coffee/tea/chocolate drink, bananas, bread, margarine and jam for guests to help themselves with. After breakfast, I went for a walk to the river and then went for a massage, stopping en route at Phantip Travel office to enquire the bus stop for the bus back to the airport. I then discovered that I had spilled some water in my Speedy bag and debated if I should return to my room to dry it out. I decided against it, reasoning that it was hot enough for the bag to dry without having to return to the hotel. I had a satisfying hour-long massage before heading to Jae Tom Vegetarian Restaurant for lunch.

After lunch, I walked to Sarathai Shopping Complex to browse. I returned to the hotel about an hour later and rested.

I went out after evening prayers and walked to the night market. There were a lot more people there tonight. I went to the halal stall and ordered fried rice. One of the two women manning the stall spoke good English. I had my dinner there then queued to buy fried fish balls. I also went to the stall selling pad thai and when I was told they didn’t have any meat and only eggs, I ordered one to go.

I returned to my room and had a shower. Then I rested and must have dozed off because I woke up again, it was after 1 a.m.

Sunday, 26 January 2020

I woke up for morning prayers then showered. After performing dhuha prayers, I finished packing and went down for breakfast. I checked out and left at 09:42 and walked to the bus stop (just outside Phantip Travel) for the bus to the airport. I boarded the bus and paid THB100 for my fare.

The bus left at 10:01 and after 20 minutes, stopped to pick up another passenger. We were the only passengers on the bus. We reached the airport at 10:45. I went up to the departure level and sat down to wait.

I only realised just as I was about to go for security check that my boarding pass stated 27 January 2020. What the h_?! I had actually bought the ticket for a return trip on 27 January when I had wanted to spend only two nights in Surat Thani. I quickly got connected to WiFi and tried buying a one-way ticket but as it was too close to departure, I could not buy it online and had to approach the counter. While it was more economical to just take the bus back to town and find accommodation for that night, I was already at the airport and just wanted to leave. I couldn’t stand the idea of having lunch and dinner at the same places. So I handed over my card and watched as the AirAsia counter lady swiped my card for the last-minute one-way ticket back home. Yup, there have been instances when I feel like kicking myself and that was one of them. Me and my ditsiness! I had to go to the baggage drop off counter to get my boarding pass but as it turned out my ticket was for a hot seat, there was no charge for checking in at the airport.

I then cleared security check and passport control.

I was disappointed with the boarding area. There was no prayer room and I was hoping to perform prayers before my flight so that I didn’t have to do it when I land. The plane from KL landed and we were called to board shortly after.

We landed at KLIA2 just before 16:00. I had to go through passport control before I sighted a prayer room. I then had to wait a while for a bus back to KL Sentral. I reached home at 18:30, had unpacked by 18:45 and was out watering my poor plants at 19:00.

So that was how I spent my Chinese New Year. This was the first time in a while that I didn’t go anywhere far and take a long break away.

Pakistan: Pre-Departure And Afterthought

I relied on Kayak and then Skyscanner before purchasing my tickets. You could fly Malindo from KL all the way to Lahore but I wasn’t keen on flying that airlines. You could also fly Emirates and Qatar to Pakistan. I decided to fly Thai Airways as it was the most economical but I wasn’t impressed with the airline. Smooth as silk? Hmph! I also searched the airlines to get from Lahore to Karachi and found there are three: PIA, Serene and Air Blue. Again, I settled on PIA mainly because it was the most economical and also because of the more favourable the timing.

Malaysians need visa to enter Pakistan. I got confused at first as I wasn’t sure if I also needed a Letter of Introduction and finally rang the High Commission in KL. They are not the most efficient people when it comes to picking up phone calls and finally I told myself I would just hang on until someone picked up and someone finally did at long last. She asked me some questions and if I were travelling with a group or on tour and when I said I was alone, she said I didn’t need any Letter of Introduction. The same day, I ran into a colleague who travelled to Pakistan in August and he told me I needed the Letter of Introduction and that I might even be interviewed. So the same afternoon, I rang the High Commission again to ask and was again informed that I didn’t need it. I would have to fill up the visa application form so I Googled and downloaded the form. The visa application submission is from 09:30 to 12:00 and collection is from 16:00 to 17:00. You also need two passport-sized photos for the visa so I had to take some photo and of course, no shop sells a set of two photos so like it or not, you have to pay for a set of six photos.

At the same time, I also rang up a travel agency and ask if they could help me with the visa application. They were not too sure about it but said they charged RM30 and that I would still have to go to the High Commission in person. When I rang, the person at the High Commission told me there was no charge for the visa so I thought I might as well apply for the visa myself. I spent an hour on Sunday preparing the visa form. There is a section that asked for the countries visited in the past two years and I had to rely on my blog to list down the countries. You can also apply for visa online and on arrival but I saw the part about uploading photo and recalled the problem I had when trying to apply for Indian visa online so I decided to do it in person. I would be arriving Islamabad late in the evening and hence did not fancy applying for visa upon arrival (although I did this for Bangladeshi visa).

