Typical travel day
Now 9:48 pm bus leaving from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to
Cherating. Arrival estaimate 2:48 am. Things are going good. Actually.
Last night slept in hotel in Taoyoung, Taiwan. Got so cold
had to wake up and put on a sweatshirt, socks and add a 3rd blanket
and my teeth were still chattering. My runny nose meant I had to keep waking up
to put another tissue on it. Finally I got up at 8:30. My plan was to shower,
eat something, coffee and leave hotel at 9:30, leaving time to pick up
pineapple cake at the store and get 200 meters to 7-11 by 9:50 to catch bus at
10 to airport.
I showered, packed, had a coffee and no appetite. I left
behind the two ALV shirts, my uniform for the past two weeks of English
teaching in Tainan. I also shed my black and white skirt, because it was
getting too worn, some packet tea drinks and two Strongbow ciders that my
unfortunate timing of the cold did not allow me to drink. Oh well, the maids
deserve a tip. I left the hotel at 9:35
and could not find pineapple cake, but did buy one cranberry-cream
cheese-walnut bread. I waited in the shade getting chilled outside 7-11.
Finally shortly after 10 the bus arrived. I had ready the 53 NTD that the hotel
had told me was the fare, but turns out it was 44. So I tipped the driver with
my 50 NTD coin.
We arrived at the airport and I had to wait in quite a long
line. I did see pineapple cake on my way but I thought I should check in and
see how I was on time, since I had to pass customs also. I saw a money exchange
place and decided to cash in my NTD(new Taiwan dollars) to US Dollars as those
are easier to exchange, but later. I waited and the Taiwanese staff were being
quite legalistic. They again challenged me on taking my soft-cased travel
guitar on board the plane. In the end, they said, ok last time. Yeah, like last
time, ok. I changed my currency and went to wait in the customs line.
I immediately grew quite annoyed with the Chinese or
Taiwanese woman behind me. She literally stood so that if I took a deep breath
our bodies touched. I was holding my backpack and guitar and tried to create a
barrier but she shifted her body to breathing down my neck. It was so annoying.
She and her family were waiting in the line. I then took the tactic of staying
about 1 meter behind the guy in front of me, and walking, e x t r e m e l
y slow to try to get her to back off.
She would have options to follow another person at another juncture and
continued riding me like a pony. I was super annoyed. I had to dump out most of
my water, and as I have a cold, I really was trying to drink as much as I
could. The customs officer was efficient and quick.
I then had to take off my jacket, take my cell phone out of
the pocket, take my laptop out of the bag and nearly forgot my small bag with
my breakfast. The line of people who tried to act urgent of everything seemed
annoyed and started passing me through the security. They pushed me out of the
way and grabbed their stuff coming after mine also. It is super obnoxious
behavior. Aggressive and no need. They literally reached into the screening
area to grab their things.
I went to the gate area which was approximately 30 minutes
away. I tried to fill my bottle with water but the machine didn’t work. I asked
some people who spoke Chinese to help as the machine instructions are only in Chinese
but they could not succeed either. I gave up and sat down. The gate was not
open and the plane had not arrived when we were to be boarding. I decided to go
up the flight of stairs and see if I could locate another water dispenser. Now
there was a line of 10 people waiting down there to get water. I quickly got
water and came back.
When they opened boarding, it was come everyone. I got
Closter phobic getting on the plane and felt myself starting to have a panic
attack. I had to do some focused breathing and not think about the chaos of
people boarding the plane. I was in seat 38A, yup window. Recently I have been
having some pretty distressing flights where I was sure I was going to die. I
have been happy to be on the aisle so even if the plane does crash, I won’t
know until it’s too late.
There were people just standing blocking the aisles as I
tried to get to my seat. Other people would have shoved past but I didn’t see
enough room. When I got to my seat, I put my guitar on the top of other luggage
in the overhead and then motioned to the 2 girls seated that my seat was by the
window. They just starred. So then I motioned for them to get out so I could
get in. So they did. They were quite silly, listening to music and making goofy
signs and laughing and I didn’t feel well so I found the whole thing quite
annoying, even though I think they were quite nice.
I shoved my backpack under the seat. Pulled out my
sweatshirt and tried to sleep. The plane stayed on the ground for nearly an
hour past our takeoff time. Instead of arriving in KL by 6pm, we would arrive
by 7. I had-for once-bought a ticket back from KL to Cherating. I figured
leaving by 9, I would have 3 hours from when my plane landed to get across
town. It might take 1.5 hours but I would still have lots of overlap and would
just need to get on the bus.
I alternated on the plane, sleeping, trying to read, write
and just feel less miserable. There was considerable turbulence and we had to
remain in our seats with seatbelts the whole flight. Somehow during check-in, I
had managed to eat my banana that was turning black from his unexpected
excursion to the airport in my bag. I ate the bread that tasted a bit like
plastic, because it was still hot when I bought it and now it was squished and misshapen
instead of a delightful almond-loaf shape.
I drank most of my water too. I had taken some pain pills on
the bus at 10 so I didn’t want to take anymore yet. The plane flight was
uneventful. The sun above the clouds was nice to see as it had been noticeably absent
during my Taiwan visit.
The plane flew along the coast of Malaysia and I saw the
same resort that is the shape of a flower with overwater cabins as advertised
in the in-flight magazine. It’s a small Asia after all.
