A Lengthy Bus Ride But A More Economical Flight

Let’s say, you’re required to travel to some faraway state, say, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, and at present you live in the East Coast whose distance is so obviously hundred miles away from, and are given the choice that follows: between flights and express buses (or a train, if available), which one do you prefer a lot more?

Frankly speaking, I dunno should there still be a bunch of people out there guessing that it costs them very much costlier to get on an aircraft. Air Asia, in particular. (Malaysian Airlines isn’t that expensive every so often, do visit Malindo Air online-booking website as well)

Available Online-booking Flight Websites in Malaysia:

http://booking.airasia.com/Search.aspx  (Leading you to Air Asia)

http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/my/en.html (Malaysia Airlines)

http://www.malindoair.com/ (Malindo Air)

http://www.fireflyz.com.my/ (Firefly – for Peninsula only)

http://www.maswings.com.my/en (MASwings - for Borneo only)

Brainwash your mindset right away! Because it’s certainly false.

Well…lemme get this crystal clear, okay? Stop misinterpreting that this is another ‘Jom Naik Pesawat’ campaign, nor is this organized by any flight agencies because it’s definitely not!

All the ‘fuss’ I’m gonna make is all about my mere two cents pertaining to my personal preference of choosing a flight, rather than an express bus ride. Why is that?

I, for the record, would love to proclaim that I fly in the air, statistically, no less than 16 times annually. Sixteen times! But then, this year seems much more. Just like some anonymous VIP’s hectic schedules but, um, never mind.

I’m all for brief-but-meaningful Air Asia’s tagline i.e. ‘Now, everyone can fly.’ Cos it’s unquestionably the truth. Generally, there’s practically billions of people getting on planes daily. And things seem convincingly endless.

Constantly survey promotional flight tickets online! Quite theoretically, the earlier you book, the more inexpensive the tickets are offered. With a bit of luck, alhamdulillah, I myself used to procure the lowest fare (I anticipate) for a one-way Sibu-KL ticket (a two-hour flight, to be honest) for only RM46 and I’m not pulling your leg, really! J

The lowest fare Air Asia usually offers, to my knowledge, for a forty-minute domestic flight (e.g. Kuala Terengganu bound for KL) can be as low as RM42 per passenger, including the airport tax! How economical!!!  

Comparing to an ordinary express bus fare, say, a KL-Kuala Terengganu trip, how much does it cost you currently? As far as I’m concerned, it’s RM42 something, right? Or could be more? Oh my. But, hold on a sec. Please think more thoroughly. RM40++ just for a fucking seven-hour trip? Oh come on. What a freaking wasteful amount of time!

Should you come from KL, there’s a little possibility that you might need to catch an LRT or, even worse, a costly-paying cab to get to the bus station. Once again, extra cash to be spent for this stupid thing. And what about food and beverages you’d tend to consume throughout your lengthy bus trip? Keep in mind that it’s a seven-hour trip, is it not? And don’t you dare to tell me you won’t ever get the least bit thirsty or starving at all? Think of the extra expenses you HAVE TO spend. Wouldn’t it cost you more than a flight? Uh-oh. L

Since Malaysians read books less (According to a credible study conducted that later was published on everyday papers) so I reckon these days, that many ‘celik IT’ bus passengers would rather text than read books, wouldn’t they? More miserably, I’ve never even spotted any Muslims reciting the holy Qur’an on a bus ride either. At least, not a single one all five years long I commuted. Have you ever seen any? Some passengers on board fancy listening to music (Surely not even Islamic ones) that is allegedly believed that that ‘pastime’ is able to make them less bored. Lazying over a long-hour bus ride, personally, is such a massive waste of time!

Will you kindly help me, if possible, name which idiots that don’t want to reach their expected destination most instantly? Unless they do intend to enjoy the indescribable glory of the Titiwangsa range scenery all the way to the East Coast or back to the Capital City. Then, it’s alright.

Speaking of comfort, yeah, I firmly couldn’t agree more that you’ll surely feel much more comfy by aircraft. Unless you’ve got this 'jet lag' illness. That one I can’t even give you a helping hand – however, there’s one practical tip I most frequently do and axiomatically it works! Eat some sweet candies on a flight. Mainly prior to departure. My precaution: Don’t eat too many candies in that they’re fatally unhealthy for your teeth.

