Friday 4 July 2008

KL trip

Booked 2 round trip tix to KL in April when there was promotion to KL by Tigerairway. The airtix damn cheap, $25/way including taxes!!! As Mom nvr board a plane b4, whenever wanna bring her overseas, she always scared she may get airsick n reject gg wif us. This is a good chance to test whether she can get used to taking plane since the flight is only 55min. To a lot of ppl, taking plane is just like taking bus or train n I'm oso 1 of them. My sis didnt went wif us as she did not want to utilise her leave.

Took a day leave on Friday as i book the departure flight on Fri n the return flight on Sun. Well, there is only 1 flight offered by Tigerairway to KL daily. The timing is not good, departure flight is 1515hrs while the return flight is 1640hrs. Looking forward to beginning of 2009 when Asean will introduce open-sky arrangement across the Asean capital. This means ASEAN members' airlines will be free to fly between regional capitals by the end of 2008. They even have plan to allow unlimited access between any region within Asean by 2015. Dun u feel tt Singapore will benefits the most since Singapore is so small n only has 1 airport (not including Seletar airport)?

Although we can only check-in 2 hrs before the flight i.e. 1315, we reach the airport around 1230 which is really v early. I told Mom tt the seats are allocated when you checked in hence Mom wanna check in early cos she heard those Aunties saying tt it's nosier to seat at the back of the plane as the engine is at the back. Hmm... I wonder how true is it. The only advantange to me of sitting at the front of the plane is that I can get off earlier on arrival. Was so bored waiting for the check-in counter to open. Saw people weighing their luggage at the weighing scale and even people weighing themselves, haha...

Weighing machine

Although the screen shows that the counter is open but there was no staff servicing. I guess it was almost 1330 before I saw 3 staff coming to man the counter. We were almost the first few who check in at the counter. After collecting our boarding pass, we went into the departure hall.

We sat at the departure lounge and the seats are much more comfortable than the seats at the check-in area. I went to 7-11 to buy a bottle of mineral of mineral water as I was a bit thirsty. OMG, it's $1.70 for 500ml but still cheaper than the $3 300ml mineral water which I bought on the Jetstar flight to Taipei. It's only later that I discovered that there is water cooler @ the departure hall, near the washroom. If possible, I wldn't choose to take budget flight from Terminal 1 or 2. Hehe... Tell u all, actually can bought water into the plane if take budget airline from Budget Terminal cos there is no more screening after you clear the immigration counter. Unlike the Terminal 1 or 2, you gotta clear the screening before you board the plane n this is the time when they remove all liquid items.

I really make full use of the time at the departure lounge. I bought my laptop along so I was surfing the net and chatting in msn for almost 1 1/2 hrs. It's really good that there is free wireless internet access in the airport otherwise I guess i'll bored to death. As for my mom, I download some Sudoku for her, hehe... Time flies when I'm occupied n it was time to board plane.

Since my Mom have not taken a plane before, I requested for window seats when checking in. Well, the flight was so short that I didnt even make my seat 'hot' enough. Mom was quite okay throughout the flight, didnt feel any uncomfortableness. I just felt that this plane is a bit noisy probably bcos of the engine.

Me & mom

The plane touch down at KL LCCT budget terminal at around 4.30pm. LCCT is really a more budget terminal than Singapore budget terminal. The walking distance from the plane to the terminal is at least 2-3 times the distance compared to Singapore. Somemore when we entered the terminal, it was real stuffy, dun feel any aircon @ all. After clearing the custom, we went to collect our luggage as we check-in our luggage. I'm so small size, dun expect me to carry the luggage onboard the plane. After we went out of the terminal, my mom saw my 二舅母 waving to us. My 二舅母 direct us to my 二舅car. I really dun recognise my 二舅 cos it had been almost 8 years since I last saw him n he had aged. I was wondering who is this kind hearted guy who help me to lift my luggage into the car boot. ><" I even say thank you to him when i'm still wondering who he is. Haha... My 二舅 previously lived in Labis but he moved to KL abt a yr ago. Actually my mom only called my 二舅母 a wk before we go to KL, I was damn worried tt if my mom couldnt contact my 二舅母 then we gonna sleep in the street cos I didnt booked hotel accomodation at all. My sis n I keep nagging at my mom to call my 二舅母 loh. My mom keep assuring me we wldnt sleep on the street as there are also other relatives there but my mom dun even have their contact so how can i dun worry? Those who noe me will noe tt I always do my homework before I travel cos I dun wan to fall into situations where I am not prepared.

