A Journey With Fellow Friends

Today is my last day of bachelorhood again (no.. i am not getting married). There goes my days of eating bachelor food and living a bachelor life with just a Curly.

My dad will be back this evening from his long holidays from Thailand to Kuala Lumpur and lastly to China. I have been having a couple of weeks of "freedom" which led to my laziness and lots of tv dinners plus acute tv addiction. It was fun while it lasted.

Curly and i came back home yesterday from our roadtrip to Kuala Lumpur. The house was dusty and floors were sandy but it is good to be home again. I am sure dad can't wait to be home too.

We left on Wednesday evening for Kuala Lumpur. I did consider taking the new electric train but i didn't want to leave Curly at the boarding place. Both Piper and Dom came back quite dazed the last time we sent them. There is no decent boarding place for pets where i stay or maybe i have not found one decent one yet. They either get sick or come back dazed and disorientated. We can only trust our own families to take care of our furfellows.

my co-driver trying to keep awake

it was getting dark by the time we got there

The next day, i joined a couple of friends on the intercity trains at the central hub to our destination. We didn't want to drive as it would probably be too tiring to drive down and back in the evening. We were like a bunch of excited kids on our journey. We had two virgin first timer train travellers among us. It was quite an experience for them to do the balancing trick in the loo on a moving train. *LOL*

We got stuck here

Halfway through the journey, the train stopped at the Tampin station and the station master came on board and told us that they are stopping for 15mins. He even asked us to check out the stall by the station for some snacks and hot drinks. This is pretty odd as they would usually prefer the commuters not to wander too far.

We went down to check out the snacks... but were too afraid to sit down and have a meal as we do not want to run after the train if it starts to move *LOL* Back on the train.. and we waited for the 15 mins to be up. 30 mins and no sign of the train moving. 45 mins and we began to worry as we have another train to catch to go back to the city in the evening.

We went down the train and looked around. Some fellas were looking at the tracks ahead of us. A train track machine seems to be lopsided on the tracks. I asked my friend to look too.. and horror of horrors... the machine has indeed fallen off the track. We asked the station workers and they finally told us it would take another hour or two to move that machine and lift it back on the tracks.

We got someone to help us get a taxi... grab our stuffs from the train and scoot. In the taxi for the ride of our life. The taxi was flying so fast on the trunk roads, we were fearing for our lives. At some point along the way.. we told him.. double line double line.. then it was car coming..lorry coming... break break break (ops! it should be brakes). *LOL* We were breaking for him on our own on imaginary breaks in the car. Bet the taxi driver wanted to just tell us to shutup. They know the roads very well.

We reach our destination in one piece thanks to one of them who was praying very hard.

I saw my boss whom i have not seen for a few years (but he still pays me on the dot every month) and some friends from the Singapore office. We should probably try and meet up more often and not only under such circumstances only.

 Segamat. Pretty big town. I always love these hand-drawn signboards.

When it was time to go, we were taken to the railway station in Segamat but the northbound train was delayed for another 2 and half hours. We told ourselves, no more daredevil taxi rides on trunk roads, so we went looking for a bus to take us back to Kuala Lumpur. We were just walking towards the bus station when a northbound bus stopped beside us and ask us if we wanted to go to Kuala Lumpur (we probably look like a bunch of lost fellas). Packing silly smiles, we boarded the bus quickly and went on our way home.

Even though the journey was long, someone was looking out for us all the way. I kinda think that Mr Mathew helped us in a way. He got us there and home safe in pretty good time.

In The Garden ~ Alan Jackson

Mr Mathew was a very kind and quiet man. He shall be sorely missed by all that knew him. May He Rest in Peace.

May you find comfort in this song Anne.