Additionally, an aircraft is very well equipped with, at least, four free-of-charge toilets available for all passengers on board. But conversely on a bus ride, what action can you take once you feel like peeing or defecating? Gotta wait impatiently until the bus driver has the bus stopped first somewhere (after you’ve informed the bus driver already), maybe at a petrol station nearby or a food court by the highway, etc. What if these mentioned locations are still ten miles away? What a pity!

Most Malaysia’s domestic flights only take less than sixty minutes (If within Peninsula) or a couple of hours (If bound for Borneo Island). Which means, for sure, you haven’t gotta be seated on the flight for the longest time. A forty-minute flight, I’m pretty sure, hasn’t already made your butt too itchy, utterly ‘painful’, has it? HARHARHAR… Even if it really has, think again after you’ve just made a comparison between a flight and a bus trip. I’m so much convinced that you’d possibly choose to fly, regardless of the current flight fares.

And in the end, how come you still would rather choose a bus ride than a flight? Trust me, it’s worth every penny. Unless you find the current flight fares more than costly that you can’t even afford. Then, that’ll be just fine. Better choose an express bus, in that case.

PS: Will be flying real soon for the fiftieth time with a teenage lad named Adyson Miller.

Another Job: Should I give it a shot?

Aaaahhhhhh!!!

I had a ‘nightmare’ on October 23rd! A ‘frightening’ call from Pejabat Pelajaran Daerah (PPD), Kuala Terengganu branch REALLY GOT ME UP last Sunday. The PPD rep informed that my application for Guru KGSK was successfully approved and I was required to come to the office ASAP to collect my appointment letter. He said, “Your teaching duty will be starting tomorrow morning. Congratulations!”

OH MY GOD!

Ironically, the good news was in fact bad news for me. I didn’t even feel thrilled as I was supposed to be. To be honest… I wasn’t fascinated to accept it. It’s all because I had already made up my mind, just wanted to keep staying at home for the rest of this year, may I? Urgh! Please stop whining Khairul Anuar.

Well… I think I’ve worked enough, haven’t I?

1^st – English Relief Tutor at a tutorial centre

2^nd – Front Office Assistant a.k.a Receptionist at a 3-star hotel, and

3^rd – a Sales Assistant at a sundry shop.

This didn’t cause me to reject the offer, nonetheless. I had to say ‘OK’. No choice, actually. Hmm… more fascinatingly, this simply means I’ve got the chance to be a relief teacher twice. Wait! A chance? Come on, this isn’t a chance for me. But why? Erm… doesn’t matter. I’m gonna tell you soon. Just keep reading!

The previous school I taught was Sek. Keb. Pulau Bahagia in Manir and presently at Sek. Keb. Seri Budiman – a primary school I had never dreamt of teaching in my life, ever!

On the first day I stepped into the school compound, I walked as usual {Ala.. baik tak payah cakap}. Not the least bit scared, nervous, anxious or anything. So very confident. School, you know, has been something quite ordinary for me. By the way, according to the Senior Assistant, the school is now lacking of English teachers and sorry, that one I can’t help. It’s kinda good news for primary school teachers-to-be, regrettably I’m only gonna be a secondary school teacher even though she recommended that I apply to be one of the school staff {Sape cakap guru dah cukup kat sekolah bandar?}.

FYI…

I’m taking over Mrs Halina Ibrahim, an English as well as Pendidikan Jasmani dan Kesihatan teacher. She is also a class teacher for Year 3 Takwa – oh my, another bad news for me! Besides teaching English for Year 3 and 2, I’ve to teach PJK for Year 2 as well. I used to teach English for Year 2 previously, so not a big problem. 

However this is the first time I’m teaching English for Year 3. Anyways, no big deal. I can still live with that. Year 3 Takwa, 2 Siddiq and 2 Istiqamah – these are the only classes I’m teaching at the school. Year 3 is a bit fine for me whilst Year 2 Siddiq is the first class. Oh, I’m really very lucky. Nevertheless, Year 2 Istiqamah is, so sad to say, the most terrible class. I mean the last one. In other words, the methodology I need to utilize is sure distinct for both classes. Alright, scratch that!

