Just realised I left to update this. MAS compensated every cent of additional charges I incurred after I hounded them day and night for it. It is sad though that had I left it just like that, so would they.
All these stellar services they promise are purely lip-service. They don't give a shit really unless you gave them shit, really.
Sad sad world we live in.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Negombo Beach Incident
A random memory just popped in my head. A funny one.
I had gone travelling to Sri Lanka with an old friend back from school. We were close back when we were teens. After school we kept in touch, not as often but we never lost contact. Drifted a little over the years but it was funny that we ended working for the same organisation. I'd bump into S maybe 3 times a year - as we had different offices.
One day, from out of the blue, S called to ask me if I'd be interested to go to Colombo with her. I wasn't sure where Colombo was - was that the country with drug cartel problems? Didn't want to look stupid so I asked a safe question "Wouldn't that be expensive?" (thinking it's South America) (it's Colombia btw). She said "It's dirt cheap, I don't travel expensive". Binggg. Key word "cheap". "I'm in!"
We made plans about 8 months prior. I was quite nervous having to travel just the two of us since all our friends couldn't join nor commit to the trip. 5 days with one single person is usually the acid test of a friendship. You either make it or break it (the neck). Didn't help our mutual best friend, L, whom both of us had travelled on different occassions with (they had a fight when they travelled but I somehow survived 2 weeks with L) was telling me horror tales about S.
L warned me that S only likes shopping. L knows I like sightseeing. So all these tales added on to my worries.
S and I met up once to plan our routes so I can make the hotel bookings. We were going to travel to 4 places and would check into 4 different hotels. This was a good sign - we both like to plan ahead and more importantly she left it to me to lay out the plans. I told her I like to do sightseeings and she told me she did too. I must've looked away or something cos she looked at me squarely and asked if L had said something to me about her. I let out a nervous laughter. "That bitch! It's not true that I only like to shop ok, I sightsee too". Yea, we'll see.
S was good company throughout the trip. The holiday was a success. She doesn't do what we girls love to do during trips - have some heart to heart talk about some drama we are going through in our lives. She's just the curt - no nonsense - let's just enjoy the moment kind of person. (When I holidayed with L, we had heart to heart talks every night - so this was new).
I almost wanted to ask S - Oi, don't you have any drama? I'm a good listener. Talk to me. Well, she had none of that. Actually neither did I during that time. We slept at 9pm everynight which worked fine with me since that was my bed time too. We were travelling so much on the road during the day that by after dinner we were too plastered to even watch tv.
This is the funny thing that I wanted to share. (Boy, digress much?).
We stayed at a beach hotel on the last night. After catching the sunset, we decided to have some good old Sri Lankan crabs for dinner. S told me the resto is over on our right side. We can either take the beach and walk through the throngs of locals who were crowding the public beach (trust me it was crowded - Tamil techno songs blasting on the boom box, locals partying hard on a Sunday night) or we can take the road outside of the hotel, no crowds.
I forgot about this - Sri Lankans - they are a bunch of madly in love people. At every corner, you'd spot a couple dating. Be it at the beach, the lakes, the parks - everywhere. Everywhere. I mean everywhere. I counted there were 20 couples in the park alone. It's almost like playing spot the hidden Mickey.
Anyway, I don't know why but I chose to walk through the beach.
As we entered the crowd, people were looking at us. It's like how Malaysians are overly friendly to Caucasians. Sri Lankans are amazed with us. They think we're Japanese btw. When we say we are Malaysians, they'll say they know someone from there.
We laced through the crowded beach, mingled in, the noise enveloping us. I had walked a couple of steps ahead of S. A bit nervous cos people were staring at us(cos we're Japanese). There were dogs without leash everywhere. Unsure if they were strays or owned.
Suddenly amid the noise I thought I heard S calling for me from behind, didn't turn around immediately. Then I heard her calling me again in a more strained pitch. I was about to turn around when I heard my name being screamed in the longest and highest pitch anyone has ever shouted my name with. I could swear every 23 million of the locals there on the beach stopped partying and looked at S and then shift to me.
A dog was jumping infront and around S and was on its hind legs wanting to play.
S had her hands around her face/ears covering face/ears and still screaming my name.
When she didn't stop screaming and had probably hit the highest octave that only dogs can hear (like those silent dog whistles you blow into and out of nowhere there'll be 3 dogs running to you) - the poor dog just dropped on the ground and played dead (or maybe it died, not sure).
I thought I heard a pin drop. People were looking. I thought to myself "Now, if I were to run off and pretend I don't know S..that should be less embarassing. But she has the room key.."
I stuck my chest out. Held my head high and strutted to S. Felt my ears went lava hot. Went to her, plucked her hand off her ears/face and tugged her to walk ahead with me. I hissed through my teeth "The dog just wanted to play, should have just ignored it and walked on"
She was on the brink of tears and hissed back at me "Why didn't you turn around when I called for you the first time?? I had to call you 3 times!! The dog could have mauled me"
By now, we were out of the sight of the onlookers. I stood infront of S, put my hands on my hips and cocked my head to one side to analyse what just happened. She really did look like she was going to cry. And all I could do was break down into fits of hysterical laughter. I laughed so hard until I couldn't breathe. S went high pitch again and said it's not funny!
The dog dropped on the ground, rolled over and had all 4 legs in the air. Can you picture that? I coudn't stop laughing the whole night, even until today I still get into a laughing frenzy when I recall that moment. S said she's glad I enjoyed looking at her facing death (she said this nonchalantly while mauling a Sri Lankan crab during dinner later that night).
