Short Overland Trip (Golok-Narathiwat-Pattani-Danok) (Part One)

Have you been wandering what's really happening behind everything even the history itself will not be able to validate? So here I was, searching for an answer to a prolong question. I was being too curious.

Thanks to a cuz's wedding, her reception was being held somewhere near the border which enabled me to travel extensively with my kiddo - concrete reason to stick to our duo pact. We leave with our heart and mind intact – if anything happen to us, let it be to both of us (chewah, macam hampeh jer bunyi).

So here we were, pretending it just an escape from daily blunder and boring grind, we sort of need some real adventure, even it is near to own very homeland.

Pattani-Narathiwat. My curiosity of its people, the way of life, even tales and history may not be the only source to learn, so an excursion to the place itself might do some justice. Let’s recap.

2009- I was into this Thai movie “Queen of Langkasuka” the given name of earlier title of “Queen of Pattani”- on how Thai people tell the subsequent Hikayat Merong itself, lot better depicting the way Pattani Malay being during the time (grand costume, detailed prop, etc). Coolness.

2010 – Some beggar came into my house, asking to buy his keropok items. Upon checking his passport as he claimed he was from Pattani, his sad story touched my heart with anger and frustration, at the same time, this awry sad feeling of helplessness. Later on, I got some history books written of how it started, awesome!

Mac 2012 – Cuz’s wedding. I got another trip for Perhentian Dive in May. Perfect timing.

So here is my finding. It has been a wonderful trip with many new things learn along the way. Stay tuned!

To JayBee With Love

I was in JB for work purpose, though the perairan so near, i could just cross the border. JPO was nowhere in sight (it was days before payday). Lagilar Legoland yang belum dibuka itu kan? huhu.

Stayed in Amansari Residence Resort in Pasir Gudang. The room rate was affordable to the civil servant (RM162.20 per night with buffet breakfast). Normal published rate is RM300++ for a Deluxe Room. Even foreigners departing via Changi Airport would make this place to stay before boarding. You can tell the numbers of Caucasians coming in and out with flight stickers on their bags (KLM, Cathay, etc-etc)and the strange accent among themselves. The Singapore- Malaysia conversion rate may help to justify kot.

So much for the room. We could just book any comfy hotels when the rate is cheaper. For leisure traveling, I would rather stick to backpackers hostel to save money! Now you guys can understand why I dont mind travel cheap......(the buffet spread is typical kinda!)

The Food

This is fantastic. Due to our upcoming event, we need to book some caterers for food... arghh, the bliss of choosing. This is my first time to have Johorean people and based on the menu offered, I have no idea how Kacang Phol looks like. With last minute choosing and some altering menus, we finally made the right choice!

The famous kacang phol. Awesome! Sedap dimakan dengan garlic bread......

Laksa Johor! The gravy is thick...terbaek!

The kuih muih that go with main dish....

Overall it was a pleasant time in JB... orang johor agak respon slow dalam bab kerja (pasang khemah kanopi, etc) tapi makanan mereka sangat sedap OK~ Larik!!!!

Darn! Many months to come :)

Quite sometimes not to up date.

Too busy with kerja hakiki, but the friends pic in their holiday albums inspire me for coming trips.

uish lama sangat dah lepak kat rumah!

many animals for fatiha later.....

The Bridge Climb for Me! Fulfilling the dream....

Some idllyic escape to nature

And some attractions which may later be explored...arghhh lamanya nak tunggu :)

Inspired

Walau nilainya kecil, tapi perasaan menang hadiah dalam sesuatu online contest itu tetap mewarnai mendung pejabat ku ini.
Dapatlah jimat beberapa ringgit, tetapi lupa la nak salin slogan yang hantar tu. :(

Comel dak? hehehehehhe

Juga tahun ini, waktu raya, aku akan berangkat ke Sydney crash rumah member.... al maklum, aku anak yatim piatu.
sambung jelajah yang tak abes-abes tu kan...byk sangat pengaruh Oprah Winfrey dalam hidup :)

Peeking Into People 's Life for Inspiration

This is kinda overdue.

Sometimes we even has this curiosity to know what happens in some friend's life when

a) they are migrating

b) furthering studies to some distant places

c) going away to a trip. Some may even want to have ideas for next travel getaway.

Even places that we never expect a gem, or shall we say, "a diamond in the rough" pun akan membuat kita lebih teruja nak pergi dan tengok. Thanks to the technology which allows us to connect to each other for every single moment. The Internet becomes a great source of reference for many many purposes. Kalau dulu dulu masa zaman dinosaur, tunggu kawan balik Malaysia baru boleh tahu. Itu pun kalau berjumpa.

