Global Warming Retreat: The Aftermath

As I opened my eyes this morning, I saw the ray of sunlight shining directly from the window to the edge of my bed. The room's temperature must be at least 18 degree celsius as I felt the chill blowing directly to my coffee-bean colored skins (dark roast). "It's back in good old KL," I thought to myself. I think I groaned slightly. Or, was that Ad. I have to drag my sun burnt ass up soon for I am anticipating much work in the office. But, I couldn't resist the comfort of my bed and the familiar musky smell of the sheets - it was musky not pungent smell. I was, however, slightly relieved that I am back home cos our trip was nothing short of surprises. To begin with, two friends called it off weeks before the trip (surprise #1) and I had flu and headache the night before leaving (surprise #2).

28th March 2007

I knew I had left something behind when I got home from my brother's house in Godforsaken Bukit Jelutong. I did, indeed, leave behind my Walkman phone (surprise #3). There goes the music in Perhentian, I thought. Ad suggested I should drive all the way to BJ to pick it up. I was too sluggish to even pack my belongings for tomorrow's trip and the time was a quarter to 11pm. I let it be cos I am going for a vacation. Or, so it seems.

29th March 2007

The rude awakening of the alarm from Ad's handphone woke us up at 5.30am. We have to be at the airport at least 45 minutes before the departure time as per the instruction on the print out "tickets". As we were leaving the house, we bid farewell to our fishes. "These are the food that is enough to sustain yourselves for the next 3 days," I said. We left them behind like leaving our kids.

As we arrived at the budget airline airport, LCCT, it was already 4 minutes to seven. Mr. Taxi Driver, who was a very bubbly and helpful uncle, took 1 full hour to reach the airport (normally it is 40-45 minutes). He was slightly apologetic and I was sure he wanted our safety as it was drizzling. But, Ad wasn't amused at all. We ran our dear lives to the check-in counter as soon as we paid him and to our dismay the Kota Bharu (KB) check-in counter was closed! We begged and sorta threw tantrums at the poor counter ladies with heavy cheap make-ups on their face to let us in (Cue: The Amazing Race).

We failed (surprise #4). I was very frustrated now and I wanted to strangle Mr. Taxi Driver. I cursed myself that I did not attempt to do a 'sorry my grandma-is-very-sick in KB' act. We had to queue to purchase new (one-way) tickets that cost us additional RM180.00 at 1.40pm (surprise #5). That's fucking sunset by the time we reached Perhentian Island! More cursing. Ad was very quick to act by contacting MAS airlines though - I was the 'Rob' and he, ahem, the 'Amber'. At the mere difference of RM27.00 and an earlier flight, 10.15am (Cue: Very resourceful. Definitely a good candidate for The Amazing Race!), we got two one-way tickets to KB again! We quickly rushed to KLIA to purchase the tickets leaving behind our fellow 'missed-flight compatriots'. Just for the record, there were at least 10 persons who missed the flights and this is quite a substantial number of people. If Air Asia even care to pay attention to that number of people, it should at least delay the flight for another 15-20 minutes.

Of course they did not because, if you multiply RM180.00 to 10 persons, that'd make up RM1,800.00. Mr. Tony would rather make RM1,800.00 than really bother about delaying the flight. Even at times when we, the frequent Air Asia flyers, tolerated their blardy nonsensical delaying of flights that sometimes stretch to an hour!

29th March 2007

We checked-in sometime at 3.30pm yesterday with much relieves. It was our first time in Perhentian Kecil and it lives up to it's name sake - a stretch of beach that is about 3km? There were also quite a substantial number of foreigners. We like.

Our peaceful retreat at the resort, however, was interrupted by a group of 20 - 25 people from Shing Shang Car Workshop (surprise #6). It was, as the banner had claimed, their annual trip. We didn't mind that there would be more people in the resort but we did not expect coarse, rude, loud and uncivilised group of people disturbing the peace and quiet of the island. I wasn't exaggerating. The way they speak, they'd use vulgar language intermittently between their sentences, in Hokkien! Some examples, "Wah jialat lor! Your bikini so tiny you pubic hair also can see already!" "Tiu! Kani-niabu! Hahahhaha."

You get the drift. The other annoying thing about them was they communicate by shouting at each other whether you are an arm's length to that person or not. Regardless if it is in the morning, or almost 12am, they'd shout at each other from the balcony on the 2nd floor to the other person who was on the ground floor. I was so tempted to say Kani-Niabu but I resist because I am not from Shing Shang Car Workshop. Silence, we figured, was the best and regrettably, the only alternative.

30th March 2007

We skipped snorkeling trip #2 cos we did not want to be in the same boat with "them". If someone could use the whistle from the life-jacket that was meant to be used during emergency to entertain himself or thought it was really funny blowing it as loud as he could these people were probably the last person you'd want to go snorkeling with. Seriously.

We kayaked, instead. But, it rained after 15 minutes into it (surprise #7). Damn the Shing Shang. So. I decided to beat Ad at Scrabbles (he is damn good at it).

1st April 2007

Shing Shang group is leaving. It was, by the way, no fool's joke. We were the least relieved as compared to the foreign tourists cos we are also leaving (today). We prayed we did not have to share the same boat going back to Kota Besut. Our prayers did not come true. We endured the boat ride and bid farewell to the beautiful island albeit a bit dirrrty at the other end of the beach - litters were everywhere especially plastic bottles which we picked up a few and disposed them in the trash bins.

Although we had a bad start prior to reaching our destination, Ad and I had a wonderful time together simply because we stayed positive. We love the hospitality of the locals, the delicious food prepared carefully and diligently by them (4 meals a day) and of cos, the beautiful beaches. I hope someone would take actions to the dim-wits who litter the beaches.

As we arrived at the Petra airport in KB, we had been informed that our flight has been delayed for 30 minutes. That's hardly a surprise.

We both held our breaths when we reached home. As we turned on the lights, Ad walked very quickly to the aquarium, turned on the fluorescent light and found one dead fish and yes, Goldy is still alive! (Fyi, Goldy is the longest surviving member)

Now, that is a good start.


Blue skies, clear sea, white sandy beaches. What else could I ask for? Peace and clean beach, of cos.