I also searched the bus operators for the Islamabad-Lahore route and then the Daewoo schedules for the trip to Mardan and Jhelum (turned out there was no 09:00 bus to the former anyway) and the accommodation. Shaj had advised me to stay in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) area in Islamabad as it is safer but in the end, I chose Khyber Lodge 2 in Islamabad as it was the nearest to the airport (I was arriving late at night anyway) and Daewoo Express Bus Terminal. I chose MaryLeena Hotel Gulberg in Lahore as it had good reviews from previous guests (!) and Karachi Motel 1 as it is the nearest to Karachi Airport.

I purposely chose to visit Islamabad/Rawalpindi, Lahore and Karachi (and the side trips) instead of Swat Valley or Peshawar because it was winter. I would love to return one day and visit the mountains and rivers but probably in spring or autumn. I also managed to visit five out of Pakistan's six UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Alhamdulillah.

I brought USD to Pakistan. I found that I could purchase PKR in KL but when I calculated, I would get less Rupees compared to bringing USD and purchasing PKR when I was there. I didn’t notice money changers there except at the airports but then again, I hardly went to Islamabad and Lahore downtown.

I had heard of people getting diarrhoea over there so I brought some anti-diarrhoea medication, ORS, carbon pills and paracetamol in addition to my supplements. I brought some cereal drink but there was no kettle provided in the hotel rooms. My mate even got diarrhoea from eating in a hotel (they mixed any unfinished drink back into the bottle/jug so if you buy water over there, make sure it’s an unsealed bottle) because the food hygiene awareness over there is still low. I brought over some food to tide me over. Thankfully I didn’t get endlessly hungry when I was there and could survive on little food. I just didn’t to purchase food there, heck, I even had food poisoning in London OK! So yes, I must admit to not sampling the local fare after knowing how low the food hygiene awareness is over there. I’ve had bad food poisoning episodes when travelling - Myanmar, Jakarta, London - so I wasn’t keen to add to that.

Pakistan is a poor country which is a shame as the country obtained independence at the same time as India. It was founded in violence and chaos and the situation didn’t look to have improved much. I had expected friendlier people - I had read some locals would offer foreigners to stay with them at no charge and that they would be offering to buy you tea but apart from a few men offering to buy me tea, I didn’t find the locals all that friendly. Sure, I did manage to get help from some locals after boldly approaching them (this is not something I’m comfortable with, I really had to step out of my comfort zone) but most times, I had to approach them instead of people coming up to offer to help (except when it was for paid service like tuktuk or taxi rides). I think Bangladeshis were much friendlier (Pakistan may be poor but it is still richer than Bangladesh). I was also surprised to find that not as many people speak English as I expected and in Lahore (Punjab), not many do even the younger people. And how flexible is shalwar kameez?? I saw men in shalwar kameez playing cricket, building houses, working in their fields, etc! I didn’t manage to buy a pair for myself though. And I just realised that shalwar (the trousers) and kameez (the top/tunic) probably share the same root word as seluar and kemeja (trousers and shirt in Malay) .

I would love to return to Pakistan and explore its breathtaking mountains, lakes and rivers. Although I’m sure these places being remote, would have fewer facilities or if there are, less maintained facilities. And the locals would likely speak less English, heck, I even had problems talking to the locals in Lahore. And oh, I would so love to visit Mohenjo-daro. 

Adek's Ten Days In Pakistan: Part IV

Saturday, 28 December 2019

I slept poorly and kept hearing men talk from outside my room. I woke up for morning prayers and had a quick cleanup. I then stayed in until 10:00 to pack and charge my devices.

I left after 10:00 and took a Careem Motor to Quaidabad as I’d read (from what limited sources I could find - seriously there is not that much information from foreign travellers on this place) that this is where I could take a shared van to Thatta. I was disgusted when we arrived at the state of the place. There was dust but of course, mud, flies... ugh! I spotted a bus and walked towards it.  I boarded and asked a passenger if the bus was going to Thatta, she said no but that I could ride it until the highway, get down and catch another bus. She said she was also going down along the highway and that I could go down with her and she would guide me to another bus that goes to Thatta. I wasn’t keen on changing buses but decided to just board as at least I would have her to guide me. The bus finally moved after 15 minutes and shortly after, the girl called out to me and said I could get down then and board a shared van to Thatta. So I got down and went to ask and was directed to a van. I sat in front next to the driver.

The problem with this shared van was it waited and waited for passengers to board it and when it finally moved, it kept stopping to pick up passengers. At first it was like every 50 metres and then at every small village and town that we passed. We finally reached Thatta two cramped hours later and I got down and walked to the Makli Necropolis. There were quite a few local visitors just arriving too.

I spent more than an hour in the Necropolis and at one point, attracted the attention of a policeman and his sidekick. They then started following me around for God knows why. They probably thought I might blow up the Necropolis or something. I chose to view it as the local police and his sidekick escorting and ensuring I didn’t come to any harm.

I exited the site and crossed the road to await the next public transportation heading back to Karachi. An old man kindly brought me a chair and I sat with him and a boy. Told them I was going back to Karachi and when a colourful bus came, he went to tell the conductor that I wanted to get on. I wasn’t sure as the bus already looked full but I boarded it anyway and managed to sit on some makeshift seat close to the driver. He sure loved playing with his horn, honking at every possible scenario.

