Travel 101

Rule numero uno: Be on time

If you think about it, after spending so much on train/coach/flight tickets, you would think that we would be reasonable and logical enough to be on time to catch our said traveling medium. But no, asalkan namanya manusia, there will always be errors in our part.

I have had my share of running terkapus-kapus for the train (paling common), coach and (yang paling adrenaline rush) airplane. I used to spend my Easter/Christmas breaks during A level times with Shar and oh my, combining both our poor time management skills, it guarantees many running time kan membubut train/bus! Nya urang tua – inda pandai jara!

My family and I are not known for our punctuality. In fact, let me terlebih dahulu apologise to those who has been affected by my family’s tardiness!!!! So not surprisingly, we have gone through the ‘Home Alone’ scenario of the whole family running around the Airport (I cant remember where, it was almost 15 years ago when this happened) pasalnya kami lalai! Tsk! And no, there was no happy ending. We missed our flight L but I was too young to realize the financial consequences back then!

Perhaps due to my share of poor management, I am always in anxious mode whenever catching a flight. Kadang-kadang sampai termimpi-mimpi bah ketinggalan flight. (The dream always consists of me losing my passport or being stuck in a traffic jam or yang lagi parahnya – all of the above). It’s only when I’ve checked in my bag and stroll around the terminal shops that my (tense) muscles relax. Let the journey begin!

I think one of the incidents yang ‘membagi pengajaran’ is when I was fined 70 for catching on the wrong train. Wa-duh! Ceritanya … I went to Leeds to check out the university and my dear friend brought me around the university and around town. Quite a hilly place, very hip and happening – those were my initial impressions. Anyway, maybe because of the hilly terrains, I was so tired and took a little nap at my friend’s place before catching my train back. Big, big mistake! I missed my train – only by a minute! - and decided (karit kan bali tiket baru) to just catch the next train. Another big, big mistake! Caught by the train conductor (what was I thinking???) and I was fined 70.

Sigh.

Jadilah ani sebagai pengajaran!

Welcome! Selamat dataang!

I’ve been writing in my blog for a few years now, mostly for therapeutic reasons. Writing for me is a way of de-stressing myself and also, to reflect on things. That goes the same for traveling. Our life is indeed a whole series of doing something, all the time, non-stop. There is no time to stop and reflect, no time to mensyukuri nikmat Tuhan, no time to take a little breather. (That said, I guess thats another purpose of sembahyang. 5 times to take a breather....wah revelation!). For me, that’s what traveling does. In fact, it’s when I get on the plane or sit in the bus/train/coach, that I stop to inspect and pickle through thoughts in my head.

I know I have a blog of my own but I guess here, I can write for the sole purpose of writing about traveling, atu nya sudah passionate tah sudah tu! Kekeke. We’ll see how long this blog lasts for!

So to cut a long story short, I love, love, love traveling.

Perhaps it is even more mendalam my love ani these days but I guess this love has been di-pupuk dari damit by my parents (read: bapa). In fact, when my mum was preggy with me, my family went for a boat trip somewhere in the seawaters of Brunei (pakai inflatable boat lagi tu! Adventure banget jua my parents atu!). It may just be going to somewhere back home or going out of the country – pokoknya I love seeing new places, meeting new people, breathing new air (hmm, macam direct translation of ‘mau makan angin’!).

One secret (yang now akan dibucurkan ke dunia Web) is that I used to want to work in tourism industry or maybe be a hotel manager! I know right…how life turned out differently. I was quite serious too… I wrote down ideas of potential tourist-oriented ideas, I was always interested in reading articles about tourism and even now, when watching Travel & Living, I never ceased to be the green-eyed envy monster because I want to be paid to jet off to places, too!

(That said, there is such a thing as medical journalist who gets to travel. But let’s just not go there….)

The need to find something to look forward to is indeed greater now that I’ve started working! It’s easy to fall into ‘breathing, eating and living’ work…so I guess all this time, whilst studying, to ensure myself not being fully immersed in med, I turn to something else – mencari adventure in the form of traveling! Road trips, hiking, going off somewhere, ANYWHERE, is a must every few months.

(Kalau buleh tah every month! But because of personal economy as a student is limited, beggars cant be choosers!)

But yes, syukur Alhamdulillah, I have been blessed with time and kachings, to see what the world has to offer. And InsyaAllah, the memories and blessings will continue! Amin. (Duit tabung for 'Untuk Fizah's Travel' are always welcome heheheheheh).



Love, me

p/s. The term 'mian' is as bruneians know a term by urang tutong meaning 'makan'. I am no expert of bahasa tutong in any way but I love using the term :)