Living in overseas for work or studies or even for good definitely a bit different compared to traveling to the places. Mana taknya, those people have to adapt to the environment and culture, discrimination or perhaps the need to endure the homesickness being far away from beloved motherland. Kita yang datang menziarah mungkin terlepas dari itu semua kerana perjalanan kita singkat dan berbentuk sementara. Ya lah, aspek nak seronok tu lagi utama. Hahahahah Yang lain cuma precautionary for safety and avoidance of unwanted incidents.

So peeking into other people's life we personally know there via blogs is just a way to know the real, honest truth about the whole thing. Bukanlah maksud stalking for free info to gossip ngan kenkawan, sometimes their thoughts in the blog inspire us in many surprise way or even urge us to go there and visit!

To the Land of US and A (The Chivas Girl)

Kenapa Chivas? Ada sejarah tersendiri dengan kawan aku ni. More to when we, Administrative and Diplomatic Officers (orang lain kata kojo PTD), needed to report for Police Module training, this feisty girl carrying a tote bag emblazoned the CHIVAS word so big when she came out from the bus. It was actually an ice breaking session pun dengan Ms. Freeda Lee. jangan korang ingat dia suka minum Chivas pulak hahahhahahaha

Happened that Ms. Freeda leave the service due to her marriage with an American guy and now residing in USA. Let's see how thing goes. I am so like it when she has this post. Why? It is the number of pumpkins in the picture which was so many and cantek cantek macam plastik!

http://abbottave.blogspot.com/2011/10/pumpkin-farm.html

The owner of this blog pun sudah bagi lampu hijau if i wanna promote her blog here :)

Puan Zuana (a friend to an ex colleague in the ministry) Missouri, USA

http://ctzuana.blogspot.com/

Post ni menarik kerana beliau ada peluang nak pergi berburu. Dan post jelajah keluarga yang ditulis dengan details sekali.

Ada ramai kawan-kawan lagi yang sedang berada di luar sana. Macam Encik George Blaise yang mengikuti isteri belajar Master di Seattle. Nanti akak tanya ada blog for reference... and a few yang kena follow up jugak perkembangan secara personal. Bukan apa, kenkadang seronok tengok mereka berpeluang ke mana-mana jauh dari negara ibunda. Masa ni mula lar berangan-angan nak apply buat Master tapi tu lar memandangkan akak dulu bekas pelajar tajaan JPA untuk uni local jer, kena la bagi peluang orang lain dulu... bukan serik nak mintak, tapi tu la, anak nak UPSR. kesian plak, kena tunggu masa yang sesuai!

Apa pun niat sebenar bukan nak menghabeskan duit kerajaan di sebalik reason nak apply belajar balik... more to dah boring sebab asyik kena bekerja siang malam, saja nak tukar angin. Kenkadang kita juga kena buat detour dalam hidup untuk tujuan lebih baik, bukan?

Sedang memikirkan Blue Ocean Strategy untuk perancangan selepas ini.

Like it Or Not... They are our Travel Buddies

Have you been into situation when you feel a little bit anxious and tiresome?

Yup, that is how i feel now. even to certain point, I feel like quitting.

In recent occasion, I do stressed to people who I reckon to have passion to plough out the dirt for some excitement to be cautious or at least being concern for other travelmates, but it seems this towing job was a massive, lagging thing I ever had.

I refer to the coming trip. Out of five, two seems two give it away after so much months spent planning. Thank you.

I think for those who think they-wanna-look-cool- but-hardly-to-have-time- to-do- some- digging, please have some heart to our friends too.

Talking about ticket booking. How many times we need to keep posting friendly reminder for payments. Money does not drop from the sky. The theme is Budget Traveling. If you can afford a tour package, please do so. You pay people to sort out the minor details or future problems, but friends are the ones who do all the favour without returns.All they need is your cooperation. Furthermore, any alerts given to be cautious on ticket sale always ahead in two or one week from the date of the sale. Please be at least responsive upon receiving updates, the least you can do is to notify what's going on and be there for others. Some people juggle work, family and part time work or studies but they still can manage their time wisely. Unless you are being admitted into ICU and have amnesia, yes it is acceptable.