Just like most schools in the country, the school mistress usually monopolizes the staff room. Do I care? Seriously NAY! The number of school masters if I’m not mistaken is no more than 15. No teachers as young as me there whom I can speak to. Hence, my communication turns a little bit limited and the interaction seems like no more than between a son and parents. What a life! I’m unable to converse with them that much and our topics are more into school matters or something like that. You know that.

What’s the school like for me?

So far, I so dislike going to the school. Neither has the reason got something to do with the school environment, for sure, nor the teachers or pupils. I’m just not prepared. That’s all. I intended to spend much more time at home. At least, it could make me feel more comfortable than being at the school, really.

I realize the school days for this year are only few weeks off. The pupils will be sitting their Final Year exams next week. Whoopee! After that, I will feel dizzy no more. No need to think about daily lesson plans and teaching methodologies anymore. Ah, so nice! 

YET… STILL…

No more teaching is gonna take place doesn’t mean I’ll be idling away. Definitely, not really! I’m good only if had I to mark pupils’ English and PJK exam papers, but the worst thing is I’m a class teacher too. Shoot! I’m gonna deal with anything related to Year 3 Takwa pupils’ marks, textbooks to be returned, etc. Urgh! I loathe this so much! I wished I could escape, you know.

I’m not such a great motivator like Dr Fadilah Kamsah on TV, but I do motivate myself sometimes, “Why not give it a shot and it’s likely to be something better to do. Trust me.” Think positive! Ya, I know I never had experience as a class teacher, hope this might be such a golden opportunity for me to get learning and exploring. Hope so.

The class teacher is the busiest annually especially at the end of year, to my mind. Hey, maybe it’s merely my ridiculous assumption.

But… what if this position will burden me too much soon?

Cos it seems it really does.

Oh, no way!

Do wish me luck, guys.

The Language Barrier

I hate waiting and so do many people on this planet.

Do you believe that on the other side, waiting can bring a good thing? How’s it possible?

Al-kisahnya...

It’s such a sunny day. I accompanied Mom to a branch of Bank Rakyat near the Paya Keladi Shopping Centre. I stopped my motorcycle right in front of the bank. I thought Mom wouldn’t take too long but I was totally wrong. I had to wait for her nearly 1 hour! Oh my God, I swear I do hate waiting! Nobody likes, anyways.

Dunno what to do, I just looked around. Many walking people came from various ways, from the north, the south, the west and so on. My eyes moved wildly like a beggar looking at those walking people with diverse characters. Indescribably boring! There’s a premise in front of me which was under construction. The workers looked hardworking enough cos I saw how sweaty they were. Macam orang dah mandi hujan pulak!

Then, I observed a couple of sellers, a married couple selling ‘rojak buah’. Agak terliur sebenarnya memandangkan perut menderita kelaparan. They’re ever so diligent and maybe they have children who’re still schooling, who knows? And that’s their work to keep surviving. At least, it’s a halal (legal) job although no air-cond. This kinda job requires a very energetic and patient person as it demands a lot of sacrifice. Their daily sale relies much on how many customers bought what they sold.

I saw two women selling miscellaneous items of handicraft such as man-made baskets, wooden, carved clocks and a lot more. I felt so proud of them. They worked for survival. They don’t get involved in crime, praise be to Allah (alhamdulillah). I was slightly attracted to the way they did the selling. Through my observation, I enjoyed the moment so much.

Shortly, there’s a group of Australian tourists who approached them. The old Australian lady seemed fascinated at the beautiful man-made baskets. I found the language barrier caused the sale process to meet a little predicament.

At the same time, a lady about 35 happened to pass them by. She suddenly returned and came approach the selling ladies. Oh I see, she actually came for help. She spoke English with the Australian tourists. Even though she didn’t speak that fluent, it’s alright. At least she could speak English. Ada berani?

What’s more interesting was her self-confidence and courage that maybe it sounds somewhat complicated to find a Malay in the city having such characteristics. I saluted the lady! I praised for her self-assurance. Her intention was really nice. Oh, by the way, I overheard the conversation between the lady and the tourists.

Lady: “From where?”

The tourist: “Australia.”

It’s fine whether she spoke Manglish. I know she’s supposed to ask “Where do you come from?” or “Where’re you from?”

THE LANGUAGE BARRIER!