We reached Karachi barely two hours later and I got down when I saw some familiar landmarks. I then took an auto rickshaw back to my motel. I went to the reception to get my bag and asked about my room and this time got a room on the second floor. To be honest, I didn’t know what the difference was between a single room and a double room because the sizes of the rooms and beds were similar. The room looked better than the one I spent in the previous evening so I didn’t understand why I had to pay extra for the previous evening in what was a more inferior room. After depositing my bag and locking the room, I went to the nearby shops and bought some biscuits and a big 5-litre bottle of water from one shop. Everything on display at the shop felt dusty. The shopowner spoke English so I chatted for a while with him before returning to my room.

Sunday, 29 December 2019

I decided to ask the motel if they could arrange an auto rickshaw driver to bring me around Saddar, the centre of Karachi. The guy at the reception promptly called a driver but he could only speak Urdu. I told the reception guy of the places I wanted to go (which I googled earlier) and he copied them down in Urdu on a piece of paper which he then gave to the driver. He said the fare was PKR2,500 and when I asked for how long, the auto rickshaw driver gestured five hours and this was confirmed by the guy at the reception.

We left at 10:30 and went to a few places. But as the driver didn’t know English and most directions, he had to keep stopping to ask for directions. I couldn’t communicate with him as he didn’t know English. I was starting to seethe and when he passed some colonial buildings without stopping which I had expressed I wanted to visit, I started fuming. And he brought me to Masjid Tooba but I couldn’t enter at first as it was time for mass prayers for men. The driver also went to perform prayers before bringing me into the mosque. We then went back to the motel and it was barely 14:30 when we arrived. I told the guy at the reception (a different bloke this time) that I would only pay PKR2,000 as he only took me on a four-hour trip instead of five and that he didn’t cover the places I wanted to go. He probably covered only 25% of the places I wanted to go. I left the money on the counter and walked away. The reception guy then called out to me and followed me, asking me to pay the PKR500 balance. He said the driver was poor. I was angry at this statement and said, ‘Look, everyone is poor. Everyone has to work hard. But don’t cheat other people.’ Seriously, please don’t use that line to give a shoddy service and expect to be rewarded fully regardless. And it’s not like I’m that rich to throw away money like that. I would have been prepared to pay extra as a tip if he had rendered a good service. I couldn’t help thinking of the rickshaw puller in Dhaka who brought me around, also arranged with the hotel reception’s help. That man couldn’t speak much English either but he took pride in his work and showed me so much and gave me a good glimpse into the everyday life there. It’s a shame this Karachiite rickshaw driver couldn’t have the same pride in his job and city.

I stayed in my room until 17:15 when I went out to look for dinner. I came back with potato briyani. There was also chicken briyani but I already had that on the flight over from Lahore and am cutting down on chicken anyway.

Monday, 30 December 2019

I woke up after 02:00 to check in for my flight (I couldn’t stay awake last night to do it). I tried to sleep again but sleep was elusive. I even tried to sleep in after morning prayers but was not successful. I stayed in until 13:00 after requesting to check out after I have performed prayers. I then spent 3.5 hours in the lobby reading my book. At 16:30, I called for an Uber auto rickshaw to bring me to the airport. It was less than 3km away anyway.

We reached the airport barely ten minutes later and he dropped me outside the airport compound. I walked in and decided to check where I could have some dinner. I finally had a light dinner at the airport cafeteria on the seventh floor. A PIA staff came and chatted with me and when I showed him the book by Malala that I was reading, he started discouraging me from reading it. He claimed that Malala was pro-US, a USA agent etc and finally I said I was going to keep an open mind. I then left him and went to perform prayers.

After that, I went down to ground floor and went in. I couldn’t check in yet as the counters weren’t opened yet so I sat down and read. The counters were finally opened at almost 21:00 and after dropping off my bag and getting my boarding passes, I joined the long, long queue to clear passport control. After passport control, you have to join another queue so that a man could check that your passport had been properly stamped.

After that, it was the duty-free area and I finally encountered Pakistani products. I didn’t manage to visit any markets or bazaars or shops apart from the grocery stores in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore to buy water so had not bought anything. In the end, I bought a pair of cashmere shawls which are reversible (i.e., you can wear it both ways). Then I walked to the gate and waited. Oh and guess what? Our flight was delayed to depart at 00:00!

Tuesday, 31 December 2019

I dozed off during taxiing and take-off and only woke up just before they served in-flight meal. After that, I tried sleeping again. The movie selection was nothing to shout about so I didn’t bother.

We landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 06:30 and had to take a bus to the terminal. I searched frantically for a prayer room and it was way past morning prayers.

This time, my layover was just over two hours and before long, I was already making my way to the gate. We took off on time and landed at KLIA at 11:58. My bag was out early but not early enough to catch the 12:30 bus back to KL Sentral so I had to take the 13:00 bus instead. And my, what a hot day it was in  KL. I reached home just before 15:00. Alhamdulillah.