June - Going Home

My friend (June) gave me the permission to share her experience!

Friday - 18 November 2005, Bandar Tasik Selatan. Yean and myself sent June off at the station at 4:45pm. June bought her ticket and waited for the express train. It would take 30 minutes to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. ETD of her flight was 7:00 pm, she would be in time for check-in.

With the experience of entering the wrong LRT with me last Sunday, June could not risk making any mistake that afternoon and so she confirmed the destination of the train with a fellow passenger. He was a doctor going to Kota Kinabalu and his flight was even earlier than June – 6:30 pm. June was only fully at peace when she saw steward and stewardess in the train!!

It was raining heavily. I calculated that she would be at the KLIA latest by 5:30pm if the train did not go earlier. 5:20 pm, my handphone beeped. June smsed “Train cannot go 2 t airport cos of flood so had 2 go back, 2moro go back Miri”. The heavy downpour had resulted in a flood which was impassable for the KLIA express. I smsed her to take a taxi back to my place.

5:40pm, June smsed “They put us at t Sentral station”

The express had reversed, passed the “Bandar Tasik Selatan” station and stopped at “KL Sentral” station! The latter is the station linking the Kuala Lumpur city and the Kuala Lumpur airport. The “Bandar Tasik Selatan” station is the only transit. We are lucky we are located within its vicinity.

To compensate for the passengers’ inconvenience, June was refunded 26.50 Ringgit for her ticket from Bandar Tasik Selatan to KLIA!! She didn’t have to change her flight because she had intended to buy the ticket at the airport!! If she opted to proceed to the airport, she need not pay the taxi driver any fare. There were taxis waiting at the KL Sentral to send any passengers, on this particular ‘train’ free of charge. However, it was not free to hire a taxi to return to my place! Anyway, that is okay. It was only 15 Ringgit and it was worth it. June had the opportunity to visit the KL Sentral and the Bandar Tasik Selatan stations and the free train ride between them!! The only grievance, understandably, was the luggage!!

Saturday – 19 November 2005. No more KLIA express! June phoned her cab friend, she had acquainted a few days ago, to take her to the airport! ETD of the intended flight is also 7 pm. He would pick June at 3 pm from my place. It would take about 1 hour to the airport if there was no traffic jam.

I think Kuala Lumpur loves June too much, did not want her to leave yet! Coincidentally, it started to rain heavily soon after June left. 3:15pm, my heart skipped when the hand phone beeped. It must be June! What happened now? She smsed “so heavy rain now, I afraid jam again”. I know she would get to KLIA this time, by road, with or without jam. I smsed and put her to ease. The driver, Cheong, impressed me as a honest Cantonese man and I have confidence he would bring her there safely.

4:20pm, June smsed “I reach t a’port now, C u in Miri”

N.B. June and me told Cheong that we would introduce friends to him. If requested, he would put on his tour guide cap. If only he could speak and understand enough English to render his services to foreigners! He said it is not enough and easy to earn as a cab driver alone. He was thinking of venturing into other business in a few years’ time. He could be contacted at 012-694-5167 and his means of income is HB7685.

First 2 hours of a Sunday Morning

Sunday, 13 November 2005

Don't Worry - The handphone beeped. June has just smsed to say she has arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It was 11:45 pm on Saturday, 12 November. It took more than half an hour to collect her luggage and walk to the entrance of the airport. I smsed her to get the KLIA transit to the Bandar Tasek Salatan station.

It was alread passed 12:30 am, Sunday 13 November, when she smsed to say the station was closed. I forgot that all the LRT stations were closed by 12:15 am if not 12:30 am. I phoned her and told her to take the taxi. Was 70 Ringgit okay, she asked? I quickly said "yes" because she only has one segment left in her battery indicator.

I calculated that it would take at least an hour to reach my place. I walked down to the front security guard's house. It was 01:25 am. At 01:30 am she smsed to say she was almost there!!

Minute after minute passed, still no sign of a taxi. By 02:00 am, I was really worried. The security guard advised me to phone her and jot down the taxi number. I rang June's cellphone. It was off!! Oh dear! Was June's cell phone battery out completely? Was she alright? I could not block out the stories of unreliable taxi drivers!!

The security guard said that most likely the taxi driver was lost, being unfamiliar with the area. He was right. I was so relieved when a taxi (the only taxi during the time I waited) finally appeared at 2:15 am, stopped at the entrance , with a familiar face sitting in the passenger seat. It was indeed June and she was smiling. It took her 2 and a half hours from the time of arrival at the KLIA to my place. It didn't matter, so long she was safe.

Yes, the taxi driver was lost. She was not familiar with this area!