As my 二舅 was not v familiar wif the routes from his house to KL LCCT, he borrow a GPRS from my 表哥。Haha... this GPRS hoh not reliable loh, keep directing us driving the old road when we should be driving the highway. In fact the journey from LCCT to my 二舅 house shld be abt 40min n using the GPRS we used almost an hr. Heard it YQ? GPRS are not that reliable. =p

Smthing that is seldom seen in Singapore

My 二舅 was really very nice. He drove us to a coffeeshop for teabreak when he learn that we are hungry. Well, this shop is like Ya Kun but upon stepping into the shop, has the feeling of being in the 70s. Food wise is not bad.

By the time we finished our teabreak, it's almost 5 plus. We headed to my 二舅house for a rest and settle our only piece of luggage, haha.... My 二舅 house is not exactly in KL, it's near dunno wat National Stadium (dun really noe the exact name) hehe... My 二舅 has 2 sons and 2 daughters but only the youngest daughter, Wanting was here as the eldest son is studying in New Zealand, 2nd son was staying in the medicial school hostel and having exam and the eldest daughter is in Kedah studying medicine. I think the last time I meet them was in 2000 and it has been 8 years, I dun even remember how they look like. There are some relatives from my mom side which I dun even meet before. Wanting was webcam wif her eldest brother who is only 4 days older than me. My 二舅 super funny, telling his eldest son to chat wif me in English and he was so shy loh, ask me to 讲华语 instead.

When it's almost 8pm, we headed to a steamboat restaurant near my 表哥 house. This 表哥 is my 二姨 youngest son and my 大姨 eldest son which is also my 表哥 also came. Well, my 外婆 had 6 daughters including my mom who is rank 5th and 3 sons. Sadly speaking, I oso nvr met my 外婆, 外公, 大姨 and 小舅 before cos they also pass away before I was born. I only saw 外婆, 外公 and 小舅 photo when i went back to my 大舅 house at Labis. A lot of people say my mom resemble my 外婆 but how come I couldnt picture it???

I never meet my 二姨 youngest son before and although I meet my 大姨 eldest son before in 2000 but i dun recall. Well, my 大姨 eldest son is only a few years younger than my mom, he is even older than my 小姨。Know wat, his daughter is older than me but I'm the 3nd generation n she's the 4th generation. Well, I doubt there wld be such cases nowadays.

Actually was quite full from the teabreak hence not much appetite, didnt ate much. My 大姨 eldest son has a noodle factory and he brought along the fried vermicelli which is superb. Had dinner until 10pm and we walked to our 表哥(二姨) house. The ladies comprising me, my mom, 二舅母,Wanting, 表嫂(大姨) and 表嫂(二姨) was chatting in the living room. My 表哥(大姨) was listening to our ladies jokes while my 表哥(二姨) and my 二舅 was chatting in the garden. If i were living there n had a frequent gathering wif them, my stomach sure cant tahan cos I laugh until my stomach really pain wow. Wanting, 表嫂(大姨) and 表嫂(二姨) were really v funny n the jokes were super hilarious. All of us keep laughing, laughing n laughing. Went back to my 二舅 house around 11plus cos I was getting tired n wanna zzzz.

Woke up on Sun at around 8plus and my 二舅 drove us out for breakfast. My mom n I order 卤面, OMG it's such a huge bowl that we couldnt finish. The gravy was much lighter than the one we eat in Singapore and the gravy got lots of egg, wldnt get sick of the gravy.

Went back to my 二舅 house after breakfast. Wanna surf net n tried to tap into other ppl network but failed. Shhh... In the end, take a nap and was woken up by my mum when it's lunch time.

