Monday, August 18, 2008

The Journey (un-beta)

Note 1: Sorry sebab tulis in English (broken) sebabnya waktu mengarang ni rasa nak tulis in English. Tak de kena-mengena dengan lokasi okey.. Essay ni just expression of my long long journey to America...

Note 2: Versi jiwang Melayu (translation dlm proses utk mak n abah dan sesiapa la.. hikss)

Note 3: Pre-arrival entry a.k.a KLIA goodbye moment entry will come later.. story line aku bermula dari tgh ok..

The journey

My travel to USA is very smooth.. Me myself could not believe it and to my own displeasure, I’m hoping it to be a little harder so I will have less time with myself. I travel this journey with my colleague Ng. I’m glad we have each other even though we practically don’t spend time together in the flight and we have only a short moment at L.A before we separated to our own ways. She gave me a little comfort I needed so desperately when leaving my beloved Malaysia.

From KLIA to L.A, we stop by at Taipei for one hour. The stop at Taipei didn’t mean anything since we only passed it by for an hour but the bad quality of the toilet left me with the thought that this airport is far from good and so does the people who lived there. This is the International Airport for god sake.

Arrived at L.A, I have to pass a custom check. He asked me a simple and easy question about where I’ll study and that’s it. Then we had to wait for our baggage for a custom check. After wait for around 15 minutes, we get our baggage and we start queuing for custom declaration.. and again to my surprise, they just let me go through without asking any question. And that’s it.. I passed the custom check for my baggage; they don’t even open my baggage. Now, I left alone. Ng already went to her destination at Platform 2 while me, walking my ways to Platform 4, American Airlines to St. Louis International Airport.

I take my time since I have around 4 hours of transit time. I went for a check in and suddenly the AA officer told me that I have a problem with my e-ticket. He cannot go through the system and the MAS didn’t pick up the phone. So, me myself have to go back to the International building and meet the MAS officer and ask for the ‘real’ ticket. Unfortunately, after I went round and round the building, I still can’t find MAS counter. And when I asked, they told me MAS only open at 9.00P.M. I have no idea on what I should do but to go back to AA counter and ask for their help. This time, I really scared and I curse MAS for doing this to me. My St Louis flight time was 6.20PM.

When I went back to AA counter, the officer tried it again and he told me, he really need MAS to clear it or he cannot do anything. I slowly pray for the miracle and the miracle did happen. He told me, MAS actually did clear it for me while I’m walking forth and back a moment ago. That’s means; MAS did detect the problem a while ago and clear it from Malaysia. Good job MAS.

While waiting at the LAX Gate 46B, I met this girl from Malaysia. Her name is Sylvia and she study at Missouri Science and Technology University which is close to UMC but more remote and peaceful area (according to her – She is undergraduate student on her 3rd years). I’m so glad to find Malaysian where I can talk and accompany me during the flight. She gave me a piece of mind. The flight is challenging for me, I think we met a lot of turbulences coz the plane shock a lot of times for more than 15 minutes. But somehow, I’m not afraid. I’m too tired to be afraid.

Arrived at St. Louis International Airport, I said goodbye to Sylvia since she had friends waiting for her. I also met a lady from Malaysia name Aunt Ros who came to pick up her friend’s son. She gave me her phone number and offer help if I need one. She lives in St. Louis and her husband is working here. She is too nice, I’m a little cautious but I believe her attention is good and I’ll contact her soon. Thank you God, for giving me help in this foreign land. I also met a girl from Taiwan who is very ‘unique’ (in a good way). She asked me to share a hotel with her coz her friends cannot pick her up, but instead I ask her to wait with me in the airport until the next morning which she agreed. But the fact of no sleeping cannot passed her mind and she had insisted her friends to pick her up and finally, her friends will pick her up at 2.30 a.m and left me here alone at the airport.

Now, I have too much time with myself. No custom to interview me (What a stupid wish in a desperate time). America welcomes me in open hands. So I decide to have a coffee and sit alone reading my book. The airport is almost empty except for the worker. Not until 5.00 a.m did the airport look alive again. I can’t surf the internet because I have to pay for it (Stupid Airport WiFi!). So, I’m writing this offline. I have too much time with myself.

P/s: Is it a myth about the US custom? I have zero problems with the custom. No interview, no open bag checked.. But yes, I did have to open my shoes but so does all the people including Americans.

Time line:
(Semua masa ialah masa tempatan)

Sabtu
7.10 AM: Sampai di KLIA
9.00 AM: Masuk ke Boarding Room
10.00 AM: Bertolak
2.30 PM: Sampai di Taipei
3.45 PM: Bertolak dari Taipei
Beza masa KL dan L.A ialah 15 jam
2.00 PM: Sampai di LAX (Lewat 1 jam dari jadual sebab ada turbulence di Japan, so guna jalan jauh sikit)
6.20 PM: Bertolak dari LAX
Beza masa L.A dan St. Louis ialah 2 jam, beza masa K.L dan Missouri ialah 13 jam
12.00AM: Sampai di St. Louis

Ahad
2.30 AM: Duduk sorang2 di Airport
7.50 AM: Jumpa pemandu MO-X Shuttle
8.00 AM: Bertolak ke Columbia
10.00 AM: Sampai di Hotel – Regency Hotel Downtown, Columbia, Missouri

The room is nice and complete.. I like it very much. And I just extend the day to stay here.. I need more rest esp with a TV and a king size bed. Hehehe.. I need this.. I'll stay in this hotel until Tuesday.. Hiksss..

p/s: Sorry la panjang bebeno.. Gambar soon ye.. very the tired.. Tadi I cried on the phone just because I'm too tired waiting at the airport, 8 hours bayangkan la.. and I believe I can't go on.. Rasa nak pengsan and nak muntah.. And I start to regret my decision to come to USA.. But now, I'm so glad to be here at the hotel.. Sorry mak to make you worried..


6 comments:

CATZ said...

hi sis.i know u can do it..u can face it..and now u happy kan.
hope everything goes well..

catz miow-miow (mengiaw dgn sedih)..huhuhu

PurPlè said...

slmt dtg ke USA!
now u're officially part of US.
no need to sedih2 & regret over things lg. life goes on... & caiyok, caiyok... enjoy! keep updating the blog k!

Mimi said...

waaa dh sampai! mcm xcayer je.. adegak sedih tgk bilik depan aku ni kosong hehe.. pasnih upload lotttsss of pichass.. n jgn lupa survey 'bisnes' yg kita plan dulu!

how ws ur registration n everything?

CATZ said...

oiii...bisnes apa nehhhhh????>...

CurieDesigner said...

Thanks all.. I try my best..

Catz.. bisnes tu rahsia la.. sehingga diberitahu kelak.. hehehe

orren said...

I tak sangka you Saira boleh nagis plak sbb kena tunggu kat airport for 8 hour. For me & family, perkara camtu dah biasa but cozlah a big different betweeen waiting at KLIA/LCCT agains kat UStu kan, alone plaktu. So I can accept that. Tapi Sira dah berjaya melalui semuatu dgn berjaya...so I rasa you akan melaui hari2 yg lebih ceria after this...Take care dan jgn lupa uploadkan gambar dan kuruskan badan...........