The Ox Updates! Part One

First of all: my apologies for the lack of updates. As I'd expected, this trip turned weird on me even before I left. The following post will be a summary of the past three days - so please bear with any inconsistencies and digressions, the reasons will soon become obvious to the gentle reader.

Wednesday, December 15th

After managing to squeeze everything into my sisters' huge bag, I set off for the airport at about 545pm, courtesy of my trusted Taxi Liason, Mr Ho (who has never even been 2 minutes late in the year and a half that I've used his services). I was still feeling pretty miserable (I had no idea that until Thursday I was running about with a temperature of 39 degrees) but the prospect of the trip (and an awesome travelling companion in the form of Susanna Clarke's compelling Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, thank you, Kiddo!) got me energised. I arrived and checked in with time to spare, got a bite to eat, and waited.

I got a whiff of our very own Malaysian hospitality as the crowd pressed in to board the AirAsia flight I was flying on. A large mat salleh man with a cane who obviously had trouble walking tried to alert someone he would like to get on first, especially since the crew announced boarding priority should be given to the requisite pregnant women, children and handicapped. I'd like to say the crowd parted like the Red Sea for Moses, but no such thing happened. The rest of the passengers just stared at him (one auntie even made to scold him), even as he raised his hand and asked for help. Luckily for him, a member of the crew spotted his upraised cane, and let him through.

Anyway. Once that was over and everyone rushed in before the seats were all taken up (I suppose that was why they were all running, I mean, just because you've bought yourself a plane ticket and a boarding pass who's to say you've even got a seat? There's third world mentality for you) there was another wait - this time due to a "small hydraulic problem". My fever addled mind was already contemplating what falling out of the sky would feel like, and I wasn't very much aware of the flight proper taking off after about half an hour.

Much later than supposed to, we touched down in Senai - I lifted my huge bag (it's all exam papers, I told the curious woman next to me) got on a taxi and sped off to the Pan Pacific in JB proper. Now when I say sped - I mean it. The driver of the cab I was in saw fit to assault the roads at a screeching 130 km/h. If I'd been any more sober..I'd probably have jumped out.

Thankfully, I didn't, or this would be the first ghost blog in the world.

Checking in at the hotel - I didn't really have time for anything else. I was already shaking so horribly all I wanted was to drop into bed and sleep - but that wasn't in the cards. I had to finish ironing my clothes, unpacking, and THEN wrestling with the weird power outlets they had in the Pan Pac AND the bathroom lights which decided to all go out on me before I finally collapsed into bed, a Fisherman's Friend in my mouth, and weird dreams in my head.

(To be continued..)