A Tale of Two Stations

I have always believed that being Malaysian is a huge blessing, and honestly, the sheer size of our country is just perfect. My hometown is up in the North, and even at 300km away, it is completely reachable. If we were born in the US, China, India, or Australia, where a single domestic flight can take hours, traveling home would be a massive production. (Though, I admit, I did have a fleeting moment of being jealous of Singapore’s compact size!). Still, our geography is just right.

This random thought hit me today because I finally did something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I tried the KTM ETS (Electric Train Service)!!! Yeayyyy!!! It was the final weekend before the school holidays ended, and the thought of driving up North made my head hurt. The highways were guaranteed to be a solid wall of packed cars. So, my youngest son and I made a spontaneous decision. We had no grand weekend plans anyway, so we thought, why not scale the railroad once and for all?

We boarded the ETS at KL Sentral, bound for Kuala Kangsar. The journey took less than three hours, but it felt like a blink of an eye. For the first time in a long time, I actually enjoyed the process of traveling. Why? Because I didn’t have to do a single thing. There was no stressing over slow traffic, no dealing with rude drivers, no steering-wheel fatigue, and no hunting for parking at a packed RnR. Instead, we just sat back, read books, surfed the internet, had some snacks, and took peaceful naps.

Before we knew it, the announcement came, We had arrived !

The seamless experience didn't stop there. Once we stepped off the train at Kuala Kangsar, we ordered a Grab. I was barely getting ready to sit down and wait when my son looked up and said, "It’s here!"In less than ten minutes, we were already sitting comfortably at a mamak inside Unisquare, sipping hot teh tarik. We had an early lunch together before it was time for me to head back.

My return trip to KL with my son Aiman was scheduled for 1:36 PM, after saying goodbye to Hisham. When the time for Zohor prayers came, we used the station's surau. Compared to the hustling and bustling chaos of KL Sentral, Kuala Kangsar is a small station,but it has absolutely everything a traveler needs. The surau was clean and conveniently located right near the lift and stairs leading to Platform 2. Even though it was my very first time there, it felt incredibly homely and familiar.

The train arrived exactly on the dot. We found our seats with ease, and this time, the rhythmic movement of the train put us straight to sleep. I woke up with a start, looked out the window, and was shocked to realize we were already at Sungai Buloh! By 4:30 PM, we were stepping back onto the platforms of KL Sentral.

When I look back at the day, I’m amazed that we managed to travel out of KL, spend quality time up North, and return safely within an 8 to 9-hour window, all while feeling completely relaxed and refreshed. Leaving the car behind was definitely the best decision. It was a beautiful reminder that sometimes, the best way to move forward is to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

AMY's Unfortunate Evening

We talk a lot about "corporate agility" and "problem-solving" in the office, but nothing tests your resilience quite like being stuck in a dark parking garage with a car that won't start and doors that won't lock. 

That was me yesterday. It’s 6:00 PM, the workday is done, and my mind is already halfway home. I get into my car, turn the key, and... click.  I heard the engine give a brief, weak grunt before the dashboard went completely blank. Silence. Only a stubborn warning light stayed on. I tried again. And again. Nothing!!!

Because the battery was completely drained, the central locking system refused to work. I couldn’t even lock the doors! For a fleeting moment, I thought about just abandoning the car in the office basement parking and dealing with the nightmare tomorrow. But with the lights stuck on and the doors unlocked, leaving it wasn't an option. I was officially stranded.

Then, a saving grace popped up on my phone. A few WhatsApp messages revealed that my colleagues were just about to leave the building. I shot out a quick SOS: "I can't start my car." Minutes later, my rescue team arrived, bringing an immediate sense of calm to the situation. The white knight BQN and the black panther RAX! Honestly, even if we couldn't fix the car right then, just having them there sharing the burden was enough. It’s amazing how a crisis shrinks when you aren't facing it alone.