In this case, it’s proven that English mastery really matters! Of course, it doesn’t make sense if I suggested that the sellers learn English. In reality, many people don’t realize its significance until they’ve undergone such a situation themselves. Yes, I used to read some people’s experience that were quite similar to this ‘state of affairs’. Indeed, they’re amongst the most excellent English learners today and I’m not lying!

SCRATCH THAT!

I remember the news I watched on TV recently and very surprisingly the interviewee pointed out that the Malays are rich of courtesy.

That the Malays are rich of courtesy makes me proud of my own nationality! Thank you the MALAYS for ‘inventing’ this incredible record!

In Dilemma: The Almighty or The Job

What if you’re presently in the following situation?

‘You’re a male Muslim. You already attended an interview session the other week & you’re just lucky for getting the job you applied recently at a 3-star hotel as a Front Office Assistant (FOA) a.k.a Receptionist. Your off day only falls on Mondays (They determine it themselves NOT you) cos you work 6 days a week. That also means you work every day but Monday. 

Surprisingly you hafta be at your workplace on Eidul Fitr & a few other Muslim festivals. It's still fine to me cos you may be on the morning shift ( 7am sharp until 3:00 pm) or afternoon shift (3pm sharp until 11pm) or maybe the night shift (11pm sharp - 7am). You'll still have enough time to celebrate Eidul Fitr, right? The total of your daily working hours will be 8 hours per day. They only pay you RM23 a day with a bachelor's degree qualification (exclusive the extra allowance approx. RM80 a month) while the Ministry of Education paid me RM50 a day as a supply teacher (Americans call 'substitute teacher' and Malays call 'Guru Ganti') with only an SPM qualification! I was too paid with RM60 per day for teaching a two-hour and thirty-minute tuition class! How different!'

That still sounds alright to me & thousands of people out there hafta sacrifice for such festivals annually - but, what do you say when...

It’s on Friday, as a male Muslim, you must go perform Friday prayer (Jumaat prayer) at the mosque and certainly need to ask permission from your head first (Baru sopan sikit kann... tak gitu?). What if your head DOESN’T let you go & she argues that your job entails you to be available all the time at the FOA desk? 

Even if, say, it’s Friday prayer time & your hotel is receiving many guests at that time, can be Mat Sallehs or musafirs perhaps, you MAYN’T go due to your duty as a 'loyal' employee (Undang-undang ala orang Kafir taat perlu la aku taat setia kann...)

It’s too crucial to highlight something here, YOUR DUTY TO YOUR FUCKING JOB.

What about YOUR DUTY TO ALLAH S.W.T?

Which one is the more important? You choose, then!

I wonder… a company belongs to Muslims, however they don’t prioritize their obligations toward Allah! The employees are all Muslims, I'm pretty sure! (Aku sendiri x pasti sama ada staff kat sini semua solat atau tak sebab... tak perlu la cerita eh!) 

Only do the fucking bastard prioritize their job more than God, in this case Allah The Almighty. This is because the more PROFIT a company makes, the more MONEY you’ll be paid as bonus in the form of monthly income. But a one-day income can NEVER be higher than a supply teacher with an SPM qualification. Shoot! S'okay if you're a non-Muslim, however.

GUESS WHAT?

“I WAS THE VICTIM”

And, that’s actually what happened to me. I ‘wrote’ this post right after I quitted/quit. That’s why the content looks still extremely hot & spicy like a box of KFC fried chickens! The job I was offered really entails a very committed & dedicated employee. Briefly, the job comes FIRST prior to your family members & even worse, before your RELIGION!

Since I wasn’t as BRAINLESS as they might be thinking when making this fucking decision, I definitely got my own arguments which I didn’t think I needed to argue with them. I know who I am & I'm clear about my main aims on this planet. I dare to defend what He commands. And, I’m NOT scared.

Sounds very odd to me when talking about this female Muslim who’s allegedly ever so dedicated to her job acted as if she’s a non-Muslim. She's the Head of the Front Office Department. As I worked on Fridays too, I was bewildered when she said,

“If I've already gone perform Friday prayer this week, next week NO MORE!!!”

In short, I’m able to only perform Friday prayer twice a month. So terrible! Seems like I were somewhere in Sarawak or Sabah where Muslims are the minority. I’ve been to Sarawak FYI. Churches are everywhere, seriously! 

