m in malaysia now staying in alson klana nilai. i didn’t mean to stay in this hotel or  spend one more night in this country yet for the cancellation of my flight, air asia needs to give us a room to stay tonight and schedule us to fly back home tomorrow morning.

it was such an adventure for me. on friday, i supposed to fly the 2.10 p.m flight but few days beforehand they moved it to friday morning 8.50 a.m flight. today they did another rescheduling but the did not inform us at all. so when i reached their check-in counter one hour before my flight,  i saw no one but the sign board boasting  this word: CLOSED. so i went to their customer service booth and was told that the flight had been moved to earlier flight. they asked me to wait until three thirty before they were able to give me further information. the staff  which  manned that booth gave me a ten malaysian ringgit worth mcdonald’s voucher for lunch. (i m never a big fan of this restaurant  and that air asia staff  looked tired)

so i waited and waited and waited and waited and after checking for three times only at  four thirty they asked me to proceed to counter no 12 to get my boarding pass. i was so happy thinking about going home soon. to be honest, i came to kuala lumpur this time just to cry. i went thru too many disappointments.  i named this recent trip of mine “tearful journey”. hey! do not laugh at me! seriously, i came to kl just to sit in the corner of a coffee shop doing something resembling beckett’s waiting for godot. and you know after the third sip, i began sobbing. i have expected that i will meet that “too many disappointments” and sort of prepare myself to handle them yet still i cried

so, finally i got to the  boarding room and sat patiently before gate number 13. after quite sometimes, a crew came and opened the gate and told me and seven other passengers to follow him. can you imagine that big new series of boeing air bus flies to padang only to transport eight of us. so VIP! however, when the flight attendant demonstrating how to fasten your seat belt, the captain went out of his cockpit and told his crews that the flight must be canceled due to some technical problems.

seeing the captain out of his abode, i knew immediately that i would not go home tonight. then, one crew ushered us back to the terminal and we went trough boarding process in reverse mode. again, we were given a mcdonald’s voucher for dinner and were told to wait there until they could book  hotel rooms for us to stay

so here i am now, typing this post in the lobby. i’ve been here before. way back  in 2008 i presented a paper in this hotel’s seminar room. yeah another memory. how i wish i could find ways to erase particular memories from my brain the way i delete some files from my laptop. but the wish leaves me with a question:  will i feel better if  i can do it?

for the past three days i’ve been told so many wise words from those who care about me trying their best to show me my way home. yeah home: the notion that gives you security; a place where you are blessed with happiness and no sad tears are allowed. “stay home!” a voice warned me. but i m such a subborn girl. i strayed away from home to try my luck! and then here i am now: stranded both literally and figuratively speaking.