As it turned out, RAX was harboring a secret weapon. "I have a portable jump-starter power bank in my car," he announced. Out came this surprisingly tiny device. We hooked it up and waited nervously, holding our breath. I climbed into the driver's seat, turned the key, and...vroom! AMY (yes, that's my car's name) roared back to life.

But the ordeal wasn't over. We spent the next 15 minutes letting the engine run. A debate ensued. BQN strategically suggested I at least drive AMY out of the basement (pro-tip: tow trucks hate tight basements). If the worst happened, a tow truck could actually reach me. But should I brave the drive home? Waze was showing a 40-minute journey. What if the engine dies in the middle of the road?

Leaving the car meant an anxious, ruined evening worrying about tomorrow. Driving meant risking a breakdown. Choosing optimism, I decided to trust AMY to keep her alternator running and make the trek home. If you think a dead battery is stressful, try driving a compromised car through KL traffic  when every single road on Waze is glowing bright red. To add to the drama, I took a wrong turn, making the nerve-wracking trip even longer. With my heart in my throat and prayers on my lips, I navigated the heavy traffic, terrified the car would stall.

But Alhamdulillah, before 8:00 PM, AMY and I rolled safely into my designated parking lot. An unexpected setback turned into a reminder of how lucky I am to have amazing people in my corner. A huge thank you to BQN and RAX. You guys are absolute lifesavers! Let's do masala soonest!

Lost in Time: Where Did May Go?

For the past few days, I’ve completely lost track of time. It really flies in a way I can’t quite fathom.

A day before Aidil Adha, I drove back to Parit Buntar all by myself. I had to leave the "internship boy" behind because he didn't have any extra leave (adulting strikes again!). I stopped by Kuala Kangsar to pick up my eldest, so it was just the two of us joining the family gathering on the eve of Raya. We had a great time catching up with the relatives. Quite a number of people turned up, but of course, Che Ani’s clan completely dominated the room!

On Hari Raya itself, it was all about enjoying a close, cozy gathering with my siblings and stuffing ourselves with rendang and ketupat. My entrepreneur sister cooked her famous, delicious mee kari. Unfortunately, I could only manage a few minimal bites because I was already bursting at the seams from eating everything in sight at my niece’s house earlier. Ultimate food regret.

By Thursday, I hit the road again, reaching Kuala Lumpur by afternoon. I was so glad the traffic wasn't a nightmare! Having Raya fall within the long school holiday period was a blessing, the traffic dispersed much better.

The social calendar didn't stop there, though. On Sunday, my eldest sister dropped by my house with my nephew and niece while sending her daughter back to UiTM Shah Alam. So, Sunday and Monday were spent out and about, running errands and doing bits and pieces.

Then came today aka Tuesday. I strictly told my sons: "Today is the day I do absolutely nothing."

Spoiler alert: We ended up shopping everywhere.

We started by having breakfast at Ramly’s Bistro, then hopped over to TF Value-Mart Batu Caves. After that, we dropped by Ustaz to buy a phone cover, which somehow gave us enough time to also hit up the nearest Mr. DIY and Watsons.

While pacing the aisles at Mr. DIY, a petite lady stopped me, looked way up, and asked if I could reach a toilet cleaner on the top shelf. I chuckled, reached up, and retrieved it effortlessly.Seriously, who decides to put heavy cleaning chemicals on the top shelf? Retail design flaw. But hey, lucky she met me! Hahaha.

It’s funny because I rarely think about my height, except during a certain photography sessions where I'm automatically shoved into the center spot. Today was quite memorable because I actually got to use my height for a mini public service.

Logging in today, I just realized I completely skipped the month of May. Oops! It’s not a lack of material. It's just that I’m highly skilled at ignoring this blog. I only remember it exists when I open my second Chrome profile where it’s pinned to the favorites bar. But I guess that’s just how life is moving right now. High traffic coming in, high traffic going out. So many things to do... and so many hilarious diversions.

Until next time!