Then had lunch at my 二舅 house and my 表嫂(大姨) wanna bring us to her noodle factory.

Time for painting!!!

My 表嫂(大姨) factory is abt 20min drive from my 二舅 house. Hehe... dun really noe where is it. It is a 4 storey shop houses, noodles are make on the 1st and 3rd storey, 2nd storey is office and 4th storey i guess it's store room. My 表哥(大姨) was so nice, bought D24 durians. Had not eat durians for long long time. Dun really like the durian in Singapore. Prefer those natural grown durians from the plantation. My mom n I was super full after eating the durians. Both of us finished 3 durians wow.

Noodle for sale


Machines


Flour

Antique machine

I guess most of us dunno how the wanton noodle is make rite? Managed to catch the 2nd part of the noodle making...










My 二姨 came up from Labis to KL for gathering with my Mom. At night, we had dinner at a restaurant n it's also the 1st time I met my 二姨 2nd son. Well, the dishes are scrumptious, yummy yummy. All of them went to my 二舅 house after the dinner. Smhow i really feel quite 生疏 from them as I'm not really tt close to them n some I nvr meet before.
The next morning, we went out for breakfast n I ordered Wanton noodle. The noodle was quite chewy compared to those in Singapore but the Char Siew was too sweet. After our breakfast, we went to Parkson for shopping. Well, it's more like a departmental store to me. Didnt bought anything as nothing fancy me.

Special house?
Then after tt, we drop by my 表哥(二姨) house for a while. They had a dog call Yuki and he is 10 years old which is equivalent to 70 man years old. There is a garden as it is a corner house, shld cost abt few millions if wanna buy such a house in Singapore.

Nice garden

After we left my 表哥(二姨) house, went to eat prata. However the prata was so so. Then after that, we went back to my 二舅 house for durian feast again as there are still durians left from yesterday. Too bad I'm taking plane, otherwise will definitely brought the durains back. Haha...

At abt 2pm, we left my 二舅 house for the airport as our flight was 4.40pm. This time round, my 二舅didnt use the GPRS but use the map that my 表哥(二姨) had drawn. Wow... he's such a detailed person, even the estimated distance and time are all accurate. Really admired him. Guess humans are much better than GPRS. My 二舅 drop us at the departure hall while he went to park the car. I went to check-in the luggage and collect the boarding pass first while my mom, 二姨 n 二舅母 wait for me.

The KL LCCT was really quite cramp unlike the budget terminal in Singapore where it' quite spacious. Most of the flight are Airasia flight. Guess must be over-utilise soon. There are separate domestic and international departure hall. Domestic is on the right while international is on the left.

Check-in counters

Domestic Departure Hall

There is a shop selling chocolates and gifts beside the domestic departure hall. As for eateries, there are MacDonalds at the entrance and another shop (Forgot the name) which is directly opposite MacDonalds. OMG, the MacDonalds is really pack with people and there seems to be no-aircon here, feel so stuffy. My 二舅母 and Wanting ordered fries and I ask them to help me order a Sundae. My Sundae melt super fast, attributed by the ice-cream not cold enough and stuffiness here.



By the time we finished, it's almost time to check in. Took a snap wif my 表妹. Really thanks all of them for the warm hospitality for the 3 days that my mom & I were staying there.

Me & Wanting

Although the airport indicate that no liquid can be bought on-board, nobody took out the bottle of water in my bag after the screen. Hmm... Guess only in S'pore they are so strict, when departing from Taiwan the last time, they also didn't check.

Our flight was delayed by 20min, most of the times the return flight is always delayed. When are they going to be punctual??? The gate beside us must be Airasia flight cos so many people queueing (Btw Airasia dun have allocated seats, it's a first come first seat basis). The airport shld be given an award for saving the earth by adjusting the aircon to such an unbearable level. Whereas the budget terminal in Singapore was quite cold loh.

Finally time to board the plane. Had to walked for abt 3 min before I'm able to board the plane. Was resting throughout the flight back. Another 3 days just gone like this.

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