Talking about responsibilities and scope of function

If you are good in emergency response or CPR, you definitely earns the badge of Medic Team. If you think honing some talents in tracking or map reading, you can shine it for the department. If you think planning is your forte, ok, please go on. There is no fixed law sayings you have to stick into one speciality, and please be more responsible when an assignment is given for many weeks, nothing come from the other side. It shows the lack of attention even the attitude of the person for her or his other life being. Again, please be responsible. You never know the consequences coming for example the hike of ticket price or entrance fees, the new regulations, do and don'ts etc etc. Would you like to be accountable for the losses or unexpected incidents? I don't think so.

The rule of travel buddies is easy. Be alert, be cooperative, think of others and stay healthy (physically, mentally and financially).

Afterall, it is how life should be in the first place. No man is an island. No place will be left to conquer. It is us who determine the journey of our life time.

All Well for 2012`

Nothing much expected for coming travel plans.

I have stopped thinking to make further trips due to hectic work schedule and other commitment such house, kid's studies and more local community work.

Let's see where I have been last year.

April 2011 - Perth, Australia.

Reason : I need to forget my sadness. Losing someone beloved was too much to bear and I remembered one friend of ours , went all way to Perth back in 2000. When he couldn't marry the love of his life, his splurge all the wedding money into the trip, causing around RM10,000 for a two weeks trip all self drive. The only thing I could remember was some boomerang keychains for me and ex hub; we picked him in Penang Airport to send him back to Seberang Perai. The irony of his trip was his comment, " hangpa tau, aku kat sana tak hingat langsung pasai frust aku, tapi bila turun airport ni, aihhhh, semua menda sedih pasal dia mai balik,,,,,," (I couldn't remember the sadness for two weeks there, but reaching this airport, it came back all too me!) Yup, he was too right. Upon landing on the LCCT tarmac, all the fun in Down Under vanished into humidity and Kuala Lumpur infamous heatness. Back to square one!

The good moment : I enjoy walking many blocks in Perth CDB, without sweating in a cool autumn night. I think I can work out comfortably in zero humidity and cool climate without fatigue feelings, as if you are working in the gym minus the guy's stares. Ahhhahha, excuse not to work out here in my own backyard.

Not so Good Moment : We got lost in dessert, being questioned by the immigration officer for many questions including what I do for a living, but the funny part when some student-like Malaysian behind us asking us to carry one carton of rokok for each of us (they brought in too many), haish, rasa macam pengedar dadah pun ada (drug smuggler). Ahhaaa. Masa tu rasa semua Malaysian stick to Malaysian punya spirit di luar negara.

July 2011 - Universal Studios, Singapore

Reason : Why Singapore? Particularly this neighbouring country is hours of drive of journey and short distance to roam around. Bringing a kid to any trip require you to add more fun factor to make it memorable. Let it be water park, zoo or amusement park, every kids will only remember their time on carousel or merry go round. Kalau layan selera orang dewasa, takut bosan pulak. Anyhow this trip made in conjunction with officemate's wedding in JB, so someday we might be going again to layan Night Safari pula (on full Temasek course) :)

Mei 2011 - Tawau/Kunak, Sabah

Post outstation getaway. I remember when I couldnt make arrangement to change my flight due to salah pilih tarikh booking, yeah, funny kan, I drove all the way from Penang to LCCT alone at midnight. Keje giler. Boleh jer drop kete kat Rawang and took cab, but I was too sleepy. Overall being away far from the Peninsular Malaysia is good when you want to see things out of the perspective. I plan to come again for island getaway this year in September. Hopefully things will be ok.

Whatever it is, every journey share many wonderful and bad moments of unpreparedness, fatigue and last minute changes. With that, I conclude my future trip would be more relaxing, planned and not too many trips made due to constraints, of course. One particular visit last month to a dying friend in Kota Bharu changed my way of view about traveling. You can plan all the way to go somewhere, but if God does not allow you, every careful planning perhaps go down to waste (talking bout the cancelled Vietnam trip)...so a better back up perhaps help to justify the frustration. Same goes to any trip you make regardless the objective of going there, the surprises and the smoothness of the journey itself leave a lasting memory. Surprisingly, the short distance trip changed how should i live my life too. The prolonged sadness (as told ) suddenly disappear. It does not take you far to forget the troubles. It is the lesson behind the trip is far more important. With that, i should have good thought of my future ones - somewhere nearer to Holy places?

Other tips? Never fly on the same day of the last working day: you boss might ask you to stay back doing extra work and the flight might be cancelled. Never book flight time during end office hour - 4.30 to 6.30 p.m (traffic congestion all the way to airport). Arrive early if you want to have the time. Take one whole leave day. As for my case, I will keep my mouth shut next time coz who knows someone might have the itch to make my trip not happening.

Till then, Happy New Year!