I thought about how sad it was that my friends dog Shadow
had just died. And it had been a family pet for nearly 12 years. I also thought
of how sad my friend Heather was that her dog Mr. Hicks had died after being
their companion for 14 years. When she posted it on fb, I thought it was her
boyfriend, especially when she said, I couldn’t even go to the bathroom alone,
because he’s quite clinging. But then I realized that she hadn’t known her
boyfriend that long. And I thought of how sad it was that our family dog,
Piratey-Pirate, the cutest boy ever, except for Jordan had died this past year
too. I didn’t know whether to advise my friend to get another dog or to just
accept this new space in their lives to be free to do other things without the
schedule of animal feedings and care.
I also thought about whether I just wanted to get a hotel in
KL instead of making the long bus trip to Cherating. I really wasn’t feeling
good. My head has been terrible for about 5 days. Rest, coffee, water,
exercise, dancing, and nothing has helped. Sometimes I think I’m dying from a
mysterious illness and I don’t even know it. Like my friends dog. She started
vomiting, the dog, not my friend. And then turns out she had tumors and died. I
hope that doesn’t happen to me. I hate vomiting.
Speaking of dying, I also feel annoyed when people who are
estranged suddenly decide to be friendly because someone is dying. It feels
super hypocritical on the part of the not-dying-as-quickly-person. I mean-if
you hate their bloody guts, then why put that aside just because they are gonna
die? I mean really why? They didn’t change. So wouldn’t it be better to just
stay in relationship with someone, agree that you don’t see eye to eye and try
to influence them for good. It feels so wrong to rush in at the last. Who are
you doing it for?
So then the plane bumpily landed. Because the people are
from Taiwan, they immediately unbuckled their seat belts and some stood up. The
air host had to go over and tell them to sit back down. When we arrived at the
gate, everyone grabbed all their stuff out of the overhead and crowded into the
aisle, even though the airplane door was not even open. On the positive side,
the plane is disembarked in record time. I only saw one place faster, Vietnam.
There is no seat assignments, and then the people zoom on and off the flight.
It’s a crazy thing to observe.
Another lady came and was shoving me with her body as I
walked, I finally got over to the side and let her pass in the tunnel as we
walked out of the plane.
People were going so fast to try to get to immigration and
get their passports stamped. They again pushed to be in lines and stood
excessively close to me. I have resorted to sticking my butt out to try to have
some personal space but I end up having some person touching my butt. Which I
am not fond of.
The immigration officer asked me where I am going in
Malaysia. I told him to Cherating as I am writing a book. He stamped my
passport and waved me on. Then I headed to customs, I realized I had an orange
and an apple in my bag and got them out. The customs lady just waved me past
the sign that says no fresh fruit. Oh well, I did try. I will make sure they
don’t co-mingle with local fruit and I will dispose of them in my stomach.
I headed over to get a bus ticket to KL Sentral. I looked at
getting an uber to the bus station but it’s 75 Ringett about 20 US. It will
cost me less to go 5 hours away. I risk it. The bus driver says the bus will
leave at 7;50 and will take one hour to KL Sentral. He says from there the
train takes 10 minutes. I then see, no chance, I can’t make my bus at 9. But I
get on and look online. There’s a bus at 9:30 that I might catch. Then only one
bus tomorrow at 8:30 which would mean an early morning if I get a room here,
but I would get to eat a bit of food. I decided that I will go all the way to
the bus station and see what happens, If I need to I can try to exchange my
ticket for one in the morning or buy a new one if I can’t refund it.
We get to KL Sentral. I run up to the station and then ask
an police officer, what is the quickest way to TBS, bus terminal. She says KL
transit. I go over and wait in the line. I don’t see it making that stop on the
map. I try to buy a ticket in the machine but I can’t see the stop. I ask
someone and she says no next one. Then I wait to ask info guy but he’s busy
having some discussion with a lady that seems to me very unimportant. He
directs me back to KL transit. I ask the guy if it goes to TBS. He says yes, 3
Ringett and takes 20 minutes. At this point I’m sunk. I say ok. But it’s
already 8:55 and I would arrive after the 9:15 cutoff to buy a ticket.
I go down to the train. I get on and sit and then they turn
the train lights off and the motor. I laugh. The other people on the train
groan. I send my friend Laurie my current situation and laugh about silly
travel stories. Finally at 11 after the train moves. It goes slow. It’s only 4
stops. Before it gets to my stop, the motor dies and we are coasting. Coasting,
and I have no time to spare. I can only hope the bus is late and I will catch
it.
Finally upon arriving, I jump off and hurry up stairs,
across a long bridge of 4 train tracks and decide that now that its 9:28, I can
just see if I can go beg mercy downstairs and get on a bus. With out a ticket.
Like somehow they will arrange to sell me one at a place they don’t sell them.
So I go down and look for where my 9 bus was to leave and show my ticket.
INCREDIBLY, my bus is there. Yea, amazing. I have to use my limited Malay and
say-I want to go to Tandas, Toilet, bathroom, finally they understand and say
ok. I take my guitar and backpack and run to the toilet. I am glad since it’s
been since 4pm on the plane I used a toilet and there won’t be a break until
maybe 11:40 on the bus. I get back on the bus and send my friend an update-ha
ha the bus was so late and I am on it.
I call my hosts in Cherating to confirm my arrival and they
do not answer. Ha. I send them an SMS. I hope they understand. Hello, this is
Mariana Alaska. I come today in the night. Same room?