S turned out to be a good sport, good company and such an easygoing travel companion. Sri Lanka proves to be one of the best holidays I've experienced. It's always in the company.
I had gone travelling to Sri Lanka with an old friend back from school. We were close back when we were teens. After school we kept in touch, not as often but we never lost contact. Drifted a little over the years but it was funny that we ended working for the same organisation. I'd bump into S maybe 3 times a year - as we had different offices.
One day, from out of the blue, S called to ask me if I'd be interested to go to Colombo with her. I wasn't sure where Colombo was - was that the country with drug cartel problems? Didn't want to look stupid so I asked a safe question "Wouldn't that be expensive?" (thinking it's South America) (it's Colombia btw). She said "It's dirt cheap, I don't travel expensive". Binggg. Key word "cheap". "I'm in!"
We made plans about 8 months prior. I was quite nervous having to travel just the two of us since all our friends couldn't join nor commit to the trip. 5 days with one single person is usually the acid test of a friendship. You either make it or break it (the neck). Didn't help our mutual best friend, L, whom both of us had travelled on different occassions with (they had a fight when they travelled but I somehow survived 2 weeks with L) was telling me horror tales about S.
L warned me that S only likes shopping. L knows I like sightseeing. So all these tales added on to my worries.
S and I met up once to plan our routes so I can make the hotel bookings. We were going to travel to 4 places and would check into 4 different hotels. This was a good sign - we both like to plan ahead and more importantly she left it to me to lay out the plans. I told her I like to do sightseeings and she told me she did too. I must've looked away or something cos she looked at me squarely and asked if L had said something to me about her. I let out a nervous laughter. "That bitch! It's not true that I only like to shop ok, I sightsee too". Yea, we'll see.
S was good company throughout the trip. The holiday was a success. She doesn't do what we girls love to do during trips - have some heart to heart talk about some drama we are going through in our lives. She's just the curt - no nonsense - let's just enjoy the moment kind of person. (When I holidayed with L, we had heart to heart talks every night - so this was new).
I almost wanted to ask S - Oi, don't you have any drama? I'm a good listener. Talk to me. Well, she had none of that. Actually neither did I during that time. We slept at 9pm everynight which worked fine with me since that was my bed time too. We were travelling so much on the road during the day that by after dinner we were too plastered to even watch tv.
This is the funny thing that I wanted to share. (Boy, digress much?).
We stayed at a beach hotel on the last night. After catching the sunset, we decided to have some good old Sri Lankan crabs for dinner. S told me the resto is over on our right side. We can either take the beach and walk through the throngs of locals who were crowding the public beach (trust me it was crowded - Tamil techno songs blasting on the boom box, locals partying hard on a Sunday night) or we can take the road outside of the hotel, no crowds.
I forgot about this - Sri Lankans - they are a bunch of madly in love people. At every corner, you'd spot a couple dating. Be it at the beach, the lakes, the parks - everywhere. Everywhere. I mean everywhere. I counted there were 20 couples in the park alone. It's almost like playing spot the hidden Mickey.
Anyway, I don't know why but I chose to walk through the beach.
As we entered the crowd, people were looking at us. It's like how Malaysians are overly friendly to Caucasians. Sri Lankans are amazed with us. They think we're Japanese btw. When we say we are Malaysians, they'll say they know someone from there.
We laced through the crowded beach, mingled in, the noise enveloping us. I had walked a couple of steps ahead of S. A bit nervous cos people were staring at us(cos we're Japanese). There were dogs without leash everywhere. Unsure if they were strays or owned.
Suddenly amid the noise I thought I heard S calling for me from behind, didn't turn around immediately. Then I heard her calling me again in a more strained pitch. I was about to turn around when I heard my name being screamed in the longest and highest pitch anyone has ever shouted my name with. I could swear every 23 million of the locals there on the beach stopped partying and looked at S and then shift to me.
A dog was jumping infront and around S and was on its hind legs wanting to play.
S had her hands around her face/ears covering face/ears and still screaming my name.
When she didn't stop screaming and had probably hit the highest octave that only dogs can hear (like those silent dog whistles you blow into and out of nowhere there'll be 3 dogs running to you) - the poor dog just dropped on the ground and played dead (or maybe it died, not sure).
I thought I heard a pin drop. People were looking. I thought to myself "Now, if I were to run off and pretend I don't know S..that should be less embarassing. But she has the room key.."
I stuck my chest out. Held my head high and strutted to S. Felt my ears went lava hot. Went to her, plucked her hand off her ears/face and tugged her to walk ahead with me. I hissed through my teeth "The dog just wanted to play, should have just ignored it and walked on"
She was on the brink of tears and hissed back at me "Why didn't you turn around when I called for you the first time?? I had to call you 3 times!! The dog could have mauled me"
By now, we were out of the sight of the onlookers. I stood infront of S, put my hands on my hips and cocked my head to one side to analyse what just happened. She really did look like she was going to cry. And all I could do was break down into fits of hysterical laughter. I laughed so hard until I couldn't breathe. S went high pitch again and said it's not funny!
The dog dropped on the ground, rolled over and had all 4 legs in the air. Can you picture that? I coudn't stop laughing the whole night, even until today I still get into a laughing frenzy when I recall that moment. S said she's glad I enjoyed looking at her facing death (she said this nonchalantly while mauling a Sri Lankan crab during dinner later that night).
S turned out to be a good sport, good company and such an easygoing travel companion. Sri Lanka proves to be one of the best holidays I've experienced. It's always in the company.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)