She pointed out that a male Muslim MAYN'T go perform Friday prayer not exceed than 3 times in a row only. It's OK to her if I go this week & the following week, I don't. Deep in my heart I grumbled alone, “Oh, really?” or I'd better say, "Kepala hotak kau!"

I feel damn stupid for working at the so-called prestigious workplace. I’m freaking regretful for willing to work there. I therefore decided to quit. I chose the religion, sorry babe! Although it's too tricky to get a job currently, God NEVER asks me to apply such a fucking job that will keep me away of Him.

Moreover, I know

“Rezeki saya di tangan Tuhan, bukan di tangan syarikat.”

This is one of the scripts I can still bear in mind in ‘Nur Kasih The Movie’. Have you seen the movie? Highly recommended.

I got very confused when reading the hotel rules & regulations book, it states that:

'If you resign over your trial (It generally takes 6 months prior to your job confirmation), you've to pay a two-week salary before you officially quit. I think this isn’t legalized by the Islamic teaching & is it possible to classify it as RIBA? Sorry for my poor religious knowledge. 

In addition, I very much detested when she blamed me for not being a fast learner. She wanted whatever she’d already taught me within 5 minutes could be well mastered. She scolded me for promising that I was a fast learner & could do any tasks assigned. The fact was I never promised so! I said I'd be trying my best, the deaf!. Imagine you gotta deal with a terribly complex data you’ve never seen with indescribably lots of jargon! Can you? Of course you need much practice! PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT, & you know that!

I’ve got an easier example here. Just imagine school children in school. The teacher CAN'T ever teach one topic in less than a 40-minute lesson & then expect their students are all fast learners who’re able to catch as well as understand it very quickly? NOT all students are gifted learners. As an experienced teacher although not a permanent teacher yet, I know they SURE CAN'T! Even the 1^st class in which intelligent students are most typically classed, THEY CAN'T EITHER! This doesn’t make sense to me at all.

On Friday afternoon, a big number of staff there busily asked me whereabouts I performed my Friday prayer just barely. Why was I too late to get back to work, whereas other male staff could make it ASAP? Plus, the Head was NUTS for blaming me not really serious towards my job & lying to her. The question is: Did I ever lie? I don't think I was guilty for spending a bit long time in the mosque only for Allah’s commands, was I? I just waited for the dua' & shortly after that I whereupon got back to work. I didn't even go anywhere else. I didn't stop by at a Mamak stall for lunch or something. Bloody hell!

Whatever it is, I don’t wanna open my mouth. I don’t wanna frankly tell why I dislike the job. I just don’t feel supportive, really. I might fall in love with the job only if did she teach me well & only if did she really know how to teach. Personally, she just DIDN'T! 

What get me more perplexed is that being a Front Office Assistant or Receptionist DOESN'T make you more talkative as I always thought previously. It’s totally incorrect. Standing in front of the PC every time, answering non-stop internal & external calls plus answering questions from local or international guests pertaining to something I didn’t know yet really made me a headache, EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Honestly, I’m not pleased. I feel unhappy all the time. Why am I to keep working, then?

I got a bachelor’s degree & can apply many more jobs out there that permit me perform solat in tranquility.

I don’t care what the staff there wanna gossip afterwards ‘cause I believe they’ve known already that the job is risky & full of pressure. 

So, I quit! Easy!

Better quit before going bananas! 

Nevertheless, there’ve been many things I’ve learnt too including how:

a)      to make room booking/ reservation,

b)     to photocopy

c)      to activate key card

d)     to punch card 

e)      to update guest profiles from a check-in pocket file

f)       the rule of elevator use for hotel staff, etc.

But yeah there’s a lot more one must know to be a better FOA. I didn't chance to learn how to check guests in & check them out. Well...I don't mind!

Gotta tell you that there’s something I enjoy working as a FOA. At least I’ve learnt something new, something I never knew before. I’ve understood about types of rooms & how to do business i.e. offering much more expensive rooms with higher price first to guests! I like it. I know what it means by 'nett'. It’s still called KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE which is, in fact, my actual aim to work there. I’ve got to know many staff too, so enjoyable. They're friendly & kind. Hope they won't have any negative perception on me after I quit unless a Satan-like human has slandered me. 

BUT,

I got to apologize for having to leave you guys. I've no choice anymore because…

Between Allah & Job,

I HAVE CHOSEN ALLAH FOREVER!