Security Guard - While waiting for June, I had the opportunity to talk to one of the 2 security men on duty. His name is Habit (Ha as sounded in "ha ha ha" and not "happy"). He knows his name has the same spelling as habit in the English vocabulary meaning routine/pattern. I have never encountered a Malay or a Muslim name like that - very interesting and unforgettable!! He is a retired government servant, worked in the Language/Library section of the Education Department. Except for his white hair, he looked young and healthy for his 60 years. He talked about his 5 children, who now have their own families, but come to visit him and his wife often. Even though he gets 900 Ringgit per month (daily paid) he is contented. Better than staying at home at night and doing nothing. When you are old, you don't need so much sleep!! Understandably, his wife would prefer him to stay home with her.

Taxi Driver - I could see she was a Muslim with the scarf over her head. She came out of her seat, opened the boot and lifted out June's luggage. I did not expect a lady taxi driver. I was relieved she was the taxi driver. She apologised for taking so long to take June to my place. She was lost and she was driving into the wrong lanes. With the direction of people they stopped to ask, she finally got to our lane. Would a male taxi driver do that - ask for direction? I wondered! What happened if June's taxi driver was a man? June said she was getting worried when the taxi driver said she was lost. Would she just gave up and dropped her at the side of the road? June was worried because she did not know the way to my place and even if the driver drove her somewhere else, she would not have any clue either. It was indeed frightening for her as well while I was frightened for her on my side. I wished this was in Miri. In Miri, the airport is not that far away and I would pick her myself.

Anyway, I learnt from June that the taxi driver is a widow. A friendly looking, small framed lady, she did not looked 55 years old either. She talked with June while driving. When her husband passed away 5 years old, she decided to take the wheels because her twin children (a boy and a girl) are grown! I asked her whether she was going home when she closed the boot. No, she wasn't. She has to drive back to KLIA. Her work has not finished yet!! I asked her whether she is scared. No, she isn't. She has gotten used to the work. It was her source of income.

Wonderful Music

Sunday, 13 November 2005

Walking in Kuala Lumpur city is not what I wanted to do on a Sunday, more so after attending church meetings. I rather go visit a friend or go home with my family, read or sleep.

To make it worst, it was a hot sunny afternoon.

What to do? For the sake of friendship, I had agreed to accompany a friend. She also comes from Miri and she will be here only for a few days.

June wanted to reload her handphone and so we went to the first building which was called Piccolo Calleria. While she was at the phone booth, I was drawn to the music played by these two guys. They played "The Return to Innocence"

On our way back to the monorail station, we had to pass them again. This time, they were playing "Pocohontas". When they finished I quickly went up to them and asked them where they were from. They said they were from Ecuado, South America. I could not resist taking another picture. Blamed my eyesight, the picture is not as clear as the first one!! But it will do for an amateur photographer. After all it is only for remembrance!

This is the best part of a Sunday afternoon.

Outside a Condominium in Kuala Lumpur

What do you see from the a top floor of a condominium in the middle of a bright sunny day?

As I looked in front of me, I saw an apartment building and if I was not wrong in my counting (trust my poor eyesight), there were 13 floors. I wondered if they call it 12A floor? 13th is known to be an unlucky number to the Europeans but the Chinese don't like "4" because it refers to "death" when said in Mandarin. So in some buildings the 4th floor is labelled as 3A and the 14th floor is labelled as 13A. Further into the horizon, on the hills, my eyes caught one of the buildings. It was colourful! Made the scene better!

Between the building in front and the one I was in, there were alwayss car parked on both sides of the road, making it difficult for the buses to make their U turns sometimes.

As I looked down in our compound, there was this nice swimming pool, adjoined with another tiny one for the babies.

It took me more than 2 weeks looking at it to gain confidence to swim there. I felt shy about the thought of swimming there with the residents looking down at me from their condos! I finally got fed up one morning, got into my swimming suit, grab a towel and went down to swim. Who cares if they see!! Afterall I can't see them because I would be swimming without my spectacles. And without my spectacles, I can't even make out a person's face!!


Went out of the condo to the corridor and looked out to one side of a balcony and saw this. Development!
Good to see the lakes and the greens. I hope when I visit again, they will be still there!




Look out of an opposite balcony and this what I saw earlier from the condo I visited.







Decided to go down and explore more clearly what was available downstairs for the residents.
Colourful playground for the children!!






The swimming pool that I saw from the top!
One of the exercise facilities available for the residents!






A barbeque hut, near the swimming and the children playground. What a nice setting for a family gathering or a party!




What about looking upwards and this was what I saw! I could have walked further away to take a better picture but it was hot so this will do!

Ramadhan Stalls

Friday - 28 October 2005 - Visiting the Ramadhan Stalls in Kuala Lumpur. I just love to see all the different food and drinks sold at these stalls. You only get to see these once a year during the fasting month of the Ramadhan. These stalls are opened in the evenings only, opened at around 4 pm until ???, to cater for all the Muslims to break their fast. It is popular with the other races as well - a chance to savor the Muslims' specialties!! I saw something new - bananas that has been boiled in syrup!